Tamagawa Under the Bridge

I had my first quiz today in my Japanese class. It went okay, I think. I got to class 45 min early so that I could study. Since no one was there, I decided to take pictures.

 My Japanese classroom on Fridays (it changes each class). This is in Mita campus' oldest building (First School Building: Foreign language school) so the classroom is kind of old fashioned too.

Hallway

During break time, my Japanese level 7 teacher, Watanabe sensei, spoke to me about my schedule a little bit. I received my composition that was due on Wednesday back and I got my first A! She was pretty impressed that I did such a good job considering that I hadn't ever done a composition before. I guess I'm just good at composition despite the language, because I'm good at Spanish composition too.

My final schedule is the following:
MON: 9~10:30, 10:45~12:15 Japanese level 7
TUES: none
WED: 9~10:30, 10:45~12:15 Japanese level 7
1~2:30 Intermediate Convo B I [Polite conversation]
2:45~4:15 Intermediate grammar I
THURS: 4:30~6:00 Intermediate Composition II
6:10~7:40 Art workshop
FRI: 9~10:30, 10:45~12:15 Japanese level 7
1:00~2:30 Intermediate Conversation A II [Daily conversation]

I think I'll be ok with this. Plus, it's exactly 12 credits.

After class, I stopped by Tamagawa on a whim. I took lots of pictures. It's a really small residential area, so I doubt many foreigners pass through. I must have stood out.

 A cafe on the way from the station to the river. I thought the name was funny.

 A cross roads. There are lots of these in Japan. The train passes through the street. I guess it's a lot like the crossing in Rockville.

 Tamagawa bridge that crosses the river

 The train crossing the river

 People fishing

 A few people sit along the sloping stairs. There were even a few businessmen putting their feet in the river.

 The path along Tamagawa bridge

There were lots of homeless people there, but they don't bother anyone and they keep mostly to themselves. This is probably one of their houses.

 View from the bridge: boys practicing lacross

 These were really cute. Stone turtles all lined in a row.

 Stone turtle close up

 There was a kindergarten group having relay races. They were so cute cheering each other on as they ran. I watched them as I ate my dinner...

Nikuman--meat bun. Today I wasn't so hungry for dinner. I just felt like a warm fluffy bun. You can pick them up at the convenience store for 105yen...and there's a convenience store EVERYWHERE.

My excursion to Tamagawa was nice and really helped me relax a little when I have so much on my mind right now. I expected more people in the park today, but oh well.

A Short trip to Jiyuugaoka

Today, I received my alien registration card so I'm legally allowed to live in Japan~ Then, afterwards, I went to Jiyuugaoka to look around. There were lots of cute shops with TONS of strawberry stuff that I was really tempted to buy but then I didn't really need them...no one really needs them unless they have a house of their own I guess...maybe.
For lunch, I stopped in an udon restaurant and had the specialty curry udon. My first time trying udon in Japan. It was a bit spicy and very hot but very yummy and even less expensive than the dinner I had yesterday: 680yen.

 I also took a picture of the front box of the restaurant. Most restaurants in Japan have a glass window full of wax models of the types of food they'll serve. That way, people can look into the window, see if there's something they like and know what they want right away. I think it's actually kind of a good strategy. They look really pretty and real too. I'm actually gonna make a food wax model like this in my art class!

Finally, I just finished my first art project--a self portrait, so I thought I'd upload a picture of how it looks like. It...doesn't really look like me but it doesn't have to. It's the spirit behind it that counts. -nods-

Okay...I'm going to study a bit and then go to sleep. I have my first test tomorrow in Japanese~~~

The past few days...

Hi, it's been a while since I posted!

So, this is what I've been up to...

On Monday, me, Stephanie, and this girl from Hong Kong named Kit went out for drinks with Kim-san and Kotaro-senpai. I had met Kim-san before but I met Kotaro-senpai for the first time. It was pretty much just talking the whole time--well, Stephanie did most of the talking and I pretty much didn't stand out at all AGAIN. Kit doesn't speak Japanese at all, but she's cute so she stands out in her own way...I actually told Stephanie on Tuesday that she talks a lot--not in a mean way but just as a fact. Not that she doesn't know already. I really have no problem with it. She should be herself. It's just a bit frustrating that she steals all the spotlight. But, I told an lady I was conversing with this on Tuesday and she said, yeah, that happens, but don't worry because there are lots of Japanese people who are like me. So, I just have to meet them and it'll be ok :) So, well, Monday wasn't that much fun...but senpai paid for our drinks (as an apology for being 5 min late--Japanese are really strict on punctuality) so it's cool♪ This is what I had:

It was like a kiwi thing...really sweet but didn't taste alcoholic at all.

On Tuesday, I studied all day. Then at 6pm, me and Stephanie went to a Japanese conversation workshop with Hiroko-san. A bunch of foreigners get together from the neighborhood and practice with Japanese volunteers speaking, reading, whatever. Stephanie got placed with Hiroko-san and I forgot the name of the lady I was with, but she was from Kyoto and really nice. Hiroko-san was so funny like last time and just couldn't stop talking how amazing I was for teaching myself Japanese. Haha it was embarrassing...

Then, today I had class pretty much all day and was tired when I got home. I wanted to get my alien registration card, but I finished class at 4 and the place closes at 5 so there was no time. I'll do it tomorrow since I don't have class in the morning. On the way back home, I picked up a bento for dinner.

It was pretty yummy. It was my first time tasting a Japanese omelette. As I've heard, it tastes sweet rather than salty so it was a different flavor from what I'm used to but it was really yummy. I also got to taste some kabocha! (Japanese squash) It was a very autumn-y flavor.

On another note, I finished the drama 'Ikemen desu ne' today and it was soo cute! Why haven't I met any Japanese celebrities yet when I live so close to them??? I need to go exploring Tokyo some more...   

Lots of new meetings♪

Today, I met a lot of new people!

At 9am, I went with Stephanie to meet her friend Azusa in Jiyuugaoka. From the station, we went to this place where Japanese people practice English conversation together. (Usually it's 500yen per session, but it's free for native English speakers haha) So...it wasn't really Japanese practice, but they practiced their English with me and we shared culture together and I met lots of interesting people! Everyone there was older than me--mid 20s to late 50s even 60s maybe.

After the conversation session, a bunch of people went out to lunch together and we had omuraisu!

I was stuck at a table the only girl with two older guys...so it was kinda awkward but they were nice enough and this time, I had a lot of Japanese conversation practice! Midway through lunch, one of the guys got a nosebleed though and everyone was making fun of him like "It's just that he got so excited since a pretty girl like Kenia was at his table" lol...

Then, we went to a beautiful Japanese style cafe called Kosouan. (I've come to learn that after lunch, Japanese people ALWAYS need to go to a cafe or something afterwards for tea.)

It was so beautiful. The garden was so bright and calm--Japanese style. An older lady was sitting there painting.

 Because Shintaro-san insisted on taking a picture of me in the place lol.

 Each drink came with a small Japanese sweet. This was delicious strawberry milk (much better than Nesquik lol). It was just the right coolness and very frothy. I love the way you eat Japanese sweets with little wooden picks. They're just perfect to slice the sweet and then eat it in tiny bites. Ahhh it was so lovely♥

Stephanie, me, and Azusa-chan.

It was really so much fun today. But, overall, my favorite meeting was when I went up to this girl at the end and said,

 "Kenia desu."

She responds, "Heh~Tooi desu ne" (Wow, that's far.)

Me: "Iya, kuni ja nakute, namae desu..." (No, not the country, it's my name...lol)

((P.S. Mother, Daddy...not to worry, for I have finally given in and bought toilet paper today. You're welcome.))

Waffles and Lemon tea

Today, I went with Stephanie and met her friend Haruko. We went to have waffles at this place called Waffle Cafe Orang. When I went to the bathroom, this was on the door. I thought it was so cute. Not 'Men', not 'Women' but:

 I had the Matcha Waffles: waffles with green tea powder, green tea ice cream, and red bean sauce. To drink, I had lemon tea. Stephanie and Haruko had Choco Banana waffles: waffles with pieces of banana, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate syrup. To drink, Stephanie had the green tea milk and Haruko had a latte.

 Me and Haruko. Haruko is 26 and currently looking for a boyfriend (international or Japanese) lol. She looks like one of those super fashionable fake kinda girls but she's actually really nice. I on the other hand am super unphotogenic...We took purikura pictures together later. You can choose your eye size and Haruko chose the biggest size just for fun, so we all looked like aliens with giant eyes lol.

 On our way home, Stephanie and I took a picture of Shibuya. At all times of the day, it's super busy. At the cross roads, there are bazillions of people.

Hiroko-san

Today, I went to Nakameguro to visit Hiroko-san, the lady that stayed at my house about 7 years ago.

First, she and her husband Yuji took me to this gyoza restaurant. She ordered so much! I feel like I ate at least 2 if not 3 days worth of food...But it was all delicious and traditional Japanese food, so I was happy. First, there was fried gobo root. It was really yummy. I think in English, it's called burdock. Before it's chopped into long slices, it looks like this:

We also had a bowl of nori (seaweed) soup, and there were two types of rice: one with chopped up pickles and another with pork. There was also a dish of sliced chicken with onions and an orange mayonnaise-like sauce, a dish of really thinly sliced carrot with tiny fried fish on top (the fish were really so tiny that I didn't know that they were fish until I looked closely and saw that they had eyes, which was kinda creepy and cute at the same time haha--they were crunchy and yummy), and finally an order of 30 gyouza. It was...a lot, even though everything (except the gyouza) came on tiny plates. Plus, afterwards we went to Hiroko-san's apartment and had some English tea with grapes and Japanese pears. Hiroko-san kept saying "Eat this! Eat this! And more of this!" and she served me so much haha...She talks a lot and her husband talks very little, but I had a conversation with both of them.

Hiroko-san's apartment is very small and her living room is filled with lots of little things that she buys on her trips. She loves to travel. She used to be an airline stewardess apparently. She also remembered that I used to draw a lot so I showed her and her husband somethings online, like my manga that I draw and the game that I translated. She and her husband were super impressed haha...After feeling second to Stephanie all this time, I guess it felt pretty good to be praised by someone.

Also, apparently Hiroko-san volunteers in this place where foreigners can go to practice conversation and talk about whatever they want. There's only an 100yen entrance fee and people can talk or read together and snacks are served at the end. I thought it sounded like a great place to practice speaking. Since I don't have class on Tuesdays, Hiroko-san said I could come see how it is next Tuesday around 6pm. She said Stephanie was also welcome haha.

At the end of my visit, Hiroko-san took me to the grocery store that she usually goes to and showed me around, explaining the different foods that we passed by. Since I don't cook, she recommended that I go to the grocery stores like Tokyu and pick up the lunch boxes that they sell there for relatively cheap and no preparation work except perhaps microwaving. She also recommended the bento shops where you can choose your own side dishes and make your own personalized lunch box. I think there's one of those right next to Mita campus. I've decided that I'm not gonna stock up on food anymore, because although I like cooking for other people, I really don't like cooking for myself. Plus, I don't have anything to cook with except for my kettle which can boil things like eggs. I think from now on I'll just live on the grocery store lunch boxes and from time to time restaurants with friends haha.

Anyways, sorry for going on and on about my day today...it's been a while but I have some photos today! Me with Hiroko-san

Mokuyou, desu ne

Today, it was sunny in the morning as if no typhoon had passed at all. Of course, once it was time for me to go to class around 2:30, it starts to rain.

At 4:30 I went in to the Intermediate Composition II class to see how it was. I actually thought it wasn't that bad. Like all the other classes, except my level 7 Japanese course, it only meets once a week, so there's a composition of about 400 characters each week. The theme is given in the beginning of class, there's a few minutes to talk about it and write a few bullets, and then we're given about 40 minutes to write the essay in class. Then, the teacher checks over the essays, hands them back the next class, and then we have to fix it up so that it's a clean final draft at home. So...all essays are done in class. I think actually that it's better that way. I'll learn to write faster probably. Also, while you're writing the essay, you're allowed to ask the teacher any questions like "How do you write this word?" or "How can you phrase this sentence better?" Today we had a short surprise essay already. The theme was: "My favorite store". I felt like I was in elementary school writing about that haha but it was fun. I wrote about Le Pain Quotidien--a french restaurant in Bethesda♪ I even used some new grammar that I learned from my level 7 class homework, so I felt pretty accomplished~ I think Composition II will be just fine, and maybe I don't need to be in Composition I. Plus, Stephanie was there! I hope she chooses to take that class too! It would be nice to take a class together.

After, I had my art class. There seem to be lots of exciting field trips! The teacher is a bit awkward and the class is pretty late (6:10-7:45) but the trips and the projects seem to be pretty fun! I'm looking forward to more classes. It's a class open to both Japanese and International students, but there are only 2 Japanese girls. Luckily, I was able to talk to one. Her name was Eriko and we walked to the station together after class. She seemed pretty nice.

Tomorrow, is a holiday because it's the autumnal equinox. According to my level 7 teacher, Ikeda sensei, people often go visit graves ("hakamairi") on this day. Since I don't have school, I am meeting Hiroko-san in Nakameguro at 12pm for lunch! She called me yesterday all worried about me because of the typhoon. It was nice to have someone worry about me here. I'm looking forward to it!

Taifuu::Drowning in wind, rain, and sound

I had my first day of school today. My first class at 9:00 was Japanese level 7. It was challenging. A lot of people know more vocabulary than I do and it is frustrating that I cannot talk half as fast as some. However, the teacher was very talkative and it was interesting to hear her talk. Other than a few vocabulary words here and there, I understood everything she said.

Then, because of a taifuu (typhoon), the rest of the classes for the day were unfortunately cancelled. Thus, after buying a required notebook from the school store, called the 'co-op', I went home on the train and had to walk home in the typhoon. (To those who have never walked in a typhoon, I do not recommend it. It is an awfully tricky balancing act of shielding yourself from the rain while at the same time moving your umbrella in the opposite direction that the wind is blowing so that it does not turn inside out--oh, not to mention so you don't get blown away as well.) As I write this post, the wind outside is really terrible. My windows are shaking from the pressure and my balcony is soaked with rain.

* * *

I noticed today on the train that when I'm alone, I feel really out of place. Not only do I not look Japanese (although I probably don't stand out as much as the tall, blond German girls), but I can't fully communicate in Japanese yet either. In Maryland, everywhere is so mixed that people don't really stand out as foreign. In a way, everyone is foreign. And no matter how strong an accent they may have, they are still speaking what my dad likes to call something like a 'new English'. Here, it's not like everyone has the same face, but they just look like they belong to the same people. If you don't look like them, they will try to speak to you in English. (Which I hate, thinking "please, don't") I guess it's something that I'm not yet used to.

Although I am much more proficient in Japanese than Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson, I feel a bit 'lost in translation' right now. Perhaps it's a little different, yet the same in some ways as well. I feel lost in a new place and new society where I know very few people and don't have a very good handle on the language yet. It can be quite lonely.

In the morning, it is very quiet on the train. No one speaks. And yet, there are colorful advertisements everywhere, an automated  voice announces each stop (in both Japanese and English), music plays as the doors are about to close, and small screens on the train flash television advertisements non-stop. Then, if you go into a store, as soon as you step in, a girl (usually with a nasal voice) will say "Irasshaimase~Gojiyuu ni goran kudasaaai~" ["Welco~me. Please feel free to take a loooook~"]. If it's a television store, all the televisions will be on with something different: a concert, an advertisement, a news program... Even if it's not, a mix of Japanese and American music will be playing overhead, small screens will be advertising different products, and sometimes even a voice will be going on and on through a speaker announcing products throughout the store. Overall, I've come to think Japan is a loud place. Often, I feel like I'm drowning in sound.

Shopping, shopping♪

I'm sorry I sounded so stressed out yesterday! Today, I decided to take a break from studying and go to Shibuya for some shopping. I was originally looking for just hair accessories, but I found everything but...

First, I went to this place called Book Off that has pretty much everything--video games, cds, dvds, books, and clothes all at low prices. The clothes are all second hand so they're the cheapest you can get in Tokyo probably.

From left to right: A Liz Lisa dress for about 900yen. I've heard that Liz Lisa is a really well known designer so I think this was a bargain!; A black dress for 500yen; A pink top for 600yen. I especially liked the belt it came with and thought I could use it with other outfits as well.
Then, I went up to the DVD and book section and found...

On the left is the DVD "Hanamizuki". Apparently, it was the 12th highest grossing film of 2010. I've wanted to see it for a very long time, so I'm so happy that I found it!♪ It has some actors that I really like a lot, including Aragaki Yui, Ikuta Toma, and Mukai Osamu. I'm excited to watch it sometime on one of my days off! On the right is the novel "In the Miso Soup" by Murakami Ryu. I like the author a lot. He has a really sarcastic and amusing style. I read the first page and liked it right away. Plus, it was only 200yen~ One of these days, I want to stop at this place called Tamagawa, which has lots of fields where people go to play sports, a trail to walk on, and a large river where people go fishing. It looks like something out of a "seishun" (youthful) manga so I thought I'd go there to take a walk and perhaps sit by the river and read this book♪

My last shopping spot was this place called Mandarake. According to the signs, it's the biggest manga and anime shop in all of Japan. To get to the actual shop, you have to go down these really sketchy looking stairs so I was kind of freaked out at first, but fortunately, it's a normal store once you get to the bottom...Well, if you can call a store packed full of shelves of comics, doujinshi (fan comics), figures, anime dvds, video games, and cds normal. I...was so excited to find these two doujinshi:

I love both of these artists and follow them on pixiv (a Japanese art site). These are fan comics of my favorite date sim game: Tokimeki Memorial! Haha I feel like such a nerd...but it's ok cuz I've already learned some new vocabulary from reading these. It's not all fun and games, k. 
After all that shopping, I was hungry, but it was pouring so I just stopped by the nearest cafe I could find.

Osaka mixed juice with a cinnamon raisin bread. The Osaka mixed juice tasted like a banana smoothie. I don't know what was so mixed juice about it but that's alright. It was delicious~

I start school tomorrow! I'm not sure how classes work, but I think you're supposed to just go to classes that you want the first week and then you hand in the official registration form later. Tomorrow, I have Level 7 Japanese from 9-12:15. Then, Intermediate Conversation B1(formal convo) from 1-2:30 and Intermediate Composition 1 from 2:45-4:15. Those two classes will probably be okay level-wise. I chose level 1 for both of them, because I don't think I could do more than that yet haha... Anyways, wish me luck!

And classes haven't even started yet...

Today I spent the whole day in my room watching dramas for listening practice, playing my game for speaking practice, and of course doing homework for my Japanese class. I probably spent more time on it than was necessary, but I feel that if I don't make all these vocabulary lists and careful notes, I won't be able to improve to my fullest. I already feel like I am behind most people and I have a terrible memory, so I have to work harder than other people.

I've only ever had beginner textbooks so this textbook is my first real Japanese textbook. No matter how hard it may be, I'm really looking forward to starting classes to be able to immerse myself in Japanese and also get a regular schedule going. I feel too lazy right now haha. My classes don't start until Wednesday so I think I'll go shopping in Shibuya tomorrow and do some studying at a cafe to get out of my room for a change.

"M" desu.

Lately, I've heard lots of talk of whether someone is "S" (as in sadistic) or "M" (as in masochistic). Stephanie says that she's definitely "S"; one of the Japanese guys told a German guy that he was probably "M" and the German guy said all proudly "Oh! 'M' desu!"--to which I almost laughed out loud. I don't think a guy should proudly say that haha... As for me, I already know that I am "M", because I constantly put myself down.

Today, we had a welcome party at my dorm. At the beginning, it was okay. I talked to Naito-san (the guy I met the first day at the dorm) a bit and I was happy that he remembered me! We then split up into teams by floor and we each made a dish. My floor (4th floor) made Napolitan (pasta with green peppers, onions, sausage, and a tomato-ketchup sauce). It had a really strange flavor, though...I didn't really like it. Here are some pictures:

Piles of sausages

Making pasta

Pouring onto the plate

Done!

The other floors made yakisoba (fried soba noodles with vegetables) and okonamiyaki (a vegetable pancake-like dish). Then, at the party, I found Yusho and we got to talk a little, which was nice. Then, I followed Stephanie around. And thus made some friends kinda sorta...I did get some pictures:

 This is Rina, Stephanie (finally a picture with her!), and me. Rina spent 5 years in Australia and 1 year in Canada when she was young, so she can speak some English. She had huge, dark false eyelashes that made her eyes look humongous. You can't tell from the picture, though.

Left to right: Alex, Yusho, Kim, Stephanie, and me.

Being with Stephanie is nice. I meet lots of people that way. But on the other hand, I am completely outshined by her. She speaks so fast that I can't keep up at all. I am forced to do nothing but smile and listen. We met lots of Koreans today that were born here so they're completely fluent in Japanese. Since Stephanie can speak some Korean, she spoke with them and they were like "Wow! You're amazing!" And I was pretty much thrust into the shadows. After a while, I was completely blocked off from the circle, so having no one to talk to, I decided to come home.

And thus, I am "M" haha. My speaking skills are pretty much horiffic at the moment. I'm focusing on speaking this semester by taking two conversation classes--one formal speech, one informal speech--and joining two conversation clubs (PLURIO and KOSMIC) so by January, I hope to be 500 times better than I am now! Is that expectation okay? haha Anyways, I really wanna try my best. 

"Tsukareta toki wa amaimono da yo ne"

"When you're tired, sweets are the best"

Thank goodness it's Friday. I just had to go to campus for a 15 minute interview today, but I think I've done so much this week and have been exposed to so many new things in such a short time that I have tired myself out. As a reward for myself, I bought myself a strawberry popsicle on the way home.

During the interview, I realized that I really do have a lot of work to do. I feel so far behind. The lady went over my test with me and, as I thought, I did the best on listening and then not too bad on reading. My worst part was "hyougen" aka "expressions" or grammar. She went over one of the sentences I missed and was like "Didn't you study sentence structures like this?" and I was like "No...I've only learned by self study after all..." The only reason I was able to complete many of the sentences is because I've heard it said that way before or seen it written that way before. My major reference has been mostly things I've watched or read in texts.

Overall, she said that she thinks that I will be able to do it, but I don't think it'll be easy. After a simple summer and a couple weeks of just being in and enjoying Japan, I think I almost lost sight of my true goal. Yes, seeing Japan is important, but I also want to make the best out of the education that I get here and learn as much as I can as fast as I can. I wouldn't be able to get anything like this at the University of Maryland. I really really need to work hard on everything. I've already started my homework. I also need to work out my schedule. Tomorrow will be dedicated to studying. More than playing around, more than staring at pretty boys (haha), I need to focus on my studies 1000% C= C= C= C= C= C= C= C= C= ┌(;・ω・)┘

Placement Exam results

So, we got placement test results today and I'm in level.....

7C!

Actually, I kind of expected to be in this level for some reason...

It's the highest intermediate level and just by looking at the textbook, it seems be just the right amount of challenging for me. Plus, it also means that by next semester, I'll be in level 8! Which is in the advanced group of courses. I suppose someone who is almost entirely self-taught should be proud with my standings...

I even got placed a level ahead of Stephanie! She's in level 6, but actually looking at my textbook, she thinks that she should be in the same level as me, which is definitely possible. She's a lot better than me in a lot of aspects. I wouldn't mind having the same class together anyways♪

Anyways, tomorrow, we have a short interview and then the weekend. School starts next Wednesday for me and we already have homework.

So far, my schedule consists of 6 core Japanese language classes in my level: Intermediate Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing, Kanji, and Grammar. Each of these classes are 1 credit each and are shared with the same group of students.

We can then select 1 or more specific focus classes, which are also in Japanese. I'm considering taking an Intermediate Composition class, an Intermediate Conversation A class (basic communication skills in daily settings), and an Intermediate Conversation B class (honorifics; speaking in a formal setting) so far. Debating whether to take a modern text reading class or a newspaper reading class.

As for extra classes, I really want to take an Art workshop through cross-cultural expression, since I love to do art and it's also a great opportunity to go on organized field trips to museums and such. There's also a new course called Japanese Social Attitudes and Behavior in the Contemporary Society. It looks really interesting and reminds me of the "Being British" course I took at Cambridge. These courses are conducted in English.

When I come up with my final schedule, I'll definitely report!

Yokohama shopping

Today, I went with Stephanie to Yokohama for some shopping at a department store called Tokyu Hands. It has EVERYTHING you'd ever need...plus some. I had gone to the one in Shibuya before.

Yokohama is very similar to the other suburbs of Tokyo. It has lots of karaoke places, though, and lots of surrounding rivers. There is also a bay nearby. Unfortunately, this is the only picture I took:

An advertisement with Miura Haruma haha...Stephanie and I both like him.

Oh! This advertisement was actually at the entrance to one of the underground passages. There are actually not many ways to cross major roads so there are several over and under passes. The under passes not only lead to a stairway on the other side of the street, but there is a whole underground mall with clothes shops and cafes and even a market. The market was really cool. There were so many wagashi (Japanese sweets) stalls. I love wagashi because they're so beautiful and kind of soothing just looking at them. Wagashi are set to the season so right now there are lots of moon shaped or pumpkin shaped ones...and ones with autumn foods such as kuri (chestnuts).

I not only noticed today, but all over there are promotional goods for Halloween. I asked Kumiko "You don't celebrate Halloween in Japan, right?" and she said no...So I don't really understand why there are Halloween goods everywhere. I suppose it's just a promotional way to get money like Valentine's day or Christmas. People will buy Halloween things just because they look cute.

After shopping, Stephanie and I took a break at a little cafe:

A small salad with a salmon-shrimp hot sandwich and I think a small creme brule?

Finally, this is what I bought at Tokyu Hands--an electric kettle so I can make hot tea and even miso soup in my room! It was only about $21, too. Quite cheap compared to the other ones that were there. I'm happy with my little pot :)

"Facebook yatteru?"

Today, I had my placement test and it was a little different than I expected.
First of all, there was no speaking portion. Apparently even when they teach English in schools in Japan, there is no mandatory speaking portion of the class so Japanese students often have trouble speaking English since they don't have the practice in class. Oh, well...The test consisted of 3 sections: expressions, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension. Each section started out easy and then got harder the further you proceded into the packet. So for each packet, I was gradually like, "Oh, this is easy lalala...umm...k I have no idea what this structure is" lol. The expressions section was easy until we had to make up things using a specific sentence structure. I knew some of them, but there were 5 I left blank because I had heard of them before, but I didn't really know how they worked. Teaching yourself a language has its downfalls too--I'm really weak in grammar. As I thought, listening comprehension was my strongest and thus easiest part. The reading comprehension was more or less ok until the last page which was a lot of kanji (chinese characters) without the furigana (how to read the kanji). I've read pieces like this before in my lit class last semester, but I really can't read them without a dictionary next to me... Anyways, I find out the results on Thursday.

After the test, I worked on my social skills. I went with Stephanie to a sushi welcome party (plus one of the Japanese students made okonamiyaki). It was so great to talk in Japanese! Stephanie is super talkative and sociable so I pretty much tagged along with her as she moved around from person to person. It was a helpful way to meet people for someone shy like me...

First, we talked to Ise, an RA of Plum IS dorm (and Stephanie's secret crush haha). He's really sweet and an amazing person. Apparently, he helped out a lot with the tsunami relief and suggested that we help too because this is a once in a lifetime thing. Next year, he's going to take a break from school to help out in the slums of Vietnam. He really likes doing volunteer work. His belief is that we only have one life so might as well use it right. Really admirable.

Then, we talked to this guy (I forget his name) that recently got a girlfriend. He was so excited and happy about it that he just told us all about his new girlfriend without us asking anything haha.

Then, when we went inside to eat okonamiyaki, we met these two guys that went to Cambridge last year! So I had some things to talk about with them. They asked me which college I went to in Cambridge but...I totally forgot. (Do you remember, Jonathan? lol)

Then last was Nao-chan. Whenever people meet you, one of the big questions they ask you is "Facebook yatteru?" literally "Do you do Facebook?" or more appropriately translated: "Are you on Facebook?" Then, with their iphones or droids, they can instantly type you in and add you as a friend. Iphones are also great Japanese dictionaries. It makes me want an iphone, too! Maybe I'll join the bandwagon when I get back to the U.S.

On the way home, Stephanie and I went back together and she talks so much! I wonder how her mouth keeps going on and on like that haha. But it's great. Her liveliness and eagerness is so captivating and she just has the sweetest voice and demeaner. We talked about love and things haha. She's really cute and childish sometimes, but sometimes I think she's more mature than I am even though I'm a year older haha...Overall, though, I think we get along really well. We have lots in common--except she's super outgoing and I'm a bit more reserved. I've also been learning a lot about Australia. For example, a rubber is an eraser (like England), thongs are flipflops, a D grade at school is not a fail but more like a B equivilant and HD (aka High Distinction) is an A, the capital of Australia is not Sydney but Cambara, etc. I also love her accent and I think it rubs off on me a bit as well...

Anyways, I only have one picture today. This is the main entrance to Keio's Mita campus (the only campus I've been to and I think it's the main campus). The structure is very European I think.

Yesterday: Harajuku-->Today: Kichijoji

I've already added most of these to facebook, but I thought I'd upload them here too and explain a little more about them.

Saturday, me and Eilika went to Harajuku:

 We walked there from Shibuya station and there was a really pretty shrine along the way. A peice of tradition in a modern city.

 Haha I always have to take pictures of things like this. Ohno, MatsuJun, and Nino advertizing Kirin Beer.

 Another peice of traditional art.

 I don't even keep up with Johnny's anymore but this made me so excited...It was filled with posters and fans that you could buy with faces of so called "idols" aka pretty boys (or girls) who pretty much do everything (sing, dance, act, etc) and show up everywhere in ads, dramas, tv shows...The little coin machines with keychains were the most dangerous...they can suck up your money really easily especially if you don't get the guy you're looking for. Luckily I got the guy I wanted on my second try♪ But I wanted to try one more time after that so...I ended up with two I didn't want lol. Well, I gave one of those to the girl I was with to repay her since she paid for the photo booth pictures we took together.

 Why do Japanese food displays look so pretty?? They don't actually look that beautiful when you buy them lol. But they taste good!

 Tamagotchi! I just thought this tower was cute.

 This was the street we were on most of the time--Takeshita dohri.

 On our way back to Shinjuku station, we stopped by the Disney store. Why isn't any Disney store in Maryland this cute??? Everything inside was also doubled in cuteness. Disney turns into something different in Japan's hands.

 Secret photo of boys on the train haha...I just thought it was funny how they were all playing their psps in a row. They were probably middle school students. The middle one looked more like a girl than a boy.

 The keychain I got! Yabu! This made me stupidly happy...and still does when I look at it.

The photo booth pictures we took. Super cute. The booths are huge and the lights are really bright. The options move by too fast. You got to choose what eye shape etc your eyes were but it took too long for us to decide apparently (well me, since i was the only one who could read it) cuz it pretty much chose for us. I think they photoshopped our eyes cuz my eyes turned out blue...The poses were copied from a set of poses they had to chose from and then we decorated two of them and forgot about the rest...

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Today, I went with Kumiko (my friend from Cambridge) to Kichijoji:

There was an unexpected local festival being held in the streets so it was really crowded. These people in blue yukata were carrying the portable shrine. It looked really heavy. On it were banners that read "Stand strong, Japan".

 We went to lunch at a small buffet place. I couldn't finish all of this but...this was fried rice, a little fish, chicken wings, eggplant, pickled cucumber, cold rice noodles, spicy tofu, and egg soup.

 I got a picture of former prime minister Naoto Kan! Although it's the back of his head only... (He's the one in the blue yukata in the center). There were so many people it was hard to pull off anything else. Apparently he's a Kichijoji local.

 A gift from Kumiko! This store had lots of cute, tiny accessories.

 This is the mug and towel that I finally bought from the Loft department store. Necessary stuff. The mug has a map print of Jiyuugaoka. Apparently it's a really fashionable place and Kumiko says she really likes it there. It's one of the stops that I pass to go to school, so I wanna go sometime soon to visit there.

After walking for hours trying to find the perfect towel and mug, we decided to reward ourselves with something sweet. This was green tea shaved ice with anko (red bean), mochi, and soft serve ice cream on top. It was cute and delicious.

 Me and Kumiko! We took this photo at Shibuya station in front of a poster with actor Tamaki Hiroshi. In her picture, he turne up between us, but I wasn't able to do that with my camera...oh well. It was really fun hanging out with her today! Plus it was great speaking Japanese the whole time. And great to realize that I suck at speaking haha...