Drag and Drone
First few days; Arrival in Japan, trip to Tokyo, Arrival at Kansai Gaidai University
I was really looking forward to posting this picture but Japanese Blogspot won't let me post it. I'll guess it will have to wait until my own computer is ready. Let's just dive right in.
I can't believe how busy I've been. So busy in fact that I've kind of melted into a state of zen-like passivity. I need to make sure to take it all in.
The flight was a drag. Of course, I couldn't sleep. Of course, they played bad movies. Of course, I sat next to someone boring. He was a scientist, actually. A few times I tried to act interested in what he had to say but he was really good at making me want to read. Andrea was on my other side so the two of us would play Tetris, listen to music, and tickle each other mostly.
Arriving in Japan is strange. Narita airport is distinctly underwhelming. It's very quiet without much Japanese writing around. Plus, there's this strange sterility about it. Even more than the average airport. The result is that instead of getting of the plane and being confronted by the country, you have an “oh my god I'm in Japan” moment at some point later. In the summer of 2005 I remember that moment being in a grocery store. Multi-tiered and fluorescent—that seemed to scream Japan to me back then. Ben, my brothers, and I ran around reading funny cereal names and buying strange foods. The place was perfect.
This time, however, the moment came later. It didn't come when we saw the thousands and thousands of rushing people in Tokyo station, the hustling human freeway. It wasn't when we took the trains or taxis to our friend Rachel's house in Tokyo. It was when we arrived at her apartment and sat down to eat with her roommate Aya, a young Japanese woman. We spoke only in English, and the apartment was modest, but somehow the gyoza and sesame dressing did it for me. I was able to lean back, breathe, and live Japan again—finally.
That was the perfect end to about a 30 hour day. They put out futons for us and I slept without dreaming.
The next days are kind of a blur. We were put on a Shinkansent to Kyoto, picked up by a Japanese host, and put into our dorms. My room is small—about six Tatami-- and there are three of us here living right now. One roommate, Franky the Chinese kid from Brooklyn, is moving to a home stay next week. Tom is the other—he's a wiry computer science major. He's very nice, articulate, clever etc. We get along fine. The room is in traditional japanese style. Sliding doors, futons, low tables and all that. It's very comfertable.
During these first few days of orientation I've met people from Russia, Manchester, China, Australia, and of course Japan. Even though the Jet Lag woke me up at 6:30 A.M. This morning, I've had a wonderful day. Yesterday, I saw a kid in line listening to head phones. I asked him if I could borrow a pen and what he was listening to. When he said Minor Threat I asked if he listened to Fugazi, and he said did. That was enough for me and by the end of it we were talking about Boris and the Japanese Drone Metal scene. Turns out he's a film major from Texas. Perfect. That night he, my roomate, Andrea and I went into downtown Hirakata city to get some noodles.
Today Andrea and I met a group of people who live in her Seminar house--mostly girls. Of the girls, four of them are Swedish, two are British,and one is American. The only guy, John, is American. We get along well so far. I'm considering taking a night bus in Tokyo with a few of them in late September for the Tokyo Game Show. Who knows, though. Tonight I'm meeting a few of them at a local Kansai haunt.
Sorry I can't say more—my brain is addled by Jet Lag and Japanese. If anyone has any questions or wants to talk more, drop me an email. The address is posted above.
Thanks for reading.
I was really looking forward to posting this picture but Japanese Blogspot won't let me post it. I'll guess it will have to wait until my own computer is ready. Let's just dive right in.
I can't believe how busy I've been. So busy in fact that I've kind of melted into a state of zen-like passivity. I need to make sure to take it all in.
The flight was a drag. Of course, I couldn't sleep. Of course, they played bad movies. Of course, I sat next to someone boring. He was a scientist, actually. A few times I tried to act interested in what he had to say but he was really good at making me want to read. Andrea was on my other side so the two of us would play Tetris, listen to music, and tickle each other mostly.
Arriving in Japan is strange. Narita airport is distinctly underwhelming. It's very quiet without much Japanese writing around. Plus, there's this strange sterility about it. Even more than the average airport. The result is that instead of getting of the plane and being confronted by the country, you have an “oh my god I'm in Japan” moment at some point later. In the summer of 2005 I remember that moment being in a grocery store. Multi-tiered and fluorescent—that seemed to scream Japan to me back then. Ben, my brothers, and I ran around reading funny cereal names and buying strange foods. The place was perfect.
This time, however, the moment came later. It didn't come when we saw the thousands and thousands of rushing people in Tokyo station, the hustling human freeway. It wasn't when we took the trains or taxis to our friend Rachel's house in Tokyo. It was when we arrived at her apartment and sat down to eat with her roommate Aya, a young Japanese woman. We spoke only in English, and the apartment was modest, but somehow the gyoza and sesame dressing did it for me. I was able to lean back, breathe, and live Japan again—finally.
That was the perfect end to about a 30 hour day. They put out futons for us and I slept without dreaming.
The next days are kind of a blur. We were put on a Shinkansent to Kyoto, picked up by a Japanese host, and put into our dorms. My room is small—about six Tatami-- and there are three of us here living right now. One roommate, Franky the Chinese kid from Brooklyn, is moving to a home stay next week. Tom is the other—he's a wiry computer science major. He's very nice, articulate, clever etc. We get along fine. The room is in traditional japanese style. Sliding doors, futons, low tables and all that. It's very comfertable.
During these first few days of orientation I've met people from Russia, Manchester, China, Australia, and of course Japan. Even though the Jet Lag woke me up at 6:30 A.M. This morning, I've had a wonderful day. Yesterday, I saw a kid in line listening to head phones. I asked him if I could borrow a pen and what he was listening to. When he said Minor Threat I asked if he listened to Fugazi, and he said did. That was enough for me and by the end of it we were talking about Boris and the Japanese Drone Metal scene. Turns out he's a film major from Texas. Perfect. That night he, my roomate, Andrea and I went into downtown Hirakata city to get some noodles.
Today Andrea and I met a group of people who live in her Seminar house--mostly girls. Of the girls, four of them are Swedish, two are British,and one is American. The only guy, John, is American. We get along well so far. I'm considering taking a night bus in Tokyo with a few of them in late September for the Tokyo Game Show. Who knows, though. Tonight I'm meeting a few of them at a local Kansai haunt.
Sorry I can't say more—my brain is addled by Jet Lag and Japanese. If anyone has any questions or wants to talk more, drop me an email. The address is posted above.
Thanks for reading.
