Hey, just a quick update with pictures!! Let me know what you think! I'll make sure to take more so I can post them. If anyone wants to get into contact me, the best place would be at: gypsynoneko@ezweb.ne.jp . So drop me a note sometime, let me know how things are going! If you want to write to me (I love getting mail!!) my address is:
April Weldon
C/O CIEE STUDY CENTER
Sophia University
Building 11, Room 108
7-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo Japan 102-8554
Pictures are here:
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| Japan 01 |
Feel free to share!! :DD
I'm updating!! Whoo hoo!!
Sorry that it's been so long since I updated (over a month?!!?)! I have rare if any internet access, and it's all for a limited time (when I can fit it in) so now I finally discovered time!! Pictures will be coming soon I hope, I just have to figure out when the best time to start uploading them will be.
Okay, now onto the real update!
I love Japan!! It's absolutely amazing here! It's kinda a little different than I expected, but still tons of fun!
A little re-cap so I'm sure that I cover everything.
The first day I got here, we stayed in a hotel about 6 blocks away from my school, and we had a few orientation sessions about what to expect. A couple days after arriving I moved into my host families house which is very nice. There is no internet (after we got off of the train my host mother took me past an internet cafe and told me "This is where you will be getting internet" so I knew about it right off), but I have a TV in my room, which is just as well for me because it means I can watch the things I'd be looking for online anyways. I really enjoy it! My host parents are really nice, in their 60's and have 3 kids. Two of the kids are married, the two daughters, and one lives about 10 minutes away, the other just moved to Hokkaido. I have met the daughter that lives 10 minutes away, she's really nice and fun. She has a daughter in 5th grade I think that likes the same band I like so we can communicate that way. The third child is a son who isn't married but owns some shops in Shibuya, I haven't met him yet but I was supposed to. I look forward to meeting him.
Since I've moved in, I had my birthday, which I did nothing for because I had been sick the night before and my host mother wouldn't let me out of the house. That cold is still kinda sticking with me :P I ended up making some nice friends who I've been hanging out a lot with. I joined a club, it's called the Walking Club, and it's a lot of fun. I've been to Disney Sea which was absolutely awesome, and I totally enjoyed myself.
This past weekend I went to Oosaka to see Arashi, my favorite group in concert. It was a lot of fun, but I had horrible seats so I plan on going again to have better seats. That'll be this upcoming monday. I can't wait!!
I've been to a few temples and have pictures of those that I'll post later. I'll have to write again later cause I'm running out of time and need to go to a lecture.
I miss all of you guys, and hope you're having a great time!!
I have arrived!! I'm in Japan now, sitting in my hotel room at ... 6:00AM because I haven't been able to sleep for the past 3 hours, and my roommate was up also.
After I got off of the plane (the flight wasn't bad, only slight turbulence and about 10 hours long?) I had to go through all the immigration and stuff before I could get my luggage. I was really surprised with how the Airport was set up. But I've only been in Airports in America and didn't have to worry about the immigration or anything, so it was always really easy. After I met up with the group (we were greeted at the airport after I picked up my luggage) we sent our luggage to our host families/dorms and then we got on a bus for the drive to the hotel. The drive was about 2 hours, but it took us past some of the major things that people like to see. Caught my first glimpse of Tokyo Tower (got a couple of fuzzy pics I'll post later lol) and some other things, like the giant ferris wheel. It was so pretty!! Oh, and we got to see our first Japanese sunset. I thought it was kinda amusing to arrive in the land of the rising sun only to see it set. But it was gorgeous.
We got our host family/dorm assignments. I am living with a host family, and I'll be about 30 minutes away from campus. Which is much much better than first expected. So that makes me very happy :D.
Dinner was late, and we walked to this one street that was all restaurants (there was a Mexican one, but we didn't go there. But now I know where to look to find one, lol). We had yakitori which was really good, and cool because we cooked the meat and veggies on the grill ourselves (not cool in temperature//I burnt my tounge -_-;; ).
Basic update for now. We figured out how to use the internet in the hotel room, so that's what I'm using. After I move in with my host family, I'm not sure what I'll have to do for internet. I'll be very busy today, and I haven't gotten all that much sleep because I'm still on CA time. But I'll still manage despite that, lol. It's currently about 6:20 here in Japan, on Thurs. I move in with my host family tomorrow afternoon, and we have the weekend to ourselves to be with our host families. It should be fun!
So I thought I should update... The two pictures I recently uploaded were the pictures I chose to send with the letter to my host family.
Currently I have about 12 days left before I leave. Tomorrow is the party from ISO, and also will be my last day working in Admissions for this semester. The rest of these two weeks will be fairly busy, as I have to pack and gather everything I need together. On Sunday is a joint birthday party for my sister and I, as well as a going away party for me. Wednesday my grandparents are coming over to say goodbye, and on Saturday is a friends wedding. Other things will most likely also start cropping up throughout this time. Hopefully I'll stay busy. With the extra time, my family just got a Wii, so I can finish Zelda: the Twilight Princess. I'm looking forward to that goal! lol.
These are the pictures ones:
I am going to Japan in 21 days (Yes, I am counting down... >.>). I am receiving two scholarships to help cover some of my expenses, my parents are also helping me out some by covering some of the costs I have to take care of before I leave. (THANK YOU ^_^) I got my Student Visa about a month ago, my tickets are already purchased, and I have quite a bit of money currently saved up in my bank account for me to spend while I'm in Japan.
I'll be attending Sophia University, which is located near the Imperial Palace, and I'll be living somewhere (I don't know yet >.>) within an hour (at the minimum) commute of the school. I plan on staying with a host family, but I won't know who until I get there. The family will know, but I won't...
Currently, that is basically all the information I've got... I'm trying to resist packing already, because I've still got 3-4 weeks left before I leave. I already have stuff together though, things I've bought specifically for Japan.
Some things I need to take care of:
- Buy gifts to give to host family and friends while in Japan
- Help SeraphWings's mother get some of her items together for when she goes to visit Iza. (By the way... I haven't received the e-mail yet?)
- write paper for study abroad class
- (Most important) Keep room clean!
