Sunday, Feb. 26 2007
Family matters
I have decided to move back to the dorms, but if I feel that things can only go better by going in another host family after discussing with the university administration tomorrow, I might move in another host family. The whole family seems to be ignoring me and having no interest what so ever. Their only interest is that I keep everything clean and that I don’t leave the lights on for nothing; that is something that they never fail to talk to me about. Otherwise, I have invited them to the aquarium and no one could make it and the night I came back they didn’t even ask me how it was. They just said welcome back and that was it. This is how it is now in my host family every evening: they say welcome back and they there is an awkward silence or they keep doing whatever they were and they never invite me in the living room or speak to me or even ask me how my day was. At first I did try to talk to them about my classes and show them magic tricks, but they didn’t seem very interested so now I have to be satisfied with just spending the evening in my room reading or using the internet when I seldom catch it from the neighbor. I am not having a nice homestay experience right now, but at least I am learning something about myself and Japan. All the other home stay stories seem to be very different from mine; families that want to do activities with the guest, that are genuinely interested in hosting someone from another country and making someone feel at home. Unfortunately I am not in that kind of family at all and I am not even practicing my Japanese so I have no choice to move from here.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Kaiyukan - Feb. 25 2007
Saturday, Feb. 25 2007
Kaiyukan
Most of my day was spent at the Osaka aquarium. I went to spend time with friends more than to visit the aquarium itself since I had already visited an aquarium in Nagoya. However, I am very glad I went because it was quite impressive, especially the 52,000 ton of water tank, containing a whale shark. I had heard many times that this aquarium had two white sharks in captivity, but I did not see that. The aquarium also exhibits birds, monkeys, seals, otters, crocodiles and sometimes a mix of all these animals to create a realistic ecosystem. I would say that aquarium is not a good name for this place, it is closer to a “biosphere”. I also got to ride the largest Ferris wheel on earth and get a great view of the second most expensive city on earth. I also saw a 3D deep sea movie but I slept half of the time.
In the evening we headed to the shinsaibashi and doutombori area and we were looking for the electronics district since one of my friends wanted to get an electronic dictionary. I wasn’t sure if I was going the right way so I asked someone who was passing by who deliberately told us to go on forward when we were not at all at the right place AND going in the WRONG direction. When we asked someone else and found out, we hopped on the subway to go back and when we got there we asked again to make sure and the first person we asked just made a hand gesture (like trying to protect his face from an object flying right by) and just continued walking on. It cannot be the language issue because I asked in Japanese… That kind of behavior is very un-Japanese (I hope) and maybe that person was not Japanese and that might be why we had that reaction.
1 hour later and 17, 000 yen less, we went to Ohsho (again) the same one we had already been to in that area and closed the night at an early 9pm since we were all tired from the walking.
Concrete - Feb. 22 2007
Friday, Feb. 22nd 2007
Concrete
While I was riding to school this morning I noticed a group of construction workers intently observing a machine digging in the street while one man seemed to be explaining what was going on. This made me think of a few things about Japan: education is important in Japan in order to get a degree and especially the name of the school makes a difference. However the studied subject is not as important for most. The reason is the company will teach you the necessary skills proper to that company, no matter your field of study. Right across the construction site there is Komatsu, a large construction equipment manufacturer. The employees seemed to be from Komatsu and it would not surprise me if this was just a training session. Also, Japan has very few welfare programs and what replaces this is construction. There are many bridges and concrete structures, even some which seem redundant. To make sure people don’t end up without work, the government initiates various construction or reparation projects. It would not surprise me either if that street did not really need that much attention in the first place. They seem to be rebuilding the asphalt but the street was perfect before they started working on it…
The weather - Monday, Feb. 19 2007
Monday, Feb. 19 2007
The weather
There are three things that are worth sharing here about Japan and the weather. There might be other things, but for now, all I know about are: umbrellas, seasons and sakura. Whether it rains or snows here, people use their umbrella. It almost seems bad luck or weird not to have an umbrella while it precipitates. I remember while I was in Kyoto and it was snowing, everyone had their umbrellas out. This would never happen in Montreal, where it snows a lot more! The funniest sight is when people are riding their bikes with their umbrellas! Some even have gadgets to fix the umbrella on the handles of the bicycle.
The second is season change. There is no set date for season changes it seems. In Canada every September 22nd marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Here they announce on TV when it is the official season change. Around the end of winter, not until they announce that it is the end of winter do people start wearing lighter clothing, no matter how hot it can be on a particular day!
The third is Sakura, or the cherry blossoms. This mostly happens in March, but varies depending of the part of Japan. This is one big event in Japan, everyone goes to the temples, shrines and parks to see the sight of the pink flowers that last for a very short time, maybe two days. During Sakura, there are forecasts of the developments and the best spots to see the phenomena. Every year Japanese people take the photos of the same trees and flowers and drink sake and go on spurs of romantic poetry during those few days. I have not decided yet where I would see Sakura, but most probably in Kyoto.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Petto - Feb. 19 2007
I think that in most industrialized countries home pets fill in for kids and become integral members of the family. I think that in Japan, while the birthrate is really low and there is no strong incentive for having children, some people do opt for kittens or puppies and they are treated just like a baby. Clothing for pets is very popular here, and they have many specialty stores who sell a wide assortement of accesories for animals, but it is not a pet shop, it is rather a retail shop for animals. I did not have my camera, but when I was down at Kuzuha mall I saw a one of those stores with a huge space out on the roof of the mall reserved for dogs to run freely. By the way, in the picture this is Eddy, my host family's dog. They tuck him in every night like that.
Dreams - Feb. 18 2007
I woke up on Saturday morning around 5 am, still dizzy, drunk with the stench of vomit in a room that is not my host family’s. I was sleeping directly on the cold floor with a cover over me and my sweatshirt off. On my left side was Cody sleeping sound in his futon and on my right a completely empty futon just calling me to bed. With the little consciousness I had at that time, I managed to pull myself into bed and return to lala land. When I wake up again there is a French guy and a Norwegian looking down at me asking if I am alright… (what a dumb question). All they can see is someone in a futon that barely can turn around to say “no” and a garbage can standing beside for obvious reasons. They leave with Cody to Kyoto and I cannot manage to leave with them so I am left alone in this foreign house with people I don’t know. I fall asleep again.
***********
When I wake up around 2 pm I try to recollect what has been going on in the past 24 hours. Slowly it comes back: Around dinner time I joined two American exchange student friends and a couple of Japanese students in a “Gaijin” Vs “Nihonjin” bowling match. The first game the Japanese win by 30 pts and the second match we win by at least 100 pts. Certainly not due to me, I can barely make 100 pts in both games. Bowling is really not my sport, if you can call it a sport. Before we leave I remember I need to take a purikura picture ( I cannot really explain what it is, but when I have some, I will post them). And there are many outlets for this here. However, it is customary to take that kind of picture with girls, never two guys together or a guy alone. So, with the confidence of being with a bunch of guy friends, I go up to a group of girls and ask them if I can take a purikura with one of them. The reaction is 2 minutes of awkward and uncomfortable “humm” “aaa” “ano…” indecisiveness… they all take look at each other not knowing what to say or do next and there is some extreme group think going on. Boy, have I ever disturbed their world. After 2 minutes I give up and say not to mind. I leave feeling like an idiot and certainly having tarnished the image of gaijins even more.
Next we went to a famous Chinese restaurant called Oosho that is everywhere in Kansai (it seems). There is only one Japanese girl accompanying us and there is no single table that can contain all of us and she is indecisive as whether she should sit with the gaijin or the Japanese guys. I invite her to sit in for half of the meal on our side and the other half the other side, which she accepts and seats next to me. The whole meal conversation is centered on the clumsiness of gaijins and we even reenact our misdeeds, pretending to be at our host family’s dinner table. I reenact the moment when there was only one croquette left and the host mother asked me if I wanted it and I just took it out of the plate and ate like an animal… The custom here is always “enryo” or hesitate… hesitate to ask questions, to answer questions, to show your knowledge, to react, and when it comes to food, you have to ask if it is ok even if they ask you if you want it. It’s only a question of “good manners”. Of course being a foreigner we are not expected to act that way, but if we do, it certainly impresses them (in a good way at least).
I show off my Japanese by reading menu items and practicing my kansai ben and at the end of the meal, for a measly 6$ CDN we had a very good meal. Oosho is the best.
The Americans and I are very set to go drink so we set foot to a local bar called “Daddy’s Shoes” mainly operated by foreigners and a majority of foreign customers (how surprising). Some university Profs have even been spotted there enjoying a few drinks. This seemed like a good idea at first but now I regret having gone there. As we go in they are preparing to play this drink game called “raise the bar”. As all drinking games the rules are very simple, well there is always one prominent rule: drink as much as you can… nomihodai. The goal is to start with a set amount of shooters and when it goes to the next person you have to drink the same amount of shooters or raise the bar to any number you want. The first round I drink 3. The second round I drink 6 and the last round I drink 11. That’s 19 shooters in 30 minutes. Not realizing what lies ahead of me, I go on and drink half a glass of Guiness beer and two Coronas with a mix of liquor in it that makes it even easier to go down. Before long one of my friends, Cody, tells me it’s time to head back and then from there I only remember bits and pieces. I remember sending a message to my host mother telling her I will not be coming back tonight and I still don’t understand how I managed to write this much with the Japanese interface: finally, friend at stay…. And she replied saying that she understood and it was ok. I probably started throwing up at the same time (yes, on the train) because my cellphone was filthy. I also remember a train employee helping me to do a fare adjustment and then all I remember is Cody endlessly excusing himself to his host father while I am semi-unconscious in his bed being very sick. How bad I felt…
*****
Once I remember what has led me to be here in this condition, I make an assessment of the damages and try to figure out how will I present myself to Cody’s host family without feeling awkward. I really have to go to the bathroom and I can’t stay in this room all day so I eventually go out and down the stairs and follow the heat (the kitchen is always the warm place in a Japanese home during winter, and is usually connected to the living room so it becomes a gathering place for the family to spend time together and keep warm). At the bottom of the stairs I find myself in a narrow hallway with identical doors aligned on every side. Behind one of the doors I hear people conversing and watching TV – that must be it. I hesitate before I open the door, and finally the door opens by itself and reveals Cody’s okaasan. Of course she jumps and says oh! You surprised me… so much for avoiding an awkward presentation. Okaasan goes right to business by asking me if I am hungry, and I respond by telling her I drank too much last night and therefore am sick. (She probably already knew that much). I tell her I prefer to wait a bit before I eat but would enjoy a glass of water. Okaasan reacts like nothing peculiar happened and that we have always known each other. I certainly feel comfortable here. The next few minutes are punctuated by me half falling asleep while sitting at the kitchen table and darting to the bathroom saying: I’m not feeling so good. After a while I say that I think I should sleep a bit more, and Okaasan invites me to lie on the couch for a while, she brings a pillow for my head and at the same time I can watch TV. An old, catholic, black and white French flick is playing, with Japanese subtitles of course. Okaasan’s daughter is also there with her grand-daughter sleeping tight in her arms. I’m not exactly sure how to say that in Japanese: thank you for taking care of me, but I say osewa arigatou gozaimasu… and I guess they understand. I lie there and just relax for a while and wait for the hangover to seep away. Soon Okaasan brings chopped apples and invites me to have some. I manage to eat more and she asks me at what time I want to have dinner. I compare this environment, to the cold transactional relationship I am having with my host family and I am quite disappointed. This family clearly has an interest in foreign students and wants to take care of them. In my case, I feel that it’s OK if I am in my host family as long as I don’t make a difference; that is: I don’t make a difference in the order of things, in the bills and the cleanliness and all those little details that seem supremely important to my host mother. Whether I am ok or not is of little importance… maybe I have a totally wrong impression but I have been talking about it to many peers and friends back home and the reactions range from move out of there to that is unfortunate this spectrum makes it pretty clear that something is not going right…
Back at Cody’s host family, over dinner we watch a classic American movie and okaasan brings the dinner in the living room and I eat next to Otousan. He too, does not speak that much but after having seeing me being sick like I was the night before, I would expect him to be somewhat discouraged but he actually offers me a shot of home-made brandy!! Unbelievable! That is something I cannot refuse but I know I will drink it veeerrry slowly because I just destroyed my liver with alcohol. I also feel strange about all this because Cody is not even there during the whole time, I am just a stranger happening to be in there house…
After dinner I clean up the room, clean up my mess fold up the futon and place it in the Oshiire. Cody comes back from Kyoto surprised to see that I am still there. Okaasan serves us two types of grapefruit, hot cake and tea. When it is bath time, I go after Cody and for the first time in my life I take a bath Japanese style. After showering and rinsing off I soak in the 42 degrees celcius water and it feels really good. After everything that had happened in the past 2 days, it occurred to me that a hot bath would feel good. I also wonder why I had never indulged in Japanese bathing in my own host family when I have the opportunity every night. Maybe I just don’t feel as comfortable in my host family…
We end the night by watching an old Hollywood style musical and I stay over another night because my coat is still wet from being cleaned. (It also was a victim of my drunkenness). I could have returned that night even if my coat was wet, but at the same time I was not ready to return to my cold room in a cold family.
****
This morning Cody wakes up at 5 to 10 and he said he would wake up at 10. No alarms needed. I am very impressed; I wish I had that ability. I did not have such a good night’s sleep because I had allergies because of the dog. Not having planned to stay over at another place, I was not equipped with my allergy medicine and my asthma pump so I tried to go in the washroom and open the window to get some fresh air to alleviate the symptoms but to no avail: I pretty much coughed and wheezed all night. As planned we have pineapple and chicken sandwiches for breakfast. We talk for a while with Okaasan and we tell her that she should visit America and she could accomplish one of her dream which is to improve her English. She is pretty good, especially considering that she has only learnt from watching movies. There are movies playing all day at this place… it is like a 24 hour theater… that is also great. She has been hosting people for a while now. She starting by hosting Singaporeans sponsored by Matsushita (large Japanese electronic firm) to learn Japanese language and work methods and bring them back to Singapore. Unfortunately the project was a failure since most participants changed job when they returned to Singapore and thus made the Matsuhita’s investment worth nothing. Then she started hosting foreign students and another dream of hers is to help increase the number of host families in Japan. She is a very passionate and energetic woman for her age and she also has her share of brandy at night with her husband.
She asks if we want to watch a movie, and at that point I answer that I’d better get going or else I will stay there all day. She doesn’t catch my sentence in English and does not react, but when she sees me putting my coat on, she seems puzzled and I repeat in Japanese that I am leaving and have to study. She proposes that both Cody and I study together at her place, but I didn’t bring anything to study. Okaasan seems genuinely disappointed that I am leaving. I tell her that I will come back, and I hide the fact that I am also sad about leaving.
Cody walks me back to the train station (there is no way I could remember how to walk back) and tells me a few things that I did while I was drunk, that completely escaped my mind…
When I get back I tell my host mother how drunk I was on Friday so I had to stay at another place and she seems to find it very funny. (I’m glad she is laughing for once when I talk to her). The father is on the computer as always, redundantly checking it and performing various scans for viruses. He never seems to react to anything I say. After a while I go back to my room and start writing and soon it’s 3pm and I still didn’t open my grammar books. Time to study.
Food - Feb. 15 2007
Food
I was at Yoshinoya’s last week, some sort of Japanese fast food. The taste is great and the prices are very reasonable. I suggest it to anyone who likes rice and beef or pork because these are the main ingredients of the meals sold at Yoshinoya. I remember going twice and asking for “Gyudon” or beef with rice, but they could not serve it so I took “Butadon” pork with rice. In these instances I always assumed that there was no more beef. Last time I went to Yoshinoya I was with a Japanese friend that works for an import-export company and he explained that there was a quota on American beef that regulated the amount of beef any restaurant could sell. I took a good look at the menu and indeed, there was set period of the day where “Gyudon” was available and outside that time they cannot sell “Gyudon”. I asked my friend why they couldn’t import beef from other countries like Canada for example, and he told me that the taste of American beef was special and they only wanted American beef. That seemed odd to me because I did not think there was a big taste difference between meat from Canada and meat from the states, but at the same time, we have to remember that Japanese are very specific about their tastes and criteria, especially in food.
Japanese is definitely a food culture. You can see it on TV: every show has a food segment with the hosts noisily chomping down and letting out an “oishiii” mouth full of food. I actually got sick of watching Japanese TV once because there was always food. Also, food displays are very big here in Japan, some companies perfect the art of making plastic food look like edible food. Those displays can really fool the eye, to the extent that they even have contests on TV and contestants have to tell the fake food from the real, by just looking of course. Apparently Osaka is the city that produces the most fake food on the planet. I have a few pictures of fake food displays, but they are not that good… next time I see one I will try to remember to take a picture and post it here.
Another thing that really surprised me is the discounts they put on perishables in grocery stores. A good time to do your groceries in Japan is in the evening because they discount the prices of various fish and meat products because it is deemed to be “not as fresh”. This is another clear example of how food is important in the Japanese culture.
The last thing I would add to close this food segment would be that I borrowed a cook book from one of my friends here for when I was living on my own. I tried some recipes and they were pretty good, but the most important advice I took from the book was: Japanese like to appreciate their food with their eyes before they appreciate it in their mouth. I could not disagree with this statement, most Japanese dishes are works of art and there is a balance of primary colors in all of them. Try to notice next time you have Japanese food.
The Talk - Feb. 16 2007
The Talk
Earlier this week I had a small conversation with my host father. This might turn to be the longest conversation I have with him ever. We talked for a good 10 minutes about the router problem. I restated that the router had nothing to do with his computer being slow and that I could help him fix his problems, but he doesn’t seem to trust me and absolutely wants his programmer friend to take check it out, and then when he gets the “ok” from his friend, he should reconnect the router. Until then I have very limited internet connection, limited to the free time I have at school, which, having 5 courses is very little. Unless I stay late at school to work on the computers, but that would defeat the purpose of being in home stay.
The conversation went well, I had been thinking about what I would tell my host father without seeming confrontational and without pushing the idea that he doesn’t know anything about computers. It is a pretty delicate situation and I certainly didn’t want to do a cultural faux-pas, let alone worsening the relationship between us. I also thought about the timing, when would be the right time to talk to him. There are very few moments that the father is actually alone, and that is when he takes his bath. In the evening, the husband is always the first to take his bath, followed by the guest, and the bathing room is conveniently situated right next to my room so when the father is done, he knocks on my door and tells me that it’s my turn.
That night I was waiting for him to knock on my door so I could initiate the conversation just the two of us. I started by: chotto ii? The conversation was mainly a one sided conversation with the father just repeating to wait a bit until his friend takes a look at his computer no matter how I tell him. However, there were some explanations about the decision to suspend the use of the router: this was all new to him and he wasn’t sure what to do and his wife got mad because the computer was not working correctly so he had no choice but to disconnect the router.
This was almost a week ago now, and nothing has changed, and I did take his word with a grain of salt because something we have to know about Japanese people is “hone”. They have this innate reflex of wanting everyone to be ok and undisturbed around them, which is closely related to “wa”; harmony in everything. Sometimes, though it can be misinterpreted by foreigners, they even say things just to please others or to avoid conflict. So I might be in this situation right now. I think it would be perfectly legitimate for me to ask for clarifications, but I don’t want to be pushy and there is only so much I can do. Since then the only word I exchange with the father is “hai” when it’s time to take my bath. But it has to be noted that, in my limited experience anyway, fathers don’t seem to be all that talkative in the family environment.
Earlier this week I had a small conversation with my host father. This might turn to be the longest conversation I have with him ever. We talked for a good 10 minutes about the router problem. I restated that the router had nothing to do with his computer being slow and that I could help him fix his problems, but he doesn’t seem to trust me and absolutely wants his programmer friend to take check it out, and then when he gets the “ok” from his friend, he should reconnect the router. Until then I have very limited internet connection, limited to the free time I have at school, which, having 5 courses is very little. Unless I stay late at school to work on the computers, but that would defeat the purpose of being in home stay.
The conversation went well, I had been thinking about what I would tell my host father without seeming confrontational and without pushing the idea that he doesn’t know anything about computers. It is a pretty delicate situation and I certainly didn’t want to do a cultural faux-pas, let alone worsening the relationship between us. I also thought about the timing, when would be the right time to talk to him. There are very few moments that the father is actually alone, and that is when he takes his bath. In the evening, the husband is always the first to take his bath, followed by the guest, and the bathing room is conveniently situated right next to my room so when the father is done, he knocks on my door and tells me that it’s my turn.
That night I was waiting for him to knock on my door so I could initiate the conversation just the two of us. I started by: chotto ii? The conversation was mainly a one sided conversation with the father just repeating to wait a bit until his friend takes a look at his computer no matter how I tell him. However, there were some explanations about the decision to suspend the use of the router: this was all new to him and he wasn’t sure what to do and his wife got mad because the computer was not working correctly so he had no choice but to disconnect the router.
This was almost a week ago now, and nothing has changed, and I did take his word with a grain of salt because something we have to know about Japanese people is “hone”. They have this innate reflex of wanting everyone to be ok and undisturbed around them, which is closely related to “wa”; harmony in everything. Sometimes, though it can be misinterpreted by foreigners, they even say things just to please others or to avoid conflict. So I might be in this situation right now. I think it would be perfectly legitimate for me to ask for clarifications, but I don’t want to be pushy and there is only so much I can do. Since then the only word I exchange with the father is “hai” when it’s time to take my bath. But it has to be noted that, in my limited experience anyway, fathers don’t seem to be all that talkative in the family environment.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy valentines - late
Let me just explain in a few lines how Valentines generally occur in Japan: on February 14th the girls give chocolates to the guy, and one month later, March 14th called "White day" the guys give the favor back to the girls. I received chocolate from one of my host sisters, dried banana chips covered with chocolate... I have to remember to give her something back one month from now. Chocolate is a big thing in Japan and chocolate companies capitalize on those holidays where receiving or buying chocolate is almost unavoidable. There are 3 types of chocolate you can buy: "maichoco", "tomochoco" and "girichoco". Maichoco comes from "my chocolate" and you buy it for yourself. Tomochoco comes from tomodachi chocolate, or "friend" chocolate where you buy for your friends and finally there is "girichoco" where you buy as an obligation... but I'm not sure how that part works...
Happy late valentines.
Happy late valentines.
The router problem - Feb. 13 2007
Ever since I have purchased this router to make it possible for me to access the internet from my room without constantly asking to use the family’s computer, there has been some friction. After many days of trying to setup the wireless internet, it seemed impossible and Okaasan and Otousan where suggesting me to return the router. However, as a last resort I sent an email to all my friends that I know might have some knowledge on the matter and they all sent me similar responses, so I tried it and after 5 minutes everything was working. That was last Thursday. On Friday night, the wireless internet was not working anymore, so the following morning I checked the router and it had been unplugged. I did not touch anything and told myself it was better to ask about what was happening when I returned. When I came back, no one was home yet and the router had been reconnected and the wireless reestablished, but for some reason there was now problems with the family computer and, although the computer is password protected they are now accusing me of going on the computer and messing things up. On top of it all, they are also blaming the desktop computer problems on the router (although those problems can possibly not be caused by the router). I feel that the father is very protective and possessive of the computer and now that there is something foreign he feels very insecure about it and blames any problems on those foreign agents. (Unfortunately, I think that that includes me). No matter what I say and how I explain, he doesn’t seem to believe me. Back in
Nara - Feb. 10 2007
I spent the whole day in
I visited a second temple that was 1 hour by bus from Nara Kouen and this site is was apparently the first to become a world heritage in
Guilty or not - Feb. 9 2007
Makkudonardo - Feb. 8 2007
I promised I wouldn’t eat American food in
Manner matters - Feb. 7 2007
Manner matters
There are a few things that I will have to get used to while living in a Japanese family: the house keeping rules such as turning the lights off when I leave my room, even for a minute, not using the bathroom light during the day, open my room curtains during the day and close them at night. I also have to make sure my futon is folded up every morning. Of course there is traditional phrases that has to be said in specific circumstances: “itadakimasu” before I eat “gochisousama deshita” at the end of the meal, “ittekimasu” when I leave and “tadaima” when I come back. The response to “ittekimasu” is “itterasshai” and the response to “tadaima” is “okaerinasai”. Therefore, whether you are arriving or leaving or someone is leaving or arriving, there is something to say. I even think they say “tadaima” when there is no one home! Of course there is “oyasuminasai” goodnight and “ohayou gozaimasu” good morning not ever to forget.
If I do forget, Okaasan will make sure I realize my cultural “faux pas”, such as when I absent-mindedly stepped in the entrance of the house with my slippers (considered an “impure” spot. Okaasan saw me and she was very concerned. Whenever I forget to turn off a light or put my slippers at the right place, that’s when Okaasan sees it. Otherwise it is 99% always properly done. It seems that that’s always how it is… mother’s have this power to feel when thing are not at the right place, they are truly the masters of the house. Here, there father is the master of the computer…
Un moment d'inattention - Feb. 5 2007
Un moment d’inattention
Sur les étroites rues d’Hirakata
Je défile à toute allure
Sur le véhicule du pays
Le parcours est rempli d’obstacles
Les faussés sur le bord des chemins
Les piétons et les vélos se disputent le trottoir
Les voitures qui roulent à proximité
Ce beau matin
Allant à l’école
Je suis ébahi par la beauté des paysages
Les jardins au loin
Les maisons traditionnelles
Les couleurs attrayantes des petits commerces
Tout se déroule en harmonie
Mais il ne fut qu’un moment d’inattention
Pour que les paysages se mettent à tourner
Je deviens une plume
Je flotte
Mon vol se termine en choque
Dans un de ces fossés
Je sens ma vie s’écouler de mes veines
Et je comprends
Kuzuha Mall - Feb. 4 2007
Today I walked to the Kazuha mall to take a look if I could find an electronics store where I can buy a wireless router. As soon as I realized there was just the family computer and no wireless network, I thought that I would absolutely need a connection to my laptop so I can keep in touch with the folks back home but also continue this project. The neighborhood is calm and there is a certain charm that I can’t explain, but gives a nice feeling. Kazuha malls has nothing but clothing and especially American brands: nothing to my interest. I go in a 100 yen shop and end up buying some decks of cards and a little magic trick… (I use to be a pro magician). Besides a big clothing mall and a handy 100 yen shop, the neighborhood is home to the
Homu sutee - Feb. 2 2007
I spent most of the day cleaning up my room and preparing it for inspection before I can check out. Once I am done, it is 2pm and I decide to skip my afternoon class because I cannot check out and arrive on time to school. I head to see Okaasan (the “mother” of seminar house) and tell her I am ready. She brings her form and we head up to my section, and as she enters she excuses herself innumerable times although there is no one else in the dorms at that time. As she opens my room door she excuses herself profusely again (although there is no one in the room). The rooms are tatami mat, traditional rooms. When you enter there is normal wooden floor for a few centimeters and after the floor rises and the tatami mat starts. One of the golden rules in
When everything is done I bring my luggage at the main entrance where they will be parked until they are embarked in a car that will be driven by my new Okaasan. It is 3PM and in one hour and a half I will meet my new Okaasan.
Later that day I walked to the campus and met some friends in the lounge until 20 past 4 and the person in charge of the contacts between my family and I fetched me from the lounge and I did not even have time to say goodbye to my friends and I was in a small room with the coordinator and Okaasan. We went over a long agreement form (not to say a contract) that goes over a few house keeping rules. There is no curfew (good), I am not allowed to shower in the morning ( I had previously been informed) and the rest is pretty standard. Both seemed genuinely surprised with my Japanese but it is only in rare and short circumstances that the words flow out of my mouth. After the meeting I am driven back to the seminar house and the luggage is packed into the compact car and I say a final goodbye to Okaasan and Otousan from the seminar house. We slowly drive back to the family house, about 10 minutes away by car and I arrive at my new home for the next four months…
I meet my host sisters, and my host dad and they all seem very nice and the whole family also seems to have strong ties that we do not see so often in the West.
Last dinner - Feb. 1 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
First day of Classes - Jan. 29 2007
I woke up around noon, I went to bed around 3 am today as I was talking about my exceptional weekend with my friends and relatives back in Canada all night... What a great way to start school :P. Exceptionally today there was no Japanese courses in the morning, so I allowed myself to sleep in. After I woke up I tried to see if I could drop a class so I have more air in my schedule, but my time is limited so I absolutely have to take 5 courses in Japan if I want to graduate on time and have no summer courses. We can never have everything. After a lazy morning in bed I walked to campus, stopped at my mailbox and I had a message to contact one of the homestay advisors, Kano-san. I went directly to her office and she had all the information about my host family: 5 member family: mom, dad and 3 daughters around my age. One dog, the father is a chainsmoker and probably the drinker too (it says some family members drink). They don't expect me to teach English (good), the dad plays golf (ok, I don't know anything about golf) the girls like bike, shopping and violin (good a musician!) and the mother likes concerts (good a music fan). I instantly said hai hai daijoubu to everything Kano-san was telling me even without having thoroughly read my family information sheet. ( I must have looked like somoeone that wanted out of the dorms at all costs!). The truth is that I really want to live in a Japanese family and I don't want to be picky or else I am scared not to end up in a family. I have to decide whether I want to ride a bike to school (20 min) or walk and train (38 minutes + 165$ a month).. the choice seems clear, but if you are clumsy and daydreamer like me and see what is the "biking" condition in Japan, you do not really want to ride a bike. Riding a bike in Japan is an obstacle course with ditches, cars that don't mind bikes, pedestrians in your way and no bike path. ALong with the American reflex to look on the right first before crossing, it could be deadly. In fact, 2 years ago one staff members was hit by car while leaving campus by bike and died from the injuries... 1h20 minutes commute by day and 165$ per month does not seem so bad after all. The only class I had today was Contemporary Japanese management and business organization. We are only 14 in this course and 6 are Japanese. Before class starts, one Japanese boy comes up to me and says: "Hello, I am Tsutaya, how are you?" I don't know if that is sincere interest or just making sure to have an English-speaking buddy, but whatever the motives are, I am pleased to have a Japanese class mate on my first day of school and being school mates can be beneficial for both of us. The class is fairly advance and many terms and concepts that I am mildly familiar with are iintroduced at a rate of 5 per half hour. I try to empathize with the Japanese students and imagine how difficult it must be for them to understand everything. After class I ask Tsutaya if he understands everything, and he says half... Before I leave campus I buy the manual for the course and Kano-san catches me for one more question... she tells me that the family will not allow me to shower in the morning, but only to bathe or shower in the evening (like most Japanese). I say hai hai, daijoubu desu again and I realize that I will have to adapt my lifestyle a little more than the dorms when living in a host family. But I resist the temptation to contest, I am in Japan and the prevailing attitude is "shikata ga nai". Taking a shower in the morning is a ritual for me that allows me to think about the day coming ahead and waking up. I will need some time to adapt, I might as well start now and only shower in the evening. I am supposed to meet my host family this weekend or the next.
Back to Kyoto II - Jan. 28 2007
Today I returned to Kyoto with a few friends from the dorm to see a temple that I have been dreaming of seeing for a long time: Fushimi Inari. This is the main temple in Japan to praise the deity of wheat and harvest, so it is associated with wealth. The messenger of the deity of wheat is the fox, which is represented everywhere in the temple with statues of them with wheat in their mouths or keys. The main feature the the temple is its impressive number of Torii gates (about 10,000) all sponsored by individuals or companies and replaced about every 10 years. This temple is over 1200 years old. There was a mystical feeling at this temple, with the crows announcing their presence loudly, high in the trees. The many statues of the foxes look straight down at you with human-like eyes and stern expressions. The hike is around 8 km to go up and back down the mountain. We did the whole path and at some points we were so exhausted we could not breath. As we were climbing further the air was getting thiner so we were losing breath even faster. Some Japanese elders would jet past us with their walking stick and tell us that we should be more energetic because we are youth. At about midpoint, there is a fountain of source water that falls into a bucket and is meant for visitors to shower and somewhat be purified. Myself and one of my accompanying friends dipped our heads in the shower, although the Japanse seemed to be pointed out that we had to shower naked... At the same point, there is a pit stop with a house where a woman that looks well over 80 serves hard-boiled eggs with tea. After this much needed stop we headed back down the mountain, where the evening had already started and the many tourist shops were preparing to close.
Back in Osaka as a tourist - Jan. 27 2007
Osaka was once my place of residence (for a month hehe) but today I was a tourist in Osaka. We were accompanied by another Charles, this one from France. We met my Chinese friend at Tennouji and returned to DenDen town, where I purchased my electronic dictionary and my cellphone. We were supposed to change my plan to student plan so I can get discounts, but It seems that I cannot change my plan without having my alien registration card that I will only have access to in mid-Feb. Besides that I did a some impulsive shopping (very easy for me in the electronics district of Osaka). Denden town town to Osaka is what Akihabara is to Tokyo. Anime, adult libraries, video games, cameras, gadgets, cellphones... all that those sorts of items can be found at reasonable prices in that area, but with negociation and looking around the prices can be even better. We met up later that day with Haruna, a Japanese friend I met in Canada while she was also an exchange student there. Both her and my Chinese friend are Kyoto University students. We had coffee in Namba in a place called First Kithen but people in Tokyo call it "Fakkin". We then saw the famous Glico running man, one of the most popular images of Osaka (photos). We then made our way to one of the most wicked buildings I have ever seen: the sky shin-umeda building. see link. Seeing Osaka from so high up was a great way to end the night before we got back to Hirakatashi.
Back to Kyoto 1 - Jan. 26 2007
The school has organized a trip to Kyoto and we decided to sign up. Most students have not been to Kyoto and I definately wanted to go back. When we arrive at the meeting point there seems to be a queue of 100 students for the trip. We decide to form our own group and go on our own itinerary. We visit Yasaka temple and Kiyomidzudera (photos). The latter is a contender for one of the NEW wonders of the world... I was not breath taken, but I thought it was a nice place. It must be superb during the cherry blossoms. After a day walking in Kyoto, stopping in the many tourist traps on our way to the temples and walking up and down the rugged terrain of temples, we are hungry and thirsty (for beer) so we set off to find a cheap and good place. I ask someone randomly in Japenese, but forget to add "cheap" in my question, so we end up in Gion where the restaurants are outrageously expensive, but we do catch a glimpse of Geishas hoping in a taxi. We go back to the drawing board and I ask one last time. This time, it is a salaryman going back to his place and he offers us to show us around the neighborhood and find a good spot! We are very grateful of his kindness; he is doing a detour on his own time to show strangers around town! When we get there, he treats us to beer and joins us at our table! I have heard many stories of Japanese kindness and hospitality, but I was quite skeptical about them, but now I entirely believe! Everyone was very surprised at this display of kindness and generosity from a complete stranger that we just ask directions on the streets of Kyoto. When we came back from Kyoto we decided to visited a local Isakaya to countinue drinking a bit. The bartender was fun and gave us sake shots. We went back to the dorm quite tipsy, 10 minutes before the gates close. The other highlight of the day is the placement test result: I was expecting level 3 and they gave me level 4 Japanese... I have to work extra hard, but I am very satisfied of the results, considering I have never taken a Japanese course.
Maximum security prison II - Jan. 24 2007
Today I meet Okaasan and Otousan, the heads of seminar house III, husband and wife, probably older than my parents. They are very kind and humourous. Otousan makes jokes about Charles and I always being together although I only catch the joke an hour later (once my brain processes the informaiton and translates it to English). I have to say that my first impression of the dorms are just that: prejudicial first impressions. The dorm is a great life for students who want liberty (no curfew, they have a key to enter the dorm at any time) meet friends from all over the world (almost only international students in seminar houses). In my studio of 8 people, there are 3 Americans, 1 Brazilian, 1 Mexican, 1 Korean, 1 Swede and myself. However, the vast majority of exchange students are American: 300 out of the 408 students are American. When Japanese people see us in the neighborhood, they ask us first if we are American! Back to the dorms, internet connection, heating and everything needed for cooking is included. A computer room 24h on the first floor a coin laundry room at the basement. There may be many rules, but you are taken care of very well in dorms. Some staff members also come in twice a week to clean up.The only big disadvantage is that no one speaks Japanese in the dorm, whether they are experts are eager learners. That is why I decide to sign up for host family to experience Japanese culture and practice Japanese everyday, although it might mean to lose some liberty compared to dorm stay.
Maximum security prison II - Jan. 24 2007
Today I meet Okaasan and Otousan, the heads of seminar house III, husband and wife, probably older than my parents. They are very kind and humourous. Otousan makes jokes about Charles and I always being together although I only catch the joke an hour later (once my brain processes the informaiton and translates it to English). I have to say that my first impression of the dorms are just that: prejudicial first impressions. The dorm is a great life for students who want liberty (no curfew, they have a key to enter the dorm at any time) meet friends from all over the world (almost only international students in seminar houses). In my studio of 8 people, there are 3 Americans, 1 Brazilian, 1 Mexican, 1 Korean, 1 Swede and myself. However, the vast majority of exchange students are American: 300 out of the 408 students are American. When Japanese people see us in the neighborhood, they ask us first if we are American! Back to the dorms, internet connection, heating and everything needed for cooking is included. A computer room 24h on the first floor a coin laundry room at the basement. There may be many rules, but you are taken care of very well in dorms. Some staff members also come in twice a week to clean up.The only big disadvantage is that no one speaks Japanese in the dorm, whether they are experts are eager learners. That is why I decide to sign up for host family to experience Japanese culture and practice Japanese everyday, although it might mean to lose some liberty compared to dorm stay.
Maximum security prison 1 - Jan. 21 2007
Both legs and arms are burning and one of my muscles in my shoulder feels like it has been twisted, my whole body is filled with lactic acid, due to few workouts and little physical activity in the last 2 years AND because I have been moving from the appartment to the Kansai Gaidai dormitories. I have two oversized, bulky and exceedingly heavy suitecases as as well as one heavy handbag that when I strap it over my neck, I feel my collar bone will snap. I also have a laptop case complete with all sorts of wires and last minute papers I stuffed in. On Saturday morning I arrive at Kyoto station and I call my classmate from Canada, Charles to find the Higashiguchi which is almost impossible to spot. We get a ride in a taxi limousine for a modest $20 CAD and 1h later we are checking in at Seminar House II, our direct neighbor. After a few minutes we cross over in seminar house III and I start realizing that we are entering a maximum security prison. Cameras at every meter, spikes at the top of the gates, signs that state that the gates close at 11PM and various indications on how to behave on the premises. We are escorted to our room and one at a time we are shown our studio and into our room. The rooms are traditional japanese rooms (washitsu) 8 tatami mat. Here Japanese rooms are measured in terms of mats. There is absolutely no separation between my roommate and I, we share the room like when I was sharing with my sister when I was five. I start feeling that this will be a long semester. The first night I meet a Mexican, a Brazilian, a Swede and a couple americans. I notice that some students don't know a word of Japanese nor can they eat with chopsticks. I tip my hat to their courage. The dorm neighborhood is very quite and suburban. When it gets dark the surroundings become so silent that a conversation between two foreign students (especially when drunk) can be heard a km away. Japanese homes are not insulated therefore it is cold during winter and sound goes through very easily. There has been many complaints about noise in the past and there is a contract between the residents of the surrounding area and Kansai Gaidai to respect certain regulations to maintain the harmony of the neighborhood. The very same night I want to go back to the appartment and get my second suitecase (it would have been impossible to bring all at once) to end everything on the same day. By the time I arrive at the appartment in Osaka, I am tired and it's approaching 10PM so there is no way I can go back on time, so I stay over at the appartment for one more night than expected. The following day, on Sunday morning, my body is still aching from the previous one, and everything is to be started again, but this time worst because I have to do the whole trip by myself, no limo taxi and with one very heavy bag of kithenware and foodstuff I have been accumulating by living in the appartment in the last month. When I finally arrive in Hirakatashi, I still have to hop on the bus to arrive at the dorms. The problem is that I have no idea what bus to take and the maps are very confusing. I give up even before asking anyone since I am sure I would not understand the directions in Japanese and I feel that I cannot explain where I want to go. After making many calls to Charles, who is with a Kansai student, I finally decide to ask a busdriver who tells me to go at another bus terminal across the trainstation. After 2 hours of wandering around and not knowing what to do, I finally ride the right bus and arrive at the campus, exhausted. I end the day with a nice dinner at a chinese restaurant right across the main campus.
Kyouwa kokoni tomaruga saigo no hi desu - Jan. 19 2007
After less than a month being here (and a considerably lighter wallet because of rent), I am packing up and preparing to leave tomorrow for the University dorms. I am kind of sad of leaving this place because I feel home now and I find it convenient to be right downtown, next to a train station. I am kind of lucky to be able to stay here in a while. After thinking about it over and over, I decided it was better to move at the dorms... financially and socially it is more sound for me to move at the dorms because I will make more friends. Here I am in my own unit, in my own world... I don't feel like I am in Japan when I am in my room, unless I turn on the TV, I feel like I am in my Room in Montreal... This kind of cocooning and sheltering and avoiding the world outside is not good for me and for my experience. The thing I fear the most though, is how it will go with my new roomate at the dorms. I have a great roomate back in Montreal, and I am scared that it doesn't get any better. It's also the first time I will share dwellings with a stranger... I could be positively surprised..., for now, I will concentrate on packing up. One step at a time. On a side note, I have completed all 99 lessons of the Assmil Japanese learning program today... I feel like celebrating.. anyone wants to join in, any ideas?
Outer Limits - Jan. 18 2007
Last night was one of those surreal nights for me. Everything started when I heard something knocking on my window... (probably a cat).. But I am on the second floor of a building and I could not imagine a cat having access to my window ledge. I also didn't want to go check it out because I was kind of scared. The sound eventually migrated from outside to the inner walls and then I started thinking it might be a mouse! For a few minutes after that there was no sound, but then, all of a sudden I heard a small animal scream followed by a scurrying sound in the cieiling. I was already in a "freight mood" so that sound made me scream! (Ok, not like a little school girl, but just the kind of scream you would expect from someone that is suprised all of a sudden). The little scream continued for a bit and eventually died away... Having a very good imagination, that night I started thinking about those popular Japanese horror flics like Maru and Juon. (Turned into hollywood movies for American palette: The Ring and The Grudge). My surreal night ended with my frying pan unexplicably falling by itself on the ground (I swear!) but being too tired at that point, I didn't go confront the evil spirit that was trying to cook-up some meal in the middle of the night.
Yukie - Jan. 17 2007
Today I met for the first time with my speaking partner, whom I met throught the Kansai Gaidai speaking partner program. She is a first year university student, specializing in languages, learning English and French. I guess it is not by chance that I was teamed with her. Tonight I helped her with her homework: translating a new article from French to Japanese. I learned lots of new Japanese vocabulary at the same time. We also went to a Sushi restaurant where the sushi goes around the sushi bar on plates on a conveyer belt and you pick want you want! At the end of the dinner, they can tally the bill by counting the plates and the prices are known by the color of the plate. (Certain plates cost more than others, depending on the grade and type of sushi). I did take some pictures on my cellphone, but I don't know how to send them to myself by email! The sushi was great, it was actually the first time I went to a sushiya in Japan. I definately want to go back with some friends.
Inshou - Jan. 16 2007
It is said that whatever you do, if you don't come from Japan, you are always a gaijin. I do feel that sometimes I am treated differently, stared at, and occasionally had some people visibly react when seeing me. Maybe I am being overly self-conscious, but sometimes it is too obvious. Other times though, they are very kind, patient and careful, I would say that is the majority of the time. When I took the train today and I saw people bowing their heads goodbye and to show gratitude, I felt secure. A security that comes from the fact that everything seems in its right place, everyone knows their role in society. Anywhere you go is spotless clean and everyone does its best not to invade other people's bubble. No wonder we might seem somewhat barbarian to them.
Nagoya 2 - Jan. 14 2007
Nagoya is also a city that went to great lengths to accomodate foreigners. Unlike Osaka, (which is the 2nd biggest city in Japan), the train directions are said in both Japanese and English in the trains, sometimes even in Chinese and Portuguese. There was once a big influx of Brazilian immigrants in Nagoya. During the economic boom of Japan, they were out of labour and they made it easy for Brazilians to settle in Nagoya for work. There was already good relationships between Brazil and Japan (Brazil being the 2nd largest Japanese speaking country!)... I am not sure if all this is related to the fact that the Portuguese were the first non-asians to trade with Japan. I should look into it.Today we went to the Nagoya aquarium.. it was very beautiful and the urban landscape around the aquarium seems to come straight out of a hollywood sci-fi movie. (photos). I have many photos of the Aquarium exhibits... We went to a village called Italian Village where it is a fake Italian village that tries to mimick the real Italy. I thought it was an absurd idea, but I guess it makes a nice tourist attraction.. but who would have thought of building a fake village from scratch into Italian theme, complete with small rivers with gondollas, Italian restaurants and high-fashion designer clothes? I asked my friend's girfriend if there were any Italians living there, but it is only an illusion, no one lives in the Italian village, it is just there to give people a taste of Italy. I categorically refused to take pictures because that was not part of Japan anymore for me, but I did take two pictures. Oh, she answered that there were 2-3 Italians working there. After our visit we exactly counted 3 Italians working in the various shops. We returned to Nagoya station in the late afternoon to say goodbye and I was home in time for dinner. The Shinkansen (bullet train) is useful, though very expensive, to use with moderation. I will see my Canadian friend again next Saturday, when we move into the University dormitories of Kansai Gaidai.
Nagoya 1 - Jan. 13 2007
I finally met up with my JMSB friend that is also on exchange in Kansai Gaidai University. He has been here for a month now, arrived a bit before me. He lives in a Japanese family, but not with a homestay family, but rather because he met a Japanese girl in Canada and they started a relationship. My friend now lives in Nagoya with his girlfriend's family. Nagoya is a nice city, though touristically, there might not be that many things to see, to live it seems like a fine city. There are parks, temples and urban spaces. There are buildings that are so futuristic you feel projected in the future (pictures). THe people of Nagoya seemed much more friendly than Osaka and whenever we would ask for directions, people would bring out their best English to respond (that has never happened in Osaka yet!). They also have people distributing packs of tissues with advertisement in them. In one day we must have collected 10-11 packs. This does not seem to be so big in Osaka because I have not received a tissue-pack-ad in Osaka yet. Our first day we roamed in the city, we went to an arcade and I could witness my friend's developing skills in an video game called Pop & Music which is a game where you have to press on buttons at the right moment following a song... the game can be played up to 9 buttons! He always plays enjoy mode, and beside there was a Japanese girl in Expert mode making impossible moves with her two hands and 10 fingers to be able to following the exteremly fast-paced music. Later my friend told me that in Japan, everyone needs a way to disconect from their routine... Some people spends days on end in arcades and others spend their salaries in Pachinko machines (gambling). It was clear that to acheive that kind of ability on the machine you have to spend hours and hours playing.In the evening when we arrived in Komaki, the village where my friend lives, we stoped to buy some TakoYaki (Octopus balls) so I had something to offer to the family as a sign of good will. The house seems big for Japanese standards, with various rooms and 2 floors, a dining room with a separated kitchen. This very much ressembled a house in Canada, with the execption that the there were tatami map rooms (photos) and in the house there are 3 generations living under one roof. Possibly 4 in the near future? The oldest, a son, also a good friend that I met in Canada, has started working half a year ago and now lives to work and works to live in Shizuoka. I was happy to talk to him on the phone while I was there... I told him that both my Canadian friend and I would visit him in Shizuoka when we have free time. His mind seemed to be lost in a mountain of responsibilities. I think that the family is quite typical where the man of the house works late and goes to bed early, the wife takes care of the house, the children the guests. I appreciated the time I spent with them and I could get a small idea of what it is to be in a Japanese family. The dinner was excellent; there was sushi and Japanese fondue (shabu-shabu) and some good servings of beer and sake. By the end of the night I had spoken about my poor Japanese cooking skills, explained Quebec's particular political and cultural environment and answered many questions they had about Canada... all in Japanese. The sake helped. After a few card tricks, a few rounds of Buta no Shippo and one game played with cards with Japanese poetry, I went to in the tatami mat room in the futon, feeling that I had met the Japanese dream of a family.
Sushi - Jan. 12 2007
I was worked up and motivated to try to make sushi today: after my daily Japanese lessons, I returned to Doutombori where they have stores specialized for food preparation. I bought a cutting board, a small mat to roll sushi, a knife and some ingrediants in a nearby grocery. The knives were super expensive! in the 200$ average range. Some went up to 1000$ a knife. There was lots of choice and I was not sure what was better to cut sushi and I also had to consider my budget. I saw a knife that was 25$ that seemed like it could do the job, but I told myself that if I asked a clerk I could be able to find a good knife to cut sushi, at a good price. I told the clerk I wanted to try to make sushi so I am looking for a knife, but I am a student so my budget is limited. He then showed me two knives: 150$ and 125$! Way too expensive... He also thought so because after saying they were good to cut sushi, and mimicking cutting the rolls, he said but.... and had a troubled face... and I finished his sentence.. chotto takai desu ne.. Its a bit expensive! He agreed and then there was nothing else to say... After that, I felt that I had passed over my chance to buy the 25$ knife and went in another store to end up buying a 45$ knife. As for the sushi, well I did some salmon and tuna nigiri, spicy tuna and tempura rolls, avocado and shrimp rolls, egg nigiri and shrimp nigiri... The most difficult part of doing it was rolling the sushi (I guess you get better with practice), and I did not put enough rice vinegar because the Nori taste and smell was very prominent and I did not like the taste. I will try again once I move in the dorms.. (Pictures)
Nihonjinppoi - Jan. 9 2007
Well, I guess this is one of my ordinary days (more will come as time passes in Japan)... But ordinary is relative.. I am still in Japan and everyday I find a new challenge. I am still studying Japanese intensly: 4-6 hours a day. Instead of listening to the 20 Gig worth of non-Japanese music while I am cooking or relaxing, or chatting on the internet, I turn the TV on and any channel will be Japanese of course. I'm starting to believe that Japanese reality TV is far more enriching and full of good values compared to American shows. They have shows on love stories between Japanese and foreigners.. they are very touching.. (yes I have a corny side). They also have those shows where someone roams the streets in an unknown area (to them) and try to seek refuge and hospitality from strangers... Compare these themes to what we have back home: money, jealousy, hipocriticism, sex, hedonicism, greed, materialism and superficiality. I am not someone that preaches many things, and I am far less religious for that matter. I try to recognize good influences from bad influences in society. I don't think that reality tv in America (including Canada) teaches good values, except maybe for the Amazing Race. Ok, enough for the preaching. I wanted to say that I am starting to understand Japanese TV commercials and some sentences in shows and also what train operators say! (wow). Its alot of work and I'm putting alot of effort into it. I hope it goes even faster once I start my formal Japanese courses. Besides studying I cooked my second Japanese meal (see photo in showcase) and I was pretty proud of the result. I topped it off with Japanese green tea, Ocha, and I might sip a can of nama asahi later on. I'm really trying to sink in the Japanese culture in many ways.. I'm starting to think I should have opted to live in a host family :(.
Kyoto Summary - Jan. 8 2007
Kyoto felt like the center of spirituality and history in Japan. It was more countrylike and in the suburbs it was very peaceful and the shrines and temples with nature in the background made fantastic portraits. The first day we arrived, we checked in at a very cosy and Japanese-style pension. I unfortunately do not have any pictures of our room (the guys shared a room while the girls shared another). I was there with one of my friends in Japan and 6 of his friends who were all bilingual in Chinese and Japanese except for a very nice Thai girl, with whom I practiced Japanese and English. I will try to find pictures of a tradtional style room (washitsu) to give an idea of what our room looked like. We also slept on Futons (basically, it is a mat on the floor with bedsheets).. Those futons take all the space of the room when it's sleeping time and during the day they are folded and stored in a closet and the room resumes the role of a living room. ON the first day we visited some shrines, ate crab (I heard it was crab season, so we should eat crab). The meal was delicious and very affordable. The only thing I had trouble with was seating: there is a table and you sit directly on the floor (no space for legs!).. I am not very flexible and it was difficult for me to find a comfortable position. I found that besides the traditional dining arrangement, the restaurant was very high-tech because the waitors took the orders on a wireless pad that seemed to send orders directly to the kitchen. There were also wireless devices on every table to ring in waitors. That day we also celebrated one of the person's birthday and we had some sort of party. We drank, played card games and there was the birthday cake and all. Beforehand we had visited a liquor store for champagne, drinks and beer. (We were 7 - 3 girls and 4 guys) and there were only 6 beers so I bought 6 more and apparently that was too much! (I guess parties are tamer here? I was the one that drank the most with 3 beers! The second day we visited another area with well known shrines called Kuramayama. (Many pictures). The nice thing about going there is when you take the train and at some point you are not in the city anymore, but rather in deep nature with trees all around. It is quite special being in an electric train that left from a dense city and now is at the edge of a mountain. (pictures). We walked up the mountain and there started being snow on the ground. We took a cablecar up (to save a 30 minute escalation in the cold weather) and we continued walking up paths and stairways until we got to the peak of the mountain, where there was a shrine. When we got there, it started snowing lightly and the scene was directly out of a Japanese epic movie. I filmed and took many pictures, but it will never be able to capture the feeling that was in the air at that moment. That will certainly be one of my most memomorable moments in Japan. When we returned to reality at the bottom of the mountain, we headed to the Kuramayama Onsen (hotspring) for another very special and Japanese experience. Going to the Onsen (hotspring) or Sentou (public bath) is an integral part of Japanese tradition and some visit public baths daily. (Espcecially at the end of the day to relax from a long day). The special thing about the sentou I went to is that it is completely natural, in outdoor settings as well. I had read alot about the etiquette of those places so I did not have any trouble. Basically it is important to wash up thoroughly at the small "washing stations" with a bench and a "pot" for rincing water. Once you are done you are now ready to dip in the extremely hot water. Where we were, we first can bathe in a Sentou (interior public bath) and then go outside to go in the hotspring... to do that, we had to go outside and walk to the hotspring in 0 degrees weather with nothing other than a summer bathrobe! (pictures). Of course going to these places may cause problems for some as you have to be naked infront of the other users (but women and men bathe in separate areas). I found that this was very relaxing and I am looking forward to go to another one! The night ended with an unexpected stop in an Italian restaurant... nothing special to mention except how funny I found it was that some people were slurping their pasta with the plate up to there mouth, which is completely acceptable in Japan, but in an Italian restarant setting made it, well, funny.
TakoYaki - Jan. 5 2007
I tried cooking Japanese food for the first time today... I tried to cook butaniku udon (pork japanese noodles). It was okay... but I really couldn't base myself on any recipe so I just went with my gut feeling. (pictures). I also finally bought a spatula and some chopsticks in the place I had went yesterday. This time alot more stores were open because new years holiday is over. While I was there, I saw a big lineup for a snackfood that seemed appetizing, so I waited in line, not even knowing what they were serving. I asked a lady what was inside that food, and she said TAKO. I wasn't sure what that word was, so I looked in my electronic dictionary and it spit out: octopus. I am not a big fan of octopus so I hastily told the lady that I didn't like octopus and started going out of line, and she then said: but it is delicious! So I kind of felt obliged to taste it. I was a little bit confused as to how to use the condiments (I was even more clueless as to what they were). Hopefully that very kind lady was there to help me.. .she was telling me what to use and in what quantities. The octapus ball-shaped snacks proved to be delicious... I would have taken a bigger portion! Tomorrow I am leaving for Kyoto so there will not be any entry before Monday.
Amerika Mura - Jan. 4 2007
Today was an excellent day. After doing my daily Japanese studies, I headed back to the Namba area first stoping at Kyoubashi a little bit to see the fare to go from my place to university. With normal fare, it would cost 10$ a day or nearly 200$ a month of commute! That is if I decide to stay here of course. At the campus, I would walk to school. From here, it is about 30min train ride. I also roamed a bit in the neighborhood and took a few pictures. Then I went to Tennouji station at the tourist information center. There I found a really nice free map called walking Osaka map. To get there, you have to go to exit through the central entrance and turn on your right. After I went back to the Namba area and my first stop was Citibank! Yesterday I called my bank and they confirmed that my PIN was already on my Credit Card and there shouldn't be any problem. So today I found out for sure and I could finally make cash advances. (I was relieved). Then I visited Amerika Mura and if you are in the neighborhood I do recommend the extra detour to go there. It is basically a spot for high-fashion teens to hang out and spend all their yen in clothing! The funny thing is that almost everyone is dressed he same way... I also saw a red TUQUE written CANADA hehe. I thought that was pretty cool.. Canada is fashinable in Amerika Mura! I went in one of those stores and it is extremely pricey... one normal sweatshirt was 130$ I took a few pictures from Amerika Mura. (American Village). I also walked on the main avenue there where most of the consulates are, and I stopped at the Canadian Consulate to register as a Canadian in Japan, just in case... I highly recommend anyone staying there for an extended period of time on a temporary visa to do that. The Canadian Consulate is on Midosouji avenue. YES! they have street names here and they are indicated! I also went to a place called Dougusugi (I think) where they sell alot of articles to prepare food, or hold a restaurant, so I bought a pan, but they did not have spatulas? One day, I will cook in Japan! Tomorrow I will head back to Namba area to give my completed form to the Canadian Consulate and try to find a spatula. I hope more shops will be open since tomorrow was still considered a Yasuminohi (holiday) for most.
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