I had a lot of preconceived notions about what Mashike would be like based on a few facts and inaccurate google map views... and they were all wrong for the most part.
In fact, it seems that all the pros and cons I had established about my town prior to arriving were all reversed upon arrival.
PRE ARRIVAL:
I would be hours from the nearest konbini (convenience store)
POST ARRIVAL:
In 2 minutes, I can walk to both a Lawson's and a 7/11
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PRE ARRIVAL:
The town would have few signs of civilization, but what buildings they do have will be super Japanese and rustic...
POST ARRIVAL:
They're rustic alright, but not super Japanese - my town and the neighboring city north of here both remind me of cities in West Virginia I've visited... resulting in an oddly comforting sensation of familiarity. But yeah, the atmosphere is surprisingly western.
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PRE ARRIVAL:
My apartment would be old and dirty, but at least it's cheap.
POST ARRIVAL:
My apartment is clean and large and isn't really showing much signs of age. I really really like my apartment (except when it gets visits from spiders. i hate spiders.)
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PRE ARRIVAL:
Hokkaido would be freezing
POST ARRIVAL:
Hokkaido is not freezing... the wind is very mild, so the temperature doesn't feel nearly as cold as I was expecting it to. But there's a ton of old snow everywhere.
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PRE ARRIVAL:
The locals would all be dumbfounded by the sight of a foreigner.
POST ARRIVAL:
No one cares. I get weirder looks in Tokyo than I do here.
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PRE ARRIVAL:
I would have to train all the way to Sapporo to find a legit place to get my hair cut.
POST ARRIVAL:
On the 25 minute drive to Rumoi, I pass about 20 stylish hair salons...
The first night I did feel awfully isolated though - the drive from the airport is about 2 hours through absolutely nothing but natural scenery, which is pretty, but unnerving when you think about how far your going away from your port of exit.
On to the pictures:
Corner of my living room
My bedroom with my funky Futon/Bed (I fixed the comforter since then, it looks functional now)
My desk, which I inherited from a neighbor (along with all my other furnishings for the most part)
Panoramic shot of my apartment complex - I live in the one on the right
Coral! My car matches my apartment building. I was expecting to feel terrified driving in a super small car, but it's surprisingly comfortable. And most of the other cars on the road aren't much larger.
She looks like a little grasshopper or something
She's got a yellow license plate cause she's super small. A lot of cars I see on the road have the same deal. "Normal" cars have a white license plate... but I've been surprised by the size of what gets deemed "a normal-sized car" around here. They aren't that much larger than mine. And the speed limit on the road outside my apartment is about 25 mph and on the big road it's about 30 mph. It's literally hard not to speed.
I don't even need to be here, these kids already know English!!
View from the road outside my apartment - lots of snowy mountains.
Muh spot. I love Lawson's
The town mascot seems to be this hefty navy seagull. He's holding these snow "dust bins" I see all over the place. It seems like people shovel snow onto that thing and then slide it elsewhere...
bus stop?
local street.
another bus stop?
looking down my street.
local... shrine? Not sure what this is actually...
Mail box outside a local brewery
better shot of the sake brewery
stream running into the ocean
little street
grave stones? i think they're something different...
mountains and the ocean
That's all for now!
Mashike is beautiful!
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