Kansai Gaidai Pre-Orientation

It's been more than a week since my last post. Seoul was a whole lot of fun. I'll try to put up photos at some point. We arrived on Monday afternoon at Kansai International Airport and drove for about an hour and a half to get to the University. It was funny because half the people were passed out and I was the only one awake. I'm getting up okay everyday. No matter what time I go to bed I manage to wake up around 0700. It may have something to do with this summer at OCS. So far this place has been really amazing. Japanese students are very friendly even if their English is not so great. And most of the times it's not. Put plainly, the Japanese speak very poor English. At many students also speak poor Japanese as well. The Kansai dialects are very different from what we have been learning in Japanese class. It's so strange to be able to smile at random girls and have them smile back. It's like being back home. It's awesome! Korea was tough because the girls there didn't play sports, weren't interested in foreign men, and for the most part weren't always attractive. The girls in Japan are the exact opposite. They play sports, are VERY interested in foreign men, and are EXTREMELY attractive. Pictures will ensue. Anyways, Tomorrow is the Orientation ceremony. My German friend Florian and I are thinking about skipping it to play Judo. I don't know if it will happen. You'll have to find out in the next blog!

A Seoul that never rests

We did so much stuff yesterday it's not even funny. We took the Seoul Subway system (which could be the most cleanest and advanced in the world) to the National Museum and the War Museum. It was really awesome. We came back and hung out with some International Students at the International House. Apparently Ping Pong is becoming a global sport. All these Arab guys were playing and they were really good too. Hye Man beat a few of them but got stopped by this one kid from Saudi. After that we met up with Chae and ate dinner at a traditional Korean restaurant on Insa-Dong. Insa-Dong is a street in Seoul with all the traditional Korean shops and restaurants. Then we went all the way to City Hall for this Festival trying to reduce Carbon Emissions. I tell you, Seoul is a friggin city that doesn't sleep. The later it gets, the more people hit the streets. I put some pictures up on Facebook. I'll try to get some up here as well.

South Korea!

I arrived in South Korea last night at about 21:00. There was a long line at immigration but they didn't give me a hard time because I knew 3 words of Korean. I found out that TSA had been through my bags, those bastards. When I arrived, the staff there thought I was military and asked me if I was returning from leave. I had my OCS shirt on and a fresh high and tight. It's funny looking back on the whole experience. Being a young brown kid, I was kind of expecting to be treated as a terrorist coming here. Instead everybody thought I was a Marine. I don't know which is funnier.
Anyways, Hyeman, Seungwon, and Hyowon met me at the Airport. We took the bus to Hyeman's apartment. And I have to say that his apartment is tiny. His whole apartment could fit in my room back home. Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and everything. It really makes me think just how good I have it back home and just how good we have it in America. We have space. In Korea there's no space at all. Especially in Seoul. Even a small one bedroom in America still has enough space for a TV, sound system, sofa, extra bed, a desktop computer, and even a few pets. I will never complain about my living conditions for as long as I live.
Right now we're just chilling out at the University. Sung Kyun Kwon. It's so funny because parts of Seoul look like New York City and other parts look like Kochi. For all my malus out there you know what I mean. Where we live, it's like Kochi. Lol, but for some wierd reason even in the middle of a foreign country, it feels like home. The University is so crazy because it's smaller than Elon but has almost twice the number of students. All the buildings are at least 5 stories tall with three or four underground. And it's HOT as HELL! I love this University because all the rooms are air-conditioned. Haha. Anyways, we gotta figure out our plan of attack.

Anyone in the US can call the following number and it will reach me. NO LONG DISTANCE CHARGE!!
Skype Number: (919) 373-4301

I just found out my new phone number for Japan. It should be working in about a week.
If you feel so motivated to call me long distance.

Japanese Cell: 81 90-9921-7949

Welcome to Japan!

I just touched down in Japan at Tokyo's Narita International Airport. I tell you this place looks more like a mall than anything else. Armani, Liquor stores, Starbucks. They got everything. And it's true. Starbucks tastes the same no matter what country you're in. 700 Yen will buy you a Tall Caramel Frappuccino and a Cinnamin Bun. That's about 6 dollars. I'm yet to really experience Japanese people. I'm still a little gun-shy about ordering from the noodle shops. I think I'll wait till I get to Osaka.
The flight over here wasn't so bad. I got a seat next to an elderly Korean gentleman who spoke English. We went over the Korean textbook for about an hour. He explained a lot of stuff to me. I feel a little silly studying Korean while I'm in Japan but I have an entire semester to study Japanese. And I'm going to need all the Korean I can get while I'm in Seoul. I'm not sure what to expect from Seoul. My image of Seoul is somewhat of a New York or a Miami or a Los Angeles on steroids. A city that never sleeps and is always open. We'll see if that holds up. Oh well, South Korea Here I Come!

Prior to leave post

Saturday 18 August 2007 16:16. (070818)

Got back from OCS a few days ago. Still exhausted as usual. Trying to deal with the bumps and bruises and all that trash. It all seems so surreal. OCS passed by in the blink of an eye. At the time I never thought it would end. Now it's over and I really am starting to miss everyone from my platoon. Lot of great guys there.
In 2 days I will be in the Republic of South Korea hanging with my former roomates and current best friends Hye Man and Seung Won or Sgt. Choi and Sgt. Baek. Haha. I'll leave for Osaka, Japan on 27 August. I'll be studying at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata City for the Fall semester. It's going to be amazing, that's all I can say.
Anyways, since this is the first post, there's not really much to talk about. I will try to update ya'll on the contents of my journey. It's going to be a long day of travel. And that's for sure.