~11th April 2006~

It has been exactly a week since I arrived at Suzuka Technical College. To tell you guys the truth, up til now I don’t really feel anything amazing about coming to Japan at all. The people here are just humans and I’m just trying my best to fit in. It doesn’t take much effort really (or maybe it’s because I’ve been doing it everyday that it really doesn’t feel like I’m even trying), sure I get occasional benefits of being a foreigner but really there was not much fuss around me.

Well, since I’ve not mention how things work around here before my previous blog, let me just briefly describe the current world I’m living in. There’s not much exactly, I’ve got a tutor as of the other two “aliens” like me. A tutor is actually a Japanese classmate who is paid to guide us around. In my case, my tutor who is quite a cute petite girl, will accompany me for breakfast and would walk with me to class everyday, tell me which books to use for each lessons and occasionally help me out with studies which I’m clueless in (unless its English where I’ve suddenly gain a “goddess” status for being able to just SPEAK English). Anuar has a run of bad luck for being in a bad class (it seems that mechanical students have a horrible attitude in class,errmm,the Japanese I mean) and a bad tutor who doesn’t even bother to intro himself to Anuar on the first day of Anuars’ arrival. In fact Anuar didn’t know who his tutor was at the first day of his lessons. But being the nice guy he was, Anuar doesn’t bother t go complain and see how things will turn out. The Morocco guy seems to have fun though, having learned a year of Japanese in Tokyo, everything seemed like a breeze to him.

We have pre-order food in the canteen here so no worries about breakfast, lunch or dinner. In fact the food was serve in such big portion that I decided not to have lunch as breakfast will be more than enough for me, after all if I don’t take lunch I don’t have to pay as much. So biscuits and tea will be my lunch everyday. Believe me, besides bread and a huge variety of drinks, there was rice and miso soup everyday, so I guess its more than enough for anyone.
I have a huge room all to myself. It is actually a bedroom for two but for foreign students like us we can have it all to ourselves, we have a kitchen and a shower room of our own too. Besides that every student will be given a laptop for homework all throughout the three years we are here. As for my studies well, it’s just the first week where actual lessons begins so I can’t really say much but some are easy whereas some are really killing as I can barely understand what the lecturer is saying what more to take down notes? These are some pictures of my current room, a bit untidy but actually I have too much space to put very little things so I’ve tried my best. The weather here is still killingly cold even if its spring, because it has been raining non stop for the past few days and according to Anuar who checked the weather report, this kinda weather will last until Friday with the minimum degree drop to 5°C if not mistaken. So from the 3 pieces clothing I used to put on, now has been added to the maximum 5. I really can’t help it, it’s too cold.
For the time being, I’ve spent my money on food mainly food for my lunch, my trip to Osaka where I got hold of a camera, a electrical dictionary, some necessities and a bicycle. But due to the limited cash-in-hand and with my “alien card” not ready(=Malaysia’s I/C), I can’t get my handphone or my bank account started, so all the travelers cheque is not really handy right now, gotta learn to save a bit. But with a shopping mall just behind my college, everything is conveniently bought which also meant fast cash flow.

Talking about my lessons, it amazes me that the one with striking red hair guy, who is always late and pays the least attention can actually answers the lecturers question in a quick think. My class consists of 44 students but one guy NEVER turns up since day 1 and lucky me, he is my lab mate. My group consists of 3 people though, so I hope the other gal can help me out. Otherwise, the lessons are alright as even if I cannot understand fully I can still take some notes down and do some self study, if only I can have the motivation to do so. Right now, I’m still taking everything easy but of course I’m not slacking and doing nothing at all, just that, like now when in the room alone, it’s hard for me to actually prepare lessons for tomorrow when I can actually understand them in class tomorrow. Thus the bloggin starts again. Next week onwards though, every subject has a small test every week, so I won’t be able to blog that much anymore. I wonder when can I pick up my “studying pace” again?

Note to self: Still no sign of any homesickness…Just moving on, what’s there to homesick about????*guilty

Picture of Anuar and I on the second day we arrive here at Suzuka Technical College. Nice picture of the cherry blossom.(sakura)