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 :)

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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.

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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 ; )