The Search for Food, the Gathering of Essentials

I should preface this post with an explanation regarding my adaptability to new places. After one visit somewhere, I immediately remember how to get there and where everything is. My first night went smoothly, except for the very uncomfortable pillow I was provided with. The average pillow in Japan is not like those in Britain. I barely slept on the flight, so I countered potential jet lag by going to sleep very early. My tiredness also negated the pillow's lack of comfort. My second day began with meeting my 'tutor', a student assigned to me who was Japanese or at least fluent in the language. Upon meeting, we discussed the various procedures I would have to do such as registering at city hall, getting a health insurance card and opening a bank account. Breakfast followed and it was my first experience of the Japanese version of 'curry'. Hailing from Birmingham, I live in the geometrical nightmare that constitutes the city. Part of which is the Balti Triangle, an area famous for curry which I am fond of. Japanese curry is very different. It is sweeter and the main components are the curry sauce and the rice. In England, the curry revolves around the meat, be it chicken, beef or something else. I digress, the curry was delicious and this was followed by a visit to the safety net of Japan, the beacon to all, the convenience store. Here you can obtain nearly everything, from coffee and magazines, to cheeseburgers and toiletries. If there was only one shop you could survive with, it would be the convenience store. They sell relatively fresh pastries and meat, can accept health insurance payments and with their own microwave, can heat up a plethora of meals, from pasta to the aforementioned cheeseburger. While I may be singing it's praises and feel relief when I see one in the middle of nowhere, it is not without faults, chiefest of which is the price tag. Often they seem reasonable, but if you are looking for fresh fruit and vegetables or buying daily essentials, you would be better served by a supermarket. This is what I shall soon be visiting. Upon having a somewhat paltry lunch of sandwiches and orange juice, I was ready to enter Tsukuba center itself. I was to meet my companions at the nearby bus stop and journey there. At the time I did not know how simple the system was, partly due to my lack of kanji knowledge and my still active deer-in-headlights mode. From my room, there is one bus I can ride on. However, due to the nature of the geography of the campus, the university created a loop line, going around the entire campus with a terminus at the city center. For each bus stop, there is another opposite, so that you can travel clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on your destination. It was somewhat serendipitous that my nearest bus stop was on the northern most tip of the loop, meaning that either direction would take me anywhere. For example, both buses would take me to the city center in approximately the same time. Or if I wanted to go to the library. I could go in either direction and still cut across into the campus.

    So, after that tangential rambling, I meet my companions at the bus stop. By now the sun had gone down, further hindering my ability to understand where I was going. Following my tutor through tunnels of shops, I found the fabled 100 yen shop. It is similar to the various equivalent stores around the world such as Poundland in the UK, yet often there are better quality goods available such as cutlery and stationery, of which I bought many. We then went to a supermarket. Before visiting this place I was feeling apprehensive about a potential lack of Western food. I will not go into insipid detail here, but the supermarket was a lifeline. It has very affordable prices and a wide array of both Western and Japanese food. I had no intention to advertise or promote this establishment, but it is suitable for an international student. Following this, we went to a restaurant where I had my first taste of Katsu, a dish I would grow to love and subsequently buy from the supermarket each week. While at the restaurant, we planned for the next day which involved going to the bank to open an account and going to city hall to activate my residence.

    Everything still felt surreal, like I was on a holiday. It wouldn't be until lectures began that I would feel like it was yet another year at university and the start of them loomed over me, ominously.