Oh man. So I want to write about today, but I got home late tonight and I'm seriously so busy/behind on homework! And I need to go to sleep soon! And I'm going to Disney tomorrow! Ahhhh!

Oh Mondays

Today I'm feeling better! Slowly, I'm recovering from my cold. Still have some slight stuffiness, and small fevers here and there, but I took the medicine my host dad gave me and have been getting rest.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this yet, but on Saturday I stopped at the 100 Lawsons to buy lunch for the bus ride to Karuizawa. While I was browsing the bento section, a random Japanese girl comes up to me. She starts asking me where I'm from and a whole bunch of questions. I don't even remember what all we talked about. Two of her friends were with her too. I think she goes/went to Waseda or they are graduate students? I didn't really catch that part. But so we end up talking for like five minutes, and she invited me to go to a concert with them on Sunday, but I had to decline since I was coming back from Karuizawa then. But I exchanged numbers with one of the girls, and I am meeting them all tomorrow for lunch. I asked if I could invite three of my friends too (I felt a little weird just going by myself) so hopefully tomorrow will be fun! I mean, I'm really hoping it's not going to be creepy or weird. It's pretty rare for a stranger to approach you in Japan, let alone try to become friends with you randomly. They seemed really nice though. So yay for making random friends in the conbini!? I'll let you guys know how it goes tomorrow.

Also, another funny thing that happened tonight was that during dinner my host dad told me (he was a bit drunk) that once I meet a boyfriend here he wants to meet him to make sure he is good enough. Pretty hilarious.

Karuizawa

So this weekend was the Karuizawa retreat. I was pretty excited for it beforehand. I was excited to get to be together with my whole program again. I was excited to travel to a new place. I was excited to learn more about the one month practicums during February. But then I actually got to Karuizawa. And it was cold. Oh so cold. Akita was cold too. But this was a different kind of cold. A bone chilling death horrible too cold to be fun cold. But that would have been okay. I could have dealt with it being cold outside. Except for it was cold inside too. I should have been prepared for the lack of central heating in older buildings. I should have packed more layers. But I wasn't and I didn't. Basically because I was freezing my ass off the whole time (even after borrowing sweaters and gloves from a friend) the trip was not really that fun. I mean, some parts were okay, but I just didn't have that great of a time. And since I'm still recovering from being sick, I wasn't too lively either. And having to share a (cold) room with thirteen other girls wasn't that much fun either.
Karuizawa, you pretty much disappointed me...

Akita

On Thursday October 18th, I went to Akita with my host family. I woke up pretty early and ended up going to my host dad's company (where my host mom also works). It was a bit smaller than I was expecting (I knew that my dad was a company president but I wasn't sure how big the company was), but it was nice.
My host dad's company seems more laid back in some ways compared to bigger companies. The other worker who was at the desk next to my hdad's was using more casual language with my hdad even though he is the president which was interesting to note. Anyway I'm glad I was able to see where my host parents work!
At around 11 we went to Tokyo Station and got on the Shinkansen we were taking. I regret to buying a duffle bag with wheels on it in America, but oh well. That was my first time riding on a Shinkansen, so I was pretty excited. For lunch we ate a gyudon ekiben (a bento sold at train stations). The weather was a bit cloudy and gloomy. The mountains here are so amazing. I guess I'm still not used to seeing them. It was 4 hour train ride, but overall it went by pretty fast. It would have been 8 hours by car.  I really enjoyed watching the scenery pass by; I got to see a lot of country side areas, fields, and flowers still blooming. Some of the leaves on the trees were starting to change color too, an event called kouyou in Japanese. Kouyou seems pretty important here, I've heard that word a lot this past month (I don't really think it's such a huge thing in America). The further north we got the more mountains we passed by and through. The last hour and a half was all mountains. It was beautiful. Sometimes would go through tunnel so it was dark, but then there would be these amazing scenes of mountainsides once we got outside again. It really moved me.

We got to Akita City around 4 and headed to our hotel. They ended up reserving a room just for me (which I didn't know about in advance). I felt a bit bad since I wasn't sure if my host family was spending beyond their means to make me comfortable. But I was really thankful. For dinner that night we went to a nearby yakitori place. I was pretty tired by this point, but the food was delicious. I ended up eating too much. We tried some Akita dishes (I remember one was called donburi) and had some Akita Nihonshu (which I'm not a huge fan of) as well.

The next morning a taxi came to take us to Shirakami-sanchi, which is a UNESCO world heritage site (you should read more about it here :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirakami-Sanchi) which was two hours away from Akita City. During the drive I got to see more of the city and Akita prefecture. The city reminded me a bit of South Bend in that the city is more spread out and there are bigger grocery stores, etc. Definitely a different vibe and area from Tokyo. The city has about 300,000+ people living there (so it's bigger than my home town), but it was still referred to as the inaka or country-side by my host parents. I mean there isn't much there, and there are a lot of farms around the city, and it is a really different city compared to Tokyo, so I guess in some ways it was pretty inaka.
Anyway, our taxi driver was from Akita, so I got to hear my first bit of Akita-ben. Throughout Japan there are different dialects (Tokyo Japanese is the standard version I guess), so sometimes it's pretty difficult to understand what someone is saying when they are using the dialect (which is standard for them). I could hardly understand what he was saying and my host parents told me later that they had a difficult time understanding him too. When we were getting closer to Shirakami-sanchi, we drove next to the Sea of Japan for a while! The coast was pretty rocky (so I don't think many people go swimming there), but the scene was breathtaking. Especially when the sun came out.

So far I've failed to mention how cold it was in Akita, about 46 degrees in the morning! A big change from the 70s in Tokyo. It was refreshing and nice to get away from Tokyo for a bit. The air was crisp and fresh, especially at Shirakami-Sanchi. Our taxi driver was also our guide at the mountain! There wasn't much/any hiking involved (though some walking) since the area is a world heritage site and you need special permission to hike the actual mountains. The areas we were able to go to though were stunning. There were trees everywhere, and some of the leaves were starting to change color (it would have been great to be there when the leaves were fully changed). At one spot we saw some huge fish (I can't remember their name but our guide told me there were a lot of them around Russia) and a decent sized pond (there are many ponds there). Next we went to look at a pond called aoike (literally blue pond). This was probably my favorite spot at Shirakami-sanchi. The bond was strikingly blue, and some of the leaves had turned yellow around the pond, so the contrast was really beautiful (especially when the yellow leaves would gently fall down into the pond, so pretty and peaceful!). We did some more walking and saw some more ponds and forest area. At one spot there was a waterfall with an area where you could drink the water (which was also unbelievable beautiful). We also drank macha tea there too. I can't do the area justice by describing it. All I can say is that it was really beautiful.

Before we left we stopped at an area known as Nihon Canyon (Japan's Great Canyon lol). To get close the the mountain side we had to walk through a rocky stream area. The rocks there were orange and gray and all over the place. The actual "canyon" area was pretty beautiful too. While I was there I kept thinking of the Geology class I took at Earlham lol.

On the way back to Akita city we ate at a restaurant near the Sea of Japan (you could see the sea from the windows!). I had ika sashimi (squid) which was soooo good. The atmosphere at the restaurant was great. The sea was beautiful, there was relaxing jazz music in the background, and the food was great.
Next we stopped at kanpuzan, another mountain, where we could get a 360 degree view of the area below (which used to be a huge lake but after ww1? there wasn't much food so they took out the water and turned the land into fields-according to taxi driver). Kanpuzan wasn't as fun as Shirakami-sanchi, but the views there were great.

As the sun started to set over the Sea of Japan we continued to the hotel. Once we got there I took quick bath in the shared bath area with my host mom and brother then we all went out to eat. Earlier I mentioned that I was a bit worried about them spending beyond their means, but we literally ate at three different restaurants for dinner that night (maybe they were still spending beyond their means but really, three different restaurants). First we went back to the yakitori place (my host dad was working the night before so he didn't get to go) which was delicious again. This time we sat by the grill area so it was interesting to see the workers actually make yakitori.
Then we went to a themed restaurant. There we had a lot of different food and drinks (I had my first nabe, delicious). The main reason why we went there was to see the namahage show. Namahage are these demonlike things native to Akita who carry around these knives to scare lazy children (look on Wikipedia for a more in-depth description lol). Our room was the last room to be visited by the Namahage, but when they show first started my little host brother hid under the table. It was actually a bit scary waiting for them to come since we could hear them with their loud footsteps and loud voices. When they actually came though I started laughing just because the whole thing was fun I guess. The spoke (yelled) in Akita ben, so it was a bit hard to understand them, but basically they were telling us to make sure we do our best at work and school and that if we became lazy they would chop off our hands (or something like that) I was able to take a group picture with them, which was pretty cool. When we left the restaurant they were outside too, so my little host brother started freaking out (which was kinda funny). Finally we went to a ramen place that my host dad recommended since he went there the night before (we also had curry there, so much food that night).

Saturday was our last day in Akita. My host mom wanted to take me to a glass bowl (etc.) making place, where you could actually make one I think, but it was a bit far away and when she called they were pretty much booked for the day. So we ended up going to a museum about Akita festivals close to our hotel. In Akita the have this one festival during the summer, called the Kanto festival, where men balance these huge poles with lanterns on them on their head (sometimes)! The festival looks pretty amazing, but the museum was a bit boring so we didn't stay there long. Basically there wasn't much to do in Akita City. We went to a super market to buy lunch and some omiyage, but after that there wasn't much to do. Our Shinkansen ticket wasn't until 3:40 or so, but since my host family wanted to leave earlier, they bought an earlier Shinakansen ticket (for a different type of Shinkansen, it made more stops than the one we took to get to Akita). Everyone was feeling a bit sick and tired by then (and my host brother was crying a lot because of this), so we all just slept on the ride back.

Overall I had an amazing time in Akita, and I'm so glad and thankful my host family planned this trip!~

Today

So I still have my cold today. When I woke up this morning my voice was gone... >_< but it came back later in the day (although a bit raspy). I went to karaoke with some friends Wednesday night which probably wasn't the best idea since I've been sick lately. It was a lot of fun though! And cheap! Anyway, I was able to skype with my dad this morning, which was pretty nice, but since I was tired we didn't talk too long. I've never been the type of person who talks on the phone/skype for very long though. I tried to go back to bed after eating breakfast, but I wasn't able to fall asleep. I'm glad I didn't have morning classes today though. I did end up going to my Exploring Tokyo class however. We explored the Yanaka and Ueno areas of Tokyo. I'll write a more in depth post about it later...and I have to finish my Akita post too....and do homework......sigh.

So I'm starting to get a real cold now (stuffed nose, slight fever) but I'm staying positive and taking vitamins! Today was pretty normal as was yesterday. I finally got some of my scholarship money, so I plan on doing some shopping in the near future! This weekend I'm going to Karuizawa with my study abroad program. I'm excited for it, but I'm going to miss both the niji Halloween Party and the Waseda vs. Keio baseball game (one of the most important games here). But on Halloween day I'm going to Disney Land with friends (!!!) and there is another Waseda Keio game in the spring, so I guess it's all okay!

Rikugien Garden

On Tuesday October 16th I went to the Rikugien garden with two of my friends (one of them is also in Exploring Tokyo and the other is a friend from our study abroad program). We meet at Takadonobaba station at around 9:30, and then took the JR line to Komagome. That was my first time going beyond Ikebukuro, so I was excited to see what that section of Tokyo looked like. It really amazes me how diverse Tokyo is. I haven't been to very many big cities (or have stayed in a big city for an extended period of time), but I was surprised at how diverse the neighborhoods/sections in Tokyo are. Of course different sections of Tokyo have similarities (same stores, similar looking buildings, etc.), but so far every section of Tokyo I've been to has been a bit different, has had it's own style and atmosphere. At least I think so anyway.

The Komagome station area was pretty calm (since it was the morning I guess). We weren't exactly sure how to get to the garden (we knew it was close but the maps were a bit confusing), so we ended up asking a cashier at a bakery for directions (we also bought bread there which was delicious). The Komagome area wasn't as hip or exciting as other sections of Tokyo, but it was still nice. After about a five minute walk we arrived at the main entrance of the garden. The woman working there was pretty friendly, and gave us English maps.

It was a beautiful morning; not too hot or cool, and the sky was clear blue. The overall atmosphere there was very calming. A lot of wildlife (birds, fish, turtles) could be seen and heard. Rikugien wasn't very crowded when we went. Most of the people visiting the garden were elderly, although there were a few younger looking families with young children. Not very many people were walking around either; most of them were quietly sitting on benches in the shade gazing at the garden and some were taking pictures. I'm assuming most of them come to the garden to relax and view the nature there. I'm curious as to if anyone pays the 300 yen entrance fee often to go there, or if most of them were there for the first time.

The main focus of the garden seems to be on the large pond which is practically in the middle of the garden. There was also a small island (which was connected to the path but we couldn't walk on to) that seemed central as well. As Mansfield points out, at Rikugien "88 scenes described in the 31-syllable poetry known as waka" are recreated in the landscape (Mansfield 77). I was impressed when I first read this. No wonder it took seven years for the garden to be completed! I guess the garden was created with the intention for people who wanted to see those scenes but couldn't actually go to the real places. Although it would have been interesting to take the time and find all 88 scenes in the garden (which are located on a map near the entrance I believe. There are also some signs throughout the garden marking where these scenes are), we were not that ambitious. But we did take our time strolling around and taking in all the trees, bushes, and wildlife around us. Of course beyond the line of trees buildings were noticeable (and I don't think the garden was made with the intention of incorporating the outside buildings into the design, shakkei) and city noises penetrated the calm of the garden every once in a while. But after living in Tokyo for more than a month I've become used to such things and end up not paying attention to the noise when I'm in a garden or shrine, etc.

 
As we walked around the garden, it was amazing to note how the picture/scenery you looked at changed when you moved from one place to another. I guess this is pretty obvious, but that point really struck me while I was there (I feel like I ended up taking twenty different pictures of the same thing...haha). I also noticed that the leaves were starting to change colors, an event called koyou in Japanese. I would really like to go back to the garden during other seasons (and I wonder how crowded it gets during certain seasons).
While walking we noticed a tea shop which sold match tea and a snack for 500 yen so we decided to take a break and drink some tea as we sat under a red umbrella and looked at the scenery. The tea was great and the mochi(?) snack was delicious. That was my first real matcha tea in Japan! We walked around some more after drinking our tea (and spent some time at a waterfall/rocky area which was breathtakingly beautiful; my favorite section of the garden probably) and then left the garden after spending a little more than an hour and a half there. Although the nature at Rikugien isn't technically "natural" (since it was man made), that didn't make the area any less beautiful or amazing.

This Past Week!

I forgot to mention that last Sunday night I had a music sharing session with my host parents. I played them some of the artists that I like (such as Andrew Bird), and they played some of the artists they like (such as a well known but older band called Southern All Stars). It was a nice bonding experience!

Anyway last Monday (the 15th) was a pretty normal day. I had a test in Japanese that I did pretty well on. I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that I probably won't learn anything from my Japanese class this semester. My teachers are nice, and the material isn't too difficult (yet), but since it's an intensive class we go over a lot really fast. I miss Earlham Japanese classes where my teachers there actually made sure you understood the material. It's nice not having any real homework (I really only have to study for tests), but I wish there was a normal Japanese class option...next semester I think I might try the themed classes instead of the intensive ones...

Oh, and other interesting (?) thing that happened on Monday was that I saw the cutest couple on train on way home. They have been the most affectionate couple I've seen so far here in Tokyo. They were holding hands and then the guy put his arms around her when the train was crowded! Physical displays of affection aren't really a big thing here, so it was somewhat surprising to see. It also made me want a boyfriend...haha.

Also, that night after dinner my host family showed me some of their old photos. I got to see what my host dad looked like as a kid through college age. There were also some from their wedding! I'm really glad they showed them to me!

Tuesday I went to the Rikugien Garden. I'll write more in depth about it later (since I have to write a post for my Exploring Tokyo class-which is turning out to have way more work than I thought it would...). For now I'll say it was beautiful! lol.

After class Tuesday I went to Asakusa to meet my host family and some of their friends for dinner. While I was on my way to the Kaminarimon (a famous gate, picture below!), I got scouted by a television producer (?) who asked (in Japanese) if I had time to do an interview for a Japanese television program. I told him I had plans and didn't have the time, but now I wish I would have done it since it would have been an interesting experience (also since my host family was late). After my host family and their friends got to Asakusa, we went to an okonomiyake/monjayaki restaurant. The last time I ate okonomiyake I ended up crying from all the smoke, so I was a bit worried. But thankfully this time I was tear free. The food was good and it was fun talking to my host family's friends (the two women and their children who were at shodo when I went).
Once our stomachs were full of food and alcohol, we headed back to the Kaminarimon area to check out the famous Senso-ji temple. On the way we walked through the popular shopping stall area (called Nakamise-dori). When I was there earlier that day it was super crowded. But since most of the shops were closed, few people were there. I want to go back sometime to do some shopping, but I'm glad I got to see the area at night, especially since I was able to see the painted shop shutters. Various scenes were painted on these shutters (such as a matsuri, cherry blossom trees, etc.), and I would have never known about them if I hadn't had been there when the shops were closed.
After heading down Nakamise-dori, we arrived at the Senso-ji temple. I was a bit surprised when we got to there since the temple is so huge! It was really breathtaking. And since it was night time, all the lamps and lights around the temple were lit up. With the lights, the cool fall air, and the lack of a crowd, the atmosphere that night was great. Truly beautiful. It was my first time going to a temple at night, and I'm not sure if that is allowed with most temples or shrines (since it was technically closed), but I'm glad I was able to have such an experience.

Since I'm tired my writing is pretty horrible right now, but I'll do my best to continue on! Wednesday was another normal day. It was rainy and cold. I went out to eat katsu curry with friends for dinner. That's about it.

Thursday through Saturday I was at Akita. I've been slowly working on that post, but it probably won't be finished until later this week! :\

But I'll go on to talk about today. I was able to get about 9-10 hours of sleep but of course that didn't kept me from being tired. It was great to sleep that much though! I probably should have spent the day doing homework/studying, but I think it will all be okay (also I just don't care too much about my grades here at Waseda...lol). Instead of spending the day cooped up in my room, I went with my host family to their friend's apartment (one of the mom's I meet at shodo and who has at Asakusa with us). First let me say the apartment building she lives in is amazing. It's pretty fancy on the outside and in the lobby area. It somewhat resembled a nice hotel. I was expecting the actual apartment to be pretty fancy and big, but it wasn't as fancy as I thought it would be. The apartment I live in now is actually bigger. But the view the apartment has was beyond amazing. She lives on the 45th floor, so you get a great view of the city. I would love to see such a view every day!

This woman was once an airline attendant, so her English is pretty good. I don't think she gets to use it that often (she's a stay at home mom and seriously has the cutest daughter ever), so I think she had fun practicing talking in English to me. It was interesting to compare her relationship with her husband (who was away on a business trip) to my host family's relationship. My host dad goes to a lot (practically all) of the family outings we have. But when there are other families with us, the dads are usually not there. My host parents seem to have a pretty equal relationship, but their friend was talking about how her husband pretty much makes all the rules, and from the way she was talking they don't sound all that close. She was also talking about how she felt free since her husband was away. Maybe I shouldn't be writing about such things here, but it made me remember that some families in Japan are still more traditional in the sense that the father is the complete head of the household. I'm curious about how she came to be married to her husband and why they've stayed married for so long (I'm also curious about how my host parents became married as well), but of course I didn't/couldn't ask such a thing.

We were there for about six hours eating, drinking (so much alcohol!) and I still have some homework to do, so I'll stop for now!~

Back in Tokyo

So I just got back in Tokyo tonight. There's so much I need to/want to do (such as finishing writing blog posts from earlier in the week and then write one about Akita, catching up on homework, doing laundry, etc.), but I'm pretty tired now, so I don't think I'll do any of that till later. But I'm doing well and I love all of you!

Akita Tomorrow!

So I'm a bit behind on my blog, and I'll be getting even more behind. Tomorrow I'm heading to Akita with my host family! I'll be back Saturday night, so maybe I'll write a post then. Anyway I have to pack and then sleep, but look forward to an update soon!

Exploring Tokyo and More!

Thursday was a long but amazing day. My morning was free so I ate lunch with friends, hung out in the niji lounge, and took it easy (I've already forgotten the specifics haha). I had my Exploring Tokyo class Thursday, and for the first time we actually explored Tokyo! I have to journal for the class (which I will be posting in a different blog) so I'm just going to copy and paste what I write there here:

Thursday I visited the Imperial Palace grounds and the Marunouchi area with my group for Exploring Tokyo. My group has a lot of interesting people in it, and we all got along pretty well, which made the trip even more fun. There are about nine of us altogether, though a few people were missing. Some of my group members are foreign exchange students for a year, like myself, some are studying abroad for four years from various countries, and a couple are from Japan. Throughout the trip we got to know each other a bit better, and I look forward to getting to know my group members even more.

The first thing I noticed after taking the crowded Tozai line to the Takebashi station was the inner moat surrounding the palace grounds. The water was calm and came right up to the huge stone wall that also surrounds the palace grounds. After walking through the palace gates we were confronted by another stone wall encasing a hill. My group stopped by this wall for a bit to take in how big both the stones (which seemed bigger than the stones used in the outside wall) and the wall itself was. One member of my group said the rocks were placed in such a way that they were earthquake proof and had no mortar or any connecting substance between them. I'm not sure, however, if what he said is true or not. I am curious to know how old the stones are however.

On the short way to the Tenshudai (the remains of the castle tower), we noticed an odd looking building to the left. None of us knew what the building was, what it was used for, or if people could enter inside. The architecture was really interesting and there were mosaic murals on part of the building. Here's a picture:

After looking at the map again, this building is supposedly the Tokagakudo Music Hall. I wouldn't have guessed that.

On the way to the Tenshudai we also noticed the huge grassy area in the middle of the grounds. A couple of people were laying down on blankets, or just relaxing in the afternoon sun. The palace grounds seem like a nice place to come to relax, which I assume is a big reason why most people go there. Although of course people go there to learn or experience the history of the grounds as well. Many groups from class were at the top of the Tenshudai; not a whole lot of other people were there. A couple of old ladies were just sitting on the benches there. One looked like she was about to doze off. The top wasn't too high, but we could see how huge the grounds really are. I wonder how much work it takes to maintain the area. Many trees surround the grassy lawn, and beyond the trees were the buildings of the Marunouchi and surrounding areas. Sounds of birds, bugs, and city life all mixed together.

Next my group went to the Higashi Gyoen aka the East Garden. We got a bit lost on the way, since we ended up just following other groups around, but after looking at a map we all found the garden. I thought the garden was really beautiful and peaceful. There were many different types of trees around the pond (which had koi fish in it), and I think there was also an area for irises to grow. The sun was starting to set, and while exploring the garden I forgot there was a city behind the barrier of trees. Of course I would be reminded of that fact when I would hear a car horn, etc. After climbing up some stairs to reach a waterfall, you could really see a great view of the garden below. I really love Japanese gardens, and although this garden wasn't necessarily extravagant, it was beautiful.

There was a light post that I saw on the way out of the grounds that I'm sure must have some sort of significance since it was there and had a sign next to it. I couldn't read any of the kanji on the sign, but I'm assuming it must be a remnant of some era.

Here's a picture of my group by the way!

While leaving the palace grounds from the Otemon gate, it was interesting to note how it felt like there were two different worlds right next to each other with the grounds on the left and the city on the right. Outside the palace grounds there were a lot of people running. I've heard that the area was a popular place for runners, so I guess it is true.

Next we walked to the Wadakura Fountain Park where we rested for a bit. I've noticed in Japan that some parks have a of of concrete in theme. I guess that makes sense for a water fountain park, but usually when I picture a park I think of green grass and trees. Anyway, the water fountains were pretty interesting. There was one main fountain to the right of the park, and a smaller sphere fountain to the right. There was also a restaurant in the park as well. A couple of people were outside taking pictures of the water fountains, but other than that it was pretty empty. I wonder what the history behind the park is. I probably wouldn't have stopped there if I was on my own, but it was a nice little park.

On Hibiya dori we got to see the Tokyo Ginko Kyokai Building which had a brick styled bottom and a concrete top, which is reminiscent of the area during the Meiji period. I'm not sure how else to describe it, here's a picture:

This building definitely stood out against the rest of the buildings there. The Marunouchi area was once referred to as the "London Block" during the Meiji area since the model for the area was once the "financial district of London" (Mansfield 104). Although back then the are was thought as "a forlorn and lonely place" I definitely did not get that feeling of the current Marunouchi area (Mansfield 104). I felt like the area was really nice. There were trees up and down the clean streets, many brand name shops were located there, and the various bench art there was nice as well. Overall the main street we walked down seemed peaceful in comparison to other areas of Tokyo. There are many areas in Tokyo with upper class shopping areas, Ginza comes to mind, but to me the Marunouchi area seemed a bit more comfortable than those areas.
We also stopped by the Marunouchi Brick Square (more brick usage) where there were more cute shops, cafes, a little garden area, and well dressed people. Compared to the Japanese feel of the Imperial Grounds, the brick square had a very different feeling. The brick buildings definitely give off a more European vibe. It seemed like a really nice area, and I'd like to go back sometime to explore the shops more.

My group had a little bonding experience when we were trying to visit the Mitsubishi Ichigokan building where free archives are located. We climbed a small set of stairs to go to where we thought the entrance of the archives was. Then we ended up going into an elevator since we thought we had to. After a minute or two the doors open to the brick square area again. We literally moved three feet down from where we were. This was pretty hilarious to us all, since we thought we would end up at the archives and also since the elevator ride seemed to take a long time for the amount of space we moved.

Anyway after checking out the archives quickly, we headed to Tokyo Station. Out of all the places we visited that day, I think that the Tokyo Station was the place that most surprised me. The outside looks just like it did when it opened in 1914. No other station or building that I've been to in Tokyo looks like Tokyo Station. People gathered around the station to get pictures of the building. Apparently the station was under construction for five years and was just recently finished. Here I encountered the familiar crowded hustle and bustle of people moving around, getting from one place to another. Tokyo Station really is amazing. I wonder how Japanese people view the station since the outside appears so different from other buildings in Tokyo. I think that the stations height and width surprised me as well since most of the buildings here are tall, not wide.
Inside the station was a dome area with beautiful architecture as well. Many people were stopping to take pictures here too. Beneath the ground level of the station are various themed "streets" such as Kitchen street and Character street. It's amazing how many shops are located there. I checked out the character street with a friend and had trouble not buying all the incredibly cute things I saw.

After parting with the group I meet a friend (who is also in that class) and we explored Tokyo station a bit more and then headed to Shinjuku to go to a friend's birthday party. Since we had class we were a bit late. We also had some trouble finding the people who came to pick us up (Shinjuku station is huge). But eventually we made it to the karaoke place. I was surprised at how cheap it was for one hour (only 300 yen and you got unlimited free drinks!), but since it was a week day night the prices are cheaper. Karaoke was amazing. There was about 12 people there (mostly made up of people from my program) and we all sang and danced our hearts out. The My Little Mermaid songs were especially fun. From now on I'm definitely going to karaoke on weekdays.

The fun continued at a nearby game center where we ended up fitting way too many people into one purikura booth. Purikura is basically a photo booth  but you can add all these effects to the pictures before and after (such as making your skin lighter and eyes bigger, etc.). I also tried to play a random game there with a friend with had 22 levels (we only made it to like the 5th one haha). Surprisingly I didn't feel too tired after such a long day, but I guess my exhaustion built up and hit me the next day.

I really enjoy not having classes on Fridays. I made lunch plans with a friend though, so I ended up going to school anyway. I haven't had much one-on-one time with any of my Japanese friends here, so I was glad to have lunch with my friend who is one of our program helpers. We went to a ramen shop about 5 minutes away from campus (I should really pay more attention to the names of the restaurants I eat at, but I honestly have no idea what the name is...), which was delicious. I feel pretty comfortable around her, and I think she feels the same since she tells me she talks to me the same way she talks to her Japanese friends. My ability to understand spoken Japanese is much better than my ability to convey what I want to say, so I can usually understand what she says. After ramen we got some ice-cream and sat down in the garden at school. We talked for a long time about random things. I learned that she studied abroad in America for a year during high school in New Buffalo, Michigan, which I have been to many times. She has been to the South Bend mall multiple times, which is just crazy. I mean, what are the odds of meeting someone who studied abroad close to your hometown? I was so surprised when she told me that! Seriously, what a small world.

I went to the lounge after that, since she had class to go to, and played some card games and meet other members. I started feeling really tired around then, which I guess is normal for me, so I went home. My host parents were still working so I ate at this Chinese restaurant super close to the apartment I live in with mom's mom and little brother. I've been wanting to try it out, so I was glad we ate there. I got almond chicken or something, and it was super good, but after that I just couldn't stay awake anymore. So I went to bed at 7pm.

I still felt tired Saturday but got up early (and skipped class) to go to my little brother's sports festival! My host parents were a bit worried, since I went to bed before they even got home Friday night, and they bought me a medicine/drink that people take when they are tired. I don't know if it actually worked or not, but it had lots of vitamins in it so I guess it was good for me. It was a liquid medicine, and it tasted a bit weird but it wasn't bad.
Anyway, the sports festival was so cute! There were a lot of different events, some for certain age groups and some for all of the kids. Parents and grandparents had their own events too. I even got to participate in a dance to the Ponyo theme song with my little host brother! I'm really glad I was able to go. When we got home I ended up napping for a bit (everyone napped except for my host brother who actually exerted energy that day haha). When everyone was up we went to a Thai restaurant (my first Thai food in Japan) in the Omotesando hills area. The food was pretty good (although it took forever to come). I really enjoyed the pad thai there, although it tasted a bit more peanut buttery than pad that I've had in the past. And the Omotesando area is really amazing. There are brand stores everywhere and a lot of young, fashionable people come to that area to shop. The walk home after dinner was great. The air was fresh, and the shops were interesting to look at. I really got lucky with my host family and the area we live in. Within less than 15 minutes I can walk to Yoyogi Park, the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Omotesando, and the shops around my apartment building. It's seriously the best. At home I watched some of Iron Man 2 (dubbed, hilarious) with my host dad and then went to bed early.

Today I feel pretty much normal, although still a bit tired. I've been trying to study, though I'm not being productive as I should be. I went to lunch at a place called Freshness Burger nearby. It was my first time eating lunch alone (my host parents are working). It was kinda awkward and the food was overpriced, but it was pretty yummy. I'm not sure if I'll eat there again (just because they only really serve hamburgers and I don't get the craving for hamburgers that often. Also, burger come in a stupid plastic wrapping paper that you are supposed to hold the burger in while you eat it and it's just super annoying since the paper just gets in the way), but I'm glad I got to cross one of the places I want to go to in my neighborhood of my list. So yeah!

It's been a month!

Also today is my one month anniversary of being in Tokyo! Woah!!! This month went by way too fast!

So since yesterday I haven't been feeling all that great (just exhausted, nothing serious) which is why I haven't posted anything recently. I'm starting to feel a bit better though, so hopefully tomorrow there will be a new (and long) post!

And The Days Go By...

So it's been a couple days since my last post. I'm pretty tired right now, so simple sentences may be ahead/not very descriptive writing...

Monday I took the Takeshita Dori path to Harajuku station. Usually I take a different path (which I shall call road path), but that morning I decided to go the other way. I noticed a lot of cute plants either in pots or growing on/by this stone wall. I wanted to take pictures of them but at the same time didn't want to be late for class. They were still colorful; green, purple, pink, etc. I haven't seen a lot of those plants before, so some day I'll take pictures to remember them.

Monday is pretty much my worst day of the week. First I have Japanese class from 9-12:10. There is a break in the middle (for ten minutes), but it doesn't help the fact that the class takes up two periods and is ungodly long. I had my first test on Monday, which I kinda ended up failing since I wasn't sure of two of the vocab words, and then accidentally mixed around numbers on one part. Well que sera sera. I'll do better next time. The Japanese classes here are way different from Earlham. Basically the way they schedule doesn't really make much sense. First we have the test, and then we go over all the words we were just tested on. Like really? So Stupid. I mean I get that they want us to study on our own, but there are little (and not so little) nuances that they explain in class that would definitely help on the test. I almost passed during class too since I was so tired (even though I got lots of sleep last night and had breakfast). I definitely need to prepare snacks to eat during class haha.

For lunch some Team friends and I ate at the tendon place we ate at last time. It was a bit crowded, so we had to wait, but it was so worth it. Seriously so good! Soba and tempura on rice. I ate everything except for a bit of the rice. Since we still had time before our next class, we went to niji lounge where we told fortunes with tarot cards! I really enjoy hanging out with the members there!~

My next two classes were Japanese Society Language and Culture, and War and Peace. They are both interesting and I like the professors, yet at the same time they are a bit boring...and class goes till 6...and my energy levels have just been low lately...
Anyway after class I came home, had dinner,and  talked with host family. I can't always understand what they are saying, but for the most part we communicate pretty well. They like to compliment me a lot sometimes, which is super nice and I really appreciate it, but I don't think I deserve that much praise. I hope I can express how thankful I am for everything they have done for me so far.

I have no morning classes Tuesday so I slept in late (I still felt a bit under the weather). Went to meet people for lunch where I happened to see students who studied abroad at Earlham! I kinda feel bad since I haven't really contacted or hung out with them all that much, but it was nice to see them!
I only have my Let's Enjoy Speaking Japanese class on Tuesdays which is super easy! And I have a couple of friends from my program in that class which is nice. After class I went to Shinjuku with a friend to go shopping. I don't really have the money to do much excess spending (I don't get my scholarship money until later October), but since it's been getting cold, I though it would be a good idea to buy a fall coat. And I bought a cute blazer as well (I did my best to contain my desire to buy more). We went to the Forever 21 (which has a couple of floors; it's pretty big). Some of the clothes are the same as the stores in America, but most of the clothes at a Japanese Forever 21 are more..Japanese cute style. The clothes are super cute. I mean it. And thankfully the prices are about the same as in America, so for Tokyo it's cheap. My coat was only 3,000 yen!

Today was another early and long Japanese class day, but my Wednesday teacher is pretty hilarious, and good at teaching, so today was better than Monday. And I had some snacks which helped. Though I was still pretty hungry by lunch time. I guess I've gotten used to buying lunch everyday, but sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm spending money even though I am....it's weird...but since I buy lunch every day, money goes by fast. I also had War and Peace again today, but after that I was free. I decided to go to the Niji lounge and just hang there. Talked to some people, did some homework, drew funny pictures. I got my phone bill in the mail (which was cheaper than it was supposed to be...odd...) and I'll be able to pay it at the conbini! Awesome Japan! Well I'm pretty exhuasted now so I'm either going to take a nap before dinner or work on homework! Yay!

Weekend!

Wow, what a weekend. I'm still recovering.

Somehow I ended up with no classes on Fridays, which is really nice (I guess it makes up for the fact I have class on Saturdays...somewhat). I was able to sleep in and take my time getting ready. I even had time for some yoga and tai chi! I meet with a friend to exchange traveler's checks which was a relatively easy process (I don't even think they checked my id...lol). After doing a bit of shopping, we meet with friends for lunch at the Waseda Co-Op.
Later a friend and I decided to head to the Niji lounge to hang out there. The Niji members have been so nice and helpful towards us, and are all pretty awesome people. Since we want to become closer with them, we thought that spending time in their lounge would be a good start to building more friendships. It was a bit awkward at first (I mean, basically anything I do with a Team member is awkward). But I'm so glad we went. We meet some new members, and later ended up playing a couple of different card games with one of the 3rd year members we've hung out with before a couple of times (my friend's cards were super tiny which made it even more fun). I definitely plan on hanging out there again!

That night I went out to dinner out with host family at this super delicious little place about 5 minutes from where we live. I can't remember then name of the restaurant (It's all in Kanji), but I've walked by it almost daily since it's on the way to the station I use. I've often wondered what kind of food was there, so I'm really glad I actually got to eat there. I think I need to be more active and actually check out all of these awesome cafes, restaurants, and stores I've been taking mental notes of. I've never really been a "regular" at any place back home, but I think it would be a good way to get more involved in my community here.
Anyway, dinner was seriously delicious, possibly the most delicious meal I've had here. The first dish was some beef thing (I honestly can't describe it any better), there were warm peanuts (warm!), gyoza with like hijiki in it?, an omelette with gorgonzola cheese, and some delicious pork. Jazz was playing in the background, and I told my host parents I'd like to go to a jazz club/cafe sometime. We also talked about disco clubs haha (apparenly my host dad used to often go when he was around my age). Back at the apartment there was more drinking and I helped my host mom practice some English.


Saturday I had my one Japanese class (boring), and then I headed off with some friends to meet Niji members for the Welcome Trip. We all gathered around Tokyo Dome and then seperated into small groups to do different things. I was a bit sad to be separated from Team members, but it was nice getting to know some new people in my group. Our group went to the Tokyo Sky Tree (briefly and we didn't go up it really), where I had really good kakigori (shaved ice with milk in it). Then we headed off to Funabashi. For some reason I thought it would be more in the country side, but the city was well...city-like. The inn we stayed at was pretty awesome though. It was super old fashioned (tatami mats, shared bath, yukata, etc.) and the architecture and decorations we traditional Japanese styled. I ended up using a Japanese style toilet for the first time (which I never want to use again) and then I realized there was a Western styled one I could have used...

Dinner was delicious (though I wasn't sure of what half of it was) and ridiculous as well. The Team was reunited and we just started acting crazy and were laughing hysterically. We definitely felt like we scared most of the Japanese people at our table haha.

After dinner we went to the shared bath area, which was a little awkward especially since it was my first time going to one (and super crowded), but the bath was so relaxing!~ Later in the night we all played games and started drinking (there were 135 of us there by the way). It was so much fun. I didn't get to hang out with everyone I would have liked to, but I had an amazing time with those I did hang out with. I brought playing cards, so we ended up playing Kings together too! Overall I drank way too much and feel dead tired now, but it was worth it!

I have a Japanese test tomorrow (uggghhh) so time to study for that!~

It's Been Three Weeks!

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I've come to Tokyo. Some days it feels like I've been here longer. And some days it feels like the time has gone by so fast. It's been hard to completely process everything I've experienced so far. And I really have experienced a lot of new things. I can't say I've felt a huge culture shock yet. I mean obviously some things are different here, but I wouldn't say these differences have been very "shocking." I feel like I've adjusted pretty well to life here, especially considering this is my first time in Japan and abroad.

Well moving on, yesterday I had Japanese class from 9 until 12:10. And it felt as long as it was. Thankfully my teacher was pretty hilarious, and good at teaching, which made the three hour long class bearable (when we were talking about our hobbies he said that his was gambling on horse racing haha). I have Japanese class three times a week in three different classrooms with three different teachers. Definitely not what I'm used to (and not the most convenient thing in the world).

For lunch I ate with some of my friends in the Waseda cafeteria for the first time. The food was pretty cheap and decent tasting, but there were like no chairs open. So we ate standing at the chairless tables (lololol). After the 50 minute lunch break, I went to my last class for the day War and Peace, in which we will look at different case studies of humanitarian intervention and discuss them, etc. It seems like I'll be able to learn a lot in that class, yet while it is interesting, it is also boring at the same time. None of the classrooms that I've been in so far have clocks, so at times it feels like I've been in class for an eternity.

After class I went to the SILS library, checked out a book (for one of my classes) for the first time, walked around a bit, waited for friends to get back from class, and then hung out in the Niji lounge. While there I got a text from my host mom saying that we were going out to eat ten minutes from then, but since I was at school I had to call her to let her know I'd be late. Meals aren't really set at a specific time everyday, which is nice but can also result in slight misunderstandings. My host dad got back from a work trip yesterday (did I mention he is a company president? Pretty cool right?) so we all ate, drank (I tried a canned highball which was pretty weak lol), and talked together. Somehow we got on the topic of dating, and my host dad jokingly (? or seriously) said that I should date his 21 year old son I meet the other night, and that I should marry a Japanese man in the future. It was pretty hilarious. My host mom was also complimenting me about my personality, etc., which made me pretty happy. I'm glad I'm starting to become closer with my host family!

Today I was able to sleep in! (Although it was only till like 9, so not really haha). My first, and only, class on Thursdays starts at 2:45, so I was able to take it easy. Before heading to school for lunch, I took a different route to the train station and explored Harajuku's famous Takeshita Dori. I also stopped in a Forever 21, which is only like 10 minutes from my house. It was great. Clothes. So cute. Once I get my scholarship money, I'm going to treat myself to a day of shopping. I am so incredibly glad, and lucky, that I live in such a great neighborhood. I can't wait to explore it more!

For lunch I meet one of the Waseda students who studied abroad at Earlham. It was really nice to see her again, and I hope we can hang out more in the future. Although it was a bit weird, since we are used to seeing each other in American, not Japan. Since I had time before class, I bought pineapples from the 100円Lawsons (seriously the best conbini ever), and hung out with my friend from Earlham and one of the Niji members. I'm so excited for the Niji Welcome Trip this weekend!!! I bought cards today at a 100円 shop, so hopefully I might teach Kings to those who want to play (it was a lot of fun when we played at the last nomikai).


I had my Exploring Tokyo class (which is taught by my program director) from 2:45-6. The 4-5th block is definitely worse than the 1-2 block. I was so tired, and really thirsty, and hungry again. And the class was huge. More than 80 people! I've never been in such a big class before. At least we weren't in the classroom the whole time. We were separated into small groups to explore certain places around the Waseda area. My group went to the Shin-Edogawa garden. It was really beautiful, and bigger than I thought it would be (though I got bit by like a million mosquitoes...). I'm excited to explore different areas of Tokyo, but the class seems like a lot of work. Everyone told me that classes at Waseda were super easy, but it seems like I've picked the ones that actually have real work...(probably because some of them have foreign teachers). I'm hoping that the work load won't be too overwhelming though. I really want to experience as much as I can here, and homework would definitely get in the way of that...but I'll make sure to balance everything (although the scales might tip more on the fun side than the work side haha).