First days in Japan!

I arrived in Japan yesterday and got into Oita later that night. I spent about 30+ hours either at an airport, airplane, or riding in a bus. I spent the night at my tutor Narumi-san’s house, because she accidentally dropped my apartment key in the crevice of her car seat hehe. Daijoubu daijoubu, Narumi-san! After being on a plane for so long, I’m happy to be anywhere.
So even though I don’t know how to access the internet yet I’ll just go ahead and type this blog entry now and post it later before I forget about all the wonderful experiences!

There’s so much to say, where do I begin? The plane ride was ok, JAL flight attendents are awesome, I think they fed us 4 times! The flight was about 14 hours long. Upon flying into Tokyo I looked out the window and saw the breath-taking scenary that I had been dreaming of seeing since I was a kid and all I could think about in my head was… “thank god we’re landing, now I can go to the bathroom!” I was on a time constraint my entire trip and had to rush to get to my destination so I did not get to take many pictures. While I was transferring between Narita to Haneda airport I met a really nice American lady who is stationed to work as a nurse at a military base in Okinawa. Oh, dragging 2 bags around isn’t so bad, it’s the 40 lbs of junk I have strapped around my shoulder and back that began to wear down on me. So getting to Oita was easy enough I met my tutors, Narumi and Minako, at Oita Station and they’re awesome and really nice.

We went to Narumi’s home town to get help in fishing out the key that fell between the car seat. Narumi invited us over to her house and her mother cooked a meal for us, that was really nice of her, I wish I knew more proper Japanese to thank her. Sakai is really beautiful, it looks so peaceful and chill, and the mountains are beautiful!... if I were part of a ninja village.. that is where I would totally live haha. It really is gorgeous! The weather is great, so cool and breezy.
For a moment while returning back to Oita, I forgot what Charlotte looks like. It’s so strange, I searched my mind to try and remember what the hell Charlotte looked like, but I just couldn’t! it took me awhile but now I remember. It feels like Charlotte is just a distant memory now.

Ah my tutors were kind enough to take me to the store to buy some supplies and showed me the local shops near my apartment. Living alone is going to be so much fun and a challenge, because while at the store I had no clue what supplies I would need because I’m so used to having my mother buy everything and take care of the house and cook all the meals, so this will definitely build character and help me appreciate my mother a lot more.

At the moment I am in my apartment and there’s an opening in my door where the mail flap thingy is supposed to be, but it fell off so now there’s just a whole there and it’s kinda creepy. I’ll have to cover it up with something soon. People can just peek in and see me! Ok I just went to fix it, I taped some newspaper over it, yes that will keep you peeping toms at bay!.. except now I can see the newspaper blowing in the wind… scary!

I’m so lazy to unpack, so all my clothes are sprawled on the bed. I have a feeling my apartment will look just as messy as my room back in America, panties and clothes just thrown everywhere.
The sun is about to set and I’m very excited, I can see the sun setting behind the buildings outside my balcony! I love watching sunsets! I can see the mountains from my room as well, and the river is right down the street, that’s so awesome. I’m very glad I chose to study at Oita, the scenary is amazing. Who needs Tokyo? :)

Time to go

2 hours left before my family drives me to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, from there I shall be heading up to Chicago O'hare? and then straight to Narita Airport, Tokyo. Then transfer over to Haneda Airport and theeeeeen fly to Oita Airport and then take the bus over to Oita Station where my tutors will be waiting. But as for now I'm still sitting on the computer watching my doggie sleep on my bed. Oh Ein! little do you know I'm leaving you for almost a whole year! that's 7 doggie years.

To be honest, now that it's so close to crunch time, I'm really starting to miss family and friends. I get homesick a lot, but what helps me get over it is to not think about family/friends/home and focus on getting to go to Japan, and living in Oita and learning Japanese. Hehe.. so forgive me in advance if I ever act a little cold or distant, I'm just trying to avoid the homesickness. I definitely won't forget about anybody while I'm gone.

...I just hope I don't get randomly strip searched at the airport! because then they'll find the 5 kilos of coke I got stored up there. Just kidding! it's only 2 kilos.

Alrighty guys, I'll post something again soon as I get internet, I'm such an internet-crack-fiend! I'd totally turn tricks if it got me internet access. SRSLY O_O

Picnic With Friends

Had a little picnic get-together with friends this Saturday and it was awesome. I'm so happy that you guys could make it, it means a lot to me. So much food and ice and drinks, oh my! And the weather was really nice out too. Later that night we went to the bar. Well.. there was an unplanned bar hop though, because the first bar was anal about letting those under 21 in after 10pm. I felt the need to swear just now, but I stopped myself, hah! anyways we ended up going to a pool hall just down the street. Great company + drinks = fun, what more could you ask for? and thank goodness for designated drivers, we were there until 2:30'ish eek.

I'm gonna miss you guys! I'll be back before you know it, and by then we'll have a bunch of amazingly inappropriate stories to share with one another.

Hello stalkers and swim-fans!

I have decided to create a blog to record my experiences as a study abroad student in Japan. I will be studying there from October 08 to August 09. I never expected I would get accepted, but in the end, I got in! ^_^

Special thanks to all that believed in me.

Anyways, I shall *try* my very best to keep swearing to a minimum, but I can't promise anything! You've been warned! I have a colorful choice of language and strange sense of humor.