Tuesday 16th
Orientation in Akita was set for Tuesday and Wednesday, then
on Thursday our intensive Japanese course started which continued through until
Sunday. I was unsure as to whether we were being brought back to Nikaho in
between so I packed for the full week. Which turned out not to be necessary…
More Lectures.
This Orientation was quite useful as it covered the more
prefecture-specific stuff, eg. How to get OUT of Akita (bit trickier for the
smaller towns), and rundown of the many many festivals that they have all over
Akita (it was at this point that everyone started scribbing down notes). The Prefecture is split into North, Central and South
block so we were able to meet the people and leaders from our blocks (of course
friendly block rivalry didn’t take long to get going). The afternoon of
lectures was washed down with a mean Indian Curry (probably the last
non-Japanese meal I’ll have for a while). Though getting to the restaurant
proved a small mission, Alyssa and I tagged along with a couple of Aussies who
had driven up and so gave us a lift in their car. Small scare when google maps
tried to send us through the middle of a rice paddy to get to the restaurant.
The complex we were staying in was equipped with onsen – so
good for a little straight-in-the-deep-end culture immersion, not so great if
you didn’t want everyone else to see you butt naked (note: onsen are Japanese
hot springs/baths of the ‘bare all’ variety – genders are generally separated
but in some Onsens they will have mixed bathing where the water will be cloudy).
The ‘shower’ facilities were in the same room as the onsen, a row of mirrors
that you sat infront of on a stool so if you were a bit self-conscious you
either sucked it up, or went to bed dirty.
It’s always a bit of a surprise how keen a bunch of chicks
that barely know each other are to get starkers.
The night was finished with card games in one of the common
rooms before we all had to obey the 10.30 ‘lights out’ policy…..
This morning was one of the times that I was reminded how
poorly I function while half asleep – after trudging down the corridor back to my
room before realising I had walked straight past my room about 6 doors back….
More lectures on various topics – including driving in Japan
and parking in Japan – tales of a JET who went away for the winter break and
left his car parked in a designated snow dumping area – he had to dig through 3
metres of snow with his bare hands to get to his boot where his shovel was so
that he could dig his car out…
Fun fact: drinking in public places in Japan is not illegal.
They also have an amazing little system called ‘daiko’ to help the zero alcohol
tolerance when driving. You call a daiko and 2 guys rock up in their own car,
one hops out and drives your drunk self and your car back home and the second
guy follows in his car, guy one parks your car for you and then hops in the
other car with guy 2 and hey you and your car make it home safe (and legally)
and its cheaper than a taxi!
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