Robert's First Email from Japan

Sorry that I haven't written/called... It's been a busy time since we arrived.
Our flights went well and we arrived at about 10pm. We got up at 7am the next morning and had breakfast and did our placement exams that morning... it was a pain!!! I think that I did just ok, but I just dont know... Ill find out on Monday.

I hope that I can test out skype soon, but I need to go and buy a plug adapter before I can try it (the outlets here are two prong...).

Sorry I didn't write last night -- we went out for dinner and then we stayed up and hung out with some new Japanese friends. I had a good time, but didn't go to bed until about 1am. I stayed up reading our schedules and train maps etc. I think my commute will be easy, but I think it will take more than the 30mins that I was originally told. I met a local who lives near me and he said that it will probably be at least a 45min trip. Oh well.

Anyway, I am now awaiting my meeting with my host family. They are coming at about 1pm -- I really hope that they can at least communicate in some english... I am a bit nervous about fumbling in my nihongo.

I haven't had an opportunity to try skype or my own computer yet. The facility that we are in doesn't have wireless and I do not have an ethernet cable, so I am using the lobby laptop. Sorry. Also, I am not sure if I will have internet at my family's place -- another Lewis & Clark classmate said that his family has none... I hope that mine does.

We went out and explored a little of the area this am -- there's more here than at LC, and it's within walking distance, so I am happy about that. According to what I can tell by the map of Sapporo I got yesterday, it looks like I am going to be living right near the larger Hokkaido University and that should mean that I will have plenty to do near home... Yay!

We start school on Monday and will only have our language classes for the first week, then we will get a three day weekend and begin our full schedule on the following Tuesday. The electives sound interesting -- I am thinking of taking a Shinto/Chritian comparative class and a Japanese film class that explores the influences of social roles as portrayed by film. Cool!