ちょっと待ってて
posted by Scot @ 08:16
359 comments
12 October 2006
28 July 2006
Last week jitters
(No I'm not referring to that last week of 90 day court-required rehab that leaves your entire body in tics for that first snort of horse or boot of skag)
The last week in Japan has been busy with everything and everyone getting it all together before I leave the year abroad. It looks like everything will be fitting in my suitcase(s) so I don't have to panic about. I don't have to, but it doesn't mean that I won't.
Tuesday I went into the Hosei International International Centre to give my final (crap) speech (ie: "thank you very much everyone. I had a great time in Japan and thanks to your help I enjoyed it all very much. I learned a lot and won't forget it" ) I signed some last papers and gave back my student ID. "Why?" You may ask. I don't know. This is another fascinating unsane (different than "insane") Japanese practice of not being able to keep your ID cards. Because heaven forbid you pose as a student and save the 200 freaking yen on your horrible excuse for a "student discount". Then I had a goood chat with Hiroko about the good times at Hosei. I generally like the people who work at the Baylor International Centre, but I wouldn't mind to add Hiroko to the staff. We took a picture on her camera and somehow ended up like this. Good times.
Also on Tuesday I had 2 last lessons with a couple of my students. I'll definately miss them and the feeling that someone thinks of me as a teacher. (it's such a power trip)
Oh, and on a random note. This summer in Tokyo has been really mellow. I was always told by everyone, "just wait..". But I've waited and it really isn't too bad. There was a really humid and hot week or two in there in June, but last week was like 20 degrees (68 for the anglos). And the night usually is quite cool. Sure...it's the humidity of a hungarian midget wrestler's armpit, but not as hot. So Tokyo summer gets a C in summer grades. Whereas Minnesota generally gets an A and Waco gets about a B+. (note: waco gets this high purely for the sun. after living in Tokyo where a sunny day is only available indoors my pale skin needs some vitamin D)
2 days ago I got a haircut and....hairs were definately cut. Once again my english system mind mistook 1 inch for 1 centimetre. And I thought I was completley metric friendly. I consider it a small bump on the road to complete conversion. (side note: metric names are really sterile and beige compared to their english system counterparts) Anyway, this lady who cut my hair had some bizarre accent that I couldn't understand at all. For example the word 大丈夫 (daijoubu meaning "ok") sounded like だいじぇーぶ (daijeibu). So I just kept on saying "yes" and "sure" to whatever she suggested. I thought I could leave Japan and just get one more haircut without problems. But no. Oh well. I've always secretly wanted the hair on my arms to be longer than my head.
Some pictures of the fireworks the other night.
Toei Shinjuku line/Keio New line station at Shinjuku.
The last week in Japan has been busy with everything and everyone getting it all together before I leave the year abroad. It looks like everything will be fitting in my suitcase(s) so I don't have to panic about. I don't have to, but it doesn't mean that I won't.
Tuesday I went into the Hosei International International Centre to give my final (crap) speech (ie: "thank you very much everyone. I had a great time in Japan and thanks to your help I enjoyed it all very much. I learned a lot and won't forget it" ) I signed some last papers and gave back my student ID. "Why?" You may ask. I don't know. This is another fascinating unsane (different than "insane") Japanese practice of not being able to keep your ID cards. Because heaven forbid you pose as a student and save the 200 freaking yen on your horrible excuse for a "student discount". Then I had a goood chat with Hiroko about the good times at Hosei. I generally like the people who work at the Baylor International Centre, but I wouldn't mind to add Hiroko to the staff. We took a picture on her camera and somehow ended up like this. Good times.
Also on Tuesday I had 2 last lessons with a couple of my students. I'll definately miss them and the feeling that someone thinks of me as a teacher. (it's such a power trip)
Oh, and on a random note. This summer in Tokyo has been really mellow. I was always told by everyone, "just wait..". But I've waited and it really isn't too bad. There was a really humid and hot week or two in there in June, but last week was like 20 degrees (68 for the anglos). And the night usually is quite cool. Sure...it's the humidity of a hungarian midget wrestler's armpit, but not as hot. So Tokyo summer gets a C in summer grades. Whereas Minnesota generally gets an A and Waco gets about a B+. (note: waco gets this high purely for the sun. after living in Tokyo where a sunny day is only available indoors my pale skin needs some vitamin D)
2 days ago I got a haircut and....hairs were definately cut. Once again my english system mind mistook 1 inch for 1 centimetre. And I thought I was completley metric friendly. I consider it a small bump on the road to complete conversion. (side note: metric names are really sterile and beige compared to their english system counterparts) Anyway, this lady who cut my hair had some bizarre accent that I couldn't understand at all. For example the word 大丈夫 (daijoubu meaning "ok") sounded like だいじぇーぶ (daijeibu). So I just kept on saying "yes" and "sure" to whatever she suggested. I thought I could leave Japan and just get one more haircut without problems. But no. Oh well. I've always secretly wanted the hair on my arms to be longer than my head.
Some pictures of the fireworks the other night.
Toei Shinjuku line/Keio New line station at Shinjuku.
posted by Scot @ 16:32
3 comments
24 July 2006
Kaiten, Asakusa and fireworks
Last Friday I went to Kaiten Sushi with one of my students. Kaiten sushi is the sushi that comes around on a revolving belt. Then you count the waitress counts the plates for the bill. I'm not a huge sushi fan but it was fun all in all. I had kept on meaning to go to this kind of sushi resturaunt since I got here but just never have. Actually I think it's the first time I even went out to eat just sushi.
The whole shrimp
the whole squid
the menu
as impressive as that is, there were three of us eating.
Then on Saturday I went to Asakusa to have some good old fashioned Tokyo fun. I went to Asakusa sometime in October for the culture day festival. But it was really crowded and too many people so I had always wanted to go back. It's a fun place. I didn't really notice that before because of the massive amounts of people. I went to this Tempura place that was really good but it was nothing but old ladies working there. And for anyone who has been to Japan knows that the species of Japanese old woman is one of the rudest besides the French employee. I was sitting on two cushions because they were like that when I sat down and this old bird grabs ones from underneath me and says that I can only have one because it's the rules. Then she asks what we wanted to order. I guess in a country where everyone is pretty polite, it's tolerable to have these rude creatures elbowing you to get a seat on the train or pulling your seat out from underneath you.
The strange gold thing in the sky
Kaminari-mon. The gate to the temple at asakusa.
The main shopping street
a pagoda
A side street with an amusement park in the background
mural at the station
it's sideways because I forgot to change it but you can see the fake construction worker waving his orange stick. what you couldn't see was the real person behind him doing the same thing. hooray for employing useless people to do useless jobs on useless construction projects to not have unemploment.
The whole shrimp
the whole squid
the menu
as impressive as that is, there were three of us eating.
Then on Saturday I went to Asakusa to have some good old fashioned Tokyo fun. I went to Asakusa sometime in October for the culture day festival. But it was really crowded and too many people so I had always wanted to go back. It's a fun place. I didn't really notice that before because of the massive amounts of people. I went to this Tempura place that was really good but it was nothing but old ladies working there. And for anyone who has been to Japan knows that the species of Japanese old woman is one of the rudest besides the French employee. I was sitting on two cushions because they were like that when I sat down and this old bird grabs ones from underneath me and says that I can only have one because it's the rules. Then she asks what we wanted to order. I guess in a country where everyone is pretty polite, it's tolerable to have these rude creatures elbowing you to get a seat on the train or pulling your seat out from underneath you.
The strange gold thing in the sky
Kaminari-mon. The gate to the temple at asakusa.
The main shopping street
a pagoda
A side street with an amusement park in the background
mural at the station
it's sideways because I forgot to change it but you can see the fake construction worker waving his orange stick. what you couldn't see was the real person behind him doing the same thing. hooray for employing useless people to do useless jobs on useless construction projects to not have unemploment.
posted by Scot @ 08:24
2 comments
21 July 2006
Pictures and more
So I'm done with uni now finally. Now it's just panic time to figure out how to fit everything into a suitcase. wish me luck.
The train to Atami.
The road to the beach had a lot of dried fish-things just lying out. Like these lovely squid.
PC Japan at it again. The name of this place "くろんぼ" (kuronbo) is basically like saying "negro".
The view of the beach from the hotel balcony.
More from the balcony.
on the beach
The beach again
The beach at night
Fireworks on the beach
more fireworks
In the bath
The big outside bath
on top of the viewing tower
Atami castle. It was just built in 1930 or 1940 for the war. So not really too impressive.
there was a festival the day I left and the shops were already all set up along the street.
Apparently a famous statue. Something about a story by a writer from Atami.
On the boat last Sunday. Quentin and Aiko.
looking at the enoshima beach from the boat
There was some random guy with that little piece of fabric on the boat. Here's Ami getting a bit too close to seeing too much.
On the boat eating.
The beach at Enoshima
Me, Hiroko and Erin. Hiroko works at the international centre at Hosei. She's always so nice to us.
The train to Atami.
The road to the beach had a lot of dried fish-things just lying out. Like these lovely squid.
PC Japan at it again. The name of this place "くろんぼ" (kuronbo) is basically like saying "negro".
The view of the beach from the hotel balcony.
More from the balcony.
on the beach
The beach again
The beach at night
Fireworks on the beach
more fireworks
In the bath
The big outside bath
on top of the viewing tower
Atami castle. It was just built in 1930 or 1940 for the war. So not really too impressive.
there was a festival the day I left and the shops were already all set up along the street.
Apparently a famous statue. Something about a story by a writer from Atami.
On the boat last Sunday. Quentin and Aiko.
looking at the enoshima beach from the boat
There was some random guy with that little piece of fabric on the boat. Here's Ami getting a bit too close to seeing too much.
On the boat eating.
The beach at Enoshima
Me, Hiroko and Erin. Hiroko works at the international centre at Hosei. She's always so nice to us.
posted by Scot @ 16:08
2 comments
19 July 2006
A catch-up
Between saying goodbyes, lounging on the beach and yachting it up I've been pretty busy lately. Hence the week long delay. I'm at the Hosei computer lab ridiculousness so I can't upload pictures, but I have some free time so I thought I would update.
Last Thursday I had this test for the "Japanese 5" class that was really hard. We were allowed to use any notes and our dictionaries but with questions like, "Define the term 'Antinomy' ", a dictionary was no use. Basically in the class we were reading this book about Japanese history and religion and such. And the test was a series of questions about the book. I only barely understood the book so I'm sure the test results will be lovely.
After that class was the last class for "international politics". We were supposed to do a report on our respective countries and Japan and their relations. But since I have learned that non-Americans like to speak about America more than red-blooded-commie-hating-true-Americans (seriously. the class was about international politics but all anyone wanted to speak about was america. coming from the same people who complain that americans think they are the only people in the world. irony i know) I did my little report on Canada and Japan. After class the teacher came up to me and said that he always appreciated my comments and contribution to the class. He was quite an interesting teacher. Even without the russian accent I could have told he grew up in the USSR because of his "discussion techniques" of everyone having their opinion...as long as it was produced in a sequencial fashion and resembled the orginal question.
Then on Friday I went with a friend on a "mini-break" (vocab from Erin) to Atami to enjoy the hot springs by the beach. (side note: Atami (熱海) literally means "hot sea") It used to be a really popular place to go in the 70's and 80's, which you can tell by the interiors of every resturaunt and hotel. I'll put up pictures later but it was a pretty little place right on the ocean. Very green and hot. But we were lucky and it was a non-humid weekend which was really nice. I got to play some old fashioned pachinko and do fireworks on the beach. And the hotel was really posh without the posh price.
On Sunday, Aiko invited some of us exchange students to go yachting with her family and family friends. It was so very wasp-y. Going yachting on a sunday and drinking before noon. But the weird guy with a pedophile stache and little speedo gallavanting on the yacht was un-wasp-like. We had a barbeque on the yacht and basically lazed around and ate all day. There was a beach nearby so we went to see what was happening. This beach was covered with booths. All of them selling the same things and had gross overtanned girls and guys trying to get people to come to their place.
So then yesterday I finished up 1 class and had a goodbye dinner with Erin and Kate. They both leave for Lizzy-Land (Brittania) today. And today I just finished up "space travel in Japan" and will be finishing Japanese literature later today. Then having going to play pool (maybe) with some people for another goodbye because more people are leaving tomorrow. So sad.
Last Thursday I had this test for the "Japanese 5" class that was really hard. We were allowed to use any notes and our dictionaries but with questions like, "Define the term 'Antinomy' ", a dictionary was no use. Basically in the class we were reading this book about Japanese history and religion and such. And the test was a series of questions about the book. I only barely understood the book so I'm sure the test results will be lovely.
After that class was the last class for "international politics". We were supposed to do a report on our respective countries and Japan and their relations. But since I have learned that non-Americans like to speak about America more than red-blooded-commie-hating-true-Americans (seriously. the class was about international politics but all anyone wanted to speak about was america. coming from the same people who complain that americans think they are the only people in the world. irony i know) I did my little report on Canada and Japan. After class the teacher came up to me and said that he always appreciated my comments and contribution to the class. He was quite an interesting teacher. Even without the russian accent I could have told he grew up in the USSR because of his "discussion techniques" of everyone having their opinion...as long as it was produced in a sequencial fashion and resembled the orginal question.
Then on Friday I went with a friend on a "mini-break" (vocab from Erin) to Atami to enjoy the hot springs by the beach. (side note: Atami (熱海) literally means "hot sea") It used to be a really popular place to go in the 70's and 80's, which you can tell by the interiors of every resturaunt and hotel. I'll put up pictures later but it was a pretty little place right on the ocean. Very green and hot. But we were lucky and it was a non-humid weekend which was really nice. I got to play some old fashioned pachinko and do fireworks on the beach. And the hotel was really posh without the posh price.
On Sunday, Aiko invited some of us exchange students to go yachting with her family and family friends. It was so very wasp-y. Going yachting on a sunday and drinking before noon. But the weird guy with a pedophile stache and little speedo gallavanting on the yacht was un-wasp-like. We had a barbeque on the yacht and basically lazed around and ate all day. There was a beach nearby so we went to see what was happening. This beach was covered with booths. All of them selling the same things and had gross overtanned girls and guys trying to get people to come to their place.
So then yesterday I finished up 1 class and had a goodbye dinner with Erin and Kate. They both leave for Lizzy-Land (Brittania) today. And today I just finished up "space travel in Japan" and will be finishing Japanese literature later today. Then having going to play pool (maybe) with some people for another goodbye because more people are leaving tomorrow. So sad.
posted by Scot @ 10:29
2 comments
10 July 2006
Fuji Photos and more
So to climb the mountain I took a bus to the 5th station, pretty much like the bottom of Fuji (sort of). I arrived there at 10pm and started climbing and got to the top at about 5:00am I think. It should have taken a lot shorter but as I said, there was a queue and no way to get to the top earlier than that.
Some interesting things about the experience (at least to me):
1. The toilets are all pay toilets. from 50 yen to a staggering 200 yen for a visit to the loo at the top of Fuji. In english they translate this "cooperation charge" as a "tip". This is in no way a "tip" but just a blatant pay toilet. A "tip" is "this is a public park. use government money for things other than construction and maybe pay-toilets wouldn't be an issue".
2. It's a pretty popular gaijin (foreigner) place. The bus we took to the bottom of Fuji was full of gaijin. And I definately heard almost as much english there as in Roppongi.
3. Japanese people love tourism even to the point that they will hire a tour guide to climb Fuji. Climbing Fuji, while not a walk in the park, is easily done with proper clothes and such. The trail is marked for the blindest of people and when done in season, there's plenty of people around to see if you fall off a cliff. No need for a guy with an armband yelling into a megaphone every two seconds to check if the 30-100 people party is all in one place.
Now some pictures.
So you can't see it quite well...but that is Fuji by the full moon. It was really pretty but alas, no picture taken by me could really get it.
Me hitting the 7th station, 2700 m high. There are 4 major stations to the top if you start at the 5th station. First is the 6th. Then the 7th (pictured). The 8th. And the 8th original. Kind of repetitive I know. Then the top!
The stones get lonely, so it's preferable to throw them in pairs.
Kate at the 8th station. Still a good 2km away from the top.
At some sign in between the 8th and 8th original I think. 3200 metres up.
The first look at the sunrise coming through the clouds. Bear with me here. I've got 20+ of the same scene but with different angles and differing times.
If felt like you were looking from an airplane but we weren't!
Don't think I wouldn't go arty with all this going on.
Just goooorgeous.
Looking back at the sunrise watchers you can see the queue of madness.
More of the QM
It changed colours faster than the homeland security terror alert.
A good vertical pic.
Finally getting to the top and it was misty (like will's cigs) raining of sorts.
I couldn't find a sign that said you were at the top of Fuji (but then again I wasn't looking too hard), so we took a picture by the sign for the shrine on top of Fuji. Next best thing.
Starting the way down. Going down was surprisingly a lot harder than going up. Maybe it was the tiredness factor. But it was really steep and rainy and the gravel was loose and we were just slipping all the way down.
People on the way down. It was like a rainbow with everyone's different coloured ponchos.
Going down...
That's nowhere near the end of my pictures, but you get the point. It was a good time and pretty.
In other news, I finished 2 (technically 3...) classes today. That leaves 5 left and only 3 tests. And out of that only 1 test that actually matters. Hurrah!
Some interesting things about the experience (at least to me):
1. The toilets are all pay toilets. from 50 yen to a staggering 200 yen for a visit to the loo at the top of Fuji. In english they translate this "cooperation charge" as a "tip". This is in no way a "tip" but just a blatant pay toilet. A "tip" is "this is a public park. use government money for things other than construction and maybe pay-toilets wouldn't be an issue".
2. It's a pretty popular gaijin (foreigner) place. The bus we took to the bottom of Fuji was full of gaijin. And I definately heard almost as much english there as in Roppongi.
3. Japanese people love tourism even to the point that they will hire a tour guide to climb Fuji. Climbing Fuji, while not a walk in the park, is easily done with proper clothes and such. The trail is marked for the blindest of people and when done in season, there's plenty of people around to see if you fall off a cliff. No need for a guy with an armband yelling into a megaphone every two seconds to check if the 30-100 people party is all in one place.
Now some pictures.
So you can't see it quite well...but that is Fuji by the full moon. It was really pretty but alas, no picture taken by me could really get it.
Me hitting the 7th station, 2700 m high. There are 4 major stations to the top if you start at the 5th station. First is the 6th. Then the 7th (pictured). The 8th. And the 8th original. Kind of repetitive I know. Then the top!
The stones get lonely, so it's preferable to throw them in pairs.
Kate at the 8th station. Still a good 2km away from the top.
At some sign in between the 8th and 8th original I think. 3200 metres up.
The first look at the sunrise coming through the clouds. Bear with me here. I've got 20+ of the same scene but with different angles and differing times.
If felt like you were looking from an airplane but we weren't!
Don't think I wouldn't go arty with all this going on.
Just goooorgeous.
Looking back at the sunrise watchers you can see the queue of madness.
More of the QM
It changed colours faster than the homeland security terror alert.
A good vertical pic.
Finally getting to the top and it was misty (like will's cigs) raining of sorts.
I couldn't find a sign that said you were at the top of Fuji (but then again I wasn't looking too hard), so we took a picture by the sign for the shrine on top of Fuji. Next best thing.
Starting the way down. Going down was surprisingly a lot harder than going up. Maybe it was the tiredness factor. But it was really steep and rainy and the gravel was loose and we were just slipping all the way down.
People on the way down. It was like a rainbow with everyone's different coloured ponchos.
Going down...
That's nowhere near the end of my pictures, but you get the point. It was a good time and pretty.
In other news, I finished 2 (technically 3...) classes today. That leaves 5 left and only 3 tests. And out of that only 1 test that actually matters. Hurrah!
posted by Scot @ 18:07
4 comments
