Fil-Am in Japan

布団 ~ My Temporary Stay at the Seminar House

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:13:53 -0500

Though I’m going to be doing the homestay program at Kansai Gaidai, I will be staying in the dormitories for the international students(or seminar houses) that are about 10-15 minutes away from the university. Tucked away in a Japanese neighborhood are three seminar house close to each other that are really nice and give you a taste of a Japanese traditional room! If you choose to do this, it really isn’t that bad. It’s cheaper than homestay and you get to meet a lot of people! You also probably have a more lenient curfew than if you were to live in a host family’s home where they might be strict. The downside is that you won’t be able to practice the language and interact like you would with a host family and can be distracted easily by other international students. It’s also a conglomerate of gaijin in one place so you won’t submerge yourself in the culture. You also have to cook your own food which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on if you like to cook or not.

So upon arrival, I learned to take off your shoes and put them in these little cubbies. You learn right away that they keep the place really clean and neat!! I carried my luggage up the elevator with the help of Misako, one of the RA’s and onto the fourth floor of Seminar House 2 where I am to temporarily will reside here!

You’d have no clue how giddy I was! Tetami mats!! Sliding doors!! Oh my goodness it’s definitely surreal to see all this and it finally hit me that I indeed was in Japan!

And then I saw the most comfortable thing I immediately wanted to lie on after such a long flight:

FUTONS!! I have never ever slept on one before but these are so amazingly comfortable! I would happily get rid of my bed at home for one of these. The comfortor is so soft and the blanket keeps me super warm at night!!~ Here’s a picture with of it set up (with my purple panda heehee).

Then, beyond the screen door are two study desks that have a lot of shelfing and a mirror for girls who want to do their make up. Then, I also have a BALCONY!! And the view is beautiful since I was on the top floor! Take a look!!

I also was surprised to see this. I’m definitely not back in Illinois if your emergency exit requires you to break into a panel! XD

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the tour of my temporary home! There’s a lot of pros and cons to choosing this type of living, but you definitely get a feel of living in Japan with either homestay or SemHouse living~

I GOT A SOFTBANK PHONE!!I’ll admit I’d prefer a...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:23:42 -0500

I GOT A SOFTBANK PHONE!!

I’ll admit I’d prefer a smart phone because I miss my crackberry!! But this phone is better than no communication at all! I name my electronics since I’m weird and I shall call it “Shiro”~

And my good luck charm on it reminds me of home! I’m not going to be one of those people with big fluffy animals and ten thousand charms though. Simplicity to me is so much better and minimal deco will make my phone stand out but not be a pain to try to get out of my purse!

Have a question?? Let me know! My ask box is enabled now~ Just be nice to me! >//<;;

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:15:16 -0500

Have a question?? Let me know! My ask box is enabled now~ Just be nice to me! >//<;;

Wanderer’s Slip-Up #1: Yen So if you know me, I like...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:28:44 -0500

Wanderer’s Slip-Up #1: Yen

So if you know me, I like collecting different currencies. They’re so fun to look at, and I like looking at different bills and coins. I probably am ruining the global economy hoarding pesos, won, yen and dollars, but I’m okay with that.

Anyways, when I first got to use money at the cafeteria, I paid my lunch of tonkatsudon with 4 hyaku yen coins. I felt so embarrassed to not know the cute old lady at the cash register then chased me down to my table to tell me I paid her in 100 Korean won >_

But don’t they look alike!! I thought it did!

飛行機 ~ To China I Go!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:06:40 -0500

Day 3 in Japan! But I need to back-track a bit more to my airplane ride!! I promised I would do a post about it!!

So here’s my lovely airplane that I sat in for about 16 hours:

So my flight was pretty much amazing because of this:

THREE SEATS TO MYSELF!! This is airplane gold right here. I took advantage of this the whole trip there! Three cushy pillows piled behind my head, three paper-thin airplane blankets on me during the cold night, and three seats to sprawl out and make a bed out of when there’s no turbulance!! I definitely got lucky with my seating! (Thanks nanay for getting good seats, ahaha!)

And then there’s the airplane food. The one thing I like about Cathay Pacific (first time flying with them!) is they prepare you a menu. Tada!

And they had SO MUCH FOOD! I never had so much on one flight! Just look:

First Course: Salmon and Potatoes! Prosciutto and Melon! Carrots and green beans! So fancy!

Second Course: Melon and chocolate mousse! Fish and rice! (As you can tell, I love seafood.)

Third Course: Not my favorite choice. They only had pork left so I had to settle for that -_-; The soba noodles were good though!

I love airplane food usually, but I will admit I get pretty sick of it especially toward the end of the flight. My stomach doesn’t like digesting food at odd times. I’m one of those people that don’t eat midnight snacks usually and I can’t sleep well with a stomach full of food. So with the whole time change, I definitely felt a little sick after coming to Japan. I ate so much that when I had to eat for the first day in Japan, my stomach could only eat katsudon for lunch and strawberry milk for dinner!

But still, if there’s one thing I love about flying, it’s the view of the sky~ Just look below: *_*

And when I finally touched down to Hong Kong, I just walked around and slept at the airport. I wanted to go out into the city, but I was more exhausted than I thought! I did manage to see their little mini museum there and also check out some of the over-priced duty-free store.

And now I’m caught up to Japan!! Woot! Enjoy the double post about China!!~

航空 ~ The Start of My Japan Adventure: Flying!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:26:52 -0500

Ahh I’m back-tracking! Gomen ne u_u;; But I just wanted to post this since I wrote it!

((Written in O’Hare 12:00PM – 2 Hours Before Take-Off!!))

I always get a thrill every time I get on a plane! Some people think I’m crazy for loving to sit in the same spot for 12+ hours, but I believe getting there is part of the adventure!! For me, traveling is one of the best parts of going to a new place, and I’ve been lucky to not experience anything bad while flying. I have yet to have an extremely long delay or layover, to sit next to an obnoxious kid, to freak out during any take-offs and landings. I’ve always had a good flight as long as I get a window seat~ Anyways, here’s a few traveling tips that I have while I’m waiting to board my flight.

~Wear Comfortable Clothes
Comfort over fashion! You don’t need to impress any Japanese boys when you have jet lag and just got off a long flight!! Have clothes that are breathable and light so it will be comfy to sleep on the plane. For the ladies, do not wear jewelry, but if you must, make sure it’s easy to take on and off. You don’t want to be the girl stuck in security trying to get every single metal accessory off of you. People waiting behind you will get impatient!

~Walk Around the Airport
Don’t just sit by your gate especially if you have to wait two or three hours for your flight. Walk because that will probably be the only exercise you get before going on you long flight to sit on another seat but this time for 12 hours. Especially at the last hour, you should spend some time just strolling around. This also gives you the opportunity to people-watch. Since these are international gates, you’ll be hearing a lot of different languages. I walked past a Filipina trying to explain to her husband about the difference between her purse and her carry-on. I sat next to a group of men having a conversation in German, and saw people rush to catch their flight to Seoul at the gate next to me. Seriously, there’s a lot of culture in this place. Enjoy the atmosphere and observe.

~Know Your Itinerary
Especially if you have to transfer with close times. On of my trips from Korea to LAX, I had thirty minutes to get through security and find my gate. I didn’t miss my flight because I told security about my time and they gave me priority to move ahead of the line. Airports are pretty much easy to navigate through because they all have the same stuff, just a different layout. Know where you’re going, don’t be afraid to ask questions and you’ll be good.

~Make Sure You Can Actually Carry Your Carry-On
I’ve been known to overpack my roll-on, and when it comes to boarding the plane, I tend to forget you have to manage to lift that bag over your head and put it in the compartments above. ^^;; So don’t pack too much that you can’t carry it! Even though there is always a nice gentleman that usually helps me out when I can’t (hooray!), I can’t always rely on them to take it down for me. Most just want to get out of the plane (booo!) so I’m stuck taking it down myself. This time around, I just have my backpack which makes it so much easier.

~Contact Your Parents When You Arrive
Mine usually find out via e-mail or Facebook. It’s cheaper than making a phone call and it gives them the information they wait a or two day for. As confident as I am independently traveling, I know my parents would be worrying if they did not hear anything from me within 2-3 days.

So there are some of my tips from traveling! You probably are wondering how much I actually travelled prior to studying abroad. Most of my experience comes from visiting family in the Philippines. I’ve gone there recently in 2008 and 2011. I’ve had different stopovers around the States and also in Japan and Korea. I’ve also taken domestic flights to California, Alabama, and New Jersey. Most of those flights have at least been with at least one family member, but this will be my third time travelling by myself~

Well, it’s about that time for me to walk around the airport and look for food! And as much as I love giving tips, this may be the last you’ll hear of them. Majority of my blog will be more personal of how my days in Japan are going and less of me telling you what to do haha. With new experiences comes fun stories and I want to give my followers a sneak peek at my life abroad! J

Anyways, thanks for reading this mass column of words!! The next time you hear from me, I’ll be popping my China cherry and heading to HONG KONG for the first time!~ (And THEN I’ll finally be in Japan afterwards ^_^~)

コンビニ ~ Looking for Food

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:16:27 -0500

Konnichiwa Tumblr followers!~

It’s day 2 of being in Japan, and I’m still adjusting to the new place!! So far, it’s been amazing! Just walking down the streets and seeing so much kanji makes me all happy! And then people driving on the other side of the road!! I have to look for cars coming the opposite direction, ahhh!

Anyways, today, I’m going to talk about looking for food since that’s what I spent my day doing. The seminar houses I’m temporarily staying in are conveniently located near a few stores to buy food, clothes, and other essentials. My first purchase ever in Japan are cute little bunny slippers for walking around the seminar house with. I didn’t have any fluffy slippers when I first arrived and I needed them!

But back to buying food~ One of the things you must know is that certain places are known for having cheaper items than the others. For example, Lawson’s is good for cheap ramen, and Fresco’s has cheaper fruits. I was able to get lots of yummy bananas for 105 yen. So today me and a group of girls I met went to a couple of stores to look for some food since campus is closed on Sundays. I immediately wish I learned more Kanji!! There’s some food I don’t know and just randomly picked up yakisoba that looked good. I also have bought delicious strawberry milk and mixed juice~ Anyways, I can’t wait to tell you more!

AND I WILL PUT PICTURES UP!! Still adjusting to campus and my laptop here can’t be plugged in (DARN YOU 3-prongs!! >_<) Also I just found out there’s USB ports in the computer lab in the seminar house so I will be able to use those, hooray!!

Mata ne~

中国語 ~ Hong Kong International Airport

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:50:00 -0500

I’m sorry! I look Asian, but I can’t speak Chinese!! >_< One of my worries of being a now pale Filipino is that I’ll be mistaken as a native of whatever Asian country I am in. Though it helps to blend in, I instantly get lost or look like an idiot the moment I open my mouth to apologize and speak English! It has happened to me three times since landing in Hong Kong. Maybe I should take up Chinese after studying in Japan. And I’ll post about my long flight to HK after I get to Osaka. Gotta load some pictures for that one and I left my camera wire in my bigger bag. Plus, tumblr on my iPod Touch isn’t for longer posts! Just wanted to blog before I board my next flight~

荷物 ~ Packing for Japan

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:29:33 -0500

So how do you pack up four months of your life in only one huuuge suitcase and one carry-on? I’m still in the process of doing this!! For the past week, I’ve been packing, unpacking, packing all my clothes, shoes, accessories, make-up, and everything else I’ll need to live in Japan for 4 months!! Anyways, here’s some simple advice I’d like to give on packing all your shtuff:

1.) Make sure you can identify your own luggage. I’ve been using my boring black roll-on for about four years now for trips around the U.S. and going to the Philippines. But I can easily identify which one’s mine because I put ribbons around my handles. It’s the cheapest way to recognizing it without buying a whole new luggage set! Plus, I got a cute cupcake ID tag~ Also, make sure you have your contact info stashed in with your clothes as well!

2.) Pack light, comfortable clothes for layering. This is probably the hardest rule for me to follow! (And I wish I could bring my cat) Solids and basics are the best clothes to pack, and make sure to bring one formal/business outfit just in case you need to go out to a fancy place! I also brought some clothing that have my university’s name on it and other clothing that represents clubs I’m involved with at ISU. Gotta represent my student organizations and school while I’m gone!~

3.) Bring things you MUST HAVE that you can’t find in Japan. And will keep you from being homesick. For me that’s pictures of my family and friends, my panda bear, and Berry Burst Oreos.

4.) Don’t forget a gift for your host family!! Something related to your hometown would be good. For me, Edelstein doesn’t really have much to give (wanna piece of corn, otoo-san??) especially now that it’s winter and I can’t even go to the orchard near my house because it’s closed. So I got things from my university. I’ve packed up a jar of delicious honey and packets of beer nuts which Normal is known for. I also got something from New Jersey for my okaa-san because my mother is from that area and something from Illinois for my otoo-san because my father lives there.

5.) Finally, this is not necessarily advice but a Filipino tradition my family has always done when we travel. Every time I go on a plane, I pack up an El Shaddai handkerchief in my luggage to give me good luck when I travel. My grandmother who has traveled around the U.S., Europe, and Asia always carried one everywhere she went before she passed away. In a way, I feel like I have her with me on my travels, and it’s more of a remembrance of her. She was the woman who got me to love traveling~

There’s probably a lot more advice I could give, but I should be packing up and making sure I got everything! Nippon in THREE DAYS! I’m getting super excited!!!!

Also, I’m still pretty new to this whole Tumblr thing so thanks to everyone already following me! I promise to start following/replying once I get used to navigating around the site and put up more posts ^^;

私 ~ Introductions

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:33:51 -0500

Hello!~

Allow me to introduce myself before I start blogging about my epic spring semester in Japan!! My name is Jemi. I am a Filipina and was born in Tamuning, Guam. I lived on the island for the first six years of my life before I moved stateside to Illinois. From there, I grew up in the small town of Edelstein where there’s nothing but a flower shop, a post office, and corn fields. I graduated high school with a class of less than fifty people and was the only Asian American in my tiny class.

Currently, I am a student at ISU and am studying East Asian Studies and minoring in Business Administration. And in FOUR DAYS I will be studying in a new university in a new country. I’m excited to start my journey ahead of me! I hope to keep you entertained about my life as an international student at Kansai Gaidai!~