Wow. So it's definitely been a long road to the end. This is probably the first time I've had nothing to do in a day, and I used it very well. I'll get to that later, though. Our research here in Japan has come to a close, and now I'm afraid I'm no more than a tourist for the next six days. That's okay though, because now I get to chill out, shop, and hang out with friends without worrying about the next interview, homestay, or nomikai (as much as I like nomikai).
We've been in this hotel for a few days now. I'm not entirely positive as to when we moved in, everything's been such a blur. It must've been...Thursday? Wednesday? I think Thursday. Hotel Asakusa is a capsule hotel with some singles. Thankfully I'm in one of the singles, and I even have my own bathroom. In all honesty, though, the bathroom is no larger than the kind you find in a motorhome in the states. Maybe even smaller. I was shocked that anybody could fit a toilet, bath, shower, and sink into such a tiny space. Anyway, the last few days have been kinda rough for me. Miserable, really, except for the research ending. First, we had a bit of a slip up with one of our interviews, and with my last homestsay. Basically, one of my research partners forgot to confirm with an interviewee, and she waited at home all day for us, and those who were SUPPOSED to interview her never contacted her. Word got around, people got scolded (not me, thankfully), and we had some massive damage control to do. The next day, my body decided to let down on me. Around 8 PM I came down with a fever, and had it through this morning. I've had this fever, aches, a lot of stomach pain, a sore throat and a cough since then. I think I'm finally getting better, but I had to do my presentation feeling like shit, and I went to bed last night at 4 PM.
Anyway, other than all of that shit, things are going well. The weather has been okay (except it's downpouring tonight), I've been able to relax, sleep, and shop, I'm eating better, and feeling better. Tomorrow I think we're going to go to Harajuku to do some shopping, and I also want to hit up a store somewhere so I can take a look at Freitag bags. I'd like to price them, so maybe I can go back and buy one with my leftover cash before I go back to the states. We'll see though, it's going to have to be a 19th of June purchase, if it's going to happen. Tomorrow I head out to the other side of Tokyo (again), and I'll be staying with Niji for the rest of my time here. I'm excited for that, but I just hope I'm able to get better quickly, so I can fully enjoy the rest of my time here.
Other than all of this, the end to our research was pretty awesome. We had a few nomikais with some people (I got hit on by a 30 year old woman), and we were treated to dinner numerous times. Sam's host mom took us out to an izakaya, and then we went to an American-style karaoke bar. It was really funny, because all of the Japanese people I meet seem to think I have a really good voice. I think my voice is okay, but I don't know that I'd go so far as to say it's actually good. I've actually still got ¥5000 left for my time here. It won't last me all 5 days, but that's okay. That's why I've got my personal monies. Actually, I bought a pair of Evisu jeans today. They're really cool. I got to pick custom pockets, so they'll be ready for me in 3 days. I'm going to go ahead and keep the cost private, but let's just say I hope they shrink two full sizes like the people in the store said they would, because if they don't I'm screwed, and out a substantial amount of money.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention, on Thursday we had the opportunity to meet with a shamisen master for an interview and a private playing session. It was reeeeeally interesting to hear what he had to say, because he runs a business in both Tokyo and Tacoma, WA. I guess the highlight for me was watching him play his instrument. He was constantly feeling out the music, changing the tone of the shamisen. He played with his son, and they were in perfect unity. According to him, the two could feel when each other would stop playing through the music, and whenever they ended, they ended simultaneously. It was almost freakish. The song he played for us also sounded really cool. He said that the most important part of a song isn't the note itself, it's the silence that comes after the note. He also had some interesting things to say about technique. Mostly that he thinks it's becoming overdone, and people are becoming too worried about playing with good technique that they're losing the soul of their music. And if you lose the soul, there is no staying power. Really, really interesting guy. I got his performance recorded on my DVR, so hopefully it came out okay. If possible I'd like to convert it to MP3 and put it on my iTunes to listen to every once in a while. In other news, on this same day I got stung by a bee, it was incredibly painful, and continues to hurt.
I've had terrible luck with health and bugs since I've been on this trip, I just hope I can make it six more days without any more problems. I just want this illness to go away, and I don't want to deal with mosquitos, or cockroaches, or bees, or anything. I DO wish I could stay longer though. I'm going to go home, and all of my friends are going to be peacing out, or busy with jobs, and I'm never going to see anybody. It's a depressing reality. People in Vancouver are growing up, moving on. I never understood the mentality that you have to lose your friends when you get to college, but a lot of people seem to live and die by that rule. A healthy balance is where we need to be, I think. But, at the same time, I imagine I'll be pretty bored while I'm at home. It'd probably be better for me just to stay in Tokyo, travel around and see everybody, enjoy my time here. Lee-san (one of the coordinators here) even told me to e-mail her about a job singing or something like that. Interesting, interesting, interesting. Well, I'm kind of out of things to say, and I have been since about the beginning of this entry. I'll write again soon, hopefully. Peace! =)
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Toyo Suisan, Nomikais, and the like...
Well here I am once again without internet at this house in Tamagawagakuen-Mae. I don’t understand it, but whatever. I can’t let it get to me. I just have to suck it up and get some extra rest tonight (maybe). I’ve only got two more nights here, tonight being one of them. The other night, I awoke (probably drunkenly) to a cockroach about three inches long crawling up my arm. At first I thought it was just a nightmare or a hallucination or something, but NO. It was actually a huge ass cockroach crawling up my arm. That’s never a fun experience…seriously. The best part is that after I woke up Chris and we turned on the light, it crawled into my duffle bag, and we had to wait until morning to get it out. It took me an hour or more to get back to sleep. I ended up spending the next night at Niji’s place, partly out of fear, partly out of frustration with my living situation, and partly out of a simple desire to stay out. Soon we’ll be in Asakusa, which, in all honesty, isn’t THAT much closer, but it’s on the subway system, and definitely closer than Machida.
Aside from my crappy internet connection, getting no phone service in my room, and GIANT cockroaches crawling up my body in my sleep, everything has been pretty sweet. We’ve had meetings and interviews pretty much continuously since I last posted, and I’ve been super busy doing interviews and meetings in Tokyo. I can’t believe it’s been five days since I wrote an entry. That seems like a bit too long, eh? *shrug * I don’t know, a lot’s just been up I guess. I bought a NEW camera in Shinjuku the other day. It’s 12 megapixels, and is a Japanese line of Canon (the IXY model). Unfortunately it’s not a D-SLR, but it allows me to continue to take the nice pictures that I haven’t been able to take with my broken digital camera.
Sam, Kenji and I met with this company president, Okamoto-san, the other day at his place in Shinagawa. The interview we did with him was especially interesting, because his take on everything was so laid back and chill. He took us to a Chinese lunch, and paid with his company card, and then invited us to a party at his place a night afterwards. We all went and it was definitely an experience. It was a lot of fun to hang out with a company president and his friends and family. There were lots of little kids, lots of really chill parents, lots of food, and lots of alcohol. I ate tons and tons of food, and I drank quite a bit too. Sam drank so much that he ended up blackout, passed out, falling out of the bathroom. Okamoto-san’s wife INSISTED I take pictures to tease him about it later, and when I refused she took my camera from me and took pictures of him. I can’t help but think it was the red wine during quarters that did Sam in, but he was pretty cocky about his ability to drink, too. Okamoto definitely showed us all a thing. I was a hit with the little kids. The girls all had crushes on me, and by the end of the night I found myself playing guitar and singing (awfully) to them by myself. They were all really sweet though, and I enjoyed spending time with them. I lost arm wrestling countless times, so this party definitely encouraged me to get home and do some weight lifting or something, for once.
Last night, after a rousing day of doing nothing but relaxing at Niji’s house and spending a little time at a department store, we met up with the granddaughter of the founder of Toyo Suisan Company (those are the people who own Maruchan). She met us in Harajuku for a bit, then took us to dinner in Ginza. Also, she was pretty much one of the coolest people I’ve met on this trip so far. She was really chill about taking us wherever we wanted to go (which I felt really bad about, especially since I couldn’t afford ANYTHING in Harajuku), and she took us to a shabu shabu/sukiyaki restaurant that was all you can eat, all you can drink. I chose to eat and drink at the same time, so I don’t really know how much I managed to stuff down my throat and into my stomach, but I can say that I successfully managed three drinks before our 90 minutes were up and we were forced back to the ritzy, unaffordable streets of Ginza. Afterwards, we hit up some karaoke. I think the most exciting part of meeting this girl was the fact that she knows and likes house music, particularly Shinichi Osawa. She invited us out to go clubbing at Asia’s biggest club this weekend (in Tokyo), and also said that if there was a good show coming up in the Tokyo area, we could (and should) go together. If I ever get internet back, I’ll friend her on Facebook, and hopefully we’ll meet up again. She was pretty cool.
Today was exhausting. We had an all day meeting with Toyo Suisan employees. It felt like we went from one thing to another. We started out from Tamagawagakuen-Mae at about…oh….9 something…I think. We met everybody at Shinagawa at like, 10:15 or so. Instead of being tested for swine flu, this meeting was much more relaxed. We just got to sit down and interview the employees, go out to lunch with them, and then visit their research and development facility. I ate curry rice with espresso and dessert. It was delicious. The R&N facility was pretty cool, because we got to taste test a whole buncha stuff. They had all sorts of noodles, gyoza, rice, and soups. Wow, it was delicious. Taste tests rock, especially when it’s instant noodles, because it’s so cheap to manufacture that you can’t possibly feel guilty about not eating everything! We were also given a HUGE bag of noodles and omiyage (souvenirs) from the company. I’m excited to see what I got, because I haven’t looked yet! After R&D was where the evening really began. We went to dinner at a restaurant with some of the salary men from Toyo Suisan. We didn’t have to pay anything, and could eat and drink basically anything we wanted to (again!) Our meal consisted of chicken parts, which was really interesting and different. My mom NEVER could’ve eaten this food (I don’t know if she could eat much of the food in Japan…at least Japanese food). I think that my family makes too big a deal about it though. If you just drink a beer, it’s much easier to try new things, and if you stop worrying about being sick from something, it tastes a lot better than it would otherwise. I’ve eaten raw egg six or seven times on this trip, raw fish countless times, and I even ate raw chicken tonight. I’m not dead yet, so I guess it’s probably okay. Anyway, word spread around Toyo Suisan that I was zaru (a tank), and all of the salary men were particularly interested in me because of it. They told me some really funny stories. I guess the girls at the front desk thought I was best dressed/best looking out of the whole group. I don’t think so, but whatever, that’s their deal not mine. =D
I exchanged business cards with one of the managers, and after the dinner, everybody went their separate ways. It was pretty early, so I went ahead and traveled back with Sam and Loretta to meet Sam’s new host family. When we got to the station, the host mom invited us over. It was SO much fun. Sam always gets the coolest host families. We sat down and the host mom served us tea, and then when the men came in, more alcohol was brought. We had snacks and some beer, and a few hours of good conversation in Japanese before I decided it was time for me to leave. I wish my Japanese were a bit better, but I guess that’s something that will come in time, with practice, and living here. Overall, it was a very relaxing and chill night in Tokyo. I also got to travel back by myself, which, for some reason, I always find to be especially relaxing.
Anyway, it’s pretty late, so since I don’t have internet, I’m going to sleep right now instead of staying here and just screwing around. I’ll post this entry as soon as I have signal again. Worst case, it will be on Thursday morning around 11 AM. Wow, I have so much work to do by Friday. Sick. I have to say, though, I’m really excited for next week to come. Not much but chillin out, partying, and shopping!!! I finally get to spend the $570 I’ve been trying so hard to save this whole time for shopping! Woohoo!!! *yayyy * I’ll catch you all later, PEACE!
PS- HAPPY GRADUATION JUSTIN! I’M SORRY I CAN’T BE THERE, BUT I’M PROUD OF YOU! WAY TO GO!!!!!! Also, happy graduation to the entire class of ’09. Now go find some jobs or go to college or something, don’t sit around and waste your lives! xP
Aside from my crappy internet connection, getting no phone service in my room, and GIANT cockroaches crawling up my body in my sleep, everything has been pretty sweet. We’ve had meetings and interviews pretty much continuously since I last posted, and I’ve been super busy doing interviews and meetings in Tokyo. I can’t believe it’s been five days since I wrote an entry. That seems like a bit too long, eh? *shrug * I don’t know, a lot’s just been up I guess. I bought a NEW camera in Shinjuku the other day. It’s 12 megapixels, and is a Japanese line of Canon (the IXY model). Unfortunately it’s not a D-SLR, but it allows me to continue to take the nice pictures that I haven’t been able to take with my broken digital camera.
Sam, Kenji and I met with this company president, Okamoto-san, the other day at his place in Shinagawa. The interview we did with him was especially interesting, because his take on everything was so laid back and chill. He took us to a Chinese lunch, and paid with his company card, and then invited us to a party at his place a night afterwards. We all went and it was definitely an experience. It was a lot of fun to hang out with a company president and his friends and family. There were lots of little kids, lots of really chill parents, lots of food, and lots of alcohol. I ate tons and tons of food, and I drank quite a bit too. Sam drank so much that he ended up blackout, passed out, falling out of the bathroom. Okamoto-san’s wife INSISTED I take pictures to tease him about it later, and when I refused she took my camera from me and took pictures of him. I can’t help but think it was the red wine during quarters that did Sam in, but he was pretty cocky about his ability to drink, too. Okamoto definitely showed us all a thing. I was a hit with the little kids. The girls all had crushes on me, and by the end of the night I found myself playing guitar and singing (awfully) to them by myself. They were all really sweet though, and I enjoyed spending time with them. I lost arm wrestling countless times, so this party definitely encouraged me to get home and do some weight lifting or something, for once.
Last night, after a rousing day of doing nothing but relaxing at Niji’s house and spending a little time at a department store, we met up with the granddaughter of the founder of Toyo Suisan Company (those are the people who own Maruchan). She met us in Harajuku for a bit, then took us to dinner in Ginza. Also, she was pretty much one of the coolest people I’ve met on this trip so far. She was really chill about taking us wherever we wanted to go (which I felt really bad about, especially since I couldn’t afford ANYTHING in Harajuku), and she took us to a shabu shabu/sukiyaki restaurant that was all you can eat, all you can drink. I chose to eat and drink at the same time, so I don’t really know how much I managed to stuff down my throat and into my stomach, but I can say that I successfully managed three drinks before our 90 minutes were up and we were forced back to the ritzy, unaffordable streets of Ginza. Afterwards, we hit up some karaoke. I think the most exciting part of meeting this girl was the fact that she knows and likes house music, particularly Shinichi Osawa. She invited us out to go clubbing at Asia’s biggest club this weekend (in Tokyo), and also said that if there was a good show coming up in the Tokyo area, we could (and should) go together. If I ever get internet back, I’ll friend her on Facebook, and hopefully we’ll meet up again. She was pretty cool.
Today was exhausting. We had an all day meeting with Toyo Suisan employees. It felt like we went from one thing to another. We started out from Tamagawagakuen-Mae at about…oh….9 something…I think. We met everybody at Shinagawa at like, 10:15 or so. Instead of being tested for swine flu, this meeting was much more relaxed. We just got to sit down and interview the employees, go out to lunch with them, and then visit their research and development facility. I ate curry rice with espresso and dessert. It was delicious. The R&N facility was pretty cool, because we got to taste test a whole buncha stuff. They had all sorts of noodles, gyoza, rice, and soups. Wow, it was delicious. Taste tests rock, especially when it’s instant noodles, because it’s so cheap to manufacture that you can’t possibly feel guilty about not eating everything! We were also given a HUGE bag of noodles and omiyage (souvenirs) from the company. I’m excited to see what I got, because I haven’t looked yet! After R&D was where the evening really began. We went to dinner at a restaurant with some of the salary men from Toyo Suisan. We didn’t have to pay anything, and could eat and drink basically anything we wanted to (again!) Our meal consisted of chicken parts, which was really interesting and different. My mom NEVER could’ve eaten this food (I don’t know if she could eat much of the food in Japan…at least Japanese food). I think that my family makes too big a deal about it though. If you just drink a beer, it’s much easier to try new things, and if you stop worrying about being sick from something, it tastes a lot better than it would otherwise. I’ve eaten raw egg six or seven times on this trip, raw fish countless times, and I even ate raw chicken tonight. I’m not dead yet, so I guess it’s probably okay. Anyway, word spread around Toyo Suisan that I was zaru (a tank), and all of the salary men were particularly interested in me because of it. They told me some really funny stories. I guess the girls at the front desk thought I was best dressed/best looking out of the whole group. I don’t think so, but whatever, that’s their deal not mine. =D
I exchanged business cards with one of the managers, and after the dinner, everybody went their separate ways. It was pretty early, so I went ahead and traveled back with Sam and Loretta to meet Sam’s new host family. When we got to the station, the host mom invited us over. It was SO much fun. Sam always gets the coolest host families. We sat down and the host mom served us tea, and then when the men came in, more alcohol was brought. We had snacks and some beer, and a few hours of good conversation in Japanese before I decided it was time for me to leave. I wish my Japanese were a bit better, but I guess that’s something that will come in time, with practice, and living here. Overall, it was a very relaxing and chill night in Tokyo. I also got to travel back by myself, which, for some reason, I always find to be especially relaxing.
Anyway, it’s pretty late, so since I don’t have internet, I’m going to sleep right now instead of staying here and just screwing around. I’ll post this entry as soon as I have signal again. Worst case, it will be on Thursday morning around 11 AM. Wow, I have so much work to do by Friday. Sick. I have to say, though, I’m really excited for next week to come. Not much but chillin out, partying, and shopping!!! I finally get to spend the $570 I’ve been trying so hard to save this whole time for shopping! Woohoo!!! *yayyy * I’ll catch you all later, PEACE!
PS- HAPPY GRADUATION JUSTIN! I’M SORRY I CAN’T BE THERE, BUT I’M PROUD OF YOU! WAY TO GO!!!!!! Also, happy graduation to the entire class of ’09. Now go find some jobs or go to college or something, don’t sit around and waste your lives! xP
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Halfway Point
So today is officially the halfway point of my trip here in Japan *tear*, and it's been really incredible thus far. I am now staying at Tamagawagakuen-Mae, a small college town one stop down the Odakyu Odawara Line from Machida Station. My host family is a small Japanese woman and her American husband. They are really an interesting couple, and kind of fun to talk to at times. I guess my only complaints are that the water in my bathroom doesn't drain properly, and that I'm spending between $10 and $20 PER DAY on transportation to and from Tokyo. It's a bit disheartening, especially for someone who plans to make big ticket purchases while shopping. *sigh* It's okay though, I'll make it back richer in mind and spirit! haha.
Anyway, the last few days have been kind of fun. I'm becoming increasingly familiar with the Tokyo train and subway system, so it's becoming easier for me to get around by myself. I find it kind of fun to rush from one train to the next with the hordes of people, running for what may be the last train
back home at night. I'm getting better! =) Tuesday was my first experience truly alone and independent on the train in Japan. I had to go from Tamagawagakuen-Mae to Kamiyacho Station in the heart of Roppongi and the Tokyo business district. I got there at 10:20 AM or so, expecting Kenji in no more than 15-20 minutes (he sent me an SMS that he would be there at 10:35). As it turns out, I was about two hours early. It was a dumbass mistake to make, because I never confirmed the correct TIME with Sam and Kenji, only the station location! HAH! It's okay though, I found a Tsutaya/Starbucks just down the street from the station and spent most of my time getting a feel for the area, drinking coffee, and reading books. Afterwards we had lunch and an interview with some ladies from a translation company. I'm not sure how useful these interviews have been for me. I'm sure I'll find deeper meaning when I do my analysis, but I'm just worried about the lack of "a-ha!" moments I'm having these last few days. It was cool though, the company is an all ladies company, and they say they are a "Western" style company. There was definitely a sense of companionship in the office, and afterwards they even offered to take us out and show us the town if we wanted. I think we will be in touch with them.
After these interviews, Sam's host mom, Ikeda-san, met us and gave us a tour of a more traditional part of Tokyo. We saw some more temples, which was...well...sort of interesting...sort of boring. The coolest part was going to all the tiny little shops and looking at what they were selling. I went ahead and bought some green tea and an awesome tin with
Fuji-san on it. I guess it's one of "the best" tea tins you can buy with your money. It'd better be, it was an expensive little tin! xP At the end of the tour, we ate dinner at a traditional izakaya, which was a really weird experience. I was sitting with Loretta and Chris, which was really awkward in the beginning because we weren't really trying to order food or talk or anything. It took the woman sitting next to Chris getting up, going to the OTHER izakaya, and making fun of us for not having fun to really get comfortable. We ordered more food, some drinks, and after one or two we were talking with the woman next to us. Her story was really cool. I guess she has been going to that izakaya three or four times a week for like, ten years! BUT, it took her three years before she was able to actually go into the izakaya. She was intimidated, and it took a lot of inner strength for her to do. I don't know what that says about her as an individual, or a Japanese woman, but it's definitely an interesting story. The izakaya visit was ridiculously priced too, since we all had to share the cost. The five at the neighboring cocktail bar ate and drank far more than we did, so we all had to bear the burden too. Guess I should've eaten a bit more! =D Karaoke was in order afterwards, and after about two hours of that me and Nata-chan made the epic quest back to Tamagawagakuen-mae (you wouldn't believe how long it takes to get here).
Yesterday was a lot of fun, too. We met with Michael Berman, an alum of W&M from '06. It was a bit refreshing to meet with someone who had such good insight into the Japanese business, but still spoke really good English. It made the interview process much easier. We had lunch with him and his VP, and then sat down and had one of the most in-depth interviews we've had yet. I feel like I made some major strides yesterday on my topic, especially just trying to figure out what it's about. I was naive to think that I could just focus on food as a topic. The problem is everybody here already KNOWS about the food, and the meaning of the food goes much deeper than the, "This tempura represents the life of the company" sorta shit. People all have different perspectives of food, and what it does to help grease the gears of the workplace. The Japanese perception of friendship and workplace camaraderie is so different from the American perception. I'm excited to see where my research will end up by the time we do our final presentation on the 12th. After the interview we walked around and visited a ridiculously cheap grocery store. I found a 135 mL container of Asahi for something like...¥88! It's the TINIEST can of beer you've ever seen. Maybe I'll make a posting of it somewhere on here, if I ever take a picture. I've been reluctant to drink beer that I've bought, because I end up having to drink at dinner when I'm with businessmen anyway. I'm just a bit tired of it, especially the feeling that I'm gaining weight. I'm looking forward to getting in shape when I get back to the US, and eating a lot healthier.
We went to dinner at Yamada-san's house last night, somewhere around Shinagawa Station, or something like that. Honestly I have no idea (See? I've still got a ways to go with this train system thing). I told her and her husband how excited I was to experience Japanese cuisine, because there is so much about it t
hat is SO much healthier than what I eat when I'm at home in the United States. I've tried so many new things on this trip, and now I really want to try to find them back at home, and incorporate them into my diet on a regular basis. I think it would be REALLY beneficial to my health. Also, I want to get back to running when I get home. It's going to take a lot of work, especially since I'll have to ice my ankles every night until my tendinitis goes away, but I really really want to do it now. Also, I really want to try to keep studying and practicing my Japanese over the summer. Not being able to get around efficiently here has given me resolve to work on my language skillz. So I guess those are my two NEW goals for summer! Oh yeah, and I guess I'll worry about that job thing at some point, too. xP ANYWAY, dinner was amazing. We had sashimi, rice on seaweed (I have no idea what the Japanese call that), and lots of fruit. It was very filling, even though it was basically a bunch of side dishes. We also drank beer and possibly the BEST sake I have ever tasted. Yamada-san's husband told us it was really expensive, and Hamada-sensei joked about us being about 10 years too young to experience it. HAH! She was definitely tipsy, but will never admit it. She even forgot her glasses on the coffee table.
We had a really interesting discussion at dinner about suicide here in Japan. It was pretty depressing, especially because of the demographics side of it. Yamada-san seemed to think it was a lot of "freeters" (Japanese who work only part time jobs and make no money for retirement) who have lost hope in the future. He said that after the war, even though people had no money, they were willing to work because they wanted to achieve peace. Now that it looks like we're on the brink of that, he says that hope for the future in a lot of individuals is fading, and many turn to suicide. Sam saw it a different way. He believes debt plays a large roll, and a lot of Japanese men in their 50's who have tons of debt and nobody to talk to are the ones who turn to death as a "solution." I talked to Kenji a bit about it, and I told him how it wrenches my stomach a bit everytime I hear someone is late BECAUSE of someone committing suicide. Jumping in front of a train just seems like a really terrible way to go, and I wonder what kind of difference I might have made in that person's life had I known them, had I been able to talk to them. I also told Kenji that if he ever feels that way, he should make sure to talk to me or Sam or anybody about it, because it really isn't the answer.
Well, on that thoroughly depressing note, I think I'm going to go finish getting ready. I have an interview today at 1:00 PM, and hopefully afterwards I'll have some time to head to Shinjuku and shop, buy, and begin to use a new digital camera. I wish I could show you what happened to mine. It did a really good job of ruining itself! xP Whatever, so goes life! Catch you all soon! Peace!
Images: (1) Yes, I was there, for far longer than I needed to be; (2) Our izakaya visit! Note the hanging fishes in the upper left hand corner; (3) The sashimi we had at Yamada-san's house. I wish I could've photographed it before everybody started eating! >.<; (4) Tokyo at night. Pretty amazing stuff...
Anyway, the last few days have been kind of fun. I'm becoming increasingly familiar with the Tokyo train and subway system, so it's becoming easier for me to get around by myself. I find it kind of fun to rush from one train to the next with the hordes of people, running for what may be the last train
back home at night. I'm getting better! =) Tuesday was my first experience truly alone and independent on the train in Japan. I had to go from Tamagawagakuen-Mae to Kamiyacho Station in the heart of Roppongi and the Tokyo business district. I got there at 10:20 AM or so, expecting Kenji in no more than 15-20 minutes (he sent me an SMS that he would be there at 10:35). As it turns out, I was about two hours early. It was a dumbass mistake to make, because I never confirmed the correct TIME with Sam and Kenji, only the station location! HAH! It's okay though, I found a Tsutaya/Starbucks just down the street from the station and spent most of my time getting a feel for the area, drinking coffee, and reading books. Afterwards we had lunch and an interview with some ladies from a translation company. I'm not sure how useful these interviews have been for me. I'm sure I'll find deeper meaning when I do my analysis, but I'm just worried about the lack of "a-ha!" moments I'm having these last few days. It was cool though, the company is an all ladies company, and they say they are a "Western" style company. There was definitely a sense of companionship in the office, and afterwards they even offered to take us out and show us the town if we wanted. I think we will be in touch with them.After these interviews, Sam's host mom, Ikeda-san, met us and gave us a tour of a more traditional part of Tokyo. We saw some more temples, which was...well...sort of interesting...sort of boring. The coolest part was going to all the tiny little shops and looking at what they were selling. I went ahead and bought some green tea and an awesome tin with
Fuji-san on it. I guess it's one of "the best" tea tins you can buy with your money. It'd better be, it was an expensive little tin! xP At the end of the tour, we ate dinner at a traditional izakaya, which was a really weird experience. I was sitting with Loretta and Chris, which was really awkward in the beginning because we weren't really trying to order food or talk or anything. It took the woman sitting next to Chris getting up, going to the OTHER izakaya, and making fun of us for not having fun to really get comfortable. We ordered more food, some drinks, and after one or two we were talking with the woman next to us. Her story was really cool. I guess she has been going to that izakaya three or four times a week for like, ten years! BUT, it took her three years before she was able to actually go into the izakaya. She was intimidated, and it took a lot of inner strength for her to do. I don't know what that says about her as an individual, or a Japanese woman, but it's definitely an interesting story. The izakaya visit was ridiculously priced too, since we all had to share the cost. The five at the neighboring cocktail bar ate and drank far more than we did, so we all had to bear the burden too. Guess I should've eaten a bit more! =D Karaoke was in order afterwards, and after about two hours of that me and Nata-chan made the epic quest back to Tamagawagakuen-mae (you wouldn't believe how long it takes to get here).Yesterday was a lot of fun, too. We met with Michael Berman, an alum of W&M from '06. It was a bit refreshing to meet with someone who had such good insight into the Japanese business, but still spoke really good English. It made the interview process much easier. We had lunch with him and his VP, and then sat down and had one of the most in-depth interviews we've had yet. I feel like I made some major strides yesterday on my topic, especially just trying to figure out what it's about. I was naive to think that I could just focus on food as a topic. The problem is everybody here already KNOWS about the food, and the meaning of the food goes much deeper than the, "This tempura represents the life of the company" sorta shit. People all have different perspectives of food, and what it does to help grease the gears of the workplace. The Japanese perception of friendship and workplace camaraderie is so different from the American perception. I'm excited to see where my research will end up by the time we do our final presentation on the 12th. After the interview we walked around and visited a ridiculously cheap grocery store. I found a 135 mL container of Asahi for something like...¥88! It's the TINIEST can of beer you've ever seen. Maybe I'll make a posting of it somewhere on here, if I ever take a picture. I've been reluctant to drink beer that I've bought, because I end up having to drink at dinner when I'm with businessmen anyway. I'm just a bit tired of it, especially the feeling that I'm gaining weight. I'm looking forward to getting in shape when I get back to the US, and eating a lot healthier.
We went to dinner at Yamada-san's house last night, somewhere around Shinagawa Station, or something like that. Honestly I have no idea (See? I've still got a ways to go with this train system thing). I told her and her husband how excited I was to experience Japanese cuisine, because there is so much about it t
hat is SO much healthier than what I eat when I'm at home in the United States. I've tried so many new things on this trip, and now I really want to try to find them back at home, and incorporate them into my diet on a regular basis. I think it would be REALLY beneficial to my health. Also, I want to get back to running when I get home. It's going to take a lot of work, especially since I'll have to ice my ankles every night until my tendinitis goes away, but I really really want to do it now. Also, I really want to try to keep studying and practicing my Japanese over the summer. Not being able to get around efficiently here has given me resolve to work on my language skillz. So I guess those are my two NEW goals for summer! Oh yeah, and I guess I'll worry about that job thing at some point, too. xP ANYWAY, dinner was amazing. We had sashimi, rice on seaweed (I have no idea what the Japanese call that), and lots of fruit. It was very filling, even though it was basically a bunch of side dishes. We also drank beer and possibly the BEST sake I have ever tasted. Yamada-san's husband told us it was really expensive, and Hamada-sensei joked about us being about 10 years too young to experience it. HAH! She was definitely tipsy, but will never admit it. She even forgot her glasses on the coffee table.We had a really interesting discussion at dinner about suicide here in Japan. It was pretty depressing, especially because of the demographics side of it. Yamada-san seemed to think it was a lot of "freeters" (Japanese who work only part time jobs and make no money for retirement) who have lost hope in the future. He said that after the war, even though people had no money, they were willing to work because they wanted to achieve peace. Now that it looks like we're on the brink of that, he says that hope for the future in a lot of individuals is fading, and many turn to suicide. Sam saw it a different way. He believes debt plays a large roll, and a lot of Japanese men in their 50's who have tons of debt and nobody to talk to are the ones who turn to death as a "solution." I talked to Kenji a bit about it, and I told him how it wrenches my stomach a bit everytime I hear someone is late BECAUSE of someone committing suicide. Jumping in front of a train just seems like a really terrible way to go, and I wonder what kind of difference I might have made in that person's life had I known them, had I been able to talk to them. I also told Kenji that if he ever feels that way, he should make sure to talk to me or Sam or anybody about it, because it really isn't the answer.
Well, on that thoroughly depressing note, I think I'm going to go finish getting ready. I have an interview today at 1:00 PM, and hopefully afterwards I'll have some time to head to Shinjuku and shop, buy, and begin to use a new digital camera. I wish I could show you what happened to mine. It did a really good job of ruining itself! xP Whatever, so goes life! Catch you all soon! Peace!
Images: (1) Yes, I was there, for far longer than I needed to be; (2) Our izakaya visit! Note the hanging fishes in the upper left hand corner; (3) The sashimi we had at Yamada-san's house. I wish I could've photographed it before everybody started eating! >.<; (4) Tokyo at night. Pretty amazing stuff...
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Strong Zero Lemon!!!
We're finally in Machida. I can't wait to have a fresh suitcase with nice dress clothes and ties tomorrow. I can FINALLY start to change what I wear and adapt to Tokyo style.
Anyway, today's been pretty stressful. I'm drinking a Strong Lemon Zero and eating Pocky. Not going to lie, it's not a great combo, but I'm kicking back and relaxing...*sigh*
Post again soon! Peace!
Photo: Me, Kenji, Sam with a group of Korean artists we met on the train coming back from Kyoto. Anybody wanna guess how old they are?
Anyway, today's been pretty stressful. I'm drinking a Strong Lemon Zero and eating Pocky. Not going to lie, it's not a great combo, but I'm kicking back and relaxing...*sigh*
Post again soon! Peace!
Photo: Me, Kenji, Sam with a group of Korean artists we met on the train coming back from Kyoto. Anybody wanna guess how old they are?
Kamakura
Saturday, May 30, 2009
10:20 PM JST
Matsuura-san’s Home, 大船
I wasn’t lying when I said I would write again! So take that. I decided to do two in one night, because there wasn’t much that happened between the time we left Osaka and now. Just lots of relaxation, and a lot of touring.
I have to admit, as cool as the entire Tokyo area is, Kans
ai definitely holds a special place in my heart. It was really amazing, the people were good looking, the food was delicious, and overall (sans the whole 外人 thing), everything was really fun. After being with a group of people CONSTATLY for a little over a week, I guess I’ve developed a bit of separation anxiety. I miss joking around with Sam, Loretta, and Kenji, and hitting the town on a nightly basis to see what kind of crazy things we’ll get ourselves into (Sam and Kenji even ran into Yakuza!).
Anyway, compared to that, these last few days have been pretty tame. The first day we arrived in the Kamakura area, we were in Ofuna. We spent the night at the Hotel Mets. We traveled ALL DAY again, coming from Osaka. It was pretty miserable, and pretty exhausting considering the weight of my ENORMOUS bags. I’m stupid for having brought this much SHIT on this trip. But, I’m lookin pretty good, so no regrets right? Actually, regrets galore. Compared to people in the cities here, I look like crap all the time. I don’t have any hair product on me, and I don’t have more than one pair of shoes, a jacket that isn’t really made for wearing out, and t-shirts. My fashion is weighing down my soul right now, as far as I’m concerned.
So when we arrived in Ofuna, Sam and I wanted to go out. Loretta was already gone with her host family, and so Chris and Nathan tagged along with us. We went to a chain izakaya, spent $80 on small orders and drinks, and came back and basically crashed. We wanted to take a break then head back out, but there really isn’t much here, and Sam and I were really beat. He talked a bit with his friend who is here from the Netherlands, and I watched Zorro in Japanese and Facebooked a bit. This signaled the death of the night.
Anyway, the next day my host father, Mr. Matsuura, gave everybody in the group a tour of the most famous temple in Kamakura. It was really cool to see, especially since his wife’s grandfather was samurai class and descends from the Genji family. WHOA right? They are really cool interesting people, and are really interested in the history of Kamakura, which I really respect. After the tour we returned to the hotel, and went off with our respective host families. The Matsuuras made me and Nathan dinner. I don’t remember exactly what we had, but it was delicious. Japanese food in general is delicious. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get back to the United States. I will really strive to eat healthier, consumer more vegetables and rice and less meat, but it’s not going to be the same. And God knows the sushi in the US is going to SUCK compared to Japan. ESPECIALLY the sashimi! xP
Anyway, these last two days we have all been separated by a train stop or two, and I am now in Ofuna with my host family, the Matsuuras. They are SO sweet, and so nice to me. It’s awesome to be with them. Every morning I wake up, and I am greeted by the two of them, and as I go to shower, Mrs. Matsuura makes me breakfast with toast and cold milk. It’s just really a pleasure to be staying with them. Last night for dinner we had sukiyaki, possibly my favorite Japanese dish. I was given a raw egg to dip everything in, which was definitely a different experience. The food was so good though. I wish I had been a bit hungrier, so I could’ve eaten the rest of it. xP Tonight we had traditional style sushi which has become a significant dish within the home. Mrs. Matsuura cooked it PERFECTLY, and we also had sashimi. I don’t know what
the fish was, Mr. Matsuura tried to translate it for me, but I’d never heard of it before. *shrug * Oh welll....
Today we visited six temples. It was a really interesting experience. For some reason when I visit temples (Zen or Shinto), I feel some kind of higher presence. It’s completely not the same with Christian or Catholic churches. I had this discussion with Kenji in Kyoto last weekend. I really like the way the Japanese are able to infuse spirituality into their lives. The flow just doesn’t translate in American culture. Religion is so separate, and Americans let it dominate their lives. The Japanese are aware of religion, but don’t let it govern every decision they make. But anyway, it was really cool to see the history, to feel the power of the temples, the architecture, the statues, the plant life. It was really beautiful. At the end of the day, Mr. Matsuura and I had a glass of Matcha green tea at Jomyoji, and took in the beauty of the nature surrounding us. It was a really exhausting day, but a lot of fun.
Tomorrow we go to Machida and the Tokyo area. I’m really excited, but I have to admit a bit nervous. I want to be able to get out of the house and enjoy my time in Tokyo, but I’m also worried about massively screwing up and ending up somewhere I don’t know where I am. I am going to miss the Matsuuras, but I’ll be sure to keep in touch with them. They want me to come back and visit sometime. I think I might! =) Anyway, I’m going to hit the sack, it’s pretty late and I’ve gotta be up early tomorrow to carry tons of crap to and from house to house, station to station. Woot. Peace!
Photos: Together with the Osaka ladies at okonomiyaki, our rainy ass tour of Kamakura, the scenery and tea with Matsuura-san on our temple tour *woot*
10:20 PM JST
Matsuura-san’s Home, 大船
I wasn’t lying when I said I would write again! So take that. I decided to do two in one night, because there wasn’t much that happened between the time we left Osaka and now. Just lots of relaxation, and a lot of touring.
I have to admit, as cool as the entire Tokyo area is, Kans
ai definitely holds a special place in my heart. It was really amazing, the people were good looking, the food was delicious, and overall (sans the whole 外人 thing), everything was really fun. After being with a group of people CONSTATLY for a little over a week, I guess I’ve developed a bit of separation anxiety. I miss joking around with Sam, Loretta, and Kenji, and hitting the town on a nightly basis to see what kind of crazy things we’ll get ourselves into (Sam and Kenji even ran into Yakuza!).Anyway, compared to that, these last few days have been pretty tame. The first day we arrived in the Kamakura area, we were in Ofuna. We spent the night at the Hotel Mets. We traveled ALL DAY again, coming from Osaka. It was pretty miserable, and pretty exhausting considering the weight of my ENORMOUS bags. I’m stupid for having brought this much SHIT on this trip. But, I’m lookin pretty good, so no regrets right? Actually, regrets galore. Compared to people in the cities here, I look like crap all the time. I don’t have any hair product on me, and I don’t have more than one pair of shoes, a jacket that isn’t really made for wearing out, and t-shirts. My fashion is weighing down my soul right now, as far as I’m concerned.
So when we arrived in Ofuna, Sam and I wanted to go out. Loretta was already gone with her host family, and so Chris and Nathan tagged along with us. We went to a chain izakaya, spent $80 on small orders and drinks, and came back and basically crashed. We wanted to take a break then head back out, but there really isn’t much here, and Sam and I were really beat. He talked a bit with his friend who is here from the Netherlands, and I watched Zorro in Japanese and Facebooked a bit. This signaled the death of the night.
Anyway, the next day my host father, Mr. Matsuura, gave everybody in the group a tour of the most famous temple in Kamakura. It was really cool to see, especially since his wife’s grandfather was samurai class and descends from the Genji family. WHOA right? They are really cool interesting people, and are really interested in the history of Kamakura, which I really respect. After the tour we returned to the hotel, and went off with our respective host families. The Matsuuras made me and Nathan dinner. I don’t remember exactly what we had, but it was delicious. Japanese food in general is delicious. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get back to the United States. I will really strive to eat healthier, consumer more vegetables and rice and less meat, but it’s not going to be the same. And God knows the sushi in the US is going to SUCK compared to Japan. ESPECIALLY the sashimi! xPAnyway, these last two days we have all been separated by a train stop or two, and I am now in Ofuna with my host family, the Matsuuras. They are SO sweet, and so nice to me. It’s awesome to be with them. Every morning I wake up, and I am greeted by the two of them, and as I go to shower, Mrs. Matsuura makes me breakfast with toast and cold milk. It’s just really a pleasure to be staying with them. Last night for dinner we had sukiyaki, possibly my favorite Japanese dish. I was given a raw egg to dip everything in, which was definitely a different experience. The food was so good though. I wish I had been a bit hungrier, so I could’ve eaten the rest of it. xP Tonight we had traditional style sushi which has become a significant dish within the home. Mrs. Matsuura cooked it PERFECTLY, and we also had sashimi. I don’t know what
the fish was, Mr. Matsuura tried to translate it for me, but I’d never heard of it before. *shrug * Oh welll....Today we visited six temples. It was a really interesting experience. For some reason when I visit temples (Zen or Shinto), I feel some kind of higher presence. It’s completely not the same with Christian or Catholic churches. I had this discussion with Kenji in Kyoto last weekend. I really like the way the Japanese are able to infuse spirituality into their lives. The flow just doesn’t translate in American culture. Religion is so separate, and Americans let it dominate their lives. The Japanese are aware of religion, but don’t let it govern every decision they make. But anyway, it was really cool to see the history, to feel the power of the temples, the architecture, the statues, the plant life. It was really beautiful. At the end of the day, Mr. Matsuura and I had a glass of Matcha green tea at Jomyoji, and took in the beauty of the nature surrounding us. It was a really exhausting day, but a lot of fun.
Tomorrow we go to Machida and the Tokyo area. I’m really excited, but I have to admit a bit nervous. I want to be able to get out of the house and enjoy my time in Tokyo, but I’m also worried about massively screwing up and ending up somewhere I don’t know where I am. I am going to miss the Matsuuras, but I’ll be sure to keep in touch with them. They want me to come back and visit sometime. I think I might! =) Anyway, I’m going to hit the sack, it’s pretty late and I’ve gotta be up early tomorrow to carry tons of crap to and from house to house, station to station. Woot. Peace!
Photos: Together with the Osaka ladies at okonomiyaki, our rainy ass tour of Kamakura, the scenery and tea with Matsuura-san on our temple tour *woot*
INFRUENZA! MAJIDE!?!?
Saturday, May 30, 2009
10:10 PM JST
Matsuura-san’s Home, 大船
Well now that 大阪 is done and over with, I’m not going to dwell on it and try to write a new entry for each day, I’ll just write one big entry with an overview. Haha! Overall, Kansai was a pretty good way to dive right into Japan. I feel like the people were a lot nicer and more straightforward than they are in Tokyo (not to mention a bit better looking), but I was also happy to get some of the, “We hate foreigners” bias out of the way early on.
We got to do a lot of really cool things for our ethnographic research over the course of the week, in spite of the fact that we were staying in what is essentially the Bronx of 大阪. For one, Sam, Kenji and I traveled to 京都 to meet a man named Kanazawa who has worked for NHK as a cameraman for a number of years. He showed us many of the famous temples in 京都, particularly those known for their sweet water. This same day, we were lucky enough to meet and interview Matsumoto-san, the president of the Matsumoto Brewery. The things he told us about Japanese sake were incredible, and it was an overwhelming experience to be talking with someone of such stature, and to be welcomed into his personal space. Wow.
I also had the opportunity to tour the Maruchan Instant Noodle factory near Kobe. Personally, I was very tired, and very nervous to meet these men, because they have such a history with my professor and hold such stature in the business world. Toyo Suisan is a gigantic company, and for us to be invited to visit the factory was a big deal. We were very important guests to them, and they treated us like it. For more than eight hours, we were constantly served coffee, food, desserts, and given presentations about the Maruchan Factory. We got to tour their facilities, and even got to go into a giant icebox that is kept at -50F! Holy shit that was cold! I have never seen so much steam come off of my breath, and I was even warned to cover my ears to make sure they didn’t get frost bitten. Haha, Kenji started coughing and looked like he was keeling over and dying. It was pretty funny. I felt bad for him though. X(
At the end the company men even took us out for dinner and 飲み会. Wow, this was really special, and probably one of the best highlights of this trip for me so far. We went to a gorgeous Japanese restaurant, sat down in a room with all of the company men (and one woman), and were immediately served food and drink. We started with amazing sashimi, and then had shabu shabu with vegetables and slices of Kobe beef (shabu shabu is essentially a pot of boiling water in which you swish the beef or vegetables twice through and then eat them). The company men ate with us, talked with us, and continuously poured more alcohol into our cups than we were able to pour into theirs. This is something that only Japanese businessmen get to experience, and to be here observing it was really awesome. Also, I have a funny story from this night. At one point, the head of the plant came and sat down next to me. He continuously poured drinks for Loretta and I, and kept piling food onto our plate. Essentially, we were being forced to eat and drin
k by this large Japanese man. At one point, I ate some mochi, choked on it, and almost threw up. The ENTIRE ROOM stopped what it was doing, nervously checked on me to see if I was going to be okay. I try to get out that I am 大丈夫, and what happens? The manager brings his chopsticks up from the shabu shabu pot, shouts, “UDON!” and starts piling fresh udon noodles onto our plates. HAH! I thought I was going to die, but that’s something I will NEVER forget for the rest of my life. Sam also made sure to challenge one of the company men to a drinking contest with me. We shared a shot of warm sake, after which I became known as ざるのジェフ (that means “tank” in Japanese).
One of my favorite parts of Kansai was the nightlife in both 大阪 and 京都. We often made the trip into 道頓堀 to walk the streets, shop, karaoke, and visit the bars with each other. Because of the flu-phobia, everything was basically dead, but it was really nice to sit, have a beer, and talk with my friends. 道頓堀 was pretty fun because we almost missed t
he train every night (I can recall the first night having to take a cab back, and another night running full of beer trying to catch the last train). I think moreso than 道頓堀, 京都 proved better for nightlife. The one night we did spend out in 京都 was ridiculously fun. Kenji, Loretta, Sam and I started off at a good izakaya near the Evisu the Kyoto store, had a few Moscow meals, a few small appetizers, and then headed over to a really sweet jazz bar called, “Blue Note.” This was unlike anything I have ever experienced. We walked in, and nearly every person in the bar was holding an instrument, waiting to get up front and improv with the “band.” We ordered a drink, sat down, and watched as people got up and played incredible music, while others listened and interacted with them. It was smoky, lit with blue lights, and the ambiance and atmosphere was surreal. It was so, so, SO frickin’ cool. Something like this would NEVER happen in America. Of course, Sam got up and played two songs, and after he was done we booked it out to the train (Surprised? We were trying to make the last one!) a
nd headed back to 大阪.
Everything in Kansai was awesome, from the food to the entertainment to the interviews. I can’t wait to see what 東京 holds for us. Assuming I have a better internet connection, I will be trying to update more frequently from here on out. We’ll see though. I’ve been saying this for a while. I’ll post again though, for sure. =) PEACE!
PS- Hopefully all of you can read the Kanjis, but if you can’t, 大阪 is Osaka, 京都 is Kyoto, 東京 is Tokyo, and 道頓堀 is Douton Bori. Also, the first picture is of the area where we stayed in Osaka, next is me and Loretta with the head of the Maruchan Plant, the second is me and Loretta at the izakaya in Kyoto, and this last picture is the Jazz Bar we went into in Kyoto. If you look closely, you can see a pasty white boy playing guitar. That's Sam. Anyway, see you all! ^^
10:10 PM JST
Matsuura-san’s Home, 大船
Well now that 大阪 is done and over with, I’m not going to dwell on it and try to write a new entry for each day, I’ll just write one big entry with an overview. Haha! Overall, Kansai was a pretty good way to dive right into Japan. I feel like the people were a lot nicer and more straightforward than they are in Tokyo (not to mention a bit better looking), but I was also happy to get some of the, “We hate foreigners” bias out of the way early on.
We got to do a lot of really cool things for our ethnographic research over the course of the week, in spite of the fact that we were staying in what is essentially the Bronx of 大阪. For one, Sam, Kenji and I traveled to 京都 to meet a man named Kanazawa who has worked for NHK as a cameraman for a number of years. He showed us many of the famous temples in 京都, particularly those known for their sweet water. This same day, we were lucky enough to meet and interview Matsumoto-san, the president of the Matsumoto Brewery. The things he told us about Japanese sake were incredible, and it was an overwhelming experience to be talking with someone of such stature, and to be welcomed into his personal space. Wow.I also had the opportunity to tour the Maruchan Instant Noodle factory near Kobe. Personally, I was very tired, and very nervous to meet these men, because they have such a history with my professor and hold such stature in the business world. Toyo Suisan is a gigantic company, and for us to be invited to visit the factory was a big deal. We were very important guests to them, and they treated us like it. For more than eight hours, we were constantly served coffee, food, desserts, and given presentations about the Maruchan Factory. We got to tour their facilities, and even got to go into a giant icebox that is kept at -50F! Holy shit that was cold! I have never seen so much steam come off of my breath, and I was even warned to cover my ears to make sure they didn’t get frost bitten. Haha, Kenji started coughing and looked like he was keeling over and dying. It was pretty funny. I felt bad for him though. X(
At the end the company men even took us out for dinner and 飲み会. Wow, this was really special, and probably one of the best highlights of this trip for me so far. We went to a gorgeous Japanese restaurant, sat down in a room with all of the company men (and one woman), and were immediately served food and drink. We started with amazing sashimi, and then had shabu shabu with vegetables and slices of Kobe beef (shabu shabu is essentially a pot of boiling water in which you swish the beef or vegetables twice through and then eat them). The company men ate with us, talked with us, and continuously poured more alcohol into our cups than we were able to pour into theirs. This is something that only Japanese businessmen get to experience, and to be here observing it was really awesome. Also, I have a funny story from this night. At one point, the head of the plant came and sat down next to me. He continuously poured drinks for Loretta and I, and kept piling food onto our plate. Essentially, we were being forced to eat and drin
k by this large Japanese man. At one point, I ate some mochi, choked on it, and almost threw up. The ENTIRE ROOM stopped what it was doing, nervously checked on me to see if I was going to be okay. I try to get out that I am 大丈夫, and what happens? The manager brings his chopsticks up from the shabu shabu pot, shouts, “UDON!” and starts piling fresh udon noodles onto our plates. HAH! I thought I was going to die, but that’s something I will NEVER forget for the rest of my life. Sam also made sure to challenge one of the company men to a drinking contest with me. We shared a shot of warm sake, after which I became known as ざるのジェフ (that means “tank” in Japanese).One of my favorite parts of Kansai was the nightlife in both 大阪 and 京都. We often made the trip into 道頓堀 to walk the streets, shop, karaoke, and visit the bars with each other. Because of the flu-phobia, everything was basically dead, but it was really nice to sit, have a beer, and talk with my friends. 道頓堀 was pretty fun because we almost missed t
he train every night (I can recall the first night having to take a cab back, and another night running full of beer trying to catch the last train). I think moreso than 道頓堀, 京都 proved better for nightlife. The one night we did spend out in 京都 was ridiculously fun. Kenji, Loretta, Sam and I started off at a good izakaya near the Evisu the Kyoto store, had a few Moscow meals, a few small appetizers, and then headed over to a really sweet jazz bar called, “Blue Note.” This was unlike anything I have ever experienced. We walked in, and nearly every person in the bar was holding an instrument, waiting to get up front and improv with the “band.” We ordered a drink, sat down, and watched as people got up and played incredible music, while others listened and interacted with them. It was smoky, lit with blue lights, and the ambiance and atmosphere was surreal. It was so, so, SO frickin’ cool. Something like this would NEVER happen in America. Of course, Sam got up and played two songs, and after he was done we booked it out to the train (Surprised? We were trying to make the last one!) a
nd headed back to 大阪.Everything in Kansai was awesome, from the food to the entertainment to the interviews. I can’t wait to see what 東京 holds for us. Assuming I have a better internet connection, I will be trying to update more frequently from here on out. We’ll see though. I’ve been saying this for a while. I’ll post again though, for sure. =) PEACE!
PS- Hopefully all of you can read the Kanjis, but if you can’t, 大阪 is Osaka, 京都 is Kyoto, 東京 is Tokyo, and 道頓堀 is Douton Bori. Also, the first picture is of the area where we stayed in Osaka, next is me and Loretta with the head of the Maruchan Plant, the second is me and Loretta at the izakaya in Kyoto, and this last picture is the Jazz Bar we went into in Kyoto. If you look closely, you can see a pasty white boy playing guitar. That's Sam. Anyway, see you all! ^^
Monday, May 25, 2009
SO MUCH TO SAY!!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
1:40 AM JST
Oasis Hotel, Osaka
Okay, so I've got a lot of new entries to write. I'm about a week behind, in fact, both in the personal blog AND the research journal we're supposed to be keeping that details EVERY event from day to day. Basically, I'm screwed as it stands right now, because it's now Tuesday, and I'm still writing about LAST Thursday. Thankfully I've got some pics. This is what I've been up to in Osaka (sans 道頓堀, I don't really record what happens there...hah!) I'll write about it later! Take a look! =)
Me and Kenji toasting at a hole in the wall Korean restaurant in Korean Town, Osaka!
Kenji, Sam, and I interviewing the President of Matsumoto Sake, Matsumoto-san himself. This was p
retty cool!
Everybody standing together outside the Maruchan Noodle plant near Kobe. It's pretty early, so we all look a bit tired. That's okay though, we made it through! =D
Anyway, this is all I can stand to stay awake to post for tonight. I should get some work done tomorrow though. Hope and pray for an update! Haha! PACE! おやすみなさい！
1:40 AM JST
Oasis Hotel, Osaka
Okay, so I've got a lot of new entries to write. I'm about a week behind, in fact, both in the personal blog AND the research journal we're supposed to be keeping that details EVERY event from day to day. Basically, I'm screwed as it stands right now, because it's now Tuesday, and I'm still writing about LAST Thursday. Thankfully I've got some pics. This is what I've been up to in Osaka (sans 道頓堀, I don't really record what happens there...hah!) I'll write about it later! Take a look! =)
Me and Kenji toasting at a hole in the wall Korean restaurant in Korean Town, Osaka!
Kenji, Sam, and I interviewing the President of Matsumoto Sake, Matsumoto-san himself. This was p
retty cool!Everybody standing together outside the Maruchan Noodle plant near Kobe. It's pretty early, so we all look a bit tired. That's okay though, we made it through! =D
Anyway, this is all I can stand to stay awake to post for tonight. I should get some work done tomorrow though. Hope and pray for an update! Haha! PACE! おやすみなさい！
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