[Redacted] Village

Well, it’s been quite a while since I had the opportunity to update this blog, hasn’t it? My plan was so perfect in its simplicity that I neglected to realize a single mistake could lead to disaster. Much as the common man never thinks to light a candle in the daytime, I foolishly believed the internet was as common as sunlight. Now I am blind, save those few moments when shadows appear on the edge of my vision.

I won’t have internet in my apartment for a month. There, I’ve said it. It is one of the many downsides of moving to the country. I suppose complaining won’t make it happen any faster. If you’re reading this anytime between July 12^th and August 12^th, that means I must have been fortunate enough to find an internet café. Or perhaps I was able to persuade one of the schools I work for to let me access their internet.

That aside, let’s talk dirt. I have moved from the relative comfort of [redacted], Oregon to [redacted], Fukushima. It is a very, very, very small town of less than 7,000 people. I live in a small, six-room apartment complex in the middle of nowhere. Within walking distance are four convinience stores, two gas stations, one noodle shop, and a post office. For everything else, I must drive at least ten minutes.

I paint quite a picture, don’t I? Perhaps I make it sound more dreary than it actually is. The landscape is wonderful. I am surrounded by pure green mountains and forests filled with tall, skinny trees. An aikido dojo is about fifteen minutes by foot. There are temples scattered about the countryside and a pattern of antique, classically-Japanese houses. There is even a house here old enough to retain a straw roof!

It’s country life, to be sure. A far cry from even the modest civilization of [redacted], Oregon. I’ll be perfectly frank. When I decided to come out here, I didn’t expect anything quite so… podunk. But I’ll survive. If given a new situation, I will adapt as best I can and make it my own. I am teaching at six schools (four elementary schools and two junior high schools). My first day isn’t until the 21^st of July; I’ll be acting as a judge for an English Speech Contest.

I’ve sacrificed my summer vacation for a good cause; with any luck I can befriend my students before I have to teach a single lesson. If that sounds like some sort of evil scheme, you are absolutely right. To endear myself to these kids will make my job that much easier. The easier my job is, the more time I have to make other people’s lives easier. After all, that’s why I’m here. To help people.