Rabblerabblerabblerabble.

My ass is going to be kicked, academically.

I'm taking Advanced Japanese I, Math, English, and Chinese & Japanese Literature. English & Asian Studies (Lit) are taught by the same woman. She's cool. My math prof looks like an Asian-American mountain man.

Campus is tiny.

I'm continuing to network.

Tokyo is crazy. I don't think I'll ever get used to the trains.

I got to hang out with Mica on Thursday and Masaki yesterday. Hopefully I'll see Aya soon, I pass Meguro Station every time I go to Shibuya or Harajuku.

My phone is sweet. I finally got a bank account on Friday and soon I'll be getting my gaijin (alien) card.

Living in a different country is strange. I keep forgetting that I'm the weird-looking foreigner. I'm sure the piercings don't help.

I keep finding neat places to shop. It makes me sad because I have to save my money for food and for finding an apartment.

There has been some drama with some people but it's blown over, which is good.

My career options are somewhat limited. I don't want to teach English. I want to do something with art, tattoos, or bands/music.

Time to continue homework.

Orientation...

is over. So I just have to take placement tests for English, math, and Japanese. Blegh.

All this orientation stuff makes me feel like a freshman again.

I played L4D tonight with Lee. I only actually died once, I was amazed.

Aki & Paul, our dorm managers, are pretty chill, which is nice.

Japanese trains still freak me out a bit.

I'm continuing to meet people, which is good.

Seeing certain things around Tokyo make me giggle. Mostly silly Engrish, but other things too.

Walking from the train station to campus, you can see (what I think is) Tokyo Tower.

I hope to explore more of Tokyo this weekend if I get a chance (though I won't be in Roppongi at night).

Places I want to visit before I leave Japan (if I have the time & money):
Nagoya
Osaka
Kyoto
Hokkaido (mostly Chitose)
Taiwan
Seoul
Shanghai, Beijing, or Hong Kong
and of course I want to go back to Sadogashima!

Japan

So I spent all of New Year's Day flying.

I effing hate airplanes.

I finally got to Tokyo, got to my hotel, passed out.

Second day, I decide to venture. I didn't know where the shuttle was going. This tan foreign girl next to me asks, I tell her I dunno. Her name is Saba, she's Persian and lives in Canada.

So we make our way to to the temple in Narita (there was a crapload of people there). We poke around, take pictures, look at different shops.

We make our way back, chill, then part ways (she's in Malaysia now).

Today, I woke up, showered, had milk, coffee, and an orange for breakfast. Headed to the airport, then took the bus to the hotel where I'd meet the TUJ people. From there, we came to the dorms.

My dorm is TINY (pics later).

I met a some girls on my floor, Yuni (she's from Singapore), Lucia (she's from Paris but I'm pretty sure she's Chinese), Jade, Samantha, and one or two more.

So, yeah. Orientation begins tomorrow.