Reflect on your transition from Kyoto to Osaka. What differences and similarities have you noticed? How has the transition impacted your understanding of Japanese culture, and why?
We are officially at the halfway point in our excursion to Japan. This morning, we left our quaint ryokan in Kyoto and dragged our luggage through busy crowds and subway stations to make it to Osaka, which definitely has a different feeling. I'm not entirely sure if I like it or not, but it's only day 1. I have always struggled with being in larger cities because I grew up in a small town and have never lived in a place where there is so much going on. Everything in Osaka (particularly near where we are staying) is very much in your face, which is not what I am used to experiencing on a regular basis. Additionally, I am naturally cautious in unfamiliar places, especially ones where there is a greater risk of something bad happening, so being here is making me feel a little uneasy. I definitely feel as though we were spoiled or first five days in Japan at our ryokan where we had our own private bathrooms, the staff was super hospitable, and we basically had the place to ourselves for the most part. Comparatively speaking, the hostel we are staying at in Osaka is right in the middle of everything and lacks some of the charm that our ryokan had. I am by no means trying to be pessimistic; the hostel is well kept and beautifully designed. However, I think that my feelings regarding being in a larger metro area where caution is heightened has put me in a strange headspace.
The highlight of today was the cooking class we took. We made nigiri sushi, which consisted of Japanese-style rice stirred with rice vinegar and topped with wasabi and fresh. RAW. fish. I have never eaten raw fish before and honestly didn't think I'd be able to stomach it, but I swallowed my fear and ended up eating all three pieces of sushi! To be honest, the salmon was quite delicious, as was the red snapper, but the tuna had a taste that was a little too gamey for me and made me cringe. Overall, I'm extremely proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new foods even if it scares me. I have truly taken personal risks while being here (including riding the subway BY MYSELF) that I wouldn't dare take in the States and it's absolutely exhilarating.
I've begun to reflect on my changing feelings in my time here and am starting to process where it's coming from. Before dinner today, I took a nap and woke up to a severe internal conflict as to whether I wanted to go out or if I wanted to stay in and try my hand at exploring Osaka tomorrow. I eventually decided to go out and am glad I did, but I couldn't understand why it was that I was so hesitant about leaving in the first place. Was I fearful for my safety? Was I beginning to run out of steam? Is the unfamiliar taking a toll on me? Honestly, I believe it is all of these things that is affecting me at this point. My social meter is running out, my ability to have energy and a curiousity to see the city is not as high as I thought it would be, and I am increasingly growing tired of constantly being confused while attempting to traverse foreign streets and conversations. However, it's only been five days. I can't begin to imagine how people leave home to live in a foreign country for an extended period of time, whether it be to teach, take a job, or study abroad. I'm not sure I have the strength to immerse myself into a completely different environment, especially without a strong support system like my family or partner here with me to help ease the transition. Maybe I should broaden my horizons and have more of an open mind like some of my cohort members, but there are some characteristics that I can't and won't change about myself.
Six things I've learned (since I didn't blog yesterday):
1. You can tell how old bamboo is by its color (the greener it is, the younger it is).
2. In Osaka, there are specific subway cars for women in an effort to keep them safe due to the culture of women being targeted and groped.
3. Wasabi is pronounced "WAA-sab-ee", not "wa-SAB-ee".
4. Daiso is a Japanese dollar (or 100 yen) store and it's amazing. There are also some stores in Texas and California.
5. In Soulja Boy's song "Crank That Soulja Boy", there's a line where he says "haters gettin mad cuz I got me some Bathing Apes". Apparently, Bathing Apes is a popular Japanese clothing brand. I've passed two stores in my time here so far.
6. I'm starting to miss home.