What Has it been, a month?

I love Japan for all it's quirks, for how it sometimes brings a smile to my face without me knowing.

I can't stand japan for it takes me away from my family and all that I know,
how it can make simple things like a cold seem that much worse...

I love Japan for it's an adventure that has helped me to grow, and adventure I will never
ever regret, and adventure that has brought me close to things I will never have back home.

I love Japan for it has brought me and made me realise who my real friends are,
no matter how cruel this may sounds.

I love Japan for it's funny quirks that involve the train conductor late in the evening, checking,
checking all the wagons, bowing as he enters the card, asking people if the stuff that
is left behind is theirs and if not he takes it with him, only to point out to me kindly that there are seats. Which I decline with a smile to get a smile in return... only to see him bow once more
as he leaves the cart To see him through the window repeat all that he did in the other wagons as well. 
It has brought me much, and at the same time made me feel like I lost something.
But whatever it is that I lost, I have a friendships that became so much stronger, and I have
gained experiences that i couldn't have gotten back home.
when I go home it will be all the sweeter.

Hello blog readers,

It's well, you know how it is here, finally again with an update after neglecting this place for so long. I've been out of the spirit for writing about my experiences for quite a while because there are just so many of them that I don't know how to put in words or how to capture them in a picture. Japan has many quirks that I love and it has many things that I miss.
For one there are things here i wouldn't have back home, but home has things that I would never have here. One thing I am grateful for or maybe two is that as stated above this journey, this travel to this unknown place has given me experiences and a certain kind of wisdom that I wouldn't have gotten back home. Further more, I'm proud of myself for being here, even if sometimes I feel like I am a bit pathetic, I miss home still and I don't think I'll stop missing home till I get home. Although I realise that the Japanese language is for me to much to grasp and that I might not pass this subject with flying colours no matter how much it hurts me, I'll be al right, I have done this and I am proud of myself. It makes me wonder what's waiting ahead of me when I go back home. on the one hand I don't want to go cause I know what awaits me there, more stress, stress that I can do without and stress that makes me want to curl up under a Japanese rock and not come out. And because back home my future is so much more uncertain, here I can wallow a bit maybe even hide in what I like the call fake safety but I guess I'd be a coward if I never return home.

Another thing I'm grateful for is how much my friendships have grown and how much I've realised who my real friends are and who I can trust. I've come so close to certain people especially one that I am grateful for this experience to allow us to get this close and I think the person will know when she reads this who I am talking about.

Anyway adventures adventures, there have been many adventures. Kobe, Kyoto, arcade halls, chikans! all of it that's to much to put into words, I've seen temples, I've seen shrines
I've been harassed by a Japanese old man that even though quite shocking at the time was funny afterwards but did make me realise that this is a problem in Japan that no one wants to address. At least not the Japanese people who are the ones falling victim to it especially woman, i stood up but many of them don't.

I've gone to school and I've tried to live into and melt into the japanese way of living but it's hard, I will always be and don't get me wrong I never thought this but an outsider will always be an outsider. There are quirks about japan and perks and I love some of them and I hate some of them. but hey it's the same with every country right?

For now, tuning out!
see you all later, if you want photo's drop a note many of them are on facebook and accesibal.

Ciao.

Tokyo Big tokyo :: It shows japan never ceazes to amaze me.

It's monday evening, it's not warm and it's not cold,

                                                      but it feels like a good evening for the end of a journey. 

Haai Everyone, I'm back home from my adventure in Tokyo with my friend Naye. 

It was amazing and it was awesome and it showed so many things that once again I have to believe that Japan will never cease to amaze me. Tokyo is even more bigger and more city like it feels then Osaka. But I had Naye there who was like a guide, big sister, senpai everything in one. And she took good care of me, which made it all a lot easier to take in and a whole lot better as well. And a whole lot more awesome, cause she understands my fangirl needs. Also Aya really helped and made me feel squealy and awesome whenever I got a message from her and it was nice to share it with her. Thank you aya *huggels her tight* 

I shall start with the start and that is Friday, after the message I left about me going to Tokyo. Also pictures will be uploaded on facebook again but some will be shared here. To be safe I'll post the link again and well check tomorrow or tonight even for photo's! 

Friday evening it was getting to Naye's place first. From there it was travelling to the station where our bus would be. Our night bus. Well she had warned me up front that the journey would be long, and difficult and that catching sleep on it wouldn't be the easiest of tasks but of course I was convinced it would be al right. XD never shall I doubt again, even the comfy night bus makes me shudder and my back complain loudly! I don't even want to imagine what the crappy night bus would have made me feel like! *laughs* We arrived early in the morning and then had to take several more trains and all to get to the place, but with Naye's experience it all went fine, she helped me get a train pass which made traveling more easier. 

Once at her friends place, who is an awesome guy, we relaxed and got back a bit of energy before hitting the city. We went to different parts, and it was amazing, though at some part of it i was so tired and my back was hurting so much that my walking had slowed down to snail pace. We went to a lot of stores that anime / manga fans would appreciate and it was amazing to see. One piece is everywhere and I love it. One piece being my favourite series ever so it's like heaven to me! It was a shame it was raining that day but still, it was worth all of it. i managed to get my first few doujinshi's on this day, two of which are for Aya. and a Novel. LMAO somehow I have a talent to pick out Japanese Novels, which is not bad but yeah reading them is beyond me. 

Also along the while we had sushi, now I know that I should do as the romans do when in Rome but yeah raw fish just creeps me out I can't help it, but it all looked pretty. One thing is for sure, sushi is like art, it looks amazing and I got to take pictures but it was interesting to see. I like the egg they serve on rise. that is good. 

Sushi, and omg, they even had a little train bringing around orders.. now that is cool. 

Then once we got home it was relaxing mail checking and preparing for the event of Sunday. My first doujinshi event ever, and it shall always stick with me for it was awesome and amazing. but sleep first. I think I don't sleep on futons often enough but it really takes getting used to for me to sleep on something so thin on the floor. But still it was warm and good. The next morning we woke early, and got towards where we were suppose to go. We took the train that allowed me to see A LOT of Tokyo and pictures and all that, and then we got to the building. HUGE BUILDING. 

with even bigger crowd, no kidding. There were business suits everywhere!  And fangirls everywhere! there were apparently two conventions, but who cares about the business one.  DOUJINSHI! and anyway standing in line alone was an interesting experience. It's amazing how good the Japanese are at making orderly fashions and rows out of big heaps and amounts of squealing anticipating fan people. we all went in Snake formation and when it was our time started walking (I expected the words game over to appear any moment) and then we got guided around till we hit the place where we got to buy our catalogue.  then it was actually for me a short wait till we got inside, I had expected it to be so much longer but it wasn't. Once inside is where the good stuff started. 

I still feel kind of bad for going berserk like that in the one piece section. But yeah it was amazing and wonderful and heaven. and I wouldn't be surprised if my eyes actually went +__+ I literately flew past the tables and even worse my money flew out of my wallet (seriously me and my wallet aren't talking at the moment, marriage issues, it wants to divorce me *sigh*) But all the shiny's, all the pretty's ... All that Marco. How could I ignore!? After my berserk time I followed Naye and held her bag and everything while she went fan girl mode on the sherlock section, I hope she didn't miss out on to much because of me. It was cool though and amazing and I was kind of flaily to hear that I was doing quite good for a first time which just made me all the happier! Also getting compliments about my bag just makes me flail and happy and I think I did well and didn't come across to impolite towards the wonderful artist that still my hunger for more and more (or maybe awaken it?) 

But she had an awesome experience, she was talking with one of the artist and it was so cool to hear her go Japanese like that, I was in awe and it was an amazing spectacle to see! And well after some more buying, more money spending. More everything we went to get lunch. a stew which wasn't bad but yeah... Here is where the picky eater that I am comes back and says hi. 

After the dinner and some more looking we went to the station and back to shinjuku, the station which was pretty much our home base. We left our stuff in a locker and went up into a tower to see Tokyo from high. Not Tokyo tower, this tower was free, it's a government building and it was just as good if maybe not even better. 

The view from up there is amazing and it makes me wonder how Amsterdam falls into nothing compared to this City called Tokyo. It's big it's huge and it has building that make me arch my neck and back just so I can see the top and then I still can't see it! it has so many people it's crazy and it still amazes me even after I have been here for a month. I even got a peek at mount Fuji I think but it was to hidden in the clouds for a clear picture. 

After that we went to get food, which was good food, the best food of the whole weekend. Grilled chicken with a whole plate of salad underneath and i was flailing around cause it was so good. it was so good I forgot to take a picture of it. XD 

Then after dinner we went home with our loot, checked out our loot (and i found I had more gems then I could ever imagine and more loot then I thought I did making up for a loot of 42... not counting the things I bought for other people) And yeah it was a satisfying day, and thanks to Naye's friend I got to see what an addictive game vocaloid is... darn I wish I had a psp with the game TT^TT maybe it's best that I don't. 

The next morning we got to sleep in. :D which is always good . And then after quick grabby breakfast off to the Ghibli museum, not as smooth less as we hoped but still and adventure. I would have never thought that finding a locker could be this difficult but it was, in the end we just took our bags along.  and then we went and got to the Ghibli museum on time before our tickets got out of date. and it was amazing and awesome and probably the most perfect way to end it cause it was all cute and pretty and it was awesome and ... ((insert more words of incoherency)) 

We saw a small movie about sumo-mice and it was cute. And the story was funny and made me laugh and smile and go 'aaaaaw' and we took pictures and browsed around and were amazing and probably fell in love with Ghibli even more and it was well worth it all and defiantly something I recommend if you are familiar with the movies and if you ever are in Japan (Tokyo area)  Then afterwards it was towards the shikansen and then home. Now you would think an adventure would end there right? Wrong ... 

Mine basically didn't end till I was home. 

Cause the last part i was on my own, without Naye's amazing guidance or anything. We said goodbye on her stop, and I don't think I can thank her enough for taking me along this weekend, for looking after me and for being there to fangirl and for being such an awesome friend. Just like I can't thank Aya enough for all the messages she's been sharing with me and the amazing amount of support she has given me back home but in Japan as well. And so did Felony. It's always nice to see you spamming my facebook *laughs* and I enjoy reading all of your messages and comments, I swear, I'll get my ass moving and reply! anyway onwards. But we said goodbye and somehow I felt lonely for a moment, we had spend three days together so it was strange to suddenly be alone but I shook it off. Then it was end of the line and getting off. Not suppose to be a problem right but it was... it was a long walk in the station itself and when I tried asking for the way I got snitched off and pushed into a direction by station staff. Probably had a long day so I just continued on my own. 

Then following Naye's advice which although scary I still did and am still happy for I took a cab. As to be expected though and as Naye warned the man behind the wheel had no idea where my address was nor did his GPS. so instead i asked him to take me to the station I knew, from there I could find my way. Then I was in for probably the most scariest ride of my life. The man in question, which I still doubt if he has a legal drivers license but oh well, was driving kind of really fast and taking really wierd turns while trying to take me where he was suppose to take me. I started panicking about when I started seeing buildings and streets I had never seen before, or the fact that the shikansen tracks were dissapearing from my view as I knew if you followed those you would get to my building in no time.


Then when I saw a KFC i knew it was wrong, cause i like KFC and I would have known if there was one near my place! so as I started to panic more and more, and even more as he couldn't decide wherever to take left or right and nearly decided TO LATE, I saw the 7/11 which is a convinience store close to my building that I nearly shouted to stop and that it would be fine if he dropped me off here, after paying... quite a bit of money, which I think is to much, I bolted out of the taxi and made it home. 


There I started to tell my neighbours about all that had happened only to miss out on a message of naye asking if I was okay. And I feel guilty for not replying sooner cause she worried and I was to busy telling tales to send a message or to hear my phone or anything (so once again sorry for that naye) but yeah.. these are my tokyo adventures, my tales and another contribution to the story of me in Japan. 


it was amazing and something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. 


thanks my friends for reading, for supporting and for being amazing you guys all rock. :D 


hope you enjoyed reading! 


Cia0

Long time no update but TOKYO BABY!

Ha, sorry people who read my blog this isn't really an update or well not a big one. There hasn't been happening much in all honesty except for me being sleepless, having trouble with japanese class and preparing for tokyo! Tokyo will be big though and I'll take lots of pictures :D heeee... it will be grand!

There will be sightseeing,
there will be doujinshi's,
there will be new experiences
there will be excitement and and and So much more! so expect a big update when I get back instead. :D *huggles*

thanks everyone for following my blog and I promise I'll be a better host! Keep chillin people! Love you!

And so the weekend passed once more. and half of the week

Hello Blog Readers,

And another weekend has passed already that it keeps me surprised on how fast time in Japan moves. I can't get over it.  At the moment me, Cati has a few health problems going on. For one a nasty cold that's annoying. When I cough it feels like my lungs are leaving my body and my eyes as always itch. it's a side effect with me apparently that my eyes have to suffer as well when I have a cold. No fun. Today when going to school I actually wore a mask, which many people found stupid, but I don't think it's stupid.

Isn't it a lovely image?

In Japan when people are sick they were a mask to prevent people from catching what they have. I was actually surprised to see that not all Japanese people who were coughing and being sick actually did this so I figure they only do it in extreme cases like the flu and all that. But still it felt good to have that mask today cause at least my class mates won't get what I am having only to give it back to me again. I'll see how tomorrow I am feeling, if it's better I'll leave the mask off if worse. then I'll wear it again.

My weekend was good though Friday was my first sick day from school and I felt bad mostly because I was missing Japanese class and that was eating me up inside, I wanted to be there cause I already find it so difficult. But luckily there is another extra lesson planned for me so that makes me happy, other people who find it difficutl will come to. My Sunday was spend at home to safe money for my upcoming trip to Tokyo which I look forward to. I have to get better soon!

Saturday was spend at Umeda, which was good. Which was nice. Which was awesome and it was making me flail cause I bought things for my room. I bought a Calendar and I bought posters, I bought things to make my room more me and now when I sit in my room it feels like home. It feels like me. Getting the package from my friend Aya really helped as well. It was good to see her cads and she gave me bracelets which are beautiful and which I wear with pride! I bought rilakkuma stuff which is like nijnte in Japan. It's really popular and it's super cute. I couldn't deny it and I bought a heap of it. I actually have an agenda now. No I have two but screw my cheap Hema agenda I'm taking my rilakkuma with me everywhere.  I also had good food, real good food which was quite a while ago so when we got home and I redecorated my room. I was completely satisfied with the world. I didn't even mind not being able to go anywhere on Sunday. :D

Meet Rilakkuma

Monday was spend at school, luckily it was only a short day and nothing all to special happened apart from me being silly in Japanese class again. Tuesday I was opting to stay in bed because I felt so miserable. I went to school in the end cause I didn't want to miss more class. First day wearing the mask as I was telling you all earlier about. This time my mother's package arrived. I was squeling with joy cause only four days earlier did the pacakge my friend said arrive, a beautiful card and bracelets that will be shown below and now my mom was sending me stuff to and it were curtains, how dearly I had missed curtains and now I have them. Dark red curtains and they are beautiful and to top it off, she send me a book and vitamine pills candy and some more cards so my day was absolute awesome once I came home.

Wednesday was an okay day, we had games in the morning to get one another to know even better. It was fun, there was the telephone game, the fruit basket game, all in Japanese so half of the time I didn't know what they were talking about and it was annoying but funny all the same cause I met some other people and got to talk to them for a bit. Which was cool. There are so many nice people and there is always something in common cause we all had similar reasons to come to Japan and well it is awesome. Haha my team got last but we didn't mind we had fun and that is what counted.  And then yesterday evening I had hot water with lemon which was nice for my throat, and today I think has been the worst day so far when it comes to coughing, but things always get worse before they get better so I'm staying positive in the hope that after today things will start looking better.

Cause today wasn't a really glorious day for me, apart from having a good japanese class and helping a friend see the nurse cause she had an accident with her bike, the afternoon was less nice. We had a fieldtrip, well sort of to a shop where we were suppose to form groups and buy for a certain amount of money so that we would get a point card, I was assigned group leader without wanting to and I ended up payign the most while getting the least so yeah, I figured it out to late and I feel stupid and dissapointed in myself now that I didn't notice sooner but yeah oh well nothing to do about it, I still feel good when I got home I felt relaxed and happy to see my room which I hadn't at first so it's nice being able to feel that now instead of always feeling depressed when I was about to go home. I like being in Japan now,

eventhough there are the ups and downs I will manage and it feels good.

So with this I'll say goodbye and give you a few quirks of things I have noticed in Japan.

1. People are always willing to help you as long as you small and speak broken Japanese. just random words and they'll do their best to help. I've noticed this especially with traveling in public trafic which I do alot I get helped often when I get lost and it gives a nice sense of safety.

2. People wear masks when they are sick.

3. In stores I am to polite. Where as I say thank you after the purchase is made as a way of thanking them for the good service normal japanese people don't do that. I got commented on it by a friend who said that it's a bit strange to do that. And I told her it's how I am brought up and though I am a fan of adjusting in, I will keep this what I do cause to me it's polite to thank people who help you even when they are working in stores.

4. People don't move when walking or biking. it's annoying and it's rude. I really didn't expect this but my teacher said that it's different in parts of Japan, but in osaka it's indeed common people don't move for others. so I end up swirling and moving out of peoples way quite often.

5. This year was Japans hottest summer in longer then a 100 years. apparantly the weather new I was coming and was making it difficult for me.

more japanese fact in the next post!

And so another weekend has passed

Hello Blog Readers,

So another weekend has passed in Japan. I have to say I am once more surprised at how fast the time in Japan moves. It makes me wonder and blink and already it seems half a day is passed. The teacher says it is normal and that when she was in the Netherlands she found time was moving slow. I guess it's only logical as well. This place is new and everything is an adventure. Even something simple as getting milk from the supermarket or taking the train to school is an adventure cause you have to pay attention everywhere. Making homework on the train is a No-no cause you are to busy paying attention 'which stop is it again? have I passed it already? damn it what if the train comes to late?'

There are so many things going on that it's hard to decide where to look first. But I will manage eventually and even manage, I believe, to most likely come into a rhythm that will be good for me and with which I can keep up.

For now I'll tell you about my weekend and I will also share a link. The link is for the pictures, I will post pictures on here still but if you want to see the complete collection you can check it  by following this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24645&id=100000878686661&l=6651204d7d

Voila. All my pictures be up there. no on towards the adventures of the weekend!

Saturday was the welcomes party. and it was good. The getting their was an adventure on it's own, me and Marta dressed up of course cause it was semi-formal, when we went out the owner was as kind and sweet to ask where we were going, perhaps umeda? which is the more out going part and we told her school. She was surprised cause it was Saturday after all, what surprised me and Marta was that she told us to be careful for Japanese boys, it made me laugh cause honestly, what Japanese boy would try to take on two big western girls? as Marta said:" We'll just sit on them."

Then once at school we went to our countries, got led into the performance hall and there we waited our turn to preform, we came after Mexico and as true Dutch people we sang :" Er is een Nacht " by Guus Meeuwis. I got the audience to wave their arms which made it kind of awesome and well make up for a lot of things. After the performances we had a lunch, and I stuffed myself literally with potato's cause who know's when the next time will be that they have potatoes? Well we don't , so I took my chance and stuffed myself.

Several Japanese persons spoke to me which I found kind and awesome and at same time deeply terrifying but it was nice and I think I acted quite well according to social standards. After the party which ran late I went home and relaxed and suddenly felt a wave of tiredness coming over. My Sunday was mostly relaxing and nothing else, the Monday was another adventure though.

I met my host family. Which is a single mother (her husband lives elsewhere but I couldn't make out if they are divorced or not but I was to embarrassed to ask, maybe I will later find out or not but she was lovely and kind) and she welcomed me into her home with both arms. She picked me up from the station and it was a small walk towards it. Once inside I gave them the gifts I had bought them back home and they were really happy with it which pleased me greatly.

The daughter is very cute and she makes me flail and it's a shame I don't understand her but she's nice and she wrote me a card and drew a Dutch flag. Yoko-san immediately started on lunch though, making me the most fabulous lunch since my stay in Japan.  And she didn't even mind that I didn't like the onigiri all to much. After dinner I watched Totoro with the daughter and her friend who had come over, got shown around the house, learned more about Japan and everything and the family itself which is meaning a lot to me and I already made plans. It warms my heart that she wants to see me this often and I don't want to hurt her feelings so I will be staying on a week day over at her place every now and then, she didn't mind and actually found it okay cause she didn't mind when I said that the weekends were most of the time packed with other appointments. I also got invited to her daughters sports day and a festival in Japan where little girls go to a shrine, beautifully dressed up in Kimono's and Dresses and they prey that they will have a pleasurable time growing up. It's so interesting and I was invited to come along. Yoko also advised me to try and wear a kimono at least once and take pictures of it cause it would be a good memorable thing to have. The kimono's I have seen so far are breathtaking, but with this heat it makes me flail and wonder how the woman can wear them without having trouble breathing.

It is in Japan normal to wear many many layers. I've seen woman that make me want to drop to the street cause they wear so much clothes. The younger generation is slightly free'er in it. But you can still see that the shoulders are most of the time covered. I try to adapt this and not go out in shirts that reveal my shoulders. Even though they say we should do as we please because we are foreigners but as my business practices and cultures teacher says:

When in Rome do as the Romans do.

Speaking of classes cause I've more or less told everything of interest for the past few days, it is decided which classes I am taking. It will be next to my 12 hours of Japanese in the week, be the following:

- Business cultures and practices
- Business case studies

Both are interesting, though the cultures and practices had me on the edge of my seat from the very first moment as the teacher speaks fluently English and has a good way of telling and holding my attention the business case studies was more challenging but I am getting into that now. The teacher doesn't speak very good English though but I am starting to get used to her pattern of speech. And she's really doing her best which makes up for a lot of it. But it's getting interesting now that's for sure. We are learning about the strange and unusual services that Japan has like mobile phones and cars. Next week she's taking us to Mr. Doughnuts, which just makes me love her class even more.

Now how did she know that I like doughnut? XD

In the first class though there was a really small twist of words that had me freaked out about Japan in a very disturbing manner. It wasn't until later that I found out what she really meant though but I shall share it with you.

"When in Japan, you drive over little surgeon, you pay lots and lots of money. It's bad. if you kill him or her it is better cause then you pay less but if you paralyse him it's bad"

Now it might have had to do with me thinking we were still talking about mobile phones, or the fact that I thought my hearing wasn't right but I was seriously having a Jaw drop moment. You can't drive over little surgeons, what the...

In the end I figured out what she meant, not surgeons, but CHILDREN. yes children. Now why didn't she say so from the start? She also meant that if you by accident hit a child, then if the child dies, you only pay the family for the funeral (which sounds hard but understandable, but you simply shouldn't hit children with a car), however if you paralyse the child or something else you will have to pay for all the hospital bills which are alot. So even though it took me a whole class to find that out, I understood what it meant but still find it crazy.

((add to that that she started telling about what some drivers do if they accidental hit someone which is, to make sure they are dead, take them home cut them up, put them in cement and in the ocean which is the reason there are so many people missing which just freaked me out and actually wish she had never mentioned that! thank you sensei... not. XD ))

Still her classes are getting better and I really appreciate the effort she's making so I don't regret picking her classes a single bit. My Japanese class is the most difficult one of all but I will manage somehow I've got a good neighbour who is willing to help me out so that makes me happy.

The schedule for tomorrow is class, followed by a trip to the city hall to get my insurance papers over and done with followed with coming back home and going to visit a friend (Naye) who is in a very lovely part of Japan so we can discuss our trip to Tokyo.

Thursday will be a small trip to umeda in the morning and chatting with some people and catching up.

For now, this is all I have to tell. :) thanks for reading and catch you all next time,

Over and Out.

And so my life in Japan beings. :)

Meron soda

Hello Blog Readers,

so it has been a good while since my last post and that was with various reason. In the more private circle of my life it was bumpy and added to that with the fact that I still have to get more used to japan then I initially thought I had to I was kind of lost. The weekends are good cause I get distracted by my good friend Naye, which I thank her a lot for and then the times that I get home are just messy and painful but I get over it with time I guess. I actually had a really good day today which is why I decided to post now before anymore drama makes around the corner cause now I can tell you all about my weekend and my first real days at school.

random japanese flowers

So saturday I met up with some other exchange students and we went to a more nothern part of osaka to a big shopping mall Yadama Denki, the only reason I remember the name is because while your in the super big store, the slogan Yadama denki is about repeated every 7 minutes if not 5. I bought, no caved in at the huge amount of manga available and bought two one piece books that have general information and because they were shiney. I like shiney things. After that I said goodbye to the others and went my own way back, I'm getting good with the japanese public transportation and I am proud of myself. Also Taking random picture of three japanese ladies who were deeply suprised was nice, especially cause they were giggling, probably feeling either proud that they wer eput on a photo or giggling because a wierd foreigner was taking pictures of them. See three pictures below to learn more of public transportation!

A train In Japan

Three Kind Japanese Ladies

It was a short stop at home and here I got ready to meet up with Naye again, cause both of us apparantly had the need of an english speaking person who fangirls and who knows more about one another and then I went on my way to hirakata, Finding her place, ALL BY MYSELF, thanks to a nifty song. See where it really gets hard is the moment I get out of the train but I managed. So after some catching up she took me out to have a proper dinner, cause... one downside of Japan. 

It's five days a week almost that I have deep fried food, and it's bad, and greasy and gross. And I have no choice but to eat cause food in Japan is expansive, there's no escape in that, it is. And it's in pink bento's. Pink. Honestly Pink. it looks horrenderus and horrible and it makes me want to gauge my eyes out. Yesterday is the first time that the food was actually somewhat nice. But back to saturday cause Naye, the dear took me out to have grilled chikken with rice and a salad and I was in heaven and it was good. Then she took me to a kareoke BOX and it rocked and it was awsome. And they have lemon soda, did I mention how much I love lemon soda? Well I shall mention it now. :D I love it. ((see the included picture please! XD at the top. )) And I mostly did english songs but it was still awsome.

I stayed over the night, watched sherlock holmes and went home on a sunday on which it was scorching hot and I felt a sudden dread and emptiness again and it only became worse when I got into the apartment, alone felt the cold and realised i had left the airco on which made me feel even more stupid, Talked to my parents and got more homesick, luckely I have friends to cheer me up. Like Naye, Aya and Felony but also my roommates Martha and Mirva which I can't thank them enough for.

Then monday came and I felt more worse, the Japanese classes were all screwed up and it was hot and bothering and nasty then tuesday came and it was even worse with me ending up somewhere crying and being comoforted by princess which made me slightly feel better. Talked to naye and some more friends at night which was good and then I went to sleep and had the most delicious sleep ever and then woke up today, I felt good, went to school, had fun, laughed, played round, sketched and listened to music, interacted, had an interesting class, got home, did my homework, still felt good...

but now there is the worry of korean girls calling me sensei cause I showed or made them hear how to make a donkey sound, it makes me worry cause I think I might have permanently damanged my reputation. Not that I had one to start with but still... it's a reputation I can go with out donkey sensei ? XD no thank you, when they tempted to call me that I shut it off and told them not to. Oh well.

it's preparing now for saturday on which the welcomings party will be and on which I will sing, which makes me worried cause I can't sing, and I'll make the audiance go deaf, and I don't want that and I'll be known as donkey sensei who sings awfully? XD oh man japan is going to be tougher then I thought.

I got my ticket for tokyo though which will be grand, for now it's over and out,

contact me if you want, and comments I always read, thanks for the people who read my blog
thanks to the people who support me, you guys all rock. :) over and out!

Musings off how much schools are the same

Orientation day

I'm just typing as I go as I keep being suprised at how schools all over the world seem to have the same kind of thing going on. They say you have to take care of things and that they will help you but when it comes to it, they are nowhere to be seen and don't help at all and you only find out that everything you wanted to do turned to shit. Sort to speak that is.  cause everywhere schools are like la-di-da-di-da,

oh you don't speak japanese well tough luck.

now I am lucky that I know two people who understand a fair bit of japanese and have them as a neighbour in my apartment complex but still, they don't keep in mind the information overload that they give you together with the constant japanese and it's hard for my brain to focus cause, it's already focusing on "must speak english or else my classmates won't understand me" and when I have to speak japanse it just shuts down cause my brain is to focused on speaking english. I have a weak brain, I know that but darn hell I am not giving up. It's just at the moment io am at one of those evneigns again where I want to do nothing more then to curl up and hug my pillow and teddy and listen to sad wailing music and just cry cry cry.

Japan is beautiful but strange. And there are people that make me smile and people that make me want to bash my head agaisnt my wall. People on school for instance. They say a class will be in english, we get a teacher who barely knows english and we are suppose to understand. Yeah, thanks guys.

We are suppose to be able to get teikkei and well most of us did (I did) and some of us didn't, then OGU got a call from the company of the trains in Japan and they were told, sorry your students don't stay long enough in Japan so they can't have one, so now a lot of them have to pay double or triple of what we paid and it sucks for them, I feel sorry for them cause I can feel the hole burning in my wallet now and my wallet screaming in despair. Schools are lacks,
they think to easy, and yeah I know we are students that are legal of age and grown ups and god knows what else, but we are in a strange country, we need help. You can't expect us to already be able to do everything on our own after just the first week. Even back home we need help (and sometimes it's even difficult to get it there).

the people in Japan are nice, but when there is a language barrier it stops. I can ask the way. i've become a proffesional at asking the way, which makes me happy and proud and feel good. but still, there are things I can't do, or that other people can't do.

and don't get me started on the food. everything is deepfried, and i'm starting to regret paying for two months (it wans't like there was an option but still) pink bento's all the time, all the time, and I'm getting sick of it, and the fridge... who in lords name has to unplug his fridge just to sleep?

now these are all the bad things an dthere are more but I want to go to the good things caus eI've met many nice people who rock and are kind and nice in there own way. it's to early to call friends but I definatly hope I will be able to call some of them friend at the end of this adventure.

Dennis who is from the same apartment complex

My friends, from front to back, Alex, Tania, Princess, German, Ben, Miquel and Mary

Stefano from italy our apartmant as well.

I guess adventures are meant to be found out on your own, a helping hand sometimes really isn't bad though.
especially not when it comes to me, I doubt alot, and right now I am doubting if this is what I can do.
I am not good at japanese. I'm the girl who twisted light and toilet seat around, to amusement of the teacher but still. I need things to clear my mind,
Hopefully tomorrow will be a more eventful day we shall see. it would be good.

Till next time! 

New post! Lots of things

Hello everybody!

So here is my post again, after a tough weekend that had ups and downs I had my first day of school. and it was good. and well alot of information absorbing but it was good really good. and nice, I forgot my camera so I didn't take pictures but school, is really close. I love that school is really super close. It's awsome. it's 10 minute walk together with less then a 20 minute train ride. and i will be following level two japanese.

I knew all the hiragana and katagana which was a requirement but they put me level 2 not one. So I hope it's not to heavy but we will see.

the blog updates will be smaller from now on. So far I'm still in the stage of getting used to japan and living on my own and everything and it just feels, wierd still and not at home. I don't think this ever will be home but it feels strange not nescesairly in a bad way but very strange and I'm not quite sure how to feel, I'm in an apartment where I have to unplug the fridge and where it's hot and warm and not what I am used to, my pillows escape me an dI don't have my trusted teddybear with me, my parents are far away and all I have are vague plans for the future.

a future that scares me cause, I want to go on internshp in Japan and at the same time I'm freaking out knowing that I am probably not ready for that just yet, that I could fail if the company doesn't have an employee that at doesn't understand english cause in four months time I really don't think I can have all the japanese down.

a future that I'm not even sure on which I can go on internship cause what if it all goes wrong? I'm having a lot of doubts at the moment, in a country where language and food are strange and the customs are different and which kind of holds my future. what is a girl to do , it's hard?

I've met alot of people today,

And they were all kind, and all in the ame kind of situation, some a bit different and some really a lot better then I am, no I think I am actually at the bottom, but there were really nice people that I have met and it was okay and i'll get used to it and this is my adventure. I'll have to make most of it.

my schedule is okay as well, it's not nescesairly bad, it's different and strange. and at the moment anything strange unnerves me to no end. but I will sit this through till the end and I'll see what happens then. :D

for now this was my update.

Japan is beautiful, the dutch girl just has to get used to it.

First days are trial.

Hi fellow bloggers.

It’s the second day of my life in Japan, and I have to say the saying “the world will look better after a good night of sleep’ really is true. Yesterday I broke down several times, crying at how much I missed my parents which I still do but I really am feeling a lot better. Both tiredness and disappointment really over came me I think yesterday. I’m going to recap the last few days for a bit though.

my first bit of sight of Japan. :D 

Wednesday it was getting up early and a long drive to the airport, it was nice being between my parents cropped up on the back seat I could feel close to them again for just a while longer. On the airport I was quick to check in my luggage and not only that the nerves were starting to get to me. I didn’t try to show it to my parents though cause I knew that it would just wake up a lot of crying and everything. We went for something to eat and when it was around 12 I started to walk towards customs where it was officially saying goodbye. And, then it happened, dad hugged me and I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. It only got worse as I looked back to my mom who was already crying as well and I hugged her for a really long time, and then I let go and it was so difficult and I walked towards customs and I kept looking back to see them still there waving at me. And all the way to the gate I slightly sobbed. I really didn’t care what people think. It was my first journey alone and it felt like a heavy weight on my shoulders but I think I managed well.

I found out that another exchange student from Finland was on the same plane as I was. I waited before boarding the plane to see if I could find her. I had to look out for a blond girl with a trumpet case on her back, and well there was another blond girl and I accidently asked her first but we found one another soon anyway. We didn’t sat next to each other in the plane but it was still a nice reassurance that there was someone else aboard who had already been in Japan was, understands it a bit more then I do.

The flight was long and tedious and I think I felt my limbs dying several times, and I wanted to go on small walks within the plan but the woman next to me was sleeping a lot, and she didn’t speak English or Dutch so each time I wanted to pass by her it felt awkward which is why I didn’t do it often. I did see shrek 3 on the plane. It was fun.

first picture of Japan skyline. XD 

Getting out was easy but then the rest was a lot more difficult, my legendary fail direction skills took their part again and I managed to get lost on the airport, with some logic thinking I managed to find it to the right way though. Then with my small Japanese talking skills, mainly saying thank you, hello and I don’t understand and do you speak English. I managed to find the finnish girl again and then we together made it to the luggage pick up and towards Hiroyuki who I already knew who was going to take us to our apartment. I despise the fact I had so much luggage with me and that I brought extra clothes just in case cause we had to drag that with us the whole time. ((this is why I have decided that when I go back I’m ordering a cab/taxi, there is no way I can manage doing the luggage carrying on my own. ))

Then finally after another one and half bus ride, and a small train ride which thank god t hiroyuki all went fine, I really still have a lot to learn bout the Japanese public traffic system. We got here. It was strange having to take my shoes of but understandable and I had paid it in mind so finally going up with my luggage we got to our room.

Now remember I was tired, moody and sleepy and missing my parents so when I opened my door to find a generally small room, with almost no closet space I was shocked. Then with unpacking which went fairy well we found out we have no internet yet ((okay so first all the bad stuff)) then we went to the showers and I was shocked and laughing at that cause I never took a sitting shower before. Then going back to our room and trying out some things I felt myself slipping into depression more and more. The landlady doesn’t speak English so we had to use our hand and feet and eventually call hiroyuki what our problems were.

Then it was dinner time and we didn’t get food saying how we weren’t allowed to get food and how we had to buy our own which wasn’t in the deal. So in the end I just cried a bit more and finally decided I couldn’t stay in my room anymore and instead wanted to go out and explore the area around where I live. Together with the Finnish girl and the Italian guy (Who are Mirva and Stefan btw) we went out, complaining and just enjoying that all three of us spoke awkward English, just had to go through a long journey and some disappointments we laughed and well felt a lot better. I but stuff to drink for on my room and in the end when walking back the genius that I am accidently found an internet place.
Bingo.

After going up and registering their which with the help of the non English speaking internet keeper but who was still very helpful went absolutely fine. And I got to FINALLY message my parents, I just felt so good after having been able to do that. I hope that my email wasn’t to distressful but I told them I missed them and I really complained quite a bit about all that was bothering me but it felt good! Really good to be able to talk to them.

I talked with solitaryaya, who I was so very glad to see and I just ah, it was inmensly better all of a sudden, just having the small thing I have in the Netherlands as well really made me feel better, right now I am typing this out on my room and hoping that soon they will come with internet, but if not I’ll go back to the internet café and do it there instead. But it was so good to talk to her and it really helped me (thank you aya for the small talk, love you dear!)

my view from nine high. 

I also emailed Naye who I am meeting up with tomorrow. *yeey* to get some stuff for my room, see where she lives make plans and just.. hug her. I need hugs. A lot of them! As for the room, I need curtains, things to eat with, cause sticks I can do, when it’s big stuff. Rice is just. Disaster with sticks and me.
So yeah because the finnish girl was done already and my time at the internet café was up I had to say a quick goodbye to Aya but I’m talking to her again today so it’s all good. And when I got outside I just felt better already and it got even better (there is always sunshine after the rain) cause when we got back to the apartment another girl had arrived and someone from the school was there, he told us that we did get food but from another place. So that means no buying evening meals from Monday to Friday, and that there would be internet today (Friday) so after another small shower just to wash the stickyness away (cause I haven’t mentioned this yet but yeah hot japan is hot, really hot. My room has airconditioning but I try not to use it to much mainly because when I go out on the hall it’s just hot again anyway.

But after that I went to bed. I felt good. I couldn’t sleep fantastic but I was rested again when I woke up. (I need curtains cause I need a dark room to sleep. XD I’m picky apparently but turns out other exchange students want as well) but yeah I woke up early, got up and freshend myself up, practiced some hiragana and katakana which I will do again in a moment, and went out ALONE to the shopping district which hadn’t had many stores open yet, but I had to get breakfast and I was hungry. And then I got to a small bakery I think it is. And I walked in, not confident but the saleslady looked at me and I told her I didn’t understand how things worked so with gestures she explained and she was really kind and I had food. (( I seem to be a natural with Japanese money though, and it looks so pretty!)

So bidding farwel and thanking her I went back. WITH FOOD. And I had breakfast in the downstairs area where the other guests of the apartment complex have their food. A Japanese girl came to me and she was smiling and asking where I was from, I didn’t understand completely but I told Netherlands and she was quite surprised, I think she went to school already cause from what she said I understood she had to run to catch the train so I told her to do a good job and she laughed and said the same to me. Then I met with a Japanese repair man and cleaning lady who I kindly bid a good morning. The man then said a whole bunch and I think by the stupid look on my face he caught on quickly my Japanese wasn’t that good yet and I told him that I was sory for not understanding. He asked if I was American and I said that I was dutch and then our meeting came to and end and we bid eachother a good day. SMALL THINGS but SMALL victories for me. I felt good. Feel good now, even if I don’t get internet today I know I can just go to the internet café and chat there and catch up with everyone. Although for some reason I couldn’t get into hotmail. Ah well, maybe it was the Japanese keyboard. XD I’ll blame it on that.

Well that are my adventures for now, this will be crossed post with blog/LJ cause I want to share my adventures with everyone. Thanks for reading! AND I WANT to thank everyone for wishing me a good journey and supporting me this far. Thank you.

now I am going to give you all a collection with pictures. :) just for the fun of it.

Update as this is typed out as I go: I have internet now, and I'm also getting a fridge. yeah and it's in my room now and it's gigantic. and I have no space to really sit, or something. XD or anything at all and there's a realy faul odor comming from it. XD seriously I'm to happy right now to be bothered by it, I'll just soap it out really good. but first a weekend of fun with naye. and ah Felony I want to thank for giving me such an awsome message. As well as Steph (nee-san) and megu-chan. and well everyone who's shown some kind of support. My neighbours for messaging me as well as other people thank all of you.

for now I'm going to try and find a way to work around my fridge me and my suitcase. it's going to be an epic battle

the picture i took from my parents before I left, mom pretends not to notice. :P

Picture of the clouds, I was right behind the wing of the plane

My room without the fridge

With thrills and chills

Hello blog readers!

I'm still writing this blog and going on strong. Lot has happend since the last blog update but every not on my list has been striped off and finished and done with. It feels good having it all behind and just being nervouse about the journey now. Which I am. Yes I look forward to it, doesn't mean I can be nervouse right? I'm trying to spend as much time with my parents as possible. today at 3 o clock in the afternoon I finished the last of small things and tomorrow I'm doing absolutly nothing.

This is probably why this will be my last entery before I leave to Japan. Though no guarantee! cause I might just decide to bother you all again with another blog entry. Anyway today I have been in contact with a teacher from school who is in charge of helping students with intern ships. Well more or less she makes sure that everything is in order. I asked her about the possibilites of me taking care of it from Japan and if there is a possibility to do an internship in Japan as well cause that would just be like a dream come true. It would be a challenge but it would be a beautiful challenge. I'm certain of it!

Other then that I have made plans for the weekend after my arrival to meet up with my Swedish friend who is more expierienced in living in Japan then I am. It's mostly that I want to meet with her so early to keep myself busy and from thinking to much of home. I will miss them but I don't want to be sick with homesickness cause I want to make the most of this experience. anyway she's showing me around and going to help me gather things for my room if needed and even show me where to buy doujinshi's! (fan made books from existing series) Having those will help me with my hiragana and katakana I think. My katakana still needs a lot of work.

Also i spoke with a mexican girl and it feels like she's feeling the same as I am. Which makes me reasured and feel less like an alien. I still have a few things to take care of on the pc. I need to take a few more pictures of my family and for one from the house and all that. I'm nervouse. Ha that's out of the blue but I am. I am looking forward to it but I am so nervouse. i won't deny it cause I can't. this bubbly feeling in my stomach is eating and eating away. I don't think I could do without it. It's natural. it's my first journey what can I expect? What am I to expect?

I try not to think to much of it, cause I don't plan to let it control me. Can't let it control me. I'm stronger and I can do this. Japan is going to be awsome. I'm even going to try to make sure I can get my internship there. ANd untop of it this will be the experience of a life time. Besides I am going to meet so many awsome people it will make up for all the nervousness! this is going to be grande.

It will be getting used to but it will all be alright. So yeah for tomorrow and later on it's simple learning and nothing more. tomorrow if I get a chance I'll just upload some pictures for all of you for you to see.

For now I have put down my thoughts again. :)

see you all soon.

With Droplets from the sky

Musings about Japan

 

 

So a few more days have passed since my last musings about Japan. The last few days have been eventful in more then several ways. I have found out that I will need more then one suitcase. I have to face it I'm a big girl and I need more clothes cause if something happens to them I can't simply buy new ones unfortunatly but I can live with that. I rather pay a bit of extra money so that I can still take everything. Alot of people make me out for a fool well so be it then -

but now at least when I shrink clothes with washing, I've got some extra stuff with me. I be prepared girl all the way.

now apart from the suitcase trouble that I had yesterday I had bad talking english trouble with a person on the phone as well. To make a long story short, internet translation service called, there was a non orgin english speaker on the phone and it was hard to make out what he said but hey, in the end it all worked out but that was the start of a gut feeling. And that gut feeling meant there would be trouble. and trouble I got.

The foreign money that I ordered, didn't get ordered, now to make things clear I orderd this previous thursday so that's a whole week. A whole week this incompetent person made me thing I had one thing I could strip of my list to worry about only to find out the day before it wasn't meant to be (law of murphy?) so anyway, in the end I think it is all still settled but it did give me a minor case of stres cause that money is important, THAT money is my rent for the first two months. oh well.

Today I went to the travel agency for more suitcase labels, to get my insurance checked once more and be absolutly safe. Visitend my family members the more elderly ones before I leave and I had this really nie mood where I did random small things that made me feel good.

Gave a small girl a bag of candy which made her happy, it was a small bag and I had two anyway, they are bad for my line so I gave one ot her. She was suprised but it made me smile when I saw the frown on her face dissapear only to make way for a happy face. Every person on a bike I gave a free way of crossing the street cause it is bad weather. I know how it sucks to cycel in bad weather, and it made them smile tos o I think I did small things to still make people happy and that makes me happy.

final trip of today was th hairdresser and then it was heading home and checking emails and important stuff. which is important. *laughs* tomorrow some final shopping and taking care of lugage.

that's all for today, stay tuned for next time.

oh and by the way, did I mention I love rain? I love it except when I have to go through it on bike. I like walking but not cyceling. right now it's raining really hard over here. XD the sound is so nice.

Countdown to Japan 8 days to go.

Hello blog readers!

Here’s another update from me. Ha Japan is getting so close. Only eight days left and I’ll be on the plane towards my adventure: Japan. I found out I am going to live in an amazing super international apartment, with people from Mexico (which I already know three of) one girl from Iceland, one from Finland (who’s even taking the same flight as me, a guy from Germany and so many more! It’s going to be a blast I am sure of it!

So yesterday I got my vaccinations the last ones and my arms still hurt. Can’t lift them for the life of me. So that makes up for the doctor’s appointment. I’ve got a small list left of what to do. So here’s my planning for the week.

- Wednesday: Calling the school (My course coordinator and international office for some final questions, I’m not sure if they have received my email but they hadn’t replied yet)
Also calling the IB on Wednesday to give through another address change and to stop my ov- card.

- Thursday: Starting at 11. O clock with a visit to grandpa on my father’s side. Then going to my great grandparents. And finally visiting another person dear in my life.  Then going to the bank to pick up stuff and do final checks on my insurance. Followed by buying the following stuff.

- small gifts for people in Japan
- Bad shoes
- Stroopwafels for my Japanese friend.

Thursday it’s also picking up my vaccination book but with that I am as good as done.  Hairdresser and then it’s all good and I’m ready to go.

I bought gifts for my neighbors cause they have been helping me a lot with getting ready and everything. They gave me things for my journey and well they’ve really been a big support so I bought special jeu d’boul game which he plays a lot. For the sweet sweet lady next door I bought a bouqet of flower as a thank you. I’m really happy with them and they really are like an extra set of grandparents. Love you Lenie en Ko!

As for Japan. I have contact with many of my future roommates. I have contact with all my pen friends and it makes me happy to know that everyone is supporting me and all that. It means a lot to me. Like Naye my Swedish friend. :D I so look forward to meeting her and I can’t wait to go things to do with her and we’re already planning a trip to Tokyo where I will get my first doujinshi event and god I look so much forward to it

Solitaryaya who’s like my rock in the sea. Seriously she always listens to me, helps me out and supports me in my slightly weird love! And we fan girl and we talk and we talk about serious stuff as well.  And we have fun and we talk and we comfort and we cry and laugh together so yeah I’m just at this point really happy with the friends I have in my life. They mean a lot to me all of me. From arciel to feather, to all the new ones I made on Live journal and deviant art. All my friends are dear and I am going to miss them in japan cause I have no idea how I will be in time.

And argh it’s all so new and exciting cause sure I know  the address butI have no idea how things look like in the apartment and…

Oh man. XD the journey and the travel is what I look up to. Oh god it’s gonna be so long and difficult I just know I’ll be broken at the end of it. But it will all be worth it. I am sure of it.

I have no pictures to share this time. But next time I promise pictures.

Thanks for reading,, till next time!