traveling

It's official! I'm going to Japan!!!

I've been lucky enough to secure a Light Fellowship for a yearlong term and recently accepted admission into the Inter-University Center for Japanese Studies in Yokohama. I'm really excited about living in a big city on my own in Japan (so far I've been restricted to small cities with host families), but a little wary about the huge workload of kanji studying, reading, and writing that I have coming my way. The program starts on September 1st, so I'm thinking of trying to get there around August 27th the latest so I'll have time to settle in and get over jetlag. Thus far, cheap plane ticket hunting hasn't been fruitful but I trudge on.

be master of life

So here we are- the last weekend in Kanazawa!!! It's gone by waaay too fast. I realize I think I had said that I would write more about everyday life in Ishikawa and forgot to make good on my promise, so here goes the "practical advice" entry:

Food
It took us a while to figure this one out, but if you are looking for convenience store like food- the supermarket in Kanazawa Eki is the way to go. Though the Family Mart that's on the first floor of the Rifare building is convenient for grabbing something on the go, the prices don't compare for sushi bento boxes and fruit. In general, I think supermarket prices are more competitive than those of convenience stores. Take for instance how I bought two bananas for 150 yen at the convenience store on the bottom floor of Kanazawa Eki only to find out that the supermarket upstairs was selling 5 bananas for 180 yen. Also, the food tends to be more fresh and obviously there is a wider selection of foods to choose from when FamiMart rice balls just won't do. In fact- I wrote a haiku expressing such feelings:

食べ飽きた I'm tired of eating-
ファミマおにぎり Family Mart riceballs
マックに行く I'll go to McDonald's.

If you are looking for "special" American/non--Japanese food to make a dinner for your host family, the basements of Daiwa and Misuji seem to have a pretty good selection. I was able to find tortillas for instance. If it's something like herbs or sauce mix you are looking for, you might be better off bringing it with you so you won't have to track it down in Japan. Note: At the very minimum, your host mother will probably ask you to cook "authentic" [insert your cultural heritage here] food at least once. For maximum return of compliments, it's best to prepare ahead and get your cook savvy relatives to show you how to cook something before you leave. Also, if you're lucky enough to meet some international people, you just might be able to get them to cook you food as well (mmm Thai cooking).

Books/Music
BookOff is the best place to go for CDs and books. They have a pretty big selection of manga and such, and as they are used- they are quite cheap. I was seriously dismayed to see a most cherished CD (CHEMISTRY) that I bought about 5 years ago for about 4000 yen going for less than 1000 yen. That said, if you are looking for something very particular, it might be hard to find, but if you have the name of the singer/manga than the staff should be more than able to help you out.

Movies
Going to the movies can be quite expensive in Japan, so it's best to take advantage of the different discount days they have such as Monday Couples Day, Thursday Girls Day, etc. I actually went to the movies over the weekend and was able to get a slight discount using my student ID, so it's always a good idea to bring yours along.

Shopping
About the third to last week of PII~ which falls around 海の日 (Marine Day), the summer sale season begins, read: time to crazy shop. Seriously, some stuff starts going for like 70% off, so as tempting as it may be to go shopping the first couple of weeks in Japan, holding off until the summer sales starts has it rewards. This seems to apply for everything from clothing stores to electronic stores, so if you can wait that long- it might be advisable to wait to get an electronic dictionary.

Arcades
I'm not much of a gambling person, but I ended up finding a second home in game centers. Whether it was the bright lights, funky music, or prospect of winning a huge Mickey Mouse pillow, I spent a lot of time (and money) at the arcades playing not just crane games, but also doing taiko, playing MarioCart, and taking purikura. Game centers were a great place to unwind after a hard day at PII and as I found, a good place to forge friendships after class. Beware of the arcades games in Forus which are overpriced compared to the ones found around Katamachi.

Karaoke
Also a good way to unwind. Most of the time we went to Big Echo since one of us had a membership card. Though it's cool to do the occasional Disney song or flashback 90's tune, props to people who come knowing how to sing at least one song in Japanese. Also, since it is cheaper, it's best to go out for karaoke in the afternoon right after class. That way you have enough hours to get your Kumbaya-ya's out before a nice dinner out.

Hmmm, that's all the practical advice I can seem to think of right now. Of course there's a lot more, but what's the fun of Japan without making a few awkward mistakes here and there and learning from them. Peace out-

End of the Road

Day 3: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

I let Natsuko, a good friend and former host sister of mine, know that I'd be in Japan over the summer so that we could meet up. Naka yasumi happened to coordinate perfectly with her break from university so we planned on a trip to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka (^*<>*)v I was a bit wary of going at first since I had been to Universal Studios Japan before and spent most of the time waiting in line (for rides that lasted about 10 minutes, if that). This time however ---even without buying a special pass--- we were able to ride a bunch of different things without having to wait too long~ E.T., JAWS, Teriminator 2, Spiderman, and Hollywood (a roller coaster). We also saw the Water World show, which was a bit confusing to understand in Japanese, but I was able to get the gist of it from understanding particular phrases like "It's from real land," "Don't tell him," and "Look out!" Side Bar: I was surprised (and sort of impressed) that there were several foreigners working at Universal Studios~ doing everything from acting in the Water World show to dancing on the Sesame Street trolley.

As an added surprise, Natsuko brought along her younger brother and older sister, Tatsuya and Sakiko!!! I hadn't seen them in almost 2 years so it was very なつかしい。Two of Natsuko's college friends also made the trip, so we had a nice, large and merry group. For dinner we met up with the PII students who had gone to Kobe for the day (apparently the beef is indeed all it's worked up to be) and had a huge Chinese dinner~ I think we took up a good third of the restaurant. After that we saw Natsuko and Co. on their way and then went out for a night on the town. Though it was our third night in Osaka, we still weren't all too familiar with the lay of the land so we asked two cool looking guys around Dottombori for a recommendation on where to go. They pointed us out to this pretty sweet Wine Bar (so named) across the street from the famous Glico sign. So- we all had some reasonably priced drinks then headed back for one last night at the sketchy hotel.

Day 4: Back Home

Sunday morning we took the bus back to Kanazawa. Most of us used the ride to catch up on zzzzz's. Though we all had great times in Osaka and Kyoto, and have the pictures to prove it, I think I can say without hesitation that nothing beat's okaasan's home-cooked miso.... peace out.

中休みDay 2: Rock This Town

After Osaka, I needed an escape... We all needed an escape. Kyoto happens to be 45min away from Osaka (by local JR train), so come morning, we were all Kyoto bound. The difference between the two cities was astounding! Though Osaka and Kyoto share some features being both part of the Kansai region, they have such a different character and history--- Osaka is very business-oriented and modern. Kyoto, on the other hand, is relatively slow-paced and (minus the ultra modern train station) deeply rooted in tradition. All in all, I have to say that I ended up liking Kyoto better and wishing that we had decided to stay there instead of Osaka. But, whatever- there were good times to be had throughout Kansai.

2nd Day Itinerary:
-Kiyomizudera
-Kinkakuji
-wandering about

Kiyomizudera
The first touristy place we hit after making a food stop, was Kiyomizudera. It's a Buddhist temple known all throughout Japan for its main hall that looks something like a huge wooden stage supported by hundreds of pillars. Though it may not sound impressive, trust me, it is. So much so that it is apparently a nominee for one of the "new" 7 wonders of the world. Plus, the view of Kyoto from the top... unbeatable.

The trek up into the mountains is likewise rewarded with window shopping of colorful Kyoto souvenirs and free mochi given away by vendors aligning the main road (Chawan-zaka) up to the top. Though most everyone disagreed, my vote goes for the banana-strawberry mochi, mmm.

The Buddhist temple is also especially famous for its water that is said to be healthy and bring good fortune. The trick is that the waterfall, Otowa-no-taki, diverges into three streams from which one can choose what area of your life to bring luck to---> be it love, academics, or health. And much like the one wish rule, you can only drink from one stream.... per visit that is ;-) This is actually my third visit to Kiyomizudera, and seeing as how the magic water worked out so well the last two times (getting into Yale, getting an awesome boyfriend), I thought I'd go for the one I hadn't drunk yet~ cheers to a long life, right?
Only the site was closed for repairs... so Japan has managed to see fit that I make another pilgrimage to Kyoto at least once in the future, so I can get a taste of some of that oh-so-lucky, good health water. Even with the main attraction closed, we had a lot of fun visiting some of the other halls and shrines.

For instance, on the premises was Jishu Jinja, a shrine that boasts a famous love stone often visited by young hopefuls. Unlike the drinking water gig, ensuring a happy love life involves something slightly resembling an obstacle course- though not quite so difficult. Essentially, two rocks are positioned about 50 feet from one another. If you can get from one rock to the other with your eyes closed, you're ensured success in love. If you should fail.... well, you won't be cursed to be alone forever per se... but apparently it'll take a long time to meet that special someone. If, however, you're not ready to wait until middle age to meet the One, you can have someone guide you- like I did (and most everyone else). Note: using someone's help to get between rocks likewise predicts that you'll need help achieving love with a go-between. (I'm soooo not making up these random rules, it's just what the pamphlet said.)

















Kinkakuji
Hmm... there's not too much to say about Kinkakuji other than that it is a golden temple. It is a landmark of Kyoto, and all of Japan for that matter- so its definitely worth a look. Though I would advise bringing an umbrella in case it rains... I didn't and got soaked wandering through the lovely (and rather extensive) grounds that surround the temple.


Food and Transportation
Kyoto has an awesome bus system that took us just about everywhere we needed to go for a paltry 500 yen (all day pass). Also, when we went to the ticket stand by the train station, the ticket sellers were ready with English maps in hand to see us on our way, so I would definitely say the bus is the way to go.

As for food in Kyoto- it's awesomely delicious. For lunch we went to this place that had a set meal for 600 yen~ For dinner we found this yaki niku place (Japanese BBQ). It was tucked away on a side street, easy to pass up since it was only advertised by a small sign... That's what makes traveling in Japan, or any country for that matter, an adventure. Some of the best meals or shops can be found tucked away on small winding roads behind inconspicuous doors. About the dinner itself, it was an adventure to say the least.... It would have been much better if we knew the Japanese for the various "types" of meat, but since we didn't- we just ordered most everything they had. Some of the meat turned out to be melt-in-your-mouth delicious... some very fatty.... some cartilagey...
There's so much to see in Kyoto and yet we barely skimmed the surface! But it was an awesome day trip and even though we felt ready to crash after our waffle/parfait desserts, it was an excellent day.

(PS. Sorry these posts are way late in coming, I'll be done with Day 3 soon I hope and then I can get back to posting about more everyday things, ciao)

中休み Day 1: Heartbreak Hotel

So our break officially started on Wednesday, but sadly due to a run on JR highway bus tickets, Wilma and I weren't able to get tickets to Osaka until the wee hours of the morning of Thursday. And so began our naka yasumi...

The bus ride was actually pretty sweet. The seats were nice and comfy and came with slippers and a blanket. Given that our round trip tickets cost us about the same amount as a one way ticket on the Shinkansen would have cost us, we made out quite well. In fact, the ride was so nice that we were a bit disappointed that we only had 4.5 hours to relax before running around Osaka.


Since we only had a few days for vacation and already had plans for other days, we made our first day the "explore Osaka" day. Honestly, my initial impression of Osaka was rather indifferent- I had been to Osaka two times before, and I can't say that it's changed all too much. However, my feelings soon changed to well.... hmm disbelief and slight dismay when I saw our hotel.... It wasn't the suspicious people walking around the area in naught but their underwear.... or even the tons of garbage littered about (note: Japan is super clean- so trash lying around... not normal).... I could accept the fact that we had to be in by midnight or risk being locked out and that the bathrooms were unisex. I didn't know what to make of the fact that there were permanent residents in the hotel.... or the port-a-potty like coin showers. No, I think it was more the fact that the whole hotel reeked of tobacco (or worse) and that our cramped tatami room had air conditioning that automatically shut off at midnight (forcing us to camp out in our underwear). So- yeah, if you're ever in Osaka, do not stay at Hotel Sun Plaza... in fact, avoid getting a hotel around Shin-Imamiya Eki altogether.

But anyway- back to our first day in Osaka, the itinerary:

-Den Den town
-Sennichimae Doguyasuji
-National Bunraku Theater
-Pokémon Center (sooo not by my choice, haha)
-Umeda
-Dotonbori

Den Den town: a bit of a disappointment. Though indeed there were many electronic stores to be found, they were scattered around a vast array of porn shops, which just makes the place "colorful" I suppose, but there were no good electronic deals to be found either so survey says, go to Akihabara if you're looking for electronics. That said, I did buy a pretty sweet digi-kame at Bikku Camera around Nanba about two years ago so one could also go that route.

Sennichimae Doguyasuji: Pretty cool actually. This is Osaka's place to get all your culinary needs- be it restaurant uniforms, tako yaki banners, pots/pans, and coolest of all, plastic food! For those who haven't been fortunate enough to visit Japan I would say without hesitation that if only to see the most delicious-looking plastic on earth, the trip is well worth it. Wilma had a mind to buy a plastic sundae to take home as a souvenir, but as it turns out- food made out of organic polymers is a bit on the expensive side. (Though for a decent 400 yen, one could get a pretty sweet squishy sushi key chain... try saying that five times fast.) After all the excitement of looking at plastic food, one can imagine that we developed a hankering for some real food, so we went for okonomi yaki~ better known as Japanese pizza.... sort of. I think noodle pancake would also suffice as a name, but people seem to find that off-putting so Wilma, Josh, and I thought perhaps noodle hash browns would be the translation of choice.

National Bunraku Theater: This stop was on our way to nowhere in particular and looked promising as a good place to buy tickets for some late night entertainment. Sadly there were none to be found, but we did stamp our Osaka maps with Bunraku Theater icons. Note: Bunraku plays are quite entertaining~ I'm not quite sure why I find creepily human-like dolls acting out old Japanese folk tales so amusing, but seriously they are- and one would be wise to make a point to see a play


Pokémon Center: Ehmm... this wasn't a planned stop for our day trip -per se- but having spotted it on the way into Osaka Eki, one member in our party -cough, Wilma- couldn't help but want to make a quick stop. I was game so long as Wilma agreed to wear the Pokémon hat that she bought as a sort of scarlet letter to reflect her guilt in taking us to the Pokémon Center~ m(*_*)m

Dotonbori: Wilma and I were kind of disappointed by most of what we saw during the day at Osaka, but our spirits were lifted when an old high school friend of mine, Sayaka, took us around Dotonbori, a really "happening" area of Osaka with a lot of shiny lights, shops, and nice restaurants. We went to the best, albeit also slightly sketchy sushi place in Osaka. Unlike other conveyor belt restaurants, all the sushi had the same price... a mere 130 yen could get one two delectable pieces of heaven. However, while there was plenty of good sushi to be found, there was also a number of plates of old-looking sushi making their rounds. Anyway, considering we each paid like $6 for a full stomach's worth of sushi, we were not at all disappointed.

Shake It Off

Last night I experienced my first earthquake! Well, actually I should amend that to the first earthquake that I was awake for~ I slept through the previous two. The only way I can think to describe it is as when one gets playfully pushed from behind by a friend. You know the feeling, right? You're walking down the street, probably listening to your iPod when bam! your friend sneak attacks you in front of ABP, stunning you awake. So imagine that- only that the friend was able to jolt not only you, but also the floor, the table, and what I assume was the whole house since my host mother (who was in the kitchen) gave a yell of surprise. It was wicked fun. My host mother laughed at me when I danced around going "初めて地震”　(that is, "first earthquake") but I think the event merited some sort of marker.

That's enough from me for now though, tomorrow is the midterm exam... the 3 hour midterm exam.... the 3 hour midterm exam that I have only studied for while watching Grey's Anatomy and The Mummy.... right. It shouldn't be anything I haven't already studied, but it's quite a bit of kanji- most of it pertaining to the likes of bathhouses and dragons and evil witches (we studied Spirited Away in depth), so I should make sure I have a good grasp of everything that will be covered. Peace.

We Are Young

So this week was a bit slower than the rest on account of the looming midterm exams and essays that we'll have to deal with next week. That said, this week PII had some cool activities scheduled for us. If I had to put a name on the general theme of this week, it would be "young people" ---- "young Japanese people."

Our first field trip of the week, we went to Kanazawa University. Everyone was partnered with a student, had lunch, chatted and all that. All in all, it was a nice afternoon though I could have done without the "musical session" that involved learning how to play ... uhm, leaves? Seriously. After our communal quiz on Kanazawa University (from which I found out Kanazawa Dai has the third largest campus in all of Japan), a group of elderly Japanese folk came out and played a rendition of "If you're happy and you know it" by blowing on leaves that they held in between their lips. I was too stunned to clap.... Now, I have to admit that it was kind of impressive.... but what on earth does playing leaves have to do with Japanese culture? I asked my Japanese partner, but alas he had no answer.

Some other interesting highlights of the visit were visiting the library where we were shown a machine that I can only think of to call a Robo-Librarian. In order to preserve delicate books, the university bought a machine that catalogues all the books behind locked doors and can be directed to pick up whatever book you might need without you having to wonder the stacks. Call me old fashioned, but I rather like wandering the stacks for books- makes finding the book you need or finding other books that you might not otherwise have found so much more satisfying.

Anyway, our second field trip of the week was to the Daitoku Elementary School. Ishikawa decided to hail the beginnings of its monsoon season upon us which was kind of a drag, but the mood immediately lightened when we got to meet all these cute little Japanese kids! We were first tagged, which made for a nice, criminal-like photo-op. (credit to Matthew Delgado for the pic) Then we were entertained with taiko (traditional Japanese drumming) and a song in English that went like "Hello. How are you? I like to meet you too." ~~Read: very cute. (*-*)V


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After that, it was off to individual classes. I was with the 一年生〜 All I have to say is, do not be fooled by cute faces--- the kids totally schooled me in rock, paper, scissors.



But this is not where the story ends. Scene: Friday, Kanazawa Station, 4:00pm-ish. What's an exchange student to do? Go to the mall of course. And play in the arcade. The games of choice: virtual taiko, Mario Cart, and some sort of shooting game. The virtual taiko game was a lot of fun, and though in no way a substitute for actual exercise, everyone agreed that it does work the arms quite a bit. I went for one of those crane games that look ridiculously easy, but in actuality are ridiculously hard. It was a bit tricky, but about 2000 yen later- I came out victorious and with a big stuffed Stitch to boot. I learned that the trick is to use the crane not to pick up the stuffed animal, but rather to push it off the ledge of the machine.


Next stop on our "what would a young Japanese college student do" hang out session was a trip to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Sushi is well crazy delicious as is, but add to the fact that it comes right to your table on cleverly color-coded plates (which indicate price), well- I can think of no better way to improve an already superior dining experience.

To round off the night, a small group of us headed out to a bar and had some drinks. The conversation ranged from serial killers to the end of the world to one's taste in the opposite sex. All in all, a great night. Saturday night and Sunday were equally chill, but that's another story. Jya ne.