Culture Shock!!

Culture Shock- a state of bewilderness and distress experienced by an individual in a sudden, strange, or foreign social and cultural environment.

From the moment we got off the plane the first time it hit me that I was in for an adjustment. The first few months were miserable! It took weeks to adjust to the time difference, driving on the wrong side of the road made be down right car sick for a few weeks. I couldn't read anything, understand anyone and I stood out like crazy with my blond curls and Gavin's blond hair as well. I remember getting our cell phone and the experience was so stressfull to me I just had to walk away and let Matt handle it. Usually I'm in charge of this like that but I just couldn't handle it. Trying to learn how to adjust my AC because it's all written in Japanese. Buying things with Yen...1000 yen = 9 USD. But wait, the exchange rate changes every few days so you never really know how much money you just spent. The other day I spent 10 minutes at the ATM trying to figure out how much Yen I needed to pay our road taxes. And road taxes... really? I have to pay you 19000 yen per car to drive on the road every year. I can't tell you the amount of times I've gotten turned around and lost driving on these roads.

This brings me to today. I was driving to Camp Kinser in Naha. It took me over an hour to find the place and I turned around more times then I can count. While driving I suddenly realized the culture shock is wearing off. I'm not completely freaked out because I don't know where I'm going. I no longer try to drive down the wrong side of the road or turn on my windshield wipers instead of my blinker. I don't even notice the beeping sound my car makes when I'm backing up. I'm no long scared of saying konnichi wa and arigato. I'm proud of myself when I remember to bow at someone. Buying things in yen is still confusing to me and I pray every time I go somewhere that they take cards so I don't have to think about it. I'm still a little intimidated by some of the shopping. But for the most part I'd say I'm getting there. I still don't love it here but I no longer hate it here.