Im in America and I'm still posting on this thing?

Yes, ive been back, but my work concerning Japan isn't quite done. In a few weeks I will be sharing my experiences in Oita with students who want to go to Japan at the 説明会。Unfortunately that means one thing... school starting again. Thats right, my summer which had just begun, has now come to an end. My first day back at state wasn't too bad. Seeing familiar faces of other friends who either went to other schools in Japan or never left was nice. Also moving into a big house with my old frat mates isn't so bad. Theres new faces, but alot of legit people to be friends with.

Anyways, Im back in school. My one complaint is concerning textbooks. I realized that in Japan, colleges actually care about students and show it by providing cheap textbooks, free handout reading materials and cheap meals at school. However, this is not the case at SDSU or in America. Students pay ridiculous amounts of money for living in a dorm, buying a used text book (my finance book will cost $149 used), or getting ripped off with over priced items at the campus bookstore. Unfortunately there isnt much regulation and thats just how it is for now. I suppose I could consider it more motivation towards going back to Japan or pursuing other opportunities abroad. I want to learn alot, but I don't wanna grow up just yet.

I guess im going to cut my midnight rant short. But first, I know people have been asking me if I'm glad to be back. Of course I am. Actually it is nice to be back, away from the crazy humidity and in a place where the beaches are sandy and the waves are actually there. Yet, I had such a good experience abroad that it just went by too fast. Now I got this itch to go back... combined with a huge impression left on me by all of the people I met this last year. Alot of these friends I may possibly never see again, being that they are from all over the world, but then again... I could see them again! When people see me, sometimes they may wonder if Im depressed about coming back, but it cant be helped. Ill be doing my best to keep looking forward, cuz I can't just stop now. Ive become international and Im going to keep it that way.

Back in Black

Im back!!

Its a mixture of sadness, excitement and a whole lot of anxiousness thinking about how not to lose my Japanese. The day I left Oita was indeed a sad day. Holding back and hiding my emotions just wasn't possible.. On the bus ride to the airport I listened to some Japanese music on my headphones while quietly going back and forth between being still or hiding my face while crying. While I was sad to go, i was still glad it all happened. I spent a few days with Kentaro in Yokohama before coming back. It was a great way to cut down the shock from leaving Oita. As said before, it would've been too much for me to handle if it was all at once. I didn't wanna be that guy on the plane, riding in the middle seat and crying for 12 hours. Even though I wasn't, didn't mean I wasn't sad.

As for being back... I realized I was in America once I got to the immigration line. It was almost an interrogation with that lady's tone of voice. Blah blah.. "What were you doing in Japan?" with a suspicious tone. "What did you study?" "Exactly how long did you stay?"... "What are you doing with $3ooo worth of stuff on you?" Uhh .... well, "I have my laptop with me and two check ins that have clothes and some random stuff." Ok "welcome back to America".. not so enthusiastic tone. I also realized I was back when I saw someone pouring out a can of soda onto the ground in some parking lot. "Yep, im in America."

As sad as I am, i realize I do have alot to look forward too. I finally got to eat real pizza when I got back. It was AMAZING! Now I have tacos and burritos to look forward to also. And just this morning, even though im back in Sac at my dad's place (the place where I feel most stagnant and will never move back to) I was really happy to go to the grocery store. After 11 months of small food portions plus having to always buy fruit in season, im finally back in the land of huge gallons of milk and juice, real bacon, flour tortillas, bagels that don't cost a fortune and mangos that are 57cents... not 3,000円 ($34). Yes, i'm back but, theres still work to be done. If theres one thing I learned from the last year it is to keep moving forward. I hope I can really take that to heard. In a few more days Ill be back in San Diego, where the real challenge starts. Im going to find a way back to Japan no matter what.

最後の日 Last Post in Japan

Oh goodness, the things I lack words for. Nothing can describe my time in Japan, all of my experiences, the things ive enjoyed, the struggles I've had, the personal growth... all of it was worth the year long process of paperwork, transcripts, scholarship applications and interviews just to get here. I used to wake up almost every day amazed "wow, im in Japan!" I would have dreams that I woke up in California, I would be wondering how the hell I got back and wondering how on earth to get back to Oita. As wonderful as San Diego or Sacramento may be, I don't know if I can settle for simply moving back and staying long term. Im determined to get back here somehow... maybe not Oita, but somewhere here. Maybe its the culture, maybe its my inability to grasp the language all that well... whatever it is, I always felt like I was learning something new, thats why I rarely got bored here. You have to try so hard or be a boring person to not have fun here. But thats simply an opinion.

In the end, I really enjoyed getting to spend time with friends from all over the world. The only problem with getting close was the inevitable fact that I would have to leave them. I thank each and everyone of my friends who spent time me, put up with my bad Japanese, or just listened to all of the weird issues I might of had all year. Ahh, I don't have much time some sort of masterpiece about how I spent my time, or what I learned, but I just know that I wouldn't trade this experience abroad for anything. Right now its almost 5am in Yokohama, Ill be flying back to America in 12 hours. I wish to come back someday soon. I moved my flight from Oita 2 days early because I didn't want the shock of leaving Oita and Japan all at the same time. I knew it would have been too sad for me... Haha, I really couldn't hold back my tears when I left, but im glad it all happened. The good things and the difficult things were all worth it.

To everyone who spent my last days with me, thank you!!!

Izakaya, PEI pub, Hanabi, Sushi Meijin, Riding a bike with a kite attached..Ice cream in Yuta's Room.... it was a blast!

Ill never forget you!! See you again!

大分の七夕

日本にもう少しいる事できてよかった。日本にクレベて僕の国はそんな祭りがない。伝統的な服や食べ物はほとんどない。とにかく、この３日間は本当に面白くてうれしかった。新しい体験ができていろんな国から来た友達とも時間を過ごせた。日本に来てからいろんな祭りに行った事があるけどこれは特に楽しい。甚平を着たり、花火を見ながら音楽を聞いたり、友達がプルグラムで踊ったり、色々な事を始めてみたりしてよかった。

Im glad that I've been able to spend the most of my one month summer break in Japan! Compared to this country, I could almost say that America doesn't really have festivals like this. We don't have any traditional clothing, dancing or specialty foods im sad to admit. But anyway, these last 3 days have been really nice. Oita's Tanabata festival is the biggest one in the entire prefecture each year. Theres alot of new experiences I've also had just in this short summer alone. Ive gotten the chance to spend some time with friends from all over the world to. Since being here, Ive been to festivals before but this was especially fun. Wearing Jinbei, going to see fireworks Japanese style (with music), seeing some friends dancing around in traditional clothing, and just being able to see alot of things for the first time, im really glad.

I took way too many pictures, but here are some highlights from Day 1:

There were several groups of people, schools, companies, organizations.. who were doing some sort of traditional dance, but some of these groups had some sort of really interesting float they were carrying around.

Day 2:

大分大学の組合

These streets were meant to accommodate somewhere around 470,000 people. This here is the group from Oita University.

Im not entirely sure what these guys were up to but it was entertaining. They would carry this thing a few meters, then spin it around like crazy people.. pour sake or something over the top and then continue singing and doing their routine for a while.

None of us want to leave Oita yet!!! We worked so long and hard to get here and the year flew by just like that.

Hopefully well see each-other again. I wouldn't trade the experiences ive had with these people all year for anything.

Day 3:

Hanabi by the Oita River

Whats that in my hand? Not diet coke... its a freakin beer! Were allowed to do that in Japan.. people here are that much more responsible... maybe. ^_^

Boom!!

Woohoo! I wore a Jinbei while the girls work Yukata. Its like a bathrobe, but you can walk around in public in it at your own leisure.

Enjoying the remaining years of our youth at Mc'Donalds... fun!

Comedy 喜劇

Tragedy　惨劇

Summer is HERE!!

As for my year abroad in Japan, theres alot to be said. For now I will put my experiences into video... For those who haven't seen it already, heres the start to my summer. Finals week and all the things I did when I wasn't studying. Soon I have to probably write a report about my experiences, but since my time isn't over for another week or two... ill live it up so I have more to write about later. For now... これを見てください。