Videos

UCEAP - Landing in Narita Airport (8.27.13)

Videotaped my landing into Narita International Airport (NRT) on August 27th, 2013 -- officially beginning my 3 month stay at International Christian University (ICU) as a One-Year Regular student. I came to ICU with the University of California's UCEAP program. 

Nothing but awe could describe the sight that I saw while looking out the window in the last five minutes of the flight. I couldn't believe that there was so much farmland so close to the coast, and it sort of made me feel like I was in a different time period.

UCEAP - Dialogue House Dormitory Tour (8.29.13)

Upon arriving at ICU and unpacking, I took a video of me awkwardly giving a tour of my room. This room is in Dialogue House, which is a dormitory for short-term international students (we're called OYRs or One-Year Regulars) as well as visiting faculty / lecturers. The Dormitory is 7 floors.

1st Floor is the lobby and the Shokudo or Gakki as some call it (Cafeteria)

2nd Floor is the International conference room -- we don't go there too often.

3rd+4th Floors are dormitories for us short-term students

5th+6th Floors are for faculty.

7th Floor is a patio that's only accessible to the 5th+6th floor residents. I've never been past the 4th floor.

The rules are pretty stringent. You're not allowed to have the opposite sex in your dormitory at any times or you'll risk getting kicked out of Dialogue House; You cannot keep your door open for any longer than ~20 seconds because the alarm will sound; No non-residents of Dialogue House can go higher than the 2nd floor. There are also cameras on every floor so they always know what you're doing with the exception of a few blindspots.

The rule are pretty harsh, but it's not difficult to follow them. You definitely feel safe, and the rooms are really high quality... except for the fact that there is absolutely no kitchen in the whole building minus the cafeteria.