Yôkoso! Japan
My first post is now long overdue, and there is in theory so much to tell... that I feel almost tempted to stop right here right now before this single post is turning into a lengthy novel. Well, anyway, I have to start somewhere, so lets just begin with a cheery "Yôkoso! Japan" like those many signs that plastered my way out of Narita Airport, Tôkyô, Japan.

I arrived in Tôkyô on september 16th, 10 days earlier, and while for some, Japan is complete unknown and exciting and stuff, so everything might seem like it's worth reporting in every single detail, but for me, I rather have a hard time feeling excited at all.
Not that I haven't been enjoying those 10 past days, oh no, quite the contrary. Except for the days when I decided that my little apartment needed some serious clean-up (like... this morning), I have been going out most of the times, either for just exploring the shopping arcade with all those tiny little shops in my neighborhood, or for a walk (including, yes, it's true, several shopping tours) through Shinjuku or other districts in Tôkyô. I just don't feel really excited at all. I haven't been particularly thrilled when I finally stepped out of the plane, nor when I was riding the bus from Narita Airport to Shinjuku (except when you count that feeling of content relief that I decided to send my 26kg heavy suitcase per delivery service to my new home and thus didn't have to carry that one around anymore), nor when I arrived. Oh, I was very happy! It was just that it rather felt like coming home than to start a great adventure...

Well, I finally sort of realized that I was in Japan (in Japan. In JAPAN, for God's sake!!!) when I had my first real "tourist"-day with zanagi on tuesday (on whatever official holiday that one was) where we headed to Odaiba (a place I didn't know yet), including a giant ferris-wheel, a beach and unfortunately no ice-cream. Furthermore a boat-tour on the Sumida river to Asakusa, some obligatory sightseeing at the Kaminarimon (one of the most famous places in Tôkyô) and a nice evening sitting at a typical Izakaya (some sort of bar) in Asakusa, my favorite district in Tôkyô like ever!♥

Other than that... I got to know that I am a very deep and healthy sleeper as I happily slept through a taifun (with an open window, mind you!)... and my very first real earthquake. Well, not so heavy that any stuff dropped from my shelves, but still a clearly noticeable one, as it lasted probably about 30 seconds and woke up most people on that day... except me. Damn! But oh well, I have one year to spend on this island and will very likely have my full share of earthquakes at the end, and except for my bruised ego when everybody mocked me, no damage seemed to be done.
(By the way, I might not have noticed a slightly heavier earthquake yet, but sometimes I feel like I'm sort of seasick or something like that. And I'm sure that I don't imagine things when I feel like the earth is slightly shaking at these times, especially when one friend remarked the exact same thing at the same time, sitting next to me. So the earth is often slightly shaking after all... Fascinating!

I could write about a lot of other things now, like my residence, the other exchange students, my first days in university... but I think I'll better write a new entry for that one, this might get a bit lengthy after all. Just a short notice before I head off (one of my friend informed me that she was booooored, while others already headed for Ikebukuro and wanted us to meet them there): We five "Gaijins" seem to get along really well for which I'm so very grateful, Tôkyô is great (no surprise there) although the weather could have been a tad better on a few days if you ask me, and the women's only university is a women's only university. Which should probably mostly speak for itself. And listening to Japanese all day long is quite exhausting. But we're getting better anyway, even if I still probably talk like a two-years old at times...