I just had a great trip to the southernmost islands of Japan, which are part of Okinawa prefecture. I went to the Yaeyama Islands as well as the main island of Okinawa itself. Here's a little roundup of my adventure.
Day1
So my friend and I had a pretty early flight from Haneda (6:45AM), which was kind of miserable, but allowed more time during the first day. The flight from Tokyo to Ishigaki Island (the most inhabited of the Yaeyama Islands) was about three hours, and it still amazes me that they don't ever check your ID when flying to anywhere within the country. That being said, Tokyo airports really outshine those of Americas. Service is so much better, everything goes faster, and security is less of a hassle (ie. you don;t have to take of your shoes and you can bring liquids, which they check by using some strange machine).
Anyway, upon arrival to Ishigaki, we took the bus to our hotel, and then proceeded to the port, where we had lunch. I had the local speciality "Goya Champuru." A Goya is a kind of cucumber like vegetable that is extremely bitter. Following lunch, we headed to the port to take a short ten-minute ferry to the nearby Taketomi Island. White sand roads, traditional houses, and ox-carts all add to the atmosphere that can be found on the Island.
My friend and I opted to take the ox-cart tour of the island, which was very special, and I learned that the river-oxen had come from Taiwan, along with several varieties of plants. (Speaking of plants, I noticed many similarities between the foliage of New Orleans and that of Okinawa.) After the ox-cart tour, we rented bicycles and rode to the nearby "star-sand beach" or 星砂の浜. One of two in Japan, the other being at the nearby Iriomote Island, the beach is made up of little pieces of star-shaped sand, which are actually the bodies of little sea animals.
The allure of finding the star-shaped sand, which was more or less everywhere, wore off rather fast, but I was still amused by long, black sea-slugs (poking them made them spit water) and other sea critters around the beach (hermit crabs, sea anemone, corals, etc). There were also many cute beach cats lounging languidly about. Because I am a unique personality, I took several pieces of dried coral and a rock that was shaped like a skull with me as souvenirs.
After returning the bikes, we walked around the village, which was very peaceful. They had a nice tower overlooking the city, and there was a lot of interesting plant life. I couldn't help humming/singing the Okinawan song "Shima Uta," the music video of which was probably filmed on the island.
Of course, this song was played everywhere during the trip, and including on endless repeat during each plane ride. I'm kind of sick of it now.
Upon returning to Ishigaki, we had a nice beef dinner of Okinawan cow, followed by dessert, the milk of which was probably from Okinawan cows too. We then returned to the hotel for some needed rest and relaxation.
Day 2
On Day Two, we went to Iriomote Island. Our plan was sadly Azumanga Daioh inspired, and it ended up being somewhat of a failure. We intended to circle the island within the day, but we didn't research the times of anything, and made the mistake of buying return tickets from the wrong port.
While we missed out on the Urauchigawa River tour, and thus the Maryudo Waterfalls, we at least got to visit the Iriomote Wildlife Center. On the island lives a very rare wildcat called the Iriomote Yamaneko, or locally Yamapikarya in Okinawan. There are less than one hundred estimated to live on the island, and it's only been 44 days since the last car-related accident involving the endangered creature. It's very sad. The wildlife center is dedicated to this animal, and houses one cat in captivity, which due to a car-related accident has a paralyzed arm and an odd twitch of its head (and so cannot survive anymore in the wild). The cat is separated from humans, but visitors can watch the animal via a live-feed cam.
The cat's name is 'Yan,' and is a 13-year old male. (The average lifespan of the cat is presumed to be about ten years.)
I was very touched by the plight of this animal, and will dedicated a future post for a more detailed discussion of the animal.
Anyway, after the Wildlife Center, we walked to the ox-cart crossing to Yubu Island (oxes can walk to the island when the tide is low), and had lunch at a little local restaraunt. While the local speciality of the island is the Zashigani or 'Coconut Crab,' a really creepy looking animal, it wasn't offered on the menu, so I settled for the local wild boar.
We then returned to the port, walked around the little town/bought some souvenirs, then returned to Ishigaki, had dinner (don't remember what), and returned to the hotel. We then planed our final day in Yaeyama to return to Iriomote to try and make the northern island cruise.
Day 3
As luck would have it, after waking up at 5AM, skipping breakfast, and walking roughly three-miles to the port in the drizzling rain, we discovered that the ferry to the northern port of Iriomote (Uehara) was canceled for the day...and I have no idea why, the weather wasn't that bad. We then had to redo our plans for the day, and settle on the slightly less interesting southern river tour.
Anyways we returned to Ohara port on the southern end of Iriomote, to make the 11AM tour (the only one available). It was a nice tour, even though it was a bit cold, windy, and a little drizzly. My Japanese wasn't good enough to understand the boat driver/tour guide, but there was a lot to take in, and I probably knew more than most about mangroves (the special plant of the island). The tour concluded with a short trek through the 'jungle,' which the island is probably 89% comprised of, to see the oldest mangrove tree in Japan. I wondered how someone randomly discovered the tree, but it was huge.
What surprised me was how much trash there was around the mangroves, despite how uninhabited the area was. People are dirty, but at least the Japanese aren't quite as bad as Americans in this respect.
After returning to Ishigaki, we ate a quick lunch and then headed to the airport to take a short 40-minute flight to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. There wasn't much to do in Naha, so I was a little worried about what we'd do there, but upon arrival, we found our hotel to be very nice. Thankfully my friend, Japanese-American, found a great tour for the next day, which would take us to a Pineapple farm and the Okinawan Aquarium, which is the second largest aquarium in the world.
Day 4
So the final day, we woke up early and took a bus tour to first the Okinawa Aquarium. It was about a 2-hour drive, but well worth it. It was perhaps the best aquarium I've ever seen; the three whale-sharks and all the deep see-life were pretty awesome. I was glad to see the tropical sea-life on the other side of the world. I didn't know Manatees/Dugongs existed in Okinawa, but apparently they do, even though very rare.
After the aquarium, we traveled on to a Pineapple farm, which turned out to be a tourist trap. It was interesting to try all these foods, wines, and snacks made from pineapple though.
After returning to Naha, we had only two-hours till our flight, so we walked around for a bit and then went there. After a 1.5 hour flight from Naha to Tokyo, here I am now!
For those of you in Japan, or really anywhere, Okinawa is the place to visit! Especially in the coming months when it'll be warm enough to dive and snorkel! I think I wanna move to the islands now!
Showing posts with label Life in Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life in Japan. Show all posts
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
SAPPORO
I just got home from Sapporo, which, for those who don't know, is the capital of the very frigid north island/prefecture of Hokkaido. Two of my friends and I went to see the Snow Festival or yuki matsuri, which was something I had really wanted to see while I was in Japan.
Day 1:
We had an early flight, and so arrived at the airport around 7AM. It was strange because I took the first train out of Kodaira, and it was not crowded, but still fairly populated, which surprised me at 5AM. The flight went by very fast, I think it was only an hour and a half, but we had a 40-minute train ride from the New Chitose Airport to Sapporo. Thankfully, our hotel was close to the station.
After setting our things down, we had a brief lunch at a gyōza shop, and then walked down the lanes of the festival, enjoying the massive snow and ice sculptures. We then stumbled upon what I think (I forgot) was the old Meiji-era city hall of Sapporo. It was a very nice looking building.
After walking around aimlessly, we returned to the hotel for a short rest, then headed off to dinner. We unfortunately made the poor chose of choosing a rather gimmicky and expensive crab restaurant. It was a disappointment, but the crab was at least fresh and delicious. In order to make up for our lack of a proper dinner, we enjoyed donuts and McDonalds (American style).
We then returned to our hotel for rest.
Day 2:
Our big planned day! We woke up early and had breakfast at the hotel. We took an 8:45AM tour bus to the Asahiyama Zoo, somewhere outside of the city. It was around -1°C, yet they still had emu, lions, jaguars, orangutans, and giraffe's out in the cold. Weird. Some guy was throwing snow at the tiger, and I was about to go over to him and say 「性格悪い！」but fortunately for him, he got bored and walked away. Now I know why tigers maul people.
At the zoo we saw the "march of the penguins," which was probably one of the most famous things in Hokkaido. I'm not sure, but maybe. It was kind of cute.
I also saw those little "sea angel" creatures, which was pretty cool.
After returning from the zoo, we chilled in the hotel, and then decided to revisit the festival and get special ramen (which was free, thanks to our tour package).
Before going to sleep, we watched "Roman Holiday" on television. Audrey.
Day 3:
We really ran out of things to do, but we tried to make the best of it. We went to the Sapporo Beer Factory, which was more of a mall than a factory, and enjoyed some nice craftworks from Hokkaido artisans. We then had lunch at the festival - I had a nice lamb stew - and wandered around some more.
We tried to make a snowman, but a security guard came and absolutely WRECKED it after we left. Depressing.
We walked around some more then bought our お土産’s. I thought of getting my younger brother some of these algae balls you can keep as pets, but thought that they probably would get taken in customs, lest they turn out to be some sort of invasive species.
Our return flight was uneventful, and we spent the entire flight watching Vicky Christina Barcelona, which was a little strange. It was entertaining though.
It was nice to get out of freezing weather and return home. I feel like I want to return to Hokkaido in the summer, but I don't think I'd ever really feel the need to go to the Snow Festival again.
Day 1:
We had an early flight, and so arrived at the airport around 7AM. It was strange because I took the first train out of Kodaira, and it was not crowded, but still fairly populated, which surprised me at 5AM. The flight went by very fast, I think it was only an hour and a half, but we had a 40-minute train ride from the New Chitose Airport to Sapporo. Thankfully, our hotel was close to the station.
After setting our things down, we had a brief lunch at a gyōza shop, and then walked down the lanes of the festival, enjoying the massive snow and ice sculptures. We then stumbled upon what I think (I forgot) was the old Meiji-era city hall of Sapporo. It was a very nice looking building.
After walking around aimlessly, we returned to the hotel for a short rest, then headed off to dinner. We unfortunately made the poor chose of choosing a rather gimmicky and expensive crab restaurant. It was a disappointment, but the crab was at least fresh and delicious. In order to make up for our lack of a proper dinner, we enjoyed donuts and McDonalds (American style).
We then returned to our hotel for rest.
Day 2:
Our big planned day! We woke up early and had breakfast at the hotel. We took an 8:45AM tour bus to the Asahiyama Zoo, somewhere outside of the city. It was around -1°C, yet they still had emu, lions, jaguars, orangutans, and giraffe's out in the cold. Weird. Some guy was throwing snow at the tiger, and I was about to go over to him and say 「性格悪い！」but fortunately for him, he got bored and walked away. Now I know why tigers maul people.
At the zoo we saw the "march of the penguins," which was probably one of the most famous things in Hokkaido. I'm not sure, but maybe. It was kind of cute.
I also saw those little "sea angel" creatures, which was pretty cool.
After returning from the zoo, we chilled in the hotel, and then decided to revisit the festival and get special ramen (which was free, thanks to our tour package).
Before going to sleep, we watched "Roman Holiday" on television. Audrey.
Day 3:
We really ran out of things to do, but we tried to make the best of it. We went to the Sapporo Beer Factory, which was more of a mall than a factory, and enjoyed some nice craftworks from Hokkaido artisans. We then had lunch at the festival - I had a nice lamb stew - and wandered around some more.
We tried to make a snowman, but a security guard came and absolutely WRECKED it after we left. Depressing.
We walked around some more then bought our お土産’s. I thought of getting my younger brother some of these algae balls you can keep as pets, but thought that they probably would get taken in customs, lest they turn out to be some sort of invasive species.
Our return flight was uneventful, and we spent the entire flight watching Vicky Christina Barcelona, which was a little strange. It was entertaining though.
It was nice to get out of freezing weather and return home. I feel like I want to return to Hokkaido in the summer, but I don't think I'd ever really feel the need to go to the Snow Festival again.
End of Classes and Delicious Food
I don't like to mince words, but I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression. Somethings are still weird, but I'm ready to forgive. Let's see where that takes us.
Moving on, I promised a long update, but I am afraid I have instead neglected to write anything since final exams began and ended.
As for things regarding Waseda:
The allure of the university has worn off. The original ease of the classes amounted to nothing more than sheer boredom and a waste of time. I do not know what my grades will be, but I am under the impression they'll be good. Waseda's SILS program rounds everything above an 80 to an A, and everything above a 90 to an A+. We'll see what happens, but GW only requires me to pass the classes to achieve credit.
Japanese class certainly had its ups and downs. I'm glad that in the end I had several friends to share the time with. The three hour classes were difficult to pay attention in. While I wish I had learned more grammar, I did learn a lot of vocab and kanji. Still, there was a lot of busy work, which I wish I didn't have to have labored over.
Creating Values in Business turned out to be the most interesting class, while Media Economics turned out to be utterly useless. I did learn a lot in (postwar) Japanese Literature and American Advertising History, so I guess they weren't hopeless.
I sound a bit negative, but I am really fairly stolid in the matter, and I am actually looking forward to choosing classes next semester. Though I am slightly intimidated by the new online course selection process.
Moving on to more positive things, I had the best dinner the night before my final exam at the Prince Hotel in Shinigawa. It was the best buffet I have ever had, and rivals that of the New Orleans Yacht Club's various buffets (I am a sucker for Southern cookin'). My host family treated me.
I am afraid these photos don't do justice to the meal I had (I also only took pictures of 2 out of the 7 plates of food I gorged over), but just appreciate this little peak. I had fresh lobster, steak, tuna, various sashimi, sushi, and tempura (along with multiple flavors of salt: wine, deep-sea, green tea, etc). Of course, I had multiple preparations of salad and vegetables and breads. Finally, there were almost 50 different types of desserts covered in that gold and silver foil, which I had a good sampling of. It was amazing.
If anyone in Tokyo wants to go with me for lunch one day, it's 3000 yen for all you can eat. Dinner is a lot more expensive.
Moving on, I promised a long update, but I am afraid I have instead neglected to write anything since final exams began and ended.
As for things regarding Waseda:
The allure of the university has worn off. The original ease of the classes amounted to nothing more than sheer boredom and a waste of time. I do not know what my grades will be, but I am under the impression they'll be good. Waseda's SILS program rounds everything above an 80 to an A, and everything above a 90 to an A+. We'll see what happens, but GW only requires me to pass the classes to achieve credit.
Japanese class certainly had its ups and downs. I'm glad that in the end I had several friends to share the time with. The three hour classes were difficult to pay attention in. While I wish I had learned more grammar, I did learn a lot of vocab and kanji. Still, there was a lot of busy work, which I wish I didn't have to have labored over.
Creating Values in Business turned out to be the most interesting class, while Media Economics turned out to be utterly useless. I did learn a lot in (postwar) Japanese Literature and American Advertising History, so I guess they weren't hopeless.
I sound a bit negative, but I am really fairly stolid in the matter, and I am actually looking forward to choosing classes next semester. Though I am slightly intimidated by the new online course selection process.
Moving on to more positive things, I had the best dinner the night before my final exam at the Prince Hotel in Shinigawa. It was the best buffet I have ever had, and rivals that of the New Orleans Yacht Club's various buffets (I am a sucker for Southern cookin'). My host family treated me.
If anyone in Tokyo wants to go with me for lunch one day, it's 3000 yen for all you can eat. Dinner is a lot more expensive.
Friday, January 29, 2010
A Summation
So the last post had little to do with Japan, it was just pretty, and even though Lou Doillon is only 1/2 related to Charlotte Gainsbourg, I appreciated it enough to share.
This video speaks for itself, and pretty much sums up the life of the sarariman (well, if he were a cat). I guess "Jalala" is somehow associated with cats in Japan, or something; aside from this hotel reservation site, it is also the name of the Cat Cafe near Waseda. I guess this is also Japan's answer to "the traveling gnome."
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Homework Assignment
「私の楽しい冬休み」
クリスマスの前に、たくさん時間があったけれど、何もしなかった。クリスマスに友達と一緒に韓国BBQを食べた後で六本木のクラブに行って、成宮寛貴という俳優に会った。しかし、クラブはあんまり面白くないので、 午前２時ごろに帰った。そして、私が住んでいる小平は少し遠いので、友達のアパートに泊まった。
クリスマスの後で、１２月２６日から２９日まで早稲田の「虹の会」というクラブのみんなと新潟の苗場にあるスキー場に行った。 たくさんの人はスノーボードをしていたけれど、私はスキーをした。とても楽しかった。友達もたくさん出来た。雪もすごくきれいだった。
スキーの旅行の後で、新年まで何もしなかった。スキーブーツはちょっと小さかった為に足首が痛いので、よく休んだ。
大晦日に、虹の会の飲み放題があって、その後、朝５時ごろに明治神宮へ初詣に行った。朝早くて寒かったので、思ったよりも初詣の人はいなかった。 お神酒も飲んだ。美味しいと思った。
一月四日は、 新宿に「アバター」という映画を見に行った。すごく面白いと思った。先生がまだ見ていなかったら、ぜひ見てください。
クリスマスの前に、たくさん時間があったけれど、何もしなかった。クリスマスに友達と一緒に韓国BBQを食べた後で六本木のクラブに行って、成宮寛貴という俳優に会った。しかし、クラブはあんまり面白くないので、 午前２時ごろに帰った。そして、私が住んでいる小平は少し遠いので、友達のアパートに泊まった。
クリスマスの後で、１２月２６日から２９日まで早稲田の「虹の会」というクラブのみんなと新潟の苗場にあるスキー場に行った。 たくさんの人はスノーボードをしていたけれど、私はスキーをした。とても楽しかった。友達もたくさん出来た。雪もすごくきれいだった。
スキーの旅行の後で、新年まで何もしなかった。スキーブーツはちょっと小さかった為に足首が痛いので、よく休んだ。
大晦日に、虹の会の飲み放題があって、その後、朝５時ごろに明治神宮へ初詣に行った。朝早くて寒かったので、思ったよりも初詣の人はいなかった。 お神酒も飲んだ。美味しいと思った。
一月四日は、 新宿に「アバター」という映画を見に行った。すごく面白いと思った。先生がまだ見ていなかったら、ぜひ見てください。
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tonsillitis
Okay, let me start out by saying that I really loathe the Seibu-Shinjuku metro line. I am so sure I got infected from some child or jerky business man while riding that god forsaken train. It's the ghetto line, and having to get on the absolutely gross, humid and crowded train in the morning three days a week, really makes me despise Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
On Sunday I felt the onset of a soar throat. I thought it was the usual kind of allergic reaction that I get when I fall asleep with a runny nose (and mucus drips down my throat leading to irritation). Having run out of the allergy medicine I brought, I took some soar throat medicine preemptively and hoped for the best.
As my throat became gradually worse on Monday, I took the opportunity to examine my throat in the mirror using the flashlight that for some reason is in my room. Noticing the white mess on my tonsils, I immediately thought strep throat. Fortunately, the pain was still minimal.
Tuesday morning I ate a light breakfast and took SS line to Waseda. My throat was pretty sore at this point, and I ended up leaving Japanese class after our routine Kanji quiz, to see the school doctor. For the next 2 hours, I then proceeded to have an epic journey relating to my "strep throat." I was given wrong directions/information several times, and was even ignored by a guy cleaning the street. Even so, the doctor was really only concerned if I had swine flu, which annoyed me because I had no fever, cough, or runny nose.
Wednesday was pretty bad, having no pain killer (the ibuprofen that I bought had absolutely no effect), I ate a little oatmeal, which I think is still in the back of my throat. Went to see a throat specialist, who refuse to prescribe me a painkiller. However, Thursday was by far the most painful day. Couldn't eat or drink anything, and hadnt slept since Tuesday. I finished off the last of the ibuprofen -- went through 50 tablets in 3 days...probably killing my liver in the process.
Today, swelling in my lymph nodes and tonsils has gone down a little, but still a bit painful. Hope to god I am feeling better tomorrow. Ice water and popsicles seem to help. Havent eaten anything in 2 days, and really want some donuts and McDonalds. Like really, really hungry.
On Sunday I have a photoshoot in Harajuku on Omote-sando street (where all the big brands are). I hope I can talk again by then. Right now I sound frightening. Like a deaf person.
On Sunday I felt the onset of a soar throat. I thought it was the usual kind of allergic reaction that I get when I fall asleep with a runny nose (and mucus drips down my throat leading to irritation). Having run out of the allergy medicine I brought, I took some soar throat medicine preemptively and hoped for the best.
As my throat became gradually worse on Monday, I took the opportunity to examine my throat in the mirror using the flashlight that for some reason is in my room. Noticing the white mess on my tonsils, I immediately thought strep throat. Fortunately, the pain was still minimal.
Tuesday morning I ate a light breakfast and took SS line to Waseda. My throat was pretty sore at this point, and I ended up leaving Japanese class after our routine Kanji quiz, to see the school doctor. For the next 2 hours, I then proceeded to have an epic journey relating to my "strep throat." I was given wrong directions/information several times, and was even ignored by a guy cleaning the street. Even so, the doctor was really only concerned if I had swine flu, which annoyed me because I had no fever, cough, or runny nose.
Wednesday was pretty bad, having no pain killer (the ibuprofen that I bought had absolutely no effect), I ate a little oatmeal, which I think is still in the back of my throat. Went to see a throat specialist, who refuse to prescribe me a painkiller. However, Thursday was by far the most painful day. Couldn't eat or drink anything, and hadnt slept since Tuesday. I finished off the last of the ibuprofen -- went through 50 tablets in 3 days...probably killing my liver in the process.
Today, swelling in my lymph nodes and tonsils has gone down a little, but still a bit painful. Hope to god I am feeling better tomorrow. Ice water and popsicles seem to help. Havent eaten anything in 2 days, and really want some donuts and McDonalds. Like really, really hungry.
On Sunday I have a photoshoot in Harajuku on Omote-sando street (where all the big brands are). I hope I can talk again by then. Right now I sound frightening. Like a deaf person.
Friday, November 13, 2009
A Day in the Life
I seemed to have something profound that I wanted to write, but I can't remember, so I'll just describe what I did today.
(1-4AM) Host family dog was throwing up.
6AM - Woke Up (supposed to wake up at this time)
6:02AM - Went Back to Sleep
6:30AM - Got out of bed cause I overslept
8:00AM - Left House
8:07AM - Caught incredibly crowded/hot/humid train
9AM - Japanese Class (talked about transvestites)
10:40AM - Convenience Store for V8 Splash (Japanese version)
12PM - Japanese Class Ends
12-1~PM - Korean Lunch
1~2:45PM - Facebook
2:45-6PM - Japanese Lit (talked about sex and prostitutes and such)
6-6:20PM - Walked in the rain to Takadanobaba
Sometime after 6:20PM -
12:45ishAM - wrote this blog entry
I got told that the cologne I use smells good...I don't use cologne though...so I smell good naturally?
(1-4AM) Host family dog was throwing up.
6AM - Woke Up (supposed to wake up at this time)
6:02AM - Went Back to Sleep
6:30AM - Got out of bed cause I overslept
8:00AM - Left House
8:07AM - Caught incredibly crowded/hot/humid train
9AM - Japanese Class (talked about transvestites)
10:40AM - Convenience Store for V8 Splash (Japanese version)
12PM - Japanese Class Ends
12-1~PM - Korean Lunch
1~2:45PM - Facebook
2:45-6PM - Japanese Lit (talked about sex and prostitutes and such)
6-6:20PM - Walked in the rain to Takadanobaba
Sometime after 6:20PM -
- Paul Smith Store in Harajuku - wanted headphones, they didn't have them, pressured in to buying cologne, got a free stuffed animal, was told that an employee was in the Paul Smith catalog (didn't really know what to say to this comment), awkward store exit
- Paul Smith Shibuya (Maru City) - bought headphones
- Book Off (think this is the name) - bought Tezuka's Metropolis manga
- Dinner at some Kebab place, spilled spicy sauce on my jacket
- Pachinko with Alex, Evangelion-themed, no concept of Pachinko still
- Tried to return home, but Jinshin Jiko (aka. suicide via train) delayed my life for half an hour
12:45ishAM - wrote this blog entry
I got told that the cologne I use smells good...I don't use cologne though...so I smell good naturally?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sick Days
Yes! Today is the first day I don't feel super tired! I think I've been sick the past few days. At first I thought I might have The Swine, so I did an online test for UK citizens to determine if I had it (I used the address of the BBC to pretend I was living there...), but the test determined me unlikely to be infected. Perhaps the horrible tasting Vitamin C drink I had last night cured me.
I still have a sore throat, so I bought some medicine, which was kind of expensive ($10, for some swallow-able capsules). They better cure me.
Friday night, I went to an izakaya (or Japanese-style bar) with some Japanese people from Sophia University, and I was able to keep up with the conversation to some extent (and it was all in Japanese).
The next day, I went to the Kodaira City Japanese Language Classes (they are offered weekly for people like housewives and businessmen who don't have time to learn Japanese at a college). I was the youngest person there. I was placed in to an intermediate level, but it was fairly easy, even though the teacher was really funny, so at the teacher's request, I moved to the next level which was kind of hard. I was having to define "keigo," which is like polite speech (conjugation and words become totally different) used in varying circumstances. It's like manners for your mouth. English has nothing like this because we are/were all barbarians. :)
Jokes aside, the class is only 300 yen (um a little more than 3 dollars now). The exchange rate is becoming so bad, compared to last semester. Thankfully, half of my stipend is in yen. Because it is so inexpensive, I'll probably attend the weekly classes (every Saturday morning, in my case). No grades too.
Following this class, I went with my host family to go camera shopping (they lost their camera in Australia). I was skeptical at first that wherever we were going wouldn't have the camera I wanted or the price would be the same as Yodobashi or Bikku Camera, but it turned out that my host father was able to negotiate the price of the camera I wanted to buy (Ricoh CX1 or CX2 if it was less than $400) down about 140 dollars. In addition, I got the case of my choice free as "sabisu" or service. Price negotiation doesn't happen in America unless you are buying shady goods.
In other Japanese news, I have two quizzes and an essay due tomorrow, so I need to get to studying.
I still have a sore throat, so I bought some medicine, which was kind of expensive ($10, for some swallow-able capsules). They better cure me.
Friday night, I went to an izakaya (or Japanese-style bar) with some Japanese people from Sophia University, and I was able to keep up with the conversation to some extent (and it was all in Japanese).
The next day, I went to the Kodaira City Japanese Language Classes (they are offered weekly for people like housewives and businessmen who don't have time to learn Japanese at a college). I was the youngest person there. I was placed in to an intermediate level, but it was fairly easy, even though the teacher was really funny, so at the teacher's request, I moved to the next level which was kind of hard. I was having to define "keigo," which is like polite speech (conjugation and words become totally different) used in varying circumstances. It's like manners for your mouth. English has nothing like this because we are/were all barbarians. :)
Jokes aside, the class is only 300 yen (um a little more than 3 dollars now). The exchange rate is becoming so bad, compared to last semester. Thankfully, half of my stipend is in yen. Because it is so inexpensive, I'll probably attend the weekly classes (every Saturday morning, in my case). No grades too.
Following this class, I went with my host family to go camera shopping (they lost their camera in Australia). I was skeptical at first that wherever we were going wouldn't have the camera I wanted or the price would be the same as Yodobashi or Bikku Camera, but it turned out that my host father was able to negotiate the price of the camera I wanted to buy (Ricoh CX1 or CX2 if it was less than $400) down about 140 dollars. In addition, I got the case of my choice free as "sabisu" or service. Price negotiation doesn't happen in America unless you are buying shady goods.
In other Japanese news, I have two quizzes and an essay due tomorrow, so I need to get to studying.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Cats
There are cafes where you can go to play with cats (and other small animals), and I have just discovered one in the vicinity of Waseda's campus (this will have to be investigated in the future).
Unfortunately, even though today was a major holiday (Health & Sports Day?), it was not so for Waseda Students. Kind of a bummer, but at least we got last Thursday off because of the typhoon. (And so I missed my vocab quiz, mwahaha).
Unfortunately, even though today was a major holiday (Health & Sports Day?), it was not so for Waseda Students. Kind of a bummer, but at least we got last Thursday off because of the typhoon. (And so I missed my vocab quiz, mwahaha).
Friday, October 2, 2009
First Week of Classes
I've kind of put this off, and so now I am going to restructure it a bit.
I accidentally skipped my first class of the semester and my only class of Monday because I misread the time of my class (14:45 as 4:45). Not that it really mattered (during first week of classes attendance isn't taken).
On Tuesday, I had my first Japanese class! We had a really hard test, which was clearly designed to determine if we should be in a higher level, but judging by our textbook, I am in the right level. Also, being in a homestay really has already helped me with comprehension and speaking confidence. It also seems like the Japanese classes at Waseda are mostly vocab and kanji based, which is something that GWU didn't really focus on (it was mostly grammar). Still, I have the class 9 hours a week, which is kind of lame.
My Media Economics class also seems really interesting! The teacher is Japanese and sometimes forgets English, but he is very funny, and the course material seems interesting. I am doing a group project regarding television broadcasting, so it should be interesting (though I was I had the magazine industry or gaming industry).
My Topics in American Advertising class is a little mundane (it's a history class), but at least I'll get credit for it at GWU. The teacher wrote our textbook, and was referenced in a Discovery Channel documentary about advertising.
Surprisingly, my Creating Values in Business class will be totally awesome! The teacher is an incredibly interesting person, he's Japanese, but studied abroad in America and in France. Right now he is working on this record label (or sort of record label/agency) for bands, including Begin (we watched their videos in Japanese class)!
I accidentally skipped my first class of the semester and my only class of Monday because I misread the time of my class (14:45 as 4:45). Not that it really mattered (during first week of classes attendance isn't taken).
On Tuesday, I had my first Japanese class! We had a really hard test, which was clearly designed to determine if we should be in a higher level, but judging by our textbook, I am in the right level. Also, being in a homestay really has already helped me with comprehension and speaking confidence. It also seems like the Japanese classes at Waseda are mostly vocab and kanji based, which is something that GWU didn't really focus on (it was mostly grammar). Still, I have the class 9 hours a week, which is kind of lame.
My Media Economics class also seems really interesting! The teacher is Japanese and sometimes forgets English, but he is very funny, and the course material seems interesting. I am doing a group project regarding television broadcasting, so it should be interesting (though I was I had the magazine industry or gaming industry).
My Topics in American Advertising class is a little mundane (it's a history class), but at least I'll get credit for it at GWU. The teacher wrote our textbook, and was referenced in a Discovery Channel documentary about advertising.
Surprisingly, my Creating Values in Business class will be totally awesome! The teacher is an incredibly interesting person, he's Japanese, but studied abroad in America and in France. Right now he is working on this record label (or sort of record label/agency) for bands, including Begin (we watched their videos in Japanese class)!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Classes Start Today!
Classes start today! I am taking "Topics in American Advertising," "Media Economics," "Creating Values in Business," "Japanese Literature After 1945," and Japanese (Level 3R).
Yesterdizzle, I was surprised to hear a Sylvie Vartan song used in a TV commercial, and yet even more surprised to find out my host family knew who she was, and then they were surprised I knew who she was. Go fig.
Yesterdizzle, I was surprised to hear a Sylvie Vartan song used in a TV commercial, and yet even more surprised to find out my host family knew who she was, and then they were surprised I knew who she was. Go fig.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Locked Up
So here is a more legitimate update.
The past few days have been incredibly fun, and I've been meeting a lot of people. A few days ago, several friends and I joined the Waseda International Club (WIC) on a trip to Odaiba. It takes over an hour to get there by train, but the view from the monorail is great! There were maybe 20 kids in my group, and after having a picnic with food bought from a convenience store (Japanese convenience stores have many more choices of things to eat than American ones), we visited the Fuji Television Station (my host family's son also works there). We also saw a guy exhibiting his trained monkey. I don't like monkeys.
After returning to Takadanobaba Station, several of us joined a combined WIC and Niji-no-Kai (the name means Rainbow Club, but it's really an International Communications Club) for a Nomikai (which is like a drinking party). After the place closed, we all went to a park to mingle for a few hours, before being asked by the police to leave.
The next day, I went to Harajuku for the first time with my friend. It's a pretty cool place, and I think so far it's my favorite place in Tokyo. You have one street with most of the big brands: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Bvlgari, etc. But then the side streets are filled with interesting little shops and boutiques like an entire store dedicated to Tintin. I thought I'd get my haircut in Harajuku, because this is the place to go for haircuts apparently, but I was too intimidated by all the hair salons.
The next day, I did get my haircut around Takadanobaba Station. I had no idea what the woman cutting my hair was saying, which was kind of awkward. But she gave me a good haircut (costing about 5000 yen - average price I think).
Later in the evening, I went with my two friends and two Japanese girls to an Izakaya (place where you can order drinks and order food) in Shibuya. It was a very interesting place...to say the least. It was monster prison themed, and the hostesses (as in Restaurant hostesses) wore "sexy Policemen bondage" outfits. We also were handcuffed and then led to our table, which was behind prison bars. Every so often the place turned off all the lights, and Japanese men dressed in Halloween masks would come around and try and frighten everyone.
After leaving this place (called Locked Up), we went to a club in Shibuya because we missed the last train. And so we "clubbed" for 5 hours before the next train came.
The past few days have been incredibly fun, and I've been meeting a lot of people. A few days ago, several friends and I joined the Waseda International Club (WIC) on a trip to Odaiba. It takes over an hour to get there by train, but the view from the monorail is great! There were maybe 20 kids in my group, and after having a picnic with food bought from a convenience store (Japanese convenience stores have many more choices of things to eat than American ones), we visited the Fuji Television Station (my host family's son also works there). We also saw a guy exhibiting his trained monkey. I don't like monkeys.
After returning to Takadanobaba Station, several of us joined a combined WIC and Niji-no-Kai (the name means Rainbow Club, but it's really an International Communications Club) for a Nomikai (which is like a drinking party). After the place closed, we all went to a park to mingle for a few hours, before being asked by the police to leave.
The next day, I went to Harajuku for the first time with my friend. It's a pretty cool place, and I think so far it's my favorite place in Tokyo. You have one street with most of the big brands: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Armani, Bvlgari, etc. But then the side streets are filled with interesting little shops and boutiques like an entire store dedicated to Tintin. I thought I'd get my haircut in Harajuku, because this is the place to go for haircuts apparently, but I was too intimidated by all the hair salons.
The next day, I did get my haircut around Takadanobaba Station. I had no idea what the woman cutting my hair was saying, which was kind of awkward. But she gave me a good haircut (costing about 5000 yen - average price I think).
Later in the evening, I went with my two friends and two Japanese girls to an Izakaya (place where you can order drinks and order food) in Shibuya. It was a very interesting place...to say the least. It was monster prison themed, and the hostesses (as in Restaurant hostesses) wore "sexy Policemen bondage" outfits. We also were handcuffed and then led to our table, which was behind prison bars. Every so often the place turned off all the lights, and Japanese men dressed in Halloween masks would come around and try and frighten everyone.
After leaving this place (called Locked Up), we went to a club in Shibuya because we missed the last train. And so we "clubbed" for 5 hours before the next train came.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Karaoke and Killer Bees
I did karaoke for the first time yesterday, and lo and behold the videos for some of the songs were American cities, including New Orleans! Weird.
Also, Japan has these rad killer hornets that are about 4-inches big. Saw some in Shinjuku park yesterday!
Also, Japan has these rad killer hornets that are about 4-inches big. Saw some in Shinjuku park yesterday!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Opening Ceremony (and not the store)
Yesterday was the opening ceremony for the Waseda SILS Program. It was held in the Okuma Auditorium, which is 125 year-old building with a clock tower. The number 125 is apparently special because the founder of the school and twice prime minister Okuma Shigenobu believed people could live to be a potential age of 125. I also finally found out that there are 240 kids in my program, most are some sort of Chinese.
Before the program began, I visited the Theater Museum on Waseda's Campus with my host family. It was a recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theater or something, and contained a lot of translated plays and stage artifacts from the past 100 years.
It was free and very boring.
Before the program began, I visited the Theater Museum on Waseda's Campus with my host family. It was a recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theater or something, and contained a lot of translated plays and stage artifacts from the past 100 years.
It was free and very boring.
Friday, September 18, 2009
FIRE
A house across the street caught on fire, and partially burned down last night while I was out with friends. Crazy.
Apparently arson is the number one cause of fires in Japan (or at least Tokyo).
Apparently arson is the number one cause of fires in Japan (or at least Tokyo).
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