STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 46

JULY 14

I’m surprised I didn’t feel particularly sore or tired when I woke up this morning. Personally, I felt a bit stronger, and a little less class-oriented. In conversation class I tried to use the time to talk about our weekend, since none of us wanted to study. It was a hard bait to bite, but eventually they caught on.

Usually our day would end there, but we had another appointment set for fourth period. A graduate student at the university was researching tea, and its role in different culture. As a result, we, the resident different cultures, were going to meet with him for an interview. It was kind of sad, because he had come all the way from Toyohashi for an interview that could have easily been done over e-mail. I regret saying that there was no inviting feeling amongst the exchange students who did show up for the interview, and it was mostly us Americans. Granted, there isn’t much that we can say about tea, in and of itself. Those of us with any particular tea background were largely influenced by Japanese tea traditions. There really was nothing to say. However, despite our poor efforts, the young man was kind enough to bring us all a thank you gift for our participation. That made me feel a bit guilty, but the deed was done.

JULY 15

Tonight I’m hanging out with some members from BPM~ I’m not sure what the plans are exactly. There was going to be a get together later in August, but it would be either when I was back in America, or in process of moving. I asked if we could also do one this month also, and they planned it for tonight. A Tuesday night, of all things, but at least my morning class is just over the kanji from chapter 15.

JULY 16

Last night was great! It started out kind of rocky on my end, but in the end we had a great time.

After practice, I hurried home to shower and then back out to Nagoya Station where I expected to meet the rest of the group. I was early, but then they decided to eat at Saizeriya before coming to the Station. I started in their direction, but they said it wouldn’t be long, so I bought my own dinner at McDonald’s and ate in on the corner. It was kind of embarrassing just sitting there and eating by myself, but I assumed they would come any minute. It was almost 11pm when they finally arrived; I was expecting a slightly bigger group, but there were only eight people. Maybe I was a little disappointed not to see certain faces that I was more close to, but I was glad to have the company anyway. I say that like this day was planned for me, which it was in my head, but really, I think it was just a hang out for them.

We caught the Meitetsu heading north of Nagoya and got off at Biwajima. From there, it was a short walk to Japan Rental Car, which up until that point I assumed only dealt with rental cars. Apparently, it’s also a karaoke place that allows one’s party to bring in their own food and drink (no sneaking). So the guys went out to buy the snacks and drinks, while the girls all settled in the room and changed into more comfortable clothes. They’re always dressed up to go somewhere, but I appreciate it when they finally let loose and tromp around in sweats. We managed to sing the night away, song after song, most of which I didn’t know. I really should practice more Japanese songs, but I hardly know any in my vocal range.

Day came, and the lot of us hobbled out into the light. Once again, I hadn’t slept, so I was awake, but tired. Once again, maybe for the last time, I headed straight to campus to review for the kanji quiz. During second period I half-napped in one of the empty classrooms. I couldn’t have prepared more for my thank you and farewell speech anyway. It was meant for BPM, but the atmosphere yesterday didn’t grant me the chance to read it. I’m not sure whether I should make a big deal out of the fact that I will be leaving, or not, since I will still be in Japan.

JULY 17

This morning we had something called a ‘first check’ of our apartments. Basically, Mr. Yoshida came to inspect our room to see if it was in one piece or if anything was messing. He also checked the condition of our bikes. I waited all morning for my turn, as supposedly each person would take up to thirty minutes. Most of that time was spent chatting in my case, since my room was clean and everything was in order. The next and ‘last check’ would be the final day we are allowed in our rooms; we will be returning our student IDs, our keys and our bikes. I could easily have set my last day to be the first of August, since I already have a new apartment to move in to. However, as the last of the students will be leaving on the sixth I volunteered to stay until the seventh so they had a place to sleep for the night after turning in their keys on the fifth.

Only two more days until I get the keys to my new place!

Speaking of which, I had to call the electric and gas company before I moved in. I had been putting the task of for the past few days because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. With only two days remaining, I had no choice but to call them today. First, I went to the international center and asked if they might help me with the call. In return they confidently said, ‘But you speak Japanese very well, why don’t you call them?’ I called the electric company first as I stood in front of them, just in case. I don’t know why I had been so nervous; the call was very quick and to the point. ‘What’s your address, when are you moving in, how will you make the payments?’ I have to thank the international center for believing in me. Now, I know that I can handle basic phone conversations like that on my own as well. I’ll be all right.

JULY 18

Game Night! It would have been amazing if the Sloppy Joes weren’t made with mixed beef. I basically ate chip sandwiches since I couldn’t have the meat, but they were really good chip sandwiches. We played Phase 10 the entire time, finally making it up to the 7th Phase. I need to find this game and buy it, though I don’t know who I will play with after everyone leaves…

JULY 19

Let the move in begin! I loaded up my rucksack and packed various odd shaped things, like pots and other necessary knick knacks around my room into the large blue luggage that I brought with me when I came to Japan. Then I set out from my room in Chambre 72. Today, I was heading down to Okazaki on my own, so I only took the first load along with me. It just so happened that today Shin and some of the guys were meeting to play futsal at the usual place. Mark and I hung out with Shin for a few hours last night, but I wanted to see the other futsal members as well, if I had the chance. It was a little out of the way, but I had left early for that reason.

As I marched down the street, dragging my luggage along, I noticed something was dragging. Just as I turned the corner that would take me down towards the campus, the wheel gave out. It didn’t break out, but the bottom support literally caved in on itself. I wasn’t about to haul that monster any further than was absolutely necessary, so I doubled back and went straight to the station. Thankfully, despite a little rain, the walk from Okazaki Station to the apartment dealers went considerably smoothly. I signed a few papers, received my keys, and walked up the road to my apartment.

Just as I entered my apartment the sky opened and it started to downpour. It was half-past 11am at the time, and the gas man was scheduled to arrive until 2pm. My first task was to turn on the breaker, but there were no instructions, just a switchboard near the door. My estimated guesses failed, so I asked Jason to take a picture of the breaker in his apartment. I knew that they were the same design, so I just needed to know which switches were up and which were down. It turned out that all I needed to change was the giant main switch, silly me.

After that, there was little else I could do so I unpacked my poor suitcase and laid on the patio furniture mattress that would be my bed until I bought a real futon. I waited and waited as the rain poured on and on. The gas man called around 2pm to say he would be an hour late. Had I known that, I might have tried to run to the hyaku-en shop as the rain slowed down. So I waited some more and the gas man finally came and did his job. Now I’ll have hot water as well.

Tonight it’s off to training again, and I’ll be spending my first night in my new home.

STUDY ABROAD:WEEK 38

MAY 18

Today, I spent all day and night in Toyohashi!

My day started around lunchtime when I went do to Toyohashi to meet Junko for lunch. It’s been a couple months since I’ve seen here, so we needed to catch up. We ate at a small café-ish bar on the East side of the station. Their lunch specials were sandwiches and soups, so we both ordered the shrimp avocado sandwich. It was so nice to talk to her, even though, neither of us really had any significant updates. She’s such a nice and sweet girl, but she’s interesting— she has personality. I say this as I compare her to the new string of freshmen girls that I have become acquainted with over the past few months. Maybe those girls are too fresh to the world, so they have nothing interesting to say. The upperclassmen, Junko and the others, are different: many of them have studied abroad, so they have experienced other cultures. They just have something. It’s a shame that we haven’t had more chances to meet.

Junko and I hung out until about 2pm, wandering around the stationary departments at the Seibu near the station. I found quite a few things that I would have liked to buy, but not until I move into my own apartment. I can wait, for now.

Jorden was supposed to meet me soon after Junko went home, but he was running late due to an errand. I killed time by wandering around some more. There was a small event going on in the street for the kids, so the area was more crowded than usual. I happened to spot a beautiful red husky on the street, a nice medium-sized dog. Rarely are there any large dog breeds, but I have seen a Saint Bernard once. If I didn’t live in an apartment, I would consider getting one.

Side note: I also found the first volume of Battle Royale at the Book-Off, for only 300 yen!

Finally, as 3:30 rolled around I headed to the fountain outside the station to meet Jordan. Only he wasn’t there yet. I checked my LINE messages just in time to receive his message that said “Please read this before 3:45 so you can catch the train.” Then my Wifi battery died, so I couldn’t reply. I took the leap and hurried to board the local train line. Our timing turned out to be perfect because I ran into him just as I got off the station platform. We hung out for a couple hours waiting for the main event…

May 18th. It was the day that Dr. Hara’s new group would come to visit Toyohashi. Today was the day of the welcome dinner, and as UT Alumni and members of Toledo, we too were invited. I was excited to see old faces, but most of all I wanted to see Dr. Hara, who is basically my Japanese dad. I knew half of the group this time around; seven people who used to be part of my life, yet we had somehow managed to get on without each other. Seeing them didn’t make me homesick, nor did I want to go home to see other friends, as I thought I might feel. Life goes on, we move on to the next stage, and for me, right now, it’s Japan.

During the event I met with other ALTs from Toledo. We indulged in the free Pizza; not only was it free, but it had toppings, so it was good free pizza. I ate despite knowing that we would all go out to an izakaya afterward, but I didn’t know that until last minute anyway. But, that’s how I and the other ALTs and Dr. Hara spent our evening; socializing over various cocktails and snacks. Many of the ALTs have been in Japan for at least two years now, some upwards of six or eight. It’s great that I have these people to look to, or, if nothing else, somebody to hang out with in Toyohashi.

MAY 19 - MAY 20

Just regular classes followed with work on manga sessions. I’m trying to save money this week because we are going to a buffet for Jason’s birthday this weekend.

MAY 21

As the only current exchange student from my home University, I was expected to give a short speech to the study abroad group when they came to visit the Nagoya campus. I was told to be there at 10:20, so I had to leave my morning kanji class a little early to make it in time. I arrived at the time they told me, but the presentation on the school had already started. I barely looked at anyone as I slipped into the room and found an empty chair to sit in. There, I happened to sit next to Takahiro and Yuto, two of the students that spent the past year in Toledo. I was so excited to see them that I nearly forgot why I was there.

When it came time to give the speech, I stood up in front of the group; I had been in their shoes three years ago, I couldn’t have imagined being here now. I didn’t write the speech, but I had some particular points that I wanted to express, one of which is the same reason why I have decided to write this journal. Though this is a study abroad, it truly is an exchange program. You exchange your life for another’s. Studying is really only a small part, but it is what you make of it. That said, what you do outside the classroom will define your experience more than anything. For me, the best decision I made was to join the dance club. My life changed. I was also looking to the future, to keeping my new life, so my perspective was different than that of other students who only come for six months or a year and then return to their past lives. It costs a pretty penny to live in a country like Japan, but the money I’ve spent here has given me more than the past few years of my school life has altogether. That’s why you can’t only focus on one thing when you participate in a program like this. It’s not just the classes or the traveling; it’s the day-to-day that determines how much you will get out of this kind of experience. That’s how life goes.

(This is this year’s study abroad group, from my university.)

In short, the speech seemed to go over well with the students. I learned afterward that a few of them were hoping to participate in the same program I was in next year. Towards the end of the lunch gathering I also ran into Erika and Akane, both of whom I haven’t seen in a long time. Erika was the third student who studied at UT last year. I barely recognized her when I saw her; she had so much more confidence and spark. This is what we hope for, a positive growth in ourselves, and in most cases, we wish it would continue just a bit longer.

MAY 22

Even the mundane days are important! For example, today: I went to class, took a nap, worked on manga, and then went to dance practice for a bit. Mundane though it may be to write about, these are the decisions I made. I would be lying if I said that one of the greatest parts of this experience wasn’t living on my own, making my own decisions. The freedom is addicting, but one must not forget their responsibilities.

MAY 23

All right, here’s something a little more interesting for you. This Friday afternoon we, the exchange students, were invited to go to a presentation on kabuki, one of the traditional forms of Japanese theater. The presenter was a well-aged man who happened to be a sort of a legend in the kabuki world. While the presentation on kabuki’s history was short in and of itself, the following section on the acting and way of speaking in kabuki provided much more entertainment.

We all received the script in our information packet. One by one we went around the room reading one line or another. It wasn’t just us exchange students, there was at least a few dozen Japanese students present as well, including those from Mrs. Yamamoto’s seminar class. They were shy to start at first, but everyone read their lines. All of us exchange students panicked a little and scrambled to write down the kanji readings. Thankfully, the Chinese students were sitting nearby and helped us. We all did our best to read the lines with feeling, or at least with the same quivering intonations one would hear at kabuki. Some people within the audience were quite skilled, and they would appear out of nowhere to break the silence. As the reading circled back around the room I readied myself for my line…only it wasn’t my line. I miscounted the number of people and jumped the gun. The following line, which was my own, was much more complex in terms of wording, so I had to be guided along that one. It was still a lot of fun though, I don’t quite understand how they decided on the way to speak, but I always thought it would be fun to act. Not in kabuki, just in general.

  

MAY 24

Today we celebrated Jason’s birthday down at the Aeon Mall in Atsuta, near Kanayama. Joy, Rachael, Aurianne and I actually biked there from our apartment. It took about forty-five minutes, but we were first to arrive. We waited as Jason and the others who took the subway were still to arrive. Our reservation had been set for 11am, and Jason showed up at precisely 11:21, perfect for his twenty-first birthday.

(The Family Viking, Mame no Hakada; “Viking” means buffet.)

The buffet was called Mame no Hakada, or field of beans. Many of the dishes were made with soybeans, and there was a lot of tofu, as well as traditional Japanese cuisine. Did that make it any healthier? Not by a long shot. There were also lattes, pasta and ice cream. Ninety minutes, all-you-can-eat for approximately fifteen dollars. Then we needed to lightly digest before leaving because we were stuffed. We headed towards the game center and by chance there was a huge bucket of coins just sitting by one of the games. No one was claiming them. Were they a freebie? We put a few coins into the game of our own accord, and when those ran out still nobody had claimed the full bucket. The clerk even gave us the go ahead, so we spent the next hour or so playing a Mario quiz game until sadly the coins ran out. Joy and I had our side set-up pretty well, but once the others took the coins to other stations we were doomed to fail. It was very enjoyable though, almost to the point that I could see how people become addicted to it. I don’t even know if there was a goal to reach after completing the puzzles, but I’m sure it would be a waste of money. Fun while it lasted though.

After the game center, we all went our separate ways to get home. Joy, Rachael, Aurianne and I were once again on our bikes, heading toward Sakae. I passed the dance members at the park on my way home, but I couldn’t stay because I needed to hurry and go to training. Meanwhile, Jason’s birthday continued as a party in my room and also on the roof. When I got back home, I found that my room was still in one piece. That was mostly because many people had moved onto the roof until the landlord came up and told us we were being too loud. At that point, many people went home. One of my friends stayed around because he was a little tipsy, and he loved to talk. He eventually went home around midnight, on his bike, to Kanayama. Knowing how far away that was, I was worried whether he would make it or not, so I stayed up waiting for his message. Once he got home at around 4am then I too was able to sleep.

STUDY ABROAD:WEEK 37

MAY 11

Today is Mother’s Day! Of course, I had to wait until it was evening here in order to call home at a decent hour. I figured I would just catch my mom at home, but when I called the person who picked up the phone sounded too “professional”, for lack of a better word. It was as if they were a secretary. I was taken aback a bit so I ended up asking for my mom by name. That’s when we both realized who was on the other side; it was my Aunt after all. She and her siblings were all visiting my grandmother for Mother’s Day.

Eventually my mom got on the phone, so I was able to properly convey my message, if not in a slightly awkward tone. I had nothing else to say, and it seemed like they already had plans for the day. It was nice to talk to them though, even if it was just a brief ‘Hello.’ I miss playing canasta (a card game) with them, haha.

MAY 12

It turned out to be a slightly busy Monday today. First it started out with grammar class, and then Joy and I had lunch with Mrs. Yamamoto’s seminar class again. It actually wasn’t the class per say. Only four of the seminar students showed up, but that included Shogo, who is a member of the futsal club. One day Joy and I want to check them out. Hopefully they will let us play, too.

In the last minutes of lunch we hurried to finish our pair homework for conversation class, which only took a couple minutes. Then, following class we had International Cafe. Many of the new Chinese and Taiwanese students came this time, but oddly enough there were only a couple Japanese students. As a result, the groups were a bit unbalanced, but we continued to hang out afterward so that we could all go out to eat curry together. Naan curry, of course.

Two of the new exchange students, Lai and Go, had not been to the restaurant yet. Originally, I planned to take them there last Monday, but since I couldn’t make it back to Nagoya, we settled on today. I’m not sure the flavor was what they were expecting. They said it tasted it good, but that’s not the expression I read on their face. I helped them finish the leftovers, and then had a couple extra naan myself. I don’t know what beast was inside me today, but it was a hungry one.

MAY 13

I only worked on manga for a little bit today before heading back to school for dance practice. Actually, I met with Gakki in the school cafeteria to eat for a bit first. I haven’t had the chance to see her since she came back from San Francisco, so that was the purpose of our talk. She dressed up in what he determined was American style, but it looked more like American tourist style to me. The hat she bought was a floppy fisherman-like cap, which I thought might have been more suitable for a place like Australia. Then again, I haven’t been out West. Had it been a cowboy hat, I would have to say it was American.

So, anyway, we ate dinner. I ate more than I usually do before practice, so I felt a bit sluggish. Even if I hadn’t, I couldn’t focus my attention. I know how I want to dance, but I can’t figure out what to practice exactly.

MAY 14

It’s been a while now since I started training. I’ve come to really understand why the students are so shy to speak: they don’t have regular chances to practice. Because of that, I’ve started having my older students read out loud in class. At first they were really shy, but I think they are getting used to and maybe even enjoying it. Students who were quiet before are now laughing. It’s a small accomplishment, but it’s very encouraging.

MAY 15

Dance? Work on manga? No, today we have to work on our report and presentation on ikebana, traditional Japanese flower arrangement. I had a brief experience making ikebana three years ago, and then last fall we also went to see an ikebana exhibition. My presentation is focused on the rules, or rather the math, that goes into creating a balanced arrangement. Creating the presentation from start to finish took all day, but it’s ready now!

MAY 16

My presentation went very well, which is always a relief. I was one of the first to present, so my information was relatively new at that point, but since everyone had to present on ikebana, there was some crossovers. Many people talked about the different styles, or about the tools used. We still have presentations to sit through next week on the same topic… that’s the only downside to this class.

Then, after my presentation, guess what? Yes. I went home and took a nap. This is a problem, I know, but now that I think about it, it’s probably because I feel stressed. When I’m stressed with a large project for example, anything is better than consistently working on it. So, I break up the time with naps. It also helps me reset my mind for the task. This time, it was actually quite a long nap since I only had an hour to work on my manga before I met the other for Game Night at Heart n’ Soul.

Tonight’s free meal was wrapped sandwiches!! Luckily there was chicken wraps, too, so I was able to eat as we played Blocks again. It was time for revenge! In reality, I was consistently ganged up on by two or three other players, so it was a game of survival and not ending up in last place. We played that game for the whole two hours with an unrelenting fury. However, the event ended at 9pm, so we had to set our Blocks aside for now.

Since it’s been a while since I’ve gone to dance practice, I joined Ken and the others for a late practice at the Naka District Hall. Practice was going pretty well, and then this old guy shows up out of nowhere. I see him walking toward us, me in particular, so I take out my earphones. That was a mistake. I thought he had a simple question, or maybe he was a beggar and would quickly be one his way. Instead, he took it upon himself to tell me how he used to be able to do push-ups with his thumbs and all kinds of acrobatics forty years ago when he was younger. I had been practicing more handstands at the time, and he kept saying, ‘Ah, you need more muscle, more muscle here,’ and then he would grab my arm. Yes, I’m aware, thank you, good-bye, was what I was thinking, but he wasn’t taking the hints that I wanted to get back to practicing. None of the other guys interrupted him either until I sort of led him in their direction. I know he was harmless, but come on, guys, step up.

MAY 17

Training ended early today so I was able to catch the tail-end of the dinner party at Chi and Tobias’ new apartment. Most of the food was gone, but I made a meal out of the remaining potato chips and garlic butter spread. I watched the group playing a new game where each member rights down what they think is the best answer to a question written on a card, and then the card holder chooses which answer they like best. However, they only played for a little longer and then many of the members left for home. A few of us hung around and played UNO until midnight or so. Then, the party was truly over. I walked home with Marie and her boyfriend, who came to visit from Hokkaido again. We still haven’t gone to karaoke together yet, though we’ve promised to do so several times now. Maybe we can go in July when he comes to visit again.

STUDY ABROAD:WEEK 29

MARCH 16

It didn’t seem as though anyone was going to the park to practice today so I went shopping. I was scoping out all the stores in Sakae looking for an appropriate dress of some kind for the Senior’s Send-Off Party. I brought nice clothes when I came to Japan, but those were ‘presentation-worthy’ nice clothes, not formal wear. GU has a lot of dresses to choose from, and their LL size fits me fine. However, the styles are just too cute for me. That and many of the dresses are really short, which is not good for me at all. GAP also had some promising styles, but I ended up buying a pair of jeans instead. The prices were reasonable, to say the least, so if I can’t find anything else, I’ll probably come back next week and choose something.

MARCH 17

More shopping around today; this time I looked a little closer to home at the Meieki Department store above the station. I knew they had plus size shops in there somewhere, but it took me quite some time to figure out how to reach the floor with the advertised large sizes. I did find it eventually, but I was quickly disinterested when I saw the price tags. Everything in those stores was hundreds of dollars, not fifty dollars or so, but hundreds. That was way out of my budget. The shop keepers tried to talk me into things, but I excused myself as gently as I could.

After leaving the department store I headed down to the underground shopping mall. Maybe I would find shoes at least; I had seen shops with large sizes for women, so it was only a matter of price and style. As my luck would have it, there was no glass slipper to satisfy both my budget and my tastes. Four hours of searching only to end up empty-handed once again. Now, I feel like I need to take a break from ‘shopping’ for a while.

MARCH 18

The strain in my back has considerably lessened!! That means I slept well last night. As for today, it was back to dance practice, only this time I was doing some hip hop. With the new semester approaching, it’s time to prepare to invite the new freshmen into our club. The best way to advertise our club is with a showcase of course. I have wanted to do a showcase again for a while now, so when the girls asked me to join their hip hop group I jumped on it. I forgot how aerobic hip hop can be, especially when you are practicing the same routine over and over non-stop. It was a great reminder to myself how fun hip hop is. Break dancing is fun, too, but on a different level. If only I could combine them in real life like I do in my head.

MARCH 19

It doesn’t look like things are going to slow down for a while, so I took a break while I could. Started doing some spring cleaning, but generally I just lazed around until it was time to go to training.

MARCH 20

Practice was so much fun today! We didn’t make much progress with the hip hop choreography yet, since our two leaders are still thinking it out, but we did have practice in the multi-purpose room again. After moving from the small studio (where we were working on the hip hop choreography) back to the practice room, I was shocked at the sudden increase of break dancers.

At first, I didn’t know anyone outside of the BPM members. Some of the faces I was able to recognize from past events, including SOUL BREAK. I found myself a little corner of the room to keep practicing until we moved the practice outside. During a brief break, all the guest dancers gathered in the Mini Stop. I happened to come across them when I bought a cup Ramen, and with one acquaintance at the table, I inserted myself into the group. There was little communication between us until I decided to put my broccoli in my ramen to cook. That started our conversation, and by the end of the night I had seven new break dancing acquaintances, even one BGIRL who I tried to introduce myself to before (but clearly failed to do).

MARCH 21

So…funny story. During training today I was left to run the kid’s class. The teacher gave me a line out print of a flag and instructed me to show the children how to color it. I clearly did not read the instructions. During the coloring, I chose three bright colors that the kids recognized very well: blue, red and yellow. I thought things went well until the teacher came back and gave me a really confused look. She asked me, ‘Why did you color the German flag like this?’ Suddenly, everything made sense, and the words appeared on the page for the directions on which order to color the flag. That’s what I get for assuming this was just another free activity; reading instructions has always been a weakness of mine.

With that slip up against Germany under my belt, I proceeded to go to a party at Chi and Tobias’ new apartment. Their internships were taking place in Nagoya, so they simply moved to a different apartment, closer to the station and International Center. Several of the upperclassmen and international students had gathered, so we had a fun night playing different card games.

MARCH 22

The party-goers slowly went home on their own accord, until it was just me a couple people remaining. Those people soon fell asleep, and then the Germans turned on the soccer match. That meant the party was over, so I headed home at 5:30am and slept until the afternoon. Then it was back for another day of training.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 17

DECEMBER 22

While still in Toyohashi, I had a small interview, or briefing session, for a possible job opportunity. It’s a small cram school located near Toyohashi station, but here is the current situation:

1) The new location that they are moving to in March is a bit farther from the station.

2) The new building is actually a one-story house, in which I would be able to live. Classes would be from the evening, so during the day I would have the place to myself.

3) From February I can start working there a couple days a week to build experience until my study abroad is over, and then I can start to work full time.

4) Gathering students and promoting will be necessary.

At this point there are a lot of unknowns, and I have a few concerns, but I think I’ll try the place out for a bit and see how it goes.

DECEMBER 23

Rio and Yuki invited us to join them at the A Cafe for a Christmas gift exchange. It was kind of last minute, but we met them there for lunch. It was the same cafe we always had the English Cafe at; however, we had never tried to the food before. We ordered a large plate of fries for the table, and two dessert pizzas (apple cinnamon). The gift exchange itself was kind of interesting. I brought Nutella, which is more expensive here in Japan. My gift in return (all was drawn from a lottery) was a pen. It’s a good pen though, with red, black and blue ink. It’s also erasable, my favorite part.

DECEMBER 24

Survey class presentations: comparing Christmas and New Year’s celebrations between Japan and our home countries. Everyone was able to do their presentation in a group, except for Totoro and me. The Hawaiian students presented on New Year’s, and also some special traditions they have in Hawaii during that time. I mostly focused on Christmas, since we’ve always had a Christmas gathering at my grandma’s house ever since I was little.

In the same spirit, since today was our last day of school before winter break, I sort of arranged a Christmas potluck during lunch. As usual, more people showed up than I thought would, and one even dressed up as a reindeer. We feasted ourselves on all kinds of snacks and chatted through the whole lunch break. We didn’t even finish all the food in time for the next class, so we had to hurry and throw all the extra food in baggies. I’ve been sharing the leftover goodies with random people all day, so thankfully there’s none left for me to carry home.

DECEMBER 25

Merry Christmas! Let’s go on a road trip!

Mark, Long and I made plans to join Long’s friends on a trip out to Nagashima’s outlet mall. I was looking forward to it because I hoped I could find a lot of discounted clothes and shoes. Not so much. All the stores were top-brand names, so their idea of discounts seemed anything but. I did, however, buy an Adidas hat on sale, and also some gloves and a shirt from the Gap. I guess there were time sales also, but we missed most of them.

(Nagashima’s artistically designed outlet mall.)

It was about 6pm when we left the mall and I assumed we would then return to Nagoya. Again, not so; turns out that our driver and one of the girls were dating and he wanted to take her to see the famous illuminations in Mie Prefecture, Nabana no Sato. I had a hard time enjoying it the second time around, but I did my best for the couple. It was also 2000yen I didn’t plan on spending, so when we put in our money for the rental car and gas, I had to borrow my portion from Long.

At least I got to eat the beef rolls again~

DECEMBER 26

Tonight is the Christmas Party/Winter Break Party that I set up at an izakaya called Nezumi. In preparation for the party, and the 19 people that said they were coming, I stopped at the hyaku-en shop and bought 19 different odd items. Then, I wrapped them and stuck a number on them, which the party attendee would select at random.

We started to gather for the party just after 6pm. Once all the members had arrived I tried to say a short ‘thank you’ speech, but that was overridden, so I just passed out the numbers and let people receive their gifts. It was interesting to see some guys receive pink and purple patterned tissues, while other people received portable ash trays and they didn’t even smoke, or a light for their bicycle, when they don’t have one. As for the menu, at first, it was just an all-you-can-drink deal, but in order to get that deal there must be at least one food order per person. We could have all ordered a 300 yen stick of meat, but in the holiday spirit we ate all kinds of food. In the end, we even managed to keep the bill at less than 3000 yen per person!

When we left Nezumi it was nearly midnight, but I’m not sure if we had to leave because our group was so loud, or if we just decided it was time to go. In any case, we had to take the party to karaoke!

All in all, it was a successful end of the year party. Hopefully, that’s the last one that I have to initiate.

DECEMBER 27

No plans today except to take it easy until Jordan’s party. I headed down to Toyohashi around 4:30, but it felt as though it was already getting pretty dark. This was a special Christmas party because we were having tacos!! Jordan invited one of his coworkers, and her friend, and also another ALT. It was a small, but fun party. And, of course, it’s been so long since I’ve had tacos~~!! I can’t thank him enough for that. Had I known it would have been so much fun, I would have stayed all night to play games. However, tomorrow I plan on playing futsal, so it’s back to Nagoya for me.

DECEMBER 28

I’m still feeling a bit under the weather. It’s not a full blown cold, just fatigue and sinus drainage. I ended up deciding against going to play futsal, which I regret a little because that was the same time that it started to snow: the first snow in Nagoya. Then again, I don’t want it to get colder…

As a side note, I learned that I can roast a sweet potato on my little stove if I wrap it in foil!

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 16

DECEMBER 15

Chaerim and I went to get our hair cut today. My hair was really short when I first came to Japan, and up until now it’s been growing out, so it’s at a weird, unattractive length. I had to get it reshaped up, so it’s kind of short again, but it’s a lot better than it was before. We also received a discount for booking our appointment early though the Internet so it was only 1600 yen! That is a great price compared to some places which offer only the haircut for 2500 yen or more.

The rest of the day I was doing homework and updating my website. I can’t believe it’s already December!! Where did the time go? I still have over half of Kurokenshin to draw. It’s the last book in the series and I would like to have it done before my birthday!

DECEMBER 16

Last Monday we were supposed to meet with Mrs. Yamamoto’s seminar class again, but they were busy with job application forms. Today, they were still busy with the process, so it doesn’t look as though we’ll be seeing them again this semester. With a free afternoon, the ‘cool kids’ headed to CoCo Ichiban for curry. Level 6 cleared.

I also got locked out of my bank account this morning because I couldn’t remember which number was my ‘secret number’. Fail. This is what happens when you try to use a different number for everything. Now I need to go to the bank tomorrow to clear the issue up.

When the evening rolled around I found myself with a lot of things on my mind. I wasn’t stressed out with anything in particular, but there’s been a lot going on recently. Maybe I’m tired, or maybe just worried about the bank situation. I went for a run to clear my head and ran into Tobias on the way back. I’ve rarely had time to hang out with the German exchange students, so I felt like I still knew nothing about them. We talked for a while, and I found out that when this semester was over, the three German students would continue their studies by doing an internship. That’s great for them, but now it has me thinking. How can I make the most of my time with all these people who are leaving? And, what am I going to do when this is all over? If I’m going to work in Japan, I need to start looking for a job.

DECEMBER 17

I’ve had a fever on and off all morning. I haven’t gone to the bank yet to fix my account, so I haven’t been able to pull out any cash yet. Just going to go home and rest.

DECEMBER 18

I finally cleared up my bank issue. It was as easy as filling out a form and waiting for them to input the information. I won’t forget that number again!

I went to the bank during second period, so I couldn’t go see the English class. My headache cleared up a little bit; no other cold symptoms yet.

Also, on the way home I bought a WAON card. It’s basically a charge card that can be used at Aeon, and its related stores, such as Mini Stop. That will be good to keep around for grocery money.

DECEMBER 19

No English Cafe today I guess. We didn’t receive word that it was canceled, but no one showed up. It wasn’t that big a deal, since we didn’t have any other plans until lunch. The group of AIDAI students who go to Heart n’ Soul Cafe all met to eat at Sukiya in the school cafeteria. The cheese beef bowl is too good; most of us at the table ordered it.

I would have liked to continue to hang out with them, but my body wanted to dance. It had only been a week, but that felt like a long time. I danced for a few hours, until about 5pm, and then I had to call it quits so I could some home and finish my presentation for tomorrow’s culture class. This is my last presentation for the culture class this semester, which is why I volunteered to get to done during the first week of presentations, before winter break. This time we can present on anything we want, traditional or modern. I have chosen to make my presentation about the comedy duo called Downtown. I watched a lot of their skits when I was studying Japanese, so they’ve had a big influence on me. Also, they will have another ‘No Laughing…’ special on New Year’s Even that I want to tell the others about~

DECEMBER 20

…That was not my best presentation.

First of all, AIDAI’s promotional team showed up to get some footage. They were also at dance practice last night, and I had made a point to avoid them. Then they show up to film the first few presentations, including mine. There I was with an oncoming sickness and all of the video links I selected for my presentation were for some reason blocked on the school’s Internet. It was almost as if I was starting from 0. I tried my best to present, but my brain was foggy. It was just embarrassing.

DECEMBER 21

I refuse to be sick!!

Today was HAROMASU, a Halloween and Christmas party organized by the ESS. Despite my runny nose, I went to the party anyway dressed in my Tigger costume. I even bought a pack of face masks from store on the way, only to find out that they were the children size.

The party was fun, but it was lacking in drinks like tea and juice, which I really wanted. We played a lot of games, like bingo and something like telephone, only with drawing pictures. Many people were dressed up, too, so there was a costume contest. I’m not sure how, but I won the “coolest” award at the contest. My table’s team also won one of the games, so we received a huge bag of umai-bo. There was also a prize for winning the costume contest, but I had to leave before they passed it out.

I had made plans to hang out with Jordan in Toyohashi. We ate curry again and then headed back to his apartment to play some games. He had a huge TV set up with his computer. I had never played on that big a screen before, so I was trying out a couple games like Skyrim and Fall Out: New Vegas. Every three months or so I need to either watch a bunch of movies, or play a video game to de-stress; this hangout came just in time for that. Now, I’m feeling more focused.