Ebb and Flow

Today I am learning about yin and yang, the ebb and flow of things. Here are some examples of the ebb and flows of my life as of recent:

-A day ago I was having a fluent (and interesting) conversation in Japanese with Sakura (one of my tutors)...the ebb and flow takes hold...9:30am today I find myself in a 3 hour Japanese grammar test trying to figure out how to fill out the test, much less writing correct answers on it.

-A day ago I thought my two-minute haiku was highly successful...and then...non-dyslexic, Mike, tells me that haiku syllables go 5-7-5, not 7-5-7.

-Tonight I wrote a brilliant self-introduction! I spent two hours on it...yin and yang...as I'm sending it to my four professors I accidentally change the title from "Lorino's Self-Introduction" (in Japanese) to Lorino’s [insert nonsensical symbols]. It's going to look really foolish; my title that's mentioned three places is complete gibberish.

-A week ago eating a bowl of rice made me ill and green tea repulsed me...now...I'm drinking and eating the stuff like my life depends on it (though in a way it sort of does) and enjoying it!

Aside from the literal ebb and flow of water (which is abundant right now; it's raining), there are the highs and lows of studying abroad. As for now, my 'low points' (they're not that low), are entirely learning experiences.

I wonder what events will mark tomorrow. Tomorrow is my first real class, today there was a three hour placement exam. Mike and I are the only students and there are four professors. I think this is one of the most intimidating experiences of my life thus far. I get a touch nervous when one person with a doctorate's is talking to me...now there's going to be four of them? And I can't speak the language?! Eh, no use complaining, after all it's not like they're going to be surprised by my lack of language.

I will deliver on my promise; the hand washing habits of the Japanese peoples. So they wash their hands before meals at fancy places. But, and this is so gross to me, they only rinse their hands after the bathroom! A lot of the time, in public bathrooms, there aren't any soap or towels to be found. I still don't know entirely what to think of that...

Stay tuned to PITiBSJ for the random high school girl that introduced herself to me in the grocery store, what the first American car I saw was and to find out if I lived through my first day of classes (and if I did, what pastry aided me in my survival)!