First day

A rough, rough, roughhh draft. Too tired to flesh it out just yet. A lot happened today.
I'll fix it up soon!


Last night I arrived in Okazaki to start my new life. This sense of freedom is... it's really nice. I've already attempted to cook (convenient store onigiri for breakfast... it froze during the night because my heater didn't work). Cooking as in... trying to heat it up sans microwave. A mild success.
Now that I'm on my own for the first time in my own place, it's feels easier to take charge of things.

frozen night
stars outside window
7:30 wake up
walk around okazaki, wanted to go to daiso hyaku en shop, nothing open yet
got to swing in the park early in the morning
went to a cafe named machimi, got to touch/play an otomatone talked with mama-san, master-san, and pu-san, lady thought i was fifteen.
despite it being winter, most of the foliage is still green
in each little lake (there are quite few) there is a pair of swans. I looked at them for a while,
and as I walked along the sidewalk next to the lake, the swan would swim along side me. glide glide glide booosh, glide glide glide
if I stopped the swan would do a 360
there were two folks fishing, one of which was wearing high-heeled rain boots.
I then went to the now-open book store, which consisted mostly of magazines and manga from what I could tell. Porn was openly displayed in some aisles, it was kind of shocking to see... especially since it's all drawn
then went to daiso hyaku en shop.
bought most of my apartment essentials there for under 5000 yen.
Things are really reasonably priced here... not expensive at all.
very cold here
walked through cemetary near apartment, saw some little birds
saw kamen cider in vending machine
nakane-san, the man who looks like a kind, cartoon mouse, drove me to the yamasa II building this afternoon after I finally managed to take a shower. I met one of the office workers/staff. After that, we walked back down the stairs, and there were half a dozen men in suits. I got super nervous and thought I was going to meet all of them, but they were just waiting for the president of the school, thankfully. PHEWW
they were nice though, and asked if I was a new student.
Afterwards, when Nakane-san dropped me off back at my apartment, I went right back out. I was so excited to see everything! (Also I was super hungry).
I went to the Woodpecker (kitsutsuki) cafe where all the Yamasa students hang out. I went in order to grab a bite and to hopefully meet some other students- but there were only the two ladies behind the counter, a portly man in a suit and a chainsmoking short-haired older lady sitting at the counter. I decided to sit with them in order to have a conversation with these folks. The old lady spoke in a deep gravelly voice, she clearly didn't give a shit what you thought, she was in charge. Of course as soon as I sat down she lit one up.  The smell reminded me of being at Knox back in the U.S. All the philosophy majors would discuss ideas on the cafe patio while chain smoking. They were always more than welcome to let me put in my two cents and offer me a cigarette. It was comforting to smell that smell again, although as soon as I remembered that I had to do my own laundry, I quietly blew the lofty, curling streams of smoke away from me out of the side of my mouth while she wasn't looking.
I was given a menu, chose curry rice.
The cafe itself was comfortable and intimate for a student gathering place- behind the counter it was cluttered but the lived-in looks of it... and the fact that she took everything out of the fridge right in front of me... there was a kind of "yeah, I'm your mom I'll cook you some food" vibe. How can anyone not like that?
Girls' volleyball was on tv.
I told the ladies about my first night, that I slept in my coat. They were really nice, told me if I had any problems or questions, to just come to them.
Then, from the back door, a Japanese man with a tan pleather jacket and a grey Henrick-esque trimmed bush of hair came in and talked familiarly with the ladies. They told me he was Yamasa staff and trustworthy. They told him about my problem with the air conditioner and he told me he would come over at 5:30 after I finished my grocery shopping.
My stomach is still weak/sick from the long flight, so I was able to shop reasonably without buying every delicious thing I saw.
I bought a small bag of clean rice, an assorted furikake packet set, onigiri seaweed, darjeeling loose tea, Koara no Machi, 3 instant ramens, face wash (fuwa fuwa!), lotion, soy sauce and some salt flavoring. I wanted to buy fish, but that can wait for when I can actually cook it. Gotta cook rice before you can run, sport.
Got home safely.
Note: don't walk by yourself at night, be safe!
The man with the bushy hair and tan pleather coat was at his car when I got there, he fixed the heater, explained to me how to use the aircon remote with some words I don't know yet, called my drawing cute, and left.
Feeling comfortable now that I don't have to wear 3 pairs of socks.
Already feel at home here, considering I'm already calling it my home.