It's the day after Christmas. I'm sitting in my parent's house, typing on their computer. I'm spoiled by my wireless internet and super-fast internet connection in Japan, that's for sure.
Things are very good here. I'm managing to stay relaxed despite all that I need to be doing and the people I need to see. I'm still listening to Christmas music and hope my mom doesn't take down the tree until after the new year begins. A friend recommended the Sufjan Stevens Christmas cd. It was an excellent recommendation. Thank you, Allison. He kept me company on the plane ride here. I want to write many things about my time here and thoughts about what is going on. I do hope I have time to do so. But for now I'll write down a few things that have been on my mind.
For better or for worse, America has tons of diversity and options in everything. My main culture shock may come to me whenever I feel mentally prepared to walk into a Wal-Mart. I hate Chicago airport, but I've gone through it a few times now and know what to do and where to go without thinking too hard. As soon as I land on American soil inevitably I want a turkey sandwich. I remembered a salad stand that sold turkey roll-ups, so I went straight there after I found my correct gate number. I was standing behind a British woman who was a bit overwhelmed by the situation. You could literally chose among about 25 or 30 types of things that you wanted on your salad or sandwich. She asked the store worker, "Do you have any smaller size, like a Child Size?" The worker replied, "We only have one size." Then it was my turn and I was asked what kind of salad dressing I wanted on my roll-up. I don't like dressing so I said "none" but I did take a look at the options while paying. On the menu were literally 14 different salad dressings. 14!! I was awestruck. Is it really necessary to have 14 salad dressings to chose from? I found the 14 salad dressings just very reflective of American culture in general. You get what you want here. You have options. You have many options. Everyone's giant salad is different and individual; it looks different and tastes different.
On a similar note, I went to Cracker Barrel with my parents, Brock, and his girlfriend Amber. It took us awhile to tell the witress our order. Why? This is how things went. Me, "I'd like two eggs, two biscuits, and two pieces of turkey sausage." Waitress, "How would you liek your eggs cooked?" Me, "Medium." Waitress, "Do you want gravey with your biscuit?" Me, "No, jelly is fine." Waitress, "Would you like strawberry, grape, blackberry, honey, or apple butter?" Me, "Um....blackberry." Then Brock went. Brock, "...and a glass of milk." Waitress, "We have whole milk, 2%, and skim." Brock, "2%." Waitress, "Ice in your glass or no ice? Oh, and what kind of ham? We have sugar ham, Canadian, or country." I was amazed by the whole situation. I like having a lot of choice. But I imagined a Japanese person being very overwhelmed in a similar restaurant situation.
Indianapolis is the 11th largest city in America. Not many people know this fact. It is growing quickly. Over the last several years a great number of Mexican and latino people have immigrated to the region. It is amazing to see the number of Spanish-speaking people out and about. I have noticed it so much more even in the 1.5 years I've been away. My eyes have a hightened sensitivity for seeing diversity around here, too. Has the diversity really increased or did I just never notice it before? I don't know. With diversity and growth comes conflict. Such is the story of American history. So in the last 1.5 years crime rate has increased in the city. The Latino community is moving into the once predominately African-American community and conflict is occuring between the groups of people. My parents house is not too far from this crime-sticken area. The area has always been crime-stricken. Poor familys and many drug dealers. When I entered high school the reality of where I lived set in when I began making friends with people in better areas of my school district. Some were afraid to come to my house for fear they would be shot.
Saturday my mom and I stopped by a new International Foods store in this "rough" area of town about 10 minute drive from my house called Sagara. On our drive we noticed a couple smaller stores with 'internationl foods' signs and a number of Mexican supermarkets. I said, "I'm sure the majority of foods in Sagara are Mexican, but let's see what hey have. Even thought the store name could potentially be Japanese, I'm sure it's Spanish." Oh my heart and eyes were so happy at what I saw in that store! There were Asians and Latino people working there. One isle had a mixture of Jamaican and African food, another isle American products, another Korean food, another Chinese, another Mexican, and low and behold, Japanese! Everything I am every going to crave was in that store--umeboshi, instant miso soup, actual miso, genuine okonomiyaki and yaki soba sauce, okonomiyak mix, good tofu, sushi type yaki soba type pickled ginger, soba noodles, instant yaki soba, Pokey, sake, even those little chocolate cream filled koala bears. Ha, I had to laugh because there were bean-paste mochi sweets and even the tasteless cakes and deserts. These foods were no more expensive than what I pay in Japan, which was a sad reminder of just how expensive it really is to live in Japan and how I hardly notice high prices anymore. A friend of mine said a Korean family runs Sagara. Maybe "Sagara" is a Korean word, then? I work with a Ms. Sagara at one of my junior high schools. I will have to tell her that there is an amazing international foods store in Indianapolis with her same name. With all the Japanese food in that store, there must be a number of Japanese people in the community that never noticed before. I cannot wait to run into some of them.
I know that I will miss Japan when I leave. It will be an emotional time and I will probably question whether the decision to not re-contract was the right decision or not. And I don't know if I will be in Indiana or Washinton at this time next year. The future is exciting and a little scary. But I know I will be ok when I come back, wherever I end up. I feel extremely different than I did 1.5 years ago. I am older and wiser and more culturally aware. I appreciate the diversity around me now rather than take it for granted like I did before. Who would have thought one could find such pleasure out of simplicities such as heat in my house, soap and paper towels in public restrooms, trash cans, the ability to use my credit card anywhere I want, my family who hugs me, turkey, raspberry yogurt, whole grain breads and crackers and cereals, the ability to search down a restaurant of whatever kind of food I am craving, stores open 24hrs a day, coffee shops that are open past 9pm. Of course there are plenty of things that annoy me now that didn't before, but no country or culture is perfect. I want to focus on the positive. Overall I feel really lucky to be here right now and want to enjoy every minute of it before going back to the homogenious Japan.
Things are very good here. I'm managing to stay relaxed despite all that I need to be doing and the people I need to see. I'm still listening to Christmas music and hope my mom doesn't take down the tree until after the new year begins. A friend recommended the Sufjan Stevens Christmas cd. It was an excellent recommendation. Thank you, Allison. He kept me company on the plane ride here. I want to write many things about my time here and thoughts about what is going on. I do hope I have time to do so. But for now I'll write down a few things that have been on my mind.
For better or for worse, America has tons of diversity and options in everything. My main culture shock may come to me whenever I feel mentally prepared to walk into a Wal-Mart. I hate Chicago airport, but I've gone through it a few times now and know what to do and where to go without thinking too hard. As soon as I land on American soil inevitably I want a turkey sandwich. I remembered a salad stand that sold turkey roll-ups, so I went straight there after I found my correct gate number. I was standing behind a British woman who was a bit overwhelmed by the situation. You could literally chose among about 25 or 30 types of things that you wanted on your salad or sandwich. She asked the store worker, "Do you have any smaller size, like a Child Size?" The worker replied, "We only have one size." Then it was my turn and I was asked what kind of salad dressing I wanted on my roll-up. I don't like dressing so I said "none" but I did take a look at the options while paying. On the menu were literally 14 different salad dressings. 14!! I was awestruck. Is it really necessary to have 14 salad dressings to chose from? I found the 14 salad dressings just very reflective of American culture in general. You get what you want here. You have options. You have many options. Everyone's giant salad is different and individual; it looks different and tastes different.
On a similar note, I went to Cracker Barrel with my parents, Brock, and his girlfriend Amber. It took us awhile to tell the witress our order. Why? This is how things went. Me, "I'd like two eggs, two biscuits, and two pieces of turkey sausage." Waitress, "How would you liek your eggs cooked?" Me, "Medium." Waitress, "Do you want gravey with your biscuit?" Me, "No, jelly is fine." Waitress, "Would you like strawberry, grape, blackberry, honey, or apple butter?" Me, "Um....blackberry." Then Brock went. Brock, "...and a glass of milk." Waitress, "We have whole milk, 2%, and skim." Brock, "2%." Waitress, "Ice in your glass or no ice? Oh, and what kind of ham? We have sugar ham, Canadian, or country." I was amazed by the whole situation. I like having a lot of choice. But I imagined a Japanese person being very overwhelmed in a similar restaurant situation.
Indianapolis is the 11th largest city in America. Not many people know this fact. It is growing quickly. Over the last several years a great number of Mexican and latino people have immigrated to the region. It is amazing to see the number of Spanish-speaking people out and about. I have noticed it so much more even in the 1.5 years I've been away. My eyes have a hightened sensitivity for seeing diversity around here, too. Has the diversity really increased or did I just never notice it before? I don't know. With diversity and growth comes conflict. Such is the story of American history. So in the last 1.5 years crime rate has increased in the city. The Latino community is moving into the once predominately African-American community and conflict is occuring between the groups of people. My parents house is not too far from this crime-sticken area. The area has always been crime-stricken. Poor familys and many drug dealers. When I entered high school the reality of where I lived set in when I began making friends with people in better areas of my school district. Some were afraid to come to my house for fear they would be shot.
Saturday my mom and I stopped by a new International Foods store in this "rough" area of town about 10 minute drive from my house called Sagara. On our drive we noticed a couple smaller stores with 'internationl foods' signs and a number of Mexican supermarkets. I said, "I'm sure the majority of foods in Sagara are Mexican, but let's see what hey have. Even thought the store name could potentially be Japanese, I'm sure it's Spanish." Oh my heart and eyes were so happy at what I saw in that store! There were Asians and Latino people working there. One isle had a mixture of Jamaican and African food, another isle American products, another Korean food, another Chinese, another Mexican, and low and behold, Japanese! Everything I am every going to crave was in that store--umeboshi, instant miso soup, actual miso, genuine okonomiyaki and yaki soba sauce, okonomiyak mix, good tofu, sushi type yaki soba type pickled ginger, soba noodles, instant yaki soba, Pokey, sake, even those little chocolate cream filled koala bears. Ha, I had to laugh because there were bean-paste mochi sweets and even the tasteless cakes and deserts. These foods were no more expensive than what I pay in Japan, which was a sad reminder of just how expensive it really is to live in Japan and how I hardly notice high prices anymore. A friend of mine said a Korean family runs Sagara. Maybe "Sagara" is a Korean word, then? I work with a Ms. Sagara at one of my junior high schools. I will have to tell her that there is an amazing international foods store in Indianapolis with her same name. With all the Japanese food in that store, there must be a number of Japanese people in the community that never noticed before. I cannot wait to run into some of them.
I know that I will miss Japan when I leave. It will be an emotional time and I will probably question whether the decision to not re-contract was the right decision or not. And I don't know if I will be in Indiana or Washinton at this time next year. The future is exciting and a little scary. But I know I will be ok when I come back, wherever I end up. I feel extremely different than I did 1.5 years ago. I am older and wiser and more culturally aware. I appreciate the diversity around me now rather than take it for granted like I did before. Who would have thought one could find such pleasure out of simplicities such as heat in my house, soap and paper towels in public restrooms, trash cans, the ability to use my credit card anywhere I want, my family who hugs me, turkey, raspberry yogurt, whole grain breads and crackers and cereals, the ability to search down a restaurant of whatever kind of food I am craving, stores open 24hrs a day, coffee shops that are open past 9pm. Of course there are plenty of things that annoy me now that didn't before, but no country or culture is perfect. I want to focus on the positive. Overall I feel really lucky to be here right now and want to enjoy every minute of it before going back to the homogenious Japan.
posted by Ang at 11:46 PM
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