School structure and eating habits

School structure

This topic may be of interest to students coming to Nara in the same or similar situation as I.

School restroom sinks remind me of Hogwarts a little.

The American students (usually a small handfull from CMU and Lockhaven in Pennsylvania) come at the end of August. Then our classes start the first week of September.

I highly recommend looking in the school library.

However everyone else including the Japanese students doesn't start until October. 

Nara Uni library has many interesting books that are in English.

So it does give us time to get adjusted and improve our language skills since the (mainly) eastern European and other international students will come at the end of September, and their skills are typically more advanced than ours. 

Our classes at first were separated between the CMU and Lockhaven students since the CMU students had taken between a year or two of Japanese language classes, and Lockhaven doesn't have Japanese classes.

Sometimes you have to use the Washiki traditional Japanese toilets

The Americans have one class where we are all together which is taught in English and it is on Japanese history and is really interesting and detailed.

They usually also have a Western style toilet too.

When the classes start in October the CMU students will have the first class with the more advanced international students, but after that our professor will decide if it is too difficult for us and then if we need to have a separate class.

I am sort of worried, but at the same time 'it is what it is' and I will try my best and be put where I need to be- like the Japanese sorting hat I suppose. 

A view from the hallway at Nara University of Education.

Either way I will keep trying my best to improve and enjoy my short stay (compared to the 99% who stay a year or more) in Nara.

I am really happy to have the option of going for a semester, though, since it really fits well with my plans quite perfectly.

Tomorrow is our ceremony where we are welcomed and we basically bow and nod for an hour and listen to the school's top leaders talk to us about the school.

A Hallway near my classes at NUE.

Typically the welcome or initiation ceremonies are held in April for Universities and large companies but we are arriving in September and October so ours is done later.


Eating Habits
Like anywhere, eating habits are what you make them. Sometimes it is actually easier to eat healthy foods here in Nara, since there are many traditional foods to choose from.

Often I eat mushrooms with miso udon soup that I make myself because it is so easy, cheap and healthy. Sometimes I eat Onigiri rice balls with tuna in the middle.

However it is also easy to eat unhealthy and expensive if you want to. For example I know people that eat fried foods, sweet foods, and artificial foods often. 

It is a little difficult to eat the same foods as I do in America such as whole wheat or pumpernickel breads, I haven't seen or eaten cereal in ages, and milk is good but not as amazing as the farm fresh kind I like.

You can easily find many types of vegetables especially at the stores, or you can get the sweets and fried foods at the konbini's too if you like. 

Traditional foods like soup and rice often accompany even non-traditional foods. Dining out, foods are often pretty filling.

It's really up to you, but for me it has been easier than in America to eat healthily in that I can easily find a variety of mushrooms especially. However since I can hardly read the vast amount of Kanji writing on the labels, I often cannot read the ingredients listings like I usually like to do.

So if you think its expensive to feed yourself here, it really depends on your choices, just like in your home country. 

If you want fruits, (like apples) many of them are going to be more expensive than in say Michigan. 

But the mushrooms are cheap and great! So it's a trade off on different items and if you change your eating habits to fit in like the locals you should be able to save some money.

If you plan to eat like an American, you may have to pay more depending on what you typically eat. 

Personally I wish I could eat the deer that roam everywhere here, but it's not going to happen.

The view outside my balcony.

Uneme Moon viewing festival Photos

Here is the dragon boat they took around where lanterns line the pond.

I could be a professional goldfish catcher, here is the game where usually kids try to catch goldfish with tissue paper nets. I caught 8! Here I'm so happy I just squint at the flash as a friend takes my picture!

The entire pond was lined with people coming to celebrate the festival, it only happens once a year I believe.

Food stands with festival foods line the pond.

Moon viewing festival near Kofukuji (5 story Pagoda)

One of the many mini boats floating as the priests ready the Dragon boat

On festivals, and climbing mountains

Wearing a Happi, in a non traditional print.

Festivals 
The other day I went to a Bon odori celebration, and got to wear a Happi a traditional shirt vest that looks similar to something Aladdin would wear.









Bon Odori is usually a festival done in the summer where people dance traditional dances and wear yukatas (explained as a cotton kimono).

Statue near Ni Gatsu Hall

However, near the famous Todaiji temple here, at Ni Gatsu Hall they celebrate it a little later. 

A perfect view of Nara from the top of the stairs.

This makes perfect sense to me since if you are going to be dancing why not do it when it's cooler out?

The thing that was sort of shocking to us (the 4 Americans) was how the Japanese people would take our photos, and sometimes jump right in front of us with their large lenses quite close to us and take photos of us doing everything and nothing.

I had read and heard stories of this being a frequent thing, but had not experienced it before, perhaps the celebration which had everyone taking pictures and videos made it more acceptable to do this.

Video: Lanterns.

I'm not sure about it. It seems that because where we live and shop and go to school there tend to be a concentrated amount

 of tourists so people don't stare as much as they did to me when I was in Tokyo, which got a lot of tourists but they were more spread out and not in the areas I was in so much.

Yesterday I climbed or rather hiked up Wakakusa Mountain which is 342 Meters tall and gives a great view of Nara city, part of Kyoto, and possibly Mie Prefecture.

Today I will be going to a Moon viewing festival near Kofukuji temple (5 story pagoda) and they will have a dragon boat too!

Mountains

The view at Wakakusayama as you reach the top.

At the top of Wakakusayama.

The Community Effect, Temples, and Phones

The Community Effect

As I said I have never lived in a dorm before so the experience is brand new, but I think especially in a foreign place, it really serves as a community.

The male looks like he was one of the 4 deer each year that have their antlers  cut for ceremony.

When students have been here nearly a year they give away their things to newcomers, useful items like bikes and phones. 

They leave parting words of wisdom like “Don't be too loud in the dorms” and while some are happy to return home and leave Japan, others are sad to say goodbye to the place, experiences and friends they will leave behind in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Old architecture of Nara.

I knew in advance from several students who came before me from CMU, that the international students you finally start to bond with, will leave just as you are really getting to know them, and then a new group comes in shortly after. So with this knowledge I tried to not get too attached to this group, it's hard because there are some really cool cats here.

At first though, I really just wanted my space, time to settle in before I even talked to the others in the dorm. Even still some days there are certain people I would rather avoid. Then of course as fate would have it on those days I run into them at least 6 times during the day, it's almost as if they are trying to run into me. I wonder.

The Romanians and Russians remind me of what I thought the Kansai people would be, just a fun bunch living it up. They smoke as much as I thought they would. The Austrians here are quieter than I thought they would be, the Chinese are louder eaters than I thought they would be...All these people living under one roof, sharing the kitchen area, shower area and the like and now the dynamics are going to shift and the community (or nunnery as some call our women's dorm) is going to have a different collective personality.

Entrance to shrine in the primeval forest.

These words are practically meaningless to students still in their home countries, pre-departure. But after you get here, the impact of the peoples around you, (especially supportive and friendly people) after nearly the first month when you are finally feeling settled and included is undeniable for me and several others in this same situation.

Shrines, Temples, Heritage Sites, and Festivals

Saturday I thought it was practically lazy of me to not have at least visited a singe shrine or temple. I had walked past Kofukuji ( the 5 story pagoda) many times on my way to the shopping district, and unknowingly biked past the Kasuga Taisha a week before, it's a really large red temple in the woods with tons of stone lanterns and a rich history.

Shrine in Kasuga forest way up in the mountain.

I had actually been searching Saturday for it and found a hiking path that will take you there, but it was 3 hours there, and 3 hours back so I went to the first shrine set I found, looked down at the climb back and went back to the dorms for a shower, short nap before I set out to go to Nara Park where the huge congregation of deer are, and then the easy way to Kasuga Taisha- by bike and easier than a 3 hour hike, though I still want to take that hike on another day.

I at least felt satisfied after I toured the various temple, shrines, and other heritage sites. It felt almost shameful to have been here nearly a month and not have been there. I had been close by all these areas, and passed by them all as well, but Saturday I went there and found a pleasant experience in the midst of it all.

Really worn out and sweaty but happy on the mountain.

On my way back from the morning hike I took the back road behind the dorms which has some great scenery and if you stop into this neat shop that sells handmade items, calligraphy goods, and even serves some food, you are sure to have a new friend in (Atsukosan) the lady who runs the place. 

Takabatake road, near where Atsukosan's shop is.

She's an energetic, happy woman who even knows some English. She makes a killer shiso juice drink that may keep you alive till you're 100. If you're in the women's North dorms you may even be able to shout out a morning greeting to her from your balcony she's that close. Go and say hi, tell her Arielle says hello, and she'll start calling you “Besto Furends” in no time.

Cafe break time.

On Internet, and phones here

Originally my plan was to get internet, but not a phone here since I figured I could just email everyone because the email can go to their phones anyway and the service would be multi purpose, however this is not the case.

I now actually have a phone, but with no plans for buying the internet. Let me explain.

I did not foresee that internet providers (like many services here) require a 1-2 year contract. 

View of Nara Park where deer and tourists gather

I knew this about phones but never guessed it would be the same with internet. Then if you have to say leave the country after your study abroad for a year, you have to pay a cancellation fee that is often quite expensive (think $100 equivalent or more depending on the carrier, and contract).

So the group of Americans here decided to check out the internet prices and how it works, this is one scenario; You can buy a pocket Wi-fi thing that makes Wi-fi, it's about $100 I believe for that, then you pay about $30 for (amazingly fast) internet per month, and I think it's a 2 year contract so if you are here less than that you have to pay a hefty cancellation fee. I'm here a total of four months.

Kasuga Taisha entrance

Add that up and thats more money than I and others want to pay for the luxury of having internet access away from school.

Kasuga Taisha is full of lanes of stone lanturns.

When I found out about this I decided it was alright because I could just use the internet at the school during the school week, and then had no plans to get a phone.

Then I found out 2 things about phones here. 

The first was a little tempting but still not a preference for me and that was that you can take on someone's unfinished contract that way they don't have to pay cancellation fees and you don't have a 2 year contract when you are here either a semester, or a year.

Deer themed area where guests cleanse hands and mouth.

A view of the moon, and deer at Nara Park

The second thing however was a game changer for me. Prepaid cellphones. 

Wisened looking tree in Nara park.

Yes, pretty similar I think to tracphone or net 10. I can go to the konbini, get a international calling card for roughly the same price as what I paid in America, and bam, I hope to be able to call my family on it. 

And because of that amazing international student community I talked about earlier, I don't even have to buy the phone itself because Liza from Russia gave me the previous Lockhaven Pennsylvania student's old phone.

Also I didn't realize just how many times a week I was going to have to explain to Japanese people that I don't have a phone, and just how much they typically use them.

Kasuga Taisha

Just a side note it was absolutely lifting to be able to hear my boyfriend and family on the phone. Now I have to figure out how to call INSIDE of Japan.

Ukimido Hall

Feeling More Adjusted

Working in the schools fields. We picked eggplant, peppers and watermelons.

I am starting to feel more at home in Nara now, more able to deal with group time, and better settled into my classes and such.

 The first week had me grumpy, and missing familiarity. I also had the strong sense of missing specific people especially. That's not to say I don't miss them now, but now I can deal with it easier and it's less intense.

A view from a large hill near Kasuga Yama

Kasuga Yama forest shrine

Kasuga Yama forest shrine

I really underestimated the comforts of art, even if it just means drawing a picture for my homework or working on DIY postcards. Art has been a big comfort for my brain. So has my bike, it is really comforting to know I don't have to walk 30-40 minutes to the grocery store and lug it all back, since I have my bike I can get there in like 10-15 minutes and put my goods in my basket :)

Lots of personal quiet time, or individual exploration time too have been helpful for me, since a lot of our time we are around other American students at school and other international students when we are at the dorms. Quiet time in the Library here is as close to meditation as I have gotten so far.

At Kasuga Yama area

Also I have had time in the school's agriculture fields where they grow rice, and vegetables, but the area which is so close is a healing natural place that I really enjoyed. I even saw some huge red crayfish near the rice fields in the deep culvert ravine things that line most of the roadways here.

They are to prevent flooding of the roads since we are at the base of a few mountains, so when the rain comes down hard and fast it goes into the culverts and not the roads, but many of these are uncovered and I wonder about people who don't pay attention to where they are going, since it would be really easy to fall in the 3 foot deep trenches.

A view of the school's rice field, the mountain and one culvert.

Here's a quick sketch of the culverts that line the roads.

Classes at first were a different style, and learning not only what the professors are saying but also what they are looking for was a challenge and still can be, but now it is easier for me to cope. The style of teaching while varying among professors also is slightly different than what I had experienced in Michigan.

It is amazing though to be learning about Japanese history since in America we typically never learn other countries' history, and our country is so young in comparison it just seems so much richer than I thought it would be. I guess I never really thought I was missing out on learning other cultures histories, but now I keep thinking what about all the other countries and their rich backgrounds? Why haven't we learned more about them?

The school's rice field.

Kasuga Yama forest shrine

Do we perhaps spend too much time focusing on inane details of our own history and end up leaving out key facts about what others were doing before during or after us? I know it is a problem with news in America, that we lack international coverage and yet we somehow know intimate details about celebrity love lives.

On another note am also glad for the abundance of foods like mushrooms, natto (fermented soy beans), my home made nabe one pot stews (with veggies, mushrooms etc.) and the like that are not only healthy, but also relatively cheap in comparison to buying easy to go foods from the konbini.

Now that I am more settled, I am able to better enjoy the old architecture styles from around our area. There is a festival that started today, that maybe goes on this weekend I want to see with dragon boats and the area has vendor stalls with all kinds of cool stuff going on.

Next week I will be volunteering at a traditional festival called Bon Odori which is celebrated at various times around Japan in each area. Nara celebrates it later than many other cities that tend to celebrate it in August.

A view of the forest through a hole in the tree roots

I will be wearing a traditional yukata, which some people call a cotton kimono, and I will be manning the popcorn or cotton candy stand. If I have a say in which, I will take the popcorn stand gladly, but either way I am stoked to be participating!

Kasuga Yama forest

I am also planning a 2-day trip to Toushi Island (either in mid October or November) with a group led by our advisor here. We will be staying at a family owned guest house Ryokan- or traditional hotel bed and breakfast style, which may have hot springs.

There we will enjoy the traditional seasonal foods, tour the town, and meet the clam ladies as I call them who are famous for clam diving in their white suits. We will also be going fishing off of the boat there and I hope to catch some fish for breakfast! I need to catch at least one fish to be satisfied with the experience.

Last week seemed to drag on slowly as I tried to cope with the changes and adapt to my new surroundings, now this week seemed to go by faster and I seem to be coping with all the differences in a much more graceful way.

From this I learned how powerful time, art, nature, alone time, and other comforts can be in dealing with such a large adjustment.