My first day in Japan and the value of a coin

Hello!

I managed to connect my personal computer to the internet, so I'm back sooner than expected.  Well, let me just give a brief rundown of my day, including all that I saw and learned.  I have pictures to share, but don't get too used to this.  This is how I spent my one day off before orientation starts.  Who knows if I'll have this much down time normally.

First, allow me to introduce you all to my home for the next few months.

 This is the gate to Seminar House 1.  I was admitted through the bridge to Seminar House 2 last night, so I was surprised to find such an old timey gateway.

 This is the front of the Seminar House.  Just out of sight is a stone lantern and on top of the fence is a security camera.  Despite some of it's modest looks, the place is quite homey.  I enjoy it, to say the least and past the front door is where we store our shoes.  To my delight, shoes are not allowed past the front door.  Myself and the other students all go around barefooted or in socks.

And this is my castle...more or less.  The room is smaller than I'd like and what I'm used to, but I can walk about in it, which is good, there's space for my bed, which is good, and for my computer...which is essential.  Behind the paper screen, if you look carefully, is my desk for serious work, the night stand is just a temporary deal, and a lamp.  What you can't see in this picture is the air conditioning unit.  Considering how hot it is outside and even in the Seminar House, I was about ready to declare the air conditioner my new lord and savior.  Without it, I'd be in for a rough four months.  But with it, I find myself able to enjoy life and really soak up the culture.

Enough about my home though.  Today I woke up and headed out with another group of students to raid a convenience store.  The walk was DREADFUL!  Don't get me wrong, I love a good walk, especially with people to talk to or my music, and along the way, we found all sorts of cool buildings, temples, parks, etc, that I wish I had pictures of.  Maybe later...anyway, the only problem was, it was unbearably hot outside.  Maybe even hotter than in the States, if that's possible.  And we were walking for a good half an hour(I, like an idiot, had decided to wear one of my long sleeved shirts) and it was rough going.

Still, we found the convenience store and...wow...it was glorious to behold.  Granted, they didn't have everything I wanted.   I couldn't find a Calipco soda or some mochi cakes, but I did find some amazing stuffs.  Pastries and drinks the like of which I'd never seen.  And the food!  There was so much good stuff and it looked so cheap!  There was a plethora of hidden treasures, enough to keep my belly satisfied all the four months...but the problem is price.  Things can seem cheap in Japan...they even have coins worth about a dollar.  But it all adds up.  I must've spent twenty dollars the store in coins alone just to get two, maybe three days worth of food.  Granted, you get alot for you dollar.  One 400 yen meal is almost enough to last a whole day, so on 800 yen a day, I can eat like a king.  But it was shocking...just how easy it is to spend a ton of money.

I met plenty of my dorm mates on the way out and even more on the way back.  Since I'm temporarily situated on the second floor, I'm on the ladies floor...it's awesome.  Anyway, when we got back, it was lunch time.  So, we headed to the kitchen, turned on some Japanese TV and ate our meals.  I had a buffet of rice balls and assorted meats and veggies.  Ironically, since getting on the plane to Japan, I've been eating more salads and vegetables than before.  I'm starting to get a taste for it.

Anyway, some of the RA's came in to have lunch with us.  For those curious, here's a picture.

These are some of the girls from my floor and the two young ladies up front are our RA's, the very friendly Tamaki and easy going Eriko.  After the other girls left, I started speaking Japanese with these young ladies with surprising ease.  I was pretty clumsy at times, but it strikes me that I'm best at speaking when I know the people listening can ask me in English, "Did you mean..." they think I'm pretty good.  I'm...not so sure, but I appreciate the opportunity.  While I can't always eat with people, I do enjoy company with my meals.

For most of the rest of my day, I've been working on paperwork for the college, working on my computer, studying Japanese, and relaxing on and off.  That's probably how my days will go here when I'm not on day trips.  One part hike, two parts food with company, five parts working in my dorm.  Though, I may go out every once in a while to see others, maybe hang around and just be seen.

A simple trip to the kitchen for some water and the bathroom led to me getting roped into a picture with the RAs and some of the students.  People are pretty friendly in the Seminar house...and keep to themselves outside it.  All the same, I like these people so far.  I've had a few bouts of homesickness, but my computer, games, and the fact that I'm stuck have helped fight it off.

Tonight, I'll probably do some more studying and enjoy the relative freedom before reality comes crashing down at orientation.  Orientation should be moderately low key, though I do need to get my computer registered on the Kansai System and take care of some bills.  I'll probably need to take out a temporary loan, just to pay the bills while I'm waiting for my stipend.  I know my parents will either take care of it or reimburse me, but it is a bit shocking to think about the money I'll need to keep track of down the line.  I'm good with finances, don't get me wrong but...the value of a coin here is worth a lot more than in the US.  You might not stoop down to pick up a lost quarter, but a 100 yen coin?  You'd fish that out of the sewer if you found one.

That's probably all for now.  I hope to see my speaking partners tomorrow, as well as take care of some business.  My classes are already registered and once I hear that I've been accepted in them, as there are limits in size, I'll contact my advisers at Elon.

Well, hope you enjoyed the pictures.  Till later.

Arrival in Osaka

Today has been quite a day.  Or rather, it's been quit a pair of days.

I woke up this morning at 5am on friday, tired and groggy, and here I am making a blog entry at 10:33pm on saturday evening.  Also, when I woke up I was in the USA.  Now, I am in Japan.

So, where to begin?  Well, departure was easier than I expected.  Just show people the right forms and make sure you don't get lost or lose track of where your gate is in the airport.  I stemmed off being worried by having my PSP handy and playing Final Fantasy 4 alot.  When I got to Chicago, as the flight from Charlotte I barely remember due to sleep, I got my first look at an intercontinental flight.  It was glorious.

The Japanese airlines were a bit intimidating at first, as all th stewardesses spoke english and Japanese to us, the passengers, but there were quite a few amenities to speak of.  Video games, movies, and music all in the panel in the back of our chairs.  And the food was qutie good, perhaps the best I've had on an airplane.  The Japanese airline flight was just wonderful and the 12 hours flew by.  Yes, I'm serious. Admittedly, I slept for much of it.  While I was awake, I would try to study my Japanese by listening to others, reading the Japanese menus and magazines on the tv panels in our chairs, or watchign shows that spoke Japanese...but I was too out of it.  My brain was dead then and I'm still surprised I'm up now.  Still, the flight was quite an enjoyable journey.

Arriving in Tokyo was scarier.  I was alone, there were fewer peopel who spoke English and I had to uncheck my bags to go through customs.  I managed though, got my medicine and my boarding pass and snoozed through the flight to Osaka.  Found my way to a bunch of other students heading to Kansai and shared a meal as well as my worries.  They were pleasant young ladies who I'd like to see again.

The trip has been long and I'm sure there's more I've left out, but that's all for tonight.  I've arrived safely at Kansai and been given my room and all I want for right now is to sleep.  My blog posts may be more infrequent after today, as my computer is having trouble connecting to Kansai's internet, but I'll try.

Till then, stay tuned dear viewers.

To Japan

This will probably be my last post from the good old USA.  I've got everything packed and am really just about to head out the door.  My parents are taking me to a hotel that is close to the airport and we're staying the night, as my flight leaves around 7 in the morning, so I need to be there well in advance.

Ironically, most of my pre-flight jitters have worn themselves away as of this writing.  Granted, I'm still a little nervous, but everything's packed, all my stuff at home and in storage is accounted for, and I've finished my writing for the week, which kept me up till 6am today.  Backed up all the files on my computer in case of a calamity, contacted all my friends, both in the states and in Japan, and have seen to it that everything is in order.  I've started up on Final Fantasy 4 Complete, a game from my youth, to help with the transition from USA to Japan and really...I'm rarin to go.  Said all my goodbyes, even spent a day with my best friend before this(it was awesome, just in case you were wondering.)

My dad and mom are a little blue and my brother even offered to treat me to lunch as a going away present...which, if you know my brother was a big surprise.  I will miss them, most assuredly, but my adventure is almost underway.  Hopefully, after tomorrow, I'll have more to post about than "Worried, tired, scared, lonely," etc.

To all those worried about me, please don't.  This is a grand adventure that I've waited my whole life for and I hope to be able to share it with you.  To my parents, I'll be fine, so don't worry(that means you, dad) to my peers, I'll miss you, but we'll still be in touch on email and skype.  And to my old friends and friends of the family, I'm glad I got to see all of you before this started.

Now, with goodbyes in the past and head held high, I trek onward...To Japan!

Photos...ugh, photos...

Dear sweet god in heaven I look terrible in these.  I'm just not very photogenic.  Still, I promised, so for those interested, this is me, my mother, and my godmother Suzanne spending time together in the great outdoors in what may be the last bit of recreation I get before my trip abroad.  Two warnings.  I look really dumb in these and I'm wearing shorts.  View at your own peril.

 

Me and Mum

 

Me and Suzy from a distance

 Me and Suzy up close

I wanted to add more but both Blogger and my camera are being jerks, so these will have to do.

The Condemned Man

Hello again.

I have to say that I'm feeling a bit down as of right now.  Don't get me wrong, I had a fantastic going away party and put many more of my affairs in order but...well, perhaps best to start with the good.

My going away party was very enjoyable.  I updated all my neighbors, family, and close friends on my plans and intentions, told them what I would be studying, where I'd be leaving from, etc.  We all had some nice deserts, though there were leftovers because some of my guests didn't arrive.  While there, my best friend, Monica, gave me some advice relating to travel.  You see, I hadn't planned on taking a checked bag with me, since it would be a lot of trouble and the possibility of me losing things was higher than if I just carried it with me.  But, if I want to bring food as gifts to my new Japanese friends, I have to, as food must be checked.  So, I can at least pack a bit more than I thought, which is a relief.  Thought I'd be taking only the bare minimum for a while.  Also, I can apparently take one carry on as well as my laptop, which is a relief.

Following the going away party, I headed up to the mountains to see my estranged godmother, who's been doing work in Columbia for the last four years and it was a joyous reunion.  Granted, I was sleep deprived as all hell, but when I saw her, it all melted away and I was happy.  She truly is like an angel of grace, lighting up my life.  Together we also shared information of our times abroad and even went on a small hike to the beautiful triple falls.  I'll post pictures in a day or two.

Leaving was hard, but necessary.  I got to meet with my less estranged godfather on the way back home and received lots of encouragement for my trip to Japan, including advice on places to go, how to act, and what to expect, such as Japanese people just minding their own business around a "Gaijin" and some cultural tensions, especially for the nonconformist and for Koreans, as there is some tension between Japanese people and people of Korean descent.  I do hope times have changed for the better since what they told me, as any kind of prejudice is really terrible.

And that brings me to the title of this post.  I feel like a condemned man who's putting his will in order.  I've done everything I need to do, seen my estranged family and had some great times.  Now it feels like I'm about ready to just disappear from the face of the earth.  Who knows what'll happen when I finally step onto that plane on the 26th?  I sure don't.  Now, I don't think I'm going to die or something terrible will happen to me, but the dread of the unknown is a powerful force and right now, I feel like I should run...it feels as if I'm walking towards my own doom.  Which is ironic, considering I've been aware of and preparing for this trip since January.  I know it's probably natural, but it's still unsettling.  Makes me cranky and a bit stressed.

On a less depressing note, I also feel a tinge of exhilaration at the prospect of heading overseas.  I finally got to skype my speaking partner, an interesting young lady who should probably remain anonymous until I get  permission to reveal her name.  It was daytime in Japan, while I skyped her in the dead of night back here.  She was a bit nervous and giggly, but it gave me hope, sine she and I talked in both English and Japanese and she told me that tours of Kyoto and a chance to explore Hirakata city in Osaka, which is where Kansai is and where I will be staying, would be forthcoming.  I'm looking forward to meeting her in person and other interesting people...so, even if I am feeling a bit like a condemned man, it should always be remembered that death is not the end, but merely a new beginning.  When I come back from overseas, I may be a totally different person.  Friends reading this should get ready, hehe.

Until later.

Starting up

This is my first post, so let me get introductions out of the way.  I'm Stephen Rosebaugh-Nordan for any readers not familiar with me.  I've been studying at Elon for about 2 years now and, after a ton of paperwork and more than a little stress, I'm finally achieving a lifelong dream.  I'm heading to Japan.  I'll be studying at Kansai Gaidai in Osaka from the end of August to around Christmas time.  Just think, in seven days I will be on my way to a brand new country.  So, let me give you my thoughts on this trip before I depart.

Ironically, I'm more tired than scared or anything.  I've had to juggle moving out of my old place, storing my personal items, and adjusting to living with my family again, if only for a few weeks.  They don't use AC...it is tiresome and hot in their house.  Coupled with the other things that need doing, like trying to write my novel, getting supplies for the trip, and preparing for what's waiting for me on the other side of the pacific, I haven't had much time to worry.  But now, everything is in order.  I have the Yakkan Shoumei form which allows me to take personal medication with me to Japan, my visa and COE, which took forever to get here, and all the other materials I need for travel.  Now I just need to pack.

My biggest fear right now is that I'll lose hold on the language before I actually arrive in Japan.  I studied Japanese for three semesters with a wonderful teacher at Elon, spent one semester studying on my own and have basically dedicated my whole summer to refreshing my memory.  For the most part it's worked, but I just have a fear that I'll blank when the moment comes for me to speak.  Thankfully, I recently picked up a Japanese dictionary and have been in contact with a young lady who will help me adjust to life at Kansai Gaidai, as well as help me with my Japanese.

I have one more big event before I really start sweating about departure though.  This Friday I will be having a farewell party amongst friends and family, who will not see me for almost five months after the party.  I'm hoping things will be more fun than sad, but one never knows.  I haven't gotten to see all my friends and I know not all of them will be coming, but I'm looking forward to the party.  We plan to have a sort of desert banquet and shoot the breeze, remembering all the good times.  For those interested, I'll tell you how it goes.

Until later everyone.