I found many difficulties since I came here. I have roughly 3 points to say. First, it is still difficult to understand what they say due to their pronunciation and accent which is so different from US English I've been used to. My flatmates are 3 Kiwis and 1 Taiwanese. I can easily communicate with the Taiwanese, though it's difficult with the others because of their pronunciation and speedy talking. But I can talk with them, asking them to say once more. One of them is really talkative and kind, so she teaches me about what I ask. In addition, I found I could speak English fluently only when I could hear whole things. His accent and pronunciation were amazingly easy to understand. Now I watch TV to improve my listening skill. I hope it works and I can talk much better. Also, I met various people, and I learnt many things. Secondly, it was hard for me to make friends at first. Just standing there, nobody came, and nobody talked to me. It was probably because I was Japanese, who looked different from westerners or others. I thought I need to talk to them by myself with poor English, then I tried with huge bravery. They were kind and once I made friends, the community expanded. Now, I have many friends. Third, foods are extremely pricey here except banana and tomato. Eating out also costs much. But, to socialize with people, eat-out cannot be helped. Also, it is a great opportunity to know the culture here.