Sunday 5/23: Train to Narita

Finally, I am up to the actual day! Hurray! I'm sorry I've been so far behind on posts, but I still hope you're reading after some very long posts.

Today I didn't do much besides pack, read ATONEMENT (started kinda slow, but it's picking up now) and take the train to the hotel thats closer to the Narita airport. The Tokyo airport is actually not anywhere near Tokyo- it's about an hour and a half's train ride from Tokyo station. It was fun going from the super-urban area to a very compact semi-urban area to a still-compact suburban area to rice paddies and farmland and forests.

I am fairly nervous about transportation tomorrow- I have to get myself by train to the airport (which has 2 terminals which Im sure to mix up- I have to remember I need to go to Terminal 1), check myself in (hopefully my bag isn't over the weight limit), get through Passport check... and then I'm not too stressed, as long as I get to the airport on time. I am so happy that I will be back in the states soon, back in a place where I feel safe and where I'm not ridiculously white and tall :) I will try to post a few final things when I return to the states :)

Saturday 5/22: Sight-seeing in Tokyo

I decided to burn up some of my remaining money on renting a laptop for the evening, so I will finally finish the blog entries for the last few days.

Saturday was our only full day in Tokyo, so I tried to take advantage of it and go to as many places as possible. First, I went with Sirocco and Trang to Harajuku, which is a very famous shopping area in Tokyo. That was definitely one of the funnest places I have been to in Tokyo. The street I was on was completely packed, and there were a ton of super cheap stores that werent for the most part sketchy. Most of the stores were selling the more girly fashionable things- pink dresses, flowy skirts, etc. However there were several punk stores, hip hop stores, and a few cosplay stores where you could get Bo Peep or Maid costumes (maid costumes are very popular here in Japan). It was exactly like being in the most amazing mall ever :)

Immediately afterward, we walked over to the Meiji shrine which was only 5 minutes walk from Harajuku, but an entirely different world. The area, instead of crowded and cramped and loud and busy, was large and wooded and a very beautiful bit of nature in a city of 20 million. There were a lot of people there though, many people from the US Navy for whatever reason. Some curious things there: There was an area where giant barrels of sake and wine had been placed as offerings to the Gods- I wonder if they're still full? Also, there was a special gate at Harajuku Station for the Emperor's exclusive use, should he decide to take his private train to the Meiji shrine which was built by his great-grandfather. However the gate looked mostly abandoned- apparently the emperor usually prefers to go by car. Also we got to see a wedding procession at the shrine- apparently you have to be very rich to be married at that shrine (imagine marrying at, say, Notre Dame Cathedral) and the party had a ton of guests (all of whom will get a ton of presents). Weddings seem perhaps even more expensive here than in America- the wedding kimonos are almost always rented because theyre about $5000 each I think, and the wedding receptions are much larger here than in America. Oh, and Catholicism's got NOTHING on shinto when it comes to funny hats.

While I'm thinking about it, lemme just quickly mention how Christianity is completely commercialized here. It's sort of funny really. I have seen about 10 churches in all scattered around Japan, and met only maybe 2 christians (they're the only ones that wear wedding rings). However, in the wedding ads (this is wedding season) the ceremonies are usually shown at beautiful churches, or with a cross faintly in the background. I also saw at Harajuku a bracelet with a Virgin Mary charm on it, and a few crucifix necklaces at other stores. It's strange, and a little sad, that what most Japanese have gotten out of Christianity is all the commercial stuff, and they only use it for fashion purposes really.

After eating at a Tempura place in Shibuya, I spent a little bit of time at the Imperial Palace grounds in the heart of Tokyo. It was a very anachronistic experience because in the background you could see the Japanese equivalent of Wall Street with its huge modern skyscrapers, and then within the palace grounds it was entirely older Japanese buildings. I couldn't fully appreciate the area- I was getting dehydrated so my vision was pretty blurry and I felt really tired- but I truly hope that I can return someday.

Friday 5/21: Train to Tokyo

Friday was almost entirely a travel day. I got up early, had my last breakfast with my host family, and then my parents and the 2 dogs took me to Kanazawa station. My grandmother, as a goodbye present, gave me 1000 yen for my lunch, which was very nice of her and helped out a somewhat cash-strapped college student :) I was a little later than Ujie sensei wanted, but I still managed to make the train, unlike Levi who had misheard the instructions.

The train was fairly fun, though I was disappointed that I couldnt see much of the scenery since we spent about half our time in tunnels. Also, when we switched to a double-decker(!) bullet train it really didnt seem to go all that fast, though Im sure it was. We got to our hotel around 1pm, and ate lunch at the local 7-11 (very popular here) before Ujiesensei took us on a tour of his alma mater (and W&Ls site for Japanese exchange students), International Christian University. The campus was very nice- about an hour outside of downtown tokyo, it felt a little more suburban and was very pretty, with tons of trees and such. The buildings were rather ugly though. I dont know if I could spend a semester or a year abroad, esp if I was dating someone, but ICU seemed like a great place to study abroad.

Running out of time on the computer, so Ill just say that we ate at a japanese equivalent of applebees which was fun cept everyone was drunk cept me.

Thursday 5/20: Last Full Day in Kanazawa

I:m falling far behind on my blog posts- Im sorry, but Friday we started travelling so my computer access has been sporadic.

Thursday was definitely pretty bittersweet. The IFIE staff put on a going-away party at a very nice local hotel, with really delicious food (especially the chocolate cake... yums :D) I got to dress up in the Yukata that I bought- this is the last time Ill have someone around to help me put on the yukata, Ill have to learn how to do it by myself in America. My host parents also came, and it was nice to hang out with them. Now that Ive gotten more fluent in Japanese, I feel like I can communicate with my parents more and so I enjoy being around them more. THere was also a slideshow at the party with many an unflattering picture of myself and others in the class.

After the class my parents had to return to work, so I went with SIrocco and her host family to an older section of Kanazawa, which was really cool. All the buildings were old and in the Japanese style- wooden, no glass windows really, etc. We went to a few gold leaf shops, fabric shops, and a place where you could drink tea and try to play the shamisen (Japanese banjo). The instrument seems fairly easy to learn, though I was struggling since I dont really know how to play any string instruments.

For my final dinner with my host parents, they took me out to a local Japanese food chain restaurant- kind of like the Japanese version of a more upscale Denny:s I suppose (Dennys is huge here btw, as is Dunkin Donuts and a place called Mister Donut). I had really delicious Tonkatsu and a huge platter of other stuff- rice, miso soup, etc. How do the Japanese stay so thin? Their meal portions are huge, and most of the food either has a ton of carbs or is deep fried, or both!

My host family also gave me a few going-away presents: a scarf, a Japanese/English childrens book (since I was reading all the time) and a small zipper pull with a dog that looked like Chiffon on the end. I am going to miss my host family, and I really hope I can stay in touch.

Wednesday 5/19: More Shopping

Today me and my classmates gave our final presentations in front of everyone. The 3 people here who had never learned Japanese before did a skit modeled loosely after "Romeo and Juliet" which was a lot of fun to watch. Everyone else did speeches, I was the last person to go. I thought my speech went well, though I think I rushed it a bit and my Powerpoint was pieced together at the last minute. The teacher said that I did a good job pronouncing all of the religious terms. I:m happy that I finally got it over with, now I:m completely done with all my academic work for freshman year! Im a quarter of the way through my college life! Unless I go to grad school...

After class I went to the train station, withdrew some money, and walked through the mall again. This time I went up to the third floor, and found some shops that sell t-shirts for $15 instead of $175. I picked up a couple especially cryptic "engrish" t-shirts that I will give as presents upon my return. I also bought a "Thank You" gift for my host family that I:ll give to them Thursday night.

Things I am looking forward to in America (besides seeing Tyson): Eating pizza and burgers, eating mexican food, being able to read newspapers and watch the news, and not being stared at all the time.

Tuesday 5/18: Yukata Shopping

We didnt have any cultural activities after class on Tuesday- since its the last week things are winding down. We practiced our final speeches in front of the class. Mine is on Japanese religion and I thought I did pretty well, especially considering all the complicated religious words. Our speeches can be about anything dealing with Japan, and some of the other students are talking about how much more efficient everything in Japan is, learning Japanese as a language, how convienient everything is, and Japanese people in general. It:s crazy to think were almost done! The four weeks have gone by fast here.

After chilling on the computer for a while I went in pursuit of a Yukata (simplified kimono). Everyone I had talked to had said that Yukattas were only about $30, and $30 for an obi. Alas, me being a tall oafish American once again put me at a disadvantage. The only yukatas that would go past my calves were the "Big and Tall" sizes, which cost about $100. However, I was intent on buying a yukata so i got it anyway- besides, its not every day that I get to go to Japan, so this is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

One of the things I am looking forward to most when I go back to America is milk and cheese. Apparently some of the other host families drink milk, but mine never does, and you dont see milk as a drink at any restaurants. Also, I think cheese is kinda disliked here in Japan and expensive, so I havent seen anything with cheese. I was very excited a couple days ago when my host mom made a salad, and i saw white chunks amidst the lettuce. "Yay! Feta Cheese! I love feta" I thought, until I realized that it was in fact... tofu. Yes, the tasteless soy curd is big here, and they dont even flavor it! They just serve it in giant cubes... anyways, I will stop ranting.

Monday 5/17: Flower Arrangement

Monday was a fairly low-key day. The cultural activity was flower arrangement, which is pretty difficult. You didnt get a vase, you got a flat tub-like thing of water, with a spiky square in it that you stuck the flowers into. It was hard to get the smaller flowers, like the baby's breath, to stick. Also, there is a certain pattern/zen to the arranging that I didnt achieve. However, I think my arrangement came out OK for the first time. Ive never really had to do flower arranging before.

This is my last week in Japan, and I started packing on Monday. Figuring out how to fit in all of my souvenirs into my backpack will be quite a challenge. I also want to pack my laptop since itd be heavy to carry around, slow me down at security, and I cant use it anyway so itd just be useless. However, I barely was under the 50 pound limit coming out here, and I think I may have bought enough stuff to push me over the limit, so I may end up having to take the laptop with me anyhow.

Sunday 5/16: Noto Trip, Day 2

After a traditional Japanese breakfast (fish, rice, etc.) we went to a morning market in a small touristy town called Wajima. The street was packed with people selling fish, fruit, chopsticks, souvenirs, etc. I got myself a Japanese purse and a ton of japanese sweets. It was good fun. Next we checked out a museum full of Karikos, which are these giant things that people carry around during festivals (after getting completely drunk, fyi) and then either burn or throw into the ocean (apparently these survived somehow). We then had lunch (once again, fish and rice) and went off to a very scenic spot on the coast called the Senmaida. Its a place where there are tons of rice paddies right next to the ocean, and are contoured with the mountainside that goes right to the ocean. The Sea of Japan is really pretty btw. Its really blue and clear for the most part.

There was a 2 hour bus ride back to Kanazawa, and we got to drive through some beautiful country. I am a big fan of mountains, and the mountains in Japan are really pretty. I loved going through the country and seeing all the rice paddies and small farms- it was really beautiful. This may be a good place to go if I ever get sick of the world and want to run off.

Saturday 5/15: Noto Trip, Day 1

On Saturday morning, my Japanese class left for a short weekend trip to the Noto Peninsula. Ishikawa Prefecture (like a state) is pretty small population-wise; the Sea of Japan brings some nasty weather in the winter, so everyone lives on the East Coast of Japan. Kanazawa is the biggest city at around 400,000 so we took a trip to the scenic coastline and smaller towns in the peninsula. First we got to drive along Chirihama beach, which has beach sand so fine that you can drive a car on it. This is only my third time seeing the ocean, so the novelty of the ocean was still there. The weather was really great too- perfect for dipping my feet in the ocean.

Then we went to a local Shinto Shrine which I think is one of the oldest in the country. The place was very pretty, especially the woods surrounding it. There was a great mixture of pine trees and deciduous ones in the surrounding mountains, and the trees were really old in the property surrounding the shrine. Ive decided that Shintoism is pretty unashamedly commercial- there was a place to buy good luck charms or fortunes (100 yen for a normal fortune, 200 for a love fortune). However, it obviously means a lot to some people, so who am I to judge? There was a birth ceremony going on at the temple when we were there. Parents will bring their children to the temple after they're born to perform a ceremony that will protect the child.

After that and a delicious lunch at a fisherman's wharf, we went to a place called Ganmon. Its a place where the ocean has eroded away a sea cave and a big archway through a rock. It is definitely the prettiest place we went the entire trip. The water was really clear, you could see to the bottom in most places. I walked out to the edge of the rocks and hung out next to all the crashing waves until Sirocco yelled at me to get away because I might get knocked over by rogue waves. Overall though, it was really beautiful.

Finally, we went to a buddhist temple that is one of the oldest in Japan. To be honest, it was a bit of a letdown-half the place was under construction, and the pond looked pretty icky. Other than that, it was pretty. I am a fan of japanese gardens and bridges. Also, there were a couple really cool-looking hawks(?) that flew really close by.

We then reached the hotel, called View Sunset. The architecture was totally supposed to be futuristic- the front desk area was shaped like a UFO. But the hotel turned out to be really nice. The boys and girls got separate cottages, called Carrot and Potato respectively. The girls cottage had great windows that overlooked the ocean, and the staff left delicious japanese sweets for us :)

The most... culturally expanding part of the day was going to the onsen after dinner. These are gender-separate public baths/ hot springs. First us girls went over there and had to strip, then take a quick shower and go into the hottest hot tub ever created. It was really awkward at first, since everyone was naked, but I just tried to think of the Degas paintings of nude people bathing, and thats pretty much what it was like. Also, it was a bit of a confidence booster- i have 20 plus years before gravity wins :D When we couldnt tolerate the hot water any longer, we went to the outside pool, which was still pretty warm but not as terrible, and got to sit and look out at the ocean.

Friday 5/14: Meditation

Only 10 days left in Japan! I very much have enjoyed my time here so far, but I long for American food and familiar faces... or face... anyhow

Today our cultural activity was meditation at Daijoji temple. I had gone there earlier this trip with Sirocco, but this time we got to go a little more indepth into the temple. We were led around for the most part by an Australian monk whos been at the temple for about a year. We listened to a lecture by the leader, which was in Japanese. He seemed very frustrated that we didnt understand everything he was saying, and I felt bad for not understanding everything. Then we went into a room and did 15 minutes of meditation- the normal session is about 40 minutes, and the monks do it a lot longer. In this meditation you just sit cross legged, back straight, and stare at the ground for a long time- no controlled breathing or anything. I was kinda getting into it I think- for the most part I was feeling like when I am in that middle zone between waking and sleeping. Occasionally the monk would hit people with a stick (dont worry they would ask him to do it) and the noise always made me jump. It would be really hard to be a monk/nun- they sleep on tatami mats w/o blankets i think in all kinds of weather, including winter (and winters are COLD in kanazawa I think).

After the meditation, Sirocco invited the class over to her host familys house for dinner and general merriment. It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone and destressing and getting to use English! I watched TV and played Spoons with Levi and Trang, and got to have Curry and other delicious Japanese snacks (aka Pocky, chocolate on a stick essentially). Most fun of all was trying on a yukata, which is a less complicated and lighter form of a kimono that people used to wear in the summer. It is still pretty complex to wear- you have to tie it closed with about 3 different cloth bands, then you tie an obi (big piece of cloth) around your waist to hide the bands (and it also works a bit like a corset). The overall effect was quite lovely though- I shall post pictures on snapfish or facebook when I have the chance (probably not til I return to the states, since my laptop is out of commission). I also found out that yukatas are pretty cheap- about $30 for the yukata and $30 for the obi. I definitely hope to buy one while I'm here.

Thursday 5/13: Religion Lecture and Shopping

Our cultural activity today was listening to a lecture on Japanese Religion, mostly Shintoism, by a professor from Hiroshima University. Thankfully the lecture was in English, otherwise I wouldnt have been able to follow anything. Religious jargon is confusing enough in English, Japanese wouldve killed me. His main points were about Shintoism worships anything that has the power to create or destroy life, and the combination of those things. He also talked about Zen Buddhism, and how Nothingness isnt scary, its a good thing. Also, Japanese religions tend to not go into the realms of abstract thoughts and stuff- the deepest it goes is a piece of giant rope symbolizing a snake. He also talked about even though most Japanese dont consider themselves religious, they have the view that every single activity, even secular or menial ones, are religious.

After the lecture, I had a lot of extra time until my bus came- about 45 minutes. I realized that there is a shopping mall right next to the station, so I went over there and looked around for a little while. I have to say, I am a fan of Japanese fashion for girls. For guys its way too girly, esp. the long and meticulously styled hair, but the norm for girls is flowy and girly and very pretty. Alas, I ran into two problems as I was walking around. First off, I am about 6 inches taller and a little wider than most japanese girls, so finding something that fit me might be hard. It looked like most of the shops only carried one size of everything... maybe i just wasnt looking hard enough, or they have extra ones in the back or something. Also, all the clothing I saw was ridiculously expensive. $40 for a hat? $120 for a tshirt? How do Japanese people manage to clothe themselves so fashionably all the time? However, I do hope to go back and buy some clothes next week.

Wednesday 5/12: Calligraphy

Hmmm, I really shouldnt get behind on these posts. I always end up kinda forgetting half the stuff i do...

OK, anyhow our cultural activity on Wednesday was Calligraphy. I have a high opinion of calligraphy, especially after watching HERO where they pain using giant brushes while arrows are raining down... anyhow. In calligraphy stroke order on the kanji really matters, so I had to recall how to properly write the kanji (apparently it does make a difference). You have to write all of the characters very slowly, and kinda breathe at the right times- it helps with the technique. Also, Japanese are into the idea of religion permeating everyday activities, such as writing. I think I did pretty good at calligraphy, I was complimented a lot by the instructor. Ironic because my normal handwriting is quite terrible.

On the way back to my house, I made small talk with an old Japanese lady who did what few other japanese do and sat in the same seat as me, a hulking foreigner. People tend to give me a wide berth here. She was a bit hard to understand because she talked fast and with a bit of the local accent, but she seemed nice enough and complimented me on my Japanese. She gave me two little teddy bears on keychains for no reason, which was very kind of her. This, among other experiences, has led me to think that elderly Japanese are the nicest japanese to talk to. They are very kind (possibly condescending, but thats ok) and tend to help me out and give me random presents :D

Tuesday 5/11: Archery

Today was another gray, rainy day here in Kanazawa. This place always gets a lot of rain apparently, and the rainy season isnt even til June. Anyhow, Tuesday was awesome because we got to do archery. The range was outside, with a bit of an overhang for the archers, so we got to shoot in the range which was even cooler. The bows you use in japanese archery (kyudo) are huge- about 7 feet tall i think. You also push on both the bow and the string when youre drawing back, while in Western archery you just pull the string back. The arrows we used were the cheap ones with synthetic feathers i think, but the more expensive ones have swan or eagle feathers. I didnt do that well at archery because such activities require things like skill and arm strength, but I wish they had archery at college so I could practice.

I have noticed a trend on Japanese TV. When, on game shows, or anything really, when someone is criticized even a little, the contestant promptly starts sobbing and apologizing. This leads me to think that Japanese people generally do not do well with any kind of rejection or failure. Its okay if you dont exceed at everything in life, I promise.

Monday 5/10: 14 days to go!

Before I forget to mention it, Ive noticed that Japanese people, especially middle aged or older women, are obsessed with being pale. There are a ton of sunscreen and skin-whitening-cream commercials on tv. When I went outside on sunny days, a ton of people were carrying around parasols or umbrellas, wearing long sleeve shirts and gloves, and thick sunglasses. Huh

Hmmm, not much to mention about Monday. no cultural activities, just class in the morning. I did finish up the draft of my japanese final speech about Japanese religion. As I said earlier, Japanese religion is very confusing, but I think were actually listening to a lecture about it later this week.

Sunday 5/9: More of a Lazy Weekend

Nothing particularly fascinating happened today, so once again Ill list some things I think Ive forgotten to mention

1. Im still getting used to cars on the opposite side of the road. Ive almost been run over a couple times because I was looking the wrong direction, and I still get disoriented when I dont see a driver... only to remember theyre on the other side of the car.

2. On my way to school in the mornings, I see people whose sole job is to stand next to the road with a sign, not waving it around or anything, just standing there. I found out that these people stand next to a road during rush hour with a sign saying that that lane is for buses only. I guess they need someone there to yell at people if they dont comply...hmmm

3. I heard that cell phones a couple years ago were really tiny here in Japan. nowadays theyre actually a little bigger than in America, always flip phones, and have jewelled stickers attached to them, and cell phone charms or mini stuffed animals hanging off of them. Even the badass teenage guy types have Stitch or anime stuffed animals on their cell phones and backpacks, which i think is really funny.

Saturday 5/8: Another Lazy Weekend

My host mom has been busy this weekend leading a massage workshop, so I mostly kept to my room yesterday. I did come out to eat lunch, and I got to talk to some of the customers- seeing as I was the only white person around. They all applauded me on my use of Japanese, though I still dont think my convo skills are up to snuff. I do feel more confident about my conversational ability but I feel like I have a long ways to go

For dinner we went out to a restaurant that sells Yakitori (fried chicken, not the Southern kind but the Japanese kind, served on a stick). Japanese restaurants are pretty similar to American ones, except that all the tables besides the bar are Japanese low tables that you sit on pillows around. They served courses one by one- first a sashimi plate, then some random conch thing with soy sauce, then seaweed with wasabi (not my favorite), then random chicken and ppork and beef parts on a stick with asparagus. It was pretty good, esp. with the spicy flakes (shimishi?) that you could put on it.

Friday 5/7: Best Day in Japan Thus Far

So first off, I am now more awake than when I was doing the other journal things last night, so I remembered some stuff I forgot to put in:

1. It is possible for Japanese families to never know what the dad does for a living, without the dad working for the government or the yakuza. Its one of those topics that is like asking someone how much they earn- its ok for them to tell you, but its not something that you ask someone. Siroccos host family has no idea what the dad does for a living.

2. On Thursday the family stopped by a market area downtown to get some food for a luau. I found several over-priced foods: $30 for a melon? $26 for a mango? Its kinda ridiculous. Oh, and really expensive cherries that did not look good at all (its not even cherry season!)

OK, onto Friday...

Today my class went to an elementary school to help the kids learn english and to have a ton of fun :) I was put with a class of 2nd graders, that were all super-adorable. I introduced myself in Japanese, and they asked me questions that I had to answer in Japanese. Luckily the questions were fun and easy- instead of "how do you want to use Japanese in your future career?" it was "whats your favorite animal?" Everyone had to come up to me and say "Hello, my name is (insert mumbling here). Its nice to meet you" and then shake my hand. They were all nervous- it was pretty cute lol. Then I played a game with them where they had to learn color names in English. Everyone got a sheet of paper with a different color, and then sat in a circle, and someone in the middle would call out a color and everyone with that color would have to run to a different seat. Then we played Bingo in English, and I led a game of Simon says, which was pretty hard with the language barrier. I also got a samurai newspaper hat- You cant get much better than that!

My host family also put on a Hawaiian BBQ. My host moms massage teacher cooked up a ton of delicious food, much to Levi Paulks joy. It was very, very nice to have good American food, good BBQ is always a good thing :) The massage dude also got fed up with my posture and did like a total back-straightening thing, which was very painful but probably good for me.

Thursday May 6: Gold Leaf

Thursday I was a little sick (nothing like stomach pains to dampen ones day) and Im still a little sick, so Ill try to relay everything, though I dont recall too much

For Thursdays cultural activity my class made gold leaf designs on chopsticks. Turns out this is a very difficult thing to do. For one, you first cut tape into the shapes of the areas you dont want to cover in gold and put them on the chopsticks, meaning you have to translate a 2-d design onto a 3-d surface. Then you had to very delicately cover the chopsticks in rosin, then carefully roll it in the gold leaf, then tear the tape off. For those of us with terrible dexterity, this was a hard activity, but I am happy with the design

After class I met up with my host parents, who had just picked up the host moms Hawaiian massage instructor. Hes way cooler than I could ever be, and I think he finds me a bit terrible to look at because of my awful posture (made worse by the stomach pain). We had good ramen for dinner, which was delicious though Im looking forward to American food.

Wednesday 5/5: Childrens Day

On Wednesday morning Sirocco and her mom took us on a walk to this Buddhist Temple that our class will be visiting in a week or two. The place was truly amazing. The thing was surrounded by a ton of graves, and small statues of Buddha (?) where people would leave offerings. All the statues were wearing red and white bib-like things. Apparently red and white are the colors of children (the word for baby is akachan, which means red cute thing) and so wearing those is kind of a warding off of evil spirits with the innocence of children. The temple was really beautiful, but what surprised me most is that it had posters, letters from buddhist leaders, childrens drawings, etc.- the type of stuff youd see at any other house of worship- but the temple was built centuries ago.

In the afternoon we went back to downtown kanazawa- Sirocco went to the art museum and I sat in the shade and read ENDERS GAME and did homework. I was hoping to see some Childrens Day stuff going on, but alas there was nothing around the museum (I think most activities are at elementary schools and such). I did go to some of the tourist shops by Kenrokuen to get some presents for people. It was a very good day overall :)

Tuesday 5/4: Lunch at Levis

Today I left my house at 10 to take the bus to Kanazawa station, to meet up with Sirocco and go to Levi Paulks host familys house for lunch. Traffic in downtown Kanazawa was a mess- a lot of people from around Japan come to Kanazawa, and Kenrokuen, the big park in the center of town, is the main attraction.

Lunch at Levis was a nice break from speaking Japanese all the time. There were four of us W&L Students there- me, Sirocco, Levi, and Alex. The family made tacos for us- real tacos! Or at least close enough. I had the option to put octopus on it, thereby creating a certifiable "tako taco," but I decided against it. They also had Cherry Coke- my favorite soda! The host family had spent the weekend in Kyoto, and had brought back a ton of delicious sweets that we got to snack on :) Along with being able to speak English with a bunch of people, and just being able to sit on a real couch (my host family doesnt have any couches) and watch kids anime shows was relaxing and made me almost feel like I was back in America. Both Levi and Alex had younger siblings in their host family, so we went to a nearby elementary school and played badminton and played on the playground. I think its interesting that most of the playing area for the elementary school was just dirt, with no grass on the baseball or soccer field. I suppose it might be too expensive and impractical to maintain, but it did look a little empty and run-down from my view.

Ill be spending tonight at Siroccos, and tomorrow I think we may go back to visit Kenrokuen and downtown Kanazawa. Tomorrow is Childrens day; I would like to get some Koi flags if I can (theyre a symbol for childrens day like a jack-o-lantern is for halloween). I hope everyone is doing OK in the US- I just read that Boise got some pretty strong winds recently, so I hope everyones houses are safe there.

Monday 5/3: My Venture in Japanese Teen Culture

On Monday, I went with Sirocco, Siroccos host sister, and a friend of the host sisters to the downtown "Korinbo" area. Since Were in the middle of Golden Week, a huge vacation season, there were a bunch of teens around. Up until this point, I had only seen high schoolers in uniforms with their only means of expression being the random stuffed animal keychains on their backpacks. However, yesterday I got to see the teen fashion that Cosplayers are constantly trying to imitate in the US. My favorite was someone dressed up as a panda, with their face even painted white with black around the eyes. The more girly girls would wear short lacey dresses, high heels, and carry lace parasols with them. There was also the more traditional "rebel" look with random piercings, strange-colored hair, and black boots or high heels. I would also like to note that while almost every girl was wearing high heels, I could still easily see over everyones heads :D

First we went to a "purikura" area on the second floor of an arcade. This 2nd floor was completely full of large photo booths, and there were people EVERYWHERE. 80% girls, though there were a few poor boyfriends dragged along. In the purikura you step into an area with a green screen, choose the backgrounds you want, and pose for the pictures like in a normal photo booth. Then we ran to another room in the booth where we could add stuff to the pictures: hearts, words, sparkles, etc. Finally, you print out the pictures as tiny stickers, which you can attach to whatever you wish.

After that we went to the Art Museum, which was pretty cool. Sirocco the Art Major had a blast :). They had an open-air market outside the museum, where i bought some origami crane earrings. We then went to a "Mister Donut" where once again Japan outdid the US at fast food. The donut and vanilla shake were both very delicious, though I feel like with Japanese food it kinda loses a bit of its soul. Its like they used computers to create the perfect food- it seems a bit... sterile I guess, like too beautiful to actually be eaten.

Finally, we went to a place that looked like a hotel, but instead of bedrooms it was full of karaoke boxes. After paying the $12 fee for an hour, we were assigned a room. The room had a couch, a tv and microphones, a song-requester-machine, food menus, and a phone where you could call for the food and where the head desk would call when your time was up. I stuck with the normal english karaoke songs- "Dont Stop Believing" is always a big hit, and Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra. Sirocco knew some Japanese songs so she did that- I wish i knew some japanese songs!

Oh, on a random note on Sunday religion came up as a topic of conversation between me and my host mom. I told her that I was Lutheran, and she said that she had gone to a Christian elementary school (I dont think she does anything religious now) and that the grandmother living in the house is Buddhist and has a big altar(?) in a part of the house that I have yet to say. I wonder if I would be allowed to see it... anyhow, before I left for Siroccos the host mom gave me a rosary, which I think she had made herself. Lutherans dont use rosaries, but it was very nice of her to give me one, and its the thought that counts, right? Its also kind of an interesting commentary on how people view religion. From what I can tell, for most Japanese religion is a somewhat secular thing, and generally only paid attention to for weddings and funerals. This would be something Id like to get to know more about.

Sunday 5/2: Lazy Sunday

Sunday I did nothing that was all that exciting. I finished A PEOPLES HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES and started ENDERS GAME by Orson Scott Card.

I did discover that my family had a room that I hadnt realized existed before that has a grand piano and a player piano in it, along with a TON of teddy bears (I think the mother really loves stuffed animals, theyre just generally popular in Japan I think). It felt very nice to play the piano again- I started learning the GODFATHER Love Theme, and "The Sound of Silence." Apparently the mom can play a little piano, and their daughter took some lessons (I have yet to meet the daughter, who has an apartment in the city i think)

I had been inside all day, so I asked my host dad if I could go with him when he walked the dogs. It was less of a walk than a try-to-keep-up-with-3-dogs-that-may-have-just-been-fed-3-espresso-shots. Its probably a good thing that I got a bit of a workout.

Saturday 5/1: Video Store

Saturday was pretty non-eventful. I got to talk to Tyson in the morning which was lovely as always, but then just chilled out in my room for the rest of the day, reading A PEOPLE:S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES by Howard Zinn. He makes some good points, and some very questionable ones. But anyhow...

After dinner, the family took me to a video store to rent some movies. All the anime fans would have been geeking out- about a third to a half of the room was anime. However, all you anime fans are probably very disappointed in me because I didnt rent a single anime. I would have watched TOTORO but they were all checked out. About a third to half of the store was american movies. It was interesting looking at them because a lot had different covers than in the US and some had different titles. For example, I think TAKEN was renamed something like 96 HOURS.

I have noticed something about Japanese food thats starting to get to me. There are three kinds of generic japanese food:

1. Rice

2. A bunch of stuff thrown on a fry pan and cooked, then served with rice

3. A bunch of stuff thrown in a broth and cooked, then served with rice

In the case of foods like ramen, this is totally fine. However, I am not such a big fan of this when it comes to random stir frys at my host familys house, I must say. She manages to work mushrooms and brussel sprouts into everything. But the food is still really good. I just am looking forward to Five Guys and Pizza when I return to the states.

Friday April 30: Thunderstorm and Kermit the Frog

OK, now that Ive caught up with the week I can talk about tons of random stuff. Nothing really important happened today so I:ll just list some things that caught my eye today:

1. This morning there was a ton of rain, and my obaasan (grandmother) was nice enough to give me a ride to the bus stop. At my bus stop there are usually about 5 middle-age/older women who give me a wide berth and wont stand under the shelter with me. Today they were a little more friendly and stood closer to me- probably because it was pouring buckets outside

2. I don:t stick out as badly as I thought I would height-wise. The younger people are generally taller than the old people, probably thanks to better nutrition. The girls my age also wear super-high heels, so theyre closer to me in height. There are some guys my age that are as tall or a bit taller than me, but I think these are the ones who play basketball and get called a giant at school

3. I had takoyaki (fried octopus) for lunch today. I got it at the convenience store, so it wasnt the best quality, but it wasnt uneatable. Octopus tastes like really chewy chicken, and very weakly-flavored chicken at that.

4. Japanese TV is definitely a trip. For a while I was watching Japanese boxing, with guys that really werent all that scary compared to the steroid-ridden pro wrestlers we have in America.

Catching Up on Posts: Thursday 4/29

OK, up to yesterday which is as far as I had to go for my journals this week. Hopefully I will type up today today's entry tonight.

Yesterday was the start of Golden Week, a week-long string of various national holidays. It's one of the biggest holiday seasons of the year, along with New Year's and summer holidays. Accordingly, there is a ton of commercial overexposure, with Golden Week sales everywhere. There's also a lot of traffic because everyone is going on trips everywhere.

I got to spend my morning in the best way possible in Japan: talking with Tyson on Skype. Afterward Sirocco and I hung out for the day at my place. We helped our host mom bake a chocolate cake (SOOOOO good) and ate some delicious Yakisoba. We also watched a kid's program on NHK (the Japanese equivalent of PBS) about the Pythagorean theorem, which was really cool.

After my host family finished work for the day, she took Sirocco and I to a pottery place. It was really cool- they've been making stuff there since 1655. Afterward we went to a place to look at tables for the Cafe. I was bored so I looked at the kid's toys. The store was one of those kinda cool stores with the fair-trade stuff and wooden, no-harmful-plastics kids toys.

Finally, the family took us out to pizza. It was kind of a strange experience. On the one hand, it seemed a bit like America. It had kind of a rustic, cabin-like feel, which is a popular theme for restaurants in Boise. They had the Black-Eyed Peas and Beyonce playing on the speakers, and brick ovens for the pizzas. However, the employees were far nicer than any would ever be in the US, there was no bar with ESPN playing on a big screen, and the pizzas were half the size of American pizzas. They're also thinner, and usually don't have tomato sauce. There weren't a lot of toppings either- the equivalent "meat-lovers" pizza only had a couple things of bacon and ham on it. I saw one pizza that had a raw (or barely cooked) egg cracked over the top of it.Also, Japanese people like to put Tabasco on top of their pizzas. If I didn't compare the pizzas to American ones, these were very very good. However, I did miss my American pizza.

Catching Up on Posts: Wednesday 4/28

Sorry for all the posts at one time folks, I feel bad for not keeping up on them. However, I cant use my laptop so i must rely on my host family's macbook and the Rifare building's super-slow computers. IT truly took me 15 minutes to sign into skype. Anyhoo...

By Wednesday I felt pretty comfortable with the bus system, so getting to school wasn't as scary. I actually did more homework than I had to, so I felt prepared for the first time since high school in class. I noticed today that one of the vending machines at the school carries POCARI SWEAT soda and water. The Japanese really do need to check if their english phrases make sense. Also, at breakfast my parents were watching "GOOD MORNING JAPAN" or whatever the equivalent is of "Good Morning America" here. They were showing this awesome and moving event where people were painting with huge brushes a rainbow and something about 9/11 memorial. It was very touching, until I looked at the band playing... their name was Funky Monkey Babys. No. Just... no.

Our cultural activity that day was Japanese drumming, which was a ton of fun! I got to bang on the drum that was about the same size as me, and got quite a workout in the process. Also, the vibrations from hitting the drum really hurt your hand. We had the class with some french students, that are also doing a language program here but have different classes. I have to say they were really rude, and i wanted to punch them all, or at least tell them to shut the hell up. But despite their efforts to make the event miserable for all involved, I had a good time.

It was also interesting, on the bus to the drum area we passed an area that was equal parts giant pachinko casinos (pachinko is kind of like a slot machine from what I can tell) , golf driving ranges (since there's no room here in Japan, there arent many golf courses, just driving ranges) and rice paddies. There are a ton of small cemeteries scattered in the most random places here in japan, such as in a rice field or behind a hotel. It kind of makes you think about how people relate to death and the dead.

As I mentioned on Facebook, I heard a Japanese pop star singing "Livin La Vida Loca." I will once again say that that song is not supposed to be sung with a crippling Japanese accent. Another song i've heard butchered in Japanese is "I love Rock 'n' Roll" or whatever that song is. Its the new theme song for a Pepsi commercial that keeps playing, and its painful to listen to.

Catching Up on Posts: Tuesday 4/27

Okay, up to tuesday now. Taking the bus to school made a little more sense, but I was still a bit confused by all the scribblies known as kanji. My first day of class went well, though Ujie sensei told me that I barely made it into the class, so I need to work hard. curse those particles... The teacher is very nice, and we're mostly doing review stuff.

Today at lunch I got my first chance to eat real Ramen. The store was in the bottom floor of a department store- in Japan, the bottom floors of department stores have restaurants, grocery stores, etc. You ordered the ramen by computer (choose type, toppings, etc.) then you got a ticket which you showed to the cook, then he cooked up your ramen. It was really good, though i wasn't a fan of the seaweed(?) on top that I would've not ordered if i had been able to read the thing. Afterward I got to wander around the stores in the food court. Mother's Day is a big holiday here, and there were flowers and candies on sale everywhere. I found some honey from New Zealand that was $80ish dollars for a small bottle. Who would buy something like that? There was also a french-style bakery, with some of the most delicious looking food i've ever seen. i bought a chocolate coronet, which is a croissant with chocolate stuffed inside it. YUM. YUM YUM YUM.

After lunch I went to Kenrokuen, Kanazawa's main landmark and one of the most famous gardens in Japan. The place was very beautiful, especially since it was raining, giving the area a bit of a misty quality. There were a bunch of workers out in the rain and clipping the grass into submission with a pair of tiny scissors, like nail clippers. We also got to take part in a Japanese tea ceremony. For all the concern over it, it was a really short ceremony that didnt seem all that complicated. We sat down on mats, and two bored-looking ladies in kimonos came over and gave us this pink and green cookie-type thing that was very good- it tasted a bit like sugar cookie dough. After that they gave us green tea, that we had to turn around twice and drink. The whole thing took five minutes. There's a class at W&L for this?

Some other random thoughts:
1) I MISS TYSON!
2) Japanese have to sort their garbage at home into compost, combustibles, non-combustibles, recyclables, etc. They also don't have curbside pickup, they have to take it to a neighborhood station. Despite the fact that there's no trash on the sidewalks or streets, there are no public trash cans. Ujie-sensei says this is because after the Sarin gas attack in the mid-90s in Tokyo, people were afraid people could put bombs and such in there so they removed them.
3) Japanese houses dont have central heating, which is why I guess they have the obsession with warm stuff. Sensei said that this is because it's too expensive to install heating or AC.

Catching up on Posts: Monday 4/26

OK, I have to have a journal for my class of like every day that I'm in Japan. i'm going to double up and have my blog posts be my journal entries. Yay!

Okay, Monday was my first day of classes. We took a placement test, which I thought was really hard. A lot of the questions had to do with pronoun uses and small words that I never learned in High School, but they assume you've learned by the time you start second-year college Japanese. I also had an interview which wasn't as bad. I've noticed that I can usually understand whats being said, but I can't really respond, or i'll miss a word key to understanding.

After class we went to the Prefecture (kinda like state government) office to get some scholarships. We got to go to the observation deck on the 19th floor and got a great view of the city. The place isn't all that amazing, and the pollution kinda blocked the view, but I could see the Sea of Japan(?) and the mountains. i'm glad this place has mountains, it makes any place better.

I went to a giant electronics store afterwards to try and find a computer cord, but alas HP computers aren't sold in Japan apparently. It wasn't at the store, or at any surrounding stores. As tyson says, phooey.

Also had a difficult time getting home. My host mom had very nicely come with me in the morning to show me the way to the bus stop and which bus stop to get off on. But on the way back I went to Kanazawa station, which had approximately 2000000 buses going through it at any given time. And bus schedules are confusing enough in english, they were ridiculously difficult to decipher in japanese. But luckily, I managed to find my way back after 45 minutes.

Of Japanese Grocery Stores and Television

Today was spent entirely with my host family, who are very nice and considerate, seeing how often i use my host mother:s laptop. I did a lot today that I will try to remember to comment on.

First I went to a place where my host mother helped me buy a prepaid cell phone so i can keep in contact with her. The employees there were very considerate, as is the norm for Japan. My host mother used a hanko to seal the form- its a stamp with your family name on it, thats used on documents instead of a signature. I also noticed how rare wedding rings are here in Japan

After the cell phone was bought, we went to the grocery store, which was very busy because it was Sunday- everyone:s off day. The fruits were generally very expensive, and there were a ton of people handing out samples and such. Golden Week (tons of big holidays) and mother:s day are all coming up, so its commercialism overload I think.

I also watched a good chunk of Japanese TV today... Japanese game shows are as bad as the Youtube clips would suggest. The commercials are also weird: dancing bananas, aliens abducting Bugle Chips, and overly perky announcers are the norm here. Now i:m watching a japanese... crime show? Soap Opera? I have no clue.

Tomorrow is my first day of class, I hope it goes well. Mostly I:m worried about travelling to the school. I hope everyone is enjoying my blog, I miss yall and hope to see you soon. Tyson: I LOVE YOU and miss you a lot!

Random things I forgot to mention earlier

1. Japanese people think that root beer is the most disgusting drink ever conceived- they think it:s way too sweet, and just weird

2. I am totally a fan of japanese showers- you take a shower and then sit in an ofuro (oversized bathtub essentially) which is full of super-hot water and just relax. Its like you get to sit in a jacuzzi by yourself every time you take a shower- who wouldnt like that?

3. I went to dinner today at a kaikenzushi(?)- a sushi restaurant where the sushi goes around on a conveyer belt and you can pick off what you want. I had enough sushi that I was ready to explode, and also had sakura (cherry blossom) icecream- very very delicious!

4. Definitely a fan of the heated toilet seats that are the norm here in Japan. The japanese seem obsessed with staying warm- the kontatsu, the ofuro, putting on a bunch of layers before going outside... as someone who is always cold, Im okay with that :)

First full day in Japan

After getting 8 hours or so of decent sleep last night, I am feeling much better about being in Japan. I especially felt good after walking around Kanazawa with the class and visiting Kanazawa Castle. It looked pretty cool from the outside, but there was nothing really to see inside- ah well, the trees around it were beautiful.

I also got to meet my host family this afternoon. So far they are really cool. The father/ grandparents are fruit farmers at the edge of Kanazawa city (they grow pears, peaches, and apples). The mom is a massage therapist and runs her own spa and cafe called Ohana (she visited Hawaii in February so she knows a little english). The 21-year-old daughter has her own apartment in the city I think, and works as a waitress. The family has 3 dogs of the ankle-biting variety (a poodle, a poodle mix, and a shih tzu): a black shih tzu named Chocolat, a brown poodle mix named chiffon, and a white one named Silk. Luckily I think theyre pretty cute and not annoying.

Other cool things seen around Kanazawa today:

1. A poster of Tommy Lee Jones endorsing Boss Coffee

2. had to sit japanese style at a restaurant for lunch today... my legs went totally numb

3. I got a bus pass today, and Ill practice using it tomorrow

4. Japanese Tea is lovely- had some Cherry tea today... yum...

5. Im sitting at a kontatsu (i think thats how you spell it) right now- its a table with blankets surrounding it and a heater under the table. SOOOOOO nice... and warm... makes me sleepy...

6. The area where I am is at the edge of town and is really pretty. My family has a very nice house (houses are pretty rare for Japan) and I have my own room, which looks very comfortable

7. Favorite somewhat-cryptic-english-signs today: Theres no there there, Do you love you?, and Youve got the power! Understandable, but not quite appropriate i felt for the products they were trying to sell.

I think thats a decent post for today, hope everyones doing well, and remember i only have 30 more days til Im back in America!

In Kanazawa!

Morning of the 24th here in Kanazawa, and here are some random interesting things i:ve seen so far

1. "Men`s pocky!" (if you don:t know what pocky is, its like a chocolate candy thing
2. Toilets with a thing to spray your butt and that makes white noise to cover up any noises
3. All the flight attendants had hair in a tight bun and these awesome colorful ascots (I think thats how you spell that)
4. Guys fashion is kinda effeminate- tight clothes and long hair. Girls wear thin sweaters over baggy shirts and tight pants. Converse are everywhere.

off to bfast, my first japanese meal here! and not my last...

Chicago: Gateway to the Far East

FYI, I like the O'Hare Airport. Lots of friendly elderly people fly through there, much easier to deal with than... others... *coughNEWYORKERScough*. I sat next to a nice old lady from Minnesota on my flight to Chicago, who had lived with her husband in japan for 8 months when they were in the military. I am excited/nervous about the flight to Tokyo. 13 hours of flying? Ugh. I am trying to absorb some American singularities while I'm here: chain stores, comfortable homes with driveways and lawns beaten into submission. The song "Rocket Man" by Elton John is going through my head. If you couldn't tell, I'm pretty much freewriting on this blog post. I'll miss hearing small talk in my own language, everyone's casualness, etc. I especially will miss Tyson! I will try to post some more when I get to Tokyo- they're techy, right? they'll have free wifi, right? Anyhow, I hope everyone has a good day in America, I'll miss everyone dearly.

Sitting in Dulles...

Well, after waking up at 4:25 today and leaving Fredericksburg at 5ish, I made it to my gate to Chicago (and from there to Tokyo) with two and a half hours to spare. I'm so glad we didn't end up going down I-95 most of the time, yay shortcuts. So now I am sitting at the gate, trying not to fall asleep, listening to the 1812 Overture and people-watching. Some random, rather boring thoughts:

1. There's someone to my right who I think is doing doing some sort of Jewish morning prayer... Cool!
2. 1812 Overture is one of the best musical pieces of all time. End of story.
3. Other people waiting for the plane to Chicago: two guys who look like they drove from West Virginia, someone from India, Russia, China... and several very bored middle-aged casual-dress guys.
4. I am also looking forward to shirts in Japan with random english words on them, like this real life example: "flower sniffin, kitty pettin, baby kissin corporate rock whores"
5. HUNGRY, but I think it'd be wise to save my food for later.
6. I miss Tyson!

I'll try to post again when I get to Chicago.

Welcome!

Hello anyone, and welcome to my blog about my many adventures in Japan! I will try to post on this blog as consistently as I can over the next month or so.

So here are 3 things i'm looking forward to in Japan:

1. Rotating Sushi bars! The fish goes on a conveyer belt around the restaurant on plates color coded by price
2. My host family has a real house, and three dogs! Yay living space!
3. Ramen, real ramen, with meat and other stuff in it. Yum!