Home Stay Weekend Part One

Finally Homestay post, It has been a while and I am not sure myself why I put it off so much. Perhaps I was nervous and letting myself recover before posting? I don't know. As time got closer to the weekend the homestay was supposed to
happen I become more and more hesitant, to the point where I began to second guess my choice. It was too late I had to go through with it.

Navigating to Nagoya Chubu Airport Solo and the four problems

Last pic while riding on the train, Seikigahara station

It was the last time I would sit in the JCMU's cold dorm, also this day there was a lot of clamor from other students that were still cleaning or just lounging around because around 11am we had to be out of the dorms.

 I'm not sure if I'll miss it right away or not. Eventually we'll find out.

Two big days...

This week I have two big days coming up, tomorrow is one of them for me.
Tomorrow is the day all the students take the final test for Japanese class and for me the last day of politics class.

 I am excited but then not excited, maybe I'm finally realizing my adventure in Japan is coming to a close?

Packing is hard!

Packing is hard! And it sucks!! 

Well that was slightly unexpected....

I think Japan was trying to tell me something this morning...
This morning I woke up suddenly for a reason unknown I think since being here I've become a light sleeper. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I can practically hear everything inside of the dormitory.

Sounds creepy doesn't it?

Trip To Nara

At JCMU there was a group trip to the city of Nara, specifically two Buddhist temples, Hyoru-ji and Todai-ji temple. I was super excited for this because I knew that I was going to see Japanese history in person! I love history especially Japanese history with hints of Korean and Chinese. You know they all are connected in some way... Either way I was totally ready for this trip even though we had to wake up earlier than our class starts!

Mandatory, but fun!

A few weeks a go all the students found out that there is a mandatory Friday activity where all of the students would be split up into groups of three or four and sent to different schools in Hikone. I wasn't too excited because we had to be up earlier than we normally would have to be, I was almost late that day but some how I made it.

Trip to Otsu!

First I want to apologize for the quality pictures, I forgot my camera, but I was able to remember my cell phone.

One of my forgetful moments...I've been having a lot of those lately...anyways trip to Otsu, Shiga Prefecture's capital!

City Hall Adventure

There's no sign that says it's the City Hall...so weird....

For some strange reason I was terrified of going to the Hikone City hall, and I'm not entirely for sure why I was. Either way I still had to go, being a international student has it's perks! I have national Japanese health insurance! Along with many other insurances. (Right now this is the most health insurance I've had for several years...it's like what do I do with it?)

First...well second problem...

It was more of an adventure actually!

Yesterday after class, and avoiding going to the City Hall (which I am going to do today) I went back to the grocery store to pick up somethings that I decided not to bring with me. While there I picked up some extra things, like a hat because I lost mine when arriving in Los Angeles. I don't even know how that happened, I touched my head and it was gone. I also got a thicker scarf, because the wind from the lake Biwa is crazy strong and my scarf isn't strong enough. I feel like it's colder here than in Wisconsin. I don't live that far away from the lake, but here WE ARE ON THE LAKE. It's behind our dorms. The dorms are colder than it is outside too...I don't understand that, but the good thing is that we have heat!

First post in Japan!

I made it!!!

I can actually say that I am in Japan! There's been a lack of updating due to a lot of movement via changing the planes, riding the train, moving in etc. There was another post I was supposed to finish, but I never got around to doing it because of all of the moving. Well to begin...

I had two layovers, one in Los Angeles, and the other in Seoul Korea. The layover in Los Angeles was terrible, I was already exhausted because the trip was in the evening and I had to wait three hours and I arrived at the airport around 9:35pm so that's around midnight.

The trip to Seoul wasn't any better, but the food was delish! They offered two Korean dishes, and I tried both because I figured having an open mind to food would create a mindset to try new things in Japan(mind you I already decided to eat a lot healhtier in Japan, because of all the dishes with the various vegetables and it's tasty-ness...anyways...)  The dishes they offered was Bibimbop and Sole Fish. I've never had any, but I definitely ate it!

Bibimap

 

Sole Fish

On the way to Japan...
I met someone who was going to the same program as I, and we decided to become buddies. I was actually a little excited to have someone to travel with. When we got to Japan the lines through immigration was terrible and then we had to go to another line because we had certificates. It was such a bummer!  We didn't come from the airport until 12pm. From there my new buddy and I traveled from the Nagoya Chubu airport to Hikone all by ourselves!! 

I can also say that I am proud of myself because I did most of communicating to get us where we needed to go!

I haven't taken Japanese for a semester, and most of the information I did learn I mostly forgot, but having to ask for directions, get my ticket back from the machine, and tell the taxi driver where to take us, I think I can say that I did pretty good! I got us to where we needed to go way before the other students arrived( my buddy and I already ate, unpacked, showered and were in bed. The rest of the students didn't get to campus till around 10pm. 10 points for us!)

I will post pictures in another post, but I just wanted to share some details to update the blog!

-Aki

Two days!

I have been meaning to start posting earlier, but I was postponed by things in life. But now I'm able to start posting!

Two days!!

I have two days before I leave, it's coming up really quick! Just a few days ago I was hanging out with my friends at a Japanese super market, to celebrating New years, to working again! I feel like time is flying pass faster than it was before. A friend and I already did my packing, and we fit everything into one suitcase, but it seems really heavy...I hope I won't be charged for it being overweight (I have no clue how much it weighs at the moment)Of course there are still things that I need to do before actually leaving:

• Compile a binder full of information for my family
• Make sure I have the essentials (The rest I can buy in Japan)
• Don't freak out!

Right now, in a general sense, a lot of people would be excited to study abroad in a country for four months, but I'm waiting til I get there to let my excitement explode. I hold back my excitement, because I as soon as I step on to Japanese soil, and wake up the next day I can say that I am in Japan.

I made it to Japan and I am going to live here for four months.


Next Post: Hikone, Japan