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 ; )

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. ; )

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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.