I am the Internet

So thanks to my neighbor and fellow Japanese learner Sarah I got my modem to work.

I have internet.

I HAVE INTERNET.

So yesterday I arrived at Narita and couldn't find the KCP representative OR anyone else. I waited at my gate for a long time. And no one. I tried calling. No luck. I had the help desk page for anyone from KCP. No luck. And this is why I love, and have always loved, the staff at Narita. They were completely devoted to helping me connect with the rest of my group. They had me wait by the help desk while they checked nearby areas for people when I heard my name over the airport's PA system. They then called the other end of the airport and found out that my group was at Terminal 1, which I needed to take a bus to.

I was never informed that I needed to go to Terminal 1. HAHAHA.

So I made it and got information packets and stuff on how to get to the school, when to get there, train tickets, et cetera and then caught a bus (bus ticket and train tickets were paid for by the school, thankfully) to Kasai with two other girls. When we got off the bus we picked up our luggage and connected with Saito-sensei who was there to meet with us and escort us to the dorm.

When I first heard that I was living in a dorm I thought more along the lines of college dorm... but this is just a normal dorm where lots of people live and is a lot like an apartment complex. I have a super mini-kitchen, a big closet, a bed (plus bedding, which was a bonus), a bathroom, a desk, and a sweet balcony... all in one room. It is my dream room. AND I have a remote-controlled heater. So right now I'm living on the 10th floor in Kasai.

This morning I woke up super early (mostly because I went to sleep early since I hadn't slept in maybe 36+ hours-ish) and had onigiri and coffee for breakfast. I bought a carton of coffee. It is marvelous stuff. We all met up in the lobby at 7:45 AM with two girls that are already students at our school and we walked to the Kasai station and crammed into a train (COMMUTER HOURS WEEEE) and rode that for about 20 minutes until arriving at Otemachi (the kanji literally mean "Big Hand Town") and then caught a connecting train to Shinjuku-gyoenmae, from which we walked to the school.

There was an entrance ceremony and we took a placement test and then got to take a brief tour around the main part of Shinjuku. I'm excited to go back and really take a good look since we were in a large group and I don't like sight-seeing in large groups. We walked back to the school and then trained back home and then got ramen at a place right underneath our building.

And then Sarah came over and blessed me with modem knowledge so that I could let everyone know that I AM NOT DEAD I AM PERFECTLY OK I JUST DID NOT HAVE INTERNET.

Tomorrow morning we have to be at the school by 9:00 AM for orientation and things. And stuff. I was placed at level 3 with my score (I made lots of dumb errors because I was nervous D:) but if it's overwhelming I'm going to switch to level 2, since they know that I need to pass my courses for credit at CWU. I forgot so much kanji it's not even funny. It's terrifying, actually. So unless if I can magically relearn a lot of kanji by this week I'm going to demote myself to level 2, which is really ok with me.

It looks like I'm going to be dedicating the majority of my time to studying, which is fine, since it will prevent me from going out and buying dumb things. I can reserve my weekends for funsies.

Tomorrow we're going to learn about the pre-paid phones that Softbank has available and how all that junk works. There's a Softbank in Shinjuku that has staff that speak fluent English so that's a big relief... because I don't want to have to rely on my rusty Japanese skills in order to get a working phone.

I'll start posting pictures as soon as I start taking more. I have only a handful from today, including the beautiful sunrise I watched from my balcony this morning.

Now it's time to catch up on all the wonderful internet things I have been missing.

PS: All of the train stations in Japan so far smell like fart.