Happy New Year

It is the New Year and time to reflect on what went on in the year before and write down hopes for the new one. Carl and I have been here for almost 10 months. We have watched spring, summer, autumn and now part of winter come and go in Japan. We've celebrated our favourite holidays (April Fools and Thanksgiving. Guess which one matches which person!). We've celebrated Carl's 31st birthday and my 30th. And now Christmas and New Year's in our adopted country.

Why would we do this? What have we learned? When are we coming home? No, seriously, why are we doing this?


Some things we've learned on our Japanese Adventure....

1) Sushi really does taste better in Japan. However, this only applies to restaurant sushi. The stuff you buy at the grocery store tastes about the same, but you're going to get more variety here. They don't often package roe and octopus at the Calgary Sobey's. However, when done by a professional chef, it's like ... it's like ... really good raw fish? Words cannot describe the tender, melt-in-your-mouth sensation of eating something killed just seconds before in front of you.

2) Drinking to excess is not just the domain of underage teenagers and 20 year olds (the legal age in Japan) having their first beer or sake. It can be the unfortunate pastime of businessmen in black suits. Entertaining clients can be hazardous to your health here. It can also cause you to spend a number of nights sleeping on a train station floor or city sidewalk. Luckily, it's common enough that no one will disturb your sleep. Also, all you can drink for one flat rate is a bad idea for foreigners who try and get the most bang for their buck...Carl.

3) Humidity sucks. It's worse than windchill, it's worse than waking up with a cat on your face, worse than having a drunk businessman breath on you. However, in summer everyone understands why you walk around with a towel around your neck here.

4) Japanese is a damn difficult language. Two phonetic syllabaries and over 10 000 kanji words makes even attempting to read the language almost impossible. I say almost, because other people braver than me have managed to accomplish this task. This is my way of saying, no, I don't speak Japanese. Maybe that will be one of my resolutions this year; to try, try again. Maybe.

5) You can make friends anywhere. Especially Japanese friends, as I've met some of the friendliest, funniest people anywhere here. However, friends who understand your quirks, people who know what you mean when you start speaking gibberish, people who love you for who you are unconditionally, take time and luck to have in your life. I am lucky to have so many of them in Calgary and I miss you all terribly.

However, I will have to miss you all a little longer. Carl and I will be staying a few extra months here, enduring yet another summer of humidity hell. We'll be back before Labour Day, but I don't know when exactly. We still have a lot to see and do here. We still have to see Sapporo and Tokyo and, most importantly, Tokyo Disneyland. We will continue to update you on our adventures (hopefully more frequently).

One thing I have learned this year is that there is no feeling like accomplishing a life-long dream, no matter what the result is. I hope that all of you get to experience that in the new year. Happy New Year everyone!!!