It:s rained today. A lot. So I took the cable car this morning from the train station to HIF. I also didn:t finish my essay for class, so I quickly finished it before school started. Unfortunately when I got to class, I found out that we had a quiz, but I didn:t get the vocab list that the quiz was on, so i pretty much shippai shita. Class was difficult today as I was a bit underprepared. I went to Lucky Pierrot for lunch though because there was a sale on the pizzas there. Attencion! Don:t ever order the pizza from Lucky Pierrot even if it:s on sale! It was the greasiest thing I:ve ever seen. I feared for my life that the pool of grease would engulf me and do me in.
After, I went back to HIF for the kimono culture and ettiquite class. It was pretty cool and I learned a lot about how to wear a yukata, and more importantly, how to tie the yukata belt. It made me want to take my yukata back to Yale to wear everyday.
I went home for dinner, but my parents were on a travel trip so I had was on my own to forage for food. I ended up buying a bento from the Hasegawa store near my house and just eating that.
Day 23
Today in class, our host parents came to watch us debate. Unfortunately, my parents didn:t come because they:re still on their business trip. We debated on the Japanese education system, but I sounded quite incompetent and incoherent because my Japanese isn:t good enough yet. After that I went to the last pottery class and glazed my pot. Then I came back to HIF with Bailey to wait until Judo time.
When we left for Judo we ran into some High school students running down the HIF hill in costumes handing out papers. One girl approached me and tried to get me to do a survey for a parade that they were having for a school festival. Each class dressed up in a different costume and had a large themed float-like thing they were carrying on their shoulders. Man, how I wish I had my camera! Drat it:s still broken.
So I went to Judo with Bailey and got my ass kicked today. It was quite refreshing and I learned a lot. Anyways, I was covered in sweat and smelly, and had to go out to dinner after practice, so Bailey and I asked our Judo coach where a public bath was that we could freshen up in. Sensei ended up taking us in his car to a nearby public bath where I paid 300 yen to use the shower and bath there. I had no towel or soap, so I borrowed a towel and bought some cow soap (the alternative was herb soap, but that:s not nearly as fun) before heading butt naked into the public bath full of Japanese men. It wasn:t too awkward. Coming from Yale, I:m used to the whole being naked thing and all. So I showered and met Bailey outside the bath.
Side note: Bailey:s name is really spelled Bay Lee, so sorry if I get it confused
We walked to Goryokaku where we met up with some other HIFfers before embarking on Tabe-hodai (all you can eat in an hour and a half) Shabu Shabu. It was glorious. Plates of paper-thin raw beef, heaps of veggies, and seas of udon endlessly appeared like magic before our eyes. Very fulfilling. The tabe-hodai place is right by the gorokaku coen mae stop across from Daiei in case anyone:s interested.
So dinner ended at 9:45 and everyone went home because it was getting late. I waited at the cable car stop for a bit, but then looked at the schedule to find that the last cable car was at 9:58. Too late. Luckily, Bay Lee:s parents were going to pick her up, so I asked them for a ride to the train station, but they drove me all the way home! (about a 15 min drive) They were so nice and so awesome, I wish they were my parents.
Day 24
Today was the BBQ with the Iai high school girls. Good times were had by all HIFfers and Iai English club girls. Their shirts said *speak it sister!* because they:re in the english club at an all girls school. I found it quite amusing. I ended up talking with White-san and a student (Chisato) for a bit and we made a date to see the new Harry Potter movie when it comes out. Chisato commented that White-san was iroppai (sexy) and we taught her how to say iroppai in English.
Ato de, I went up the Goryokaku tower with Bailey and Emily. The HIF office gave everyone in the program free tickets, so if you:re thinking of going up the tower, be sure to ask HIF if they:re giving out free tickets first.
Today was also Tanabata matsuri. A festival when small children go around to the houses in the neighborhood, sing a song, and get free candy. Think Halloween without the scary costumes. It was quite cute and all, but I didn:t get to go out with my family because when I came home from Goryokaku, my brothers had already left from the house. I don:t really get to do anything with my family because they:re always so busy/ are so jaded after hosting kids for 20 years. Beware of Jaded host families, yo!
Day 25
Today I did nothing but study for a test on Monday. The weather was brilliant today after all those days of rain, so I went to the beach across the highway from my house. I studied and tanned there all day and that was about it. There are lots of clam shells on the beach here. I found some nice shells and took them back to mi casa. Tonight, I took a shower and discovered that my nicely reddened shoulders were in quite a lot of pain. I don:t know how to say sunburn in Japanese, but I sure got one here! Luckily, I have some nice body butter to keep my skin happy though :)
Day 26
Today I went to school as usual and had my test. It went alright I think. That:s about all that happened at school. Afterwards, I learned how to play the ancient game of Igo. It:s pretty hard and I don:t understand the strategy yet. I ended up losing 3 times straight to Alyssa :\ It:s really confusing. It:s not like checkers or chess at all even though it looks like it.
I did some research today on the net about new cameras and after school I went to Yamada Denki to look for one. I ended up not buying anything because I found two cameras there that I liked and watned to do some more research. And yeah that was about it and then I went home to do some homework.
Day 27
Today I went to school and everything was normal. Afterwards, I went back to Yamada Denki and decided to buy the Sony T100. It:s pretty awesome and I love it, except I can:t change the menu language to anything other than Japanese. Oh well I guess I just have to learn more Japanese! Yay!
As a concluding thought for the day, even though I:m in Japan, I feel like I went in some wierd time warp and am in America back in the 80s/90s, but everyone speaks Japanese. Everything about Japan is eighties nowadays. The hair styles and fashions scream excess, eighties, and anything goes. The mullet and men with long hair are in. Girls wear side pony tails and have crazy outfits. Acid wash/ stressed jeans are all the rage and Japanese guys wear jeans with so many holes that they have to wear another pair of pants underneath.
My host brother listens to the Rocky soundtrack every day. He says it:s his training music. Eye of the Tiger is on repeat as he tries to learn it on his guitar. Tonight, I watched Full House with my family, but it was all dubbed in Japanese. I told my mom that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are like in their 20s now and she couldn:t believe it. My host brothers even laughed at the jokes on Full House. It:s so odd. I feel like Japanese culture, humor, style, and music are all being replaced by the American way of Life. Kids have stopped obeying their parents. Homosexuality is even now only recently being discussed among people other than sociologists. The sexual revolution has arrived in Japan. The Japanese don:t know too many American bands, only some know the rappers, but everyone from my host mom to the Iai high school girls knows Cyndi Lauper. What was her last good song? Girls Just Want to Have Fun?
What is happening to Japan? What is happening to the Japanese? What is happening to the Japanese language? Nobody knows how to use keigo (polite speech) anymore. There was a newspaper scandal about how an author didn:t use keigo when talking about the emperor. Who else would you use keigo with if not the Emperor of Japan?
All of these thoughts are of great concern to me. I fear for the future of Japanese culture...now, on with the show.
Day 28
I went to school today and tried out my camera on the way to school. Here are a few pictures I took on my commute.
This is a Japanese toilet sign
Here are some of the happy residents of Hakodate that I pass by everyday. There are so many seafood places here! So much live seafood and so fresh! It:s kind of sad. I have the burning desire to push over all the tanks and set them free! Why torture the poor animals by making them wait until they have to die? Anyways, whatever. Freshest is the bestest right?
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