A few random notes

A few random things I find interesting to mention:

1) Bugs: There are plenty of them here. You can hear them buzzing all day and night. There are also flying spiders, which I've been unlucky to see during my first days at the dorm. And what's probably most funny is how scared the girls are of bugs. Even at the dojo the girls will leap up and shriek and shake until the bug is off of them.

2) Going grocery shopping is still quite challenging. I'm still learning what certain products are. I swear, it might seem obvious but you should try grocery shopping in a foreign country. How can you tell what is in a countainer when you can't see what's in it or read the information on the package? Today I brought my dictionary with me and looked up certain words like toothpaste (nerihamigaki) and sweet potato (satsumaimo). Really handy although I'm pretty sure it makes it quite obvious that I'm a foreigner.

3) When sick, people will wear surgical masks to cover their mouths. I saw this last time I came to Japan so it isn't new for me. To me, it goes along with what I know of Japanese culture: it's very important not to create problems for your peers. You do whatever you can to contribute to a healthy and efficient working place. So Japanese will wear masks to prevent from passing on their germs to others.

4) I find kanji (the complex characters Japanese use in their writing) to be very poetic. The other day, I learned that the kanji that make up the word hanabi (fireworks) is made up of two characters, the one for flowers (hana) and the one for fire (bi). Put together you have : fire flowers. As an artist, I find it creates beautiful images in my mind.

5) Lastly, the toilets... I don't have a picture to show you, but you can probably google it if you really want to know. Essentially, it's simply a hole in the ground. Now I don't know why, in such a highly developed and technological country, they still have such toilets. I do not see the appeal in crouching down (and there's no even a bar to hold on to) in order to do one's business. Thankfully they also have Western style toilets. In the university's bathrooms, there is usually one Western style toilet for each 3 or 4 Japanese style toilets. If I enter a bathroom where there are only Japanese style toilets, my urge to pee often disappears miraculously lol. But some Japanese prefer their toilets. My friend from Denmark, Zara, told me that she once entered a bathroom where there were both a Japanese style and a Western style bathroom. And to be polite, she offered the Western style bathroom to an old lady who had come in at the same time. But the old lady said she preferred the Japanese style bathroom! .... This remains a mystery to me.

That's it for today. Actually wrote quite a lot so hope you enjoy. If you have any comments/questions, don't be shy! Have to go work on a Japanese composition now where I'm supposed to write about myself. Catch up with you later!

School must go on...

I'm really enjoying studying Japanese. We have four different teachers for our class so that helps to make classes a bit less boring or predictable. We have a listening class where we'll be learning about proper intonation. Not as easy as it sounds. There are specific places where you're supposed to dip or raise your tone of voice and these places will change depending on verb class, verb tense, type of adjective, connecting words, etc... Still a bit overwhelming for me. But we're going to be using this sweet software, called Movie Teleco which allows us to record ourselves by speaking into a microphone. We then can listen to ourselves over and over again (and no, we are not narcissistic lol) to improve our pronunciation and intonation, on which we'll be tested later.

I learned today that one of my teachers, Nishiyama sensei, has the same birthday as me! I now know four other people (including my dad) who share the same birthday. Two of my favorite actors are also born on June 9th: Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman. Maybe June 9th is a more common birth date than others... Or maybe I've just been drawn to other awesome people like me lol. Just kidding! Still, anyone born on June 9th is awesome! Or on any other day for that matter : D

Fall is starting to show its colors here. The leaves are turning shades of orange and yellow and the wind is blowing a bit more tenaciously. And it's gradually getting colder although for me, who was born and raised in Canada, it's still pretty hot.

Judo (+ dojo pictures!!)

I've had four judo practices so far. I'm already starting to get a bit better at gripping but they still throw me many times during a fight, most often with their footsweeps. I don't know exactly how they do it. They just seem to hit my leg and I'm already falling. Something I'm going to have to learn how to do... and learn to avoid during my stay here. But I won't be able to avoid the bruises that have started showing up. That's part of being a judo athlete. I don't remember signing up for bruises though... : p Maybe it was written in veeery small letters at the bottom of the contract ; )

Here are a few pictures I took of the dojo. There are two tatami areas, one upstairs and one downstairs. The girls usually practice downstairs:

*(different color because of the camera flash)

Notice board near the entrance

A little paper with some information about me that was put up on the notice board

The girls have started to be a bit more friendly. I've been invited to go eat sushi together sometime. Others come up to me after practice to ask a few questions. I'm starting to remember more names now too. It's easy for them since I'm the only new one but it'll take a while before I learn all their names. And how to differentiate them from one another.

A couple of the girls are also more interested in Canada since they'll be flying to Canada in February to participate in the Pacific Senior tournament in Vancouver, BC. Unfortunately I won't be there but many were asking me the other day about what's good to eat in Canada. They're probably going to be surprised to see that Vancouver has many good sushi restaurants haha!

Here are pictures of the dojo upstairs, where the men practice and where the girls will practice occasionally.

The mats upstairs are bouncy. I was told it's a way of
reducing injuries as the bounciness helps to absorb
the impact when someone falls. 

Part of the men's team relaxing after their practice

Another interesting fact: Japanese girls scream a lot during practice. I'm not sure exactly what they're saying all the time, but I think it's mostly to cheer each other on. During a single match, they probably call out words ten times at least. And the other girls respond to this by calling out in return.

School is officially started...

Our classes have started... and we're already loaded with tests and homework. Every day we have a test, whether it be a katakana quiz, vocabulary quiz, or kanji (the complex characters). On top of that, we have to study our listening, reading, grammar and kanji textbooks as well as complete any homework assigned that day. One of my classmates is complaining that they're giving us too much... and she's not even doing judo! For now, the classes are relatively easy for me. I've already learned most of what we're currently studying in my classes at the University of Winnipeg so it's a good review for me. And I don't mind it being easy for now, I'm sure things will get a lot more complicated as we continue learning.

In my opinion, we have the nicest teachers. When the teachers first introduced themselves during orientation, the teachers for class 7 were the most smiling ones. One in particular, Chiba sensei is so funny. She dances, sings, makes weird onomatopeia, and draws tons of cute sketches on the board during class. She cracks the whole class up.

I just learned that my roommate, Moe, will be going to study abroad in Canada in January! She had applied and just got the news today. Unfortunately I won't be there because I'll still be in Japan. And I'm sure I'll miss her. The other day we watched Black Swan together. If you ever want to see a strange and confusing movie, rent it. There are many things I didn't understand or only realized a few scenes later. Though there are some things that will remain unclear or unresolved to me, I loved Natalie Portman in it. She's an amazing actress (and born on the same day as me! : p) and she was perfect for the role of Nina.

While I'm on the topic, if you like to read, I'd recommend House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I'm currently reading it albeit at a very slow pace due to lack of time but I love it. I could probably read it in one sitting if I had such a luxury. My mom can agree with me on that. The story is about a teen, Jacob, who has Asperger's syndrome. Socially he has difficulty fitting in with other kids his age but ask him about anything concerning forensic analysis and he won't stop talking. But somehow, Jacob gets involved in a murder in his small hometown and what follows in an investigation to try to find the murderer and possibly uncover a terrifying truth: Is Jacob responsible for the murder?

I'm only about halfway, so I can't tell you how it ends. But I highly recommend it. I also recommend any book by Jodi Picoult. This is the second one I read from her, the first being My Sister's Keeper which I also loved and brought with me to Japan to reread. I know, I'm a bookworm. ; )

Don't have much more to say for now. I've had two judo practices so far and one weight training session. I think I surprised many during the weight training with my technique and the weights I used. Some came to ask me the maximum weight I could squat lol. I couldn't tell them because all the weights here are in kg instead of lbs. It's really great to have access to a gym again. It's almost like a second home to me. And it's interesting to see how many exercises are also being done in Japan, for example strapping the gui on to the lat pulldown machine to do lat pulldowns. Maybe I'll be able to share with them some exercises I did back in Canada. We'll see : )

Have to get started on my homework now, so off I go. I'll try to post again soon. Ja mata! (until next time)

Judo, cellphone, classes

Okay, a lot has happened since I last wrote. I think I went a day without writing anything!!! *gasp*! To let you know, it will more often be that way once classes start because I won't have time to update everyday, like I've been doing so far.

So I had my first judo practice today at 9 in the morning. The dojo is really just a 5 minute walk from my dorm which is really convenient. I introduced myself in front of the whole class, speaking the little sentences I had memorized. Then time to practice. It went well. It wasn't as tough as I expected it to be. Now it's only been one day. I might say differently after doing six days in a row with two trainings per day, but for this first practice, I really enjoyed it. It's comforting to see how some things do not change. Judo is judo and no matter what country you're in, the structure of a practice is pretty similar. Very useful, especially since I don't yet understand what the sensei is telling us to do. During practice, I waited to see what the others were doing. Sometimes, a girl would grab me and bring me to where I was supposed to be.

We warmed up first, running and then some fast running on the spot. Then we did some uchikomi. Then 12 x 5 min of tachi waza randoris. At first I thought we had to do all of them. After my first 3 in a row, someone told me I was only supposed to go every two... Ahh.... I threw one girl and got thrown a lot with foot sweeps. They are very good at those. After, we did some newaza. At which, once again, they are very good. But I'm not that far away and I hope this year in Japan will really help me improve. After newaza, we did some throwing and that was it. Then some stretching and talking with other athletes. I think all of them are curious but some are less shy than others and came to see me to try to communicate. Try = me speaking the Japanese I know and them speaking the English they know. Which works to a certain degree.

After practice, ate some delicious curry... :) YUM. If you ever go to Japan, make sure to eat some curry. Then, off to the supermarket to buy some things and get a cellphone. The road to the supermarket is a large winding slope downwards. Riding my bike (without braking) all the way down is a thrilling but equally dangerous experience. I have the same feeling when I snowboard. Snowboarding downward at high speed and feeling the wind blowing past makes you feel invincible. But at a certain point, you have to start breaking or you might have a rough finish at the bottom of the hill.

Here are a couple of pictures I wanted to upload, though they don't really tie in to any particular text in this post:

The supermarket I like the most because it has everything: food (1st floor), clothes and appliances (2nd floor) and a dollar store that has everything in itself

Two friends: Haruka from Japan and Giyo (not sure of the spelling...) from Korea



Giyo and me



A nice picture of my Japanese mother, Reiko : )

I bought my cellphone today! Thankfully the guy working at the cellphone store spoke relatively good English so I was able to purchase and set up my phone without much difficulty. Here are some pictures though my camera really doesn't take great close-ups.

I had the option of getting an iphone but I opted for the prepaid because the iphone contract is for 2 years and I don't really want to have to tamper with the phone to have it work in Canada when I return. I would have liked a pink or gold phone but they said this was the only color they had. The first thing I did when I got my cellphone : change the display language to English ; ) So now I know exactly what's on my phone. What's neat is that I can now text in both English and Japanese characters. And I can email people from anywhere in the world.

I have had two requests for a postal address so here it is:

SAYURI FRANCE BLAIS-SHIOKAWA (LS303B)
TOKAI UNIVERSITY RYUGAKUSEIKAIKAN (L-KAN)
4-1-2 KITAKANAME, HIRATSUKA-SHI, KANAGAWA-KEN
259-1201, JAPAN

My classes start tomorrow already. On a Saturday!!! lol I've bought the six required textbooks: main textbook, listening practice, grammar, grammar explanations translated in English (most useful book out of all of them : p), kanji book, and intermediate book for later. I'm excited to start learning but it will be hard work. Especially with the judo practices. Here is what my daily schedule will look like starting next week: training in the morning at 7, breakfast and shower, classes from 9 - 12, lunch break, classes from 1 - 3, judo practice, supper, shower, study, sleep. And then restart it all over again the next day.. and the next... At least one thing I'm no worried about: falling asleep. I'll be dead tired once I get to bed. What I'm worried about is the hours of sleep I'll be able to get. I guess everything in its own time, I'll figure out something if a problem arises.

Ate supper and reheated some things I cooked the other day. I'm having fun cooking on my own now. Normally I cook desserts and only cooked meat maybe once or twice back in Canada. So the other day, I cooked up some chicken, made some rice in my new little rice cooker, added some kimchi and ginger, made a salad, and this was the result:



Not bad eh? : p and very good :)



That's it for today. Tomorrow, I have two classes and then I'm joining the judo team for weight training. I'm curious to see what they do in terms of weight training. It's great to be here and to be able to see exactly what their training regimen is like. I'll report back tomorrow about the weight training : ) Jaane! (See you!)

TY - FUN!!!

I lied in my post yesterday. I couldn't have had a real first taste of the rain because I was inside the whole time. Today, I can now say that I experienced my first real downpour. Right now in Japan, there's a typhoon passing through and it decided to come pay us a visit. How nice of it ; ) I don't think we're in the worst of it but it's awful enough. The rain is coming down hard and the trees are rattling like crazy in the wind and against the windows of the residence. Classes for regular students were cancelled today. Us international students still had to have our interviews and attend campus orientation. After orientation, both my friend Zara and I really needed to go to the supermarket to get certain items so we braved the wind and rain and walked to the supermarket, about a 20 min walk from the campus. We made it back to the dorm but we paid the price. We were both drenched from head to toe, even though we both carried umbrellas.

I bought a see-through umbrella today. If you're not sure what that means, it's an umbrella with a sort of plastic material (instead of the usual thin fabric) through which you can see. Walking back from the supermarket, I discovered why so many Japanese have this kind of umbrella. I always wanted to buy one simply for its esthetic value. I find them chic-looking. But now I see they also serve a more practical purpose. They allow you to hold the umbrella low over your head and still see where you're walking because you can see through the plastic. Neat, huh? : p

** Edit: Apparently I already liked see-through umbrellas as a child. Here is a photo my mom found of my dad and me in Japan when I was just a baby.

I was supposed to have my first judo practice today... but it was cancelled because of the current weather conditions. Which I don't mind today. All the walking in the wind and rain and wearing soaked clothes all day tired me out. I'd rather be a bit more rested before I take part in my first judo practice here.

So instead, I'll spend a quiet evening: cook supper, draw a bit, read and study a bit of Japanese. My roommate and I have started exchanging favorite artists and songs. She seems to like Céline Dion, Bruno Mars and The Carpenters. She's also given  me a couple artists that are popular now in Japan that I will check out when I get the chance.

Japanese placement test, Entrance Ceremony and more papers

Today we had a Japanese placement test to evaluate our knowledge of the language. This will determine in which level we'll be placed. I definitely know I'll be in the lower levels. I probably could and should have studied more during the summer but I'm not really worried. I will be placed at the level where they think I ought to be. And it's pretty flexible. If I feel the class is too easy, I can ask to be bumped up.

The test started out easy... with simple listening and writing words... then we had to listen to short dialogues and answer questions... It got to the point where I couldn't really make out much of what was being said. Then we had to fill out a hiragana chart which was the easy part. Finally, we had some particles to insert in sentences and verb conjugations. In all my academic history, this is probably the worst I've done on a test. But like I said, I don't mind in which level I'll be placed. No matter what level, I'm going to study hard.

We had an entrance ceremony in the afternoon. A few speeches, a few songs played by the university's band, a bit of dozing off, and it was over. Then, along with my mother in Japan, Reiko, and two other international students, Mari and Zara, we headed to the city hall to obtain our foreign registration cards. I don't know what we would have done without Reiko. The Japanese really do not make things easy for us gaikokujin (foreigners). The people working there speak very little English, even at the service desk for Non-Japanese. Once there, we found out about another form we should also fill out for health insurance. I just hope I didn't miss anything important. Most of the time, the only parts I understand as they're explaining things about the documents is when they ask me to please be seated and wait patiently. I'm pretty good at that ; )

Also, while at the city hall, I bought my family's hanko, which is a stamp with our family's kanji. It's used here in Japan, instead of signatures sometimes.

Posing with Zara (Denmark) and Mari (Finland)

Lunch at the cafeteria

I love the fashion here. Lots of cute patterns and colors. However, there is one thing I do not get about their fashion style: the dangerously high heels they wear. The majority of women walk around all day in high heels, even on campus where you have to walk 10-15 minutes to get anywhere. I asked my mother today why that is. She answered that most women here choose appearance over comfort. I intend to buy some Japanese clothes and shoes here, even some heels, but you won't be seeing me walking around campus in them, that's for sure. My feet already hurt all over from walking all day. And I've been walking in runners and sandals. Plus I don't need to injure myself outside the judo tatami mats. Judo is already dangerous as it is.

Had my first taste of the rain here. It rained a few times today. Currently raining now as I type. It's refreshing after the 30+ degrees we've been having these past few days. The air conditioner deserves a little break now and then too : p

If you want to comment..

I changed the settings which now allows anyone to comment. Previously only Blogger or Google members could comment which I realize is not very practical. So if you want to leave a comment, simply click on the "0 comments" hyperlink at the end of a post (might say 1,2, or another number than 0 if people have commented already) and it will lead you to the same post. Simply scroll down the page and there will be a text box where you can leave your comment. Then, in the scrolldown menu, select Name/URL and you can leave your name so I'll know who left the comment. Then you will be asked to type in a password to confirm. Email me (france9@mts.net) if you have any questions or are having difficulties leaving a comment.

Another feature of the blog is the "Feed RSS" label at the top of the blog. I'm not too familiar with feeds but the feed will allow you to be notified when the blog is updated. You can subscribe to the feed and add it to your Favorites Bar. Whenever I upload a new post, you will be notified. In what way exactly, I'm not too sure. Maybe I should follow my own blog to know when I post something new ; ) Once again, let me know if you're having difficulties with this, I'll do my best to help you.

**Okay, I've just tried the "Feed RSS" option and I can explain a little bit more. Once you click on "Feed RSS", it will bring you to a new page. Choose the hyperlink "Subscribe to this feed". A window will pop up. If I were you, I'd check the box marked "Add to Favorites Bar" which will make it more accessible for you. Press Okay and voilà! A new bar should have appeared in your Favorites Bar. The bar will allow you to see new posts I upload. Pretty neat eh? : p

More shopping... and walking... and sweating

Today, along with another international student from Denmark, Zara, I went to the supermarket Yorktown for the third time in four days. Starting a new life requires a lot of things. Whenever I want to cook at home back in Manitoba, I simply reach into the pantry or scavenge in the refrigerator to find what I need. However... can't really do that in the fridge here unless I fill it with food. So I bought many food items such as milk, cereal, bread, peanut butter, fruits and vegetables. Looking for things in a supermarket in Canada is already tricky at times. Try doing that in another country with new products and all in signs you can't read. Had to buy some water today because the bottle of water I'd bought yesterday wasn't water haha. The fruits here are really expensive... but it's a luxury I think I'm going to indulge in because they are simply A-M-A-ZING. So fresh and delicious. Even their apple juice is incredible. I'm normally not a fruit juice person but I'm going to make an exception. My brother Vincent, who can chug 2 L of apple juice in a sitting should be very jealous right now... :p but you'll get the chance to taste it when you visit Japan.

Then I had to buy less obvious things like olive oil, salt, a knife, some sarran wrap, etc. Back at the dorm, there is a fridge where we can store our food. We also each have a locker to store non-perishable things and other kitchen tools. Here are a couple of pictures. Only been here two days and my locker is already full. Also bought a nice little rice cooker. Have never used one and I think I'll have to get my roommate to help me with the instructions manual... unfortunately doesn't come in English. Then Zara and me made our way slowly and painfully back to our dorm, both lugging a rice cooker and carrying a heavy backpack full of food.

my locker

Fridge: shared with Italy and Australia

my cute little rice cooker

 Thought I'd take a few pictures of my room. My bags aren't completely unpacked yet, but I'm sure they'll unpack themselves in the next weeks.

sign outside our door : my name is written on the right in katakana

My roommate's side of the room

the view outside our window

Our curfew is 11 PM. After that, you cannot enter the residence by the front door. But the well-known trick here: have a friend open the window in the kitchen so you can jump in. Good reason to make friends ; )

All by myself

I was dropped off at the university with all my bags (never can pack light) and baskets full of things I'll need for my new life, things I wouldn't have even thought about because I'm so used to them at hand whenever I need them. Things such as a frying pan, some utensils and chopsticks, a wastebasket, laundry detergent, folders, cups and dishes, etc. Thankfully, my mother in Japan is very thoughtful and packed all of those things for me. Thank you Reiko! :)

Outside view of the entrance of the international students' residence



Dorm entrance


After I got installed, I organized my books and bed (while playing some Céline Dion in the room) which I love doing. For those who don't know, I enjoy organizing things. So finding a place for things in my new room was a lot of fun lol. Then, I met a few other internatinal students from all over the world: Norway, Denmark, Korea, Holland and Sweden. Some of them have been here for a few months already so they know the lay of the place. We walked to the supermarket to get some groceries. Bought a few things. Fruits here are very expensive, but so delicious and fresh. Some products have less selection than back home (there is only one brand of peanut butter here, Skippy). But others have twice or triple the amount, fish especially. So many different kinds of fish but until I know a bit more about how to cook them, I'll stick to meats I recognize.

Got to put my Japanese into practice :P Had no problems asking where the peanut butter or cereal was.. or if I could pay with my credit card. But then the cashier asked me something I didn't know... and unlike other times where I can just nod and smile and pretend like I understood, I didn't want to take any chances with my credit card... thankfully another international student was able to help me out. It turned out the cashier was asking whether or not I wanted to pay the amount in one or multiple installments. I'll remember it for next time.

We returned to the dorm and made supper together. Made some salad and cooked some potatoes, chicken and scones and ate in the company of other international and Japanese students. A lot of fun, and it felt very welcoming. And refreshing to hear some English :)
Then I skyped with my two set of parents, my parents in Japan and my parents in Canada. Oh, how good it feels to be connected again. It's like a little piece of me was missing until I got the proxy settings set up to be able to access the internet. Now I know that whatever happens, I can communicate with my parents and friends in times of need. Which is really comforting.

Met my new roommate for the first time, Moe Wakabayashi. Only talked a bit, but she seems very nice and I'm sure we'll get along nicely. I'll be helping her improve her English while she helps me with my Japanese. Great teamwork :)

*  *  *

I woke up at 5:30 this morning... the same time I've been waking up pretty much every day since I've arrived in Japan. Thought I might get to sleep in (unlike in Canada where I wake up early every day) but I guess habits don't change along with the time difference. So I decided to take a tour around campus by bike. It was my first time riding the bike... and it will take some getting used to. The basket in front creates a certain imbalance and the steering wheel is very sensitive, which made for a pretty shaky first ride. But I have lots of time to get better at it. I rode around campus to locate the building where my classes will be. The layout of the campus is pretty simple and very accessible if you have a bike. I just wasn't always sure which side of the road to ride on because in Japan, the cars drive in the opposite lanes.

Building no. 1 ; not sure what's in it yet

Building no. 8 where my Japanese classes will be

The south gate

The dojo

Dojo entrance

I really like the athletic vibe of the campus. After all, it's the campus where the sports facilities are situated and where classes for the Sports and Leisure Management Department are given. So you can see many people running or biking, or students practicing with their university teams.

*  *  *

Just had my first breakfast at the dorm. Being able to have my favorite breakfast (toast with peanut butter and bananas) in a different country is probably the second most comforting thing after Internet access :) . I think I'll be okay as long as i can eat peanut butter :p

I have a feeling that I'm really going to like it here. Size-wise, I feel right at home ; ) The other students have been very welcoming so far. The dorm deans are so nice. Even though I don't understand everthing they say yet, they always look at me when they're speaking and do their best to answer any question or need I have. And I'm already getting used to and enjoying living on my own. Going out to buy groceries, cooking, washing dishes, going in and out as I please... things I could do before but didn't have the same feeling of independance about them. Now I just have to make sure to be both independant AND responsible. Two very different things ; )

First glance at my life at Tokai

My life is starting to take shape now. What before were only vague plans are now becoming reality... exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.

Today I visited the campus for the very first time. The Shonan campus is big and consists of 17 administrative buildings. And of course, there are the sports facilities: dojo for martial arts, tennis and basketball courts, swimming pool, weight training gym, soccer fields, etc. And for now, it's pretty quiet. But it will get very crowded as soon as classes begin.

I visited both the international students' residence and the apartment where the judo girls stay. Upon viewing both accommodations and listening to the recommendations of many, I finally decided to stay at the international students' residence. I'll be rooming with a Japanese girl whom I've yet to meet.

Also had the chance to watch a bit of the women's judo practice. I feel both excited and intimidated to train with them... but I know this is a lifetime opportunity. I have to be like a sponge, absorb everything I see and learn and hear. And I'm hearing a lot of English music here lol. I was pretty surprised but many American artists are pretty popular here, like Avril Lavigne, Daniel Powter, Taylor Swift, etc. And guess what was playing during the women's judo warm-up I watched? Who Run the World, Girls by Beyonce. Quite fitting for a women's judo practice. ; )

*   *   *

The following day, we had to drive out to the Immigration Center to obtain a student visa.

It took such a long time to drive here. What would normally only take 45 minutes in Manitoba takes about 2 hours here because of the traffic and single lane roads. The road here used by two cars is the same width as a lane for a single car in Canada. Which makes for a somewhat terrifying experience to zoom so close to cars traveling in the opposite direction along roads that wind and turn and go up and down. But apparently, there's nothing to worry about because Japanese believe they are good drivers. At least that's what they say. It also helps that many cars here are slimmer. They have kejidosha, which are recognized by their yellow license plates. They are so cute : p I almost feel like I'm in a miniature world.

Like in Canada, cars also get arrested for speeding... which is called nezumitori here. That translates to "mouse catching". And only two days in, I had the chance to experience that. Not me personally (I'm not allowed to drive... and don't think it's something I'd like to try either haha...) but my homestay dad got a speeding ticket. And unlike in Canada, you can't really talk your way out of it.

After getting all the papers in order, we went to buy a bike and a few necessary accessories for my stay in Japan, i.e. bed sheets, pillow, alarm clock, frying pan, hangers, etc... And a bright yellow bike! I love it. Here it is : ) They call this kind of bike "mamachari" which means Mommy's bike. They have the basket in front for groceries and are very popular here in Japan. I'll be sad to leave it here when I go back home... in all my time in Canada, I've never seen that kind of bike there.

my AMAZING bike ;)

How bikes lock in Japan: the lock around the wheel prevents any movement of the wheel 



my bike doesn't really stand out, does it? : P



A parking lot especially for bikes: sweet! :)

I'm moving in to my room on Sunday. Again, both excited and nervous because for now, the extent of my Japanese is limited and I've been relying on my host family parents here to translate for me. At the end of the day, I'm already so mentally exhausted from straining to understand one word here and there in conversations to try to make sense of what people are saying to me. I really cannot wait to be able to speak fluently. Really can't wait.

Officially in Japan!

After months (years really) of planning and preparation, I am now living and breathing and sweating IN JAPAN! Pretty hard to believe... but amazing none the less!

The trip to Japan got off to a rough start. Broke my headphones during the first flight... Then before boarding on the next flight, rushed to buy a new set of earphones... only to realize once on the plane that Air Canada hadn't updated its inflight entertainment system... and I'd seen all the movies I wanted to see during my previous trip to China. I wish I could say that at least the food on the plane made up for it... but sadly I can't.

I landed safely in Japan which is the most important thing. Then, carrying two 10 kg carry-ons, I made my way among the crowds of Japanese citizens to pass through the immigration counters, claim my baggage, and pass through customs... with no problems at all. Then at the exit, met my new parents who drove me to their house, a place I am grateful to be able to call home during my stay in Japan.

Once home, we shared a meal and I got a taste of what I can look forward to experiencing during my year in Japan: AMAZING FOOD! We had some gyoza (dumplings), some chicken, some rice (of course), miso soup, fresh salad and everything tasted so good. I definitely am going to love the food here. Already knew that before leaving ;)
 

First meal in Japan... a glimpse of what is yet to come!

 

My new parents, Shigenori and Reiko


Random tidbit of info:
Expression used in Japan now: my boom is (insert whatever you are into now) or my recent boom is ( " ) : which means the new thing, or what someone is currently loving. Which for my new dad in Japan is Taylor Swift : p