Kabuki

So the night of Monday the 20th I saw my first kabuki performance. I took an hour long nap after going back to the dorm. Then rushed to make my self look a bit more presentable, using my make-up. I ended up almost going it alone, but another guy from the dorm wanted to come. Then we convinced yet ANOTHER guy from the dorm to come with us. So we had a group.

We manage to catch and express train (lucky us) and get there only 5 minutes late, which was much better than the 15 I thought we were going to be. We e-mailed Sensei on the way there and told her that we were going to be a little late, she said it was no problem because it wasn't that busy, which came as a surprise to her.

After wandering around the metro looking for the right exit for a bit, we finally found AN exit, though it was one of many that we could have used. We got onto the street and had to do a little spin before seeing the corner of the roof of this huge Edo style building. It looked like it had been teleported to an area that looked a little bit like parts of New York. It was awesome, in the literal sense, to see peaking around one of the towering light up office buildings.

We walked over to the building, past the little shops and cafes. Ginza seems like a lovely place even though it is really bloody expensive. I want to go back there and look at it during the day. We walked over to the left side of the building, where you pick up the tickets for the single shows. A nice sized line had already started forming and we got into it. Not to far back, a large group of people came right after us. So I am glad we got there when we did. Sensei came over to us and passed out binoculars and talked a bit about the whole process and the ran off to her spot near the front of the line. It wasn't a long wait. We talked a bit and it was nice to look around, but I was a little hungry.

We finally got let in, you get a 100 yen discount with your student ID, which isn't much, only like $1, but the show is pretty cheep anyways, not even $10. However they must make a killing with the little head phone sets. They were 1300 with a 1000 Yen deposit, so a total of 1400 Yen which is about $14. You got the 1000 Yen deposit back at the end though. I bought the little head set on Sensei's recommendation and I am glad I did, it came in very handy, I think I would have missed much of the plot details other wise. And the lady narrator gave a lot of nifty information about the play and actors and such in between scene changes. It was nice to hear what exactly the actors were saying, cause I could catch some words, but not that many. I have a feeling I would have missed a good deal of the detail in the plot line (especially during the dance sequence at the end when she was translating the song lyrics and what the chorus was saying) with out the aid of the narrator head phones. It was very nice being able to understand everything they were saying.

The inside of the theater reminded me a lot of the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. with the very different addition of the hanami. There were three levels, the bottom with the Hanami, the Middle one that wrapped all the way to the stage pretty much (if memory serves the Emperor watches from that level, and the third floor, which was where I was. It is a very thin level, there is like no leg room which is upsetting for us Caucasians with gangly limbs. I kinda had to scrunch up in order to fit, but it was kind of nice. The top floor offers a very good view of the stage and the actors movement across it. However, the actors facial expression are lost. I recommend you bring binoculars if you plan on going to one of the cheap shows in the 3rd floor. Though I recommend you bring binoculars anyways to better see the details on stage. The actors movements are very precise and small, it is nice to see how they contort their faces or move their hands.

The screens, that act kind of as commercials or space fillers before the performance, are very pretty. Though we didn't have much time between start and when we got up stairs to watch the progression of painted screens it was still nice. I hope I can see more next time I see kabuki. The pulling back of the very impressive black, poppy orange, and green curtain is... well... impressive. Breath taking really. It's a good foreshadowing for the play ahead, vibrant and flashy.

The play kind of just started, no prologue, no intro, just there. Which was kind of nice, but I can see it being confusing without the aid of the head phones. "what are all of these dudes doing milling about this town square" "What is this chick... dude... talking about, why is she so mopey" I could see it being potentially confusing for any one not used to kabuki or the plot of this play. But I thought it was very nice that they just jumped into it, much like a movie. And with the headphones everything was very apparent, though even with out I am sure you could have figured everything out easy enough, it is all explained pretty quickly.

The main characters of this play, Sonezaki Shinaju (Double Love Suicide at Sonezaki (double love suicides seem to be a popular theme in Kabuki plays)) were a courtesan named Ohatsu and her lover, a business man in the soy sauce trade I believe, named Tokubei. The plot line is kind of confusing, with a lot of twists and turns. I can't explain it as smoothly as the Kabuki did but I will give an attempt;

Tokubei and Ohatsu are very much in love with each other. Because he loves Ohatsu, Tokubei refuses to marry an uncles niece. The nieces mother proceeds to run away with the dowery, which it becomes Tokubei’s job to recover. After doing this (and not seeing Ohatsu for a while becuse of it) he comes back, and proceeds to try and clear all of his debts and business transactions because his uncle (still peeved) intends to kick him out of town. Tokubei lends some money to a friend, who he believes will pay him back. It is important that he gets the money back because it is the last bit needed to pay back his uncle. However his friend lies, and through a dirty trick makes everyone think that Tokubei was in fact the one trying to swindle money from him. Tokubei, dishonored and abused goes back to Ohatsu to ask what she thinks they should do. She suggests talking to his uncle and trying to clear all the problems up, and failing that, suggests that they should commit suicide together and meet in heave. Tokubei agrees.

Before I go further, I'd like to say that I loved the fight scene. Yes there was a fight scene. When Tokubei confronts his friend (whose name I cannot remember currently) about the money he owes him, Tokubei pulls out a letter signed with his friends seal, saying that his friend will pay him back. However, his friend insists that he lost his seal a week ago, before the letter was written and that Tokubei must have stolen the seal ad forged the letter. Tokubei and his friend end up getting in a hug tussle over this serious accusation, with a lot of the thugs that seem to be hanging around Tokubei’s friend getting involved as well. Tokubei ends up getting the crud kicked out of him, and even sustains a head injury, which I still don't know how the blood got on his head in that part and I kind of want to know. Anyways, the scene was very cool, and must have required a lot of agility to pull off. Some of the rolls Tokubei did to get away looked like aikido moves. I thought it was a very cool part of the play and actually very realistic.

Anyways, thats the part where Tokubei goes back to Ohatsu to ask what they should do. Mean while, Ohatsu is freaking out because all day she has heard rummers of Tokubei getting killed in a tussle and that he stole something and is a terrible person. So she is thinking of killing her self anyways. The owner of the brothel? pleasure house that she works for knows Tokubei and said he was a good customer and a good man and doesn't believe the stories. Tokubei finally comes by and Ohatsu sneaks him in under her kimono robes. Tokubei hides under the porch to the gardens while Ohatsu sits by him.

At some point Tokubeis supposed "friend" stops by and is trying to comfort Ohatsu by saying that at least he is still here and she doesn't need Tokubei, which of course angers Tokubei quite a bit. Ohatsu mentions that suicide might be a good idea. And then come the dramatic scene where Tokubei rubs her foot under his chin to show he would be willing to commit suicide with her. Tokubei leaves at some point I believe (as does the traitor). Tokubei’s Uncle actually shows up at some point looking for Ohatsu and Tokubei. He kind of blames Ohatsu for everything but she tells him that he needs to talk to Tokubei and she apologizes for any problems she might have caused.

Tokubei returns and there is another very dramatic scene. Ohatsu tries to escape the house at night to meet Tokubei in order to go kill themselves. This is a very drawn out scene, that was rather burlesque and required a lot of imagination. Ohatsu is trying to walk through a pitch black room in her funeral kimono (pretty much white and red I think they said were the colors of death) and she keeps like stumbling, has to blow out the main night light so the servant (who is lying in the middle of the floor) doesn't see her. Mean while Tokubei is trying to come in through the dark house to her. And the master of the house and the servant both wake up and they are sneaking around under them to escape. Finally, after much ordeal, they get out of the house and rejoice in their escape, but also kind of are sad because they know that that it won't be long before they die. They flee off the Hanami and to their doom.

This is one of the reasons I like the addition of the Hanami to the kabuki stage, it really is a great entrance and exit vehicle. Much more dramatic than simply running behind the curtain in a stage exit. I want to see a play in which the lift under the Hanami is used. I am hopping they use it once in the Twelfth Night, or some other play.

At this point in the play, one of the friends henchmen comes along and discloses some miss-hap to the "friend". Being that the Uncle is still sleeping in another room of the house, and that the house owner are on Tokubeis side, this is a bad move. The friend ends up freaking out and disclosing everything out loud, only for the owner and Tokubeis uncle to hear. The friend is taken into custody and Tokubeis uncle feels bad for doubting Tokubeis character. The owner of the house send the servant girl to get Ohatsu and tell her Tokubeis innocent, only to find that Ohatsu has gone off to kill her self with Tokubei. They immediately send out a man hunt so that they do not kill them selves, but of course there would be no tragic suicide if they succeeded.

The last scene is a lovely travel dance with Tokubei and Ohatsu going through the woods near a temple to a lake where they will kill themselves. There is a narrator who chronicles their tragic journey and sings about how happy they are to be together and how pretty the woods are and how sad they are that soon their lives will be over. It is very tragic and sad, but I loved it. I almost cried in this part, because it was so beautiful. The dance it's self was very beautiful. Lots of graceful posing to show the connection of the lovers and the beauty of where they were. The singing by the narrator (not the one in the head set, though she did translate the song, which I appreciated) was also very pretty, but I could imagine it would be hard for even a Japanese person to understand. It was much like opera with dragging out of the syllables and varying of intonation. But it was still eerily pretty.

In the end, the lovers sit by the shore, mourning the things they had done wrong in life, and apologizing to the people who loved them. Ohatsu mourns that she will not be able to see her family again and that she dies so young (only at 19 I believe). Tokubei says he looks forward to seeing his parents in heave since they died when he was young, but is sad that things went so wrong between him and his uncle, who raised him for an early age and was always good to him. They do a little marriage ceremony and pray that they are reunited in Buddhas land on the same lotus blossom. Ohatsu ask Tokubei that he kill her for she will not be able to do it her self and would feel bad if he died and she lived on. Tokubei agrees, though he feels bad that he must kill her. The build up to Tokubei killing Ohatsu, and a very dramatic pose where Tokubei seems about to strike down his loved one is where the curtain falls and the play ends.

I really loved this play, it reminded me of a more complex Romeo and Juliet, with a better less ironic ending... even though this was still ironic (seeing as they were cleared and still died) just in a different way. The dance and singing were beautiful. I love the different strata of Kabuki plays. This was of the light (Osaka I believe) variety and it was very nice, not so loud and exaggerated as some of the others. More like a mystery movie as opposed to an action movie. I think this was a very good choice for a first kabuki as it settled you into the Kabuki style very easily. Not with the jolt I might have felt with some of the more spectacular Kabuki styles.

On transitions. The set changes in kabuki are amazing. I was expecting something cool, but it is better in person. And SO fast. I am used to scene changes in plays where they draw the curtain and when they open it back up it's a completely different set. This they just cut the lights and you could see the stage spinning like giant invisible hands were turning all the parts of the stage to make a new set. It was very impressive. I would like to see a kabuki where you see the set change with the lights still on I know there are some.

Another thing is the costume changes. There was only one really impressive costume change in this that I can remember, and the was Ohatsu going up to her room and changing into her death kimono from her regular kimono. It was probably only taking off one layer of cloth, but it was done pretty quickly and was pretty cool to see her emerge from her room changed.

One thing I wish I had done on this was write this right after seeing the performance, but I had no time, and as you can see this is a long post and took many installments to get it all done. Actually it still isn't done and their will be a time when I go back and edit this. I can't imagine trying to describe one of the three act kabuki plays. It would take forever to describe the story and some of the neater details.

After seeing the play we got a back stage tour of the Kabuki-Za from one of the actors. It was very impressive seeing the machinery and the different props put away for the night. I honestly thought the Kabuki-Za would be more impressively organized behind the scenes than it was. But then, what stage is organized behind the scenes. I hoped to see one of the Kabuki actors still in make up, but everyone packs up REALLY REALLY FAST. That part did surprise me. They were clearing the set away by the time we got to the back stage.

The stage looked a lot bigger than it had from the top floor. I would love to trot across one of the Kabuki stages one day, I want to see how long it takes to get across it. The actors seemed to cover ground very quickly, but I suppose the set took up much of the space that we saw. The Hanami too, looked like it would take forever to walk down. It would be very cool to walk down that one day.

I liked the underneath of the stage and seeing the big machinery and lifts, they were kind of intimidating. But it was still cool. I also like getting to see the big pit where some of the actors practiced the more dangerous stunts. Looked like it would be fun to fall off.

It amazes me how hearty some of the older kabuki actors must be to do these parts. It looks like it takes a lot of work. Talking to an actor who came to dinner with us after words, he said you were around kabuki so much that you didn't even need to practice, you knew the lines ahead of time just from hearing them said so often and you knew the stage positions from watching your fathers or mentors do it so often. I guess it is kind of like the great Shakespeare actors, who come to rehearsal two days before the performance and know where everyone will be and all of the lines and the timing. It is very impressive. The masters really do eat live and breath Kabuki. I wonder if they ever get stage fright, or if it's always just exciting. That is one of the big pluses with having Lines of Kabuki actors, where they are related or have studied under a master since they were very young. In the performance I saw it was a father son team playing the main roles. Some of the kids though that a little odd, but at least they have plenty of time for practice, I guess it's a way of bonding, but they were good, and I couldn't tell which was the senior of the two simply by their movements.

I enjoyed my first kabuki performance very much and look forward to seeing another in the very near future. Kabuki is a wonderful art, and I am sad they are going to be re-building the kabuki-Za soon, it is an amazing building.

Hope you enjoyed, and sorry that was long in coming and long winded. I encourage everyone to at least see kabuki on tape one day.

Cheers for now.
~Eve

Yes, My Princess!

So, most Americans know what a Maid Cafe is. A little eatery with your basic stuff, except that girls dressed in french maid out fits serve you and call you master or madame and flirt with you.
But did you know Japan has Butler Cafes?

I went to a Butler Cafe last Sunday. In fact it was called "Butlers." I wanted to go to a Butlers and Maid (thats right, both) just to see what it was like and to be able to say I went there. I really wasn't expecting much, like a burger joint with average or maybe a LITTLE above average caucasian guys working there, calling you mistress. Boy was I surprised at what I found instead.

The restaurant was hidden away, we actually got lost looking for it. Of course we made it a bit harder to find than it REALLY was. But it was in a part of Shibuy we had never been to before, which made it hard. It was also on one of the upper floors of a building, which is often the case of restaurants in Japan.

We had to take this tiny little elevator up to the what-ever-floor. When we exited there was a TINY entrance platform, that led out from behind the bar to a little sitting area of the restaurant. The whole place seemed to be made on doll house scale because it was very very small. It looked a bit like a doll house made to look like a Victorian garden party gone wrong. There were fake roses of different pastel colors every where. little pictures of dolls and small tables. They actually had a raised platforms on each wall that had little coffee tables on them with little couches and lacy curtains to give an illusion of privacy, did I mention everything was very white. Needless to say, I felt a touch out of my element at this point, usually I do not see so much white nor am treated to things so girly, in such great quantities on a regular basis.

The guys who met us at the door (a.k.a. the tiny little space that you stepped onto when you got out of the elevator) were actually caucasian (I had expected Japanese guys) and they were cuter than I thought they would be, in fact they were definitely above average cute if not down right hot. I was honestly a little surprised. The stories I had heard of maid and butler cafes I was expecting them to be like ordinary Japanese or white guys, nothing special, not a particularly attractive, just doing a whole bunch of bowing and scraping. Well there was a whole bunch of bowing and scraping but there was also a bunch of drooling going on on the part of us.

They escorted us to our seat, and even did the chair-slide-in-thing that should be done in mansions at great galas when the ladies are wearing large hoop skirts. They actually did it well to. Since women usually don't know how to do this fun move, I will give a little how to.

Sitting down gracefully when a man is pushing in your chair: 101
-The guy is not going to let you sit down and then try and shove/wiggle the chair under the table. That is un-graceful, it wrinkles the carpet, and is awkward for both parties involved.
-Do a basic kind of squat position (for those who don't work out, bend your knees, standing as close to the table as you can, you can put your hands on the table for support, try not to lean over the table but keep your back straight (if you were wearing a corset as in the old days you would have no say as to weather your back was straight or not.)
-Nows the guys turn. Wait for him to slide the chair under your now waiting bum. When it hits the back of your knees you can begin your decent.
-Your feet should be close enough together that the chair will go over your heels as you slowly sit, and thus the chair will be closer to your table. This is actually a good work out move and is kind of hard to keep your balance, it's kind of like a ballet move.
-You should be able to get pretty close to the table that way. Practice with a significant other at home, show off to your parents when you go out for family dinners ^_^

Anyways, once seated PROPERLY, the waiters (there were only three and the head waiter who kinda looked like Lurch, in a cool way I thought) introduced them selves. We were called Princess... in fact, THEIR Princess.... it pleased me. Something else that made me happy was what they brought us. We each got a small glass of Rose Water. Now I love this stuff, you can find it at organic stores most of the time. I get the cosmetic kind and put it in my bath water, in my hair if it is fly away, use it as perfume, spray my clothes with it if my closet is stuffy, this stuff can do everything. You can find the type for drinking, but it's a bit harder. I have also had sugar crusted rose petal, which was one of the best things I have ever had.

I sipped that slowly, trying to savor it, it's hard to find and a wonderful thing when you do. Amazingly I know of another place in Tokyo where you can get rose infused drinks. There is a coffee stop in Shibuya station called Dean and Delucio (or something like that) and they have a lime and rose soda thing, that is to DIE for. I get it most of the time I go past there. It's a bit pricey, but dang it is good.

Digressing. The Butlers (Marcus and Eddy) showed us the meanues and talked about the specials and some of their favorites, and also gave us a list of things that could not be done while in the restaurant. Taking pictures of the Butlers was one, you can take pictures of yourself though, which was nice because I made sure I looked very good this day and got many compliments (my profile pic is one of the results of the trip.) No yelling at the Butlers. You were given a bell at each table, if you rang the bell all the Butlers would say (Yes, my Princess!) in unison and one would get over to your table. You weren't allowed to be all "Yo, Butler dude, get over here and serve me." or beckon them in any other form besides the bell. My guess is so they could get as many "Yes-my-Princess"s in as they could. There were some others that I couldn't remember.

The menu was also better than I thought it would be. I took a Butlers advice and got a pizza (with some strange and unnecessary French name) that was a very nice cheese pizza with a pesto sauce and asparagus and tomato. It was very good and had a tiny, thin, crunchy, buttery crust that I loved. Others got a pasta, and one person in my group got a salmon and cheddar pannini that looked amazing, I might have to get it next time.

There was a second menu you could order from, a slightly more expensive menu. It was the Butlers specials menu. On this was certain things you could order specially from the Butlers. For example, they had the Butlers Special Cocktail, which I actually ordered. It was really funny, the Butler (mine was this cute guy, about 5,7 with dark brown hair, chocolate eyes, and a really nice smile) walks up and say "excuse me miss, could I ask you to look deep into my eyes and I will find what your perfect drink will be" and gives you a wonderful sultry look, straight in the eye (I am pleased they can keep eye contact so well) and is like "aha, I think I have the perfect drink in mind for you!" They walk off to make your drink. When they brought it back it was this towering slushy in various shades of red and orange. Like a liquid orange red, then red slush, then a maroon slush with this yellow slush on top that I think was made with melon. It was a really good drink and they guy got it exactly right.

At some point they also brought over a bunch of crowns and placed them on our heads. It was very nice, mine had a little danglie heart in the middle. It was a lot of fun having a cute dude put a crown on your head. They also had you close your eyes when they brought out your food and put it in front of you. They had drawn little personal notes in chocolate sauce on the plate like "Princess Eve" with little hearts and stars and swirls all around it. It was kind of awesome.

At some point Maggie stepped out to find two other girls who had said they would come but were running late. Since it was kind of hard to find. Luckily it didn't take them long and soon we were all sitting at a table with little tiaras on our head munching delicious food and drinking awesome looking personalized beverages.

At some point someone cut the music and the lights. I jumped about a foot when they killed Tchaikovsky. And all of a sudden Cinderella Waltz comes on and all of the Butlers come out from in back with a little candelabra in hand. They start looking all up and down the room in a mock search saying "Where is my Cinderella?" "Have you seen my Cinderella? I cannot find her"
"Where is my Princess, where is Cinderella?" It was bloody hilarious and Danyelle was turning red from trying not to burst out laughing. I think at this point she finally gave up and just started laughing her pretty little head off, we were all teary eyed by the time the poor Butlers had finally made their way around the tiny room. When they finally came to one of the little low down tables with the couch, they announced to the room that "We have found Cinderella!" which we all applauded to, since it was what we were supposed to do. And then they set up a meal for the ladies in question and announced that "Our Cinderella is safe!!" to which we all applauded again. It was quite silly and I REALLY want it done. It was hilariously funny.

It really was great fun and I got lots of pictures. Meaghan and one of the Butlers were trying to convince me to let him lift me. But I had a skirt on and didn't want to flash my butt to the rest of the room or in the picture. So I declined and said I would return for a lifting in the near future, which I intend to do, that Butler was hot and looked tall and strong enough to lift me effectively. So I will totally let him do it, and will enjoy it.

I am planning to go back sometimes in May, I will let you know how that adventure goes. I am thinking about getting lifted and the Cinderella treatment. We will see, I will undoubtedly return with some very interesting pictures.

Otsukuresama-
Eve

Aikido, Karaoke, Harajuku, and too much Nihongo.

Sadly I went to bed at a terrible time monday night/ tuesday morning. Try 3 am. I was actually able to wake up and get out of the dorm on time on Tuesday, which was a very pleasant surprise. Get to school as per usual. First class is always language. I like the teacher, I had finished my home work and was all prepared. I was hoping this class turned out much better than it did on thursday. Class did turn out much better than it did on thursday, it almost managed to be fun, and I felt like I was very productive. There is one problem with the Japanese class... all of them really, both the intensive and the regular academic classes. THEY ARE TOO DAMN LONG! With any class except maybe a very riveting lecture course, I am only tentative for the first 2 hours of it. After that my brain becomes mush and I start drooling. The Academic classes are 3 hours long and happen twice a week. I just can't deal with that much of anything, but especially a language class as hard as Japanese, it is ridiculous. Most of the other students agree with me, after the first two hours they start zoning out and loosing focus and drive. I think they should make the classes no longer than 2 and 1/2 hours.

After that I went to Lunch and just chilled with my buddy Kei. She had to go to class and I ended up just talking with some of the other ISP guys for a while before our class. The class it's self looks very promising. Japanese Post-War Film and Lit. The teacher seems awesome too, so I look forward to going back. I almost wish we had shorter classes more than once a week. The class was un-eventful, though I look forward to our first assignment, watching the 7 Samurai, a movie I have meant to watch for a long time. The basic plan is watch a movie, read a story, watch movie, read story, ect. till the end of the semester. It seems like a good plan and then we just have to be able to talk about which ever form of media we watched and how it fits with what was going on during the time it was writen.

The class actually let out early and per the plan I went down stairs to meet Sean for Aikido. I had borrowed a friends work out pants, but they were more like yoga pants than work out pants, and I didn't really think they were appropriate (and neither did anyone else) for aikido. Since I was a lot earlier than I thought I would be I went on down stairs and took a look around. The gym complex for the school is mostly underground and is very nice. It is also huge and maze like. I wandered around for a bit before finding a place that looked like it could be a dojo. There was a very long wall of slidding wodden doors (all closed so I didn't know what was on the other side.) Then there was another wall of slidding doors with the raised wooden platform down the hall and regular doors on the opposite wall. There were also many many cubbies for putting shoes in at the end of the hall leading off the raised platform to where I was standing. I figured this was where I was supposed to be, but since none of the doors were open I wasn't sure. I went to the bathroom nearest the maybe-dojo.

At some point a security guard lady walks in and I ask her where the aikido dojo is. She tells me to wait in the bathroom, which was kinda odd, but there I waited. After a bit she comes back and leads me over to this guy (out of the bathroom) and is just like "Aikido" and points at him a bit. I'm like "okay cool, whatev's at this point. Neither me or this guy who apparently does Aikido speak each others language very well so I'm just kinda sitting there chilling, I bring out a piece of paper with one of the other club members names on it (Sean the guy I am supposed to meet) and motion that I will call him. I have to go to the up stairs to do this cause we are a few stories underground at this point. I go up, call, no answer, so I text that I am in the doko already. I go back down and am introduced to this girl who takes me to the bathroom to change. Things actually went very smoothly after that. One of the many Sempi's (they are all sempi to me) but the head one spoke english kind of and led me through some base things, like what they do to enter the dojo and the like.

We go into the dojo and do the little start ceremony, bow to the wall, bow to the sensei, then get up and stretch as we used to in my old Aikido class. This was all familiar and I remembered it real quick. I actually felt good because there were other new people who had never done any aikido, and I knew a lot more than they did. It's also funny because I am still good at the things I was good at the first time and bad at other things. Like I still want to use my ballet skills and tighten up, but it also makes it so I am very good at keeping my upper body pointing straight. I still can't slide my feet across the mat as smoothly as I am supposed to because I do not have the caluses needed, but I am still good at tenki-ing (this little pivoting turn). Tai Chi actually did keep me able to move well enough so that I know what to do, I am happy about that.

Sean led me through a lot of stuff though. It was really nice to have someone who could speaking english come over if I didn't under stand what the sensei was saying. Or if one of the other students was helping me and didn't know how to phrase something or how to say it they would ask him. This other guy named Ko also helped. He was my sparing partner for a while, and we communicated through hand language mostly. He though the noises I made along with exagerated movements were really funny.

After practice was done we all ajourned to the upstairs where there is a little study hall. I officially joined the club, signed my name to the paper and all. Everyone was very nice and I had great fun. The all were very pleased that I find aikido such fun, but I really think it's fun, not just a way to stay in shape. I hung out in this little cool club room that was one more floor up and talked with Ko and the other guys for a bit before going home.

I went back to the dorm after hanging with the aikido guys around 8:00, which was a little later than I expected, but it was fun, so oh well. There was a giant party going on at the dorm when I got there. Everyone was already in some interesting states of itoxication. I guess this kinda thing happens. I joined in and provided the music. It was a lot of fun actually. Parties are the best way to practice your Japanese.

At some point things got kinda out of control. I was kinda bouncing back and forth between trying to stay out of the way and helping. Damage control ensued and most people ended up breaking off from the party at that point and things quieted down. A few intrepid people stayed down stairs and chilled and talked for a while after words. I ended up staying up late with Meghan, she wanted me to do a tarot reading for her. Sadly the deck of cards we have here kinda sucks.

Woke up kinda late on Wednesday. Showered, got dressed and made my self look more respectable. Meaghan, Maggie, and I went to Shiuya to Kareoke. It was a week day and before 1 so we got really good rates, though this place was not as good as some of the ones I have gone to. Meaghan and I both like Linkin Park so we ended up singing a lot of that. I usually did the screaming part because I can kind of do it. Made my throat sore and we couldn't stand to add any more time at the end because we all kinda started sucking.

After that we went to Harajuku and shoped around a bit. We started a different way than I usually go and went around the back. I found this little girly boutique and bought this cute two towned skirt for ONLY 500 yen skirt! Like $5! It will be nice for summer cause it is very light and airy and goes down to my knees. I like how well it swooshes in the breeze.

There are lots of cute caucasian boys in Harajuku. I am not against inter-racial relationships, in fact I am all for them. However, I do not think a relationship with a native Tokyo boy would be healthy, my ego could not take me dating some one whoes clothes I could not fit into (I like skinny boys, but thats taking it to far). It just wouldn't work out. Thus I tend to find the caucasians who live in Tokyo or visit more attractive. All of the attractive white guys have seem to moved to Tokyo, cause there are sure a lot of them.

Anyways, after a while Meghan said she was tired and her contact was giving her issues, so she left to go home and we walked her to the trains station (eki.) Maggie and I decided to walk around a bit more. We found this little side street with a lot of gothy stuff in it. I found this blood red bowler with black lining that I REALLY REALLY wanted. Sadly it was 4600 yen (about $46) and I could not justify spending that much on a hat, even if I had found a good deal in the skirt (see, I am a responsible shopper.) After walking a bit more we decided we were tired and starving and thus went to dinner at this Italian place. It was pretty good but over priced, I don't think I will got back because I bet I can find a cheepier place, I know of another one in Shibuy I want to look at soon.

-----This all happened last week, I am finally getting around to finishing this post, I just don't have the time to do this every day, and to much happens during the course of a week for me to only do it every week, my posts would be novelas. Thus I am going to try updating wednesdays and sundays. Hopefully that works, because supposedly some more people are reading this and I want them to continue reading it. I am going to do a QUICK over view and then write about the actually exciting parts of the rest of the week until today-------------------------

Thursday: same old same
-woke up far to early
-Academic Japanese from 9:10-12:20 (this is far too long a period of time for my tastes, even with the 10 min break in the middle) I think this was one of my good days, so it was fun, but still tiring and long.
-After that lunch with Kei, and I think my other budy Ayako was there.
-Kabuki and watching a bit of a movie. I love Kabuki class.

Friday: Long day, and a bit upsetting.
-I lost my voice in the morning. Couldn't speak above a whipser and it hurt to swallow.
-Went to school anyways. Teacher said I didn't have to talk in Intensive Japanese, which was good because I really couldn't and what little I tried hurt and no one could understand me.
-Lunch, The I walked to Meguro with Kei to transfer out the rest of my money and pay my room rent.
-My voice came back on the walk back from the bank. We both kinda did a double take when we realized I had been talking in a regular voice, and not a hoars whisper, for the last 10 minutes.
-I got a doughtnut at this awesome hole in the wall store, it had coconut filling, the doughnut, not the store.
-did my home work in the cafetiria with Kei.
-We went down stairs and paid the housing money. It made me sad, we had to get these little stickers to put on the form by shoving 200,000 yen in a little machine. I cried to see that much money go.
-Went to the Tea Class, and felt even better, that class always relaxes me. Sensei said I could come in early if I had time and help set up.
-Some people were going to Korean BBQ, which I did want to do, but I was still not 100% so I went home to sleep.
-didn't sleep that great, but I did.

Saturday:
-woke up late, feeling 87%, good enough to do shit.
-went to Jyugaoka to buy sweat pants for aikido.
-caught the train from there and was only 10 minutes late for aikido.
-We had an older person teaching us, but when I asked if he was the teacher he said no, I guess he is a guest sensei. He was very good and very nice.
-Felt 90% better after aikido. Went home around 9:15 pm
-there was another party going on. I didn't really join, just kinda walked back and forth between stuff I was doing in my room and the party.
-slept

Sunday: Sunday will get it's own blog post in a bit, I went to a butlers cafe, but it was so awesome it needs it's own post.

Monday:
-I stayed up late the night before. So I was VERY tired
-Went to Intensive (still to long of a class, and a bit harder than the regular class)
-Lunch
-society and culture class, we have to go to a different part of Tokyo and make a presentation on it. Me and Maggie are in a group with this very nice girl, whose name alludes me, and we have decided to go to Akasaka, which is supposed to be kind of old school Tokyo with lots of temples and things. I will let you know how it goes. I think we are making a video, I will provide the url when it is done.
-Went back to the dorm after that.

Monday Night is also going to get it's own blog post, I went to my first Kabuki play, it was awesome. I need to write a critique on it, so my blog post is going to turn into my critique, two birds with one stone.

-I had a kanji quiz on Tues, as well as a movie I needed to watch for the class. So I stayed up VERY VERY late to get it done. Try 5 am about. So I was exhausted the next morning.

Tuesday: day from hell.
-Woke up at 7, exhausted, did the pull on something resembling clothes and run out the door.
-Japanese was hard to get through, I could barly concentrait and was very close to falling asleep a few times, luckily, someone did fall asleep in class, who wasn't me, so I didn't feel too bad.
-Lunch, I watched the first half of the movie I was supposed to. I know, bad Eve, but I didn't have the movie and didn't know who did though the teacher had given it to someone. I thought there was going to be an advertised viewing and there wasn't. So I did most of it on my own.
-went to class and was able to participate enough.
-Went directly home, finished up some loose ends, e-mailed some people, and crashed for 12 hours at 7 pm.
-I had a really freaky dream, if time permits I will write what I remember on my other blog, woke up after that dream, and woke up one more time long enough to talk to my dad for a bit online.

Today:
-meant to wake up at 7 am but had missed a bit of time when I woke up the night before and thus recovered it by sleeping in a bit more.
-woke up for certain at 9
-did some computer things
-got dressed in work out clothes and went for a jog.
-I ran between three near by metro stations. I got lost once and had to ask this poor old man behind the counter at a convieni, I think i scared him running in all flushed and sweating but he told me how to get there, and I ended up being not as lost as I thought. I forgot to bring a water bottle which I won't do again
-Got back to the dorm a bit after 11, so about 45 minutes to do that jog (left 10:15). I bet I can do it in 20 min if I bring water and don't get lost (I wandered around amlisly for a long time when I got lost.)
-Showered
-Laundry
-Cleaned room a bit

And now I am writing this waiting for my delicates to air dry so I can put them away. After this I think I am going to start working on the Kabuki post. I also should probably eat dinner at some point cause all I have had was an english muffin with some butter on it. Not filling. I also have another kabuki dvd to watch but we don't have that class for the rest of this month, so I guess I have time. I ALSO have a cumulitve test on Friday that I want to study for for at least an hour today.

I keep thinking it is the weekend. This weekend is going to be ridiculous. All Saturday night is going to be me partying. I am going to a club in Yokohama with Kei for her birthday, and then this giant goth dance party in Shibuya that runs from 12-5. The trains stop running at 11:45, so I either stay there the whole party or don't go, and I really want to go. I can always chill in a McDonalds if I need a rest.

Have a nice day and I will let you know what happens next.
-Rocketing off into another exciting adventure with Eve Terrific and her mighty mistic shaman dog Manfred.

~Eve

Alright, I have had just about enough of this whole doing too much thing.

Okay, because I don't seem to have enough time to write in interesting detail the things I have been doing I am, going to give a brief overview in bullet form. Later on I will go and add in more detail. Or if a story is particularly interesting I will tell it out right. I am sorry for any boredom this may cause, but at least you will know what I am doing. And I am starting not to be able to remember what happened which days. So this will be easier.

Monday after the Hanami:
-Japanese Placement Exam 9:15-10:45
-After not doing Japanese for a very long time this was very difficult. I was kind of nervous about it, but it would have been far worse if it would have actually effected our grade, which it doesn't. So that was good. It was a multiple part test; kanji, writing, listening, reading comprehension, then we went in and talked to 2 of our teachers about our Japanese language experience. It wasn't really that bad, and we got to watch Nausica, Valley of the Wind (Miyazaki Movie) while we waited for our interview section. Also a lot of people have since moved into easier classes or are auditing harder classes.
-After that we went up stairs to this big welcome party type thing where we got to meet the U of C students from California. They were all pretty cool. Everyone was really excited about eating, but I actually didn't think the food was that great, even though I was starving.
-I cut out of the party kinda early and went shopping in Shibuya with some friends at this giant mall called 109. It's awesome and all girls stuff. There are so many good shops and it is actually fairly reasonably priced, though some of it is a bit expensive. I will have to go there again. That was the end of Monday.

Tuesday:
-We went to a town close to the dorms called Jiyugaoka. It is a nice shopping center area. Very pretty. Lots of Sakura and little eatery places. Kinda ritzy, but has a grungy side too, lots of Pachink parlors.
-We meet our Sensei's there for our intensive Japanese class. We are supposed to be learning how to ask directions and navigation skills. They break us up into groups and give us a list of stores and their descriptions, a map of the area with base landmarks, and some helpful phrases to ask and questions about each store we need to answer (when does it open, when does it close, what holidays is it open on, what does it sell, is it expensive, ect.)
-Our groups wander off. I was actually the leader of my group and we did pretty good. We were also supposed to find another store not on the list that we though was interesting. We did ours on a cake shop.
-We all conviene at the bus terminal near by and ride the bus to these huge gym like buildings in front of a massive park. I still am not entirely sure where we ended up. There we got bento boxes for lunch(which also aren't really my thing, unless it's noodles, cheap Japanese food doesn't do it for me.)
-After eating we presented our places we found. Our groups did okay, luckily we had people in the group who spoke Japanese better than I do, other wise it would have been terrible. After presenting the teachers gave us little word association games to do. The first was round things, we got some interesting ones. The second was reasons you were late. We came up with alien aubduction, which I can't remember what it was. But another group did the same thing and they did it much better, very dramatic.
-Then we were done and we all kinda of went back to the bus stop and then back to Jiyugaoka or the dorm. I ended up hanging out with this really cool girl named Wendy, she was at MGU last semester. She is very pretty and actually has a modeling gig, which I think is cool, but it does have a lot of draw backs she isn't happy about. We ended up exploring Jiyugaoka, I found this really cool little jewlery stall with very nice jewelry. I got a new ring with a giant moonstone set in it. It is very pretty and I like it very much. The man there was very nice, and Wendy, who speaks near perfect Japanese, said he liked me very much and thought I was funny (probably cause it took me almost an hour to find the ring I wanted, I'm picky.)
-After that we went back to the dorm and I believe that was about it.

Wednesday:
-Went to the Emergency Responce Building and learned what to do in case of an earthquake. Fujiyama has been kind of active lately and there hasn't been a major earthquake in Japan for a while, so it is kind of likely that one happens. I am nervous about it but trying to deal with the fact that it could happen and accept that at the same time. I feel more prepared now.
-We learned how to use a fire extinguisher, which I didn't even know how to do in America (why did I have to come to Japan to learn that, you think they would teach it to you in high school, it's kinda important.) We went through this maze of smoke filled rooms where the lights turned off every now and then, stay low and breath slow, it rhymes. Also put something in front of your mouth/nose so you don't breath in smoke. And we went in this room that simulated an earthquake. It was actually kind of fun, you ducked down under the table and held on to the legs so they didn't jiggle too much. It was very good to know.
-After that was over Megan and I went to this little Chines restaurant near the building. The food was pretty good and relatively cheap. I wish I knew how to read menues better. Maybe we will learn that soon, but the point and nod tacktic works pretty well.
-I believe that was it for Wednesday, and that after that we went back to the dorm, we let out pretty early but everyone was kinda tired.

Thursday:
-Thursday was the great Yokohama trip, I have a post-in-progress about this, cause it was kind of an interesting epic tale. A breif overview is:
-Woke up at 6, slept for 15 more minutes, woke up at 6:15, got ready, was out the dorm by 7. Walked to Ookayama, rode the train to Meguro, rode another train to Shinagawa, rode ANOTHER train to Totsuka after picking up munchies at Shinagawa. Got to Totsuka at 8:20, stood in line for 20 minutes (and ate my munchies). Rode bus to Yokohama. Sat in an interesting class (Conflict in International Court) for an hour and a half about. Did the whole commute backwords except I stopped at Shirokane-dai. Quickly met up with friends and went to lunch. Then sat in Kabuki for an hour and 15 min. I have a feeling Kabuki is going to be a great class, I love the teacher, she is awesome, and we get to go see Kabuki, so it will be great.
-I believe at some point I went off with Wendy again. I wanted to put this watch locket pendant I bought at 109 on Monday on a ribbon or something so it would hang farther than my other necklaces. So she took me to this GIANT crafts store in Shibuya. After that we decided it would be a great idea to go to kareoke, so that was my first time doing that. I was a little nervous, because I am a terrible singer, but it was actually more fun than I thought it would be once I got into it. Kareoke really takes a lot out of you though. And then I think we went back and that was the end of that day.

Friday. Friday was a difficult day for me in the beginning, but it ended up not that bad.
-I had Japanese class first thing in the morning. After not doing Japanese for a very long time it was very difficult. I am one of those people who have to learn by doing, so I have to write everything down a few times before I get it through my head. Also being dyslexic doesn't help. Even now I am still getting nan and doko confused and I know the difference, it's just one comes out of my mouth when I want to say the other. It's upsetting. Also I have a cold/allergie type thing. I'm not sure which it is, and I don't have anything to really make it better, but I have had a stuffy nose for about a week now (it's monday) and it hasn't really gotten any better or worse, it just comes and goes. So I was a little grouchy and sleep deprived and ill.
-End story is I kinda had a little break down in class because I felt really stupid cause I had to be lead through every question I was asked and everyone seemed to be doing much better than me and learning everything much faster. And I really was trying but Nihongo wa chotto musukashi. I am improving, but we were doing conjugations, and I found it really hard to keep up when people weren't even writing things down and I was trying to take notes and still getting it wrong. It's frustrating. I wish I was better at languages, but I really want to learn, even though at that point I was very upset about it.
-When class finally, mercifully ended I kinda wanted to be alone, so I went off on my own to Meguro and got my travlers checks changed to Yen. Sadly I didn't take ALL of my travlers checks with me and I wanted to take all of them.
-When i got back from that I felt better but still wanted to be alone. I ended up eating very tastey pasta from the cafetiria out side in the courtyard in back of the dinning hall. I went up to some of the Japanese students smoking in the smoking area. I talked to them and found that one was a member of the Aikido club, which I wanted to join. I had met him before at student orientation but had kind of forgot (along with events, people are starting to blur and I forget who I have and have not met before.) We talked and exchanged numbers. He said it would probably be okay if I wore sweats to practice if I wanted to come on Tuesday. just now I recieved a conformation e-mail from him asking if I was meeting him there. So it is official that I am going tomorrow. Only problem is that I don't have sweat pants, only bike shorts, so I either need to borrow a pair or buy a pair somewhere tomorrow. and just wear a tank top and sports bra, and take out my piercings.
-After talking to the Aikido kids (not naming names yet) I decided I wanted to take a nap, but didn't want to ride all the way back to the dorm only to sleep for 20 minutes before coming back. I had about 2 hours before my next and last class of the day. So I went up to the 10th floor, which was where our orientation party was held on monday. I curlled up next to this big window in the sun and slept undisturbed for an hour before a security gard lady came up and told me that I wasn't alowed up there. She was very nice about it. I think it gave her something to do, she politely told me students weren't supposed to come up there, and when I said I didn't understand, which I didn't at first, she proded me to this sign in front of the elevators (which I couldn't see when I came up because it had been dark) and said that it said gakusei (student) not allowed, pointing at the kanji as she said it. I wouldn't have been able to read it even if it hadn't been dark because it was all in kanji.
-After that, I went back down stairs and sat in front of the door to our next class with the rest of the ISp students. The class is "The Art of Tea" and is all about the tea ceremony. We actually got led to the tea room that is attached to the school in this little pit of a court yard. It's kind of a cool area, and I didn't even know it was there until I was shown the area existed. The gym is also in that area, so I am very happy about that.
-I think I am going to like this class, the teachers are very nice and said I could come early since I have so much extra time before hand and meditate in the tea room before class. There are a lot of rules and little formalities in the tea cerimony, I knew this, but I didn't realize they applied to the people being sered as well as the host. It is very martial arts like. It has that zen aspect I thought it would and is very pleasent. I think I will become good at it over time and will enojy the class very much.
-After that I wandered around the school with Wenday randomly for a while. Ended up coming back to the dorm kind of late. I believe that I then slept for a few hours cause I felt icky. Later that night I went to my favorite bar in Jiyugaouka with a bunch of friends, like me an 8 other people. We were amost too much for the tiny hole in the wall, they had to put two tables together. I actually got us lost going there. Because the first time I found it I wandered around for about an hour, the second time I found it I wondered around for an hour. This time I also wandered around for an hour but since I knew what I was looking for I tried asking people. First I asked a cab driver, but he didn't know. Then I asked a polieceman (the police in Japan don't really do much but help you if you get lost. There really isn't much crime to fight, but they will stop you and ask to see your papers some times. And they are very nice and not threatening at all. He couldn't find it, but was looking, I tried to ask a few kids that looked like they would know the bar scene, but they kinda laughed at me and said they didn't understand. Then this woman came up to me and in perfect English (with something that sounded like a broklyn accent) asked if I needed help, to which I replied "Oh MY GOD YOU SPEAK ENGLISH! PLEASE HELP ME TRANSLATE WITH THE POLICE!" to which she said sure. And after going through a small floor plan of the city and me repeating everything I remembered being close to the bar, we got there.
-Happy ending we got to the bar and had a great time. It was a lot of fun, and every one enjoyed it, and didn't mind me getting them lost too much.

Saturday and Sunday:
-I didn't actually do that much on the weekend. Saturday was sleeping in a bit (till 10 which is still pretty good for me) and then cleaning my room and going through my papers and stuff, trying to get organized. Going shopping at this pretty cheap grocery near the dorm. I cooked a little bit of chicken for easy preperation later on.
-In the evening I ended up going to Kareoke again in Shibuya. It was pretty fun, I enjoyed it. We got a lot of food, and I actually knew what I wanted to sing this time around. Didn't get through as much as I had hopped.
-Sunday was sleeping till 10 again. Then working on home work and all in all lounging. Later on we ended up goingSOMEWHERE, not exactly sure where, and got these huge Paraiftes. I had two because I didn't think the first was enough cause half of it was these icky black cubes that the Japanese seem to like for desert call mochi. I don't like them, they taste like a bitter licorice that isn't tasty to me. So I got a second one, which was far too much and I could only eat half of it. And then I had a sugar hig and was all giddy and running around. And then I crashed hard core and actually got a little depressed. Those bring downs from sugar highs are worse than the crash from a caffine high, you can actually get depressed.
-We also went to the Japanese governemnt office buildings that are 45 floors tall with a big observation center/gift shop on top. I finally bought some cell phne charms. They had a cute fuzzy totro and catbus charm, that I had to have. And they were very nicely priced. I love them very much. My cell phone finally looks like it is actually Japanese. Then we went back to the dorm, I showered and Crashed.

Monday (today... or what was today seing as it is now 1:10 am on Tuesday and I really should be in bed.)
-Went to Japanese in the morning, did adjective conjugations and got a nifty little packet with a penguin called pen-san. I actually think I did okay today. I am slowly getting better
-Met my other budy, who was sick and thus unable to meet me before this, named Ayako. She is very nice. We had a quick lunch together before I had to run to my next class.
-Went to Japanese Society and Culture 1, which looks like it might be a very easy class, and I hear from past students that it is. But I hope we learn a lot. I really like the teacher, he is nice and fun.
-I went back to the dorm early, my arm and shoulder really started hurting. I think I pinched a nerve cause my arm actually started going numb and kinda spazaming and siezing up. It might actually be a tension thing, but I don't really know. I don't have any advil and they don't really sell anything like that in Japan. So I am really sore with nothing to make it stop hurting. I tried to ask Ikazawa-san (the caretakers wife) if she had anything but my Japanese is not that good so I got one of my fluent friends to translate. 0y friend actually ended up giving me something that put me under for about 2 hours. My arm felt better. I actually made my self spagettie with garlic and chicken in the sauce, it was good. but now my shoulder is hurting again.

I am going to go take a really hot shower and hope it makes me shoulder feel better. If I am still sore I don't think I will be able to go to Aikido, I hadn't thought of that, but I really don't want to make it worse, it hurt so much that I was near tears, it's that funny, I just hit my elbow feeling but all up and down my shoulder and arm, not fun. Also I need sweat pants cause I didn't bring any and bike shorts are not appropriate for Aikido. I will try and borrow some for tomorrow and then buy a pair on Wednesday. I don't have classes on wednesday, so it will be perfect.

Thats my up date. You are now fully filled in on what I have been doing, though with not that much detail. but I am sure you get the gist of it.

God night for now.
~Eve

I really need to learn better time management.

I am writing this in a McDonalds. The burgers here are better than the ones in America, they are big and juicy and take up the whole bun. Sadly they still don't put enough pickles on it. But the onions are actually obviously onions and not some unknowns diced whit substance.

I have had a very long and not great day. It was the real start of classes, which of course makes things difficult. I have decided to take classes I really want to take that work for my major at the Yokohama campus. Sadly both of the classes I am taking are early morning classes. Also, sadly, it is a very long way to Yokohama, and a very expensive way at that.

I need to wake up at 6 a.m. in order to make it to the campus at 9, just in time for class. And even then I only have an hour to get ready. So I wake up at 6 a.m. and do that "just-five-more-minutes-I-promise" thing that college students do so well. Ended up getting up again at 6:30 and hurrying through everything. Skipping breakfast (my favorite phrase is asagohan tabemasendeshita (I didn't eat breakfast)) and walked to Ookayama station with my back pack and a small list of directions to take.

Ookayama is always ridiculously crowded in the morning. It's just how it is in Japan. Those terrifying youtube videos of people being shoved into metro trains by metro official people... yeah, those aren't exaggerations and they happen about twice a day for two hours. 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. It's kinda ridiculous, it always reminds me of a very crowded dance club with no music or flashy lights. I think the whole situation would be much more enjoyable with the music and flashy lights (unce unce unce unce unce).

I pilled onto one of the over crowded cars at 7 in the morning, beginning of rush hour. I don't mind it so much, but really, it gets ridiculous after a while, with everyone leaning on you and no one makes an attempt to stop the shifting when the train lurches forward. Got off at Meguro, which is really only a few stops down the line. Meguro is worse than Ookayama, there are more useful things around it. Went up stairs at Meguro, which is like a few floors up, lots of stairs. Hopped the JR Yamanote Line to Shinagawa. From what I can tell of the Tokyo trains system, there are the local lines, which are more like metro trains and don't go very far and are for the most part intertwined. Then there are the JR Lines, which are like the long distance lines. But I am not sure about that so don't take my word for it. I will let you know if my ponderings are correct when I consult someone who knows what they are talking about.

Got off the Yamanote line at Shinagawa. I usually don't go out to Shinagawa, only once before had been out there. The station is HUGE, a bit more like a mall than an actual station, but a lot of them are like that actually. I found this little pastry shop on my way to my line and bought a little banana bread type thing, a biscuite, and a little pastry that was a bit like a cressonte with apple filling.

If memory serves, there are about 8 lines that come out of Shinagawa, but all of the Tokyo Metro stations are pretty easy to navigate. Just pay close attention to the signs. I got on my train. This was one of the nicer trains, a lot of them are kinda shiftty looking. But it wasn't as nice on the platform across from me that was double decker with couch like things. This trains was a little less jam packed though. And after we got past Kawasaki it was pretty much comfortably occupied. I EVEN GOT TO SIT DOWN *gasp*. The ride was about 30 minutes, and all in all not that bad of a ride. It was however expensive and very early in the morning, neither of which I am very fond of.

I got off at Totsuka around 8:20, at this point I think I have a 30 minutes walk ahead of me and I am not sure where exactly I am going. I walk out of the station and see this ridiculously long line of Japanese teens stretching into the station. So I walk over to the wall out of the way and am about to call Joe (the guy in charge of the IS Program) when I hear this group of Japanese ladies talking and I hear the words (Meiji Gakuin Daigaku). I walk over to them and ask if the ridiculous line of people are MGU students, they say they are, and I do a little happy dance and skip on over to the line. I ask the girl in front of me if she was an MGU student, I think I kinda scared her cause she seemed a tad nervous, but she said yes, and I did a celebratory fist pump in the air. I called Joe anyways, he said I was probably in the right place and that I needed to ride the bus there and it cost 210 Yen, ect.

I finally rounded the corner the line went around and found this flight of stairs down to where the busses were. The line twisted a few times and was bisected twice by guys in uniforms with little green glowing battons. The first thing I though was great, I'm going to get bopped by a batton.

I got through the line and onto this bus with little trouble. I did decide to eat in line, and finished off the banana thing with great relish. The bus ride over to the college was uneventful as well. The area is kinda pretty in that subberb kind of way. I do not think the area is as nice as the one where we live. There are a lot of appartment complexes and industrial looking buildings.

The school, however is pretty. It is a pretty big campus, though I don't think it is bigger than Shirokane-dai, probably about the same size. It is a nice campus. It seemed very white to me, like all of the walls of the buildings were this strange white wash. I would like to go back one more time to see what it looks like again and make a final opinion. I wasn't actually there that long.

Getting off the bus I went with the flow across the street to what I would assume was the main gate. I was a little concerned because the campus seemed to streatch across a highway and I wasn't sure which side I was supposed to be on. But I went to the right place. I looked at the map of the buildings in front of the main gate, it didn't helped me at all.

I ended up following the mass of students onto the campus and wandering around until I ran into some familiar faces. Two of the U of C students I had met before ended up being there as well. I asked them where the place I was going and they gave me directions and up I went.

The "Main Confrence Center" was on the 4th floor I believe of one of the main buildings. When I got there not many people were in the room so I set my stuff down and went to the bathroom. I came back and there were a few more students in the room, including some of the U of C students. More people came in and I started making polite chit chat, telling them of my great treck to campus.

Class started, the prof. seemed nice, and the class seemed really interesting. I enjoyed listening and took a lot of notes. The only issue with anything I had was the atendance policy, which was pretty much don't miss and don't be late. The only reason I did have a problem with it was because of the ridiculous commute. If I was coming from where ever the Yokohama ISP kids were coming I would have been okay with it.

I said good buy to the U of C guys and did the whole trip in reverse. It was much more pleasent in reverse, by that point most people had gone to work and the stations and trains were only comfortably occupide. I make it back safetly to Shirokane-dai and do the walk to school.

I think I got there around lunch time because everyone was still eating. I had some tasty pasta and ate te biscuit that I had bought at the bakery. It was wonderfully buttery and flackie. I was so exhausted my the time I got back to campus, I really didn't want to go to my last class. But I did.

It was kabuki and I am glad I went. I think it is going to be a great class. Easy and fun and I will still learn things. We also get to take trips and go to see live preformances and that in by it's self pleases me quite a lot.

I don't honestly remember what I did the rest of the day. It was a week a go and things have become distant and nuts since then. I probably should have gone back to the dorm and showered and slept but I am betting I didn't. I'm not that smart. I probably went out for food later... in fact I think that is exactly what happened. But I do remember that I slept like the dead last night. It was a good day all in all. But so much going back and forth. It was one of those days where no matter how long you are sitting down, it isn't long enoug.

I appologize for not telling this story sooner. But as you can see it is long and a lot has been happening.

I'll try to be faster to post.
Cheers
~Eve

SOOOO, the things I haven't written about yet, there are a lot

I need to try and remember what I have and have not written, things have been so crazy busy here. I find it amazing that I have only been here for a week. So much has been crammed into this one week I can hardly remember what I have done.

After Thursdays crash course in Japanese living I slept a bit better. Still didn't sleep perfectly. I think I woke up once at 5 and then every hour after that till 6:40, at which point I said screw it and stayed awake. Got ready and went down stairs.

Yesterday I walked ALL OVER THE PLACE.

We woke up pretty early and walked down to Ookayama station. Our buddies were supposed to meet us at the Dorms, but some of us got texts asking if we could meet them in the station. I figure it meant that they were running late too, but it made us really really late in starting the day. We rode the train from Ookayama to Shirokanedai, which is where the school is. The walk to the school is very nice. It's a straight shot all the way down from the station to the school. Campus is VERY pretty! There are big trees, and cherry blossoms. There is a very pretty Church right when you walk in. The architecture is a mix between really modern and kinda old, leaning toward the modern. Really the only piece of old style architecture is the church. Which is really pretty inside and out. The main building where all the classes are is nice but REEEALLY tall, like 10 levels and the floor plan is a little weird. It looks very cool though, I will take pictures and post as soon as possible.

When we got to the main building we went up a few floors to a classroom. There we were given a quick orientation on life in Tokyo and the surrounding area. Joe was there explaining things, I still haven't read the packet we got all the way through, I might do that later tonight. There are some phone numbers that I want to program into my phone for emergencies and stuff. We also met this guy who graduated from the MGU program a long time ago but liked Japan so much he came back and is now working in Japan teaching English. His name was Rudie and he was really nice. Once the orientation was over we came up to the front of the class and introduced ourselves. By this time the back of the room was FULL of our MGU Buddies. There must have been like 30 people... there probably were because that are about two for each of us and there are like 20 of us...

I went up to the podium like 5th. And said my name, and at that point your buddy is supposed to come get you and talk to you and take you on on a tour of the school. After I was done saying mine, my buddy wasn't there, so I went over to someone elses buddies whose person had an appointment and couldn't come. My buddy did come over after a few seconds, like I barely got to finish introducing myself to the other girls. I went off with my Buddy and we introduced ourselves. Her name is K and she is an english major who used to be at the Yokohama campus of our school. She is really nice and speaks almost perfect english which is great for me cause my Japanese sucks.

I can tell K and I are going to get along great, she and I have a lot in common, from guy problems, to shopping addiction, to music and dancing. Then we started the tour of the school. The library is a little ridiculous. It is huge and very high tech and nice. Such a big place, but it is really pretty. I will probably go there a lot. Then I think we just wondered around and saw like the student affairs office and the clinic and the Center for the International Cooperation in Education, which is Joes office, and some other places. Last we went to the dinning hall, which is awesome and huge. It has two floors and an interesting payment system. They have like a case of examples of food you can buy and a price with a colored tag. You go over to these little coin machines on the wall by them. You put the amount of Yen for your meal in the machine and the dishes you can afford light up, then you press the button corresponding to the number you want and a ticket pops out. You grab a tray and go up to this counter and give them your ticket and they make you your food. You have to go up to the right counter though, cause the specific cooking stations are written on plaques about the counter. I haven't gotten that part down yet but I like the food, and the system is really easy and convenient to use.

We sat and talked for a really long time. It was a lot of fun. I had this tasty spicy curry chicken. I love the dinning hall and it was awesome to sit and talk to K, we talked about so much. After a while all the other kids started showing up. We sat with them for a bit. It was a lot of fun. We went outside to the HUGE courtyard in front of the cafeteria and sat at a table with some other ISP students. We just talked about music and stuff.It was a lot of fun. After lunch we all convened at the gates to the school to take a giant trip to a bank to open an account. Rudie knew about this pretty darn cool place that had English services, which is awesome and helpful, they also let you pick the color of your bank card. He suggested going there, but all of the other buddies didn't seem up for it.

So it ended up being him, me and my buddie Kei, and another of the ISP students and their buddy. Sadly, you have to be 20 to open a bank account, and I am not so I wasn't able to anyways. But it was a very nice convinient bank a short walk from campus. After that, Rudie, Kei and I took a walk over to this close by mall with a train hub under it.

There I used my newly acquired travel fund to by a Pasmo. It's kinda like the smart trip cards in D.C. you can use them on trains and busses. They also have Suica, which you can kinda use like a charge cards at Convinies (convienience stores). Anyways, the paper work wasn't that bad. I just had Rudie and Kei translate for me, since both of them speak their non native language perfectly (Rudie speaks perfect japanese, and Kei speaks perfect English).

After that was done Kei and I went to Harajuku for shopping, because I told her I wanted to go there. Apparently she goes there a lot. So we wandered around there for a bit. There are so many awesome stores there. One of my new favorites is the San-qu Yen Store (pronounced Tsuank You, like thank you, it's a play on words, the Japanese seem to love that.) But every thing is 390 Yen or under (San-qu is 3-9, add a 0). I got a pair of black and red striped suspenders for 300 Yen and a face towel with the suites of cards on it. It's really cheep and good there. There were a lot of other stores I want to go to again. Like I found this cute outfit at one little hole in the wall store. It was a black and white stripe dress with little buckle straps and pockets on the sides, with a bubble hem. It was cute, but didn't look that great by it's self. I had to put this awesome waist sincher belt in red with pyrimade studs down the front on. Then it gaves me the best hour glass shape. I still don't think it showed enough curves for dance wear though, so I didn't get it, despite the good price. Little tired mini skirts with random patterns seem to be very popular here. I kinda want one of those, and harajuku has them very cheap.

One fun thing about harajuku is the ridiculous amount of Creiperies. There is one at almost every corner. Just creips all the time. I don't know how the Japanese keep stay so thin when they have all these fatty foods hanging in front of them constantly. I hear that they diet (as in anorexia or close to it) a lot as a way to stay skinny. There were also a lot of nice pub type places around Harajuku.

Anyways, at some point we ran into Meghan (another girl from my school) and we hung around with her and her buddies for a while before heading home. We left the buddies at one of the stations. It was pretty awesome. A really good day to shop.

I feel lucky, because the weather here has been pretty much a perfect 68-70 for the last week. The weather makes me very happy and makes it hard to be lazy, you don't want to waiste days that are that nice so I have been trying to take advantage of them. No use crying over lazy days, just don't let them happen.

So that was my Fridays excursion. The weekend was also good.

I ended up going to Shirokane-dai, to the school to meet Kei for lunch. I got there a little early and just chilled for a while. It was funny, apparently the Freshmen were having their orientation, so there were probably hundreds of kids just chilling in the courtyard in front of the school as I walked to the cafeteria. They all kinda just stared at me as I walked by. It was a little freaky and a little cool too. It was blatent staring, none of the usual glance-up-glance-down stuff that you usually get when walking through places that Gaijin go. We had a nice lunch, just sitting and talking about the usual mindless girl stuff. But it was a lot of fun.

After lunch I went back to the dorm for a little and just tried to recouperate, going through some of the paper work I had recieved the day before. Did a bit of shopping for food and such, very important, and I seem to keep finding things that I really need, like shampoo and razors and milk and the like. I'm pretty good right now, but I want a piece of chicken to cook and maybe some rice. I also drink like a fish so some kinda pre-packaged drink would be great, especially in large quantities, which is really hard to find in Japan since most of them eat small amounts of every thing.

So at some point I go to this cool bar called Rude Boy. We wanted to see what there was to do in Jiyugaoka, and it's a short metro ride down there, it's actually just a short walk down there, so I might walk next time. But when we got there we were kinda just wandering around until I saw this causcasion guy at a Wendy's (yes they have them down here.) We walked up and asked him where the good places to hang out were. He said that he went to this Jamaican regge bar called the Rude Boy a lot. We took his word for it and headed over. It was a pretty awesome place, really mellow, pretty empty, nice atmosphre. Not a party place, just a place to hang out and talk. We stayed there and chilled for a few hours, but it was pretty early, we left around 9:20. Got back to the dorm and I pretty much just chilled the rest of night, not a busy day, but pleasent.

Sunday was the Hanami. Hana means flower, and miru is to watch, so a hanami is a flower watch, litterally. It was pretty awesome, we went to Harajuku for it. They have a huge park pretty close by, so we walked there after waiting for a while for the buddies to come collect us. We walked to the park, and oh my god there were far too many people. Like Harajuku is usually insaine, but today it was ridiculous. Like you had to move with the heard or face being trampled.

We finally got into the park and the sakura were so pretty. They looked very nice against the bright blue sky. It was very lovely. I got lots of good photos that can be seen on my facebook. It was awesome, the buddies set up this giant tarp and pilles of food, mostly junky stuff like pizza and chips.

Japanese pizza is very interesting. Most of it is regular pizza, but they really like mayonase, and not american mayo. It kinda tastes and looks like cheezewiz. It isn't my favorite topping, but other wise it was very pretty. The hanami also provided a good chance to talk to people in the dorm. It was a lot of fun. Nearing the end Danyelle and I took a strole through the park and found all of these pretty places. Like there was a huge pond with little islands with trees in the middle. There were lots of crows looking for scraps from all the drunk people at the hanami. It was nifty seeing the black birds in the pink flowers. I really love crows.

Danyelle and I found this nifty preformance that was about to start. But it wasn't going when we were there. Kinda disappointing, but we heard them later, it was a taiko drum demonstration I think. As we were making our way to the entrance of the park we cam across this drum circle and there were two belly dancers in the middle. I handed one of my friends my bags and kinda jumped in the circle. It was really awesome and fun and the first time I got to belly dance, REALLY BELLY DANCE, in a long time. I was pretty good, at some point they actually fell into rhythem with me. I was very happy about it.

When we got back the Hanami had kinda died down and everyone was leaving. We ended up going to Harajuku with some people to shop. It was so crowded we didn't really go anywhere and I didn't buy anything. We left kinda early I believe, every one was really tired after the Hanami, who knew looking at flowers and eating could take so much energy.

Anyways, I am very tired and have to wake up really early tomorrow. I am actually taking 2 classes at the Yokohama campus, which is a very long ways away. I am taking Religion and Society in Japan and Conflict in International Court System in Yokohama, both classes are at 9:15, which means I need to beon the train around 8 a.m. Keep in mind I am not a morning person, and you can see this will end badly. The other classes I am going to take are Kabuki and The Art of Tea, both of those are at the Shirokane campus, much shorter trip. And of course Japanese. I took the Japanese placement test on Monday. I will tell you about it in more detail next time I write, which may be tomorrow on the train, but long story short, it was pretty darn hard and I got into Japanese 1-1. This is both good and bad (though I think it is more good.)

I can now re-learn the language from scratch with out having to worry about much, and if I had gotten into a different class I couldn't have taken the classes I want at Yokohama. However I would have liked to do better. But I think it will be a good placement. And there are lots of people I know in that class. So not too bad all around.

Now I am going to take a shower and go to bed. I might try and look up the route to take to get from the dorms to Yokohama tomorrow morning. If I can't find it I am kinda of going to be in trouble.

Wish me luck.
Kompai (cheers, Japanese drinking cheers, I kinda like it)
Eve

Second plane ride. March 31-April 1 2009.

For the second time today I am 30,000 feet above ground. The ride is much smoother in the spacious Boeing 777. The sad part is the stewardess speaks in a slanted English accent, when they do speak English at all, makes it very hard to understand what is happening and what I should be doing.

We rocket forward at lift off, exactly like a huge roller coaster. As we rise into the clouds Chicago disappears below in a blanket of white. When there are clear patches I see snow below. There was no snow in Chicago, but very near it must have snowed. We are now hidden in the clouds, still rising, but the only way to tell is the back wards tilt of the cabin.

We are breaking through the clouds now. It is so bright from the sun reflecting off the snow. I see blue sky out there. It must be windy, the plane twitches every now and then. The moon hangs in a thumb nail crescent in all the blue. The white sea is now below us. We are once again floating. Frost is starting to form on my window. I wonder if we are not higher than 30,000 feet now. My tummy is liking this flight much better. I have gone from being afraid to being excited. I look forward to lunch and food.

The clouds have cleared! A marble planet lies below! Black water and ice swirled together. I don't know if I am over water or land. I think I am over Canada.

I now know I am over Canada... I found a flight tracker on the tv built into the seat in front of me. The marble planet still hangs below me. It is 1:20 pm here, we are following the sun into Japan, how appropriate. There is snow everywhere below. We pass over massive lakes. There are giant expanses of ice and snow. It is very beautiful. I see cotton clouds below, their shadows drift across the land scape. We are traveling via Alaska. The last town we flew close to was Thompson. We haven't even left North America yet. but if I believe the tv we only have 9 hours till our destination.

Lunch arrived. It was surprisingly good. Cold noodles with a vinegar and soy sauce and nori. And flavored rice with unagi (eel) and some veggies. We got some ice cream after words. The TV says it is -63 outside. I believe it. It is beautiful outside and the flight has been uneventful thus far. I made my first mistake, however. When asking for some after meal coffee I couldn't understand what the stewardess was saying, and so was funbling with my coffee cup. Finally the guy sitting next to me took my cup and gave it to her. And like that the problem was solved. I was VERY embaressed. I should not ask for anything any more. I hope the man gets up soon. My legs are starting to fall asleep.

I believe we are going over a massive lake right now. There are so many islands and I can see the few whispy clouds reflected on the ice. The plane is banking and we are altering course again. There are more clouds below us now. I can no longer see the view. I wonder if it is snowing below us.

We have netered a new time zone. It is now 2:47 pm at home and is 12:47 here. We are actually beating the sun. There is another lake down there. I can see ice flows drifting and colliding and floating down stream. We are going to pass very close to Fort Resolution. The landscape is splotched with white. I am having a good time but will have to get up soon. I am glad I have reading material. I understand what Modest Mouse meant by "Tundra Deasert".

We are passing over MOUNTAINS! Huge Mountains. It must be the upper half of the rockies. And a vast streatching, wide river. With mountains on one side and a plain or plato on the other. Cannyons and rivers and white rolling hills and More Mountains look like wrinkles on a face or hand. It is georgeous. I don't know how anything could survive out there. It is indeed the upper half of the rockies (the tv tells me so.) My god it is beautiful. I can see the ice flows and cracks in the ice in the many rivers. Some of the mountains make perfect linear ridges. And I love seeing the paths and cracks that ancient rivers have made. Clouds are starting to form again, veiling the beautiful mountains. My god they streatch so high to try and meet us. Ancient centinals far beyond time. If you look ahead of the plane it looks like we are falling, but that is all an orbit is, falling and missing the ground, and we are so high up we are indeed in orbit.

In places the snow is so thick you can no longer see rock or the sparce trees. It looks like rumppled bed sheets, with many boddies lying under them. In some places the sides of the mountains seem to ripple, and they look like the frills on a dancers skirt. It is such a blank whiteness, what poor creatures could live in a place so devoid of anything?

We are finally over the Pacific. I am surprised that we took such a northernly route. The iceflows are amazing. It saddens me that our planet is so altered for the worse. People used to be able to migrate across the Beringe Strait. Now it looks like a great piece of shattered glass. It is fun to look at the topography of the ice though. You can see parts covered by water, and how one may float atop and slope into the black water, making it grayer and grayer. Parts of it look like a map, where the ice has broken appart in crushed pieces. And other place where the ice makes jagged edges and lighting patterns. It's very pretty, but I wish you could still walk across it.

Lunch (actually breakfast) looks wholy unappetizing. I have juice though. I have made friends with all the toddlers aboard, surprisingly. One sits in front of me, a stone faced little girl who doesn't really smile much. And a little boy a few isles over who I met in the Gate that has the best smile ever. I think Japanese babies are better behaved.

I am in Siberia... or at least very northern Russia. It looks quite a bit like Alaksa, white, mountany, rivers all frozen over. It's almost whiter than Alaska, but the Mountains are smaller. We are probably 2/3s of the way done with the trip. More almost, only 4 more hours according to the TV. I am over a sea. It is very disorienting, flying over sater. With blue sky above and clouds and blue water below, it is hard to tell which way is up and which is down. You have to know your altitude, right now, 38,000 feet, I know down is where the soft pillow clouds are. I see white shimmers and dots in the water so far below. I wonder if they are boats or just the sun reflecting off the water. From up here they look like stars on a bright blue sky. If night was light. 2 and 1/2 more hours. We are almost to Sapporo.

Now I am nervous about landing and going through customs. Japan fron the air is beautiful. It is such a diverse land with it's beaches and rivers and mountains. It is wonderful to see the geography of the island from the air. I see so many farms downbelow and mountains too. We are now the highest we have been the entire flight, 40,000 feet. There is a lake in the middle of a circle of mountains, it looks like the result of a meteor eons ago. Now I feel sheated on the view. Lets hear it for cloud cover.

We came into Narita over water. Flying so low it looked like we could touch it. We flew over some farms and electric towers. It was interesting, it looks like a different country even before you get off the plane. The touch down was as smooth as it could have been. I had a wonderful first flight.

Thanks to the pilots and crew of Eve's journey to Japan.
Happy travels.
~Eve

On a plane to Chicago. Written March 31 2009.

My first plane ride since I was very young was quite a poetic experience. Taxiing on the run way felt much like a bus ride in high school, if not smoother. The first white light of dawn was creeping over the horizon as we gained speed. It felt like a roller coaster ride and was mirrored the adventure I was embarking on. My life didn't flash before my eyes, but it was apparent that this was the next big step. The great first flight. We tilt back on take off and it is all up hill from here. The pressure is intense, I wish I brought gum. The lights below look like rock paintings of strange creatures created by some nomadic desert tribe. I wonder if someone is looking up at my plane wishing me luck.

We make a turn. I am afraid the cabin is going to slip off the wings, like they are a sword through the belly of this giant bird. We seem to be floating, but I remind myself that there are such things as air currents and propulsion, and really, there is a scientific explanation for my being 30,000 feet above the ground. The man next to me is kind and helps reassure me. He has flown before. Now he is sleeping, breathing quietly, I wish I was that calm, but the adrenaline is getting to me. I don't understand how people get so used to flight that they don't appreciate what is actually happening to them. We are skimming the atmosphere. Outrunning the sunrise, but not for long. A jet flies under us, a white contrail marking it's swift path. Impressive. A white haze seems to surround us. It is beautiful, but still scary, like the planet below is a phantom and some how less solid then it really is.

We are passing over a city. Swirls and grids of lights still shine below, a circuit of fireflies. I think I can see cloud cover below, it looks like snake skin over the planet. I know I can see the wing shaking. We are heading into rain coming into Chicago. Clouds hang in front of us like a massive white sea, soft and rolling. Bumps, I am nervous, but almost everyone else is a snooze in their beds. We are on the cotton sea of white. I can see the layers of atmosphere. I listen to the flight radio. All seems well. It is white on all sides now, with a pink sunrise bobbing on the horizon. It is lovely. And I am getting more comfortable with this flying business.

The stewardess tells us there is 30 more minutes left in the trip and it will be a bumpy decent. I feel like I can see the clouds swirl under us. They grow rougher. Floating over choppy seas. I need to use the bathroom... but I don't want to disturb the sleeping man to my room. The sky is pale blue now, but still no sight of sun. I hope the flight to Japan is just as smooth. This was actually enjoyable. I hear the engines rev, We are descending into the white, now grey, sea. It engulfs us and all color is lost. I feel like I am in the twilight zone, off to another dimension. But I suppose that isn't far from the truth, waking up in another state in another time.

All is gray. They are talking about us on the radio. It is mostly fuzz in an alien language. All I can hear is our call number, United 705. You can't tell if your moving when the world is gray. We go through some turbulence, one of the wing flaps look like it is breathing as it twitches in the air. We are descending, though you can hardly tell for the gray. But the plane is now pointing downwards, that much is clear.

Happy Landings.

Chicago O'Hare, stop 1

As I write this I am chilling in the Chicago O'Hare Airport. It is a really nice airport but pretty darn big. In this one sub-terain walk through they have all of these neon lights in rainbows on the ceiling and different colored back lit on the wall. When I got off the plane from Dulles I was told to go three different place to get to where I needed to be. Finally I was corrected by a security officer who sent me in the right direction. Now I am in some unknown terminal, either 1 or 4 but I could not tell you which, with a few hours to kill. I have tried to make myself eat something but I really have no appetite after the flight. Though I wouldn't call my self ill, I am definitely not in the mood for food. I drank an Odwalla drink and tried to eat one of their health bars thinking it would be light enough on my stomach, but no go there, I got a few nibbles down and thats it. I might buy another odwalla drink to have on the flight cause I am not sure I will be able to consume any of the food they provide.

The flight over was uneventful. There was a bunch of turbulence coming over Chicago. It isn't called the windy city for nothing. I bought a convertor in one of the little junk shops that line the terminals. I figured I'd need one when I landed anyways, so why not. At least it's convenient.

I'm hoping that the flight to Japan is just as uneventful as the one to O'Hare. We are supposed to have rain. Though I suppose for most of the flight we will be so high up as to not matter. I have reading for this flight over, about 20 chapters worth, and it's not on my computer so when my computer runs out of battery I will still have that. It was odd though. My iPod didn't work on the way to Chicago. Everyone else on the flight was listening to something, but mine didn't work. I feared that putting it through the x-ray machine had killed it and was going to be very upset. But I plugged it into my computer when I got here, re-synced everything at it seems to be working fine now. I wonder what happened on the flight that made it not work. Perhaps interference? Everyone else's seemed to work. Maybe I will ask someone before I bored this time around.

I was considering spending the $6,65 to use the Airport wireless, but decided against it. Poor college student that I am. However I do think I am going to spend a dollar or two in quarters so I can call my mom. I might do that now. I have everything ready and am really just waiting for my Gate to open up and start dolling out boarding passes... which I already have. That they want you to pay for internet is ridiculous in my opinion. I hope there is FREE wifi at the dorms or even Narita... I doubt the Narita option.

I am amazed how much carry on luggage everyone brings. I just have my new backpack, but most people are carting around those little rolly bags with the handles. And not just one but like one of those and another bag. I was also surprised that I didn't have to go through another check point when I landed. I just went straight to the terminal without doing anything else. Which is almost disappointing because now I am just sitting here not doing much. But at least I have time to write these for my blog.

I changed my computer time to Chicago time. That way I can type and make sure I am not going to miss my flight. Not that I am going to loose track of time within 2 hours (probably less now). Something smells really buttery and rich and wholly unappetizing right now. Gag!

One thing that made me giggle at Dulles. In order to get from the entrance to terminal 5 or where ever I was you have to take these little "shuttle" things, which are anything but little or really shuttles. They are more like if someone put one of those giant trailers on a monster truck chase. They are ridiculously huge. When I was waiting for the one I was on to take me to where I needed to go, another one pulled in right next to us. Oh god, I wasn't worried about the plane at that point, I was worried about this thing crushing us. HUGE and SCARY. They make pretty hilarious noises too. They can book too. Like you would think something that big and high up off the ground (probably 20 feet) should be top heavy and slow, but no, they really can go. It wasn't that bad though. The ride on that was actually pretty fun.

Okay, going to the bathroom then calling mom... maybe I will buy another Odwalla or a smoothy or something light. Wish me luck if I don't update again. <3