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