The weekend went by then poof! It's December~
Recently, I realized how being in Japan has affected me. December is slowly becoming just a normal month.
DECEMBER... December... December...
Man, the more I stare at the word, the meaningless it becomes. It used to be one of the most exciting anticipated part of the year; with my family setting up the Christmas tree as early as October, the lights wound around the bushes by November, and finally decorations in every room by December. The air would begin to cool down (just a teeny bit) and the breeze would come in through the windows. Winter in my country means that the temps would go down by a couple of degrees. *shrug*
It was the time when people would have an extra smile, a bouncier step, and wallets flapping in anticipation of year-end bonuses. I remember when we would always plan to go on a trip to Hong Kong for the Christmas vacation, my mom going as far as renewing our passports. But as the -ber months roll by, so does the possibility of ever buying those plane tickets. And then it would finally come down to not mentioning it at all. I guess we're just not yet ready on spending too much cash just for a trip to another city. When we have our own an hour's drive away.
It was quite a surprise when I found out that the Japanese Winter Christmas extravaganza I always see in animes and J-doramas actually is just a commercially consumer-directed fad, celebrated just for the heck of it. That we have to go to work on a Thursday Christmas morning, go to a late-night Nihongo class, and probably buy a slice of strawberry cake to munch on the way home before crashing on the bed then go to work again tomorrow is a bit depressing to actually process right now
Me and my friends have even resorted to postponing thinking about Christmas. But seeing as how it's just 3 weeks till those carolers back home would start ringing doorbells and singing mangled hymns, we should probably get started on planning our plans for the holidays so that we would have something to report back home. Otherwise we would just end up depressed.
This will be our first Christmas here in Japan, we should also make it the best. But not "too best" so that we could still outdo it next year. I wish it would snow... minus the sludge.
Megane~kun
宜しくお願い致します！
YUI Fan
If there ever comes a time when you feel like you’re losing to loneliness, listen to the songs that you love
Visitors
I would like to explain how to properly eat hitsumabushi first. So I'm going to introduce another kind of Japanese food: okazuke. This may seem confusing at first, and may keep on becoming so, but I assure you, it's fun and delicious, and did I mention fulfilling?
Okay, where were we...? Right, "How to Eat Okazuke". Basically, okazuke is rice in a bowl, then you add some savory toppings (seaweed, pickles, meat, sesame seeds, seafood, etc) and then you pour either green tea or soup stock over it. I prefer the soup stock though, I mean, green tea plus seaweeds and sesame seeds???
Anyway, it's kinda like eating breakfast cereals with milk, only with rice and soup. I wasn't aware of this Jap dish until recently, it sounds so outrageously Japanese though. My coworkers surprised me when we went to a restaurant and they said that the dish is green tea over rice. I was like WHAT??? and they were HAHAHA but the waitress was like BEEF OR FISH STOCK? and I was OOOH!! BEEF!
So now that you know how to eat an okazuke, be rest assured that hitsumabushi is eaten just like that too. Actually, it IS exactly like that. I'm not sure why they made a whole new name for it, and I'm not sure of the difference, now that I think about it. I even asked what the name means and they said it was just a name, so didn't fuss over it too much. The name is actually 日妻武士 which reads hitsumabushi. 日= Sun, 妻 = Wife, 武士 = Warrior.
Soo... yeah. Sun Wife Warrior. Delicious.
Hmm, hitsumabushi is supposed to be okazuke with eel, but what I had was grilled chicken... maybe it wasn't hitsumabushi that I ate. But it said so in the menu...
If you haven't have one yet, you could try the fish stock. My coworker was spouting Jap slangs all over it. Oh and he was smiling, so I assume it was that good.
Didn't think I'd do it but I did it again. I bought something to warm me up... only it doesn't.
Oh sure, the scarf actually does warms me (it even makes my neck sweat) but I'm still "cold". So I consulted my friends and they said that actually the body is the last one to freeze. The first to tingle with the cold are the extremeties.
AHA! So that's why my fingers go numb first, my knees, then all of the sudden, my chest muscles vibrate. And then that's when I'll get really colddd...... I need gloves! Quick! So I dropped off the train at some station somewhere along my route, walked a couple pounds off, then found these pair of black leather gloves for only ¥1000! May sound expensive, but it's not. These are leather gloves we're talking about here.
Anyway, I wore them right away and lo! My fingers froze. I thought that maybe hey, I should give them some time to warm up to me first. But things, or should I say temps, went downhill from then on. There were times I had to look down to make sure my hands are still clutching my bag. Although since they're locked into a closed position, I didn't have to worry anyway... but you can never be too sure...
My friends then suggested that maybe it "traps heat" inside and that I should wear them when my hands are warm before going out to the frigid chillness. So I rubbed up my hands, blew hot breath on them, wore my gloves, got my hand stuck AND cold. So I guess that idea's off.
Then I tried to buy another pair, just for comparison. Maybe mine's defective and has missed a quality assurance inspection somewhere. So I got myself some new cotton gloves (or should I say mittens... with fingers, yes they were that thick, and these are my second pair of cotton cause the first ones didn't work either). Woo! They WERE warm! It got so warm that I rushed to the cashier with glee. But my glee was short lived when I stepped outside and wore them back on. Apparently, when you try something on inside a warm store, it would usually feel warm itself.
The cotton disappointed me too. Bad cotton. Again.
Oh well, sorry for being so cynic in my post here but I am really sad that none met my needs. Though I still wear my leather pair because they look too cool not to. My 2 pairs of cotton ones are somewhere... in the house...somewhere. I'm just wondering though, if they managed to make thermal undergarments as thin as stockings, yet can still leave your valuables in heat, why can't they do the same with gloves?
Or maybe I'm wearing them wrong. You DO put your fingers inside right?
Me and two other friends decided to spend the Sunday by going to Harajuku, and thankfully, the 20% chance of precipitation weather for today cooperated and settled for sunny skies and frozen fingers. Hehe, at last I had the chance to wear my newly-bought leather gloves! A bit of a tight-fit and not warmth-inducing, but very cool-looking as heck.
We set off with runny noses and fashionable clothes and arrived in a station packed full of Japs in their best clothes, as well as foreigners who, like us, are expecting to find a candid view of Japan in its rawness. Going with the flow, we found ourselves standing in front one of the massive torii gates of Meiji Shrine. Not to be outdone by other tourists, as well as locals who came with their kimono-clad kiddies, we strutted our newly bought stuff down the tree-lined road towards the main temple.
The shrine didn't disappoint, and I even managed to get myself one of those lucky charms; I had a hard time picking between a lucky keychain and a Blessed Arrow of Sacred Light. I settled with the keychain even though it costs more just because I don't think I could attach an arrow in my bag/cellphone and not attract stares... @__@;;
After taking tons of photos, praying for fortune and well-being, and witnessing an authentic Shinto Wedding, we got ourselves back to urban Japan to grab some burgers for lunch. Then fought back the mob and went into Yoyogi Park.
We didn't have to crane out our necks that much to see the "fashionable" Harajuku-ers. They were wearing their maid uniforms, gothic outfits, and once we entered the park grounds, there were some hillbillies dancing to some Elvis song.
Autumn hit us full in the face the moment we entered Yoyogi park. The falling leaves were going at it in full power, the trees burning with hues of reds and yellows, and the cold breeze nipping at our exposed extremeties. With lots of sunshine still left, our photoshoot went into full swing. By the time the sun finally went down, our cheeks were tired and poses were getting lame.
We went home tired, sore, and satisfyingly content of our excursion. If chance presents itself again, we wouldn't take a second to consider going back again.
From the Meiji shrine, to the Omotesando shopping district, and through the Yoyogi park, we discovered another slice of Japan that I can safely report as a must-go-to-places for a huge doze of culture-shock. We had so much fun in Harajuku... And did you know that its name meant "Meadow Lodging"?
It was during a freezing morning while I was trying to feel my breakfast. Because I can't really fully enjoy a meal with one of my senses missing, I had to thaw my hands with hot water by the sink. So there I was, enjoying my warm and wrinkly fingers when my cellphone rang. My neighbor/friend was urging me to come out for a bit of a talk, so I did. I opened the door, looked around for the caller, and yelled "What?"
Then *woosh~~* a cloud appeared in front of me.
While I was stunned frozen, I managed to let some of the precious air-conditioned heat to escape. Then I yelled back again to the phone, "hhhWhere hhhhhare hhhhyouhhh? " spewing out some frozen breath. Finding out that no one's there, I closed the door. Then opened it again and blew more clouds.
I did this for a while until I realized I wasn't talking to anyone anymore, so I shut my phone, went back inside, and re-heated my meal. When I went out again on my way to the office, the sun has brought the temps back up a little bit. Although not enough that my gloved hands still went numb, my breath wasn't as misty as before. So by the time I reached the station, it's already gone.
Today was the very first time I saw my breath. It was utterly breathtaking, and yes the pun was deliberate.
Okay that was a lie, maybe a half-truth, so let me rephrase that: Today was the first time I managed to get a seat on the morning trains after a looong loong time... while having my "buns" toasted.
Usually I just stand at the very end of the last train carriage, with my hair getting blow-dried by the heated air-conditioning, and my back feeling the warmth of the train master's cabin. But today, due to my unrelenting lateness, I've managed to grab a seat!
It was a moment of a bliss, after being subjected to a freezing morning walk to the station. I then began to thaw and was soon taking my scarf off (apparently the scarf really does warm you, I was just too cold to notice).
I realized that my bum was hot. Hello, what's this? Am I on a hot seat? And I dug a hand to check... wow, it really IS hot! And very soft and firm too!
A glance at the row in front of me, and I saw a long grill hidden underneath the seats. I've long wondered what they were for (back when the aircon still blew cold) and thought that they must be exhaust fans of some sort to suck out the dust.
How nice is that! A heater that stretches along the opposite sides of the train, warming Japanese bums and toasting our legs. It was wonderful... at first. Then I began to feel just how hot a heater can be at a VERY close range. There were moments I've even thought about giving up my treasured seat just to cool off my burn-marks (just kidding).
I've known about the Japs and their obsession with scalding things; I've burnt my tongue an innumerable number of times slurping ramen, biting into takoyaki balls, and sipping miso soup. So it wasn't a surprise to find the onsen-loving people firing-up the temps inside the train. But after a few stations, I was welcoming the cool air rushing in at every stop.
I guess it's a delicate balance: not too hot for the passengers inside, while not being too cold for the new arrivals. I sincerely appreciate the energy-consuming conveniences the trains provide, but I do hope the Temperature Coordinating Manager Train Master would take a look at their computations once again.
Either that or I'll just have to resort to standing up again.
I've been waiting for the day to actually use a scarf, or muffler, as they call it here in Japan. I've included one in my luggage, which puzzled my coworkers as to why a tropical country where I came from would sell such things. I'm not sure either, considering that I haven't really seen anyone back home wearing one before, but since we also have sweaters, blankets, and thick fake-fur coats, I' m guessing entrepreneurs have asked themselves at one point, "why not"?
So I donned my suit, twisted that thick knitwork around my neck, and stepped outside. To tell you the truth, I didn't feel any warmer. True, I looked awesome and the wool was comfy, but the fact that my hands are immobile told me that I'd probably need gloves too if ever I expected to be warm on my way to the office. Actually I do have gloves, in the same knitted design as my scarf (or muffler), yet when I tried to wear them inside my own warm house even, my hands went colder than before.
It's probably a lack of research for aero-dynamics on the part of the manufacturer, but I don't really see the point of making something supposed to be warm yet instead, rewards its wearers with the unexpected. Maybe I'm just wearing it the wrong way? Or maybe the color is wrong...
Nevertheless, I still looked cool (or hot, whichever warms your fancy) so I'd probably wear it up till the weather turns deadly and I'm forced to buy authentic warmers. I've been advised to buy thermal undies and a trenchcoat too, so that's absolutely gonna go to my Christmas shopping list... once I start on writing one.
And after going on a month-long silence for reasons unknown even to me, I am here to post an entry! Woo! To think I even promised a new layout... *sigh*
Well the layout's gonna have to wait till the weekends, and that's if I can find time to do it. I have a bunch of Japanese dramas and animes queued up for me to watch, supposing we don't go off again on our "almost weekly" excursions around Japan. Well, mostly around the Tokyo area anyway.
Just have to report that Summer's absolutely over by now. Temperatures are dipping wayyyy below the 15's now (Celsius), and it's not unusual to wake up and see that the window's dripping wet with moisture. They said that the snow's going to be earlier this year... ohhh I just can't wait!
I used to see the sun up and shining even up till 7 PM, while nowadays it would make its dramatic exit as early as 4:30. It's really difficult to get up in the morning with everything looking so dark. I'm used to opening my eyes to the sunshine, but nowadays, it's like getting up at mid-twilight; all dark, gloomy, silent, and cold. Makes you want to ignore the alarm and snooze off till noon. I usually turn the alarm off when it rings and get up 45 minutes later, giving me a boost of adrenaline once I open my eyes and realize that if I don't get up now and put my freezing butt into the shower soon, I'll be late for work.
And it's quite nice to see that the trees here are so festive and burning with passion. Most of the leaves have yet to turn into the Autumny-red though, but some of the smaller trees have gone on and embraced the season whole-heartedly. In my country, they just turn brown, die, then fall into the ground and transform into trash. Not really dramatic, but I guess I can't blame them if they want to escape the sweltering heat of our Winter... if you could even call that a Winter. I guess we only have two seasons back home: Summer and Hotter Summer.
I just wish I could enjoy Autumn long enough before the temps go any lower. With my hands and ears freezing as it is, I can't even imagine just how much colder it would be when Japan's Winter finally comes. I sincerely hope it wouldn't be so cold that it would freeze our eyeballs the moment we step outside. That would be scary and downright horrifying. Can that ever happen...?
I've waited for this for so long, ever since my friends started taking their Obon vacations while I was stuck at the office. I've asked my company why on earth ours was the only one not doing so and they replied, "Because we are abnormal company. Very hardworking".
I definitely had to agree. It was so true.
But hey, even abnormal companies have to obey the law, lest they become abnormal law-infringers. And thus resulted in September's 3-Day Weekend! Though I'd have to thank the grandpeople for that, it's their holiday~
Yes, every second Monday of September is 敬老の日 (Keirō no hi) or Respect for the Aged Day as dictated by the Happy Monday System; Japan proposed to move some holidays to Mondays in order to have long weekends. Pretty thoughtful.
I've read that this is the time where they take the opportunity to feature old people and their lives on TV. And with Japan having an overflowing population of people over 70, and a series of Guinness World-Record 'Oldest Person' title holders, I'd guess the media will be "having a picnic" so to speak.
And to top the holiday off with a Japanese Toffee Apple, there's an on-going matsuri just outside my building! I went down to buy some lunch (a measly Sea Chicken onigiri) and while standing in line a foreigner exclaimed, "Oh look! There's a festival! How lovely~" which sent me running out the store and into the plaza.
I wish to thank the heavens for the blessing of a cool early-Autumn temp and bright blue skies, to which I was able to enjoy the matsuri and the stalls it had put out. I'm not sure what the festival was all about, but I'm guessing it's either for Autumn or for the Respect for the Aged Day. Either way, I had fun. While roaming around, I found a friend roaming around also, then we went and gawked at everything; from the water balloon game, to the shooting gallery, the sweet ampan bread pastries, yakisoba, and much more.
When we realized that lunch break was over and it was time to return back to the office, my friend decided to buy a couple of yakitori sticks for me. And off I went munching on grilled chicken. Yum!
I like how today has begun to be so much fun, preempting the 3-day weekend. Tomorrow's my birthday, then the day after that we're planning to go to a local highschool's festival, then by Monday we'll bum around and maybe go off to watch a movie. And to think that next week, there's going to be another holiday coming up.
Japan and its holidays at its best.
For those who didn't know, I have one of the most coveted tables at the office. I sit beside a vending machine that serves drinks for free! (along with the ￥100 snack bar and ice cream fridge). Though it doesn't bode well for my shattered tooth now that potential cavity-makers have direct contact with my molar insides.
Anyway, I am proud to announce that we now have new drinks up for grabs:
Onion Tea and Vitamin C!
Usually I'd go for a mug or two of Royal Milk Tea or some Extra Creamy Cocoa, but I think I just have to try these new ones out. They're weird enough to solicit a double take, but I'm guessing they don't taste as good as Qoo (what I'm drinking right now).
Bad news is, to make way for the radical delights, they removed one of my regular treats: Mango Au Lait. I guess it wasn't as popular as the Iced Expresso or the Ginger Ale... but hey, someone likes it, so don't remove it!
Well it's obvious that I'll take my daily dosage of Vitamin C from a vending machine from now on, but I can't just imagine sipping Onion Tea... I've read reviews and they said it stinks and tastes horrible! But at least it cures congestion and coughs.
Waitaminute. Vitamin C... Onion Tea...
*gasp!*
I think they're trying to make us healthy!
Update: Vitamin C tastes like lemonade and I still don't have the guts (nor any of my officemates) to try the onion drink. Bring back my Mango au Lait~!
And here I was looking forward for my payday... Most of it's already considered spent... *sigh*
I somehow made a mistake of underestimating expenses last month. I was confident that even if I buy a new laptop, things could still be afforded and food will always fill the fridge.
Boy, was I wrong. And being wrong in Japan is unacceptable. And armed with the motivational fear of being an unacceptable foreigner in Japan, I decided to ask for help. Where else? From friends of course! And it'd be better if they were next-door neighbors too, that would save you some train fare and much needed energy.
Anyway, I somehow managed to survive August and its laundry-stinker rainy days... But with a cost. A cost that would hunt me till my paycheck arrives.
And to think that my paycheck arrived today. *dun dun dun dunnnn!*
Thanks to these 'accounts payable', I'm having a hard time trying to whip up a plan on what to do (rather, what I could do) for my birthday coming this weekend...
Well I pretty much learned my lesson; it'd be foolish not to. But of course, old habits die hard. Recent ones harder. Which led to me going on another splurgefest last Saturday and ending up with bags of sausages, a pack of Napolitan spaghetti sauce, biscuits, eggs, mozzarella slices, and a carton of milk from Hokkaido. Anyone have any suggestion on a recipe?
"Yoshi! Don't bring any packed lunch this Thursday okay?" And thus started my weekly culinary adventures.
Ever since starting work last month, I've been to a whole lot of restaurants here and around Tokyo. Mostly Roppongi and Akasaka. And every time we finished eating, they'll offer to pay my bill. Why not? I said. But lunch after lunch, I've began to worry about their extreme hospitality. I tried to force my way to the cashier to pay, but they strongly insisted on letting them. Now I can't imagine myself paying for my meals on these lunches anymore.
Lunches I had (no particular order... maybe):
- Shabushabu - a smorgasbord of meat slices, mushrooms, vegetables, noodles and other stuff that can be thrown into a boiling pot. Each person is given a huge box filled with raw food, and you throw bits and pieces into the hot water. Wait for it to cook, choose from the variety of sauces, and gulp them down while hot. Absolutely delicious.
- Soba - cold noodles on a bamboo plate with a cup of hot beef soup stock. You pick up the noodles and dip them in the beef soup and slurp it. There were lots of beef slices and veggies. Very yummy and refreshing on a hot, summer noon.
- Okonomiyaki - LOTS and LOTS of veggies that were stir-fried with bacon, octupus, and bean sprouts then mixed with batter. Looks like pancake. Placed on top of stir-fried noodles and garnished with a fried egg. It had tons of sliced leeks, but surprisingly, the leeks were sweet.
- Curry - although it was summer, we went to an Indian curry house for an all-you-can-eat-curry buffet. Good thing the curries had descriptions and levels of spiciness. Lots of foodstuff to dip into the curry; mini-donut thingies, flat and chewy bread, rice, bread sticks, etc.
- Mabo Tofu - extremely spicy and hot. We went to an authentic (and very classy) Chinese restaurant where we were given a huge platter filled with red, super-spicy, tofu dish that was served with soup, rice, and an assortment of side-dishes. Everyone began perspiring immediately and runny noses were rampant.
- Sushi - I've probably had each and every type of sushi available on the menu. Sushi after sushi, the chef kept on dropping on my wooden plate different types of cold and raw delicacies. I loved them all! Even the salmon roe (fish eggs) that was extremely slimy and quite... *shudder*
Thanks guys!
With the month drawing to a close in just a handful of days, I can proudly say that I have survived Japan for two months now. Yey me!
August had been restful in comparison with the previous months. Only twice did we went out on our supposedly 'weekly' excursions, and its because friends from back home, now working in Ibaraki, came to visit us Tokyoites (more of that excursion on a later post). We've planned to go and take a chance of climbing Mt. Fuji this month, but lack of funds suggested otherwise.
August was also incredibly wet. I took a look at some articles as to when Japan's rainy season usually happens, and it said it was July. Well I'm not sure if this a late shower or an early Autumn for it's starting to get really cold recently. And although I haven't had problems with the weather before, the rainy season's quite becoming a hassle. Twice I've sent my pants and shirts for another round in the washing machine, after turning stinky while hanging them dry. And more than twice did I come home to find clothes that were 'nearly dry' in the morning and then got drenched in a sudden afternoon rain.
August is also the month of supreme thriftiness. I bought my laptop immediately after getting our first paycheck, and thus unknowingly spent my supposedly 'budget for the whole month'. I had to borrow some from my friends just to buy a supply of chicken nuggets and veggie sausages (I somehow developed some of scrumptious recipes due to necessity).
All in all, this month's quite an anti-climax after July's exhuberant display of giddy-ness. But of course, the wheel goes round and round; what comes up must go down. And I'm guessing September's gonna be a lot brighter, sunnier, and more optimistic; with the sun finally showing itself this morning.
And of course, it better be. Next month's my birthday~!
Even though I arrived in Japan on the last week of June, the fun never really started till July hit us with its festive Summer.
With my only free time falling only on weekends, me and my friends started going on weekly excursions to the latest happenings near and far. Some were the obvious tourist spots like Akasaka, Yokohama, or Akihabara (not much to see, lots to buy though).
I've yet to go to Shinjuku and Shibuya, but my officemates suggested Ikebukuro. Haven't heard it before I'm sure, me neither. But since budget dictates that we're only to visit areas around the Central Tokyo region, we haven't had the inkling to try and imitate those lucky few who had been to the snowy slopes of Hokkaido, the shores of Okinawa, or the historically-rich Kyoto. On the plus side, we've seen much of the urbs, and confusing railways don't scare me anymore.
You could just imagine all the things that we fed on our craving brain; it's as if we stuffed in a lifetime's worth of experience against the protests of our wallets. Living on our own, spending our own money, we found out how expensive things are here in Japan. And with July being our first month here, it was crucial to experience first hand the prices of each commodity we'd need to survive up till the next paycheck comes.
July 2008: excited, exhausted, suprised, disappointed, unprecedented, unexpected, and one of the most memorable and absolutely unforgettable month of my life.
And then I realized that Japan's newfangled is me.
June has been my last month in my home country. And it was during this time that every loose ends were tied up, goodbyes were made, and hellos were prepared.
I had stocked my suitcase full of supplies to last me a month or two, and got a new set of wardrobe from my parents, my brother and my aunt; 1/2 of which were winter clothes: scarves, jackets, coats, boots, gloves, and knee-high socks (not much help when I got here just about time when Summer began). But all in all, I was really grateful for all the help and support that I got from everyone. My aunt even gave me a new external hard drive, a digital camera, a business suit, and a free lunch at a Japanese restaurant.
Everything was culminating up to this point of my life that during my graduation speech at my Nihongo school, I was so shaken up and nervous that even though I memorized it all, the moment I stepped in front, I blanked up and read it all from my printed copy. My voice was rattling and I couldn't look straight. But once done, I got a round of applause, a 'superb' from my sensei, and a huge relief when I returned to my seat.
A huge luncheon was served afterwards and I gobbled up to my stomach's fill till I can no more. A Chinese buffet table of noodles, dumplings, fried rice, stir-fried veggies, roasts and lots more. It was absolutely delicious.
The day of my flight was unusually normal. I slept normally, woke up normally, had breakfast normally, and packed my suitcases and bags into the car, had my family drive me up to the airport, and said my goodbyes at the most normal fashion that it was bordering abnormality. I just gave a single hug to my mom and dad, and my brother an advice (or was it a handshake? Or both? I forgot, but it was really corny).
I regret not hugging my parents tighter, nor even shedding a tear or two... I must be the most N.R. person in the world (N.R. being 'No Reaction').
But maybe not having a hysterical sob-a-thon at the airport is a good thing... wouldn't want to arrive in Japan with a red eye, stuffy nose, and depression now would we? That would be very morose indeed.
Is it?
Ever since last week it's been raining here in Japan. Not that I can vouch for the whole country, but Tokyo and Saitama are drenched, the air has cooled considerably, and the sun has yet to make its appearance (which I hope is soon, my clothes are getting funky).
But that is not to say that I dislike it. Oh yes I do! Very much so!
One of the things that has attracted me to this country is the climate, or rather, the seasons. For back home we only had one: Summer... all year round. So when I stepped out of the plane last June and was engulfed in the cool breeze of Spring, my heart flew and left extreme bliss at its place.
So you see, I very much adore the word 涼しい (suzushii) for it connotes the promise of the end of sweaty arms/pits/scalp/neck (pretty much anything with skin) and the beginning of laughter and smiles. Of course, I haven't the foggiest concerning Winter, so don't bother. I reason that it's better to let it sink in that sometimes hot is good, rather than burden me with life experiences of freezing winter which I totally can't relate to... yet.
Although it was kinda weird to hear cicadas and crickets singing on a cool, overcast day, because I always associate them with cloudless blue skies and school kids doing sports at the boiling point of noon.
So I guess it really is still summer; with just a couple of thunder clouds for intermission.
I really regret not blogging the months which I've spent on my Nihongo classes. Together with 8 other people, we formed the 5th batch to be sent to Japan. And it is with this batch that I was accompanied by two of my college classmates/friends. Namely, Kai and Rose.
All throughout May, we were in a Monday to Friday class; 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM with an hour's lunch break and a couple of snack times (recess) in between. That meant we ate 3 times during class, much to the dismay of my wallet, belt, and the cashier at the 7-Eleven whom I kept on giving whole bills to pay for small snacks/candies.
At first, they all referred to me as the-guy-who-have-been-studying-Nihongo-since-last-year and even my teachers expected so much of me. Well a few days into the lessons and they pretty much understood that even I forget old lessons sometimes, so they just called me Megane instead (Kai and Rose insists on calling me Meggy every now and then). But of course, since I've already plowed through the books before, I was able to recall and catch up pretty quickly. And so, I was again dubbed as the-guy-who-will-give-the-graduation-speech, of which I'm sure was a useless nickname because soon enough, news was told that everyone is to give a speech. Imagine my relief and the groan of my classmates.
I guess the crowning glory of my everyday classes were the lunch breaks. 60 minutes of food, relaxation, unaldulterated conversations, and an occasional trip the grocer and the nearby malls. Oh, the malls! The building where my Japanese classes were held is located right beside a cluster of malls... and when I say cluster, I meant 5 malls; all connected with walkways, bridges, underpasses, gardens, and some are built right next to each other that you won't even notice that you've stepped into another building entirely! Now that's convenient. Although we don't go there much as you'd expect us to do; it was hot outside, and we're too lazy to walk in the sun. We'd rather sleep on the sofas, or eat vanilla ice cream cones.
*sigh* Yes, the great Golden Age of Bumness was the most mediocre period of the 5 Months Of Anticipation. The abidance of May, the continuation of my studies, the nearness of the upcoming flight, the school pressure, the familial "We'll miss you!" moments, the juxtaposition of bonding sessions with my batchmates, and the vanilla ice cream cones.
It was, as I recall it, creamy.
April started like any other months in my life, except the fact that I am now going to Japan.
I've just stepped out of the working community a few days back and it was a liberating feeling, being a bum once again. Of course it won't be for long, I have a Nihongo class coming up and it will be up till the end of June. After being an office worker for almost a year, to be back being a student was really refreshing and can make you easily excitable.
For example, you're flicking through your channels looking for a Jap show (probably as a source of excitement, laughter, followed by extreme flatulation) and then you hear someone say "Hai" or something like that. You immediately stay on that channel, even though it wasn't Japanese after all and watch it anyway, since you were already in an excited state after hearing the word "Hai" which obviously was not.
Each day was spent like that, going to Jap class, listening to Jap music (sometimes Korean, I love their ballads), watching Jap shows, buying Jap anime DVDs, talking about Jap things, watching aforementioned Jap DVDs, and once in a while, eating Jap food... with 'while' being 'once a week' or so, it depends on the budget and motivation.
Yes, April's the month of incipients. At least for me it is. I've been dreaming of going to Japan, and buttering me up like this is not much different from adding firecrackers on a nuclear bomb. Might not have any effect, but once it goes off it'd be a devastating, glittery, huge, pretty sight. I've expected to explode upon reaching Japan.
Although you'll have to ask the witnesses to attest to that, but I'm pretty sure I went off quite nicely with loud noises, pops and crackles, a boom and a smile. Japan here I come!
... there was a boy who wore glasses. Let's call him Megane~kun. Now, Megane~kun is a Japan-o-philiac and because of such, he strives to go to Japan. Maybe for work, experience, education, or just plain craziness, I dunno.
And just so happens, his fairly-grand mother has a niece who gave him an opportunity to have his wish come true. Sounds like a fairytale? It is. For his wish DID come true、and that's where we'll start to tell slices of his story. The story begins 5 months past, back when overtime has no pay and buses have no schedules.
Our story will be cut into 5 parts, each part will have a dedicated post of its own, and the whole will be called:
"The Chronicles of a Japan-o-philiac"
- The April Incipients
- Abidance of May
- June's Primum Cause
- The Newfangled and July
- Of August Coetaneouses
LOL. I aspired to be a writer once.
Tongue twister of the day. Hehe I made it up.
Anywho-way, here I am after more-than-a-half-year's absence. And yes I have a reason, although I'm not sure if it's valid. This here's a gist of what I did...
- March - Where I last left off, I was on my way out of my previous job. March 28 was my last day at the office and that day I had 2 parties: from my project team and with my friends. I had to make a speech in Nihongo and all I managed to say was "Osewa ni narimashita~" which means, "Thanks for everything~". And then I left. Now you might ask why I stopped posting after this... well all of these posts were done during officehours, which is why since I'm not in any office no more, obviously the posting stopped. Silly you.
- April - The adventure begins; the first week was hectic for there were lots to do: passports, clearances, permits, miscellaneous paperworks, and shopping. Lots of shopping. Not that I spent anything, my family bought it all for me... aww. And by week 2, my Jap classes began and thus I was away all day and back home with lots more to do, which were assignments, but mostly I was procrastinating...
- May - Still with the Jap classes and other paperworks. Tiring as it may be, they were all necessary. Opening bank accounts, getting stuff from college, submitting documents to the new job, and printing study guides. Not for me though, I need no guide to nothin'
- June - I think by this time me and my batchmates were getting the jibbers (is that a word? No? Well it is now). This was the month we got interviewed by Jap folks in Japanese! The month which held the deadline for the submission of documents, packing our suitcases, studying for the final exams (take note of the plural), and saying goodbyes. Did I mention June 26 was our flight sched?
- July - For now we'll skip the part about the flight, landing in Japan, first impressions, the gasps and the 'oohhhs' and 'aahhhs', the food, the apartments, and the quirky things which makes up 99.999% of Japan. That's for other posts (as it is, there are a lot of things for other posts... shucks I can feel the memories flooding in). July is the month of extreme excitement; the kind where you'll burst and still be able to laugh. It is also the month when Japan's summer began to sink in. Boy, those cicadas are quite the silence-killers.
- August - August is now. And now I'm busy. So I'll just continue next time.
And thus I am rambling. So I'll cut this short: Ja ne~!