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More Japan!

Posted October 2, 2008

Okay, so I don't really know what to say, but I figure it's been a while since I did one of these things, so whatever.

Life in Japan is going quite swimmingly. We started classes this past Wednesday, and I actually got moved up to the intermediate class, so everything there is going just fine. The class itself is incredibly hard, but I'm looking forward to being able to speak better Japanese by the end of the semester. It is the point of me being here after all.

As for interesting things I've done, I recently went to a Karaoke Bar and stayed all night there. It was incredibly fun. I sang the Backstreet Boys "I want it that way." Looking back on it, this may have been a bit of an embarrassing choice, but too late to change that now I suppose.

Everyday life hasn't changed too much from regular school for me, minus the facts that I have to ride the train everywhere I go and that I don't understand what people are trying to say to me a lot of the time. The trains are really pretty crazy. If you've ever seen a youtube video of people packing in to a Japanese train in the morning, it's just like that every morning and every night. (If you haven't seen a video, go and find one!). I happen to go through one of the biggest stations on two of the biggest lines in Japan, so you can imagine how much fun that is for me. I do enjoy being taller than almost everyone on the train though. Some people try to keep away from me like I'm some sort of monster. It's pretty funny.

I actually had a group of kids talk to me on the train the other day. We'd maybe spoken five words when they told me that my Japanese was really good. Honestly, my Japanese is not that good, but it's really nice to hear that from kids. Everyone here, and I mean everyone I've talked to for any extended period of time has told me that my Japanese is good. It's kind of ridiculous actually, but I certainly enjoy it. I just can't get over how nice everyone here is. My host family is constantly telling me how much they like me and so forth, and anyone I talk to on the streets is willing to help me with whatever problems I have.

So all in all, life in Japan is going pretty well. Ask me that again though, after I've had a chance to really get in to my studies. Then we'll see.

Pictures! http://picasaweb.google.com/Kniehau

I'll have more soon.

-Kevin

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