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Published: August 25th 2004
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Second Leg of the Walk to Campus
This area, though very residential, feels quite urban. I’m an American; I’m not used to walking quite this much. It takes approximately 20 minutes, perhaps longer, to reach the Kansai Gaidai campus from the dormitories. I have to go and come with others, because I have no sense of direction and haven’t learned the way yet. I got lost twice yesterday while trying to find my way back. Fortunately, Japan is very safe, so I’m not terribly worried about that. I still see little kids outside when it’s getting dark.
I walked to the campus with a couple of other people, and thus I ate breakfast in the cafeteria. It wasn’t anything to write home about, but the taste was mild enough, such that even those who dislike the flavor could eat it. I preferred the food that I got at the bakery the firs morning, however. I think that I shall return there.
During this day was the welcome/orientation, and other necessary administrative work. I hung out with two French guys and another guy from America for a while. (There aren’t very many Japanese students on campus yet.) I managed to take some pictures of the campus without seeming too much like a
gaijin tourist. At one point,
Kansai Gaidai Campus
This shows the main administration building and what I think is the Center for International Education (CIE). I was going to walk back to the dormitories, but 10 minutes into the walk, I realized that I might not make it back in time for the next event. As a result, I turned around and walked back. In general, I haven’t seen many sidewalks since I’ve been here, and the streets are extremely narrow. I mentioned this in a previous entry, but cars drive extremely close to pedestrians and often simply drive around them. The preponderance of bikes on the sidewalks further exacerbates the difficulty of adjustment for Americans. Most of the cars, however, are quite small when compared with their American counterparts, so it isn’t quite as unnerving as it could conceivably be.
I am slowly becoming accustomed to the food. Today at lunch I accidentally got some curry rice. I hate curry, so that went uneaten and I got something else. Fortunately, the price of food at the cafeteria is quite reasonable, and I also ate some doburi, which I’d never had before. For dinner, I went with a group of people to a local restaurant, where I had ramen noodles and rice. It was average in taste, and about what I expected. Afterwards, everyone else
Campus
The campus is extremely modern in style. went drinking in a nearby bar. I passed and walked back to the campus. I got a bit lost, but it wasn’t too bad, since Gaidai students are coming through the area fairly often. I hope to better learn the route today. It really isn’t very complicated; I just have trouble navigating.
Concerning my Japanese language skills, I’m attempting to expand my vocabulary, because that is my biggest problem. I hate rote memorization, but it’s difficult to speak or understand a language without knowing how to describe things. I know enough grammar, I think, to understand a person if I know the words being used. I need to buy some flash cards.
At one point during the day, I had an interesting discussion with my Ecuadorian roommate about religion and truth. Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a believer in truth, and that it is the responsibility of an individual to seek out truth, and to not simply believe what is comfortable. It was a very casual discussion. He came from the opposite point of view, that is, that religion is something that one chooses based on his preferences, but also said that he had never encountered that type
Campus Gardens
There are Japanese style gardens on campus. of thought before. I made the point that truth, if there could be consequences related to it -- particular when inaction is concerned -- must be sought out, and that hiding from reality is something that children do; it is not suitable for adults. This came up, I think, because someone asked whether I was Muslim when I said that I don't eat pork. I said that I was Christian. His reply was, "That's pretty broad." Laughing, I said something to the effect of, "I'm a real Christian who actually knows what and why he believes what he does." He said that he'd never seen that before. We also talked about accents and learning foreign languages. Considering the incredible diversity of students here, it was a worthy topic.The next major thing for me is finding out about my homestay family. After that is an optional tour of Osaka, of which I intend to take advantage. There will be pictures, of course.
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Crunky
Say, say man. Bring me some of that Crunky back, maan. Dan, Jr.