STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 48

JULY 28

Yes! Back on my feet and ready to celebrate! Another Ramadan has come to an end. Aside from that last bout of sickness, I had no trouble fasting. I had been worried because I was told the humidity would kill me, but not this time.

The afternoon was marked by two events. The first of which was the conversation exam. This time, each of us would have an entire fifteen minutes to speak, and our partner was the professor. When all was said and done, my professor asked me, ‘Did you think it was easy?’ Does that mean I did well? Or, maybe I’m over-thinking it and it really means, ‘Don’t you think you should have tried harder?’ But, I don’t know what else I could have said. It was all right out of the textbook. Oh well, just let it be. Off to party~

Of course, we couldn’t really have a ‘party’ as there were now only three of us. Instead, we had a late lunch at the nearby curry place, and then we also ate some crepes. Then both of my new Indonesian friends went off to study for their exams. I headed home to pack another load and visit the district office to officially change my address. Now that I’ve received quite a few things from the other students, including a size-able box of study materials for the Japanese proficiency test, a folding table, a couple towels, various condiments, utensils, and more. Tomorrow is going to be my fourth round of moving luggage (the third was before I headed down to hand in my visa paperwork on Friday). Sadly, it looks like there’s more to come. So much stuff!!

JULY 29

It must be a universal rule that you have to change your address within 14 days of moving. I only found that out a few days ago, but I made it in time.

I am now an official resident of Okazaki city! A small part of me is still amazed that I was able to do the entire process on my own. In general, it’s not a hard process, but there is a little bit of paperwork. Last night, I stayed in Okazaki, so this morning I took the bus to Higashi Okazaki in order to reach the City Hall. I was told which department to turn my paper into, but no one said there was two buildings and multiple floors. Of course, that was only a small obstacle, and by noon the paperwork was filed. They even gave me a little ‘welcome’ bag, filled with news flyers, and a few bags for sorting garbage and recycling. After that it was back to Nagoya for some final reviewing.

(City map of Okazaki at Higashi Okazaki Station.)

JULY 30

It ended today. My last exam of the semester, my last day of classes at Aichi University, and it was all the last day of my undergraduate career. Would’ve thought I would finish my career as a student, and start a new one as a teacher, in Japan? I’m fairly sure I passed the kanji portion of the test with flying colors, but I’ll never get to see it. I’m not going to look back for it either: onward and upwards.

To celebrate the end of [most of] it all, I treated myself to something I have wanted to go to for years: DISNEY on ICE. Yes. I was actually lucky to get the ticket from a friend who could no longer go because of her exam. Gi and I met at the venue just as the show started. Our seats were off to the side, but we had a great view of the show. Pictures were improbable, but those images will stay with me I’m sure. Interludes with Mickey and the gang transitioned into each storyline: The Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, Snow White, and my favorite, Tangled. I only wish there had been more, but perhaps it depends on the show? I’ll just have to go to another one someday.

Dinner was my last Taco (salad) Night at Shooter’s with the girls. Tomorrow we are going to Universal Studios Japan!!!! I can’t wait!!

JULY 31

The adventure started off in the warm morning hours as we made our way from our apartments to the highway bus stop. This time, instead of taking a bus from the Meitetsu bus center, we registered with JAMJAM, another highway bus company. Coincidentally, the stop at which we had to wait was right in front of AIDAI. We left early because we were not aware of the stop’s location, so we had some time to wait. As we waited, one of the bus guides, an elderly man, started talking to us; of course, noticing we were foreigners, he was curious as to where we were from. He himself seemed very educated in regards to foreign languages. Too bad he wasn’t our bus guide, but he was an interesting man.

We boarded the bus and climbed up to the second deck. There were two rows of paired individual seats, not benches. These seats were also a comfortable size, complete with a leg rest, and blanket. There was also hardly any other passengers, so we had the desk to ourselves. As the trip proceeded, there would be rounds of visiting the very front of the deck to take pictures, as well as pretend to be driving the bus. One of the things that I noticed, and that I wish I was able to take a picture of in time, was an Egyptian cafe near Nakatsu Subway Station in Osaka. My heritage must have been crying out to me.

At just before 11am we arrived in front of USJ, Universal Studios Japan. There was only a few families and couples with us as we walked past the giant UNIVERSAL STUDIOS globe and through the ticket gate. It wasn’t nearly as crowded as we thought it would be. Once we entered the park, and made a necessary stop at the ATM, the crowds increased, but once again, it was the general crowd you would expect. Families, foreign and domestic, couples in matching clothing, groups of school girls, and occasionally some of the park’s characters would come out as well.

Our first destination was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We hastily made our way to the new attraction; from the outside of the park you could see the upper towers of Hogwarts. Gradually, the surrounding crowd began to increase. Before we could enter the attraction, we needed to take a time ticket. Since it was so new, it was still the most popular place in the park, and so it only made sense that they had to let people enter in cycles. The ticket said nothing about departure time, so it was possible that anyone who entered could spend the whole day there. We might have, if our ticket time had been earlier, but we could not enter until 5:30pm.

With six hours before the main event, the only thing to do was enjoy the rest of the park. We went to Jurassic Park first, just as the heat of the day peaked. The line for the ride wound so far down the trail that at first we thought we missed the entrance. That wasn’t so. Soon we found the end of the line and from there it was an hour and a half wait. If you read my past entry from my first trip to Japan, when we visited the Natural History Museum in Toyohashi, then you know I like dinosaurs. Kids of my generation should like them, and that is in part because of the wonderful Jurassic Park. That said, if I was going to create an attraction that would line up people for hours, then I would put something along the line to distract them, like some dinosaurs in the trees, or information cards. The only we had was a couple oscillating fans that people looked forward to reaching in the hot summer heat. Once we reached the cover, there was an introduction video playing on some TVs, but that was during the last thirty-minutes. By then, the excitement increased again, and very soon we were on the ride itself. I won’t spoil it for you, but just so you know, it was a water ride as if you were in a tour boat of the island. Of course, I wish it was longer, but it was very good. They should make one another level up in one of the Jeeps, and by level up I mean scarier, crazier, and more awesome!

So the ride exited into a small gift shop, once you got off the boat obviously. There weren’t that many interesting dinosaur souvenirs, which was a shame. Most of the store catered to One Piece (a popular anime about pirates) and Sesame Street fans. Those two are also two big attractions in USJ. We ate lunch at the One Piece restaurant (right), where the most interesting thing on the menu was the “Giant Leg of Meat”. It was in fact a turkey leg, but it matched both the Jurassic Park and One Piece themes. As we ate, a couple of characters from the show also appeared and performed a short act in the cafeteria.

After lunch, we walked back around the pond, or some body of water, that is centered in the park. We passed Jaws and Snoopy land, and spent some time near the front of the park which was decorated with Hollywood stars, classic American motifs, and souvenir shops. By this time, we had seen a number of people carrying large, I mean HUGE, bags with Harry Potter on them. We assumed those people had already left the attraction— ‘why would they leave?’ we joked. In addition, we perused almost all of the souvenir shops until we found two that also sold merchandise from the Wizarding World. However, the real special items that were on our shopping list could only be found within the attraction itself. We suspended buying anything at the time ans circled the park until we reached the Spider-Man attraction.

The line for the Spider-Man simulator was incredibly deceiving. Starting from the outside door, you can actually see the entrance into what looks like the start of the adventure. But after that line zigzags once, it throws you down a long hallway and into another maze of waiting. At least this time the walls were decorated with Spider-Man art and newspapers. I can’t recall how long we waited, but I’m sure it was over an hour at least. Slowly the excitement picked up as we reached the area near the entrance that I had mentioned. Then, once we received our 3D Glasses the real excitement set in. Once again, I won’t spoil it, but the ride was brilliant! I would have rode it again if the line wasn’t so incredibly long.

As we departed from Spider-Man’s ride, we took the obligatory picture with the hanging Spider-Man in the alley. Unfortunately, they had a professional photographer in place there, so we couldn’t exercise our freedom with the poses. It’s not like we even wanted a print from them anyway, just the picture on our smartphone was suffice. From there, we grabbed a quick snack of smoothies and soft cream pretzels.

The heat continued to bore down on us, though we still had over an hour to wait before entering The Wizarding World. On our way towards the attraction, we passed through Jurassic Park again. This time, there was a raptor on the loose. It was one of the incredibly realistic robots, except for its legs. As I was taking its picture, it seemed to notice and purposely walked in my direction. When it was right in front of my face, I finally noticed that it was bigger than I expected. It almost reached me before one of its trainers, or whatever the assisting person is, called it away. As it turned, its huge tail took out a small child. I wish my brothers had been there with me to see it; they would have enjoyed it as well.

Soon, the last hour of waiting was upon us, but there was no real place to rest outside the entrance. We meandered into Snoopy land and rode around in circles inside giant cupcakes, and then, once we were tired of the Hello Kitty motifs we wandered back to The Wizarding World entrance. We sought out some shade amongst the giant circle of obelisks, found a cool pace to wait, and then counted down the minutes. Just before 5:30 we stepped into the new-forming line, becoming part of the first ten people to enter at that time.

As we traversed the path lined with coniferous trees we could start to hear the musical score from the Harry Potter soundtrack. Ron’s car was crashed near the trees. The true entrance quickly appeared before us, with its expected stone and wood architecture. The 9¾ train awaited near the entrance, across from various small specialty shops. In the center of the street was a stand selling the famous Butter Beer, which you could have regular or iced. We each ordered a cup, and continued to make our way up the street towards the castle of Hogwarts. Each store that lined the way was an eye-catcher, but first we intended to ride the castle ride. I can’t even begin to describe the level of excitement that was set on by the atmosphere. It would have been great to dress up, and even better to visit the attraction in winter, when the snow on the shop roofs would actually make sense. It goes without saying that the line for the castle ride was enormous, probably taking upwards of three hours from the entrance. The outside wasn’t much to look at, but once one enters the castle proper, then things became interesting. It was impossible to take pictures in the dark though. Then as the line proceeded, we dropped off our things in a locker, passed through Dumbledore’s office and approached the ride. No spoilers~ it was equally, if not more fun than the Spider-Man simulator. If I ever come back, my top priority will be to ride it again.

(We toasted with our  butter beers, which tasted just like crème soda. Here’s to us.)

We exited the castle into another souvenir shop, but once again, the items that we sought were not present, for example, chocolate frogs. By the time we were able to enter the specialty candy shop where they were sold, they were sold out. People were buying them by the dozens to take home as gifts for other people. We had only wanted one or two, so it didn’t seem fair, but anything that is limited appears more desirable. There would have to be a next time, someday, somehow. We proceeded to eat dinner at the resident restaurant, which also served turkey legs. It was about 15 dollars a plate, though I suppose that’s standard for theme park fare.

Night had come, and soon the park would be closing. We finally did some souvenir shopping of our own, some for us, some to give to our friends back home, or in Nagoya. The night parade was nearly about to start, but we were tired, dead on our feet to be honest. We regretfully left the park and said good-bye to our wonderful adventure.

Leaving the park proved to be quite interesting in itself. The UNIVERSAL City Walk that led towards the station was once again decorated in neon lights and American motifs. It looked like a fun place to explore, if we had the time and energy.

As we boarded the train to take us to Kobe, the cold that Joy had staved off all day suddenly hit with a vengeance. The train was also too crowded to sit down on for most of the way, so she had to bear it standing with us.

We had not made accommodations this trip, in part because we were trying to save money. If we found a karaoke place, we figured we might stay there till morning for not even a fifth of the price of a single hotel room. First, however, we wanted to make a stop at a bar run by one of Rachael’s good friend’s mom. Rachael and I spent most of the night there chatting with the owner, her son, and a couple other random customers. Aurianne and Joy had rightfully excused themselves to find a place to sleep. I made sure that they arrived at their place before enjoying the rest of the night with Rachael on my second wind of energy.

(Hogwarts, Universal Studios Japan, 2014)

AUGUST 1

Good morning, Kobe!

Rachael and I stayed at the bar until well after 3am. We went in search for the Internet Cafe that Joy and Aurianne were staying at, but they wouldn’t answer our calls. The only thing they had told us last night was that it was the same place we saw advertised outside the station that included all-you-can-eat ice cream. After finding that ad once again, we located the Internet Cafe and paid a visit to the front desk. Again, we didn’t really know where they were, so we had to ask by name. We just wanted to confirm that they were there, but the present manager went to check the rooms and brought back a drowsy Aurianne. With that, we confirmed that we had the right place, but it made no sense for us to pay the 1800 yen for only a few hours. Instead, we backtracked to the McDonald’s near the station and ordered some breakfast. There, we, along with other weary travelers and early birds, spent the next few hours loitering in McDonald’s basement cafe. Joy and Aurianne joined us after 7am, and we were back on the streets by 8.

That started a cyclic day of wandering, snacking, searching for places to rest our feet, more snacking and then more wandering. If you ask why, it is because once again, our bus wasn’t until the evening… as if we hadn’t learned anything from our trip to Mt. Fuji. In fact, we had no plans in particular for that second day in Kobe. After we bought some honey, and tasted some Kobe Beef at lunch our to-do list was pretty much complete.

The small steak of Kobe Beef that we ate was tender, juicy and delicious, but I can’t compare it to other beef that I have eaten simply because it’s been months since I have eaten steak. Everything else we ate was some form of sweet or bread, of which there seemed to be at every corner. We spent two or three hours just sitting in a cafe on one order of coffee, simply because we didn’t want to walk around anymore.

The bus couldn’t have arrived soon enough. On one hand, we wanted to shower, sleep and refresh, so we wanted to go home. But, on the other hand, once we returned home, the only thing that would remain for us would be packing and saying good-byes.

AUGUST 2

After a full night’s sleep, I packed up another round of goodies and prepared to head for Okazaki again. Rachael was having a Taco Party in her room, which I briefly attended, even though I swore off food several times since our indulgence yesterday. But, I couldn’t say no, she made special all-beef taco meat just for me.

I couldn’t hang around Nagoya forever because I had made plans to go to the Okazaki Fireworks Festival with Takahiro. The others would have come along as well, but they had already been to two or three other festivals, including the one in Gamagori.

This time, I dressed myself in the yukata all on my own. I still had all the ties and clips that I borrowed from Akane’s grandmother, so it was simply a matter of mimicking the process. It didn’t take too long, maybe not even twenty minutes. I was able to leave a bit early to meet Takahiro at the other end of the station, as we waited to meet his acquaintances from Canada. It was an interesting because he was actually invited to join a girl studying abroad and her host family at the festival. I sort of just tagged along as the outsider.

In fact, as it happened, the girl from Canada wasn’t present when her host mom picked us up. We went back to the house to wait for her to return, only to find out that she would be meeting us at the festival itself. At the time, there were other family members who had not yet even met the girl from Canada, so that’s who they assumed I was. Twenty minutes of being mistaken for someone else, but no one ventured to confirm my identity because they assumed I couldn’t speak Japanese. Finally, as we were about to head for the festival, I had the chance to speak and suddenly everything came to light.

One of the great things about living in a place that has little crime activity, and people in general respect one another, is that you can claim a space by laying down a blue tarp and no one will take it, even if you do so hours ahead of time and nobody is present to state the claim, just a name. Of course, everyone is doing it, so rightfully, everyone has the same opportunity.

The place that the host family claimed was down by the river. It was very close to the fireworks display, and one of the boats on the water, but we were actually watching from the back. We couldn’t see all of the special one-way designs, but we had a prime view over most of the large displays, and those that happened on the boat before us.

The event proceeded with fun and food, but it ended on a precarious note. Some of the other members in our group got sick from drinking too much. Takahiro had to catch the train home, but I stayed with them until their ride came to pick them up, and then I headed to the station to catch the last bus home. 

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 45

JULY 6

It’s been too long since I have danced at Shirakawa Park. The weather today was a bit iffy, but it started out nice and sunny. Five of us were practicing, doing our own thing when I noticed someone watching in the corner of my eye. We made eye-contact and he spoke to me, ‘Do you speak English?’

Had he not asked this in a perfect American accent, I would have assumed he was Japanese. On the contrary, he was actually from Michigan! On top of that, he was a break dancer, but he was in Japan on a three-week internship as an engineer. Of all the people!

At the time he had just finished touring the science museum, so he happened to notice us as he passed by. He wasn’t meeting his friend until later that evening, so we offered him the chance to rest, or to join us if he’d like. It had been ‘months’ since he’s practiced, but he jumped right into it, despite the light rain that started to fall. Eventually, we moved our group to the basketball court, which was covered by the overpass and practiced there. As the first English-speaking break dancer I have met in the past year, I eagerly took his well-pointed advice. Now I’m trying to figure out how to do thread while I’m in a shoulder freeze. Thanks, Albert. Be seeing you again I hope.

JULY 7

I started packing and preparing for the move. What I really mean is that I’ve put away all my winter things nicely, and I have filled up my large orange luggage with things I am not using now, but will need later. It never hurts to start early. Then, evening practice in the Naka District.

JULY 8

After weeks of waiting, my group has finally been able to present our survey to the class. All the themes had a relation to school, and ours was about the commute. Almost a month ago we started our surveys by asking a few volunteer students who came to our class basic questions in regards to our research. We didn’t have to actually create another survey on our own accord, but since we only had two questions to investigate, and already eight people’s answers, we decided it was an opportune time.

I was in charge of the survey, but we divided the other research and presentation creation amongst the three of us. Not only were we to present on Japan’s school commute, but our home countries as well. As far as information goes, we filled our twenty minutes greatly, and that was before playing the video material. I wish our member had shown us the video beforehand, rather than playing the five minutes’ worth during the real presentation as we were on the clock. There were no questions to be asked, which may or may not have been a good thing. I think people just wanted to go to their next class. There will probably be a question session at the beginning of class next week.

JULY 9

It’s the second to last week of the semester, which means today was the second to last Business Japanese class we will have. Next week also happens to be the final exam, which will be similar to the midterm where we had to do role-plays. However, we also have to write a thank you speech, and practice new role plays such as telephone conversations ad lib. I hope I don’t get picked for the telephone conversation!

JULY 10

Our morning started out with a guidance meeting for the students who are going to return to their home countries soon. Granted, some of us are ready to go home, but I’m not. We spent about an hour or so being talked about canceling our Internet contracts, preparing for water and electric bills, returning our bikes to the university, cleaning up our rooms, and, of course, final paperwork. My only comfort was that if anything happened, I would still be around later to deal with it. But the harsh truth was very clear: in less than a month I would be saying good-bye to some of the most important people in my life, my second family.

Like I said it was depressing, but we couldn’t wallow in it. We still had more immediate preparations to make. The day after tomorrow four of us, Joy, Rachael, Aurianne and I were heading to Mt. Fuji. Joy and I rode our bikes to Donki for some last minute preparations, in particular headlamps. We intended to climb the mountain over the course of the day and into the night so that we could see the sunrise. Then, we hurried home to work on our final presentations for culture class tomorrow. Once again, we can present on anything we want, and I was still undecided until yesterday.

JULY 11

(I woke up just in time for the clouds to give way to the dawn.)

My second to last presentation topic of the semester, of my undergraduate career was this: Okami. Okami has several meanings when translated, all which depend on its kanji. The basis for my presentation was a Capcom video game that came out a few years back when I was in high school. In this game you played as Amaterasu, a god or okami, who comes down to Japan to save the people from the dark ages as a wolf, also okami, and your powers are used by drawing symbols on paper, the final kami. The main reason I chose this as my final subject was because this game opened my eyes to Japanese folklore. Every character, every story within the story has a link to a Japanese folktale. I’m a fan of folklore, and another big theme that I enjoy is past meets present. This game does exactly that, as it is a modern tool depicting old stories. I highly recommend it.

That said, I kind of tripped through the presentation itself. Maybe that was karma, or some foul curse that said any video I planned to use in my culture presentation would betray me. In this case, the voice over of the video was faster than I could read, but it wasn’t a real, clear language. So I constantly had to pause, read, and play the video again. It made my presentation much longer than the intended ten minutes.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 44

JUNE 29

This morning I went to Okazaki to sign the finalization of my apartment contract. The events have finally settled in, and I will be moving in a few weeks. While I was in Okazaki, I decided to walk to the mall and also check out the nearby Donki, where I bought some sportswear.

By the way, Ramadan is supposed to be starting soon, but I’ve been hearing different things about the starting day. Some are saying it’s tomorrow, and others are saying it’s Tuesday. I’m not sure, so I decided to start fasting from today. As long as this summer isn’t too humid, I think I won’t have a problem.

JUNE 30

I haven’t really had a chance to relax and do nothing the past couple weeks, and since I was out all day yesterday, that’s exactly what I did today after class. I sent in my book stuff to be printed; now it’s just time to wait until the proof copy is delivered.

JULY 1 - JULY 2

Today I decided to kick back a bit more. Joy and the others have decided to go climb Mt. Fuji on July 12th and 13th. That just so happens to be my birthday week. I couldn’t have planned a better way to spend my birthday than with them. As for climbing the mountain, if we can get all the way to the top it will be a great feat. I have a few doubts, since I’ve never done it before, but as far as fitness goes I think I can make the climb. I may be slow, but I will get to the top if that’s where we are going.

JULY 3

Today is all about BPM. They’re having another party down in Toyohashi tonight, which I almost missed out on. Initially the date was set for next Thursday, but it was suddenly changed to today. It’s probably going to go all night again, but I’m looking forward to seeing if any of the graduated students show up. This may also be the last time I can party with them as a student, so I have to make the most of it! Toyohashi here I come!

JULY 4

As expected, the party lasted all night. It wasn’t as lively as some of the other previous parties, and by that I mean a lot more people slept through the night. I considered napping once or twice myself, but I have a hard time doing so in public places. Instead I danced most of the night, and when morning came, this time I was showered and ready to start my day.

I actually had quite a Friday planned. After class, where presentations on Japanese instruments continued, I went to karaoke with Taiga and Rachael for the afternoon three-hour special. We needed to figure out what songs we can sing together, so I went for practice, she just went to be awesome.

Then, following an enriching karaoke experience, I met with Takahiro at the station. We headed down to Osu on the subway in search for yukatas, preferably cheap ones. Normally, a new, well-made yukata might go for a couple hundred dollars or so. If at all possible, I hoped to get the whole set: yukata, obi, and geta (wooden shoes) for less than a hundred. They had pre-made packs in Aeon for about one-hundred dollars; that was my back-up plan.

Thankfully, I didn’t need to go to Aeon after all. The first store we went into had two floors, with used yukatas and kimonos on the second floor. We checked the second floor first because some were as cheap as 500 yen! Unfortunately, we could find little that would suit my height, or that was the right material/color. We were pretty set on some sort of blue as the main color. Two middle-aged women graciously gave us advice on where to look for the right styles for summer, and they even went as far as to lead us, well me, around the store to try on different styles. They didn’t work there, they were customers like us, though clearly more experienced.

When the second floor proved to be insightful, but not plentiful, we headed down to the first floor. I expected prices to be through the roof, but there was actually yukata between 3000 and 5000 yen. There was only one blue one that would fit my height, I was worried if it would fit the girth of my hips, when suddenly another middle-aged woman came out of nowhere and started to properly dress me in the yukata. We had a red obi picked out, which she quickly wrapped around me and confirmed the sizes would fit. Thank you, random lady, for saving us the guess work. All I had to do was choose a pair of geta, which for my size was even harder to find, but there was a few extra-large pairs. In any case, they would have been tight because they were new. All that for about 7200 yen, perfect!

Following our shopping venture, Takahiro and I trudged back to Nagoya station so we could go to English Cafe Nite. There happened to be a large group visiting from California, which at least doubled the number of English speakers in the room. We played a game similar to telephone, only with gestures instead of speaking the phrases. Some of the phrases we had to act out were impossible to decipher: my group’s phrase was becoming a ghost, but it ended up looking like the rain came and something sprouted. Regardless, we had a great time, and I earned the right to a good night sleep. Good night!

JULY 5

Mark’s having a party tonight in his room. For the first time it’s not in my or Rachael’s room, so we’re grateful. It went well, as most parties do. Nobody came to hush us, though I thought sometimes we got a bit loud. Then, out of nowhere, Mark’s neighbor calls for his attention on the balcony. Next thing we know, he’s sitting in the room with us, talking about games. We thought he was going to tell us to be quiet, but he just came over to join the party. In fact, this was the same guy that I had talked to WAY back in September when there was a fire in the building across the street. Who knew he was Mark’s neighbor?

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 1

SEPTEMBER 1

5am: Awake before first light. The two large luggage I had packed almost two week ago (which I proceeded to repack until last night) were set by the front door. My parents were both sitting in the living room on the large Eas-y-Boy chairs.

They asked, “You ready?” All I could say was, “Yep.” I’d had been preparing for nearly two years, couldn’t think of anything else to do but go. I quickly made a bowl of cereal, which I had a feeling I wouldn’t have the chance to eat it over the next year. The cat’s walked by and ignored me as usual. My brothers, barely awake, acknowledged my leaving as they turned in their sleep and muffled something along the lines of “okay”.

This is it then. Time to go.

8:50am: Well, they just cut off my free Wifi access at the airport. Great. Boarding isn’t for another hour, so I’m left listening to music and contemplating when a good time to go to the bathroom is. I do not know what gate my flight from Chicago is; my itinerary says its the same terminal, so provided that is true, I should find it.

This is the start of my solo journey. It really is a strange feeling. It’s not loneliness, or anxiety, or even glee… it’s a very mortal feeling though. Suddenly, everything I do is up to me. Regardless, I think I will notice and appreciate tings more this way. I have no one to rely on and guide me. I’m not afraid to make mistakes, I learn a lot quicker that way.

Still, I hope these connections go smoothly.

SEPTEMBER 2

4 p.m. Flight to Chubu International Airport from Narita- Tokyo.

Okay, so the good news is that nothing went wrong. But let me tell you - it was not a pleasant wait.

After I arrived in Chicago I headed straight for my terminal (from G18 - K19). Usually, I’m a go at my own pace person, but in this case, I was booking it across that airport. My layover there was only 45 minutes, and I had no idea what lied ahead of me. Thankfully, I made it to my gate with some time to spare. As soon as I sat down I tried to connect to the Wifi - and then I heard the check-in desk announce my name. There was a “message” for me, but they really meant “we need to check your visa”. They also informed me that I would go through customs when I landed in Tokyo. My layover there was barely an hour and fifteen-minutes, and I had heard that customs could take up to a couple hours. I instantly became worried that I wouldn’t have enough time, but the flight attendants gave me no particular advice on the matter. So I sat with that worry in the back of my head for the duration of my international flight. All 13 hours of it.

My seat on the flight was comfortable: Japan Airlines economy class, and an aisle seat. Coincidentally, there was no one on either side of me, and in the next seats over were an infant, and girl who can sleep through anything. Guess I won’t be making friends yet. So, I started off with a movie I actually wanted to see: it was a recent release in the States, but I chose to watch it dubbed in Japanese (which was nice, they chose great voice actors). Then it was onto an episode of Japanese Variety show, DOWNTOWN DX, followed by some hours of Tetris and countless minutes of trying to sleep, but not being able to.

Then there was the food (2 meals for international flights). I had requested a “special” meal plan, aka the no pork option. It was also no beef, which for the flight I didn’t mind. They must have planned that meal for travelers from India, because the chicken/fish and rice dishes they provided were SPICY. I do like some spicy food, so it wasn’t that bad, but there was a cardamom with my chicken! That is the worst thing to accidentally eat. Fortunately, there was also a tiny salad and fresh fruit (best part!) and even a sandwich along the way. They fed us too well!! As a result, the remaining 3 hours after the 2nd meal were incredibly uncomfortable. Add to the stress of not knowing how my connection will proceed, and you have a no-nonsense traveler.

Also, the lightning strike while landing that made the lights flicker off - not cool.

As soon as I got off the plane I marched my way to the relative front of the crowd. First, I had to get through the immigration check. The line was packed, but I was well into the front end of it. Once I got up to the desk the guy took my passport, and after seeing my visa asked if I spoke Japanese. My sentences were a bit frazzled from the long, isolated flight, but I managed to say something coherent. I asked how I was supposed to proceed from that point: get luggage, go to customs, check-in again, and board flight within 50 minutes.

I sped down the stairs after receiving my Residence card and rushed to baggage claim. None of the active turnarounds were for my flight. Panic. Okay, don’t panic. Did it go ahead of me? Were they still unloading? Time to use more words. I approached the nearest security guard and he graciously pointed out the corral on the farthest end - and there it was! Thank you, orange bag, for being one of a kind.

One step down, two more to go. With my luggage in hand, and paperwork under my arm, I shuffled over to customs. Again, with those two luggages, a small shoulder bag and a backpack, ridiculous over-sized pink sweatpants and a somewhat washed out soccer tee shirt, tired and at the same time on high alert, yeah, I looked like a mess in so many ways. I’m not sure how it happened, but I ended up in a small conversation with the customs lady about my study abroad plans, which, I assume happened because she caught on that I could speak some Japanese. I also took the opportunity to once again confirm where I had to go for my domestic check-in. Some more rushing and fumbling with paperwork and I was finally heading to my gate (with 20 minutes to spare). They say luck is a skill in itself, but I definitely received a lot of help too.

Lastly, before this turbulence really kicks in, I made contact with other international students who are going to study at Nanzan University, a private university in Central Nagoya, and 2 others going to study in the Shiga Prefecture. Before we boarded the plane I gave them my business card, so, who knows, maybe I was able to make new friends after all.

Now that I’m on my way to Nagoya all my worries and reservations are gone, and I already feel at ease with this new adventure. I wouldn’t mind a shower though.

SEPTEMBER 3

It has been a long day indeed.

My friend Akane, her boyfriend Jon, and her mother picked me up from the airport yesterday. Since I was a day early for my program, I spent the night at their house in Okazaki. We made plans to leave for Nagoya for the International Student meet-up around 10 am.

I had hoped I could sleep in until 9:30, but my internal alarm woke me up at 5:30. It was already daylight, and as I got up to use the bathroom I noticed that Akane’s grandfather was making tea in the kitchen. I didn’t want to bother him, so I tried to go back to sleep - also known as, I’m going to lay on this futon for a few hours until something happens. At about 8:30 I couldn’t wait any longer, so I got up again to find Akane’s grandparents eating breakfast. They invited me to join them: 2 slices of rice bread with some butter and jam, orange juice, yogurt, pineapple and coffee. And, of course, grandfather’s tea. All this food, and not to mention they stuffed me at dinner last night too.

(Traditional Rice Paper sliding doors)

We talked for some time, and I did the best to speak with what Japanese I knew. The topics covered everything from my schooling to my prior trip to Japan. Eventually it was time to leave for Nagoya. I repacked my bags, now with slightly more space since I had given Akane a large bag of Starbust and some baklava for omiyage. As they readied the car, I finally had a chance to see the outside of the house - not only did it seem three times larger than I had initially presumed, but there was also a large garden surrounding the house. When I had arrived the night before it was pitch black, and I could see nothing but the front porch. It was a traditional style house, with a lovely garden, and even a koi pond. I wanted to see more, but that would have to wait.

Around noon, Akane and I arrived in Nagoya. We changed trains from the JR Line to the Sakuradori Subway Line, and rode it out to the last stop (really only one stop away): Nakamura Kuyakusho (district office). There we met one of the exchange students from Hawaii, Jason. From there the plan was to get our apartment keys and then find some lunch. Fortunately, we ran into the two students from the university who had volunteered to show us around: Ryoko and Kaori. At the time they were escorting the three exchange students from France: Marie, Aurianne, and Margeaux. The French girls were all staying at City Pal, just down the road, whereas Jason and I, along with the German and American students, would be staying at Chambre 72 (oddly enough a French word). Kaori showed me and Jason to the apartment, where we received our keys and finally found our rooms.

Room 705. My new home for a year.

I dropped off my bags and joined the others for a small tour of the apartment building. After that, we stopped at a small supermarket across the street to pick up groceries, and other basics. I was still full from breakfast so I only bought some fruit, vegetables and water. It was a little more expensive than the prices back in America, but I had expected worse.

We dropped off our groceries back at the apartment. (Thankfully, the building has an elevator because my room is on the 7th floor). It was already well past lunch time and we were hungry. We ended up going to a little well-known place down the road… Denny’s. Yup, first official outside meal in Japan (this time) and it’s at Denny’s. Could have been less Japanese I suppose. In any case, to make the experience somewhat more interesting I ordered the ochazuke,a rice bowl with tea broth. It was all right, enjoyable because the group was there, but I’m not in any hurry to go back.

After lunch, we went on a search for a hyaku-en shop. We still needed more basic living things, and apparently dish soap outranked toilet paper earlier. There wasn’t any near our apartment, but we were able to find one back near the station, maybe 12 minutes from our apartment or so. For some strange reason, we couldn’t find any toilet paper INSIDE the store; but, of course, as we were leaving we noticed it was displayed outside. Rather than going back in to buy it though, I decided I would come back out later tonight and buy it.

Back to the apartment and finally, FINALLY! I can unpack! All the things that I forgot I brought can now see the light. It just so happened there was another surprise waiting for me. As I was unpacking that obscenely large orange duffel bag on wheels I found a card tucked under the space saver bag. It was from my family, signed by each member. I had to stop and acknowledge the moment because nothing like this had happened before - and they had managed to surprise me! I was moved. This card is going on the wall, I decided.

However, before I could stick it on the wall, I needed tacks. That would be on the next shopping list. Then, unpacking and arranging the rest of my bags took three hours. Clothes, too many clothes. Mostly clothes, some shoes, and a few odds and ends. By the time I was ready for a break, it was dark outside and only 7pm! Now, I needed that toilet paper. So, as I said earlier, I went out in search for toilet paper. This time I headed in the opposite direction, just to see if there was any sort of store nearby. I followed the main road and quickly noticed many of the stores were closed. Only convenience stores and pachinko parlors seemed to be open. One of those convenience stores so happened to be a hyaku-en Lawson. Bingo. Got my toilet paper and went home for some much needed rest.

SEPTEMBER 4

Today, we had our first day of paperwork at Aichi University, AIDAI for short. Basically, from 9 am until 4 pm we went through filing forms for setting up accounts and other student documents. Got a few more things for the apartment from the DAISO (hyaku-en shop) near school, and when I got home I finally had a chance to eat some of the food that I bought. The 5 small-ish plastic containers that I bought were not enough to contain all the cabbage and lettuce that I cut up this morning (a head of each). Still, so far so good on the solo part I think.

My room is mostly put together now. It’s small, only a 1K (one room and kitchen), but I think it’s a pretty good size for a single person.

Also! I met the rest of the Americans today, all from Hawaii: Mark, Joy and Rachael. That brings up our American status to five, though it seems as though there is some distinction between “mainland America” and Hawaii. Nevertheless, I’m not really alone.

Anyway, I tried to do laundry today. The dryer does nothing. I need to get those hanger clips, and maybe a drying a rack because I’m not paying 200 again for a dryer that dry. With all the running today, I’m definitely feeling a bit tired, but I kind of want to workout or something tomorrow. It’s probably best if I don’t do too much, but…

SEPTEMBER 5

Ahhhh, to work out or not to work out? My feet are sore from walking and exploring everywhere. I think I’ll just do some stretches because the rash strikes again! Of course, it’s humid, and walking also encourages sweat. But, I didn’t expect to get the same upper-thigh rash that I got three years ago. I hope it doesn’t stay, cause there’s more walking to do tomorrow.

We got hit with a huge rainstorm yesterday by the way. Drenched walking home, even though I bought an umbrella — it just turned inside out after two minutes in the storm. So, I bought a hanger to dry shoes from the hyaku-en store.

During my wandering today I found Tokyu Hands at the station - the same one that Lynnette and I visited three years ago. I found the large toy hammers, just like the one she bought, and some awesome 3D puzzles. There was also a Haro alarm clock, which was either not as cool as I remembered, or a different style. I’ll just keep using my phone as my alarm for now I guess.

For lunch, the Hawaiian girls and I went to a kaitenzushi (conveyor-belt sushi). Rachael convinced me to try the natto sushi: I ate it, but it was unpleasant to say the least. “Why is this food?” I wondered, as mostly the smell took over the experience. There has to be a better way to eat it…

SEPTEMBER 6

Off to Sakae! But first, we all headed to Softbank to set up our phone contracts. It was improbable to even consider a smart phone and contract for several reasons: the contract was for two years, we would only be in Japan for one year, and the contract cancellation was over $100 dollars. Another reason was the initial payment itself for the smart phone, over $400 dollars! No thank you! Most of us chose to use pre-paid phones. The initial payment for the phone and charger was $120, but good news is that the minutes cards last two months, so we only need to pay for minutes if we need them.

(Views from Oasis 21, Sakae)

With phones in hand, and some contacts exchanged, it was off to Sakae! We wandered around the famous Oasis 21, then around the streets to Loft and the Pokemon Center. I ended up buying a water filter, “just in case”, and if anything it should discourage me from buying bottles of anything as much. As evening approached we all headed to Mexigan Bar. International students get a discount, and the nachos are delicious - slightly different, but I like them. I’d go back there.

SEPTEMBER 7

Today was relatively eventful. During my adventure on the train I ended up having a conversation with the woman who sat next to me. All I said was “Ohayo gozaimasu” (Good morning) and she thought that was impressive. I of course disagreed, and we ended talking about my studies, the weather (particularly tornadoes in America and typhoons). Turns out, the woman was on her way to Shizuoka, the prefecture east of Aichi, to try the squid. I can’t imagine traveling somewhere just to try the food.

Today is the third day in a row I have bought Coffee milk… I sense an addiction at hand. But it’s only 105 yen for 1 liter! Somehow I keep justifying that.