meiji ... wow!

I started work on Thursday ... wow! My campus is absolutely beautiful. I work right in the heart of Tokyo, in Ochanomizu. On the left is the view from my classroom. As you can tell, there are buildings and skyscrapers in all directions for miles. That's right in the center of 12 million people ... including surrounding cities it's 35 million people!
The campus is quite new; the building that I work in is brand new. I work on the top floor of this building here, called Academy Commons. Everything is state of the art: I have all the latest audio-visual equipment in my classroom, so I'm looking forward to planning some exciting lessons. The students are very polite and kind. They are a bit shy, naturally, but eager to learn English. Since Meiji University is one of the top 6 universities in Japan, many of my students are planning on working at the top companies. They have ambition and drive, so I intend to fully challenge them! Then again, I try to challenge all of my students ... so I'll just keep doing what I enjoy best. :)

My apartment is in a building called 'Leopalace' (kind of funny) but it's a really nice place. My apartment is also brand new. The only complaint is that I have a long commute to work on the train every morning. It takes an hour because my apartment is in Chiba. However, most people in this area commute on the train, even students. Some students live two hours away from school! The commute is pretty crazy: the trains are full of people so I have to stand the whole time. Luckily, they have one train car that is for women only and I like riding on that one. My chances of getting a seat are better! Everyone is so quiet on the train, and most people fall asleep, myself included. The commute home is a little less crowded because a lot of people go out with their co-workers after work, so the crowds are staggered. I prefer getting home quickly because I'm trying to save money. Going out in Tokyo is super expensive!

I will post photos of my apartment in the next blog.