Small talk makes the world go round

I know what you're thinking. I know what I'm thinking. What could I possibly have to say less than twenty-four hours after last posting? Confession: We need to keep a journal for the first three weeks of orientation, and I thought this blog would be a convenient medium for writing, so in the next few weeks, I'll be posting more than is probably necessary.

I should explain a little bit how the program works. A large consortium of schools brings together twenty-nine students to Japan under the care of one Japanese Program Coordinator, one consortium-university Resident Director, and, for the duration of orientation, four Waseda student Assistants and other Waseda student volunteers. The Waseda students have been absolutely wonderful- they speak to us only in Japanese and allow us the opportunity to make mistakes and improve our comprehension. They also help us navigate the subway, and go with us in small groups as we explore different areas of Tokyo, be it shopping or sharing coffee together after dinner. I wish I could express how wonderful it has been to get to know Japanese students our own ages and really put our language abilities (or lack-there-of) to the test. I am still amazed by the fact that I'm able to converse actively with them, even making jokes or ironic statements once in a while.

Last night myself, several other ACM students, and a group of Japanese students had dinner together and  spent the evening laughing and talking, a great time had by all. Today, my small-group excursion was lead by three of the guys who had been at the dinner, and it was really great to get to know them better. One thing I thought was telling- I tend to be someone who doesn't put up with awkward conversation. When I talk to someone, especially someone I don't know, I work to keep things moving and feel very uncomfortable with awkward pauses. Today, when chatting with the boys, I felt this need for quality conversation content kick in and found myself, in my state of linguistic weakness, racking my brain for topics of conversation possible with my limited communication skills. I was proud that, even though I am still pretty green, I was able to indulge my need to engage in small-talk. A lot of meaning was lost on me in terms of comprehension, but it really helped to propel relationships forward and I learned a lot about the boys and had a great time. Oh, the simple things.. !!!