Nagasaki continued

I'm at the university right now using a public computer using a memory stick to transfer my blogs to here. As it turns out, I think I've forgotten to put some on my memory stick. DOH. So there's a few days missing. I'll post the recent ones now, and tomorrow I'll post the missing ones!

Here's october 1st and 2nd (today is the 3rd):

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1 oktober

Giggles in Japan

I’m sorry if this post is more incoherent than usual, but it’s almost 1 am and I need to write this so I don’t forget and everything’s fresh in my memory etc. Getting up here is getting harder and harder. We have no daylight in our hotel room (the view is a brick wall) and so we don’t wake up like we would normally do, and when the alarm goes and all you see is a dark room… well, it’s not very inviting to get up. Just like the cold dark winter days when you just want to stay in bed all day. I get that feeling in this hotel room. But we do our best anyway. We got up and it turned out that in fact it was raining outside. This means a nice change from the heat, because it had cooled down as well. It was actually really nice out (by the time we left the hotel it had stopped raining).

When we got to the station where we meet up with every one each day, we saw a stage in the middle of the plaza. Starting at 11 there was going to be a “Nagasaki bura-bura fiesta” or something. I’m not sure what bura-bura is, I think it means something like ‘swinging’. It involved lots of amateur dances, some funnier than others, but always the same, whiny song, in different forms and beats. And the female host had the most annoying voice. But that aside, it was good entertainment for the Sunday morning! The best act in my opinion were the postal workers dressed in orange outfits, forming the Dutch flag during their routine (see picture). We cheered, they weren’t impressed.

We then went off to China town because some people wanted to buy postcards, and Maarten had bought some there. So we took the streetcar to kankou dori, “tourist passage” or something. In other words, China town, but not just Chinese stuff. This is where I found my second Starbucks, a UNIQLO and a Baskin Robbins. UNIQLO sucked, starbucks was yummy and I haven’t tested the ice cream yet (though there is a possibility that Ruben’s girlfriend (more on that later) works there! Not sure if it’s that Baskin Robbins, but if I’m having trouble finding Starbucks, what are the odds that there are several BR’s. huh!? You tell me~!

We had a look around the 100 yen shop, bought some trinkets (pen + tape) and then headed back to the hotel for a quiet night in. We were all a bit exhausted from all the sightseeing we’d been doing during the week. Ruben however was to go on a date at 11! (hotel curfew is 12, talk about cutting it short). So while we watched a movie on my laptop Ruben went off on his date. He asked us to wait by the door at 12 to make sure he could get in, so we obliged. What we didn’t know was that he was taking Ayumi, the girl, to the hotel aswell, so she was there too! Ruben hadn’t realized we were having a good peek while he stood outside saying his goodbyes hehe. We had a good giggle, and managed to make sour kraut desk lady laugh as well. But I’m still glad we’re leaving in the morning. So in order to wake up on time etc., I’m now going to bed. Good night and speak to you VERY soon!

Love, Jenn.

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The biggest let down.

Today was the big day, the move to the dorms! We took a taxi from the station because dragging the suitcases around was just too much of a hassle. We got to the uni really quickly in fact and found the International Student Centre without too much trouble. They told us we could use the internet while we were waiting but we didn’t have to wait long meaning we didn’t have a lot of internet time either, but it was a lót better than what we’d been having before!

It was funny because they all seemed so enthusiastic about our coming. This one lady had even studied our pictures and our names and so she could recognize us when we came in. Slightly disturbing yet quite amusing. They gave us our welcome packages and soon taken off on a tour after having loaded our suitcases into a car (they took them to the dorms – thank goodness). The campus is only small so we saw the necessary bits: library and then canteen ;) We were then taken to the dorms. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the university, but the route isn’t difficult and you pass plenty of vending machines if you get thirsty.

Once we got to the dorms they gave us our schedule for the coming week. Tomorrow is placement test already and they’re going to take us to city hall for registration or something. I’m glad they’re helping us with that, I wouldn’t want to have to figure it out by myself. In the ‘Guide to Nagasaki Life for International Students’(also included in the package) it does warn students about all the paperwork they are required to fill in upon arrival. I think this week is also ‘alien registration’ (we are aliens in Japan!) which is quite important (you can get fined or put in jail if you don’t have it on you at all times).

Finally it was time to see our rooms. Now that was a huge disappointment. The whole building has a dirty air about it, but the apartment is even worse. Rusty blinds, dirty, ragged tables and chairs, and absolutely NOTHING ELSE. No towels, bed sheets, pillows, pots and pans, knives, forks, no cups, plates, washing up liquid, toilet paper, no bin, no nothing. That was such a let down. It also meant a lot of work. Mariko arrived while we were deciding on rooms (there are three rooms) and in order to avoid any drama etc. I decided to just take the room no one else wanted. I can imagine why, I mean, the rooms are ugly and bare enough as it is, but the room I now have also has only a tiny little window, with not a lot of light coming through anyway (the other two rooms have big windows opening onto a balcony with a nice view). All the lights here give a hospital feel too, and my big light doesn’t have a ‘soft’ mode, like the others have. And my door is dodgy. Oh and we have no hot water, our thermostat isn’t working. Not that it matters, because I just realized I don’t have a towel. I can’t even shower. Good thing I had a good wash this morning.

Tomorrow we have things to do between 10am and 3pm, but after that we’re making a dash for the shopping centre to get some more things. We already bought an iron + ironing board, a kettle and some glasses and cups and little towels, soap and washing powder and stuff. We discovered that the guys upstairs had been left some things by the Leiden students here before us, and so we got a tv from them and some other bits and pieces, but nothing major besides the tv. I bought a sheet for my mattress but I now have nothing to sleep under, no blanket yet. It’s not cold though. There was a sheet left over from last year but I wanted to wash that before using it as it looked a bit mucky. Tomorrow I’ll look for something to keep me warm at night :P

Speaking of which, it’s high time I went to bed. Today has exhausted me, especially emotionally. I was so excited about the dorms, and it was all just such a let down I really felt like I wanted to go home, which of course I don’t, but my expectations were just too high I guess. Everything I’ve seen of Japan has always been so beautiful, and in Fukuoka as well, I was so excited, and Nagasaki has just been one big let down for me. Not to say I’m not having fun, it’s just not what I had hoped it would be. But once again, hopefully we can get internet set up soon, and then you can all keep me happy! Miss you guys!!

*big hug*

Jenn