steph's blog

It’s been a long time, right? I’m finally settled in and feeling happy enough at my homestay to write here without making people reading this worry too much. I actually thought I was completely adjusted and happy, but then I started listening to some NZ music earlier and cried (well, it was ‘Welcome Home’ by Dave Dobbyn so it’s the kind of thing that’s going to make overly-emotional expats cry!)

Anyway, it’s my second Japanese birthday! It seems strange that in total in my life I’ve been in Japan just over a month, and celebrated two birthdays here. Well, I say ‘celebrated’, but it’s not like I’m actually doing anything for it XD
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So I’ve already been in Japan for a week. It doesn’t really feel like it, besides the fact that it would have to take a week to get this skinny and sunburnt. I’m all oriented at uni, and I’ve learnt my way around this area here. I’d even reached the point where I no longer felt like I was going to throw up each morning… and now it’s time to move to my homestay and do it all over again.

Earlier in the week I recieved an information sheet about my homestay.
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Today went really well! I had to be at uni for the Language Lab orientation earlier than my roommates, so I went off on my own, and managed to get there okay. I was really early since I’d left plenty of time in case I got lost, so I sat in the lounge and read through my orientation information again.

I had the LL orientation, where we learned how to use the software that lets us listen to audio materials and record our homework, and then went on a tour of the campus, so now I hopefully know where all the important things are. At least I know where the cafeteria is! I managed to order lunch (curry rice :D ) and found out that THEY HAVE MELON FANTA THERE. I’d been looking at every vending machine I passed but hadn’t seen it anywhere, but the coke machine in the cafeteria at uni has it!! (it’s maybe not quite as amazingly awesome as I had remembered it being, but still yum)
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