I got up at 8:40am today. I did my laundry, washing the new
sheets and blanket I bought. There were a lot less people on the street at
9:30am. I sat in the coin laundry reading the previous day’s newspaper that
someone had left on the washer. I didn’t understand many of the words, but I
got the gist. There had been a volcanic eruption at a mountain somewhere, and
12 people had been killed. Rescue efforts had paused do to the risk of more
volcanic activity. In another article, the electric company for northeast Japan
was planning to implement more renewable energy sources, in particular what
they called “Mega-solar,” but the problem was that this would likely
dramatically increase monthly energy costs for households.
Near the time that my drying was finished, an old man
spotted me and stood in front of the door. We nodded to each other, but he kept
standing there. Finally he came in and stubbed out his cigarette in the trash.
He left, but a few other old men began loitering outside. I waited a moment
before getting my laundry. When I left the coin laundry, there was a group of
7-8 old men standing in front of the shrine on the other side of the tonkatsu
restaurant next to the laundry. I nodded at them and made my way past them.
I got back to my room at 11:40. I bought a takeout lunch at
the fast food place next door. I hung up the laundry that was still wet, folded
the rest, and ate the lunch in my room. I had opened the windows to let the air
circulate and blow against the clothes, but the temperature difference made me
really cold. I donned my sweatjacket. The radio was on, playing mostly Western
music, alternated with news clips, the radio person talking, and commercials.
At noon, I finally connected my internet. I took care of
things that had been waiting, until the buzzer rang at about 1:30pm. I went
downstairs and had the deliveryman carry the bedding set up to the door of my
room. Then I signed his slip and lugged the unwieldy package into my room. I
took off the paper cover and stuffed the pack into my closet. If it really
would inflate, there was no point opening it until I needed it.
I continued my computer stuff until I realized it was
2:30pm, and I had half an hour to get to campus. I threw on my backpack and
speedwalked to campus. I wasn’t quite sure where the room was, so I arrived
about 10 minutes late. I was gestured to a seat at the end of the U-shaped
table. I was the farthest from the front, so I had difficulty hearing and I
couldn’t see the board at all. On top of that, they used lots of words I didn’t
know and made references to events that had been planned previously, so the
fellow exchange students (3 Chinese students) and I were left very confused. After
the seminar ended at 5pm, the Japanese students stayed after to prepare for
presentations they would be conducting in Osaka at a conference for disaster
preparation and management. Our teacher came to us exchange students. We went
over the papers and had her explain all the things we didn’t understand. She
was very kind, understanding, and laid back.
After our questions were answered, I had her sign a form for
me at her office, and then we parted at the Economics office. The Chinese
research students were there, so we exchanged contact information. I also
showed them to the International Exchange and Support room. One of the
Chinese-speaking staff members was there, and I introduced them to her. She
told them she wouldn’t speak Chinese to them from then on, and teased them to
work on their Japanese. The Japanese guy she was speaking to was the one who
had been suffering from allergies the last time I came. He was completely
better, so it must have been a cold. I introduced myself to the other two
Japanese people and sat down next to Allergy-san as the Chinese people left to
go home. While we were hanging out, a black British student came to use a
computer. We talked and I explained to him that the best way to improve one’s
Japanese is to make Japanese friends and join Japanese clubs, in addition to reading
anything you come across in your daily life. He left, and I drank some coffee
with the Japanese people. I asked them if they had dinner plans, and since they
didn’t, they agreed to eat with me. “What do you want to eat?” the girl asked
me. I decided that I wanted meat more than fish, so Allergy-san looked up
restaurants that served Sendai’s specialty, cow tongue. We agreed to meet later
in front of the Disney store in the downtown area. Allergy-san and the quiet
guy wanted to drop off their motorcycles at home. So I walked with the girl to
her bike, but before we made it there we encountered a couple of Chinese girls
who needed help finding the bus station that would take them home. At the same
time, a friend of theirs happened by, so it ended up turning into an exchanging
of contact information, while the Japanese girl used her phone and asked people
nearby until she found out where the bus stop was. It’s rather inconvenient I
don’t have a smart phone, because apparently everyone, American, Chinese, or
Japanese, now uses Line to chat with each other. If I could at least register
from a PC, I could use it on my PC, but you have to have a smartphone to even
sign up for the service.
While we were standing at the intersection exchanging
information, the quiet Japanese guy found us. He got caught up the exchanging
too, but finally everyone had each other’s contact information. The girl and I
hurried to her bike so that we could stop by her apartment, which was on the
way, to drop off the bike, and then walk to Disney. When we got to Disney, the
other two guys were waiting. We walked to the store, which was in the basement
of a building. It was small room with tatami mat flooring on a raised area. We
took off our shoes as we entered and climbed onto the tatami area, where seat
cushions were arranged around the low tables. There was only one employee, an
old woman, who brought us a menu and iced barley tea, took our orders, cooked
our food, and later talked with us. Allergy-san, a very energetic person who
talks a lot, had a good time talking with the old woman. The rest of laughed as
he came up with witty or self-deprecating replies to her questions about us
being students at Tohoku University (a high-ranked public university). She
enjoyed talking with us.
Allergy-san was surprised that I could use chopsticks
(although I dropped a piece before very first bite), and the others commented
as well. I explained that Americans are used to using chopsticks from a young age
because they’re available at Chinese restaurants.
After dinner, we walked back to Disney. We kept being hailed
by the nighttime employees, who asked if we were looking for a place to drink
or do karaoke. The quiet guy split off from us to go home. Allergy-san and I
walked with S-san, the girl, to her apartment, and then Allergy-san walked me
home (which was really nice of him, because it’s far). While we walked, I told
him about my research theme, which turned into a very long-winded and stumbling
attempt to explain my goals for the future to make the world a better place. He
commented that I had pretty deep thoughts and that my Japanese was very good. I
was moved that he walked me home and that he had listened and engaged with my
explanation about my goals. This was the kind of interaction I had been
craving; I didn’t have to be lonely anymore. I could go with my new friends to
restaurants and karaoke.
I felt very happy and excited when I got home. From now on,
things would be more fun, and probably very busy.
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