Part 9: Sayonara Nippon!

If you're confused, you ought to go back to Part 1.  

March 14, 2005

So I am now only hours away from leaving for the Airport and returning home. This fills me with great sadness because I have really enjoyed my trip. The Amasawas have been so nice and helpful which really made my time in Tsukuba enjoyable.

Saturday morning, after a hardcore night of partying Jonathan and I slept in...until ten minutes before we were supposed to check out! So we hauled our bitch asses out of bed and packed our things in a hurry, checked out of the ryokan with 2 minutes to spare. Amasawa-san and Iho-chan were not coming to pick us up for another 6 hours. So I went and did some shopping in Harajuku all by myself while Jonanthan went out with the gay guys to a Tobacco museum. It was so exhilarating to go back to the Laforet. It is definitely the place I want to have my shop. God it makes me cry! The fashion there is so wonderful! I am so intimidated, yet I know that I would definitely rock the pants off the Laforet if I had my shop there. Harajuku is so amazing. It had a slightly different feeling to it since I was walking by myself. I didn’t feel like a stupid foreigner, I felt like just another person on the streets. I think Toyo is wearing off on me. I could definitely settle down here.

By the time we made it back Yuki had just gotten off from work and we all walked to the 100 yen store. That is about the equivalent to a Dollar Store in the U.S.. Because Jonathan is such a cheap ass he planned on getting all his gifts at the "dollar store" so he totally splurged. The 100 yen store is totally cooler than a dollar store in America, they have way more stuff and it is better.

Well, at 4:00 we met Amasawa-san at the ryokan. We headed out for a long drive to Tsukuba. Did you know that is about 4.50 a gallon?! Yeah, so I really appreciate Amasawa-san for driving to Tokyo to come and get us. Also they had to take the toll way. In Dallas the toll fees are usually 45 cents, 75 cents, or even $1.5 the most. Well, I looked at the prices of the toll is Japan, it was about $7, $11, $15. yeah, that sucks.

We arrived at the Amasawa home at around 5:30. I almost forgot how beautiful their home is. Learning about Japanese culture has given mea much better appreciation of he things in their house. Like their Tatami room. It is huge! Only the rich Japanese have Tatami rooms. And their toilets are the nice ones with all those cool operations (which I have not only gotten used to but also like) It is going to suck when I have to go back to America and sit on a cold toilet seat. I hope I can live in a home as lovely when I move to Japan. Certainly not if I live in Tokyo though.

That evening we went out to eat at the Italian/American/Japanese food restaurant. There Jonathan and I met these awesome girls from Taiwan. They were students at the University of Tsukuba. They didn’t really like Japan. It was very interesting talking to them because we got a different perspective on Japanese culture. They pointed out some of the cons about living in Japan. Like the expense, and the racism to foreigners, and the pressure put on conformity to the culture. Damn, we ate a lot of food! Jonathan and I decided to go all out and eat like pigs. Just for myself, I ordered two appetizers, two entrées, and two desserts: soup, chicken wings, pizza, rice stew, flan, and ice cream. And then do you know what happened! Those Taiwanese girls paid for our entire mean! I didn’t even get a chance to look at the bill, but it was probably a lot since we ordered so much. Apparently they were there with some Taiwanese club from the University so they charged our bill to them. How nice! After that our fat asses just went back to the Amasawa’s house and slept.

The next day I had some time to shop in Tsukuba because Jonathan went out with Amasawa-san to look at a waterfall. Stuff in Tsukuba is so cheap compared to T0kyo. It kind of makes me mad. After Tokyo though, Tsukuba seems so calm. I miss Tokyo already, but I enjoyed my restful stay in Tsukuba, and I am looking forward to going back home. I found an antique Kimono shop though and purchased two kimonos. They were expensive but considering that a new Kimono usually sells for about $5,000-$10,000, I say I got a deal. That night we went out for Korean BBQ and it was Amazing. The Amasawa’s paid for our meal. This has been a pretty cheap trip.

So, now I will soon have to leave for the airport. This has been one of the best times of my life. I am so determined to live here someday, and this trip only confirmed that. I hope I can come back a few more time while I am in college. This is the best country in the world and the fact that I go the chance to experience all this now totally rocks. On a final note, Jonathan left a piece of America on one of the walls of a bathroom stall. He wrote, "rock out with your cock out." I guess that’s a sign of our appreciation. Sayonara!

Part 8: Party like it's 2005

If you're confused, you ought to go back to Part 1.  

March 12, 2005

SATURDAY NIGHT

Ladies and gentleman, Ｉ am now approaching the 58th hour without sleep. Yes I have been awake for all fifty-eight of those hours, and yes, all fifty-eight of them were so action-packed that I had no time to update this journal until now. You might wonder why I do not go to sleep now. And I don’t know either. I wish I could spare a long story but I feel I must do all my writing now, so to keep track of things I have inserted the approximate time above each event.

THURSDAY MOURNING

Seeing as how the last two nights were kind of dull I suggested to Jonathan that we sleep in late Thursday morning so that we can go to the clubs with the Swedish girls. Therefore we awoke around noon and attempted to fulfill the day’s itinerary. We stopped off at Shinjuku which is the center of the business districts in Tokyo. There, we ate at Wendy’s, but it was Japanese Wendy’s with a twist. They had this Curry burger, and no matter how much I love curry that burger just looked weird. I wasn’t feeling very adventurous so I just had a cheese burger and fries. Food comes in way smaller portions in Japan. For example, a medium drink in Japan is about the size of a kid’s drink in America, and no free refills. Well, this Wendy’s was ａｌｓｏ　ａｗｅｓｏｍｅ because they played that “Ma Ya Hi, a Ya Ho” song and me and Jon started dancing. We spent very little time in Shinjuku and just went back to the ryokan and chilled.

THURSDAY NIGHT

We waited at the ryokan for the Swedish girls to return from their sojourn in Kyoto. I was feeling really tired and I was kind of hoping we wouldn’t go to the club after all. So Jonathan and I were sitting in the lobby, talking with the hostess Yuki. We taught her some American slang, like “Wazzup, Homie, Drop it like it’s hot, Watch out fo the Popos!” and other such useful phrases. I even told her what “suck it, bitch!” means. Sort of. Well, while we were waiting in the lobby this gay couple walked in. At first Jonathan was taken aback but then he went out to smoke and one the gay guys joined him. I don’t know what they talked about but apparently the guy was cool because Jonathan came back in asking me if we wanted to have dinner with the gay guys. We decided on a Ramen shop. As it turned out, the guys ended up being way cool. They were from New York. Names: Tim and John. They were super funny and had no problem with Jonathan and me being 17. We talked about a lot of stuff, our little dinner turned into an almost all-nighter. They even order drinks. When we finally arrived back at the ryokan the Swedish girls had already gotten back from Kyoto and were dressed and waiting for us in the lobby. I was tired as hell (which was nothing though compared to what I feel now) so I wasn’t really up for going, but then I realized that I would definitely not have this experience in the states so I should take advantage of it while I am here. Thank Buddha I went shopping while I was here because other wise I would have had nothing cool to wear.

LATE ASS THURSDAY NIGHT / FRIDAY MORNING

We arrived at Roppongi by about 12:30. We had to plan our time strategically because the subways make their last round at midnight and then start up running at 5 in the morning. The streets of Roppongi were alive with lights and people. The district seemed totally transformed. The club we went to was called 911. It was small, or at least it seemed so because it was SO incredibly crowded. There were mostly men, in nice suits, or business attire. They were practically all foreigners, but all the girls in the club were definitely all Japanese. That makes a lot of sense when taking into account that all the business men are probably paying these girls to be with them. Well, despite this there were still a lot of hot people there, both men and women, and everybody was dancing like crazy.

The first thing that happened when I walked in was that a drunk Japanese businessman hit on me. I got rid of him fast though. Then as I was dancing with my friends some guy just came right up behind me and started to dance with me. He introduced himself and said he was from Turkey. I didn’t back off at first because he seemed normal and friendly. I danced with him a little but then he started to get little too touchy. So I tried to make him back off. He offered to buy me a drink but I refused because I didn’t want to have to owe him anything and I didn’t feel like being slipped a roofie that night. He would not leave me alone even after that and when he asked for my phone number I knew what had to be done. One of the Swedish girls who had been watching out for me the whole night took my hand and said “she is with me!” When the guy looked confused I reconfirmed his thinking by saying, “I am a lesbian. This is my girlfriend.” He got the message and left.

After a few hours of dancing in that club I went to another club with Jonathan, and one of the Swedish girls (I cant remember their names, ooops).. It was much smaller and less crowded but still kind of nice. It was kind of boring at first until….two random Japanese girl ask me if I want to dance with them. They were both very pretty and I just wanted to have a good time so I accepted. They didn’t speak English but we didn’t need to do much talking to communicate. They were both good dancers and really touchy-feely. It was my impression that Japanese people did not like a lot of personal contact, but tonight I thought wrong. It was fun just because I love dancing, but I knew Jonathan would enjoy it a lot more, so I pulled him on the dance floor and tried to put him between me and the girls. It wasn’t too hard, when he started dancing the girls were all over him. Especially when he did the Harlem Shake and the Sea Walk. They even wanted him to teach them some moves.

After that adventure we headed back to 911 to check on our other friends. When I got back I was surprised to find one of the Swedish girls had hooked up and was totally making out with some random guy on the dance floor. Gross! I would never kiss someone I had just met. Anyways, Jonathan, who had gone out for a smoke a while earlier came running back in screaming “I just got hit on by a prostitute!” As it turns out, there is Jonathan, smoking a cig, minding his own business, when two hookers come up to him and invite them back to their room. He dragged me onto the street to meet the hookers. They spoke perfect English, were much older than I expected, and not as whore-looking as the stereotype. They said to me “what a pretty girl! She can join us too if you like.” I was kind of flattered, but mostly freaked out. So Jon and I went back into the club only to get hit on by more nasty men. What a night.

Ok, if you are wondering why the Swedish girls don't look "Swedish" (i.e blond) that's because they are Swedish-Chinese. Oooooooh. Get it?

FRIDAY MORNING

We said goodbye to the girls around 5 in the morning, and decided to take advantage of this early morning energy and go to the Tsukiji fish market to see the early morning fish auctions. We met up with the gay guys, Tim and John and went to the fish market. We got there at 6:30, too late for the auctions, but in time to see a lot of cool fish. It was awesome. I took lots of pictures for my father because he likes fish. I hope that when my father dies his soul will go the Tsukiji fish market, because I know that there he would be truly happy.

After the fish market we all walked around Ueno park. Tim and John were going to go to the zoo and Jonathan and I wanted to go back to the ryokan to get cleaned up, because mind you, we were still in the same clothes as we wore to the club. We agreed to meet later. I thought I could take a nap at the ryokan but when I got back I realized we had a lot of cleaning to do. I cleaned while Jonathan slept.

 This is me at about 24 hours with no sleep. I don't remember being tired. But I remember being cold.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

We met up with the guys in Shibuya but it kind of sucked because it was raining really bad. It was also cold as hell. So we didn’t stay there for long. Instead we went back to the ryokan and went skinny dipping in the Jacuzzi. Now if you thought skinny dipping with a platonic friend was awkward, now add two gay men to the equation. Yeah. It was fun, or well, interesting. While chatting in the Jacuzzi we came to a startling revelation: we should all go to a gay bar. And that is just what we did.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Gay New Yorkers are always prepared for anything. So of course these guys had a map of where all the gay bars are. As it turned out they are all situated right by each other in Shinjuku, in kind of a “gay district.” I was excited, so excited in fact that I forgot I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours.

I heard that most of the bars were segregated by sex, which  meant I would be separated from my crew. I was scared. What if no one spoke English? What will they think of me? How can I go to a bar alone? Still, I desperately wanted to go, not to pick up women of course, but I suppose it was my natural curiosity, or my inclination to belong in that society. I wanted to see what the gay scene is like in a repressed Asian culture. I was afraid they would think I was ugly or weird. Or they wouldn’t talk to me because I am white. Or that my Japanese sounded stupid to them.

We arrived around 10ish. The district was extremely hard to find. Of course, homosexuality is not accepted in that society so the district was pretty secluded. It was large though, larger than Oaklawn in Dallas and just as shady. We looked kind of foolish holding our map, trying to find the clubs. My insecurities disappeared soon after we breached the threshold of the district when I saw a feminine Japanese girl talking to an obviously gay man. They were kind of looking at me, no, really looking at me. And then the girl started speaking to me in Japanese. I understood her introduction and responded in Japanese, but when I did not understand her I asked if she could speak in English. We did not understand each other well enough to make further conversation.

We were still a bit lost despite having a map. And I was thinking we were not going to find the lesbo bar. Then suddenly I spotted a hardcore butch femme lesbian couple. Tim was like, “follow them!” and sure enough we came to the right place. I bid farewell to my friends for the evening and fearfully approached the bar door.

When I opened the door I saw a small room full of queers. Only one butch-femme couple, two more hardcore butches, a really beautiful femme-femme couple, and a bunch of just plain dykes. They were kind of like the ones in America, only Japanese. Short hair, lean and trim, boyish clothes, tough facades. I stood at the door just kind of staring for a while. And believe me, they stared back. I don’t think I was THAT hot, but I was the only white person. I didn’t know what to do so I asked the bartender where the bathroom was. Of course it was right in front of me. I didn’t even notice. That made me feel worse, but at least going to the bathroom gave me time to collect my thoughts. I decided that I would sit down, order a drink, and talk to whoever is sitting next to me. I walked out. Thanked the bar tender and then I heard someone ask, “Amerika jin desuka?” which means, “are you an American?” When I looked it was an older woman (around 30), not butch or femme, just kind of dykey looking. I spoke to her in Japanese and she told me she spoke English. Merciful Buddha! She pulled up the chair next to her and motion that I have a seat.

I was afraid of getting tipsy so I ordered a Malibu and we started talking. We talked in a mixture of Japanese and English. I was surprised to find how much Japanese I really knew. All those vocabulary words I learned really came in handy and I even impressed myself. Her English was pretty good, but she spoke to me in Japanese, probably not to insult me. We talked about many things. Being gay, living in Japan, the future, politics, Japanese attitudes towards Westerners. We had some deep conversations which was exactly what I wanted. I learned a lot form talking with her. It was so amazing to me. Being in a lesbo bar in a different county, I felt strangely comfortable. I thought, “Goddamit , how do you pull all this off?!” I amaze myself sometimes. I really do. I had a fascinating conversation with the woman, but I never spoke to any of the other ladies, and as for the woman I was talking to, well, she was definitely not coming on to me and I was definitely not coming on to her. We just enjoyed each others company. American to Japanese, Woman to Woman kind of thing. It was really cool. No, it way exceeded the epitome of cool.

After a while, I ended the conversation and excused myself. I wanted to go hang out with my friends in a club where we could all be together. I found them at a near by bar for gay men. Despite being female, the bouncer let me in, probably because my friends had already spent a ton of money at the bar. The two gay guys were already plastered and Jonathan was well on his way. Their bar had a more lively feeling to it. It was very loud and there was much laughter. I liked that atmosphere better, even though I was the only woman. I spoke enough Japanese to conversant with the bar tenders. I talked a lot about my girlfriend and other lesbian stuff. We all had so much fun. But it was a different kind of fun for me. I was enjoying the music and the Asian gay men. It was so comical. The best part doesn’t come until the end though.

FRIDAY MORNING

We took the subway back a bit earlier than Jonathan and I had that previous morning and it was jam packed! We got squeezed into the train and I mean squeezed so hard that I could barely breathe. Even the gay New Yorkers were like “this should be illegal.” Boy, was it fun though, because every time the train swayed everybody in it flew to one side in a giant wave. It was like we were all moving as one. And everyone on the train was drunk so that was also pretty hilarious. That was the true Tokyo experience.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Well, I didn’t get to go to the ryokan and sleep, I had to pack because we checked out that morning and left for Tsukuba which us where I am now. A lot has happened since then but you will here about that later because I am tired off my ass and I am going to bed. Sayonara!

Next: Part 9!

Part 7: Panties in a bottle

If you're confused, you ought to go back to Part 1.  

March 9, 2005

So today Jonathan and I slept in pretty late, only to get up and find that neither of our phone cards worked anymore. That sucks. But today we began our journey to Asakusa. Remember how I mentioned that it was kind of a sleazy, red light district. Well, it is also home to three famous temples which we visited. Kind of ironic.

This is usually the first stop for tourists in Tokyo. I have not been back to Asakusa since 2005.

Then we took a cruise to Odaiba. The seats were like booths and really comfortable so we lay down for our 1 hour cruise. So...we definitely fell asleep and if it wasn't for the guard we would have missed our exit. It was funny. He probably thought we were drunks.

The famous view of the Fuji building from the Toyota center in Odaiba.

 Odaiba is pretty awesome. There is a place called the Megaweb. It is a showcase for Toyota's newest cars. They also have other cool stuff, like free go-cart riding, and some simulation games, and a car that you can test drive around the facility. Jonathan really wanted to test drive the car but you have to have either a Japanese license of a international license. Damn America. So that didn't work out.

Well, after that Jonathan wanted to get a massage at this place called LaQua. The only problem is that it is really far away. We had to change subway lines like three times. And we got totally lost. Totally. As it turned out we ended up in the station we needed to be but we could not pass through the door because we purchased a ticket for another station (this happened four times but that's not the point.) We would have had to purchase another ticket but Jonathan told the guard that we had "lost" ours and he just let us through. We never purchased a ticket after that. We just went pass each stop telling each guard that we had lost out ticket. Man, we really screwed the subway out of money. It works every time though.

When we finally got to the spa it was closed. Today was not our day. But to end it with a bang I will tell a story of something that happened last night. So Jonathan saw the new PSP (some Play station thing) at the Sony building and was determined to buy it. At the Sony building they were sold out. So we looked for some in Akihabara. Sold out. Then Jonathan saw a machine that advertised the PSP. It is like one of those toy machines at the grocery stores. You have to put money in and a little plastic bottle drops out. Only one bottle in the machine has a ticket for the PSP. Jonathan put his money in, thinking that he was probably going to get an empty bottle but when he opened it up he found...

...

...

...

WOMEN'S PANTIES!!!!!

He said it was worth the money, even though he didn't get the PSP.

Next: Part 8!

Part 6: Thoughts on toilets and marraige

If you're confused, you ought to go back to Part 1.  

March 8, 2005

Another interesting day in the ryokan, Well, just as it seems that we meet new people everyday, so here comes the next crowd: two New Yorkers that flew in yesterday. I met them in the bathroom this morning. Parryan and Joseph. They sound pretty cool. Jonathan took a real liking to them and invited them out to have a drink tonight at Bar Dute. I am technically supposed to go but (I know this sounds lame) I am really exhausted. I think I walked like 20 miles today...in heels and panty hoes. Yeah. I'm a real lady.

In 2005, this was the most expensive piece of real estate in the world. Ginza, Tokyo.

This day’s agenda started out with a trip to Ginza, the most expensive and ritzy shopping center in Tokyo. Now you can imagine, in a city where a Levi's shirt will set you back $138, the word "Expensive" doesn't do a justice to this sort of place. One good part of it though was that Jonathan and I got to see the Sony building, which had an exhibit of all the new electronics.

Speaking of electronics, Jonathan and I were both defiled today. Yes, defiled. Okay here’s how it happened:

**CAUTION: the following may contain graphic content.

So I go into the bathroom in the Sony building in take care of business. I notice that the toilet is no ordinary toilet, it is one of those super-cool Japanese ones, with all the high tech functions like a seat warmer, music, blowing air, and squirting water in two intimate areas. So I thought since I am in Japan I might as well get the works. The first button I press in the one that squirts water on my butt. I figure, "A little mist never hurt anyone's booty." I was so wrong. At first it was a gentle breeze, then it gushed out like a fire hose. I freaked out and jumped off the toilet. Meanwhile the enema hose didn't stop and continued to squirt water out from the toilet and onto me, the door, and the walls of the stall. When I figured out how to stop it I was drenched. I decided that the only way I would feel better is if I made someone else suffer. So I told Jonathan to try it as I waited outside the men’s restroom. First I hear only a squirt of water, then I here a scream. Jonathan runs out of the bathroom, pants halfway down, screaming "I've been raped!" So there.

As you could imagine we got the hell out of the Sony building as fast as we could and made it in time to see the garden of the Imperial palace, Tokyo Train Station, and Akihabara, the electric town. So that is why I am so exhausted. Oh, and in Akiharbara we met two women from Los Angeles and helped them find their way around with our mad Japanese skills.

Okay, now for the meaningful revelation I came to today. As I walked through the Sony building I thought about my future life in Japan. Seeing all those electronics gave me a vision of myself dialing a number in one of those high tech phones. I could totally see myself adopting one of those robot dogs. (I got to play with them at the Sony building.) I started thinking about how certain I am that this is where I want to live my life. I am so so so certain. And this trip has made me even more determined to succeed. I have also been thinking a lot about marriage, how I have that state of mind to get married, but how no one would ever come with me to Japan. This sounds kind of strange, but I don't think I could marry someone who doesn't share my passion for Japan. Just because we would see our lives with such different futures. I feel like I have a destiny. If I am meant to be with someone we will share the same destiny. That's my thinking.

Part 5: The best toke in Tokyo

If you're confused, you ought to go back to Part 1. 

March 7th, 2005

**Due to the lack of time I had when writing this entry it has been updated, finally, with the rest of the info.

So finally Jonathan and I got off our asses and went to Shibuya. Man, we have dominated the subway system of Tokyo in two days. See, it’s really different from other major cities because the subways are operated by multiple companies, therefore the routs are confusing and you have to change train lines for different stations. Jonathan is really the one who is good with direction. So in a way we need each other, him for direct, me for Japanese. If I can conquer this city’s public transportation system then I can conquer anywhere.

In Shibuya, I did a little shopping of my own, but nothing too amazing. Jonathan went back to the head shop he found last night. He was really excited because as he says, "If this is indeed a country, there WILL be a head shop." So apparently this is a country. He bought two cheap grinders. That made his day. And since the shop was not busy he went out and had a smoke with the guy that worked there. He is in college for photography. He says that not a lot of people smoke weed in Japan. Yeah, we all had a long talk. He was pretty cool.

Despite the omnipresent marijuana leaf motif, it is extremely difficult to find marijuana in Japan, due to it being illegal and all.

Then we went to Ebisu. We saw a beautiful garden downtown but unfortunately the Beer Museum we wanted to see was closed. Oh, the best part of the trip: we went to 7-11. But 7-11 is very different in Japan. It is all Japanese food (they sell a great deal of pre-packaged food) and products and some American products with a twist. Like Green Tea flavored Kit Kat. It actually tasted kind of good.

So we got back to our ryokan kind of early to see our hostess Yuki. Then she told us where to find Mister Donut and our day gained a whole new meaning. See, Mister Donut is 100 times better than any American donut place because they have strawberry donuts. And they are open until midnight. So Jonathan and I walked 30 min in the freezing cold to get there. But I will admit, the journey was half the fun. We got lost a few times, no, more like a lot of times. But by getting lost we discovered a traditional Japanese food market, a playground, two Buddhist temples, and the red light district of Asakusa. There was a bar there called "Bar Dute" Say it aloud. That makes me laugh. Then we found Big 8 Strip Theatre and numerous gentleman’s clubs with names such as, "Silky Doll," "Alone," and "American Crystal." That was definitely the best part of the trip. And at the end we reached Mister Donut.

Our ryokan is located in Ueno, which as I discovered is a pretty quiet part of Tokyo. Walking down the streets at night one would not feel as if they are walking through the biggest city in the world. It has a very peaceful, residential feel to it. Asakusa, which is right next to Ueno, is just sleezy. It’s the Oakcliff of Tokyo only with no Cadillacs or crackheads. Shibuya, and Harajuku are so metropolitan. This city has so many different faces. It is unbelievable.


Continued on Part 6!

Part 4: Tokyo nights

If you're confused, you ought to go back to Part 1.


March 7, 2005

Yesterday was seriously one of the best days of my entire life. Here goes:

Shortly after writing my last entry, Jonathan and I headed out early for our first stop: Shinjuku. We were going to see my Buddhist temple. I wasn't to worried about having to take the subway system because I was told that everyone spoke English and could help. As I found out, that could not have been a bigger lie. No one speaks English. No one. If it wasn't for my Japanese skills and Jonathan's intuition we would have never made it. We still didn't find my Buddhist temple, but we made it as far as the station. We asked everyone, in Japanese. No one could help us. So we found the only white person within a 5 mile radius and asked him. He was a college student from Georgia. Jonathan told him we went to Rice University and he was like "Wow you guys must be really smart!" I laughed.

We gave up on finding my Buddhist temple and instead went to Harajuku for some shopping. It was amazing. We saw the same German guy that we met at McDonald's that previous day. I guess this is a small city after all.

There was a department store called the Laforet. When I become a famous fashion designer in Japan my store will be at the Laforet. Jonathan freaked out because he saw a t-shirt in one of the stores that had a marijuana leaf on it that said " Have a Wonderful Time." He has now become marijuana obsessed and has begun his search for "The best toke in Tokyo." Well, after that we went to the Meiji Jingu shrine.

 After smoking in McDonald's, Jonathan was insistent on smoking everywhere....

These wooden blocks are called "Ema." They are peoples' wishes. In 2005, I had no idea what they were, but by 2010 I would return to Izumo, Japan for the precise purpose of writing my wish on the Ema. 

These are beer barrels. I think we knew that at the time. That is why we were smiling.

And something happened that changed our entire day...
Some Japanese girls asked in English for Jonathan to take their picture. When he replied in Japanese they were very impressed. We started talking about all sorts of things. Jonathan asked if they liked Karaoke, which of course, they did. And then he was like, "well we should all go to Karaoke today!" I though they would be freaked out since we were total strangers but they we really excited.

We explored the rest of the Meiji Jingu Shrine with them and while doing so I saw that there was a traditional Japanese wedding procession going on. I desperately wanted to take a picture of the bride in traditional Japanese wedding kimono. I was afraid to ask because, I mean, they were having a wedding, that might be rude to interrupt. But Jonathan said I was never going to see them again so I might as well embarrass myself. I spoke in my most humble Japanese and when I thought I was going to get an ass-whooping the bride’s Mother-in-law laughed and said, IN ENGLISH, "well, come get in the picture." So there I am with the bride, the groom, and the wedding guests, right in the middle of the picture. Amazing.

After that the Japanese girls whose names are Megumi and Mariko wanted to eat at a sushi bar with us.
 They spoke good Engish, so between their English and my Japanese we communicated very well.

So we had lunch with them and then we all went to Karaoke! It was so much fun! Especially for me because they had Bjork songs! Good times.

I believe we were singing Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boyz "Get Low"

"To the windoooooow, to the wall"

Or it might have been the Ma Ya Hi song...

Then we all headed down to Shibuya and did some more shopping. Jonathan saw more marijuana paraphernalia and freaked out some once again. He even asked the sales people if they knew where to get weed. Poor Jonathan. Anyways, our new friends are so nice. We all went to eat Takoyaki later that night.

I feel very special to be hanging out with them. In Tokyo I feel like such an outsider, for obvious reasons, but I want so badly to belong. Of course I want to be accepted by the Japanese people, since I want to live there. Before meeting my new Japanese friends I felt like I didn't belong in this country. I felt like nobody in this country liked or understood me. But now I have real Tokyo friends. Sure I just met them yesterday, we're not close at all, but they accept me. It felt wonderful to walk down the streets of Shibuya linking arms with Megumi, laughing loudly with Mariko. I felt like I was one of them. I'm sure some Japanese thought it was weird that native Toyko girls were hanging all over two foreigners, but I don't think Megumi and Mariko cared.

Speaking Japanese with my native Tokyo companions, eating Takoyaki, going to Karaoke. Its all such a wonderful dream. I feel like I am living a small piece of my future right now.

(Update: I am  STILL friends with Mariko. Can you believe it?) 

Part 5! 

Part 3: Bathroom bilss

If you're confused, you ought to go back to Part 1. Then check out Part 2.
March 6, 2005

So here's what jet lag does to you: it makes you have a NORMAL sleep schedule.

Last night Jon and I went to the hot tub. Let me just say that the hot tub is too good for a two platonic friends to enjoy....

So we went to bed around 9:00 that night and woke at 5:30 am. One hour before our alarm was supposed to go off. We then watched some Japanese TV and I saw a chindren’s show about a turnip that played the tambourine. We also tried to set the alarm on the TV, but it was in Japanese...so was the remote. 

 

Then I got ready. See, in our ryokan we have shared bathrooms. You might think that sucks, but it is actually quite cool because you get to talk to all the people in the morning as they get ready. So here I am doing my hair while I talk to this couple from Hong Kong and a really awesome Swedish chick. She was talking about the club last night and apparently she had just gotten home. Jonathan really enjoyed the shared bathrooms because for once, he gets to hang out with the girls in the bathroom. We are going clubbing on Thursday night with the Swedish girl and her friend. This is going to be one hell of a trip. I am headed out to my Buddhist meeting in Shinjuku and then for Goth Day at Harajuku!

Next: Part 4!

Part 2: After the lights go out

A continuation of Part 1. 


March 5, 2005

So I just got back from Macudonarudosu (McDonald's) with Jonathan. My teriyaki burger was delicious. I even ordered correctly in Japanese...sort of. Did you know that in Japan French fries are called "potatoes." That’s just weird to me.

Well, the street is very beautiful at night and it is very cold but I am so excited that my adrenaline keeps me warm. While at Macudonarudosu we discovered that it is illegal to smoke on the street but smoking in the restaurant is okay. So there we are in McDonald's and Jonathan pulls out a cigarette. I took a picture. Where else can you smoke in a McDonalds?

In America, Jonathan was not even old enough to buy cigarettes. 

We also met a cool German guy who explained to us that they don't give free refills on drinks in Japan, or in Germany for that matter. I feel like a greedy American.

Along our way we discovered a Pachinko Parlor. Pachinko is a Japanese version of gambling. It is just like that sloth machines in Las Vegas only slightly different. You must be 20 years old to play Pachinko but Jonathan and I just walked in and nobody cared. Jonathan says it is because he has a beard that they think he is older. We brought back a teriyaki burger for Yuki. She is so great. In fact our whole ryokan is like a giant family. Because it is so small there is very much contact between guests and the hostess. There are many British people in our ryokan. We are all going to have breakfast tomorrow morning.

Yes, I'm doing the shocker. When I was 17, that was the cool and funny thing to do, especially in Japan, where nobody knew what it meant.

As for now, I have to get ready to go to the ryokan Jacuzzi. Jonathan and I reserved it for 8:00. Take that!

Part 1: We Made It!

As I was organizing  some old files from my travels, I remembered that I kept a Livejournal while I was in Japan in 2005. At that time,  I was a senior in high school with almost three years of Japanese under my belt and no desire to go to Cancun for spring break. 
 I saved up money from my part-time job for almost a year so that I could buy the plane ticket to  Tokyo. This entire journal was written over a ten-day period, mostly from the public computer in the lobby of a traditional Japanese inn. Because of these circumstances, the entries were written in haste, with spelling and grammar complete forgone.


I left this text in its original format in order to preserve its authenticity. Although it is not particularly eloquent, nor does it necessarily represent my current thoughts or feelings, it is a honest account of a my first real experience abroad. When I read through it, I can vividly recall the earnest hopefulness I carried with me on my journey. 


Thus, this is a relic of my first self-supported solo traveling adventure. In other words, this is where it all began....


March 5th, 2005

I am typing this entry from the computer in my ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). It is amazingly lovely here. Just to see the signs in Japanese and ride on the opposite side on of the road brings me wonderful memories. My passions for this city have already been restored and I have only been here for three hours. Jonathan (my platonic best friend– UPDATE: who is now openly gay - that's worth noting later in the journal) is up in the room unpacking. I am so happy and relaxed but it was quite a journey to get here...

First of all, the airport line was insanely long. While Jonathan and I waited in the line we decided to review the list of items that American Airlines had instructed us NOT to bring.

Such items included:

• A car battery
• a red neck lighter
• fire works
• Bacardi
• Guns
• A leaf blower
• spray paint
• Clorax bleach
• cooking oil
• Drano
• Lysol

Who even thinks of bringing such things on an airplane? However, Jonathan was pretty pissed that he could not bring his Axe spray, cause after a thirteen-hour flight, you must imaging he would be pretty musty...

The flight wasn't so bad after my Dramamine kicked in. I fell asleep for about four hours and spent the rest of the time watching the interesting people on the plane. There was a really cute little Asian baby sitting next to me, and since we were flying to Japan I figured she would be Japanese.

I started speaking to her mother in Japanese and she just looked at me and said in English, "We're Chinese."

"Ooops, ha, ha...uh…just kidding."

So then I  spent some time noticing a dapper gentleman on the plane. He was reading this queer looking book entitled "Whatsoever Things are Lovely," and one of the chapters in the book was called "Dayspring." If that isn't gay then I don't know what is.

That is all I remember from the flight. That and Jonathan yelled "Fuuuuuck!!!!!" in his sleep. And I had a strange dream that our plane landed in Calcutta instead of Tokyo. Well it's over anyway. I'm here and that's the point.

The arrival gate; our first view of Japan.

After getting off the plane we went to meet Amasawa-san and Iho Chan (family friends) but we could not find them. Jonathan hoped that they would be carrying a sign with our names on it but that didn't exactly happen. We looked for like, 30 minutes. Then we asked the airport ladies to page them. Then Jonathan came on to the airport ladies by asking, "So what are you fine ladies doing after work tonight?" This is going to be a long trip.

Mrs. Amasawa driving on the opposite side of the road.

Well, we found Amasawa-san and Iho-chan (After 45 minutes and no dates with the airport ladies) and they drove us to our ryokan. I was surprised to find it in a relatively quiet part of Tokyo. We are somewhat wedged in between several stores on a very tiny street of the Meiji Dori. Our ryokan is quite lovely though. As a traditional Japanese inn we have no beds, but we sleep on tatami mats. Our ryokan is a mixture of modern architecture juxtaposed with traditional antiques which makes for a visually pleasing appearance. Our room is small and dimly lit, but it has a true Japanese feel to it.

Our hotel room. It's hard not to make a mess in a 10ft by 5 ft space.

After preparing our room we had tea with the hostess of the ryokan, Yuki. She is very friendly and her English is almost perfect. In appearance and manner she reminds me of my old friend Kana, so I feel very comfortable speaking to her. That kind of service would never happen in an American hotel. I am about to go walking around Taito-ku (our location within the city) and find a Makudonarudosu (McDonalds.) Teriyaki burger here I come! And so begins my journey...


Continue Part 2 here.