日本に来たよ～！

I said goodbye to Los Angeles on August 29 and arrived in Tenri, Japan 30 minutes before August 31. Upon arriving at Itami Airport the five exchange students from CSULB met up with an alumni. The five international students from California State University Long Beach studying abroad at Tenri University for the 2013-2014 academic year are: Ana, Mona, Spencer,　Christina (Not pictured here) and Brianna.

Spencer, Mona, & Brianna at Itami~

Ana & Mona at Itami~

Us five 外人(foreigners) walked into open Japan air for the first time at 8:31 PM August 31, 2013. ほんまにその感じがすごかったよ。After a long bus ride from Itami to Tenri City I was tossed half asleep into a crowd of welcoming Japanese students, awaiting us in the hot, humid night.

Micah McConnaughy was the first American I met in Japan~!

  Everyone paired up with their tutor and was shown into their rooms. My tutor wasn't with us, so one of the staff members from Tenri University helped me instead. 
 Saitou Toshiyuki was the first Japanese person I met in Japan. He works in the international office of Tenri University. He completely shattered any and all illusions I had about Japanese humor. 

スマイル～！

Because of my sense of humor and lack of reverence for American social standards, so many of my sensei's previously warned me against using sarcasm in Japan. They explained in so many words that it wouldn't be readily understood... Maybe Saitou-san is the exception but he's one of the most sarcastic people I've ever met.
The night of my arrival he helped me set up my internet, which is connected by a cord straight from 1996. After which he showed me how to use the TV and hilariously told me about the NHK guy. 
At first I thought it was a lesson in "don't let strangers into your home". However, apparently in Japan people from the local news network NHK will come door to door and ask if you have a television.
If you answer yes, you have to pay a monthly fee of about 1200 yen~ 
But if they can't see the TV, you can easily lie and close the door. The latter is apparently common practice. So for future 留学、気をつけてください～！