Thursday, May 27, 2010

Pre-Program Jitters

Like Pre-operation jitters, I suppose, I am filled with a sense of excitement and nervousness at the same time. I am not afraid of what is to come, this trip to Japan will be one of the highest points in my life and will be a stepping stone to my future teaching goals. I have gone over several times whether I have all the necessary paperwork, copies of paperwork, passport, clothing, and other essentials that I might need through the first few nights in Japan. While I intend to buy some clothing there, I've brought a full weeks worth of wardrobe.. thankfully I will be able to wash clothes once a week at the least. Yet, I cannot help but feel a little apprehensive.

This should be natural of course. I am going to live with a new family, and I have never been in such an atmosphere. Still, I assume much of life will be spent as it is here, on Long Island NY; That is, filled with activities ranging from educational to recreational but all within the scope of an attainable goal, herein to study and assimilate into another culture. I will be taking a language course on Japanese at the intermediate level, and I will also be under a controlled reading environment where my professor will help me to develop a full thesis and a well thought out, and lengthy, paper based on what I learn. For this purpose I have decided to examine Ninjo Giri, that is the Japanese cultural and individual moralities and responsibilities and how each of them play into the others hands, coalescing into the modern Japanese person we might connect with today.

Above the nervousness and the anxiety, however, is the comforting fact that I am going to be staying with a family whose house is in the midst of a rice field. I certainly hope Nakayama-san and the rest of her family are as excited about that fact as I am.. it will certainly make for a great round of pictures and late-night appreciation of my environment. It gives me a certain feeling of awe and excitement that overcomes my jittery nature and lets me relax with the notion that at the very least, even if I don't like the food, or the people, or the culture and society, I already have a memory to connect with and look back on. For some this may seem difficult to understand, or silly, but for me.. it helps to balance out the worry that I might get lost traveling in a foreign land.

Though, if I had to be lost in a distant country, Japan would be that place. From what I hear, its people are generally very helpful and especially considerate. I leave tomorrow morning, Friday, at 11:30 AM and I couldn't be more psyched.

3 comments:

  1. You're almost there! Will you be posting photos? I'd love to see new photos everyday if you have time. I'm praying for you and I'm glad you're taking this adventure! Stay out of trouble!

    :P aul

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  2. I saw you made it just fine! I'm so excited for you. I hope you have some time to post pictures :) Have FUN!!!

    Aimee

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  3. Hey cousin! Hope your enjoying yourself and having a great time! Absorb everything Japan has to offer.....

    Olga
    xoxoxoxo

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