Day 288: Why?

After 288 days in Japan (about 9.5 months), I'm finally starting to feel like I could really live in Japan for a longer period of time.  Of course, there are still many ups and downs that I encounter living here, but it's something that I have been thinking more and more about lately.  However, as much as I have adjusted to living in Japanese there are still a couple things that I have not become adjusted to quite yet...nor do I think I can adjust to soon.

Tokyo Spring

It's extremely difficult to come to the understanding that my spring holiday will be over in just about a week and a half.  The past two months have gone by uncomfortably fast and to think..I only have four months left.  I remember thinking a few months back how I still have seven..six months left..now it's down to four.  After realizing how quickly time does fly by, I've made it my goal to do as much traveling as possible with the little available time I have left.

Holiday Festivities

Seeing as Valentine's Day is today, I thought a post on this here blog would be nice :) First of, happy Valentine's Day to EVERYONE I know -- whether or not you have a Valentine or special someone to celebrate with.  Yes, there is history to Valentine's Day but in Japan but it's different to what the Western idea of Valentine's Day is.  For more information, read about it here.

Back to my adventures abroad....

A Touristy Three Months

Fantastic Four on Mt. Fuji

At the beginning of October, we took an international student trip to Mt. Fuji!  Obviously, Mt. Fuji is one of those places that every foreigner must go to while in Japan but sadly, it was a slightly disappointing trip.  As beautiful as the mountain was, our school didn't stay very long at the mountain.  It was a three hour drive from Dokkyo University to Mt. Fuji which was a scenic drive.  Throughout the entire ride, each international student was paired up with a Japanese student to encourage us to use Japanese as much as possible.  Luckily for me, I was seated next to a student who visited UWSP in the Dokkyo summer English program and I actually got to meet him so it wasn't as awkward for me as it was for the other students :) Once we got to Mt. Fuji, we hiked for a couple hours and then stopped to take a bunch of photos...and I mean a bunch of photos.  My closest friends (Benny, Joe, and Sandra) and I have become a tight-nit group, so much so that we even call ourselves cute little names..like the Fantastic Four..Fabulous Four...Family of Four..and the list can go on.

Sayaka's Study Abroad Strategies for Success

This post will focus on strategies and know-hows I've learned thus far:

1. Get use to being stared at.  The second Japanese people see you, they know you are a foreigner.  Just accept the staring and continue on with your usual business.
2. Look right-left-right rather than left-right-left since cars are driven on the opposite side of the road from the U.S.
3. Make sure you always double check the train schedule so you know which stations to get off at and which ones you need to transfer at (a couple of my friends and I have missed a stop or two during our ventures in to Tokyo...)