Sometimes I feel a little bit like the odd person out at my dorm.
Last night, for example, most of the people in my dorm went to a nomihoudai, or an all you can drink party at a local restaurant. The stories I heard the following morning were pretty hilarious, but I felt a bit like a fish out of water.
I've never really drank, even though being a college student I'm sure I could've gone to parties and such where I had the opportunity. It's just never been a big deal to me. For one, breaking the law is rather stupid. It's really not that hard to wait until you're 21. And secondly, getting drunk off my butt and making a fool of myself doesn't seem all that appealing. Even if you're only tipsy or pretty much sober and just watching the action unfold, it must be pretty weird watching all of your friends act out or puke their brains out or whatever.
Here in Japan, going out drinking with friends is a common way to have a good time; being drunk is the best icebreaker, I suppose.
But...I'm just not interested. I'm even legal here, and I don't care at all. The first time I ever actually get drunk, I would prefer to be in the company of close friends, people who will say, "hey you've had a bit too much" or who will make sure I get home safely, won't judge me if I say something stupid, etc...
Drinking seems like such a waste of money as well. You spend a lot of money on drinks that may or may not taste great, and that's it. There's no tangible object to take home with you, no quality memories...I'm in Kyoto, for heaven's sake. I could go somewhere really cool or buy something for myself with the money. Or -gasp- I could even spend it on things I need.

So yeah...it's weird being around a bunch of people who want to hit the club or play tipsy twister or go to nomihoudais. I feel kind of like a stick in the mud for saying no and chilling in my room, but it's how I am. I've never really enjoyed partying, and I've stated how I feel about excessive drinking. There are better things to do with my time. Sure, I'm in this new place and I can go on adventures and all that, but I'm not going to suddenly change who I am because I've been dropped in a new country.

Bah.

I feel a little out of place with the language thing, as well. I was a little disappointed by my placement in classes today. I only got upper elementary, while some people who studied the same amount of time I did got into advanced classes. However, I was not feeling well all through testing, I hadn't studied all summer, their classes were probably different, and I'd just made the decision to drop Japanese as my minor when I return to Memphis.
So yes, it was a blow to my ego, but in the grand scheme of things I don't care all too much.
I just feel weird about it. Most of the people here are majoring in Japanese, linguistics, International relations, or Asian studies. I'm a photography major who just came here because I like Japan and I like the language. And now I'm not going to even take it anymore. Less pressure on me, I suppose. I'm just going to try to enjoy the ride.