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!