STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 45* Mt. Fuji

JULY 12

Our trip to Mt. Fuji begins early this Saturday morning. Our bus wasn’t scheduled to leave until a quarter to seven, but I was up well before six repacking my bag. I had finally decided which clothes would be necessary for the excursion. If it was hot going up the mountain, light and breathable clothing was best, but on the other hand, the peak of the mountain would undoubtedly be cold.

I started off in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, lax enough for the bus ride, and also good for temperate weathers. In my bag I had my under clothes, for when things got colder, a 2-liter bag of water, and a couple snack bars. This was my white bag’s last journey, and it became very full once I put in my wind breaker jacket, gloves and knit hat. I doubled checked on my money and my ticket and I was out the door just after 6am to wait for the others in front of the subway station. As I waited, I checked my messages for any last minute notifications. It was good I did, because one of the girls asked me to bring an extra roll of toilet paper, just in case. It was almost time for us to meet, but I rushed back to my room and grabbed the toilet paper anyway.

Then it was 6:15am, we started to walk towards the station vigorously, but slightly hungry from not eating breakfast. In due course, we stopped at a convenience store just outside the station to grab a few last minute things. I figured a bag of granola would be a good compliment to my supplies. However, at the time, I was fasting, and I still intended to fast as long as I physically could. But if the climb became difficult, I had supplies on hand to save me.

(Gateway Fujiyama, Kawaguchiko Station)

Four hours on the bus later, we arrived at Kawaguchiko, but just the first stop on our trip. From there, we took another hour long bus up to the 5^th station. The 5^th Station is more of a tourist spot than anything. It’s the beginning or end for many people who chose to visit Mt. Fuji. For us, it was just the beginning of our hike, though it was halfway up the mountain. We stopped to go to the last free bathroom before starting our climb. It seemed to be that any bathroom along the route would cost a donation of 200 yen. That was the only option, however, as the trails were clearly marked and there was no bushes for one to escape into. I took the chance to throw on my long under pants, since I expected I would not have the chance to before we reached the 8th station. The 8th station would be our lodgings for the day, or rather for the end of the day, and only for a few hours as we prepared to make the final climb.

(Our arrival at the 5^th station and the view of Mt. Fuji from the last free toilet.)

Refreshed and ready to take on Japan’s most famous landmark, we approached the map at the trail head. The trail we were looking for was marked in blue, and that trail was on the other side of the mountain. We started off on the completely wrong side of the mountain. With no other choice, we checked out the visitor center for information as to whether there was a way to reach the other side of the mountain. We could go by bus, but that would cost us a couple hours and almost twenty dollars. The only other option we had was to change our lodging reservation. The clerks solved the matter for us immediately, and THEN we were off to tackle the mountain.

The trail started off at a decline, which didn’t make sense if we were climbing a mountain, but eventually it started to gradually incline. Horses occasionally passed us on the trail as they escorted their riders from the 5th to the 6th station. When we started our journey, we were muddled amongst a large group of people. Several young men started to pass us on the left, and I overheard one say to his friend, ‘Hey, do you speak English?’

I couldn’t help but throw in my own comment to their conversation, ‘Japanese is fine, too.’ That’s how we made our first acquaintances of the day. We took a picture with them en route, but their pace eventually put them farther ahead of us, into the woods.

The trail through the last bits of wood the trail was nice solid Earth, put after that it became something more like gravel. The trail began to wind in a gradually inclining zigzag. I tried to slow my pace and stay with our little group, but as my legs warmed up, so did my pace. I would end up walking ahead, and then waiting at the next turn, or the one after that. I was in the zone, just me and the mountain. I would meet with the group of young men, pass them and then they would in turn pass me by again as I waited for the girl’s to come in sight. First it was ten minutes, then fifteen. After we passed the 7th station together I told them that I would meet them at our lodgings if I went too far ahead. That was when the trail became fun.

The gravel paths were a toll on my legs, but the other kind of path was considerably more fun. Large rocks like a huge uneven staircase, roped off on either side to bar against one’s wandering. I felt the strongest at those points, strong and fast and free. It was on my way up one of these parts in the trail that I passed a middle-aged woman who seemed to be having some troubles breathing. I slowed my pace and watched her, and then I finally asked, ‘Are you all right?’ She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and said she was. I watched her a little longer as she rested, and once she finally pushed forward, then I too continued on my path. After that, I ran into the group of young men again as they had stopped to rest near one of the stations. We had a few moments of ‘international relations’ and then I started on the next leg of the trail.

(3.8 kilometers from the summit of Mt. Fuji.)

At a quarter to 6, I reached our mountain hut. It wasn’t as prehistoric as a hut sounds, but a nice suitable lodging. They even sold snacks and ramen for three times the usual price. Now all I had to do was wait for the others, so I sat on the bench across from the entrance. Time passed, strangers passed, the young men from Kyoto University passed, and I waited. Then, a woman sat next to me, and it was the same woman that I had encountered on the trail. She seemed to be really tired, drained from the climb. She told me it was her first time climbing Mt. Fuji, even though she had lived in the nearby town all her life. When I asked her about her lodgings, she told me that it was up near the 9th station. I was shocked. That would take at least another hour, if not longer at her pace. I was worried whether or not she could make it, but she insisted she was fine and soon got up to hit the trail again.

(The trail was consistently packed with hikers.)

By now, I had been sitting in front of the lodging for some time. The greeter took notice and approached me, asking about the reservation. It was well past six, but the others had still not arrived. He told me I could wait inside for them, but I chose to stay outside and wait. It could have been any minute. In fact, it wasn’t until almost 6:30pm that they arrived. You could see the wear in their faces as the crested the last of the stairs to the station platform. I was only cold from sitting still.

We finally regrouped and entered the hut, paid our lodging fee (about $100) and waited to be served dinner. I could understand why many people would camp, or simply time their climb so that they wouldn’t have to stop for a few hours. It was good that we had the chance to stop. The girls were tired, and we were all hungry, and a bit cold. Though we weren’t the last to arrive, we somehow ended up being the last to receive dinner, Japanese curry. They also provided us with a bag of breakfast, also known as two rolls and some jam. The sleeping arrangements were set in large rooms lined with group bunks and sleeping bags. It wasn’t much for the price, but I suppose any sort of shelter is a commodity up on top of a mountain. We lied down to sleep sometime past seven, but I hardly slept a wink. I couldn’t sleep with the other people in the room snoring, the lights outside blinking, and the voices of various visitors as they passed the hut. I did the only sensible thing, and that was to get out of bed.

First, I visited the bathroom, donated my 200 yen and sat in the main room for a bit. There, one of the women who ran the hut, was greeting people who came by for wood burnings. Each station provided its own brand to mark one’s journey as they pursued the summit. Joy was carrying a stick of her own. I understand it was a great souvenir, but I found it was an obstacle when climbing. I talked with the woman briefly, and then sat in the warm room with another guest who was having altitude sickness. I was surprised that I felt perfectly fine at all. So I sat there, and waited, counting off the time until it made sense to dress for the weather again and wake up the crew. We planned to leave before all the other groups clogged up the trail, which meant at 11:30pm it was time for round two.

(The great full moon watched over our last leg of the journey.)

JULY 13

Our second round up the mountain started out in the same fashion as the first, with a slow and gradual trail of gravel. I kept catching myself ahead of the group, but I would wait. There was no question that I could reach the summit, but I was here to do it with my best friends. I paired myself up with Rachael, who trooped onward despite the then oxygen levels. That’s why we had cans of oxygen with us. Joy also had something of a cold, so she used the cans as well.

I sent Joy and Aurianne on ahead, as Rachael and I brought up the rear. Maybe we had to rest at every turn of the trail, but we never stopped. We gave light to the couple that decided to climb without flashlights, and I met another couple from Australia. Then, as we were nearing the peak, we passed a small crew of emergency men. They were surrounding a woman who had collapsed on the trail from tiredness; it was the same woman who I talked to only a few hours before. I hung back as Rachael went on, eavesdropping on their conversation, she seemed all right, but I didn’t ask until one of the men proceeded up the trail. He said she was all right, but they were going to have someone help her to the nearest station and then probably take her down to the 5th station. I felt empathy for her because she tried so hard, but also there was a faint sense of disbelief that the one woman I talked to would be that woman.

There had been many once in a lifetime encounters during our climb. Now, all that lied before us was the final climb to the gates of the mountain shrine. Joy and Aurianne would be waiting for us. We climbed in the deepest dark of the night, guided only by our little lamps and a trail occasionally lit with torches, two amongst many, from all over the world. We met with the summit at half past three in the morning, a good hour before sunrise. Joy and Aurianne were huddled together against the cold air, facing the east horizon. Rachael quickly settled down with them. There was nothing to do, but wait. I couldn’t sit still, so I went off in search for a bathroom to no avail. After that I stayed standing so I could move around and stay warm in some way. We should have brought some more aids against the wind.

Dawn started to peek over the horizon, causing everyone to rise from their seats to take pictures. We took our pictures, too, as daylight filled the air. There I was, July 13th, the dawn of my own birthday, atop one of the world’s wonders. It was wonderful.

(We reached the summit! I couldn’t have done it without these amazing women. I can’t thank them enough for sharing this experience with me.)

Wonderful until the cold started to bite at us again. We saw what was needed to be seen, and it was time to start our descent. Almost the entire descent was more difficult than the ascent, in my opinion. Whether that was because I had not gotten any sleep, and the very little rest that I did receive over the past day hardly gave my legs a chance to recover, or if it was just navigating down the loose gravel for hours… we also needed to go to the bathroom. The entire way down that’s all we were thinking of. Unfortunately, there was no place to go until we reached the 7th station. After that, it was still hard on our legs, but we bore with it until we returned to the 5th station.

(The view as we descended the mountain at first light was breathtaking.)

We had just enough energy to look at the souvenir stores and grab some snacks before we boarded the bus back to Kawaguchiko. I had successfully fasted on my way up and down the mountain, but once the trial ended, I needed something to keep me awake and functioning. It was my birthday, so until our bus back to Nagoya came back we loitered around the station, ate lunch and a few sweets from the convenient store. For the first time, I was knocked out on the bus, all the way back to Nagoya. The walk back to our apartment was painful, and we were still half-asleep; it was the complete opposite of our departure. We will sleep well tonight.

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?

And before we know it, it's December

Sorry for such a long wait! It's been a month since that quick update before the school festival, but even longer since I've shared any useful or otherwise important information.

Culture Sho-!... Well, that's normal isn't it?

Not going to lie, I've become very accustomed to living here that everything just feels normal.  Even when I first came to Japan I'm not sure I can accurately identify any experience as "culture shock".  Mind you, I spent the past 4 years studying about Japan, so I haven't been too surprised.  When you get on an escalator you stand on one side, allowing people to walk up beside you; however, lately that seems to have ceased to in many places due to ... the danger it may cause? I guess there must have been some incident in the past two years that caused this.  Even saying that, I still see people walking up when the sign says not to.

Other things I have noticed.. .let's see. Well, I may have already mentioned in America we don't have such strict garbage separation guides.  That only took a few weeks to really get accustomed to, now it's a matter of 'do I want to start a new recycling bag for paper... or just burn it...'

Recently, more like within the last 2-3 weeks, the front tire on my bicycle was punctured.  Tried twice to repair it.  Let's just say there's more than one hole in it now and I have no motivation to try again for some time. Nor do I feel so inclined to take it to a bike shop when I can walk anywhere I want to go.  This means that my 15 minute bike ride to campus is now a 30 minute walk.  If my friends want to go to a bar or hangout we usually do it in Fushimi, or Sakae... 20-30 minute bike ride for them 40+ minute walk for me. BUT! These walks are probably one of the few things saving me from the winter weight gain.

Food... we meet again

Even without the abundant food provided at home 24/7, we still find ways to indulge our appetites.    November was seriously damaging to many of our wallets- I can't count the number of times we ate out.  One of our favorite spots is a curry house about 10 minutes walk from our apartment.  Whether you order the lunch or dinner set, the naan bread is all you can eat. That means if someone can't finish their curry, you get an order of naan to finish it off... or just because you like naan.  It is a very delicious naan bread if I do say so myself.

Another case I would like to point out is a lovely little place called Sweets Paradise.  The whole place is pink and from the moment you lay down your $15 for a 90 minute all-you-can-eat pasta and desserts, you're over.  It messes with your mind because you just dumped all that money down for a meal, so you gotta eat what it's worth, right? Mistakes were made.  I've been saying I will never go again, but when the sweet tooth kicks in I start to have doubts.  If it's someone's birthday again, maybe... and with another tactic in mind.

Since I brought up sweets, may I first remind you that there are convenient stores EVERYWHERE. These convenient stores not only sell "BLACK THUNDER" a delicious, satisfying chocolate cookie bar, but they also sell you're variety of freshly made cakes and breads.  We had a good streak of buying what's called 'melon bread' almost everyday.  The real deal, made-in-a-bakery form of melon bread not only is shaped like half of a melon, but it also carries a melon flavor. It's a simple, happy-go-lucky bread... with chocolate chips.  But that's not where it ends....... I really. really. really. love adzuki beans. Not just your average beans, but the sweet bean paste it becomes! They put it in bread. In mochi (chewy delicious rice flour, together it's called Daifuku)... and then they'll make ice cream out of it....  *sigh* ....

Drinks aren't so bad. If you go to karaoke from 10 pm to about 6 am you can get the all-you-can-drink special.  There is a more expensive alcoholic version, but soft drinks and coffees are plenty enough for us!  It is usually the only time I drink coffee, and who wouldn't if they want to stay up till 6 in the morning pretending they can sing to more than just the Backstreet Boys ^_^

Now, seriously speaking...

School life proceeds as per usual. It's not hard to keep up with the work that's expected of us, so most of the time we end up getting by on the minimum.  It's not something I'm proud of, but much of the study abroad experience is outside of class.  Also, compared to those just beginning to study, it feels like we are learning a lot less, but at the same time it's harder to learn.  My friends just took the JLPT exam recently, so they have been fervently studying for some time now.  I envy their drive.  Perhaps when the test rolls around again in July I will try my hand at it.

In a couple of my classes we have a small quiz every week.  Almost two weeks ago now we actually had an exam... because our grammar test would have taken too long during the final exam period we took 40% of it.  I'm glad we did because now I have an idea of the format (which tripped most of us up when we first saw it).

Last week, I also had a presentation!  It wasn't my first presentation actually.  In our culture class we've already had two presentations regarding something we're interested in within Japanese history and the tea ceremony or calligraphy.  These presentations were basically make a Powerpoint, write up what you're going to say to go along with it, and then during the presentation you can get by by just reading off your paper.  That's not how I'm used to presentations going.  So, for my survey class I assumed the presentation would be a bit more interactive.  In this case, I ended up being chosen to present first on the first day of presentations, so I didn't have any example to go off of. Therefore, when I presented, I stood up and was as lively as I needed to be.  I didn't realize the looks on everyone's faces meant they weren't expecting that.  But, no one stopped me... and from there the presentations continued as they normally do. Sit. Read. Questions?

So what you're saying is...?

The last point I want to touch on in this post is vague expressions.  Part of the politeness that the Japanese society is known for comes from these vague expressions: instead of saying I can't go, or don't want to go, they might say 'Oh, that day is a bit...' or 'Maybe I won't go.' Maybe doesn't help me understand, is it yes or no???  It may be one of the hardest things to understand when it comes to talking with Japanese people.  Many of the students we have become friends with have studied abroad, so usually they are more direct with their answers.  But in some cases it's impossible to read the true meaning behind the message, ESPECIALLY if it's a text message.  Personally, I already find texts tricky, so I may read into them too much.  But, thankfully, they will correct me if I'm mistaken... most of the time haha.

That's all for now~ It's only 10 pm but I want to sleep! haha.. .That's the problem with winter: it's cold and it gets dark early :<  Oh well.  Take care, and until next time~

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 12

NOVEMBER 17

Returned to Okazaki today!!

Let’s start off in Nagoya. Before I left the station, I bought some omiyage, as it is a custom to take something to the house of the person you visit. I figured a Nagoya treat was a good idea because I was going to meet with Akane’s family again later tonight.

Akane and Jon actually picked me up from Anjo station, the major stop before Okazaki, and from there we went to the Okazaki mall. The mall back in Toledo is pretty much all on the first floor, but its spread out very widely. This mall was big. Not as wide, but there was three floors, so the sizes were comparable. Another similarity was they both had a Disney store!! It was my first time at a Disney store in Japan, so I didn’t know how different they were. Not just in regards to merchandise, but the feeling of the store itself. I’d say the one back home has slowly changed over the years so now it’s really just a kids’ store. The one in Okazaki, however, was very clean, bright and organized, with just as many, if not more, items for adults. There were a few things I was tempted to buy, but I settled on just one mug. I always wanted one, even if it was different and a little smaller than the ones I saw back in the States.

From there, we were back on track. My goal: find pants.

I found two shirts on sale for a total of 980 yen, which was great. By chance I also ran into Humito, the break dancer I met at Shirakawa Park a couple weeks ago. I said ‘hi’ to him when we made contact, but I think he was a little surprised that I even recognized him, so we didn’t talk much. Then, I stumbled upon a store called Village Vanguard. It was a variety store, and possibly the most interesting place in the mall, with a lot of comic paraphernalia, character goods, street wear like hats and backpacks… the kind of store you can spend a couple hours in just looking at everything. But, I didn’t buy anything, I still needed pants!

Our search extended itself from the mall out to the adjacent Aeon store, where I finally found plus size clothes that didn’t cost two arms and a leg. The pants that fit were a size 84 waist? I’m not sure. It definitely wasn’t based on my kind of shape. Despite that, they fit, and they were made for winter. So I bought them, and a couple sweaters, and emptied out my wallet.

Thankfully, dinner that night was provided by Akane’s family: fried chicken, rice, veggies, koroke (fried mashed potatoes), tempura, and soup. Once again, they wouldn’t let me stop eating, so I ate my full share and then some. They invited me to come back to their house on December 30th to make mochi with their extended family. Looks like I have one day of my vacation planned already~

Before we went to bed, Akane’s grandparents gave me a traditional Japanese sweet, wagashi, wrapped in a leaf. It even came with a small instruction card.

NOVEMBER 18

I stayed the night over at Akane’s house, and we had stayed up a little late chatting last night. Even so, I woke up around 6am to review for my grammar test. Akane also had first period today, so we were up and out of the house by 8am. It was a half hour train ride back to Nagoya, and then a 12 minute walk to school.

Usually, we only have class during 3rd period on Mondays. However, when Mrs. Yamamoto had canceled class a couple weeks ago because of her business trip, she rescheduled the time for 2nd period. Our test was going to be first, during second period, and then we would still have class during 3rd. I studied the best I could during first period, but I’m not sure it helped. To be honest, it was the test format itself that confused me, and the other students. Just hoping it goes better than I expect.

After classes were over kenshiyo and the other guys said they wanted to play basketball. The arena wasn’t open until after 4pm, and it was only 2pm. I had to go home and change anyway, so I left first and waited for the confirmation that they were actually going to play. Unexpectedly, I got home to find a notification in my post box from the post office. The package from my mom had arrived!

When it seemed like the others weren’t going to play basketball after all I ran to the post office to pick up my package. It was heavier than I expected, so walking for 15 minutes trying to balance the box became my exercise for the day. Vitamins, some cleaning solution, my new credit card, various snacks including Skittles, and Ein, the stuffed bear that I’ve had since I was a baby. When I was coming to Japan I just decided at last second not to bring him. It was a nice surprise, and even if it’s a silly thing, I’m glad to just have him sit on my bed and be there when I come home.

NOVEMBER 19

Right now my only cash is 10000 yen, or about 100 dollars. I don’t want to break it, and I don’t want to go to the bank yet either. Thankfully, as I was standing in the Mini Stop today, Yohei paid me back 1000yen for Kentaro’s party. I had fronted the initial 6000 yen or so to cover food and karaoke, and Yohei was the last to pay me back. Just in time too! It covered the groceries that I needed~

At dance practice again there wasn’t that many people around. I finally told the break dancers that I wanted to start practicing with them too. They didn’t seem too willing to help at first, and by that I mean, they said something along the lines of ‘Sure, if you really want to, but it will be hard.’ At that point, I backed off a little and did some hip-hop warm-ups. But I was determined, so before practice was over I went up to them again and told them I was serious. The look on their faces kind of changed, as if they finally acknowledged my request— all I had to do was ask. On Thursday, I will definitely be asking a lot of questions.

I walked home with a little more spring in my step. Break dancing was always something that I admired; I can’t wait to practice and get to know the dancers better. Again, I was glad I summoned up the courage and finally talked to them.

During my walk I happened to cross path with another exchange student, Senkon. He was always quiet in class, and we had never really talked before. I think the extent of my knowledge of him was that he liked soccer, and he works out in the fitness room a lot. In any case, we got to talking, not just about sports and club activities, but about our studies. He said one of the reasons he likes playing soccer is because when he was younger he read a manga about soccer that inspired him. I connected with him on that level, especially since one of my manga series was about soccer. Whatever ice that was there between us was broken. Turns out he’s also going to play futsal on Saturday with the guys. Now there’s another familiar face I can look forward to seeing out on the field.

NOVEMBER 20

I spent my free time today helping Rika with her essay that she was writing for her study abroad application. She’s a pretty good writer, and in my opinion, she speaks well too. I think she has a good chance of being chosen as one of the few candidates. Only two can go to my university, but I don’t know how many get to go abroad in one year. It seems as though the other options are Hawaii and Missouri, when it comes to America. Hawaii has an abundance of Japanese culture and influence there, so if the focus is really to study English and American culture with little to no Japanese influence I’d have to recommend mainland America. Though, many people want to go to Hawaii because it’s Hawaii. I’ve never even been to the beach, but from the way that Joy and the others always talk about it, it makes me want to go there someday.

NOVEMBER 21

We received our grammar tests back. 83%, number one in the class by one point. Of course, it was then that we were able to explain to the teacher how confused we were by the format. She said the final would be the same, so now I’m glad we had this test. When that final comes I will know what to expect.

Another English Cafe, lots of talking about music today. The Cafe where we had our conversations was playing music that made me want to dance. I couldn’t wait to start learning how to break dance!

And then, they (BPM) threw a curve ball. Today’s practice was going to be an inter-group dance battle. All participants had to pair up, one girl to one guy. Kazuma needed a partner, so I volunteered, despite the fact that the only experience I had was that one battle in the park. Now what am I getting myself into? Only a couple other of the participants were freshmen, and the rest were more experienced upperclassmen. It was worth a try at least. Kazuma and I made it to the second round - then I’m not sure what happened, we were just off. Next time I will be ready!

The dance battle lasted until the end of practice. No break dancing today. I met up with Jason and Mark as they were going home; none of us had eaten dinner yet so we stopped at Bikuri Donki (right next to Saizeriya). Unfortunately, their hamburger was not 100% beef, so I had fried chicken and a salad instead. The salad was pretty good, but there was only four tiny pieces of chicken, not at all what I expected for the price. To make up for it I bought daifuku (a traditional Japanese treat, anko filled mochi (rice dumpling filled with adzuki bean paste)). It is quickly becoming my favorite~!

NOVEMBER 22

I finally tested out my credit card at the ATM today! My wallet is once again ready to take on the world, or buy me double dinner. Yes, double dinner. Mistakes, delicious mistakes, were made.

It was just a normal day at first. I was hanging in the library, minding my own business when suddenly I was invited by two Japanese girls to join them for dinner. At first the group consisted of them, two other freshmen boys, Jason and Mark. Coincidentally, I knew the guys from English Cafe and the English class on Wednesdays that I still go to during 2nd period. They invited me, and I couldn’t exactly turn down their invitation. We went to Marukame to eat udon, and I found myself doing most of the chatting with Tomohiro (Tom) about Japanese comedy.

In reality, the atmosphere was a little awkward between the group. I didn’t realize it until after Jason, Mark and I split off from the group to join Taigen at Shooters. It was our initial plan from the start to meet him, but somehow the first dinners plans collided. This meant we had second dinner at Shooter’s with Taigen. We went from Japanese to American style in just a few hours: classic hamburger and fries. The funny thing was that the little flag they stuck in my burger was the China flag…on my American classic, in Japan.

NOVEMBER 23

FUTSAL!!! It’s been a couple weeks, but finally! Once again, I played futsal from 10-12 with Senkon, Kentaro and a dozen other guys I still don’t know. I’m pretty sure they’re older than us though, they don’t seem to be students.

It was Saturday, so I hoped there would be a chance to dance at Shirakawa Park again, but everyone went to Osaka for an event. My next option was to work on my presentation for the Survey class, but the whole school was closed! Is today a holiday or something?

Eventually, I decided to try and fix my bike tire one more time. Mark and Jason tried to help me out this time, but we didn’t do it the right way. I’m pretty sure we put three or so new holes in the inner tube when we were trying to put the tire back on. Oh well, I’ll take it to a shop later. (First I have to find a shop.)