Arrival

I've made it to Japan.

It's very different over here. Everything is a bit more compact. The cars, the roads, the hotel rooms, the people, they're all a bit smaller. The first thing I noticed however was the signs. The half Japanese half English mixture is fun and a great way to learn kanji. I'm at the tail end of orientation week with 6 other American exchange students. Alex is from Miami, John is from Boston, Amber is from Seattle, Aliana is from Tuscan, Nile is from Indianapolis, and Marianne went to ETHS with me.

We first went from Narita airport to a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Narita. We ate dinner traditional style on tatami matts sitting on zabuton (sitting pillows). The inn had excellent food, and we were served breakfast and dinner for two days. We had orrientation sessions inbetween mealtimes from the CIEE Japan people. The sessions were to go over the rules of the program as well as teach us about Japanese culture. I've learned a lot about Japanese rules, they are big on rules. The bathing is done traditional style at the ryokan. The bathroom was small, and lacked a toilet. That resided in another room. The bathroom had a bath filled with hot water and big enough for two and next to it was a hand shower and a faucet. In Japan you wash and then get in the bath, the idea being to soak in the hot water. It is very relaxing. We slept on tatami mats on futons in the evening. The ryokan was nice but had no internet access.

After two nights at the ryokan we moved to Tokyo and saw the CIEE office. We had another session, this one about insurance and the CIEE director gave us a lecture about rules. He insisted that we follow all the rules because rules are rules. "Rules are there to be followed so follow the rules" was his basic message. We had lunch and worked on our self introductions in the office. My school will most likely ask me to give a speech in front of the student body. The high school is very proud of hosting American exchange students and likes to show them off. I have my speech all worked out and edited by the CIEE staff.

Then we moved to this hotel where I got my first real internet time since I got here. We Americans have to seem obsessed with internet to the Japanese and we are. Even the adults ask everyone where they can find someplace to check their email. It has been a main topic of discussion for days. Despite our view of Japan as being completely wired, technology is expensive and much of it has not penetrated the lower and middle classes. Even this hotel in Tokyo has regular keys for the rooms.

Tomorrow I get to meet my host family, and I'm really excited. I'm sick of orientation, and I'm ready to stop feeling like a tourist and start feeling like I live here.