graph showing "U-curve" of cultural adjustment

Tsukuba Monogatari: Nineteenth post

Key:

A:        Arrive in Tsukuba; welcomed by ex-trainees; get car, company badge, e-mail account; take lots of pictures

B-C:     The novelty wears off; you start getting tired of gyoza and yakisoba; you get tired of wearing your one week’s worth of clothes over and over; you work, you sleep, you’re married to your Mac; your trainees disappear

C-D:    “Intensive Hell” – 6 intensive training sessions in 6 weeks

D:        It’s getting cold; you have seafood pizza for Thanksgiving dinner; you start leaving your futon out on the floor 24 hours

D-E:    People start realizing that you’ll be leaving soon and you get invited to dinner, farewell parties, bonenkais, and departmental trips. Things are looking up.

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