Beware of International Fees!!

Never ever ever use your debit card overseas esp. in Japan! Just use your cash! Because these international fees are autrocious. Like if you use a debit card to purchase a $1.05 of cookies at a convenient store it'll come out to be $9 damn you have international fees!! So remember just use cash! Also don't check your balance on the atm machine because it'll cost you $5 more. Also instead of waiting at the post office to get money in Japan you can go to the convenient store like 7 Surplus to take money out whenever there is a plus star on the ATM and if it's on your card you can take money out! and it's 24/7. Well, that's all and beware of the international fees!

Nightclubs

So Lately, I've been to about 4 nightclubs in the Shinsaibashi area in Osaka. They've been good well 2 out of 4 not bad, but I decided to well I'm going to focus on more sightseeing. I want to see the rest of Japan and the beauty of it besides I have Las Vegas as my nightclub paradise. But I must say Club Azure is one of the best nightclubs in my personal opinion in the kansai area. The people are friendly, the guys are cute and the music is hip hop! So if you want to go to a good nightclub 4th saturday ladies 500 yen aka $5 and dance the night away. But yeah, now I just want to do sightseeing and nope I feel that I'm not going to miss out on anything! Byezz

S.I.J Sistas in Japan

I have decided to create a group called SIJ the Sistas in Japan! Since, I live in the kansai area I have put out ads calling out black women in this area for our monthly outing. Every month, we meet up just to discuss the life of a black woman in Japan. I haven't had my first meeting but it will take place at Sweets Paradise in Nishinomiya. I am very excited to have this meeting esp. to combine different flavas and shades of chocolate women in Japan to be together once a month. I feel once a month is good enough so you won't take it for granted,it's convenient, and since it's scare you won't take it for granted again! Plus every week, is a little bit too excessive so once a month is perfect. Other than that, I'm very excited and Sweet Paradise is an all you can eat dessert restuarant for $14! Yay!! So I will get back to you on how the first meeting goes.

True Friends

At my school back in Las Vegas, University of Nevada Las Vegas I knew a lot of people and a lot of people knew me. It was easy for me to talk to others and share my sense of humor with others. But then, I got to Kwansei Gakuin and since my japanese isn't up to par I found it difficult for me to make a lot of friends. It was hard for me to find someone that understood me and had the paitence for my non native abilities to speak japanese. So I joined an online english and japanese community to seek out language partners and others that understood my situation. I mean don't get me wrong I put myself out there at Kwansei Gakuin but it was just tough but then I ended up making a small amount but fabulous friends outside of Kwansei Gakuin. This made me evaluate what a friendship means to me. I feel that it's easier to find out who your true friends are when you can't speak the language compared to when you're native because when you're native it's just mostly words but when you're not you have to go by actions. Basically, true friends are made of action not words but actions. The people that I met at Kwansei Gakuin are amazing and I know will do great things. It's a dream come true to meet others that share the same passion for japanese and that are smart or better yet smarter than me and that can teach me things. UNLV is not a bad school but sometimes I felt where are the ones that pay attention in their classes and want to share their wealth of knowledge. At Kwansei Gakuin, I love my international friends the study abroad students like me because they're so intelligent not the "Oh I think I know everything but I don't" but the down to earth intelligent students that are very worldy which is a huge plus. So now I really do want my circle to be smaller and tighter where I can have life long friends that are not all about words but that are about actions and how they can help. I'm so happy to meet a few good japanese people in Osaka that see my personality beyond my non native japanese language skill. They make me smile, laugh and show me around Osaka and other parts of Japan. Other than that, I'm attempting to be a freelance write for a Kansai magazine for the Kansai area of Japan. I will submit my resume and hopefully I will be able to write for them and be able to meet wonderful people in Osaka. I will keep you posted if I get the job! Well laters!

The best Cell phone to get in japan

The best cell phone to get in Japan hands down is SOFTBANK! I love this company but sadly I have docomo. Don't get docomo docomo is too expensive unlimited text messages per month is $39! While unlimited text messages for softbank is $3.00! To get a prepaid phone is about $140 or less with softbank. Docomo the cheapest phone can run between $200-and up depending on what store you go to. Every store you go to has different phones and some don't even have phones so keep this in mind! But when in Japan, do yourself a favor and get softbank! Another thing to the best school that I think is the best for foreign students in the kansai osaka area is hands down Kansai Gaidai. I think it's safe to assume that they are really friendly towards international students because it's common for students there to study abroad! I really like this school and the messages that I recieved were actually Kansai Gaidai students. I don't think Kwansei Gakuin students are very friendly towards international students. Unless, you japanese is great they're really not that friendly. Trust me I'm very friendly and I've tried to participate in clubs and hang out with fellow students but it doesn't work they're not very friendly. Other than that for Docomo, yeah don't get docomo! Just get softbank.

My biggest complaint about this country and Inauguration Day

Like always, every morning I read Japan Times Online and I was reading this article on how the ministry wants to boost up the number of vocabulary words the students learn from 1300 to 1800. Well, many teachers are furious and complain that it's not going to help and that they need more practice on speaking, and more classes available during the school time. They also complain about how they don't understand anything and what goes on. The teachers had compelling argument but because of the culture they stay indirect and keep quiet to avoid conflict. The sad part is that the government knows this and they take advantage of this! So in a way, the manipulate this to always have their way! But if there's a problem about foriengers everyone gets loud and points fingers! This is when they start to protest (the japanese people) get to together and start saying what's really on their mind! Is that something! Now if they can do that with issues that affect them they would get somewhere. Other than that, I wish there were viewing parties in Osaka but there was none but a lot of them were in Tokyo though. In that aspect I like Tokyo more because they're more progressive and international. They know what's going and plus they have Shibuya which is hella cheap for shopping. But yeah, I was asleep and then I watched it. I was so pleased to see him elected president he deserves it! He proved those arrogant politicians wrong which was a huge relief. But his speech made me proud, and I feel that America will become more open minded. For once, I am very proud to be an american. God bless America.

Fresh Fresh Bento everyday

One of the things that I really like about Japan, is the every day fresh made bentos that the supermarket provides! Everyday, the supermarket makes fresh sushi and bentos prepared of that day every hour the prices goes down until closing time when it is super cheap because it is not fresh anymore. In America, we do it by the day what we call fresh is usually about a couple of days old and then maybe on the last day of the week there might be a 30% discount. For example, I got a nice delicious bento for about $2.80 and it was on a 30% discount. I was in heaven it was okinamiyaki and yakisoba..yum yum I love okinamiyaki! I also noticed that they only have drink vending machines not vending machines with snacks just drinks. Another factor, on why japanese people are soo skinny but then again there's also a cigarette vending machine to it too. I shall post pics. of this next time but here's a pic. of a bento