Touchdown!
Well, I am now in Japan. It doesn’t quite seem real. I had a few doubts on the flight over (‘WHAT AM I DOING???‘), but now that I’m here I couldn’t be happier. We were met at the airport by an Aeon representative who led us newbies to Omiya. It’s incredibly humid, but almost everything is air-conditioned. I was surprised flying in to Tokyo at how un-urban it appeared. I’m not sure how far Narita airport is from the city, but there were forests and farms and green spaces! The haze blocked out the mountains, so I still haven’t glimpsed Mt. Fuji, but I’m sure I’ll see Fuji-san soon enough.
I’m sorry this is so short, but I’m anxious to get back to my air-conditioned room and curl up on the futon. The training center is really nice. It’s in a residential neighborhood. Houses are compact and densely packed, but bigger than I expected. There’s a convenience store around the corner. The clerks were really nice, but I was too embarassed to actually respond in Japanese. When in doubt, smile and bow. I bought a bottle of something that tasted like Gatorade but better (the label was bright and colorful) and some supplies to get me through training. No pictures yet, but expect some soon. We get Sunday off to explore the area, so my camera will definitely be by my side. Training starts in the morning. It’s only downstairs, yet we still have to dress in full suits. Welcome to the Japanese business world, I guess. Hello Japan. So long comfort zone, English and personal space!
