First off I had a really hard time getting used to how different the animalls are around Japan. I first met this husband and wife in Tennouji. The male's name is Hiroshi and the woman's name is Haruhi. We quickly became friends having a similar interest in foods and humor. They too are foreigners which is another thing we could talk about. They find living in Japan a little strange as many people want to have photos with them for no reason other than to take a picture with some strange characters. I relate to that very much.
I thought it was a little hard to get used to the transportation in Japan at first because if you aren't taking the normal cars, bus, bike, or train than you are stuck with the remaining option. A slow and not so comfortable ride by Zousan. Zousan is happy as long as you don't kick him and give him some treats. Right now you can see he is raising his trunk to see how hot it will be and if he should drink more water before we leave the shade. Zousan is no dummy!
Dogs are a common pet in Japan. There aren't normally ones big enough for full grown foreign males to sit on, but I managed to find one.
I have also gotten used to watching where I am walking. This is a little kamesan that I found pretty far away from water. I was really surprised that I did not step on him. I actually thought it was a toy, but it was the real deal. since my being more careful with my walking I find all kinds of weird things now. It seems that people love to lose strange items all over the paths that I travel.
<----Lastly I got used to this guy. His name is Kabasan and he is another foreigner. In his homeland he was very territorial but here in Japan he has learned how to get along with people and even give rides for a living. In his homeland, he told me that "if someone tried to jump on my back I would have bite them in half. The Japanese people have really taught me how to control my anger". I was surprised to hear him say that but grateful because I needed a ride to the hotel.
This whole time in Japan has taught me many weird and wonderful things about myself and others. I think I will really miss all my new friends when I HAVE TO return to Utah. I will come back to Japan as soon as possible though!
My thoughts on the roads here have changed a lot since I have spent so much time on them. I first thought they were too narrow and too difficult, but as I said in an earlier blog the people seem to be very considerate of others and it is really quite easy to commute around the towns on bikes, in cars, walking, or however you are going to your destination. The whole time I have been here I still have not seen one accident. I have seen where an accident has happened but never witnessed one. That is very good because in Utah I see them at least once a week.That is where the roads are twice as wide the cars are sometimes three to six times bigger that the average ones here. I think because the roads are so narrow it makes people better drivers because they have to focus constantly because there is no room for an error. if you swerve you could run into a house or a person or into a ditch that may consume the whole car. I bike around all the time now and I am never worried about being hit by a car. I figure as long as I obey the rules and use common sense I will not get hit.
I have also changed my opinion about what crowded really is. When I took this picture I remember thinking how many people were there. If you look at the picture you can see huge spaces all over. I know many people are polite and will avoid being in your picture but as you can see the space is too wide for that to have been going on. So what I thought was crowded is nothing to what I think is crowded now. For example if I have to stand on the train because all the seats are full that is not crowded it just means there are people on the train. BUT if I have to stand on the train and I have to spoon with some older lady that may be a little too crowded. I can always tell when a place is too crowded by the fact that there always seems to be an older woman to lean on me and rest like I am a wall. I find it very interesting! If I am sitting they normally don't sit by me unless there is only one seat, but if it is standing time it doesn't really matter how much space is on the train they seem to lean against me. That is now my "If it is crowded or not" gauge.
