Rhode Island

Wherever you go,
Everyone knows Rhode Island.
OK, maybe not.

We had our first exam this morning, and I sure am glad I didn't study for it. The first question was basically a regurgitation of the first day of class, and for the second question our professor asked us to make up our own question and answer it. Ahhh, study abroad. After the exam we all went to an all-you-can-eat place. It was sort of like Fire & Ice in that you get all your food raw, but then you cook it on a small grill in the center of your table, and there is a sixty minute limit. When we first got there it was an absolutely crazy scene, tons of people trying to get their food and cook it as fast as they could. Things quieted down after a bit though, so we were all able to eat our fill. On one of my many trips to the buffet line I noticed a guy wearing a shirt that said Rhode Island on it. So I asked him if he spoke English. When he said no, I asked a friend of mine who speaks Japanese to ask if we could take a picture together. Turns out he wasn't Japanese either, so I just positioned him next to me and my friend took our picture. I wonder if has any clue what happened or even that Rhode Island is a place. Lunch was pretty filling; I think I'm the most full I've been since coming out here (which may not be saying much). Anyway, it was pretty wild seeing somebody with a Rhode Island t-shirt. Again, it was one of those feelings of connectedness, all the way out here on the other side of the world.

On the way home I had another such experience that should also tie together some blog posts quite nicely. I accompanied my friends to their metro stop where the school is located, and then set out on my 45-minute back to my apartment, I thought it would be a good way to digest. So I'm on my way home, and I spot a white guy, so we proceed to do the white guy head nod from afar. As we're getting closer to each other he starts asking me a question, so I took off my headphones and we chatted for a bit. It was his second day in Tokyo, and he was looking for grocery stores nearby. From how he was talking and the nervous look he had about him, I definitely saw my former self in him. Slightly overwhelmed by the big city, surprised at how different everything is, not sure if he had made the right decision. So I told him where he could go shopping, and then pointed him in the direction of some local real estate offices, since he mentioned he needed to look for an apartment. It was a cool feeling not just to be able to help somebody, but to have learned enough about Tokyo in the short time since I've been here to help out somebody less familiar with it than I am.