Yahoo!

Well, I found that doctor. I got my papers signed and everything even though the IEC told me not to worry about it anymore since the health department hadn't called about me. Oh, well. At least I accomplished it.

I visited the Kansai region this past weekend to visit friends, Emi, Akiyo, and Juan, who were exchanges at UMD in the 2007-2008 school year. They were just too good for me! They took me to all the places I wanted to go to, I stayed over at the apartment of one of them and they gave me an early birthday present! It was simply wonderful. The only thing I was really disappointed about was how my Japanese failed me. I barely understood what they said to me, and if I did, it was hard to respond. Augh. It's times like this whether I even have the mental capacity to fully grasp a foreign language. Sure, I can learn some phrases, read a little bit of it and whatnot, but is that all I can do? It feels like it.

Anyway, my trip was a great reunion. I'm so happy I was able to see them. Unfortunately, my friend Ayane wasn't able to join us. She originally had planned to come, but she had a job interview that Sunday.

So yeah, here are the pictures. There are quite a lot.

Osaka!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023469&id=1230390045&l=8a70469a93

Nara!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023470&id=1230390045&l=8746393553

Himeji!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023483&id=1230390045&l=ceb8dd107f

Oy Vey

Arrival, Settling in, Sumo, Random:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017965&id=1230390045&l=fe935f12ae

Yabusame:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020088&id=1230390045&l=e7e5b19b1f

Night Stroll!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020137&id=1230390045&l=93ef55fb67

Performances and First Night Out!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020615&id=1230390045&l=0b59e150e5

Halloween!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2021650&id=1230390045&l=7d04beda4e

More Miscellaneous:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022079&id=1230390045&l=319d3e2ac2

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This week seems to have been epically fail-tastic, as I would say.

There is some confusion as to whether I had swine flu or not - one of the people at the International Exchange Center told me I did have it, but someone else said I had the regular kind. The one that said I had swine flu told me that I needed a doctor's note in order to attend class again. Whomp whomp.

Before my mom went to Blue Cross Blue Shield's website to find doctors that speak English, I was depending on my friend Elizabeth's dad's suggestion (he has lived here countless times). However, finding places in Japan seems to be nearly impossible (it's hard to ask for directions for me). They're not too big on street names here in Japan and there are tons of little not distinctive alleys that you could go through. Needless to say, the first time I tried finding it, I failed. It didn't help my mood that it was raining.

Second time I tried to find it, I was with Elizabeth. I printed out directions that I found on Google maps but there was another problem with that. We took the train from Shibuya to Roppongi and ended up walking back to Shibuya in our vain attempt to find this clinic. Fortunately, because I was with Elizabeth, I felt more compelled to laugh about the unfortunate situation instead of crying about it. She's incredibly good company and a great friend.

I just hope I can find one of the places my mom suggested.

I've also bought a ticket to go to Osaka to visit some friends who were exchange students at Maryland a couple years ago and some from last year. I need to confirm with my friend Ayane that I bought the right ones. I bought the tickets by myself, which I now regret, because I'm worried I may have done something wrong. I wish I understood Japanese.

But that's what I'm here to do right?
It's all very frustrating and tiring.

Oh, and it's freezing now. And raining all the time. Do. Not. Like.