After I left my internship, I went to class and then met a woman who works with my boss in the Admissions Office in Philadelphia.  Her name is Holly and she works in the deans office at TUJ, and she sent me an email introducing herself and told me to stop be her office to say hello.  So I did, and she asked my impression of Japanese food.  After I described to her my dilemma and fear of trying some Japanese cuisine, she made it her obligation to feed me and she is organizing a dinner to take me and several of her favorite TUJ students out so that I can try authentic Japanese food.  I am not sure whether or not I should thank her yet for this, but it is certainly a nice gesture and hopefully I will like the food I try and continue to eat it while I am here. I also told her of my internship, and when I told her what company it was with, she told me that she knew many people who worked there personally!  Who would have thought that in such a huge city, that connection would be there!  But she assured me they are very nice people and fun to work with.

Today, for example, I went to a restaurant for lunch, and based on a picture on the menu, I ordered something that looked like beef and vegetables.  I did my best to speak to the waitress, who suggested to me that I did not know what I was ordering.  But, I thought maybe it was all confused in translation, so I ordered it anyway.  When I received my meal, I wish I had taken the waitress’s advice.  It looked like some type of Korean tofu, and it was cold.  I tried a tiny piece, and it didn’t taste like anything, but I couldn’t get past the texture.  I ate the vegetables that it came with, and they were okay (not great though), until the waitress came over and felt really bad that I did not like it.  I explained that the vegetables were good (using the little Japanese I know how to speak), so she prepared me a whole dish of the vegetables for me to eat!  She was very kind and not offended since she realized we were foreigners…that probably isn’t something that a waitress in America would do for a foreign customer who didn’t like their food!  After returning home, I Googled “Korean Jello,” because that is what it looked like, and it turned out to be “Do-to-ri Mook”, a Korean dish made from acorns.  Needless to say, I do not regret not eating it!

Do-To-Ri Mook

While Do-to-ri Mook may be an acquired taste, I hope that by the end of my trip, there are some other ethnic foods that I enjoy.  Even though lunch was a bust, I was proud that I at least tried to eat something different, instead of going to McDonalds again!  I also hope that my Japanese language skills improve, which is certain to happen considering I am taking another semester of Japanese and I will be immersed in it everyday.  Lastly, I hope to take away not just an appreciation of Japanese culture and customs, which thus far are very fascinating, but also a different perspective on how I act as an American.  Oh, and since I am here for school, I hope to get good grades too!

We continued to walk around this metropolis, when all of a sudden we stumbled upon this large forest.  A wide path cut through the trees and led to a sacred Japanese shrine.  I am not sure exactly what it meant, but it was neat to see.  

We left the shrine and walked around the city some more, fighting through crowds of tons of people.  We returned home, and I planned on taking a short nap and going back out later in the evening.  I fell asleep at 5pm and did not wake up until 2am!  All of that walking wore me out!

Ontakesan Dorm

I was so exhausted after the nearly full day of travel.  However, the fourteen hour time change left me jet lagged and woke me up by 4:30 am.  I started the morning by chatting with many of my friends from home on the internet, letting them know I arrived safely and so far having a positive outlook on what is to come.  Then, me and a friend I met on my flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco walked around the neighborhood to a convenience store where I bought my breakfast…a Japanese chocolate pastry and Japanese orange juice.  Both were delicious, and I topped it off with a good pot of American Starbucks coffee, brewed in the coffee maker I brought along for the trip!  

We had orientation all day which started at 8:00 am to go over the rules of the dorm…fun stuff, I know.  But then we had our first venture into downtown Tokyo to see Temple’s two academic buildings.  The first part of the adventure, though, was purchasing the ticket for the train, which was made difficult because I can’t exactly read Japanese very well!  But I managed, and with the help of a current TUJ student as our tour guide, we arrived at Azabu Hall, Temple’s main academic building.  Most of my classes, however, will be in Mita Hall, home to TUJ’s business program, located just a short five minute walk from Azabu.  We toured the neighborhood, and went to a restaurant for lunch.  Again, my lack of Japanese language skills forced me to point on the menu to what I wanted to order.  Luckily, the menu included pictures so I was able to get an idea of what I would eat.  

After lunch, we returned to Azabu where we were overwhelmed with information and instructions of things we have to do as students in Japan,  like alien registration cards, and train passes, and cell phones, and blah blah blah.  I wish there was more exciting information to share about that, but it was quite boring.  But finally, by 4:45, we were on our way back home.  We got on the train, were moving right along, until we were stopped at the station right before the one we were to get off at.  The train sat idle for nearly a half hour, apparently because somewhere along the train route, there was an earthquake.  We were told it was a common thing, given that Japan is the most seismic country in the world with five tectonic plates beneath it.  Soon enough, they had us moving again, and when we got off the train, my friend Josh and I ventured out for authentic Japanese cuisine.  There were many restaurants we peaked into, and finally settled on one and went in.  Of course, no one spoke English, so again, I just pointed to what looked good.  I think it was pork and noodles in some type of broth, but I cannot be sure of that.  I am typically a somewhat picky eater, but I figure I came here for a totally new experience, so now is not the time or place to be picky.  In all, it tasted pretty good.

Since being back, I have also begun preparations for my semester in Tokyo!  My flight is booked, and I am set to leave on January 5.  Aside from my Japanese class, which is probably the most challenging class I have taken since I have been at Temple, I have mostly been filling out paperwork to apply for my visa.  More on those preparations as they happen.

Also speaking Thursday night, just prior to John McCain, was Cindy McCain.  I have to give her a lot of credit for all of the great mission work she has done around the world, but she is as dry as a bone and not a very good public speaker.  But I guess it is quite difficult to try and hold her to the same standard as Laura Bush!  When John finally entered the stage, the place went wild.  He was warmly greeted by ten minutes of applause, and was frequently interrupted  by even more applause throughout his speech.  In my opinion, his speech wasn’t all that great either.  The content was there, but like his wife, he is not very exciting to listen to.  Even still, it was a thrill for me to be there and hear a tremendous story about a war hero who is going to be the next president of the United States!  After his speech, the celebration began.  Millions of balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling as people cheered and danced.  Walking around, I was knee deep in balloons.

Aware of all of the other people I had run into previous nights of the convention, I then hung around the back tunnel where John McCain was sure to exit.  I got there just in the nick of time, and he was already there shaking hands along with Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin, Joe Lieberman, and John Voight.  There were a few people standing in front of me so I wasn’t able to shake any of their hands, but I did get some great pictures of all four of them.

I would finally like to extend some thank-yous and acknowledgments to the people that made this a great and successful experience for me.  First, to Dr. Ruth Ost and the Vice Provost’s Office that initiated and funded the program.  Second, to Dr. Robin Kolodny, who prepared me so well for what I experienced in her class I took in the spring.  Lastly, to my parents, who always support everything I do.  What an unbelievable experience the last two weeks have been for me.  Having got a taste of what a convention is like, I know for sure that Minneapolis will not be the last city I visit for a Republican National Convention.  The true question is not if I go to another convention, but in what capacity (perhaps delegate, congressman, senator, or nominee!)?

Following her speech, I ran the digital camera cards to the darkroom, and then I realized that she was likely to walk by.  I waited there for about fifteen minutes, and then she was in sight.  As she walked down the hallway, she shook every persons hand.  She stopped right in front of me and started talking to the Congressman that I was standing next to.  I took a great picture of her, and her husband and child are also in the background.  Then she came to me, I was able to shake her hand as well.  To me, this reveals her genuine and sincere personality and her ability to relate to the common person, and is why I think she is going to win John McCain this election!

Sound bite of the day: “You wanna know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull…the lipstick!” -Sarah Palin

The people on the stage weren’t the only people the media wanted to hear from, though.  Apparently, they also want to hear from me!  Yesterday, I was interviewed by MTV News (I hope everyone in Temple’s cafeteria saw me!) and also by the BBC.  As a young Republican, they wanted to know what I thought of President Bush not being here, the choice of Sarah Palin as VP, and why I support John McCain.  It was all very exciting, and I am sure that the British will love my opinions.  I also appeared on Fox News standing behind Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmerer while they broadcasted live from the convention floor.  I hope all of you dedicated Fox fans saw me!

On my way leaving the convention last night, I also bumped into Karl Rove.  Mr. Rove is despised by most liberals, mostly for being the smartest man in politics and getting George W. Bush elected twice!  But I would like to clear up the fact that Karl Rove is an absolute gentleman and a really nice guy.  He took picture with everyone who wanted them while fending off a dozen or so reporters.

Me and Karl Rove

Brian Kilmeade (right) and Newt Gingrich (left)

I really lucked out in being granted full floor access for the convention.  My job is to run digital camerica cards from the photographer to dark room, and also to get names and information from people who the photographer took pictures of.  It is a good position because I can move around on the floor and it gives me the ablility to bump into politicians and TV personalities left and right.  Yesterday alone, I ran into Mitt Romney, Sean Hannity, Cindy McCain and got within arms reach of Laura Bush.  Unfortuately, I was unable to get pictures with any of these people, but I did get a close shot when Laura Bush walked by.

Lastly, on my way walking out, I spotted Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.  I easily approached him and told him that I heard him speak when he came to Temple in the spring. 

Me with Megyn Kelly

The following day, I was contacted by my local delegates from Luzerne County, PA, and they invited me to the Delegation Party Sunday night.  It was a huge event that all the delegates from across the country were invited to hosted at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  A exhibit called Civic Fest was also going on, which displayed tons of historic presidential memorabilia.  Included were Richard Nixon’s Air Force One, dozens of dresses worn by First Ladies, FDR’s presidential limo, and even an exact replica of the White House with all the rooms decorated with every last detail to accurately represent the White House, just to name a few.  Again, fantastic food was served, perhaps even better than the night before. 

Me with Delegates Paul DeFabo and Delores Strish