ただいま

It has been just shy of 3 years since I last came to Japan, and that was a rush trip to Hokkaido for a wedding. The time before that - just over three years ago - was the last time I really spent some time in Tokyo. I remember that time, walking down the street in Ueno with Pat, we looked at each other and smiled. It just felt right to be here. And we knew we would be back someday - for more than a holiday.


So here we are. Three years later, living in Tokyo. The past 2 weeks have flown by like a shinkansen on its way from Tokyo to Kyoto. Organising Alien Registration cards, buying furniture and other things for the apartment, exploring Shin-Okubo - the area that we live in - and realising how much it really is Koreatown, and catching up with friends. Oh and squeezing in a bit of time to search for work and meet with recruiters.


Weekend just gone was spent in my old stomping ground of Gunma. It was quite strange for me to visit Gunma from Tokyo, as when I lived here before my trip was always the other way round. But reaching Kawamata-eki on Saturday, I felt like I was home. I used to spend most of my weekends here with my friend and her family, and that is exactly what I did last weekend. We went to Aeon shopping mall, we went to MOS Burger and when we got home, we sat around the dining table with her parents, sister-in-law and nephew eating sukiyaki and drinking beer. It was just like old times. Me and my Japanese family (plus a couple of new faces).


Sunday was catching up with more friends for lunch before jumping on the Ryomo and heading to see my best friend from Azuma. He took us shopping for a few things that we needed (heated table, frying pan, reading lamp) and then we headed back to his place where I met his daughter for the first time. She is such a cutie! She was a bit shy at first but towards the end, she warmed up and started talking to us a little. So over some amazing homemade pizza, I caught up with my friend and his wife (and daughter) and it was like nothing had changed.


The ride back to Tokyo was again weird - leaving Gunma so late for Tokyo was the reverse of the norm for me - but the trip up "home" gave me energy to keep up the search for work and confirmed for me that I had made the right decision in coming back to Japan.


The things that we bought on Sunday were supposed to be delivered today during the morning, so when they hadn't arrived by 1pm I called the delivery company. They had no record of the delivery at all. So I tried to call the store, but they only have one number with an automated message "Press 1 for this, press 2 for that". When I pressed 1, the message said "Sorry, all the lines are busy. Please call back later." After 3 attempts, I gave up and called my friend who came with us to the store. He said he would search for the direct number. After an hour or so, he messaged to say he couldn't find it yet but would keep searching. At 630pm, he called to say he couldn't find a direct number, but would go to the store tomorrow at lunch time. About 7pm tonight, the store called and apologised profusely. Some mix-up on their end. The stuff will be delivered on Thursday. So we're sans table and pans for two more nights. Oh well. Guess that just means eating out again.


Tonight we caught up with my other Japanese sister who lives in Tokyo. She plays Electone so we have been friends even before I first moved here in 2003. It was great to see her again - talking about friends, music, Electone artists. For old times' sake, we went to the Lion Beer Hall in Ginza for Yebisu Half & Half and some German food. It was gooooooood - just like I remember.


And tomorrow I have a meeting with a recruiter. Not too sure if they have any real briefs at the moment but it makes me feel productive going and meeting someone. Then I am meeting a different recruiter on Friday, who is actually a friend of my university lecturer. I have a few other leads to follow up on too so hopefully something comes out of these catch-ups. 


Some friends from JWC arrive in Tokyo for a holiday tomorrow and we're catching up on Thursday. Can't wait to show them around and introduce them to some craziness of Tokyo.


I'm loving being back here in Japan. I know I made the right decision to come back. Now, I just need to land that dream job and all will be well.