December 18, 2006

Well I’ve been here in Minokamo for three weeks now working full time as a teacher. Minokamo is not what I expected. First of all it is small and not in way you might think. It is out of the way but not exactly rural. It is a sort of semi industrial town with a strange mix of businesses ranging from small shops to big box style super centers. It was a big shock to arrive after training in the city only to find that while in the city there was English posted on signs and many people could speak at least a few words of English in Minokamo that is not the case. There is however a large population of Brazilians here and you are more likely to find signs in Portuguese than English. This is sometimes helpful because between the French and Spanish I know I can understands some of the signs but for the most part I am rendered completely illiterate. The other big shock was that since I arrived in Japan I’ve had friends and other trainees around for company. Out here I’m on my own and I can’t think of a time in my life where I have been so entirely alone. There is another teacher who lives in Minokamo but she is never here and doesn’t seem to have any interest in hanging out even when she is so…yeah I guess it’s just me then. I am eternally grateful to Squish who gave me one of his two guitars before I left Osaka because without it I don’t know how I could possibly bear such isolation.

My apartment is big especially by Japanese standards I think it’s more space than I ever had all to my self although maybe I just need more stuff to fill it up. There is a small hall I guess you would call it just inside the door where there is a cabinet for shoes and a place to hang coats this is also where my washing machine is. Just beyond that is my kitchen. I have a two burner gas stove with a small “fish” oven. Next to that is my sink and on the floor beside that a “University” size fridge/freezer. Of to the left is my three room bathroom suite with a toilet in a closet sized room a large sink and vanity combo and the shower room. Traditional Japanese bathing involves a shower beside the bathtub and then after that a soak in the tub. Japanese bath tubs a short and deep. The shower room is about the size of the Storriers shower in Saskatoon for the few of you family members who can appreciate such a comparison. Then there is my main room. It is about 7 paces long and 5 and a half paces wide with a walk-in closet beside the door. It came furnished with a blue vinyl sofa, a big red vinyl swivel chair, two small book shelves and a TV. The sofa folds down and makes for a nice bed (The Japanese idea of a futon is not the same as ours three inches thick and laid out on the floor). Other than that there’s not much more to say you’ll just have to come visit and see for yourself!