Yesterday (Sunday) I, a friend, and another gaikokujin from my dorm (who I hadn't met before Saturday) left home at 6:00 AM to go see sumo. By the time we got to the arena, there were over 140 people in line. (Among them was a friend of mine whom I had invited.) Nonetheless, there were plenty of tickets left, and we got nosebleed access to sumo matches that ran from mid/late-morning to the evening.
Sumo is actually quite a rapid sport - once the match starts. Prior to each match, a man in a kimono comes out and sings something or other (which shows you how sumo used to be more closely associated with ceremonies than it is today). The contestants get on stage, then take their time stomping their feet, slapping their bodies, and putting their fists on the ground. Sometimes they throw salt into the ring, though I can't remember what the purpose of that is. They'll put their fist to the ground, facing each other and seemingly raring to go, then break off - and do so multiple times. Finally, through some process I don't understand, they fight.
There is generally no pussy-footing in a sumo match. The fight always begins with the two fighters charging right into each other. Naturally, there is grappling, but there is also plenty of hitting as well: you can assault your opponent anywhere above the belt so long as you don't make a fist. As is famiiliar to most people, the goal is to either knock one's opponent to the ground or push him out of the ring (which, incidentally, is made of bags of rice (I think)).
The lower eschelons fought first. As time went on, higher level wrestlers came out, leading up to the grand sumo matches, when the stadium was, while not filled to capacity, flush with cheering fans. There were charges, slaps, attempts at tripping, times when the man about to be pushed out of the ring swivelled or whatnot and turned the tables, dodges, and plenty of instances of smaller opponents using their lower center of gravity to their advantage. Two of the matches required the five judges to confer on the results; one of these meetings led to a rematch promptly followed by a false start, leaving no victor until the third round.
At the end of it all, we saw, as we left, a bit of the ceremony celebrating the (or a...there were three final matches between six wrestlers, so I'm not sure what article to use) champion's victory. He got to hold a giant cup, take some sort of symbolic arrow (though I don't know how permanently), and receive cheers. As we left the stadium, we noticed a Toyota of some sort parked facing the gate, with a row of cameramen ready to film what we presumed to be an imminent scene of the victorious champion driving off. (Although sumo has lost popularity due to a recent scandal involving Russian wrestlers who smoked marijuana, wrestlers still have plenty of fans who will cheer for them individually when they get in the ring to be introduced in their fabulous aprons.) Baseball games back home may involve a fake sumo contests with people in padded suits acting ridiculous, but many Japanese love the sport. I must say, there were some good matches.
I got a good souvenir from the trip, too. The first 100 people in a certain line received an autograph from a former sumo wrestler. I and a friend got in that line, and we have the illegible posterboard signatures to prove it. (Seriously, though, it's sorta cool.)
This is a normal week (save the lack of the usual Monday morning Japanese quiz), so there won't be as much traveling. Nonetheless, I hope to do something (or many things) interesting Saturday and/or Sunday. I'll be sure to write about them!
P.S. I do have some photos to post, but I'm a very lazy person. Also, I have no photos for some of what I've done because my camera's gone a bit haywire, and my new, flat-as-a-pancake Japanese phone had a low battery yesterday. Stay tuned.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Fish, Swords, and A Park
Since my last post, I made some changes to my weekend plans upon the invitation of a dorm-mate. He invited me to get up early on Saturday (today) to go to the fish market at Tsukiji and to get up early again tomorrow (Sunday) to try get tickets for a sumo match. We'll see how the latter offer turns out, but here's what happened today.
I did indeed get up early, and a group of us gaikokujin (the form of the word you probably know better is gaijin) headed off to the Tsukiji fish market. This is a place to which the fish that were caught the day before have been brought overnight. Most of Tokyo's seafood comes from this market. In the earlier part of the morning it is auctioned; we missed that, unfortunately, but we still got to wander the stalls of the wholesalers and see all sorts of sea creatures, sliced and frozen and whatnot in various ways. It was disturbing, though, to watch a man half-cut off the heads of fishes and sever their spinal chords, then leave them to breathe in bloody water. That wasn't so cool. (There was also a guy using a saw to cut frozen fish. That was cool,.)
Afterwards, we went and had sushi nearby. Surprise.
I split off from the group after that and, after converting some money to yen and wandering about like an idiot trying to find a landmark, I headed for the Japanese Sword Museum in Yoyogi. Unfortunately, I found nothing by way of swords to purchase or tips on doing so; also, most of the text was in Japanese, so I didn't learn enough about each individual blade. Still, there was a lot of very old, shiny steel in that museum, and I got some literature in English.
Next, I went to the Meiji Shrine area. This consists of a large, very wooded park dedicated to the memory of the emperor Meiji. (He's the one who came right after the end of the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1860s, bringing Westernization to Japan.) There was a "Treasure House" where things like vases, one of the emperor's desks, etc. were on display. The main attraction, however, was the Shrine itself, another post-war reconstruction (although it wasn't ferroconcrete). I got to see one + Shinto wedding processionals while I was there. There was also a large gate at one of the entrances to the temple. Adding to my growing list of souvenirs, I purchased some good luck charms, as well as what I believe to be a copy of the Imperial Rescript on Education.
My feet are really tired, and need tonight's break. Unfortunately, I get to stand in line tomorrow morning and walk through a museum. Urgh. At least I got to see the Meiji Shrine. (Go Google it.)
I did indeed get up early, and a group of us gaikokujin (the form of the word you probably know better is gaijin) headed off to the Tsukiji fish market. This is a place to which the fish that were caught the day before have been brought overnight. Most of Tokyo's seafood comes from this market. In the earlier part of the morning it is auctioned; we missed that, unfortunately, but we still got to wander the stalls of the wholesalers and see all sorts of sea creatures, sliced and frozen and whatnot in various ways. It was disturbing, though, to watch a man half-cut off the heads of fishes and sever their spinal chords, then leave them to breathe in bloody water. That wasn't so cool. (There was also a guy using a saw to cut frozen fish. That was cool,.)
Afterwards, we went and had sushi nearby. Surprise.
I split off from the group after that and, after converting some money to yen and wandering about like an idiot trying to find a landmark, I headed for the Japanese Sword Museum in Yoyogi. Unfortunately, I found nothing by way of swords to purchase or tips on doing so; also, most of the text was in Japanese, so I didn't learn enough about each individual blade. Still, there was a lot of very old, shiny steel in that museum, and I got some literature in English.
Next, I went to the Meiji Shrine area. This consists of a large, very wooded park dedicated to the memory of the emperor Meiji. (He's the one who came right after the end of the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1860s, bringing Westernization to Japan.) There was a "Treasure House" where things like vases, one of the emperor's desks, etc. were on display. The main attraction, however, was the Shrine itself, another post-war reconstruction (although it wasn't ferroconcrete). I got to see one + Shinto wedding processionals while I was there. There was also a large gate at one of the entrances to the temple. Adding to my growing list of souvenirs, I purchased some good luck charms, as well as what I believe to be a copy of the Imperial Rescript on Education.
My feet are really tired, and need tonight's break. Unfortunately, I get to stand in line tomorrow morning and walk through a museum. Urgh. At least I got to see the Meiji Shrine. (Go Google it.)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Back After the Silence
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. The best way to make up for that is to post right now.
I made a second trip to Akihabara and hunted intensively for a Nintendo DS. I ended up getting one (used) for about 12300 yen - which, combined with the train fare, added up to nothing by way of savings. But, I did get a Japanese copy of Pokemon Diamond and the famous kanji dictionary. (Don't know about this dictionary? It's a cartridge you plug into your Nintendo DS that allows you to write kanji on the touch screen in order to look them up. It does a decent job of recognizing the Japanese characters, although its recognition of English letters is atrocious. It's sorta cool.)
I have also discovered two used game stores. One was, well, a store, while the other was awesome. The latter is called "Super Potato," and it lures you in with a looping Super Mario theme. It has multiple floors of retro games, retro game console emulators, and even Game & Watch systems. (I almost bought a Game & Watch system, but they were expensive.) On top of all that, there was memorabilia, of which I bought a stuffed power-up mushroom. (I'm such a geek.)
This past weekend I planned on going to the Shibuya/Aoyama/Harajuku area, but the plan, for the most part, failed miserably. In the end, though, I did get to browse some antique shops in Aoyama. I bought an old miniature mask from one of them; another shop displayed old Japanese currency, but was auctioning it online. In any case, I plan to try visiting the area again this weekend, for a number of reasons which shall be revealed in the next post.
Then there was today. Today is the autumnal equinox, which merits a school holiday in Japan. Consequently, I had the opportunity to go to the Asakusa shrine area. A bit of background: the whole complex focuses on the bodhisattva Kannon, who is known for her mercy. (A bodhisattva is essentially a person who has attained enlightenment, but chooses to remain on earth in order to help others gain enlightenment.) The story goes that two fishermen found a statue of her in a river, and their village chief enshrined her in what became the temple complex. (The souls of those three people have been enshrined as well.)
As the word "complex" implies, there were many buildings to look at, ranging from the main hall to smaller temples. There were three gates to look at, one of which was the famous Thunder God Gate. This gate has a giant paper lantern hanging from it, and inside the sides of it are statues of the Thunder God and the Wind God. There was also a lovely little garden with multiple bridges over a stream containing koi. I even got to see what I believe was a man chanting a sutra. There was plenty of other worshiping to observe, too, ranging from rubbing a statue of Buddha to throwing coins into a collection and praying.
Unfortunately, many of the buildings are not the originals. Apart from various disasters, the Second World War led to the bombing of many of the buildings, save a few. A lot of what one sees now is made from concrete, but still looks fabulous.
There was a road leading to the temple which was lined with souvenir shops. Many different tourist-y things were offered, including swords, ninja stars, kimonos, fans, statuettes, toys, and more. I bought a paper lantern and two rubbery action figures, Godzilla and Gamera (another Japanese movie monster). I also bought an image of the bodhisattva in the temple.
Afterwards, I went to the Kappabashi area. This is a place where restaurateurs can stock up on supplies. Unfortunately, most of the shops were closed at the hour I was there, but I did manage to pick up what I was after: plastic food (like the stuff you see in store windows). I got a bunch of sushi fridge magnets. I could have done without the magnets, but oh, well.
As to my school life, I am now participating in the samba group and in the Model United Nations (ICUMUN). I'm not officially in the samba group, since I'm only here for the semester; I am most certainly participating in ICUMUN. (By the way, our topic is Climate Change and a midterm carbon emissions goal; my country is Venezuela. Fun fun.) The Early Music Society Concert is tomorrow, so we'll see how I get associated with them.
Sorry for the long post. The next one (hopefully to be written this weekend) should be shorter.
I made a second trip to Akihabara and hunted intensively for a Nintendo DS. I ended up getting one (used) for about 12300 yen - which, combined with the train fare, added up to nothing by way of savings. But, I did get a Japanese copy of Pokemon Diamond and the famous kanji dictionary. (Don't know about this dictionary? It's a cartridge you plug into your Nintendo DS that allows you to write kanji on the touch screen in order to look them up. It does a decent job of recognizing the Japanese characters, although its recognition of English letters is atrocious. It's sorta cool.)
I have also discovered two used game stores. One was, well, a store, while the other was awesome. The latter is called "Super Potato," and it lures you in with a looping Super Mario theme. It has multiple floors of retro games, retro game console emulators, and even Game & Watch systems. (I almost bought a Game & Watch system, but they were expensive.) On top of all that, there was memorabilia, of which I bought a stuffed power-up mushroom. (I'm such a geek.)
This past weekend I planned on going to the Shibuya/Aoyama/Harajuku area, but the plan, for the most part, failed miserably. In the end, though, I did get to browse some antique shops in Aoyama. I bought an old miniature mask from one of them; another shop displayed old Japanese currency, but was auctioning it online. In any case, I plan to try visiting the area again this weekend, for a number of reasons which shall be revealed in the next post.
Then there was today. Today is the autumnal equinox, which merits a school holiday in Japan. Consequently, I had the opportunity to go to the Asakusa shrine area. A bit of background: the whole complex focuses on the bodhisattva Kannon, who is known for her mercy. (A bodhisattva is essentially a person who has attained enlightenment, but chooses to remain on earth in order to help others gain enlightenment.) The story goes that two fishermen found a statue of her in a river, and their village chief enshrined her in what became the temple complex. (The souls of those three people have been enshrined as well.)
As the word "complex" implies, there were many buildings to look at, ranging from the main hall to smaller temples. There were three gates to look at, one of which was the famous Thunder God Gate. This gate has a giant paper lantern hanging from it, and inside the sides of it are statues of the Thunder God and the Wind God. There was also a lovely little garden with multiple bridges over a stream containing koi. I even got to see what I believe was a man chanting a sutra. There was plenty of other worshiping to observe, too, ranging from rubbing a statue of Buddha to throwing coins into a collection and praying.
Unfortunately, many of the buildings are not the originals. Apart from various disasters, the Second World War led to the bombing of many of the buildings, save a few. A lot of what one sees now is made from concrete, but still looks fabulous.
There was a road leading to the temple which was lined with souvenir shops. Many different tourist-y things were offered, including swords, ninja stars, kimonos, fans, statuettes, toys, and more. I bought a paper lantern and two rubbery action figures, Godzilla and Gamera (another Japanese movie monster). I also bought an image of the bodhisattva in the temple.
Afterwards, I went to the Kappabashi area. This is a place where restaurateurs can stock up on supplies. Unfortunately, most of the shops were closed at the hour I was there, but I did manage to pick up what I was after: plastic food (like the stuff you see in store windows). I got a bunch of sushi fridge magnets. I could have done without the magnets, but oh, well.
As to my school life, I am now participating in the samba group and in the Model United Nations (ICUMUN). I'm not officially in the samba group, since I'm only here for the semester; I am most certainly participating in ICUMUN. (By the way, our topic is Climate Change and a midterm carbon emissions goal; my country is Venezuela. Fun fun.) The Early Music Society Concert is tomorrow, so we'll see how I get associated with them.
Sorry for the long post. The next one (hopefully to be written this weekend) should be shorter.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Classes, Meetings, and Maid Outfits
The class registration system at ICU is somewhat bizarre. At UNC, you get the approval of your advisor before the registration period, and then register online at any computer – even your own. At ICU, by contrast, you must use computers in either the Integrated Learning Center (ILC) or Othmer Library. After that, you take the courses you have selected to your advisor for approval, then hand-deliver your selections to the first floor of the ILC.
In any case, I ended up taking a regular Japanese class (6 credits), a class on contemporary Japanese history (3 credits), and a class on Asian music (3 credits). Regarding the Japanese class, I had to take a very hard placement test in order to determine what level I should register for. I managed to get into the fourth of six levels. As to my other classes, I had hoped to take a class on Japan’s international relations, but it falls within the times I will be taking Japanese. >:-(
I will be in class from 10:10 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The only exception to this rule is Tuesday, when I finish at 12:40 PM. There is supposed to be a lunch break scheduled into each day, but all of my non-Japanese language classes consume them. The only reason I can leave early Tuesday is because of the weekly service at the university’s chapel. I don’t have any Saturday classes, fortunately. (Yes, they’re possible here.)
On top of this schedule, I’m pondering joining several clubs. One is Model United Nations, which I’m almost certain I will join if possible. There’s also a club where everyone studies a certain country for a while, a funk band, a big band, and an intramural soccer group, any of which I might join. We’ll see.
It’s tough to meet any Japanese people here. I’ve met a number of other gaikokujin, but I haven’t really bonded with any of the Japanese people I’ve met. That may change, though. Yesterday we (meaning I and several foreigners/transfer students) could attend a get-together with Japanese people from English classes. I feel like the meeting had a number of awkward moments, and there were times when the foreign/transfer students talked among themselves. However, we are meeting for lunch on Tuesday, so maybe we can all get closer then.
Yesterday (Saturday) I and some guys from the dorm went Shinjuku and Akihabara, which are neighborhoods/wards in Tokyo. Both were very consumer oriented; the latter is geared towards geeks, gadget lovers, anime fans, and otaku (nerds). (One of the guys in the group claimed there were cafes where one could sit down and pet real cats.) There are many cafes in Akihabara where women dress up as maids, and we saw one where they dress up as cats. Maids were also handing out leaflets and things outside. There were stores there where one could buy…certain kinds…of DVDs. (To be fair, though, we saw seedy places in the Kabuki-cho district in Shinjuku as well; the district is particularly a place of sin and recreation at night.)
In any case, I looked at some prices for the Nintendo DS Lite game system and got varying results. One shop charged about $170 US for it, but another place charges less than $120 US. That’s a savings compared to $130 in America, but a used unit runs for $109 at ebgames.com, while a used regular DS is $80 or less. Plus, as one of the guys pointed out, I have to consider the price of the train ticket. We’ll see if I get one.
One last thing: while cruising around Shinjuku, we saw a temple/shrine complex. The approach was between two modern buildings, with lanterns and lions of stone at the front. After passing through many red gates and going by many lamps, we saw a door on the right with a large gold pattern/seal on it. Nearby was a source of water with which to wash one’s hands. What seemed like the main temple had bells to ring (I didn’t, being an uneducated gaijin with unwashed hands), as well as some stuff inside which I did not look at well enough. There was also a place on either side of the temple to post one’s wishes on wooden plaques.
This is a city with far too much to see in one lifetime.
In any case, this entry has gone on long enough. I’ll post some photos soon, and I’ll describe the ICU campus. Today will be fairly quiet, I think. Peace out.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Tokyo Time
My Japan trip kicked off yesterday, so my blog kicks off in earnest as well.
Leaving for Japan started very poorly. When the check-in computer at RDU asked for my passport, I rummaged around in my backpack and couldn't find it. This sent me into a wild panic. My parents ended up calling a neighbor/friend who cat-sits for us, and we guided him to various locations where it might have been. It turned out that it had been left in the scanner. He was kind enough to drive out to RDU to bring me the passport, so I owe him big-time. Like, really cool kimono big-time.
After a fairly standard hop to Dulles, I got on a Boeing 777 (lucky sevens?) for Narita airport. The food was meh, but they did serve ramen once, which was awesome. (Later in the flight, I asked for it instead of pasta or a turkey sandwich.) Thirteen or so hours later, I was at Narita airport.
Now, some people were supposed to meet me and take me to my dorm. After I cleared customs, I hoped the assigned people would recognize me from the photo I sent, but nobody spoke up. There wasn't anybody holding a sign with my name on it, either. So, I wandered around the airport in a bit of another panic. Fortunately, I eventually met up with a girl named Hina (thank you, information desk), who has since proven invaluable in helping me with...well, everything.
For starters, she helped guide me to my dormitory. This required a very long train ride with at least one transfer thrown in. Narita airport, you see, isn't quite in Tokyo, but neither is my dormitory. Hence, we rode - or, more precisely, stood, since the train was crowded with rush hour traffic.
The trains themselves are completely different than anything in the U.S. For one thing, they are clean, which is more than can be said for many of our trains. There are also a ton of public and private lines in Japan. The Japanese put us to shame in terms of public transit. Finally, the amount of advertising on the trains is incredible (as a friend noted, and as I concur). There were even TV screens (separate from the ones displaying information pertinent to the train) running ads.
After we got to the station, there was still a bunch of walking to do. To make it worse, my guide (bless her heart) didn't quite know where we needed to go. This actually isn't that strange - addresses are really hard to find in Japan, particularly with the bizarre street layouts. There are even maps at several points in the city where I'm staying, and Hina herself has used them. (A friend remarked on the maps, too.) In any case, we finally got to my dorm, and I got somewhat-settled in.
This dorm is quite different from what I'm used to back in the states. You have a single room, but it is very small - about 8.6 square meters. It's actually not too bad, though, once you're used to it. You're supposed to take your shoes off in the tiled part of your room before entering the main, carpeted area. The bed is a futon. There's a dining hall downstairs (like in Granville Towers) that serves traditional Japanese meals at breakfast and dinner time. Unlike UNC's dining hall, though, it's open until 11 PM, which is awesome. The only things that suck are that the halls and bathrooms aren't air-conditioned, there are only showers on the first floor, and there's a midnight curfew. And no girls. (Oh, hell, who am I kidding - that won't be an issue.) It's also an off-campus dorm which is pretty far from International Christian University, where I am studying.
At dinner, I met a bunch of fellow gaijin (or, as is said officially, gaikokujin), which is cool. One of them is American, one is British, and one is Belgian who goes to college in England. (At breakfast the next day, I met another American.) We all agreed to meet for breakfast and head to the matriculation ceremony together.
That was yesterday. Today I went through the matriculation ceremony, which was tough in an un-air-conditioned chapel for a guy wearing dress pants and a dress shirt and undershirt - and for everyone else, really. (It's as hot and muggy here as one could experience in North Carolina.) I got to feel the heat even more walking to the local ward to register as an alien and join the national health insurance; this walk also pounded my feet, which were shod in dress shoes. I had Hina to help with translation, fortunately.
Tomorrow I have to take a placement test to determine my proficiency in Japanese. This apparently means that I should study. The main thing for me (and everyone else) will be kanji, the Chinese picture-characters. My ego's probably about to be sliced to bits and reassembled.
One last thing - despite all the negative stuff I've written about, this is a very worthwhile experience. It's good that I'm getting to see the culture up close. I'll have to describe the people, the buildings, the advertising, the cityscape, and everything else later. This is all quite enough for one post.
Leaving for Japan started very poorly. When the check-in computer at RDU asked for my passport, I rummaged around in my backpack and couldn't find it. This sent me into a wild panic. My parents ended up calling a neighbor/friend who cat-sits for us, and we guided him to various locations where it might have been. It turned out that it had been left in the scanner. He was kind enough to drive out to RDU to bring me the passport, so I owe him big-time. Like, really cool kimono big-time.
After a fairly standard hop to Dulles, I got on a Boeing 777 (lucky sevens?) for Narita airport. The food was meh, but they did serve ramen once, which was awesome. (Later in the flight, I asked for it instead of pasta or a turkey sandwich.) Thirteen or so hours later, I was at Narita airport.
Now, some people were supposed to meet me and take me to my dorm. After I cleared customs, I hoped the assigned people would recognize me from the photo I sent, but nobody spoke up. There wasn't anybody holding a sign with my name on it, either. So, I wandered around the airport in a bit of another panic. Fortunately, I eventually met up with a girl named Hina (thank you, information desk), who has since proven invaluable in helping me with...well, everything.
For starters, she helped guide me to my dormitory. This required a very long train ride with at least one transfer thrown in. Narita airport, you see, isn't quite in Tokyo, but neither is my dormitory. Hence, we rode - or, more precisely, stood, since the train was crowded with rush hour traffic.
The trains themselves are completely different than anything in the U.S. For one thing, they are clean, which is more than can be said for many of our trains. There are also a ton of public and private lines in Japan. The Japanese put us to shame in terms of public transit. Finally, the amount of advertising on the trains is incredible (as a friend noted, and as I concur). There were even TV screens (separate from the ones displaying information pertinent to the train) running ads.
After we got to the station, there was still a bunch of walking to do. To make it worse, my guide (bless her heart) didn't quite know where we needed to go. This actually isn't that strange - addresses are really hard to find in Japan, particularly with the bizarre street layouts. There are even maps at several points in the city where I'm staying, and Hina herself has used them. (A friend remarked on the maps, too.) In any case, we finally got to my dorm, and I got somewhat-settled in.
This dorm is quite different from what I'm used to back in the states. You have a single room, but it is very small - about 8.6 square meters. It's actually not too bad, though, once you're used to it. You're supposed to take your shoes off in the tiled part of your room before entering the main, carpeted area. The bed is a futon. There's a dining hall downstairs (like in Granville Towers) that serves traditional Japanese meals at breakfast and dinner time. Unlike UNC's dining hall, though, it's open until 11 PM, which is awesome. The only things that suck are that the halls and bathrooms aren't air-conditioned, there are only showers on the first floor, and there's a midnight curfew. And no girls. (Oh, hell, who am I kidding - that won't be an issue.) It's also an off-campus dorm which is pretty far from International Christian University, where I am studying.
At dinner, I met a bunch of fellow gaijin (or, as is said officially, gaikokujin), which is cool. One of them is American, one is British, and one is Belgian who goes to college in England. (At breakfast the next day, I met another American.) We all agreed to meet for breakfast and head to the matriculation ceremony together.
That was yesterday. Today I went through the matriculation ceremony, which was tough in an un-air-conditioned chapel for a guy wearing dress pants and a dress shirt and undershirt - and for everyone else, really. (It's as hot and muggy here as one could experience in North Carolina.) I got to feel the heat even more walking to the local ward to register as an alien and join the national health insurance; this walk also pounded my feet, which were shod in dress shoes. I had Hina to help with translation, fortunately.
Tomorrow I have to take a placement test to determine my proficiency in Japanese. This apparently means that I should study. The main thing for me (and everyone else) will be kanji, the Chinese picture-characters. My ego's probably about to be sliced to bits and reassembled.
One last thing - despite all the negative stuff I've written about, this is a very worthwhile experience. It's good that I'm getting to see the culture up close. I'll have to describe the people, the buildings, the advertising, the cityscape, and everything else later. This is all quite enough for one post.
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