Oh the places you will go...

Houses and boats along side a river that flows from Lake Biwa. It was named this because it is in the shape of an upside down biwa. It is also one of the worlds oldest lakes going back almost 4 million years.

After being awake and traveling for more than 24 hours I finally arrived at JCMU Monday night. The traveling was pretty uneventful just a lot of waiting. The fun part was when I had to go through customs. Out of the group of six of us I was the only three of us had to get our bags search but I was the lucky one that had to get pulled away from everyone into a room and have the entirety of my bag pulled out and searched through. It was slightly traumatizing seeing as I don't know any Japanese, but I made it.  

I am staying in a rural town called Hikone (He-cone-ay) located in the Shiga prefecture. I'm right in the middle of the main island Honshu on the largest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa. The whole area is surrounded by mountains. It's very beautiful, but also extremely humid. I don't think I've gone a day without sweating profusely.

After two days of orientation, I have started classes. I'm taking an intensive language course which meets for three hours, five days a week and a culture and society course. The language class was slightly overwhelming but I'm hoping it will get better as I become more accustomed to the language.

My backyard.

My favorite part so far has been riding around Hikone. Everyone gets a bike at JCMU and it's how we get around. The town is an interesting mesh of old and new. It has a a large shopping area with big billboards, but it is also home to one of only four castles in Japan.

It has not been impossible to get by without knowing Japanese. Most of the important places I've had to visit (airport/city hall) has always had someone who could speak English and at restaurants I just point on the menu to the food I want.  I have no idea what I'm getting but so far its all been good. I am extremely grateful for the friends I've made though. Most of them are proficient enough to help me out when I am completely lost.

Deanna takes a photo of Kristen during out exploration of Hikone. We look like giant tourists, the helmets and picture taking don't help.