Updatity DO Da!

Konnichiwa,

Hope this email finds you healthy and well. Travis and I are doing good, we are slowly getting more accustomed to Japanese life. I have had many people ask me questions about our time here and I understand there is many questions in need of answering, so I will try and answer them one by one. Both of us send our thoughts your way, we think of you often.
We are currently located in Minikami, Japan. It is on the main island of Japan which is called Honshu. Minikami is north-west of Tokyo <3hrs>, about a 35 minute train ride from Maebashi. There are mountains, creeks which remind us much of the Jasper area. This area has a few ski-resorts and snow-parks as well as a handful or more of onsen’s. ( Hot Springs) The area reminds us quite a bit of home too, the weather is very similar to the Albertan Spring, minus the blizzards….so far. At night we need about three layers, and the gas heater on every so often, especially on the rainy colder nights. Travis is very happy that he brought a few extra layers for his river rafting, he says the cold water is glacial and definitely wakes you up in the morning! I have not been on the river yet myself but I have been on a short canyoning trip, and the creek water was BRR-R! I don’t believe I could ever be a canyoning guide..lol. Anyway, upon arrival in Japan we started a half day journey by train from Narita to Minikami. The trains were very fast, and just as my brother-in-law Steve told us before we left…perfectly on time! We stood out from the crowd because of our luggage, we had so much it almost looked ridiculous! I am glad we didn’t bring more. Upon arrival in Minikami we had no idea where to go, and no idea who to ask. A local taxi driver said we were an hour away which ended up being a lie, and the place was a 7 minute drive. The companies name is Top Group Minikami Adventure Company. The company does quite a number of activities and also offers accommodation, tipi, and camp packages. Travis’ boss is named Mitsu or Mitch, he does not speak much English at all but enough to get by. The Japanese employee’s here are very hard working, many times they arrive in the early morning and then leave late at night. We have also just found out that employee’s aren’t usually paid until they guide on the customer trips. So if there is a week with no bookings, everyone still works but do not get paid hourly or for the work they complete. It is quite different for us to understand, but it results in much work being completed. I have been offered a few hours of work this next week coming as it is a holiday week in Japan and the company is very busy. I will be helping out the customers with wetsuit cleaning and putting away, so I am glad to be up to something. Mitch has also offered me a English teaching opportunity at the rafting base as well. I will be doing three classes a week for a handful of the employee’s who need some help conversing with customers. My first class is in a few hours, and I am very nervous! There are many different levels of proficiency which might be difficult.
Our place here in Minikami is probably the biggest change, it is very small and cramped. Our room which we rent for 300 dollars a month, which is cheap is quite odd. It is a 12x15ft room with tatami mats. There is no furniture other than a small 1.5ft high table for eating on. We are currently sleeping on four thin blankets and our blow-up mats. The owner is named Oba-san, she is an elderly woman who lives on the first floor. The rooms, building and even set-up is so different from anything I have ever experienced. It is impossible to explain so that it really makes sense. We have a shared bathroom in the next room which is handy. The kitchen, shower, and washing machine is all located at the rafting base which is about a 2 minute walk down the road. It is very inconvenient but we make due. The first few days we were here we were very uncomfortable. Unfortunately we had come with higher expectations all around. God has put us here for a reason so we are willing and able to do his will and go where he directs us. There is no internet here, it is probably one of the worst parts as both Travis and I have grown to rely on it so much in our transient lives. The raft base does have internet and that is where I update my blog and such, but it does make it inconvenient. There is usually many customers and people around so it makes it difficult to be on for longer periods of time.
The company here is much different than expected. Actually, last night they had a huge argument over the management and our good friend D-Pac stepped down from his position into being a normal raft guide….so we were some-what glad to of missed that. I think there is much confusion due to the language barrier, I think expectations on both sides were much different when it comes to work and seniority. We have visited another company here named ‘Canyons’ there are many English staff and it is also managed very well and organized. While talking to one of the guides there the question came up why Travis wasn’t with them instead of the company we are with. It seems as if they would of really liked to have Travis work for them, but because we are only here for a short while we will stay with this company. It does make it hard though…but once again we know we are where we are for a reason.
Well, I have run out of time for now, I am going to teach another English Lesson. The lessons are going well, and I enjoy it more than I’d thought I would.

Much Love! Trav and Sam