(no subject)

Things I am comfortable with:
- visiting Tokyo Disneyland on a Saturday during Golden Week
- being surrounded by twenty first-graders all trying to get my attention at once
- getting onstage and leading a version of the Hokey Pokey that involves ~putting your bottom in~ at an event where my boss and his boss and his boss are all in attendance
- giving an improvised presentation on Christmas in my second language to an entire elementary school while dressed in a Santa outfit
- travelling to and within a third world country by myself

Things I am apparently very uncomfortable with:
- a night out with thirteen other people, nine of whom I'd never met before

UGH you guys I dunno. Last night I forced myself to get out and attempt to be social. I was invited to what I was told would be a small dinner with just a few other local ALTs, but it turned into a large dinner followed by a visit to a bar and I spent most of the time really not wanting to be there. Everyone was very nice (except for the guy who had issues accepting the fact that I don't let people I've just met try on my glasses - dude, they are not a toy!) and if it had been a smaller group and in a different setting I would've been just fine, but in such a big group in such loud settings I guess there is just no forgetting what an introvert I am. And I feel bad about this whole thing because I think my neighbours noticed I wasn't enjoying myself, and I mean the last thing I want to do is ruin someone else's evening, but unfortunately I think their promises that we would leave soon and split a cab home made things worse ... if they hadn't said anything like that I would've left earlier and caught the last train and maybe we all would've been happier for it. :/

Ugh, I seriously feel awful about the whole thing. Back to figuring out how to best enjoy this JET experience in my own way I guess ...