So I haven't don much since my last post, but I wanted to promote the music video I made combining Coldplay's "Life in Technicolor" with videos I took at Tokyo Sea Life Park. I'm really proud of it so check it out. As for yesterday, I had class and then after chilled out/studied in the library.
The plan was to go to dinner at an Isakaya or bar that serves food as well, so I took off with Charlene and met our friend Anju there. I didn't have anything alcoholic, because I'm not a drinker, but I did have a bunch of awesome food. You order little bits of things one or two at a time. I had a caesar salad (my first in Japan and the best salad period I've had here yet), a few skewers with either chicken or beef or something, a cheese croquet thing, a piece of the sashimi plate the others ordered, and I think that's it. I took pictures of everything, and they should appear eventually.
So anyway, the rest of the week is going to be pretty ugly. I have lots to do for tomorrow and especially Thursday when I have my final. Then on Friday, I have to read a speech I will write before then (though most of it has been written over the course of the class), which I will have to have practiced to almost memorization.
At the same time I will have to figure out exactly when I am doing, where I am going and if I am going with anyone after class ends on Friday. I get kicked out of the house on Saturday, and my plane leaves on Wednesday the 19th. I have some friends staying til the 18th, but they are staying in their dorm here, and not traveling like I want to. I think I might go it alone, as scary as that is. My parents have offered to help make arrangements and that is a huge comfort, but still...
I shall think on this more, and do some research I guess. Though this is a very difficult thing for me, even more so than coming here, because I don't actually have a plan, and eveything is up in the air. I'll feel better when I have it figured out, but I have a lot of work to do as well...
Ugh. Anyway, back to the point of this post, check out my fish video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcaQn3SAVrU&feature=channel_page
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
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.
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！
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！
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Week 4. Already?
こんにちわ！
Ok, so its already week 4, and almost not even that anymore. Goodness gracious me! This week has been reletively low key (compared to action packed week 2) but still fun. Monday I went to the library to study and talk to Chris Morrison on AIM (Hi Chris!). Unfortunately it started raining before I left. So I waited as long as I could until I deemed it to be the lightest rain it would be. I attempted to ride my bike and hold my umbrella, but my umbrella was too light and kept getting blown around, not to mention the hole biking with only one hand thing. So I succumbed to having wet clothing when I get home. No big deal, I just changed. Fortunately my backpack is water resistant, and all my stuff was unharmed.
Tuesday however, was a surprise awesome day. Charlene asked me during class if I wanted to go to Akihabara and I was like "heck yeah! When?" and she was like "after class." After about 2 seconds thought I agreed and it was settled. After class we headed to lunch, then each went to our individual sessions with our sensei's (which we had schedualed for that day). We then swung over to Charlenes dorm so I could drop off the heavier stuff in my bag and we were finally off. hopped on a train, transfered at Shinjuku onto the Chuo line heading for Akihabara and after about 45-60 minutes we were there.
It was pretty sweet. There were anime billboards, restaraunt ads with anime-style drawings, girls dressed up as maids promoting the bajillion maid cafes that were there (Seriously, on one small stretch of road there were three different cafes each with girls standing outside handing out ads). There were tons of interesting stores too. We first stopped at Sofmap, a huge electonics store. There were 7 levels, and we later found out that there were more than one Sofmap on that one street (we didn't have time or energy to venture much futher than what seemed to be the main drag).
We then wandered around looking for the Tokyo Anime Center which was described in Charlenes guide book. We got there and were a little dissappointed. It was a one room affair with some merchandise and statues and old pokemon stuff on display but that was it. There was however some live show going on in a sound room there. My guess is that it was either a demonstration of an anime voice acting session, a radio show (maybe with anime voice actors as guests) or some other kind of performance. They weren't dressed up or doing anything, just talking. As I was unable to understand them, we didn't hang around for long.
Next we wandered in the direction of an interesting anime merchandise store we had passed earlier. We soon found that the 7 floor format was widely used, and each floor had different stuff. There was manga, CDs, DVDs, action figures, and all sorts of other completely useless anime stuff from anime I had either heard of or not (though Gundam and especially Evengelion were everywhere. Seriously, I see figures and pictures of Rei in the most random places in Tokyo). While I was there I bought a little Full Metal Alchemist action figure (about an inch and a half tall) that was packaged in a very popular way here. There are many little series of figures in boxes that don't reveal which one you got, leaving you to pick one at random and hope that it's the figure you want or like. You can see the possible figures it could be though, they're not completely heartless. Mine ended up being a little chibi Ed with an angry face. Though if he asks, I didn't call him little, chibi, or a shrimp you can't even see with a microscope. (Anime fans should lol now).
We then ventured on, now with thoughts of dinner. We stopped at various other stores as we searched, me with a new quest. I wanted an action figure of LeLouch from Code Geass. And gosh darn it I was going to find one. Though the female characters from Code Geass seemed much more abundant. I finally found one and I think it's pretty rocking. Not too expensive either!
Finally we found a suitable eatery (I wanted to go to a ramen place specifically because I had yet to eat ramen in Japan) and took a seat. I got Chicken Teriyaki ramen (ramen with chicken teriyki in it instead of the standard extremely fatty piece of pork). It was amazing! One ittadakimasu later and I was chowing down greatfully (I was very hungry and tired). We quietly mocked a few other Americans who based off their loud conversation made it seem like they were in Japan simply to shop for stuff, paid our bill, said gochisousama deshita and departed.
We stopped at a few more stores, including this game arcade that had different levels of stuff (of course) though we only explored two. The first was entirely machines with grabbers where instead of picking things up the goal is to maneuver them into little holes. Kind of a rip off, but fun to play a bit of. Like gambling, just keep a budget and expect to lose all of your money (thanks Dad for that bit of wisdom).
It was 7:45 so we headed home (I told my host mother I'd be home by 9ish). We got back to the dorm, I got my stuff and biked leisurely down the hill home. I was in the door by 9:03.
Wednesday was also fun. I had signed up for the recent cultural activity. Rythmic Sho. Sho is the art of writing kanji, not to be mistaken for calligraphy. The point is to move your whole body and attempt to show expression in the piece. It was amazing to watch and so much fun to do! I would love it if I could get a chance to practice more and actually do it right.
We wrote the character for 'big' (大) many times, and then were encouraged to pick our favorite to do on the boards they gave us. We got to get two of them officially stamped (one of them 'big' the other one your choice). I chose for my other one 'yama' or mountain (which we had just learned in class) (山).
That lasted me a while and then I headed home for some benkyou shimasu (studying). Now I'm here, anxious about my huge test tomorrow, getting psyched up to study. Fuji-san is Saturday and Sunday!!!! I have all the details like schedule and stuff, but I'll post it tomorrow. I've got to get to work!
じゃまた！
Ok, so its already week 4, and almost not even that anymore. Goodness gracious me! This week has been reletively low key (compared to action packed week 2) but still fun. Monday I went to the library to study and talk to Chris Morrison on AIM (Hi Chris!). Unfortunately it started raining before I left. So I waited as long as I could until I deemed it to be the lightest rain it would be. I attempted to ride my bike and hold my umbrella, but my umbrella was too light and kept getting blown around, not to mention the hole biking with only one hand thing. So I succumbed to having wet clothing when I get home. No big deal, I just changed. Fortunately my backpack is water resistant, and all my stuff was unharmed.
Tuesday however, was a surprise awesome day. Charlene asked me during class if I wanted to go to Akihabara and I was like "heck yeah! When?" and she was like "after class." After about 2 seconds thought I agreed and it was settled. After class we headed to lunch, then each went to our individual sessions with our sensei's (which we had schedualed for that day). We then swung over to Charlenes dorm so I could drop off the heavier stuff in my bag and we were finally off. hopped on a train, transfered at Shinjuku onto the Chuo line heading for Akihabara and after about 45-60 minutes we were there.
It was pretty sweet. There were anime billboards, restaraunt ads with anime-style drawings, girls dressed up as maids promoting the bajillion maid cafes that were there (Seriously, on one small stretch of road there were three different cafes each with girls standing outside handing out ads). There were tons of interesting stores too. We first stopped at Sofmap, a huge electonics store. There were 7 levels, and we later found out that there were more than one Sofmap on that one street (we didn't have time or energy to venture much futher than what seemed to be the main drag).
We then wandered around looking for the Tokyo Anime Center which was described in Charlenes guide book. We got there and were a little dissappointed. It was a one room affair with some merchandise and statues and old pokemon stuff on display but that was it. There was however some live show going on in a sound room there. My guess is that it was either a demonstration of an anime voice acting session, a radio show (maybe with anime voice actors as guests) or some other kind of performance. They weren't dressed up or doing anything, just talking. As I was unable to understand them, we didn't hang around for long.
Next we wandered in the direction of an interesting anime merchandise store we had passed earlier. We soon found that the 7 floor format was widely used, and each floor had different stuff. There was manga, CDs, DVDs, action figures, and all sorts of other completely useless anime stuff from anime I had either heard of or not (though Gundam and especially Evengelion were everywhere. Seriously, I see figures and pictures of Rei in the most random places in Tokyo). While I was there I bought a little Full Metal Alchemist action figure (about an inch and a half tall) that was packaged in a very popular way here. There are many little series of figures in boxes that don't reveal which one you got, leaving you to pick one at random and hope that it's the figure you want or like. You can see the possible figures it could be though, they're not completely heartless. Mine ended up being a little chibi Ed with an angry face. Though if he asks, I didn't call him little, chibi, or a shrimp you can't even see with a microscope. (Anime fans should lol now).
We then ventured on, now with thoughts of dinner. We stopped at various other stores as we searched, me with a new quest. I wanted an action figure of LeLouch from Code Geass. And gosh darn it I was going to find one. Though the female characters from Code Geass seemed much more abundant. I finally found one and I think it's pretty rocking. Not too expensive either!
Finally we found a suitable eatery (I wanted to go to a ramen place specifically because I had yet to eat ramen in Japan) and took a seat. I got Chicken Teriyaki ramen (ramen with chicken teriyki in it instead of the standard extremely fatty piece of pork). It was amazing! One ittadakimasu later and I was chowing down greatfully (I was very hungry and tired). We quietly mocked a few other Americans who based off their loud conversation made it seem like they were in Japan simply to shop for stuff, paid our bill, said gochisousama deshita and departed.We stopped at a few more stores, including this game arcade that had different levels of stuff (of course) though we only explored two. The first was entirely machines with grabbers where instead of picking things up the goal is to maneuver them into little holes. Kind of a rip off, but fun to play a bit of. Like gambling, just keep a budget and expect to lose all of your money (thanks Dad for that bit of wisdom).
It was 7:45 so we headed home (I told my host mother I'd be home by 9ish). We got back to the dorm, I got my stuff and biked leisurely down the hill home. I was in the door by 9:03.
Wednesday was also fun. I had signed up for the recent cultural activity. Rythmic Sho. Sho is the art of writing kanji, not to be mistaken for calligraphy. The point is to move your whole body and attempt to show expression in the piece. It was amazing to watch and so much fun to do! I would love it if I could get a chance to practice more and actually do it right.
We wrote the character for 'big' (大) many times, and then were encouraged to pick our favorite to do on the boards they gave us. We got to get two of them officially stamped (one of them 'big' the other one your choice). I chose for my other one 'yama' or mountain (which we had just learned in class) (山).That lasted me a while and then I headed home for some benkyou shimasu (studying). Now I'm here, anxious about my huge test tomorrow, getting psyched up to study. Fuji-san is Saturday and Sunday!!!! I have all the details like schedule and stuff, but I'll post it tomorrow. I've got to get to work!
じゃまた！
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Harajuku, Meiji Shrine and adorable granddaughters
こんにちわ！
Ok, so in order. Friday, We had an orienteering expedition in Musashi-sakai station. We had to find Sukippudori (a street), ask if a bus went to ICU, find out the purpose of a couple of stores, etc. It was quite fun. After, we all had lunch together (the class, or most of it), and then Charlene and I took off. First we stopped at a department store, so I could find some awesome erasable pens she told me about. The ink dissappears with heat, caused by friction. so the eraser is just a rubber nub that never wears away. Coolest pens ever. Then, it was off on the train.
A short trip later we were in Harajuku. I got a really cute short sleeved sweatshirt and a lolita dress, as planned. I might post pictures later. I really like it, even though I will only ever be able to wear it at anime cons and Halloween.
Charlene took me to Kiddyland, a toy store that had everything under the sun, from Totoro and other Ghibli merchandise, to anime figures, to Lilo and Stitch merchandise (which the Japanese seen to love). There were like 5 levels of awesomeness. I didn't linger too long though, for fear of spending oodles of money...
We then headed over to the Meiji Shrine. It was beautiful. only a couple minutes walk away from the station, it was amazingly isolated. It was quiet and peaceful and well, spiritual. There were large gate entrances and actual priestesses doing various tasks. I bought a charm meant for academic success... I've always kind of wanted one. Charlene got a crepe (also extremely popular here) and I mooched a couple of bites, not wanting to ruin my appetite for dinner. We got back on the train and I was back home by about 6:30, 7:00.
Oh this is a good time to mention my Suica card. These things are magical. You load money on the card (which you purchase for 500 yen and can get it refunded when you return it) and instead of buying tickets every time you go somewhere you just swipe the card (still in your wallet) at the gate. No fuss, no muss. No longer will I have to worry about what the ticket cost should be. Glorious day!
So yesterday I had nothing planned. I was going to explore a bit on my bike maybe. So I got up at around 9, took a shower and got out my computer. I was not in the mood to post, so I didn't. I did chat with Erik for a while, and then Skyped, before Kuzuhara-san came home and I decided to sign off. I then took my bike to KFC to compare the food and eat lunch. It was quite different. The Japanese just can't seem to get chicken right to save their lives. Ah well.
I continued along, stopped at an electroncs store, wandered a bit, got some more rechargable batteries and continued along. I stopped last at a 711 for some chips and headed home. I chilled/studied until 7:30ish when I came down in search of dinner.
Kuzuhara-sans other daughter and granddaughter came over for either the night or more (I don't know yet). They had dinner with us and I had a lovely time trying to communicate with a 5-year-old girl. Chi-chan is absolutely adorable, and doesn't seem to mind when I don't understand her. Between yesterday and today we've spent time drawing, playing with legos, tossing stuffed animals back and forth, playing piano, talking, eating tomatoes and other various things. Kuzuhara-san's daughter (whose name as I'm sure none of you are surprised to hear I've forgotten T.T) is also delightful. She speaks English very well, and we spent a lot of time disucssing things like how I get to school, what my house it like (we google earth'd it), pictures of my family cats and stay here so far, and marching band.
After that chat, we all took the car (my first time in a car here) to J Mart, yes, J Mart, for some household supplies. I got myself an umbrella there so I wouldn't have to keep borrowing Kuzuhara-san's. We then had dinner at a local restaraunt, and I had my first pizza in Japan. It came with corn soup and a salad and had corn sprinkled on it. It was really good though. For dessert, Kuzuhara-san convinced me to bet this banana/chocolate cake stuff that was also delicious.
Now I'm home again, I've just completed my homework for tomorrow, and I'm posting this before I get too sleepy and lazy. Oh! Almost forgot. For lunch I made the apple cinnamon pancakes that I brought as a present. Thy didn't look all that pretty, but they tasted alright, and the Kuzuhara's seemed to like them. I wanted to take a picture, but my batteries had died, and I was hungry.
So yeah, to bed with me!!
じゃまた！
Ok, so in order. Friday, We had an orienteering expedition in Musashi-sakai station. We had to find Sukippudori (a street), ask if a bus went to ICU, find out the purpose of a couple of stores, etc. It was quite fun. After, we all had lunch together (the class, or most of it), and then Charlene and I took off. First we stopped at a department store, so I could find some awesome erasable pens she told me about. The ink dissappears with heat, caused by friction. so the eraser is just a rubber nub that never wears away. Coolest pens ever. Then, it was off on the train.
A short trip later we were in Harajuku. I got a really cute short sleeved sweatshirt and a lolita dress, as planned. I might post pictures later. I really like it, even though I will only ever be able to wear it at anime cons and Halloween.
Charlene took me to Kiddyland, a toy store that had everything under the sun, from Totoro and other Ghibli merchandise, to anime figures, to Lilo and Stitch merchandise (which the Japanese seen to love). There were like 5 levels of awesomeness. I didn't linger too long though, for fear of spending oodles of money...
We then headed over to the Meiji Shrine. It was beautiful. only a couple minutes walk away from the station, it was amazingly isolated. It was quiet and peaceful and well, spiritual. There were large gate entrances and actual priestesses doing various tasks. I bought a charm meant for academic success... I've always kind of wanted one. Charlene got a crepe (also extremely popular here) and I mooched a couple of bites, not wanting to ruin my appetite for dinner. We got back on the train and I was back home by about 6:30, 7:00.
Oh this is a good time to mention my Suica card. These things are magical. You load money on the card (which you purchase for 500 yen and can get it refunded when you return it) and instead of buying tickets every time you go somewhere you just swipe the card (still in your wallet) at the gate. No fuss, no muss. No longer will I have to worry about what the ticket cost should be. Glorious day!
So yesterday I had nothing planned. I was going to explore a bit on my bike maybe. So I got up at around 9, took a shower and got out my computer. I was not in the mood to post, so I didn't. I did chat with Erik for a while, and then Skyped, before Kuzuhara-san came home and I decided to sign off. I then took my bike to KFC to compare the food and eat lunch. It was quite different. The Japanese just can't seem to get chicken right to save their lives. Ah well.
I continued along, stopped at an electroncs store, wandered a bit, got some more rechargable batteries and continued along. I stopped last at a 711 for some chips and headed home. I chilled/studied until 7:30ish when I came down in search of dinner.
Kuzuhara-sans other daughter and granddaughter came over for either the night or more (I don't know yet). They had dinner with us and I had a lovely time trying to communicate with a 5-year-old girl. Chi-chan is absolutely adorable, and doesn't seem to mind when I don't understand her. Between yesterday and today we've spent time drawing, playing with legos, tossing stuffed animals back and forth, playing piano, talking, eating tomatoes and other various things. Kuzuhara-san's daughter (whose name as I'm sure none of you are surprised to hear I've forgotten T.T) is also delightful. She speaks English very well, and we spent a lot of time disucssing things like how I get to school, what my house it like (we google earth'd it), pictures of my family cats and stay here so far, and marching band.
After that chat, we all took the car (my first time in a car here) to J Mart, yes, J Mart, for some household supplies. I got myself an umbrella there so I wouldn't have to keep borrowing Kuzuhara-san's. We then had dinner at a local restaraunt, and I had my first pizza in Japan. It came with corn soup and a salad and had corn sprinkled on it. It was really good though. For dessert, Kuzuhara-san convinced me to bet this banana/chocolate cake stuff that was also delicious.
Now I'm home again, I've just completed my homework for tomorrow, and I'm posting this before I get too sleepy and lazy. Oh! Almost forgot. For lunch I made the apple cinnamon pancakes that I brought as a present. Thy didn't look all that pretty, but they tasted alright, and the Kuzuhara's seemed to like them. I wanted to take a picture, but my batteries had died, and I was hungry.
So yeah, to bed with me!!
じゃまた！
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Soba noodles at Jindaiji and Asakusa again
こんにちわ！
I have resigned myself to the fact that most places I visit will require a second visit, and as such have already started. Surprisingly, though I had only one revisit planned this week, I ended up with two!
It turns out that the location of the pottery and soba noodles cultural event was the same as the shrine that the Kuzuharas took me to the first weekend here, Jindaiji, when I had forgotten my camera and vowed to return someday. Well it was easier than I had thought it would be. We got a nice bus ride there (part of the initial fee of the trip), and were ushered into a room where we had the choice of sitting on tatami mats to eat (which I did), and served delicious soba noodles. My second time having them there. Just because, I'm including the pic.
Afterwards, we went to a pottery shop nextdoor and were given a lump of clay. There was an example cup, but we could do whatever we wanted. I made this sweet bowl. Hopefully it'll withstand fireing and the trip back to America. When we were done, we were given the choice of how we wanted it glazed (which they would do for us), and left to our own devices to wander. Wander I did, though I had seen it all before. I took pictures this time, though one must keep in mind that the last time I was there it was days before a festival, and there were many more people and shops open.
So yeah, after that, I headed back to ICU with Charlene, and chilled in her dorm for a bit before we took off in search of a headlamp for my trip up Mt. Fuji in August. She suggested the Hard-Off (real name, I know), which is a second hand shop above a golf store. It was really cool. I got myself an alarm clock while I was there, and also a Japanese DS game (based of the anime Yakitate Japan, a game I know I'll never find in the states or in English, though it is quite difficult to play when you don't understand any of the words). Though no head lamp. So we continued down the block to Don Quihote again (took pictures this time), and I got a semi-cheap one. Noce though.
It was time for dinner, so we walked to McDonalds which was on our way back and I enjoyed a double cheeseburger meal (I was so unbelievably hungry). I don't make a habit of this fyi, just, every now and then I need some familiarity. I spent some of the conversation with Charlene reminicing about the states (though shes a Canadian, Toronto-style) and missing various things, such as the ability to talk to people and have complete understanding.
I headed home then, as it was already 7:30.
Today, we had no quizzes, no tests, and no homework, first time since the first day of class. Instead we prepared for conversations we were to have the next period with the visiting Japanese students who were volunteering to help our studies. Three weeks ago I knew virtually no Japanese and now I had to have a conversation in it? It was very hard, embarrasing, and awkward. Good, I guess. I don't know.
We also prepared for our field trip ro Musashi-sakai station tomorrow, where we would have to go around asking people questions about things and write down/get proof of their answers. Exciting I guess. Better than boring class. After than, Charlene and I are going to head back to Harajuku where I am bound and determined to get a lolita dress of some sort. Kuzuhara-san has also suggested we check out the famous shrine nearby, Meiji Shrine. I'll have to ask Charlene if she's interested tomorrow.
Last of all in class today, we spent some time in the computer lab practicing writing in Japanese, including hiragana, katakana, and kanji, whereas I previously only understood how to work hiragana on my computer. Sample sentence:
あしたわたしは原宿に行きます。
That says, "Tomorrow, I am going to Harajuku", though I am sort of trusing my computer that the Kanji for Harajuku is correct. I'm reasonably sure it is. Anyway, that's it for me. Tomorrow Harajuku, Saturday I meet Kuzuhara-san's other daughter and her children (Kuzuhara-san is a grandmother? I didn't know!) And Sunday... nothing yet. Maybe plans, probably studying, though there's no test on Monday (for once). There will be a huge vocab quiz on Tuesday and a huge 2 chapter test on Friday... can't... get... behind...!
じゃまた！
(Ja Matta - meaning see you later)
I have resigned myself to the fact that most places I visit will require a second visit, and as such have already started. Surprisingly, though I had only one revisit planned this week, I ended up with two!
It turns out that the location of the pottery and soba noodles cultural event was the same as the shrine that the Kuzuharas took me to the first weekend here, Jindaiji, when I had forgotten my camera and vowed to return someday. Well it was easier than I had thought it would be. We got a nice bus ride there (part of the initial fee of the trip), and were ushered into a room where we had the choice of sitting on tatami mats to eat (which I did), and served delicious soba noodles. My second time having them there. Just because, I'm including the pic.Afterwards, we went to a pottery shop nextdoor and were given a lump of clay. There was an example cup, but we could do whatever we wanted. I made this sweet bowl. Hopefully it'll withstand fireing and the trip back to America. When we were done, we were given the choice of how we wanted it glazed (which they would do for us), and left to our own devices to wander. Wander I did, though I had seen it all before. I took pictures this time, though one must keep in mind that the last time I was there it was days before a festival, and there were many more people and shops open.
So yeah, after that, I headed back to ICU with Charlene, and chilled in her dorm for a bit before we took off in search of a headlamp for my trip up Mt. Fuji in August. She suggested the Hard-Off (real name, I know), which is a second hand shop above a golf store. It was really cool. I got myself an alarm clock while I was there, and also a Japanese DS game (based of the anime Yakitate Japan, a game I know I'll never find in the states or in English, though it is quite difficult to play when you don't understand any of the words). Though no head lamp. So we continued down the block to Don Quihote again (took pictures this time), and I got a semi-cheap one. Noce though.
It was time for dinner, so we walked to McDonalds which was on our way back and I enjoyed a double cheeseburger meal (I was so unbelievably hungry). I don't make a habit of this fyi, just, every now and then I need some familiarity. I spent some of the conversation with Charlene reminicing about the states (though shes a Canadian, Toronto-style) and missing various things, such as the ability to talk to people and have complete understanding.
I headed home then, as it was already 7:30.
Today, we had no quizzes, no tests, and no homework, first time since the first day of class. Instead we prepared for conversations we were to have the next period with the visiting Japanese students who were volunteering to help our studies. Three weeks ago I knew virtually no Japanese and now I had to have a conversation in it? It was very hard, embarrasing, and awkward. Good, I guess. I don't know.
We also prepared for our field trip ro Musashi-sakai station tomorrow, where we would have to go around asking people questions about things and write down/get proof of their answers. Exciting I guess. Better than boring class. After than, Charlene and I are going to head back to Harajuku where I am bound and determined to get a lolita dress of some sort. Kuzuhara-san has also suggested we check out the famous shrine nearby, Meiji Shrine. I'll have to ask Charlene if she's interested tomorrow.
Last of all in class today, we spent some time in the computer lab practicing writing in Japanese, including hiragana, katakana, and kanji, whereas I previously only understood how to work hiragana on my computer. Sample sentence:
あしたわたしは原宿に行きます。
That says, "Tomorrow, I am going to Harajuku", though I am sort of trusing my computer that the Kanji for Harajuku is correct. I'm reasonably sure it is. Anyway, that's it for me. Tomorrow Harajuku, Saturday I meet Kuzuhara-san's other daughter and her children (Kuzuhara-san is a grandmother? I didn't know!) And Sunday... nothing yet. Maybe plans, probably studying, though there's no test on Monday (for once). There will be a huge vocab quiz on Tuesday and a huge 2 chapter test on Friday... can't... get... behind...!
じゃまた！
(Ja Matta - meaning see you later)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Asakusa, Sensoji Shrine
こんにちわ！
So this weekends adventure took me to Asakusa, home of a large Buddhist shrine and of course, an even larger shrine of consumerism. As it should be? Who knows. All I know is that it was awesome.
So first of all, Friday evening and Saturday I was useless. I caught some 24 hour bug, and ended up sleeping off a fever for 16 hours Friday night. Needless to say I had some funky dreams. It was all good though, because I didn't have class, or anything to do but chill in my room and study for my test on Monday (today). So chill I did (relatively speaking given the ever constant weather).
Sunday morning, I got up (very rested after the previous nights immense amount of sleep), hopped on the computer and chatted with Nan and Geetz on skype (my grandparents for those I haven't told the story to). It was lovely, but I soon had to get off to get ready for my solitary trip to Asakusa. I was informed moments later that we were going to meet at 4, not 2, because a couple people were held up on a previous trip. So at 2:10ish I headed out. At 2:13, after having not reached the bus in time, I realized I forgot my camera and went back. I finally got on the next bus (which was only about 15 minutes later) and headed to Mitaka station. Took the Chuo line to Kanda, the Ginza subway line to Asakusa, and then the fun began.
I ended up wandering quite a bit to find Sensoji, or more specifically the huge lantern we were to meet at (and I mean HUGE check out the pics. Dude.), called Kaminarimon. Well after asking about 4 people Sumimasen, Sensoji wa doko desu ka? (Excuse me, where is Sensoji?), I finally stumbled upon it. Hard to miss really. I was sitting there for about 10 minutes getting anxious (I had gotten there exactly at 4), when Ken showed up. He was one of the group. We sat together for another half hour before by using cell phones we realized there were 2 big lanterns. We were at the right one, but the others were at the inner one.
So we finally started exploring. I got a fortune at the shrine. It ws bad and said all sorts of stuff about how the sick person is in danger and the lost item will not be found. Apparently it is also bad for me to marry or employ. It was hilarious. We moved on and wafted the incense over our heads to promote health, took some pictures, and stared to explore the shops.
There was this street of shops all down the line from the one gate (lantern) to the other. I unfortunately did not plan well and forgot to get money from the ATM at ICU when I could, so I had only enought to got to Asakusa and back with a drink. I had to borrow money for dinner. It's alright thoug, I've already planned a trip back this Thursday with some different friends. I'll buy stuff then.
Tomorrow I have a one-on-one meeting with Kojima-sensei, and Wednesday I eat soba noodles and make my own soba noodle bowl. Thursday is Asakusa again and Friday who knows! Lot's of stuff.
Almost forgot! Today there was Rakugo, which means traditional Japanese comedy. Basically two ICU clubs performed. One was a music club playing I think Koto's. Kinda like large floor guitars. It was lovely. Then there was a girl who sat on a table and told a few humorous stories using only a fan and a cloth to help tell the story. Since the videos are too large for flickr, I'm putting them on my YouTube account at http://www.youtube.com/user/himurasarah. They'll take a couple hours to uplaod, but be patient, they're pretty cool.
So yeah, thats it for now. Probably update after Wednesdays expedition.
さようなら！！
So this weekends adventure took me to Asakusa, home of a large Buddhist shrine and of course, an even larger shrine of consumerism. As it should be? Who knows. All I know is that it was awesome.
So first of all, Friday evening and Saturday I was useless. I caught some 24 hour bug, and ended up sleeping off a fever for 16 hours Friday night. Needless to say I had some funky dreams. It was all good though, because I didn't have class, or anything to do but chill in my room and study for my test on Monday (today). So chill I did (relatively speaking given the ever constant weather).
Sunday morning, I got up (very rested after the previous nights immense amount of sleep), hopped on the computer and chatted with Nan and Geetz on skype (my grandparents for those I haven't told the story to). It was lovely, but I soon had to get off to get ready for my solitary trip to Asakusa. I was informed moments later that we were going to meet at 4, not 2, because a couple people were held up on a previous trip. So at 2:10ish I headed out. At 2:13, after having not reached the bus in time, I realized I forgot my camera and went back. I finally got on the next bus (which was only about 15 minutes later) and headed to Mitaka station. Took the Chuo line to Kanda, the Ginza subway line to Asakusa, and then the fun began.
I ended up wandering quite a bit to find Sensoji, or more specifically the huge lantern we were to meet at (and I mean HUGE check out the pics. Dude.), called Kaminarimon. Well after asking about 4 people Sumimasen, Sensoji wa doko desu ka? (Excuse me, where is Sensoji?), I finally stumbled upon it. Hard to miss really. I was sitting there for about 10 minutes getting anxious (I had gotten there exactly at 4), when Ken showed up. He was one of the group. We sat together for another half hour before by using cell phones we realized there were 2 big lanterns. We were at the right one, but the others were at the inner one.
So we finally started exploring. I got a fortune at the shrine. It ws bad and said all sorts of stuff about how the sick person is in danger and the lost item will not be found. Apparently it is also bad for me to marry or employ. It was hilarious. We moved on and wafted the incense over our heads to promote health, took some pictures, and stared to explore the shops.
There was this street of shops all down the line from the one gate (lantern) to the other. I unfortunately did not plan well and forgot to get money from the ATM at ICU when I could, so I had only enought to got to Asakusa and back with a drink. I had to borrow money for dinner. It's alright thoug, I've already planned a trip back this Thursday with some different friends. I'll buy stuff then.
Tomorrow I have a one-on-one meeting with Kojima-sensei, and Wednesday I eat soba noodles and make my own soba noodle bowl. Thursday is Asakusa again and Friday who knows! Lot's of stuff.
Almost forgot! Today there was Rakugo, which means traditional Japanese comedy. Basically two ICU clubs performed. One was a music club playing I think Koto's. Kinda like large floor guitars. It was lovely. Then there was a girl who sat on a table and told a few humorous stories using only a fan and a cloth to help tell the story. Since the videos are too large for flickr, I'm putting them on my YouTube account at http://www.youtube.com/user/himurasarah. They'll take a couple hours to uplaod, but be patient, they're pretty cool.
So yeah, thats it for now. Probably update after Wednesdays expedition.
さようなら！！
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
