Apartment Update

It's all very exciting now on the apartment front. In the upcoming week the sofa that I claimed my first week in Japan as well as a few other bits and pieces of furniture will be transported. This is all thanks to a very generous co-worker from school who when I asked him if he knew where I could hire a moving company to pick up and deliver my furniture, took my address and came back to me the next day saying that he and a friend would rent a truck and do it for me, no I didn't need to help, all I need to do was be home.

To be honest I get caught up in my own kindergarten world: our room is physically separate from the rest of the school, it's then end of the line, no one happens to just pass by and everyone else's classes are on an entirely different floor even, you one has to go out of their way to either stop into kindergarten or for a kindergarten teacher to stop in on any other class. Our schedule is different from the rest of the elementary school; we eat with our children, not in the faculty lounge; our dismissal time is different from the rest of the school; and I team teach with an amazing teacher so I'm not even alone in this kindergarten world. I met another teacher at the school for the first time last week, I've been there a month now. I know there are others that I haven't met yet or have met once never to see them again.

This person who has offered to help is not someone I know well. I see him from time to time, and probably hadn't seen him for some time before approaching him about this moving quandary after someone suggested that he might be the person to ask. He is a real gem and there are others as well. The school and the school community is filled with kind, friendly helpful people who when asked will help or suggest other possibilities if they don't know an answer. There is no "you're on your own". Sure there are lots of things that I've figured out for myself out of necessity or because I wanted to, but when asked for help is offered and often even offered in anticipation of questions or needs. It's tough being in a new place, new surroundings, new job and trying to settle in at the same time, not to mention trying to do all this and not being able to communicate in the native language. But this person and others have been examples of generosity and support. Sure in life, eventually, we can do most things on our own, figure things out, but life is so much richer when we share it. Maybe, one day, I'll be able to pass what I've received.

Just as an aside from this warm, fuzzy message, perhaps when all is in place I'll try to post a video "tour" of my new digs. In kindergarten one of our units is "same and different". A tour of this place would really highlight how the same Japan can be, while at the same time being completely different. Is anyone actually out there, does anyone care? Or would I be posting the video for my own amusement (and as anyone who knows me well knows, some days it takes very little to do this...).