I've been in Japan for about a month now. Classes have begun, and I am starting to get settled into everything. I still have not gotten used to the trains in the morning though. Unfortunately I usually go to school during rush hour and it is pretty miserable. Every single part of your body is in contact with someone else, people throw elbows and cram themselves into the smallest nooks on the train, and its HOT in there. It takes all my effort not to get pissed off every morning... other than that Tokyo's great.

After a month of living in Japan, I must admit that I still have no idea what most people are ever saying to me, but I have gotten damn good at acting like I do. I have all the sounds and expressions down, I just don't really know what they mean... In all honesty though I definetly have seen an improvement in my Japanese, and I am beginning to be able to converse with my host mother fairly well, which is exciting.

Classes are good but they are pretty easy, they kind of remind me of high school lecture classes, and although my department is an English speaking department. Its hard to call what some of the professors and students speak as English. I am actually taking a Japanese History class, in English, and taught by a German professor, who spent most of his time studying in Russia... ya I know.

I have been playing lacrosse with the Sophia University lax team for the past couple weeks and its been really fun to play again. I am the only "gaijin" white person on the team, and only a couple of the guys speak English so its definitely different but its been fun. I am also really big here which is awesome, I mean really big. Im only a little taller than average, but all the Japanese guys are skinny, and they ask me for training tips, and all that sort of questions its really funny. I was actually working out at a public gym near my house about a week ago. After I got done lifting these two about 16 year old girls and their MOMs came up and I asked for my autograph, I obliged... I cant dissapoint my fans... remind me why I am going back to America?

I actually do miss the US, I had my first McDonalds today, I was craving a burger, and I miss you all and hope you're all doing great. Cant wait to see you again.


Kyle