kombanwa.

Tsudanuma at night.

That is good evening in Japanese. Yes, the rumors are true. I am in Japan. As of yet, I don't know if I even believe it. I made some fast friends at orientation, including some Japanese friends, and had a great time. Now I have moved into the dorms and am feeling a little uneasy. Like most new things, it will take some getting used to. I have already fallen into trouble when I lost my dorm key within hours of moving in, but my dorm manager, Kato San, has helped and given me a spare. Regardless I feel foolish, and spent all of today avoiding her.

Today also marks a new accomplishment. I ventured out into town for the first time alone tonight. It is about a 20 minute walk / 10 minutes by bus into town. I walked this evening to time it, and happened upon many strange thoughts along the way. It is an interesting mix between being stared at, and being ignored completely. Also, the town seems to always be bustling, even on a Sunday night, as opposed to American where we prefer to order take out and stay inside. I live in a beautiful little section of town, in the suburbs of Tokyo.



it is very quiet here, other than the occasional alarm, and these strange cars I see with microphones on top. I believe they are selling things, but I don't know for sure. As you can see, the buildings are beautiful and the street lights were just coming on as I set out. I have had a lethal dose of homesickness lately that I would only full admit to my boyfriend, and so I walked into town to buy myself some little sweets. At an earlier trip with fellow IES students, I saw in the grocery fresh pastries that seemed very popular, and I hoped I would be able to find the store myself tonight. My sense of direction is still on, and so I easily found them.



These things are incredible! So far I have only eaten the chocolate one. While many chocolate cakes with creme have filled me up and seemed to weigh me down, this cake was light and airy, and after I finished it, I didn't feel the least full. Amazing! I had to wait the entire walk back to eat them though, as it is very rude to eat in the streets in Japan. Finally I will leave you (I am about to take a hot soak thanks to my new friend and partner in crime, Atsumi who taught me how to turn my hot water on) with a picture I found funny and awkwardly American.



Haha, they are like little golf carts carrying Domino's Pizza. This picture would be better if it were Papa Gino's, but I had no idea Domino's was world wide. Bizarre.

Time for a hot soak before I write my postcards and fall to sleep. Tomorrow I have to head to school in the morning, go through some more orientation stuff, get a cell phone with John and Atsumi, and hopefully find a way to see Alyssa as well after my beginners Japanese class.

oyasumi nasai!
(goodnight!)