Final destination [vlog #3]

NOW I've reached where I'm supposed to. In the brief few hours I had yesterday between the recording of my vlog and when I slept (at around midnight), I made a few friends, both first years (like me) and upper years, just taking a walk around the place. One particular guy I met had just finished at the language school where I'll be studying at this year, and he was figuring out how to fit a Mac desktop that he found into his luggage case, and carry it to his new campus Saitama University. He gave a few insider's tips as he attempted to shove an oversize desktop computer into his bag.

One such tip, interestingly, was study hard. Apparently he was only granted his second preference of place of study - first being Tokyo University of course. I myself hope I'll be able to give my Japanese studies decent attention, because that was one of my main aims coming here to begin with as I mentioned in my first vlog. Another tip was to make friends with as many people here as early as possible. That's something I've been telling all the first years at UNSW over the past three years to do, and I'm glad he reminded me of the same thing in my time of disorientation. Something tells me we're going to get along well. The people living in my residential building aren't just first years on a scholarship like me - there's also full fee paying international students, and upper years specialising in language and arts subjects, and I won't know who's who till I ask them! His third tip was interesting - it involved finding your way back inside the building without the key card we were issued. Very handy! - who knows, it might save me freezing to death if I ever get back late one night and I happen to forget my key card.

Eventually he (amazingly) fit the baggage he needed to carry all around the seriously huge and heavy mac, and was on his way. Hope he gets there safely. He said he'll be back yet, so it won't be the last time I'll see him; as long as there's free food and parties here, he has a reason to return.

So in light of that, please pray I'll take my studies seriously while I'm here, as an investment into building relationships in Japanese. At the same time, pray I wouldn't let my current limited language ability get in the way of getting to know people and building relationships. In all that, pray that my identity in Christ would shape the way I interact with them, and that Christ would be known among them too.