It starting to feel like Christmas....

The end of a semester

For the first time in my life, December hasn't been about dodging the crazy shoppers, glamming up for the Christmas parties, and trying not to fall on my ass while commuting in the snow. No, this year I'm experiencing Christmas like no other.

The Japanese see Christmas as a holiday for couples, something along the lines of our Valentine’s Day. The first thing that struck me as strange is being asked; if I have a date for Christmas, am I going out with friends etc. To me Christmas is staying in your pj's, eating and playing silly games with your family. Owww I'm going to miss my Grans Christmas spread.

December this year has been an experience. My first term at Nanzan has finished, therefore I've had to say bye to friends who are returning home. When you are in a country which is completely different, those friends are like your connection with back home. This month also marks near the halfway point of my stay here. During the last four months, I've had to become a self-reliant individual. The loss of an uncle and a change in my relationships, has made me at one point hate being in Japan. However I now realise these moments would have happened, no matter where in the world I was in.

Even though I have been here for a while, I am still discovering new things. The other day I was lucky enough to be taught about the makings of Sencha. Sencha is a type of tea and it is said that there has never been a Sencha Sensei (teacher) who has passed away from any illness. It doesn't really matter how accurate that statement is, it is proven that Sencha is extremely good for your body's health. The art of tea making is very unique to Japan. While watching a tea ceremony, in many ways is like watching a dance.

Now here is my 'gaijin moment' of the month. As you probably know you can get some extreme toilets in Japan. I just happen to come across one with a few more buttons than normal. So sitting there, I start my search for the 'flush' button. I had narrowed it down to two potential flush buttons. Hmmm. So I decided what could go wrong if I press both of them. Of course one of them was the flush. As I leave the cubicle, 3 members of staff come hurrying through, looking for someone. I quietly walk to the wash basin. I overhear them ask people if they know of someone who is injured. Next thing I know someone with a first aid kit comes running in. I just slowly walk out, head down. I now know that button, to be the panic button.

my daily routine

Firstly, I do apologise for my lack of commitment to the bloggin. The last few months have been crrraaazy!

So I will update you on some of my unforgettable experiences I have had. :) Enjoy.

Now it is October and I am in full swing with University life. I had heard that Japanese education was a lot more rigid compared to a very relaxe system that we have in Scotland. However I do think being tested 4 times a week along with assigments and daily homework is actually restricting me from experiencing Japan. That is my work load for only one of my subjects. I have also taken, Japanese History, Japanese Linguistics and Japanese Buisness. Ok yes I probably asked for it by taking such heavy duty subjects.

However even though my daily life is constantly drinking coffee and getting lost on campus, I have still managed to meet some amazing people who astonish me at what they have achieved. So basically I should stop whinning and get on with it. Scottish people do love a good whine eh!

My daily life during the week, consist of getting up at 6am and enjoying some japanese t.v. I can't explain how different it is untill you witness it yourself. Even though I don't understand the majority of what they are saying, just the sheer comic value is enough. Once I'm out the door I ride my lovely red bike to the station. That is were lies my first challenge. You got to be mean and fast in order to get a space for your bike. Communiting by train to university is a new experience for me. Therefore I've had to become a lot more stubborn and a far more pushy person as if you ain't, well you ain't getting on the train. I should take a video of the hectic but somehow organised mayhem that is the rush hour in a train station.

Once I am home, it is dinner with the family. My family is very traditional in the sense we all sit on the tatami mat while having our dinner. There is no being lazy on a sofa and getting food everywhere in this country. After I have consumed the amazing food, I am most likely studying and trying to make a dent in my pile of homework.
Now next is the very unique part of japanese life. Bathing time. Japanese tend to have a bath in the evening rather than showering in the morning. Also there is a set routine on who goes first. This is normally the head of the household, i.e my uncle and therefore I am last.  The bathroom does not contain a sink or a toilet but is just a room with a large tub. This room is a wet room so you can make as much mess as you want. The reason why is that you have to wash yourself first before getting into the tub.
I have to admitt, I do miss my power showers in the morning :(

Currently it is the festival month and I have been having amazing time seeing all the street performance. I will blog about this as soon as I get some decent photos to put up with it :)

The Journey


The emotional roller coaster i have been through in order to get to Japan has been eye-opening. I realised that I cannot handle goodbyes and should have invested in waterproof mascara and lots of pocket sized tissue packets.

Before I started my travels, I had organised a wee party in which I could see my nearest and dearest. The drinks were pouring in and I did my most sacred dance routine, the chicken dance. One thing this night did show me is who I could count on. I was touched by my friends, who had travelled far to wish me luck (Shosh you flew to Edinburgh and you don't know how much I appreciated that!) . For those who could not make it an appearance I still appreciated the effort that you guys made in making contact. I am a very lucky lady :) 

During my journey to Nagoya I had some odd experiences. If you ever go to Frankfurt airport be prepared to answer a few social economical questions by the immigration officer. Also a dog will constantly sniff at every single part of you body while going through security. After the ordeal of Frankfurt immigration process, I  happily bounced on to the plane to Nagoya. woo 11 hours of sitting down and twiddling my thumbs. 
      
I believe that while on a plane there are unwritten rules which all passengers must follow. You must not make eye contact, make idle chat or go to the toilet too often in the first 6 hours. Thank goodness for the amount of main stream movies they show. Someone should upload Lord of The Rings trilogy though, as that would have me contempt for the whole journey. 
However there is always the hypnotic viewing of the plane slowly, moving across the screen ...

Finally my ears had started popping and i began my yawning technique which is a sign that the plane was descending. Arrival to Japan went smoothly. Yet when I was putting on my leather jacket I got some very odd looks from the Japanese passengers. As soon as I went outside, I realised. The weather is like being in the rain forest! The humidity hit me and my hair immediately started promoting the Afro. 

So far I have been getting on fine with the Japanese way of life. I haven't had a chance to get out and about yet but as soon as I do I will be posting up some photos.