Hi Blog,

 I just came from eating lunch at one of the cafeterias on campus. After a long day so far of banking sessions and registration sessions and all kinds of sessions I was starving, so I got a dish of rice and Japanese curry which was delicious. The caf here is so nice, they have little sinks to wash your hands before you eat, and free hot tea, and they use real dishes instead of plastic ones we’d use at home. Cheap too, my meal (which was filling) cost 220 yen (about 2.10 CAD).

I’m meeting lots of people, but so many that I never really remember much about them so I don’t really have friends yet. But no one really has friends yet cause everyones just busy settling in and finding out what to do and where to go. So far I’ve met other students from: US, Argentina, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, Russia, France and Australia. I’ve been getting along best with the Argentinians and the Australians. But everyone’s pretty nice.

Everything here is tiny, but in a way that seems much more practical than at home. Garbage cans are tiny, drinks are tiny, cars… houses, streets, meals, chocolate bars… Showers are made to save water and only turn on for a few seconds at a time when you press a button. You have to keep pressing it to shower, which makes you not want to stand in the shower for 15 minutes just taking your time like you would at home. Makes sense. There’s a sign in the bathroom in my dorm that says “When you are brushing your teeth, putting in contacts, etc. you need to turn the water OFF. You are lucky to have tap water and should not waste it.” …or something like that.

I’m leaving campus now and walking back to my dorm (20 min. away). I have no idea what I will do later today but I know I’ll find something to do. I’d like to wander around myself, but I’m sure I would get lost. Maps here are hard to read.