Hey guys! Soooo, uh...I had a new post all for you and I deleted it by mistake. Gosh..darn it. So, once I am over being mad about that I will re-type it. It will be about my dorm. Ya know, how it worked and how it looked.
If you have any questions, ask them now so I can add them to the post. Thanks! :D
I'm not looking forward to the 10 hour flight but oh well, it is taking me somewhere awesome! :D
Huh, I suppose I could tell you guys. I will be on the plane for about 10-11 hours and then have a stop in Tokyo for 4 hours. Then another 2 hour flight to school. It will be a long day.
I have my phone situation figured out and as for money I am hoping my card will work at the ATM's at the airport/postoffice/7-eleven's. Of course I will get some cash ahead of time.
I am also thinking I will be stuck with two bags, boo. I really only wanted to bring one.
Oh, and for the picture above. I got all those yummy snacks at a little Tokyo. I was visiting a friend and she lives near by. Nom nom nom!!!
Of course I know when I get there I will be eating much less of the sweets, since they won't be rare there.
I found a nifty youtube channel as well:
Emmymadeinjapan!
She does all sorts of food reviews. I am sure a lot of you already know about her. If not, she does some really fun Japanese candy reviews! Check her out! :D
Well, that is all the news I have for now. I'm starving so I am gonna go make some of that ramen I bought! :D
It just occurred to me recently that now it really is only two months away. I have this month and next month before I will be off to Japan for 12 weeks.
I have almost everything read and together. I have a feeling though that my suit case will be over the weight limit. v_v Booooo
All from just clothes too, huh. Maybe I do need a second smaller bag but that would be such a pain. Two roller bags.
I am super excited though! I cannot wait to go! I know I have said I am not that nervous and its more excitement, this is true but there is something....
The trip doesn't make me nervous but SCHOOL makes me nervous. I have't been to school in a year or so and honestly I am not very good at it.
I love Japanese and have a passion for it but it will take all my effort to make me study! Obviously being there will help a great deal because I will get to use the skill often but that is't enough. Ya know?
I am a bit dyslexic and haven't quite learned what teaches me best. Actually, teaching myself always worked best. It is rare that I find a teacher that can work their way into my mind and make it work. I seriously have learning problems. I am not afraid to admit that. I am also lazy but I think I won't be lazy with this!!! I managed to teach myself for about 2 months so that shows something.
I plan on re-learning and studying my Hiragana and Katakana before I go. Hiragana is easy for me but Katakana...not so much.
I might even take back up wanikani.com which is a Kanji learning website. I would have to make a new account and start over. Dumb Kanji!! I don't like you!
ANYWAYS!!
I am hoping this turns into an awesome learning experience and I can't wait to get my butt over there!
So I suppose you really DON'T need all this stuff. You can go just with clothes and backpack but I choose otherwise.
I realized I wanted a messenger/satchel for my carry on. Not one of those little luggage things that cost to much. The bag could hold my laptop and also be used for my school bag once I am there.
I like to be more fashionable or at least LIKE my bag so I did some hunting. It was weird, all the purse like cross-body bags were really ugly or to small. All the ones I liked were to small.
FINALLY I found some I liked. Check out these bags:
Click the pictures for a link to the store. Chala bags. Soooo cute! Also most of them are big enough for a medium sized laptop and books. Nifty right? They are a little costly but still cheaper than luggage and plus you will get plenty of use out of them. Also rather stylish and cute! :D As for men I suppose they could pick a cheaper bag, they aren't so picky with style I think.
OH OH, and I wanted a messenger bag as my carry on because my hands will be free during all the airport stuff. I will also be able to just put it in my lap or by my feet instead of up above so I can actually get stuff out of it during the flight.
Next think I decided to get was a passport case. May seem silly but think about it, you don't just want it floating around. These cases I found also hold your tickets and things like that. They also have a special lining to keep bad guys from scanning your passport through your bag and things like that. Awesome right?
I got one of the cheaper ones but I love the one in the picture above. To bad it didn't come in pink!
So those were my most recent purchases for the trip.
If you follow my pinterest you might see some of these things. I find them on there most of the time and repin them or add them to my pins.
I told my grandma I was planning on buying summer clothes for the trip. Shorts and things like that...
She asked me if shorts they didn't mind shorts in Japan. Basically, if...wearing shorts wouldn't get me stared at like a freak. I told her I was pretty sure they don't mind the showing of some pale legs in Japan.
That is something to think about though. Here in America you can walk around in a bikini top and no one pays any mind. At least where it is warm, if you do so in the dead winter you mind be stared at.
What about in other countries though? How do they dress and what is acceptable?
I have been to Japan before but it was winter. I have seen Reiko wear shorts, I know they have shorts in their fashion magazine and they like looking girly with skirts. I think bust would be a little much, I don't even like being boobalicious here so I will make sure not to buy things to revealing on the top half of me.
They are modest in ways so I want to respect that.
I am sure others notice this as well...
If you look up Japanese fashion, a lot of the time you get... this...
There is nothing wrong with that but it's funny that when you look up Japanese Fashion you certainly do not get the every day most common fashion. You get the Tokyo, Harajuku fashion and that is just one area of Tokyo. I suppose if you look up United States fashion you would end up with the crazy stuff too, I just find this amusing.
Actually, the outfit above I find very cute! I would have worn it in high school to be honest. My style has much changed since then.
What I realized while there is that the main fashion is more neutral. They like darker colors. Black, grey, white, mustard yellow and things like that. They are rather modest but still fashionable.
They ALL seem to be well dressed and well groomed. I can't say that for here....
SO, I plan on dressing cool (as in not baking my buns off) for summer but keeping it cute and girly. No boobs or butt hanging out.
Here is an outfit I find totally cute for Japanese summer:
Of course I am a little more colorful in the summer time but I still love my black <3
I also won't be wondering around in heels but trust me...if I could bring all my shoes, then I would!!
I also plan on getting my nails and hair done while I am there ~_^
Make sure to check out my pinterest to see what other fashions I like and all sorts of things. I may even start to publish some of my own stuff. The link is above!
EDIT: My father has informed me that I am silly and that you do not have to do go through customs at all on the way home. Makes sense. :P
I have a question for people who read this. Leave a comment below if you have an answer for me. It would be much appreciated. :)
Now, I know that when I land in Narita Airport I will have to go through customs to be able to catch my next flight to my school.
BUT, on the way home is where I get confused.
So, I go to the local airport and then fly to Narita and then home. Sooo, when do I go through customs? Will it be at the little local airport or at Narita?
Basically I need to know that if I need to get my luggage in Narita or if they will just automatically place it on the new plane for me.
Sorry if that got confusing x_x I over think everything but I just know I only have a hour and a half to change planes.
"You are going to Japan!? You are staying with your friend right? Oh..you aren't? WHA ALONE!? AREN'T YOU SCARED!?"
That is the reaction I get almost EVERY time I tell someone I am going to Japan, alone.
NO I AM NOT SCARED! Haha
I am not scared, nervous, but not scared. Japan isn't scary to me, I have already been there and I can honestly say that was the safest I have EVER felt.
Their crime rate is low and I am also not an idiot. I can take care of myself. The only thing I have to worry about is getting lost but I am pretty sure I can find my way back to where I need to be. :P Japanese are helpful, just ask someone!
"DON'T GET KIDNAPPED!"
Don't worry, I don't plan on getting kidnapped.
"YOU MIGHT GET GROPED ON A TRAIN!"
Groped on a train? So? If someone grabs your butt just turn around and yell like a crazy American. Lol. I think getting my butt grabbed would be the least of my worries. It doesn't hurt me, doesn't take money from me...soooo, if thats all I have to worry about then AWESOME! xD
That is probably the biggest problem to worry about there, perverts, but there are ways to avoid them and really they aren't harming you. They just wanna see up your skirt...soooo punch them in the face.
It isn't like I am going to New York where I would be fearing the fact that I could get robbed, stabbed, pissed on by a hobo, stuck on a creepy subway or raped.
If I had to pick a big city to go to, it would be Tokyo (I will not be staying there but I do love it there). It is clean and 90% of the time everyone will leave you alone and probably won't even make eye contact.
So, I will be happy, safe, a little nervous but not scared. The school takes care of their students and I will have class mates to help me.
I am not shy and will make friends easily. People think I will be alone and I just go, "Naaah, I will just make friends!" My aunt said that maybe that is an only child trait? We makes friends easy because we have to? Lol, only child trait or not, I plan on making a buddy or two. Always a good thing!
Waiting is the hardest thing for me. I love to plan, to make lists to pack to get ready but when there is none of that to do I just...I feel like I'm going bonkers.
Then I am to worked up to do the little things I should be doing. I work out everyday but I SHOULD be practicing my Kana...since I have forgotten most of it after knowing all of it. >_> poo
I suppose I have a long time to learn it again, last time it only took me about a week to learn and then a month to know it really good. So, I have lots of time before July. Still, I would like to practice more and move onto my Kanji practice. x_x
Kanji = EVIL
Japan, I wish to be there already! Of course it is cold...ok I wish to be there sooner when it is warm! Haha.
I am sure my friends will get sick of my too, every time it is mentioned I get all excited and can't shut up about it.
I wasn't informed if my payment went through with the last post. It did and I am allllll paid for! Yay!
It's soooo exciting and only getting more real for me!
I want to go now but then again you get those nervous butterflies. I know I will be fine and safe I just hope I really learn and am able to study the language.
We sent the wire to Japan which was easier than I thought. Only took about five minutes at the bank if you already have the paper work filled out.
Since it's the weekend it might take some time for the school to receive it but I should hear by tomorrow.
How exciting!!! My room will be all booked <3
Oooh, I wish I could go now! Why is July so far away!?
Oh well, gives me time to get my clothes planned and all that good stuff. Have to figure out my packing, also trying to get a job still. Want some extra money until then.