Final Reflections

As my final days in APU came to a close, I had some time to reflect on this whole experience I had been through. Had you asked me six months ago how this exchange would impact me, I would tell you that it would help me become better at Japanese and that's about it. I didn't really expect much more from the program besides that. I realize now though that this exchange has been a journey that has completely changed who I am as a person. This exchange was full of many trials and tribulations, some good and some bad. From class struggles to personal relationships, each situation provided an opportunity for me to either sink or swim. 

When you go into an exchange like this, where you often find yourself in new predicaments, you find out just how strong you are. There were some days on this exchange when I didn't want to get out of bed or leave my room. I'd regret coming to Japan and wish I had stayed in Atlanta. But, I battled through it. I found the things that made me happy which is something I hadn't always done in the past. As a people pleaser, I always put everyone before myself. When I started doing things because I wanted to, I found a new happiness that I hadn't really felt before. 

As the exchange went on, I was also able to take a step back from my life at Tech and evaluate where I was in life. I have control problems and I'm not afraid to admit it; but, when there are so many things that are not in your control, you learn to just roll with the punches. I found that when I gave up some control, I actually did better in classes and it was much easier to relax. I was also able to take some time to look at the relationships I have with friends. It was difficult to turn to friends in Atlanta when I was struggling in Japan. I didn't feel like many of them could understand what I was going through. It was also easier to see peoples' true colors. 

In the end, I feel like as an individual, I have grown drastically through this process. I feel much more confident as a person and that is in part thanks to the friends at APU. I also realize that I am much stronger than when I originally got to APU and that I can accomplish many things when I put my mind through it. I never thought I'd feel comfortable speaking Japanese but now that I've completed the program, I know that I can speak it without sounding completely stupid. I have also realized that sometimes there doesn't need to be an explanation for why things happen a certain way but rather just roll with the punches and take advantage of every opportunity presented to you. Finally, I decided that from now on, I'm going to focus more on my own wants and needs instead of always silencing them. Every person deserves to feel like they are worth it and that they are their absolute best.

Like I've said before to my friends back here at home, I have changed as a result of this exchange. I can't promise you that things will be the same as before but my goal is to stay true to myself and embrace the new person that I am. :)

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Well, it's almost time! My classes are finally finished and now I'm just waiting to head back home. Let's talk about finals first. My finals all were decent. I had one in each class and they were pretty fair. I'd say Japanese was the hardest out of them all but that is kind of what I expected. Oh also, before finals I forgot to mention that Germany (my team :P) won the diplomacy game! It's the first time Germany has ever won and I was really fortunate to get to work with such awesome people. 

So. getting back, Friday after finals, my Japanese class went out for dinner (apparently customary here in Japan) at a Korean restaurant (talk about irony). It was a blast hanging out one last time and getting to talk without all the stress of school. There also happens to be a Fireworks Festival going on this weekend so we got to walk around that a bit. All the girls dressed up in their beautiful yukatas (kind of a summer kimono) made me super jealous. It was really great to see that right before I headed back. 

Today was a very bittersweet day for me. I got to hangout with the Kickboxing circle one last time. They had a beach bbq for us that was loads of fun. The group made me give a speech/toast in Japanese which was probably super terrible :P. We then hung out and played in the water and ate lots of delicious food. Then, there was some beach volleyball and a typical Japanese watermelon smashing. Essentially, you put the watermelon on the group and one person gets blindfolded. You spin that person around and then they have to try to smash open the watermelon with a wooden sword. (Here is an example of it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnPFLca_xZA)  I was lucky and hit it on the first try! We finished up the trip with some ice cream and final goodbyes. It was really hard to say goodbye to such a good group of people. They have been there for me and have kept me laughing all semester and there aren't enough words to express my appreciation. I am truly going to miss them! 

More updates!

I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while. This exchange is catching up to me and I've been busy doing work. The past couple weeks have been interesting for me to say the least. Last weekend, I went to a kickboxing competition for the first time! It was an absolute blast. Watching my friends compete was so exciting and they all did such a great job! I will say though that it is a bit scary watching from outside the ring so I can't IMAGINE what it is like inside the ring. 

Anyway, so then yesterday, to celebrate the fights and competitors, a group of us from the kickboxing group went to a beer garden. The location of it was so cute and quaint. For about $20, it was all you can eat and drink for 2 hours. Needless to say, I was entertained the entire time. The people in the kickboxing circle have such great personalities and know how to party. They had me laughing the whole time! 

Today brought about the realization that everything that has happened these past several months is all about to change. We had a closing ceremony (not finished yet, finals next week) today to celebrate the end of the exchange and it was definitely bittersweet. My Japanese teacher went to give a speech and teared up a bit. I cried a little bit this afternoon. I'm sad that all the amazing people I have met here and the experiences I have had will be done in 2 weeks. Having people starting to say goodbye is so rough--these are people who have helped me grow and been my support. When I started this exchange, I didn't think it'd be as influential as it has been. I figured I'd just get through it and it'd be done but it has turned out to be so much more than that. 

To my friends here at APU, thank you for the experiences you have given me. I look forward to as many adventures as we can have in these next two weeks. To my friends back home, I can't promise you that I am the same person I was when I left back in March. When you go through an exchange like this, you have a chance to grow and learn about yourself and I can say for a fact that I have done that. :) 

Update

Hey Everyone! Sorry for the delayed post but here are the updates :) 

Midterms for this quarter are officially done! I had two and they both went decently well. My Japanese class is still going great also. My grades have definitely been better this quarter as opposed to last so that is always good to know. I'm also down to 25 days left here. Crazy to think that I've been here since March and that this adventure is already coming to a close. Ultimately, I'm ready to be home though. This exchange has given me awesome opportunities, however there have been some really challenging aspects as well. It'll good to get home and relax :) 

Having said that, there is something I want to address. Recently, I've had a couple people who have been quite insincere in their interactions with me. If you are one of these people, please stop. I'm not a charity case. If you don't genuinely care about my well being, don't waste your time or effort. There are plenty of people who do care and those are the people I choose to spend my time on. 

That's all for now :) <3   

Another week down! Hard to believe we are down to a little over a month before I come back home. I have a midterm coming up this week; all the questions are short answer or essay. Fortunately, the professor is letting us use notes so I'm not too worried about it. Japanese is also going a lot better this quarter. I actually managed to pull a 100 on a quiz and the professor has given me kudos a couple times in class. It was funny because Vanessa and I actually were stopped by some middle schoolers the other day to be interviewed and we were both able to answer the questions in Japanese. The children were super kind and understanding. 

 I've also started reading Memoirs of a Geisha and am about halfway through at this point. The book is so good. The writing techniques the author uses are just exquisite and it makes the story so believable. I HIGHLY recommend the book. I've been watching a couple more films here and there. I was able to sit through the first Harry Potter movie although I will say I was not that impressed. I like the wittiness of the characters but the story is ok (And yes, I have tried a dozen times to read the books and no, I have not been able to get through the first chapter of a single one). 

In the next couple weeks, I have a bit of stuff I want to go see. I'd like to see the Hells of Beppu before I leave as well as visit a couple more onsens. My friends and I are also planning on going to a Kimono Festival later in July. Lots of exciting stuff for sure :). I would like people to know though that I am currently going to counseling to figure some personal stuff out. I don't ask for pity or sympathy but sometimes, you just need a new set of eyes to help clear things up. My hope is that through this, I will become a stronger and better person for myself and for those around me. I ask for your continued support and appreciate all that each and every one of you does for me. :) <3 


PS: If you are planning to send me a package, letter, card, etc, please do it within the next week or so to ensure I get it before I leave. I cannot promise that I will necessarily get it otherwise :D

Today was an absolute blast! If you remember, during Quarter 1, I was named a Floor Leader for the World Festival. Well, World Festival was today and it was an absolute success! For our event, we wrote our names in different languages. I wound up getting my name in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Bengali, Persian, and Thai. It was a truly eye opening experience. It made me realize how much this exchange has to offer and I couldn't be more happy. Thanks again to everyone who helped with the event! 

Ok, so after our event, I got to go sample some food that other floors made. It was sooo delicious! I had squid/shrimp friend rice, blueberry pancakes, a kabob, and a sweet potato tart. Incredibly yummy for sure! After that, there were performances by the RAs and some of the other floors. All of them were really creative and super funny. I love how the people here are willing to put themselves out there without any fear of judgement. It's great to see people let go. :)

Anyway, the clock is winding down fast and this exchange will be up before I know it. I'm coming to realize that this is a bittersweet feeling. I miss so much back home but I wish I could stay here a little longer. Things are not so stressful here and the weather is awesome. I'm anxious about how things will be when I get back home. Lots of changes have happened and I don't know how that will affect me when I get back. For now, I ask for your continued support through the rest of this journey and I look forward to seeing each and every one of you in a couple weeks! :) <3 

Update Time!!!! It's a new quarter which means new classes so here is the scoop :)


I'm still taking Japanese. I am really enjoying this class so much at this point. I'm not only learning a lot and becoming a better speaker but I'm just having fun in class. The teacher has let up and jokes around a lot more now and the students are more relaxed and having fun. I'm also not taking as many classes this quarter so I have more time to dedicate to studying and focusing on Japanese as well. 

This quarter, I have two new classes: Strategic Decision Making and Japanese Culture and Society. Both seem like they will be interesting. The first class, Strategic Decision Making, is actually preparing me for my certificate that I will be getting back at Tech. The class is based on diplomacy, foreign policy, and lots of great INTA stuff. We will actually be playing a diplomacy game throughout the quarter which I'm excited for as well. 

Japanese Culture and Society is exactly what it sounds like. What I am looking forward to about this course is that the professor has told us that we will be focusing on the current ideas of Japanese culture while still looking at some past ideas like geisha. This includes the class watching Memoirs of a Geisha which I haven't seen so I'm pretty stoked about that! 

Speaking of movies, I have been watching a TON of movies lately now that I have some more time. Just to name some: Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained, Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, Crazy Stupid Love, Easy A, Brave, etc. Some have been good while others have not been as good. Anyway, I'm always game to watch something new so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment. :) I'm going to attempt to watch all the Harry Potter movies next weekend. :P <3 

Also: 51 days til I'm back home! <3 :D 

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. 

Today I had an epiphany...one that I probably needed to have about a month ago lol. I'll get to that in a minute but let me give you some updates on the day :D. 

In approximately 1 week from tomorrow, I will be halfway through this quarter. It's hard to believe I have already been here 1 month. There has been a lot of ups and downs during this past month and I thank everyone who has been there to support me. Classes are starting to become more demanding and I'm continuing to work to find the perfect balance between work and leisure. I'm already starting to work on final projects and papers to make sure I don't fall behind lol :P. 

Yesterday and today was spent doing mostly homework. Most of my classes require readings (INTA problems) so that's fairly time consuming. I'm also trying to pay extra attention to my Japanese class. I'm really aiming for a "B" in the class. I also went to Mass today which is always interesting. The priest's English is still not so great but he tries really hard and I give him a lot of credit. I also finally went grocery shopping. I woke up this morning to realize I had no food for breakfast or lunch so that had to happen. I even went on a limb and bought this pasta/sauce combo that is in all Japanese but looks yummy. I hope to attempt to cook it this week sometime without burning down the whole building :). 

Anyway, back to the epiphany. Recently, I've found myself listening to a lot of new music. I find that music can find the words and strength that I need to get through anything. I've listened close to the lyrics and relate it back to what I'm going through. While I listen to the music, I usually break down and cry. I don't do it intentionally and I try to fight back the tears but it's better to let it out than bottle it up. As I've continued listening to music, I have looked at ways to better adapt to my current situation. I'm here for another 3 months and being this depressed isn't helping anyone. 

That's when I stumbled upon an interesting article. It talked about the way I had been looking at my current situation and how I needed to look at my situation. As you've seen through my blogs and through me talking, I've expressed how I'm not super happy being here and there are a lot of times when I wish I could be back home. Looking at studying abroad this way is depressing but also completely negative and I feel probably brings down most people I talk to about it. Instead of looking at it as I'm stuck here, I need and am going to start looking at it as I will soon be back. I will enjoy the time here while I have it but will look forward to the opportunity to be reunited with those I miss and care about. Thinking about this experience in a more positive light I feel will help me move forward but will also help those around me cope with me not being around. I'm going to try my best to look at the positive from now on. As a side note, I'm really sorry to anyone who has had to deal with my extreme negativity. Part of this experience is to help me grow and mature as an individual and sometimes, you have to learn things the hard way. Thank you for the continued support. I love and miss you all. :) <3 

Sorry I haven't blogged recently :(. I've been busy trying to get used to classes. So let me update you on what's up :). 

Classes are starting to pick up now. It's crazy that professors are talking about midterms already when we just started classes two weeks ago. I guess that's what happens when you have a quarter system lol. Everything comes up a lot faster :P. As far as the classes themselves go, not too much has changed. I still really enjoy my World Systems class. The professor cannot stop having side conversations with the Americans and she now makes us interact with other students :P. It was cool the other day being able to talk to students about their history experience. Very insightful for sure. I'm still worried about my Japanese class. I haven't gotten a perfect score on any of my assignments yet and it's kinda nerve-wracking. The grading method is somewhat confusing so I hope I'm doing ok but I never know :/. My other classes are going well, just busy. 

I'm still doing kickboxing which is helping my stress some. It is a lot of fun and is helping me try to stay in shape. Also, I have discovered the awesomeness which is the Pacific Cafe. They have delicious ice cream as well as awesome crepes. I have to resist spending every yen I have there :P. 

So physically and academically, things are going alright. School will always be stressful no matter what and I handle it the best I can. I have to admit that right now emotionally, I'm not in the best state. I'm all over the place. Days run together and emotions are everywhere. There are things that make me happy but at the same time, I always find myself in this dark cloud of frustration, anger, and sadness. I think part of it is homesickness. As I've expressed before, I don't think I'll ever get over being away from home, especially with as much stuff that is going on. I feel that while being here is a great opportunity, I'm missing out on so much more back home. I find that I have also become more passive and sensitive as this goes on. Things that typically don't bother me annoy me the most and I just find myself lacking the ability to care. I ask for your continued support as I get through this exchange. It isn't easy and I'm trying to make the best of it. :) <3 

Hey everyone! Thanks again for the ongoing support of the blog and I hope you enjoy my posts. Please feel free to comment :) 

So today marks my first full week of school done. I am so exhausted. It has been extremely difficult to get used to going to classes again and having to do hw. It's an adjustment I have to make quickly that is for sure :P. 

Classes are still going pretty well. I am in love with my professor for Global History and World Systems. She is the best. She loves talking to the American students and just has the greatest sense of humor. I really enjoy going to her class. My hardest class is still my Japanese class. The structure is so different than what I am used to. I had my first quiz in there the other day and I passed. I wasn't really proud of the grade and I know I can do better. I just need to focus and study like never before. 

In going to class this week, I have already started noticing some differences between the American and Japanese education system. One of the first things I noticed is that students here can show up to class whenever they want without penalty. I have been in classes where people (both Japanese and international) show up a half an hour to an hour late for a 95 minute class. In addition, teachers don't seem to mind when students talk during class. They can have side conversations without being called out (except in the class with the American professor :P). Finally, I've noticed that the comprehensive knowledge of students here is not so developed. They appear to focus on certain subjects that pertain to them specifically and do not try to seek out further knowledge. For instance, in one of my classes, the professor showed a picture of Hurricane Katrina and a student immediately tried to say "typhoon". While I didn't take this as ignorance on the student's part, I think they literally thought it was a typhoon because that is what affects them here. I want to note that I do not necessarily find these as weaknesses or problems with the education system here. I simply find it different than what I am used to in the US. 

Along with everything going on here, it has been rather difficult to hear about the things happening back home. My heart goes out to the people in Boston and Texas that have forever been changed due to the events of this week. However, I want to remind everyone that while these tragedies are horrible and inexcusable, please do not forget that there are terrible events happening all over the world. People are suffering each and every day and those people deserve just as much sympathy and prayer as any other. 

It is reasons like this that I am an International Affairs major. Why do we live in such a violent world today? Why do terrible events like this happen? Is it preventable? Who do we blame? My job is to help provide answers for these types of questions. Sometimes, it isn't about the science or the numbers. Answers have to be found by looking through years of history and culture. This is what I love to do and I truly believe I made the best choice in deciding to study International Affairs. :) <3  

So I'm really sorry I haven't posted in a couple days but nothing super exciting has happened :P. 

I've been going to my classes and am trying to get back a relatively normal schedule. It's so strange to be just now starting my Spring semester lol. Anyway, my classes are actually fairly interesting. I find it humorous though that all of my teachers know who the exchange students are. They have no problem asking for the "American" perspective on things. I'm also really enjoying the material I'm studying. My most interesting class so far is my Global History and World Systems class. It's basically studying the history of the world through globalization as opposed to studying each individual civilization and putting together a puzzle. My hardest class is for sure Japanese. Because of the level I am taking, the professor rarely uses English at all so you've got to hope that you understand what he is trying to explain. 

I'm have also really enjoyed kickboxing! It's such a great workout and I'm meeting all kinds of people there. In fact, today alone, two different guys from the group saw me and talked to me for a bit. It was great to feel like I was included :). Also, I've lost weight since I got here (Wooo!)! I'm trying to get back down to where I was last Summer which will take a good amount of work and energy. 

On top of this stuff, I'm working with Vanessa to plan some things to do for our quarter break. Right now, it looks like there will be LOTS of shopping involved although a trip to the aquarium isn't out of the works either :P. I'm really looking forward to exploring some more of the local area. 

In addition, the homesickness is going away for the most part and I'm starting to enjoy being here. I know for a lot of you, it seemed that I wasn't super excited and that I was really miserable and for a while I was; however, I'm finally adjusting to life here and I'm glad that I decided to do the exchange. It is rough to be away from friends and family and that feeling will never completely go away. It's also kinda hard to embrace life here when I still have so much going on back home. I'm trying my best to have fun here while also continuing to keep my responsibilities in ATL. If you ever feel like I dropped the ball or missed something, please let me know. I'm only human and I will make mistakes. :) <3 

Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blogs! I really appreciate it :D


Yesterday was my second day of classes. It went WAY smoother than my first day. The teachers are all really nice and they are truly passionate about what they do. In these first couple days of classes, I've noticed some interesting differences from GA Tech. The first of those differences is the demand in workload. Here, the teachers warn you that they give lots of hw which in their minds is 20 pages of reading. I look at this as a break from my usual 40 pages :P. Also, my teachers here are giving us most of the questions for our finals in advanced; if only Tech would adopt that same mentality. Finally, I feel like here I have a lot more presentations I have to give which is a nice change from having to mostly write papers back home. 

Today, I had a fun day of adventures with my friends down at YouMe town (a mall). We shopped for a while which included hitting up a lingerie sale (you can't pass up $5 bras :P) and checked out other sales they were having. We wound up at the arcade where we went at took purikura (a photo booth/photoshop combo) which are really popular for both guys and girls. It's so much fun decorating the pictures! After that, I played the Kit-Kat arcade came once. I didn't win anything but I pushed the Kit-Kats further so I was determined to come back later and try again. 

After that, we went to dinner at Mos Burger which is a burger chain in Japan. The burger was sooo delicious. I had fries and a milkshake too. Rather satisfying dinner to say the least. We followed that up with another trip to purikura and that's when I played the Kit-Kat game again. I managed to get enough candy that I knocked over a bunch of Kit-Kats and other goodies! It was AWESOME! I now have a Kit-Kat stash for the rest of the year :P. Overall, it was a very fun and successful day of shopping and hanging out with friend :). 

________________________________________________________________________

On a completely unrelated note, I want to address some issues I've had lately (aka if you don't want to hear about my personal problems, you should stop reading now). I know the saying is, "The past is the past, you can't change it so move on"; however, while the quote may seem very simple and straightforward, past experiences shape who you are as an individual and I truly believe that. In my recent past (a la 4 years and less), I've had "friends" lie to my face and stab me in the back repeatedly. As a very trustworthy individual, this has done a LOT of damage to my self esteem as well as my ability to trust people. It is something that I struggle with daily and I try very hard to move past; however, I do have times when doubts will come in to my mind and I will question your loyalty. I'm sorry if this has happened to you and I promise it's not something that should be taken personally. Like I said, I'm trying very hard to trust those around me but it's hard when you've been hurt so much in the past. 

All in all, don't take this as me asking for sympathy or justifying my actions. I know it isn't fair for me to question peoples' integrity but I do have to look out for myself and I don't want to find myself in a similar situation to my past. 

<3 

Time to update on the past couple days. :) 

Monday: Twas an interesting day indeed. It started out the best though; I had the opportunity to be skyped into Chapter. It was great to see everyone's faces and watch them tackle Thomas's computer. Additionally, watching him try to read what I typed is always humorous. There were some tough points though. I'm not going to lie, I completely broke down when my brothers sang the hymn. Listening to the words and wanting to be there led to an emotional overload :P. 

I followed that up with registering for classes and studying. Registering here is sooooooooo different then at GA Tech. Here, you have a week schedule brought up and you have to click on the class you want and hit submit then hit apply. Needless to say, I lost a class because I lost the click war. It all worked on in the end and I wound up with a decent schedule. 

Tuesday: Spent the whole day studying and chilling. 

Wednesday: Yesterday, I had a decent amount of fun. I started off by studying Kanji which isn't the most delightful thing in the world. I then got to attend the gym orientation which was a 15 minute video. It was actually kinda funny. After that was a group trip to the Daiso. For those who don't know, the Daiso is a hundred yen store a la Dollar Store. I had to get school supplies and some other small things. We followed that up with a trip to Tokiwa which is the department store in the city. I actually got to look around and they have some nice stuff. If I wasn't broke, maybe I'd  get some stuff. 

After that, we went to Jolly Pasta. That was literally the best part of yesterday. Here is the thing. Lots of groceries in Japan are super expensive including fruit, yogurt, and cheese. For a couple slices of cheese, it's easily 6 to 10 dollars. As a result, we were all really happy when we went to this pasta place and could get lots of cheesy deliciousness. I got a bacon, tomato, and cheese pasta along with cheese fondue. It was soooooo yummy! Final stop was at the grocery store when I picked up some last minute meals :P. 

Today: First day of classes. Let me tell you, I was really ready to call it quits after this morning. It was rough. I didn't realize until last night that I needed a clicker for today. So, I left my apartment at 8 am to try and see about borrowing one. I walk to the Admissions Office to see if they can give me more information; they don't open until 9 am. I walk to where I was supposed to go to possibly borrow a clicker; they don't open until 9:30 am. I decide that I will just suck it up and pay for a clicker so I head towards the ATM; doesn't open until 9 am. 

After reading the professor's email, I had determined that we didn't have to have a clicker until the next class so I tried to put that behind me. So, I get ready to pull up Google Calendar to see where my first class is. I know for a fact that my computer battery cannot last 30 seconds without being plugged in so I try to find an outlet; I find an outlet only to discover that I do not have the wifi password to use wifi. It's now about 8:30 am and I have my first class at 8:45. I have to run to another building where they have the classes and rooms posted and push my way to figure out where my first couple classes are. I manage to make it to my first class. 

In general, classes weren't too bad today. My teachers are all pretty decent; the one I'm most scared of is the American one (go figure). He is just really strict so I have determined I will not make any movement in his class. My Japanese class went surprisingly well. I felt more confident talking in this class which was really awesome. Also, in my Identity and Politics class, I'm going to talk to the teacher about doing my report on Olympus Has Fallen (terrible movie but has exactly what I need for my argument).

Some things I've learned over the past few days: 

1. Laptop

• I need a new battery
• Most people don't use laptops in class so I'm actually writing notes this semester :P

2. Cell phone 

• For the love of cheese and crackers, I NEED a smart phone like desperately especially with my crappy laptop battery 

3. Kickboxing

• I did kickboxing for the first time tonight. A lot of the guys told me I had a hard punch which was cool. I have some bruises on my hands and feet and I have a feeling I'll be sore in the morning :P 

4. 

5. Brothers 

• I love all of my brothers dearly and miss them so much. I'm praying my best friend Genie starts to feel better so we can talk again <3 AEA

Hey everyone! I know I haven't posted in a couple days but I have my reasons :P. I wanted to give some people the opportunity to catch up as well as there hasn't been too much interesting stuff happening lately. 

The past two days were spent mostly studying Japanese. I also did some shopping in town. Today, I had to register for classes. That was interesting to say the least. The system they use is not as technologically savvy as GA Tech's. Their system requires you to click the classes and save A LOT! I actually lost out on a class because I forgot to save :P 

It was super stressful too. I was really worried I wasn't going to be able to get enough major classes. Fortunately though, I waited and was able to snag others' spots who dropped. My schedule still has me taking 7 classes total. Most of the classes involve politics lol. I'm really excited though for my strategic decision making course though! It involves a lot of foreign policy and decisions about war and sanctions and nerdy INTA stuff :D. 

There was also an optional orientation about the health care system here in Japan. It quickly turned into sex education. The one thing us exchange students found the most entertaining was how adorable their condoms are. They literally decorate everything here. One came in a cute heart carrier and the other in a butterfly. All the girls thought they were the adorable. Of course, the guys were laughing at us. 

I don't start classes until Thursday so I have more time to study Japanese. You may not a see another blog post until then so sorry in advanced :P 

Also, I would like to take a chance and give a shout out to all the people that have been supporting me through this exchange especially my boyfriend Thomas. You put up with me complaining and whining probably way more than you should and I'm really really sorry for that. You and others have been so kind and encouraging and I can't thank you enough for it <3

Today was awesome!! It started out kinda rough though :/ I woke up with a pretty awful stomach ache which wasn't too fun. I also spent some of the morning reviewing more Japanese. I never realized how awesome Genki books were until now lol. After that, the fun stuff began. 

So a group of the exchange students got together to go to the Monkey Mountain. We ate lunch in the cafeteria and then headed to the Farmer's Market to get cheap produce. Once that was finished, we took a bus down to Beppu Station. We had some time to kill to wait for the bus that could take us to the mountain so we stopped in Mister Donut. I got Jr. Donuts which were super yummy :) 

After killing some time, the bus showed up and we were on our merry way. We get to the Monkey Mountain and it only costs $5 to go. Anyway, right as you start walking up this mountain, monkeys show up out of nowhere. We walk around and are taking pictures. Suddenly, we see this poor Japanese women being attacked by a Mommy monkey. It was pretty scary lol. 

As we head up further, we get to the monkey congregation where most of them chill. One of the workers tells us that is about to be feeding time and that we should watch. Here is what feeding time consists of: a worker has a cart full of yams and he runs with it and a back door releases the yams. As soon as this happens, mass chaos ensues. There are monkeys everywhere. They take their food and run. There were fights over food, there was screaming; it was super intense. After feeding time was universal cleaning time. Literally every monkey was getting groomed. It was cool to see them act as a synchronized society. We definitely got our $5 worth! 

We finished up there and headed to You-Me town. We ran into Vanessa and Ellie. Today happened to be Vanessa's birthday so I chilled with them for a bit. We did some shopping and I picked up a couple things including an awesome new watch and umbrella! We followed that up with a cheap and delicious dinner and ended the night with ice cream from Baskin Robbins. I was really proud of myself because I tried a flavor exclusive to Japan (Dainagon Azuki) and it's a sweet bean ice cream. It was super yummy and tasted a little like coffee to me. :) 

A rather successful day if I do say so myself <3 

Today was a combination of interesting and boring. I had to wake up at 5 am to register for classes at Tech which wasn't too fun. I then had to get back up at 7:30ish to get ready for a mandatory health exam. It was amazing how organized they were during the health exam. 

After that, I went back to my place and studied Japanese and napped til about 4ish. I then started getting ready for our AP House Entrance Ceremony. It was so much fun! It started out with an orientation that I thought was going to be boring but turned out to be really awesome instead. The RA's from the houses made a video describing the rules and it was hilarious. 

Following the orientation was a buffet celebration! There was so much food and such good food. They had shrimp fried rice, different styles of chicken, french fries, finger sandwiches, and delicious drinks. I had the apple juice :) It's literally the best thing ever. The apple juice is made from Fuji apples so it's sweet and crisp and so great. The french fries we also perfectly seasoned. 

Before we could stuff our faces, the RAs had us do a toast which was really cute. After that, the consuming began and it was awesome. We also got to mingle which was fun too. I'm getting to meet more people and more people are coming to talk to me. I already feel like I am able to speak a little more confidently and my reviews are definitely helping. 

Sooo after eating came the performances. The Taiko group as well as the Indonesian performers from before did another gig. It was cool to watch it up close this time. After that was all RA performances. Each houses' RAs performed a number and then some of the groups came together to do additional numbers. The finale was "We Will Rock You". Overall, it was very entertaining to see them put themselves out there and not care about what we thought :) 

Tomorrow will hopefully be a little more exciting. I'm going to the Monkey Park and Aquarium since the weather will be nice. It should be a lot of fun! <3 

Finally got the news that I had been waiting for! So, I met with the Japanese adviser here at APU to discuss whether I should be in Foundation II or Foundation III. I explained my situation to her and how if I took Foundation II, I would receive no credit and also be forced to take 12 classes here to fulfill Tech requirements. I explained to her that I was determined and that I knew I could do well in Foundation III. While she admits I probably won't get an "A", she knows I'll at least be able to pass the class. I know that these next couple days are going to be filled with lots of hard work and studying (I even went and bought the Genki I textbook and workbook) but it'll payoff and I will be on track for classes. (I'm in Foundation III! :) ) 

Having this happen has some pros and cons. The pros include the fact that I will no longer have to take a million classes over here. As of right now, I'm planning to register for 7 classes (6 major, 1 Japanese) for the semester. This will keep my work light so that I can spend as much time as possible focusing on my Japanese. This has also freed up some more time for me to possibly join clubs and organizations which I'm looking forward to! 

Here comes some cons. So I am happy that I will have my shot at Foundation III. I know I can do it but I do have some concerns. The tests here count a LOT more than they do at Tech and I have terrible test anxiety. I'm hoping though through lots of studying and practice, I'll become comfortable and won't stress too much at test time. Also, since I want to do well and continue to improve my language skills, I do not know if it's the best decision to join the APU Wind Orchestra. They meet for a total of 12 hours throughout the week including Saturdays and that is a huge time commitment. By being apart of it as well, I would likely not be able to do any other clubs as their meeting times are slightly awkward and conflict with most every other club. I really hate that I wouldn't be able to be apart of something awesome like that; however, I do have to look at my current situation and evaluate what will help me be most successful. 

In other random news, I just found out that Tech finally offers a certificate in Scenarios, Models, and Military Games. INTA majors were told about this our freshman year and I've been eager to pursue it. So, I'm planning on adding that to my major once I get back home. :) 

For now, things can start to calm down some hopefully :) <3 

Pretty boring day today. I unfortunately missed the Wind Orchestra rehearsal so I'll have to try and go on Thursday :(. Other than that, I sat through some typical orientation stuff and chilled around my place. I managed to work a copy machine and a washing machine today which were in Japanese so that was kinda neat. 

I still have no updates on my classes. I'll likely be emailing/harassing advisers starting tomorrow to figure out what I'm going to do. I've also been thinking about changing up my hair. Right now, it's pretty dull :/ and in my opinion doesn't look good. I'll probably experiment with some temp stuff but nothing too crazy lol :P I'm also contacting sports groups to try and get more exercise. I'll keep you updated on how that goes! 

Anyway, feel free to Skype or Facebook me :) I still get lonely on occasions <3

Today was amazing! The entrance ceremony was boring for the most part but it also included some of the highlights of the trip thus far. So, we get to the location of the Entrance Ceremony and we pretty much have time to socialize and meet people. I took lots of pictures with people in their national costumes! My favorite though still has to be the kimono. They are so elegant and beautiful, if only I had the money to afford one lol :P 

Once that was done, the ceremony itself was pretty standard. Important people get recognized, really important people get to talk, etc etc. One of the more annoying things was the fact that a lot of the information was directed specifically at Freshman or was information that had already been provided for international students.

Anyway, after that was done, we had a break before the performances started. Once they started, everything changed. The first group that was up was Indonesian Dancers. They performed with such speed and precision that I was sure I would probably kill someone if I tried. Next up were a traditional Japanese dance group who put a modern twist by creating their own music and outfits. That was really cool and fun to watch. 

Next up is probably one of my favorite things in the whole world: Taiko Drums. Taiko drumming just looks so intense and fun that I may consider trying it while I'm over here. While they were performing, I could help but be reminded of the countless times I heard the GT drumline going hard before a football game. 

Next were some demonstrations by a variety of clubs at APU. This included a choir, double dutch, Korean and Thai drum groups, as well as the Chinese dragon dancers. That was really neat to see for the first time up close. I never realized how much agility was needed to perform that kind of stuff. 

Finally, saved the best for last: the APU Wind Orchestra. Unfortunately, the group wasn't mic-ed very well so my recording isn't very good; however, it was still awesome to hear them perform. The first number they played was The Jackson 5, "ABC" and I instantly thought of the show we marched this past season. Just hearing that made my heart all warm and fuzzy inside (it also helped that the trombones were pretty much the focus of the ensemble :P). The following number was a song I've heard before but I don't know the name of (it's probably something really popular and I'm just dumb and don't know it :P).

 Anyway, hearing them perform was just amazing and it made me miss everyone back home. I went ahead and emailed their sponsor to see if I could somehow perform with them. Unfortunately, my horn did not travel with me but I'm always game for learning a new instrument. I also have a class conflict with one of their rehearsal days but we'll see what we can do. 

After getting home from the ceremony, I had dinner with Vanessa who is super awesome. She then took me shopping at this really cool store where I spent more money :) I now get to spend some time tonight doing my nails! 

Happy Easter Everyone! 

Today was a lot better than yesterday. It started out kinda chill with me not doing much. I got to video chat some people which was nice. I decided at about 12:15 or so that I was going to venture down to Beppu City to try and find the Catholic Church so I could go to Mass. 

After I got off the bus at Beppu Station, I wandered for a bit since I had time to kill and managed to see of in the distance an amusement park up on the mountain. I thought that was so cool! While exploring was fun, it did result in me being a tad late for Mass (I forgot how to get to the church lol :P). 

Once I got to Mass, things got real interesting. For starters, you can't wear your shoes inside the church which is not exactly something I'm used to lol. On top of that, the priest's English wasn't that great so the homily had to be translated (which was still hard to understand). They also use the Apostles' Creed instead of the Nicene Creed as well as combining parts of the old and new Mass (For those who aren't Catholic, Boss guys out in Vatican City decided to change things up a bit last Summer and redo parts of the Mass). Finally, for the Sign of Peace, you bow to the priest first and then bow to those around you. Not your typical Christ the King Mass at all lol :) 

After Mass, I walked back to the big Daiso (100 Yen store aka Dollar Store) and did a little shopping. I bought some things to decorate my room with as well as a planner and other small things. While wandering the store, I found some interesting items that included fuzzy handcuffs as well as a sumo thumb-wrestling arena (I didn't buy these though). Needless to say, I will be frequenting there often. 

And that was pretty much my day :) I'm going to work on my puzzle now. 

Random note: If you would like my address, please message me on Facebook or through Skype. Thanks! 

Today was not one of my finer days so far. This morning was really rough for me. I was talking with people back home and I kept feeling like I was being petty and bitchy. That's not in my nature at all. I can't help but think that being stressed about classes was probably the root of that behavior and if you encountered that at all, I'm terribly sorry. I don't like taking my stress out on other people but occasionally it happens and I'm sorry. 

After those fiascos, I began tracking the Duke basketball game. I would have been ok if it weren't for the fact that the ONLY reason I ever watched Duke basketball was if Genie was watching it. We'd go out before a game and buy chips and queso and take over Dustin's apartment to watch a game. It kind of became our tradition. 

Reflecting on this memory quickly turned into me crying for about 20 minutes this afternoon. I felt alone. I didn't want to be at the university anymore. I was tired of all the stress and things not going like they were supposed to. I wanted to be with my friends and family back home at Tech. Fortunately, Genie was able to give me a pep talk and calm me down a bit. 

So after that, I ate lunch and decided to go take some pictures around campus. As I walked around, I heard something that I needed to hear -- ongaku aka music. Since coming to Japan, I had not heard any music that wasn't mainstream crap. I wasn't able to figure out which ensemble was playing but it was classical music. I heard an oboe and a trumpet and it made me smile again :) As I turned the corner, I also managed to hear a group practicing "Salve Regina" which is a hymn honoring the Virgin Mary (PS: My favorite hymn ever; PSS: For those who aren't Catholic, the Catholic Church has like 200 hymns that they use and once you go to Mass for as long as I have, you pretty much memorize them all which is why I'm able to have a favorite.) It was really nice to be reminded of how awesome music is and how universal it is as well. 

After taking pictures, I met with Maria to go check out phones in town. We walked around and managed to find a beach that we plan on visiting when we have time. I'm still not sure what I'll do about a phone yet. The cheapest deal I can find is for $130 for 4 months which seems a little excessive for my taste. We also shopped for a bit and even tried some local treats. So even though my day started off kinda crappy, it ended on a rather positive note :) 

Random note: Even though I don't have a phone at the moment, I do have video calling on Skype so if you would like to video chat, let me know :) <3

So today was a kinda laid back day. I didn't have to go to Hiragana class this morning nor did I have to sit through advanced Japanese testing. How did I spend my day then? 

To start, I completely forgot today was Good Friday. As a Catholic, that means no meat plus I'm supposed to fast. Fortunately, I was reminded of the day and was able to meet my obligations. Anyway, I spent most of the morning trying to figure out what I'm going to do about classes both this semester and in the Fall. Fun fact: I register for Fall classes before I register for my classes here which isn't doing me much good. I haven't figured out my language situation fully yet; however, I've pretty much decided that regardless of what Tech does, I'm going to take the Foundation II course to help boost my confidence as well as be a great refreasher for the Fall. 

Here is where the problem comes in. Tech clearly hates me and wants me to do nothing but study because every major course here equates to 1 GT credit. For IAML, most of my classes are 3 credits. Oh, and did I mention that I HAVE to register for 12 GT credits to maintain status?  I'd really rather not have to take 12 classes as an exchange student but I may have no other option. Yay, Tech -.- 

In other news, we had a mandatory evacuation drill today at AP House. It would have been fine if it weren't for the fact that this university is located on a mountain and it's really flippin windy outside. But besides that, I had a pretty funny experience happen on the way back from the drill. One of my RAs (Ako-kun) began joking with us about how another RA is his "night buddy" and how "spicy" he is. The other RA played along with it really well and talked about how he ditched Ako-kun's request for a movie because it was an adult film that Ako liked. It was hilarious! 

I've also started to meet some more people on my floor as well as trying to speak Japanese more often. What's so great is as nervous as I am about speaking Japanese, they are just as nervous about speaking English. They are really patient and super helpful when it comes to speaking Japanese too. 

In the coming days, I plan to try and get a prepaid cell phone so I can potentially call people for a couple minutes. I've also started looking at clubs and organizations I can join. They have both a wind and symphony orchestra here but my trombone did not make the journey with me :(. I'm hoping they may have an instrument I can borrow. I'd also like to get involved with sports. I'm looking at potentially doing basketball as well as karate or muay thai ( I would do kickboxing, but it conflicts with a class). For now, I'm going to try and relax before classes start :) 

So I had my first orientation today. I had a lot of information thrown at me but I feel like I could remember most of the stuff we talked about. I also got to eat in the cafeteria for the first time. My entire lunch cost me less than $5 which was awesome! :) Got to hang out with my awesome APU buddy, Mariko! She used to play drums in a brass band ( I may have asked her if she could teach me some tricks :P). I've also finally gotten to meet some of the other exchange students here. They're all super nice and I can't wait to get to spend more time with them. There has even been some discussion about going to Tokyo for our semester break :) I finished out the day with a welcoming party that included some delicious Japanese food as well as a demonstration of Kendo (Japanese Sword Fighting). 

Of course, like most things, not everything was rainbows and sunshine. I took my Japanese placement test and was slotted for Foundation Japanese 2. Was I surprised....not really. I'm not the most confident speaker and I could definitely use help with the kanji. The problem: this is the exact same course I just took in the Fall. I don't know what I'm going to do now about that. Japanese counts for about 7 GT credits but is it worth taking if I'm not going to get credit? I'm not sure and I'll probably have to talk to my advisers. 

Let the stress continue. 

PS: As I was writing this, I experienced my first earthquake while over here. I expect many more of those in my future lol :) 

Hey Everyone, 

Sorry it has taken me a while to post but I've been busy adjusting to everything here in Japan. I figure the best way to start this blog is to recap how the first couple days of being here have been. 


Day 1: Travel 

I knew that it wasn't going to go smoothly. The entire week before I left was filled with ups and downs and last minute chaos. Anyway, I make it to the Atlanta Airport at around 6 am to catch my 7:40 flight to Dallas. As I go to check my bags, I am told that one of my bags is about 15 pounds overweight. I now have to go over to the side with my mother and sister and get rid of 15 pounds of clothes, toiletries, and other stuff to meet that requirement. Needless to say, this is not how I wanted my travel experience to start.

I make it to Dallas and have a little over an hour to get to my gate. I hadn't eaten breakfast at this point so I stop by Starbucks and get a hot chocolate and some berry coffee cake :). Next thing I know, it's time to board this 13 hour flight. It wouldn't be so bad other than the fact that I am in a middle seat in a row of 5. I figure I'll suck it up and just make it through it. 

Here is where the fun begins. My flight was supposed to leave at 10:40ish from Dallas which would put me at Narita (Tokyo) at 2:10ish to catch my connection to Fukuoka. My flight from Dallas didn't leave until after 11 due to us waiting for maintenance reports. Fun stuff. On top of that, I had ordered a special meal so that I didn't have to eat gross airplane food. While my food was definitely better than the regular food, it was also half frozen because the staff is incapable of reading directions that say to let it thaw. The cherry on top is that I did wind up missing my connection to Fukuoka. Fortunately, the airline had already gotten me another flight. 

The one glimmer of happiness on that Dallas flight was the fact that I FINALLY got to watch Skyfall, Life of Pi, and Wreck-It Ralph. (All of which are awesome movies!) 

So I land in Narita and discover my new flight that is scheduled to leave at 4:55 pm. That's awesome other than the fact that I have no way to contact my parents or the university to let them know about what happened. I tried to get my computer to work and it decides that would be the perfect time to do system updates (insert rant about how much I HATE HP). At this point, I'm freaking out and I just wanted a hug but that wasn't available :(. 

I get on my flight and make it to Fukuoka. I now have to purchase a bus ticket to get me to the university. The problem: I had not had the opportunity to get any yen. So, I make my way over to an ATM that says it takes VISA. Well, apparently it didn't like my VISA and refused to read my card. I look over at the ATM next to it, and it's out of order. I'm thinking please just get me back to the US, I don't want to be here anymore. Fortunately, I found an ATM outside and was able to withdrawal some yen. The kicker: I still can't do math and pulled too much yen out. 

Now that I have my yen, I go to buy a bus ticket and the man tells me that I have to go to a different terminal to get the ticket I need. So I get on a bus with my two pieces of heavy luggage and head towards the terminal. I get my bus ticket and head towards the university. 

I get to the bus stop at the university. It's about 10 pm and we're at the top of a mountain. I have nobody to help me and I have to carry my two pieces of luggage down two flights of stairs and across campus. I eventually make it to the dorm that I am staying at and get checked in. End day 1. 

Day 2: Unpack and Sleep 

That pretty much says it all. :P  


Day 3: Exploring Beppu City 

So the weather yesterday was pretty awful. It wasn't cold but it was rainy and foggy. After being stuck inside all day the previous day, I decided to go into the city and do some shopping. I bought a bus ticket at our local store and headed out. I managed to find two big stores to go to. One was like a department store, the other was more like a mall. I was able to buy some stuff I needed to get. I also made some discoveries along the way. 

1. They have KFC, McDonalds, and Starbucks over here. 
2. I forgot how much the Japanese enjoy gambling. You literally cannot drive a mile without seeing a pachinko place. 
3. They love Disney and Hello Kitty over here :) 
4.
5. I can walk down the street and not have to worry about being mugged or getting harassed by homeless people. 

Since the weather wasn't really cooperating, I wasn't able to take many pictures. The ones I did take have been posted to Facebook :) 

I'll keep you updated as I prepare to go through orientation!