Guess who’s back, back again

Not shady, just a little jet lagged. Besides the time difference, I am, or rather my hair is, still adjusting to the humidity. When we landed on Thursday the pilot told us the weather in Tokyo was overcast and drizzling… oh, and 73 degrees. It is the rainy season here, so I should’ve expected it.
We spent the first two days at Narita for orientation, of which we’ve had six of so far. Can’t say how much I’ve retained of what they tell us when it feels like 3 a.m. in the morning. Anyway, we moved to Yoyogi (in Tokyo) yesterday. It was a nice bus ride over. We drove by Urayasu and I really wanted to get out L, my old haunting grounds! I’ll get over there at some point. On the way we stopped in Shinjuku and ascended the Tokyo Metropolitan Towers for an awesome, but hazy/brown cloudy view of the city. Of course Fuji-san was shrouded in aforementioned smog. One might question whether it exists… After an ear-popping ride back down some 50 flights and on the bus again, we made it to the National Olympic Youth Center. I’ve stayed here on two of my previous stays and the colors are as retro and the rooms are as narrow and wedged shaped as I remember. No closets or shelves and each person is strictly regulated to two hangers. Drying laundry is going to be a feat.
We’ve been pretty isolated as a group since arrival, doing orientation and stuff, so it doesn’t really feel like I’m in Japan yet. I made it to the conbini (7-11 of course) last night and that was about as much exposure I’ve had to Japanese people so far. However on the way back, I friend of mine in the group I was walking with ran into a Japanese girl who was heading across our path. The girl struck up conversation and I didn’t realize until she’d gone off somewhere that she was my close friend from high school (Tokyo Gakkan). Small world!! I called after her but she didn’t hear me, very frustrating. I’ll get a hold of here somehow… If we ever get internet (and I guess if you’re reading this, we probably have it).
Well, placement exams for classes are at nine and I’ve got to jet off to get some b-fast. Later!