I am completely in love with this country, I have decided. It's not just because of all of the things to do or places to go. It is the simple things that I have grown to notice. It is the tiny little dogs everywhere. It is the small children sitting in the basket on their dad's bike. It is how, when there are over 100 people shoved into a tiny subway car, it is completely silent. It is walking to class and being the only American in sight. It is the thousands of men in their black pants and white shirts going to work.
As horrible as people make rush hour on the trains out to be, it is becoming one of my favorite parts of the day, despite the fact that I have no room to move. It is incredible how many people can fit into a train car. It fascinates me how, even though people's faces are literally smashed against the car door, they are still going to do it everyday to get to where they need to go. I love to make up stories about each person's life...wondering where they are going and who they are going to see. The train cars are completely silent. With your eyes closed, there is no way that you could predict the sheer volume of people jammed around you. Everyone is on their cell phone, but no one talks. Because of the amount of people that would be wanting to use their cell phone, the car and the phones would become like a microwave. I like to smile and wave at the little children.
I ventured to Kamata by myself today to get my alien registration card and my national health insurance card. I am feeling as though I am official now.
Tuesday night, the boys and I went to a local bar for Brian's 21st birthday. I had some amazing sake. It was delicious. I attempted to play darts and failed miserably.
I made friends with a Japanese guy from TUJ, named So, who is going to take me to some local punk shows. I am so excited for that. I think Saturday Yurie is taking a few of us to the beach. I want to experience as much as I can.
I am ready for the weather to cool down now.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Hajimemashite
How do you do?
Things here are going great. Very, very, very hot and humid. It is making things slightly unbearable. By the time I commute to class, my shirt is soaked with sweat. I finally cool off and then have to do it all over again to get home.
Anyways, Sunday a few of us headed back to Shibuya. Some people got cell phones, but I'm holding off on that for a little bit. We ventured into the crazy arcades and pachinko parlors. Pachinko is insane. I'm still trying to figure out how it works, but the sheer volume in the place is almost deafening. I am becoming more familiar with Shibuya and how to navigate around. I am quickly catching on to the public transportation system.
Classes started on Monday. I have a social psychology class that has 7 students in it, including my friend and I. It should be pretty easy and interesting. I'm looking forward to it. My Japanese class is going to be insane. I have a lot of friends in that class. The teacher is out of her mind. I'm excited to finally learn how to read some Japanese. My Japanese culture class could be interesting, but it seems pretty boring/hard to stay awake. My last class is intro to world music. That is the only class that I don't have any friends in. I'm also one of the only Americans in that class so I'm interested to see how that turns out. Unfortunately, I ended up spending around $230 on books, but I guess you have to do what you have to do. I bought a commuter pass that I can use to get to school and back. It was around $150 for 3 months. I don't only have to use it going to school. I can luckily use it to get to the major station, and then pay the transfer fee to go elsewhere.
I signed up for some excursions today through school. I'm going to go to Hakone, which is right near Mount Fuji. We'll be spending one night in a traditional japanese-style ryokan. It cost about $200 but all of the meals and transportation is included. I also signed up to go to Kamakura, which used to be the capital of Japan. It is also where the Amida Buddha is located. I'm also going to go to Yokohama, which is Japan's largest Chinatown. Both Yokohama and Kamakura were free to sign up for, but I'm assuming we'll have to pay for expenses there.
So far Japan has been quite expensive, but I guess that was just getting all of the essentials out of the way. I had to budget money for the commuter pass, books and the excursions, so those are all taken care of. The only other big purchase that I plan on making is a cell phone of some sort. Feel free to send me money :o)
I am completely enjoying myself. I have made friends with a Japanese student at TUJ named Yurie. Last night she came back to the dorm and helped me fry dumplings. She seems like she'll be a great resource. I'm making good friends with people in the dorm, as well. I am learning new things everyday, which is so fun. I trying to learn as much Japanese as possible. I'm sure once classes get more in depth, I'll feel even more comfortable.
I haven't gone out too much. I'm trying to take things easy, realizing that I'll be here for 4 months and don't want to over exert myself too soon. I'm hoping to go out to karaoke tonight for my friend Brian's 21st birthday...even though the drinking age is only 20 here.
We will see...
Things here are going great. Very, very, very hot and humid. It is making things slightly unbearable. By the time I commute to class, my shirt is soaked with sweat. I finally cool off and then have to do it all over again to get home.
Anyways, Sunday a few of us headed back to Shibuya. Some people got cell phones, but I'm holding off on that for a little bit. We ventured into the crazy arcades and pachinko parlors. Pachinko is insane. I'm still trying to figure out how it works, but the sheer volume in the place is almost deafening. I am becoming more familiar with Shibuya and how to navigate around. I am quickly catching on to the public transportation system.
Classes started on Monday. I have a social psychology class that has 7 students in it, including my friend and I. It should be pretty easy and interesting. I'm looking forward to it. My Japanese class is going to be insane. I have a lot of friends in that class. The teacher is out of her mind. I'm excited to finally learn how to read some Japanese. My Japanese culture class could be interesting, but it seems pretty boring/hard to stay awake. My last class is intro to world music. That is the only class that I don't have any friends in. I'm also one of the only Americans in that class so I'm interested to see how that turns out. Unfortunately, I ended up spending around $230 on books, but I guess you have to do what you have to do. I bought a commuter pass that I can use to get to school and back. It was around $150 for 3 months. I don't only have to use it going to school. I can luckily use it to get to the major station, and then pay the transfer fee to go elsewhere.
I signed up for some excursions today through school. I'm going to go to Hakone, which is right near Mount Fuji. We'll be spending one night in a traditional japanese-style ryokan. It cost about $200 but all of the meals and transportation is included. I also signed up to go to Kamakura, which used to be the capital of Japan. It is also where the Amida Buddha is located. I'm also going to go to Yokohama, which is Japan's largest Chinatown. Both Yokohama and Kamakura were free to sign up for, but I'm assuming we'll have to pay for expenses there.
So far Japan has been quite expensive, but I guess that was just getting all of the essentials out of the way. I had to budget money for the commuter pass, books and the excursions, so those are all taken care of. The only other big purchase that I plan on making is a cell phone of some sort. Feel free to send me money :o)
I am completely enjoying myself. I have made friends with a Japanese student at TUJ named Yurie. Last night she came back to the dorm and helped me fry dumplings. She seems like she'll be a great resource. I'm making good friends with people in the dorm, as well. I am learning new things everyday, which is so fun. I trying to learn as much Japanese as possible. I'm sure once classes get more in depth, I'll feel even more comfortable.
I haven't gone out too much. I'm trying to take things easy, realizing that I'll be here for 4 months and don't want to over exert myself too soon. I'm hoping to go out to karaoke tonight for my friend Brian's 21st birthday...even though the drinking age is only 20 here.
We will see...
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Getting settled
So far, I'm quite exhausted...and covered in bug bites. The mosquitoes here are intense. I have some semi-debilitating bites on my arms from last night.
Friday we had to meet early and our RA-type person took all of the study abroad students to the Temple campus. It takes about 50 minutes to get there and costs 300 yen, about $3 one way. We take the train from Ontakesan to Gotunda, then transfer to the JR train to Tamachi. From there, it's a pretty substantial walk to campus. We had "orientation" where the people in charge of the program, the dean, as well as other speakers talked to us for hours. Basically I learned not to borrow an abandoned bike because you will end up in jail and possibly deported. I learned that Roppongi isn't very safe. I learned that Tokyo is destined to have a catastrophic earthquake any day now. All very comforting, of course.
After orientation, we were taken on a tour of the area around campus, and then up to Roppongi. We ended up finding ourselves in the middle of a huge street festival in Roppongi. Women dressed in the summer version of a kimono, people screaming to try and get your attention to buy their product, fish, literally whole fish, fried on sticks, octopus balls, water ice, tons of alcohol, arts and crafts. Walking through the street was the first time I really felt like I was in Japan. That is what I had come for. Unfortunately, we were in a large group and weren't able to really look at anything; we just had to walk on through.
We made our way to Roppongi Hills, a big shopping/nightlife/restaurant district. Roppongi is where most of the tourists go, hence leading to the highest crime in Tokyo. However, when I mean the highest crime, I mean still virtually non-existant.
Once we made it back to campus, I pretty much collapsed. They weren't lying when they told me that we would be walking a lot. It's really really hot and humid over here, leading to some uncomfortable and tiring conditions.
This guy Kyle and I ended up wandering around Ontakesan's main "street." The town we live in is very residential and cute. The main street is lined with hair dressers, restaurants, a few cheaper "essential" stores selling shampoo, etc., Lawsons, which is a 24 hour, slightly higher class version of 7-11 (they are all over Tokyo...Lawsons and 7-11 for that matter), and a Pachinko parlor. Down one road is a 100 yen store...basically a dollar store. There's a McDonalds right next to the train station. Jusco is a big department store/grocery store. They sell basically anything you'd need. Kyle and I got some random things to make our lives liveable, as well as some groceries. I bought some milk and cereal, crackers and jelly, and some "cup-o-noodles" type things. We attempted to play Pachinko, which took us a while to figure out how to get it to work.
We also discovered a Shinto shrine at the end of the street. It is quite amazing. There is a fountain where you wash your hands and then take a sip of water before praying. You then walk to the shrine and put a money offering into a box, pull a cord which rings a bell, and then pray. We observed a few people who came to pray. It was incredible. Unfortunately we couldn't really see everything since it was at night, but I can't wait to go back in the daytime. There were also random cats wandering around the shrine area. They were adorable, including one without a tail. It was nice to pet cats again, however, it made me miss mine even more.
Finally we went back to the dorm, where I met up with Amanda. I went to take her to the grocery store, where on the way, we ran into Sean, Pete and Brian. The five of us ended up sitting on a bench outside of Jusco's for about 2 hours. They sell alcohol in the grocery stores, so they got some beers, I got some Mango Fanta and popcorn. It was a great, relaxing time. We tried to communicate with some of the locals.
Around midnight we walked back to the dorm, where I proceeded to pass out.
This morning, we had our second part of orientation, which was a tour of Shibuya and Harajuku...my most anticipated cities. Shibuya was so large and exciting. It is basically a larger version of Time's Square, including the famous Shibuya Crossing. Paul, our RA-type, showed us some of the main stores, etc that are really popular. One store, Don Quixote was over 3 stories of pure clutter and not good for claustrophobic people. Everything imaginable is sold there. You think you've seen everything, and then you happen to find more aisles and rooms, with even more random things.
We split up for lunch, but the majority of us ate at this fast food type place. You go to a machine, put your money in, push the button for what you want to eat, and then give the ticket at the counter. Literally by the time I sat down, my food was ready. I got some sort of beef served with rice, a salad and some soup. The food was delicious and cost less than $7 dollars.
We walked around Shibuya some more, went to a few more stores, then headed to Harajuku. It was amazing. The Harajuku girls in their dresses, high shoes, makeup, crazy hair. There was a famous toy store, Kiddy Land, where they had Harajuku girls with a big mascot type animal out front. I got my picture taken with them. There was some famous person signing autographs in the store...I think she was some sort of anime person. The one street in Harajuku is lined completely with boutiques, cheap clothing stores, and lots of punk and goth clothing. Unfortunately, again, we were in a group and couldn't stop to look around.
On our way from Harajuku to a Shinto Shrine, we found ourselves in the middle of another festival, this time with lots of different dance troups. Everyone had elaborate costumes and makeup. There were old men and women to young kids in each troupe. We made our way to the shrine which was gorgeous. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city, there is a large park where the shrine is located. It was so great. I can't wait until I'm able to spend some time there.
After that we headed back to the dorm where I took a nice little nap and got out of my sweat covered clothes. I don't know what the plans are for tonight, but hopefully something fun will happen.
Friday we had to meet early and our RA-type person took all of the study abroad students to the Temple campus. It takes about 50 minutes to get there and costs 300 yen, about $3 one way. We take the train from Ontakesan to Gotunda, then transfer to the JR train to Tamachi. From there, it's a pretty substantial walk to campus. We had "orientation" where the people in charge of the program, the dean, as well as other speakers talked to us for hours. Basically I learned not to borrow an abandoned bike because you will end up in jail and possibly deported. I learned that Roppongi isn't very safe. I learned that Tokyo is destined to have a catastrophic earthquake any day now. All very comforting, of course.
After orientation, we were taken on a tour of the area around campus, and then up to Roppongi. We ended up finding ourselves in the middle of a huge street festival in Roppongi. Women dressed in the summer version of a kimono, people screaming to try and get your attention to buy their product, fish, literally whole fish, fried on sticks, octopus balls, water ice, tons of alcohol, arts and crafts. Walking through the street was the first time I really felt like I was in Japan. That is what I had come for. Unfortunately, we were in a large group and weren't able to really look at anything; we just had to walk on through.
We made our way to Roppongi Hills, a big shopping/nightlife/restaurant district. Roppongi is where most of the tourists go, hence leading to the highest crime in Tokyo. However, when I mean the highest crime, I mean still virtually non-existant.
Once we made it back to campus, I pretty much collapsed. They weren't lying when they told me that we would be walking a lot. It's really really hot and humid over here, leading to some uncomfortable and tiring conditions.
This guy Kyle and I ended up wandering around Ontakesan's main "street." The town we live in is very residential and cute. The main street is lined with hair dressers, restaurants, a few cheaper "essential" stores selling shampoo, etc., Lawsons, which is a 24 hour, slightly higher class version of 7-11 (they are all over Tokyo...Lawsons and 7-11 for that matter), and a Pachinko parlor. Down one road is a 100 yen store...basically a dollar store. There's a McDonalds right next to the train station. Jusco is a big department store/grocery store. They sell basically anything you'd need. Kyle and I got some random things to make our lives liveable, as well as some groceries. I bought some milk and cereal, crackers and jelly, and some "cup-o-noodles" type things. We attempted to play Pachinko, which took us a while to figure out how to get it to work.
We also discovered a Shinto shrine at the end of the street. It is quite amazing. There is a fountain where you wash your hands and then take a sip of water before praying. You then walk to the shrine and put a money offering into a box, pull a cord which rings a bell, and then pray. We observed a few people who came to pray. It was incredible. Unfortunately we couldn't really see everything since it was at night, but I can't wait to go back in the daytime. There were also random cats wandering around the shrine area. They were adorable, including one without a tail. It was nice to pet cats again, however, it made me miss mine even more.
Finally we went back to the dorm, where I met up with Amanda. I went to take her to the grocery store, where on the way, we ran into Sean, Pete and Brian. The five of us ended up sitting on a bench outside of Jusco's for about 2 hours. They sell alcohol in the grocery stores, so they got some beers, I got some Mango Fanta and popcorn. It was a great, relaxing time. We tried to communicate with some of the locals.
Around midnight we walked back to the dorm, where I proceeded to pass out.
This morning, we had our second part of orientation, which was a tour of Shibuya and Harajuku...my most anticipated cities. Shibuya was so large and exciting. It is basically a larger version of Time's Square, including the famous Shibuya Crossing. Paul, our RA-type, showed us some of the main stores, etc that are really popular. One store, Don Quixote was over 3 stories of pure clutter and not good for claustrophobic people. Everything imaginable is sold there. You think you've seen everything, and then you happen to find more aisles and rooms, with even more random things.
We split up for lunch, but the majority of us ate at this fast food type place. You go to a machine, put your money in, push the button for what you want to eat, and then give the ticket at the counter. Literally by the time I sat down, my food was ready. I got some sort of beef served with rice, a salad and some soup. The food was delicious and cost less than $7 dollars.
We walked around Shibuya some more, went to a few more stores, then headed to Harajuku. It was amazing. The Harajuku girls in their dresses, high shoes, makeup, crazy hair. There was a famous toy store, Kiddy Land, where they had Harajuku girls with a big mascot type animal out front. I got my picture taken with them. There was some famous person signing autographs in the store...I think she was some sort of anime person. The one street in Harajuku is lined completely with boutiques, cheap clothing stores, and lots of punk and goth clothing. Unfortunately, again, we were in a group and couldn't stop to look around.
On our way from Harajuku to a Shinto Shrine, we found ourselves in the middle of another festival, this time with lots of different dance troups. Everyone had elaborate costumes and makeup. There were old men and women to young kids in each troupe. We made our way to the shrine which was gorgeous. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city, there is a large park where the shrine is located. It was so great. I can't wait until I'm able to spend some time there.
After that we headed back to the dorm where I took a nice little nap and got out of my sweat covered clothes. I don't know what the plans are for tonight, but hopefully something fun will happen.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Google is in Japanese
All of the Google websites are in Japanese, yet no other websites are. It's interesting. Hopefully I can navigate around enough.
Anyways, back to Japan. I obviously arrived safely. My luggage arrived safely. It was a long, tedious journey, but alas I am here and thankful. After arriving at the airport, we waited for a bus to the Sheraton Miyaka Hotel where we met representatives from TUJ. Then, Chloe and I took a taxi to our dorm, Ontakesan. Between the two of us and our luggage, there was hardly any room in the taxi for us to sit. I got to use my first "real" Japanese, saying Samimasen, meaning excuse me, to the taxi driver. I was proud of myself, haha.
Our dorm is quite nice actually. We have to take our shoes off in the lobby and put them in the shoe room, where we each have our own locker. There is a massage chair in the lobby, which is free and wonderful. Our dorm manager is named Aki and he seems great. Most of the students in the dorm moved in on Monday because they aren't necessarily part of the same program as us. It was a little awkward since they all knew each other and we were the "new people."
All of the girls live on the 2nd floor, me living in room 203. The room is really nice. Bed, desks, chairs, tv, fridge with freezer, air conditioning, closet, drawers. There is a bathroom on the floor with toilets and sinks. Downstairs is where the boys live. Then also downstairs is a common area with large tables, a tv, computer, bored games, etc. The showers are downstairs, which is slightly inconvenient, but do able. There are laundry machines. The kitchen is a decent size and has everything we would need to cook. There is also an outside patio for people to smoke.
One thing that is very important in Japan is recycling. They separate things into two main categories: burnable and non-burnable. It takes some getting used to to figure out which bin things go into.
I will update more later, but I have a dorm meeting now.
Anyways, back to Japan. I obviously arrived safely. My luggage arrived safely. It was a long, tedious journey, but alas I am here and thankful. After arriving at the airport, we waited for a bus to the Sheraton Miyaka Hotel where we met representatives from TUJ. Then, Chloe and I took a taxi to our dorm, Ontakesan. Between the two of us and our luggage, there was hardly any room in the taxi for us to sit. I got to use my first "real" Japanese, saying Samimasen, meaning excuse me, to the taxi driver. I was proud of myself, haha.
Our dorm is quite nice actually. We have to take our shoes off in the lobby and put them in the shoe room, where we each have our own locker. There is a massage chair in the lobby, which is free and wonderful. Our dorm manager is named Aki and he seems great. Most of the students in the dorm moved in on Monday because they aren't necessarily part of the same program as us. It was a little awkward since they all knew each other and we were the "new people."
All of the girls live on the 2nd floor, me living in room 203. The room is really nice. Bed, desks, chairs, tv, fridge with freezer, air conditioning, closet, drawers. There is a bathroom on the floor with toilets and sinks. Downstairs is where the boys live. Then also downstairs is a common area with large tables, a tv, computer, bored games, etc. The showers are downstairs, which is slightly inconvenient, but do able. There are laundry machines. The kitchen is a decent size and has everything we would need to cook. There is also an outside patio for people to smoke.
One thing that is very important in Japan is recycling. They separate things into two main categories: burnable and non-burnable. It takes some getting used to to figure out which bin things go into.
I will update more later, but I have a dorm meeting now.
Aug 23 entry from the plane
August 23, 2007 10:25 am Japan time
I’m on the airplane, 6 hours and 37 minutes in. It is never ending. I keep thinking, “Man, lots of time has passed, we have to be close now,” but then when I look at the clock, we still have 3 hours and 13 minutes.
The ride isn’t too bad. They showed Shrek 3. It was quite amusing. Kept me entertained for at least part of the time. Lunch was delicious actually. We had some sort of beef with mashed potatoes and carrots, a salad with Asain sesame ginger dressing, a roll, and the most delicious dessert banana chocolate cake/bread type thing. I washed it all down with a screwdriver…hey; alcohol is free on international flights.
I’m sitting in the aisle seat and there is an empty seat in the middle, thankfully. The guy sitting in my row with me is pretty awesome. He’s 21 from Seattle going to visit a friend. He lived in Japan for a little when he was younger. We have been talking a lot. He’s really cute, too, which doesn’t hurt the long plane ride.
The plane ride from Philadelphia to San Francisco was long, but not too difficult. No delays, no problems. Well, except for security confiscating some of my toiletries. Nothing too major, just my nose cleaner, moisturizer, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, and shaving cream. I guess it was partially my fault, but they were extremely stringent – more so than I have seen on other flights. Oh well, nothing that I can’t buy once I’m over there.
I’ve slept a little, but not much at all. I slept maybe an hour out of the six on that flight. I’ve probably slept an hour on this flight so far. I should probably sleep more but I am getting anxious. I am ready to land and explore. I want to taste the foods, smell the smells, and see the sights.
I think that is it for now. I won’t be able to post this until I get internet access, but I didn’t want to forget things.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The final countdown
So in just a few hours I will be sitting on the plane.
All of my bags are packed. They are heavy. I over pack...but that is expected. I always over pack. I have a suitcase and a duffel bag to check. I have a backpack and a carry on bag to take with me on the plane. When I weighed the bags, they were under the weight limit...I hope that's the case with the official scale or whatever they use. It will be interesting watching me transport these bags all around Japan. Let's hope I can do it. I tried to cut down, I really did.
I have said bye to my mom and sister. That was difficult to do. I also said bye to all of my closest friends. I have to keep telling myself that four months isn't that long... The hardest part will be saying bye to my cats, as silly as that sounds. Everyone else I can talk to, but the cats I can't. I'm weird.
I don't know when I'll have the chance to update again, but I will try as soon as possible.
I'm nervous. I'm anxious. I'm excited. I'm at a loss for words. I can't even comprehend what is about to happen to me...
All of my bags are packed. They are heavy. I over pack...but that is expected. I always over pack. I have a suitcase and a duffel bag to check. I have a backpack and a carry on bag to take with me on the plane. When I weighed the bags, they were under the weight limit...I hope that's the case with the official scale or whatever they use. It will be interesting watching me transport these bags all around Japan. Let's hope I can do it. I tried to cut down, I really did.
I have said bye to my mom and sister. That was difficult to do. I also said bye to all of my closest friends. I have to keep telling myself that four months isn't that long... The hardest part will be saying bye to my cats, as silly as that sounds. Everyone else I can talk to, but the cats I can't. I'm weird.
I don't know when I'll have the chance to update again, but I will try as soon as possible.
I'm nervous. I'm anxious. I'm excited. I'm at a loss for words. I can't even comprehend what is about to happen to me...
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
One week
My oh my how time is flying. One week from now I will be on an airplane on my way to Tokyo.
I am feeling more prepared these days. I have alerted my bank and credit cards. I have my lists of what to pack. I have gone shopping to buy the necessary items to bring. I have watched shows on the Travel Channel about Japan and Tokyo that have gotten me extremely anxious and excited.
So far, I know that I must visit Disney World Tokyo. I also must travel to Osaka and witness one of their Baseball games. The Osaka Tigers have crazy fans. I want to be a part of it.
I am nervous, but I am keeping myself busy enough...between all of the preparations and seeing my friends for the final times.
Soon enough, soon enough.
I am feeling more prepared these days. I have alerted my bank and credit cards. I have my lists of what to pack. I have gone shopping to buy the necessary items to bring. I have watched shows on the Travel Channel about Japan and Tokyo that have gotten me extremely anxious and excited.
So far, I know that I must visit Disney World Tokyo. I also must travel to Osaka and witness one of their Baseball games. The Osaka Tigers have crazy fans. I want to be a part of it.
I am nervous, but I am keeping myself busy enough...between all of the preparations and seeing my friends for the final times.
Soon enough, soon enough.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Less than 20 days
Time is really ticking down. Everything is slowly falling into place. I'll be living in Ontakesan Dorm. It's a single room with a communal bathroom, kitchen and living/social area. The room comes with the bed, desk, chair, refrigerator, tv, carpet, and air conditioning.
I dropped one of my classes so now I'll be taking 4 classes, for 13 credits. I'm taking Japanese, Japanese Culture, Intro to World Music, and Social Psychology. They all sound like they'll be decent.
We had our pre-departure meeting a few weeks ago. Met a few of the people going, had some questions answered, and got really excited. We will be having a few 4 day weekends throughout the semester which I am looking forward to taking advantage of and travel around the area. Temple has some already set up excursions that I will be getting a list of.
I bought some travel books on Tokyo and Japan, as well as a Japanese phrasebook. I downloaded some language lessons to try and learn from my computer. Man, it really is a difficult language. It also doesn't help that when I try to look up the words I learn in my lessons in my phrasebook, some of them are completely different. I don't know which is the correct word to use.
Now it is the time to start making lists, cleaning, and packing. These next couple of weeks are going to fly by.
I dropped one of my classes so now I'll be taking 4 classes, for 13 credits. I'm taking Japanese, Japanese Culture, Intro to World Music, and Social Psychology. They all sound like they'll be decent.
We had our pre-departure meeting a few weeks ago. Met a few of the people going, had some questions answered, and got really excited. We will be having a few 4 day weekends throughout the semester which I am looking forward to taking advantage of and travel around the area. Temple has some already set up excursions that I will be getting a list of.
I bought some travel books on Tokyo and Japan, as well as a Japanese phrasebook. I downloaded some language lessons to try and learn from my computer. Man, it really is a difficult language. It also doesn't help that when I try to look up the words I learn in my lessons in my phrasebook, some of them are completely different. I don't know which is the correct word to use.
Now it is the time to start making lists, cleaning, and packing. These next couple of weeks are going to fly by.
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