Hisashiburi

It's been a long time. Sorry for the infrequency, but there really isn't much time to be alone with your own thoughts here. It seems like there's always so much to do on my plate as I still get settled in. Classes have started, and I have to cram in my responsibilities and exploring the city in with that. I finally got a bicycle to explore the city on, but I'll have to show everyone in my next post. It's been a bit rainy so it just hasn't been the right setting for awesome bike pictures. Now the weather has finally changed and it's cooled off... I hope it's not just a cool front, and I am still unable to ask that properly to Japanese people.

Okay, from where I left off last time. I've been going out more with my tutor and she's been helping me immensely. I admit the only time I think to take pictures is when I've just received some awesome masterpiece of food. Shiho and I went to this little cafe in a mall that sells parfaits. Let me tell you that was another one of my silly Japanese food fantasies... they're just so gorgeous here! They blow TCBY dinky parfaits out of the water.



A tiramisu parfait.



yay! Shiho.

Actually, I do lot of cooking. Every few days a couple of us will cook for a bunch of us in the dorm. I've been getting bento supplies to make, but I've only made one for my roommate so far. Hopefully when I get a little more adjusted I can make them for myself. Groceries are pretty expensive here though, and I find myself eating out a lot.

We went out as a big group for one of the tutor's birthdays out to a Japanese style bar which was really cool. A lot of things seem like straight out of movies to me. I keep thinking about how when my sister or parents come to visit me, they're going to love going here and there.







TJ, myself, my roommate, and one of her friends went to the popular yakitori place. Basically you cook your own food, and we ate a lot and drank a lot and we were merry. My roommate and her friend wanted to keep shopping afterwards and asked me and TJ if we were okay getting back by ourselves. We both emphatically said we'd be totally fine, but as soon as they were out of our sight we turned to each other and panicked. "We are so screwed" practically came out of our mouths at the same time. Despite our slightly inebriated states, we actually got back and figured out the subway no problem. That somehow seemed like a huge triumph for us. There've been a lot of shenanigans like this, and a lot of laughs. Everyone is pretty funny, but I guess a lot of it is "you've had to been there" moments.

Here goes a difficult story. Tony. Tony is hilarious. He came from MTSU, and he is this short, buff, asian guy who makes expressions like a five year old.

Japan wackiness: there are these crazy erasers that have a face on them and have a strong mint smell.

Everyday in class, Tony holds the eraser up to his nose and answers questions, or takes his test... probably for maybe 40 minutes out of an hour and a half class. I don't know if I can explain the hilarity in turning back to see him always holding that erasers to his face and never taking it down even when answering questions.

There are many of these moments.

I love everyone here. :)



Yon Joo and Hanna, two Korean exchange students.



Ebi derishusness.

The other day we went to Atsuta Shrine, and that's the first time I had really been to anything like that. We went as a big group so I didn't get as much out of it as I had hoped. Despite that, it was very peaceful and beautiful. I said a prayer, made an offering, and picked up some charms. It was really awesome to see the priests and priestesses walking around. I'm going to go again soon and hopefully it'll be a little more serene. The only really disappointing thing was that the legendary sword was not available for viewing. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusanagi ) I guess I should've done more research. Dang. Still, it was really cool.





Yasuko and Dustin.

I leave you with this thought: Everyday they play "Auld Lang Syne" somewhere, and I can hear it in my apartment.

Update

This week has been so jampacked and exhausting. I feel like I'm training for a marathon. Surely within 3 weeks I'll be able to massacre every person in America with my sheer muscle strength from walking so much. I'll be able to roundhouse kick everyone and jettison them into space. It's definitely been a tripple hitter, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Not in any sort of bad way though, I just feel really tired. I've been out exploring with others, shopping and having a lot of fun. We're out at least once a day, and even going to the grocery store is an adventure. One morning Lachelle and I went out for a walk to see the city, and we said, "Ohayo Gozaimasu!" (Good morning), to every person we went past. Most looked a little shocked then said it back. The city is really new and interesting. It's very different from how the US looks, but it's a lot of little subtleties that are hard to describe. For instance, it took me a minute to realize that houses were houses. There are literally no yards, just little gated areas with potted plants in the front. I guess in that sense, it's a very concrete place. Then again, I live right next to a huge park, river, and garden. It feels very serene here, despite all the hustle and bustle.



The park view from my window.

The entrance exam kicked my ass because they didn't ask me anything on what I'm good at. There wasn't a vocab section on the test at all, just grammar and kanji. I don't really want to dwell on it though because at least the people who I like will be in my class. And if it's easy, then maybe I can move up quicker and have time to do things that I want to do. No big deal, I guess.

One thing that seems different than previous groups that have been there is that ALL the exchange students get along. I love hanging out with the Koreans. It's hard because their Japanese is like perfect and all the Americans' suck in comparison, but... they're so nice and fun. Two nights ago we went over to Yamato's apartment to make okonomiyaki. It's like batter and cabbage and then whatever you want. Dad (I know you're reading), you fry it and like then cover it with those same fish flakes that were on your crazy dish that you ate. Plus okomiyaki sauce and sometimes mayo.



This is Lisa's photo. Here's the gang. I helped chopped and there were various comments about women being able to cook or some nonsense. Anyway it was fun. Hi-chan, one of the Koreans who isn't in that photo, helped translate my horoscope in a magazine in very slow easy japanese with lots of hand motions. Sometimes I feel stupid but that's okay.

Anyway, after the interview section of the test, we were all waiting around in a class room. I don't know how I managed to do it, but I slammed hardcore into a desk at like fullspeed. Now I have a giantic bruise on my leg. I fell to the ground and wallowed for a moment, looking like a Grade A dumbass.

So yesterday morning at Orientation I bought accident insurance. Haha. Not really, it's because I'm getting a bicycle soon. I still haven't had time to get one yet. The orientation has been so painfully boring. They give you a packet with the information in Japanese and English, THEN READ EVERY PAGE IN JAPANESE THEN IN ENGLISH. Wow. It took forever. And teachers walked around and made sure you were looking at the right page at the right time.

We went over the Seminar House rules, more of the same. Shibata sensei paused in the middle of one section to say that he was going to extra extra explain in English because it was so important (about how if you do things wrong, you get naughty points. and 4 points and you get sent home). Anyway, it got to the point where he was like "if you do this, DAME (bad/useless/don't do it)." And went on a shpiel about how a guy brought a girlfriend home, and his roommate couldn't communicate with him. So there was confusion. and it made him confused. and that created more confusion. It sort of became a running joke after the orientation. Eliza, (the asian-looking one at the bottom of the picture) was so irritated by the end of the day that she just sort of let loose with the DAMEs and cause confusions. Usually if a person says "dame" in japanese, they cross their arms in front of them like an X. Eliza took it a step further and did the finger across the neck, like you will die if you do this and said daaaaaammmeeeee very slowly and intensely. We had to do about 5 introductions over the course of three days, and it was kind of ridiculous.

Earlier in the day yesterday, we went to the big nice garden next to the school. It was very beautiful, but we were bitten by mosquitos like I never have been in my life. (That added to Eliza's bad mood as she got bit on the face.) I couldn't listen anymore, I was so miserable. Scratching and hopping. We must've looked really really stupid. I'll go back again when it's not mosquito season.





Finally there was the welcome party with another speech by everyone. The food was yummy, the company was good, and everyone mood was a little lifted. After that, we went bowling. I am so bad at bowling it's just stupid. I got a 34. Enough said.



Food.



The Horikawa at night.

My life goal

It's been a few days now since I've been here, and I feel like I'm starting to adjust. It's hard to stop and realize I have a whole year to do things because I'm so used to having to rush. Everyday we do so much from morning to night just getting settled. I've been doing a lot of shopping, getting the basics for living. I bought a rice cooker, went grocery shopping, and explored the city with the other exchange students. Going out into Japan is just like how you would imagine. Or, I guess I should say, how I imagined. This brings me back to a point about the exchange students who live here. It seems like we all have a common thread for coming to Japan... well, I should say, from the Western countries. I was surprised to find out there are no Australians or British people, but there are a couple Canadians. There are a lot of Koreans and a couple of Chinese. But anyway I digress, It seems like a lot of what first exposed us to Japan was anime. TJ and I were talking a little bit about this earlier yesterday. He said that he understood now how anime came about here. The people here sort of exaggerate their reactions/expressions, and of course TV shows usually already exaggerate that... so that anime is this really crazy exagerration. Anyway, what's really cool to me is that I really feel like I'm in those settings that I remember from my childhood. The parfaits are huge and gorgeous with fruit and things sticking out of them. Yesterday, oh god, I fulfilled my dream. This is stepping into secret silly desire territory.

We went to a huge shopping mall, JUSCO, which some of you may know. It's really interesting. It's all very separated by floor. Anyway, we went to the food floor due to clammoring from a few of us (mainly me and another exchange student, a Korean girl named Hanna).



I did it. I ate awesomely delicious ramen in Japan. I was so happy I thought I was going to cry. I don't know if I can properly explain what I'm talking about so I'm just going to have to give a shout to people who know. The noodles were firm and smooth. The broth was miso-based, and it was little different from Edo's. The pork was a little dry, but very delicious. The bamboo shoots were a little sweeter, but soooo gooood ohhhh goddddd... ahem. Moving on.



The view out my window.



The adorable Shiho-chan.

by the skin of my teeth

I made it. I'm finally here. I got in last night, and it's just been a whirlwind. My body has been a lot more shaken up from my nerves and the flight rather than my mind. I didn't sleep very well, but just laying down and resting did a lot. My room is awesome. I'm staying in the international seminar house, and it's really nice. I got a desk, a bed, and our room has access to a balcony. I have one roommate from China and our rooms are separated by a folding screen. We have a kitchen and our own bathroom. I feel great! I get a little lost because my Japanese isn't up to snuff, but it makes me feel confident that I'll learn it quick. I don't even know where to begin, there's so much stuff constantly going on and I haven't even been here 24 hours. My language partner, Shiho, is on her way to my room now and we're going to go shopping. I have so much stuff to do, and I'm so excited. I feel so caught up in it that I don't think it's hit me yet. I have a lot of confidence that I'm going to have fun and find my own way here. People were popping into our room all last night saying Hi and getting us set up. Everyone's speaking Japanese to me though, and a lot of times I just have to smile and nod. There's a lot of guesswork, but maybe I'll do well. My view out the window is a soccer field and a park. There's convenience stores close by, and I feel excited and at ease. This will easily become my home away from home. It still feels surreal. I stopped by the convenience store and got a bento and the cashiere asked me if I wanted it heated up in Japanese. I have no idea how to say that, but she kind of said it slowly a couple of times and pointed and I finally got it. I feel like a toddler seeing the world. It's new, it's exciting, and I feel stupid. haha.

The flight was so long and boring. I sat next to a Japanese woman and the chair between us was empty so it wasn't too cramped. I just watched movies and anxiously waited. I got through customs fine and they didn't check my stuff at all. It went rather quickly, looking back on it.

The biggest problem I'm facing now is getting a 3-prong to 2-prong thing for my computer. I'm running on battery power now. As far as problems go, that is pretty mild. Wish me luck!