Jonathan and Japan; Strangers Passing in the Night

Jonathan loves his internship. He is having a great time with his co-workers and the important work they do to keep the Japanese/American relationship friendly and meaningful. The embassy has given him a cell phone and his own business cards (one side in English the other in Japanese). They treat him like any other member of the team with few exceptions. He sits in on meeting with the ambassador, generals, and Japanese parliament members on a weekly basis. Overall Jonathan is loving the opportunity and the experience. He has his first high-profile “assignment” coming up soon. I can’t wait to tell you all about.

Despite Jonathan’s enthusiasm for his job at the embassy, I can’t help but feel a little bad for him. We are in Japan because Jonathan loves it here. After his mission, he vowed that he would make it back to this country at the earliest opportunity. Now that we are here, he hardly feels like he is in Japan at all. He works 10-12 hours a day in an office full of Americans. Most of the business that the embassy conducts with the Japanese government is also in English. When he comes home from work, everything is closed except for bars and restaurants, and although we love going out as much as the next couple, our budget is extremely strict, as are our partying guidelines. So, Jonathan and Japan are like strangers passing in the night.

I didn’t even consider his sadness about this issue until we got into an argument one night over Jonathan’s seemingly inattention to the recounting of my day. Here I was, the “lonely and forgotten wife”, trying to tell him about my adventures as he distractedly hoed and hummed his way through the entire conversation! I was so upset. The least he could do was act like what I did that day seemed fun in the least bit. It might have been a very small step into the sprawling Tokyo metropolis, but I was proud and wanted to tell him about it as he sat bright-eyed and enchanted. Come on! After chastising him for several minutes about his insincere attempts to listen (he was listening, by the way, to every detail, he just wasn’t able to force the excited feedback I was looking for), Jonathan sat back and patiently explained that he was tired, he had worked all day and needed to relax, and although he was so happy that I’ve been able to embark on so many fun and interesting Tokyo adventures, he felt a little left out. Oh. Poor Jon. I had no idea.

I knew it was hard for Jonathan to admit. He enjoys his internship so much that he feels a little ungrateful wanting more. I can understand that. So, we are searching for more evening Japanese experiences for him and have found a few great ones. Let us know if you have any ideas.

Jonathan's Business Card.
An invitation for Jonathan to Attend a reception at the Ambassador's House. According to Jonathan, the Ambassador's house rival the White House.