Another Fanciful Voyage, and Baseball Musings

Unfortunately, I was in fact struck today by another urge today, this time to take an express train right past my station, and past the following 3 stations as well. Showed up about ten minutes late to my orientation, but it couldn't be helped. It was totally on purpose. So, Japanese baseball. Two things I've noticed so far that makes it... very different from watching baseball back home. First, everyone supports the home team. Like... a lot. At home, when a game is clearly going in favor of the visiting team with no hope of return, the fans get a bit... bored, and start to leave. Not so in Japan. Everyone stays, and the stadium is always extremely crowded. And they cheer for the home team, right until the end. I don't know what to make of this. It's all very inspiring, but part of me wonders if the fans really think the home team still has a chance to come back from 7-0, or if they're just... being polite (read: Japanese). Another thing: bunting. They seem to bunt more often here, but the strange thing (and this comes from my very limited experience actually watching American baseball) is that unlike at home, the batter is completely committed to bunting at their time at bat. It is rare that it's a surprise, as they walk up to bat and hold it as such that there can be no doubt as to what they're about to attempt. Now correct me if I'm wrong, (really, do) but isn't the point of bunting to... catch the other team by surprise and make them run up to grab the ball and throw it while you run safely to first base? That plus, after the first time they miss, they will WITHOUT FAIL continue to bunt for the rest of their time at bat. It usually ends up with a strikeout, and the rare times that it doesn't, the other team is completely expecting it, and they are always out at first. Now I can sympathize with this. I do it while playing video games. Specifically of the fighting game variety. When I get it into my head that I'm going to perform a specific special move, I will continue to attempt it in the middle of the match over and over until I manage to pull it off, or I die trying. Usually I die trying, and when I don't it's usually either completely ineffectual, or my opponent has completely seen it coming, and counters it spectacularly. Now when I'm playing fighting games with friends, it is not professionally, and there are no stakes. But pro baseball... I would think they would abandon their sad attempt to bunt after the first miss, and maybe actually hit the ball to some beneficial effect. It's the mentality of "You know what? No. I am going to do this, and goddammit it will be

awesome!" And then it's not.

Magical Train Voyage

My host mother advised me to go to school by train by myself today, to make sure I could do it. I went off at 10:30 AM, and all was well until at Awaji station, I was struck by a sudden desire to go take a trip to somewhere I'd never been before. What did NOT happen, was that I got on the wrong train and rode it all the way to Kita-Senri and back before going on to Shoujaku, where OGU is located. Don't let anyone tell you different. I just hope that tomorrow I won't be struck by a similar, irresistable urge to explore, else I might be late for my first day of orientation. Tigers won the second game in the series today, 4-0. Now I don't know what to think of them.

Day 1

First full day in Japan! I woke up to what sounded like a small child screaming. Most likely it was a cicada. Never heard anything like that before. Took a trip early with my host mother to the local government building to get my gaijin (foreigner) registration card. Very intimidating. Came home for lunch, and met my host family's two children, who I was unaware existed until they walked into the room. Way to go me. They're 27 and 31, and I can't remember their names anymore, which I feel bad about. After lunch, I went to campus so I could figure out how to get there via the trains. I wish we had this kind of transit system at home, it makes everything so... convenient. Apparently my host family really likes baseball. I watched a game with them, in which the local team, the Hanshin Tigers, got dominated 7-0. Not sure if they're any good.

Arrival!

Oh man, what a day. Today was my departure for Osaka, Japan, where I will be for the next 4 months or so. Before leaving, a bunch of people told me: "Oh man, you have to keep a journal while you're there." I figure a blog is better, because then someone besides me will read it. Maybe...? Had to get up at 4:00 AM to leave for my flight. Left at 7:05 for Dallas, Texas, and then from there at 12:05PM for Narita Airport "in" Tokyo. Then another short flight from there to Osaka, where I was picked up by my host mother. My host mother speaks a little bit of english, but for the most part just Japanese. Host father only speaks Japanese. Communication is a bit tough for now, but I'm already getting better. Shared a beer with my host parents, which I liked. Asahi is pretty great! Also watched a fair amount of very straaaaaange Japanese TV. My family here has a bigger house than I was expecting, for Japan. It's 4 floors high, with each actual floor being fairly small. There are a bunch of bedrooms on my floor, because I guess my host family has hosted a lot of students, and some at the same time. The only real complaint I have so far is that there is no internet at home. Nooo! This means I'm stuck "borrowing" signal from unknown neighbors, who have networks that seem to disappear randomly. I lose connection often when I have it, and I often don't. Luckily there's internet on campus. This means that these posts will be written... when I write them, and then posted when I'm able to get internet

access. When I get a more stable connection, I'll upload the pictures I've got so far. Well, I haven't slept in around two days now, so it's off to unconsciousness for me.