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A new home in Japan

August 2001

Hi everyone,

It's Dave C-C here. I have to use my Dad's email account because Hotmail won't let me send messages to 150 people in a day! But you should reply to my Hotmail account, if you are so inclined.

It's taken me so long to write, I'm very sorry, but so much has been happening. I've only been in Japan for a week, but it feels like years already! Many new faces, lots of amazing things to get my head around. But first I have to work out this Japanese keyboard. Every journey starts with but one step. :)

For those of you who haven't heard from me in a long time, I hope this finds you well and happy. I am now in Japan, having taken up a place in one of the world's largest cultural exchange programmes as an assistant teacher of English. It's called the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, its participants are referred to as JETs, and this is the beginning of my story. If you don't like getting mass emails, let me know, I'll take you off the list, but I hope it's as good for you to hear from me as it is for me to tell you about my adventures. Here we go. :)

My first step into Japan last Sunday evening was surreal. So were the next few thousand as I joined 1400 other JETs from all over the world at one of Tokyo's top hotels for our three day orientation. From my 26th floor room, shared with a fellow Queenslander named Shaun, Tokyo is a stupendous mass of concrete as far as the eye can see. On the streets of Shinjuku, the neon lights and mass of humanity that I'd only seen on TV was suddenly all around me. We did the karaoke thing (it's strangely addictive!), found an Irish pub to see out the night, and generally made a show of ourselves as only gaijin can. It was an amazing introduction to my new home.

From Tokyo last Wednesday morning to Tokushima city, an hour by plane. With me were some 12 new JETs on their way to different areas of Tokushima prefecture. I sat next to Roland from Germany, and had also made acquaintance with Americans Tom, Micah, Gillian, Adam and Stirling, and Brits Emma, Adrian, David, Fiona and Louise. Lots of Brits in Tokkers, which is quite refreshing. The people are foremost in my mind. So many wonderful people. All here to celebrate our humanity by finding new ways to communicate. What a great idea!

Off the plane in 30-something degree heat (I don't think this is Kansas, Toto!), straight into a car for the two hour drive into the middle of Shikoku to Nishiiyayama-son, where I will be teaching this year. Meeting me were Yamashita-sensei, my English teaching companion at Nishiiya Junior High, and Nishioka-jicho-san, the head of the local Board of Education and a crazy driver to boot. Yamashita-sensei's English is very good, thankfully, and jicho-san's a top bloke, too, so we had a good ride.

The scenery is out of this world. Where Australia's mountains rise smoothly from the plain, Shikoku is a land of incredible slopes and plunging valleys, all covered in green at this time of year. The major river, called the Yoshinogawa, winds its way from the mountains out to the Pacific Ocean across a flood plain where many of Tokushima's villages and towns are found. The word for it in Japanese is "utsukushii" - beautiful. I couldn't have imagined it if I had tried. You've got to see it to believe it.

If you do happen to turn up on my doorstep, you'll be very welcome! But my apartment in Nishiiya is two rooms, very compact. And of course, everything in Japan is Japan-sized - weight restrictions in elevators, heights of doorways and toilets, even the roads, all based on tiny Japanese people - and my new home is no exception. But I like it, and I can't wait to meet the locals.

I've already met the mayor of Nishiiya (called soncho-san). At some point of his dialogue to me (in very fast Japanese that I can't yet interpret!), he held his fist out to me with the little finger pointing up. Apparently he was encouraging me to find a Japanese girlfriend and get married. The gesture is the Japanese way of referring to girlfriends (kanojo). There are less than 20 people my age in Nishiiya, so I wonder at the likelihood of that, but it was certainly an unexpectedly warm welcome! :)

I've also had a chance to get used to driving in the mountains. My new car is a Mitsubishi Mini-Pajero - very mini, but large enough, and ultimately ideal for my area, especially come winter time. Everyone I talk to is amazed to hear that I've never seen snow, let alone driven in it. I'm glad to have a 4-wheel drive to deal with it when it comes in November.

The other thing I'm getting used to talking about is my height. "Hyaku-kyuu-juu senti desu!" My 190 centimetres is a little more than most people I meet around here. Maybe being tall and Australian will somehow inspire a connection with Ian Thorpe. Never mind that I swim 50 metres in more time than he might do 200. :)

So it's been a busy few days settling in. Tomorrow will see the new crew of JETs gathering again in Tokushima city for our prefectural orientation, highlighted by Awa Odori (Japan's largest dance festival - yeah!) and a three day English camp for high school students. Our first introduction to the work we'll be doing all year. Or maybe for two or three years? Who knows. It's funny, I can see myself here for that long. Not too much longer than that, I think, but I want to meet so many people and it's been so long since I had a passion for learning. Ask me again when I've been snowed into the valley for a week this winter. :)

To my college friends - I hear that Soiree went off, good one Jamie and Katie! Especially to Keiko and Tad, it was good to see you in Tokyo. And to Gab, a very happy birthday.

All you YSA and Biofutures kids out there, I'm sure you've already framed the Dave C-C edition of the YSA periodical. Nice one, Han. :)

To my family, telephones really are great, it's so good to hear your voices. Paul, let Granny know about my news if you can - photos are on the way soon. My love to you all.

And to everyone, my very warm wishes, undiminished by distance. Take care, I'll be writing every couple of weeks, I guess. Ja mata - see you next time.

Lots of love,

Dave