Every email I received from home had the subject head as 'Back Home.' Finally I can title my final blog entry as such!
Japan was a rewarding and rich experience. I enjoyed meeting new people, trying to understand the customs of the Japanese people, and I absolutely loved when I could start understanding some Japanese sentences and figuring out what those noises actually meant.
Coming home was easy and jet lag was over a day later. Some things aren't as easy. I'm confused as to where to put my trash. I was unpacking and had some plastic baggies and the luggage tags that are either stickers or paper. I looked at my trash can and was torn as to how I'm going to recycle these two items since I only have one trash can. I quickly realized that such recycling facilities didn't exist in the United States.
Also, going into stores I'm used to doing my thing silently. At the airport, suddenly I was asked how I was doing while checking out with my orange juice and Wheat Thins. I had to talk! Whoa! Chotto (little) strange.
My parents were driving me home from the airport and I felt all safe and secure thinking I was on a train that wouldn't derail. Imagine my shock when my dad changed lanes!
I can't say I experienced culture shock, but some things I have to re-learn and get used to again. How upfront Americans are, the volume of some people's voices, and most of all the fact that I had a phone again and have to call people back!
I want to thank all of you who have emailed me over the past semester. Staying in contact made my time in Japan more enjoyable. Those of you who shared my experiences with me over this blog, thanks for reading about Japan. I hope it's opened your eyes to another part of the world and you can consider yourself a little more worldly.
xoxo,
Catherine
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Kobe Luminaries
Every year since 1996, the city of Kobe has created a new spectacle of christmas lights over the main street. Each year the design changes. They do it in honor of the 1995 Earthquake. I decided to go visit my Japanese imooto (sister) and we could see it together.
WOW, was it amazing. I never realized so many lights can be on one street above me at a time. Since Japan is heavily populated, in order to get to the illuminary street, we had to walk for an hour on a street path in order to get to the main road. Pretty cool that now I get to say I have literally walked the streets of Kobe. It was freezing, miserable, but fun. We had to stop a few times in order for the pedestrian crossway... even though we were pedestrians too! Once, a car was stuck in the parking deck and the security guards had to work on getting the car out of the road... that took a while but was pretty fun to watch.
Then, once we got to the luminary road, the temperature went back up! All those lights really do warm up a place. At the end of the road was a giant palace structure made out of all lights. I felt like I was in the cartoon movie Anastasia.
It was a lot of fun and my sister and I enjoyed laughing at each other's red noses.
WOW, was it amazing. I never realized so many lights can be on one street above me at a time. Since Japan is heavily populated, in order to get to the illuminary street, we had to walk for an hour on a street path in order to get to the main road. Pretty cool that now I get to say I have literally walked the streets of Kobe. It was freezing, miserable, but fun. We had to stop a few times in order for the pedestrian crossway... even though we were pedestrians too! Once, a car was stuck in the parking deck and the security guards had to work on getting the car out of the road... that took a while but was pretty fun to watch.
Then, once we got to the luminary road, the temperature went back up! All those lights really do warm up a place. At the end of the road was a giant palace structure made out of all lights. I felt like I was in the cartoon movie Anastasia.
It was a lot of fun and my sister and I enjoyed laughing at each other's red noses.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Hiroshima
The weekend after Tokyo, my brother and I went to Hiroshima on a day trip.
It was amazing.
Living in the United States I understood the Atomic Bomb, but I had really only considered the positives that came from it being dropped twice in Japan. After visiting Hiroshima, I now think about both the good and the horrible that came from the A-bomb. The Peace Memorial Museum really captured the essence of all the innocent victims in the city, and those still suffering. The park was beautiful and I enjoyed looking at all the children's art made from origami cranes, that all put together, can create a crazy good picture. We also visited the A-bomb dome, which is the only still surviving building from the bomb.
We also took a break from the gruesome and saw the large torii gate in the water at Miyajima Island as well as Itsukushima Shrine. There were also deer that just happened to be much cuter than the deer in Nara, but a little more feisty. I took a picture of a Japanese boy giggling because the deer just ate his map and were arguing over which piece they got to eat.
It was amazing.
Living in the United States I understood the Atomic Bomb, but I had really only considered the positives that came from it being dropped twice in Japan. After visiting Hiroshima, I now think about both the good and the horrible that came from the A-bomb. The Peace Memorial Museum really captured the essence of all the innocent victims in the city, and those still suffering. The park was beautiful and I enjoyed looking at all the children's art made from origami cranes, that all put together, can create a crazy good picture. We also visited the A-bomb dome, which is the only still surviving building from the bomb.
We also took a break from the gruesome and saw the large torii gate in the water at Miyajima Island as well as Itsukushima Shrine. There were also deer that just happened to be much cuter than the deer in Nara, but a little more feisty. I took a picture of a Japanese boy giggling because the deer just ate his map and were arguing over which piece they got to eat.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Lost in Translation
My brother came to visit Japan!!
Dani and I left after class on Thursday to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) up to Tokyo! It took three hours and we danced to the noises coming from my ipod. We arrived nearing the last train of the day, so we split up and I hopped on a train to take me to meet my brother at our hostel in the area of Asakusa. We were planning on having him meet me at the train station, but we ended up at different stations with the same name. Thus, I arrive at midnight with a large and heavy backpack and had to find our hostel alone in the cold. After an hour and ten minutes, five 7/11's, one hotel, and a lot of turns down random small streets (Japan doesn't believe in street names) I finally was brought out through the back door of a Family Mart (eek!) and the worker pointed down the street and there was the pink sign of the hostel! I was so thankful I wasn't sleeping on the street that night.
Our first day we spent in Ueno Park. We saw Hell's Gate, which is featured in many anime, a giant whale, and spoke to a homeless man about American politics. We then walked through Senso-ji Temple and enjoyed the night lights. This was the main area I was lost in the previous night and so I knew the buildings quite well. However, it was very safe even at midnight and I never was worried about stranger's approaching me.
On Sunday we went to the Ginza district and looked around one of the busiest intersection in the world. Very cool to see that many people crossing the street! On this day we saw Tokyo Tower, the Tokyo International Forum with it's beautiful glass building, and the Imperial Palace Gardens. We aren't allowed inside the Palace because the Imperial family still lives there, but the walk was very peaceful with giant skyscrapers all around. I never noticed until John David mentioned it to me, but Japan is very quiet considering it's one huge city on an island. Cars don't honk, people don't yell (except for the foreigners), and everybody is very respectful. On Sunday, we also visited Akihabara, the electronics district, where we saw the latest computers and lots of bright signs.
Sunday we went to West Shinjuku and looked around the skyscrapers and downtown business area. We also went to the Meiji Shrine and later the Harajuku District. Harajuku is known for the Japanese crazy fashions and I was hoping for some really good pictures of the gothic lolita look. It ended up being a constant traffic jam, but I did get to see a couple Harajuku girls. We also went to Shibuya and saw the Statue of Hachiko. The statue is based off a true, but sad story about a loyal dog who waited for his master at the train station for more than a decade after his death at work.
Monday, might have been my favorite day, as well as my brothers. We went to an island via monorail that had a great view of Tokyo. I wanted to go to the Toyota factory, but it was closed so we headed over to the National Museum of Science and Industry. We saw the famous robot that moves like a human does and he showed off all his talents in front of the crowd. The museum was very informative, and even a little above my head, but I enjoyed how hands-on it was and seeing 'Japanese' technologies. We then met Dani and got back on the Shinkansen to Osaka!
A very fulfilling and busy four day weekend!
Dani and I left after class on Thursday to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) up to Tokyo! It took three hours and we danced to the noises coming from my ipod. We arrived nearing the last train of the day, so we split up and I hopped on a train to take me to meet my brother at our hostel in the area of Asakusa. We were planning on having him meet me at the train station, but we ended up at different stations with the same name. Thus, I arrive at midnight with a large and heavy backpack and had to find our hostel alone in the cold. After an hour and ten minutes, five 7/11's, one hotel, and a lot of turns down random small streets (Japan doesn't believe in street names) I finally was brought out through the back door of a Family Mart (eek!) and the worker pointed down the street and there was the pink sign of the hostel! I was so thankful I wasn't sleeping on the street that night.
Our first day we spent in Ueno Park. We saw Hell's Gate, which is featured in many anime, a giant whale, and spoke to a homeless man about American politics. We then walked through Senso-ji Temple and enjoyed the night lights. This was the main area I was lost in the previous night and so I knew the buildings quite well. However, it was very safe even at midnight and I never was worried about stranger's approaching me.
On Sunday we went to the Ginza district and looked around one of the busiest intersection in the world. Very cool to see that many people crossing the street! On this day we saw Tokyo Tower, the Tokyo International Forum with it's beautiful glass building, and the Imperial Palace Gardens. We aren't allowed inside the Palace because the Imperial family still lives there, but the walk was very peaceful with giant skyscrapers all around. I never noticed until John David mentioned it to me, but Japan is very quiet considering it's one huge city on an island. Cars don't honk, people don't yell (except for the foreigners), and everybody is very respectful. On Sunday, we also visited Akihabara, the electronics district, where we saw the latest computers and lots of bright signs.
Sunday we went to West Shinjuku and looked around the skyscrapers and downtown business area. We also went to the Meiji Shrine and later the Harajuku District. Harajuku is known for the Japanese crazy fashions and I was hoping for some really good pictures of the gothic lolita look. It ended up being a constant traffic jam, but I did get to see a couple Harajuku girls. We also went to Shibuya and saw the Statue of Hachiko. The statue is based off a true, but sad story about a loyal dog who waited for his master at the train station for more than a decade after his death at work.
Monday, might have been my favorite day, as well as my brothers. We went to an island via monorail that had a great view of Tokyo. I wanted to go to the Toyota factory, but it was closed so we headed over to the National Museum of Science and Industry. We saw the famous robot that moves like a human does and he showed off all his talents in front of the crowd. The museum was very informative, and even a little above my head, but I enjoyed how hands-on it was and seeing 'Japanese' technologies. We then met Dani and got back on the Shinkansen to Osaka!
A very fulfilling and busy four day weekend!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monkey's
A couple weeks ago, my friend invited me to go to her homestay home to have dinner. I really love the Japanese house, although I have to duck between doorways... and there are a lot of them in their houses! Dinner was oishi! delicious! We all sat in the kitchen, because Japan doesn't have central heating and so there is one designated warm room, and ate using a Nabe cooking pot. The pot sits on the table and raw food is placed in it to cook and then you pull out what you want to eat with some broth and rice. We put niku (chicken), taco (octopus), ebi (shrimp), and various vegetables in there. After a long dinner (all meals are an event it seems), we went to karaoke!! Her okaasan and obassan were adorable and sang together. My favorite song was an Okinawa song that involved participation with whoops and claps. The most fun I've had at karaoke, yet! They were very sweet to invite me over with my limited (err basically non-existant) language abilities. Her okaasan didn't speak much English, but she was cute and "very animated" (according to the obaasan. So far my best times in Japan have taken place in local homes of Japanese families. I feel this is the best way to get to know who the Japanese are.
The next day, my Japanese speaking partner, Hiromi, her two Japanese friends, my roommate, and I went to Arashiyama. This is a mountainous area in Kyoto. We ended up renting bikes and then hiked up to the monkey park! After our strenuous hike up this mountain, we got to see many monkeys! There were about 150 monkeys on the top of this mountain. Hanging off of the building, climbing on benches, and playing on the park worker's motorcycles.
We then hiked back down, got on our bikes, and rode across the Togetsukyo Bridge, a wooden bridge where the name of the river changes based on which side the person is standing on. We also went through the bamboo forest and did a little omiage souvenir shopping. Lastly, we got some ice cream!
The next day, my Japanese speaking partner, Hiromi, her two Japanese friends, my roommate, and I went to Arashiyama. This is a mountainous area in Kyoto. We ended up renting bikes and then hiked up to the monkey park! After our strenuous hike up this mountain, we got to see many monkeys! There were about 150 monkeys on the top of this mountain. Hanging off of the building, climbing on benches, and playing on the park worker's motorcycles.
We then hiked back down, got on our bikes, and rode across the Togetsukyo Bridge, a wooden bridge where the name of the river changes based on which side the person is standing on. We also went through the bamboo forest and did a little omiage souvenir shopping. Lastly, we got some ice cream!
Kyoto: Imperial Palace & Nijo-jo
Last Tuesday was Kansai Gaidai's Foundation Day. Therefore, students got the day off. I wish Elon would adopt this idea.
Anyways, four of us went to the Ancient Kyoto Imperial Palace on the only day that we could get the English speaking tour without having to skip school. Turns out, they closed the Palace in order to clean that particular Tuesday afternoon. We still enjoyed walking around the grounds and I ate some yummy Japanese hot cakes.
Afterwards, we took the train to Nijo Castle. The castle burned to the ground in 1791, but the Ninomaru Palace for the shoguns still remains. We took off our shoes and walked through the palace. While walking, the floor squeaked like chirping birds. They're known as the 'Nightingale Floors". It was said that the way the floor was designed made it so no one was able to sneak into the palace. The chirping noise makes it tolerable. Pretty neat, eh?!
Anyways, four of us went to the Ancient Kyoto Imperial Palace on the only day that we could get the English speaking tour without having to skip school. Turns out, they closed the Palace in order to clean that particular Tuesday afternoon. We still enjoyed walking around the grounds and I ate some yummy Japanese hot cakes.
Afterwards, we took the train to Nijo Castle. The castle burned to the ground in 1791, but the Ninomaru Palace for the shoguns still remains. We took off our shoes and walked through the palace. While walking, the floor squeaked like chirping birds. They're known as the 'Nightingale Floors". It was said that the way the floor was designed made it so no one was able to sneak into the palace. The chirping noise makes it tolerable. Pretty neat, eh?!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Oh my, Onsen
Well, I just got back from my first Onsen today. If you don't know... it's a natural burning spring that the Japanese go to take a bath with everybody else in the nude. I was told the nude part was optional and some underwear was allowed. Not the case however, but I had already taken a 2.5 hour subway ride into the mountains and was not going to pass on this cultural experience. (Plus, today we got school off because it's a national holiday --Cultural Day!)
We first ate a full Japanese buffet, which was oishii (delicious) and then headed to the onsen where we paid $5.20 to get naked and enter the hot spring bathing area. The water was interesting. Since it was a natural hot spring, the color of the water was gleaming a golden color. Very helpful to cover up little bits you don't want showing! The Japanese girl we went with was all about going nude, but the rest of us worked out a system to cover our eyes while we got in and out of the Onsen. I didn't mind the other ladies staring at me (which, ohhhh they did!) due to the fact that I'll never see them again! After lasting in the 42 C water for about seven minutes, I was so light-headed that I got out to rinse off in the "shower room." The shower room was in the same room with the pool area, and just as naked. However, by that time I was getting used to the nakedness. We then dried off, put our clothes back on, and sat in the lobby for about thirty minutes just to get our faces to stop looking like fire trucks.
We first ate a full Japanese buffet, which was oishii (delicious) and then headed to the onsen where we paid $5.20 to get naked and enter the hot spring bathing area. The water was interesting. Since it was a natural hot spring, the color of the water was gleaming a golden color. Very helpful to cover up little bits you don't want showing! The Japanese girl we went with was all about going nude, but the rest of us worked out a system to cover our eyes while we got in and out of the Onsen. I didn't mind the other ladies staring at me (which, ohhhh they did!) due to the fact that I'll never see them again! After lasting in the 42 C water for about seven minutes, I was so light-headed that I got out to rinse off in the "shower room." The shower room was in the same room with the pool area, and just as naked. However, by that time I was getting used to the nakedness. We then dried off, put our clothes back on, and sat in the lobby for about thirty minutes just to get our faces to stop looking like fire trucks.
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