THE LAND OF THE RISING CULTURE SHOCK

I’M LEAVING TOMORROW

I’M LEAVING TOMORROW AND I STILL HAVEN’T PACKED EVERYTHING

Okay, now. Let's get serious about this. So it’s happening soon now. I’m leaving tomorrow (5.9) Monday to the land of the Rising Sun alone, only to be greeted by a nation of about 125 million people and 35 million neighbours in an area that’s smaller than YOUR MOM (just kidding, no one’s mom is that big) BUT Greater Tokio is roughly about the size of Uusimaa region (Vantaa, Espoo and Helsinki with Kauniainen together) in Finland where lives 1,5 million people. Hmm. That is a lot of people around you and even if I live on the “countryside”, it’s going to be a huge culture shock. It comes to people who visit the country for 2 weeks and I'm going to be there for at least 5 months.

Again, culture shocks typically have phases. I can't remember them but it's goes roughly like this:

1. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURTS
2. SHIT HITS THE FAN, EVERYTHING SUCKS
3. I WANNA GO HOME
4. EVERYTHING WAS FINE THE WHOLE TIME
5. (EVERYDAY I'M SHUFFLIN')

Everything is different and works differently in Japan. Like it has that extra twist your brain cant compute at first. I've said to myself (and to various people around me) that I know that it's going to be hard at first. To get used to everything, everyone etc. There's going to be a minimum amount of trees and other plants in Japan. No more random parks, everything's planned so that the little ant nest works perfectly. Even such trifle things as going to the grocery store is going to be at least 10 times harder there than here. And you cant listen to music while riding your bike or you get a fine :'C The mentality of the Japanese is close to Finnish though. Such things as enjoying peaceful moments, sauna and a sip of booze with company is not an uncommon thing among the Japanese. It's just that us Finns maybe tend to act little bit too Southern European/American when we talk to other people, especially Japanese/Chinese/Korean. I plan to be polite my a bit quirky, Finnish way. Quiet and helpful at times, not too pushy and some other things I can't think of right now :D
And oh, the food. THE FOOD THERE. I will write about it more later but for now I'm just mainly superexcited about it.

Plastic food all across the glass cabinet

VENDING MACHINES, SO WAITING THEM

That golden thing up on the roof is A GIANT, GOLDEN POOP

And I have to smile a lot more in Japan. The polite, gentle smile that's just there.

New challenges ahead but what I’ll miss from Finland? A lot of things probably like I always do. Lol. But seriously, I really like Finland. The Funland of Europe. It sounds really cliched but I enjoy the nature, the food, the atmosphere, the weather... And most importantly, my family and friends. I'll get new friends in Japan, that's for sure but people that commonly use the name MOM and DAD aren't around. I know that I'll miss them but they've supported me and approved my idea of moving to the other side of the world so I'm going to be okay. And there's this thing called Skype that's been invented.
I could rant forever about this, don't feel like doing it though (And I have too much to pack anyways). This is prolly the part one of two about this culture shock. I'll write another one as time goes by.


Until next time<3 C: