The first few days in Shimokawa, Hokkaido
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In the days to follow my arrival I spent lots of my time getting to know people. This meant having to give a small introduction of myself to my co-workers and being introduced to numerous people. Most of their names I forget within minutes of meeting them. It was probably the result of the heat and stress of a new situation.
Before I continue I should say that Hokkaido is normally cold or cooler, but for some reason this year’s summer was filled with a lot more heat then usual. This made my first few days tough as I had no cell phone, internet or car and I only had a bike to get around. Plus my house does not have air conditioner as the weather is not hot long enough to warrant one? I thought I could tough it out for a few days and see how the weather developed. When it was not getting any cooler I went and bought a fan, I think it was one of the best purchases I had made during my time here as it meant I could survive in my house.
It was a struggle at first, as the euphoria of arriving in a new place started to wear off and I was caught in the reality that I was going to be here for a long time and there was no one around that I really knew or could speak with I got lonely. But I thought to myself that once I got more settled I would like the place more. An also the people that I lived around were very nice, so it was not like I was living around people who were mean.
Also my predecessor told me about a restaurant in town that served Italian food and spoke English. I think I went there on my 2nd or 3rd day and found my new second home in my town. It is a family restaurant run by a couple, who has two children. They are so kind and inviting. I felt like they were my Japanese family within the first few minutes of getting there. It is hard to put into words, but they just felt welcoming. I think I spent 2-3 hours there the first day talking to them and other customers that would come in. An at the end when I was going to leave the wife gave me a peach and said see you again, I felt happy and realized my stay in Japan wouldn’t be that bad.
During the first weekend in Shimokawa there was a small festival that my co-worker invited me to. It was fun to finally start getting to meeting people. My boss would introduce me to one person and from that person I would be introduced to more people. I think I got offers of free accommodations in Sapporo and free hair cut offers. Plus the usual free food that people seem to like buying me. One of them was cute, as she did not speak English well and my Japanese was not well, so she worried we could not be friends because of our lack of language ability. I told her of course we could be friends and not to worry about the language ability.
While at the festival I met one of my students, and he speak fairly good English so with the help of my dictionary we were able to have a conversation. I learnt that he was from Nagano and he was a ski jumper. He had come to my town to train for skiing jumping and he lived in a dorm. I thought that was pretty amazing thing to do at such a young age. When most people in Japan seem to leave home after they get married. This was a student who wanted to improve something he was good at, so at the young age of 16 he moved away from home. But I think it is good he did it turn high school, as he can then meet people easily. I told him, that if he made the Olympics in 2010 (Vancouver) that I could help to give him a tour. I really hope to see him there, as I have never cheered for someone that I knew on TV.
I included some photos of the festivals and my first few weeks in Japan.
Kitty
wrote:
You said: It is hard to put into words, but they just felt welcoming.
Yes, it is hard to put into words indeed. You feel alone and yet everyone you meet is welcoming and warm and supportive. In time (and a short time I predict) you will feel entirely at home.
During my year in our Tokyo office the english language abilites of the staff varied from fluent to not at all. There was one guy, Yamakawa-san, who I will always consider my Japanese brother. He spoke almost no english at all and yet we were able to communicate just fine. We sat one day at lunch and in kind of sign language and a few words of english he explained to me that true communication comes from the heart and not the language. He taught me to count. He started at ichi and pretended to scratch himself. Then ni and he pointed at his elbow. I got hysterical and had to show him what the knee was! With roku he played the air guitar. I will never forget 1-10 because of his careful tutelage!
You are going to do GREAT! Stay open to every experience and absorb it all and love it all and you will be just fine. And I look forward to reading about your journey as it helps me to relive mine!
Posted on 24-Sep-06 at 1:25 pm | Permalink
patrick1004
wrote:
Hello Kitty,
I am happy to hear from you. Yah i see you understand my feeling. I think had they been horrible people then i would want to leave. But their kindness gives me the strength to fight and and meet more people and get more settled.
Oh what were you doing in Japan? teaching or working in another office. How was Tokyo life? I have only visited there and it always seems nice, but to live their might be different.
That is a really nice story, i am having those kind of moments too. Where communication is not the important thing, just having a postive attuitude and letting life be, and two people realizing that language is not the only form of communication.
I agree, i am trying to do as much as i can, normally i am a person who likes to stay at home and relax. But now I am forcing my self to join stuff to experience it, as i won’t be able to get this life again.
Thank you for your comment, and i look forward to hearing more from you.
Patrick
Posted on 25-Sep-06 at 6:19 am | Permalink
Anonymous
wrote:
Dear Patrick,
I can imagine how you are smiling with nice people around but cannot exactly feel the great nature of Hokkaido. I think I have to be there in order to feel it, eh? As I was reading your story, I thought you would be a great English teacher, I mean, probably you are already. But Good Luck!
me, I’m in Amsterdam, a city with lots of tourists and international students, workers and mislleneous things. People here are neither welcoming nor rejecting but rather indifferent because it just too many of us. However, that make me strive more to be recognized or pretend as if I am almost an Amsterdamian (?).
Plus it’s my first time to live in a big city with such a long span of time, so can’t deny I am in fact really excited despite the attitude of people here.
ciao ciao
looking forward to reading more of your life in Shimokawa.
seiko
Posted on 25-Sep-06 at 8:41 am | Permalink
Jolynn Dean Singh
wrote:
Hi Patrick,
I was the first AET in Shimokawa 15 years ago! Infact, I lived in the little four plex that you all still live in. We re-visited Shimokawa last summer, and I met Greer. Tell the people at Apollo that I said, “Hi”.
Email me and I will chat further, okay?
Gambatekudasai- translated, it means something like “Keep your chin up!”
Have fun!
Jolynn
P.S. tell me if you have trouble viewing my xanga site- I wrote about Shimokawa…
Posted on 14-Feb-07 at 8:26 pm | Permalink