My Future

I know that this may be a bit premature, but I'm thinking that I might stay in Japan for longer than a year.  I already plan on staying through next September, which would put me at about 14.5 months which is already over a year, but I mean longer than that.  I haven't even been here three months* yet and I feel that I still have so much to do.  I'm just starting to meet people (although this process is longer and more difficult than I would like it to be) and just starting to be able to pick up small things in the language.  Assuming that things go well for the rest of my planned time I'm fully ready to make this an extended stay in Japan.  The only thing is that this is a slightly sudden revelation and no one but me knows this decision.  I have a feeling that I'll be disappointing a lot of people once this fully comes out, but I'm finally at a point where I have the base for what I want: every day to be an adventure (for better or worse).  I'm pretty excited/happy that I made a decision even though it could change over the coming months

To kind of throw this in with the main idea of my post, I have been more aware of people staring at me now.  Surprisingly the worst was when I was on the train, in Osaka City no less, and roughly ten people, most of them around my age, stared at me.  Other than being not-Japanese I didn't do anything to make them stare at me.  I didn't do anything rude, I don't dress strange, just me not being the same I guess was enough.  The only thing is that being in Osaka you would expect people to not care about another foreigner, especially when it's the younger generation who is generally more open and used to different cultures.  None of the stares were mean or glares, but my point stands nonetheless.

*My three month anniversary in Japan is coming up on the 19th of this month.  While it may not seem like a long time and not an important date, it is to me.  Three months, or ninety days, is the longest you can be in Japan being legally needing a visa.  I guess that the milestone helps justify my time here (not like I needed a reason).  It's pretty cool to me since I did not move growing up, so I really only had where I grew up and college as extended stay locations (in this case more than two months at once).

Sick and Sightseeing

For the past seven days I have been battling and recovering from a cold.  I spent the whole weekend in bed and got to enjoy all of the normal downs of being sick: fever, cough, aches, vivid dreams, and a raspy voice.  Lucky for me it didn't get so bad that I needed to go to the hospital or a doctor because that would have been problematic for me.  I think that I should probably figure out what I would do if I ever got to that point.  Thankfully I am getting better, although I am not 100% yet.

I am looking forward to the fall weather and activities.  I hope that I can get enough sightseeign in before it gets too cold and before the leaves all turn  brown and fall from the trees.  I'm hoping to make it out to either Kyoto or Nara some weekend.  I am also excited to see an Osaka Evessa game (basketball) since I can see one for as little as 800 yen.

I am starting to really get a hang of how things work around here on a deeper level and I am slowly (emphasis on slowly) learning Japanese.