Deep thoughts and Big Girl Panties

With my stomach a mess since last Thursday I've been a bit lazy and super, super unmotivated. Wyatt's at school and I've been left to my own devices.....which in hind site as I'm thinking, has involved me laying myself out on my kitchen floor for extended amounts of time. I'm not in a good way people.
Yesterday, despite my stomach and despite myself,  I decided it was time to don the Big Girl Panties. One can only wallow for so long. SO... outfitted in my Big Girl "Drawers" I put on my exercise clothes prior to shuffling Wyatt out the door for school. I've been doing this just about every morning, and it has actually been my singular motivator for doing something each day.
Today, still not wanting to overdo my shaky disaster of a stomach,  I decided to take a long walk along the river. It's just amazing. It's hard to wallow when you're walking and what a fabulous way to see the city you're living in while not getting lost. I mean even I can do it. I walked one side of the river and then coming home walked the other side. Bam. Five miles. As is the norm during my time of exercise, I do a lot of thinking, writing and talking to myself. World Peace is essentially solved within the hour.  The conversation and thoughts whirring in my head were not new....just recycled, mostly all having to do with the stark differences between Taiwan and Japan. The first? Birds. Big Freaking Birds. They're huge and they're out to get me . I hate them for it. Today they had me me cornered and in a sweat, walking and talking to each other like grown men, smack in the middle of the bike/walking path. I decided the best thing to do was not to look them directly in their eyes....or they'd surely poke them out.

While I've only been here a short period of time, it just appears to me as if things are very orderly and precise. If it's 10:00 at night and there is nary a car on the road and the crosswalk is screaming at you not to move a muscle, you don't go..period. Apparently it's only the real bad asses who disobey crosswalk signs. I'm pleading the fifth on this one.....but um...I'm sure I'll fit in just fine.......?!

OK. So not the best example. One more for reference, Will and I were at Costco and there were two escalators. Everyone was going to the one the right, leaving one fully functional escalator empty. Naturally, Will and I went on the empty one, and then people followed shortly thereafter...but there seems to be hesitation to "break out." I learned a lot more about Japanese culture within our intercultural training and it was absolutely fascinating. While there appears to be the "group think" mentality, the reasoning and cultural decision making process as to why things are done a particular way, carries far more significance then we can fathom and cannot be taken at sheer face value.

Taiwan on the other hand, from my experience is an open, effusive culture. The open markets, the lively chatter, the lovely Taiwanese who knew a bit of English and still felt comfortable enough approaching me and engaging me within conversation....Taiwan many days felt like a warm embrace.
Japan, as I mentioned earlier is a bit more reserved-perhaps more of a hearty handshake...or a deep bow... until they feel more comfortable to gravitate into that embrace. I feel myself smiling more to force others to smile back at me. Yet, in fairness, there were a couple occasions when I've appeared near tears on the street staring blankly at my stupid google map and I've been approached to see if I need help. Japan is playing with my frail emotions. Ultimately though, I can't just sit on my haunches here. I need to get out there. If I need help? I need to seek out answers. There is no community center here. There are a lot less organized groups. I need to make an effort! Thank God I've got these Big Girl Panties on. *GAH-(My first day of volunteering is tomorrow......we shall see how that goes!)

Like Taiwan, Hiroshima is packed full of history and culture. It's completely a surreal experience.

How many people can walk by the A-Bomb dome or take a run at night past the lit up Hiroshima Castle? I'm certainly not taking those moments for granted by any means. 

Other little things I saw on my walk:

I'm not sure what type of business this was- it didn't appear to be a school- but their outdoor gardens and climbing flowers were just beautiful.

Like Taiwan, the older generation stays active and appears to lead healthy social lives.

I just thought this was cool because I'm a dork. It's a bus wash. I presume that all the busses go through this upon returning from their runs? Who knows. Cool nonetheless.

I've got this.  At least for today.