Updates From The East

Dear Blog,

I haven't forgotten about you. I log into you daily to read my friends' updates, I swear! I've just been busy, Blog, so please do not be cross.

I've moved halfway across the world, and have been so busy with official business and school that when I come home I don't have the brain capacity to write anything remotely interesting. But here I am now, attempting to give you some updates about my life.

So what should you know?

Well, for one, I'm now living in Tokyo, in a cute little dorm, in a quiet part of town. We're probably something like a dozen people living in my dorm, and everyone is super friendly, so it's a really nice atmosphere :)

I've also started school, which is nice :) I placed in the level I was aiming for, but because I sorta barely got into the level, my placement hasn't quite been finalized. I'll know for sure next week where I stand. So far, I understand almost everything that's going on in class, but it's still only been 2 days, and my teacher said that it will get very hard as time goes by. What she told me during the interview was that all the students will pretty much start off on par with each other, but the Korean students' abilities will pretty much sky rocket while mine will advance very slowly. My class is almost entirely made up of Koreans. The girls seem sort of intimidating, because they all know each other and talk throughout class, sometimes over people, which I find pretty rude. The guys, on the other hand, seem pretty nice ^^ Regardless, I really hope I'll be able to stay at that level! I'll be super bummed if I get bumped down :(

What other things are new and exciting?

I've started doing laundry, outside actually. Our laundry machines are outside, and there are no dryers, so clothes either hang outside my window, or on the top bunk of my bed. Right now this whole affair is sort of inconvenient, because it's winter lol. It's nothing like Montreal winter though! It's cold and windy, but there's no snow! No freezing rain! No ice! Sometimes I walk around with my coat open! It's great :D

I'm pretty sure I experienced my first Tokyo earthquake the other day too! I say "pretty sure" just because my building is constantly shaking (it must be over a train or something)... buut my 'earthquake' was significantly more shaky... so yeah... imma say it was an earthquake!

I've also started experiencing the non-touristy side of Tokyo, which is pretty interesting. Like I mentioned, I live in a pretty quiet area, not a hotel, or anything smack dab in the middle of the city, which changes things quite a bit. I go to the grocery store where me and my dorm mates are the only foreigners. I walk down small suburban streets, and frequent 7 elevens like a pro. I walk past schools on my way to the train. I get to see local people living normally, as opposed to people working in stores and restaurants in the busier areas. It's a nice change.

I guess that's it for now, Blog. I'll make sure to keep in touch ^.~