The First Week of My Dream- The Seinos

  Luckily, I befriended one of the most kindest Japanese girls that came to Texas State.
   Risa had spent Thanksgiving break in Texas with my crazy family, so we became closer after that.    

I was wanting to somehow come to Japan earlier than I had to because I wanted to get used to things. I asked her if it would be ok to stay with her and her family for a little bit. I didn't want to impose, but since she had stayed with my family, I hoped it would be ok.




Well... here I am day 6 in her family's house. The Seinos are a very kind and fun family. I have been staying in Risa's older sister's room. They have helped me to do so many things in my first week of Japanese life. I wasn't expecting any of it. Risa and I went to a really big shrine in Kamakura on my first full day here. It was an experience I had been hoping to try. Granted my shoes gave me a blister on the ball of my foot that is still there, but overall it was a nice experience. I even did an omikuji (oracle thing that you tie on a rope). Later that evening, her Mom and Grandma dressed me in a yukata and we went to take pictures at a tiny shrine by their house. Her mom also put up my hair and put pretty hair decorations in it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I have eaten almost every Japanese food that I love and wanted the experience of actually eating it in Japan. Risa's mom and Grandma feed me big Japanese breakfasts. So far I've eaten Soba, Ramen, Tonkatsu, Gyoza, Okonomiyaki, Karage, Somen, Sushi, and even Kakigori. I'm so glad that I came early to experience a bit of Japanese family life. It has also helped me become more comfortable with the Japanese transit systems. One of my favorite things is watching Japanese tv. The programs are so interesting and it is helping me with getting used to hearing Japanese. Although, it is a little frustrating because I want to watch the dramas but there is a lot I don't understand because no subtitles. I really like seeing all the singers and actors that I know on commercials and advertisements everywhere. Arashi is for sure everywhere, and even SMAP is still going strong! YAY JOHNNY'S ENTERTAINMENT!

I was able to meet up with former TXST exchange students and a Texas native Texas State Student who is now living and working in Japan. It was really fun to hang out with them again and to experience my first izakaya. An izakaya is a type of Japanese restaurant-bar. The have this certain time where you can order as many drinks as you want for a set price. We also ordered different types of dishes to share. Since I'm not much of a drinker and I just turned 21 this past January, I don't have a taste for alcohol especially beer. I don't really have the want to drink or get drunk, but for social purpose and experience I tried a Japanese beer with them and the Japanese "cheers". I only drink about half of the beer. I did, however have two mixed drinks. A kiwi sour and strawberry sour, they were pretty good. 

 I also don't drink much because of my faith and upbringing. Drinking, especially excessively, is a big no-no in the Baptist faith. Not only that, I just don't care for drinking. I can have fun without being drunk.






Another great experience for me was the onsen. Japanese hot spring and public bath. It wasn't as uncomfortable and weird as I thought it would be. People kept telling me: "You know you have to be naked right?" "You can't wear a swimsuit." LOL OF course I know people! I know what goes on at an onsen, I'm prepared. I feel like a lot of Americans wouldn't be able to do it and have bad thoughts about it or even feel it is unsanitary. It wasn't like that at all. Of course it is kind of weird to be naked in front of random women and girls you don't know, especially as a foreigner, but I didn't feel like I was being gawked at or anything. It is a good, free feeling to walk around naked and get in and out of hot waters. There was even a salt sauna thing. You went in a hot room and at the door you grab a handful of salt and bring it with you to a marble seat by a facet. You rub the salt all over your body. There was even a tv inside the salt sauna room to watch while you scrub yourself down. The outside onsens were nice because even though it was middle of summer, there was a nice breeze to cool you off when you got out. Inside, there are different "shower" stations. You sit on a little plastic seat thing in front of a mirror and use a removable shower head or a facet and bucket. The onsen provides general shampoo, conditioner and body soap or you can bring your own or buy some from the lobby. So after all the getting in and out of hot springs and jet baths you can actually clean yourself. You go back to the locker room area where you first came in and got undressed and they provided hair dryers and mirrors to get dressed.

This was a little porch area outside the locker room where you could smoke I guess. We went out here to take a picture so we wouldn't have naked people in the background. Also, I've seen in dramas that after the onsen you drink cold milk. Risa's mom bought me some from a vending machine. I felt so authentic.

Not sure what else I can really put in to words at this point. My time has been pretty authentic Japanese as a foreigner can get I think. I love taking my shoe off in places. I liked seeing a tennis match going on with college students in a semi-rural part of town next to a local famous ice-cream shop. I like people watching on the train and at stations.
Today, is my last day at the Seino's though. I will be heading to my dorm soon to meet up with the other international students. I just hope that I can keep dwelling in authentic Japanese culture and using as much Japanese as I can.
That's all for now...
The journey in the land of the Rising Sun has begun.
-メレーア

The First Week of My Dream- The Arrival

I never thought I would actually be here. I mean, for years I have dreamed of being in this place that I have studied about passionately. One of my life goals was to come here not just to visit, but to spend at least a year.

Well...I'm here. In Japan. For a year.

The plane rides to get here weren't bad actually. I had already been on a plane recently, so I was ok with it. Even though lugging around baggage all by yourself is a bit of a pain. I had like a 3 hour layover in LAX, which was good because I had to get checked-in with Japan Airlines and eat lunch. There were already lots of Japanese people around me. After I ate, I sat in a corner by a window and there was a cute Japanese family with a toddler boy and like a 5 year old boy. They were taking pictures and being so cute. I kept wanting to try and start using Japanese, but I chickened out. Even though it was LAX, in the international flights area and on Japan Airlines I was getting curious looks. It was a little uncomfortable at times, but I was prepared for this.
My long flight on Japan Airlines was actually really neat. I was reminded of a J-drama called "Attention Please". It is about Japanese flight attendants, so I was reminded repeatedly. Each seat had a personal t.v. in the back of the seat in front of it and a remote. I thought I was going to have to entertain myself for the whole flight. I had no idea that there would be an entertainment center in front of me. The tv thing did soo many things. You could watch the flight map and times for destination and stats and stuff like that, Japanese and American tv shows, all kinds of movies from lots of countries, listen to music (all kinds), play games, and shop the airline catalog. I ended up watching two Japanese movies (with subtitles of course) to start practicing a bit, I also listened to Jpop. I actually didn't sleep much at all. I wasn't sleepy. I dozed off for maybe 30 minutes and then they turned the lights on to serve our second meal. The meals weren't too bad either. They had lots of side dishes that there had to be something there that everyone likes. I even used a bit of Japanese to the flight attendant and the business man beside me.

I didn't get emotional until I saw the Japan coastline for the first time. 

I had to stop myself from actually crying because I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the Japanese business men beside me. Good thing I had a window seat. I stared down at Japan getting closer and closer until we landed. I was smiling so big at everything I could see, from the cars going on opposite side from America to the farming lands. After landing, everything went by in a blur. I was surprised I made it through everything so quickly. I went through immigration and then I wasn't sure what to do next, so I went to the bathroom because I hadn't gone the whole duration of the flight. After that I was going towards customs but I realized I had to have the rest of my luggage first. I saw that there were carts to use by the baggage claim. I put that to good use because lugging around 3 suitcases and a backpack and turtle and blanket all by yourself in a big airport is a little difficult. The cart was my friend. lol I had it while I exchanged money and I even got to take it down an escalator to buy my Suica card (used to charge money on to use for train and bus fares, also some stores accept it) and N'ex ticket (Narita Express train) and had to leave it at a spot right before I got on the platform to wait for the Narita Express which came a few minutes after I got there. It was a good thing that there was hardly anyone on the train, because I really had to wrestle with my bags. They have spots when you board to leave your luggage, but all the bottom and middle ones were taken and I couldn't lift my big suitcase high enough for the others and the train was pulling out. I ended up just going to my seat(it is assigned when you buy it for N'EX) and since no one was beside me I put the bags there and in-front of me. I couldn't really enjoy my first train ride ever because ever since Narita airport I realized I couldn't contact Risa to make sure she was there to meet me. I was freaking out and trying so hard to figure out how to connect to Wi-Fi...but it wasn't free. I finally gave up and just rode the rest of the way to Yokohama trying to calm down and enjoy my first Japanese purchase...a coke from the train snack cart.

I got off the Narita Express and just kinda stood around the platform and looked around. I wasn't sure where to go or what to do. I went downstairs from the platform and just stood by a random pole about to breakdown. I looked up as I heard my name called out. Risa was coming towards me in front of me. I couldn't believe she found me so quickly. God definitely had a hand in that. I hugged her and almost started crying, I was so happy and relieved. I had to take a few deep breaths before we continued on and ate at Yokohama station. Everything else started to fall into place after that. I'm easily catching on to things and I haven't had trouble with much of anything yet.  

Next I'll talk about the rest of my first week.
Until then...
Byebye!    ~Laila~