First official Day

Today (June 2) we had orientation and through my jet-lag and complete and utter tiredness this is what stands out to both my peers and me.

• Wear your Helmet or you are going to die!!
• ♫ ♪ Bicycle! ♫ Bicycle! ♪ ♫ ”
• Read the Packet. (Everything you need to know is in the packet)
• Don’t go buying your own house cleaner. They are a lot stronger in Japan. So strong it is a common use for suicide.
• By the end of the session it has been made clear that one of us, we just don’t know who, is going to get hit by a car. (Read this in a Scary Movie Narrator voice!)
• Accountability is huge. Own Up! &  Show Up!
• Park at Hikone Station and your bike will get stolen.
• Forget your room key on the weekend you are S.O.L.
• Lastly, I am of legal drinking age! 😀
  (p.s. this is just an observation… I am still being safe, smart, and responsible!)

Please understand that there was a lot more said in the orientation, and if only I was my normal self, I am sure I would have blogged about those.

After orientation we went on a bike tour! It was a great time. I was continually impressed by my Japanese comprehension skills and at the same time embarrassed by my poor Japanese speaking skills. I guess we can’t all have thumbs up all the time.

I can’t express how beautiful our location is. There is a huge lake right next to the place where I stay called Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU for short). Japan is an island made from mountains so it shouldn’t come to any surprise that I am in the middle of the mountains, yet I still find the shock and beauty in it every time I walk outside.

The people that I am with seem so cool; I can’t wait to get to meet everyone over the course of these two months!