November 3, 2006- Friday
Ok....This one's for Julie....you said how my last blog made you laugh...well, that has nothing on this one....I have one word for you...SARDINES!!! I think I'm spelling it right...like the fish....here's a notice, "Travelers beware, if you go to Japan, DO NOT get on the Tokaido line at rush hour, morning, or evening, or late at night, early morning 11pm-12:25am)....You WILL be packed in a subway car like what? Like SARDINES!!! Here's my story..,

So I go out to the Salsa place in Roppongi for the free lesson, and I remember laughing to myself and thanking Jesus that I had got off the train just in time because I saw people after me packed into the subway cars like, yes you guessed it, SARDINES....one lady litterally had her face smushed against the window...I'm not exaggerating...I will take a picture next time I see that and send it through email. I just looked at her and had to laugh, but it was also sad at the same time...I was like, "God forgive me, but that is ridiculous." Anyway, fast forward...the place in Roppongi was really nice, just crowded...there were a lot of Americans on the streets, and surprisingly, Nigerians. There are a lot of Nigerians here period.

Anyway, fast forward some more....so, I'm on my way home, and thus far the commute is fine....but I knew it was going to be long...so, as I was saying, the commute is fine, until I have to get on the Tokaido line....man, I got on the train and, I was not a happy camper....the train is crazy packed and it's 12:00am in the morning...we were like, yes, SARDINES, so I get on and everyone is pushing, and I get fed up and yell, "Hey, I can't move anymore!" Most folks probably didn't understand me, and if they did, they didn't care, because just when I said that, the guy who had his back side toward me, started moving my way, butt first...yes, he was backing up into me, and everyone was backing up cause people were still trying to get on the train....so I wasn't very Christlike, and I yell, "What the HELL!!!" and this is ridiculous, I'm talking elbows in faces....breasts, on chests, everything, there was no such thing as personal space...NO SUCH THING!!!!!!!! A few folks laughed, and one person looked at me and said, "I know!!!" At last someone felt my pain. Now, here's the kicker, there are like 200 people in one subway car, those from NY can understand what that would be like, so there's crazy people in this subway car and people are yes, STILL TRYING TO GET ON! So the guys who were by the door were like pushing people off and laughing about it...I just had to laugh...I was like yall are seriously off da chain...so then the door shuts, and the guy who was backing up into me was still trying to back up more, so I started backing up too....I was thinking to myself...Hey I got much, much, much more back than you, so two can play that game....I know, I was wrong, I was crazy frustrated....Lord I need a fellowship of believers so I don't wile out...

On another note, the missionary I was supposed to meet at Starbucks today was a no show....I will try and make contact with him tommorow....I need to go to bed now, so I hope whomever reads this can make a mental picture of what happened today....until my next blog.....

Sunday, October 30, 2006-
-Okay....I have to write this before it becomes an afterthought, but somehow I don't think that it could ever be an afterthought because it's soooo funny...to me at least. Well, here goes, ya know how in America we have road rage? Well, here in Japan, they have walk rage....I mean its off da chain, really. They are the most polite people, and somewhat shy, at least the ones I've encountered, but when people are walking through the train stations, Oh you betta watch out. I think all of their anxieties are taken out in the train stations....it's 10 times worse than NY. I'm talkin' grandmothers to little girls, and it's dog eat dog, everybody for self. You may get bumped 50 times but because everyone's getting bumped, no one says excuse me or (summimasen)....now, that doesn't happen in the NY either, however, if you're bumped really hard, you'll say something...here it's business as usual. Also, on the trains in NY, some men may let you sit down, the whole ladies first thing, but here, forget it...priority seating is given to the elderly, pregnant women, the injured, and women with very small children, but I haven't seen too many people follow that....as soon as a seat opens, someone runs for that seat....usually a businessman.

-On another note, Thursday, I'm going to Roppongi to a Salsa place where they give free lessons...one of the guys from my branch and my training buddies are going....right now it's 7 something in the evening and I'm tired....I found a missionary through a website that has a church here in Chigasaki...his name is Kevin...I emailed him to get some information about the church...He emailed me back but didn't give me the exact location in town....he said that the services are in Japanese, but most people there are fluent in english as well as the Pastor, who was at Azusa, and they could translate at anytime...he also said that they have a Christian coffee shop in Hiratsuka, which is where I was originally supposed to be; just the next town over.

-Work has been easier than I thought it would be. I was a ball of nerves the first day, the second day was a little better, and today, which is my third day has been the best day thus far teaching...I'm much more comfortable with the students.