A lot has happened this week, and it's only Thursday.
I arrived at my dorm via bus on Monday morning. On the way there, I sat next to an Australian guy and we talked about the differences between America and Australia. He was the first Australian I'd really ever spoken to, and I was his first real American to speak to.
We arrived at Seminar House 4 sooner than I'd anticipated. It was just so sudden. It wasn't quite like I'd imagined it to be. Somehow pictures add a certain dreamlike quality to a place. The reality is wonderful, but different and somehow more...mundane, or worldly. I moved into my room, 4309, and my roommates were already here, sleeping on their futon, or Japanese bed made of a thin padded mattress and some blankets on the floor. They're really comfy.
Chris is from Puerto Rico and Florida, and Doug is from Massachusetts. Chris is doing homestay this semester, and was here last semester. They're nice guys, although for the first couple days I was a little anxious around them, especially Chris. His intonation is very strange, and I could never tell if he was being sarcastic or not. I annoyed him once, when I asked if he was mocking me. Those days are long over, though - my self-esteem is back, and I have relaxed around everyone. It's a very good thing I did, because making friends would be hard otherwise.
I took a tour of the area with some Japanese students that afternoon. We went to the closest shops - shimamura and Avail, two clothing stores. Miho and I got to know each other pretty well. She's a Spanish major, and very easy to talk to. We went to several other shops, and a really, really awesome 3 story mall with a HUGE electronics store. I will be buying a DSi LL soon, I'm sure.
Deodorant is hard to find in Japan, and anti-perspirant is all but impossible to locate. I settled on some unscented stuff called "Bodycore" or something like that, made by Gatsby. It's okay.
Tuesday was jam-packed full of things. On Tuesday, I opened a bank account, signed up for a cell phone, and more. It was a very tiring day. I walked a really long way. More later!
I arrived at my dorm via bus on Monday morning. On the way there, I sat next to an Australian guy and we talked about the differences between America and Australia. He was the first Australian I'd really ever spoken to, and I was his first real American to speak to.
We arrived at Seminar House 4 sooner than I'd anticipated. It was just so sudden. It wasn't quite like I'd imagined it to be. Somehow pictures add a certain dreamlike quality to a place. The reality is wonderful, but different and somehow more...mundane, or worldly. I moved into my room, 4309, and my roommates were already here, sleeping on their futon, or Japanese bed made of a thin padded mattress and some blankets on the floor. They're really comfy.
Chris is from Puerto Rico and Florida, and Doug is from Massachusetts. Chris is doing homestay this semester, and was here last semester. They're nice guys, although for the first couple days I was a little anxious around them, especially Chris. His intonation is very strange, and I could never tell if he was being sarcastic or not. I annoyed him once, when I asked if he was mocking me. Those days are long over, though - my self-esteem is back, and I have relaxed around everyone. It's a very good thing I did, because making friends would be hard otherwise.
I took a tour of the area with some Japanese students that afternoon. We went to the closest shops - shimamura and Avail, two clothing stores. Miho and I got to know each other pretty well. She's a Spanish major, and very easy to talk to. We went to several other shops, and a really, really awesome 3 story mall with a HUGE electronics store. I will be buying a DSi LL soon, I'm sure.
Deodorant is hard to find in Japan, and anti-perspirant is all but impossible to locate. I settled on some unscented stuff called "Bodycore" or something like that, made by Gatsby. It's okay.
Tuesday was jam-packed full of things. On Tuesday, I opened a bank account, signed up for a cell phone, and more. It was a very tiring day. I walked a really long way. More later!
1:56 AM |
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Hey Tyler, it's Chris, from the JLPT excursion. I look forward to reading about your study abroad experiences. I am seriously considering signing myself up for a semester abroad (is it possible to start in the winter?).
(Oh yeah, I passed the JLPT (270/400). やった！The results were available on the Web site a little earlier today, but for some reason were taken down again.)