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!