How’s japan?

Since I moved from Perth, Australia to Yokohama, Japan many of my friends from Perth have asked me “How’s Japan?”. ” Fine” I say. Although I am 7,863 kilometers from where I grew up and where I feel I belong with my friends there are many different things from Perth to Yokohama. My first impression of Japan was ‘ damn it cold’, coming from a place where it barley gets to 10 degrees during the day in winter Japan was a big change. YIS was also different, my previous school ‘Penrhos collage’ was on a huge block of land with grass everywhere and two ovals, the hallways and lockers where out doors, with only the classrooms being a full building. YIS to me was kind of like a stereotypical high school, the indoor rectangle lockers, with the take your own food canteen, so the schools were different.

People here are also different, coming to an international school I have now meet people from parts of the world that I wouldn’t have meet in Perth. Just Yesterday I was talking to a friend about how many names I had not herd of before, so just coming to Japan has let me meet many new people from around the world. The weather compared to Perth is different as well, winter here is definitely colder, but as summer is coming it feels like home again. But the summer here is more humid, like Malaysia. 

My house here compared to Perth are also different. My home in Perth was two stories, with a view of the river in walking distance. With a pool in the back yard and lots of running area as well, my house in perth was great for summer. My house in Japan is older and more simple, it is also two stories with a yard, I will miss the pool when summer hits high. 

Living in Japan is very different to perth, here there are many hills and uneven land. In perth everything is flat and  there are a few easy hill’s hear and there. Also in perth I would drive everywhere even if it was a 10 minute walk, but now I don’t even have a car. Buying food here is also a hassle because my family can’t read japanese, so it’s those trips to Cosco that keep us going. The price of food here is very cheap compared to Perth, I used to work in a store where people would pay $3.30 ( 330 yen) for a bottle of coke. Compared to cloths, the cloths in perth were a lot cheaper, a printed t-shirt here would cost up to 5000 yen while in Perth I could get one for $15.00 (1500 yen).  Some shops here like H&M, Zara and Forever21 I had never heard of before coming here. 711, Burger King, Wendys and Cosco were not in Perth, though instead of Burger King in Perth we have Hungry Jacks, and now a Cosco has opened in Sydeny. 

While on Facebook, Myspace and Msn instant messenger other friends also ask ” Is it better then Perth?” in all honesty I don’t know, I’m split half way. Perth is better in terms of friends,  cheap cloths, english speakers, weather, beach and grandparents. While on the other hand Japan is good for cheap food, new experiences, snow,  friends and giving me a new scene of how countries are different. I do thank my dad for accepting the chance to move over here and I will remember it for years to come.