logistics

Well, I lied: I'm doing one more post than I anticipated state-side. I figured I'll write about how I'm actually getting to Japan, what my specific academic goals will be over there, where I'm living, etc.

How I'm Getting There
Well, first of all, I depart Buffalo Sept 2, around 9am and then fly to Boston via Jetblue, where I will be flying with Japan Airlines nonstop to Narita International Airport. I should arrive in Narita around 3:45pm, Sept 3 their time. You can do that time zone nonsense yourself to figure out what time it'll be in the various time zones of the states. Hopefully I'll make it through immigration and all that in time to meet my escort and ride with them, probably on a bus, to the university or wherever the hell they plan on taking me first. I have the same itinerary when I return, just in reverse. Bought the roundtrip ticket through student universe, was as cheap as a roundtrip ticket to Japan from the east coast can be, I guess

Where I'll be living
While in Japan, I'll be staying in an all female, international dormitory: the Yatsu Dorm. It's located in Narashino, a city in the northern Chiba according to the wikipedia. I won't lie, I picked it because it was the second cheapest dorm option (I feel weird picking the absolute cheapest option, like it's probably that cheap for a reason) and it looks like I lucked out: this is how the dorms look, according to the KUIS website anyway:

pretty snazzy, right?

http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/kuis/facilities/dormitory/

I mean, the dorm could be utter shit bird-caacaa, but I like to err on the side of optimism and assume the dorms will be okay at least, if not that nice looking. Maybe I'll be blown away, and they actually will be that nice looking. At any rate, it's only 4 months: I'll deal. Also, we have an 11pm curfew (I feel like my rights as an American are being impugned upon, how dare they)  But, that should be alright. I mean, I'll be forced to be a morning person there anyway, so I'll probably be rearing to go to sleep by the time 11 rolls around. Right? And if I miss curfew occasionally.... well, I'll work it out when that happens, won't I?

**((First class period starts at 9:20am, and I like to do things before hand, so I imagine I'll be up around 6-7am daily. My host family and friends seemed like morning people, so I assume it's a national trend of sorts, waking up early and shit. I won't be mad to return to my 'first-class-at-11-am' thing I have going on at Dartmouth))

What Classes I'll Be Taking

Well, I have to take some placement tests to see what level I'm at. I'm very rusty, which is typical of me, so I'll be studying up until I leave lest I place too low and get bored in class/not challenged enough. So, I'm hoping to test into the intermediate-high level, which would be a 4 or 5 level (level 5 if I pray) on a scale of 1-6 (1 being beginner, 6 being way more boss than I am, but actually, hush your mouth Isana, I'm not self-deprecating this time). I feel like unless I stay lazy and just make stupid mistakes, I'll be a level 4; no lower than level 3 tho, that would be a bit embarrasing

I'm required to take 3 kind of pure Japanese language classes, and then think I'll have room to take two three electives: I want to take Business Communication and Skill-Up Chinese Characters and Vocabulary, maybe Japanese Sociolinguistics. I'm going to try and get 4 transfer credits out of this so I can take two classes senior spring (in case I do a thesis and want to die in my tears)  I might change my mind about what electives I want to take. We'll see, but the first three I obliquely mentioned are compulsory

Miscellaneous Things I Plan On Doing

I'm 95% sure I want to try and go to South Korea; it's literally a 3 hour flight away, and I can get cheap tickets. I was looking at prices, and am pretty sure it cost as much, if not more, for me to fly from Hanover to my home in Buffalo the last time I flew home and didn't buy tickets far enough in advance.

I also want to travel around Japan, maybe visit Tashirojima or Okunoshima (thank you Brenda!)

I'm definitely going to hit up Tokyo, probably Yokohama as well. But, of course, all that will be easier to plan once I actually look at our academic schedule/get my classes

Shopping. I will be shopping.

I plan on going to izakaya (bars) cuz I'm grown (not that they'd care how old my foreign ass was anyway), karaoke (I'm literally picking songs out in preparation of that), and college student hijincks. I won't be working, so I imagine I'll have a lot more time than I'm used too. Plus, you know,  I probably should try to use Japanese with Japanese people this time around instead of drowning in my sea of angst and using English as a safety blanket

I mostly plan on hanging out with the few friends I made last summer, and trying to make some more friends by not being a derp. But, that should be easier, cuz I've already dipped my feet into the world of being a foreign exchange student (kinda) AND SENIOR YEAR, HOLLA HOLLA HOLLAAAAAAA~~~~~ #idgaf

So, next post will be pre-departure, and I'll show you my luggage and beautiful face (I refuse to take a picture of myself until I get my eyebrows waxed, another ritual I undertake every time I leave Buffalo.)

つづく

good news

((Was thinking about it, decided to post the link to my old blog in case anyone, including myself, wants to revisit it: Jya Ne))

So, I mailed my visa application off yesterday; guaranteed to arrive at the Japanese Consulate in NYC by noon today CUZ I HAD TO OVERNIGHT THAT SHIT 2D PLANE OF POOP, THAT'S WHAT I GET FOR PROCRASTINATING, JESUS FU- CEILING CAT WHY-)

(they best believe I'm going to track that fucking biscuit-eating-bulldog of a letter, if it arrives at 12:01 I will be trying to get my money back, fufufuf EDIT: I tracked it, the letter was delivered at 11:49 am today)

well,  the reason I was putting off sending in the application is because my mom thought the photo I planned on attaching to it was ugly. I didn't think it was that bad, but whatever, we'll take a different photo. So, we took some, but she insisted we take it in front of some flowers even though I knew we couldn't do no shit nonsense like that for a visa picture, but whatever. I went to go get them printed, insert story about cutie at the camera store (refer to my Twitter to read my tweets on the subject), and then decided to print more appropriate pics the next day. I took those pics, but because I am a derp, and was tired, printed them too large, but didn't find that out till I picked them up after work

SO I SAID 'WHATEVER' and used the original 'ugly' picture that I planned on using anyway. I know, this is some minor shit foolery to delay an entire application over, but minor things turn pretty major in this house. Why should I care if I look ugly on my visa? I'll be in Japan, they can see how fine I am in person #hairflip

So, that was the last thing I had to do. Currently, all of my Japan things are in order. EVEN MY TICKET IS RIGHT, GLORY

I'm also dumb happy because I got a scholarship from my work :3 :3 

and my h&m package came yesterday, and it's cute (I ordered it weeks ago, don't judge me, I needed cheap sweaters)

So, this post was basically me just wanting to release some positive feels into the blogosphere for once. 

Next time, I'll post some pictures of my luggage; ya'll don't understand, I am so proud of not overpacking for once, I need to share with the world, and hopefully I'll have my visa by then too

((also, really random, but my body is sore, am i dying ya'll, help me plz))

beginnings

well, I'm back at it again. In less than a month (25 days 13 hours 35 minutes and counting, according to my timer), I will be gallivanting back to Chiba, Japan (I was there last summer); specifically, I'll be enrolled in a Japanese language program at Kanda University of International Studies, the lovely institution that (typically) hosts my soon-to-be alma mater's summer Japanese program

I decided to abandon my old study abroad blog; it felt a bit too immature for me to want to bring it back. I like to give myself new beginnings, so I figured I'd start a blank slate for my new journey. And no, I'm not journeying to 'find myself' or some other nonsense in Japan; I plan on (re)connecting with people I met the first time around; hopefully this will be aided by a bit of maturing and greater self confidence, and I'm going to improve my Japanese.

That's it.

And maybe shop. And eat food. (and go to South Korea or Malaysia).

Anywho, I think this time in Japan I'll be much more productive. I managed to buy a ticket without messing everything up this time, so I'll take that as a good omen.

The lovely Hana-pe will also be at Kanda this fall; I'm sure we'll managed to get into a few misadventures as we try to lone wolf it abroad.

I don't have much to say to be honest; just making sure the blog is in order before September, when I'll be too stressed/excited to want to deal with anything. The remaining weeks of August will be devoted to finishing up my volunteer gig/internship, studying the Japanese I should've been reviewing all summer, and bonding with family/friends, but not quite in that order.

Until September then.

じゃ、
Tish