What I Love About Japan:
- Convenience. I love being able to walk or ride my bike pretty much anywhere I need to go. If I want to visit another city, I can take a train. If something's too far away, I can always call a taxi. In Texas, you really need a car to get around.
- The scenery. Japanese parks are beautiful! I really like mountains, so it's nice to be able to climb Mt. Kompira and Sanuki Fuji. I never climbed mountains in America! It's also really interesting how the scenery changes through the year.
- The drinks. I love Japanese tea and sake, and I can always find something new to try. We don't have drink machines all over the place in Texas, usually just in front of big stores.
- Convenience stores. In Texas, convenience stores are pretty much always attached to gas stations, and they're not as nice. I go to Lawson three or four times a week! I love the rice balls and jelly snacks.
- Learning Japanese. I really appreciate the chance I have to learn Japanese so quickly. I hardly ever study, but I'm picking up a lot from students!
What I Miss About Texas:
- Family. Of course I miss my parents and brother and sisters, but I really wish my daughter Mei could see everyone more. So far, my mom has come to visit twice, and my wife's family has come once. They were really happy to have an excuse to visit Japan!
- The woods. I grew up in the country, so I would always play in the woods. There doesn't seem to be as much forest here in Japan because the islands are so small and crowded. The parks here are really well-groomed; in Texas, they're usually bigger and more wild.
- Mexican food. I used to eat some kind of Mexican food at least once or twice a week. Sometimes, I would eat it every day for months. I love big, Texas-style burritos. My favorite snack is probably tortilla chips and salsa. I'm crazy about spicy food!
- Libraries. In America, I could hang out at libraries or bookstores and read for hours. It's hard to find any books in English around here. At least I can read Time magazine at the Marugame library. I know English is hard to read, but I think Japanese is even harder! I don't know if I'll ever get the hang of kanji.
- Elbow room. Most Americans have a different sense of space than Japanese people. We feel uncomfortable when someone is too close, especially on a bike or in a car. The roads here and the aisles in most stores are usually too narrow for me. I'm also too tall for Japanese doors, so I guess I should also say "head room".
All in all, I really appreciate this time in Japan. I'm learning a lot and having all kinds of new experiences!
