The start of hakodate

After a morning full of written exams for class placement, I just had my oral interview, still fighting the massive jetlag. In the first sentence out of my mouth, I forgot how to say America. And in case you didn't know, this, the way to say “America” in Japanese is アメリカ. In roman characters: Amerika. Seriously. Then I was asked about what books I've read recently. I remembered that I just finished this really long, really awesome book at home, but for the life of me couldn't remember anything about it, including its name. So, I ended up talking about Marley and Me which I had watched on the plane ride over. It's probably a good thing I didn't remember the actual book because I would have no way to explain the artsy broken prose and complex familial ties and journey of self-acceptance from The Shipping News by Ann Proulx. But then we got to talk about swine flu, which I was much better at and could tell my sweet story about getting quarantined in Tokyo.

I ate some things that might have been whale blubber but were probably radish, and some things that I thought were mushroom but might have been squid. Usually, the recommended procedure for consuming strange found objects is PERCEIVE – IDENTIFY- EAT. But since I've already failed that piece of sage wisdom, I'll run with PERCEIVE – EAT – MAKE VAGUE CONJECTURES AS TO THE DUBIOUS NATURE OF WHAT IS IN MY MOUTH for now.

I also found some children in our class building, who asked about the bathroom. And I gave them directions. Native speakers ask for me directions because I'm straight pimpin'. Aw yeah. I even answered their questions about proper shoe procedures for the inside. I am a sexy shoeless god of words.

And since I don't yet have good pictures of Hakodate where I am now residing, pontificate upon the viewing pleasure induced by the following public signage above a pachinko parlor. It's okay until you start to consider what those two stick figures are alternating doing to that lady stick figure.