Mild Seven Cigarettes and crappy Japanese coffee

This is the street that I live on. It's teensy. All the houses look very traditionally Japanese down to the landscaping and the tile roofs. And, as you can see from the picture above, it's been raining all week. But I don't mind. I love rain.

This is the place in Harajuku that I wrote about in my last entry called "Condomania" I didn't go in, but now I'm tempted to do so just so I can see the difference between "big boy" and "smart boy". Apparently, you can't be both. Now the suspense is killing me. I must go when I get back to Eastern Honshu! On the Toyo line train coming back from one of my schools last week. Note the girl with the sick mask on. I think people should wear these in the States to keep their damn sneezy germs away from me. Although they do look a little creepy...like serial killer/surgeon combo creepy.

From Kiddy Land! Lookit all the Totoros!

The Gyoza restaurant in Harajuku. They only serve two main dishes: boiled gyoza and pan-fried gyoza. Hence the small kitchen smack dab in the middle of the restaurant.

This was in Akihabara. I think it was some kind of virtual reality thing where you can put your head in various backdrops or something. Whatever it was, I kind of want steps in my house to look just like this. Just kidding. Kind of.

Also Akihabara. Bright lights, big city! Such a fantastic area.

Me, looking very sweaty/tired whilst waiting for the night bus last night in Shinjuku. (I finally figured out the timer function on my camera so you guys can see my face!)

A random shrine/temple on an Osaka side street. Not sure if I was allowed to take this picture, actually. I will be more mindful in the future out of respect, even though there was no one around. I don't wanna to piss off any Shinto gods (or locals)!

So that's where I am now, in Osaka. At 1 pm I'm going to check into my hotel and then head to the aquarium and then possibly the Umeda Sky Building. And I'm definitely going to go into Dotombori for some street food (okinomiyaki say whaaaat?) and booze with the locals. Osaka is definitely rougher around the edges than Tokyo, but the people do seem much friendlier.

With that said, I did get giggled at when I went into a little restaurant for breakfast. I said "iie, kekko desu" (no thanks) when offered a salad...maybe it was too polite? Or not polite enough? So so so many different levels of politeness in the Japanese language, and I'm still getting the hang of it. Luckily, I look very Western,　so I get a lot of slack when it comes to messing up.

Yesterday it took me a million years to find the exact exit in Shinjuku station where my bus left from. Thank god I had the foresight to get there way way early. Luckily, I had my ticket for the bus in hand, so I was just able to keep asking JR employees "Sumimasen, doko desu ka?" (meaning "excuse me, where is this?") and I eventually got to where I needed to go. But fuck it was a hassle. I predict getting lost in Osaka tonight at some point as well, but we'll see!

Possibly going to Kyoto tomorrow! More pics to come!

Condomania

I saw a place called "Condomania" today. And it was exactly what you think it was. A mania of condoms. Dear Japan - I love you.

Ok, no fun photos in this post because I STILL don't have the internet at my apartment and I'm currently using le internet cafe computer. The internet cafes here are amazzzzing! I get my own little private cubicle thing and a free drink bar comes with the price of admission, and I can order Japanese curry to my cube if I so desire. Oh and I can smoke. BONUS.

So I've been doing lots of stuff. Mostly just around my town (I technically live in Sakura, not Katsutadai) and I've also been unpacking. This past week I went through some work training and taught my very first class on Friday afternoon. The kids here are insanely cute. Although, they really like boobs. I guess western kids do too. You hear them say "oppei" (breasts) a lot, especially little boys. Apparently, they also try and stick their fingers in your caboose if they like you. Little pervs. But they're cute. When they don't understand what you want them to do in class, they do this cute little head tilt thing and it's precious. I bet in a couple months all this will be not cute at all. But I'll take the newness of teaching kids at face value for now.

As far as how I did...I think I did ok. The week before summer vacation was a lax teaching week, so the teacher I shadowed didn't even have a lesson plan It freaked me out. I'm an over-planner by nature! So i just winged it and it still went pretty well. I'm a bit nervous about teaching the adults though...but oh well. We'll see next Monday I suppose.

I met another fellow co-worker (and my neighbor), Courtney, and she's really cool. I'm pleasantly surprised by the helpfulness of the MIL teachers that were here before me. I also got to meet Nathalie from London last night, and that was really fun. It's good to have friends here when I've just been in Japan a mere week. Especially ones that know more Japanese than me and can help me learn! I realllly need to get to studying my kana. It would make things much easier.

Today I went into Tokyo for the first time by myself. I started out in Ueno, and then rode the subway all the way to Harajuku, and then to Akihabara. It was an amazing day. In Harajuku, I went to this gyoza restaurant recommended by my Frommer's and it was incredible. Best restaurant that I've been to in Japan thus far, I'd say. For those of you who don't know what gyoza is, you've most likely eaten them before...they're those dumplings that you can get at pretty much any Asian joint in the States, God it was good. I also had some cucumber with miso sauce, white rice, and some cold sake. It was muy yummy. I'll post a picture of the restaurant interior later.

After that, I went to Kiddy Land. Omg. As soon as I walked in, I saw a huge stuffed Totoro doll in the center of the store. I nearly squaled aloud. Needless to say, they had a massive collection of Ghibli stuff. I almost spent ￥2000 on a stuffed cat bus doll, but I refrained. Instead I got Blake a cute little Kodoma charm and a soot sprite pin for myself. Can you tell I'm a huge Miyazaki fan? Total dork.

I also got a watch in Harajuku, because I don't have a cell here and I was tired of not knowing the time. After walking around for a bit, I decided to go into Akihabara (aptly nicknamed "Electric Town") and it was INSANE. It was nightfall by this point so everywhere I turned there was neon and electronic stores with gadgets beyond anything I could possibly fathom. There was a place called "Sega Club" which was basically like an arcade where you can play Sega games and such. At this point I was really missing Blake, because I'm pretty sure he's going to shit himself when he sees Akihabara. I'm so glad he's coming to visit me early 2010. We're going to have so much fun. I want to go to the Ghibli museum like, NOW, but I almost feel I should save it for when he comes in so we can both see it for the first time together. Eh, we'll see.

Oh, and something crazy happened! I was in one of the many many electronic stores in Akihabara, and I felt my first earthquake. They happen all the time here, most of the time it just lasts for a few seconds or so. I was looking at Apple accessories and they started to shake! I looked at the store clerk and he seemed pretty non-bothered by it, but I exclaimed to him in English, "That was my first earthquake!" I don't think he understood, but dammit, if I knew how to say it in Japanese, I would've done so. Crazy.

I don't remember if I put it on this blog or not, but I bought a pedometer before this blog or not, but I bought a pedometer before I left the US and vowed to try and walk 10,000 steps a day. So far today, I've walked 10,973 steps. And I still have to walk home, which is another 2,000 or so. And I don't even feel that tired...I'm proud of how good I'm doing.

So I'll post pictures later from today's excursions. I may go into Hakone/Mt.Fuji area tomorrow, who knows. I'm being really indecisive about where to go this week!

Sexy: My new watch is white and it looks like I bought it in the future. And by "future" I mean the 1980s. It has a Marty McFly kind of feel to it.

Unsexy: This stupid Japanese keyboard. And wishing that all my family and friends could be here to witness all this craziness with me. Get here now! All of you!

arigato gozaimasu

The above phrase is my most used phrase here in Japan, hands down. I get a giggle usually when I say it because every other means of communication that I use is pointing and/or grunting, nodding, bowing, and saying "hai". I think they laugh at me because I try to speak in English but then end with "arigato gozaimasu" Or maybe they're thinking, "who is this cracker and why is she butchering my language?" Either way, I'm really not bothered by it.

So. Japan. It's a weird place. I've only been in Katsutadai (my town) and Narita (where the airport is), so I haven't got a taste of any big cities yet. Even still, there are a lot of people here, and everything is different. I'm not even sure where to begin. The airport was a bitch getting through immigration and getting my luggage, and I will NEVER over pack again. Carrying two huge suitcases, a massive shoulder carry-on, and a purse all the way to my hotel was cumbersome to say the least. I'm incredibly sore from doing so, and I'm not looking forward to lugging it down the sidewalks again from my hotel to my apartment tomorrow. Sheesh.

The streets here are very different. Well, at least here in Katsutadai. They're narrower and a sidewalk on the smaller streets is kind of non-existent. You get used to it pretty quickly, as most Japanese seem to walk everywhere and/or take public transit, so there aren't too many cars here. In some smaller streets there are cute little restaurants and windows to buy cigs and such with people standing and walking around everywhere, so it's quite a change from the smaller streets in DC or even in Kentucky.

I was so incredibly sleep deprived yesterday (Sunday) after I finally made it to my hotel around 6 pm, so I thought I'd wait to see Gail and tour my future apartment on Monday. The problem was that I didn't know when she was leaving to go back to the States and was worried I'd miss her. I thought about it for a bit and luckily Gail called my hotel phone around 9 pm and told me that she and her boyfriend were in my hotel lobby, and kindly invited me out for drinks. I shook the sleep out of my eyes, got dressed, and went downstairs. And boy am I glad I did.

Gail is super cool. She is so helpful and friendly and saved my life the entire night by translating for me and giving me very useful tips that I will always be grateful for. And her boyfriend Mineo, who speaks English very well, is probably the nicest person I've ever met. And on a slightly more superficial note, they both smoke (everyone seems to here) and Gail says fuck nearly as much as I do, which is a quality I adore in people. We went to an izakaya (that's Japanese for bar) and had some sake and a tea/vodka drink that I can't remember the name of, then we went to see the apartment (which was great to finally see in person and I can't wait to move in), and then to Gail's favorite izakaya called Daruma. The owners of this place are a couple in their 50s/60s and may need to win an award for the cutest people on the planet. I don't have a picture of them now, but I'll have one eventually. I very much plan on being a regular there in the near future. Did someone say drinking problem? Eh, do as the Romans do, I say.

I feel very positive about my health and weight changes that are sure to happen in the following months. Gail told me that if you're a bit on the heavy side it is incredibly easy to lose weight here because of the diet and how damn much the Japanese walk. I walked around more yesterday than I usually do in the span of 3-5 days in DC, so I feel optimistic. Especially since I have vowed to do my best to avoid Western food. I actually prefer Asian cuisine in general anyway, so aside from the occasional craving for french fries, I think I'll be okay.

It is a little scary being new here, for realsies. Every time I go in somewhere they ask about a million questions and all I can do is stare blankly or nod or say "wakari imasen" ("I don't understand"). It's weird. Although I must say I haven't been stared at as much as I thought I would be, which is good.

I went to my main MIL school this morning and met Dana in person finally, as well as another new teacher, Jamie. The whole teaching sub-plot of my adventure really makes me feel overwhelmed, although I am excited for the experience. We'll see how all that goes. I need to make sure to get my advance that MIL offers, as the funds are quickly dwindling!

This evening I went walking around the Katsutadai station looking for a place to eat and I spotted a restaurant with pictures of food on the windows (always helpful) and the smell of grilled meat (I'm a meat-a-holic) and went in. I quickly discovered that it wasn't really the best choice as it was a family-style restaurant where you cook your food in the middle of the table, and I don't feel quite ready to take on that endeavor yet. However, I decided to sit down anyway and see what looked decent on the colorful menu. For fear that I would be deported from Japan because I burned the damn restaurant down, I instead opted for a nice big bowl of soup (wherein the ingredients were already cooked for me). It was delicious. Needless to say, the noodles and soup here far surpass those in US Asian restaurants. Yum.


I am appreciative for my last couple weeks in the States, as I had an absolute blast with my family and some tender goodbyes with Blake. Blake and I have been Skype-ing and that has been really fun because Blake and I have the exact same sense of humor and he's really gotten a kick out of the funny Japanese things I've seen. My sisters and mom were amazing right before I left. When you're away from your fam for so long, you can take for granted how fucking awesomely fun they are. And my family is at the tippy top top of the fun spectrum.

I love it here. Gail says to treat Japan like a cocoon, where you get to immerse yourself in its ways and completely re-invent yourself if you want to. I am so very glad I came.

It's not purple. It's lavender!

So all this Visa nonsense has gotten complicated. I'll have to wait until my arrival in Japan to get my work Visa, and just go on a tourist Visa (on which you can stay for up to 90 days). The problem is that immigration in Japan didn't get my COE completed in time, but I'll have it in hand when I get there, I believe.

Anyway, none of this is a big deal, happens all the time. The only problem is going there on a tourist Visa on a one-way flight...typically the airline won't let you do it. They're afraid immigration in Japan will deny you and make you turn straight around, which usually happens on the airline's dime. So, as a precaution my employer informed me that I should buy a one way ticket to Seoul within 90 days (which I won't use) and MIL will reimburse me. So I've been all over the internet trying to find a ticket to Seoul from Narita for under $300. I think I got it, but boy, it's been hectic. I can't wait til we go into Tokyo after I arrive and change my Visa status so I don't have to worry about this crap.

Anyway, boooring. I have so much to do this weekend. I stupidly waited to buy travel compression bags and I won't get them til Monday. So I have to do this really funny thing where I lay everything out but have to wait til Monday to actually pack the clothes in. Ug.

I've barely started actually packing. Most of my time has been spent making lists of things to buy or to pack. Oh well. I guess that's a somewhat organized way to go about it. And yes, my big suitcase is leopard-print with fuschia lining. Laugh all you want, it was the only reasonably good quality and cheap one I could find, and it has about a million side pockets. Very handy.

I've been reading blogs of lots of former MIL employees, and it all seems so great. I've also been fascinated by the allusive Mt. Fuji in the past couple days...maybe if I get in better shape I'll climb it. Maybe not.

I'm thinking now that I'll probably spent my week off after arrival in Kamakura or Nikko. These are more traditional villages in the Japan Alps, and they seem awesome. And of course I'll be in Tokyo a bunch. And Narita. I can't believe how different everything is going to be in just a little over a week. Living in Japan won't make my life better neccessarily, but I'm excited for the new experience and the chance to push myself out of the rut-like comfort zone I've gotten myself into.

I cannot wait to see my family and friends next week. I'm a little sad that it'll be at least a year before I see my mom's house again...as weird as that sounds. I love that house. It's beautiful, warm, and cozy. Maybe I'll take some pics of it before I go. I'm a little sentimental, aren't I?

In other news, maybe I'll eventually move to New York after all...I fell in love with NYC when I was 12 years old, but decided that I probably wouldn't want to live there several years later. But everything is feels like an open book in my life now. And I really want to go to France. There's so much to see. I think I need to live to 125 so I can do it all.

Thumbs up: being positive, having Blake in my life, Skype/Google Voice, Amazon.com, meeting other future ex-pats.

Thumbs down: again, my anxiety. It's a bitch.

How do you wanna DO this?

Resources used to learn Japanese:

-Rosetta stone: first thing used, and it is helpful, but I haven't used this in weeks.
-Pimsleur: just audio tracks, but my favorite thus far...I do each lesson at least twice, and the tracks are set up to repeat words you've learned for better memorization. It's pretty great. The only problem is that there's no visual reference for the words, so sometimes I have to look them up online in Romaji...I'm a visual person.
-Japanese for Busy People: A pretty famous book that I downloaded in PDF form with its accompanying Kana workbook
-Japanese is Possible: An ebook from Maktos.com. Semi-effective so far.
-A friend sent me a Kana program for the Mac called "iKana". I've been messing with it a bit.
-My sister sent me a link a while back for practicing Kana and it seems very helpful: http://www.realkana.com/

And, that's about it. I'm mostly focusing on coversation rather than Kana recognition, but I'll get there. A lot of people recommend flash cards, but we'll see. I've never really put much effort into learning a language before, but I'm determined to learn Japanese to get the most out of my stay there. Who knows, maybe I'll learn it and then more languages down the line? I'd love to learn French...and Spanish...and Portugese...and German...fuck.

Anyway, enough about that. I'm madly in love with my Frommer's Guidebook of Japan. I read The Rough Guide to Japan, but the Frommer's is far superior, and it will definitely be the one I lug around in my bag for the first few months. It made me feel way less scared about staying in a Ryokan (a Japanese style inn where traditional customs are observed), and it also allowed me to accept the fact that I will get lost in Tokyo at some point. I'm ok with it.

Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do during that free week after I arrive. I thought about staying in Osaka, which I still may do. With all the shit on my mind before I go, I'll most likely just wing it.

Also, watch this show. It's excellent.

Michael & Michael Have Issues	Premieres Wed, July 15, 10:30pm / 9:30c
Music Video
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

Genki: Leaving soon. Blake's amazing, supportive, and wonderful self. Overcoming pettiness around me and accepting things at face value. Michael and Michael Have Issues.

Not so Genki: Panic attacks. My lack of exercise over the past month. My fear of flying (so stupid).

Sir Nerdalot...bear with me

So, in light of hearing so many people's opinion of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie, I've decided to put my two cents into this blog (well, more like twenty cents, actually)...

First and foremost, I stand by the fact that this was the best movie so far. It happens to be my favorite book in the series, so I was ready to be let down. It was not verbatim to the book and I certainly had some issues with it, but it was an amazing movie, nonetheless. More on that later. First, here were my majors beefs with the film:

-The subtraction of the Ministry plotline...ok, I get why. Scrimgeour can easily be introduced in the last two movies, and the muggle Prime Minister scene wasn't THAT significant. But, seeing as how the last movie had so much to do with the Ministry, a little shout out might have been appropriate...
-Ginny Weasley. Oh boy. As adorable as Bonnie Wright is, that girl did not have the sauce to pull off Ginny. And to be honest, I felt she was a bit imposing at parts. Her standing next to Harry on the Quidditch field barking orders instead with the rest of the team, her next to Harry when Dumbledore died instead of Hagrid...it just didn't feel right. Which sucks, because Ginny Weasley is an excellent character.
-The memories of Voldemort left something to be desired, but once again, I was ok with this. They'll find a way to explain the rest of the Horcruxes that Harry and Dumbledore talked about in the next two movies.
-Ginny and Harry in general. What was with the "Let me feed you" and "Let me tie your shoes" parts? Kinda creepy. Once again, if Bonnie Wright had a bit more sex appeal, it may have worked. I dunno.
-The Burrow fire scene....WTF. Totally and completely unneccessary. It didn't happen in the book, and I don't think it really added anything to the movie. And why didn't they "auguamenti" that shit? Is the Burrow just gone now? I could gone on about this, but I'll refrain.
-The cave scene, which is my FAVORITE chapter in all of the HP books, was heavily abbreviated. It still got the point across I suppose, but I wish they would have put a little more into this amazing and intense scene.
-And here is my BIGGEST problem with the movie: Harry isn't petrified when Dumbledore dies. Harry's entire character is based on the fact that he can never just stand by and let shit happen. And Snape shushing him did not justify it. How hard would it have been to petrificus totalis Harry? Ugh. Hated that.
-And, of course, the subtraction of the battle at the Astronomy Tower stairs, which really could have added some much needed drama in this scene. The Death Eaters simply walk out of Hogwarts la-di-da, with only Harry to stop them. Totally dumb.
-Is the Fleur and Bill sub-plot just going to be wiped out? So no wedding with Kingsley's Patronus saying "The Ministry has fallen, Scrimgeour is dead"? That's a pretty important part to leave out...
-Helena Bonham Carter a la Bellatrix LeStrange. Ok, I like HBC as an actress, but she has not impressed me in her role as Bellatrix. She's always slinking up behind people, touching them, and whispering in their ear in this seductive way and she is acted out so one-dimensionally. She's a major villian in the series and I really thought more could have been done that gave you more than just the Cliff's Notes to her character: sexy, evil, and fucking crazy.
-Lastly, the awkwardness between the trio at the end left the movie on a weird note. Ron was just sort of standing aside and not saying anything. I kinda get why they did that but it made him seem so distant and weird. no like.

Ok, so with all those issues, you'd think I hated the movie, right? Nope, not at all. I understand that the movie cannot be an exact copy of the book. The movies are meant to be an adaptation of the books that can still stand on their own as a good movie! This was my problem with the 5th movie...there was no depth to it. They didn't work on building the chemistry of the characters on screen in OotP, and the movie was a super sped up outline of the important parts of the book essentially. Don't get me wrong, there were some cool scenes, but overall I felt the 5th movie was just...empty.

The 6th movie had everything the 5th movie didn't. And the camera work/way it was filmed was so much better! It was even quite artful at some points. Namely, the scene where Draco is crying at the sink after just seeing Katie Bell, and there's a quick but effective wide-angle shot of him hunched down over the sink, shirt slightly untucked. Here's what else I liked:

-Hermione shooting birds at Ron (amazing that they put this in, so awesome)
-Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes
-The train scene where Draco broke Harry's nose...exactly as I imagined it. Complete with *CRUNCH* sound
-Draco Malfoy in general. Tom Felton kicked ass in this movie. He wa barely a footnote in the 5th movie, and he certainly made up for it here. You really feel bad for him, and even get a little bit of Draco that you didn't get in the books: his experiments with the Vanishing Cabinet. Oh, and can we say sa-whaaaank as far as his suits go? When he picked up his briefcase and exited the Hogwarts Express at the beginning, I turned to Blake and say "Oh look, it's Executive Draco". And he had the snarly-lip expression as usual to complete the effect. Very nicely done.
-Luna Lovegood. And her Lion headdress. She's perfect in the movies.
-the Pygmy-Puff cameo...
-Harry, Ron and Hermione. They were perfect. IMO, they never played their parts as well as they did in this movie. Ron was hilarious. Harry actually had a personality. Hermione was adorable and awkward and exactly as she should be.
-Cormac McLaggan. Skeezy and spot-on.
-The Potions class scene, where Hermione gets frazzled by Harry outperforming her.
-The Slug Club
-Lavendar Brown. Amazing.
-Sectumsempra scene
-Harry and Felix Felicis ("That would be counter-productive, sir!")
-Terrifying scene with the Inferi!
-The wands held alight when Dumbledore died (although I would have preferred the actual funeral) and the Phoenix in the sky.

Alright, off my soap box. Needless to say, I love Harry Potter and feel those who haven't read it blow it off as some children's book all about the power of love and friendship. It's so much more than that. And honestly, I really think the 6th movie gave the essence of HP as it is...and not just some cheesy recapping or summarizing.

Dope: off subject, learning Japanese is going very well for me. Learned how to say "where is...?" today and also the words "avenue", "here", "there/not here", and lots more. Watashi-wa Nihongo-ga skoshi wakarimasu.

Totally not dope: going to work this week, worrying about money after my arrival in Narita on the 1st, and general nervousness.

Bostonian Blake reads Brautigan

I got a new camera. It's tiny and most excellent. And it has HD video...which will be great when I get to Japan and see all kinds of crazy and beautiful things that can only be captured on video. Unfortunately, I don't leave for another 2 weeks, so the most interesting thing I can record is Blake speaking with a Boston accent (he sometimes will do it for DAYS):



Mind the giggling from behind the camera...my bear cracks me up.

Note: Blake, to those of you who do not know him personally, is not from Boston. He learned accents from the Leonardo DiCaprio school of acting (sorry B).