12 posts tagged “japan”

My flight was a greulling 13 hours from Washington　D.C. (but not really Washington D.C. -- IAD to be exact) to Tokyo. The flight was so fantastic that I decided never to fly United again on an international flight. Ever.

The upside after being crammed into a Boeing airliner for 13 hours, was that my luggage arrived in Tokyo (for the first time) unscathed. Picked the bags up, grabbed my sim card, lost some money at the exchange counter and took the Narita Express train into Ueno.

You just can`t beat the train rides in Japan -- there may have been crappy weather, but the train ride was as smooth as a baby`s butt. It`s no wonder that almost 90% of the people I see here are asleep on the subway! While in the mix of the Ueno rush, I decided to just break down and pay for a cab to take me to the hostel that I was staying at. 1,700 yen later, I was there. Ridiculous baggage in hand and on my back, I checked in and quickly took a shower.

I met a girl that night from Singapore that I ended up hanging out with the next day. We hit up the temple at Harajuku and grabbed some photos of different weddings going on that weekend.

We headed to Roppongi for some R&R afterwards and met up with a Japanese friend of mine that I had met in the states and had a mini Hanami with papanashi and aisu (don`t even ask me how to spell this in katakana!).

 Since then, I layzed around in Tokyo and made the trip out to Niigata to the graduate school I applied to. I had arranged to visit for two days and H-san sent me back a minute by minute schedule of where I would be. We had lunch first at the shokudo (cafeteria) and she showed me to some of the MBA classes. After watching some of the professors teach, I felt reassured that IUJ was really the place I wanted to be. A few more meetings with professors later, I headed back to the creepy little Hotel Okabe by the station and took a shower. H-san was also nice enough to set me up for dinner with two of the 2nd year MBA students, H and R. 

My dinner with H and R was fun, and perhaps the biggest reason I ended up having no doubts left about whether I`d enjoy studying at the university. Perhaps though the most convincing part for me, wasn`t the conversations about their experiences, but in observing the guys interactions with one another. It reminded me of how I interacted with my classmates during my undergraduate days...

Nursing, even when you`re still in school, is always a team effort. Often times, the comeraderie that bonds you to your classmates is the saving grace that determines whether or not one can make it through difficult times. I always thought that if went to graduate school, I`d want to go to a place where I felt like I wasn`t going to have to "go it alone." Looking at the two guys relationship with one another convinced me this was a school that had that quality.

I left the next day, with the good experience in my mind and managed to meet the guys again to say good bye after lunch. I headed to Morioka.

Morioka... was a really similar to Niigata in both temperature and character. The people were warm and friendly, and quick to help you if you looked lost. I arrived around 7pm. Tired and weary after 5 hours of shinkansen travel, I looked at the map to try to figure out where my hostel was and had no luck. I broke down again, and took a taxi to the corridor of the city where my hotel was. The "Seishonen Kaikan" looked like any other hostel, but a little empty. When I finally went in, I realized, it really was empty. I was their only guest! That alone, didn't bother me though -- I left my luggage and went on the hunt for hot food. After walking about 200 meters, I realized that this town I was in wasn't going to have anything spectacular. I went into the convenience store, and in broken Japanese, asked where the closest restaurant was. Another 150 meters later, there I was -- eating hayashi omuraisu alone, and a little scared. I think the only thing I hate about traveling alone is having to eat meals alone at a restaurant in small cities. In most large cities eating alone isn't a big deal, but in a small town -- all eyes are on you. Either way, I ate my meal and went on my merry way. I stopped to buy some detergent at what seemed like the Japanese version of a Super Wal-Mart, and made my mind up that I was going to do some laundry once I arrived at the hostel. 

Once there, I looked for the essentials -- bathroom, toilet, and laundry and realized that the times for me to use all (except the toilet) was over. Moreover, I realized that there was a curfew of 10pm... Not good when you're 23 and visiting friends you intend to go drinking with. I threw in the towel and decided I'd try to go to sleep... I wandered up to my room through dark corridors, devoid of people, and settled down in my smoky smelling bed. I thought I heard something moving around in the hallway so I went out to investigate -- nothing there. You can imagine though, what was going through my mind... There I was alone in this 500 bed hostel, laying in a smoky-smelling bed staring at the ceiling. I called my mom, who was also scared for me, and I was so convinced that a jigoku shoujo was going to come and make one of those devil deals with me. I looked at my Lonely Planet book and booked a hotel close to the station (a whopping 8000 yen the first night, and 6200 the second... adding to that my laundry bill of 7200... Ugh). There I stayed for the duration of my stay in Iwate. Soaking it up in a wonderful bath and laying in nice soft beds... Ahhh!

While I was there, I met up with a friend of mine and went drinking my second night. K-kun, his friend, and I talked over drinks and food at a local Morioka izakaya. One of the fun things about drinking at an izakaya is the amazing variety of weird foods you can find. I ate several things in the shape of balls and other assorted items one apparently typically drinks with alcoholic nomimono (drinks). We had jajamen as the main meal and then after more drinks, we made our way back to the station where we parted.

So, that's how I ended up here in Yokohama. Typing on a computer, doing some laundry, and waiting to meet up with a friend for dinner.

More to come later.

GAH!

I've been wanting to go to this Kanye West concert on May 10th, here in Washington D.C. but I'm scheduled to show up to work and have thus been off the idea... That is, until I found out that on the day I arrive in Tokyo, there'll be a concert featuring Kanye West.

Springroove 2008 is featuring a concert with some of the hottest names in R&B/Hip-hop... one of them, my beloved Kanye West. Kanye's not playing until 8pm, but I arrive at the airpot at 3pm with a two-hour train ride to central Tokyo... That's not even taking into account the time I need to pick up my cell phone and JR Pass at the airport... not to mention the shower I'll have to take after my grody 13 hour flight from D.C..

Oh well! We shall meet some other time in the future Kanye!

The last time I was in Japan, I spent my last day with a guy named S from the Netherlands just strolling around the Asakusa area. Since both of us are the adventurous sort, we decided to stop and eat at a place we thought was "authentically" Japanese. We figured that if there were no other gaijin (foreigners) in line and that the signs outside were entirely in Japanese, that we were assured something of the traditional feel.

We had a seat outside for a few minutes waiting for the restaurant to open while an old Japanese man said to me, "Kono resutoran no tabemono wa oishii desu yo." After managing to mutter, "So desu ka?" he rebutted with a long sentence of rapid Japanese (none of which I could understand) to which I just smiled and nodded back. A waitress popped out from under the noren to usher us all in with an "irasshaimase!"

S and I took our shoes off and plopped ourselves down on cushions in front of a long wooden plank lined with multiple place settings. After staring at the completely Japanese menu and looking confused, our waitress came over with an English version. Even the English menu was difficult to understand -- we spent a few minutes trying to process its broken English in an attempt to figure out what the restaurant was famous for. We finally ceeded to ignorance, ordered the specialty and a side dish we knew would be safe (tamagoyaki -- who can go wrong with that?).

Steven and I take pictures, chat, and prepared our chopsticks as the food finally came out. Here was a small iron plate sitting on a frame of hot coals, bubbling with what appeared to be small soft-bodied fish. I tilted my head in bewilderment -- the waitress came over to add more items to our dish from an inconspicuous box next to us. We still stared at the plate for what seemed like an eternity before diving in.

The taste itself was actually delicious, but I just can't bring myself to eat whole fish -- eyes, heads, bones and all -- I just can't do it. The texture was... to say the least, awkward. I spent my time picking out the flesh and leaving the bones, until finally I was too hungry to keep going. Steven and I ate some tamagoyaki to offset the strange delicacy and vowed that we would likely never come back to this place again. We payed the bill to the smiling (maybe smirking) waitress, and left laughing. 

That was the last meal I had in Japan in November. Hopefully the first and last meals this upcoming trip will be just as much of an adventure! 

This is what April has so far shaped up to look like:

• April 5 - 8: Tokyo
  
• April 8 - 9: Niigata
  
• April 9 - 11: Morioka
• April 11 - 14: Yokohama
• April 14 - 16: Mt. Fuji
• April 16 - 18: Nikko
• April 18 - 20: Nagoya
• April 20 - 22: Kyoto
• April 22 - 23: Himeji
• April 23 - 24: Osaka
• April 24 - 28/30: Tokyo

I'm excited. :)

If you could easily choose to live in another country without all the red tape and legal stuff, which one would you select and why? 
Submitted by Matthew 25.

Japan, duh.

Just as I'm getting ready to leave to go back to Richmond I read my friend Sarah's post about what you would do if you were offered the opportunity to just get away.

I'd leave.

I think since coming back to America I've had a load of stress -- readjusting to my job hasn't been easy. Being absent a few days puts you at a disadvantage when it comes to practice. I feel like I'm still forgetting little housekeeping things that I would've otherwise taken care of usually and I've been feeling slightly guilty about it lately. I've also been missing life there, mostly the food though -- I'm constantly getting sick from all the grease and lack of movement here, so much that it's driving me mad. But I think what I miss the most is the feeling that I'm having an adventure.

As an adult, I feel like I'd lost that in the months that I became depressed. Finally taking that vacation was a real eye-opener and reminder of the person that I used to be and the person that I can become. In the spirit of it, I decided to continue to forward my plans for applying to graduate school and also maybe accept the challenge of changing occupations to learn Japanese better.

Recently, in spite of all the grad school preparation, I've found that financing a study abroad (particularly in Japan) is very, very difficult. There aren't loan programs that will easily lend to institutions without large populations of Americans attending. Because of this I'm kind of stuck in this rut of filling out the applications but scared of trying to figure out how I'm going to self-finance a $17,000/year tuition and living costs through graduate school. In the end I might have to take up a private loan from a bank just like my friends and just bite the bullet in terms of trying to pay that off after I graduate. Who knows.

I've applied for a job with an English-language teaching program in Japan through an eikawa called Geos. To be honest, I kind of did it on a whim. If I don't make it into graduate school (which, at this point seems like a likely circumstance considering I have little work experience) I'd like to spend the time working in Japan and learning Japanese better in the meantime. It'd mean giving up nursing, but I'd be chasing a dream and living an adventure.

Perhaps a better question is -- if you were given the chance to live another life, would you?

I guess we'll see in a few weeks.

It's been decided. I nixed the idea of going to California and decided to head out of the country instead.

I've booked a flight to Japan on November 9th. So far I've made plans to stay and backpack around the Tokyo area for the first few nights, but I wanted to get around to seeing Yokohama this time around too. I'm planning on staying until the 18th, but might delay coming back to America if work allows it.

I'm looking forward to being stress-free and halfway around the world!

In no particular order:

• Center Gai (Shibuya Crossing) in Shibuya-ku - Probably one of the busiest intersections in the world and right at the south exit of the metro. If you've ever want to feel small, stand in it for a split second; it's the most amazing thing to witness at rush hour (it's probably neatest at night).
  
• Shiodome in Minato-ku - This is the place you only see in your dreams (or nightmares if you're a country person at heart). It's probably the most futuristic-looking part of the Tokyo skyline and is home to luxury apartments and business offices. One of my favorite pastry shoppes (named "Pastry Boutique") in Tokyo is located inside of the Royal Park Shiodome Tower that resides there. 
• Tokyo Midtown in Minato-ku - There's plenty in the way of shopping and upscale living, but my favorite place is the Suntory Museum of Art just to the west. Even if you aren't a fan of art, you'll feel a deep appreciation for what's featured there.
• Happo-en in Minato-ku - The most picturesque gardens in Tokyo (next to the Imperial Gardens). I've only been here for weddings. If you've ever seen Memoirs of a Geisha and enjoyed the scenery in the Japanese gardens, you'll likely enjoy a stroll through here. Spring is the best time to see this place.
• Palette Town in Odaiba (I think this is also part of Minato-ku) - I haven't really been there since I was a kid but I enjoyed it very much back then. I was told once by someone that if I ever rode the ferris wheel there that I should do it with someone special to me. I have yet to do this.
• Milk in Shibuya-ku - I think the art of watching live bands where you aren't getting crushed in a crowd is lost in the United States. Milk has an array of different music playing on any given night and one of my friends and I's favorite places to grab a drink and listen. Not too far off is another place called "Crocodile" that we also frequent. 
• Almond Bakery in Roppongi, Minato-ku - The perfect place for a mid-afternoon break from losing your money in Tokyo. 
• First Bar in Roppongi, Minato-ku - A little sketchy for Roppongi standards, but this was always the best place for a girls night out in Tokyo. Cheap drinks with good company make for a good time at this bar. Beware of the gold diggers though.
• 300 in Ginza, Chuo-ku - Ginza's notorious for being home to danger and gaijin, but for a good (mostly) safe time you can head to 300 where everything from drinks to food on the menu are around 300 yen. It's a good place to mix and mingle. There's another branch on 8-Chome (appropriately named the 300 8-Chome branch...) that has DJs on Fridays.

I've recently decided to take up juggling a busy schedule.

Things at my new job are still going great and I'm learning quite a lot, so much in fact, that I now have a voracious appetite for more information. I've taken re-certification classes in intraaortic balloon pump counterpulsation therapy and in the continuous renal replacement therapy, but the opportunity hasn't yet come up for me to utilize the skills. Though our patients are acutely ill, I've noticed that CRRT is rarely used (even though we see a higher degree of kidney dysfunction), but that CRRT when used at my current institution is more of a nurse driven therapy than it is by medicine.

Anyway, I won't get into all that complicated crap in this entry.

I'm actually writing after spending the past three hours making phone calls to Japan in hopes of making research contacts for a scholarship that I'm applying for. The Fulbright is a scholarship geared towards promoting international research, sending scholars from the United States around the world to study different topics of interest relating the host countries to home. The process of applying for this scholarship however, is long and painstaking -- it takes about a year just to develop the contacts and write up the paperwork and then another year to go through the selection process. The applicant pool is competitive and you're competing against the best and brightest at not only your university, but in the United States. The reward is great though -- a year-long study in your country of choice, all expenses paid. Everything from tuition, to living costs, and transportation are all covered under the full grant scholarship.

So far, I've been working on writing the narrative curriculum vitae and the project statement as well as making contacts and increasing my work and volunteer experience while I'm still here in the United States. Part of the reason I've been so busy lately and have "fallen off the face of the earth" is because I've been juggling beginning volunteering for two organizations, tutoring two students, working, writing the Fulbright, learning Japanese, calling around and socializing to make research contacts, and studying for some nursing specialty exams (the CCRN and the CMC). While it looks and sounds kind of crazy -- I've really enjoyed it.

The hardest part has really been making the research contacts though. I can't tell you how difficult it is to make a phone call to another country and speak in another language well enough to try to ask about nursing research or even getting an organization to listen to you long enough to help you. I feel kind of smarmy constantly socializing for the sake of my research interests, but I guess this is what it's like to pimp a cause (how educated did I just sound there...?).

Either way, it's 4am EST and I still have three e-mails with project statements and curriculum vitaes to send out. So I'm out for now. More interesting posts later this week.