The census
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The census Thursday September 22
October 1st is the Japan's National Census. As with the United States census, the powers that be make a bit of a big deal about counting everyone. In the flyer posted up, there are three people pictured side-by-side: a middle-aged white man, a younger Japanese woman, and an elderly Japanese man. In such an uchi-soto (inside-outside group) culture, it's encouraging to see the inclusion of a foreigner.
Since I'm here, I am to be counted. Pardon the pun, but somehow that makes me feel like I count.
While I've been able to acquire an apartment, a cell phone, a bicycle, appliances, furniture, shop for groceries, ask for directions, obtain a valid identification card, and generally do what is necessary to live life like everyone else, it is obvious everywhere I go that I come from the outside.
I did not feel that so much when I was in Kanazawa; there were always other American students around to engage in conversation, and there was a club of Japanese students who regularly hung out with us and organized activities. Now, I live alone, eat alone, commute alone.
There are exceptions to this: when I go out with my classmates, when I spend time with Michael and his family, when I hang out with Riho. However, outside of these occasions, I have no social or cultural group to associate with. As an American, individuality has always been important; I have never wanted to be pigeonholed into a labeled group with a bunch of other people. Yet, I feel the need to exist somewhere in a social network.
In Champaign, I have a social network. My friends have different interests and backgrounds, but each person and I agree on certain values and activities that suit us to spending time together. What I must do is seek to surpass the boundaries of language and race to find individuals with common interests. This is what will be the beginnings of my belonging to a group, and this is how I will make friends.
This begs the question: do I want to join a group for the sake of having one? What motivates me is the "sense of belonging" -- I suppose there's a reason that phrase is an idiom; it's not necessarily something grounded in actual circumstances, but rather a sense within oneself.
I have not, of course, looked beyond making friends with my classmates. Some of them seem to be great people -- but I'm just going to let it all happen naturally. Also, some of them are older, some of them are married, and some of them have lived in Japan for some time: not necessarily everyone is in my shoes, or is looking to meet new people.
So anyway, it's goofy, but the Japanese government's eagerness to accept and register my presence as a member of some sort of group (yes, admittedly, a broad one) gives me just a little bit of a sense of belonging.
[Ed. note: After writing this post, I finished up most of my homework and headed down the street to "The Bridges of Madison Country". Such being the name of a local izakaya that I've been meaning to hit up, if for no reason other than the name. When I walked in, it was clear to me that it is a "local" place where people know your name -- and no one knew my name. Rather than duck and run, though, I braved that everyone was staring and sat down and ordered a drink. By the time I left, everyone knew my name. No English was spoken. People know my deal. People know I exist; and thus, I already feel more at home than I did four hours ago when I wrote the above post.]
