Waiting to Leave

Today is 2-21-2006. I am currently creating my blog. I am not actually in Japan as of yet. I won't be leaving until the beginning of April (between the 1st and 7th). Currently I am taking a few classes at my University (Tarleton State University). Not really that difficult of a semester (I only have Solid State Physics, Nuclear Physics and Computer Aided Math). I didn't sign up for that many classes since I was pretty sure I would be leaving for Japan in April. Back in March of last year I started applying for the Monbukagakusho scholarship through the Consulate General of Japan-at Houston. I have been wanting to go to Japan for many years now and was looking for a way to continue my education there (it just took a long time). The scholarship is pretty generous I think, although I had to turn down a few extremely generous fellowships to other universities in the process. The actuall scholarship is for 2 years, but will be extended apon entrance into the graduate program (after 6 months of being there I think) and will actually last for 3 years I think. I will be working in a research group a Nagoya University. I don't really speak the western dialect, so it may take a little time to get use to it.

Currently, it will be atleast 39 days before I leave for Japan. Spring break starts in a couple weeks and I will probably go to Chicago to say goodbye to my little sisters. I think that I will miss them the most. I wonder what to expect in Japan. How will I be treated? I have read many discouraging stories. I am more concerned about what my research group will be like. The subject I will be studying is applied solid-state physics/engineering, but I am a physicist and my advisor is an engineer. We will have different views on somethings. Also, I am trying to be very careful not to offend anyone (expecially someone that I will have to work with in the research group for some years).

Some things about me... If you read my profile you will not find out to much more about me in this part of the article. My love of Japan started a long time ago. I am not sure when, I was just a child. I think that there was initially a reason for wanting to go to Japan, but what ever it was I have forgotten. Other than my interest in Japan, I am basically only interested in science. This probably makes me a dull person since these two subjects are about the only things I talk about. What do normal people do for fun I wonder??? I really doubt that they sit down and try and work math problems to relax. It's kind of strange really, nobody in my family is a scientist and therefore I have nobody to relate to. That will probably change in graduate school, or so I am told by my academic advisor (who would know ofcourse). It's hard to find others with the same interest in science that I have. I wonder how it will be in Japan. The students in my research group must be similar in that way I think. I think for that reason it will be easy to make friends with them. Most of my friends here in Texas are students that are physics majors or in a major closely related to mine. There is still a ton of things I have to do before going to Japan. I will probably have to do alot of cloth shopping since I am like 6 foot 3 inches tall. Even in America it is difficult to find cloths that fit well. Even if I find pants in my length the waiste is usually way to large. My favorite sport is basketball, but I doubt I will have time for it in Japan (although I think I would have slight advantage). This will probably be my only post until a few days before I leave for Japan.
Quote of the month is by the Great A.E. :

" Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity."