3)living as a local

I have lived in Japan, USA and Czech Republic in past 4 years. Even I only spent a couple of week here but I still have noticed that there are similar culture and of course many differences in three countries. What I love to be in foreign counties is spending enough time to feel local daily life. In my opinion, It is difficult to see just by sightseeing.

As a starter, I would like to make sure that pice of food is a good point when you are looking for
somewhere you would travel especially for students, it would be a good way to save a lot of money. In Olomouc, all meals are basically half cost less than American's. Compared with cost of Japanese meals, It is easily less than half price wherever you go. One time, I went to a restaurant and ordered a meal and drinks. The cost was about 100 korunas which is about 4 to 5 dollars. I was simply surprised how cheap it was. However, I had to pay for water which costs more than having a beer because of it, Locals openly drink alcohol from afternoon but it is socially acceptable here.

Next, we take trams to get school everyday. It is always on time and quite comfortable to take even I am alone. I have never seen actually well-organized public transportations in foreign countries outside of Japan. Moreover, locals do not hesitate to walk. There are nice sidewalks and crosswalks everywhere. I remember when I move to US, all my friends go to college by cars and never walk to places even if they were just 15 minutes far away.  It is interesting thing that many locals here walk a lot but car drivers do not care them and drive cars unbelievably fast in narrow streets.  I still cannot understand how locals can do it without any accidents.

I want to finish my blog with the most important thing for me,FOOD. I'm always disappointed when I go grocery shopping for the first time in new places. Inside of my head, I am so excited to get stuff in need but once I get into a store, things which I want are never stored or I just cannot find them because how they locate things is different. It is like same feeling when you go to a brand new store for getting stuff. You are going to take a way longer time to find what you want.  And also, even I found what I want, it could be totally tricky. For example, getting a ketchup, it could be different taste. So I always trust the taste of vegetable and fruit. Those tastes are worldwide.

Thank you for checking my blog.

7.)Field trip one

From March 19th to 22th, we took a first school trip to Prague and Germany. First day in the morning, I woke up 6am just because I was so excited too see new things and to go to Germany for first time in my life. We bought a ticket to Prague which is a big city in Czech Republic and tried to figured out how to read time schedule at train station. It was quite complicated for me.  Once we got into a train, we were all  excited because the inside of train looked like "Harry Potter train to Hogwarts" and personally, the train ride made my day because it reminded me of Japanese train. With jolting of train, I slept whole two hours and half until arrival except one time, I opened my eyes and saw outside through windows for a minute.  There was such a pretty, green and beautiful view.

After getting off a train, we headed to our hostel quickly to leave our baggages in our rooms then we went to a tour in city. Probably, most of us posted a crazy clock picture on Facebook,blog, Instagram and all other social network services but I want to mention it again that this clock which was actually appeared in Harry Potter movie. It was interesting to see it in Czech because I thought all things which were used in movies were from London.

After visiting and seeing a lot, a lot, a lot of castle and church, I finally found the most my favorite place in Czech Republic, John Lennon wall.

It was not just cool art work but a part of history. It was used to be a normal white wall that did not catch anyone but since 1980s, it has been pained over and over with arts that are inspired by John Lennon's love and peace movement and Beatle's songs. Czech young people like just same age of us, painted on the wall in 1998 to show their anger to communist regime. Their bravery and activities were described ironically by communists. They were called alcoholics or other several disrespectful names. The wall kept changing because even it was full of portraits of Lennon and part of lyrics from Beatle's songs, the next day, repainted into all white and after that, young czechs came to paint the wall again with love and peace art works.
 I have learned that young people were used to be more sensitive and active to society issue and politics but now, we do not have a big knowledge compared with them. I regretted so many times in this tour that I have not been serious to learn history when I saw historical places because I had no idea what those places really meant and I wish I had more knowledge and more opinion. Same age of us made such a big impact on society. I was truly impressed and also motivated to get educated in social issue.

4) language issues First week

This first week reminds me of nervousness that I felt when I came to Kearney,Nebraska 3 years ago.
I am not freaked out as much as I'm used to be thought. Maybe, I just got skilled to go with flow and to bear with situations which are really stressful especially in a new environment.

It is quite interesting to see how all UNK students are getting settle down in unknown place and surroundings because we are all international students here in Czech Republic. Non of us knows Czech very well and even where we are at in city. First couple of days, It was so hard to find a nice place to eat. I tried to be open mined in many ways but I still want to have delicious meals to be satisfied at end of days. It is my thing on must-to-do for surviving list.

I have been struggling with understanding English with accent. Some Czech people can speak in English or at least try to but I have never realized this much how I am horrible at listening English with accents. I can't have any guess what they are saying until I hear perfect English since it is not my first language. The other thing with language issue is ordering food. Most of Czech restaurants do not have English menus so I just basically have to look for pictures or if there were no pictures on menu, I must order a meal randomly. I have no choice beside that. I can't know what I order until it comes in front of me. In all struggling, I have sweet side of it too. "Everyone has been going through same situation."      I always feel there is a wall which separates between Americans and me because I can't speak English perfectly but they can. Now, we all  stand on same line. I think getting together to solve problems with all our brains makes us to be much closer as friends.　

Feeling like I am lost in a maze with my eyes closed. However, I am so glad that I'm also having fun at the same time. Living in foreign country can't be explained into only a word,"experience" but fear, struggling, achievement and whole a lot of emotion.

(language issues)

TRAVEL

                                                                         


                                                  















This world is small and also big. I really want to know what that   

 means. There is not such a thing "too young" or "so old" to travel. So why should I be stuck in only one place now? 

My adventure starts again.

It is so weird for me to stay all day in my house and even to come back to Japan for three month.
BUT, it will be over soon because I am going to jump in a new place, Czech Republic. My adventure starts again. I truly appreciate what I experienced that I have been in US for almost 3 years and also got an opportunity to live in Europe for a while. Not so many students can do these things. I always find new side of me or new things that attract me. I really do not know how I could not see those before I went to places but I am sure staying in new places has something magical or mysterious.