Life overseas was so different from the way it was in Japan. Aiko hadn't completely gotten used to her new home yet, but she would eventually do so. For now, though, she'd decided to take some American classes. English Literature was helping her to master the English language, U. S. History was helping her to know more about how the country now surrounding her had developed, Art was letting her explore her more creative side, and Photography was teaching her about a new hobby that she seemed to enjoy rather well. Then there was the Journalism class on Saturdays. It met only then, whereas the other four met Monday through Thursday. The sixth class she had was on Sunday night. It was a Jujitsu class, and she was rather enjoying it. Already, she was learning many of the concepts and techniques familiar to her from Karate and Judo.

But now her Tuesday classes had concluded, save for her last one. Photography class didn't meet until three o'clock that afternoon, though, so she had plenty of time to go out to lunch. The cafeteria here had a section for its Japanese students to enjoy food from home, and Aiko now grabbed a full tray consisting mostly of norimaka, a seaweed wrap much like an eggroll. She sat down at a table with her lunch and began to sip her tea when someone approached her table.

The cafeteria always made Jada nervous. The press of people, the noise, the rush...it all felt too claustropobic. But photography wasn't for a couple hours and her stomach was already growling. So, shouldering her bag and sticking out her chin she made her way out into the crowd, heading for the good-old greasy American food. Her tray was piled with pizza, french fries, a huge slice of cheese cake and about five packs of ketchup by the time she was through. She could eat a lot for a small girl. Now all that was left was to find a table. Trying not to be obious she scanned the tables. Too full...too full...ah, there, the one with the Asian girl. She set her tray down in across from the grl, but a little to the right, and began to unpile her lunch. She had just begun to squirt out a little ketchup for her fries when she realized that she hadn't seen the girl before. She didn't know mny people, but usually she could recognize faces he passed in the halls. This girl was new to her.

"Hi." she managed, smiling sheepishly. "You...uhm...are you new here?"

Aito waited for the person to say hello. She was friendly, sure, but wasn't exactly the most outgoing girl. Besides, she didn't know the girl that had just sat down at her table and didn't want to make a fool of herself before she ever got to know her. First impressions could be deadly, after all.

When she did finally say hello, though, Aiko responded with a friendly smile.

"Hi. Yeah, I'm new. My name's Aiko," she said, holding her hand out to shake in introduction. Once the formalities were over and done with, of course, actual conversation could begin, but first there was the handshake. At least, that's what she'd learned from one of her classmates when she tried to offer a small bow to her in greeting. Americans were so weird.

Jada beamed and shook Aiko's hand warmly. "I'm Jada, nice to meet you. Do you like it here so far?"

Ah, the nice anonymity of the word 'here.' It could mean Amrica, or simply the university. She certainly didn't want to insult Aiko as soon s she'd met her. And, she amitted to herself, she rather like her already. But Jada was a friendly person, she liked everyone once introductions were over.

Aiko got an odd look on her face as she responded to Jada's query.

"I'm not sure. It is so different here from Japan. The classes are interesting, but Americans have such odd customs. Sometimes I don't understand what someone's trying to get across to me."

She shook her head in frustration, and then took a bit of one of her norimaka.

Jada laughed softly. "I'm American and I don't understand them." She studied her new aquaintance with a curious tilt of her head, forgetting her food for awhile, which was a big deal for her. "Like what?"

Aiko was swallowing something and looked up when she was asked a question.

"Just general body language. Like, the hand shake I get. In Japan, we offer a small bow to greet someone. The hand shake is an introduction, a gesture like the bow. That I get. But little phrases and things. Like this..."

She held up her hand in a fist facing outward, with the pinky, thumb, and forefinger outstretched.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked with a look of complete confusion her face.

Jada began to giggle, but managed to stifleit when she saw the complete confusion on Aiko's face. Taking another large bite of pizza she swallowed and tried to explain.

"Well, in sign language it means 'I love you,' but people use it a lot at rock concerts. I guess it means the same thing, although some people use it more like 'rock on.'"

She made the same sign and pointed at which fingers represented the words. "I don't know very much sign language, but that one's kind of basic. What else do you do in Japan?" Her eyes were bright with curiosity. Hers was a mind that would soak in any information it could get a hold of with a fierce hunger. She wanted to know anything and everything.

She blinked.

"Why not just say it aloud? And what does 'rock on' mean?"

So many different phrases and such...it was too weird. Then it was her turn to answer questions.

Aiko shifted her weight slightly. She was uncomfortable.

"Well, for one thing," she said, "We don't sit on chairs. We use cushions instead. Like when we sit down to a meal, we have a really short table and we sit on cushions with our legs crossed. Are all chairs this uncomfortable?"

She still wasn't used to the chairs that everyone seemed to sit on here in America. To her, it made no sense. Why did everyone have to sit so high?

"Oh, and we don't wear shoes inside our homes. Like my sandals? I would take them off at the door and leave them lying there neatly until I was ready to wear them again."

She polished off the norimaka and washed it down with some tea.

"I used to live in a beach town where everyone did that. Most people were really laid back. Some even went without shoes throughout the day. Or maybe that was because there was always so much sand."

Jada smiled to herself at her own little joke and pushed aside her tray. "Personally the city's too big for me. everyone's always rushing around trying to get somewhere, bumping into each other and never pausing to ask the time. And if you ask me, there's something...weird about this place. I haven't figured it out yet, but it's not just a big city. Something's...different." She shook her head, realizing she had gotten off on a small tangent. "Are the cities so big in Japan?"

"You forgot to answer my question," she said dryly, but not in an unfriendly way. She even offered a small smile. "It's - like anywhere else, I suppose. Some of the cities are big - like Tokyo - but there are small villages, too. And some people still live out in the middle of nowhere, like my Sensei and my family did."

She shrugged and finished her meal. She sat sipping her tea as she still awaited a response to her question regarding the meaning of 'rock on'.

Jada started to say something then realized she was talking with her hands, one of which was holding a fork. Replacing the fork on her tray she started again, wrinkling her nose in frustration.

"I guess...some people use it, if you're just saying it that is, as a 'see you later' or sometimes as a 'good job,' or 'good going,' kinda of like a personal praise. The hand symbol is usually just used at concerts, like saying 'I love you' to the band."

She laughed softly to herself as she piled her trash onto her tray. "People are so odd. They have billions of little phrases and I don't think anyone remembers what they were meant to mean."

Aiko laughed with her. That was certainly true.

"People are very odd," she replied with a grin.

She was finished eating and drinking herself now.

"So, what do you do around here for fun? This place is so big...I don't know one way from another," she said with a confused look on her face.