My cat cafe experience!

*All pictures are mine! Taken with iPhone 5s camera*

Hi everyone! 

So a couple weeks ago I got the chance to visit my very first cat cafe! Temarinoouchi! (link is to their website~). This adorable cat cafe is located in Tokyo and it wasn't too hard to find at all for it being upstairs in a shared building. Upon arriving, we found ourselves outside of what felt like a house in Studio Ghibli! It had a real garden theme to it. I was really loving the cute cat shaped doors!

don't mind my extremely excited face hehe :^)

As soon as we walked inside we were greeted by the waitresses who wore maid-like outfits, so cute! I wish I could have gotten a picture with one of them without feeling like such a creep haha. At this cafe, you pay one price for an admission fee and you are welcome to stay as long as you want, this may be different at other cafes, where you are asked to pay by the hour! Luckily, we had someone who spoke Japenese/English so she was able to translate the rules for us, such as don't pick up the cats or feed them non-cat food. 

Entering the actual cafe/cat room was so magical! It is such a peaceful place and the lighting was amazing - it made me a little sleepy actually, haha! I love their chandeliers and the adorable little hut. There were some Japanese students doing their homework inside while enjoying some tasty looking drinks! There were also cute kitties crawling everywhere, of course~ :)

We stayed and played with some kitties for about two hours. To be honest, the cats were so chill but they didn't seem to want to be touched unless you had food! They knew what was up, they really make you work for that attention! But there were cats that were so sleepy and let people pet them and it was so cute :3 

They had so many different types of cats, of course I'm not familiar with the specific names. But I notice they did have a "munchkin cat"! You know, the one with the short little legs! He was too cute, if I was a really mean person I would have taken that cat...

Munchkin kitty! So hard to get a picture of him being still.
 

This cat was my absolute favorite! I just love his smashed face look, I promise he wasn't angry at me haha! (Well, maybe. I was all over him...). He seemed to be the most popular, but how can he not be!? He's too cute. I don't remember his name but I'm sure you can find it on the website if you were really interested. All the cats had a profile on them in their own little biography book, it was so funny and adorable. They're all famous!

Here are some more cats that I loved! The white/brown fluffy cat (right top picture) slept the whole time, but he/she would occasionally look up with these big sweet eyes, my heart melted! All of these cats (including the ones not in the pictures) were so funny. Sometimes we would catch them trying to eat off people's plates or playing with their plastic bags. 

Unfortunately I did not try the drinks or food because we had planned on grabbing lunch somewhere else after shopping, but I did check out the menu and it was reasonably priced! Some food ranged from curry with rice to chicken tenders and fries. The drinks were coffees or juice, and you could get a variety of sweets, such as cake! You can find the list of foods on their website and click on the strawberry short cake on the left hand side :^)

Finally, in a small nook of the cafe, we noticed a basket full of notebooks that were filled with cute pictures or "diary" entries from customers. Obviously I couldn't exactly read, but there were some English entries and they wrote how much they enjoyed the cafe! Pretty cool :)

Here's some pictures that I found HILARIOUS/adorable in the notebooks!

Overall, I would give this place a 10/10 just based on my experience with the cats. I had so much fun just relaxing with my friends and playing with the cats, occasionally catching them up to no good!

Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions!
Until next time... 

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Hiroshima Adventures!

Hey everyone!
After so many crazy adventures and trying to catch up on sleep, I thought I'd let you guys know how I have been doing as well as what has been going on. It's crazy to think that 2 months have already gone by and I only have 2 left -- I'll admit, when I first left for Japan, I was terrified and crying. I was so confused as to why I was acting like this because everyday up until then I was so excited, but I guess I had never realized that I would be all on my own. But after a few weeks of being here, I realize I was never alone once I met all of the people that I can now call my friends. I think by the time that I need to go back to the U.S., I'll be ready. But I'll never be ready to leave my friends here.

A little on my experience with homesickness, I don't think it really has hit me. I of course missed people, but I have been so caught up with life here that I barely have any time to really think about it. And I think that is the most important thing to do when you're abroad, stay busy, active, and positive. I've gotten into the habit of working out everyday so that has really helped. I'll admit though, a part of me is really excited to return home and start the new school year because I've grown really close with some people back home while I've been here.

The language has been incredibly difficult for me to grasp, but that hasn't stopped me from studying, although some days it just feels impossible. My friends here have been really supportive though when I feel frustrated about my language learning journey! There are no short cuts or easy ways to learn a language, you just have to study and study and study.

On to my recent adventures, not too long ago I returned from Hiroshima! It was an amazing experience to say the least. We went to Hiroshima's Memorial Park and watched many groups of students recite their promise of peace. The museum at the park had struck so many emotional chords, I couldn't help but get teary eyed at some of the things we saw -- such as the after effects of the bomb on people that had survived it. I recommend anyone to see it because it does change your life in a way that is hard to explain -- it is not a place to feel guilt but to remember the lives of the people that are now gone and look forward to a future of peace. 

Memorial Park in Hiroshima

After visiting the museum, we went sight seeing and came across the exact place where the bomb was dropped, strangely enough this building was one of the very few buildings that wasn't destroyed. I can't really explain why, but it felt strange being here.  Afterwards, we got ice cream and fresh orange juice and enjoyed our treats by the river.

Building that wasn't destroyed completely by the bomb.

For the rest of the time we were near Hiroshima's Memorial Park, we stopped at a memorial place for the children that lost their lives. It seemed to be almost somewhat of a shrine because of all the beautifully, bright colored cranes that had adorned these protective cases for the cranes. They say that 1,000 cranes equals one wish, and the story for that famously comes from the girl who was able to make all of those cranes and even more. Her name was Sadako Sasaki who later died from the after effects of the bomb -- her story as well as the cranes are a symbol of all the innocent victims of the war. Each year, 1,000 cranes or more are brought to the shrine by students -- there were easily over 100,000 cranes. The picture below is just a fraction of what was there.

Cranes from students for Hiroshima's Memorial Park

After an awesome weekend in Hiroshima, we took the Shinkansen back to Yokohama. It was a long day of traveling! After a day's worth of rest in Yokohama, we went on another educational excursion to my school's seminar house in Yugawara, relatively close to Hakone! Our first stop on our way to Yugawara was Mt. Fuji. Mt. Fuji was so beautiful and an experience I will never forget, we climbed on the 5th level, which is not relatively high but it is still quite the hike! We could obviously not climb all the way to the top, haha! :^)

On the way to Fuji!

You could say the view also left me pretty speechless.

View from level 5 of Fuji

Again, sorry for the incredibly late post! But I hope you enjoyed an insight to my trip!

Until next time,

Paige

The First Week in Japan

Hey everyone! So much has happened to me these past two weeks because, well, I'm finally in Japan!!! I am terrible sorry for the late post. I've been so busy here trying to get adjusted...

I landed in Japan on March 25th at Narita Airport around 4 PM. The flight itself was a long one. I think I was awake for over 24 hours since I was coming back from Pittsburgh, PA the day before I left -- so I had to finish packing all night. By the way, jet-lag SUCKS.

When I arrived at Narita, I was greeted by my program director. He and his colleague took me and another student to a Japanese Denny's! At this point, I wasn't so enthused because I really just wanted a shower and sleep. But I did enjoy the fact that the food tasted fresh! I got some sort of pork dish and it was fantastic. The restaurant was so interesting to me too, the waitresses all dress in the same adorable maid-like outfit and their hair is done the same way. It looked like a milk-maid braid! Being in Japan for only 4 hours at this point and I see so many differences. Afterwards, I was taken to my host family's house, this was probably around 9 PM since the drive from Tokyo to Yokohama took hours because of traffic!

On the way to Yokohama, we drove by Tokyo Disney!!

Anyway,

My host family is very kind. We get along really well and I'm so happy I can talk to them everyday about anything. My host mother actually studied English in America for one year while studying English at a University in Japan. So, it has been easy to learn Japanese from her with an English explanation! I really love my room, too. It's the perfect size for me!

My room before settling in officially~

My first actual day in Japan, my host family and I went to a mall called Tressa. It was fairly close by car so we went there to pick up some groceries and a purse for me (because I'm stupid and forgot to pack one)! Tressa was decorated for Kodomo no hi (Children's Day)! There were many koi fish flags and bright colors! It was really cute even though the weather wasn't so great.

I ended up getting a pink purse and some notebooks for school, the flower printed notebook in the photo below is a notebook I have dedicated to Japanese words or phrases that I've learned. So far, I feel like it is helping me remember what I've learned from my host family and friends. I would suggest anyone trying to learn a language at all to do this!

Classes have been amazing as well, I was so nervous -- thinking they would be entirely different from my own in America. Some of the students here are so inspiring, they want to learn so much. Especially English! A lot of people are amazed that I am from America and know English, which I of course felt like it was no big deal, but after awhile I think I am finally starting to understand what it means to be an American after hearing about other countries from a first perspective in class with my classmates. 

All of my little adventures up until now have been a little surreal. It's hard to believe that everyday I get to wake up in a beautiful city every morning and that I have so many new, wonderful friends that I am able to connect with even if we don't entirely know each other's languages. The spirit of the Japanese people never ceases to amaze me when they are always willing to help another person despite language barriers.

Until next time! ~

The Journey Begins

A lot has happened since I last wrote to you all (and hopefully this blog post makes up for it), and I'm happy to tell you first that I officially received my acceptance/welcome letter from Yokohama College of Commerce. It still feels unreal that in a month I will be heading to Japan. March 24th to be exact! I am so honored to be going to this school, I am beyond excited!

Part of my acceptance letter from YCC! So cool!

I still have so much more to do before I leave. I finally obtained my VISA, it is really cute because of the cherry blossoms printed on it! 

I left out my face because I looked a bit ridiculous, haha!

From now until the day I leave will be super busy, but I am excited to take it on with a positive attitude now that things seem to be falling in the right place. My thoughts have been consumed with the Vira I. Heinz program and YCC. I have been really stressed that I may have missed a deadline somewhere along the way or maybe not sending in the right paperwork -- anything that could really mess up my study abroad plans. I have really learned a lot about myself throughout this process, I learned that I am a determined, hard working woman. I have become mentally stronger and put my anxiety in a box to put away (metaphorically speaking, of course!) and deal with it later when I needed to get something done.

A really cool thing that I get to do before I leave (literally right before I leave) is attend a Spring Retreat at the University of Pittsburgh for three days. It's for the Vira I. Heinz program that had awarded me the scholarship to go to Japan. I go March 21, 22, and 23 .. and then I leave March 24 for Japan! I don't know too much about what it entails, but basically I will be spending time with the other recipients from the other schools who have won and also share the same passions of global leadership. I am so excited to meet the other girls and the events that are planned for us. One of the recipients from my school has already become a good friend of mine and we'll be driving (3 hours!) together! I'll be sure to take pictures and blog about that weekend as well. :)

About Yokohama (and my school)!

Yokohama is Japan's second largest city with a population of over three million -- it's also less than a half hour away from Tokyo. It is an extremely thriving cultural city with tons of things to do. It is also famous for being a port city. Somethings I would really like to do/see are visiting the Yokohama Sky Building, going to a cat cafe, and Cosmo World, which has one of the world's biggest Ferris Wheels (you can see it in the photo below actually!). 

One of many views of Yokohama, Japan

I will be going to school at Yokohama College of Commerce, which is in Tsurumi-ku, one of the 18 ku (wards) in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. Yokohama is so huge, which is why it has so many "wards"! Japan also has a lot of mascots. Not just for town/cities in general, but for even companies, stores, ect! Tsurumi-ku's mascot is Wakkun!

Wakkun is loved by children! In almost every picture I saw of him, he was surrounded by a crowd of them. I hope to see him this summer at events! I love the idea of mascots, though. They're all so cute and friendly, and I think it's a great way of promotion and getting the community involved -- just like my school's Pitt-Bradford Panther mascot!

Yokohama College of Commerce (YCC)

This is a partial view of my college in Japan. YCC is an old business school that also has a huge focus on tourism -- being that Yokohama is a huge tourist city. One of my friends from YCC who actually is studying abroad at my school is a Tourism major. I think I would have really liked to be a Hospitality Management major because I'm such a people pleaser, but I feel grateful that I get to go to YCC as an Education major to assist my soon-to-be professor in his English class. The idea of having my first teacher experience is unreal, sometimes it even keeps me up at night because I'll be living my dream a little - teaching in Japan! I think everyday I try to come up with an omiyage for my professor and his class... as well as my host family that I will be hearing from soon. I have been thinking of what kind of omiyage (gift) I could give them, I want to give the right ones to everyone who will be helping me in Japan!



I am taking two classes at YCC, one in Japanese Language and the other in Japanese Health. Why so few, you ask? College credits in the summer are VERY expensive. But luckily, with the free time I will have, I will be able to work part time legally as a tutor or whatever else I can find. I am very excited to work in a new culture! Excited is not even the word that can explain these feelings! 

So, as of recently...

I should be finding out my flight information VERY soon. I think that is the one thing I am most worried about when I think of this study abroad: getting on my flight. I know it seems kinda stupid to worry about such a small thing, but I've never flown alone and I know I will get the feeling of "Woah, I am really on my own." A huge part of me is insanely excited to go on this study abroad and have an adventure of my own, but a part of me knows I will also miss my friends and family. I just hope the "honeymoon phase" lasts as long as possible before I get homesick. But I will be so busy when I arrive that I may not have time to be thinking of America...

Oh! I was able to finally get a Macbook Pro! It is everything I have ever wanted in a computer and it's super user friendly. I am completely in love already because I can keep all my school work organized. My previous computer had died out of no where... I was in panic all week and finally just purchased this Macbook because I know it is gonna last me for a long time. Absolutely worth the money!

The trip to Buffalo, NY is always super relaxing because of the sky always looking so endless and all of the hills. I hope the SIEP students I will be returning with feel the same way when they come to Bradford! 

Finally, and most importantly... 

I was able to give a presentation on my study abroad to Bradford's Rotary Club. Usually, they do not donate to a single person. But I was able to get a good word in from my boss, who is a member, and they gave me a chance. Although I was really nervous and could tell every time I screwed up, they supported me and seemed thoroughly excited about what I wanted to do. They had given me $325 and I could not be more grateful -- I'm excited to tell them all about my experiences so that they know their money was put towards something amazing. Being able to present was more than just the money, it felt wonderful to know that so many people believed in me and wanted me to go out and experience the world. 

I won't let you down, Rotary Club! 

I haven't even left yet for Japan and already the process I have been through has told me a lot about myself, like I said. I am constantly juggling 2 jobs, 17 credits, studying Japanese, and a social life.  How I haven't gone crazy is beyond me, but I am so happy with how everything has worked out and it seems that it was really all meant to be. 

I know that so many challenges are coming my way, including the fact that I am going to a country where I cannot speak the language. But, I still have a really good feeling about everything. I can't help but be optimistic when I hear about new information on my school or soon to be host family. I also can't let these challenges isolate me and keep me from having a once in a life time experience.

It is my turn to have an adventure. There is nothing like living to the fullest, right? 

Until next time!

ペイジ ♡ 

The Beginning of my Study Abroad ♡

Back in the Summer of 2013, I decided to look into possibly study abroad in Japan after hearing about how amazing our sister school, Yokohama College of Commerce, also known as YCC, was from my friends who recently got to travel there for 2 weeks, thanks to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (my school)! After a few emails with the study abroad adviser, I learned more about the Vira Heinz program and application process, soon to figure out that it would be very possible to study abroad if I won! I'll mention later on how the application process was and how you could qualify. ~

So, I'm sure you're wondering...

What Is The "Vira Heinz" Program?

"The Vira I. Heinz (VIH) Program for Women in Global Leadership prepares women for tomorrow's global challenges by offering a unique opportunity for international experiences, leadership development and community service. Universities and colleges across Pennsylvania participate in the VIH Program. Three young women from each institution are admitted into the program and receive a scholarship of at least $5,000 to put toward the cost of an international experience of their choosing." (source: http://viraheinz.pitt.edu)

It is still unreal to have been chosen as one of the 3 winners for this scholarship! It wasn't really easy at all, but this award money will cover nearly all of my costs for the semester that I am there for! Which any gaijin knows is a dream come true!

As an American exchange student, I am of course expected to learn as much as I can about the Japanese language and culture. I will also be taking a Japanese Language course there and going on educational excursions to the historical parts of Kyoto and Nara, how awesome is that?! To be honest, I really don't know a lot of Japanese. But thanks to my friend, who is an exchange student from YCC, I am learning more words and phrases while also studying on my own. Of course, I won't be fluent when I get there, but I am going to continue to study this language and do the best that I can! Positivity is key!

"Why Did You Choose Japan?"

A lot of people ask me why I have chosen Japan as my ideal place to study abroad. To be honest, I have always enjoyed the Japanese culture since I was young and watching anime! I feel like that is where most people begin their interest with Japan. As I got older, I became closer with my cousins who were Japanese and learned more about their culture from their Grandmother, who lived in Japan until she got married. My interests then eventually led me to a Japanese Culture and Language class at Pitt-Bradford, which I took during my freshmen year and had the opportunity to study Japanese and learn a lot about the country from my professor who had taught English at YCC for a whole summer! I found out a couple of days ago that he will also be leading a trip from Pitt-Bradford while I am there! I guess you could say one thing led to another, I could not resist turning down the chance to study abroad in Japan!

If you didn't know, I am also an English Education and Writing major. When I go to Japan, I will be assisting in an English class at YCC for a Summer Intensive English Program, which will eventually come to America by the time I have to return! I was so excited when my adviser told me about this opportunity because  it will get my foot in the door when I go to apply for teaching jobs, either abroad or in America!

The Vira Heinz Application Process

To be honest, this process was not all that easy. I had no idea how many fellow female students I would be up against, so the pressure to do the best that I could was intense. First, you have to be QUALIFIED for the application; have a 3.0 (they won't even look at you if you're under that.), never have been out of the country, and be in financial need. Luckily, I was able to qualify, obviously! The application was all online through Pitt's study abroad website, upon opening the application, there are quite a few questions they want you to answer. The questions required a lot of thinking and writing, I think I worked on it for about 2 months, towards the time that it was due (which was November 1st), I had been going to the Writing Center and getting my answers checked to make sure that I didn't sound stupid! Juggling my jobs and school work, I stayed up a lot and made time to work on my essay responses. You could say it was the most stressful thing I had ever worked on, but it was entirely worth it. I don't regret a second of it.

So, on November 1st, I turned in my application online. It was a HUGE relief to finally be done, but now all I had to do was wait for an interview, which happened the following week! I prepared as much as I could, trying to remember all the reasons why I was so passionate about this country and how I would explain it. Upon arriving at my interview, I could feel myself getting SO nervous, but it was actually a really relaxed and laid back interview. Although I thought I could of done way better when it was all said and done, I found out I had done really well and my passion for Japan had shown as clear as day. I waited and waited, and then finally, on November 25th, I was emailed that I had been selected!

This was so cool to read, eeee!!!

So yeah! That's about all I have to say for now! I will be attending a Spring retreat before I leave, which will be held in Pittsburgh, PA. And in about 4 months I will be headed out to Yokohama, Japan, where I will stay with a host family (which I still need to find out!! The wait is KILLING me!). In the mean time, I will be filling out more paper work to ensure my spot in this program. What a dream come true!

In later posts, I will talk about where I will be staying and what kind of things I want to see and do! If you would like to ask me anything specific about the Vira Heinz program, please feel free to contact me!