I finally moved into the dorm room on friday afternoon and have since been depraved of the internet. THERE IS NONE. I have to pay 40$ a month to get single room access, and it takes 2 WEEKS to install. its just ridiculous. So, in light of that i am making 10 minute bike rides to the youth hostel to see my friends, and to use the free internet. Yeah, the dorm is about 10 minutes away by bike, walking its more like 25, its REALLY far away. The room itself is pretty decent, it came with a newer desk/chair/bookshelf/locker, but its also kinda cold. The bathrooms are dirty and smell, and FREEZING because all the windows are open and its 59 degrees. (the hallway is also this temperature) So far, the only good thing about those dorms is the single room, and the fact that its a 10 minute bike ride from the best shopping center north of central sapporo called "Aeon Jusco" Its basically a huge complex with a huge grocery center, over 15 restraunts, clothing, home supplies, everything, and its CHEAPER than most places, especially when it comes to food. I went shopping there yesterday and bought toilet paper/laundry detergent/ and a bunch of food, including a small bottle of alchohol and some fresh fruit (expensive in japan) for about 40$ US, which by japan standards is like walmart prices. Hokkaido even has their own cheese brand, and they have REALLY good camembert cheese, for less than 2.50! Oh, btw i had to buy toilet paper because there have NONE in the bathrooms, so you have to bring your own (wow, sure sounds great huh?)
Anyway, all i've been doing lately is going out with friend to karaoke, nomihoudai, and exploring my surroundings on bike, so far not too bad 'to iu wake'. (in other words)
school starts on tuesday, but not the japanese classes (next week). Our placement test results will tell us which one we get into. btw, that was REALLY HARD in the kanji part, and easy in all the others. the chacacter part (kanji) at the end was impossible, completely random stuff i've never seen.
ta ta
Saturday, September 29, 2007
(4 days ago)
I haven't moved into the dorms yet, but they said i could yesterday. The thing is, i dont want to because the hostel actually looks better because of its location. If i moved now, i would be away from all of my friends, have no internet, and be 25 minutes away from central sapporo. (vs 1 min) Yesterday I picked out a cellphone, GOD that was an intimidating process. Even with the Japanese I had, it was almost impossible, we had a Japanese friend help us translate. The phone was free, but of course there are many catches. There is a 27$ activation fee, and then the phone -doesn't- come with the charger, but you must pay for it with the phone immediately for 10$ ?? makes alot of sense i know. I chose the 'M' plan which gives me 144 minutes of free talk time a day for 35$ a month, plus 10$ for data services (like ringtones, internet, and email) So my monthly bills will be around 45$ Anyway, my phone is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. It plays free terestrial TV!! It has a media player for music and video, It has a 2.8 inch widescreen, a nice 2 megapixel camera, and it can access the internet. It also does this 'flip' thing where the screen flips around and then locks onto the phone so it looks like one big widescreen tv, and YOU CAN WATCH TV LIKE THAT! So, at least the phone is good right?
Today we are going to open our bank accounts at Hokkaido bank (finally) we didn't do it the first day of registration because it was payday that day and it would have been too crowded. Our placement test is on friday so i'm also trying to prepare for that. Yesterday I had some really good thai curry at this place next door for less than 5$ Usually though i've been eating at convenient stores, they actually have pretty good selections of decent food, my favorites being 'onigiri' or riceballs with stuff inside. I usually like the ones with shrimp and mayonaise, or crab.
I haven't moved into the dorms yet, but they said i could yesterday. The thing is, i dont want to because the hostel actually looks better because of its location. If i moved now, i would be away from all of my friends, have no internet, and be 25 minutes away from central sapporo. (vs 1 min) Yesterday I picked out a cellphone, GOD that was an intimidating process. Even with the Japanese I had, it was almost impossible, we had a Japanese friend help us translate. The phone was free, but of course there are many catches. There is a 27$ activation fee, and then the phone -doesn't- come with the charger, but you must pay for it with the phone immediately for 10$ ?? makes alot of sense i know. I chose the 'M' plan which gives me 144 minutes of free talk time a day for 35$ a month, plus 10$ for data services (like ringtones, internet, and email) So my monthly bills will be around 45$ Anyway, my phone is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. It plays free terestrial TV!! It has a media player for music and video, It has a 2.8 inch widescreen, a nice 2 megapixel camera, and it can access the internet. It also does this 'flip' thing where the screen flips around and then locks onto the phone so it looks like one big widescreen tv, and YOU CAN WATCH TV LIKE THAT! So, at least the phone is good right?
Today we are going to open our bank accounts at Hokkaido bank (finally) we didn't do it the first day of registration because it was payday that day and it would have been too crowded. Our placement test is on friday so i'm also trying to prepare for that. Yesterday I had some really good thai curry at this place next door for less than 5$ Usually though i've been eating at convenient stores, they actually have pretty good selections of decent food, my favorites being 'onigiri' or riceballs with stuff inside. I usually like the ones with shrimp and mayonaise, or crab.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Today was alien registration day, so at 8:45 this morning i set out with the rest of the hostel gang for the international student center. We got there and filled out papers for an hour, then they took us by taxi to the city ward office and to the post office to set up our bank accounts and register our alien status. Now that i have my alien registration complete i can buy a cell phone (yay!) I'm probably going to get an AU KDDI phone because they have 50% discounts for students.
Yesterday was 'free bike day' for international students. GOD that was a mess. They had us line up outside of a fenced in area for 45 minutes, then finally let us in to choose a used bike. It was basically like a stampede of desperate people, there was no order whatsoever. So after finding a bike with working breaks i had to wait in another line, this time for more than an hour. When I finally got out I went with some friends to a local 100 yen store to buy a bike lock.
The day before was our trip to 'Otaru' Otaru is a very nice ocean side city with a pretty canal. They are famous for their AMAZINGLY fresh sushi and their hand made glass work and music boxes. Needless to say we stopped at a sushi restraunt and I had the best raw fish in my lifetime for less than 20$. I ordered ikura-don (salmon eggs over rice) mackerel sushi, fatty salmon sushi, and an eel role. #)$(*#()$!! so good!!!
Tomorrow i'll be off to buy a cellphone at AU.
jya ne
Yesterday was 'free bike day' for international students. GOD that was a mess. They had us line up outside of a fenced in area for 45 minutes, then finally let us in to choose a used bike. It was basically like a stampede of desperate people, there was no order whatsoever. So after finding a bike with working breaks i had to wait in another line, this time for more than an hour. When I finally got out I went with some friends to a local 100 yen store to buy a bike lock.
The day before was our trip to 'Otaru' Otaru is a very nice ocean side city with a pretty canal. They are famous for their AMAZINGLY fresh sushi and their hand made glass work and music boxes. Needless to say we stopped at a sushi restraunt and I had the best raw fish in my lifetime for less than 20$. I ordered ikura-don (salmon eggs over rice) mackerel sushi, fatty salmon sushi, and an eel role. #)$(*#()$!! so good!!!
Tomorrow i'll be off to buy a cellphone at AU.
jya ne
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Yesterday (sat) I basically just explored my surroundings with andy and some other HUSTEP students living in the hostel with us. We went to the trainstation area, south to Odori Park, and then on to the 'tanukikoji' outdoor shopping arcade. It was all very new and interesting, and the weather was nice. OOH and we also stopped at the NIJO fish market. I've never seen so much FRESH CRAB AND SALMON in my life...yum! Today the plans are to take a 55min bus to a nearby tourist town called 'Otaru' I'll tell you how that goes.
Oh, and I found out that they lend towels to guests, so i was able to take a shower (thank god)
oh, and convenience stores are amazing places, and beer is too expensive.
That is all.
Oh, and I found out that they lend towels to guests, so i was able to take a shower (thank god)
oh, and convenience stores are amazing places, and beer is too expensive.
That is all.
Friday, September 21, 2007
omg
This hostel sucks...I MEAN REALLY SUCKS. They stuck 8 people in a tiny room with everyone also having huge bags, there is no room at all. Also, there are currently no planned activities so we are left here to fend for ourselves, real nice. Hopefully I can find a place to buy a towel so i can take a shower!
着いたばかり！ JUSTーARRIVED
So, I'm writing this while waiting at the domestic terminal at Narita Airport. My plane will be here in about 1hr 30min. the exchange rate was 112 (including exchange fees) so not that great ( it was at 119 a month ago...) Its very muggy and hot in Tokyo Narita, and the line for immigration was about 15 min long.
Other than that everythings going good so far,
jyaa mata ne
cya later!
Other than that everythings going good so far,
jyaa mata ne
cya later!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
COUNTDOWN
Ok, so there is literally less than 48 hours till I get on my first plane to Tokyo, and before that I'll be staying in Chicago overnight with my parents, meaning that TODAY is my last day in Wisconsin. I leave on Thursday at 12:30 pm from Ohare. Right now all i'm doing is Packing, Cleaning my room, and breathing.
O___O so much crap to paaaaackkkkkk!
O___O so much crap to paaaaackkkkkk!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
"Hello,
Here is the address of your dorm room.
(from October 1)
Keiteki-Ryo Rm#F217, Kita18 Nishi13, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8587 Japan
Phone(Shared): 81-11-747-7849
We are sorry for this delayed notification.
Sincerely,
Tomomi"
KEITEKI!!!!!!!! OH YEAH bizniches
It seems I got into the no holds crazy dorm, the one preferred by many students because of their complete lack of authority/curfews!
Here is the address of your dorm room.
(from October 1)
Keiteki-Ryo Rm#F217, Kita18 Nishi13, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8587 Japan
Phone(Shared): 81-11-747-7849
We are sorry for this delayed notification.
Sincerely,
Tomomi"
KEITEKI!!!!!!!! OH YEAH bizniches
It seems I got into the no holds crazy dorm, the one preferred by many students because of their complete lack of authority/curfews!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Update
So, they're not as evil as it would seem!
"Dear Phillip,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I also asked Mr. Andrew KUKOWSKI from Wisconsin to accept to stay in a hostel.
The name of the hostel is "(Sapporo Hausu Yu-su Hosuteru (Sapporo House Youth Hostel)".
It is closer to the International Student Center than our dorm.
Please don't worry, we will take you to the ward office and a bank to have necessary procedure, same as other students.
Of course we will take you from the hostel to the dorm on October 1.
Also you don't have to bring your own pillows. A pillow and other linens are available in the dorm.
I appreciate it if you accept it.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Tomomi"
It seems that me and kukowski san will both be in the hostel. I checked and the hostel really is close to campus, and has a new 回転寿司(kaitenzushi - rotating sushi) restaurant nearby (SCORE!)
"Dear Phillip,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I also asked Mr. Andrew KUKOWSKI from Wisconsin to accept to stay in a hostel.
The name of the hostel is "(Sapporo Hausu Yu-su Hosuteru (Sapporo House Youth Hostel)".
It is closer to the International Student Center than our dorm.
Please don't worry, we will take you to the ward office and a bank to have necessary procedure, same as other students.
Of course we will take you from the hostel to the dorm on October 1.
Also you don't have to bring your own pillows. A pillow and other linens are available in the dorm.
I appreciate it if you accept it.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Tomomi"
It seems that me and kukowski san will both be in the hostel. I checked and the hostel really is close to campus, and has a new 回転寿司(kaitenzushi - rotating sushi) restaurant nearby (SCORE!)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Nooo!!
A nice little email I received today lays on the BAD news:
"As for your dorm room, we are sorry but we were informed that it will be available from October 1.
So we have reserved a room in a hostel, please accept to stay there until October 1. The hostel room is not individual type, so you have to live with other HUSTEP students. (There are six more HUSTEP students whom we are asking for this. )
We apologize for your inconvenience."
wonderful, now i'm gonna have to move in twice, and walking to class is out of the picture the first week. I checked online to see what some sapporo hostels looked like, and honestly they look pretty nice. HUSTEP better get a nice one!
grr...
"As for your dorm room, we are sorry but we were informed that it will be available from October 1.
So we have reserved a room in a hostel, please accept to stay there until October 1. The hostel room is not individual type, so you have to live with other HUSTEP students. (There are six more HUSTEP students whom we are asking for this. )
We apologize for your inconvenience."
wonderful, now i'm gonna have to move in twice, and walking to class is out of the picture the first week. I checked online to see what some sapporo hostels looked like, and honestly they look pretty nice. HUSTEP better get a nice one!
grr...
Monday, September 10, 2007
Last day at work
Today was my last day working at Hacienda Santa Rosa in Manitowoc. The money I made there in the last three months will be a huge help for Sapporo. That and the Cameron Keith scholarship will go a long way (hopefully!) I'm actually going to put a link for their restaurant on the blog. (they want me to advertise!)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Ok, so screw the music player idea, that's not happening anytime soon, Its just too much work.
My teeth are seemingly ok right now, and only seem to ache when i chew food. I've stopped used the heavy drugs yesterday and now i'm just on advil. It seems that all 4 sockets have clotted well (yes that is gross i know) meaning that I wont have any dry sockets! Dry sockets are when there's no blood clotting in the socket where the tooth was pulled out, exposing the nerves/bones and creating a VERY painful experience.
As for Hokkaido progress, I went to the store today and stocked up on personal products for the trip, the biggest ones being 4+ deodorants, 3 contact solution bottles/supplies, and alot of shampoo. XD
Today I also updated with 2 more friends blogs, Andrew Rumsey and Eric Sisco.
My teeth are seemingly ok right now, and only seem to ache when i chew food. I've stopped used the heavy drugs yesterday and now i'm just on advil. It seems that all 4 sockets have clotted well (yes that is gross i know) meaning that I wont have any dry sockets! Dry sockets are when there's no blood clotting in the socket where the tooth was pulled out, exposing the nerves/bones and creating a VERY painful experience.
As for Hokkaido progress, I went to the store today and stocked up on personal products for the trip, the biggest ones being 4+ deodorants, 3 contact solution bottles/supplies, and alot of shampoo. XD
Today I also updated with 2 more friends blogs, Andrew Rumsey and Eric Sisco.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Site Updates and Teeth Status
So i've been playing around alot with blogger and editing html and stuff.
So far I fixed that annoying cut off of the youtube embedded videos, and I've added a really cool weather widget for sapporo! And I'm still in the process of adding a little music player on the side bar too, but thats a bit more work...
I've also added a link to Regina's Japan Blog on the right side of the page so its easy to catch up with both of us : )
As for my teeth, the pain is basically nonexistent, its so suprising! I woke up this morning after sleeping for 9 hours (that means 9 hours with no medication) and I was in very little pain. Jesus, I must heal like a mutant or something, because i would have thought that those gaping holes in my mouth would still be hurting!
So far I fixed that annoying cut off of the youtube embedded videos, and I've added a really cool weather widget for sapporo! And I'm still in the process of adding a little music player on the side bar too, but thats a bit more work...
I've also added a link to Regina's Japan Blog on the right side of the page so its easy to catch up with both of us : )
As for my teeth, the pain is basically nonexistent, its so suprising! I woke up this morning after sleeping for 9 hours (that means 9 hours with no medication) and I was in very little pain. Jesus, I must heal like a mutant or something, because i would have thought that those gaping holes in my mouth would still be hurting!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
親知らず! Wisdom Teeth!
Today at 10:30 am I had ALL 4 of my wisdom teeth removed, and surprisingly I'm in very little pain (maybe because of the vicodin?!) lol The procedure was so quick, it literally took like 15 minutes to remove all 4 teeth. I didn't go under anesthesia (im crazy?) but I had my whole face numbed with local anesthetics and I was also under laughing gas, other wise known as nitrous oxide, which basically makes you feel like your REALLY REALLY drunk (without the nausea). So actually, all I felt the whole time was pressure in my mouth with no pain. Right now I'm at home trying to chill out and relax while the drugs do their thing...
OH! And today I got Utada's new CD single in the mail "Beautiful world/Kiss & Cry" Its SO GOOD!
Here's another Utada clip, this time its her freaking out at the site of her favorite sushi, tobiko (flying fish roe)
OH! And today I got Utada's new CD single in the mail "Beautiful world/Kiss & Cry" Its SO GOOD!
Here's another Utada clip, this time its her freaking out at the site of her favorite sushi, tobiko (flying fish roe)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
