Nagano and Onward!

Last weekend, my Japan Study group went on a retreat to Kagurizawa in Nagano. Fall has finally arrived and it was cold!! Which was a lovely break from the humidity of Tokyo. But the day I went back to Tokyo it got cold. And I got a cold. Which I have been fighting all week. I keep having to insist to my host family and other Japanese that I know that I am taking cold medicine and that I will be fine, I don't need to go to the hospital. Apparently, when you get sick in Japan, even if it's a cold, you just go to the hospital. Seems a bit overkill but that's what cultural differences are made out of.

I have to say that I really missed trees. Being out in the mountains in Nagano was really nice. I've never been a huge outdoor nut, and there are quite a lot of trees in Tokyo, but you miss having space. Trees and open fields and warnings about bear and boar attacks. It's all just delightful. It also made me really homesick. I can't really put my finger on why exactly. I felt like, OK I've been to Japan. Seen a lot. Snapped a few photos. Check. Now it's time to go home. I'm sure being sick didn't help much either.

Interestingly enough though, after having depressing homesickness and being emo for a day or two, I now feel re-energized to get myself back into Tokyo life. I've been trying to chat with my host mom more and write down phrases in a handy Japanese-English phrase notebook I bought so that I feel like I'm being more proactive about my Japanese language learning. The commute is still yucky, especially during morning rush hour. BUT, it gives me an opportunity to zone out on my iPod and my Nintendo DS. When you're so squished in between your highschoolers and businessmen for at least 40 minutes in the morning before you've had a decent cup of coffee, you need to have your own little world to go to. Otherwise you'll only feel hot and uncomfortable and constantly in the way. I've been trying to think like this more. It's a lot harder when I'm just grumpy about everything and am about to have a freak out because I've been shoved too many times in the train stations. But it's a work in progress.

More than anything, this trip has made me realize just how much I miss America. There are a lot of cultural aspects about Japan that I'm not so keen on and while I really like meeting international and Japanese students, I also miss Americans. I especially miss them during classes when the professor is trying to start a discussion about a topic and the other Americans and I are the only ones actively volunteering information and opinions and asking questions, etc. It's so normal for American students to act this way, but here it's completely opposite from the experience most Japanese students have ever had in a classroom. Or maybe it's just the fact that the other Americans and I are really loud and obnoxious and they feel we can talk for them. I miss not having to worry about a possibility like that. And I miss being able to hug people and yell across a room a greeting, etc. I mean, we do that anyway, but it's just such an out-of-place behavior. In general, I accept that there are negative aspects to being an American that a lot of other international people don't like. And I try to be accommodating and polite and non-offensive. But I also accept the fact that I am American, and I am proud of that. It's a part of who I am. Being abroad I can see more of the weaknesses and flaws of the US, and yet I feel more attached. Maybe I'm just young and naive. *shrug*

Settling In

As my mother has been reminding me, I haven't written in a while. The glamour of being in Japan has worn off and I have settled into a routine. There aren't a lot of big events going on. My ACM Japan Study group has a retreat to Nagoya next weekend so that should be exciting, I'll have plenty to talk about then. I'm hoping that the foliage will start changing because I hear that's supposed to be really dramatic here. I am also just really ready for fall. I want to bust out my boots and sweaters and eventually my pea coat. I stick out a lot because most days I'm still wearing flip flops. Either the Japanese are very good at adapting to weather changes or they are very good at hiding how sweaty they are in their sweaters and jeans while it is in the 70s.

The other day the train to go home was delayed for a really long time, so the entire platform crowded up with people trying to get on the same train. I have never been so squished in my life. There was a guy who's hand was touching my butt, but he obviously didn't wasn't a creeper because he was trying to move away, but we were so packed in that he couldn't. I also am carrying a large purse for a bag right now, which gets really big on days were I have to carry a few books with me.

I went to Harajuku again today and it was a much more pleasant experience. Last time I went at night and it was very crowded. I was actually able to move around and browse without feeling like I was going against the current. Even so, I almost got run over by a bicyclist, but that's besides the point. That's like every day in Japan. I picked myself up some boots that actually fit - amazing! I actually have calves, so a lot of the boots in Japan fit my foot but I can't pull them up my leg. These fit and they were inexpensive. I feel really bad for some of my other friends, especially my guys friends. The sizes here just don't run big enough. I am experiencing that somewhat in terms of pants. A Medium in the states is more like a Large or an Extra Large. That's why the packing questions is so crucial and why I wished I had more guidance before hand. It feels awkward asking tons of questions about clothes before coming here, it feels like all you care about are the superficial things, but then you arrive and discover that its pretty critical.

Classes are going well. My International Journalism class is unlike any American class I have ever had in my life. I got really pissed about it on the second week actually. But I'm learning how to just go with the flow. You're expectations of the education system in Japan cannot be the same as they are in the states. My Tale of Genji class is really excellent though, I enjoy that a lot. Japanese classes are OK. I'm actually learning a lot from my host family, which is the whole point of the homestay I suppose.

I have discovered that I really like parks. There aren't a lot of places around Waseda where you can just go to chill quietly, but without having total silence like in a library. But there is the Okuma Garden, which is beautiful. There is also a park just past the main Waseda buildings that is nice too, although it is filled with mosquitos. Those nasty buggers are another reason why I am looking forward to fall.