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〜