Day 2 at school....and another adventure!

Today Miyou Sensei took me to the bank to open an account and then to get a mobile phone....which after spending ages choosing a phone then 1 hour setting up the contract, I was told that I have to wait to get my citizen card before I can have a contract.
We had lunch in Starbucks where we bumped into some students from Nishi (Starbucks in Japan is very different BTW....Green Tea frappuccino and no skinny muffins!)
Miyou Sensei dropped me back at school for more form filling before Suzuki Sensei droppped me off at the train station....where I was to get a train to Iiyama to a JET leaving party. I purchased my ticket from the machine (obstacle 1), I got what I thought was the right train (well it was definitely the right platform!), put on my ipod and sat back and admired the view through the hilly, green countryside......I think for the first time in a very long time I am happy to have a tatoo. About 20 minutes into the journey, a deeply tanned, smiley Japanese guy approached me and asked if it was ok to speak to me....ofcourse it was, maybe I could practice some of my phrases! He wanted to talk to me about my tatoo on my foot and then went on to tell me he was on his way to the onsen (hot springs).....at this point I thought that he was Yakuza and was going to invite me to go to the onsen with him...aaggghhh! When I told him I was on my way to Iiyama he gasped and told me I was on the wrong train! After conferring with two young girls he came back and said I was on the wrong train and should get off at the next stop.....luckily the girls got off too and helped me to explain the the ticket man I was going in the wrong direction and had to go back to Toyona and change for Iiyama! At Toyono I planned to call Rita who was meeting me at a certain time to tell her I would be late.....at the phone box I realised I had picked up the wrong number and the only other numbers I had were Jay`s home (not in) and Suzuki Sensei mobile who said when giving it to me "only in emergency kyra-san" so I figure being late for a party on Friday night is not really what he meant by emergency!

So I head home to Nagano watch Lost in Translation and laugh at Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansen in Tokyo as I realise that coming to Japan not only tests you with jetlag, language and orientation but it also forces you to realise who you are.
So my adventures have not only been a cultural learning curve they have also played a part in my journey of self discovery!