Skipping February

For me, February will not be counted among the rest of the months in 2005. This is because I am spending only three of its days in a normal-like manner. The rest will be vacationing. Yes, an entire month of traveling. So when you don't hear from me for a really long time, this is the reason:

February 1-9: Hokkaido - skiing, Snow Festival
February 10-11: Kyoto - laundry
February 12-March 2: China - Peking, Xian, Shanghai and so many places in between!
March 3: Kyoto - laundry
March 4-7: Tokyo - mid year conference, visiting friends

But I would love to come back to a full inbox, so go ahead, write me mail!

Family

Did I mention how much I love my adopted host family? They take me skiing, they let me borrow ski wear to take to Hokkaido, they help me move, they invite my over for dinner and cook my favorite Japanese food. And now they tell me in all seriousness that when their new house is done in September, there is a room for me in it. It will be there waiting for whenever I get back. I can live there free as long as I promise to speak only English to their daughter. It is people like this that make me love being in Japan. I will get them a super present from China.

The World's Largest Dispensable Income

I hate shopping for clothing. I hate shopping for clothing in Japan even more. I wore a hole in my pants from riding my bike so often, and because this event reduced me to only two pairs of daily wearable jeans, I felt that I needed to try to replace them. Ha. Hahaha. Japanese stores sell two kinds of jeans. Small and extra small. And these both fall under the category of "You're absolutely kidding me" expensive. I glanced at the normal clothing stores in the shopping district, then I headed for the Big and Tall store down the road, where they politely informed me that women shouldn't be tall or bigger around than a toothpick (that is, they don't sell women's clothing). So I headed for the next logical place, The Gap. I figured that if such a name in clothing existed in Japan, it must carry sizes reasonable for the rest of the world. Oh, how I was wrong. A size ten is the largest size they carry. It took me ten minutes to find one. I don't know why I was still looking even after three minutes. It then took me fifteen to find a pair of pants that cost less than $88. Every single pair of pants in the store, save one (which cost the oh so inexpensive price of $59), was $88. I almost cried, it was so funny and miserable at the same time. I don't understand how they can charge twice the amount in a different country for the same exact pair of pants. I guess it's because the Japanese women will buy them. Dispensable income. Amazing. Well, I finally found a pair of pants, although not jeans, at UniQlo, an Old Navy sort of store. I searched out the largest size they carried, and miraculously, the pants were on sale. Hallelujah. A reasonable store. If I ever have to do this again (oh, how I pray not), I will shop there.
Moral of the story: DO NOT attempt to buy clothing in Japan if you :
a) are of or above average height and weight
b) understand what money is
c) have any sense whatsoever

Sharemates

There is a new drama on TV that I watch occasionally. It's about a woman who shares an apartment with a weird guy. I don't think either of my housemates are weird, but I have started sharing a house with them! I am all settled in now to my new place. It's a house. A real, regular Japanese house in north eastern Kyoto at the foot at Mt. Hiei. It's only 15 minutes from school and the same price as where I was living before. I have two housemates, one from Taiwan (I've met him) and one from New Zealand (he's vacationing right now). My room is huge, I have a real kitchen at my disposal, and I have internet. Oh the joys!! The only complaint I have is that it is cold. Very cold. I was living in southern Kyoto, which you would think is about the same temperature as northern Kyoto, but it is not. Ichijoji, the area in which I am living, is especially known for it's coldness, since the frigid air from Mt. Hiei runs down the mountain right into my neighborhood. Last night I had five blankets on my bed and I was still cold. Tonight I'm gonna use an electric blanket.

A New Tradition

It has become my tradition to be on television every time I come to Japan. Last time I was one of the token foreigners who appeared on a showing of the Kyoto Half Marathon. This time my friend invited me to help promote an art project at the Kyoto Art Center. I was on the Kyoto evening news for two whole minutes. I even spoke three sentences in Japanese. At this rate, I'm gonna be a star!

Ladies Only

In recent years Japan has seen an increase in chikan, gropers, on crowded trains. So many subways and trains have designated special Ladies Only cars. I've had to go to Osaka several times lately where these cars are prominent. I'm not worried about gropers, but during rush hour, I will absolutely choose the pink train car. While I watch my male friends in the next car being wedged between stinky salarymen and attacked by all manners of briefcases and bags, I sit in spaciousness talking to my female friend. I am all about equality of the sexes, but I think the Ladies Only car should be one of the last barriers to go.

Different Is Good

This country. These people. I am constantly teetering between loving them and wanting to yell at them for their ridiculousness. There are the families who adopt me as a long lost daughter, and there are the landlords who don't accept foreigners. Many people in foreign countries have a vision of quiet, polite Japanese, but it is often said by foreigners living here that the Japanese are tsumetai(cold). I see this contradiction all the time on my frisbee team. Individually, most of them talk to me normally and are nice to me. But it often seems that I am not a part of the actual team. It's not just the frisbee team either, it's in my classes and on the train as well. I often pull out my cell phone and write these posts on the train just to prove that I am not a tourist. And if these high school guys don't stop staring and nudging I'm gonna ask to borrow some of their comics...

Ehh?

Did you know, that in fire departments across the United States there is a manual for dealing with emergencies, and one chapter in this book is devoted to the procedure for dealing with UFO's? Yes, it is true. This TV show I'm watching even interviewed a fireman from Ohio about it. On this show, where people rate how many "Ehh?"s each fact gets, this one recieved 86 out of 100. Other high ranking facts this week:
-An Italian woman had seven children to avoid going jail. In Italy they won't put you in jail if you are pregnant.
-The final stop on a bus in Shiga Prefecture is called "On the way."
-When Thomas Edison died everyone all across the US turned off all their lights for one minute in memory of him.

Don't Deny Me Mao

I went down to Osaka today to get my visa for China. Luckily, my friend warned me to bring my Certificate of Proof of Foreigner Registration. Unfortunately, they don't accept certificates over three months old. Mine was issued in September-too bad, try again. I think that they don't want us to go to their country. The visa office is only open 9-11:30am, and they charge Americans twice as much as Japanese. I am paying sixty dollars for this thing. But I will persist and once again wake up at an ungodly hour to trek down there. I WILL see Mao.

Change is in the Air

Today is a happy day. I feel happy. Why? Because things are settled. It is not necessarily that I am done being busy. Oh no. Far from that. But now I know that things will happen, there will be no disasters, I will not be sleeping on the street, I will not get stuck in the middle of Cambodia on a broken down bus, and I will have enough money to travel extravagently at the end of my time in Japan. I slept wonderfully last night. Here are the major reasons why:

My super duper trip spring break trip is finalized. Unfortunately, due to all sorts of travel restrictions, peak tourist times, Chinese new years, and the huge tsunami, I had to give up the trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and just settle for China. Three weeks wandering around Beijing, The Great Wall, Buddhist caves, old tombs, Xian, Shanghai, and wherever else the train may take us. It's gonna be great. I'm going with a friend from my building, and we are gonna see the "history of China" as we call the theme of our journey. Not original, but, eh. I am very excited.

I'm moving, as you will note by the change in address on the right side of the screen. In the end, the Gakusei Center was just too far to be cost and time effecive. I spent large amounts of time searching for another apartment, but could find nothing else that was nearly cheap enough, once I considered that I had to buy furniture and pay massive deposits and "thank you, landlord" money. Two interesting things I learned about apartment hunting in Japan. 1. Good luck trying to find a place that you don't have to pay at least $1000, most of which you won't see again. This is not a deposit. It is a "thank you for letting me move into this building that you own" money. 2. The realtor must get permission to show a foreigner an apartment. Some buildings do not allow foreign residents. Talk about descrimination. Anyway, after going through all this hassle, I stopped by the Community Center and say an ad for a room in a house for really cheap. I went and saw it and immediately signed the contract. Reasons: my room is the size of my current apartment. Fully furnished. Have my own bathroom. Real internet. Cable TV. Free laundry. 20 minutes by bike from school. Rent is very cheap. Only apprehension: haven't met either of my housemates. Hmm. But I'm moving in next week, and I very happy about it. I haven't had problems with roommates/housemates before, so I am confident that all will work out well.

Right. So, I am off to get a re-entry permit and a visa for China. If you have requests for gifts from the Asian continent, now is the time to say something.

Mr. Darcy is the Man For Me

I splurged and bought a book in English. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to sit down and read a book from beginning to end. Usually I read a few chapters on the train or the bus, or I'm reading Japanese so I stop every three minutes to look up a kanji. But last night I decided against watching The Jackel in Japanese, and read all of Bridget Jones' Diary instead. The time just flew by. I think I'm going to do this more often. I need to stop saying "I watch tv to study Japanese" and starting saying "I read English books so I don't forget English."

Ski Times Are Good Times

I am really glad I have this Japanese family who is so very kind to me. They took me skiing and paid for practically everything. They constantly refer to the time in the near future when they will build a house that includes "Laura's room." They are great. I am very thankful for them.

So, skiing was great. The second day we went to a different ski place, and I rented curving skiis instead of the traditional kind that I had the day before. They were supposed to be easier to turn. Well, after learning on the other kind, I had a bit of trouble getting used these new ones. After discovering that it was actually my boots that were the problem, things began to be better. By the end of the day I had absolutely no problem on the "family slope" and the "easy course." There were three levels at this place: easy, middle, and "if you don't know what you're doing you will absolutely injure yourself." The last time down the mountain I did the middle course, and although I fell twice, I managed to keep control for most of the way down. (My excuse for falling was the falling snow blocking my vision, and the piles of recently fallen snow making turning difficult). It was wonderful. I can't wait for Hokkaido!!

You can't really see, but it's me!

Subarashii Suberu

I like skiing! It:s great fun! Today was my frist time ever, and I was afraid I would be stuck learning how to stop and turn all day. But after a half an hour with the basics, I headed up the real mountain. I only fell three times all day, and no one could believe it was my first time. Or this could be flattery.

Skiing reminds me of two childhood activities. Firstly, rollerskating. The turning skills are very similar. My theory on why I did so well today is that it's because of all those years of skaing around in circles. Secondly, diving at the public swimming pool. You wait a long time in line/on the lift, and your time down is so quick. There are only a few variations on your actions, and I think it could become boring after a few hours.

Anyway, skiing is fun, and the three feet of snow outside is amazing!

Snowmen

We just passed a cemetary. The snow has dressed the gravestones in sweeping capes and set fuzzy round hats atop their highest tiers. They look like old British palace guards out for a winter excersize.

At Last! At Last! Snow At Last!

So we just stopped for lunch thirty minutes fro the slopes. Luckily, we weren't snowed in. It's blizzarding. There's at least a foot and a half of snow on the ground, and it doesn't look like it will stop any time soon. The snow plows haven't made it out yet, so we are constantly in danger of losing the road or finding a tree. It is reminiscent of winters in Indiana. Ahh. It's really quite fun and I'm enjoying it immensely. I only wish I had brought some boots instead of tennis shoes!

Highway Robbery

I'm in a car right now two hours into a four hour drive to Ishikawa Prefecture. I'm going skiing with my adopted host family. I slept for awhile, and when I woke up, it was raining. I napped again, and all of a sudden there was five inches of snow on the ground and the rain had turned to flurries. Every few hundred meters there are signs sugesting that you put chains on your tires. There are even special rest stops for this purpose. But my driver is not scared of snow, so when we stopped it was only for gas. Filling the tank cost $65. Add this to the highway tolls of about $30, and you realize why most people take the train. In fact, my friend theorizes that this is the intended effect. Anyway, I'm back to napping!

Winding Down, Winding Up

My winter vacation is winding down. Or winding up. As the time disappears, I scratch my head and wonder exactly where it went. I am trying to remember how I spent my last three weeks, and although I can't particularly remember sitting around doing nothing, I can't really remember doing too much exciting either. I think my head has become filled with two things.

1. I'm moving. Sometime next month. I like the place I'm living, I just don't like where it is. It is actually more expensive for me to live in this cheap, far away place than it will hopefully be to live in someplace closer. I've found a really nice place that I really want to live, but I am waiting for the guy living there to find another place to live. This is nerve-wracking, since I can't know exactly when I'm moving. I'm looking for other places just in case. Let me tell you, it is a pain to find apartments. Does it have a balcony so I can dry my clothes? Does it have an airconditioner so I don't die of heat stroke in the summer? Is the "thank you for letting me move in" fee less than $1000? These are all very important questions. Oh, and there's that really really important question: Does the building accept foreigners? Cause there are quite a few that won't let you move in unless you have Japanese citizenship. Ridiculous.

2. I'm going on a trip. A big one. Well, it was gonna be a big one, until I realized that the only time I could go was over the Chinese New Year, and that severely limits my options. My friend and I have planned a 15 day trip to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Peking. I'm not gonna tell you how much it's costing me. Let's just say that the experience of traveling around the world cannot be measured in money. This is my philosophy. It's lucky that most hotels in S.E. Asia cost less than $3 a night, and a nice dinner is 25 cents. Really, it's the plane tickets that kill you.

Finally! Photos!

It has taken me a really really long time, but as of two minutes ago all of my photos are online and accessible. Thanks to my friend Dave for letting me store my pictures on his website, use his internet, and camp out in his apartment for hours at a time to accomplish this.

The pages aren't pretty. They don't have descriptions of the pictures. But I imagine you'll get the general idea. Without good internet access I really don't have the means to make the pages how I want them, and despite my less than strenuous schedule these days, I just haven't been able to find the time to make them any better.

As a sample, here is one of my favorite recent photos. It's from my day trip to Awaji Island.

The Pearl Bridge in rainbow colors

Stop the Teeth Chattering

Although I don't buy them often, it is very comforting to know that I can get hot beverages from vending machines. On chilly days when I'm wandering around, I know that I can walk up to almost any one of the omnipresent vending machines and buy a nice hot can of milk tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. Now these hot canned beverages may not sound appetizing, but they are surprisingly tasty. And they certainly hit the spot on cold sight-seeing days.

Happy New Year!

Akemashite Omedetou! Happy New Year! The year 2005 started 14 hours earlier in Japan than in Indiana, and it began beautifully. At 11:55p snnw started falling down, and by midnight we had a nice little flurry. My friends and I stood among the crowds on Shijo Street and sang lalala to the tune of Old Lang Syne while catching snowflakes on our tongues. Then we went and karaoked until our throats were hoarse and the first train was about to leave in the morning. Yay for friends and New Year's in Japan!

Vacation Time

Vacation time is never what I expect it to be. I thought I would have lots of time to do nothing, to read, and to wander. But I have been going nonstop since school got out. Lots of old friends from last time in Japan are visiting, Fulbrighters from around the country are stopping by, and I'm having dinner with Kyoto friends almost every other day. My long vacation is quickly shortening. I guess I don't mind so much except that I have come to realize that spending lots of time with people is extremely tiring. I guess with all my studying I have gotten quite used to being alone, and now that I have to deal with people again I find I often get frustrated with them. I guess I need to relearn my kindergarten lessons on cooperation.