Quick Update!

I am preparing for the school festival this weekend, so I haven't had much time to write out a blog post.  Once the festival is over, I will have time to share some more of my experiences these past few weeks. Until then-!

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 8

OCTOBER 20

It’s raining. A lot. On the day I need to do laundry and get some shopping done. I’m going to go hang out in Rachael’s room until it clears up a bit…

Great news!! My search was successful! Rachael and I biked to Donki to start our shopping. I had hoped to find a pair of Dickies shorts because I needed a pair for our dance uniforms at the festival. Really, I was the most worried about the size, since I had no idea what I would fit in— for one, they are men’s pants, so I couldn’t figure out the sizing. Secondly, I didn’t even think there was a size big enough for me (based on the waist/hip measures listed). But, I found the shorts and tried them on (over my pants in the aisle cause there was no dressing room, haha!) I’m still a size 16, I think, but the size 36 pants fit. A little snug, but they fit. The store only had grey however, so I had to contact the group coordinator and give him my size to order the shorts. I decided a bag 38 would look better for hip hop than a snug 36.

With the first and most important leg of my search complete I proceeded to shop. I found a nabe (ceramic cooking pot) that serves up to eight people. Just in time for my nabe party tomorrow. Then I bought some non-white sheets to replace the ones we received with the bedding. White just gets dirty too easily.

Rachael and I returned to the apartment and soon Joy joined us to go eat dinner. They place they usually ate at, and recommended, was oddly on vacation that day, but we still wanted Chinese food. We settled for a small chain restaurant near our apartment called Osho. Surprise, surprise, most everything had pork, so all I could order was rice and the veggie mix. They also use too much black pepper— one of the few seasonings that I am not a huge fan of. After eating at Kinrai in Toyohashi, my Chinese food standards are a lot higher right now, even if it’s technically not real Chinese. Osho doesn’t cut it.

OCTOBER 21

Cleaned my room the best I could in the morning because after class we are going to have a nabe party! With my bed frame folded up, and futon tucked under my desk, there is actually enough room for people to sit comfortably on the floor.

Once our classes were over we made the essential stop at MaxValu to grab ingredients for our nabe. It’s not really a soup, but that’s the closest comparison I can make. Once the initial broth and vegetables are prepared, then you cook the nabe in rounds, always changing the amounts of meat, or vegetables, or other ingredients such as noodles, tofu, and egg. The seven of us went through 3 rounds, and when we split the bill for groceries, it came to about 800 yen per person. That was due in most part to the fact we bought one expensive pack of beef for 1500 yen, while normal packs were 400 yen. It was darn good beef though.

OCTOBER 22

Not too much going on today. I finished my surveys yesterday, so it’s just a matter of inputting all the data and making a report.

Two years ago, there as a milk tea incident while we were in Kyoto. Incident may be a stretch, but let’s just say, it gave me a stomach ache. Today, I drank lemon milk tea. Same result. Conclusion, milk tea doesn’t like me. Because of the tea I couldn’t eat during lunch, so I waited until I went home to prepare for dance to eat an early dinner.

OCTOBER 23

I think it’s time that you all know that when I try to plan something, it usually doesn’t go as planned.

Today, it was Rachael’s birthday. So I made a plan to surprise her. I secretly invited our friends to meet us at the Curry restaurant at 6pm; in theory, I would arrive with Rachael and they would all be waiting.

Well, one of the girls had class until 6pm, so I stayed at campus to wait for her while Rachael went ahead with the others. I don’t know how surprised she was because I was the one who ended up arriving late. Overall, 14 people did show up, which was a few too many to sit in any one section of the restaurant. As a result, Mark, Jason, Totoro and I ended up sitting at the opposite end of the restaurant. Judging by Rachael’s laughing I think she enjoyed herself. That’s what matters.

OCTOBER 24

We, the new International students, are throwing our first party tonight! It’s actually a test party for next week’s Halloween party. I was at dance practice until 7pm so we held the party in Joy’s room. There was quite a few people so you really couldn’t move, just sit there and snack, and talk, and drink. Of course, drinking people turn into loud people. Apparently, one of our neighbors didn’t appreciate that so they called the cops. When they came everyone got really quite, but they just gave us a warning that at that time of night it was better to have a party elsewhere. My mood was dampened, but the party continued at a lower level. Once the party withered down to only a few people I actually had the chance to hold a conversation. Small groups are much easier to deal with than big ones. Next week will be interesting…

OCTOBER 25

Class. Nap. Hang out in the library with “the cool kids”. Hang out in Mark’s room with “the cool kids”. Day complete.

OCTOBER 26

The ESS’s party was canceled due to weather - aka another “typhoon”. Just a lot of wind and some rain here and there. Instead, Joy, Rachael and I hung out all day. First, we tried to pay our insurance, but we hadn’t actually received the bill, just a notification of an upcoming bill. So we grabbed a snack from MaxValu; I could smell the garlic bread once I got in the store, I had to have it! It was freshly made and delicious.

After that we biked to Donki. I decided to by some under armor-esque clothing while it was still on sale. There was also a mark down on a clothing rack, from 2999 yen to 999 yen, perfect for drying clothes on rainy days. The problem was, it was a relatively long box, so I had to hold it at my side as we went home on bikes and in very strong wind. I managed to stay on the path, but I’m pretty sure that every old guy on the street was trying to run into me (please stay in your lane, sir!)

We also made plans to go to Karaoke that night. But since it was cheaper to go from 10pm we needed to kill some time. The three of us went to Elephant’s Nest, a British pub where our friend Shin works. In the Halloween spirit, he was dressed like a zombie, and his coworker was a nurse. Kentaro also stopped by and we stayed waiting for Shin to get off work, which wasn’t until 1am. By that time, the French girls, who were going to meet us at karaoke, went home. Understandably, since we kept them waiting. Then Kentaro, Shin and his coworkers decided to go to a club instead, so we passed on karaoke for the night and headed home.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 7

OCTOBER 13

Finally bought my Halloween costume! I went with Tigger, since I love the characters from the Hundred Acre Woods, aka Winnie the Pooh. It was about 4000 yen, but it’s a full suit or one piece rather, with a hood and tail. Juvenile? Maybe. But these kinds of character costumes are fairly common in Japan. They’re fun and easy. So, in one go, my costume was set.

I also bought a black T-shirt with Wile. E Coyote on it. There was English, but unlike many shirts with infamous engrish, it was grammatically correct, and cheap. We also found a Mister Donuts (donuts were on sale!), and in the same building there was a Round 1. Round 1 is one of the famous entertainment chains throughout Japan. It usually has karaoke, bowling, a game center, and then depending on the location, a choice of archery, baseball, tennis, fishing… the list goes on.

I finished off the day with Level 5 curry. It wasn’t spicy. At least, not compared to the Level 4 I ate recently. Maybe it was a different cook today.

OCTOBER 14

By chance, I ran into Kentaro and Yohei in the Mini Stop while on my chocolate run. On the 26th the ESS (English Speaking Society) was going to hold a Halloween-themed party, but they said they couldn’t go to it. We are going to try and plan something around the 31st.

Today, there was also International Cafe! It’s fun to talk to new people, but it gets tiring when you have to keep leading the conversation. I was running out of questions to start conversations amongst the group. Usually it’s one or two international students in a group with four or five Japanese students. Many of them are freshmen, and compared to the upperclassmen we know, very shy. Afterwards, a few of the girls wanted to go take a picture with us in a purikura booth. (That reminds me I still need to take my solo shot for the report!) We ended the day by going to Sushi-Ro for dinner. It was a good day in my book.

OCTOBER 15

Not much happened today, at least nothing incredibly new.

I cut my finger this morning try to cut up the fat end of a carrot. It tried to escape, and used my finger as a shield. It really wasn’t a bad cut, but I did have to buy Band-Aids before I went to class.

During the class period we were set free to start taking surveys. The minimum is 10, but I’m aiming for at least 30 people. Today I managed to finish half of my goal by asking random people in the library.

We ate lunch in the classroom, and then went to the library for a bit. Supposedly, another typhoon was coming, so I left for home a bit earlier to prepare for dance practice. Unfortunately, it was pouring as I left the apartment. Going my bike saved me time, but I was drenched anyway. Despite the rain, people showed up faithfully. Our practice area is shielded a bit from the rain, and there is a roof overhead. The few members of my group who showed up learned the rest of Mai’s choreography with me. Then I came back home in the still pouring rain. No umbrella would have saved me anyway.

OCTOBER 16

Today was far more eventful than I thought it would be. Classes were canceled because of the typhoon, but really it was just windy. Initially, it was just the morning classes, so we went to the library anyway. Then we found out that the afternoon classes were canceled as well. It turned into a free day, but there we were, hanging out in the library.

Kentaro came to campus to work on his thesis, so the group of us talked for a while. It was a little late for lunch, but none of us had eaten yet. We decided to go to Mos Burger. The burgers there were tiny, and any of the “beef” patties were really a mix of beef and pork, so I decided to have the chicken teriyaki burger. We stayed there for some time just chatting, trying to figure out plans for the Halloween party and for that evening.

Joy, Rachael and Totoro went to Round 1. I would have gone, but some of the guys were going to try and play basketball, so I waited for that. Kentaro and I were waiting for Yohei to show up, but as time passed, we could no longer play basketball, and many of the others went to a seminar. However, as it turned out, there was a small dinner party after the seminar which we were indirectly invited to. After Yohei showed up, the three of us headed to the party— we got lost because the place was on some small back street. It was a fancy little place though, and by little I mean there were just enough seats for the three of us. We ended up sitting at different tables, so once again, time to string up a conversation and make new friends.

Coincidentally, one of the two girls I talked to was a member of BPM! I’ll have to keep an eye out for her from now on. The party lasted a couple of hours. Of course I didn’t drink, but I indulged in the snacks that were placed at every table. All of the dishes were small, just enough for each person to have one piece of the set, but there were many different kinds of foods, like shrimp, cheese sticks (actually good, melted and battered cheese!), sushi… When the bill came, I happened to glance at the total. 75000yen: that was about $750 for a party of 20 people. I panicked a little on the inside.

Had the bill been divided evenly, it would have been about 3500 per person. However, the host graciously put in a large sum, and it became 2500 yen per person. Since I didn’t drink any alcohol, I was allowed to pay just 1500.

The night didn’t end there though. It was only 9pm! Eight of us, including Yohei, Kentaro, and the two new girls I met, went to an Irish pub, where one of the girls worked as a part-time job. In my quest to order something new I accidentally ordered Perriere, which is just mineral water, and therefore it was a disappointment. The cheese and crackers (once again, real cheese) made up for it. The others drank and we all talked and shared dessert, and then as it came close to closing we got ready to leave. I had prepared to pay for my portion, but the others would not let me. They said it was because I didn’t “drink”. True, but I ate! And there was the Perriere. No amount of arguing would convince them.

This has happened a couple times now. I can’t understand why other people insist so strongly to pay for everything, and when they don’t insist it’s because they secretly paid ahead of you. It only happens when we go out to eat/drink. One day, I will get the jump on them and pay them back!!

OCTOBER 17

It was a regular day for the most part. Bought fruit for breakfast, ate curry rice for lunch, and got ready for dance. We started later than usual because the upperclassmen, who usually lead the warm-ups, were MIA. Danced, bought some groceries on the way home, and hung out in Joy’s room to avoid working on my presentation for tomorrow. Eventually, she decided she should finish her own presentation, so I came back to my room and worked on my presentation regarding the Japanese confectioneries which complement the traditional Tea Ceremony. We’ll have a chance to experience the ceremony ourselves in a couple weeks. I can’t wait, because I love the sweet potato sweets they make. As long as we don’t have to eat the hard candies, or sugar blocks shaped into seasonal motifs, then I’ll be a happy camper.

OCTOBER 18

I had worked on my presentation until 11pm last night, and then I woke up early this morning to finish it. I was set to be the second to last presenter today, but time ran out! So I’ll be presenting next week, despite all the last minute preparations I did. At least it’s done.

I met Yoshimi again for lunch, and then came home to clean my room. Most of us have a metal frame bed that can be almost folded up. So, that’s what I did, I folded it up to use as a clothes rack, and now I have my futon on the floor. My room feels much more open now.

Later, I met Mark, Jason, Long and Taigen at Mexigan Bar in Sakae. I tried their so-called “vegetable colored nachos” which were delicious. Not the same as corn or flour tortilla chips, but I would definitely order them again. Recently, the five of us have hung out regularly. In my mind we are affectionately called “the cool kids”, as I have no idea where the others are, or why they don’t join us. We just chill out and talk, usually in the library, but sometimes we eat out too, like tonight. The guys ended up drinking too much, so it was interesting walking them back to the apartment at 2am. I was on foot, but they had their bikes. It was mostly slow going, haha. Maybe we shouldn’t have stayed out too late because tomorrow/today we are going to a matsuri (festival) in Toyohashi!

OCTOBER 19

Even though it was a late night, I got up this morning around 8:30am to go play futsal. The field was conveniently located right next to campus, so there was no chance of getting lost. The free play time for our group, which was Kaori, Yohei, Kentaro, me and 11 other guys I didn’t know, was 9-11am. It’s been 5 years since I played indoor soccer, which is the closest experience I have to futsal. I also didn’t have the right shoes, just tennis shoes, but it was so much fun!! I will have better shoes prepared for next time.

As soon as futsal was over I hurried home to shower and meet with the others heading for the Toyohashi matsuri. The actual festival activities didn’t start until about 7pm, but the groups from our university were told to come earlier to wear kimono and practice the festival dances. From the Toyohashi station it was a short walk down memory lane until we reached the International Center (I remembered the location from my visit two years ago). Once we arrived, the girls were dressed in yukatas; mine was a deep blue with yellow and orange butterflies, and light blue lanterns. They guys, who we thought would receive yukatas as well, only received festival masks— we actually received masks too, and we decorated the plastic faces with markers. It felt like an activity prepared for kids, and we also received free bagged lunches with sandwiches and juice. I’m not complaining though. That was awesome.

(International Exchange Students in yukata)

From around 4pm, the dance lessons started. There were three different short dances that we were taught to do while at the festival. Our teachers were a couple of very energetic, and tiny, Japanese women. Originally, I thought we would be performing these dances on a stage, or at least as a group in front of people, so I practiced diligently. Others were not so enthusiastic and watched from the sidelines, taking pictures and occasionally joining in on the dance circle.

Finally, as evening rolled around, it was time to join the festivities. The entire street was blocked off and lined with various groups of people, similar to our International Center group. We had a sign board and everything. We may have been the least organized group, with our formations frequently breaking for pictures, or simply falling out of step. The groups all paraded down the street, and then circled back to their original starting positions, during which we cycled through each of the three dances in order. They whole process took an hour and a half, and I persevered. I danced the whole time, despite the tiredness in my legs from last night’s walk home. I didn’t even notice the tightness of the yukata until we changed back into our normal clothes.

Junko and Marina met us after the festival ended to eat dinner. We went to a small restaurant near the station and enjoyed a meal set called “Autumn Festival”, with pumpkin and other fall delicacies. It took a long time for the food to come out, but it was well worth it. Not only that, but it felt good to just sit down. I was so tired that when we got on the train to go home I rode half of the way with my earphones in and no music playing. I literally forgot to start the music.

Tonight was the first night I decided to take an actual “bath”. The tub itself was a bit narrow, but I sat down in it and let the water fill up slowly. The only reason I got out was because I was falling asleep, and I preferred to do that in my futon.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 6

OCTOBER 6

It’s now Sunday afternoon, and I just woke up. That party lasted all night, and it was so much fun! No regrets.

I have only been to a couple parties back in the States, and usually when people start getting drunk that’s when I would leave. Last night, everyone had been drinking for quite some time, but they weren’t obnoxious and crazy. Some were less shy than usual, and maybe the group was louder overall, but it was all good fun. I also learned that they serve non-alcoholic cocktails (so, juice mixes), so I could also enjoy the three-hour nomihoudai (all you can drink).

We did indeed go to an izakaya called Yamachan, famous for its tebasaki, or chicken wings, which is also a meibutsu, or local specialty.

There were maybe 25+ people on the whole, so we took over four long tables, sitting 6 to seven people. There were only a few people outside the international students that I knew, so I chose to sit at a table with one of them. I expected Mark, or someone else to join me, but somehow the rest of the new international students grouped themselves at the other three tables. What else was there to do, but make new friends? I had already met Kentaro. The others were Kim, Long, Yohei, and Kyohei.   Kim and Long were actually upperclassmen, Kim from Korea, and Long was from China, but they both were already quite fluent in Japanese, as this wasn’t there first year studying abroad. Most everyone at the table had studied abroad before; Yohei had studied in Canada the past year, so we talked to each other the most, in English and Japanese.

After the course meal was complete, we went to CHIKARA, for karaoke. From 11pm to 6am! It was very clearly morning when we left. How I managed to not only stay awake, but sing until the end, is a mystery. Well, to be honest, it was all you can drink at karaoke also, so I had cup upon cup of coffee, and cocoa. That and it was a lot of fun, so I hardly noticed the time passing.

Thanks to all the coffee, when I got home at 7am it was hard to sleep. But now I’m up trying to be productive. So much to do, and I’m sure there’s also homework…

(6am, the morning after all-night karaoke)

OCTOBER 7

I hung out in the library most of the day doing “homework”. In reality, I was writing and editing my report for the International Center. I did some homework, but since the library discussion room is one of the few places we can hang out and talk, that’s usually what we tend to do. Often it’s just Jason, Mark and I, and then sometimes Totoro, or Chaerim, or some of our Japanese friends like Taigen, will join us during their free period. We are only taking 7 classes over the course of the week, so we have ample free time.

OCTOBER 8

In Survey class this morning we completed writing up our surveys. That means for the next two weeks we have to start the survey and prepare for our presentations. If I can ask my friends that will probably be enough to cover the minimum amount of surveys we have to do.

Also, more groceries today! Finally! But I used a cart instead of a basket when I was shopping, so I bought more than would fit comfortably in my bike basket. It was a bit of a balancing act to get home on my bike, through the pedestrians, with one hand. No casualties, groceries or otherwise. Now it’s back to school for dance tonight~

OCTOBER 9

Not much to say about today. Went to kanji class, and then went to visit the English class. I had lunch with Akane, then drama class, and then I met with another Japanese girl, Yoshimi, during 4th period. That was my day. The only thing on my mind now is how to make a money transfer from my bank back home.

OCTOBER 10

We learned two more parts of the choreography today. Right now, I’m working up on the muscle memory because we haven’t really been able to practice with music yet, at least not loud enough where I could hear certain cues.

I am actually performing with two groups. One is the hip-hop group, led by Kazuma and Mai. The other is the freshmen group, led by Yuki. The freshmen performance is broken up between hip-hop, girls and jazz, break dance, krump, pop and lock. At this point, we have most of the hip-hop parts covered. Practice practice practice~~~

Speaking of progress, I took a picture with some of the members of BPM for my International Student report! One picture down and four more to go; not to mention, one of them needs to be a self-portrait. Maybe Mark can take the pictures for me…

OCTOBER 11

No class today! But we have it tomorrow. Actually, it’s more of a field trip, but the reason it was moved to Saturday instead is so that both classes (A&B) can go together.

I got a lot of done this morning, in regards to errands. Paid my electric bill (2402 yen), bought toilet paper, sent postcards and withdrew money from my Japanese bank account. I was told that I can use the card from my bank in the States to withdraw money at the ATM here, but my current card just expired! I need my new one before I can pull out any more money…

OCTOBER 12

Field trip!!!! I haven’t been on one since elementary school probably. Our destination was Inuyama Castle. It overlooks the Kiso River, which is the border between Aichi and Gifu Prefectures. The castle itself is one of Japan’s four national treasures, along with Matsumoto, Hikone and Himeji castle. The grounds were huge, and it was a small climb up the mountain to the main castle. Our group went up to the top floor, where you can walk on a balcony that surrounds the top of the castle. The wind was really strong today, so when I was up there we had the chance to make the 360, but after we went back into the castle they shut off part of it against the wind.

After the group tour was over we had the chance to explore the surrounding area. In the past, it was all the functioning village of Inuyama. Now, many of the traditional attractions are along the main road leading from the station to the castle. There was a museum of bunraku puppets, and also a historical museum with a miniature display of what Inuyama castle looked like in the past. The rest of the exhibit was mostly dedicated to explaining the history of several wars that took place.

For lunch, we chose to order food from one of the food stalls in front of the castle, rather than sitting in a restaurant. For 500 yen, we received a huge serving of omuyakisoba, which was yakisoba covered in egg and a tomato/mayo mixture that I’m sure clogged up an artery somewhere.

Following lunch, we had a chance to watch a shodo, calligraphy demonstration. If we wanted to, we could also try to write our own calligraphy. The place was pretty full, so I passed this time, knowing that in a few weeks, we would have a calligraphy lesson as part of our culture class.

(Wooden model of Inuyama Castle, and view of the castle’s shrine)

(panoramic view from the viewing platform atop Inuyama Castle)

School Days

Hello, everyone!

It’s been a couple weeks now since school has started here in Japan.  Now that I have settled in some more, I can share more information with you.

CLASSES

First off, at Toledo and other Universities, a class will count for credits depending on the hours of in class time you spend a week.  For example, history class is 3 credits, and it meets twice a week for about an hour and a half.  At Aichi University, and maybe other universities in Japan, classes are 1-2 credits, and usually meet only once a week.  So instead of doing Monday’s homework for Wednesday’s class, we are preparing it for the following week.

There is also one more small difference because I am an exchange student.  This semester we (the exchange students) are placed into Japanese studies classes.  That means we are studying grammar, conversation, composition, and history and culture.  Even though all the classes are separate and only meet once a week, all of the language classes are using the same book, so we have the chance to review and understand the material from different aspects.

SCHOOL LIFE

Thankfully, my apartment is close enough to school that I can ride my bike and it will only take 15 minutes.  There’s always people around, and even though the exchange student’s classes only go until 3pm, there are other classes in the evening.

I decided to join a circle. It’s not a cult thing, if that’s what you’re thinking! In Japan, clubs are called circles, and team sports are called clubs.  I was confused too at first, and I thought I should join a club, only to realize that they were the real deal.  I didn’t even play on a team back in Toledo, so there was no chance I could suddenly join one now.  On the other hand, circles are much more fun and you can join them freely.  I chose the school’s dance group, and we are now preparing for the school festival in November (kinda nervous! Haha)

COMMUNICATION

So, as exchange students in an otherwise homogeneous country/university, you can assume that we stick out.  In America there are already many different cultures present, so I think we take it for granted when a foreign student comes to our University.  Here, not everyone speaks English, and if they do they may be to shy to do so outright.  Fortunately, the school’s international studies department arranged welcome parties and “International Cafes” (similar to the events held by the International Student Association at UT) that allowed us to meet more Japanese students and become friends.  Of course, by joining the dance group I have made even more friends.  Sometimes, once they realize I am from America (and not France, or Germany) then they want to practice speaking English with me. In return, I am able to practice more of my Japanese too.

This is a very brief look at my ongoing study abroad experience.  There are still many topics that I have not yet touched on, so please, if there is anything specific you would like for me to mention (or research) let me know in the comments~

Until next time, take care!

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 5

SEPTEMBER 29

Still haven’t brought in my laundry~ oops, haha. Oh well, it’s not going to rain for a while.

Sunday is usually my chill out and clean day. Today, on the other hand, I had made plans to hang out in Osu with a girl named Yukimi, who I met at the first International Party. We went to Yep Seoul, which had a ton of Korean Pop band merchandise. Of course, it would have been much cheaper to buy in Korea, but we still had a fun time looking at all the interesting items. Then, for lunch, we went to a place called Solo Pizza.

It’s actually quite famous in the area; meaning when we got there a huge group of people were already lined up outside. It was worth it though. The crust was perfect, and the pizza we ordered didn’t use tomato sauce (my preference). That place had a strong Italian presence, even down to the desserts. We were tempted, but we chose to get ice cream from another place instead.

We hung out for most of the afternoon, but as evening rolled around I had to get ready for dance@live, a national dance event in which three teams from AIDAI were competing. I went to cheer them on. It was supposed to open at 4pm and start at 5, but for some reason we couldn’t even get in to the studio until 5:15. But, if I hadn’t gone to the convenient store to kill some time, I might not have ran into the other members from my circle.

As for the dance battles, 3-on-3 teams, it was the most inspiring thing I could have seen at the rebirth of my dance dream. Two groups from my circle made it into the semi-finals, but sadly, they were defeated. The last team was eliminated in a sudden death match— I can’t believe I know dancers of this caliber!

That battle continued on until 10:30pm, when finally a team was selected as the winner. Before I returned home, I spoke to our group leader and said, “If I can’t dance with everyone at the festival, I want to do whatever I can to help set up.” He replied with, “You are a part of the group, you can dance with us. It has nothing to do with your level now.” I was acknowledged as part of the group, though really it was only a week since I joined. I was touched. I wanted to practice right away! This group, BPM, was increasing in importance to me as the days went on.

I did end up coming home and practicing on the balcony for a bit before one of the neighbors from the floor below showed up.

Side note: This is the second time I have to totally clean out my shower drain, how is this possible?? There really is a lot of dust I guess.

SEPTEMBER 30

This morning my sleep was interrupted by the angry vibration of my phone. It was a message from the International Student Coordinator, saying little else than ‘Please stop by the office today.’ I had nothing to go on, so I couldn’t continue to rest in peace. I headed to the university right away, showing up at 10:30am on the dot.

Apparently, it wasn’t a dire situation as I had presumed. He wanted to ask me if I could write a little blurb for the international section about why I was studying abroad, my dreams, etc. I said ‘yes’ before I really thought about it. It was a doable task, but I had no idea what to write about. He gave me two weeks to figure it out, and also turn in 5 photos.

Next was class. Didn’t do too hot on the quiz, but I got at least 3 of the sentences correct. During 4th period we had our first International Cafe, a time created for the exclusive purpose of language and culture exchange held in the library discussion room. With free drinks. Free coffee. I had maybe two or three cups, and now I can’t sleep.

OCTOBER 1

I couldn’t sleep last night at all, so I’ve been tired all morning. I just went to class, bought groceries and came home to take a nap. Tonight there is dance practice again~

I went back to campus around 6pm and was the first to arrive for practice. Another member, a popper, arrived a little bit after me, so we talked a bit before I decided to warm up. I ended up dancing from 6:30-9:30; it feels good overall but my back is a little sore. I haven’t stretched it this much in a while.

Back home, and unfortunately, I still have kanji homework to do.

OCTOBER 2

This morning, I woke up at 5:30am to finish my homework. Still a little tired, but I’d say I’m a little more sore than anything.

After our first class, Joy and I went down to the Mini Stop, the convenience store right on campus. As we were standing in line, suddenly one of the English teachers approached us. He asked us if we wouldn’t mind visiting his English class that period. It would be a chance to help the students. We didn’t know how much help we would be, but we complied.

The funny thing about classes with Japanese students is that they usually don’t talk at all during the period. Of course, in this English class they had to practice phrases, but otherwise it was so quiet. Basically, we introduced ourselves, asked the students some questions, and had a few of them ask us questions too. We tried our best to help out, but the students are really shy, so I can’t tell if it helped at all.

OCTOBER 3

The school festival is coming up in a month! I’m going to be dancing with the freshman-sophomore mix hip-hop team. We just started learning the choreography today, but I’m catching on quickly. Our group practiced together for a couple hours, and then it was free time. I myself continued to dance for another 5 hours. Time really flies when you’re doing something you love. I basically worked out all the tiredness and soreness, haha.

OCTOBER 4

Once again, my fridge is lacking provisions. Because of this, I left for school earlier so that I could stop at MaxValu on the way and buy some fruit and tea, and a bento, prepared box meal, for lunch. Then I only had first period, so basically from 11am I was just hanging out in the library with Jason and Mark.

  

(‘hanging out’ in the discussion room)

We waited around until other students had finished lunch or work, and then we went to have curry for dinner. Level 4 is pretty good, next time going for Level 5. Jason and Mark also challenged Level 4, but the struggle was real. By the time they finished their bowl they seemed to have gotten used to it, but doesn’t seem like they’ll order it again.

We spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and talking with the other students. Finally came back to my room at 2am, thanks to Rachael. The others went home early, but we continued talking and watching videos anyway.

OCTOBER 5

Remember that random conversation class we missed last week? Well, we had to make it up this morning. Class on a Saturday: that was fun to wake up for. The coffee milk helped, and I also had a macha (green tea) ring cake, basically a donut, and it was delicious.

Now I’m home trying to clean my room. I Skyped with Lynnette a few minutes ago and showed her the Gun Gun Gurt bottles I found. We used to hunt it down in the vending machines back in Tokyo and Osaka. Now, I found out its being sold at MaxValu. AND there is a 2 liter size! That’s more Gun Gun Gurt than we could have hoped for back then, haha.

Okay, back to cleaning. There is a birthday party tonight for Kaori, one of the Japanese students who had helped guide us around the first week we arrived. I think it’s at an izakaya, with a course meal. As long as there are non-pork dishes, we’re good. It should be fun~