Ramen: I know what you're thinking, so don't! It is sooooo much better here.

Do you know what this is? A blessing upon the seekers of happiness! A testimony to the strive for perfection in food!

These two ramen shops operate and compete side by side.
The one with the red sign is called 武蔵家 or Musashi House
and the one with the white sign is calledぐうたら Guutara,
which means lazybones/good-for-nothing/idler. Very
similar to slacker, right? :D

When I was here last, I developed a connection with food and my moods. When I was feeling victorious, I would eat sushi, typically from a conveyor belt. When I was in a celebratory mood, izakaya/bar fried foods were a perfect match. When I was feeling homesick, Japanese style curry and rice tasted a lot like beef or chicken stew and would help me. And when I was feeling like a failure (in language class or Wadaiko club, or just a bad experience with Japanese bureaucracy), I would save up my money for a day or so, eat nearly nothing and go out for ramen. Where does one go for ramen? Well, you have several choices, but if you are in the ICU area, might I suggest Guutara Ramen? They are my boys. Let me tell you why!

There are many types of ramen, noodles, and ingredients.
This was the ramen they called the Guutara Ramen, kind
of like their house special, with free appetizer rice and pork. 

Guys don't care about going out to eat ramen. It is filling, it is delicious, and it is a good time (just you and a bowl or a social time with your buddies). But girls don't want to eat it often. "I'll get fat" "It is too salty" "Ramen shops are so hot and gross" sorts of complaints are common from girls. To keep the girls coming into their shops, ramen workers are overly nice to them. Girls tend to get free appetizers, special attention from the cooks during the meal, free refills and free dessert! That was why I went there when I felt low about myself; with all that special service, how could I stay upset? On top of that the food was fantastic! And since I was so active, I didn't fret about all the other stuff girls did. One meal at Guutara is about $8-$10 American, though, so I made sure I got as many refills of noodles as I could.

The typical ramen shop set up. The tissues are when your
nose starts to run from having your face over a bowl of
hot soup for too long. And they also work as napkins.

Ramen is the Japanese version of Lo Mein (say them a couple of times - they sound similar, right?) but depending on where you go, it can be far less oil based. I personally love when they put the undercooked soft-boiled egg in the ramen. There are individual shops and large corporate ramen chains all over Japan, so no mater where you go, you'll find somewhere to eat. They are open late at night and are a great place to wait for the spring rain to stop. Noodles not your thing? Most also offer other side foods like gyoza. But whenever you make it to the Land of the Rising Sun, do yourself a favor, and get a bowl of ramen! Money well spent for sure!

Today's free dessert is douhua, or sweet
tofu pudding with fruit syrup. I'd liken this
to the Chinese (yes, it is ia Chinese dessert)
version of jello.

The Gourmet Club (GuruMegane) at ICU wrote this brief review of Guutara when they were sampling ramen locations near campus.

Likewise, students other than me at ICU include Guutara in their blogs and websites.

Even two years ago, my words failed me. This was my first impression about ramen.

Sakura and Hanami: The Basics

Sakura leading into ICU. The former landing
strip that extends all the way up to campus was
lined with sakura blossoms and is a fantastic
place to hold hanami with your friends.

So many sakura!

Hopefully you aren't shocked to hear that sakura (cherry blossoms) are important to the Japanese. Not only are they one of the nation's most frequently used flowers, "Sakura" is a popular name for girls (I met one this morning actually) and they are highly symbolic in especially prose and pop-culture, cherry trees are also used as signs of good will, referenced in martial arts. Since the petals are so delicate that they only last for a week or so, their main meaning is to appreciate beauty in this instant because no things are permanent or perfect. The fall of these petals is seen as the death of the blossom, but even their graceful flutter downward is an artistic motif see in many aspects of Japanese culture.  Am I being a bit too vague? How about I put these into specific examples.

A musical group and singer set up near the
hanami in a park in Asakusa. I was attracted
by the sound of the accordion!

Nationalism: The Japanese people have rallied behind the sakura blossom so strongly that they would plant cherry trees on newly conquered territory to show it had been assimilated into the empire. Even now, sakura trees are sent abroad as gifts of goodwill (a distinctly Japanese item living and thriving under the protection of the ally country).

Sakura trees (left) and sakura decorations (right) on the
way to the main temple in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Samurai and kamikaze pilots: Romantically likened to the sakura flowers, these warriors lived short but beautiful lives dedicated to the practice and perfection in the case of the samurai, and culminating in a single moment of glory/tragic fall. Curious for a visual aide in this? Why not look at the Hollywood hit Last Samurai where the lead samurai is searching for the ultimate sakura tree. *Spoiler alert* He eventually finds this tree on the battle field as he lay dying with his fellow samurai and declares that the flowers on the tree he see are "perfect, they are all perfect."

Groups of people and their blankets in hanami.

Many blossoms this year were white and the
petals had already started to fall by the
time I arrived to Tokyo.

Buddhism: Stressing the transient and impermanence of all things, Buddhism is known for using the changing nature of everything as a tool to understand our own fragility. However, that does not mean we should not care for the world because it will all end, but rather appreciate what is within the now but remember that it will not last forever. Wikipedia actually had an excellent description of this theme. "Mono no aware (もののあわれ), literally "the pathos of things," and also translated as "an empathy toward things," or "a sensitivity to ephemera," is a Japanese term for the awareness of impermanence, or transience of things, and a gentle sadness (or wistfulness) at their passing." That being said, we can apply the same reverence we hold toward the sakura to other forms of beauty, art, people, or events.

This tree has different shades of pink and
white blossoms (found near Musashi-sakae).

Spring: Not all of the sakura symbolism is bittersweet. Since they bloom just at the beginning of spring (the start of the Japanese school year) they also carry with them a sense of starting fresh. The life of the flowers brings the idea of new chances and growth, and when they fall, the trees are ready for the rest of spring and summer, just like the people who stand beneath them.

All these things aside, they are just flat out lovely. The end.

Sakura come in several varieties and shades (those of white or pink, but some can even be yellow) and usually start to bloom in April just in time for the school year to begin. That is why when I left in March last year, one thing I lamented was not being able to see the sakura bloom along the famous former runway of my university. I some of the inverted varieties near the library, but that was all. However, Japan like many other places in the world has been experiencing some unusual weather. There was a strangely warm period followed by a suddenly colder period, which kind of confused the flowers and caused them to come out over two weeks early. Many of the trees will probably loose all of their petals before school starts. And one of the most beloved group activities had to be moved early, too: Hanami.

Sakura in the main circle of ICU.

These silly sakura are growing from an
exposed tree root on the other side
of the walkway from the tree. The tree had
white blossoms, but these were pink!

Hanami is literally "flower viewing" and is what happens when friends and coworker gather beneath a sakura tree in full bloom to enjoy not only the flowers but also each other's company. Usually the food and drink are so good that people forget to gaze at the sakura up above. But during sakura season pretty much all of Japan goes on a picnic with the parks and sakura spots filling up after work and school lets out. With the early bloom of sakura, some groups are rescheduling their hanami (which they had originally planned for April) and Rei was kind enough to invite me to one for a bit. When we were walking in Asakusa, Kai and I came across quite a few hanami in one of the parks. I plan on being here next year, so maybe I'll organize one of my own to view the sakura and the ocean. I'll let you know how that turns out!

Sakura decorations in the local supermarket in
Musashi-sakae near ICU.

*Side note*: public drinking is totally fine in Japan, so these picnics under the trees can become more rambunctious rather than the natural art gallery viewing. If you can, I honestly suggest attending a hanami, but remember to bring a blanket as the Japanese feel sitting on the ground or grass is too dirty. HOWEVER, don't walk on the blanket. Take your shoes off before putting your feet on it.

Traveling in Japan: Trains, Lanes, and Airplanes

One of the bicycle garages at my college in Tokyo.

I've been in Japan for some time now, so I might as well explain how it is I got here. Usually, that sort of thing isn't noticed, but when you are traveling without a car, everything about transport is important because if there is not easy way to get where you want to go, you probably won't make it (unless you don't mind departing 3 hours early for a heart-healthy walk). And the great thing about Japan is how many modes of travel they have available. Rather than make a laborious story of it all, how about a breakdown? Okay, let me break it down for you!

Planes: Japanese planes may be like everyone else's, but I've found that steward(ess) profession is much different in foreign flight companies. They only hire the most beautiful, well spoken, well mannered, and well educated people only to put them through rigorous training to make them even more perfect. These people are the first example of your nation's citizens to foreign visitors or are the last ones they'll see before they go back to their country, so don't you want to make a great impression? If you are a steward(ess) in Japan, it means that you've passed many tests and can act and present yourself magnificently, so it is considered a rather fashionable and desired position. Soup operas who want to show a lovely and successful girl will cast her as a stewardess, always jetting off to wonderful and distant locations. Likewise, Asian airplane food has to be some of the best that I've ever had. Usually you have two choices but both are delicious, hot, and well presented.

Bullet Trains: Super smooth and quiet, bullet trains are great when you are short on time. Not all of them go the same speed or distance, either. Some of the lesser bullet trains can get you from the airport to a major city or from the south of Japan all the way up to Tokyo. The only issue I've ever had with bullet trains has been bringing too much luggage on them and navigating in the small entrance when you first get n and off. Besides that, I totally recommend them....if you have the cash.

Sure it may be a subway station, but why not
have a live and artistic ikibana arrangement?

Trains and Subways: Pretty much the same thing, really. Both are convenient, frequent, on time, and clean! Well, until someone on the late night weekend rides becomes sick, but that is cleaned quickly. I had heard terrible stories about theft on trains, disgusting conditions in subway halls, and late trains, but that hasn't really happened in Japan. The worst things are occasional groping (but just be aware of what is going on, stand on a woman only train car, or stand with your back to the wall and that pretty much solves that problem), suicide when someone jumps on the tracks (an extremely rare event), and if you get on an express train instead of a local (or vice versa) so that you skip right over the stop you wanted (or it takes you and extra 15 minutes because the local stops EVERYWHERE). All the tickets are pretty cheap, but they add up after a while, so be careful and try to get a deal on train passes if you can.

Buses: Besides being amazingly prompt and clean, the buses all have their schedules posted right on the bus stop sign. I remember the the RTA back home had information packets, but if you suddenly had the urge to catch a bus, you had to figure out when and where it was ahead of time or you were out of luck. Here you can suddenly think, "A bus ride would be nicer than a train", spot a bus stop and see when and where the next one is going. And if there is an area without a train, the bus routes are easier for the city to instigate. At the same time, transportation cards can work for trains, subways, and buses, so there is no need to always dig through your change purse before you get on.

Even this cat knows that bicycles are the
way to go. He was snoozing in one outside
of my old dorm at ICU.

Bicycles: Because so many people here have bicycles  there are stores and repair shops in every city. And the bicycles themselves are great! Most have deep baskets in the front for carrying all sorts of things, the light on the front of the bikes are powered by your pedaling, so no need to worry about killing the battery. Besides that, there is sometimes a rack on the back of the bike for futari nori (two people ridding a single person bike), but that is kind of illegal in some areas, so just bike around the police boxes ;) Most cities also have special bike lanes to keep pedestrians and bikers safe from cars and confusion, but these don't occur on all streets.

Walking: Japan is an extremely friendly walking area. Not only are the roads and sidewalks in good condition, but shop keepers keep these pathways immaculate and decorate their storefronts to attract pedestrians. Other walkers are also about, which makes the activity more friendly. What does that mean? Well, if I were ever walking home from a store in America, people thought that I needed help and would pull over to offer me a ride. "You poor thing. You've been walking for 10 minutes?! With that bag? Here, do you need a lift?" "Um, no, I like the exercise, the scenery, and I have a car and just chose not to use it." But here, other people are walking, so it isn't weird and you feel like your part of something normal, not an oddball or poor kid.

Clearly marked bicycle lanes

Taxis: Even after the last train or bus, the taxi's are still running. Taxi drivers aren't upset about dealing with foreigners, just make sure to know your address (writing/printing it on a card in Japanese and handing it to them is the easiest) because they can't understand "the hotel near the station, just past the bridge." When I was in Kyoto, the lady I was riding with had me chat with the taxi driver quite a bit to figure out good tourist spots and figure out why the had lace on all the headrests in the taxi. What is also interesting is that taxi's are also very clean! Who would have guessed right? But in the same way that an office worker organizes their desk, or a classroom is cleaned by the teacher and student, keeping the taxi neat and orderly is the responsibility and pride of the taxi driver. This also means that they can spot if you've left your wallet there rather quickly. HELPFUL HINT: Whenever you ride in a taxi, ALWAYS keep the receipt just in case you do lose something in it because the receipt will have the time and taxi number on it so when you call to report it, they can track down your belongings faster.

An indoor showroom I came across in an underground
shopping mall in Sakae, Nagoya, Japan.

Cars: Um, Japan is a major car maker, so are you surprised that they have stick AND automatic? The oddest thing here would be that they drive on the left, are forbidden to make ANY turns on red, all highways cost money to drive on them, and speed rules are strictly enforced. And while I have been told that Asians are terrible drivers, I would put them up for any World Champion Parking Contest. The spaces that they maneuver and park in (backwards, if they can help it) are so small. More power to them!

Sadly, I wasn't able to add motorcycles or scooters to that list, because I have not ridden on any here in Japan yet. I did ride on the back of a motor scooter in Shanghai with one of the Chinese teachers and that was.... precarious. But she was a Momma and made sure that I was confident the whole time and knew I'd arrive safely. It was the other drivers I was worried about!

Also, Japan has absolutely NO DRINKING AND DRIVING policy. That goes for bikes, scooters, motorcycles, and cars. So if you have had anything to drink within 12 hours, it is best to walk or take a train/taxi/bus. Either that or pay a pretty heavy fine. Just keep all of these things in mind and you'll be able to travel around safely and easily in Japan.

How Do You KNOW THAT?!?!

I had a huge shock the other day and figured enough of my friends and family know about my martial art to share this with you all.

Going to Shima are four interac agents: myself, a Canadian girl named Jennifer, Travis from Washington state, and another girl named Bridgette from Jamaica (or the Bahamas - she was not at orientation with us, so we have not met yet). Jennifer heard a rumor that all the Shima girls were going to have to share one apartment which, I didn't like too much (three Western girls squeezed into a small Japanese apartment?? One bathroom?? That doesn't sound like a party), but I was willing to deal with for short term or for the sake of the contract. So, our branch leader here in Nagoya, Richard, called us in to explain the situation (in a wonderfully strong British accent, which did make things sound more optimistic) and at the end he mentions what "A lovely area Shima is for surfing, if you like surfing that is, but its dreadfully far away it is from Noda, yeah? *turns to look at me* So no Bujinkan unless you're willing for a long train ride, in't it?" 

And me "How do you know about the Bujinkan?!" 

"Well, I read all the resumes don't I? I know all about your hobbies and such." 

"But how do you know about the BUJINKAN?!" 

"Well, why shouldn't I know about it? Lovely martial art that is." 

"But HOW do you know?! We are pretty small, no one cares about us. NO ONE knows us." 

"Well, Hatsumi is a wonderful sort in't he? And for all you know, I could be a 10th don." 

"HOW DO YOU KNOW HIM AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WE HAVE 10TH DONS?!?!?!?" 

Jennifer is really confused about all these names and terms we are throwing about and I'm freaking out at this point. You expect some people to talk about some things and some people to mention others. I fully expect that during a visit to the dentist that he will spout off tooth jargon and drop a hint or two about flossing. The hot dog vendor on the street corner in Cleveland will talk to me about ketchup and horseradish. But if I ever hired a plumber and he started mentioning Orthodox theology, I wouldn't know what was happening!

After he had a good laugh, Richard told me that he had practiced in England with a guy whose name sounded really familiar to me. My dojo knows him, as it turns out, so small world! Also, quite a lot of our Chiba stationed ALTs do Ninjutsu and some even get asked to be stationed up there specifically so that they could go to training as much as possible. But when their schools find out that they train, they get fidgety because the ALTs have a bad habit of leaving early from work or missing out on school events to get another training class in. Hopefully I'll have someone to work with out in Mie, but one of our other trainers (a very nice Californian named Jeff) heard that I did Bujinkan, he made a list of martial arts related museums in Mie for me to check out! Once again, I was shocked! But he told me that in California he was in the Gembukan, so we joked that Richard had only told him about me recently because he didn't want our "ninja clan rivalry" to explode in the classroom. I'd like to visit some of the places he suggested, but I'll probably wait until the weather gets a little nicer and I know my way around Shima, let alone Mie.

Off to Health Checks now. I get to have a drug test, my chest x-rayed, and all sorts of measurements taken. Then, more practice for jr. high teaching!!

Interac: The Sharks to The JETs

Once upon a time, when I was just a senior in high school, I started to take Japanese at the Foreign Language Academy (FLA). The teachers there were engaging and diverse: Kurasawa-sensei was proper and refined, Yuki-chan was loud, active, and energetic, and Barns-sensei was quiet and a former JET.

JET? As in an airplane? No, not that. JET is the shorthand for the "Japan Exchange and Teaching" Programme, a British based company that helps to place native English speakers in classrooms all over Japan. These speakers help the children to learn pronunciation, explore culture from English-speaking regions, and get over some initial jitters and fears of interacting with foreigners. If memory serves, then in Barns-sensei's case, she had never studied or even been to Japan before applying to JET, but when she returned to the USA, she took a masters program at university to learn more about the language and teach it to American students. This is fairly typical. Companies like JET look for applicants with a clean record and a college degree. That's it! You don't need Japanese knowledge, you don't need teaching experience, you just need to want to come and try it out! Obviously, this doesn't always work out; people get in over their head, they experience severe homesickness or culture shock, but most of the Assistant Language Teachers (ALT's) who come to Japan do their best and stick it out.

For the longest time (say, until junior year of college), I thought that JET was the only way to go. There are private organizations which are set up more like a tutor school called "Eikaiwa", and there are also international schools that accept Japanese students, but teach everyone everything in English. While it is the largest of its kind, it is not the only company that places foreigners in Japanese classrooms. The one that I happen to belong to is the second largest company called "interac". How did I find this company? My friend Gina, actually.

Here is how the story unfolded:

Unless you want to go with a specific company from the start, most people that I've talked to start with JET. Not necessarily for the prestige, but for the odds: JET is the largest so they have the most spots to fill. But their selection process is really strange. In the past, they hired some of my university's best students and some of the....eh, not-so-best. In the past, they have totally ignored some of my school's star students without even giving them an interview. I don't know how the JET system works or if there even is a system, but that is where you start. Gina and I were eventually cut from the hiring process at JET, and while I started to look into the AtoZ Corp. (I thought it was funny due to my name), she started asking around as to what other people had found. The list that she eventually created was playfully called the Shark's List. Interac was number 2 or 3 on that list, but I decided to give them a try and here I am! I'll be doing the same thing as a JET, but just in schools that have an interac affiliation.

Sharks and JETs? In reference to West Side Story? Exactly! We thought that it was rather fitting, don't you? Now, are the JETs and Sharks at war? No, but our companies are sort of fighting for contracts with the local Japanese schools, and depending on who wins, that becomes their turf. Last year, my company won the Shima contract, so now they need people there (cue me, stage left). *snap, snap*

Are there pros and cons to working at both? Of course. Are there some people who do well in one and not the other? Sure, sure. Will I ever try to be a JET again? Who knows. For now I'm pretty happy sticking it out and seeing where these next few years will take me.



**Author"s Note: Unlike the characters in West Side Story, the members of any aforementioned or alluded companies are in no way bitter or resentful of the others. I would just like to stress that the teaching companies in Japan ARE NOT hostile to each other in anyway NOR do the teachers of any company hold any animosity towards teachers from other companies. I would, however, be more than open to group dance-offs with members of other companies, and think that it might actually be a good ice breaker of sorts.

Problems the First Week: Cash Cards and Addresses

Exiting Shibuya Station, you are met with a jungle of
businesses, shopping, cafes, and clubs.

Instead of going down to Nagoya for training, I decided to spend the first week back in Japan up in Tokyo to see my friends, catch the Wadaiko concert and enjoy being in my old haunts.

"And while I'm in the big city with all of this free time," I thought to myself, "I may as well get a few things done."

"Excellent plan, self," I told me. "Let's go to Shibuya and take care of banking and cell phone plans."

A statue of a loyal dog named Hachiko.
According to a famous story, the dog waited for his master
every day in front of Shibuya Station,
even in the years after his master had passed away.

So me, myself, and I went to Shibuya (usually pronounced Shi-BU-YA! by the American visitors, and makes me remember Ron Stoppable) to visit the AU cellphone store and one of the branches of Mitsubishi Bank. First stop is the bank, but instead of going into the actually banky-bank building, I end up at a ATM only building. I tried to withdraw some money using my bank booklet, but while they would tell me how much was in my account, I couldn't access any of it. Oops! Reroute and start again. At the real Mitsubishi, I was directed upstairs by a doorperson (Japan has people who just stand at doors to greet you, but I use them as receptionists, too) and then upstairs again by a security guard (who was so bored that he was acting like a doorperson, so I treated him as a receptionist, too) and then was sent away ever so kindly and apologetically by the doorlady on the 3rd floor. While she was nice enough to point out that I had the right form for a new cash card (the thing keeping me from withdrawing money), I still didn't have my new apartment address from Interac. Without that, I could not proceed with the application. Bummed out, I descended the stairs and passed all of my doorpeople once more.

"That wasn't as productive as I would have hoped," myself signed disappointedly.

"Perhaps not, but it wasn't my fault," I told me. "Let's try our luck at the cell phone store."

Looking back toward the station, underneath the sakura.

Now, before I go further, let me say something my friend Gina would tell me all the time: Japanese people aren't necessarily scared of you or even of English. They are terrified of conjugating English verbs! What does that mean exactly? When out and about in Tokyo town, should I waltz over to a shopkeeper, pedestrian, or shopper, they will probably give the involuntary response of wide-eyed fear.  Have I done anything frightening? Well, perhaps besides waltzing in the city streets, no. But they know that I am not Japanese and, in my case, probably speak that horrible language that their country forces them all to undertake starting in middle school. They hated repetition practice in school, barely did well enough to pass their class before forgetting nearly all of it in college. Save for the wonderful phrases "This is a pen" and "My name is" most Japanese people only use English on their clothing or in some song lyrics. All of the sudden a real Westerner stands before them and "This is a pen" isn't going to be of much help. Luckily, I speak some Japanese (just a skosh), so this moment of fear is brief for my prey. Also, luckily enough, police officers, taxi cab drivers, and cell phone salespeople are so used to being confronted with foreigners that they no longer have the deer in the headlights reaction to us.

CJ and some new friends in front of te 109 Men's
Store with DBZ characters.

The AU store was adjacent to the first ATM Mitsubishi room that I had entered before, so I just went back to that place. Inside, I took a number and waited to be called up. I had a very nice cell phone employee who, even through his face mask (pollen and allergy season are upon us in Japan) spoke very clearly and nicely to me. We chatted for a while about what I was looking for in a phone, about the different data plans they offered, what I liked about my old Softbank phone (another Japanese company; I was sort of switching from AT&T to Verizon, if you'd like to think of it that way), which color case I preferred, some of their special offers, and how I intended on paying for it all. Everything was going smoothly, so I decided to warn him that I had left my cash card in America (maybe?). This was fine, and we were about to start the paperwork until he saw that my alien registration card had a blank space where the address needed to be. Once again, we could not move forward because my company had not told me of my new apartment. I must have made a face because he immediately offered to write out our entire decision process so that when I did get my address, I could just walk into the Shima branch of AU and display this cheat sheet instead of spending another hour talking with their representative. Thank you AU!!

Some cool boys being interviewed. When news and magazine
groups want to have opinions from fashionable teens, Shibuya
is one of the places they go!

Feeling more deflated, I traveled down the street to the next nearest Starbucks (the nearest one is the famous one across from the station and is always crazy full) where I found that they don't take gift cards from America. And that to access their free wifi, you first need to get online and establish a user id. Ugh!! Instead, I had a mango tea smoothie, sat in a comfy chair in the sunlight, and just enjoyed looking outside.

Magic!!

"I haven't lost anything but time," I tried to reassure myself. "And since I started so early, it is only about 2 pm."

"I agree," myself chirped. "Spending the rest of the afternoon wandering around Shibuya would be fine by me."

So me, myself, and I went off in search of more, lighthearted adventures, leaving bank problems and cash card crisises for another day.

Kichijoji: My Favorite City Then and Now

Of all the Tokyo area cities, I have to say that Kichijoji is my favorite. It is so close to ICU that I could easily bike between the cities in half and hour. It was off of the Yamanote Line by a few stops, so you didn't have to worry about all of that congestion (however, it was still really crowded). It had tons of side streets for exploring and lots of little odd shops to look in. It was also the first place Miki showed me how to get to on the trains in Japan. When I tried to go there by myself, she made me promise to call to make sure I got there alright. Many of my fondest and strongest memories were made in Kichijoji.

To save too much time about the past, you can read about them for yourself. For everything about my adventures in Kichijoji before, check this out!

So on my last full day in Tokyo, I knew where I wanted to go. At first I was just going to wander around by myself, seeing if I still know my way about. But then my friend Mika got ahold of me and we made plans to meet up there in the evening. Early afternoon rolls around and I find myself at a hanami (more on that later) with Rei's friends from one of the dorms, when I hear a familiar voice.

"Oooh, Zaiton!" - it was Miki!!

One of the kouhai serving out food at the Wadaiko party.

She and Mao were on their way to the Wadaiko Club Room when they saw me. She asked if I was going to the party that night. Uhhhh, what party? The Review Party from the Sotspuro Concert the day before (I swear, more on that later). Overjoyed to hear that I could go out and see the Wadaiko kids and this time really get to talk to them, I agreed to come with them, but forgot to write down the information. Oh, no! I was supposed to meet Miki and Mao in front of the Club Room in 15 minutes, but my watch stopped and I was late. Or was I? Was it in 15 minutes or 15 minutes after the hour? Were we meeting at the station because I didn't have a bicycle anyway? Oh, dear. Keep in mind that I still don't have a Japanese cell phone and my smartphone is still on airplane mode so that I don't get crazy amounts of charges. Of course, I only realize this as I'm standing in front of the gym. AAAGGGHHH! What to do?

Salmon Sliders?? Great idea!!

I know!

I'll head to Kichijoji and wait at our usual spot. It was almost 4 and they said that they would all be meeting up there at 4:45. Or was it 5:45? Better to be early than miss the group, I suppose. With this thought, I dash off to the next bus, leap aboard, and charge my way onwards to Kichijoji! Well, that was how it was in my mind. In reality, I calmly and quietly used the public transportation to the train station and patiently waited on the platform for the Chuo Line to come. Right. And THEN, I dashed around all over Kichijoji station which, surprise surprise, Alexandra, has changed!! It is so much bigger now and they have blocked off older areas to refurbish them. So the spot where we all used to meet is now gone and I don't know where they decided to meet today, and it is getting closer to 4:45, which is when they could have been meeting, so what do I do? Starbucks wifi.

Makkun talking up a corner of girls. He had all of their
attention with his stories and jokes!

On the second story of the train station was a Starbucks, where I immediately went, sat and began to Facebook and email spam as many people as I could. "MAAAAOOOOO!!! MIIIKIIIIIII!! KOOOOJJJIIIII!! Someone please help me :("During this time, I got my wits together, realized that they weren't meeting up for another hour, and took the time to relax after my mad dash from ICU. My dojo boys had landed at the Narita airport (about an hour and a half and $40ish for a one way trip from where I was siting), so I caught up with them on my lovely wifi service. When the Wadaiko kids finally came, we all met up in from of 31 (Baskin Robins, yey!) and went off to the nomihodai (all you can drink party) for discussion, survey reading, fun, present giving, and thank you speeches. I was able to be with Miki most of the time, see Anna, catch up with Chiyuki, and even talk to Makkun! He talked to me! For reals! Two years ago that kid was so shy and quiet and he wouldn't even look you in the eye. But that night he was leading discussions and making jokes. What a transformation!

I had to leave the party early, but not before tearing up when the 13 started to cry in their thank you speeches. It was a blast and a half! The rest of the night was spent catching up with Mika (an old dorm friend) and when I went back to Rei's apartment, he had invited a friend to spend the night since they had missed the last train. We all ended up staying up to talk. A great and fun filled day!

Sensei (who hasn't changed a bit) laughs with some of the
younger girls during the speeches.

I'm Going On An Adventure!

When at the Airport:

This past Wednesday, I took a trip to the future by going to the past. First stop was Denver, then LA (which is always perfect when I go; how is that possible?), and then Tokyo!! The flights were rather uneventful...well, save for the end when two boys sitting next to me started asking for Japanese pickup lines and helpful phrases to use in restaurants and when selling merchandise for their clothing company. After arriving, I hauled all of my luggage on a smaller bullet train to meet my friend Rei, who was kind enough to let me stay at his apartment and pester him for a few days. We spent a lot of time talking, I watched him practice yoyo tricks, and we even went to the ICU Wadaiko performance (more, more, more on that later!!!!), but mostly we have been catching up from the two years since I left. He drew me a map of the area so that I could get to the station and start exploring or visit my old hangout spots. I went to Shibuya, ICU, talked to my old Dorm Dad, and even toured around Asakusa with my old Witt friend Kai! I've been having lots of good food and seeing so many beautiful flowers, but this next week will be all about work and catching up with my blog before I fall really, REALLY far behind.

Travel Advice

I just gave a boy some advice about traveling in Europe. He saw that I toured with AESU last spring and wanted some "do's and don't's" to really enjoy his trip. I wrote all this out and realized that it could easily apply to other journeys  So here is just a bit of advice about traveling. I'm sure I'll have more another day, but this was what I told him.

Some kids get there and are just so shell shocked that they can't plan their own time so they freeze up or join a smaller group and get dragged to places they didn't want to go in the first place (you guys will end up splintering and rejoining now and then). So my suggestions are this: 

1. Before you go, try to do as much research as possible. It doesn't have to be detailed, just make lists of places to go and food to eat for each stop on your treck. That way, you can check those things off if you see them on walking/bus tours and don't make the mistake of going back to them later or of missing out on them if your tour doesn't go there in the first place. Being a bit vague can be good if you just want to try a certain type of food, but don't know where is best to try it. Ask you're tour guide or the hotel/hostel staff for local favorites. Or, if there is a special on the Travel Channel, you can see where they go (usually star locations are mentioned on their websites). 

2. Buy something for yourself in as many places as you can. A shirt, a tie, sunglasses (nice ones) that you can use everyday. That way if someone compliments them, you can just say, "Oh, this? I picked it up in Brussels one summer." This also goes over well for gifts for family members. Knick-knacks are.....quaint, but scarfs, necklaces, etc are better, I think. And you don't need to get everyone a gift from everywhere; it doesn't mean that you don't love them, but you don't have enough money to cover them all in every country. My tip is to treat yourself first and then the people you like. Send postcards home (gather everyone's addresses on notecards or something in case you can't always have computer or internet access), but make sure to send them from that country so that you can use that country's stamps and it can be marked "From Italy". It is really funny if you arrive home before your mail and won't take up space in your suitcase on the rest of the trip or on the ride home. 

3. When you go out to eat and are allowed to pick what you'd like to eat (instead of a set meal), choose things that you can't get (or can't get cheap) at home. For example, Pimm's are a British drink that vary from bar to bar and something that American bars never have. Some are even served with lots of fruit inside. And if you are trying to save some money, have a picnic! Go to a store, grab some exotic meat, cheese, wine (a bottle opener and cups would also be helpful) and bread and go to a famous spot to eat the great food and enjoy the view (the Field of Mars below the Eiffel Tower or the Spanish Steps in Rome are nice choices). 

4. Try to make a plan for the day. If you know that you have free time, turn your list of things to do into some kind of order so that you hit as many stops as you can. If people in your group find out that you have a plan, they will be more likely to ask to join you, too. People love when someone has things figured out and the more the merrier!

5. Get the cheesy photos of you standing in front of stuff! Your parents will love it, you'll have them as momentos, and while it feels cliche at the time, remember, "photos or it didn't happen!" If you are traveling alone, this will be a hassle, I know. Be careful of asking for people to take your photo in Europe, as gypsies will take that opportunity to rob you while you are trying to help them take a nice photo. Find other Americans or someone who is part of another tour group. If you're in a tour group already, no worries! Make a friend by agreeing to take their photo if they take yours. It also helps break the ice if you don't know anyone else in the tour group. Also, YOLO!! Have fun and try to do as many of the extra things as you can. I wasn't sure about the Moulin Rogue, but decided to go for it. The risk was well worth it! Such an amazing show and such a great story for when I got home. Some of our boys went four-wheeling in Greece and got to see the whole of Poros Island while they tore over hills and around goat herds. 

That may be it for now. But if you have Doris from Austria as your tour guide, you've hit the jackpot!