Oops.

So I realized a couple of days ago that while I've been doing a very good job keeping my Facebook updated with pictures of my new home, I have also been neglecting keeping other people (who do not have Facebooks... like my parents) in the loop!

I've been in Tokyo (technically, Oota-ku district) for over two weeks now, and I finally, truly feel settled in. After forcing myself to learn the train system on my own, I can get around the entire city pretty easily; and even though my Japanese is still pitiful (though I did just learn their entire Hiragana alphabet last week - unfortunately they have THREE) I've found that being polite, ("Suminasen" and "Arigato gozaimasu" or "Excuse me" and "Thank you") smiling, and bowing can take me far enough.

If necessary, pantomiming wildly also helps, too.

Tokyo is EXTREMELY different from home, though. I stick out like a sore thumb constantly - I might as well have "gaijin" (foreigner) tattooed on my forehead. I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss home a bit. Their food, while quite delicious, can sometimes come in small, unsatisfying portions, and Japanese never eat on the go - you'll never catch a native munching on a granola bar on the train during the morning commute. Also, the Japanese are very, very stylish - especially Japanese girls around my age. Everyone is always dressed to the nines; casual Fridays do not exist here. Rolling out of bed and strolling into class in sweats is something I definitely cannot do - between the hour commute and my fashionable counterparts, that would be a serious faux-pas.

My dorm is located in a small town, away from the more active and loud areas of the city. I live in a single room that's probably a bit smaller than my Mom and Dad's walk-in closet at home; but I like it a lot, it suits my needs perfectly here and has forced me to become incredibly organized. The dorm is co-ed, and there are more guys than girls here, so the dynamic is really fun. We have an awesome common room with tons of video games and movies - everyone likes to hang out there after class and just unwind. I've made a lot of good friends in a short amount of time, and they've definitely made this trip infinitely more entertaining already.

It's hard to describe Tokyo itself, since it's so big and there's so much to it. So instead of a sub-par paragraph on the city, here are some photos:

It's definitely a beautiful and truly unique place - and it's so exciting! I think that's the thing I love the most about Tokyo right now - there is always something going on, or somewhere to go, to shop, to see... at times it can be overwhelming, but fortunately my quiet little room is always waiting for me when I get back from sightseeing at the end of the day.

So as of right now, that's the best I can do in terms of summarizing my two-week experience here in Japan - I know I missed a lot, but I had to start somewhere! Anyway, I have elementary Japanese awaiting completion - I'll post again soon!