I'd like to order people, with a side of noodles.

So I'm finally in my host family's place. We got set up yesterday after buying our teiki (commuter pass) and going out to lunch. Tasty tasty ramen!



I also asked Ayumi (my assigned buddy) what these thin brown things were, and she said kikurage but couldn't explain it, so we looked it up in my electronic dictionary. Do you know what the definition kikurage says? Jew's ear. Wtf, that's all I've got to say. But then she explained that it was a kind of kinoko, or mushroom. Yesterday I ate mushrooms AND fish. In the same day. If you know me at all those are the two things I avoid at nearly all costs, though lately I'd been trying to get a bit more comfortable with them since I knew I wouldn't get to be as picky when I got here.

I have been in and out of my room and on the computer all day so far, so I've kind of drifted away from writing this, but I'll end it with this:
I love Japan. I love the food, the people, the culture, the history. It's not all kittens and lolly pops, and I think you have to understand that to truly love it, but it's such an interesting and rich culture. But god damnit am I lonely, and I've only been here a few days. No boyfriend to talk to, can't call the parents very often, barely skating by with internet at my host family's home what with stealing someone else's connection, and not really anybody I know more than a smidge. I hope that my host family and I get along fine so that I don't have even more pressure there.

Wish me luck? I think I'm just being kind of emo at the moment, haha.