Tokyo to Mission Control...

Tokyo to mission control… This is Ajay Mittal, and I am writing to let you know that I have landed safely and begun to settle in the land of the rising sun, also known as日本, Nippon, or JAPAN! I have now lived in Japan for nearly month… Wait, begun to settle? Yes, believe it or not, I still have not fully “settled” in Japan. I believe that is why I still have not written back to my “mission control” with a full report of my experiences. Being caught up a whirlwind tremendous physical, social, and emotional life changes, I still have not sat down, caught my breath, and reflected.
About a week ago I picked up my “Alien Registration Card” from the Shibuya City Office in central Tokyo. And yes, it is aptly named: I am alien, now registered on this foreign planet. I have never felt like such an alien in my life.
• Firstly, I speak an “alien language” and communicating with the Japanese has been challenge. Surprisingly, despite the government mandate for at least 7 years of English education for all citizens, very few people speak the language well. The other day I skyped with Dhruv, my 13 year-old cousin in India, and he spoke better English than 95% of the Japanese population. As a result, simple tasks from ordering food, buying groceries, and greeting people have been an endeavor.
• Secondly, I know an Alien Culture. With an Irish mother and an Indian father, I can safely say that I am a multi-cultural person. I was born in the state of California in the country of America, where diversity reigns and countless cultures and peoples interact each day. I have been fortunate enough to travel around the world and observe the way different humans approach the world and create meaning for it. And yet still, I have never seen anything like the Japanese culture. It is an unwritten encyclopedia of manners, traditions, values, and beliefs that are remarkably organized, complex, and puzzling. Before landing in Japan, I read several books about the Japanese culture and customs. These books assigned a formula to the “Japanese Way,” with assertions like: the Japanese will always adamantly deny any compliment you give them, the Japanese will never blow their nose in public, the Japanese will point their chopsticks at someone else... (the list goes on). And to be honest, these observations were correct. Through all my time spent with Japanese people (young and old) no one has ever taken a compliment without denying it. I have never seen a culture where such formulaic illustrations can be applied and then subsequently witnessed. However, these strictly and universally followed cultural intricacies are grounded in profound virtues. For example, the Japanese will never talk too loud or blow their nose in public because it places an imposition on people around them. In addition, the Japanese will deny a complement, because simply accepting one would be arrogant. By denying a complement, the individual expresses humility and reaffirms the belief that perfection is a journey not a destination. These are just small examples of the Japanese way-of-life. I could go on about all my observations and interactions with the culture (but I wont). I am still learning about this amazing culture and will continue to write and share more about what I experience. Regardless, the extensiveness and complexity of the culture brings much more anxiety into my daily life. I am always asking myself “I am offending anyone?” “Should I not be doing this?”… I have to remind myself to never bring my bento onto the train and to always say “sumimasen” or “excuse me” before speaking to anyone and to never pour my own drink…
• And lastly, the most apparent element of my “alien-ness,” my looks! In America we boast a rainbow of ethnicities and cultures. Walking down the street in Los Angeles one will surely pass someone with Mexican descent, African descent, European descent, Middle Eastern descent, and Asian descent. Yet in Japan, this is not the case. Everyone is, yes you’ve guessed right, Japanese! When walking down the doori (or street) in Japan, I am that 1 in 1000 person that is not Japanese. The person who looks so different, so peculiar, so alien, so gaijin! The word “Gaijin” is the Japanese word for foreigner (now considered politically incorrect), literally meaning “outsider.” One of the most difficult changes I have experienced in the last month is this cloud of distinct outsider alien-ness that hangs above me. It has been both a gift and a curse. The best way I can describe my experience in Japan would be this: imagine yourself in a large bustling city, passing along the boulevard with underwear on your head. Everyone will surely stare at you with curiosity and bewilderment. Some will look at you with utter disgust and scorn (usually older men). And others will look at you with excitement, interest, and even awe (usually the younger Japanese, and fortunately often the young women!).
So there you have it, I am no longer just Ajay…. I am ALIEN Ajay. The foundation of my social framework and understanding has completely collapsed, and I struggling to “settle” into a new one. However, this transformation has been remarkably rewarding and liberating. I have learned so much about my life, my identity, and humanity at large.
I apologize for droning on and on. Needless to say I have a lot to talk about, particularly because I failed to write home for a whole month! From now on this will end, I plan on keeping a blog (thethoughtforfood.blogspot.com) and uploading my photos onto flickr often. Also, I have a skype account that I am often using (name: ajeezmittal).
Believe it or not I have just begun to share my life in Tokyo. I want to show you all pictures and tell you experiences with the many aspects of my life: my home, my adventures, my observations, my friends, my university, my classes, etc. etc. In the next e-mail, I have included a brief outline of what I have done in Japan. I plan to go into more depth with posts on my blog (with pictures included). Along with this “Tokyo to Mission Control” connection that I have finally established, I want to keep updated on the lives of all my loved ones. Please send me e-mails with updates on your lives. Recently I learned that one of my best friends from Santa Clara was in a car accident. He hit his head quite hard and is currently in the ICU. Although he is in stable condition and the MRI looks promising, there is a possibility he will suffer from brain damage. This news was devastating and shocking for me. It made me so scared about the safety of all of my loved ones. Being this far makes it even worse. Please be safe and take care of the precious lives we have. I promise to do the same here in Japan. I love you all and miss you and think of you constantly.

Love,

Your Alien
Ajay

Blog: Thethoughtforfood.blogspot.com
Skype: ajeezmittal
Cell phone (Japan): 090-8505-5700