Okay, how should I go about this ...
I used to have a great image of Japan, but that's been shattered. Best week of my life, not unlikely?
Keywords, or short sentences. This is going to take forever otherwise. Winner of the "Most Experience In A Week" award.
Eating out is around 3 euros for cheap, 10 euros for halfway classy food. Regardless of the price, the food is AMAZING. I've never seen a country, a people, a culture that's got its food so well sorted out, nor did my dreams of Japan come close to the awesomeness of reality.
I managed to find the dancers I was hoping to find within about, uh, 2 days. Spent my first Saturday night with them, clubbing in some small gig with 10 DJs taking 50-minute spins - an experience unlike anything I'd witnessed before, where anyone and everyone goes wild, it's not about the looks but about the energy, there's more socializing with strangers than you'd find in a year of clubbing in Amsterdam, a coke costs the same as a good, strong cocktail (3 euros), and upon entering I was received by one of the first DJs with the jazzhop I'd come to love from Japanese DJs thanks to the internet, which is hardly played in actual clubs in the rest of the world I've been to.
Made about 10 friends so far, including one that's a little more than a friend. Japanese (the dancing turns out to be even more absolutely killer than I thought at getting me a circle of Japanese friends), Finnish, Argentinian .. my Spanish has improved markedly in the past couple of days (needed to balance it out with the high dose of Portuguese from last month).
The annual cherry-blossom viewing party of my lab (which is what everyone calls even non-experimental facilities here) was sweet. Lots of food and drink, stunning views and a first taste of the double relationship between colleagues: very serious and determined vs. drunk and completely hilarious. Today was a semi-formal introduction of all the new master's students during lunch seminar, and next week there's a welcome party for the new people (more drinking).
I only got to meet my professor after a week, because he was in Germany for a conference. Now I had a pretty cool image of him, but I was forced to admit that extreme formality and such would be a part of my life, especially at the lab, within a couple of days, so I was quite nervous to meet him. He turned out to be the quickest-witted, most professional, sympathetic and best English speaker I've met here so far. Off to a good start.
The plan is: focus on Japanese language first, because the entrance exams I have to take will be in Japanese (though I can answer in English), then study problems from entrance exams of past years, pass the exams (September), start being a real master's student (the greatest practical difference being that I don't get student discount on public transport as a "research student").
Kyoto is gorgeous - shrine around the corner of uni, and I haven't even been to any of the parks which supposedly rank among the best in the world. The university is gorgeous. The teacher of my first Japanese language class is, if not gorgeous, at least very cute. The class itself is cool; 3rd level out of 5, and I think it's pretty well suited for me. Speaking Japanese every day is fun! And writing messages on my cellphone is extremely satisfying - best phone tech and software in the world.
Tomorrow will be the second time I spend a day here with nothing but rain, but the other days have been sunny and reasonably warm. I have an airconditioner, which is said to be a precious commodity since summers apparently go up to around 40 degrees C!
Most of the bureaucracy has been sorted out, and in about a month all of it should be alright.
I don't get to leave Kyoto for long, because presence is obligatory at Japanese classes (5 days/week for 18 weeks) and I need to sign every month for the scholarship. Still, small trips will abound (Osaka, Nara, etc.), I see Tokyo happening within a month or two, and different parts of Japan or Korea this summer.
I think my room will have transformed from boring smelliness to super-chill-out-space within a month or so; I'm working on it. It's an hour from the campus, but it's cheap, has good facilities, and I like trains.
Pics, then! In random order, starting 2 days ago when I got my phone:
I used to have a great image of Japan, but that's been shattered. Best week of my life, not unlikely?
Keywords, or short sentences. This is going to take forever otherwise. Winner of the "Most Experience In A Week" award.
Eating out is around 3 euros for cheap, 10 euros for halfway classy food. Regardless of the price, the food is AMAZING. I've never seen a country, a people, a culture that's got its food so well sorted out, nor did my dreams of Japan come close to the awesomeness of reality.
I managed to find the dancers I was hoping to find within about, uh, 2 days. Spent my first Saturday night with them, clubbing in some small gig with 10 DJs taking 50-minute spins - an experience unlike anything I'd witnessed before, where anyone and everyone goes wild, it's not about the looks but about the energy, there's more socializing with strangers than you'd find in a year of clubbing in Amsterdam, a coke costs the same as a good, strong cocktail (3 euros), and upon entering I was received by one of the first DJs with the jazzhop I'd come to love from Japanese DJs thanks to the internet, which is hardly played in actual clubs in the rest of the world I've been to.
Made about 10 friends so far, including one that's a little more than a friend. Japanese (the dancing turns out to be even more absolutely killer than I thought at getting me a circle of Japanese friends), Finnish, Argentinian .. my Spanish has improved markedly in the past couple of days (needed to balance it out with the high dose of Portuguese from last month).
The annual cherry-blossom viewing party of my lab (which is what everyone calls even non-experimental facilities here) was sweet. Lots of food and drink, stunning views and a first taste of the double relationship between colleagues: very serious and determined vs. drunk and completely hilarious. Today was a semi-formal introduction of all the new master's students during lunch seminar, and next week there's a welcome party for the new people (more drinking).
I only got to meet my professor after a week, because he was in Germany for a conference. Now I had a pretty cool image of him, but I was forced to admit that extreme formality and such would be a part of my life, especially at the lab, within a couple of days, so I was quite nervous to meet him. He turned out to be the quickest-witted, most professional, sympathetic and best English speaker I've met here so far. Off to a good start.
The plan is: focus on Japanese language first, because the entrance exams I have to take will be in Japanese (though I can answer in English), then study problems from entrance exams of past years, pass the exams (September), start being a real master's student (the greatest practical difference being that I don't get student discount on public transport as a "research student").
Kyoto is gorgeous - shrine around the corner of uni, and I haven't even been to any of the parks which supposedly rank among the best in the world. The university is gorgeous. The teacher of my first Japanese language class is, if not gorgeous, at least very cute. The class itself is cool; 3rd level out of 5, and I think it's pretty well suited for me. Speaking Japanese every day is fun! And writing messages on my cellphone is extremely satisfying - best phone tech and software in the world.
Tomorrow will be the second time I spend a day here with nothing but rain, but the other days have been sunny and reasonably warm. I have an airconditioner, which is said to be a precious commodity since summers apparently go up to around 40 degrees C!
Most of the bureaucracy has been sorted out, and in about a month all of it should be alright.
I don't get to leave Kyoto for long, because presence is obligatory at Japanese classes (5 days/week for 18 weeks) and I need to sign every month for the scholarship. Still, small trips will abound (Osaka, Nara, etc.), I see Tokyo happening within a month or two, and different parts of Japan or Korea this summer.
I think my room will have transformed from boring smelliness to super-chill-out-space within a month or so; I'm working on it. It's an hour from the campus, but it's cheap, has good facilities, and I like trains.
Pics, then! In random order, starting 2 days ago when I got my phone:
3 comments:
Wauw, sounds like you're already having the time of your life :D.
Leuk om op deze manier wat van je te horen. Ik zal het in de gaten houden :).
De mazzels, Maarten
cud have swooooorrrrn u had longer hair than that lol
welcome to the pajanland!!! hihi
call me when ur in tokyooo
Hi Prince, it's amazing how you get yrself at home in that place within a week! Friends in the dance scene and all that. Cool professor, super scenery, what not. Great welcome to Japan, just don't forget you left a hole in A'dam for me and your intimates. But we get to see Hiromi here, haha, irony of destiny. Love,
Elma
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