Internet Returns

[saorisan]

I am connected to the internet again. Not much to say that can be expressed briefly. Love it here. Love all the adorable little people, adorable little shops, amazingly small cars, multitudes of bikes and mopeds, ridiculous Engrish and the adventure that every day is. I have to go out of my way to hide in a corner if I want to have a dull day

Comments

[morning_rose]

God do I ever love Japan!!! <3

[jacky_legs]

YAY : )

[elena]

I have some tips for you. :) From experience in Japan and NZ.

Never rely on credit cards or ATMs. They are few and far between and many times don't work. The best ATMs are at post offices.

I recommend pulling out the money you are planning on spending for the month and divide them up and give yourself allowances each week. That way, you avoid bank charges (if you're pulling from a bank account in the states, surcharges will add up fast), and you can see how much moolah you have left.

Carrying around 100s of dollars is not uncommon in Japan so dont worry about it too much -- the ATMs dispense big bills :P

I am horribly jealous right now :P

[elena]

also, i had dreams about you the last couple of nights reminding me to check your journal :P

[fujinohana]

Wait, so does everybody get their own private room? Or does that cost more?

[saorisan]

From what I know about students in the other girls dorm, they have more suite style accomadations. They have a common living space, common kitchen, laundry, and hall baths, but personal private rooms. In my dorm, we have our own cooking space, bathroom and laundry. We also all have a balcony, while the other dorm doesn't guarantee one. It seems that you cannot be in the dorm I am in if you have the JASSO or Osaka University scholarships... but that dorm is off campus and costs almost 300 dollars a month, while this dorm is on Toyonaka campus and costs only 59 dollars a month. All of the girls with JASSO and such have told us that we're so luck to be in this dorm, so it seems you don't want to go for the JASSO or Osaka Scholarships unless absolutely necessary. Also, my Wesleyan scholarships actually over paid the tuition cost (minus lab fees, student life fees, living expenses, etc,) so they are letting me used the excess 2000 toward my expenses here, so it seems you CAN use American scholarships without losing out on the housing