irasshaimase!

translation: welcome! in japanese.

just finished day 3 at the sushi restaurant. (still getting "quit" lectures after every shift from my mom. wonder how long that's going to last. i plan to continue this for a while.) it's fun! :D hehe... i feel kinda guilty saying that b/c a lot of the people who work there are there because they need the $, and they dun like it much. it's definitely not easy. all that cleaning and running around and nonstop schmoozing. but i love the busy atmosphere and being around normal, non-institutionalized people. they have such down-to-earth personalities.

the best part is, not only am i getting a nice workout from all the physical labor, i'm getting a total mental workout which is exactly what i was looking for. years in a university atmosphere, studying books and interacting with college populations put me in a very specific mindset. it's one where diligence, focus, solitude, abstract thinking, and a lot of PC-behavior was required. short-term memory got a lot less practice than long-term, and a lot of down time went into studying (at least for premed crap). it all makes me a very sedate and internal person.

working in busy atmospheres like the restaurant pushes me to exercise my short-term memory, rapid coordination/efficiency, start and maintain conversations with complete strangers, and rid me of my tunnel vision. the latter is a literal thing. i think it's something i acquired in LA, but everyone does it. when you just shut out the world around you--like when you go grocery shopping or walk down a street; you don't look at the people passing by you, you block them out or act as though they're not there. hrm, i'm not sure if i worded that correctly.

the image i'm seeing is a crowded new york sidewalk with people walking busily to where they have to go, oblivious to all the passerbys. comprende? anyways, at the restaurant, i have to constantly be watching for people's dining experience and the bar and kitchen activities. if someone's watching me, i can't pretend like i don't notice because they might need something. this job made me realize how good i'd gotten over the years at blocking stuff out, and now it's making me more aware of my surroundings again (esp. people). plus it's helping me open up and get over my stranger-phobia. i luv that part b/c i have MAJOR stranger-phobia and sometimes i wish i could just to approach random-ass people and ask them about their lives b/c people have so much to offer (and i'm curious), but i've been so conditioned to not.

anyways, i'm enjoying it and my coworkers are cool. i'm kind of formulating an idea that may fruition... a lot of them don't speak english well (esp the kitchen workers), so i'm trying to think of a way that i could help. ANY IDEAS??? :)

test on the pulmonary system tomorrow! funfun! :D i'm such a nerd, but it is SO interesting. now i just need to find a medically-related volunteer activity (or paid job :) and i'm set for the year. yAY!