Friday, July 24th The third week Like I said, weeks are crazy. Sunday we went apartment hunting, which actually just consisted of going to this person and talking to her. Nora and James had already done everything else, and then she ended up having an extra apartment in their building, so we're all living together on the first floor. She took us there (we rode in a car!) and we looked around. It's itsy bitsy, with a little hallway/kitchen, bathroom, closet and then room which = bedroom/living room/study. So a studio. But a really small studio. I'm going to get a futon that I can sleep on so at least that won't be a problem. Because the mattress takes up about half of the room. Anyway, there is airconditioning at least, and a bath because those are sort of a big thing in Japan. And the rent is reasonable. And the land-lady seems really nice. Only problem: we aren't allowed to play instruments in the apartment. This is a problem for me. But I can always just sit on my porch and play. That shouldn't be a violation, right? Anyway, she wanted us to sign on friday, but they don't take credit cards and none of us could get the money, so we postponed the meeting until next Friday. I shouldn't have a problem because Mom contacted Bank of America for me and they upped my withdrawl limit, so all should be good. Monday was alright. You know, typical Monday. Classes, which I didn't want to go to, and then another private meeting with my teacher to discuss my project. That went alright, I guess. We got our tests back. Scores were dismal. I am killing myself working for this class, I spend hours everyday, yet I'm having such a hard time. And I'm really worried, because it counts in my GPA. Goodbye good GPA after this. No way am I getting an A. Hopefully I can manage a B. It's super stressful and I just don't want to worry about it. I want to enjoy Japan. But as it is, I'm constantly struggling to do well in these classes. Tuesday was a little better. It's always better on days when we have nishiwaki for two hours instead of matsumoto. She's just more fun. Then we went to the tea ceremony in the afternoon. We had to sit on our knees, which is painful, and eat sickly sweet candies and very bitter green tea. I decided that I will not be making a study of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. Then I spent the evening studying for a vocab quiz. Wednesday was Kim's 20th birthday, which is a big deal in Japan. Actually, it's the most important birthday that they have. It's when you become an adult in all manners. After class, James and I snuck up to the station to get things to make pancakes for dinner and then to pick up a cake that we ordered on Monday and to pick out some champagne. I let James do that, because I had no idea how. Also my foot was bleeding and I had to go clean it. Another bike incident. I think it's funny that I have never been in a bike crash, and then I have two in the same week. It's just getting used to a new bike. Then we got a call from Nora, saying she was at Mitaka but had lost her wallet. So we biked over there to find her, but she wasn't there. We couldn't contact her, so we waited a while. Eventually she answered, said that she didn't need help anymore. So we went home again. Snuck the cake in, and studied for a while (grammar, kanji, and speech the next day) and then made pancakes, had a birthday party etc. Thursday class was so painful, but we got through it. Then we realized that we had very little homework, and were super happy. We made stuffed tomatoes and watched 30rock and just had a really fun relaxing time. Friday after class we went to zen meditation at this buddhist temple. I am never becoming buddhist. Too much sitting and thinking. And then we had to eat dinner in a very fancy way that was so unfortunate. Like, bowing to everyone, eating by holding everything with only two fingers and a thumb. And I just can't do it! So horrible. Then you know, you have to eat everything. So I had to eat tofu and eggplant and beans (two kinds). I made myself swallow everything, but I was so not enjoying it. Everyone else liked it though, so that was good. In the evening, we all crowded into Victor's room (kim, james, nora, me, victor, hideki, kotaro, miho, and then later jack, john, and evan) and watched accepted and they drank and we talked and it was super pleasant. We went to bed at about 12, and then James and I got up and make pancakes this morning for us, kim, patrick, and victor. Did some homework, and now I'm thinking of going out to find a used guitar. Also I need to get a belt. I can't maintain my weight here, and now all my pants are falling off all the time. So a nice classy brown leather belt that I can wear everywhere. [karma: 0 (+/-)] Katie on 07.24 at 10:12 [no thoughts] Saturday, July 18th Muse Well, Friday night plans finally gelled at about 8 pm, which gave me a couple of hours to do nothing. I folded laundry, and vacuumed the floor of my room. I took out trash and considered my homework. In a city that runs on trains, everything aligns itself to the train schedule. So if the last train at night is at midnight, and the first of the morning is at 5:30, if you're out after midnight, you're out all night. That's just how it works. Luckily, the government and business owners understand this, so things stay open. For instance, clubs stay open, all night. So do the adjacent restaurants which cater to the hungry people who have been dancing for hours on end and are starving as they stumble back to the station. When it comes to clubs, there are apparently many different kinds. There are mega clubs which hold thousands and have several huge dance floors, and there are clubs which are more like art galleries and more laid back, and then there is the somewhere in between. We decided to go to the somewhere inbetween, mostly because it didn't look too intense (for our first time clubbing) but also because there was no cover for women. I don't go clubbing, and I had no clothing deemed acceptable, so Kim lent me a dress. If you know Kim, you will understand how daring I was being accepting something from her, but it turned out not to be too terrifying. She's a bit taller than me, so it had to be even shorter on her. Anyway, just black, simple, spaghetti straps and cut straight through the body with an asymmetrical hemline and a ruffle. The hemline was mid-thigh at the long side. I borrowed black sandals from Nora (pseudo-gladiator style, just not as intense). I put on a lot of eyeliner and mascara and blew dry my hair, and was ready to go out. We went in a group: Nora, Kim, Pooja, me, James, Jack, and Evan. We had to go from musashi-sakai to shinjuku, then take the oeda subway line to roppongi, then walk to the club. We almost missed the last bus to the station (by we, I mean everyone except for James and me). They ran ahead as fast as they could, and barely caught it while James and I stayed back and got directions. Then we biked up, met Jake and Pooja who were coming from different places, and took the train into shinjuku where we met up and switched to the oeda line. So many stairs, you have no idea. Once we were off, it took us a little time to find the club. Lots of asking directions in Japanese, but we figured it out eventually and went inside. It was really cool inside, multiple stories, two djs, one room really intense dancing, the other more laid back. We decided to start slow, so grabbed drinks (nothing for me) and sat down at a reserved table which we decided was reserved for us. No one stopped us. It was only a little past midnight, so things were slow, but it was already quite apparent that the crowd was going to be eclectic and entertaining. You had your middle age gaikokujin who were vacationing, japanese salarymen in full suits celebrating the weekend, and your typical young club set. We, as a group, attracted quite a bit of attentions, as young foreigners. I tried the tiniest sip of James' long island iced tea. I mean, like about the size of the smallest measuring spoon you have seen. It was disgusting. I had to wash out the burn with water. So disgusting. We went dancing after that. There were a few creepy moments. For instance one guy grabbed my hand and pulled me over to his friend (who was actually a very attractive tall young japanese man) and introduced me by saying, "this is my friend , he likes you." Then the man took my hand and kept talking to me. Every time that I said something, he would have to bend down to hear me, and then he'd take the chance to run his hand down my hip. Awkward. And he was asking questions about where I was from and how long I was here and who I was with. When I said I was with friends, he said, not a boyfriend? So I made up a quick lie about a boyfriend and ran off to dance again. I didn't run into him again. Pooja had an awkward experience though. This 45 something guy kept staring at her really creepily. She glared at him and told him to leave her alone, but he wouldn't. He kept coming closer actually, so I gave him a death look too, and he just smiled, so I gave him the finger (sorry mom). Finally, he came over to us while we were dancing, and I told him that when a woman says that she isn't interested she means it, and he came too close, so I pushed him away. At this point, James and Jack (who is 6'4" and built) came over to talk to him, and basically threatened to enforce what we had said. He left us alone after that. The rest of the evening was incident free. We danced and talked and had just a really great time. At 4:30 we started to think about leaving, and we probably headed to the subway at around 5. I fell asleep standing up on the subway, and then again dozed off on the train. James and I then biked home while everyone else did the bus thing. We stopped at a コンビニ and got something for breakfast (mine was pan with jam and cheese filling) which we ate biking back to ICU. Then I went inside, threw the dress in the laundry machine, showered, and then crashed. Only excitement on the way back was when Evan almost fell onto the train track (he was a little intoxicated). Jack grabbed him by the waist and dragged him straight back just in time. I slept from 7 to noon, and then got up and did some homework. At about 2, James, Victor, and I went up to the station to do some grocery shopping. Then we came home, more homework, and then we started cooking. James and I had decided to cook fried rice, but we couldn't get the rice cooker to work. So it took us about 3 hours to get everything cooked. We were being miserable and hungry in the lounge at about 8, so Victor ran out and got Kim, James and me chocolate and milk coffee, which makes him my hero for the evening. Then the rice was done and James and I made fried rice (well, he did most of the cooking and I helped out here and there). We just brought the whole plate downstairs and ate it with forks. Then we grabbed the second half of our melon and ate that from the skin with spoons. Delicious. We just lay in the lounge and talked and watched youtube and read fml and such and did homework until about 12:30 or 1. We discovered a hello kitty theme park, which I feel like I may be required to attend at some point soon. It was fun and comfortable, and then I came back to my room and showered and talked to Liza until about 2. Then I crashed and woke up at about 10. Apartment hunting today! じゃね！ [karma: 1 (+/-)] Katie on 07.18 at 08:20 Thursday, July 16th The second week You know how things go during the week. Everything just gets all insane and there is nothing that you can do about it. I've been working incredibly hard, but you know, playing hard too, so that's good. I guess it's about time to give you an update of all week. Monday was class, of course, and after I went to a cultural activity on traditional Japanese dancing. We saw some demonstrations first and then they let us wear yukata (which looked less awkward on me this time than it did last time) and then we learned a dance. Someone dragged me into the front row, right in the center, which was sort of uncomfortable, but whatever. It was really とても楽しかった。 Tuesday was a good day. Class was alright, followed by a private meeting with my teacher. I got the mean one. We have two teachers, and one has a really lovely friendly face, all round cheeks and bright eyes, but she's much stricter than the other, and makes me more nervous. The other is sharper angles and seems so much more difficult, but she's actually super sweet. It's weird. I don't know their names. She mostly said what I knew she would say. We had the whole meeting in Japanese, of course. We talked about how the class is hard for me, but I told her I was trying. She asked me to try harder, but I think she likes me because I used keigo and desu/masu with her, which is polite. Some kids will use plain speech with their teacher! Anyway, she did say that she doesn't think I'm a complete failure. Then we talked about my project (on coffee culture in America and Japan). She told me that she thought that it wasn't deep enough, but when I explained to her that I was using coffee as a jumping off point to analyze cultural assimilation and the influences that these two countries have on each other, she seemed really interested. Now she's actually quite excited for my project, which is good. I just hope I can live up to her expectations. Then Tuesday evening a whole bunch of us went into Tokyo to Yasukuni Shrine where they were having a matsuri (festival). We got split up between those of us who biked to musashi sakai station and those who bussed to mitaka. (PS, every time I've biked it, I've beaten the bus by a good ten minutes. I love biking). So Kim, Lisa, James, and I wandered about. The smells were amazing. They had the whole walkway lined with stands selling traditional festival food. I couldn't eat most of it, but it was alright. I think my eyes were popping out of my head the entire time. They had takoyaki and yakisoba and okonomiyaki and crepes and so much other stuff. I got boba and fresh pineapple and dango (which is like mochi, which is pounded rice. Mine had azuki, which is sweet red bean paste and so delicious). All of it was so amazing. Lisa got this watermelon (they're smaller here) and you just cut off one end and scoop out the fruit with a spork, eating it seeds and all. We shared it amongst us. The actual shrine was beautiful, lit up with paper lanterns some with names, and some with the most beautifully ornate paintings. People were buying wish paper and tying them up on strings, and everyone was happy. Lots of girls were dressed in yukata, and children too. We even saw one cat with a little yukata on riding on her owner's shoulder. On our way out we went into a haunted house. It was so funny, but terrifying at the same time. There were real people in there, and they thought it was hilarious to chase the foreigners, so they would leave their zones to chase us through it. We went home after that, back through the subway and the trains to musashi sakai, and we biked him in a happy stupor. Too bad we all still had to study for the vocab quiz the next morning. The quiz was easy though, and Wednesday's class actually went really well. I was on top of it, and I felt like I definitely belonged in C5, which was nice for once. Then, after class, we went back to the lounge, and several of us sat around and did our homework before rushing into Roppongi to catch a 4:40 showing of Harry Potter. We got there a little late (missed the first 10 or so minutes) but were able to see the rest of it. It was good, probably my favorite of the movies so far. The actors have matured now, and so they are just better. For instance, their portrayal of the sexual tension in their trio was so believable and so heart breaking. And I thought Draco was just incredible in this movie. He seemed so wasted, so terrified underneath his confidence, so dark, but yet so sympathetic. We got food at a little store in Roppongi, that was done in the same jidohanbaiki (vending machine) style as the others. I got udon noodles with tempora batter and onions. We sat at bar stools and chatted before catching the train home. Once I got back, I crammed a little grammar and kanji into my brain, then crashed. Thursday morning's class was not quite as successful as Wednesdays, but it was bad for everyone. We were all worn out, and the prospect of the following day's test was terrifying. But the quizzes were still easy, which is a wonderful sign. We got our lunch from the dining hall in our ten minute second break, and ate it in the CP (Cultural Program) Lounge while we gathered and prepared to make our way to the Studio Ghibli Museum. Kim, James, Pat, and I decided to bike, and got directions. It was pretty easy, we had to go up to musashi sakai, then follow the train tracks to mitaka, and then go down this one road to the museum. By now I was completely out of clothing and wearing jeans, and it was so hot that I asked everyone if they would think me disgusting for raiding my laundry bin. After receiving three neighs, I grabbed a pair of moderately clean shorts, and we were on our way. It took about thirty minutes, but there was one memorable moment when I collided head long with this guy who pulled out onto the street right as I was crossing it. There was a fence there, so neither of us could see each other. My shoes flew off across the street, but other than that I was fine. One little cut on my leg that was bleeding and a few bruises which are tender but fine. I didn't even fall off the bike. The guy however, was terrified. He was just staring at the clumsy gaijin who hit him, and had no idea what to do. Until I started cracking up. I asked him "大丈夫?" and when he said "うん、大丈夫、" I just lost it. It was so hilarious, that you can't really understand from the words. But here I am running around trying to retrieve shoes while this guys stands there terrified that I'm broken or something, and all my gaijin friends are there. And I've never crashed my bike before, and it was just wonderfully awkward. We beat the others to the museum, so we biked through this park right there for a while, which was cool, then we went into the museum. It was so amazing. The actual building was incredible. All small children's archways and itsy-bitsy spiral staircases (there were full size normal versions of everything as well, of course, but we took the children's ones because they were much more fun. They had really interesting displays and original artwork and workrooms and a rooftop garden with a full size robot from laputa, castle in the sky. They had a huge stuffed nekobus, that little kids could play on. We wanted to so much. They had an amazing gift store too. I didn't get much, just a soot ball keychain (they're in several of the movies, and I adore them. In Spirited Away, they take her shoes, and she feeds them little star shaped confetti esa (animal food)). And I got a little totoro pin. They also have a special movie theatre where they show special shorts that you can only watch there. Ours was about little kids and their imaginary boat and trip to the sea, where they catch and are then rescued by a whale who steals their bait. I was so excited that I understood 90% of it, as there were no subtitles. And we got to keep the tickets, which were amazing. Mine was from Ponyo, their newest movie, and it is so cool! We walked through the park a little, the four of us with bikes, and played on this playground with really narrow swings. My hips were the only narrow enough to use them. It was really pleasant. Then we biked home, taking back ways and surface streets because Kim and Pat really hate the main roads. We decided to make dinner together, so we stopped at the 7/11 department store at musashi-sakai 駅　(eki, station) and got the fixings for curry-udon. And of course some pan. They took a different route without telling us, so James and I stopped and waited a bit, getting some milk tea at a コンビニ（convenience store). When we got home, we all went up to James' room, because somehow he ended up with like ten million pots and pans when no one has anything else. Fair? We think not. Anyway, they whined a little (mostly Pat), but after I showed them how easy it was, they cooked their meat in a separate pot, and then let Kim and me take our food before they added their meat to it. It was so good. We got the spiciest curry we could, so it was probably about mild by Texas standards, and so delicious. Then we studied for our respective tests. Pat is in C4, but they had a test today too. I guess we did that until fairly late, moving down into the lounge later in the evening. I got pretty miserable, because that's what studying does to me, but it was fine. Then Victor, James, and I sat up talking about our lives and growing up. Victor is really interested in my life, and always asks me a lot of questions. He thinks I'm a really interesting person. I don't mind, but see, I think his life is so much more fascinating, and I really want to hear about him. Growing up in the soviet union? Wow. Today's test was grueling, but I think I did alright. There was a section on it of 5 questions on adjectives on a section that I did not know to study. I had to guess on all of them, so that was too bad, and I know I made one mistake on the grammar part. But the kanji I got all right, and I think I did well on the reading/writing and listening sections. So. It was 2 hours and 20 minutes of testing, which was exhausting. And then they expected us to function and be active in the last class, where we were doing role-playing and speaking practice. James and I were partners, and that was alright, because we were both a little out of it, so we helped each other through it. Although he was a jerk at one point. He went to the doctor for a broken knee and I was the receptionist and he didn't bring his insurance! And then every time I tried to help him out of it, for instance by asking if he had been to this hospital before so I could look up his information, he would just continue to be difficult and say no. Of course, this was the time we were demonstrating the whole conversation to the class. So はずかしい　(hazukashii). Then we went to lunch, uneventful, and I came back to global house to do laundry (finally), do some studying, and do this. I'm not certain about my weekend plans yet, but it should be pretty fun. And busy. Rough draft of my project due on Monday, and my third essay due on Tuesday. And on Sunday, I'm going apartment hunting, but I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going to live. My homestay fell through, because my family had a family emergency and canceled at the last minute. James said that he and Nora looked into a place that was really nice, close, big, pre-furnished, but there was only one room so they didn't take it. Well, we're not counting on there being three in one building, so I'm going to see if I can get that room. Then I can bike to school everyday (trains can be a bit expensive), and everyone can hang out in my place, since it'll be the largest and closest. So, I guess that's my life up until now. Somewhere in this mess I got my Suica card, which is like a rail pass. You put money on it and such. And I just finished my last load of laundry, so into the dryer, and then maybe a little more work before I figure out my plans for tonight. [karma: 1 (+/-)] Katie on 07.16 at 11:15 Monday, July 13th All night Karaoke Wow, so much has happened since I last wrote. Life here is so vibrant and busy, that everyday seems like an entire week. I guess I left off at Saturday afternoon, so I'll pick up from there. So, Saturday I went into Shinjuku. It took me about 30 minutes to find Pooja, James, Kim, Nora, and Leslie outside of the station, but we finally did and then things were wonderful. We wandered about. I didn't shop so much as I watched everyone else shop while James and I made sarcastic comments. It was fun. And I had mango boba, which was delicious! Then everyone but Pooja left and she and I wandered around Shinjuku window shopping. We stopped at a soba-ya where they had some vegetarian soba. Like many restaurants around here, you order and pay at a huge vending-machine like thing outside, then you take the ticket it prints out and go inside. You sit at this long counter right around the huge frying surfaces, or whatever they are, and you give the ticket directly to the cooks, who fill your order and give it back over the counter. You can then eat, and watch them cooking. It is so cool, and everything smells delicious. We looked around, and I couldn't decide what I wanted, but eventually decided on an ivory skirt. I didn't buy any clothing though, but I did get a really lovely necklace and a pair of hoop earrings. I've always wanted hoop earrings, but have never owned a pair. They're strangely empowering. Home, and then hanging out in the lounge until it was time to break curfew and walk the 2.5 miles up to musashi-sakai and the karaoke place. I did it barefoot: wedge heels are not the best option for the hike. We got there at about midnight, and got into our rooms. The whole thing was nomikai, which means as much as you want to drink. Of course, I was just drinking water, but there was a lot of alcohol about. Actually, just drinking water could be debated. Someone had a water glass full of clear liquid that looked just like my glass of water and I took it and had a huge gulp before I could stop myself. It was something, and it burned and my eyes started to water. Horrifying. Mostly it was fun. There was one awkward moment where I stood on this round foot-stool to see some boys dancing the music video dance from Beyonce's Single Ladies. It was wedged in between bodies, and I couldn't stand at the center of it, so I was off to the side, and very precarious, so I put my hand on my friend, Victor (who is from the Soviet Union and can lick his elbow)'s, shoulder for support. But Victor, like everyone else, had been drinking and he flailed when I touched him, causing me to fall flat on my butt, tangling my feet in the upturned seat. My big toe on my left foot is swollen and bruised. Unfortunate, particularly on the long walk home. Actually, though, the walk home was great. I got to talk to some really cool people, and more amazingly, I got to see the sunrise in Tokyo. It was wonderful. I went to bed at 5:30 AM, and woke up at noon on Sunday. Sunday I spent the morning doing some homework and talking to people. I went and bought soap, because that just need to happen at some point. Then I meet up with Pooja in Kichijoji, and we did more shopping. I'm still on the search for a light girly ivory skirt, but it's so weird here. I can't find ones that fit me. Some people say sizes all run big, but they don't. I just find it weird that medium is the biggest size at some places, and that it doesn't fit me, when I normally wear a medium or small in pants. So mendou. We ate Indian food, because I'm not very familiar with it and because no one better to discover it with than someone from India. I loved it. Curry and nan, and everything else. It was amazing. And the people there, seeing Pooja, sent us free ice tea. "Service" they said, trying to explain to us foreigners why drinks were appearing suddenly. We got home late and then sat in the lounge and talked, laughing until we cried. It was so much fun. Then Pooja missed all of the buses home, and I stayed up until after midnight coaching her on the way home. She eventually had to take a cab to get up to the station in time to make her curfew. But she did, so it's all good. Nothing lost, nothing gained. I memorized my speech as I worried. Today, I had class. Everything was pretty fine. Only one moment when I looked like an idiot. I just don't know enough kanji! But then, we had to give a speech. When it was my time, I got so nervous, and apparently I looked like a deer caught in the headlights. My whole body was shaking and I felt dizzy. I don't know why I get so nervous, it never helps, but I do anyway. Class no ato de, I went to a cultural event on Japanese traditional dance. We watched some good dance, then we got to wear yukata and learn some dancing, play with fans. I asked the teacher a question; so many of the songs ended up the subtonic as opposed to the tonic, which seemed so weird. She was super happy when I showed interest and kept asking me questions and looked all excited. Then James, Kim, Andrea, and the boy who used to have the swine flu but is actually alive and healthy and really does exist went to get bikes. I tagged along. We hung out at Don Juan's which is this store that sells everything. Insane. Then we went up to Musashi-sakai and they bought their denki-jisho and I bought a little pouch for my pencils because I've been needing one. We went to a pan ya to buy bread for the week. You take a tray and some tongs and just fill it up with the most amazing bread. Then back across the to Beard Papa's for creme puffs. We biked home. Apparently I bike like a lunatic. I just like to go quickly and I'm a very capable rider, so I don't hit things, even when I do go quickly. I guess I freaked some of the others out, but I was the only one who knew the way. Then I did my homework, and now I've just been sitting here doing this. I bought tickets to go with 4 other people to see Harry Potter the day of the premier. We get to see it when the people in America get out, or something like that. 4:40 on Wednesday. I'm pretty excited. Not much else. I'm going to study kanji a little tonight, and I really want to talk to people, but no one is online. I guess that's all. おやすみ！ [karma: 1 (+/-)] Katie on 07.13 at 05:12 Friday, July 10th 金曜日の歌舞伎 Last night I crashed as soon as I got home, so I'm going to write it up along with this morning. I assume I'll be sleeping straight tonight as well, so that'll come later. A morning my phone alarm went off at 7, which was wonderful, because now my phone is actually working wonderfully and beautifully. Yay. I got up, got ready, made myself some eggs with toast and studied for my kanji and grammar quizzes. To class. The first hour we took our kanji quiz and wrote an essay on our project theme, which I've changed to examining coffee culture on campuses in America and Japan. Hmm, I should interview people soon. The quiz was insanely easy, and I'm fairly certain that I got them all right. Second hour was the also easy grammar quiz followed by a discussion of culture shock and and work in groups. Third hour was by far the best, because we had ICU volunteer students come in and we broke into groups of three with a volunteer and talked about culture shock that we had coming here and that they had had when they had gone abroad. I feel horrible, because I can't remember my volunteer's name, but he was really cool. After class, I went to the dining hall, and I got rice and tamago and milk and green tea. I sat with my volunteer because he was alone, and we had a really pleasant Japanese only conversation for about 10 minutes. I didn't freak out at all even, and was able to say everything that I wanted. It was exciting. Then everyone came over and it was a little hard to talk, because I'm not super loud and assertive and some of the other people are so it's easy for me to just sit quietly. Then it was back to global house and I was lame and I did homework. Just finished an essay and talked to people online for a while. Really chill. We have a ton of homework this weekend (two essays, and project proposal, and speech, a reading and a worksheet on it) so I wanted to get a jump start. Then I came down to the lounge, and we sat and talked for a while. We left for kabuki at 4:30, and went in to the national theatre in Tokyo, which is right across from the Imperial Palace. Amazing. And the show itself was great. It wasn't a full play (those last 5-6 hours) but it was an explanation of kabuki followed with a few scenes and dances that are particularly famous. In kabuki all the actors are male, so we saw this one dance that was done by a flower princess and the man performing her was so feminine. It was insane. One thing was a little irritating. Pooja and I lucked out and got center aisle seats in the front row, which were amazing, but when we got to them, people had taken them and refused to move. So we got shunted off to the side. Even more annoying was the fact that they took two people on stage and they were the people in our seats. The let them where the costumes, and they gave them some pretty awesome souvenirs. I was sort of seething, because, really, you sit where your ticket tells you to. Anyway, on the way home, Pooja, Lisa and I split off from the group, because I hate being part of some huge foreigner parade. We took the same trains and such, but we went in different cars. We were all really tired, so we just stood together and were cracking up, saying random things, and making puns on Japanese words. It was great. I'm probably going to go have dinner with Pooja's host mother pretty soon, which should be awesome. Apparently she cooks real food. We missed the last bus from the station and had to walk home from Musashi Sakai. It wasn't too far, but I was in heels, which I took off and carried instead. I also found a Beard Papa, which is the creme puff store that I fell in love with in Hawaii, and I might have to stop there today. I did a tiny bit more homework, but rejected the invitation to watch Boondock Saints, and then crashed. This morning I woke up at 9, and spent the morning writing my second essay. This one is on a cultural shock experience that either a friend or my volunteer had experienced. No big deal. Then I went grocery shopping. I biked to the department store near the station to get most of it. I just needed vegetables, so I ended up with carrots, spinach, and a leek, all of which sound so delicious. Hardest thing in the world though? Biking through the crazy crowded Tokyo streets with a leek sticking out of your basket. I then stopped at the kyuukyuu on my way home to pick up a few more things more cheaply. Most notably a peach, which is like a huge treat and I'm so excited to eat. On the way home, I had groceries hanging from my handlebars and my basket was overflowing. Since all the wait was on the front wheel, the steering wheel, it was super hard to drive, but I didn't kill anyone. Then in the dorm again, a late lunch snack and a tiny bit more homework. I'm going to Shinjuku again pretty soon to meet Pooja &c. I really want to buy another skirt, because I only brought two and everyone here wears skirts all the time. It's insane. So if I see a pretty one for a reasonable price...anyway that's the goal. Tonight is kareoke, which I have tentatively signed up for. Problem is we have to work around a curfew and bus schedule, which means we're planning on leaving at midnight, and not coming back until 4 am, which I'm not so sold on. We'll see... More on this afternoon later! じゃ、ね！ [karma: 3 (+/-)] Katie on 07.10 at 11:33 Thursday, July 9th 小学校に訪ねた日 Today was so much fun. Amazing. Well, it didn't start off too hot, I guess. An awkward conversation in the morning...it just hurts when you can feel the distance between you and people. Yeah, there's a lot of physical distance, but you don't want to feel it when you do talk, sort of put me in a fowl mood during class. But things started to look up when I aced my first quiz, and then did a fairly competent job during the discussions. Of course, when she called on me, I panicked and said some fairly wrong things, which was embarrasing, but whatever. Later everything went fine. She has this annoying habit of hovering over you when you talk, which always makes me feel really small and confused. It is unfortunate. After class, though, I grabbed some sandwiches and when to the shogakou (elementary school) to play with the kids. I got paired with a little boy (whose name I can't recall) and a girl named sayaka. They were the most adorable things ever! Very active, they like grabbed me and pulled me outside and made me play first tetsuborru, or something like that which roughly translates to gymnastics on the little metal poles parallel to the ground. I impressed them with my skin the cat abilities. Then they took me inside, showed me the lunch room, play room, their classroom, and rounded up some kids to play basketball. Which means I went back outside, and had to play basketball. It was unfortunate. I only had little wedge slippers to wear, so it was interesting. But I was more coordinated than I thought, and I could reach up and touch the net without even raising on my tip-toes, so I was in good shape. Then we went inside and they had me hula-hoop and try these stilt things which have a name that involves the word for horse (uma) and I think roughly translates as walking as a horse, or feet of a horse. They are very difficult. This whole time, I'm talking mostly in Japanese. Sayaka loved speaking in English, and would talk to me first in nihongo, but then go back and sub in as many english words as she could, so that I could check them. It was adorable. We took photos and talked about ice cream, and one little girl was fascinated by my eyes and made me kneel down so that she could look at them more closely. When it came time to say good-bye, I really didn't want to go. Sayaka held my hands and gave me a hug, which is a big deal because Japanese people are very unphysical, and she told me that I had to come back and visit her. I want to, I really do, she is so sweet and adorable. But I don't think I'll be able to. Then we walked back to global house and I did some studying and started working on my project. I have a project and a speech due monday, and we're writing an essay in class tomorrow (but also being visited by some local students for a cultural exchange and discussion, which should be nice). My mail arrived with my phone card, so now my phone is working. And in such a Japanese way, they included it in a nice metal case and sent me a little phone charm as a way to say sorry and thanks for your patience. It is pink and has a butterfly, but I'm using it anyway. Very nihonteki. James quizzed me on kanji and I failed, which isn't surprising because I hadn't studied yet. Pooja and I went to the Italian place for dinner, and I had risotto and cranberry juice, she had pizza and ordered a cocktail to celebrate the fact that we're 20 and legal. We talked for a long time, and I realized how great it is to have a friend here. A close friend, not just a sort of distant friend, or a friend that you have to be happy around, a real friend that you can talk to deeply. I'm going to miss her during the semester, and I'm so glad that we're rooming together when I get back. I came home and had to go study, because I have two quizzes tomorrow morning, but it should be good. I'm pretty sure I know them. Now it's 11:30, which seems to be par for the course around here, and I'm going to crash. おやすみ！ [karma: 1 (+/-)] Katie on 07.09 at 07:32 Wednesday, July 8th The second day of class Thus concludes another busy day. My alarm didn't go off this morning, so I didn't wake up until 7:45, when I had to be at the class building at 8:15 to sign up for the Studio Ghibli Museum Trip. I barely had time to grab bread and jam, and had to throw my hair (which looked horrible) up into a ponytail for the day. But I made it. Class was grueling, but I think it went much better today. I understood most of it, and I was mostly able to make intelligent comments. So the three hours seem to be breaking down into grammar, reading, conversation, and kanji. Today we spent an entire hour and a half just discussing the reading, and then having conversations about prejudices and how they're formed and what actions we think should be taken to prevent them. Discussing our personal experiences with them, as well as our own false conceptions about other races and cultures, and the difficulties involved in not forming these misconceptions. It was interesting. I feel fairly certain that I'm at the bottom of the class, which is an uncomfortable and unfamiliar position, but with only 2 years at the college level...well most have 3 or more, and many have lived in Japan for some length of time to get here. But I'm a hard worker, and I feel certain that I can improve and do well. I just wish it weren't for a grade, because I'm not so sure about my ability to get a solid A. We'll see. We got a project too. A 1500 character essay and presentation on some aspect of Japanese culture and some aspect of ours. We have to interview some Japanese people for it. I need to pick my topic like now. I want to do something with music, but I don't know what. I wish I knew more about Japanese culture so that this would be easier! After class I signed up to climb Fuji. We do it in two days, hiking the summit at night so we hit the apex at sunrise. Then we stop at an onsen (hot spring) on the way back and relax a little). It should be amazing. Lunch, of onigiri, salad, milk coffee, and chocopan. And of course green tea, which they have for free in the dining hall for several hours a day (posted hours on a sign by the machine), even when the hall isn't actually serving food. Pretty amazing. Home and homework, which took about an hour and a half to do my two worksheets. I was talking to people throughout though, so I wasn't very efficient. This was followed by lounging and talking and "studying" for my vocab quiz tomorrow in the lounge for most of the afternoon. Friendly cuddling and chatting. Then back upstairs to cook dinner of egg/bell pepper/salsa hash and another slice of bread with jam. That's when I really learned my vocab words. Then I watched Independence Day for the first time, dubbed into Japanese with English subtitles. It was hilarious, and sort of scary, and really a generally pointless action film. It was hyped as the Star Wars of the 90s, but I have to refute that and say that it and Star Wars have little in common. Star Wars had a plot; Independence Day had senseless and poorly explained violence. Now I'm doing a bit more studying, then going to jump in the shower once my suitemate gets out. Tomorrow I get to go see the elementary school, which should be amazing! おやすみ！ [karma: 1 (+/-)] Katie on 07.08 at 07:00 Tuesday, July 7th 七夕 There is so much going on here that it's just incredibly difficult to keep up with everything to write it down. Countless times during the day I think of something, but by now normally they're gone, or when I work through the day they don't fit in. So here are a few. I'm not sure if I've mentioned the crows in Japan, but they are huge and loud and very funny sounding. Every time I hear one, I laugh. I can't help it. Some people think they're scary or annoying, but I just found them hilarious. Also the mosquitoes are larger here, and their bites are nasty. I've been pretty fine, since they tend to go for their native food (very few of us hakujin have been bitten). But some of my Japanese friends have become snacks, and one girl's whole arm as swollen up because of it. Our theory: the crows and mosquitoes take all the growth from the country. The grocery stores in Japan are insane. I know I've complained at length about them, so here are just a few oddities which are less complaints as noticeable differences. When you come in, you take a basket, and then a little metal cart that the basket fits into. The baskets are a bit larger than ours at home, but they also equal the entire cart. I know at home I sometimes have a hard time fitting everything into one cart, imagine just one basket. But here no one seems to mind. This must be because the food is also smaller, for instance a block of cheese is maybe enough for two sandwiches, but probably more likely just 1 and a half. Insane. When you pay, there is a little tray that you are supposed to put your money in, and they really expect you to give exact change. When you do, they always thank you specifically for giving the correct change. Then they give you a bag. You are expected to take your things over to a special counter and put everything in bags on yourself. And then, I went to a larger store today, and they had a mexican section! It consisted of salsa, taco shells and taco seasoning. That was it. So, I'll start with the morning. I got up early again, had breakfast of scrambled eggs and bread and jam, and then went to sign up for cultural events and get my test results. I'm going to an elementary school, and I'm going to go see kabuki. Tomorrow I have to sign up for mt. fuji and some other events. Ghibli museum, perhaps. Then test results, I'm in C5, which is out of either 7 or 8 classes, with the higher number being the better. I'm pretty happy about it. But, the classes are insane! So hard. Today we started with a reading assignment about racial stereotypes, then moved on to kanji. I couldn't read or understand any of the reading, apparently no one else could either though, so no need to panic. The kanji, however, was manageable. I already knew a few of them (out of 20). We have three quizzes this week, one on Thursday, and two on Friday. After class we went to the dining hall. The only vegetarian thing was rice with some vegetables and egg, so I got that (they were going to poor some sort of fish broth on it, but I took it before) and then a banana and some milk tea. I love the milk tea here, and the milk coffee. So delicious. Then we went to the dorm, and we wrote our wish for , and then we headed into the city to the Mitaka city center to get our alien registration. Everything there was very efficient, and I was very happy with that. Japan is wonderful in that way. There were people here who were helpful and knowledgeable and they spoke our language or at least tried. It was wonderful. Then we registered for our mandatory nationalized health care, which was annoying, but still efficient. We went home then. And I did more homework. There was a lot of homework. A few minutes later I biked with lisa to the kyuukyuu and then to the station to get some groceries. I bought a binder and some paper and also a jar of salsa for my eggs. Home again, and I finished my homework. Finally. We took pictures with roommates, we bantered a little, Hideki, our helper hung out with us and then when I finished, I went with Kana and Leslie to McDonalds and got some frozen yogurt. McDonald's in Japan is crazy. They're all very nice, and two stories, and they'll bring the food to your table. They also have milk tea/oreo mcflurries, which were supposed to be delicious. And teriyaki burgers and such. Wonderful. I was getting tired, and apparently I started getting a really thick accent, which everyone found hilarious. They were trying to imitate it, and Melvin almost chocked on his spicy chicken burger. Today is Tanabata, which is the star festival. It has to do with a princess who is the daughter of the king of the sky who falls in love with a farmer. But the king forbids the relationship and sets up a river between them to keep them apart. This is the milky way. But his daughter was so heart broken that he allows her to cross the river just one day a year and spend the day with him. That's Tanabata (7/7) and what you do is you bring in a bamboo branch and you decorate it with paper origami nets and chains and you then write your wishes and hang them from the tree. Our helpers set a tree up in our lounge and we all celebrated it. Katie on 07.07 at 07:22 Monday, July 6th Placement Test Day Today started at 7:30 after the best night of sleep I've had here yet. The rock pillow wasn't even so much of a problem. I've started changing my sleeping habits, so instead of sleeping on my stomach with one arm thrown under the pillow and the other curved up to it, I've started lying more on my back, or even my side, which has always been an uncomfortable way for me to sleep. I was too cold again, so I had to curl up in my blanket + toweket, and I had to completely remake my bed. But I got asked for another blanket and was given a second toweket (not the same thing, but close enough) so I should not be so cold anymore. I got out and put on the clothes that I had left lying out, got ready, had a piece of bread with jam, strawberry yogurt, and a glass of milk for breakfast. It was so cute, our helpers used the intercom this morning to make sure everyone was awake and remind everyone about where and when the placement test was. So sweet, they take such good care of us. I sat and chatted with my suite mates for a bit, Kana, Leslie, and Candy (who finally came) as we got ready and prepared. Then we walked over to the testing site. It was raining (my first rain in Tokyo!) so we took umbrellas from the global house stockpile. It's the cutest thing, outside all of the entrances there are little umbrella racks. I chose one that was clear with white polka dots. The placement test was mind numbing. Three hours of Japanese, four tests: comprehensive, reading/kanji, aural, writing. And they were hard. Well, they started easy and got progressively harder. I think I did alright. I know the kanji one was tragic, and the aural got hard at the end, but I had enough time to finish them all which was more than a lot of people can say. We'll find out tomorrow morning where I am. I honestly don't care what level class I'm in, but I don't want to be below all of my friends. I want to be in class with them. But I don't know if that'll happen; they all seem to have more experience than I do. Whatever. I met up with Pooja then, which was amazing, and then we went to the Welcoming Banquet, which was incredible. They had plates of fruit! I had watermelon and strawberries and cherries and pineapple and it was incredible. They also had cake and salad and curry rice and other amazing food. And they invited ICU students, and encouraged us to talk to them. I met some nice kids. Then we went on a tour of the library, just to learn about the computing resources, and the special quirks of the library, how to use the machines, &c. This was followed by a campus tour, which changed from small groups 4-5 students +2 ICU student guides with details about all the buildings, to an massive group saunter through campus with the ICU students. Pooja and Lisa and I talked to this cool Japanese boy named Hiroki who was fun. His English wasn't too great, but we got along just fine in Japanese. It was pretty awesome. This was followed by a trip into the kyuu-kyuu store to get dinner and then Pooja went home to her host mother. Then I went upstairs (3 flights!) and ate dinner. I was all set to cuddle up with a book when the RA's went on the PA again and announced that we were watching Ponya in the lounge. That was really cute, but there weren't enough chairs so I ended up awkwardly perched on an arm of a couch squished into James's side. After the movie we sat down for cards. We played Presidents and Janitors for a while (renamed Pimps and Hos). I was the Pimp quite often, or the vice pimp. It was awkward because I get super competitive. Then we broke down into a smaller group, and played a little bit of uno and talked a little. It was fun, but we kept making jokes about me being a pimp, and then later jokes about awkwardness. Someone said "awkwardness is the spice of life," which led my reply of "then my life is very spicy." I found an english trashy romance novel on the book shelf and took it. I'm pretty excited to read it. Should be fun. Alright, classes start tomorrow morning and I need to go. We get to buy books tomorrow afternoon, which is always a painful experience. おやすみなさい！ Katie on 07.06 at 06:57 Sunday, July 5th The day before the test Okay, let's sum up today quickly, because my placement test is tomorrow and though I shouldn't be nervous, and though I keep telling everyone that it isn't a big deal and that they should not worry, I'm a little anxious. I woke up at about 8, got up at 8:30, and had breakfast of yogurt and a few stolen snacks from yesterday. The yogurt was gross. Like watered down sour cream with fruit chunks. Doesn't matter, I'll eat it anyway. It's dairy. It's fruit. Then I went out shopping with Nora and her suite. I don't technically mean shopping, but we went into town and I found the 99 yen store, which is really nice. They have apples for 99 yen! I didn't get any, but I was tempted. I actually just went for the company. Then home, and a little chatting with people in the states, happy 4th and all. Then I went with Nora to Shinjuku and got amazing soba with yam and we walked about a little. It was crazy crowded, and then we went into a department store, at that was even more insane. They were having a sale or something. They had an awesome hat that I wanted, but wasn't going to pay for. Home we got a little lost. Took the wrong bus, but it all worked out. We got home at like 5. Then I talked with my suitemates, who are pretty awesome, until 6:30, when we joined a bunch of people and went into this cafe thing, like a Japanese Denny's. I just got a dish of rice and some chilled pumpkin soup, which was actually delicious. I also found out that Kana, my suitemate, is fluent in Japanese (just can't really read or right). And I met a guy named Jeff who seems pretty cool and who I figure I'll probably get to know better. Back to the dorm, and lots of the Pomona kids were studying kanji, which was silly, but I sat there and helped quiz them. People joined for the spectatoring, so that was fun. Then to the bike store. Not many of us ended up getting bikes, but I did! It was like $110, which was more than I wanted to spend, but I needed a bike, I love biking, and I can't really walk, like I'm that inept. Plus, shopping will be awesome with this. I'm pretty excited. Bikes here are amazing. They come with built in locks, and baskets, and bells, and lights. Even the cheapest do. It's because they are transportation, not sport here, so they come like you would need them to for transportation. It's really nice. I'll sell it somewhere at the end of the semester, and hopefully get something back, but regardless, I'm just so happy to have one. Now it's time for me to go to bed, but I wanted to get this all down so that I'd have a record in the future. Katie on 07.05 at 07:08 Saturday, July 4th Arriving at ICU Today I arrived at ICU. After a breakfast spent flirting with a young teacher from seattle while his high school students looked on, lengthy good-byes with my friends from the hostel, and another harrowing train experience (where I was ultimately assisted by an old woman who was an ICU alum), I got here. The campus is beautiful. It's huge and filled with trees, grass, bushes...everything is green. The houses and buildings just seem to grow out of it and emerge on the landscape as a truly integral and harmonious part of it. Stunning. I checked in to the program (after a brief detour to the wrong building), and then came and moved into my dorm. Wow, it's amazing. I'm on the fourth floor, with a window overlooking a little grove of trees and a balcony. Each room is part of a four person suite which has a bathroom, a separate shower room with a laundry machine, a kitchen, and a common room with a dining table. Then there are four singles, each of which are nice and large. Mine has a huge dresser, bed, desk, chair, end table for the desk, a mounted bookshelf above the desk, a corkboard, and a large closet complex. It's also air conditioned. All of my stuff fit easily in here, so that was very nice. My favorite part of the suite is the distinctly Japanese entrance with a linoleum section where you leave your shoes (and shelves for shoes) and then slippers to wear in the wood floor part of it. I normally forgo the slippers, but I enjoy taking off my shoes there. I went to get lunch, which proved challenging. I went to 7/11 and wanted to grab some onigiri, but I couldn't read the signs again. (I have since written down the characters for ume, so this shouldn't be a problem again). I found a girl and was talking to her in Japanese, no problem. But when I told her that I was vegetarian, so basically I didn't eat meat or fish, she gave me this really weird look and decided that I must be saying something wrong and went to find someone who spoke english. She didn't really understand me either, and was just confused, but eventually did tell me which one was ume. I then grabbed something to drink and an azuki paste wafer. It was all delicious. I spent the afternoon catching up with the internet and then with my friends here from school. We decided that for the random days that we have to stay in a hotel, we would stay in the same hostel I was in. Apparently, they have some pretty interesting hostel stories. I should have probably gotten to know my suitemates better (although one of them has yet to show up...the other two are from the UCs which have a huge exchange program with ICU), but they arrived late and I'm not sure how well I think we'll get along. We had our orientation at 7, which was fun. We met our "helpers" which are basically a mix of a sponsor and an RA, they're here to get us really settled in and meet any of our needs. We all introduced ourselves, and then there were snacks. I had some milk tea and genji cakes, which were good because I was starving. Like, I was getting dizzy I was so hungry. Being vegetarian here is so hard. Then we broke into groups: grocery shopping, ramen and grocery shopping, and italian and grocery shopping. I joined the third because of the promise of dairy. Plus, what could be more amusing than italian food in Japan? Well, actually, the food was really good. I sat at a table with a college professor from New York named Stephen, and Anna, one of my friends from Pomona. We chatted away, and I think we did a good job of making sure everyone was involved. I was worried for a little while that Stephen felt left out as Anna and I caught up, but I made sure that he had something to say, and I tried to talk more generally and philosophically than about our friends at school and classes, &c. which he wouldn't know anything about. I got pizza with tomato and basil and mozzarella cheese. I ate the whole thing. It was delicious. Then we went grocery shopping, and I bought enough for a couple weeks of breakfast, or maybe one week if I'm doing two meals a day. It was 2270 yen, for two loaves of break (a loaf is 8 slices) a jar of jam, shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, 8 yogurt, a carton of milk, and a carton of grapefruit juice (because I saw the 100% juice sign and couldn't pass it up. There isn't much familiar here and you have to jump when you see it). Then we walked back and Anna and I talked away in Japanese. We made plans tomorrow for Kim and James and Anna to go back to the airport to get their phones so that they wouldn't need their alien registration card (which we're doing on Tuesday, and then will get back the next week). Kim is going to take a note to the lady there so she can sort everything out and then my phone will be working. She forgot to give me my phone card when she gave me my phone, so I can't call because I have no credit. See how that works? And because I have no money on it, I can't register my phone, so I can't add more online. It's a vicious cycle of despair. Then Nora and I are going up in the afternoon and meeting them in Shinjuku where we'll get a big lunch together. It should be fun. I'm really settling in now, and enjoying this. It's a lot easier when you know people, so you aren't all alone in a strange country. All right, now I'm going to go to bed with my rock pillow (they have these at ICU too!) and my blanket and toweket--a strange combination of towel and blanket which is apparently perfect for the humid climate because it absorbs all the moisture, something I find sort of repulsive. It's been a long day, and tomorrow is destined to be just as long. But fun. It's been fun too. Katie on 07.04 at 07:05 Friday, July 3rd From July 3rd I guess I'll start with the bed, since I'm pretty sure that was the only thing left over from last night that I didn't mention. It was weird. Not very soft at all, like just an inch mattress, but for some reason it didn't feel like I was sleeping on the wooden frame. Then it had a cover, and you were supposed to put your sheet over than and the pillow, then another sheet, then your blankets. That was all fine. The pillow was weird too though. It was like a bean bag chair. Kind of hard, I was not fond of it. But not much I can do about that. I was glad I had Mrs. Bearie. That made it all a little better. I was happy that the beds were long enough that my feet didn't dangle off the end. But they were very narrow. Not such a big surprise, since everything here seems to be built on a scaled down model. The hostel itself is nice. I share a room with 7 other girls (although I think there are only 6 others here right now). We each get our own bed and it's surrounded by curtains so you can shut it out to get a little privacy. There are also tables and chairs (again, lower to the ground, smaller, very short backs) and lockers for everyone. Air conditioning, mirrors. Its all very clean too. And moving on to today, we'll start with breakfast, which I ate in the hostel room. It was 450, which was pretty reasonable, I thought. It was two large pieces of toast, a friend egg, some ham or something meat that I cannot identify and didn't eat, and a salad, which caused some confusion because the salad dressing was labeled in unknown kanji. I picked something that looked like italian, but I later found a picture of shrimp on it, so maybe I put seafood marinade on my lettuce? It was all very perplexing, and very early (they made an announcement at 7 in all the rooms which woke everyone up). Anyway, there was no silverware so I got to tackle this whole thing with ohashi (chopsticks), which added to the excitement. But the food was good. I'm going to have dinner here too, because it just makes more sense and because the real world outside of hostel land isn't as bilingual and is more scary. Plus, this is economical. I was joined at my table by a middle school boy and one of his group's chaperones. She had heard all about me from my bathing partner, and I think she sympathized a little with my getting dragged into that. She didn't say anything, but her eyes said sorry. It was sort of funny. The boy kept trying to teach me Japanese, and would correct everything I said, when I was really just saying a slightly more nuanced version of what he was saying. It was entertaining, so I let him do it. Maybe I was being a jerk, but I'm not sure. Probably. I left the hostel at about 9:45, after doing some studying. I took my kanji with me. The name of the game today was learning forgotten kanji. There was moderate success. I didn't know, but apparently we were all supposed to turn in our keys by 9:30 and vacate until 3. Oops. I did leave the building for that time (after my late exit) but I kept my key and no one commented, so that wasn't such a problem. I camped out with my kanji at a table outdoors. There were like 6 or 7 of them just sitting out in this path. When I got there, there were a few extra tables, but those filled up. In Japan, full tables doesn't mean that you just go find another place to sit, in means you share! Anyway, I am totally willing to share, but apparently people don't want to share with the white girl. I did have one man come over to my table, but when I looked up and smiled and nodded my head, he disappeared. Maybe my smile is just terrifying. Maybe he thought I was going to eat him. After a while I decided to venture out in search of food for lunch. I didn't know what I wanted and I didn't know where I could get something reasonable. I'm still not so certain about ordering food because then I have to check that it's vegetarian, and my Japanese is good, but I'd hate to be misunderstood on something that important. So I started wandering. I eventually ended up at this tiny little grocery store that I saw a lot of Japanese people going into. It was sort of old looking, not as shiny as the other stuff, but it looked good. So I went over to get onigiri, and I had my first Japanese only conversation in Japan. I couldn't find ume onigiri, so I asked the woman next to me if she could (the labels were in kanji). She said that they didn't have it, so I then explained that I was vegetarian, and asked which would be vegetarian. I then thanked her when she helped me find one. I grabbed a bottle of water, and then went to check out which was my second Japanese only conversation. The woman didn't even look up, so I don't think she knew I was American until after she had rung up everything (only 210 yen!) and read out the price. Having successfully navigated that, I felt so much more confident. I didn't even have to think the conversations through, I just knew what was being said and what I had to say, and this sort of "thinking in a foreign language" phenomenon helped me feel much more suited for this adventure. I took my food to a little park. Well, not so much a park as a stretch of trees and a stream set to the side of the road. Like the emerald necklace, or whatever they call it, in Boston, with the little parks going by the streets in a big circle. There was a little alcove of benches in a no smoking section, and I sat in a corner and ate my food. Smoking is much more prevalent here. I don't like it. I find it sort of ironic too, that although so many people smoke (probably about 50%) Japan still has the longest life expectancy. I think that if they as a country were to stop smoking, they'd probably all become immortal. At lunch, I was joined at first by sparrows, who were not at all shy and sat with me chirping and watching. They kept their distance though. Polite little birds. Then people came. My favorites were a little girl and her mom. They were eating their bento, and the girl had such a hard time with her hashi. She was even worse than I am! But she didn't stop, trying, even though I think half of her tamago ended up flying out unto the floor. She stared at me unabashed, in the way that the adults won't. They just stick to furtive alienating glances. But she smiled when I smiled and that made it all better. I didn't mind the way she looked at my hair and eyes because her eyes were happy when they did it. After that, nothing was all that interesting. I studied kanji, listened to my ipod, sang along a little when no one was else was about. I watched some pigeons in the park. One had somehow gotten splashed or fell in the water, because it was wet and its feathers were all scraggled. Instead of doing anything about it though, it just sat there grouchily and made faces, obviously moping. I went into a grocery store too, and that was a little bit scary because it was a clear indicator of what is in store for me for the next five months. I recognized hardly anything from the shelves. The things I didn't weren't typically what I would eat on a daily basis. Yes there was bread and eggs, but more there were noodles and rice and seasonings that I didn't recognize. I couldn't even tell you if there were sweets in the store, because the things I found which might have been could just have easily been potato chip substitutes. But the real tragedy was in the produce section. I'm not going to have fruit or bell peppers. They were just so expensive each. Picture a four dollar apple. Even the bad fruit was expensive. A can of peaches in syrup was also around the four dollar mark. The fruit that they did have was very limited. I didn't see a single berry. I don't know if I'll survive this shortage. I have since returned to the hostel. I've spent some time reading directions and maps and I'm pretty sure I have a plan of attach for tomorrow and getting to ICU. Registration starts at 9, but I don't think I'll be getting there until 11 or so, because that way there won't be rushes on the train, which will keep people from getting too mad about all of my luggage. You know, I'm starting to get more comfortable here, with the transactions, the food, the politeness. I was expecting much worse culture shock, but I guess I wasn't lying when I said that Tokyo was just another big city. It is. And I can do big cities. I have been my whole life. Only backlash that I can see is that I am starting to feel more self-conscious of my height and coloring. But mostly my height. I just don't know how comfortable I feel towering over most people, and not just women, men too. I guess I'll get used to it, but it can be a little uncomfortable when the sinks only hit you mid thigh instead of at your waist, and you have to look down all the time. It just reminds you every few minutes that you're an outsider. Katie on 07.03 at 07:41 From July 2nd First impressions of Japan are mixed. It seems very crowded and very loud. But it's not a familiar type of crowded and loud, like when you're with a whole bunch of people who are all like you, moving together, working together. It's the alienating type of crowded and loud where everyone else is speaking the same language and going the same places and you feel like you're swimming upstream. I keep crashing into things with my cart full of luggage. Things here are also expensive. I'm waiting right now for my cell phone to be all set up. I had to buy a phone, because renting was ridiculously expensive. But I'm just not sure. It's all so confusing and I hate having to make adult decisions like this. It's just bewildering staring at a sheet of specifications in a language that I don't understand and trying to figure out what it's saying and what I'm buying. I think I made the best choice, but I can't be sure. I just don't know, and that is so frustrating. At home we would have been able to discuss and compare, but I can't here. And I keep getting lost. I'm always going the wrong place. And this is just in the airport! I'm so scared to leave the airport cart and start braving the metro with my two giant suitcases and my laptop and my purse. And I'm still not sure how to get where I'm going. I'll ask someone. But I will figure it out. In a few hours I'll be in my hostel with my phone and everything and I'll be able to go to sleep. I couldn't sleep on the plane, and so I'm exhausted, but I'm fighting jet lag so I can't just go crash now. It's really not so bad, I just wish I had someone to be confused with. The business travelers with one suitcase and international phone plans who do this all the time keep shooting me sympathetic glances. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that I'm here for so long. Japan Airlines is wonderful though. They treated everyone like first class, not even kidding. They walked through the aisle with tea, black tea, and coffee throughout the flight. They served us a meal and a snack, and they like knew I was vegetarian and had everything prepared for me specially so I didn't have to make a fuss. They gave us warm towels to wash our hands in before meals. And everything was served in little glass dishes. It was so pretty. But it was also funny because the aisles were narrower and the seats were narrower and the seat belts were smaller. I just sat down and thought...there are so many people in America who this seat belt would not fit around. The food was good and the people were polite. And customs was so easy. Everyone is so polite and helpful. But I feel awkward with the politeness. Like, it makes me uncomfortable how nice everyone is because I'm not used to it. I feel like I'm imposing, like they're doing too much. I don't know. The weather is humid too. Or maybe airconditioning hasn't been quite as institutionalized here as it is back home. I'm thinking of ducking into a bathroom (or お手&#27927 and changing into my dress. I had it in carry on just in case. But trying to deal with the luggage in a bathroom seems like so much work. Oh! Funny airport fact. They have complementary shower rooms here. I'm tempted, because airplanes always make me feel disgusting. My hair just flipped out on the flight over and I had to pull at least part of it back. And I have no makeup on. It's not a pretty sight. Which was unfortunate because there was this really gorgeous man on the flight who was some sort of coordinator for this high school exchange with these kids from Vancouver who were sitting next to me. And he kept coming over and talking to them and I felt really awkward next to such a beautiful man. His high school students introduced him as the lovely male specimen. I pointed him out from that description. Yes. Awkward. Furthermore, they then told me that there was no way I was 20, because I looked 17 at the most. I do not want to look 17. 17 is a very unfortunate age where nothing matches up right in your body. I was happy to have finished with that. Anyway, I have to go get my phone now. It's white. I always pick the white one when it comes to these things. I'm like Luke Skywalker in that regard. Then I'll find my way to Shinjuku and Tokyo Youth Hostel. Tomorrow morning : guitar shopping, Japanese food, and exploration! Katie on 07.03 at 07:40 Wednesday, July 1st From the International Terminal of the Vancouver Airport To continue with the documentation of my semester abroad. My journey began at 5:45 this morning when I woke up and decided that I should probably write down my flight information. This proved to be a good idea. I left DFW at 9, headed for Vancouver. There was little fuss there. Some problems checking luggage (they were just slow) but really good in general. The plane however, smelt like old dead fish. It was unpleasant. And, you know, it was 4 hours, which was testing my patience a little. I forbid myself to sleep because I need to sleep on this next leg of the flight. I sat next to the cutest couple though. There were probably 55-65, but they were so in love. He kept putting his arm on her leg, and it was just sweet unshowy love. I felt all warm inside just watching. And I knit. And watched hotel for dogs, which made me miss my dogs more. And I got milk from the flight attendant and she gave me a dirty look and then they were advertising for the Disney Channel on it and I felt like I was 9 years old again. The Vancouver airport is beautiful. It has fountains and ponds and its all glass and walkways and lovely. And the people are so nice. Nice Canadian boys who great you with "Bonjour" and a smile and talk to you about your trip while you go through customs. And they just sent me through to the international terminal, and all of a sudden everything was different. There were so many languages and different food and I felt for the first time like I was going somewhere new and exciting. So, I decided to stick with comfort for food. Got my last really American meal of pizza hut and coke. And then came on here to write everything up and try to skype home. Talked on aim instead. Wore down battery. That means less firefly on the plane. I'll go charge it. I should study kanji anyway. Katie on 07.01 at 11:58	main July 2009 June 2009 April 2009 March 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 email