Kumamoto, I have arrived! We will never be the same!

We woke up early to get on our perspective planes. We were all going our separate ways, and we each had separate agendas and plans that brought us to Japan. There were many friendships formed, and, in some instances, there were old predjudices that were validated or amplified. I left Tokyo with more resolve, for the reason that I came to this country, and even found other reasons for my exodus. I also realized that my country needs change, and I must change if I have any hope of changing my country.

The bus ride from the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo to the airport wasn't as life changing as the bus ride from The Curtis hotel in Denver to the airport. The plane ride to Kumamoto was short and it felt like a step over a stick in the road, instead of a swim through a rushing river. The girl that I sat next to on the plane was nice enough, but she seemed to be looking for some kind of validation that I could not give her. She kept going on about conversation being dead and our dependence on technology being the reason for its death, this was happening while I was watching a movie on my PSP (a game device that also plays movies). I just wanted to be left alone, I love to have conversation, but this flight was something different for me than it was for her. I needed to stew in my thoughts, which I need to do often when confronted with change. She needed somebody to talk to, a person who could help her understand the decision that she made, but we were all experiencing a tumultuous shift. We all deal in our own ways. So, I compromised without her knowledge, I spoke with her for about an hour then I turned on my PSP and offered her the other side of my headphones to watch the movie with me. I'm not sure if this sated her needs, but it shut her up for a while, so I could think.

The people from our schools met us at the airport. At the baggage pickup area, we all grabbed our luggage and it was hard to not notice the large groups of people standing outside the doorway with signs. I became utterly afraid that somehow I made a mistake, and that somebody would find me to be a fraud or just a crap teacher. I have rarely been so scared in my whole life, but looking back I was just nervous...crap your pants, nervous! But, there was a reason that I got this far. I just needed to take a few more steps.

When my baggage finally came around the carousel, what felt like hours later, I walked out to the main area to my new life. Three teachers and my predecessor were standing there with a welcome sign, at least mine didn't have one of my nasty passport pictures stuck on like some other unlucky JETs.

Miyajima-sensei, the balding man in his fourties is my supervisor, Komorida-sensei, an English teacher of Mexican and Japanese ancestry, Matsukawa-sensei, a young teacher who spent time in California, and William-sensei, my predecessor who married a Japanese woman and is starting up a sandal business in Kyushu.

Like most introductions, I am always warm but reserved. Everybody was really interested in me and I tried to ask as many questions of each of them. It was a long drive to Kumamoto City from the airport. I found that Komorida-sensei was born in Mexico and was fluent in Spanish, so I knew that I could practice my Spanish while I was in Japan. The teachers wanted to take me out to get something to eat, so I said that I would like a good sushi restaurant. The sushi restaurant was empty. Everybody ordered for me, and since I am not picky, everything was very good. Halfway through the meal, they all wished me a happy birthday.

I looked up in the air, as though I was carrying the 1, finished my tally, and said, "Yeah. You're right." With everything was moving so fast in Tokyo and then with my trip to Kumamoto, I forgot about my birthday. They all seemed pretty suprised that I forgot, but I haven't placed much emphasis on my birthday for years, I know it is more a celebration for my parents than it is for me.

At lunch, Miyajima-sensei asked me whether I wanted to have a host family. I didn't know how to respond. So I danced around the issue, which English is wonderful for, because I didn't want to make the wrong choice. In the end, I was able to convey that, even though it was a very nice offer, I would rather get settled into my place. Luckily, my predecessor was already moved out, which other JETs weren't as lucky to experience. My compatriots had great stories of their host families, but they all agreed they just wanted to get settled in.

We went to Kumasho (Kumamoto Shyogo Kouku), my school. I met the principal, Kocho-sensei, and some of the other staff. The principal, is a very commanding figure, but he also has a warmth about him. In Japan, the principal takes it upon himself to look after all of the teachers. Even if you don't talk to him or see him very much, you know that he has your interest at heart. I prepared a short introduction for the Kocho-sensei, and my tantosha interpreted everything. The next day was my first day of work, so that would be my real introduction. We stayed for a little while at school, but we left and went to get some things that I would need for my house.

Later that night, we went out to eat again. Miyajima-sensei, Matsukawa-sensei, William-sensei, and another teacher at Kumasho who teaches Chinese. We had a buffet style dinner, in Japan they call it biking (Viking-style eating). It was good, and I was able to get my first idea about what food was like in Kumamoto. Japan is distinct because, for how small the country is, each region is known for some kind of delicasy and each region's food is different. Kumamoto is known for bashashi...I will speak more of bashashi at another time (same bat time, same bat channel).

My first day at school was interesting. I gave a traditional Japanese greeting to the teachers. I was placed in front of the teachers at the morning meeting, and when I was done I was shuffled back into the rest of the faces. I spent my first few week at school trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. I figured out that I wasn't supposed to do much, besides look busy. I had a month to get situated before the students returned. I went out to lunch with some of my fellow teachers and they made attempts to use their English to communicate with me and I made my own attempts, these attempts have been pretty fun, thus far. I have been able to communicate pretty well with everybody, either through English or my training in ESL. Communication is one of the hardest parts of being in Japan, but the challenge has added to my resolve to learn Japanese.