The First of Many New Experiences So, what have my first weeks been like in Japan? ABSOLUTELY BUSY! But, also...AMAZING! Truly, it has been a busy couple of weeks here, but not overwhelmingly so. Furthermore, I`d prefer to be kept busy! Too much free time = too much thinking = homesickness. By keeping a full, fun schedule, with some relaxing and downtime, I can keep engaged with my surroundings, make new friends, and stay sane. To prevent a wall of text, let me break down for you some of my recent activities. So far, I have: Presented about my life in Wisconsin to classes of middle school and elementary school students. Eaten kaiten-zushi, or conveyor belt sushi.  Been interviewed about my biggest surprise when I came to Japan (it`s bluntness in regards to appearance, people won`t hesitate to call someone fat, or tell you that you`ve gotten skinny since they last saw you. As I`ve seen it, it`s never been malicious, just matter-of-fact).  Post filming. To my right is

はじめまして、マディーです！Nice to meet you, I`m Maddie! Hello! Hola! こんにちわ！ Guten tag! 您好! 안녕하세요! Welcome to the LEX Institute/Hippo Family Club`s American intern`s blog. My name is Madison Hartup, and my nickname is Maddie. Please call me Maddie! I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you throughout my time here in Japan. I will be working at the Hippo main office in downtown Shibuya, Toyko, for one full year. My amazing host sisters and I (center) Before I get into the nitty-gritty of what I`ve been up to the past couple of weeks, let me tell you a little bit about myself. My hometown is Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA. Baraboo is a small town of about 11,000 people, and is about an hour northwest of the state capitol, Madison. This past spring I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a degree in East Asian Studies, as well as two minors, one in Japanese professional Communication, and the other in Global Studies. I am 22 years old. My family consists of my par