Let's See How Difficult This Will Get...

Now begins the second week of classes. Most people are switching in and out of them yet I'm happy to say that I'm only dropping one. I still haven't decided whether or not I will add another class. I would like the opportunity to explore Japan and I'm not sure how hard my classes will be and how much time I'll be allowed to do what I want. So we'll see!

So far I like most of my classes. My Japanese class is very easy which I've chosen not to be upset about because I assumed most of my learning would be done outside of the classroom. Most of my classes focus on business and culture and it leaves me wishing they offered classes that were aimed more towards foreign students. I'm jealous of my friends in Kyoto who have the option to study calligraphy and the tea ceremony. I thought that a key part to understanding the Japanese and going into business with them would require someone to understand their culture and history. I guess I will be learning that on the streets as well. (^_^) So far my favorite class is my Japanese Culture 2 class. The teacher is a nice woman that has put together an excellent syllabus that I really think will be where most of my cultural knowledge will soon come from. I'm happy to know that there really isn't any homework in my classes except for my Japanese class. I learn mostly from taking notes which is part of all my classes. I will be putting most of my effort into my finals, three of which are papers ranging between 6-10 pages. Two of my classes actually have field trips! Overall, I'm excited for this semester.

One downside that's become apparent very quickly since I've been here is that difficulty most 留学生 (foreign students) are having with securing things that are necessary for us to survive here. One of the biggest issues I've experienced is how I'm going to receive money while I'm here. After about a month of hassle and multiple phone calls with Citi Bank, I finally have an account with them and a card is on the way. Yet, my funds are dwindling and there are still things I need to pay for that are very necessary. My only complaint with Western's study abroad program is that there wasn't a lot of help given to us on keeping in touch with our families so that we can receive money. Not only that, but getting things like our cell phones, alien registration, and commuter pass have been really difficult. Most of it we couldn't of done without the help of our Japanese friends that we knew before we arrived in Tokyo. I hope that's an issue that is solved and figured out a little better than what we're experiencing now. It's already stressful living in another country where you vaguely understand the language but it's even more difficult when you have to way to receive necessary funds.

Well~I think that was enough ranting and going on about classes. Until next time!

As the Adventures Become More Interesting....

Everyday in Tokyo is an adventure. Every step, every turn, every direction that you look in. It's an amazing place but then again Japan is an amazing place in general.

I love my futon bed. I've never liked the ridiculously soft mattresses in America because they aren't good for my back and I wake up feeling terrible. I wake up on my futon and I feel well rested and ready to go!

I love Japanese food! Everything I've ate has been SOOO amazing! Nothing has let me down yet. I've tried so many different things since I've been here and I hope that I can make these foods for myself when I have to go back home. You actually feel better after eating Japanese food. You feel full but not overly full, you feel healthier and you have more energy. I usually crash mid-morning in America but here I don't start feeling tired till late afternoon. I also don't eat huge portions of food. Everything here is so filling and in portion sizes that everyone, everywhere should be eating. It's already very noticeable on me!

I love public transportation. I missed it after I moved back home from Chicago but Chicago's transportation system has nothing on the Japanese transportation system. I'm not going to enjoy driving a car again... While the trains can be confusing, once you spend enough time in them you begin to understand how everything works and get yourself through it with ease.

I love being around so many people. Everyone here has been so nice to me. I've become accustomed to the stares (although most people are looking at Kaitlin because of her blonde hair). Some people even try to talk to us! Today an old man was flirting with my friend Desiree but it was in a cute way, nothing creepy. He gave her chocolate and invited us out to drink with him and his group (one other older man and 3 old women). They were very polite and very funny and we felt bad having to turn them down.

Japan really can be summed up as cute (or kawaii). I love listening to the language, everything from stationary to cell phones are adorable. People are so sweet and helpful...I don't know why anyone WOULDN'T like the Japanese! Open your minds people! But really, every advertisment is sweet and everywhere you turn, there's always an adorable cartoon animal. Hehe.

Now that I've finished ranting on some of the things I love about Japan, I'd like to briefly discuss the events of tonight.

My friend Yuuya's friend from elementry school is the lead singer of a band and we were all invited to go watch her play at something that would be similar to an open mic or battle of the bands in America. We watched 3 bands perform (all of which were amazing in my opinion). I was even able to get a cd with some of the music on it and exchange phone numbers with Yuiko by the end of the night. I told her that I thought her band was amazing and I'd like to see them perform again sometime!

While I did have an amazing night with good friends, I did witness a terrible thing. On the way home, Desiree, Kaitlin and I witnessed an older man who was drunk arguing with a businessman. I'm not sure what they were arguing about, although I did catch that the businessman was informing the other man that he was just drunk and to settle down. I watched the drunk man try to punch the businessman and it got so bad that the businessman actually pulled a handfull of hair out of the drunk mans head :( . It just lay there on the ground... But it was terrible and it took a couple of other businessmen to calm the drunk man down a bit and get him off of the train. I hope I never witness anything like that again. This shouldn't discourage anyone from coming to Japan. Who hasn't seen a drunk man start an argument and try to fight someone? I've never felt unsafe in Tokyo. Everyone is very kind and willing to help you if they can. One man walked Desiree and I to the post office the other day when we couldn't find it! Why isn't America more like this?....

It's been a long day and night so now it's time for bed. Until another day!

Oyasumi!~~

Early Morning

I'm sure it's because of the time changes and stuff but I'm usually exhausted so early at night and I wake up as early as 5:30 or 6:00 AM. But it's a lot different here in Japan. Whereas the sun doesn't even go down in Michigan until sometimes as late as 9:00 PM, it disappears aroudn 5:30 PM here in Japan and the sun begins to rise around 4:00 AM.

Yesterday was the first day of orientation. It was filled with the usually tour, lunch, and long discussions but the part I hate to think back on the most was the placement exam. To put it best...

"It was everything I never knew and nothing I was ever taught"

That's it in a nutshell. It was all fluent Japanese. There was a writing portion, reading portion, and an essay portion. It was the most frustrating, difficult test I have ever taken. But I was warned before I came to Rikkyo that they usually place you too high or too low. I didn't mind being placed to low because I figured a lot of my learning and development of my Japanese skill would grow outside of the classroom. I guess I'll be in a lower level.. But we still have the interview (the second part to the placement exam) on Wednesday. The rest of orientation week will be spent getting information on the scholarships we've received, opening a bank account, and registering for classes.

Afterwards, my friends Kaitlin and Desiree headed to Shinjuku to celeberate our friend Kota's birthday. We went to this amazing restaurant that was on the 49th floor of one of the taller buildings in Tokyo. I have never seen a view SOOOOO amazing. I tried to take a picture but there are some things you can't explain well enough with something like a picture. Summed up, it's one of the best things I've experienced since I've been in Japan. We had a great time and it was nice to see people I'm familiar with. Afterwards my friend Hirotoshi helped Desiree and I get back to the Tobu Tojo line.

Well...I'm going to try and go back to sleep for an hour or so but I will be updating more soon.

じゃね！

Settling In

Very slowly, my room is coming together. Yesterday Desiree and I went out exploring with our friend Kanako. She helped us to file for our Alien Registration cards, buy our cell phones, show us our school, and went with us to buy our necessities. All in all, it was a great day!

We were mainly in Ikebukuro all day which is about a 20 minute express train from Asaka, where I live. I haven't been on a train that was ridiculously packed yet but hopefully I can figure out the train system a little more before that happens. One of the most interesting things I came across yesterday was a Japanese mall. The mall we went into was to put it simply the size of an office building that you'd see in Chicago or New York. I don't know if the mall extends all the way up the building but I know that it was at least 12 stories tall. In the bottom part of the building, it's a maze of a train station and shops, mainly consisting of food from regular groceries to specialities like restuarants and chocolates. It was kind of overwhelming because of the sheer number of people I passed going through there but the smells that I smelled were AMAZING! I'm sure everything in there was expensive though because the items in the mall were generally more expensive than I was willing to pay my first full day in Tokyo. I did however buy some cute stationary though to mail back friends and family in Michigan! One of the floors we visited was full of office supplies such as paper, writing utensils, stickers, planners, diaries, photo albums, you name it. Everything was so unique or cute I wish that I could show everyone. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to take pictures of stores inside the mall. But even that wouldn't give you a good enough idea of what it was like.

One of my favorite places that we found yesterday was Olympic, a three story market with groceries and other everyday necessities. I love being able to buy prepared foods that are so delicious! I don't usually like the ones available in America but I love the onigiri I bought last night. For those of you who don't know what onigiri is, it's a rice ball that has can have a variety of things stuffed into the middle. Usually tuna, mayonnaise, salmon, or the strange sour cherries that I haven't gotten around to attempt trying since last fall. But they're very filling and I love them!

One of the best things I bought yesterday was my Japanese けいたい cell phone. After looking at all the different brands and companies, Desiree and I decided on AU. Although we're currently both having a difficult time trying to understand our phones (AU doesn't have any phones that come with English), I know we'll figure them out soon. They are really cool though! I'll update about it later...once I can read it better!

Overall, I tried to listen very hard and carefully to what people were saying. I understand some but I don't always know how to respond exactly. I'll have to study more. Trying to listen to someone and then translate it all in your head and then think of what you want to say and translate it back to them...that's exhausting. Wish me luck!

Okay--Adventure day #2...

Hello Tokyo!

So I made it to Tokyo...Finally!!!

Here's a recap of everything:

I didn't sleep much the night before my flight because it made more sense to just sleep through most of the plane ride. That was...difficult. The plane, while not as crowded as I thought it might be, it was still kind of cramped. Even though I could kind of lay down, it was uncomfortable. My cold didn't make it any better. I've been sneezing and coughing for days and luckily it started to get better the day before I left but still, I'm not feeling like how I normally do. There wasn't much to do on the plane and I was very bored. Luckily the last few hours flew by and next thing I know, I can see Japan outside my window.

Narita airport was a little confusing for me. I knew the places I needed to go I just didn't know how to get to them. I had to build up the courage to ask a Japanese man where immigration was and he pointed it out to me. Luckily after that I didn't have a problem finding anything. It was difficult to translate at points but I was able to figure it out and I stayed calm through it all. I'm sure it had something to do with how exhausted I was. I was past the point of being quick to jump to being angry, I was just letting things come as they did.

I admit I was scared when I finally got to the hotel in Ikebukuro thought. I had signed up for a student from Rikkyo to meet me there and take me to the dorm but I had never heard anything confirming that I would be picked up. I arrived and tried to explain to a woman that I was supposed to meet someone but she thought I just needed to get to the dorm and pointed me in the direction of the train. At this point, I'm getting nervous because I wasn't sure where I'd be sleeping if at all. I tried to use a pay phone to call one of my Japanese friends or the dormitory but I didn't have all the change I needed and I started to panic... And then my savior came! A guy named Toshi asked if I was Kelly and I was so happy. I wasn't going to sleep in an expensive cardboard box on the streets of Tokyo!

After a kind of awkward walk, then train ride, then more walking to my dorm, I had FINALLY made it!~ All I wanted to do was sleep but this very 'genki' (energetic) man and woman who run the place immediately bring me to my friend who I was dying to see at this point. They then asked if I was hungry and although I was a little, they gave me A LOT of food. I feel terrible for not being able to finish it all but to be fair, it was a lot. I don't know how the Japanese eat so much. I guess my stomach will have to adjust. But it was interesting being shown around my dormitory by a man who barely speaks any English. It was interesting to say the least :) But he was really nice and showed me how to work everything.

Okay~~ I'm sorry if this was boring and lacking in details but after only about 2 hours of sleep since Tuesday, I am ready to sleep. Goodnight! Or...

Oyasumi~!!

Blurs, Quesadillas, and Gel Pens

I was hoping this week would have been more laid back and a time for me to relax but it hasn't exactly been that. I've spent most of the week preparing to leave and buy things that I need and set up things that I'll need in Japan. I would say that most things are taken care of except for the last bit of things I need to pack with me. I'm still a little nervous I'll forget something vitally important...

Hence me feeling like a blur. I'm here and there, visiting people, buying things, making appearances. It was just nice to sleep in a bit today. David and I, after running our own errands, went out for lunch and had some food at Applebee's. I don't know when it became okay to load everything up with salt. I swear, even the fries at McDonald's weren't that salty. They were good fries just salty. I don't know why I'm writing a blog about fries...haha. Anyways!!!

Tonight is my friend Desiree's birthday party and I'm excited to see everyone and introduce them to my boyfriend David. I think it'll be a lot of fun! It's also a going away party since most people are leaving within the next week. EEK! I'm nervous...Sigh...

I decided to write thank you cards to people that mean a lot to me or have helped me out in a way that has made it possible for me to go to Japan. I should REALLY get on those. On that note, I will go do that.

See everyone tonight!