Culture Shock redux

Even after living in Japan for seven and a half years or so, little things can still surprise me. Sort of a culture aftershock, maybe? These little things are very different from the things that caused culture shock back when I first came, though.

Like spending an hour in conversation (in Japanese) with about ten people in a coffee shop, without a net (i.e. sans dictionary).

And after that, stopping at a bookstore on the way home to pick up the latest issue of アフタヌーン and reading through this month's chapter of ああっ女神さまっ (Ah! My Goddess), again without dictionary. (I'm gonna have to go through it again with the dictionary in hand, just to check, though.)

And, while at the bookstore, seeing at least four different collections of the speeches of Barack Obama, one or two with a CD, one with DVD, made for the purpose of helping people study English. (I've seen at least two or three different translations of "Yes We Can." 私たちは出来る？　我々は出来るはと?)

This isn't the first time all that "sans dictionary" stuff has happened to me before...but it's been a while since I've had opportunity to try, what with working nights and all. I'm pretty glad I can still do it, though I've gotten a little rusty. Alas, time to hit the books again.

The Future

Andy Dufresne: "You need it so you don't forget."
Red: "Forget?"
Andy: "Forget that... there are places in this world that aren't made out of stone. That there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours."
Red: "What're you talking about?"
Andy: "Hope."

Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.