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...)

Hajimarimashita!

Entire row to me for the long flight!

So my first official week in Japan has finally come to a close.  I arrived at 8:45pm on Sept 13th (Japan time, so 6:45am on Sept 13th Wisconsin time).  A lot has happened in just a week which makes me feel like I have actually been here for a couple months now.  Even my room looks like I've been here for a month (that means it needs a little TLC...!)

Dinner on my flight