*waves* made it!  Made it actually several days ago, and it's awesome to be back in Japan.  It's hot, sticky, and the place that I live is luckily only halfway to the top of the hill instead of all the way, and still I have to take a break midway up the street to get there because I'm panting, but it's still awesome.  There is only one other person living in the guest house right now (and I picked it purposefully because it was a small one and only houses 6 people total anyway, but she's upstairs, I'm downstairs, and we're both doing the same language program.  It's awesome.

So yesterday we went to the store and bought actual food to cook since we have a functional and not too frightening kitchen (and ended up going back again later for other non food type necessities), and today we took the train out to the place we'll be attending every day for class, wandered around and got lunch, visited the park next door, and then poked around our neighborhood a bit before heading home. 

There are so many silly things I like about this country - the fact that random strangers will ask you if you need help when you and they are both browsing at a bookstore; the fact that there's a bookstore on one level of the department store that is on top of the closest train station; the 100en (hyaku-en) shops that are so much better than dollar stores in the US; green and growing plants everywhere; the taste of flaky pastry and the twisty little streets.

So, here are my three pictures from the last couple of days - since I've been doing the recovery from jet lag thing it's been slow going, but that's ok, I'm already having a great time.  Hopefully classes will just make it a learning great time!


the view from the corner of my bed ... and yes, me and the other girl living here had our tea out in the garden this morning


the fin-shaped building is where I'll be going to class.... it's called the Pacifico Yokohama tower


This is part of the walk back to our lodgings - one of the man-made streams



Tomorrow we have to go take placement exams and get oriented, which, ok, not looking forward to, but at least we'll get some idea of the schedule (i hope) and that will be great since they are supposedly planning field trips and things for us too. :D

also posted to dreamwidth | you can reply here or there | um, but don't worry, i'm still an lj girl