August 28th

Countdown to liftoff: 5 days! (i'm counting today) At the advice of my dad I have started a small e-mail to keep in contact with everyone who is going to Nagoya. I just wanted to find out when they were leaving, if I would be flying with any of them, what their host family would be like, and what they are going to pack like. I've heard back from Marla and Mallory and they both sound like they're doing fine. Marla is living with a couple in their 30-somethings and is a little closer to Nanzan than I am. Mallory is living with an older couple in their 50-somethings but they have no children (I wouldn't like that!) Mallory, unlike Marla, will be taking the same flight to Nagoya on the 2nd with me.

An update on the last entry now: I have completed my ISIC card with a photograph. (all these passport-sized photos are driving me insane) I was able to find my memory card which is a huge relief because it was my only way of taking pictures. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found it--I really didn't want to buy another one! I still don't know where my iPod is but that is of less importance to me at the moment than my memory card. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to pack about 1/2 to 2/3 of a large suitcase and one carry-on for my semester abroad. It is probably a tiny amount of clothing compared to everyone else but I definitley value packing lightly and I know that I'll want to bring some gifts back home. Speaking of gifts, I decided to buy a book on Minnesota to give to my host grandparents (plenty of pictures!). I figure some candies/food for when they take me to a relative's house or something and maybe a couple other gifts for other random occasions. Also a good idea that popped into my mind, with a little help, was to bring a photo album to show to my family there in Japan. That way they can not only hear of my life but they can see a little bit of what I've done too. This will probably be the best way to get rid of anything that may have become lost in translation. Lastly, I bought a book for myself, "Japan made easy: All You Need to Know to Enjoy Japan" by Boye Lafayette De Mente, and despite it's corny title and French-Canadian author it is actually a goldmine of advice on everything from how to properly wear a yukkata to how to introduce yourself properly. There's even a chapter titled, "Reading Important Signs" that has a concise list of common signs that are usually written in kanji that I would have to know in order to get around smoothly. (Signs such as "push" or "pull" or "in use" will probably come in handy)