Back to Toyama

Day 2248 (Thursday, May 15, 2014) – Day 2254 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)

Day 2248 (More Jamaicans in Toyama / 80% of Japanese Women Experience Flirting)

(Thursday, May 15, 2014)

Had dinner with some Jamaicans around this area. It was at an okonomiyaki shop, one of my favourite foods in Japan.

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Day 2249 (Back in Yokohama for the weekend)

(Friday, May 16, 2014)

Had 2 classes then had to wait until 4:15 to leave the school. The principal at the school called me in his office and said “Dave, I’m really really happy that you decided to stay here in Toyama until March… thank you very much. All the teachers are really happy too.” Well I’m happy that they are happy. Even though I am still getting the weird stares from a few teachers, which is totally normal in Japan.

I wanted to leave earlier to catch a 5:00pm flight back to Yokohama but head office said it is better to stay until 4:15 so as to not cause any trouble with the school.

So I took an 8pm flight back to Yokohama after work. Would it be seen as nit-picking if I asked for a 3000 yen taxi fare reimbursement for going to the airport? I planned none of this, why am I still paying for transportation? I arrived at Haneda airport at around 9:30pm, then headed back to my apartment. It has been only 1 week away, but it feels like much longer.

I notice that all these flights between Tokyo and Toyama are filled with Japanese business men. I mean it’s one of the huge 3 row planes and 90% of the plane is filled with men in suits. I think I counted like 7 women. Why are so many business men going to and from Toyama, this country side prefecture?

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Day 2250 (But I’m speaking Japanese!)

(Saturday, May 17, 2014)

Packed some of the stuff that I think I would be needing while in Toyama. Lots of stuff. Then sent off some money via western union for my little side business that is going to suffer greatly because of this country side gig. My company have no idea how much I stand to lose, including my livelihood. There is hardly anything to do in this area.

I went to the Jamaican restaurant in Shibuya to meet another person from the nomadness facebook tribe group. He is here on some business trip for his company. He is some sort of top notch pharmacist.  

Before I met up with the nomadness tribe guy, I was speaking to this Japanese selector/DJ who is in to reggae/dancehall music. He said he visited Jamaica once. So here I was speaking to this guy in Japanese, and he was struggling to answer me in English. Not sure why he was answering me in English while I was speaking in Japanese. Anyway, about 10 mins into our conversation, the dude stopped and asked me, “Can you speak Japanese ?????”  The question shocked me so much I paused for a while. So I answered him in Japanese saying, “Wasn’t I speaking to you in Japanese all this time?” to which he repeated the question in English “Can you speak Japanese?”, totally ignoring what I asked him in Japanese, ….. I again answered him in Japanese… to which he said “Oh sorry I didn’t realize you were speaking to me in Japanese!!!” … bro seriously ????  

--- It reminds me of this Youtube video !! ---

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Day 2251 ( Heading Back to Toyama )

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Had to re-pack one of my suitcases, because it was way too heavy… and the wheels on it aren’t working so well. After packing and re-packing, I visited one of my friends and chatted for a while. Before you know it, it was time to head to the airport. I struggled with the heavy, broken suitcase. I haven’t used it in a while, so the handles were dry rotting as well. I started wondering if I was going to make it in time to the airport.

Recently I try to limit mentioning my xenophobia experiences but this one I think is worth mentioning. So, I entered a train on my way to the airport. A lady, her husband and child in a trolley were seated comfortably. Then enter Dave with his heavy luggage. I sat a bit away from them… no close contact or anything of the sort. I was at least 2 meters away. As soon as I sat down, the lady got up….. made some excuse to her husband who agreed, and they came out of the train and went into the other cart.. hmmm. I am wondering if I followed them to the other cart, what would they do.   

Anyway, when I got to the airport, my suitcase was overweight by 5 pounds, plus my other suitcase. I had to pay 3500 yen extra … Not too bad really. But I shouldn’t be paying any money to move !! that’s already 6500 (US $65) of unplanned expenses !!! This 10 months in the country side better be worth it….  

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Day 2252 ()

Monday, May 19, 2014

Had only 1 class then started falling asleep around the computer. Thankfully they gave me a computer. But that doesn’t prevent me from falling asleep.

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Day 2253 (Yes Jamaica has Computers!)

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 (6 years … 2 months)

Aah I’m back in the country side… I have to remind myself or else I’m going to start spewing fire at these country people.

Today a teacher finally decided to brave up and asked me where I was from. Before this, she appeared at one of my classes, telling the students to ask me my age and what not. So yeah she got some courage today. So when I told her that I was from Jamaica, she then asked, what did I do there before coming to Japan. I told her that I was a computing teacher at an academy. Almost all the Japanese in the vicinity was like “Reallly !!!” … The music teacher and the same teacher that asked the question was like “wow I never knew Jamaica had schools that taught about computers !!!” WTH ??Then they asked if it was fine to go to work without violence etc???? I answered by saying, well there are a few dangerous places but if you don’t go there, then chances are you will be fine. Pretty much like anywhere else in the world….The music teacher again asked…. “no one will attack you or anything like that while going to work” … I said NO!!! … By this time I was starting to get agitated. Because here in Japan that they perceive to be so safe, they need special train carts for ladies only at certain times of day in order to ward off the perverted Japanese men who prey on them. Hey, and several women here in Japan get fondled on lonely roads, Japanese and foreigners alike. So stop with the bull already.........

  

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Day 2254 ( )

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Someone who works part-time with my company, brought me to look at a potential apartment today after work. It is a nice apartment actually but its about a 30 mins walk from the school. Or a 30 mins bus wait. Well If I run to catch the bus I heard its only a 5 mins walk from the school. However in winter, I heard everything gets delayed and I’m going to need some winter boots, cause the winter here is miserable I was told !!! it is in the same general region where the winter Olympics was held in Nagano back in 1998 I think… yes the winter Olympics !!!... I told her if they can find another one near to a train station it would be best but if there are no others then I will work with this one.