Mr. Owl, how many days does it take to get to the tootsie-roll center of a paralyzing arachnophobia?

Submitted by Benji-Sensei on Fri, 2009/09/18 - 16:57.

Today marks the 30th day since I boarded an airplane at John Kennedy Airport in Queens, NY and took to the skies.

... Kinda. This whole "losing a day" thing has got my math-retarded brain all puddled up, but either today or tomorrow (or Sunday) will signify me having been in Japan for a month. I feel like this is a pretty big deal for a couple of reasons.

For one, I still find it pretty difficult to believe that I'm actually here. Even though I can buy cigarettes and sake from vending machines on virtually every street corner, I still doubt. Even though I can't find a single goddam shoe my size within the city limits, yet I wonder. And despite the fact that I'm constantly surrounded by dark-haired people whose language is unintelligeble to me, sometimes I just can't wrap my brain around the fact that I'm in Japan.

Maybe it's because coming here has been a dream of mine since childhood. I guess it seems just a little too surreal at times. This, coupled with the fact that I now earn a seven-figure salary (let's not split hairs over currency exchange details), leads me to believe I may actually be lying asleep in the bed that I left behind in a now-distant and mundane past life.

But I suppose if I had to pare it down to one reason to celebrate my one-month-versary here in Japan, it would have to be the fact that I didn't scream like a little girl and RUN back to Narita Airport as soon as I saw the spiders of Tomioka. Suffice it to say, I've been harboring a hideous fear of spiders since boyhood. And, while the fact of the matter is that I DID scream like a girl once when a big, juicy bastard crawled onto my hand as I walked my bike along, I did NOT book any flights home amid thrashing hysterics.

I love being here, and after a month, I'm amazed to find that I'm not even [that] terrified to ride my bike near trees or bushes anymore. The spiders have just sort of blended into the whirlwind of outrageous fun and daily reward that my life has turned into. Barring spiders that can crawl under my door and into my apartment (I haven't seen any small enough yet for that feat), I think I may be here a while, and happily so.

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DaRC's picture

for what its worth... to my

Submitted by DaRC on Mon, 2009/09/28 - 06:24.

for what its worth... to my knowlege there is no spider in Japan that is in any way dangerous.

I actually encourage them at my house cos they manage the real pests. look at it this way... they reduce the mosquitos and cockroaches.

fighto.

Benji-Sensei's picture

True

Submitted by Benji-Sensei on Tue, 2009/09/29 - 08:01.

Hey brother, thanks for your words of support. I'm actually finding that the longer I live here amongst the spiders, the more rational my irrational fear becomes. Before this crazy adventure is over, I may even come to share your very brave perspective-- as long as they don't try crawling up my nose while I'm sleeping or making giant webs between me and my refridgerator.