Locations: Toyonaka, Osaka
My apartment in Osaka consists of a single corridor with a kitchen alcove, a bathroom, and a personal room. It feels small, but it's equipped with basically anything I would need, including a washing machine, two closets, a table, and plenty of storage space. In true Japanese spirit, it's space-efficient! It's pretty nice to climb up the small wooden steps to the elevated bed at the end of the day.
My very first morning in Japan consisted of paperwork and lab tours. The group has around 30 people divided up into three rooms, so I only remembered a small fraction of the people I met. After handling some general logistics, I met up with Saito-san, my project leader, to discuss my research plan for the next three months. Luckily for me, it's very similar to my work in Berkeley, so it won't feel too unusual. The rest of the day consisted of more introductions and presentations, and it didn't feel long before nighttime had already arrived, and I left for home early due to my jet lag.
The next day, I decided to take a scenic loop around campus and get a better idea of what Toyonaka (the city that Osaka University is located in) looks like.
The Japanese work week is Monday through Saturday, so for the remainder of the week, I spent the majority of my time in lab. Most people arrive at 10am and leave anytime between 8-11pm. We eat lunch and dinner together in the various campus cafeterias. While Japanese is generally the only language spoken, there are two other exchange students in the lab besides myself, and my project members also have a pretty good knowledge of English.
On Saturday night, the other students in my lab room invited me to have dinner with them outside of campus in a small ramen restaurant. Apparently one of them got a recommendation for it, and when they make group excursions to a new place, they agree on a rating for it. The rating consists of matching it to a chemistry journal, with level of impact corresponding to taste. After my mind-blowing bowl of shoyu ramen (I decided to start simple), I proposed my own rating of "Nature". The other members agreed that it was at least above average, maybe JACS-level. If 50% of ramen in Japan is like this, I really should consider staying here more permanently!
All stocked up on snacks and late-night meals!
(Later that week, I'd add eggs, juice, and vegetables to my fridge collection)
My very first morning in Japan consisted of paperwork and lab tours. The group has around 30 people divided up into three rooms, so I only remembered a small fraction of the people I met. After handling some general logistics, I met up with Saito-san, my project leader, to discuss my research plan for the next three months. Luckily for me, it's very similar to my work in Berkeley, so it won't feel too unusual. The rest of the day consisted of more introductions and presentations, and it didn't feel long before nighttime had already arrived, and I left for home early due to my jet lag.
The next day, I decided to take a scenic loop around campus and get a better idea of what Toyonaka (the city that Osaka University is located in) looks like.
My apartment building from the outside
Walking down a quiet canal-lined alley out to the main road
Wider suburban neighborhood closer to campus
Forested mountains form the backdrop for most of Osaka
The other suburbs of Osaka line the foothills of the nearby mountains
The main gate to Osaka University
Trees, bikes, buildings, and anything else you could possibly want out of a university campus!
The chemistry building: my new "home" for 3 months
The Japanese work week is Monday through Saturday, so for the remainder of the week, I spent the majority of my time in lab. Most people arrive at 10am and leave anytime between 8-11pm. We eat lunch and dinner together in the various campus cafeterias. While Japanese is generally the only language spoken, there are two other exchange students in the lab besides myself, and my project members also have a pretty good knowledge of English.
On Saturday night, the other students in my lab room invited me to have dinner with them outside of campus in a small ramen restaurant. Apparently one of them got a recommendation for it, and when they make group excursions to a new place, they agree on a rating for it. The rating consists of matching it to a chemistry journal, with level of impact corresponding to taste. After my mind-blowing bowl of shoyu ramen (I decided to start simple), I proposed my own rating of "Nature". The other members agreed that it was at least above average, maybe JACS-level. If 50% of ramen in Japan is like this, I really should consider staying here more permanently!
Mishka!
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday! Or do they say so? How many week days are in Japan? I think 7 days week became popular in Babylon and from there adopted by American tourists. But what about Japanese? Do you know already or still trying to figure?
Have you been already to Mt Myoken? If not - hurry up, there was another sighting of a dragon reported there few days ago. And don't forget about Biwa Lake and Kyoto - it must be beautiful up there - cherry blossom, etc - it's a heat of spring days there now, right?
Send some pictures of your lab, please - interesting to see what colors have the local chemicals
-padre