Everything is so different and new in my surrounding environment, but it will take time - and a few mistakes - before I truly get my bearings and focus on my goals. My first night in Tsuyama started with an introduction to a local drinking spot in the back of a neighborhood convenience store and surreal night bike ride through downtown to a well-known, favorite izakaya for the gaijin in town. The last thing I expected was to be swallowed up, especially so soon, by this cozy little town in western Japan... This episode could have been called "Thursdays in Tsuyama."