World Traveler: The First Day

It was at once overwhelming and very comforting. To start the day off, I had less than 5 hours of sleep. I awoke with a start at 05h15 and my body demanded I get up. (I had to stay up late to do some training videos and quizzes I wasn't aware were up on the training site.) Since I was up and it was so early, I decided to get some exercise. I called down to the front desk and had my first (basically) all-Japanese conversation. I said, "Weight room ha arimasu ka." (Is there a weight room?/Does a weight room exist?) -"Hai. [more Japanese I didn't catch]" -"Doko desu ka." (Where is it?) -"[Rapid Japanese]" "Mmmm" -"[Slower Japanese] Beisumento 1." (Basement 1) So off I went to exercise.

After that, I went back to my room and showered. I read scriptures while stretching then got dressed (in my business attire). The checkout time was listed as 11h00 and the Interac people asked us to arrive between 14h00 and 15h00. So I had time to kill. I am getting a UTI so I went to the Vendor Room (where the ice is - I have a picture but somehow didn't manage to pack my cord. Once I get a memory card reader I will post all these pictures about which I've been speaking.) and got two little yogurt drinks. I figured the probiotics would help. It was after I bought them that I realized it was Sunday! Doh. After that I returned to my room, spent a little time on the internet, and then read until it was time to checkout.

(Sorry about the minutiae... my brain is still heavily suffering from jetlag.) <-- In fact, I decided I would stay in the lobby and read until it was time to go to the airport (to catch the other shuttle to the hotel at which training would take place). Down in the lobby I was having the worst time staying awake. I finally pulled out a book of Sudoku and even that... LOL I was finding the easy puzzles to be quite perplexing. (I love Sudoku and have completed several books - and that includes the super hard puzzles so it was an interesting experience for me sitting there feeling frustrated but also feeling like my brain was functioning on such a low capacity that it was hard to feel frustrated.. if that makes sense? I had to generate energy to be frustrated but lacked the energy needed to even think about generating energy!) I was sort of nodding off when the girl from the front desk startled me by appearing and asking if I was waiting for the shuttle. I nodded and then was escorted there. LOL I must have overstayed my welcome a bit. Either that or they thought I was completely lost (fairly true when it comes to the language so far).

I got an interesting surprise on the way to the airport. Two security guys got onto our bus and asked everyone for their passports. I was baffled but showed mine, and off we were to the terminal. There was an announcement in Japanese and I started to get off on the first stop. Luckily the bus driver knew it wasn't my stop and told me so. I was like, "Welp! This is me.... *walking to the front of the bus*" -"[Japanese] *holds up 1 finger*" -"Hai (I wanted the 1st Terminal)" -*ushers me back to my seat* Oops. There were only a few other passengers though so it wasn't too horrible. :D

I then exchanged my money and caught the shuttle to the training hotel. The first stop there was dropping off my IDs so they could make copies of them. I then had a training orientation that gave me exceeding worry! "Study up tonight because tomorrow is going to be... harder than you think. ... We're grading you extensively on your output, but don't worry, we'll give you the results." o.0 Nooooo! I don't feel good about that! It's a strange experience for me. I feel very comfortable in a room full of students but the thought of being a performing monkey for a room full of teachers? Oh no, oooh nooo. My only comfort was the mean-spirited thought, "Well, I can't be the worst person here!" *hangs head in shame* Sorry Maman.

Anyway after that, they took us upstairs to do some more orientation and a drug test. The drug test was fun as the guy in charge is someone I met on fb (through the company's fb page). In fact, if we're friends on fb, he's the one who gave me the rundown of the options on Japanese television. Helpful AND sarcastic. My kinda guy! We had a lot of fun joking around. I met some of my other coworkers and then headed back downstairs to collect my documents and get my room key. I am currently sitting on my hotel bed typing this (everyone is going to the mall later and I had planned on going until just now it occurred to me again: it's Sunday). So I will be staying in and doing some of the prep work suggested to me by the orientation guy. (I might go along with them as I have this fear of being the odd person out because I didn't "go out" with them. I won't buy anything of course, but I feel really strangely about going to the mall on Sunday. I don't even know if the mall is open on Sunday at home.)

Funny moments:

When the guy giving out room assignments got to me, he asked for my name. I gave it and he rummaged through all the sheets and said nothing. I didn't panic as there had been a name badge for me (that I neglected to mention above, sorry) and waited as he went through them again. "Ah! You are in room 7-1-9 and your roommate's name is Limor Stark." My immediate reaction was panic. I'm rooming with a guy!? However, Limor approached me, "Ann! Hello, nice to see you!" -" .... Sorry, what was your name?" -"Limor." Limor is a girl from Australia. Whew. And sorry to her for thinking her name was a boy's name!

XOXO, A