Locked In!!
21 Oct 2010 2 Comments
in Craig/クレイグ
So I am awake at 5 AM Japan time, on purpose, and i ashamed to admit that I cannot figure out how to open the front door to go on a walk arond town. Luckily, Tanabe Sensei does not sleep late, so I should be able to head out soon.
Yesterday we hit the Koito headlight factory. We watched headlamps being made for cars, and saw some prototypes and such. It was very interesting, and the Koito company was very impressive with its vision and organization. Buy stock in Koito!
Oh yeah! When Windysan and I were dropped off in the morning, we were a few minutes early. So we went into a pachinko parlor to see what the deal was. It was LOUD. So very loud. Loud like a casino with a jet in it. I am just about to put my 100 Yen coin in a machine when this old guy runs over panicked and grabs a small bin and sets it down. Then he nodded. Turns out the coin slot, which I thought dispensed balls into the machines holding bin, actually dropped the balls out of a spout to the right of the machine. We would have had little silver balls all over the floor. Whew! Pachinko parlors are just like American casinos, in that we lost immediately and went on our way. The machines are all anime and video game themed, which to me is just right.
We were also dropped on the wrong side of the station, so after wondering why nobody was showing up for a half hour, we had one of our hosts run across the east/west bridge and corral us.
After Koito, we went to a very fancy restaurant. Le Spirit De Mizuni. It was French, and the chef was very famous. He had trained over 1000 Japanese chefs. I will detail the courses:
1st we had tiny martini glasses filled with a sourcream mix, topped with tomatoes chopped into tiny squares, topped with a gelatin. So it was like a salad martini you ate with a spoon. It was very good, if maybe a little tomatoey for my tastes. (I don’t really like fruits and vegetables, but I’m a trooper and a sport…in Japan.)
2nd we had a raw fish with wispy greens, in a soy type sauce with green onion. The presentation was fabulous, and i risked protocol breach by photoing it. (After asking if I could of course.) It was quite good. I have no photos yet, because the card in my camera is a large format card. I will download them and insert them first chance I get.
3rd was a cream of marrow soup. It was very good, both creamy and boney, and very very rich and thick. I liked it a lot, but still had trouble finishing it, since it was so rich.
4th was the main course, and it was somewhat surprising that it was pretty much stew. But it was a vicerally appealing stew made with pork tenderloin. It was tenderloin with a sauce you couldn’t quite call gravy, tiny carrot bits, and tiny potato bits. It was my kind of food!
Then came dessert, which was vanilla ice cream in cake crumbs. Delicious! There was also a chocolate …twig. It was very thin and light, and the chocolate was obviously high grade. There was also a fig in sake sauce, of which i took a bite, but fig seeds and me are like democrats and Bush. It’s best to keep us apart.
The whole meal was followed by coffee, and then we were ushered out to the cars to meet the mayor. In the car, I’m still not sure what happened, but Windy and I were joking, then her laughing made me laugh, my laughing made her laugh, and it was an inescapable giggle fit. By the time we exited the car, we were both crying. We pulled it together just in time to meet the kind mayor of Shizuoka City.
Next was the fire department, I will write that later though, as I can now walk around town!
Ja mata!
UPDATE: The door wouldn’t open because you have to push it. It swings out. I realize how dumb this makes me sound. But our doors.. anyway.
Onsen!
20 Oct 2010 2 Comments
in Craig/クレイグ
Last night my host Mom? took me to the onsen. We picked up a friend of Mr. Tanabe to go with us since Mr. Tanabe had business he needed to attend to. He was very friendly and jovial! The onsen was kind of like a health club, except they focus on relaxation instead of working out. It was quite relaxing.
When we arrived there was this group called ninja that was just starting a show. In what I can easily call the greatest display of courage I have seen in some time, these 8 guys come out and do this crazy dancing super animated song, fully choreographed and waving flowers, running through the audience of about 7, and left me fully entertained. Mrs. Tanabe explained they were trying to become big, and wanted to perform in Tokyo. She also expressed her extreme doubt that they would amount to anything, and wondered how they made a living. I know she is right, but I did really enjoy the spectacle. I can confidently say that it is something I would never see in the U.S.
After the prancing antics of Ninja, we got a few yukata, and headed to the baths. The women are on one side and the men on the other and the baths are fully nude. Walking around naked was not as disturbing as many Americans would think. I was more nervous that I would breach a protocol, so I was very careful.
After soaking in lava, we used bathing stations to clean up. There were razors and toothpaste, everything you would need to get ready for the day.
We then put on yukata and met back up with Ms. T. We went into the restaurant and ordered beer, and Ms. T ordered food. I got soba noodles and tempura, and after a conversation we had earlier in the day about whether or not I missed American food, I thought it was super sweet that the meal also came with french fries and fried chicken.
We ate, and then returned to the baths for some more soaking, and then left the onsen.
I should mention the place looked like a resort. There were slot machines, big eating spaces, private rooms, lockers, and many many attendants.
I do not have any photos to share because we basically left the house in PJs. If there is another opportunity, there will be photos.
-Craig out!
hi.
19 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in Craig/クレイグ
I am in Japan! It is very hard to post because we are very very busy! We have seen amazing things, like the zazen shrine, a 30 foot robot, the Bandai toy factory, the Tea Ceremony.. etc. etc. It feels like we have spent weeks visiting sites, and it has only been 2 whole days!
I miss my Alison, and my Parker, the cats and all 3/4 of the dog. Communication with the US is difficult because of the time difference. I just finally got a normal amount of sleep last night! Yatta! The Tanabe Family is very kind, and have been fabulous hosts. Ms. Tanabe is fun and animated, as well as a Japanese teacher, so she and animated, as well as a Japanese teacher, so she helps me with my language skills. Mr. Tanabe is very relaxed and kind, and ｗｅ ｗｅｎｔ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｇｒｏｃｅｒｙ ｓｔｏｒｅ ｔｏ ｂｕｙ ｄｉｎｎｅｒ ｓｕｐｐｌｉｅｓ． Ｔｈｅ ｓｔｏｒｅ ｗａｓ ｎｅａｔ， ａｎｄ ｅｘｔｒｅｍｅｌｙ ｈｕｇｅ． Ｓｏｒｒｙ ａｂｏｕｔ ｔｈｅ ｔｅｘｔ ｓｔｙｌｅ ｓｗｉｔｃｈ． Ｉ ａｍ ｈａｖｉｎｇ ｓｏｍｅ ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅ ｗｉｔｈ ｔｈｅ ｍｕｌｔｉ－ｌａｎｇｕａｇｇｅ ｋｅｙｂｏａｒｄ． Ｉ ａｍ ｓｕｒｐｒｉｓｅｄ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｇｏｔｔｅｎ ｔｈｉｓ ｆａｒ． Ｔｉｍｅ ｔｏ ｇｏ ｓｅｅ ｍｏｒｅ ｓｉｇｈｔｓ！ Ｊａ ｍａｔａ， Ｓａｙｏｕｎａｒａ！
Waiting to go now!
15 Oct 2010 1 Comment
in Craig/クレイグ
Jillian is coming to pick me up soon, and then I’m away! After fretting all morning because I couldn’t find my business cards, I finally found them UNDER my luggage. Dirty pool ye business cards! But I’m packed, ready, and stoked! Let’s get to Japan so I can meet all my new friends. 
Konnichiwa, watashi no tomodachi!
Must.. gather.. stuff!
13 Oct 2010 1 Comment
in Craig/クレイグ
Everything is set, I just need to put it all in bags.. 2 days left.. won’t be long now!
So close, I can taste it!
05 Oct 2010 1 Comment
in Craig/クレイグ
Japan is getting ever closer, and as the smell of roasting teriyaki approaches, I salivate! I’m a little nervous, I haven’t spoken Japanese in so long, I’m sure I will fail gloriously. They will be nice about it, but I will know I am butchering the language. Maybe I will just learn enough sign language to convey that I’m an illiterate mute! I doubt it will work.. Someone will say something I want to reply to and my cover will be blown!
My “gifts”!!! The maker hasn’t called me back! I’m starting to become concerned.. What if he doesn’t come through? I will be undone! It’s ok though, I have a truly awful plan B. I will simply punch myself in the mouth and hand out teeth! The last host families will be the lucky ones, the gold is in the back.
Time to stop while I’m ahead. I should probably blog with more substance, but then, that’s what my team is for. They are the backbone! It all. Depends. On them. (Just kidding, team. )
Sleep means it’s good! I think….
27 Sep 2010 3 Comments
in Craig/クレイグ
So we did our final presentations today, in order to make Erin comfortable with what we would be presenting. She was comfortable alright. So comfortable, she fell asleep. I’d wonder if mine was boring, but she fell asleep during Jillian’s too. So I think it’s a sign of sincere admiration and congratulations. Windy, Brianne, and Jerry need to work a little harder, as she was clearly still awake during theirs.
19 DAYS!! Can’t wait to visit you Japan. I look forward to meeting you especially Takahashi. ^.^
