Robot Tour!!!

Having only two weeks off for Christmas vacation isn't quite what I'm used to, but I made sure to make that time count this year! With the help of one of my best friends, Gina (we would have brought you with us if we could have, Anna Sophia), I got to backpack across Japan in the "Long-awaited, Cross-country, Pan-Japan, Caffeine-infused, Giant Robot Tour of 冬休み2010". Special featured performances by random bus friends, McDonald's lady, Miki's family, helpful direction givers, Nagoya Hoststay family, and the Japanese train system.

"Was it epic?" you may ponder. "What about Giant Robots is ever un-epic?" I would respond.

The exciting saga is airing on my blog as of March! Stay tuned for more!

The Emperor's Birthday

I had such a productive day, it wasn't even funny! I woke up early, cooked some food, got some last minute shopping done, cleaned my room super-thoroughly (I mean broom AND vacuum, ladies and gentlemen), organized my pantry because I have so much food from home that I now have a legit pantry, and now I'm packing for my long-awaited, cross-country, pan-Japan, Giant Robot invasion with my partner in crime, Gina Gray! But as I was out and about, I couldn't help but feel that something was off. What could that something be? We go now to the field where correspondent Me tells Myself what I think. Don't mind the hat, by the way, it was falling off during the shoot. Camera shy, I guess. And the freeze frame? Priceless, as usual.

Getting There is Half the Fun

So, you know how at the beginning of every trip, you stop and say "I can't be leave I was about to leave the house without taking the ______"?

Well, that didn't happen for me.

Actually, I was flying along quite pleasantly for 13 hours, thinking myself the cat's meow until I got to the Japanese Customs and Immigrations Offices, convenient located at the lovely Narita Airport. I got through the line, showed my visa and boarding pass, smiled for a photo, and scanned my fingerprints (none of that ink business in Nihon-land-of-the-digital). Then as I was about to gather up my carry-0n baggage and head through the shiny, glass doors of Japan....I was asked for my Certificate of Eligibility. I'm sorry, what? I needed that paper months ago to get my visa. And, there is my visa, so obviously I had that paper. Why do I need it? You have my visa. They say the EXACT SAME THING! Are you calling me a LIAR?!

No, I didn't say that! It was all running in my head. Apparently, the fine print on the bottom of said certificate states that: in order to enter Japan, this certificate and the visa must be shown to the customs officials upon arrival. Ooohhh......yeeeeaaah.....ummm. About that. I might have, just by accident, kinda-sorta left that in my room. At home. In America. (oops)

And that was why I was detained by the customs officials at Narita for 30 minutes. Yeay!! :) Lucky for me, the Japanese consulate in Detroit had sent my return address slip proving that I had sent them my certificate and that the visa was valid. But that wasn't good enough for the Japanese; they wanted my certificate in person. So I agreed to send it to their extremely difficult to write address in exchange for my temporary freedom in their country (it wasn't this cool in reality, but it sounds more interesting if I phrase it this way.)

I've just avoided an entanglement with the Japanese govenrment and I'm feeling pretty shaken (not sturred), so I retrieve all my luggage (I'm carrying slightly less than 100 pounds at this point) and I try to find a way to get to Shinjuku. "All I have to do is get to the Shinjuku train station," I told myself, "then a Wittenberg alumni will help me get to ICU.

Haha, as if life were ever so simple.

Poor me, trembling in a new country, I was so scared from sitting alone in that quiet room with all the benches, that I coincidently bought a ticket to Shibuya and not Shinjuku. What is the big difference between those cities? Well, let's just say I should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque. Shibuya is a cool place, don't get me wrong, but it isn't where I want to go with suitcases dripping from my every limb. Once I saw my mistake, I jumped off the bus at the nearest stop and tried to reorient myself. Here's the short story:

1. Stored my stuff at the nearest hotel doorway

2. Dashed to the next door LAWSONS for some 100 yen pieces

3. CALLED FOR HELP!!!

And it came, funny enough. It took me a total of 5 hours to get from Narita airport to ICU near Mitaka-shi, and it sure did feel like 5 hours, too. On my first day in Japan, I broke all of the traveling rules and looked like an idiot on at least 6 points in my day. But, at least I got to see the city, and proved that I knew what to do if I got lost.

On a positive note, when I got to my dorm that night, my dorm mates were all outside having a huge barbecue and I got to start my ICU campus life with several huge plates of grilled sausages, meats, noodles, and veggies. Everyone was super friendly, and my roommate was so welcoming that I couldn't help but feel better. It was just what I needed to make the day worth the while!

Final Stages of Packing and Prep

Is it so wrong to be organized? So what if my junk draw has the rubber bands sorted by size, and my bathroom drawers are organized by the times I've used each item? Maybe that is a bit much for the average person, but it feels to safe and structured to me. The important part is to be realistic about this sort of obsession: I can not expect others to be at my level of intensity, and I know that some things if life just can't be completely stacked and alphabetized, and some things are going to be lost or forgotten. But when it came to packing for this trip (packing, by the way, is my part-time job in life - as in part of my life has always been spent packing) I wanted to make sure that I forgot as little as possible.

My first order of business was to go through all of my clothes. No, really...ALL of my clothes. Luckily, I had a great little helper named Crew to help me fold and arrange everything into 5 very distinct and very large piles. I then repeated this process 3 times. In 2 different rooms. Over 5 days. Don't look at me in that tone of voice! This is just how I do things!

But, as luck or fate would have it, I did forget several things. Several important things, actually: my certificate of eligibility, my flip-phone, tennis shoes, and other items that would have been nice to have. Most of that was not entirely my fault though, they wouldn't have fit if I had tried! However, I was the one who was packing so I have to take responsibility for it.

No, Crew, you don't have so say anything; I know you tried your very best.

"But why were those things so important?" you might ask. That I will have to save for another night.

Studying Online, the Basics

Since Strongsville and Springfield, Ohio are not known for a large Asian population, I have had to find other ways of practicing Japanese. Luckily, many sempai (older students) have been able to give me great tips for studying at home, with friends, and online.

Here are a few of my favorite tools for languages:

Rosetta Stone - bright pictures, voice recognition, and repetitive study, Rosetta Stone lives up to its reputation as a language learning software. Instant feedback on pronunciation and slow progression through vocab, grammar, listening, speaking, and reading activities is a great way to practice old information or learn new phrases.

Smart.fm - This is a great way to gain vocab knowledge FAST!! An online flashcard site, smart.fm offers lists of words in various subjects and langues. Making an account is free (most of my study tips are free or low-budget), and not only can you use existing lists, but you can make your own. The one problem: because this is a community site, some people don't know their kanji or spelling as well as they ought, so you might find someone who doesn't know the difference between homophones like 上げる and 挙げる.

LiveMocha.com - My sister and her friend just showed this to me. It is another community made site where people who are interested in langues help each other learn. There are activities to learn how to read, write, and speak in a host of other languages, but be kind and help review the work of other people that are trying to learn your native tongue.

WordReference.com - This is a great place to get a quick answer to a language problem or to join in a world-wide forum about languages. This site part dictionary and part forum where people can help you with any question you have in almost any language. Just make an account and start a thread. Very helpful for late night conjugation tables, too (especially a romance language).

Of course there are a host of helpful sites out there. Language learning software is abundant, too. Just search around and find something that interests you; a program that tracks your progress is a bonus. And if you find something really helpful out there, please let me know too!!

Omiyage (お土産), the Basics

When someone does something nice for you, you normally want to do something nice back, right? You could go out and buy something, but consumer prices in Japan are usually wicked expensive. Besides, since I'll be coming from far-off America, wouldn't it be cool to give them a souvenir they couldn't normally get themselves? The Japanese call a souvenir an "omiyage." A funny word, maybe, but easy to say and remember (for those of us who saw the original Karate Kid, think of Mr. Miyagi and change it just a tad). Omiyage can range be anything from food, a small toy, a little box, or stamps. A little token of your appreciation for help or friendship.

"Gez, Alexandra, thanks for the vocab lesson and all, but why should we care?" I'm so glad you asked!

In Japan, the chain of events is usually as follows: clueless American arrives, fumbles around, attempts the language/culture, someone takes pity, really helps them figure things out, the American says thanks, and that's it. WRONG!! When someone does you a favor, you are expected to say more than just "domo" and think you've done well. Write a little card, give them a bag of sweets, or buy a key chain for their cell phone. International students need quite a bit of help in Japan, so we are expected to give quite a few omiyage.

"But that doesn't say much on what to bring. What would they like?"

Really, they won't care too much about what you bring, but here are some standards that your omiyage should meet:

1. Hard to find in Japan. Looking back, that cell phone key chain isn't a good idea since they are on every street corner and konbini (convenience store) in Japan.

2. It represents your area/state/country. Get little plush toys of your state bird, find some trifles from your school, buy post cards with pictures of your town, or get some thing that is made in your area (Malley's Chocolate, for example).

3. Add some words. Bringing anything with English on it will interest the Japanese. Don't we in America get excited if a song has some French in it (look to Lady Gaga for a clue)? The Japanese think that English words really cool, even if it makes no sense or says something very mundane.

4. Keep it small. Think of the omiyage as a knick-knack. Something that won't take up too much space in their house or your suitcase.

5. Taste appeal. A small snack that is popular in America is usually found in Japan. But since peanut butter is not widely used in Japan, something like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup would be a fun, interesting sweet that they are not used to. Just make sure that your candy does not melt in the airplane; have someone ship a bag to you once your settled in the country.

A final thought, bring some omiyage back!! While out and about in the city, there are a lot of places that sell souvenirs and trinkets just like we do in America. Just make sure they fit in your suitcase.

Final Photos and Goodbyes

Leaving for ICU has me feeling like a college freshman all over again: I don't know much about the campus, teachers, classes, or student life save for what I've heard and found on the internet. But I figure that since I'm back to square one, I might as well act like it!

Before Witt, I made sure to see all of my friends, family, and dojo members so that I'd have some recent memories of them all to take with me to school. Sure, I'd be coming home for Christmas, but when you find an excuse to be with the people you love, you grab it, right? Being back at home has let me relax and talk with my family, Fanam, and friends from high school. I am spending a few days with my grandparents right now, and most of the family came out for the cousins' yearly picture session. It is so odd to think that we could stand in the same house that we played in as kids! I took a whole bunch of photos of my grandparents' home and garden to help cheer me up in Japan.

Yeah, that's right! I have a camera now!! It still blows my mind that camera's don't need film anymore (well, alright, some still do, but that is on purpose).

After the family photo shoot, a bunch of us went out for Starbucks. My aunt gave me a fantastic pep-talk (she studied abroad for 3 months in Brazil) and it was heartening to hear the language adventure stories from a member of the family. It is one thing when people my own age come back and say, "That was a blast! You're going to love it! I wish I could go back!" and to hear her talk about what an impact it still has on her life.

I know that few of us want to grow up. There is always a bitter-sweet feeling at graduations, good-bye parties, and before a trip. I know that this is going to change me in more ways than I can see right now, and I wanted to see the people I've grown up with to almost reassure myself that I've changed before and they still like me.

Sorry, to get so mushy, everyone. I'll promise to pep up!

一生懸命頑張ります！

Calling on My Crew

During high school, I took Honors Physics (for heaven knows what reason) and had to complete a bridge project to prove I understood stress and pressure. I hated the project except for 3 things: I could talk to my grandfather more, the craft store had a spiral red staircase to get to the balsa wood, and I took "progress photos" with one of my stuffed panda, Crew. My several snapshots made me so happy and helped me to look forward to each step of the bridge.

Part of going to Japan would be homesickness, and I wanted to bring something special with me. I had this idea driving home from Witt: why not bring Crew along? He could pose, be cute, and get some world experience! Karaoke, moving into the dorm, a 13 hr flight, taking classes, taiko training even? It will be a blast, and something silly for people to follow up on. My mother had a good name for it: Alex and her Crew.

Hopefully my Japanese friends will help me out and get excited about chilling with Crew and I'll have lots of fun pictures to share with you all!

Here are some flashbacks to my first project with Crew...

(On the right) Crew helped me build a bridge for Honors Physics class. Here he is surveying the plans before construction. Safety is key (please note the glasses) and no stuffed animals were harmed in the making of this bridge.

(On the left) Crew is now done with the construction of the bridge. Special care was taken in the transport stage; heavy-duty wrapping insured the protection of the structure. Loading up the project was a big job, but Crew deftly and safely packed the bridge away.

Potential Class

Because I knew going into college that I wanted to study abroad, I took care of most of my difficult or required classes in the first two years. Finishing up the grunt work early would leave me pretty free to choose whatever courses struck my fancy when I was in Japan. Regrettably, I can't register for my classes ahead of time, so it will be a mad dash to sign up during my orientation. ICU was kind enough to send me a list of options for the fall and winter terms (they are on trimesters, so next year's spring term classes haven't been finalized yet).*

While I still need to take a Japanese language class each term, my only other restrictions would be that I have 2 history and 1 social institutions course to complete. Besides that I could take Japanese gym classes the whole time, if I wanted. Here is a list of courses that I am interested, ranked by my desire/need to take them:

Tier 1 - Readings in Japanese History, Aural: Advanced Japanese 2, History of the Mediterranean World, Interpreting in Sociology, Bilingualism & Multilingualism, and Language, Poitics, and Media

Tier 2 - Society & Culture, Cultural Studies 1, Area Studies in Ethnology, and History of Japan in Asia

Tier 3 - Individual Sports (PE), Intro to Japanese Sociology, and Culture in Contemporary Japan

Perhaps this list should be longer; I don't know what order they will let me pick my classes in, but, I want to try and work my way into Japanese (start with just English classes, move into Japanese/English taught course, and finishing in some classes taught just in Japanese). I don't want to get overwhelmed in the beginning, which is why the Aural class would be such a big help.

I'll post my actual class schedule later on. Who knows? I might get all of my first choices!

*While many schools, like ICU have changed their school year to start with Western universities, they still maintain the traditional start-and-end times for the school year. While we in the West start every school year in the fall, the Japanese believe that the school year begins in the spring time and end in winter (the minds of the students follow with the seasons; blooming in the spring, growing in the summer, maturing during fall, and resting in winter).

Gearing up to go!

When I tell people that I'm going to Japan, the first thing they say is, "Oh, really?! Well, isn't that something! Are you excited?"

Am I excited?

Am I excited to go to a place where not only do I not speak or read the language like a 3rd grader (on a good day)? Am I psyched to know that when I arrive the closest thing to a familiar face I'll have is the KFC mascot? Am I pumped that I still don't have a place to live or know what classes I'll be taking until two days before school all starts? Was it excitement that made me cry myself to sleep a couple times thinking that I'm utterly unprepared? Does knowing that I'll be the fattest girl in Mitaka just tickle me pink?

Um,...no. Not really.

But, am I stocked that I'll finally know what those cheap, instant ramen packs are supposed to taste like? Am I excited that I'll be living in the homeland of Bushido? Not to mention some of the last remaining Lawson's stores! Am I ecstatic to learn what it means to live in a big city, let alone the fashion capital of the East? What about the opportunity to see the ocean, temples, and shrines on a near daily basis?

Yeah, that part is pretty cool!

Don't get me wrong; I wouldn't be going to Japan if I was completely mortified of what might await me there. I have had some great advice from other Bujinkan members, Wittenberg students, and close friends about where to go, what to eat, and whom NOT to get close to. I am just starting to feel really anxious about all the negative aspects to moving (again) to a new city. My main worries at the moment are:

1. Where am I going to live?!
2. How will I get my Arabic/American food fix?
3. Where is the closest dojo?
4. How will I understand my professors?!

I've still got a lot of time to practice vocab and basic greetings, put together some omiyage, and snag some family time. Maybe my excitement list will be longer in August. Maybe I'll have found new fears. Either way, I'll keep you all posted and let you know how I'm faring for the next 11-odd months. Thanks for your support in getting me this far!