It has been my first week in Japan. I arrived in Tokyo on the eleventh of June to meet with a group of other students intending to study Japanese at the Hokkaido International Foundation. After we met at the airport, we went to the Omni Art Hotel where we stayed for one night before we had to wake up at 4:23 am to make a flight to Hakodate to be on time for a placement exam. The Omni Art Hotel was located in a part of Tokyo, but I am not so sure which part of Tokyo in which it is located. We arrived at around 6:30 pm. So a group of us went out to eat dinner, which became an adventure in itself. While we were walking around, try to find a place to eat, we crossed the street at the wrong time so we were met with a swarm of salairymen (I cannot remember how to spell it in Japanese) all dressed in white long sleeve button-down shirts, black slacks, and black sportsjackets or whatever they are called. Well, it was a sea of the same Japanese man but maybe 32 different men at the same time. Well, we found a place to eat, but we had trouble figuring out how to order so we asked to looked at a picture and then decided what to eat. It was an interesting experience. I ended up only eating salad with dried squid becasue I was not sure what did and did not have pork in it. Then we went back. I used to takkyubin service. It really is very convenient. It will be very useful when I travel. I have to figure what I am going to do when that time comes.
Well, we took the placement test, and I was placed in the 1B class and I am fine with that. Though I did hope to be placed in the 2A class. On the first day we had orientations and on the second day we had more orientations. Osawa san is a really interesting person. He reminds me of a puppet that loops around in arcs all the time so it feels like no matter where you turn he will be right there beside you too. Today after lunch I walked outside of the syokudo, and he was right there making like surprise but with his knees bent so he was right in my face. I was quite startled. The head guy, Ito san, is really funny too, especially when he puts on his casual-talk. All of the teachers are very nice. My host family is nice, but I still find it very strange to live with strangers even after college. I like my home-life best, but it has been driven into society that becuase the world is not so large anymore, it is important to keep getting away from home and to find that damn yellow brick road. I know that I will be glad to have stayed here and to have had this experience, but I also know that I would be a lot happier if I could be here with my family and friends. I just hope to be satisfied and proud of my experience here if not totally happier for it. Hopefully, at the end of six months, I will be able to say more than good bye, nee.
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