109, #6

Hey guys ([I wonder who'll read this...?]), I was thinking about trying to take Marshall-sensei out to lunch again, and even if it's not allowed by the department I figure I could treat her.  BUT, since I have a history of giving her valentines and wanting to wed her, it may be better (and more fun!) if you all join me so we can talk about our wonderful experiences in Japan (and inquire why she never called when she came!!!).  Comment on this or send me an e-mail if you're in! 

Uhhh...

Hey... um... I don't know how you guys feel but... was I just in Japan for four months?



Integrating myself back home has taken no effort at all. It's really weird.

Fuji-San

Come on cats, what're you doing?

FUJI. That's what. Saturday and Sunday. You can even go to class on Friday this time.

Take note, that's "san" with a CAPITAL S mothafuckaaaaas

5-Days-Before-Three-Months Post

     I don't really have much to say that's not in my separate blog, heh, but I felt like I should add something. A grounds for discussion, perhaps...

     Who's ready to book it back home!? I'm a little over halfway to that point. Recently I've started missing things a lot and I've labeled class as nothing more than a nuisance as of now. The only thing that's keeping me from being totally overcome by the prospect of going home is how much fun I'm having with the friends I've made here. I don't really want to leave them (does anyone ever?), especially because, I think, that it reminds me of first year... how many of my best friends at UVA are people that I met first year and hung out with throughout the years. The majority of my friends are in this state now, and through circles and common departments, that's how I project them to be living their lives for the next few years, and I can't help but be a little envious and sad that I won't be a part of that with them. I think the time that I've served here has been significant enough as to where I can safely say that returning to Japan in the future to see these friends again is a must, much like it was with me and my fellow HSD members (HSD is the program that I did that brought me to Japan about four years ago).

     Other than that, I don't feel like I'll miss THAT much about Japan, honestly. Go see my list if you want... nothing really holds that much emotional attachment aside from the friends. It's amazing though, thinking about it now, how even the slightest things from home bring a flood of emotions. Mexican food? I attribute that to not only being awesome, but also to time spent with family and friends due to frequent visits and to the fact that I think that Mexican restaurants are a funny staple of Virginia Beach (and many other places, but MAN there are so many in Virginia Beach...!!!).

     Anyway, I'm going to leave it at that and go practice for my jazz one-shot tomorrow. Have a lovely weekend, ladies and the-gents-who-may-read-this-without-us-knowing.

3 MONTHS IN... nearly ^^

HOWDY DOOOO BUCKEROOS

well... this blog has been sadly neglected for far too long.

somebody. give it the lovin' it deserves.

- T

UP AND AT'EM FOLKS!!!

Uh... people?

WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR LIKE A MONTH NOW!!! w00t w00t!

I felt that since it is the anniversary of our coming, everybody should post their official evolved opinion about life in Japan.

Like Greg said, we need to hit 100 before we fly on back to the land of Americans.

Let's do it!

pc
- T

ps. I <3 internet cafes... ^^

Niiiiiiice

Killin' with the Japanese levels, everyone. Y'all's class is gonna be hooooot! Special props to Natalie who actually had to TALK THEM DOWN A LEVEL, haha.

And by the way, this shit needs to get to 100 posts by the end of summer.

shiBOOYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Just a side post...I'm home!)

I had to go out of the station and cross back over the street. Sorry to have made you guys all wait for me!! But now I know how to get home from school!!! haha. Hope you guys have a good evening :)

Skkyyyyy rockets ignite!

Just wanted to wish everyone else safe journeys over here : ) Good luck, and let us know when you're around!

Teresa's Keitai

Kk guys, check your UVA e-mail addresses, I've sent my number out and my e-mail address. E-mail me whenever, it's free for a month or so.

^__________^

YAY!

How did you guys fare?

Uhh... guys?

Okay, Teresa needs help and she's somewhat stuck on her own. I went to the Nerima Ward office this morning already and applied for my Gaikokujin Card. They told me to come back April 6th to pick up the card, and I manage to score a photocopy of my application. Does anybody know if the photocopy is the temporary card or should I go back and try to ask for one? He didn't charge me 300 yen, so I don't know if my form works or not.

Also, I think I need help opening up a bank account and finding a prepaid cell phone. I know the Ninja-3 are out shopping for bedding today, but if you somehow get in contact with me I would love you FOREVER. Try leaving a message at my hostel or something if you can. I honestly don't know how to get in contact with you unless you guys have phones in your room and are able to receive calls from them.

Gah. I've been living on onigiri for my last couple meals. A GREAT START IN JAPAN!

- T

Brrrr!!

This one goes out to Jen and Greg more specifically, if you have visited the blog tonight in cold desperation:
I don't know about you guys, but I didn't know... our air conditioners are heaters too, hooray! So stop using one of your room's curtains as a blanket and turn the heat on! =D I found this handy explanation of some of the keys on the remote...

自動： (jidou -you see this a lot in japan, like on auto-flush urinals)Automatic mode. I think this either heats or cools depending on your tempaerature setting, but I never use it.

ドライ：　(dry) A cool breeze

冷房： (reibou)Airconditioner in the traditional sense. Cold air comes out.

暖房： (danbou) Heats the room

送風： (soufuu) Just the fan

For the fan settings:

強：　Strong

弱：　Weak

微： Light breeze

You gotta press the top button til it gets to danbou (it shows up on the right), and press the arrows til they get to a higher temp, then pick your speed setting, and then you have to set the timer on for like a minute from now, and then press the button written in green! I have gone from too cold to sleep, to warm and happyyyy! I think there's an auto setting but I'm just going to turn it down when it gets too hot.. I'm afraid to mess with it now that I finally have it giving heat..

Happy sleeping sannin!

I'm HERE! I'm SAFE!

Hey all,

Teresa has made it to Ace Inn Shinjuku. Safely. In one piece. With all her carry-ons. Her luggage will be sent tomorrow and she will be here to receive it.

I need to shower. ASAP.

pc
-T

Happy Easter!

ハリストス復活！ Христос Воскресе! Christus resurrexit!

You Caught Visa!

VISA GET

Ok gang. I got my visa. Today. This morning. In the mail.

On the previous episode of Natalie Still Doesn't Have Her Visa: What the Heck, her COE had been issued in Japan and was on its way to America. Upon it's arrival last Friday, she and her mother scrambled to get it mailed up to the Chicago Consulate of Japan, Express next-day mail.

The consulate was closed on Saturday, but Monday was full of potential. Fate, however, was against the postal system that day, and for reasons unknown the application was not delivered on Monday. A notice was supposedly left, but as Tuesday dawned, a phonecall to the kind Mr. Kusumoto-san who had no knowledge of any notices or attempted deliveries proved that something must be awry. Full of distress, Natalie called every number she could think of and finally found herself in contact with the Dearborn Post Office in Chicago. They informed her that her express mail was out on the street and should be delivered (despite the tracking information's claim that after two attempted and failed deliveries, the parcel would be held at the post office). She was never to learn the reason for the failed deliveries and missing notices, but the documents were indeed delivered on that day.

The next day, Kusumoto-san assured Natalie that her completed visa had been shipped out on Wednesday in her pre-paid Express mail envelope, and expected it might arrive on Thursday. Natalie knew better, having lived in Southern Illinois long enough to understand the delicate complexity of backwater postal systems, and decided to hope for Friday instead. Friday passed, however, with neither sight nor sound of the anticipated envelope.

*Cut to Saturday morning, a groggy Natalie sits on her couch, weary from a night of funny YouTube videos and laughter with her best friend*

Natalie: Where the heck is my visa? The post office closes at 11.. I will call them and make sure it's on it's way.

Post office man: I have no idea, it's not here, maybe it's being delivered, I don't really know.

Natalie: ... I'll call Carbondale (the central mail distribution center of her area, about an hour away, where tracking said the envelope had arrived and departed at 1:46 am).

Nice post office lady: We haven't got it.. it left here this morning, so it should be in Harrisburg. By the way, did you know it says it's supposed to be delivered on Monday, and explicitly says not to be delivered on the weekend?

Natalie: .... oh my gosh... T___T I will call the local post office again...

Different post office lady: Let me check.. I think your mailman has it right now, he's probably going to deliver it soon.


In a bout of confusion, Natalie's father proceeded to futilely visit the post office to try and obtain the visa, but then successfully hailed the visa-bearing mailman and retrieved that precious book upon which the hopes and dreams of so many rested. After an ill-received farce of having lost the visa in transit was enacted, the visa and inside its surrounding passport was returned to its rightful owner.

And so the story went, that for every delay and problem that could have come along in the young girl's attempts to study in this foreign land, a problem came along, and for every last minute for a situation to be pushed until, the situation at hand was pushed. But lo, dear readers, what turmoils and foul-ups could await her in this new and mysterious land? Let us all wait with bated breath as she continues her quest to exercise every law of Murphy, to find the exception to every rule, and to slip through any and every crack that comes her way! Stay tuned!

Ah! Packing!

So I've been packing and it's all adding up quicker than I thought... :/
I made a packing list and everything but deciding what clothes to bring is the hardest I think. I'm trying to cover different occasions and weather and whatnot. How many days/weeks' worth of clothing is everyone bringing? And has anyone thought of anything crucial that may otherwise be overlooked?

Also, I know we talked about it earlier briefly, but luggage...how much? I think I'll be bringing a large rolly suitcase plus a small one to check in, and I'll be carrying on a backpack and just keeping my laptop inside my backpack instead of a whole other carrying case. I'm worried I'm being excessive though.
And how much of stuff are you all planning to bring vs. buying there? Stuff like toiletries and things...I keep wavering on what to do.
Oh, I'm so indecisive.
Lastly, I just wanted to remind you all to not pack any wrapped gifts in your carryon. And be mindful of the liquid carrying guidelines and all that.

Oh, to the other 2 ninjas...I added a comment to the last post but I guess I'll just throw it in here too. When should I be expecting you on Monday? I just want to make sure I'll be all packed by then and to set up the basement for fun times and to plan out meals and when I need to go to the airport/be home. So just let me know! Thanks!

ah! quick...!

Hey, I need to know how much money everyone is planning on bringing initially in terms of both traveler's cheques (I like that way better) and in terms of yen. Quick!


... thanks!

blog project update

Hey ya....

Just a quick post before I have to go to a work meeting at 9 a.m. on a Sunday. Boo.

Here's a little update on the blog project. If you've listed a link to your blog I've added it to the main page. If you've listed a link and it's not there, please resend it to me and I'll add it. I'm going to e-mail the East Asian Studies department with the link to the blog project tomorrow so they can give it to their students. SO, it would be great if I could have everyone's link before then. I'm seeing some really good posts too, so keep up the good work everyone! Also, would anyone be willing to a) direct me to a great free image/illustrator program for macs or b) make a really cool banner for the destination: Asia home page?

It's a little more than two weeks everyone and I can't wait to be privy to all of your expert bedding shopping skills natalie/greg/jen. Now that all three of you and Teresa are on a flight together I kind of wish I wasn't traveling by my lonesome...

As for studying, way to rub it in Greg. Way to rub it in.

But I too have been studying and that JapaneseiPod101.com thing is pretty good. So thanks for suggesting it Natalie!

Spitzer Schpitzer

So.

The wonderful Dr House emailed back and said bedding cancel equals OK! Except he was all, but is it okay that you'll sleep without bedding on a wooden-made bed? Aw he seems so concerned! And I'm good for moving in the 26th. Oh remind me guys, on top of buying bedding, I need to buy a laundry bag. I feel it will be useful for doing laundry and I don't have one already. Maybe we'll find a green tea colored one. Perfect!

Anyone been studying? Anyone? ...........

Oh! Pack bathing suits! Maybe we can go to a beach sometime...or something...I don't know what they do there. A pool? A water park? I got one for $10 today. Hahaha oh I love Target.

March 18th = Tornado Preparedness Day. Egad, we're gonna miss UVA's drill and not learn how to be prepared for a tornado.

So HOO'S EXCITED?!

Oh, I would like to take suggestions for a blog name! I seem to be behind in starting a blog...but really it's because I want to do something clever for the title and can't think of anything. But with a name like 'Doo' how hard could it be?!

And Dan is down for greeting us at the airport on the 26th! (Addressed to Greg and Natalie...) And I can't wait for our sleepover! Except I'll probably be just starting to pack the 24th...

This is a funny blog to check out: TokyoMango

ブブ ブ―――――

こんちわ～
はい、はい、私　BKA　レイはまたようていを変えた。

haha. kk back to English.

i'll now be staying at the Ace Inn hostel in Shinjuku. i kind of know how to get there, but i just want it out there in case anyone wants to stalk me. ^^

ooooookai, here we go!

1: from Narita, take the JR Narita Express to Shinjuku, 3,110 yen
- using the Suica&N'Ex card, it'd be 1,500 yen for the trip from Narita to Shinjuku, not including the price of the card, but the card can be reused like infinitely and all i have to do is drop money on it

2: from Shinjuku, take the Toei Shinjuku Line to Akebonobashi, 170 yen

hmmm... found a bunch of interesting websites that helped me figure all that out, especially this one: http://www.tokyo-subway.net/english/index.html

it'll tell you what transfers you need to make to get from point a to point b separated by price, time, and transfers *wink* NJOY~

that first journey listed is the most expensive but it also involves the least amount of transfers. what do you think? rather than pay someone to roll my suitcase over to the hostel, i'll just do it myself and save myself 2,000 yen. that way, i can travel with less hassles.

also, because we DON'T qualify for the JR rail pass, seriously consider getting the suica pass. it looks like a good deal. i'll report more later after i look up all the nitty gritty, yeah?

*waiting for my cable guy*

- T

Good Morning COE!

COE GET!!!!!!

Expected arrival in 3~4 days. Disregard my last post!! XD

Still Singin the Direct Enrollment Blues...

Hey gang. Today I'd like to talk about an issue that nearly everyone will be affected by at some point in their lives. It's an illness called Natalie still doesn't have her COE.


So here's the story:

*December~January*
Sophia: Apply for your COE!

Me: Ok, here you go!

*February*
Sophia: Hey thanks! You'll receive it by the end of the month, at the latest!

Me: Hey that's great! That will give me plenty of time to get my visa.

*March 4th*
Me: Hey.. where's my COE?

Sophia: Yeeaahh we don't have it yet.. But we're expecting it any time now, just you wait! School starts in April so it's pretty busy around here you know. Actually, you might have to end up entering on a temporary visa and changing your status to college student once you get here..

Me: Wait, what? Hmmm.. *checks Consulate website* But this says I need a COE for a temporary visa too! Let me give these fine folks a call. *calls Chicago Consulate*

Nice Consulate Guy: Yep, you're right, you can't get that visa without a COE. I've maybe heard of people going over under the visa exemption as tourists and then getting a visa later, but you'd generally need to leave the country to get it. But in my experience, Japan pretty much runs visa stuff to the very last minute, so just be a little more patient.

Me: *Thinks for a while...*

*Yesterday*
Me: It's only like two weeks til we're leaving.. I'm getting a little nervous about all this.. Hey Sophia, I can't get that temp visa, what should I do if the COE doesn't get here?

Sophia: Just tell Narita you're sightseeing, and then go to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau!

Me: That seems like a bad idea.. I'm pretty sure that nice consulate guy said it was pretty hard to do/unlikely to happen.

Nice Consulate Guy: That's right. The law technically says you can't really do that unless you're in unavoidable crazy circumstances. Otherwise you'd have to leave the country to get a visa. Oh, and btw, *long list of reasons why it's a horrible idea to try and pass yourself off as a tourist when you're actually a college student, including the possibility of not being able to board the plane or being denied entry to Japan to begin with* (BTW, didn't you just call here like last week?)

Me: Oh jeeze T_T

Chris Payne: And plus they could just look at your plane ticket and see you're staying way more than 90 days. This is bad news yo.

Me: Sophiaaa, what makes you think it's gonna be so easy to get into Japan with no visa and get DK to let me stay with no visa, and get the Tokyo Immigration Bureau to give me a visa? Send me my COE as soon as you get it!! And if you don't get it by next week, well... I think I'd rather postpone my flight than try and go with no visa.. T__T Two weeks is a long time right? It'll get here deshou? Hrmmm....

*TO BE CONTINUED*

ようていが変えた！

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men~

It turns out that I won't be in Japan for an extra 2 weeks. My cousins will be flying in soon after I get settled and will be spending a week in Tokyo. From April 18th to the 26th, I will be running a tour of Tokyo. ^^
This will all happen between classes and family responsibilities. YAY! I just hope I don't fail them and they leave Japan thinking, "My goodness, that was the worst vacation ever!"

I will be picking up my visa tomorrow from the Embassy. Pick-ups are scheduled from 1:30 to 6:30 pm. Weird. It's quite a walk from the Dupont Circle Metro to the Embassy, but I just tack it under the umbrella of "Teresa really needs to work it out."

Hmm... I've got my tickets, my visa, my luggage, and clothes. Now that we are extremely close to take-off, what is everybody going to pack?

I don't know whether I want to take 2 large suitcases or 1 large suitcase + 1 large duffel bag. Which option do you think is better?

Also, my temp list of things to bring:
Clothes, textbooks, dictionaries, laptop compie, pictures of family, camera + charger, phone + charger, shoes (don't know how many pairs to pack yet), limited toiletries (i'm going to buy most of my soap and crap when i'm there to save myself some heft), 1 or 2 plushies to keep me company, mini pillow that i needs, and loooooooooove~

What else is there to bring?

Oh yes! Don't forget to get money via traveler's cheques! Keep it safe. Uhmm... the school recommends a grand for the first month you're there prior to getting all your bank stuff set up. I'm going to get a grand and a half for some safety padding.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~

I nervous. *trembles*

- T



------ UPDATE 3.11.08 ----------



I didn't want to push off Natalie's posts, so here I am, adding a lil more to this last post of mine. Remember my earlier post about presents? Well, I've bought some but I don't know if it's enough. Drop me a line and tell me opinions!!!

Obviously, the left pile is for padre, middle = madre, and right = daughter. I'm most worried about the daughter. Is it okay?

Something evil has yielded unfriendly negligence....

     AHHHHHHHH I may not get any money back from my taaaaxxxxessss!!!!!! (there goes my spending money in Japan!)


     So part of me is really disappointed that we're leaving when we're leaving. So many good things are coming up... Indiana Jones IV... the Marvel Comics Secret Invasion (soooo awesooommme)... the extra guitar for Rock Band... something else coming up that's most definitely a movie that I can't think of...


     Speaking of Rock Band, I'm going to come back to FOUR MONTHS worth of DLC (downloadable content) to buy, and you're runnin' buck wild if you think that I won't be getting a heap of it RIGHT when I get home. Unless, of course, I'm truly bankrupt, which would really suck and is quite possible.


     I subbed for a Japanese teacher today and will again tomorrow! It's really funny because I freaked out the classes by introducing myself in Japanese... one even applauded me =) But that doesn't mean my Japanese was good! I mean, it was OKAY, but lord I need to keep studying. I've been looking at embarrassingly old kanji recently... Anyway, I think I really helped the kids out (for the first time in my whole subbing career, even!) because the first class (sannensei) told me that my explanation of -ru and -u verbs (though definitely lacking compared to our professors') was a lot better than whatever their teacher was telling them (they pretty much didn't have any clue that such a difference existed... they kind of just learn the vocab). Yay! And then I taught two classes of ninensei about -tai form. It was fun, and actually the only real rewarding experience that I've gotten from this job besides all of the literature that I finished... and of course all of that wani wani shiteiru... (haaaaaaaaaa, jjjjkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk)


     On a side note, I played with Free Bridge Quintet drummer Robert Jospe at a local elementary school for some K-2nd graders yesterday! It was really cute working with the kids... Jospe basically taught them about some different grooves and I played some songs that fit in with those grooves. At one point we did one where Jospe made the kids do a call and response saying, "IIIII want caaaandy!" Haha, it was awesome... Some of the songs that I played were actually legit (like "Caravan" and "St. Thomas"), but I had to improvise some melodies over a couple of grooves because nothing that fit right in that I knew well came instantly to mind... At one point I started to inadvertently play the A section of Diana Ross's "My Guy", through which, though I probably was the only one out of the four adults in the room to know what I was doing, I was laughing to myself... I mean... out of all the songs... haha. Oh well.


Ooo! American Idol is on! Byyyyyyyyyye!

P.S.: Go to www.campusgirlsusa.com and give A+s to my friend!!! Click "Click to Begin", go to "ACC" and vote for Danna (she's near the bottom). You may recognize her from the jazz ensemble concerts/marching band for all you enthusiasts (Natalie).


ALSO, (Natalie), you're going to hunt for bedding when you get there, right?

DILEMMA!!!

Okay people, it's PICKLE time!!!

The Ninja-3 are all at DK House, so them flying in early to Japan to acclimate their bodies and get a jump on life there is no problem. However, for the homestayers like me, Mia, and Sehyun, what do you think the problems could be?

I remember that Jeanette mentioned she'd be flying in at the appointed date of April 1st and thus has no pickles. Mia and Sehyun are flying in from Korea, which could or could not be pickly. I, however, am crashing at a hostel for a week and then have to somehow finagle my way to my homestay home.

What to do?

BTW, jet lag? SUCKS THE BIG TURKEY!!! I had no problems when flying over to China and Japan, but fly me back and BAM I am a turtle. I've been waking and sleeping erratically since I've been back so please expect little of what comes from me to make complete sense. *bows*

Oh yes! About gifts for your homestay family! IF you don't know yet, know this: BRING THEM PRESENTS!!!

It's not a like total expectation that you'll be getting them something, but it is a Japanese tradition of sorts. Remember all those phrases Marshall-sensei taught us and then Kawai-sensei refreshed?

Kore wa tsumaranai mono desu ga, douzo goenryo naku...

Use it!

If you need ideas for presents or plain ole forget until the last minute, airports have tons of random gifties that clear security like *SNAP*. Also, for all you DC people out there, D.C. itself is a fountain of cheap American paraphernalia. A couple of t-shirts, pretty pretty plates, or other random goodies will be nice. Be creative and don't forget!

I am actually just sitting here waiting for the post office to open so I can run down there and drop off a few bits of mail. Sad, but true. It's like 47F outside and I'm considering doing it in sandals because socks are just at the bottom of my "does Teresa care?" list.

Now!!! FUN FUN FUN NOTES!!!

To make my post just that schwidge longer and to have people truly enjoy reading it... *DRUM ROLL*.... *AIR GUITAR RIFF*... *ORCHESTRA STARTS TUNING UP*...

Personalized Replies to Random People:

JEN
Muchos gracias for replying to each individual note from EVERYBODY! I love reading your comments and they always make me smile.

NATALIE
Your knack for creativity never fails to astound me and I am always impressed by your delicate combination of both information and fun that is compounded into not only each post but also each comment.

GREG
Energy super ball to the MAX! I tend to anticipate your posts and comments because they are continously amusing and insightful. If everybody shoots from the left, then you toss it from the right. Oodles of good times allllllll around!

JEANETTE
I have no clue, but for some reason or another, I probably spell your name wrong on a very consistent basis. *bows* Gomen! You have probably the most mature posts of us all and when in need to cut away fluff, I turn to you. You seem very on top of life and the ball and the circus tent and all that cotton candy good stuff. Props.

MIA
Honey, you realllllllllly don't post or comment enough for me to say anything. I do miss your pretty face though. And your pretty smile. *grins* Post more! Pronto! This is a meirei from above! Chop chop!

SEHYUN
Dude, you're like, not even registered here. But, no worries, we all in the same boat and I hope that you're doing okay. If you have problems at all while in Japan or even here, feel free to drop a line here. I feel like we are a pretty coofy spoofy group of people who are very dependable. *nod nod*

OOOOOOOOOOKAI~

I need to start hanging up my clothes from my trip to China. *shudders* 40 minutes until the post office opens! Yay!

*duck dances away*

T

Hurrah!

So my G's, call Operation: Change Jen's Seat a success. I will be in 40G now. It was so fun/cute clicking on the empty seat because I saw the little people in the diagram in the 2 seats next to it and I totally envisioned Greg and Natalie there and giggled.

Let me know if you do want to stay at my house the night before our flight and head out from there or if you're going to Dulles directly. And if that's the case, we should plan out when exactly we'll meet, as the time nears.

Visa : filed :: Citibank : shitty bank

I'm not sure if that's the correct set up for an analogy or whatever you call it but those two things are what this post is all about. Do not get an account at Citibank. They're downsizing because they're not doing so well financially and there are fees for opening accounts and every time you withdraw from one of their own ATMs in Japan they charge you 1% of the withdrawal. WTF. I don't know if this is uncommon but I rather just keep the two accounts I have now and not get a third.
As for the visa. Filing for your visa is super easy. Just bring all of the proper docs, hand it over and you're good to go. It was cool to run into you at the embassy Greg, I thought you'd have gotten there before me, but it's always good to see a familiar face.

Going to get my Visa

Hey all,

So tomorrow I'm going to put in the papers for my visa. I've already faxed all the housing and airport pickup stuff to DK and Sophia but I totally forgot about the language bit (bad sign) until I read Teresa's post. So thanks T for reminding me, haha.

Oh and Mia I just linked your blog to the destination: Asia website. It was so completely helpful! It makes me really excited to see all of the blog posts everyone's going to have in the future, yay :)

Ok, so I'll post tomorrow and tell you all how it went. BTDubs, I'm also going to open a CitiBank account tomorrow. When I went to Bank of America to transfer my funds for DK my dad and I asked the lady who was helping us about banks in Japan. She said I could use my B of Am debit card with any ATM but there would be a fee. She then advised to get the CitiBank account as those ATM fees will add up. Think about it: Say I withdraw money once a week, that's 2 or 3 dollars every time. Hmm, roughly 16 weeks, times 2 or 3 dollars. It may not seem like a lot but I think going to an ATM once a week is a conservative estimate.

That's my two cents. I'll be posting soon!

COE + Whaaaaaaa?!?!

KOOOON CHI WA!!!

I am completely and utterly jet lagged and I need to drive back to Charlottesville tonight, bah! I ended up passing out yesterday after breakfast and slept from 8am til 5pm. Grossness.

Well, to the main point of this post, I've been trying to sort through all this getting a visa nonsense and I just wanted to make sure I was wading through properly.

1 - GETTING A VISA

Thanks to jen jen for her awesome linkage, I filled out the form, have extra copies of ole passport photos and think I am kind of set. Does the person whose getting the visa have to show up in person or can't I just ship my mom off to do it for me? She's the one who got my China visa for me, which allows me to enter and leave the country as much as I please for the space of 1 year. I'm also going to photocopy all of the forms just to make sure I have something to fall back on in case life gets wacky.

2 - THE FORMS THAT NEED TO BE MAILED BACK PRONTO TO SOPHIA

Okay, the first form pertains to whether or not I want to be language intensive. I think I do, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to do. I feel like just by being in Japan and taking regular classes, I'll be learning plenty plenty of Japanese. Also, when they ask you how many kanji have you learned, how many am I supposed to put down? I don't know how many I know. I can read tons but writing them out is a problem I will have for the rest of ever. Plus, we stopped with chapter 9 last semester, right? I'm still in Springfield and have none of my materials with me, so I'm just trying to fill out forms as much as I can.

3- AIRPLANE GOODNESS

Are we ALL going to be flying United? I know the Ninja-3 are riding in on UA803 departing on 2/25 from IAD. Me, too. What abouts Mia, Jeanette, + Sehyun bka Sean? Apparently, it's going to be a lovely 14 hours of fun at 36,000 feet for the majority of us. Remember to bring muchos distractions and lovely delicious Unisom to knock you OUT! I'm almost wishing that I am at DK now because of the whole letting you move in early and all that. I'll be crashing at the Yayogi Hostel. I am begging you now, please let hugabug you in Japan! The Hostel has a majorly weirdo rule that says I need to be out of the place between the hours of 9am to 5pm. That means I either live out my days at random cafes studying Japanese *yawn* or I play play play with you all. Because I totally *heart* the Ninja-3 and know the feeling is most mutual, OSEWA ni NARUUUUUU~ *grins*

4- GOLDEN WEEK AND RANDOM VACATION FUN
I know this is a bit early and all, but since we all will be enjoying the most lovely Golden Week and perhaps any other random bits of fun while we're in Japan. Do you guys have any activities you absolutely want to try? I for one kind of want to see the whole Mikoshi thing live and in the flesh. Men in sumo like thongs running around the seats with a thing on their shoulders and all that. Good fun for all in my opinion. I also want to take TONS of purikura! I don't care if it's not so in anymore, I want HUNDREDS!!! How about you all?

5- I'M JUST ADDING THIS HERE BECAUSE 5 IS MY FAVORITE NUMBER
Random, yes, I know, but who cares? I am beyond caring right now. Careless, schmereless.

*flies off to pack the rest of her stuff away*

T

P.S. Should we start discussing luggage nows or later? How does laundry work in Japan? I remember from my previous jaunt there that they hang dry all their clothes. How about coping with the rainy season? Humidity? A.C.? Does internet come with where we're all going? I bought a international cell phone and just need to get a SIM card for it. Where to?

If any of you have answers to the above, most appreciated!!!!!!!

El SCCCCORCHOOOO!

     Whew, so last week was pretty crazy busy... this Saturday was the concert that I've been traveling up to UVA for, so, needless to say, with all the concert coming up and the guest artist coming in town (... and all of the social calls I had to make) I was constantly on the run. Tuesday I got into town a little early to see if I could get a little instruction on the bass clarinet from my teacher, but in the end it wasn't too helpful as I didn't have much time to work on it from Tuesday to Saturday. Lesse... the rest of Tuesday wasn't too exciting... Wednesday... Wednesday I practiced for a while... I don't know... then had dinner with first-year friends... but hey! I played trivia at Mellow Mushroom for the first time with some of my bus friends, and even almost got a question right! Wooooo! I had to ditch a little early to see the lunar eclipse with Julie Slater (and to eat her brownies... yum!).

     Thursday was the first rehearsal with the guest artist, who supposedly exclaimed afterwards: "John... are you sure you want to have this concert?" Luckily, he changed his mind after Friday's rehearsal XD (the music was REALLY hard!!!) Also on Thursday I drove a Late Night, which was were I had a lot of my fun time last semester, and traveled to iHop with the crew. We went up to pay at like, 3am, when pretty much a WHOLE Asian student group split us in half. Which means, three paid and then the Asian group jumped in while the other two were getting a problem fixed with their checks. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! They tried to say "Hey, you know, we're with them... and are only two people..." but the lady at the register ignored them so they just threw the money on the table and we left (I think they may have been short changed a little, but whatever, she was being a bitch by not even responding).
     Friday held some master classes and the rehearsal... a couple of parties... blah blah... Oh yeah, that morning I was on 106.1 The Corner advertising the jazz ensemble concert! And boy do I sound stupid on the radio! Maybe I always sound stupid, but good LORD...! I guess it worked, though, since supposedly this concert showed the highest attendance in 5 years or something. Craaaazy!

     On Saturday I had 9000 training (9000s are the new buses). Everyone had to train on them because they're 6 inches wider than all of the other buses we have. Why? I don't have a fucking clue. But that's the standard now, supposedly. They smell and handle nicely, but I still don't like the extra width. Hopefully I won't be forced to drive one anytime soon.
     I must have eaten at Bodo's seven times in a 5 day span. It was nuts. All of my orders had the Cinnamon Sugar and Butter on Plain included, too, which isn't too healthy. And I spent the last $3.50 in my wallet (seriously, I was scavenging for the dough) on Samoas. Curse you, Girl Scouts!

     I'm kind of afraid of my money situation in Japan because I'm becoming increasingly "aaahhh, what's $10?", 'cause I spent $10 on two things of popcorn from Great Scott's! Gourmet Popcorn (what an awesome name, huh???). They have cherry, vanilla, peppermint, caramel, butterscotch, banana, pizza, ranch, jalepino, etc. etc. etc. POPCORN! It was so awesome.

I'm falling asleep. Later!<>
- Greg

Plane Crazy!

Everyone still go back and comment on Teresa's post! My mom just won't get off my back about this and it's starting to worry me too, so I gotta write about it x_x


Tomorrow's gonna be the one month mark from when we're trying to leave (less than one month with February and all), and we all know that's when plane tickets start to disappear and go up in price. Greg, is there any way you could try and call Chris directly tomorrow about if he's heard from Sophia/DK yet about if it's cool if you guys aren't there for the April 1st greet and pickup? I need to decide soon if I should go ahead with the D.C. flight and get a flight to VA also before that, or if I should try and fly out of St. Louis instead. My mom wanted me to make my decision and buy the ticket today, but I said let's give it one more weekday so Chris can get back to the office and respond if maybe he heard something over the weekend. She's just really worried we're gonna end up not being able to get a good flight, or it's gonna end up being way more expensive if we wait any longer, and I'm starting to worry too. I also need the itinerary to send to that scholarship so they'll send me my money and I can send financial aid their refund check.. sigh -_-;

Anyway, that's all for today's post! Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Greetings and LOVE from CHINA

Hey guys!

Sorry it's been so majorly long since I've posted anything. Internet in Asia with Vista is iffy at best and in China, proper, there's major blocking of all blogs and even wiki!

My brother got the lovely Fedex box from Chris and while back and was even kind enough to nag the freak out of my Dad to wire transfer the money over for me while I was in another country.

I'm flying back to America tomorrow, through *dun dun dun* UNITED. It turns out that their Mileage Plus progam is pretty damn sweet and nice to live with. By the end of the year, I'll have earned enough miles to be a freakin' Premier member so that means free extra inches and all that, but I seriously digress. China has been an experience. I'm kind of regretting not choosing to study abroad here rather than in Japan because as everybody I've met thus far has been quick to remark, life in Japan is hella freakin' expensive. In Beijing, I went out with my little brother and all his Beijing University friends and we got teetotaled for under $10 or 70 kuai. But, I met this one Japanese guy here and he said that Japan is fun, majorly so, you just need to know where to look. He also mentioned something about having a friend of a relative that teaches at Sophia, which I called Jyouriku Uni as opposed to Jyoichi Uni because let's face it, I haven't spoken any Japanese in months.

I'm pretty positive I'll be put into the Japanese for Beginners class, and I'm also sure that I wouldn't mind it. ^^

Now, my only worries from living in Asia as a result of my time in China is this:

- manners? do people have them?

- money? where does it all go?

- bathrooms? no, really... need I go there?

Apparently, from my brother's 1 month stay in China thus far, he has become a rampant nationalist. I can't wait to see what Japan does to the lot of us. For better or worse, yeah?

KK, I need to pack up my suitcase and prep for a huge, blowout, final hot pot dinner.

I hope everybody's break has been awesomely amazingly aaaaaan-believable (i ran out of adjectives starting with a *shrug*)

Love love,

Teresa

- random update -

I just flipped through some previous posts and saw that jen is going to try for UA803 +804 for return flight. I think that's the same one I'm one. When you're booking through student tickets they don't tend to let you pick a seat, but you can get around that quite easily.

Oh, and the flight out of Dulles is run by ANA, so Greg! Don't pay extra for ANA! United and ANA are teamed up for certain flights and you save a ton by booking by way of United.

And back to the way around getting the seats you want. After you get your tickets bought and credit card charged, hop on over to United.com and check your itenenarary through the website. It'll let you secure the seats you want for free. No extra charge needed. No stress induced as to the uncertain nature of nefarious airline seat masters.

I hope that helps!

Hate to do this but...

...it's time to move on to the 51st! Haha, I just hate to see Natalie's beautiful post complete with a celebratory picture get moved down.

Anyway I wanted to let you know that I will be trying to do the visa thing next week, and hopefully write about how that goes. Although I do already have some information: Visa applications (though available on the site, you can do at the embassy in person anyway) are only taken from 9:30am-12:30pm Monday through Friday, though when it's ready, you can pick it up outside of that time frame. 3-4 day turnaround time. Be sure to have the address of where you'll be staying in Japan on hand (I'm probably just going to bring my entire Sophia packet just in case I need other information)....or just fill out the application form ahead of time :) And of course whatever else the Sophia packet lists, though the site says we only need one 2x2 picture for the application form (I guess since one is on the COE already). Anyway, guess that means I gotta go take one...I hope it's okay if the picture's different from the COE one...

Check out the link here: Visa goodness!

50th Post!! And an important message..

Sorry Greg! I have important information I need to post. We can delete this post and move it to 51 later on if you like =) But Happy 50th Post! We're pretty amazing at blogging..

So I just got back from wiring my first month of rent and guaranty money to Mr. DK House (he has informed me that normally, Sophia kids will pay all 4 months at once, but it's cool for me to pay one month at a time), and I was thinking "Hey I wonder if my Sophia Tomodachi know the ins and outs of wire transfer?" I'm not sure if you guys have had to pay any entry fees or application fees or all that jazz, so I'll tell you how it goes down! Without further ado, I present to you..

5 Important Rules of International Wire Transfer
or, Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Tried To Do An International Wire Transfer
by Natalie N. Wilson

1. Make sure you have the money you need in your bank account!! This is the number one important thing!! You can't just go in the bank with some cash and say "I wanna wire this to Japan." You need to have an account with the bank you'll be wiring from, and make sure you have enough money to cover the wire as well as any bank fees (usually $25-$50) in your checking account or savings account there. Also, the yen/dollar conversion rates you get off the internet aren't always accurate, so try and have some extra money to cover that. My first transfer ended up being about $50 more than I expected.
   
2. Make sure the money is in that account BEFORE you go to the bank! This equally as important as number 1!! If you go to a bank and put cash into your account, it takes at least 24 hours to show up and be usable. If you do it online, it can take up to three days! Personal experience: I tried to wire some money on a Friday, so I put the cash into my checking account there at the bank. Then they said "Oh, it won't be available for 24 hours." And the bank is closed on Saturday... so I went back on Monday, and they said "Oh, since you deposited that money after 2:00 on Friday, it won't be available until Tuesday." What?! So also if you deposit money into your account on a Friday, do it before 2:00pm! They were able to transfer money from my savings account to my checking account of the same bank instantaneously though, so that's a good route!
   
3. Don't try and get more than several hundred dollars out of your ATM account in one day. So the first part of that last anecdote goes like this: I needed to wire the money, but the money was in my local bank account and I was in NYC. So I tried to get a ton of money out of my local account using an ATM. First of all, they only let you take out maybe $300 dollars at a time, and after about $700 or $800, they say you've reached your daily limit and your bank freezes your card and starts calling you... so... just have that money!
4. Make sure you have all the information for the Japanese bank and person you're paying. I'm guessing they probably sent this with your housing/billing info, but you're gonna need the Japanese bank's name and address, account number, swift code, any other codes they might give you, as well as the beneficiary/payee's name and address. Bring these to the bank, and be prepared to explain stupid Japanese addresses... lol.
5. Receipts usually aren't available until hours after you've completed the wire process with your bank! Pretty much every transfer I've done, the people I've sent the money to have wanted a receipt faxed or e-mailed to them so they know the money is on its way. I think what happens at the bank is that they fill out all the forms for the wire transfer and then they fax it somewhere for processing, or it somehow takes longer to process. When I wired from Bank of America in C'ville, the lady I was working with offered to fax the receipt herself from the bank once it was available. Working with my local bank here, they've had me come back in about an hour or more to pick up the receipt. So allow for extra receipt-acquiring time!

I think that covers the most important stuff. It's really an easy process if you have all your bases covered, but it can be really annoying and stressful if you don't know what you're doing. But now you know! Just go find one of the bank people at the actual desk places and say you'd like to do an international wire transfer to Japan! I've found bank people to be exceptionally nice and helpful. Do your best not to wait until the last minute to transfer money or go do the wire transfer. If you have anymore questions, just ask!

Hoos in Flight

Ok kids, I say we buy these tickets before they're gone. Greg, were you still looking into whether or not you'll need to be there on the 31st before we decide? There's some similar flights (although some of them have stops) if we wanted to play it safe and return August 1st instead of July 31st (the identical flight as the one for the 31st is actually cheaper, but only has 1 seat left). I really don't care one way or the other, since we won't have that much to pack to return so it shouldn't get in the way of finals too bad, but it might be nice to have an extra day not to have to rush. Don't forget to ask Chris if he knows/can find out if DK House would let you guys move in early like I am. I just found this site on Sophia's page that has some more info on Mr. DK. Check it out.

It looks like for individual days, if you're not staying for another full month, it's 2000 yen (about $18) a day, which is exactly how much our monthly rent divided by 30 is, so that's a pretty sweet deal =) Also, notice in the corner of one of the pictures... that's definitely a bed! This page also says payment/deposit must be made a month in advance, so I guess we need to get on that. But that was probably all in your handy housing materials I didn't get =P And guys, I don't wanna hear any laud voice during nighttime, you'll be nuisance to other tenants and neighbors. Come on.

Anyway, let's figure out what we're doing for serious on this flight and figure out a time maybe we can all meet up on aim or the phone and buy them at the same time so we're all on the same page and getting the right seats and all that jazz. Let's get this taken care of yo!

In other news, I'm in love with the dance crew Jabbawockeez. They're pretty much the coolest crew ever. I'm going to post their videos at the end of this, and you're all required to watch. The MTV page has full episodes! And Jen, if you search "Sophia University" in YouTube, there's aalll these hip hop dance groups performing at Sophia Fest (which unfortunately seems to be in the fall semester). Hopefully since there's a lot of foreign students in and out of there, we can join any club or circle we want? haha. I need to get flexible.

Jabbawockeez this week:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Jabawockeez last week:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Oh yeah.

WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

NO CURFEW IN THE DK HOUSE, BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Natalie and Gregory

Hey guys, so incredibly I think I can use my United frequent flyer miles for my ticket. Right now I am looking at a nonstop flight (United 803, returning flight 804) from Dulles to Narita leaving March 25th (arriving 26th) and coming home July 31st. How does that sound to you guys? I know Greg wants to take ANA, but I'm definitely leaning towards this since I have the miles for it, why not? However, I don't know what the normal cost of this ticket is, so I don't know if it's within reason for you. But another bonus is, there are tons of seats open right now, including bunches next to each other (they have our names on them I swear)

Okay, I am going to look up the price of this flight normally.

Oh, crap. So prices for this and others like this are around $1921 and up. Which is pricey. Yikes.

So....I can't say that I will be booking with you guys, if you're looking for something else, because I know this is a lot to pay, but it works out best for me to use my miles since I've been saving them up for forever.

Wait, but that was on the United site, let me check student ticket cost...

Okay, student price is $1217...which may actually be comparable to ANA or something. So not as bad, but also not the $875 and $966 prices I've found for these dates as well (flying Northwest mainly though).

So alright, let me know what you guys think. Thanks for sticking through my whole thought/search process here haha. I'm still willing to work with you all because it'd be awesome to all travel together, but now my preference is United. But I guess my travel dates are also more flexible now since it probably won't make a huge price difference for me.

FedEx package arrived!

(see title) I got me my Sophia infoooo! And boy, is there a bunch of stuff to go over...but this is exciting!

Natalie and Greg, shall we get on with the ticket-purchasing process? I don't know about GREG (ahem) but I'm going for inexpensive...

Do we set up another chat date or what? Cuz um...SOMEONE pooped out on it last time...

Link It

http://gregintokyo.blogspot.com


Hopefully the title is adequate, unlike the URL (but I had to make it easy for my folks to remember!)

Make that one of three

Hey all:

Like Natalie and Greg, I too have been working, reading, watching a lot of T.V. and not studying. I've read a couple of great books that I completely reccomed: Boomsday, Out Stealing Horses and Mysterious Skin. Top notch, all of them. When I'm not reading or sleeping I'm working. I work at this retail store called Charlotte Russe. It's pretty snazzy, my coworkers are cool if sometimes lazy and I get a 40% discount. I was going to get a second job working for this funeral parlor and the D.C./metro police to "remove" bodies, you know, to sort of put it on my resume as an example of someone who's not afraid to try new things or get her hands dirty. But, after watching a ton of Paranormal State on A&E, I decided against that. No need to bring the ghost of some murder victim home with me. Completely unnecessary.

Not much else to report. I do have a question though. What's the weather going to be like when we get to Japan? What kind of clothes should I pack, that is, spring clothes, or winter clothes or all summer wear? Will it really be the rainy season? Do I need Wellies? Plus, DK house: I don't know if you guys have looked at the pictures but there are conspicuously no beds in those pictures. Are we going to have fold out beds that you take out and put away? Thoughts?

And I did want to answer Jen's question about the blog project. You can definitely start your blogs now if you'd like, but a week or two before we leave is probably better since you'd have more to say about packing and such. As far as content goes, if you could focus on the process at first, the nitty gritty things that are tedious but need to get done (i.e. booking flights, packing, etc.) that would be good. Really, the blog should be a space where you can discuss any worries you have about the study abroad trip before we leave, problems you encounter when you get there and then awesome things you experience once there.

Hope everyone is enjoying their extended vay-kay.

I guess I'll make Natalie's bandwagon one of two

     I decided I've give a little update on my life since last time I posted... sooo here goes:


     Mostly, I've been trying to earn money. I work about 6/7 days a week, substitute teaching on the weekdays and cashiering at Farm Fresh on the weekends. Recently, this schedule has deviated a bit due to me going up to Charlottesville Tuesday-Thursday two weeks ago, and for three weeks starting this week. And well, I guess it hasn't deviated too much as I have been picking up UTS blocks while I'm there, but really, that just pays for the gas to get there and the food that I have to buy if no one swipes me in. Still, I'm subbing Mondays and Fridays and am doing the Farm Fresh thing on weekends.


     Substituting can be really fun. Take for example, today, where two out of my three classes for the day had to act out a pretty hilarious play from their lit book, and where I just finished Dance, Dance, Dance some 3-4 months after we were supposed to for the JPTR Modern Cannon class. Also, you too can have mentally-handicapped middle school girls give you love notes (I'll tell anyone that story who wants to hear it in person).

     
Cashiering can also be really fun. I think I've said that I'm the fastest cashier at Farm Fresh before, but I'll reiterate that last week I was the fastest out of all the Farm Freshes worldwide. Granted, they only exist in Virginia and northern NC, but whatever. Worldwide is worldwide, baby!

     
Otherwise I've just been chilling, playing Rock Band and watching Arrested Development... and Lost. And American Gladiators (SOOO funny). And Terminator, and American Idol, and House.........

     
And finally, I'm going to Seven Springs Ski Resort in Pennsylvania to snowboard with my Boy Scout troop this weekend! It should be awesome as long as my body remembers how to snowboard after two years of not doing it. But, I figure I'll be alright.

     
I haven't been studying.

     
Now let's hear from the rest of you guys, yeah...?

Here it is!

I said I'd do it and I'm doing it, darnit. I thought about just editing the old post, but I decided it'd be funnier to keep that one on there XD


So first I'll update y'all on what I've been up to as of late. I can't remember who all I mentioned the guarantor situation to, but I found one! So I don't have to pay Sophia a $5,000 just-in-case-something-bad-happens-to-me deposit! Cool! Over the past 3 weeks I've been working at the office for the mine where my dad works. They like to do big, over-the-top stuff for their employees, so I made all the Easter baskets, which go to all the employees' kids age 12 and under. But these aren't your normal Easter baskets, folks. This is.. Santa hijacked Easter and decided every kid needed $40-$50 dollars worth of toys for Easter...... wait, what? It was a little ridiculous and a lot excessive. Especially the part where I had to go buy the second round of toys (Did I mention there are 125 kids? 3 and a half shopping carts worth of stuff into my tiny '88 Mustang... by myself.. shopping blows).

Then I made some bags of Valentine's Day candy for the miners, and now I'm working on these really silly cards to go on the Easter baskets. You see, the ladies at the office are all really into stamping, like, using rubber stamp kits and paper and markers and pencils all from this one company to make cutesy cards and things. So I'm making 125 cutesy cards with little baby chickens on the front and blah blah blah it's dumb. But it beats flipping burgers! And it's sort of artsy craftsy and I like that sort of thing. I'm just not a fan of excess, extravagance, wastefulness, throwing money and time and craft paper around, etc.

Here, watch this video to break up this post a little bit, cause it's getting long. It's weird but talented pop/rock/former visual kei sensation, Miyavi, singing "Hit the Road Jack!" Check out some of his other videos for some guitar slapping coolness, and more Engrish covers!


Blogging will now recommence..

I've also been listening to some Japanesepod101.com podcasts on the way to and from work lately! They're really good and I highly recommend them! We super need to start studying and reviewing so we don't get put in the dumb class.. Which brings me to my next topic/first question: Did anyone else get an email from Sophia a few weeks ago with a survey about your Japanese experience, and asking if you wanted to take the regular classes or the intensive classes? I'm thinking of taking the intensive classes.. They're two 90-minute sessions a day, 5 days a week, but it's for 8 credits. And I need at least 12 credits for my financial aid to be valid, so I'd have to spend those credits somewhere! Anybody else get that email?

To Greg and Jen: We all need to make our flights for serious I think.. Let's have one of those webmeetings and definitely get this all sorted out, when we're leaving, if we're flying together or not, etc etc etc and buy these puppies! I was thinking, as far as getting there early, when you guys get your DK House housing materials or whatever Chris said you'd get, you might wanna see about contacting the DK and asking about arriving early. When I signed up I just put that I'd be there on the 25th and they were like, ok cool. I'm assuming if/when I stay later than July 25th but leave before August 25th (the next full month), they would have some sort of alternative payment process maybe so you don't have to pay a full month for a few days? That's what my mom thought maybe... I better email them.

Is that all I had to say in this blog? Really? Hmm.. I think we should all blog more often again, yes, that would be good. I still check the blog like 3 times a day, so the only thing that's really changed is frequency of posts, mine included mos def. Oh yeah, Jen I was gonna ask you to persuade Andreano-san to make a guest blog post here on our blog, maybe closer to time to start packing and leaving, with like.... a list of all the things he thinks we might like to know before we go to Sophia, or things to bring/not to bring, and then we can all annoyingly post comments asking things like "Does Sophia have a cafeteria? Is it any good? Like.. Newcomb good or O'Hill good? Ok but like.. on a Monday, or more like Thursday where they start putting a chicken patty on top of a bowl of pasta and giving it a foreign sounding name?" I think this is a great idea, and I'm suggesting it here.

I was going to sew a whole bunch of cute new summer clothes to take to Japan but...alas.. I've only gotten through about a fourth of a purse and gotten totally unmotivated! Work needs to.. not make a person feel totally drained for the rest of their free evening! On an ending note, let's all watch America's Best Dance Crew tomorrow night, because I like those kinds of shows and they're great, and who knows. Maybe we'll all fall on hard times someday, abandon our college educations, take to the streets and start our own Dance Crew. And then win that show. Somebody come up with a kickin' name for our crew.

This blog is too long now! I'd put some pics in but I'm feeling preettty lazy. Maybe another day. Goooooodnight!

Wait for it..

I am so blogging tonight.

Blog Project! w00t!

Hey all,

So you'll (hopefully) get an e-mail from Chris tomorrow, which will really be an e-mail from me. Like Natalie and Mia I received this scholarship that has a necessary service component. My service idea: a blog project. I'm trying to get all the Hoos studying abroad in Asia to create a blog to educate others about and incite others to study abroad in Asia. That being said, it'd be really cool if you all would jump on board, so to speak, and create your own individual blogs and then send me the link so I can put it on the main blog page for this project.

By no means is this an attempt to undermine the integrity and spirit and honesty of this here blog. It's just something I have to do. I'm sure you all understand. Just think of this as an opportunity to get really creative on your own page for (once again, hopefully) lots of study-abroad hopefuls, like your classmates and others in the Asia-centric departments.

I've already created the main page for this blog project and my own blog if you guys want to check those out: http://destinationasia08.blogspot.com/ and http://jeannetteinjapan.blogspot.com

I hope you all are enjoying your very extended breaks :) And sorry that I've been so M.I.A. on this blog. I will post more. Scout's honor.

D-elicious K-uisine

So I spent about 6 and 1/2 hours today with my grandparents learning how to make lumpia... and my family didn't die immediately after consuming it.

In fact, they said it was delicious, so maybe all you fellow Kongs have that to look forward to when we get sick of Japanese food (as if).


... oh, and maybe Mia and Teresa can join us. I did end up making FIFTY-ONE lumpias in the batch today. And fried rice!

Housing!

He finally did it! Thanks to you guys who went to see Chris! See, of course there's an explanation behind delaying notification to us!

So looks like it's DK HOUSE for me.

Did any of you all get homestays? And who else will be basking in the lovely abode of the Donkey Kong?

Also hey, has anyone been looking into the visa thing?

Rescue

Hey! Let's not let this thing die!

As we anxiously await housing information, has anyone new purchased tickets? I'm thinking of actually just arriving the 1st of April instead of earlier...but still not definite yet (obviously). And coming back July 31st instead of staying afterwards. I think by that time it might be nice to just go home. And plus, Dan was saying since there aren't really 'exams' for the classes, we'll be done like a week before the 31st anyway and would have that time to just do whatever. Also, I believe housing would end that day, so that's another thing to have to worry/think about then.

Also, if you've thought about it, how much luggage are you planning to bring? I really don't want to have a buttload to lug around but I'm not sure how to pack lightly for 4 whole months. At least it'll just be plain hot when we get there (right?) so we don't have to pack different seasonal clothing or anything. I also want to have enough space to be able to bring back gifts, souvenirs, clothing. Sigh this is going to give me a headache.

Okay, peace for now!

OH SNAP v. 2.0

Sooooo guys.
Dan told me that the guy at the exchange student office at Sophia said that one Chris Payne has our housing info.
Has anyone gotten it?
He better get on that.
Or else.
Yeah, that's right. I said 'or else'.

Have a great first weekend that we would be at school!

OH SNAP

Guess what today is?




THE FIRST DAY WE DON'T HAVE CLASSES HIGH FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess who's back...

...Back again...

It's been great catching up with all of your lives since I've been gone. Hope everyone's New Years celebrating went swell.

Anyhoo, Korea and Japan were great! Though apparently, the friends and I brought the cold everywhere we went, so for all you wondering, that is why it suddenly got cold in ol' Virginia.

So whilst in Japan, I took a little visit to our soon-to-be University. Unfortunately I could only make it out on a Sunday, when it was about to close (5pm), so needless to say, it was really empty. I did walk down the main 'street', saw the buildings, used a bathroom, saw the 3 cafeterias, went into the 7-11. It is small, in case you haven't heard. They have a cheerleading team because they think it's cool because they see it in American movies. They call themselves the "Lollypoppers" which I find HILARIOUS. I also met a few of our soon-to-be classmates, by way of Dan. And heard some interesting stories about other classmates, and some teachers.

Also went to some good restaurants. And I have quite the collection of those cards they give you that they stamp, and you get some sort of discount or something after you've spent a certain amount of money, plus some coupons and the like. Plus a Mister Donut card. I really want a small stuffed animal lion. It's 500 points. I have 30, but that's beside the point. You guys will help me, right? There's this cheap bar in Shinjuku that I frequented (300yen/beer), but even if you don't drink, the atmosphere's kinda cool. It's a standing bar, that mainly gaijin go to, but Dan and I definitely met some interesting people, including these two old Japanese men (I got a business card from one of them!)

Also some cool places to go that will be even more AMAZING when the weather is nice: Fuji-Q (amusement park with some world record holding rollercoasters, though it will suck when the lines are long - I went when everyone was in school so it was great), Disney Sea/Land - I went to Sea and it was a lot of fun, though supposedly it's more for couples to go to because it has more shows and pretty views and things. Fun shopping area nearby too. Odaiba - SO much fun. There's this arcade open 24 hours with TONS of games, purikura (which OMG how did I forget about THOSE and how much FUN they are?), and sporting like baseball and bowling. Pretty pretty scenery too. Yokohama too. And then Karaoke. I'm not a huge fan because I don't sing, but I love hearing others sing! So you all better practice up! (Greg, could your last post's title have been a reference to Foreplay/Long Time?!) And izakaya restaurants are quite fun and enjoyable.

One last note, SAVE YOUR MONEY NOW. As you probably know, the USD does not go very far, and Japan is EXPENSIVE. Traveling, food, entertainment, shopping...it SUPER adds up. My friends who had Wachovia/Citibank cards had no trouble with withdrawing cash from ATMs, but you should check if there's some sort of international fee. Citibank is good though because there actually are Citibanks in the big cities, so if you needed to go to the physical bank, you can find one. Have some credit cards ready as well, though many places don't accept them, but for big purchases, they would be very good. But make sure to notify the company that you'll be abroad or they will most likely restrict the account after your first swipe. And beware that there's usually a fee to make international charges.

So anyway, it's time for me now to get a job or 2, and start studying up, and learning how to cook and such. And if you're curious about anything else, feel free to ask!

IT'S BEEN SUCH A LOOONNNGGG TIIIIIMMMMME

Hey there homies... just wanted to give y'all a little insight into what I've been up to this break:

(1): Gregory Weaver has continued his job as a cashier at Farm Fresh and took back his title of fastest cashier in the store within the first week of his return. BAM! Free Starbucks, here I come!

(2): Gregory Weaver has been substitute teaching for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. So far, he has subbed for a middle school Japanese teacher, middle school science teacher who only needed replacing during her homeroom and planning bell so that the bright green Greg could read the large chunk of Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids that he didn't read in Japanese Lit class, French high school teacher, and two high school math teachers. Tomorrow he returns to the French school to teach Social Studies. He did in fact catch a really rich-looking white girl cheating on a math test. Cha-ching!

(3): Gregory Weaver has been playing video games. In fact, he's been playing a lot of Rock Band and is trying to push himself through expert level drums, which isn't going so well. Furthermore, he was SO EXCITED about the launch of Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSP that he bought a PSP and the game, raising this month's credit bill to over $800. Thanks so much, saxophone case!

(4): Gregory Weaver has not been following through with his goals for the winter.

(5): The last movie the aforementioned name saw was.................... huh. I don't know. But I did watch The Sarah Conner Chronicles tonight on Fox. Where the hell did Terminator 3 go!? Regardless, I've started watching Psyche and am hankering for some American Idol on Thursday. Ooo ooo, let's all bet when it comes down to the last ones!

(6): Tiring REALLY early. Have a fun night everyone!

Hello!
I hope you all are doing well (and enjoying the fact that everyone else is getting ready to go back to school).
I just had a question for the non-dk house people.. did anyone hear from Payne/Sophia on housing or anything? Or do you know when we should expect to hear from them?
-M

I AM BOOKED

kk minna!!!

~NEWS UPDATE~

i am booked into the Yoyogi Hostel from March 26 until April 1. they only allow for 6 consecutive night stays with online booking so that's what i'm doing. there are tons of conditions for staying there, BUT there is NO CURFEW. so, if i decide to stay out all night and go wild, i may. however showers can only be taken at night and you cannot be at the hostel between 9am and 5pm. weird, i know, but apparently that's how hostels run. i also bought myself a membership to youth hostel international for like $28 online. if i had chosen to stay at an actual hotel, the bill would've been about $950. and that's for the cheapest of the cheapest hotel. by staying at this hostel, it's only $150 and i may or may not have to be charged extra because of my nifty hostel membership. sweet, yeah?

turns out that i'll likely be flying on the 25th from Dulles. ANA has direct flights from there. Thai Airlines does also. i am determined to try and fly a 4star airline, so i have to decide between ANA or Thai. ANA has my current pick though.

the flight i really want will set me back $1923.99 on cheaptickets.com.

it's a direct flight via ANA

Tue, Mar 25
Depart:
1:13 pm
Washington, DC (IAD)
All Nippon Airways 7029operated by UNITED AIRLINES INC.

Arrive:
4:20 pm next day
Tokyo, Japan (NRT)

Fri, Aug 15
Depart:
4:00 pm
Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
All Nippon Airways 7028operated by UNITED AIRLINES INC.

Arrive:
3:34 pm
Washington, DC (IAD)

With this, I'll arrive in time to make my check-in and won't be hassled too bad.

Bah... i really hate this whole travel thinger.


-UPDATE-
i have been shotdown by poppa bear. i will be takin' UA. which is the exact same damn flight only $600 cheaper. hehehe. ^___________^

airfare.com

use it!!!

tickets that show up as $600 or more elsewhere are majorly discounted here.

my new airfare price is... *DRUM ROLL*

$1342.22

Airline
From
To
Departue
Arrival
Stops
803 United Airlines
IAD-Dulles Intl, Washington, District Of Columbia, USA
NRT-Narita, Tokyo, Japan
Tuesday25 Mar01:13 PM
Wednesday26 Mar04:20 PM +1

Elapsed Time 0 hr 0 min -->
804 United Airlines
NRT-Narita, Tokyo, Japan
IAD-Dulles Intl, Washington, District Of Columbia, USA
Friday15 Aug04:00 PM
Friday15 Aug03:30 PM


sweet, no?

- UPDATE PART II -
turns out that i will be heading to china pre-Japan. i'll be in china for chinese new year! wheee. I'll be flying over there on 2/4 and will be heading back 2/25. exactly one month before i'm due in Japan. should be fun times.