Orientation

I haven’t had much internet access the past week, so I’ve been bad about posting entries. The first week in Japan was orientation with other graduate students from the US, Canada, Germany, France, and the UK. The orientation consisted of intense Japanese language courses, lectures, and cultural activities, including a weekend homestay with a Japanese family.

I really enjoyed my stay with the Kosaka family, and I especially loved playing with the two girls. Over the weekend, I played Super Mario Brothers on the Wii (which I was horrible at) and learned a lot about Pokemon. The family was super nice and everyone spoke surprisingly good English. Highlights included:

- Visiting the girls’ grandparents and seeing old pictures of the family

- Trying out a 3D television and playing with some science exhibits with the girls at the Panasonic Center in Tokyo

- Visiting Kamakura and learning about the various rituals at one of the shrines

- Making pottery

- And of course, eating! Soba, warabi mochi, sushi (although I didn’t enjoy the raw shrimp…)

Me and the Kosaka family

Trying on a kimono

Making a tea cup out of clay from Kyoto