I've been in Okinawa, Japan for one week now. The first evening of my stay, I was greeted by two good friends and a midnight chat on my new balcony with local Orion beer, some wine, two cockroaches, and an enormous fruit bat. Tonight there was another chat on the balcony, a few more buggy friends, and a very large flying mammal, but I was able to fit a few things in over the last seven days, which include, but are not limited to:

-Meeting the President and Vice President of the Okisho school, and accidentally maybe crossing them.
-Hanging out with an old friend for the first time on her home turf.
-Going to the local dojo for a karate lesson, and making very good friends out of the sensei and a student.
-Registering as an alien and obtaining a foreign bank account.
-Having Orion and sushi with one of my supervisors and my friend.
-Visiting the World Heritage Shikinaen Royal Garden.
-Buying a bike and snorkel gear in a single visit to the sporting goods store.
-Riding said bike ten miles, from Naha City (my new home) to the southern tip of Okinawa (the location of the Quasi-National Park at Odo Beach), to use said snorkeling gear, swimsuit, and relativley unsunned skin. My friends, Paul and Mary, who have been here for a month already, have been wonderful fun and help.
-Watching local community men practice the art of hatagishira for the city festival this weekend.
-Throwing my first pot in almost two years on tsuboya street.
-Getting my drum on...rehearsal for said city festival.
-Oh, and learning how to teach, teaching, desk sitting, work conversing, and everything else that falls under the art of working in Japan's education system. I've even had one student approach me to tutor her/help her practice her English speaking skills (highly unusual for the generally painfully shy student population).



I was offered this position two months ago. I just received my visa a week and a half ago. I had my hesitations and personal ideals about what I would do abroad and when I would go, but from the looks of it, all will be well.
So what will happen next?