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Healthcare in Japan

It's been a busy month lately  between after school work, cramming for the JLPT, and writing a whopping six articles with my freelance job, it's been hectic! On top of this I've been dealing with health issues. In only four weeks I managed to go to the doctor five times and the hospital four times! Having health issues in a foreign country is definitely a stressful ordeal, no matter what ailment, but ongoing troubles without any known cause is the pits!

Japanese health insurance.

Let me give you a little background on healthcare in Japan. This isn't my first time making liberal use of my health insurance, so I'm pretty familiar with how things run. Japan has universal healthcare, which you must enroll in by visiting your local city hall. It's around $200 US dollars a month, but the actual amount you pay at doctor's offices is very affordable. The only thing that has costed me more than $30 dollars (teeth cleaning) was my first visit to the hospital, a whopping $75 bucks! I have had to shell out more for a CT scan and recently my first MRI, but they were both under $70 dollars. There is no standardized co-pay here, which makes for a much less stressful doctor's visit, which is probably why they are so busy.

Everyone in Japan during health check season.

Ho! Ho! Holidays at the Disney Store!

Christmas is right around the corner, but that doesn't mean new products at the Disney store are limited to just that – there's a lot of other great stuff this month! If you're already counting down the days until the sickening onslaught of Christmas music will be over, this new line of "King Mickey" merchandise just debuted.


You can upgrade the old Mickey you have stashed away in the back of your closet for this shiny gold Mickey worthy of royalty! Plus for a small fortune (literally guys!) you can dress like him, too.


To afford this 81 dollar shirt, you'd better be royalty.

My Tips for the JLPT

If you study Japanese, you'll know that it's that time of year again   JLPT testing time! There are only two chances a year, July and December, and with less than a month to go until the December 4th test, I'm feeling the crunch! I've been studying Japanese for 10 years, including college level courses and self study, and I decided to try my hand at the JLPT for the first time last December. I challenged myself with the N2, since I may as well if I'm going to shell out 50 bucks, and to my delight, I was able to pass! This year I'm being even more ambitious by going where no gaijin has gone before, attempting the N1, the highest level!

I’m sharing my dos and don’ts tips for you all based on my regrets last time, and what I've learned since then! Preparing for something as big as the JLPT is definitely an eye-opener. If you’ve taken it before and met with frustration, don’t get discouraged! Just read up on my tips!

Christmastime at the Disney Store!

Well, November 1st means Christmas is coming! Off with Halloween, and in with the most profitable season of the year! Merry Christmas! (Sorry, but you won't find any turkey-related products). Of course Disney Japan couldn't even wait until Halloween finished to try and sell people Christmas Mickey and Minnie dolls. Now that it's all over, you can look forward to the next two months devoted completely to Christmas! So, what's hot on the market this month?

Ho-Ho-Ho Baymax! Christmas sweaters! Stocking stuffers!

I've Been Writing Up a Storm! Check Out my Articles!

As of this year, I officially became a freelance writer! I've been loving every minute of it  the feeling you get from seeing your writing officially published! It's a pretty big goal for me, as one of my dream jobs includes being able to combine my passion for writing with my passion for Japan. (It's also nice to get paid for it, too!). Thus I've been writing up a storm over the past seven months, and I've already published a whopping sixteen articles! Unfortunately, since I've been so busy doing freelance writing, I've been less active on my blog, as I'm using most of my ideas for articles. But don't despair! I'll be posting more blogs, and you can count on my monthly Disney store updates!

If you haven't read my articles yet, please check them out on izanau.com!

Japan Trend Tracker: Radio Fish's "Perfect Human"​

Radio Fish's "Golden"​ New Hit

The Ultimate Simple Yet Effective Japanese Study Trick



The Cool, the Cute, the Bizarre, and Downright Scary in Japan

Time for another addition of cool/awesome/weird things I've stumbled across while living in Japan. If you're familiar at all with Japan, you know it's known for such things, from the latest cutting edge technology, animal cafes, and hilarious commercials. This is my third year in Japan, so I'm pretty used to things around here  sorry but no, you won't encounter any giant robots battling over the city skyline or cute alien girls trying to declare their love to you. Mostly vending machines and conbinis (convenience stores). But there are still things that have me stopping and staring at how cool/awesome/bizarre they are!

Strange

This is supposed to be a beauty product. So why does it so closely resemble an instrument of torture?!

Halloween is in Full Swing at the Disney Store!

As predicted, October brings us some awesome Nightmare Before Christmas products! This month is packed with new products, and I can't wait to share with you all the great new stuff!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Tsum Tsums! How did we ever live without their cuteness in our dull, dull lives?

Funny Conversations I've Had with Japanese People Recently

Since being back in Japan a month after an equal amount of time visiting family in the states, I've already had some pretty interesting conversations with Japanese people.

When I first came back to school, one of the female teachers I work with noticed that my face looked darker than usual. "You got a suntan!" she remarked to me with a smile. "Huh?" I thought. "Uh, no, not really..."

"Oh?" she said. "Your skin looks darker..."

I thought...And immediately recalled my stepmom saying something quite similar to me when I was back home. "Melissa, you look so white! I don't think that makeup is the right color for your skin tone..." "Really?" I had said in surprise. I'd run out of my American foundation, so I had been forced to buy some more in Japan. I bought what I thought matched my skin color...but apparently not.

August/September Disney Goods – Goodbye Summer, Make Way for Halloween!

It's been a while since my last Disney update as I was on summer break in America for the whole month of August! I'm back and refreshed, and super excited to hit the Disney store again! It may only be September, but Halloween goods have already hit the shelves. Right now the Unibearsity bears are this month's highlight, with adorable Disney Halloween costumes to dress up your bear with.

Daiso Japan vs Daiso America: A Comparison

Recently I made a trip back home to my native country of America (which is how the USA is known in Japan), excited to be comfortably surrounded by all things American. What should I find, however, but a very familiar sight right next to good ol’ Trader Joes  Daiso! Daiso is the equivalent of the dollar store, and it’s everywhere in Japan. Their products are actually quite good, ranging from handy kitchen products to cute stationary and nail stickers. I knew I had to check out this “Americanized” Daiso. Would the products be the same?

A Guide to Japanese TV

As a TV/movie fanatic, I jumped at the chance to familiarize myself with what’s popular in Japan. Luckily for me, my first apartment – a Leopalace – came equipped with a big flat screen TV (although this also got me into a contract with the dreaded NHK because of this – but that’s another story. Tip: unless you’re expecting someone or something, never, ever open your door in Japan. Even real Japanese people refrain from it for fear of the NHK). Not only is watching Japanese TV entertaining, it’s a great way to boost your Japanese learning! The great thing about Japanese TV for foreign learners is that there are subtitles of select speech that pop up on the bottom (I suppose if this was done in English it would be quite annoying, but it’s very helpful for those of us who could use the extra support). Also, in the top right and left hand corners is an overview of what's currently going on in the show and the topic of discussion, filling in any channel flipping viewers coming in halfway through the show. In the morning the time is also displayed, helping people getting ready for work keep track of the time.

Alice Through the Looking Glass Arrives at the Disney Store!

Although the new movie Alice Through the Looking Glass debuted in America months ago, it just premiered in Japan last weekend, and with it came a ton of awesome products at the Disney Store! Alice in Wonderland is wildly popular in Japan and sells well, so the movie should turn a good profit even if it didn’t produce much fanfare in America. Following the color theme of the movie, there are a ton of white and gold products that are just gorgeous.


Disney Store New Arrivals! Stitch, Zootopia, Ice Cream Tsum Tsums, and More!

It's June, and that means new arrivals at the Disney store, my favorite place to shop in Japan! So, what's new this month? Stitch!

My First Trip to a Cat Cafe!

One small key chain, hours of entertainment. Who can resist the soft pads of a kitty's paw?
If you’re familiar with Japan at all, you know all about their love of cat-related things – these squishy cat paw key chains, anime cat girls, this popular cat – and the awesomeness that is cat cafes. Cafes are another thing Japan loves, evidenced by maid and, more recently, butler cafes (which I will eventually visit and give my full report on, I promise you readers). Maid cafes are even so popular that they have opened in the states. Japan aficionados have brought back their love of cat cafes to places like London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and New York. Just what makes them so desirable to emulate?

Awesome Food I’ve Been Enjoying in Japan – Limited Edition Kit Kats, Taiyaki Okonomiyaki, and Gorgeous Cold Stone Ice Cream Pops!

Living in Japan for two years, I've enjoyed tons of great food both novel and familiar-with-an-Asian-twist. I've had my fill of okonomiyaki, my absolute favorite Japanese food, in Osaka until I literally got sick of it (never thought this was possible), inadvertently tried monkfish liver (never again!), eaten Burger King Japan's black burger, been fed a mouthful of shirasu (tiny white fish – also never again), eaten the most delicious curry flavored popcorn at Tokyo Disneyland, and had about the tastiest burger at a beach side shop in my previous home of Hitachi, Ibaraki (about the only place to get American food!). I love food! So I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting things to try.

As a self-professed sweet-tooth, I'm always searching for good places to satisfy my cravings when the weekend rolls around. Japan isn't traditionally a culture big on sweets, and when they do eat sweets it's usually mochi with sweet bean paste (not really my thing) or something green tea flavored (also not my thing). Unlike America, fro-yo bars, cupcakeries, or bakeries selling all sorts of cakes, pies, cookies, and muffins are almost nonexistent. That being said, nowadays Japan definitely appreciates sweets (there are even dessert-only or buffet restaurants such as Dessert Kingdom) and loves to invent unique, limited edition flavors! One thing I love is that in Japan Kit Kats come in all different flavors, while the ones back in the states are always the same. Besides green tea, "adult" (darker chocolate), and regular, all special flavors are limited edition. (For some reason Oreos are the opposite, leaving me pining for all the cool flavors being released back home, although you can find chocolate cream ones at Daiso and there is an interesting selection of Oreo bars). There's been a boom in new Kit Kat flavors this spring, such as these awesome Easter Kit Kats, which are pancake flavored!

Meet Japan’s Hottest New Character, Osomatsu-san


One of the many things Japan is known for is its love of characters, whether it be its own creation such as Hello Kitty, Totoro, or Pikachu, or those of another country such as Winnie the Pooh or Moomin (a popular character from Finland, which you have never heard of back in the states). Characters are seen everywhere, from snacks to sports drinks, kitchen goods, anime and games. There are even characters created purely to sell products. Japanese youth love characters, and it’s perfectly normal to have at least one character pinned to your pencil case or backpack, even if you’re an adult. I’d like to say I’m pretty savvy when it comes to popular characters in Japan.

My Review of the Edo-Tokyo Museum – and it’s Definitely Worth Seeing

So I did something the other day that I don’t normally do. I went to Tokyo. To visit a museum.
And I actually liked it!

Museums aren’t really my thing. But when my Ibaraki friend said he was coming into town to visit and he had some museums on his list, I thought museums…isn’t that…well…boring?
Then I recalled seeing some friends’ pictures of the Edo-Tokyo museum, which was on his list. And it actually looked pretty cool, like a real life replica of Edo period Japan. And guess what? It was definitely worth the trip! I’ve never enjoyed a museum so much as I did the Edo-Tokyo museum. Just what makes it so great? It brings history to life. Usually museums are very static representations of historic items, paintings, sculptures, etc. The Edo-Tokyo museum does have these things. But they don’t stop there – they push the boundaries. Then – BAM. You’ve got history right in front of your eyes!


Things You’re Forced to Learn for the First Time When Living in Japan

With seven years of Japanese study under my belt and a homestay experience, I thought I was more than prepared for living in Japan when I came here two years ago. I quickly discovered that was not the case, not only in certain aspects of language that you miss out on simply from learning from textbooks. No, there were simple everyday things that I discovered were very different from my home of USA that I was quickly forced to learn in order to survive in a new country. Nothing you read online can prepare you for what the reality is when it comes to every day, run-of-the-mill things. As an American some of these things are more difficult for me than for people from other countries, but here is my list of things I had to learn in order to survive.

1. All the difference sizes of printing paper – it’s not just 8 ½ by 11!


This is the equivalent of A4 in Japan. There’s also A5, B4, and B5, all different sizes ranging from lesson than 8 ½ by 11 to double that in one page. Working at a Japanese school teaching English, I frequently have to make copies for class, which involves selecting the size of paper to print it out on. Printing was another thing I had to figure out, which, depending on the machine, requires you to make a model of the page you want to mass produce, wait for the test print, then inputting how many copies you want before getting anywhere. If there was only one size paper in Japan you wouldn’t have to worry about finding the right size and loading it up every time you want to copy. But these sizes – A4 and 5, B 4 and 5 – are going to become a part of your everyday life whether you like it or not. I still haven’t memorized what everything is aside from A4.

2. What constitutes as burnable and unburnable garbage – and you will never truly get the hang of this; always to be flustered by sorting your garbage at McDonalds.

Hanami Time! Saturday in the Park with Pups, and New Disney Store Releases

At hanami in Tokyo.
Last weekend was the start of hanami, cherry blossom viewing! I met my friend Sarah (www.twitter.com/S_NelkinEN) in Tokyo – and her adorable pups! – to marvel at the beautiful light-pink blossoms now blooming throughout Japan. This is my third hanami in Japan, but last year I was visiting my family back in the states and arrived at the tail end of the brief season. So this year I was more than ready! Usually there are only two weekend chances to enjoy hanami eating and drinking underneath the blossoms with your friends and family, given sakura’s extremely short lifespan. Unless you travel from southern to northern Japan following the blooming. And I’m so sure there are totally people who do that.

Beautiful light-pink blossoms mean spring is here!
After a long winter and a cold start to spring, sakura are a sure sign that warmth and sunshine is on the way! Unfortunately this wasn’t the case last weekend, as a stubborn cloudy, rainy spell hit the Tokyo and Yokohama areas. Still, crummy weather or not, sakura attract a crowd! Popular sites in Tokyo for hanami are Yoyogi and Ueno park, but I tried for something off the beaten path near my friend’s house. This was a nice little park with plenty of sakura and not too crowded, although she said it got more crowded than last year due to a TV special that attracted more people this year. I was more than happy in a smaller, less crowded setting, and enjoyed snacking on tomato-garlic takoyaki while playing with my friend’s cute dogs.

Me, my friend Sarah, and her dogs Aurica and Philo enjoying hanami.
Another spot near the park.
Stage performance in the park.
Other gorgeous flowers in the park.

Also, a big announcement for me – I’ve become a freelance writer! My first article is up on www.izanau.com, so please check it out and look for more of my writing on the way!

Back to business, right after enjoying hanami I decided to pay a visit to the Disney store in Ikebukuro (I had an intense craving for Blue Seal purple sweet potato ice cream), and they have tons of cute new products! I’m considering featuring new Disney products every month, but this may cut into my spending money quite a bit, as who can resist all the cute things there? First up, these adorable French pastry goods.


Can you say adorable?


My favorite are the croissant goods. Chip and Dale are extremely popular here, and they look so cute sharing a big buttered croissant!


This one has to be my favorite, though. It’s really a pencil pouch, but it looks good enough to eat! Warning: purchasing any of these products may cause intense cravings for French pastries.

On the other hand, Easter products are in full swing, featuring Pooh and his friends! The cutest ones are all the little critters sitting in a colorful Easter egg.




Plus there’s a whole new line of Winnie the Pooh tsum tsums! Just when you thought you had painstakingly collected them all. They are all dressed up in fuzzy yellow chick utfits similar to the bumble bee versions from last year. And for some reason on the big Winnie the Poohs there’s a bunny attached to the front like a little kangaroo pouch? This makes no sense.


I also have to recommend this adorable line of sleeping characters that has been around for a while and looks like they're here to stay! They are so soft you’ll swear they’re stuffed with tofu and marshmallows.

Continuing in the spring vein, there are new jewelry stands for sale. You may have seen original jewelry and ring stands in the dresses and heels of your favorite Disney princesses. (I have to say I’m partial to Anna’s, because it’s a perfect match. Some of them have had creative liberties taken). They run about 25 dollars each.


But now you have two new jewelry stand options in these super cute dresses!



They’re both very pretty, and unique from the standard Disney princess dresses. If you’re a real Disney fanatic (and have lots of money) you can even buy this dress that matches the first one!


And Disney doesn’t only have its animated movie products. Check out these super cool Avengers tsum tsums! (Why is there no Loki?! Clearly the production team messed up on this one).


You can also find some Star Wars goods still around! I really like this BB8 cup.


That’s all for this month! Look forward to more awesome Disney store products!

Unexpected Everyday Things That Are Done Surprisingly Different in Japan

So you’re into Japan – you love anime, manga, samurai culture, sushi, geisha, robots, cat girls – what’s not to like? You know all the weird and quirky things about Japan and love it all the more because of them. Vending machines selling everything from underwear to cigarettes, $300 dollar melons, toilets that wash your butt for you, hotels offering compact, “capsule”-sized space to themed “love” hotels. But how about these everyday, mundane things? You may be surprised to find how things are done differently here in Japan.

1. When parking, always back into spaces.

The RIGHT way to park.
Luckily I haven’t had to drive in Japan yet. If I did, I would definitely NOT be backing into my parking space. Too nerve wracking! I recall being astonished during my first trip to Japan when my host father expertly backed into their parking space from all the way down a long narrow road. Yet this is the way it’s done here. Usually cars have a little screen displaying what’s behind you, which helps. But parking spaces are really compact here! I would be the lone person who didn’t back into the space, sticking out from the rest. But that means I can find my car faster.

Do not be THAT gaijin.
2. No debit cards – almost always pay with cash.
Plastic? Please.
Your new go-to payment method.
Nope, debit cards are not a thing here. My post office bank account comes equipped with a “cash card”, which is just a card used to withdraw cash from the ATM. There are credit cards, but cash is the most standard way to go, although you have to remember the annoying little detail that:

3. ATMs close at 5pm.

This poor sap got stuck having to resort to conbini ATM. Ah, the life of a salaryman...
If, like most everyone, you don’t get off work until 5, you can withdraw cash at a conbini but will be charged an extra fee, naturally. Apparently the reason the ATMs close so early is because banks and the post office close at this time and it’s too risky not to have a staff member around a working ATM. Understandable, but more of an inconvenience. How does anyone withdraw cash?! They must withdraw a huge wad of money they’ll need from the week over the weekend, or else if they’re married send their wife to do it for them. If not…you’re stuck paying the withdrawal fee at conbini.

4.  It’s extremely difficult to get hired for a real job after 25 – but before then you can get hired without any experience and regardless of major. Thus, GPA doesn’t matter much to students in college. On a related note, high school isn’t free, as it’s not part of the 9 years of required schooling in Japan.

5. When taking your temperature, stick the thermometer under the armpit and not under the tongue.

You don't want to know where these have been...
This is a very important difference to know should you require any medical attention here. The first time I had to do this I was completely flustered – under the armpit? Ew, gross! I suppose under the tongue isn’t much more sanitary, but for Americans surely we think armpits are far more disgusting than tongues. Another difference I learned while at the doctor’s in Japan:

6.  Instead of the standard A-Z, in Japan an eye check chart is made up of Cs and you’re supposed to say which way it’s facing – up, down, right, left.
Japanese eye chart. What do you C?
Who knew? I guess C is the easiest for Japanese to identify of the Roman alphabet, and easier than using hiragana or kanji. Is this trickier or easier than using A-Z? Hmm...

7. Good luck finding a garbage can!
If you live in Japan, you're familiar with this stressful scenario.
If you accumulate any trash while out and about, you pretty much have to carry it around all day until you get home, the station being the only place you’re guaranteed to find a garbage can. This is apparently due to the fact that there was a terrorist scare some years ago when someone put a bomb in a trash can. Thus, eliminating all garbage cans will eliminate terrorism, right? If only. Next time you find yourself annoyed at not being able to find a garbage can, thank the terrorists.

8. Shop keepers always put a smaller sticker to seal the bag

Exhibit A.
I suppose this is to prevent things from falling out of the bag, but really I just find it plain annoying! I hardly ever shop at only one store, and end up with more bags and wanting to consolidate them into one, when - Drat, that stupid sticker is in the way! Or you just want to drop one or two small items in, say a water bottle and sunglasses for easy access. There’s that sticker getting in the way again! This is one practice I could live without. Similarly, at the supermarket there are always rolls of tape to seal your bags upon checking out. Now I have to ferry my food back home on my bike, so I do take advantage of the tape in this situation, cause it would really suck if I hit a bump and my eggs go flying out, right? But I just wonder…

Who started this annoying trend?!

9.  Close the toilet seat after use, and the bathroom door as well.
Small details you wouldn’t necessary think about, but it’s definitely done differently around here! As I live alone, I never close the toilet seat, or the bathroom door. Yet every time I go into the stall, the previous person put the seat down. As for the bathroom door, that makes it extremely difficult to know if it’s closed because someone is in there, or not?! The suspense.

10. People actually bother cleaning outside – and by outside I mean washing public stairs, or sweeping the dirt.
Cinderella would have her work cut out for her in Japan, where they clean the outside as well as the inside.
Yes, literally sweeping dirt. I see it all the time during cleaning time at school, people outside sweeping the playground/field – I have yet to see a playground made of grass. I can’t quite grasp the point of this. And who would ever think of washing outside stairs?! Only the Japanese.

11. During teeth cleanings the actual dentist does the real work and the assistant just hands him stuff. In America it's the reverse - the only time you interface with the real dentist is at the end when he pops his head in to check the assistant's work. I was pretty surprised the first time I got my teeth cleaned here.

12. Japan has a surprisingly high number of left handed people compared to America


This could be related to everything being left oriented here such as driving on the left side, standing on the left side of the escalator, etc. In America you find maybe 1 lefty in a class, but here in Japan there are several left-handed kids in a single class.

Did you expect these? I bet not! Now you know – Japan is even more of a mystery than you thought!

I Just Can’t Stomach it! Weird Things the Japanese Eat

“Have you ever eaten frog?”

Recently I was asked this by the vice principal of my elementary school.
“Frog?” I said. “No way!” He smiled. “It’s delicious!”

Well, I didn’t quite agree with him there. Actually, it was surprising that he said frog, and not some sort of strange tentacled fish you’re more likely to encounter in an island country such as Japan. Seriously, they don’t even have turkey in japan – where did he get frog?

Anyway, this got us started on a conversation about weird foods people eat around the world, starting with Japanese foods I find appalling (of course I didn't quite put it that way). Yes, some countries consume dogs, ravens, guinea pigs, crocodile, kangaroo (which I hesitantly tried once – and it was surprisingly okay. Just like beef.), insects, innards, unborn bird embryos, even reproductive parts! I’ve watched my fair share of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. And yes, I do distinctly remember him eating a live, beating frog heart on the Japan episode and drinking fresh snake blood. But while each country has its own peculiar cuisines, some of it is quite commonplace for locals. Excluding the mystery meat that is hot dogs, I’d say Americans are pretty unadventurous when it comes to choosing what meat to have for dinner. Coming to live in Japan two years ago, I thought I loved Japanese food – that is until I encountered real, off-the-menu fare. Now I've known for a long time about natto and made a point to avoid it at all costs, but there are some things I had no idea were standard food in Japan. Eating school lunch forces you to get brave in trying new foods as the portion sizes are so small, but there are still some things I just can’t stomach. Here’s my top 10 list of weird things Japanese people eat.

Hai-sai! Things I Learned During My First Trip to Okinawa

The beautiful blue waters of Okinawa.
I’ve done a lot of traveling around Japan during the last two years, from bustling Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba (for Disneyland), Shizuoka to climb Mt. Fuji, Sendai, the home to my favorite figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, the popular hot spring area of Hakone and Atami, and even far-off Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe, but one place I’ve always wanted to visit is Okinawa. I’ve visited Hawaii numerous times throughout my childhood and even spent one semester studying there at the University of Manoa, so when I found out Okinawa is also a tropical string of islands I knew I wanted to go. Besides the sand and beaches, Okinawa is also home to its own unique culture and Ryukuyu-go, its indigenous language. Okinawans take pride in their unique culture and language, yet nowadays it is very much Japanese.

There is a long history of Chinese influence, being so close to Taiwan you can hop on a ferry there, as well as another long history of a battle of independence and rule from America and Japan. This is a long subject of debate on Okinawa, with people divided between wanting to go back to being independent or remain under Japan, and then there's the question of China's influence, but the biggest is definitely the presence of the American military, as evidenced by the sheer number of bases scattered all over the island.


All politics aside, I had a great time touring the island and visiting popular sightseeing spots such as Shurijo and Churaumi aquarium, eating local food as well as Mexican and American food, but I was surprised at how much I learned about Okinawa during my time there.