Apartment Awesomeness

My appreciation for all of your patience. The internet has just arrived so I am able to post blogs from the comfort of my own home... YAY! 

A lot has happened since my arrival in Japan. I have been here for just over a month and have already been to some awesome places and seen some pretty amazing things. I want to get you all caught up as soon as possible, so we will be starting with a tour of my new Japanese apartment. 

As always please forgive the poor editing and shaky, hand-held camera work.

P.S: I will continue to try and do video blogs as often as possible but, due to the time consuming nature of video blogging (though my videos may not look like it), I have decided to space them out so that I can update my blog more frequently. Thanks! 

Japan It!

Greetings from Japan!

My apologies for the length of time between now and my last post. I am currently in the process of acquiring internet and, in the meantime, have been using the internet at the church whenever I can. Long story short the flight here was pleasant. The food was good, there was little to no turbulence, and the time really flew (Courtesy of The Adventures of Tin Tin, We Bought a Zoo, and Valium). Arriving in Narita airport in Tokyo was also a good experience. Sayaka and Furuhashi Sensei were waiting to greet us and help us exchange our useless american dollars for yen and buy a bus ticket to Mito.

 The video below details the trip. Please forgive the poor editing and lack of a conclusion (we were all very tired by the time we arrived).

One Week

I have no doubt that there will be many significant days in my life. These are days that affect every single day after them. Days that will forever change who you are for the rest of your life. One such day is fast approaching. In one week on April 12th, I will be leaving my home in Oklahoma to go to Mito, Japan. While I could ramble on and on trying to describe my adventures at great length, sometime words can fall short. Instead I am going to try what the kids call "video blogging" in order to paint a clearer picture for everyone in the states. Please enjoy what I hope to be the first of many.

   

Farewell Tour

There are many things I want to do before I leave on my year-long trip. Not the least of which is pig out on buffalo wings and Mexican food. First and foremost on my list, though, was to make my yearly trek up to the Ohio/ Michigan area and see some of my favorite people.

First on the list were my grandparents. For those who have never met this couple, let me give you the run down. Together they are considered the most sarcastic duo ever to walk this earth and, oddly, are also the most adorable elderly couple you will ever meet. Their banter back and forth is always the highlight of my trips up north. 

Where the grandchildren get their good looks

We then departed to the mystical land of Michigan. 

Apart from visiting various other relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc...), I got to see my sister Bonnie for the first time since this summer. 

Bonnie being the shortest of the four

If I had to pick three things to describe my time with her and her husband they would be:

• Tea
• Big Band Music
• Novelty Gift/Gag Shop

I think I may have a problem

Lastly, I stayed with my cousin Dan for a couple days. It was here that I was able to reunite with old friends, sample some delicious food, and experience some of the Detroit night life. Indeed we partied hard. How do I know you ask? Well what would a party be without some Blasphemy?

Dan with a sacrilegious game we discovered 

All in all, it was a very good trip, albeit, I was very sad to leave. It always seems like the time I spend with my northern family is never enough. I would like to thank all of them. Without all of their support and encouragement, there is no way I would have the courage to embark on this adventure. 

The Name Game

Today I would like to address the name of this blog. In Particular, the word "Sensei" or  先生. Like most Americans when I first heard this word I thought of something like this:

This would be a martial arts sensei. "Sensei" is literally translated as "person born before another" but is commonly used to mean "master" or "teacher".  As a teacher in Japan I will be known as Trey Sensei. The name of the blog is reversed mainly because of my personal preference but also because I feel it correctly shows my ignorant gaijin (foreigner) sensibilities. I hope this has been an educational and fun experience for you, the reader. I know it was for me.

Finally, a special shout out to Wikipedia.com for all of its continued love and support.    

First of Many

First things first, Let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Trey Harris. I am a 23 year old college graduate with a degree in marketing. I have spent this past year working in that field. I have lived in Oklahoma my whole life and never been overseas. I have also been described as the worst writer of this generation. Because of these things, I have decided to go to the other side of the earth and write about it.
Welcome to my blog.