Hello

I am a complete newbie for bonsai - and plants in general.

I've just received a ginseng ficus from a friend who is down-scaling his plant collection. He's not a bonsai expert - but he has a green thumb and the ficus is very healthy. [As far as I can tell]

He has it in a soil that has a mixture of dirt/sand/rocks for quick drainage. but it isn't a bonsai mix specifically. Strictly been indoors. I plan to keep it so.

I'm wondering about general care - and training.

First general care - I know it likes a lot of light - and will be placing it on an Eastern window sill after I move to a new home. I know to water it when the top of the soil gets dry - checking daily. Should that cover it?

Training - I'm not trying to do something super exotic. I just want to get a trunk to grow up out of the roots -pretty much straight up - and have it look like a little tree as best I can. The gnarly roots will serve to make it look unworldly enough for my first bonsai.

Like here:

http://216.71.152.51/cgi-bonsaiboy/sb/productsearch.cgi

- the top pic being my favorite.

I don't have access to my camera- but made fairly accurate sketch to show its development. Link is below:

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=hcsdog&aid=576460762400965323&pid=&wtok=sklyxb3XOGbE7BS1aVyFbQ--&ts=1178729638&.src=ph

Specs:

-The entire plant with leaves is around 7" tall, Same width or so for the spread of leaves.

-the roots/tiny trunk around 1.5" high. the tiny trunk is growing sideways - 45 degrees at moment. It is more horizontal than the sketch actually. I hope to get it to curve upwards. The roots spread about 3" across

Did a quick count, and there are about 6 brown branches growing from trunk area. Plus 2 new green ones. There are 30-35 leaves total. I think I need to start trimming to get tree effect.(?) But I have no idea how much to trim, or which branches i should select to keep. Or how to encourage to tiny trunk to look, well, trunky.

I've read a little bit about training - and know it involves the wires and such for the more exotic twisted trees. Can I achieve my goals by manipulating which side faces the window, and not using wires?

Also - its in a pot about 6" in diameter, 4" high