JSP Week 1 complete

Hey hey,

Lets see, where to start? Embarrassing story of the week: The toilets in japan have many buttons and functions those in the U.S. don't. .. or the more modern ones. At orientation we were told to try using the toilet buttons. I went to the library to find and read a textbook for my history class, but got side tracked by the urge to use the fascilities. Used the bathroom, and pressed the button i thought was the one to flush. some thing started beeping, and it was a couple seconds of me wondering what that noise was until I noticed it was an alarm I set off. Started freaking out, rushed out the door, and sure enough an alarm was blaring over the speakers, thinking it was a fire alarm, i ran to the first person I could find, and told him very panicked in Japanese: I made a mistake. I made a mistake, what should i do? He calmly stared at me, and said to just wait, laughed a bit, then went back to his studying. ..Completely embarrased and feeling a bit stupid, I situated myself ouside the bathroom door, and was about to try sink into the floor when the librarian came rushing up the stairs, I went to her appologizing using the best, broken keigo i have, and tried to explain. .. the alarm went off a couple minutes after the librarian came up. According to the JSP coordinator, this happens often, and isn't some thing I should be embarrassed about. Moral of the story: there are panic buttons in the women's bathroom's in Japan. Do not press the emergency buttons. They are not all clearly marked, but the ones at TIU have a green color on it with two kanji characters.

This past weekend: *Friday: Went to a soccer game some where by Kumagaya train station to watch Tokyo International University compete in the 90th Emperor's Cup. The game was good. TIU won, but I may have paid a bit more attention to the soccer guys in the stands than those who were actually playing on the field. ... The guys in the stands had taiko drums, banners, many different cheers, these really fascinating megaphone and clapper things (I want one :D. idk how i'd bring it back, but they're so cool! you can yell through em and whack it against your hand to make noise ^_^. the JSP student i was sitting next to had fun laughing at me and telling me to go make friends w/one of the guys down there and get him to give me his megaphone for free), and cheers in english and Japanese! couldn't understand them too well, but all the JSP students definately knew when they were chanting the mighty ducks': we will, we will rock you!

*Saturday: Tokyo - Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and Harajuku! ^_^ I spent a bunch of money. T_T too much actually, so trying not to spend much at all this week except for the weekend journey up Fuji-san to watch the sunrise with fellow JSP students at like 520am! Hopefully we make it to the top in time. Ha ha, anyways, went shopping. Bought a couple omiyage, basically an entire new outfit, but after trying it all on, i don't think it fits right, so another time I'll go buy cheaper clothes that I can wear w/the stuff i got. I'm a L some times M size here.

*Sunday: Went with my Host Aunty to her son's high school culture festival. It was quite interesting. Very fun too. Watched high school students do Taiko, the school's cheer leaders, and the school band (very briefly). Toured all the main buildings, bought a coin case, and was mistaken for being my host cousin's girlfriend several times. The third years were running a tea ceremony that my host aunty and cousin took me to. Green tea and bunny azuki bean cakes! <3 Second years sold stuff, and first years had various haunted houses to choose from, along with a science club show case. After the festival, my host aunty took me to meet up with her daughter for lunch after her test (to see where she ranks among other third year intermediate school students). various levels of green tea soba and toppings. Yummy ~ Following the lunch was an afternoon of window shopping and education in fashion. Hopefully I learned a thing or two about dressing fashionably and Japanese fast fashion. Next step...after this weekend is the application and execution of finding, buying, and wearing such clothing well and fashionably. ;D excited to do this. Oh, and I figured out the kind of hair cut I would want to get, a short one w/at least highlights. Not sure when to go do this though, but I'll figure it out. After the massive window shopping/teaching extravaganza, I was taken to their house for dinner: yaki niku, sashimi, and desert XD I was so happy, .. and full. Played super smash brothers after dinner, and I totally owned, lol thanks to all those hours of practice and loses at Pali View Baptist church's youth group in the past year and a half-ish I think.

I think that should be good for now seeing as it's almost mid night already and my brain basically gave out a while ago and i was told to go to sleep by my host family while tryin to explain the logistics for climbing mt. fuji a couple hours ago. Goodnight everyone!