First Impressions

So far, everything I have seen, I have liked.

Waiting for the bus at Narita airport.

I thought it was really cool to see fields right next to the expressway during my drive from the airport. Also, the transition from airport to outside city to inside city was really obvious as less and less signs had English translations. It's not to the point that I can't find my way if I have a sense of where I am going, so I think I should be fine. 

No joke, saw a sign like this just as we left the airport and I had to control my laughter. It's a tanuki crossing sign, which I thought was just simply the most adorable/hilarious thing ever. If I see another one, I'm definitely taking a picture. 

Whenever I travel, I have a tendency to look at the plants and greenery in the environment. I think this is a habit I gained from traveling in Brazil with my parents and grandparents who somehow have extensive knowledge of every shrubbery and tree in Brazil. So, before more houses started to appear on the side of the road, I was taking note of what the trees look like and so on and so forth. But what do I see that, for some strange reason, I did not expect to? Kudzu. All of the kudzu. For those that don't know, kudzu is rampant in the southern US, including Alabama. It's an invader species from Japan that grows rampantly and wildly without a natural predator and that kills off a lot of trees (although, Wikipedia has just informed me that it's edible....sorta wondering what it tastes like...). I saw kudzu - or kuzu 葛 - and, strangely enough, felt right at home.

As for the dorm, my room is quite cozy and situated in a very good place. Not only am I right next to the stairs, The bathroom is right across the hall, as is the showers. Of course, I would probably enjoy the shower situation more if I could figure out how to make the water a bit~ warmer. I convinced myself it was a type of training, the kind you do under waterfalls at mountains. But man was that a quick shower ^^'

The bed, which despite being a bit harder than what I am used to, is quite comfortable. I decided to bring some color to the room with my Brazilian flag. (Too much? Never >.<) The pillow is also very different from what I am used to. In the US, I have feather-stuffed pillows and in Brazil, I am used to foam pillows (or broken-foam-stuffed pillows. I don't really know;my grandma puts them together), but here the pillow seems to be filled with soft, bead-like material. It too is actually quite comfortable, so I am happy.

See the lower right-hand corner on top of the shelf? That is a Tupperware that once contained a very yummy sandwich. After eating the sandwich, however, I was stuck with this box that didn't fit anywhere. I carried that thing across the world in my hands...

 

Veranda to dry clothes. I went ahead and threw the jeans I traveled in on there to air them out a bit. 

The street that runs next to the dorm is not a main road, so the majority of traffic is walkers or bikers. There is an elementary, Jr. High (middle school for those in the states), and - I think - a high school right by the dorm. As a result, I got to see a lot of children and teenagers walking home between 3 and 5. I suspect there is also a sports field, or at least a practice ground, on the other side of the apartment complex that faces my window because I heard males voices yelling in unison after school ended (you know, in a count-together-while-we-stretch-or-workout kinda way).

I actually really love the view from my room. Despite the power cords that I can almost reach out a touch, there is a beautiful tree garden in the house across the street. From the time I arrived at the dorm at 2:30 to around sunset, there was an old man trimming and tending to the trees. I hope it wasn't too strange that I watched him for a bit because it was nice to see how much work he put into maintaining them. It's a breath of fresh air (possibly literally) in the middle of the city, so I am glad to have already found a little treasure.