Anyway! First class of Tuesdays and Fridays is International Finance. It's bound to be a lonely class. I don't know anyone in there (yet) and it's a pretty small class (though we're in a cavernous classroom). I don't know why sitting in the front seems to be taboo for college students. No really, I just don't get it. But there were literally three rows of desks between me and the next person sitting down. That seems extremely silly to me. But, if I want to make friends I guess I'll have to bump back a few rows and deal with the indignity of wearing my glasses. But, the case studies should be interesting! We're using the Global Financial Crisis to study how one country's financial situation impacts the rest of the world. I think we'll be getting into the Euro Crisis too.
Then, there's Japanese- which I have everyday. I know a girl from the dorm in that class, so I should have a partner for most assignments. From what the syllabus said, it looks like I'm going to be having a lot of review for a while... sigh.
Then, there is a hour lunch break. I'll only need to eat lunch at school on Tuesdays and Fridays, but I think I may also start staying on Mondays for lunch. See, the Communications club meets on Mondays Wednesdays, and Fridays for lunch meetings. The girl who picked me up at the airport is in the club and she told me I should join. So, I'm going to go on Monday and see what all the fuss is about. Then, another girl I met is with a different club called SISEC, and they meet during lunch on Fridays. So, I'll check out that club on Friday. Church is held in English on Tuesdays during lunch, so that's what I'll do on Tuesdays- I think my lunch times will be pretty full.
After lunch, I have Economic Survey of Contemporary Japan. I have two dorm mates in that class with me, so I think it will be a group study session! I'm really excited to be getting into these upper division credit classes- the theory of economics fascinates me, and now I can finally use it! We're going to be using Japan as a case study about how macroeconomics impacts a country- should be exciting! Oh, this is also taught by the same professor who teaches International Finance- so there may be some overlap. That would be cool if I can use what I'm learning in one of her classes and apply it to the other class.
My last class of Tuesday and Fridays is Political Economy of Development. I have another two dorm mates in that class, so we can encourage each other to do the reading assignments. There are a lot of reading assignments. The professor for the course seems to be pretty liberal, but it's a discussion based course so it should be okay. But, that also means I actually have to do the reading in order to participate in class and get the participation points for the day.
I haven't been to my Theories of NGOs class yet- it only meets on Mondays. I'll have to write about it on Tuesday, if the typhoon that's about to blow through allows for class to happen. I'm actually pretty excited about this class, I think it will tie in pretty neatly with my Political Economy of Development class. We'll see!
Anyways, after a very full day of class it was Friday night in Tokyo. I couldn't possibly just head home- where would be the fun in that? Luckily, at the welcome party I met a girl (the one from SISEC) who was getting a bunch of people together to go to a bar. That's right, a bar. Really cheap drinks, really cheap food. I ordered a soda. Because I've never ordered a drink for myself before and I wouldn't know where to start. I tasted everyone else's though. I think my favorite part of "dinner" was the fried chicken with mayonnaise sauce- it was delicious. But, don't ask me for pictures. The food was making the rounds of the tables (yes, we had three- there was a lot of us) so fast that I couldn't whip my camera around fast enough. There was also cold tomatoes (with more mayonnaise) udon, soba, and lots and lots of pickled kimchi. I was pretty full by the time we all got up to leave.
But, when we left it was still only eight o'clock. And we were still in Tokyo. We couldn't possibly go back to the dorms yet! So a smaller group of us decided to go to Shinjuku again. Except this time we had a guide from Japan. And she took us out a different exit then the one I exited last time. Lots of bright lights and people- it seems to be a trend here!
And then, somehow we ended up in Kabuki-cho. So, the story goes is that it was supposed to be a Kabuki theater district in Shinjuku, but the theater was never built. However, the name stuck. And, in a way I guess there is a lot of performances in the area. Just of the seedier variety. Yeah, that's right, our very sweet Japanese guide took us into the prostitution ring of Tokyo. Not that anything happened. There were lots of big black men hanging outside of strip clubs, trying to get people to come in. And, there were lots of hosts and hostess (think: escorts) standing on street corners with signs. But, no one came up to harass us. I think this is about as "seedy" as Japan gets. My dorm mates said that I needed to see all of Tokyo- I'm not sure I agree. But, it was an interesting experience. Just remember, if you ever go to Shinjuku (at night) and see a bunch of men in button down shirts and vests- they are plying a very specific trade.
Now, before the typhoon hits, I need to go school supply shopping!
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