First days

I’ve been meaning to write an update for a few days but, perhaps unsurprisingly, life’s been so busy I’ve not had a chance. I was all set to do a “first impressions” post Thursday night, but then I found out I got the Jasso scholarship and that I have to get myself a Japanese bank account in a week, and I panicked the rest of the evening (and the week) about that. Now that I'm finally writing this, I’m afraid this update might end up a bit chaotic (or at least quite full of all kinds of stuff), but in the end, that’s kind of fitting. Reflects nicely the past few days.

So, the first impressions? As I mentioned before, this is my first time in Japan. The weather has been quite lovely, but I am so happy I’m here only for the winter term. I’d die in summer. Seriously. Kyoto in the end of September is my height of heat tolerance. (29C or so. If we get numbers beginning with 3, I will melt away. End of story.)

Kyoto is a mixture of old and new, which in itself isn't that surprising, but what I found funny is that in addition to "ancient-old" old there's also all this stuff that's kind of "a-few-decades-old" old. The former is more of a Kyoto thing, I guess? The latter might be more about Japan in general. The street view with an awful lot of wires going here and there. Grade crossings and trains that look like they might come from my childhood. The use of paper money and the fact you just can’t pay with card always and everywhere. And… faxes? Those still exist?

Thursday I moved into my dorm. I got a married couple room in Shugakuin, 35m² just for myself, with a bathroom and kitchen. I have to say I really like this place.

Then I went and bought myself a bike, communicating with katakana English with the sales guy. My spoken Japanese is on an embarrassingly low level… Starting to use my new bike was a bit terrifying. I’m not used to a bike that has only handbrakes, and driving in left-hand traffic is in itself an interesting experience. There aren’t really any bikeways, but you can drive either at the left side of the street or then on the sidewalk. I prefer street. Less crowded, and at least I know how the cars behave. Seriously, you never know of pedestrians. Or other cyclists. So far I’ve survived. And I’ve become pretty good in switching from sidewalk to the street and back, depending on which path seems to be blocked. I'm

My bike.  :)

Btw, we got this leaflet with biking rules. I started a little bingo on it, crossing something when I see a Japanese (looking) person violating the rule. Didn't take long... And yes, I wear a helmet. ^__^ So far I've seen one grown-up with a helmet, an older Japanese man.

After I got my new bike I headed with it to the park of the imperial palace, figuring that really wide streets and no cars make a good place to practice driving with handbrakes. Ended up touring the palace area itself. It was a pretty fast walk-through, as I came there a bit late, but I will definitely go there some day again to take it all in more slowly.

Friday was our orientation day, which left me with huge stacks of paper and a feeling of deep disorientation. But. Maybe I’ll get through this? Other people have, before. So many things to remember. And that bank account, don’t forget it. (Hah, no danger of that…)

 Paperwork

And those couple of lines are more than enough of Friday. Today has been more accomplishing. First of all, one neighbor taught me how to use my oven. So far I’d barely managed to cook tea water on it (not boil, but warm it enough for sencha). Now I can cook! Next I have to figure out the laundry machine I've got on the balcony. I think I'll go to ask the office if there really isn't a user manual for it...

The oven's display...

Today I also biked all over the town, first to see where my ward office is. Going there Monday morning to do that notification of place of residence thing, and whatever else you were supposed to do there…  Then I ended up biking all the way to the Kyoto Tower, and from there home again. Must have biked over 20 km today. I’m beginning to get to know my bike, and I think I’ve stopped trying to brake with the pedals.

Few random photos:

On the way

I’m writing this on the plane, somewhere above Siberia, I think. Finally starting my exchange blog. Better late than never, right? I’d been thinking about writing this blog ever since last autumn when I got accepted, but as usual, it takes a while to get started with anything… I decided to write this in English to give some non-Finnish friends a chance to read this too, if they happen to feel like it. (If you want to say something, feel free to use whatever language you want to. If you wish me to reply to it, pick something I understand.) No comment on the blog name, except that I came up with it late one night when it felt brilliant, and there were all kinds of hidden meanings embedded into it. >_>

Anyway, as it is, I’m now on my way to Kyoto, for a half year’s student exchange period at Kyoto University. It feels… perhaps a bit unreal, at the moment. I was more excited (and nervous) back home, waiting to leave. Now I just sit here, oh well, kind of nonchalant, so I’m going there, nothing to do about it, if I’ve forgotten to do something then  I have, things will go as they will. We’ll see how I feel once we arrive to Kyoto. As it is, I have never visited Japan before – or any place in Asia, what comes to that. This has definitely added to the general level of excitement. 

But yes, right now the primary feeling is that of some kind of unreality. I'm finally going there? For real? This has been quite a long process, and not completely painless… from the time I applied, quite sure I would not yet get accepted (this is my third year, so I’m going there one year earlier than most), to the horrid paperwork to get everything done on time. Long periods of preparation and waiting for stuff to happen, and then everything happens in an awful hurry and then you’re waiting again… the better part of the last year, I think, I’ve been waiting for Important Stuff to happen. And the Japanese language placement test, oh god, let’s not get into that. At least I managed to make it on my own level, though I was sure I blew it after the exam.

So, here I am, first time ever on my way Japan, together with Siru (so happy to have experienced company on this trip!) Got a bit sick nicely just for the trip and left my voice in Finland, but never mind that. I'm on my way. I make no promises about how often I will update this blog, or how long those updates will be. I’ll try, that’s all I say.

Bought one hour’s worth of Wi-Fi time for this flight, in the case you’re wondering how I’m online during the flight. Seems to be working well enough, though the speed is varying – and figuring out how to get me online took the combined efforts of three different staff members. It might be simpler just to buy your online time onboard, FYI. Now they're turning the lights off... "night" is coming. Maybe I'll try to catch some sleep...