TOOOOOOKYOOOOOOOO
Well, it wasn't as exciting as all that. It is fun to use lots of ooooooos though. Wheee.
So yes. I went to see Boy in Tokyo. And it was FAR AWAY OMG. Shinkansen by myself and omg JR lines to get to Kyoto (hello JR you are different from Kintetsu).
But I survived! I even survived the trip back! In the dark! I conquer the transportation system! It submits to meee!
But also:
Dear Nanto Ginko,
WHAT THE HELL. ATMs in Tokyo will take fucking international cards, so I could conceivably use my Suntrust cash card from the States, but they don't take a major regional bank in the same country?! It's even the same island!
FIX. THIS.
I do not want to have to load up ahead of time and be a walking cash target when I go to Tokyo.
Love,
Your Nara Customers (that's kinda redundant, hah)
The Shinkansen was nice, although way expensive, and I got stuck in the smoking car on the way down. Ick. But there was a nice view of Mt. Fuji on the way back.
Also hi kind of uncomfortable watching the badness that is the film noir ep of the Sentinel and the extreme gayness and wild debauchery that is The Modern Prometheus on the shinkansen next to random anonymous Japanese dude who was watching along. (Hi. Yep, that's Jim having sex. Ho, and now everyone's accusing Jim of really being lovers with her husband and in a plot with the husband to kill the wife. Cue embarrassingly melodramatic ending. Yeah, those men are about to have sex with that woman. And each other. Oh, and look Byron is about to have sex with that nice black boy. Mmm, drinking wine off of toes: a lost art. And there's Percy arranging to have sex with two women. My goodness. Let me just make frequent use of that 2x forward setting, shall I? ::makes frantic mental notes:: Methos vidclip!... sexsexsexShelleysexJoeDuncan Vidclip!... Ooo *vidclip*!...)
So. Tokyo has English everywhere. Everywhere. It was amazing. And I can't help but feel that it's like cheating. I mean - that's just not fair.
And everyone used "maji de" (which I actually haven't heard since the Keio CCC) instead of "honma." It was like television Japanese! People actually talk like that in real life, not just in crazy Nara-ben. Who knew!
Shibuya and stuff of course had many interesting-looking people. Liek whoa. But there were far too many foreigners - it was strange. Go away.
Shibuya on Boy's phone
I didn't actually do a lot in Tokyo or like "experience the night life" or whatever because #1 too tired and #2 not enough time.
Why was I too tired, you ask? Well, I spent a few days with Boy's extended family in Yokohama. (Before and after I stayed at Boy's tiny tiny 1DK, and it was small like a sea monkey. But I have Envy for his bathroom.)
His um second cousin once removed (you remove down, right?) and her husband put us up at their really nice apartment for two nights. They have three grown children as well. And they were all EXTREMELY NICE. Very personable. But they all spoke Japanese, and ::scuffs dirt:: you know how much I hate being social and meeting new people and I had to be constantly social all in another language after *traveling* and omg it's no wonder I've taken this long to recover. ::sends tentative feelers into participating in the online world::
I met Boy's old college roommate and his wife, and they were both extremely cool and nice and spoke English yay (even though the wife was Bulgarian and she confirmed the head nod means NO and head shake means YES thing that the Bulgarian sumo wrestler was talking about - apparently rural Russians do it too) and they came to the Aunt's apt for New Years too. And a whole bunch of other neighbors and friends showed up to hang out at New Years and brought food so more introductions yay?
But there was a lot of food, and most of it was tasty but I had no idea what it was. I'm sure some of it was traditional osechi stuff. We didn't use the osechiryori box thing; it was more potlucky. But oh New Years morning I did drink that miso soup-like traditional New Years soup - Okuyama-sensei said the name of it in class today but I forgot of course.
New Years Eve the family and Boy and the Roommate and the neighbors and I all sat around the dining/living room and ate food and drank sake and watched TV. Because New Years is just an excuse to have a tradition to drink sake all the freaking time. Not that I minded. But it was funny how it was totally just all the time. I think it was Roommate who was saying that the Japanese could do anything with us and be like "New Years Tradition!" which yes. They so could.
We watched the beginning and end of Kohaku, but a neighbor dude wanted to watch Pride wrestling, which is basically a free for all wrestling match between fighters of different styles. Everyone placed bets. The neighbor dudes were so funny and drunk. This one Phillipino neighbor kept calling himself the Japanese mafia, and everyone else called him it too - all while he was wearing this cute teddy bear sweatshirt. Then the Master (of some shop nearby) lectured the gaijin on how we should be nice to the environment in stilted English.
So Pride. Is the gayest wrestling in the history of oily naked man wrestling. Well, maybe the Greeks and Romans were a *little* gayer. Maybe.
fenlings: oh on new years
fenlings: we watched kohaku
fenlings: of course
kioku: Most of my enjoyment from rap comes when it makes fun of itself
kioku: :-)
fenlings: but only the beginning and end
fenlings: in the middle
fenlings: we watched Pride!
fenlings: the gayest gay wrestling ever
kioku: O.O
fenlings: its like a bunch of people from diff fighting schools get together
fenlings: and there are less rules
fenlings: or something
fenlings: but wow
fenlings: like they would get in intimate positions
fenlings: and be too close to the ropes or something
fenlings: and so the ref would make them move
fenlings: and then the guy on the bottom
fenlings: would get down on the floor
fenlings: and spread his legs
kioku: this, like, made your life, didn't it?
fenlings: and the other guy would get inbetween
fenlings: and they would embrace
fenlings: omg
fenlings: no it wasnt sexy
fenlings: at all
kioku: lol
fenlings: they were really ugly
fenlings: it was hilarious
kioku: that makes it funnier to me
fenlings: and the stadium was fucking packed
fenlings: with like a million people
fenlings: who were all watching this tiny ring
fenlings: with these two men not moving
fenlings: on the ground
fenlings: dryhumping
fenlings: awesome
kioku: lol
kioku: (for real)
fenlings: i can't hear you!
kioku: That's because you're in japan!
fenlings: ...oh.
kioku: silly
fenlings: but! doesnt' the intarweb teleport us....?
fenlings: ...no...?
fenlings: ::presses face to screen::
kioku: only in spirit. :-( alas. dude, when it gets to teh point where it teleports us, my life will totally rock.
fenlings: yeah!
fenlings: no more trains
fenlings: eating my soul
kioku: preeeeecisely
And then after one guy won, he kept *embracing* the other guy and talking in his ear - they had really deformed puffy cauliflower ears. And the loser was like all - um, okay, back away now, pat pat. But the winner *wouldn't let go*. His strategy the entire match had been to lie on his back with his legs spread. That's really all he did. And he *won*. Wow Japan.
At midnight, the Uncle and Aunt and grown children and Boy and I all went to a shrine that was really nearby. It was so community-feeling. And we stood in line with everyone and drank amazake, which is the sweet mash left over from making sake. The priests warmed it up and served it to everyone. Texture of coconut milk. Yummy.
If you were born in the year of the dog (this year) then you could go up to the table where they were preparing the amazake and a priest would bang wooden blocks in rhythm and get everyone to clap along to celebrate for you. Then we went up two by two and threw a coin in the box and pulled the bell cords and clapped and bowed while a priest waved a plant at us. And then we went to the side where there was a giant bonfire where people were getting warm. The priest there had a stand where he served us sake (do we sense a trend?). The bonfire was to burn the white arrows you were supposed to bring every year. Uncle brought his - it was to keep away evil spirits apparently - and after burning it he bought a new one. We picked fortunes out of a box and went home, new white arrow in tow.
Roommate and Wife showed me Minato Mirai in Yokohama, which Boy has been raving about. And yes it was very cool. Dad would like it. Naval history (and history of opening to the West) out the ying yang. I think it's funny that what Boy mostly thinks is so cool about it is that they have *benches* everywhere to *sit* on. The ferris wheel clock thing and lights everywhere were neat. And the giant ship in port - reminded me of Jamestown, except this was the actual historical ship. A street performer did some cool tricks with fire and juggling that attracted a crowd. We were eating *ice cream* in the cold. Um, it was tasty? ::shivers at memory::
The Ship
Boy and I ate at TGIF which is exactly like in America except for the bacon. Japanese bacon is different from American bacon - and vastly inferior, imo. TGIF bacon at least *looked* like American bacon, but the texture was wrong, as if it had been frozen and dried and microwaved - chewy and nonflavorful. Still, they tried. ::grumblegrumbleBACONgrumble::
I can't remember if TGIFs have this sign in America, but I thought it was funny.
Boy and I met up with liebschen and nesuphyn briefly for curry. It was nice to see college folks. But Boy had no extra blanket so that nesuphyn could crash with him and had had to buy another towel especially for me. I mean really. When I was living in the dorm room I had at least 3 extra towels and 2 extra blankets stored in the closet. He hasn't been here a lot to settle in, but still. Silly Boy.
Something I saw at the store yesterday:
It's really just long underwear, but. Heh.
So haha. Remember how I wasn't participating in the online world (only immersed while recovering omg I have so many *tabs* open)? That included checking my email, which I didn't do for a week or so. Apparently my Dad and my brother have decided to pop on over to Japan next week.
Next week. Hi.
Houseclean! Shopping! Trains! Space! Bedding! Food! Panic!!! ::kermitflails::
So yes. I went to see Boy in Tokyo. And it was FAR AWAY OMG. Shinkansen by myself and omg JR lines to get to Kyoto (hello JR you are different from Kintetsu).
But I survived! I even survived the trip back! In the dark! I conquer the transportation system! It submits to meee!
But also:
Dear Nanto Ginko,
WHAT THE HELL. ATMs in Tokyo will take fucking international cards, so I could conceivably use my Suntrust cash card from the States, but they don't take a major regional bank in the same country?! It's even the same island!
FIX. THIS.
I do not want to have to load up ahead of time and be a walking cash target when I go to Tokyo.
Love,
Your Nara Customers (that's kinda redundant, hah)
The Shinkansen was nice, although way expensive, and I got stuck in the smoking car on the way down. Ick. But there was a nice view of Mt. Fuji on the way back.
Also hi kind of uncomfortable watching the badness that is the film noir ep of the Sentinel and the extreme gayness and wild debauchery that is The Modern Prometheus on the shinkansen next to random anonymous Japanese dude who was watching along. (Hi. Yep, that's Jim having sex. Ho, and now everyone's accusing Jim of really being lovers with her husband and in a plot with the husband to kill the wife. Cue embarrassingly melodramatic ending. Yeah, those men are about to have sex with that woman. And each other. Oh, and look Byron is about to have sex with that nice black boy. Mmm, drinking wine off of toes: a lost art. And there's Percy arranging to have sex with two women. My goodness. Let me just make frequent use of that 2x forward setting, shall I? ::makes frantic mental notes:: Methos vidclip!... sexsexsexShelleysexJoeDuncan Vidclip!... Ooo *vidclip*!...)
So. Tokyo has English everywhere. Everywhere. It was amazing. And I can't help but feel that it's like cheating. I mean - that's just not fair.
And everyone used "maji de" (which I actually haven't heard since the Keio CCC) instead of "honma." It was like television Japanese! People actually talk like that in real life, not just in crazy Nara-ben. Who knew!
Shibuya and stuff of course had many interesting-looking people. Liek whoa. But there were far too many foreigners - it was strange. Go away.
Shibuya on Boy's phone
I didn't actually do a lot in Tokyo or like "experience the night life" or whatever because #1 too tired and #2 not enough time.
Why was I too tired, you ask? Well, I spent a few days with Boy's extended family in Yokohama. (Before and after I stayed at Boy's tiny tiny 1DK, and it was small like a sea monkey. But I have Envy for his bathroom.)
His um second cousin once removed (you remove down, right?) and her husband put us up at their really nice apartment for two nights. They have three grown children as well. And they were all EXTREMELY NICE. Very personable. But they all spoke Japanese, and ::scuffs dirt:: you know how much I hate being social and meeting new people and I had to be constantly social all in another language after *traveling* and omg it's no wonder I've taken this long to recover. ::sends tentative feelers into participating in the online world::
I met Boy's old college roommate and his wife, and they were both extremely cool and nice and spoke English yay (even though the wife was Bulgarian and she confirmed the head nod means NO and head shake means YES thing that the Bulgarian sumo wrestler was talking about - apparently rural Russians do it too) and they came to the Aunt's apt for New Years too. And a whole bunch of other neighbors and friends showed up to hang out at New Years and brought food so more introductions yay?
But there was a lot of food, and most of it was tasty but I had no idea what it was. I'm sure some of it was traditional osechi stuff. We didn't use the osechiryori box thing; it was more potlucky. But oh New Years morning I did drink that miso soup-like traditional New Years soup - Okuyama-sensei said the name of it in class today but I forgot of course.
New Years Eve the family and Boy and the Roommate and the neighbors and I all sat around the dining/living room and ate food and drank sake and watched TV. Because New Years is just an excuse to have a tradition to drink sake all the freaking time. Not that I minded. But it was funny how it was totally just all the time. I think it was Roommate who was saying that the Japanese could do anything with us and be like "New Years Tradition!" which yes. They so could.
We watched the beginning and end of Kohaku, but a neighbor dude wanted to watch Pride wrestling, which is basically a free for all wrestling match between fighters of different styles. Everyone placed bets. The neighbor dudes were so funny and drunk. This one Phillipino neighbor kept calling himself the Japanese mafia, and everyone else called him it too - all while he was wearing this cute teddy bear sweatshirt. Then the Master (of some shop nearby) lectured the gaijin on how we should be nice to the environment in stilted English.
So Pride. Is the gayest wrestling in the history of oily naked man wrestling. Well, maybe the Greeks and Romans were a *little* gayer. Maybe.
fenlings: oh on new years
fenlings: we watched kohaku
fenlings: of course
kioku: Most of my enjoyment from rap comes when it makes fun of itself
kioku: :-)
fenlings: but only the beginning and end
fenlings: in the middle
fenlings: we watched Pride!
fenlings: the gayest gay wrestling ever
kioku: O.O
fenlings: its like a bunch of people from diff fighting schools get together
fenlings: and there are less rules
fenlings: or something
fenlings: but wow
fenlings: like they would get in intimate positions
fenlings: and be too close to the ropes or something
fenlings: and so the ref would make them move
fenlings: and then the guy on the bottom
fenlings: would get down on the floor
fenlings: and spread his legs
kioku: this, like, made your life, didn't it?
fenlings: and the other guy would get inbetween
fenlings: and they would embrace
fenlings: omg
fenlings: no it wasnt sexy
fenlings: at all
kioku: lol
fenlings: they were really ugly
fenlings: it was hilarious
kioku: that makes it funnier to me
fenlings: and the stadium was fucking packed
fenlings: with like a million people
fenlings: who were all watching this tiny ring
fenlings: with these two men not moving
fenlings: on the ground
fenlings: dryhumping
fenlings: awesome
kioku: lol
kioku: (for real)
fenlings: i can't hear you!
kioku: That's because you're in japan!
fenlings: ...oh.
kioku: silly
fenlings: but! doesnt' the intarweb teleport us....?
fenlings: ...no...?
fenlings: ::presses face to screen::
kioku: only in spirit. :-( alas. dude, when it gets to teh point where it teleports us, my life will totally rock.
fenlings: yeah!
fenlings: no more trains
fenlings: eating my soul
kioku: preeeeecisely
And then after one guy won, he kept *embracing* the other guy and talking in his ear - they had really deformed puffy cauliflower ears. And the loser was like all - um, okay, back away now, pat pat. But the winner *wouldn't let go*. His strategy the entire match had been to lie on his back with his legs spread. That's really all he did. And he *won*. Wow Japan.
At midnight, the Uncle and Aunt and grown children and Boy and I all went to a shrine that was really nearby. It was so community-feeling. And we stood in line with everyone and drank amazake, which is the sweet mash left over from making sake. The priests warmed it up and served it to everyone. Texture of coconut milk. Yummy.
If you were born in the year of the dog (this year) then you could go up to the table where they were preparing the amazake and a priest would bang wooden blocks in rhythm and get everyone to clap along to celebrate for you. Then we went up two by two and threw a coin in the box and pulled the bell cords and clapped and bowed while a priest waved a plant at us. And then we went to the side where there was a giant bonfire where people were getting warm. The priest there had a stand where he served us sake (do we sense a trend?). The bonfire was to burn the white arrows you were supposed to bring every year. Uncle brought his - it was to keep away evil spirits apparently - and after burning it he bought a new one. We picked fortunes out of a box and went home, new white arrow in tow.
Roommate and Wife showed me Minato Mirai in Yokohama, which Boy has been raving about. And yes it was very cool. Dad would like it. Naval history (and history of opening to the West) out the ying yang. I think it's funny that what Boy mostly thinks is so cool about it is that they have *benches* everywhere to *sit* on. The ferris wheel clock thing and lights everywhere were neat. And the giant ship in port - reminded me of Jamestown, except this was the actual historical ship. A street performer did some cool tricks with fire and juggling that attracted a crowd. We were eating *ice cream* in the cold. Um, it was tasty? ::shivers at memory::
The Ship
Boy and I ate at TGIF which is exactly like in America except for the bacon. Japanese bacon is different from American bacon - and vastly inferior, imo. TGIF bacon at least *looked* like American bacon, but the texture was wrong, as if it had been frozen and dried and microwaved - chewy and nonflavorful. Still, they tried. ::grumblegrumbleBACONgrumble::
I can't remember if TGIFs have this sign in America, but I thought it was funny.
Boy and I met up with liebschen and nesuphyn briefly for curry. It was nice to see college folks. But Boy had no extra blanket so that nesuphyn could crash with him and had had to buy another towel especially for me. I mean really. When I was living in the dorm room I had at least 3 extra towels and 2 extra blankets stored in the closet. He hasn't been here a lot to settle in, but still. Silly Boy.
Something I saw at the store yesterday:
It's really just long underwear, but. Heh.
So haha. Remember how I wasn't participating in the online world (only immersed while recovering omg I have so many *tabs* open)? That included checking my email, which I didn't do for a week or so. Apparently my Dad and my brother have decided to pop on over to Japan next week.
Next week. Hi.
Houseclean! Shopping! Trains! Space! Bedding! Food! Panic!!! ::kermitflails::