Dum, dum dum...DUM!!!

I got my ticket today.

OH MY GOD. I AM REALLY LEAVING.

When, you ask?

October 3 - JFK to Narita, departing at 1:30 pm EST. Arrive in Narita October 4 at 4:20, have a connecting flight to Itami Airport near Osaka at 6:15, arrive 7:30pm Japan time. Someone from JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) will meet me at Itami.

In a way, I am in shock. Because I knew that this was coming all summer, and to have it in your face - or rather, on your computer screen in the form of a e-ticket on PDF - is a bit daunting. I was expecting for JAL To contact me sometime like next week, but the first (full) week of September! Damn! They are prompt. I don't even have my visa yet, which will be rectified tomorrow. Must. Go. To. Japanese. Consulate. TOMORROW. AT. 9:30. AM.

I have to get two suitcases. My other one broke falling down an escalator at the Heathrow tube station in London and I don't want to go through the nightmare of carrying a 35 kilo duffel bag with no wheels again. I almost broke my wrist. And I don't like this thing of a 20 kilo limit...I am a GIRL. And a girl has shoes. With coordinating sweaters.

Not that I have like 20 pairs of shoes (HA!) but I do have a few pairs that I need/want/must bring with me.

Then again, I think I do have 20 pairs of shoes. Not like I wear all of them.

My mom is all depressed now. She KNOWS that I am leaving. Like, for REAL now. She berated my sister and I (again) on how she does not like this "traveling business" (Leah, like me, will study abroad in her junior year in Italy, then wants to do a Fulbright in Greece). I told her its not our fault that we chose fields that require travel. Hell, I am going to Japan on (practically) a free ride. Does she have to worry about paying a $2283 plane ticket that is one-way to Japan? I think not. But again, she is a mommy and when I was going to London it was her in the end that was telling me to go and my dad getting all depressed. Before, it was my dad ready to pack my bags - he was the one asking me at 13 why I wasn't going to Manhattan by myself yet (I still wasn't allowed to go to the main shopping drag that was walking distance from our old house at 13).

Going along the theme of foreboding-ness that is permeating this evening, along with anxiousness and excitement - did I mention that I SKIPPED down the hallway in the law school this evening when I finally got my ticket? That was me in my "OoOoO!" phase - which lasted a minute. Now I am thinking of all the crap I have to do before I leave - Mel and I went to Philadelphia this Labor Day weekend and we came back in two whole pieces (each of us counting as a piece). Ernesto was pouring buckets of rain on the city of brotherly love, so Philly was a bit deserted. I wanted to go to Antique Row (bought a lovely cameo bracelet that is probably from the 40s) so we took the SEPTA line that goes north and south.

Now then, I have taken the NYC subway by myself at 3 in the morning and gone through the South Bronx on the 6 train. Of course, there are dangerous spots that a girl wouldn't go to - the N train at 3 in the morning from 34th street is quite safe. When a father in an admissions tour asked me if the trains were safe, I was honest - I told him it depends on which line and which time of day and said my 3am anecdote and he blew up on me saying that the trains are never safe. Ignorant little person. Anyways, I was never nervous taking the subway on my own at 3am (granted that was only one time). However, I DO NOT LIKE the SEPTA. Never had a never been more terrified in my life - and Mel was a bit shaken up too. I turned my ring on the inside - and I NEVER have to do that in NYC. The SEPTA platform was deserted, had a disgusting smell and you really couldn't tell who was a homeless person. Mel said that it should be really called "SEPTIC." The smell was worse than 34th street (remember the 9 Circles of Hell?) on a 100-degree, 100% humidity day. My mother used to take me to 34th street every Wednesday when I was younger - dad and grandma used to work in the Garment District, so we would have lunch at Macy's - so I know that station pretty well. SEPTA was much worse.

I did get my deferral letter from UPenn when we first arrived. It was a very "happy" deferral letter, saying congratulations and "we wish you well" and whatnot. According to the secretary, I should be contacted soon by the department about the Ph.D. program - but in EALC, not history. When I said that I will most likely apply for the Ph.D. the secretary replied "No problem, I will just transfer your file there and reactivate your application so that you don't have to pay the fee again." Score! I just saved myself $90. Phew. UPenn is nice - Mel and I each got tshirts, although his is from Wharton (the "dream" business school) and mine is regular UPenn. I can see myself going to school there, University City is nice. But Harvard isn't that bad either. I think those are my top two now.

I was a bit disappointed by the Philly Museum of Art - it looked like there was going to be this HUGE museum like the Met, but it was very small compared to it. However - and I thank Cat for this - there was an actual Japanese teahouse in one of the Asian galleries, which I really enjoyed. Here is a kicker though - in a video on the side of the gallery, they presented a Japanese tea ceremony, and had koto music playing in the background. I actually recognized the tune - I have it on my iPod. My mouth just dropped, what a coincidence! And it was my favorite one too - I only have 4 but hey, I do have a favorite. Koto music puts me to sleep.

Speaking of sleep, I have to go sleep. Or try to. Every since I got that ticket, I can't help but feel a bit more excited.

Fortune Cookies

Confucius say:

"You will move to a wonderful new place within the year."


Well, not exactly.


It was the fortune I got in my fortune cookie at dinner this evening. Mel, his brothers, sister, cousin from Germany and I had dinner at Ollies, which is a Chinese restaurant chain that has a branch near school.

I sort of believe in fortune cookies. I have not been eating much Chinese food lately (kind of makes me gag, and the only thing I can really bank on is lo mein), but when I do I often eat the fortune cookie. It is tasty. And, of course, I read the fortune and say it out loud to anyone, usually Mel. I really don't believe in the superstition of trading fortunes within the cookie with your dining partner, or that if you say it out loud, the fortune won't come true. You get the cookie, crack eat open, and hopefully enjoy what the mass-produced pieces of paper have to say.

I have a few saved fortunes from previous cookies. But I really enjoyed this one tonight because I am really hoping that I have a good time when I leave for Kyoto. I am a bit nervous because of my experience in London; had a good time with the school part - I knew I made a good decision with that - but had a hard time with the outside-of-school part. Adjustment, making friends, trying to fit in, trying to have fun and be able to afford it, etc.

But that information, most people know anyway. Time for some new information:

1) Going to Philadelphia this Friday for three days! Finally, a vacation away from the city with Mel. I am really looking forward to it, as I have looked on the Philadelphia tourism site and they have a plethora of usefull information. I don't even need to buy a guide book. And, unlike D.C., the touristy/historical stuff is pretty much confined in one area. Unfortunately, its going to be a bit rainy on Friday and raining on Saturday, according to the weather forecast. I am kind of worried, as there is a free jazz show at Penn's landing at 7:30 pm this Friday for free. Free is good. I still have that student mentality. If worse comes to worse, Mel's coworkers who are from Philly say that there are alot of good museums there. Need to make an itinerary tomorrow.

2) While in Philadelphia, making a pitt stop to UPenn. I was accepted for the master's degree in East Asian Studies, and requested a 2-year deferral, like I did (and got) for Uni Michigan. I still have not recieved the letter and after a summer of mild bugging, I finally find out today that it's really the overall grad school's fault that I haven't got the letter, not the actual department - they don't have as much autonomy from the overall school as some other grad schools do. So, I told the coordinator at the EA Studies office that I will be in Philly this Friday, and is it ok if I drop by to pick it up? No problem! GOOD - I want my letter. Not that I will actually go for a master's degree when I have done (with what money?) but they told me that they will reactivate my application for the Ph.d prog (I told them that I would most likely not enter the master's but reapply for a Ph.d) and I don't have to pay the application fee. Hell, its 90 bucks! I save where I can, and I think that my file was already copied for the history dept. since I made a mention of applying there anyway.

3) Macbook! Finally got my laptop this Sunday. Got a free printer (all in one with a scanner so that means I can photocopy my research docs onto the comp to take with me as opposed to carrying alot of paper) and my sister got the iPod video for her birthday (comes with the Mac via rebate) - I didn't want the iPod since I have no use for a iPod that plays video. They don't have Grey's Anatomy on iTunes yet so frankly I see no point.

4) I am published - again! Or rather, forthcoming. My abstract was selected for the East Asian Architectural History Conference at Kyoto this December and will be "published in the conference proceedings". Have to edit my paper down to 10 A4 pages but after formatting its at 17.

Not much else to report.