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Michael- Arrival in Japan

Arrival In Japan

What an experience! I'm Michael Gobin. I will be the 2009-2010 LEX Intern in the Tokyo Office. LEX America has been telling you a lot about me, so I won't take a lot of space on introductions. I will be contributing to this blog a couple times a month over the next year. However, my mentor here in the office is gone on a multi-country adventure for the next week, so I will be spending those days contributing more often. I'll try to paint a picture of what my first few days in Japan have been like.

Even though I spent 14 hours on a plane headed to Japan. It wasn't until I took those first steps off the plane that it hit me like I walked through a curtain that I was in Japan. First of all, it was immediately warmer. Kana went from being an equal language in places where it mattered, to everywhere with English only as a back-up in the important areas. Most importantly though, I became completely illiterate and that's when I knew the adventure had officially began. I had studied abroad, so I was used to not being able to understand, but this was the first time I couldn't sound something out to try to communicate it to someone.

After arriving in the airport, I was met by Akkun from the Transnational Division who helped transport me to my host family's house. After dropping off my bags, I was almost immediately taken to my first hippo club meeting. I will describe this experience in another post.

This rapid pace has been kept up for the entire first week I've been here. I've been shown around my neighborhood by my host mother. I had orientation and welcome at the office. I've gotten to take a holiday trip to Fukui. I have gotten a chance to see many things, however, I have been able to get a chance to sleep and adjust to the time difference too.

Tomorrow = Food

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