kayoobi

The gas man came (hallelujah) and I had a really nice time listening to him explain the situation at length in Japanese and replying with a simple "Wakarimasen"-I don't understand. To help, he put me on the phone with a hopelessly persistent woman who also spoke no English and kept asking for my phone number. At the end he tried explaining that I'll be billed later for his services, using the American OK sign, which I later discovered was a gesture meaning "bag of money" over here. I just kept giving him the OK sign--whatever buddy. Whatever he did, I have hot water and a working stove, so I'm happy.

I met a Japanese girl named Anna on the subway. She approached me and asked if I spoke English and said we could help each other with languages. I'm all for it. So she's already emailed me and she's going to show me cool restaurants in Tenjin. This could end up being a good relationship. Japanese friends will be crucial if I am going to follow through with improving my Japanese conversation skills.

I'm still nowhere near unpacked, and I just got my suitcases yesterday. Honestly it feels like I’ll never be unpacked. I do have some cool ideas for decorating my apartment--highlights include local art and straw mats tacked to the walls.