Riding the Seesaw....again

9:31am

Fried rice and scrambled eggs (made by Aya)

Coffee

Living abroad is, in my distorted little mind, like riding a seesaw.

You push off and go up. If it is a big seesaw (akin to living really far away from home, like in Japan) the trip up is exhilarating.

Then gravity (and the person sitting on the other end) takes control, your stomach begins a quick slide into your socks and you hit bottom, sometimes with enough force to bruise your tailbone...and your pride.

At times the trip between exhilaration and hitting bottom is a slow ride; other times it is whip-fast, giving you no time to process where you are.

Living abroad is amazingly akin to a seesaw ride.

There are exhilarating highs: exploring hidden nooks in shady temples, finding treats and treasures in shops large and small. Against all odds, being understood speaking a language that is not your own.

And there are ego-crushing lows. Getting lost. Not being able to read even the most basic words on street signs, on packaging. Not being able to understand simple instructions or commands. Seeing that unavoidable look of frustration and embarrassment flash across the face of the person in front of you before they tuck it away and replace it with a pleasant mask and renew their efforts to express themselves in English.

The lows are humbling, healthfully-so I believe. I can't sit on my graduate school laurels or 20 years of teaching experience when I can't even tell the difference between salt and sugar, or read the bus stop sign.

This being my 3rd trip to Japan, my 3rd time on this seesaw, things are infinitely easier now than they were back in 1995, when we first got off the airplane in Nagoya. I can navigate buses and trains. I seldom get truly lost. And yes, I do know the difference between salt and sugar. My Japanese language skills are a far cry from Dr. Bob's (Mr "I've-never-met-a-language-I-didn't-like"). However, I can usually hold my own. And the longer I am here, the more I remember and pick up.

Nevertheless, I am back on the seesaw. Up and down. Up and down.

Until next time....