Trip to the Mall! (alone...)

Akita is a "rural" part of Japan. So it is like the area around Jackson,MS. What this means is you can not walk anywhere. So... You have two choices, take a bus to the Mall. Or take a Bus to the train station. I am not brave enough, nor have a need to go the train station. So I went to the Mall, Alone.

This is not really an accomplishment, since I had been there 4 other times with friends. However, since everything is in a language that I do not understand, so it is kinda adventurous!

Anyway, on a side note. If you are a foreigner in Japan staying at AIU and you need to exchange your dollars for yen, so can do so at the mall. There is a Hokuto Bank on the first floor around 4a. They exchange money during banking hours, you just need your passport.

That is why I came to the mall, to exchange money. The bank lady with her little ability of English, and my non-existent knowledge of Japanese were able to communicate enough to where I could exchange most of my money. Except for one sad $20 dollar bill. It was not in the best shape :(

Poor Mr. Jackson. He will have to stay in my wallet.

Then, I had lots time to kill, and I was hungry. So of course I bought some chop-sticks so I could eat. 

I paid about 400 yen for these nice chopsticks with a case. (Of course I found some or 100 yen AFTER I ate with them -_-)

So at the bottom floor of the mall, there is a supermarket! I'll blog more about the mall and supermarkets later, and they have lots of nice things. :)

At the supermarket I bought my lunch. MORE FOOD!

I ate some delicious sushi for 400 yen.

Most of it was pretty good. The third one from the left on the bottom was kinda not very delicious, but everything else was good. ^_^

I also got some vegetable tempura. For 100 yen. (like a dollar). It was delicious.

I also bought a coke for 100 yen. I really wanted one. Plus, in Japan, coke is "Refreshing & Uplifting". It really is!

Anyway, after I bought all the really good food and sat down and ate. I found these in the bag the cashier gave me.

Moral of the story. CHECK PRICES. Don't buy unnecessary chopsticks!

Meh, I need to clean my room, things get dusty here!

Coming Soon: Bathrooms in Japan.

 

AIU and Cafeteria Food

It is inevitable. Anyone who knows my family should not be surprised that my first post is about food. Here is my normal diet, the meal plan at AIU. The food ranges from delicious, to  "force myself to eat it so I will not be hungry".




Here is a typical breakfast. 
They will serve you - a random salad, a random meat, bread, and another side dish, anything from eggs to kelp. :P
Also, You get as much white rice and miso soup as you want. (It is a very good thing I like miso soup and rice).

As a side note, I eat a lot more than most Japanese people. They probably would eat about half of what is in this picture. XD


Sometimes the staff makes some really good food. Here is a picture of Pumpkin gratin. It is like potatoes au-grautin, but with pumpkin instead of potatoes. Actually very delicious. Oishii Desu!

However, sometimes the food is not very delicious. It seems the food is good when they cook Asian food. However, once they stray from that, not very good. I had some terrible "loco moco", and "Hamburg steak". However, the staff are some of the hardest workers I have ever seen. :) Very good people.


Here is a dinner. I think those were pork patties. They were good. There is some rice and miso soup. Three times a day everyday! Most of time you get a random side dish (Usually recycled from breakfast or lunch) or sometimes a couple of vegetables. The 


This is probably the hardest thing about adjusting to the cafeteria food: Most food is NOT warm. See those potatoes and carrots? Not warm. Eggs at breakfast, NOT WARM, See the pork patties? Not warm. See the rice and miso Soup? Warm :) Make sure you develop a taste for rice and miso soup. In America, you are required to hold foods above or below certain temperatures for health reasons. Above 140 F, or below 40 F. I don't believe so in Japan, at least keeping foods warm. You will see more examples of this later when we explore the super market. ;) 
None of the food (that is warm in America), is cold, so I think they are cooking the food, but they just don't maintain the temperature of the food.

There are toaster ovens, and a microwave. But the microwave has a big colorful sign on it that says "Trouble". So I haven't used it yet. :P I really need to take a picture of it.


Meh, enough about cafeteria food. 


Sayonara!　（Good Bye)


さよなら！

Hello World ^_^

Welcome to "Hikari No Akita". The purpose of this blog is two fold. I hope to post information that students that decide to come to Akita International University (or Japan in general) will find useful. Also I think this probably the best way to keep people informed about my stay here at Akita Japan. Facebook chat and mass emails do not seem suitable to me.  :/


So, here is useful background information that you may need to read this blog. At the moment (hopefully not for long) , I know very little Japanese at all. Not exactly a good thing, however, it makes this that much more of an adventure. 
By reading this blog, you also agree to the following disclaimer. :)
(I think the years of wanting to be a lawyer have taken its toll)


Disclaimer:  
We at Hikari no Akita can not be held responsible in any way from any loss, damage, etcetera that may have happened from following information posted or implied at this blog. 


I do not claim to be knowledgeable about Japan, Akita, or anything of the sort.
Therefore if I post some blatantly wrong, please correct me in a appropriate manner. Overtly rude comments will be deleted!
End of Disclaimer.


May the Rest of the blog be much more fun! :)