RIP Phoenix

On Saturday October 11, I was at a party in Yamanashi with some folks for the JETs AD Kanto Cookout when I received the bad news. I found out that my ex-boyfriend of nearly 3 years, Jody Brooks, had died suddenly at a nightclub in Atlanta, GA. Jody was only 34 years old, far too young and far too soon. I can still hardly believe he is really gone. I left the party immediately to go make arrangements to get back to the US. My friend Lindsey was able to find me a one-way companion pass so I figured I’d find out how I was getting back to Japan once I got home. Lindsey sent me an email late Saturday night to let me know I was booked on a flight that was leaving Sunday at 4pm, and so I left October 12^th.

I heard a few people say that this was the worst week of their lives. I can definitely see where they are coming from. I have never felt so horrible physically and emotionally in my entire life but I was able to find comfort in meeting the different people from each part of Jody’s life. His family and friends are amazing, just like he was, and knowing how many people from all walks of life absolutely ADORED him really made me feel better. He will always be missed but will live in my heart forever. I truly loved him and I know he loved me. Although we weren’t together when he passed, we were friends and for that I am eternally grateful. My life will not be the same without him in it. I love you Jody and I’m so glad I told you while you were still with us. Rest in Peace, my Phoenix.

I left Japan Sunday October 12^th and just returned today October 22^nd and I have a lot of make-up work/catching up to do. I am both hopeful and prayful that I can regain the focus I had before I left. I have to be honest, getting back on that plane to return to Japan was much more difficult this time around than it was when I arrived here October 2^nd. School is tough, my living situation is less than ideal and I haven’t really made too many new friends just yet. I know all of that will come with time and patience so I’m working on being patient.

One thing that made the trip back easier was the fact that I rode business class! Another good friend of mine was able to find me a companion pass on which to travel back to Japan and hooked me up!(Thanks LB!!!!) I swear it’s the only way to travel. You can select when your games and movies begin, three course meals, always a full bottle of water on your tray table, seats that recline so far you are almost horizontal, oh, and your computer can plug into your seat without any special adapter or anything J I didn’t even have to use my iPod or take out any of my books. One really great surprise was when I was flipping through the CDs they had on the R&B selections, Algebra was there! Algebra is a very talented Neo-Soul artists who just happens to be Jody’s neighbor in Washington Park. She also sang two very touching pieces at his Memorial service. Misunderstood by Nina Simone and One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey.

I was reminded of a very important lesson this past week, No one is promised tomorrow. We know not the day or the hour when we will breathe our last breath. Don't live your life with regrets. Love hard. Laugh often. Live your life.

Hitting the ground running...

My Japanese classes today were TOUGH. Whoa...I have some major studying ahead of me. My first class today was grammar and the next two were reading comprehension and composition. As taxing as it is, I enjoy the composition part because once this class is over, I'll have some written pieces to show for all of my hard work. There are 10 of us in the Intermediate class and 8 are from Korea. They are a little further along than myself and my Serbian classmate Dragan but its okay because they can help us with things we don't know and I'm motivated to bring myself up to their level. I feel a tad bit like I'm in the dark ages though because they all have electronic dictionaries and I'm still carrying around my Random House Japanese-English paper dictionary. My old faithful definitely does the job, but hopefully I can save up enough to buy myself an electronic one.


After my Japanese classes today, I went to a nearby shopping center to buy some notebooks for class and my train tickets for my trip to Yamanashi this weekend. While I was there took a little journey to the bathroom and found store branded toilet tissue! This roll of tissue was stamped on the side with the words: "ショッピングセンターデイズタウン：Shopping Center Day's Town"

The only rational explanation I can think of is they have stamped the TP as a deterrent to those who may be thinking of stealing rolls?? Now, I have no need to steal TP as its provided by the dorm in our toilet rooms BUT if I wanted to take it the TP, no stamp is going to keep me from taking it. This concept is something I'm definitely going to have to bring up with my Japanese friends because I just don't get it.

If that wasn't good enough for you, here are a few signs that were above the ticket box where I bought my tickets.

I just love how casual the language is when clearly, this is a serious info sign.












So much for Japanese people not being direct...

"Please Don't Mind It."

Today was my first day of Japanese class and after all of the tests and essay writing was complete, I was placed in the 中級 (Intermediate Level) class. The morning began with introductions of the teaching staff, an intensive course overview and some detailed explanation of the different levels of classes and procedure for determining which classes each student belongs in. We are told by Ono Sensei, the teacher who was conducting this part of the orientation, that we will all have to take a placement test. He continues to explain to us where each of the testing rooms are located. These are his words in English verbatim: (I wrote it down so I wouldn't mess it up)

"Room B and D are on the first floor. I'd like you to know that there, they are doing a memorial service for experimented animals. The mood there is very sad. *dramatic pause* Please don't mind it."

It was all I could do to hold in my laughter. I was thinking WHAT?! So anyway, I go downstairs to the first floor and just as he stated, there is a memorial service taking place. There is a registration table and about 7 Japanese women wearing black are standing behind it. To the right of that was a sea of Japanese people all dressed in black as if they were going to a funeral. Some large groups were coming and some were going. Some were wearing large yellow chrysanthemum flowers as corsages (Shirley Franklin-esque, for my Atlanta readers) and some were not. And all the while, I'm thinking to myself "Are all these people really here to pay homage to some dead experimented on animals?"

Once I arrived at my testing room, I asked Sugiura Sensei if she could explain to me what was really going on. It turns out that it was a memorial service for people who's families have donated their bodies as cadavers for medical research! The doctors and medical students host a memorial/gratitude ceremony in honor of the deceased to show respect and thank them for donating the bodies. My Sensei asked me if we have this practice in the US and I told her that to my knowledge we don't....This practice is just another thing that makes Japanese culture so unique!

That and the fact that Ono Sensei's intended message was completely lost in translation.

Below is a picture of my test taking station. You can see that the monitor is below the table and each station fitted with a digital camera that can photograph you at will during the test for security purposes. They don't play when it comes to cheating!

Why am I even here?

Yesterday (Tuesday), I had another orientation with all of the people who are newly arrived to Tsukuba and are recipients of the MEXT scholarship. During the orientation, all of the details and expectations of the scholarship were laid out for us. In receiving this information, I realized that I may not have fully explained in this blog what I am actually doing here in Tsukuba so I'd like to do that now.

I am currently a non-degree seeking research student and will be conducting research on a topic of my own choosing which is: International corporate cultures as it relates to mergers and acquisitions concentrating on Japanese entities. During this first six months, my charge is three-fold.

1. Japanese language classes. I will be taking a 10-week intensive language training course that begins today. Based on my test results from the placement exam I will take today, I will paired with students of the same abilities and study along with them for the next few months.
   
   
2. Entrance Exam. My goal is to begin the Tsukuba Masters in Business Administration professional school next April. In order to do that, I must pass an entrance examination which will take place in February. Until that time passing the exam will be one of my primary focuses.
   
   
3. Research. I am also expected to begin executing the research plan I have outlined for myself with help from my advisor. The first phase of my research is information gathering and familiarizing myself with the topic at hand which I anticipate will take 4-5 months.

I finally met my advisor yesterday, Sumita Sensei. He told me to come to his office just before 3pm yesterday for a meeting, but also informed me that he has class at 3:15pm so he wouldn't be able to talk very long. When I arrived, we spoke long enough for me to write down my name and number then he introduced me to one of his grad students Masato and asked Masato to show me around. Masato also had to attend the 3:15 pm class so his time was limited as well, but he was very helpful. He is organizing a study session for research students like myself who are interested in taking the entrance exam and will be sending me practice tests.

After we walked around the building and he showed me where I would be working, he invited me to sit in on their class. Of course, I accepted and away we went. As I'm sitting down I ask him how long class is and he responds "Three Hours." WHOA, Nelly! At this point its too late to decline but I think he sees the look on my face and tells me the have a break at the midpoint of the class which is exactly when I leave.

It was interesting to sit in on Sumita Sensei's class because he has a very American teaching style, asking questions, very dynamic in his presentation (although his PowerPoints are a little word heavy. no white space at all!) but the students just sit. Some take notes, some don't. He asks questions, and waits....no one answers. In our brief meeting he told me he lived and taught in the US for 20 years so he is familiar with different styles of teaching. I think I will enjoy getting to know him and working with him but I now understand that I need to make every moment of our time together count. A few of the other graduate students confirmed my suspicions, he is a very busy man.

SERIOUSLY?!

Ok, I know I have a lot of stuff in my cell but I just got very overwhelmed. Please look at what I'm dealing with! I was trying to organize my clothes/shoes in suitcases so that I could easily access different items in my wardrobe and had to take a break when I looked around at what I'm really dealing with. Please Lord...help me find an apartment. I will be happy if it fits my budget, is only twice the size of this current "room" with my own kitchen and bathroom. I promise.

Chu-Hi, Church, & Cell Phones

As I reflect and wind down my day I am enjoying this delicious Chu-Hi (easily one of the things I missed the most about Japan, and one of the things my linesisters packed their suitcases with when the visited me here almost 4 years ago). It's kind of like a wine cooler. 5% alcohol, 1.1% fruit juice. My favorite is Plum flavor, but I'm rolling with Litchi tonight. This stuff really brings back some memories.

My day started off by me waking up at 4am, YET AGAIN. I just don't know what to do to be able to sleep later. Which is fine for now because I've been using those 'fore day hours of the morning to Skype people and catch up on my American TV programs through a website called www.surfthechannel.com. I-am-telling-you, this site has saved my sanity (I wanted to say life, but that would be way too dramatic)! Sunday I watched Ugly Betty, Dirty Sexy Money, Desperate Housewives and Fringe. Since I was up so early this morning I started on the HBO Series Weeds from Season 1. I'm hoping that yesterday's Desperate Housewives will be ready by the time I finish this post...

A group of us with the MEXT scholarship had to go to City Hall today to file some paperwork. When we returned back to the International Center, I was having a conversation with a guy named Joseph from the Philippines who is at Tsukuba studying Physical Education for the Hearing Impaired. This guy speaks Tagalog (the native tongue of the Philippines), English, American Sign Language and is now learning Japanese Sign Language - which is similar to American Sign but has some major differences. He has a Japanese tutor who is supposed to be helping him with his research and teaching him Japanese BUT Joseph doesn't speak any Japanese and the tutor doesn't speak English. The only way these guys, who have no problems with audible speech, can communicate is through sign language! I think that is the most amazing thing.

Anyway, Joseph invited me to church. He told me he went to Tsukuba International Christian Church this past Sunday and enjoyed himself. It's a Christian church and the sermon is translated into many different languages. I told him that I'd check it out with them next week (I'm going back to visit my friends in Yamanashi where I used to live this weekend). He said it was different from his church in the Philippines, but he enjoyed the message. My friend Tanya (the young lady from Belarus) said she is Christian too and that she wants to come. This should be very interesting.

After we finished speaking with Joseph, Tanya and I rode our bikes to the mall. She was in search of an umbrella and I wanted to do some research on cell phones. It turned out that when we went to the AU shop we were able to understand the shop attendant enough to discuss service plans, phone charges, contracts, discounts and sign up for our new phones! The best part about it all was we both got our phones for FREE - after many discounts of course. I was very proud of us! Tanya understands Japanese but didn't really understand the way Japanese cell phone system works and apparently its very different in Belarus. Me, having lived here before and used the same phone company really helped because otherwise I'm sure I would have been as lost as she was at times. Initially we were just going to get pamphlets of information we could take back to her tutor (I haven't been assigned one yet) and we ended up doing it ourselves!

Here is my lovely new phone. The phone company is called AU and the style is AU W61SA. It has a really high quality camera with flash built in and a 3G network. Who needs an iPhone when you can get one of these for free?! These photos actually give the phone no justice. Just take it from me, its HOT.




I just checked surfthechannel and it looks like Sunday nights Desperate Housewives is available so that will end my night on an excellent note.

Exploration Mission Successful!

So this afternoon I set out to explore the city a little bit more and I'm happy to say that everything went really well. There is a massive mall at the Tsukuba Center train station that has everything you can thing of. There's a grocery store in the basement, liquor store, foreign foods store, home goods store, tons of clothing stores and even a GAP! I'm also very happy to say that I resisted the temptation to buy things (except for some incense and that was only 315yen).

One of places I found that makes me the happiest of all is a Nail Spa at Seibu Department store. This type of place was non-existant where I lived the last time I was in Japan. And the places I found in Tokyo when I went were just outrageously priced. This place does manicures for 1,050yen ($9.92 USD) and pedicures for 2,100 yen ($19.85 USD). Woo hoo!!! And for the month of October they have a sale going on, 200yen off.

I stopped in the foreign foods store (that had mostly foreign beers/alcohol) and there were a bunch of brands I recognized so I took pictures. I've been using my US cell phone to take pictures because its not as obvious as pulling out the digital cam. I won't be buying any Corona anytime soon, that's for sure. The price is double what it is in the states. (1480 Yen=$13.99 USD)

They also had good old American Budweiser which I don't drink but still thought the price differential was interesting (198 Yen = $1.87 USD). And last but not least, they had one of my favorites...Negra Modelo. Usually if I buy this beer out at a Mexican restaurant or something it would cost more than it does here so I can justify buying this : ). (298 Yen = $2.81 USD)

I feel like I'm discovering Japan all over again which is really nice. I spent the afternoon wandering in and out of stores, riding my bike around town while listening to my ipod. There are so many nook and cranny spots that I'd like to check out but I'd like to check them out with a friend because they are like food and night life spots. At home I'd go alone, but here I'm a little more hesitant.

Back to shopping...so in Japan you are likely to see all TYPES of messed up English sayings on products. There is a whole website dedicated to it that is hilarious, but I've decided to spot my own mistakes and post them here.

<--This tee's brand name is "Love Is..." and all of them are supposed to have sayings of how people express love?

I don't know this brand ->
but I'm pretty sure that shouldn't say "caper" LOL.

The final images I must share are of scales I saw today . The first image speaks for itself but the last one translates to "Beware of overeating!!" Gotta love this country.

My New Wheels!

Tsukuba University is proving to be a bigger place than I had imagined. Everyone around here has bicycles and today I joined them. My new bike's name is Blue Bell. I need some Obama stickers to put on it to make it really feel like its mine. This is how I will be getting from place to place over the next couple of years and I like it. I bought it from a recycle shop which is a used goods store. The guy charged me 9,500 yen (around $90USD) for it and told me I could come back to his shop whenever go put air in the tires. He leaves a pump outside for all his customers who bought bikes from him. He has some other used things that seem to be in good condition like a tv and a shelf which I need for my room but I need some help bringing them back home. I'm going to check out a few more recycle shops around here to see what I can get to make up for the lack on dresser space/closets in my room.

I had my first orientation yesterday where I met a few folks who are also receiving the MEXT scholarship. I wasn't aware of it at first but none of the people on the list I recieved last week of the MEXT scholars are going to be in the MBA program. I met a few people who speak English, one from India (very heavy accent though, so its sometimes hard to understand), one from Serbia (who is here studying Physics) and a really sweet girl from Belarus who speaks 4 languages.

Our orientation was full of information about the campus and our scholarship. We have another one next week with all of the International Students. We spend a good deal of time filling out all types of paper work from health insurance to application for a foreign registration card. We need that card before we open a bank account or get a cell phone so its very important that we get all that ASAP. We are going to city hall on Monday to pick them up so hopefully I'll have a phone by next Tuesday.

My first day of Japanese class is next Wednesday Oct. 8th. I haven't spoken to my professor yet, but now that I am able to connect to the internet in my room I hope to hear from him soon. I'm anxious to get started on my research and delve into my language classes. I'll probably stay in this "room" until the end of the year to save a bit and find the right place. I'll also be able to see what my finances are going to be like by then so I can make smart choices about where I live.

I think I'm going to ride out on Blue Bell today and see what else this city has to offer. I'm taking my US cellphone as a camera so I can take some photos.

So far, so good.

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.