Where The Streets Have No Name (Because All The Signs Are In Japanese)

One week gone, 17 left. Adaptation is easy, it's what comes next that's hard. I'm already used to the daily routine (get up at 6, breakfast at 6:30, shower if I didn't the night before, get ready while talking to people on Facebook and Skype, walk to the train, transfer to the bus, class, lunch, class, bus, train, home, dinner, homework, shower, sleep) but now it's all about making time to do things and meet people. We've met a ton of people at school (well actually only girls because at this university girls outnumber guys about 50:1) who are more than happy to take us around. We've already got plans for the next 3 weekends. Making conversation is hard but so far everyone is equally struggling with each others' language so it's working out slowly but surely. Our classes at school are great. We take grammar, conversation, writing, history, and popular culture (the last two are taught in English) and have each joined separate clubs and classes. I joined an aerobics class (zuiikin english anyone?) and the running and guitar club. We also help teach three English language classes and it is hilarious. The classes are full of girls save for maybe 6 boys in total across all three classes so needless to say, Sean and John are celebrities. Don't worry, I am famous too (something about how I am kawaii...?). Anyway, school is great so far.
Last Friday night, my host mother took me to a club she attends. She called it 'Hippo Club' and said the kids were coming so I thought it was some kind of kids thing but was not even close. Basically, it is a place where parents (mostly mothers) go and bring their kids who mainly go play with each other while the parents stand around and learn languages. The learn about 15 languages at once, not kidding. They play these tapes which repeat the same conversation in about 12 languages and they stand in a circle and repeat what the tape says. They learn English, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. So, because I was the special guest, I had to introduce myself in Japanese (which I am getting very good at) and English, then they introduced themselves in English and whatever other language they wanted to practice. It was crazy. Apparently this group also organizes homestays for their kids so many of the kids had been to Russia or America or China, Korea, whatever. And the oldest kid was only 14!! Some of the kids that went to Russia were 9! That is so young for a homestay! I would never have been brave enough to do that when I was 9. They want me to go back every week. Who knows, maybe I'll pick up a word or two in a couple other languages...
On Saturday, Sean, John and I went to Nagoya. I went to Atsuta Shrine which is 1900 years old (but you wouldn't know it- it looks brand new) and saw like four weddings happening at once. We got Ramen for lunch (yup, real Japanese ramen- Aaron if you are reading this, I'd send it back home to you if I could, you need to eat it) and walked through what looked like a shady market place which turned out to be really cool and had a bunch of hidden shrines in it (shrines are absolutely everywhere and so pretty!). Then we walked to Nagoya Castle which unfortunately was closing when we got there but was cool anyway (and I'll definitely go back). Here's a crazy story: Just past Nagoya Castle, we saw this really cool looking gateway so we walked through it but all that was on the other side was a parking lot. Then I saw a little kitty. I followed the kitty to a secret hidden cat town! I swear this is true! There were all these little kitty homes made of boxes in the bushes and tons of kitties!! It was all around a shrine-type thing and there was food and water so someone obviously takes care of these cats. They were very scared though and wouldn't let me pet them and some only had half of their tails. My theory, after a lot of unsuccessful research, is that these are stray cats that people take care of so that they won't die and become ghost cats and haunt them (for more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakeneko). It sounds crazy but I think that's what it is. Turns out, actually, there are a ton of stray cats here! (but none are very friendly ;_;) On Friday night, the Nagoya baseball team won the championship so we expected there to be a lot of partying going on. We never found it. In fact, for a town with a population greater than Vancouver, we didn't see a whole lot of people at all. Turns out everyone hangs out underground. Seriously. Japanese cities have tons of underground malls that have shops, restaurants, bars, everything! We found one earlier, actually, but it didn't have any bars so we didn't think to look in one later when we were looking for a good bar.So our evening was relatively chill (besides riding on a huge Ferris Wheel in the middle of downtown and visiting a bus station that you go up on the roof and there is water and it's all lit up (it's cooler than it sounds!). It's very hard to know where things are and when things close when you can't read any signs....
Sunday we went to a barbecue for international students where we met tons of people who have been here for a while and who agreed to show us around Nagoya and take us to kaiten sushi (conveyor belt sushi) nomihodai (all you can drink!) and some other cool places. I also plan on hitting up a cat cafe next time I'm in Nagoya ;). The barbecue was fun besides having to play really dorky games in the middle of a park to get to know each other (Head and Shoulders, Rock Paper Scissors, the like...). It was a little embarrassing... Also at the barbecue, my host brother caught the biggest praying mantis I have ever seen in my life. It was terrifying. He brought it home with us in the car. It died this morning. (Thank god- it was soooooo gross.)
After the barbecue, my host family and I went to my host father's father's grave. It's really cool, the stuff they do at graves. They collect water from the cemetery well and re-fill the vases with water and fresh flowers, light incense and each do a little prayer with special beads around their hands. They asked me to pray. I wasn't really sure what I was doing but I thought it was nice that they included me. :)
Today, we stopped by Okazaki Castle on the way home from school. It was smaller than Nagoya Castle but still cool. And there were more stray cats although none were friendly. :( There was a museum inside with real Samurai armor and weapons. In Japan, there is at least one really cool thing on every block.

Japan is a crazy place. It is exactly how you picture it. Stereotypes and all. Japanese people are so quiet and reserved until they come out of their shell, then they are crazy! Japanese-game-show crazy! I have seen so many things already that I thought were just stereotypes. Today, I saw koi in a pond. I've seen choreographed dancing in a public area. I've seen what seems like thousands of people crowded into train stations, girls dressed in full geisha outfits, girls in schoolgirl outfits with Playboy bunnies on their socks, super fast trains, cute cartoon animals advertising everything, smoking inside restaurants, religious ceremonies in Shinto temples, and some of the craziest fashion you can imagine.
Toilets are probably one of the strangest things in this country. You'll be walking down the sidewalk on a busy street and there will be a public washroom. No door, just urinal, staring you in the face (the ladies room has a door). Ladies public toilets are literally a hole in the ground. And never any paper towel or hand dryers in washrooms. Always sinks but nothing to dry your hands with. The toilets in private washrooms require a degree in rocket science to know how to use all the functions. There is no middle-ground in this country. Just polar opposites. Medieval toilets or toilets from the distant future.
Bugs here are shockingly enormous and I have 37+ mosquito bites (currently- there is a mosquito in my room now that I can't catch who'll get me tonight, guaranteed) that itch like mad. Hornets here are the size of my thumb and spiders are big, skinny and green. Needless to say, I don't sleep well.

That's all for this week. I'll do Nagoya right this weekend.

Gotta work on my small-talk for my friends at school (luckily one speaks very good English and helps translate for me).
Gambatte as the Japanese say!

So long from the other side of the Pacific!

Britt


I miss cereal.