Orientation

Orientation here is two weeks long, unlike Ursinus whose orientation only last four days. I have only been to Akita for three full days and let's just say, they are making us do so much already.

Here's the run down of my first full day:
Check in - meaning that I had to fill out a residency registration form, pick out the design of my hanko (a stamp for important documents), sign up for a bank account, and sign up for the national health insurance. After that, we got to go on a tour in which the tour guide kept mentioning parties. I think he really wanted to party. During the tour, we all stopped to get our school identification cards taken, then after all of us were finished, it was back to the tour. After the tour was finished (around two), we were given enough time to check out the flea market that the school was putting on for us. It was really cheap there, too! For 6 items, I only paid 200 yen, which is equal to about 2.55 American dollars). I bought a hamper, hangers (the hangers were as many as you can carry for a set price), a bin to act as my shower caddy, a cup, and two folders (one Domo-kun and the other one is just cute designed). All of those items were part of the anything 3 items for 100 yen deal. The only things that weren't part of the deal were barely anymore expensive and had a price on/in front of it. After that, I went to a computer orientation course. I have to go get another cable because the one I'm using now is a little bit big for my computer. But thank you Rebecca for letting me borrow it~!! To finish off the day, we had a "Welcome Dinner" which was awkward at first. We played ice breaker games and got to eat yummy foods. After the games, it turned into a dance party. No one was dancing until the Macarena came on. The whole school started dancing (minus two or three guys). We formed a conga line during the next song, which was YMCA. Everyone was dancing the chorus part until someone decided to start the line. Once the line was formed, everyone joined in going round and round in a circle around the cafeteria. As the chorus would come on, the conga dancers would form the letters over their heads as they jogged along to the beat. It was great fun being in the line and at the party. Once the party was ending, people started to leave in groups. So eventually, it was my group plus a few other groups. The song "Cupid Shuffle" came on and only Sara, Rebecca, and I knew the dance. We performed it in front of the few people there. The cleaning ladies got a kick out of us just dancing in the middle of the cafeteria while they cleaned. It was a great time.

Onto day two:
Since I got up early, I went on another tour of the campus by myself. While waiting for the bus to go on a field trip, Heather and I went on another tour by ourselves. I went to a fireworks festival called "Omagari" held in Daisen City in Akita. It is a huge competition between pyros. It was pretty. Pictures of the festival will be uploaded in a separate post with more information on that day.

Onto day three:
That too will have a separate post. It involves doing to downtown Akita City, going to a 6 story department store, going to a castle remains in a park along with a shrine, eating legitimate Japanese ramen, trying new drinks, going to the Japanese Walmart, electronic store, and sushi bar.