First Experience in Japan

So begins my adventures in　日本, or Japan. To be brief, my 9.5 hour flight went well, food was fine, didn't get much sleep, etc. Upon arrival, I hardly had time to think as I was rushed through immigration, baggage claim and customs. To my amusement random people standing in the immigration line asked me pronunciation questions for Japanese words; I really don't know how they thought I knew any Japanese at all. To the hotel, and then off on an evening of exploration.





My two roommates and I headed out into Shinjuku in search of dinner. I was completely speechless as we walked through the streets. All the flashing, bright, neon lights, throngs of people, sounds, smells - all very new to me. Essentially I was in a sensation trance, since I typically observe in all my senses. As one of my friends would say, over-stimulation leaves me overwhelmed. Our wandering led us past a sushi place, the kind with a conveyor belt that I frequent in Seattle. To my amazement as we sat down, there were spouts at each sitting place that pumped out hot water for matcha (green tea). Needless to say, this enthralled me enough. Then the sushi came around, and as I eagerly pulled various kinds off the conveyor belt, my tongue certainly experienced its own euphoria because this sushi was amazing. To put it simply, it tasted like sushi I would get at expensive restaurants at home, and yet cheap. Brilliant.

Then on our way out we stumbled across a video arcade with a taiko drum game similar to DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). My roommates played it first, and I watched, laughing of course since it was so ridiculous. Then I had a try, and of course I was hooked. Banging the drums to the little beat marks as they went past. A Japanese man stopped and gave us additional instructions since apparently we were doing something wrong. I ended up winning the game with my amazing drum pounding skills. Who knows where those came from. Or if its even a skill.

We purchased some mochi (I had peach yogurt flavored, basically its a rice ball with flavored bean paste and in my case, some yogurt type cream also inside) on our way to the Metropolitan Building. We took an elevator up an extensive amount of floors, though at this point I don't remember how many floors, to the observatory to see ALL of Tokyo at night. It was amazing, and I was sad I couldn't check it out from outside. Oh and I should also note that the vending machines are FANTASTIC here, as I can get green tea out of all of them. Green tea at my every whim... amazing.

We ended up eating our mochi on some random bench outside of a convenience store facing oncoming traffic, since we have heard you aren't supposed to eat and walk at the same time. The entire evening I was laughing since I knew we probably appeared as crazy tourists... which leads me to my next exciting adventure of TODAY (Tuesday, July 29).



I decided to skip out on the boring lectures this afternoon and head to Akihabara, the electronics district of Tokyo. This would be of course, my first time exploring Tokyo alone, and my first time riding a train alone. With some instructions from a friend who knows Tokyo pretty well, and Japanese, my map and other important items, I headed out to Shinjuku station. Upon arrival, I was suddenly overtaken by all the people, walking here and there, all over the place. Reminded me of an ant hill in some ways. Considering that this alone overstimulated me, and the fact I had never been there before, it took me about 45 minutes to figure out how to purchase a ticket and then how to get to where I wanted to go. After walking back and forth a dozen times, analyzing signs and my map, I finally discovered how to purchase a ticket and headed through the ticket receptors and off to the colored, numbered, train lines to find where I needed to go. Of course, I ended up getting confused, since Akihabara is near Tokyo, I thought oh well it should be on the same line that goes to Tokyo. I was wrong. I got on the train, heard the names of stations that weren't on the rail line I was supposed to be on, and so decided to get off at the next stop - Kanda.

It turned out well, however, since Kanda was right next to Tokyo, and ironically enough, next to Akihabara. Unfortunately I could only wander around Kanda for a little while since I had to get back to Shinjuku to meet one of my roommates for dinner, so I didn't get to visit Akihabara today sadly. Of course, now I know how to ride the trains and feel confident enough to figure anything out next time I try. Practice makes perfect and all of that.

My roommate and I decided we wanted tempura, so went in search of a Japanese restaurant (surprinsgly, many of the restaurants around here are foreign food). We ended up in an underground restaurant area and were trying to decide which restaurant to eat at, especially since most of the meals were expensive. We finally picked one, starving... and basically made fools of ourselves attempting to order. I can order food, but didn't know how to say we wanted to share a meal. Apparently, this isn't normal or good or something, because the waiter was confused, and he had to go call out the guy in the restaurant who spoke English to talk to us. Then my roommate had no idea what she was eating (a variety of fish/shrimp tempura but I only knew what part of it was), which made me laugh incredibly hard at the whole situation. Finally, as we were leaving, the one man who spoke English told us next time we visit we each order one thing. After we left, I don't think I stopped laughing.

Then suddenly a thunderstorm appeared and it started sprinkling a bit...as we headed on our way to Krispy Kreme for donuts. As we sat eating our donuts, (this time our ordering was actually competent and we felt made up for our ridiculousness at the restaurant), we watched as the streets became like little rivers and I commented, "we are going to get soaked walking back to the hotel." So as we left, the doormen said "no no no no no!" as we took off running across the street to the next shelter. Our quick jaunt across the street left us completely soaked, and I was literally doubled over, laughing, trying to control bodily functions....

After I composed myself, we took off sprinting again for the next shelter, as one man we passed yelled "WOOOO HOOOO!!!!" to which we laughed harder as we kept running. We were in search of an umbrella at a convenience store I should add..... Then we ran past some young guys about our age who looked at us, laughing and yelling "Heavy rain! Heavy rain!" I am surprised I maintained control of unsaid bodily functions as we ran through the rain and small lakes, completely soaked. Sure enough, found a 7-11, purchased an umbrella, and then it stopped raining. Go figure.

Needless to say, I am glad that I can laugh at myself and that I DO laugh at myself, because the entire day was rather ridiculous, and I made a complete fool out of myself. As my roommate put it, "this gives us a taste of the year to come."

Sure enough.

I have to say that I have really enjoyed Japan so far, though I've experienced so little of it, and look forward to experiencing more. I'm heading to my "home" tomorrow in Shizuoka, so I will update again later, probably after I get internet! Until then, Matta ne.

A New Chapter

5 days. 5 days until I close the chapter of my Seattle life and begin a new one for Japan - specifically, Fukuroi city in Shizuoka prefecture. In anticipation of leaving this beloved part of my life behind, I have attempted to savor these last moments in the Emerald City, and the Evergreen State.

Growing up in the rural suburbia of Bellingham, WA, I was somewhat of a country girl when I arrived in Seattle. Though I still hold tightly to my country roots (country music!), most would probably describe me more as a Seattlite-hippie, obsessed with the outdoors and REI shopping, OCD about the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle), and supporter of organic and local products. Not to mention my transition from the right-wing to a more neutral stance, influenced by my many liberal and moderate minded friends, experience, and education. Yes, it is safe to say that I have fallen in love with Seattle over the past several years, and although I won't miss the traffic, it is somewhat sad to bid it farewell.

Yesterday my friend Ruth and I roamed around downtown. A nice 25 minute walk to lower Queen Anne, to find that we were thirsty rather than hungry so went in search of a coffee shop for smoothies. Forget the hype I always talk about, we walked about 10 blocks and found one Tully's that was closed. "This is Seattle," I griped, "there's supposed to be a bloody coffee shop on every corner!" So we became more dehydrated as we walked clear down to Pike (although without realizing it) and got our Tully's smoothies. I was, in the meantime, snapping random pictures of things as we walked past. Rather uninteresting for the most part but perhaps will interest my Japanese students. It felt rather silly, acting like a tourist in a town that you live in, and felt that even my dress hardly fit the tourist stereotype (at least one of my friends would say I was wearing hippie clothes - of course my green festival t-shirt and nylon minty green knee-length skirt).

So following the throngs of tourists down to Pike's Place, my eyes suddenly caught a sign that drastically changed our non-existent itinerary. "AHHH!!! UGHH!!!! AHHH!!!" I exclaimed, my finger extended as far as it would go, pointing at an old wooden sign hanging from a shop near the produce market. The sign, had an ice cream cone and the words "Frozen Yogurt". Ruth and I had been attempting to discover frozen yogurt in downtown Seattle for some odd months, as only Bellevue, Southcenter and Alderwood have fro-yo shops. Ruth didn't really understand my strange noises and gestures, until she read the sign, to which she responded with her own noises as well. We walked down the old wooden steps, in awe of the soft-serve fro-yo being eaten in front of our eyes. Disappointment soon followed. We had no cash. To shorten the story, we did end up walking several blocks to our respective credit union and bank, so that we could withdraw cash, buy our fro-yo (I had strawmarionberry in all its bright pink glory) and then went on our merry way to SAM (Seattle Art Museum) for a pic and then back up to Westlake to figure out which bus we wanted to take to the Seattle Center for, what else, fudge.

Of course, upon arrival at Westlake, I realized, we could take the monorail! Yes that piece of crap that travels along a rickety-looking track a few stories above the street (and imminent death) directly to the Seattle Center. Of course, we chose the worst day considering it was The Bite weekend (Bite of Seattle). People from all around show up for this gluttonous event, as everyone stuffs their faces with sample foods and treats from various Seattle eating establishments (far over-priced though). So we waited in the longest line we have ever seen for the monorail, paid a ridiculous $2 to ride it, and ended up in what some call the heart of Seattle.

Yes, then directly to purchase our fudge (chocolate mint!!!) and more touristy pictures. Then an inordinate amount of weaving and dodging through all the eaters until we reached Mercer St. to walk down to Sushiland, home of the most inexpensive, but still delicious, sushi in Seattle. Aside a bus ride back to my apartment, this marked the end of our tourist excursion. And yet I still need to get down to Pioneer Square, Safeco and Quest fields, Gasworks and maybe even Alki Beach, for a few more pictures. Of course most would hardly recognize MY Seattle in pictures, those places that no tourist would ever find, live, work, play, etc, so I must seek out TOURIST Seattle. Yet, these short excursions have served as a means for closure as I prepare to close this chapter. All the neighborhoods, schools, parks, restaurants, stores...that have served as a backdrop for so many memories I have, I am leaving this amazing mural of my life. In five days, a new canvas will be brought out and a new mural painted. To all of those I am leaving behind, I am so blessed to have spent this time with you and to make the memories we have made. So this is the beginning of my new blog based in Japan, and will be posting again soon. Sayonara, my dearest Seattle.