Last night I dreamt that David and I were talking in Japanese. That was pretty cool.
Today was long. It was dreary and rainy again, so I've been sleepy all day. This morning I had my speaking class, which went well, as usual. Then I had some delicious udon for lunch, and went to my writing/reading class, where I kicked a quiz's butt.
Next was Asian Psychologies. I'm still not sure about that class. We've moved on from yogic psych to Buddhist psych, which I find much more understandable. Part of my problem with the yogic system is that I just don't know that much about Hinduism and traditional yogic worldviews. That, and all the Sanskrit vocabulary was making me dizzy. I know something, at least, of Buddhism, and this makes more sense to me. It's one of those classes where there's so very much information that the professor could reasonably ask us to know, but he seems to be more interested in general themes. I'm not really sure what to concentrate on when I study. We shall see.
After that was Japan in Western Film and Literature. I really, really like that class. Sometimes it's a little bit horrifying because it makes me realize how skewed my view of the world is, and sometimes it's just amusing. Today we talked about Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. Where to start?! Such a strange little opera. It's interesting, Gilbert and Sullivan were really determined to make the set, props, and costumes as accurate to real Japanese things as possible, but the rest of the play is totally irrelevant to Japan. Couldn't they at least have used some Japanese names? I mean, really--Yum-Yum? Nanki-Poo? But it's a satire, and the only real ill-will, I think, is aimed at the English. And, as the professor pointed out, it's perfectly acceptable today to take real-world problems and transfer them to futuristic space settings, like in Star Trek; Gilbert and Sullivan were merely doing the same thing with the "space aliens" of their day--the Japanese. An interesting point. If nothing else, it's an entertaining little piece of work.
Today I also did some work in the language lab, and I found a bar of soap in the 7Eleven near school.
Coming home was frustrating. Another student had smushed his bicycle right up against mine, so I had a lot of trouble wiggling mine out of the parking area without knocking all the other bikes over. My little basket kept getting caught on Rude Bycyle's teeny handles (it was one of those almost BMX-y sports bikes that sit so close to the ground that the tough boys here ride). I had to do this in the rain while fumbling to find my key in my already soaked school bag to unlock my bike, as well as keep all my books and the bicycle seat dry, and turn on my bike safety light. I was not a happy camper. And Rude Bicycle had a very impractical kick stand, to make it all worse, so in addition to extracting my bike from the tangle caused by its inordinate smallness, I had to keep Rude Bicycle supported the whole time. It was really, disproportionately aggravating, but I'm okay now. Not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
And that's about it for the day. I'm heading to bed early tonight, I think. Just not a whole lot to do, and sleep sounds fabulous.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Rain and Momoko
Today was miserably rainy and cool. It was around 60 with a constant slow rain; very dreary. I rode my bike to school in the rain, wearing my hooded jacket and carrying an umbrella. The umbrella will really throw you off balance easily, so it took longer than usual to reach campus. I was pretty wet when I arrived, too. I went to writing class, did some homework, and went to speaking class. Since I missed the short vocab quiz in speaking on Friday, I talked to the teacher, and she said I could come to her office in the afternoon and make it up. That was great, but I had already made arrangements to talk to David on Skype, so it meant more biking in the rain. I grabbed some McDonald's to go, pedaled home in the drizzle, and Skyped for quite a while.
It was really nice getting to talk to David; everything at Witt seems to be going well. Beta had a great Greek Week, and even had a fantastic dance interpretation of The Lion King! Simba, the guy in the yellow t-shirt over black, is David. I'm so proud of him and all the other guys! It was such a success. I wish I could have been there to see it.
After a really nice Skype date, I had to go back to campus (again in the rain) for my makeup quiz. Not a big deal; I took it in Sakakibara-sensei's office. As I was leaving, she asked me about my home school, and when I said it is Witt, she asked about Imai-sensei! It turns out they are friends. Sensei, if you're reading this, Sakakibara-sensei says hello. I'm really enjoying her class! Anyway, after that little surprise, I did some language lab homework and went back home for a nap.
In the evening I was wondering what to do about supper, when I had a novel idea: go eat at the school cafeteria. Why haven't I done that for supper before? It's so cheap and delicious! So anyway, I got back on my trusty bike, rode to school in the rain for the third time in a day, and had some kakesoba and rice for supper as I did some of my homework.
At 8:00 I was supposed to meet my friend Momoko in the park. So I rode my bike there, and was wondering what to do about the rain, when her dad came and told me that she was in the car. So we drove to their house, which is close to the Sanko grocery store, and hung out there. It was such a cozy little house. I think they're kinda rich; like I said, I don't really read social class cues here well, but a Mercedes with leather interior and a TV in it implies some money, I think. No matter, really. I'm just trying to get my cultural bearings. Her mother had set out some little fruits and snacks for us, and I had my first persimmon, which was delicious. Momoko, her mother, her father, and I just sat around the dinner table and snacked, while Momoko made a nice map of how to get to her school. She has invited me to its bunkasai, or cultural festival, this weekend. She will be selling taiyaki, little fish-shaped sweets. She also showed me many pictures of her time over the summer in Tennessee. It was nice, really, to see pictures of Americans! Her parents were very interested in the US; they were surprised to hear that we like tacos and there are a lot of Mexican immigrants, and they were excited that I know what Costco is. They asked me what Japanese foods I like, and they have invited me over to learn how to make okonomiyaki for myself! I'm very excited. The family was so very sweet; I really like these people. We were able to really understand each other very well, too, which was nice! Momoko helped fill in the blanks for both languages.
After that, they drove me back home, I showered, and here I am. All in all, it was a very good day. And now I'm super pumped about the culture festival this weekend, too! I can't wait to see what it's like.
Oh, and Momoko mentioned that a typhoon is coming. I guess that explains the rain. Sure enough, when I look at a weather map, it looks like Typhoon Jangmi is headed this way, and we should be getting the proper typhoon rain tomorrow.
Eric, I hear that you thought it was funny that I was excited before about having a typhoon. Well, you were right, I was wrong--they can be pretty lousy when you have to ride a bike in their rain and wind! You should be a meteorologist when you grow up so you can tell silly kids like me to stay out of bad weather. ^_^
Fun fact: "To skip class (deliberately)" in Japanese is "saboru." The "sabo" part is a shortening of "sabotage." How cool! Kinda makes you not want to skip class ever again; when you think about it, though, you really are sabotaging your education. Makes sense, I guess. I thought it was interesting.
It was really nice getting to talk to David; everything at Witt seems to be going well. Beta had a great Greek Week, and even had a fantastic dance interpretation of The Lion King! Simba, the guy in the yellow t-shirt over black, is David. I'm so proud of him and all the other guys! It was such a success. I wish I could have been there to see it.
After a really nice Skype date, I had to go back to campus (again in the rain) for my makeup quiz. Not a big deal; I took it in Sakakibara-sensei's office. As I was leaving, she asked me about my home school, and when I said it is Witt, she asked about Imai-sensei! It turns out they are friends. Sensei, if you're reading this, Sakakibara-sensei says hello. I'm really enjoying her class! Anyway, after that little surprise, I did some language lab homework and went back home for a nap.
In the evening I was wondering what to do about supper, when I had a novel idea: go eat at the school cafeteria. Why haven't I done that for supper before? It's so cheap and delicious! So anyway, I got back on my trusty bike, rode to school in the rain for the third time in a day, and had some kakesoba and rice for supper as I did some of my homework.
At 8:00 I was supposed to meet my friend Momoko in the park. So I rode my bike there, and was wondering what to do about the rain, when her dad came and told me that she was in the car. So we drove to their house, which is close to the Sanko grocery store, and hung out there. It was such a cozy little house. I think they're kinda rich; like I said, I don't really read social class cues here well, but a Mercedes with leather interior and a TV in it implies some money, I think. No matter, really. I'm just trying to get my cultural bearings. Her mother had set out some little fruits and snacks for us, and I had my first persimmon, which was delicious. Momoko, her mother, her father, and I just sat around the dinner table and snacked, while Momoko made a nice map of how to get to her school. She has invited me to its bunkasai, or cultural festival, this weekend. She will be selling taiyaki, little fish-shaped sweets. She also showed me many pictures of her time over the summer in Tennessee. It was nice, really, to see pictures of Americans! Her parents were very interested in the US; they were surprised to hear that we like tacos and there are a lot of Mexican immigrants, and they were excited that I know what Costco is. They asked me what Japanese foods I like, and they have invited me over to learn how to make okonomiyaki for myself! I'm very excited. The family was so very sweet; I really like these people. We were able to really understand each other very well, too, which was nice! Momoko helped fill in the blanks for both languages.
After that, they drove me back home, I showered, and here I am. All in all, it was a very good day. And now I'm super pumped about the culture festival this weekend, too! I can't wait to see what it's like.
Oh, and Momoko mentioned that a typhoon is coming. I guess that explains the rain. Sure enough, when I look at a weather map, it looks like Typhoon Jangmi is headed this way, and we should be getting the proper typhoon rain tomorrow.
Eric, I hear that you thought it was funny that I was excited before about having a typhoon. Well, you were right, I was wrong--they can be pretty lousy when you have to ride a bike in their rain and wind! You should be a meteorologist when you grow up so you can tell silly kids like me to stay out of bad weather. ^_^
Fun fact: "To skip class (deliberately)" in Japanese is "saboru." The "sabo" part is a shortening of "sabotage." How cool! Kinda makes you not want to skip class ever again; when you think about it, though, you really are sabotaging your education. Makes sense, I guess. I thought it was interesting.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Uji Trip
As planned, today I got up early and went to Uji. The commute there was really nice, actually. It was a cool, overcast fall day, and very pleasant. At the bus stop in front of the library I had a really nice conversation with an older woman who was also waiting for the bus. I did really well understanding her, at least by my standards. She was very nice.
I was traveling alone. I like going places in groups, of course, but today I wanted time to explore on my own. I go at a weird pace because I take pictures of lots of strange things like mossy stones and caterpillars, and I often skim over the really important bits of places. I'm not the best traveling companion unless you're a very patient or very eccentric person. ^_^ But Uji is nearby, and the directions were clear, so I was happy to go alone. Also, it allowed me to interact more with the Japanese people around me than I would have in a group of foreigners. They are much more willing to approach me, and I them, if I'm not surrounded by a buffer of six other Americans.
The bus arrived, and at the next stop this Sweet Lolita girl and a woman who seemed to be her mother boarded the bus. I wanted to take a picture of the girl; she was really cute, though of course very over-the-top. She was wearing a white lace headband, a puffy light pink dress, lacy knee socks, white patent leather shoes, and carrying a white patent leather purse with a big bow on it, as well as a delicate white lace parasol. Most interesting, though, were her fingernails. I have never seen a more inconvenient set of nails in my life, and I have been shopping at Winn-Dixie, thank you very much, where three-inch-long neon nails seemed to be all the rage among the checkout ladies in the 1990s. She had what looked like those little sugar cake decorations pasted onto each fingernail. Smiley faces, pink pearls, little cupcakes--all miniature statues, about a centimeter high, right there on her fingernails. They made her very clumsy, but I guess it's all part of the look; not my thing, but it was cool to see. I wonder where they were going.
Anyway, I got on the train just fine and reached Uji without incident. It's funny, it only cost me 340yen to get to Uji, but it cost almost six times as much to get to Himeji last week; I wonder why. Uji is closer, but really, not all that much closer. Oh well, who am I to complain about a good deal?
After coming out of the train station, I had to cross a really long bridge. The bridge is very important historically and culturally, apparently. It's one of the three oldest bridges in the country, and various websites seem to put its original construction at 646CE. It seems to have been the site of some battles, too, I think. But now it's just a really nice, wide bridge. The sidewalks are very safe, and the view is lovely. Check out the pictures to come.
After crossing the bridge I realized that this sightseeing trip was going to be different from my earlier trips; all the other tourists were Japanese. There were still some signs in English, but for the most part, Uji seems to be geared toward Japanese visitors. Really, this makes a lot of sense; Uji is most famous for being the setting of the final chapters of The Tale of Genji. This is a classic of world literature, often called the world's first novel, although it seems that not many people outside of Japan have read it, or even heard about it. It's ridiculously long--think two Count of Monte Cristos put together, with about four times the number of characters. This, at least is what I hear; I haven't actually read it. In any case, it's a very important book to Japan, so many Japanese people visit the Uji locations mentioned in it. Not many foreigners care. Hence, Uji is a city for local tourism.
At the far end of the bride was a really neat statue of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of Genji. There was a group of Japanese tourists hearing about it from a guide, and I kinda tried to listen in, but I couldn't understand anything. Then I tried to use the water fountain in front of the statue and failed miserable. I shot myself up the nose with water, and the nearby tour group laughed at me. It was pretty hilarious, and at that point I could do nothing but laugh along with them. Oops.
To reach Byodo-in, my first destination, I had to walk up a long street lined with shops selling tea leaves, hot tea, tea candy, tea ice cream, noodles in tea, tea rice, tea bowls, tea stirrers, etc. Uji, in addition to being known for Genji, is also famous for its production of tea. Again, this is something that the Japanese seem to be interested in, but foreigners not so much. Japanese tea is a very, very--how should I say it?--different beverage. It's an acquired taste, and I haven't acquired it. Another reason Uji is geared toward Japanese, I think.
I arrived at Byodo-in and paid my admission, and rather pretended that I understood more of the Japanese language instructions from the ticket lady than I actually did. But I gathered that my admission fee got me into the museum and the main grounds, although I'd have to pay extra to enter the famous Ho-o-do, or Phoenix Hall.
I entered the complex, and first took a left to a simple building that I thought had nothing in it, until I happened to wander around the back and discovered that it was a lovely little temple. Inside were two small replicas of the Phoenix Hall and a really beautiful wooden statue of some buddha or bodhisattva dating from the Heian Period (794-1185). I'm really terrible with my Buddhist iconography; I wish I could have figured out who it was. Photography wasn't allowed in the room, either, so I can't show you a picture. But it was a very moving statue, maybe four feet high, up on a platform. I liked it a lot.
Next I moved on to the path around the Phoenix Hall. It's a magnificent symmetrical building with a large reflecting pond in the front. Lots of great photo opportunities! I even used keigo (polite sentence constructions) to ask an old man to take my picture. It was pretty exciting. After walking around the outside, I went into the museum that houses a lot of the artifacts from the site. They didn't allow photos, unfortunately. But I watched a short informational film with English subtitles about the Phoenix Hall, and got to see some of the wood statues from the buildings, as well as a really cool temple bell. There was a replica of the same bell outside, so check out the pictures to see it. Also included were some of the statues of the 52 bodhisattvas who surround Amida Buddha in the Pure Land. Those were really cool. They were wall hangings, basically. Each bodhisattva carried a different musical instrument or attribute, and they were placed around the walls of the main room in the Phoenix Hall. Very, very cool.
After the museum portion, I visited some small shrine areas in the complex. I'm not sure if shrine is the right word; that implies Shinto, and Byodo-in is a Buddhist temple. But the lines blur easily between the two systems here, so I'm not sure it matters. In any case, there were some cool little things to look at. One building in particular housed a bunch of small stone statues, and had a brilliantly painted ceiling decorated with a dragon. It was really cool, but you weren't allowed to take pictures. For being a World Heritage Site, it sure seems that they don't want photos of this place to get out. I'm sure the flash would just damage the pigments or something, but still....
It was only noon at that point, and I had all day. So I decided I'd buy the extra ticket to enter the Phoenix Hall. But the next available time wasn't until 1:10 and I didn't want to hang around that long, so I decided to just skip it. Oh well. I'm not too disappointed. It would have been cool, but there had been a few reconstructions in the museum, so I got the gist of it.
I then left the Byodo-in and decided to do some souvenir shopping. I found a really cool shop that had a bunch of handmade textiles painted with scenes from Genji, and I bought a nice framed one. I like it a lot; it's the first souvenir I've bought for myself here. Kind of expensive--about $25--but definitely worth it. It's beautiful. I also bought a nice Kiyomizu-yaki tea cup for David, because he likes tea. Genji and tea, two Uji things. I did well, souvenir-wise. But I spent a little too much, and realized that if I was to make it home by train, I didn't have the money for lunch. Oops. Luckily I had brought some Oreos with me, so I munched on those to tide me over.
I walked up and down the Uji riverside, which is really pretty. I just love the mountains around there; it feels so secluded and peaceful. Earlier in the month, too, they had a cormorant fishing festival, and there were some photos up from that. It looks very cool; I wish I could have seen it. The river was very picturesque, with lots of little tour barges floating long with the current.
I found the tourist information center right next to the river, and there bought a ticket to the Municipal Tea House next door. I think it's so cool that Uji has a government-run tea house! How cool! So I got to sit through a proper tea ceremony. It was pretty interesting, although it went way over my head. I was there with a group of two other Americans, an older Japanese man and woman and their granddaughter, and a middle aged man in a suit. We chatted in English and Japanese beforehand, and it turns out that Suit is a politician. I didn't catch his name, but from the reactions of the people around me he is at least moderately important. He talked a bit to the other Americans (both poli-sci majors, they said) about politics, and said that he wants to become the Japanese Obama, because they're the same age. ^_^ I thought that was cool. He was very...politiciany. A bit overly-smiley, but pleasantly chatty. It was kinda cool. Granddaughter was a lot of fun to be in the room with, too. She was about nine years old, probably, and kinda wiggly. She kept whispering to me and fiddling around during the ceremony. It made me feel a little more relaxed. We spoke a little in English, which was fun. Her grandmother was the only one who really seemed to get into the cermonial aspects of the ceremony; she and the tea master chatted nicely, and I tried to follow her lead since she knew what she was doing. The grandfather was nondescript. The Americans were a little loud, but very nice, and their Japanese was good. It was a nice mix. I don't think I looked like a fool, at least.
After we were seated, the tea master brought us some little sweets made from tea. They were these little green squares of a consistency somewhere between Jello and fruit chewies, and you cut them into fourths with this sharp pointy stick, stabbed the pieces, and ate them. Like the other Japanese sweets I've had, it was pretty bland. Not at all bad, though. After the snack, the tea master's helper came out and bustled around doing something. He was probably about 17 years old, and totally adorable. He was wearing kimono and hakama, which I think is really cute on guys. ^_^ It made me smile. As he did some fiddling around with the various tea tools, the tea master served us. She was really cool, an older lady who seemed very gentle. She brought us the tea in bowls that you hold in your left hand and drink from. The tea itself is not what we think of as tea in America; it's the color of pea soup, and about that consistency. It was very, very hot and bitter, but I liked it much better than the tea I had at Crane House over the summer. Probably just a different kind. After the tea, the tea master removed the bowls and we chatted a little about the scroll on the wall. Then it was over. There was much bowing throughout the whole process. I think I said "arigatou gozaimasu" ("thank you") about forty times. It was pretty cool. Like I said, way over my head, but I still had fun.
Then I crossed the river to see if I could find some of the shrines I had heard about. On the way, I stumbled across a little temple called Hashi-dera, or Bridge Temple. It was built to ensure the safety of the bridge, and the sign said it held some of the oldest architectural stone fragments in Japan, from the original bridge. I went into the temple grounds, but I didn't see it. There were, however, some interesting little prayer areas. There was no signage in English, but it seems that the temple is used a lot for prayers for children. Check out the pictures; there were several statues surrounded by children's toys. I thought it was very funny, at first, to see a bodhisattva with a Winnie the Pooh at his feet. But then I thought about it and realized that we do the exact same thing in America; when a child dies we leave stuffed animals at the grave. It's the same thing. At this temple I also found another really big caterpillar, and I struck up a conversation with a woman and her young son about it. Again, she was so excited to see that I speak a little Japanese. I just can't get over how thrilled people are here that I can say anything. It's very encouraging!
After that temple, I continued up the road, passing a small shrine called Matafuri, I think. Something about a vengeful spirit in the story behind that one; I'm not really sure. I just stumbled upon it. Further up the road was yet another shrine, this one called Uji-jinja. It was fairly standard, but I was the only person there, which was kinda cool. Right next door to Uji-jinja is Ujigami-jinja, another World Heritage Site, so more crowded than Uji-jinja. The main hall of Ujigami-jinja is the oldest surviving Shinto worship hall. Pretty cool. The inside reminded me of an old American one room schoolhouse, actually. I enjoyed one of the surrounding sub-shrines much better, though. It seemed to have a bit of an animal theme. It was really secluded a bit up the hill, and there were these fox and cat statues around it. It was very, very peaceful and cool there. I sat for quite a while just resting. At that point I was ready leave.
I walked along the Uji riverside back to the train station, where I made my way home. On the way to Chushojima I wound up sitting across the aisle from the woman and her son I met at Hashi-dera, which was funny. By the time I got back home it was 4PM and I had 230yen on me--about $2. Cutting it close, right? I guess it was a very good thing I didn't pay the 300yen to go into the Phoenix Hall!
I was wiped out and hungry at that point, so I heated up some pizza toast that ended up being pretty bad, heated up some hash browns that ended up being pretty bad, and made some potstickers that also ended up being slightly burnt and pretty bad. Oh well. Lunch/supper of champions, right? Then I napped, showered, and wrote this ungodly long post. Can I go now? I really should probably include more detail for my own future benefit, but I'm tired and I'm sure you're bored with all my minutiae. So goodnight.
I was traveling alone. I like going places in groups, of course, but today I wanted time to explore on my own. I go at a weird pace because I take pictures of lots of strange things like mossy stones and caterpillars, and I often skim over the really important bits of places. I'm not the best traveling companion unless you're a very patient or very eccentric person. ^_^ But Uji is nearby, and the directions were clear, so I was happy to go alone. Also, it allowed me to interact more with the Japanese people around me than I would have in a group of foreigners. They are much more willing to approach me, and I them, if I'm not surrounded by a buffer of six other Americans.
The bus arrived, and at the next stop this Sweet Lolita girl and a woman who seemed to be her mother boarded the bus. I wanted to take a picture of the girl; she was really cute, though of course very over-the-top. She was wearing a white lace headband, a puffy light pink dress, lacy knee socks, white patent leather shoes, and carrying a white patent leather purse with a big bow on it, as well as a delicate white lace parasol. Most interesting, though, were her fingernails. I have never seen a more inconvenient set of nails in my life, and I have been shopping at Winn-Dixie, thank you very much, where three-inch-long neon nails seemed to be all the rage among the checkout ladies in the 1990s. She had what looked like those little sugar cake decorations pasted onto each fingernail. Smiley faces, pink pearls, little cupcakes--all miniature statues, about a centimeter high, right there on her fingernails. They made her very clumsy, but I guess it's all part of the look; not my thing, but it was cool to see. I wonder where they were going.
Anyway, I got on the train just fine and reached Uji without incident. It's funny, it only cost me 340yen to get to Uji, but it cost almost six times as much to get to Himeji last week; I wonder why. Uji is closer, but really, not all that much closer. Oh well, who am I to complain about a good deal?
After coming out of the train station, I had to cross a really long bridge. The bridge is very important historically and culturally, apparently. It's one of the three oldest bridges in the country, and various websites seem to put its original construction at 646CE. It seems to have been the site of some battles, too, I think. But now it's just a really nice, wide bridge. The sidewalks are very safe, and the view is lovely. Check out the pictures to come.
After crossing the bridge I realized that this sightseeing trip was going to be different from my earlier trips; all the other tourists were Japanese. There were still some signs in English, but for the most part, Uji seems to be geared toward Japanese visitors. Really, this makes a lot of sense; Uji is most famous for being the setting of the final chapters of The Tale of Genji. This is a classic of world literature, often called the world's first novel, although it seems that not many people outside of Japan have read it, or even heard about it. It's ridiculously long--think two Count of Monte Cristos put together, with about four times the number of characters. This, at least is what I hear; I haven't actually read it. In any case, it's a very important book to Japan, so many Japanese people visit the Uji locations mentioned in it. Not many foreigners care. Hence, Uji is a city for local tourism.
At the far end of the bride was a really neat statue of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of Genji. There was a group of Japanese tourists hearing about it from a guide, and I kinda tried to listen in, but I couldn't understand anything. Then I tried to use the water fountain in front of the statue and failed miserable. I shot myself up the nose with water, and the nearby tour group laughed at me. It was pretty hilarious, and at that point I could do nothing but laugh along with them. Oops.
To reach Byodo-in, my first destination, I had to walk up a long street lined with shops selling tea leaves, hot tea, tea candy, tea ice cream, noodles in tea, tea rice, tea bowls, tea stirrers, etc. Uji, in addition to being known for Genji, is also famous for its production of tea. Again, this is something that the Japanese seem to be interested in, but foreigners not so much. Japanese tea is a very, very--how should I say it?--different beverage. It's an acquired taste, and I haven't acquired it. Another reason Uji is geared toward Japanese, I think.
I arrived at Byodo-in and paid my admission, and rather pretended that I understood more of the Japanese language instructions from the ticket lady than I actually did. But I gathered that my admission fee got me into the museum and the main grounds, although I'd have to pay extra to enter the famous Ho-o-do, or Phoenix Hall.
I entered the complex, and first took a left to a simple building that I thought had nothing in it, until I happened to wander around the back and discovered that it was a lovely little temple. Inside were two small replicas of the Phoenix Hall and a really beautiful wooden statue of some buddha or bodhisattva dating from the Heian Period (794-1185). I'm really terrible with my Buddhist iconography; I wish I could have figured out who it was. Photography wasn't allowed in the room, either, so I can't show you a picture. But it was a very moving statue, maybe four feet high, up on a platform. I liked it a lot.
Next I moved on to the path around the Phoenix Hall. It's a magnificent symmetrical building with a large reflecting pond in the front. Lots of great photo opportunities! I even used keigo (polite sentence constructions) to ask an old man to take my picture. It was pretty exciting. After walking around the outside, I went into the museum that houses a lot of the artifacts from the site. They didn't allow photos, unfortunately. But I watched a short informational film with English subtitles about the Phoenix Hall, and got to see some of the wood statues from the buildings, as well as a really cool temple bell. There was a replica of the same bell outside, so check out the pictures to see it. Also included were some of the statues of the 52 bodhisattvas who surround Amida Buddha in the Pure Land. Those were really cool. They were wall hangings, basically. Each bodhisattva carried a different musical instrument or attribute, and they were placed around the walls of the main room in the Phoenix Hall. Very, very cool.
After the museum portion, I visited some small shrine areas in the complex. I'm not sure if shrine is the right word; that implies Shinto, and Byodo-in is a Buddhist temple. But the lines blur easily between the two systems here, so I'm not sure it matters. In any case, there were some cool little things to look at. One building in particular housed a bunch of small stone statues, and had a brilliantly painted ceiling decorated with a dragon. It was really cool, but you weren't allowed to take pictures. For being a World Heritage Site, it sure seems that they don't want photos of this place to get out. I'm sure the flash would just damage the pigments or something, but still....
It was only noon at that point, and I had all day. So I decided I'd buy the extra ticket to enter the Phoenix Hall. But the next available time wasn't until 1:10 and I didn't want to hang around that long, so I decided to just skip it. Oh well. I'm not too disappointed. It would have been cool, but there had been a few reconstructions in the museum, so I got the gist of it.
I then left the Byodo-in and decided to do some souvenir shopping. I found a really cool shop that had a bunch of handmade textiles painted with scenes from Genji, and I bought a nice framed one. I like it a lot; it's the first souvenir I've bought for myself here. Kind of expensive--about $25--but definitely worth it. It's beautiful. I also bought a nice Kiyomizu-yaki tea cup for David, because he likes tea. Genji and tea, two Uji things. I did well, souvenir-wise. But I spent a little too much, and realized that if I was to make it home by train, I didn't have the money for lunch. Oops. Luckily I had brought some Oreos with me, so I munched on those to tide me over.
I walked up and down the Uji riverside, which is really pretty. I just love the mountains around there; it feels so secluded and peaceful. Earlier in the month, too, they had a cormorant fishing festival, and there were some photos up from that. It looks very cool; I wish I could have seen it. The river was very picturesque, with lots of little tour barges floating long with the current.
I found the tourist information center right next to the river, and there bought a ticket to the Municipal Tea House next door. I think it's so cool that Uji has a government-run tea house! How cool! So I got to sit through a proper tea ceremony. It was pretty interesting, although it went way over my head. I was there with a group of two other Americans, an older Japanese man and woman and their granddaughter, and a middle aged man in a suit. We chatted in English and Japanese beforehand, and it turns out that Suit is a politician. I didn't catch his name, but from the reactions of the people around me he is at least moderately important. He talked a bit to the other Americans (both poli-sci majors, they said) about politics, and said that he wants to become the Japanese Obama, because they're the same age. ^_^ I thought that was cool. He was very...politiciany. A bit overly-smiley, but pleasantly chatty. It was kinda cool. Granddaughter was a lot of fun to be in the room with, too. She was about nine years old, probably, and kinda wiggly. She kept whispering to me and fiddling around during the ceremony. It made me feel a little more relaxed. We spoke a little in English, which was fun. Her grandmother was the only one who really seemed to get into the cermonial aspects of the ceremony; she and the tea master chatted nicely, and I tried to follow her lead since she knew what she was doing. The grandfather was nondescript. The Americans were a little loud, but very nice, and their Japanese was good. It was a nice mix. I don't think I looked like a fool, at least.
After we were seated, the tea master brought us some little sweets made from tea. They were these little green squares of a consistency somewhere between Jello and fruit chewies, and you cut them into fourths with this sharp pointy stick, stabbed the pieces, and ate them. Like the other Japanese sweets I've had, it was pretty bland. Not at all bad, though. After the snack, the tea master's helper came out and bustled around doing something. He was probably about 17 years old, and totally adorable. He was wearing kimono and hakama, which I think is really cute on guys. ^_^ It made me smile. As he did some fiddling around with the various tea tools, the tea master served us. She was really cool, an older lady who seemed very gentle. She brought us the tea in bowls that you hold in your left hand and drink from. The tea itself is not what we think of as tea in America; it's the color of pea soup, and about that consistency. It was very, very hot and bitter, but I liked it much better than the tea I had at Crane House over the summer. Probably just a different kind. After the tea, the tea master removed the bowls and we chatted a little about the scroll on the wall. Then it was over. There was much bowing throughout the whole process. I think I said "arigatou gozaimasu" ("thank you") about forty times. It was pretty cool. Like I said, way over my head, but I still had fun.
Then I crossed the river to see if I could find some of the shrines I had heard about. On the way, I stumbled across a little temple called Hashi-dera, or Bridge Temple. It was built to ensure the safety of the bridge, and the sign said it held some of the oldest architectural stone fragments in Japan, from the original bridge. I went into the temple grounds, but I didn't see it. There were, however, some interesting little prayer areas. There was no signage in English, but it seems that the temple is used a lot for prayers for children. Check out the pictures; there were several statues surrounded by children's toys. I thought it was very funny, at first, to see a bodhisattva with a Winnie the Pooh at his feet. But then I thought about it and realized that we do the exact same thing in America; when a child dies we leave stuffed animals at the grave. It's the same thing. At this temple I also found another really big caterpillar, and I struck up a conversation with a woman and her young son about it. Again, she was so excited to see that I speak a little Japanese. I just can't get over how thrilled people are here that I can say anything. It's very encouraging!
After that temple, I continued up the road, passing a small shrine called Matafuri, I think. Something about a vengeful spirit in the story behind that one; I'm not really sure. I just stumbled upon it. Further up the road was yet another shrine, this one called Uji-jinja. It was fairly standard, but I was the only person there, which was kinda cool. Right next door to Uji-jinja is Ujigami-jinja, another World Heritage Site, so more crowded than Uji-jinja. The main hall of Ujigami-jinja is the oldest surviving Shinto worship hall. Pretty cool. The inside reminded me of an old American one room schoolhouse, actually. I enjoyed one of the surrounding sub-shrines much better, though. It seemed to have a bit of an animal theme. It was really secluded a bit up the hill, and there were these fox and cat statues around it. It was very, very peaceful and cool there. I sat for quite a while just resting. At that point I was ready leave.
I walked along the Uji riverside back to the train station, where I made my way home. On the way to Chushojima I wound up sitting across the aisle from the woman and her son I met at Hashi-dera, which was funny. By the time I got back home it was 4PM and I had 230yen on me--about $2. Cutting it close, right? I guess it was a very good thing I didn't pay the 300yen to go into the Phoenix Hall!
I was wiped out and hungry at that point, so I heated up some pizza toast that ended up being pretty bad, heated up some hash browns that ended up being pretty bad, and made some potstickers that also ended up being slightly burnt and pretty bad. Oh well. Lunch/supper of champions, right? Then I napped, showered, and wrote this ungodly long post. Can I go now? I really should probably include more detail for my own future benefit, but I'm tired and I'm sure you're bored with all my minutiae. So goodnight.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Ho-hum Saturday and Plans for Sunday
Today was a nice, slow weekend day. I actually woke up at about 8AM, but I planned to be on Skype by 9 anyway, so I just got up and chilled. Had some peanut butter on a baguette with apple juice for breakfast while I attempted to watch a news talk show. As far as I could tell, it was following the recent life of past prime minister Junichiro Koizumi. I was just proud that I could recognize him. Of course, I really only know who he is because be made that trip to Memphis a few years back and he loves Elvis.
Anyhow, I spent the morning on the computer, and decided to ride my bike around and explore in the afternoon. It was a beautiful fall day, sunny and a little bit cool, and the bike ride was great. I rode around a big condominium complex until I was pretty sure I was lost, but I made it out okay. After having some lunch I came back home and napped. Today was linen-changing day, so I got to use new sheets. It's nice, every ten days you can trade in your used sheets for clean new ones. Definitely saves on the laundry money.
For supper Kat and I went to (drumroll please) the okonomiyaki place around the corner. What a surprise, I know. As always, it was delicious. Oh, but on our way out the door, my former roommate (whose name I still don't know how to say or spell--it sounds like Shua or Sure or something, I dunno) came into the Seminar House in a wheelchair with her foot in a cast! Turns out she fell off a bike and had to go to the hospital. Her new roomie and good friend, Suika, is taking care of her, and she seems to be doing very well. :( I feel so sorry for her, though. Very tough.
This evening I was supposed to meet my friend Momoko in the park. I arrived early and waited for about fifteen minutes, but I couldn't find her. You can see from one end of the park to the other, so I'm not sure what happened. I got an email from her later saying that she was there too and couldn't find me. How strange. Oh well, she didn't seem angry or anything. I do feel really bad, though, for not being able to find her. But we're supposed to try again on Tuesday, and hopefully that'll work.
I had originally planned to just laze around tomorrow, too, but I decided in a fit of planning this afternoon that I need to get off my bum and do something. So in the morning I plan to go to the nearby small city of Uji. It's only about half an hour away by train, so not nearly as hardcore as the Himeji trip. When I'm there, I plan to visit the Byodo-in, a villa-turned-temple dating from the Heian Era, one of my favorite periods in Japanese history. Uji is also known for its production of tea, so I will stop at the municipal teahouse (how cool!) as well. It's supposed to be a cheap, good way to see a nice Japanese tea ceremony. All in all, I should be there for several hours, and I'm looking forward to taking my time and poking around. We shall see.
Anyhow, I spent the morning on the computer, and decided to ride my bike around and explore in the afternoon. It was a beautiful fall day, sunny and a little bit cool, and the bike ride was great. I rode around a big condominium complex until I was pretty sure I was lost, but I made it out okay. After having some lunch I came back home and napped. Today was linen-changing day, so I got to use new sheets. It's nice, every ten days you can trade in your used sheets for clean new ones. Definitely saves on the laundry money.
For supper Kat and I went to (drumroll please) the okonomiyaki place around the corner. What a surprise, I know. As always, it was delicious. Oh, but on our way out the door, my former roommate (whose name I still don't know how to say or spell--it sounds like Shua or Sure or something, I dunno) came into the Seminar House in a wheelchair with her foot in a cast! Turns out she fell off a bike and had to go to the hospital. Her new roomie and good friend, Suika, is taking care of her, and she seems to be doing very well. :( I feel so sorry for her, though. Very tough.
This evening I was supposed to meet my friend Momoko in the park. I arrived early and waited for about fifteen minutes, but I couldn't find her. You can see from one end of the park to the other, so I'm not sure what happened. I got an email from her later saying that she was there too and couldn't find me. How strange. Oh well, she didn't seem angry or anything. I do feel really bad, though, for not being able to find her. But we're supposed to try again on Tuesday, and hopefully that'll work.
I had originally planned to just laze around tomorrow, too, but I decided in a fit of planning this afternoon that I need to get off my bum and do something. So in the morning I plan to go to the nearby small city of Uji. It's only about half an hour away by train, so not nearly as hardcore as the Himeji trip. When I'm there, I plan to visit the Byodo-in, a villa-turned-temple dating from the Heian Era, one of my favorite periods in Japanese history. Uji is also known for its production of tea, so I will stop at the municipal teahouse (how cool!) as well. It's supposed to be a cheap, good way to see a nice Japanese tea ceremony. All in all, I should be there for several hours, and I'm looking forward to taking my time and poking around. We shall see.
Observations, again
- Last night there was a man urinating in public. I have heard that this is not nearly as rude here as it is in the US. True? No? I dunno. It weirded me out, but then again I've probably freaked some people out by eating an ice cream walking down the street. It's just different.
- I have really no concept of social class here in Japan. I can't tell who's rich and who's not, which neighborhoods are upscale, which stores are cheap. It's very interesting. In the US it's fairly easy (alarmingly so, I know, because it's generally based on stereotypes which, we all know, are a Bad Thing) for me to tell a farmer from an office professional from a tradesperson from an unskilled worker. But here I have no idea. The cues from hairstyles and teeth and smoking and clothing types just aren't the same.
- I have seen a couple of American cars on the roads here, and they look so strange going down Japanese streets. Well, the Mustang wasn't so bad, but there was this hulking Ford truck coming down a narrow neighborhood street the other day, and I though sure it would flatten everything about it. It looked ridiculous.
- I cannot find bar soap. I can find dishwashing liquid, powdered laundry detergent, and soft hand soap, but I don't think I've found one bar of soap. This is strange, because I see soap holders everywhere in 100yen stores. I know it's out there, I just can't find it. And I'll be needing some soon, too. Better hurry.
- I see so many people doing small maintenance type jobs here. You wouldn't believe the teams of landscapers and trash collectors. They're absolutely everywhere. Going to class I often pass troops of about eight middle-aged gardeners trimming the hedges, using little scissors to keep trees neat, blowing the clippings off the sidewalks, etc. I guess that's what makes all the storefronts and gardens so tidy. I kind of have this attitude of "Don't they have anything better to do?" though. That's a bit disturbing. They wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't useful work to the society; I guess as an American I just don't quite value a manicured pine tree the same way they do in other cultures.
- The Japanese are notoriously proud of having four distinct seasons, which I used to find absurd. "Yeah, them and the rest of the temperate world," I thought. But now I think they may have something unique. See, at home, the Vernal Equinox really means nothing; spring starts long before mid-March, in many senses. And Christmas? Definitely in the MIDDLE of winter, not three days after it starts! Maybe--probably--it's just coincidence, but it was hot and humid all the way up until Shuubun no Hi, the first day of autumn, and then it suddenly cooled down and became beautiful. The leaves started changing color within maybe three or four days of the equinox. I'm probably reading way too much into it, especially seeing as how this is just one change of seasons I've experienced here in contrast to 80 seasonal changes in the US. But still, I was amazed at the accuracy with which the weather followed the calendar regarding seasons.
- Some things here are exactly the same as at home. I really want to emphasize that. I keep talking about how things are different, but in the grand scheme of things, it's all very similar. Right now, for instance, I'm sitting on a rolling desk chair in front of a round table, my computer plugged in to the wall nearby, with air conditioning, fluourescent lights, linoleum floors, a television with too many remote controls, and a pile of unused loose change in the corner free fo anyone's taking. It's not that different from home. People are people. Places are places. I talk about what's strange to me because I find it remarkable; there's a lot here that simply isn't at all surprising, so I don't mention it. Sure, there's the mysterious tea ceremony Japan and the fast-paced Akihabara electronic Japan, but there's also the Japan of shopping for lightbulbs and toilet paper. I live in Lightbulbs and Toilet Paper Japan. I just write about Geisha and Tamagotchi Japan.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sick.
This morning I woke up feeling pretty bad. It was my chronic stomach thing acting up again, unfortunately. It hurt a lot for about an hour, and I wasn't able to get ready for class in time because of that. So I sent my speaking teacher an email saying I wouldn't be there, and I sent my homework along with my roommate. She said I can make up the vocab quiz next week, which was a nice surprise. I was really disappointed not to get to go to class, but I honestly don't think I had the strength to bike to school at that point. So after getting my absence in order I went back to bed for a few hours and got some food into my system. I was able to make my last afternoon class, which was good. I'm feeling fine now, just very very drained.
Then I went to the grocery. I accidentally spend probably an hour and a half doing my shopping, which was not my intention! It's hard to shop for just one person. My friend Daniel had a good suggestion, though, that we get a small group to take turns cooking once or twice a week, so it's easier for everyone. It just seems so silly for me to make a special trip to the grocery to buy chicken and cheese and sauce to make parmesean chicken just for me, when it'll probably turn out pretty bad anyway.
And now I have showered, and I'm about to go make some instant curry for supper, I think. I'm going to bed very early tonight so I can regain my strength. It's a little bizarre how much simple pain can sap the life out of you. Weird. Oh well, I'm doing better now.
Then I went to the grocery. I accidentally spend probably an hour and a half doing my shopping, which was not my intention! It's hard to shop for just one person. My friend Daniel had a good suggestion, though, that we get a small group to take turns cooking once or twice a week, so it's easier for everyone. It just seems so silly for me to make a special trip to the grocery to buy chicken and cheese and sauce to make parmesean chicken just for me, when it'll probably turn out pretty bad anyway.
And now I have showered, and I'm about to go make some instant curry for supper, I think. I'm going to bed very early tonight so I can regain my strength. It's a little bizarre how much simple pain can sap the life out of you. Weird. Oh well, I'm doing better now.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tutoring
I had my regular Japanese classes this morning, and they went well. I remembered to do all my homework this time, which was good. ^_^ The weather was nice and cool today, if a bit overcast, so I ate my udon lunch outside, which was nice. In the afternoon I had Asian Psychologies, which was fairly uneventful.
After that, though, I went to tutor little kids in English. My friend Andrew does a bit of tutoring for this small place, so I filled in for him today because he had a class. It was a lot of fun. There were two classes--one of four girls, the other of three boys. They were all about six or seven years old, I'd say, and it was a blast. We did flashcards and read a little Finding Nemo cartoon, and did charades. It was a lot of fun, and a very productive way to spend a few hours. I was really nervous going into it, but I'm definitely glad I did it. The teacher wants me to come back next month, and I think I will. It was nice.
After that I had okonomiyaki at Sachi, the little place around the corner. Again. I go there like every day. It's so delicious and convenient, though! And the coupons are so cute and homemade, with little pictures of bunnies and puppies drawn on them. I love it.
I'm really exhausted, so I'm planning to go to bed early tonight. Last night I didn't sleep too well; I had a dream that Erin and I were housesitting for Grandma, but then Erin wasn't there, though I thought there was an intruder in the house. >.< Nightmares are no fun.
I'm wondering what, if anything, I should do this weekend. I'd love to take it easy, but I feel like I should go on a short trip somewhere. I dunno.
This study abroad thing is fun, but there's actually a lot of pressure on me, I feel. It's such a unique opportunity and I don't want to blow it; I feel bad if I'm not visiting some important cultural site in all my free time. I'll probably only be over here this once and I want to get the most possible out of it, but I'm trying not to wear myself out doing it. It's a tough balance.
After that, though, I went to tutor little kids in English. My friend Andrew does a bit of tutoring for this small place, so I filled in for him today because he had a class. It was a lot of fun. There were two classes--one of four girls, the other of three boys. They were all about six or seven years old, I'd say, and it was a blast. We did flashcards and read a little Finding Nemo cartoon, and did charades. It was a lot of fun, and a very productive way to spend a few hours. I was really nervous going into it, but I'm definitely glad I did it. The teacher wants me to come back next month, and I think I will. It was nice.
After that I had okonomiyaki at Sachi, the little place around the corner. Again. I go there like every day. It's so delicious and convenient, though! And the coupons are so cute and homemade, with little pictures of bunnies and puppies drawn on them. I love it.
I'm really exhausted, so I'm planning to go to bed early tonight. Last night I didn't sleep too well; I had a dream that Erin and I were housesitting for Grandma, but then Erin wasn't there, though I thought there was an intruder in the house. >.< Nightmares are no fun.
I'm wondering what, if anything, I should do this weekend. I'd love to take it easy, but I feel like I should go on a short trip somewhere. I dunno.
This study abroad thing is fun, but there's actually a lot of pressure on me, I feel. It's such a unique opportunity and I don't want to blow it; I feel bad if I'm not visiting some important cultural site in all my free time. I'll probably only be over here this once and I want to get the most possible out of it, but I'm trying not to wear myself out doing it. It's a tough balance.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Mostly chores and everyday stuff
I feel kinda grown up after today. I was riding my bike home from the grocery this afternoon, and I realized that I'm taking care of myself pretty well. There's still a lot to learn--I'm terrified of banking and taxes and insurance, for instance--but I think all those years of playing house and school and marine biologist and Waffle House in the basement with Erin and Nikki have paid off.
The weather today was beautiful. Clear skies, no humidity, nice breeze. It was a gorgeous early fall day. Also, some of the leaves are just starting to change color, so that's nice. And the marigolds are blooming, and the sunlight is so crisp, and I love it.
I had a 9AM speaking class today, and I forgot to do my homework for it. I was totally kicking myself; I really should have done it, I just didn't look at the homework list like I should have. Oh well, what are you gonna do?
After that I came home and talked on Skype to Nikki, my family, and David. I had actually physically scheduled them into my day, which felt really funny, but it worked out. I got to talk to everybody for at least half an hour. Very nice.
Then I had to return to campus for a very quick lunch and Survey of Japanese Art. I really, really like that class. It's a nice, no-stress art history class. The prof is really knowledgeable and laid-back, the homework is light, the topic is fascinating, etc. It's been good. Today we learned more about different statues in Horyuji, which only makes me more impatient to go. I'm waiting until the end of October, though, for the Yumedono Kannon to be on display, so it'll still be a while. That's probably good, though, considering how tiring and expensive Himeji was.
After class, I stopped by the campus library to return Sherlock Holmes, did a bit of homework, went to the QQ and got some cooking supplies, stopped by Top World for different cooking supplies, came home, ran the sweeper, read some of Monte Cristo, and took a nap. Oh, I also figured out how to changed the temperature setting on our air conditioning unit. The instructions are all in Japanese, and I had just kinda been pushing random buttons in hopes I'd stumble upon something that works. But now I've got it figured out, and it's good. Now that it's beautiful outside and we can open our balcony door without melting. Oh well. Better late than never.
This evening I used the cooking supplies I had bought to make okonomiyaki. So, the okonomiyaki--maybe I should say "okonomiyaki." It looked kinda like a pile of spaghetti between two pancakes. Not a success. I don't know what I did wrong; I followed the directions I found online. But it came out totally cakey and completely bland. So I wound up with basically a flavorless pile of flour, noodles, and cabbage on my plate, covered with a little mayonnaise. It was pretty bad. I ate maybe a sixth of it before I gave up and started just nibbling on a baguette with some peanut butter. I have a feeling I'll be hungry again pretty soon. But it was a good effort on my part, I have to say. It was, technically, edible, and I didn't break anything or hurt anyone making it, so I guess it's not too bad. I'll try again later. Maybe it needed another egg; I dunno. This calls for some experimentation.
Tomorrow--I think, but don't quote me on this--is the first day of classes for the regular Kansai Gaidai, non-international students. Everyone is so excited about it, but really I don't see the big deal. As far as I'm concerned, they'll be in their part of campus doing their thing, and I'll be in the international building taking classes. Plus, they'll make the lines longer at lunch. ;_; But I'm just a crabby person, I guess. I'm sure it'll be really nice to have some new faces around. Also, it'll be different to be on a big, crowded campus. I'll see what it would have been like if I had gone to UK or Notre Dame or Wash U, I suppose.
The weather today was beautiful. Clear skies, no humidity, nice breeze. It was a gorgeous early fall day. Also, some of the leaves are just starting to change color, so that's nice. And the marigolds are blooming, and the sunlight is so crisp, and I love it.
I had a 9AM speaking class today, and I forgot to do my homework for it. I was totally kicking myself; I really should have done it, I just didn't look at the homework list like I should have. Oh well, what are you gonna do?
After that I came home and talked on Skype to Nikki, my family, and David. I had actually physically scheduled them into my day, which felt really funny, but it worked out. I got to talk to everybody for at least half an hour. Very nice.
Then I had to return to campus for a very quick lunch and Survey of Japanese Art. I really, really like that class. It's a nice, no-stress art history class. The prof is really knowledgeable and laid-back, the homework is light, the topic is fascinating, etc. It's been good. Today we learned more about different statues in Horyuji, which only makes me more impatient to go. I'm waiting until the end of October, though, for the Yumedono Kannon to be on display, so it'll still be a while. That's probably good, though, considering how tiring and expensive Himeji was.
After class, I stopped by the campus library to return Sherlock Holmes, did a bit of homework, went to the QQ and got some cooking supplies, stopped by Top World for different cooking supplies, came home, ran the sweeper, read some of Monte Cristo, and took a nap. Oh, I also figured out how to changed the temperature setting on our air conditioning unit. The instructions are all in Japanese, and I had just kinda been pushing random buttons in hopes I'd stumble upon something that works. But now I've got it figured out, and it's good. Now that it's beautiful outside and we can open our balcony door without melting. Oh well. Better late than never.
This evening I used the cooking supplies I had bought to make okonomiyaki. So, the okonomiyaki--maybe I should say "okonomiyaki." It looked kinda like a pile of spaghetti between two pancakes. Not a success. I don't know what I did wrong; I followed the directions I found online. But it came out totally cakey and completely bland. So I wound up with basically a flavorless pile of flour, noodles, and cabbage on my plate, covered with a little mayonnaise. It was pretty bad. I ate maybe a sixth of it before I gave up and started just nibbling on a baguette with some peanut butter. I have a feeling I'll be hungry again pretty soon. But it was a good effort on my part, I have to say. It was, technically, edible, and I didn't break anything or hurt anyone making it, so I guess it's not too bad. I'll try again later. Maybe it needed another egg; I dunno. This calls for some experimentation.
Tomorrow--I think, but don't quote me on this--is the first day of classes for the regular Kansai Gaidai, non-international students. Everyone is so excited about it, but really I don't see the big deal. As far as I'm concerned, they'll be in their part of campus doing their thing, and I'll be in the international building taking classes. Plus, they'll make the lines longer at lunch. ;_; But I'm just a crabby person, I guess. I'm sure it'll be really nice to have some new faces around. Also, it'll be different to be on a big, crowded campus. I'll see what it would have been like if I had gone to UK or Notre Dame or Wash U, I suppose.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Himeji Trip
Today I went to Himeji. I'm completely wiped out from the strenuous day, but if I don't write about it now before I go to bed, it'll never get done.
I woke up at 8:30 this morning and met Jessica C., another Witt student, outside my dorm. We walked to the bus station, took the bus to Hirakatashi-eki, grabbed some snacks at the convenience store there, and met up with the rest of our group. Well, sort of. We never did find William. He's kind of chronically late, and we waited long enough to just barely make our train. I'm still not sure what happened. Anyway, it was me, Jessica C., Jacinthe, Phuong, and Nicole. I had never met Phuong or Nicole before, but they seem to be nice girls. A girl named Kim was originally going to come, too, but she uses a wheelchair to get around, and the castle is by no means wheelchair accessable. That was really lousy. ;_;
We rode a double-decker train to Osaka, where we had to change railway lines. After a quick ride on a local train, we got on a super duper special express train, or something like that, that would take us to Himeji. That ride took an hour, and it was very beautiful. The train was very crowded at first, so I had to stand for about fifteen minutes, but it eventually cleared out and I got to sit and see out the window. The land was beautiful. I like living so close between Osaka and Kyoto, but it means that everything I see is metropolis, basically, or suburb at best. But we rode through areas today that were a bit more rustic, which was nice for a change.
I loved looking at Kobe; I'd really like to visit there. The train went right along next to the sea, which was beautiful. There were some sailboats, big ships, and fishing vessels out and about, and many people fishing from docks. There were also considerably more palm trees in Kobe than there are in Osaka, so that was kinda cool too. Also, the homes were farther spread apart, and there were more free-standing businesses than the highrises I'm used to in Osaka. It was very nice; it reminded me more of the layout of mid-size American cities than the other Japanese cities I've visited. Actually, the seaside part of Kobe was rather like being in Destin, with souvenir shops, rental houses, and freestanding restaraunts all along the way. It was pretty cool.
Near Kobe we passed the longest suspension bridge in the world, the Akashi-Kaikyou Bridge. It connects the main island of Honshu to Awaji Island across the Naruto Strait. Turns out that the Naruto Strait is famous for whirlpools that happen there. Ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige actually made a famous woodblock print showing the phenomenon. Pretty sweet, although I didn't know about the whirlpools at the time, or I would have looked. Probably couldn't have seen anything anyway, though.
After an hour of looking out the window and eating a small breakfast of Chokochippu, my favorite little snack food here (teeny tiny chocolate chip cookies!) we arrived in Himeji. The one-way trip cost almost 2000yen (about US$20), which is kind of a lot, except when you think about how far we traveled it really isn't so bad. We had some trouble finding our way out of the station, but soon we were on the path to Himeji.
Also, at Himeji-eki I used my first squat toilet. It went well.
We walked for several blocks toward Himeji Castle, stopping at a little noodle shop on the way for lunch. Here I had my first zaru udon, or cold udon noodles served with soy sauce for dipping. It was very good.
When we arrived at the castle we were already tired and hot, but in good spirits. We payed the 720yen admission fee for both the castle and the adjoining gardens and went inside. I'll post pictures later when I'm not falling asleep, but we'll say that the castle is quite impressive. It really does look like a white heron in flight, in a way. We weren't part of an organized tour group, so I really know very little about the history of it all; if you want to know, do some research on your own time. :)
The first part we toured was called the West Bailey, and what struck me about it was not the building itself, but the procedure for entering. Like many buildings in Japan, you could only enter it with bare feet. There was a place outside the entrance to remove your shoes and place them in a small plastic bag to tote along with you. So now I have walked through a 400 year old building in my silly green tabi socks that Mom says make me look like a Ninja Turtle. The building was pretty cool, I suppose. Actually, for as warm as the day was, it was literally surprisingly cool. But also very interesting. There were these small holes covered by flaps that the sign said were for dropping rocks on enemies trying to scale the walls. Also, there seems to have been an elaborate drainage system for rainwater, with bamboo pipes diverting it away from the building. We saw lots of store rooms, as well as some of the living quarters for the women who worked in the castle. All the rooms were bare, so it wasn't terribly exciting, although I really did like the austerity of it all.
One interesting place in the West Bailey was the Vanity Tower, apparently so called because it was built as a show of wealth for Sen-hime, the important princess who lived there with her husband. This tower was neat because they had reconstructed a room to look livable, and there were mannequins of people in there. It was pretty cool; I'll put up a picture later. In any case, all the signage seemed to say that Sen-hime and her husband got along very well and really liked living there.
From there we went into the main building of the castle, climbing up, what?, seven levels to reach the top, I think. The castle, like the West Bailey, was very comfortably cool inside. It had that nice old wood smell that I like so much, too. Again, it was very plain, but really cool. The base level had been kept pretty much like it was in the original, so I got to see how dark some of the store rooms were. But as you worked your way up, it became more of a museum, with some artifacts like old scrolls, weaponry, and statues behind glass cases. It was neat. We climbed and climbed, and since the stairs were really steep I rather regreted wearing a skirt, although luckily I was wearing nice panties. (Too much information, I know, but it is something that happened in my day, and surely you want to know everything about me, right?) By the time we reached the top floor, which was crowded, small, and had a small shrine featuring what seemed to be a bunch of sake bottles, we were exhausted. But we picked our way carefully downstairs, and somehow survived.
The last place we visited in the main grounds was something called Harakiri-maru. The harakiri in question is the famous samurai practice of seppuku, or ritual suicide. No one seems to be sure why this building is called that, though. The signs say that it could have been a place where bodies were prepared for rites after seppuku, but that there's really no evidence of this, and it was probably just used as a nice area to store weapons or quarter soldiers or do whatever it is you do in a castle. I think it's just a place with a funny name, personally. Oh, and I found a really fat caterpillar with big bulgy eyes there, too. It looked like something Timon and Pumbaa would eat.
On the way out of the castle grounds, we stopped at the obligatory souvenir shop, where I purchased a couple of things that some of you can expect to receive when I return. :) By the way, if you didn't know, souvenirs are a big deal in Japan. They're called omiyage, and you HAVE to buy something for everyone you know if you go somewhere. Jessica, for example, bought several things for Kim, the girl who couldn't come. The homestay kids bought things for their host families, etc. So anyhow, there are lots of souvenir shops everywhere around big tourist places in Japan. Oh, we also got ice cream out of a vending machine, and it was pretty good.
Then, although I think everyone was actually ready to go home, we went next door to the gardens. Really, I think we only went because we had already paid our admission, we were all so tired at this point. But the garden, Kokoen, ended up being my favorite part of the day, by far. Jacinthe had to be back to her host family by 6PM, so she, Phuong, and Nicole left basically as soon as we got there, although Jessica and I, having taken Kuri-sensei's class on Japanese gardens, decided to stay and explore some more. There were about nine different garden types, I guess, including a tea garden and a nice bamboo garden. We really enjoyed ourselves. Unfortunately I've forgotten most of what I once knew about Japanese gardens, but still I appreciated it. This being the first day of fall, the leaves have just started to turn here, and in the late afternoon light the grounds were beautiful. I wanted to take so many picutres, but my camera battery was dying, so I don't have as many as I'd like. Still, it was a place that I definitely want to return to some day. Very, very cool.
After the garden, Jessica and I headed back to Himeji-eki to go home. On the way, we stopped at a shop so she could buy a few more souvenirs. Then we stopped at a little stand and I got some chocolate soft serve ice cream, and she got a really big snowcone, basically. We walked with the food and ate, which is a bit of a no-no here in Japan, but it was such a tourist spot that even the Nihonjin were doing it. But as we got farther away from the castle, this one traffic cop actually laughed at Jessica for eating and walking at the same time, so she finished the snowcone quickly and threw away the trash.
The hour-long train ride back to Osaka was fun, actually. It was soooo nice to sit after spending all day walking up and down stairs. Also, there were these four boys, probably about ages 12-14, obviously coming home from school, and they sat down on the train across from us. They were hilarious, joking around with each other and all. Then one of them took the tennis racket out of his bag and playfully bonked his friend on the head with it, which was really funny. Then the friend whipped out a roll of tape from his bag and started to tape together an empty water bottle and an empty juice container, which sounds really stupid, although we were laughing so hard! Everything they did was hilarious. I'm sure it didn't help matters that there were two gaijin girls giggling at their goofiness, but in any case most of the train ended up laughing at their shenanigans. It was pretty funny. Right before they got off the train, I even gave Bottle Boy my empty Coke bottle. I hope he was able to tape it to the bits of trash and hit Tennis Racket Boy upside the head with it in retaliation. :)
When we arrived at Osaka, the stations had become very crowded. People were getting home from work or heading out for the evening, I think. Anyhow, I we found ourselves on a really packed train. There were none of the "train crammers" that people have been asking about, shoving as many people as possible onto rush hour trains, although I'm sure they could have been of use.
Walking from one train station to another, also, was very crowded. And the hosts were out in full force, too, looking for business. They were so gorgeous. I've never seen so many well-tailored suits and excellent haircuts in my life. But it seems so awkward to me, the concept of hosting. I dunno. I guess some of it's cultural, and a lot of it is that I'm just shy, especially about flirting.
Jessica and I arrived back at Hirakatashi-eki around 7:30, I suppose, and we had to wait forever to get a bus home. But we got back okay, and as we were walking through the park to Sachi, the little okonomiyaki place I eat at all the time, we chanced to run into Momoko, the friend I made in the park my first weekend here. She had written me a nice little note, and she gave me tickets to her school's festival in October. She's such a sweetheart! It was a really nice surprise. Anyway, Jessica and I continued on and had delicious moudan-yaki (okonomiyaki with noodles in it) for supper. I was soooo hungry; I actually ate the whole thing, which I had thought was nigh impossible. And then I came home, showered, and wrote this update. And that is that. And now I am going to bed.
I woke up at 8:30 this morning and met Jessica C., another Witt student, outside my dorm. We walked to the bus station, took the bus to Hirakatashi-eki, grabbed some snacks at the convenience store there, and met up with the rest of our group. Well, sort of. We never did find William. He's kind of chronically late, and we waited long enough to just barely make our train. I'm still not sure what happened. Anyway, it was me, Jessica C., Jacinthe, Phuong, and Nicole. I had never met Phuong or Nicole before, but they seem to be nice girls. A girl named Kim was originally going to come, too, but she uses a wheelchair to get around, and the castle is by no means wheelchair accessable. That was really lousy. ;_;
We rode a double-decker train to Osaka, where we had to change railway lines. After a quick ride on a local train, we got on a super duper special express train, or something like that, that would take us to Himeji. That ride took an hour, and it was very beautiful. The train was very crowded at first, so I had to stand for about fifteen minutes, but it eventually cleared out and I got to sit and see out the window. The land was beautiful. I like living so close between Osaka and Kyoto, but it means that everything I see is metropolis, basically, or suburb at best. But we rode through areas today that were a bit more rustic, which was nice for a change.
I loved looking at Kobe; I'd really like to visit there. The train went right along next to the sea, which was beautiful. There were some sailboats, big ships, and fishing vessels out and about, and many people fishing from docks. There were also considerably more palm trees in Kobe than there are in Osaka, so that was kinda cool too. Also, the homes were farther spread apart, and there were more free-standing businesses than the highrises I'm used to in Osaka. It was very nice; it reminded me more of the layout of mid-size American cities than the other Japanese cities I've visited. Actually, the seaside part of Kobe was rather like being in Destin, with souvenir shops, rental houses, and freestanding restaraunts all along the way. It was pretty cool.
Near Kobe we passed the longest suspension bridge in the world, the Akashi-Kaikyou Bridge. It connects the main island of Honshu to Awaji Island across the Naruto Strait. Turns out that the Naruto Strait is famous for whirlpools that happen there. Ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige actually made a famous woodblock print showing the phenomenon. Pretty sweet, although I didn't know about the whirlpools at the time, or I would have looked. Probably couldn't have seen anything anyway, though.
After an hour of looking out the window and eating a small breakfast of Chokochippu, my favorite little snack food here (teeny tiny chocolate chip cookies!) we arrived in Himeji. The one-way trip cost almost 2000yen (about US$20), which is kind of a lot, except when you think about how far we traveled it really isn't so bad. We had some trouble finding our way out of the station, but soon we were on the path to Himeji.
Also, at Himeji-eki I used my first squat toilet. It went well.
We walked for several blocks toward Himeji Castle, stopping at a little noodle shop on the way for lunch. Here I had my first zaru udon, or cold udon noodles served with soy sauce for dipping. It was very good.
When we arrived at the castle we were already tired and hot, but in good spirits. We payed the 720yen admission fee for both the castle and the adjoining gardens and went inside. I'll post pictures later when I'm not falling asleep, but we'll say that the castle is quite impressive. It really does look like a white heron in flight, in a way. We weren't part of an organized tour group, so I really know very little about the history of it all; if you want to know, do some research on your own time. :)
The first part we toured was called the West Bailey, and what struck me about it was not the building itself, but the procedure for entering. Like many buildings in Japan, you could only enter it with bare feet. There was a place outside the entrance to remove your shoes and place them in a small plastic bag to tote along with you. So now I have walked through a 400 year old building in my silly green tabi socks that Mom says make me look like a Ninja Turtle. The building was pretty cool, I suppose. Actually, for as warm as the day was, it was literally surprisingly cool. But also very interesting. There were these small holes covered by flaps that the sign said were for dropping rocks on enemies trying to scale the walls. Also, there seems to have been an elaborate drainage system for rainwater, with bamboo pipes diverting it away from the building. We saw lots of store rooms, as well as some of the living quarters for the women who worked in the castle. All the rooms were bare, so it wasn't terribly exciting, although I really did like the austerity of it all.
One interesting place in the West Bailey was the Vanity Tower, apparently so called because it was built as a show of wealth for Sen-hime, the important princess who lived there with her husband. This tower was neat because they had reconstructed a room to look livable, and there were mannequins of people in there. It was pretty cool; I'll put up a picture later. In any case, all the signage seemed to say that Sen-hime and her husband got along very well and really liked living there.
From there we went into the main building of the castle, climbing up, what?, seven levels to reach the top, I think. The castle, like the West Bailey, was very comfortably cool inside. It had that nice old wood smell that I like so much, too. Again, it was very plain, but really cool. The base level had been kept pretty much like it was in the original, so I got to see how dark some of the store rooms were. But as you worked your way up, it became more of a museum, with some artifacts like old scrolls, weaponry, and statues behind glass cases. It was neat. We climbed and climbed, and since the stairs were really steep I rather regreted wearing a skirt, although luckily I was wearing nice panties. (Too much information, I know, but it is something that happened in my day, and surely you want to know everything about me, right?) By the time we reached the top floor, which was crowded, small, and had a small shrine featuring what seemed to be a bunch of sake bottles, we were exhausted. But we picked our way carefully downstairs, and somehow survived.
The last place we visited in the main grounds was something called Harakiri-maru. The harakiri in question is the famous samurai practice of seppuku, or ritual suicide. No one seems to be sure why this building is called that, though. The signs say that it could have been a place where bodies were prepared for rites after seppuku, but that there's really no evidence of this, and it was probably just used as a nice area to store weapons or quarter soldiers or do whatever it is you do in a castle. I think it's just a place with a funny name, personally. Oh, and I found a really fat caterpillar with big bulgy eyes there, too. It looked like something Timon and Pumbaa would eat.
On the way out of the castle grounds, we stopped at the obligatory souvenir shop, where I purchased a couple of things that some of you can expect to receive when I return. :) By the way, if you didn't know, souvenirs are a big deal in Japan. They're called omiyage, and you HAVE to buy something for everyone you know if you go somewhere. Jessica, for example, bought several things for Kim, the girl who couldn't come. The homestay kids bought things for their host families, etc. So anyhow, there are lots of souvenir shops everywhere around big tourist places in Japan. Oh, we also got ice cream out of a vending machine, and it was pretty good.
Then, although I think everyone was actually ready to go home, we went next door to the gardens. Really, I think we only went because we had already paid our admission, we were all so tired at this point. But the garden, Kokoen, ended up being my favorite part of the day, by far. Jacinthe had to be back to her host family by 6PM, so she, Phuong, and Nicole left basically as soon as we got there, although Jessica and I, having taken Kuri-sensei's class on Japanese gardens, decided to stay and explore some more. There were about nine different garden types, I guess, including a tea garden and a nice bamboo garden. We really enjoyed ourselves. Unfortunately I've forgotten most of what I once knew about Japanese gardens, but still I appreciated it. This being the first day of fall, the leaves have just started to turn here, and in the late afternoon light the grounds were beautiful. I wanted to take so many picutres, but my camera battery was dying, so I don't have as many as I'd like. Still, it was a place that I definitely want to return to some day. Very, very cool.
After the garden, Jessica and I headed back to Himeji-eki to go home. On the way, we stopped at a shop so she could buy a few more souvenirs. Then we stopped at a little stand and I got some chocolate soft serve ice cream, and she got a really big snowcone, basically. We walked with the food and ate, which is a bit of a no-no here in Japan, but it was such a tourist spot that even the Nihonjin were doing it. But as we got farther away from the castle, this one traffic cop actually laughed at Jessica for eating and walking at the same time, so she finished the snowcone quickly and threw away the trash.
The hour-long train ride back to Osaka was fun, actually. It was soooo nice to sit after spending all day walking up and down stairs. Also, there were these four boys, probably about ages 12-14, obviously coming home from school, and they sat down on the train across from us. They were hilarious, joking around with each other and all. Then one of them took the tennis racket out of his bag and playfully bonked his friend on the head with it, which was really funny. Then the friend whipped out a roll of tape from his bag and started to tape together an empty water bottle and an empty juice container, which sounds really stupid, although we were laughing so hard! Everything they did was hilarious. I'm sure it didn't help matters that there were two gaijin girls giggling at their goofiness, but in any case most of the train ended up laughing at their shenanigans. It was pretty funny. Right before they got off the train, I even gave Bottle Boy my empty Coke bottle. I hope he was able to tape it to the bits of trash and hit Tennis Racket Boy upside the head with it in retaliation. :)
When we arrived at Osaka, the stations had become very crowded. People were getting home from work or heading out for the evening, I think. Anyhow, I we found ourselves on a really packed train. There were none of the "train crammers" that people have been asking about, shoving as many people as possible onto rush hour trains, although I'm sure they could have been of use.
Walking from one train station to another, also, was very crowded. And the hosts were out in full force, too, looking for business. They were so gorgeous. I've never seen so many well-tailored suits and excellent haircuts in my life. But it seems so awkward to me, the concept of hosting. I dunno. I guess some of it's cultural, and a lot of it is that I'm just shy, especially about flirting.
Jessica and I arrived back at Hirakatashi-eki around 7:30, I suppose, and we had to wait forever to get a bus home. But we got back okay, and as we were walking through the park to Sachi, the little okonomiyaki place I eat at all the time, we chanced to run into Momoko, the friend I made in the park my first weekend here. She had written me a nice little note, and she gave me tickets to her school's festival in October. She's such a sweetheart! It was a really nice surprise. Anyway, Jessica and I continued on and had delicious moudan-yaki (okonomiyaki with noodles in it) for supper. I was soooo hungry; I actually ate the whole thing, which I had thought was nigh impossible. And then I came home, showered, and wrote this update. And that is that. And now I am going to bed.
Monday, September 22, 2008
A Standard Monday
Today was just a rather ordinary day. Let's see...I woke up at 8:15, did really well on a kanji and vocab test in my reading and writing class (I think), did some homework in my downtime, participated a lot in my speaking class, grabbed some McDonald's to go, and came back home for a Skype date with David.
Oh, but the weather today was beautiful. The humidity was finally down, so it felt like a nice fall day back home. I was able to hang my futon out in the sun some today, so that got rid of some of the chronic dampness that I swear it holds.
I also napped and cooked dinner for myself. I heated up some rice from the QQ, and made a packet of instant curry. The curry package was kinda funny; I even took a picture of it. It said, "Have you ever wanted to eat a master of curry? Now you can, This [sic] is it." Haha! I've never actually wanted to eat a master of anything, thank you, curry company. But I get what they were talking about, and it was actually very good, though much spicier than I wanted. I prefer Mama-san's curry. I made some gyoza (potstickers, jiaozi), too. I got a pack of probably 30 precooked gyoza for less than US$1, and fried and steamed them. Add some ponzu and soy sauce, and it was very good. Oh, but we have gas stoves here which I'm not used to, and I accidentally caught some of the vegetable oil on fire at the beginning. >.< Oops. But I covered it quickly and it wasn't a problem. Now I know not to leave the gas on full blast.
Our poor RA, Seiko, is required by her job to be in the dorm lounge after 8PM on Fridays and Saturdays, which means that she can never go out! How awful. So a bunch of us decided to go out for karaoke tonight at 9:00 so she can come with us, for once. On Friday, I think we're going to stay in with her and do a movie night. She's so excited! I decided not to go for karaoke this time; I've already been three times since I arrived, and I should probably consider spending my money in places besides Big Wave Karaoke....
So I've stayed in for the night, and I'll probably shower and get ahead on homework, and maybe start rereading The Count of Monte Cristo. It's my favorite book, although I haven't read it in a few years. I found a really good translation of it into English in the library here, and I'm looking forward to getting into it again. Earlier today I finished the collection of Sherlock Holmes stories I was reading.
Tomorrow is Shuubun no Hi, or the Autumn Equinox, which is a national holiday. That means classes are cancelled, and that means I'll be sightseeing. I'm going to see Himeji Castle with six other people. I was the one in charge of planning this outing, so I really hope it goes well. I've got all the details planned out including meeting places and train times, which is much more planning than has gone into the other outings I've been on here. Maybe I'm just a control freak, but really, I'd rather just not get lost. Anyway, it should be a lot of fun, although it'll be pretty expensive to get there. I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh, but the weather today was beautiful. The humidity was finally down, so it felt like a nice fall day back home. I was able to hang my futon out in the sun some today, so that got rid of some of the chronic dampness that I swear it holds.
I also napped and cooked dinner for myself. I heated up some rice from the QQ, and made a packet of instant curry. The curry package was kinda funny; I even took a picture of it. It said, "Have you ever wanted to eat a master of curry? Now you can, This [sic] is it." Haha! I've never actually wanted to eat a master of anything, thank you, curry company. But I get what they were talking about, and it was actually very good, though much spicier than I wanted. I prefer Mama-san's curry. I made some gyoza (potstickers, jiaozi), too. I got a pack of probably 30 precooked gyoza for less than US$1, and fried and steamed them. Add some ponzu and soy sauce, and it was very good. Oh, but we have gas stoves here which I'm not used to, and I accidentally caught some of the vegetable oil on fire at the beginning. >.< Oops. But I covered it quickly and it wasn't a problem. Now I know not to leave the gas on full blast.
Our poor RA, Seiko, is required by her job to be in the dorm lounge after 8PM on Fridays and Saturdays, which means that she can never go out! How awful. So a bunch of us decided to go out for karaoke tonight at 9:00 so she can come with us, for once. On Friday, I think we're going to stay in with her and do a movie night. She's so excited! I decided not to go for karaoke this time; I've already been three times since I arrived, and I should probably consider spending my money in places besides Big Wave Karaoke....
So I've stayed in for the night, and I'll probably shower and get ahead on homework, and maybe start rereading The Count of Monte Cristo. It's my favorite book, although I haven't read it in a few years. I found a really good translation of it into English in the library here, and I'm looking forward to getting into it again. Earlier today I finished the collection of Sherlock Holmes stories I was reading.
Tomorrow is Shuubun no Hi, or the Autumn Equinox, which is a national holiday. That means classes are cancelled, and that means I'll be sightseeing. I'm going to see Himeji Castle with six other people. I was the one in charge of planning this outing, so I really hope it goes well. I've got all the details planned out including meeting places and train times, which is much more planning than has gone into the other outings I've been on here. Maybe I'm just a control freak, but really, I'd rather just not get lost. Anyway, it should be a lot of fun, although it'll be pretty expensive to get there. I'll let you know how it goes.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Meeting my Homevisit Family
Oh for crying in the mud, it's only 7:45PM here on Sunday night, and I'm totally ready to be in bed. Today was a lot of fun, but completely draining.
I woke up at 9:15 this morning so I could meet Saho, my homevisit friend, at 10AM at school. We were going to see her sister Mizuho play the trumpet in her school band concert.
Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain at the time I woke up, so that made things a little hairy. But just before I set off to campus on my bike, the rain stopped. What good timing! I met Saho outside the CIE lounge, and we walked to Hirakatashi-eki. We were able to chat fairly well, although there was much frantic dicitonary use, and I'm sure I misunderstood a lot of what she said.
From Hirakatashi we took a train and two subways to a really neat shopping center in Osaka. It was like a six storey mall, which was sweet. Japanese ladies' clothing stores are a little different than I'm used to, though. For one thing, everything is very, very expensive, at least compared what I'm used to. $40 for a sweater is absolutely standard. For a Target shopper like me, that's absurd. The clothes I saw were really cute, but they were super trendy--lots of leggings and loose tops and big jewelry and clunky purses. That's great, but in the US very few people dress like that unless they're in Elle or going to a very important date, so I really can't feel justified in dropping $250 for an outfit that will (still!) look cheap in Japan and be totally absurd in the US. I'm keeping an eye out, though, for that timeless, well-made, stylish, versatile, Tim Gunn-approved article that I know I'll find here somewhere. ::sigh::
Side note: Also at the mall I bought Nikki's souvenir. (Haha, Nikki, bet you want to know what it is...too bad!)
For lunch Saho and I went to Mos Burger for my First Time Ever. It was delicious. I now know why Americans who return from Japan speak so fondly about the place. The Mos Burger I went to was in a subway station and was very crowded. The tables were close together, which has been my experience in all Japanese fast food places. I had the Chicken Burger Set, which we would probably call a Chicken Patty Meal at home; I had a chicken patty sandwich with mayo, lettuce, and mustard, a Coke, and fries. It was like the most delicious thing ever. I totally want another chicken burger. Yum!
After discovering the joys of Mos Burger, we continued on our way to Saho's old middle school in Osaka. As soon as we got off our train, it began to POUR down rain. Absolutely soaked us! We both had umbrellas, but this was a ridiculous downpour. We had to walk maybe half a mile in it, too, and these cars kept splashing us. However, we did pass another Kofun tomb, which I thought was cool. Also, there was a lake that had all these cormorants diving in it. When we arrived at the school we had to walk up a hill that had pracically turned into a waterfall, and then across the swampy baseball field. It was terrible, but at that point we were both so exasperated that it really didn't matter. We arrived looking like a pair of drowned rats. I was afraid that my cute new over-the-knee socks would be ruined by the mud, but they turned out okay.
Mrs Nakahara met us at the door of the gym and helped us get dried off a little. We arrived late, but the rain had delayed some of the concert setup, so since it started late we didn't miss anything. Saho and I fanned ourselves with the concert programs, and we actually were dry by about halfway through. The downpour continued through the concert, though, and at times it was actually hard to hear above the rain and thunder.
It was held in the middle school gym, which looked just like an American middle school gym. The only difference was the presence of a genkan (shoe removal place), and the fact that they provided the guests with slippers to wear after you removed your outside shoes.
The concert was divided into three groups, and from what I could tell they were based on the performers' ages and skill levels. All three groups, though, were really good. They played the same kinds of music you'd expect at an American band concert, as well as a few pieces by Japanese composers whose names I didn't recognize. They made it a lot of fun, though, by having a few songs where some of the kids did silly dances in costumes and such. They played the Indiana Jones theme, and before it did a little skit where this boy was trying to steal a bundle of treasure. It was pretty amusing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
So, how do I put this lightly? Wittenberg Band, you're great and all, but I have to say you just got pwned by a bunch of Japanese 13 year olds in school uniforms. Maybe if you include cute dancing cupcake-like people in your next concert you can impress me like they did.
After the concert, the Nakaharas treated me to the most delicious soft cream--vanilla soft serve ice cream. Geez, that stuff was way more delicious than it could have been. So if you're ever near a place called Lic Joe (what a terrible name in English!) try their ice cream. Yum. We were able to chat a little, mostly about cartoons. We discussed Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Dexter's Laboratory, and Ninja Turtles.
Saho had never heard of the Ninja Turtles, although her mom was sure that Saho had watched it once when she was little. It's kinda hard to explain Ninja Turtles in Japanese, especially since it involves so many terrible stereotypes about Japan! I told Saho that it's about four turtles who are good at kendo and karate and stuff, and they eat a lot of pizza. I don't think she was terribly impressed; she just kinda laughed. I guess if you don't grow up with the glory that is Ninja Turtles, it's hard to get into it. Also, it's really hard to explain Fairly Odd Parents in Japanese. I did not do that show justice at all ("There's a boy, and he has a weird family...").
Then the family drove Saho and me back to the train station, so this time we didn't get totally drenched. She helped me find my way back home, and that was that.
Oh, well, I did have a problem getting off campus. The gate I normally use to get home was locked because it was Sunday, so I had to make a slight detour, during which it started to sprinkle again. By the time I made it back here around 7:00 I was grumpy and in desperate need of a shower, but pleasantly tired. And now I'm ready for bed.
It turns out that I have a kanji and vocab quiz in my reading and writing class tomorrow, so I've got to study a bit before sleep. But first, a list of observations and things to remember:
I woke up at 9:15 this morning so I could meet Saho, my homevisit friend, at 10AM at school. We were going to see her sister Mizuho play the trumpet in her school band concert.
Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain at the time I woke up, so that made things a little hairy. But just before I set off to campus on my bike, the rain stopped. What good timing! I met Saho outside the CIE lounge, and we walked to Hirakatashi-eki. We were able to chat fairly well, although there was much frantic dicitonary use, and I'm sure I misunderstood a lot of what she said.
From Hirakatashi we took a train and two subways to a really neat shopping center in Osaka. It was like a six storey mall, which was sweet. Japanese ladies' clothing stores are a little different than I'm used to, though. For one thing, everything is very, very expensive, at least compared what I'm used to. $40 for a sweater is absolutely standard. For a Target shopper like me, that's absurd. The clothes I saw were really cute, but they were super trendy--lots of leggings and loose tops and big jewelry and clunky purses. That's great, but in the US very few people dress like that unless they're in Elle or going to a very important date, so I really can't feel justified in dropping $250 for an outfit that will (still!) look cheap in Japan and be totally absurd in the US. I'm keeping an eye out, though, for that timeless, well-made, stylish, versatile, Tim Gunn-approved article that I know I'll find here somewhere. ::sigh::
Side note: Also at the mall I bought Nikki's souvenir. (Haha, Nikki, bet you want to know what it is...too bad!)
For lunch Saho and I went to Mos Burger for my First Time Ever. It was delicious. I now know why Americans who return from Japan speak so fondly about the place. The Mos Burger I went to was in a subway station and was very crowded. The tables were close together, which has been my experience in all Japanese fast food places. I had the Chicken Burger Set, which we would probably call a Chicken Patty Meal at home; I had a chicken patty sandwich with mayo, lettuce, and mustard, a Coke, and fries. It was like the most delicious thing ever. I totally want another chicken burger. Yum!
After discovering the joys of Mos Burger, we continued on our way to Saho's old middle school in Osaka. As soon as we got off our train, it began to POUR down rain. Absolutely soaked us! We both had umbrellas, but this was a ridiculous downpour. We had to walk maybe half a mile in it, too, and these cars kept splashing us. However, we did pass another Kofun tomb, which I thought was cool. Also, there was a lake that had all these cormorants diving in it. When we arrived at the school we had to walk up a hill that had pracically turned into a waterfall, and then across the swampy baseball field. It was terrible, but at that point we were both so exasperated that it really didn't matter. We arrived looking like a pair of drowned rats. I was afraid that my cute new over-the-knee socks would be ruined by the mud, but they turned out okay.
Mrs Nakahara met us at the door of the gym and helped us get dried off a little. We arrived late, but the rain had delayed some of the concert setup, so since it started late we didn't miss anything. Saho and I fanned ourselves with the concert programs, and we actually were dry by about halfway through. The downpour continued through the concert, though, and at times it was actually hard to hear above the rain and thunder.
It was held in the middle school gym, which looked just like an American middle school gym. The only difference was the presence of a genkan (shoe removal place), and the fact that they provided the guests with slippers to wear after you removed your outside shoes.
The concert was divided into three groups, and from what I could tell they were based on the performers' ages and skill levels. All three groups, though, were really good. They played the same kinds of music you'd expect at an American band concert, as well as a few pieces by Japanese composers whose names I didn't recognize. They made it a lot of fun, though, by having a few songs where some of the kids did silly dances in costumes and such. They played the Indiana Jones theme, and before it did a little skit where this boy was trying to steal a bundle of treasure. It was pretty amusing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
So, how do I put this lightly? Wittenberg Band, you're great and all, but I have to say you just got pwned by a bunch of Japanese 13 year olds in school uniforms. Maybe if you include cute dancing cupcake-like people in your next concert you can impress me like they did.
After the concert, the Nakaharas treated me to the most delicious soft cream--vanilla soft serve ice cream. Geez, that stuff was way more delicious than it could have been. So if you're ever near a place called Lic Joe (what a terrible name in English!) try their ice cream. Yum. We were able to chat a little, mostly about cartoons. We discussed Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Dexter's Laboratory, and Ninja Turtles.
Saho had never heard of the Ninja Turtles, although her mom was sure that Saho had watched it once when she was little. It's kinda hard to explain Ninja Turtles in Japanese, especially since it involves so many terrible stereotypes about Japan! I told Saho that it's about four turtles who are good at kendo and karate and stuff, and they eat a lot of pizza. I don't think she was terribly impressed; she just kinda laughed. I guess if you don't grow up with the glory that is Ninja Turtles, it's hard to get into it. Also, it's really hard to explain Fairly Odd Parents in Japanese. I did not do that show justice at all ("There's a boy, and he has a weird family...").
Then the family drove Saho and me back to the train station, so this time we didn't get totally drenched. She helped me find my way back home, and that was that.
Oh, well, I did have a problem getting off campus. The gate I normally use to get home was locked because it was Sunday, so I had to make a slight detour, during which it started to sprinkle again. By the time I made it back here around 7:00 I was grumpy and in desperate need of a shower, but pleasantly tired. And now I'm ready for bed.
It turns out that I have a kanji and vocab quiz in my reading and writing class tomorrow, so I've got to study a bit before sleep. But first, a list of observations and things to remember:
- According to Saho, many Japanese kids don't like carrots or tomatoes. I had heard about the carrots before, but I find the tomato thing surprising. She thought it was strange that American kids usually don't like fish. I wonder if there's a country where children love peas and lima beans?
- いっぱい (ippai) means something like "packed" or "crowded."
- 雷 is read かみなり (kaminari) and means "thunder."
- The Disney character Stitch is much, much more popular in Japan than in the US.
- アンパンマン (Anpanman) is a Japanese children's cartoon superhero. I didn't know anything about him before, but today Saho told me about him, and since this morning I've seen him in lots of places--on kids' socks, on purses, keychains, etc.
- Note to self: Don't use と申します when introducing myself in regular circumstances. The Nakaharas laughed at me for quite a while. It must be too formal for meeting a home visit family. >.<>
- I keep seeing all these little flags with a picture of a child and the number 110. I asked Saho about it today, and she said it was something to do with kidnapping. At first I thought maybe 110 is the number of Japanese children snatched in a certain amount of time, but I just now realized that 110 probably refers to the emergency 110--the Japanese equivalent of our 911. I think they're flags asking people to keep an eye out for creepy people stealing kids. Anyone know for sure?
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday Update
Yesterday I was pretty busy, so sorry I didn't update.
Typhoon 13, also called Typhoon Sinlaku, moved through the area yesterday, although we only caught the very edge of it. Yesterday was cloudy, rainy, and breezy all day, but that was about it. Pretty disappointing for my first typhoon. But apparently it really slammed Taiwan, and I think the Kanto region (the area around Tokyo) got hit this morning. In any case, I got all excited about a downpour. Oh well, maybe next time.
I had my speaking class yesterday morning, and it was uneventful, except that I was about two minutes late. I blame the rain. I found the health center on campus and introduced myself to the nurse, just in case I get sick.
After lunch I had art history, where we learned about the Shaka Triad, a really important bronze statue in the Horyuji, a temple fairly near us. I really want to go see it now. Also, we learned about the Yumedono Kannon, a really neat statue also at Horyuji. It's only on display for a few weeks at the end of October and it's what I really want to see, so I'll probably wait until it's open to visit Horyuji. It turns out that the Yumedono Kannon is the statue that Ernest Fenollosa famously had the Horyuji priests uncover when he visited Japan during the Meiji Era on his quest for "lost Japanese art." Very cool.
In Japan in Western Film and Literature, we watched Lost in Translation. I did not like it. It was depressing and boring and not at all insightful, I thought. We watched it to look for elements of anti-Japanese sentiment, which weren't as bad as I had expected, although some scenes were still really frustrating. If you take it with a grain of salt, though, the film does have some nice shots of "Japanese types of places," if I can say that. The clubs, the restaurants, the hotels, the street scenes--all that has been pretty consistent with what I've seen. I do, though, resent that Scarlett Johansson called a Buddhist temple a shrine, and espectially that the movie implies that Japan today is a false Japan, and the Japanese should be doing ikebana and kendo instead of surfing. In any case, turn off the sound for a nice montage of Japanese landscapes, but other than that, don't bother. I did not enjoy the film.
After class I came home, napped, showered, went out to eat with Jessica at a nearby place called Zenya, where I had some pretty good yakisoba. We then met up with some people and went to Big Wave for more karaoke. I got back at about 2:00AM, and that was my Friday.
It's Saturday afternoon now, and I'm about to head out to explore Makino a little on my own. It's just a short bike ride up the river, and I'd like to see what's there.
Typhoon 13, also called Typhoon Sinlaku, moved through the area yesterday, although we only caught the very edge of it. Yesterday was cloudy, rainy, and breezy all day, but that was about it. Pretty disappointing for my first typhoon. But apparently it really slammed Taiwan, and I think the Kanto region (the area around Tokyo) got hit this morning. In any case, I got all excited about a downpour. Oh well, maybe next time.
I had my speaking class yesterday morning, and it was uneventful, except that I was about two minutes late. I blame the rain. I found the health center on campus and introduced myself to the nurse, just in case I get sick.
After lunch I had art history, where we learned about the Shaka Triad, a really important bronze statue in the Horyuji, a temple fairly near us. I really want to go see it now. Also, we learned about the Yumedono Kannon, a really neat statue also at Horyuji. It's only on display for a few weeks at the end of October and it's what I really want to see, so I'll probably wait until it's open to visit Horyuji. It turns out that the Yumedono Kannon is the statue that Ernest Fenollosa famously had the Horyuji priests uncover when he visited Japan during the Meiji Era on his quest for "lost Japanese art." Very cool.
In Japan in Western Film and Literature, we watched Lost in Translation. I did not like it. It was depressing and boring and not at all insightful, I thought. We watched it to look for elements of anti-Japanese sentiment, which weren't as bad as I had expected, although some scenes were still really frustrating. If you take it with a grain of salt, though, the film does have some nice shots of "Japanese types of places," if I can say that. The clubs, the restaurants, the hotels, the street scenes--all that has been pretty consistent with what I've seen. I do, though, resent that Scarlett Johansson called a Buddhist temple a shrine, and espectially that the movie implies that Japan today is a false Japan, and the Japanese should be doing ikebana and kendo instead of surfing. In any case, turn off the sound for a nice montage of Japanese landscapes, but other than that, don't bother. I did not enjoy the film.
After class I came home, napped, showered, went out to eat with Jessica at a nearby place called Zenya, where I had some pretty good yakisoba. We then met up with some people and went to Big Wave for more karaoke. I got back at about 2:00AM, and that was my Friday.
It's Saturday afternoon now, and I'm about to head out to explore Makino a little on my own. It's just a short bike ride up the river, and I'd like to see what's there.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Observations
- I haven't seen any mixed-breed dogs here. I've seen dachsunds, Akitas, Irish setters, border collies, etc., but no mutts. Interesting. I wonder why. The cats I have seen--although they've all been strays, or at least outdoor cats--have looked like regular American street cats.
- When you go to the grocery, you bag your own goods. They put your purchases back in your little basket, and give you a plastic bag so you can arrange your own stuff on the provided tables near the exit.
- I often see liter-sized bottles of water sitting out on street corners or next to lamp posts. I don't know what they're for. Any ideas?
- Paper comes in sizes different than I'm used to here. I'm not really sure what's standard, and what the different sizes are called. Most of my handouts have been on something slightly bigger than the standard American 8 1/2 x 11.
Typhoon #13 is approaching us. Depending on how bad it is, classes might be cancelled. I have heard that it's supposed to weaken to a tropical depression by the time it reaches Osaka. Still, I went to the grocery today so I can feed myself if the rain gets too bad. I bought a lot of gyoza to fry up. Yummmm.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Chores and Ancient Earthworks
I actually accomplished rather a lot today, I think. I had a 9:00 class, but after that I returned to the dorm to chat on Skype with my family and with David. It's so nice to hear from home. After that I headed back to campus for lunch at McDonald's (again--I know, I'm so bad, but it's soooooo delicious) and art history class.
Today in art history we learned about the Kofun period, basically the third through the sixth century CE. Ancient Japanese art isn't all that interesting to me, but this was kinda cool because it turns out that I'm in an ideal location for studying the art of this time. The Kofun people are known for their huge earthworks graves. Kofun means "ancient tomb," actually, and these tombs are all over in the Kansai area, especially just to the south of where I am. In fact, my professor said that I've been passing one pretty much every day and never realized it! Right on the other side of the park near the library, there's this little stand of trees that I'd never noticed before. It's exactly where I get off the bus coming from downtown Hirakata. Turns out the stand of trees is growing on an ancient burial mound. It's now a little park with some picnic tables and a walking path. I stopped by on my way home from class to check it out. It's pretty cool, I guess--kinda like any other wooded hill. But just thinking about how old it is and all the cool stuff that's probably buried under there is really neat! This Kofun period is also known for something called haniwa, which literally means "clay circle." Haniwa were ceramic objects placed around the outside of these Kofun tombs in concentric circles. They may have served the practical purpose of slowing erosion of the tombs, but some of the later ones are really elaborate and must have symbolic meaning. They started out as basic geometric cylinders, but they became really detailed. Some of them are downright adorable, like this horse. Anyway, it was really cool to be able to ride my bike to the same kind of ancient ritual site that I just studied in class. Heck yes for Kansai!
Today I also did my laundry. It's kinda expensive--200yen per load, and it only accepts certain coins, so I had to buy a Coke from the vending machine to get change. Also, the dryers don't work like I think they should. I've heard from many people who say they put a few shirts in the dryer for hours and they still didn't dry; I wasn't so sure I believed them, so I stuck a towel in for 40 minutes, and sure enough it's still completely wet. Oh well. So now I have clothes hanging all around my room to dry. I've also put some out on the clothesline on my balcony. We're supposed to get rain tonight, though, so I have to remember to bring them in soon.
I also finally cooked myself a decent meal. I heated up some rice pilaf I bought from the QQ (the dollar grocery) and marinated some salmon in soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and garlic, then seared it in pepper and olive oil. It sounds so nice, doesn't it? For supper I had orange juice, canned pears, rice pilaf, and seared pepper salmon. And by that nice description, I mean that I spent about an hour cooking something fairly mediocre that ended up more burt to a crisp than seared. But hey, it was a real meal, and any cooking involving meat for me is a big step. I think I'll probably make it again; it was nice to have some protein. I just need to find a better cut of salmon. The kind I bought still had skin on one side and some cartiledge on the other, and I didn't have a proper knife to cut all the extra bits off. Not that I'm skilled at that kind of thing anyway, so it was probably a lost cause. I'm sure I threw away more unusable salmon bits than I actually cooked. Still, though, I'm pretty proud of myself. And it tasted pretty good, once you got past the burnt outside. I think I just need some practice.
Today in art history we learned about the Kofun period, basically the third through the sixth century CE. Ancient Japanese art isn't all that interesting to me, but this was kinda cool because it turns out that I'm in an ideal location for studying the art of this time. The Kofun people are known for their huge earthworks graves. Kofun means "ancient tomb," actually, and these tombs are all over in the Kansai area, especially just to the south of where I am. In fact, my professor said that I've been passing one pretty much every day and never realized it! Right on the other side of the park near the library, there's this little stand of trees that I'd never noticed before. It's exactly where I get off the bus coming from downtown Hirakata. Turns out the stand of trees is growing on an ancient burial mound. It's now a little park with some picnic tables and a walking path. I stopped by on my way home from class to check it out. It's pretty cool, I guess--kinda like any other wooded hill. But just thinking about how old it is and all the cool stuff that's probably buried under there is really neat! This Kofun period is also known for something called haniwa, which literally means "clay circle." Haniwa were ceramic objects placed around the outside of these Kofun tombs in concentric circles. They may have served the practical purpose of slowing erosion of the tombs, but some of the later ones are really elaborate and must have symbolic meaning. They started out as basic geometric cylinders, but they became really detailed. Some of them are downright adorable, like this horse. Anyway, it was really cool to be able to ride my bike to the same kind of ancient ritual site that I just studied in class. Heck yes for Kansai!
Today I also did my laundry. It's kinda expensive--200yen per load, and it only accepts certain coins, so I had to buy a Coke from the vending machine to get change. Also, the dryers don't work like I think they should. I've heard from many people who say they put a few shirts in the dryer for hours and they still didn't dry; I wasn't so sure I believed them, so I stuck a towel in for 40 minutes, and sure enough it's still completely wet. Oh well. So now I have clothes hanging all around my room to dry. I've also put some out on the clothesline on my balcony. We're supposed to get rain tonight, though, so I have to remember to bring them in soon.
I also finally cooked myself a decent meal. I heated up some rice pilaf I bought from the QQ (the dollar grocery) and marinated some salmon in soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and garlic, then seared it in pepper and olive oil. It sounds so nice, doesn't it? For supper I had orange juice, canned pears, rice pilaf, and seared pepper salmon. And by that nice description, I mean that I spent about an hour cooking something fairly mediocre that ended up more burt to a crisp than seared. But hey, it was a real meal, and any cooking involving meat for me is a big step. I think I'll probably make it again; it was nice to have some protein. I just need to find a better cut of salmon. The kind I bought still had skin on one side and some cartiledge on the other, and I didn't have a proper knife to cut all the extra bits off. Not that I'm skilled at that kind of thing anyway, so it was probably a lost cause. I'm sure I threw away more unusable salmon bits than I actually cooked. Still, though, I'm pretty proud of myself. And it tasted pretty good, once you got past the burnt outside. I think I just need some practice.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Kind of a complainy post
Tuesdays are really busy for me. I have five hours of classes, and at the end of the day I'm wiped out.
I woke up with a sore throat this morning, and I hope it doesn't get worse. I'm going to gargle with salt water tonight, so I hope that helps. Sometimes I feel like I really can't catch a break. >.<
The weather today was beautiful, and very like September at home. It's supposed to storm later on in the week, and I think it's a typhoon. At least, that's what the weather map looked like.
Speaking of typhoons, what is this about me leaving the States and everything falling apart?! Geez, I can't even leave you all for three weeks and you get hurricaned and the stock market goes nuts. Louisville's in a state of emergency, Cara's family can't come visit her now, Ukraine's ruling party collapsed, Lehman Brothers is down the tubes, Mr Ashby needs surgery, I'm getting sick. Really? Did it all have to happen at once? For crying in the mud, World. Keep it together!
I woke up with a sore throat this morning, and I hope it doesn't get worse. I'm going to gargle with salt water tonight, so I hope that helps. Sometimes I feel like I really can't catch a break. >.<
The weather today was beautiful, and very like September at home. It's supposed to storm later on in the week, and I think it's a typhoon. At least, that's what the weather map looked like.
Speaking of typhoons, what is this about me leaving the States and everything falling apart?! Geez, I can't even leave you all for three weeks and you get hurricaned and the stock market goes nuts. Louisville's in a state of emergency, Cara's family can't come visit her now, Ukraine's ruling party collapsed, Lehman Brothers is down the tubes, Mr Ashby needs surgery, I'm getting sick. Really? Did it all have to happen at once? For crying in the mud, World. Keep it together!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Kuzuha Excursion
Today I went to Kuzuha Mall all by myself. I wanted some time to explore on my own. I rode my bike to the train station and payed a small fee to park it there. I found the right train and made it to the mall just fine. I walked around for probably an hour and a half, and bought some souvenirs for various people. I also stopped at the grocery store in the mall and bought some of my cooking supplies for a salmon recipe I found.
At that point, I really, really wanted some McDonald's. I like it a lot in the US, but here it's basically a staple of my diet. It's the most filling thing I can find, so I try to eat it when I can. I set off down a promising looking street figuring surely I'd run into a McDonald's sooner or later. Three 7Elevens, a mile, and a rain shower down the road, I was still burgerless. So I turned around, and found a McDonald's less than a block from where I had started. Kinda frustrating, but I got my food! Mmmmm Filet-o-Fish!
Took the train home in the rain, only to find that someone had taken my umbrella from the train station. Oh well, it wasn't really a big deal. It was just a cheap one from the convenience store. I collected my bike and rode homeward, but I missed my turn and got a bit confused. I worked it all out in the end, and stopped at a different grocery store to buy my fish. I had to ask a lady if it was salmon, and she said yes, along with telling me that the kind I had found was good with salt. At least, I think that's what she said. Anyway, I had all my food (I also found Oreos!) so I came home to take a nap.
And that's been my day.
At that point, I really, really wanted some McDonald's. I like it a lot in the US, but here it's basically a staple of my diet. It's the most filling thing I can find, so I try to eat it when I can. I set off down a promising looking street figuring surely I'd run into a McDonald's sooner or later. Three 7Elevens, a mile, and a rain shower down the road, I was still burgerless. So I turned around, and found a McDonald's less than a block from where I had started. Kinda frustrating, but I got my food! Mmmmm Filet-o-Fish!
Took the train home in the rain, only to find that someone had taken my umbrella from the train station. Oh well, it wasn't really a big deal. It was just a cheap one from the convenience store. I collected my bike and rode homeward, but I missed my turn and got a bit confused. I worked it all out in the end, and stopped at a different grocery store to buy my fish. I had to ask a lady if it was salmon, and she said yes, along with telling me that the kind I had found was good with salt. At least, I think that's what she said. Anyway, I had all my food (I also found Oreos!) so I came home to take a nap.
And that's been my day.
Respect for the Aged Day
Today is Respect for the Aged Day, and it's a national holiday, so there's no class. Yay! So what will I do with my free time? I'm thinking of going to the nearby Kuzuha Mall for some shopping. Also, I'll be picking up some groceries so I can cook myself some proper food.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Today my friend Jessica and I had planned to meet our friend Saho and some of her buds and go together to the aquarium in Osaka. We took the bus to Hirakatashi-Eki, where we were supposed to meet, but we couldn't find them there. We were running a little late, so we thought they had gone on without us. We decided to find our own way to the aquarium and hopefully catch up with them there.
We asked another Kansai Gaidai student how to get to Osaka, and he told us where to switch trains. So we went from Hirakatashi to Kyobashi, where we transfered to a different line. From Kyobashi we went to Morinomiya, and from there took another train to Osaka-ko. All this was very confusing, as neither Jessica nor I am good with public transportation. But we used lots of maps and asked lots of (very poorly worded, I'm sure) questions in Japanese, and eventually got there just fine. We also saw some really cool things from the various trains--a big swimming pool, some cool mountains, a huge bridge, an amusement park near school.
When we arrived at the aquarium, it was really hot outside, but we had to stand in line in the sun for 40 minutes just to enter the building. Luckily there was a nice breeze and I had my umbrella with me for some shade. The line moved very fast considering how long it looked, and we eventually made it inside without melting. We looked around but never found Saho and her group.
The aquarium was really, really uncomfortably crowded at first, although things thinned out as you went farther in. At first, though, I was really worried that we'd be elbow to elbow with strangers the whole time.
This aquarium had a bit of a different setup than I'm used to. There were a few really big tanks rather than many small ones. Each big tank had a geographical theme, like Kelp Forest or Aleutian Islands. At first the viewing areas were super crowded and I was really worried, but you keep spiraling down around the differnt tanks, so you actually get all these really good views from all angles. Once I realized that I'd have multiple vantage points, I wasn't so worried about looking in every single viewing area.
They had the most unusual creatures there! Two whale sharks, manta rays, Japanese spider crabs, and ocean sunfish, to mention the most interesting for me. They were all so big; I had no idea that they could be held in captivity. But this is the place with the second largest aquarium tank in the world, so I guess that helps.
It wasn't my favorite aquarium ever, but the whale sharks, manta rays, and sunfish were totally worth it. Maybe I'm just spoiled, though. The one aquarium I hold as the standard is the National Aquarium in Baltimore, which is downright unfair to the rest of the aquarium world. Still, after Baltimore, everything else is kinda boring.
Anyhow, I took so many pictures and videos! I'll upload them as soon as I can. Very cool.
After the aquarium we wandered around this shopping center trying to find a place to eat, but all the restaurants were crowded and expensive. We ended up just going to the McDonald's near the train station, and we made it back home just fine. On the bus to our dorm area, we talked to this old man who was really nice. He had a very different accent than I'm used to, so I really couldn't understand him much, but it was fun trying to talk.
When I got back I took a nap, and here I am. I heated up leftover curry for supper, and tomorrow I plan to do some grocery shopping so I can properly cook.
Busy, busy day!
We asked another Kansai Gaidai student how to get to Osaka, and he told us where to switch trains. So we went from Hirakatashi to Kyobashi, where we transfered to a different line. From Kyobashi we went to Morinomiya, and from there took another train to Osaka-ko. All this was very confusing, as neither Jessica nor I am good with public transportation. But we used lots of maps and asked lots of (very poorly worded, I'm sure) questions in Japanese, and eventually got there just fine. We also saw some really cool things from the various trains--a big swimming pool, some cool mountains, a huge bridge, an amusement park near school.
When we arrived at the aquarium, it was really hot outside, but we had to stand in line in the sun for 40 minutes just to enter the building. Luckily there was a nice breeze and I had my umbrella with me for some shade. The line moved very fast considering how long it looked, and we eventually made it inside without melting. We looked around but never found Saho and her group.
The aquarium was really, really uncomfortably crowded at first, although things thinned out as you went farther in. At first, though, I was really worried that we'd be elbow to elbow with strangers the whole time.
This aquarium had a bit of a different setup than I'm used to. There were a few really big tanks rather than many small ones. Each big tank had a geographical theme, like Kelp Forest or Aleutian Islands. At first the viewing areas were super crowded and I was really worried, but you keep spiraling down around the differnt tanks, so you actually get all these really good views from all angles. Once I realized that I'd have multiple vantage points, I wasn't so worried about looking in every single viewing area.
They had the most unusual creatures there! Two whale sharks, manta rays, Japanese spider crabs, and ocean sunfish, to mention the most interesting for me. They were all so big; I had no idea that they could be held in captivity. But this is the place with the second largest aquarium tank in the world, so I guess that helps.
It wasn't my favorite aquarium ever, but the whale sharks, manta rays, and sunfish were totally worth it. Maybe I'm just spoiled, though. The one aquarium I hold as the standard is the National Aquarium in Baltimore, which is downright unfair to the rest of the aquarium world. Still, after Baltimore, everything else is kinda boring.
Anyhow, I took so many pictures and videos! I'll upload them as soon as I can. Very cool.
After the aquarium we wandered around this shopping center trying to find a place to eat, but all the restaurants were crowded and expensive. We ended up just going to the McDonald's near the train station, and we made it back home just fine. On the bus to our dorm area, we talked to this old man who was really nice. He had a very different accent than I'm used to, so I really couldn't understand him much, but it was fun trying to talk.
When I got back I took a nap, and here I am. I heated up leftover curry for supper, and tomorrow I plan to do some grocery shopping so I can properly cook.
Busy, busy day!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Hirakatashi-Eki
Today was a lazy day. I woke up around noon and went to a little hole in the wall restaurant with my friends from the hall. I had something called potato pizza toast, which was, sure enough, pizza on a really thick piece of toast topped with sweet potato. It was delicious! Very cool.
After that I talked to Nikki on Skype, surfed the Web, and napped.
In the evening, six other people and I went down to Hirakatashi-Eki to have some fun. We wandered around forever trying to find an ATM that worked so the others could withdraw some cash. We finally found one at the 7Eleven near City Hall. Afterward, we found a really awesome restaurant on the fifth floor of a building. It's still weird for me to be eating in a tall building. Oh well. The place was AWESOME. I had French fries, gyoza, and basashi. I'm such a bad Kentuckian for that last one--it's horse meat. But it was really delicious, and I liked it much better than some of the other types of sashimi I've had.
We then wandered around the area and found a really nice rooftop bar. It was basically a total ripoff, though. They gave us these little macaroni salads without asking if we wanted it, and then charged us 300yen each for it. There were seven of us, and our bill came to 5520yen--about 50 dollars. Each of us had one drink. Oh well. It just wasn't what I expected.
Tomorrow morning I'm going to the aquarium in Osaka. I can't wait!
After that I talked to Nikki on Skype, surfed the Web, and napped.
In the evening, six other people and I went down to Hirakatashi-Eki to have some fun. We wandered around forever trying to find an ATM that worked so the others could withdraw some cash. We finally found one at the 7Eleven near City Hall. Afterward, we found a really awesome restaurant on the fifth floor of a building. It's still weird for me to be eating in a tall building. Oh well. The place was AWESOME. I had French fries, gyoza, and basashi. I'm such a bad Kentuckian for that last one--it's horse meat. But it was really delicious, and I liked it much better than some of the other types of sashimi I've had.
We then wandered around the area and found a really nice rooftop bar. It was basically a total ripoff, though. They gave us these little macaroni salads without asking if we wanted it, and then charged us 300yen each for it. There were seven of us, and our bill came to 5520yen--about 50 dollars. Each of us had one drink. Oh well. It just wasn't what I expected.
Tomorrow morning I'm going to the aquarium in Osaka. I can't wait!
Friday Night in Japan
This evening I went out to eat at the little okonomiyaki place around the corner with two other Americans and a Slovak-Brit. After that, I went out to the same karaoke place as before, but with different people. It was a blast, yet again. This time I discovered the most delicious drink ever. It was called a Dragon, and it was basically melon soda with a little bit of alcohol in it. Yum! I also had a Dolphin, which was basically the same thing but with blueberry soda, which I didn't like as much. Kinda funny names for drinks, huh?
And...it just hit me that I'm sleepy. Seeing as it's 1AM here, I guess that's okay. So I'm off to bed.
Oh, but speaking of beds, I should tell you about my futon, since I've been getting some questions about it. Futon is the traditional Japanese bedding. I have one small folding mattress much like a Western exercise mat. On top of that goes a heavy mattress that I sleep on. Then there's a heavy comforter that I sleep under. The pillow has something inside that sounds like beans. It's harder than I'm used to, but not at all uncomfortable. Every day you have to fold up the futon set and put it away in the closet they gave us. The humidity here can really cause some nasty mold and crud to grow under your futon if you don't take care of it! Also, our flooring is tatami, which requires special care. If you don't put the futon away, the floor will kinda start to mold around the bedding and there will be a bed-shaped dent in the floor. :) It's like a fossil record of sleeping! Anyway, I don't think the university wants me to destroy their flooring or bedding, so I try to take care of it. Most days I put it away, but if I'm running late I might leave it out in the morning and put it away when I get home in the late afternoon.
Anyway, it's very, very comfortable. Like I said, harder than my bed at home, but very, very nice. I especially love my heavy comforter. It'll be great in winter. And now I'm off to enjoy my futon. Good night!
And...it just hit me that I'm sleepy. Seeing as it's 1AM here, I guess that's okay. So I'm off to bed.
Oh, but speaking of beds, I should tell you about my futon, since I've been getting some questions about it. Futon is the traditional Japanese bedding. I have one small folding mattress much like a Western exercise mat. On top of that goes a heavy mattress that I sleep on. Then there's a heavy comforter that I sleep under. The pillow has something inside that sounds like beans. It's harder than I'm used to, but not at all uncomfortable. Every day you have to fold up the futon set and put it away in the closet they gave us. The humidity here can really cause some nasty mold and crud to grow under your futon if you don't take care of it! Also, our flooring is tatami, which requires special care. If you don't put the futon away, the floor will kinda start to mold around the bedding and there will be a bed-shaped dent in the floor. :) It's like a fossil record of sleeping! Anyway, I don't think the university wants me to destroy their flooring or bedding, so I try to take care of it. Most days I put it away, but if I'm running late I might leave it out in the morning and put it away when I get home in the late afternoon.
Anyway, it's very, very comfortable. Like I said, harder than my bed at home, but very, very nice. I especially love my heavy comforter. It'll be great in winter. And now I'm off to enjoy my futon. Good night!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Contact Info
Here's how to reach me.
Room phone: 072-868-3381-2042
Mail:
My Name
c/0 Center for International Education
Kansai Gaidai University
16-1 Nakamiyahigashino-cho, Hirakata, Osaka
573-1001 Japan
Today is Friday, and I'm looking forward to the weekend. It's really nice to have classes, but I'm pretty wiped out from the week. Tonight I'm going out for supper and karaoke with some friends from my dorm. On Saturday I plan to do some grocery shopping and go to the mall. On Sunday, I had originally planned to go to a moon viewing ceremony in Kyoto, but instead I think I'll go to the aquarium in Osaka. There's a big group of students going, so it should be fun. Monday is a national holiday, Respect for the Aged Day, so there's no class. That'll be nice, too. Maybe I'll go to a hot spring or something. I dunno.
Room phone: 072-868-3381-2042
Mail:
My Name
c/0 Center for International Education
Kansai Gaidai University
16-1 Nakamiyahigashino-cho, Hirakata, Osaka
573-1001 Japan
Today is Friday, and I'm looking forward to the weekend. It's really nice to have classes, but I'm pretty wiped out from the week. Tonight I'm going out for supper and karaoke with some friends from my dorm. On Saturday I plan to do some grocery shopping and go to the mall. On Sunday, I had originally planned to go to a moon viewing ceremony in Kyoto, but instead I think I'll go to the aquarium in Osaka. There's a big group of students going, so it should be fun. Monday is a national holiday, Respect for the Aged Day, so there's no class. That'll be nice, too. Maybe I'll go to a hot spring or something. I dunno.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Regarding the Weather
I've been complaining a lot about how hot it is here. Well, it's still hot, but the humidity has gone down. Today we had a high of 90Fahrenheit, with a heat index of 97. Not fun to ride a bike uphill in the sun in that kind of weather. But as soon as the sun starts to go down (which is early--5:30PM) it cools off. Nights are very pleasant. They remind me of Florida, actually. Nice breeze going, warm air, not too humid.
We're getting into typhoon season, which is super exciting! I've never been in a typhoon or a hurricane or anything before. We're pretty far inland (if any of Japan can be called inland), so we won't have flooding or anything. Sometimes, though, the wind will get really bad and it'll rain a lot. Instead of snow day procedures, we got information detailing high wind day procedures for typhoons. Awesome. They said they usually get one or two a year in this area. I think one just headed for Tokyo, and another for somewhere in China, but I'm not sure. I'm waiting for you, little typhoons! Just please don't cause too much damage.
I mentioned high wind holidays; if the railway workers are threatening to strike, we also get a day off school. They don't want students and teachers stranded at Kansai Gaidai because the trains don't run.
Alex told me earlier that there was an earthquake today near Hokkaido. As you can see from the map, it was far away from me in Osaka, and I didn't feel it. They did spend a lot of time at one of our orientation sessions explaining what to do in case of an earthquake, which was interesting. I'll probably be in one or two during my time here. They're really frequent. But all the Kansai Gaidai buildings were built just 11 years ago, and they have the most up to date earthquake and fire resistance technology. A Kansai Gaidai bathroom is probably the safest place to be in an earthquake, other than a huge flat field.
In other weather news, no reports of Godzilla or Mothra. :) I'm so bad.
We're getting into typhoon season, which is super exciting! I've never been in a typhoon or a hurricane or anything before. We're pretty far inland (if any of Japan can be called inland), so we won't have flooding or anything. Sometimes, though, the wind will get really bad and it'll rain a lot. Instead of snow day procedures, we got information detailing high wind day procedures for typhoons. Awesome. They said they usually get one or two a year in this area. I think one just headed for Tokyo, and another for somewhere in China, but I'm not sure. I'm waiting for you, little typhoons! Just please don't cause too much damage.
I mentioned high wind holidays; if the railway workers are threatening to strike, we also get a day off school. They don't want students and teachers stranded at Kansai Gaidai because the trains don't run.
Alex told me earlier that there was an earthquake today near Hokkaido. As you can see from the map, it was far away from me in Osaka, and I didn't feel it. They did spend a lot of time at one of our orientation sessions explaining what to do in case of an earthquake, which was interesting. I'll probably be in one or two during my time here. They're really frequent. But all the Kansai Gaidai buildings were built just 11 years ago, and they have the most up to date earthquake and fire resistance technology. A Kansai Gaidai bathroom is probably the safest place to be in an earthquake, other than a huge flat field.
In other weather news, no reports of Godzilla or Mothra. :) I'm so bad.
The trip here
I never did write about the flight over here, so I suppose this is as good a time as any.
I flew from Lexington to Chicago O'Hare, and I got sick on the way. Probably shouldn't have had pizza for breakfast that morning. Usually I do just fine on planes, but every once in a while I'll get motion sick.
Arrived in Chicago on time and had to navigate through the confusing airport. I misread one of the signs, so I nearly took a shuttle to downtown instead of Terminal 5. Luckily, the shuttle driver pointed me in the right direction. When I arrived at the international terminal, I had to check in with Japan Airlines. My carryon was way too heavy, so I had to take some things out of it--books, mostly--and add that to my checked baggage. I had time for a quick McDonald's cheeseburger before going through security. There was this Korean lady in front of me who didn't know about the restriction on liquids, so that slowed things down a bit. But it all worked out.
From Chicago to Tokyo I had a window seat on a 747, and it was great! The middle seat next to me was empty, and on the aisle there was an American engineer on business. The service on the plane was great. We got Japanese munchies for a snack--super salty puffs of rice with various flavors. For the first meal I had teriyaki chicken, pickled veggies, rice, and caesar salad. The bathrooms were kinda hard to figure out. I couldn't really get the sink to work, so I had to wash my hands in the teeny water fountain. I slept some, looked out the window a lot, and fiddled around with the TV. The second meal was smoked salmon in pasta, which I didn't really like. We landed at Tokyo Narita on time.
Narita wasn't nearly as confusing as I expected. I made it through customs with no problems, and spoke only in Japanese, which made me proud. For all I was worried about the medicine causing problems, they barely looked at the meds or the yakkan shoumei. Oh well. Better safe than sorry.
So I had to re-check my baggage, which caused some trouble. My checked luggage was fine, and the carryon didn't weigh too much, but it was too large. They said they'd have to ship it to me, and it would arrive the next day. I wasn't about to let my meds and my computer out of my sight, so I was hesitant. But they gave me carryon paper bags, and I put my meds and computer in there. At this point, the carryon was practically empty, and it would arrive at my dorm the next day.
The flight from Tokyo to Osaka Itami Airport was very short, and very cool. I could see the peak of Mt. Fuji above the clouds.
By the time I got to Itami, I was exhausted and hungry. I grabbed some food from the convenience store in the airport, and didn't really like anything I bought. What I thought was a fruit cup turned out to be this awkward gelatin thing. Also, I realized that I had lost my watch. I was really frustrated at this point. It was hot, I was tired, I was the only gaijin in the place, I was hungry, and the pay computer I used to email home wouldn't type in English.
But the van came to pick me up, and I met some other students, and it all worked out.
And that's how I came to Japan.
I flew from Lexington to Chicago O'Hare, and I got sick on the way. Probably shouldn't have had pizza for breakfast that morning. Usually I do just fine on planes, but every once in a while I'll get motion sick.
Arrived in Chicago on time and had to navigate through the confusing airport. I misread one of the signs, so I nearly took a shuttle to downtown instead of Terminal 5. Luckily, the shuttle driver pointed me in the right direction. When I arrived at the international terminal, I had to check in with Japan Airlines. My carryon was way too heavy, so I had to take some things out of it--books, mostly--and add that to my checked baggage. I had time for a quick McDonald's cheeseburger before going through security. There was this Korean lady in front of me who didn't know about the restriction on liquids, so that slowed things down a bit. But it all worked out.
From Chicago to Tokyo I had a window seat on a 747, and it was great! The middle seat next to me was empty, and on the aisle there was an American engineer on business. The service on the plane was great. We got Japanese munchies for a snack--super salty puffs of rice with various flavors. For the first meal I had teriyaki chicken, pickled veggies, rice, and caesar salad. The bathrooms were kinda hard to figure out. I couldn't really get the sink to work, so I had to wash my hands in the teeny water fountain. I slept some, looked out the window a lot, and fiddled around with the TV. The second meal was smoked salmon in pasta, which I didn't really like. We landed at Tokyo Narita on time.
Narita wasn't nearly as confusing as I expected. I made it through customs with no problems, and spoke only in Japanese, which made me proud. For all I was worried about the medicine causing problems, they barely looked at the meds or the yakkan shoumei. Oh well. Better safe than sorry.
So I had to re-check my baggage, which caused some trouble. My checked luggage was fine, and the carryon didn't weigh too much, but it was too large. They said they'd have to ship it to me, and it would arrive the next day. I wasn't about to let my meds and my computer out of my sight, so I was hesitant. But they gave me carryon paper bags, and I put my meds and computer in there. At this point, the carryon was practically empty, and it would arrive at my dorm the next day.
The flight from Tokyo to Osaka Itami Airport was very short, and very cool. I could see the peak of Mt. Fuji above the clouds.
By the time I got to Itami, I was exhausted and hungry. I grabbed some food from the convenience store in the airport, and didn't really like anything I bought. What I thought was a fruit cup turned out to be this awkward gelatin thing. Also, I realized that I had lost my watch. I was really frustrated at this point. It was hot, I was tired, I was the only gaijin in the place, I was hungry, and the pay computer I used to email home wouldn't type in English.
But the van came to pick me up, and I met some other students, and it all worked out.
And that's how I came to Japan.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
日本語で "crazy" は何ですか。
Today I went for my second speaking class, this one at 9AM. It was good. Language classes are 50 minutes long, and compared with Witt's full hour classes they seem really short.
After that class I returned to my dorm and got to talk to David and my family on Skype. Well, I got to talk to David; we had a really nice conversation with the webcams and it was great to see him. I can't wait to chill out with him eating some Subway and watching Deadliest Catch. Oh, the little things. <3 My family, however, was having some technical difficulties with Skype. I could hear them but not see them; they could see me but not hear me. What ensued was a cruel real-life version of charades. :) So that was interesting. Hopefully they'll get their computer up and running soon.
Anyhow, after that little adventure, I returned to campus and had lunch with Leslie at the campus McDonald's. I have gotten a few questions about McDonald's here in Japan. Dad likes to try to say it in Japanese; his attempts usually come out something like "Makudonadoodles." Close, but no cigar! For those who don't read katakana (one of the three Japanese writing systems, and the one used to write foreign words), it's Makudonarudo. Makudo for short, just like we say Mickey D's. The only Japanese McDonald's I've been to is the one on campus. It has this strange buffet-like ordering system that's hard to explain. But the workers at it are all these cute little Japanese ladies wearing those paper hats like they have at Krispy Kreme. Things are kinda expensive, too; a Big Mac meal will run you about 600 yen, about $6. Hamburgers are a dollar, but french fries and drinks are super expensive, and there are no free refills. Many of the items are the same, but there is a teriyaki burger that I haven't tried yet. Also, there is a seasonal special going called the Tsukimi Baagaa, or Moon-Viewing Burger. It's a hamburger with egg on it. I think eggs are associated with moon viewing, because I found some Tsukimi Udon in the school cafeteria that came with egg. Maybe the full moon looks like an egg?
Speaking of otsukimi, I'm going to a shrine in Kyoto on Sunday for some moon viewing with one of my profs. It should be fun, and my friend Melissa is going, too.
I had my first Survey of Japanese Art class today. The professor is a little dry, which is somewhat to be expected in art history. But I like dry, which is why I like art history. :) He's got a fun sense of humor. And as it turns out, more than half of the nationally and internationally recognized historical and artistic sites in Japan are in the Kansai region, so lots of what we'll be looking at is just a short train ride away. Very cool.
Tonight I went over to William's homestay for supper. OMG his Okaasan is awesome! She calls herself Mamasan (Mrs. Mama, basically) and is quite the chatterbox! She made the most delicious curry rice for us, with carrots and potatoes. Mmmm. It was like a spicy beef stew, and definitely the best meal I've had so far in Japan. She even gave me a tupperware containerful to go. We chatted for probably three hours--long enough for Will to eat and watch some cheesy Japanese baseball movie. Very fun lady, but kinda crazy. Not like "Geez, she's gonna murder me" crazy, just a little eccentric. She runs a cleaning business out of the front of her house, and she really likes art. She was telling me how she likes boys, how she likes America, how she likes gay boys, how she likes American boys, how she really like American gay boys, how she requested to host a nice, tall, American boy (and hence got William), how her boyfriend has a jewelery shop, how she doesn't like Japanese girls, how she thinks I'm cute, etc. She has pictures of her dog who died all over her house--I saw more of her dog than Papasan, who also passed away a while ago. It was quite an experience. She was an absolute blast, and she even gave me a little beaded cell phone purse as a gift. Very thoughtful, and I want to go see her some more.
I went grocery shopping on the way back. Fruit here is so expensive! A regular American size package of grapes is 780 yen! That's like a movie ticket! Ridiculous. So I did my shopping, and it was kinda weird--the workers went around yelling things as they walked around the store. I don't know what they were saying, actually. It was weird. And I have never seen such an assortment of fish in my life. They even had fish skeletons with the scales for sale, with the meat removed! I wonder what you do with those. Japan doesn't eat a lot of stuff that I think is too weird, but I'm not so sure I needed to see the gianr octopus arms--suckers included--in the seafood section.
And now I'm back and procrastinating on my homework. Not that I have a lot; I think my classes will be really easy. Still, it eats into my exploring Japan time. For sad.
After that class I returned to my dorm and got to talk to David and my family on Skype. Well, I got to talk to David; we had a really nice conversation with the webcams and it was great to see him. I can't wait to chill out with him eating some Subway and watching Deadliest Catch. Oh, the little things. <3 My family, however, was having some technical difficulties with Skype. I could hear them but not see them; they could see me but not hear me. What ensued was a cruel real-life version of charades. :) So that was interesting. Hopefully they'll get their computer up and running soon.
Anyhow, after that little adventure, I returned to campus and had lunch with Leslie at the campus McDonald's. I have gotten a few questions about McDonald's here in Japan. Dad likes to try to say it in Japanese; his attempts usually come out something like "Makudonadoodles." Close, but no cigar! For those who don't read katakana (one of the three Japanese writing systems, and the one used to write foreign words), it's Makudonarudo. Makudo for short, just like we say Mickey D's. The only Japanese McDonald's I've been to is the one on campus. It has this strange buffet-like ordering system that's hard to explain. But the workers at it are all these cute little Japanese ladies wearing those paper hats like they have at Krispy Kreme. Things are kinda expensive, too; a Big Mac meal will run you about 600 yen, about $6. Hamburgers are a dollar, but french fries and drinks are super expensive, and there are no free refills. Many of the items are the same, but there is a teriyaki burger that I haven't tried yet. Also, there is a seasonal special going called the Tsukimi Baagaa, or Moon-Viewing Burger. It's a hamburger with egg on it. I think eggs are associated with moon viewing, because I found some Tsukimi Udon in the school cafeteria that came with egg. Maybe the full moon looks like an egg?
Speaking of otsukimi, I'm going to a shrine in Kyoto on Sunday for some moon viewing with one of my profs. It should be fun, and my friend Melissa is going, too.
I had my first Survey of Japanese Art class today. The professor is a little dry, which is somewhat to be expected in art history. But I like dry, which is why I like art history. :) He's got a fun sense of humor. And as it turns out, more than half of the nationally and internationally recognized historical and artistic sites in Japan are in the Kansai region, so lots of what we'll be looking at is just a short train ride away. Very cool.
Tonight I went over to William's homestay for supper. OMG his Okaasan is awesome! She calls herself Mamasan (Mrs. Mama, basically) and is quite the chatterbox! She made the most delicious curry rice for us, with carrots and potatoes. Mmmm. It was like a spicy beef stew, and definitely the best meal I've had so far in Japan. She even gave me a tupperware containerful to go. We chatted for probably three hours--long enough for Will to eat and watch some cheesy Japanese baseball movie. Very fun lady, but kinda crazy. Not like "Geez, she's gonna murder me" crazy, just a little eccentric. She runs a cleaning business out of the front of her house, and she really likes art. She was telling me how she likes boys, how she likes America, how she likes gay boys, how she likes American boys, how she really like American gay boys, how she requested to host a nice, tall, American boy (and hence got William), how her boyfriend has a jewelery shop, how she doesn't like Japanese girls, how she thinks I'm cute, etc. She has pictures of her dog who died all over her house--I saw more of her dog than Papasan, who also passed away a while ago. It was quite an experience. She was an absolute blast, and she even gave me a little beaded cell phone purse as a gift. Very thoughtful, and I want to go see her some more.
I went grocery shopping on the way back. Fruit here is so expensive! A regular American size package of grapes is 780 yen! That's like a movie ticket! Ridiculous. So I did my shopping, and it was kinda weird--the workers went around yelling things as they walked around the store. I don't know what they were saying, actually. It was weird. And I have never seen such an assortment of fish in my life. They even had fish skeletons with the scales for sale, with the meat removed! I wonder what you do with those. Japan doesn't eat a lot of stuff that I think is too weird, but I'm not so sure I needed to see the gianr octopus arms--suckers included--in the seafood section.
And now I'm back and procrastinating on my homework. Not that I have a lot; I think my classes will be really easy. Still, it eats into my exploring Japan time. For sad.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
First day of classes
Today my classes began. The way it works here is this: Five days a week in the mornings I have Japanese speaking, three days a week in the mornings I also have Japanese reading/writing. In the afternoon, I take my culture classes. I have three of those, and they run twice a week. So the schedule is a little funky, but here it is:
Monday
9-9:50 Reading/Writing
11-11-50 Speaking
Tuesday
10-10:50 Speaking
12-12:50 Reading/Writing
1-2:20 Asian Psychologies
2:30-3:50 Japan in Western Film and Literature
Wednesday
9-9:50 Speaking
1-2:20 Survey of Japanese Art
Thursday
9-9:50 Reading/Writing
10-10:50 Speaking
1-2:20 Asian Psychologies
Friday
10-10:50 Speaking
1-2:20 Survey of Japanese Art
2:30-3:50 Japan in Western Film and Literature
So the only class I haven't had so far is Survey of Japanese Art. All the other ones seem really good. The Japanese language courses seem like they'll get kind of intense, but for now we're reviewing chapters I learned long ago. I'll have some time to get myself back into "school mode." Asian Psychologies seems like a standard college course, which means for this program it's harder than normal. It seems to me that professors here don't exactly "dumb it down," but they understand that people are here in Japan to take weekend trips and go karaokeing, so they don't make things unnecessarily hard. Asian Psych isn't like that. It's a regular class, which is kinda nice. Japan in Western Film and Literature, though, is gonna be a piece of cake, I think. (Watch, just because I said that it'll be really hard!) It's such an interesting class, though. The prof is awesome, and today after we went through our syllabus, we watched the episode of the Simpsons where they go to Japan. Totally hilarious!
Anyhow, classes were good. It'll be really nice to have a routine, too.
I have made friends with some girls on my floor. April is from New York, Jessica is from Detroit, and Melissa is from Columbus (Westerville--yes, I checked). We went out to eat tonight to this little hole in the wall place that is practically 100% supported by Kansai Gaidai students, probably. They give you SOOOOO much food for really cheap. For 500 yen (a little less than $5), I got ice water, black tea, sticky rice, miso soup, pickled veggies, salmon tempura, chicken curry, and cold noodles. I only ate about a quarter of everything, and I'm still stuffed. Yum.
When it cooled off a little this evening, I exercised a bit in the park across the street. It's such a nice place. There were a lot of families there taking walks and playing ball. It's basically an open field with a playground and a small track around it, and I just walked and jogged for about half an hour. It was nice to excercise. This was the first time in I don't know how long. >.<
In any case, I'm pretty wiped out. It was certainly a full day.
Monday
9-9:50 Reading/Writing
11-11-50 Speaking
Tuesday
10-10:50 Speaking
12-12:50 Reading/Writing
1-2:20 Asian Psychologies
2:30-3:50 Japan in Western Film and Literature
Wednesday
9-9:50 Speaking
1-2:20 Survey of Japanese Art
Thursday
9-9:50 Reading/Writing
10-10:50 Speaking
1-2:20 Asian Psychologies
Friday
10-10:50 Speaking
1-2:20 Survey of Japanese Art
2:30-3:50 Japan in Western Film and Literature
So the only class I haven't had so far is Survey of Japanese Art. All the other ones seem really good. The Japanese language courses seem like they'll get kind of intense, but for now we're reviewing chapters I learned long ago. I'll have some time to get myself back into "school mode." Asian Psychologies seems like a standard college course, which means for this program it's harder than normal. It seems to me that professors here don't exactly "dumb it down," but they understand that people are here in Japan to take weekend trips and go karaokeing, so they don't make things unnecessarily hard. Asian Psych isn't like that. It's a regular class, which is kinda nice. Japan in Western Film and Literature, though, is gonna be a piece of cake, I think. (Watch, just because I said that it'll be really hard!) It's such an interesting class, though. The prof is awesome, and today after we went through our syllabus, we watched the episode of the Simpsons where they go to Japan. Totally hilarious!
Anyhow, classes were good. It'll be really nice to have a routine, too.
I have made friends with some girls on my floor. April is from New York, Jessica is from Detroit, and Melissa is from Columbus (Westerville--yes, I checked). We went out to eat tonight to this little hole in the wall place that is practically 100% supported by Kansai Gaidai students, probably. They give you SOOOOO much food for really cheap. For 500 yen (a little less than $5), I got ice water, black tea, sticky rice, miso soup, pickled veggies, salmon tempura, chicken curry, and cold noodles. I only ate about a quarter of everything, and I'm still stuffed. Yum.
When it cooled off a little this evening, I exercised a bit in the park across the street. It's such a nice place. There were a lot of families there taking walks and playing ball. It's basically an open field with a playground and a small track around it, and I just walked and jogged for about half an hour. It was nice to excercise. This was the first time in I don't know how long. >.<
In any case, I'm pretty wiped out. It was certainly a full day.
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