Welcome to Japan!

8.18.07
Welcome to Japan!
I， Sheila-san have arrived in Japan and what a beautiful country it is. My flight to Chicago (from Buffalo) landed on schedule and I was able to stop to get something to eat before boarding my flight to Tokyo. I even helped an older American lady use the sink in the bathroom. For some reason she just didn't know how to use automatic faucets. Maybe it was just a test of my teaching skills, which I seemed to have passed since she was able to finish washing her hands after I helped.

As I was getting on the plane, I realized that this stop in Chicago would be my last time standing on American soil for a whole year. This thought made me a little nervous at first, but that feeling soon subsided when I boarded the plane. I was doing it! I was on my way to Japan to teach English for a whole year!!!

The flight was pretty uneventful. I slept, read Harry Potter 7, walked around from time to time, and ate (it seemed like they fed me every two hours). As far as vegetarian food goes, it wasn't all that bad (Thank you for the warning Marilyn Goodyear! I brought along some snacks just in case).


8.19.07
Di-jo-bu! Suh-me-mah-sen! Ah-ri-gato! (Ok! Excuse me! Thanks!)

Well, here I was in Tokyo and a wave of excitement came over me as I stood up to get my carry-on, headed off the plane, and into customs. I was all ready to take the bus by myself to meet Leah, when she appeared to greet me in the arrival hall! It was so great to see a familiar face! I used the bathroom. Side note: Toilets here have like twenty million buttons that allow you to play music while you go and flush in new (to me) innovative ways that I would've never imagined.

Leah and I took the "Friendly Airport Transport" bus to the stop near her apartment and we hulled my bags through the town's Obon Festival, which was literally happening right outside her door. I also wanted to mention that cars in Japan always keep to the left rather than the right like they do in the United States. It's going to take me some getting used to while riding my bike, but it should be ok!

Paper lanterns were hanging up and down the park as people crowded around tents waiting in line for noodles, meat, and slushies. We decided to stop at Leah's place and then head back out to the festival for some food. Walking into Leah's apartment, I took off my shoes and couldn't believe how tall I felt. The ceilings here are so much lower than at home. After I dropped off my things and sat on what would be my bed for the next few days (I'll be staying with Leah until August 21st when my apartment mate comes.), we went back out and watched the Obon festival. It was great!

We went to get some more food at a deli down the street called "Mother Deli". Basically, all the food was presented to you and you walked around and scooped what you wanted into these little serving dishes that were then weighed. We paid and asked for extra ha-shi (chopsticks). After heading out of "Mother Deli", we stopped to eat our food in a park and went to a internet cafe where we checked our email and surfed the internerd. I'm about ready for bed and excited for some of the things that Leah was suggesting for the next couple of days.

8.20.07
Big Budda

Hoping to get me somewhat acquainted to the Tokyo area, Leah took me on a train ride through Tokyo to a city called Kamakura. Kamakura is famous for it's many temples, shrines, and statues of Budda. Many of these statues were very huge! We took this cute little train to the town of Hase ("ha-say") where we saw a gorgeous Japanese garden and several shrines.



















When you enter a shrine or temple Leah told me that it is customary to toss some change into a collection box, clap twice, and fold your hands in prayer. I also noticed people using the long tin spoons like in the picture below to either cleanse the statue or themselves before entering the sacred shrine/temple area. The Jiz0 statues, which are small statues that are usually presented in remembrance of babies that have died (see "In Japan" section of wikipedia article link).

We stopped at a little lunch rest stop inside the Japanese gardens for a quick bite to eat. Oh, I also have to mention that we also decided to eat because the restaurant was air conditioned :) It is very hot and humid here right now!

I had miso soup, fried rice with seaweed, and green tea. Leah had udon noodles served warm. After that we went to see the giant Budda (still in Hase). As you can see by the pictures he was very giant, and also very hollow. You had to pay to get inside but the experience was way worth the cost (200 yen or about 2 dollars) despite the heat.






















We wanted to see the caves in Enoshima, but before we went, Leah and I decided to stop at a beach. Unfortunately, we did not have our swim suits with us, but we did get to dip our toes in the water, play in the sand, and watch the surfers. We decided that one of the surfers, who was wearing a hat was our new "friend" even if he didn't know who we were!


We walked towards Enoshima but it was really hot and Leah and I were tired after a long day in the sun. We didn't get to go into the caves, but that just means we will have to come back later.


While Leah was buying something in one of the shops I heard a Red Hot Chili Peppers song and it made me think of home. :) On the train ride back to Leah's apartment we passed by Tokyo Disney Land and Sea, a huge lit up ferris wheel and ate Chunky Kids candy, which is basically like a baby Krackle bar, about half the size. They come in a box.

8.21.07
Birfday wishes!
Ok! Well I have finally had the chance to catch up on my posts! It's close to 10pm and even though I don't feel any older, I do feel tired. To make a long story short, I had a great birthday even though most of my friends and family are on the other side of the globe (shout out to y'all!). I woke up around 9am and rather than bothering Leah, I decided to get some quality HP reading time! That lasted a little while until I heard Leah's tiny voice beckoning me out for breakfast. We had decided the night before that she would make "birthday French toast" with the really thick wheat bread that the Japanese are fond of. Seriously, like one of their pieces of bread is like as thick as three of ours (ours being America). Oh and they don't really believe in multigrain, but we were able to find wheat. Good thing! So we had our French toast and read our books before heading off to the movies.

I couldn't resist taking this picture just because of the Japanese kanji. First we tried seeing Ratatouille, but because it was not playing with Japanese subtitles, meaning English dialog, we decided upon Transformers. Leah and I walked into the movie to find our assigned seats, sat down, and as the movie was just about to start we realized that we had been lead into the Oceans 13 movie instead. I didn't mind and neither did Leah so we stayed put. It was nice and cool inside the movie theater and after it let out we went to Tully's cafe so Leah could work on some things for school. I read HP.



















Hiroko (Peggy and Hiroko own the school I'm teaching at) met us at the school and showed me around. The classroom was so adorable and very well decorated. Even without the students it seemed like it was alive and exciting. Leah pointed out the many teaching resources that would be available to me and Lauren.

(Hiroko and I in my new kitchen!)

Hiroko then took Leah and I back to Leah's place to get my things so that I could move into my new apartment! As I walked through my apartment door I couldn't help but feeling excited, and a also a little overwhelmed as Hiroko showed me how to light the water heater for a warm shower and start up the washing machine. Leah, Hiroko, and I all had a laugh when Hiroko sprayed herself showing me how to do both those things. All I could think of was Mom Hensen "playing fireman". :)

As a surprise, Hiroko offered to take me, Leah, her, and Peggy out for dinner! We went to a Japanese pub. There is a Japanese word for pub, but I can't remember it right this moment. We ordered lots of food including: tofu, raw cabbage leaves with dipping sauce, raw salmon, "Buffalo" chicken wings, another style of chicken, salad with some sort of root too, and garlic bread sticks. We all shared everything and had a few laughs. It was good to spend time with Hiroko, Peggy, and Leah (Hiroko and Peggy, shown below, are sisters.). I went to use the bathroom (aka toilets as they're called here. Just like Australia!) and when I came back this is what greeted me!



















I can't say I've ever had a salmon and ice cake! We couldn't stop laughing. Afterwards, they dropped me off at my apartment, gave me a Japanese phone which I don't know how to use because it's in Japanese, and left me alone.

It's hot and late, so until another time, Kampi! (Cheers!)


Up next...
Engrish and all it's silliness!