Three more weeks until I'm an official Alien

This...is "meron pan" or, in English, "melon bread." It is the most delicious thing ever. (Not really, but pretty close!) I got it yesterday from 7 Eleven.

This morning I went on an adventure to apply for Alien Registration and get Japanese Health Insurance. I don't exactly know how to use the train ticket machines yet, and I was all by myself. I even resorted to hitting the English screen, but that was nearly as helpful as the Japanese screen. I'm pretty sure I paid an extra thirty yen going from Jiyuugaoka-eki to Nakameguro-eki in order to get to the Ward Office. Then, once I got out of the station, I got lost. Figuring that I could trust the people in the firestation to tell me the right way, I went inside, showed the guy my map, and pointing to the Meguro City Ward Office, said, "Koko desu ka?" Even though I knew I wasn't there. He was super, super nice and brought me out to the street, pointed way down the sidewalk, told me to go straight, and then told me, "that big building!" He pointed to a tall building. I thanked him profusely and went on my way. (I'd walked right by that building TWICE before, lol.)

Applying for the alien registration wasn't too bad, though it was difficult dealing with the fact that the woman didn't speak any English. It's going to take three weeks for me to get my resgistration. Geez. By the time I got to the health insurance place, they found me an interpreter. She was really nice, and whenever I had to sit down to wait for them to do things, she sat with me and talked to me. She was surprised that I was only staying three and a half months. I asked her about how I was supposed to get a cell phone (she didn't know the term "cell phone" so I said "keitai" and she said, "ohh, a mobile!") without my alien registration, and so when we finished with the health insurance, she brought me back to the alien registration counter and asked for me. I had to pay 300 yen to get a document for it...and it doesn't even guarantee that I'll get the phone, but I really need a phone, so I thought it was worth the money.

Let's see, what else.... I didn't have breakfast this morning because I didn't have time (and there was nothing in the fridge except orange juice), and then I got to school around noon, so I bought a chicken-filled onigiri, and that filled me up. (Aaah, and when I was in the conbini, they played ToHoShinKi's "Purple Line" on the radio! It aired only yesterday, haha. I was so happy to hear it, and it cheered me up quite a bit, since I wasn't very happy right at that moment.) When I got to school, I managed to sign up for the Yokohama trip that Emily signed up for, so that's a relief. I didn't have time yesterday since I had classes all day. Speaking of which, I have to somehow get a ton of art supplies for class. I would drop the class just because of that reason, but I know as soon as I have everything I won't have to worry about it anymore.

My Japanese Art class was really boring (she lectured...and basically repeated everything I read last night)...I don't know how I'll stand the whole semester. Then after spending way too much time in the library for my likes (I didn't come to Japan to sit in a library!), Tamaria and I took the bus home and stopped at The Garden, a more expensive grocery store that's right near the dorm, and we each got some food for dinner. We also got these giant gyoza samples from a guy who was cooking them...they were so good!

Then I came home, ate, watched some weird variety show...found out I DID win the Freeman-Asia award!!!...and then I'm about to do my fantastically boring homework. No offense to certain teachers who might be reading this, but schoolwork definitely kills the fun in study abroad. (And yes, I know...it's study abroad. But I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from.)