Kakehashi Project: Day One

Left Dulles on time and arrived in Tokyo on time. Although getting everyone together after getting our luggage was a bit of work. This is the first time I'm meeting about half of the students and it is surprising what you can learn about a student by how they react to requests or instructions. Some listen happily 素直, some frown and show reluctance, some feign various levels of unawareness to establish in their own way a sense of (youthful, self-indulgent or naive) independence.
　Oh well. Variety keeps me on my toes.
　Anyway, after we gather our luggage and exit into the Narita Airport lobby. we met Ms. Yasuko Yagi, our coordinator for the Kakehashi program in Japan. She gave me a run down of the program and our schedule for the next seven days on the bus to the hotel. We arrived at Sunshine City Prince Hotel and checked in. Some students couldn't wait to explore Tokyo. The Kakehashi program prohibits drinking and sets up a curfew. But all I could do was tell them to be careful and "try" to be back by curfew. *sigh*
　My colleague, associate dean Elizabeth Chacko, and I got a bit of an orientation from the JICE group and we retired to our respective rooms. But my card key didn't work.
　Stuff happens, and a quick meet with the JICE coordinator and hotel staff settled the situation.

Finally, I can relax in my room! I try to open my suitcase but it wouldn't open. Upon closer inspection, I realized there was a three-number combination lock.
　Combination lock?!?
　Crap. Why didn't I notice this when I was packing? But no sweat. I was borrowing my wife's suitcase so I LINE her to ask her what the combination was.
　"What combination?" she said!
　Gulp...
　"Let's see," she chuckled. "Did you try 0-0-0? Or maybe 1-1-1 then..."
　"Ooooooh." I finally get to the right combination. Whew! Second complication fixed.

So I settle down and eat the box lunch they have prepared for us. It was a 9 compartment box that was quite delicious. Three different types of rice and proteins and veggies.
　After eating I get ready to go to sleep and do what I usually do, set up to recharge my computer and my tablet... but... but... my tablet won't recharge. At home, I usually plug my tablet into the wall but to save even a little bit of space/weight on this trip, I decided to recharge the tablet with a USB port. But it wouldn't work. "Did I bring my tablet just to not be able to use it after a day or two?"
　Thank God for Google. A quick search revealed that the Samsung Galaxy will charge on a USB port if the tablet is turned off--it has something to do with saving the battery. Or something. It's beyond my technical capabilities. As long as I can recharge. Anyway, three temporary setbacks, three quick fixes.
　Whew. What a way to start a trip. Hope things go more smoothly going forward.
#KAKEHASHI2018 #JICE #JAPAN