ichibandasai | (no subject)

August/18/2005 2nd day in Japan.

So, second day on the job. I got quite some good exercise today.
I rose early not knowing the time. We were all scheduled to meet at 9:00 am in room 509, the one where we had all met yesterday. When I rose, however, and looked outside the window, the outside was still quite dark. Not knowing the time, I wondered how I could find out what the cuurent time was. I looked everywhere. I looked around to see if I could find my roommate's watch. At this time, my computer was acting up, so I couldn't really use it's help. Ah, speaking of computers -- I had realized that my roomate had her computer on right there beside her bed, on and playing bedtime music. I went to the computer and set the computer's clock to Japan time. It was 6:14, or somewhere near that time, so I lay down once more.
I rose again at 8-something, and began to get dressed. I planned to wake my roomate at a certain time, but she woke herself within a few minutes after I. We then got dressed, I stepped out to wash my face and brush my teeth, and returned to piss off the rest of the time. After some time, a knock arrived at the door. Chanel came to make sure we had risen, as she said through the closed door. We thanked her, and proceeded to piss off the time by studying Japanese and prearing our introduction speeches.
As I may have mentioned earlier, we were to give introduction speeches telling about ourselves in Japanese. I decided upon what I may say on a piece of paper, but I decided to not to read from paper as I later saw everyone else doing.
When we congregated downstairs and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. We were each given yellow tickets, which we presented to a man standing at a podium-table-like thing who thanked us in japanese prior to going into the cafeteria. We were then to pick up trays provided at the front, and pick up what we wanted from the counter. Behind the counter were the chefs who prepared the food, who were there to help us make our choices. I'm afirad there wasn't much of a choice then - Rice, miso soup, and two bread choices - one a buttery-warm roll thing that resembled a golden, defined croissant, and another basket of bread slices. I picked up two pieces of bread, two packets each of marmalade and (what the hell is that?) something that was said to be butter, rice and miso soup.
Little did I know, there was a buffet when we entered the large part of the cafeteria.
So, I proceeded to fill my plate with mackarel, salad, macaroni salad, and grape juice. There were many other choices and condiments.
We all sat at a table in the corner of the cafeteria, and Akemi joined us afterwards, bringing a bowll of rice on her tray and natto, which the mixed with the rice. It looked so disgusting. The natto was so stringy, she'd have to wave her chopsticks around to get rid of the strands when she took a bite.
Anyway, she told some of us further news on how we'd get around on Monday, which was when we would leave. My news excited me - she said that when we arrive at the CIEE office, my host sister'd be there to pick me up. Chanel would have to meet our principal(?) there, too, I believe. Since her host family is on vacation, she'd have to temporarily stay in our school principal's house for a week.
Anyway, we met at room 509, where we gave our introductions. Before we proceeded, we'd have to wait for another CIEE person whom we had never met before, to arrive. Chanel and I both volunteered first (since no one else did), so Akemi told us to decide with JanKenPon...I didn't care who went first, really, but I planed on scissors, thinking she may somehow choose rock. She chose paper, but they thought I hesitated to see her outcome...>_<; I went anyway, since no one really cared. I think I recall most of my introduction...
Konnichiwa. Watashi no namae wa [Insert Real Name here] desu, demo watashi no adane wa 'Rose' desu. 'Rose' doo yonde kudasai. Shiretekoto, Amerika kara kita bakari desu. Kanagawa ni ikimasu. Nihongo o sangkagetsu..(then I hesitated, thinking, "iie, rokkagetsu?) bekyoo shite kimashita. (Didn't know what else to say) Okay, Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
[Hello, My name's [Insert name here], but my nickname is Rose. Please call me Rose. Obviously, I am coming from America. I will be going to Kanagawa. I've been studying for three months...no...six months...no, it has been three months. Anyway, Nice to meet to meet you!]

After all the introductions, including the new woman, who went last (she spoke really fast, but I was thankfully able to understand quite a bit of it), three other japanese students arrived and intorduced themselves. A yound man with protruded ears, whom we refer to as "Yo-yo", came in first, introduced himself as one who studied in America four years ago. Actually, they all did, at some point. We were then to give introductions again for them, but smaller versions. I was the last to go this time, and I was munching on some candy form a large pink bag. My scond intro was short and rouch around the edges (meaning that it wasn't as polite).
Rose desu, juu-nana-sai, Kanagawa ni ikimasu. Confetoo ga suki da. Tabetai?
[I'm Rose. 17. Going to Kanagawa. I like candy. Want some?]
Everyone's face dropped to see how large a bag of candy I had.
So, everyone munched on candy. I had a bag of Reese's candies, which Casey proclaimed his love for me for. I gave him the bag.
So, we left. All of of. All 6 of us exchange students, 3 japanese college students, and the two coordinators. We walked out of the building, until we reached the beginning of a nearby park, where the cooridantors left us. Looks like it was up to the Japanese students to show us around.
We walked through this beautiful park, and on the way, we saw this enormous raven on the grass. Chanel took a picture. We all got drinks form a vending machine...and instead of buying the usual bottle of green tea, I chose this bottle of dark fluid which claimed to have guarana in it. Turns out it was carbonated. Tasted good ^o^;
So, we went through the subway, and walked through the city for quite a bit. The streets in which we walked were quite narrow, with clothing shops lining the streets. Quite a few of them sold gothic-like garb, and one that particularly caught my eye was a maid's outfit that I thought was extremely kawaii. We also walked by a store that had a speaker outside of the door playing reggae music (Bob Marley, as it seems). We continued on until we reached the most spectacular temple I've ever seen. I'll be posting pictures.
We stopped to read our fortunes for 100 yen. You see, there is a metal box-like thing that you shake, and whatever stick comes out, a number is written on it. One must look for the number, which is marked on any of the various, tiny drawers. When the number is found, one opens the drawer and takes out a small paper with the fortune printed on it. I opened the designated drawer, and before I even extracted the fortune from the drawer, "Yo-yo" laughed. I couldn't understand the kanji on the front, but when I looked at the back, the translation was written in english: Bad fortune.
It suggested that I won't be successful in my endeavours, or I should take trips, or I won't get that promotion, or something of the sort. I wasn't the only one who recieved "Bad Fortune". Kira recieved one, also, and so did another. We laughed at the coincidence, and promised ourselves that we'd have nothing but good luck. Two others didn't do it as they thought of it as a bunch of crap. As did all of us who did it, but wanted the experience.
Then, we went to eat, although most of us were never hungry to begin with. In the beginning of the day, all six of us were handed envelopes with two 1000 yen bills for to pay for lunch for today and Monday, for these two days, we would not be given cafeteria tickets for lunch. One of the students wished to have Italian food (why have Italian food when we're in Japan?). Thankfully, the place was closed. We ended up going down into a small, underground restaurant (very small, I might add), where we had to take our shoes off to sit in the back (tatami mats lined the floor). We had quite a difficult time ordering, for some of us were not hungry and wished to order something as small as an appetizer, but it was b obligation that we order a meal as long as we are seated there.
One of the students ordered for me. We could hardly read the menu, for most of it was in kanji. Our orders came one by one, mine second or third. I recieved a lovely little salmon dish (I told them that I only eat fish). I know it was promised that I'd eat other meat since I am in Japan, but I am not getting used to the idea as yet. I didn't even eat the airplane food until they gave me vegetarian meals that was pre-ordered by other passengers that didnt seem to make it.
The student was even so kind to told me not to worry about the bill. I did, however, give her 800 yen (the food was 890), and she returned 300 to me.
Next stop: Akihabara - Electric city. When I heard about where we were going, I couldn't contain my excitement. I can never seem to control my excitement around electronics - I'm like a child in a candy store.
The ENTIRE city was flooded with electronic and electronic accessory stores.
I was amazed at the amount of flashing lights on buildings, and electric signs, and such. Our first stop: a Games store.
It was by Casey's request, mostly. But I went in to see if I'd be lucky to find anything related to Bleach.
And when I did, I got TOO excited.
I spotted a larged cardboard, life-sized cutout of Ichigo in the corner, with the advertisement for the Bleach video game. This is how I reacted:
"OMG! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach! Bleach!" *pointing jerkily at poster*
Casey: "Be quiet!"
haha.
Even better, I roamed around again, and I came across a little Bleach table. It even had little sticker thingies around the ad with the different characters. I gazed at the Ishida sticker for a considerable amount of time. Now that I think of it, the Ishida sticker was beside the Inoue sticker. Crap on that. Anyway, the boxes advertising the game was plastered on the table alongside a big poster.
Just behind me, Kira was going similarly crazy about a Final Fantasy table, and her favourite little silver-haired guy. What a coincidence. We both stood alongside each other fangirling like mad. For some time, she forced me to watch the advertisiment (a small television advertising the movie was playing on a small television).
So, I went around looking for a digital camera. to get a good one, I'd have to pay a little over $200. I kept on looking.
At one point, a few of us stopped somewhere. Something took my attention for a few seconds, and when my head spun around once more, the ones I was with had disappeared.
I stood there for quite a while, waiting for someone to look for me. The city was extremely crowded...but I stood my base.
Perhaps 15 minutes later, I saw "Yo-Yo" in the crowd, I waved my fan at him (a promotional fan that was being given out with some computer-label-thingy on it), and we were off to meet the rest.
After we had met, we separated once more. Since I expressed want to find a camera, Yo-yo took me around for a few minutes to find one....which I failed at doing. I almost bought one, until I found that without a memory card, it is only capable of taking ten pictures.
So, I left Akihabara empty-handed, and we went back to the subway towards "home". It was quite sweet to walk under the cool ventilation of the subway...Japan is extremely hot and humid. When we walked under the cooling air, we all made orgasmic sounds. Casey said something quite noteworthy after walking under one:
"I need a towel...that's how good that felt."

On the way back to the Olympic center, at the beginning of the building parking-lot, actually, we came across Akemi-san (and the other woman). Akemi-san had told me that my mother had called her out of concern for me and that I must contact her this night. Only my mother ><; Everyone agreed to phone home afterwards.
So, we all headed down to a convenience store, in which we all purchased 1000 yen phonecards (approx. 20 minutes). We all browed the cool little convenience store...much cooler that an American one. It even had a small section for manga. Kira purchased one that seemed to be a yaoi or shounen-ai manga for 350 yen. Wait till everyone there hear that we can purchase manga here for about 3 dollars and fifty cents here, while they cost about ten dollars in America.
So, we all took our separate showers, and I followed Traci to scout for a phone. Actually, the two boys were with us also. We went around, asking for a capable phone to make international calls. Eventually, we found one in the central building. I was third to phone mother, but of course, she did not answer her phone. I left two messages...quite angry that I had to go through all that to have her not pick up the phone. It was late morning, also, so she would have been awake. This all took place at about 9-10 p.m. our time.
I sudied more Japanese, and went to bed.