Orientation Friday Afternoon

Yesterday's orientation was frightening! After the placement test, which was extremely challenging for everyone, the Doshisha International Center staff gave an orientation of the program, all forms that need to be fill out and turned in, how to select classes, how to get an alien registration card, and other very important information. Uneno-san, the director, spoke extra quickly in Japanese for an hour and a half. Two people of the twenty-two who came from the UC's understood. (I was not one of them, in case you were wondering.) Although overwhelmed and a bit scared (as everyone was), it was almost humorous. He ended each set of long sentences filled with necessary instructions babbled especially quickly in Japanese with "iidesuka?" "Is that good?" No, of course that is not good! We were not sure whether to laugh or cry. Afterwards, I spoke with Uneno-san, and he is quite kind. Although he speaks little English, he is clearly very willing to walk through the process with me slowly and one-on-one. He also told me he would help me find a church or temple to go to each week!