Arrival

The jet lag is over, the boxes are opened, and most of our "stuff" has been put away in it's proper place. Is inability to have a conversation with your neighbors and relatives an adventure? Then Andy is having a great adventure. There is freedom in starting over in a new place and an odd sort of freedom if you can not interact with people even if you wanted to. They can ask you to do something, but you wouldn't know what they are asking. I am studying religiously and should be fluent within decades.

Japan seems friendly, as usual, but it is an extreemely difficult place to be an ex-patriot in my opinion. Tough to get a VISA and the paperwork to obtain a foreignors registration was impossible if not for a flunt Japanese spouse. The registration card is mandatory and without it I can not open a bank account. If you want to leave America and you are not well connected in Japan, I would suggest you try another country.

Future topics will include culture shock and my reasons for wanting to come here.

For cyclists, the local mountain (just under 5,000 feet of climbing, much at 10% grade) has netted 2 mediocre efforts, one awesome effort, and 2 sorry efforts at dragging myself to the top. I will improve.

How boring is this blog? Let me know if you are still awake.