Today was a lot of fun. Vanessa and I went to Oita for the day. We headed out around 1 after eating some lunch. When we got to Oita, we shopped around a bit. We visited the Sanrio store and saw lots of great Hello Kitty stuff. After that, we headed over to Park Place. Unfortunately, I was not nearly as impressed with Park Place as I thought I would be. A lot of the stores were really pricey and all I could really afford was the Daiso (100 Yen store). I did go into a pet store though and see some super super cute puppies. That was a really fun :). Tomorrow, plans have not yet been decided. I don't think I'll be able to make it out to Fukuoka but I hope to find something fun to do around Beppu. :) 

Day 2 of break was awesome! Vanessa and I did a movie day today and it was a blast. The weather was still rainy so we decided it was best to stay inside. 

We started out movie day with Bridesmaids. This movie definitely had some moments I could relate to. Overall, it was a very good movie. I was honestly expecting it to me more like a typical chick flick but it had some great surprise elements that kept it entertaining. 

Next was 21 Jump Street. My love for Channing Tatum is undeniable. I really love the balance of him in this role between serious and funny. Also, the fact that there was AP Chemistry involved made me love it just a little bit more. I could have done without the awkward high school romance but still a very enjoyable movie. 

Followed that up with Black Swan. First, OMG Mila Kunis---my total lady crush. She is so pretty and just words. This movie was so intense. Definitely will mess with your mind. I'm still trying to process exactly what happened in the last 15 minutes of the movie. The movie was very well done and I would like to see it again just to try and process it a little more. 

Ended the night with Crazy Stupid Love. Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling. Can I have him please? Besides Ryan Gosling, the movie was funny although parts of it were a tad stretched for me. The complexity of the love triangles were a little exaggerated for my taste but I think the overall message was a very positive one. I could definitely relate to some of the happenings and I enjoy how the ending was unexpected. 

I'm very pleased to have gotten to watch all these great movies. Tomorrow, Vanessa and I are planning to go to Oita and have some fun! :) <3

First day of break was great! Unfortunately, the weather decided not to cooperate but that didn't stop Vanessa and I from having a good time. We started our day out with a delicious breakfast cooked by Vanessa that included pancakes and eggs. After that, we headed out into town to an onsen. For those of you who don't know, an onsen is a public bath that can either consist of a natural hot spring or heated spring water. Essentially, you walk in and get naked and shower. After showering, you can soak in the onsen for as long as you want. I warn you though, the water is SUPER hot! It felt really good though and it makes your skin super soft. After you soak, you wash off again. It was definitely weird at first being naked in front of everyone but you get used to it. (There is a separate bath for males and females :P) 

After the onsen, Vanessa and I headed out to a thrift store. It was awesome! They had so many great deals. I managed to find myself a really cute pair of lace overalls for $7! I can't wait to go back there. Next was lunch at Mos Burger. Something I've realized as I've gone out to restaurants here is that your food is NEVER cold. It is always scorching hot and fresh. I had a delicious fish sandwich and some fries.

 Afterwards, Vanessa and I wanted to find a bakery we had seen a couple times on the bus route. We walked in the rain until we found it and was it worth the walk! They had so many different sweets that I probably could have bought the entire bakery if I wanted. I decided to get a panda cake and some "healthy" pound cake. Both were extremely yummy and satisfying. Next, we were on the search for a store that sells American food products like taco supplies, cheddar cheese, etc. We walked again and managed to find it. I thought about buying supplies to make tacos but ended up not getting them because I couldn't find queso or chips :(. '

We ended the day by going to Mister Donut and each getting a donut. I really enjoy their original donut. It has a crisp edge with a soft inside. Delicious :) Tomorrow, the weather doesn't look to improve so Vanessa and I are likely going to have a movie day inside. Looking forward to it! :) <3

Hey Everyone! I'm now officially finished with my first quarter so I want to go ahead and recap everything I've gone through thus far. Soon after finding out I was going overseas, I was excited about the adventure I was going to embark on. Then reality set in. Back before I came Japan, I went through a lot of changes. I was struggling with the fact that all my friends were busy with classes and I had nothing but time on my hands. I was in a new relationship with a great guy which was something I had never experienced before. I had good points and bad points.

Once I got over here, I wasn't thrilled to be here at all. I had a terrible travel experience coming over here. I had left all my friends and boyfriend who I missed dearly. I knew I was going to be missing some of the biggest moments in my family's life. To say I was miserable was an understatement. It didn't get any easier when my classes over here weren't working out. Registration was such a pain and I was ready to call it quits but I sucked it up and fought. 

Finally, classes got started and things were underway. It was hard adjusting to all the differences between here and back home. I got home sick often and just didn't want to be here. The reality was though that if I wanted my Japanese to improve, I had to stay. It did get easier. Classes became more interesting, I started making friends and going to explore the island. My relationship was going through ups and downs but I figured it would work itself out and everything would be great. 

Then, this week happened. This week has been one of the roughest weeks I had in a long time. I found out that I didn't do as well on a paper as I had hoped. I was stressed with prepping for finals. Then, I had banking issues and found out that I was going to be without money for a while. This crushed me as I had hoped to do great, fun, awesome things during the quarter break that I now wasn't sure I'd be able to. On top of that, my relationship that I hoped would last ended kind of unexpectedly. 

It's definitely been a struggle these past couple days, but things are looking up. I do have access to money so I'll be able to have a good quarter break. Added bonus is the fact that the weather is looking lovely. Finals are now over so that stress is lifted and gone for at least a week :P. Dealing with the break up comes and goes in cycles. There are a lot of emotions that surround it, but in the end, I know I'll get through it.

 I'm looking forward to relaxing these next couple days and getting to explore and take lots of pictures. What's crazy is that one of the guys on the exchange posted that we only have 8 more weekends in Japan!?!? Hard to believe and I know it's going to go fast. I'm looking forward to the remainder of the exchange and can't wait to get home to tell you all of my awesome adventures! 

<3 :) 

Update time! It's finals for the first quarter. I'm super ready for a break and hopefully will be able to have lots of fun with friends. 


Ok, time to go personal. So apparently Facebook no longer tells people when you have broken up but Thomas and I are no longer together. The break up is hard to deal with right now as finals are going on but I'm trying to push through it the best I can. For the record, the break up wasn't bad; caught me a little off guard but I guess I felt it coming. I guess the worst feeling about it is that feeling of being helpless. I had hoped to make the relationship work and really wanted to try but in the end, it wasn't meant to last. I ask that people please respect both Thomas and I and not try and pry for information. I know this is rough for me and I can't imagine it is any easier on him. I want to finish this by saying that I have no harsh feelings towards Thomas. This break up should not be viewed as Thomas vs I or anything like that. I have the intention of remaining good friends with Thomas and I can only hope he does the same for me. 


:) <3 

First, let me apologize for not posting in over a week. I have been really busy with classes and getting stuff done. With that, I update you on what's up :)

I made it through midterms for this quarter! Wooooooo! From the looks of it, I think I got A+ on on 1 of my midterms and at least an A on the other one. That's pretty exciting for me. I also had my group presentation which went very well. According to the professor, the presentation was "nearly perfect" so I'm assuming that is a good sign.  I also just submitted a group paper that I had for my Global Issues and Policies class. I'm hoping that turns out well. My group and I worked really hard and I think that shows in the paper. 

For this upcoming week, Japanese will likely be the death of me. There is so much work to do! We have a kanji quiz Monday, grammar quiz Tuesday, and a 2 part midterm on Thursday and Friday. We also have to submit a composition on Tuesday. Sooo much stuff! I also have an extra credit group presentation I'm doing in my Cultural Studies class. It is on the Boston Marathon Bombings so that should be interesting. I'm also still helping to prep for World Festival! Our floor is doing a name writing activity where you learn to write your name in calligraphy! I think it will be lots of fun and super cool for the international students! 

Speaking of international students, the LBAT students have arrived which means there are now about 15 Tech students on campus! Yay GT! Go Jackets! etc. etc. 

Getting back, as of today, there are only 2 weeks left in this quarter. 2 weeks. As in, I'm almost halfway done with this exchange. It's so crazy to think that it has gone this fast! I'm finally adjusted and am having a blast though. I know it was rough in the beginning but I'm really enjoying being here now. I've made great friends and we do awesome things together and it's great! I'm looking forward to the quarter break that is coming up. Vanessa and I are going to go to Fukuoka and Oita for sure and possibly Nagasaki. I can't wait! 

To finish this post, I'd like to once again congratulate my sister Gabi Wall on graduating high school! I'm so proud of you and I can't wait for you to start college at Valdosta State in the Fall! Since I cannot be at her graduation, I ask you my followers to do me a favor: if you are on Facebook, go to my page, find Gabi Wall, message her a congratulations; if you are on twitter, tweet @gmwall26 to congratulate her. I want her to feel as special and awesome on her graduation day! :) <3 

It's MIDTERM weekkkk wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo - said no one ever. 

It's hard to imagine that I'm already halfway through this quarter and that at the end of the month, half my exchange will be up. There has definitely been ups and downs but I feel like I'm sitting at an awesome place and couldn't be happier to be here. 

So updates on this upcoming week and what my classes are looking like :D. 

Classes: 


Global Issues and Policies: This class is alright. We talk mostly about game theory and how to solve international problems. I have a group paper for this class about Iran's Nuclear Acquisition and the International Sanctions surrounding them. The topic is actually more interesting that I originally thought which is good. We're also going to be having the Australian Ambassador to Japan come speak to us about Japan-Australia relations. 

Identity and Politics: I'm kind of disappointed in the way this class has turned out. At the start of the quarter, the professor outlined some awesome topics we were going to discuss. However, he is requiring the class to do 30 minute group presentations and with 13 groups has had to cut the remaining lectures for the rest of the quarter. I kind of wish he would have switched this to a group paper so that we could have more lectures because he does have an incredible amount of knowledge. I am getting to write my final paper on "Olympus has Fallen" though so I'm excited about that! 

Global History and World Systems: Hands down my favorite class so far and actually may be one of my favorite classes I've ever taken. The way in which this class looks at the history of the world is simply fascinating. I'm glad I'm also getting the opportunity to learn more than just Europe and America. It's amazing how much was going on in Asia and Africa that often goes unmentioned in other history classes. It helps that the teacher is way cool and awesome. She loves asking the Americans about their history experiences She is also truly passionate about her field and that always helps. 

Cultural Studies: This class has been ok as well. The course description implied that this course would look at culture and how that relates to politics which hasn't really happened yet. It has been cool though getting to learn others' perceptions on certain cultural phenomena. 

Japanese: This class will be the death of me. I am getting better at it though. My grades have been a little more consistent and I didn't do terrible with my presentation the other day. I've also been trying to talk more in Japanese as well as participate as much as possible in class. It's still a little scary though sometimes because you don't want to mess up the grammar and sound like a complete moron. I'm also still trying to memorize as much vocabulary and Kanji as possible. 

Alrighty so now that I've told you about the classes, let me share what my week looks like. 

Monday: 
Kanji Quiz 
Rough Draft Composition due
Kickboxing 
Meeting with Japanese professor 

Tuesday: 
Global History Midterm 
Grammar Quiz 
Final Composition due 

Wednesday: 
Group Meeting for Paper
Group Meeting for Presentation 
Study for Cultural Studies Midterm

Thursday: 
Cultural Studies Midterm 
Extra Credit Presentation due 
Group Presentation for Identity and Politics 
Kickboxing 
Kitchen Duty 

Friday:
Vocab Quiz 

Mind you, this does not include any readings or assignments the professors could give. Kinda jealous of all my friends who just finished up finals now :P.