My Japan adventure has begun! One week into Princeton in Ishikawa, I have already gone through some fantastic ups and some miserable challenges.  The moment I stepped off of the 767 at the Osaka Airport, I felt as if I were in a foggy daydream.  Having studied Japanese since August of 2017, I had built a romanticized image of Japan and all it would entail.  I struggled to find my way through the blindingly bright airport and sterile-white customs, as this was my first big trip abroad.  The Japanese being spoken all around me was a bit overwhelming, and no amount of practice in class could have prepared me for such an experience.

A picture of Osaka on the train to Kanazawa.

When it came time to take the train from Osaka to Kanazawa, I was thoroughly unprepared: tired, confused, and anxious.  Times like this, however, are what I live for…the ultimate test of one’s character.  Without internet service to help guide me, I did the unthinkable: I walked up to a help desk, and I talked to a real, live person.  The conversation itself was uneventful, but this sudden courage sparked a monumental change of perspective.  For the next 200 miles and 9 weeks, I could be passive, or I could take action towards my goals.  I chose to take action, despite a mix of weariness and anxiety in my gut.

Taiga-san took a picture of me in front of Kanazawa Station.

I thought that my troubles would be over by the time that I reached Kanazawa station, but without an internet connection, I got lost (in three directions) trying to find my hotel.  A bit claustrophobic from the mushy air, when I finally arrived in my hotel room, I was a bit surprised to find how tight the bedroom was packed.  The one sliver of hope that I had from my first 12 hours in Japan was, strangely enough, the bathroom.  I was quite impressed by the toilet technology.  By the time I got to bed, I had not had a good rest for over 24 hours.

As the sun rose on Sunday morning, so did my hopes and anxiety.  I skipped breakfast, anxiously waiting in my cramped room, yet in a meditative state.  It was finally time…I would meet my peers, host family, and sensei (make that plural).  I have never been more happy to be around other people in such a social, extroverted manner.  Skip forward past orientation, my host brother Taiga-san, who is about six months older than I, warmly greeted me with a brief tour of Kanazawa station.  A short 7-10 minute train ride and 10 minute walk later, we arrived at a beautiful, modern Japanese neighborhood.  Later that day, I met my host お母さん (mother), Miki-san, and both her and Taiga-san could not have been more welcoming.

A few friends ft. @septik_the_fox (Emir's Fox Finsta)

The days since have been a blur…really, really a blur.  The Princeton in Ishikawa (PII) staff worked hard to thoroughly intimidate the students, and they were successful.  Even though I have only taken year-one Japanese, I placed into level 2.5 (there are three levels: 2, 2.5, and 3).  Out of the four Yalies at PII, half are in level 2 and half in 2.5.  The curriculum is truly no joke.  We will finish our textbook by the end of next week, we have had two kanji tests so far (about 60 kanji in total), and we have a big test this Monday (on the fifth day of actual class).  Oh yeah, we also have a big community project where we’ve already interviewed our host families, and we will plan a project that benefits the community based on the interviews.  The craziest thing is that all of this is in Japanese, and we cannot speak any English.  Ten months ago, I couldn’t even introduce myself in Japanese.

The food is phenomenal!

I mentioned, way back in the second sentence of this terribly long post (they will be shorter in the future), that I had some fantastic ups.  So far, the only positive things I’ve mentioned have been toilets, my host family, and learning.  However, this past week was filled with great events, such as making new friends (outside the Yale bubble…finally), visiting Kenrokuen (traditional Japanese garden), meeting local Kanazawa University students, and playing Shakuhachi (a traditional Japanese flute), to name a few things.  I’ve also tried many, many new things, such as eating cow tongue and intestines, using public transport, and Japanese shopping/car washes.  I also bought a 12-string guitar.  In future posts, I plan to expand more on daily life and fun activities, but I’ll leave this post on a high note…a sort of hopeful foreshadowing to what lies ahead!

I’d like to thank the Light Fellowship, PII, my host family, and anyone that reads this for all of the opportunities, experiences, and support!