Changing impressions - Integration

It has been almost 4 months since I got back to Japan. And 2 years than I am abroad during while I have been in Italy, Japan, 1 year in England, Scotland, Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, Estonia, 1 semester in Korea, Netherland, China, 1 semester in Japan.


Therefore, when I got here, I was not all about discovering new things, as it was what I had done restlessly so far.
I went to Japan in the hope to settle a new life without too many suprises. Challenge ? Yes it was, but avoiding travelling too much around, seeing my old friends,

as well as making new good friendships,

getting an internship for the next 6 months,
http://www.oeff.jp/

getting a part time job with cool colleagues,

getting to know how to get around Osaka, looking for an appartment, finding it in a nice place ideally located, having almost the regular life I would have if I was in my home country...

I think I got very close too that.

So rather than changing impressions, which implies something that escapes my will, I would say changed impressions. Although I know Japan is still full of mystery, I knew what to expect from the fact of moving in another country, and I was able to make of Japan kind of a new home, a land welcoming enough so that I feel good and relaxed. The only place I am looking forward to leave is university as I am about to graduate and feel I can not stand still anymore on chair and need some practical work. Workplace so far, whatever baito in my club, volunteer in some movie festival in Yamagata

and Okinawa, intern in Osaka European Festival, is what I enjoy most here. While making some money and getting experience, I feel more than ever integrated and I can't count the times I had difficulties to say whether the guy cross the street was Asian or not.

And I have been ask if I was HYBRID

I think this is very typical of the processus of integration in a foreign culture. I remember 2 years ago when I landed for the 1st time here, I had the feeling that EVERYONE would stare at me in the street, public transports... Which no one is doing now. Have I become so transparent ? I think so in the way that, the more you feel integrated, the less behaviours that may attract attention you do. And this something reccurent in newcomers stories about Japan.

I enjoy being accepted by the community as a foreigner, and I believe that to enjoy Japan fully, you need to keep in mind that you are not Japanese. I respect my host culture as well as I respect mine.