5:20 PM:
"This is an announcement from the personnel office. Today is Wednesday, the day to go home on time. Unless you have urgent business, please feel free to go home now."
This announcement is made weekly over the intercom. Needless to say, my quiet giggles are the only reaction.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Frog-searching in Wakoshi
Tonight was finally the night to bring the plan into life. Using emergency earthquake flashlights that are supplied in our dorm rooms (for safety) and beer from our fridges (for bravery), Joana (a girl from Portugal who is also in RIKEN for the summer) and I embarked on our mission. 2 other brave souls followed our lead.
There's a large pond near where our rooms (in the "International house" are). The pond houses hordes of mosquitoes and at least several bullfrogs, which at first sounded to me like some sort of a chemical plant producing something slightly dangerous.
Our arsenal included silence, giddy laughter, poking sticks/tree branches, sound imitation and most importantly, bravery. The frog's arsenal included a home base, darkness and natural swiftness. Who won? That's irrelevant.
(And as I sat in my bed typing this and downloading photos, a 6.8 quake hit Northern Japan. This was the first of the many quakes to hit Japan since I arrived that I actually felt. Talk about slight danger).
There's a large pond near where our rooms (in the "International house" are). The pond houses hordes of mosquitoes and at least several bullfrogs, which at first sounded to me like some sort of a chemical plant producing something slightly dangerous.Our arsenal included silence, giddy laughter, poking sticks/tree branches, sound imitation and most importantly, bravery. The frog's arsenal included a home base, darkness and natural swiftness. Who won? That's irrelevant.
(And as I sat in my bed typing this and downloading photos, a 6.8 quake hit Northern Japan. This was the first of the many quakes to hit Japan since I arrived that I actually felt. Talk about slight danger).
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Bad blogger's updates
I've been horrible about updating this thing. The perfectionist in me doesn't let me just blurb something in a few minutes while at work, but in evenings I've been keeping busy without enough time to write a thoughtful post. So here's a quick, non-perfect summary of what's been happening:
- Mitya arrived on Sunday; a day late but without a fault of his own. Either CA fires or United Airlines airplanes or one or more gods/goddesses are to blame. I won't worry about finding the guilty one; I'll enjoy the time he's here.
- The rainy season ended and the hot season began. Just like that. I'm now wishing for the rainy season to be back, since the air is so humid, it feels like it's raining anyway. Plus the 35 degree heat. (yes, I went back to thinking in terms of the metric system, which feels surprisingly comfortable and comforting).
- We are heading to Kyoto this weekend (Monday is a holiday, giving us more time to explore this city that everyone recommends). I don't know what to expect, but I'm excited about riding the Shinkansen (bullet-train) there: 513.6 km in 2 hr 18 mi, which comes out to the average speed of 233 km/hr (145 mi per hour for you non-metric people). Not quite the speed of bullets (about 1000 km/hr according to the internet which never lies), but impressive nevertheless. I love trains but never get to ride them in the US, so I'm actually quite happy about the train travel and sad that it'll only be 2.3 hours (exactly; as is every time-related thing in Japan).
- Today marks the 1-month anniversary of my stay in Japan. I don't know if I'm proceeding through the culture shock stages (excitement, withdrawal, adjustment, enthusiasm, in that order) in the correct order. I tend to feel a scrambled mix of all of the above every day, with slightly different proportions of each, depending on the day. If I were to leave Japan now, I'd feel as if it were too soon -- so much still to see, to do and to learn. I'm curious about how I will feel in another month; and in another months + 2 weeks, when I'm boarding the US-bound plane. Maybe I'll come up with a perfect recipe of these 4 ingredients by then.
.
- Mitya arrived on Sunday; a day late but without a fault of his own. Either CA fires or United Airlines airplanes or one or more gods/goddesses are to blame. I won't worry about finding the guilty one; I'll enjoy the time he's here.
- The rainy season ended and the hot season began. Just like that. I'm now wishing for the rainy season to be back, since the air is so humid, it feels like it's raining anyway. Plus the 35 degree heat. (yes, I went back to thinking in terms of the metric system, which feels surprisingly comfortable and comforting).
- We are heading to Kyoto this weekend (Monday is a holiday, giving us more time to explore this city that everyone recommends). I don't know what to expect, but I'm excited about riding the Shinkansen (bullet-train) there: 513.6 km in 2 hr 18 mi, which comes out to the average speed of 233 km/hr (145 mi per hour for you non-metric people). Not quite the speed of bullets (about 1000 km/hr according to the internet which never lies), but impressive nevertheless. I love trains but never get to ride them in the US, so I'm actually quite happy about the train travel and sad that it'll only be 2.3 hours (exactly; as is every time-related thing in Japan).
- Today marks the 1-month anniversary of my stay in Japan. I don't know if I'm proceeding through the culture shock stages (excitement, withdrawal, adjustment, enthusiasm, in that order) in the correct order. I tend to feel a scrambled mix of all of the above every day, with slightly different proportions of each, depending on the day. If I were to leave Japan now, I'd feel as if it were too soon -- so much still to see, to do and to learn. I'm curious about how I will feel in another month; and in another months + 2 weeks, when I'm boarding the US-bound plane. Maybe I'll come up with a perfect recipe of these 4 ingredients by then.
.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Homesick? Go to yoga!
One of the girls in my lab is a yoga instructor and also takes yoga classes from time to time. Tonight I went with her to a yoga class, taught by an American woman (who speaks what sounds to me like fluent Japanese and whose husband is Japanese).
The class was taught mostly in English, and at one point I completely forgot where I was; but a quick glance at the highrises out of a small window in the studio reminded me that I was in the center of Tokyo. With the exception of an occasional Japanese phrase and the abundance of Japanese women in the studio, the class was identical to the classes I took in Boulder. Same incense aroma, same colorful mats on the floor.
I'm happy to be in Japan, and not feeling homesick anymore (or yet?). But should the feeling arise here or in any other foreign country, I now know that a yoga class is a great remedy.
The class was taught mostly in English, and at one point I completely forgot where I was; but a quick glance at the highrises out of a small window in the studio reminded me that I was in the center of Tokyo. With the exception of an occasional Japanese phrase and the abundance of Japanese women in the studio, the class was identical to the classes I took in Boulder. Same incense aroma, same colorful mats on the floor.
I'm happy to be in Japan, and not feeling homesick anymore (or yet?). But should the feeling arise here or in any other foreign country, I now know that a yoga class is a great remedy.
Photos on Flickr
All the photos from my trip to Japan will be continuously uploaded to:
http://flickr.com/photos/namna_dimdym/collections/72157606005998594/
Check it out from time to time!
http://flickr.com/photos/namna_dimdym/collections/72157606005998594/
Check it out from time to time!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Rainy day
(This was written a week ago, before I had internet; hence, a late post):
Today I woke up the sound of the phone ringing (my parents called!), but if it weren’t for that, I would have woken up to the sound of the rain. The rainy season of Japan is in full bloom right now and will continue for at least a few more weeks.
It only took me 5 minutes of being outside to declare my fancy “rain-proof” REI rain jacket unfit for this weather and go to a local “combini” (the Japanese-abbreviated version of the convenience store) to buy a huge, sturdy and what's best -- transparent $5 umbrella that will have kept me somewhat dry for rest of the day (and hopefully the rest of the rainy season!)
In Japanese, the word for “clean” and the word for “beautiful” are one and the same (“kirei”), and it really shows: even after 24 hours of solid rain, there is not a speck of dirt, or slush, or any other “artifact” of rainy weather anywhere in the city:
And at the entrance of any store, there are disposable plastic “umbrella tubes” to keep the rain water inside the bag and not inside the store. Many fancier stores even have an “automatic” umbrella-packaging device. Amazing!
Considering the weather, I’m happy with the outcome of my first “free” Sunday in Japan. I slept in, cozied-up my apartment, finally attempted to do laundry (all the button are in Kanji, and although I figured out the ‘start’ button, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the result…), bought a Japanese cell phone:
(My Russian friends will surely appreciate the sticker. In case you can’t see the caption, it says, «Здравствуйте. Я -- Чебурашка». I just couldn't resist ☺
Btw, more on the ubiquitous Japanese cuteness in a separate post).
And went to a nearby part of Tokyo (Ikebekuro), known for its many multi-floor department stores that sell everything. And I mean EVERYTHING, including things I never knew existed, such as banana cases or other miscellaneously useless cute things:
I’m not usually big on spending half a day in a store, but this was something else entirely. Definitely worth another visit, on another rainy day (which I am assured by everyone, will be lots to come).
Today I woke up the sound of the phone ringing (my parents called!), but if it weren’t for that, I would have woken up to the sound of the rain. The rainy season of Japan is in full bloom right now and will continue for at least a few more weeks.
It only took me 5 minutes of being outside to declare my fancy “rain-proof” REI rain jacket unfit for this weather and go to a local “combini” (the Japanese-abbreviated version of the convenience store) to buy a huge, sturdy and what's best -- transparent $5 umbrella that will have kept me somewhat dry for rest of the day (and hopefully the rest of the rainy season!)
In Japanese, the word for “clean” and the word for “beautiful” are one and the same (“kirei”), and it really shows: even after 24 hours of solid rain, there is not a speck of dirt, or slush, or any other “artifact” of rainy weather anywhere in the city:
And at the entrance of any store, there are disposable plastic “umbrella tubes” to keep the rain water inside the bag and not inside the store. Many fancier stores even have an “automatic” umbrella-packaging device. Amazing!
Considering the weather, I’m happy with the outcome of my first “free” Sunday in Japan. I slept in, cozied-up my apartment, finally attempted to do laundry (all the button are in Kanji, and although I figured out the ‘start’ button, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the result…), bought a Japanese cell phone:
(My Russian friends will surely appreciate the sticker. In case you can’t see the caption, it says, «Здравствуйте. Я -- Чебурашка». I just couldn't resist ☺
Btw, more on the ubiquitous Japanese cuteness in a separate post).
And went to a nearby part of Tokyo (Ikebekuro), known for its many multi-floor department stores that sell everything. And I mean EVERYTHING, including things I never knew existed, such as banana cases or other miscellaneously useless cute things:
I’m not usually big on spending half a day in a store, but this was something else entirely. Definitely worth another visit, on another rainy day (which I am assured by everyone, will be lots to come).
Monday, July 7, 2008
The most delicious $4 dinner
I just had a dinner so delicious, I had to write a post about it.
There's a local sushi store that sells take-out sushi boxes that I've been curious to check out. Today was the day: I stayed in the lab quite late and so decided to ride my back around town to buy a few things at the local 100-yen store (translated to a dollar-store, but with higher quality than in the US) and maybe finally try the sushi shop.
Well, apparently after some time in the evening (I tried to find out which time, but the woman at the counter and I didn't understand each other) everything is 50% off. The 750Yen ($7.5) box of sushi translated into 375Yen. And boy was it delicious. I wish I had taken a picture before I gobbled it up. Complete with a mochi-type desert and everything. Amazing stuff. Almost like this, but way better (pic found online):
And for additional desert I had some very delicious Japanese ice cream -- Pino (pic also found online; next time I promise to take my own photos):
And of course some delicious "ocha" (green tea). Amazing.
I don't know what I'll eat when I come back to the US...
P.S. I almost forgot the most important part -- Golden Kiwis! I've never seen them in the US. They look just like regular kiwis but have a beautiful golden color and the most amazingly pleasant fruity taste imaginable. They are my favorite fruit from now on. There.
There's a local sushi store that sells take-out sushi boxes that I've been curious to check out. Today was the day: I stayed in the lab quite late and so decided to ride my back around town to buy a few things at the local 100-yen store (translated to a dollar-store, but with higher quality than in the US) and maybe finally try the sushi shop.
Well, apparently after some time in the evening (I tried to find out which time, but the woman at the counter and I didn't understand each other) everything is 50% off. The 750Yen ($7.5) box of sushi translated into 375Yen. And boy was it delicious. I wish I had taken a picture before I gobbled it up. Complete with a mochi-type desert and everything. Amazing stuff. Almost like this, but way better (pic found online):
And for additional desert I had some very delicious Japanese ice cream -- Pino (pic also found online; next time I promise to take my own photos):
And of course some delicious "ocha" (green tea). Amazing.
I don't know what I'll eat when I come back to the US...
P.S. I almost forgot the most important part -- Golden Kiwis! I've never seen them in the US. They look just like regular kiwis but have a beautiful golden color and the most amazingly pleasant fruity taste imaginable. They are my favorite fruit from now on. There.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Homestay
Now that I have internet at home, it should be much easier to post, and I will try to update the blog every few days or so (in case anyone is still reading it :) ).
Backtracking 2 weeks back, I'd like to post about my homestay in the Japanese family.
As part of orientation for the JSPS/EAPSI program, everyone gets to stay with a Japanese host family for the weekend. I really lucked out and got to stay with the incredibly kind Mayuko-san and her daughter Hana
Mayuko-san was just so incredibly kind and welcoming, by the end of the weekend, I couldn't believe that I knew her for only 2.5 days. I really hope to see her again soon, as I live only about an hour away.
I wasn't so lucky in terms of weather, and it rained very heavily (Japan is in rainy season now; more on that later) for the bulk of the weekend. We still managed to get out, despite getting soaking wet a few times.
The first day was spent at Yokohama (2nd largest city in Japan that's adjacent to Tokyo, but the locals are very adamant about their city NOT being a part of Tokyo sprawl).
The next day we attempted going to temples and shrines in Kamakura, the city where Mayuko and Hana live, but the rain got the better of us and we had to return home quiet early. The afternoon was spent learning how to make origami -- Hana was a fantastic teacher!
Thanks for such a wonderful weekend and an introduction into Japanese life; I'll later find it quiet useful!
Backtracking 2 weeks back, I'd like to post about my homestay in the Japanese family.
As part of orientation for the JSPS/EAPSI program, everyone gets to stay with a Japanese host family for the weekend. I really lucked out and got to stay with the incredibly kind Mayuko-san and her daughter Hana
Mayuko-san was just so incredibly kind and welcoming, by the end of the weekend, I couldn't believe that I knew her for only 2.5 days. I really hope to see her again soon, as I live only about an hour away.
I wasn't so lucky in terms of weather, and it rained very heavily (Japan is in rainy season now; more on that later) for the bulk of the weekend. We still managed to get out, despite getting soaking wet a few times.
The first day was spent at Yokohama (2nd largest city in Japan that's adjacent to Tokyo, but the locals are very adamant about their city NOT being a part of Tokyo sprawl).
The next day we attempted going to temples and shrines in Kamakura, the city where Mayuko and Hana live, but the rain got the better of us and we had to return home quiet early. The afternoon was spent learning how to make origami -- Hana was a fantastic teacher!
Thanks for such a wonderful weekend and an introduction into Japanese life; I'll later find it quiet useful!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Bad blogger
I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm behind on stories about the homestay with a Japanese family, about my first trip on the crazy Japanese subway and my first week here "on my own", about my slow but sure adjustment to my temporarily new life, about the people that I met in my 2 weeks in Japan and our outings in Tokyo, about the rainy season, about my wonderful little bicycle, and about my upcoming trip to the hot-srpring-filled Hakone region this weekend.
All in due time, my friends. I'm supposed to have internet at home in the next few days, which will make blogging and posting pictures much easier. For now I'll just say that all is well -- I'm becoming more and more comfortable in this very foreign place and am starting to really enjoy it.
More soon!
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