I've been here about three weeks now, and am finally getting into the swing of things. The first two weeks were spent with my program people exploring Tokyo, doing orientation, and getting ready to sign up for classes (we were not allowed to do that until we were physically on Waseda campus). The first week we actually spent in a hotel because we hadn't been assigned host families until the beginning of the second week there - we were in the Sakura hotel in Ikebukuro (which is surprisingly sketchy at night...), and I was in a traditional Japanese hotel room with four other girls. When I say traditional Japanese hotel room, I really mean traditional - tatami mats (mats made of rice straw - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatami for more information) and futon (traditional Japanese bedding - also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futon for more information). At first my roommates and I couldn't figure out the air conditioner and were MISERABLE. That first week was especially hot (in the upper 80s or lower 90s) and we were roasting in that room. We finally found an English instruction sheet and were comfortable soon enough ^_^
During that week, we were taken to various districts of Tokyo with some Japanese students as our guides. They were all very patient with us XD With my group, I went to Shibuya and Shinjuku (both huge districts in Tokyo known for their shopping). In Shibuya, we went to a デパチ (depachi, or the basement of a department store where there are rows and rows of food stalls with almost any type of food you can think of) as well as Department 109 (basically a huge shopping building). In Shinjuku, most of the people in my group were sick of shopping so we went to a park where, to my surprise, you had to pay admission to get in. It was worth it though in my opinion, because the park was beautiful and HUGE. We couldn't even walk the whole thing, but only walked a fourth of it before having to return to our meeting place for more orientation.
As a big group, we went to Asakusa, Yokohama, Tsuji fish market, and Odaiba. We went to Tsuji fish market for lunch (I had the most delicious salmon sashimi rice bowl I've ever had in my life, and only for about $10 for a big bowl I couldn't finish) and then to Odaiba, a city on the seaside; it was absolutely beautiful. I walked with my newfound friends to a small inlet and we sat there enjoying the view. It's been awhile, so I don't remember what we did in Yokohama, but it must have left an impression or else I would have remembered. The only thing I remember from Asakusa is that a transvestite Japanese man-turn-woman came up to my group and I and said both "Hello" and "My name is Jason". Very, very random...no Asakusa after dark for me anymore, I think...
During this week before moving in with my host family, the Japanese students took those who wanted to go (which included me) to a 飲み会 (nomikai, or drinking party) where we payed roughly $22 for all you can eat and drink. The food was delicious, and you made it yourself in a grill right in front of you. It wasn't cheap food either - there was chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, and squid. Delicious! The drinks were also very good, but very weak - I was told later that they were watered down. It was fun though, laughing, carousing, eating, and drinking with both people from the program and Japanese students themselves. I learned some Japanese drinking games and songs, and had a great time.
On Monday the week after, we moved in with our host families - mine lives out in Machida-shi (about an hour and a half commute by train into Tokyo), and I have a little host brother around 4 years old, host mother, host grandfather, and host grandmother. I supposedly have a host father, but to this day (two weeks after I've moved in) I still have not met him. I know him to be a salaryman, so it's possible that I just keep missing him because I go to bed before he comes home and don't wake up until after he is gone to work? Maybe they're making him up? Not quite sure...so far living with the family is going very well. The mother and I get along very well (she herself studied abroad in London while in college), and I'm getting to know the grandparents more and more. It really is an enjoyable experience so far ^_^
Starting at the beginning of last week, classes started as well, so I am an official 留学生 (study abroad student), not just a 外人 (foreigner) ^_^ I am taking a kabuki and bunraku class (kabuki and bunraku are classical Japanese theater - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunraku and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki for more information), a class on the sociology of Japanese culture, a class on the history of modern Japan, a class on The Tale of Genji (a Japanese classic, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Genji for more information), and my Japanese language class. My Japanese class is so easy it's ridiculous and detrimental to my education BUT I can't move up a level because it is against Waseda University rules. So, at least I'll be getting a guaranteed "A" on my transcript...but otherwise my classes are very interesting. The lecture on Japanese modern history is very boring, but the text itself is extremely interesting. It not only captures the pure history of Japan, but also the cultural, intellectual, and economic history as well, all of them wrapped in one clean package. I really like the textbook being used in this class. If you're interested as well, it is A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon (we're using the second edition). Highly suggested read ^_^
And that is all for now! I promise to try to be more consistent with this blog, I've been a bad girl lately D:
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