so it has, not dawned on me, but occured to me why i have spent so much in the last few days. First, i needed things that i will only need to buy at first but not everyday. Like a trashcan, laundry soap, clothes hangers, the meal plan, tissues, pencil case, erasers, kanji notebooks, slippers (surprisingly, you need a couple pairs. i figured one would be good enough), and etc.
soon i think it'll all settle out. i still have some more things i need but soon it should be better. and i decided to just buy a box of drink mixes and sugar powder so that i'm not spending a dollar every time i'm thirsty.
the rest of my shopping list.
a pan/baking tray/or teapot
more of those cloth boxes that unfold to sit upright.
dry foods because there are no dorm meals on sundays and no lunches ever
socks that go above the ankle (my new shoes are high-tops.)
extension cord
that wrinkle-out spray that you spray and wrinkles are gone, like magic
boxes to mail stuff home (to nephews/nieclings/family/friends/and to special mommies.)
more sport tape/gauze/and any protective wraps (my feet are broken and literally bleed through everything)
and maybe a tiny little book i can write how much i'm spending in to keep better track of it
anything that you want to send to me from the above list, comment and i'll hold off buying it. except the sport tape stuff, i'll still buy more even if you send me some. but anything else, feel free to buy it for me. i will not refuse it. especially that wrinkle-out stuff, i don't think they have it here.
anyhow, the club was really fun. i felt like a complete dork dancing next to people with acutal skill and rhythm but the japanese people didn't seem to notice if i was bad or not, i was american and we were listenting to english songs, including Sexy back which is a really good song. but my friends were nice and i had a good time.
after we left the club, we walked around for a while, played some claw games(rigged here too i guess), ate a crepe-y pizza-y thing, and then went to do karaoke. it's so great here because while you're doing karaoke the drinks are all free because it's like a covercharge thing, or it could have been that we were a 9 group party and all of us paid like 25 dollars for a couple hours of singing. we sang really awesome iconic classic songs like michael jackson's black or white, Venus by bananaorama, domo arigatou mr. roboto, and such. i think the karaoke was my favorite part. we were all sitting around and laughing and singing and i really felt at home. it's like i have this community here too. and even if i am dork, they accept me and want me to hang out with them and take care of me. (don't worry mom, i didn't need taking care of. it was just an expression)
anyways, i think it's because i'm so far out of my comfort circle that i feel like even more of a dork. because in america i know the limits for acceptable dorkiness but here i'm not sure. so if i dance in my grandma style in america, i feel ok. but here, i kept having to stop because i got too paranoid about people watching me to have a good time. and literally, if you're a foreigner at all then you attract everyone's attention. i've always kinda liked attention but i have realized that there is a limit and i do want to kind of fade back in the background a little.
anyhow more picture to come and i am going shopping for a cellphone tomorrow so i should have one soon. Abu is coming with me so that i dont get fast talked or get a plan i don't understand. Then i'm going to his house and i'm going to meet his mother. He said she really wants to meet me and i want to meet ehr but i don't know what to bring. common courtesy here says that i need to bring a gift to show respect and grattitude for being invited.
oh and i met a lot of korean students. most of them speak english too and their japanese is amazing. it's kind of daunting but i'm trying my best. Well, i gotta go. i'm staying in tonight and moving my furniture around and then i'm gonna watch a movie and do homework. so goodnight, oyasumi!
love you, all my hugs and kisses.
me
10/10/08
10/9/08
Okay
Today was a great day but i did finally break down and buy new shoes here. i was lucky though and got a pair of cute durable converse shoes for only 4408yen. it's like 44 dollars but for this city i was suprised to find them so cheap.
i have been buying shoe insoles at the 100 yen store by the handful. i think now i'm set until next week, just kidding. maybe next month.
classes were a lot better today, i got to see so many of the students this morning and (this part is for elizabeth) Paddy's hair is so long! Abu told me he had a mullet but when i saw him, it wasn't a mullet, whatever it is it looks really cool in person. and sorry but i told him so.
and tomorrow in friday so me and some classmates will go out to a club. i'm excited and i'm grateful that i have more americans than just me going. oh, and great news! i can buy a really nice japanese electronic dictionary from one of my classmates. Sorry mom, the one i got was really for beginners only. but in a turn of luck, she may want to buy my dictionary from me. we're trying each other's out tonight to see if we can handle them/want them. but if we both end up wanting them, i'm going to still need to give her 150-200 dollars to make up the difference.
tokyo is way way more expensive than i thought it'd be. i thought that i'd be able to keep a reign on my pocket book but i cant. i have to buy all of my water/juice/any drinkables. and even though i have a meal plan, it's hard to go without food between breakfast and dinner and always end up buying something. and sometimes, no, everyday so far, i have been getting back to the dorm at around 8pm after leaving at about 7am. and i'm pretty much on my feet the entire time.
goodness, i have homework and my clothes should be done in the washer so i gotta go. besides i'm so sweaty, i've got to shower. japan is like a sauna all the time.
LOVE YOU!!!!!!
i have been buying shoe insoles at the 100 yen store by the handful. i think now i'm set until next week, just kidding. maybe next month.
classes were a lot better today, i got to see so many of the students this morning and (this part is for elizabeth) Paddy's hair is so long! Abu told me he had a mullet but when i saw him, it wasn't a mullet, whatever it is it looks really cool in person. and sorry but i told him so.
and tomorrow in friday so me and some classmates will go out to a club. i'm excited and i'm grateful that i have more americans than just me going. oh, and great news! i can buy a really nice japanese electronic dictionary from one of my classmates. Sorry mom, the one i got was really for beginners only. but in a turn of luck, she may want to buy my dictionary from me. we're trying each other's out tonight to see if we can handle them/want them. but if we both end up wanting them, i'm going to still need to give her 150-200 dollars to make up the difference.
tokyo is way way more expensive than i thought it'd be. i thought that i'd be able to keep a reign on my pocket book but i cant. i have to buy all of my water/juice/any drinkables. and even though i have a meal plan, it's hard to go without food between breakfast and dinner and always end up buying something. and sometimes, no, everyday so far, i have been getting back to the dorm at around 8pm after leaving at about 7am. and i'm pretty much on my feet the entire time.
goodness, i have homework and my clothes should be done in the washer so i gotta go. besides i'm so sweaty, i've got to shower. japan is like a sauna all the time.
LOVE YOU!!!!!!
Pitcha time
ok, i hope this works. these are my pictures. all except today and yesterday, which i'm too tired right now to get up and go through my bag for my camera. and i know, i know, i'll try to take more pictures because this isn't very many for 3 days in japan.
there. if you can see it, i'm glad. if you can't, then comment and i can try again tomorrow.
10/8/08
Not all roses
i don't have time right now to write a long thing but i wanted to tell you.
it's not all roses. yesterday sucked for the most part but i am trying to remember the few little good things that happened. and i will never never never give up.
this morning, when i leave in a few minutes, i'm going to meet one of my old students for coffee. i think it'll make me feel better about yesterday and then i can put the past behind me. anyways, i know, still no pictures up.
i just have no time now cause i have to catch a train soon. and this stupid site isn't uploading my pictures at all. it'll take me time to sit down and just wait and wait and figure it out. and even though i'm sorry, i haven't had time to do it yet.
anyways, gotta go. love you
it's not all roses. yesterday sucked for the most part but i am trying to remember the few little good things that happened. and i will never never never give up.
this morning, when i leave in a few minutes, i'm going to meet one of my old students for coffee. i think it'll make me feel better about yesterday and then i can put the past behind me. anyways, i know, still no pictures up.
i just have no time now cause i have to catch a train soon. and this stupid site isn't uploading my pictures at all. it'll take me time to sit down and just wait and wait and figure it out. and even though i'm sorry, i haven't had time to do it yet.
anyways, gotta go. love you
10/7/08
My address
Jessica Lambert
Dormitory Higashi-Fuchu #114
3-20-3 Midori-cho,
Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-0006
JAPAN
ok, now i have to get ready for classes.
soon, maybe this weekend or next week,
me and some friends are going to go out and buy cellphones.
but first i have to regester for my alien card.
anyhow, i'm going to school soon so i have to get ready.
mom, don't be sad even if the house is quiet, at least it's not messy.
I love everyone so much!
Dormitory Higashi-Fuchu #114
3-20-3 Midori-cho,
Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-0006
JAPAN
ok, now i have to get ready for classes.
soon, maybe this weekend or next week,
me and some friends are going to go out and buy cellphones.
but first i have to regester for my alien card.
anyhow, i'm going to school soon so i have to get ready.
mom, don't be sad even if the house is quiet, at least it's not messy.
I love everyone so much!
Day...3?
Okay, so sit down and get comfortable, this will be a long one.
on the first day, i met with my school and went to my dormitory
and tried to figure out how things worked.
day 2, i kinda figured out how everything worked, i emailed everyone,
and took my placement test (i'm level 2 japanese), and met up with
some of my students after dinner. I met so many of my students and
even though i was (and am still) exhausted, i felt like i couldn't stop smiling.
after i met with my friends, i accidentally fell asleep on the
train home and had to ride for an extra hour just to get back
to my dormitory. but i learned more about the trains and because
of my incident i now know the how-tos back to front.
oh and that morning, the train was so crowded that they literally had poeple
pushing others to fit them into the train. it was like everyone was attached
at the hip but your feet and head was free. i felt like a spring that kept
wobbling around because there was no room to even hold on to anything.
but you really didn't need to, unless it got less crowded. but as it was,
the other people around you held you up. crazy.
and finally today, i slept from 1am (when i finally got home from the incident)
until 5:30am. then i got up and ready and left for another couple hours on the
train. normally, the train takes about 30-40minutes but there was a malfunction
on the first day on the line that i ride so it took longer. so i left so early because i thought it would still take a long time. it didn't. me and my dormmates
went and had coffee before class and then we were in an oreintation meeting
from 9am to 5pm, after which my teacher took us walking around downtown
shinjuku like a tour group and we found a 1 dollar shop. i bought a lot,
including some presents for the nephews and niecelings. i don't know who i'm gonna give it to yet but since all but becca can't read well i'll put it up here.
i found a play money set for children but it's japanese money. it looks just like the real thing.
it still might take me some time to figure out how to mail stuff. but at least i
know where a fedex and a post office is. i haven't taken pictures of the food
because i found so many more things to take pictures of. but i will try because
some of these dishes are really strange but always good.
right now, my feet feel like they're going to fall off. i had a blister that was so big that the open wound covers almost my entire heel. it's very painful. but i don't let it get to me. i refuse to be anything less than content. oh, and today i was told implicitly that i might be transferred to the next level up, if i prove myself in the first week. i'm not too worried though because no matter where i end up, i will learn a lot and enjoy myself. besides, even if i don't get the level i want, next quarter if my grades have been good i will be placed in the next level and the next quarter the next.
i probably wont be writing to anyone individually for a while. i'm being run ragged.
but i will try to keep you updated on everything i'm doing. right now i'm going to go eat dinner then study some because my classes start tomorrow and i do want to prove myself, or at least try. chances are that i'll just ending sleeping with the book over my face.
good night everyone. I love you.
oh and i know i promised pictures but wait one more day. i have tried everything i know to get this stupid site to upload them but they wont. and i'm really too tired to mess with it. but i have pictures of all the three days, not as many as i maybe should have taken because it's hard to remember to take a picture rather than just be impressed.
again, i love you. oyasuminasai! Good night!
on the first day, i met with my school and went to my dormitory
and tried to figure out how things worked.
day 2, i kinda figured out how everything worked, i emailed everyone,
and took my placement test (i'm level 2 japanese), and met up with
some of my students after dinner. I met so many of my students and
even though i was (and am still) exhausted, i felt like i couldn't stop smiling.
after i met with my friends, i accidentally fell asleep on the
train home and had to ride for an extra hour just to get back
to my dormitory. but i learned more about the trains and because
of my incident i now know the how-tos back to front.
oh and that morning, the train was so crowded that they literally had poeple
pushing others to fit them into the train. it was like everyone was attached
at the hip but your feet and head was free. i felt like a spring that kept
wobbling around because there was no room to even hold on to anything.
but you really didn't need to, unless it got less crowded. but as it was,
the other people around you held you up. crazy.
and finally today, i slept from 1am (when i finally got home from the incident)
until 5:30am. then i got up and ready and left for another couple hours on the
train. normally, the train takes about 30-40minutes but there was a malfunction
on the first day on the line that i ride so it took longer. so i left so early because i thought it would still take a long time. it didn't. me and my dormmates
went and had coffee before class and then we were in an oreintation meeting
from 9am to 5pm, after which my teacher took us walking around downtown
shinjuku like a tour group and we found a 1 dollar shop. i bought a lot,
including some presents for the nephews and niecelings. i don't know who i'm gonna give it to yet but since all but becca can't read well i'll put it up here.
i found a play money set for children but it's japanese money. it looks just like the real thing.
it still might take me some time to figure out how to mail stuff. but at least i
know where a fedex and a post office is. i haven't taken pictures of the food
because i found so many more things to take pictures of. but i will try because
some of these dishes are really strange but always good.
right now, my feet feel like they're going to fall off. i had a blister that was so big that the open wound covers almost my entire heel. it's very painful. but i don't let it get to me. i refuse to be anything less than content. oh, and today i was told implicitly that i might be transferred to the next level up, if i prove myself in the first week. i'm not too worried though because no matter where i end up, i will learn a lot and enjoy myself. besides, even if i don't get the level i want, next quarter if my grades have been good i will be placed in the next level and the next quarter the next.
i probably wont be writing to anyone individually for a while. i'm being run ragged.
but i will try to keep you updated on everything i'm doing. right now i'm going to go eat dinner then study some because my classes start tomorrow and i do want to prove myself, or at least try. chances are that i'll just ending sleeping with the book over my face.
good night everyone. I love you.
oh and i know i promised pictures but wait one more day. i have tried everything i know to get this stupid site to upload them but they wont. and i'm really too tired to mess with it. but i have pictures of all the three days, not as many as i maybe should have taken because it's hard to remember to take a picture rather than just be impressed.
again, i love you. oyasuminasai! Good night!
10/5/08
Day 1
So apparently even accessing the internet is different in a different country. After plugging in my ethernet cable and setting down to work, i noticed that all of the little buttons i take for granted are now in japanese. like logins and even this site.
anyways, i'm tired, wet (because it started raining just before i was going to walk to my dorm), and i killed a spider. but on the other hand, tokyo is beautiful, as you will see when i have the time or energy to upload pictures. as it is, i love you all. i'm going to bed now.
anyways, i'm tired, wet (because it started raining just before i was going to walk to my dorm), and i killed a spider. but on the other hand, tokyo is beautiful, as you will see when i have the time or energy to upload pictures. as it is, i love you all. i'm going to bed now.
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