It was Sunday, and I started the day by taking the TOEIC test. Later, I went for a short walk. I love walking, especially early in the morning when there’s hardly anyone around. As I walked deeper into a residential area, I noticed many old, traditional houses with small doors and balconies. I found them fascinating and kept wondering what the inside might look like. Recently, when I mentioned this to a friend, she showed me pictures of the Fukagawa Edo Museum, a museum in Tokyo that recreates life in the Edo period, which I found really interesting.
That day, I also had an acupuncture appointment. I had never experienced acupuncture before, and Yano-sensei introduced me to it. Although I had a rough idea of what it might be like, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect.
At the clinic, we were first given a questionnaire to fill out. Yano-sensei encouraged me to complete it in Japanese. As a teacher, I often encourage students to push themselves when using English, but this time I was the one being encouraged to step outside my comfort zone. I can write some kanji on my own, though for certain characters I need to see them before I can write them, so it took me a little time to complete the form.
Before starting the treatment, the doctor carefully reviewed my questionnaire and asked a few questions about my physical condition. I found it impressive that they first tried to understand the patient’s overall condition before beginning the treatment.
The acupuncture session lasted about 20 minutes and included a few different steps. In the first step, a needle was used but it did not go into the skin. In the second step, very thin needles were gently inserted into the skin. In the final step, something that looked similar to a small incense stick was placed near certain points and briefly lit, creating warmth before it was removed.
The entire process felt calm and carefully done. I didn’t feel anything unusual during the session itself, but I was told that the effects might become noticeable after a few days.
Around 4 p.m., I went to meet my first ambassador. The company had arranged several “Secret Ambassadors (some of our students),” and a few of my dinners were planned with them as part of a cultural and professional exchange. Their identities were kept a surprise, so I didn’t know who would be taking me out, which made it exciting. I was supposed to spend the evening with them, have dinner, and enjoy some activities.
I kept teasing Yano-sensei for hints, trying to guess the name every time we were on the train or walking around. She didn’t reveal anything, but gave just enough hints to keep me guessing. It was so much fun!
I met three ambassadors during the trip, spent some good time with each one of them. We ate and hung out together. I’m really thankful to the company and to the ambassadors for making it such a good experience for me. I hope they all come to India someday so I can do the same for them.
The next article is about my experience of finding vegetarian food in Japan — read it here.