Japan, Japan

In the past, I wanted to go and live in Japan for a while. I used to look at friends' pictures of booze fests and late night train rides and photowalks and drinks and barbecues in the park, of flowers blossoming in spring and leaves turning rust in autumn. I wanted a taste of that. For a while, I have forgotten that I wanted that because I started wanting different things. I got tired of going to school, and I wanted a life with no stress, no readings, no papers, no exams. I was just happy living a very carefree life.

In October, I saw a poster in the office announcing that JICA is looking for scholars to send to Japan for two years. I submitted an application and a year later, I am here in Japan.

Yesterday, we signed a two-year lease contract for a small place we will be staying in for the next two years. I am looking at the layout of the room and imagining how I can make the place "mine". We walked to a shop here in Osaka selling home items. It feels like 2008, when I started living in Kalayaan. I had to buy a bed and a closet and a full-length mirror then. I would have have to buy those things again.

I am not feeling very touristy yet. I haven't visited must-see places in Osaka, figuring that I would have two years to do all of that. Or not. I want to get settled first. A sidenote: an officemate who was a recipient of the same scholarship as mine said that everything will happen so fast that when it is time to go home, it would feel like everything went by without you noticing. Oh, but I want to notice. I want to go out and feel that the morning air is getting a little bit chilly. And that they've stocked green tea kit kat on the convenience store shelves. And that they always serve tea in restaurants instead of water, and that I can drink water from the tap. The other day I looked out the window and there was humongous rainbow outside.

I want to follow my nose on where I want to eat, or else, just follow my wallet because I have to remind myself that I have to stick to budget. I want to go out now, there is a small ramen place just outside the hotel which serves very delicious and very cheap noodles.

Oh and I would try to take more pictures. :)###