Today makes one month that I have been in Okinawa. The time has gone fast, yet at the same time the memories of the summer apart are already fading. Although we are still learning how to make a home together, I've almost forgotten the long separation.
For the first week and a half I was here, we lived in the Hansen Christian Center. It looks like a house that is used as a ministry center. During the week, it is mostly empty with the only current planned event being on Friday nights. It was a good transitional place for us to live, as the upstairs is an apartment and the downstairs had a fully equipped kitchen. It was much better than living in a hotel, as we had planned before this was an option.
Since my flight was delayed, we arrived from the airport just a few hours before the Friday night meeting. We were able to spend a little time alone before people started arriving. Just being in the same room was amazing. When everyone showed up for the meeting (a dinner and Bible study of sorts), I was rapidly introduced to a lot of people, most of whom knew I was coming and were eager to meet me. Though I almost immediately forgot everyone's name in the rush, I now know the group well. Though the Friday night meetings are not part of our regular routine now, the group that attends is the central circle of most of the activities we are involved in.
From then on, things have been a rush of busyness and precious time together. I took the Newcomers' Orientation and got my Japanese driver's license a few days later, and in Okinawan style, ran six red lights within a week. The people drive like big city drivers, so you are expected to run some red lights, cut people off, and drive around turning vehicles. Motorcycles do whatever they want, and you just have to do your best to avoid hitting them when they zip around you. Learning to drive on the other side of the road and using an speedometer in kilometers wasn't hard. Navigating is the tricky part, as the roads aren't really named, or else are in Japanese. Only the main highways are marked in English. Even the GPS can get confused.
Once our government furniture was delivered, we moved in to our apartment. We are on the fifth floor of a building that was originally a sort of resort that was later converted. After the conversion, the restaurant in the basement remained, giving off a tantalizing aroma at mealtime. From our deck, we have an amazing ocean view and accompanying breeze. Although it doesn't sound like much, ~800 square feet is more than enough for us. We barely touch the living room, but will be glad of it when we entertain. But since it is mostly just the two of us, the space is plenty. Little by little, we have been converting it into our own. (Shout out to everyone who gave us money in lieu of bridal shower and wedding presents. Soon I'll post pictures of how your gifts were used!)
While I still have a lot to learn and explore about the island, I am comfortable in the sphere I'm in. I'm running the sound board at chapel, and tag along to work with Nathan frequently. We started decorating the chapels for Christmas today, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Christmas is even close. I am aware of the passing of time, but since I don't have a cell phone or a calendar to look at, I am surprised at the passing of days. The idea of living in one place for three years is still a little hard to grasp for us, but so far, we are enjoying getting to settle into a place we can call our own.
No comments:
Post a Comment