Sarah Jayne in Japan

starting over.

2010-04-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

dawn broke to the sound of stumbled chords,
under april skies the flowers bloomed
when they bloomed i bloomed in you

i caught a glimpse of you running away
you kept on going till you couldn't see
i fell, bruises deep within
the unbeginning

Things are happening

2010-04-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

all around me.

All around. And I can't do a thing.

Like the sakura blossoms. Before you know it, they will slip through your fingers. But even if that's the case, then why do the japanese people look forward to it so much? They know it is just going to tease them, disappear right before their eyes? Seems so, trivial, does it not? If it's just going to disappear soon, what's the point in getting yourself excited about it?

Maybe all I can do is just treasure this time I have now. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

Cherry Blossom Viewing

2010-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Aaahhhhh, spring in Kyoto. What could be more lovely, I wonder?
The cherry blossoms have started to bloom! A really good friend of mine, Sato, invited me to wear a kimono and go cherry blossom viewing, an offer I could not refuse. He knows a woman who works at a kimono shop and she set me up with a full kimono free of charge. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. When I arrived at the shop, I had to choose the color and style of kimono from among racks of beautifully patterned kimonos in pink, black, red, blue, green and purple. I had a hard time choosing (there was this turquoise kimono that I couldn't keep my eyes off) but I eventually decided on a purple kimono covered in pink blossoms. Then I chose the inside kimono, (you can see in the picture that it is a sky blue/turquoise color), and my obi (I decided the pink went well with the purple and pink in the kimono). Then, I was taken to another building and sat down to have my hair done. I sat with about 6 other girls getting their hair done at the same time. It was very busy in there! I told the girl to just do anything she wanted, but that I would like my hair to be teased in a high ponytail. She did a great job, and in the end I picked a hair ornament that was also pink and purple. Then I went to get fitted in the kimono. I entered a room with a large mirrored wall and 3 cute japanese women, slim and wearing black. I had to basically strip down in front of them while they got my kimono ready. When I was in my skivvies they fitted me in the under kimono, a belt, then the outer kimono. It was amazing how skilled and swift they were in tying and fitting the kimono on me. There was obi upon obi upon obi placed upon me and in the end it was very snug. When it was all finished I went to find Sato and off we went to check out some of Kyoto's most famous sites. I must say that being on the subway was a strange experience wearing a kimono. What opposite ends of the cultural spectrum is that? I was called "cute" by pretty much everyone that passed, and people took photos of me, unabashedly with their cell phones ALL day. Sato even started a "cute" counter, for the amount of times he heard somebody call me cute, but we called it quits after the first hour because it was too ridiculous. We made our way to Gion, and walked through the old quarters. We were hungry and so went to eat this delicious traditional type meal at a restaurant in Gion. The owner and his wife made all the food, and we talked in Japanese about the fact that everything happens for a reason, and that nothing is left to chance. It was interesting to express that idea in Japanese!

The garden at Kodaiji:
Chilling at kodaiji!

Then we walked to 清水寺(Kiyomizu Temple), stopping along the way to enjoy the cherry blossom trees on the way and looking through some of the traditional stores. After that we went to a place called 高台寺 (Kodaiji temple) and there was a really interesting garden there. Then we went to 八坂神社 (Yasaka Shrine). We also visited on of the most famous places for cherry blossom viewing, Maruyama Koen. Then, we went to a night time light-up at Nijo castle.　(If you click on the link you can see a picture of what it looks like around this time of year....SO pretty!!) We did SO much walking, and I was totally wearing ninja turtle socks and wooden sandles so I was really tired by the end. It was alot of firsts for me! It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. That night, I went out for ramen and then to an international party.
Purification rituals for Japanese temples: use the ladle to lift water out to wash both your hands. Then ladle water into your hands and rinse your mouth--do not drink from the ladle--before spitting the water out.

It's getting warmer over here in eastern Asia. It's almost the end of spring break. We start school soon here, April 7th. I've been doing alot of studying lately for the exam that I have to take on Friday. Besides that, I've been meeting alot of the new students, and playing around Kyoto. It's really been a great break, although I wish I had the money to travel to many more places. I'm really grateful I got to visit Taiwan and Okinawa though, because they were so much fun!

For some reason I just can find the motivation to update this blog. Although I am having an absolutely amazing time here, I tend to Skype with momma and tell it all to her, and then I don't feel as though I need to post a blog. When I was in Europe, we didn't skype and therefore the blog was one of my only ways of sharing all my experiences with her etc. I'm kind of thinking that I want to back-post and kind of insert blog posts pertaining to really stand-out awesome things that happened. Not sure though.

Anyways, love you guys!
Sarah サラ rearry rearry rabu you

TAIWAN!

2010-03-07T08:25:00.001-08:00

Video Update!

2010-03-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

Hey, a quick video update!
Basically all　I say is that I am bored, and I'm just hanging around Kyoto not really doing much else other than studying. I want to go back to school and I am planning on making more videos soon. That's basically it. I'm wearing reaaaallly big Japanese contacts called circle lenses, which are totally huge and pointless, but so cute.

I will update with another video right after this one! woo. :D I don't think anybody is reading this anymore. Lol well it takes so long for me to write so I don't blame u :D

Love Sar

Alright, to continue on....

2010-02-15T05:24:00.000-08:00

Okay! I have a bit more time to write now, so I'll give it a shot!

I left you hanging with images of bacon sandwiches dancing in your head, bu hao yi si. We ate breakfast and went to meet Huian's friends from Senior high school. We went and ate all you can eat hot-pot, and it was SO good. It cost less than $10. After that, we got on Huian's motorbike and zoomed around Taiwan, ending up by the sea. We hung out and took in the scenery, and played with these tiny monkeys. haha. After that, we walked around and went to have dinner with Huian's parents. We had Hong Kong Yum Chau. I tried bird feet OMG. The next day we woke up, met up with Huian's friends from elementary school and had breakfast of fried bread sticks wrapped in a tortilla like shell, and bubble tea of course. We then went to KTV (Taiwanese karaoke). It was so expensive-looking, like a hotel. The entrance had a giant chandelier and the desk staff were wearing formal clothing and such. The karaoke room itself was dark and plush, large flat screen TV and microphones that somehow managed to make our voices sound like we should be singing in an arena somewhere. I sang a few chinese songs and a few japanese ones, and a bunch of english ones. Everybody sang really well, even the guys!! After that, we drove our motorbikes to the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. It is two pagodas side by side, one with a dragon mouth and the other with a tiger mouth. You must enter the dragon mouth first and exit through the tiger mouth. If you don't, your luck will turn for the worse, it it said. That evening we went to one of many of Khaoshiung's night markets. We had a huge dinner outside for $3 CND, and then walked around. There were a ton of games, little shops and food stalls everywhere. I bought a whole bunch of stuff haha. That night we played mahjong and a few other games with Huian's parents. That night was the Chinese new year, so we stayed up past midnight to listen to the firecrackers and bring in their new year.

The next day we woke up and took a ferry to Cijin, an island close to Khaoshiung. We ate a ton of different food like fish balls, squid on a stick, candied strawberries, bubble tea and other stuff. We then went shopping, got on our motorbikes and travelled to Ai He or "Love River" where there was a festival going on. We had cotton candy and all kinds of snacks, walked around, and then met with Huian's extended family. Both her Grandmother and Aunt can speak Japanese so it was awesome to be able to properly communicate with them. It's been so amazing here in Khaoshiung so far, and the people are so friendly. Unlike Japan, when I look at people they look back at me and smile, instead of turning away or looking down. People will say hello to me in English or get their kids to say it. It's really sweet. I find the people really sincere and kind here, and there is a distinct feeling of family. They seem to genuinely care about your wellbeing and future. Huian's parents and grandma have been so kind to me, feeding me ridiculous amounts of food and taking care of me, and I even recieved a red envelope on the Chinese New Year day, filled with money O_O No matter how much I refused, I kept being told "It's part of our tradition". The atmosphere is great, warm, bustling and exciting. There is a relaxed feeling to everything, including the people. Khaoshiung has undergone a transformation over the last couple of years, so right now everything is quite new and very stylish. I'm having a great time. I'm gonna go share some fruit with the fam and watch a little Taiwanese television before bed, but I'll update again before heading to Taipei. Love you guys!!

Sa Liang 沙良(my chinese name) XD

I'm in Taiwan!!

2010-02-14T08:16:00.001-08:00

So I've been in Taiwan for 5 days now. It's been an amazing experience so far!!! So me and megumi said goodbye to everyone at I house reaaaallly early in the morning last Wednesday, and went from Kansai Airport to Taipei. We had separate planes that landed only 10 minutes apart in Taipei airport. When we landed it was like a brick wall of humid hit me right in the face. 25 degrees and tropical, we got on the Bullet train to Khaoshiung (in the South part of Taiwan). Megumi's dad came to pick us up at the Central station (which, by the way, has walls of real grass and a massive waterfall flowing down into it) and drove back to her house. I felt like something was funny on the way back, and realized that it was the fact that we were driving back on the right side of the road again, like Canada! It was so awesome. We arrived at her house and I did my best to talk to her family in Chinese. We went for a walk and then went to sleep. The next morning we got up early and went to get breakfast, which was a sandwich and bubble tea (for breakfast!). It came to 25 TWD, which is about $0.75! omg. best.

country.

ever.

IT IS SO CHEAP TO BUY STUFF HERE!

Okay I actually have to go RIGHT now, so I'll leave you hanging with stories of my bacon sandwich. Hope you will be able to wait for more hahahaha.

Love Sarah

Leaving the country.....LOL

2010-02-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks!

So this morning I am off to Taiwan for 10 days! I'm just finishing packing up and getting my things together before I leave. By this evening I will be hanging out with Megumi's family in the south of Taiwan! I arrive in Taipei around 3:50 or so, and then we are going to take a bullet train to Tagao (an older name), or Kaohsiung. I'm really excited to meet her family....and I'm bringing lots of Vancouver olympics and Canada-related goods. I'll take a bajillion photos and come back by Feb 20. Ittekimasu!

P.S. I've been practicing my mandarin chinese like crazy these past couple days. It's amazing how quickly something can come back to you, as if it was always there.....the knowledge was just hiding in a dusty corner of my brain somewhere.

Okinawa Bound

2010-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I made it through finals! Semester is finished and I couldn't be more relieved. All the papers and 8 final exams later, I can breath a sigh of relief. When I heard that Japanese universities are an easy ride, I must have had something stuck in my ears. I know I haven't posted in a while. From now until April, I'm a free woman! Tomorrow morning I leave for Okinawa with 7 other people. We are only spending a few days there, but I am SO excited. A little R&R is exactly what I need :D

Among things that went down in January:
-The completion ceremony for the kids going back this semester :(
-Final exams and mind-blowing stress (partly my own creation)
-3 or 4 black out nights where I don't remember a thing
-All you can eat and all you can drink parties UGH
-Sunny days and FREEZING nights
-Flights booked to Taiwan
-Guitar performances :)

It was a busy busy month. I'm planning on traveling until my money runs low, but to be quite honest it is already quite low. I think that Okinawa, Taiwan, and a few other places might be the extent of my traveling this break. I'm not quite so ambitious or rich enough to fly around asia all Feb and March. So tomorrow I head to Okinawa, and I'll be back by Thursday night. I hope everyone is well!!!!

Here are a few random videos and pics from recently:

I went to Lake Biwa! Don't the pics look like they could have been taken in Canada? :P

2010-01-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

2010! Happy New Year! あけましておめでとう！

2010-01-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

ひさしぶり！
I've got two blog posts to make, one about Christmas and another about my recent trip to Tokyo! In the meanwhile, this is hilarious:

Santa Baby

2009-12-17T18:13:00.001-08:00

1 week till Christmas! I just realized it today.
Just about to head to school and do some projects and work on planning my trip for next Feb, March. :D

Oooooh it gives me shivers just thinking about it!
:D

Obama bows to the Emperor of Japan, people freak out

2009-12-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

So Obama came to Japan a little while ago.

He met with the emperor, and when he did, he bowed deeply in respect to him. Apparently to some Americans, that shows a ridiculous amount of submission and is not okay. I don't know how showing respect and acceptance to the culture of another's country is being submissive in any way.

Check it out:

If you are interested, here is the first part of Obama's speech he made in Japan. It's really quite interesting, to me anyway. He mentions matcha ice cream, and the significance of coming to Japan this time around to strengthen their relationship.
The first foreign leader that Obama sat down with when he became president was the Japanese Prime minister which is also pretty significant. I believe that Obama strategically wants to keep the relationship between Japan and America strong, especially considering the inevitable rise of China in the coming years ^^

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the alliance between Japan and America, and they are going to revise it and all that jazz. I am really interested in 日米関係(Japanese-American Relations) and I did a paper about it last year at UBC. Anyway check it out if you feel like it:

Ahh, the end to another week.

2009-12-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

A view of some beautiful foliage from Kiyomizu Dera in Kyoto. If you look really closely, you can tell that alot of the leaves are actually extremely red, but this was the best my camera could do.

Well, it's Thursday night and that means I have tomorrow off! Woohoo! My Japanese studies class next week is meeting at Myoshinji temple (Myoshinji temple is the place that I was riding my bike through in the previous video I posted. It's really close to I house 1!) to practice the art of Zazen, or meditation. I'm really excited. Might my spiritual side be getting an awakening here? ^^

Christmas music and trees are everywhere here now, yet on Christmas day there are still regular classes and no real gift-giving at all. In front of every KFC in Japan there is a life-size version of the Colonel, and now he is all decked out like Santa. I guess he really does kinda look like Santa though hahahahaha

The leaves are beginning to fall.

The preciousness and fleeting nature of things here make you really think. You really can't take anything for granted if you are already aware of the fact that it will soon disappear right in front of your eyes. I'm sure that when the sakura begin to bloom, I will feel the same way!

You gotta make the most of Kyoto's Red Leave Season!

2009-12-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

RED LEAVES!
It's that time in japan, where all the leaves turn a bright, crimson red and Japanese flock to the temples, shrines and mountains of Kyoto to view them. It's really cool. The mountains surrounding Kyoto have come to look like they are on fire. The weather in Kyoto is still ridiculously nice, around 10 degrees and sunny. I seriously want to live here forever, how can the weather be so NICE? I heard from momma that the weather was a bit crap in Airdrie, everyone please take care on the roads. Right now I am in the midst of a very busy time! My fashion show is this sunday, and I have a variety of presentations in Japanese including:
1. A presentation on the decreasing birth rate in Japan
2. A business presentation on a product of my choice
3. A presentation about whether or not Japanese people are religious.

This is all in the next 2 weeks. It wouldn't be such a problem if I didn't have to present completely in Japanese, using lots of set phrases and stiff language. Right now I am still working on doing surveys for the presentations but it's still quite stressful around here! All my midterms went fine and I passed them all ^^

Besides that, I'm just thinking lots about where to go for winter break. I wonder if I will go to Tokyo. I'm not sure, some people are going to Okinawa for the break, which seems like fun but I haven't decided.

Well, It's been 78 days.

2009-11-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

Is that really true? Has It really almost been 3 months?

There's a pace that I am trying to put my finger on. Like I am running at snail's pace, but always trying to catch up. What am I trying to catch up to?

I've realized that I have never and still don't feel like a tourist here. Kyoto immediately became the place to call home, and therefore the lack of touristy-like blog posts to this page. I'm just gonna throw this out to mom and dad and beck and nate, but if you want that, won't you come visit me here? teehee

Like always, I am trying to find the balance in my own life. In Japan, a place famous for contrasts and extremity, it's something that I find a challenge everyday. I am alive, and I try to make each day an opportunity to be grateful to everything that brought me to this point in my life. I spent 2 and a half hours today discussing my current existential crisis. My Norwegian friend and I discussed the theory that time doesn't exist and that all the universe consists of is the spaces inbetween. It was at like 10am, which is too early for philosophical discussions. Once I started questioning my own existence, I decided it was time to get some miso-pork donburi.

...Hmmm!

Life is a crazy thing! Let's all be grateful that we are all breathing the same air and looking at the same sky. We may be separated by distance, but we are all connected! I can feel all of you.

The weather in Kyoto was plus 15 today!!! O_o

立命館学園祭 (Ritsumeikan School Festival)

2009-11-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

I

I'm SO busy!!!!

Here are a select few photos from the Ritsumeikan Gakuensai (School Festival). Hiroki did a performance in a traditional style of dance called yosakoi, which was born in his home prefecture, Kochi-ken. It was awesome. As well, there were tons of little booths where you could buy really cheap food sold by the various clubs and circles at Ritsumeikan. We spent an entire sunday afternoon there, it was great!

I decided I daikirai (strongly dislike) A2 level. The workload is too much for me, I can't handle this! Everyday I'm so exhausted, I don't have time to do the things I want to do, and I don't feel like I'm really advancing in my Japanese language skills. If anything, it's discouraging me from continuing because it's so difficult. I'm really having a tough time right now. Just a little complaint from the other side :( I wish I was superhuman.

Love Sarah

Midterms

2009-11-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

The end of lunch hour at Ritsumeikan! Just before class.
My study things. Planner, textbook, folder and notebook
*Person studying in photo may not actually be studying
Right before my Japanese Newspaper Reading class

Hi Friends and Fam,

So it has turned into midterm time at Ritsumeikan. Everyone has kind of switched into 勉強 mode and is studying lots. I've also been spending some more time at the library here, but the crap thing is it is only open till 10pm. Irving K. Barber Library at UBC is ALWAYS open till like 1am, and around exam time it's open 24 hours. I have to admit that I miss that. I really find it hard to study in my room, therefore I always have to force myself out of the room and into somewhere else in order to get anything done. Today I realized that I left my dorm room key in Hiroki's apartment, but he was so busy with seminars and other stuff so I couldn't get into my room. I hung out in the kitchen with Scott and Richard (Who are both from UBC, by the way) and talked while I waited for Hiroki to be finished. When he was finished, he biked all the way to the dorm to bring my key to me. I was so happy to get into my room. Lately I've been having some serious forgetfullness going on. I just CAN'T remember to do things, and I can't focus on what's going on. Maybe I have adult ADD. Anyways, I downloaded some brain games for my Ipod so I can try and jog my brain back into remembering to do things. I heard if you eat alot of aspartame, that has an effect on memory. Is that true? If so, I've gotta cut back on the gum consumption. This weekend there is the big Ritsumeikan Student Festival, （立命館学園祭）and I can't wait to go. I hope the weather is awesome. At UBC they don't have a student festival like Rits does, so I'm excited to see all the different stuff that goes down. I've got 3 midterms next week, and therefore I won't be doing any exciting trips or anything this weekend.

P.S. I want somebody to feel my brand-new leg muscles. They are so strong thanks to the ridiculous hill I am forced to climb every day to school, and forced to ride down in sheer terror on the way back.

Kobe

2009-11-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the beginning of a new week! Yesterday, I went to Kobe with Hiroki, Satoki, Yasuyuki, Tomoyo, Victoria and Scott. Hiroki and I went to rent the car, a box-shaped Toyota vehicle with space for 8. It was so early, and we were all so tired! A quick stop at 7-11 for onigiri, chocolate bread and hot tea, and off we went! The weather was fantastic, 25 above for most of the day.

We couldn't use our Ipods in the car because it wasn't working, so we listened to the Black Eyed Peas new album pretty much most of the way to Kobe. hahaha We all knew it was gonna be a good day. When we arrived in Kobe, the first thing I noticed is that is looks very characteristic, different than Osaka or Kyoto. The whole place is dotted with modern art everywhere. On top of that, high-end stores like Gucci and Dior are all over the downtown centre. We parked the car and wandered around, eventually finding Kobe chinatown, which is almost as well known as the Yokohama Chinatown that I wandered through as a naive 15-year old, eyes kira-kira and amazed by just about anything. I suppose I'm still that way, still amazed by the drink machines in the middle of nowhere, amazed when I find I can read the label on a package or amazed when I ride my bike past a temple with an old women bowed at the altar. We walked through Kobe Chinatown, where we bought two nikumanjuu each, steamed buns filled with pork. We also bought japanese pudding with ice cream, sold from a crazy expensive store, where each pudding is sold in a special little container that resembles a flower pot. To be honest, I can't say I could really tell the difference between it and regular pudding....But that being said, I also couldn't pinpoint the difference between Asahi beer and Kirin beer, even though every Japanese person I talked to could differentiate between the two. Beer is beer?

After Chinatown, we hopped back in the car and up Rokko Mountain. It was a wonderful drive, as the mountains are speckled with red leaves, a sure sign that fall is actually on the way in Japan. It gradually got chiller as we drove 80 clicks around hairpin turns up the mountain, arriving at the top to the sight of sheep and farm buildings and white picket fences. I kept doing double takes....it didn't feel like Japan at all. We petted some sheep, did a walk around quiz about cheese (winning a cheese grater and banana soyjoy bars, YES), and enjoying the sights. Although there was a cheese festival, I did not each any cheese whatsoever hahaha. I do want to report that I found some delicious camembert cheese at the local Matsumoto supermarket, and it's too delicious. They also sell Ritz crackers here, so I can now make awesome cheese and crackers. Still can't find pickles though....After that we found a restaurant called Alberta-Alberta. It was an Italian restaurant, still trying to figure that one out.

We went to Kobe port after that, where we watched the sun go down behind the cranes at the pier. It was a lovely end to the day. Everybody passed out on the way home, while satoki drove the rest of the way home (thank you Satoki!) We returned home, dropped off the car and went to a japanese izakaya (an izakaya is a bar, but different) called torinosuke, the local izakaya by the school. It was so yummy!!

I slept really well last night, to say the least. I'll do a special post on how truly aweseom izakayas are... soon. I might even go as far to say that an izakaya is my favorite place to go in Japan. yummm yakitori and beer.

Love you guys, enjoy the pics!

Hope can be found in unlikely places

2009-11-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'llz.

I'm still in Japan WTF. It's been exactly 2 months since I arrived. Is that hard to believe, or what??? It's a fabulous feeling, being here. Everyday is filled with new things to be worried or excited about, things to learn and experience.

I have been having health problems lately and having difficulty breathing at rest. I can't seem to fill my lungs, no matter how much I try. I'm heading to the doctor after the weekend is over to get it checked out. It's not H1N1, so please don't worry about it! Anyway, I've been really taking it easy this weekend for that reason. I studied last night, vocabulary and kanji, and went to sleep around 2am. I woke up around 11a,, got up for a few minutes or so, climbed back into bed and didn't wake up again until 4pm. 4PM!!! I've also got to talk to the doctor about my iron levels. I biked downtown and did a little shopping, bought an inexpensive fall jacket, a hat and some guitar picks. I'm going to make some pasta with garlic sausage and mushrooms in a little while and take it to Hiroki after he's done work. He is working at his new part-time job tonight, at a high-scale bar in Gion district. He won't be done till around 1:30, so it's gonna be pretty late. I'll stay over at his place and then in the morning we are going to meet Satoki, Tomoyo, Yasuyuki, Scott and Victoria and get a rental car, ending up in Kobe. I'll be on the watchout for fancy beef. I think we may climb a mountain called Mount Rocco, but because of my recent issues with breathing I may take the gondola up and laugh at everyone from above, muahaha. Besides that, not much is happening. I've got midterms next week, so there is a bit of a crunch with studying and such. I have also decided to get my hair cut, but I haven't decided where yet. Hmmmm.....

I don't understand Kyoto weather. Are you warm or cold? DECIDE!

2009-11-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

The view out my bedroom window. There is a flower court and it's started to bloom even though it's the beginning of November!

View out of the 3rd floor bathroom in the dorm. There was a rainbow this morning!

紅葉 (kouyou) means red leaves. In Kyoto the leaves are all turning red and it's amazing. Just a little bit more and the mountains will change to look like they are on fire. When that happens, Kyoto has lots of kouyou viewing events at temples and mountains, and at night they light up the trees with light and I hear it's really pretty! This is the chalkboard sign I have hanging on my door.

Fall is coming...fall is here? Today hovered around the zero degree mark, and all I brought with me for fall clothing is a hoody. I am so cold! I seriously cannot wait for the care package from mom and dad. During the weekdays, I can usually be found at school, studying and trying hard to get all my assignments done, and on the weekend I am almost never at the dorm....Last weekend was halloween in Japan. There was a party at the school and then we all rode our bikes in a questionable state downtown to a club called World Club. My details get hazy here, but as far as I know I had lots of fun wearing my maid costume. You can see photos here. Me and Hiroki ended up at Universal Studios Japan the next day, I'm not sure how. It was SO much fun...things that have happened recently:

-I recieved my JASSO scholarship finally!
-I'm going to buy an (much needed and awaited) electronic dictionary tomorrow
-I'm going to both Nara and Kobe this coming weekend....when will I study for midterms?
-I changed the layout of my room and now it's more open-feeling
-My air-conditioner also functions as a heater, as I was thrilled to find out
-I've never craved nibs and cheddar cheese so much before. Why can't I buy cheese here?
-I love the giant bathing area here at the dorm. I shower really yukkurily (I cannot remember the english word!!!! slowly is pretty similar i think) a couple nights a week. They really take their bathing seriously here! It's like Japan realizes the fact that she is surrounded by water and uses that for some amazing shower/bath time.
-Since coming here my English grammar has leveled down I think. Alot of times the Japanese word comes to me before the English one does. How weird is THAT? When I do talk English, alot of times Japanese words get thrown in there, or I just stall for a bit trying to come up with the most tekitou word.....there I just did it there. Tekitou means suitable.....
-I'm gonna be in a fashion show in december about fair trade clothing.
-I'm considering entering an international student music festival in Osaka in December.
-I want to bake cookies.

Anyway, I have a bunpou test tomorrow (bunpou is grammar) and I had better sleepers.

Where's Sarah?

2009-10-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

I KNOW! I haven't posted in soooo long. I've been really caught up in this whole "Japan" thing lately. It's hard to find time to post when I'm not really spending that much time at a computer. Basically my normal week right now consists of this:

Monday: Sleep in, class from 1-6:30, hang out with everyone after the last class, mingle and then possibly head out to dinner or hang with hiroki
Tuesday: Class from 9-2:30, spend a few hours at the gaijin bench (foreigner's bench - sometimes called "Gaiben", it's 2 large benches right in the centre of campus where all the international students hang. I try not to spend TOO much time there, because I want to mingle with regular students...but it's so much FUN!) doing homework and chatting, head home to make udon or something else and hang out with everyone. Watch Japanese drama with everyone in the lounge at 9pm.
Wednesday: Class from 10:40-2:30, more studying, head to temple or ride my bike to somewhere new, buy groceries and make some food, or go out for ramen.
Thursday: Class from 9-10:40, 1-2:30, hang with Hiroki for a bit then go to Tea ceremony class at 3:30. Takes 45 minutes by bike to get there. Afterwards, go for okonomiyaki with everyone or come home and make food together, chat and study.
Friday: No class on Friday, but usually come to school anyway to see people and explore the school and find hidden stuff. I am going to use this day for travelling when I get some more money! YAY 3 day weekend.

Of course it depends on the day and what is going on, but I'm falling into a routine of classes and daily life. I'm not used to being this social, but it feels really relaxed and comfortable. I went to two matsuris yesterday, and I've been doing a crapload of other things but have not had the energy or drive to blog about them. I will blog about them though! Just...not right now haha. I bought a rirakkuma (Rikkakusu means "relax" and Kuma means "bear" so Rirakkuma is a clever name for this cute bear) kigurumi today (kigurumi is an adorable costume that looks like a stuffed animal) so here is a picture of it. Becky, pretty sure you can buy a tara panda one too. If I see one, I'll buy it for you! I also bought a japanese maid costume for next friday's halloween party. Rather than being scandalous like halloween costumes you can buy in Canada it is overly cute and covers up everything. No cleavage in Japan! Anyway, I'm excited to wear it anyway. They were SO cheap I had to buy them.

Tomorrow morning I'm off to make yatsuhashi (traditional japanese sweets) at Toji temple (UNESCO World Heritage site). After that, a nomikai (drinking party) somewhere. Sunday is a huge baseball game between Ritsumeikan and the rival Doisha University. There will be much merrymaking and drinking I think ^_^

Sorry about the lack of exciting blog posts. There is just too much going on in this crazy place called Kyoto. Love you guys.

Rabu Rabu

2009-10-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

so classes were cancelled on Thursday morning (yaaay!) due to the typhoon, but I had class in the afternoon. Today was me and Hiroki's anniversary so we made banana pancakes and french toast, did some Purikura (photo booth stickers), went to see a Japanese movie and went out for Italian afterwards. It was so much fun!! Tomorrow morning I'm heading out with a group of people to Nijo castle (SO excited) and Kyoto Zoo. It's gonna be another busy day. Miss you guys!

サラ

a Typhoooooooon

2009-10-07T10:45:00.001-07:00

is landing in Japan, like, right now.

Info on Typhoon Melor
Japan braces for Typhoon Melor

anyway, it might be serious although it hasn't really started yet. I think the storm lost speed because of the cooler temperatures around here lately. In all my classes today we had preventative info about typhoons. :)

There might not be classes tomorrow! But wait, this is Japan. There's definitely going to be class tomorrow ugh.

It's SO windy outside, but I've gotta get my beauty rest ;)

サラ

A glimpse...

2009-10-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

here is just a quick view of two photos of Ritsumeikan University I took today. I took them from the open window of my Japanese Newspaper reading class. It's the right and left views out the window. The campus is really small, but it's amazing that way cuz you run into so many people that you know everyday.

I won't get my scholarship till October 30th now. I'm so poor :(
Tomorrow is gonna be fun. Only two classes, movie with Hiroki and sutamina suupu (Stamina Soup) from the cafeteria. A typhoon is supposed to come on Thursday. The interesting experiences never end :)

サラ

The city of Uji 　宇治市

2009-10-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the city of Uji, which is famous for it's Matcha green tea, as well as the birthplace of the famous "Tale of Genji". The weather was fantastic albeit a little humid, and it took about an hour and a half by train from Kyoto to get there. It was beautiful. We ate nothing but matcha-flavored desserts all day. The first dessert picture was my breakfast, and the second was my lunch. We also went to Byodoin temple which was beautiful. We ran into a whole bunch of I house 1 and I house 2 students there. If you look at the temple picture, there is a group of people standing in the temple behind me. Those are all people I live with! By chance we all happened to go seperately on the same day. When we stopped for our second dessert of the day, we ended up being invited to be on Chinese television. That's right, I'm gonna be on Chinese television! In one of the pictures you can see them setting up to tape us. We got free tea and more desserts and we had to drink tea all fancily and make it look like we were tea connoisseurs or something. They took like 800 photos of me and then we exchanged information so I can find out when the broadcast is. The randomnest things keep happening to me in Japan. It was a fun day....afterwards we came back and went out to a Japanese Izakaya (Pub/Drinking establishment) for some beer and assorted meat on sticks.　I have a lot of homework to do tomorrow, but I found out from Megumi that there is a festival tomorrow! I'll probably end up going......but anyways! Please enjoy the pics and leave a comment if you like :)

❤
サラ

The sound of the rain outside my window

2009-10-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

is so calming to me. It won't stop raining. I think I'm starting to get the hang of riding my bide while holding an umbrella...everyone does it here. It's an art. I was not fully dry at any point during the day today, but that's okay by me.

I'm going to a city called Uji tomorrow with Hiroki. Uji is a city that is very old and famous for it's tea. I wonder if it will rain...

....
...
.

.....

mmmm food

2009-10-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

yakitori donburi and a Fanta melon that only cost about $4.50. SO YUMMY.

So I realized I am going to have no life this semester

2009-09-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Because my classes are ridiculous. I don't know whether I should feel really happy or really worried. Right now it's mostly just worry.

First Day of School!

2009-09-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of classes! When I woke up it was raining a little, only the second time it's rained since I arrived. I was really nervous about finding my classes. After the placement exam and interview, all students get placed in classes from A-level down to E-level. I haven't told anyone besides my family, but I was chosen for A-level classes. For someone who has only properly studied Japanese for a year, that's a huge feat, and it's caused a bit of tension between me and some other people. I get really embarassed when I am complemented, especially about my japanese level. It's one thing to score high enough to get into the level, and another thing to actually be able to speak at that level. Overall I think everyone is in the level they should be. Anyway, I got put in the highest Japanese level classes. So needless to say, I was so scared when I went to school this morning. I figured that only my language classes would be taught in Japanese, but because I scored so high on the test and interview I am forced to take classes from a selection of "Advanced Business Japanese" "Advanced Newspaper Reading" and "Advanced Paper/Report Writing" taught in Japanese. What in the flying mary am I going to take? I'm terrified, to say the least. So most of my classes are going to be taught in Japanese. I hope I can do this.

I'm babbling. ちょっと緊張してるから。　In any case, I will do my best. Tomorrow I have Japanese society, Advanced listening and speaking Japanese, and Advanced Newspaper reading class. If you don't hear from me in the next couple of days, it's because I've fled the country in fear. Kay niiiight.

When I was walking to school this morning, I witnessed this:

Monks making their daily morning walk to a temple by my dorm. How cool is that?

OSAKA! ...Finally

2009-09-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

So I'm finally writing a post on Osaka and it's awesomeness. I went one whole week ago and haven't written about it, so I hope I can remember all the stuff that happened. A group of about 15 of us decided to go together, and we all took the train together. It took about an hour+ to get there, and we had to change trains a bunch of times. The next time I go to Osaka I have no idea how I'm going to navigate myself. It seemed quite complicated! We stopped at a bakery in Osaka station and everybody bought tasty bread and things. First we went to Shitteno-ji temple and there was a flea market going on. It was great because we came on the exact 2 days of the market (it's only 2 days a month). I was having a pretty serious craving for takoyaki(octopus balls), and nothing else would suffice so we searched for somewhere to eat. We found an okonomiyaki and takoyaki stand and all bought some yummy food. We were just sitting there eating when the owner of the stand comes over with bottles of Pocari Sweat (which is a hilarious name in my opinion). It's a sports drink and it was so cold and delicious. It was SO nice of him to do. He gave us each our own bottle, about 15 bottles free in total! Osaka was filled with so many friendly people! They will do anything to help you. Since times past, Osaka has always been a merchant city, and therefore the prices are quite low for everything. After we did that, we all hopped back on the train and went to a Maid Cafe. What's that, you ask? It's a bit....strange, in my opinion. It's basically the most adorable girls you could ever imagine, dressed up in frilly lace dresses and pigtails who serve you food and drinks. The japanese that they speak is among the most polite that you could speak, and they call their customers "お嬢様 and ご主人様" which means honorable miss, and honorable lord. You can't take pictures unless you want to pay $3 for one single pic! There is a bell on the table and you ring it when you would like service. The food was not great, I paid almost $7 for a strawberry sundae and got a cup filled with one scoop of ice cream, one spoonful of strawberry jam and the rest was cornflakes. UHH I was pretty choked. But I guess at a place like that, you pay for the サービス (service). After that, I went off alone to get a cellphone. I found a softbank and bought a phone. I had troubles using Japanese to explain what I wanted, but Kosaka (the guy who helped me) spoke English very well. I didn't realize how much time it was going to take, but I was there for well over an hour, talking. It was fun! On top of that, since I bought the phone in Osaka, it was cheaper! Mauahaha. We all met up again and went to eat okonomiyaki at a place called Warai. It was so delicious. We ate a lot of food!! Osaka really is quite different than Kyoto. The fashion is alot more edgy, the buildings are a lot taller, it's a lot noisier. After dinner we spent some time enjoying the night views and then hopped on the train home. Feel free to check out photos of Osaka and Fushimi Inari here!

サラ

Just for right now.

2009-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

I feel so comfortable, so perfectly content and happy right where I am.

That's all I wanted to post about today.

Osaka can wait :)

My Cellphone!

2009-09-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

....is awesome. Check it out!

The strap is an "Omamori" that will protect me if bad things happen. Can you guess why I bought it? The colourrrrrr

I get TV channels on my phone for free. It's so awesome.

Every phone comes with a phone number and an email address. All text messages go through your phone's email address, not your phone number. Because of that, I can email songs or my pictures to my phone address and easily download them into my phone from there. I downloaded this picture of Princess and then put this cute animated frame around it. It moves and is very pretty.

When you send a text message, you can add in these moving icons. There are over 400 of them that you can add. 400! It makes texting so much more fun. On my pre-paid plan, unlimited texting is only 300 yen for 60 days. It's expensive to make calls, but if people call me it's always free. The phone was around $50, and I am not bound to any contract. I loaded a $30 card onto it, and will replace it as needed. It's a breath of fresh air compared to the constriction of phones at home!

Fushimi Inari （伏見稲荷）

2009-09-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Scott, Megumi, Ena and I went to Fushimi Inari. We were going to go to the old Gion district, but because it was Sunday we heard it might be the best day to go. After deciding on Fushimi Inari, we got on the train and off we went. It's quite far away (too far to bike probably) but it only took about 10 minutes by train. It was so beautiful! After stopping at a Conbini (Convenience store) and buying some Gun Gun Gurt (I'm not sure about what it was, but it looked like yogurt juice) and a Pizza Manjuu we started walking up through the bright red Tori gates and up the mountain. It was really crowded because it was sunday, and because it was a holiday.

Fushimi Inari has alot of fox, mirror and key symbolism everywhere, but I'm still not exactly sure why. The Wikipedia site doesn't say much about it, but they were everywhere! I bought an Omamori (good luck charm/amulet type thing) for Hiroki so that his job-hunting goes well, and I also bought an Omamori for myself which is now firmly attached to my cellphone. I also got my fortune using an omikuji, where you shake a box and pull out one stick. The number on that stick is your fortune, and you pay 100　yen to get your fortune on paper. Mine was a "not bad" fortune with it getting gradually better.

We didn't walk all the way up the mountain because it was so hot and tiresome, but it was fun. We came back home around 5 or so, and then Hiroki came to the dorm and we hung out. After that a group of us planned Monday, which was a trip to Osaka! (my next post) :)

サラ❤

Random things

2009-09-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I could already write a book with all the stuff I want to say, but lately I'm mostly in the "new experience" mode, so I haven't been blogging directly after awesome stuff has happened, causing me to forget all about it. I'll just make a quick list of some of those random things:

1. On Thursday after I get my Japanese class placement resuts, I have an interview in Japanese and I'm quite scared to be honest. I think a question about Japanese politics might come up, and I have no idea what to say rather than I think the new prime minister has a hilarious hairdo.
2. I made a crab dip for the welcome party, and only realized later that I spent like $20 for the ingredients >_<
3. I can bike anywhere in this entire city. (Directions are another matter though)
4. I met a dog named Sarah the other day. I went bright red and so did the owner haha
5. In my room, when you enter you put your door key in a lock in the wall, and your electricity turns on. When you leave, you take out the key and the electricity turns off, saving energy. The outlets in the room are always on, so your computer, fridge etc. never turn off. Just one example of how logical this place is.
6. I constantly find myself bowing my head, even on my bike.
7. Sharing a communal shower room is one of the best conversation starters.
8. I love the fact that this dorm is so international. Taiwan, New Zealand, America, Canada, Philipines, China, France, Spain, Australia, England, Sweden, Germany, Korea, they are all here. Not only am I learning about Japan, but lots of other places too.
9. My cell phone is the crappiest phone they have, and it's better than any phone I ever owned in Canada. It has TV channels, is filled with ridiculously cute moving things　and when you want to exchange numbers, you just point your phones at each other and you immediately can recieve it (including the other person's photo, interests, birthday, hobbies, email, and other info if they want to). Enuff said.
10. My pillow is filled with plastic hollow pellet-like things, meant to simulate buckwheat. There is no feathers or softness whatsoever. I'm not sure if I'm used to it yet!

I think 10 is good enough for now. When I think of more I will make another list!

サラ

I took a picture of me doing the same thing

2009-09-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

Does anybody remember that scene from Memoirs of a Geisha where Chiyo runs through the red tori gates that seem to go on forever? I went there today, muahaha! It was fantastical. We shared a kakigouri which is shaved ice with flavoring on top. Ours was tea flavored with red sweet adzuki beans on it, SO good. Tomorrow is....OSAKA! It started out just being me, Megumi and Ena that were going to go, but now about 10-15 of us are going. Hey, the next three days are holidays and everybody wants to travel!

When we all go out together by bike, it's like a great big convoy of foreigners.

2009-09-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

....like a foreigner biker gang

Konnichi wa!

So I don't have long to write, but I wanted to just touch base again. I wish I had time to explain all the awesome stuff going on, but I'm a bit busy drinking it all in. I had orientation the last two days and my head is swimming with info and things I have to do before school starts. I never got to see the monkeys at Arashiyama, but I'll go back again soon to see them. Here is a video of me riding my bike on the way home from Arashiyama so you can see a little bit of what it is like to ride a bike in Japan!

It's so dangerous haha
On the first day of orientation we had an earthquake simulation and a news crew came....and I somehow ended up on Japanese TV! I didn't see it because I was hanging out with hiroki but I saw a video of it after. It's basically just me with my hands on my head, shaking around under a table while everything moved. Not so glamorous, but television appearance none-the-less! On Friday I had the placement test, and I screwed up in every possible place I could have screwed up. It was le terrible. The listening comprehension was ridiculous and kept getting harder and faster, and I couldn't keep up. The writing portion was also really hard. I have no idea what half the kanji were :( After that me and my friend Scott went to meet Hiroki and we went to an Japanese Izakaya (drinking spot) and got beer and food. It was so delicious! Hiroki picked all the food because Scott and I couldn't really read the menu. Then we came back to the dorm together and all went out downtown with a huge group of people. It took like 35 minutes by bike! It was so interesting (That's an understatement). I have lots of things to say about last night but I don't really have time right now to explain it! Basically, drinking plum wine while riding a bike through high-ceilinged shopping malls, lost in the red-district, beer from 7-11, chats with hilarious old men, jazz bands by the river, snacks filled with red beans, foreigner biker gang take-overs, holding hands and 3.7 on the Richter scale earthquakes pretty much sums up the night. Yes, I was in an earthquake! I thought I was just drunk because I had just got home, but literally me, my desk, the building and my things swayed around for like 3 seconds so I realized what had happened. I knew I wasn't that drunk :P I went out of my room and into the kitchen, where the guys that were still drinking were, and one of the guys asked one of the other guys if he just farted. They were that drunk, LOL. For the people that don't know, Japan is waiting for the next "Big One". It's supposed to be beyond the Richter scale and be the worst the world has ever seen, but I won't believe it till it happens...I don't want it to ever happen! Today I went and looked again for a keitai (cell phone) and denshi jisho (electronic dictionary) to buy but didn't have any luck. I think I'm just realy picky! We had our welcome party tonight and everyone had to make something and bring it, like a potluck. I didn't know everybody could cook so well! It was awesome. When we spoke on Skype Momma suggested I make crab dip, so I did. It went over very well. Toma, a student from France slipped on the stairs and hurt his back terribly and had to be escorted to the hospital before the party, so it was a bit sad. He returned for the end of the party and it was great. Tomorrow we are heading to the famous Gion district of Kyoto which is the old quarters to check out the scenery (and hopefully see a maiko or geisha!). Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are called "Silver Week" and are national holidays. I might go to Osaka on Monday or Tuesday, depending on how we feel. I'm still not used to this slipper thing. Anyways, I'll write soon! Love you all.

P.S. I added a comments box! On the top menu, "Comments" is now an option. Please comment and let me know what you think or if you are reading this ;)

サラ

Japanese is hard.

2009-09-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

It's been quite a while since I wrote last, but I've been really busy. Gradually all of the new international students have arrived. It's really amazing because everyday I've been meeting my new dorm-mates and spending time with them. We found our way to the 99-yen store and I bought a few things, including new slippers. It really is an experience, riding a bike around Kyoto. If you have ever been to Japan, you will understand what I mean. The streets are so narrow but used by so many people, it's really quite dangerous! Cars, bikers and pedestrians are everywhere. I've been learning lots about cooking while I've been here so far. I've made takoyaki, oyakodon and udon so far. Contrary to what people think, it's really quite cheap to eat here, if you make it yourself. For example, the udon that me and Ena and Megumi made today has enoki, carrots, pork and noodles in it, and cost about about 300 yen altogether (about $3). There was so much left over that it will be tomorrow's lunch as well. That's like $0.50 a person! GAH. Well, I don't get my scholarship until October 20, so I have to be careful with my money a bit. I went to downtown Kyoto too and walked around with some friends. The shopping....omigod the shopping. Why did I even bother shopping before I came to Japan? It's just....so amazing here. The quality and variety of shops trumps anywhere else I've been, seriously. You can get yakitori and dango on every corner, shops that sell kimonos and traditional pottery, old books and souvenirs. Everyone is over-the-top fashionable, and there are also lots of clothing shops. More than that, you can find a temple or shrine on practically every street in Kyoto. It's so peaceful and the people are so laid back, totally different from my first experience in Japan, which was Tokyo and Yokohama. My friend Tomoyo works at an okonomiyaki restaurant so I went with Hiroki, Megumi and Ena to have some yummy food! I didn't take a picture though, I totally forgot! Somehow lately, I've had to force myself to take pictures. When I arrived, it immediately felt like home and I felt like I didn't really need to take pictures, but I really want to show everyone the awesomeness. the awesomnessssss. You guys can see a small album of random photos here.　As for speaking Japanese, it's coming along nicely. It's really hard to throw yourself into a situation where you don't know how to properly express your feelings or thoughts. Since I've arrived, I've only spoken a tiny, tiny amount of english. It's a huge feat for me, and I'm really proud that I've only been speaking in Japanese. Already it feels a bit weird to write this in English. My brain wants to write it in Japanese, and I keep tripping over my words to find the right ones because I want to use Japanese ones. It's really strange! Even the mannerisms of speaking Japanese has changed the way I speak English, when I do speak it. I've been picking up new words and learning alot, but it comes with a big price. I'm SO tired. SO, SO tired. Today because I was overexhausted I ended up sleeping for like 5 hours in the afternoon. It's really exhausting trying to understand and reply in a foreign tongue, and today I really felt it! I also know how important it is to get proper rest when I need it, and so for today I was a "hikikomori" which is kinda like a recluse, lol. I'm much better now, and tomorrow a large group of us are going to Arashiyama to study for the placement test we have on Friday. I'm really nervous about the test because it will decide my classroom and level for the year. Arashiyama is only about 15 minutes by bike and there are monkeys there! I'm excited. MONKEYS! MONKEYS! Anyways I need some beauty sleep. I'll try to update a bit quicker because SOME people are impatient for posts (I'm looking at you, big bro! loovee youuu). I know that now, nobody can post any comments but I suck at HTML and can't figure it out yet. I wonder if anybody is actually reading this ^^

Greetings from Kyoto

2009-09-10T21:46:00.001-07:00

HI EVERYONE!

I'm in Japan!! Ohhhh man whatta couple of days. It's really intensely hot here, although I've been told that it's quite cool lately (if you consider 30 degrees "cool"). My flights to Japan were fairly uneventful, and I spent most of all three flights talking to random people. On the 1st flight, it was a retired philosophy teacher and a guy moving to Vancouver for the olympics, on the 2nd it was a cool guy named David who was going to see his wife and kids, and on the 3rd it was a rad chick named Bianca who is going to be a student at an all girls university in Nishinomiya. After arriving I was greeted with a sign that had my name on it, and I got in my Airport shuttle to Kyoto. The driver's name was Kenichi, and by the end of the 2 hour ride I was calling him "Ken-chan" and we were talking up a storm in Japanese....actually that's not really true.

I was struggling pretty hardcore, but we tried. After landing in Osaka my brain was not quite ready for the switch to Japanese. It's exhausting using Japanese all day!! So I arrived around 8:30pm to my dorm, and was welcomed with cookies and tea. I got into my room and then had a tour. There was only a couple of other people at the dorm because mostly everyone arrives next week. I'm so glad I came early though, because I was able to buy leftover appliances from last year students! I bought a TV for $5, and a fridge for $10 MUAHAHAHA. It's so awesome. So I got the run down of the dorm by this really cool girl named Junko (in Japanese of course) and then I called Hiroki, had a shower and went to bed. The next day I had to get up to do my Alien registration procedures, so I met up with two japanese girls named Ayaka and Jackie and 2 other international students named Toma and Zach and we went to the ward office. We couldn't get the procedures finished, so we have to return on Monday. More and more people are arriving and it will get very busy here very soon. I'm glad I came so early because there are alot of things to get used to! The communal shower room is one thing. It's a big room that has 4 open showers and a big hot-tub like bath for everyone to soak in. Like, it's so awesome to be able to have a bath here, but it's a little weird to do it with like 3 other naked girls. Haha! But I will get used to it. Communal bathing is an important part of Japanese culture. I met up with Hiroki at the University and he showed me around campus.

The campus is small but feels big. He said that when classes start there will be lots and lots of people. It already seemed like there was lots of people though.....AHH! Highest population density eeek! I bought a bike for $30 today, and GUESS what color it is :) My favorite, a pastel teal color. In just a few minutes, we and some dormmates are going to the 99-yen store to buy some things, like towels, slippers for inside the dorm, and hangers which I really need. I can't believe that I am here! It's ridiculous. It's going to be SUCH an amazing year.

日本へ行きます！

2009-09-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving in 8 hours!!!!
This is ridiculous.

I CAN'T believe it.

Am I really doing this???

ohhhhhhhhh butterflies. I am at a high high level of excitement right now :)
I have two massive pink suitcases outside my room filled with clothes and books and hair supplies. I have a feeling I will be paying some sort of oversize fee. I really hope not! I am a bit sad because I can't bring my guitar, but I hope I can find another one in Japan somewhere. The next time I blog will probably be quite a long time, and here's why:

1. I am going on 3 flights, Calgary->Vancouver, Vancouver->Tokyo, and Tokyo->Osaka. After THAT, I have a 2-3 hour bus to Osaka to Kyoto. It's gonna be a long day.
2. Thursday will be busy. I am meeting with Hiroki, and I have to get my Alien registration card. And I'm sure I will be in sensory overload.
3. My dorm has internet in each room, but it won't be set up when I get there.

So yeah, I will write soon, but not that soon.

It's funny, because for years the secret question for an important account of mine (among "What is my favorite pink candy" and others) has been

Where do I want to live one day?

and the answer (of course) is Japan. Off my life list of things I want to accomplish, soon I can check this one off. P.S. We ended up in Family Feud last night. We made it to the semifinals! It was a great time, and I had so much fun together with my family. We lost on the question "What do baby dolls do that make them seem like real humans?" We lost when we missed the easiest one: talk. GAH! It was a stupid question to begin with. And then Becky and I both got picked to be in a hypnotist show, but neither of us got hypnotized. He made us return to our seats! :( I wanna be hypnotized.

I will miss you all. Thanks to everyone that helped me out this summer, I am so grateful. 皆、ありがとうございます。

日本へ行きますよ！ I'm going to Japan!
絶対に頑張ります. And I will definitely do my best.

...またね。 See you soon.

サラ　❤ Sarah

Packing!

2009-09-05T02:02:00.000-07:00

I just need to take a break! I've been packing for what seems like forever, and I'm not even close to finished yet. It might possibly be 3am on a Friday night right now....I get the most stuff done at night, so I'm just powerhousing through. In the day is another story though. I did manage to get some photos from Walmart for my Alien Registration card (I have to get this card the morning after I arrive. I must carry this card with me at all times when in Japan, and be able to produce it at any given time) and I also did a little bit of shopping at the new mall. While organizing all my papers and such, I came across alot of really nostalgiac things tonight. I found stuff from my Europe trip last summer, and pics from my first trip to Japan. I found papers I wrote in high school, and my little pink shoes that I used to sleep with instead of a teddy bear as a child. Isn't it funny, the objects that we associate value to? I am taking photos with me to Japan, to help me if I get a bit homesick, and also to show other people I meet where I live and who I love. I have alot of things to cover tomorrow. My parents are up at Glenifer Lake and I might go up there tomorrow night or Sunday during the day. On Sunday, our whole family signed up to participate in a version of Family Feud. I'm not sure if we will be selected, but it will be hilarious if we get picked. THINGS YOU FIND AT THE BEACH! Princess will be going to the SPCA soon, I can't find a home for her. I respect my parents wish that she go somewhere else, but I don't want to send her somewhere where she will be disposable. To me, she has always been there when I needed her for comfort and companionship. I don't know what to do, and it's heavy in my mind. Anyways, my room reflects my current mood: messy. I've gotta do alot of cleaning and clearing out of both.

どうしよう？
サラ

My Birthday!

2009-09-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

My birthday was so awesome! I couldn't have asked for a better day. I love my fam and friends so much. Things didn't get too out of control, which was nice. I do, however remember getting whipped cream all over myself and taking like a hundred shots and triples. Earlier in the day I was telling Becky about this habit I had of running home from the bar when I was drunk. It happened alot, but two times that I specifically remember was New Years 2005, where Eddy and I sprinted back to my place from downtown Banff because we were drunk and SO COLD.
Another time was running home from the Liberty Lounge with Tanner in 2006. Anyway, it was so funny to talk about, and at the end of the night, we SPRINTED home from Flames...holding hands the whole way. It was SO hilarious. When we got home, we ate leftover greek food from dinner and watched Dinosaurs, and then spooned and fell asleep wearing the same pajamas. It was so hilarious.

I woke up with like 30 minutes before I had to work at the Library, and when I arrived at work I immediately had to give 2 staff presentations pretty hungover. Good times :) I've got a couple of days left until I leave, less than a week! Tomorrow I gotta pack. How do I pack so everything doesn't get all wrinkly??? Does anyone know??

oh dear

2009-08-30T17:12:00.001-07:00

One week left? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Must pack. Must....stop....shopping.

Still don't have anywhere for kitty to go, and it's causing major stress.

eek.

Each Moment

2009-08-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

S=ef
Sarah= excitement x fear

I have to say that for how excited I am right now, there is an inversely proportionate amount of fear involved. I seriously cannot fathom living in another country right now, and neither can I fathom that that will come into realization within 19 days. There is a part of me that is terrified. The reason why I am scared is because I feel like there are things that I am forgetting to do while still here in Canada, while time just slips away...The library is so busy and everything is coming to a big culmination as summer ends. The big wrap-up event is tomorrow and I am in charge of chalk art and bubbles outside. It's busy, but I didn't say it wasn't fun :)
So I went in on Monday to get my Japanese visa sorted out. I went downtown where I ended up paying $12 for parking instead of parking for free and then walking a bit farther to my destination. When I entered the Trans-Canada building I started feeling a bit of anxiety because of all the people around. I often get that feeling when I am downtown or when I am in a place crowded with people, and I have learned to just kind of stay with that feeling, sit with it, and it eventually passes. I wonder how I will be affected by going to one of the most densely populated places on earth to live. I get a slight panicy feeling when I imagine walking through Shinjuku's well-known intersection streaming with people from all directions. I fully acknowledge my own amazing ability to adapt to new situations, and I love that about myself. Some other things I have to take care of in the next 3 weeks:

-Student loan funding

-Finding a suitable home for Princess, my beautiful cat

-Packing

-Purchasing clothing, hair straighter, prescription medication, shampoo etc.

-Printing out photos of friends and family

There is so much more stuff to think about, and flickers of things I need to do pop into my mind at all points during the day...only to be forgotten and remembered again a few days later. "Oh yeah, I HAVE to remember to do that. That's important. If I don't do that before I go, I'm screwed!"

Speaking of that, I have a bunch of forms that I have to remember to print out for momma to sign.

But it's incredible. I'm feeling and taking in every moment I am having here in Canada like it is my last. As if each mundane task, hour at work, errand by car, chance meeting with an old friend and comfort-filled silent moment could be my last for a long, long time. I'm stepping out of it once again, that comfortable space. Shedding my skin of comfort and security and all that I know once again to reach out and find the something more that I know is out there.

With stress heavy in mind, swirling and transient and vague but unquestionably present, I will leave on that note.

Until next time,
サラ

Newness!

2009-08-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to start this blog, so I will just start writing. Following in the same vein as my Europe trip last summer, this year I will keep a blog about my study exchange in Japan. It's hard to believe that in 3 weeks time, I will be on a plane to my destination: Kyoto. I am heading to Ritsumeikan University, a liberal alternative to the state-run Kyoto University in the past. The name is taken from a quote by Mencius:

Some die young, as some live long lives. This is decided by fate. Therefore, one's duty consists of cultivating one's mind during this mortal span and thereby establishing one's destiny.

Ritsumeikan literally means "place to establish one's destiny."

I'll be in Japan starting in September, and will stay there until August 2010. My studies will exist along the "Intensive Japanese Track" which gives me plenty of language training and some other courses as well. Japan was the first place that I ever travelled to outside of Canada, and I am ridiculously excited to return. I'm not sure at all about how my internet connection will be in Japan, but I will do my best to update frequently. I've got 3 weeks left until I leave Canada, and a buttload of stuff to do before I get there. At the moment, I have no student loans and no visa into the country. LOL But I am working on it.