Here I am

So this is my first post. It`s been 3 weeks since I came to Japan. And many interestig things happened.
First something about me. I am a molecular biology student from the University of Manchester. I`ve been studying Japanese language at university for 2-3 years. Fortunately I am not alone here in Tsukuba. 2 friends from my language class also joined my adventurous trip to such a distant country. Together we`re rocking Japan!

So let me first summerize my first 3 weeks in Japan.

When I arrived at Narita I first had to go to the Fruit Quarantine Section because I had a kaki, which I brought from home, in my backpack. Unfortunately I had to hand it out to the officers at the section. It`s really sad because I actually brought it with me as I knew that no one at home will eat it and now this! I tried to convince the officer to eat it because it`s oishii but she just laughed and said that she can`t do it. Poor kaki....
Because of this kaki incident I missed the baggage claim and therefore had to look for my baggage throughout whole Narita airport. After finding it in a remote corner of the airport I rushed to the bus stop. I was supposed to meet my friends from Manchester at the bus stop but I was too late and now I had to wait for the bus on my own.
While waiting for the bus a little girl and her mother approached me. The mother asked me if she could take a picture of me and her daughter O.o# Well I said yes and the little girl was so happy. In the end she tried to talk in English with me. It was sooo cute!

After arriving at Tsukuba bus station my tutor and Hiro, a friend from her lab, picked me up to bring me to my dorm. At the dorm I met Beej, my friend from ManU. She lives upstairs in the same building! After unpacking we met Hiro to go to a Japanese style restaurant. We ate Sukiyaki. Sukiyaki is cooked at the table in a pan. Tofu, shiitaki mushrooms, beef and veggies are then added into the pan. It was soooo good.

The next day we went shopping. And I met my lab team. My lab consists of several undergrad students, an associate professor and my professor who is 59 years old but looks like 45-50. He still plays softball with the boys from my lab. I am really happy to be in this lab. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly.
On Sunday they gave a welcomg party and we all went for a BBQ in the woods of the Ibaraki prefecture. There were many other people making BBQs and I even could observe the famous custom to bash a watermelon with a stick. I`ve seen it several times in anime and now I could witness it in live. I`m happy.