All I can say that it’s so different from the states.

Firstly, getting to school from the dorm is much more of a hassle than it is at New Paltz, but it’ll be good for me. To get to class that starts at 9, I have to wake up at 7:30 at the latest and be on a train before 8:20. Back home, all I have to do is walk 10 minutes.

The trains in the morning here are NUTS. Since everyone goes to school at the same time and people commute to and from work at the same time, it’s impossible to not be squished in there. I did try and take pictures, but I thought it would be rude, and it was also impossible for me to move to get my phone out. I’m sure if anyone looks up “Trains in Tokyo” on google, they’d get the idea.

But after the disaster that is Japanese trains, the campuses I’m commuting to are really nice.



One is the main campus where my Japanese Language classes are, and the other one is closer to my station where all my other classes are. I signed up for 20 credits (Japanese included) and was told by friends back in the states that I’m nuts, but classes here are only 2 credits each for the most part, and actually really easy so far. There are more things that are different though…

First, they only happen once a week, which is really weird (for me, at least). Second, they’re about an hour and a half long, which isn’t too bad unless they’re night classes, which I do have a couple of. Third, attendance is SO essential here. Most of my classes only allow 3 unexcused absences before they FAIl you, which is pretty shocking considering most kids here just sleep in the class and the teacher doesn’t do anything about it (this will be discussed further whenever I get around to writing about the culture shock I’ve experienced so far here).

(This kid isn’t in class but it’s still relevant)

On the bright side though, none of my classes really give out too much homework and for the most part only have a couple of papers, a presentation or two, and one final exam.

So far, the only thing I think I need to ‘worry’ about are the two classes I’m taking that are taught in Japanese, but I’m also really excited to take them and don’t think I’ll have a problem paying attention. Understanding what the professor is talking about, however, is another issue, but I have a few Japanese friends in both of those classes so hopefully they’ll help me.

My Japanese class was determined by what level I placed on a test that was pretty much impossible. I somehow managed to get into the Intermediate level, which I was a little upset about at first since I had finished Intermediate back in the states, but it’s much more difficult here. I can safely say that my worries about not learning anything new have gone out the window now.

I’m gonna try to join a few clubs here since that’s what most kids do after classes other than getting a part-time job. I was thinking of a music/band club, but I’d have to see if they’d make me buy an instrument with my own money, because that’s not happening. Maybe a singing/drawing club… I’m not sure yet it’s only been a few weeks.

But honestly I’m loving it here so far. All the students and professors are really friendly and helpful. The only thing I think I’m gonna have a hard time with is the commute, but I do have months to get used to it.

We have a few more days before orientation starts and we have to get in the swing of things for school, but there’s still so much to do so I’m obviously not gonna just sit here.

I met up with some friends from school and they showed me around cities most foreigners like, places like Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and all that good stuff. Maybe it IS because I’m a foreigner, but I loved every one of them.

I had been to some of these cities when I was in Japan a few years ago, but I was only in each place for a few hours so I didn’t get to do much. This time I did have the opportunity to peruse and buy things, but I chose to save my money. I mean, I am here for a while so I can always come back if I really do want something.

Speaking of money, food here is really cheap compared to New York, but the clothes are WAY too expensive for me. They’re also too small, but that’s another story.

Last Saturday, there was some festival going on in our street (I’m honestly still not sure what it was for). How often they do this, I don’t know, but basically, people take a little shrine thingy and walk with it all over town, bringing it to various shrines and ringing it’s bells, I assume to welcome in a good thing or scare something bad off.

Our landlord told us about the event and said that we could come watch, or if we wanted to, to haul the shrine across the town with the locals. I’m not that strong and I was still too tired from my constant moving around/jetlag, so I told him that I would watch. But when we got there, the guys in charge assumed that everyone was there to help. Not that I minded, but I was surprised when he told me to put on a uniform and showed me to the back of the shrine…

In the end, I was too short to hold it up most of the time, but I tried a few times. Eventually we wound up at a fairly large temple (I assume for the area) where a bunch of stands for food, games, and other things were surrounding it, so once we rang the bells of the shrine there, we walked around for about an hour to get food and stuff.

I guess it was like a little Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival) at the end of the season, but I really still don’t know. Even after asking some Japanese friends, they don’t know what I’m talking about, but it was really interesting and in the end I’m glad I went.

Yesterday, I also went to a few game centers with a friend and then we met up at an Izakaya (basically a place for a ton of food and drinks for really cheap) with some other people.

I guess these past few days have been pretty hectic looking back on all this. Right now, I’m exhausted, orientation starts tomorrow, and then that’s not far off from classes, so I guess now I really DO need to sit here and relax before things get busy…

I’m finally settled in at Meiji’s International dorm here in Izumi!!! I looked at some pictures and videos of what it was like before coming, but I’m still amazed at how nice it is here.

It’s gonna be really weird having a room to myself, but my ‘flat-mates’ (I don’t really know what to call them we share a kitchen and a laundry room and our rooms are all next to each other) are all right here, so I guess it’s pretty similar to a suite.

(I hope they let you hang pictures up here…)

I’m also really happy I have my own little bathroom to myself

I still have to unpack and get adjusted to how things work around here, but it shouldn’t be too hard… I hope…!