I decided to cut out some details of my life. Maybe I'll decide to update later, but honestly, I don't really lead an interesting life.
Umm...getting tomorrow off (12/23) off because it is the emperor's birthday. This is what I like about Japan, you get a ton of random holidays here and there (at least 1 or 2 each month). When you are in school it feels great (IMO) to have a day off from your hectic schedule. Long breaks are nice but sometimes you just need that one day to recharge. We don't get Christmas off though. Thankfully, I don't have class on that day anyway.
So...I finally got my PS3, and even decided to splurge on the special Final Fantasy XIII edition as well. Instead of a black one (which I like, incidentally), I now have a white PS3 with a pink Lighting ("main" character) character on. It actually looks pretty good, despite it being pink and all. Sure it ended up costing more, but I figured that you don't really have many opportunities to get a special edition console, especially one that has based on your favorite series. Started playing the game and it looks incredible. Game is fun so far but with it being in Japanese I'm not progressing as quickly as I would for an English game.
Speaking of which, I went to Ding Tai Fung in Japan. Food was good but I think the main stores in Taiwan are a bit better. Not that I am complaining about the quality of food I had.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Catching Up: So much..... (part 2)
So being sick sucked but I survived. With it being a new quarter/semester I have new Japanese classes. Pros: I can sleep in on more days now. Cons: I still don't quite remember what classes I have each day. One thing I am not used to about Japanese classes here is that instead of one class you have many classes that meet once a week (for 9-10 weeks) that each focus on one aspect (grammar, reading, listening, etc). I was very against this format at first but have mellowed out. I still prefer the Japanese classes I had in college (with one professor you actually get to know him/her) but since most international students here are busy with grad school stuff they can't really make that much time to attend many classes.
Let's see...went to the nomikai by the Fulbright alum I mentioned before and got to meet many interesting people. I also met some current IUC students, which was helpful since I was able to ask for some tips about the application. Oh yeah, IUC is a language school in Yokohama that I am planning to apply for next year. It is a ten-month program and is one of the best, according to Americans. I think that if I stop Japanese after this year (will most probably not be fluent yet) I will eventually forget it all. Would be best to try and achieve fluency when I still have the chance. Apps have been hell though and I really do not what to think about it. I realize that I am lucky to only have to write one but I hate trying to sell myself to someone. You have to achieve that balance between truth and half-truths, cockiness and humility, and I absolutely despise it.
I then spent the next day touring around Tokyo with 3 other Fulbright people (1 current, two alums, one which was an 82-year old man who is amazingly fit for someone his age). We started in Asakusa, took a river bus, and ended up in Harajuku/Shinjuku later that night. While walking down Omote Sando Doori we passed by a store (Fendi, I believe) that was surrounded by people. Somewhat puzzled, we decided to push through the crowd to the other side. However, halfway through we were cut off by security guards who cleared a path for someone coming out of the store. While we were literally standing in the first row right next to the guards (who were trying to stop people from taking pictures) and could have reached out and touched her, we had no idea who the celebrity was. I think there were two people (both with red hair, if that makes a difference) and ironically, one of them was taking pictures of the crowd. That was probably the closest I will ever be to someone famous in the near future and I have no idea who she was, haha. For dinner, we had dojo, which are apparently small fish that usually live in muddy water. They really were quite tasty though.
Let's see...went to the nomikai by the Fulbright alum I mentioned before and got to meet many interesting people. I also met some current IUC students, which was helpful since I was able to ask for some tips about the application. Oh yeah, IUC is a language school in Yokohama that I am planning to apply for next year. It is a ten-month program and is one of the best, according to Americans. I think that if I stop Japanese after this year (will most probably not be fluent yet) I will eventually forget it all. Would be best to try and achieve fluency when I still have the chance. Apps have been hell though and I really do not what to think about it. I realize that I am lucky to only have to write one but I hate trying to sell myself to someone. You have to achieve that balance between truth and half-truths, cockiness and humility, and I absolutely despise it.
I then spent the next day touring around Tokyo with 3 other Fulbright people (1 current, two alums, one which was an 82-year old man who is amazingly fit for someone his age). We started in Asakusa, took a river bus, and ended up in Harajuku/Shinjuku later that night. While walking down Omote Sando Doori we passed by a store (Fendi, I believe) that was surrounded by people. Somewhat puzzled, we decided to push through the crowd to the other side. However, halfway through we were cut off by security guards who cleared a path for someone coming out of the store. While we were literally standing in the first row right next to the guards (who were trying to stop people from taking pictures) and could have reached out and touched her, we had no idea who the celebrity was. I think there were two people (both with red hair, if that makes a difference) and ironically, one of them was taking pictures of the crowd. That was probably the closest I will ever be to someone famous in the near future and I have no idea who she was, haha. For dinner, we had dojo, which are apparently small fish that usually live in muddy water. They really were quite tasty though.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Catching Up: So much..... (part 1)
I know I have been terrible at blogging the past month or so. Here is an attempt to catch up a bit. Entries will probably be shorter but lets be honest, thanks is probably a good thing for everyone.
We last left off at Thanksgiving. On the day I left Kyoto, I began to feel sick (headaches, no appetite). Unfortunately, I also had to go to a lecture in Tokyo that night (which is why I arranged to go back that day). I took to Shinkansen (bullet train) for the first time but basically slept most of the trip because of my headache. It was a nice train ride, but probably not worth the extra $100 it cost (compared to a night bus).
The talk was by Robert Whiting, who just happens the authoritative voice on Japanese baseball in English. His specialty is pro baseball but it was still an interesting talk and I was able to get my book autographed. He also agreed to answer my questions if I had any. Of course I don't know enough to yet to ask him questions but maybe in the future. I was also able to meet a former Fulbrighter from two years ago who was nice enough to treat me to a drink and invite me to a nomikai he was hosting. Connections are always good.
I was feeling miserable most of the day though (body was sore, head hurt) so I knew I was sick. Went to play some volleyball the next day (exercise helps, seriously) but still felt like crap. I had a fever, headache, sore throat, and general fatigue. Yes, I do realize I had all of the symptoms of influenza/swine flu. I realize that with the H1N1 scare it would have probably been best if I went to see a doctor but I am not a big fan of hospitals/doctors in general. For the past few years I have been able to fight off everything with a combination of lots of liquids and rest. From what I have heard from other fellows they did not have very pleasant experiences dealing with medical care in Japan so I decided to forgo the experience, though I was willing to risk it if my condition did not improve. At least I actually went out and got medicine (which I usually don’t), though it might not be something I should pat myself on the back for. Thankfully, after a few days of sleep, Vitamin Water, orange juice, etc… my fever, sore throat, and headache were mostly gone, though I still have a slight cough. Being sick is not fun.
We last left off at Thanksgiving. On the day I left Kyoto, I began to feel sick (headaches, no appetite). Unfortunately, I also had to go to a lecture in Tokyo that night (which is why I arranged to go back that day). I took to Shinkansen (bullet train) for the first time but basically slept most of the trip because of my headache. It was a nice train ride, but probably not worth the extra $100 it cost (compared to a night bus).
The talk was by Robert Whiting, who just happens the authoritative voice on Japanese baseball in English. His specialty is pro baseball but it was still an interesting talk and I was able to get my book autographed. He also agreed to answer my questions if I had any. Of course I don't know enough to yet to ask him questions but maybe in the future. I was also able to meet a former Fulbrighter from two years ago who was nice enough to treat me to a drink and invite me to a nomikai he was hosting. Connections are always good.
I was feeling miserable most of the day though (body was sore, head hurt) so I knew I was sick. Went to play some volleyball the next day (exercise helps, seriously) but still felt like crap. I had a fever, headache, sore throat, and general fatigue. Yes, I do realize I had all of the symptoms of influenza/swine flu. I realize that with the H1N1 scare it would have probably been best if I went to see a doctor but I am not a big fan of hospitals/doctors in general. For the past few years I have been able to fight off everything with a combination of lots of liquids and rest. From what I have heard from other fellows they did not have very pleasant experiences dealing with medical care in Japan so I decided to forgo the experience, though I was willing to risk it if my condition did not improve. At least I actually went out and got medicine (which I usually don’t), though it might not be something I should pat myself on the back for. Thankfully, after a few days of sleep, Vitamin Water, orange juice, etc… my fever, sore throat, and headache were mostly gone, though I still have a slight cough. Being sick is not fun.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Kyoto Thanksgiving: Day 3
On Sunday (11/29), almost every Fulbrighter participated in the Kyoto Shimin Ekiden. Basically, we ran in relay marathon with 3 teams of 4. We didn't actually have enough Fulbrighters so we had 2 people (Marisa, who is a JET right now, and Taka, Reed and Rebbecca's Japanese friend from Kyodai) fill in for us. Everyone ran a different distance (3 km, 4.5km, or 7.5 km) but Reed and I ran the last and longest leg. Oh, and we decided that it would be best if all the teams ran together regardless of speed, so we stayed together.
Overall, it was a great experience (besides waking up super early). The organizers were really excited that we were participating because it made it an "international" event, haha. We were referred to as the exchange student teams the entire time and we even got to meet the major of Kyoto! He chatted with us a little even though it was pretty obvious that it was slightly awkward and that he had no idea what to say to us. I almost got to shake his hand too! Sadly, just as I stuck my hand out, he pulled away at the last second. Shot down, sad, but everyone else had a good laugh at it.
Even though we came in last place, I am proud of how we did. Most of us (Except maybe Tori) are not runners and seriously, Japanese who participate in ekidens are hardcore. We were getting smoked by little kids (some younger not even in middle school) and old men and women in the 60s. It was a little embarrassing running the last leg because they had to wait for us to finish (Reed and I apologized when we passed workers), but it was still a great experience. Reed, for all of his talk about how worried he was, is in great shape, barely breaking a sweat after our run.
We were all exhausted after the ekiden so we didn't do that much afterward. We did, however, splurge and eat delicious parfaits. Too many pictures to post right now but I will be sure to make a note of it when I finally do get around to posting the, probably on facebook.
Overall, it was a great experience (besides waking up super early). The organizers were really excited that we were participating because it made it an "international" event, haha. We were referred to as the exchange student teams the entire time and we even got to meet the major of Kyoto! He chatted with us a little even though it was pretty obvious that it was slightly awkward and that he had no idea what to say to us. I almost got to shake his hand too! Sadly, just as I stuck my hand out, he pulled away at the last second. Shot down, sad, but everyone else had a good laugh at it.
Even though we came in last place, I am proud of how we did. Most of us (Except maybe Tori) are not runners and seriously, Japanese who participate in ekidens are hardcore. We were getting smoked by little kids (some younger not even in middle school) and old men and women in the 60s. It was a little embarrassing running the last leg because they had to wait for us to finish (Reed and I apologized when we passed workers), but it was still a great experience. Reed, for all of his talk about how worried he was, is in great shape, barely breaking a sweat after our run.
We were all exhausted after the ekiden so we didn't do that much afterward. We did, however, splurge and eat delicious parfaits. Too many pictures to post right now but I will be sure to make a note of it when I finally do get around to posting the, probably on facebook.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Kyoto Thanksgiving: Day 2
Day 2 was not as eventful. For lunch, we all went to eat kaiten zushi (rotating sushi). I loved how when you order something off the menu it would come to you on a little shinkansen train though. Reed came by later with Lisa Gano (he had met up with her earlier) and even though he had already eaten a bowl of ramen beforehand, he still ate quick a bit of sushi. Impressive, but expected.
Spent a large portion of the day walking and talking. At night, we went to Kiyomizudera, one of the most famous temples in Japan. It was huge! Usually it is only open during the day but they had a special night showing going on where they illuminated the leaves. It was VERY pretty, but there were so many people there that it was very annoying. Plus, unless you have a good camera and/or a good photographer, you can't really catch the beauty on film. All my pictures turned out to be crap but thankfully, we had Keaton who took some great pictures. Since it was so crowded we didn't really get to explore the entire temple. I feel like I would like to go again, but definitely when it is less crowded.
Spent a large portion of the day walking and talking. At night, we went to Kiyomizudera, one of the most famous temples in Japan. It was huge! Usually it is only open during the day but they had a special night showing going on where they illuminated the leaves. It was VERY pretty, but there were so many people there that it was very annoying. Plus, unless you have a good camera and/or a good photographer, you can't really catch the beauty on film. All my pictures turned out to be crap but thankfully, we had Keaton who took some great pictures. Since it was so crowded we didn't really get to explore the entire temple. I feel like I would like to go again, but definitely when it is less crowded.
Kyoto Thanksgiving: Day 1
Was planning to write about Thanksgiving earlier, but then I got sick, which was quite a bummer. Still not completely well so these might be shorter than usual.
Went to Kyoto from Tokyo on a night bus. Few things I noticed, the bus is segregated between genders. Guys in the front, girls in the back. Therefore, seats are assigned (which I didn't know earlier, so May, who was traveling with me, and I could not sit together). The reason is most probably because of chikan (perverts). You never know what might happen in the dark. I was able to sleep relatively well (seats tilt back ~25 degrees) but the fact that the bus stopped every 1.5 hours at a rest stop and turned on bright lights was annoying.
Arrived in Kyoto, meet up with Reed (who skipped lab), Andrew, and Tori. Basically, we spent the rest of the day meeting up with everyone else and shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Sadly, we did not have a turkey. We really tried, but with no oven, there was nothing we could do. Japan, why are there no full-sized ovens in your country!? In the end, we settled for nabe (basically hotpot) and sukiyaki, while Chiara brought Mac and Cheese and Courtney and Matt brought stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a green bean casserole. Food was delicious and afterward, surprise surprise, we had drinking batsu-gemu (punishment games). There was this clapping/name game that was fun (but too hard to describe) and this acting game. Basically, you had a director who could pick people to act in any kind of scene. Whoever laughed first lost and drank, but would also be the director for the next round. What we learned, May is hilarious and Reed is either a great actor or good at keeping a straight face. We did go out afterward but there was nothing that memorable. Oh, but Sake bombs do have a nice taste.
Highlight of the night was no doubt when Rebbecca took out Toku while cleaning up. I can't do the scene justice so I won't even attempt to describe it (and to be fair a lot of background information is needed to totally understand the situation as well) but it is fair to say that among this years Japan Fulbrighters we all know what "Rebbecca-ing" someone means now.
Went to Kyoto from Tokyo on a night bus. Few things I noticed, the bus is segregated between genders. Guys in the front, girls in the back. Therefore, seats are assigned (which I didn't know earlier, so May, who was traveling with me, and I could not sit together). The reason is most probably because of chikan (perverts). You never know what might happen in the dark. I was able to sleep relatively well (seats tilt back ~25 degrees) but the fact that the bus stopped every 1.5 hours at a rest stop and turned on bright lights was annoying.
Arrived in Kyoto, meet up with Reed (who skipped lab), Andrew, and Tori. Basically, we spent the rest of the day meeting up with everyone else and shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Sadly, we did not have a turkey. We really tried, but with no oven, there was nothing we could do. Japan, why are there no full-sized ovens in your country!? In the end, we settled for nabe (basically hotpot) and sukiyaki, while Chiara brought Mac and Cheese and Courtney and Matt brought stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a green bean casserole. Food was delicious and afterward, surprise surprise, we had drinking batsu-gemu (punishment games). There was this clapping/name game that was fun (but too hard to describe) and this acting game. Basically, you had a director who could pick people to act in any kind of scene. Whoever laughed first lost and drank, but would also be the director for the next round. What we learned, May is hilarious and Reed is either a great actor or good at keeping a straight face. We did go out afterward but there was nothing that memorable. Oh, but Sake bombs do have a nice taste.
Highlight of the night was no doubt when Rebbecca took out Toku while cleaning up. I can't do the scene justice so I won't even attempt to describe it (and to be fair a lot of background information is needed to totally understand the situation as well) but it is fair to say that among this years Japan Fulbrighters we all know what "Rebbecca-ing" someone means now.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Kyoto Thanksgiving: Quick Recap
Too tired to write about my entire weekend (which isn't over yet) but some highlights:
- Night bus from Tokyo to Kyoto. Interesting fact, you are assigned seats and the bus is segregated gender-wise.
- Thanksgiving food prep/dinner. Batsu-gemu afterwards. Reed and May and co.'s acting. Rebbecca taking out Toku, etc.
- Kaiten Zushi. Yum. Meeting up with Lisa Gano in Kyoto.
- Kiyomizu-dera at night. Beautiful but WAYYYYYY too crowded.
- Kyoto Shimin Ekiden. FYI, an ekiden is basically a relay marathon. So tiring but very worth it.
- Night bus from Tokyo to Kyoto. Interesting fact, you are assigned seats and the bus is segregated gender-wise.
- Thanksgiving food prep/dinner. Batsu-gemu afterwards. Reed and May and co.'s acting. Rebbecca taking out Toku, etc.
- Kaiten Zushi. Yum. Meeting up with Lisa Gano in Kyoto.
- Kiyomizu-dera at night. Beautiful but WAYYYYYY too crowded.
- Kyoto Shimin Ekiden. FYI, an ekiden is basically a relay marathon. So tiring but very worth it.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving Plans and Dragon Age
Sadly, I have finals on Thanksgiving, so I won't really be celebrating on Thursday. Fortunately, the other Fulbrighter were nice enough to move our Thanksgiving celebration (Fulbright tradition) back one day. We are spending the weekend in Kyoto and I am really excited about meeting everyone again. I fell slightly bad that I won't really be contributing to the feast though. While some others are bringing nice food and stuff, my limited cooking skills mean I will probably be providing money/supermarket food. The good thing about having finals now is that I have a few days off after the weekend (but we have less than a week off between quarters) so I can stay in the Kansai region for a bit longer.
Also finally finished one play-through of Dragon Age. It literally took away one week of my life, sigh. Great game though, and the storyline is more mature than most RPGs. When I play RPGs I tend to go for the "good" choices. In Dragon Age, sometimes there is no "right" choice. Do you support the Prince who basically killed and schemed his brothers on his way to the throne but will be a strong and progressive king who wants to have equality? Or the chancellor who was hand-picked by the king on his deathbed but is conservative, would be a weak king, and supports the caste system? The strong possible tyrant like Caesar or a someone who whose policies will bring about civil war and unrest. In one scenario you can choose whether to destroy an artifact that can basically create super-soldiers, which are very important when your side could be massacred by monsters anything soon. The cost, it takes one life to create one soldier. Will you be pragmatic or the idealistic one? I had a hard time with decisions and while I didn't get to really play the moralistic main character this time I appreciate how the story developed. Not so happy about how much time I spent on it though.
I am glad that RPGs on the computer (non-MMORPG variety) have not completely died out. Computer RPGs were some of my favorite games in my childhood and arguably why I started semi-gaming. Old fashioned single player RPGs are still the best IMO.
Oh, and James, in the game the leader of a gang of slavers was named....Caladrius. I nearly laughed when I saw the name because that would be the last job in the world I expect you to have. I really considered letting him go too but in the end poor Caladrius just had to die for his crimes, haha.
Also finally finished one play-through of Dragon Age. It literally took away one week of my life, sigh. Great game though, and the storyline is more mature than most RPGs. When I play RPGs I tend to go for the "good" choices. In Dragon Age, sometimes there is no "right" choice. Do you support the Prince who basically killed and schemed his brothers on his way to the throne but will be a strong and progressive king who wants to have equality? Or the chancellor who was hand-picked by the king on his deathbed but is conservative, would be a weak king, and supports the caste system? The strong possible tyrant like Caesar or a someone who whose policies will bring about civil war and unrest. In one scenario you can choose whether to destroy an artifact that can basically create super-soldiers, which are very important when your side could be massacred by monsters anything soon. The cost, it takes one life to create one soldier. Will you be pragmatic or the idealistic one? I had a hard time with decisions and while I didn't get to really play the moralistic main character this time I appreciate how the story developed. Not so happy about how much time I spent on it though.
I am glad that RPGs on the computer (non-MMORPG variety) have not completely died out. Computer RPGs were some of my favorite games in my childhood and arguably why I started semi-gaming. Old fashioned single player RPGs are still the best IMO.
Oh, and James, in the game the leader of a gang of slavers was named....Caladrius. I nearly laughed when I saw the name because that would be the last job in the world I expect you to have. I really considered letting him go too but in the end poor Caladrius just had to die for his crimes, haha.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Distractions are bad...
Especially during finals week. What was supposed to be a short study break turned into many hours of gaming. Dragons Age: Origins, curse you! Great game, especially for people who played previous games by Bioware (Baulder's Gate, Neverwinter Nights), but I did not need this distraction. Lucky for me I didn't screw up too badly on my tests.
I just turned on the TV and Ugly Betty is on, dubbed in Japanese. I never watched the show in English but for some reason the dubbed version looks hilarious. I don't think it is the the content, more like the dubbing. I don't really understand everything that is said but the tones and intonations make it sound funny. Not usually a fan of dubs but hey, it might work sometimes.
I just turned on the TV and Ugly Betty is on, dubbed in Japanese. I never watched the show in English but for some reason the dubbed version looks hilarious. I don't think it is the the content, more like the dubbing. I don't really understand everything that is said but the tones and intonations make it sound funny. Not usually a fan of dubs but hey, it might work sometimes.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Swine Flu!
So one of my friends recently contacted swine flu. However, it seems that he contacted it when he was traveling in South Korea (James! It seems like there are legit concerns!). Apparently, Tsukuba is not the healthiest place right now, with over 100 confirmed cases of swine flu among the students. Not really sure how large the school is (and I can't seem to find anything online) but I hear we have the second largest campus in Japan. Either way, I still feel relatively safe right now, but I guess I should be more careful about my health.
Oh, and my friend is fine. He found out relatively early and got treated. From what I hear Japanese are incredibly afraid of the sickness. The student health center wouldn't even let him in after they heard he had a fever and he was quarantined when he went to a clinic. When he went to get his medicine the staff dropped it off in a box before he was able to get it. Pretty crazy, don't get sick.
Oh, and my friend is fine. He found out relatively early and got treated. From what I hear Japanese are incredibly afraid of the sickness. The student health center wouldn't even let him in after they heard he had a fever and he was quarantined when he went to a clinic. When he went to get his medicine the staff dropped it off in a box before he was able to get it. Pretty crazy, don't get sick.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Welcome Party
Well, last night my research room/zemi (seminar) group finally had a welcome party for me at an izakaya. My professor apologized for having it after I had been in Tsukuba for 2 and a half months but hey, if they want to treat me to a free meal, I'm all for it. Seriously though, it was nice to get to talk to some of the people though. As you guys probably know, I am a shy person around people I am not familiar with, which unfortunately, are most of the Japanese people here. I have weekly conversations with my tutor, but only passing and short conversations with everyone else. Even though I couldn't understand a lot of the conversations that were going on, it was still good practice and I did catch bits and pieces. And really, every talks a lot more after some drinking. I think my professor was going through the details of how he met his wife. Overall, it as pretty nice, and hopefully I will be able to talk to them more often (have some confidence John!!!).
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
I love Pomona
Not only are all of our transcripts free, they are sending mine to Japan free of charge as well.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Halloween and Futsal
First of all, thanks for everyone who pointed out that my mind went blank for a while when talking about trains. I have no idea why I thought weekend tickets cost more. I should know too because I have taken the Metrolink my fair share of times as well. Disregard that section of my previous post.
Let's see, Halloween was interesting but I did not dress up or go out partying. Instead, a group of friends and I had a hotpot party at my place. I guess that for me, hanging out with friends always beats partying. Then again, there was alcohol, so I guess there have been some changes. The food was delicious and thankfully, no one got drunk. Some people did get tipsy though and we played mafia combined with a batsu gemu (punishment game). The loser, either the caught mafia member or the last villager, would have to wear some cheap Halloween props we bought. Started with schoolgirl braids and went up to wearing pantyhoses on your head. Thankfully, all I had to put on were the schoolgirl braids. There really isn't that much to do in Tsukuba (not that I mind that much) and not surprisingly, people go to Tokyo often.
Another thing that happened is that I finally joined a Japanese circle/club, the Tsukuba Futsal Club! Just for people who don't know, Futsal is indoor, 5-man soccer with a ~basketball court-sized field and a slightly different ball (smaller and less bouncy). I finally had enough courage to go to one of their practices and ask them if I could play with them (even that day, I was by the field for half an hour before I was willing to approach them). I was scared that I would have communication problem but it seems that at least for sports, if you have a general idea of what to do on the field it isn't that bad. It ended up being pretty good too as I met some people who are looking to practice their English so they talk to me in English while I speak in broken Japanese. I do feel embarrassed when they compliment my Japanese though because one, it is definitely broken (it seems that most Japanese people have such low expectations that as long as you can generally understand what is going on they will think your Japanese is great). Second, when everyone keeps on asking you the same questions (where you are from, where you live, your major, how old you are, etc.), you already know how to answer them. I still can't carry on a genuine conversation with any of them.
Well, the sport itself is really fun and everyone is a lot better than I am. I play a lot of futsal when I am in Taiwan but the futsal here is on a completely different level. I kind of wondering why I like futsal so much. One of the main differences between futsal and soccer is that futsal requires a lot more quick thinking and technical skill. Yet, my mine weakness is my technical skill (I feel embarrassed that I can't really juggle a soccer ball at all). Everyone here is extremely skilled and I would not be surprised if most of them have the technical ability play college soccer in the US. Some weren't even part of their school's soccer club in HS. Not sure about their endurance but they all seem pretty fit as well. You can see that from their bodies, which they show when they all change out in the open, haha. I really hope I can improve my skills here though.
Let's see, Halloween was interesting but I did not dress up or go out partying. Instead, a group of friends and I had a hotpot party at my place. I guess that for me, hanging out with friends always beats partying. Then again, there was alcohol, so I guess there have been some changes. The food was delicious and thankfully, no one got drunk. Some people did get tipsy though and we played mafia combined with a batsu gemu (punishment game). The loser, either the caught mafia member or the last villager, would have to wear some cheap Halloween props we bought. Started with schoolgirl braids and went up to wearing pantyhoses on your head. Thankfully, all I had to put on were the schoolgirl braids. There really isn't that much to do in Tsukuba (not that I mind that much) and not surprisingly, people go to Tokyo often.
Another thing that happened is that I finally joined a Japanese circle/club, the Tsukuba Futsal Club! Just for people who don't know, Futsal is indoor, 5-man soccer with a ~basketball court-sized field and a slightly different ball (smaller and less bouncy). I finally had enough courage to go to one of their practices and ask them if I could play with them (even that day, I was by the field for half an hour before I was willing to approach them). I was scared that I would have communication problem but it seems that at least for sports, if you have a general idea of what to do on the field it isn't that bad. It ended up being pretty good too as I met some people who are looking to practice their English so they talk to me in English while I speak in broken Japanese. I do feel embarrassed when they compliment my Japanese though because one, it is definitely broken (it seems that most Japanese people have such low expectations that as long as you can generally understand what is going on they will think your Japanese is great). Second, when everyone keeps on asking you the same questions (where you are from, where you live, your major, how old you are, etc.), you already know how to answer them. I still can't carry on a genuine conversation with any of them.
Well, the sport itself is really fun and everyone is a lot better than I am. I play a lot of futsal when I am in Taiwan but the futsal here is on a completely different level. I kind of wondering why I like futsal so much. One of the main differences between futsal and soccer is that futsal requires a lot more quick thinking and technical skill. Yet, my mine weakness is my technical skill (I feel embarrassed that I can't really juggle a soccer ball at all). Everyone here is extremely skilled and I would not be surprised if most of them have the technical ability play college soccer in the US. Some weren't even part of their school's soccer club in HS. Not sure about their endurance but they all seem pretty fit as well. You can see that from their bodies, which they show when they all change out in the open, haha. I really hope I can improve my skills here though.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Trains and Appearances
I find it interesting that in Japan, train tickets are cheaper during the weekend. I guess they are trying to get more people to use public transportation during the weekend while it is already a given that they will use it during the week. In America (looking mainly at the Metrolink), it is the exact opposite. I guess in America they are trying to get more people to ride public transportation instead of driving during the week? One reason is probably that most American public transportation systems are not that good (to be fair they usually have to cover a larger area as well).
Oh, and when I went to get my flat tire fixed today, the shop owner commented how I totally look Japanese. When I told him my parents were from Taiwan he said I did not look Chinese or Taiwanese either. I guess it is nice to be able to blend in to your surroundings and not stand out, but at the same time I feel people expect me to be fluent in Japanese based on my appearance. The pressure might be a reason I am so hesitant to talk to most Japanese people. While I know this is totally illogical, I feel like I am letting them down somewhat.
Oh, and when I went to get my flat tire fixed today, the shop owner commented how I totally look Japanese. When I told him my parents were from Taiwan he said I did not look Chinese or Taiwanese either. I guess it is nice to be able to blend in to your surroundings and not stand out, but at the same time I feel people expect me to be fluent in Japanese based on my appearance. The pressure might be a reason I am so hesitant to talk to most Japanese people. While I know this is totally illogical, I feel like I am letting them down somewhat.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Catching Up: Tokyo
On Tuesday I went to meet a professor (Tom Blackwood) at the University of Tokyo for help on my project. I was actually pretty lucky to find out about him (Fulbright sent me his info) because what he does is VERY similar to what I was thinking of doing. He's dissertation was on the socialization of high school baseball in Japan, pretty much my project proposal. The best part was that he was an American so I could speak to him in English and actually communicate what I wanted to do.
After the talk with him, I feel a lot better about my project, even though I will probably have to change my topic a bit. Honestly, with my limited language ability, I probably couldn't have completed my original project (well). Plus, as Professor Blackwood pointed out, a lot of the questions I was asking were already dealt with by him. Even though there is a lot more info on high school baseball, he suggested that I go with my strengths and research the baseball link between Japan and Taiwan or Little League baseball in Japan. Those two topics are actually why I became interested in studying baseball in Japan. So, even though I am not really sure how to go on with my project right now (even less so compared to before), I do feel a lot better about it.
He is still polishing his dissertation for publication so I haven't really seen his work yet but he said he would send me copies later on. Interesting fact for all of you sociologists out there, apparently the job market for you guys is CRAP. Right now, at least in Asia-related fields, it is close to impossible to find a job for a sociologist. He highly recommended history if I was considering grad school, which is actually very beneficial for me. Of course, I haven't decided on grad school yet, but it is still nice to know my future has some potential hope.
Oh, and while I was in Tokyo, I decided to stop by Burger King (they are only in the Greater Tokyo Area). The main reason, to try out their special Windows 7 Burger. Celebrating the release of Windows 7, Burger King in Japan released a HUGE burger...basically a Whopper with 7 patties. Not willing to back down from a challenge, I tried it. Honestly, I felt sick afterward and it took me maybe 45 minutes to finish it. In the end there were times I was just stuffing bland patties into my mouth. I almost gave up a few times but did not want a burger beating me, especially since I was stupid and ate (fries and tenders) beforehand. Taste if the burger, yuck. Sense of satisfaction after conquering it, nice. Pictures are on my facebook page.
Speaking of Windows 7, should I spend $30 and upgrade? I believe that if I am using Windows Vista Home Premium I can upgrade without losing my programs/setting? Anyone know anything about this?
After the talk with him, I feel a lot better about my project, even though I will probably have to change my topic a bit. Honestly, with my limited language ability, I probably couldn't have completed my original project (well). Plus, as Professor Blackwood pointed out, a lot of the questions I was asking were already dealt with by him. Even though there is a lot more info on high school baseball, he suggested that I go with my strengths and research the baseball link between Japan and Taiwan or Little League baseball in Japan. Those two topics are actually why I became interested in studying baseball in Japan. So, even though I am not really sure how to go on with my project right now (even less so compared to before), I do feel a lot better about it.
He is still polishing his dissertation for publication so I haven't really seen his work yet but he said he would send me copies later on. Interesting fact for all of you sociologists out there, apparently the job market for you guys is CRAP. Right now, at least in Asia-related fields, it is close to impossible to find a job for a sociologist. He highly recommended history if I was considering grad school, which is actually very beneficial for me. Of course, I haven't decided on grad school yet, but it is still nice to know my future has some potential hope.
Oh, and while I was in Tokyo, I decided to stop by Burger King (they are only in the Greater Tokyo Area). The main reason, to try out their special Windows 7 Burger. Celebrating the release of Windows 7, Burger King in Japan released a HUGE burger...basically a Whopper with 7 patties. Not willing to back down from a challenge, I tried it. Honestly, I felt sick afterward and it took me maybe 45 minutes to finish it. In the end there were times I was just stuffing bland patties into my mouth. I almost gave up a few times but did not want a burger beating me, especially since I was stupid and ate (fries and tenders) beforehand. Taste if the burger, yuck. Sense of satisfaction after conquering it, nice. Pictures are on my facebook page.
Speaking of Windows 7, should I spend $30 and upgrade? I believe that if I am using Windows Vista Home Premium I can upgrade without losing my programs/setting? Anyone know anything about this?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Catching Up: Sports Day
This past weekend the University of Tsukuba had its annual Sports Day(s). Basically, there are athletic events all around campus ranging from soccer to futsal to exhibitions by clubs (gymnastics, rifle shooting, etc). I entered the "beginners" volleyball tournament with a group of friends. While I and some of the others were definitely beginners, we did have a few players that are actually pretty good and played in high school before. I don't feel too bad though because a lot of the other teams were like that as well and the "standard" group were all monsters who were over 6 feet tall or something. Tsukuba is very sports-oriented and sometimes known as "the Todai (basically, Harvard) for sports."
To prepare for the tournament we had some practice matches a week ago with another team named 7 Piece. We were pretty nervous at first because it was the first time we played as a team but we did well, beating 7 Piece's starting lineup once as well. After that we were pretty confident that we could do well, but...
It is pretty painful to say, but we were unlucky and had a bad draw. We lost our first match in a 66 team single-elimination tournament to a team that ended up third. To tell the truth I feel like we could have beat them if we met them later in the tournament but since it was the first game our lack of experience showed. To make matters worse the game was back and forth at first and we were leading 12-11 when I was taken out in order to let others have a chance. Normally this would not have been a problem but...our opponents were simply too good. They went on a 6-0 run and the game was basically over as it seemed like our players lost confidence. As usual, watching from the sidelines was very frustrating; you always want to be out there to help the team, especially when you know that you are better than someone on the court.
In retrospect the decision to take me out was probably a bad decision, but I can't really blame them either. I am no doubt a beginner with regards to volleyball and honestly, the purpose of the tournament was to have fun and not focus on winning. We did not expect to meet such a strong team in the first round and in theory, it is best to let everyone get some playing time early on before having your starters play the whole game later on. And my inexperience does show when I am on the court. It was just so frustrating because we honestly thought we would challenge for the title and for a few things that happened later.
7 Piece had their match right after ours and I stayed to watch them. Their opponents...were crap. They only had 5 players, some who played barefoot and in jeans, and were true beginners. 7 Piece destroyed them 25-3, with all three points coming off errors. I really felt that we were unlucky in drawing such a strong team, but that feeling only worsened when the tournament ended and 7 Piece emerged victorious. 7 Piece was a good team but they are also a team that we knew we could beat from experience. If we played them in the tournament I feel like we would have had a better than 50 percent chance of beating them, but alas, we were unprepared in he first round and never got the chance. We were so close, even if it did not appear so. It kind of stings when a team you beat just a week ago ends up winning the entire tournament.
So yeah, like most people we decided to drown our sorrows with alcohol, haha. People comment that the only things you can do in Tsukuba is go to nomikais (drinking parties) or karaoke. And no, I am not becoming an alcoholic; it was only the third time I drank in Japan and I never got drunk. In fact, the other kept on commenting on that fact when I tried to stop some crazy, alcohol-induced stuff. But, I have to say any relief that you get from drinking last only a short while. I am still disappointed but the results (though I still enjoyed the experience overall).
To prepare for the tournament we had some practice matches a week ago with another team named 7 Piece. We were pretty nervous at first because it was the first time we played as a team but we did well, beating 7 Piece's starting lineup once as well. After that we were pretty confident that we could do well, but...
It is pretty painful to say, but we were unlucky and had a bad draw. We lost our first match in a 66 team single-elimination tournament to a team that ended up third. To tell the truth I feel like we could have beat them if we met them later in the tournament but since it was the first game our lack of experience showed. To make matters worse the game was back and forth at first and we were leading 12-11 when I was taken out in order to let others have a chance. Normally this would not have been a problem but...our opponents were simply too good. They went on a 6-0 run and the game was basically over as it seemed like our players lost confidence. As usual, watching from the sidelines was very frustrating; you always want to be out there to help the team, especially when you know that you are better than someone on the court.
In retrospect the decision to take me out was probably a bad decision, but I can't really blame them either. I am no doubt a beginner with regards to volleyball and honestly, the purpose of the tournament was to have fun and not focus on winning. We did not expect to meet such a strong team in the first round and in theory, it is best to let everyone get some playing time early on before having your starters play the whole game later on. And my inexperience does show when I am on the court. It was just so frustrating because we honestly thought we would challenge for the title and for a few things that happened later.
7 Piece had their match right after ours and I stayed to watch them. Their opponents...were crap. They only had 5 players, some who played barefoot and in jeans, and were true beginners. 7 Piece destroyed them 25-3, with all three points coming off errors. I really felt that we were unlucky in drawing such a strong team, but that feeling only worsened when the tournament ended and 7 Piece emerged victorious. 7 Piece was a good team but they are also a team that we knew we could beat from experience. If we played them in the tournament I feel like we would have had a better than 50 percent chance of beating them, but alas, we were unprepared in he first round and never got the chance. We were so close, even if it did not appear so. It kind of stings when a team you beat just a week ago ends up winning the entire tournament.
So yeah, like most people we decided to drown our sorrows with alcohol, haha. People comment that the only things you can do in Tsukuba is go to nomikais (drinking parties) or karaoke. And no, I am not becoming an alcoholic; it was only the third time I drank in Japan and I never got drunk. In fact, the other kept on commenting on that fact when I tried to stop some crazy, alcohol-induced stuff. But, I have to say any relief that you get from drinking last only a short while. I am still disappointed but the results (though I still enjoyed the experience overall).
Monday, October 26, 2009
Catching Up: Playoff Baseball
I've been pretty busy the past few days and missed blogging some events in my life. Too tired to write it all out so I will do it in sections. First, baseball!
As happy as I am for the Yankees (and I actually had time to watch most of the games), this post is not about them. Right now also happens to be the playoffs for the Nippon Professional Baseball. My professor was nice enough to ask me if I wanted to go to a game. Of course I agreed, even if it meant missing my once-a-week basketball class. So last Friday, I met up with my prof in Tokyo and we went to Tokyo Dome to catch a playoff game.
Tickets...are cheap, especially compared to NY prices. We didn't actually get seats (those tickets were sold out already) but in Japan they sell standing-room tickets. Only 1000 yen (~$11) for a playoff game. Of course, if you don't get there early and reserve a spot by a railing (by placing your stuff by it), it gets really tiring standing for close to 4 hours. We didn't stay for the entire game, only stayed for the first 3 innings before we went to dinner, but it was still quite an experience. Oh, and my prof treated me to the game. Nice.
First thing you notice is how organized the cheering squads are. I'm not talking about cheerleaders, though they do exist in Japanese baseball, but about groups of organized fans who have chants for seemingly every situation. There are personal chants for each player and many situations. The Bleacher Creatures at Yankee Stadium (does anyone actually know what I am referring to? probably not) have a reputation for being pretty fanatical, but they can't touch a Japanese ooendan (cheer squad). They really are quite loud though and my professor commented on how he doesn't really like attending baseball games in Japan because it is way too loud. Makes sense, but I guess it is still an experience for me. Maybe if I go to many games (ooendans are everywhere in Japan) I will get sick of them too.
Something else that stood out, all of the mobile vendors (you know, the ones that actually go around in the stands selling stuff) where girls. Sex sells everywhere, not that I am surprised. Though instead of showing flesh like they would in the US, the girls were dressed up in a "cute"/kawaii way. I think it was pretty obvious that one's look was a requirement for the job. The PC side Pomona installed in me jumped all of the fact, but another side thought, does it really matter all that much? Should I be angry at the objectification of women working there?
Fan culture is obviously very different here and I think it would be something interesting to study. Not sure if I will touch upon it this year though. There is something that seems to appear in almost every professional baseball game. The most popular food and drink? Hotdogs and beer.
As happy as I am for the Yankees (and I actually had time to watch most of the games), this post is not about them. Right now also happens to be the playoffs for the Nippon Professional Baseball. My professor was nice enough to ask me if I wanted to go to a game. Of course I agreed, even if it meant missing my once-a-week basketball class. So last Friday, I met up with my prof in Tokyo and we went to Tokyo Dome to catch a playoff game.
Tickets...are cheap, especially compared to NY prices. We didn't actually get seats (those tickets were sold out already) but in Japan they sell standing-room tickets. Only 1000 yen (~$11) for a playoff game. Of course, if you don't get there early and reserve a spot by a railing (by placing your stuff by it), it gets really tiring standing for close to 4 hours. We didn't stay for the entire game, only stayed for the first 3 innings before we went to dinner, but it was still quite an experience. Oh, and my prof treated me to the game. Nice.
First thing you notice is how organized the cheering squads are. I'm not talking about cheerleaders, though they do exist in Japanese baseball, but about groups of organized fans who have chants for seemingly every situation. There are personal chants for each player and many situations. The Bleacher Creatures at Yankee Stadium (does anyone actually know what I am referring to? probably not) have a reputation for being pretty fanatical, but they can't touch a Japanese ooendan (cheer squad). They really are quite loud though and my professor commented on how he doesn't really like attending baseball games in Japan because it is way too loud. Makes sense, but I guess it is still an experience for me. Maybe if I go to many games (ooendans are everywhere in Japan) I will get sick of them too.
Something else that stood out, all of the mobile vendors (you know, the ones that actually go around in the stands selling stuff) where girls. Sex sells everywhere, not that I am surprised. Though instead of showing flesh like they would in the US, the girls were dressed up in a "cute"/kawaii way. I think it was pretty obvious that one's look was a requirement for the job. The PC side Pomona installed in me jumped all of the fact, but another side thought, does it really matter all that much? Should I be angry at the objectification of women working there?
Fan culture is obviously very different here and I think it would be something interesting to study. Not sure if I will touch upon it this year though. There is something that seems to appear in almost every professional baseball game. The most popular food and drink? Hotdogs and beer.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Quick Update
- I planned to go to my research room today but apparently the whole building is closed for the next 2 days because students are taking entrance exams. These are exams for grad students which comprise of a written exam and an interview. From what I hear, most of the exams (which differ by subject/department) have you writing two essays in an hour or so, one on your area of specialization and one on another area. Hard to say what I feel about this way of entering grad school but I can say all of the testees I have talked to are very nervous. Maybe the GREs are better for my nerves? Still undecided about grad school though.
- We had a mandatory physical for all new foreign students yesterday. It was the usual height, weight, blood pressure, urine analysis stuff but interestingly, they had us all do a chest X-Ray as well. I think it may have been my first time having a chest X-Ray. I think they were checking us for TB (that is what a chest X-Ray is for, right?). Realized I gained some weight since summer but not too much. More exercise for me!
- Which reminds me, one of my goals this year is to run (and finish) a full marathon. Been running outdoors lately, not as much as junior year but still maybe 3 times a week. I have come to appreciate running outdoors but I still miss certain aspects of treadmill-running. I hate how I have no idea how far I actually ran so I am planning to get a Nike+ sensor. Don't have an I-Pod but will be borrowing one from Reed, who doesn't need his Touch because he has an iPhone. Also, I can't multitask anymore. No more TV shows or studying while running, sigh.
- We had a mandatory physical for all new foreign students yesterday. It was the usual height, weight, blood pressure, urine analysis stuff but interestingly, they had us all do a chest X-Ray as well. I think it may have been my first time having a chest X-Ray. I think they were checking us for TB (that is what a chest X-Ray is for, right?). Realized I gained some weight since summer but not too much. More exercise for me!
- Which reminds me, one of my goals this year is to run (and finish) a full marathon. Been running outdoors lately, not as much as junior year but still maybe 3 times a week. I have come to appreciate running outdoors but I still miss certain aspects of treadmill-running. I hate how I have no idea how far I actually ran so I am planning to get a Nike+ sensor. Don't have an I-Pod but will be borrowing one from Reed, who doesn't need his Touch because he has an iPhone. Also, I can't multitask anymore. No more TV shows or studying while running, sigh.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The day John was pulled over by the police
So today, I decided to go on bike to this sports equipment store some 10km+ away for the first time. I reasoned that it would be an adventure and provide some exercise, especially since I am resting my ankle right now. No, it is not sprained, I just rolled over it slightly a few days ago and it is a bit sore. Well, despite going there the for the first time and not having a map, for some reason I decided to take a shortcut. Uncharacteristically, I ended up on this small road lost. The next thing I know this police car pulls up next to me and the cops come out and start asking me questions.
But wait, these were not cops who were trying to help someone lost. Bike theft is pretty common in Japan and all bikes are supposed to be registered with the police. I don't know why these cops decided to stop me but apparently they were suspicious of me and the bike I rode. I didn't understand everything they were saying and answering their questions in very broken Japanese did not help at all. Maybe it was because the bike I rode looked relatively new and I was out of place? Obviously, they soon realized that I was a foreign student at the university but they still asked me a bunch of questions like where I bought my bike and such.
Oh, and while I would usually advise you to not lie to the police, sometimes glossing over a few details might not be a bad idea. The cops saw that I had another bike key in my basket (I use it to recognize my bike, helpful when it is stuck in a stack of hundreds) and asked me about it. The details are complicated and hard to understand if you don't know a lot about bikes in Japan, but in retrospect having the key might have seemed suspicious because it could have easily come from a bike lock I broke off. I had to tell the truth and say that the key came from my other bike (which has a broken lock), which set off another round of questions and broken answers.
After answering all of their questions and giving them my name, address, and number (no idea what they are going to do with it), I finally got away from them. They were polite the entire time, even though we had trouble communicating, but it was still a very weird experience. No one likes be thought of as a thief, so that was not pleasant. I think this is also the first time I actually had any contact with the police, let alone be a suspect, in any country as well. While I was a bit nervous (probably from the language difficulties), I was fairly confident that things would be ok since I had done nothing wrong and the bike is mine and registered to me (though apparently they couldn't pull up that record soon enough and never did). The event is something I can look back at now and laugh at, but I still wonder why in the world I was picked in the first place. Thinking that you might look like a criminal is not a pleasant thought.
Oh, and apparently, I really do look Japanese. This is not the first time I have been told this. When I was a baby and in my grandma's care, her friends used to ask her why she was taking care of a Japanese baby (or so I am told). My tutor and his friend say I have a "syoyu (soy sauce)" face, as opposed to having a "(western) sauce" face. When the cops found out I was an American, the first questions they asked was if I was a Nisei (second-generation Japanese), which has happened other times as well.
But wait, these were not cops who were trying to help someone lost. Bike theft is pretty common in Japan and all bikes are supposed to be registered with the police. I don't know why these cops decided to stop me but apparently they were suspicious of me and the bike I rode. I didn't understand everything they were saying and answering their questions in very broken Japanese did not help at all. Maybe it was because the bike I rode looked relatively new and I was out of place? Obviously, they soon realized that I was a foreign student at the university but they still asked me a bunch of questions like where I bought my bike and such.
Oh, and while I would usually advise you to not lie to the police, sometimes glossing over a few details might not be a bad idea. The cops saw that I had another bike key in my basket (I use it to recognize my bike, helpful when it is stuck in a stack of hundreds) and asked me about it. The details are complicated and hard to understand if you don't know a lot about bikes in Japan, but in retrospect having the key might have seemed suspicious because it could have easily come from a bike lock I broke off. I had to tell the truth and say that the key came from my other bike (which has a broken lock), which set off another round of questions and broken answers.
After answering all of their questions and giving them my name, address, and number (no idea what they are going to do with it), I finally got away from them. They were polite the entire time, even though we had trouble communicating, but it was still a very weird experience. No one likes be thought of as a thief, so that was not pleasant. I think this is also the first time I actually had any contact with the police, let alone be a suspect, in any country as well. While I was a bit nervous (probably from the language difficulties), I was fairly confident that things would be ok since I had done nothing wrong and the bike is mine and registered to me (though apparently they couldn't pull up that record soon enough and never did). The event is something I can look back at now and laugh at, but I still wonder why in the world I was picked in the first place. Thinking that you might look like a criminal is not a pleasant thought.
Oh, and apparently, I really do look Japanese. This is not the first time I have been told this. When I was a baby and in my grandma's care, her friends used to ask her why she was taking care of a Japanese baby (or so I am told). My tutor and his friend say I have a "syoyu (soy sauce)" face, as opposed to having a "(western) sauce" face. When the cops found out I was an American, the first questions they asked was if I was a Nisei (second-generation Japanese), which has happened other times as well.
So yesterday, I finally had my first conversation practice with my tutor. Here at Tsukuba, a tutor is usually a Japanese student who is paid by the school to help international students. They don't get paid a lot though, something like 40-60 dollars for one semester and I can get help for around 40 hours. I butchered the language quite a bit but overall it was helpful and I met others as well. He showed me his research room and surprise surprise, most people were actually there. Unlike mine, where I rarely see others. I think it is because the room for Ph.D candidates is actually close to my adviser's office. My research room is further away so everyone has the leeway to skip. I do admit I have taken advantage of the distance as well though.
My tutor and his friend took me to a izakaya (drinking establishment) and held a mini welcome party-ish thing, though it was quite small and a bit late considering I have been here almost 2 months. It was an interesting experience though and I guess it is true that when you drink in Japan nothing is off limits. Something I realized in Japan, most people here like to drink but the Taiwanese students here can't drink a lot. Many Japanese students are heavyweights though and I guess they are appreciative of the fact that I can hold my own against them. I have definitely softened my stance against alcohol the past few years. While it is still not my drink of choice and not something I will actively look to do, it is sometimes an essential part of social life. Sometimes you just have to take what you get and go with it.
My tutor and his friend took me to a izakaya (drinking establishment) and held a mini welcome party-ish thing, though it was quite small and a bit late considering I have been here almost 2 months. It was an interesting experience though and I guess it is true that when you drink in Japan nothing is off limits. Something I realized in Japan, most people here like to drink but the Taiwanese students here can't drink a lot. Many Japanese students are heavyweights though and I guess they are appreciative of the fact that I can hold my own against them. I have definitely softened my stance against alcohol the past few years. While it is still not my drink of choice and not something I will actively look to do, it is sometimes an essential part of social life. Sometimes you just have to take what you get and go with it.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Nikko Trip Part 2 - reflections on identity
One thing that was apparent during the trip was that...I did not fit in. I'm not blaming anyone for anything but...I was constantly reminded that I was different. When introduced, I was often "the American." To be fair, I wasn't like everyone else, and it was obvious whenever I spoke. Despite my fluency in the language, I have a distinctive ABC (American-born Chinese) accent. I'm usually not that self-conscious about it because I am confident in my language ability but after getting reminded about it constantly...yeah, it was not pleasant. Also, almost everyone was constantly speaking in Taiwanese, which I do not understand at all. It was even more embarrassing/inconvenient when Japanese people started speaking in Taiwanese as well.
Even though around 70% of the island speaks Taiwanese, I was never really in a situation where everyone spoke Taiwanese and I didn't. While I don't usually hang out with random groups of Taiwanese, most people I met usually spoke in Mandarin, even when I play sports with them. This got me thinking about the political and ethnic makeup of Taiwan.
A bit of background info for those unfamiliar, there are the original-province-people (OrPP), people who lived in Taiwan before the end of World War II, and the other-province-people (OtPP), people from mainland China who moved to Taiwan after WWII. The OrPP speak Taiwanese and there used to be a lot of tension between the two groups. Many people say that the tensions is mostly gone but while I agree it is a lot better now I feel that it still exists in some capacity that mostly appears in politics. There are obviously many exceptions, but in general, the OtPP support the ruling KMT party and are usually more affluent and urbanized. the OtPP tend to dislike the Japanese because of what happened in WWII. The OrPP tend to live more rural lives in the south and are less influenced by changes in Taiwanese society. They tend to have a more favorable impression of the Japanese. This is partially because of their experiences under Japanese colonial rule, especially when it is compared to the first few decades of KMT rule (Not proud of it but the KMT did oppress many when they first arrived in Taiwan). Unfortunately, to many, being Taiwanese means being OrPP and being able to speak Taiwanese.
My family is OtPP (both of my grandfathers were in the KMT army) and I never had the chance to learn Taiwanese. It never really bothered me because I had no cultural ties to the language at all. As a child you don't really notice these things. As an adult, you do. Despite explaining multiple times that even though I was born in America and have an accent I lived in Taiwan since I was six, I was constantly reminded that I was an American. They didn't say that I was not Taiwanese outright but it was implied that I was not like them.
To be fair, they are right. My identity is something that I have always wondered about. My background puts me in a rather unique situation. Growing up, I was never that involved with either American or Taiwanese pop culture. I knew parts of both but they were just parts. It was never a huge problem as I could deal with most things competently but I never felt that I truly belonged in either group. As a grew up I became more and more capable of adapting to my environment, yet I am still plagued by these bouts of insecurities when my identity is questioned. There is no doubt that I am closer to being American than Taiwanese. I admit that I am touchy about the subject of having an accent when speaking English. Yet I do know that I am different from a typical ABC and that I am a lot more "tai"/Taiwanese compared to most. There will always be aspects of the American cultural experience (ie. high school) that I will never be able to fully comprehend. In America, I definitely miss having the opportunity to speak in the language I am most comfortable in, Chinglish. But even in Taiwan, with such a small group of people with similar circumstances, it is close to impossible to find something with not only the same interests but also similar cultural interests. I would like to clarify that I love my friends and I feel very comfortable around them, but I guess there is always something more that can be added. However, I do feel that this is something that can be experienced by anyone and not just someone in my situation.
So yeah, I guess this post was a huge rant on how I felt insecure about my identity because I was (probably rightfully so) declared a someone who was different. I guess it does make sense that most Taiwanese who have enough interest in Japan to go study there would have closer ties to "original" Taiwanese culture (though they consider themselves original Taiwanese, they seem to disregard the actual native Taiwanese/aborigines). It is not something I thought about before and I guess it just kind of shocking to me how different I was compared to almost everyone else.
Even though around 70% of the island speaks Taiwanese, I was never really in a situation where everyone spoke Taiwanese and I didn't. While I don't usually hang out with random groups of Taiwanese, most people I met usually spoke in Mandarin, even when I play sports with them. This got me thinking about the political and ethnic makeup of Taiwan.
A bit of background info for those unfamiliar, there are the original-province-people (OrPP), people who lived in Taiwan before the end of World War II, and the other-province-people (OtPP), people from mainland China who moved to Taiwan after WWII. The OrPP speak Taiwanese and there used to be a lot of tension between the two groups. Many people say that the tensions is mostly gone but while I agree it is a lot better now I feel that it still exists in some capacity that mostly appears in politics. There are obviously many exceptions, but in general, the OtPP support the ruling KMT party and are usually more affluent and urbanized. the OtPP tend to dislike the Japanese because of what happened in WWII. The OrPP tend to live more rural lives in the south and are less influenced by changes in Taiwanese society. They tend to have a more favorable impression of the Japanese. This is partially because of their experiences under Japanese colonial rule, especially when it is compared to the first few decades of KMT rule (Not proud of it but the KMT did oppress many when they first arrived in Taiwan). Unfortunately, to many, being Taiwanese means being OrPP and being able to speak Taiwanese.
My family is OtPP (both of my grandfathers were in the KMT army) and I never had the chance to learn Taiwanese. It never really bothered me because I had no cultural ties to the language at all. As a child you don't really notice these things. As an adult, you do. Despite explaining multiple times that even though I was born in America and have an accent I lived in Taiwan since I was six, I was constantly reminded that I was an American. They didn't say that I was not Taiwanese outright but it was implied that I was not like them.
To be fair, they are right. My identity is something that I have always wondered about. My background puts me in a rather unique situation. Growing up, I was never that involved with either American or Taiwanese pop culture. I knew parts of both but they were just parts. It was never a huge problem as I could deal with most things competently but I never felt that I truly belonged in either group. As a grew up I became more and more capable of adapting to my environment, yet I am still plagued by these bouts of insecurities when my identity is questioned. There is no doubt that I am closer to being American than Taiwanese. I admit that I am touchy about the subject of having an accent when speaking English. Yet I do know that I am different from a typical ABC and that I am a lot more "tai"/Taiwanese compared to most. There will always be aspects of the American cultural experience (ie. high school) that I will never be able to fully comprehend. In America, I definitely miss having the opportunity to speak in the language I am most comfortable in, Chinglish. But even in Taiwan, with such a small group of people with similar circumstances, it is close to impossible to find something with not only the same interests but also similar cultural interests. I would like to clarify that I love my friends and I feel very comfortable around them, but I guess there is always something more that can be added. However, I do feel that this is something that can be experienced by anyone and not just someone in my situation.
So yeah, I guess this post was a huge rant on how I felt insecure about my identity because I was (probably rightfully so) declared a someone who was different. I guess it does make sense that most Taiwanese who have enough interest in Japan to go study there would have closer ties to "original" Taiwanese culture (though they consider themselves original Taiwanese, they seem to disregard the actual native Taiwanese/aborigines). It is not something I thought about before and I guess it just kind of shocking to me how different I was compared to almost everyone else.
Nikko Trip Part 1 - events
So, this past weekend I decided to tag along with many Taiwanese students on a trip to Nikko, Tochigi (kudos if you know where it is), even though I am not technically a Taiwanese student abroad in Japan. It was sponsored by some group that fosters Japan-Taiwan relations and we only had to pay for the train ticket to Nikko. It was actually quite interesting and I'll try to keep the events portion short.
- FREEZING. Nikko is up in the mountains and it was raining when we arrived. WET + 40-50 degrees temp + wing = no fun.
- Went to a festival/matsuri, where besides getting some nice food entered a geta (Japanese wooden clogs)kicking contest. We had to kick them off our feet and see how far they went. Prizes were given to the furthest kickers and those who kicked into a circle. It was fun, but I didn't get anything.
- Took us to a fancy restaurant for some really nice cheesecake while we talked with (older) Japanese people. The lady who sat at my table actually spoke pretty fluent Chinese.
- went to multiple waterfalls, which were pretty nice as well. Did some light hiking but with a diverse group of people (ie, non-active people) we really couldn't go that far, slightly disappointing.
- Stayed in a deluxe mountain cabin. It was really nice (seem to be using that a lot) with all amenities. It was great that they had a heater but I slept right next to it at night. Woke up with a VERY dry mouth and throat.
- Dinner was BBQ/teppanyaki. The food was good but what I realized was that Japanese people really like to get you to drink. Even if you only take a sip of your beer, they will immediately fill up your glass. I was fine but some people...wow.
- They also took us the the local firework show and give us VIP seats (tickets can cost you $30+). It was close enough that sometimes the ashes from the fireworks could drift down on us. The show itself...was AMAZING. Best show I have ever seen and beats both July 4 fireworks and New Years Day Fireworks at Taipei 101 hands down. The one hour show was divided into 4 sections and each had a grand finale. The show must have cost tens of thousands and with the economy the way it is, I do kind of wonder if such an extravagant show was needed. Then again, firework shows are part of Japanese culture. I highly recommend a Japanese fireworks show, you don't even need to get a VIP seat. They are just as good from a distance.
- FREEZING. Nikko is up in the mountains and it was raining when we arrived. WET + 40-50 degrees temp + wing = no fun.
- Went to a festival/matsuri, where besides getting some nice food entered a geta (Japanese wooden clogs)kicking contest. We had to kick them off our feet and see how far they went. Prizes were given to the furthest kickers and those who kicked into a circle. It was fun, but I didn't get anything.
- Took us to a fancy restaurant for some really nice cheesecake while we talked with (older) Japanese people. The lady who sat at my table actually spoke pretty fluent Chinese.
- went to multiple waterfalls, which were pretty nice as well. Did some light hiking but with a diverse group of people (ie, non-active people) we really couldn't go that far, slightly disappointing.
- Stayed in a deluxe mountain cabin. It was really nice (seem to be using that a lot) with all amenities. It was great that they had a heater but I slept right next to it at night. Woke up with a VERY dry mouth and throat.
- Dinner was BBQ/teppanyaki. The food was good but what I realized was that Japanese people really like to get you to drink. Even if you only take a sip of your beer, they will immediately fill up your glass. I was fine but some people...wow.
- They also took us the the local firework show and give us VIP seats (tickets can cost you $30+). It was close enough that sometimes the ashes from the fireworks could drift down on us. The show itself...was AMAZING. Best show I have ever seen and beats both July 4 fireworks and New Years Day Fireworks at Taipei 101 hands down. The one hour show was divided into 4 sections and each had a grand finale. The show must have cost tens of thousands and with the economy the way it is, I do kind of wonder if such an extravagant show was needed. Then again, firework shows are part of Japanese culture. I highly recommend a Japanese fireworks show, you don't even need to get a VIP seat. They are just as good from a distance.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Swine Flu?
Rumor has it that someone in my lab (research room) might have swine flu. Not sure how credible it is but I think I should be relatively safe since I doubt the person is coming to the room now. Not that I do that often anyway.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Typhoon
Hmmm...haven't updated in a while. Not much as happened, still trying to learn Japanese while not being very productive. At least the university is closed tomorrow because of a typhoon. Not really sure if we will have to make up the day later though. Somewhat lucky because I have a quiz tomorrow but the classes only meets 10 times a semester so...yeah, not sure how we are going to make that up.
Random things that have been happening... I accidentally ate a bit of a pumpkin muffin a few days ago. Thankfully, I found out soon afterward and stopped after one bite, but I thought that my throat was a bit swollen. It could have totally been mental though because it really wasn't serious. Hmm....maybe I should not test my allergies anytime soon.
I had some more to write, but I will add it later. Mind feels kind of distracted, not really sure why... Japan is great though.
Random things that have been happening... I accidentally ate a bit of a pumpkin muffin a few days ago. Thankfully, I found out soon afterward and stopped after one bite, but I thought that my throat was a bit swollen. It could have totally been mental though because it really wasn't serious. Hmm....maybe I should not test my allergies anytime soon.
I had some more to write, but I will add it later. Mind feels kind of distracted, not really sure why... Japan is great though.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tokyo Game Show
So I went to the Tokyo Game Show this weekend, though it is not exactly in Tokyo (in Chiba, which is another prefecture). It was my first convention/show of any kind and it was pretty fun. Met up with Jamie and two of his friends there and it was nice getting to know a bit about the life of JET, which I was so close to getting.
Let's see, I got to TGS early on Saturday so I decided to stop by the local pro baseball stadium (Chiba Marines, managed by local legend Bobby Valentine, kudos if that made any sense to you). There was a game later that day so there were a bunch of people outside. There was a show/performance of multiple cheer/dance groups, at least that is what I thought it was. Pretty interesting to see, but I didn't actually get to see the game. Something I hope to do sometime in the future. Oh, and you know how people dress up as mascots? There was someone dressed up as a cockroach there, haha. To be fair, he was with someone dressed up as bug spray, but I still though it was hilarious. Pics up later.
Later I met up Jamie and co. What I learned from TGS is that there is a lot of waiting at game conventions. Everyone wants to play the newest games and some lines took almost 2 hours. In fact, I did wait over 100 minutes to play Okamiden. The hottest games were coupon-only and it was impossible to get them. I arrived on Sunday 15 minutes after opening and they were already out of tickets for FFXIII. I'm happy about my souvenirs though, decided to splurge on Square Enix products. =P As for pictures, sadly, you were not allowed to take pictures of the games or live performances. That only leaves the booths and the very popular booth girls. Whenever the girls posed there would be a huge crowd of people surrounding them taking pics. It is actually kind of creepy sometimes as some of these people brought professional quality cameras in order to get pics of the girls.
Hmm... it was nice overall but it was kind of tiring. Not being fluent in Japanese was a minor problem too. Unfortunately, the big shows in the US are not open to the public.
Let's see, I got to TGS early on Saturday so I decided to stop by the local pro baseball stadium (Chiba Marines, managed by local legend Bobby Valentine, kudos if that made any sense to you). There was a game later that day so there were a bunch of people outside. There was a show/performance of multiple cheer/dance groups, at least that is what I thought it was. Pretty interesting to see, but I didn't actually get to see the game. Something I hope to do sometime in the future. Oh, and you know how people dress up as mascots? There was someone dressed up as a cockroach there, haha. To be fair, he was with someone dressed up as bug spray, but I still though it was hilarious. Pics up later.
Later I met up Jamie and co. What I learned from TGS is that there is a lot of waiting at game conventions. Everyone wants to play the newest games and some lines took almost 2 hours. In fact, I did wait over 100 minutes to play Okamiden. The hottest games were coupon-only and it was impossible to get them. I arrived on Sunday 15 minutes after opening and they were already out of tickets for FFXIII. I'm happy about my souvenirs though, decided to splurge on Square Enix products. =P As for pictures, sadly, you were not allowed to take pictures of the games or live performances. That only leaves the booths and the very popular booth girls. Whenever the girls posed there would be a huge crowd of people surrounding them taking pics. It is actually kind of creepy sometimes as some of these people brought professional quality cameras in order to get pics of the girls.
Hmm... it was nice overall but it was kind of tiring. Not being fluent in Japanese was a minor problem too. Unfortunately, the big shows in the US are not open to the public.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
TGS Note
Back from Day 1 (or 3, depending on how you look at it) of TGS (Tokyo Game Show) where I met up with Jamie and his friends. A bit tired now (slept for a total of...13 hours the last 3 days) so I will give a detailed account later. I do have to say that my first convention was pretty nice. I hate getting up early on the weekends though...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Random Things
Found out today that I probably could have gotten internet connection for way cheaper (as in, 50% off) if I did some more research beforehand. Of course, I would have had to apply in Japanese, which I probably can not do, but then again I could have asked for help. For $20 a month, it probably would have been worth it. Oh well.
Also, when I went to pay my rent today at the real estate agents' office, the people there knew who I was and where I lived. I don't know if I should be glad that it was so easy or sad that the only reason they probably remembered me was that I was the foreigner who barely understood Japanese.
Also, when I went to pay my rent today at the real estate agents' office, the people there knew who I was and where I lived. I don't know if I should be glad that it was so easy or sad that the only reason they probably remembered me was that I was the foreigner who barely understood Japanese.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Lazy John sita at home, needs help
Well, it is still Silver Week in Japan (one of the two 5 day holidays in Japan) but I have done nothing at all. Mostly because there really isn't anywhere to go (all the other Fulbrighters just moved in or are still in hotels) and traveling alone is not very fun. Wasting away my days like summer, sigh...probably should work on my Japanese more... Anyway, I did catch up with an anime I loved as a kid, Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! (爆走兄弟Let's & Go!!). It took me forever to find a copy of it. Seriously, I have been spending years looking for it. 102 episodes in a little over a week? Way too much time on my hands.
Hmmm...glad US TV shows are starting again so I have something to watch when I eat. Japanese TV is not that interesting right now, though I probably should watch it to improve my language ability. Oh yeah, I really need some help/suggestions for good/easy/relatively cheap cooking recipes. You can only eat curry, fried rice, and bento for so long (not that I am sick of any yet, just that I know I can't eat like this all year).
Hmmm...glad US TV shows are starting again so I have something to watch when I eat. Japanese TV is not that interesting right now, though I probably should watch it to improve my language ability. Oh yeah, I really need some help/suggestions for good/easy/relatively cheap cooking recipes. You can only eat curry, fried rice, and bento for so long (not that I am sick of any yet, just that I know I can't eat like this all year).
Friday, September 18, 2009
Orientation Part 3
Well, second day of official orientation and while I had already known about most of the stuff, some things (like getting to know Japanese students, how to use a special language learning fund) were useful. It was nice that they brought in two former Fulbrighters to answer our questions (there was one yesterday as well). Thanks to listening to one of the former Fulbrighters, I an actually considering staying in Japan one extra year after Fulbright and attend a language school to really improve my language capability. Very tentative, but it sounds interesting.
Another thing I learned today was that I was the ONLY Fulbrighter who got off the alternative list. That means I was cutting it veryyyyy close. I am glad they ended up with the money to bring me to Japan. Interestingly, I was the last Fulbrighter to get the grant but the first to arrive in Japan.
Probably the most interesting thing today was the fact that most of the available Fulbrighters went drinking (cheap, all you can drink for 1500 yen) with the executive director of the Japan Fulbright Program. He is a very interesting guy, very nice, albeit sometimes acting a bit weird. He answered a lot of questions for us and honestly, how often do you get the chance to go and drink/hang out with the head of your scholarship/grant? Right now, besides the language issues I am having, it looks like I will be having a pretty good year ahead.
EDIT: One quick question, so one of the people I met yesterday suggested that I contact a prof who my advisor knows. Should I contact his prof by myself or should I actually talk to my advisor first?
Another thing I learned today was that I was the ONLY Fulbrighter who got off the alternative list. That means I was cutting it veryyyyy close. I am glad they ended up with the money to bring me to Japan. Interestingly, I was the last Fulbrighter to get the grant but the first to arrive in Japan.
Probably the most interesting thing today was the fact that most of the available Fulbrighters went drinking (cheap, all you can drink for 1500 yen) with the executive director of the Japan Fulbright Program. He is a very interesting guy, very nice, albeit sometimes acting a bit weird. He answered a lot of questions for us and honestly, how often do you get the chance to go and drink/hang out with the head of your scholarship/grant? Right now, besides the language issues I am having, it looks like I will be having a pretty good year ahead.
EDIT: One quick question, so one of the people I met yesterday suggested that I contact a prof who my advisor knows. Should I contact his prof by myself or should I actually talk to my advisor first?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Orientation Part 2
First official day of Fulbright Orientation. Woke up at 6:30 AM (have not done this....in quite a while...hate it). The orientation itself was pretty boring, mostly because I had already heard about most of the stuff. Lots of move in stuff that I already completed. In the afternoon, the other fellows went to the bank to cash their first check. Everyone was nervous holding over $5000 in cash on them, haha. I previously had the same experience, only I had over $7000 (3 more weeks pay).
At night, we had a dinner party, with tons of former Fulbrighters and sponsors, at the American Deputy Chief of Mission's house. It was a NICE house, probably worth millions actually. It was huge, lavishly furnished, and in the center of Tokyo. Pretty nice place and the American Ambassador was there as well. I was planning to take a picture with him, but I was unable to personally meet him. I had though about taking a picture with him with a stuffed Cecil as well, but I did not have the guts in the end. Reason for stuffed Cecil, I was planning to take pictures of Cecil all around Japan (inspired by Evan). Of course, I have not been very good at it, but hopefully he/she? will visit some places this year.
Anyway, my advisor was there with his wife and I was stuck with them the whole time. Pros: practiced by (horrible) Japanese all night and got to know them better. Cons: was not able to meet other people and network (which might be good? considering how I fear social networking) and could not speak English all night (others conversed mostly in English). Interesting enough, of the two people I did meet, one was a good friend of Professor Dru Gladney (who I worked for at Pomona) and one was a prof who does a lot of sports TV work (covered 7 Olympics for NBC or something) and documentary stuff. I am wondering about the protocol of contacting these people for information about future jobs. It seems a bit weird to just send them an email asking for help considering all the contact we have is a conversation at a dinner party. Hmmmm....
Well, afterward, most of us went for some karaoke. Not exactly my thing but I decided to stay in order to be sociable. I still can't sing and know no Japanese songs. I realized that I am most comfortable singing Chinese songs since I only Karaoke in Taiwan (and my knowledge of English songs is quite limited). We get to sleep in an extra hour tomorrow, so that is a plus.
At night, we had a dinner party, with tons of former Fulbrighters and sponsors, at the American Deputy Chief of Mission's house. It was a NICE house, probably worth millions actually. It was huge, lavishly furnished, and in the center of Tokyo. Pretty nice place and the American Ambassador was there as well. I was planning to take a picture with him, but I was unable to personally meet him. I had though about taking a picture with him with a stuffed Cecil as well, but I did not have the guts in the end. Reason for stuffed Cecil, I was planning to take pictures of Cecil all around Japan (inspired by Evan). Of course, I have not been very good at it, but hopefully he/she? will visit some places this year.
Anyway, my advisor was there with his wife and I was stuck with them the whole time. Pros: practiced by (horrible) Japanese all night and got to know them better. Cons: was not able to meet other people and network (which might be good? considering how I fear social networking) and could not speak English all night (others conversed mostly in English). Interesting enough, of the two people I did meet, one was a good friend of Professor Dru Gladney (who I worked for at Pomona) and one was a prof who does a lot of sports TV work (covered 7 Olympics for NBC or something) and documentary stuff. I am wondering about the protocol of contacting these people for information about future jobs. It seems a bit weird to just send them an email asking for help considering all the contact we have is a conversation at a dinner party. Hmmmm....
Well, afterward, most of us went for some karaoke. Not exactly my thing but I decided to stay in order to be sociable. I still can't sing and know no Japanese songs. I realized that I am most comfortable singing Chinese songs since I only Karaoke in Taiwan (and my knowledge of English songs is quite limited). We get to sleep in an extra hour tomorrow, so that is a plus.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Fulbright Orientation
So...I am in Tokyo right now for the Fulbright Orientation. I should have been arriving in Japan around this time like almost everyone else but my university started earlier. The hotel is pretty nice and is paid for the next 4 nights.
Met up with Reed and other Fulbrighers. The group is pretty interesting and most of us went out for dinner together. Everyone seems pretty nice and it seems like we will get along together. I wowed them with my appetite (not intentionally), but I still think Reed beats me in that category. Actual briefing (mostly redundant for me) will begin tomorrow morning and we have a dinner party later that night. Supposedly, the American ambassador to Japan is going to drop by.
Most "frustrating" thing I found out, one of the Fulbright Fellows (Keaton) went to Middlebury for language study this summer. He was in the same boat as I was at first; he got accepted but without financial aid. I decided to reject admission because it was wayyy too expensive for me ($9000 + plane ticket). However, Keaton called the office and asked about his financial aid. They were hesitant to give him an answer until he name-dropped Fulbright on them and wound up getting over 90% covered. If only.... I would be so much more prepared for my reaserch and time here if I actually went to Middlebury like I originally planned. Sigh... then again, I wasn't sure I was getting a Fulbright back then either. I just wish my Japanese was better...
Met up with Reed and other Fulbrighers. The group is pretty interesting and most of us went out for dinner together. Everyone seems pretty nice and it seems like we will get along together. I wowed them with my appetite (not intentionally), but I still think Reed beats me in that category. Actual briefing (mostly redundant for me) will begin tomorrow morning and we have a dinner party later that night. Supposedly, the American ambassador to Japan is going to drop by.
Most "frustrating" thing I found out, one of the Fulbright Fellows (Keaton) went to Middlebury for language study this summer. He was in the same boat as I was at first; he got accepted but without financial aid. I decided to reject admission because it was wayyy too expensive for me ($9000 + plane ticket). However, Keaton called the office and asked about his financial aid. They were hesitant to give him an answer until he name-dropped Fulbright on them and wound up getting over 90% covered. If only.... I would be so much more prepared for my reaserch and time here if I actually went to Middlebury like I originally planned. Sigh... then again, I wasn't sure I was getting a Fulbright back then either. I just wish my Japanese was better...
Monday, September 14, 2009
I am alive
Wow, it has been a while. To be fair, I did not get internet until 2 days ago and it is a pain to blog on a public computer with people waiting for you. Anyways, I guess an update it needed.
- Placement test was horrible, results as well. I should have done a lot better but there is nothing to do about it right now. Basically, I am taking class 5 times a week (10:10 to 11:25) with an extra kanji class on Thursdays. Japanese class is kind of easy but hopefully it will get better. I guess I need to self-study in order to really improve my language ability.
- I also have my professor's zemi (seminar) Monday morning around 8:45. So earlyyyyyyyyy. And I don't understand what is happening either. Oh well, hopefully I will be able to understand the class later on.
- I am really glad that I have the Taiwanese student connection to utilize. They have been a life saver and really helped with with most of my questions. There was supposed to be a Moon Festival BBQ for Taiwanese students last Saturday but it was canceled because of rain (the only time it did all week!). Sad, lost a chance to meet other people and get a free meal. Unfortunately, the Taiwanese students are probably the only people I know right now. I need to meet other people, but it is hard when there are not that many opportunities, especially regarding meeting Japanese students.
- Speaking of Taiwanese students, I got dragged in playing volleyball with them, despite the fact that I have not played since high school PE class. It is kind of fun, but I really suck at it. We'll see how it goes later in the year.
I have more to say, but I'll leave it for later.
- Placement test was horrible, results as well. I should have done a lot better but there is nothing to do about it right now. Basically, I am taking class 5 times a week (10:10 to 11:25) with an extra kanji class on Thursdays. Japanese class is kind of easy but hopefully it will get better. I guess I need to self-study in order to really improve my language ability.
- I also have my professor's zemi (seminar) Monday morning around 8:45. So earlyyyyyyyyy. And I don't understand what is happening either. Oh well, hopefully I will be able to understand the class later on.
- I am really glad that I have the Taiwanese student connection to utilize. They have been a life saver and really helped with with most of my questions. There was supposed to be a Moon Festival BBQ for Taiwanese students last Saturday but it was canceled because of rain (the only time it did all week!). Sad, lost a chance to meet other people and get a free meal. Unfortunately, the Taiwanese students are probably the only people I know right now. I need to meet other people, but it is hard when there are not that many opportunities, especially regarding meeting Japanese students.
- Speaking of Taiwanese students, I got dragged in playing volleyball with them, despite the fact that I have not played since high school PE class. It is kind of fun, but I really suck at it. We'll see how it goes later in the year.
I have more to say, but I'll leave it for later.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Waiting for internet
Well, it looks like I will be getting internet at my place next Saturday (9/12). It is actually a pretty quick connection in Japan considering that it is about 2 weeks since I applied. Still, not being able to use your own computer for internet is painful, very painful. For one, it is a pain to try to send files and I do not really trust public computers when trying to access sensitive data (like my bank account).
Went to a class organized by my advisor today. It was basically just a series of lectures from various profs. Technically it is still going on (and will continue tomorrow) but I decided to leave after listening to 3 of the 5 lectures today. Reason? I did not really understand a single thing they said. Ok, maybe that is a bit harsh, I could catch sentences here and there, but I did not really get the overall point of the lectures. Not surprisingly, my Japanese is not good enough yet to actually take classes in the language. Students get credit for the class as well, so I guess you can say that they stuffed 8 lectures (each around 1.25 hours), a discussion, and a conclusion into two days.
Been slowly collecting stuff and my room is almost fully furnished. Need to organize it though. My tendency to leave stuff all over my room is a lot more noticable when the room is small.
Went to a class organized by my advisor today. It was basically just a series of lectures from various profs. Technically it is still going on (and will continue tomorrow) but I decided to leave after listening to 3 of the 5 lectures today. Reason? I did not really understand a single thing they said. Ok, maybe that is a bit harsh, I could catch sentences here and there, but I did not really get the overall point of the lectures. Not surprisingly, my Japanese is not good enough yet to actually take classes in the language. Students get credit for the class as well, so I guess you can say that they stuffed 8 lectures (each around 1.25 hours), a discussion, and a conclusion into two days.
Been slowly collecting stuff and my room is almost fully furnished. Need to organize it though. My tendency to leave stuff all over my room is a lot more noticable when the room is small.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Placement Exam
Was horrible. The test was computer-based for the most part but we had 40 sentences to complete by hand at the end. Questions were multiple choice but with the time limit you really had no time to seriously look at the question. Listening part of the exam sucked and I was simply guessing in the end. You literally had 2-3 seconds to look over the choices and pick one. I felt rushed and there were a few questions in which I knew I picked the wrong choice (and I knew which one was right) as soon as I clicked it. Kanji part was ok but still missed a few. Written part was HORRIBLE. Did not have enough time in the end and left a lot blank. Maybe I should have studied my grammar more but I am not sure if that would have helped that much. They even asked us to grade ourselves. I put...14 out of 40. Seriously.
Well, hopefully this will not come back and haunt me. The levels are ranked from 100-700, with 100-400 being elementary, 500 being low intermediate, 600 being high intermediate, and 700 being advanced. Looking at the classes I took in college I should probably have tested into 600 or 700, but I am simply hoping for 500 right now. Do not want to retake elementary Japanese, hell no. Well, I guess this is what happens when you have a 3-4 month break where you stop using a language. Time for some self-study.
Well, hopefully this will not come back and haunt me. The levels are ranked from 100-700, with 100-400 being elementary, 500 being low intermediate, 600 being high intermediate, and 700 being advanced. Looking at the classes I took in college I should probably have tested into 600 or 700, but I am simply hoping for 500 right now. Do not want to retake elementary Japanese, hell no. Well, I guess this is what happens when you have a 3-4 month break where you stop using a language. Time for some self-study.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Quick Update
Quick recap of the past few days. Using the computer lab because I am still internet-less at home (probably will be for at least 2 more weeks).
Everyday - random shopping/looking online for things to furnish my apartment. Unfortunately, it seems that despite my obsessiveness about prices, I have not been getting the cheapest things I can. I tend to regret purchases often. Maybe I should just forgot about trying to save a ton of money this year (aiming to save a third of my grant, which is ~10,000, but I also have to pay taxes, actually saves will be much much less).
8/29 - Moved into my new apartment. Played some ultimate frisbee with (mostly) foreigners. Most of them were not that good but it was fun. Got a fridge (which is probably too big for me to fill, but oh well) and was lucky enough to have it transported to me.
8/30 - Went to the internet cafe. Was raining outside and I crashed/wiped out my bike two times. The second time was just a usual crash for me; the wheels went out under me when I was trying to ride up a metal ramp at an angle. Note to everyone, do not do this, especially when the ramp is wet. I say this from (much) personal experience. Sadly, I do not learn from my own lessons.
The first crash was more serious; it was the first time that I actually experienced flipping over my bike head-first. Another lesson, do not have your umbrella dangling from the side of your bike. Mine got caught in the front wheel and I literally went flying over bike. I really was't hurt besides the usual scrapes and bruises but it is not an experience I would like to have agian. Bike had some minor damages as well but it still rides decently.
8/31 - Typhoon! Japanese typhoons (or at least in Tsukuba) feel slightly different from Taiwan ones. First, while the rain was nonstop, it really wasn't that hard and I could have gone out with an unbrella if I needed to. Oh, and I also appreciate how most umbrellas here are clear. That way you can have your umbrella literally sitting on your head (while biking) and still be able to see where you are going.
9/1 - Registration Day. Officially registered, though I have to wait a while for my ID card and all. Also, I was slightly surprised by the amount of Chinese students here. Of the 60 so research students that registered in the morning of the first day(you could register over a period of 3 days actually), there was one from Korea, Kazakhstan(I think), one from Taiwan, one from the US (me), and the rest were ALL from China. That is....over 90%? Maybe it is a small sample size but it was still surprising.
9/2 - Today, I registered for my Japanese placement exam (which will be tomorrow). Nervous about it, especially since they are (in theory) testing my weaknesses, and really regreting not studying over the summer. I just hope I do not totally embarress myself. Also got some used stuff (TV, rice cookers, etc) which I am slightly regreting now. TV is huge (non-flatscreen 29 in) but maybe too big for my small apartment, especially since I will get a monitor for sure. Also got a bike because it was cheap, but it turns out that the bike is not in the best condition and needs fixing, probably a tire replacement. Lock is also broken so it is sitting out there unlocked but if anyone really wants to steal it I would not be too disappointed.
Hope this was not too long. I really need internet at home...
Everyday - random shopping/looking online for things to furnish my apartment. Unfortunately, it seems that despite my obsessiveness about prices, I have not been getting the cheapest things I can. I tend to regret purchases often. Maybe I should just forgot about trying to save a ton of money this year (aiming to save a third of my grant, which is ~10,000, but I also have to pay taxes, actually saves will be much much less).
8/29 - Moved into my new apartment. Played some ultimate frisbee with (mostly) foreigners. Most of them were not that good but it was fun. Got a fridge (which is probably too big for me to fill, but oh well) and was lucky enough to have it transported to me.
8/30 - Went to the internet cafe. Was raining outside and I crashed/wiped out my bike two times. The second time was just a usual crash for me; the wheels went out under me when I was trying to ride up a metal ramp at an angle. Note to everyone, do not do this, especially when the ramp is wet. I say this from (much) personal experience. Sadly, I do not learn from my own lessons.
The first crash was more serious; it was the first time that I actually experienced flipping over my bike head-first. Another lesson, do not have your umbrella dangling from the side of your bike. Mine got caught in the front wheel and I literally went flying over bike. I really was't hurt besides the usual scrapes and bruises but it is not an experience I would like to have agian. Bike had some minor damages as well but it still rides decently.
8/31 - Typhoon! Japanese typhoons (or at least in Tsukuba) feel slightly different from Taiwan ones. First, while the rain was nonstop, it really wasn't that hard and I could have gone out with an unbrella if I needed to. Oh, and I also appreciate how most umbrellas here are clear. That way you can have your umbrella literally sitting on your head (while biking) and still be able to see where you are going.
9/1 - Registration Day. Officially registered, though I have to wait a while for my ID card and all. Also, I was slightly surprised by the amount of Chinese students here. Of the 60 so research students that registered in the morning of the first day(you could register over a period of 3 days actually), there was one from Korea, Kazakhstan(I think), one from Taiwan, one from the US (me), and the rest were ALL from China. That is....over 90%? Maybe it is a small sample size but it was still surprising.
9/2 - Today, I registered for my Japanese placement exam (which will be tomorrow). Nervous about it, especially since they are (in theory) testing my weaknesses, and really regreting not studying over the summer. I just hope I do not totally embarress myself. Also got some used stuff (TV, rice cookers, etc) which I am slightly regreting now. TV is huge (non-flatscreen 29 in) but maybe too big for my small apartment, especially since I will get a monitor for sure. Also got a bike because it was cheap, but it turns out that the bike is not in the best condition and needs fixing, probably a tire replacement. Lock is also broken so it is sitting out there unlocked but if anyone really wants to steal it I would not be too disappointed.
Hope this was not too long. I really need internet at home...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Slight Break
Well, a lot has happened (well, at least a bit) since I moved yesterday but since I don not have internet yet I will update later. Apparently the entire school is closed today too, which means I can not use the international student center. Right now I am in an internet cafe that has everything (manga, pool, darts, etc). Quite handy actually. Well, while I wait for internet connection at home (might take weeks, sigh), the time between updates will vary.
Anyway, some things I noticed in Japan.
- While I knew that people drove on the left、still not that used to it. This comes up when I bike. The fact that people stand on the left while going up escalators feels different too.
- keys turn differently too. While in the US it is standard to turn the key towards the wall to lock it, it is the opposite in Japan. Not used to it as well.
- I HATE Japanese keyboards, the keys are in different locations and I can not type on these. I had literally close to one hundred typos just trying to write this entry. I will stop now so I don`t have to break something.
Anyway, some things I noticed in Japan.
- While I knew that people drove on the left、still not that used to it. This comes up when I bike. The fact that people stand on the left while going up escalators feels different too.
- keys turn differently too. While in the US it is standard to turn the key towards the wall to lock it, it is the opposite in Japan. Not used to it as well.
- I HATE Japanese keyboards, the keys are in different locations and I can not type on these. I had literally close to one hundred typos just trying to write this entry. I will stop now so I don`t have to break something.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Day 6 - Moving Tomorrow
Woke up late because I could and went to this huge shopping mall place, rumored to be the largest in Eastern Japan. It was pretty nice but I was mostly trying to kill time and see what the place was like. Some nice shops so I will probably stop by some other time.
Finally finalized my housing paperwork and all I have to do tomorrow is pay the first month's rent (which, incidentally, is actually 4.05 times the actual rent) and get my key. Japanese rental system has a lot of "hidden" fees that everyone knows about. You usually pay an extra 1-2 months rent to the owner, put down 1-2 months for a deposit (which you will most likely not get back because the money is used to repair and damage, including wear and tear, after you move out, and around 1 month to the real estate agent (mine was 1.05). I was lucky because the deposit and gift money was only one month each. I feel sorry for people who have to pay up to half a year's rent for one month.
Played some volleyball with Taiwanese students there. First time since high school and I was not that good, though surprisingly I was not as bad as I thought I would be. My arms were really red though.
Once I move I should have more consistent internet. See you guys then!
Finally finalized my housing paperwork and all I have to do tomorrow is pay the first month's rent (which, incidentally, is actually 4.05 times the actual rent) and get my key. Japanese rental system has a lot of "hidden" fees that everyone knows about. You usually pay an extra 1-2 months rent to the owner, put down 1-2 months for a deposit (which you will most likely not get back because the money is used to repair and damage, including wear and tear, after you move out, and around 1 month to the real estate agent (mine was 1.05). I was lucky because the deposit and gift money was only one month each. I feel sorry for people who have to pay up to half a year's rent for one month.
Played some volleyball with Taiwanese students there. First time since high school and I was not that good, though surprisingly I was not as bad as I thought I would be. My arms were really red though.
Once I move I should have more consistent internet. See you guys then!
iPhone sadness
Ok, it is official, I regret not being patient and getting an iPhone. I love browsing electronic stores, and unfortunately that means I am bombarded with cell phone marketing. After finally looking at the iPhone plan today, I realized that I am not only missing out on a handy phone, I am not really saving much money anyway. If I am reading the signs correctly, a new 3Gs 16gb only costs around $125 (spread over two years), and users also get a huge discount ($15-20) off their monthly fees as well. My phone may be free, but I don’t get the special iPhone discount, which might end up being more than the cost of my phone. Of course, I am not sure how getting a one year contract or something changes the iPhone deal, but since I have to pay a $100 contract-breaking fee for my phone in the end anyway, it can’t be that big a difference. And, even if I don’t have AT&T in the US, I could have always used the iPhone as a Touch anyway. Sigh.
Note to self, be patient net time. Don’t rush into buying anything, especially a phone, even if you feel that you need it. I learned the lesson, but that does not change the bitter feeling I have now. I tend to dwell on stuff I can not change way too much. Oh well, at least I am in Japan.
Note to self, be patient net time. Don’t rush into buying anything, especially a phone, even if you feel that you need it. I learned the lesson, but that does not change the bitter feeling I have now. I tend to dwell on stuff I can not change way too much. Oh well, at least I am in Japan.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
HD TV or Monitor?
Disclaimer: This entry will probably be boring to many.
Hmmm.... how wasteful should I be? Get an HDTV for probably around $350-450 or get a good monitor for around $150-200 and buy a cheap, regular, used TV (less than $100 for sure, might be close to 0) or a TV tuner (not sure about the prices but not too cheap).
HDTV is nice and saves space. If I decide to get a PS3 here (seriously considering, but waiting on FF13 and how social I want to/should be), I would need an HDTV. I want to hook the TV as a second monitor for my laptop as well. That means, however, that I will only have a second monitor or a TV, not both at the same time. The HDTV will probably be easier to sell when I leave, though probably at a huge discount.
Monitor+TV is obviously cheaper but takes up more space. I'm used to dual monitors and honestly, while HD is always nice I am used to crappy TV displays.
Of course, then there is the brand and size to consider. I used a 17'' in college but want at least a 19-22'' now. It seems that 22 is the norm now (bigger better for gaming) but 19 is cheaper and I can get a better brand. Of course, the brand always counts but since I am here only for one year, it might not matter that much. Better brand would be easier to resell though.
When you start living on your own you always have these urges to go out and splurge on something. First is was my phone, now it is this.
EDIT: Apparently I forgot about Monitor/HD TV hybrids that are cheaper. Can anyone explain to be how to use a built-in TV tuner to watch tv on a monitor?
EDIT: Or maybe just get a external HD TV tuner for a good monitor? You guys an see where I have been wasting my time....
Hmmm.... how wasteful should I be? Get an HDTV for probably around $350-450 or get a good monitor for around $150-200 and buy a cheap, regular, used TV (less than $100 for sure, might be close to 0) or a TV tuner (not sure about the prices but not too cheap).
HDTV is nice and saves space. If I decide to get a PS3 here (seriously considering, but waiting on FF13 and how social I want to/should be), I would need an HDTV. I want to hook the TV as a second monitor for my laptop as well. That means, however, that I will only have a second monitor or a TV, not both at the same time. The HDTV will probably be easier to sell when I leave, though probably at a huge discount.
Monitor+TV is obviously cheaper but takes up more space. I'm used to dual monitors and honestly, while HD is always nice I am used to crappy TV displays.
Of course, then there is the brand and size to consider. I used a 17'' in college but want at least a 19-22'' now. It seems that 22 is the norm now (bigger better for gaming) but 19 is cheaper and I can get a better brand. Of course, the brand always counts but since I am here only for one year, it might not matter that much. Better brand would be easier to resell though.
When you start living on your own you always have these urges to go out and splurge on something. First is was my phone, now it is this.
EDIT: Apparently I forgot about Monitor/HD TV hybrids that are cheaper. Can anyone explain to be how to use a built-in TV tuner to watch tv on a monitor?
EDIT: Or maybe just get a external HD TV tuner for a good monitor? You guys an see where I have been wasting my time....
Day Five (gotta make more interesting titles)
So, I didn't have much to do today.
- Woke up, checked some stuff, and then went to the real estae agent to pick up my housing contract. Brought it to be signed by my advisor, the International Student Center for them to look at it and become my guarantor, pay some insurance stuff, etc. Have to go pick up the contract again tomorrow and my future home is supposed to be cleaned as well. Hoping to move in on Saturday (but then I will have to get furniture and stuff, sigh).
- Meeting with my advisor for lunch (when I got him to sign to the housing stuff). He took me out for sushi (nice sushi, not 100 yen sushi. it was good but I doubt I will be go there many times. student budget, you know) and asked me many questions about myself. Actually, it was probably because I was being the typical bad conversational partner I am as I did not ask him many questions about himself. One reason, I was hella nervous and my Japanese SUCKED. I am not exaggerating either, I missed some of the most basic questions he was asking because I was overthinking it. I am rusty, but I also just suck at conversation.
EDIT: Also, he gave me copies of all of his books. Well, one book and three that he was editor for. He signed it personally as well, which was nice of him.
- I really need to step it up or I might be put into beginning Japanese classes here .They make a note that they don't test your knowledge of Japanese but how well you can survive in Japan. In other words, they are not testing my strength but focusing on my weakness, not good.
- stuff i needed to do ended kind of early, so I went.....shopping. Haha, seriously, I really did. Well, I went looking at electronics at first (sadly, Tsukuba is not Tokyo so my options were kind of limited). Also, PRICEY! Mainly I got a wireless transmitter (or whatever they are called) so I can share internet with my neighbor (his internet, I am splitting the cost I guess). Got some clothes too, surprise surprise! And not only sports stuff too, a pair of regular shorts and a shirt too. Since it is the end of summer sale in Japan now stuff was discounted like crazy, otherwise you would never see John actually shop for clothes. Haha.
- Going to the electronic store might have been a mistake as I saw that the iPhone was available there. Now I am trying to convince myself that I made the right choice by not going to another store and holding out for the iPhone.
Pros: I got a cheaper phone, can spend money on TV/monitor without feeling as guilty, even if I did get an iPhone I have Verizon in the US and switching networks could be a pain.
Cons: iPhone could be used in the US, some apps would be helpful in Japan, especially dictionary/Japanese phrases database. It has a nice interface.
Well, whatever, I can't change my plan now anyway. I have a knack of worrying about stuff that is out of my control. Also, I am pretty sure that Japan phones run differently from US phones so most phones bought in Japan will not work in the United States (or so I have been told). iPhone is an exception because it is US-made I believe.
- Woke up, checked some stuff, and then went to the real estae agent to pick up my housing contract. Brought it to be signed by my advisor, the International Student Center for them to look at it and become my guarantor, pay some insurance stuff, etc. Have to go pick up the contract again tomorrow and my future home is supposed to be cleaned as well. Hoping to move in on Saturday (but then I will have to get furniture and stuff, sigh).
- Meeting with my advisor for lunch (when I got him to sign to the housing stuff). He took me out for sushi (nice sushi, not 100 yen sushi. it was good but I doubt I will be go there many times. student budget, you know) and asked me many questions about myself. Actually, it was probably because I was being the typical bad conversational partner I am as I did not ask him many questions about himself. One reason, I was hella nervous and my Japanese SUCKED. I am not exaggerating either, I missed some of the most basic questions he was asking because I was overthinking it. I am rusty, but I also just suck at conversation.
EDIT: Also, he gave me copies of all of his books. Well, one book and three that he was editor for. He signed it personally as well, which was nice of him.
- I really need to step it up or I might be put into beginning Japanese classes here .They make a note that they don't test your knowledge of Japanese but how well you can survive in Japan. In other words, they are not testing my strength but focusing on my weakness, not good.
- stuff i needed to do ended kind of early, so I went.....shopping. Haha, seriously, I really did. Well, I went looking at electronics at first (sadly, Tsukuba is not Tokyo so my options were kind of limited). Also, PRICEY! Mainly I got a wireless transmitter (or whatever they are called) so I can share internet with my neighbor (his internet, I am splitting the cost I guess). Got some clothes too, surprise surprise! And not only sports stuff too, a pair of regular shorts and a shirt too. Since it is the end of summer sale in Japan now stuff was discounted like crazy, otherwise you would never see John actually shop for clothes. Haha.
- Going to the electronic store might have been a mistake as I saw that the iPhone was available there. Now I am trying to convince myself that I made the right choice by not going to another store and holding out for the iPhone.
Pros: I got a cheaper phone, can spend money on TV/monitor without feeling as guilty, even if I did get an iPhone I have Verizon in the US and switching networks could be a pain.
Cons: iPhone could be used in the US, some apps would be helpful in Japan, especially dictionary/Japanese phrases database. It has a nice interface.
Well, whatever, I can't change my plan now anyway. I have a knack of worrying about stuff that is out of my control. Also, I am pretty sure that Japan phones run differently from US phones so most phones bought in Japan will not work in the United States (or so I have been told). iPhone is an exception because it is US-made I believe.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Fourth Day
I realized that my last entry was wayyyyy too long and people tend not to read entries like that (from personal experience as well). So I will stick to highlights now.
- got my bank account, seemed relatively painless
- got my cell phone! unfortunately, the store was out of iPhones, so I decided to get the cheapest cell phone available, which is still quite good compared to US phones (Softbank 830P). I charged it to my US credit card in order to get a discount and hopefully BoA is not overzealous again and blocks a transaction from Japan. At least I can continue to complain about iPhone prices without sounding like a hypocrite and I can feel better about buying a nice TV/monitor since I probably saved close to $400.
- did some basic shopping, met some more students from Taiwan (not much interaction though), came back to find two boxes of misc. stuff outside my door (left from previous Fulbrighters, one who already left and one who is leaving tomorrow). At least I should be able to save on small things.
- noticed that summer clothing is on super-sales right now in Japan as we enter fall. Maybe I should get some stuff? Sounds very un-John-like, shopping and all. Some nice deals on athletic apparel though. That is more like it.
- meeting with my advisor tomorrow for lunch. Not sure what to expect and hoping not to sound like an idiot with my broken Japanese and my sadly, still incomplete knowledge of my own topic. I wish I knew more about Japanese baseball going in to tomorrow's meeting.
Anyways, hoping that things will go well. Later people.
- got my bank account, seemed relatively painless
- got my cell phone! unfortunately, the store was out of iPhones, so I decided to get the cheapest cell phone available, which is still quite good compared to US phones (Softbank 830P). I charged it to my US credit card in order to get a discount and hopefully BoA is not overzealous again and blocks a transaction from Japan. At least I can continue to complain about iPhone prices without sounding like a hypocrite and I can feel better about buying a nice TV/monitor since I probably saved close to $400.
- did some basic shopping, met some more students from Taiwan (not much interaction though), came back to find two boxes of misc. stuff outside my door (left from previous Fulbrighters, one who already left and one who is leaving tomorrow). At least I should be able to save on small things.
- noticed that summer clothing is on super-sales right now in Japan as we enter fall. Maybe I should get some stuff? Sounds very un-John-like, shopping and all. Some nice deals on athletic apparel though. That is more like it.
- meeting with my advisor tomorrow for lunch. Not sure what to expect and hoping not to sound like an idiot with my broken Japanese and my sadly, still incomplete knowledge of my own topic. I wish I knew more about Japanese baseball going in to tomorrow's meeting.
Anyways, hoping that things will go well. Later people.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Third Day, up and down
So my third day started with something unrelated to Japan. Recurring dreams are a weird thing, especially ones which end up badly. Sometimes you realize early on that you have had the same dream before, but this time I didn't until the very end (the bad plot twist) because it had been a while. I don't want to get into too much detail but yeah, dreams can be a no-win situation if they are about something that didn't happen but you wished it did. If the dream goes bad (like this time) you wake up with a sour taste in your mouth; if it continues well you wake up and realize it is all fake (and still get a sour taste). So yeah, not the most promising start of the day.
Got some free stuff from Dan (previous Fulbrighter) in the morning before meeting up with Luo (the grad student here who is helping me) before lunch. Went to the International Student Center and got some info about house hunting (and how the university can act as my guarantor). Next, bike! You pretty much need a bike if you want to go anywhere in Japan (except maybe in Tokyo and some select cities?). Got one used at 7500 yen, which isn't the cheapest I could have gotten but it was in better condition than some of the other ones I saw and I pretty much needed to bike to get around. Convenience was probably worth the extra money.
House hunting we go! Since I am not very picky about housing, we looked over some places and finally decided that renting a place next to Luo could be beneficial to me. It is cheap (30,000 yen) with decent facilities (shared washing machine, but in some ways itis better than having your own since you don't pay for the water), relatively clean and in a decent neighborhood. I am slightly apprehensive that I did not look at many other options but I rationalized that another place would most likely be similar in price and size (I could get a bigger, more expensive place, but I have lived in so many small rooms before the standard small Japanese rooms should work for me) and would not be significantly different in other aspects. With the place I "have" now, there is someone next door who can help me with most problems I will encounter here (he is fluent, a Ph.D student studying Japan-Taiwan IR history). As he said, outside of your own country people have to help each other. I guess I have an advantage in that I can tap into the Taiwanese student connection (60-70 strong I hear) and the Western student connection (have not really met anyone yet). I'll probably go more into detail when I actually move in. I technically do not have the contract yet but I should finalize everything in a few days. Since I have never rented my own place elsewhere I can't say how the house hunting procedure is compared to other countries but it seemed a bit complex for me.
Went to lunch feeling pretty productive but that soon ended after I realized I lost the key for my bike lock (after 2 hours?!). To be fair the bike keys in Japan are SUPER light, like less than a pencil and really small. It must have fell out of my pocket when I took my wallet out to pay for lunch but I could not find it at all. Needless to say, I sort of panicked. Thankfully Luo was there and he helped me find a bike shop which was willing to help me with my problem. Some more important info, you need to register your bike (like you do for a car in the US) in Japan in order to stop theft. I guess there is such a big demand for used bikes in Japan that the industry is quite strong. Since I just bought my bike in the morning, the bike was not technically registered to me yet (doubt a shop owner is that diligent as they have to go to the police station and all). Thankfully, with some smooth talking by Luo (and pity of me?)I was able to get the lock removed and get a new one. Not the drama I planned to have so early in my stay but thankfully it ended relatively quickly.
Went to City Hall and registered as an Alien and got my Health Insurance. According to statistics from February, 2009, there are about 2200 registered Chinese Aliens (apparently Taiwan counts as China in Japan, but that is not unexpected) but only ~150 Americans. I guess that is what you get when your prefecture is known for its agriculture (btw, the rice fields are pretty). However, it seems that there are foreigners from literally almost every country in the world, including the African ones. Did not see that coming either.
Did some more paperwork, contacted my advisor, was shown around the campus/city a bit, blah blah blah. I applaud you if you are still reading. Pretty long day and pretty productive, now I just need to open my bank account, get a cell phone, and finish the paperwork for my apartment. Planning to do the first two tomorrow (can't touch 3 until Thursday).
Oh, and despite my distaste for Apple products (not the actual products but the price and advertising), I am thinking of getting an iPhone here. Reasoning, there is a huge discount on iPhones in Japan and phones are usually hella expensive in Japan. With the discount the price o the iPhone is really low (or so I hear, i have to check myself tomorrow). Jamie said his iPhone 3G 8gb is pretty much going to be free after his discount. I am hoping for a 3Gs (more future proof) so I will see what the prices look like, but it looks decent now. However, I have one more worry. Getting an iPhone means signing up for the data packet, which is basically ~$40 a month. I could get a nice phone and pay the extra money ($500+ for the year) or just get a simple phone and pay pretty much nothing for the entire year (student discount plus low usage, excluding the price of the phone). I have never been a huge cellphone user (sent...less than 10 texts in the past two years, reached 20-40 minutes of calling per month in college). However, it would be nice to have internet with you where you go, plus now I am actually living by myself I might need to use my phone more? One Fulbrighter suggested getting one while the other said he never really used his phone, so tie there as well. I want to save the money but I am tempted by the perks (plus, I might be able to use the iPhone when I leave Japan, unlike almost all other Japanese phones). Leaning towards iPhone but I do not want to be wasteful, especially since I want to get a good TV/monitor as well (I need two screens to watch my shows and work at the same time!). You can't really buy them used either.
This is wayyyyy too long and boring, so I will end it now. I'll update with more useless info later on when the battery og my laptop is not dangerously low. Oh, and a big shout out to Luo, who is literally saving my butt here in Japan. Without him translating for me and helping me get used to the environment, I would have probably gotten only 10% of what I did today done. Thanks!
Got some free stuff from Dan (previous Fulbrighter) in the morning before meeting up with Luo (the grad student here who is helping me) before lunch. Went to the International Student Center and got some info about house hunting (and how the university can act as my guarantor). Next, bike! You pretty much need a bike if you want to go anywhere in Japan (except maybe in Tokyo and some select cities?). Got one used at 7500 yen, which isn't the cheapest I could have gotten but it was in better condition than some of the other ones I saw and I pretty much needed to bike to get around. Convenience was probably worth the extra money.
House hunting we go! Since I am not very picky about housing, we looked over some places and finally decided that renting a place next to Luo could be beneficial to me. It is cheap (30,000 yen) with decent facilities (shared washing machine, but in some ways itis better than having your own since you don't pay for the water), relatively clean and in a decent neighborhood. I am slightly apprehensive that I did not look at many other options but I rationalized that another place would most likely be similar in price and size (I could get a bigger, more expensive place, but I have lived in so many small rooms before the standard small Japanese rooms should work for me) and would not be significantly different in other aspects. With the place I "have" now, there is someone next door who can help me with most problems I will encounter here (he is fluent, a Ph.D student studying Japan-Taiwan IR history). As he said, outside of your own country people have to help each other. I guess I have an advantage in that I can tap into the Taiwanese student connection (60-70 strong I hear) and the Western student connection (have not really met anyone yet). I'll probably go more into detail when I actually move in. I technically do not have the contract yet but I should finalize everything in a few days. Since I have never rented my own place elsewhere I can't say how the house hunting procedure is compared to other countries but it seemed a bit complex for me.
Went to lunch feeling pretty productive but that soon ended after I realized I lost the key for my bike lock (after 2 hours?!). To be fair the bike keys in Japan are SUPER light, like less than a pencil and really small. It must have fell out of my pocket when I took my wallet out to pay for lunch but I could not find it at all. Needless to say, I sort of panicked. Thankfully Luo was there and he helped me find a bike shop which was willing to help me with my problem. Some more important info, you need to register your bike (like you do for a car in the US) in Japan in order to stop theft. I guess there is such a big demand for used bikes in Japan that the industry is quite strong. Since I just bought my bike in the morning, the bike was not technically registered to me yet (doubt a shop owner is that diligent as they have to go to the police station and all). Thankfully, with some smooth talking by Luo (and pity of me?)I was able to get the lock removed and get a new one. Not the drama I planned to have so early in my stay but thankfully it ended relatively quickly.
Went to City Hall and registered as an Alien and got my Health Insurance. According to statistics from February, 2009, there are about 2200 registered Chinese Aliens (apparently Taiwan counts as China in Japan, but that is not unexpected) but only ~150 Americans. I guess that is what you get when your prefecture is known for its agriculture (btw, the rice fields are pretty). However, it seems that there are foreigners from literally almost every country in the world, including the African ones. Did not see that coming either.
Did some more paperwork, contacted my advisor, was shown around the campus/city a bit, blah blah blah. I applaud you if you are still reading. Pretty long day and pretty productive, now I just need to open my bank account, get a cell phone, and finish the paperwork for my apartment. Planning to do the first two tomorrow (can't touch 3 until Thursday).
Oh, and despite my distaste for Apple products (not the actual products but the price and advertising), I am thinking of getting an iPhone here. Reasoning, there is a huge discount on iPhones in Japan and phones are usually hella expensive in Japan. With the discount the price o the iPhone is really low (or so I hear, i have to check myself tomorrow). Jamie said his iPhone 3G 8gb is pretty much going to be free after his discount. I am hoping for a 3Gs (more future proof) so I will see what the prices look like, but it looks decent now. However, I have one more worry. Getting an iPhone means signing up for the data packet, which is basically ~$40 a month. I could get a nice phone and pay the extra money ($500+ for the year) or just get a simple phone and pay pretty much nothing for the entire year (student discount plus low usage, excluding the price of the phone). I have never been a huge cellphone user (sent...less than 10 texts in the past two years, reached 20-40 minutes of calling per month in college). However, it would be nice to have internet with you where you go, plus now I am actually living by myself I might need to use my phone more? One Fulbrighter suggested getting one while the other said he never really used his phone, so tie there as well. I want to save the money but I am tempted by the perks (plus, I might be able to use the iPhone when I leave Japan, unlike almost all other Japanese phones). Leaning towards iPhone but I do not want to be wasteful, especially since I want to get a good TV/monitor as well (I need two screens to watch my shows and work at the same time!). You can't really buy them used either.
This is wayyyyy too long and boring, so I will end it now. I'll update with more useless info later on when the battery og my laptop is not dangerously low. Oh, and a big shout out to Luo, who is literally saving my butt here in Japan. Without him translating for me and helping me get used to the environment, I would have probably gotten only 10% of what I did today done. Thanks!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Second Day
It was my second day in Japan and yet I do not know if it has really hit me that I will be in this country for the next year.. Despite bring in a country that I am not totally familiar with, language or culture, besides the occasional time I find myself looking up to the sky and thinking, "I am really in Japan, wow," I don't really feel anything. Maybe it is my way of coping with my extreme nervousness. Does that make sense, feeling really nervous but nothing at the same time? It sounds weird, but that is what I feel.
Woke up at a decent time for once (8 AM! has not happened in a lonnnnnng time). After getting some breakfast, I set off to the Fulbright office in Japan and experienced first hand how crowded a subway can get. I thought the crowd in Taipei during New Years was bad, but now I see what Japanese people (or at least in Tokyo) have to deal with going to work. Let us just say that it is not comfortable getting pushed from behind until you are basically a sandwich, especially if you have a piece of luggage with you.
Since I was the first Fulbrighter to arrive in Japan (My university starts earlier than most Japanese ones; other people arrive mid-September), I got a quick, basic run-through of what to expect and what to do. I will still go to the group orientation in September but hopefully I won't really need it. I also got my first check and I now have huge wad of bills hiding somewhere in my hotel room (no bank account yet). I must admit that when you have a few thousand dollars on hand you are a lot more careful about where it is all the time. Met up with a current Fulbrighter (Dan) at Tsukuba who is leaving in a few days and he was very helpful in answering my questions and offering me advice. Also took me to Tsukuba after we meet up with his girlfriend (Mio?). Note to self, do not try to arrange a meeting with someone when you don't have a cellphone and you did not specify an exact meeting place.
Chinese extended families (including the numerous god-siblings that people from our parents' generation have) are notoriously large, but those connections can be really helpful sometimes. I found out this summer that my mom has a god-sister who works as the head of foreign languages at Zheng-Da University in Taiwan who, as luck has it, did her Ph.D work at Tsukuba University. She has a student who is currently doing his Ph.D work at Tsukuba and she give me his contact info. After Dan and Mio helped me find my hotel, I called and meet up with him and he was also really helpful in answering questions and giving advice. He offered to help me with finding a place to live (my primary concern) and all of the paperwork I have to do here. I can probably tap into the Taiwanese student network here as well, which might prove to be invaluable (since one has a car). I must say that as much as I stress out and worry about things, they do tend to work out for me in the end.
So now I am in the lobby of my current hotel (well, more like a cheap place to stay) using their wi-fi. I do miss the nice room I had last night in Tokyo with the huge and comfy bed, in-room internet, TV and all, but considering one night there costs the same as the 4 nights I will be staying here, yeah, I can live with bringing my laptop to the lobby to use the internet. Tomorrow I will check out the international student center to get some more info and start looking for an apartment, hope things go as well as things recently have (knock on wood).
Woke up at a decent time for once (8 AM! has not happened in a lonnnnnng time). After getting some breakfast, I set off to the Fulbright office in Japan and experienced first hand how crowded a subway can get. I thought the crowd in Taipei during New Years was bad, but now I see what Japanese people (or at least in Tokyo) have to deal with going to work. Let us just say that it is not comfortable getting pushed from behind until you are basically a sandwich, especially if you have a piece of luggage with you.
Since I was the first Fulbrighter to arrive in Japan (My university starts earlier than most Japanese ones; other people arrive mid-September), I got a quick, basic run-through of what to expect and what to do. I will still go to the group orientation in September but hopefully I won't really need it. I also got my first check and I now have huge wad of bills hiding somewhere in my hotel room (no bank account yet). I must admit that when you have a few thousand dollars on hand you are a lot more careful about where it is all the time. Met up with a current Fulbrighter (Dan) at Tsukuba who is leaving in a few days and he was very helpful in answering my questions and offering me advice. Also took me to Tsukuba after we meet up with his girlfriend (Mio?). Note to self, do not try to arrange a meeting with someone when you don't have a cellphone and you did not specify an exact meeting place.
Chinese extended families (including the numerous god-siblings that people from our parents' generation have) are notoriously large, but those connections can be really helpful sometimes. I found out this summer that my mom has a god-sister who works as the head of foreign languages at Zheng-Da University in Taiwan who, as luck has it, did her Ph.D work at Tsukuba University. She has a student who is currently doing his Ph.D work at Tsukuba and she give me his contact info. After Dan and Mio helped me find my hotel, I called and meet up with him and he was also really helpful in answering questions and giving advice. He offered to help me with finding a place to live (my primary concern) and all of the paperwork I have to do here. I can probably tap into the Taiwanese student network here as well, which might prove to be invaluable (since one has a car). I must say that as much as I stress out and worry about things, they do tend to work out for me in the end.
So now I am in the lobby of my current hotel (well, more like a cheap place to stay) using their wi-fi. I do miss the nice room I had last night in Tokyo with the huge and comfy bed, in-room internet, TV and all, but considering one night there costs the same as the 4 nights I will be staying here, yeah, I can live with bringing my laptop to the lobby to use the internet. Tomorrow I will check out the international student center to get some more info and start looking for an apartment, hope things go as well as things recently have (knock on wood).
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Weight?
Failed to check out what amenities the hotel offered and bought a toothbrush and razor when I didn't have to. Oh well, at least it was only 300 yen. On the other hand, I hope the hotel's scale is broken or I would have lost over 20 pounds this summer (I know I have not been eating a lot this summer, but seriously, 127 pounds?!?).
I have always liked kids, but sitting next to two 3 years olds on the plane is not a pleasant situation when they are whining, crying, and yelling at the top of their lungs. I don't know whether they are spoiled are not (moms listened to them always but seemed embarrassed about their child's behavior) but those kids need to learn to quiet down. And I do realize this is slightly ironic considering I am pretty loud myself sometimes.
I have always liked kids, but sitting next to two 3 years olds on the plane is not a pleasant situation when they are whining, crying, and yelling at the top of their lungs. I don't know whether they are spoiled are not (moms listened to them always but seemed embarrassed about their child's behavior) but those kids need to learn to quiet down. And I do realize this is slightly ironic considering I am pretty loud myself sometimes.
At the Airport
Well, waiting for my flight with free internet at the airport after pulling an all-nighter in an attempt to correct my crazy sleep schedule (4-5 AM to 12-1 PM). Slight problem with my luggage while checking in. When I was reading the baggage allowance on Japan Airline's website, I read two pieces of luggage and 20 kg/44 pounds. Without reading it clearly, I assumed I had could bring two pieces of luggage at 20kg each. Unfortunately, it was two pieces of luggage for a total of 20kg. So yeah, I ended up with almost double of the weight limit (39 kg). The airline was kind enough to up the weight limit to 23 kg for me (the allowance for the flight to US) and cut the cost in half for me (which was originally ~$16/kg). Ended up paying ~$130, but at least I am on my way to Japan. Slight hit-tip to James, haha.
Leaving
T minus 5 hours. Don't know when the next time I return to Taiwan will be (my mom is pushing for Chinese New Year or next summer). Japan, you have an excited but extremely nervous Fulbrighter coming your way.
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