Saturday, August 8, 2009

Sushi, Gundams, and hundreds of fish

こんにちわ!

Ok so I’m officially recovered from Fuji-san. Actually I could claim that by about Friday, maybe Thursday. It was a pretty intense couple of days though. Especially during zori making because it was so difficult to get up and sit down while crouched over making the shoes. I’m pretty sure I covered all of that in my last post though.

Wednesday, I didn’t really do anything that I recall. Though the days are all blending together and I’m tired so I very well could have done something very fun for all I would remember. Was that Shibuya day? Yes, it was, I remember now. Charlene, Leslie and I headed to Shibuya for sushi at this conveyor belt restaurant. Totemo oishikata desu! (it was very delicious – in past tense!). After, Leslie headed home, and Charlene and I explored. We checked out Loft, a big department store that had all sorts of random awesome stuff. I got little gifts for Mom and Zack. I bet you can’t wait until I come home now huh? We then wandered, stopping at random stores. We went to a book store that had a whole floor dedicated to manga, with people lining the aisles reading them right there. Too bad it was all in Japanese… There was an awesome secondhand store, shoe stores, hat stores, everything.

We headed home relatively early though. It is important to note that whenever you see movies that take place in Tokyo, you almost always see one particular crossing that has thousands of people crossing it everyday. Well, guess who’s been there and crossed it in Shibuya? Yeah, etc. We then headed home.

Thursday was a little more relaxed. I had a test on Friday so I couldn’t do much, but Charlene and I went to Musashi-sakai station to do some brief shopping at the デパート (depaato or department store) and then headed back to her dorm to do some group studying. I was home by 6:10, and chilled/studied more. So much studying in my life! Is this really summer? Wait, yes, it’s extremely hot. Definitely summer.

Anyway, Friday was epic day one of this weekend. We had some stress to release after the test (which went all right I think) so Charlene organized a trip to Odaiba, a small island across the rainbow bridge near Tokyo Tower. Last minute, Anna decided to join us so we waited up for her and were off.

We bussed, trained and then monorailed our way over (the monorail was awesome btdubbs. I got mad pics. Sorry for my slang but I shant change a thing about it) and were soon at our destination. We basically wandered aimlessly around the island, taking pictures, before reaching one of our checkpoints. Odaiba is known for the large Gundam figure featured there. The thing is huge! It was so awesome. There were food vendors around and a nice beach and a huge robot, just chilling. Every half hour, music would play as it lit up, spewed smoke and moved its head around. Needless to say I have a a lot of pictures and a few videos. I find videos to be the best way to document my stay here. Unfortunately they take forever to upload, so I will wait until I get home and have the time to upload some of them. I’ll get into that later though.

So we wandered more, and continued, and it rained so we took shelter. There was a small mall like thing we ducking into and we ended up checking out the Toys R Us. Yeah that was there. I caved and bought a Full Metal Alchemist puzzle. I can’t wait to get home and start assembling it! Anna got kids chopsticks and the Hungry Caterpillar in Japanese for her little nephew.

We decided to head to our last destination, the onsen there. As mentioned before an onsen is a bath where women and men (separately of course) bathe together. All in the nude of course. It was less awkward the second time around, and we lounged around enjoying the hot water. Also, we were given yukata’s to wear (like robes) and there was a little shopping area to explore. No one was wearing shoes, but the floor was very clean. It was inside, but decorated to look like it were outside. It was really cool. There were little restaurants, and games to play. We got some pictures taken in a photo booth (those things are CRAZY complicated in Japan. The photos are time of course, but you choose backgrounds quickly too and then you can draw on the pictures with a bajillion different marks, also limited time, and you have to pick the pictures you want to choose etc. Needless to say, my first few attempts at getting it right had failed due to the rapid fire Japanese instructions. I will get it right though!) and then it was time to leave.

We didn’t realize how late it had gotten. It was already 10:30 and I had told Kuzuhara-san I’d be home before midnight. It was going to take a least an hour and a half to get back to Musashi-sakai, where we’d have to walk another 45 minutes to get back to ICU as the busses had stopped. It then took 10 minutes to walk to the dorm where I had left my bike and I was home by 1:00am. I managed to call home before then to explain and apologize, so it was ok, but stressful. We apparently had gotten the very last bus (whew!) and were crammed in like sardines with the other Japanese. Not fun, but all a part of living in Japan.

I went to sleep soon after. This morning, I got up at 7:30, and left home at about 8:15 to meet Charlene and Anna for our next big adventure. We bussed to Musashi-sakai, and took the train all the way to Tokyo station, where we transferred to the line that would take us to… *drumroll*… the Tokyo Sea Life Park! It was a nice, but affordable aquarium. It was unfortunately agonizingly close to Disney Sea and Disney Land Tokyo, but that’s neither here nor there.

The aquarium was great! We saw all sorts of sakana (fish) and penguins and, well, more sakana. I took videos and pictures and my goal is (providing I can figure out the software) is to make a music video out of it. Maybe later though… We fulfilled Charlene’s long time dream of riding on what may be the largest ferris wheel in Japan, or at least Tokyo. It was a great ride with a wonderful view. Then, Anna and I were really tired and kinda wanted to bail on Charlene after, but I decided against it. Anna took off (she’s staying in Japan all year, she has time to see it all) and Charlene and I headed for Tokyo Tower.

The trip was short, back to Tokyo station then on another line whose name I’ve forgotten to a station near the tower. We walked over and gaped at its size. Tokyo tower looks a lot like the Eiffel Tower, but is apparently like 13 feet taller or something stupid like that. It was brilliant though. We took the elevator up and spent an hour or so on the upper part of the main deck just looking and taking pictures (or Charlene was as my camera had pooped out on me – again). Then we went to the lower level and got to stand on a clear piece of glass where you could look down to the ground. Charlene was a little scared due to her fear of heights (but today was tall things day Charlene!) but she braved it out and got a picture.

We went down to the bottom for a quick dinner and headed out (we were sure to be much earlier today so we could catch the bus to ICU). The trip was easy and I was at ICU by 8:45, with my bike to ride downhill home and the south gate still open. Now I’m here, typing this. I’ll post it tomorrow though, and the pics might take a while. I need to sort through them as I’m sure I took at least 200. Ugh. Later. I must sleep now.

さようなら!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Fuji-san or bust

こんにちわ!

Finally it happened. The Mt. Fuji trip (or Fuji-san as I will refer to it).

Background info! Fuji-san is 3,776 meters tall (12,388 ft). There are 10 stations in all, the 10th being the summit. It is a straight shot up from the 5th station, the path zigzagging up the slope to make it climbable.

I had a lot of prep work. I got some gloves and a headlamp and full rain gear (jacket and pants), water, snacks, etc. Kuzuhara-san also lent me a sweater which I was immensely grateful for.

We met at ICU Saturday morning at 7:45. I had left the house early so as to grab a sandwich from the 711 for lunch that day. We got onto the bus at 8 and left at 8:15. About 2 hours later we stopped at a rest stop. I got this grilled chicken that was pretty good. Also some chocolate. I felt that I would need chocolate on this trip.

We loaded back on and by about noon, we had reached the 5th station where we would begin our ascent. We chilled out and explored the area for an hour and a half. There were restaurants, souvenirs, and other tourist things. It was beautiful sometimes, and clouds kept drifting by and enveloping us in fog. It was bizarre being so high up but on flat ground like that. (Pics on flickr already).

At 1:30 we started. Saturday was the easy stuff. An hour and a half to the 6th station and about 2-3 hours to the 5th. I get a little fuzzy on the actual times. We arrived around 5:30 at 7th station where we would rest at a mountain hut we had paid for. 6:00 found us eating beef curry (the Japanese just LOVE curry! none of it spicy though so that's ok), then taking pictures of the brief break in the coulds, going to the bathroom and falling asleep in the very cramped sleeping area.

At 9:30 everyone started getting up and 10:30 we all had our gear on, headlamps shining and raring to go. There were SO MANY PEOPLE. The guide guessed there were 5000 people climbing Fuji that day. The goal was to see the sunrise from the top (sunrise at 4:30am), and that seemed to be everyones goal. As such, there was actual people traffic along the way. The climb itself was extremely difficult, but every time you started getting somewhere, there was a line of people blocking your way.

I get even fuzzier on times at this point because it was pitch black, I was tired, cold, and miserable. Also anxious to get up in time. about 2 hours after we left the hut we hit the beginning of 8th station. An hour after that we hit the end of 8th station (two huts with a good distance between them). Then there was another 15-20 minutes before we hit the end of the end of 8th station (to give you an idea of how irritated I was).

An hour or so after that we hit the 8.5 station. By now, Vivian, Evan and I had completely left the main group, just barreling ahead to reach the top. I had already decided that at the guides pace, they would not get there in time, and we decided to go it alone. Alone meaning with each other and surrounded by hundreds of Japanese.

At 9th station, we met a group of three other ICU students who had gone ahead and were waiting to see if everyone else would catch up. It was now about 3:40am (holy smokes) and the sky was beginning to lighten. Therefore we were beginning to panic. The sign said it would take a half hour to reach the top, but given previous experience we knew that was impossible given the crowds.

We gave up waiting at 3:50 and headed out again, this time in our merry group of six (hey my favorite number!). We were getting more tired and worried as time passed. The crowds grew thicker and slower as well. We decided that in this one case in Japan, that we would not worry so much about being polite. Not to say we shoved our way to the top, but I might have cut off a couple hikers. We also clambered up the rocks and dirt surrounding the path and generally acted like gaijin (kind of rude word for foreigner). We called it a 'Gaijin Smash' (it had previously existed, we didn't make that up). So we Gaijin Smashed our way up the mountain.

Gosh darn it if we didn't make it up in time too. It was awesome but in a very tired subdued way when we reached the top (where it was snowing a bit) by 4:30 exactly. And wouldn't you know it, but right when the sunrise was getting spectacular, a huge cloud came by and rain started that would last the rest of the day. This is rather remeniscent of my Mt. Marcy hike...

So we watched the fog get brighter from the safety of a small open restaurant (kind of like a huge leanto given that one wall was almost completely open). A couple of the others got hot sweet sake to toast and another hot milk, but I opted to go drinkless.

We chilled and waited there as others from the group trickled in. I dozed of sitting there. At one point I tryed exploring but it was too cold, wet and I was too tired. There also wasn't that much to see. Some restaurants, souvenir stands, vending machines (of course!) and fog. Not to mention oodles of people.

At about 6:15am we all started to get ready to descend. Impatient to be off the stupid mountain and warm again, some of us took off. We knew where to meet and when, so we departed in small groups of two or three (any more and it was difficult keep track of everyone).

Descending was just as miserable. It was steep and I had to dig my heels in to kind of skate/surf down the mountian. It was easier and less painful for me to go fast, though if Mom had been watching she would have been horrified. I suppose I could have hit a rock wrong and rolled my ankle but I was extremely focused and paying attention to where my feet were all the time. Not to mention my wonderful balance. It was very fast going as a result.

I didn't take pictures because it was raining and I couldn't be bothered. It was pretty straightforward. Zigzag lines of people as far as the eye could see and farther. We arrived at the meeting point at 5th station at 9:30 (what took us 6-8 hours up took 3-4 down) and Vivian and I (we had paired up) went to the bathroom and changed our pants (I think I ruined my favorite sweatpants because they were the only ones I had with me here) and other various wet things.

The others started to trickle in again, and we tried to sit at one of the tables to wait. After a while we ewre kicked out for not having a reservation, making us mad at the tour guides for telling us to meet somewhere we couldn't stay. After many miscommunications and time consuming delays, we all ended up on the bus again by about 11-12:00. Now we were headed to our reward, the onsen.

An onsen is a hot spring bath, where girls and boys bathe separately. They have to, because everyone is nekkers. As in, nude, no clothes or bathing suits. Well, when in Rome.

So we awkwardly entered the lockers, showered and got in, just chilling in the hot water enjoying the warm clean feeling after the hike. When satisfied I got out and met some others. We got lunch by purchasing these tickets for our meals from a machine and then bringing it to a window where we got the food. I got Yamanaka soba, which was soup with soba noodles, some fried onion stuff, and a bunch of other veggies and other delicious things. Question: Sarah, do you eat a lot of soup based meals while eating out in Japan? Answer: Yes, I don't really know why. Probably because I tend to know what it is on the menu and know it's a safe bet.

We got on the bus at about 2:30, stopped at a rest stop again (different this time) and were at ICU by 6:30ish. Most everyone slept most of the trip. I quicly grabbed my stuff and took off. I had to walk the longish miserable slightly rainy walk home still.

I got home by about 6:45, and started to sort out my wet gear and dirty clothes. I took a shower (because I was already gross and sweaty again) and washed my socks and pants by hand at the same time because they were so abysmally dirty.

We ate a delicious dinner and I pretty much went straight to bed. I had had to study this weekend for a vocab quiz, but I was incapable of really studying and decided to let this one go. They're only worth 10 points anyway. I ended up getting about 4 right, though most of the other Fuji-san hikers also did poorly. Two didn't even show up for class.

So yeah. That was Fuji-san. Some closing thoughts on that, it is important to note that Fuji-san is completely unlike any mountain I have ever traversed. There were no trees beyond the 6th station, it was steep all the time. For a while at first it was scary too because the edge dropped off into nothingness, but we got over that quickly. I've never hiked in the fog like that, or at night. Especially for that long. And I have never encountered so many people while hiking before. It was incredible and miserable. Hooray I did it. Never Again. Ever.

The guide said as we were getting off the bus at ICU "Please do not hate Mt. Fuji". Just because of that I will not hate Mt. Fuji. But only by a little bit. Also important to mention, I walk like an old person because my legs have not stopped hurting since. I am convinced they will never stop hurting.

That being said, I did cool stuff Monday and today too. We had the last cultural event, zori making. Zori are sandles made from this rope stuff and cloth. Like thick soft woven flip flops. I'm going to keep this short...

There were a bunch of ladies to help us and I made mine dark blue and this whiteish light blue. There were cool patterns on the cloth too. It took a few hours total, though maybe less, because I had to wait for directions for the next step often.

We stopped without finishing at 4:30 Monday, and continued today. I finished up quickly and had my one-on-one with Kojima-sensei. We had a lovely chat about Fuji-san, though most of it was in broken Japanese.

I went to the library for a while then home, chilled/studied, dinner and now I'm updating. I knew I couldn't put it off longer, as my parents at least are anxious to hear about all of this. Now however, I am off to bed. 'Tis late and I have another vocab quiz tomorrow. Sigh. We have a 2 chapter test friday and one more chapter to cover next week before our final exam. This is extremely stressful. Fuji-san didn't help either. Stupid mountian. Must. Not. Hate!

Lol.

じゃまた!