BACK!!!

Just flew in to Osaka and am waiting for the bus to Himeji. It was so nice getting off the airport here. I don't know if it's the relief that I'm almost home, that the stress of a week travelling is about to end or what, but I am so glad to be back.

I think my NW interview went okay, I have no idea what they're basing their acceptance on though. they interviewed 750 people and are taking abouy 170. Decisions will be made February 20th and I'll be notified at the beginning of March whether or not I got in. I really hope I do. Northwestern has a really good reputation, but what struck me more was the quality of the other applicants. At IU everyone was from Indiana and were generally straight out of undergrad and weren't all that interesting. At OSU more students were from around the US and seemed a bit more engaging. But I was really impressed with the diversity of the students at NW. In my "panel" interview- an interview with 3 other applicants- one gentleman was Korean-American from Pomona in California, one was half Singaporean (?) and half from Hong-Kong, but grew up in Tokyo, served in the Singapore conscript army, and went to Tufts in Boston. The third person in my group was from Peru, moved to Miami, and I forget where he went to school. I think he had the least chance of getting in, he was a little lacking in confidence. But everyone I talked to had these amazing stories of where they grew up or who they were. NW has the reputation of being pretty full of itself, it's students and staff, but I didn't get that from the med school at all.
So in short, I was pretty impressed with NW and hope that I get in. I don't think I have much of a chance, but if I'm at least put on the waiting list then I think I might still have a shot.

Off to catch my bus.
GO COLTS!!!!

There's this cute quintet of Japanese sitting behind me speaking in a mixture of Spanish, English, and Japanese. They keep saying "Let's speak English!" (Hablamos en ingles!)