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An Introduction to My Time Abroad

Published on by lizgwebbLeave a comment

When I was in high school, I would often think about what my college experience would look like. Japan, interestingly enough, was often one of the key players in my mind. I’m not sure where this interest came from, but for years I’ve been curious about experiencing Japan’s culture and way of life firsthand. That’s why, when considering my options for study abroad, Japan was one of the top contenders. Now, here I am a month and a half into my stay in Tokyo, and I can safely say I’ve made a good choice.

Since arriving in Japan, I’ve experienced culture shock in a number of ways. For one, I was surprised by the smaller size of, quite honestly, most things here. Many restaurants in the city are built to accommodate no more than 10 people, and as a result you’re often left eating side by side with complete strangers. Additionally, many of the cars here are small and square-shaped to accommodate for the common one lane roads and lack of parking spaces in some more crowded areas. Food here is also quite different, but not in the way I expected. In a lot of ways, the food available is similar to America, and I often see familiar restaurants such as Denny’s, Baskin Robbins, and Krispy Kreme. On the other hand, many cafes and restaurants have menus altered to fit a season or holiday. Mister Donut, for example, is one of my go-to spots when I’m craving something sweet after class. Currently, it has a multitude of Halloween-themed pastries and seasonal flavors such as sweet potato, pumpkin, and mont blanc. 

Like all things, life in Tokyo isn’t perfect and I’ve certainly had my fair share of great days and not-so-great days. However, I’m happy with this variety because it gives me a chance to grow as a student and traveler. I’ve learned a lot within this past month and I’m sure that I’ll continue to progress overtime. My moments of uncertainty have given me motivation to reflect and grow, and I’m looking forward to other changes I’ll experience throughout the rest of my semester.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my semester abroad! If you want to stay up to date about what I’m doing or check out some photos I’ve taken, please feel free to check out my profile on Instagram! @eg.webb 

Let’s Talk About the Fences In Ireland

Published on by LshotkoskiLeave a comment

Ireland has a huge problem, and no I’m not talking about the price of housing, the lack of ranch, or even the “fade” hairstyle. I am talking about the overwhelming amount of fences. In fact, if you start walking any direction in literally any part of Ireland, it quickly becomes a maze because of how many unfinished and unnecessary gates there are. There are two types of fences in Ireland and neither of them serve a purpose or are necessary.

The first type of fence in Ireland (pictured above) are the classic metal rods and spire-topped fences that are absurdly large. These gates seem to be a big deal, however, 9 times out of 10 all these do is create an almost barrier to your destination. I could respect this fence if it actually enclosed the property it was surrounding, but instead these just make it so you have to spend an extra couple minutes walking to where they gave up on building it. They are always blocking the path you want to take, and adding an extra 5 minutes to your eta, and on top of that they are IMPOSSIBLE to climb. If you can make it up the skinny sliding rods and over the sharp spires….. you deserve to be on the other side, you put in the hard work.

The second type of fence is the kind that actually serves a purpose. The kind that actually creates a barrier to the building, farm, or land it surrounds. The only issue with them? They barely make it a foot off the ground. This fence wouldn’t even stop a rabbit, it could just hop over it. The money used to build these fences would be more useful in an insurance fund towards the potential items stolen by people who simply stepped over the fence. These fences have the right idea, just a horrible execution.

It may seem dramatic when I say there is no in between, but I am 100% serious. Before studying abroad in Ireland please take into account how easily annoyed you would get at a minor inconvenience like a fence. Because they can and will affect your everyday life.