I also took a closer look at the business card the haircut people gave me. On the back, in English, it says:
WE SUPPORT YOUR CUTIE WITH HAIR DESIGN
WITH TENDERNESS TIME
And how!!!
WITH TENDERNESS TIME
And how!!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Bottle Coffee and Haircut--P.S.
Hey, so I did look at the bottle coffee more closely, and in with all the stuff I can't read it says "60%". So my educated guess is that the coffee is quite concentrated. I had a glass cut with some water and milk yesterday, and I was fine.
I also took a closer look at the business card the haircut people gave me. On the back, in English, it says:
I also took a closer look at the business card the haircut people gave me. On the back, in English, it says:
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Bottle Coffee and a Haircut
10 June 2009
Talk about a day of extremes. The weather is warm and sticky, and right now it is raining (about 7 p.m.). Yesterday one of my professors rescheduled a class, and so I ended up having to get up a little earlier than usual. This morning I woke up feeling tired, as I often do when the barometer is falling. So I didn’t have breakfast (never advisable) and I had a coffee on the way to school. Then I went to lunch, and I had another coffee, and then went to Japanese class.
Today we got the feedback on our oral interview part of the midterm exam. They had recorded the interview, and my comprehension is way low. It took me forever to answer each time the professor asked a question. She repeatedly had to explain what she was asking, and then in my answers I was using the wrong particles and conjugations, and couldn’t remember vocabulary. So I didn’t feel like I had done very well on that.
When I got out of class I was feeling kind of depressed, and felt like I had a lot of homework to do, so I went to my room and had some iced coffee. I had bought this new kind of “bottle coffee”, the Valor brand, and some milk so I could mix up my own iced coffee at home. The two were about the same price as three small cans of premade iced coffee would be, and I was getting maybe six times as much for the price.
I have not been drinking too much coffee or tea during my stay, so that’s one thing. But I don’t know--I think this “bottle coffee” is super caffeinated or something, because I seriously freaked out. About half an hour after drinking my drink, I started feeling queasy and kind of panicked.
It’s hard to explain, but whenever I start having anxiety like that I feel like I’m going to have a seizure or a stroke or something and die. This fear is not completely irrational; I have had seizures before, but under really specific circumstances. I think it’s just something my little panic monster likes to grab onto and wave around. The monster then passes off the resulting fear as intuition that something bad really is happening, and this in turn deepens the panic. A vicious vicious cycle.
By the way, caffeine is totally a drug.
Since I've dealt with this before I knew that I should go to where people were and just chill out. So I went downstairs and flipped through the Japan Times and sort of waited for the feeling of panic to go away. I have a couple tools my therapist taught me, such as saying a cue word and a technique where you tap pressure points to reduce the anxiety. I did these, and then decided I should go for a walk.
I figured I would go buy some slippers, something I have been meaning to do for a while now. So I headed down the street to Jasco, the big department store. But as I walked, I felt worse and worse, more and more anxious. My left arm started feeling numb [I had been carrying a heavy bag all day on that shoulder], and my left ear started to feel like it needed to pop [I have TMJ and it sometimes makes my ears feel weird]. I just kept getting more and more concerned that something was physically wrong with me. Then I got this weird disconnected feeling, and decided I really needed to turn around and maybe, if I didn’t feel OK when I got back to the dorm, seek some help.
On the way home (I had walked about half a mile)I spotted a little hair salon. No one was inside except the two people who worked there. I have been needing a haircut, and suddenly I realized that probably all I needed in the way of help was some TLC. So I went in.
At first the two people inside, a younger man and a woman in maybe her mid-40’s (they could have been mother and son) were worried because between the three of us there was very little in the way of common language. The hairdresser had no English; the younger man had a bit, and I have a bit of Japanese. I assured them it was OK, and proceeded to kind of mime what I wanted done: cut the back short, leave the top longer, take up the sides and make the bangs spiky. Then I had to go to the ATM and get some more cash, so I left for about 10 min. when I got back, the hairdresser had found a picture that looked very similar to what I wanted. I was satisfied she knew what I wanted and we got started.
I had never had a haircut here in Japan before, but I had heard from Steve (Fesmire, the GMC professor doing a Fulbright in Kyoto this semester) that at his barber they always give him a neck pounding before they cut his hair. I didn’t know what to expect at a women’s salon, but I figured they would do something along the same lines. I think women get the better deal.
When you sit down on the chair, the shampoo person (in my case the young man) first puts a blanket on your lap and wraps a towel and one of those plastic bib things over your neck and shoulders. Second, the chair automatically reclines into a perfect position, lifting up your feet as well. So much nicer than American salon chairs. Then, he puts this very light, sweet smelling towel over your face--I think to block out light and allow you to feel comfortable with whatever your face needs to do while you are getting shampooed. Finally the young man washes your hair. FOR HALF AN HOUR. He did a whole scalp and jaw rub thing that was really awesome. It was really just what I needed.
After doing two rounds of shampoo and a conditioner, the young man led me over to the haircutting station. Then THE HAIRDRESSER gave me a massage! She did my neck and shoulders, and did the pounding thing on the neck/shoulder area that Steve described (it felt good). Then she gave me a cool magazine to look at and got going on the haircut.
We had decided on a cute pixie razor cut. I have had razor cuts before, and I always find them slightly uncomfortable; you feel this tugging on your hair from the razor that doesn’t feel exactly nice. I don’t know what kind of razor this lady used, but it must have been extra high quality or something. I didn’t feel a thing. She took a lot of time with the hair, shaking it around and seeing how it falls, which way it wants to go. It was really fascinating. She worked quietly, letting me read my magazine. Most hairdressers want to chat you up--although in this case, with the language barrier that would have been hard. I’ll be interested to know if it’s usual to just sit and read while the hairdresser does her thing. I think I prefer it to the conversation at American salons.
She cut the hair for a little while, and then asked me if I wanted the bangs shorter. Between the two of us the young man and I communicated that it was up to her. She seemed pleased by this, and proceeded to cut with more surety. She took off maybe another half inch, and showed me in the mirror what it looked like. I was happy, and then they took me back over to the sink! To rinse out the pieces of hair! This amazed me. I think this practice should be adopted by my local salon. Every time I get my hair cut I end up with hair all over the place until I wash it next. Rinsing it out before the blow out makes so much sense.
So the rinse happens, and the kid is doing the scalp thing again! By this time I’m thinking I'm so relaxed, if I have a stroke and die I won’t notice.
So, rinsed, I go back over to the chair, and the hairdresser examines her work. And she starts trimming and fixing and fussing--totally trying to get it exactly right. Finally she’s satisfied and gets out the hair dryer. And her assistant comes over and gets out a hair dryer too! They both stand there blow drying my hair, paying attention to how it is falling, smoothing out details, giving my temples a little rub here and there. If you think one hair dryer is nice, try two someday. Unbelievable.
When the hair is dry, the hairdresser takes over one last time and starts styling the hair, using a little gel and some hairspray. As she’s working she pauses every so often to trim an end or use the razor on a little piece she’s not liking. The attention to detail was really impressive. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised. All the service type stuff here is performed with an air that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s like people are very proud of their skills and what they have to offer, and you can tell. But then, simultaneously, they behave in a way that lets you know they are honored to serve you.
At first I was thinking that 5000 yen for a haircut was pricey--it’s about $48 US. But when you think about it, I got my hair washed three times, cut three times, and a head and neck massage. Plus, I no longer felt like my expiration was imminent. I feel like I got a really good deal.
And then--just when I thought it couldn’t get any better--the hairdresser GIVES ME FLOWERS! I’m telling you, I was blown away. Plus I really like the haircut!
After I paid, I retrieved my earrings from the little tray where they had been resting, and the hairdresser and the assistant kind of watched me put them back on. They nodded their approval with the total effect. On my way out the young man said, in English, “you look very pretty”, opened the door for me, and got my umbrella out of the stand and popped it open for me. They both saw me out the door, thanking me and bowing. I thanked them and bowed. Needless to say, I am going back as soon as I have the slightest bit of regrowth.
Also I am now officially never ever going to drink bottle coffee again. Tonight is our hall meeting and I’ll give the coffee away. Actually, that may be unethical. Maybe I should pour it down the drain. Man alive, how was I drinking four cups of coffee a day before?? Maybe a permanent switch to tea is in order, for real this time.
Pictures are up and to the left. Get your hair cut in Japan sometime. It rules.
Talk about a day of extremes. The weather is warm and sticky, and right now it is raining (about 7 p.m.). Yesterday one of my professors rescheduled a class, and so I ended up having to get up a little earlier than usual. This morning I woke up feeling tired, as I often do when the barometer is falling. So I didn’t have breakfast (never advisable) and I had a coffee on the way to school. Then I went to lunch, and I had another coffee, and then went to Japanese class.
Today we got the feedback on our oral interview part of the midterm exam. They had recorded the interview, and my comprehension is way low. It took me forever to answer each time the professor asked a question. She repeatedly had to explain what she was asking, and then in my answers I was using the wrong particles and conjugations, and couldn’t remember vocabulary. So I didn’t feel like I had done very well on that.
When I got out of class I was feeling kind of depressed, and felt like I had a lot of homework to do, so I went to my room and had some iced coffee. I had bought this new kind of “bottle coffee”, the Valor brand, and some milk so I could mix up my own iced coffee at home. The two were about the same price as three small cans of premade iced coffee would be, and I was getting maybe six times as much for the price.
I have not been drinking too much coffee or tea during my stay, so that’s one thing. But I don’t know--I think this “bottle coffee” is super caffeinated or something, because I seriously freaked out. About half an hour after drinking my drink, I started feeling queasy and kind of panicked.
It’s hard to explain, but whenever I start having anxiety like that I feel like I’m going to have a seizure or a stroke or something and die. This fear is not completely irrational; I have had seizures before, but under really specific circumstances. I think it’s just something my little panic monster likes to grab onto and wave around. The monster then passes off the resulting fear as intuition that something bad really is happening, and this in turn deepens the panic. A vicious vicious cycle.
By the way, caffeine is totally a drug.
Since I've dealt with this before I knew that I should go to where people were and just chill out. So I went downstairs and flipped through the Japan Times and sort of waited for the feeling of panic to go away. I have a couple tools my therapist taught me, such as saying a cue word and a technique where you tap pressure points to reduce the anxiety. I did these, and then decided I should go for a walk.
I figured I would go buy some slippers, something I have been meaning to do for a while now. So I headed down the street to Jasco, the big department store. But as I walked, I felt worse and worse, more and more anxious. My left arm started feeling numb [I had been carrying a heavy bag all day on that shoulder], and my left ear started to feel like it needed to pop [I have TMJ and it sometimes makes my ears feel weird]. I just kept getting more and more concerned that something was physically wrong with me. Then I got this weird disconnected feeling, and decided I really needed to turn around and maybe, if I didn’t feel OK when I got back to the dorm, seek some help.
On the way home (I had walked about half a mile)I spotted a little hair salon. No one was inside except the two people who worked there. I have been needing a haircut, and suddenly I realized that probably all I needed in the way of help was some TLC. So I went in.
At first the two people inside, a younger man and a woman in maybe her mid-40’s (they could have been mother and son) were worried because between the three of us there was very little in the way of common language. The hairdresser had no English; the younger man had a bit, and I have a bit of Japanese. I assured them it was OK, and proceeded to kind of mime what I wanted done: cut the back short, leave the top longer, take up the sides and make the bangs spiky. Then I had to go to the ATM and get some more cash, so I left for about 10 min. when I got back, the hairdresser had found a picture that looked very similar to what I wanted. I was satisfied she knew what I wanted and we got started.
I had never had a haircut here in Japan before, but I had heard from Steve (Fesmire, the GMC professor doing a Fulbright in Kyoto this semester) that at his barber they always give him a neck pounding before they cut his hair. I didn’t know what to expect at a women’s salon, but I figured they would do something along the same lines. I think women get the better deal.
When you sit down on the chair, the shampoo person (in my case the young man) first puts a blanket on your lap and wraps a towel and one of those plastic bib things over your neck and shoulders. Second, the chair automatically reclines into a perfect position, lifting up your feet as well. So much nicer than American salon chairs. Then, he puts this very light, sweet smelling towel over your face--I think to block out light and allow you to feel comfortable with whatever your face needs to do while you are getting shampooed. Finally the young man washes your hair. FOR HALF AN HOUR. He did a whole scalp and jaw rub thing that was really awesome. It was really just what I needed.
After doing two rounds of shampoo and a conditioner, the young man led me over to the haircutting station. Then THE HAIRDRESSER gave me a massage! She did my neck and shoulders, and did the pounding thing on the neck/shoulder area that Steve described (it felt good). Then she gave me a cool magazine to look at and got going on the haircut.
We had decided on a cute pixie razor cut. I have had razor cuts before, and I always find them slightly uncomfortable; you feel this tugging on your hair from the razor that doesn’t feel exactly nice. I don’t know what kind of razor this lady used, but it must have been extra high quality or something. I didn’t feel a thing. She took a lot of time with the hair, shaking it around and seeing how it falls, which way it wants to go. It was really fascinating. She worked quietly, letting me read my magazine. Most hairdressers want to chat you up--although in this case, with the language barrier that would have been hard. I’ll be interested to know if it’s usual to just sit and read while the hairdresser does her thing. I think I prefer it to the conversation at American salons.
She cut the hair for a little while, and then asked me if I wanted the bangs shorter. Between the two of us the young man and I communicated that it was up to her. She seemed pleased by this, and proceeded to cut with more surety. She took off maybe another half inch, and showed me in the mirror what it looked like. I was happy, and then they took me back over to the sink! To rinse out the pieces of hair! This amazed me. I think this practice should be adopted by my local salon. Every time I get my hair cut I end up with hair all over the place until I wash it next. Rinsing it out before the blow out makes so much sense.
So the rinse happens, and the kid is doing the scalp thing again! By this time I’m thinking I'm so relaxed, if I have a stroke and die I won’t notice.
So, rinsed, I go back over to the chair, and the hairdresser examines her work. And she starts trimming and fixing and fussing--totally trying to get it exactly right. Finally she’s satisfied and gets out the hair dryer. And her assistant comes over and gets out a hair dryer too! They both stand there blow drying my hair, paying attention to how it is falling, smoothing out details, giving my temples a little rub here and there. If you think one hair dryer is nice, try two someday. Unbelievable.
When the hair is dry, the hairdresser takes over one last time and starts styling the hair, using a little gel and some hairspray. As she’s working she pauses every so often to trim an end or use the razor on a little piece she’s not liking. The attention to detail was really impressive. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised. All the service type stuff here is performed with an air that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s like people are very proud of their skills and what they have to offer, and you can tell. But then, simultaneously, they behave in a way that lets you know they are honored to serve you.
At first I was thinking that 5000 yen for a haircut was pricey--it’s about $48 US. But when you think about it, I got my hair washed three times, cut three times, and a head and neck massage. Plus, I no longer felt like my expiration was imminent. I feel like I got a really good deal.
And then--just when I thought it couldn’t get any better--the hairdresser GIVES ME FLOWERS! I’m telling you, I was blown away. Plus I really like the haircut!
After I paid, I retrieved my earrings from the little tray where they had been resting, and the hairdresser and the assistant kind of watched me put them back on. They nodded their approval with the total effect. On my way out the young man said, in English, “you look very pretty”, opened the door for me, and got my umbrella out of the stand and popped it open for me. They both saw me out the door, thanking me and bowing. I thanked them and bowed. Needless to say, I am going back as soon as I have the slightest bit of regrowth.
Also I am now officially never ever going to drink bottle coffee again. Tonight is our hall meeting and I’ll give the coffee away. Actually, that may be unethical. Maybe I should pour it down the drain. Man alive, how was I drinking four cups of coffee a day before?? Maybe a permanent switch to tea is in order, for real this time.
Pictures are up and to the left. Get your hair cut in Japan sometime. It rules.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
John Rawls' Doctrine of Public Reason
Hi again!
So soon? Yeah! I wanted to post some pictures of my bike (see the very bottom of the page) and share with you what I learned today about Rawls' Doctrine of Public Reason. The following text is a short summary of the doctrine. I wrote it from the Rawls section of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, which is quickly becoming my favorite online resource for philosophy stuffs.
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Rawls’ doctrine of public reason can be summarized as follows:
Citizens engaged in certain political activities have a duty of civility to be able to justify their decisions on fundamental political issues by reference only to public values and public standards (Wenar, 2008).
What does this mean? The terms “certain political activities”, “duty of civility”, “fundamental political issues” and “public values/public standards” are the terms that need to be clarified in order to understand what Rawls’ doctrine asks of society.
Certain political activities
These include voting and serving in any elected or appointed office in government. Wenar, 2008)
Duty of civility
“Citizens have a moral duty of mutual respect and civic friendship not to justify political decisions on fundamental issues with partisan values or controversial standards of reasoning that could not be publicly redeemed” (Wenar, 2008). “Publicly redeemed” means justified with reasoning that stems not from religious, partisan or other beliefs, but only by means of “publicly acceptable standards are those that rely on common sense, on facts generally known, and on the conclusions of science that are well established and not controversial” (Wenar, 2008).
Fundamental political issues
These are restricted to questions of justice that affect all citizens. Rawls calls these “constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice”. For example, the question of who should be granted suffrage is a fundamental political issue (Wenar, 2008).
Public values
In order for Rawls’ doctrine to hold any sway, the public must come from a basic central common ground, or agreed-upon public values. These can be understood as a “political conception of justice...related to the freedom and equality of citizens and the fairness of ongoing social cooperation” (Wenar, 2008).
Public standards
“Public standards are principles of reasoning and rules of evidence that all citizens could reasonably endorse” (Wenar, 2008).
Source:
Wenar, Leif, "John Rawls", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/rawls/.
So soon? Yeah! I wanted to post some pictures of my bike (see the very bottom of the page) and share with you what I learned today about Rawls' Doctrine of Public Reason. The following text is a short summary of the doctrine. I wrote it from the Rawls section of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, which is quickly becoming my favorite online resource for philosophy stuffs.
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Rawls’ doctrine of public reason can be summarized as follows:
Citizens engaged in certain political activities have a duty of civility to be able to justify their decisions on fundamental political issues by reference only to public values and public standards (Wenar, 2008).
What does this mean? The terms “certain political activities”, “duty of civility”, “fundamental political issues” and “public values/public standards” are the terms that need to be clarified in order to understand what Rawls’ doctrine asks of society.
Certain political activities
These include voting and serving in any elected or appointed office in government. Wenar, 2008)
Duty of civility
“Citizens have a moral duty of mutual respect and civic friendship not to justify political decisions on fundamental issues with partisan values or controversial standards of reasoning that could not be publicly redeemed” (Wenar, 2008). “Publicly redeemed” means justified with reasoning that stems not from religious, partisan or other beliefs, but only by means of “publicly acceptable standards are those that rely on common sense, on facts generally known, and on the conclusions of science that are well established and not controversial” (Wenar, 2008).
Fundamental political issues
These are restricted to questions of justice that affect all citizens. Rawls calls these “constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice”. For example, the question of who should be granted suffrage is a fundamental political issue (Wenar, 2008).
Public values
In order for Rawls’ doctrine to hold any sway, the public must come from a basic central common ground, or agreed-upon public values. These can be understood as a “political conception of justice...related to the freedom and equality of citizens and the fairness of ongoing social cooperation” (Wenar, 2008).
Public standards
“Public standards are principles of reasoning and rules of evidence that all citizens could reasonably endorse” (Wenar, 2008).
Source:
Wenar, Leif, "John Rawls", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/rawls/.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
June???
8 June 2009
Well, another insane length of time has passed since my last entry. I have been putting in a lot of time studying for my Japanese midterm, for which I got a 66.5%. I think it’s the worst grade I’ve ever gotten on a test, including high school. I am really bummed about it, but it was a passing grade, so yay, I guess. It’s hard to think about putting in more time on other things when I am just barely passing Japanese, and the grade is going to affect my GPA at home. But I do need to devote some more time to my independent study project and my other 3 classes now that the semester is in full swing.
I did go to Kyoto last weekend, and got to do some Roketsuzome fiber art. They had a whole little operation set up, with dozens of designs you can choose from. You pick a design (I did bamboo) and then you put a piece of white fabric over the design. The desk is backlit so you can trace the design with hot liquid wax using a long haired brush. The wax cools and then the fabric is dyed dark blue, and the wax blocks the dye, making your design show up. It was really fun. I will try to post pictures. I made a pillow cover.
Also fun (but too brief) was my visit with Sam, Kazue and all the GMC students on the trip with them. They are in Tokyo right now, winding down their trip. I think they leave early this coming week.
I got a bike! I’ve been riding it for about a week now, it’s so convenient. I have stopped spending money on subway fare, so I think the 7,500 yen (about $72) was a good investment. I had been spending about $10 a week on subways, just going around town. Now I bike everywhere.
As a result I have noticed that when I walk anywhere, especially uphill or up stairs, the effort I have to exert is minimal. The bike is only one speed, so any kind of incline gets my heart rate up. It’s ideal training. I estimate that so far on this trip I have lost 35 lbs (the scales here are in kg and are kind of clunky old gym scales), and am hoping to lose another 15 by the time I leave in late August. I have started doing crunches, weights, stretching and modified push-ups every day in my room, along with eating very little bad stuff. (Although whenever I do I film it for your entertainment!) I’m really getting hopeful that when I get home I will be able to keep up with a similar regimen and keep off the weight/maybe lose even more! If I could lose a total of 75 I think I would be in a healthy range.
Well that’s it for now. I have been doing a lot of housekeeping/laundry/organizing today and need to get some homework time in before I bed down. I promise to write again sooner rather than later this time!
Well, another insane length of time has passed since my last entry. I have been putting in a lot of time studying for my Japanese midterm, for which I got a 66.5%. I think it’s the worst grade I’ve ever gotten on a test, including high school. I am really bummed about it, but it was a passing grade, so yay, I guess. It’s hard to think about putting in more time on other things when I am just barely passing Japanese, and the grade is going to affect my GPA at home. But I do need to devote some more time to my independent study project and my other 3 classes now that the semester is in full swing.
I did go to Kyoto last weekend, and got to do some Roketsuzome fiber art. They had a whole little operation set up, with dozens of designs you can choose from. You pick a design (I did bamboo) and then you put a piece of white fabric over the design. The desk is backlit so you can trace the design with hot liquid wax using a long haired brush. The wax cools and then the fabric is dyed dark blue, and the wax blocks the dye, making your design show up. It was really fun. I will try to post pictures. I made a pillow cover.
Also fun (but too brief) was my visit with Sam, Kazue and all the GMC students on the trip with them. They are in Tokyo right now, winding down their trip. I think they leave early this coming week.
I got a bike! I’ve been riding it for about a week now, it’s so convenient. I have stopped spending money on subway fare, so I think the 7,500 yen (about $72) was a good investment. I had been spending about $10 a week on subways, just going around town. Now I bike everywhere.
As a result I have noticed that when I walk anywhere, especially uphill or up stairs, the effort I have to exert is minimal. The bike is only one speed, so any kind of incline gets my heart rate up. It’s ideal training. I estimate that so far on this trip I have lost 35 lbs (the scales here are in kg and are kind of clunky old gym scales), and am hoping to lose another 15 by the time I leave in late August. I have started doing crunches, weights, stretching and modified push-ups every day in my room, along with eating very little bad stuff. (Although whenever I do I film it for your entertainment!) I’m really getting hopeful that when I get home I will be able to keep up with a similar regimen and keep off the weight/maybe lose even more! If I could lose a total of 75 I think I would be in a healthy range.
Well that’s it for now. I have been doing a lot of housekeeping/laundry/organizing today and need to get some homework time in before I bed down. I promise to write again sooner rather than later this time!
CULTURE SHOCK
18 May 2009
I went through period of fairly extreme homesickness/culture shock, where I did not want to go anywhere or do anything for like 2 weeks. I used my time fairly wisely, though: I knitted half a shrug and watched 3 seasons of Dexter. And studied. Spending Golden Week with Heather and Steve snapped me out of it, though, and barring an isolated incident the other day when I started crying in Morigiwa-sensei’s office I have been doing fairly well. I just miss everyone back home so much, and I am embarrassed and sort of ashamed that I don’t speak better Japanese.
It has been way too long since I last wrote. I am in the common room downstairs, hanging out with a bunch of people playing PSP and yelling at their little screens. It’s kind of funny. I can’t believe it’s already May 18--I have been here about 6 weeks or so. In 2 weeks I have midterm exams in Japanese language class, and I need to start really studying and practice talking more. My biggest problem is coming up with vocabulary on the fly. I know in my mind that we have been studying stuff like how to say “This ice cream is delicious. Won’t you eat some?” but I can’t quite fish out the Japanese words for these concepts.
I also have a topic for my independent study now, so that is a big relief. As I told my professor, I feel a renewed sense of purpose now that I know what my 4 credit independent study will be! And I have been putting in an hour a day doing practice LSAT problems. And trying to make sure I do some kind of upper body exercise every day. Actually I should make an hour by hour type schedule so I can prove to myself that all this stuff can be accomplished!
Overall though things are going pretty well. I think I am going to Hiroshima and Kyoto in the next couple of weeks. That will be a good cultural experience. Pretty soon May will be over and then June will arrive, along with the rainy season. One other project I have this summer is to learn the Thriller moves for the Halloween parade, and I have been thinking I want to get some people down here in the common room learning it. It may help me make sure I practice!
I went through period of fairly extreme homesickness/culture shock, where I did not want to go anywhere or do anything for like 2 weeks. I used my time fairly wisely, though: I knitted half a shrug and watched 3 seasons of Dexter. And studied. Spending Golden Week with Heather and Steve snapped me out of it, though, and barring an isolated incident the other day when I started crying in Morigiwa-sensei’s office I have been doing fairly well. I just miss everyone back home so much, and I am embarrassed and sort of ashamed that I don’t speak better Japanese.
It has been way too long since I last wrote. I am in the common room downstairs, hanging out with a bunch of people playing PSP and yelling at their little screens. It’s kind of funny. I can’t believe it’s already May 18--I have been here about 6 weeks or so. In 2 weeks I have midterm exams in Japanese language class, and I need to start really studying and practice talking more. My biggest problem is coming up with vocabulary on the fly. I know in my mind that we have been studying stuff like how to say “This ice cream is delicious. Won’t you eat some?” but I can’t quite fish out the Japanese words for these concepts.
I also have a topic for my independent study now, so that is a big relief. As I told my professor, I feel a renewed sense of purpose now that I know what my 4 credit independent study will be! And I have been putting in an hour a day doing practice LSAT problems. And trying to make sure I do some kind of upper body exercise every day. Actually I should make an hour by hour type schedule so I can prove to myself that all this stuff can be accomplished!
Overall though things are going pretty well. I think I am going to Hiroshima and Kyoto in the next couple of weeks. That will be a good cultural experience. Pretty soon May will be over and then June will arrive, along with the rainy season. One other project I have this summer is to learn the Thriller moves for the Halloween parade, and I have been thinking I want to get some people down here in the common room learning it. It may help me make sure I practice!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Hey all!
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I have been studying hard and aside from a trip to Kyoto during Golden Week (everyone but transportation/restaurant/shop people get paid vacations, and kids are out of school) I have been doing pretty much the same thing every day. My friend Regina asked about my days, and I realized I had never really spelled it out before so I copied and pasted my answer below:
My days are mostly like this:
Get up around 8:00 and make breakfast/drink coffee. Then I review Japanese language homework for a couple of hours.
If I have laundry or something, I do that too.
Japanese class is at 1:00, so I usually have a quick snack before I leave. Then I walk about 10 min. to campus, and have class for 1 1/2 hours. Japanese class meets once a day; my other classes are mostly on Tuesday and Friday, in the afternoon. Thursdays after Japanese I have a tutor.
After classes I get home and catch up on email before starting homework. I'm taking three law courses and doing an independent study in addition to the Japanese class. So I usually have at least 2-3 hours of homework, sometimes more. Somewhere in there I break for dinner.
I've started doing more yoga and weight lifting too, in addition to the walking I've been doing I have been able to drop some weight. So that's a newer aspect of my routine. :)
After homework and yoga I either go to bed or knit while I watch a movie or TV show online, depending on how I am feeling. Other times I call Dave or my mom and chat for a bit.
As I'm writing this I realize I need to start dedicating myself to practicing for the LSAT too! I take the test (entry test for law school) about a month after I get back home.
On the weekends I catch up on homework, clean my room, go to a shrine or temple or do something else that's kind of touristy. I usually end up doing a bit more lazing around than I probably should. It's really kind of a solitary life, most people are a lot younger than I am, and so I don't socialize a whole lot. I'm getting to old to stay out all night partying!
But really, it's been good for me. All this time to myself has made me have to address some bad habits and deal with/conquer some culture shock/homesickness/depression on my own. I am having to hold myself more accountable for how I spend my time, because so much of it is unstructured.
My classes are in constitutional law, international law, and there is one called "Gender and Development", which is less of a law course and more of a sociology/international studies course. It examines the status of the genders in developing countries and looks at United Nations and World Bank policies that are attempting to change how the genders are treated in developing countries. I find myself often asking, "is this ethical?" when we learn about various requirements different countries have to fulfill in order to receive aid or loans.
My independent study is on (of all things) the Salem witch trials. I wanted to do something about gender and law, and this is what came out. I chose it mostly because there is a lot of scholarly research stuff online--there are not a lot of English books in our library, so a lot of the reading has to be online.
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I have been studying hard and aside from a trip to Kyoto during Golden Week (everyone but transportation/restaurant/shop people get paid vacations, and kids are out of school) I have been doing pretty much the same thing every day. My friend Regina asked about my days, and I realized I had never really spelled it out before so I copied and pasted my answer below:
My days are mostly like this:
Get up around 8:00 and make breakfast/drink coffee. Then I review Japanese language homework for a couple of hours.
If I have laundry or something, I do that too.
Japanese class is at 1:00, so I usually have a quick snack before I leave. Then I walk about 10 min. to campus, and have class for 1 1/2 hours. Japanese class meets once a day; my other classes are mostly on Tuesday and Friday, in the afternoon. Thursdays after Japanese I have a tutor.
After classes I get home and catch up on email before starting homework. I'm taking three law courses and doing an independent study in addition to the Japanese class. So I usually have at least 2-3 hours of homework, sometimes more. Somewhere in there I break for dinner.
I've started doing more yoga and weight lifting too, in addition to the walking I've been doing I have been able to drop some weight. So that's a newer aspect of my routine. :)
After homework and yoga I either go to bed or knit while I watch a movie or TV show online, depending on how I am feeling. Other times I call Dave or my mom and chat for a bit.
As I'm writing this I realize I need to start dedicating myself to practicing for the LSAT too! I take the test (entry test for law school) about a month after I get back home.
On the weekends I catch up on homework, clean my room, go to a shrine or temple or do something else that's kind of touristy. I usually end up doing a bit more lazing around than I probably should. It's really kind of a solitary life, most people are a lot younger than I am, and so I don't socialize a whole lot. I'm getting to old to stay out all night partying!
But really, it's been good for me. All this time to myself has made me have to address some bad habits and deal with/conquer some culture shock/homesickness/depression on my own. I am having to hold myself more accountable for how I spend my time, because so much of it is unstructured.
My classes are in constitutional law, international law, and there is one called "Gender and Development", which is less of a law course and more of a sociology/international studies course. It examines the status of the genders in developing countries and looks at United Nations and World Bank policies that are attempting to change how the genders are treated in developing countries. I find myself often asking, "is this ethical?" when we learn about various requirements different countries have to fulfill in order to receive aid or loans.
My independent study is on (of all things) the Salem witch trials. I wanted to do something about gender and law, and this is what came out. I chose it mostly because there is a lot of scholarly research stuff online--there are not a lot of English books in our library, so a lot of the reading has to be online.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Kyoto
15 April 2009
It’s Wednesday, the middle of the week. So far I have attended three Japanese language classes, International Law, and Gender and Development. The rest of my schedule is somewhat up in the air until I can talk to my academic advisor, Morigiwa-sensei.
I have been spending A LOT of time drilling on Hiragana! There are 106 characters, and we had to learn them all in two days. According to Sam, this is not even as intense as it could be...but still! I learned the first thirty fairly solidly, but I need to keep working on the last 73. What makes it harder is that we are learning to recognize and say them while at the same time learning to write them. I have been mostly practicing the writing part, since that is what we are quizzed on. When the professor holds up cards and asks us to read them, however, I have a hard time.
For some reason, even though I knew I would have to learn to read, I didn’t picture having to do so much work to do it. Silly? Yes. I have been spending a lot of time just doing lines--copying out the characters over and over again, trying to cram it into my brain.
The weird part is that, okay, I know the characters and I can say the sound that each one is assigned to--so I can read out loud--but I don’t know what the word means yet! I just have to have faith that this is going to work, and I will be able to learn to speak and read at at least a 4 year old level, so I can at least be polite and say certain things.
The upside of all this is that I have been walking a lot, and have lost a couple inches already. I know because the pants that Jen fitted for me before I left are too loose now! I’m going to try washing them in hot water and see if they will shrink a bit. I’m counting on losing some poundage while I’m here, to give me a head start so I can just get the extra off.
Last weekend I went to Kyoto to visit Heather, Steve and Jamie. Heather’s parents, Connie and Ken, were still there so I got to meet them too. We went to Daigoji Temple and caught the last bit of the cherry blossoms.
It was a hot day (it has since cooled off considerably, after a rain yesterday). We crossed town on the subway (Jamie was tired and didn’t like the noises the train made) and got on a special bus that took us to the temple. Most notably, the temple is home to Japan’s oldest five-story pagoda, built in the 900’s. They were having a festival, where people were dressed up in period dress (I think 1600’s) and reenacting a visit from the shogun, complete with his entertainment. The cutest were the little cherry blossom hat-wearing girls, who did a little dance in a circle around an umbrella decorated with cherry blossoms.
I also took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to and from Kyoto. Talk about fast! But you can’t even feel it. It only took about 40 minutes to get from Nagoya to Kyoto. To put it in perspective, it takes about 30 minutes on the train to get from the Nagoya airport to the subway connection to my building.
The problem with the fast train is that it is expensive to ride--about $100 round trip--but I wanted to do it once, for the experience. I doubt that on future visits I will be taking such a luxurious ride...the JR train goes too, and it’s about half as expensive. It just takes three times as long! Shouldn’t it be a third as expensive, then? Hm.
So basically I’m settling in fairly well, missing my peeps, but enjoying the beautiful weather and learning new things. I hope to finalize my classes by Friday and settle into some kind of routine. I can’t believe I’ve only been here a week and a half. It seems like a lot longer!
It’s Wednesday, the middle of the week. So far I have attended three Japanese language classes, International Law, and Gender and Development. The rest of my schedule is somewhat up in the air until I can talk to my academic advisor, Morigiwa-sensei.
I have been spending A LOT of time drilling on Hiragana! There are 106 characters, and we had to learn them all in two days. According to Sam, this is not even as intense as it could be...but still! I learned the first thirty fairly solidly, but I need to keep working on the last 73. What makes it harder is that we are learning to recognize and say them while at the same time learning to write them. I have been mostly practicing the writing part, since that is what we are quizzed on. When the professor holds up cards and asks us to read them, however, I have a hard time.
For some reason, even though I knew I would have to learn to read, I didn’t picture having to do so much work to do it. Silly? Yes. I have been spending a lot of time just doing lines--copying out the characters over and over again, trying to cram it into my brain.
The weird part is that, okay, I know the characters and I can say the sound that each one is assigned to--so I can read out loud--but I don’t know what the word means yet! I just have to have faith that this is going to work, and I will be able to learn to speak and read at at least a 4 year old level, so I can at least be polite and say certain things.
The upside of all this is that I have been walking a lot, and have lost a couple inches already. I know because the pants that Jen fitted for me before I left are too loose now! I’m going to try washing them in hot water and see if they will shrink a bit. I’m counting on losing some poundage while I’m here, to give me a head start so I can just get the extra off.
Last weekend I went to Kyoto to visit Heather, Steve and Jamie. Heather’s parents, Connie and Ken, were still there so I got to meet them too. We went to Daigoji Temple and caught the last bit of the cherry blossoms.
It was a hot day (it has since cooled off considerably, after a rain yesterday). We crossed town on the subway (Jamie was tired and didn’t like the noises the train made) and got on a special bus that took us to the temple. Most notably, the temple is home to Japan’s oldest five-story pagoda, built in the 900’s. They were having a festival, where people were dressed up in period dress (I think 1600’s) and reenacting a visit from the shogun, complete with his entertainment. The cutest were the little cherry blossom hat-wearing girls, who did a little dance in a circle around an umbrella decorated with cherry blossoms.
I also took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to and from Kyoto. Talk about fast! But you can’t even feel it. It only took about 40 minutes to get from Nagoya to Kyoto. To put it in perspective, it takes about 30 minutes on the train to get from the Nagoya airport to the subway connection to my building.
The problem with the fast train is that it is expensive to ride--about $100 round trip--but I wanted to do it once, for the experience. I doubt that on future visits I will be taking such a luxurious ride...the JR train goes too, and it’s about half as expensive. It just takes three times as long! Shouldn’t it be a third as expensive, then? Hm.
So basically I’m settling in fairly well, missing my peeps, but enjoying the beautiful weather and learning new things. I hope to finalize my classes by Friday and settle into some kind of routine. I can’t believe I’ve only been here a week and a half. It seems like a lot longer!
Personal Responsibility and the Presentation
10 April 2009
I have some kind of illness coming on. An illness where only my right nostril is leaking--can’t quite blow it, but it’s stuffy--and I have itchy eyes. It occurs to me that it could just be pollen--FOREIGN POLLEN. Only I am the foreign body in this environment.
So tonight I took a soak in the tub, trying to get the swelling in my ankles to subside. I don’t know if the swelling is from all the walking or if I’m retaining water or what. Actually I remember my ankles swelling when I have flown before, I wonder if that has something to do with it.
Today we had an academic orientation, and registered with our respective schools. Then we paid the co-op fee. Then I went online and arranged a time to meet with Heather and Stephen. I’m going to Kyoto on Sunday to visit with them and go to a temple, where there will be a procession of people in traditional dress. Judging from the weather this week, it should be a beautiful day. I also emailed Mom and Amanda. I haven’t heard back from Dave. His email provider changed recently, so I wonder if he even got my email. I have to get a calling card tomorrow so I can call my honey!
After being online for a while I had to go to ANOTHER orientation, this one for the dorm. I am going to be so glad when the semester is underway and these endless orientations are over. I’m beginning to notice a pattern with respect to their content.
You check in with someone whose job it is to mark you present. You get a big stack of papers, mostly in English, some in kanji, and you sit down in a chair. Most people get there on time, and the presenters (of which there seems to be an unnecessary number) wait nervously/somewhat impatiently, not wanting to start until all the attendees have been accounted for. Finally someone decides to begin, about five minutes late, and then they turn on the microphones. These are invariably wireless, and through them the presenters welcome you and thank you for coming to their (mandatory) orientation.
The presenters are introduced both in English and Japanese, and the number of words needed to say anything in Japanese seems to be A LOT BIGGER than the number of words needed to say (presumably) the same thing in English. From there the ENTIRE PRESENTATION consists of the presenters either reading to you from the big stack of papers they gave you to keep, or verbally informing you of VERY IMPORTANT PROCEDURAL INFORMATION that somehow did not make the cut when they were deciding the content of the big stack of papers. For instance, take the Co-op membership. There was a whole stack of information about it, and nowhere in the information did it say that we were REQUIRED to join the co-op. They even had a co-op member come and talk about why she encouraged us to join. After she spoke, Claudia took the mic and told us verbally that membership was mandatory so that we could get the personal liability insurance through the Co-op. Okay, fine. Why, then, not WRITE THAT FACT in the big stack of information, and why have someone talk for ten minutes about why we should join? We HAVE TO. Just give me the damn form and I’ll fill it out, and I will put the date as “year/month/day” and my name “surname/given/middle”.
On the other hand, in the U.S., even at school, we are given information in writing and no one calls a meeting with microphones and attendance to read it to us. We are given the information, and the first subject covered in the information is that it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to read and understand the information. If we do not understand, it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to ask for help in going over the information or having it explained to us. More and more often, we are asked to sign a statement saying that we have read and understood the information and have been given an opportunity to ask questions. Most people do this BEFORE they read the information, if they ever read it at all. Furthermore, people who actually sit there and read it before signing are treated by the info giver as though they are freaks, losers, or slow. The info giver looks put out if the person won’t sign the form stating s/he has read the information before s/he reads the information. God forbid you have any questions--the info giver usually can’t answer them. They have to check. The underlying message: just sign the form.
The message from the U.S. approach is clear: My job is to get you to sign this form, and then file it away to present as evidence should you try to say you didn’t know the rules when you mess up and violate some rule that’s in this information. Just sign it, and we’ll all be happy. Oh, by the way, even if you don’t read it or understand it, it’s still your responsibility to abide by it. If you don’t, you can’t say it’s my fault because I have this piece of paper that YOU SIGNED that says you do understand. If you read it but don’t understand, I don’ t have time to explain it to you, dumbass. Just sign the form.
The Japanese approach, while tedious, is actually more friendly, not to mention effiective: My job is to make sure you receive this information and, if you have questions about it, to answer them. In fact, I hope you have questions because I spent a lot of time and energy learning how these procedures work and how to help people follow them properly. We know you were at this meeting because we took attendance. We know you got the information in two ways: in writing and by us reading it to you. You got to see everyone responsible for various areas related to this information, because here they are, and we introduced them to you. We know you heard us because we used a microphone. We gave you ample opportunity to ask questions about the information presented. We invited you to ask if any questions arise after the meeting, when you are using the information presented here today. Our contact information and maps to our offices are included in your packet. We’re not going to say it out loud, but if you don’t understand this information and don’t ask questions, and then you don’t abide by the information, it’s your own fault.
All of this raises interesting questions about ethics of personal responsibility and how different cultures approach it. But right now, thanks to all the information, I am fading.
I have some kind of illness coming on. An illness where only my right nostril is leaking--can’t quite blow it, but it’s stuffy--and I have itchy eyes. It occurs to me that it could just be pollen--FOREIGN POLLEN. Only I am the foreign body in this environment.
So tonight I took a soak in the tub, trying to get the swelling in my ankles to subside. I don’t know if the swelling is from all the walking or if I’m retaining water or what. Actually I remember my ankles swelling when I have flown before, I wonder if that has something to do with it.
Today we had an academic orientation, and registered with our respective schools. Then we paid the co-op fee. Then I went online and arranged a time to meet with Heather and Stephen. I’m going to Kyoto on Sunday to visit with them and go to a temple, where there will be a procession of people in traditional dress. Judging from the weather this week, it should be a beautiful day. I also emailed Mom and Amanda. I haven’t heard back from Dave. His email provider changed recently, so I wonder if he even got my email. I have to get a calling card tomorrow so I can call my honey!
After being online for a while I had to go to ANOTHER orientation, this one for the dorm. I am going to be so glad when the semester is underway and these endless orientations are over. I’m beginning to notice a pattern with respect to their content.
You check in with someone whose job it is to mark you present. You get a big stack of papers, mostly in English, some in kanji, and you sit down in a chair. Most people get there on time, and the presenters (of which there seems to be an unnecessary number) wait nervously/somewhat impatiently, not wanting to start until all the attendees have been accounted for. Finally someone decides to begin, about five minutes late, and then they turn on the microphones. These are invariably wireless, and through them the presenters welcome you and thank you for coming to their (mandatory) orientation.
The presenters are introduced both in English and Japanese, and the number of words needed to say anything in Japanese seems to be A LOT BIGGER than the number of words needed to say (presumably) the same thing in English. From there the ENTIRE PRESENTATION consists of the presenters either reading to you from the big stack of papers they gave you to keep, or verbally informing you of VERY IMPORTANT PROCEDURAL INFORMATION that somehow did not make the cut when they were deciding the content of the big stack of papers. For instance, take the Co-op membership. There was a whole stack of information about it, and nowhere in the information did it say that we were REQUIRED to join the co-op. They even had a co-op member come and talk about why she encouraged us to join. After she spoke, Claudia took the mic and told us verbally that membership was mandatory so that we could get the personal liability insurance through the Co-op. Okay, fine. Why, then, not WRITE THAT FACT in the big stack of information, and why have someone talk for ten minutes about why we should join? We HAVE TO. Just give me the damn form and I’ll fill it out, and I will put the date as “year/month/day” and my name “surname/given/middle”.
On the other hand, in the U.S., even at school, we are given information in writing and no one calls a meeting with microphones and attendance to read it to us. We are given the information, and the first subject covered in the information is that it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to read and understand the information. If we do not understand, it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to ask for help in going over the information or having it explained to us. More and more often, we are asked to sign a statement saying that we have read and understood the information and have been given an opportunity to ask questions. Most people do this BEFORE they read the information, if they ever read it at all. Furthermore, people who actually sit there and read it before signing are treated by the info giver as though they are freaks, losers, or slow. The info giver looks put out if the person won’t sign the form stating s/he has read the information before s/he reads the information. God forbid you have any questions--the info giver usually can’t answer them. They have to check. The underlying message: just sign the form.
The message from the U.S. approach is clear: My job is to get you to sign this form, and then file it away to present as evidence should you try to say you didn’t know the rules when you mess up and violate some rule that’s in this information. Just sign it, and we’ll all be happy. Oh, by the way, even if you don’t read it or understand it, it’s still your responsibility to abide by it. If you don’t, you can’t say it’s my fault because I have this piece of paper that YOU SIGNED that says you do understand. If you read it but don’t understand, I don’ t have time to explain it to you, dumbass. Just sign the form.
The Japanese approach, while tedious, is actually more friendly, not to mention effiective: My job is to make sure you receive this information and, if you have questions about it, to answer them. In fact, I hope you have questions because I spent a lot of time and energy learning how these procedures work and how to help people follow them properly. We know you were at this meeting because we took attendance. We know you got the information in two ways: in writing and by us reading it to you. You got to see everyone responsible for various areas related to this information, because here they are, and we introduced them to you. We know you heard us because we used a microphone. We gave you ample opportunity to ask questions about the information presented. We invited you to ask if any questions arise after the meeting, when you are using the information presented here today. Our contact information and maps to our offices are included in your packet. We’re not going to say it out loud, but if you don’t understand this information and don’t ask questions, and then you don’t abide by the information, it’s your own fault.
All of this raises interesting questions about ethics of personal responsibility and how different cultures approach it. But right now, thanks to all the information, I am fading.
Orientation
8 April 2009
Yesterday was a siege. We had a two hour orientation from the EICS and NUPACE office staff and administration. Then we went on a campus tour, led by ACE students. The one woman (I am going to have to find a way to remember people’s names) spoke English with an Australian accent. At first I couldn’t place it, but then she started telling me about her time there. She said when she arrived the ground was still smoldering from the wildfires. She just returned two weeks ago.
We all ate lunch in the student canteen/cafeteria. During lunch I tried to explain the term “old school” to some Japanese students looking for new American slang. Anyone who would be so kind as to contact me with their personal favorite slang terms should do so: am afraid I blanked out after “sick” and “sick and wrong” (both of which are hardly current, anyway).
After lunch two incredibly cute Japanese women--one around 50 and the other older--from the YWCA helped the twelve of us who live in Omeikan get our paperwork for alien registration and health insurance in order, and then took us all to the government offices in Gokiso to apply for registration and insurance. There was a lot of waiting around and counting heads. She was great, though--she reminded us that we were going to have to make the journey ourselves in a couple of weeks, and that we should take note of the directions. All I remember is that we have to change trains to the blue line, and get off at Gokiso. And once we are at the subway stop we go to Exit 8, take the elevator up, and the office is literally right there. I think I’ll be able to find it again. The guy from Indonesia is really nervous about going back; yesterday was his first subway ride ever. I think we’ll go together next time.
The subway is REALLY clean and nice. And it’s so fun to look at the crazy advertising there. I took a few (blurry) pictures of our journey.
(later on)
A very interesting aspect of life here is sorting garbage. Some of it is familiar: sorting cans from plastic, paper, boxboard, etc. But plastic from wrappers is also recycled, and everything else is either combustible or non-combustible. Food waste is combustible; plastic bags from Lawson’s are not. So while in the US we have de jure recycling--it is available and strongly encouraged that people do it--de facto, we always have the option of just throwing everything in the trash. Here, there is no “catch all” receptacle, and one is forced to actually figure out where everything goes. Indeed, I did not know that I had to wrap my banana peels in newspaper before putting them in the combustible can. But before the day was out I heard about it--albeit in a very polite manner.
Yesterday was a siege. We had a two hour orientation from the EICS and NUPACE office staff and administration. Then we went on a campus tour, led by ACE students. The one woman (I am going to have to find a way to remember people’s names) spoke English with an Australian accent. At first I couldn’t place it, but then she started telling me about her time there. She said when she arrived the ground was still smoldering from the wildfires. She just returned two weeks ago.
We all ate lunch in the student canteen/cafeteria. During lunch I tried to explain the term “old school” to some Japanese students looking for new American slang. Anyone who would be so kind as to contact me with their personal favorite slang terms should do so: am afraid I blanked out after “sick” and “sick and wrong” (both of which are hardly current, anyway).
After lunch two incredibly cute Japanese women--one around 50 and the other older--from the YWCA helped the twelve of us who live in Omeikan get our paperwork for alien registration and health insurance in order, and then took us all to the government offices in Gokiso to apply for registration and insurance. There was a lot of waiting around and counting heads. She was great, though--she reminded us that we were going to have to make the journey ourselves in a couple of weeks, and that we should take note of the directions. All I remember is that we have to change trains to the blue line, and get off at Gokiso. And once we are at the subway stop we go to Exit 8, take the elevator up, and the office is literally right there. I think I’ll be able to find it again. The guy from Indonesia is really nervous about going back; yesterday was his first subway ride ever. I think we’ll go together next time.
The subway is REALLY clean and nice. And it’s so fun to look at the crazy advertising there. I took a few (blurry) pictures of our journey.
(later on)
A very interesting aspect of life here is sorting garbage. Some of it is familiar: sorting cans from plastic, paper, boxboard, etc. But plastic from wrappers is also recycled, and everything else is either combustible or non-combustible. Food waste is combustible; plastic bags from Lawson’s are not. So while in the US we have de jure recycling--it is available and strongly encouraged that people do it--de facto, we always have the option of just throwing everything in the trash. Here, there is no “catch all” receptacle, and one is forced to actually figure out where everything goes. Indeed, I did not know that I had to wrap my banana peels in newspaper before putting them in the combustible can. But before the day was out I heard about it--albeit in a very polite manner.
First thoughts
7 April 2009
Well, I have been in Japan for just over 36 hours. What a pain in the ass the trip was! My flight out of JFK to Tokyo was delayed, which in turn made me miss my connecting flight to Nagoya. The service at the airport was incredible, though. There was an announcement on the plane telling me to see an agent when I disembarked. She was waiting for me just inside the airport, and she gave me a new itenerary. I went through immigration and customs just fine, and then at Nirita airport in Tokyo figured out how to buy a phone card and make a call to Nagoya U. and tell them I was going to be late. Later a very nice young woman from San Diego, in town visiting family, helped me figure out how to make an international call so I could let Dave know I was OK--I hope he spread the word, because I don’t have phone or internet yet.
So--that’s when the fun started. I didn’t know I was supposed to pick up my luggage at Nirita and then go thru customs again with it. The agent ran around a bit and talked to some people on the phone, and got my luggage onto the flight with me. I figured I wouldn’t be seeing it that night. The flight from Tokyo to Nagoya was a JAL flight, not an American Airlines flight. The flight boarded on time, but then taxied around on the runway for 45 minutes! I fell asleep, and every time I woke up, I thought we were in the air. I would look out the window and see that we were not, and it got later and later. We finally took off at around 6:45, and we landed in Nagoya an hour later. I was one of the last people off the plane, then had to get through customs again, and claim my baggage. Finally I got out into the airport, a little before 9 p.m.....and no Nagoya student.
I walked around a little bit with my luggage, and then decided to ask an information person. (insert stuff about how cute their uniforms are, and all the other ways they helped) She paged the airport, and then I heard another announcement telling me to go to an information station. The student had left a message with the phone number of Ikido-sensei, who said for me to stay there, the student had given up. The student got off the train, got on the airport bound one again, got me, and we dragged my luggage onto the train and the subway, and then the short walk from the subway to the school. She and her friend Amy insisted on carrying the huge bag (50 lbs.) the last block and into the building--it took two of them to do it. It was so funny--two little Asian women struggling with the bag! I felt bad, but I had been carrying it a long way and was pretty tired. They insisted.
This morning I unpacked and went to the campus to check in with the International Students Center. They were very relieved to see me. Although it wasn’t my fault, I felt bad about worrying them. On my way back to the dorm I stopped at a Lawson’s and got some sushi and a really yummy little cup of pudding, my first meal in Japan. Then I slept the rest of the day--really weird, kind of fitful sleep, though.
This evening the international students and Japanese students from ACE met downstairs and all trooped down to a cafe for dinner. There were about 40 of us. It was nice--there are more Americans than I thought there would be, and a couple of Aussies. Also represented are Uzbakistan, Indonesia, Germany, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea and Canada. Now I’m writing this. The room is indeed 12m2--not 12x12, as advertised. That must have been a typo, because this room is BITTY. it’s a long rectangle, probably 6x2 meters, with a very tiny bathroom (about the size of yours, Amanda). But it is very clean and cozy, with a nice little balcony. (see pictures). I want the closet set in my own room! There is so much storage, in such a little area. (Dave, when you are here you should take measurements and try to copy this. it’s really something!)
I am wishing I could call my family and friends tonight--soon I will have internet access and will be able to do that from the dorm room at night.
Well, I have been in Japan for just over 36 hours. What a pain in the ass the trip was! My flight out of JFK to Tokyo was delayed, which in turn made me miss my connecting flight to Nagoya. The service at the airport was incredible, though. There was an announcement on the plane telling me to see an agent when I disembarked. She was waiting for me just inside the airport, and she gave me a new itenerary. I went through immigration and customs just fine, and then at Nirita airport in Tokyo figured out how to buy a phone card and make a call to Nagoya U. and tell them I was going to be late. Later a very nice young woman from San Diego, in town visiting family, helped me figure out how to make an international call so I could let Dave know I was OK--I hope he spread the word, because I don’t have phone or internet yet.
So--that’s when the fun started. I didn’t know I was supposed to pick up my luggage at Nirita and then go thru customs again with it. The agent ran around a bit and talked to some people on the phone, and got my luggage onto the flight with me. I figured I wouldn’t be seeing it that night. The flight from Tokyo to Nagoya was a JAL flight, not an American Airlines flight. The flight boarded on time, but then taxied around on the runway for 45 minutes! I fell asleep, and every time I woke up, I thought we were in the air. I would look out the window and see that we were not, and it got later and later. We finally took off at around 6:45, and we landed in Nagoya an hour later. I was one of the last people off the plane, then had to get through customs again, and claim my baggage. Finally I got out into the airport, a little before 9 p.m.....and no Nagoya student.
I walked around a little bit with my luggage, and then decided to ask an information person. (insert stuff about how cute their uniforms are, and all the other ways they helped) She paged the airport, and then I heard another announcement telling me to go to an information station. The student had left a message with the phone number of Ikido-sensei, who said for me to stay there, the student had given up. The student got off the train, got on the airport bound one again, got me, and we dragged my luggage onto the train and the subway, and then the short walk from the subway to the school. She and her friend Amy insisted on carrying the huge bag (50 lbs.) the last block and into the building--it took two of them to do it. It was so funny--two little Asian women struggling with the bag! I felt bad, but I had been carrying it a long way and was pretty tired. They insisted.
This morning I unpacked and went to the campus to check in with the International Students Center. They were very relieved to see me. Although it wasn’t my fault, I felt bad about worrying them. On my way back to the dorm I stopped at a Lawson’s and got some sushi and a really yummy little cup of pudding, my first meal in Japan. Then I slept the rest of the day--really weird, kind of fitful sleep, though.
This evening the international students and Japanese students from ACE met downstairs and all trooped down to a cafe for dinner. There were about 40 of us. It was nice--there are more Americans than I thought there would be, and a couple of Aussies. Also represented are Uzbakistan, Indonesia, Germany, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea and Canada. Now I’m writing this. The room is indeed 12m2--not 12x12, as advertised. That must have been a typo, because this room is BITTY. it’s a long rectangle, probably 6x2 meters, with a very tiny bathroom (about the size of yours, Amanda). But it is very clean and cozy, with a nice little balcony. (see pictures). I want the closet set in my own room! There is so much storage, in such a little area. (Dave, when you are here you should take measurements and try to copy this. it’s really something!)
I am wishing I could call my family and friends tonight--soon I will have internet access and will be able to do that from the dorm room at night.
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