Merry delayed Christmas and Happy holidays!

Hello folks!

It has been a while huh? As always, things around here seem to get busy when you least expect them to. And, from the looks of it, it seems that's going to be a recurring thing. Not making excuses, just a heads up.

Anyway, I still have some things to take care of and I'm trying to come up with a good post about Christmas here in Japan. So until I can get my ideas organized, I figured I'd entertain you with another... "WHAT THE..HUH?" image.

Today's "What the... Huh?" image was found right next to the platform at one of the train stations during one of my trips. All I can say is that, yes, they got it... Cats on the rock.

Until next time folks! Keep on reading.

Kyoto Hiking - Continued

Hello again folks!

As promised, I am here to keep on rambling about the excursion to Kyoto. Also, as luck would have it, I have a video for you guys and will be introducing a new feature to my blog.

But first things first... Like I mentioned in my last post, we did a lot of hiking. 6 hours of hiking to be exact. Don't get me wrong, it was a lot of fun and perhaps one experience that I will always remember. But, still it was 6 hours of hiking.

At first I was excited, mainly because I thought we were only going to see the one temple and that was it. That excitement was quickly replaced by confusion as we wondered deeper and deeper into the mountain path. When we came to a clearing, I could see that we were not exactly lost.

We had only walked up to the first hill. That temple behind me was the first one we visited. Soon after those pictures were taken, we continued to walk through the mountain and onto our next destination. Somewhere along the way, this happened...

Interestingly enough, this happened within the first 40 minutes or so of our hike... So you can imagine how the rest of it went. If you didn't get the joke, he was holding a piece of bark up to the tree... Yeah...

The hike to the next temple took about an hour or so. Honestly though, it felt like more that an hour. Along the way we saw many different things and even drank water from a spring. Obviously the water was okay seeing as I'm still alive. Oddly enough, one of the clearings we came across was right next to a golf course. It was the last thing anyone expected to see.

The rest of the hike took us through a bamboo forest...

It took us to an abandoned Temple that looked like it was haunted...

And last but not least, a gate that opened up to a very nice view of the city of Kyoto and it surrounding area...

Like I said at the beginning of this post. This hike was a long one, perhaps the most I've cared to hike up and down a mountain in my entire life. Believe me, coming from an area that is mostly flat, that is saying a lot. However, it was an experience well worth the pain and trouble getting out of bed the next day.

Also, this trip gave me an idea for a new feature that I will adding to my blog. Every now and then I will post a picture of things I see, such as posters, that in some way or form make you go...

"What the... Huh?"

This picture has this effect on more that one level. All I know is that boss is a brand of Coffee you can get from vending machines. Take a look at the hand and then you'll see what I'm talking about...

Until next time folks! Keep on reading!

What Happened?

Hello again all!

I know it has been a while, almost a full month without a post.

A lot has happened this month. Aside from exams and the average quiz and research , I have been doing a lot of little things that I did not expect.

This past weekend I went to Kyoto for a full day excursion and temple viewing. It was a lot of fun and by far a very worth while hike... A 6 hour hike that took us up mountains and down valleys on what I can only describe as being a 2 foot wide path with a mountain on the one side and a very painful fall on the other side. A fall that would had sent me down hitting every tree like a pinball.

That didn't happen of course, but it sure would had made some interesting material to post, huh?

Anyways, a lot of the pictures I took are of trees. Autumn in Japan is very beautiful. Trees of every color and shape.

The temples that we went too were packed with people too. A lot of them where doing what I was doing... Taking pictures of the trees. I took over 100 pictures, so I obviously won't be putting any up. I will only be putting the pictures that I think are worth while.

That being said...

Haha, nothing more worth while than this handsome devil, huh?

During a time period in Japan, Buddhist and Shinto religions shared the same temples and shrines. They literally lived right next to each other and very often the two would mix, Shinto priest participating in Buddhist rituals and Buddhist monks participating in Shinto rituals. It was all very interesting and the end result was a mixture of religions. For example, this shrine which honors the kitsune (fox).

So anyways, like I said before, this trip involved a lot of hiking. I kid you not, the day after I was not able to walk. I literally crawled out of bed.

For today though, I think this will be enough. I will try and be better about posting more often but I make no promises.

Next post I will try and post pictures of the hiking part.

Until then folks, keep on reading.

The Dormitory

Okay, so obviously I wasn't able to put up the post yesterday. I have a good reason for it too.

School Festival had lots of food... That's my excuse.

I also ended up with about 18 gold fish that I need to find a new home for. Apparently, according to dorm rules, they are considered a pet and therefore I cannot keep them here. I honestly don't view them as pets. They are more like house plants really. I mean, they just float there... Staring at me with those wide, dark, lifeless eyes. I have staring contests with them... They usually win.

You can only stare into a goldfish's eyes for so long before you feel your mind slipping.

Anyways, as promised I will include pictures in this post to make it more viewer friendly. I won't force you guys to read today. Not much at least.

So, on the subject of dorms, I figured that the best place to start is the place where I have been spending and will spend most of my time in.

The Dormitory!

This dorm has been active for some time. Exactly how long, I cannot really say. The pictures in the cafeteria though seem to be from back in the old days when students here at the university still had to wear uniforms. I am going to guess it was a little bit after WWII.

At the dorm we have many services at our disposal. As mentioned, we have a cafeteria (far left), where we eat our breakfast and dinner. The cafeteria staff is very nice and they try to remember everyone by name. Lucky for them, my name is easy to pronounce and they got it right off the bat. I need to get a picture of them.

On first and fourth floor of the dorm, there is a kitchen (Center) that the students can use. The fee for this is included in our monthly rent. I have only seen a small handful of students use it, but I imagine it is a welcomed convenience for those who know how to cook anything besides eggs. I have no culinary talent what so ever... I almost set the kitchen on fire once trying to make toast. Actually, I don't think I told my parents about that one... Oops.

Anyways, another nifty thing about the dorm is that we have our own little library (Far Right). Granted that most of the books on the shelves are of a "non-educational" nature, but it's still pretty nifty to have. If anything, it is a nice place to study.

The last thing that I will mention as part of the dormitory tour is the giant おふろ (ofuro) that is located on the first floor of the dorm. The ofuro is basically a giant shower/bath area. It is shared so at any point there are two or more guys in it. Don't worry, there are no naked guys in the picture. However, for those who were hoping, sorry, there are no naked guys in the picture. Plus, the picture is only of the entrance, where you leave your clothing right before entering.

Hm? There's clothing in the boxes... Guess someone was in there. Wow, that would had been awkward if they came out just as I was standing at the door with my camera. Would had been fun to explain though.

Anyways, the ofuro is rather nice. Granted its like being back in high school but soaking in the giant bath tub is extremely relaxing. However, the water is incredibly hot, so you have to get in little by little.

Aside from all that I have mentioned, we also have a lounge area where we can hang out and watch TV. Of course, almost everything on TV is in Japanese, and for the most part we don't understand much of it... not yet at least. I hope we eventually do.

So folks, with that ends out tour of the dormitory. Please make sure to tip your tour guide.

Until next time folks! Keep on reading!

Okay... I think I got it this time.

Hello again folks!

I know I said I'd try and post something, but as it seems to be the case, things just don't go the way one plans. Dealing with a new culture and having classes is somewhat of a pain, but it is rather fun.

It has come to my attention that I have not posted any pictures in a while. Not since I managed to upload that one picture a month ago or so. Since then, and even before then, I have managed to take some pretty good pictures. I have also managed to enjoy a lot of things here that I feel would be worth sharing with you fine folks.

That being said, I find myself with about a weeks worth of vacation here in Japan. Apparently there is some kind of school festival and that means that classes are canceled starting on Monday and ending of Thursday at 1pm. As to why there is a deadline of 1pm I can only sum-mice it is due to the hard working spirit of the Japanese people and their dedication to education... Or something like that. As far as I know, there is some guy in an office somewhere laughing at how evil and devious this 1pm deadline is. He's probably petting a white cat too.

If you don't get the joke, don't worry, I've been off my game lately.

Anyways... Seeing as I have a week of "free-time", I will try and post something everyday. Of course I plan to study while I have free-time so don't expect anything too grand.

You can however expect pictures. As I said before, I have taken a lot of pictures of events and places I have been to. I think this is a perfect opportunity to work on getting those upload.

Also, I have decided to include a video every now and then with more information for you folks to enjoy and wrap your minds around... I may or may not end up making a lot of jokes in these videos. I never said they would be 100% serious. Actually, you can probably expect around 30% seriousness... You know what? If I stay on topic and you understand what I'm saying, you should count yourselves lucky. And you know why?

Well, you fine folks will get to hear my succulent and seductive voice.

What? Not even a giggle huh? Fine, you may or may not want to wear ear muffs or something like that.

But yeah, anyways, I will try to have the first post up sometime tomorrow.

SO, till then folks! Keep on reading!

Spoke too soon...

Well, it has been a while since I posted anything, huh?

Unfortunately I got a cold this past week. It was a lot of fun, especially because everyone thought I had the "Influenza."

Well I didn't, it was just a cold.

They however did do the test for it which hurt... A lot.

They basically took a q-tip about a good 6 inches in length and shoved it up my nose... Twice. She didn't get enough mucus on the first try.

I will try and post something this week to make up for my lack of updates till now. Hopefully, since I will finally have internet at my dorm tomorrow, I can post something with some pictures in it.

Till then folks, keep on reading!

And back to business!

Hello Folks! Yes... I know, I'm on a roll. I feel accomplished. Two posts in one week? Impossible I say!

Okay, so a while ago I spoke of a "gauntlet" that you needed to pass in order to "exist" in Japan? I gave you the run down of the first part of this gauntlet. Assuming you got through that part unscathed, then you should be ready for part two of the process.

However! If you failed and ended up bloody on the floor and missing a few limbs, then please insert another quarter and try again.

Alright, jokes aside, the next part that you need to take care of is that of getting a bank account. Getting a bank account in Japan is probably the best option if you are going to be here a while. If you are only staying for a summer or such, then you should be okay with your bank account back home. That is unless you are really stressing the exchange rate and service fees that you are charged for when you take money from an ATM. This is the exact same reason as to why, if you are staying a while, getting a bank account in Japan is a vital thing.

So, you are ready to get a bank account. You just go and fill out a form and give them money and done, right? Easy enough huh?... Come on folks, lets do this together.

NO! WRONG!

Before you head out to the bank, you need to bring a few items. The first item is a copy of your Alien Registration Certificate that you should have already picked up at the City Hall. Make sure that when you pick it up you ask for a few copies because depending on what or where you use them, they might need to keep the copy. You don't want to go back to City Hall and ask for a new one each time. I guarantee that they will make you wait at least a day and you will have to pay the same amount you did the first time around.

The second item that you will need is what they call an "inkan." An inkan is basically a stamp that has your last name on it. It is used by Japanese people to "sign" documents and it is just as legal as a signature is back in the states.

Now, there is a slight problem with this requirement. First off, unless you have lived in Japan before, you probably won't have one of these readily available. Second problem, you are not Japanese and therefore do not have a Japanese last name. Inkans can usually be bought at any convenience store, just like buying a pen or pencil. They come readily available with the most common last names, such as Yamada or Tanaka. However, the odds of finding one that says Johnson or Smith are very unlikely. The odds of finding one in Katakana too are very slim.

If you want one with your last name, you will have to go to a stationary store and request one to be made. It will be relatively cheap, from what I hear, and it will take some time to pick it up.

But do not fret my friends, there is an easy solution for this problem. You can just buy one and use it. The Japanese government won't care what Inkan you use, as long as you use one. Odd isn't it? If you ever decide to go through the Naturalization process here in Japan, then yeah, you will have to think of what Japanese last name you want to take because you are required to take one. Otherwise, just do what I did and go to a store that sells the Inkans, close your eyes, rotate the display, and pick one at random. I ended up being Taira, which apparently reads along the lines of "flat luck" which I was told is basically "Pure Luck." I don't know what to think of it, but given the circumstances under which I picked it, its kind of fitting.

Anyways, now that you have these two items, you still need to take your passport and all other documents that until this point you have used. They might not ask for all of them but it is better to be prepared than sorry and have to come back the next day to restart the process.

Now, unlike back in the states, going to the bank and opening a bank account can be somewhat over complicated. First thing you will need to do is go to a machine, usually located at the front, and get a ticket for the window you need to go to. You will have to wait a bit to get called to said window.

Once at the window, they will have you fill out the forms and provide them with the pin number you want to use. Then, they will ask you how much money you want to put in your account. After you hand them the money, they will laugh at you and run away.

... Okay, that last one was a joke. But seriously, once you hand them the money, they will give you another number and ask you to sit down and wait. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to about 2 hours. So come prepared to wait a while. I brought a deck of cards with me and ended up doing card tricks for some of the other international students that were waiting there with me. They were rather entertained and an elderly gentleman sitting next to me seemed entertained as well. So yeah, come prepared to wait a bit.

Once they finally call your number, they will hand you a little book for your account and tell you that your ATM card, or "Cash Card," will be sent to the address you provided within a week or so. Now, I am not completely sure how it works with other banks in Japan, but if you take the little book you got to any ATM machine that belongs to the bank, you can actually insert it and get it updated automatically. For those who have never been good at keeping track of their spending, this is very useful.

AND with that task complete you have passed the second part of the gauntlet. Congratulations! You still have one more task to complete which is not as hard but still annoying. Oddly enough though, this last one is optional. But trust me, you will do it eventually so you might as well do it while you are on a roll.

Till next time folks, keep on reading!

And there she went...

Hello folks!

Obviously nothing major has happened. At least not here anyways. Apparently we got the tip of the typhoon that was coming so it wasn't that bad. At the most, the windows rattled a bit.

So here's checking, just letting all of those who read know that you have to bear with me a bit longer. Ha HA! I'm not easy to get rid of.

There she blows...

Hello again folks!

Before anyone says anything, I realize that its odd for me to post two days straight. I know I'm lazy, no need to point it out anymore than we have to.

Anyways, I have recently found out that a Typhoon is coming into town. Apparently that's why its been raining so much lately. Who knew, huh?

SO, this Typhoon is supposed to hit sometime tonight or tomorrow morning. I have no idea what to expect but seeing as every Japanese person around me is pretty laid back and not worried about it at all, I think I can only expect to see really strong winds and rain.

For me, being from what is technically a none typhoon area of the world, I have to admit I am somewhat excited about this. I don't know why, I just am. I plan to take a lot of pictures and some video with my camera.

Now, assuming nothing horrible happens... Such as the ground falling right from under our feet or the sky cracking open into another dimension... What? It could happen. Anyways, assuming nothing has gone terribly wrong, I will try to post whatever pictures or video I manage to take some time in the upcoming two days after the storm. I am told that the power might go out and that it usually takes a bit for it to come back.

Till then folks! Keep on reading and oh hey! Look! A flying car...

Attempt two... GO!

Hello again folks!

Hope everyone is in high spirits.

I have currently been busy with classes and what not. Now that I have finally been place in a language level here on campus, I don't have to go to 2 language classes each day.

That is my excuse for lack of updates and I'm sticking with it.

Anyways, seeing as the last attempt at posting a picture was such a huge success. Hey, I take my victories where I can. I have decided to attempt a few things that are more complicated. I have yet to figure out how to go about this but once I do, you'll be the first to know.

So, what are these complicated things I speak of? Well, for one I'd like to post more pictures (Duh!) without crowding the blog with pictures alone. Some of my friends who also have blogs have told me the I can us the Picasa program that comes with Google. I just haven't figure out how to do it yet.

Second thing I want to try and do is have a weekly or bi-weekly sort of video blog thingy. This is something that, given my knowledge of the internet and computers, will prove to be somewhat difficult to accomplish. I have a feeling though that it will be somehow connected to me being able to figure out Picasa. Its either that or I just might do what everyone else does and post it on Youtube.

Now, there is a slight problem with how and when I do this. Aside from what I have mentioned already. The problem is that I still do not have internet. Basically what I've been doing is coming everyday to campus and using the wireless to check my email and type things for you fine people to read. As you can guess, carrying around a laptop all day long can become rather tiring. I have been looking into getting internet at my dorm but so far the language barrier seems to still be a huge issue. I can only mime so much of my request and questions before I run out of hand signals.

Anyways, I'll keep you folks up to date on what I'm doing. Also, don't think I've forgotten about that 3 part "gauntlet" I told you about. You know, the one you have to get past in order to be able to "exist" here in Japan. I'll get to the second part of that in my next post.

Until then folks! Keep on reading

Attempt one... GO!

Okay, I have been given some tips on how to go about posting some pictures on this blog.

I will try the simple approach today. If you see a picture, I succeeded. If you see a joke, well I think the answer is obvious then.

Yay! I feel accomplished now!

Now! To figure out how to put many pictures and make it easy to access without crowding the blog!

Finally!

Okay folks, welcome back to the show. As you can all assume based on the lack of the post, it took me longer than anticipated to get Internet. But now that I have Internet, I should be able to go into full swing. Of course, that is assuming I don't go all lazy for a while.

Anyways...

Some friends have requested that I post some pictures to make the blog more visually friendly. That is my term, not my friends' term. I will try and post some pictures now and hope for the best. Seeing as I have proven to be somewhat technologically challenged, you folks can expect some practice post every now and then.

Before I get to that, I mentioned a while back that I had learned some important information that I felt you, my dear readers, had to learn about if you planed on coming to Japan. I am a man of my word so here it goes.

Okay, first thing you guys need to realize is that when you come to Japan, you don't just simply get off the airplane and begin to have fun. No no, that is not the case. If you thought the paperwork and footwork that went into applying and getting accepted to study abroad in Japan was hard... Friend, you have no idea what hard is.

First thing off, Japan likes to keep track of it's foreigner residents. They want to know where you are staying, for how long you will be staying, for what purpose you are here, and what you plan to name your first born son. That last one was a joke.

In order for Japan to accomplish this, they require that every foreigner go through a "gauntlet" of sorts. By this I mean that they want to make sure you are really serious about being here and make you do paperwork, after paperwork, jump through loop, after loop and what not to prove how serious you are. If you should fall during this trial, you are stripped naked and beaten with a bamboo stick outside the city hall. I'll leave up to you folks to figure out which are the jokes.

Anyways, the first piece of documentation you need to pass this "gauntlet" is called an "Alien Registration Card." You get this by going to your local City Hall and applying within. However, this is not as easy as it sounds. Before going to the City Hall, which sometimes is not even in the same town, you have to make sure that you have your Passport and 2 Passport sized photos of yourself, not your dog, don't make the same mistake I did. Anyways, if you forget to get your pictures taken before leaving home, do not worry, you can actually take them at any photo booth that you will undoubtedly find near the area you live.

Now, one thing you need to learn about applying for your Alien Registration Card is that you will not get it the same day. If anything, you will be lucky to get it within a month or two. While you wait though, they will provide you with a certificate saying that you have applied and paid for your card. Oddly enough, you don't get this certificate on the same day you apply either. You will be asked to come back in one or two days to pick it up. Since you won't have your card right off the bat, this certificate will be vital to your survival in Japan. I will explain why later on.

So, you go to the City Hall to apply. Easy right?... Well NO! Come on! You folks should know this by now. Once you enter City Hall, you have to find the correct window and pick-up a number for that exact window. After your number gets called out, you will be taken into a room in the back and asked to leave your things there and wait in the room till they call you to go to another window. I kid you not, this room I went to was exactly the kind of room you see in mobster movies where they beat-up and eventually kill the snitch, or "stool Pigeon," in the group.

Anyways, after you wait in the room, which will or will not have a working fan (if there is A/C, you are in the wrong building), you eventually get called to go to another window. You can expect anywhere from a 5 minute to an hour wait inside that little room.

At the next window, the one you are called to, you will be asked to sit in front of a clerk and fill out some forms. While filling the forms out, the clerk will review the information on your passport and ask you to verify what he writes down. This can take a while because they will usually write one word, ask you, write the next word, ask you, write the next word, ask you... Well, you get the idea. They will also verify that they can read what you wrote on the forms. Be careful of making a mistake on the forms too. If you do, you have to start all over again, and trust me, you don't want that. Its worst than the bamboo beating.

Another thing you need to be aware of is that you, as a foreign individual to the country, do not exist in the eyes of the government till you fill out this form for your Alien Registration Card. If you don't have that, you are basically a ghost in the crowd. And I mean ghost is every literal sense. Without the Alien Registration Card you cannot get a cellphone, not even a prepaid one, and you cannot open a bank account.

That's right folks! You cannot open a bank account. Whatever money you have in your pocket is the money you have to live off of. This is somewhat of a major concern, right? Well, do not worry! Remember that certificate I mentioned? The one you get after you apply for the card? Well, you can use that to open a bank account and get a cellphone and what not.

So, in the end, after you have filled out every form they push your way at the City Hall, and verified every word that the clerk writes down. You end up with a receipt that tells you to come back the next day or day after next. You also end up with a deep understanding of the Japanese Government... They love their paperwork. Makes bureaucrats back in the States look like 3 year old kids playing house... Or office... Whatever it is that kids play nowadays.

AND that folks is the first step in beating the "gauntlet" to prove you are serious about being in Japan.

Now for a Picture!
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And I can't figure out how to do it! Yay!

Still at it...

Hello again folks!

First let me say the I was RIGHT! The IT center is closed till Thursday. Here in Japan though, it means that it will be open tomorrow. Assuming everything goes right, you guys might get to finally see some pictures on here tomorrow. But untill then, I'm back at the NetCafe.

Now, I have been recently asked by a few people back home if I have gotten one of this cellphones I spoke of. I think my brother referred to it as a "Magical" cellphone. Well, the answer to that question is yes... I have gotten one of these cellphones and it blows my mind. It was a little high priced.

If you come to Japan and want to use a Cellphone while you are here, be prepared to pay $100 dollars or more for the cheapest model. Cellphones here can range in price anywhere from $100 dollars to $1000. However, the best thing about this is that you technically own the cellphone and therefore don't have to pay so much for the service and there is NO cancellation fee. Unlike in the States, where you get the cellphone included in some plans and end up paying for the phone through the monthly cost and cancellation fee.

Overall, my cellphone cost me $150 or so and it was on sale at the time. It would have been easily $300-$400 otherwise. That's one thing I'm starting to love about here. When they put something on sale, they mean it. Also, with insurance, service plan, unlimited internet information packet, I am looking at about $20 - $25 dollars a month to use my cellphone here in Japan. I also got a coupon from a friend that gave me the chance to choose 5 months of free service, or a insanely large cellphone strap of a dog that talks to you in Japanese. Guess which one I got?

Now some restrictions do apply, such as extra fees for calling between 9pm-4am and calling phones from other companies. However, my company is SoftBank and from what I was able to gather from asking the University volunteers and people at the dorm, about 6 out of 10 people have SoftBank. SO basically, with my plan, I can call any Softbank phone for free. Also, I can receive any phone calls, including international, for free.

My time is up for now folks, but I'll be back later. Till then, have fun and keep on reading!

Well, that was a shocker!

Hey folks, back again and guess what?

That's right! Still no internet on my laptop. Apparently, the IT guys forgot to mention that aside from my login information for the regular computers on campus, I need to set up a different set of login information for the wireless here on campus. Ain't that just peachy?

So, I find myself again at the internet cafe paying for the ability to check my emails and make this post. I have to admit this is starting to get on my nerves. Also, today being a holiday here in Japan, one which no one bothered to tells us about or what it is about, the IT center on campus is closed. My guess is that it will be closed till Thursday, when classes here on campus start up again for the new session.

That being said, this is all you folks are getting today. Yup, thats it... I'm cutting you off. You've had enough for one day. Now go, scatter, wonder off drunkely into the night.

Heads Up! Ahhh my eye!!

Okay folks, back again.

This past 3 days have made me realize a few more important things that I feel you should know if you plan on coming to Japan for any extended amount of time. Unfortunately, this might take a while and I`d like to get it all in one go.

Also, since I am still without Internet and find myself once again back at the internet cafe, I have decided to postpone it. I have spoken with the IT people here at the university and have found out that I will not be able to log onto a wireless connection at the university till the 21st of this month. SO, that being the case, I will wait till then so that I am not paying money per the hour and I can take my time typing up the information I want to pass on to you, my dear readers... Yes, my precious readers... My... Precious...

Okay, that was creepy enough. Back to the post! *cracks whip*

Now that I have given you all a heads up of what I plan to do, I will cut this post short and only say one thing...

Cellphones in Japan are light years ahead of anything in the States.

I mean, I think you need a degree to be able to properly use them. Also, the amount of features on the phones is INSANE. You can do anything with the phones! Anything from making a simple call to scanning bar codes posted all over town that give you web addresses and what not.

Also, you cannot function socially without a cellphone. All cellphones in Japan now come equipped with a small infra-red device that when turned on, you can exchange contact information with another person. They get all your details that you include on your "introduction card" on the phone. You will literally see people standing around holding their phones inches from each other exchanging contact information.

Honestly, its a little overwhelming. Feels like I've been trapped in some kind of hibernation device and have awoken to a world light years ahead from the old world I knew... And that's just the cellphones doing.

I have finally managed to get my pictures onto my laptop. Apparently, when I bought it I didn't realize it came with a card reader. All I did was pop it out of the camera, pop it into the card reader and bingo!... What? I'm not an expert on computers so stop looking at me like that.

Once I'm able to connect to a wireless network on my laptop while on campus, I will upload a bunch of pics.

Until then folks!!

The encounter with the roommate...

Okay, back again folks. Still no internet access. Well, not one that I don`t have to pay for anyways. I`m back at the internet cafe, checking emails and what not.

Anyways, I have been in Japan for about a week and when I last typed up a post, I was finishing up my whole adventure from Arizona to Japan. Now we get to the horrible part... The part where I met my new roommate.

Now, first off, my roommate hasn`t been bad to say the least. So no need to start thinking anything bad, yet.

Okay, I arrived at the dorms at what I could only assume was around 8pm or 9pm here in Japan. Honestly I couldn`t even remember the way to the dorm the next day because I was so tired.

We get to the dorm and are asked to wait in the lobby. The nice elderly gentleman behind the window at the entrance starts calling people on a PA system they have through out the entire building. I couldn`t understand a word of it. I kind of hoped it was because of the terrible quality. I waited about 8 minutes before a student came to claim me down stairs. He was the complete opposite of what I had imagined. By that, I mean that he was literally a kid. I mean, a kid in the sense that he seemed fresh out of high school.

Anyways, you`ll get to see a picture of him eventually. He leads me up to our room and I open the door to find a room twice the size of what I had imagined. And, given what other people had told me about room sizes in Japan, it turned out to be the size of an average dorm room in the States. It even has a divider curtain thing that runs through the middle of the room so that you can block out the light from the other half of the room. Its pretty nifty.

After the initial view of the room wore off, I realized one thing that had up to that point slipped my mind... I couldn`t understand a word my roommate was saying. I mean, nothing, zip, nada. Not one word. He speaks waaaaay too fast for me to understand with my now deteriorated Japanese and when I ask him to slow down a bit, he slows down for only about two sentences and then goes back to full speed. Also, whatever Kanji I knew is gone... But that's another story for later.

I managed to pull out my dictionary and since then, everyday it has been one word search fiesta after another. It is rather frustrating, but that is my own fault for not practicing enough before coming here. You reap what you sow folks, remember that!

Aside from the language barrier, he is perhaps the most quiet individual I have ever met. He is constantly on his cellphone or either has his headphones on listening to music. Also, he sleeps more than any human being I have ever met and has a gift for doing disappearing acts. I wake up, he`s still sleeping. I leave the room and come back, he`s not there anymore. I come back later in the day, he`s back in the room sleeping some more. I leave to go have dinner or something, and THEN he`s awake. He`s awake only long enough for me to talk to him 30 minutes or so and then I have to go to sleep because its close to midnight already.

He`s an odd person. I`m sure eventually he`ll be forced to stay up the whole day. I mean, he has to study too once classes begin, right? Guess we`ll find out eventually.

WELL, that`s it for me again folks. My time is almost up. Untill next time!

Day One-ish - Part Two

Hello again folks!

This time I am typing to you from perhaps the most comfortable internet cafe I have ever been in. I mean, I have my own little room with a huge comfortable chair, a TV, headphones, and a foot rest so that I can put my feet up. And, just outside, there is a huge selection of Manga and Anime for me to read and watch.

But that`s a story for another time. Back to the beginning we go!

SO... Where was I? Oh yes, I had just arrived at the airport.

Okay, so, after meeting up with the larger group of international students and the volunteers, I quickly realized that I was the only non-white person there aside from the students from China and Korea. Also, because I was wearing my hat and was perhaps the tallest person there by a foot, I stood out like a sore thumb. Immediately thevolunteers began asking me questions which they later realized that I couldn`t understand 100% and switched to English. It was good to say the least.

After the meet and greet with the volunteers and the other students, we quickly boarded a bus that took us to Umeda. As I have found out, Osaka is not a City but a State. It is just so populated that the city limits just blur into one another. Umeda just happens to be one of the cities. The bus was rather small, I ended up hitting my head on the roof which has never ever happened to me back in the States. I felt a bit silly because of it, but oh well.

The bus took us to the bus station in Umeda and we quickly got off. I found myself helping a lot of the student with their luggage when it came to getting it up the curb of the sidewalk.

The train station is perhaps one of the biggest, if not only one, I have ever seen. The oddest thing about it? People are organized. I mean, it was like watching ants gonig back and forth. Everyone had their own little path and line to follow. It was very effective given the sheer amount of people in the train station.

Anyways, we bought our tickets from this little vending machine. I`ll have to show you those pictures later. we got on the train and quickly became the center of attention. I would like to think it wasn`t because we were foreigners, but because all the luggage we had was blocking the aisle.

After what seemed a rather long train ride, mainly because by that point I had been up for close to 38 hours or so, we arrived at the next train staition. Now, funny thing about local train stations, there is no escalator or such. We had to carry our luggage up the stairs.

Now, before I boarded the airplane back home, they weighed my luggage. Adding the luggage plus my carry own, I was carrying close to 135 lbs up a flight of stairs. After I got up the stairs, I had to walk for 20 minutes or so across town going up and down hills. It was not pleasant... Not at all. I thought I was going to drop dead. Still, I made it to my dorm in one piece.

I`m going to have to stop at this point because my time is almost up.

Until next time folks!

Day One-ish... Part ONE!

HELLO FOLKS!

I have survived my flight. First let me say that so far everything has been rather interesting. I have a lot to say abut everything beginning with my flight and up to present day events. That being said, I will have to make this a two or maybe three part post depending on how much time I have.

Alright then, on to the first part of my adventure!

First thing I need to mention, and this is more important than any of my previous rants. You need a visa to enter Canada. No matter what the reason is, even if you are just landing there to change airplanes, you still need a visa. Out of about 15 people who I asked, one of them including my program coordinator, no one told me that I needed a visa to change airplanes at Canada. Also, as it turns out, me being of Mexican Nationality means that I need a visa to land just about anywhere. That was the first problem in my adventure.

After arriving at the ticket counter for Delta Airlines at about oh... 4am in the morning and not having slept the day before because of a combination of nerves and excitement. I was greeted with this rather infuriating piece of news. Now, it is no ones fault but that of the governments involved. Apparently the visa requirement was added some point in the past month. This just goes to show that you should perhaps check, double check, and triple check your information before you hit the airport.

Now, as you can all guess, there is somewhat of an issue with not being able to land at the airport in order to catch your next flight. Believe me, this was not lost on me. So what did I do? Well, I tried to keep my temper in check and called my booking agency, Orbitz, and asked what my options where. After about 40 to 50 minutes of making phone calls to different airlines, I managed to get my ticket cancelled and refunded. That just left me with one problem... How do I get to Japan now? Why, American Airlines of course, they were kind enough to sell me a last minute ticket to Osaka that would let me arrive on time to register into my dormitory... And they all lived happily ever after...

Well, WRONG! The new ticket cost me almost $400 dollars more, all window seats, and it had me flying from Dallas all the way to Tokyo Japan. A nice long 13 hour flight over about half of the United States and the Atlantic Ocean as well. And, for those who know me, I hate flying. I mean, I really hate it. I had prepared myself mentally for it, but that was when I had over an hour of lay over at each airport, which would allow me to pull myself together, and it didn`t have me sitting for 13 hours straight.

That was just the beginning of it too. First flight from Tucson, Arizona, to Dallas, Texas, had me sitting in perhaps the most uncomfortable chair known to man and hardly any leg space. I mean, I`m a 6' tall person and I`m a bit on the wide side. That just the way I was built, tall and wide. I have to wear XL shirts because of the width of my shoulders. But anyway, flying to Dallas from Tucson only took me a little over an hour. Unfortunately, I had to ask the two people sitting next to me to please let me out so that I could use the restroom. They were not happy about that. By the way they looked at me, I might as well have shot the Pope.

After arriving at the Dallas Airport, which by far is the biggest airport I have ever been in, I ran into a new problem. Our airplane arrived at one of the B gates. My connecting flight was all the way over at the D30 gate. Of course, at the time, I didn`t know how big the airport was mainly because I had my window closed on the airplane and didn`t want to see anything outside. It gives me a slight feeling of vertigo that combined with the queasiness in my stomach during flying... well, you can imagine what would happen. Anyways, I got out of the gate and asked the first person I say where the D30 gate was and if I could walk there in 30 minutes. He said yes. I can only hope now that he has suffered some horrible illness or accident for saying that.

After 10 minutes of walking, I quickly realized that I was not going to make it there on foot. Luckily, I figured out the tram system they had there and manged to take it the wrong way which meant I had to go the long way on the tram. I managed to catch my flight though with only 5 minutes left to spare. I never had to run so much in my life to catch something that I had such a dislike for.

I think I will spare you the horrid details of the 13 hours flight. You just need to know that it was a window seat again. Also, the choice of movies on the airplane was rather good. If you get the chance watch *The Proposal,* it was very good and funny. I was however lucky that the person sitting next to me was a rather kind lady from the US that had lived in Japan for years. She gave me a phone card which I used later to call home.

After arriving in Tokyo, I was greeted by a rather perky and cheerful Japanese man who had a sign with my name on it. Apparently, I had about 20 minutes to catch my flight to Osaka. And, as luck would have it, it was at a gate on the other terminal. SO, the perky Japanese man led me and two other people from my same flight across the terminal and through the security check point. It was literally a sprint across the terminal. I have to say that after having sat for 13 hours straight, getting off an airplane only to run is perhaps the most horrible feeling in the world. My body literally felt stagnant. I mean, I thought I was going to drop dead somewhere along the way.

Anyways, after making it onto the airplane I was rather surprised. For the first time I was actually comfortable. I had enough leg space and a whole row to myself. It was awesome and rather relaxing after everything up to that point. Little did I know that it was all just a set up.

After arriving at Osaka, I had to wait in line to get through immigration. Now, I`ve never gone through airport immigration in the US, but I can only imagine how horrible it is. I had to wait in line for what felt an hour thanks to the poor air circulation in the room. After going through immigration, I had to pass to the inspection area where they open the luggage and ask you why your brought this and why you brought that. It took way to long as compared to other people that walked or were literally waved on by. I guess it was my fault too. I brought some tools with my for some of my hobbies. Apparently they had never seen anything like it and that lead to a lot of questions and them asking to see what they were for.

After that, I went outside the arrival area to meet a group of volunteers that were there to help us get to our dorm. I was glad to see other students from other parts of the world that looked just as confused as I did.

I think this is a good place to stop. I have taken some pictures, but until I can purchase a cable for my camera, since I forgot mine back home, I won`t be able to upload them any time soon.

So folks, please join me again for part two of my arrival into Japan!

What now?

Okay, if you have been reading my ramblings thus far, then you should be more or less at the same point I am now.

Hopefully you have received your passport on time, and I mean with enough time. I'm not referring to the kind of "on time" that has you stopping by the post office on your way to the airport demanding they give you your mail.

Anyways, assuming all is going according to plan and there have been no major delays, then right now you are just waiting for your departure date to arrive. AND, what should you be doing while you wait? That's right, you should be doing something productive with your time.

My recommendation is that you get your affairs and things ready for your departure. Depending on how long you will be abroad, you might need to make plans for some minors things, such as paying bills, so that you don't have any problems from home while you are away. Now, I am not referring to paying rent or anything like that, but things like the cellphone bill, cable, internet, credit cards, computers, and whatever other things you have to pay on a regular basis.

Now, how you go about this is solely up to you. But, it is better to get them in order before you go and not while you are over there. Give yourself a peace of mind so that you can focus on what you are doing abroad. No sense adding more worries to whatever other worries you already have.

There are also other things you can do while you wait. One thing I found helpful was taking the time to decide what I want to take to Japan, aside from important documents and such. Things such as cloths and small items that will remind me of home were at the top of my list. I am sure that even though I might not admit it now, at one point or another I will find myself feeling homesick. Might as well plan ahead, right?

So, okay, that is pretty much what I have at this point. I am a little more of a week away from my departure date. I am almost 100% certain when I say that I am ready to go.

Congratulations folks, and to myself, you and I have caught up to the current point in time where all this is taking place. Does this count as time travel?

Almost There

Welcome back folks! The mood has struck me again, so I will post something.

Alright, in my last post I mentioned that waiting was perhaps the hardest part of the whole study abroad process. Can you guess what comes after you've waited for a reply, hm? No, no one? Well, what you do next is...

Wait some more!

Yes folks, that's correct! After you wait for a reply and you finally receive said reply, you have to wait some more. Now, this might be different depending on your study abroad program, but in some way or form you are still going to have to wait a bit more.

Now, thanks to modern day technology you will likely receive the reply of whether or not you got accepted into the program well in advance before your information packet arrives from the university or school in which you will be studying while abroad. Hopefully however, this should arrive rather quickly. All of course depending on the postal system and what courier they decided to use.

So, why do you have to wait for this information packet? Well, within it you will find your arrival information and other important instructions that you will need at some point or another. Also, depending on the length of your program, you will receive your ever so important certificate of sponsorship (also referred to as a sponsor's note, certificate of eligibility, sponsorship, etc.). Without this certificate, it is likely that you will not be able to get a visa.

Why do you need this certificate to apply for a long term visa?

Well, this certificate basically tells the embassy, from which you are applying for a visa, that you are going to their country for the specified reason or reasons you have given them in the application. No certificate, no visa. Its that simple.

SO, while you wait for your information packet and certificate of sponsorship to arrive, you should continue trying to keep yourself busy. No sense loosing that newly acquired habit, huh?

Now, assuming you did all the required leg work at the beginning of this whole process, you should have an idea of where the embassy is. However, if you don't know where the embassy is yet (shame on you), then this is the perfect and last chance to do so. By NO means should you leave the visa application for the last possible minute. Applying for a visa can take time, and by that I don't mean hours. It can take days, weeks, and in the most drastic of cases it can take months. If you wait till the last minute possible, you can very easily find yourself on the other side of that window looking onto the tar mat as your airplane leaves without you.

As such was my luck, I received my information packet and certificate of eligibility one month before my scheduled arrival date. I mailed it to the Japanese Embassy in L.A. (yes, that's the nearest one for Arizona) as soon as it was in my hands. I had the envelope ready and all the required extra copies and my passport inside the envelope. I am glad to say that it only took them about a week and a half to receive it, process it, send it back, and for me to receive it.

That being said, my only advice for this post is that you be prepared. If you have to wait, then wait and use your time wisely. Get things ready to go because, at this point, as soon as things start getting in motion, you can and may find yourself wishing you had an extra few weeks to prepare.

Still Some Time Left

Alright, in my last post I talked about having a plan. Assuming you got all your paperwork turned in, and on time, what you have to do next is perhaps obvious. All you have to do now is wait. Sounds simple enough, huh? Well, you're wrong!

Waiting is perhaps the hardest thing you'll have to do. This is mainly because after you do all that running around trying to get your paperwork turned in and what not, you begin to realize how big a deal this really is. Questions such as, "Did I fill out that part correctly?" or, "Did I forget to fill that part out?" will pop into your head and gnaw at it like rabbit on a carrot. You'll also begin to wonder about a lot of "what if" scenarios.

"What if they don't accept me and I already told everyone?"
"What if I wait till the last minute to do anything and then I can't get anything done before I go?"
"What if I get accepted and then something happens and I can't go after getting everything done?"
"What if I can't get my airplane ticket on time?"
"What if I forget/forgot something important?"
"What if my financing/scholarships get pulled before/after I'm there?"
"What if..."

These are just the tip of the iceberg people. Believe me when I say that just when you think you answered (read "Buried in the crevices of the back of your mind") more and more will come up. And trust me, some of them will just be silly. Well, you'll realize they are silly after the fact, but when they hit you, they'll be the most serious thing you've thought of up to that point.

Now, for these questions and "what if's" there is no real or easy solution. Things will or will not happen, and you'll have to deal with these things when they do or do not happen. This is all of course IF they happen or do not happen at all... Confusing huh? My point is though, that while you are waiting, things will begin to settle in and your mind will begin to wonder.

Some people while waiting will have more doubts, questions, worries, or "what if's" than other people will. This is just the nature of the beast, so be prepared for it. My suggestion for this is perhaps obvious and somewhat simple. Are you ready for it? Here it is...

Keep yourself busy!

What it all boils down to in the end, is that there are just some things that do you no real good to worry about them. Sure, some worries are more valid than others, but that's just it. Don't just worry about it, do something while you have time to wait.

If you are concerned about finances, look up other income alternatives for before and after you are there.
If you worry about what will happen if you do or do not get accepted, then look at alternatives. Talk to people that have gone or have tried to go on a study abroad program.
If you are concerned about anything, just look it up! Talk to people (especially your program coordinator), look it up on the internet, read a book, but don't just linger on it.

If you worry and do nothing, it will just drag on and it will feel like an eternity. If you worry and keep yourself busy, it will not seem like an eternity and some of those worries will be answered or disappear all together.

Think of it as an odd combination of the saying that, "patience if a virtue" and the saying of, "idle hands are the devil's play thing."

You will have more time than you think while waiting for an answer from your study abroad program. Use it wisely!

Lets get this show rolling!

Alright, its that time again. I figured since I have more or less a month till I have to be at the airport, I might as well start posting something in relation to this whole endeavor. So, that being said, I think I'll start with what one should consider or plan when deciding to go off and study abroad.

First thing one should realize is that you need a plan. An attack plan so that you can catch the enemy with their pants down. A plan is key, a plan is everything, you do not disobey the plan or the consequences will be dire. Everyone, including your dog, will shun you and you will be cast out like a plagued rat to the street corner... Okay, maybe not dire. Your dog won't shun you but everyone else will, including the study abroad program you are applying for.

So, what am I trying to say? I'm saying you need to be organized and plan ahead. You need to try and have everything ready before they ask you for it. I myself have never been a really organized person. Well, not for a lot of things anyway. I first talked to my program coordinator well over a year ago. Granted that some of the things he told me went in one ear and out the other, but I still managed to get everything done well in advance.

So, my best suggestion for you in the early stages of going to study abroad would be that as soon as the idea hits your noggin, get as much information on it as you can. Check to see what paperwork or documents you will need. Try and figure out what deadlines you will need to observe and how much things will cost you. Usually, you can get all this information from the program coordinator or from the program website. Neither of these two will refuse you information and if anything, talking to a program coordinator will be the best thing you can do. Use whatever resources you have at your disposal.

Once the idea has firmly cemented itself in your brain, and its something that you can do, then by all means do it. If you got the information ahead of time and started looking into what things you already have ready and what you need to get ready, then you should be able to have everything done well before the deadline for the application. I am not saying things will magically get done on their own if you did the research in advance, but you will still have to do all the leg-work.

Now, I am not saying that nothing will go wrong. Something has to go wrong in order for something to turn out right. So expect it and be prepared. I think with my application, the only issue I had was that I accidentally filled out an outdated version of one of the forms in the application packet. I found this out because the program coordinator in Japan contacted my program coordinator here in the States and emailed him the newer version of the form that I needed to fill out. This was after my original application packet had already been mailed to Japan. If you've ever mailed anything to another country, you know it takes time. Something like this is perhaps common, but if not handled immediately, it can delay your application. However, because I had done the research before hand and managed to have everything ready in advance and turned in my application well before the original deadline, I was able to fill out the new form and send it to them in a timely manner. Obviously everything worked out.

SO! If you have kept on reading through my rambling, you should have a clearer idea of what I'm trying to tell you. However, if you are the type of person that likes to read the beginning and then skip to the bottom, I will impart upon you my advice in a different manner...

"Vision without action is a daydream; action without vision is a nightmare." -Japanese Proverb-

Oddly enough, this little piece of advice came to me through means of a bottle cap, given to me by a classmate that knew I was going off to Japan to study abroad.

Lets see how many more bottle caps I can base my advice off of.

Hello again folks! I guess I've put off posting anything here long enough. It has been an odd combination of procrastinating and running around like a headless chicken trying to get things organized and ready for this trip... I am aware off the flaw in that statement but I'm sticking to it.

Time for some information!

Okay, so, this blog, why? Mainly because I was bored when the idea came to me and I liked it so much that I ran with it. This blog is basically a small little personal project of mine. What I aim to accomplish is a somewhat detailed account of events, observations, and whatever happens to cross my way while I am half way across the world. Also, I've always wanted to try one of this things but never found the right motivation and subject to base it on. Funny how things work out, huh?

Of coarse, breaking into the "blog-scene" is not the only reason. In my opinion, this is probably one of the best ways to inform the people back home of what I'm doing. You know, as an excuse for not calling often or such to let them know how I am or what sort of things I get myself into... They might kill me if I don't (Hi mom and dad!). So, attempts at self-preservation aside, this blog is for the people back home.

Now, that does not mean that other people won't be able to read this. No, of course not. I welcome anyone who is curious and just wants to see what studying abroad is like, or is just generally curious about Japan. That being said, this blog won't be entirely about me trying to be funny... Well, probably no more than half of it. I will try and include some educational things. As to what those things may be, we will have to wait and see.

At this point, those that know me as being somewhat easily distracted and often time forgetful, might be wondering how I plan to accomplish this. Obviously I won't be caring a laptop with me 24/7 and be able to update as soon as things happen. No, that would just be crazy and silly. Can you imagine how many people I'd bump into while walking and typing? No folks, a laptop hooked to a strap around my neck just won't do. So, what's the solution then? Its simple! Its basic! ITS CALLED A NOTEPAD!... Well, a traveler's diary anyway. I will try and take notes of things while still fresh on my mind, and sometimes might even throw in a sketch or two if it calls for it. So just a heads up, if you suddenly start seeing scribbles on your screen, there is nothing wrong with your monitor.

I will try and include pictures too. Might be quicker and easier, and I'm a somewhat laid back individual. That is assuming though that I did not forget my camera.

SO! All that being said, I think I've done a good job of explaining what this is about. And, seeing as this trip is still a couple of months away, I don't foresee me updating this for a while... Unless something comes to mind that I think would be of interest... Or funny. Hell, I'll settle for funny.

Well, guess you can call this a test post. More to come folks, so stick around. Maybe I can get around to this when its not 2:30AM.