First blog

This isn`t going to be as structured as I wanted my first entry here to be. Probably because I`m typing it in circumstances different than what I expected.

Technically, I typed my first entry on my first night and it is saved onto my laptop at my apartment.

But right now, I have no internet at my apartment and I`m using my work computer at the city education office.

Meaning that I can`t post my `first blog.` I was thinking I`d wait until I could use internet at my apartment to start, but I realized as time went by that so many days were passing and people would want to read my initial thoughts about things.

So I`ll post the real `first blog` later on.

Life in Japan has been treating me well so far. I`ve been going through the process of settling down in my apartment pretty smoothly and people have been very nice around here.

As I will mention in my `first blog,` I did experience some initial depression, but now I feel very cheerful and I`m really happy to be here.

There`s not an awful lot to do for work these days because school hasn`t started yet, so I basically just hang out at the office.

Last Friday was my first work related party. It started out at an Izakaya where you can drink and eat all you want. This was really a lot of fun because I got to see people who usually seem pretty serious be really friendly and relaxed. Afterward, we all went to karaoke where it was apparently very surprising that I already knew a number of Japanese songs. (haha)

Saturday, there was a gathering of Kagoshima JETs. We went to Kagoshima city, toured around a little bit and went bowling. I ended up leaving early because I didn`t feel very good and I just didn`t feel up to hanging out with so many people then.

Yesterday, Aya and I went to Kagoshima city. The plan was to go shopping and try out a Mexican restaurant called `Crazy Uncle` to lunch. It turned out that the Mexican place was closed. So we ate somewhere else for lunch, stopped by the foreign foods store, returned to my apartment, and we made Mexican food for dinner. It was really a lot of fun.

It was actually my first dinner I made at the apartment, so it was really great for that reason, too.

Aya also helped me figure out the waste disposal system around here. It`s actually EXTREMELY complicated. Regular garbage is called `Burnable` and there are separate bags needed for plastic, plastic bottles (strangely called `Pet Bottles` around here), plastic/Styrofoam containers, `dangerous things.` There are really more details about this whole thing than I can really think of right now to write, but I think I`ll do okay. I also have to write my name on each bag so that I`m accountable for how well I sort. Intimidating, right?