I'm still in Japan.
The thing about a personal blog is that you need access to a computer, so when your laptop breaks down you're pretty much out of luck. I hadn't even thought about the fact that I was using a Japanese-brand computer until I switched to an American one. Even when the machine got here I still had to go out and find an adapter.
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| I'm pretty sure the only instruction that came with my computer was NOT to use a 3-to-2 adapter. More importantly, what's the green thing doing there? Should I be worried? ... Naaaaaaaah. |
Here's what you missed: I was part of a foreign student music festival, got sick a couple times, visited Tokyo, finished my finals, met some new people, learned some new things, got a job, and had a couple dramatic episodes that weren't nearly as intense as I thought. Right now it's winter so I'm pretty much stuck at home in a corner with a space heater hoping it will unfreeze my toes at some point. See, the reason I love winter is because you can go out and play in the snow then return to the warmth of your home and drink some hot chocolate. In Japan, your home is most likely the coldest place to go (unless you have one of the aforementioned space heaters), and in this area even when it snows it never accumulates. That hasn't stopped me from frolicking, of course, but every morning is a mental struggle to overcome the part of me that wants to say under the covers. I usually don't get up until 9 or 10am.
To be honest, besides going to the school cafeteria for lunch I've just been escaping to warm places with my friends. I can't tell whether we're supposed to be there but one of the doors is open to get to the Global Lounge on campus so we usually meet there or at the mall not too far away. The mall is way more glamorous than it should be, with random European-sounding names for the stores and sales signs that never go out of season on overpriced goods. There's a park on the roof complete with a children's playground, fountain, and stage for what I assume must be performances I've never seen. It's really nice, actually, but I have a feeling most people go there to look fashionable rather than to buy stuff, at least on the clothing floors. It's where I got my adapter (for only $3!) so maybe I should be more appreciative. Once you find the dollar stores and the cheap shopping places, though, it just becomes a place to hang out. I've been spoiled by cafeteria food, too, so I can't stand the mall prices any more.
Another thing I got used to: safety. I've never felt so safe in my life. I would get to my host family's house a little after midnight on some nights, which I realized was a bit bothersome to them since they have to get up early for work so I've been trying to avoid it, but I wouldn't even look around my shoulder for suspicious-looking characters. Most people walking or biking around are moms with their kids or hurried businessmen anyway. Recently they told me there was a theft in the neighborhood on one of the streets nearby that isn't so well-lit so they were worried about me getting home so late. It's true that foreigners tend to be targeted for crimes like that, but the reason I get home before dark these days is because I want to have cuddle time with my space heater, not to avoid muggers. I'm really going to be in trouble when I get back to the States.
In summary, it's too cold to do anything so I guess I'll catch up on the things I've done until now but couldn't post about because I had no computer. You know, after I settle down with some hot cocoa, put on as many layers as possible, and try not to feel guilty about using the energy-guzzling space heater so much.
