Lots of Pictures!

For this blog I am going to just dump a bunch of photos and provide a little bit of context to them! 

Arashiyama:

Arashiyama is a very popular tourist attraction in Kyoto. It is known for the bamboo forest, however I found that the surrounding mountains and rivers were way prettier and less crowded. My friends and I went on a little bit of a hike to see a scenic outlook of Kyoto. Arashiyama is a bit more in the mountainous area of Kyoto, so the views were breathtaking. 

View of Kyoto

Photos from the short hike to the outlook

Bamboo Forest

The River

Cafes!

  I love riding my bike to different cafes in Kyoto and studying there. Here are some photos of cafes I've gone to recently:

Cafe Kosci

Cafe Cherish

Also Cafe Cherish 

Hatoba Cafe

Thai food with my friend from Thailand!

Going Thrifting:

One of my favorite things to do in Japan with my friends is going thrifting. There are so many amazing cheap, good quality thrift stores here. It is also often really amusing for me to look at Japan's perception of American culture, and the shirts that have poorly translated quotes in English. Here are some of my favorite funny finds:

America Core:

American Culture is seen as "cool" here so here is some things sold in thrift stores that are supposed to represent America:

Here are two of my favorite poorly translated shirts and sweatshirts:

Hike! 

I went on a hike with two friends a week or two ago. Before we hiked the mountain, we walked around the gorgeous Ginkau-Ji at the base of the mountain. The hike is pretty short, only about 400 meters up and then 400 meters down, however it was very steep. After we went on a hike, we got lunch at a cute restaurant that was bear themed. 

Ginkaku-Ji temple

 Actual Hike:

Bear Themed Restaurant:

Ritsumeikan School Festival 

Every November, Ritsumeikan has a school festival. I didn't really understand how big of a deal it was until I actually got on campus that day. The Japanese people LOVE having festivals, which are always organized so well, and almost overwhelming with the amount of things to do. Our school festival attracted people and their families from our local area and the surrounding areas. Here are some highlights:

My friend Ruby is in photo club and had her first photo display at the festival!

 The crazy amount of food stalls with students running them to raise money for their club

Rainbow!

Here are some videos of the performances:

(I'm not really sure if these videos are good quality or were even uploaded correctly so sorry in advance)

To finish off the blog post here are some photos of sunsets!

Adulting in Japan

After turning 20 last week, I've done some reflecting on how much I've learned and grown since coming to Japan in terms of independence and figuring out how to be a "real" adult. 

     I think I would classify my year at American University last year as "adulting lite". It was a good transition period, I learned how to go grocery shopping by myself (although, I wasn't really buying things for meals, it was more for snacks). I took a lot of public transportation, including the very unreliable and confusing DC busses, and the (in my opinion) beautiful DC metro system. I got lost plenty of times, but I still figured it out. There was one time when I took a bus the wrong way and was late to my first babysitting job for a family last year, and I called my mom near tears. She told me what to do and it ended up being fine. In Japan, I can't call my parents at every minor inconvenience because of the thirteen hour time difference.

    Last year, I used meal swipes at the dining hall and meal exchanges at on campus stores, so I never actually saw the money that I was spending on food. I didn't have to meal plan, or figure out how to cook. Last year was also the first time I didn't go to cross country or track practice every day, so I had to figure out a workout routine by myself. I didn't have to pay rent for my housing, I would just forward email reminders to pay for things at AU to my dad. I didn't directly pay for any doctors appointments, medications, or any medical related items. Last year I got a taste of what it was like to budget your money, but most of the big monthly purchases I didn't pay directly.

   This year I'm learning how to actually adult, in another country, and in another language. I had to navigate customs, book a hotel, and figure out public transportation when I first arrived. Then I had to pay this thing called a "Security Deposit", which was so expensive that  my card wouldn't let my draw out the money I needed to pay for it within the first week. I had to go to a Japanese bank and was basically told push a bunch of buttons I didn't understand in order to pay my security deposit for my dorm. Then, had to go to the Kita Ward office and register myself as a citizen in Kyoto, and get my address on their record, and I had to register for national health insurance (and all of this cost money). Thankfully I had a lot of friends who were figuring this all out as well. I had to go to the doctor and get re-diagnosed, and prescribed medication by a doctor that barely spoke English. The worst thing was figuring out a phone plan. It took so long, and I had so many technical issues that I had to go in person to the carrier store and set it up there. Last week I paid my monthly health insurance bill, and my rent. Finally I had to set up a Japanese bank account, which I'm still not really sure I know how to use that well. I'm also going to have to start paying Japanese social security soon since I just turned twenty. I can get out of it though by going to the Ward office and applying for a student exemption though. 

   All of the things I've just said above have been hard, but I've had older students and RA's help me with them. I think what has been the most difficult for me to adjust to is figuring out how to balance a budget, and cook for myself. The first time I went grocery shopping in Japan I was so overwhelmed I kind of just bought some snacks and copied what my friend bought. Everything is in Japanese, and the limited recipe's ingredients I knew were either not in the store, or hidden somewhere that will take me about 30 minutes to find. The concept of meal prepping is also very hard for me to understand. The first month I was eating out a lot. I would go to 7/11 for a lot of ready-to-eat meals, or go to different cafes or restaurants. While eating out in Japan is actually way cheaper and healthier than compared to America, it is time consuming to go out and get dinner rather than have what you need in your fridge. Something I have been doing is cooking frozen chicken and frozen vegetables in a pan with a little oil, and then making some rice and eating that. It is something I've mastered, and I think I make for at least two to three nights out of the week every week. I will occasionally buy a lot of ingredients and try to make a real recipe, but it usually turns out interesting at best because all of the recipes I have found online are in English, and use ingredients only in America, so I have to substitute a lot of things, plus my lack of cooking skills makes it so that I end up burning or overcooking everything. I also just downloaded an app to help me figure out what I'm spending my money on each month so I can be smarter with my money. 

    While my adulting skills are not perfect, I am proud of myself. With help from friends, I have somehow managed to get by and figure everything out in Japan so far. When I get back to America I will have to relearn some of the American ways of doing these things, but I know it will be significantly easier than the learning curve I went through when moving here.  

    I have also developed a new found appreciation for all working parents. After struggling so much with juggling school, friendships, and all of my adulting responsibilities, I can't imagine what it must be like dealing with work, making dinner every night, balancing schedules for all of your kids, paying bills, and still having time for your own personal relationships and hobbies. Anyway thank you mom and dad, and if you are a parent or guardian reading this you are doing a great job. I will not be having kids anytime soon. 

I'm not really sure if this was a blog post about Japan, or more just me word vomiting my feelings about taking on more adult responsibilities.

To make this a more fun blog post here are some unrelated pictures (and background info) I've taken lately:

     I started working with Newbies, which is a program that helps kids 0-3 years old and their parents learn basic English at an affordable price. I went to my first session last week and it was super fun so please enjoy these pictures from it:

Pretty photo of a sunset at Ritsumeikan!

                                                       Some Cafes I've been to recently:

This Cafe is hidden in the middle of a neighborhood between two houses, and isn't on google maps. Very cute and small. I got potato soup, which had a beautiful lemon flavor mixed in as well, along with some freshly baked bread. 

This cafe is known for the owners two cats, who are very friendly to people and love to be pet. I go here to study and get their chai tea or hot chocolate sometimes.

Last weekend I went to Seika University for their school festival. Seika University is about an hour and a half commute away, tucked in the outskirts of the city, in the mountains. It was one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever visited (and I went to a lot of college visits in the U.S.). We went there to see my friend, Akane, who asked my other friend, Ruby, to be a model in the school's fashion show at the festival. We've been hanging out with Akane and her friends almost every weekend leading up to the event, and although her english skills aren't great and our Japanese skills aren't either, we are still able to communicate and have a good time. Seika University is an art school and I was astounded by all the students creativity and talent, as well as the fashion at the festival. 

                                           Here is Ruby in the dress that Akane made for her:

 

大学生 college and school + more updates

     Hello, sorry it has been a while since I posted, my classes and coursework have been keeping me very busy. I'm going to talk about Ritsumeikan University, how my classes are going, and other events that have happened.  

                                                     立命館大学（Ritsumeikan University)

After not being in school for over five months, adjusting back into a academic routine has been a little difficult. I'm taking six classes:

Japanese 2 (comprehensive)- 5 times a week 

Japanese 2 (writing)- 1 time a week

Gender Studies- 1 time a week

Security Studies- 1 time a week

Japan and the West- 1 time a week

Introductory to Research Seminar- 1 time a week

    My hardest class by far has been Japanese. We move at a very fast pace, with a structure that requires quizzes on vocab every 3 days (with 30 new words to memorize or more). My Japanese professors do not speak English, so the entire class is taught in Japanese. 

    Differences in classes at American University vs. Ritsumeikan University

   At Ritsumeikan, and most Japanese universities classes are worth 2 credit hours rather than 3, (excluding language classes). Furthermore, I've noticed that classes here are much more lecture based than AU was. I do not have lectures for every single class, but about half of them are 90% the teacher talking at you. 

  In terms of school atmosphere and life, RU and AU have very different vibes. Almost no one goes to sports games at AU, while RU has baseball games with loyal fan sections, cheerleaders, chants, and really great energy. AU has way more school merch, and more action happening on campus not related to school. AU had tables with different clubs or events almost every day, a protest about once a week, and different school-sponsored events and food on the quad a couple times a month. However, Ritsumeikan has a school song, and cheerleaders, which AU doesn't have. RU's club's do not advertise what they are doing all the time, which makes joining them and getting into contact with members much harder here. While I would argue that Basketball and Volleyball are the most popular sports to watch at AU by the student body, at RU, baseball is the main sport that people watch. 

Here is a video from a pep-rally (idk what Japanese people call it but that is what it felt like) promoting a baseball game against RU's rival school.

And, here is a video from the actual baseball game, and a picture of me in the stands

   The main difference is the separation between school and home life. At AU I was living in the middle of campus in school dorms. Ritsumeikan doesn't have school dorms (I don't think school provided housing is very common in Japan), so most students have apartments near campus, or commute from home. It kind of feels like Ritsumeikan is my work, and then I go home to my dorm and that is my home life. The only thing that is keeping me tied to Ritsumeikan beyond school is the club I joined which I will talk about in the next part.

   Here is a day in the life video I made and posted to Tik Tok: It gives you guys a little sneak peak into what daily life in Japan is like (I had to copy and paste the link because the video was too big to upload here) Please let me know if you can't access it

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14DVBh7PXjiFEXUcqCZwz8x4jg7JpljiX/view?usp=sharing

Pottery Club

  In a recent development, I have decided to join the Pottery club at RU. I have absolutely no prior experience in pottery (unless you count elementary school art class), however I thought it would be fun, and that I wouldn't need to be able to understand a lot of complex Japanese to make some pottery. 

   The first day I was paired up with a pottery club member who could speak ok english, and he is kind of like my teacher in simple pottery techniques until I can start making things on my own. I'm really grateful for pottery club because it allows me to make friends with Japanese people and get a chance to practice Japanese. My international dorm is like a little bubble in Japan, where English is the primary language, so if I were to spend all my time in the dorms, my immersion into the language and culture wouldn't be as intense or impactful. 

    Here is a picture of me with one of the first pots I made. 

A trip to the hospital! 

    Unfortunately, a couple weeks ago I had to go to the hospital, due to the crazy amount of walking I was doing (in not very supportive shoes) while exploring Kyoto, I got a pretty bad ingrown toe nail that was so painful I couldn't sleep through the night. I brought my amazing friend Ruby with me, expecting it to be a quick trip to a clinic.

    Unfortunately, the clinic couldn't help me with my foot, and as Ruby and I looked like completely confused foreigners loitering around the first clinic trying to figure out what to do, a little old lady named Yuki asked if we needed help. She told us that she studied abroad in the United States her senior year of highschool, so she had some english language skills. She walked us over to another clinic across the street and translated my situation to the doctors there. When they also said they couldn't help us, I expected her to say "I'm so sorry", and leave, but instead she marched us over to a bus stop, and rode with Ruby and I to the hospital. She walked us into the hospital, explained to the front desk people what was happening. 

    She translated and helped me fill out all of my medical paperwork required to see a doctor, (which without her would have taken like four hours), and then sat down with us while we waited for the doctor. While we were waiting she told us that they way people in the U.S. would remember her name, Yuki, was by associating it with President Johnson's dog named Yuki at that time. Yes, Lyndon B. Johnson was the president when she studied abroad in the U.S. When our names were called she went into the doctors office with me and translated for me while the doctor examined my foot. I was prescribed some antibiotics, thanked Yuki profusely, and was able to make my Japanese class later that day. 

   Last week, I was finally able to properly thank Yuki. We met at a cafe and I treated her to lunch. She and I spoke in Japanglish (Japanese-English) this time, and it was a very pleasant lunch. She is genuinely the sweetest human being ever, and gave me a bag of hodge-podge cooking ingredients at the end because she remembered that I told her I didn't know how to cook but wanted to learn. She went through each of the ingredients that she put together with me and explained how to make different things with them. We are planning on meeting up again sometime in the future as well. 

Other photos that I wanted to include!

a polaroid of my friend and I doing karaoke

Ruby and I trying on Hakamas (a traditional dress Japanese women wear when they graduate college)

The next three photos are from a day trip I took to Nara, which is famous for the deer and beautiful temples. 

watch until the end of this video to hear what Japanese deer sounds like