キムぶろ、超久しぶり！A look inside the mind of a Japanese salary man during rush hour...

Well, there have certainly been some ups and downs over the last month. I realise it's been soooo long since I last updated my blog and I'm not proud of it.

So according to my last entry, I'd covered up to November 15th where I was reunited with the lovely Eve <3....To be honest, nothing happened whatsoever between the 15th and my birthday so I feel it more appropriate to cover my birthday in a separate entry (with a few photos of course).

Why waste a post, though? I think I'm gonna mention something I've learnt about Japan so far and its craaaazy lifestyle...

Before coming to Japan, I had this preconception that the Japanese were among some of the most polite people in the world...Oh, ho ho! Perhaps I was wrong here. I actually find Japanese people more rude than the British! It made me consider not wanting to ever come back here to work but there are so many other aspects of Japan that are attractive so I think I'm aiming to come back and work in the future despite some of the attitudes I've encountered in Tokyo.

Actually, the Japanese are fairly polite and modest in general...but collect a large group of them, cram them into a train station and give them a destination and they become these merciless animals with only their goal in sight. Vacant but somehow determined stares, briefcases and handbags clutched at their chests, with no regard for any other human being in the station, they stride forward towards their platform....and once they start a-striding, nothing shall get in their way.

Being a short arse, I often find I've got the short straw in a place like Shinjuku Station at half past eight in the morning. Let me give you an example...

I shall take you inside the mind of a salary man in Shinjuku Station during rush hour:


"My platform is number 7 as I am to catch the Chuo Rapid service to Tokyo Station. My platform is on the far side of the transfer gate and I'm in a hurry (for no real reason as the trains on the Chuo line leave every couple of minutes). I'm in Shinjuku Station; there's an etiquette that I need to comply with. 


I shall either 

a) pull my briefcase up to my chest and break into a run (like a bowling ball in a skittles alley)...  

 or

b) to make sure I have a clear path to the platform in the distance, I will keep my briefcase by my side and use it as a weapon.

So I've chosen method 'b' but there are a number of obstacles between me and my destination platform (namely other persons). I'd like to have a bit of personal space between  myself and them so I think I will make some room. 


I will have to assess the situation appropriately for if I take a swing at a slightly larger person than I, it is fairly certain that my attack will rebound and I shall be sent spinning into a crowd of people walking the other direction. 


...Aha, large salary man ahead: I shall avoid him by walking around him but will give him a good jostle on his shoulder for good measure.


...Crowd of business women: method 'a' works quite well with these. I shall hold my briefcase up to my chest and break into a run. Watch as they tumble like dominoes. 


I'm back on track and the platform is well within reach. What's this?! A tiny gaijin? Yes, I believe it is and she seems to be making good progress to the very same platform as I. But she's so tiny...a well-aimed 'b' attack would rid her from my path and there's absolutely no chance of a rebound as she is much smaller than I. I approach at high speed, lift my briefcase a little higher and, oh my, this is perfect. She'd never expect a thing, not with her earphones crammed into her head, pumping out very angry Japanese rock...I hold my briefcase out to the side and push past her. The collision produces a marvellous, audible "smack" sound and...and...K.O! Tiny gaijin to the ground! The platform is mine to conquer! 


I pound up the stairs to the platform. I find if I hold my arms out to the side like the wings of an aeroplane as I run, the heaving crowd of passengers coming back down the stairs seem to just part. Sure, I look very silly doing it (what with my slightly overweight, typical salary man stature) but according to the rules of Shinjuku in the morning, I HAVE to be in a hurry.


I'm at my platform...and the 8:37 has just left without me. Ah well, see, this is a minor matter. The 8:39 will arrive in a few seconds and I shall just hop aboard that one. There's no rush."

Miraculous. Am I right, ladies and gentlemen?

キムぶろ、久しぶり！

Woah! I realise it's been quite a while since my last entry. I guess it's because I've been busier than usual. I suppose I could do a quick run-through of what has been going on...

11/3 (Thursday)
Day one of 明大際 (Meidai Festival). I plodded down to the station to meet Hiro before I jumped on stage to perform. I had my first ever ukulele solo, playing and singing Paramore's  "The Only Exception" whilst Hiro sat and recorded it. I was so nervous my legs were shaking and my hands were slippery with sweat so changing chords was rather difficult. It was the better of the two performances though. My second was Tokyo Jihen's "Killer Tune" where I provided the vocals to circle-mate Ryoma's guitar playing....the only problem was that his guitar was totally out of tune and that he seemed unaware of it...blegh.

明大際＠明治大学和泉キャンパス

Hiro and I wandered about the festival for a little while, exploring the stalls and watching the cheerleaders などなど。He hadn't brought his guitar so we just hung out and had to make do with my little uke. I cooked my 'nabe-ramen' thing, went to do some much looked-forward-to karaoke and got pretty damn drunk....(end of the day as far as my memory goes..*ahem*)

Karaoke with Hiro

11/4 (Friday)
We leapt out the door and headed down to Yokohama for a Musical Instrument Fair. Yokohama was a breath of fresh air. It felt so good to be out of Tokyo's suffocating streets and smellin' that ocean breeze....

Yokohama

The fair was indescribable. There were musical instruments of all shapes and sizes, some that I'd never encountered before and the event featured some very talented musicians on stage. I'm so grateful for Hiro for taking me along. It was MAGICAL.
After the event, we wandered around Yokohama's harbour area and eventually took a train to China Town for nosh and touristy fun.

Just one of the guitars...

A visit to China Town

11/5 (Saturday)
Back on the stage for me. Despite being really, really faint, I think I pulled it off. I provided the vocals for a rendition of Paramore's "Misery Business" and Tokyo Jihen's "Marunouchi Sadistic", both of which went down very nicely with the audience - mission accomplished. After the event finished, I went to my first 飲み会 in Japan (a sort of drinking party...). I left earlier than most as I was SUPER tired and ill. Fun though...

11/6 (Sunday)
Went to a Rock 'n' Roll gig with my housemate Miriam. Some of the music was to my taste...some not. NEVER in my life have I taken in so much cigarette smoke that my lungs ached. I got so used to the smoking ban in the UK, coming to a Japanese club was a total shock. Still, I like to experience new things so I agreed to go along. "The Bunny Tail" was the best act of the night and ultimately the one we went to see. Their bassist was so charismatic!

11/8 (Tuesday)
Crappy morning...and then BAM!!! My new uke arrives and it's the most beautiful thing in the world ever and kfgildbbfgawilufgcuhlwg!!!!

There she is...

11/15 (Tuesday)
EEEVEEEE!!!! I had the opportunity to meet one of my closest friends from senior school again and it truly made my day perfect. Eve, Alicia and I wandered around Harajuku, in toy shops, clothes shops and ate wonderful Harajuku crepes. Glorious. I had no idea Eve had missed me so much. I'm so gonna make it up to her and stay in close contact from now on. She's a true friend and I love her to bits! xxxxxx

Crepes at Harajuku

....So, that about brings us up to date...right?
Not too much happening until my birthday. I am planning, however to go and visit Mount Takao and take in some fresh air at last with my friend Todd. I really hope the weather is good!

"The Stick of Encouragement"...

Friday involved lectures as normal (which I forgot to bring half my completed homework to....durp!) followed by a trip to a temple..er..somewhere to partake in a 'Zazen' experience. (Wooo!)

Ahem, so a fairly large group of us piled onto the Marunouchi Subway Line and where whisked away to a rather random station (Hon-Komagome) where a certain temple (龍光禪寺）was to be located. It turns out the staff accompanying us had forgotten where the temple was too...

After a few wrong turns we finally arrived at the temple. It was fairly small and situated in the middle of a residential area. Walking inside and removing our shoes, we encountered a rather large tatami room with a couple dozen cushions laid out on the floor. Taking a cushion each, we were given a long complicated Japanese explanation of the practise of 'Zazen', a sort of meditation.

龍光禪寺

Cushions at the ready...

 After the Priest had sounded a pair of wooden clappers three times and struck a bell four times, we were to begin Zazen for twenty minutes. This involved sitting cross-legged (you know that uncomfortable way where your feet rest on top of each thigh), keeping our eyes open and fixed on a certain point on the floor in front and controlling our breathing - just counting our breaths in sets of ten and trying not to think of anything else....difficult when the Priest is patrolling the room, armed with a 'Keisaku' (encouragement stick). If one felt that one had not cleared their mind of all thought, they would place their palms together in 'gassho' and wait for the Priest to come and strike each of their shoulders twice with his Keisaku. It sounded SO painful but apparently wasn't....

We were given a quick break to recover our dead legs before another twenty minute session...

After a total of forty minutes absolute silence (and in my case, trying to force myself to stay awake - my eyes kept doing that flutter thing and my head kept nodding back and forth) we were allowed to uncurl our legs again and were given tea and some cake thing. If you want an honest description, it tasted of a mixture of egg yolk and sugar.

Strange cake

An hour of self introductions, our thoughts and the opportunity to ask questions, we finally left. I zoooooomed back to Meidaimae to throw on some fairly dark clothes, slap some dark makeup on my face and stick my hair up in all directions. Ten minutes is the fastest I've ever been getting ready for a party (I normally take three hours...). This little Hallowe'en party was something thrown together by the international department at Meiji University and lasted a grand total of two hours! It consisted of a room full of people dressed in silly costumes and various snacks and drinks laid out on tables. I didn't think it was worth 300円 to get in so I snuck in for free, took some photos and skipped off to a rather urgent meeting with my circle.

A scene from the Hallowe'en party

Hallowe'en costumes?

I practiced the songs that I'll be performing at the festival nyada nyada nyaaa and then wandered back to the international house to sneak into a second party (a Hallowe'en house party) again without paying. Glorious. It was a familiar sight to behold; a corridor and kitchen area packed with very drunken people playing loud music. I perched myself in the corner next to the speakers and took control of the music. I met Masashi, who shares the same love for Paramore that I do so I sang to him as he seemed to enjoy it.

A corridor full of drunken people

I went back to my room earlier than most after being nampa-ed by this drunken Korean bloke, to sort out some registration online and such.
Crazy Friday, crazy.

Other than seeing a baseball game on Saturday...I can't really remember what happened. I think it was baseball followed by more festival rehearsal and an early bedtime...meh.

Back at Meijijingu Stadium

かっとばせー！

~More antics soon....

An action-packed week ahead....

Title says it all, really.

Today was the Monday of that same crazy week. I had a job interview scheduled, which went smoothly but I had to cut it short cause I didn't want to sign my name on anything until I've sorted all the crap out at the university. So much crap. The manager of the cafe did say that if I couldn't find work as a teacher, I could always make it as a model. (I just took it as compliment.)

Tomorrow is Tuesday. I have another kanji test that I intend to ace, again. (Tentens, don't let me down!) Also, I plan to raid Claire's Accessories for the cheapest set of ears/horns for the cheapest Hallowe'en costume EVER! We shall see if Shinjuku can provide.

Wednesday. Erm...nothing but normal lectures, I believe? I need to learn the lyrics to the songs I am performing at the 学園祭 and I (stupidly) set myself the deadline of Wednesday for that. So nervous!

Thursday. I have to give a speech in class. I had one of my original speeches that I wrote for a presentation at Sheffield University that I was quite proud of. However, my teacher at Meiji University insisted on shortening all my sentences and taking out any words that sound too complicated. (So she basically 'dumbed it down' to first-year level and I'm not too pleased.)

Friday. Essay due for Friday, gotta crack down on that. Straight after class, I shall be heading down to the International Lounge to attend a 'Zen Experience' at a temple. It sounded intriguing so I put my name down. (Also, it's free and free is good.)
Finishing that, I have to slap on a tonne of makeup for a Hallowe'en party, which I shall be half attending, the other half spent with my circle, practicing for the perfomance the following Thursday.

Saturday. Not yet confirmed but I was planning to see a baseball game between Waseda and Keio Universities (早慶戦）. It's rather like the Japanese version of the Oxbridge Boat Race. I also intend to do a LOAD of washing on the weekend.

Sundaaaay. I shall spend the day doing some homework, some psychology report and then join 'my maaan' for some Korean barbecue, which sounds AMAZING. (I discovered how tasty kimchi is today and I would assume that Korean barbecue would include kimchi somewhere...)

Yeah, ...lots to come. I shall try not to forget my camera this week.

Mid-October Happenings

Ho my, I realise the 10th was like...almost two weeks ago and I haven't updated since then! (Sorry...)

So anyway, here's what I've been up to in the last two weeks....

(The first of the two weeks)
First up, Wednesday: A spontaneous visit to Tokyo Tower. Having just finished my Applied Linguistics class, I stroll back into my dorm from my dorm and find Strahinja sat in the entrance. So out of curiosity, I ask him if he's waiting for something. He says that he's waiting for some friends and then they're all going to head off to Tokyo Tower, some sightseeing at night as it were. He then says I'm welcome to come along....
(Brief pause)
I'll just dump my things in my room and be right with you! ~♪
So I did. And we travelled quite a long way in search of this tower. The nearest station was Daimon and we walked from there.

Approaching Tokyo Tower 

Ascending the tower cost around 800円 but luckily with student discount, we were granted access for 720円.

東京タワー

The view was.....the view was....well, it was a view of Tokyo at night to be honest. It was very similar to the experience I shared with Hiro at the the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, only this time it wasn't free. The added bonus was the view of the Rainbow Bridge linking Tokyo to the artificial island of Odaiba (albeit being very very far away).
Having said that, the atmosphere was great. There was a restaurant and a live band playing very familiar bossa nova tracks (The Girl From Ipanema etc) and unusual instruments. I would say that Tokyo Tower is the ideal night out for a couple: romantic view, romantic dinner and romantic musical accompaniment. (Really missed a certain someone at this point...)

A view from the tower

The fantastic live bossa nova band

Thursday!
I had scheduled to meet up with Misato Abe, who I hadn't met since Sheffield yonks ago. I met her outside Ochanomizu Station and we wandered into town together to have lunch and a good catch-up.
I had tempura for the first time and it was delicious!

天丼

The stunning Misato

Ahh, it was so nice to meet with someone familiar and have a good girly chat about..er...things. We chatted for about 3 and a bit hours (because we girls can).
It was sad having to part with her and having to watch her skip off in the opposite direction...ready to catch the Tsukuba Express....and be taken away.....*sad face*.

(The second of the two weeks)

NOTHING BUT NOTHING BUT NOTHING BUT 勉強！
I had so much homework and preparation for a Japanese exam that counts towards my grade (it happened Tuesday last, and I missed one question, giving me 98%. Win).
....Study, study, study, homework, homework, homework (quick mess-around on my camera), homework, homework.......JESSAMY!

Sundaaaaay!
I met with my friend Jessamy in Ikebukuro just to hang out for a few hours. Ikebukuro is like Akihabara...only more aimed at girls than horny little boys (so there are less attractions with massive bewbs and more with cute fluffy things).
It was fun to have a wander around a new area of Tokyo and to have a MASSIVE girly catch-up, only to realise that we have so much in common....it was kinda scary. Jessamy bought herself some AWESOME new headphones. They are Kaomoji-kun ones and are mega cute.

Cute Rilakkuma plastic food

Gintoki, Sadaharu and Elizabeth

I HATED having to say goodbye. It was so hard to watch her turn a different direction.....round a corner so that she disappeared from sight....ready to catch the Tsukuba Express.....and be taken away...AGAIN! (Why is everyone I know located in the Tsukuba area?! Methinks I'm in the wrong city....)

サークル things...

Mondaaaay. Today was Nation Health Sports Day ..or whatever, which basically meant a day off lectures (for me, no classical Japanese. YAHOOO!)

I started the day with a sob 'cause I really fancied a sing-song but my guitarist lives 1,150円 away.... I cooked some strange mixture of vegetables, rice and natto. (I've realised recently that natto tastes AMAZING in everything; I put it in omelette, in my ramen, with my soba....)

Following that, I settled down at the kitchen table with a hot mug of tea and made a start on my MAHOOSIVE pile of homework. I think I managed about half of it before I lost the motivation to do anything so I wandered off down to campus to join my circle and do some much-needed sing-songing.

Success! I found a guitarist worthy of accompanying me. He goes by the name of Kohei Watanabe (or Bei for short) and has the ability to play anything after hearing it once. I played him a potential song I wanted to perform at the school festival on my iPod. He'd listened to the track once, nodded and started to play the song exactly the way it had sounded on my pod. I started to sing along and we made it through the whole track.....sorted! We shall be playing together at the 和泉学園祭。

A few hours later, I received an unhappy text (albeit adorable) from Hiro, who was worried that I, having found a new guitarist, would no longer be in need of Hiro's playing. NO NO!  Silly baby. I made sure to explain to him that nobody could ever replace him, EVER.
And then he told me we was thinking of joining a guitar circle at his university...and found that I had the exact same response; that perhaps Hiro would find another vocalist at his university and would then have no need for me. He too assured me this would not happen. We're as bad as each other.

I returned in a happier mood and finished all the homework I needed to finish before Tuesday. In my stupid four and a half hour break in between lecture and pointless seminar, I shall be heading for the immigration office to see if I can obtain working permission....hmm.
I'm really hoping the university doesn't need to give permission, otherwise I have no idea how I'm going to be able to enjoy life here.

ようやくサークルに入った。

<<I finally joined a circle>>

Friday, hell of a day.
I had the usual morning rush (albeit calmer than yesterday's shenanigans at the station) and attended my 3-hour Japanese lesson. It was a good lesson, always is on a Friday. There was the usual never-before-seen grammar and explanations followed this time by a good browse through a travel magazine. I have never wanted so badly to visit Nagasaki and its Holland-style village, Huistenbosch. Like THAT will happen. I can't afford lunch at the moment so it's missing from my daily routine.

I received word after the lesson had finished that the other Japanese teachers had been discussing that they want me to move up a class into the top group. My speaking level is not 'fluent' so....I really don't think I'll be moving. It'll probably also require me to purchase an advanced Japanese textbook, which I definitely DO NOT WANT as the last intermediate textbook cost me the best part of £40 (plus, the added stress, yadda yadda...).

Ah, yes. In relation to that matter, I went and appealed at the International Office to see if they'd make an exception to their 'バイトしっちゃダメ!' rule and allow me to seek a part-time job so that I can LIVE. The answer was 'no' but they suggested that I write them an email explaining my situation and to say whether the job will benefit my studies in any way (as this is essentially why I'm here in Japan). Working will indeed benefit my studies! It will not only improve my spoken Japanese, but aid my research for my dissertation (with the provisional topic being second language-acquisition) and will give me valuable English-teaching experience that will ultimately support me post-graduation when I seek work as a full-time English teacher in Japan.....(I typed all this in the email, don't worry.)
...So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they take my situation into account and grant me permission. (I also *shhhhh* received some helpful information regarding 'the rules'...Meiji University is not legally able to stop me from working. I was told that some students in the past worked part-time without Meiji's knowing....)


I was a tearful person for a good half-hour until I found a supermarket MUCH cheaper than my usual and was able to replenish my supply of green tea for half the price I would usually pay. Mood improved dramatically after this.

A much-needed munch (at 4pm as I don't have lunch at the moment) and I skip off down the road to my local Izumi Campus to join a circle by the name of 'ストリート'. Despite my initial desire of joining a badminton circle, I ended up in a music circle as the badminton circle failed to provide any means of correspondence or information regarding the circle's whereabouts, time...or any mention of anything happening in the current year. Hmm.

So, 'Street' is an acoustic guitar circle that also seeks vocalists to provide their own noise. I had about four hours of flitting between guitarists, singing, chatting and playing my uke. Somehow, I managed to slice open my middle finger on my right hand and I've bled right through the plaster. My uke strings can hurt if you miss while strumming (that'll teach me to not swing my head about like a loony while I play). I tried several renditions of 丸の内サディスティック to see which guitarist was more 'à la Kim'. A dude called Ryoma (right?) had a particular strumming style that I liked: more slap and a catchy rhythm. (He still comes second-best to Hiro though. NOTHING can compare to Hiro's playing.) Most of the members were absent, apparently practising for tomorrow's ライブ (live event) to be held at the Surugadai Campus in Ochanomizu, which I have every intention of attending (I won't be performing; I'm still a newcomer) if I can find the correct room.... 

It's flatmate Miriam's birthday tomorrow so I will have to throw some money towards food. I shall of course be ordering the least expensive thing on the menu. (けちじゃないわよ！貧乏っす！）

Trains much?

Oh dear lord...

I departed for class two minutes later than usual today (due to a minor wardrobe malfunction). It was fairly chilly at two minutes past eight....

....I don't know how today was so special but it seemed EVERYONE IN TOKYO wanted to be riding them this morning. Never have I before come to a complete grinding halt at the JR transfer gate, never have I before been jammed solidly whilst going up the stairs to platform 7....never have I before received a rather firm push from behind by a pair of white gloved hands.

It was also my first time seeing the railway staff handing out little slips of paper with an apology written on them. I would therefore assume that they are to give to one's company or workplace to inform them of why one was late....

I managed (somehow) to arrive on time, 10 minutes before my other classmates, even though I swear they got on the same train as me....hmm.
Anywho, the lesson went smoothly and I received very positive feedback for my report and presentation. I did, however, fail yet again at finding a guitar pick with Die's name on it. (Dir en grey's second guitarist.) Kaoru: plenty, Toshiya: no problem, Die: where are you hiding them, Ochanomizu??!?!! *ahem*

So, Tokyo rush hour as I've never seen it. I hope it calms down tomorrow. I shall leave two minutes earlier if it makes that much of a difference. PHEW!

防災体験!!

<<Disaster Prevention Experience>>

Today was FUN.

I had the normal morning rush to Ochanomizu in the morning, which involved disembarking at Yotsuya by accident and having to catch the next train (duuuurrrrr....).
Classes began at nine (I made it with time to spare, fear not!) and I had my usual 3 hours of Japanese babble and reading exercises. We talked about how when tryptophan (トリプトファン) combines with vitamin B6, it changes to serotonin (セロトニン); the secretion of which acts as a neurotransmitter...in Japanese, believe it or not.　（牛製品に含まれるトリプトファンはビタミンB６と結合して、脳の覚醒を促すセロトニンに変化すること。授業のトピックは眠気ましに効く食べ物。かなり面白かった。）

Lesson over, I stumbled into my friend Kohei, who treated me to lunch at Burger King (of all places, haha!). It was nice to chat and help him with his English homework.

Next up, an experience in disaster prevention at a special centre near Tokyo's Sky Tree. Like a total noob, I had left my camera on my desk so I have no photos of today. (We were not allowed to take photos inside the actual centre but photos of the Sky Tree would have been good *sad face*.)

We began by watching a movie about an earthquake disaster with two fictional boys knowing how to handle the situation like pros. (I cried in the middle when their families' houses collapsed. Thank GOD おばあさん made it out of the rubble safely! Had me right on the edge of my seat!)

Lesson 1: 煙 (smoke) and how to deal with it in a building:

This involved running through a small maze of rooms whilst following the emergency exit signs. There were sensors inside the maze that would tell us if we had died during the task. In other words, if we were not crouched low enough, the sensors would detect that and it would show on a TV monitor. Entering the maze seemed okay. It was light, the fake smoke was vanilla-scented....I pressed my handkerchief to my face and ran in a crouched position, following the wall with my right hand. EEEEP! It suddenly went pitch black. All the lights failed including the emergency exit lights so we had to feel our way out by tracing the wall with our hands. Having emerged, we found only one of our group to be 'dead' (and it wasn't me! I guess being a short-arse helps sometimes.)

Lesson 2: 震度７の地震 (earthquakes at magnitude 7; the strongest) and how to deal with them:

This was scary. In small groups we entered this small room with various items of furniture including a dining table, boiler, chair, dresser etc...
Within seconds the simulation began and the room started to shake quite violently. As instructed beforehand, we dived under the dining table, seizing a table leg each and waited for the room to stop rocking and for the furniture to stop falling over. Quake over, we switched off the boiler and held the door of the room open with a chair. MADNESS! But really, really fun nevertheless.

Lesson 3: 消火 (extinguishing fires):

This was very valuable. I have never before been able to get a hands-on experience of using a 消火器 (fire extinguisher). We had a quick run-through of the 3 steps it took to use a fire extinguisher;

1. pull the pin on top
2. release hose and take aim
3. squeeze the trigger
4. PARTAY!

...and then we were able to try it out with real fire extinguishers with a fire simulation. We started by yelling: "火事だ！" and then got busy with the the hoses. 

Lesson 4: 救急法 (first-aid)

I had never been taught this either! We entered a room full of dummies and had a lesson in how to perform 心肺蘇生法 (CPR) and how to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). 肝要な知識！！！  

PHEW! What a daaay. たくさん勉強になった。

Side note: after returning home, I made the most AMAZING food ever, that I shall 絶対に cook for my "guest" next time he visits. (You are gonna love it! Boo yah!)

One CRAZY Saturday...

So yeah....

I had bought a ticket to go see my first ever baseball game at 明治神宮野球場. It was Meiji University vs. Keio University.

I had purchased myself, for a mere 300円, one 応援席券 (cheering squad seat ticket...ish thing), which meant following the cheerleaders' instructions written on several cards. For example, if they were to hold up the cards showing the words "頑張れ" and "野村", then we would have to cheer on Nomura-san. There were similar gestures for "strike 1", "strike 2" etc. All in all, it was very exciting to be a part of the crowd, singing various Meiji songs and yelling at the top of our voices. I had quite the sore throat afterwards.

明治神宮野球場

Singing Meiji University's anthem

Meiji lost this particular match but apparently they are still ranking very high against the other universities.

Match over, I make my way back to Shinjuku and wander around aimlessly (to try and put off doing my homework).

Bleepity bleep, and I receive a text message from Hiro asking whether I wanted to come and see a HUGE fireworks display (one of the largest in Japan) that same night. I call him back and he says it's in Tsukuba, an hour and a half away from Tokyo by train. It sounded like an opportunity not to be missed so I agreed to go.

I rush back home to empty my bag of bento leftovers and useless stuff that would make my bag heavy...Hiro calls again to ask if I can come to Tsukuba 'right now'. A brief pause.

Luckily, I'm an easygoing, spontaneous person, so I had no trouble whatsoever saying 'yes'. I change into some sensible shoes and get straight back on the train. Various changes later, I purchase myself a ticket that will take me directly from Akihabara to Tsukuba (for an unfriendly price).

Sat on the train, it was rather nice to see the large buildings and busyness of Tokyo start to disappear from sight and be replaced by views of fields and farmhouses.

筑波到着！

I am greeted at Tsukuba Station by Hiro, in the driver's seat of a car that looked very much like one of his Doctor Martin boots (and not much bigger either).
We join the massive traffic queues and I start to realise how bloomin' massive this event actually is. The sidewalks are chock-a-block with bicycle after bicycle, people on foot, all heading for the same destination. Traffic grinds to a halt, Hiro parks in a field (for the stupid price of 2000円) and we walk the remainder of the distance.

Marching into a field, we find a small, unoccupied patch of ground on which to sit and wait for the fireworks display to begin. Moments later, Kayo and Daniel join us, armed with a blanket and various munchable items. There are many "ooh"s and "ahh"s throughout the 2-hour display.

The gang: Hiro, Daniel, Kayo and myself

It was unlike any display I have ever seen; fireworks in a huge variety of colours, so huge they seem to occupy the whole sky, some even taking the form of 'smiley faces', rabbits, frogs and even Doraemon! It was spectacular and I am so glad I went.

Looks like Saturn! (土星じゃん？）

A camera just can't capture it...

Kayo had very kindly lent me her place to stay the night (opposite Hiro's) as it was very late by the time we had got back. Traffic was pretty much stationary for the return journey but time seemed to pass pretty quickly as Hiro and I sung along to 'Come on Eileen', 'Teenage Dirtbag' and many other awesome tracks stored on his iPhone.

A late visit to 松屋 for din-dins, a touch of booze and a good sleep. A marvellous end to a marvellous day.

11am the following morning and I make my reluctant return to the Tokyo madness and massive pile of homework. Delicious.

Thanks for inviting me! <3

Tourists for the day!

Hello, yoons. (A little late, I'll admit, but....)

Some weekends here in Japan are better than others. This was a good one; it involved new places and new experiences.

So, despite the pre-arranged meeting time of midday, I receive a phone call from Hiro at seven minutes past the ninth hour of the morning (I was still asleep at this time) to say that he was around the corner and ready to meet up.....

So, (after a mad rush) I meet him in the street and cook him something British (a sort of dismantled 'cottage pie' as I do not have the baking dish...).
A couple of snogs songs later and we hit the streets of 秋葉原 (Akihabara), Tokyo's otaku central.

秋葉原

So...there was arcade after arcade after arcade and no matter how many times Hiro tried on the UFO-catchers, sadly he didn't win anything. (その日、全くついていなかった．．．）

We visited an awesome electronics shop selling all sorts of speakers. There was this one particular model that sent vibrations through whatever object it was placed upon and used that object as an amplifier for those vibrations. In short, it could turn your desk into one massive speaker. Ingenious.

Moving on, there was a five-floor porn shop, gradually getting more hardcore the further you ascended. Funny how 'Gaijin Porn' was in the same section as 'Bestiality'.....(what are they implying here?)

Next stop: Asakusa. We wandered around the surrounding markets that were selling all sorts of traditional paraphernalia (a real tourist trap). I hadn't been in several years so it was good to look around again. We had to have a go at おみくじ (a kind of Japanese fortune-telling) too, naturally.Needless to say, Hiro's fortune was fabulous and mine was abysmal.

浅草寺

Hiro and myself in front of 浅草寺

As evening approached, we met with Hiro's friend, Kayo, and her partner in crime, Daniel, also accompanied by visitor, Jennifer. After a warm introduction, we settled in a nearby restaurant to eat もんじゃ and 焼きそば.

After munch, we decided to indulge in some good ol' カラオケ. I was quite excited as I hadn't been to do karaoke in Japan thus far. Daniel was amusing on the mike and Hiro gave a rather splendid rendition of 'Stacy's Mom' (though I couldn't help laughing while he attempted 'Children' by Dir en grey - it involves rap, let's just say).

Jennifer, Kayo and Daniel at Karaoke

Hiro and Jennifer at Karaoke

Kayo and the gang were awesome to hang out with. We should do it again sometime!

Hiro's visit was short and sweet, and sadly we didn't get much guitar-ing done. Next time for sure, though!

セクハラあっとドンキホーテ！！！

((SEXUAL HARASSMENT  AT DON QUIJOTE!!))

Phew! Where to begin?....

So, Thursday afternoon, I've just got back from lectures, it's throwing it down with rain, the flat is quiet. What to do, what to do...I needed some insoles for my shoes as my feet have been thoroughly defeated this week and perhaps some cheap speakers for my laptop so that I can actually hear bass notes. Where better to go than the "we sell anything" store, Don Quijote?

Umbrella ready, I stepped out into the streets and splashed through a few puddles in search of this Argos-esque store about a 10 minute walk from my accommodation.

Mission accomplished! There it stood, in its bright primary colours, radiating the smell of bargains...

Loving the store so far; so much cheap crap that I don't need. It was fun to lose myself in the aisles and their funny translations of stuff. I couldn't find the insoles so I asked a member of staff. Turns out they were hidden around a corner. One item down.

I round the bend to find the store information board listing the types of products to be found on each floor and I come across this 怪しい-looking guy, chatting on his mobile. He waves as I walk past. I look back again to see if it was me he was waving at: yep! Pretty sure I've never seen him before in my life so I ignore him and carry on looking for speakers....

A quick glance over my shoulder a minute later and I find that he's following me, quite determinedly! He stops me and speaks:

"Are you alone?"
"...."
"Are you free after this?"
"....um..I'm kinda busy..."
"You're really cute. Are you free tomorrow?"
"I've got plans..."
"Can I have your mobile number?"
"I haven't bought a phone.."
"Where do you live?"
"...."
"What's your name?"
"um...Sally?"
"What about the weekend? Are you free then?"

"My boyfriend is coming to see me...(take a hint!)"

"Ah...well, see you."

PHEW! Thank god....that was freaky! 

A little creeped out, I continue ploughing the aisles....and, oh lord..here we go again!

"Hey"

".....(noooooo!!)"

"Can I give you my mobile number? You can use a pay-phone."

[He offers me 20円 and I decline.]

"Maybe if you have paper, you can write it down? (Perhaps he will leave me alone?)"

[He rummages through his bag and tears off a scrap of paper from an envelope.]

"Promise to call me?"

"...mn..."

"What time will you call tonight?"

"...dunno..(GO AWAY!!).."

"Well...goodbye."

[He pats my shoulder.]

Yes? ...Are we done? No, apparently not.

As I continue shopping, he continues to follow me, demanding constant reassurance that I do in fact call him. I say that I will, a blatant lie. He touches my shoulder again.

Another few aisles down and, bloody hell, he's there again.

"Promise you'll call me? You're really cute.."

[He touches my breast....wait, WHAT?!]

Yeah so at this point, I depart from this area of the store completely and disappear below ground (incidentally where I came across the speakers). I hide there for about 20 minutes, taking my time to seek out the best bargain, in the hope that when I re-emerge he will have vanished.

He had. 

I purchase my items and make a hasty exit.

NOT shopping at somewhere like Don Quijote by myself again!!

...oh, and just for the record: I will NOT be calling '三戸しげる'.  

Let the lessons commence!

Hello, again.

So, it's Tuesday and I've literally JUST got back from 御茶ノ水 . Such a long day; I woke up at 6 o'clock in the morning so that I could make it to the International Office at the 駿河台 Campus (and to get my mits on the rice cooker before anyone else. The early bird, people!).

Having been crammed on the busiest train I've ever been on - actually unable to move an inch - I arrived on time at the office only to find that it was closed (yet again!). Yesterday's endeavours proved unsuccessful too. A misprint on my instruction sheet told me come to the office to collect my placement test result on Monday, a public holiday, so today I had to find my lecture by means of trial and error.

Cutting the lecture short by half an hour, I attended an interview with my academic advisor, 杉田先生、to discuss which lectures I was to register for this semester. There were a few complications (nothing so far has been without any so I was prepared) in that I was unable to take the German classes as I am not in that particular 専攻 (even though it's listed in my syllabus), and that the seminar lead by my academic advisor is incredibly advanced even for Japanese people. He had an alternative, less advanced seminar but it clashed with my other modules so I had to join the advanced one.

A trip to the Department of Arts and Letters Office found me an alternative German class that doesn't clash with any of my other lectures and starts half-way through the course (so I won't be learning the German alphabet or basic greetings etc. Don't know how I'll cope!).

So, the following is what I've managed to enrol myself in.....

• 日本語 (Japanese language classes - mandatory)
• 国語学各説 (Study of the Japanese language, all theories. This includes classical Japanese)
• 応用言語学 (Applied linguistics, linked with the psychology of language learning)
• 中級ドイツ語 (Intermediate-level German language)
• 日本文学演習 (Japanese literature seminar - the CRAZY HARD one)

Another problem I've encountered is that I need to buy a couple of textbooks for Thursday morning but will not receive my student ID card until Thursday afternoon. Fun times. I guess I'm going without a textbook in the meantime. I hope I don't get yelled at...

After the meeting, and when everyone I know had gone home, I had to hang around for four hours in the cafeteria, amusing myself with soba and kanji test preparation, waiting for my seminar to begin. A very long four hours it was.

The seminar was kinder than I expected. I perhaps understood about half of what was going on and understood the classical song that was given to us. The other seminar attendees seemed super friendly too (even though none of them speak English in the slightest). 

Seminar over, I worked my way down from the 14th floor and stepped out the front of Liberty Tower only to find that it was freezing cold and GAHOOSHING it down with rain. So, I jogged down the street, difficult in heels, purchased myself a ５００円 umbrella (cursing when I stumbled across cheaper ones 3 yards ahead), hopped on the train (for more extortionate amounts of money) and fell through the front door of my flat. Seriously, the sooner I get that student ID card, the sooner I can buy a commuter pass and cut my travel expenses in half! GAH!

Dinner and study until bed, I think. The fun never stops! 

A long-awaited reunion

This entry is a little late but...meh.

An intriguing building in Shibuya

Days two and three in Japan were spent with one of my most favourite people. I was to meet Hiro at Meidaimae Station at noon for a good catch-up and general hang-out session.
Having spent the previous night crying myself to sleep, wanting nothing more than the fresh scents of 田舎、Hiro turned all that around the next day.
I didn't recognise him at first glance; his hair dyed back to its natural black (which suits him so well, no matter how he criticises it), wearing clothes I have never seen him wearing, but his 元気そうな顔 and Breedlove guitar in his hands was a comforting sight. It was nice to see someone I knew again.

Hiro was an absolute LEGEND for the couple of days he spent with me. He totally sorted out my mobile phone for me, took me around a few places in Tokyo and showed me that, actually, a "country-girl" like myself could survive in this technologically-advanced metropolis.

Hiro took me to the top of the Tokyo Government Office (This was the view)

So, I've had Ramen, explored Shibuya, been to the top of the Tokyo Government Office, had my first 'Okonomiyaki' experience, drunk 'Shouchuu' (a kind of Japanese vodka-ish...beverage) until the early hours of the morning and even managed to squeeze in a couple of much-needed 懐かしい hours of just him, my vocals and his beautiful guitar playing. Good times!

Ramen in Shibuya

'Okonomiyaki'

Sadly, he had to leave Sunday evening as lectures at Tsukuba started the following day. I had soooo much fun, though. Hiro, if you're reading this, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! He better come back soon *cough*; I wanna do karaoke with him....;p

'Shouchuu' and dried squid

Hiro and his guitar

部屋とか．．．

So, what are the student digs like at Meiji University? I know you're all curious.

Situated in Tokyo's spectacular and thoroughly interesting Suginami District (杉並区) -according to the guidebook offered at Alien Registration for my perusal - my home away from home is a 7-minute walk from Meidaimae Station (明大前駅).

My room at the Izumi International House (和泉インターナショナルハウス) is part of a shared flat, very similar to the ones offered at Sheffield University's Endcliffe Village, only much, much more sanitary.

Pictures speak far better than my waffle. These ought to give you a clearer image...

The living space (コモンスペース)

The living space came fully equipped with cooking utensils and even a free television. Adjoining the shared living area is a small room with a washing machine and dryer.

My room (私の部屋）

My room is larger than I anticipated. I walked in only to find a HUGE pile of 寝具 for me to attempt to arrange into something I could sleep in. I have a very large wardrobe for hiding my suitcase in and plenty of storage space otherwise. The internet is included in the accommodation fee and is unlimited. Electricity, however, is not. I have a digital monitor on my wall that tells me my remaining balance so every week or so I have to insert 1000円 notes into a machine down at the reception so that I can have electricity in my room. Unfortunately, my air conditioning unit drinks the stuff so the room can get quite stuffy.

The corridor (廊下）

My very own little bathroom (風呂場）

This teeny little room is my en-suite bathroom with an actual bathtub! The water temperature is controlled by a digital thermostat just outside the bathroom and I can specify a temperature before I step in. The little thermostat talks to you as you toggle with the settings and has a mind of its own. The temperature fluctuates between water that is so hot you'll look like a ゆでだこand completely stone-cold so a constant adjustment of the taps is needed. The toilet is nothing special. It's a toilet.

The view from my balcony (ベランダからの眺め）

 And finally, here's my balcony. The metal bar you see here is to hang my laundry upon. Its height is adjustable.

Not a lot more to say other than I'm totally impressed by the quality of the accommodation. It's like 天国 compared to the previous year's accommodation in Sheffield. Good riddance!

More later, duuuudes. 〜ちゅ

やっと到着．．．

Waiting for my flight at Heathrow T4

Well, it appears I arrived in one piece. It already feels weird to be typing in English since there's so much 日本語 everywhere and I haven't spoken a word of English since stepping off the plane....
I flew with Alitalia, who served me raw salmon and spinach and for that I love them. During the flight, I decided to watch 'Finding Nemo' in Japanese dub (and can I just say that Dory is even more hilarious in Japanese!). I missed the last bit cause I fell asleep.

Alitalia flight AZ784 to Tokyo Narita

*Gasp* ....the people who arrived before me weren't kidding; it's soooooo humid here. The heat is bearable but the humidity, ho boy....１０月、早く来てね。

Today was a crazy rush and that's probably why I need a quick, quiet moment to myself. I've been on my feet literally all day, on and off trains, sorting my foreign person's registration and my health insurance. I couldn't have done all of this in one day without the help of my guide, Minami. I can't describe in words how brilliant she has been today. It seems she doesn't speak much English so having to babble in broken Japanese all day was probably good for me. She's off to China for a week from tomorrow so I'll have to fend for myself. That said, I have got Hiro's company all day and all night tomorrow. Perhaps he'll show me that Tokyo is liveable...

I haven't eaten anything apart from a 'nikuman' since breakfast so I might have to pop out and get something from the shop (and tomorrow's breakfast, which WILL include nattou as it's so cheap here!).

Right now, I hear movement in the kitchen which might mean I have flatmates at last. I'm off to investigate....

I will write again very soon as I'm sure more weird and wonderful happenings will..er..happen.

またね〜