Classes started at Temple University Japan today. Not much to say about today's class in particular [it's a film class with an emphasis on gender bending films], rather it was what happened AFTER class that was....interesting....

I guess I should back up. I spent most of last night trying to memorize the names of the stations I'd have to use to get to and from school. I even went so far as to take the kanji cheat sheets I made up a few years back and tried to write the station names in kanji in case I needed to ask for help. Just to give you some sort of idea as to what my morning commute consists of....I get on at the Takadanobaba [Tah-Kah-Dahn-Oh-Bah-Bah] station, which is approximately a 10 minute walk from the dorm. I ride the train to the Iidabashi [Ee-dah-bah-she] station, where I switch lines to get to school. The entire trip from Takadanobaba to Azabu [Ah-zah-boo] takes about an hour, counting the ten minute walk from the station to the school. The following is a link to the subway map, to give you some idea as to what I contend with. Keep in mind that typically, when I'm looking at this up on the wall, the words are in kanji. I'll also post this in my pictures if you don't feel like clicking the link right now.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Tokyo_subway_map.PNG

For those that are curious, I start at Takadanobaba, where the light blue and black lines meet. I take the blue one [otherwise known as the Tozai line] to Iidabashi, where I switch to the greenish-blue line [otherwise known as Namboku line] and take that all the way down the map to where it says Azabu-Juban....

...did I lose you yet? xD

anyway, the point I was trying to get to has now completely slipped my mind. Moving on...

After class I decided that I wanted to get all the paperwork out of the way so I'd have one less thing to worry about. The Japanese government requires all foreigners to get an alien registration card and national health insurance, which can be applied for at the Ward building of your particular area [mine happens to be Shinjuku]. I took the right subway line [for those interested, it's the pink one, Ueno] from the school to Shinjuku station. However, I somehow managed to go out the wrong exit and got myself ridiculously lost. Needless to say that I now have a firmer grasp on the words 'sumimasen' [excuse me; pardon me], 'arigato-gozaimasen' [actually pronounced 'arigato-gozaimas' when spoken, meaning a very polite thank you], and 'wakarimasen' [I don't understand; I understand is 'wakarimashita']. I stopped seven or eight different officers to get directions [which is something that was recommended to me by Perri, to stop officials and ask directions. Apparently, as in America, some people can be jerks and point you in the wrong direction purposely]. I eventually got to the Ward building and got the piece of paper that says I'm in the middle of applying for my Alien Registration Card [I go back to get the actual card in two weeks] and my health insurance card.

Then a very tired, very hungry, frusterated me came home to a hot shower and a small load of laundry.

Tomorrow I have my Japanese language class, Japanese History and Japanese Literature before 1868. Busy busy.OH!

Before I forget yet again, I might be getting a small side job while here as a tutor in the learning center at TUJ. It doesn't pay much, but it'll cover a few meals. Plus it'll be something for the resume.

Okay, going back to the whole 'busy, busy' notion....I'm going to try my best to update this no less than three times a week, hopefully more, all dependent on my class workload and the events of the day [meaning if I don't have anything interesting to say, I won't be posting].