Danielle Knudson, Asian transformation!

Danielle was having a hard time assimilating to her new home, Japan.  It wasn't an inviting place to outsiders, and Danielle stood out as precisely that.  Within weeks of arriving at Doshisha University, she found herself making big changes to fit in.

Danielle realized instantly that all her peers wore sandals, the most common of which were Tevas.  Danielle was strictly a sneakers-and-socks girl, but within days of her arrival, she purchased a pair of Tevas for herself.  Despite her inexperience with sandals, she grew to love the sandals' look and feel.  Strapping her bare feet into her Tevas in the morning became part of her ritual - a part she enjoyed.  From that point on, she wore sandals or was barefoot at all times, except when exercising. 

Weeks later, still feeling ostracized, Danielle dyed her gaijin blonde hair a more Japanese black.

Still, acceptance into Japanese culture eluded Danielle.  After months of practice, Danielle mastered Japanese and even altered her English, so that she would sound as though Japanese was her native tongue.  Frequently, someone looking at her from behind or overhearing her would mistake her for a Japanese college student and begin to address her accordingly, only to  reframe the approach upon seeing Danielle's face and realizing she was gaijin,

Danielle, happy with her progress but hungry for full assimilation, saved for the cosmetic procedure that would complete her transformation from blonde, sneaker-wearing gaijin to fashionable Japanese girl.

Her first words after awakening from surgery, after she cracked her now-almond shaped eyes open, were, "Watashi wa aidearu Nihon o kuso."