Reverse Culture Shock

2004-05-10T13:24:00.000-04:00

I know that my last entry was long winded and whiny, but I needed to get that out of my chest. I thank those who read through all that. In spite of what has happened the last two weeks, nothing truly interesting has been goin on in my life. I've been thinking about the blog and I feel like there's really no purpose anymore to continuing it. It's becoming a chore to write in it...I don't even feel like there's anything of interest to write about. Before, I felt that I had something to contribute with my experiences in Japan. Now, who wants to read about a girl sitting on her ass? Also, I feel like I haven't been very open in this blog lately, avoiding writing about things that are unpleasant and painful to me, especially about the death of my friend MC. How could I avoid that subject when it made a big impact on what was going on with me my last several weeks in Japan? It's just not fair and dishonest of me to be holding that back.

It figures that I decide to end my blog now that Blogger has FINALLY added new blog templates...

Maybe I will post once in a while, but I doubt it. I want to concentrate more on posting my pictures on the web and perhaps working on my web page that has been long sitting there, neglected. Again, I appreciate those who took time to read what I had to say.

2004-05-10T13:15:00.000-04:00

I am very hurt by what happended this weekend. I had been very happy with the way last weekend turned out. The last thing J and CY had told me was that they were able to come to my house the weekend of May 7th and 8th. They weren't sure about TS, so I decided to email her myself. She wrote back saying that she couldn't come so I figured that it was just too bad. Friday was approaching, so I sent an email to J and CY with more specific plans. Since CY said she finished classes at 3pm on Friday, I planned on picking them up at 3:30pm and then we would head straight to Ocean City, where we would go back to my house, which is 30 minutes away. I spent Thursday cleaning the entire house, something that I didn't even do when K was here. I still hadn't received a response to my email, but I happened to catch J on MSN Messenger that evening and he had me understand that he would be waiting for me the next day. However, he didn't seem to know what was going on with CY, whom I still hadn't heard anything from.

On Friday, the next day, as I was driving to Newark, J called me. The first two things he asked me were: "What time are you coming?" and "Are you coming by car?" He then told me that he and two of his Korean friends were going to a Korean restaurant and if I wanted to come along and by the way, could I drive them to a certain rental car place? "What about CY" I asked. "Oh, she says she can't come." At this point I felt a bit put off and just a bit like I was being used. Later, I arrived in Newark, where I had time to meet M and take her to the grocery store, where I told her about my predicament. She told me not to take it personally and to just go with the flow. I figured she was right, so I felt better and went to meet J, his two Korean friends, and the other Japanese girl I had met the week before. After the two Koreans got their rental car, J joined me as we follwed them to the Korean restaurant. He almost left me to drive by myself but I think one of them told him that he should accompany me. By then, it was well after 4:30 so we agreed that maybe it would be better if I stayed at M's apartment for the night and we could head down to Ocean City and my house the next day. J even said something about CY maybe being able to make it on Saturday so I called her but she wasn't home so I left a message on her voice mail. Dinner at the Korean restaurant itself was really nice. Afterwards, we went next door to an Asian grocery store where J and the other Japanese girl had a field day with all the Japanese groceries that were there. So after that, J and I returned to the Towers in my car and the rest headed back in the rental car, but not before making plans to get together that evening. J and I went back to his apartment, which he had to himself that weekend because his roomates took a trip to NY. J then proceeded to spend the next half hour talking on MSN Messenger with some friends in Japan, dragging me twice to make conversation with them as if I was some sort of Japanese-talking circus freak. At this point I wasn't in the mood to be making conversation with someone I didn't know. Meanwhile, I repeatedly tried to get in touch with the two Koreans by phone, but I would get no answer. Then, J showed me an email written to him by CY, telling him, IN ENGLISH, that she wasn't going to be able to make it to my house this weekend. I checked my email in case she had sent me a similar email to me, but she hadn't. Since the Koreans weren't answering the phone, J and I decided to head over to Blockbuster to rent a movie. But before that, he knocked on the door of the girls who live across the hall from him to invite them to join us later that night. A blonde girl that looked like she belonged in a sorority opened the door and when he invited her, she said she was sorry, but that she and her roomates were getting ready to go to a party. Then she asked, "Well, what are you doing tomorrow?" J gave me a quick glance and said "Nothing." Oh, then maybe we could get together tomorrow and have a party." He enthusiastically agreed. As he and I walked towards my car, I said to him, "Weren't you coming to my house tomorrow?." He said, "Yes...ah, but...yeah, I'd have to spend the night, wouldn't I? How about next week? What do you think?" I said something like, "Well, it seems like there's a lot going on for you here, so go ahead and stay." People that I've told this to said that I should have left him standing right then and there, but I put up with him the rest of the evening as I took him to Blockbuster, where he rented "Matrix 3" even after I told him that I had only seen the first Matrix movie. And then I took him to the liquor store and made sure he got good beer. Even after all his sh**!! And he would go on about the upcoming party. He asked me if I would be able to go to the party and I simply said, "No. I'm going back home tomorrow." He kept saying, "Ah, that's too bad you won't be here..." Back in his apartment, he, one of the Korean guys, the Japanese girl, and I watched the Matrix 3, which became a bore after seeing so many explosions and shoot-outs. The Kokrean guy ended up leaving, barely saying anything, before the movie was even over. After the movie finally finished, the girl left and only J and I were left. I was a bit buzzed but I was determined to return to M's apartment. Throughout all this, I still felt some sexual tension between us tow and I wondered if I would be strong enough to resist it, because I think a small part of me wanted something to happen, I must admit. And I think maybe he did too because he kept saying, "Maybe you should just spend the night. You could sleep in my bed and I could sleep on the couch." But I was so disgusted with him at the point that I said no. I promised myself that I would NEVER drive when even the slightest bit under the influence, but under these circumstances, I was determined to leave. By the time I was falling asleep in my sister's apartment, I remembered that I had promised to call him when I got back but I figured that he didn't deserve a call from me. On my way home the next day, he called me and asked, "So I'll see you next week?" I said, "Maybe." I should have outright said, "No."

Needless to say, CY never returned my call. I just can't believe that she avoided all direct communication with me, writing J a letter in English, obviously meant for me, not bothering to tell me herself. And I hadn't even found out about her not coming until I was already halfway to Newark! I know that the avoidance of direct confrontation is just part of Japanese culture and as much as I try and try to understand Japanese culture, I can't help feeling deeply insulted, hurt, and upset by her actions, especially since my only intention was to be nice to her and J and to repay in someway the kindness I was shown in Japan by people like T-san and KM. My dad says that maybe I was being pushy and annoying in inviting them. Did I really annoy her? Was I really that pushy?

As for J, he totally disregarded my plans, even after having made so much effort to receive them in my home, having spent an entire day cleaning the house and having driven two hours to pick them up. I can only attribute most of his actions to his immaturity, simple lack of consideration for others, and thinking of only what was best for him. And then he had me run around and take him places. I should have seen it coming. He did it before last year, and I should have known that he would do it again. It serves me right for being so nice. Come to think of it, he is one of the most selfish people I know, his thoughtlessness comparable to one of a 3-year-old child. And if he didn't want to come because he'd rather hang out at UD, why didn't he just say so? Again, Japanese culture...My only consolation was that he didn't "get any" from me this time and that I was strong enough to resist him. I think this also proves just how much I love K...

Needless to say, I plan on never speaking to them again. I erased all contact information from my records and I blocked J from my MSN contact list. I wrote a cordial email to TS, who at least had the decency to tell me that she couldn't come, and wished her a safe trip back home and good luck in the future. Still, I wish I could just tell them off, but I know it would only result in me looking like a bigger fool than I have been made to look like. I even wish for an apology, but I have to accept that I will never get one...

2004-05-10T00:54:00.000-04:00

Huh? All of the sudden Blogger does a 180 and changes its format. I don't know if I like it though...I was so used to the old format...

2004-05-08T18:51:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was fun and eventful. I went to Newark to pick up M so she could see G at her prom's Grand March. It was a good thing my mother decided to take a day off so she could take her to all her appointments. Also, her best friend SS, and the Spanish exchange student living with her, JM, both who go to school in Western Maryland, were participating at the prom as well. It was my first time meeting JM. He seemed like a really nice guy and speaks English really well. Out of the three sisters, I think preparations for prom were the least stressful for G. I think she also looked the prettiest at prom out of the three sisters. She wore a light pink dress whose a bodice had satin ribbons in the front and had satin ribbon straps. Her hair was decorated with ribbons to go with her dress and her makeup had been done very nicely. She, SS, and JM went to pre-prom dinner in Ocean City with other friends from school. My parents, M, and I headed over to the Civic Center to see G march down the "red carpet" with her date. Grand March is a prom tradition here where we live. It is basically when each couple "promenades" down a walkway designed according to that year's theme. This year's theme was "An Affair to Remember", which was basically a 40's Hollywood theme. It was very nicely done. It was so strange seeing the classmates that Genevieve had grown up with all dressed up and looking so adult-like. Most I hadn't seen since they were in elementary school. Also, my friend JE was there...I invited her to Grand March...it had been the first time seeing her since coming back to the US...and since the death of my friend MC. It was rather awkward...and even though she is usually a quiet girl, my family noticed that she seemed unusually sad, and she seemed to want to go home after the Grand March and was just being nice in waiting until we found G in the crowd of prom-goers. But still, we met up with G after the Grand March and took pics of her and her date and her friends. We were very happy for her because she seemed to be really enjoying herself. After prom, she, SS, and JM did the usual after-prom thing in Ocean City but tried not to return home too late, because the next day, the three of them headed over to Western Maryland to participate in SS and JM's prom! Can you believe it? Two proms in a row! For this prom, Genevieve wore a black strapless dress made of tulle and she wore her hair down, with a pink ribbon around her head....I saw the pictures she took and she looked so nice! And she says that she had a really good time. We were very happy for her.

As for me, I drove M back to Newark, where I was to stay for the rest of the weekend so she could use the car. I made plans to meet with MAB, my friend from college and later on with J and the other two Soka exchange students CY and TS. MAB and I had lunch at Ali Baba's my favorite restaurant in Newark and then we had some coffee at Brew Ha-Ha. It was really nice talking to him and catching up. He had to go to a dress rehearsal, so afterwards, I met up with J...almost a year since I went with him to Yamagata. It was so strange seeing him again...all the memories of what happened in Yamagata came rushing back, finding it hard to believe that it's already been a year...and I wondered if something was going to happen again, since he was being his flirty, touch-feely self. But I kept thinking of K and how I much rather be with him....and how it wouldn't feel right if something happened with J. At the same time, I thought about how weak I can be under such situations. Still, I felt that I was a lot less naive, a bit wiser, and more careful when it came to J. I took him to meet M and later on took him to the shopping center so he could buy stuff at K-Mart. After that, I had to hand over the car to M, so we walked back to his apartment building to meet CY. Soon after, we met up with another Japanese girl that is also here to study English at the ELI (English Language Institute). I had told MAB that I would attend his play that evening so I invited them to come along, so the four of us went. The play, called "Behind the Mask" was a rather unusual play in which the cast sang selections from musicals...or sometimes just recited them. And there was a very funny redneck version of "Romeo and Juliet". I don't know whether my guests understood what was going on or not. Anyway, after the play, MAB invited me to the cast party, but I was trying to see what the Japanese exchange students were up to...CY and the other girl seemed to be turning in and J wanted to hang out and drink in his room. At first I told him I'd hang out with him but then I felt uncomfortable with the prospect of hanging out with just him and his roomates. And when it came down to it, I realized that I much rather hang out with MAB, so I had him pick me up in front of the Towers and take me to the party. I guess the party could be classified as a "drama geek" party, but let me say it was a very...interesting party, in which a drinking game got wild. Do you know the Three Dog Night lyrics that go "There are things, I ain't never seen before. I don't know what it is, but I don't wanna see no more"? Well, it was sort of like that, except that I wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, I became increasingly amused as I observed the game and became more and more tipsy. I would yell out when I felt the rules weren't being followed exactly. MAB too looked on with amusement. I think we're both getting too old for this....hehe.

The next day, I met up with J and TS since she couldn't meet up with us the day before. I showed J the nearest liquor store, where he proudly made his first alcohol purchase in the US. Then, we hung out in TS's room and watched some of "Spirited Away", which I have already seen. It is the cutest movie ever! Even the villians were adorable! All in all, I had a good time and later, when I got home, I made plans with J and CY to come down to my house the following weekend, but that's a whole other story....

2004-04-20T22:21:00.000-04:00

The return of "J"!
Remember "J"? The dude who invited me to Yamagata? The guy I almost "went to Korea" with but then cancelled on me? Well, for the second half of 2003, I hardly ever heard from him and I thought I would never hear from again, but then...I got in touch with him again through MSN Messenger. And guess what? He's coming here, to the US....to the University of Delaware to study at their English Language Institute for an academic school year. During the time I spent with him, I knew that he had been to UD twice and that he was seriously thinking of studying there...but I didn't think he'd actually go through with it! And him, of all people! Why couldn't it have been K?? :`( He's coming very soon...in a week in fact. I felt that it was only right that I should repay his kindness in inviting me to Yamagata by inviting him down here for a weekend when he comes to Delaware. For a while, I tried to get in contact with him to let him know, but he wouldn't respond. I was getting exasperated about it when he got in contact with me while I was in Newark this past weekend. We talked for a bit and I told him that I wanted to invite him to my house and he seemed to like the idea. I've told my sisters about my history with J so when I told them that I wanted to invite him over, they rolled their eyes, but I assured them that there will be on "hanky-panky" this time!! I'm inviting him over to be nice...He is off limits for me!

2004-04-20T20:23:00.000-04:00

This past weekend...
This past weekend, I spent a really nice and relaxing time with my sister M. The thing is, my mother wanted to go to the King of Prussia Mall and pick M up on the way. M had wanted to borrow the car for Sunday so basically we were to drive up in two cars and then I was to stay over in her apartment in Newark until Monday. Then my dad said, "Why don't you take the time to visit the Wharton School of Business while you're up there?" I didn't feel like going, but I figured that I'd go to please him...and basically to get him to stop bugging me about my future.

We ended up spending Saturday afternoon at the Christiana Mall, which is nearer by. We had lunch at our favorite Christiana Mall haunt, Don Pablos, which is a Mexican restaurant. My dad and I spent time at Circuit City, one of my favorite stores, then I joined my mother and my sisters in their endless and pointless quest to find G shoes for prom. Anywayz, we all drove back to M's apartment in Newark and we were dropped off there. I had brought the Spirited Away DVD to watch, but M wanted to watch something else, so we went to the nearby Blockbuster. At first, we couldn't find anything, but we ended up renting three DVDs. We got "Ghost World" and "Dancer in the Dark" because we couldn't decide between the two. And I got "Taboo" or "Gohatto", a Japanese movie starring my latest celebrity obssession, Ryuhei Matsuda. I was so surprised to see it in Blockbuster that I simply had to rent it. That evening, M and I saw "Dancer In the Dark", which is one of the most disturbing movies we have ever seen. While it was about a woman who had lost touch with reality...it was so realistically filmed and so shocking that it stays with you for a while. While it was an interesting movie....I really don't recommend seeing it. Geez, after seeing this movie, "Grave of the Fireflies" seemed uplifting (even though I still think it was a very sad movie).

The next day, I had lunch with my sister and then, while she worked on homework, I watched "Taboo". I think it was an interesting and entertaining movie that I think I would like to buy on DVD, in spite of the sloppy ending. And I hate to say this....the symbolism was a little cliche, and obscured to the point where I don't know if there was something deeper to it or not. Anyways, I started watching Ghost World that evening but the DVD player in my sister's computer froze up so I gave up....hopefully I will have time to watch the rest of it in the near future.

Anywayz, the next day, Monday, Mariana was nice enough to go with me to Philly to go to a Wharton information session. It was a good thing too because I hate, hate, HATE driving in Philly. Anyways, in spite of the initial intimidation by all the prospective students dressed in suits and already with careers, the information session was very interesting and the admissions officer was very nice. He directed me to the Lauder Institute, which was where my main interest was in. The Lauder Institute is a department within Wharton that allows you to earn a dual degree in business and in international studies. Anyway, I talke to an admissions office there and basically she told me what I already know....that I need more work experience in order to even think about applying. I asked her what kind a job she would suggest and she told me that there was no "right" answer. Instead she gave me two student directories which had student profiles. I read it later on and I almost got sick to my stomach. All the students know several languages but above all, they all have these, amazing careers and have been all over the world....it's inhuman! They're all these super-duper overachievers! I had to stop reading. Anywayz, after dropping M off, I went back home....I was pretty tired.

2004-04-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

On TH...
Lately, I find myself thinking about TH a lot. Right before I started dating K, I felt that TH and I had some sort of...flirtation going on. On my birthday, KM even asked me, "Why don't you go for him?" and I replied, "Well, I don't know if he likes me" to which KM did not respond. Looking back...maybe TH did have feelings for me, but I will probably never know for sure. He was always such a nice, sweet guy who came across as introverted but would surprise you by doing or saying something crazy or wacky. He's really not a very handsome guy and lord knows he has awful teeth, but there was something about him...a certain confidence...something that I have often referred to as "sexiness." We have exchanged a few emails since I came back home. He's now working and God knows most of his time will be occupied with that. After I started going out with K, TH confided in me that he had feelings for this girl at Soka who is half Brazilian and half Japanese. Later on, when I asked him about her, he seemed to have given up hope, apparently she was more interested in getting him to go to meetings. TH himself, while of full Japanese blood, was born in Brazil and spent a few years of his life there. Perhaps he is attracted to hispanic girls. So if that is true, did he indeed have feelings for me? If K hadn't been in the picture (not that I regret it....K has been one of the best things that has happened to me so far), would something have developed between TH and I? Will I ever see him again?

2004-04-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

A potpourri....(or, Procrastinating)

I was reading my previous blog's archive from last September. Natsukashiiii (how nostalgic!). It was nice looking back and realizing that they way I wrote wasn't as boring as I had thought. I also didn't feel the sadness that I usually do when I think about my time over there....I guess it was because what I read was before K's time...

I saw the "Grave of the Fireflies" a few days ago. I can honestly say it was one of the saddest movies I have ever seen. It's about two children orphaned during World War II. I won't give away the ending, but I don't think I would even want to because it's so sad. But it was also a very beautiful movie, beautiful in how it portrayed the characters' emotions and the relationship between them. Shortly after buying the DVD, I wrote to my professor asking him if he had seen the movie and what he thought of it. He wrote back to me today saying that it was a very sad movie and that I should see it with my family or friends instead of seeing it alone. Unfortunately, it has been several days after I saw it....alone. *smiles* Well, what can you do?....but it's true, perhaps I should have seen it with my mom or my sister. I didn't cry when watching the movie, but this movie is defenitely a tearjearker.

Easter was nice...got to wear a new outfit and go out for lunch. But my biggest surprise was in church when I ran into JK, my first boyfriend. It was such a pleasant surprise to see him after all this time...I hadn't seen him since way before I left for Japan. He has a full beard now....at least his head's not shaven like the last time I saw him! It seems that I am "doomed" to date guys with beards, with JK setting the precedent...lol! Anywayz, he gave me his phone number but unfortunately, he accidentally gave me the wrong number, but he knew my phone number so he called me up the next day. We started talking about things when I mentioned K. I hadn't even mentioned that he was my boyfriend when JK said..."You miss him, don't you" I meekly said yes and then he said..."Oh my God...you love him, don't you?" I was shocked....it was as if he had read my mind! He tells me that he has the ability to not quite read minds, but to feel other people's emotions when they are nearby and said that my emotions must have been running really strong for him to have felt them over the phone. Later that afternoon, he came over my house and we spent a long time just talking and catching up. There was so much to talk about....about his fiancee, about living with her and her parents...talk about crazy! G also had a chance to talk to him. Later on, he told me that he sensed that she feels something for the guys she's going out to prom. I certainly wouldn't be surprised about that. Anywayz, I do hope I get more chances to talk to him. It was strange, but the fact that he sensed my emotions when mentioning K sort of resurfaced the strong feelings that I have for K. The two days before that, I had been talking to M, convincing myself that things with him wouldn't have worked out anyway...but now I know that I still love K just as much...*sigh*

2004-04-14T00:33:00.000-04:00

Here I am, trying to do something with my life. This evening, I looked up information on joint Japanese/Business degree programs. There are some that look pretty good. The thing is, I know for sure that I want to continue my study of the Japanese language and culture, but I don't want to use it for teaching, and since I hear that you can do a lot with a business degree, the combination of both sounds like a good idea. It's just that I still don't know what my "career goals" are...I'm just seeing where it takes me. But unfortunately, it seems that schools are looking for people with "goals". What the heck am I supposed to tell them? Should I make something up? I am also trying to fill out a part-time job application to Barnes and Noble. I love bookstores and it seems like such an awesome place to work and above all, I could use some cash flow....God, I hope they're hiring. I need to be doing something besides sitting on my ass.

2004-04-07T18:30:00.000-04:00

Today I went back to Circuit City to buy my sister's birthday present/s and to see if I could find that "Grave of the Fireflies" DVD. Well....the DVD was still there so this time I was able to get it. Yay! I know I won't need to rent a movie tonight!

2004-04-07T18:29:00.000-04:00

On Monday, my friends KG, AR, and ET came to visit me for two days. It was so nice to see them! We went to Circuit City, my favorite electronics store in the US, so I could check out the laptop prices. My friends had a field day in the CD section because CDs there are so cheap. I came across a rare copy of a lesser-known movie by the same animators who did "Princess Mononoke" and "Sprited Away" called "The Grave of the Fireflies." Even though I had never seen it before, it looked really good and I really wanted to buy it, but I didn't have enough money. Later that afternoon, we all went to Olive Garden for dinner. It was really nice and the food was delicious! In the evening, we watched "Lost in Translation"....the first time for the three of them. I'm not sure they liked it though, but it's understandable....it's is a rather strange movie...and part of the reason I liked it is because I could identify with it after being in Tokyo. We also saw "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". I know, I know, I'm such a geek....but I absolutely love this movie! It was AR's first time seeing it....how could she have gone through college without having seen it!!?? Anywayz, the next day, we finished watching "The Holy Grail" and relaxed for a while. Then we went to the Ward Museum and then to Ocean City to walk on the boardwalk. I was so happy to see my friends, with whom I have mostly communicated by computer this past year and a half. I hope to be able to have more chances to hang out with them in the future!

2004-04-07T18:18:00.000-04:00

D'OH!

I realized today that April 1st was DT's birthday and that I had forgotten to wish her a happy birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY D.T.!! I will be emailing you soon!

2004-03-31T00:27:00.000-05:00

I came across this pretty cool game/survey in my friend MG's LiveJournal. Basically, you choose a band/or artist (it doesn't have to be your favorite one) and answer only in song TITLES by that band/artist. But I chose my favorite band anyway, which, in case you don't know, are the Bealtes. Here goes:

Are you female or male: She's A Woman

Describe yourself: Tell Me What You See

How do some people feel about you: Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby

How do you feel about yourself: I'm a Loser

Describe your ex girlfriend/boyfriend: I Should Have Known Better

Describe your current girlfriend/boyfriend: It Won't Be Long

Describe where you want to be: Here, There, and Everywhere

Describe what you want to be: Something

Describe how you live: For No One

Describe how you love: Can't Buy Me Love

Share a few words of wisdom: Let It Be

2004-03-30T18:42:00.000-05:00

"If Mohammed can't come to the mountain..."

Today I went to my dad's office because my former guarantor from Japan, along with two of my dad's colleagues, came to visit. We all had lunch at a local steak restaurant. As a gift, I gave him the rum cakes that I had bougth in Barbados and two letters I wrote for AT and Mrs. T. It was so strange to be seeing him in these parts after having seen him in Japan over a month ago. Add that to having K come to visit me and meeting the three Japanese teachers from Hokkaido this past Saturday. It's as if Japan itself has come to pay me a visit here in this place that is so far removed from the Japanese world, so I won't forget...but how could I?

2004-03-28T20:58:00.000-05:00

It's been an ok weekend. My sister is leaving tomorrow morning to go back to school and I will be driving her back. The Soka graduation was about two weeks ago, so I wrote an email to TK, KM, TH, and NY to congratulate them and wish them luck in the future. So far, I've gotten a response from both KM and TH. Apparently, KM already started the process of moving into his new apartment in Tochigi Prefecture. He will move in March 30th, and the next day, April 1st, he will start his new job at the Lotte snack company. TH will also be starting a new job around the same time, and NY has gone back to his hometown in Fukuoka and has already started a new job. I get kind of sad thinking about it because it makes me realize that even the world that I left behind in Japan is changing and even if I were to go back, things just wouldn't be the same. In other ways I am happy for them because they are now starting new independent lives, but it's also the beginning of the rut and responsibility of an adult life. I spent some really good times with them and they were often there for me...now we are all scattered in the wind.

2004-03-28T00:46:00.000-05:00

The Passion "redux"

I know that this is a bit overdue, but bear with me. On my previous blog, I wrote about how I had been looking forward to seeing The Passion of the Christ. I was especially impressed by the fact that it was to be spoken completely in Latin and Aramaic. Well, upon coming back to the US and hearing opinions about it, now I will wait until at least it comes out on DVD before I see it. One of the reasons for this is that from what I've heard, the movie is rather biased towards the Catholic view of Jesus' death. And especially because it's pretty violent and bloody. Now, have never liked excessive violence in movies, but apparently, the violence in the movie is over the top. I have read reviews in which they call the violence "fetishistic" and "almost pornographic." I am not going to spend 8 dollars to see a movie about someone getting beaten to death...even if it is about Jesus. It's kinda hypocritical how Christian groups denounce violence in movies, yet praise this particular one, whose violence is as graphic...or maybe even more graphich than any other movie out there. And I just don't want to give in to the hype that this movie has created. However, if I get a chance to see it once it comes out on DVD, I am not going to avoid it. As for the alleged quote by Pope John Paul II, "It is as it was", I think that it was a fabricated one, just to create publicity.

2004-03-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

Today is G's Junior-Senior banquet. In a few minutes, I have to go pick her up from school so she can start getting ready. Once my mom gets home, we're surely going to start fussing over her. It's for times like these that make me realize why I came back to the US.

I'm using my sister's Sony Vaio laptop and it's really nice. I am planning on getting a new computer soon and I think I will probably get a Sony. New computer, here I come!

2004-03-26T14:42:00.000-05:00

From hitsuji to usagi...

When Keiji was here, he brought everyone in the family small gifts or omiyage. He gave me a keychain of the Nova usagi, the very commercialized mascot of an English school in Japan that competes with Berlitz. The wooden sheep cell phone strap that I used as a keychain had recently broken, and after all, it was a gift from Keiji, so as reluctant as I was to being a "perpetrator" by having "enemy" merchandise, I am now using the pink rabbit as a keychain. Forgive me o, former employers!

An aside...

I could never understand why they called it the Nova usagi instead of the Nova rabbit. Isn't it, an English school after all?

2004-03-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

Ack. Just what I need. My throat's burning up and now my right ear is clogged with some ear drops so now I can't hear from my right ear and the house is still a mess. Ugh...I should rest before he comes....

2004-03-15T16:23:00.000-05:00

I probably won't be writing for at least a week because K will be visiting me. But basically I have to leave for the Washington Dulles Airport to pick him up tomorrow afternoon. We plan on taking it easy on Wednesday and invite some family friends (one who actually speaks Japanese) for dinner. Then, on Thursday, K and I will head up to Newark to meet up with some people and to go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Then, K, M, and I will go to New York on Friday to spend the day and then return home on Saturday. Then we'll hopefully take it easy until Monday, when we go to Washington DC and from there, he'll leave Tuesday morning....Too little time >_<

2004-03-15T16:19:00.000-05:00

This weekend, some of my friends from college and I got together at our friend AG' apartment in College Park. It went really well and I had a great time. On Friday evening, when most of us arrived, we went to a really nice diner and spent the rest of the evening at AG's apartment. On Saturday, we spent part of the day in Washington, D.C., where we had lunch at Union Station, a place I hadn't been to before. Then, we briefly stopped by the Museum of American History--that's all we really had time for since we had to meet MB at College Park for dinner. The day was a bit windy and chilly, but it was sunny. As we were riding the metro back to College Park, I thought of how simple the Washington metro system is compared to the one in Tokyo.

After we met Mike, we went to a really nice Indian restaurant, where I had a delicious Rogan Josh, which is a lamb dish. Afterwards we went for a liquor run--How I missed those when I was in Japan! I'm glad that tradition still hasn't changed among my friends. When we got back to AG's apartment, MB taught us a really fun drinking game. Then we watched "Dr. Strangelove", which ironically enough, AG hadn't seet yet. After the movie, everyone pretty much passed out--aack, we're getting old! We can't stay up at night like we used to!

On Sunday, we went to a really nice coffeehouse that used to be a private residence. It had a pool table and a dentist's chair to lay on--and that was just one of the rooms. We hung out there for a bit and finally we all went back to our respective homes.

There were eight of us in all, most which I haven't seen in over a year at least. It's strange because even though I saw a few of them last year, I only saw them briefly, so it feels like the last time I truly knew them was two years ago, after my pseudo-graduation. And now, it's as if I suddenly reappear on the face of the earth, or as if I am waking up from a long dream (think Rip Van Winkle). I got to do a lot of catching up on what's been going on with people these past two years...Has it been that long already?? I defenitely could sense a change in everyone and I'm sure they noticed a change in me. It seems like everyone has become more mature, yet everyone's basic nature has stayed the same and for the most part, as the cliche goes, we started right where we left off.

2004-03-15T00:02:00.000-05:00

K just called me...he's going to be coming in two days! EEEEEE!! I feel so nervous for him though! His first time out of Japan EVER! However, I think I might be getting sick. Great! Exactly what I need!

2004-03-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I'm going to College Park, MD to spend the weekend with my friends from college. Wish me luck!

2004-03-06T18:54:00.000-05:00

America's Weight Problem

Today I ran across an article on Yahoo news titled, "Americans Eating More Fat, Risking Health", which was about how Americans are eating more fat due to the "low carb" craze. All I could think was "Duh!". I used to think that the country's obession with losing weight was a matter of vanity, but being away from the US for a while made me see that obesity is a national problem. When I came home in August, my mother, my sister G, and I were on our way to to Newark to meet M when we stopped by a Wal-Mart. My sister and I stayed in the car while my mom went to get something. As we watched people walking by...I was struck at how many obese people there were...it seemed like I couldn't see anyone that was of normal weight. Now, let me clarify that I am NOT condoning the unrealistic weight standards and body images set by models and celebrities, that have put the health of many young women at risk. I am talking about morbidly obese people that you don't see in other countries. Now, in Japan, not everyone is skinny, and in fact, there are plenty of obese people, but in the United States, the obesity you see is obviously unhealthy...people that can barely walk due to their weight, people that can't place their arms on their sides. It is something that is not natural. It is man-made...a result of eating the unhealthy foods in excess. The thing that I still have not gotten over since coming back to Japan are the huge amounts of food that are sold in stores and the huge portions that are served in restaurants.

Having lived in another country, I think that the problem in the US is too much sugar, too much grease and carbs(more on that in a bit), and amounts that are too big. When I first came to Japan, I found the food rather bland. Also, I had a hard time getting used to drinking cold, unsweetened tea, which is as common as bottled water over there. Even children drink it. However, I soon got used to drinking unsweetened tea and I began to agree with my Japanese friends who said that American drinks are too sweet. In fact, I attribute losing weight in Japan partly to my dramatic decrease in sugar intake.

Being away, I also realized that the typical American diet has too many carbs. So upon coming back to the US, I was glad to find that low-carb craze had hit the nation. But then, I read an article in Details magazine about how this low-carb craze is getting out of hand and soon, I began to see what they meant. You can now see "low carb" labeled on practically everything...even ketchup! As the article in Details said, "If you gain weight, it's not from the ketchup...it's from the fries...who ever heard of someone getting fat because of eating too much ketchup?" I remember that several years ago, it was all about "no cholesterol" and "low fat". Now I hear that obesity is the second leading cause of death in the United States. We should all make eating right an issue...but let's do it sensibly.

2004-03-06T16:12:00.000-05:00

Lost in Translation

While on the cruise, I finally got to see Lost in Translation in the ship's movie theater. I was afraid that after hearing all the hype, I would be dissapointed, but I was far from it. It was an absolutely wonderful movie! I know that maybe not everyone will appreciate and understand it, but I totally identified with it (except for the hookers and the strippers and the fact that I'm not married...hehe). Even the main female role's is in the same period in life as I am...just graduated from college, not knowing what to do with her life. Sofia Coppola, I think, perfectly captured the essence of being a foreigner in Japan. She must have spent a period of time there sometime in her life in order to have understood it. The trains, the sound of the elevators and crosswalks, Shibuya, the awkward language barrier situations...all transported me back to Tokyo. Needless to say, last week I bought the DVD...there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to buy it. That movie is like my souvenir of my time in Japan! Whenever I miss Japan, I can just watch the DVD...

I thought it was so awesome that the movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture! I was kind of sad that it didn't get Best Picture, but then again...how can it compare to The Return of the King, which was a huge production? My sister tells me that perhaps the fact that Sofia Coppola's father is a very famous director had something to do with those nominations. And I think she might be on to something. While I personally think Lost in Translation is a great movie, and will probably become one of my favorites, it just didn't compare to the "big" movies it was running up against. But it was nice to see that among the highly commercialized movies that are usually nominated, for once, a simple, yet fresh and original movie was nominated.

2004-03-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

Back to reality...

To be honest, not much has happened since I got back from the cruise. While there are some changes in the pop culture and political scenes and some changes in my town and in my home (I came home to find that we got a new DVD player!), it seems that for the most part, things are just as they were when I left. In fact, sometimes it feels like I never left. But I still find myself having to get used to things. I walk around huge stores like Wal-Mart in a daze...it's so strange seeing the huge amounts of food. Not that I was starving in Japan...far from it. It's just that in Japan, food is sold in more...reasonable amounts (that's just my opinion). On the other hand, the food in Japan is more expensive. It's going to be really hard trying to stay at a reasonable weight now that I am exposed to so many more "temptations". I came home to find two plastic bags full of chocolate that my family had gotten for me at Christmas. It's funny...when you start living in another place...the former place, the former world starts to fade away and your life back there seems like a dream. I knew this would happen, so during my last days in Japan, I tried to take everything in and tried to engrave it in my mind....but already...those images are slipping away and are beginning to seem dream-like. However, Japan still hasn't totally faded from my mind. When I see or hear anything that reminds me of Japan...even when I hear American music that I first heard in Japan, I become very nostalgic...natsukashi...and for an instant, I am back at the Interent cafe or back in my apartment or back in my dorm at Soka... Most of my conversations begin with "when I was in Japan..." but how can they not? It's where I spent the last one and half years of my life? Anywayz, I'm back in my house...in my bedroom with my computer and all my other things...I picked up where I left off. It's funny because these things seemed so far away, so dreamlike when I was in Japan...

I got my parents' old bedroom set because they got a new one a few days ago. So I had to help with moving stuff around. My "new" bedroom set is really nice and it goes surprisingly well with my room.

Also...K is coming to visit March 16th! He will stay here for a week. I wish he would stay for two weeks so we won't be so rushed to do everything...but I guess it's better than nothing. I can't wait to show him around and introduce him to people...especially my UD Japanese professor and the two Soka exchange students at UD.

Speaking of UD, I went back there on Monday to drop my sister M off (she came to visit last weekend). I had lunch with my professor and we talked about my time in Japan. He was really nice and gave me 2 CDs with DVD recordings of a Japanese TV show...it'll be good for me to stay exposed to Japanese. We also talked about my future...basically I don't know where I'm going (but more on that on another posting). He pretty much told me what my father and M had told me...so I guess I'll have to take it from there. Also, I went to visit Mrs. BA, who coordinated my stay at Soka. She is such a wonderful lady. I enjoyed talking to her and catching up on what's been going on in the Study Abroad Program.

Walking around Main Street and the UD campus was another eerie experience for me. I felt like a ghost...or should I say, I could see ghosts walking amongst the students...the ghosts of my friends who had walked on the very same sidewalks. I could almost see KG waving over to me as we met for lunch during my junior year. Those moments in college seemed so long ago, yet all those old memories and emotions came back to me with a pang, and seemed suddenly clear...as if the remains had lingered right there in front of my sophomore year dorm. I looked at the current students and they seemed so carefree...for a moment I wished I was back in college...

2004-03-03T18:54:00.000-05:00

My Caribbean Cruise, Part III

Back to Puerto Rico

Finally, on the morning of the 22nd, we were back in Puerto Rico. We disembarked and got a taxi to the airport, where my relatives had to catch a flight. Strangely enough, our taxi driver was the very same one that had taken us back to the hotel after we toured old San Juan the week before. He was really friendly, but told jokes that we couldn't quite understand. Anyways, my mother and I weren't supposed to leave San Juan until the next day, but we accompanied my relatives to the airport to say goodbye and to see if we could somehow change our plane tickets for a flight that left that day, but we couldn't because all the flights were full. Let me tell you, it was pandemonium at the airport, with everyone coming back from their respective cruises. When we said goodbye to my relatives, my mother and I had to find a hotel to stay in. To make a long story short: After much running around and waiting around, we finally found a nice hotel that was just a street's crossing away from the Isla Verde beach. We had thought about returning to old San Juan, but we were so tired that my mom and I took a long nap. Later on, we headed over to the beach. It was a beautiful beach with white sand and turquoise blue water. At that beach, my mind was at ease and I felt truly relaxed for the first time since starting the cruise. There were people windsurfing and my mom was curious to see how they did it, so we walked over to get a closer look. Later on, we had a cheap dinner at *surprise* Burger King and then headed over to Walgreens and 7-11. Going to the 7-11 was defenitely a reverse culture shock experience, especially after having gotten used to the Japanese 7-11s. I just stood there in disbelief, staring at the huge bags of Doritos and potato chips and the big bottles of Coke...even the very atmosphere seemed different...more menacing...I tried to picture the 7-11 convenience store near my apartment complex in Japan, not wanting that image to slip away...

The next day, our flight left at 2pm, but my mother insisted on going to the beach again. I did some packing while my mom went to the beach and by the time I went to catch up with her, she was already on her way to the hotel's pool, so I took a short stroll on the beach by myself. There, I saw a family that had taken the very same cruise as we had! I didn't approach them since I never really talked to them, but it was still a very nice coincidence. I had to push my mom to hurry so we could make it to the airport on time, and before we knew it...we left San Juan. Our flight flew from San Juan to Charlotte, NC. Talk about a rude awakening. Compared to the lush green island that was Puerto Rico, from above, Charlotte seemed dark, bleak, and depressing. In Charlotte, we took another plane to Washington Dulles. After getting our luggage at baggage claim, I lost my mother, so I tried looking for her at the bus stop. I couldn't find her but shortly afterwards, I was paged. NEVER in my childhood was I ever paged...it took 24 years for me to finally be paged by my mommy ;-) So we found each other and made our way back to the hotel we had stayed in a week before and got our car ready for our three hour drive home. I had expected to find blustery wintery weather, but the temperature was surprisingly mild. I was exhausted but got some rest in the car and drove the second half of the trip home. Yep. I was put to driving right away. I kept telling my Japanese students that here in the US, a car is essential for getting around...

The trip was wonderful and I enjoyed it very much. My words aren't enough to describe how beautiful the Caribbean is, so I would like to share my pictures from the trip. I have uploaded them to my computer and am currently working on an online photo album. Once it's ready, I will post a link to it.

2004-02-27T21:01:00.000-05:00

My Caribbean Cruise, Part II

Written during the cruise:

"Being here on this ship with elegantly dressed people, elegant dining rooms, and sumptuous meals, I am somehow reminded of 'Titanic'. Next thing you'll know, I'll fall head over heels for some artist (oops, already did that) and then the whole frickin' ship will go down with a flourish at the end of the trip. God, even the rear of the ship reminds me of the end of the movie when the old lady leans over the railing and flings a million-dollar necklace into the sea. Smart. Real smart.

On the other hand, the crew/staff members have been very friendly. I mean, I guess that's what they're trained and paid to do. But I feel so bad for them. They work their butts off to wait on the passengers hand and foot and they put up with a lot of crap, especially from us. I swear that my relatives are the fussiest, pickiest, most indecisive people I know. And what with my grandparents, who unfortunately are getting on in years, must be taken care of like children. The crew and staff members have been very patient with us and on top of that, they have been so nice to us. I guess in order to work on a cruise ship, you need to be a friendly and outgoing person by nature. I don't think I could ever work as a crew member of a cruise ship. But then again, I didn't think I'd ever be able to be a teacher and I ended up teaching English for a year."

My grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary fell on the 17th of February. My aunt S had the restaurant staff make a huge cake with "Happy 60th Anniversary" written on it in Spanish. We sang to them (the birthday song was the closest we could come up with for their anniversary) and everyone in the restaurant applauded them. The people sitting at the next table came up to my grandparents and congratulated them. Throughout the whole cruise, my grandparents seemed in a daze as we dragged them from place to place and unfortunately, my grandfather seemed almost indifferent to it all sometimes...but at that moment, when we were celebrating their anniversary...they seemed truly happy...it made the trouble that my aunts had taken to bring them on the cruise worth it.

One thing I had to get used to was the constant back and forth rocking of the ship. While I didn't throw up, I felt dizzy and just slightly nauseous. For several days after the cruise was over, it felt like the ground below me was rocking back and forth.

One more thing...there was so much food! And it was absolutely delicious. It was rather hard to stick to my resolution that I had made in Japan to watch what I eat, but I think for the most part I did a pretty good job of eating healthy...even though towards the end I was slipping!

Barbados

The first island we went to was Barbados. Its population is around 290,000...which is about half the population of Hachioji! Before, the only thing I had known about Barbados was that Alexander Hamilton grew up there. It was colonized by the British but gained its independence in the mid 1960s and is now populated mostly by the descendants of the slaves that worked in the sugar cane plantations. When we got there, we got on a taxi and took a tour of the island. The taxi driver was very friendly, and above all very patient with us. When he would try to explain things, some of us would be talking loudly, unaware that he was saying something. And then of course my aunt S had to translate the taxi driver's explanations to my aunt R and my grandparents. Barbados seemed like an economically stable country, but you could still see some areas that seemed rather poor. The taxi driver dropped us off in downtown Bridgetown, where we looked around some shops for a while and had lunch at a waterfront restaurant. Afterwards, my mother, my aunt R, and I took a taxi back to ship. Unfortunately, my mother only had a 100 dollar bill to pay for the taxi. My aunt assured my mom that the taxi driver would be able to give her back change, but when my mom gave him the 100 dollar bill, the taxi driver gave her a dirty look and said something like, "How do you expect me to give you change for that?" I imagined that maybe he was resentful that someone could so casually wave a 100 dollar bill in his face while he has to work very hard just to receive a handful of money...Anyway, that was the parting impression I received on leaving the island.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia, in my opinion, had the lushest vegetation of any of the islands we went to. Unfortunately, it was also one of the poorest. Again, we took a tour of the island by taxi. It was exasperating because the taxi driver would take us to souvenir stands where we were heckled to buy things by the people running the stands. It was very sad though, considering that this is how they make their living, but the souvenirs were of cheap quality and overpriced. I noticed that all the stands sold pretty much the same thing and it was obvious that these trinkets were not locally made. He took us to a fishing village near picture-perfect Marigot Bay. While the greenery and blue water surrounding the village were gorgeous, the village itself seemed rather impoverished...and it made me sad looking at some of the people there, who just sat there, staring out into space. When the taxi driver dropped us off downtown, we found a market that pretty much sold the same cheap trinkets. I don't know...there was a certain kind of bad vibe in St. Lucia. I don't know if it was just me, but one could sense a resentment in the struggling locals towards the well-to-do tourists.

St. Marteen

St. Marteen was one of my favorite islands on the cruise. St. Marteen is very unique in that half of it is governed by the Netherlands (hence St. Marteen) and the other half is governed by France (here, the island is known as St. Martin). It is a very beautiful and quaint island. That day, I went on a snorkeling trip organized by the cruise. A bunch of us were taken by boat to a place called Shipwreck Cove. I expected to see the shipwreck of some old Spanish galleon, but there were just shipwrecks of boats that sunk during several strong hurricanes in the 1990s. Still, snorkeling was a very exciting experience for me. I took pictures with an underwater disposeable camera that I paid $25 dollars for (ow!), so I hope the pictures come out well. Afterwards, when everybody got back on the boat, we cruised around the island for a bit. The boat crew served rum punch and played cheesy Caribbean music. There was nobody on the boat that I knew...but somehow I didn't mind being by myself. I enjoyed just sitting there, relaxing and looking out over the turquoise blue water and the lush green island. I thought of K and imagined him with me. Unfortunately, that rum punch hit me pretty hard. If this had happened back in Japan, I would have been able to act wild and crazy and afterwards I would have gone home and passed out. But here, I would eventually have to face my relatives. So after we got back to the dock, I basically stumbled back into the ship and did my best to sober myself up (basically going around the ship to 'walk it off') before meeting up with my relatives that evening.

Tortola

Tortola is an island that makes up part of the British Virgin Islands. It was not a very populated or developed island. While there were roads...I don't remember seeing any traffic lights! And of course, there weren't any big shops. My relatives declared it a dump, but in my opinion, it was nice to see an island that was still close to its natural state. Ironically enough, it was there where I sent a few of my friends some emails. While my relatives spent time in the island's only jewelry store, I walked around a bit, bought some souvenirs, and headed back to the boat.

St. Thomas

If Tortola wasn't developed, then St. Thomas was the opposite. After all, it makes up part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is here that I was supposed to go scuba diving with my cousin RC on a scube trip organized by the cruise, but the trip was cancelled due to strong currents caused by brisk winds. Whatever. It is here where I experienced my first pangs of reverse culture shock as I waited forever in line at the (U.S.) post office. I can only sum up St. Thomas as the US in the Caribbean, with its cleanliness, its usual array of convenience stores and restaurants, and its cheap prices. It's a shopper's paradise and it was there where my cousins finally bought the fancy watches they had talked about buy all week long. There seemed to be warning signs everywhere. While St. Thomas seemed rather commercialized, it still had some good points. The crafts seemed to be authentic and local, unlike the cheap trinkets in St. Lucia that were probably mass produced in Taiwan or somewhere like that. I even ran across a store that sold crafts made by a cooperative in the island (or so the sign said). And I must say, it was a very pretty island.

2004-02-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

My Caribbean Cruise, Part I
When I was younger, I had dreamed of going on a cruise. I used to take cruise brochures from travel agencies and pore over the pictures of people dancing and laughing in glittery clothes, imagining every detail of the cruise that I would hopefully someday take. So ironically enough, when my mother strongly suggested that I leave Japan two weeks earlier than planned and join her on a cruise to celebrate my grandparent's 60th anniversary, I put up some resistance. I had long ago left behind daydreams of cruises. My life was different now. K had come into my life and I was happy with the way things were. But my mother put the classic guilt trip on me, arguing that my grandparents aren't going to last around much longer, implying that I had no choice in the matter. In the end I relented. After all, I was going to have to leave Japan at the beginning of March, whether I liked it or not, and face the pain of leaving K behind. Two weeks, in reality, wasn't going to make a difference. And those childhood dreams began to wake up again...it was a rare chance to go on a cruise with most expenses paid...I mean, who wouldn't want to go? So I set to getting ready to leave Japan...not that it was easy....I was, and still am sad about leaving Japan, and especially leaving K. I spent thousands of yen on shipping books back home, I found myself in a very tight financial situation when I transferred most of my money back to the US, and had to regrettably throw perfectly useable things away. And the day I left....K accompanied me to the airport. When I had to pass through to the ticketing counter without K, I burst into tears, but I composed myself. Then, I had an opportunity to spend a few more minutes with K when my luggage was chosen to be inspected. Basically, my luggage was put on a table and opened, the contents exposed for all to see. Let me tell you, I wanted to die as the inspector, who was probably in his early 60s, sifted through all my underwear. I turned towards K, who was standing on the other side of the gate, and laughed nervously. Thank God I didn't have a vibrator in my suitcase! And since I was not allowed to touch anything during the inspection, I had to watch as two inspectors struggled to close one of my suitcases, just as I had done that morning. I believe now...but maybe it's just me being whimsical...that the inspectors chose to inspect my luggage on purpose so I could spend a few extra moments with K...but during the inspection, I kept wishing they hadn't...I had never experienced lumps in my throat like I did during that inspection.

Anywayz, the trip back to the US was rather uneventful, unlike last year, thank God! When I arrived at Washington Dulles, my mother was there waiting for me...miraculously on time! We spent the night in a really nice hotel near the airport, where I packed for the cruise and the next morning, we left the car parked at the hotel and took a shuttle to the airport...all according to plan. Except that the lines for the security check were ridiculous! And also, my mother forgot the cash that she was going to use for the trip under one of the car seats! The lines were so long that while I waited in line, my mom actually took a taxi to the hotel so she could get the money.

But in spite of such minor snags, like sitting near a crying baby on the plane (well, it only cried for a little bit), we arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we would embark on the cruise ship the next day. We took a taxi to a hotel where we met the rest of my relatives. Later that evening, we all went to a really posh restaurant and then we went back to the hotel and hung out in the hotel's casino. Though it was late in the evening, the streets were full of life. People could be seen everywhere and car speakers were pulsating with tropical Latin music. I thought of a Japanese village in Gifu Prefecture, called Hida Takayama, where the streets were empty by 9pm. As we walked in the streets that evening, I could see couples walking hand in hand. The girls wore elegant dresses in vibrant colors. Many of them were wearing red. I was then reminded that it was Valentine's Day...I thought of K and strangely enough, I wasn't sad. Instead, I imagined him there with me, walking in the warm evening weather of San Juan, and I thought of how nice it would be.

The next day, we headed to the cruise ship, which is called the Dawn Princess. We boarded the Dawn Princess and left our luggage in our rooms. Then, we got off the ship and took a tour of old San Juan. We got to see the old fort, or El Morro. I was very impressed with the fort and with Old San Juan, whose architecture is in the old, traditional Spanish-influenced style. It reminded me of the traditional towns in Mexico, like Cuernavaca, and the historic part of Mexico City. I must admit that I had been under the impression that Puerto Rico was a poor and dirty place...I didn't know that it was such a beautiful place, full of history and culture! After having endured the bleakness of winter and its cold weather for over three months, it was so nice to see the lush green vegetation and to feel the very warm weather of San Juan. Now I see why they call Puerto Rico La Isla Verde (the Green Island) and now I see why many of my mother's Puerto Rican friends miss their home so much!

That evening, we got back on the ship and at 11pm, the ship began its 7-day trip. It was nice standing out on the deck, looking out at the glittering lights of the city as the ship sailed out. What impressed me was El Morro, which stood in complete darkness, in contrast with the rest of the city. It was the last thing the ship passed by before it sailed into the night.

2004-02-27T15:19:00.000-05:00

My Japanese teacher had warned us about it: When you go to a foreign country, you go through a honeymoon period when you think everything about that country is cool. Then comes the culture shock. You hate everything about that country. You start to miss your home country terribly and you think everything about your home country is better. And then, you start to get used to things. Things aren't great, but not horrible...they are what they are. You get used to the rhythm of life...it goes on. But then, in some cases (like mine, hence this blog), you return to your home country and experience "reverse culture shock", which is like culture shock but without the honeymoon period because you've already been there...

Well, I guess in my case there was sort of a honeymoon...in the form of a Caribbean cruise...