Long Time, No See.....pff

Today I went to the countryside of the Kansai area. It was very pretty. All around me were mountains, and a little river ran in front of Okaasan's childhood home. The river was pretty low, just a riverbed really. Anyways, I'll explain the day in order.

4:45 am: my alarm goes off

6:00 am: leave the house

somewhere around 9 am: arrive in the little town. I then met Okaasan's little brother, his wife, their daughter Remi and Okaasan's mother. A little later we went out chestnut and persimmon hunting. That was a lot of fun! They shake the chestnut tree and the poky green pods fall from the tree. Then, WITH gloves on thanks much, you rip the pod open and rescue the three chestnuts from inside. Right near the chestnut tree was a persimmon tree, and we twisted some ripe fruits off of the tree. I haven't had one yet, I'll have to do that soon.

Then we went back to the house, I never went back inside just then: I hung outside with Remi (who is 10 and full of energy) and took photos of the really old bridges right across the street from the house, and the shrine that was right across the street too. Then we walked to a soba restaurant. I had soba an tempura and miso soup and rice. There was also some tofu on the plate, but i couldn't even finish what I do like so why try something I only like 1/4 of the time depending on how it was prepared? 

After eating the "kids" (read, Yoko, Remi and I--Ryoichi was at the library studying today) all went to the riverbed and played around. I held a little crab. I haven't done that since I really was a kid! Then, on the way back we went to a Jinjya, which is a Shinto temple, that is right across the street from the restaurant. It was really pretty cool, and incredibly old. I was taught how to pray properly at a Shinto shrine to show respect for the traditions. STILL on the way back Okaasan brings us up to a house just a few down from the family home and introduces us to her friend, a Miko. A miko is a priestess. That was kind of neat: didn't talk much, but I can now say I've met a miko!

Then the three of us girls played on the Wii balance board. It was fun, but man was it hard! Then it was time to go home, which meant another long car ride. 

Wow, somehow I thought I would have more to say about today. But really, that's what I did, and it was beautiful out there in the countryside. I had fun, and wouldn't mind going again. Although I'd be warned this time: no cell phone service. In Japan you rapidly become addicted to texting. And you become skilled at it.....I'm wondering how my cell here compares to my American phone now....

Okay, I ALREADY know my cell phone does not have infrared. For those who are not tech-savvy, infrared can be used to automatically relay cell phone numbers and emails between phones straight into an address book. And I'm pretty sure my phone doesn't let me switch back and forth between languages: even the basic prepaid does that here. Wow...I'm going to miss Japanese cell phones: but not their prices, and not other examples of Japanese technology.

Seriously Japan.....I'm in complete agreement with almost everyone else who has ever mentioned this: TOILETS DO NOT NEED TO BE HIGH-TECH! IF IT HAS MORE THAN A LEVER TO FLUSH IT IS TOO CONFUSING! ...seriously, you need lessons on how to use Japanese toilets....only that's not a lesson anyone is asking for anytime soon....lol. I've got it all figured out, but seriously. You stare at the thing for a minute and go: oh ...now what?

Lol. Eh....well, really, my reason for this post is exhausted. Sometime soon I'll update with a bunch of photos. Or maybe just throw them onto facebook....eh, whatev. 

Laters!

Time Goes On

Okay, okay, I know it's been more than a week. First, for those who are curious, I will fill you in on my health. I still have a bit of phlegm, but my cough is pretty much gone, no fever, and I can breathe deeply. Happy now? Good! 

So, uhh, let's see, what have I done? I had a week of school. Found out I'm NOT getting 9 points out of whatever number on every spoken Japanese assignment.....that was the stinking date the teacher checked the assignment on! I was getting a little worried there. I was thinking, "no matter how hard I try, why can't I get more than 9 points?!" I never noticed the second number was increasing every day, to match the day of the month....ha ha. Smart me, eh? 

Then on Thursday I decided I was healthy enough after all, and had a received an invitation to go to Tokyo , and joined in at the last minute. Could have been better company, could have been worse. Tokyo Tower looks pretty cool, but the area it's in, Ginza? Yeah, NEVER go to Ginza on a Sunday in Silver Week (a 5 day weekend) it's absolutely DEAD! There were no Western restaurants open, and I don't know enough about Japanese food yet to order something and actually enjoy it sight unseen. The few restaurants that were open and had recognizeable food----were reserved for wedding/black-tie parties. Ugh! 

Met up with Diego during one day and got dragged to the Pokemon Center....why, oh why? There were almost no other 'adults' there if they didn't have toddlers in tow! For those who know Japan, I went to Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Akihabara as well as the Imperial Palace Gardens. I saw the Hachiko statue. 

Day 1: arrived in Tokyo, found the hotel, and ate dinner at Outback Steak House. Yum! Japanese hotel rooms are SMALL! 

Day 2: Went to The Imperial Gardens and then Akihabara, from Akasaka, BY FOOT. Uhm, I probably walked about 12 miles that day.... The Imperial Gardens were a bit on the boring side--The Portland Japanese Gardens are prettier. Akihabara was a tad bit of a letdown. For being like, the biggest technology shopping center in Tokyo it was kind of sad. All the shops were tiny and cramped and filled with things I half-recognized, some very old, some very new, some very cheap, some very expensive. And may I just mention? NEVER go into an arcade: they smell of smoke so strongly you can't breathe, and a portion of the material and UFO catcher prizes border on pornographic. Otakus.....it's a guy haven. And the girls floor is all a bunch of crazy pink photo booths where you make crazy pictures.....Saw a parade, something about China, in Akihabara, and this really cool street performer! I'll put up pictures of that later. Then we caught the subway to Ginza and walked to the Tokyo Tower from there. Got lots of cool pictures. It's pretty much a reproduction of the Eiffel Tower, I dunno if it's smaller tho. WE got lost trying to find someplace to eat--stupid stinking city closes ..... grr!

Day 3: Got up, found brekkies, went to Shinjuku. Went during the day, because areas of it are very non-Western friendly and rough at night. It's next to the largest red-light district in Tokyo (or all of Japan?). For those who don't know, certain forms of sexual services are regulated in Japan rather than illegal, and red light districts are where they tend to take place. So we didn't want to go at night. Found a HUUUUUGGGEEEEE and massively expensive department store. Found a Krispy Kreme. Yummy....Then we walked to Harajuku. Got lost on the way---and really didn't even find Harajuku that night. Found another shopping street like 2 minutes from it that we thought was Harajuku----nope, wrong. Caught the train to Shibuya and walked around. Took some amazing pictures of that hugely busy intersection that you always see when you see Tokyo on TV. Went home for the day. Feet were massively sore--got lost between Shinjuku and Harajuku (turns out that the maps in Tokyo suck. They can never keep North in the same orientation on the map from one block to the next).

Day 4: Went back to Shibuya station to find the Hachiko statue. Check. WEnt to the Hello Kitty store that was set up at the station and bought myself a cell phone charm. Not a hello kitty fan, but hey---when in Japan! Then we went back to Harajuku--and found it. Oh man was that a mob scene! The cosplay stores were absolutely crazy! Since I'm writing this blog and most people who are reading it (well, actually I have no idea who is reading it) may or may not know what it is, I'll say this: cosplay is dressing up in crazy costumes like anime characters, or like a theme----and doing it on a regular day a lot of times. Halloween daily. Then we went to the Pokemon store. Uhh...yeah, a bit weird for me since I was never into it. But hey, when the people you're with like Pokemon and want to see it, just as a laugh, you go along. It wasn't too bad. From there we went ot the Tokyo Dome. It's a huge sports arena with a baseball museum there. My host family are big fans of the Giants (a Japanese team). I bought them some sweets as a souveneir their. Got some great photos, once again. Didn't go to the amusement park there, just walked around, enjoyed the sights (gorgeous) and had dinner there. My first hamburger at a sports arena. Probably my last for quite a while too. 

Then the lot of us went back to Roppongi which was near the hotels in Akasaka. Took some photos of the city view at night, or tried to. Not as good as they could have been from a higher vantage point. Too tired to walk any further though. I think all of us Western girls on the trip had this thought in mind: how on earth do these Japanese women wear high-heels every second they are outdoors?!

Day 5: came home. Yeah, pretty much it. Ohhh found a great little cake shop in Kyoto: Berry Cafe. YUUUUUUMMMMM. strawberry cake! chocolate! 

Yesterday, the day after I returned, was school again. bleh! Had to get up early and go to the Language Lab because the teacher assigned us a workbook page that required it---but the lab was closed the whole of Silver Week. 

Today the Japanese students, all of them NOT studying in English at the CIE with us foreigners, had their first classes. Campus was a zoo. And will remain so for the rest of the semester. I'm going to bed early tonight: I have to leave the house at 6 AM tomorrow. We're going to the countryside to see Okaasan's Okaasan. I dunno if I should call her Obaasan or not---it means grandmother but also old lady.....it feels so rude to me, yet it's common here....it's not derogatory in Japan. So, the point being: don't expect me online on the 25th here, 24th in America---I'll be unavailable. And taking photos of Japan's countryside and mountains. Here's hoping for some awesome scenery!

Oh! I've been told that I've become very skillful with chopsticks. last night I was picking up lemon seeds with them! Take that! Lol! 

Okay a list of food I like:

Fish

Rice

Mochi is okay, but not too much at once!

Yakisoba (mum, the stuff I made is a VERRRY poor reproduction)

yakiniku

curry rice

karaage

food that is tolerable:

miso

onigiri

sweet breads

food that I hate:

okonamiyaki

Okay, well, there's more for thsoe lists but I can't think of much more, and I've already typed a lot, and am drained of ideas on what to say at the moment..... I got to do a lot of the food ordering in Japanese. YAY! Levelled up my skill....crap, I'm turning into a geek by osmosis....

Sayonara mina-san!

Kaiyukan!!

Alright, the news on my being sick that I mentioned in the last post? Yeah, I am sick. No it's not a flu of any variety, but yes I have had a fever. Actually I think my fever is pretty much going to be completely gone soon, no matter what I do. (It's really low most of the time.) After being out in the rain yesterday and not coming home with a huge fever I figure I'm pretty much back on my feet. Yeah, sure, I've got a cough still.....why me? 

So anyways...yesterday. The first day it really rained here, and oh boy did it pour! It wasn't freezing, about 70-75 degrees I think. So for an Oregonian who is used to it being FREEZING when it rains, I kind of liked it. Oh...except for walking between train stations and such in the rain. Anyone familiar with how I walk? Kicking my heels back towards each other? A full 16 inches or so of my pant legs were soaked.....my socks were soaked through, AND my shoes. My legs were dripping on the trains I think....lol. But I felt so lively once it began to really rain. The air felt lighter--I hadn't even realized I was still suffering from the humidity. 

Okay, so I'll explain Kaiyukan now that I've tempted you all with the wonderful foreign name. Kaiyukan is one of the world's largest aquarium's. It has 8 floors, and I think all but 2 or 3 are open to the public to see the animals (2 are gift shops and entrance/exit, so i kind of think the bottom/basement must be staff space and supplies and such). 

Kaiyukan had two whale sharks in one of its tanks. They were very impressive! There were also dolphins that splashed around and flirted with everybody, and these great ugly round fish called Sunfish. Ooh they had a capybara from the Amazon (no piranhas) and a great big iguana. They had hammerhead and tiger sharks, and some really freaky looking fish. I.E. fish I wouldn't swim with because looking at them, and how big they were, just made me think of the story about that river in India where catfish have been found to eat people who cross the river because people tossed partially cremated bodies into the water .....

It's too bad photos at aquariums are notoriously hard to take. The water and glass makes most pictures blurry, and the animals don't exactly stop swimming and pose. It was a lot of fun tho! Lunch sucked, but its not like there's a lot of choice at the rest areas in the middle of the aquarium. Greasy, greasy food. 

When we finished with the aquarium we discovered that it was pouring cats and dogs out of the sky. So we pulled out our umbrellas and walked over to the ferris wheel--which each booth is covered. And up we went 112.5 meters into the sky. We were looking down on the huge double-decker suspension bridge and the harbor and that huge aquarium. EVERYTHING but the sky was below us---okay in the distance some skyscrapers might measure up, but they were far enough away that they didn't appear to. It was a lot of fun. It was kind of funny standing up on the thing and watching the others glare when the ferris wheel rocked......If I can't see air beneath my feet or a really steep drop, I love heights.....lol. Okay I hate the clicking of roller coasters, but going upside down is fun....

And then because it was still absolutely pouring we slipped into a mall that was right next to the ferris wheel. There was a store dedicated to Hayao Miyazaki's works---all really expensive of course. And a ninja store. No, I didn't buy anything. I can't really think where I'd put a second katana in my room. Short of buying a whole wall rack, but I'd rather collect memories than collect swords I'll never use. Eventually we decided it was time to head back to the subway.

I like the train better than the subway I think---it comes more often. But to get to the correct train station, that would get us to the line that would take us back to Hirakata (where my school is) we had to dun-dun-dun use the subway! Lol. It wasn't too terribly confusing, just a lot of transfers. At one transfer we walked out, following a sign to a shrine we decided to see, and found ourselves not at a shrine but at the Osaka Castle garden----Osaka Castle is a huge complex, and we found ourselves at nearest edge of it to the aquarium (i think). It was uhm....funny. Let's go with that. I'd say pretty but.....we didn't see a lot. It was too late to bother going into the castle and really to go in we should have gone one more stop on the subway. So we wandered around, made it back to Hirakata where I said goodbye---I wasn't going to go hang at the dorms when I was already at the train station I needed. 

So the locations in Osaka I know that I want to go: Osaka Castle, I want to see the ferris wheel again with clear skies. I also want to see Kyoto and Nara, and a beach. Even if I don't swim, I want to see a beach here. I want to see Tokyo, but I'm still working on plans for that. So late, I know! Because there was no point asking when I was sick and without a group to go, and now that I think I've got the second part worked out, I have to ask--I think I'm well enough to ask, since I was allowed out to play yesterday! Yatta! well, maybe. 

I was kind of laughing inside at how long the line for the bus was....goodness there were probably 100 people in line for buses away from Hirakata station.....and thats a LOW guess. Yeah, a lot of people get on teh train, but its never that crowded when I've been on, and theres more cars to a train than there is room in a bus. 

Maybe its not so bad having to commute an hour each way daily. 

~Jessica

Picture's and Unfortunately Lazy Days

I am stuck in my room today. I'll tell you why when I'm sure what the cause is. Suffice it to say that I am sick. BLEH. It really sucks because today was my first Japanese language class but I couldn't go. So I decided to put up some pictures of Kyoto. Just the two, because with so many its hard to choose! So the left hand picture is of an outlying building-mbob at Kiyomizu-dera. Those are two of my close friends here. On the left is Joel: he's an Australian who is kind of sick of summer (something is wrong with his head, I swear). He's 18, and gets to stay in Japan for a whole school year. On the right is Diego, whose nationality and accent is a mess. Can you say Brazilian-American-Spanish-Portugese? Why he's learning yet another language I'm not quite sure (oh yeah, he flipped a coin). They're both a lot of fun. 

Alright, the picture on the right is of the waterfall at Kiyomizu-dera. It's supposed to be really pure (no contaminants). Everybody gets in a big huge line to drink from it. Doing so is supposed to be offer you good fortune in wealth, health, and education. (and people thought it was love not education. lol). Well Diego decided to drink from all three---and then got laughed at. Doing so, being greedy, apparently brings misfortune. In the next days he did indeed have misfortune with water. Superstitions aside it was very beautiful. All of us in our tour group (four Japanese girls, my friends Georg, Jacinthe, Diego, Joel, a girl named Deanna and I) got our pictures taken drinking the water. I need to get mine....and a decent picture of the geishas we saw. 

I'm doing pretty good here with my host family I think. I can't understand Okaasan very well (the mother) but I think we manage to get most things across even when Ryoichi or Yoko aren't home. I'm NOT doing so well with the trains on the other hand. 

I think I figured it out yesterday, but I'm not sure. It's kind of blurry. I certainly had a nightmare of a time getting to school yesterday morning. I got on the wrong train to start with--I couldn't remember which side to go up to catch the train to the right station, and got on the wrong one, at the wrong time, going the wrong direction. Apparently I zoned on the fact that trains here are actually on time. That's what I get for following another foreigner. I was an hour later to school than I had meant to be. I'd wanted to hang out on campus before class, but I didn't get to spend as much time doing that as I had intended. 

I had my first class yesterday, afternoon class that is. Tomorrow I'm supposed to have 3.... I've now already missed one. UGH! But noooo, I don't know if I can go. Can't very well go sick. Gah! Missing school is only good if you've got something more fun to do, and it's a special occassion. Sick is neither of those!

Anyways, not much to say today. Kind of quiet. 

The last few days have been pretty eventful. I am no longer jetlagged in the least, and am nearly completely recovered from my cold. Okay, so my voice might still have a hint of huskiness to it, but nobody vouch for that! 

The fancy opening ceremony for the international school on Thursday night was dead boring--at least until food time. Wear a pretty sun dress, get stared at, walk 20 minutes in high heels that apparently chafe badly just to get introduced to a bunch of people in suits whose names I don't remember ten seconds later. Bleeeh. Food was a huge assortment of Japanese food. The ice cream was my favorite! Naturally.....ice cream...it's my friend. Then about fifteen minutes before they put our afternoon class timetables into the mailboxes I left campus....they'd told us it would be an hour yet, and I wasn't gonna sit around and wait...

So I did get the classes I want, and today I found out that I have been put into level 2 Japanese. I wasn't sure whether I'd be in level 2 or 3, since of course the classes are harder here. I've also ordered my prepaid phone, and have to be sure to pick it up on Monday. It wasn't ready for me today when I had the chance to buy it. 

Okay, so then that brings us to yesterday. Ordered my cell phone ....I uhh skipped a REEAALLY REAAAAAAALLLLY boring meeting to do so. Yay.... and I went on a tour to Kyoto. My friends and some Japanese students went to Kiyomizu Temple (aka Kiyomizu dera) and it was gorgeous...I need to trade photos around, but I myself took about 100, but only some of those turned out worth keeping. Sorry, there's no way I'm posting that many photos. I might put up some great ones later. Then we went for okonamiyaki. I am SOOO not getting the recipe for that, unless it is to be used as slow torture for somebody I dislike. Tonight's dinner, whatever it was, was much better. Oishi!

Okay, tonight's dinner my host family must have found hillarious. I sure did. I've always just used chopsticks the wrong way pretty happily....well, not anymore. I was getting lessons. And man is it hard to hold them almost all the way up and have enough pressure to pick something up, aim right, and then not drop it! ...it's sooo not as easy as holding a pencil, or even two pencils. Now chopsticks, the grand ohashi, is a work out. For the hands, and the sense of humility. I recommend some of my friends try it: a nice dose of humility could do them good.

Okay, so anyways, today I woke up, packed up, cleaned up, and moved out. I met my host family: Ryoichi is 19, Yoko is 21, and Okaasan (the mom) is very friendly. Yoko and Ryoichi both speak some English which is a big help!!! Ryoichi took me back to his house by the trains, and showed me how I would get to school. Yoko and I talked on the way to dinner and she tells me all of her friends want to meet me...actually apparently a lot of people do. Wow. 

The room I have here is fairly large. Tatami flooring and shoji walls--it's a traditional japanese house on the outside but the furnishings and electricity are distinctly updated. I have a western-style bed, a desk, an a/c (it doesn't work so great--so I have a fan too) and way more space than I need to store my belongings. I had my first shower in a japanese style bathroom too---I'll try to ofuro (bath) another week I think. It is weird to see the stool to sit on as you bathe---before you bathe. Wash, then bathe. Michelle would approve...maybe? Maybe not.

I'm thinking that I will do well in my homestay. I will keep everyone updated. 

Ja ne!

Japan: Week 1

Okay my family, friends, and people who are randomly reading this: I am in Japan! Duh, if you read the title.... 

Anyways, my first impressions were not what I expected. When the airplane flew in to Tokyo Narita airport I didn't see any skyscrapers nearby or anything...landing a plane near skyscrapers doesn't seem so wise upon retrospect. The airport was pretty easy to navigate through: a big plus! Especially for us gaijin who don't know enough Japanese to get around with signs posted in English (as opposed to 'Engrish'). 

I met a bunch of people who are also here at my school on the airplane, and after getting off--i was waaaay too tired to attempt to socialize in the boarding area pre-take-off for Osaka. I fell asleep on the plane....before take-off and didn't wake up until they were bringing around drinks. 

The people I've met so far in the exchange student program: bunches of them are really nice and people I would probably hang out with and be friends with at home. I've been making friends who come from the states, australia, england, france, and other assorted countries. I don't think we have any african exchange students---that continent seems to miss representation. 

The food: hit and misses, as well as in between. I'm enjoying the rice, and karage ( a chicken dish--or rather skewer) is pretty good. mmm kobe melon custard bread is yummy---it's kind of like a doughnut. curry rice is okay--i'm not a huge fan, but i'd eat it okay. Chicken katsu is good, but I knew that before coming. Oh and pizza is ridiculously expensive here, we're taking 1800 yen for one pizza---a small one by american standards. that's approximately 18 dollars folks. Ramen---that's surprisingly a miss. I just can't figure out how to get it in a flavor i'd eat at home---

oh and, of course, the oh so wonderful HEALTH question....first up, jet lag. Yes it is annoying, but it's not really so bad. You're so tired from coming to Japan from America that you crash and I arrived at bedtime here. It's hard to sleep in past 6 am or so though. Sleeping isn't too bad: despite being on the floor and all futons are actually pretty comfortable. The pillows could use improvement though.

 And the second health issue: planes suck!!! the guy behind me was coughing throughout the flight, and I heard a few other people doing so elsewhere as well: i caught a cold. No worries about it being something serious i'm already almost better. I'm energetic and all: i just have a voice deeper than a guy's because of congestion. ugh, the congestion....and cold medicine is very very very expensive in japan. i should take a picture of one of the pills: they look funny too! and yes, hot green tea does help, if only to melt away some of the mucous. 

tv here: FUNNY...okay the show on weird talents last night was, and tonight we watched the first ghostbusters. in english, with subtitles in japanese. so it was great! oh and somebody brought cake that we all tried: maple pancake flavored. it was actually pretty good. 

and the final tidbit i've learned a bit about my homestay family: but i find out tomorrow when I move in (thursday for all you NOT on the other side of the time-date line). I dont think there's a father in the house---he's certainly not mentioned in teh info packet. there's a mum a daughter about two years older than me, and a son a year younger. And a dog. It sounds like most of them speak at least some English, so that's great. I'm kind of looking forward to baths. 

Okay well....I can't think of much else to say at the moment--i'll work on some pictures before I move out of the dorms. Friday i'm going to Kyoto, and tomorrow i'm meeting my speaking partner.