Landed in Japan!

HEY GUYS, I know I've been MIA for a while and that's because I was super busy with work everyday and a lot of preparations before I flew. Yesterday I finally landed in Japan, Fukuoka, after a hefty 17 hour flight D: For those of you that don't know, I'm here for exchange at Kyushu University for half a year OMG and it's the first time I've ever flown alone, lived alone and will be away from my family and friends for SO LONG. To be honest, above being excited, I was more frightened. Frightened of flying off to an unknown place where I literally knew no one. Luckily, my lovely friends did all come to send me off, so my trip started quite warm and fuzzy :D

ANYWAYS, I've managed to not miss a flight or catch the wrong flight so that's step one completed successfully AHAH. The thing that took me by surprise was the fact that Kyushu University is literally in the middle of the countryside. When the uni's shuttle bus came to pick us up, it drove towards the mountains. Now, I've heard about there being lots of mountains, so I thought maybe the city is just over the other side. BUT NOPE, we pretty much stopped on top of the mountain and that's where my dorm is T_T. Now I thought I would at least be prepared for the dorms because I had previously seen photos of it on their website. BUT NOPE AGAIN, it is a small apartment with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom BUT when I say small, I mean that the whole 'apartment' is literally the smaller than my bedroom in Australia. The thing that took me by surprise most was the fact that the closest is hanging on the wall above my bed. ABOVE MY FACE when I sleep. WHAT.

In our dorm rooms, we don't get wifi so your computer can connect to internet through an cable but no phone. I can no longer habitually check Facebook and Instagram first thing I wake up in the morning nor watch youtube in bed at night, NOOOO. I'm hoping to get a mobile sim and some mobile data as soon as I can.

Another thing that I was totally not prepared for is the weather here. The seasons are opposite Australia so it should be Autumn heading into winter in Dec. So, thinking that it must be somewhat cold, I brought with me long sleeves and huge coats. HOWEVER, its like 30 degrees here?! That leaves me boiling in my track pants and jacket and hunting for some t-shirts in the malls. Japanese fashion is also very different to what I'm used to in Australia, everything is very feminine, lace, ruffles, you name it. Went around 5 or so shops yesterday and left with one clothing item. Now for those that know me, thats not a Hannah thing to do.

Yesterday was a full on day. We had orientation where we were told about rubbish division, water and electricity bills, rent, bedding rental, university events, sim cards, internet usage, Fukuoka city, etc. A total information overload there, wasn't really sure how much of that I actually absorbed... We then got assigned a mentor who took me to the municipal office to have my address put on my residence card and register for National Health Insurance. In Japan you pretty much pay something like 1700yen a month for NHI and it covers 70% of all medication/treatment fees. Sounds pretty good but I'm not planning on needing any medical treatment (*fingers crossed*).

We then went furniture/clothes/grocery shopping. I was going to do a moving-in haul for you guys but most of its like slippers, chopping board and cutlery so I decided it would be better not to bore y'all with that. What I realised with the furniture was you can go to a boutique and buy a pair of slippers for 2000yen or go to the 100yen store and get a similar pair for 100yen. HMMM, so you'd think my mentor would take me to the latter first. BUT NOPE. So just putting a warning out there, if you come to Japan for exchange, do be smart (unlike me) and visit the 100yen store first. There's really no point spending too much on furniture that you won't be taking back anyways.

Another shock I got was in the fruit section of the supermarket. Apples are sold at almost 200 yen EACH and because the exchange rate is so low for AUD atm, thats like $3 for an apple O.O I've heard about fruit being expensive in Japan but WHAT. The size of their apples is also eye-opening. Literally, the almost double the size of the normal ones in Aust! On top of that their price tags come with two prices, one with tax and one without tax. BUT WHY. I mean you've got to pay tax anyways so its not like the first price applies to anyone??

Anyways, I've got another orientation today and a introductory 2 day/1 night trip tomorrow! I heard we're going to explore the countryside... and got to the hot springs YAAAY. I'll update you guys as I get more things done, but for now, bye~

xx H.