日本最高！ Japan's Amazing!

Hello everyone! I've been trying my best to find time to write an entry into my blog but life has been so jam-packed that I really haven't found time. I'm really exhausted right now, and probably will write a crappy post, but I have to write while all of the amazing firsts of being in Japan are fresh in my head.

So much has happened in the last few days that I could write a book. I'll start form the beginning and summarize greatly...

Flight from LAX to Narita International was like any other flight. Singapore airlines is great by the way! They really take care of you, and whats more, they saw that it was my birthday and gave me a special dessert and card signed by the flight crew. By the time that we arrived in Japan, the wonderful Typhoon that had me stuck in doors all day the next day had started, and we had a very bummpy, but succesful landing. From there I got lost only once in the airport and waited forever in the customs line (with some one from LA!)

Birthday Surpirese on flight to Japan

The next day as I said, was spent indoors due to the typhoon and the hurricane force winds. I spent the entire day inside the U-city Holet of Narita. I tried going out in the morning, but came back in 30 minutes drenched. By late eveining it had calmed down enough to venture outside and I had my first meal, 海老天うどん, or udon noodles in a warm broth with shrimp tempura.

View from 成田駅, or Narita Station Where I Had Noodles

The next morning I woke up at 6 and walked to the absolutely stunning Narita-san Shinsoji Temple. There will be pics on facebook as soon as I can get the uploader to work. The temple was really quite beautiful and the pictures don't quite capture it as well as the real thing.

Entrence To Narita San Shinsoji

After that I checked out of my hotel and hopped on a bus first back to the airport and then on and express bus to Yokohama. In Yokohama I met up with all of the other UC studnets who seem like a really great bunch! We waited for University staff to pick us up and in the mean time looked at a Nissan show room floor that was in a near-by building. From there it was out of downtown Yokohama and to the Meiji Gakuin University International Student Housing building (MISH) where I am currently writing (and living from). It looks like it is going to be an absolutely amazing, fun time. after arriving we had a quick orientation where we met the director, Kitano-san and Our ご両親 or MISH parents, Hajime and Michiko Kobayashi. After that we all went to a market or "Su-pa-." We bought some things, but was really great was my meeting some Japanese middle school girls!

Concept Car in Nissan Building, Downtown Yokohama

As our group bought dinner (okonomiyaki), I straggled behind and as I walked by a group of middle school girls, one said "Haro." I couldn't resist and, as they soon told me, I acted as americans do and was very "friendly." I sat down with them and had a long coversation, all in Japanese. It was a blast, and after seeing that I spoke Japanese the attendents working at the food stores where very inquisitive and quite nice, they where listening in on the conversation and, asked me many follow-up questions when I went to ask for "持ち帰り”　or a take out box, which is a word that I learned from the middle school girls. they were カッコかわい！

Japanese Style Room, With Futon and Tatami Mats
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View From the Balcony of My Room

次まで
Until Next time,
Cary Klemmer