Hi everyone,

    I know its been ages but please excuse my absense and typos as I am using a computer at the school which has a Japanese keyboard so I may not catch all the mistakes.  Japan is incredible, Nagasaki is incredible, I absolutely love being here.  Before I came I was warned about many stereotypes. A few being that all Japanese hate foreigners. ちがう！(wrong!) All the　JASIN students are loved! All the students here find my piercings and tattoos fascinating. Some adults are skeptical but many just dont care. Many of the students boys and girls think im really really cool and are amazed when I speak Japanese. I have had many compliments about my language skill but I know for a fact that I need a lot of work. We had one day where we were mixed in with the other first year japanese and chinese students and forced to interact by writing down their name, likes, dislikes and where they were from. Many people asked my friends to introduce them to me it was really cute. They are a very shy people but once they are introduced they always wave, say hi, and talk to you as much as they can. I invited a few girls to eat lunch with us that day and their response was "Yata!!!!!" as they jumped and waved their hands in the air and giggled. This is definitely a huge change from asking students at Marist to eat with you.
    When I arrived I also believed that many adults would not respond if you tried to ask them questions or would shoot you nasty looks. Again, completely wrong. I have asked many different adults for help on the streets and buses and they have been more than helpful. One of the students here told us that he got on the wrong bus and asked an elderly woman for help and she went as far as to buy something special for her phone so she could call his host mother and then waiting with him, in the rain I might add, until his host mother could come pick him up. Can you see anyone doing this in America? Honestly?
    One day we went to a park down by Dejima harbor and were ecstatic to find that many people came there to walk their dogs. A few owners were hesitant to speak with us but many were more than happy to. We met a woman named "Abbey" who let us take pictures with her dog and practice Japanese. We learned that a few years ago she lived in Brooklyn and worked with an Asian travel agency and was so happy to speak with us and learn as much about us as she could. She said she came every weekend so I hope we will see her again.
    Ive found out that there are not many foreigners around my school in Togitsu so maybe that is why many people dont mind helping us or chatting. Tonight will be interesting. All the JASIN (continuing and new) will go out to a club for one of the students birthday. All of the continuing students (continuing meaning that they have already been here for a semester) are really kind and excited to help you get oriented around the city. I met one from New Paltz that actually has the same idea of transfering to the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the spring of 2011! Im very excited to talk to him about his plans and hopefully make some of my own. It was funny to meet someone who is only 30 minutes away from me with the same exact plans and dreams when I felt so alone at my own school. Dont get me wrong being different and independent is a good feeling but knowing there are more people with the same "crazy" dream as yours is comforting. He also said he could help me get a job at a local Japanese restaurant when we get back :)
    So today was the last day of orientation and we picked our classes for this semester. I was placed in Elementary Japanese based off of a placement test we took at the beginning of this week. That test was insane and so Im not sure how this class will transfer back to Marist since I technically already took Elementary Japanese at Marist. I also signed up for a culture calss, a film class, a literature class, a martial arts class, a traditional arts class, and a management class. All of these classes total only 14 credits while a lot of my classmates signed up for 16-20 credits. All of the classes are about the aspects of Japan. Im excited to start classes even though I have a feeling it will be slightly difficult. 
    I have to get going to my very last orientation session.　Finally! Much love, and I havent forgotten about any of you! PS Dad & Kim please send my box asap!!!

-Jiru ;)