My first day.

So, I'm a bit new at this whole blogging thing, but I decided it would be nice to keep a record of my thoughts and experiences while I'm in Japan. So, that's what this blog here is for. I called it Nathaniel in Nagasaki, but as I type this I'm actually not yet in Nagasaki. I'm currently staying in Hakata, in Fukuoka prefecture. I'll be taking a bus to Nagasaki tomorrow morning, and that's where my studies begin.

So, thoughts on my first day in Japan. First of all, I love the vending machines and convenience stores here. Back home in America, there was such a shortage of good drinks. Maybe one in ten convenience stores had any unsweetened iced tea. Over here, each and every one of them, as well as vending machines on the streets, have many varieties, all of them delicious. Drinks in Japan just generally seem to be better suited to my palate. I like tea that isn't loaded down with a ton of sugar.

Anyway, today I visited the Kushida Shrine. I got a written fortune, prayed to the gods for a safe journey, and picked up a charm for academic success. This was my first visit to a Shinto shrine, though I'll certainly be visiting another when I arrive in Nagasaki. Kawabata market near the shrine had a lot of nice shops, I'll have to swing by again if I come back to Hakata.

I had dinner at a nice Japanese pub, enjoying a plate of soba and a drink of chilled oolong tea with shochu.

I do have a few pictures, and I think I'll add them tomorrow. Signing off for now.