I haven’t really done a real post about how things are going so far, what i’m feeling and all that stuff, seeing as this is an area of the exchange I really wanted to focus on but haven’t been, and will be focusing more on in the future.

Ok so my time here in Japan has been… well to be honest, a bit awkward.  Things I thought were gonna happen but didn’t want to happen, most definitely happened.  Things I thought weren’t gonna happen, happened.  But then there were the odd things I did think were gonna happen, most definitely won’t be happening.

Confused? Me too.

The first thing I’d like to mention as I slowly start to break this down is how sneaky culture shock and/or adjustment creeps in.  In fact it wasn’t until a couple days go that I noticed that the few weeks prior were an adjustment time, even my behaviour displayed it.  Easy to see now, not so easy at the time.  Things just got really confusing and hectic.  I wouldn’t dare offer advice on it, cause I’m not happy with how I handled it – at the same time I’m not one to want to change the past, so meh, i’ll live with it.

That’s not to say I’m not happy with anything I did.  There are a few things I’m happy to have done.  Even a few things that were tough to do, but I managed to get through it.  Decisions were never my forte, but I’m finally making some decisions now and facing the consequences (good or bad) of those decisions, which feel pretty good.

Money here in Japan… well… I have a stupid amount of it, which makes me feel really guilty.  I’m not sure what I prefer: working a shit job and paying rent and leaving me with very little spending and saving money, or ridiculous amounts of money being thrown at me.  Blegh…

But the major thing about my time here in Japan can be summed up by Mr. John Butler in a very few words:

“The grass is greener, but just as hard to mow”

I think that, Life is different here, but its still life.  I’m living in another country, keyword “LIVING”. I think, no matter how I look at it, anything other than a “regular” life cannot be expected because the same feelings, same urges, and same difficulties I faced back home are here too, but possibly in another form.  I think this isn’t a story book, or a video game, or a dream. I think it’s the “same shit, different smell”.  I think that effort is still required. People ARE still people.

This isn’t all bad stuff, it was all part of the realisation that Japan wasn’t what I expected it to be.  Instead it’s something way more substantial than that.  I can say for a fact that I enjoy this country, this small town, way more than anything I’ve experienced in Australia.  It’s also shown me what else is out there, and as good as Australia is, it’s just not the place for me.  I like the little side streets and the old people on motorbikes.  I like the look of Osaka city at night time.  I like the little cozy shops that litter the streets of Hirakata.  I like Shinsaibashi and smoking shisha.

And as I finish up this post in Notepad, sitting outside in the beer park at 3:30AM, wound up, unable to sleep, beer in hand and the cool Hirakata breeze on my face, I wonder what I’m gonna do from here on out.  How I’m gonna re-shape my exchange into exactly what I want it to be.  First things first, get warm clothes, I’m freezing my ass off here.  Secondly is something I’ve already begun doing, make new friends.  Been hanging out with some really cool new people lately, even a couple of Japanese people I’ve had the liberty of speaking like a 5 year old to.  Bah who am I kidding, 5 year old Japanese kids speak better than me.  Thirdly, go out more and experience more of Japan and the city I live in.  Fourthly, buy more food from the supermarket and maybe attempt cooking when no ones around to watch me fail badcore =P.  People who know me know that when Jace is in the kitchen – duck and cover. And if Dad, Maria or Mum are reading this, can someone email me a comprehensive recipe for your curries? Fifthly (god.. fifthly… really? who says that? I should never have started this counting crap), I’ve really gotta look into one of the private high rise apartment things here, I’ve always dreamed of living in one ever since I saw Tai go home to his one in Digimon.

Lastly, duct tape anything I’ve broken.

Ciao for Now!