is japan heaven?

so i was just watching a japanese drama about two men fighting over another man with a mullet. because they wanted to have a "partnership" in comedy, and when one asked him to "partner" him it was like a proposal, except.. not for a relationship XD;; so today i made gyoza! i got the hang of folding it pretty fast ^^ its super easy. and oishi! i went shopping and got some killer real leather boots and some clothes, so i can look cuter and more nihongo~~

last night i went out to drink with Miho and two apartment friends for a "Girls night Out" it was an awesome place in machida near the odakyu station, we ate and ate and drank and drank, and the bill for the four of us was 23900. i figured it would be so high so i was prepared, but Miho wouldnt let me pay! she said i was a "gakusei" and she was a "buisness woman". thank you Miho! we had some fun conversations last night and i ordered a rediculously good tasting sake, that they served to me in a glass inside a clear cube thing. it was interesting.

i seem to be drinking and eating terribly here but im losing weight, is japan heaven?

kids shows

so i've been watching childrens shows this morning since i really didnt want to leave my bed, and i've come to the conclusion that childrens shows dont get any money XD; unlike the gameshows, which are all lights and crazy shiny things. the first show was like, the backyard version of sesame street. first i was delighted with a floating head of a japanese man on a green background which repeated " Ni Ni Ni Ni~~ NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU.. Me..... Me.... Me...... PAN~!!!!" i was amused. but then, instead of muppets, they had a paper cup turned upside down with faces drawn on it. he rode a bus. and now is some form of childrens power rangers, except they only wear coloured spandex with a pokey thing coming out of their heads, and the bad-guy wears a ronin outfit made of cardboard and painted black, with a red grass skirt around his neck.... i think it's because they spent their entire budget on the main characters suit, since its like a giant... alien thing.. that will most definately give me nightmares......

wara wara

so wara wara was awesome XD go read Jacob's blog to learn all about it. thanks for doing all the work Jacob! ;D it was a good time, even though the booze is lightweight, its delicious (orenji!!) and i apparently have an Okinawan boyfriend now. lol XD sorry Kelly!

so yesterday i slept in till like 2, and then woke up and we went to machida, there was a taiko festival which Marissa got nice photos of (thanks! i forgot my camera!) and i got a keitai!! omfg so nice to have a phone! even though no one esle does XD but you can get phones without the AR card at softbank and their "free" phones with plan are hella nice!! and come in like 9 colours XD i can watch tv with mine! then my host family bought my a japanese-english dictionary! its awesome but its all kanji >< i need hirigana! so i dunno what to do about that.

then last night they had a party at a friends house to welcome me to Japan and to meet their friends, we had osake and awesome foods. i was so happy that i actually could understand the majority of what they were talking about, even though i dont really know the words. it wasnt until i had a few more drinks that it became impossible. so i slept till 9.30 today, and got to call dad with skype. and finally got to hear from my bf.

so i am happy.

Vie de France

so i got sick of waiting at machida station this morning and decided that i needed to buy french food. so i went to Vie de France, right by the station, so you walk in and grab a tray and prongs and pick out things from the shelves you want to eat. there were sandwiches and buns and rolls, they all looked amazing, but i ended up with Melon Bread (which i love, and Sam you do too!), a salad-thing, and this omfgsogood bacon/egg/mushroom/cheese on foccacia bread-thing. jsdafhawo;eifa go get one! oh! and a mango juice ;D

Mamasan Grand Prix

so they get four mothers on a gameshow and they have to answer things "mothers should know".

Challenge One :
the mothers have to choose between which washing machine is correctly loaded, machine A was packed full and has liquid soap on "Speed Setting" , and machine B has a light load, with powdered soap put right in, and on slow setting. the youngest mother chose B and the three older chose A. the younget won, surprize!

Challenge Two :
the mothers have to choose between which kitchen is worse. kitchen A
had photos all over the fridge and was packed full. kitch B's fridge was in front of a window. the youngest mother chose B and the other three chose A, but it was A!

Challenge Three :
now they have to choose which rice tastes best. A, rice made with an Induction Heating rice cooker, or B an old fashioned rice cooker. the mothers were split again and the youngest lost.. again.

annnnd i cant remember the final challenge.. but the whole affair was hillarious.

wrong button...

yesterday when i used the restroom at the CIS (center for international studies) building, i thought the flush button was this huge green button on the wall, and it sounded an alarm... it was the emergency call-button.... i didnt know what to do so i kinda walked away and didnt tell anyone XD;; it was green though! usually something like an emergency button would be red...

also, last night Yusuke wanted to try the cognac i brought for him, since he never had before. i barely poured him a single and it went straight to him XD japanese really cant hold their liquor. he said i must be "strong drinker" hahahaha. so after he finished it he made me a drink with a peach schnapps kinda stuff and orange juice, it was super sweet but soo good. and because he was a tad tipsy from the barely-a-shot of cognac, he decided he was going to take me around the building and show me where the gym was. it was so funny, we took Kaede and i saw all the stuff the apartment building has. theres a convinience store on the first floor, its awesome.

today was alot of walking. im tired and we begin testing tomorrow. blah.

first day!

well its 4.30 in the morning and there is alot to recap. this will probably be mundane to most but its more of a record for myself than anything.

so it was a long day, and my throat never got better, my voice is still funky and i'm putting all my energy into not getting sick, even though i think i might be. i got rediculously lucky with the plane, i had a window seat and the seat next to me was empty. moving the bags was troublesome but i still had less then other students. i had alot of fun with the UH students on the bus ride, and trying to use our phone cards. some tried to stick their student cards in the machines, we had no clue. then everyone bought tasty drinks from the vending machine and we drove to machida.

the school is gorgeous, its very fancy, and shiny. but right when i found out we could use the office phone to call home, i got dad's machine. and right as i was going to call larisa's phone, my host family arrived. they are awesome. sorry dad! they already have asked me to be on first-name basis, it is Yusuke, Miho, and their daughter Kaede. oh and the dog is a schnauzer named Moko (fuzzy) and is shaved like a poodle. its interesting because they have a cage thing for it, like a baby-pen, and he has a kitty-litter box-thing. Kaede is adorable, and both Yusuke and Miho are very kind, and funny. they were excited to find out i play video games and watch anime, because they both do so. they have their manga collection here in my room actually. between their "small" english and my "skooshi" nihongo, we get the job done. and i'm picking it up really fast.

now, for interesting specs about the apartment. its a brand-new apartment, and is a nice size. i am so very glad that they don't hang their cloths out to dry like 90% of japanese, their washing machine both washes and dries... you put in clothes, and soap, and then you can either Wash, Wash-to-Dry, or Dry. so it will automatically wash and dry your clothes..... its amazing. the bathroom is high tech, and thank god the toilet is 12" from my door, because the plane food got to me. they bought me a brand new futon, and for dad its not like american futon, its a foldable cushion for the floor. and its amazingly comfortable. i have my own air conditioner/heater, and it doesnt make a sound. my biggest problem, is that the closet is like.. 14" wide... and only has one shelf and a few hangers... so i have to get creative with how i unpack. but i have a mini flat screen tv, (like 11 inches) a cd player and a nice little table for working.

we already went and got my commuter pass, for 6 months so i'm good. and they are showing me how to go to school in the morning, and even made a stop to buy me corn flakes last night XD!!

well, im rested-enough, and going to try to move things around a bit for the next hour and a half before breakfast, the jet-lag is rediculous, but i think after two nights or so i'll be fine.

oh and dad, they've never tried cognac! so i am excited, they were very pleased as well. and they have these wine cooler things here that come in cans, and in pretty much any flavour you can imagine, i had the choice of Pineapple, Peach or White Grape tonight. i had pineapple and it was sugoi desu ne!

i think the last thing is to go over the rules they set, it's all really just common sense.
- dont be too noisy
- the last train home is at 10:55, if i ever stay out later-call in advance, and take a taxi home. if there is an emergency, call their cell and they will drive to get me.
- when leaving the house, make sure-basically everything- is off, including the gas stove.
- they take their showers at night too.. so we're gonna do a switch thingie, every other night i get to shower. but since they arrive home so late from work, i think ill take my shower around 7:30 or so, which is fine for me.
- oh and i got a key.

its amazing, they get up every day at about 5:30, and work till 7:30. eat dinner at 8, and get to bed around 11 or 12. and Kaede does the same, she goes to nursery all day. but they are very kind and fun, and hardworking. i got to see a cell-phone program Yusuke created, its for reading stocks. and Miho's brother worked on animating Pokemon! XD!

i'll be able to get a cell phone next week, but till then my skype name is : Halcyione, and i can get online pretty much anytime im at the apartment, and i find out about the school wifi today.

well, sorry for the rediculously long post, but its been a rediculously long day, and i already feel better. the thing in my throat has subsided a tad, and my tummy isnt crying anymore.

so, i love you Dad! and David! Larisa and Chap!

gambate ne!

realization

i've found that i was linked to on another oberlin students website. this is exciting for me XD someone out there actually pays attention! i say this because i know for a fact no one is going to read this blog. im sorta doing it for myself, atleast. so i have a written record of my trip, and hell, i can type faster then i can write and i lose everything i write on.

so.

im a level one japanese student which is scary because 97% of the students in oberlin (that i know of) are higher then me XD;; so imma be acting out alot, and drawing pictures.. good thing im an art student :3

i was invited to play ddr though! that makes me happeh, and theres a drinking party planned at a funny-named place "Wara-Wara!" so it'll be fun. i'm hoping to have some fun. even though i'm realizing that im leaving now. it fiiiiinally set in, and i dunno, its--interesting. i'm actually going to miss Hawaii! im surprized. and the puppy... hes so cute ;____; even tho he poops in front of my door every night...

packings!

packing---packing------packing. i have alot of laundry to do. i dont think my problem is space, i think the issue at hand is weight XD;; i'm a little worried, but we shall see.

the blog is designed now, simple but i like it, and thats all that matters really lol.

monday is the big day! hear from me soon!

ja ne!