Author: Sophia

Recent Adventures- Sorry For Not Posting More Frequently!

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Sorry for not posting in a while, I have had a lot going on, as most people probably have as well. I had some tests, friendship troubles, and other adverse challenges that I had to face. Despite all of that, I have still been trying to enjoy my time here in Japan. I am really excited for my brother and dad to come and visit me in a week and a half. I plan to show them all the good spots that I have found, as well as explore some places with them for the first time.

Recently, I visited a couple of cool places. Firstly, I went to Jindaiji Temple with some friends. It was a great experience to get out of the city a little bit and explore nature! Here are some pictures that I posted:

After that, I took a solo trip outside the city for a couple of hours. I went on a hike, saw some beautiful nature, and got to explore a small town outside Tokyo that is still accessible but further away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Here are some pictures from that:

After that, my friend and I decided to rent a car and go to a car show! I was sooo excited. And it lived up to my expectations! I saw some amazing cars, met some cool people, and overall had a blast. It was a late night; however, since I had a car and I was with friends, I wasn’t worried. Here are some pictures I posted from that:

It was quite windy and chilly, if you can’t tell from the photos. My hair was flying around everywhere!

Finally, my friend and I recently went to this rose garden. The flowers were beautiful, and they were playing live music from the Studio Ghibli movies! It felt like a dream. I had such a great time taking pictures of the flowers.

Again, sorry for not posting for a while. There have been a lot of things that I have been juggling. Hopefully, I can post next week with no trouble.

That’s all for now, until next time!

Settling in: Classes, Friends, and Exploring Tokyo!

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Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been getting into the swing of things with my classes and adjusting to my new schedule. I actually had to register for an additional class after realizing I forgot to sign up for one that was kind of important; oops! Luckily, I was able to fix it without too much trouble.

I’ve also been making an effort to meet people in my classes, and I’ve had some success! One of my classes is a smaller group, and we do a lot of interactive activities with the people sitting around us. It’s been a great way to connect and find study buddies. One of my new friends is doing a year-long program at Waseda, and another is a full-time Waseda student from a different department. It’s really cool to see the different paths people are on, even though we’re in the same classes.

After class, my friends and I like to grab lunch together or find a spot to study. Some of my courses are pretty challenging, so I’ve been spending a good amount of time reviewing and preparing outside of class. One class in particular is tough: my professor speaks only in Japanese and moves so fast. Half the time, I can’t keep up with what she’s saying! But since it’s just a one-credit course and I’m not the only one struggling, I’m treating it like a fun challenge and sticking with it.

This past weekend, I got to travel a bit and hang out with friends. I even met someone on the train who goes to a different language school and happens to live near me. I also made a Japanese friend recently, and it’s been awesome sharing parts of our cultures with each other, especially the parts that differ significantly! Hanging out, talking, and exploring Tokyo together with my friends has been such a highlight. It makes everything feel a little more special.

This past week, I took various photos from places that I went. Firstly, I went to Senso Ji, which was extremely busy. I liked it, but it definitely was not my favorite. Then, I went to Shimokitazawa, which is a second-hand shopping district with my Japanese friend, and it was super fun! I didn’t end up buying anything because were just talking the whole time and it was quite expensive, but I still had a blast. After that, my train friend and I watched some live music at a local coffee shop next to our house! I got to meet some more locals and practice my Japanese. Finally, I just added some random flicks from Ikebukuro, my school, and a cute station cat in a sweater on a chilly day.

Here are some photos from this past week:

That’s all I have for now, but I have some big plans this weekend that I am going to keep a surprise until I post about it hehe. See you next time!