Goals!

Also, I've yet to do a goal page. I've never been a goal-setter kind of person, but I should really take the time to think about my long term goals some more. Here are some goals I have now though:

-Obviously my first goal is to have fun. So far that has been accomplished. To me having a good time is probably my most important goal. Sounds silly right? But think about it, if I'm not having a good time, then why am I here? I may learn things if my time here is just mediocre or bad, but I'm definitely going to learn more if I'm enjoying what I'm doing.

-I also want to experience as much as I can here. I know that's pretty broad (and that not everything I'll experience will be fun), but I have no idea what I want to do in the future, so who knows when I'll be here again.

-Become better at Japanese. I'm sure this would happen even if it wasn't one of my goals.

-Make good friends and become close with people! This has also already happened too (TEAM), but I really want to find more people that I can truly connect with. I do want to have fun with friends, but I don't want to have a lot of shallow relationships.

-Join a club or two at Waseda! I've already joined the international club Niji no Kai, but I want to join a smaller club as well. There are so many clubs here it's hard to choose, but I have some in mind.

-Travel. I want to travel throughout Japan and hop over to Korean or another Asian country if I can.

-Take shorter showers. I've been trying to shorten my showers here, but I still feel like they are pretty long in comparison with my host family's shower time. I don't want to waste water or time!

Like I said, I've never really been a goal setting type of person, so this is what I've got. Instead of having rigid goals, I've always had general ideas of what I want. I try to go with the flow~~~   

First class and BBQ

Saturday I woke up half asleep (my host family had a little gathering that lasted into the night lol). I had my first class yesterday, however, so I had to be awake and ready to get to school before 10:40 (Saturday school uggggghhh). The subway to Waseda was so crowded (so many people were heading to Waseda), and I was almost late to class! Thankfully I made it on time. My Saturday Japanese class is pretty small (about seven people), but it seems to be the right level for me for now.

After class I meet with some TEAM members before heading back home to go to a local matsuri with my family and some of their friends and their kids (who are all really nice). We got the time of the festival wrong though, so we were there too early. I was still able to try the goldfish catching game (I caught two!), which was a lot of fun (though I couldn't take them home with me).

To kill some time we ate at a little restaurant near the shrine where I had omurice and beer (of course lol). I felt a bit bad since we are suppose to buy our own lunch (host family only has to provide breakfast and dinner), but my offer to pay was rejected (not that I'm complaining though). After lunch we stopped by the matsuri real quick, but they weren't quite ready yet. So the group returned to the apartment to drink. And drink. And snack. And drink. I only had one drink after lunch (I'm trying to drink less though I don't want to seem ungrateful/my body can't handle alcohol everyday), but I am truly amazed at the amount my family and their friends can drink haha.
On a side note, it's been interesting to see how hard my host mom works at home to be a good host when there are guests over. She's always on top of everything; she makes sure drinks are filled and that there is enough food for everyone. If something is needed or goes wrong, she's the one who responds. While it seems like everyone else is relaxing, she is usually kept busy with something or other. I really admire her ability to work so hard and to be so attentive. Even at meal times I still feel a bit uncomfortable. For the most part, I've been making my own breakfast for the last seven years, if not more. So it's weird to have someone make and serve me my breakfast...

Later that night we returned to the festival. It was definitely more livelier and crowded then. There was dancing (Hawaiian style for some reason?), and a lot of food and game stalls. After hanging out there for a bit, I left to meet some friends to go to karaoke (I had asked my host mom earlier if it was okay to go and she said yes, although I know it isn't really common to leave the home after eating dinner/coming home for the day...) Karaoke was a bit awkward (I didn't know what to sing and the song I picked didn't show my singing abilities lol), but it was a lot of fun! It was my first karaoke in Japan! Afterwards we got a Korean dessert called papingsu since we were in the Korean town area. It was sooo good! I definitely want to check out that area of Tokyo a bit more.

Today I went to a bbq with my host family! It was put together by the day care/kindergarten that my host brother goes to. I was really glad that I was invited along! It's nice to have a host family who involves you in their lives. It's also been fun getting to meet so many different people through my host family (although I can't remember all of their names). Sometimes it is a bit hard to communicate with other Japanese people, especially if they use more complicated vocab or grammar but most of the time I am able to make do. Though when I'm really tired, my Japanese is horrible. Anyway, the bbq was fun and the food was great, but unfortunately I forgot my sunscreen and sunglasses which was a huge mistake. It was super hot, and the sun was blazing down upon us. So now I have a horrible sunburn. My neck, arms, and face are pretty red...thankfully it doesn't hurt though.

On the way home we took the Yurikamome transit line. I sat with my host brother in the first car, so we were able to watch the scenery from the front window! And on the way home we saw part of the omikoshi procession for the local shrine; my first time seeing it! It was pretty amazing, even though it was for a small festival. I wonder how heavy the omikoshi is and what it feels like to carry one. The procession moves pretty slowly as well, and the mikoshi carriers move their legs in a certain way they whole time. I think it's amazing that things like the omikoshi procession still exist even now. I hope I'll get to see more.

Back at the apartment we had some somen and chatted for a bit. I definitely feel more comfortable around my host family now than a week ago when I first got here, but of course there are still awkward moments. I have gotten a lot closer with my little host brother, who has at first too shy to even really look at me. But now he'll hold my hand while we are walking, and we've been watching television together or playing games. Today I played trump with him and my host mom, and Japanese card game (I forgot the name). We also watched parts of Toy Story 3 together today (which was dubbed in Japanese and hilarious to watch). My host mom and dad have been doing more research about where to go and what to do in Akita, so I'm really looking forward to the trip!

Tomorrow I have class from 9-12:10 and then from 2:45-6...horrible...so I'm going to get some sleep now! Also there is a typhoon happening! I'm glad I'm in a sturdy building!

Earthquakes and Bank Accounts

Yesterday the JS group went to visit an earthquake simulator at a emergency center learning place. After experiencing the simulation, I can't imagine what the real thing would feel like. Scary. I hope I won't have to experience a huge earthquake while I'm here! I also realized at the emergency center that I am not capable at using a Japanese style toilet.  I mean, I guess I could if I really tried hard too, but it's just a bit too intimidating...so for now I'll stick with the Western style toilets haha.

There was also a health exam at Waseda yesterday, which if you want to use the gym at Waseda you have to take. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to complete all of the necessary requirements of the exam that day. Since my right eye is pretty bad, the lady at the eye testing station told me to have another eye exam at a later date. I mean, I am already aware that my eyesight in that eye is bad, so I don't really need to have another appointment. I guess if I go I'll just show them my prescription and try to explain that my eyesight is nothing new, but I don't even know if I'll have the time to go. I also wasn't able to do the urine test that day, so I have to have that exam at another date too. As much as I want to use the Waseda gym, I can always just jog outside, or go with my host father sometime (who goes everyday at 6 in the morning...lol).

For lunch I ate at a tendon (tempura and rice) restaurant near Waseda with some Team members. It. Was. So. Good. Seriously. All my money goes towards food here. So bad. I was pretty tired yesterday (I sorta had a fever the night before and was just generally exhausted from walking around at Kamakura), so I was ready to just go home and sleep. Before I could go home, however, there was the last orientation session for our program. My program has been really great and has done so much for us. I'll definitely miss seeing everyone from my group on a regular basis! But I know I'll see them throughout the year :)

I also figured out my schedule (for the most part)! I'll be taking Japanese Intensive 3 (trying at least), Exploring Tokyo (we go on field trips around the Tokyo area and it's taught by my program director), War and Peace, and a Japanese Language, Society, and Culture class (where we read Japanese novels and learn about Japan). I've heard that classes at Waseda are really easy, so I hope that my schedule won't be too hard!

That night I had the first home cooked dinner from my host mom. She made yakisoba and other delicious side dishes! Although things are still a bit awkward at times, I really am super thankful for my host family. And so far, they seem to like me! My host mom told me that my host brother and father had both become more あかるい (bright) since I've come. It's almost been a week since I've come here! I also watched some kid's shows with my host brother here. We watched Pokemon and a show called Hanakapa(?). I could understand some of it, but to be honest I was so tired that I spaced out for most of it haha.
Also, every night I've been at my host family I've had some alcohol. I mean I know I can refuse, but I want to spend time with them (and I don't mind drinking as long as I don't drink too much) and I don't want to be rude. They really like alcohol lol. I'm going to become fat...
Also (was this last night?) I was invited to go with them to Okayama too. I'm so excited to travel with my host family!

Today was technically the first day of classes, but since I have no class on Friday I was free. I used this time to open a bank account here (I have to for my scholarship) with some Team members. Surprisingly, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I think it was even easier than it was when I opened my account in the U.S. (although my account here is a bit different). After the bank we ate lunch at an Italian place in Ikebukuro since we were already there for the bank account. Ikebukuro feels somewhat nostalgic now (and I'm pretty familiar to certain areas of it now). It was a lot of fun hanging out there during orientation. I think I'll always like that section of Tokyo.
Oh an on a side note, I though it was really interesting how my 5 year old host brother went to the conbini across from our apartment by himself this morning to buy milk. I would have never been able to do something like that by myself at that age! すごい!~

Anyway, I stopped at cute  furniture/trinket shop on way home. As usual, things were cute but a bit expensive. I really need to sit down and budget someday soon. After that I walked around my home area a bit more, but I still want to explore so much more! And there seem to be so many yummy looking restaurants that I hope I can visit!

Tonight's dinner was oden; my first oden in Japan! Basically oden is a big bowl of boiled eggs, daikon, mochi, little sausage (in ours), some types of tofu, konnyaku, etc. There was also cucumbers, sushi, drinks of course, and other delicious things. (I took a picture and will put it up later!~). My host mom's friends and their kids came over too which was a lot of fun. They were all saying how my Japanese is good for the amount of time I've been studying (it's not) and were talking about how I'll be popular with the boys here (lololol). They were really nice people, and tomorrow we'll be going to a small festival with them which will be a lot of fun! They were also asking me about if I could help teach their kids English through art or something fun like that, which I would be glad to do if I have the time. Overall, I'm really glad about the host family I've got :)

Tomorrow I have my first class (on Saturday sadly) so hopefully that will go well! Goodnight all!~

Kamakura and Enoshima

After a large, but delicious breakfast, I half-awakely made my way to the meeting point for the day's excursion. At Takadanobaba we departed for Kamakura. So far this trip has been our longest one yet, but it went by pretty fast since everyone was playing with their cellphones. When we got to Kamakura we headed as a big group to the Tsurugaoka shrine. We soon split up into smaller groups to explore the area. I really prefer smaller groups, just because one huge group is just...well...huge. Anyway it was supposed to be three JS students to two Waseda students, but my group was more like four (Team members!) to nine lol. Which was fine since I got to talk to some more Niji no Kai members. We marked a lot of places on the map that we wanted to visit, but ended up getting lost and not going to any of them. Even so, just walking around was really nice. Kamakura is a really beautiful place.

For lunch we ate shirasudon (little fish, eggs, etc., on top of rice) which is apparently famous in the Kamakura area. So delicious! All my money goes towards food here! I also bought some Kamakura snacks for my host family as an omiyage. After lunch we meet as a big group again at the daibutsu or Great Buddha.
The buddha statue is beyond amazing. I could probably stare at it for hours. We were also able to go inside of it, which I didn't even know was possible!

A couple of Team members then left to check out Enoshima. Words can't even describe how great it was there. So surreal. It still doesn't feel like I'm in Japan even though I've been here for two weeks. The atmosphere there was amazing. The scenery was beautiful and the air was so fresh. While walking to the island we saw the ocean and mountains in the distance (one of them was Mt. Fuji!). We walked up the island a bit, saw another shrine, and saw a great view. There was so much to do on the island, and we didn't even go all the way up the hill, but what we did experience was truly beautiful. Before heading home we stopped by the beach and rested for a bit. I wish I could have put my feet in the water, but I was wearing tights. It was hard to leave Enoshima, but I hope I can go back again (my host father used to be in a yacht club in college and they would train there so he said he would show me around next time!)

I was pretty exhausted by the time I got back. My host family had already ate but had bento for me. I ended up talking (and drinking) with my host parents for about an hour or so, which made this day even better. They also invited me to go to Okayama (southern Japan) in December! I'm so thankful for my host family! They've really been great! Since the weather was nice we went out on their balcony for a bit. It was lovely out. There was a nice breeze, good drinks and snacks, sounds of the baseball game (stadium near by). Simply amazing.

Dancing and Cell Phones!

Today I woke up to the sound of crows. Have I mentioned yet how scary the crows here are? Seriously, I would not want to be attacked by one. They are huge.

Anyway, breakfast was cereal, dorayaki (my host brother and I went to the conbini together), and yummy coffee that my host mom made. My host family had tickets for a baseball game tonight, so I didn't see them again till later. During breakfast hm (host mother) plays this Japanese and English learning tape for my hb (host brother). So while he gets to learn some English words, I also get to learn some Japanese vocab. Around 9 everyone had left for work and day care, so I was on my own. I headed off to Waseda around 10:40ish/11. It was my first time alone riding the train, but my route to school is pretty simple and not too long thankfully! I ate lunch with Team members and other at Mos Burger (a Japanese fast food chain). It was pretty decent for fast food!

I also ended up going to my first 100円 shop today with some Team members! It was great! I was able to buy notebooks, folders, scissors, and a stapler for all under 700円! After that we stopped by a bookstore that was close by. Apparently in Japan a lot of that fashion magazines come with a free bag or wallet! it was fun checking out all the possible free gifts. We decided that every month we have to go to the bookstore to see what gifts are available. On the way back to campus we discovered a 100円 conbini which will definitely be useful in the future since we are one out own for lunch. We also had short interviews in Japanese today. At the end of the year we will be interviewed again to see how much we have improved. I was able to understand pretty much all the questions, but my answers were pretty short.

Today we were supposed to receive our cell phones at four. Everyone was anxious and excited. Since we had some free time, a couple of us stretched and danced for a bit. I pulled out all of my moves. It was a lot of fun! The cells phones were pretty late (we got them at 6:30). Mine is light pink! I'm so excited about my first smart phone! It doesn't seem too hard to use, and there are so many useful apps on it! I have skype and I downloaded some free calling/messaging programs (line, viber) so if other people (in the states, etc.) get those apps too then we can call for free!

I was pretty tired when I got home, but I sat and had some wine and talked with my hf and hb (who is still pretty shy around me). He invited me to come with them to Akita for a couple of days next month. I would have to skip some school, but since I want to travel a lot, I really want to go!

Anyway, I'm pretty tired now, and still have some things to do before I go to bed, so I'll end here! Tomorrow is Kamakura!~

Small and Not So Small Steps

Let me start off this post by saying how grateful I am for my host family. They have done so much for me in these past two days; I feel like I will never be able to repay them. And it has only been two days. I hope I am conveying how grateful I am. Things are still awkward at times. But as I've said, it's only been two days.

Today I woke up at 7. Breakfast was a nice bowl of cereal and pears (nashi)! Yummy. After breakfast I left with my host mom to go to the Shibuya ward office to update my residence card, get national health insurance, etc. We took what is called the はちこバス (hachiko bus) which is only 100 yen to ride. On the way to the bus stop, we walked by a fashion shoot! It took maybe a bit more than a half hour or so to get everything done that needed to be done there. I also saw someone from my program there, which was pretty awesome! I felt bad since my host mom had work, and I didn't know if I was making her late. I was going to ask her about it, but I didn't think it would make much of a difference since I know she wouldn't have left me behind there. And I'm glad she was with me since I would have been completely lost by myself. There she gave me a key to the apartment, and found some maps of the area for me (and even circled the area where the apartment is). I tried to convey how grateful I was for everything, but I'm not sure if I was able to. It's hard/tiring trying to figure out what to say/not say and when to say things too. I'll continue to do my best!

After we were done at the ward office we went to a cafe real quick (where my host mom bought me an ice coffee; they spend too much money on me!), and then showed me where Yoyogi Park is. Since she had to go to work, we parted there. Today I was by myself (other than being alone in the hotel room) for the first time in Japan, so I was pretty excited. Yoyogi park is beautiful. I only explored a little bit (I wanted to make sure I had enough time to get back to my host apartment since I was meeting my host mom there at 12:30), so I can't wait to go back again! There was a pond, a rose garden, and trees everywhere. I'm so glad I'm close to such a nice place. A huge shrine is right next to the park, but I didn't go there since I want to go there with my host family and spend a good amount of time exploring the shrine/grounds. I did, however, make time to walk down Takeshi-dori (a famous street in Harajuku) for a bit.

Thankfully I was able to make it back by myself without getting lost or asking for directions! Yay me! And there is a conbini across the street from where I live, so I was able to make copies of my passport etc. there. Since I got back a bit before 12:30, I had time to skype with my sister which was really nice. Once my host mother came back from work, we went to pick up my little host brother from day care (by taxi lol). So many cute kids there! So far my host brother has been pretty shy towards me, but today he held my hand for a bit! One small step forward to becoming closer! The three of us headed of to the Ginza area where we were going to have 書道(Japanese calligraphy) class. Since we got there early we went to another cafe where my host mom treated me again (I tried to pay but she wouldn't let me). We then gathered at the place where the lesson was being held. There were two other mothers with kids (today was the kids lesson and they let me join). The sensei taught me some things about shodo, and then showed me how to write a couple of things (my host mom let me use her paper/ink). It was a bit nerve wracking meeting new people (I tried to make a good impression), but it was also a lot of fun! I hope I can go again. (Also, after the lesson we went to a store where my host mom bought me an え (e for Emma) stamp so I can use it to stamp my calligraphy papers. I tried to buy it, but she wanted to get me a gift. I feel bad that they have been spending so much money on me...). Also, the sensei and her uncle apparently have had exhibitions in New York for their work, which is pretty amazing!

For dinner we met my host father and one of his friends in Akihabara at a Spanishish izakaya type restaurant.  And there was so much food. I felt about awkward while eating (since the sensei and my host father's friend were there), so I tried my best to have good table manners. Probably more than 12 dishes were brought out. And beer and wine. Seriously, it was so much food. I was stuffed. But it was all delicious! My host mother, brother, and I left before my host father (since he was still drinking with his friend). I could tell my host mother was pretty tired, so I thanked her again for everything she did for me. Since it started raining when we arrived at our station, we took another taxi home.

I was pretty tired when I got home, but I watched some tv with my host brother. When my host dad came home he was a bit drunk, but he, my host mom, and I drank a little bit more (oh god drinking lol) and talked. I couldn't understand everything my host dad was saying since he was a bit drunk (there were some random things about Japan's relationships with China and Korea, and Amercan and Japanese values), but we talked about things I want to do here (like traveling) and he said we will do them all! They said that they would introduce me to their family members, and invited me to do yoga with them on Saturday (although I'll probably have class). My host father also mentioned that when we travel, I only have to pay for the transportation; he will pay for food and everything else. I was really touched by this. Just that fact the he said such a thing made me really happy, but I feel like I could never accept that. I told them that I really wanted to become close with them all, so I hope we can. Oh and my host mother made sure I got to show my calligraphy to my host dad. It was fun to show him what I worked on.
They showed me some pictures of my host brother when he was a baby, and I showed them post cards my brother sent me and one of my mom's art postcards. While my host mom and brother were taking a bath, my host father told me about how he thinks Waseda is great. His father went there, and he wanted to go there himself, but said he wasn't able to due to not being a grate student (or something like that). When he said this I said "でも、会社の社長でしょう？” which basically translates as "but you're a company president...(so you must be smart (sort of))" When I said this he seemed really impressed and happy. He told me that my response was something a Japanese person would say! Which in turn made me happy.

I think we were able to bond a lot more tonight, although we still have a long way to go. Also, it's hard to tell how sincere a person is when they have been drinking. But I'm going to stay positive and hope I'll form a really great connection with my host family. Even though it's been a bit (very) tiring (using Japanese, trying to be polite, etc.), I really like my host family. I'm still a bit worried about offending them, or doing something wrong, or not seeming grateful. But I can only do my best!

Tomorrow I get my cell phone! And I get to see my friends again! I miss them!~

Also, my host mom showed my how to do laundry, and they have a washer/drier combo which is pretty rare in Japan! Though I hung up my clothes to dry anyway lol.

Also, I know I write a lot, but there is so much more I could say or comment on. Posts these lengths take some time to write, however, so I don't go into as much detail as I could since I don't have the time.

Host Family

Saturday the last of my luggage was delivered to my house family. I wish I didn't pack my umbrella away since it's been raining the last two days, but oh well. At Waseda a couple of Team members and I went to check out the student club/circle fair that was going on. We were approached by various clubs and given fliers, but none of the clubs we actually wanted to join were there. Apparently Waseda has 3,000 clubs/circles. I've Niji no Kai since it seems a lot of fun and because I want to continue hanging out with the members I've already met. I'd also like to join maybe a nature club or the salsa club here, but I need to do more research first.

We were supposed to get our cell phone yesterday, but since our residence card doesn't have our address on it yet, we won't get them till Tuesday. We were all disappointed, but oh well. I'm going to get a pink smart phone though! The program set up a pretty good deal for us which is nice since it would have been really hard to get one on my own.

Saturday was also the SILS opening ceremony. Everyone dressed up and we all sat in a nice auditorium for only an hour. I really enjoyed the dean's speech. I honestly can't remember it all now (it was about patriotism and nationalism and how you have to accept/love all places and realize every country has there own problems and have made mistakes, etc.) but I remember I liked it for the most part. There was also a really good jazzy acapella group there too!

That night there was a festival (fukuro matsuri aka owl festival) in Ikebukuro. It also happened to be our last night in the hotel. We went to the festival, meet some new Niji no Kai members, I tried yakitori, and then we went to dinner. The festival was pretty crowded, and people were hungry so we didn't stay that long. It would've been nice to stay longer, but there will be plenty more festivals to go to. For dinner we at at a family restaurant called Johnathon's or something. I had curry udon which was pretty good, and was able to chat in some Japanese (it was me, B, and 4 NNK guys). After dinner we returned to the hotel and had a room nomikai again. We played both American and Japanese drinking games. It was so much fun playing kings. We started at around 8 and I didn't go to bed around 1:30ish. It seems like alcohol definitely makes Japanese people more comfortable/relaxed from what I've seen.

After checking out today we went to Waseda for more orientation stuff. Today was the day everyone was meeting their host families, so we were all nervous. Most families came to Waseda around 2. But since mine had plans, I got to meet them at the station at 4. It was so exciting getting to watch people meet their host families. The host families were all different (though most of them seemed on the older side). One of my friends had a retired couple as their family and another had a younger couple with a one year old kid! It was sad seeing everyone leave, but I'm definitely going to keep in touch with them!

In some ways I was lucky that I didn't meet my host family till later. I was able to hang out with the Waseda students more, and one of them helped me buy my commuter pass (the way from school to my home is paid by my program and the commuter pass lets you travel that route for free as many times as you want). Even though I had more time to relax, I was super nervous meeting my host family. The dad and 5 year old son were waiting at the station for me. I don't think I even properly said my greeting but oh well. Since it was raining the host father got us a taxi to take to their apartment. The ride was a bit awkward, but I think that's inevitable. When we got to the apartment I meet my host mother there. She's pretty young (35) so it feels a bit weird to think of her as my mother. My introduction to her was also pretty awkward haha. It's hard not to be nervous when you want to make a good impression.

Once I entered the apartment I quickly was taken to my room and left alone to unpack until dinner. I thought it was a bit weird that they just left me like that, but I was able to unpack most of my things (and I also think they wanted to organize/clean some more first). I wasn't sure when to give them their omiyage (gift), so I awkwardly came out of my room to give it to them. I got chocolate for my host parents and a little train keychain for my host brother. They waited till dinner to open it, and I think they all liked their gifts, but it was kinda hard to tell. I also asked to borrow a clock/alarm clock since I didn't bring one (I though I would have my cell phone by now).

For dinner they took me to a popular izakaya. They ended up ordering so much food! Sashimi, gyoza, eggs, salad, etc, etc. We also had beer as well. I understand why I was told to prepare my liver before coming here. Drinking is a pretty big thing. During dinner we were able to talk a lot more (they said my Japanese is 上手 which means good) but I'm really not that good. For the most part we were able to understand each other (and the alcohol definitely help loosen us up).

After dinner we went to an apartment store because they wanted to buy me a futon and pillow cover. They also bought me shampoo and conditioner since I haven't had a chance yet to get real bottles. I felt bad that they paid, and tried to pay myself, but they wanted to treat me. I'm so grateful they've been so nice. It was interesting to note that both times they paid with a card. Most people use cash here, so it's rare to see someone pay with a card.

Back at home they showed me how to shower, use the internet, etc. I took a shower and then talked to my host mother a bit more. Tomorrow I had to do some important foreigner stuff, so she is going to take me to the ward office to get it done. I also watched pokemon with my little brother (who is so cute!) but he's still pretty shy around me (which is also cute). There apartment is pretty big for a Japanese apartment! There is even a balcony area too! Though construction is going on right now so I haven't gone out yet.

Although things were pretty awkward when we first met, I think I've become closer with them. It's hard right now to process it all. I can't believe i'm going to be living here for a year. It doesn't seem real. So far my family doesn't seem like a "traditional" Japanese family at all. Both the parents work at the same company. My host father has been married before and has two kids around my age (who I'll get to meet later). Remarrying isn't a huge thing here. Overall they seem like a pretty casual family. They've been using casual language with me (which I'm not sure if I should also use yet) and seem to have read my info pretty closely (since they remember I like yoga, etc.). This year may be tough, but I'm excited for it. I really hope I can become super close with my family here. I want to be a good exchange student (or whatever I am) to them. It's been hard to know what boundaries, etc. exist, but then I've only been here a day. I could say so much more but I need sleep. Pictures later!

Edo-Tokyo Museum and Baseball Game!

It's already Friday. I can't believe the time goes by so fast here. This morning we had to get one piece of our luggage to send off to our host family. My host family lives in the Harajuku area. There seems to be a big shrine and some greenish areas close to my house, which will be really nice (did I already say this? I can't remember). After we were done with that, we headed off to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. We passed a lot of pretty places on the way, so I hope I get some time to check them out later in the year. There was so much at the museum. I ended up taking a lot of pictures (most of them were ridiculous), but I wish I had read more about everything I was seeing. Still, it was a lot of fun! There were so many interesting things there. And there were a lot of diverse types of people (though mainly all Japanese) there too such as a special needs group, like an elderly group, and a lot of kids. And I was able to buy a little train keychain for my younger brother at my host family. I hope he likes it!

After the museum we went back to Waseda to get ramen. I wanted to take a picture (since I didn't take one of the last ramen I ate), but I was so hungry I ended up eating it all before I remembered! After lunch we went back to Waseda and I was able to take a short nap. Then there was so more orientation stuff (mainly about cell phones and host family stuff which included skits were one of the Waseda assistants crossed dressed as a girl, it was hilarious). It was also someone's birthday today, so they prepared a donut mound with candles on it.

For dinner I got a sandwich from the conbini (convenience store) and then we headed of to the Tokyo Dome for a baseball game. Since I've seen Japanese baseball games on television before, I was pretty excited. The dome was huge. We were up pretty high, so we had a good view of the stadium. I asked my Waseda assistant friend that I sat by how many people could fit inside, and apparently 55,000 people can! It wasn't that full, but it was pretty full tonight! It was the Tokyo Giants against the Tokyo Swallows, and we were at the Giants home dome so we cheered for them. In one section there was a small area for the Swallows fans, in one (larger) section there was an area for Giants fans, and the rest of the dome was basically for everyone else (though everyone was cheering for the Giants). The true fans here are amazing. They all know the same chants (and like every player has their own song/cheer) and when their team is up, they never stop cheering. The best part of the night was whenever the Giants were batting, and we joined in with the cheering. It was seriously so much fun! I got pretty tired during the game (and we were there for like three hours) but I had a really good time. And people around us seemed amused that we were joining in on the cheers and were so excited. I hope I'll be able to go to another baseball game soon! Go Tokyo Giants!!! Oh, also the Giants won! It was awesome! Orange streamers came from the ceiling and everyone was so happy. The energy was great!

Tomorrow I have my SILS orientation and will be going to an owl festival in Ikebukuro! Yay!~  But before then laundry and packing!

Cat Cafes and More!

Yesterday morning our Japanese class session was cancelled due to rain (although I don't think it actually rained that much). It was nice to have a morning off, although I didn't see the email until after I took a shower. Even so, I had time to register for classes and take a quick nap. I won't bother writing what classes I registered for (since I might not be able to take them due to it being lottery) but I'm hoping to get the classes I want. After registering, Becky and I headed over to Waseda to eat lunch with the JS associate from Earlham. We left a bit early to make sure we got there on time and good thing we did. For the most part I've been able to get from the hotel to Ikebukuro station pretty well. But we usually walk around with a bigger group of people, or at night, so we got a bit lost. Thankfully after that we were able to easily find our way.
It's weird riding the trains every day here. I've gotten used to it, but the stations can be a bit intimidating, especially when it's rush hour.

At Waseda we have Japanese language class orientation. We were all half asleep for it. There was also a short orientation session after that just for JS people. Once we were done with orientation we had the rest of the afternoon free. So a couple of Team members and I decided to try and find a cat cafe called Nekobukuro in east Ikebukuro. We saw the building once at night, so we thought it would be easy to find again. Somehow, however, we got lost. We ended up asking this old man for directions, but still weren't able to find it. After some walking we just decided to go to a different cafe. It was 200 yen per 10 minutes, which is somewhat expensive, maybe, but we wanted to check it out anyway. They asked us if we understood Japanese, and we do, so we were able to enter. We took off our shoes before we entered and put on slippers they had for us. And then we entered the land of cats.

Actually it wasn't as amazing/exciting as I thought it would be. Most of the cats were asleep, and they were so used to being pet that they weren't excited by people at all. They were still super cute though! And one of them actually licked my fingers! It was interesting to watch the other customers too. Some people were sleeping, some were reading manga, and only a few people other than us (mainly couples) were actually petting/looking at the cats. Soft music was in the background, and it was pretty quiet there. We only stayed 20 minutes. I can't wait to check out more cat cafes in the future!

For dinner a couple of us went to kaiten zushi. My first sushi in Japan! We went with a Waseda assistant and another club member. I've meet so many Niji no Kai members here it's hard to remember them all haha. Anyway, the kaiten zushi place was pretty reasonable and quick. For those who don't know what kaiten zushi is, basically there is a conveyor belt that plates of sushi go around on. Most plates were 120 yen. I don't remember the names of anything I ate, but it was all delicious! I sat next to the new member I meet and she explained how to get tea, and that I could ask for something specific if I wanted. I ended up eat 7 plates (14 pieces)! I was really hungry. It was interesting to note that once the sushi goes around a certain amount of times, the workers throw it away!

After dinner a couple of us went to a department store like place called Don Quixote (Donki for short). We wanted to buy alcohol to have a small nomikai (drinking party), so our guides took us there. It was really interesting! There were about 7 or 8 floors of the most random stuff. For example, boob pillow. I bought umeshu (which is Japanese plum wine) and a popular drinking snack which is basically dried squid. I got to talk a lot with our guides which was really nice.
When we returned to our hotel we had a small nomikai with Team members and one of our guides in one of the hotel rooms. It was a lot of fun! We mainly just talked, drank a bit, and ate some food. And I still went to bed at a reasonable time!

Today we had more orientation. For most of it we were supposed to go around to different stores around Waseda and look at prices, kanji, etc. For lunch we ate at a place called Nan and Curry where we got nan and curry. It was so good! But I got so full so fast.

Today I finally got my host family information! I'll be living with a dad (who is a company president!) and mom (who is a company worker) and I'll have a 5 year old little brother! I'm only 40 minutes away from school, so I'm still pretty much in the downtown area. I wanted to live further out in the country, but oh well. I'm a bit nervous to meet them on Sunday! I hope everything goes well. And I need to buy a gift for my 5 year old brother. Crazy.

Instead of going out with the JS group tonight I met one of the Waseda students who studied abroad at Earlham last year. Me and another girl here who goes to Earlham got gyudon (meet on rice) with him for dinner. It was my cheapest meal here yet, 280 yen! It was a lot of fun talking to him (in Japanese!) and catching up with him. He told us that our Japanese was really good, but we still have a long way to go. He's building is on the same Waseda campus that our is, so we will be able to meet with him often throughout the year! After dinner he took us to a game center since we wanted to do purikura (photo booth). The part of Ikebukuro we were in was pretty busy for a Thursday night. It's crazy how many people are here! Purikura was fun, but all of the options you have are timed so we didn't get to decorate all of them, but still the pictures are pretty great.

We told him about how we tried to find Nekobukuro the other day but couldn't, so he showed us where it was since we were close which was really nice. We didn't go in to play with the cats, but there was a pet store outside so we saw some cute pets. Even though we didn't hang out for very long (we all had to get up early in the morning) it was really great to see him and I'm glad he showed us around. Hopefully I'll be able to hang out with him and some of the other Waseda students who studied abroad at Earlham!

And I tried to skype with my mom tonight, but since she can't use technology very well at all, we weren't able too. It would be nice to talk to family members, but I don't really have the time. I need to pack still to send a bag off to my host family, so until next time!

More Orientation, Food, and Embarrassment

After trying to hectically figure out what classes to take last night, I was pretty tired when I woke up. Most of the group separated to go on field trips today, I had a scholarship meeting to go to. Although I would have liked to go on one of those trips (especially with Team members), the scholarship session was important (and I'm really glad/thankful I got this scholarship). After the meeting I was able to go on a shorter field trip with the three other people in my program who got the scholarship. One of the Japan Study Associates (who works at Earlham) joined us for this. It was nice to see her, and she told us a lot of useful information.
To be honest I was sorta in a bad mood for most of our trip. I was tired/hungry and not as patient as I can be. Also, most Japanese people are quieter in public, so when people in my group are loud it just annoys me a bit. I know it really shouldn't make me annoyed (and it's not like people stare at us, at least not more than usual), but it just feels rude. Also it gives me a headache. And I really do like most everyone on my program, but I have gotten closer and connected with a certain group of people, so it would have been nice to be with them.
On a quick side note, out Resident Director here has mentioned to us multiple times about being aware of non-verbal cues and contexts. Although they are hard to keep track of, and sometimes hard to catch, I've tried to pay more attention to them. I noticed there is one Waseda student assistant with us that I'm closer with (we have around 4 or so). She's super friendly, and I've gotten to talk to her and hang out with her a bit. We haven't spent too much time together, but I noticed today (and a few days ago as well) at one point while we were walking or talking she put her arm around my shoulder in like a friendly hug gesture or she will touch my hand. I haven't seen her or anyone really touch too many people (there isn't much physical contact here, though I may not of noticed it), so it made me feel happy that she felt comfortable enough to do that. Of course she could be trying extra hard to be friendly, but still it was a nice gesture.

Anyway, we were supposed to be going to a garden in Shinjuku (which I was excited about) but it was closed since yesterday was a holiday. So instead we walked around instead a department store area that was underground. There were so many food shops, and some were pretty expensive, but I was able to get an onigiri and a nikuman (my first) for pretty cheap! I need to start spending less though, since my scholarship money won't kick in until late October.

I also saw the first homeless people I have seen in Japan in Shinjuku. One was selling a magazine (I can't remember the name) that apparently homeless people sell to make money. In order to have a job in Japan you need an address, and since they don't have one they are able to see a certain magazine. I don't know much about it, but I'll have to look into more. Obviously there are homeless people in Tokyo, but they are not as visible as they are in Chicago or New York.

After taking a new route back, and walking a bit, we had our SILS Academic Orientation today. I wanted to fall asleep during it since I was so tired (still not over jet lag yet), but there was a lot of important information they went over. There are so many things I need to do by certain dates, and it's a bit overwhelming to keep track of it. When I'm not doing orientation things I'm exploring/hanging out when friends, and by the time I return to my room for the night (10 depending on what I was doing), I just want to sleep.

Me and two other Team members went out to eat in Ikebukuro. We found this smaller ramen shop and ate there. I think it was a special type of ramen (I couldn't read the Kanji so i'm not sure) but it was delicious! I wish I would have taken a picture! And I really like restaurants that have a machine in front, with pictures of the food they serve, where you buy a food ticket and give it to a worker. It's super convenient (as are many things here). After that we walked towards Starbucks, and stopped in on a pet shop on the way, SO CUTE!, to observe people there for an hour or so in order to write a paper that we need to. I didn't buy anything since I was so full, but it was interesting to note certain things. I haven't written the paper yet, but I might post some of it here when I do. We also stopped by a department store where I bought a really nice handkerchief. I didn't really need it, and it was 1,050 yen, but I thought it was beautiful and would be a good investment, and just really wanted it so I bought it. There were so many cute things there: clothes, bags, shoes, hair things, wallets, etc. And most of it was expensive. But so cute. I can't wait for scholarship money haha.

Oh and something somewhat awkward happened today. I forgot/didn't notice the maids were cleaning today, and I left out a lot of dirty clothes, etc., and had my big suitcase on the bed. When I came back before dinner I noticed that the bed was made, and my suitcase was in the exact same spot. The maid moved my 40 pound suitcase on the ground, did the bed, then moved it to the same spot it was in the same position it was it. Then I noticed the bathroom where the maid neatly arranged all my belongings I had left messily on the counter. I was a bit embarrassed. I would have straightened up a bit if I knew they were cleaning today, but I just forgot. It's so crazy nice how she arranged everything in a cute, neat way. Like on the one had it's a bit weird, since that would never happen in America, and people would freak about someone touching their stuff. But I didn't feel weird about it, I just felt like I made her do more than she had to. I still feel a bit bad about it....but it's not like anything would ever be stolen. We literally saw a man asleep in front of the train station with his cell phone on his side untouched. We all agreed that if it we were in America, someone would have stolen his phone by then.

Well I hope that was a bit more of an in depth post. I still have a lot to do before bed, so until next time!

The Days Are Going By So Fast!/I Wish I Could Write Better Posts!

Last night I was able to sleep the whole night without waking! Yay! Though I'm still a bit jet-lagged. Anyway, breakfast here at the hotel is always great. Free food is always great. Money goes by so fast here (and it's mainly been used for food and drinks). I'm just waiting till I open my bank account and get my scholarship money! So excited for that.

Today for orientation we had a language/cultural session. Most of the language stuff we went over was all review, but some of the cultural things (table manners, about futons, etc.) were informative. There was something like a farmers market fair (but not really) happening on the Waseda campus. It was pretty lively and I got yakisoba with some Team members. We walked around a bit and ended up buying some peaches at this one stand. The worker there was really nice and gave us free grapes! We were all surprised.

After orientation a couple of us signed up to go to the director's apartment to see where she lives in case we ever need to go there. She had snacks and drinks for us there, and sumo was on tv, and it was nice to get to chat with her for a bit. She also took us back to our hotel using the last street car in Tokyo! At this point I was pretty spaced out, but I tired my best to remember the directions we took so I can explore the part of Ikebukuro we went though another day.

A couple of the Team members got together for dinner. I had a mushroom salad and these tiny steak pieces. Both were delicious! The food was so good! I definitely enjoy going out in smaller groups to do things. It doesn't take as long, and it's easier to get seated. I also felt somewhat accomplished that we were able to find a restaurant and order all by ourselves! After dinner we went back to the hotel and tried to figure out what classes to take. Which was an ordeal. I think I've decided what I want to take, and if it all works out, I will only have classes four times a week! So I hope I'm able to get into all the classes I want.

I'm pretty tired now, so I'll probably go into more detail about all this later!~

Team and Mountain Climbing!

Wow. So two more amazing days have passed. Thankfully I've been able to get some more sleep, though not as much as I'd like. It's difficult to maintain a journal/blog of my days here just because I'm so tired when I get back to my room at night.

Saturday I had my interview about what sort of host family. I won't know who/where I'll officially be staying for a couple more days. I'm just hoping I get a family I can really connect with. That day we were split into groups, and after everyone in my group finished their interviews we went to get some food then find places on campus we were supposed to take pictures of. Other people who weren't officially in our group came with us too. We were supposed to have a Waseda student help guide us around campus, but for some reason we didn't have one. So we went on our own. And this is when we formed "Team." While every other group had someone to guide them, we managed to find everything by ourselves by working together. Although this took longer, we all agreed that we probably got more out of it than the other groups. We really bonded and had a lot of fun. Sometimes we got lost/confused, did way too much walking, and eventually the Team dwindled down to just four of us. Here's a picture of a small shrine/park area near campus that we went to!:

For dinner that night the whole group went out to eat okonomiyaki (which has been described as like a Japanese pancake though it's not sweet). I was really excited to eat okonomiyaki, but things got a bit crazy at the restaurant we went to. First off, the tables were pretty small. There were four to a table but one of the Waseda students sat with us as well so we had five. Everyone had two drinks and a plate, and there is a grill in the middle of the table to cook it, so it was crowded. Also, I've noticed that it's somewhat rare to have a napkin at restaurants, which is weird to me since I'm used to always having one when I eat. Anyway, the table I was at (which was made up of Team members) had some trouble ordering. We eventually got our food, and were shown how to make it by the Waseda student who sat with us.
At this point things started to get crazy. We kept making jokes at my table, and were talking about our Team, so we were all laughing a lot. And since there wasn't much room, I kept knocking my chopsticks on the floor. I seriously had 3 or 4 different pairs of chopsticks that night. Once the cooking started the whole restaurant got incredibly smokey, which made our eyes sting. It was also really hot and we were all tired. So I'm laughing, crying from the smoke, trying to fan myself, and trying to eat all at the same time while having no energy. It was quite entertaining. I also went to my first bar that night, but since I was spaced out tired I didn't drink or converse much.

And today we went mountain climbing. I was really excited to go, but since I got up at 6 I was also really tired. It took a little more than an hour to get to Mount Takao which is 1,965ft tall. Today the Team continued with being a Team to climb the mountain. When we got there it was raining, but that didn't stop us from climbing, although it meant we wouldn't be able to see Mount Fuji. We decided to take a route that went along a river (which was actually more like a creek). Never having climbed a mountain before, I wasn't sure quite what to expect. Naturally most of the trail was uphill. But since it was raining the trail was slippery. It was hard to appreciate the beautiful nature that surrounded me since I was so focused on not slipping on the wet, jagged rocks and falling off the edge. There were a couple of other Japanese people going up or down the trail, and a good amount of them would say こんにちは (hello) to us which was really nice since that does not happen in the downtown Tokyo area.
Anyway, I don't remember how long the hike was, but it was definitely over an hour to get to the top. We climbed the trail at a pretty decent pace until we hit the horrible stairs. Seriously it was horrible. These stairs were steep and there were so many of them. It was torture. I've already begun to block those stairs from my memory. Once we got to the top we had soba for lunch and green tea ice-cream for dessert. I definitely love the food here. Although the hike was incredibly exhausting, I'm glad I did it.

Also! So I forgot about this earlier, but at one point at the top of this mountain we were waiting for everyone to arrive to take a group picture. While we were waiting I taught the people I was with how to play this game (where you try to guess how many thumbs everyone is going to put up, basically you say "yubi suma(?) then a number) that the Earlham TSA students taught me. And while we were playing this little Japanese boy joined us, but when it was his turn we had no idea what he said (I don't think it was a number) and it was just really funny and cute. I'm so excited to get a host family with kids (I'm pretty sure I am!)

I've been here a couple of days yet it still doesn't feel like I'm in Japan. I wonder when it will hit me. Money goes pretty fast, but so far most things haven't been too expensive. After dinner, at stop at the game center (where the Team had another great/awkward/hilarious experience in the elevator), another visit to the bar (where I had umeshu which is delicious), I was also able to get laundry done too today. But there's so much I need to do (like decide classes and whatnot) and I wish could go back and edit these posts. The days feel so long here, but after being active all day I'm too exhausted for much else. I'm glad I've been having such a great time and have gotten to know great people. Until the next post!

Food and More

God where to begin. This day has pretty much been amazing. Although I only got about 5 hours of sleep, not consecutive, that did not stop me from enjoying this day to the fullest.

After waking up at 6ish, I went to breakfast around 7. And it was wonderful. Egg bread, tuna bread, somen, miso, and rice balls:

Everyone at my table got seconds:

After breakfast I took a short walk around Ikebukuro with two guys in my program. It wasn't even 8am yet, though the weather was humid and hot. We didn't go very  far, but it was a nice walk. I saw places such as the Beer Saurus bar (which hopefully I will get to visit soon). When I first got here the neighborhood surprised me a bit. I was expecting big wide streets, but the roads around my hotel are small and cute. It doesn't really feel like I'm in a metropolis of 13 million.

After the walk we came back to the lobby at 8:30 to head off to Waseda for orientation with the Waseda student helpers. And I got to ride on my first rush hour, overly packed train. The whole experience was comical; so many people squeezing into such a tight place. I couldn't help but laugh. At Waseda the first orientation session began. Our directors went over basic information, and since I barely had any sleep it was hard to stay completely aware. Thankfully I got to get outside for a bit and explore Waseda with our Japanese helpers (I don't know what else to call them at the moment lol, they are members of one of the circles specifically for foreigners) and some other students which was nice. I also took my Japanese placement exam today (which could have been better, but wasn't horrible).

For dinner we went to this "Italian" restaurant called Saizeriya. Pretty much everyone was exhausted. So my table was a bit slap-happy, laughing at the stupidest things. It was so much fun. The meal itself was six courses (salad, tater-tots and mini hot dog things, chicken wings, cheesy rice, pasta, and tiramisu). Needless to say there was a lot of left over food. Waiters kept bringing out thing, but no one was eating since we were all full. But the meal was already paid for by our program. We couldn't believe how much food there was:

After eating way too much, and about to pass out from a lack of sleep, I was ready to crash. But instead of going back to our hotel most of us decided to check out a small local matsuri (festival) taking place at a shrine. This was my first festival and I was pretty excited. My tiredness quickly faded away. There where stall with food, games, and dancing. A couple of us (myself included) decided to join in. We didn't really know the steps, but we sorta caught on. Basically everyone dances in a large circle around this stage thing (I don't know the name) where music plays. I felt a little out of place, not really knowing what I was doing, but I'm so glad I decided to join in. So far it has probably been my favorite experience in Japan. For a couple of songs a few of us awkwardly danced around. I guess it's my first experience of being a part of a group in Japan with Japanese people. I've heard that it's very rare for a foreigner to truly be accepted as a part of the community. Even though it was just dancing, for those few minutes I somewhat felt connected to everyone else there. I wasn't just an onlooker, but I, and a few friends, were participating. And I think we were the only foreigners who were dancing. It's a small thing, but it was nice to feel somewhat as a part of that group for a short time. An older Japanese man, who was sitting by the circle watching the dance, complimented us on our dancing and gave us a free drink. I was not expecting that at all, so it made me really happy. And before we left the matsuri, one of the Japanese ladies who was also dancing came up to us and complimented our dancing as well. That was really an amazing experience. I'm sorta babbling. Anyway I hope this makes some sense.

So even though I was exhausted for most of the day, I didn't let that stop me from taking advantage of trying new things! Yay!

I've Arrived

I feel like if I don't post this now I never will. And although I can't promise to update this blog weekly, I will do my best to post about things that inspire me to post. And I'm pretty tired so bear with me here. Anyway, here it goes:

Waking up at 7 in the morning to leave for Japan seems like so long ago. Thankfully I safely was able to check in and get to my terminal. Then I waited. The flight was on time so before I knew it, I was sitting in my seat waiting for take off. And then there was about 13 hours of flying. Sadly my tv screen on the seat in front of me didn't work properly (I couldn't watch any movies..), but the person sitting next to me was also studying abroad at Waseda (though not through the program I'm in) so we talked which helped make up for the fact my little tv didn't work properly.
The flight is pretty much a blur now. Talking, eating, sleeping, reading, repeat. There were moments when it really hit me that I was going to Japan for 11 months, but most of the time I was just in a spaced out daze, waiting for the flight to end. The last hour and a half felt so long. I was tired, spaced out, and hungry for real food, but once I saw the first bit of land (farming land which reminds me of Indiana haha) all I felt was excitement.
Before I knew it I was at the meeting point, where I was able to reunite with friends from Earlham. And then I was on a bus with the rest of the members of my program heading to Tokyo. Although I should have felt completely exhausted at this point, I was mainly elated to start my 11 month journey studying abroad in Japan. Slowly the city came into view, and I was having a great time joking with friends from Earlham and other students on the program in the back of the bus (and probably making too much noise while doing it).
In a little less than 2 hours we arrived at our hotel and got our room keys (thankfully we have a room to ourselves). Some of the Japanese students who came to help us at the airport took a large group of us around Ikebukuro to find food. Although this didn't go as smoothly as it could have, and with being so tired there were a couple of lost in translation moments, things worked out well in the end.
I'd love to be more elaborate and go into more detail, but at this point I'm exhausted and spaced out this is the best I can do. Hopefully I can get up on time in the morning to start orientation.

Also pictures at some point (my battery died so not any pictures of Tokyo yet)