okay so the language barrier is really hard.

i knew that choosing to come to Tokyo obviously meant that i would struggle communicating, but i kind of thought people would understand sooommeee English. my houseing manager doesn't speak a word of English, which is frusterating because I can't ask him questions, notices and information are posted in Japanese and when I need help with something, he can't really help me. I feel bad because I know that this is frusterating for him as well, but its super hard for me. We had our housing oritation, and all of the international students came downstairs into the cafeteria. I discovered that I am the only person in my building who only speaks English and who does not understand Japanese. Its really difficult because everyone just converses with each other in Japanese, and since the Japanese are so shy, they get nervous when I approach them and introduce myself in English.

I know that I will learn, I will adapt, I will get used to it- but right now its pretty tough.


Yesterday I decided to get out of my residence and I went to Shibuya (very famous in Japan). I went with my friend Ning, who is from China, and another international student that I met on the main campus Mita- his name is Riccardo and he's from Italy.

Shibuya is crazy. Absolute madness. The buildings are huge and covered in advertisments, the amount of people makes it literally difficult to walk down the sidewalk. there is music playing, people screaming from stores to "COME IN, KUDASAI!". i went into this shopping building called 109 which had probably 14 floors of just crazy fashion and was filled with even crazier people.

its almost like the girls here have to wear costumes in order to stand out. there are girls dressed like hard core punks, there are flousy little hippies, there are hoochies GALORE and then the classic harajuku style of colour colour and more colour. Everyone has their hair done up perfectly and tons of make up on. I also noticed that every single girl wears at least 3 in heels at all times. (the shoes here are technicolour and fabulous!). needless to say i loved it, was completely in awe and wandering around the streets with my mouth gaping.

i went into a disney themed store and almost died. EVERYTHING was straight out of the disney movies. there was mickey mouses and minnie mouses everywhere, as well as the disney films playing everywhere and the store clerks dressed in fantastical outfits shuffling around tidding up after kids everywhere. it was awesome.

I am going to go and see the cherry tree flowers today. there is a park a little ways away from my dorm that i can go to on the trains and i'm pretty excited. then my friend Joanna from Hong Kong wants me to take her to the shopping center i went to because of all the different stores i told her about.

I might go to shinjuku tomorrow, and i want to get to osaka too. there is so much to see here and I still have a week before classes actually start!

I am going to be taking some Japanese classes while i am here... i am SO excited to learn, but I am starting from absolutely nothing. Its going to be ahuge challenge, but while i am here, completely submerged in the culture and language i figure there is no time like the present.

its freaking hard to live here, but its also beautiful. i just need to meet a few more international students (or people who speak english!) and i'm sure my comfort level will rise.

i miss my housemates lots. eva would love all the kick ass shoes here. you have never seen kicks like this before eva. i am in amazement. paloma, you would love all the jewelry and the upper class fashion here, its is beautiful and makes me think of you. morris there are business men everywhere adorned in their best suits that i know you would love, justin the art here is CRAZY and cecilia i saw a bagel shop and thought of you- woo common ground!)