Nippon Rose ~ Erykah in Japan

The Final Countdown

2009-06-24T03:33:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in nearly a month, but such is the whirlwind of prepping for finals, packing, getting things in order for departure, and all of that fun stuff.

Today was likely the last time I will see Stewart, Josh, and Rhiannon all in one place. We went out and did our Maid Raid in Akihabara, bringing Rhi's little brother Albert along for the ride. Lucky little boy got water spilt on him by a maid and she dried off his pants for him. Poor thirteen year old being dabbed on his thigh by a cute little Japanese maid, probably going to have closet nosebleeds for awhile.

Also had to the joy of hemorrhaging money as I canceled my cellphone today. The cost is on-par with canceling a contract in the U.S., but that doesn't make it any more desirable. Almost $300 to cancel it. My bankbook, it weeps.

Tomorrows agenda, for my last whole day is to cancel my NHS insurance and then go to Meiji Jingu to pick up a few last o-mamori's for myself and a few friends. After that, it's chugging Red Bull's and staying up until 5am to catch a taxi to the station, and then the NEX to the airport.

Ho yeah...

Relevant Japanese is Relevant

2009-05-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

Today's class reading was an explanation of Deveraux's experimenting on Monkey's to determine the quality of their eyesight in regards to human's eyesight. This involved some minor Pavlovian conditioning in order to get the monkey's to learn what was needed for the experiment.

There are four screens, four peepholes, and four switches.

Of these four screens, there are three that have a plan gray pattern, and the last one was striped. In order to get juice, the thirsty monkey (as he had been deprived water prior to the experiment), the monkey had to hit the switch for the striped screen (Hello, Pavlov). The faster they did it, the better. However, as the experiment goes on, the striped pattern becomes more and more difficult to discern from the all-gray pattern. Once a monkey got to the point where they were no longer answering correctly, the experiment ended.

As a result, Deveraux was able to determine that monkey's and human's have like eyesight capabilities.

The end.

--------------

I rather like how we are learning "real world" Japanese and not just reading contrived scenarios. It makes things interesting to say the least.

It's On A Boat!

2009-05-29T01:28:00.000-07:00

Shipped out my first box of stuff to go back home. All clothes. It cost me $75 to do so, but at least it's sent. It might not get back before I arrive, but eh. It's just clothes. It's all gravy after that.

Here Comes The Rain Again

2009-05-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

...and 'lo, Tsuyu has begun.

The next 10 days are filled with 7 days of rain. If that gives you any idea, that is how the last month is going to go. Suck.

The Forgotten Shrine

2009-05-19T05:03:00.000-07:00

I've spent most of the day studying. Decided I had to get away from the computer (so it wouldn't distract me) and went to Gasto for dinner and the drink bar (free refills!). Between bites of Meat Doria, I reviewed mostly reading sections and grammar points, writing in the words I didn't immediately know the translation of as well as doing the reading Q&A's in the book to make sure I understood what was going on (as far as I know, I'm doing okay.)

After I had my fill of Coke and mountain grape soda, I packed up and headed home, but not before I stopped at a small shrine that I pass every now and then. Given how late it was, there wasn't much light to speak of. One of the entry lanterns was burnt out (later discovered there is no bulb in there. I think I might buy one from Kyu-Kyu and replace it myself. I don't think anyone would mind, really...), but nevertheless, I headed in.

As far as I could tell in the dark, the shrine is in disrepair. The grounds are rather barren and lifeless, the o-fuda are shredded to hell and back, and the bell-tassel could probably do with a replacement. What really stood out was that there was a group of guys who were just sitting on the shrine steps, smoking and joking away like it wasn't even a sacred place.

It kind of makes you realize just how much even the influence and reverence for Shinto is fading in the modernizing world of Tokyo. No one notices these small shrines. Even the purification font wasn't working. Regardless of this, when I approached the shrine proper, the men scattered (literally jumping over the stone wall that surrounds the shrine) and I went through the motions -- tomorrow is a big exam and I want to do great, and a little help from the local kami wouldn't hurt too much, in my opinion.

I stood there for sometime, thinking about how sad and lonely the kami of the shrine must be, and how neglected. I wish I could learn more. I think I might take some photos on a day off to see if I can't find anything that would give me an idea about this shrine and it's history (and why it's in ill repute now...)

Edit: As far as I can make out, it is a shrine to Hachiman, like a lot of the shrine's in the Musashino area are.

Kurokawa-Juice!

2009-05-17T23:44:00.001-07:00

Today has been brought to you by:

Severe knee pain!
Severe back pain!
Speaking test anxiety!
Total spaz-fest in 食堂!
and Professor Mikiko Kurokawa <3

The past few days have been nothing short of a pain-induced haze that has made it difficult to study and do anything but lay about and silently wishing for death because knowing that this week is an apocalypse waiting to happen and it just so happens to be C-Week here at ICU, where the C stands for Christianity -- so it's fitting, really, that the whole world ends during this particular week when the schedules for classes are fucked five ways to Thursday.

Today's class was thankfully uneventful, other than everyone getting the last grammar quiz back and we all were aboard the Fail-Boat for that one (what sort of universe do we live in that when between Me, Josh, Stewart, and Rhiannon, Josh gets the higher score?! MADNESS!) We had a vocab quiz that I crammed for, and likely got an 8/10 on considering I know I fudged one, and outright forgot the other.

After that, it was to 食堂 for some lunchings. Me, Josh, Stewart, Rhiannon, Anjelique, Laurent, and Marc were all eating (and I was studying/spazzing over my speaking test and grumbling about pain) when Marc thought it'd be a good idea to start harping on me to go see a doctor, get more drugs, etc etc.

The fact of the matter as to why I haven't is A.) Money B.) Time C.) 私の日本語はSHITです。 I can survive going out, buying things, getting my bike fixed and all of that, but understanding Japanese medical lingo and bureaucracy? Not so much. Marc continues to harp on me about it, saying, "Well, you have insurance back home, right?"

Let me pause there for a moment and explain: yes, I do have health insurance back home, but it is only because GVSU required it prior to departure. I got the bare-minimum coverage, as in, I pay $50 to say "Hey look, I have an insurance card!" It doesn't cover X-Rays, prescriptions, or anything that I would actually need.

So I told him, yes, I have insurance.

"Then I don't see what the problem is."

The problem is, that despite having 'insurance', it will not cover physiotherapy for my legs. It will not cover painkillers, nor the surgery that will be a necessity in a few more years according to the last doctor's diagnosis. That will have to come out of my pocket.

Again, "I don't see what the problem is."

...Not everyone has their parents wiring them $1400 a fucking month. Not everyone has that sort of laissez faire luxury of financial security. Thanks for reminding me that I'm poor, ghetto, white trailer-trash with no future all over again, and telling me that I don't have it so bad since I'm not gay and oh-so-persecuted.

In too much pain to deal with this and under so much damn stress, I pack up my shit and get the hell out of　食堂. The last thing I needed was someone tearing into my about how I am not doing anything about my health. The doctors won't do anything since the condition isn't bad enough yet. On top of that, I'm in so much pain, and worrying about my grades that yes, maybe I am a little sensitive, but fucking hell man, have some goddamn tact. Not everything has to be about how depressed you are because you don't have a boyfriend >:/

I get about half-way to my bike when Josh just grabs me and gives me a giant bear-hug. I am just so overwhelmed that I just slump to the ground, holding my books and crying because of everything plus just the utter agony I am in physically. No sooner had I slumped then Professor Kurokawa (of J3 love and fame) appears, frantically wondering if I was okay.

For those playing the home game, Kurokawa was my professor last term who I love and adore. She was perhaps the most understanding person and knew of my health issues and if I had to miss a day in class, she didn't hold it against me. I learned so much from her, and really, she's too good for this school in my opinion. Hell, Kurokawa, Ninomiya, and Ozawa are too good for this school. The rest of the professors are uncaring people who just want results, K, N, and O see you as actual people with lives, feelings and problems -- a rarity in Japan, or so I hear.

Josh assure Kurokawa I am fine, and she runs off to go teach her next class and eventually, I return to 食堂 to study some more. Marc leaves, Rhiannon and Stewart headed out to 吉祥寺, leaving me, Anjelique and Josh to help me study.

Then suddenly, out of the blue, Kurokawa appears and hands both me and Josh a can of Tropicana fruit juice. As soon as she appeared, she was gone!

Like nectar from heaven, I drank the juice and hoped it granted me Kurokawa's blessing. Me and Josh jokingly call it a "relic" of Kurokawa, and think it will bestow greatness upon us.

I suppose we will have to see how well it helped me come the results of the speaking test...

(Note to self: Get a small present and card for Professor Kurokawa. Her sweetness is just too good to go un-thanked.)

All You Can Eat Meat

2009-05-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've eaten so much meat in my life.

Tonight, me, Mariko, Alisa and Runo all went to Kichijouji for some sweet, sweet yakiniku tabehoudai (All-you-can-eat-grill-it-yourself-meat!) and I am packed full of beefy and chicken goodness. Oh my god. Soooo tasty.

Golden Freakin' Week

2009-05-08T03:19:00.000-07:00

Well, my Golden Week holidays finished up early this week, and I have to say, they were quite enjoyable indeed. Earlier in April, I took an opportunity that was made available to students from three Universities (ICU, Asia University, and Aoyama) to do a 3-day, 2-night homestay in Takahagi City, in Ibaraki Prefecture, and I must say I had perhaps one of the best times of my life.

We left on May 3rd and headed north of the Tokyo Metropolis and into the heart of the Japanese coastal country. What was meant to take only three hours ended up taking five as traffic was very fierce, what with everyone else heading the fuck out of dodge for their holidays as well. During the drive, we received a family biography:

The Ono Family (Yes, Ono as in Yoko Ono):

Ono Shinobu (小野　忍） - Father - Civil Servant with a love of horsemanship.
Ono Mikako （小野　美香子）- Mother - Kindergarten Teacher who has an awesome garden.
Ono Taichi （小野　太一）- Son - College student who fishes.
Ono Manabu （小野　学）- Son - High school student, loves soccer and wants to be a fashion designer.
Ono Megumi （小野　愛）- Daughter - Junior High School student, loves cooking and the manga "Kuroshitsuji"
Ono Hitomi （小野　瞳）- Daughter - Primary school student, plays the piano, very energetic.

A fairly full family, they didn't even mention Grandpa and Grandma. However, before meeting the Family Ono, me and the other 24 students who went on this trip were paraded through Takahagi city (more or less) and were able to take part in quite a few Japanese cultural arts (as well as being stuffed full of delicious, delicious Japanese food, num num)

We were taken to a cultural art center where we were treated to the lovely strains of "Sakura, Sakura" (a traditional Japanese folksong) played on a series of kotos and accompanied by a shinobue. We were then split into two groups to try out both of the arts they had to offer us.

I decided to participate in the tea ceremony first, and soon discovered that a person with knees like mine should never, ever, ever, ever sit in seiza for more than five minutes. Ever. My legs burned for the rest of the evening and I generally felt like crap after that. After partaking of the delicious, delicious green tea and the traditional sweets served with it, I limped outside to take some photos of the surroundings and then was off to try my hand at the koto.

For all you musicians out there, the note notation for the koto is unlike anything you have ever seen, and the same can be applied to all Japanese instruments. It's just not like what we're used to with staff bars, treble clefs and bass clef. It truly is something all its own.

After that, it was time to go to the city center, where we would again be paraded in front of a bunch of strangers, and then paired off with our families so we could get to know each other. Mother Makiko was especially interested in learning what I liked, disliked, favorite foods, hobbies, interests, etc whereas the naturally inquisitive Hitomi was bouncy and pretty much dragging me everywhere behind her, much to Megumi's chagrin. Father Shinobu didn't say much (and never really did, go Japanese masculine stoicism!), but he was a generally agreeable man with a sense of humor. Not cold, but not Mr. Happy like Z's father was.

After all was said and done (as well as a massive game of Jan-Ken-Pon, or Rock-Paper-Scissors, and us international kids having to sing something for everyone, poorly) we headed back to our hotel for a night before we were sent off with our parents for the evening.

The next day, we were all picked up by our hosts families and brought home to unwind and enjoy a quick lunch of Soba and Tempura. After which, I was taken to a museum just up the street from their house which also doubles as a crafting trade school for Tatami. I'll say this, after seeing all that can be done with tatami, I really want to have tatami floor mats. Like seriously. It's awesome.

After that, it was up the coast and to the cliffs to see a few historic sites where famous authors wrote from halls overlooking the cliffs. The rock faces were absolutely gorgeous and I didn't want to leave. I love oceans so much, and it was so stunningly beautiful...there are no words for it. Prior to arriving at the cliffs, we stopped to watch a sacred boat carrying an o-mikoshi (portable Shinto shrine which houses a kami) into the water, to bless the bay for all the fishermen in hopes of getting good catches. That was very, very cool.

Took another break back at home before the last few stops of the night. Mama Mikako knew I like shrines and temples and made it a point to bring me to Takahagi's Zen Buddhist temple, Kyudaiji. A new construct off to the side near the graveyard had went up, to honor the former head priest who had passed away recently due to cancer. The priest was Mama Mikako's father, who was very respected in the community. I was introduced to her brother, and was given quite a decent amount of literature about Za-Zen, for which I was grateful.

After that, we picked up meat and veggies to make dinner, and while Mama and Papa were cooking, me, Hitomi, Megumi, and Manabu all hung out in the tatami room playing video games on our DS (haha! Mario Kart!) and having a generally fun time. We then had Shabu-Shabu for dinner, and all I can say is "OM NOM NOM NOM".

Then it was bath time, and it Hitomi wouldn't take one without me. She clung to me the entire time I was there, and was literally my little sister in every sense of the word. The bath was nice and relaxing and then, at around 10pm, we pulled out our futons and snuggled in for sleep (because she insisted on sleeping in the same room.)

Next morning, up bright and early to get dressed and eat breakfast, we were off yet again! This time, it was to pick strawberries! However, it wasn't pick strawberries and bring them back with you, oh no. This was an all-you-can-eat strawberry fest, and considering how expensive strawberries are in Japan generally, I ate until my stomach exploded from strawberry goodness. Ugh. I'd do it again. So sweet and delicious. I need to figure out which species it is they have here because Japanese strawberries are so much more sweeter and less tangy than Michigan strawberries.

Time was running out, as we had to be back at the City Center at 2pm for the wrap up and trip back home, so we decided to head up to Mt. Akiyama for a nice, leisurely nature drive, and god...I love mountains. I love trees, I love natural waterfalls, and they had all of that there. It was unbelievably gorgeous. I can't stop thinking about it. While we were up there, we also drank some fresh mountain mineral water. Here's the thing about Japan: they actually have water spigots dotting the mountain roads where one can stop and fill up bottles of the natural spring water. You have never tasted anything so pure until you have drank from that spigot, my god.

A stop for lunch and then a return to the City Center, we had to say our goodbyes.

For having only known them for three days, I really became close to my host mom and sisters. Mom emails me everyday and I need to remember to send Himi-chan a birthday card as she's turning 12 in about two weeks. I cried a lot when I had to get on the bus to go back home. I miss them so much and want to go back!

When I returned to Tokyo, I was still saddened, but sure enough, there were emails from Mama on my phone waiting for me to cheer me up. I will definitely be staying in contact with them, and who knows, maybe someday Megumi or Hitomi will study abroad in the states and I can see them again before to long :)

2009-04-15T00:32:00.000-07:00

The weather has become gorgeous in Tokyo. Absolutely gorgeous. Sunny days in the high 60s and 70s, a pleasant breeze, and everything is so green and alive. While the cherry blossoms are gone, so much more is happening.

My professors for this term all seem like an enthusiastic lot. Kazuno Eri is the head teacher, and seems to be a fair lady. Ninomiya Rika is just beyond words; she is like an older Professor Komatsu Maho, just minus the mod-hipster style and stories about drinking whole bottles of whiskey. And today it was announced that since we were splitting into two sections, that Ozawa Ikumi would be back teaching J4.

Last term, Ozawa was the head teacher of J4, and the students loved her to death, and I am pretty sure I know why. Between the three of them, we have some very energetic and optimistic women teaching us who have a sense of humor (as opposed to Sato from J2 back in Fall Term).

Everything is starting off well, in my opinion. I got an 85% on my first vocab quiz of the term. I miss-translated 学ぶ・まなぶ as "to study specifically" when it should have been "to study in depth", and I partially blanked on "society", writing しゃきょう instead of 社会・しゃかい. Today was our first kanji quiz, and I am fairly certain I kicked its ass, so long as they aren't overtly picky with how my kanji look. I was most impressed at remembering how to write　横断歩道・おうだんほどう - pedestrian walkway. Woo.

I should really try to write more often. I've become so terrible. I have been continuing to teach English, I have about 3-4 students now with more expressing interest. I also make a point to go out once a week to find geocaches. I think I'll go to Ikebukuro this Saturday because there are a few clustered around the station area (池袋西口公園は＃１！) Speaking of geocaches, I introduced my newest student, Tsubaki, to it. He seems very keen and curious about it :)

Anywho, I have a grammar quiz tomorrow, and considering we spent next to no time in class going over it, yeah. I should study :)

新しいの学期

2009-04-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

一種間前、春学期を始まります。

One week ago, the spring term began.

その前に、東京にどこへ行っても、桜が咲きますが、友達と花見でした。

Before then, where ever you went in Tokyo, the cherry blossoms were blooming, and with friends we watched the blossoms.

その後で、たくさん宿題があるし、毎日勉強しなくてはいけないし、大変です。

Since then, I have had a lot of homework, and I have to study everyday, so it's difficult.

負けないで、私は続けます。

Without giving up, I will continue.

Re-Emerging from Torpor

2009-04-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting a whole lot as of late. Been busy, busy, busy, but here are a few highlights:

- Found a handful of Geocaches while out with friends
- Took on a few new students for English teaching, and that's going GREAT!
- Met a lot of new people from Sweden, England, and New Zeeland at a Hookah bar, including players on the professional rugby team.
- Was approached to do hair modeling!
- Am running all sorts of errands in the long run
- Enjoyed the tastiness that is a McDonald's Cheese Katsu Burger. Fuck yes! McDonald's here is so superior!

舞妓さん

2009-03-30T04:36:00.000-07:00

こちらへエリカの舞妓変身写真でございます。よろしくお願いします。

Kekekeke DEER RUSH!

2009-03-19T03:27:00.001-07:00

Osaka Castle, Shitennoji, and Sumiyoshi Taisha, with special guests Komatsu Maki and her sisters Izumi and Ai

2009-03-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was all sorts of busy. We took an early day so we could fit in everything we had planned. Just up the street from our hotel is Osaka Castle (大阪城). I find it serendipitous to come to Osaka and to visit the castle considering I had written so much about it during my first term here. It was built in the early 17th century shortly after Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan. After his death, Tokugawa Ieyasu laid siege to the castle for years until Hideyoshi's son, Hidenori, and his mother committed suicide. Razed to the ground, Tokugawa ordered it rebuilt. That incarnation lasted some forty years before lighting struck the tower and it burned down...again.

A word on Osaka Castle: the complex is HUGE. And beautiful. I took an entire card's worth of photos <3

After that, it was off to Shitennoji Temple, which also was a large complex. There was a bit of a flea market happening, so I perused and got myself a second obiage for my kimono, just in case. For $5, it was worth it. I also was able to acquire a pair of shirts for me and Michael <3 I figured, since I am in the land of the Tigers...<3 At Shitennoji, we were able to climb to the top of the funerary pagoda and look over the entire complex. It was breathtaking.

Finishing up the day, we took a cable-car to Sumiyoshi Taisha, which was built in the fifth year of Taisho (5 years after Emperor Meiji's death, to give you an idea). Another very large, but very, very beautiful complex. I couldn't stop taking pictures in this area, and I started fiddling with black and white settings at that point. This shrine was dedicated to Inari, the fox-deity of prosperity and agriculture.

Worn out and beat, we start the trek home when I get messages from Maki and we arrange to meet up for dinner along with her sister :) What I wasn't expecting was all of her sister's, one's husband, and another's friend. It was great to have such a large party, and just to see Maki again, I was so happy. Much yakitori was eaten, beer was drank, and kanpai's were had.

As suspected, Maki is working for her father's paper company, and she's doing well and looking great. She's bummed about her Japanese not being up to par (her sister's make jabs) and she feels her English is slipping. I told her, she can use Japanese and English with me anytime she needs the help :) Maki also gave me a simple gift of Hello Kitty pencils, with my name in hiragana engraved into them as well as soybean-powder cookies ;~; It was unexpected, and I felt bad for not having had the time to have gotten her anything.

We're doing dinner again on Thursday.

I'll get her something by then, I'm sure of it. Anywho, today we're off to Ise. Need to go say 'hello' to Amaterasu!

おきに！

2009-03-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

このにちは～！もっかりまっか？今、大阪にいますよ！

Greetings from Osaka! We got in a little over an hour ago and we are relaxin' in our hotel in the Tennouji District, right next door to Uehonmachi Station. We checked out of Kyoto earlier, and we made it to Osaka via Shinkansen ($13!) It was not without it's foibles, as when we got off the Shinkansen, we still had to take a subway line to our hotel, and somewhere along the way...my camera fell off my backpack.

Let me reiterate that.

My $300 Fujifilm S1000fd digital camera, 2 1gb XD cards, extra rechargeable batteries...fell off my backpack.

I was freaking the fuck out. If not for Dan, I probably would have gone crazy. But thanks to some very helpful Station People, we found our way to the Station Master's office where they had my camera!

True Story: If this happened in the United States, I would not have seen it again. However, since I am in Japan, things tend to get turned in.

Color me happy.

So, to Mr. Hirose Tadashi, who found my camera and turned it into the station master...

おきに！

(That's Kansai-Ben for Thank You :3)

Welcome to Kansai!

2009-03-15T02:21:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Kyoto last night. Finished my Maiko glamour shots a little while ago. Will post them ASAP. Visited Yasaka Shrine, Heian Shrine, Kiyomizu Temple, and Kodaiji Temple. Might fit in Fushimi Inari Taisha, but doubtful :< Tomorrow it's off to Osaka! Go Hanshin Tigets!

Now, food and sleep!

The Recap pt. 2

2009-03-10T03:25:00.000-07:00

A continuation of my week review with Michael :3

Mar. 5 - Climbed Mt. Takao with Stewart, Josh, and Rhiannon. It took us three hours this time, but we had so much fun in doing so. Lots of video, lots of pictures, and many lulz along the way. Then we headed to Shinjuku for dinner and attempted a few geocaches which literally had us walk from Shinjuku to Yoyogi, into Shibuya and then back to Shinjuku and still never found the damn caches. We think they all got sanitized :(

Mar. 6 - We had planned to head out to Kamakura to see the Daibutsu and the ocean while we were there (as well as the many, many shrines of Kamakura) but since the weather was so disagreeable this week, it was cold, windy and rainy as all hell, it would not have been fun to walk out in that at all. So we decided to stay local and shopped in Akihabara instead :3

March 7: Went to ICU's campus so Mike could see where I lived. We also got my final grades which made me a sad panda, but at least I passed. We toured the grounds, took photos, and I explained a lot of things to him which made me feel great and useful :3

March 8: ...Ultimate day of sadness. After a day of picking up last minute gifts, we take the slow train to Narita and sit in the airport, talking until Michael has to board. Then the tears never end ;~;

I miss him so much now :(

The Recap

2009-03-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

Now that I have recovered from the past week of sheer awesome, I will attempt to recap all that occurred, in chronological order!

Feb. 28 - A 4 P.M. arrival turns into a 10 P.M. arrival. Both me and Michael are exhausted and end up missing our check-in at the hotel due to the delay and on top of that, had to take the local (read: SLOW) trains to Ueno from Narita because after he was through customs and all that jazz, the Limo-Bus' were no longer running and neither was the Skyliner.

After a very long ride to Ueno, we have to seek out a hotel for that night since we can't go to our Ryokan until the next morning, and we find one in Ueno, burning through ~$100 for one night at Hotel Kinuya due to United Airline's stupidity. We take shower, bath (ofuro~), and crawl into bed wiped out from the day.

Mar. 1- Up bright and early, we quickly pack up everything for morning check out. Armed with luggage and a GPS, we decide to walk from Ueno to our ryokan in Asakusa. Word to the wise: do NOT wear heeled boots =_=; by the time we got to Toukaisou, my feet were killing me, and we weren't finished there. Due to not arriving at the proper time the day before, Mike was unable to exchange money, and since it was the weekend, there were no banks open save for ATMs -- no go there. Thus, we had to go to a Travelex in Akihabara to exchange money, and that in of itself was an adventure considering it's not "next" to the Yodobashi Camera like we thought it was, but in a side plaza that even made the GPS go "WTF mate?"

Money exchanged, we hightail it back to Asakusa to pay for hotel and to get settled in (and for me to switch shoes) and we go off on an adventure for food. I believe we did Coco-Ichi for delicious curry. Then it was wandering around Akiba until we headed back and crawled into bed.

Mar. 2 - TOKYO DISNEYLAND! What a fun day was had! After 23 years, I finally made it to a Disney themepark after coming so close to Disneyworld on two separate occasions. So much freaking fun and nostalgia. I got teary eyed a few times inside, especially when the first song I hear when entering the park was the theme from "Beauty and the Beast". Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Westernland...I got to ride Pirates of the Caribbean finally! It was a lot of fun all things said and when we returned to Toukaisou, that is when this happened:

Followed by:

Then there was much snuggling and sleeping.

Mar. 3 - Weather turned to crap, so we decided to just stay in the general Asakusa-Ueno area and tried to do some Geocaching and Wereigo's in Ueno park only to be unsuccessful as either the caches were sanitized or were difficult multi-caches. Did 250-yen lunch boxes and later went out with Corey and Maya to a bar in Ginza before turning in for the night.

Mar. 4 - Adventures in Shibuya and acquiring tickets for Ghibli, as well as having Mike experience Gyudon. Nummy nummy Gyudon. We arrived in Shibuya on the hunt for a Lawson's in order to acquire tickets for Ghibli Museum. Tickets got, we head off to Mitaka to enjoy a nice afternoon at the awesome of Ghibli museum :3

...and that's all for now. I need to continue sorting pictures and piecing everything together again.

30 Hours...

2009-02-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

In thirty hours, my dear Michael will be touching down on Japanese soil. And then, happy times will commence!

Lost in (head) Space

2009-02-15T22:54:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I feel like crap.

Yesterday I had the MRI done on my knee, and what an experience that was. Nothing else quite like it. Not bad, but not without its side-effects. The magnetic resonance tends to have fun with hydrogen molecules, and when you consider the human body is 90% water...yeah, it makes you feel a little wierd and I experienced the nerves in the leg getting jumpy as the machine did it's thing.

I find out the results tomorrow.

Spent all of last night desperately trying to finish the group presentation for History of Japanese Art and got so strung out to the point that Sarah told me to just give her the flashdrive and she'd take care of the rest. I couldn't even get out of bed for class today. So I didn't go.

Around noon I rose from torpor and went to meet with Mariko in the lunch hall to help her with English poetry and ran into my J3 classmates who told me that I missed out on the best Ann meltdown to happen since ever.

Apparently no one did really great on the last test. We're talking, no one got higher than a C. Ann, in true fashion, decided to blame the professor for not telling her there was a test and for which chapters they would be on, because oh my fucking god, she studied for the wrong chapters. Mind you, she was given an extra half a fucking hour to finish the test.

Hello. We have a syllabus for a reason. And seriously, stop blaming the goddamn professors for your own stupidity.

Ugh.

I was just 2 points shy of a C myself, but I can at least rest easy knowing I got a 80% on Kanji >_>; A silver lining in every cloud I suppose!

Otherwise, I've just been a mentally dead husk. Everything hurts and I just can't focus on anything anymore :( I blame the MRI, it made me feel funny.

Wisdom from the Empress Shoken

2009-02-10T22:45:00.000-08:00

I ventured out to Yoyogi with the intent to go to Yoyogi park, but instead, due to the weather being rather crappy, I settled on visiting Meiji Shrine instead. As today marks the founding of modern Japan via the constitution, the Shrine was all sorts of busy with various local shrines having brought their o-mikoshi (portable shrines, to transport the kami, or gods, in) to Meiji Shrine for a blessing.

It was crazy. Absolute chaos. Yet it was so cool. I took lots of photos of the o-mikoshi, some video as well, and of course the torii gates. Bought a matching set of kekkon-o-mamori (protective charms for couples) for a pair of friends who are getting married later in the year, like I promised them I would :) I also wrote a prayer and offered it to the shrine, so when the priests burn the paper as offerings, my prayer will go to the kami :)

Lastly, I bought myself an o-mikuji, or a fortune. Normally they are only in Japanese, however, Meiji being such a tourist attraction (and literally, everything is bi-lingual, even the Priestesses), I chose to get one that I could finally read.

The difference between regular o-mikuji and the Meiji Shrine o-mikuji is that Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken were lovers of poetry, together penning over 130,000 poems. So for their o-mikuji's, they use one of the many poems. Given how randomized it is, the poem is supposed to have you reflect and meditate on it's deeper meaning as opposed to the "You will die on a Friday" type fortunes.

Mine is below:

Let us but be gentle, honest --
Though we lack the worldy greatness,
In the bamboo grove of life,
To tower over all.

(Be gentle and honest above all. Though you lack the genius to tower over others like the tallest bamboo in the grove. Thus your life will be truly happy and unclouded.)

In short:

Learn contentment, don't set unrealistic goals, and when you find that balance, all will be well.

...I rather like this fortune <3

Sanrio Is the Cult of Cuteness

2009-02-07T19:10:00.001-08:00

That is all.

Days of the Week, Planet Names, and Sailor Moon

2009-02-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today's "Stupid Things I've Learned from Anime" involves having learned the kanji for writing days of the week (stuff I learned a long time ago, anyhow) and the standard lecture on how the days of the week correspond with heavenly bodies.

Today, Kurokawa was on leave from class as her Grandmother had just died. Instead, we had Ozaki, who is the J6 and Special Japanese 2 professor.

The day went as follows:

We learn how to fully write days of the week (日曜日、月曜日、水曜日、etc etc) and Ozaki, in true elementary teacher fashion, is like "Do you know why these are the days of the week?" and I'm all, of course in my nerdy way, "Oh! Oh! I know!"

So we put the celestial bodies in order, from the Sun to Pluto (which, we were told in Japanese is no longer a planet, of course. It's just a numbered space rock :C Poor Pluto.)

太陽　- Taiyou - The Sun - 日曜日 - Sunday
水星 - Suisei - Mercury - 水曜日 - Wednesday (Water Day)
金星 - Kinsei - Venus - 金曜日 - Friday (Money/Pay Day)
地球 - Chikyuu - Earth
月　- Tsuki - Moon - 月曜日 - Monday (Moon Day)
火星 - Kasei - Mars - 火曜日 - Tuesday (Fire Day)
木星 - Mokusei - Jupiter - 木曜日 - Thursday (Wood Day)
土星 - Dosei - Saturn - 土曜日 - Saturday (Ground/Earth Day)
天王星 - Tennousei - Uranus
海王星 - Kaiousei - Neptune
冥王星 - Meiousei - Pluto

So, how does this relate to Sailor Moon, you wonder?

I didn't notice it until after Ozaki wrote "Tennousei" and I went, "Uranus...Tennou Haruka...Sailor Uranus" and suddenly a lightbulb went off and I went on with my hunch and when she started to write "Kaiousei", I knew what Pluto would be and I just balked.

Now, I know each Sailor Soldiers name is a play on a legend or their planet of "origin", but I had no idea that the surnames of Sailor Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were just blatantly ripped off from the planet names themselves.

Today, I truly proved to the class what a weeaboo I am. But hell, one does not have spent a childhood loving Sailor Moon, Greco-Roman Mythology AND astronomy and NOT pick up on things like that >_>;

Soybean Storm!

2009-02-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

Alright, Storm just finished. Seven dorms. Seven performances, and one very, very upset pair of knee caps. Good god, my left knee is swollen like a cantaloupe. It took a beating to save the right and now both of them are very angry =_=;

Today marks Setsubun. At the very end of Storm, we were treated by the men of 2MD to eho-maki, as well as the irimame with which to pelt the two poor sods who were wearing nothing more but novelty thongs and oni masks, all throughout all three floors of 2MD.

Afterwards, we ate the eho-maki to bring in good health, while both the oni men recovered from being pelted with hundreds of roasted soybeans. And for one special, unfortunate sod who arrived late to the party, he had to eat his eho-maki from the groin of a fellow dormmate.

To give you an idea of what 2MD is like, the penalty for not doing your weekly or daily duty is not a financial penalty like it is as 3WD, but a porn penalty. IE: you miss your duty, you have to buy the dorm a porno mag and it has to meet the discriminating standards of the Minister of Finance. What was best was the fake x-rated posters of various guys from the dorm involved in fetish situations. Proudly above the door of the common room was someone getting fake-bukkake'd. A pixelated phallus and whip cream on the face.

Yep. I can see why 2MD and 3WD are BFFs. We are fucking nuts. I just wonder when the video hits YouTube >_>;

Departures, Oni, Earthquakes, and Storms.

2009-02-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

As of tomorrow, Spring begins in Japan. I know it probably sounds weird to you all back home or in climates where the snow is still around until Mid-March, but here in Japan, the third of February marks "Setsubun", which is a festival/holiday when a family throws soybeans outside the house to cast out oni (demons) and to bring in happiness to the household for the New Year.

It seems the New Year has been full of discoveries already. Last Saturday, Abigail returned home to North Carolina. Prior to all of this, she came down with a recurrence of glandular fever and that on top of being stressed out and overworked from Intensive Japanese...it was a recipe for disaster. She spent the last few weeks missing class because she just slept through everything. I hope she gets better.

Last Saturday and Sunday I woke up both mornings to minor earthquakes. It was like being rocked back and forth subtly in a bassinet. For all the horror stories I hear about people flipping out about earthquakes (granted, the BIG ones), they don't bother me so much. I find them to be nice breaks from the ordinary when they happen :D

Tonight is 3WD's Storm. Storm is how dorms advertise their parties. What happens is we parade around campus and then go to each dorm and perform a skit and a dance routine which often has to do with our party's theme. Being as it's February, we're throwing the Valentine's Ball, and I get to do fortunetelling :) Can't wait to take pictures of everything happening.

Anywho, time to finish writing post cards and I'll send 'em out tomorrow.

The Relationship Guru?

2009-01-28T21:00:00.001-08:00

In the past two weeks, I have had to counsel not just one pair of friends, but another friend of mine on relationship issues. It's not that I have any problem doing it, I am just surprised at how natural it seems to be that I impart upon these people my knowledge, understanding, and what not.

The last week has been mostly spent with Maya (from Sweden), who just recently broke up with her boyfriend who is also studying at ICU. One of them took it well, while the other one decided that a good method of getting the girl back was to crash her Japanese class covered in tears and drag her out.

Yeah, just a little awkward.

Needless to say, me and Maya have been attached to the hip this past week, mostly in part that we live in the same dorm and we share many like interests. We went out a few times this week, and found ourselves in Kichijouji, where I bought myself a nice olive-green-brown suede handbag for $6 or thereabouts. It's quite nice. Also, a cute ring ($4) and necklace (also $4), one for which will be used to keep horny guys off of me ("See here, man?! I'm engaged! Back off!") and the other is to send to my beloved Ms. Becki, who is now Mama Becki <3

I did the Global House Ball which was kind of a Global House Fail since the bartenders couldn't mix a proper drink to save their lives. Normally, when I drink three tequila sunrises in the span of fifteen minutes, I expect to be properly buzzed. The buzz never happened. I was very disappointed. At least at the 2MD party, the booze was cheaper and were properly made.

Had my third Japanese test and did poorly, though not at poorly as I did last term. A small set back, but given how I was feeling that last week, yeah...understandable.

I'll write more when I'm not falling asleep at the keyboard.

Your Experience May Vary

2009-01-22T04:44:00.000-08:00

I had a tutoring session with Yasuyo today, and I think we talked more about life than practiced Japanese. Wwe got to that, of course, but she said I was fine. But it was about the entire exchange experience, especially for a country that doesn't share a language.

Since being in Japan, I have very few Japanese friends that I actually see on a regular basis, even less that I hang out with. I often feel like the token white girl that they say "hi" to every day. Granted, I knew before coming to Japan that it is very much a culture of "sameness" and being white skinned, green eyed and blond isn't really the same as a pale skinned, brown eyed and black haired Asian. There's also the language barrier. This culture is xenophobic. But still, one still carries the small torch of hope thinking that maybe the fact that the world has become so globalized that this would have vanished?

Nope. Not at all. Granted, Tomoko and Mariko are more likely to say "hi" to me and even occasionally email me, but I never get to go out with them.

When Yasuyo lived in Canada, she felt the same thing only in reverse. She didn't speak much English at that time and had next to know friends. It's not just a Japanese thing, but a global thing. Too bad we can't get over these differences and accept people from various cultures.

It was nice to build that repore with her. I hope that even after I leave I can still remain in contact with her.

Uncommonly Common

2009-01-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

Today, when I went to go pick up my Japanese Art History Midterm (B!), I discovered something peculiar.

There are no less than five Erika's in the class. Of which I am one of. This is the first time I have ever encountered a Japanese Erika, let alone four others.

Livin' La Vida 3WD

2009-01-16T07:23:00.000-08:00

It's been over two weeks since I've moved onto campus, and things are honestly nicer. I have more time (to sit around and do NOTHING! HA!), am closer to friends, and cooking for myself isn't as bad as one would think. Granted, I'm doing the bare necessity to survive, but hey, I'm used to that.

The dorm is a little chilly, but when I am sleeping, I'm always toasty. It's just dealing with the cold during the day and otherwise. I'm sure once Spring and Summer hit I'll be hating it, but for now, we'll take the good.

My roommate's name is Yuki Hikaru, and she's one of the Seniors of the dorm. In Japan, seniority is a big (HUGE) thing. So, the Seniors in the dorm pretty much get to decide who rooms with who among other things. Despite the fact that I'm older than most, if not all of them, I'm still treated like a freshman. I suppose it's the whole being a OYR and non-native speaker that I'm out of the loop, but, whatever. I came to this place like five months too late to be apart of the actual community, so...

In a month I'll have a new roommate. I'm hoping it's Maya, Reina, Tina, or Serina.

Classes are going exceptionally well. I've gotten a 86% and a 88% on my first two tests, so I am improving! Go me :D

ミシガンの灯台

2009-01-12T23:25:00.000-08:00

ミシガンの灯台

エリカ・ファセット

今日は私のくにの観光地についてお話たいと思います。アメリカの観光地の中で、私の一番のおすすめ場所はミシガンの灯台です。まず、ミシガンの地理と気候についてお話します。ミシガンはアメリカの北にあります。ミシガンは二つ半島があります。そして、ミシガンは五大湖で有名です。この五大湖は「スペリオル」、「オンタリオ」、「ヒューロン」、「エリー」、と「ミシガン」です。ミシガンの気候はきせつによってぜんぜんちがいます。夏はとても暑くて、そして冬はとても寒いので、ご注意下さい。

次は、ミシガンの楽しみを紹介します。ミシガンは灯台の数で有名です。一年中、ミシガンの灯台が見えます。夏に、夕日をはいけいにした灯台の写真を撮る人が多いので、夏に来る時は、ぜひカメラを持ってきて下さい。数多くの灯台の中で、オランダの灯台が一番有名です。夏になると、人々がミシガンの海岸を見に来ます。それから、ミシガンの海岸線がきれいですから、ミシガン湖でおよぐことができます。その海岸で、ミシガンの灯台かんれんのおみやげも買えます。

さいごに、アドバイスがあります。ミシガンは電車がありません。バスとタクシーが少ないので、ミシガンに住んでいる人と友達になって、いろいろな所をあんないしてもらうほうがいいと思います。ミシガンは本当におもしろくて、楽しい所です。みんな、ぜひミシガンに行ってみて下さい。これで、私の話を終わります。では、質問をよろしくお願いします。

2009

2009-01-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Now that my laptop has returned, I can start putting down all the things I did between then, and now.

1.) Had my laptop die, as well as my mp3 player.
2.) Went out with my friends more (Josh, Stewart, et all)
3.) Spent NYE at a temple beneath Tokyo Tower
4.) Met a naval L5R friend and hung out with him for a bit.
5.) Packed up and moved into ICU's Third Women's Dorm (3WD)
6.) Finally went to the hospital for my knee (MRI in a month)
7.) Shrine/Temple Crawl with Josh and Stewart
8.) Adjusting to new laptop not made of FAIL.
9.) Missing my Michael
10.) FOUND A GODDAMN SUBWAY SANDWICH SHOP. PRAISE THE TURKEY SAMMICH!

Will write more later, as well as post an updated photodump!

The Frosting on My Crap Cake

2008-12-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I do not think you would believe how terrible my birthday weekend and Christmas holidays have been. It is a tale of such shittiness that even I cannot fathom which god or fortune I have pissed off to deserve such a shitty ass week.

Erykah's bad week: let me tell you of it.

It began about, well, a week ago when my right knee started acting up something fierce. It wasn't the normal chondritis flare up, but something on the side of my knee that was just causing such ungodly pain that it hurt to walk, to sit, or even lay down. Could not get comfortable for the life of me. That, plus the necessity of biking to school every day to save money on transit probably did not help.

Last Saturday, on my way via bike to campus to tour my new dwelling (and meet my roommate, Hikaru) my wallet fell out of my pocket. There wasn't a lot of cash in it (under $10 worth), but important things such as my student ID card (needed for library access), my Gaijin Tourokusho (Foreign Registration Card, my Japanese ID), my NHS insurance card, my LMCU debit/ATM card, my Citibank Visa, my Shinsei Bank ATM card, my SUICA card...

I mean. Fuck. I pretty much lost my life there. Thankfully, I keep my passport in my room tucked safely away. So, there's my last form of ID until tomorrow when my new Student ID is issued and I can go to the ward office to apply for a new Gaijin Tourokusho and insurance card, which will be needed when I go to the Red Cross Hospital in January for the followup appointment about my damned knee.

Which brings us to this morning. The first morning of my Winter vacation, which I had intended to spend watching Stargate and various other movies. But alas, I noticed something was wrong with the fan (it wasn't running) and my keyboard becoming quite hot. So I decide a restart...and surprise, surprise.

Fan Error.

So, within four months I have had the fan unit on the IBM die. What the hell.

Call Mike, tell him the bad news. He'll be shipping out the Dell Mini 9 tomorrow via EMS and I will be shipping both the burnt out fan units back to him, if not the whole damn cursed system.

Here I sit, in an internet cafe in Fuchu, in my cubicle drinking endless free Coke and passing the time. I hope things start looking up soon. I could use some good luck right about now.

日本語のクラスは楽しそうだ！

2008-12-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

Class has taken a turn for the better. I say this now in case it eventually eats me alive and I start to loath the teaching methods employed here, but considering I am on a high of good grades right now plus actually debating grammatical semantics with the professors (in a good way no less!) I am definitely enjoying this term worlds better.

Probably because, in all honesty, Kurokawa is a superior professor. That, and the class is half the size it was in Japanese 2. So, no sections, no having 5 different professors. We primarily have Kurokawa for grammar, Hiraki for video/listening comprehension, and Waki all day Friday's for reading comprehension and composition.

But the past few days have been especially fun to note. We are learning how to pretty much reiterate to others what we have heard from one source or another, so each day at the beginning of class, Kurokawa will ask us to tell her some news. The past topics have been:

The Iraqi Shoe-Throwing-at-Bush Incident
Barack Obama being named Time's Person of the Year
How the economic recession has affected F1 racing

The last one, more than anything else, was unexpected. It appears Professor Waki is a fan of rally racing and I actually found out, through her, that Honda and Subaru have pulled out from Rally Racing and currently only Toyota and Mitsubishi remain, though it seems the teams are suffering budget cuts.

Wait, what? Subaru has disbanded it's Rally team?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I mean, yes, I'm a Mitsubishi girl, but damn. Subaru is my second favorite, and the Impreza is a wonderful piece of machinery (again, me and Professor Waki were bantering back and forth about the Impreza and the Lancer Evolutions). To hear that the economic woes are stopping sweet, sweet rally racing makes me sad. Especially since the competition between Subaru and Mitsubishi was pretty intense.

Sad panda.

On top of all this, I feel much more confident in the class, especially when we had to peer-correct each others speech scripts and I had one of the highest scores in the class. Couple that with exceptional grades on my quizzes and first test and I'll say that this term is going to be much better than initially expected. I am having an easier time comprehending everything, so good vibes.

While I'm on this high of good vibes, I also think that when I return home, I might volunteer to tutor the first year Japanese students back at GVSU or even seek an internship with Professor Robinson while I study for the GRE to apply for Stanford, Irvine or Berkeley. It seems to me like California is the place to go, and I have good friends out there to boot.

うんん！ファイト！頑張ろう！

Birthday Party # 1 - The Massive Train Excursion

2008-12-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

Today's Tokyo Adventure is brought to you by the letter T, for the massive amount of train tickets used and bought today to get to all the places I had to go and lines I had to switch over to get home.

The plan started about a week ago. Abigail, a classmate and one of the first people I met in class whom I became friends with, had noticed I was in a rather depressive funk. I was away from home, unsure about whether to stay in Intensive II or not (I left, obviously. She remained, Godspeed, Abigail!) missing Michael and generally feeling blue about being unable to go home for my birthday or Christmas. So, she offered to plan a small day out for the two of us the week before my birthday (as on my birthday I intend to have a huge shindig that she might miss due to it being on a Sunday and conflicting with Church).

So the itinerary was as such: go to church with Abigail, go back to her home stay apartment, and dinner and a movie.

Now, I'm apprehensive about churches on general principle. I've had my whole lifetime's worth of bad experiences involving organized religion, and so there is a severe, severe feeling of distrust in any sort of hierarchical structure pertaining to spiritual matters for me. The last church I was a regular attendee of spawned some really bad memories which hurt me. That, plus having attended a private Christian school where the administrators often turned a blind eye to bullying and played favorites...yeah, not hard to see why I was weary.

Much like the last time I went to church with Abigail (and the time before that was with my Mom last Mother's Day), I pretty much felt indifferent. But the sermon's message about, "What is the one thing you would want from God?" and the story of Solomon's asking to be a better ruler got me thinking. What would be the one thing I'd really want from God? Or at all, in life really?

All that I really want, and have wanted, is love. I want to feel loved and to be able to love myself so that I am able to love others. The lack of love I received from those who oftentimes called themselves "Christians" is what hurt me probably more than anything else, and to this day, still makes me weary of being around other Christians as a whole.

As much as I hate to admit it, I broke down. So many negative memories and feelings, ones that I have clung to, came bubbling back to the surface. I grew up in the church, and with the childlike innocence, I held onto my beliefs until they could no longer sustain me. Then somewhere along the line, I just gave up.

I might not consider myself a Christian by any stretch of the imagination, but I am at the very least taking steps to reconcile my negative feelings toward the church so I can move toward a path of healing myself from the pain in the past. Also got a bilingual copy of the New Testament, so here's to improving my Japanese, one scripture at a time.

Anywho, enough about churches...

After that, we headed back to Abigail's homestay, and I introduced her to pictures of the Michael, and she envied his hair. His lovely, lovely, hair ;) We talked about a lot of things, and then her homestay mother (Junko) and father (whose name escapes me) made this amazing dinner for me. Abigail had been phishing for my favorite foods and so I was treated to a creamy carbonara pasta (so, so, so, good), homemade pizza (dough and all!), salad, and a strange yogurt like confection.

But what really got me, more than anything else, was the fact that Abigail made a birthday cake for me. And it was hella delicious. Dark chocolate, with chunks, strawberry frosting and white chocolate chips. It was so delicious, I even brought a little bit back to the dorm with me to enjoy tomorrow. And I was then gifted with a little stationary set, the first volume of Toradora, and a little plushie of one of the NHK news channels (the little pink birdie). It was more than I was ever expecting and really, I think I have found a true friend in Abigail because no one, in my life, has known me for such a short time and gone to such lengths to be there for me.

Her birthday is eight days after mine, which means I better start fishing for her favorite color so I can go get my knitting on.

Stay tuned for next week's birthday party: drunken all-nighter karaoke!

I Might Be Drunk

2008-12-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the Second Men's Dorm Christmas ball. And it was crazy fun. After class, I hung out with Debra to watch Stargate: SG1, and then wandered off to the library while she and Eyrun got their pre-party drink on, then I ended up joining them for a rum and coke (which aren't bad...just don't use Diet Coke...or Coke Lite...or whatever it's called here) after which we headed to the party fashionably late.

The music was great and we immediately got our first drinks (they choose beer, I chose a OJ and Creme de Peche mixer, which was cheaper) and got crunk on the dance floor. Maya showed up and she was already pretty gone, just constantly hugging everyone. Turns out Maya is in 3WD, so we'll be dormmates pretty soon. The Swedes are fun.

Then we each caught our second drinks when a wild Stewart appears. By this point I was texting Josh wondering where he was and said, "I am drunk" to which he replied "おめでとう～" (Lit: CONGRATULATIONS!) ...By that point, I think me, Debra and Eyrun were a little past tipsy and were giggly as all hell when Eyrun decides, "This requires tequila!"

And so tequila was had. Did I ever mention I love tequila? Well, I love tequila. God bless the Mexicans. This led to Bad White Girl Dancing. To beats such as "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse mixed to the tune of "Toxic" by Britney Spears. Fun times, fun times.

Then came the adventure of riding my bike home. I made it safely, though I am reminded of the small AMV short of Chiyo and Osaka from Azumanga with the PSA of "If you're a 12 year old girl and you're high on marijuana...don't ride your bike" except it was "If you're a 22 year old woman and you're drunk in Japan...don't ride your bike" because really, the potential for fucking up on the narrow streets and faceplanting was high.

All in all though, it was a much needed relaxation and social getaway. And I had fun. Here's to hoping I have no hangover because right now I feel completely sober :D

A Fistful of Yen = Albums Galore

2008-12-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

Today, me and my dynamic duo of British Gentlemen (Stewart and Josh) decided, that after three months of living here, it was time to find some pizza. And find pizza we did, at a place called Shakey's in Kichijoji. For Japanese pizza, it was amazingly good. There weren't really any particularly strange pizza's persay (No squid and mayonnaise) but they had a few odd ones like Tuna and Corn. Me and Stewart both go Bacon and Cheddar half-pizza's while Josh ordered half a Tuna and Corn and a half of the Meaty Combo.

It was pretty damn good stuff, albeit pricey (1/2 of a 13inch pizza is like $12 USD).

Over dinner we talked about novels (We all like Terry Pratchett, or rather, I'm getting into Terry Pratchett now), how our schools are retarded in how they organize degree progress, and of all things, "King of the Hill" because Stewart has some sort of strange adoration of the show.

Afterwards, as it was getting late and most of Kichijoji was shutting down, we ambled around Sunroad and stopped at Dorama, which is a game, dvd, and cd shop that always has a sale going on. This time, it was CDs for 100 yen.

Let me reiterate that: FULL ALBUMS for 100 YEN. Normally stuff like this imported would be $30-$50 a pop. So, I perused and picked up some stuff that caught my eye to broaden my musical horizons.

Orange Range - Natural (First Album, has "Asterisk" on it)
Nana Katase - Telepathy (Not sure who she is, but she's on Avex)
Do As Infinity - Gates of Heaven (Heard of them, another Avex artist)
Anna Tsuchiya - inspi'NANA [Black Stones] (Anna Tsuchiya *_*)
Chemistry - Between the Lines (...Didn't they collaborate with m-Flo?)
Casshern Official Album - Our Last Day (OST to Casshern)

So for about $7USD, I picked up 6 albums. Not bad at all.

On the way home on the Inokashira, I ended up sitting next to an old gentleman. When I went looking through my CDs, he peered over and went, "Japanese music?" (In English) and I was like, "Uhhh...O_o ...yeah." and we ended up having a strange conversation about how America is apparently this big elephant and Japan this tiny mouse that is dwarfed...I think it was about the post-War reaction or some such, his English was iffy and my Japanese is terrible, but it was really fun. He actually knew where Michigan was (and that it had five big lakes surrounding it). Apparently he's been skiing in Vancouver.

Now I'm home, ripping my newly found albums and going to relax before sleep. Tomorrow I re-register for classes. Joy of joys.

Maki Lives!

2008-12-07T22:14:00.000-08:00

I am so, so, so, very happy to be writing this. So much indeed, I am nearly in tears.

Not many of you who read my blog are aware that in the town where I live back home, there used to be a Japanese restaurant by the name of Unkh's, and it was run by an Egyptian American 5-Star Chef and his Japanese wife, Maki. Now, Maki was a master sushi chef, I mean, everything she made was delicious. Sure, it was pricey but this was quality Japanese cuisine and it was fantabulous. Me and Michael made a habit of going there for special occasions, and later...we did lunch there once a week.

Well, about a year ago, Maki and Unkh got divorced and she decided to move back home to Japan. Me and Mike, obviously bummed, wanted to stay in contact with her. She was a great friend and very sweet. She was worried that it'd be hard for her to find a job back in Japan due to being "too old" (she's mid-30s, 'ancient' by Japanese standard). We got her a gift (teddy bears, since she loved them) and a nice card. We exchanged addresses and what not.

So I wrote her via email frequently, and then it stopped. To be honest, I thought about writing letters, but I felt like I would be hounding her. Though I did share with her I was coming to Japan in the following Autumn.

Since arriving, I decided to send her a post card to see how she's doing. Weeks later, no response, so I send out another one. It had been a few weeks then and at that point, I had given up hope that she even remembered me or Michael.

Today, in my mailbox was a post card. With a stuffed bear on the reverse side.

It was from Maki!

She's doing great, been very busy, and trying not to catch a cold but all in all she's doing well. I hope to keep writing her, and maybe in March go see her down in Osaka with Michael :3

Too Intense

2008-12-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I lasted three days in Intensive Japanese. It's...well. Really, really intense. They weren't kidding. So Monday I'm dropping down into J3 and going from there. Hopefully this means I will do better.

Good news: I got into the women's dormitory, which means I will be moving in around the first week of January. My new address will be posted then.

I am still so nerved up that I am not going to do well.

Mountains, Tengu, and Grade Reports, OH MY!

2008-12-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a long needed update as to the last days of my freedom before the term begins tomorrow.

Last Saturday was the trip out to Mt. Takao on the western-most outskirts of Tokyo. I met up with Stewart and Josh at Chofu to catch a rapid out to the base of the mountain. The further you get from the heart of Tokyo, the more of the "real" Japan you see. Even though the view was still mostly obscured by buildings and telephone poles, the mountainous area covered in a blanket of trees and the occasional hillside cemetary, was absolutely gorgeous. Gold, orange, red, and green leaves glowed in the rising sunlight.

Around 10 we got to the base of the mountain, stocked up on beverages and then began our ascent up the mountain.

Steep mountain is steep. The first two and a half kilometers up were nothing short of harsh. The steep incline was pretty wicked all things considered, and I found myself feeling dejected at the fact that small Japanese children were hauling up that mountain like no one's business, meanwhile I had to stop at every plateau and reassure Josh and Stewart that yes, I could complete the mountain. I just suck at this whole "holy crap, steep incline!" type climbing. Give me a vertical face any day...

We hit the halfway point around noonish and stopped to eat some of the fruit we packed. The entire way up, me and Josh kept making either 4chan references that went over Stewart's head or lamenting the fact that we were both away from our main squeezes and what a world, what a world, we're so angsty and lonely. Cleaning up with bananas, apples, and mikan in our belly, she trailblazed the last three kilometers of the trail to reach the temple right below the summit.

Fact: Mt. Takao is historically known for its folklore involving a community of Tengu, a sort of winged-dog-man spirit that are the guardians of mountains and the Yamabushi, warrior monks, who trained among them. At the temple were several shrines to Tengu as well as really awesome statues.

Finally, we reached the summit and let me say...there is nothing more breathtaking than being on the top of a mountain and looking down upon a city. Tokyo looked so far away, so tiny against the hilly geography of this volcanic island. At the look out point, you could see a stretch of mountain ranges, and in the far distance, past the mists of the morning, there was Mt. Fuji itself. Finding a plot, we ate our lunches, talked about how we didn't want to leave and then when rain started coming down we decided it would be best if we did, indeed, leave.

They say the descent is often the easiest, and I am sure that is true for most folks. However, my legs are out to end me in any way possible. On our way down, my knees continued to buckle nonstop to the point where I had to keep one hand on Josh at all times or I would end up rolling the five kilometers back down the mountain. Clearly, that was not an option. So we decided to take the lift down, only to discover that Stewart has agoraphobia. Scratch that plan, we'll take the cable-car.

Sure, after we wait an hour because the line was longer than a bunch of tween's waiting outside a theatre to watch their inspid Mormon-doctrine filled vampire romance angst fest. Then, we hit the tram and watched the trees and colors change as we came down the eastern face of the mountain as opposed to the western.

Back to the base, we head onto the train and ride home, separating at Fuchu so I could catch the local one stop over. Head home and promptly pass out due to my legs going "DEAAAAAAAAAAAATH! DEAAAAAAAATH TO YOOOOOOOOOOOU!"

Insert lazy Saturday spent with Debra watching Stargate: SG1 season 1 and lollin' at all the Macgyuver references thanks to Richard Dean Anderson.

Carter: What do you expect us to do so? MacGyuver a solution to this?
O'Neil (Richard Dean Anderson, Aka MacGuyver): ...>_>;

...yeah. We're nerds.

As for today, I am on campus. I got a gift from Yuma in the Matsuri-Dan of a custom mug with the logo and our sub-section name. I also signed up for classes and received my grade report:

Japanese II - C
History of Contemporary Japan - A
Readings in Japanese History - A

GPA: 3.0

HELLZ YEAH. Here's hoping to improve on the Japanese!

The Merry-Go-Round of Life

2008-11-26T01:15:00.001-08:00

Today was my trip to the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. Even as I sit here now, at my laptop I am on the verge of tears of happiness because I have never experienced anything so wondrous in my life as being able to see the place where Hayao Miyazaki has sat and dreamed up so many wonderful, beautiful and touching stories that always elicit great emotion from me.

Of all his movies, one has always touched me the most and holds a very special place in my heart: ハオルの動く城　-- Howl's Moving Castle. Something about the story combined with the masterful score by Joe Hisaishi just brings tears to my eyes. It also helps that it is the first Miyazaki film I saw with Michael, and therefore it is very dear to me. The novel, also, was something I enjoyed very much, making it a double treat.

What prompted the crying was just seeing the many whimsical creations within the museum. I couldn't take pictures inside, but it is like being in a whole other world. On the outside it looks like a Spanish villa, inside is illustrious Victorian with steampunk elements..Truly beyond words, and something that could only come from the mind of Miyazaki.

I got to see the Cat-Bus playroom, but alas since I am a small child, I was not allowed to take a ride. But to actually see it, well, that was enough as well. There was a beautiful garden atop of the museum and the grounds were so scenic and other-worldly...even the cafe was quaint and straight out of a painting.

I am barely able to type because it's hard to write down what it is that I feel other than that I wish Michael was here to see it. You would love it, you would spend hours here...it is a place truly meant for you to see.

After wandering the exhibits including La Petite Lourve (paintings on loan to Ghibli from the Lourve in Paris), I stopped into the shop in search for anything Nausicaa...while I succeeded, I wish there had been more, but Ghibli's more popular serials such as Totoro, Kiki, and now Ponyo was everywhere. Howl's was more visible than Nausicaa, which made me sad, but nevertheless, I found a few sweet things to send back home. I have a small puzzle with young!Sophie and Howl, a pin of Calcifer and the Dust Sprites from Spirited Away, a Dust Sprite keyfob, a Museo D'Arte Ghibli pin, as well as a few screen slides from Howl's. My Nausicaa haul will be a secret until they get sent to their proper owner. But...I hope he will like them. Oh...well, I suppose I can share just one. At the cafe, they had Hot Dogs (Porco Rosso was at the top of the sign, haha!), Ice Cream, Juice, and...風の種のビル...that is, "Beer of the Valley of the Wind".

That's right. Nausicaa beer. What the hell, Ghibli. Unfortunately, I had to drink it (or dump it out) since they wouldn't give me the bottle unopened, but I have the bottle and it's awesome label safe and sound on my desk.

Lastly, into the in-Museum theatre to watch a special Ghibli short: めいとねこバス - Mei and Cat Bus. It was so cute because most of it didn't require Japanese language knowledge. It was so precious, and involved a Baby Cat Bus, as well as Grandma Cat Bus. There were Cat-Trains, and Cat-Trolleys, and at the very end, a Cat-Blimp. It was perhaps the coolest Totoro related thing I have seen since...well...Totoro.

So, there in is my adventure for today. Time to go back to crying and lamenting about how much I just wanted to live in Ghibli-world.

(P.S. - The title of today's entry is the main theme to Howl's Moving Castle...the one that gets me crying like a baby)

Plans Revision

2008-11-23T05:54:00.001-08:00

Here's the schedule for this week:

Nov. 24 - Go to Toudai's Bunkasai with Mariko, Runo, and Arisa
Nov. 26 - Studio Ghibli Museum with Stewart
Nov. 27 - Climbing Mt. Takao with Stewart

I bless the rains down in Africa ?

2008-11-23T05:21:00.001-08:00

This had been something that amused me for some time, but I neglected to quip about on my journal. Back home, almost every public bathroom is equipped with fixtures from the same company. A typical example would be "Crane". Their toilets are in nearly every American public establishment, along with Kimball-Johnson toilet paper dispensers.

In Japan, every toilet I have seen, every sink I have seen always read these four letters:

Toto.

And every time I notice that, all I can hear is "Africa" by the band of the same name.

...Apparently when the band hit Japan, there was confusion as to why they named themselves after the biggest toilet manufacturer. Maybe because they knew their songs were poo...?

The Verdict Is In:

2008-11-20T18:35:00.001-08:00

I GOT AN 83% ON THE FINAL EXAM. I PASS THE CLASS!

Goin' Imperial

2008-11-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

Mission: Visit the Imperial Palace Grounds [Completed]
Objectives: Photos. Lots of photos [Completed]
Secondary Objective: Visit Imperial Gardens [Completed]
Achievements Unlocked: Viewed Imperial Ceremony welcoming Foreign Ambassador, Saw Tokyo Tower (and have it not be eaten by Godzilla)

New skill unlocked - Imperial Crest Netsuke (Open: Show Imperial Crest Netsuke, bow number of personalities equal to chi.)

...good grief, just how much of a nerd am I?

Woke up bright and early today to prepare for my trip deep into the heart of Central Tokyo, to the grounds where Tokugawa built his castle, to where the Emperor Meiji resided after the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, to where the longest unbroken dynastic line resides: The Imperial Palace of Tokyo.

Getting there was a trip and a half in and of itself. I transferred at Shinjuku for the Marunouchi subway line and took it all the way to Tokyo Station -- the largest station in the world. No lie, that place is humongous. I often felt like a hamster in a maze trying to find the piece of cheese, bit of peanut butter, or carrot stick. It was just damn near difficult to navigate. And considering you're underground, it's doubly difficult to get your directional bearings when you can't see the sky. I had to find the West gate to be nearest to the Palace, and thankfully, I found it without getting too lost.

Nothing quite prepared me for seeing the Palace up close and personal. I mean, the grounds are very spacious. You hear stories of Western Castles and moats, and drawbridges, and you see them all the time in animated movies and what not, but seeing and touching the actual ramparts, the wood and steel gates, it's a whole other experience.

Here's a run down of the tour and buildings of particular note:

1.) Fujimi-Yagura -- a three-storied keep reconstructed in 1659, is one of the oldest remaining remnants of the original Edo Castle (Tokugawa's residence). It served as a watch tower. The rampart is 14.5 meters high and the tower itself is 15.5 meters high.

2.) The Imperial Household Agency (Kunaicho Chosha) - If Japan were Rokugan, the Kunaicho Chosha would be like the Miya Archives. They literally keep track of everything, from the daily lives of the Imperial Family, to controlling press releases, to even approving the future spouses of Imperial Family members. In short: they control everything.

3.) Fujimi-tamon Defense House and Hasuikebori - Fujimi-Tamon is a donjon built for both defense and decorative purposes. It also served as a repository and armory. The Hasuikebori (Lotus Moat) is a moat that follows the ramparts throughout the palace. In the summer, the entire moat is brimming with blooming lotus'.

4.) Kyuden Totei Plaza - This plaza, situated in front of the Imperial Palace complex in front of Chowaden Hall is where the public can convene on the Emperor's Birthday and on January 2nd to receive an address from the Emperor and see the Imperial Family.

5.) The Imperial Palace (Kyuden!) - The current Palace was completed in 1968 and consists of seven buildings including the Seiden State Function Hall, Homeiden State Banquet Hall, Chowaden Reception Hall, and the Emperor's Daily Office. The original Meiji Palace was destroyed during the Tokyo Air Raids of the Second World War.

Around the time we got to this part of the tour, we were shuffled aside as up from the path came two horse drawn carriages and a contingent of horseback officers as well as other military types. Who would have thought that during a regularly scheduled guided tour of the Imperial Grounds that I would get to see the installation of a new foreign Ambassador? The entire ceremony (called the "Inspection of Papers" or something to that effect) consists of the new Ambassador (or politician, or someone of significant standing) is met by the Emperor and given his approval.

We never got to see the Emperor of course, but the fact that all of this went down while I was there (and I caught video of the procession leaving), I think that was pretty bad ass. Continuing...

6.) Seimon-testubashi Bridge and Fushimi-yagura Keep - The bridge is a popular guest destination as it crosses one of the larger moats and gives visitors a good view of the Fushimi-Yagura Keep. The difference between Fujimi-yagura and Fushimi-yagura is that Fushimi-yagura was moved from Fushimi Castle in Kyoto to Tokyo by Tokugawa Iemitsu in the early 17th century.

7.) Sannomaru Shozokan (Museum of Imperial Collections) - Full of shiny pretties, this hall shows off a portion of treasures accrued by the Imperial Family. It changes monthly, and I got to see a lot of classical sumi-e portraits dating back from the early 17th century to more modern times. The museum has more than 9500 articles in its collection.

8.) Higashi Gyoen (East Imperial Gardens) - One word: HUGE. I imagine Higashi Gyoen is to Tokyo (along with Yoyogi and Inokashira Parks) what Central Park is to New York. It's just lush, well designed and pleasing to the eyes.

I stopped at one of the various "rest houses" in the park and picked up a few momentos including a set of photo postcards (with old, old artwork on them), a book mark (from the same art series) as well as a little netsuke in the shape of the Imperial Crest (the chrysanthemum). I figure it'll be a nice favor to carry around when I get back into L5R upon my return home.

Edit: Here Be The Photos! As Promised!

Making Plans

2008-11-16T15:36:00.001-08:00

Since I'm on vacation, I'm already making plans on what to do with myself. While the incredible British Posse (Rachel, Josh, and Stewart) are off to Hakone until tomorrow, as well as Casa del International Incident (Debra, Eyrun, Ieva, and Elisa, from the U.S., Iceland, Lithuania, and Italy respectfully) are currently in Kyoto, I've decided that I, too, need to get out a bit more.

So here's my game plan:

November 19: Touring the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
November 21: Climb Mt. Takao (if the weather is good, for autumn color photos)
November 22: Daytrip to Kamakura to visit the shrines and temples

Somewhere in here: taking student lessons for extra money <3

(History Dweeb Note: Kamakura was once the capital of Japan during the Kamakura Period. It lies 30 miles south of Tokyo and is home to one of the "Great Buddha" statues, meaning it's huge. And it was built by Minamoto Yoritomo, the first Kamakura Shogun :D Weee, picture times!)

Sure, I'm not going anywhere as nice as Hakone and Kyoto (waiting until March for that), but I'm doing what I can to get out and see the parts of Japan that I think I will get the most out of (ie: The more historically kept parts).

So that's the game plan for now. Things might change, weather willing.

Exams Post-Mortem and a trip to Akiba

2008-11-13T04:19:00.000-08:00

Today, I had my Japanese final, the last test of the term. I suppose it would be good to say that I feel alright about it. It wasn't as frightening as say some of the tests I took this term. Thank god for that, and hopefully I passed.

Afterwards me, Ann, Abigail, Stewart, and Josh all went to Akihabara, aka Akiba, which is affectionately known as "Electric Town". Here you can buy any assortment of electronics and accessories as well as it being a one-stop-anime-shopping Mecca. Lets just say it was over stimulating and there wasn't a lot to take photos of this time as I spent most of my time wondering what I should be buying people.

I saw a lot of Macross Frontier that made me think of Mike, Final Fantasy stuff as well as Evangelion stuff OUT THE ASS, and I finally got one of the many plushies of my desire. Let's just say, "A smiling blob of indeterminate doom has drawn near!"

Had cheap beef bowl for lunch/early dinner, came back home and promptly passed out. Will be going back to Akiba at some point as a friend of mine quite clearly wants a King Slime :D

Why I Need A Different Camera

2008-11-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Today while writing I decided to go take a walk to go clear the fog that overcame it while attempting to write a massive paper and study Japanese at the same time. No easy feat, I assure you, but my brain was pretty much telling me to shove off and rightfully so.

So I decided that, hey, finals are next week. Might be a good idea to head down to the Shrine and pick up a 学業成就 amulet. That is to say, an amulet meant to help with studying. I figured why not, luck couldn't hurt.

But as I approached the Shrine, I saw paper lanterns and festival stalls. I was wondering if I had come across another random festival. As it was, it happened to be 七五三, that is, the celebration of children reaching the age of 7, 5, or 3. You saw little kids in fine kimono being wished luck and health and I saw something of particular interest.

As I approached the sacred precincts proper, I noticed an American family and color me surprised when I saw a little girl of 7, blonde hair and blue eyes dressed in a fine kimono with her makeup done and a cute parasol having her ceremony performed.

This was when I cursed myself for not carrying my camera everywhere with me, but it's so cumbersome. It turns out that family actually lives two blocks from ICU and they jog there frequently. I'll have to run into them again sometime.

Well, that's my adventure for today. If I can finished this paper before evening, I'll go back to the shrine again to take in the festive atmosphere.

Post-Culture Fest Blitz

2008-11-04T18:32:00.001-08:00

I've finally come out of hiding from the past weekend. For those of you who I forgot to mention it to, this past weekend was ICU's Festival and I was on the planning committee for the event. It's not so different from JAFAX in how it was put together, except that it was on a much larger scale and there are several things that I would have to recommend to JAFAX staff in the future should I continue to be apart of the organization as a whole.

Setup started on Friday at 8am sharp and I didn't get home from campus until about 10pm. This was the beginning of several long nights. Saturday was the same thing. My shifts including the reception area, taking photos, selling ICU goods and beverages and then sorting trash which I got to skip out on as a massive migraine of doom decided to wreck my brain and I headed home.

Sunday was like Saturday only I had more breaks inbetween my shifts as opposed to one mega-shift on Saturday. I got to watch the Taiko and Soul Run performances as well as GTBL's (Good to Be Loud, the GLBT group on campus) drag show. There was delicious foods to be had as well, including yakisoba (fried soba noodles), yakiudon (fried udon noodles), yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), chocolate filled taiyaki (a fish-shapped waffle), chocolate covered banana's, okinawan fritters, crepes, non-alcoholic beer, smoothies, tea and soda galore...

Quite the weekend, quite the weekend. Thankfully Monday was a holiday so I could -sleep-. Also found out on Monday about the passing of my Uncle Ron so it gave me sometime to think and pray for family as well.

Nothing much really has been happening other than homework, class, resting and getting over this stomach bug I've developed. I'm still fighting with Flickr to upload my photos and YouTube for my video. Soon, I promise, you will see them ;-;

Supply Drop!

2008-10-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

WOOOOOO! My "Supply Drop" came today! This makes an otherwise sucky Wednesday into AWESOME FEST!

My lovely Michael and my Mum got together to ship me out a nice care package. It was thoroughly inspected by customs and neatly assembled again with nothing removed (Japanese Customs FTW!) and it contained many delicious things:

Gardetto's Rye Chips
Mint Milano Cookies
1lb Bag of Regular M&Ms
1lb Bag of Peanut M&Ms
Single bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms
EXTRA CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER <3
A bag of Peanut Butter Kisses
One of those Campbell's Soup on the Go in Cream of Broccoli (Om nom nom)
A self heating container of Hot Cocoa
A bag of Marshmallows (never know when they might come in handy!)

On the material side of things I got some of the best things ever:

A pink coffee mug with "LOL" inscribed into it. (LOL.)
Two reusable grocery bags (1 from Meijer, another from Family Fare)
A black cat plushie
The #44 Seeley Sheep
A pair of socks? (Michael, are these yours?)
and to aid me in my learning of TEH KANJI...

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Limited Edition Nintendo DS Lite. It's Atomic White with the pink ribbon in the upper right corner. A charitable donation of the proceeds go to the Komen Foundation. So I can play my games AND save breasts!

I definitely have some good, wholesome comfort food now <3

Thanks Michael! Thanks Mum!

I Left My Umbrella In Harajuku

2008-10-26T14:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a leisurely day of getting a whole page done on my research paper (always the hardest part!) and then going to Harajuku to participate in a market research dohickey about electric shavers and giving them as gifts to boyfriends or husbands. For the two hours I spent there, I made 10,000 yen. Not bad compensation for just talking about what we like in a shaver, packaging, and set options.

Met some really cool expats there as well. Kelly is a shoemaker (old school, sewing soles and stuff), Jaime is an English teacher, India teaches at Waseda, Kelly works at a PR and marketing firm along with Malaya, and Mari was a student as well, I think. Everyone but me and Jaime spoke fluent enough Japanese but I used mine as best I could. I aspire to be like the other women who were just fantastic (Mari is exempt, seeing as how she's half-Japanese)

Didn't get much of a chance to take pictures of Harajuku this time. There were a lot of kidlets in Halloween costumes though, it was cute. I think they were trick-or-treating in the department store. I saw a guy dressed up as a Saiyajin (Saiyan from Dragonball Z) and I tried to ask for a picture, but he was all, "10,000 yen! 10,000 yen!" ...yeah, right. Sorry. I might be white, but I'm not stupid, asshole.

Then when I was on the train heading home I realized...I left my umbrella at the interview room for the market research. Le sigh. I'll have to pick up another one soon.

Got home, ate dinner, watched a movie, studied some Japanese and hit the hay.

So a Persian, a Korean, and White Chick walk into a Mexican Bar in Japan...

2008-10-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Considering I missed the Canada House Ball due to a bout of feeling like crap, when Roxanna and Sojin invited me out to Los Cabos in Roppongi, I decided to go along. And you know what? It was fun. I learned that Roxanna and Sojin are perhaps two of the greatest gals I have met since arriving here. They were doing Jagerbombs while I kept to a nice cocktail favorite: Fuzzy Navels. I drank about two of those before they busted out the sake. Sojin's been here three weeks and she's already getting depressed about having to leave in a few months.

Here's the run down, Sojin is from New York, her parents own a fish market. A month or two ago, the market burned down and they've been struggling ever since. Sojin worries that while she has no doubt she'll stay in contact with me and Roxy, she wishes she could stay longer in Japan as she's not sure if she'll ever be able to come back.

I know the feeling all too well. She's as worried about money as I am.

Me and Roxy tried our best to keep her in high spirits, but me and Roxy soon found ourselves feeling the depression too as we're both relatively smart girls who just have no guidance in life (Sojin hasn't decided on a major)...

I'm really glad they came to the dorm. It's nice to have good neighbors (literally. Sojin's in 217, I'm in 218, and Roxanna's in 219!)

Good news for today: I'm going to Harajuku to participate in a Market Research thingy mabobber and I also got a certified mail from AU which is my rebate check for being 22 years old (apparently) and signing a contract with them. Suddenly this week got better, Silent Bob.

Lunch with ZE GIRLZ, Paper Slacking, and Japanese Angst

2008-10-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

I'll just keep this brief:

I had lunch with Mariko and Noriko, which was fun. Mariko lived in Canada for four years and Noriko is the head of the Ikebana club on campus, which I hope to join next term, time permitting.

I'm only a paragraph in on my HST 321 paper. Go me. GET TO WORK, SLACKER!

Still not getting Japanese as fast as I'd like. I know everyone says to just go and use it, but it's rather hard to use it when you can't remember which grammar to use and no one will correct you :(

There has to be a better way. Maybe next term will be better since I'll be focusing solely on language rather than language and history zomg need the credits to graduate type stress.

Wooo. One last response paper for 221, two presentations, a project, and 2 more tests left in Japanese before the final. ZOMG.

Someone Shat in the Shower

2008-10-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

...No, this is not a Dane Cook comedy sketch based off of the "Someone shat on the coats!" sketch, but rather, this is the second time, since I've lived in the dorm, that someone has been so unable to control their bodily functions and has shat in the shower.

The first time I was not privy to, nor did I even see any notices go up about it like this time. Karen, in fact, had been the one to walk into the shower to see a steamy pile in her shower and promptly screamed. She now avoids that particular shower like the plague, and really, who could blame her?

Today, walking into the main entry way of the dorm there's a whiteboard where announcements are often pinned up. Someone, another boarder I assume, took it upon themselves to draw a diagram of someone taking a shower normally ("O.K!") and another of someone in the shower, squatting, and dropping a deuce ("NO!"). Later when I went down to dinner the shitting stick figures were gone and an official notice was posted. One in Japanese, and one, thankfully, in English.

If it happens again, they are going to do DNA testing (or so they say). It'd be amusing if its one of the Japanese girls doing it in order to get us foreigners kicked out.

But seriously? Crapping in one of the three showers we have to share between 75 others? Not cool.

...and so, this is Japan :/

Uh, Check Please!

2008-10-21T02:52:00.000-07:00

Past couple of days have been a blur and will continue to be as such until Mid-November. Posting and picture-taking will be sporadic at best. Rather, there won't be much variety since I'm not going to cool parts of Tokyo.

Had a bit of an emotional melt down today over the fact that I am not understanding Japanese as fast as I hope to. Stewart, that dear soul, tried to keep my optimistic by saying that while he has the better grasp of the grammar, I have been the one to correct him on other things equally as important in Japanese (vocab, how to properly write an essay on the essay paper, etc...) I still was feeling rather defeated and when I went out to go find some place to just collapse into a small ball, a wild Miki appeared. Miki is Thai, and "Miki" is actually just a nickname since being Thai and all, she has an impossible to pronounce and horrendously long first and last name. She was sweet and started to console me. Turns out she's not doing to hot in J3 and will probably go through Intensive 2 with me (meaning she's retaking J3 more or less and then learning J4) so for the first half I'll have someone with experience to lean on.

I didn't do so hot on another test. A little better than the last test (by a whole point!) but still, worrisome. Professor Sato had me come to her office today to review the test and she agrees that it's very simple mistakes that I've been making. I can turn my grade around, I know it.

After that, I went and talked to Professor Robinson about my term paper and potential future plans. He made the recommendation of if I decide on Graduate School to look into Area Studies, since you can choose a focus and perhaps even find something that might be more to my calling as it's a cross-discipline course. Sounds like a groovy idea.

Get back to the dorm in time for dinner and I decide to email Sho (my surgeon student who offers far, far too much money) about whether or not we can meet again in the next coming weeks, though not until mid-late November due to exams and whatnot. I get this reply back:

"I would like to be your boyfriend. Can you do that?"

...

...

...

...yikes.

I emailed him backing saying, "No, I cannot do that. I am sorry. There is someone waiting for me back home." Hopefully this does not make him decide to stop conversating with me. If all he wanted was a white, American girlfriend, Craigslist might have given better results >_>;

Peace, love and kisses,
E

Of Old Korean Women

2008-10-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I stopped out for a brief moment to catch some lunch at the 7-11 and on my way back, and elderly woman, must have been about 70-80 years old, stops dead in her tracks, smiles at me, and then starts to twirl in circles with arms outstretched. She gestures for me to join her, so I do. Afterwards, she continues to bow deeply, far more deeper than she should since I am so young compared to her, and she grabs my hand while repeatedly going "Arigatou gozaimashita! Arigatou gozaimashita!" When I asked why, she said "I am Korean."

She kept holding my hand while bowing, the smile never left her face.

I don't know what I had done to make the old woman so happy, but it was the first time since I've been here that someone seemed so happy that I was here.

I think she lives in the neighborhood. Hopefully I'll see her again.

Of Sharkfin Soup and Jellyfish

2008-10-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a busy day. I went to campus to study Japanese with a fellow classmate, perused through bibliographies while looking for sources for my research paper, and then later I had a student to go conversate in English with.

Sho is the biweekly student on account that he is a busy surgeon. He was also the student who, during the trial lesson, stayed for 30 minutes and paid me 5000 yen (~$50). Well, today he was running late and offered, due to this, to take me out to dinner.

Now color me weary. I've been fairly paranoid and at first I thought I should call it off, but then I remembered that if it wasn't a public place, I had told Roxanna to message me every so often so I could use one as an excuse to get out.

After a half an hour of trying to find the meeting spot, we head to the Keio Plaza hotel, which is ritzy beyond ritzy. Lot of 5-star restaurants in there. Most of them were closing when we arrived so we ended up going to the authentic Chinese restaurant. He ordered (since I sure as hell didn't know what to pick) and it ended up being like...an 8-course meal along with wine and desert and good heavens. I ate things like Jellyfish, Sharkfin Soup, Peking Duck...you know, shit that I would never imagine in all my years to be eating.

And it was good, too. I'm going to assume insanely pricey, but very good. Probably the best meal I ate in my entire life.

So we start discussing a various manner of things. Religion, politics, philosophy, sad, sad, sad state of the global economy. At about that time he pays me up front and just gives a happy old man smile.

...It was 20,000 yen. That's pretty much, given what the exchange rate is like, $200.

What. the. hell.

I don't know whether to be okay with this or to be more weary @_@

Pipe Wrench Fight!

2008-10-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

(If you want to know why today's subject title is "Pipe Wrench Fight", I suggest you watch this video all the way through. It's for your own benefit!)

After two weeks of putting it off due to mixed schedules and a battle with the plague, I finally got to meet Dan J. and Dan L.'s mutual friend Dan S. (Yes, I am aware that is a lot of Dan's) Dan J. meet Dan S. through a study abroad program and Dan L. knew Dan S. from having grown up together (I think!). Both Dan J. and Dan L. are friends as well. Damn all these Dan's from California.

So! After trying to find my way to the Hachiko Exit of Shibuya station (and finding myself right smack dab in the middle of that intersection that you always see when Japan is referenced, where the entire street is mobbed by people. Yeah, I was there!). Up and above me were giant LCD screens with music, videos, everything being displayed on them. To my right was a massive billboard promoting Ayu's 10th Anniversary Song Collection and then. Then I saw the building so infamous, it was like another world...

I stood in front of Shibuya 109. THE SHIBUYA 109! The birthplace of Ko-Gal's and ParaPara girls! Not only that, but there's 109-2, which is 109 for men! ZOMG.

But I digress, of course. I finally got to meet Dan S., who is made of awesome sauce. Seriously. The dude is fluent in Japanese to point where seriously...I think they need to revoke his passport. He's Japanese. Seriously.

So we wandered around Shibuya, he told me about a lot of cool stores, we exchanged geek stories, talked about how we met Dan L. and Dan J. before heading off to dinner's at a little slice of Americana known as TGI Friday's. That's right, folks. TGI Friday's. They still have FLAIR. And damn good food. Pricey, but damn good. Dan was an amazing gentleman because when I was away in the bathroom he ended up paying for me ;~; Such a sweety.

After that, it was time for the greatest of Japanese past times. No, not baseball. No, not getting drunk to the point where you have a necktie around your head like Rambo, but true, authentic, often imitated but never quite the same...

Japanese Karaoke.

If you ever wanted to sing anime themesongs at the top of your lungs in the privacy of a swank room with a Cinderella theme...go to Japan. Seriously. It was awesome, though we weren't without our awesome between-song commentary...

About 10 minutes in...

Dan: So, the last time I did Karaoke, it was two hours of nothing but Gundam songs.
Me: ...o_o; *Has queued up "Just Communication" from Gundam W* ...Uh-oh...
Dan: ZOMG I LOVE TWO MIX!! *Squee's, and queue's up "Rhythm Emotion"*
Me: *_*;

30 Minutes in...

Dan: *singing some really strange ass song*
Me: WTF?
Dan: I dunno. I seriously think people were high when they wrote this song.
Me: With lyrics that repeat, "Star Rider, Star Romancer" with crazy scenery with a guy who looks like a Rasta...I'd believe it.

Some 2982743 minutes in...

Dan: We should sing the last song together. Any ideas?
Me: I'm down with Bowie, The Cure, Billy Idol...Anything from the 80s is good...
Dan: Billy Idol? How about "Dancing With Myself"? ...fuck, they only have "Mony Mony".
Me: Cyndi Lauper?
Dan: Oh GOD no. Hmm...AH! "Take On Me!"
Me: Dude, did you see the literal version of that on BoingBoing?
Dan: BAND MONTAGE!
Me: PIPE WRENCH FIGHT!
*Insert really bad high pitched singing*

Many LOLZ were had. Also, as it would turn out, Dan works for a CD production company, and has met with many Japanese bands and stuff. He asked if I liked JPop and Rock and I do, occasionally. I did like Visual Kei back in the day and that immediately brought up Malice Mizer and Moi Diz Mois to him. And I will forever, forever envy that man for he has met, conversed, and done business with perhaps the most talented man in all of Visual Kei history: Mana.

I nearly died. So I met a guy who's talked face-to-face with Mana. ;~; Mana-sama~!

Okay, nerdgasm over. Onto my song list!

I think this is a complete listing of what I sang:

Utada Hikaru - Beautiful World (Evangelion Theme)
Ayumi Hamasaki - Evolution
Two Mix - Just Communication (Gundam W Theme)
Two Mix - Rhythm Emotion (Gundam W Theme)
Round Table ft. Nino - Let Me Be With You (Chobits Theme)
Tommy February6 - Lonely In Gorgeous (Paradise Kiss Theme)
Peach Hips - Moonlight Legend (Sailor Moon Theme)
MELL - Red Fraction (Black Lagoon Theme)
Koda Kumi - Real Emotion (Final Fantasy X-2 Theme)
Mizuki Nana - Hime Murasaki (Basilisk Ending Theme)
Takahashi Hitomi - Aozora no Namida (Blood + Theme)
Hayashibara Megumi - Cruel Angel's Thesis (Evangelion Theme)
Malice Mizer - Gardenia
Gackt - Emu ~ For My Dear
Kosaka Riyu - Love Shine
A-Ha - Take On Me (PIIIIIIPE WREEEENCH FIIIIIIGHT!)

...they had songs from like everything. Azumanga, Oh! My Goddess, I! My! Me! Strawberry Eggs (!!)...

I need to do this Karaoke thing again soon. Need to better plot my plan of attack!

So now, Dan's going to link me to some good VK bands that he thinks I'll like, and also an invite to Mixi (Think MySpace/Facebook + Japan, and that's Mixi)

I had a great night. It was nice to get out for a little bit and meet new friends :)

=(

2008-10-11T03:18:00.001-07:00

Today was a rather weird day. Not because it was bad, nor good, but it rates somewhere in the middle. I was actually able to sleep and be fully rested (\o/!), I finished up two papers (\o/!), I called my Daddy (\o/!), Daddy-O was in the hospital (-_-;), Daddy-O has an infection in his pancreas (-_-;) and my best friend's health isn't doing so well either (-_-;). It rates as a "bleh" day on my meter. Pretty much the only other thing I did was go to the local shrine and pray for both of their healths.

Say what you want about pagan, heathen, whatever religions...I never felt more serene and calm in a church as I have in an outdoor shrine in Japan.

I wish the best for both of their sakes. As much as me and my dad are as different as night and day and regardless of his past, he's still my daddy ;~;

Exchange Pains

2008-10-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who said I shouldn't worry myself with the entire economy going down the crapper don't know how much the exchange rate depends on stock trading and how badly its effecting me. It's currently 100 yen to 1, which is 1:1 ratio. This makes me very uncomfortable and worried and I pray for a speedy recovery.

Wherein I get a lot of use out of my bike

2008-10-05T04:15:00.000-07:00

The legs, they burn with a righteous fury. I have done not well by them. Biking everyday to class and back, futzing around Fuchu and what not. Yeah, they're angry. But at the same time, the more I don't bike, the more it hurts. So biking feels good, strangely. Just not when it's raining, it's dark, and I have to put the lamp on my bike which is pedal powered (making it twice as hard to pedal).

Today was another one of them "long days". You're probably asking, well, it's a Sunday, what could be so long. It's the weekend, it's chill time, it's all good.

Au contraire, mon frere.

Today was not just any Sunday, but I had an early student today who wanted to meet in Mitaka (so basically, near my school). Seeing as how I am an early riser, the 9:30 appointment was of no issue. Woke up, ate some yogurt, pedaled to Mitaka to the McD's, got a quick breakfast (om nom nom) and waited for Sho (my student) to arrive.

Sho is an older gentleman, older than my first student even, and was much more relaxed and not as rigid as the first student. He's a surgeon who specializes in gastro-intestinal cancer and anything pertaining to the gut area. We talked a lot and that's pretty much what he pays me for: to talk. Strange, isn't it?

What is stranger is that he ended up needing to leave half way through our trial lesson and on top of that, he paid me more than THREE TIMES my price. That's right, what was supposed to be about a 1500 yen session became a 5000 yen session.

Holy fuck.

I see him again on the 18th. He's biweekly, considering how busy the schedule of a surgeon is. Dare I hope that I get 5000 yen each time @_@

So I pack my stuff up from McD's and go to pull out my bike when a wild Rachael appears! Not wanting to go back home only to ride back two hours later for a make up class session, I decide to follow her to this English speaking church she found. It wasn't until we were riding for like a half hour when I realized that we had rode from Mitaka to Kichijouji. Color me amazed since I was like, "Holy crap, I've rode from Fuchu to Mitaka to Kichijouji! There's nothing I can't do!" We met up with Katie, Abigail, Greg, and two others whose names I cannot remember and headed to the church.

I won't go much into the church thing. It wasn't really engaging, and I dunno...didn't really "feel" anything there.

So, after the service runs late, me and Katie have to haul ass back to campus for our make up class (We have the same class and are both on Festival Committee). On our way back we pass Inokashira Park and see some sort of awesome festival/open market thing happening and we're both like, "To ditch class, to not ditch class..." Considering that after class we were all going to a Korean Yakiniku restaurant, we opted for class. It didn't seem as long as it normally did, which was nice. Probably because it was done earlier in the day.

Note to self: Korean food is tasty, when you can avoid the really spicy food.

It was really nice to be able to talk to my classmates in a more relaxed setting. Noe is half-Japanese half-American, born in Tokyo but lived in the States for awhile and went to school here, Mizuki (or "Miz") is really awesome too. She lives in Kichijouji. Both have offered to hang out with me and show me the ropes of Tokyo, for which I am grateful.

Then it was the long ride home. I'm hot, I'm tired, my legs are sore. I'm going to go chill for a bit and study for my quiz tomorrow.

Dean's Reception and Yasukuni Shrine

2008-10-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

The last few days. Woo. How tiring. Wednesday I all but passed out. Thursday, I went home after class and vegetated before going out to Shinjuku to tutor my first, permanent student (for now). Then I came back home and vegetated some more. I was sore as hell. The biking has been working my legs hard and all the walking around I have to do...woo. I've lost like...3 kilograms since I arrived, no lie.

Friday was one of those days. I had my second major Japanese test and afterwards I high tailed it to the library to forward my annotated bibliography to myself so I could print it off for my History class later in the day as well as renting out books for my other History class' research paper on Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After classes, it was straight to the Festival Committee Workshop to paint and socialize. Rena and Maya were very talkative and Yuka was a new face. The four of us were on the inside of the workshop cutting out foam letters and numbers and painting them black. Yuka was a major help as she forced me to talk in Japan and actively engaged me in conversation instead of ignoring me like everyone else.

I also ordered my commemorative festival 2008 hoodie and happi, so when I come back home I will have some special items to remind me of my time in the committee.

After painting in the workshop, it was time for the Dean's Reception. This was basically another forced get together for all us September students to get together, get a free dinner (Mmm, curry and dim sum? Yes plz.) When there I was given a bamboo flower vase that was cut that day (Thanks to Maria, from Spain!). Free food aside, it was a fun shindig. Then it was the long bike ride home. I promptly fell asleep.

Today I was up at my normal time (6:30-7:00) and started to get ready for my trip to Yasukuni. Takeyoshi was kind enough to suggest hanging out and going to the Shrine was a good way to kill two birds with one stone. I'd get to go to the Shrine for my project and I'd have a native speaker to help me find my way around the craziness that is Shinjuku station.

The Shrine was beautiful for something so controversial. For those uninformed, Yasukuni Shrine is where the souls of Japan's war dead are enshrined as kami. This includes everyone from the lowest peon soldier to those who were found guilty of Class A War Crimes (I.e. Hideki Tojo). The reason the shrine is so controversial is when Japanese leaders, such as Prime Ministers and the heads of Government Ministries visit it. The rest of Asia is not quite happy with how those in power seem to be glorifying Japan's war past (vis a vis the worshipping of the souls there, including the Class A Criminals). Yasukuni is in a way to Japan like our War Memorials are to us back home.

We ended up going to the museum attached to the Shrine (the Yushukan) so I could inspect the exhibits to see from what scope they were presenting their own history, as was to be expected, it never once cast Japan's aggression in the Pacific in the negative light. Everything was, "Japan was fighting against evil Imperialist forces to protect their Asian brothers." Heck, it even white washed older Japanese history (ie. Hideyoshi's aggression in Korea in the late 16th century). It was not surprising, all things considered. I did write my Senior Thesis on how Japan's government actively tries to re-write history...

Throughout the museum, Takeyoshi was lightly ribbing me. I think he has a crush on me, because when we were looking at the amulets the miko (Shrine Priestess') were selling, he pointing out the one for finding boyfriends. Starting inquiring if I had a boyfriend, etc, etc. He's called me cute on several occasions and likes my Japanese pronunciation...

He wanted me to go home with him after the museum to watch a movie but I opted out of it, you know...just in case my favorite mild mannered Osakan was really a crazy repressed Japanese guy who would potentially harm a small white chick ^_^;...

I bought a few Hinomaru (The name of Japan's flag) stickers, a cellphone strap, a metal komon sticker (Family Crest. Oddly enough, it looks like the same crest used in L5R for the Imperial family...whichever one is sitting on the throne, that is). I got my brother something I know he will love, that crazy goof. I hope he likes it.

There'll be a photo update on my blog shortly :D

Love you all~

Long Days, But Worth It!

2008-10-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

My Wednesday's are perhaps the most hellish day of the week for me. I have class from 10:00am to 7:00pm, non-stop. That's right. Nine hours of class in one day. Granted it gets my once a week class out of the way, but it's nothing short of mind breaking when today was the first day of Kousen (my particular group in the Festival Committee...we're basically PR and advertising) began working in the workshop on the banners and signs and wooden constructs to put up around campus for the festival. That went until about an hour ago.

Before I headed there, I lounged in the library for awhile and ran into Takeyoshi again. He stopped in his tracks and looked at me like I had grown a second head. Apparently my outward appearance (read: HAGGARD) caused such an alarm that he dragged me to some chairs to sit and talk for a bit. I've been sleeping fine, it's just mostly stress and all that jazz from the past two weeks, my prior depression, the failing of a quiz, stuff like that. I'm also pretty lonely and don't go out much because I don't really have many friends to go out with.

That's when he told me that any time I want to go out, I just need to call him and we'll go hang out. He's new to Tokyo too (Takeyoshi is originally from Osaka) so we're exploring it together. I just get the bonus added of having a fluent Japanese speaker with me so I don't get lost, end up in Roppongi working at an S&M bar...

I really had fun today all things considered. Painting in the workshop felt great, and everyone was so friendly. I still get a little giddy when they call me "Erykah-chan!" and the occasional "Kawaii"'s throw me through a loop...but they like me, think I'm cool and are happy to have me on board. And I'm happy to be there.

Woo. Tomorrow I have my second trial tutoring session with another old Japanese business guy. This one seems like serious business, so I hope the impression I make is a good one. Go, go Money!

Tomorrow I'm also taking my Camera with me to Workshop and subsequently to Yasukuni on Saturday and to class (yes, class. A makeup period) on Sunday because after class, the entire group is going to a Korean restaurant for dinner. Yum yum. Time to see the professor get drunk XD

Now, back to homework!

Busy Busy Busy

2008-09-29T03:32:00.000-07:00

Woo...what a week it's been already.

I really, really, really, really, really, need to kick it into gear. Japanese is kicking my ass -hard- and now I finally have a tutor (who is totally kick ass, friendly, amazing...) and on top of that, I have three potential jobs lined up for this week at $15/hr this week, so I'm happy. I'm just hoping they follow through.

I bombed hard on my test and my last grammar quiz. It was simple mistakes. I'm saddened :<

Not quite what was expected...

2008-09-26T04:04:00.000-07:00

Until I can figure out Blogspots hatred of my coding, I'll have to just link you to my images for now!

NipponRose Photodump!

Enjoy!

Gentlemen...BEHOLD!

2008-09-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

I HAVE A WORKING LAPTOP! REJOICE, YON MORTALS!

Here's some highlights from the time when my laptop was down that I forgot to write about earlier!

I got a 95% on my Lesson 12 Grammar Quiz
I saw an Obama '08 Sticker on a car (IN JAPAN.)
¥98 Ramen Bowls at Don Quixote
Dr. Pepper bottles here have really cool label art.
Read a crapton of novels in the downtime (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Revenge of the Cold Machines, After Dark, The Elephant Vanishes, Norwegian Wood, Kouga Ninja Chinpou, etc, etc)
Woke up on Sunday to a minor earthquake!
Wrestled with my bank card the past weekend, wondering why the hell it wouldn't withdraw my funds for rent...(turns out I can only withdraw $400/day)
The sound of a Japanese evening rain is the most peaceful and beautiful thing ever
"Future Lounge" on 76.1 is AWESOME.

Also, for those of you wanting photos...the deluge will begin shortly!

ARGH!

2008-09-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Those four letters succintly summarize my exact feelings as of this moment. The past three days have sucked horrendously outside of the fact that I had the free time to study for Japanese, read my history books, study for the GRE, and lounge around. Saturdays have proven to be the bane of my existance as it has been now two, consecutive Saturday's that something near catastrophic has happened to me. A week or so ago, the fan in my laptop burned out. This time? My bank has (assumedly) but a hold on my account so I cannot withdraw any money whatsoever and my rent is due THIS SATURDAY.

Insert massive freaking out.

Doubly so since I have only 1300yen ($13 or so) on hand that needs to 1.) Buy food for Sunday and Tuesday when we are not fed at the dorm (we don't get fed on Sunday's and Tuesday is a national holiday) and 2.) Be able to take my bike out of the bike park (100 yen/day) in order to get to class everyday.

I was especially freaked out when the post office ATM said I had insufficient funds (WTF? I have more than enough money in there!), 7-11 said I had an invalid card...but at the same time it allowed me to look up my account balance @_@; Yeah, calling my bank tonight to go, "OMGWTFBBQ?!" since the card issuer (MasterCard) says there's no block on their end, meaning my bank's probably like, "Oh hay thar, we thought some1 stoled ur card :D"

So, yeah. I'm living on ramen and water for the next two days. Today sucked because I had no other choice but to ride my bike to school (the bus is 210 yen and I'd only have enough for one way in my pocket) and it was downpouring something fierce. My pants are soaked from Daisy Duke level on down, my shoes squeak when I walk on tile, my hair is a mess, and I will probably ride back home in another downpour.

Thank god that tomorrow is a holiday so I can wallow in angst at the fact that I've had to wear wet clothes all day and during my J2 test too. Here's hoping I don't catch a cold from having ridden in the rain for so long. That's the last thing I need =_=;

たくさん宿題があります。

2008-09-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

For those playing the homegame sans Japanese language support, my subject for today's post is: I have a lot of homework.

In the last week I added an additional class, making it three I am taking this term for a total of 12 credit hours so that in the next two terms I can focus solely on Intensive Japanese II and III. Which, both in and of themselves are 12 credit hours each. So now my schedule looks like this:

Monday:

Japanese 2 - 10:10-12:40

Tuesday:

Japanese 2 - 10:10-12:40

Wednesday, aka "ZOMG WTF CLASSES ALL DAY":

Japanese 2 - 10:10-12:40
Contemporary Japanese History - 13:15-15:00
Readings in Japanese History I - 15:10-19:00

Thursday:

Japanese 2 - 10:10-12:40

Friday:

Japanese 2 - 10:10-12:40
Contemporary Japanese History - 13:15-15:00
ICU Festival Committee Meeting - 18:00-20:00

I'm not even adding in the potential for Archery or Tea Ceremony Club just yet. I can't do Flower Arranging (Ikebana) due to it taking place while I'm in class on Friday. Sad Panda.

My Japanese class is fairly consistant in homework, and you really do need to study a minimum of two hours a night. And I've been slacking. My Contemporary History class has a good amount of readings and work to keep up with, meanwhile my Readings in Japanese History is pretty laisez-faire. No weekly writings, no real discussion on the readings, a single self-propelled fieldtrip to Yasukuni and a 15 page research paper later...Yarp. All good.

I have to go to Kichijouji again for my Japanese project with Mark, John, and Stewart, which should be fun. One of these days I need to go out to Akihabara and Asakusa...

But for now, homework and preparing for a house-bound weekend as the Typhoon hits. Weee~!

It's Dead, Jim.

2008-09-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up to a dead laptop. "Fan Error" in white letters across a black, soul crushing abyss. Despite this dismal revelation, I feel no panic, no distress. I have the wisdom and foresight to realize that this issue, like many others, is merely temporary. In short, my laptop is down until Mike gets the replacement part and ships it out to me. Thankfully, it's just a fan and nothing else; very simple to replace. The only thing that sucks in the wait...

In the meantime, being without a laptop forces me to be more social (GASP!) or to do more leisurely things like read a book, decorate my room, or shop. I went down to Fuchu today to purchase my commuter pass for the train and at the station was a Daiso 100¥ store. Think of like a dollar store crossed with a Big Lots and that's about the idea. I bought a lot of organizational containers from them and only spent about $20 to help further organize my room, as well as a notebook, a new wallet, and various other sundries. Had I had more money, I would've bought out all of the housewares section. They had so many pretties...

This afternoon, I went to Kichijouji with Debra and Eyrun, and it was awesome. I'm glad I decided to go instead of wussing out and going home. What an amazing place. I went to the Sunroad Plaza which is a stretch of road that is canopied and filled with shops, restuarants, everything. I finally was able to find a decent book store and cookies to the first person who can guess what my first manga purchase was. (Hint: It had three movies, a live action series, and has always been dear to my heart ♥!)

Also found an awesome boutique with cute and cheap street style clothing. $10 for something that at the department store would've cost about ten times as much? Yes please! It was a small place called Jam*Pixy (http://www.jampixy.jp). I'll probably be shopping there more often.

What was unexpectedly spectacular about this trip to Kichijouji was that the local shrine festival was in full swing and the mikoshi (port-a-shrine with the Kami Hachiman inside) made its way around town before arriving back at the main shrine proper to be placed inside.

You know those cliche summer shrine festival episodes you see in some anime? THAT WAS ME. I WAS THERE! Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Yakisoba, Kakigouri, all of the Japanese festival food was there. It was so delicious. I visited the shrine proper and asked Hachiman-okamisama to grant me courage while I am in Japan and thanked him for his protection.

It was quite a moment, praying at my first Shinto Shrine ♥!

Afterwards, me, Debra, and Eyrun went hunting for Kaiten Sushi, but alas, we could not find a single establishment. Heading back towards the station, we stopped to watch a local band perform live. (Saturday Night Bremen - http://www.satabure.com) It was great music and the band had a great energy that went into their music. I ended up buying their EP, which I will get to listen to when my laptop lives again!

All in all, it was an awesome night!

Being Blonde Has Its Perks

2008-09-12T04:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a rather long day. Not due to courses, but due to the fact that I was on campus from 9:30am to about 7:20pm. Class went very well today, my second test (grammar) went a little poorer than expected (ie: I didn't know there was an exam and didn't study, because damn I need to buy a monthly planner to help me with homework tracking...) but I am determined. You can't learn if you don't make mistakes :)

After that, it was lunch time and I had more delicious curry because the pasta dish had some sauce that I was sort of afraid of and the special bowl was like katsudon curry and that would just...be weird. So regular curry it was. I ate it largely by myself before I trucking off to the library in search of Japanese grammar books to help me get by.

I also sneaked a peek at the Level 1 JLP book to steal its kanji and the more I look at the ICU Japanese books...the more I'm beginning to think that they think we're all some manner of intelligently impaired maroons. Now, J2 is keeping me challenged, which I like, but when the professor is telling me to not use a particular kanji due to it having not yet been learned in class...? Apparently a couple of my commonly used grammar structures are also not something generally learned until LEVEL 5.

Checked out my books and hiked over to the DMH Lounge to grab a Dr. Pepper and then do some reading before meeting up with Debra at Global House until six o'clock rolled around, which leads to my first meeting of the ICU Festival Committee.

A little background: in November in Japan, schools across the nation put on festivals. Like a big open house kind of thing where the students plan everything, organize entertainment, vendors, seminars, and displays of academia everywhere. The ICU Festival Committee has been doing a massive, massive festival every year and it literally takes over the ENTIRETY of campus, which is saying a lot since the campus is massive for being in Tokyo. Food stands, arts and crafts, you name it, the ICU Festival does it, and everything is student organized. It's a pretty important club too, since the Festival is perhaps one of the biggest shindigs and its members serve as primary community leaders at the school.

Earlier this week I inquired about joining and on Tuesday, I signed up. Today was a bit of an officers meeting/they wanted to get to know me. I can't recall how many jikoushoukai (personal introductions, Japanese style) I made, but by the end of the meeting all I could do was smile, nod, and act like the idiot I am since I am the only non-Japanese to ever be in the club.

Today did, however, mark the first time a group of Japanese people called me "Erykah-chan"... ♥♥♥

Toward the end of the meeting (which, save for some informal introductions of sub-committee heads in pretty good English, was all in Japanese), Yuma (Committee Leader) decided that a welcoming party in my honor was a necessity. So, October 10th, the Japanese are throwing me a party \o/ Go me!

Now to decide to whether or not to go to the Para Para Nomikai next weekend. $30 sounds like a lot for an entry fee to a club...

Busy Busy Bee

2008-09-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

Classes are now in full swing. Photo's will be a bit rarer until I find an easier way to carry my camera around.

Had my first (last!) history class meeting today and I need to get cracking on a 15 page paper that will be due in mid November that has to be on a topic relevant to the end of the Sengoku Period in Japanese history.

The professor is very funny, and the course content is really engaging. I am so happy that I chose to study here :)

Second Day, First Quiz

2008-09-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Had my first quiz in Japanese class. All I can say is that I rocked its FACe. What a way to start off the new year :D

Sento is Awesome.

2008-09-08T04:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had my first Sento (hot bath) experience in Japan. For those not in the know, a Sento is a large, public bath where people congregate to chit chat (yes, we're all naked) and relax in a nice, hot, hot bath to soothe away the worries of the world.

I feel like jelly right now. So relaxed and content.

Gooood Morning, ICU!

2008-09-07T17:32:00.001-07:00

Live, from the University Library at ICU in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan...It's the...Crap. Yeah, totally don't know what I was shooting for here...Move along, move along.

Well. Today is my first day of class. Japanese II from 10:10 to 12:40, 5 days a week, with Professor Sato. I was a bit of a mess today trying to remember which room it was in and then trying to find the computer labs in the library was quite an adventure. But I found it, got my schedule, printed it out, and all is good.

With only two courses this term, I'm taking it easy peasy, probably best so I can better acclimate myself to living in Japan and also study hard on my Japanese. I want to do well. I know becoming fluent without staying here for another year on top of this year is next to impossible, but with the help of people kicking me in the bum (Dan, Shaye, Yoshi...I'm looking at you three) I will keep fighting to become fluent, one way or another.

Now what to do with myself for the next 40 minutes...

Video Update

2008-09-07T03:27:00.001-07:00

(Yes, I know the syncing is off. I blame the camera :<)

Crazy Spaniard Yells At Windmill, Gets Discount Chain Store

2008-09-06T03:42:00.001-07:00

Another day, another wake up at 5:30am or so. I am getting upset about this, since I cannot seem for the life of me to go to sleep at a decent hour. Ugh, this is pissing me off so much...

Well, today was my first free day and I spent most of it just trying to tidy up my room so it looks like a pleasant place to visit. However, this required me shopping for a few necessities, which leads us to today's adventure in Tokyo, and the reasoning behind today's subject line:

There is a chain of Big Lots-type stores here in Japan called Don Quioxte(ドン•キホテ), whose mascot is an all-too-happy penguin (drawn in the same style as King Deedidee from Kirby) in a Spanish conquistador helm and astride an equine of some indeterminate origin. The entire store, from the themed building to the jingle that played constantly over the P.A. system, was rather cool. It combines housewares, health and beauty, furniture, magazines and books, electronics, clothes, and just about anything you could think of for discounted prices. It's quite the trip.

I ended up buying a laundry basket, a trash can, some clothespins to hand my laundry from the racks on the roof of the dorm, jewelry cases for my earrings and necklaces, a cup, some minor groceries, batteries, 3M command strips, shampoo, a razor (god bless the Gillette Mach 3 Fusion!), and an umbrella...for far more than I had intended to spend, which makes me worried about what it would've cost had I gone elsewhere =_=;

The downside of today was that Microsoft's updates to Vista has now made it impossible for my Bluetooth mouse (manufactured by Microsoft) to not be recognized by the operating system. Or at least, it see's it, but won't allow it to work. At all. That sucks, since I like my mouse a lot :<

Sigh.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I think that's when Debra said that the French want to take us out to Shinjuku to go drink and karaoke. I'm not sure if I want to go, but hey...best to go out and live now rather than constantly worry about everything that I can't control.

Like the fact that it's only 7:30 and I want to sleeeeeep.

A Day of Leisure

2008-09-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 5am again. Damn my sleep schedule being all maladjusted. It's been like this for a few days. I'd pass out around 8pm and wake up at 5am. No joke. At least that way I was able to talk to Mike before he went to class :) Today was *gasp* not an orientation day, but instead the day to register for classes and what not. Since I was a retard and forgot about yesterday being the day for GE courses, I am not taking any this trimester. But I signed up for Japanese 2 and HST 321: Readings in Japanese History I, which will satisfy my history cognate and set me on the path for graduation! HUZZAH!

After registering, meeting with adviser, running into German!Chris like 50-million times, hitting up the bank to pay for my optional insurance and to mail a letter to my dear Michael, me and Debra decided to have lunch at her place over in Global House. It was very sweet of her to treat me to spaghetti with pesto sauce. At least, now I know where to go for food when she wants to cook :)

We also kicked back and reviewed through our textbooks. Debra got placed in J1, so she's taking Intensive. This means we'll be studying together often since I will need help recalling stuff from level 1 and she'll be going through levels 1 and 2 this term alone. The Intensive program is highly accelerated and crazy, which is what I plan to do next term! UN! UN! FAI~TO~!

In short, Debra's performance in Intensive determines my future. Joy of Joys!

After futzing around Global House for awhile, playing Street Fighter II on ye olden Super Famicon (I totally didn't know that Balrog was really M. Bison, M. Bison was really Vega, and Vega was actually Balrog O_O) and reading through the first two volumes of NANA that they had in the library, we went to the April-September meet-n-greet and were split into our groups. I was in "AL" group, along with 6 other September students (Note: ICU has two separate entry times, April and September. September kids are mostly the exchange, transfers, or One Year Regulars like me). Annnnd....no April students showed up. At all. We were le'sad. I did, however, get the contact information of several of the September kids in my group so it's all good :)

We tracked down the coordinator and was all, "Dude, no one showed up!" he shoved us into another room with other students.

Now, mind you, the groups were split up in a specific manner, primarily, based on language comprehension. I went from a group that was supposed to be good with English to a group that did not know enough to hold a conversation. Insert sad times, since these meet-n-greet's were supposed to help us September kids make friends that could help us around and all that jazz.

So that leaves me to here. I hopped the bus and train back home and now a delicious, home-made Japanese dinner awaits me. I wonder what it is...

It Is Relevant To Our Interests!

2008-09-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

Today was filled with MOAR ORIENTATION, with a side of LOLZ and OMGWTF ALIEN REGISTRATION, as well as meeting one of the guys who was supposed to be one of the people to help me around in Japan. But first, lets get the dirty details out of the way.

During orientation we learned about important things like how to use the Library, Campus Life, and the crash course on life in Japan (Prof. McCagg: "The Japanese think all non-Japanese are big babies who don't know what they are doing. And for their part, they are largely correct!"). What was probably the best part (other than McCagg's candid insight on living in Japan, since he's been there 30 years) was when the head of the counseling center made us fill out a "First-Year's survey", which asks a bevy of questions as "What made you choose to study in Japan?" and "Why are you here?" The latter had such answers as "I want to learn Japanese" and "I am looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend". You might as well said, "I'm looking for the nearest weed spot in my area. Narcotics FTW."

The counseling center really wants to know what is inside the heads of the kids who just arrived, and trust me, I was so depressed that a lot of my answers (I had to leave the room a couple of times because I just broke down crying ;~;) probably is going to raise a hell of a red flag to them. We'll see in about a week or two when we get a followup message from them in our school mailboxes. Yes, that's right. We have inter-collegiate mailboxes where the professors can drop messages to us without having to post them. Pretty baller, I know.

After that it was lunchin' with the French (Gregory and Ira), Belgian (Chris) and German (Alex) guys before we learned the results of our placement tests.

...

...

To be honest, I'm not surprised that I was placed in J2. It's been a good two years since I solidly studied Japanese and longer since I actually was in a classroom that I would fall behind in the curve. However, looking at the textbook, I see kanji that I don't recognize 100% and I have my reservations.

What this means is that since they do not offer Intensive 2 this semester, and I'm too much of a pussy right now to handle Intensive 1 (and hey, I'm in J2, which is in the last half of Intensive 1), I'll take it easy this first term and take my history course as well, guaranteeing my graduation come this summer <3

After that, me, Ann (one of my dorm-mates who is hyperactive and LOUD), and her section mates (Japanese who help the settling in) Junko and Kana as well as one of mine that showed up, Takahiro, we decided to go on the grand adventure to Fuchu to do... ALIEN REGISTRATION (Nanu nanu?)

But first, allow me to insert mass squeeing because this was my first trip to Fuchu proper, and right next to the Government office are the grounds of a respectable sized 神社, or Shinto Shrine. Not to mention, central Fuchu is gorgeous and full of win. I think I'll prefer hanging around there than Chofu and it's only 1 stop on the Keio Line.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programing:

Most of the forms were bilingual and for the most part, the clerks knew enough English to give us the idea of what was needed to be done. However, it was still nice to have Junko, Kana, and Takahiro there to make sure everything went off without a hitch (I should find them and give them a gift...) So in two weeks, I will have my official GAIJIN CARD, MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA. But until then, my temporary one as well as my health insurance card proves my identity so I can open bank account and get a cellphone if I can afford one.

Random Musings:

Tommy Lee Jones is the FACE of Boss Coffee
Long Haired Dachshunds are all the rage (I've seen like 5 alone today)
The Cats in Japan act more like Dogs and are everywhere
So many cute uniforms...

A Delay - Suntory is My Boss :(

2008-09-02T02:07:00.000-07:00

I know I promised daily photo updates, but the itinerary for this week makes it neigh impossible to tote around a pretty meaty camera and take pictures in sweltering temperatures and crazy humidity.

So instead of a mass update of photos (which I will back post from the 1st of September at some point) I leave you with just this one: a vending machine in 1-Midori Chome, Higashi-Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, Japan.

Boss Coffee: FUCK YEAH.

All Arrived!

2008-08-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

So I have currently been in Japan for about 10 hours after a 12 hour flight and I feel, well...I did feel tired until I slept for a few hours but now my body is all, "But it's almost 1pm, LOLZ!" Go go Jetlag!

What can be said about my first impressions...

Japan is beautiful. When you get out from the city, everything is so lush, green, and as Debra puts it, "Fluffy". For all people talk about Japan being a very intimidating city, I find it no different than most other big, American cities...save for the fact that Tokyo is like five times larger than anything else I've ever seen personally. The sprawl is huge, and I feel mostly safe on the streets. I say mostly because I went out around 7pm to pick up some late night snacks from an AM/PM.

(For those not in the know, AM/PM is a chain of convenience stores)

Arrived at Narita with no issue, got through customs and immigration with ease. Met up with Rie, shipped my luggage, exchanged currency and then hopped on an airport bus to take me directly to my hotel. By that point I was so tired that I bid Rie goodbye just because I did not wish to be all Zombie-E to a poor Japanese woman.

This hotel is seriously awesome. Michael would love it because everything is so automated, and so...Japanese. I know, big surprise, right? But it's a nice hotel, will come here again in the future.

Tomorrow I move into the dormitory. I apologize for the lack of ZOMG FIRST DAY photos. I was understandably dead. But tomorrow will be my official first FULL DAY in Japan, and there will be photos. I promise!