Author Archives: chrtelam

When you think of Japan, what do you think of? Tokyo? Kyoto? Hiroshima? Mt. Fuji? Cherry Blossoms? You probably think of everything but Nikko, a small city located up in the mountains that is about a 3 hour bus ride away from Tokyo. On November 1st, my program arranged a day-trip to Nikko – weContinue reading “Nikko, Japan”

The days are getting colder as October flies by. It seemed just like yesterday when I complained about the unbearable heat. For the past few mornings, I have been waking up to chilly winds and cloudy skies. I’m not sure if the sudden change in weather was due to the typhoon, but as a resultContinue reading ““Don’t be an idiot, stay home!””

Imagine it’s eight in the morning. You have slept through your alarm and you have no time to fix up your daily cup of coffee. You rush out of the house in hopes you’ll catch the bus on time and will be able to purchase a coffee from a nearby shop. Unfortunately amidst your panic,Continue reading “Vending Machines Galore”

I was warned ahead of time that eating in Japan would be expensive – especially the fruits. So I thought this applied to eating out and less fruits. Little did I know that they meant eating in general, including grocery shopping. We’ll start with the fruits. A single apple can cost 150 yen (~$1.50) andContinue reading “Grocery Shopping”

Typhoon Hagibis–a typhoon expected to match the intensity of the previous typhoon that hit Japan back in 1958, killing about 1,200 people. One of the most powerful typhoons to hit Japan this year is banging on my front door. At the moment, it is 3:57pm. The winds are howling outside my apartment and the windowsContinue reading “Typhoon Hagibis”

Have you ever been shoved so fiercely into a train that for a good second or two, you’re lifted off the ground and you’re being held up by the surrounding passengers? I sincerely hope you haven’t. Ever since I arrived in Japan, I have been actively avoiding rush hour. The sight of white gloves makesContinue reading “Rush Hour”

Ever since I have arrived in Japan, I have had a friend by my side to lead me around the confusing streets and stations of Japan. It was something I was incredibly grateful for since I didn’t have data on my phone. Japan is partly known for it’s amazingly organized subway and train system. EvenContinue reading “Lost in Japan”

Despite living in the dry state of California where the sun is always visible, the heat hits you differently when you are in a different country. It has only been two weeks into my study abroad and I have already faced the dangers of heat exhaustion while searching for an apartment. You would think aContinue reading “Heat Exhaustion”

One would think getting to their country of choice would be relatively easy. I, for one, thought I’d be able to get to Japan without a hitch, considering I planned out for months what I was going to do, where I was going during my layovers, and what I was going to do when IContinue reading “So, I Wasn’t As Ready As I Thought”

Hey guys, welcome back to my Youtube channel! — Almost every Youtuber ever. Sadly (or maybe perhaps luckily?), it’s not a cringe-worthy Youtube video. Instead, this is a pre-departure video before I head to Japan! I’m super excited about going abroad, but there’s so much to do before I actually set foot in my countryContinue reading “Pre-Departure Video”