カナダに帰ってきた and 岩手県?マジで!!!

Arrived back in Canada late (1am) last night after our flight's takeoff was delayed by about six hours. Since bus, train, and TTC service had stopped, I spent the night at Chris's house in Markham (thanks to the Charlton family) and partook of Chef Boyardee. This morning (Friday the 20th), I embarked upon the Markham GO train to Union Station and began my journey back to the Falls. I smugly compared the GO train, with its meandering pace and hornblowing to warn passers-by of its arrival, to an early twentieth-century car. Certainly not like the wonderful trains I am used to in Japan.

Speaking of which, I have been placed.

In Iwate.

In a town called Ichinoseki(一関).

Quite possibly as far from Aichi, my friends, my teachers, as I can get. My promises of "Don't worry, see you in two months!" are now null and void.

Sigh. I know I do this to myself - volunteer to do the work nobody else wants to do, go to the places nobody else wants to go, for the sake of niceness and helpfulness - but I didn't expect this. The poorest, most sparsely populated prefecture in Japan ... and I thought Seto was bad. At least Seto had Shinanodai Elementary School, with its jovial principal Katou, and my adorable princess Saori. Nagoya was right next door, with Megumi and Nut nearby for my days off.

Well, it's time to prepare and get ready to go to Iwate. Undoubtedly I will learn to like it. I just hope that happens soon.