8 Days and Counting...

Merry Christmas, everyone! A belated Merry Christmas, anyway. :) Yesterday was nice and relaxing, and I am very glad to be home. But the closer I get to the end of December, the more I realize how soon my study abroad is starting, and how much I have left to do! There's shopping for last-minute extras and figuring out insurance and keeping in touch with study abroad departments, not to mention packing! I don't think I will ever be ready to leave. Right now I'm really nervous about all of this...waiting for the excitement to kick in.

But that's not what I'm here to post about today. I promised I would post some pictures of Hikone! Not mine, of course. But I was browsing a few days ago to see what I had to look forward to, so I thought I'd share some of it with you!

First, JCMU. This is the campus I'll be attending. The residence hall is on the right and the academic building is straight ahead. And that's all there is! The campus is tiny, especially compared to what I'm used to. I'm definitely looking forward to the convenience, especially considering all I've heard about the weather (cold and rainy the whole time I'm there).
Next up is a bit of Hikone itself. Hikone is directly on the coast of Lake Biwa, which is apparently a popular place for windsurfing. And JCMU is right on the water! The residence hall (Apple Hall, in case you were curious - makes me think of Appelt XD) is directly across from a bike path on the shoreline. This is the view of the lake from campus.
And this, my friends, is Hikone Castle. I'm posting a snowy picture with wishful thinking - hopefully it will be that snowy while I'm there. :) Hikone Castle is a National Treasure of Japan, as well as the oldest original-construction castle in Japan. It was built in the 1600s during the Edo era in Japanese history (of which I am completely ignorant, by the way. I'm hoping to learn more of Japanese history while I'm there). I can't wait to see it in person!
Expect probably one more post before I leave. :) My flight is on the 3rd, at 9 AM. Unfortunately, it's not a direct flight. I'm flying first to Detroit, then leaving from Detroit to fly to Nagoya. Most students coming to JCMU will be flying out of Detroit, so with luck I will get to meet some people on the plane.

Have a wonderful day!

Introduction

Hi! Welcome to Adventures in Hikone. :)

I figured I'd start with some basic information about the who, what, when, where, and why for my study abroad next semester.

Who: Me! And a bunch of other students (most of whom are from Michigan, and none of whom are Aggies...more on that later!)
What: Studying abroad in Japan. I am enrolling in a language-intensive program that consists of 10 hours of language courses a week and a 4-hour elective (in English!) of a random topic (either Japanese culture, film, or economics and business practices, depending on where they put me). I will be living in a dorm on-campus in a mini-apartment with a roommate, and I will be attending classes just across the street (which is something I'm really looking forward to).
When: I leave for Japan on January 3rd, arrive on the 4th, and classes start the 7th! Classes end April 16th but I won't be home until the 22nd because I'm swinging by Singapore first.
Where: Hikone, Japan! Vaguely, it's about halfway between Kyoto and Osaka, roughly in the middle of Japan. If you want to know its *exact* location, look for the lake that's close to Kyoto. That's Lake Biwa. If you look at the big part of the lake (Kyoto is near the small part), Shiga prefecture is on the southern shore. Hikone is about in the middle of that part of the shoreline. The university I'm attending is JCMU - the Japan Center for Michigan Universities. Shiga prefecture and Michigan have a sister-state relationship, and to encourage that relationship a consortium of Michigan universities united to build this campus. That's why most of the students are from Michigan - they are preferentially selected for this program. I'm sure there are more out-of-state students like me, but I haven't met them yet. :) If you want more info on JCMU, either for your own info or because you're thinking of studying abroad in Japan, definitely check them out. I chose them for a reason. :)
Why: Because I want to! I want to experience living in another country, surrounded by people with a totally different culture. I want to improve my Japanese language skills, something that is difficult to do when one is also taking 12-15 hours of science courses. I want to take a break from all of the labs and chemistry courses that have been stressing me out lately. And, I just want a change of pace.

This will definitely be an adventure! I'll be sure to keep you posted about the trip as I go - I promise the next post will have less talking and more pictures. Have a wonderful day!