Well, I am back in Japan after a very nice holiday at home. It was very nice to spend Christmas & new year at home. In what could be my last time that I conceive 'home' as being Chislehurst, before my parents up root to Cheltenham. I've also pretty much decided that I'll return to England in September. So if any has any inspirational ideas about what I should do when I get back, don't hesitate to get in touch!! (Whether I'll rapidly act on your advice or not, though, is another matter!)

I experienced a bit of reverse culture shock on my return- food in vending machines! Places (well, public toilets to be precise) being that little bit dirtier; no bread rolls with sweet fillings in shops when you're wanting something to eat; really nice food & I dunno, i think British people are a lot more internationally aware than Japanese [which, I guess it's part of my job to help correct].

But returning to Japan when I first got back, reminded me again of the initial Japanese culture shock I have experienced before. Yet, it soon disappears and becomes part of the fabric of daily life. But on the train from Narita Airport to Ueno station, I was chatting to a Swedish chap who'd just arrived in Japan for the first time, for 6 months' language study. Seeing him peer out of the window in curiosity at the rice fields which quickly morph in to Chiba and Tokyo suburbia; and hearing him ask countless questions about how to use ticket machines/ buy train tickets successfully, reminded me that arriving in this country anew can be quite a daunting experience. I have been lucky/ fortunate/ blessed to have been cushioned into this country, first by Georgia, Ruth and friends, explaning Japanese life through the eyes of a gaijin (thanks!) & then through countless pieces of advice, instruction & helpful explanation from the British embassy, former JETs, current JETs and many more, courtesy of the JET programme.
But nevertheless, here's a list of some things I noted down when I first got back- maybe my first 3 days back in Japan have reminded me that,
- Japanese train station platforms have no need for an 'expected' time section on the boards, unlike their English counterparts, which rarely run on time.
- People bow anywhere and everywhere here, and society is a lot more formal.
- I can't read or understand adverts. I need to listen carefully during announcements in order to understand only snippets of information.
- I can't speak the lanugage.
- There are lots of set sayings in Japanese, eg for 'Happy new year', you say akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiu onegaishimasu. (When I first said it this year though, I made a mistake & ended up saying 'please be nice to me last year, as opposed to this year- oh dear.)
- They like eating pickled vegetables over here.
- Food can be summed up as being 'fishy rice'. A lot of rice and a lot of fishy stuff served with it, even (and especially) in students' lunchboxes.
- As I mentioned before, there are a lot of bready snacks in combini here. Not to be found in petrol station shops or other food/ snack shops in Britain. Japanese bready snacks almost always include something creamy or sweet inside.
- & Lastly, something I realised again today. - Despite Japanese big cities' love of Starbucks, Japan hasn't quite cottoned on to the coffee shop phenomenon that is taking Britain's high streets & motorway services by storm. I think I'll stop going to the Choco Cro cafe in Rifu, because for ages I was ordering an expensive Choco cafe, thinking it was trying to be like a mocha. Until I realised that the chocolately-ness wasn't so much overpowering the coffee (French word = cafe) in it, but rather there was no coffee in it. It was merely a glorified hot chocolate, and alas mocha - or anything similar- is not on the menu...
Back to sleep I shall go.