04.16.11 Change of Plans

I feel like an awful person. Bea and I were supposed to go to Osaka tonight to hang out with Melanie (the French student). Our plan was to leave after my soccer practice finished so we could walk around, see some sights, and maybe even do some shopping for an electronic dictionary (which I badly need).

However, soccer practice went extremely long. We practiced from 1:30 until around 4:30. I had told Bea that we would be done around 3:30 so I knew she was waiting for me. I was in a rush to get back until I found out that our first game is tomorrow. Ironically, it is also in Osaka, but the team is leaving at 6:30 am to be there by 7:30 am. At first I thought I could meet them at the station, but then it dawned on me that if I was out all night with Bea and Melanie, there was no way I'd be able to get up and play a soccer game the next day. I wasn't sure what to do at first.

I have been playing soccer for most of my life, and I feel a strong sense of committment to whatever team I play for. If I want to be part of this club team, I need to commit to it. That means making practices and games a priority, and although I felt terrible for bailing on Bea, I know that if I didn't go to the game I would be letting my team down and I would feel extremely guilty about it. I hate when people cancel at the last minute, so I know Bea was probably pissed when I told her I couldn't go. If I had known about the game sooner (I missed Wednesday's practice due to a guidance session) I would have told her earlier. Ugh. Thus, the undesirable situation. I know she is going to have a great time and I wish I could be there. I guess this means I will just have to go to Osaka another day. There other thing that sucks is that Yoonkyung (C.Y.) invited me to go to church with her tomorrow, which I also cannot do because of soccer. And I may not be able to see the cherry trees with my friends, either.

Wouldn't it be nice to be in three places at once? So, right now I am sitting in my room moping a little bit. I just had a shower and ate dinner. I didn't really eat anything since 9 am so I was starving. My body is sore from practice so I know tomorrow will be rough, but I think I made the right decision. If not, it's too late to worry about it now.

04.15.11 Differences

I have internet in my room! Yokatta! This morning around 11:00, Maki came over and dropped off a LAN cable for my computer. Now I have internet all day, everyday, whenever I want it! Whoohoo!

Not much else really exciting occurred today. I had one class at 1:00, my "sports law and politics" class. I vaguely understood the general idea of what was going on... sort of. I at least understood the part where American sports were mentioned.

After class, I went back to my room and worked on studying some Japanese. I am trying to look over some of the homework I have for my Japanese class on Monday, which requires looking up a TON of kanji on the internet. I think I would be lost without Denshi Jisho. It allows you to look up the kanji using the radicals (if you don't study Japanese, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but trust me-- it's a big deal). So I worked on that for about two painstaking hours, then went to meet up with my friend Hiroko at school. I really enjoy speaking with Hiroko because she talks clearly, slowly, and has an electronic dictionary. She also seems genuinely interested in what I have to say.

We took our time asking eachother questions. We talked about music, hobbies, sports, our families-- and finally, we went out to eat. I must say that ramen has been ruined for me. Ruined in the sense that I will never eat American "ramen" again. In addition to ramen we had gyoza and shupan (not sure on the spelling). Everything was delicious, of course. Towards the end of our time at the restaurant, Hiroko asked me what I liked about Japanese culture. I told her that the Japanese attitude really interests me, particularly the respect they show for people and nature. Hiroko then went on to say that because the Japanese highly value "wa" (harmony), they often don't speak directly or say what they really feel. She told me that she really admires how Americans and other foreigners speak directly (you know exactly how they feel and what they want.) I then said that I was worried about offending someone because of my blunt speech. What she told me really meant a lot. "I think differences are interesting. And I know you will be all right."

So here's to differences! Kanpai!

I BLAME YOONKYUNG

Darn it. I have "Gee" by Girls Generation stuck in my head. If you listen to it, you'll see why it's so catchy.



04.14.11 Full Circle

It seems that I've come full circle now. Tomorrow I will start my first "real" week of classes since all of my classes since Friday have only been orientations. You know what it's like: read the syllabus, maybe introduce yourself to each other, but no real work. Tomorrow, that will change. I am a little nervous because there is still a lot I don't understand, but I have a lot of great people around me helping me so I know I can handle it!

Today I got up groggily after a long night out with friends. (Luckily, none of my classes start before 10:40, which is a huge improvement from the 8:00 am classes I take at UNCG.) Bea and I went to the second part of Japanese I today. There is a Japanese IA and a Japanese IC. I took the IA on Monday, and this class is sort of like a "part two" taught by the same teacher. Because we went to orientation on Monday, we only had to stay for introductions, then we got to leave. It was nice because I didn't really eat breakfast so Bea, Nguyen, and I all went to the shokudo for lunch. On the way there, we ran into Melanie on campus. Apparently, her university adminstration have changed their mind and will allow her to come back to Nara if she wants to. While this is great news, it is also difficult for Melanie because it means she has to make a decision soon about what she will do.

After lunch, Nguyen and I met up with Maki and Mao to take care of some things. I had to purchase student insurance, which was actually very, very cheap (only about $20), and it seems relatively useful since I would only have to pay 30% of medical costs if I were to get injured or sick. I also have the insurance that UNCG made me purchase, and my personal insurance. I hope this means I don't have to pay anything if something happens (God forbid)! Side note: I also bought a few stamps so if anyone wants a postcard send me your address via email or facebook.

Later in the afternoon I had my volleyball class. I was relieved to see that it was a mixed group of students ranging from first years to fourth years. Two of the fourth years were Sports Science majors like me and we had met before so they were gracious enough to sit and talk to me during class. We actually got to practice a little bit of volleyball, so that was fun. I always enjoy my sports classes because it isn't really necessary to understand a lot of Japanese to do well! I am not sure what the night will hold. Bea and I might hang out and do something. I am excited because tomorrow I should be getting internet in my room. Cross your fingers for me!

04.13-14.11 Karaoke

This really deserves its own post because its just that awesome.

Last night, Bea, CY, Hana, and I met up with a girl named Melanie. Melanie is a French student who studied at Nara last semester, but is no longer in Japan because her university won't let her return. She has come back to Nara for two weeks to gather her things, so while she is here, her friends want to make the most of it.

We started the night with dinner. Even though I had already ate some udon, I decided to eat again. We went to a restaurant called Baby Face, which seems to be popular among the college students because they serve large plates that can be cheaply split among a group of people. We ate a salad, omelet rice (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like) and spaghetti. From there, we left to find a place to eat dessert. We ended up at a small "Australian" restaurant. Most of us got cake (myself included).

Mine is the one on the bottom right-- strawberry!

When we finished dessert, it was around 11 pm, but we decided that wasn't good enough. Someone mentioned karaoke and I was sold. Truth be told, I've been dying to do it since I got to Japan. I love to sing, especially with friends, so what's not to like? CY led us to a small karaoke place on the shopping street that was only 500 yen an hour (this included drinks). We were given our own room, ordered our drinks, and then were allowed to stay for as long as we liked. The system was pretty high tech-- you were given a small handheld machine that allowed you to look up songs (either in English or Japanese) and then you could "reserve" them by simply touching the screen.

Between the five of us we sang in six different languages: Korean, Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and German. Our songs ranged from Disney to Girls Genereation (a popular Korean female pop group). There was some Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and yes, even Abba thrown in there too. We were having such a good time that by the time we finished it was 3 am! I learned that CY has an AMAZING voice. I was so impressed. It was nice to have people compliment me on my voice, too, but all in all it just felt good to sing again! Because I am used to singing in church every week, I really missed it. It seemed that we could communicate through song better than conversation, and I left the karaoke room satisfied with life.

And of course, I had to take some videos! The first one is of CY and Hana singing "Gee" from Girl's Generation. It's one of the most popular songs in Japan right now. The second one is Bea and I singing "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxoBilILfg8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8aY-ubBBlg



04.13.11 Hima

Hima = free time, and today, I had a lot of it.

Originally, I had planned to take one class on this day. Loosely translated it would be "health and fitness." However, it is a first year class (freshmen would be taking it) and I don't really need it. Plus, none of my friends are in it so I opted out. This means Wednesday's will be my free day, which is nice because it means I can study, do homework, go shopping-- whatever I need to do. Although, I do have soccer club at 4:30 on Wednesdays so I'm not completely free. Also, I am considering taking another Japanese class. It is a level two course so it would be more difficult, but I figure I am here to learn Japanese, so why not? I'm not going to take the Friday level two class though. Watching videos on Japanese history (in Japanese) and then writing responses to them isn't really that interesting to me.

At 2:30, I met my friend Hanako in the third year's study room. Yes, we actually have an entire room devoted to us. Pretty sweet, right? It may just be for the Sports Science third year students because those are the only people I see in there, but even so. Hanako had asked me for some help with her English homework. I think we both reached a mutual understanding about how difficult it is to study languages. Her task involved brainstorming sixty words (in English) on a single topic, which she will then eventually write a paper on. Her topic was "books," so together we came up with sixty words related to that. Since the Japanese don't have the "l" sound in their language, it is difficult for them to pronounce it right. Then again, they can at least try and pronounce English words by reading them. I, on the other hand, can't even read kanji. After I helped her with her homework, she showed me a book she has been studying for a big English exam that takes place in May. To me, it looked similar to what you might see on the SAT. Some words would have been difficult even for English speakers! I really have a lot of respect for my Japanese friends. A lot of them speak better English than I do Japanese, but I guess this can also be explained by the fact that they started learning English at a young age. I am pretty sure it is a required language for them.

After helping Hanako, Maki and I met up around 4:15 to go to an International Student Orientation. We met in a large conference room, and it was surprising to see all of the ryugakusai (exchange students) in one room. Each person was accompanied by their personal tutor. Maki and I sat next to Nguyen and Mao. I'm pretty proud of myself because I was able to understand a lot more of what was said during the meeting than I expected. We discussed various topics necessary for student life: insurance, class registration, etc. Tomorrow, Maki is going to help me register my student ID card and make sure I have all my insurance squared away with the health center. Student ID cards here are the key to everything (sort of like the fobs we have to get into dorms at UNCG). Everything on campus is electronically gated (including my dorm), so it is essential to carry your ID card with you everywhere or you won't be able to get into any buildings! Apparently, to get on campus after hours (weekends and holidays), I need to register my ID card. Who knew?

Then, on Friday, Maki is going to come over to my room to help me set up my internet. Today I finally received my username and password in the mail for my dorm's internet service! I am excited because this means I won't have to wake up so early to talk to my friends and family online. It also means I don't have to go on campus everytime I need to use the internet (I am currently writing this from the toshokan-- the library).

After the orientation finished I went back to the dorm to make dinner (chicken udon-- yum!) and I ran into a Japanese girl who began speaking to me in English. It seems that everyone here wants to practice English just as much as I do Japanese. I did my best to respond to her in Japanese, and I think I am getting better conversationally. Pretty soon Bea is going to introduce me to one of her French friends who was here last semester. Unfortunately, the French girl's university won't allow her to return to Japan due to the "nuclear crisis" even though she wants desperately to come back. She is only in Japan for two weeks to collect her stuff and settle some things so I think a few people are taking her out for dinner.

I am extremely blessed and fortunate to be in Japan, even during such times as this. Even if I were to leave tomorrow, if given the chance to do it again I would. Ganbatte Nippon!

04.12.11 Third Day of Class

Today was a fairly relaxed day. At 10:40 I went to class, which would probably be the equivalent of a modern dance class at UNCG. I was super excited because out of the ten people in it, more than half of them were friends of mine (Hiroko, Haruka, Ena, Hiro, Bea, C.Y.). We actually did some dancing and moving today, and since I've done something like it before I didn't feel totally lost in spite of the Japanese instructions. The class went by quickly, and we rushed off to lunch where I made plans to meet up with another friend tomorrow.


Bea suggested that I take another Japanese class after lunch, but since it was level II and I had difficulties with the level II class on Friday I decided not to try it. I will already be taking four Japanese classes so I don't want to overwhelm myself. In another week, two out of my four Japanese classes will begin. They are scheduled on Tuesdays. One is an entry level course and the other is "business" Japanese. Until they start though, I will only have one class on Tuesday (weird, I know).


Because I don't have anything else to do, I have been sitting in the library studying Japanese trying to look up some words that I need to know. All of the clubs have tables set up outside right now. It reminds me of UNCG's fall kick off. Tomorrow I am supposed to go to soccer, but apparently there is a guidance session just for foreign exchange students that I am expected to go to. Bleh. I feel bad for missing out, however, I know that I need to prioritize and start getting into school mode. Sometimes I feel like I am on vacation instead of university student.


I want to be able to speak to someone completely in Japanese without needing to use English by the time I leave Japan. I think that is a reasonable goal. Even if my Japanese isn't perfect, it would be nice to not have to use my dictionary every few seconds.

...

I was sitting in the library, and around seven o’ clock I started to get hungry. I decided it would be a good time to go back to my dorm and make dinner, but to my surprise there was a barbeque being held outside. Bea was there and so were students from the English Speaking Society, a club on campus. They invited me to come and eat (for free, I might add). How could I refuse? Steak, hot dogs, vegetables—everything was thrown on a grill and flipped expertly with chopsticks or tongs. They provided a wide variety of Japanese sweets (okashi) and drinks as well.

Bea introduced me to Kana, a sweet Japanese girl who is involved with the English Speaking Society. I was seriously impressed by her. Her English was probably the best I’ve heard since I arrived in Japan. She invited me to come to E.S.S on Saturday so some of the students could practice speaking English. (I hope I can ask them some questions that I have about Japanese so it seems like a win-win situation.) We talked and ate until about nine. Then, another Japanese student there invited Bea and I out to eat and have a few drinks.

She took us to a cozy little place tucked neatly away on one of Nara’s shopping streets. It was run by a husband and wife, and you immediately felt like part of the family when you walked in. I got to try some more Japanese food, and I had the best chicken I’ve ever tasted along with some delicious fried potato balls filled with cheese. We ordered a sake sampler, which was four small glasses of different kinds of sake. All of them seemed pretty strong to me, but then again I’ve never really drank alcohol before.

Bea and I returned around midnight, full of traditional Japanese goodness. Again, I was able to pick up on a few more words. I honestly feel that if I apply myself to learning a little bit every day I will be leaps and bounds better than when I first arrived.