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Halfway There

Gotten really busy lately so this is my first post in awhile. School's picked up a bit and the time is flying. I'm already halfway done; three month in, three to go. But a lot has happened in the last two weeks so I'll try to catch you all up.

Last weekend I went on a trip to Saitama and made soba (which is like a thin wheat noodle) with a group of people from the international center at my university. I was the only American on the trip which was kind of cool and we did a lot of great things. The weather was fantastic and we got to travel to the top of a mountain and did a boat ride. It was really gorgeous and I think I'm going back to that same area with my host family in two weeks.

This week I didn't get too much sleep, had a big presentation for a class and some quizzes. And I also got to go to TOKYO DISNEYLAND and see MGMT in Shibuya! It was probably the best day I've had here in Japan. The weather was so warm for December (I'm really appreciating the difference between here and Chicago) and it was nice to think back to when I went to Disney World when I was 8. My friends and I rode all the major rides and laughed at how funny everything was, a wonderful mix of America and Japan. And then we went to the concert, which was great except it ended way early, but everything in Japan does so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I've got two weeks of school left before winter break. I'm hoping to go to Kyoto for a bit and just enjoy some time off.

Fuji, Thanksgiving, and a Kentucky Christmas

Hey everyone, its been awhile since I last posted so here's a quick update of my last two weeks or so.

Last weekend I went to the Fuji area with my program for a retreat. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great so clouds were covering up the peak, but it was still gorgeous and a welcome break from the constant movement of Tokyo. Went to an "onsen" or hot spring/bath there for the first time, which was really relaxing.

Thanksgiving is next week and I'm making pumpkin pie with my host mom tomorrow, which should be fun. I haven't done any cooking in months so I'm excited. I've yet to see any turkey here in Japan, so I'll have to come up with some sort of substitute to enjoy Turkey Day.

And I've started to figure out Christmas in Japan. A bunch of places have put up lights for their illumination celebrations. But I was watching TV this week with my host family and saw a KFC commercial advertising a "Kentucky Christmas". For those who don't know, KFC is really popular in Japan (and in China from what I hear). I was laughing really hard since it's kinda surreal being from Tennessee and seeing KFC everywhere. But my host dad told me that they always get KFC for Christmas dinner and that there's always a big line outside the day before. So maybe I'll have a Kentucky Christmas this year!

And unfortunately I actually have to do some serious studying this week as a have a midterm and a big presentation coming up. I definitely do way less schoolwork here than back home, so coming back for spring quarter will be hard and it'll probably kick my ass.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

OBAMA!!!

I am so thrilled that Obama won! Very proud to be an American right now. And I got to watch the coverage thanks to the time difference. When the race was called, it was 1pm here. Kinda jealous of all my Northwestern friends who got to hear him speak, though.

So what did I do after he won? I went to a neko (cat) cafe. So Japanese and delighful. Literally you go to a little cafe place and drink coffee and play with cats. What a fantastic idea. Japan is hilarious sometimes.

Best Weekend Ever; Election Excitement

It's already Tuesday night here in Tokyo, meaning in about 15 hours we'll have a new president back home. I'm incredibly excited, especially because this is the first election I could vote in. There's lots of coverage on Japanese TV, which makes sense considering how close we are to them. They have a lot at stake in this election too. Most of the people here are hoping Obama gets elected, probably because they think he'll be the person to actually bring change. The issue that the Japanese I talked to are concerned the most about has to we bringing the war to an end. So I'm interested in seeing what the reaction here will be whoever ends up winning.

Other than that, I enjoyed a three-day weekend thanks to Monday's culture day. Friday was Halloween, so I dressed up with some friends and went out. Halloween is a relatively recent holiday here in Japan; it just kinda started being celebrated 10 years ago. Although there's been stuff in stores all month long, I don't think they trick-or-treat and many people don't dress up. But the fact that they had Halloween at all was nice. Thanksgiving will definitely be harder to celebrate since its exclusively American. But I'm going to try to have some sort of dinner, especially since its my favorite holiday.

Saturday I went to a very famous Shinto shrine in Harajuku with my host family for a special night event that was held there. This shrine gets the most visitors out of all the ones across Japan during New Year's. The shrine and pathways were all beautifully lit up and they had a Noh theatre (very traditional Japanese theatre) performance that we got to see some of. Couldn't understand what they were saying, but it turns out neither could my host parents since they were speaking very old-style Japanese, which I kinda equated to Shakespearean Old English. Very interesting, and I'm sure an experience not many foreigners get the chance to see.

On Sunday, I went with a friend to my university's baseball game against our hated rival Keio University. We got there at 8:30 to wait in line; the game didn't start til 1. After getting in the stadium at 10:30 we had two hours to kill. Which meant two hours of non-stop cheering! Seriously, the Japanese never stop cheering at their games. Sometimes I forgot that we were actually watching a game because I got caught up in everyone cheering all the time. By the sixth inning and after 5 straight hours of peppy cheering, my friend and I were exhausted. But everyone else was still hard at work. Did it matter that we were down 5 runs? Hell no! "Ganbari, Ganbari!"

Another difference was how friendly this rival game was. Before the game we did their cheers, they returned the favor, and we even swapped cheerleaders for a good portion. My friend and I were expecting at least a little hostility, I mean isn't that what rivalries are for? So after a drink or two, we tried to provide a little bit of anger towards Keio, but failed. We lost 9-3, but I don't think I've had more fun in a losing effort.

Monday was our school's big festival, which was epic and PACKED with people. We saw dance groups, all-male cheerleading groups, Japanese reggae (so wonderful), endless amounts of food booths, and even a guy dressed up in a Playboy bunny outfit who shaked his ass at my friend. It was really fun to say the least. I didn't want the weekend to end. It was easily the best one I'd had in Japan. So here's hoping I can top it.

It's Finally Starting to Feel Like Fall

After spending the last two falls and winters in Chicago, Tokyo's weather has been a nice change. I've been wearing short sleeves most days. And Sweater weather is just now starting suprisingly, but I'm excited for it. I've always loved fall.

I went to a nearby mountain two weeks ago with my host family and the leaves were just starting to turn colors. We went hiking, which was so wonderful. I couldn't stop smiling, thinking "I can't believe I'm hiking in Japan!" the entire time. Its moments like these that make me realize why I'm studying environmental science; being out in nature just makes me really happy.

Tokyo doesn't seem to have as many parks as American cities, but the ones they have are really cool. I went to Ueno on Saturday with some friends and the park was full of people, street performers, and food vendors. So I'm going to try to go to the major parks while the weather is still kinda warm. I'm kinda sad that I'm not going to be here in the spring to see the cherry blossoms bloom ("hanami") which I'm sure is spectacular. I also went to the zoo, which was great, even though we couldn't see the pandas for some reason.

In other news, I've been looking for an "arubaito" (part-time job) teaching English to kids for a couple weeks now, but no luck. Tomorrow I go in to a school and see if they want to hire me. I would love the extra spending money (especially considering the exchange rate keeps going down to depressing levels) and spending time with Japanese kids seems like fun. My host family's grandkids came over yesterday and I got to play with them a bit. I taught them how to play rock, paper, scissors and learned that the Japanese version isn't that different. We then made takoyaki, which is like a doughball thing with cheese, octopus, and lettuce. Really tasty. The food here has been great. My host mom is a great cook, and I've tried a bunch of new foods so far.

Halloween is on Friday so I'm hoping that I can find a costume and something to do before then. So have a Happy Halloween and remember to vote next week!

Settling In

Tomorrow marks one month since I arrived here in Tokyo and I've been reflecting about what I've done and what lies ahead. It seems like the month went both very slow and very quick if that makes any sense. I like to think I'm at the point where everything is a little more familiar and I'm not amazed at everything for its newness or inherent Japanese "cuteness", but everyday I do seem to have a moment where I marvel that I'm actually here in Japan doing this, speaking Japanese. How far I'm away from home and how different it all is.

I've also been thinking about why I decided to come here, what attracted me to Japan. It's a question that I get asked often and I often ask myself. There are people on this program who probably have far clearer reasons for being here, whether they see a future here or becoming fluent in the language for a defined purpose. Some people got interested in Japanese anime or film in high school or have family or friends that are Japanese and were drawn here for those reasons. I came because I had studied the language at school for two years, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have a clear reason why I started it in the first place. Somehow I'm here in Japan, even though I'm not always sure for what purpose.

I guess what I saw in Japan was a challenge, something new that I've always wanted to do. I've never been out of the country before, so coming here was a big step for me. I sometimes think how it would have been easier to have stayed back home with my friends at school or at least chosen to study abroad in a place where I can actually communicate with everyone. But now I realize that wasn't what I wanted. Language certainly isn't my strength; if I'd followed those I'd have been a math major. But I've always been attracted to starting fresh, putting myself in a new or difficult situation or location and seeing how I react.

I have no idea what these remaining five months will bring. It may get easier and feel more comfortable; it may not. I might actually become pretty good at speaking the language, but I hope the knowledge I acquire here goes deeper than just kanji and chopstick skills. It's the challenge of everyday life that excites me and what I look forward to the most. Here's hoping the rest of the journey is as intriguing as the start.