Last Friday, a group of us went to Hatagaya for the Higan Matsuri. It a festival where the people of the town carry the gods in the mikoshi 8The house like thing everyone is carrying) around the town, and to the shrine and back, for about 7 hours! They stop every 30 minutes or so for a tea and ber break, but then it's back to carrying the mikoshi again. Everyone is suitably genki, and probably a little drunk, but we all pitched in to carry our district's mikoshi around. There is also a selection of food stalls and carnaval like games near the shrine, my favorite being the food stalls where you play a game of chance to see if you can score more food for the same price. At night, as you can see in the first picture, the lanterns are all lit up on the mikoshi, and everyone helps to carry it to it's final resting place before going to a huge hall to binge on beer and fried food. It was a lot of fun, but I was so tired by the time I finally got back home!

From top to bottom:
1st Pic: My first ever nomikai! It has got to be the Japanese college students favorite activity, outside of karaoke. The deal is you pay a flat fee (around 2500yen) and then you can eat and drink all you want for 2 hours. I've never seen so many people get so drunk, so fast! I can't drink, so I think I downed a pitcher of oolong tea and ate my weights worth of nabe, the hot pot like stuff you see in the pic.
2nd +3rd pic: Gorgeous Shinjuku at nighttime, I can't wait to see what it looks like around X-mas/NewYear's.
4th pic: The Waseda University Glee Club, a awesome all-mens choir that sang at the SILS opening ceremony.

I am alive and well! I'm all unpacked and moved into my host family's house in Shimo Ochiai, which is about 15 minutes away from Waseda University. I have 3 host brothers! I actually live a a house by myself that is next door to my host family's and head over there most of the time for meals and such. It's weird for me to be in a place just by myself. It's way too quiet and half the time the floor will creak and I'll get scared.

I experienced my first Japanese earthquake on Tuesday night! It was only a level 2 and lasted only a couple seconds, but it was scary! The house was making all sorts of weird popping noises and our poor cat was hiding under the dinner table.

I'm getting used to riding the train everyday, I take the Seibu Shinjuku line to Takada no Baba and walk to school from there. In the mornings, and around 5-6pm, you feel like a sardine in a can, there are so many people. I shouldn't complain though, my commute is only 3 minutes. Most of the other exchange students have a hour to an hour and half commute every day.

The Japanese mosquitoes have already found me, and given me 2 lovely welcoming gifts. >_<

I'm pretty much on vacation right now, except some short orientations in the mornings, I can do pretty much whatever i want ...but classes start on the 30th of this month!

-later
Jun

Top to Bottom:
The 1st picture is the tiny fridge hidden in the desk cabitnet,
Pic #2 is my temporary roomate Jamie at the sweet PC/TV in our room, we can use free internet!
Pic #3 is our tiny but squeaky clean bathroom in the hotel! The toilet has so many buttons...

Yum! Melon Soda!

I took this picture with my new cellphone! I ended up getting this phone instead, because they didn't have the phone I wanted in stock. They are both pretty similar, so I'm not complaining. I got it in"Primary Red", and the thing holds more pictures than my digicam!

Here is the break down for how much the phone is going to cost me,

Cost of the phone itself: 1yen
Cost of charger for phone: 945yen
Cost of Opening my phone number: 2890yen
Cost of Monthly service - 50% student discount: 3454yen

In bold are the one time fees for this month, and then the last figure is how much i will pay per month after this month. So for this month, I'll be paying roughly 7290yen, or around US$70.

Time for me to stop playing with my phone, and go to sleep!
-later
Jun

I'm alive!

I'm alive and well in Nishi-Waseda at the moment!

I arrived on Friday, and have been in endless orientations since then. Right now, I'm staying at the Hotel Sunroute, which is right by the Takada no baba station. The university is about a 25 minute walk from the hotel, not too bad since it's all pretty flat.

The past couple days have been kinda hot and muggy, but i'm doing fine. Today was a trip to Shinjuku, one of the busiest parts of Tokyo, even on a Sunday afternoon. Riding the Yamanote line was an experience, I'm really glad there were some Waseda students there to show us the ropes. Hopefully it will be easier tomorrow when I can buy my teiki (commuter pass), then I don't have to buy a ticket every time.

I'm getting a sweet cellphone tomorrow too! Hopefully this one in blue.

I find out who my host family is tonight, and get to meet them tomorrow! I'm excited and kinda nervous at the same time...

Sorry, no pictures this time, since I'm on a public computer, and my laptop is still packed up. ^_^;;

wish me luck!
-later
Jun

My mom is a Coca Cola collecting addict!

Tminus 19 hours

The state of my room and packing as of now. Yes, I am aware that I am a lazy butt and need to finish packing...and that it looks like a laundry machine EXPLODED in my room.

Is it bad that I totally covet the iPod nano? It is tiny and has a flash based memory, and it comes in black!


Yes, I am aware that I should be saving money and not looking to blow 200$+ on a gadget .
But it's so damn shiny. >_<

Getting my PDX fix!

A replica of a Shang elephant statue, somewhere near Powell's.

Powell's City of Books, my favorite bookstore! I can spend a entire day inside! I'm going to miss the Gold and Blue rooms..

The statue of Portlandia on the Portland Building downtown! It's the 2nd largest hammered bronze statue in the US (The Statue of Liberty is the largest).

yum! it's a yarn donut! 

Hoshi says hello! 

::waves to the internets::

[updated 7/21/2007]
Hi!

You guys can prolly guess from the title, my name is Jun and i'm heading off for a year or two teaching English to Japanese junior high school students on the JET Program.

In the spirit of sharing my exchange experience, and keeping a journal of my trip that won't take up space in my measly suitcases that no doubt will be put to better use. (yarn >_<)

10 things about me:
1. I love to travel, anywhere, any time, almost any place.
2. I'm a proud alumnus of the University of Oregon.
3. I've donated my hair to Locks of Love. (and planning on doing it again!)
4. I like to knit and crochet.
5. I am a foodie wannabe.
6. I love television. (Doctor Who ★)
7. I'm a laptop user. (Sony Vaio FZ140e)
8. I like to read murder mysteries. (Tess Gerritsen!)
9. I ♥ public libraries.
10.I don't think I could live anywhere that didn't have a beach close by.

Back to packing!
Later,
-Jun