First Day

Yesterday was the first day of work. We got our base passes so now we can come and go as we please. Attained some floor plan drawings, our cohorts got their rental vehicles and practiced driving on the left side. I have to resist saying wrong, because here it's not-but when you say right side, it is not only literally true, but-in my mind-the only way to go. :) Glad I am not driving. The cohorts from the other company are really nice. I think we will get along just fine. DL seems withdrawn much of the time-I think he is uncomfortable that everyone speaks "proper english". So far he latched onto the filipinas working at Burger King, the food court, and one of the housekeepers. He is OK sometimes, but I wish he would speak up more-especially when it comes to work-as he has more experience in sampling than I. Ah well.

Last night we had dinner with all the other company's folks. They drove off-base to a sake factory. They assured me another 1st time Japan visitor that there were Japanese choices available. Well-they served italian food. Of course, you have your uni and tomato cream sauce pasta, but that's about as "Japanese" as the menu got. However, the place is a 400 year old sake factory and microbrewery. The facility was nice. I wish it had been daylight, as the cherry blossom trees in the courtyard still had blossoms! Anyhow, I ate a salmon and rapeseed blossom pizza. The salmon on the pizza was actually aweseome-it was pacific salmon belly! Yummy! Rapeseed blossoms? well as far as I could tell its the mystery green stalks in korean soups. It was tasty, but J, the other gal who is in Japan for the first time, and I were disappointed that it wasn't more "japanese" Slightly. We shared their seasonal sake-and it was delicious. It tasted how you would imagine the cherry blossoms would smell. Light, crisp, sweet. Oh yuck-listen to me. It was good, and I needed a drink.

Tonight I hope to possibly meet up with out coworker here and eat maybe at okonomiyaki. He grew up in Fussa, and I think can take us to a less haole place. I withdrew yen from the atm here, but didn't get to use it yet-so maybe today.

What is weird is seeing the Japanese in a new light. Previously they were only awkward tourists. Here they are regular people making livings. Construction workers, cops, waiters. It is strange to be somewhere and be the non-native speaking tourist. However, it is true so far-the Japanese are the most respectful and polite people.