So, last night ended much better than it began. After my post I ended up wandering around a bit and got some Tempura for dinner -- which was absolutely fantastic (and cheap --500yen!). This was followed up by some Poker, which is always fun (No money game, I was the runner up out of five players. Not too bad).
Today...well, yeah. It was really long. I had orientation from 9:30am - 4:30pm. Most of that was filling out forms. I also got my exam results back -- Level 1. I hope I can test up to level 2, but I guess it is not too bad -- my Japanese is pretty basic at this point. On the other hand, having Level 1 Japanese on my transcript two years in a row is rather unappealing. My other classes should be pretty good, though I may need to drop one. I am looking at taking: Japan's Foreign Policy, The History of Intellectual Movements in Japan, and Russia: From Lennin to Stalin. We'll see what I decide to keep and drop (Most likely The History...Japan will be dropped for The Fall of Complex Civilizations, though I may want to drop the Russia course instead? It sort of fullfills a requirement I want out of the way).
Later this evening I should go out and get an electric fan, some passport photos, and some dinner. I also will have to help a group with their internet at some point, so I want to combine the activities. It should be alright.
As for tomorrow, a big group will go down to Shinjuku Ward Office thing and submit various paperwork -- which should allow me to open a bank account, which in turn will permit me to pay the rent and buy a phone! Awesome!
Anyway, despite my last post, I am enjoying myself and do intend to continue enjoying myself while I am here. Wooo Japan!
Showing posts with label Orientation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orientation. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Japan!
I am in Shinjuku, Tokyo now! It is pretty cool. I will go through everything now.
The first plane was pretty alright -- it was really tiny. There were only 9 passengers. YYZ was not as exciting as I was hoping for, it was a lot like NYC's airpor (but a bit nicer and less crowded). I did not listen to YYZ until I got into the plane to leave, nor did I take touristy pictures. I would have like to from the plane coming in, though, as Toronto up against the rising sun was beautiful, but I didn't want to turn on my phone while the plane was moving.
I mainly tried to sleep in the airport to mixed success. Though, as some may know, I was planning on meeting a friend at YYZ as we were on the same flight. She was not there -- I looked for her for about an hour and a half. I even asked the front desk about the incoming flights from Philly to see if there was an issue. I searched for her getting on the plane, and when we got off. I even asked one of the team that picked me up at Narita about her. Nothing. I just recently learned that she was the same flight number and time, a DAY EARLIER. Yeah. That's crap, but doesn't really matter now.
Second flight was pretty awful. It started alright, and the people next to me were pretty alright. But the lights were off pretty much the whole time, and I became sick as the plane went on. I managed to listen to some music, watch the entirity of the Billie Jean King Cup(Good job Serena!), and two episodes of Flashpoint(I have been interested in this show as an actor I irrationally adore is in it. He plays Sam Bradley) before becoming too tired and ill to do anything but try to sleep. This was all compounded with two fears that I feel were somewhat rational: 1) Concern for Lauren, who I felt missed the flight, an experience I greatly emphasize with after Korea, and 2) Worry over my Japanese Exam. I felt I was pretty well-studied, but I know and I knew then that I could have prepared more fully. I also, for the first time, felt true pangs at my decision to study abroad for a year. A few may know this but I did not want to go for a year -- I was hoping for a 6 month program. I love the US too much, and can say I will miss home more than I have realized before I got on the plane. However, I also wanted to go to Tokyo and AU does not offer a shorter Tokyo program (that I have found, if you know of one I would like to see it for a laugh). I think the main issue was that I was sick and already filled with various anxieties, but I was and still am slightly nervous about being in Japan for a full year. Added is the fact that my loans have not completely gone through yet. And, as much as I love Japan, there are various beaurocratic tendencies and a few cultural issues that are strong warning signs that I will have issues here, that would not be a problem if I were studying abroad nearly anywhere else (Compounded by the fact that I just travelled to S. Korea and loved it for the few differences that made it very distince from Japan, as well as my ever-lasting love for Italy. Honestly, if I were going to Italy for a year my anxieties would be: I don't know much Italian, and it does not easily fit into my major/career path. I am unsure I would even think about home, because I loved Italy so much last time. I still consider dropping everything and becoming a fisherman in Amalfi. Man, Italy is awesome.) I am totally over most of these anxieties now, and am getting back into the correct: OMG I AM IN JAPAN mindset, but it is a bit hard because my concerns are at least somewhat rational. Not to mention I have been to Tokyo before, and am still a little under the weather. Oh well, once we get through the various forms (I think we are all here so early just so we can do all of our paperwork?), I am feeling a bit better, and I actually start exploring the city I am sure things will look up.
Actually, they have been looking up for the most part since I got off the plane. The group that picked us up, the group that went on the train, and the group that brough us to the dorms were all very friendly and cool (Ones I have met again: Liz and Elliot, everyone else was Japanese, though one of them was at AU last year. We apparently ran in the same circles and just narrowly avoided meeting, somehow?) My dorm is pretty nice, too, as are everyone I met here -- including an AU student, JyuHi, and my roommate, Kim (I find it interestingly coincidental the two people I list here are Korean).
Today was pretty interesting too (though its not over, I think I might be missing an orientation or something now, but I don't have that info). The test was REALLY TOUGH, as it tests EVERY ONE of the 8 levels the school offers (Compare: I expect to be either level 2 or level 3). It was so tough that I actually do not feel very bad about preparing better earlier -- most of the stuff in the exam was well beyond my text book, and the stuff I did know I knew without studying. Maybe some more studying would have helped by essay, but it probably would not have made a difference (Most of it was fill in the blank, where each blank was a character. It would make more sense if you saw it). After the exam, Ben, Laur, Liz, and I all went out to try to get Waseda IDs(got them later, at orientation), and food. I got Hanbaagu, which is the version of hamburger altered to Japanese tastes. Basically: just the patty slothered with some sort of sauce, with some pasta flavored with ketchup, mixed pickle, cabbage, an egg, daikon(I have really missed daikon -- I loved it in Korea!), miso soup, and rice. It was pretty awesome. Though, I am now dissappointed in my Japanese as I feel way more comfortable ordering off a Korean menu than a Japanese menu. Oh well, we didn't cover a lot of this in class (but we totally should). Afterwards was orientation, which was sort of dull, but I got my netpass, ID, and almost rented a phone (rates were too high, though).
Afterwards Ben and I explored campus trying to buy towels (succesfully purchased two), then I came back to the dorms and spent about an hour getting Japanese language to work on my netbook. Turns out it is there and fine -- on IE. I can't get it working on Chrome, for some reason. It's rather confusing.
Anyway, I will post more soon, I'm sure. I unfortunately do not have a real camera at the moment, so I don't have any pictures yet. But, be patient and endure! I will have better, happier posts in the future!
The first plane was pretty alright -- it was really tiny. There were only 9 passengers. YYZ was not as exciting as I was hoping for, it was a lot like NYC's airpor (but a bit nicer and less crowded). I did not listen to YYZ until I got into the plane to leave, nor did I take touristy pictures. I would have like to from the plane coming in, though, as Toronto up against the rising sun was beautiful, but I didn't want to turn on my phone while the plane was moving.
I mainly tried to sleep in the airport to mixed success. Though, as some may know, I was planning on meeting a friend at YYZ as we were on the same flight. She was not there -- I looked for her for about an hour and a half. I even asked the front desk about the incoming flights from Philly to see if there was an issue. I searched for her getting on the plane, and when we got off. I even asked one of the team that picked me up at Narita about her. Nothing. I just recently learned that she was the same flight number and time, a DAY EARLIER. Yeah. That's crap, but doesn't really matter now.
Second flight was pretty awful. It started alright, and the people next to me were pretty alright. But the lights were off pretty much the whole time, and I became sick as the plane went on. I managed to listen to some music, watch the entirity of the Billie Jean King Cup(Good job Serena!), and two episodes of Flashpoint(I have been interested in this show as an actor I irrationally adore is in it. He plays Sam Bradley) before becoming too tired and ill to do anything but try to sleep. This was all compounded with two fears that I feel were somewhat rational: 1) Concern for Lauren, who I felt missed the flight, an experience I greatly emphasize with after Korea, and 2) Worry over my Japanese Exam. I felt I was pretty well-studied, but I know and I knew then that I could have prepared more fully. I also, for the first time, felt true pangs at my decision to study abroad for a year. A few may know this but I did not want to go for a year -- I was hoping for a 6 month program. I love the US too much, and can say I will miss home more than I have realized before I got on the plane. However, I also wanted to go to Tokyo and AU does not offer a shorter Tokyo program (that I have found, if you know of one I would like to see it for a laugh). I think the main issue was that I was sick and already filled with various anxieties, but I was and still am slightly nervous about being in Japan for a full year. Added is the fact that my loans have not completely gone through yet. And, as much as I love Japan, there are various beaurocratic tendencies and a few cultural issues that are strong warning signs that I will have issues here, that would not be a problem if I were studying abroad nearly anywhere else (Compounded by the fact that I just travelled to S. Korea and loved it for the few differences that made it very distince from Japan, as well as my ever-lasting love for Italy. Honestly, if I were going to Italy for a year my anxieties would be: I don't know much Italian, and it does not easily fit into my major/career path. I am unsure I would even think about home, because I loved Italy so much last time. I still consider dropping everything and becoming a fisherman in Amalfi. Man, Italy is awesome.) I am totally over most of these anxieties now, and am getting back into the correct: OMG I AM IN JAPAN mindset, but it is a bit hard because my concerns are at least somewhat rational. Not to mention I have been to Tokyo before, and am still a little under the weather. Oh well, once we get through the various forms (I think we are all here so early just so we can do all of our paperwork?), I am feeling a bit better, and I actually start exploring the city I am sure things will look up.
Actually, they have been looking up for the most part since I got off the plane. The group that picked us up, the group that went on the train, and the group that brough us to the dorms were all very friendly and cool (Ones I have met again: Liz and Elliot, everyone else was Japanese, though one of them was at AU last year. We apparently ran in the same circles and just narrowly avoided meeting, somehow?) My dorm is pretty nice, too, as are everyone I met here -- including an AU student, JyuHi, and my roommate, Kim (I find it interestingly coincidental the two people I list here are Korean).
Today was pretty interesting too (though its not over, I think I might be missing an orientation or something now, but I don't have that info). The test was REALLY TOUGH, as it tests EVERY ONE of the 8 levels the school offers (Compare: I expect to be either level 2 or level 3). It was so tough that I actually do not feel very bad about preparing better earlier -- most of the stuff in the exam was well beyond my text book, and the stuff I did know I knew without studying. Maybe some more studying would have helped by essay, but it probably would not have made a difference (Most of it was fill in the blank, where each blank was a character. It would make more sense if you saw it). After the exam, Ben, Laur, Liz, and I all went out to try to get Waseda IDs(got them later, at orientation), and food. I got Hanbaagu, which is the version of hamburger altered to Japanese tastes. Basically: just the patty slothered with some sort of sauce, with some pasta flavored with ketchup, mixed pickle, cabbage, an egg, daikon(I have really missed daikon -- I loved it in Korea!), miso soup, and rice. It was pretty awesome. Though, I am now dissappointed in my Japanese as I feel way more comfortable ordering off a Korean menu than a Japanese menu. Oh well, we didn't cover a lot of this in class (but we totally should). Afterwards was orientation, which was sort of dull, but I got my netpass, ID, and almost rented a phone (rates were too high, though).
Afterwards Ben and I explored campus trying to buy towels (succesfully purchased two), then I came back to the dorms and spent about an hour getting Japanese language to work on my netbook. Turns out it is there and fine -- on IE. I can't get it working on Chrome, for some reason. It's rather confusing.
Anyway, I will post more soon, I'm sure. I unfortunately do not have a real camera at the moment, so I don't have any pictures yet. But, be patient and endure! I will have better, happier posts in the future!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)