Japan 2010 - Day 1: Lost in translation
This will be a report of my usual standard, long & winding, often rambling, with many, many details, some interesting, some not (though hopefully more interesting than not). Those of you with whom I am friends on Facebook know that the odyssey began at least a month before my departure, with my eager countdown of daily Moi dix Mois clips, & -
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That is epic. I would watch that if only in hopes that Dell would one day be the same. The two other companies are Softbank and Docomo! There's a Docomo dealer in the basement of Kinokuniya...I was so surprised.
Thanks for the ringtone site! I can get my cool phone-ness back now! :D
Yes, Very yes! We, for sure, would make an awesome pair as travelers in Japan. I want to get a student visa so I can go to nail college. I don't mind that they're not English, because the language would come along as living there progressed.
XD I've always had that vision of living in their broom closet. I'd even sweep and all that, too. It would be epic.
Pocari Sweat saved my life. It was actually an accident that I tasted it. My sister had bought it, but she tasted it and didn't like the taste, so she gave it to me and I was hooked.
Ahh, the sigh...><
I can see the cafe in my head...It was pale in the inside, and the menu was small, there was the kitchen in the back. My sister ordered a coffee and I ordered an iced cappuccino. She didn't like the bitter coffee, so we switched. IT'S SO VIVID >m<
Okay - Illuminati. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!?! I have not seen that clearly yet, and I would die to. >< It looks amazing...
The Book-Off we went to had a cafe and everything and the books were at the back. It was really a sweet, comfy place. It was nice and summery.
I LIED ABOUT CLOSET CHILD HARAJUKU. THERE ARE 2.
One is on top of Harasho, and the other is on top of something...and it goes up really high. The first floor was Sweet Lolita/Deco, the second floor was Gothic, and the third floor was all music. I got my Moitie bracelet at that Closet Child, actually. I can't believe I forgot that. I know that it wasn't far from Bodyline, though.
I love the Japanese and their obsession with fried chicken. There was someone in Versailles who was obsessed with it, and there was an ongoing joke that the had taken the bucket, stuck feathers and stuff on it and used it as the late bassist's headpiece. That was back in the day, though.
Ronald McDonald is creepy...
Circle lenses aren't my best friend personally, but Gackt has a special place in my heart...
>< I'm a little scared of NYC because I'm going for a week with the school in May. Due to the fact that I go quite a bit, everyone is under the impression that I know the place like the back of my hand. OTL
Speaking of which, we had a snowstorm the other day. What sucks about it is that it looks so romantic, but it's SO, SO COLD.
The NEX was just easier when you stood in the wings with your luggage, but that was annoying when the ticket guards and trolley girl came by. The NEX is also more expensive. It wasn't really worth the 3000en that it cost.
I lied again, it was All Nippon Airlines that we took. We connected with United Air in Chicago.
Same on the spam backs! It feels so nice to talk about this!
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LOL! If only Dell did stuff like that.
*facepalm* That's right, I know those! Last time I was in Japan, we went to Yodobashi & my friend had to do something with her phone, I think she went to a Docomo dealer there. Did they have a mushroom as their symbol/mascot? I took a picture of a mushroom character in there. And would you believe I never knew what Softbank even did? XD Except sponsor/own a baseball team, LOL.
There's a Docomo dealer in Kinokuniya? I don't go down there too much (spending all my money upstairs on music/video, LOL), I hadn't even realised it.
You're welcome for the ringtone site! Have fun. :)
Aws, thank you!! <3 I didn't know they had nail colleges there. I'm hoping to get my sh*t together THIS YEAR so I can get started on my plans for language school. I have this desperate desire to do it by the time I'm 40 - & I turn 39 next month!! XP
It's SO WEIRD you mention that whole cleaning/broom closet thing. It totally reflects something I was thinking about, re: that piece I'm writing. I'll have to PM you about it.
Re: Pocari Sweat - serendipity is a beautiful thing, ne?
Yeah, the sigh. :|
Oh, wow. You have a good memory! Not sure if I actually saw the cafe. I do recall something at the back, but it looked like there were potted plants (bamboo?) there. They may have redecorated.
You mean Illuminati live?? OMG, that is one of my favourite things EVER. Think I told you about its place in my tale. Now, I watch it, & it immediately calls my 'kids' to mind. :) Here's the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKsHArT7Gm8 - ENJOY!
Wow! That sounds like an awesome Book-Off!
Hmmm...next time I go to Harajuku, I'm gonna have to look real closely for Closet Child. If one of them's not far from Bodyline, I should be able to find it. :P
LOL, re: Versailles!! It wasn't Kamijo, was it? I giggled at the notion of them using it as Jasmine's headpiece. XD Those bands have too much fun...
Ronald McDonald is creepy, yes, which is why the Japanese did this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UKLncvGxQ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgO-u83Os_I
I'm afraid of lenses, cool as the coloured ones are. Sticking things in eyes just freaks me out! But yeah, I'm with you on Gackt having a special place in the heart. ^_^
Aws! I know what you mean. I get that, too. But I'm directionally-challenged, myself, so although I know the places I go to most often, I tend to get a bit lost trying to find places I haven't gone to as frequently. Even the places I know are sometimes hard to find! :P D'you think your classmates are gonna ask you to be their guide?
Yikes! Hope you didn't get snowed on too hard! We got somewhere between 6 & 8 inches early last week. Fortunately, it was light, so it wasn't too hard to shovel.
JR is great for train lines on the whole, but yeah, take the Skyliner. It's awesome. Just go from Narita to Ueno, go down the street from the Keisei to the JR station, & catch the Yamanote from there.
ANA, oh wow! I flew American Airlines the first time (both ways), & Continental this time (both ways). ANA's expensive, too. But I bet the Japanese airlines are better. :P
Thanks! Yes, it's definitely nice to talk about this!
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I understand that, whenever I go to Kinokuniya, I spend everything on fashion and nail art magazines, so my $$'s all gone when I get to that floor.
I get what you're going for with the language school. My mom's gearing up to take her JPLT exam in the winter this year. She's bent on moving there. Nail college is just a dream, though. I don't think I'll seriously ever do it.
That PM, by the way, I approve 1000%. That is awesome. I am excited to see this. :D
The potted plants...hmm... I wanna remember!!
THAT LIVE. MY GOOD GOD. I REMEMBER IT NOW. I HAD FORGOTTEN HOW WIN IT WAS. You never totally mentioned how it was in the story. I wanna hear this.
If you can't find Closet Child in Harajuku, go to Ikebukuro or Shinjuku. You can't miss the one in Ikebukuro.
Ahh, I miss Jasmine and his tireless humor. He was a funny guy, and an amazing bassist.
I've seen those ads! Those are amazing and made me change my perspective on McDonalds! They're so epic, those Japanese :P
Those circle lenses and me do not agree. I always find that the girls on the magazine covers look kind of scary. ><
I can never remember how to get to Chrome Hearts, and it is SO annoying XD. NYC is not the best place at all to use a GPS, so we end up in the woods quite a few times before we can get to where we're going. I hope nobody asks me anything.><
I don't want to be responsible for any lives. XD
Naw, it was a pleasant snow. You guys got it pretty bad just before you left for Japan, didn't you? That was some wicked snow I remember seeing. It was more than we had up here!
Narita express is also kind of hectic once you get to Shinjuku, being at a quieter station would be a nice change. <3
We don't have that many companies that go from here to Tokyo, well Narita, so we always end up having to take extra flights. >< Nonetheless,I loved ANA's service. <3
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Yeah, that has to be it, 'cuz you can see the Docomo ad-board behind it. ^_^ I'm not up on my J-phones, so I don't even know what kind I had last time. I didn't take a pic of it, but it had the PRETTIEST ringtone! Liked the KDDI one very much, tho'. If I live there, I'll prob'ly get one like that.
Places like Kinokuniya & Book Off will break us yet! XD
Thanks for understanding. I envy your mom...but I'm TERRIFIED of that test! XP And never say never! You have no idea what twists & turns life may take - you could end up in nail college one day! ^_^
Again, glad you approve of the PM! As I said, it may just be a passing reference, but you'll know what it is. :)
Maybe the potted plants weren't there when you went?
LOL! Don't think you'll be forgetting that again anytime soon, ne? ^_~ Hope, by now, you've read about its link to my tale. It's one of a few songs that are connected to important events in the story.
There's a Closet Child in Shinjuku?? Never knew that! I really will have to get up to Ikebukuro next time...
Aww, that's lovely. Are there clips posted somewhere of those guys being funny & stuff? J-rockers are pretty hilarious a lot of the time. Oh, & you never said who it was that was obsessed with chicken! XD
I love those ads! I like the girl's more than the guy's - he doesn't do all that much. Did you ever eat at a McDonald's in Japan? My friend let me try some of her Teriyaki Burger at the one by Tokyo Tower. (I'd brought a Bento with me that I got at Tokyu Food Show in Shibuya.)
Yep, the Japanese are definitely epic!
LOL! I agree with you! It's, like, HI, LOOK AT ME, I HAVE GIANT EYEBALLS!! O.o
Chrome Hearts? I've never even heard of that, where is it? And where are you in the City that you end up in the woods?? I never take my GPS. Nine times out of ten, I just go to the same places. If it's a new place, like a venue for a live, I do a 'dry run' (going in about a month before), giving myself enough time to find my way so I know the day of the event. Otherwise, I'm usually with friends who know the area better than I do. :P I should ask them how to find Strawberry Fields again. I went there once, with someone I'm no longer in touch with, & I can never find it when I'm in that part of Central Park!
I hope nobody asks me anything. I don't want to be responsible for any lives.
LOLZ! XD
I don't think we got too much, if any, before I left for Japan, it was the day I came BACK that we got majorly dumped on! (We got more snow than you did?!) And once again after that, tho' it wasn't too bad. We got ice & rain today, what they call a 'wintry mix' - my car was a block of ice this morning & I had to chip my way out of it! XP That was the really wicked thing.
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Made sure I’d gotten the location of Shibuya Station’s ticket counter from the hotel people. Found it after a lot of schlepping around, & got a ticket. For some reason, both the hotel people & the guy at the ticket counter, when I said I wanted the NEX, asked, “Today?” No, I’m just hauling around 2 big bags for the hell of it. I’ll go to the airport tomorrow. DUH. (Is there a word for “Duh” in Japanese?)
Had a heck of a time getting my big bag onto the luggage storage shelf once I did reach the NEX, & then I accidentally sat in the wrong seat. When I moved to the right one, there was a very helpful young man who spoke good English, who put my shoulder bag (which also had my rolled up MdM posters sticking out of it) into the overhead compartment. Took it out for me again, too, when we reached Narita. I think I slept most of the way to the airport.
I'm telling you, the Skyliner is fab! Ueno is a pretty good station (2, actually! XD), not terribly hectic. Didn't you say you went to Ueno?
That's a shame that you don't have many companies that go from there to Narita. Glad to hear ANA was good! Maybe one day, they will have a special offer, & I can fly with them. <3
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http://japanesedream.livejournal.com/390969.html
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