Gojira!!!

Title: Godzilla!!!

Sunday afternoon Jessica, Song, Han, Abby and I walked down to the DonQuixote. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Store in Japan…called Don Quixote…can they even say that? This is another multi floored shop with probably everything I will ever need at a insanely cheap price, even a few American products, still no sign of shaving cream though. But I did find body was and laundry detergent that won’t kill my skin. But one of the main things about Don Quixote, today at least, was that they had cheap bikes…well compared to other places. Abby bought a bike! It’s really orange and was only about 90 dollars, and that’s a nice cheap bike here.


I got one too, only mine is red.



After leaving the Don Quixote we were all so hungry…and I got roped into cooking again. No surprise, but I like it so no problems.




We stopped by the Suupaa on the way back and pick up some produce and I started experimenting. And it turned out like this. It’s Curry! They all loved it and I think we’ll end up having a weekly curry night now.

This week in Karatedo Sensei did a demonstration on weapons! Yabai! Tomoya, his black belt TA (whose awesome) set up 4 stalks of bamboos and Sensei demolished them with a katana! Yabai! I got to keep a piece.




Everything is going so fast! Diving head first into classes I have homework every night that’s due the next day. Except in Society and the Seminar, but those assignments are big enough. Those classes only meet once a week, and then there’s Karatedo where Sensei tells us that our homework is to be able to break a rock with our hands by next week…then he laughs so we know he’s not serious.
I also thought I should mention that yesterday in class Saito-Sensei, as Godzilla, killed the entire class. (Because we all like monster movies) Myself particularly was speared on his tail. He was stepping on Doug, beheaded John, breathing fire on Nate, and had already eaten Tim and Dylan. I love my teacher, Lol.
All is well,
Love Gretchen

Kuro neko, Hakai

Title: Hakai the black cat

Friday night us girls went out for some good old fashioned Japanese kareoke. How that works is that we rented a room in this building for an hour and a half, complementary drinks and food. There was a huge tv mounted to the wall, and the song picker was a wireless touch pad with the database programmed into it. So you would pick the song with the stylus and a few seconds later it would come up on screen! Sang Give you hell by the All American Rejects and had my first legal drink. I figured that I knew what went in a screw driver so I got one of those...not bad if I do say so myself. And Abby and I shared a bowl of edamame, steamed soy beans which were really yummy.

This isn't all of us, but (from right to left) it's Jessica, Abby, Me, Rachelle, and Erin going for ice cream right before we left for Kareoke.
After our hour and a half was over we went down the street to the Sega arcade where I proceeded to win this...with Masa's help.

This is Hakai. Abby also has one, only he's white and his name is Takai, meaning expensive, cause he came out of a claw machine...which if you've ever played them before you know they eat through your money like that. I was more lucky on mine...how ever instead of naming him Yasui (cheap) Abby thought that they should rhyme. So mine is named Hakai...meaning destructive. Everyone thinks it's fitting considering that its my cat. Lol.

Saturday we (the girls) were going to go to the Art Museum..but we didn't. We did however go to Kojima right down the street. Kojima is a huge multi floored electronic outlet store. I didn't get anything, but I do have my eye on a dejisho. A lot of the other exchange student and japanese students have them. It's an electronic dictionary which usually has Japanese to english and I would look up words easier and properly. Because I find that if I look it up in my regular dictionary I usually use the word in the wrong context, or the don't even us that word anymore.Kanji too, there are soooo many that I don't know that are commonly used on signs and food labels. and its tiny, it would fit in my purse, about 100$ too. But that would deffinatly come after buying a cell phone, and maybe a bike. And I can't get a cell phone until I get my Alien Resident Card, which I won't get until the first week of October, sad face. This is also where Abby bought the new pokemon game, yes. Abby bought Pokemon Black version here in Japan 8 months before it comes out in the States. Now she just has to translate it as she plays. After that Abby and I were pretty much shot on energy because we'd gotten up and five that morning to skype Coe. Coe was having a Study Abroad fair, so John set up a computer and we answered questions live. It was pretty cool.

All is well, time to do some homework.
Gretchen

Jyugou ga arimas!

Title: I have Class

But before I get to that, a small amount of backtracking, back to Monday.

Masa took us in a group to the Shirotori Garden near the school. An incredibly zen place in the middle of the city.

Masa and I.




And there was a huge Koi pond that just as huge Koi!





They were so beautiful, but also scary cause when you threw food in the water they swarmed it. Even if you just sat next to the water they swarmed.


It was a good way to end the break, classes started tomorrow.

The first day of classes is...well the first day. Hand out the syllabus and do a little review. Had Grammar with Saito-sensei first thing in the morning. He is so funny. He made sure to explain and interject that he was 36 (cause he does not look it)...but then his educational power point was full of Dragon Ball Z reference pictures! Lol. For example imagine if you would Opra Winfrey,

Former North Korean Dictator Kim Joong

Brittney Spears

President Obama

Goku (main character of Dragon Ball Z)

And Michael Jackson

All in a room together, asking what one another does for a living, and where they live. It was pretty awesome. Then I had Kanji class, and Washi sensei was funny too, she a tiny, slightly older lady. Tiny like she doesn't even come up to my shoulder. but she made sure to tell us that the characters she uses to write her name, Megumi, mean beautiful and forever. Stay beautiful forever. After lunch, I had Japanese society with Abby, and after that the Seminar on Japanese art and culture. but its a lecture class for Abby in dropping it. I'm keeping it though.

That night there was also a party held for the exchange students so we were the center of attention again. lol. But towards the end Abby and I met up with our friend Kyosuke. He'd been an exchange student at Coe our First year and first half of last year. It was so cool to see him again. The party itself didn't last long, but after wards a bunch of us went to this arcade in Kaneyama with the japanese students. I finally got to play the Taiko drum game! Its the same concept as guitar Hero only with a taiko drum! I was so cool! Abby and I played side by side and everyone cheered us on when we started sucking. normal mode was REALLY easy, but Hard was...well..hard! So much fun though.

All is well. Gretchen.

Yasumi!

Title: Break

Orientation is over, but classes don't start until Tuesday. I was placed in Level one, class one, and that's fine. I'm excited to classes to start so I can really get back into my Japanese and be able to communicate better. So my classes for my time here are Japanese 1-1, Japanese Conversation (both of which are required), Japanese Seminar, Japanese Society, and Karatedo. Karate is pretty self explanitory, I excited. but in Seminar we'll end up studying Modern media, ie Miyazaki, and Osamu Tezuka! Pretty much what I want to do. The Society classes is where I'll learn the minute social behaviors so I don't embarass myself like I nearly did yesterday.

Yesterday we went in a big group to a section of Nagoya called Sakae. It was a huge, tall building busy place...also it was Saturday. Taisei, who was serving as out guide, took us to this huge shopping center...but it was all really fancy and expensive. Not my thing, or Abby's. We sat down at a coffee bar (which was cheap) and got some Iced mochas. Before we left I was about to tip our bar tender, cause the coffee was delicious, and then it occurred to me that they might not tip here, so I didn't. I felt bad about it, but I didn't. And I guess I was right to, later I found out that it is really rude to tip here. Cause waitresses and the like actually get paid really well in Japan.

Then we spilt into two groups, (some of us were going to a party later and needed to be back earlier). Abby, myself and two other girls from Tennessee took the subway back to Kaneyama, where Aeon in(the mall we first went to). Awesome time, we're going back with them Monday. Cause we STILL haven't explored the entire place yet. But after then we came back to school and got ready for this Yukata Party. Megan, on the Tennessee girls invited us. She was told about it by some of her other Japanese friends. I was actually held at a Christian church in the Sakurayama part of town. It was so much fun. They were all really excited when I told them I'm a methodist. Lol. (just like with the boy scouts)Tons of fun.

Sunday consisted of Abby and I playing soccer with the Japanese students, and other exchange students. I've got a few battle scars, but it was a lot of fun. As you would assume, I was in the middle of executing a totally awesome move with the ball...and I biffed it. "Suportsu ga sukida, demo jyozujanai." I told them I liked sports, but I wasn't skilled at them. One of the guys, Kohei gave me a drink of this energy drink-thing he had. It was in a pouch...but it wasn't a drink per say. More like mashed up jello, it was interesting. All of the Japanese guys were soooo good with the ball, after wards a bunch of us went out to eat. Walked a ways to this okonomiyaki place by the subway station near the school. Now okonomiyaki is...special. Mine was squid, shrimp, and egg, there was also many more ingredients in it but I didn't see before we cooked it. Yup this restraunt had hot plates right in the table and we cooked it ourselves. The waitress brought the ingredients to us all mixed together in a bowl raw, and we dished it out and cooked it ourselves. Kind of like a variety hash brown, I guess would be a good way of describing it. Delicious.

All is good. Goodnight, Gretchen

Nekkyou no toki

Title: Crazy Times


Been kind like that again. No worries though. Just orientation and so many rules that we have to follow, and only being able to half understand what they're saying. That, and the International ATM at the 7-11 down the street won't take Mine, or Abby's debit card. So I have 165 yen to my name, which isn't worth much because no one can pronounce it. But we have been told of many other national ATMs in the area (cause other students are having the same problem) we just need to take a bus to get to them. We'll be going Saturday so that'll be an adventure.

Also taking the first series of placement tests today. They'll be what determines which level class I'll end up in. This test fried my brain more than 8 years of the ITBS and the ACTs combined. Granted that this wasn't a test I could fail but I was still freaking out over it. Even though I had never heard of half the things on said test I feel I did pretty ok on things I did know.

Actually we ended up going to the mall right after the test with a bunch of other girls. Abby and I are still going Saturday though. In the mean time, my first subway! Crowded and fast paced it was just like in the movies. Then we took a free shuttle bus to the mall, FOUR floors! That's why we're going again on saturday. The ATM here works with my card fine. So I won't have to do a troublesome money order after all. Yokatane!

Just one more test tomorrow morning. other than that all is well.

Matsuri

Title: Festival

Sunday, 12th

Sunday Morning I woke up to this outside my window.


Not 10 minutes go by and Abby knocks on my door, I get dressed and we go investigate. Kanae, my roommate, tells us that its not for any special reason so we wouldn't be offending anyone if we went. We practically ran down there. First thing we saw was the stage area where there was a Taiko drum performance!

Yabai! (really REALLY awesome!) And as we walked around vendors gave us free stuff, a bag with tissues, a reusable grocery bag that zips up to this tiny thing, and these plastic fans (it was really hot)And then something I didn't expect. There was a stand with the Boy Scouts! I went over and told them that I was a Boy Scout too (as best I could) They looked so shocked! I sat down and tied knots with them, Lol.


and right next to them was the Girl Scouts, they ushered us over as soon as soon as I got up from tying knots. We sat down with a bunch children and made octopus out of thread, bottle caps and googly eyes.



They handed me some flyers, and I'm pretty sure they were inviting us to a scouting even later in the month. We walked around more.



And, just for Bill.

They wouldn't let me take a picture of the car, but would take a picture of me on the bike. :) It's a polaroid.
After that we were pretty tired so we went back to my room to sit in the air conditioning for a while, which turned into hanging out with my roommate Kanae. She does an audio broad cast on the internet to practice her english, people listen to her channel and comment. We did a few with her, like as guest sort of. I was actually really fun we did it for about 2 hours before we all realized how hungry we were. She then took us to a cheap, but great, restraunt a few blocks down. I got this noodle dish that resembled spaghetti only it had shrimp and crab in it, real crab, not imitation. And I only paid about 6$.
It was 9 o'clock and it was totally bed time.

Monday, 13th

Today was some basic orientation, going through the rule book and paying the housing deposit. Then we went to get our Alien Residency Cards, I guess foreign policy is a lot more strict here than it is in the US. Actually got a chance to talk with more of the International students. Gotten to be good friends with Song, Abby's roommate, and her friend from Korea Han. Neither of them speak a lot of english, but we've been getting along fine. Han came up to me and pooked me in the stomach, and said what sounded like choke. !!! I repeated it and made a gesture of choking myself. She practically screamed no in Japanese and then tried again, so I said 'poke' with a lot of emphasis on the p. Not that one either. We tired again, she was saying Joke. She and Song had to sit down they were laughing so hard, and that made us laugh really hard and make everyone in the office look at us. It was an important lesson in rhyming.
And one of the girls,I actually can't recall her name at this moment, we have the basic conversation of 'where are you from' and stuff. She's from Clinton! 20 minutes away practically my entire life and I meet her for the first time half way cross the world!
After that we went back to campus to pick up a bunch of Nagoya students that helped us at the shopping mall. Telling us what brands were the best or cheapest. I got some dishes, trash can...blah, blah basic necessities. But on the road we saw...the most adorable garbage truck I think I'll ever see.


And here's a flower for Mom.

Suupaa ni ikimasu

Title: Going to the Super Market

My body doesn't know what it wants to do today just as much as it did yesterday. I tried to sleep in a little bit since I didn't have anything to do today, but nope. I tired and tired but I couldn't sleep anymore so I got up at 9 am and did some more packing. I think my room pulled together nicely. In the mini apartment I share with Kanae there is a kitchen area with a large sink, hot plate, and mini fridge. Two rooms, both small but one more so than the other, my room (it was cheaper. The bathroom is actually pretty genius. It opens up like an entry way and there's a sink and mirror. The toilet and shower-tub-thing and in separate closet like rooms off of this.

Our little entry way, and yes we do take off our shoes when we go in or out.


>
Kitchen


Shower-Tub-Thing


My Room!

As you see in the picture, I have a balcony and its wonderful. The huge glass doors give a great view.


Around 11 a bunch of us walked to a super market, for basic food until Monday, which is when some fourth year students will be taking us to the Deepaato, a department store. Which is more like a multi-floored mall where the floors have specific items. But we just walked to the super market down the street.
I remember more Japanese then I thought I did so I haven't had any real trouble communicating, nothing that hand gestures don't fix.It's actually a real shame because I forgot my camera on this expedition. Sad Faces, but that won't be the last time I go to the super market. If it weren't for the not-so-nice exchange rate everything is so cheap here, compared to home. Its just the packaging is so different, really cool.


It's wonderful. More later.It's only 9 pm here, but now I'm really tired, so I'm going to sleep and see if I can catch up, or stall...what ever my body needs to do. Night.

Gretchen

Oh, and there was a cardboard box in the staircase with a bunch of stuff left by last semesters students for free, but by the time I got to it there wasn't much left, but I did manage to get my hands on this.


I now own my very own Japanese Noodler. :)

Sayoonara Amerika

Title: Goodbye America
Had quite the plane ride over here, 16 hours and it was my first flight. I've safely landed and moved into my small apartment with my Japanese roommate, Kamai, she's actually the RA. So no rule breaking for me :(. It's wonderful here, really humid, but nothing I'm not used to. The sun never set on our plane ride over here, the sun literally followed us to Japan. So I'm tired, but it's really wiered cause now it's dark, but my body doesn't know what it wants to do. So I'm going to take a shower and then see whether it'll be sleep or unpacking. Luckily we don't have any responsibilities until Monday. More later, Jya (bye)

Not Yet

Just a first post to establish that this bog does indeed exist. Still in DeWitt at the moment, leaving Wednesday night for Chicago. Packing, repacking and repacking. Excited as hell, but oh-my-god-I'm-gonna-throw-up nervous. Probably actually making a face close to this one.