Monday, August 2, 2010

Keep that Ball Rolling

As hard as it is to believe, I do from time to time run out of things to do here in Akita. It's not a bustling metropolis, after all. AIU tries to keep its charges entertained by providing video game systems in the lobby or music studios that students can go use, among other things, but everything seems to be for a small select group of people. The video game systems always have the same 4 guys playing Mario Kart, and the music studios are constantly reserved for the 5 or 6 cookie cutter "rock" bands that live on campus. For these reasons and more I often find myself finding ways to use my time. And when all else fails, I resort to wandering.
From Study Abroad: AIU

Through wandering away from campus I not only find a sink for my time, but also get the lay of the land, and some pictures of the countryside. It's through wandering that I've found Akita to be a really beautiful place, so long as your not near anywhere busy. Once you step outside of town and away from the main roads, you find some real beautiful scenery.
From Study Abroad: AIU


Allow me to change the subject somewhat drastically here. Since comming to AIU I've attended meetings for a handful of clubs, but so far the only one I've stuck with has been AIU's Aikido Club.
From Study Abroad: AIU

Ever since I started taking TaeKwon Do I've enjoyed the discipline of martial arts. Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art and is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. Unfortunatly, due to the nature of University, every time a new student shows up, we have to go back to our most basic forms to give them time to understand them, so that they dont hurt themselves when things get more complex.
From Study Abroad: AIU

Many people who've studied Japan have an understanding of the "In" and "out" crowds, the speach formalities associated with them, and how the are distributed. Aikido Club is my first experience here of being part of the "In" crowd. I've got sempai, or upper classmen who speak informaly to me, and whom I speak formally to, and those under me who I could speak formally to if I knew how. It is with this group that I've had some real fun with. For example, our sempai's birthday at Okonomiyaki!
From Study Abroad: AIU

That is Shugo, the Aikido team Captain. A really cool dude from Aomori. He helps us all out, is happy to speak Japanese or English, and takes the brunt of the punishment if anybody else in Aikido does something to upset Sensei.
From Study Abroad: AIU


Lucky for me, my time spent with the Aikido Club rarely conflicts with the time Sakie and I spend together. While Aikido Club shows me what it's like to be a student at a Japanese University, Sakie shows me what its like to live in Japan.
From Study Abroad: AIU

With her by my side we've traveled to Oga many times, passing by the giant Namahage statues on our way to adventures beyond.
From Study Abroad: AIU

We've taken friends to the beach
From Study Abroad: AIU

And gone to the top of Mt. Kanpu to check out the observatory
From Study Abroad: AIU

From Study Abroad: AIU


I am incredibly blessed to have her with me here in Japan, and I look foreward to having her by my side when it comes time to see the rest of the world.
From Study Abroad: AIU

I love you, Sakie Fuse.