Just about every weekend this semester, my roommate and I have made sure to go somewhere interesting, even if it isn’t far. We’ve traveled all through downtown Osaka together, through nearby Makino, all the way to Nara to see the oldest wooden buildings in the world, and most recently went to Himeji Castle (located near…
Category: Japan: Kansai Gaidai
End of November!
As I have been caught up in so much school work, traveling, and fun I have forgotten that the end of November is here and I will be home in 23 short days! This month I’ve been to so many new places and I’ve really been making the most of my time here as much…
Tokyo Withdrawls
As of today, it’s been a little over a week since my trip to Tokyo, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since! Before I came to Japan, I knew that it was one of my top destinations, and I had spent the entire semester looking forward to when I would be…
Lots to be Thankful for
As most of you are aware, this week in the USA almost everyone will be celebrating Thanksgiving. While it’s not my favorite of holidays due to it’s actual historical origin (hint: there’s lots of racism and murder), I do love being able to eat good food with friends or family and to think of some…
A busy week
One of my favorite things about being here in Osaka is that there is never any shortage of things to do, especially on the weekends. If you hop on a train from Hirakata station, you can easily travel to Hirakata Amusement Park, Osaka Castle, major shopping districts such as Shinsaibashi, Kuzuha Mall, and much more….
Ceramic Cups and Osaka Pride!
It’s been a while since my last post and for good reason. Right now, I’m sitting in the computer lab of the Center for International Education here at Kansai Gaidai, surrounded by students who are all tweaking essays and cramming for exams within the next few hours. Just like in the US, people’s social lives…
Midterms in Japan
Despite my disbelief, the time has come for the midterm exams for my classes here at Kansai Gaidai. Although in the past I’ve felt confident about my exams at Rollins, I feel a new sense of anxiety knowing that this semester I will have exams in Japanese. I usually like to spend my weekends traveling…
22nd Birthday Abroad
As of now, it is officially my birthday in both Japan AND back home in the US. Before coming to Japan, one of the main reasons I had been so excited about this semester was that I knew I would be able to celebrate my birthday while I was in Japan, and that I would…
Hiragana and Katakana!
As of now, I’m happy to say that we have successfully learned both Hiragana and Katakana (2/3 of the languages used here in Japan). Compared to the level at was at when I first arrived to Japan (no prior experience learning Japanese), I feel that I have come such a long way. It is so…
Don’t wake me up when September ends, because this is a wonderful dream
I can feel the weather beginning to change in Hirakata City. The days are still nice and warm, all clear skies and sunshine, but most days of the week I bike home after-dark because of how late my schedule goes, so I’ve begun to notice the chill that’s started to settle here. With the help…