"T Minus" One month

Wow, it still has not sunk in yet. But, man, is it fast approaching. Since my last post I've had quite the amazing time with some Foreign Exchange students from Japan -- many from Sophia! They are such awesome people and I can't wait to visit their homeland so they can show me the "lay of the land."

They call the class "Japanese Immersion" and that title is dead-on. We, as UNCC students, welcomed Japanese students from various Universities and helped them with their English while they helped us with our Japanese. The time was invaluable. Not only did it increase my vocabulary and grammar skills, but also my confidence in the language. I received an awesome compliment from one of my fellow students; he said, "Your Japanese is very comfortable." Wow. That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me -- I guess it just means my hard work is paying off. My only regret is that I couldn't spend more time with them. Due to previous engagements, I sometimes couldn't go the extra activities they were doing. Also, I was really sick one day with a stomach bug. I apologize my Nippon-friends.

I still haven't packed. I've sold one thing -- some lamps. The departure date is steadily approaching and I'm afraid I'll be totally unprepared. Haha, that's par the course, I suppose.

Lastly, as for my previous fears, they are slowly fading and I'm quickly gaining confidence and excitement for this once in a lifetime adventure. Tokyo is going to be amazing, and the fact I already a bunch of cool people makes it worth all-the-more.

Guys, I'm going to Japan!

-Gregor

"They say Japan was made by a sword. They say the old gods dipped a coral blade into the ocean, and when they pulled it out four perfect drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan. I say, Japan was made by a handful of brave men. Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor." -Simon Graham, The Last Samurai

Countdown to Japan: 1.5 Months away

Wow. Only a month and a half till I leave. That thought alone sends shivers down my spine -- both in excitement and terror. I stand upon the precipice of a new chapter in my life.

Why am I scared, you ask? I am leaving everything. Friends, family, my apartment, training, all of which I am leaving behind. More so, I am not looking forward to life in a dormitory. Being 25 years old and being under the constraints of a curfew is not my idea of a good time. Not to say I want to spend every night out till the wee hours of the mornin', but I'd still like the option. Also, I am a bit worried I'll be spending too much time in the dorm. These are really minor thoughts and worries, nothing to remove me from the reality that I am, in fact, going to Japan.

Japan is the place I've been interested in since middle school. Ever since seeing Dragon Ball Z on Cartoon Network back in 1997, I haven't been the same. Originally an obsessive and overweight "otaku", I slowly evolved into what I am today. However, even though I lost weight, my fascination with the "Land of the Rising Sun" never wavered. Slowly the fixation on their animation turned to their history and then their culture. More recently, that fixation is shared with their Martial culture -- having become a "martial artist", a title I don't feel I quite own yet.

In preparation of my departure, I have begun to sell my belongings and figure out what I wish to keep -- as well as study Japanese more. I plan on updating twice more before I depart -- one month out and two weeks out. It's going by so fast, it's hard to believe!

-Ed

"We are all climbing different paths through the mountain of life." -Guro Dan Inosanto

Better Know A Blogger: Gregor

Hey All!

I hope all is well with everyone. My name is Ed Stahl, known as "Gregor the Wizard" to some, and I am a 25 year old man living in North Carolina about to depart on an adventure of a lifetime.

Now, you're probably wondering why I would name my blog such an odd name. Well, I thought about a few different ideas and even posed the question to Facebook and received some interesting replies (and awesome) replies.

I originally thought...

"Ed is going to Japan!"

Lame... It has no originality and lacks that "umph" one looks for when looking at a blog. You think, "this is going to be exciting, a guy going on and on about his trip to Japan... Oh, whooptydo."

Then, an idea from a friend...

"Ed's Epic Nippon Adventure Fun Blog"

Wow! That's an awesome title! But, it became a logistical nightmare. I needed something shorter... Then it came to me while I was eating lunch at Subway.

GREGOR THE WIZARD VS JAPAN

AWESOME! It has a ring to it that imposes humor and a false-renitency. Of course, I am not going head-to-head with a country, but I am going head-to-head with their culture! Not really, just trying to make sense of it all... My nickname, "Gregor the Wizard", came from my martial arts instructor when we and another friend of ours were discussing a "fight name" for a student at the dojo. We were going through some names and I suggested one that was poorly received.
"Ha! That's about as cool as 'Gregor the Wizard', he hails from the land of dyslexia" he laughed. And.... it stuck. I have had other awesome nicknames like "Roger" and "Baholahineysniffer", but none were quite as epic -- or lame -- as Gregor.

The point of this blog, as illustrated on the About Page -- GO THERE!! -- is simple. A place for me to share my happenings in Japan with my loved ones in America.

Quite simply, this trip is the hardest thing I've ever done. Leaving everything behind -- friends, family, pet -- and go on this selfish, once in a lifetime adventure, across the world.
I hope you all will share it with me through this medium and enjoy...


-Gregor the Wizard

"The key to immortality is to first live a life worth remembering..." - Sijo Bruce Lee