PRE-DEPARTURE; I have secured a bike

I just wanted to update with what may sound silly, but: I have secured a bike for while I am in Japan! Yay!

I just heard from my friend studying in Nara that he is leaving me his bike and rice cooker since he will be leaving as I am coming into Nara in the fall.


If you want you can check out my friend Eric's YouTube channel where he has videos from his time abroad in Nara and surrounding areas: Eric's channel


I am really excited to have a bike since walking, biking, and buses are a very relied on source of transport in the area. My goal in this was that not only do I love bikes, but also it would save me money by not really using the bus.

Cars and trains are also forms of transport, and from what I hear cars are used more in the Nara area than in the metro areas like Tokyo and Osaka, but less trains than Tokyo.

My plan was to get a bike as soon as I got to Japan and had a  Japanese friend keeping an eye out for me. I know how to plan my meals and shop often so as to be able to carry groceries home easily as I will have to do in Nara, but I wonder if my fellow 2 students going to Nara know this?

I absolutely love to cook from 'scratch'  which I have found to be much more financially savvy anywhere, but I know how tempting the Japanese konbini (convenience stores) can be. They have everything from stuffed rice balls, delicious milk, bento lunches and more, they take convenience stores seriously. 

Here's a video I found from BrotherAnnie who talks a little bit about them: Konbini


In honor of my bike acquisition I have a video of Japanese bikes from my time in Tokyo: Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

PRE-DEPARTURE; Updates and second Orientaiton

Hello,
Update on my current perspective:
I am really feeling really good about going to Japan right now. As they talked about in our study abroad orientation which I talk about below, I too have gone through ups and downs in preparing to go abroad, and it's nice to know that others go through this during their study abroad experience before, during, and upon returning.

I go through phases where I'm super stoked, nothing can go wrong, and then mellow, then phases where I'm thinking "Oh my gosh, I have to leave my boyfriend of 8+ years for about 5 months." or "What if the Korea situation gets scary?".  And other similar worries.

Similar to the illustration shown at the orientation

Then I go through phases where I am super confident, I plan ahead, research, and learn more Japanese grammar points and Kanji. I look forward to the trip, meeting new people of the Kansai region and am over the moon with hopes to volunteer on a Japanese farm, and with High school students learning English.

As far as language issues, I am not too worried. I have been to Japan before and knew far less Japanese than I do now, I can read a lot more Kanji now, I can make sentences, carry on simple conversations and am very familiar with many parts of the culture. 

This comparison to my previous stay in Japan helps to give me confidence. I mean how much more could I embarrass myself than the time I just got off the plane and at Narita Airport, Tokyo told an older lady how I was a sexual pervert by accident? Even then I laughed it off with her as she helpfully corrected my Japanese error in English so I understood my mistake.

 I know I will make mistakes just as I do here all the time, but I have things that help me to keep my confidence to always at least try. 

For example I have a conversation partner I meet with most Mondays where he practices his English skills and I practice my Japanese speaking. I bring a notebook and write down new words every time since he helps me learn a lot!  He even introduces me to other Japanese people in town whom I wouldn't normally have met and I invite him and his Japanese coworkers to Japanese cultural events on campus.

I also have a Skype partner in Japan whom I Skype with usually every Tuesday. I also learn a lot from him and this additional exposure helps my language to develop in a comfortable environment.


An update on scholarship applications.
       I received an email from Colorado University about the Bridging Japan Scholarship. They received my application with my transcript copies, essay copies, and application copies (3 of each) which I had to mail out the more expensive way so the envelope could make it to them by their April 8th deadline (not postmark time).

      I originally planned to have mailed it all out the week previous, but due to a family death it didn't happen as I planned. However it all worked out since all I had to do was pay extra (about $6) to send out the envelope, so no worries. I won't hear back about the winners for that until May or June like some of the others I have applied for.

      Good news! I Just attended the CMU 2013 Journalism Department award Luncheon to receive scholarships that will seriously help me this fall. Now I just have to write Thank you letters to the benefactors to whom I am deeply grateful for.



Orientation part II:
Yesterday I went to the Study Abroad Orientation part II, on Culture which was really fun.

One of the things they talked about that really resonated with me was when the advisers and student returnees talked about the strong roller coaster of feelings before, during and after the abroad experience.

I was able to really understand my sisters moods better when she was in Japan, as well as my own. See when I first went, I stayed for a little over a month, and I was pretty much in the elation/honeymoon stage, where everything about Japan is amazing and couldn't get the full spectrum at the time.

I noticed the differences, and emphasized things I liked more in Japan, but I hadn't gotten to that deeper part yet. You can see what I mean in some of my videos:

• Yes, here I am happily babbling on my first morning in Japan Elated tour of the flat video
• Even the toilets were a source of happiness Japanese toilets
• Curious about the parks nature scene? Check out Park in Bunkyo
• A quick video on differences in foods Bread and pb&j?

During the Orientation we learned more about the various ways of thinking as you go into your study abroad. The stereotypes good and bad that we have about our own culture, and the culture where we are going.

The biggest concept I appreciated and took away from that segment was that the things in other cultures aren't really good or bad, but just different, and once we can wrap our heads around that, it really changes our perspective.

I definitely agree with what was said about going in with an open mind and taking advantage of all the opportunities, whether its abroad or right here!

From my 2011 trip. With students at the International House in Tokyo.

Today:
Today is the weekend and I don't have any other scholarships to apply for but the end of the semester is looming. We have 2 weeks left and so our Japanese Language Group on campus will be going to Midori's Sushi bar in town for a lunch since most of us are in JPN 202 and there aren't any other Japanese courses after that on campus.

So, many of our classmates will say goodbye after about 4 semesters of having classes together Monday through Thursday.  We really are like a weird dysfunctional clan-family-unit-thing and it's comforting.

I know I will miss them, all with their special quirks and interests. I will miss seeing Sensei Maiko Bronson nearly every day. But after I come back I plan to still be involved in the Japanese Language group and hope by then we have even more fresh faces interested in learning more about the language and culture of Japan.

I know there are 2 other CMU students going to Nara, Japan at the same time as me and think it will be an interesting and inspirational time.