Finally in Nara!

Well, at least I have internet at my school. I am hoping to get internet at my apartment soon, but yahoo bb keeps giving me the run-around. I will recap the past couple days:

Wednesday: I woke up effing early (about 6:30), and went downstairs to meet the other Nara JETs and even some Shiga JETs. We took a bus to the Tokyo Station for the bullet train. We all bought breakfast and lunch at the station and brought it on board the train. The shinkansen was really cool! It goes like 200 KM! Fast! It only took us 2 1\2 hours to get from Tokyo to Kyoto. Once in Kyoto, we boarded the express train bound for Nara City. We walked our bags about 8 minutes uphill in unreal humidity to the Kencho (pref. govt office). We got to walk next to the park with all the deer! It was soooo coool! Once we arrived at the Kencho, we sat through 3 hours of orientation about Nara including train schedules, holidays, laws, etc.

O-Sensei picked me up in his brand-new minivan and took me to my new hometown. he introduced me to the school (kinda looks like a prison from the outside) and the Kocho Sensei (principal). The Principal took C (the other new ALT) and I out to dinner at a Yaki-niku! It was delicious and awkward because the Kocho Sensei only speaks Japanese and we only speak English. Good food, no conversation.

Over the next couple of days, O-sensei took me to a second hand store and I bought a washer, fridge, and microwave. We even went to the 100 yen store and I bought some plates and bowls. I am waiting for trhe trip to ikea to buy real furniture, but I do need a drawer and a bed. I've been sleeping on a futon, which is alright, but I want a bed soon.

The school lent me a bike so that's how I get around. When I buy groceries, I have to make sure they fit in the basket of my bike. I bike everywhere. I'm going to lose so much weight.

With rice fields close by and mountains painting the background, I am very happy with my placement. I live close to just about everything, either by bike or train.

Yahoo BB said they would install my internet on Sept. 4th. I don't know why it's going to take so long, but I got some major discounts so it's cool. I'll be getting a cell-phone soon too!