the end of an era...

Okay, so maybe i'm being a little overdramatic, given that I counted the end of blueberry gingerbread ice-cream at Baskin Robbins as the end of an era, but this time it feels different. More era-y.
Just yesterday, while sitting at my desk, I hear someone shout "Mr Narin-san" and turn to find the principal of my junior high school presenting me with my new contract for my second year. It has now officially been one year since I had my last Gloria Jeans coffee at the airport, and said goodbye to everything in Melbourne.

It's the weirdest feeling, since this year has gone so fast, and yet, at the same time, it feels like a lot has changed as well. It still feels like just last week I was introduced to Motosu in Gifu, and was counting down the days to see my first week pass in Japan. And at the same time, I've forgotten that sense of wonderment at everything Japan. I can't even remember when I stopped thinking it was weird that our local mall employs uniformed guys to direct traffic in the parking lots, which most of the time just involves them bowing and telling you to go straight down a one-way street.

But now, after receiving my new contract, and saying goodbye to my friends who are heading back home, it's kinda hard to be in denial of this year being over. What's this new era going to be like? the distinction between years seems so noticeable, as opposed to being back home, since there's such obvious changes in people and stuff between one year and the next. It's kinda like a TV show, and it's the end of season one, and season two sees the departure of some main characters, and the introduction of new ones as well. Will this season be better than the first? Or will the departure of some of the characters mean the show has jumped the shark? Eeeshk. This must totally count as an end of an era.

edamame

Eeeeshk! Almost one year has passed since I left my life in Melbourne for new and mysterious place that was once Gifu. It's scary thinking how quickly time has passed, and how everything that was once weird seems totally normal. I don't even take a second glance at the traffic-directing man at the shopping mall, whose sole job is to direct people down a straight one way street anymore, or even think twice about the Motosu theme song that plays through the city-wide speakers in a North Korean-propogandalike fashion. sigh.

But, there are tiny moments and tiny discoveries like this that make me happy about my decision to stay in Japan for another year.


Sure, this looks like just another, ordinary plastic-looking keychain resembling edamame, a common Japanese beer accompaniment or snack, right?

That is, until, when you squish the soybean pod (as you would normally when eating it to get the beans into your mouth) and three little bean pop out, before going back in as soon as you stop squeezing it. What's even cooler, is that the middle bean has one of 27 different random faces on it, so even if you get more than two the odds are you won't get the same face.

Is it necessary?
Not really.

Is it kind pointless?
A little.

It is the best 630 yen I've spent?
Hell yeah!