All of my classes are in English except for Japanese. In addition, most of my classes have international students instead of Japanese students. Practicing Japanese at this school is tricky because everyone here speaks English but the Japanese students here are willing to help practice their Japanese with you if you help them with English.
Compared to America, the books are pretty cheap. The books at Akita cost about $50 each whereas an American textbook costs about $100 each.
Within the two weeks that I have been year, I have discovered that there are five people from Hawaii here including myself. Two people that are currently students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, two people from Hawaii that are going to mainland colleges, and the last student graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2007. It is nice to know that there are people from Hawaii here because it keeps me from getting homesick.
The five of us from Hawaii went out on Thursday night and ate food at this restaurant that sells burgers near the AEON shopping center. The food was delicious and we all talked about our lives in Hawaii, our love for Japan, and our goals for the future.
The five of us want to volunteer for the Akita International University Festival on October 7 and 8 and represent Hawaii. We want to bring the Hawaiian food, culture, and music to the festival. We also want to educate the Japanese people about Hawaii's Japanese population and history.
Sometimes it is hard to believe I am in Japan but living in Akita seems to be pretty relaxing. People here are very friendly and seem interested in getting to know you. It takes a while to get used to the insects and animals here, but once you get used to it you can enjoy the other parts about Japan. I am surprised how safe life in Japan is.
