Head Office *duh dun dunnnn*

I bravely set out with my bags, awkwardly misbalancing my coordinated and newly changed outfit. I grabbed my map and started on route. The building was not as I had expected it in my mind, although I do have quite the imagination. It was on the second floor of a small building and I had to travel to the side of the building to hike up my last leg of stairs.

The company I had signed up to, had been something my brother had signed up to a few years before me. I had his two cents about the company, as well as a friend of his that had worked for them too. Other than a handful of stories, I had no clue what I what this company was like or had done much in the way of research about it. My brother and his friend survived so how bad could it be right? It is the third biggest English teaching company in Japan, but looking up at this building it definitely didn't scream success. I meandered through the hallway, looking for the company logo. Ah Ha! Alas, this place I had been traveling to get to for a day and a half was right before me, now to open the door...

Opening up the door and looking inside reminded me of one of those images of numerous chimpanzees all in rows, typing on typewriters in a confined space. I was shocked to say the least. No reception desk or secretary to greet me. All, maybe 40 people crammed into this small office space, turned to look. Here I am, half Gollum, half human girl with the bag the size of Texas hanging off of me. "Umm am I in the right place", I muttered to myself. One lady got up from her desk and hesitantly greeted me. " Can I help you?" I couldn't think of much to say, and yes she was speaking English to me, but all the chimps er, I mean people were looking at me! I unfolded my far too crinkled map from my pocket and stuttered how my recruiter told me I had to be here to meet the Human Resources Officer. A light switch clicked with her, "Oh, just not many of the employees come into our Head Office, they get picked up at the airport or train station."

OK whaaaattt?! What do you mean no one comes into here, I screamed at her in my head! I trudged through mud and waist-deep water the most horrible storm imaginable to get here (ok no that didn't happen, but it sure as hell felt like I had made a hell of an effort to get here with no offer to be picked up)!! ARGH this was not a good start!!

She guided me to a man sat at an office midway through the line up, my eyes twitching, as I was trying to resemble a polite smile that didn't fully mask my anger; like the Japanese woman at the Shinkansen office! A jovial man greeted me and said the Human Resources Officer wasn't in (another red flag when I've been told sharp what time to be here at and wasted hours, sitting around waiting to make sure I was right on time)! AHHHH I was rubbing my eyes to try to cover up my not-so-concealed feelings about the situation. The man asked me for some documents and I ruffled through my bag to find, the once organized contents. After filling everything out, which took two minutes, he offered me a lift. Thank goodness, it felt about time someone could help me out, as I was the only chump who fell for the "Meet me at the office 3:30 sharp" trick! He mentions fleetly, that I'm one of the first to arrive from my training group, so I might have to wait to meet the others for a few days. In my mind (imagination again) arriving three days before the training began, I was thinking everyone would be there and parties and friendships were just waiting for me to step into. "Great" I probably said too dryly, as he shot me an odd glance.

The drive from the Head Office was only a few minutes from where I needed to be. He mentioned he was from Canada and had lived here for many years. I machine gunned out questions about Japan life and I think he was a little thrown off by my drill sergeant question style. "Here we are" or something to that demeanor was said. 'Whoopdido' I said to myself. We walked up to the third floor where my apartment was. As he mentioned no one was in the apartment but me, so I'd have to wait until tomorrow night when my flatmate would get in around 11pm and that I shouldn't stay up and wait for her. Duly noted, I thought.  He jiggled with the keys and opened up the door to a *gasp*... very run down apartment. He apologized a few times about the conditions. He explained the company was trying to not use these apartments, but just for our group, we'd be the last ones. Lucky us! He very quickly shot off several facts about the apartment and how to use the few appliances then just a fleetingly took off. Again it felt like the time at the airport train station with airplane seat buddy, I didn't want him to stay to hang out, but I also just wanted to grab ahold of anyone's hand, childishly looking up at them and muster out, "Help me."

He left and I was sat there at my empty, shady apartment, alone, hungry, sweaty (yes even since change of clothes at Micky Ds) with dusk approaching. Wanting to just sit down and I cry I held back and started unpacking. Wait a tick, I thought, in the conversation he did mention about two girls that might arrive tomorrow in the complex beside mine...I would write them a note! A desperate plea for friendship or human contact beyond a phrase book level. I had to make it cool though as to not wreck it. Ahh the pressure of it all was getting to me.  I've never been that awkward with making friends, but I don't think I've ever had the pressure of needing friends so badly either. I decided to set off before dusk to grab some food supplies. That ice cream, as-a-substitute-for-a-meal diet plan wasn't working out for me.  At least food would provide some sort of essential comfort during this mess.