First Days Revisited: #2 First Night at the University of Tsukuba

After arriving at Narita International Airport, I was anxious to make my way to University of Tsukuba campus and start my life as an official 学生 (student)! Unfortunately, that would take a lot longer than expected. In fact, even though we touched down around 3pm, we wouldn't make it to campus until about 8pm. While waiting at the airport, I was able to better acquaint myself with some of the other students and learn about their particular goals and interests. There were students from all over the world, from Slovenia to China and beyond. It was truly amazing to see such a beautiful rainbow of cultures and ethnicities all coming together to live and learn in Japan.
Eventually after wrangling everyone together, we all loaded onto a charted bus and took a 2+ hour bus ride to University of Tsukuba. In Japan, the sun begins setting around 4:30 and turns pitch black by 6pm. Needless to say, it looked as though it was midnight by the time we arrived at the University of Tsukuba and transversed our way through the gargantuan 636 acre campus to our dorm rooms at Ichinoya. When the bus finally arrived at Ichinoya dormitory, we were each greeted by our respective tutors who would help us with the basics of living in Japan - things like opening bank accounts, buying a 自転車 (bicycle) and　携帯電話 (cellphone). My lovely tutor, Mizuho, who is a wonderful aspiring English teacher, was gracious enough to help me to my room and take my friend Rochelle and I to eat our first authentic ramen (wherein I proceeded to commit a major faux pa by forgetting to say いただきます(loosely means: I humbly receive this meal) before inhaling my noodles!)
My first impression of my new living quarters was..."this is it eh?" The rooms were small, plain, a little dirty and obviously a few decades old. Believe it or not though, getting a room in this particular dormitory was actually like winning the dorm lottery. I was lucky enough to receive a room with air conditioning/heat, a small stove range and an even smaller bathroom inside - students in adjacent dorm buildings don't have any of these things and actually have to pay $1 per 9 min for their showers (and have to make it home before 11pm if they want their shower hot)! My room, which was on the 4th floor (no elevators) of the building, contained the following: an old metal desk, chair, wooden bed with hidden drawers, a blasphemously uncomfortable microbead pillow, a table lamp (which was broken), a wire storage shelf, a stove, sink, a bathroom with a shower attachment. I was most excited about the bathroom - it was nothing like I've ever seen before! At first glance, the bathroom looks like little more than a mirror and a toilet and a large sink. However, when you move the sink cover over the toilet, the entire room becomes a shower! Not only that, the hot water controls are on the outside of the bathroom. We went through 2 days of ice cold showers before we found out from our tutor that you had to press a particular button to make the water hot (D'oh!!).
Currently, having lived in this dorm room for the past 4 months, I can say without hesitation that it is like a second home to me. As I write this I am in Texas, thousands of miles away from Japan on a short holiday visit to America, and honestly all I can think about is missing my tiny little dorm room and my awesome life in Japan. I'll be back in Japan in a few short days and I am beyond excited!


じゃまた

Ashia A.

First Days Revisited: #1 My Arrival in Japan

Before I launch into all the interesting things I've been getting into, I would first like to spend the next few posts revisiting the early days of my time in Tsukuba, Japan. So please relax, sit back and join these trips down memory lane!

Getting on the plane at San Francisco International Airport was, for me, a mixed bag of emotions. While I had been dreaming of this moment my whole life I was somewhat torn about the prospect of leaving my life in California behind. So there I was with the airport check in line in front of me and behind me, my poor Mom crying over watching her baby bird flutter away (being the youngest, I am always the baby ;o). For a fleeting moment I even pondered if I shouldn't go at all. But when it came down to it, I knew in my heart that I had to go and fulfill my dreams - who knows when this opportunity would come again? So I hugged my Mom tight one last time and then trumped forward. Onward to Japan, onward to my dreams!

The flight to Japan was very long, about 11 hours, and overall very pleasant. It was at the airport that I met Rochelle, another Sac State student who was also participating in the CSU IP program in Tsukuba, Japan. She and I became fast friends (and still are pretty close! Love that girl <3 <3) and sat together on the airplane. The only issue? I really wanted a window seat so I could look out the window and pretend that I'm flying through the clouds (because I'm 5 years old obviously)!. Rochelle luckily did have a window seat. The stewardesses adamantly informed us that we couldn't switch. We did anyway. This did not please the stewardesses.  They made their displeasure to us clear in passive, yet hilarious ways - things like passing right over Rochelle when ice cream was passed out or offering everyone ice with their water but not Rochelle. Touché stewardesses. Touché. Of course we couldn't be defeated that easily and decided to borrow (steal?) their airplane blankets and cute airplane silverware in retaliation. HAHAHA take that ANA!!!

One day later (literally due to the time zone difference) we were in Japan and in awe. Yes in awe of just how hot and humid it was. I have never seen my hair poof up faster than when I got off that plane! Well, even with poofy hair, I was so excited to finally be in Japan!! I even took a pic to commemorate the awesome moment.

With hard work this could be you too!


じゃまた

Ashia

Long Time No See

久しぶり! It's been a while hasn't it? Well to start, I am very much alive. ANNNDD I am living in and loving JAPAN!! Yes I made it to Tsukuba, Japan!!! I apologize for the lack of posts from these past few months but I have been doing a lot of different exciting things and frankly I got just a tad bit (a lot) lazy. But I am back, and boy is there a lot to write about! Stay tuned for a barrage of posts varying from my first days at University of Tsukuba to my few trips around Japan (Tokyo Disneyland anyone?)


じゃまた

Ashia