Spring break for Waseda University started on February 5, unlike US schools, spring break for us is two months long. My first semester ran from the last week of September to the end of January and the second semester was scheduled for the first week of April until the end of July. However, with COVID-19, the second semester has been pushed back to after April 20th (perhaps later, with the possibility of my study abroad program being canceled depending on how things progress). Since I don’t know how much time I have left in Japan, I want to make the most of it. Here is a little sneak peek at what my life on spring break is like.
Location: Taito, Tokyo, Japan
March Highlights:
Launched my blog
Started posting YouTube videos on a weekly basis
Completed four articles for the Waseda Public Relations Office
Went rock climbing for the first time in Japan
Visit from my friend Raymond during his layover in Japan (it was nice to do “touristy” things for a day)
First time going to an arcade in Japan (and of course I played the taiko drum game)
Visited Hama-rikyu and Kiyosumi Garden, two of the nine Edo-Tokyo Metropolitan Gardens
Went to Enoshima and completed all three challenges of the 2020 Enoshima Treasure Quest
Solo Hiking at Mt. Hidone
Hiking at Mt. Oyama (It was snowing!)
Weather:
Number of sunny days: 4
Number of cloudy days: 3
Number of rainy days this week: 3
Number of snowy days this week: 2 (1 day in Taito, 1 day at Mt. Oyama)
Number of windy days this week: 0
What is the air temperature right now in Fahrenheit? 48
How was the weather this week? It was mostly sunny then cloudy and rainy over the weekend. It rained all day Saturday and snowed in the afternoon. On Sunday, I was at Mt. Oyama and it was sunny but it was also snowing.
Other News
What animals did I see this week?
Seagals
2 hawks
3 different types of ducks
Turtles
Koi
Dogs
A lot of fish and birds I don’t know the name of
What was the coolest thing I saw in nature this week?
Moss! I know, with all the beautiful ponds, flowers, trees, and mountains that I saw, why moss?? Mainly because I saw moss everywhere, in different textures and shades of brown, yellow, and green. I saw it in water, on trees, along riverbanks, rocks, bridges, and fences. Moss is pretty amazing.
What main languages are spoken here?
Japanese, some English, but mostly Japanese
What type of money is used here?
Japanese Yen
Currently, 1 USD is equivalent to 107 JPY
How much does a bottle of water cost?
You can get an 8 oz water bottle from a vending machine for ¥100 - ¥130
You can also get a 1-liter bottle of water from a convenience store, combini, for ¥91
Whether from a vending machine, combini, or grocery store, a bottle of water comes out to roughly 1 USD. However, tap water in Tokyo is safe to drink so I usually just fill up a reusable water bottle from the sink
It is very hard to find drinking fountains so you will either have to bring water with you or buy
What was the best meal this week?
Vegan tonkotsu ramen from T’s TanTan at Ueno Station (they also have another branch at Tokyo station)
What music did I listen to this week?
Broken Fragments, Colporteur World, and Reflect Belief by Souls West
Finally Free by Cheyna Ashe
Beginnings and Psalms by Matt and Josie Minikus
The River is Wide by Bronn Journey
Majesty String II by Majesty Strings
If you could recommend similar artists/albums, I would appreciate it. I’m looking for more albums to listen to.
What activity was the most fun this week?
Hiking at Mt. Hidone
What did I read this week?
From the Bible: Daniel 1-10, Matthew 6
Patriarchs and Prophets Chapter 1
Prophets and Kings Chapter 1-5
The poetry of Emily Dickinson, First and Second Series
What games or sports did I play this week?
Rock Climbing
Enoshima Treasure Quest
How far did I travel this week?
At least 268 km (166 miles)
How did I get around this week?
Train
Bus
On foot
What was the most interesting place I visited this week?
This is so hard! I visited so many places this week! Enoshima takes first place, with Kiyosumi Garden in second, Mt. Hidone in third, Mt. Oyama in fourth, and Hama-rikyu Garden in fifth
Time Zone:
Japan Standard Time (+9 GMT)
Even though I am on break, I still do a lot of studying and writing. When I'm not out and about, I'm at home writing (writing for myself, this blog, and work), editing videos (which I am still learning to do), learning (I am taking a speed reading course and studying Japanese). So even though I do get
to do a lot of traveling, I still have a lot of things to do at home. The first week of March was almost completely dedicated to launching this blog and finishing a series of four articles for the Waseda Public Relations Office. Now that it's the middle of March, I have to start planning my classes for next semester and for when I return to the U.S. Wish me luck as I dive into the more mundane aspects of study abroad this coming week.
That's all for this week but before you go, here's a video on my recent adventure to Mt. Hidone.
Till Next Time,
Gabriella Jeane
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