2001-08-23 - 8:29 p.m.
I am exhausted... ever try to arrange a furniture delivery when you don't speak the language? It can be a bit trying. But with any luck, on Saturday afternoon I'll have a new couch and bookcase.
Less exhausting was surviving my first natural disaster in Japan. On Wednesday, Typhoon 11 -- so named because it's the 11th typhoon of the season, none of this "tropical storm Harry" business -- swept up Japan. The southern islands and southern Honshu were pummeled -- there was massive flooding and several deaths. Fortunately, by the time it made its way up to the Kanto region where I live, it had lessened a bit in force. Nevertheless, my prefectural orientation was cut short and all 100 or so Chiba JETs were sent home early in an attempt to beat the storm. By the time I made it home to Kimitsu, about 45 minutes south of the conference, the wind was blowing and the rain was shooting daggers at a sharp angle. After a brief attempt at biking and holding an umbrella at the same time, I resolved to making the 10-minute bike ride back to my apartment without any shield at all. When I did arrive home, I was thoroughly soaked from jean jacket to underware. A few hours later, the storm had passed, and before the sun set, there was a clear blue sky. For the remainder of the day, I did what I always do in the face of eminant natural disaster -- I watched the TV news. Like America, in Japan the stations feel compelled to broadcast unending, and I would assume rather repeatative, coverage of major weather events. The reporters were sent out in the thick of things -- one woman gave her report in front of crashing waves, a man braced behind her to keep her from being blown over by the wind.
This morning, the typhoon long gone, I went with Andrew (British JET across the hall) to Tsunami Junior H.S. to help students prepare for an English speech contest to be held in September. Though the bike ride to the school was only 20 minutes from our home in downtown Kimitsu, within a fraction of that time we were riding along a one lane road lined with vibrant green rice fields. Old farmers with wide-brimmed straw hats walked up and down the fields, and every so often a scarecrow stood watch. At only 8:45 in the morning, it was already over 85 degrees, and the sun beat down as if it had something to prove.
Thankfully, we performed our duties at Tsunami in the air conditioned computer room. The work itself was easy -- we read over short speeches with the students and helped them with intonation and pronunciation. We spent our afternoon at a second junior high called Kururi, which thankfully we were driven to -- it takes over an hour to reach by train. Tomorrow, two more junior highs and then at night the enkai (welcome party) for me and the other new JET, Lynn. Everyone attending pays a sizeable fee (about $50) to attend, which covers food and an endless supply of beer and sake. My supervisors have told me that my glass will not be empty the entire night, and that the desired affect is a massive hangover. Will write again when concious.
