long time no blog

So, I have written a ton of things in my head and none of it has made it to this blog. Last I wrote, I don’t even remember (explained later). But it was before I moved, before Orientation for new Fukuoka JETs, before California, before I got into the madness of my new life here.

I don’t have internet in my apartment. I went to get it set up, but patiently avoided signing-up because I wanted to take my time. Then, I went back, with the necessary stuff… but I didn’t have a day-off during the week during which the company could come out and “check” my apartment. To make sure that there gear is compatible with my set-up. Funny note is that it only takes 10 minutes for this check. Follow-up funny note is that the guy who lived in my apartment before me had the same company for 18 months. To me, the details explain the silliness of the situation, but formalities are formalities… and that is the Japanese way and that is ok… and that is ok with me!

So, instead of walking out of Yamada Denki with the internet set-up, I smiled as I walked down the stairs… internet-less. I am going to give it a shot. One year without the internet. If it gets too painful or I am too disconnected, then I will sign-up with an expensive plan that requires no check or any major issues. But, I think I can do it. I can use my friend’s account from time to time, but I can take the time at home to think about what I am going to say, say it, save it, change it, edit and perfect it… so by the time I get to work, I can simply press send. I have wasted a lot of precious time surfing/researching/putzing but my time is up. I have been a lot more intense and present without it. It means no Skype… unless I get a special time that my friends’ give me. But, it is the way that I have to do for now.

Please excuse the lack of blogs… I am writing and thinking and moving and moving and traveling and moving and going, but I am focused on living here and now, instead of into the machine for the future and the later. No more dwelling about the past by finding out about friends or deals that I missed on flights. Only responding to what I have right now. This post totally went the wrong way… per usual!

My new life is kicking ass. Mine and everything else around here. I love my new job. I love the intense environment. Deadlines, priorities, thinking weeks in advance. It is pretty fun. A lot of preparation and work and no one will ever know how much I did to make meetings, presentations, events happen. And… I don’t care. Because I have to be onto the next project. There isn’t any time for me to earn the credit that I am used to hearing… I am too busy for that. At times it seems empty that I am working so hard and no one sees it. But it’s ok… (I can praise myself on my blog!)… But it’s completely new to me. To work and work and go and go and spend each second perfecting the projects that won’t even happen until I am two projects past. Case in point:

“David, I think your meeting on Monday will be fun. Are you ready for it?”
“Meeting? What meeti…? Oh yeah, that one. Yeah it was great.”
“It hasn’t even happened yet, what are you talking about?”
“Oh, I planned it already, so it will happen and that will be that. I have to figure out the logistics of the November seminar…”

Something like that, from yesterday. I do care how things are in the moment… but I am going with the approach that if everything is planned to perfection ahead of time, then the day-of stuff just goes with the flow. Any issues that do arise can be handled to perfection also because there is the time and energy to deal with them. This time of writing is the day before the said meeting, but I am not worried about the meeting until the meeting starts. This blog post may change based on what happens though!

My apartment was rather full when I moved in. After back and forth, my predecessor left the apartment as he had it, simply without his stuff. I cannot judge another man’s lifestyle choices. I just know that I have different choices than he had. And, with the last two weekends organizing and cleaning and organizing and cleaning and cleaning and throwing things out… I am steps away from the perfect apartment. I tied up pieces of the Bowflex and threw them over my balcony. Those were damn heavy. But that sofa was a wild project… Ripping off the foot was a great feeling, eventually jammed through the sliding door and the final thrust over the balcony was a heavy, dirty, cumbersome weight being heaved off my shoulders- but that is all literally, right?!

I have some work to do and I have to wait until the next Thursday to get rid of the non-combustible trash… but the tatami guys will be here next week too and perhaps they can fix the floor in the one room. I reckon it will take a while for them to plan a time to come and fix it all… but maybe after the three month mark; all of this will be tidied up. And in perfect time for the middle of the fall, when things are getting cold. And I will be spending more time indoors… and it will be a haven of peace and comfort that I have had before.

So far I have had 14 days in a row of greatness. And I have been home for 14 of those days. And when I naturally roll “home” off my tongue and it refers to Japan, I know I have been here too long…

As I get stoked for another hard week at work, I am counting down the days until Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. A time for spiritual renewal. All of this is coming together at the same time for me and I can’t help but think this is not coincidence.

And on a physical note, this means Kobe city for a day, then back to Kurume to see some students at their Sports Festival in the morning, followed by an afternoon in Kurume at a friend’s wedding and a three-day excursion to hike in Kirishima. One day teaching the cops about English and then a day to catch up on the work that piles up whenever I’m not looking. And… lo and behold another weekend.

As I have to plan my days, weeks in advance, I have to write this blog anticipating that I won’t have the ability to post again in the near future. I reckon the details and even logistics will change, but I have to keep at it- slowly and patiently- otherwise there won’t be anything at all.

L’shana Tova… may we all be blessed and happy and strong this year.