Day 47

In honor of my last day:

Things I Miss/Am Looking Forward To When I Get Home:

- Uploading my Video 1 movie on YouTube in better quality so I don't cringe everytime I look at it.
-Having a nail file.
-Cooking.
-Having more than 5 shirts to choose from.
-Sleeping in.
-Tea mugs large enough to bathe a small animal in.
- Speakers for my computer.
- Singing along to blasting music from previously mentioned speakers.
- Family.
- Friends.
- People (and I'm refering here to people).
- Quoting Firefly (see above).
- Having fast paced disscussions in large groups.
- Seeing the Dark Knight
- Feeling smart.
- Swearing.
- Being witty.
- Root beer.
- Being able to call friends just to impart the lastest useless fact.
- Not having to have intense conversations with myself in my head in order to use complex English.
- A dresser with drawers.
- Temperatures under 80 degrees.
- Going to bed and getting up at a reasonable hour (see Sleeping).
- My house and everything in it.
- My cat.
- The complete boxed sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly.
- Being able to actually find movies at the video store.
- Being home.

Day 46

7-28-08

Today was the last day of school. Thus, I will present to you my typical school day, in pictures.

Catch bus.

Catch train.

Catch school bus.

Get to school.

Tomeikan High School.

Get to class.

The view out my classroom window.

Noriko and friends.

Make embaressing speech in gymnasitorium, in front of whole sophomore class.

Don't pay attention in class.

Nap in library.

Eat lunch in cafeteria.

My homeroom class.

Day 45

7-27-08

Today we visited miniature Holland. That's not what it was actually called, but that is what it was referred to as when I first heard about it. And it was only after a minute of picturing an entire miniature version of Holland, with tiny tulips and people the size of rice grains, that the conversation mentioned that it was "just like being in Europe," and the world made sense again. From that I gleaned that "miniature Holland" fell somewhere between Leavenworth and the Lake of Nations at Epcot.

In truth, it was a theme park. The official name was Huis Ten Boch, but I have no idea what that means. Not a very exciting one, not with real rides or anything, but it was like being in Europe.

We spent the whole day there, going to the Teddy Bear Museum, eating ice cream sundaes with corn flakes, trying to stay out of the sun, watching a miniture Dutch village get drenched with 8,000 tons of water, seeing both real art and cheesy, fake art, and generally exhausting ourselves.

So, fake art or real art?

We didn't get home until 9 or so, and then there was the search for dinner. We ended up in dive so sketchy that I was actually concerned (particularly about the guy asleep at the bar). Then my host dad explained, in slow, proud English, that we were in a "Japanese pub." And the world made sense again. Of course it was a pub; there were giant mugs of beer, and all the food was either deep fried or served on a stick. Including cheese, which I think was both.

Sketchy pub, complete with Asleep At the Bar Guy.

Needless to say, details will be lacking in this entry, due to extreme tiredness.

Day 44

7-26-08

Today I thought I'd answer some questions. This post was inspired by the fact that, before I left, my Japanese class compiled a (rather short) list of things I should do/see/find out. Considering that my trip is almost over, I thought that I should address said list. Feel free to comment on this post with questions, though it is unlikely that I will ever answer them. :D

So, to my fabulous Japanese class:

1. Learn some SLANG: The only slang I picked up was "yabai," and I honestly have no idea what it means, since, as slang, it is not in my dictionary. I'd assume something like "cool," though it seems very multipurpose (aka: used in every other sentence, if not more frequently). EDIT: Ha, just looked it up on the wonder that is Google, and it most definitely falls into the catagory of Far Too Many Meanings For One Word. Apparently, it originally meant "inconvenient" or "dangerous." Slangily, it's used to express awesomeness or awfulness; something really cool or really dangerous.


2. UNIFORM: I didn't get my own, but I do have a picture:

With my friends from school, in our uniforms, of course.

3. PURIKURA (SMALL PICTURES): Check!

4. What things are "obvious" to everyone (so no one tells you) but that are still surprising when you arrive? Hmmm, I dunno. The fact that "It's really hot" is a gross understatement. You will be required to introduce yourself--in Japanese--in front of all the teachers and students, and make a goodbye speech at the end of your stay at school. Bring your own sunscreen, unless you want to spend $20 on a bottle that you could legally take on an airplane.

4. PICTURE or VIDEO of the outside of a bullet train: Sadly, never went on one. But I did ride on a commuter train, and I did take pictures:

5. LUNCH BOX or what they eat:

My lunch box and lunch.

6. What do Japanese youth think of American youth? No idea. I don't know enough Japanese to ask their opinion. I think they definitely admire Caucasian Americans for their physical appearance. In terms of politics, I was only ever asked if I was voting for Obama or Clinton, as though they were the only two acceptable choices. :D And for some reason I was frequently mistaken for Canadian, but only by adults, so maybe there's a difference in perception there.

Day 43

Phoenix Productions presents...

Don't Say It!

OR

What Not to Confuse When Struggling With the Japanese Language, If You Want to Retain Your Dignity and/or Life

1. Shufu (housewife) and shofu (prostitute). There may be a benefit to not talking about your mother's occupation at all.

2. Biyooin (hair salon) and byooin (hospital). Your hairdresser may have a great sense of style, but he's not going to be much help if you're missing a limb.

3. Chijin (acquaintance) and chikan (sexual pervert). If introducing your friends has suddenly become very awkward, now you know why.

4. Fugu (blowfish) and fugi (adultery). Neither are things you want to order at a restraunt.

5. Hanami (cherry blossom view party), hanabi (fireworks), and hanaji (nosebleed). Two of these are fun at a festival. The other, not so much.

6. Jinzai (talented person) and jintai (human body). Well, at least you know one of these will never stop applying to you.

7. Kawaii (cute) and kowai (scary). The bane of every American. This is why that one girl looked offended when you complemented her on her hair.

8. Nuku (open [bottle]) and nugu (remove [clothing]). Asking for help with that jar of jam might have some unexpected results.

9. Masu (trout) and masui (anesthesia). The trout is probably not going to be very helpful during a root canal, unless you intend to beat yourself into unconciousness with it.

And don't get me started on the words with multiple meanings...

Days 41 & 42

7-23-08 and 7-24-08

Due to the fact that this blog has been sadly lacking in food-centric goodness, I feel I should return to the old standby of 'Anna Recounts What She Ate.' I was prompted to such a realization when I opened my obento lunch box and came face to face with a slice of apple (barely recognizable in its indecent, peelless state). It was then that I realized I hadn't had an apple in over a month. Maybe I absorbed the whole Washington-apple-growing thing through osmosis or something, but damn, that apple was good.

In a completely unrelated incident, I found this site: weird-food.com, which lists (complete with amusing descriptions) a bunch of foods that can be considered "weird" to outsiders. I snatched the descriptions for all the weird things I've eaten while on this trip (and added a few notes here and there):

Mountain Potato(Japan)
A root that is eaten raw and grated, often with raw tuna and a raw quail egg. When a mountain potato is grated, it secretes a translucent slime that is the exact consistency of mucus, yet is totally without flavor. Luckily, there was no raw meat with mine. But I couldn't get past the fact that it seemed to expand in my mouth.

Natto(Japan)
Fermented beans. Even many Japanese dislike it. The guidebook warned about it. But it was served with breakfast at the Youth Hostel in Tokyo, of all places. A strange honey-like syrup forms on the beans, so faint threads of it dangle from your chopsticks. Vile. Word.

Tofu (Japan)
Soybean curd, sometimes called "bean crud." Bland, innocuous, healthful and politically correct, it still nauseates a lot of suspicious customers. I used to really dislike tofu. Now I think it's pretty tasty when cooked right.

Sashimi (Japan)
Raw fish. There's actually a possiblity that I missed the sashimi completely due to the microscopic nature of the bite I took.

Sushi (Japan)
Variety of exquisite morsels, often including raw fish. Sushi seems like the standard food of Japan, but it was invented only in the 1950s. Hint: If you're afraid of raw meat, you can actually get sushi with well-cooked beef on top of plain white rice, without making any special requests.

Takoyaki(Japan)
Little balls, 1-2in diameter, made primarily of flour/eggs, with a piece of boiled octopus in the center. Uncooked octopus is way too slimy to be eaten. Most people add other ingredients as well; I usually put shreds of raw ginger that are dyed red using sour plums, called beni-shouga. Typically served with generous toppings of Worcestershire sauce and seaweed bits, or aonori. Takoyaki is a traditionally sold by roadside vendors, particularly at festivities.

Unagi (Japan)
Fresh-water eel. Pretty damn tasty, actually, when cooked with tons of seasoning. Roughly the consistancy of fish, if you avoid the skin (which is slimy as all get out). Of course, they'll laugh as you (speaking from experience here) but I think not eating slimy eel skin outranks being laughed at.

Nankotsu (Japan)
Chicken cartilage. It's either eaten fried, or on a shish kabob. It's very chewy and sort of hard. A common dish served in drinking establishments in Japan. It was either this or chicken innards. I don't have the courage to ask.


Horse (Japan)
Horse sashimi is a fairly common item on menus in Kyushu. Okay, so I didn't actually eat this. But I might have.

Day 40

7-22-08


Today there was exciting adventuring to Dazaifu Shrine.

Pretty shrine goodness.

Sadly, this picture doesn't do justice to the awesomeness of the tree. It was freakin' huge!

The main shrine.

Anna + "Blue Hawaii" flavored shave ice = odd tongue coloring.