AND AKIHABARA!

(I'll type this now because tomorrow's entry will be long enough without talking about this too)

So after talking to Shota (I'll refer to him as ENG Shota, JP Shota will be the one I've known for over a year) online we decided to go get my cell phone together at Akihabara. He met me at the Aoyama Itchome station near my hotel and we rode the Ginza line to Kanda and walked about 10-15 minutes to Akihabara and to the store which is similar to Bic Camera (or to a Best Buy in America but 10x bigger). There we waited in line at Softbank to get my phone.

The guy who waited on us was super nice. He got it setup fast. I even had the choice to choose my number. I was like "yeah just make it random" and I got to choose from three (I picked the first one... your telling a girl to decide! and a blond girl at that!) I also got to choose my email address for the phone. I'll get a pick possibly tomorrow because I have a field trip and I'm sure I'll take some. It's just a white thin phone. The other choice I had was a flip phone with internet but it was about 3000 yen (30$) more expensive. I didn't need that so I went with this one.

I paid almost 8000 yen for it and my card. I have unlimited mail for 30 days for 300 yen and if I have at least 300 yen credit after 30 days it automatically deduct it and start my mail up for another 30 days.

This will come in handy especially for days like tomorrow. I have class and then a field trip (Tokyo Tour, required) and then I'm going to Yokohama with Jun (Yokohama to Tokyo is like Gulf Breeze to Pensacola). Sunday I'm FREEEEEE!

Roppongi!

I woke up at 5 am this morning. That's the best yet. I got my breakfast (now I know why yesterday I had to wait on eggs... there's a lot of people down there right when it starts) freshened up and went to school. It was raining a little. I did better navigating the station today! I got to school on time too! Like 15 minutes early! That's good.

I guess my Japanese teacher read my mind. Today he did some questions where anyone could answer but he did call on people so Mr. Loud Mouth couldn't answer everything. He should probably stop that too... he's not always right. I noticed too that, yes, Japanese is pretty fast spoken, but he tries to go so fast he slurs everything and I can't understand him =/ And I know it's not me, because I understand people (or pick up words) but with him, he's saying stuff and I know what he's going to say and I don't understand him. Oh well. I'll let him embarrass himself. We're down to 9 people in that class.

History... let me just say I thought this was a history of Tokyo and Edo... seems like it's history of Japan and let's just point out Tokyo more than other places. I'm not too fond of this class. That class is a long 2 hours.

So after classes I went to the computer lab, talked to Jun online for a bit, then returned to the hotel. It was about 1:30ish maybe a little after. I decided I wasn't going to sit here for the rest of the day. So I looked up the nearest McDs! I decided to go to the one in Akasaka. That and the one in Roppongi were the closest. I remember someone saying something about Roppongi... but I couldn't remember what. So I decided not to go there in case it was something bad LOL!

So I start walking. I know I'm suppose to turn at some intersection. I never find it... I think I had to go down these stairs onto the road below and go that way... but I wasn't sure. So I stood on that bridge like area looking down trying to decide... do I go down? Or head straight toward Roppongi? Well... I can't go lose if I go straight! I decide to go straight and keep going...

I remember on the map seeing a place called Tokyo Midtown. I dunno about you guys but that SOOO sounds like shopping :D I find it about 10 minutes down the way. I was right!!! SHOPPING!!! I go and look around for a bit. There I find Starbucks (#1). I leave there and keep going toward Roppongi. And I pass another Starbucks (#2). I'm still looking for this McDs. I found a TGI Fridays!

Finally I make it to Roppongi at a big intersection. I debate whether to keep going. I'm hungry and want a Shaka Shaka chicken! I'm so determined to find it! I figure I'll cross and walking for awhile. So I do... I keep going... and going... for about 5 minutes and don't see it. I feel defeated it. I decide to turn around and just stop at a konbini for lunch and find better directions and go to tomorrow. So I turn and face the road and see across the street........ MCDONALDS! Found it! And I got my Shaka Shaka chicken and fries for 350 yen :D

So I head back to the hotel... passing another Starbucks (#3), Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks (#4... or maybe #2 again, I'm not sure). I saw this big thing... it was like little balls go up in buckets the roll down this track... it was cool. I had to pull myself away from it... it was pretty entertaining to watch. I keep walking and come back to where the hotel is but I decide to walk another 200 feet to the konbini because I'm craving something sweet. I pick up a bag of kitkats. Then I cross the road and head down the residential road to the hotel. And I'm back ^.^

Amber isn't in Fukuoka anymore!

So yeah I woke up early, go my breakfast, got ready for school and thought I left in enough time. Well... maybe I did. But Tokyo's train stations are so hard to navigate if you aren't use to it. When I was in Fukuoka, it was pretty easy. There was only a few different platforms. But in Tokyo... there's a lot of platforms. I know what train line to get on, but I have to look at a map to see what the train is bound for to make sure I get on the train going in the right direction. I think I need to write it down tomorrow, the train and number. That takes time. By the time I'm done reading the map I've missed 2-3 trains! I almost got on the wrong Ginza train. Like, I have this photographic memory where I'll be somewhere and think nothing looks familiar... but it takes awhile for me to realize maybe I'm in the wrong place. Like a delay there. I should fix that.

So I was a few minutes late to Japanese class. I came in quietly and sat next to Vanessa. Unlike the other late guy who comes in and starts apologizing in Japanese with his loud voice... let me say that the other times I heard him talk that day, it didn't seem as loud as that. He really came off as a show off. Vanessa and I were just trying so hard to not laugh. He just talks so loud. I just think if that class is too easy for him, he should get out. Some of us there want to learn. If he knows it all like he's coming off, then don't be in there. He's so annoying. The teacher would be doing conjugations and grammar on the board or asking us what this is in English when we were doing listening practice and he'd blurt it before I have time to think of the answer myself. Like I'm paying for this class! I want a chance to learn and it's hard with them in there. So Vanessa and actually the guy in front of us too who pair up for speaking practice had comments on Mr. Loud Mouth. Ok well it was mostly me with comments. But I find it annoying. I think he heard us... or I have bad karma.

So next class (History) I'm sitting like the 2nd or 3rd table from the back and I hear someone ask if anyone is sitting in the chair next to me and I say no, then realize it's Mr. Loud Mouth. Oh my God >.< So I sit for a minute while he's talking and realize "I should sit in the front because of my short attention span" and plus I found Kekoa up there (Kekoa is my friend from Hawaii). So if that wasn't enough, during break Kekoa and I were walking outside talking somewhat quietly and vaguely about Mr. Loud Mouth when he passes us. I don't think if he heard anything he knew we were talking about him, he could assume, but that's it. And I guess that wasn't enough... Kekoa and I get in the elevator to go back to class... and guess who runs to get in it with us??? Mr. Loud Mouth. He talks to Kekoa and I kinda ignore him. Nope, he's not even there. Did I mention Mr. Loud Mouth ended up moving to another seat a bit closer to me (a few rows back because I strategically picked a place near a lot of people)?

So a review of my classes: Japanese right now is kinda confusing. Just the method of studying. I knew all the grammar points covered, most of the vocabulary, and majority of the kanji too. We took a pre-test to see how we were and I only missed 2 because how the grammar was set up was different from what I learned. Two people ended up leaving the class. One girl because she wanted to start from scratch and I dunno about the other. I rather Mr. Loud Mouth leave. We have 3 required trips: Tour of Tokyo (this Saturday), Kabuki (like a play), and Meiji Shrine. History... I think the teacher is cool somewhat... but his teaching style isn't matching my learning style so much. We have 3 required trips for that too: 2 museums and we have to pick a picture from Tokyo way back when and go to that place and write a paper on how it has changed. I'm glad Kekoa is in that class with me.

I think it's going to be a long 3 weeks ^.^

I'm sorry for no pics. Honestly I haven't taken any since I got off the plane. I'm sure I will when I do all these trips and stuff.

Anyways, after classes Kekoa and I met with Vanessa and Kojin (I think I referred to him as Mr. Jap guy?). They ate lunch and I, not hungry, went to the computer lab to check emails. After that I just returned to the hotel. Had fun again finding my way back. This time when I got off the train I followed the south exit signs... which took me to the exits I couldn't find yesterday which happened to be the one I first used with Vanessa when we to orientation. So I came up to the street and was like "WHERE AM I NOW???" I walked on way, turned around to go the other way and saw the Post Office and Bank and turned back around realizing I was going the right way already. Not as bad as yesterday. That station is just huge though.

I took a nap at a decent time so I would have the energy to study tonight. At least if I wake up early tomorrow I can study LOL. I have a quiz in Japanese (yep, second day, and a quiz).