Hokkaido 北海道 Day 1

For winter break, my friends Chi, Erin, and Ryan decided to travel to the northern island of Japan: Hokkaido. We anticipated much eating of crab ("kani")/Hokkaido dairy products/ramen noodles (if you're thinking Cup of Noodles, think again!), relaxation in the famous Japanese onsens, and---freezing weather. I, the wimpy Californian, found it much too cold from my natural habitat, but Chi and Ryan from Minnesota and Wisconsin found it surprisingly similar to their hometowns! (The lowest I think must have been 0 degrees Celsius...not so cold in retrospect.) Now, keep in mind, this whole trip was a package tour, meaning we didn't have to worry about travel or most of the costs, but the traveling on bus with a tour-guide speaking 100% Japanese! It ended up being a great time, however, as it was only us 4 foreigners and one other Japanese family of 4 with the most adorable children ever. We all had some fun times together being a small little group on the giant charter bus.

Our first day began in central Hokkaido. We traveled by airplane not more than a couple hours from Tokyo. Having been a little sick with a cold, I decided to wear the mask that all Japanese wear when they are even the slightest bit sick, out of courtesy to others. Initially seeming a little ridiculous and dramatic to me, I really came to like how it felt having 80% of my face covered when all you wanted to do was comfortably breathe out your mouth with a stuffed up nose (and if you don't want to be so noticeable as a foreigner!) Later, I also discovered it to be very helpful in keeping my face warm in the snow! I may just take some back to the U.S., but I might appear like I have SARS if I actually wear it there.

(Check out the Japanese dude behind me!)

We arrived at the airport and swiftly and efficiently (so Japanese) made our way on the bus towards the Northern Horse Park. I'm still unsure what the point of this place was, but it was a gorgeous first stop to make in Hokkaido. Erin and Ryan kept remarking how much it felt like the mid-west. We played in the snow, pet the horses in the stables, and poor, kitty-deprived me, found a fat Japanese cat to play with. Unfortunately, I don't think he was excited about our play date as I was.Most cats in Japan have the same attitude. Unfortunately, I will just have to wait until I return home to get my kitty fix.

We stopped next at Noboribetsu-onsen Hot Spring (not the kind of onsen you sit in!), also known as Hell's Valley. It surely was a "hellish" sight, as steam billowed out of the boiling water like smoke. My camera lens got so steamy, many of my pictures came out with a very hazy effect. (Sure, I meant to do that).Erin and I came across some pretty amazing "Engrish" (what I like to call Japanese English translation gone wrong), so we made sure to document it.

"It notes, it gets wet, and it slips".
Thanks for the warning?

We made our way to our first hotel, and it was AMAZING. We had payed a little extra to stay in this place solely for the paradise onsen experience it offered. Onsens have become one of my favorite things to do when I have the chance to stay in a hotel in Japan, as most traditional style hotels have them and you need not pay if you are a guest. They are public baths (the only ones I have encountered are single-sex!) and require nudity...eek! Once you get over the fear of being the only non-Asian walking around naked for Japanese people to stare at, it becomes the most relaxing experience ever. There were indoor baths, and outdoor baths, ranging from jacuzzi bubbles to natural hot spring, medicinal baths to electricity baths (?). Chi and I explored the onsen that night before and after dinner. We couldn't get away! If only I could take pictures...nope, that would be awkward. The outdoor onsens were our favorite! Out of the steam and intense heat of the indoor onsen room, we stepped out into the freezing cold of the outside and waded into the natural looking pool nestled between rocks and plantlife. Only a moment later, snow started to fall very lightly. It was the most perfect, magical moment. After feeling completely loosened up and refreshed, Chi and I decided to try out the water-slide pool. Yes, they had a shallow bath outside with 3 water-slides dropping into it. It was totally strange, but oh so fun flying down a slide naked in freezing outdoor temperatures! We had a great laugh, and couldn't wait to try again after dinner!That night we got into our yukatas (cotton kimono-like pajamas to wear around the hotel) and enjoyed a buffet-style crab dinner. Stuffed with delicious food and sleepy from the onsen, we ended the night like a sleepover on the floor in our futons (Japanese traditional-style "beds") like kids in sleeping bags.
Only after checking out the game center on the first floor, of course.

Kyoto & Osaka Slideshow

I hope to write about my trip to Kyoto and Osaka soon, but here's some photos in the meantime.

Remember, Remember The Fifth of November

It was surprisingly refreshing to be in Japan during what I heard had been unstoppable election campaigning and endless news coverage in the States. However, there was no way I would let myself fall into apathy during this historical election just because I was half a world away! I was happy to find that the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo was hosting an Election-Results Open House on November 5th, during the time when the polls finished closing in the States. I could imagine it would definitely be an interesting experience, but nothing like what I experienced that afternoon.

Along with my American friends from my university in Tokyo, I supposed guests at this U.S. Embassy event would mostly be, well, from the U.S. However, our assumptions immediately dissolved as soon as we reached the enormous line of Japanese waiting to enter. After waiting in line for about 45 minutes and passing through the metal detectors, my friends Erin and Ryan and I entered a large room with an even larger screen playing live CNN coverage of the election over equally giant speakers. (This was at about 1:00PM in Japan, which was about the time the final polls were closing). As we watched in anticipation, the only other American that looked even close to our age came up to us (also an Obama supporter), introduced himself and joined us as we nervously made short conversations about all the what-ifs and together counted down the seconds to the final closing of the polls... Suddenly, Obama's face and the word "president" flashed before us on the giant screen, the CNN projection of the president-elect. So shocked with this information, the whole crowd stood silent for a few moments followed by a roar of applause! Realizing this was for real, we joined in shouting and jumping up and down surrounded by Japanese Obama supporters chanting "OBAMA! OBAMA!" I had never expected so many Japanese to be so ecstatic about the results; it was almost as if we were all fellow American citizens gathered together in celebration. That day, half way across the world, people in Japan got to experience what it was like to support a presidential candidate in a democracy and celebrate his victory, something we found out later was so contrastive from Japanese politics.

All four of us were dizzy with excitement, barely able to believe it was true, that something so initially improbable really was possible in America. The coverage of the rally in Chicago looked absolutely magnificent on that giant projector screen, and all I could think was how strange yet wonderful it looked to see so many passionate, happy Americans gathered together for a shared cause in pure bliss. For the first time, I could feel and express a great surge of pride for my country and wasn't embarrassed to feel it! We received many congratulations from other Japanese in the room, and were also approached by a Japanese newspaper journalist to be interviewed. With the help from our new American friend (who seemed to be almost fluent in Japanese), we answered questions such as "how do you think this election will affect the rest of the world?" and, "what is the significance of a rally?", questions I never had the opportunity to try to answer or even simplify for someone from a very different political culture. It was truly all a positive and surprising experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. We ended our afternoon carrying left-over red, white and blue balloons from the event through the streets of Tokyo and emotionally exhausted, sat together in comforting relief over bentos for lunch.


Anyway, I really hope to write about my trip to Kyoto and Osaka as soon as midterms finish! This week seems to be prime 紅葉 (ko-yo) season, meaning the changing of the leaves are at their most vibrant colors before they leave the trees bare by next week. It's always so beautiful to look out of the train on my way to school each morning these days (even though I'm squished to an unimaginable extent during morning rush-hour) because the sun shines so beautifully through the golden and crimson colored trees that line the streets below the railway. Funny how only this one week in Fall the ko-yo is so dramatic, then, as quickly as it appeared, it will disappear. This weekend I'm planning to travel to Mt. Fuji (Fuji-san) and the theme park nearby with some friends, and the view from the lake we're visiting is supposed to be absolutely breathtaking, so I'm crossing my fingers for ko-yo!

"The Coming of Wisdom with Time"

This was the cover of a notebook of all things, but strangely enough it may best explain my metamorphosis here. It's been almost a month since I arrived in Japan and I can hardly believe it (and also that I haven't been updating my blog as often as I'd hoped, sorry)! Back home I thought my time here would be more than enough, but I've quickly realized how fast it's zipping by, and now 4 1/2 months seems like not enough time to do everything! Adjusting to such a different place has made me think and react in a long-term sense from the very beginning; knowing this crazy city is to be my home, I think I have been a bit more cautious about fully embracing the honeymoon stage. I'm not terribly sad or homesick, however frustration is surfacing more and more each day: the early mornings in order to reach school on time; the physical discomfort of not only literally bending backwards on the rush-hour morning train and holding myself up off peoples' laps with only arm strength, but tripping up sets of stairs (haha, yeah, I would do that); the difficulty of simply trying to order food and understanding what it is I'm actually ordering when I'm just SO hungry; the looks I get and the lonely feeling that constantly reminds me I am now the minority...

BUT the everyday joys make all the difference: receiving a free loaf of bread from the department store after purchasing a hair clip; realizing the unknown contents of my food is actually quite delicious; the amazing sense of accomplishment I feel when I finally figure something out on my own; the satisfaction I get from having to work hard for what I have and where I want to go; the happiness I feel when someone truly understands me although we do not share the same language; admiring the way humans can connect without language (especially with children); how strong the bonds between my recently-made friends has become in this short time; feeling truly proud that I have found the inner independence I knew I had all along but just needed an excuse to find it; keeping my speech and thoughts in check; a new-found self-confidence despite the constant scrutinization I am under; my new tendency to jump right into an uncomfortable or seemingly unpleasant situation and never feeling regretful!

This has to have been the best thing to happen to me at this point in my life, and I'm confident now the most happiness and growth comes from taking risks. I'm actually beginning to learn more about my own country from fellow exchange students here, as I'm finding how truly different we all are as Americans despite our shared nationality, and it's been great to celebrate these differences even just over a cup of coffee. From the Japanese people I'm finally learning to balance speaking my mind with my tendency to repeatedly make apologies! I'm finding my place in this world as a human being, and understanding you don't have to be ignorant or racist to learn your own culture is never more superior to another, and that what is proper or right is completely subjective. Not only that, but the differences in this world are absolutely beautiful though they may never be completely understood.

Honeymoon Stage?

We learned in orientation the other day the typical pattern of emotions a foreigner feels in a new country over time; the "honeymoon stage" should be where I'm at now, followed by frustration and despair (I sure hope not), then finally a coping/acceptance stage. I have no idea where I'm at! That's not to say I'm not having a great time though. I think I just had to learn really quickly that as crazy and fun as this place is, it is where I am LIVING for the next 4 months or so.
So for the time I've spent exploring outside of family life:
I got my Japanese cell phone (keitai) complete with infrared technology and cutesy flair hanging off it! So far I've only really spent some time in Shibuya where the famous giant crosswalk exists (ever seen Lost In Translation?) and Shinjuku where purikura machines and expensive shops thrive.


Last week I also got to meet a Japanese girl my age who is the daughter of my host mom's friend, and she's studied abroad in Mongolia and Australia, and knows almost perfect Mongolian(?) and English. We met up at the Shikjuku station, and even underground there is so much fabulous shopping places and upscale restaurants. It was kind of the first time I really had a thorough conversation with someone about the differences of our cultures. As we walked past a bunch of random Halloween crap, I asked how they celebrated it and went on to explain how we did. She had no idea why there were pumpkins with faces all over the place every Fall, but just kind of accepted it! When I explained how we try to scare people for fun and light candles inside carved up pumpkins on our doorstep, she gave me the funniest look! I'm finding it sounds so strange to try to explain the how's and why's of what we do sometimes...Today's adventures include meeting some friends in Harajuku to find crazy costumed girls and some inexpensive shopping, then we'll move onto electric town (supposedly home to inexpensive, advanced technology), and finally Shinjuku for karaoke and drinks tonight.

I have to explain this weekend's CIEE overnight trip to Nikko. We visited ancient Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and really got to experience Japanese tradition. Stepping into a shrine barefoot with the scent of incense all around me (aside from all the "Gaijin" comments) just made me feel so genuinely relaxed. We stayed at a traditional inn wearing yukatas and eating really traditional meals (including whole fish on a stick). After long deliberation and much convincing, I decided to experience the onsen with a few of the girls in the CIEE group, also known as a scalding hot communal bath tub...clothe-less. I was so nervous at first, but seriously WHY NOT if I'm given the opportunity? That's what this trip is all about, and I found myself greatly rewarded as, I swear, every muscle in me released all its tension. The Japanese know what's up! A small few of us topped off the night searching for the one and only small bar in the neighborhood, but found it to be a wonderful surprise as we sang Aladdin karaoke through the night and made "friends" with Japanese Obama fans.

School starts next Wednesday, so I'm trying to enjoy all the free time I can. I promise as I find a better Internet source I will post pictures and videos I have taken, because they're hilarious! Much love to everyone!

IN TOKYO!

I don't even know how to begin explaining this emotional roller coaster going on inside of me! The last few weeks I was feeling down, then up, and back down again... But once I gave my final hugs and goodbyes to my dad and stepmom at the airport, and wiped away my tears, I felt almost a giant relief. So much so, that I can only describe how I felt as going into "autopilot" mode. Not upset and teary, and not particularly happy either. Just kinda coasting along, watching movies on the plane, tired as hell at the end. As the plane set down onto the Narita Airport runway, I made sure I caught a glance at the Japanese style homes nestled in the countryside. I'm really here! It sounds so cliche, but I can only describe what I'm going through as surrealistic in every aspect. After being greeted by the group and sent off onto a bus towards our hotel (which is absolutely beautiful!), I met Ryan from Wisconsin. We talked and talked in excitement, from where it came we still can't figure out (it felt about midnight to us at this point) until we drifted over the bridge above the bay, dazily staring out into the giant, but gorgeous city scene, and somehow our conversation drifted off into a 5 minute nap.

When we arrived at the hotel, we received our room keys and orientation packets. To my amazing relief, it contained the information about my homestay family. The past few weeks I'd been nautiously nervous about all the unknowns (knowing NOTHING about my family until this very moment), and all that so quickly just disappeared. A family of four! A mother, father, daughter (age 19) and son (age 21). With a cat! And a dog! (And a hamster.) Most of them able to speak intermediate level English! I meet them in two days and I will have much more on that later.

My roommate in the hotel for these first 2 nights, Erin from Minnesota, is awesome and she took me to the corner 7-11 (as she'd already visited Japan) and we bought some delicious dinners with a tasty sweetbread.

Well, it's 9:37PM here in Tokyo, and I only got about an hour sleep on the plane, which means I've been awake for almost 24 hours. Goodnight!

Dirty Japanese

This book is seriously genius. Though it would seem at first glance a rediculous guide to communicate nasty pickup lines and scandalous statements in Japanese (although they definitely do exist), it's actually a very practical expression book and culture guide! But first, here's some of my favorite dirty phrases...hehe

What the fuck?
nande yanen
なんでやねん！

I am a pathetic bed wetter
watashi wa sho mo nai onesho desu
私輪しょうもないオネショです。

Shit, I'm really fucking baked
yabai ore itachatte iru wa
ヤバい、俺、イちゃっているわ。

That girl from the club gave me the clap.
kurabu no ko ni rimbyo o moratcchatta
クラブの子に淋病をもらっちゃった。

bukkake (skeet skeet skeet)
bukkake
ぶっかけ

I need to shave my bikini line
bikini rain o soranakya
ビキニライをそらなきゃ。

playing the skin flute
shakuhachi
尺八

Fucking cops.
poriko no aho
ポリこうのアホ

It's a biker cop!
shirobai da
白バイだ！

I know, graphic but hilarious. However, that's only about a third of the book. The rest is quite useful: casual greetings for friends, how to describe people (ditz, recluse, lazy bum), witty sayings, and things young hip people do for fun. There's plenty of practical phrases to get you by without sounding like a robot foreigner full of textbook-produced expressions (I know I need that). It's really a great insight to how the younger generation of Japanese people really speak among each other and what they're all about, although some of it may seem a bit strange and perverse. Like the author admits, "When you're among friends or fellow debauchers, let's face it--'Konnichiwa, yoroshiku onegai shimassu' is going to make you stand out like...well..a foreigner."
Dirty Japanese by Matt Fargo