January 8

I woke up around seven today. I’m hoping that means I lost my jet lag. I decided o go outside and look for the university, and in the daylight I felt silly to have missed the school sign the night before, when my roommate was pointing it out to me. It seems the university doesn’t really open until 9:00 am, so I wandered a bit, but I did meet Ms. Montessa.
When I got back to my apartment, I could not get the door to open, so I tried the code the 管理人 gave me, but it didn’t work, so I had to call him and embarrass myself again with my poor speaking skills, as I did when looking for Ms. Montessa. Still, I feel a bit guilty when I use English.

I’m getting used to the apartment. It’s very cold, but I’m afraid to use electricity for heat because I do not want my roommates’ bills to go up. I’m hoping the experience will give me the tolerance of a Buffalonian.

I’m getting worried about food because I’m not a good cook and I don’t know if it’s embarrassing to eat instant noodles, but I might as ell, since my host family will probably not be cooking instant.

I turned on the tele; we get 12 channels, one of which plays Korean drama. I found Bush, Clintoln, and Obama on a news channel, but I don’t know enough to understand the context (though it was probably the election/inauguration).
I’m hoping the orientation tomorrow will clear a lot of things up for me. I want to share everything with my friends and family in the US, but I don’t feel homesick yet.

I woke up before my roommate. She left at 11! I was back from the university for a long while before I noticed her alarm. She made me tea with milk. (: Japanese people hurry a lot. あずみさん was running and shuffling while she got ready. Luckily, I at least said 行っていらっしゃい as she left. I hope my embarrassment wears off. I will probably be more confident when I get back, either from building it up here (and depleting my ego) or as relapse into the comfort of English.

P.S. Adapters are useless in Japan; their outlets are the same as hours, minus the grounding tong.

I was getting pretty hungry when あずみさん returned (I had had a diet pepsi I snagged on the plane for breakfast), so we went to Lawson’s と言うコンビニ to get some lunch. We descended one of the twisty hills to get there, but it was worth it to get a bowl of soba for only 330円! They even warmed it up for me (which I hope didn’t give me cancer). I learned 暖けて? from the clerk. I just hope I’ll be fluent by the end.

あずみさん took me to the スーパ today. I wanted to buy everything, but settled for three noodle bowls, yogurt, and grapefruit juice. She made traditional Japanese food for me お好み焼き l It was eggs with beef strips and cabbage in it + two sauces (like barbecue and mayo) that she compared to a 甘いじゃない pancake. She made miso and green tea too! I hope あずみさん doesn’t hate me. She seems quite and reserved as I try to be, but I don’t know if that means she’s judgmental or annoyed by me. I’d like to make her an American dinner, but I’m afraid to spend money for now. I will pay her back though before I leave.