I'm here!

After 24 hours of travel I've finally settled into my dorm room at Tsukuba University. I was greeted at the airport by Japanese man who was holding a sign with my name on it. He showed me where to exchange my money (that i got EXCELLENT exchange rates on) and then where to buy my bus ticket that would take me to Tsukuba. The bus ride seemed endless but the scenery was beautiful and took me back to when I arrived in Japan the first time. It was nice.

When we arrived at Tsukuba station there were two men there waiting for me (who i found out a day later were the department chairs of the international center) who helped me with my 3 - 70lb bags. They were straining and grunting trying to lift my bags but they were smiling all the while and wouldn't let me lift a thing. We went straight to my dorm where I was met by Erica, an American girl from Ohio who is doing a year abroad from her undergrad university. They all escorted me to my "room", gave me my key and they Japanese folks left.

Hirasuna Dormitory.
My "room" (I use the word lightly) had a bed, desk, chair and sink in it. It can't be any more than 6'x10'...No closet, no cabinets, no drawers....no where to put any of the things in my 70lb suicases. There is very nasty shared kitchen and a toilet room with about 4 stalls and no soap or towels for your hands. It doesn't look like the bathroom is cleaned very often. There is no shower in this building. You have to go to another building and that has a bathhouse which is open from 5pm-11pm each evening and costs 190yen. Yes friends, I have to PAY to take a shower. Having said all of that, I will definitely be planning to move in the near future. I can't stay in place where I find myself holding my pee because I don't want to go in the toilet and being limited to showering 6 hours each day (and 5 hours during holidays) is not cutting it. It's very inexpensive to stay here but I was told that I should be able to find something that I can afford with the scholarship I have. Wish me luck!

I have much more to post, but I'm going to break this first one up here and post pictures of my lovely cell.