Friday, September 30, 2005
9/30/05I had the same morning routine again. The only difference was that we didn't have a culture or business class in the afternoon – so that meant we ONLY had four hours of Japanese class.
After class I went back to the dorm and took a nap. After my nap I woke up and went to Shimokitazawa with a group of other people. The best part about going to Shimokitazawa was that it is even closer than Shinjuku Station. Shimokitazawa is full of places to go shopping. We went into a shoe store and I bought three pairs of socks for 1050 yen.
After the shoe store we wondered into a few second-hand stores. It was funny and interesting to find Boy Scout, Police, and Army Uniforms for sale. The old 70's jogging jackets are extremely popular here, so I decided to "blend in" and buy one. It cost 2200 yen, which was nice because the jackets for boys were about 4000 yen.
We then continued down the street and passed many interesting stores. We found a few stores that were completely dedicated to dog clothing and accessories. We also passed many more second-hand clothing stores.
I stopped inside a discount book store and asked Midori to help me find the "Excel Saga" manga. They had it there and it was only 300 yen! I should have bought the entire series, but I think I should learn a little bit more Japanese first, especially kanji.
After buying the manga we did some more walking around and finally stopped at the top of the hill at the most famous crepes stand in Tokyo. I ordered a crepe with strawberries, bananas, custard, and REAL whipped cream. As soon as I took my first bite, I went to heaven on Earth. The crepe went straight to the bottom of my stomach, and I had to sit down after I finished.
There was a cute cat that was sitting on the motorcycle next to where we bought our crepes. It had a collar on, so I knew it wasn't a stray. A man walking buy stopped to pet the cat, and I did the same. I really wish I would have brought my camera to take a picture, but hopefully the next time I return to Shimokitazawa he will be there. I know I will be returning because it's so close, the shopping is good, and the crepes are absolutely delicious.
After the crepes, we went back home to the dorm. Chen Li, my Malaysian room mate, Numa, Chris, and I decided to go out to get ramen. It was only a five minute walk to the restaurant and the ramen was extremely delicious.
When we were done eating, we went back to the dorm. A few of the others wanted to go out to the bars or karaoke, but I decided to stay at home. I played my Planet of the Apes game for most the night. I almost had it beaten when I got bored with the game and decided to get ready and go to bed.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
9/29/05I woke up with just enough time to get dressed and go to class. While drifting off to sleep, I had forgotten to set my alarm. The only thing that woke me up was when one of my room mates had forgotten something in our room and went back up to get it. I'm glad she did because I would have never woken up in time to go to class.
The rest of the day was pretty standard. We had a culture course in the afternoon instead of a business course. It was over the Geography, Pre-history, and Pre-modern History of Japan. I was only interested in the Pre-history part, the rest I could have cared less for, or had already been given the information on.
I had plans to go grocery shopping today, but all week my legs and muscles have been stressed and giving out on me. It's most likely from that cliff we have to walk up and down every morning. I have shin-splints from it and my calves are killing me every time I take a step. So, as soon as I got back to the dorm I decided to rest and take a nap. Since I didn’t set my alarm, I woke up sometime around midnight. I didn't have a lot of homework to do, so I finished that, studied for my Kanji quiz the next day, and watch the last half of "The Notebook" downstairs in the T.V. room with a few of the other residents.
After the movie I did some more studying, journaling, and then finally went off to bed.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
9/28/05I had the same morning and afternoon routine again today. The only difference was that at lunch in the cafeteria I had to protect Lynda from three guys that were following her around and trying to hit on her. They kept asking us what we did after classes and we told them that we had lots of homework, which wasn't far from the truth. One thing about trying to avoid someone in Japan is that you have to make up a pretty good excuse not to see or visit someone, but then again, I guess it's the same way in America as well.
I made chicken stir-fry tonight and finished up most of my vegetables – finally. I tried to make a batch of what was left of my rice, and for some reason I made it wrong and the whole thing had to be thrown away. Oh well, at least the stir-fry part was good.
After dinner I took a little nap, and then did my homework. While doing my homework I drifted off to sleep until the next day.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
9/27/05I had the same morning routine through afternoon routine. After class I went back to the post office and got some money from the International ATM. Then I decided to do some walking around the town and do some shopping.
I went into this second-hand store which could almost be like Goodwill back at home, but with a better sense of style, and all items were clothes. Another big difference was its size, and that was extremely small. It had another level to it, but I didn't really find anything I liked there, and most of the clothes were something boys would wear here. Speaking of fashion here, it's extremely popular and important. Right now it seems the "Goodwill has thrown up on you" style is very popular.
After the clothing store I wondered into Book Off. We were taken there before when we were first given a tour around the station and town. It's a discount bookstore with tons of Japanese novels, mangas (Japanese comic books), CD's and DVD's. The best part about it is that the books are really cheap. You can buy a manga novel on sale for 105 yen or $1.05! Manga is really popular here, and it's not just read by the Otaku (Anime Dorks). Everyone reads it, young and old. I didn't buy anything at the book store, but I was really tempted to. I will most likely buy a manga before I leave Japan.
I then decided to go the 100 yen shop in the mall. I bought a coffee filter and some filters to make hot coffee in the morning. Cold coffee is really popular here, and in fact Coca Cola gets more profit on canned coffee sales than soda – according to our business lecture. I also bought a teddy bear strap for my cell phone – another thing everyone has here.
I then went to the 99 yen store and bought some funny envelopes with "Ingrsih" (bad English) on them. I think they are hilarious, so I just had to buy them. I bought some coffee and snacks and then headed home.
I made a dinner of rice and watched the same T.V. show with the woman advising people, only this time it was high school boys. After watching T.V. I did my homework, talked to people online and went to bed.
Monday, September 26, 2005
9/26/05The same school day morning routine: shower, grab a snack, and walk up the hill (cliff) to class. After four hours of Japanese, we went to the cafeteria, ate and then went to our business class.
After class I went to the post office to use the international ATM there. I used my Wells Fargo card and tried to withdrawal money. It didn't work, so I became frustrated and went back home to e-mail Wells Fargo. I stayed on the internet pretty much for the rest of the night talking to people and uploading pictures to PhotoBucket.
I made some more beef stir-fry for dinner and got back online. I talked to my mom and she gave me the number for Wells Fargo. After about an hour of trying to contact them I finally got through. It turns out that I tried to withdrawal too much money. I was concerned at first because a few of the students who also had Wells Fargo cards couldn't use them or had trouble with them, so I assumed I had the same problem. I'm glad I didn't have it.
The rest of the night I talked online and did my homework until I finally went to bed.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
9/25/05I slept in late today till around 2:00 p.m. We had the option of visiting a Japanese High School Celebration today, but the ride there was going to be 3 hours by train. I was so tired from the week that I just decided to sleep in and get my strength back up. We are going to take a field trip to an elementary school, and that's good enough for me.
I read my Halo novel for a few hours and talked on instant messengers a lot. I made a beef stir-fry with rice for dinner. I watched some show where some lady was advising high school girls about what they should do about their boyfriends, or how their school and social life was. The studio audience of high school girls then voted on whether or not they agreed with the lady or not. I didn't understand most of it, but I could pick out words and phrases.
After watching T.V. I did my homework, read a few chapters in my novel, and then went off to bed.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
9/24/05I had to wake up early today because we had a business class at 9:30 at the International Affairs office in building No. 9. The lecture was over human resources in Japan, and how work, ethics, and employees play a part in a Japanese business. It was my first business class ever, so I really wasn't looking forward to it, but in the end it turned out to be not that bad, and somewhat interesting. It was interesting to see all the differences between businesses in Japan and the ones in America.
When the business class was over, we headed straight back to the dorm so that we could get ready to leave to see the Sumo Tournament. We grabbed our tickets and our umbrellas, and then headed off for the station. After switching trains and stations a few times, we finally arrived.
We decided to grab something to eat before we went inside and stopped at a local shop. I had Katsu Curry, breaded pork with rice and curry sauce. Yummy! After dinner we headed into the Sumo Arena. We found our seats and then began enjoying the sights and sounds of a Sumo Tournament. I must say it was a really neat experience. I took lots of pictures and videos on my camera. Once I get everything set up I will have a link to them on my blog.
When the tournament was over, we went back to the dorm. A few people went off to the bars and do karaoke, but I stayed at home talking on instant messengers and made dinner. I have three months ahead of me, there will be plenty of time to do karaoke and go to the bars. I don't want to waste all my money so soon. I know we'll be busier with homework and projects, but that'll give me more reason to celebrate when I finish them.
Photos In The Bucket:
To see my photos of my trip to Japan so far CLICK THIS
If you want to see them later just click on the link under "Extended Stuff" at the section on the right.
Friday, September 23, 2005
9/23/05Since it was a holiday, I slept in till 2:00 and made a lunch of rice, a banana, and a really huge apple – I've never seen apples so big! I should take a picture of the one I have left. After lunch I did some laundry and waited around till Numa, my R.A. was really to go shopping with me. I had asked her to teach me to make a Japanese dish and help show me what ingredients I needed to make it.
It was around 4:30 when we left to go shopping. We both rented out bikes from the dorm office so that we could put our groceries in the baskets...only one problem, no bikes with baskets were left, so I decided that I would just hang the sacks off the bike handles instead.
We first stopped at one of the malls by the station, and went to a 100 yen store. I bought a coin purse to put my growing amount of loose change in, which was a smart idea. They have lots of 500 and 100 yen coins ($5 and $1). I also bought a miniature snoopy towel to use to wipe sweat off with – those types of towels are really popular here.
After the 100 yen store, we went downstairs to buy groceries. I bought all the ingredients to make Oyakudon and then some more random groceries to make other various foods. We went to the various super markets downtown to buy our food and then headed home.
Since it wasn't dinner time yet, I read one of my Halo novels and talked on instant messengers to friends and my family. When 9:00 p.m. rolled around, I went downstairs to find Numa and Midori. They were already in the kitchen making their dinners, so I got to cutting up my vegetables and chicken for the dish. When I was finished cutting up everything, Numa cried out in laughter because apparently I wasn't supposed to have cut up carrots and green peppers to make Oyakudon. I decided to cook them anyway and see how it would turn out. We called it “Racheldon,” and believe it or not, by the time we finished cooking it, it ended up tasting really good. It was just something different from the traditional dish itself.
After a huge dinner, I had some desert, or rather I was forced into having desert, because by the time I had dried my dishes to put them away in my box, I noticed that two of my bananas had become so ripe, they were splitting in half. So somehow, along with a few friends, we managed to finish off the rest of my ripe bananas.
After dinner I lounged around the dorm with the others and talked on instant messengers. I also had to take care of all the drunk students that were coming back from the bars and from a long night of karaoke. I played Jeremy's guitar that he'd brought for awhile because somehow in his drunken stupor, he convinced me to play. A few people joined in to listen and we had a lot of fun singing to all the songs.
I decided to watch the movie Shrek II and then drifted off to sleep.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
9/22/05This morning I woke up just in time to get dressed and grab a banana for breakfast. Class was a bit easier this morning because we had an easier teacher. Apparently the teachers at our level all rotate between classes each day. We review some kanji and did some more dictation and grammar exercises.
After class was over I went to the cafeteria at building No. 9 and had some Katsu Curry, which is basically rice, slices of breaded pork, and curry sauce. I must say it really hit the spot.
We had a culture class at 2:00, so I went down to the second floor to find my classroom. The first lecturer gave a presentation about how Akihabara's Otaku (anime nerd) population has shaped the city landscape and architecture, which I think was and extremely interesting lecture. I will most likely do my final paper for the class on this lecture. The next hour and half lecture was over how Japanese pop culture has influenced contemporary art in Japan. Basically, it showed how Japanese comic books (manga) inspired artwork in Japan. I also found this to be a really interesting lecture.
After classes were over I headed straight back to the dorm and took a nap till dinner time. I munched on a few snacks, did some journaling, studying, movie watching, and lounging around the dorm till I decided to finally go to bed.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
9/21/05ADDITION: I should have written that last night I ended up going to an izakaya, which is kind of like a bar that serves lots of food, with about 15 other people. I shouldn't have published my journal entree so soon. We went out to celebrate the beginning of our classes and Midori's (one of the R.A.'s) birthday. At the bar we were served at tables that were beneath the floor, so that you were actually sitting on the floor and your feet went under the table beneath the floor. It was really a neat experience. For 2000 yen we could have all we wanted to drink and were served about 7 rounds of various snacks that were extremely yummy. After the bar I wandered home around 11:30 with a few others and went straight to bed for classes to begin the next day.
Woke up early around 7:30, took a shower, and ate some breakfast. Apparently while I was sleeping last night my Malaysian room mate snuck in just in time for classes to begin today. She took classes at Senshu this summer and then went home to visit her family. Another interesting fact is that she actually went to UNL for a few years.
After breakfast, we left for class around 8:30, and after the steep climb to building No. 2 we got to our classrooms by 8:45. Class began at 9:00 and we introduced ourselves to our teacher.
I had tested into J1B2 which is the equivalent of Japanese 202 at UNL, which was exactly I wanted to test into. I was very intimidated because our teacher didn’t speak a word of English, and if we didn’t understand a word or phrase, it was explained to us in Japanese, which made things a bit difficult. We learned some kanji that we had already learned in my previous Japanese classes, but it was definitely a nice review to start off the first class. After that we did some dictation and took a katakana quiz. Had the teacher given us the full amount of time to finish the quiz, I would have completely answered them all, but point were deducted because I didn't fill them all out in time. We also took some more quizzes with grammar and numbers. I don't know if she was actually giving us a grade, or assessing how much Japanese we actually knew so she could get an idea of what needed to be taught.
Class was over around 1:00 p.m., and then just about all of us decided to go to Mos Burger by the cafeteria of building No. 2. I would say that this is almost the Japanese equivalent of McDonalds. All the portions were a little small for me, as it still left me hungry after I had finished, but it was satisfactory taste wise.
When we had finished with our lunch we were given a tour of the gymnasium and the computer labs. We were given the rules of each facility and how to use them properly.
After we were done with our tours, I sat around in the Atrium of building No. 9 and used the wireless internet there till it was time for dinner. I talked with Ayako for quite awhile about my life here and how I was doing. She gave me some suggestions on where to eat and told me to call her mom. I think I will call her when my Japanese has improved some more.
When I got back to the dorm I played around with my phone a bit and found out that I can get T.V. on my phone for free, which was extremely exciting when I found out. Cell phones are just so much nicer here. I just can't believe I only paid a cent for it.
Katie, Joe, and I were given money and a name of a place by Jeff (our trip administrator from the university) of where to eat dinner. It was close to the station by a barber shop, but we never found it. I think the directions were wrong, because there was a Mr. Donut there, not a nice restaurant. Maybe Jeff is pulling our leg...or he just gives horrible directions.
After asking for directions, we soon gave up and went into a place that Katie said we should try. When we walked in we met a few other people from our dorm there. I can't remember what the food was called, but it consisted of a round, flat kind of bread, vegetables, pork slices, noodles, and seasoning all cooked on a flat grill right in front of you. Basically all the ingredients were pilled on top of each other to that it made like a giant pancake-like sandwich. Well whatever it was, it was extremely good to eat.
When we had finished dinner we did some food shopping at the super market and the 99 yen store. We walked home and I put away my food in the kitchen. I then went directly upstairs and did my homework and went to bed.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
9/20/05Woke up around 7:30 and took a shower. After my shower I prepared for my placement test. The test was at 9:15 in the computer room. It was about a ten page test covering grammar, reading comprehension, kanji, and an interview. I knew I did pretty well on my interview test, at least I think I did because I understood most of the questions and answered them adequately. I didn't know how to do much conjugation because I only had a year of Japanese, so I answered what I knew and guessed on the rest.
After the test a few of us went up to the cafeteria in building No. 9 to eat lunch. I had cold soba noodles that you dip into a sauce before you eat it. It was strange to eat noodles cold, but I got used to it after awhile. After lunch I came back and took a nap before the opening ceremony celebration.
The ceremony began in one of the classrooms of building No. 9, where we were handed out our syllabi for the business and culture courses. We were also introduced to each of the professors. After that we went down to the cafeteria to begin the ceremony. A toast was given and snacks were served. A musical performance was given by four students playing traditional Japanese stringed instruments (I can't remember what they are called) and a bamboo recorder.
After the opening ceremony we went back to the dorm and had a tea party, which basically consisted of the left over beverages and snacks from the party, only everyone got to be in a less formal setting.
Since my phone didn't come with a charger, along with a few others's, we went to the cell phone store by the Mukogaokayuen Station. The chargers were 9450 yen or $9.45, which wasn't too bad for a phone that cost 1 yen.
After we bought our phone chargers, we went into an arcade to play Guitar Freaks 5 and Drum Freaks 5 (like Dance Dance Revolution a.k.a. DDR, only with instruments), which by the way aren't even out in America yet. I tried my luck at a pachinko machine a few times, and then was assisted by a pachinko veteran who showed me how to cheat out the game to get the best bang for your buck, or 100 yen rather.
Ben and I soon got bored of the arcade and decided to go back home. On the way we stopped at the Family Mart to buy some munchies. I got some yummy potato chips, chocolate chip muffin bread, and a roll with Nutella in the middle.
When I got home I did some journaling and movie watching until I finally went to bed to start classes the next day.
9/19/05
Woke up about 9:00 a.m. and made some breakfast/lunch a.k.a. brunch. I watched T.V. for a few hours and then decided to tackle the laptop issue again. I finally figured it out and talked to people on my instant messengers. I convinced Becca to call my mom and tell her to call me, but when I did a girl from Ireland was talking on the phone in Gaelic, so I told her to call me back. I talked to Becca and my mom on the phone for awhile and then it was time to go cell phone shopping.
We went down to the Mukogaokayuen Station so that we could get to Shinjuku. We found a cell phone store (au) that was selling cell phones for 1 yen. The payment plans were cheaper because we were students, but when they found out that we were only staying for three months, they decided to up the price...grr... Oh well, at least I have a really, really, cool cell phone. Message me and I will send you the number. One thing they forgot to mention though was that my particular model didn't come with a power cord, so I guess I'll be getting one of those tomorrow.
We had to wait and hour for our phones to be activated, so we walked around Shinjuku some more. We wandered into a store selling electronics and one of the staff members working there took our picture and printed it out for us on one of their new photo printers. I must say it was one of the best pictures I've ever seen, quality wise.
We wandered into another store selling electronics and decided it would be fun to go to the top floor of the store. For those of you who don`t know what I`m talking about, the top floor of every store in Japan (some of them) sell pornography. Wow, were there a lot of creepy people up there. But then again, we have the same thing in America whenever you go to Dr. Johns. The other floors of the store sold toy trains, guns, and children's toys. It's just funny to think that just above the children's innocent toys are tons of porno magazines and DVD's.
Hunger struck, so Jake decided he would ask a local for a good, cheap place to eat. We were led to a noodle shop just down the street. This particular store had a ticket machine to buy your meal, just like at the cafeteria. So you decided on what food you wanted and then put the correct change in and pushed the button of the food you wanted to eat. Simple huh? I wish we would use this system; it makes things a lot easier I think. I had soup with soba noodles that had chives and seaweed on top. An egg was cracked open and put in the soup as well. The heat from the soup literally cooked the egg so that it was reasonable edibe...to my standards. Raw eggs just aren't my forte.
After we ate, we went back to get our phones. We had to wait a long time in line though because one of the student's Debit Cards didn't work. Once things were sorted out I got my phone. The R.A.'s helped us switch the settings over to English and we messed around with our phones for a bit.
When then decided we were tired of walking around and waiting, so we went back home to the dorms. I wanted to go out drink with a few of the guys, but when I went upstairs to put my stuff away and came back down they were gone. So then I decided to go in the T.V. room and watch this really funny Japanese game show called “Doors.”
By the time the show was over, the rest of the group returned from Shinjuku and a few of us decided to go do Karaoke. We walked for about 15 minutes until we reached the place and then we were shown our room. One of the R.A.'s had coupons for free drinks, so we each got one free drink. Most of us had screwdrivers, which helped to build our confidence in singing. After our session was over we walked home still singing all the songs.
When I got back to the dorm I got ready for bed and studied for the placement test that was the next morning. While studying, I finally drifted off to sleep.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
9/18/05Woke up late today around 11:00 a.m. and took a shower. I made a cup of noodles for lunch and decided that I wanted to go to the library to use the computers there. When I realized that it was Sunday, my decision was altered.
A few of the students went to Shibuya to a Gaming Convention there. Apparently it was finally open to the public for the last three days and this Sunday was the final day. They were revealing the PS3 and the new Nintendo Revolution controllers there. Since I've had my share of gaming conventions and already seen the PS3 and the new controller, I really didn't care too much to see it. Also the train ride there was about two hours, so that also convinced me not to go. Another factor was that all the games would be in Japanese, and would be a little hard to understand the directions while playing the games on display. So I decided to sleep in instead of leaving at 7:00 a.m. for Shibuya.
I read one of my Halo novels and then studied my Japanese textbook for a bit. Since reading always makes me tired, I took a nap and woke up around 6:00 p.m. and had a dinner of rice and cup noodles. I thought about going out to get dinner, but I just felt like lounging around today and resting my feet a bit. After dinner I tried to plug in my laptop at the dorm computer room to access the internet, which failed. Apparently I have to set up my IP address manually, and I tried every which way to do so, but to no avail. I don't know if the library will be open tomorrow because it is a national holiday tomorrow: Respect for the Aged Day. So I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
I went down to the 7-11 again to satisfy my sweet tooth and bought some milk candy, cookies, apple juice, and some green tea packets. After my purchase, I walked back and did some more lounging, reading, and studying.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
9/17/05I awoke at 6:00 a.m. to an announcement over the intercom of the dormitory. My R.A. bolted out of her bed, so I assumed it was a meeting for the R.A.'s of some sort. Soon after, my room mate from Ireland began coughing uncontrollably, and continued to do so for the rest of the morning. Since I couldn't get back to sleep I decided to take a shower, which felt really good after not showering since I left on the trip. A few others were up as well, probably due to jet-lag most likely. And which I found out later a few didn't even sleep, but went out drinking the entire night and got to see some drunks stumbling home. I also realized by that morning that our other room mate from Malaysia wasn't coming, so we only had three people to our room.
After my shower I did some more unpacking while I waited for my hair to dry a bit. I also took a look at my scrap book Rebecca helped me make...well, actually she did most of it. Thanks Becca :). I then dried the rest of my hair and was pleased that I didn't have to buy adapters to plug it in. I got dressed and then went downstairs to set up my safe-box and make some rice for breakfast that I had bought last night. I bought an iced coffee at the vending machine and ate my rice while getting to know the students from Spain. Apparently one of them is extremely interested in video games as well and we had a pleasant talk. He was really impressed with the fact that I knew so much about them and attended the E3 Expo in Los Angeles.
After breakfast we had an orientation meeting at 9:30 a.m. There we were given the rules of the university and the dormitory and signed an agreement. After orientation we began our tour of the university.
After the long, steep climb up the hill, we went to building No. 2 where our Japanese classes would be held. After that we visited building No. 4 where the University Health Center was. We then made our way to the newest building No. 9 where the International Affairs Office was and where our culture and business courses would be held. We also got of tour of the cafeteria and how to purchase tickets to buy food. The library was also in this building and we were shown how to use our library cards and how to use the library facilities.
When then walked downtown and were shown where the post office was that also had an international ATM. We then continued even further into town and were shown where the train station was and had lunch by the train station at a Japanese restaurant. I had a breaded pork dish with cabbage salad, miso soup, and rice. The food was absolutely delicious and I know now that I'm going to like eating “real” Japanese food.
After lunch we were given a tour of the supermarkets around the area. We also visited the 99 Yen store, which is basically the equivalent of the dollar store in America. I bought some envelopes, pens, pencils, colored pencils, a pencil sharpener, and tape. We then walked to a pharmacy and I bought some laundry soap and tissues. After the downtown tour we walked back to the dorm and rested.
A few of us, along with our advisor, decided to go to the Shinjuku station – the most widely used train station in Japan and the world. Apparently over millions of people use this station a day. I happened to be the only girl on the adventure, but didn’t really mind it.
We walked down to the Mukogaokayuen Station and purchased our tickets there. In order to buy a ticket you have to look at the map and decide which train station you want to go to. We wanted to go to Shinjuku, so the price underneath the station indicates how much it is to go to that station from the station you are currently at. A ride to Shinjuku Station will cost you about 240 yen, or $2.40 for a one way trip. You take your ticket and place it in the ticket accepter of the tiny gates and the ticket is read and given back to you on the other side. You must hold onto your ticket because you will need it to exit the station that you end up at. So let's say you bought a 210 yen ticket and need to exit the station that costs 240 yen – well that you need to do is go to the fare adjustment machines, stick your ticket in and it will tell you how much you owe so that you can exit the station. If you try to exit the station with the 210 yen ticket the gate will close to the front and behind you, then security will come over. When you place your ticket with the correct amount on it at the exit gates, the ticket is accepted and not returned to you at your final destination. Once you get into the station you have to pick the correct platform and once you do that you have to wait for the correct train to come by that will take you to the station you want to go to. We took the express train, which only made five stops, as opposed to the local train that stopped at every station to Shinjuku, which are about 20 of them.
Once we got to Shinjuku Station we went out onto the streets to do some shopping and walking around a bit. We went into a video game store that sold PS2's, PSP's and the new Mini Game Boy's. Noticing that there were stairs leading upward we decided to see what else the store had to offer and we found out what it had...porn. Apparently the top level was dedicated to Porn and Hentai and boy did we feel awkward.
We went back down to the streets and went into a few more shops and decided that we wanted to go to a Japanese McDonald's for dinner. I was tempted to try the Teriyaki Burger, but passed for a Double Cheeseburger instead. The seating areas were on the second and third floors, along with the extremely tiny bathrooms. Our advisor had to turn sideways just to get through the door and I chuckled a bit.
After dinner we did some more walking and shopping and found a shady-looking porn store. We went in and found what I believe could have been the smallest dildo and the largest dildo I have ever seen. One the students with us said that his friend told him that there is a porn store in Japan that sells dildos in the shape of Jesus on the Crucifix...wow.
The porn store was right by the station, so we bought our tickets and headed back to Mukogaokayuen Station. Once we got back a few of us went to the 7-11 to see if they sold any phone cards, and to our disappointment they didn’t, so I bought some more rice instead. Note: instant rice = awesome. I went back to the dorm and did some resting till I finally went to bed.
Friday, September 16, 2005
9/15/05 to 9/16/05We left from the Lincoln airport at 7:12 a.m. Our flight connected at Denver and then to Seattle. We stopped to have lunch at the airport and our lunch options were quite limited because we were stuck out in a smaller, separate terminal from the main one. So that meant that Burger King was the best option. After a quick lunch, we re-boarded the plane.
The flight to Japan started out rather drab and dull as usual. When we got tired of sitting down we got up and walked around the plane a bit, and that's when we got to know the stewardesses more by hanging out in the back service room. They turned out to be really cool to talk to and they were nice enough to make us a ton of mixed drinks and give us tons of extra snacks. Then we found out that alcoholic beverages were free on international flights we definitely had our fill of them. I slept most of the way, watching movies and listening to music every now and then. We finally arrived in Japan at 2:50 p.m. at Narita airport.
While exiting the plane, we were greeted with a security officer who was directing traffic because someone had lost their lunch on the walkway. After going through about 20 or so moving walkways we finally made it to customs. Going through customs took about 30 minutes and after we made it through baggage claim we walked around the airport to kill time until the bus arrived to take us to Senshu University. I bought a refrigerated green tea bottle at a little shop in the airport. Ayako said that it was her favorite kind of green tea, so I decided to try it for myself and it turned out to be really good. While we were still waiting for the bus a few of us played the “Pass the Pigs” game I brought. I haven't played that game in so long and I found it right before I left for Japan, so I figured it would be a nice game to bring along considering its compact size. The bus finally arrived and we loaded our bags on the bus.
On the bus we got a packet of information, our room assignments, room keys, and a schedule for the rest of our three month stay. I got excited when I found out that one of my room mates was from Ireland, and the other is from Malaysia. I also have a Resident Assistant for a room mate, so it should be pretty interesting.
We arrived at Senshu University after a scenic, two hour, bus ride around 7:30 p.m. The bus was too large to drive down the narrow streets to the dormitory, so our baggage was loaded into vans and everyone had to walk the rest of the way to the dorm. As soon as we walked into the building we were given slippers to wear and cubby assignments for our shoes to be put in. We were then immediately guided into the dinning area and given sandwiches and juice. After eating, we took our luggage up to our rooms and unpacked a bit. While unpacking we heard some cats fighting outside our window and they fought ferociously for quite awhile. After unpacking, we went downstairs to get a guided tour around the dormitory.
On the tour we got to see the kitchen and were given cubby assignments to put our food and utensils in. Everyone was given a mug, bowl, plates, chop sticks, and silverware which was nice because we didn't have to buy them for ourselves. We then went down to the basement to the shower rooms. Like our rooms, you were required to remove your slippers to walk up onto the wooden floor. The shower room had two separate rooms, the first one had two sinks and cubbies to put your clothes in before you entered the next separated room where the showers were. After we walked back upstairs we got our mailbox and safe-box assignments.
We then got to go into the town a bit to the 7-11 down the street. Upon entering any store or establishment in Japan you are loudly greeted by the store owners welcoming you into the store. I picked out three microwaveable rice boxes, instant noodles and soup, and a giant, bottled water. For every item you buy the price is announced to you and then your grand total at the end. After your purchase you are thanked for your patronage and then thanks are returned. After buying our goods, we returned back to the dorm.
After the tour was over I went back up to my room and unpacked the rest of my stuff and then decided to take a “nap,” which turned out to be sleep until the next morning.
The Dego Diva:
Date Of Birth: May 24th, 1984
Location: Wouldn't You Like To Know
Occupation: Student
Masters: Forensic Anthropology
Major: Anthropology
Minors: Art History & Japanese
Primary Hobby/Intrest: Video Gaming
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