I am about a week behind in my blog posts, but these past two weeks of my life have been so crazy and life changing that if feels like I'm writing about something that happened a month ago. But here goes...
After the last day of training we all gathered to go out to dinner courtesy of Amity! That means we got to go out and talk business with the trainers over drinks and get "real" answers. I was surprised to find out that most of the trainers were only 2-4 years older than I am! It was really fun getting to let go with them after such a stressful week.
One of the trainers, Teri, suggested a cheap karaoke place we could go to. So everyone branched off for a bit with the plan to meet up to go there. Since there are 12 of us and since it was a Saturday night and that place was apparently very popular, me and a few of the girls went to the karaoke place (Great Pumpkin) to try and make a reservation. What happened next was my first time dealing with such blatant racism. Having the best Japanese ability of the group I stood in line once we got there to ask about the reservation and price. There were three or four clerks working the desk and as each one finished with their customer, they disappeared into the back room. I thought it was a bit weird, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. Maybe they were only there to help out with the rush? Finally it was just me and one final clerk and he quickly put his head down and busied himself. Annoyed at this point, I approach him and in my best Japanese ask him how much it would cost for 12 people for 2 hours. He dismissively rattled off a respectable price so then i asked if it was okay to come back at 11:30. It was about 11. He said no. I asked why, and he said no. I told him we had more people coming at that time and he said now would be okay, but later with more people? No.
Confused we left thinking something had been lost in translation. We figured we would just meet up with everyone else and go back at 11:30. When we went back we got ignored at the counter once again. By this point I was really frustrated and flustered. I asked again (gesturing to all the people with me) for a room for 12 for 2 hours. They then asked about a members card. I told them that I don't need one, but then he told me that we have to have one to go. Somehow I felt that he was lying, because the clerk that I had had issues with the first time around was whispering orders to him in his ear. Once of my co-trainees was actually staying in Okayama to work at the Amity there, so we told the clerk that she would get one. He then asked for our Alien Registration Cards (Gaijin Card). I told him we didn't have any (since we can't get them until we move to our actual home city) and he said no. Upset and angry we all left. It was clear at that point that we were just unwelcome there. Gaijin Cards are only given out to people staying in Japan on a visa. Tourists don't have them. They didn't know if we were tourists, or students, or workers or what. He just wanted to make it as difficult as possible for us to sing there. Baaaaaad suggestion Teri!
We went to a different karaoke place on the opposite side of the station. It was a higher quality place (so more expensive) but they were really nice to us. And very patient with our limited Japanese ability. Karaoke with everyone was fun! We did nomihodai again so we kept the drinks flowing. Good times were had. There was a bit of madness trying to pay the bill, but we got it in the end.
Everyone split up again after that. Not ready to call it a night, Abby, Derek, and I decided to hit the town. Abby is a very open and friendly person, so she walked about saying hello to everyone we passed on the street. Eventually we found some hosts smoking on a vending machine corner. We stopped there to chat with them. So in Japan they have host and hostess clubs. These are places where you can go and have a very attractive man or woman treat you like the love of their life. They are often run by the Yakuza (Japanese mafia). So here we are, about 2am, talking to three hosts who are out trying to elicit business. Abby asked them where they worked and if they would take them there. They said the couldn't, but that they knew a good place. So they took us there. It was a small night club and it was ladies night! 1,000 yen ($10) for entry and two drink tickets for Abby and I. Only one drink ticket for Derek. Still a pretty good price. In we went and immediately we garnered a lot of attention. There was a fair number of foreigners in the club, but I think they were regulars. We were new faces. We drank more and danced for hours. At some point there was a ring of Japanese men around Abby and I and poor Derek was pushed away. It was fun, I danced with a few of the more bold men (I think they found me intimidating, lol).
As the sun was coming up we decided it was time to call it a night. The next morning, bright and early, I had to be up, packed, and professionally dressed. I was, but I was also tired as all get out. Running on 3.5 hours of sleep isn't easy. We were taken to the station and given our itinerary for getting to our new homes. As everyone was getting off at their stops there were a lot of tearful goodbyes. We had only known each other for a week, but we had been through a LOT together.
An hour and a half later I was in Nagoya meeting my manager. Who we call Manager (its a Japanese thing). It was a short local train ride to Ogaki from there, and I dozed the whole way. Probably not making the best impression, but I was too tired to think! We met my outgoing NET and coNET at the station and grabbed a quick lunch.
Manager then drove me to my new home. ITS HUGE!!! The internet/cable woman came by and we switched over the service, and the gas guys came and did the same. Sara (my outgoing NET) took the last of her stuff out to Manager's car and they left to take her to a hotel. I was alone for the first time in my new apartment. This is my first time living on my own, and instead of it being scary and lonely, its exciting and liberating! I am really enjoying having my own space. Who needs pants? I sure don't!
Sara came back a few hours later and took me out to Nagoya to meet her friend Reed and have dinner. We walked alllll over Nagoya (which is the next large city south of Tokyo, btw) because Reed wanted to go to a specific bar for micro brews. Now, I love a good specialty beer, but remember I am running about 3 hours of sleep and its been a long day by this point. I was dragging. After about two drinks I asked to go home. Sara had to show me how to get from the station to my apartment (about a 15min bike ride) and then I was out for the night.
The next day I met up with Sara and Briana (my coNET) for lunch, and then Sara took me on a bike tour of the city. Im not very good on a bike, and don't have much practice, and Sara was a BEAST. She went so fast and knew exactly where she was going, I was struggling to keep up and try to remember the landmarks so I could find everything again. Sara is apparently a firm believer in a "you have to get lost to figure out where your going" philosophy. I don't buy it. Slow down! I was able to buy some groceries and a few supplies from the dollar store and then I had the night to myself to cook dinner and prepare for my first day at work....
But then Briana facebooked me and asked if I wanted to go out to her fav bar. So I threw some clothes back on and went out. Its called Miroku, and that place is great. It is now my favorite bar as well. We had pleasant conversation and a few good drinks with everyone at the bar. I even learned all the bartenders names. I think I will now be a regular there like Briana, haha.
I went home from Miroku and crashed, ready to take on work the next day. But my first week of work will be another post...
matta ne!
～寒
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