After all this time, I forgot to mention that each of us EAP students were assigned to a group of buddies based on compatibility. We all loved this buddy system because it helped integrate us into the Japanese society. We became good friends with our buddies, who would take us to places we wanted to visit or eat. Pretty much they were like friends we would have back at home with whom we would simply hang out with. Understandably, most were juggling part-time jobs while attending college, and could not always join us on all our excursions. Here you see me with two of my buddies at Nogeyama Zoo.