My Miki!!

I almost forgot to tell you about my roommate, Miki-chan!

Even though she's just a sophomore, Miki is the RA for my floor, and she knows everything that is going on here at Zelkova. Besides being a very clean, quiet, and relaxed kid, she has dynamic dreams and always tries to help other people. Last year, she helped to teach English in Tanzania (I know, right?), but really wants to go to California to study for a term or a year. In order to apply for study abroad, she has been studying like crazy for the TOEFL Examination. Every night she'd pour over vocabulary, listening practice tapes, and essay notes. I only got to see her cramming for the last month, but it was like nothing I've ever witnessed! She just got her results back today and she passed!! Now she can start the application process and hopefully be abroad starting this spring.

Miki is really patient with my Japanese, and we became pretty fast friends. We're in Wadaiko together and she was floored when I told her that I knew Kai from Wittenberg (apparently he's a star here at ICU). It will be sad having her gone in my final term here at ICU, but hopefully she'll be at the school of her choice studying English. Good luck this year, Miki-chan!