Monday, July 13--Parallel Universe

It dawned on me today that I haven’t seen anyone I know in almost two months. No, I haven’t become a hermit—I see my students each week, my friends on the weekends, and sleep next to Jim every night that he's in town.

When we first arrived in Japan, I saw someone from home everywhere I looked. Obviously it wasn’t really someone from home, but hairstyles, clothing, gaits, and mannerisms all combined to play tricks on my mind. I saw the twins of former students, college roommates, coworkers, and family members, including my grandfather who had passed away nearly twenty years ago. I assume this phenomenon was some kind of coping mechanism to make the culture shock less jarring. Apparently, the shock has subsided, and my sub-conscious has decided I can handle unadulterated reality now.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the twins reappear after our upcoming trip to the States.