6. Realizing I live in Japan now, and I'm okay with and excited about that. On the way home from work yesterday Campbell took me through a the market in Shin-Urayasu station and later I took a trip back to the Ito. Maybe it was because I wasn't quite as exhausted as the day before (though that's not really true) or maybe it was because I just was a bit more adjusted to seeing things in Japanese and figuring out pictures, but I felt more at ease with attempting to decipher the grocery. Not that I probably succeeded very well, but hey... I live in Japan now and haven't starved yet! I even managed to make a copy at 7-11, utilize the bank ATM, and trade in my train card for a Suica card (like SmartCard in DC), as well as call the internet company, ask for someone who speaks English, and set up an appointment to have them install my internet Sunday morning. So hopefully I'll be able to Skype soon! Even the city office where I applied for my Alien Registration Card, seeing the water (that looked like a painting), and the crazy humidity/rain all made it feel like home. And the little jaunt when we stopped with Atsuko-san for her lunch at a little bakery called Maman Daughter that was basically in the back of someone's home, the smells and sights overwhelmed and excited me. I wish I had gotten something tasty!
5. Having my own personal tour guide. Since I arrived in Japan early for the Summer Party show, the only other person going through "orientation" was Campbell, a singer who has done two contracts of BBB already. Practically a rockstar at Disney backstage, he kept seeing lots of old friends who were so surprised to see him, and I got a whole day of one-on-one hints about the gai-jin (foreigner) experience here in Japan. I met lots of new faces and learned little hints, had someone actually explain the convenience store and cafeteria to me in depth (so it was slightly less of a trial by fire), and when we got to any sort of uncomfortable translation situation, he was able to offer bits of translation as well as personal suggestions/cautions/warnings from his personal experience. We'll be spending a lot of time together through rehearsals as the only two who speak English so I am thankful for his years of expertise and hope we'll be good friends. We won't see each other much once we open the show, but I'm definitely thankful I have a friend and helper as nice as he.
4. Seeing backstage at TDR and Ikspiari for the first time. In general, most of backstage seems like a film lot, just lots of warehouse buildings, people milling around, buses, and little glimpses of the volcano or the castle at Disneyland or some of the parade floats to remind you where you are. But two times I turned into a kid all over again. when a Splash mountain boat was being transported on the back of a little Japanese truck, and when I saw the amazing old-fashioned limo/car that must be Mickey's car from the 1940's. I just turned into a little kid all over again. And whilst walking through the giant mall that is Ikspiari that we basically cross through to get to the cast member entrance, I just found myself in awe that the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood might as well be my daily walk-through. I'm just so overwhelmed by the monorail and the magic. I'm a part of that!
3. The supposedly super-short Japanese culture ~ So when I got here, I expected to be a giant among men, but I was pleasantly surprised by the height of the Japanese, especially the women. Maybe it's because the cast of HSM at MGR's ladies were all quite miniscule (love you, ladies!) but everyone is very similar in height to an average height American. That's not to say I'm not still very tall, but I'm merely a head above everyone else. M___-san explained to me yesterday that the elderly generation is much shorter than the younger folk. But, point proven, on our little bus jaunt back from the station, the center bus bar took out my sunglasses (that were on top of my head) like a kid shooting BB's at a glass bottle. Luckily they prevented me from getting a nice big bump, but I find myself having to specifically DUCK on both the bus and the train to avoid hitting all the door frames, bars, and hanging handles. Guess it's just a new thing to get used to. Heck, I sometimes hit my head on the old W or R trains back home!
2. The ID office ~ When we went to get our TDR ID's after lunch, two things happened to me that really caught my emotions by surprise and were the two internally overwhelming moments of the day. First, as we walked in with M___, our interpreter, they non-English speaking me directed me to sit in the chair. As they called me over, they addressed me in the formal Japanese way as Christopher-san. Well, it was the first time it happened, and frankly, I don't know why, but I just loved it. Maybe it's like Mr. Christopher. It just made me feel welcome and part of the culture and special. The second moment was one of those moments that catches you off-guard in life, leaving you a bit breathless but just full of .... something. I don't know if it's love or memory or what, but it's like these fumes just waft up from your secret well of emotion that you didn't mean to uncover, but it shocks you for a mere moment of eternity. Basically, one of the men working at the copy machine somehow looked or did something that was like one of those flashing arrow signs in Vegas... it just pointed right to my dad in my heart. And it made me feel so comforted to see my father in a Japanese man in the security office. It just felt like the universe saying, yup... he's right here with you and he thinks this is awesome. So thanks, Dad. I think you'd be pretty stoked to come see me here if you could. And I wish it so...
1. The Japanese/English partnership at work: From the talent office staff who will always handle my affairs (since they speak so much English) to the people who are there to interpret and explain and ask questions for us when we deal with those who speak less English (like Kioko-san (which made me miss my Bestie!) who handled our insurance and the production manager for Summer Party) to the 85 ladies in my costume fitting, everyone has been so welcoming and generous and excited to see us, that I can't wait to get to work today! The costume fitting was one of the most interesting ever. They pretty much didn't believe I really am this skinny/my legs are really that long/my feet are actually that small. Ha! At one point they were so nervous to ask if I would mind wearing my own jeans and relinquishing them to the costumers for the Cowboy section of our show since jeans would be majorly difficult to buy for me in Japan, that I think there were shocked when I said of course I don't mind and yes. It turns out they changed their mind and had bought me a pair (that fit very well and were only slightly too short) that will go inside the cowboy boots anyway, but they were so wonderful and kind and sweet, even when lost in translation. I'm not quite used to the experience of fully underdressing tights and a leotard as your "skins", but as Campbell pointed out, it makes for easier quick changes. And hey, now everyone gets to see that I look like a crazy busted gymnast! HA! It was also fun to have people poking and fixing you, not understanding (but having a pretty good idea of) what was working and not working or what they were giggling about, but also relishing the care and precision and fit with which they were fitting me. Seriously, best fitting ever.
Needless to say, those were merely the best things about a pretty fantastic day. I don't think I've ever gotten as much paperwork in my life, or been directed to sign so many forms I didn't understand before. I did feel rather unprepared for rehearsal today, so I came home and studied while I ate dinner, but was literally sitting at my computer falling asleep. It's really not all that surprising when you consider I had basically been up since 4 AM and hadn't gotten a good night's rest in 48 hours. So I passed out shortly after 9 PM (I mean, when was the last time I went to bed at 9 PM?) and wasn't too thrilled when I woke up at 3:30 AM, but I finally passed out about 45 minutes later and slept till right before my alarm went off at 9 AM. Guess I needed some sleep, huh?
And Campbell and I are quite thrilled because we only rehearse from 1 to 6 today and will be home in time for the apparent madness that is the city's fireworks display from 7:30 to 8:30!!! YAY! (they can do fireworks early here because they don't have DST and it's dark by 7;30!). I'm literally so excited for MORE fireworks over the water and my first crazy crowded Japanese experience, not to mention the wonderful reputation of fireworks here!
So here goes day 3! Time to sing the whole show!
