Koreans: They put the "K" in "Kings of Partying"

Good Evening to ALL

Last weekend was quite eventful in terms of harnessing some healthy group dynamics in my dorm. Needless to say it was a potluck dinner that brought us all together.

So what did I make? Google has millions of recipes that cater to the tastes of billions of people all across the world, I found the one that 30 international students ended up loving-this goes without mentioning the trials and tribulations I went through to get my beautiful bowl of rice pudding on the serving table in our downstairs lounge. I have been told, by one person, that "Asians" don't like, no, hate sweet rice. Ok, so I had a tough crowd to deal with, whatever right?

At 1900 hours on the dot (that's 7:00 pm to the US of A) people came pouring into the lounge with oven baked pizzas, veggie platters, sweet and condenced milk donuts, chicken and cabbage stew, and the like. I proudly put my rice pudding on the table and you couldn't guess what happened next. There were some Koreans who were giving me trouble about cooking top ramen the other night and as one of them bent over the bowl of rice pudding on the night of the potlcuk, she turned to me and asked in Japanese, "NANIKA?" (what's this?) I responded as articulately as I could, "RAISU PURINDESU." (rice pudding) The Korean (Hyo-san) jumped back, as if I had told her, " Rice pudding . . . with a king cobra garnish on the bottom." Maybe Asians don't like sweet rice.

The party lived on. I put Sgt. Pepper's on the speakers and the whisky, sake (in a huge carton), plum wine (also in a huge carton), and beer began to flow. This is when the Koreans began to show their true, yet still beautiful, faces. They had everyone doing these hilarious hand motions before drinking and of course there was a song to along with the choreography. I got some exclusive footage, so if anyone is interesed, holler. To say the least, it was a glorious night of international bonding-when was teh last time the UN had a potluck dinner? Hm.

Today was the last day of orientation, during which we recieved our Japanese language placement results and our course selections for the ensuing term. To my delight, I was placed in the C level class; Japanese classes range from A (Advanced) to E (eeeeh, what'd you say?). So I think I am in the appropriate class. Additionaly, I was very pleased with the other classes available for registration. I have selected three courses that suit my Anthropological direction of study: United States and Japanese Relations, Japanese Culture, and the ringer, Comparative Historiography. I am most interested in Comparative Historiography even after reading only the limited course description and primary source, "Censoring History: Citizenship and Memory in Japan, Germany, and the United States", by Laura Hein and Mark Selden.

Japanese class starts tomorrow everybody, so bring your pencils and erasers. GAMBARIMASU (I'll do my best). And as i promised shout-outs start this week: a big shout-out to Chloe, Gramma, Mom, and Dad, with out you guys, I wouldn't be where I am, which is somewhere I ahve always wanted to be, THANK YOU and LOVE YOU.

Bathing is Essential

Konbanwa and Good Evening,

I hope everyone had as easy a fast as I did today. Kyoto was a blazing 34 centigrate today, around 94 degrees in the western world, so I stayed in most of the day contemplating my life and position in the Judaeo-scientific cosmos.

The Study in Kyoto Programme officially began this friday when our buddies (students of Ritsumeikan) put on a Welcome Ceremony in the centre of campus. We were addressed by the President of International Affairs with a heart warming speech about how our position at Rits is very essential and complementary to the insitution as a whole. It seems as though Ritsumeikan is very proud of its international composition just as much as UBC, it's nice to be in such an environment.

My bike (pictured top-left) has been treating me very well and has made Kyoto a much more accessible city. I recently made a trip to the grocery store (finally) which took a matter of minutes by bike. When I arrived at the grocery store a huge group of young children swarmed past me looking up in awe. They kept asking me, with there limited English, "Nice to meet you . . . How are you?" I gave them simple anwers in Japanese only to receive muffled laughter and even more stares, really cute stares. The girls seemed much more shy than the talkative boys.

On another note, we still haven't registered for courses yet and frankly, no matter how odd it may sound, I am beginning to feel the need to be busy again. This has been by far the longest summer I have ever had. My last day of school in Vancouver was the 29th of April, which makes almost five months of summer time. The living was easy this summer, but I think I am ready for some action, especially some obligatory, rigorous Japanese study time.

Last night a friend of mine from the dorm Bjourn and I decided to make use of the Ofuro (Japanese shower/bath combo room). Here's the routine: start to fill up the bath, get naked, grab a bucket, flip it over, sit down, grab a wash basin, turn on the water, soap and shampoo yourself thoroughly, talk to your intelligent Swedish friend about travelling, then go into the bath, relax, space out, shut up, think, get out, wash again, cold water this time, feels better that way, talk about life, get back in the hot bath, deep breathes, relax, dunk fully, and be reborn. The Ofuro was a fabulous was to start Yom Kippur, honestly.

I had a lot of time to think to myself today, about this past year and how I might go about getting my name sealed into the book of life. No solid conclusion was reached, but I feel that anyone, with the right intentions, or any intention at all, can attain any level of spiritual existence through the simple act of thinking about it.

Until next time. Gemar chatima tova l'kulam, may all of your names be sealed in the book of life, Jews and goyim alike, I love and miss you all and am thinking of you constantly.

p.s. Shout-outs start next week, so stay tuned.
p.p.s. Yeah, those carrots are life size and so delicious.

My first day in the Orient(ation)

Greatings,
Today was my first full day as an incoming student at Ritsumeikan Daigaku (University). My day started prematurely, because my sleep was a bit thrown off by an unintentionally long nap that lasted from 5pm on Tuesday to 4am on Wednesday. I ended up getting a fine sleep and waking up just in time to join a crew of international students on their way to the Kinugasa Campus of Ritsumeikan, my campus.
The bus ride is super easy and only 220-yen (roughly 2 big, beautiful American dollars). I arrived on campus at the foot of the hills and mountains of northern Kyoto; the campus is surrounded by these low rolling and lush hills. We were quickly ushered into a classroom in the International Relations building and proceeded to take the Japanese placement exam. 3 hours of reading, writing, and listening skills; I was exhausted after the exam. We were treated to a great lunch in the cafeteria, which only solidified my belief that I will be fine eating Japanese food all year long.
After a much need snack orientation began. You know I just love it when well qualified teachers and advisors hand out detailed and concise infromation packets and then choose to read them right back to you . . . I love that shit . . . LOVE IT!!! So, three hours later we met our SKP (Study in Kyoto Programme) Buddies. My buddy's name is Asuka-san, she is very nice, very cute, and very not that good at speaking English. Asuka-san took our group, #10 reppin' it hard, on a tour of the campus. Compared to UBC Rits is small, but it's the TITS. Everybuilding is spick and span, seriously, mad flat screens. HOWEVER, I cannot fit into any of the desks . . truth. More importantly, on our tour we ran into the one . . . the only . . . jump rope group de Ritsumeikan. These guys blasted their boom box in front of the gym and put on this jump-rope-break-dance-smashin'-ass-cute-chicks-fly-guys-cooler-moves-than-ever-with-a-jump-rope act that i have ever seen.
After the tour Azusa-san, a Japanese student living in my dorm, took a few of us gaijin (foreigners, NOT white devils, ZACH) to a bike store. So, bikes in Japan are stupid cheap. I got a fresh fly hoopty for 6000-yen (around 60 juicy USD's), oh and that shit has a basket on the front. It feels great to fly down the left side of the road, leftside, got to remember that.
When it came time for dinner, Julia (from Denmark) and Frederica (from Germany) and I took a really nice bike ride into town to visit the 100-yen store to get some essentials: udon noodles, soba noodels, cup of noodles (but fire Japanese style), and little bananas.
I found a full caligraphy set in the lobby of my dorm, it must have been left by someone from last term. There's also so much other stuff in the lobby, i think it's a regular thing, you know Japanese lobby droppings and what not.
OK, my blogs will not be this long in the future, it's just I REALLY needed an outlet for all the stimuli I was exposed to today.
Much love to all. You can look forward to bi-weekly shout-outs, that is, once I start to go loopy from all of the fucking noodles crowing my living space.

Greetings From Kyoto

Hello family, friends, and international bloggers alike (yeah Zach).
I have just moved into my dormitory, Ritsumeikan International House II and everything looks great. The two house managers, Mr. and Mrs. Fuji-san are were very welcoming upon my arrival and Mrs. Fuji-san even gave me a grand tour of the building. Our house seems very well equiped, with showers, a Japanese ofuro (bath house style), computer lab, lounge, laundry, and of course little mailboxes in the front where you put your shoes as you enter the house. I'm in a single room with a great view of a little bamboo forest and it is surprisingly hot; all of the rooms have super futureistic air conditioning systems.
The highlight of my travels so far was probably the connecting domestic flight from Tokyo to Osaka. I flew on ANA airlines in coach and I felt like a VIP. All of the seats reclined fully and for once in my life as a seasoned traveler I had adequate legroom, so much so that I could streatch, you know like any normal person should be able to do on a plane. As the plane took off I noticed the beatiful sunset out the window to my right. The image I saw was breath taking: the full color spectrum of the sunet over the greater Tokyo area was the back drop to the sharpest silhouette of the prominent and imfamous Mt. Fuji.
I'm sixteen hours in the future, so everything you read from now on will be the freshest. Until next time family and friends.
Sayonara.