My First Week in Japan

Alright, even though my first week here was a few months ago, I remember it quite vividly.  It was definitely not a time that I would easily forget.

My welcome cake from my host family! I probably should've thought to take the picture before I started eating it, though...

I arrived in Japan at the Narita airport, and after meeting up with the only other semester student from America, we made our way through customs with no problem and were met by YFU staff at the entrance. From there, it was a two hour bus ride and then a ten minute taxi ride to the Olympic Youth Center in Tokyo.  After that little ordeal, I understood (perhaps a little too late) the concept of packing light and why it is important.  I had packed according the airline's limits of luggage per passenger, but trying to carry all of that by myself was almost impossible and several times I had to receive help from the YFU staff, which was embarrassing if anything else.  

But I digress--back to Japan:  After our arrival, we had dinner and were left alone for the remainder of the evening to settle in.  Now, after all of that travelling, nothing is more appealing than a hot shower or bath. However, since we were staying in a public place, it's obvious to assume that we had to use a public bathing facility.  But this is Japan we're talking about: the place famed for its onsen (hot springs) and also the style in which the people bathe (publicly nude!).

Something like this, only sometimes a bit more crowded. And for a couple of Gaijin (foreigners) who were completely new to this concept, well, it was certainly a bit of shock.

So, after this utterly new experience, I can't say I exactly spent a relaxing evening thanks to the wonders of motion sickness, but I'll spare you the gory details and just say that thanks to a very very kind YFU staff member, I made it through the night and was much better off the next morning.

The orientation lasted for five days, and while most of those days were spent at the Youth Center taking a crash course in Japanese, we did get to go site seeing a bit around Harajuku, aka the fashion center of Japan.

This photo was taken during Halloween, but when I went in August (when it's around 100 Degrees Fahrenheit and incredibly humid) I still saw a few people dressed up like this in the Lolita style.  I was as surprised by their resilience as much as by their fashion!

Once my orientation was over, unlike the two other semester students who had to take the Shinkansen down to Kyoto, I was picked up my host mom and my host sister, and took my first Japanese train to Sagamihara City.  

The next day, which was also the last day of my first week in Japan, my host mom and host sister took me out for dinner and a fireworks show at the station, which was absolutely beautiful! 

My host sister and I at a gyoza restaurant in Sagami-Ono station after the fireworks show.  That was a really fun night!

So thus concludes the main events of my first week in Japan.  I can still hardly believe that it's been over three months since then, but time really flies!  I've done a lot since then, like going to school, and trying new cultural things, but those'll have to wait for their own blog posts.

So You've Been Made a Co-Author?

"The Art of Co-Authoring For Labbits"

So, thanks to the wonders of the internet, even though I'm currently a few thousand miles away from the original starter of this blog (Aimee), I am now a co-author.  What co-authors do, I have no idea, but I assume I can just piddle away on here to my heart's content instead of leaving flimsy little comments. 

So, let the piddling begin!

Well, like Aimee, I am currently living abroad as an exchange student, except instead of living in France for a year, I am living in Japan for one semester.

What does one do as an exchange student in Japan, you ask?  Well, one does lots of things, like seeing temples, eating ramen, letting your host mom make all of your meals, 

One of these every morning, neatly packed and ready. Bento anyone?

wearing stereotypical school uniforms, riding trains, chasing down sweet potato trucks (but that's its own story)...that kind of stuff.

Of course, I had lots of expectations that matched these, but some of my other expectations have become quite unreachable, it seems.  

For example: learning Japanese.  I had this great wish to be nearly fluent by the time I went back to America, but I'm already in the third month of my exchange with only about 6 weeks left, and after studying Japanese for over a year before coming here, I can barely manage a few simple sentences.  Am I disappointed?  You bet, but sometimes, the situation just isn't ideal (My host family speaks quite a bit of English, my class has several returnees who have lived in America for several years and are practically fluent, and I have been placed in two advanced English classes for returnee students with American teachers--this means I speak English. A lot.)  But while I probably could've worked harder at learning it, I didn't, so there's much else I can do....at least my listening has improved quite a bit...

Another example of failed expectations: I wanted to lose some weight while I was here.  I was so looking forward to the famed healthy Japanese diet, and also shedding a few pounds.  But unless I actually make myself diet (which I have had to do) I stay about the same, or even gain a bit of weight.  Of course, I wasn't too happy about this, but what can I say?  They eat a lot of carbs here, and everything else is just sooo good!

Ramen museum ramen...what will I do when I go back to America??

At least that expectation didn't die.  The food here really is infinitely better than most American fare.  I've had ramen, udon, and soba that would make anyone never want to eat instant ramen again.  Not to mention all of the little cake and tart shops that are EVERYWHERE.  

this is just one of many...

There's probably at least 10 specialized sweet shops in every main train station, not to mention the ones that are just sprinkled about along the streets.  I think I am now made out of gyoza because I eat it so much, and as for sushi, well, when they serve it from a conveyor belt that pumps out endless sushi, there's only so much self-control I can maintain...

Well, I think I've piddled enough.  Maybe next time, I'll write about my host sister's and my adventure with the sweet potato truck.

Until next time!