(no subject)

[tammaiya]

hello from Tokyo, all! it was an incredible series of unfortunate events, by which I mean a number of successive catastrophes largely of my own doing, that precipitated me making this post, but it's almost 1 am local time and after a 10 hour plane trip, a lot of stress, a lot of walking and a party, I am so totally ready to crash.

more detail to follow later. <3

PS: dudes, dudes, there is an enormous tv in one of the dorm common rooms devoted to use for video games. XD I'd still prefer to play in my own room but duuuuuuuuuude.

Comments

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

thanks! <3 classes don't actually start until next monday-- but I have a placement test tomorrow, SO. Also, the upshot of the stuff involving my own stupidity that I haven't explained yet but referred to is that I currently have a temporary visa, not a student visa. >< So, er, I hope I can get that sorted out quickly, because I can't do pretty much anything productive without one.

Could you forward me that email? I realised belatedly that I can't actually access that email when I'm not at home-- or, well, I can, but not email that's already been sent to Outlook. Chalk it up to another one of those idiot moments. *shifty* But yeah, my primary email while I'm here is tammaiya@gmail.com, which is not a new address and was in use but not as much as my ISP email. I'm just changing it on LJ now.

[woodstock-21.livejournal.com]

you have my phone number, yes? omfg you're here!!!

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

I don't think I do, actually! esp. since I haven't got much charge left on my mobile from home so it'll very soon die, augh augh augh. Number? <3 (or if you don't want to say on a public post, you can email me at tammaiya@gmail.com)

[chin-chin-kun.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're already in Japan, I'm so jealous! BUT I hope you have a great stay there! :)

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

Thank you! \o/

[redgoldenglory.livejournal.com]

HOLY CRAP, YOU'RE THERE! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

PLZ BUY LOTS OF JAPANESE CUTE THINGS IMMEDIATELY

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

I am TOTALLY there! Japanese pillows are like, tiny and weirdly like hacky sacks and yet despite this strangely comfortable.

I bought pocky already? for what that's worth. XD

[sylveraven.livejournal.com]

Wow. Congratulations. You've finally made it.

Have fun! And good luck with your catastrophes.

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

Thanks. XD; most of them worked out okay... except for the most catastrophic one, being: I DO NOT HAVE A STUDENT VISA. but I'm hoping I can work that out soon. I have 90 days until I become an illegal alien but, you know, I can't like get a bank account or anything without a student visa SO.

... I need an "I am an idiot LOL" icon, clearly.

anonymous = Richard

[(Anonymous)]

Hey Siobhan!

I'm so glad to hear that you got there safe and sound. Dani told me you'd been held up flying out so I'm really glad to hear you're underway. And that the fun has started already, if your first post is anything to go by. How are you feeling? What's the dorm like?

To reference an above comment - Pocky! Pocky is all kinds of awesome. A Japanese store in Adelaide has canned coffee and all sorts of things (Claire rolled her eyes at me when I insisted I take a picture of it :/).

Would I be better off staying in touch via LJ or email or facebook?

Richard

Re: anonymous = Richard

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got sick in the early hours of Tuesday and had to delay my flight, which was kind of lame. I'm totally the last person here, I can't count how many times yesterday I had the conversation (in japanese): "so when did you arrive?" "This morning." "... what, SERIOUSLY?" XD

I'm feeling pretty good right now, though I'm still trying to get my act together in terms of finding meals. I'm sort of eating on an ad hoc basis, I'm hoping it'll smooth out soon. The dorm is nice; I don't have a camera or I'd take photos. When I get a mobile I can. Anyway. My room isn't big, but it's a lot bigger than the dorms I saw at the ANU. I have a balcony with a washing line overlooking a lot of cherry blossoms, a bed, a desk/chair/lamp, shelves, a fridge, a sink, a stove, and a bathroom with a toilet and combined shower/bath. The only annoying thing is the lack of drawers for clothes. The rest of the dorm is nice too, there's various rec rooms with big TVs and stuff.

Pocky is TOTALLY awesome. And I found dessert pocky, which is a whole entire new LEVEL of awesome, seriously.

Probably you're best off with LJ? I'm telling people various things over email and IM but I'm going to try and be a little more detailed with LJ, starting... now-ish. Facebook is probably the least likely place to check, since I never used it as a diary-type thing back in Australia.

[(Anonymous)]

Is there much of a international student population there? How's your Japanese holding up so far?

I was on campus today and thinking that it was really strange this year without you and Ann there. You're not missing too much, though - lectures are still pretty dull and midsemester is still crazybusy (I'm supppposed to be writing an essay, but, you know...)

Dessert Pocky? Pray tell... Have you tried Haichu? (I don't know how to spell it, but it's kind of like gum...)

The meals and stuff should even out once you get a stock of ingredients and a handle on the cooking, right? The dorm sounds nice - I look forward to seeing pics once you're all phoned and settled in.

I feel like I'm doing this commenting thing wrong and/or taking over your journal, but oh well :P

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

Surprisingly I've had almost no problems adjusting to the Japanese thing. The other international students speak English, by and large, but I've spoken more Japanese than English since I've gotten here and not really had an issue with it.

Haaha I was talking to Tristan earlier on gtalk and distracting him from his two essays. XD it's nice not to have any essays currently pressingly urgent. Although I have a research essay for the ANU due in November that I kind of loathe already, ugh.

Do you mean High Chew? *g* that's what it's supposed to be. Hai Chuu = high chew. I used to love the grape flavour.

Yeah, at the moment scavenging food is kind of a pain. Getting ingredients is part of it, but I also need to get some utensils. Like a pot. If only I had a pot, I could cook udon noodles. Augh. Speaking of, I should go find some dinner, it's 8pm.

No, dude, it's what it's there for. :D Although usually you'd reply to my comment instead of to the post again, but people often make that mistake when they're doing it manually. It's a lot easier if you have a journal of your own because you get comment notifications emailed to you and can reply from the actual email.

[tammaiya.livejournal.com]

Indeed! I don't have the right kind of adaptor to plug my PS2 in that room yet (it seems there are two kinds of power points in japan, I so wasn't expecting that) but when I get one it'll be pretty rad. :D

PS: check your gmail! I sent you voicemail this morning. I sound kind of croaky and dead because I'd fully just rolled out of bed, but anyway.