Day 10

Today began the intensive studying part of the “study abroad.” We started the day by getting orientated to our new environment here at JCMU, which is not that big in all reality. Orientation involved the same basic elements that one can find at any college, only it was harder to suffer through this one because we are staying here for less than a week, as opposed to a semester.

The rainy season is really living up to its name here. It was raining steadily when I got up at 8:00, and continued to do so until around 5:00 this afternoon. This rain threw a kink in everyone’s plans, as we had been hoping to go and buy groceries, since no food is provided at JCMU. I ate a breakfast of corn flakes, and since we were not able to go back out for lunch, I had cornflakes for lunch as well.

(The breakfast and lunch of champions)

In the early part of the day, I did not do much. It was raining outside, and I took some time to enjoy myself and just take a step back from our hurried pace. Before my class at 4:00, I did manage to exercise in JCMU’s small exercise room. It was nice to work out again, even though the room appeared as though it had not been used in months.

After showering and working out, it was time to hit the books. I won’t bore you with the details, but the class was very useful. It gave me a good idea of what to expect on the final exam, which is in a few short days.

After class, my stomach was rumbling. After all, two bowls of cornflakes with two bananas are not nearly enough to eat in one day. I had decided during the class that I would go and get groceries after class, even if it meant getting soaked along the way. Thankfully, the rain had let up, and I was able to make it to the store without getting wet.

We went to the mall on our bicycles. That is one of the best ways to get around in Japan, and the shopping outlet was about a ten minute bike ride. We will be riding these bicycles tomorrow to the train station.

Upon arrival, we originally walked into a hardware store. I was starving, and I was not happy to see that there were no groceries in this store. It took us about twenty minutes mixed with some broken Japanese to make our way to the actual grocery store.

Although I did not take my camera with me to the store, it looked exactly like a big superstore at home. Many of the aisles and end caps were labeled in English, so it was fairly easy to find what I wanted. It seems like many of the signs in Japan are written in English, showing its dominance as the second language of choice around the world.

Buying the groceries was a good deal. I wound up getting food for the next 4 days for the price of two meals at a nearby restaurant. My mother would be so proud of me! I even bought some fruit and vegetables, including the green beans pictured below, which are called anemone, and one of my favorite dishes that are native to Japan.

(My green beans)

Tomorrow we are visiting Kyoto, and I have quite a few problem sets and readings to do before the exam, so that’s all for now!