Two and a half months later...
Hi everyone!
I bet by now many of you are wondering whether or not I fell off the face of the earth, but I haven`t. I`ve just been busy. Since not everything is interesting, I`ll hit you up with the major events.
At the end of September I went to Kujukkuri in Chiba Prefecture to visit Ames. Her birthday was the 28th, which was actually the day I left for home D:, but we had a great time despite the short time I was able to be there. I got to see her apartment which is much more modern/convenient than my house, but quite a bit smaller. I know, it`s a trade-off, but I couldn`t help being jealous of her new stove and flushing toilet, haha! (Sick actually, lulz.) Not to mention the fact that her shower has like a computer in it that controls the temp and things. It was awesome, but kinda scared me at the same time. 0.0
What I saw of Kujukkuri was nice, but I wish we`d had time to go to the beach, since it`s more than a little famous. It was kinda too cool for that anyway, plus instead we went to...TOKYO! This was my first time going back to Tokyo since Orientation, and it was WAY more fun this time around. We were only in the city for a day, and since the buses in Togane/Kujukkuri area stop around 8 on the weekends we had to leave the city around 6:15 to make it back in time. (WTF? THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME! Why do you stop public transportation earlier on the weekends? That`s when people are actually out late! Maybe I`m too used to living in a college town where buses run until at least midnight or one and taxi services run all night. Anyway, it`s annoying, haha. GTFO NAO JAPAN!) So one short day there, but it was fun!
In Tokyo we went to Akihabara first and oh my, the reputation it has for a gamer/electronics paradise has DEFINITELY been earned. Amy and I spent a good 2 hours there looking through japanese comics (read: SUZAKU PORN LOLZ.), character merchandise (GEASS), videogame stuff (MORE GEASS) and generally staring at the weird outfits of the people walking around the area. There was a guy in a TOP HAT AND TAILS, people! I also saw people advertising for Maid Cafes and Host Clubs, which I only HALF-believed really existed.
After that, we took the Yamanote line (the one that circles all the cool spots in Tokyo, as we found out.) to Harajuku and did some serious shopping. Man, I never realized, but the Japanese LOVE their high fashion name brands. There is no better example of this than walking down Omotesando St. Name any label, it was probably there. It`s a lot like 5th Ave. in NY, but much cleaner and prettier. (read: DID NOT SMELL.) The whole blvd. is lined with trees in the middle of the city and it`s REALLY cool. I will admit that we spent FOREVER looking for Cat Street (OMG THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU FANGIRL MOMENT! I WANTED TO MAGICALLY FIND A PLAYER PIN!) basically to find American Apparel. I know, typical Americans want to find the American store. (Hey the clothes actually fit us, what can I say?) I couldn`t get over how the prices were higher since it`s an import here. At home it costs a fraction of the price. Yay for products made in the USA.
I will also admit to eating at Wendy`s. We didn`t want to waste time and money at a fancier sit-down restaurant, but were starving to death....at least I was...and started to get VERY GRUMPY D:< (Sorry, Ames.) So? Glorious American-style fast food. The special burger on the menu? Eggplant and hot red peppers. I passed on that one, mostly because I was feeling too hungry to be adventurous. Another time I`ll go for it. I`ve discovered I actually like eggplant, but like NO ONE eats it in the US. Strange. Also, a frosty in Japan is a LOT creamier than in the US, be warned.
Even though I was looking for a new purse....or bag really (GAY PUMA BAG GOOOOO!!!!!)...I didn`t find one I loved and I`m too cheap to buy something just `cause I`m on vacation, haha! I ended up buying mostly gifts for people back home (again, PORN XD), but that`s not all bad either. Extremely tired, Amy and I returned to her apt and spent the rest of the time on girl talk and swapping stories about how certain things about Japan are strange/awesome/irritating/whatever else.
Then I had to begin my 8 hour trip back home the next day. I love the trains in Japan, but when you don`t have a direct route, it gets long and expensive. The Shinkansen is my new favorite conveyance though. It`s fast and comfortable and safer than nearly anything else I can think of. Just don`t get a reserved seat and then get on the wrong train like I did. (Don`t ask.)
After coming back to Yasaka, the next weekend was the Sports Day (Undokai) for all the elementary schools around the area. I already had Sports Day for the middle school, and it was fun, but does not COMPARE to watching all the little kids scampering around having a ball. In addition, the parents and the teachers take part a lot more, which was amusing to say the least. I myself participated in the Open Relay with a team of 5 other students and Kowada sensei, and I was THE SLOWEST PERSON OUT THERE (read: FAT ASS ROFL), but for days afterward people stopped me on the streets around town and congratulated me for participating and told me how much they or their kids liked it. I TOLD them I suck at sports! Oh well, at least they saw I tried.
The best part of that day was getting to talk with my middle school students in the most relaxed setting yet. Oh I should mention that on elementary sports day, the middle school students return to their respective elementary schools to participate and generally help out. Since I was basically free to do whatever, I spent a lot of time with a group of my 3rd year middle school girls who seem to be best friends, or close to it. It was incredible because it was like having a REAL conversation. They wanted to know about me and they kept telling me how they were so happy I could speak Japanese reasonably well so I can explain things about America to them. Then we talked about what they want to be, what high schools they want to get into, what comics/music they like, etc. (One of them owns like everything CLAMP has ever put out OMG if I was younger this girl would be my BFF. She lovs America too.) It was fun! Now they call out to me whenever they see me and I know their names too, it`s surprisingly hard to learn all the names, I have new respect for teachers who have to do it every year or every semester even. I have the added challenge of learning Japanese names though, haha.
Most recently, this past weekend in fact, I was invited by the Board of Education`s translator to her house for Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival). Basically this festival consists of three things: eating a lot of delicious food, watching all the boys and young men of the area put on traditional garb and do traditional dancing (why are some of the HS students hot?!?!), and finally watching all the men from the area get really drunk and try to carry a really heavy mini-shrine up the mountain to the main shrine. It`s actually very entertaining to watch, but I wasn`t too keen on walking all the way up the mountain with them, mostly because they stop every 20 minutes to eat and drink more to "keep up their strength" (read: GET EVEN DRUNKER) so it takes them like ALL DAY. So we watched for a bit, my friend Rob tried to help carry the thing but he`s about 6`3" so he was throwing the balance all off and consequently, they kicked him out, haha. They weren`t unfriendly about it, but it was funny nonetheless. The cool thing about this area`s festival is that the boys dance while wearing geta, which is hella-impressive. Seriously, I would fall off of these, it`s like high heels for men, almost. But since they`re wooden, they don`t give at all, making it doubly easy to trip or something. They also dance with real spears which is cool and a little dangerous. I can`t get over some of the things that Japanese people let their children do XD.
Anyway it was a beautiful day and afterward Rob and I went through the drive through at McDonald`s for flurries. YES! I managed a DRIVE-THRU in Japan! I`m getting increasingly "Makku-jouzu." I was terrified, because sometimes people can`t understand me through those speakers and they`re AMERICAN, haha. (Or they`re mexican and I can`t understand them, but I digress.) I figured it was a simple order though so I could handle it, haha. You should`ve seen the look on the girl`s face when I drove around to the window! She was CLEARLY not expecting a foreigner. It made me proud. It`s the little things, people.
So now I have two more classes today, 3rd and 1st years, and then nothing to do tonight but try to make stir-fry. I bought all the materials so now it`ll be a waste if I don`t do it. I finally started using my rice cooker and now I can`t live without it. I will definitely be buying one when I move back to the US. Give me some good ol` white rice over bread ANY DAY! (DIAF BREAD!) I have no idea how expensive the Japanese rice is in the US. Anybody know? I don`t know if any of you are big rice-eaters.
Yeah I`d also like to say sorry to those of you who received this as an email and now have to suffer through reading it. This is the unedited version though, since the other one was going out to relatives, ex-bosses and the like, haha. I really want to start updating this more. Esp since I love to read Jen and Ames` journals....and Al`s when she writes. GANBATTE IMOUTO YO!!!! (Lol, I meant Al in that instance, but I just realized that all three fo you are my imouto now. CONFUSING FAMILY FTW!)
I bet by now many of you are wondering whether or not I fell off the face of the earth, but I haven`t. I`ve just been busy. Since not everything is interesting, I`ll hit you up with the major events.
At the end of September I went to Kujukkuri in Chiba Prefecture to visit Ames. Her birthday was the 28th, which was actually the day I left for home D:, but we had a great time despite the short time I was able to be there. I got to see her apartment which is much more modern/convenient than my house, but quite a bit smaller. I know, it`s a trade-off, but I couldn`t help being jealous of her new stove and flushing toilet, haha! (Sick actually, lulz.) Not to mention the fact that her shower has like a computer in it that controls the temp and things. It was awesome, but kinda scared me at the same time. 0.0
What I saw of Kujukkuri was nice, but I wish we`d had time to go to the beach, since it`s more than a little famous. It was kinda too cool for that anyway, plus instead we went to...TOKYO! This was my first time going back to Tokyo since Orientation, and it was WAY more fun this time around. We were only in the city for a day, and since the buses in Togane/Kujukkuri area stop around 8 on the weekends we had to leave the city around 6:15 to make it back in time. (WTF? THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME! Why do you stop public transportation earlier on the weekends? That`s when people are actually out late! Maybe I`m too used to living in a college town where buses run until at least midnight or one and taxi services run all night. Anyway, it`s annoying, haha. GTFO NAO JAPAN!) So one short day there, but it was fun!
In Tokyo we went to Akihabara first and oh my, the reputation it has for a gamer/electronics paradise has DEFINITELY been earned. Amy and I spent a good 2 hours there looking through japanese comics (read: SUZAKU PORN LOLZ.), character merchandise (GEASS), videogame stuff (MORE GEASS) and generally staring at the weird outfits of the people walking around the area. There was a guy in a TOP HAT AND TAILS, people! I also saw people advertising for Maid Cafes and Host Clubs, which I only HALF-believed really existed.
After that, we took the Yamanote line (the one that circles all the cool spots in Tokyo, as we found out.) to Harajuku and did some serious shopping. Man, I never realized, but the Japanese LOVE their high fashion name brands. There is no better example of this than walking down Omotesando St. Name any label, it was probably there. It`s a lot like 5th Ave. in NY, but much cleaner and prettier. (read: DID NOT SMELL.) The whole blvd. is lined with trees in the middle of the city and it`s REALLY cool. I will admit that we spent FOREVER looking for Cat Street (OMG THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU FANGIRL MOMENT! I WANTED TO MAGICALLY FIND A PLAYER PIN!) basically to find American Apparel. I know, typical Americans want to find the American store. (Hey the clothes actually fit us, what can I say?) I couldn`t get over how the prices were higher since it`s an import here. At home it costs a fraction of the price. Yay for products made in the USA.
I will also admit to eating at Wendy`s. We didn`t want to waste time and money at a fancier sit-down restaurant, but were starving to death....at least I was...and started to get VERY GRUMPY D:< (Sorry, Ames.) So? Glorious American-style fast food. The special burger on the menu? Eggplant and hot red peppers. I passed on that one, mostly because I was feeling too hungry to be adventurous. Another time I`ll go for it. I`ve discovered I actually like eggplant, but like NO ONE eats it in the US. Strange. Also, a frosty in Japan is a LOT creamier than in the US, be warned.
Even though I was looking for a new purse....or bag really (GAY PUMA BAG GOOOOO!!!!!)...I didn`t find one I loved and I`m too cheap to buy something just `cause I`m on vacation, haha! I ended up buying mostly gifts for people back home (again, PORN XD), but that`s not all bad either. Extremely tired, Amy and I returned to her apt and spent the rest of the time on girl talk and swapping stories about how certain things about Japan are strange/awesome/irritating/whatever else.
Then I had to begin my 8 hour trip back home the next day. I love the trains in Japan, but when you don`t have a direct route, it gets long and expensive. The Shinkansen is my new favorite conveyance though. It`s fast and comfortable and safer than nearly anything else I can think of. Just don`t get a reserved seat and then get on the wrong train like I did. (Don`t ask.)
After coming back to Yasaka, the next weekend was the Sports Day (Undokai) for all the elementary schools around the area. I already had Sports Day for the middle school, and it was fun, but does not COMPARE to watching all the little kids scampering around having a ball. In addition, the parents and the teachers take part a lot more, which was amusing to say the least. I myself participated in the Open Relay with a team of 5 other students and Kowada sensei, and I was THE SLOWEST PERSON OUT THERE (read: FAT ASS ROFL), but for days afterward people stopped me on the streets around town and congratulated me for participating and told me how much they or their kids liked it. I TOLD them I suck at sports! Oh well, at least they saw I tried.
The best part of that day was getting to talk with my middle school students in the most relaxed setting yet. Oh I should mention that on elementary sports day, the middle school students return to their respective elementary schools to participate and generally help out. Since I was basically free to do whatever, I spent a lot of time with a group of my 3rd year middle school girls who seem to be best friends, or close to it. It was incredible because it was like having a REAL conversation. They wanted to know about me and they kept telling me how they were so happy I could speak Japanese reasonably well so I can explain things about America to them. Then we talked about what they want to be, what high schools they want to get into, what comics/music they like, etc. (One of them owns like everything CLAMP has ever put out OMG if I was younger this girl would be my BFF. She lovs America too.) It was fun! Now they call out to me whenever they see me and I know their names too, it`s surprisingly hard to learn all the names, I have new respect for teachers who have to do it every year or every semester even. I have the added challenge of learning Japanese names though, haha.
Most recently, this past weekend in fact, I was invited by the Board of Education`s translator to her house for Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival). Basically this festival consists of three things: eating a lot of delicious food, watching all the boys and young men of the area put on traditional garb and do traditional dancing (why are some of the HS students hot?!?!), and finally watching all the men from the area get really drunk and try to carry a really heavy mini-shrine up the mountain to the main shrine. It`s actually very entertaining to watch, but I wasn`t too keen on walking all the way up the mountain with them, mostly because they stop every 20 minutes to eat and drink more to "keep up their strength" (read: GET EVEN DRUNKER) so it takes them like ALL DAY. So we watched for a bit, my friend Rob tried to help carry the thing but he`s about 6`3" so he was throwing the balance all off and consequently, they kicked him out, haha. They weren`t unfriendly about it, but it was funny nonetheless. The cool thing about this area`s festival is that the boys dance while wearing geta, which is hella-impressive. Seriously, I would fall off of these, it`s like high heels for men, almost. But since they`re wooden, they don`t give at all, making it doubly easy to trip or something. They also dance with real spears which is cool and a little dangerous. I can`t get over some of the things that Japanese people let their children do XD.
Anyway it was a beautiful day and afterward Rob and I went through the drive through at McDonald`s for flurries. YES! I managed a DRIVE-THRU in Japan! I`m getting increasingly "Makku-jouzu." I was terrified, because sometimes people can`t understand me through those speakers and they`re AMERICAN, haha. (Or they`re mexican and I can`t understand them, but I digress.) I figured it was a simple order though so I could handle it, haha. You should`ve seen the look on the girl`s face when I drove around to the window! She was CLEARLY not expecting a foreigner. It made me proud. It`s the little things, people.
So now I have two more classes today, 3rd and 1st years, and then nothing to do tonight but try to make stir-fry. I bought all the materials so now it`ll be a waste if I don`t do it. I finally started using my rice cooker and now I can`t live without it. I will definitely be buying one when I move back to the US. Give me some good ol` white rice over bread ANY DAY! (DIAF BREAD!) I have no idea how expensive the Japanese rice is in the US. Anybody know? I don`t know if any of you are big rice-eaters.
Yeah I`d also like to say sorry to those of you who received this as an email and now have to suffer through reading it. This is the unedited version though, since the other one was going out to relatives, ex-bosses and the like, haha. I really want to start updating this more. Esp since I love to read Jen and Ames` journals....and Al`s when she writes. GANBATTE IMOUTO YO!!!! (Lol, I meant Al in that instance, but I just realized that all three fo you are my imouto now. CONFUSING FAMILY FTW!)