I love Karaoke

Ohayoo, Ohayoo!
The “drinking party” was fun but I belive that some people drink to much (but maybe that's the idea with a drinking party?). Many of the international students are 18-19 years old so maybe it’s the first time they’re really on their own and they kind of lose their boundaries. I took a picture of one guy that was sleeping on the stairs when we left. You’ll see it as soon as Uppsala University helps me with the proxy problem. If they can’t I’ll just get another photo album on the internet.
After the party some of us went to sing karaoke and we had so much fun. I’ve always seen Japanese people as very shy but when it comes to karaoke they’re not shy at all. As you might know karaoke is something everyone does here, young people like me, older businessmen on their way back home from work and everyone else too. The room you sit in fits about ten persons and the walls are covered with dolphins and other cute thing that are glowing in the dark.
We sang for about two hours under the disco lights and then we went back to the dorm and slept. But most of the international students came home hours after us. Tonight we’re probably going clubbing in Roppongi or Shibuya. The other students said we should leave the dorm around ten pm and then I just thought to myself ”That’s so late!”. Pia was thinking the same thing and we started laughing cause it shows that we’re getting a old!
A few days ago I developed some photos and yesterday I finally put them up on my wall. It looks really nice I think. My room is cozy but I hate the green walls. Who chose that color?
Izumi works at a restaurant ”Lilla dalarna” in Roppongi and Pia and me went there yesterday. The food was good and there were some famous Swedes, like Eskobar, that had signed the walls. They also had Swedish things everywhere.
Tonight we’re having a dinner party and everyone has to bring food. It was the idea of one of the girls, Vivian, and I think it will be fun. Vivian has also taught me that ones cell phone is an extension of ones body…it made me laugh cause in Sweden I have an Nokia 3330!
I miss you guys and you should really come and visit me here cause Tokyo is an amazing city.

Last orientation day

Konnichwa!
Today I went to check out a hiphop dance class at Shinjuku Sports Center. I just stood outside trying to get a peek and after a while the instructor came out and I thought she wanted me to get lost, but instead she invited me to enter the room and sit on a chair and watch! So that’s what I did. The instructor was really good at dancing. She could really move! There were only four people there but she told me that usually there’s seven. At my gym at home we’re at least 12 for every class. I’m probably not going to take that class cause it’s in the morning and I have to go to school, but there’s one other class in the evening and I’ll probably take that one instead. I’m not afraid of making a fool of myself…I’ m not ashamed about being stiff.
Waseda University has about 3000 different clubs called circles and today we had a club orientation. It wasn’t any good at all actually! So I don’t know what clubs to join or if I even should join one. But the Japanese students that were there to help us were joking all the time and singing the Waseda anthem. I really liked them, they’re throwing a party for us tonight at Takadanobaba (just 20 minutes from my dorm). It’s called a “drinking party”. For 2500 yen you get free food and drinks. Too bad I’m a vegetarian that doesn’t drink any alcohol. When I told that to one of the Japanese students it took him a while to understand what I meant and when he did he just looked at me as if I was from another planet. Then he said that I could have as many soft drinks as I wanted! I must repeat that the Japanese population is so nice all the time, even when they think you’re weird.
Now I understand the benefits of belonging to a highly ranked university as Waseda, I live really close to school and the center of Tokyo, we have access to a gym, clubs and many other things. Other students have to travel about 40-50 minutes to get to their school so I believe I’m really lucky. Yesterday I met two Japanese girls that wanted to take me around Tokyo and the typical Japanese neighborhoods outside of Tokyo. So I’m going to give them a call as soon as everything calms down a little bit.
I’m just wishing for me to learn Japanese really well. It will be difficult but I think it’s possible.

Rain in Tokyo

Yesterday it started to rain and it hasn’t stopped since, I’ve bought an umbrella but I still manage to get wet. Today is the first day I’m staying at home doing nothing in particular. I like it, it’s been so much the last few days and I’m feeling very tired.
I tried a Yukata on yesterday, a purple one. Yukata is a kind of summer kimono. I haven’t been able to upload any pictures to my photo album because of my universities proxy. But as soon as I solve that problem I will publish the photos of me in a Yukata! I also saw a concert yesterday, it was great. One of the band members, Morinau, studied in Uppsala last year and he speaks quite good Swedish. I went there with Izumi, Rei, Yuki, Pia and Ayumi and it was great seeing Rei and Yuki again. I didn’t get to talk very much with Yuki but I talked a lots with Rei. He’s such a funny guy! I feel that I’m learning some Japanese and I think I will learn even more when school starts. I placed for japanese level 1B and that’s where I think I belong. I don’t think I’ll have to learn hiragana and katakana all over again. I’m taking some extra kanji and Japanese classes to. Actually I was surprised that they had different biology related classes I could take. I hope I’ll be able to transfer them when I get back to Sweden. The biology classes I chose are called “Human biology”, “Biological psychology” and “Biological anthropology”. School starts next week and then you can add and drop lectures until October 16th.
The excitement has calmed down a bit now, I’m feeling that I’m getting more used to this country everyday.
Izumi is working at a Swedish restaurant called “Lilla Dalarna” in Roppongi, I’m going to visit her soon and see what kind of Swedish food they have. I prefer Japanese food though!
My room is a mess, I have to start getting things in order and put up some pictures and poster on my walls. I have developed some pictures of my family and Lennart that I’m going to put up on the walls. They have many rules in Japan, one of the is that you can’t bring people in to the dorm…isn’t that crazy. It means that I can’t have my friends and family staying here if they decide to visit me.
I really want school to begin so I can start learning my 7th language! Hehe :)

Settling down

Finally I’ve got internet, it didn’t come a day to early! It’s amazing how dependent you become of all technology! Yesterday I got my cell phone and now I feel less isolated and I can start cheering everything with you!
I landed in Tokyo at around 12 am and I was very tired after the long flight that took me 11 hours from London. The security check was awful in London, worse than in the States I believe. There were some students that were supposed to meet me at the airport but I didn’t find them, so of course I panicked. But I was lucky because there was a Indian guy working at the airport so I could talk to him and he helped me find the "helpstudents". The Japanese students were so nice, they even helped me carry my bags. I’ve learned that Japanese people are very helpful and I would really like to be more like them. The days that followed were exhausting, so many things do to and so many new people to meet. The students staying at my dorm are very friendly, I like them all. I’ve also learned that Japan is a the land of paperwork. I think I’ve filled out more paper than a whole forest could produce. But probably it helps to keep everything in order in this huge city. Getting a cellphone was very difficult but i was lucky to have Izumi and Pia. Pia is one of the international students that has her roots in Japan, she speaks very good japanese.
The food is great here, quite cheep and very tasty. Fruits are a luxury though. I can’t say I’ve eaten much here, its to warm but the weather is becoming cooler.
My room is very small, they say it’s 13,6 m2 but I doubt it. In the beginning I got a bit claustrophobic but now I’ve gotten used to it. I mean I have everything I need and it’s very central. The week I’ve been here I’ve spent in school and with Izumi, Ayumi, David, Andreas and some other new and old friends.
I really miss Sweden but I’m so very happy to be here. I wouldn’t trade places with anyone in the world right now cause I’ve already learned so much, and it’s only been a week.

One fast hello!

Hello everyone!
Sorry that I haven't written until now, but I don't get any internet access until next week!
I know...how can you survive without internet? I'm in a bookstore that has internet, thank God!I must edmit that arriving to Japan was very exciting but also scary. I had a long boring flight and when we flew over Sweden I almost wished for a parachute so I could go home!
But now I'm very happy to be here. Even if I spent my first night here crying!
Japanese people are the nicest people I've ever met, everyone is nice and helpful. My room is very small but it's better than I thought! I also have some japanese friends here that I met in Sweden and they are really taking care of me. Izumi is one of them and yesterday Andres,
Daviｄ and me were invited to her house and I met her family, they're so nice! It feels very safe to have Izumi！
I can't write more now, but I will when I get internet at my dorm.

Almost no time left

Countdown has started.
Today I said goodbye to my friends and soon my cousin will be arriving. Tomorrow I have the rest of my family coming by and on Sunday I’ll be heading back to Uppsala from where I on Monday will go to the airport, Arlanda. Lennart (my boyfriend) will follow me…God it will be difficult to say goodbye to him…
From Arlanda I’ll be flying to London and then to Tokyo. So I’ll be in Tokyo around noon (Tokyo time). I’m glad because my mother has already bought her ticket to come and visit me, she’ll be in Tokyo the 22nd of December!
Just a few months ago I thought that I had all the time in the would before I would leave for Tokyo, time really flies by quickly. Even though it feels sad to leave everyone I can hardly hold my excitement!
When I went to New York last summer I fell in love with that city, maybe I didn’t really fall in love but I definitely had a huge crush! I hope I’ll fall in love with Tokyo. I’m prepared that love isn’t always a dance on roses but sometimes it’s worth all the pain. I’m wishing for Tokyo and me to have that kind of love.

When it's not even a week left

I can hardly believe it. I’m getting really nervous. It’s crazy, I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. Even though it’s mad I’ll have a great experience. If I survive this I’ll survive anything and anywhere.
Sometimes when I think about it I just feel that I want to leave right away but other times I just feel sad, or not sad I would rather use the word melancholic. I’ve been yearning to travel, it’s been three years since I came back from Montpellier and I really feel it’s time to leave again. I can’t stay to long in one place, I’ve been like that my whole life. They call it ruthlessness, the feeling of not belonging anywhere but still everywhere.
This week I’ve just been saying goodbye to my friends and making the last arrangements. Nothing special at all. My Japanese is still not great if I put it in a nice way. But I know my hiragana and I’m learning some easy grammar.
I’m so excited! I have people waiting for me in Tokyo, contacts I’ve made very recently. How you meet people is one of the most amazing things. Just a few months ago I didn’t know anyone in Tokyo, now I have at least five or seven contacts there!
I’m quite sure I’ll love Tokyo but I wonder if Tokyo will love me?

Thank you!

Hello all my great friends!
Before I start blogging I want you all to know some important facts. I'm leaving Sweden for one year to study abroad at Waseda University, Tokyo. It's thanks to an international student exchange program between Uppsala University and Waseda University that I'm allowed to have this experience. Isn't that just fantastic!?
Waseda University is a highly ranked school in Japan and from what I’ve heard it seems to be huge. I’ll be studying the SILS program that mainly focuses on the Japanese language.
I've also received a scholarship from Sweden-Japan Foundation. They are a foundation that was established in 1971 and they promote relations between Sweden and Japan.
Thorough SJP I was chosen by the ’Göran Holmquist Stiftelse’ to receive their scholarship. If you didn’t already know Göran Holmquist was a Swedish engineer from KTH that had a an amazing career and he lived with his family for a part of their lives in Japan. He was married to Anna Holmquist and they had three sons together. Göran Holmquist worked a lot with youth and cared very much for them so after his death in 2002 his family decided to start the ’Göran Holmquist Stiftelse’. I’ve had the pleasure to meet his wife and his oldest son, Håkan, and his sons fiancé.
My family and my friend have all been very supportive, and that has been important for me when taking the decision to leave my safe home and jump into something I don’t know much about!
My main goal is to learn Japanese and make useful contacts for my future career, but also to have an experience in what I would call the land of opportunities, Japan.
I want to thank the persons and the people behind the organizations motioned above for giving me the possibility to see and learn more about myself and the world.