Ohayo gozaimasu! Good morning!
If my calculations are correct, it is currently 1:47 pm on Tuesday, August 2nd in Regina. In Tokyo, it is 4:46 am on Wednesday, August 3rd. And, yes, despite doing everything right (drinking lots of water and not sleeping on the eleven-and-a-half hour plane ride, struggling to stay up until 9:30 pm local time the first night, then passing up subsequent evening escapades in order to get adequate shut-eye), I am sitting in my empty hotel bathtub, wide awake for no good reason. Jet-lag destroys body, mind, and soul.
Luckily for me, the latter two are just fine, thanks no doubt to concerted efforts to get enough sleep. Yesterday, I woke up at 5:30 am, after a respectable 7.5 hour sleep, feeling more human than I had in several days. The night before that, I slept so hard that I neglected to notice my first earthquake. (My roommate, on the other hand, felt it, woke up, tried to wake me, couldn’t, decided she must be dreaming, and went back to sleep.) I did, however, feel my bed ever-so-slightly wobbling this morning, leaving me with a sensation both queasy and cool. It lasted all of 30 seconds (if that), but by then, I was awake for real, buzzing with adrenaline and excitement. It’s too soon to tell, but earthquakes may become my new thunderstorms.
Body-wise, I’ve also been fortunate so far. My family (minus John, who stayed in Regina to attend the wedding of two good friends) spoiled me on the trip to Calgary, letting me snack, veg, vent, snore, and hug them at will before parting ways (me, to the airport, and them to represent the family at my grandma Ruby’s 80th birthday party in Edmonton). My flight was fine, aside from the notably marginal food (good ol’ Air Canada) and the ridiculously early dimming of the cabin lights. However, it was smooth sailing, the H2O flowed, and we made good time.
When we arrived in Tokyo, I felt cheated. A well-informed friend, who spent several years in Japan on the JET Programme* and who has been a frequent source of information and advice over the weeks leading up to my departure, told me that stepping off the plane feels like being hit by a wave of hot lava. The humidity simultaneously soaks and drowns you. Needless to say, I had been emotionally preparing for this moment for some time, making a conscious effort not to complain when Regina experienced several consecutive days of 40+ degree temperatures in late July, and not allowing myself to panic when reading about power-saving initiatives in Japan that result in most office buildings setting their air conditioners at 28 degrees. However, when I stepped off the plane, I felt...warm. Slightly uncomfortable, sure. Drowning? Absolutely not.
Fast-forward through several days’ worth of workshops, ceremonies, new friends and incredibly cheerful current JETs** (many of the same smiling faces that had scattered throughout Tokyo airport in neon pink t-shirts, welcoming us to Japan and paving the way to our waiting buses like bright breadcrumbs), prefectural and embassy meetings, and general information overload, to yesterday morning’s panel discussion on “The Daily Life of an ALT in Japan.”*** Only a few minutes into introductions, one of the panellists warned, “Oh yeah, we’ve been experiencing unseasonably cool temperatures lately. It was super cool the day you guys arrived. It’s gonna heat up.” The girls from Barbados and Trinidad aren’t concerned. Should I be?
In just a couple of hours, I leave Tokyo (which I didn’t have time to experience – I’ll be back!) and my air-conditioned five-star hotel to hop a plane with several other (awesome!) JETS bound for the Tottori prefecture. The next time you hear from me, I will be settled into my new apartment, no doubt sweating profusely and rueing the day I claimed the humidity unimpressive. Can’t wait!
*JET Programme = Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme
**JET = Japanese English Teacher, refers to those individuals hired by the JET Programme
***ALT = Assistant Language Teacher, refers to all individuals hired by JET or another similar organization
