I finally got here!!!

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Saturday 6/24/06

Well I have been here a week and 2 days already and I thought it might be time to start keeping a journal so I don’t forget everything! The last week has been absolutely amazing, and I really don’t want to leave ever! Last Thursday night, after the plane ride from hell I was picked up from the airport by Mike, Keiko and Hayakawa-sensei. Mike turned out to be a lot younger than I expected, and is super nice and outgoing! Keiko is also very young it seems, although in the week I’ve been here I’ve noticed that the Japanese seem a LOT younger than their true ages! I’d say by at least 10 yrs.

After changing my money at the airport we ran for the train which would take us to Gifu station. I didn’t see a whole lot from the train because it was raining and dark out, but I remember being amazed by all the lights and signs in Japanese!! The novelty still hasn’t worn off 😉 When we got into Gifu we all went to dinner at a pub type place which was really good. I tried some tuna sashimi which I wasn’t a big fan of, but I never really thought I would do well with raw fish. Aside from that, everything else was delicious 😊 there were lots of different vegetable and meat dishes, and of course miso soup. Oishi!!! After dinner Hayakawa sensei and Keiko took me back to my apartment and helped me get settled in. It’s small but comfortable, and aside from the fact that I don’t have an oven, it’s perfect! I have air-conditioning and TV so I’m happy XD hehe.

The next day I went into the office for a bit and learned my way around. Hayakawa sensei picked me up in the morning and he had brought a bike for me to ride around while I’m here. After meeting everyone and not remembering a single name (yikes!), and looking over a few sample patents to get my bearings in what I would be doing, the day was pretty much over. I went home on my bike and got lost, but a really nice man helped me find my house. Japanese people are so nice!! Later that night Hayakawa sensei came over to help me get a cell phone. He is so kind! The day before when he dropped me off he gave me a bunch of things I would need like plates, bowls, chopsticks, toilet paper, etc. Anyway he helped me get a cell phone and then took me out to dinner with his children (Kazumi and a girl whose name I can’t remember) and his girlfriend who works at our office . We had another huge dinner and talked a lot. I tried octopus for the 1st time and its was absolutely disgusting :P It tasted like salty rubber, and I will never EVER eat it again!
There was, however this delicious cooked fish called Ayu, which is a local specialty. Anyway, Hayakawa’s girlfriend (ahh I cant remember her name!) was super nice at dinner, and her English is really good!! She studied in England for a while I think, so that's why.

The next day was Saturday and what a day that was!! Mike came over and we went on a bike tour of Gifu. He showed me how to get to and from work from my apartment and to some shops and the train station/community center. We also went along the river and saw some beautiful shrines!!!! I can’t believe I didn’t remember to bring my camera! Anyway this place is beautiful with the mountains and the river and all the old mixed with the new. Everywhere you go here there are rice fields, which is pretty cool too. On Sunday I had ambitions to go to Japanese lessons at the community center, but I had a bike accident and it killed my spirit so I stayed in and watched a lot of JP TV.

Monday started my workweek and wow, did it go fast!! It turns out that Monday through Wednesday I have class most of the day taught by different associates, but mostly Saito sensei, on Japanese intellectual property law. The classes are taught completely in Japanese, but they have a translator for me, and I am quickly learning the essential a lot about JP IP law as well as a lot of JP terminology! I take these classes with 4 other interns—Yamauchi-kun, Asai-kun, Mizuno-san, and Cho-san. Cho san is Chinese and currently getting her Ph.D. in Architecture, but she speaks fluent Japanese and is a bit older than us I think. Mizuno san is a year younger than me and doesn’t speak a work of English. She is very quiet most of the time, but when she does talk is very funny and kind and fun to be with. Yamauchi and Asai kun are my Yoshi and Kazumi here in Japan. They’re a total team and so funny! Asai san is much more outgoing while Yamauchi kun is a bit more reserved and quiet. I pretty much spent the workweek going to classes, editing patent applications, and getting to know everyone at the office.

After work on Wednesday, I went to the community center for Japanese lessons, where I met 2 Aussies by the name of Simon and Charlene. Simon has just graduated high school and is a sweetie. Charlene is around my age and has been here three years already. She’s dating a Japanese guy and lives together with him. She reminds me a lot of my friend Lauren Helton actually, haha 😊 Anyway we had a lesson together and got along really well. I hope to become good friends with her. Yesterday was the best day of all!!!!!!!!!!! Last night all the interns got together to go out to dinner. It was a rough start when the three of us girls had to wait and hour and a half (!!!) for Yamauchi and Asai to arrive (something about work running late). However, after that it was so much fun! We went to see fireflies at a local park, looked at the view of the city from the top of the mountain, and then went to dinner at a steakhouse. It was a great time. I just wish I could speak and understand better, because there are so many things I want to talk about and ask, but I don’t know how. And it was really troublesome not understanding the majority of what was said to me. It was also embarrassing b/c I couldn’t order properly when we went to dinner. Sigh….I suppose it just takes time. Anyway that’s about all for now. I have to spend today editing the patent and cleaning my apartment :-P but maybe Ill take a break and go to the conbini. Later!!!

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