Travel, Foreign Languages, Photography, etc.
I finally bit the bullet and bought a second Kindle Paperwhite, this time for my Japanese language library. And I don’t regret it one bit. It has become an incredibly powerful tool for improving my Japanese, because I read more books, faster, with the Paperwhite than I have with any other reading platform.
And I’ve tried a bunch of different ways to read Japanese books.
Crypton announced a great deal for people who own previous version of one of their Vocaloid sound banks, but getting it at that attractive price took a few extra steps. Still, it’s a great deal, and using a forwarding service, it’s pretty easy to get. (If you know Japanese!)
I met up with my first Japanese teacher from when I was a grad student about ten years ago. A-sensei is a great person who will always help a former student out, and I really appreciate it. We had a nice chat and she’s going to connect me with some local folks to talk to.
I did a little shopping today before getting on the Narita Express and heading to the airport. I managed to get a business class upgrade for relatively cheap (yay), and made it safely back home to RDU. Tomorrow I have to drive 250 miles to Asheville. Whee.
Regardless of my sore throat, I pushed on today. I shipped out some boxes, went to Harajuku and had fish pizza at Shakey’s, bought more souvenirs for people, then went to Akihabara and looked at video games, manga, and electronics. After that, I stopped by Marunouchi and Maruzen, and then had dinner at Sou Hon Kei in Shinjuku again. The view was incredible. Tomorrow I go home. (Sad Face.)
I started the day late because I wasn’t feeling well. I went to Shinjuku to do some more shopping for people back home, then went to the post office to get boxes to send stuff home in. Dinner was in Roppongi again, followed by more Christmas/souvenir shopping.
I went to Senso-ji, then Kappabashi (where they make the plastic food), had an interesting encounter with a toilet, then went to Jinbocho and finally had dinner in Shinjuku. It was a mix of plastic food and great food!
Today I went to Harajuku, Ginza, Ikebukuro, and Roppongi to do some sightseeing, shopping, and dining, in no particular order. Tiring, but fun!
First full day back in Tokyo. I looked around at electronics stores, went to the tourist info center near Tokyo Station, then went to the Tokyo Tower, missed out on some fireworks, got overcharged for “meh” yakitori, and wandered around Shinjuku a bit.
A whirlwind of a day as I thanked everyone at Yamasa during the closing ceremony, had lunch with all of my classmates and said goodbye, then rushed to finish packing and got out of town. I made it to Tokyo and passed out in my favorite hotel in Shinjuku.
I’m happy with my test results. Overall, I’ve learned a bunch since coming to Yamasa. We said goodbye in JBPP, had a big Christmas party at ZigZag, and I packed some more. Tomorrow is the closing ceremony, and I leave for Tokyo!
Today was the last big testing day. I forgot to attach a file I was sending to one of my teachers, so I had to race home at lunch to send it. There was an earthquake in class, too. After class, I went to the calligraphy store in Anjo, where everyone was really nice again. I bought more packing materials at the Daiso, and frantically packed until 2 a.m. Oof.
Getting ready for the big test tomorrow; mastering how to say nothing; one last trip to Nagoya to pick up supplies and souvenirs. I’m going to really miss living in Okazaki!
Today I went to see the Jackson Pollock exhibit at the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, then went to the Midland Square Building to see some great views of Nagoya. More book shopping after that, then expensive crepes for dinner, and a train ride back to Okazaki. I managed to take some really good photos with my cheap little IXY, too!
Today I went to Toyohashi to pick up a calligraphy brush. The famous dish there is the curry udon, or so I was told by the people in the restaurant. It’s good, but really messy. I hope I can go back again sometime.
Yesterday’s grammar re-test went well. I owe M-sensei a lot. She’s been great. I also learned about Jiko PR, Entry Sheets, and about the concept of bragging without bragging.
Short update on handing in the writing re-test, more Japanese resume writing, and getting ready for the grammar re-test tomorrow.
After taking the aptitude test again, we took more phone messages in JBPP. Then I had tea with S-buchou, who had some great advice for me about my calligraphy.
Today was my first calligraphy lesson in Japan. I’ve been doing it for about five years in the US, but I’ve never had a chance to study it here. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to the teacher’s info, I’ll probably go to Toyohashi this weekend for supplies.
I went to Aichi Gakuin University in Nisshin to take the JLPT N1, then did a little shopping in Nagoya. This was my first try at the N1, and it was a bear.
I love the food at Kitsutsuki on the Yamasa campus. Get the A set. I also went to Nagoya to do some shopping, and ate at Mokumoku again. Dumping food over the rice in the bowl is really tasty, too.
I accidentally committed one of the big no-nos of living in Japan, but everything turned out okay. Also, next week is going to be full of tests. Yay.
Lots of testing today: listening, grammar, and re-submitting my essay from last week. Also, good luck/bad luck superstitions around tests in Japan are pretty popular.
I’m still learning how to say “No” politely in Japanese, and I’m finding it’s a lot harder that I thought. And I thought it was hard to begin with!
In part two, I went to Kinkakuji, LL Bean, and Gion, then took a few trains to get back to Okazaki.
It’s my last day touring Kyoto, so I headed over from Osaka, fought for a locker, and headed to Nijo Castle.
Part two of my big Saturday excursion, from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama, the Sagano Bamboo Forest, Nision-In Temple, the Togetsukyo Bridge, then dinner in Kyoto, and off to Osaka for my hotel.
I started my day with a trip to Tofukuji Temple, which is steeped in history, and packed with people! Part 1 of my Saturday excursion.
I made it to Kyoto; discovered a few things about buying shinkansen tickets, ate some delicious food in Kyoto, and some not-so-delicious food.
I bought a 100 yen manly hat, found someone to take my extra supplies, and I found a room for one night in Kyoto, but not two.
Today was my interview test in JBPP, and it was pretty stressful trying to remember everything I need to do in the proper order. Japanese-sized clothes still don’t fit. Also, Family Mart gloves save me from freezing.
I did well on my sakubun test, practiced asking for favors, and I’m going to try to go to Kyoto this weekend. (Along with the rest of Japan, it seems.)
The Tokugawa theme continues from yesterday, when I did some local Tokugawa-related sightseeing today. I visited Okazaki Castle and the Ieyasu and Mikawa Bushido Museum, then went to Anjo to pick up some calligraphy supplies. This time, I took pictures!
In spite of the pouring rain, I went to Nagoya, saw the Tokugawa Art Museum, shopped a bit, and made a full day out of it.
I had a nice chat with P-san, learned all about “Cushion Words” in JBPP, and watched the bad mixing of beer and FaceBook (by other people.)
The writing and conversation exams went pretty well. Even now, though, I still have a lot to learn about Yamasa. Today in JBPP, we covered job interviews and all of the things that need to be done the proper way.
Sick this morning, but soldiered on. Still looking for a “regrettable episode” to write about. Also, I need to find a sure-fire way to organize all of these handouts!
There was a fire in town today; I learned some polite Japanese.
I went back to Nagoya for more wandering around. I found an international market that sells oatmeal, and some fake plastic candy to stick on my phone. I also found the dictionary I’ve been looking for!
A rare sunny Saturday, so I headed to Nagoya. Atsuta Jinja, the Port Area, the Aquarium, and more!
It’s Pocky Day! Which means nothing really, because I have work to do. Also, earthquakes and wild monkeys on the loose!
A short update on a few things, and I learned a new polite phrase.
Mid-week shopping to get supplies for class, something surprising happened to the computer store, and I heard some mysterious warning sirens.
Today I learned how to bow, how to refuse something (but not sound like I’m being negative), and how to say nothing. JBPP is handy.
It’s raining again, so today I’m just going to run a few errands– to the post office and mall. No fireworks for me.
Went to Nagoya, got my money back at Bic Camera, found a nice international grocery story near JR Nagoya, got lost, bought more books, had to buy a bag to carry it all, then ate some organic food, bought a blanket, and even found a Krispy Kreme.
Today I had my first big exam at Yamasa, I started learning how to write a Japanese resume, about 内 and 外, and writing about the seasons. Also, the bread truck lady came!
Classes are heating up. Things are getting more intense and busier, with full weeks of regular class, JBPP, and electives. Also, I learned something interesting about how to deal with big electronics stores in Japan. And we learned how to answer phones politely.
It’s Sunday, and I didn’t do much today. I mostly rested. But in the evening, I started to go stir crazy. So I decided to go on a search for a store that doesn’t exist!
It’s Saturday, and for once it’s not raining. It’s not really sunny, but it’s not raining. I’ll take what I can get. My electronic dictionary is dying, so I’m off to Nagoya to buy a new one, among other things.
For the past few days after class and in the evenings, I’ve been working with my small group to prepare a presentation for class today. (In Japanese of course.) We settled on an all-purpose laundry wish-fulfilling machine.
I headed down to Aeon Mall in Okazaki for a little shopping. I only got lost once.
It’s Saturday, and it’s raining like hell. I can’t go to Nagoya, but I can go to Wingtown!
After hearing about an out-of-season blooming cherry tree at Nagoya Castle, I decided to go and check it out after classes ended.
In breaks between classes, I’ve been trying out the macro function of the IXY on the flowers surrounding Yamasa. (Okay, some are weeds.)
We get 10-minute breaks between classes. I usually go outside and stretch a bit, so lately I’ve been taking photos of the sky with my new IXY.
I went back to the Nagoya Matsuri for the first time in four years. Once more, I took an inordinate amount of photos, but you can get the same experience from my 2007 post.
The Nagoya Matsuri was cancelled today due to rain, so I went to Aeon Mall in Okazaki. A lot of other people had the same idea.
It’s already time to pick electives! AIJP/JBPP take up a lot of time, so I’m not going to have a whole lot of choice in that area. Also, my classes are incredibly diverse!
Finally! My real first day of class! I still feel like hell, but my fever is gone, so I didn’t really have an excuse to stay home and lounge around. Besides, we’re on the fast track here at Yamasa. Every day I miss is like missing 3-4 days of Japanese at a univeristy. Keeping up … Continue reading
No post for the last few days, because I’ve been too busy trying to keep my head from exploding. It’s hard work. I felt a bit like death warmed up this morning, only not quite so chipper. So I called in sick again, and decided to go to the hospital next to the school because … Continue reading
Ugh. I think I caught a cold on one of my trips to Nagoya, because I’m so sick I can barely move, and I feel really gross. They brew up some downright nasty colds here. Sadly, I’m going to have to skip my first day of class, and be that mystery guy who doesn’t show … Continue reading
More orientation today, and the å…¥å¦å¼ (nyuugakushiki, or school entrance ceremony.) We got a lot of info about various things, what to do, what not to do, and we introduced ourselves in Japanese. What I said before about this being the UN of Japanese Language Education? I’m serious. We have a bunch of different countries … Continue reading
Orientation at Yamasa started today. We learned lots of things that don’t apply to me, because I’m on a short-term visa, and will be gone in 3 months. It’s kind of a bummer, but there you go. But there was a lot of really useful information, too, like what to do with my trash. I’ve … Continue reading
I decided to head to Nagoya one more time today, to pick up some odds and ends. Before leaving town, I stopped by the Post Office to take out some money. The postal ATMs are a great deal. There are no fees, other than whatever your bank charges, and there’s English support if you need … Continue reading
Today was my last private lesson. But first, we had a placement test at 9 a.m. I knew were going to have it, but I didn’t know it was such a big deal. When I came to Yamasa four years ago, right after I got off the train and came into the teachers’ office, I … Continue reading
It’s Sunday, a day for laundry, and for going to Nagoya again. So, laundry. I have this really long metal pole that hangs horizontally in the middle of my apartment, over the TV. It’s suspended from the ceiling by two other big metal poles. Apparently this is my clothes dryer. I come from a country … Continue reading
It’s Saturday. No classes, and it’s beautiful outside. So I went to Nagoya to do some shopping for some much-needed necessities. No photos on this trip, because I didn’t take my SLR with me. It was too heavy to carry around while I went shopping. I needed to buy sheets, a wireless router, and after … Continue reading
More classes today. I have a lot of gaps to fill in in my Japanese. Today I have my private lessons, then I’ll probably go to Nagoya to do some shopping. I need to get a wireless router and some kitchen supplies, as well as some sheets ASAP. Those are all top priorities. I’m getting … Continue reading
Today I made it back to Okazaki and Yamasa again. I got up early, and grabbed a shinkansen, the Nozomi from Tokyo to Nagoya. I could have grabbed it in Shinagawa, which would have made more sense, but I know the way to Tokyo Station better, and I didn’t want to get lost and miss … Continue reading
I had the hotel’s breakfast again, then went straight to the front desk to take care of two things: my eyes, which now hurt like hell and finding someone who can do something about the stink in the bathroom. Seriously, what is that? It’s not me. It was like that when I got there. A … Continue reading
It’s 3:30 a.m. Saturday, September 24th Sunday, September 25th. The driver is going to be here in an hour and fifteen minutes, and I’m trying to close my humongous Samsonite 29″ suitcase. My plan was to have a giant suitcase big enough to stuff Jimmy Hoffa into, but slim enough to fit nicely behind the … Continue reading
Note: This is about stuff I did before the trip, but I’m actually writing it about 10 days into the trip, but I’m going to put this chronologically before it anyway, so that it makes sense. Because It’s There. Before this 3-month trip to Japan, I decided to do what I did before I came … Continue reading
I mentioned earlier that I was dissatisfied with the way my Japanese was progressing when I took the JLPT N2 last month. After talking to Michele, I realized that I have completely neglected my spoken/written Japanese in order to prepare for the N2, which tests neither skill. I considered my options seriously, and realized that … Continue reading
I found the whole breakdown of the various trains I took on my 52,000-yen Japan Rail Pass last Fall, prices and all. They’re in no particular order, but that’s because I’m too lazy to sort them out properly. Sendai -> Tokyo 10,390 (Shinkansen) Nagano -> Sendai 15,220 (Shinkansen) Nagoya -> Nagano 6,390 (Limited Express) Osaka … Continue reading
Just a note for those wondering if surface mail (a.k.a 船便　ãµãªã³ã‚“ or funabin) really takes 8-10 weeks… it does. My packages finally arrived this past week. The last one I sent from Kyoto at the end of October just showed up today. Surface mail takes a while, but it’s cheap.
I managed to get packed last night, but I was up late doing it. No surprise there. First thing this morning I backed up all of my photos to DVD. I just had this horrible image of a security guy ruining my laptop, all 3,000 photos, with no backup… *shudder* Then it was off to … Continue reading
Busy day today, with ups, downs, and a Krispy Kreme sighting. I started off at 9:30 by running to Ikebukuro to buy a suitcase. Ugh. But I did find one. It’s not the best one I could find, but it was the right mix of cheap and not too shabby. Then breakfast, which was more … Continue reading
Akihabara So on to Akihabara, or Akiba as everyone calls it here. First, I stopped at Asakusabashi station again, as I transferred from the subway to the JR line. I had a wait, so I took some more photos of Asakusabashi station: Asakusabashi platform: Roof detail: Signal lights: My train came in, and I made … Continue reading
Reversal! I was at about 70% today, but I was good enough to go. I decided to keep my plans simple. First off would be Senso-ji in Asakusa. On the way there, I had to change trains at Asakusabashi station. So I took a photo. I got to Asakusa, and headed to Senso-ji. It’s a … Continue reading
I woke up feeling really crummy today. But I decided to head to Odaiba anyway. (Bad idea.) I should have had a clue when I was feeling wonky riding the subway… but I didn’t. I pressed on. The longer I rode the Oedo Line, the worse I felt. I had to ride for 15-20 minutes … Continue reading
Long day. I got up early, researched some ideas, and settled on hitting Nakano Broadway, because it’s full of all kinds of shops, some of which I may be interested in. Since Time Out recommended a trip, I figured I’d give it a shot. I hopped on the Chuo Rapid to Nakano, got there, and … Continue reading
I’m going to use my new favorite phrase now. So I was shopping in Ginza today… … yeah, that’s my new favorite phrase. Some massive stores in Ginza (with matching prices, I’m sure!) Seibu department store: Anyway, I was shopping in Ginza today, looking for two stationery stores mentioned in Time Out Tokyo. But first, … Continue reading
Leaving Sendai Finally made it to Tokyo. A brief synopsis of the day: First, a jar of KitKats. Yep, a glass jar full of KitKats. Never seen one of those! I got up early to make my 10 a.m. checkout, went to the station, and made some calls overseas to the family. (Hi family!) I … Continue reading
I’ve mentioned buses in Japan before, but I thought I would mention them again to give them a little special attention. In order to get to some out-of-the-way places, you will need to ride buses. They can be the most intimidating of the various forms of mass transit, because they can be a bit confusing, … Continue reading
Oku-Matsushima, A Hidden Gem… If you could hide something that big. At the station, I got on the train to Nobiru. When I got there, I talked to the lady in the shop at the station, and rented the bicycle (there’s only one, and it was available!) for 300 yen for 4 hours. I was … Continue reading
Today I went to Matsushima. Matsushima is one of the traditional Three Famous Sights You Have to See in Japan. Miyajima is one of the others, and the third is the Heavenly Bridge, which I had to skip due to time constraints. Matsushima is Japanese for Pine Island or Islands, since nouns in Japanese can … Continue reading
If you’re in Japan long enough, you’ll notice that everything here talks to you. Everything. And I think it’s all voiced by the same lady. She has a very kind and gentle voice that kindly and gently informs you that the escalator is not a toy, that the bus is arriving, that a train is … Continue reading
Today was a travel day from Nagano to Sendai for the most part, just like the headline says. I sent a third package home, and my luggage is still heavy. I still don’t get it. Maybe the junk in my bags is breeding? The shinkansen is no longer exciting for me. Instead it makes me … Continue reading
Togakushi. Tooi. After some false starts, I finally got communications with the travel and tourism office people to work. I decided to head to Togakushi. It’s a close-ish town with mountains, trees, not many people, and a famous cedar-lined path that leads to a famous local shrine. I know I’m burned out on shrines, but … Continue reading
Another day in Nagano. Lots of walking. LOTS of it. I got up late. I slept in until 9:30 a.m. because I was tired. I’m sure Nagano has a lot of great Olympic-related sights, but I decided to skip those. It just didn’t do anything for me, and if I can’t ride the bobsled, what’s … Continue reading
Today was another travel day. A very long one, at that. Sayonara, Osaka. It was fun. I have to come back sometime. I really loved it there. Now off to Nagano, which takes a while to get to from Osaka. Back in Nagoya The Business Hotel Nissei was good to me. I got to sleep … Continue reading
It’s Saturday in Osaka, and time to go see more stuff. This will be my last full day in Kansai, so I want to make the most of it. I got up at 8 a.m., slowly got my act together, and made sure to get to the Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) by 10:00 a.m., when it … Continue reading
Today I left fun fun Fukuoka for Osaka. The shinkansen ride took about 2:45, and I got there right at 1:45 p.m. The way the shinkansen works is that it runs on special tracks designed for high-speed rail. This means that not every station is equipped to handle these trains. So Instead of going to … Continue reading
Okay, I figured out what I’m doing next. After Osaka it’s Nagano, then Sendai, then Tokyo. I just made the reservations for Nagano and Sendai a little while ago. I’ll deal with Tokyo later. Nagano is smack in the middle of the Japan Alps, which should be beautiful this time of year, and Sendai has … Continue reading
Last night in Hiroshima I tried to do laundry again. It’s not always easy to find a hotel that has coin-operated washers that work. Even though the 5,000-7,000 yen a night business hotels tend to have them, they aren’t always in the best shape. I give you the hotel I stayed in last night as … Continue reading
I spent about 30-40 minutes at Itsukushima Shrine, then had to hoof it up the mountain to the ropeway, because it was starting to get late in the day. The Ropeway is a gondola-type thing that hangs from a cable system and carries you up the mountains, because otherwise you’d be there climbing for a … Continue reading
Ferry to Miyajima After a one-hour rest break, I left for Miyajima, one of the three most beautiful sights in Japan, according to something someone famous said in the 17th century. Miyajima, the Heavenly Bridge near Kyoto, and Matsushima were the three most beautiful sights in Japan. To this day, they’re all “must see” places. … Continue reading
I had a big day in Hiroshima and Miyajima today. I started off with a trip to what they call “The A-Bomb Dome.” (The Genbaku Dome if you want to say it in Japanese.) It’s a famous building that was still standing after the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Other buildings were left … Continue reading
I managed to snatch dinner before they could snatch it back out of my hands. Department stores just up and close at the drop of a hat. And they have confusing hours. For example, the food stores in the basement close at 8 p.m. The main stores close at 8 p.m. The book store closes … Continue reading