Getting Adjusted
10/15/05
Mailing List Entry 3
Well Chaps and Chappesses,
I’ve been in Tokyo for about a week and a half. I like it here. I’m sure it will get much more difficult when classes start, but that’s not for a few days yet. I’ve got internet. I’ve got a cellphone (with an English menu) and a bicycle now as well.
Things are shaping up pretty well here. I had my placement test on Wednesday. I placed into 4th level Kanji and Reading and 5th level Grammar and Conversation. I’m not sure why I placed so high. I don’t think I did too well on the test. On the assumption that I have to take at least 8 classes (that’s what most of the other students have to take) I am also probably going to take a few culture classes and a history class. Every class is once a week, and is about an hour and a half. With that in mind, taking as many as 8 classes sounds fine to me. I have all of next week to try out the classes and decide what I like.
The bike ride to campus is about 10 to 15 minutes, and is a nice, comfortable ride. The campus is compact, but there is a lot there. I will have classes in at least three different buildings, which is really nothing new for me, haha. There is a slightly expensive dining hall on campus, but from what I’ve experienced food there is tasty. A few days ago I tried the Pawa-Don, which was good. (A note for the Japanese Food Inexperienced, Pawa-Don is Chicken and Egg on rice, pretty simple, but tasty.) There is a large grocery store/Department Store five or six blocks from campus, Olympic, which is very useful. I bought both my bicycle and cellphone there. I also do a lot of shopping at the 99 yen store (99 cent store). I can buy milk and eggs that are a little closer to the expiration date than in the supermarket at about half the price. Now that I have a bike, I will be able to buy produce from the big supermarket, which will be very useful.
There really is a lot to do around town as well. I’ve got a good bunch of friends in the dorms. I have a Hawaiian neighbor, Paco, with whom I speak English. Most of my other friends speak none or very little English. There are Seo-san and Kim-chan from Korea, and Yo Yo-san and Rei Rei-san from China. I mainly hang out with Seo-san and Paco-san. Wednesday night we all went out and did Karaoke from 11 PM to 4 AM. This time is known as Free-Hours. This means, instead of 600 yen (6 dollars) per hour, we each pay about 1000 yen for the whole time. I had a blast. If any of you come to visit me, we are going to do Karaoke.
I discovered that the burger from Entry 2 was in fact, not a Tofu Burger, but a Tamago (Egg) burger. It’s actually quite tasty. It’s an egg patty with bacon on top of a burger with a peppery dijonaise sauce. I highly recommend it. It’s like a little bit of Japan thrown in with otherwise purely American food. There’s also a wonderful little Ramen shop just off campus owned by a little old lady we all call Obaasan (Grandma). I never have much clue what I eat there, but it’s always tasty. The food at the Cafeteria at the dorm is also quite good, and about as expensive as the cafeteria on campus. I’m just starting to cook here, but with a lot of cheap instant stuff, it’s pretty easy. I don’t have a rice maker here, (it would have been a little silly to bring mine, it’s big) so I either borrow Seo-san’s or get rice from the convenience store. I may get one at some point, but it’s not a major concern.
Kodaira really is a wonderful little city. I haven’t yet had the chance to go to downtown Tokyo, but soon. Soon I will explore the big city though, and I will conquer it. I will conquer soon. Then…Then I will write again. You have not heard the last of the Great Cory Long. Tales of much hilarity will soon ensue.
From the left: Akane, Paco, Kim, Me, Yo-Yo, Rei-Rei
Far Right, Seosan
An Update of the Softdrinks picture.
Well Chaps and Chappesses,
I’ve been in Tokyo for about a week and a half. I like it here. I’m sure it will get much more difficult when classes start, but that’s not for a few days yet. I’ve got internet. I’ve got a cellphone (with an English menu) and a bicycle now as well.
Things are shaping up pretty well here. I had my placement test on Wednesday. I placed into 4th level Kanji and Reading and 5th level Grammar and Conversation. I’m not sure why I placed so high. I don’t think I did too well on the test. On the assumption that I have to take at least 8 classes (that’s what most of the other students have to take) I am also probably going to take a few culture classes and a history class. Every class is once a week, and is about an hour and a half. With that in mind, taking as many as 8 classes sounds fine to me. I have all of next week to try out the classes and decide what I like.
The bike ride to campus is about 10 to 15 minutes, and is a nice, comfortable ride. The campus is compact, but there is a lot there. I will have classes in at least three different buildings, which is really nothing new for me, haha. There is a slightly expensive dining hall on campus, but from what I’ve experienced food there is tasty. A few days ago I tried the Pawa-Don, which was good. (A note for the Japanese Food Inexperienced, Pawa-Don is Chicken and Egg on rice, pretty simple, but tasty.) There is a large grocery store/Department Store five or six blocks from campus, Olympic, which is very useful. I bought both my bicycle and cellphone there. I also do a lot of shopping at the 99 yen store (99 cent store). I can buy milk and eggs that are a little closer to the expiration date than in the supermarket at about half the price. Now that I have a bike, I will be able to buy produce from the big supermarket, which will be very useful.
There really is a lot to do around town as well. I’ve got a good bunch of friends in the dorms. I have a Hawaiian neighbor, Paco, with whom I speak English. Most of my other friends speak none or very little English. There are Seo-san and Kim-chan from Korea, and Yo Yo-san and Rei Rei-san from China. I mainly hang out with Seo-san and Paco-san. Wednesday night we all went out and did Karaoke from 11 PM to 4 AM. This time is known as Free-Hours. This means, instead of 600 yen (6 dollars) per hour, we each pay about 1000 yen for the whole time. I had a blast. If any of you come to visit me, we are going to do Karaoke.
I discovered that the burger from Entry 2 was in fact, not a Tofu Burger, but a Tamago (Egg) burger. It’s actually quite tasty. It’s an egg patty with bacon on top of a burger with a peppery dijonaise sauce. I highly recommend it. It’s like a little bit of Japan thrown in with otherwise purely American food. There’s also a wonderful little Ramen shop just off campus owned by a little old lady we all call Obaasan (Grandma). I never have much clue what I eat there, but it’s always tasty. The food at the Cafeteria at the dorm is also quite good, and about as expensive as the cafeteria on campus. I’m just starting to cook here, but with a lot of cheap instant stuff, it’s pretty easy. I don’t have a rice maker here, (it would have been a little silly to bring mine, it’s big) so I either borrow Seo-san’s or get rice from the convenience store. I may get one at some point, but it’s not a major concern.
Kodaira really is a wonderful little city. I haven’t yet had the chance to go to downtown Tokyo, but soon. Soon I will explore the big city though, and I will conquer it. I will conquer soon. Then…Then I will write again. You have not heard the last of the Great Cory Long. Tales of much hilarity will soon ensue.
From the left: Akane, Paco, Kim, Me, Yo-Yo, Rei-Rei
Far Right, Seosan
An Update of the Softdrinks picture.