Back in Oklahoma

The past three weeks have been a whirlwind of packing and unpacking, leaving and returning, goodbyes and hellos, happiness and sadness. Over three weeks ago, I packed up everything in my little Japanese apartment, said goodbye to it, went on a five-day, fun-filled adventure with my two pals Peter and Travis to Vietnam, returned to Japan and stayed six days with my two favorite Japanese people Junko and Yutaka, said a wrenching goodbye to them and many other Japanese people, took a very long flight to the U.S. (I believe that was the first flight I really didn’t enjoy), was met in the airport by my very best friends and my dear family, went the very next day to the emergency room where my grandfather had just been taken, helped him and my mom out as he had a pacemaker put into his heart, and have finally started to unpack and settle down in my new room in my mom’s new house (actually it is a very old house built almost 100 years ago, but it’s new to me).
As soon as I find the cord that allows me to put pictures from my camera onto my computer, I will post pictures from Vietnam and my last six days in Japan on my picture page and then blog about them (for a little taste of the Vietnam experience, check out Peter’s entry), but for now, I will construct a top 10 list about the ins and outs of returning to my “home” after having a life and a “home” in Japan for two years.

10. Hello to television that I can understand. I missed shows like Star Trek (here’s a shout-out to all of the Trekkies out there!) and TV channels like the Weather Channel. And now I can watch Lost when it actually comes on.

9. Hello public libraries full of books that I can actually read.

8. I love Oklahoma weather. It is so beautiful. The sunsets are breathtaking, the air has a sweetness to it, and the storms make my blood boil. It’s good to be back in Spring.

7. It’s good and bad to be eating American food again. It’s good because it tastes so good: chips and queso and salsa, BBQ, enchiladas, All-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, All-you-can eat buffets period (for example Golden Corral or “Golden Trough” as I affectionally call it), real pickles that don’t smell like feet (I think that Japanese “skemono” or pickles smell like feet), Hostess treats, powdered-sugared donuts, and tons of other things that are deep-fried, add 10 pounds with each bite, clog your arteries, and are so yummy.
It’s bad because my stomach has been revolting against all of this good food (or maybe that’s a good thing).

6. I am so happy to be have dogs again. They are so great, even though they sling drool all over me and I can’t get away from their shedding hair.

5. Americans are so stinking opinionated, which isn’t that bad except they throw it around every chance they get. It is completely opposite of the keep-your-opinion-to-yourself or your-opinion-is-better-than-mine mindset of the Japanese. Besides, I’m the only one who’s allowed to let my opinion be known all the time. It’s right anyways.

4. I love the U.S., but when it comes to customer service it’s hit and miss. In Japan, 99.9% of the time customers receive exceptional customer service. Ever since I left Japanese territory, I haven’t been more aware of the disparity between customer service here in the U.S. and in Japan. I can’t say it any better than Denver has…

3. Hello to Southern kindness. In the Oklahoma City airport alone there were four people who kindly offered to help me with my bags and one big, muscled man with a fork lift who actually did. It put me into reverse culture shock! That doesn’t really happen in Japan. And I haven’t been able to count how many doors that have been held open for me. Most of the time I don’t need people to help me or hold doors open for me, but it sure is nice when they offer. I love the South!

2. Good-bye to all of my dear friends in Japan. My heart hurts that it can’t see you and be with you. Good-bye to my great students (most of the time). I miss trying to deflect your konchos and trying to communicate with you in anyway possible. Good-bye to the adventure, the good times, the bad, my apartment, those crazy roads, the crazy trains, the food, worshiping in church with Japanese and foreigners together, the obliging Japanese the challenges…. I mourn it all.

1. It’s good to be home with family and friends. I’ve considered many places “home” but they aren’t home simply because I live there. They are home because the people I love and care for are there. Thank you God for family and friends.