2 months and counting

Hello everyone!

Firstly, I'd want to apologize for my lack of updates. There's really no excuse. I have been busy, but not too busy to write something every now and then. I guess that writing blogs just isn't my thing.

I'm doing great in Fukuoka! The weather got cold, but it's still peanuts compared to the Belgian winters, so I'm not complaining. The scholarship provides more than enough money to live comfortably and to even go shopping every now and then (shopping: something I disliked in Belgium and got to love in Japan). The dormitory is a great and luxurious place (TV room, elevator, big kitchen, Japanese bath, private terrace etc).
And we have a cafeteria that gives cheap and delicious food. In fact, I barely cook for myself over here.

om nom nom

The only things worrying me are my Japanese skills, whether I'll get my credits and if I'll be able to catch up with the Korean level of the Belgian students. I've been trying to study Korean by myself, but seem to be missing the discipline to do so and since it's already the second semester, joining the Korean class over here would be far too difficult for me. I am, however, allowed to attend one class tomorrow to see how it'll go and after that I can make up my mind whether I'll join the class. The Korean teacher did not seem too enthusiastic, though. She kept saying that It'll be very hard on me, since I'm still at a beginners level, and how she wished that I was here next semester, so she could properly teach me.
About my Japanese level; I'm worrying because I have no idea whether I got any better. I still make far too much mistakes in simple grammar rules, have difficulties in explaining things, especially when writing, and have the experience of having no idea what someone is saying far too often. My kanji skills seem to have gotten worse. My English also seems to have gotten worse and lately I have bizarre situations in which I google translate a Japanese word to English.
I have also noooo idea what's going on in Belgium (there could be an alien attack, for all that I know). Like with the bachelor paper, and what I'm supposed to do... The same with my credits. There's so little information. I guess the best thing would be to just do what I can/feel like doing and wait until more information from Belgium will reach me. If I'm really supposed to mail or blog something, they'll let me know... right?

There are several things about Japan that, even though I've been studying about Japan for 3 years now, surprised, shocked or simply baffled me. For example, how teachers teach. Maybe it's because we're foreign students, but I got to question to way classes are given. We have homework that's absolutely unnecessarily (like writing the sentences we wrote during class again. I don't see the point) and we lack homework that could make a difference, like grammar. In fact, we barely have any grammar exercises at al. Not that I'm complaining - I never liked grammar exercises - but I do think it'd be better. And the thing that irritates me the most about Japanese classes; only a break every two hours, or sometimes every 90 minutes. Even though I'm getting used to it now, I'm still not happy about it. How am I supposed to concentrate for two hours straight? That's like asking me to fly by flapping my arms.
Something horrifyig I discovered while living in Japan: some girls shave their faces... I'm not joking. When I first heard it from another foreign student, I thought it was some kind of urban legend, and did not believe it. Until I saw this...

*cue ominous music* TUN TUN TUUUUN

And we're not just talking about shaving your eyebrows here (which I also find slightly disturbing), it's the cheeks. You know, like men do every morning. I seriously doubt that all girls do this, but you càn buy it pretty cheap at the supermarket. I was reminded of this again, when reading a magazine at the hairdresser. There was a commercial about some kind of beauty salon where they'd make you pretty for your wedding day. On the picture you saw a woman professionally being shaved. I guess there's nothing more romantic than growing a stubble on your wedding night.

Another thing baffling about Japan is the way some girls walk. knees bended towards each other and feet inwards, as if they need to pee. A friend (foreign student) suggested it's because their mothers held them wrongly or put them in those special baby bags (I have no idea what it's called. It's this thing you put on like a backpack and put your baby in) too early, causing their bones to grow wrongly. Personally, I doubt this. I guess it's a cultural thing. Apparently girls have to tie their knees together when practising how to walk gracefully when wearing a kimono. Maybe that's why it's thought as cute. Being raised in a Western background, I only find it odd.

Last but not least; people don't seem to study here. Or not as much as you'd expect from university students. Of course, going to the university is completely different in Japan. It's quite the opposite of Belgium; High school is hard, the entrance exam to the university is hard, but once you're in, you barely do anything. Studying at the university is called 'the vacation of your life' over here. Girls gossip in the library, squealing things like "KAWAII!!" and "KIMOI!". In.The.Library. If you actually need to study, concentration is a challenge.

Something wonderful about Japan? The shops. They are open very late and also on Sundays.

depicted: our local supermarket at around 19:30

And then there are malls like Canal City. It looks like a science-fiction city, very beautiful.

Or Marinoa city, or the many department stores at Tenjin etc. There's so much choice. Clothes are quite expensive, but there are sales. Lots of them. Every time the local baseball team wins there are sales to celebrate. If they lose, there are sales to thank them for trying so hard. When the Hawks (that local baseball team) won the Japanese championship, the sales went crazy. Clothes went with 70% discounts.

Hawks, I could have never done this without you

But now that the national championship is won, I guess there won't be any sales for a while. Hopefully winning in other countries will count for sales as well. (You see what Japan has done to me? I changed into a shopaholic). I even got to love the Japanese way of clothing, with their short pants that look like skirts and lace on their handbags.

And I have the most wonderful room mates! They're funny, kind and always ready to help me out with something, or ask me advise themselves. The atmosphere is so much fun here, I'm so lucky. I always thought that having room mates could be quite awful, since you don't know each other well and if you have a fight the atmosphere at home goes down, but I really got to like the idea of living together with someone. When my three room mates aren't around, the kitchen feels awfully lonely. I wonder if I'll find my room in Leuven lonely when I go back to Belgium...

so homely! ^_^

Life is good over here. If anything, the university treats us like precious, little princesses.
We get an amazingly good scholarship. We're not allowed to do a part-time job, but I don't particularly care. There's more money with this scholarship than with average part-time jobs, anyway. We also don't pay for things like the heater, water and even toilet paper. It could be that its included in the rental fee, but the rental fee is very, very cheap. It's only about 10 000 yen or so per month (about 100 euros).
We are overprotected; we have a curfew, there are guards, camera's and you need a card with a chip to get in. Annelies, Julie and I once discussed how to sneak in and came to the conclusion that it's impossible if you don't possess the stealth and agility of a ninja. And they're not keeping an eye on us because they like to be strict, it's to keep the creeps out. Even though you don't see them often, this women's university does attract them. They're harmless, they're rare... but they are there (haha, that rhimes!). A month or so ago one of the international students did see a man masturbating on the middle of the street, only a few meters from the university. Talking about being scarred for life. The Japanese who heard about it were embarrassed and told us that it's a part of Japan the Japanese are ashamed about.
Also, we get a lot of excursions and fun days out that are basically free. This week, for example, we got to watch a sumo tournament for free!

go, go chubbies!

Also, when we went on an excursion to Kumamoto and Kirishima, we didn't take a train or Shinkansen or anything. They just brought us by bus, no stress.

Japanese way of going out is completely different. People don't start going out at night, they're already drunk at eight. Regular bars in the way we imagine them are hard to find and they usually close pretty fast. The drinks often have a quite low alcohol percentage (I don't have to worry much about getting drunk). And cocktails are pretty cheap, compared to Belgium. Also, you can't dance in a bar. There's a new law that says that dancing in bars isn't allowed. We found this out the first time we went out with a big group of girls. We did find two bars at a walking distance from our university. It has Okinawan food and drinks. Probably our favourite drink is the one with ice cream. Who could resist that?

Japanese food is also pretty healthy. Even though vegetables have gotten expensive this year (because of what happened in Fukushima and such). But even when not adding much vegetables, the meals are balanced. They also say how much calories are in your meal, on the take away meals and even in the cafeteria. The food pyramid is also quite different here (sweets aren't even included!). 

also, they have pokémon dietists

And that's about all I have to say about the past two months (actually two and a few days of September, but who cares?). Thanks for reading this, and until next time! (probably another two months, but at least I'll have more to write about. Right?...Right?). See you!