Eve's Japan Adventure

And then I forgot...

2009-09-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

So I haven't touched this in quite some time. And if anyone has been waiting for me to update, which I doubt, I apologize for my lazyness. It has been almost exactly two months since I have posted.

The funny thing is quite a lot has happened in this period of time. In fact, some of the most interesting events to happen to me in Japan happened during that period. So I am going to endeavor to record at least one of these events every week for the next few weeks in order to write everything down. I'm not particularly good at keeping up this kind of thing, I am actually surprised and relatively pleased that I kept it up as much as I did.

The first thing I want to talk about happened Sunday the 26th I believe. At the farewell party held by MGU I met one of the male buddies named Aru. We had seen each other before at some of the dorm parties, but didn't really hang out much. Me and the rest of the WAC girls invited him and Yukiko, one of the other buddies, to come with us to Fridays, yes, there are Friday's in Tokyo, had a lovely time, ate a lot of delicious food I hadn't had in months. I mentioned that I wanted to see Kamakura, and the 大仏 and go see the beach and some of the other temples and things. Aru said he lived in Kamakura and offered to take anyone who had time to go on a tour.

Danyelle, Wendy, and I ended up being the only ones to go, but it was nice to go in such a small group. We woke up very early and rode the train into one of the stations close to Kamakura, but not Kamakura its self. Aru met us at the station and we walked to the first temple, which was this big georgeous complex, with really steep hills, and beautiful dark wood and white stucco structures. It was really peaceful, especially cause it was so early in the morning. I liked walking in the cool under the trees. All of the temples were really peaceful, but the ones outside of Tokyo are much more so, they don't seem so rushed, it gives you time to enjoy nature and the placement of art around the temples and how nature interacts with the buildings.

The temple buildings were these beautiful wooden structures. The old gate out front was huge, it is amazing that something that old, made such a long time ago by means we consider primitive and made from wood, could last such a long time. The carvings were beautiful, of dragons and birds and flowers. I believe the ceiling in one of the buildings in this complex was painted with different cranes, representing the thousand cranes that will grant a wish. And they were adorned with gold leaf, spanning over the giant Buddha underneath.

In another temple we went to they had a statue of a Buddha done in a very modern, and rather macabre light. It was the starved Siddhartha, sitting under the tree. The Buddha looked emaciated, frail, and anything but holy. But it really makes you think about the sacrifices you must make to better yourself, and how sometimes you must come to the point of self destruction, it order to join the great all. It was kind of creepy, but I think it was a very beautiful statue too.

In another temple, there was a building, where you could take you shoes off and go to this lovely veranda that wrapped around an open air room with different kannon on the inside. The back of this veranda looked out onto this GLORIOUS man made zen landscape, with a beautiful little robin eggs blue pond that reflected the color of the sky. And grass so green and untouched it looked like it came out of a painting. There was a little stone bridge that went over the thinnest part of the pond where it bottle necked, the bridge looked so worn and old, I don't even want to guess at how old it was. I rock was embedded in the grass, so the grass looked like a sea lapping around it, seamlessly connected with no indication of how far down the rock went. There was also a little gnarly pine on top of one of the rolling hills that framed the scene, some little magpies were flitting about on the tree.

As we sat, we saw these two birds spot bugs and chase them over the water, and up the hills, around the tree, chasing them almost to the porch and then both pulling up at the last second to avoid running into people. At one point the bird caught the tail of a butterfly, chasing this way and that, so that the butterfly skidded off the water for a minute, escaping momentarily, only to be swooped down upon. It was really quite a show. But very peaceful and exciting at the same time. Natures circle at work.

In one temple there were symbols that looked like the Zelda tri-force every where. We were all very confused for a while, until we had Aru ask a man at the front gate what they meant. Apparently they were the family crest of a local family who donated large sums to the temples, and thus received honor through the symbols and protection of the temple. It was very interesting, and sure enough, we saw the exact same symbols at more temples, on rafters on roofs, on doors, on stones, by lanterns.

The art in the temples was amazing. One of my favorite sources of art from all of the temples are the rock engravings that are scattered all around temple grounds. Usually in some kind of garden, or in a court yard area you can find many foot tall stone slabs engraved with the effigies of different kannon. Many of them have little stacks of yen in front of them or on top of them.

In one of the courtyards there were about 80 of these little half statues, with the raised part of therock where their hands or things the kannon were carrying were were piled with yen. Some had flowers or other tributes on or around them. It was beautiful walking through them, loking at the careful detail that remains after Buddha knows how many years, slowly being smoothed down by the weather and time. It really was lovely.

In another of the temples, there was a little walk way that led to the top of this path, past one of the houses where the monks were. It had tiny statues scattered trough the underbrush. Old stone monuments, looking like little dwarfs poking their heads up along the path, most under a meter tall. I even saw one that looked like it had been carved from a piece of an old tree root, was just sitting on top of tree stump, that had been hollowed out by rain, and the remaining water filled hole had yen in it, and piles of yen around the little figure it's self.

During this trip, for lunch, we went to this special kind of soba noodle shop called nagashi somen. We sat out side on this really really long pick-nick table kind of thing, that had a halved bamboo stalk in the middle, angled downward slightly. They turn a little faucet on at the top of the bamboo and plop little rounds of soba noodles and send them sliding down the shoot, where you have to pluck them out with your chop sticks. They give you little bowls of broth and spices and an egg cake (kinda like an omelet slice). Another popular food stuff in Kamakura is sweet potato, which are very un-like the yams we are used to. They are pale on the inside, and have a dark purple peel. They gave us a kinda of mush, made from pureed sweet potato to mix into the broth. It was very good, and though it was a little expensive (about 25$/person) they really feed you a lot. It's up to you to keep eating, cause they will keep throwing noodles down until everyone stops eating. I was so stuffed after words. It is really very fun because you have to watch what everyone else on your side of the table is doing, and be courteous and ask the people down the stable from you if you want any more. It was a lot of fun.

After visiting the Dai Buttsu we made our way down to Kamakura beach. Besides an icky port-a-potty the beach was rather nice. I love the ocean, and Kamakura was wonderful. The water was warm, and relatively clear. I had fun splashing around in the waves, body surfing back to shore.

At one point this guy came up to me with one of the little pots they hold plants in before potting them. He handed it to me and said "present". I looked in it and found that there was a little crab in it. I tried to give it back to him, but he said it was a present. So it took it and carefully swam as far out as I could and tossed the little thing back into the water, then swam back to shore to avoid it pinching my little toes.

The beach was so nice. I love the ocean and Kamakura was an awesome beach. It was the first sand beach I have been to since I went to Kitty Hawk my senior year. It had a lot of little sea side shacks that offered music, food and booze, as well as a place to sit and relax out of the sun. It was all of course way overly priced, but it was still rather nice. We stayed at the beach for a really long time, about 4 hours.

Once we were all good and tired out we went back towards where the train station was. There was this really awesome, but smokey Okonamiyaki joint. It was Tabemono, so we could eat and order as much as we wanted to within two hours. It was amazing, and they had an awesome selection. I stuffed my self more than I can possibly describe. I loved the curry flavored and the kimchi flavored Okonamiyaki and ordered two yaki soba. It was sooooo good.

The only problem was that they sat us upstairs and that there was NOOO ventilation up there. So all of this smoke pooled in the room, and it was terrible combined with sea water eyes. We all ended up crying our eyes out and having to go to the bathroom repeatedly to wash our eyes out. So that kinda sucked, but the food was so good, and as more people in the tables next to us left, it was better.

We all parted ways kinda close to 11, it had been a very long, but an amazing day. It was probably the best day of my time in Japan. I loved it, and a big shout out thanks to Aru for taking Danyelle, Wendy, and me.

Kanjinchou; my essay for kabuki.

2009-07-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

After reading the description, I note that this is supposed to be one of Japans favorite Kabuki, mostly because of the heroics of the main characters and the respect and dedication they show each other. I can see how the story and the bravery of the characters would make it a favorite play in Japan. The main characters fit very well the character type of the brave AND smart hero. They don't just use their strength to get out of difficult situations, they use their brain, and show proper respect to people of equal skill, even if they are meant to be their opponent. This seems to be one of the more realistic plays where it doesn't exaggerate actions or situations as much as in some plays such a Shibaraku or even double love suicide. The play seems to appeal to our sense of emotion more than a sense of action. But I find it very nice that way. It is a very emotional provocative play, and really appeals to your sense of what is right and loyal.

I do notice about that the dialog and accompanying music is very nice. I greatly enjoy the rhythmic dialog of this play in particular. Since this uses dialog so heavily it is very pleasing to the ears I think. Especially the dialog of the priest/retainer (though it may just be this actor in particular) I thought had a very nice tone and was particularly easy to listen to. The speed of dialog also helps to express emotion a lot. Like when the main retainer is being quized about different things in Buddhism and it gets really fast. Also the part where the retainer is apologizing for almost beating his lord. His voice gets very low and humble, it's very interesting to be able to listen to so much dialog, usually there is not so much dialog in large clumps.

I also see very much how the lord is portraid a little bit like a women. The actor does even look like an Onna-gata. The way he cries when his main retainer is begging forgiveness. Also the way he talks seems very feminien to me. But it almost makes the relationship better, you can see that this man does not have to protect this boy but that he really really does love and respect him. And that the lord returns the feelings.

The dance/fight scenes once they start are also very nice. The movements of the actors in this play remind me a little more of Noh or Bunraku. The use small movements and facial expressions to great advantage in order to portray the emotions these very interesting characterws are feeling. I also find it interesting that for most of the dialogs the actors are facing the audiance. Which was the case with many of the kabuki plays we watched but this is the first in which I really noticed it. I really love the scene where the main retainer uses his fan and dose a short dance sequence. It is very pretty, and again, almost feminen, kind of showing just how much it took for him to cry because he is such a masculine character.

I also really love the back ground music in the play. More than any other I thought the back ground music really helped to set the feel for the scene. I love the chorous and other musicians in this play. The music goes very well with how the dialog sounds, it makes it all very poetic.

It is a real statement I think on the why masculinity is viewed. He cries for the first time, after almost beating his lord to death and then being forgiven, which shows how tough he is and how loyal and devoted he is. But then he can turn right around and drink two full gourds of sake and keep on going. Also he can be loud and boisterous but it doesn't attract from his appeal. Also, I find this character acts in a very high manner. Not an arrogant manner, but he acts very wise and professional. He acts like a priest should act, he acts his strength.

The second fan dance after drinking sake is also very impressive. And again I enjoy the music quite a lot. I would not be able to dance so well after drinking that much sake. The exit of the lord and the music with this dance scene is wonderful. As far as music is concerned this is probably my favorite kabuki we have seen thus far.

For anyone not in my class, or who has never seen this kabuki in particular, I highly recommend it. Just be sure to read the plot before. I want a CD of just the music from this kabuki.

HOPE YOU ENJOY!
~Eve

Tea Ceremony class and what it has taught me

2009-07-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

Tea ceremony is all about balance and looking into our self while feeling out side of our self. You must concentrate on your feelings and body, creating the best self you can. While at the same time you must use all of your senses to feel what is going on in the tea house, with the host and the other guests, as well as feel the nature that is reflected in the atmosphere of the tea house. The Tea Ceremony is all about balancing with the things around us while finding balance in our self.

The Tea Ceremony class always made me happy. It forced me to be calm, forget all my anger and problems of the day, and focus on an act as simple as making a cup of tea, or eating a sweet, or looking at a wall scroll. I always felt more relaxed in the class, and felt more centered and pleased with my self after words. It was the perfect way to relax.

It also makes you stop and look at and appreciate nature in a way that few people do in today's society. It made me happy to come in and see the flowers, and to note how they matched the beauty and grace of the caligraphy in the scroll, and how everything went together to mimic the atmosphere outside.

I hope to learn more about the tea ceremony through my own research and keep it up through practice by my self. I would like to learn how to preform the whol ceremony, and get good at it enough to clear my mind through the whole thing and simply focus on good thoughts. This is what I see as the goal of the ceremony.

I really enjoyed my tea ceremony class in Japan. It was a very powerful class for me, and taught me a lot about relaxation, as well as Japans cultural history.

Thanks to my Sensei's

Nakagome Farm and Yamanashi Prefecture: Fresh fruit, BBQ and naked people.

2009-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

So, now that I am done with my kabuki posts, it's on to the sillier things. I want to just point out real quick that this post should be dated 06/20.

On the 20th of June, Saturday, was the Bus Tour out to Yamanashi prefecture. This was set up by the Yokohama Buddies. Apparently how it works is that the Shirokane Buddies get fall and the Yokohama buddies get the spring trip, but it was all cool. I feel very lucky that I even got to go on this, there were a very small amount of spots open for the trip and they had to do a drawing of the people who actually signed up on time. A lot of people forgot and weren't even allowed to sign up late; bad for them but it was great for me. Luckily for me I was one of the people called to go. Actually, I was surprised that all of the Washington College students were drawn for the trip, but it was really lucky for us. I had really wanted to go for two reasons; 1.) there was going to be free BBQ and I LOVE free food especially when it is cooked over open flame, 2.)I had never been to an onsen, which is one of the things you MUST do when you go to Japan and that was going to be the big ending for this trip. So I had been praying really hard, and I guess someone listened (shout out to the powers that be.)

Anyways, we were supposed to meet in Totsuka, which is where the Yokohama campus of Meiji Gakuin is, really REALLY early (7:30am) so we would have enough time to get over there. Totsuka is a good ways away, so Danyelle went with me and we left around 6am I think, maybe a bit earlier (I believe I woke up at 5.) A lot of people actually didn't make it because they didn't get going earlier enough, which was kind of a downer cause it meant other people could have come, but se la vie.

We get to Totsuka, right on time. Start meeting up with other people from Shirokanedai. We are trying to find the meeting place, which we all think is some kind of food court type thing that is supposed to be outside one of the exits. We get to said exit and don't see the place we are supposed to be looking for. We end up calling one of the buddies and telling them to come find us cause we don't know where they are. It ends up "right outside the exit" was down the road and across and intersection and more like a super market. Oh well, someone gets us and we get there, actually a while before everyone else does. People keep spilling in for some time after we get to the bus.

Now, about this bus. The bus was pimped out. It had chandeliers on the ceiling, something kinda like disco dance floor lights as runners on the ceiling in different primary colors, and like gold and black fur de lies theme every where. I believe the giant plaque at the front of the bus said "King of Resort" which the UofC guys behind my seat found very funny and were referencing continually the entire trip. But the bus was pretty bamf. It even had a karaoke system, which we put to good use on the way back to Totsuka.

So we finally get going, almost an hour late, but what do you expect from college kids. The drive down to Yamanashi was really nice. I liked looking at the scenery. We must have gone over some mountain range because it got very lumpy. It was amazing seeing the huge steeply slopping mountains that looked like something out of a watercolor scroll. And the rivers and irrigation ditches winding between the terraced rice patties. It was really pretty to go through the Japanese country-side. I enjoyed seeing mountains again, even if they were completely different from the rolling ones you find in Appalachia.

Another thing that amazed me about the trip; Japanese rest stops. They are amazing. They have so many different souvenir shops and restaurants, and even farmers markets. And they were all so clean, it was amazing. I really liked the ones we stopped at, though we were lucky (I guess) to only need to stop once going and once coming. We had an awesome view of Fuji-yama from the rest stop coming, and going and we stayed under the mountain for most of the rest of the trip.

We finally got to the farm. It was really pretty and we were in for a surprise. We had originally though we were only going to pick cherries, but we also got to pick plums and peaches. Though we were only allowed to pick from one peach tree, and that poor tree had nothing on it once we were done with it. I actually liked the plums and so focused on them, though I did get a really good peach from the tree, but didn't go back for seconds.

After we left the peach and plum half of the orchard, we piled back on the bus and drove a little ways down the road where we got off the bus again and walked to the netted green houses where they had the cherries. The cherries were some of the most beautiful cherries I have ever seen. I perfect crimson red. And soo sooooo sweet. I am used to the black cherries we get more in VA, or even the white cherries, but they aren't that sweet, and the black cherries are down right sour in comparison. They were so wonderful, I really did stuff my face so much, it was ridiculous. I was stripping trees of fruit, or at least the ripe and good stuff. It was a lot of fun just in the act of picking the cherries. It kinda reminded me of the pick your own places where I live. I had a lot of fun running around and looking for the best fruit.

Once we had gorged our selves on fruit we walked over to the BBQ area. They had a few oil drums cut in half and set up on little legs as makeshift fire pits. They worked really well though surprisingly. They also had little grates or pans to put on top of them. We ended up doing kinda a B.S.ed BBQ because they only had the uber-thin cut meat that seems to be all they have in Japan. It's kinda depressing, I was hoping for a T-bone or a nice Chicken breast, but beggers can't be choosers, and meat is meat, and it's something we don't really get that often. It was really good too. We also had veggies, which are another luxury we don't get that often as poor college students in Japan. I grilled to my hearts content and ate till I litteraly couldn't eat anymore. And they had MARSHMELLOWS! I was so pleased. I think I had like 15 or so.

Then we all pilled back on the bus to digest a bit. I was waddling, I won't lie. We drove a pretty good distance to get to the Onsen. I was much more digested when we got there. Now, the issue with the onsen is that I am a touch self concious about my body. And most Americans at least have a very different opinion of public nudity than the Japanese bath culture has. It's not one is wrong ect. its just a cultural difference. What is considered bonding in Japan is awkward in America. But I was determined to give it a shot, because it is a big major cultural thing, and actually sounded like fun once you got used to it.

The Onsen was actually a BUNCH smaller than I thought it would be. I was expecting like a giant swimming center like place, at least on the outside. Or maybe like a really pretty landscaped place. But it kinda looked like a Moose Lodge. I actually felt kinda bad, when the bus pulled up to the curve I actually exclaimed "is this IT?!" which got a laugh out of a lot of people. I really didn't know what to expect though and in my mind I thought it would be bigger, or at least a bit nicer looking. Also, I had been hopping it would be one of the outside ones with the rock out-cropping. But no such luck their either.

We got into the Onsen. Like most places in Japan it had the little cubbyholes for your shoes at the door and we all got a pair of slippers to wear around. We all took a seat on the little cushions in a big tatami matted "rest room" and waited to be told what to do and where to go. By now most people were either excited or really nervous about getting in the onsen. I was kind of at the point where I was going to do it and there was no going back. I am anything if not determined.

We finally were able to go into the little room in back where they had a changing room and little laundry baskets in cubbys for your clothes and towels. Also a sink and scale, maybe people try and loose weight by subjecting them selves to large amounts of heat. But once we got in there I did it. I think I was the second one in the actual onsen room, which was seperated from the changing room by a slidding glass door.

They had little stools and buckets in front of a mirror almost like a little vanity area with a shower head. The showers in Japan have multi-function set ups, they have the usual shower head, which also usually has a high and low water preasure nob. And they also have a faucet function so you could fill up a tub, but in Japan its usually meant for filling up buckets to rinse quickly with. The little vanity shower areas also had body wash and shampoo. You have to shower very thuroughly before entering an onsen in order to keep the water clean and for the other guests benefit. Its actually nice to just shower off in the steamy room, that was kinda fun in it's self.

The actual bath part kind of reminded me of the rowning practice boxes they have in the boat house at my college. A giant wooden box built into the floor. It had another smaller wooden bow next to it with a little dividing step. We were told that the big one held the hot water and the other one was a cold water dunking pool. Quickly most people found that the dunking pool was a great idea. The water was really really hot, but very nice. You could tell it was a little different from tap water, it felt smoother, also a little more boiant, though that could have been because it was so hot. It definitely had some mineral content in it. One of the oba-chan who was in their before we got there said it made your skin smooth, and it really really did.

I was amazed how un-awkward it was once we all actually got in the pool. We all kept making jokes about how we weren't going to be able to talk to any of the people present with a straight face ever again, but it wasn't weird. It felt comfortable to me. No one was doing that comparing thing that girls are really good at, which was what I thought would be the main issue. It was really nice just relaxing in the warm water. I'm pretty sure I turned the red of a lobster after a while just cause of how hot the water was. I had to get up and dunk my self in the cool water box a few times just because I was starting to get woozie. I almost burned my self when I swam to close to the little tap/box thing that the water came out of. It was really hot. I wonder if it come out of the spring that hot or if they heat it up before hand. I'd be impressed if that was the temperature it came up at.

Everyone ended up crammed into the cool pool at some point, just to keep from passing out from full stomachs and the heat. We ended up roatating so that a few people would get into the cool box and a few people would leave the cool box at the same time, but the cool box was the more crowded of the two, partly I guess because it was a forth the size. I really did enjoy it though, and I still spent most of my time in the hot water pool. So nice and waaaaarm! <3

I really want to go to and Onsen again, we are thinking of going to this really big and kinda famous one in Odaiba. We sadly only got to stay there for an hour, I would have liked to stay longer but I think I would have been too well done at that point, so maybe it was a good thing to keep Eve from being hard-boiled. They had a little gift shop where you could get some food stuffs. I bought a thing of ice cream (crem-brule, mmm) and a big pack of candied ginger that a nursed for almost 2 weeks after going, it was really really good. I have decided that I actually liked that Onsen. The small size was kind of nice, especially for a first time Onsen go-er, it was a very friendly size and still remained a little less open, so it was kind of nice.

The drive back seemed to take longer. I slept for part of it, and got a horrible crick in my neck, but I felt better. At some point they turned on the karaoke set, and there was a bit of singing, but we were almost home by then, so it didn't really matter.

All in all it was a very very fun trip. I really enjoyed it. Shout out to CICE for helping set it up. And a big thanks to the buddies for all the organizing.

And that is the tale of my first time in an Onsen.
WOOT! Getting Naked!
~Eve

十二夜vs.かかさいゆうき: Twelfth Night vs. Saiyuki

2009-07-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

As you can see, with the help of my lovely tutor and friend, Wendy, I now know how to type in Japanese. This is both a good and bad thing. Good in that it is now going to be sooooo much easier for me to practice Japanese and to do my projects ect. Bad in that you poor people are going to be the ones subjected to my Japanese ramblings and are thus not going to understand very much. But know that your patience and understanding is appreciated, and that this really might be a big turning point in my language study.

So FINALLY, we come to the last installment of the Twelfth Night/Saiyuki posts. And all I can say is it took me long enough. For your information I am about 3 weeks behind. I will probably make it a round month behind before I actually get totally caught up. But I will try my best not to dally in my blogging. I apologize if my tardiness inconveniences anyone who actually reads my dribble.

Anyways, onto the main event.

So the point of this post is to compare the similarities and differences in the styles of the two Kabuki that have been the topic of the past two blogs. I did this to an extent in the previous blog, so I apologize for any repetition. Basically I am breaking it down into a few main sections. Comparing performance style, how set and props affected that, and then comparing what I gathered from each play.

Obviously the performance style of each play was very different. Though both plays came from old stories they were very new scripts and neither play had ever been preformed as a kabuki before, not to the best of my knowledge anyways. Saiyuki was preformed as the epic adventure/action story that it (in my opinion) should be. With acrobatics and daring battle scenes I think it captured the adventuress feeling of the quest story it was derived from. Some of it's scenes, like the dance scene with the doppelganger monkey children and when Goku has to birth Hakai, make it almost like a comedy.

For me, the performance style of Saiyuki was very much like a mime act almost. You got the idea, or the feeling of humor or suspense, but all the time there was an under current of action, there wasn't really a down or up point to the play. Though admittedly the big fight scene at the end between the spider women and the good guys was the highlight and climax of the play. But all through out the play there was a sense of action.

The actors were also not the usual kabuki actors. The actor who played Goku studied dance and it was exceedingly apparent in his acting style. His movements sealed the performance for me. It was a slightly new way to preform a play. You really got an idea of the super kabuki element from how they acted, not to mention the stage set up and costumes.

Twelfth Night, however, I think kept very closely to that almost surreal feel that most of Shakespears plays have. Though parts of it were very humerus, such as with the "cross garter" scene, it remains a mystery story. There is a sense of drama to it, and it is not purely funny, but has to do with the emotions of many of the characters, especially since two think their sibling has died and some of the are suffering from unrequited love. And that was how Twelfth Night was acted, and I think should be acted. With emotion, when the characters are happy and laughing, it feels that way, when one is mourning that the one they love doesn't love them back, you feel bad.

I also got a very Western feel from the way the play was acted. It was very lightly acted, like most western plays and unlike most kabuki plays. The only real part where it felt kabuki (and even then it felt more Super Kabuki than the usual flavor) was in the scene on the boat in the storm, very big and loud. Everything else had the light "oh romeo where art thou" romantic feel. Usually romance is mixed with some form of depression in Kabuki because it seems that most lovers died terribly some how. This was mixed with only a mild desperation because half of the people aren't going to get a lover out of the situation. But even still, the play ended with a very happy ending, which is more than can be said for most kabuki plays with love as a topic. The whole play felt very western to me, it didn't feel like the usual kabuki. It felt lighter acted some how. More like natural people than the big Shibaraku type personalities. More real, not so dramatic.

With Saiyuki, the set and props matched the suspenseful feel. For example, when the castle starts decaying into the ruins when the evil spider women capture Sanzo, you really feel like "oh my, it's falling apart, RUN!" The costumes I though were just vibrant enough to grab attention and not be over the top.

In fact, compared to some kabuki's they were very low key. Even compared to other super kabuki, Saiyuki didn't try for outrageous, just exciting. The end scene for example, with the bright spider web kimono and the party streamers it was very exciting but it didn't have the over the top feel that Shibaraku, or the play with the guy and the huge anchor, or the きつね (kitsune/fox) Super Kabuki had. It was like a good action flick, exciting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat and saying wow, cool. But not so ridiculous to make you laugh and roll your eyes.

Twelfth Night's set kept with the dramatic Shakespeare feel. From the double sided glass in the beginning that almost eerily fades into the scene, to the spot lighted scene changes, where the main character is lit in such a very dramatically Shakespearean way. It made the play feel very dramatic. Also, the fact that you did have almost complete darkness for the scene changes was very dramatic because you didn't know what was coming next. It has highs and lows, it was a very emotional play, but still not acted as strongly as most of the kabuki. In their own ways, both of these plays were both acted much lighter than regular kabuki's. Twelfth Night was just more emotional, where as Saiyuki didn't have to be emotional to keep you interested.

Twelfth Night also didn't require any of the crazy acrobatic tricks in order to convey the message. The boat scene in the beginning was the only part that was truly amazing in the unbelievable sense. And even then only because you know there couldn't be an ocean on stage. The scene where the heroine is facing off with the foppish guy isn't actually that far from what one might expect to see in real life. Minus the strange costume, which is my opinion just kept to the silliness of the character and the slightly surreal feel found in all Shakespeare plays.

So, in short, I got a preservation of the Western traditional acting style from Twelfth Night. Saiyuki I felt a more modern western "action flick" style from the acting and the play as a whole. Though both had a surreal element, I though both tried to be less over the top than many of the Kabuki out there, while still managing to keep us guessing what was going to happen next. Saiyuki accomplished this through its fast pace action and humor filled acting and story interpritation (the dance scenes, the props, the colors). Where as Twelfth Night kept us hooked through it's appeal to our pathos and emotions, as well as it's dramatic use of lighting and set design. Both mixed non-Japanese stories into a very Japanese art for quite well. As represented in the costumes, the mixing of musical influences, and the acting styles. I think both plays represented the originals stories the came from quite well, though I would say that Twelfth Night kept closer to the original text than Saiyuki. I enjoyed both plays equally for different reasons. I hope that there is more mixing of cultures into Kabuki in the future. I would love to see an African based Kabuki, like the story of Anansi the spider trickster. Or a Brazillian story done to Kabuki. It is a wonderful way to spread culture and help introduce kabuki to other cultures by making it more reconizable for them.

Saiyki and Twelfth Night: Part 2, Saiyuki and how it compares to what I know.

2009-07-01T05:38:00.001-07:00

So two fridays ago I went and saw Kaka Saiyuki. I feel very behind in my posts but surprisingly a lot of things have been going on.

The play was amazing. I really enjoy this Kabuki theater as well. It is very new compared to the other ones I think. I look forward to going to it again this month. The kabuki theater is actually a play house for many different kinds of theaters, the Japan National Theater, and thus not really a kabuki theater at all. In fact I think they have a very Western play preforming there this month. But it is still a very nice Theater. It kind of reminds me of the Kennedy Center in D.C. and is the first Japanese theater I have been in to do so. Despite it's many parts it is still much smaller than the Kennedy Center. In fact, the room we were in held less people than either the Kabuki-za or the other theater we were in to see 12th Night. But it gave it a very friendly atmosphere I though, it was very homey, and not so intimidating as the other two.

The beginning of the play was awesome
because it was one of those introductory plays, I believe, that the National Theater puts on. I really enjoyed the beginning introduction to Kabuki. They had two of senior actors come out and give a small presentation on the different noises and movements of Kabuki and what they meant. My favorite was when the one guy pretended to be a ghost and control him. And they had a bit of chemical induced burning cloth on a bamboo pole that they wove around to make it look like a spirit. I thought that was really cool. I know it was chemically induced and real flame because it was green, and produced smoke, I was very impressed that they let real fire in a building, but I guess the could hundred years Kabuki has been practiced has been enough time to perfect the techniques implemented.

I also like it when the same man did the short dance piece, it was very good. They did it like a very entertaining comedy act, but even with out the head set ( I didn't have enough money at the time so I couldn't buy one) I understood enough for it to be funny, and for me to get the basic gist of what they were explaining. I thought it was a very good way to introduce people (especially children) to kabuki. They also explained what the different drum beats and different instruments represented. It was cool to hear the actual musicians with out any singing or talking over them. I think that all Japanese middle schools should take trips to the national theater. Most of the Japanese people I have talked to have never seen Kabuki and that is very sad I think. They should know more about their culture than I do, and most don't, at least not when it comes to Kabuki.

The opening scene was very cool, having Sanzo, Hakkai, and Gojiyo (the guys who are cool, but not quite as cool as Goku) walking down the Hanami to this big castle set. They are tired and thirsty from their travels. And while Sanzo (being the kind and wise priest) that he is goes off and talks to the lady of the castle (Queen) and meets up with her sister, who ends up kinda seducing him. While this is going on Hakkai decides to drink the wholy spring that will impregnate ANYONE that drinks from it... getting him pregnant. He finda this out after the maiddens of the court tell him this.

SO, since neither of them can do anything really about it, they call on the AWESOME POWER OF GOKU, the Monkey King. I am getting all of this from what I know of the original text (which is very little, but downloadable off of Wikipedia so I might have to read it) and the Mang/Anime series, which were both given very modern and almost modern vs. traditional twist, in that the Deamon bad guys also had robots, not to mention the main good guys were horribly horribly sexy, and in the original Goku is actually half monkey and Hakkai is a pig... so there are some comparisons that don't match up.

Goku, in a very very dramatic dance pice that was WICKED AWESOME!!! cuts open Hakkai and takes out the fetus... I wonder how the Evangelicals would view this part. I know this whole drama doesn't take place in the manga, but I wonder how closely to the original text they kept. Also the whole character relation in the manga was different. For example, in the manga Sanzo was actually the main and strongest Character. They also did a lot of back story on all of the characters. And Goku was not the wisest at all, in fact he was shown as a child and acted like one.

So again, I am thinking that this play kept closer to the original text, however, I know for a fact that the original text was very very long, and more like the manga/anime, had many different deamons that they had to come up against before they could fight the main deamon. I am guessing that this Kabuki version only took one of the mini battles from the original text, keeping character relations the same, but kept to the plot and feel of that one trial very closely. I will have to read the text to be sure, but this is my guess.

The play was wonderfully acted out though. Short of it is, the Queen and her sister turn out to be spider deamons that take Sanzo and bind him in this big rock. I believe Hakkai and Gojyo are kinda scared off after a futal attempt to save him, and are in fact then captured by a bunch of lesser spider deamonesses. Son Goku, makes a bunch of dople gangers (which are actually little children and they are SOOO ADORABLE!!!! and they do this cute cute dance session) which gives Goku more power. So he can go off and fight the big scary Spider Deamonesses.

The final fight scene between Goku and the Spider Deamons is awesome. They used great face paint to make them look like spider deamons, and you can really see why it is called Super Kabuki here. There was a lot of acrobatic work and this battle lasted a good long time. I was kind of tired just watching it. The goons of the Spider Deamonesses kept doing all the flips and drops and things when Goku attacked them. There ended up being a lot of them on stage. They also used different props to fight him. At one point they made a giant spider web out of rope and Goku actually sat on top of it and they lifted him and spun him around. They also used ladders and spears for the fight scene. The choreography was really excelent.

They did something else I approved of, and actually used replicas of the weapons that Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo use. All of which have a pole as part of them (a bow (stalf not bow and arrow), a rake type thing, and I can't remember the name of it but it has a crecent blade at the end of a pole) respectivally. They did some really awesome tricks with there weapons that remind me of my color guard days. In fact I know how to do all of the tricks they did except this one where Gojyo and Goku have traded weapons and Goku catches his own weapon in the 'U' part of Gojyos and spins them so that it looks like a helicopter. I believe I understand that basics of this move but have never had a flag pole with a 'U' shapped part at the end, so I have never had the ability to try. They did some very basic moves like butterflys and flourishes, but they must have had their poles really weighted other wise it would have been really hard to get the amount of speed they were getting. They also did some fun tricks like where everyone throws their pole at the person accross from them and catch the pole being thrown at them. Also where every one throws their pole straight up vertically and run around in a circle and catch the weapon of the person who WAS standing to their right. I was very impressed with their tossing ability.

I respect Super Kabuki a lot, because it is so new. Most of the people doing regular kabuki have been practicing since they were tiny. But with Super Kabuki, everything is new. So you have to learn a new style or a new skill from scratch, you haven't been seeing it for years. I think it would make it a lot harder, and it also gives people who are not hereditary kabuki actors a chance to get on stage and get major roles. Not to say that I like Super Kabuki better than regular Kabuki, I think they both have their good points. But I enjoyed seeing my first live super kabuki.

For example, going back to the learning new things, I loved the way Son Goku was portrayed. His dance scenes were done amazingly. The actor really acted like a Monkey, it was amazing. I wonder if he studied how monkeys moved and acted before doing the part, because he got many of their habits and mannerisms down pat. I really enjoyed it and it made the character much more fun. For example, the way he moved, and held him self kind of at a slouch the entier time. Also I LOVED the random belly or ear or head scratching he would do, just like a real monkey. It must have been really hard to get those movements down, they do not seem very natural for a human, but he did it effortlessly it seemed. I have never seen a kabuki that requierd the actor to act in a way that was nothing like human. The closest I have seen has probably been the lion dance or when a ghost is on stage, it does act like a zombie or something not alive more than a person, simply by it's movements or the way it holds its self.

I also really liked the use of make up in this kabuki. Goku looked like a monkey, Hakkai looked like a pig, and Sanzo looked distinguished. I never really understood what Gojyo was supposed to be anyways. I think some sort of water deamon, I know he is half and half, he looked very good though and very appropritate I think. And as I said before, the make up on the spider deamon people was AMAZING!!! They have big black fangs and most of their make up was black and white and a little gray in the cheeks and around the eyes I think.

Did I also mention the spider deamonesses had metalic orange kimono with black spider webs on it that were lifted to make them look bigger when they were pissed. They also made wonderful use of party favors. The little ones that shoot out streamers were used to represent webs and were everywhere for the big fight scene at the end.

I look forward to seeing this Kabuki again in the near future. I am hoping it comes out on dvd at some point, it will totally be on my birthday list for a while to come. I also would like to do a modern dance interperitation of this play, including the flag/stalf twiriling bits, since those were some of my favorite parts. I now want to read the translation of the original Saiyuki text and see how it compares with this play and the manga. Or at the least I want to read the part where they fight the spider deamon.

Again, I believe that the manga kept with the multiple battle story line (where they had to fight a lot of bad guys to get to the main bad guy and fulfill their purpose) where as this was like a mini plot, and indeed, looking back on it, they didn't really have any point in the plot line, Travlers, head of party captured by deamons, rescue head of party, continue traveling, nothing really REALLY resloved. Though I may have missed the part that says they are on some quest due to the lack of the head set. This is one of the plays where I wish I had had the head set. Next play I go to I must remember to get one. However, digressing, I believe that this play stuck to the characters personas better, instead of having Goku as the annoying kid who happens to fight good, he is the wisest and toughest of the group. I liked the combination, but it leaves me wanting more, I want to see part two or the sequal to this play. I need to watch more Super Kabuki and see if I like them just as much.

Expect Part 3 this weekend. That will hopefully compare Saiyuki and 12th Night to each other. A new form of Western based Kabuki and Super Kabuki.
Hope you enjoyed.
~Eve

FIRST POST OF JULY!

2009-07-01T04:59:00.000-07:00

W00T I lived through another month in Japan!

June threw more stuff at me than I know what to do with. It did throw a bit more stability my way though, and for that I am very grateful. However there is still so much to do, and I'm not sure enough time anymore. But my better personal out look will help me get through it, and I'm going to take things as easily as I can.

Work is important, but I still want to have fun, and I need to realize when I am laying my head on the cutting block and setting my self up for a let down.

I think July will bring more stability as well as a winding down that will be much appreciated.

Wish me luck in this, the last month of my stay here.
~Eve

Kabuki: Twelfth Night and Saiyuki a blog in three parts.

2009-06-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

So last Wednesday I went and saw Twelfth Night by Ninagawa in the Shinbashi Enbujo. I actually really liked the theater. It was certainly newer than Kabuki-za, and felt newer, but it kinda lacked the character Kabuki-za has. I really liked the set up of the building, and it is in a very convenient location. I also really liked my seat cause it gave me a good view of the hanamichi, only issue was that the closest corner of the stage was almost completely lost to view. Luckily this wasn't too big a deal for this play, as it used a stage prop I had never seen used before; mirrors. The stage was surrounded on mirrors on both sides, so that I could still see the actors even if they were hidden behind the balcony ledge (which was where I was sitting.) But nothing important was hidden from direct view, and I loved the view, though I think I would opt to sit in the far right corner of the seats facing the stage for next time.

This play was amazing and will always stand out in my mind for just how beautifully artistic, creative, and original, it's mixing of western and kabuki acting, scenery, and props was. It really captured all that was good about both kinds of theater and combined them into something breath taking.

One of the first things that struck me was the music combination. They used the lute, harpsichord, and string music traditionally found in the Shakespearean plays and combined it with the drums and shamisen of the kabuki plays. I wouldn't have though it would go well together, and it took me a minute to understand what I was hearing when it started before curtain went up. But really, it turned out wonderfully, the strings helped to back up and create background music for the drums, and also helped create a mood that I think is some times hard to make with the instruments available in kabuki music. The music in kabuki I find to be much stronger, where as the music in Shakespear's plays can be to soft and flouncy. The combination really balanced it out.

The first scene was really breath taking. They used an interesting effect quite a lot in this play; the fade out/in. The first scene appeared to be a glass screen with children singing one of the opening songs that is almost always found in Shakespeare but not kabuki. The glass screen was actually double sided glass that when the spot was shown on the singing children you could see them, but nothing behind the glass. But slowly they lit the scenery behind the glass revealing a giant cherry tree with blossoms falling and a court set with a harpsichord on stage and the children singing. It was really breath taking watching the tree magically materialize behind the children. the glass curtain raised at some point to reveal the whole stage un-obscured.

The plot seemed to carry on exactly like the Shakespeare story. Sadly I didn't get the head phones. I now wish I had just to see if the translation was exact from the original script. The main lord came out and did his opening speech, I believe saying he had to send his children off to another land and how sad he was.

The an amazing scene change and the hero"s" come out on a boat, that looked very believable, in heroic pose. The storm scene was amazing. They used strobes and fog machines. Very super kabuki I thought. With the waves moving (people under cloth, but it looked very scary with the lights and sounds, very intense) and washing the prince out to sea.

Another thing that amazed me was how quickly they could do costume changes on the actor that played both the prince and princess. It was amazing, he would go into a room or boat and come out in a completely different costume. It must have been so hard to get it that fast and coordinated. I can't even imagine how many people he had helping him change that fast.

I thought they caught the spirit of the characters from the original play very well. There is always a certain way you supposed to play the maid, or the drunken fop, or the main princess, or the one that all the guys like. They have a set personality that you are supposed to provoke. I haven't watched any Kabuki plays more than once, but I am sure there is an archetype. However it would seem to me that many of the characters in kabuki have far more subdued personalities. Where as characters in Shakespeare were always the epitome of the person they were trying to project, they took a personality trait to the limit and over, making it ridiculous. All of Kabuki is very subdued and softer. So they hit somewhere in the middle, again. Like with the Foppish character. Not only was his costume and way of speaking suggestive (he even used an English word in now and then for purely comedic effect, and it worked when he did it in his nancy boy accent, very funny), but he was much more active and used much more gesturing. One thing that stuck in my mind, when he was first introduced, in the head princesses home, he fidgeted. And I thought to my self "he's fidgeting, you don't fidget in kabuki, you usually try not to fidget in Japanese culture generally, and he is fidgeting." If I remember correctly the character does indeed fidget in the Shakespeare play as well. So they must have followed a lot of the original stage directions.

Another thing that I found interesting was the strength of the women in the plays. Though both kabuki and Shakespeare don't use women on stage, kabuki plays seem to portray women in a much softer more feminine role. Where as in this play, you have a woman cross dressing (which isn't un heard of in Japanese theater, from both the original kabuki plays to the newer ones where women dress as men (can't remember what they are called)) and even the maid in this play is cocky, tough, sly, and witty. The Princess too, refuses to marry someone who it would traditionally be beneficial to marry. So I think this play put women in a much stronger role than they are usually given in traditional kabuki plot lines. You can have strong female figures in kabuki, but they still portray a lighter more refined personality.

Like in one scene where the main character princess (dressed as a kind guy) does the only dance scene in the play (which was GORGEOUS) and then after words he is complimenting him (her, but he thinks she is a guy) and she kind of faints, or gets short of breath afterwords. It's a very new way I think for kabuki to show women.

Back to effects. One of the things I liked was how they implemented the fact that the stage turns. It was the most scene changes I have seen in a kabuki thus far. I wish I had kept count. And almost every time, they dimmed the stage lights so that it was just one spotlight on a main actor that followed them as the scene change slowly hid them from view. I bet Shakespeare wishes they had had that technology in his time, because it was so perfect for this play. It was a very dramatic way for a actor to leave the stage after their speech was over. In Shakespearean plays usually, if an especially important scene has just happened (like the one where the Princess explains her love of her new found Lord and how it pains her because she loves the neighboring Lady so much and she is disguised as a man and might be punished or banished from his sight if her reveals her *deep breath*) it is a wonderful way to raise the drama level and let the audience applaud the wonderful scene. So I really approved of that use of stage design.

The addition of the dance scene was very nice too I thought. In Shakespeare there was often a soliloquy or one of the actors would sing a ballad about something that would pertain to the story in some way. But this was very nice, I like it much better. The dance scenes are one of my favorite parts of Kabuki, and I would love to have a recording of this dance scene to memorize it, it was very well choreographed. Or better yet, I would love to have this whole kabuki on dvd. But I approved of the addition of that scene. It worked well to express the heroins love of the lord.

I love the way they adopted the costumes to fit the scene where the court counselor for the Princess comes out dressed in a ridiculous all yellow costume. Since obviously they couldn't have him where yellow cross garter stockings, I think they did a great job making it just as over the top. The yellow tabi socks were hilarious. Again, I almost wish I had gotten the translation head phones so I could see how they adapted that part of the script so that it was talking about Japanese court clothing instead of English court clothing. I wonder if I can find an online copy of the skript.

The set designs were briliant. That is one way in which this play as a kabuki trumps the original version. There was not much room for intricate sets in Shakespeares time, and even now the sets are usually much different. But the lords houses that backed eachother and were changed just by turning the stage were amazing. As was the garden of white flowers with the bridges over them that the last scene and I think a majority of the scenes took place at, was beautiful, and nothing that I have seen done for this play. The detail was amazing.

Though some of the changes were very cultural in nature. For example, in many versions of this play, at the drinking party they are in the back room (or kitchen like area) of the princess manner, so it looks like servent quarters, not the reagle tatami mats that were used in this play. However, I do not think that these little changes added or subtracted anything from the play, though I do think it would have helped to show just how laid back the fop, the jester, and the other retainer dude were with the maid and each other. Much of the Japanese higher archy system was kept. Except for the fact that the people affore mentioned were allowed to beat up the court counselor with out any form of punishment, which would never have happened in japanese fudel society. But I think that was just them trying to stay as true to Shakespears script as possible.

All in all I thought this was an amazing play, and my favorite I have seen thus far, even over Saiyuki, despite that being the more active of the two. It might just be because I can understand the plot line of this and am familiar with the story, but I do not think that influences my opinion much, because despit it being the same story, much of the set, and look and feel of it have changed. So it is really a completely new telling. I loved it, the music and the art of it. If I have a chance I will buy a copy of it, or maybe it will show somewhere in America and I will see it again there live. I hope to see it again one day. Eve gives Twelfth Night by Ninagawa 5 big bright shinny stars!

Thus ends post one of this three post series. Now I am off to practice Japanese. I will maybe start another post some time tonight if I have time. If not you can expect the next two of this series and probably one more by next week.

Wish me luck!
~Eve

Shouldn't be funny, but is....

2009-06-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

If you have ever been to Japan, or plan on going to Japan, this is relevant to you and also fun. But warning, it is terribly terribly not PC. So I feel kind of bad for saying this is so funny. But on the cultural side, it is really something you will understand and probably feel if you go to Japan for an extended period of time. I hope I don't offend anyone <3.

On Swine Flu:
http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/2091/Kazuhide%27s+Swine+Flu+Announcement

On Random Stuff:
http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/1480/The+Best+of+Kazuhide

Mitaka: Ghibli and all it's glory; Suburban Tokyo and it's calm.

2009-06-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

(FYI this is the bones for my power point for a class. I also added some personal notes and observations about the Museum at the bottom. Enjoy.)

Mitaka: Ghibli and all it's glory; Suburban Tokyo and it's calm.

Mitaka-General Information:
estimated pop of 175,995
Mitaka City officially founded Nov, 3 1950, but history dates back to 1590.
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan location
Mitaka City has a total area is 16.50 km²

In planning:
The Ghibli Museum website http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/top.html is very helpful.
Comes in English.
Brochure given to you at the Museum is written in many different languages.
Tells you how and where to buy tickets.
In Japan you can buy the tickets at the Loppi machines in Lawson.
(Hint for English speaking students: The Loppi machines don't really work the way they say they do on the website, but the lovely people at the Lawsons can help.)
Tickets are 1000 yen for adults.

Mitaka- How to get there and where it is:
From Shinjuku you can take the Chuo Rapid Line all the way to Mitaka.
It takes about 15-20 minutes.
Take about 30-40minutes on regular line.
210 yen from Shinjuku

From station, to Ghibli:
South Exit of Station.
Take Bus #9
Can't miss it, no really it's large and yellow and have a bunch of Miyazaki creatures on it...
bus is 200 yen one way and 300 yen round trip.
You can also easily walk from the station to Ghibli and back by following the "waterworks" (little river) that runs from one corner of the station to Ghibli.

Entrance to museum:
Museum opens at 10 am
Tickets are time, you must arrive at museum at the appointed time on your tickets or you will not get in.
Make sure you order tickets ahead of time!
Once in you can stay until the museum closes
Museum is rather small so you probably won't need much time.
Get there early to get in front of the little kids >.>

Museum:
The museum its self is very small,
About 7 rooms, including the book store and gift shop.
Saturn Theater: what your ticket money really goes to.
Interactive exhibits.
Cafe is expensive, but there is smaller food stand that is reasonable.
Pack a lunch, or have a big breakfast and go eat somewhere in town.

Museum Part Two:
The architecture is amazing.
Be sure to pay attention to the small details around the building.
Teaches you a lot about animation and film in general
Saturn Theater performances change every few weeks.
It is worth it to go just to see a miyazaki short.

Mitaka Park: Inokashira Park
Park next to Ghibli
Very nice place, very big. Popular during Cherry blossom season.
Lake in the park.
Land was given to Tokyo in 113 and park opened in 1918. Considered a gift from the Emperor to the people.

Mitaka Park: Inokashira Park Part 2
5 min walk from Kichijōji (JR Chūō line),
1 min walk from Inokashira Kōen (Keiō Inokashira Line)
The Park contains a small temple dedicated to Benzaiten
petting zoo and a small aquarium, vendors, musicians, artists and street performers gather

Mitaka City: The area around the station and what I found there.
There is a small foreign food market down the street from station.
Lots of nice food vendors in train station.
Good selection of fast food and traditional Japanese fare.
Cute boutiques.
Not really that much in the town, but I didn't look around that much.

Random writing time----------

The first room on entrance besides the Main Hall which the whole museum centers around is a room that shows how animation works. It actually took me a while to figure out that this was the actual purpose of the room. I assume it would have been more obvious if I could have read the descriptions on everything, but I at first thought it was just a cool place displaying Miyazakis work in interesting ways. There are many examples of Miyazaki's art, of basic sketches and figurines put to action. Its really cool to watch the giant spinning tree of Miyazaki characters put to motion the same way in a movie reel. With strobe lights and pillars. It actually looks a little like claymation or a Tim Burtain/Miyazaki compilation.

How it works: In old movie boxes a succession ofpictures would be spun in a cilindar with slots cut in the side. As it spun (fast) the pictures would blur together, with the added help of the slots, and look like they were one moving image. Movies do the same thing with the frames of movie film acting as the slots and light shinning from behind it to illuminate the pictures properly.

With the figure tree in Ghibli, they flash strobe lights on it (there is actually a warning about getting siezres from looking at it.) Resulting in the slatted effect caused by the frames in film and the slots in picture cylindars. The characters on the tree spin fast enough that it looks like an endless number of Totoros and Neko-bus running around the tree.

The Museum is small but has a lot of information on the art processes behind animation, and gives you a good look at just how hard it is. It realistically replicates a supporting animators work station, ciggarettes, tea, broken pencils and all. It gives wonderful insight to the art process, from some of Miyazakis original concept sketches that can be found in the Permanent Work Room exhibit on the second floor. Takes you through panneling, background and background layering, coloring, and to actual projection of the finished product.

The replicas of Miyazakis work spaces are amazing! The building it's self is a joy to explore. It's very clean and neat, despite the many children running around it is a nice place to sit and contemplate. Especially after visiting the interactive work space replications. You will want to try and draw a bit. The architecture and art making the museum are amazing them selves. You must be certain to always keep your eyes open for art and Miyazaki styles and strucktures hidden about.

The "cafe" is more like a restaurant and a slightly over priced one.I am happy I packed a lunch and picked up some extra snaks at Mitaka Station. There is however a little side booth next to the cafe that sells beer, hot-dogs, ice cream and other carnival like snacks and sandwiches. Again, a little over priced, but mich more reasonable. Packing a picknick to eat after exploring the museum in the park, or to eat on the patio of the museum for a break is highly recomended (also there is always a very long wait to get into the "cafe".

The gift store is also a bit over priced, and with not a great selection. But for cell phone charms and pins it's okay. There is actually a much better Ghibli paraphenalia shop in Asakusa next to the first gate into the main street. I suggest going there if you want Ghibli merchandise.

The place is very green and not in an over kept way. The plants are free to range around. The whole complex looks like a building out of a Miyazaki film. The inside looks a bit like the post-Sophie version of Howl's Castle, and the outside looks like something out of Nausica. Also, the Roof has a garden you can get a good view from. You can also take a picture with the Raputain on the roof and the little info cube from Raputa. It's very cool. The stained glass windows are also all worth a second look.

I hope you get a chance to go here and enjoy touring Ghibli as much as I did.

Travel on!
~Eve <3

Random connection on a train...

2009-06-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

So a few days ago on one of the more crowded trains home, I was standing next to this one business man. I look over and see that he has started playing Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers on his iPod. I know this song well, so I start lip sinking along, and kind of singing under my breath. He must have either heard me or been able to read lips, or maybe he just figured out what I was doing because he kept looking at me in the reflection in the train windows and laughing and smiling and kind bobbing in beat (and you do not bob on the trains, it's not done). I thought it was really cool, that we got that random connection. I hope I made him feel hip and cool and that my singing along with his music made his train ride more enjoyable.

<3

~Eve

I feel like I should post something, but I don't know what to post about...

2009-06-14T01:12:00.000-07:00

So I guess let me fill you in on the last few weeks.

Everyone knows I've been complaining about how hard it is here. And it is hard, I just thought I would handle it better than this. But thats what I get for over estimating my adjustment capabilities. So I have finally, officially decided not to stay another semester. I just miss my family and friends too much.

This has taught me a lot about my self though. Again, I thought I would be able to handle traveling to different countries a lot better than I have been. This is problematic because I was intending to make travel my life. Now I have to reconsider some of the steps and paths I want to take in the future.

I have also, and this is going to sounds kind of cold and mean but it is TOTALLY NOT meant that way, found that I care more about my family and friends than I thought. I love my family and my friends, god only knows how much. I just thought that once in a new place, in the whirl of it all, it would just slip to the back of my mind because I would be so busy focusing on other things. But again, this was not the case. It actually makes me kind of happy cause it proves that I am a kind caring person after all, which I knew but some people would debate ^_^.

So Eve has some thiking to do over how this will impact both her academic and professional carrer. Do I still want to go for the State Department job? It doesn:t necessarily mean I will travel but it is certainly likely. I could get a reaserch job in Washington, or maybe a job with one of the Think-Tanks. I will have to look into these psoobilities.

I am still of the opinion that the school work is a main factor in my current disappointment. And that if I was here simply to work, or even do school work I wanted to do (like write reaserch journals about Japanese society and culture) I would be much happier. Also, more freedom to interact out side of a certain group and to be alone when I chose would be nice. Though I have been doing most things on my own now and are much happier because of it. Everynow and then I will want to have company, but I am also finding I am a very solitary person when removed from my core group of friends at Washington. This isn:t surprising, I knew I was a loner, but the extent that is being revealed here is more than I thought. This trip is almost turning into a psych experiment on my self, it:s pretty interesting. Im learning more about myself than I would from any other experiance, and despite my compaining I value the information I am learning about my self from being here. It is valuable knowledge I must learn from.

In other news, I have finally found someone who I like (if not love) as a teacher in Japanese. Another girl here, whose name is Wendy, has been hanging out with me for study time and helping me in Japanese. She is very nice and explains things wonderfully and simply in a way even I can understand. She has also been studying for almost 10 years more than me and is in the heighest level of language classes offered here. So I am really extatic about this. Already I see more improvement and things are getting easier.

Also on the language front. I have been pulling some major overtime hours. I originally said 10-11 hours a wekk outside of class, but it:s starting to turn into more like 3 hours a day outside of class. However, with Wendys help, I am seeing a lot of improvement in my work, and I feel like I am improving. I have also re-taken two tests now, though I will probably only get partial credit for them, but it is much much better than what I had. I have also been told I can write a blog post about kabuki in Japanese for extra credit points. So expect a Japanese blog post in the near future. I will also write it in English so people can read it, but it will be as a comment on the innitial Japanese post.

Also, in the near future (read tomorrow evening or thursday evening, some time this week) expect two blog posts. One as a large ranting comparison on American and Japanese habits, cause some things have been bugging me lately and I have to get them off my chest. And another post on my Studio Ghibli visit. Which was indeed amazing, just like I thought it would be. That post will actually be part of an oral presentation for another class. I love completing multiple things in one fel swoop.

For now I must be off. I have class, and then to home and napping, for I am tired.

TTFN
~Eve

The choice is yours, but choose wisely, for there could be Temple Guards lurking around every corner!

2009-06-07T04:47:00.001-07:00

So I still haven't decided what I want to do. To stay or not to stay, that is the question....SO HELP ME DECIDE!

Pros:
-good life experience
-I'm 19 and female in Japan (I wont be 19 and in Japan ever again, the female... though changeable, is unlikely)
-immersion language learning, which is the best way
-I'm making more money here teaching than I do in America
-Japan is lots of fun, there is more to do
-I will have more time to do more, considering all I want to do and the fact that it takes time to get funds to do these things the more time is good
-enjoying the cultural exchange, kabuki, shrines, pop culture

Cons:
-I'm home sick and miss my family and friends (though the home sick part may pass)
-I miss being on campus
-the classes here are not as fulfilling as the ones at Washington
-I might not be able to graduate on time if I don't take classes at WAC that I need for my major/minor, I can't get those classes here
-I'm still not learning Japanese as fast as I would like to which makes me wonder if I cant find a better learning environment in the states
-the social interaction is lacking
-Taco Bell exists in America

WAHOO First post of JUNE!

2009-06-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

First order of business, my original blog, entitled "Original Sin" is now public. Now onto the week.

So this week has been going very well. I am very happy I have stayed happy so long. THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

The weekend was also enjoyable. Though I didn:t get QUITE as much done as I hopped I was still ridiculously productive I thought. What with an English lesson on Friday, then cleaning and such on Saturday, then Sunday I mostly did the Aikido meeting which was a bit boring, but not wholly un-enjoyable or unproductive (I was able to write the working notes for a scholarship I have due later this week.)And it was fun hanging out with all my new Aikido friends and seeing just how large the club population is for MGU, and let me tell you, its freaking HUGE!

Currently I am sitting in a McDonalds next to Yoyogi station. Just kind of chilling in the smokers section, cause when I walked in it was the only place open. I'm a little light headed from inhaling second hand smoke.

I really need to start exercising more regularly again. I haven't been going at all this past week. Ever since I ran that ridiculously long distance I've become very lazy. I intend to remedy that this evening with a strenuous work out, and hopefully keep up my routine. Also, as any one who has gone to Japan can attest to, the Japanese pastry phenomena might kill me. The fact that I can walk down to the convinie and pick up something gooey with custard and chocolate in the middle for breakfast on the walk to school is a terrible thing. Also it has been one of those weeks where I am either out or about to go some where so having healthy sit down meals has been basically impossible. I am not happy with what I have been eating and I am not sure my body is either. Empty carbs and sugar to keep me moving is not the best. So Eve hopes to be eating better starting next week, or tomorrow (I have corn on the cob for dinner tonight). The nice thing is at least I walk everywhere. So even if I dont exercise I burn off most of the terrible carbs I intake.

I seem to be unable to remember what I did after the Aikido meeting on Sunday. Monday I only had one class. We are doing a project on a sight seeing places or place we want to visit in Japan. I am doing mine on Studio Ghibili, which I am actually going to go and visit on the 15th. I am very excited about going, and I have the tickets already. Sadly you are not allowed to take pictures in the actual Museum, but I will definitely take pictures of the surrounding area. I haven't taken a lot of pictures lately, I have done what so many people do, gotten so used to my environment I don't appreciate it anymore. Its not a good thing to do. So I am very excited about this project and the prospect of going to Ghibili. I want a Totoro Bento Box.

I find my self missing my friends more and more. I wish that I could see them soon. At least I am finally experiencing home sickness. I miss my family too. Especially my mom. I feel like we have bonded a lot in the last few years. Time when I come back from college is very precious to us now. Or at least to me. I miss my dad too. I miss doing fun things with him. I look forward to seeing my parents and friends again. And my pets, I really miss my cats. Especially Dusty, my favorite cat.

I think I have decided that I am going to go back home at the end of this semester. I miss my family and friends too much. The academic work here is also not fulfilling for me. Parts of it are too easy. I am also not doing very well in japanese. Part of me hopes that if I go back to the States I can find a place to learn Japanese outside of WAC that will have the learning environment I need. I dont even think they would let me stay because of my grades in Japanese. So I am thinking going home would be the best thing for me. Hopefully one day I will be able to come back to Japan and see more. I really do love the country.

I saw the MGU English counselor on Wednesday. She is very very nice. I was surprised honestly. I am very picky about my counselors and how they operate, but I liked her. I am going back this coming Wednesday for follow up, but there isn't much to talk about really. This week has gone great thus far, and she really is just more an outside person I can spill my guts to who wont criticize me. Which is usually what a counselor does, but they also sometimes offer suggestions on how to handle a situation. Only problem is that I have handled the situation the way she suggested. I let Joe know what has been going on and I believe he has informed my Japanese teacher, and thats really all I can do with the academic department, besides study my butt off (which I am doing, literally as we speak.) I have been avoiding situations that may hurt me and treating myself very nicely. I have been getting enough sleep. I have been socializing as much as I can. I'm doing fine in all of my other classes and the past issues that caused problems have all but disappeared. So there really isn't much she (or I for that matter) can do. But it was nice to be able to talk to someone about it. The only issue is that with every new Shrink I see I have to re-explain my previous problems, which can take a very long time. Anyways, I look forward to our next session.

I feel like I have been doing very good in classes this week. Except that I almost slept through my Japanese class on Friday. I don't think my alarm went off, which probably meant I set it wrong, but I didn't mean too. Meaghan called to ask if I was coming and I thought it was my alarm going off, till I saw the little phone icon. At that point I was going to be pissed at who ever was calling me so early that my alarm hadn't gone off. Then I looked at the time and was like "oh shi-" I was about an hour late, and I ran all the way to the school and caught express trains, so it could have been worse. I just dont seem to have any luck with that class.

Yesterday I went to Roppongie finally. That place is the most ridiculous place I have ever been to. It is so futuristic, and artistic, I feel like I stepped off the train into the year 2200. I got there early and just kinda walked around for a while. Maggie and I met up and went to see Star Trek, which was awesome. I think they really did it justice. And the actors played the personalities of their characters very very well. They also showed some amazing shots of the shinny new Enterprise. I really really liked it. It was very well done in my opinion and I would like to see it again. Surprisingly the Roppongie Toho Theater isn't that expensive. Especially if your a college student from outside of Japan. I got a Gaijin discount and a Gaukukse discount. Which was great. Its about 10$ for a ticket, and then you can get a nice amount of popcorn for only $3. SO really it isn't that bad. I kind of feel like going back there on Wednesday or some time in the next week and seeing Angles and Demons (which I also haven't seen yet but want to), so thats a general plan. I also want to get some more sight seeing in. There is an awesome view of Tokyo Tower from Roppongie Hills. Also they have a big Modern Art Museum in one of the buildings that I want to go check out. Not to mention a Cold Stone Creamery, I want my ice cream.

Most of my time is now devoted to working. I'm seeing at least one person a day, it's kind of ridiculous. I'm not sure if its a good thing, but it is keeping me active, starting to help my Japanese, and giving me enough income some I'm not just sitting in the dorm being emo. Sadly I haven't been going to Aikido much. Either school work or work have been getting in the way this past week. I was working on a scholarship paper this past week and finally got it done and turned in. But I'm not sure if it is that good, I will be surprised if I get anything for it but you never know.

I did get into this Bus Tour that ISP has set up where we are going to the Japanese country and going cherry picking, having a BBQ and going to an Onsen. I haven't been to an Onsen yet so I am very excited about it. It will be a very fun thing to do, and I was lucky to get in. A lot of people signed up and they only had a few spots so they did a draw and I am very happy to have been chosen. I am really really looking forward to going to it, though the whole communal bathing thing kinda freaks me out, but when in Rome... or Tokyo...

I am also going to Noh, officially, next Saturday. I am very excited about that too, even though it is supposed to be very very boring. I suppose I can doodle or do some home work or something if I get really painfully bored. But I don't think I will, it will be interesting to see the predecessor of Kabuki.

I'm seeing my Advisor on Monday. He is in Japan and is going to talk to all of us WAC-ers. He also wants to talk to me personally about me wanting to stay another semester (even though I have pretty much decided against it) cause I mentioned that I was considering it. I just hope he doesn't criticize me for my slightly hypocritical behavior, I don't think he will though, but he probably will advise against me staying. I am a little nervous about the meeting though. He is taking all us WAC-ers out to dinner later in the evening though. So I am very excited about that. I haven't really gotten a chance to eat good, traditional Japanese fare. So I am sure this will be a lot of fun. And I look forward to having someone to talk IS talk with.

I can't really think of anything else to write right now. So I am probably going to finish up a bit of my home work, go back to the dorm, change, rest a bit, and then exercise. I want to do a lot of core work, and probably run a lot. I like my exercise, and I have been feeling kind of tired today, so I am sure I will feel better when I am done working out some. I don't have enough time to go to aikido today, and not really sure I feel like making the commute to the school. But I really want to return to my normal practice schedule next week.

I will tell you how things next week go.
Wish me luck.
Boldly going where no Eve has gone before!
~Eve

Shibaraku!! or SHIIIIIIIIIBAAAAARAAAAAKUUUUUUUUU!!!

2009-05-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

So, last Monday (a week ago in 4 hours and some) I went to see the Kabuki 'Shibaraku' at the Kabuki-Za. I saw a little of it one a video that Aoyagi sensei showed us in class. The plot line is very basic and it is actually pretty short for a kabuki, but it is one of the most famous and easily recognizable ones. This is mostly due to the strange appearance of the main character.

This time I did not get the English translation head set, nor did I have binoculars. I missed the binoculars, I may need to invest in a pair. But the lack of translation was okay. Mostly because the plot line is so basic. Bad guy and his huge group of goons take over this group of kind, but whimpy, nobel men and women and are plotting to kill the Emporer. One thing I found kind of funny about this is you don't even see the take over. In fact the first half of the play is pretty darn boring. Everyone walks in on this cool set. They talk a bit about the plot to take over, and the whimpy nobel people say "oh woe is us," the bad guys goons re-affirm that they are on the bad guys side and kinda do an introduction thing, and thats really about all that happen for the first part.

I really did like the set. It reminded me of one of those big houses that they put the pretty dolls on for Girls Day. In fact it looked almost exactly like that. And the outfits of the nobel people were cool. They were very colorful, where as the bad guy and his crew were all color coded. For example, all the head people (main bad guy, his concubine, and the cat-fish preist) were all bringly, almost ridiculously dressed, the fat stupid guys were all the same color, the samuri had the same gold color scheem going, the lower samuri were all dressed the same. In my head I see some kind of analogy for a militeristic rule where everyone looks the same. As opposed to the weak but beautiful and creative nobels.

Anyways, the nobels are about to get their heads cut off (and I think their little harrum or daughters? rapped) when you hear, from some where back stage, SHIIIIIBAAAAAARAAAAAKUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!
In the fiercest voice possible. It's awesome! Everyone started clapping. The bad guys stop (which was what they were told to do (lit. wait a minute)) and are all "WTF was that? Who would dare tell us to stop?" They debate over this (and I think talk about what they are going to do to who ever it was when that person finally gets here (again, I kind of missed some of the finer details of the dialog due to the lack of translation thing)) when you hear the voice again from back stage.

Finally, after a lot of dialog from the bad guys, you hear the *shhhhhhink* of the curtain that leads to the little room on the other side of the hanami, and out comes this HUGE, GARGANTUIN, CRAZY LOOKING DUDE!!!. His hair really looks like bike spokes (thick black ones) the sleves of his kimono look like plane wings. He looks terrifying and huge and terrifying. The crowed goes wild. Shouts of the actors house name all over, applause. It was great! All he does is sit there. This giant dude (did I mention he had a 5 foot long sword?) just chills at the end of the Hanami, not going anywhere.

The bad guys are terrified at the sight of him and don't really know what to do cause he told them to stop but he isn't doing anything but sitting there glarring at everything (I wish I had the binoculars for the glare.) After a bit of debate, the main bad guys all go up one at a time and ask what he wants and try to convince him to leave. Nothing works. He introduces him self at some point. Which is pretty awesome to hear, but I didn't know what he was saying, just that it was an introduction. I might have to go back and look up the translated script and see what he says.

So, the bad guys try to convince him to go away, nothing works. After a while they send their goons after him, all he has to do is glare at them and they blow away, literally. No one can stand up against his fierce glare! After this great show of force the bad guys cave (his concubine defects to the good guys side) and he releases the nobles and even gives back some of the treasure he stole from them.

But then the bad guy sends his goons to just try and kill this guy. This too does not go according to plan. There is an awesome costume change where the outer kimonos are peeled away to revel a huge rope belt and the wings taken off, he still looks really fierce. In this kind of cool dance scene all of the bad guys goons come up to this guy and try to kill him. He pulls out his big sword and easily dispatches them all, some in one swing!

The play ends with the scene before the good guy goes against the bad guys head goons. It's a pretty nifty dramatic ending, and one I find happens a lot in Kabuki, they like to stop the play just before the big final climactic action (like in the Double Love Suicide I saw, they ended the play right right RIGHT before the man killed his love.) I think it's for dramatic effect, it's kind of nice, and actually makes me think of some anime I have seen that end like that. Coincidence?

Anyways. I really like this play a lot. I kind of wish I had gotten the translation thing, but not having definitely didn't ruin it. I also got to stand the entire time. By the time I got there it was standing room only. This was okay because I got to stand on this little bleacher like thing in the back and it actually gave me a decent view of the hanami so I could see the main character the whole time he was just chilling on it. This time was also cool because the audience was really into it. Every 5 lines someone would shout an actors house name. It was really cool. I can tell that there are actually breaks in the lines that seem almost especially made so that the audience can show their appreciation. I want to learn where those are and the house names so I can shout at people too. It's very different from Western theater. I like it a lot! It's almost more like a sporting event.

And that was the awesomeness of Shibaraku.

The next things I am planning on seeing (and boy are their a bunch of them coming up) are;
The Twelfth Night (kabuki style) on the 17th
Siayuki (AKA Monkey Magic) on the 19th
I might see Noh on the 13th, they have a special thing for it.
And I want to see Fuji-hime or whatever it is called (wisteria maiden dance piece) at the Nationl Theater (not the Kabuki-za)

We will have to see which ones I actually end up seeing but I really want to see the Noh and I already have the tickets for the first two. We will see. I am very excited!

I will let you know how those turn out.
Thats all for Kabuki for now. I will however post a new general post either tonight or tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure of Eve Terrific! And her magic mystic samuri cat, Manfred (I am changing that so much, you don't even know.)
~Eve

Lost in, and out, of translation.

2009-05-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well I have kind of decided to stop trying to make sense of what is happening and to stop controlling what is going to happen. If you have read my other blog www.diaryofnagagoose.blogspot.com you know I have had a lot of trouble with the Japanese language past. Being in Japan has not helped that as much as I had hopped it would. As a result, though I have been trying very hard, I have not been doing as well as I would like. The past two weeks it has degenerated to almost the level it was when I dropped out of Japanese in America. Almost unfortunantely, though I can:t be sure because it would mean me never coming to Japan, I do not have the luxary of backing out. Im not sure I would even if I could.

I really REALLY am enjoying Japan. But language becomes so frustrating for me, I cant take it. I am sticking with it though, but my drive is waneing and these past two weeks have been complete failures. I don:t really know what to do. This weekend I am going to re-double my efforts (since I have no where to go since I have no money) and try to re-re-re-learn all we have learned from the past three chapters. I will probably try and do this on my own. I find that often having people try to help me, actually hinders me. So it is going to be a weekend of controlled, quiet, no stress study in an attempt to be up to pace with the other students.

It really is frustrating that I am so far behind. Or at least I feel very behind, everyone else seems to be advancing in leaps andbounds and Iam stuck where we started. I have been seeking comfort and advice from friends at home and one said something very true of me. It takes me forever and a day to learn something, but once I know it, I really know it and it stays with me for a long time. The thing is there is so much in a language I have to really know something down pat before I can go onto something else. Other wise it turns into Math and I forget very quickly something I supposedly only learned a few days ago.

So studying it is. I need to ace every test and quiz we have from here on out. I dread what my grade is currently. I have no problem admitting this. Language is hard, and seems a particularly hard topic for me. But it is something I want to get better in. There is nothing wrong in me admitting it is hard and struggling. And yes, half the reason I am saying this is to convince my self. Everyone has something they are good and bad at; Im sure I can dance better than you can. Another thing I need to do is chill. I tend to worry so much about failing, that when time comes to preform I freeze, like what happened for the mid-term. I studied probably more than 4 hours the day before. Un-stressed, good studying. I knew it. And then I got to the class room with the test in front of me and I froze, couldnt remember the simplest things.

So I really need to relax. Many of my friends have been trying to lend me their calm. I think their thoughts and kind words are helping. So thank you to all who have been helping me. I am also finding that my solitude has been helping my calm. I like being in the swirl and wrath of humanity on my own. I am finding out a lot about my self on this trip. More than I thought I would honestly. But I am growing. And my Japanese really is better. I just need to relax and not worry to the point of hysteria when I don:t understand something or make mistakes. No matter how numerous those mistakes are. This almost comes across as me not caring, but really I do, I just dont want to be depressed or sad or angry or hysterical because I don:t understand or I am not as good as everyone else anymore. Its tireing and annoying and I dont like being that way. It hurts. Calm is better.

Right now I am very calm.

I have not up-dated lately I guess. It doesn:t really feel like that long but I guess it has been a while. It always seems like life is on slow motion while in progress, but when you think back and remember the past day or week, it seems like it was on fast forward and it is hard to remember or you wonder if you took full advantage of the time.

These past weeks have been kind of like that. There have been days where I have felt almost more productive than I ever have in my entire life. And then there have been days I want to re-try or erase completely.

I visited Asakusa again, by myself. It was very nice. I got to spend a lot of time meditating in Yoyogi Hall (a hall in the shrine complex dedicated to the Budhavisattva gaurdians of the zodiac animals.) It is probably my favorite building and very calming. It was nice to go there by my self and just explore. I also went to this nifty little Turkish Resturant near the shrine. And yes, there is Turkish food in Japan. It was very good and I met this nice girl who I will hopefully get to teach English too, though our first attempt at a lesson fell through.

I have however, been in contact with many of my other students and prospective students. I know am officially seeing 4. I hope that more contact me soon. I should probably start charging some money for the first lesson simply for transportation. This past week has been nothing but me meeting with these first 4 contacts but I have lost 1000￥ just from travel expenses and have yet to get anything back. Next week will be better and I will finally have some cash on hand. Which is great because there are many many things starting to coe up that I really want to do.

For example, the new Star Trek movie is out in Japan now (movies com out a few weeks later in Japan than in the states) and there are two other movies I want to see, Angles and Deamons and the Blood the Last Vampire movie that came out the same time as Star Trek. A lot of the kids at the dorm want to go see Star Trek either this weekend or on Wednesday in Roppongie, which kind of expensive. Also, I am going to go see 2 full length Kabuki plays in June, and maybe a shorter one and a Noh play as well. That will all cost a lot, though one of the kabuki plays is paid for, maybe two, I can:t remember, it is too confusing. I ALSO want to go to studip Ghibli on the 10th.You have to buy tickets way in advance but they aren:t that much 1000￥ (10$) so not too bad. But I will want money to spend on things there, like I want a Totoro Obento box (lunch box) and maybe a blanket or something. I don:t know. And a few of my friends are requesting suvoiers. So I need money for that too.

And traveling around Tokyo in general is very expensive. It can cost a lot just to travel around and sight see, minus food or actual acess to buildings, but the trains. 150￥ here another ２３０￥ there. It all really adds up quickly. But it is really very dull just sitting in the dorm. Not tomention depressing. So the fact that I now have contacts and students I am seeing is very good because it means I can get out and do things. Which always makes me happy. There are a few other places I want to go just to sight see, but food and transportation, and some of these places are bound to have things that catch my eye, Akihabara for example, the Otaku mecha. Like an Anime Convention and Steroids and Extacy, with a caffinee adiction and swords... good times all around, and my type of place.

I want to stay busy busy. I am also trying to keep up my extracuriculars. Most of which keep me happy and sane. Like exercise, which I almost completely stopped doing these past two weeks. But yesterday I went and I can tell I hadn:t done it in a while. I am going to try and do some jogging early morning work out tomorrow. Also Aikido. Yesterday was also the first time I had gone to that in a week. I think they thought I had died, or had been snubbing them. But being depressed (which I was) makes me not want to do physical/social activities, which happen to be usuaully what I need most to get un-depressed, or at most mellowed out.

Another thing I have done recently is gone to see another Kabuki. I did this on Monday morning, woke up bright and early to get to the Kabuki-za for standing only seating. At only ６００－８００￥ the one act kabuki are very worth the trip to Ginza. I find them very enjoyable. The one I went to see was Shibaraku. It was very good, lots of shouting from the audiance. I
will write it its own post here during the weekend, I need a critique for that one for kabuki class, as well as maybe one of the videos I have borrowed from the teacher. We will see how productive I am this weekend, but I hope the answer is very.

I also hope to get a scholarship done this weekend. Or even this evening. I might try to have the first copy done by tonight. We will see how far I get, I have the thesis and opening anyways. It is a start. Lots to do and plan in the up coming days. June I think might be my busiest month. There is also a plan trip to a cherry orchard in the country out side of Tokyo and then to an Onsen. This will be nice since I have yet to goto an onsens. The only trouble is there are limited spots and it is by draw if too many people apply. I hope Im lucky. Or that some of the people who have gone to an onsen already dont try to sign up. If I dont get in I might try to schedule my own trip.

Another thing I had planned to do was go to see Sumo. Sadly the tickets had sold out for the last tournament in Tokyo. So I was unable to go. I am a little disappointed but I am hoping there will be another chance for me to see it at some point in the near future. There is another tournament some where else in July. I may go to that if I can.

I do enjoy going and seeing things, but I am finding I like spontaneous solitary wandering. Also, I seem to get angry at someone or make someone angry at me at group functions. So I think I will try to avoid them more now. It is simpler that way. I don:t know if this makes me a bad person or anti-social or what, but it:s just what I am finding out about my self.

This doesn:t mean I:m going to beomce the traveling hermit. For example, I love all of my students, and I love meeting new people in new places. I just prefer to met new people with out company. And the dorm functions seem to complicate things. Like this one guy in the dorm completely cussed me out at a party a few days a go for very little reason. Onhis behalf I think he was drunk at the time. So he may not have realized or been thinking clearly, but it kind of hurt my feelings, though I didn:t let it ruin the night for me because I was having a very good time. But things like that seem to happen a lot, and I would rather just avoid those types of situations.

So this is what has been done by Eve and what is being planned to do, and my musings about my self findings. I apologize if this was one of my duller posts, I will try to post something more riveting soon. Today I am in a very mellow mood and have been all day. I feel it might seem as though I am distant, or calous, but that isn:t it. This is one of the best moods I have been in for the longest period of time in a long time and I am kind of hoping it keeps up all weekend.

Anyways, wish me a productive weekend and calm thoughts. Prayers of any kind would be appreciated. Nothing terrible is happening to my family. As far as I can tell everyone is happy and fine. I just feel very very lost about where my path is taking me right now. More lost than I have ever felt in my life. It is un-nerving and causing me to be anxious. I never felt like this at WAC, everything was always very certain. I hope I get back on track soon. I am sorry I used this post as a way to spill my guts about my current issues.

Thank you for listening.
~Eve

A very good day

2009-05-20T02:50:00.000-07:00

So, I woke up at 5:40 am... though I may not have fully ever slept... REM sleep was never attained, but I lost like 45 min between 4 and 5, so maybe sleep...

I had planned on waking up and exercising, so when I woke up at 5:40 I stayed up and got a really early start running, had run 2 miles and done a few other exercise things and showered by 9, was dressed and on the way to Asakusa by 10. I got money from 7/11, put some on my pasmo, got to Asakusa by like 10:30 or so.

I enjoyed the temples, I sat and meditated in the zodiac temple (my favorite, really it's called Yoyogi) for almost an hour, did the purifying thing, bought incense. I felt really great after that (I still have holy water in my travel mug, which is Pirates of the Caribbean. ^_^)

Then I walked around Asakusa market... but all of the tasty food stalls were closed and there was no good food.

I found this nice little turkish restaurant, their little caller person was out side, apparently she spoke a bit of English and she convinced me to come in, though I was pretty much sold anyways (woot Baklava).

Sat down, her and I talked, I asked if she was taking lessons, she said not really, I told her I taught and we exchanged info and now I have a new student!

ALSO

I kinda started dancing to the turkish belly dancing music they had playing, which the guys who seemed to own the restaurant really liked... They gave me free turkish tea and one of them invited me to go to the Disco in Shibuya with him >.>;;. I said no thanks, but I would totally come back there after my lesson with Kei (girls name) and dance for a bit for turkish coffee ^_^

and they kinda agreed.

Then I went to the cultural exchange where they taught us a fan dance

and I could flip and spin the fans right off the bat! I was pleased. W00t for colorgard!

And now another student from the website has contacted me!

And I have a set time with my THIRD contact! Yatta!

I even worked on my Japanese mid-term a bit last night, including some translation.

I FEEL PRODUCTIVE!

I'm going places now, apparently.

I will talk to you later, TATA!

Sakura hirahira

2009-05-20T02:46:00.000-07:00

[*]
Sakura hirahira maiorite ochite
Yureru omoi no take wo dakishimeta
Kimi to haru ni negai shi ano yume wa
Ima mo miete iru yo sakura maichiru

Densha kara mieta no wa itsuka no omokage
Futari de kayotta haru no oohashi
Sotsugyou no toki ga kite kimi wa E÷(machi) wo deta
Irodzuku kawabe ni ano hi wo sagasu no

Sorezore no michi wo erabi futari wa haru wo oeta
Sakihokoru å(mirai) wa atashi wo aserasete
Odakyusen no mado ni kotoshi mo sakura ga utsuru
Kimi no koe ga kono mune ni kikoete kuru yo

[* Repeat]

Kakikaketa tegami ni wa "genki de iru yo" to
Chiisana uso wa misukasareru ne
Meguriyuku kono machi mo haru wo ukeirete
Kotoshi mo ano hana ga tsubomi wo hiraku

Kimi ga inai hibi wo koete atashi mo otona ni natte iku
Kouyatte subete wasurete yuku no kana
"hontou ni suki datta n' da" sakura ni te wo nobasu
Kono omoi ga ima haru ni tsutsumarete yuku yo

Sakura hirahira maiorite ochite
Yureru omoi no take wo dakiyoseta
Kimi ga kureshi tsuyoki ano kotoba wa
Ima mo mune ni nokoru sakura maiyuku

Sakura hirahira maiorite ochite
Yureru omoi no take wo dakishimeta
Tooki haru ni yume mi shi ano hibi wa
Sora ni kiete yuku yo

Sakura hirahira maiorite ochite
Haru no sono mukou e to arukidasu
Kimi to haru ni chikai shi kono yume wo tsuyoku
Mune ni daite sakura maichiru

(Pretty song by Ikimono Gakari. I think it will be the first one I memorize and try and sing at Kareoke. It's called Sakura, go look it up!)

Getting better all the time!

2009-05-18T04:10:00.000-07:00

Well I just got my third and forth prospective students for English tutoring. I hope to hear back from them all soon. Currently I only have one definite meetings scheduled. I am very excited about this. I look forward to meeting them, I only hope that I can do this well. I think I can. I'm happy that things are going so smoothly now, and a shout out to my prospective students and Maggie who helped hook me up with most of them. Wish me luck mina-san!

I had the best night EVER on Saturday. Me and my friends have been wanting to experience Tokyo club night life since we got here. I love dancing, so it has been something to do high on my list for a long time. FINALLY we got to go on Saturday. Atom is an awesome, reasonably priced, and very popular club in Shibuya. If you ever find yourself in Tokyo and are bored between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am, I suggest you check it out.

The club is kind of set back off the main drag and surrounded by other clubs, bars, sex hotels, and convinies. It's not a seedy area though, it can't be, it attracts too much attention. There are also lots of police every where, so it is very safe and you don't have to worry about walking alone. I my self, walked there at 11:30pm to meet my friends who had already gotten there.

It really is reasonably priced. 1,000 yen (about $10) to get in, if your female you get two drinks on the house with that entrance fee. The club is 3 stories of pure awesome. The 5th floor is the main floor and features a huge DJ area, big bar, and a lot of seating. Though there isn't enough seating once it hits midnight, this is no problem for ladies however, as there is pleanty of seating specifically for the ladies around the edges of the floor. The 5th floor also has a huge dance floor with 4 large wooden boxes spread out in a eshilon off of the DJ's podeum. Each box is accompanied by a bouncer (all of whom are EXTREEMLY NICE, and will talk to you if you start up a conversation) and you can get on a box and dance if you are brave enough. But be warned, everyone will see you. Also, make sure your under wear matches your skirt, or wear shorts under your skirt, cause guys get a look right on up there.

ANYWAYS! So this club is awesome! I met up with my friends and we danced a bit. They had already finished off their first round of drinks. I got mine later, a red bull and peach liqour. It did very little. I drank water for the rest of the night because dancing under the influence of alcohol is not fun at all. Besides that the drinks were kind of expensive. 500 yen ($5) for water, and 1000 yen ($10!) for a Smirinof Ice. RIDICULOUS. I bought one bottle of water and just kept refilling it from he tap in the ladies bathroom.

One surprising thing was that the mens bathroom had a bigger line than the girls did. Another interesting thing about some Japanese clubs, you can smoke in the bathrooms. They provide ash trays and stuff. That I don't have a problem with, what I do have a problem with is people smoking on the dance floor. Which is really problematic when your close to getting your face burned by some guy waving around a ciggarrette. I walked out of there with a bunch of ciggarrette ash on my shoes, quite annoying.

Other than that the club was a lot of fun. The 4th floor is awesome! It's all trance techno music. But the theme is a cave. The walls look like they are made from mud or rock. There are little projector screen sliced up and streatched across the ceiling and others intact streatched across the walls where they play the mindless, trippy, psychadelic techno music videos, that make you feel like you have tarrets. They also had this giant prehistoric looking arthropod on the ceilinng, which I didn't notice until later into the night. Also there is a small bar at the entrance to the 4th floor and a bigger one off of the actually place to dance. I think the 4th floor was my favorite by look. Though the only lights they had down there were white strobes and green lasers, so after a while I started getting a head ache. But that was a lot later into the night after being on my feet dancing to ridiculously loud music for hours. So who knows. But I think all in all, the 4th floor was my favorite, but the boxes on the 5th floor were the best part of the club in general.

While on the boxes so many guuys wanted to touch my hand and were cheering. I was called sexy quite a lot. One guy saluted me. On the boxes is actually the safer place to dance. Guys can look but they can't really touch, your too high up, they would have too reach to get your butt, and the bouncers are ever attentive. Besides not needing to worry about people touching your butt, your pretty much safe from betting drinks spilled on you or poked with a cig. You also don't need to worry about over enthusiastic guys coming over and grinding up on you. It's really nice to dance up there. If your not too nervous I suggest you try. I was trying to coxe some of the Japanese girls up on the boxes with us, but a lot of them were just too nervous. I wonder if that isn't one of the cultural differences, that English girls are more personally agressive, and thus don't mind doing things like getting up on a box in a crowded dance floor and dancing where as Japanese girls (who are prettier than said English girls) are to afraid to.

I didn't actually go to the 6th floor that much. It started out not playing the best music when the night first started off, so not many people were up there. But by 1 am it was packed and there was no getting in their with out the aid of a sledge hammer. But they started playing mostly rap and hip hop later in the night, so that was nice. I actually liked it there when I was there. They had it set up just like a regular bar, mostly standing room. DJ in front with a big over head projector. Really low lights but no strobes or flashing lights, so it was a nice place to go to just chill. They also had things you could dance on there. Namely two oil drums on either side of the DJ. The problem is these were very small, if your moving any amount only one person could have fit up there. There were little boxes next to them that another person could have stood on, but they were really only about the size of a step. Not much room. But it was still fun. One of my favorite belly dancing songs actually came on up there near the end of the night and I hopped on an oil drum and did my thing. It was a lot of fun.

I actually met a lot of people, some girls some guys. Three really pretty Japanese girls started talking to me in the bathroom, asked me where I was from and if I was having fun. Later a few guys were talking to me down stairs asking the same questions. I actually met some American chicks on the stair well and kept bumpbing into them all night. This one girl when I was dancing on box kept giving me the evil eye, which I found funny. A Japanese girl and her Korean friend jumped up on a box with me at some point., they were very nice. I met this other American girl who was hanging out with us for a while. It was pretty cool. I actually ended up hanging out with these American military guys from one of the Tokyo bases for the last 3 hours of the night. We hooked up on the 5th floor and hung out on the 4th floor and meet up with all of my friends. They all wanted to leave so I let them go and me and the 6 military guys chilled in Shibuya for a bit, till about 6 am when we all parted ways at the train station (another big point about Japanese night life, don't go if you don't plan on staying out all night, the trains shut down around midnight and the clubs don't start livening up till around 11 pm, so there is no point in going if your not going to stay out. Luckily, even if you want to take a break, there are sex hotels every where which let you stay for about 3 hours for $35, or go to a Kareoke bar or a McDonalds for a little bit. There are also all night noodle and curry places, just keep your eyes open for places to chill.) Even gave out my number, woohoo for a productive night. Not really expecting a call back, but still, good times all around.

I really enjoy that night. It's the most fun I have had in a very very VERY long time. I have been stressing a lot lately as anyone who has been reading this knows well enough. Dancing is one of the best ways for me to relax, so this was the biggest thing to relieve stress, and dear lord knows I needed it.

Anyways, I currently studying for a chapter test in Japanese, so I am going to go do that now. Later I need to put up this awesome recipie I invented today. It was really good, and easy. I will write it out for you later.

TATA FOR NOW, read on
~Eve Nealon

Sleepless in Ookayama

2009-05-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

It should be the title to a movie, I'm sensing a block buster....

Apparently there is an Awesome view of Mt. Fuji from the road up to the train station I use. I will try and take a picture next time I am walking there on a clear day.

I still am having issues sleeping. I am very tired right now and can't seem to fall asleep. So I gave up staring at the ceiling for staring at a computer screen. Slightly more annoying and worse for my eyes, but I think it is a touch more productive. Besides up dating my calender on Google, something I haven't done since my freshman year of college, I have cleaned my room, scheduled things for the next few weeks, tried to translate the page for this job I want to apply for and kinda got the gist, but failed, and done a whole bunch of other useless type stuff that I only kinda needed to do.

I'm going to start working on a project soon. Just wanted to let you know that the insomnia continues. Though I thin I will make my self sleep soon, regardless of if the sleep inducing mallet must be used.

I have a busy day tomorrow, including going to a club, which is pointless but something I have wanted to do for a very long time, so I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Anyways, I am ranting in an insomnia educed stupor, I will talk more later.

Oyasumi
~Eve

Problems Arise

2009-05-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

So, now he novelty and excitement of being in Japan has worn away. The money has also become tighter and I am having to monitor my spending far more than I did at the beginning when I was in Japan and had cash. Thus things are starting to get depressing.

I am currently looking for a job... I think I said that last time. Still haven't gotten one yet. I'm a little discouraged, but taking it a day at a time. My friend who got jobs from this site is going to give me the contact info of some of the people she had to turn away. I hope I get people soon. I won't turn them away

Japanese, also, is not getting any easier. I am dreading the mid-term, which is a 10 minute presentation with hand outs and at least 3 interviews. I'm debating doing it on aikido, which would be easy. Or Japanese self image would be an interesting topic. But harder to talk about.

I have also been sick... again... this time it isn't going away as quickly but isn't as bad a cold, illness, whatever. Just a bit annoying to constantly have either a stuff nose of sore throat.

I am also missing more congenial companionship. I feel a bit socially claustrophobic right now, and I don't know how to get around it. In short, I am lonely.

Now that the sparkling magic of Japan has worn off I am finding it hard to motivate myself; it's not as exciting, and the current surroundings are making me a bit upset. The ladies at the International Studies Office said this kind of thing usually happened. Not to sound arrogant, I didn't really think it would happen to me. I'm not the home sick type, in fact I have never been home sick. And I was so gun-ho about this trip, the fact that I am feeling a little down is making it worse... I feel bad for feeling bad. The funny thing is I'm not feeling home sick. Lonely maybe, kind of bored with the lack of social interaction, but not home sick. So I will definitely stick with it. I AM NO QUITTER GOOD SIR! I'm even still debating the staying another semester. It all hinges on me getting a job though.

Another problem is I think my insomnia is coming back. This has been the second night in a row where I watched the sun rise, trying to convince my self that, no really, sleep is a great idea, you should try it, you'd love it. And yet there is no convincing my self of that.

Summer is going to be interesting. The weeks are getting progressively hotter and muggier, I'm not looking forward to meeting July. I'm not going to be wearing very much I think by that time.

Anyways, I said I was going to tell you about ALL of the things that happened to me on this trip, and I think this is a very important part of that. One of the guys here was talking about how he liked Japan, but he didn't think, after this trip, that he would ever want to live here. Another was saying how living in Japan made you appreciate America more. And both are very true. Though I could still see living in Japan, some aspects of America are better, some aspects of Japan are better.

I will let you know how the next few days go. Not much is happening currently. Lots of projects and things to do for school, but that is really all. I am going to take it a day at a time, and ATTEMPT to relax so I don't make my self sick, which I think may be the case.

Wish me luck.
I hope I can do this.
~Eve

GOLDEN WEEK: and what I did.

2009-05-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

Golden Week = AWESOME WEEK
all you need to know.

Golden week was the most busy, and lazy, I have been in the shortest period of time in a very long time. I am usually a nice balance of busy and lazy every day. But Golden Week, there were some days where I was every where, and other days when I was just staying in bed all day. No days where it was half and half.

Thursday I ended up in Setagaya for the last have of the day trying to get my alien registration card, which I did get. But the commute there and back to so long that I didn't really do anything else for the rest of the day, I tried to make aikido, but ended up coming at the wrong time. Which was very embarrassing and upset me quite a lot. I don't like missing aikido, it is important to my sanity as a way to releave stress. Every time I miss it or don't go I get a touch more touched, not good. I did however exercise in the gym for a good hour, did a lot of running, was very sore, felt good. I had made the trek to the school, figured I might as well work out.

Friday was also a bit of a fiasco. I ended up kind of accidently sleeping through my classes. Apparently my phones alarm (which is what I have been using) has a setting where it turns my alarm off during holidays. Thus I did not wake up till around 11. Also very upsetting. I think I ended up cleaning most of the rest of the day.

Saturday was a big day for me. I was very happy, we got to go to TOKYO DISNEY!! It was great, almost exactly like Disney in Orlando. Except Tokyo Disney seems to have a strange obsession with certain characters, namely; Lilo and Stich (which I never saw and have no interest in), Monsters Inc. (which was cute and I liked it but by no means the best Disney movie), and Micky and Mini (which will of course be big in Disney World.) The thing that upset me and my friends was the distinct lack of any of the princesses. None of them were any where. It was all Lilo and Stich and Monsters paprphinalia. The Monsters thing I can understand, they just opened a new Monsters Inc. ride, and they are probably milking it for all it is worth, but really, no Princesses? I was a little disappointed at that.

I kind of pigged out at Disney, but it's okay because your allowed to do that at amusement parks, it's a law some where. The first thing we rode was the little space ship thing the lifts you high off the ground, it was pretty fun. I also rode Space Mountain three times. I never rode it in Orlando, but it was a lot of fun. I got a picture with Captain Hook (great guy, I like his hat) and the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland (also a great guy, and he said he liked my hat and we exchanged witty comments.) I rode The Haunted Mansion, which I love, I kind of want to live there. That ride makes me giggle, though the line was painfully long and probably the root cause of the horendous sun burn I developed about 5 hours into the stay at the park. Also rode a flight simulator called Star Tours (yes, we were supposed to be going to one of the Star Wars planets but ended up facing off against Emperial Cruisers and the Death Star, good times all around.

Also rode the Caracel and Alices Tea Party. I love the Tea Cups, they make me very happy. Dad always spun me really fast on those, so I put the guns to work and spun the our tea cup as fast I think they can go, with the help of Meaghan of course. It was a lot of fun. Another of my favorite rides from the trip was Splash Mountain. Some of the big flume rides scare the... whatever... out of me. But this one was very tame and the only really LONG ride, besides maybe the Haunted Mansion. You went into all the little places in the Briare Rabbit story, and there were two drops on the inside of the building (they were pleasently sized drops too.) And then came the big drop on the outside of the ride. It was a lot of fun and I didn't even get that wet, just a pleasent damp across the face.

We also went on a train ride I want to say was called Thunder Ridge or some such. It was one of the little roller coaster train rides. The drops weren't that big, though they kind of looked like they might be, but it was a very tame ride, I was a little disappointed. I look forward to maybe going to another amusement park in the near future, one with bigger and bader rides. Disney was a lot of fun though. I really enjoyed it. One thing that probably made it so nice was that we had fast passes, so we could get a fast pass and then go ride a ride while we waited for our turn. It is a pleasent system.

I even got to see a bit of the light show parade at the end of the day and got an adorable Cheshier Cat-bell-phone-charm for only about $5. I love it, I jinggle when I walk now. I also rode one of the best rides. The Pirates of the Carabien ride is of course always awesome. From what I remember a bit from the one I rode in Orlando when I was little, long before the movie, they added a part with Barbarosa attacking the jail, and a bunch of Jack Sparrows popping up in random places. It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed it a lot. And no, they didn't sing the pirate song in Japanese, though I do believe the skull that says good luck in the beginning was speaking in Japanese. It was awesome, and we even got to see Mr. Sparrow outside of the ride. I felt kind of bad for him, he was being attacked by a gaggle of little Japanese girls (girls being like people my age.) I didn't try to attack him like SOME people did, and kind of let him run. I feel kind of sorry for whoever plays him, doing that day after day. Though the guy did make an excelent Jack Sparrow and probably would have been hot out of costume too.

All in all, except for the ridiculous sunburn, which has finally led to the peeling it promised it would when my skin burned and turned waxy, Disney World was awesome! I'm glad I got to go, but it makes me want to go to the one in Orlando again. Also I want to go to Disney Sea, which is another part of the park but requiers another ticket, but supposedly has the better rides. Like the Tower of Terror. Maybe if I get a job.

I have indeed applied for a job on findstudents.net, which introduces Americans in Japan to people who want to learn English. As people can see from my many spelling mistakes, I may not be the best person for the job, but for conversation I am good, and I am actually pretty good at essays, as long as I have a spell check. I am hoping to get some people soon. If I can get a few usual customers I can stay here for another semester. So I really hope I get at least some people. I'll let you know, but they haven't give me a conformation yet, so we will have to see.

Sunday was also fun. Woke up early again (did I mention the day at Disney was a 6 to 9 day?) and went to Asakus for a class project. One of our teachers has devided us into groups of about 2 or 3 ISP students and one Japanese student and told us to go explore places in Tokyo and come back and do a presentation on what we found. We chose Asakusa (pronounced a-saw-ksa) because it is kind of an old styled street market connected to a shrine. I didn't really know what to expect but I am glad we picked it, it was absolutely awesome. All manner of food and wears were sold in the old styled market, most of the food was really cheap too. A lot of the wears though were meant for tourists, and not very Japanese. Some of them were authentic though. And the food was definitely authentic, and smelled delicious.

The shrine too was amazing. And exspansive. I kind of felt like I had finally come to my church. It would have been nice though if it hadn't been so crowded. I hope to go back soon on a day when it won't be so crowded, some time during the week. The buildings were awesome and it was really cool to see the temples. I was a little sad that they were doing reconstruction on the main building, made it hard to see how pretty it would be other wise. I enjoyed learning about the different kannon and budavistas from our buddy. I actually got a compliment from a Japanese man who over heard me talking about them. He said I knew more than a lot of Japanese people did about Buddhism, I felt very proud. I wish I knew more. There are so many different dieties, it is hard to keep them all straight.

I like the Zodiac temple best. It had the different budavistas of the zodiac animals. Mine is the snake and the kannon that goes with it is Fugen Botsatsu. He (or she, many of the kannon look very androgenic and it is hard to tell, though I susspect that might be the point, but I am pretty sure Fugen is a he) rode and elephant. I thought it was pretty cool, and really worked hard on praying.

There are places all around the temple where you can get your fortune for the year told. You give 100 Yen and shake this metal hexagonal can, tip it upside down and jiggle it a few times and a stick comes out. You match the numbers on the stick with the rows of small drawers and pick a piece of paper from your drawer. My fortune wasn't so good. But there is a remedy for this. Tie your fortune onto one of the racks that are scattered about and you will have a much better fortune.

Then we went to a cool old resturant from the 1800's. It was pretty cool and the food was good. I enjoyed my self. The other nice thing was that the day ended a lot faster than the trip to Disney had, and we were back in the dorm by 4. I even got Ice Cream at the baskin Robbins out side the resturant. But it was a very educational day. I learned a lot about Buddhist religion, and went to my first major shrine. I really had a could time and felt very good after words.

Monday I don't thik much happened. So much had been going on the two days before that that I didn't really want to do much. I have been reading a lot. Nothing Japanese, just for fun. I find that I am becoming a little withdrawn. I like being alone a lot of the time but it gets boring after a while. I kind of have been catching up on my sleep the last few days. On Tuesday I made the walk/train ride to school in the rain so I could go to aikido. I had a lot of fun at Aikido tough. We did mostly Ukemi, which are rolls that are very important to getting away once you are tossed. it was a lot of fun but my back hurts a lot now.

Today I had planned on going running and the back to Asakusa. But I didn't feel very good last night and slept through running and then decided to just get my rest. I think it was a good idea. I feel quite a bit better now. I also got all of my homework done. So I am ready for school and aikido tomorrow. I'm kind of planning on running tomorrow morning. Running is great exercise, I always feel better after running. Also I feel the need to repent for my poor eating habits at Disney. Though today I have eaten very little. I am considering eating some bread with peanut butter now, just to have a bit more food than the tiny quesadilla I ate a few hours ago as my only form of food.

If I do that I am going to put on one of the Kabuki dvds we got from our teacher, we have to write a critique on those too, though I do not know if I will finish it tonight. I might try and take notes in bullet, or write as I watch. I will tell you what happens later.

Really very little has happened. One thing I am happy about is that we no longer have Japanese 4 times a week, only 2. I feel like I have been regressing in my Japanese proficiency level for the past week and a half. I Don't know if it is because my mind is on over load or if I am just tired. I feel like too much is trying to be shoved in my brain at the same time and I can't deal with it anymore. But I am hoping this will no longer be the case now that our class time is cut down. I will certainly get more sleep now. Though depending on when I meet my prospective students, that could change quickly. With aikido, I am still kind of busy, even with fewer classes. I am sensing a lot of morning visits, but I may try to keep them afternoon.

Anyways, off to be more productive. Happy Golden Week.
~Eve

Kabuki

2009-04-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-22T02:06:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-08T02:50:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

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

First full day in Japan!

2009-04-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

I woke up so many times last night. Partly being in a new place, and partly cause I was scared I was going to over sleep cause my alarm on my computer is wonky. Woke up, had a lovely breakfast of english muffin and whipped peanut butter and instant coffee, mmm mmm yummy. Then we had a little talk in the dinning area and were off.

Today we got our temporary citizens papers and our visitor health insurance. It took FOREVER!!! There wasn't that much paper work, but we had to have the MGU buddies translate some of it. It took about 3 hours to get that finished. The Office was in Shibuya, kinda on the out skirts it seemed. It was a cool place. SO MANY STORES! We went to a 7/11 there (yeah, they have a TON of them) and got food. I got Udon noodles to go in like a sauce with pork. It was delicious. After we got all our paper work done, we went to the main part of Shiubya. It looked like time square! it was ridiculous how many people were there.

We went to this big electronics store and got Ethernet cords because it isn't wireless here, so you need them. It was pretty cheep though. We also got our cell phones today. That wasn't so cheep. But I got the cheapest plan I could. Like 40 minutes a month. It has a hefty cancellation fee though... thats the issue. But the phone was pretty much free. Like 1 Yen. 900 Yen for the charger (like $9 (drop 2 decimal points)). You should see this phone, it looks freakin awesome.

After that we didn't have much time, it was like 6 but we had to come back an hour later and actually pick up the phone, they had to do like paper work and set it up. Which is handy, but also kinda annoying cause we were all starting to get hungry. Most of us went to this little resturant on the 2nd floor of a near by building. They had a bunch of different things. I got kimchi with rice (every day rice). It was really good. Cept they put this semi-half cooked egg in it, not tastey, I ate around it. After that we went to a little coffee place, it was good. Then we went and got our phones and came back to the lovely dorms. A lot of people left early in this, I have no idea where half of them went.

Now I am home, I am sooooo tired. I'm kinda pleased, my Japanese is starting to come back to me really quickly. I'm starting to remember things again and I can understand a little conversational stuff.I really like the MGU buddies. They are very nice. I'm having a great time! It so amazing and big here. And Shibuys at night really is like the flood of people on the cross walks like I thought it would be. I had tried not to have any real expectations of Japan before coming, but it has been what I thought it would be. It's like a cleaner more squished together New York. Even the stores are crammed with stuff. Like in America, you go into a Verizon store and it's like one display wall and desks on the opposite side and you can do cartwheels in the room there is so much space. Here there is no space, they utilize every single square foot, or would that be meter (chuckle).

The cheery blossoms are lovely here and not quite in full bloom. We are having a cheery blossom watching party on sunday I think. Though it might rain on Sunday, so I dunno. We saw Hachiko today. It's this akita dog statue out side of Shibuya station. The sotry is that Hatchiko was so loyal that every day, when his master took the train to work, he would wait at this corner for him. After the master died, he still went to the corner every day at the same time. People felt bad for the dog and fed him and such, but after a while he died too. In honor of Hatchikos loyalty they erected a statue of him. It is really cute, and like a major meeting place for people.

I am sooooo tired right now. So much walking and stuff, and just the excitement. You don't feel so tired when out on the street. Thought it was really cold today too, I have the heat blasting in my room. I think I am going to take a shower and go to bed now. It is another long day tomorrow, we are setting up our bank accounts and getting a train pass and doing a lot of other things. I think we are going to the school tomorrow too. I will let you know.

Sayonara <3

I HAVE ARRIVED!!

2009-04-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post. It is the beginning of the second day and we are going to go through all the orientation stuff. I can't tell you how amazing it is here. I love it. Everyone is very nice, and the dorms are awesome. I can't talk but I will give you full details later tonight... which will be tomorrow morning in america... scary.

Kudos!
Eve

Oh embassy, you pain me just a little...

2009-03-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

So I am finally starting to get nervous. I am officially starting the countdown to lift off. 10 days till Eve is no longer on tera firma in the United States. I say "till Eve is no longer on tera firma in the United States" because I don't actually land till April 1st, which would be 11 days.

The Japanese Embassy in D.C. is a lovely building if you have never seen it. The Ambassadors residence next door is even nicer. But dear god it can be tricky to try and get to. It's pretty easy if you walk; Metro to DuPont then go straight down Massachusetts Ave. and keep going until you get there. But by car... of lordy lou.

(I am copy pasting this from my other blog for I am too lazy to re-write the whole thing. And there is far more to be said in this post.)
The drive in wasn't too terrible in the beginning. We navigated into D.C. past the Kennedy Center easily enough, it all went screwy when we got onto RockCreek rd., the little drive next to the Zoo facility for those of you who know D.C.. We missed the exit we needed to take. Couldn't figure out how to turn around to get back to it. Turned around but couldn't get to the exit coming from the other side of the road. Couldn't figure out how to turn around AGAIN! Finally got the exit! Couldn't find a place to park, at which point I just hopped out of the car and took my stuff in. Last time I went to the embassy I went through the pretty offical doors. Apparently there is a dingy little side door for people who just come to get their Visa, no where near as nice.

The little Japanese lady behind the desk was nice, though she made me feel very unorganized, which before I though I WAS organized. I had to sort through the extra papers I had in my Visa info folder. She kinda was like "uh, I need all the papers at one time" as I was pulling out papers one after the other trying to find the right ones. Finally I got everything I needed, which she took and gave me a little receipt.

After that I left and walked off to find where mom parked. Found mom, got back in the car, and then came trying to get OUT of D.C. TOOK FOR FREAKIN EVER! We got lost trying to leave Massachusetts, which is the road the embassy is on. Ended up going past the Naval Observatory. Don't know how that happened. Ended up going through this kinda residential area. Went through the turn we were supposed to take like twice and took other random turns that led us in circles. FINALLY we get out of the horror that is downtown D.C... this was an hour later, fyi.

So that was that. Refer to my other blog Original Sin for the rest of the epic tale.

I had another kind of interesting adventure, involving the embassy. The original plan was to go to the embassy on Thursday. However, I had been expecting them to call on Wednesday. I thought the protocol was to call you when your visa is ready for pick up. So I had been eagerly awaiting a call for the past two days. I even had my dad forward all calls made to the home phone to my cell phone. No luck though, I never got the call. When 3 came around on Thursday, which I spent at the Hirshhorn, I decided I was far to tired from walking around to walk the couple dozen blocks it takes to get to the embassy. In retrospect I am very glad I made that decision because I was very tired and I probably would have gotten a third of the way there, said screw it, and taken a cab back to DuPont.

So I decided Friday was the day. Well Friday rolled around and I decided I would get there early. Just to be sure. I was originally hoping at ariving at 2pm, but left around noon, and got to DuPont around 12:45. I didn't know how long it was going to take me to get there on foot, so I decided to leave then.

I walked all the way around DuPont Circle trying to find the correct Mass Ave. It goes strait through the circle and thus there are two. I walked down one, and once I realized that the numbers were going down, and not up, I turned around, crossed the road, walked AROUND the circle, and started going up the OTHER half of Mass. Ave. This one was the right one.

After walking for whatseemed like forever, because really, it is a LONG WALK, I got to the embassy. I almost made a few wrong turns, but it is pretty easy to find, now that I know which Mass Ave. branch is which. There is one other Circle that you have to go around, but that one is much smaller and easier to navigate. Sadly for me I got to the embassy 15 minutes before it opened. I decide to walk up the block and then back down the other side and see how much time I waist.

For those of you who know the area you know about the mosk type place at the corner. I assume it was a mosk. It is a very pretty building with many flags in front and lovely aribic writing in blue. It must have had a service because many people were going and coming, and about half way down the block walking back I heard lovely singing coming from it. The singing echoed all the way down the block. I would love to see a muslem cerimony, they sound beautiful. I get back down the block, at the corner of Mass and California, look at the clock and see I still have 10 minutes to kill. Tired and thirsty and really hungry I decide to find some place to sit and recover while waiting. I walk up California and find a house that is for sale and sit on it's front step, looking a little more than a little like a creeper.

Finally 1:30 rolls around. I get up, cross the street and get to the embassy door, to find it locked. This was very disappointing. "Maybe my clock is fast?" I thought, tugging at the big handle on the door. I wait. I wait until 1:40 every now and then tugging on the handle of the door and peering around the corner to see if anyone walks into the main door of the embassy (the visa place is on a side door off to the left, pleasently out of the way). At some point this cute couple, who I assume were Japanese or Japanese-American, came by. They tugged on the door, I shruged and told them that I had been waiting for 10 minutes and it must have been a holiday or some such. The girl was like no way (perfect English) and walked around to the main door. She pressed the button and a resounding "Hai?" came out of the speaker. In perfect Japanese she asked if the Visa place was open today. The speaker replied that no it wasn't, that it was indeed a holiday. This seemed to surprise her as she gave a "So desu ne? Sumimasen Arigatogozaimasu." She had to tell me it was a holiday.

Everyone was disappointed all the way around. I am glad she asked, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to face the Japanese speaker phone. Disappointed and a little pissed at my self for not knowing it was a holiday I trudged all the way back. I took Florida Ave on the way back. I had looked up the closest Chipolte to DuPont and found that the quickest way to get to it was Florida. I actually ended up finding a REAL Mexican resturant and went there instead. The food was great and I got to sit and eat and drink. I think I may have snapped at one of the waiters once though., I was very discouraged about the whole embassy not being open.

Well fed (I got enchilladas), though upset, I trudged back to DuPont and hopped the first train home. I pretty much sat and pouted while watching Fight Club the rest of the night.

Later I found out from Megan (one of the girls going with me to Japan) that it was the vernal equinox (which I didn't know) and that the vernal equinox was a Japanese holiday (which I also didn't know) and that the embassy was closed (I should have known that because I went on their website before leaving to go there... I just didn't look closely I guess). Well now I know, and knowing is half the battle.

So I am mildly pissed that I didn't go earlier. Now I have to get my mom to drive me back on Friday, which is cutting it very close seeing as I need to be at the airport on Monday. It might give me a chance to go back to campus and see my friends one more time before I leave. I am kind of scared about leaving them behind. My social base will be totally toppled, and that is a scary thought. Anyways, that was my embassy adventure. Hopefully all goes according to plan and I get my Visa on Friday, if I don't I'm kinda screwed.

Another nifty thing (I think) that I am going to work on is a business card for myself. The Japanese have a big thing about giving business cards (called meishi there). You have to be really nice about giving them, it's almost formalized, and you need to treat meishi you recieve very respectfully.

Since I am hoping to network while in Japan I though it would be a great idea to have my own meishi. I am actually making two sets. They will be folding, cause I have lots of info (name, school, blog, phone numbers, facebook, address, ect.) One set is going to be formal, I'm thinking with a little water colored iris on it, very plain. The other is gonna be kinda silly, with my little flying snake creature on it, maybe a lightly colored text. But dad and I are supposed to work on these when I come back from D.C. I'm thinking like 30-40 of each set. Hopefully that will be enough. Just give them out when I am given one.

Anyways, that is all the news I have for now. I will let you know how packing goes for it will start very soon, or at least the planning process. I hope to include a list of all the things I bring. Also I will let you know how my meishi turn out and maybe include a picture of both of them. And I am sure I will have another interesting tale about my NEXT visa adventure.

Until then. Peace!
Eve Nealon

The Time, it will fly.

2009-03-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

So I decided it might be a good idea to find a world clock/map type thing. First thing I did was google it. This is what I came up with. http://www.worldtimezone.com/ Besides the ridiculous amount of ad's telling me I just won a new Nintendo Wii, it is very helpful, and probably the least confusing of all the other things I have found. I am going to keep this page book marked so I can refer to it when wondering just what time it is in VA and where mom is when I need to bitch to her about some little thing or tell her how great my day was.

The next thing I did was look to see if there were any downloadable apps on apple.com that would help. I found a few I thought might. One would be helpful if I bought the pay for it delux addition, which I am too cheep to do. So that one was out. Then I found another one that shows where day and night are on the map, and what time and day it is. This is a much more helpful widget. I wish though that they would let you make a list of places you wanted to know what day/time it was and you could just swap through them. I also added another world clock.

It's going to be interesting being there. Maybe I will actually be on a proper sleep schedule. It's about a ten hour difference... going backwords. When it is 10pm here it is noon there. So if it is 8 am there it will be 6 pm here... so confusing. But that is what the world clock is for. It's times like these I wish I was running linux so I could just ADD another clock to my desk top. Silly Macs... oh well.

Anyways, I might try and add that time zone link thing to my side bar later so that people can see what time it is when I am there.

I have still been trying to do the whole Visa thing. I have everything in order. It is just a matter of getting to the embassy. More difficult than you would thing.

TTFN
tata for now

Visa

2009-03-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

So I need to e-mail the International Studies people and let them know my flight schedule. I will do this as son as I get home.

The next thing I need to do is finish my Visa application. While I have been visiting a week on campus the Study Abroad people sent me another bit of paper work I needed. So thats what I need to do when I get home and then figure out a date (or two) where mom can drive me in to D.C.

Horray, adventure!

So many people have been giving me well wishes. A lot of my friends really don't want me to go for so long. But it will be a great experience and I look forward to it. A girl I know who went to Australia has actually been the first student to say "I know you will be missed on campus and it's not like we don't want you, but go! This will be a great experience for you, so don't listen to people. Just go and have fun!" And thats a great thing. To have someone say, we will miss you but you NEED to go do this for you. Don't worry about us. I really appreciated that.

I'm kinda glad to be going back to VA. But this time back on campus has been very nice.

Welcome to My Travel Blog

2009-02-24T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is going to be where I load all the info on my trip to Japan. It's going to let everyone know how I am doing, what I am doing, and all of the other adventures I have while I am there. I hope this going to be a lot of video, but I don't know. It could turn out that when I get there, there is so much to do that I barely have time to type out a list of places I have gone. I am going to try really hard to post regularly, but I have never been good with that. Hopefully this will be good enough and regular enough to post in other places and get viewed by more people. We will have to see.

Anyways, right now I am working on getting my Visa from the embassy. I don't think it will be too hard.

The thing I am most worried about right now is the flight over. Surprisingly I am not too worried about the culture shock, or even the food. But the 16 hour flight across the biggest expanse of water on the planet, is kinda freaky. I'm kind of nervous about classes, and something that really concerns me is not making any friends that are actually Japanese. I want to actually make a Japanese friend that I can talk to later. Also kinda concerned that I will get stuck with the other foreign exchange students. I am also mildly worried about Japanese class. I had a hard time in the States, languages are really hard. I am hoping being immersed in the culture will help me learn. I guess we will simply have to see when I get there.

Anyways, thats all for now. I will post how the Visa acquisition goes.
TTFN