In Japan?

I have now been in Japan for 8 days. I`m getting settled here in the town of Naraha. I`m right by the sea and yet, not far from skiing. Upon arriving in Tokyo little did I know that I would soon be encountering 800 teachers like myself from around the world going through this same journey. Tokyo seemed to be a fantasy. There we were 31 floors up in the nicest hotel I`ve ever stayed in overlooking Tokyo lights. It was a teachers Ideas Festival. Everyday we would get up and go to different clinics they had set up for us. There was breakfast and lunch provided for us and at night we partied. I don`t think I remember being so tired in my life, yet there was a smile on my face as I closed my eyes every night to go to sleep. Naraha Machi is a 180 degree turn form the high energy of Tokyo City, yet still everyday just as new. On just this past Wednesday a bus pulled up to Koriyama City and 25 or so disheveled foreigners greeted the afternoon sun. I was one of them and I remember there was tension in the air. ``What were we stepping into?`` ``What were we Doing?`` ``This is Fun!`` I knew we were ``not in Kansas anymore`` when my supervisor and I met for the first time and after I said my introduction I Said ``do you know English`` and he said ``eeeeeettoooo``. On the car ride to my final destination we both tried conversation. I quickly relearned the Japanese that I had forgotten and he caught onto some English quickly so by the time we reached the small, cute town of Naraha I knew where I was staying for the night....right and left quite confidently in Japanese. He knew that I had good skiing in my town back home...... That I loved Japanese food.........and that I was excited to teach. Actually we exchanged quite a bit, but I still remember it being quite hard and that my tired brain hurt form thinking. I remember falling asleep in a Japanese style hotel that night feeling that I was in some surreal life and then I feel asleep. So now as I write this to you I have been here for aweek. The reason I am still staying in this hotel is because my room is not yet ready. I`m still figuring out my role in the the small town of Naraha. The Sea rolls out clear to my left and I sense it`s great space of freedom and possiblity. The air is fresh and I think my half Japanese Half German person is leaning back towards a rolling red sun. As abnormal as I feel my feet sense familiar soil and the feet are quite good at sensing such things.