I have been here for months now; about three, give or take a week or two. I am part of a foreign exchange program for a single semester to Kansai University in Suita City, Osaka, Japan. It is an interesting experience which I hope to actually parse out and commit to this blog over the next few days.
It is curious. And that goes for not only the entire experience taken as a whole, but individual nuances, things you wouldn't even expect to experience, much less notice. "Curious" is definitely the best word I can think of to describe it at this stage. I have had my ideas, convictions and notions challenged, thought out, re-challenged, re-thought out and then re-challenged again, challenging the second re-challenge and then challenging the whole process again, and so on. "Progress" is not a word I would use to describe it, since that implies moving "forward". I feel like I've moved geometrically, outward in multiple directions. If progress is one-dimensional, this sort of thing is three-dimensional and dynamically changing the directions/rate of its expansion. I will expand upon this in a later follow-up post.
I seem to remember my first three months in Japan as a crazy blur of absurd situations involving lots of beer and lots of people yelling "Gaijin!" at me from ridiculous distances in crowded places. But then, I was in the wild West(ern) Japan, not a semi-civilized city like Osaka. And I love Osaka. Best Okonomiyaki around. But a depressing lack of tonkotsu ramen.
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad to be able to share in your observations, comments and recollections. As Kitsuno mentioned, the "blur" is part of acclimating and adapting. I happen to know that you are very, very good at that!
ReplyDeleteI will be reading your blog to kitten and buppers, and am SURE they will appreciate it!!!