Partially Asian

Well I was actually planning on giving a good post but I can't find the USB cord for my camera.

My Japanese is improving exponentially! This past weekend I took a roadtrip with 3 Korean guys and an older Japanese woman and we didn't really speak in any English.

It was a little bit of a culture shock when staying at a Japanese-style for the first time. The Japanese woman I shared the room with couldn't communicate with me in English so I had no idea what any protocols were. I didn't know we were supposed to always be wearing the hotel's kimono robes or how we were going to fall asleep sleeping on tatami straw mats.

Nonetheless, it was great! I finally feel like I am experiencing Japan. I'm going to miss not being able to go to a grocery store and buy octopus and squid if I feel like it.

I reallllllllllllyyyyyy don't want to go home. Everyone teases me about how much I hang out with my Koreans. Most other Westerners that aren't fluent in Japanese just talk with other Westerners but I mostly talk to either Koreans, Chinese, or Japanese people.

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to move to South Korea, teach English, and someday be reunited with my best friend here that lives in Bejing.

My classes here blow. Over half of my class failed our Intermediate Macroeconomics test. The professor here is really indirect and won't tell us anything. My German friend and I were getting really annoyed with him because getting course information from him is like pulling out teeth. "So, how do we access the homework," "When is this presentation due" "What classroom are we meeting in?" "How much is the midterm worth?"

Tonight at dinner a group of us decided that this university just needs to shut down. Everything is completely run down it reminds me of the 1970's. Desks falling apart. Ghetto computers. Torn-up leather chairs around campus. Hallways with permanent marker drawings from 20 years ago. My friend from Iceland (who is starting her own photography business) has been just taking pictures of the campus because she can't believe the condition things are in.

Conclusion: Japan is awesome but Otaru sucks.

I'll try to write more later this week.