Today is another opportunity to meet the first year students, with a four hour orientation package out at the campus in the western part of Tokyo, the university's original campus at Musashino. This is where the students will spend the first year of their studies before joining the department at Ariake, where I am based (you know, where the port is...).
Today is not just an opportunity to meet the group of eleven students allocated to me as their 'advisor' (although only six showed up), but several of the senior students joined us today to share their experiences and offer advice to their peers as they begin to navigate the study, the clubs, the classes, and so on, all the things that make student life, well, student life.
The campus is much 'greener' than Ariake and there was a fair bit to see in the gardens this time ...
 |
| Azaleas |
 |
| ...with sunlight |
 |
| The pond |
 |
| Fallen pines, resting petals |
 |
| Seeking the sun |
 |
| The many layers of the camellia |
 |
| Bursting |
 |
| Architecture: waiting for the bus 1 |
 |
| Architecture: waiting for the bus 2 |
 |
| Sakura's last gasp |
Hard to believe I've been here a yer and I'm no longer one of the new kids on the block but still, I could understand the bit of nervous tension among the first years as they take off into the next four years, wondering what it is that awaits them. They'll be fine, these things always work themselves out.
[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 12.39pm, 4.41pm-4.54pm; 15 April 2017]
