I'm all sniffly right now and I've been sneezing all day; my throat also hurt a little when I got up. I might have a cold or something. That better be ALL it is because I decided I am not going to need to use the Japanese medical system while I am here because it is too confusing and too expensive and too gaijin-UNfriendly. It probably won't come to that point but I am just saying this now! I will not get sick while I am here!!

Today was the first day of anime class. It was interesting. The lecture was a little boring, but I think it's going to be okay. I actually wasn't going to take this class because I knew there would probably be people who couldn't be mature and who would just annoy me, but then I changed my mind once I got here, and decided that if I do work for Tokyopop someday, it couldn't hurt to be educated on the history of manga and all of that.

We also had our third Japanese teacher today for the first time, and that was interesting too. Sometimes I miss the instructions for what we're supposed to be doing next and I get all confused and feel stupid, which, as I've said before, is a new feeling for me in a Japanese class. I actually really need an electronic dictionary, even though they are $200. I hope this weekend I can get into Akihabara and purchase my electronics. It turns out my camera still works, the batteries had just been drained (AGAIN. It happens so fast!! That is why it is slowly breaking). If I find a good deal on a new camera, I think I will get one, though. I'm just so sick of dealing with this bad old one.

I also only have $85 or so left of the $500 I brought with me. I wanted to make it last until the end of September but that's probably not possible. It's not like I've been squandering it (okay, not much) but stuff just really adds up! So pretty soon I'll have to withdraw money and hope I can be better about stretching that.

I think I'm already pretty fully adjusted to life here. I don't really think too much about wishing I was back home, and in fact it surprises me when I go on Facebook and see pictures from my AC friends doing stuff without me (and then I miss them a lot and realize things are going on without me, but most of the time that thought doesn't enter my mind; that's just how it is). It actually feels like, starting back in June, my year has been/is going to be divided into three big chunks of complete location changes, adjusting to a new area, etc. First was California and Tokyopop; now is Japan; the spring will be France. So it's kind of gotten to the point where moving around feels almost natural, and it's not hard at all to settle down into a new place again. The study abroad people were all "It's hard for split year students because they feel like they just got used to one place, and then they have to go to a different one" but, even though I bet I will experience a little of that, it won't be that bad for me, probably because of what I just experienced this summer, which was in fact a really good preparation for study abroad. We'll see, though. I won't lie that I'm really anxious about France, but I still want to go because it's my best chance to experience as much of Europe as possible. I decided to do a homestay there and I hope that works out too.