Disaster from Week 2

OK, so, - “funny” story – thought I should share: …

After sitting through a good long talk on all the nasty, horrid, disgusting bugs that I could meet in my flat, at the Ibaraki JET orientation I was propelled into taking intensive preventative measures to ensure that I would not have to meet some of these minging creatures of nature (sure I’ve gone on about this far too much now).

Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation is what was drummed into us.

SO, the next day, I left ALL my down-to-the-floor windows wide open and went out with my supervisor for the day with a nice big smug feeling about my great flat and how clean and airy it was.

… how the mighty fall …

Quote from the Ibaraki orientation handbook regarding tatami mats: “whatever you do, DON’T spill liquids on them”.

So, … as it goes … there was a typhoon late yesterday afternoon…

Well, it felt like a fucking typhoon to me, as I was racing across the car park from the supermarket to the car with my supervisor in this downpour as the thunder crashed directly overhead and giant lighting bolts cut down the sky.

Apparantly though, it wasn’t a typhoon , - it’s not typhoon season yet. That’s to look forward to for September. Wahoo!

My supervisor thought it would perhaps be a good idea to check on my flat. So, half an hour drive over to my place in the storm. … which was showing no sign of letting up yet as I was stuck in the car doorway, for about a minute, pissing about frenziedly trying to open a complicated Japanese umbrella. Arghargh!

Dashed up the steps to the flat and thrust open the door. There were VERY significant pools of water over all the floor of the flat, all on the tatami flooring. Arghargh!

shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit were I think my words at the time when I was rushing round my soaked apartment slamming shut all the wide open windows in the face of the still-raging storm, chucking towels everywhere.


Now … it’s the next day … and my floor, bed, books, sofa, electronic devices, pants etc are drying well in the daytime heat.!

Apparently, according to my supervisor and vice-principle this level of storm was quite unusual, … and unexpected.

But … funnily enough … earlier that day, when I was walking along the seaside with my superviso,r we strode past a little old Japanese woman bent over her little old-woman shopping trolley/ standing device.

She reached out and tapped my supervisor on the shoulder and motioned for us to come back. Then she pointed at the blue-sky and at one small, faint white cloud in the distance and said in her little-old-woman voice – “Ah, the storm is coming”. I had thought NOTHING of it.

Comfy in Japan

I need reflection time! This is evident because this is the first time I have been able to post a blog ... but yet I am now in my fourth week in Japan!

In a way it's too late to try to recall my initial feelings about being here in Japan. I was just so busy, so tired, so without internet, so without time to sit down and write a blog. I've realised that I don't like not having no time to sit and think about what I have experienced.

Especially, when there is SO MUCH that I have experienced here. The first weeks here have been a complete whirlwind. I really need time like now to just sit, and think, and reflect, and write. Really therapeutic. It's hard to strike the right balance.

It is great. The reason I have been so busy is because of the ready-made social life that comes with being a JET. Not only discovering Ibaraki with IAJET, but also the community here in Hitachi. There are other 20 something ALTs here, not only JET but others, sister city people, old JETs, they meet each other sometimes through friends of friends, sometimes at G bros the restaurant popular with foreigners. I met a big lot of them at the beach party. I feel grateful to the 3rd year ALT here for inviting me to these events - it's really nice to be part of the social network here.