Impressions from Japan: "Travel Through Japan" and "Semester Schedule"

Though I wasn't blogging much during my study abroad in Japan, I did keep a travel journal that I wrote in every so often. On my last night in the states, my parents had given me this journal that depicted an artistic picture of Mount Fuji on the cover, with the presumption that I would bring back many stories from Japan, Guam, and wherever else I chose to go. As I write many of these posts from my travels, I first make an entry in the book, and then edit it for publication on the blog. The idea is that I can go back to the paper version later with tickets, pictures, and other relevant paper items to attach to the entry. That's why it takes so long for blogs that aren't already in the journal.

There are, however, some entries in the journal ready to go. I've counted eight that I'm prepared to blog with, and I've chosen two of them that help to paint an early picture of my time in Japan. As such, instead of spending a lot of time editing them and making them look pretty, I'm posting as-is in this Impressions from Japan series, with select notes in brackets. That way, it provides some insight into the way I was thinking at the time of writing, and that feels more authentic to me. Almost as if I can picture myself in Japan, writing it. *heavy sigh* Anyway, let's get started.

This first entry was written in the Narita, Japan airport, during a layover before my trip to Guam.

２００８年８月２６日 [8/26]
As I write this, I am currently in the place that I have dreamed of going for about a decade - 日本! aka Japan. It is the most amazing place. I have taken a dozen pictures in the last few hours waiting for my flight to Guam, of everything from really cool convenience stores, to a delicious ramen cafe, to origami sets that are detailed down to leaves on a tree. Everyone is polite, and can speak English if you need it. I can't wait to go back in a week - and I haven't even left the airport!

Miraculously, I've managed to prevent myself from buying everything in sight. I payed 1,000 yen [note: conversion is roughly 100 yen/$1, but strictly speaking while in Japan it went from 107 yen to 89 yen - in other words, the dollar PLUMMETED] for a calling card, and nearly that amount for ラーメン [note: ramen], but I also got pocky (blueberry & banana!!) and a 日・本 headband. They have a ton of shops and even an oxygen bar, but I did notice a lack of sufficient air conditioning.

I didn't feel like that first part was enough for one post, so here's another entry. This part is written a couple of weeks after classes have started at my university in Japan.

２００８年９月２５日 [9/25]
Yesterday was final registration for classes at Nanzan, and my schedule is as follows: Everyday I have 日本語 [note: Japanese] in the mornings for a few hours (IJ300, which is the second class from the bottom), and I have Japanese History for a couple hours Monday afternoon, plus Japanese Foreign Policy [note: 外交せいさく] on Tuesday afternoon.

My Japanese class is, of course, required. We took a test at the beginning of the semester to determine placement. I was trying to get into 300 because that's about how much kanji I knew already [note: 200 kanji], though classes went up to 600 [note: I found out later it went to 700 in the Spring]. Having got in, I was glad at first that I didn't have to re-do the easy stuff in 200, but as time went on I noticed that most people were in 400, and they too had been studying the language for two years. Does that mean I'm behind where I should be? Of course, my school's program wasn't too strong, since there were 4 classes, 1 sensee, and no major or minor. However, the class was freaking hard, so I figured I learned pretty well. I have yet to meet anyone else who used my textbooks, Japanese: The Spoken Language and The Written Language [note: and I never would], meaning not only did they learn different material but they did so at a different pace. So I understand the difference, but for someone who wants to learn the language I want to be efficient as well.

Japanese History is rather easy, requiring minimal reading outside of class, and paying attention to an amusing Japanese teacher in class. He takes things slow, and even though he knows English he sometimes has trouble with certain things. I've taken East Asian History in the past, but that was China and Korea too, plus I think it should be interesting from a Japan perspective.

My other class is Japanese Foreign Policy, taught by an American professor who has been here for years and really knows his stuff, and he's kind of funny too. This is my first Political Science class so the info can be kind of overwhelming at times and the discussion over my head, but this too has minimal reading with minimal assignments down the road. It's rather interesting and I like it.

What I've been wondering a lot lately is whether I should have taken 2 art courses instead to fill the credit requirements. I haven't taken art in college and this would have been the opportunity to do it without worrying about grades too much. But I didn't know whether the workload for 2 would be even less than 1 lecture class, and my intention was to concentrate on learning Japanese as much as possible. Well, no point stressing over it now, since final registration is officially over.

So what do you guys think? Should I make it a bit more simple than this?