The End

Sadly, this is going to be my last post on this blog. I had a lot of fun writing in Japan but now that I'm back in Canada, I don't really have much to update. And I'm pretty busy studying Japanese and taking care of things like: buying a cellphone, registering for classes, and putting away stuff.

I said that I wanted to discuss the differences between Canadians and Japanese, and here are a few of them:

- Directness: Canadians are in general more direct than Japanese. Especially if it's a more sensitive subject, Japanese will take quite some time to approach the subject. And rather than saying no or contradicting your ideas (which is considered rude), Japanese will use expressions like: "Oh really?" or "I see" and nod in agreement even though they don't agree with what you're saying. On the other hand, some Canadians I know will flat out tell you that you're wrong and argue with you if your opinions differ.

- Reactions to foreigners: Japan is very homogeneous. When I first arrived there, I had quite some difficulty telling people apart because they all have 1) black straight hair 2) slanted dark-colored eyes and fairly small body frames. 6 feet foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes will find it impossible to go anywhere in Japan without being stared at by the Japanese because they are so different, like beings of another planet or galaxy. Here in Canada, which is described as a "vertical mosaic" (a mosaic of different ethnic, language, and religious groups), "foreigners" are the norm rather than the exception.

- Manners: Japanese don't hold the door open for you unlike a lot of Canadians do. In Canada, it's common courtesy to hold the door open for the next person behind you but in Japan, there are so many people that I feel it would almost be counter-productive, slowing down people rather then helping them.

As you see, there are some minor differences, but overall, it doesn't matter where on the globe you are, people are the same. They laugh, they smile, they cry, they're curious, they give you directions when you're lost, they arrive late at meetings, and they are sometimes so tired they can sleep standing up. And sometimes it's seeing those similarities (rather than the differences) which makes traveling so fun. : D

So goodbye everyone! Thank you for reading and commenting. Thank you for nagging me when I didn't update fast enough. : p  And don't forget, you can always go back and read old posts whenever you like because the blog will remain online. Sayonara!

Home, sweet home

I've been back home for about 5 days now. And it feels great : ) I'm still feeling tired, which means I'm still jet-lagged. I've been told it takes about 1 day to recover for each time zone you pass. Between Canada and Japan, there are 14 time zones... so 14 days = 2 weeks. So I'm not completely recovered yet. Plus, I'm probably tired because of all the sleep I missed out on in Japan. But I'm toughing it out. Even when I feel sleepy and don't want to do anything but sleep, I don't sleep because it'll just confuse my body and possibly slow down my recovery time.

It was easy coming back home, even after being gone for a year. Nothing much has changed. I just eased back into my old routines, going to the pool with my mom, helping her with the groceries, etc. I start classes only in January, so I have some time to relax and breathe a bit.

I've lived in Canada for much longer than I have in Japan but it seems I still managed to forget some things while I was in Japan. For example, when I exchanged Japanese yens into Canadian dollars at the airport in Vancouver, I was given lots of 20$ bills. At first I looked at them a bit perplexed. I had completely forgotten we had 20$ bills! And then later, when I came to pay for a magazine and a snack at the airport, it took me so much time just to find the right amount. The currency felt foreign to me, kind of like Japanese yens were when I first arrived in Japan. I had to concentrate quite intensely to give the cashier the $8.48 I owed. And she looked at me a bit weird as I was counting, wondering what was taking so much time.

The weather was also a shock. I left Japan, where it was still around 30°C and arrived in Manitoba, where the ground was covered in snow and the temperature was about 2°C. We just had hail today as well. In the house, I'm dressed in warm clothes and walk around with a blanket draped over my shoulders because my body still isn't used to the cold.



The first snowfall of the year

Today, after swimming, my mother and I went to the supermarket to buy groceries. Heaven!!! I filled our cart with many of the food items I wanted to eat in Japan but couldn't find in any grocery stores there: tadziki, feta cheese, milk to go, mars bar, gouda cheese, baby carrots and dip, rye bread, my favorite kind of cereal, frozen yogurt, and much more. But I tried not to go overboard ; )

So that's it for now. For the next three months, even though I don't have classes, I'll be busy studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) I'm taking in December, preparing for my university courses, finishing to unpack and stow away my belongings and enjoying being able to spend time with my family every day.

Our cat, trying to help me unpack...

That's it for now. I would like to write about differences that exist between Japanese and Canadians in terms of behaviour, attitude, or way of thinking but since I've been at home since I've arrived, I haven't had the chance to mingle with other Canadians. So I'll wait a bit to be able to write something on that topic. Toot-a-loo!

My last day in Japan

Order of events:

6:30 Wake up and start packing immediately

6:45 Realize that everything is not going to fit into my suitcases, even though I sent many of my things in boxes to Canada

6:50 Skype with my mom who confirms that my best option is to send another box

7:00 Start preparing box while continuing to pack my luggage (weighing every 5 minutes to make sure my luggage wasn't overweight)

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Finish preparing box and luggage

10:00 Go to post office to send box

Filling out the necessary documentation to send the box (address, contents, estimated value)

11:00 Eat lunch (Reiko prepared a beautiful lunch)

Reiko even created a heart-shaped egg

12:00 Take bus to airport with Shigenori (my dad's friend)

And said goodbye to Reiko who couldn't come to the airport

14:30 Arrive at airport

14:30 - 15:00 Stand in line for the Air Canada counter

15:00 Drop of my luggage, get my boarding pass

15:30 Meet up with my roommate Anzu, who came all the way to the airport to see me off

16:00 Eat delicious sundaes

16:00 - 17:00 Talking, chatting, laughing, smiling : )

17:00 Go through security and walk to gate

17:30 Board plane

18:20 Take off

Picture taken as starting to descend towards Vancouver



Flying back to Canada!

Hello! The day has finally come!!! I'm flying back home!

It has been an eventful year. I've made so many friends, seen so many places, and done so many things during this one year. I'm really glad I wrote it all on my blog because when I look back and read older posts, I realize that I've already started to forget some of the things that happened.

I don't think anything could have been better. Sure, I could have done without having my tooth die and without tearing my MCL, but looking back now, they brought along other experiences, like visiting a dentist and a doctor in Japan.

I am not yet finished with this blog. Technically, my blog's name is "What happens in Japan..." and when I return to Canada, that no longer applies, but after I've safely landed and recovered from jet lag, I intend to write a few posts about my readaptation to Canadian foods, Canadian weather (apparently, it snowed for the first time yesterday), Canadian culture, etc. I think it'll be quite interesting to go back and experience what they call "reverse culture shock".

I am going to have to leave you to go finish packing so this will be it for today. Next time I post, I'll be sitting cozily at home, perhaps sipping hot chocolate and gazing out at the falling snow from the window.

I'm leaving Japan but since I know I'll be going back again (and again), I won't say "Goodbye", but rather "See you later!".

Here I come Canada!

Shiokawa reunion in Tokyo

From the 2nd to the 4th, I slept at my great-aunt's place in Tokyo. My grandmother also came down from Tochigi and stayed at my great-aunt's place, which allowed us to spend a few days together before I go back to Canada.

On Tuesday, we went to see the Tokyo Sky Tree, which at 634 meters, is the tallest tower in the world. We didn't go all the way up because you had to pay an additional fee and we deemed that the view at the top wouldn't be much different than the view at the first observatory station, the Tembo Deck (350 m).

My grandmother (left) and great-aunt

On Wednesday, we went to see the newly restored Tokyo Station. A large part of the station was destroyed by firebombings on May 25 and June 25 in 1945. They've now rebuilt the rooftop domes, returning the station to its pre-war condition.

For lunch we ate a delicious meal at Sembikiya, Japan's oldest fruit shop. Sembikiya selects and then sells delicious fruit... at ridiculous prices! But if you're paying that much money, you're guaranteed that the fruit will be delicious.

If converted to Canadian dollars : 263, 72 $ !!! (for the whole fruit basket)

Thankfully, our lunch wasn't as expensive as the fruit basket ; ) We paid about 20 $ for our lunch which consisted of : avocado BLT sandwiches, fruit, and a fruit sundae. (and the fruit were dellllicious!)

Our lunch

After having satisfied our tummies, we went to see Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds of the Imperial Palace.

And before going back home, we took a peak inside the Imperial Hotel. I don't even want to know how much it costs to spend one night there.

The outside view

On Thursday, my great-aunt prepared this breakfast for me : D

After breakfast, we went for a short walk.

And then, alas, it was time to say goodbye. When I return, I'll still skype with my grandmother and write letters to my great-aunt, but it's not the same thing as being in Japan and being able to spend time with them. However, I'm grateful for the year I spent with them. And my relatives are so happy that I am learning Japanese. When I came to Japan with my father three years ago, I couldn't speak much Japanese and so communication was limited. But after one year in Japan, my Japanese has improved greatly and we can now carry on long conversations. My grandmother even wrote to me in a letter: "Above anything else, what makes me the happiest is that you studied Japanese" (I know the sentence is a bit weird but it's often very difficult to translate from Japanese to English). I agree with my grandmother. Above all the experiences I've had in Japan, being able to speak with my relatives has been the most rewarding one.

Onuma Park

On Wednesday, I didn't have to go to school with Kim so I went to visit Onuma Park, which covers 90.83 square kilometers. I didn't really follow a route, instead taking a trail here and there. But I got some nice pictures : )

Mt. Komagatake (behind the trees)

Hakodate

On Tuesday, after classes (Kim teaches English at different schools in the Oshima district), we hopped on the train to Hakodate.

We didn't have much time to spend in Hakodate but we saw the two most visited places in Hakodate: Fort Goryokaku and Mt. Hakodate.

Fort Goryokaku : Instead of trying to explain in my own words, I'll simply post a picture that explains it all:

The governmental hall of the Republic of Ezo (located inside the fort)

To be able to see the star shape, you have to go the top of the Goryokaku Tower.

Goryokaku Tower

Can you see the star shape?

The mountains you see in the distance are the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu

After that, we went to eat soup curry! It was delicious! If you like curry, it's a safe bet to say you like soup curry as well.

Tummies satisfied, we walked up the hill to the ropeway departure station and took the ropeway to the top of Mt. Hakodate. And witnessed the superb night view of the city below. There were also thunderstorms visible in the distance, which made it even more dramatic.

I even managed to capture some lightning (near the right corner)

Otaru

On Sunday, we took the train (from Sapporo) to Otaru. To give you a better idea:

Otaru is a popular tourist destination. The city's most famous landmark is the Otaru Canal, which is featured on many of the postcards in Otaru's souvenir shops.

Otaru is also known for its arts & crafts and glass industries. In the town, there are tons of glass shops where you can buy beautiful bowls, cups, etc.

A woman working with glass

Here's a more historical landmark: the Temiya line, which was originally constructed as a part of the Horonai Railway, the first railway in Hokkaido.

And all of Hokkaido is known for its fresh seafood, so you can find many markets selling seafood in Otaru.

Grilled scallops: they were the most delicious scallops I've ever tasted in my life! : D

After visiting Otaru, we took the train to Mori, where Kim lives and where we'll be staying for the next week. And for supper that night, we had miso ramen, which is a staple in Hokkaido.

miso ramen