On this day all I did was go to BOOKOFF (a used bookstore), Itoyokado (a very large supermarket chain), and the SILS opening ceremony so I can keep this post short.

My foot after a nights sleep. Bruised and deformed.

Dropped by to see what clubs and circles there were. They were mainly sports.. very different from US clubs. Generally our clubs are community service oriented and then splits into hobbies, sports, and majors. I didn't encounter many major-oriented ones but there was a film club.

 Went upstairs in the SILS building and picked up my Waseda ID. It may have taken 10 days to finally get one but wow the card looks gorgeous! Very fancy and official looking. They use the extra photo that you sent them when you applied to Waseda so it's the same as my passport photo. Some people had a strange redish tint to theirs, and some had yellow (including me). Unfortunately you do have to return it to the school when you leave... Why won't you let me keep it Waseda?!?!

Also dropped by the ICC. Looks like a really awesome place to chill. Hopefully they have some service events coming up.

Then we finally went to the Waseda University Store!

Lots of merchandise, mildly pricey depending on what you're looking at but generally University merchandise tends to be on the higher side anyways so nothing outrageous.

For some reason one of the most prestigious schools in Japan has the most awkward and strange looking mascot. Eda thinks he's a bear rendition of the founder of Waseda. Regardless I don't really like it... hahah

The jackets are about 8,000JPY a pop so I decided I would get some later on.

I ended up getting a lanyard for my keys and 3 pens. 1 for my dad, 1 for my awesome study abroad advisor, and 1 for my old Japanese teacher that I'm really close with. I'll end up getting more Waseda souvenirs for people later through the year.

Everyone else went and got a drink from the other side of the store which is a cafe

I think I kind of look like my dad when I smile

We could hear cicadas everywhere because it's still at the tail end of summer and so there were a ton of cicada shells in the bush next to us. Biologist Eda wanted to mess with one while the rest of us just cowered in fear.

Finally we were on campus a day the Okuma Garden was open so naturally everyone wanted to go. I wanted to check it out too but since it is surrounded by a body of water and burning hot (for me) I had my reservations...

Look at all my brothers and sisters!

Okuma Auditorium's clock tower in the distance

Sasha (Russia) bought a postcard from the Waseda shop and it looked kind of like this, except it was taken in spring so there were Sakura instead of these flowers. Maybe I can make my own postcard?

 Afterwards, Sasha ended up slipped on some moss at the garden and I was miserable from overheating and I accrued a few more bites so Sasha left to clean up and the rest of us searched for a cheap place to eat.

Unfortunately I was having some discomfort because I needed to use the restroom. We ended up at this cheap udon place Joanna had been before but when I went into the bathroom...

My greatest fear... A squatter.

 The bathroom itself was probably as clean as a hole in the wall could get but sweet Jesus I was hoping I wouldn't actually run into one of these. I couldn't really go because... it was so awkward and unpleasant so I just held it in until we went home...

Fairly cramped (compared to places in the States) like any other Japanese restaurant, though at least at this one we could have some wiggle room at our own table.

Kitty! I think it belongs to the owners of this place? Or it just knows to come here and beg for food.

My delicious meal. I think it was Katsudon? They give you a lot... like so much that I almost couldn't finish it. Almost.

These really cute grandpas were so in love with this cat it was adorable.

Finished up at the udon place (for only 550JPY!) and went off toward BOOKOFF. On the way we stumbled upon Itoyokado! I had asked fellow collectors on LiveJournal where I could find Pokemon bread and the community admin said Itoyokado! I was so excited!

They definitely were not kidding about how large this place is. It is 3 stories (with a DAISO on the 4th floor... so convenient) and is comparable to an American supermarket. As long as you kind of condense the isles.

Found it! Unfortunately they were both chocolately sweets... I was hoping for some curry bread or something. Though I garnered absolutely no sympathy from Joanna... 

I have been really good at resisting sweet flavoured drinks and haven't had one so far!

The DAISO upstairs.

 After our detour we finally went to BOOKOFF. It was pretty large and had 2 stories. Apparently this is a "small" once because it was called BOOKOFF "Express". Eda went to a 4 story one in Shinjuku?

Sex Machineguns? Does anyone here even know what that means? Cause I don't.

Lots and lots of used games... though softward is so expensive in Japan it wasn't really "cheap" compared to how much you pay for Nintendo games in America. 

Oh hello.

Guess even Japan doesn't want you.

Presumably "hardware" and "parts"

My loot from our adventures today. I bought the "Love Plus" game at the BOOKOFF because Eda told me its a "dating sim" and I was like what the hell?? It was only 500JPY but after I got home and played it, 500JPY was definitely overpriced. Makes a great gag gift though. 

Now the SILS Opening Ceremony begins..

Okuma Auditorium is certainly very gorgeous

Basically the whole thing was an over exaggerated welcome speech by the Dean of SILS and a few welcome words by teachers. I mean it was nice to put a face to some of the teachers but did it need to be touted as some huge event? I was freaking out because others were saying it was a formal event and we needed to dress up... I know this is commonplace in Asia but back home we don't dress up for anything. I came here to go to school, not enter a business, so I had no "formal" wear. I ended up in black jeans and a navy print shirt aaaaand when we got there there were even people in shorts and tanks. Not a big deal. I wish I would have known beforehand. Formal wear wasn't even stated as a requirement on the syllabus so some people just freaked out and pulled the information out of nowhere.

Basically the only real redeeming factor to this event (besides seeing some professor's faces) was this incredible Waseda acapella group called "Street Corner Symphony". They sounded incredible and I was totally bobbing my head to those sweet jazzy tunes. After 2 song performances from them we were set free. The entire event from start to finish lasted only 50 minutes.... With a presentation that short why even bother? They could have condensed it and included it into our SILS orientation...

At least on my way home I found a cat

It inched closer to get the food I threw

It was still kind of scared though so I left the food and walked away. Unfortunately as I stopped to feed this cat... a mosquito stopped to feed on me. Great. I think I have 12 bites as of this post. Someone please save me.