Saturday, September 03, 2005
Two out of Three Ain't Bad
Whew...I went out Friday night, got drunk and spent the night at Kazu's house. By the time I got home today my ass was killing me!
*ahem* Perhaps I should elaborate on that a little?
Friday was a pretty busy day in school. Kazu and I met for lunch for the first time since June. We ended up eating with a few people we knew from Albany: Ryan and Jacques, along with a student from Russia named Elina. Or was it Erina? Cripes, I forgot! Anyway, Kazu and I had planned on making plans to do something this weekend and the other three were trying to make plans for later that evening. So we all made plans to meet together at the Hirakata City station after classes and go out drinking in Osaka, specifically the Nanba district.
Here's another helping of Engrish, this time as seen on a cigarette vending machine.
I still had two other classes to get through first and it wasn't easy. I was up pretty late typing yesterday's long post and I had woken up early to go to bank before class today so I was a little drowsy by the afternoon. I guess Hyde was right; sometimes blogging can feel like a burden but I still maintain that it's worth it, if only for my peace of mind.
Justice class was hella fun as we were split up into groups so that we could organize our own model nations and then go about deciding our own laws. Professor Tracy spent a long time on this because he wanted to make sure that the groups wouldn't agree on anything too easily! Since we only had three Japanese students, he decided on making three groups. He then separated out the Dutch students, then students from civil European nations, then other nations and finally he went about dividing the American students. In particular, I got put aside with two other students from New York.
Once he had us split up by origin, he went about putting as together. Each team got one Japanese student, one Dutch student and one New Yorker. Then he distributed the civil Europeans, trying not to bunch them up together. He took special delight in one girl who goes to a Swedish business school and she ended up on my team. I wonder if he thought we'd agree or disagree? I certainly said something stupid right away. When the teams were finally settled, I said: "So our team has three Americans and five non-Americans?" I had meant it to be a positive affirmation of our international mix but she seemed to take offense, replying, "Yes, that's how it should be!" So much for diplomacy!
I'm ashamed to admit that I nodded off briefly in my Western Images of Japan class. Don't worry, I won't fall behind or anything. We spent the class looking at some of the earliest views of Japan from explorers and the like. We spent a great deal of time talking about Commodore Perry and his visits to Japan in the 1850's. I found it quite amusing when the professor showed us Japanese drawings of him. He was drawn like a monster, with a giant nose, bright red lips and a full beard (which Perry didn't have, for the record). I guess everyone views a new culture as savage when first they meet.
After that class, Kazu came back to my room here at the dorm. We decided that we would try to go out to Amanohashidate the next day as Kazu had already asked his father to borrow the car. Back in the States, Kazu often talked about how much he missed driving and he had promised to drive me around when we were in Japan. This seemed like a great opportunity to do that as the site was quite distant (and expensive) via trains. Kazu also said it was OK if I stayed at his house tonight so we could just leave first thing in the morning. So I packed a few things and we took the bus to Hirakata station.
From left to right: Jacques, his girlfriend Manami and Kazu. I apologize for the red-eye effect as I don't have access to my usual clean-up software on the school's computers.
We took a sequence of trains into the heart of Osaka. I must say, emerging from the station really gave me a great sensation. This was the Japan I was waiting to experience! Bright lights and busy streets, not blistering heat in quiet suburban hell. I took a lot of pictures in succession, here are the ones that were in focus:
Street shot from Nanba on a Friday night. We're not inside, strictly speaking. Some streets with lots of stores will just have a roof over certain blocks.
This is the Dotonbori neighborhood. I'd compare it to Times Square but this place actually seemed cool.
Here's the other side of the street across from the big crab. I could have spent an hour just taking pictures. I never even got to the canal!
Ryan got caught in this shot. For some reason, he apologized. It's all good! People are supposed to be hanging out here.
We went to an izakaya known as Wara Wara, wara (笑) being Japanese for "laugh" or "smile." So it's supposed to be a fun place where people laugh and smile. Obviously, drinking helps. A lot. I lost count of how many beers I had or even how many different things I tasted. It was very communal; everyone ate a little bit of everything. I did try to respect my diet and avoided too many carbs but I was drinking a lot of beer. Jacques maintains that with all the walking we're doing we should be able to eat and drink all we want and not worry about that. He might be right. Still, I ordered a pretty tasty seafood salad.
See? Wara Wara, spelled out for you.
L to R: Kazu, Elina (I'll check on that), Ryan, Jacques, Manami, me.
As the drinks flowed, I got tipsy for the first time since I arrived here in Japan. Then I had a few more and I got pretty drunk. I wanted a photo of the entire group and someone suggested we ask a waiter. I instead turned to the table across from ours and asked them to do it. However, I fumbled the sentence a little and instead of asking them to photograph us, I actually asked for permission to photograph them. I corrected my mistake but everyone got a laugh out of it.
And then I took their picture!
You may notice that they were smoking. This reminded me that here in Japan you're allowed to drink and smoke indoors (it's easy to forget, given that New York outlawed it a while ago). I hit up a vending machine in the restaurant for a cheap (270!) pack of Mild Seven. It's a native brand that I rarely (if ever) see in the States so I figured it was worth buying for the novelty alone. Still drunk and emboldened by my earlier success, I asked the next table for a light. I thought I'd learn a new vocabulary word in the process but all you need to say is Raitaa ga arimasu ka? ("Do you have a lighter?") They did, of course.
Is this really cool? I thought so at the time.
The red-eye actually seems to suit Ryan in this shot.
The "party" was still rolling when Kazu suggested that we head over to his home. I was quite hammered by this point but I didn't want to miss out on our sightseeing plan. Anyway, there was talk of dancing which usually scares the drink right out of me so it was an opportune time to split. I laid down a modest sum of cash to cover my share of the bill (no tipping, thankfully) and we left.
I remember walking on the streets with Kazu and feeling fantastic. Sure, I was loaded and prone to that sensation but here we were, in Osaka on Friday night, people all around us and we were having fun! Drinks or no drinks, it was a wonderful moment to have and to remember. Along the way I opted for another cigarette and figured I'd just ask a stranger on the street. I waited until we saw a young woman smoking (way more fun than asking some tough guy) and tried my luck. Not only did she agree, she let me keep it! Come to Japan, where cigarette lighters are free for the taking!
When we got to Kazu's house I did my best to sober up quickly. I hated the idea of meeting his family for the first time drunk! Still, I don't think there's the same cultural stigma attached to drinking here; I think a young man like myself is expected to go out drinking on Friday night with my co-workers or fellow students. Just in case, I was super-polite, bowing and thanking her profusely for letting me stay. In order to save time in the morning, I took a shower before going to bed which happens to be the Japanese custom anyway. I thought it would clear my head but it didn't do much. I hit the bathroom one last time before bed and get this: in addition to a high-tech washlet, Kazu's bathroom has a full-size urinal! He says this is not uncommon in Japan. I did my best to fall asleep but I was quite drunk and I'm still not 100% used to lying on the floor.
We got going really early the next morning because Kazu had heard it would take several hours to reach Amanohashidate. I had a splitting headache (no surprise there) which seemed to overly concern Kazu and his mom. I could understand her reaction but why would Kazu be nervous? He's seen me like this many times before. I assured them I would be fine so long as I could take something for my headache. Kazu gave me some kind of Japanese pain killer that warned not to take it on an empty stomach. I absolutely wasn't hungry in the slightest so I just took it anyway. We took off in his father's car before seven AM. I hope the next time I visit Kazu's home I can be a little more charming as his mom was very nice to me.
As we rode out the pain killers made short work of my headache. Unfortunately, they also made me feel queasy. That, or I was trying to read so many signs that I made myself motion-sick. I figured the best answer was to just try and keep my eyes closed and let my body settle. I got about two hours of napping in and then I felt much better. We stopped at a convenience store for some onigiri which really helped settle my stomach. I also used the facilities which, thankfully, were not the old-fashioned "squat" style. I doubt my equilibrium would have allowed me to balance myself very well.
It was a very long drive although not in distance. We were just going around so many mountains that it took hours on end even though it was only a few hundred kilometers. Also, Japanese speed limits are pretty low. Even on straight, multi-lane roads we were never authorized to exceed 80 kph, a mere 50 mph to us Americans. Also causing delays was Kazu's struggle with the map. He simply wasn't positive about which way to go and we often had to stop to consult the map or even ask for help. In fairness to Kazu, I think Japanese road signs leave much to be desired. There were quite a few times where had to make a turn and there simply wasn't a clear indication of which way to go.
Kazu reviews the map again. I wasn't as helpful as I wanted to be because his map is mostly in Japanese.
I try to avoid taking pictures of generic pachinko parlors but I was amused by the English signage and the odd choice of the Statue of Liberty on top.
Typical shots of rural Japan. Lots of farm land out here.
Getting closer! Notice that road signs feature romanized names, much like the trains do.
We finally got to our destination around noon. Yeah, you heard right, it took over five hours. Amanohashidate is essentially a natural "bridge" across Miyazu Bay. While we could see it as we drove in, the best way to view it was to park and go up a mountain to view it from up high.
You could walk up...
...but this chair lift was much more fun. That's Kazu sitting ahead of me.
Once at the top, we got to really get a good look at Amanohashidate. I took some high-quality photos which I've placed on a separate page. Unfortunately my camera's battery gave out after only a few shots. I would have liked more warning but the charge had lasted for weeks so it was just a matter of really, really shitty timing.
We spent a little while hanging out up there. I had some ice cream because it was super hot and humid (as usual). It started to rain so we stuck around a little longer, grabbed a bite to eat even, before heading back down. We weren't sure what to do next. Kazu made note of several local onsen but I simply couldn't do that for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I hate hot weather and I cannot fathom dealing with it by climbing into even hotter water. Secondly, and this is the less defensible position, I am not comfortable with public nudity. It was strange enough to be seen shirtless by Kazu's mother in his house; I can't even imagine being naked around anyone who happens to drop in for a bath. No, onsen are not co-ed (most of them anyway) but that's not the problem. I don't care to display myself like that and I don't know if I ever will.
We visited a temple near the base of the mountain but otherwise we started back home to Osaka. There was some confusion over the best way back. I felt we should just take the highway that we had avoided coming up. Sure, it wouldn't be very scenic and the cost would be high but I couldn't handle another five or six hours driving back. Indeed, we came very far in ninety minutes on the highway before Kazu exited in an attempt to get straight back to Hirakata. It was only about 100 kilometers but it cost nearly 3000 Yen! You could drive from New York to Buffalo and back and not break $20.
Here's where things got ugly. Kazu's unfamiliarity with the route combined with high traffic led to very slow progress. He eventually suggested (although not directly) that it would be faster for me to get out and catch a train. I had no problem with that so long as he dropped me off by a station. Any station, really, since they all connect eventually. We made informal plans to get together tomorrow and I said I'd invite Scott as well. To sum up: I had a lot of fun, drank a lot, saw some incredible sights, but driving in Japan is teh SUCK.
Whew! Either I need to type faster or do less!
*ahem* Perhaps I should elaborate on that a little?
Friday was a pretty busy day in school. Kazu and I met for lunch for the first time since June. We ended up eating with a few people we knew from Albany: Ryan and Jacques, along with a student from Russia named Elina. Or was it Erina? Cripes, I forgot! Anyway, Kazu and I had planned on making plans to do something this weekend and the other three were trying to make plans for later that evening. So we all made plans to meet together at the Hirakata City station after classes and go out drinking in Osaka, specifically the Nanba district.
Here's another helping of Engrish, this time as seen on a cigarette vending machine.
I still had two other classes to get through first and it wasn't easy. I was up pretty late typing yesterday's long post and I had woken up early to go to bank before class today so I was a little drowsy by the afternoon. I guess Hyde was right; sometimes blogging can feel like a burden but I still maintain that it's worth it, if only for my peace of mind.
Justice class was hella fun as we were split up into groups so that we could organize our own model nations and then go about deciding our own laws. Professor Tracy spent a long time on this because he wanted to make sure that the groups wouldn't agree on anything too easily! Since we only had three Japanese students, he decided on making three groups. He then separated out the Dutch students, then students from civil European nations, then other nations and finally he went about dividing the American students. In particular, I got put aside with two other students from New York.
Once he had us split up by origin, he went about putting as together. Each team got one Japanese student, one Dutch student and one New Yorker. Then he distributed the civil Europeans, trying not to bunch them up together. He took special delight in one girl who goes to a Swedish business school and she ended up on my team. I wonder if he thought we'd agree or disagree? I certainly said something stupid right away. When the teams were finally settled, I said: "So our team has three Americans and five non-Americans?" I had meant it to be a positive affirmation of our international mix but she seemed to take offense, replying, "Yes, that's how it should be!" So much for diplomacy!
I'm ashamed to admit that I nodded off briefly in my Western Images of Japan class. Don't worry, I won't fall behind or anything. We spent the class looking at some of the earliest views of Japan from explorers and the like. We spent a great deal of time talking about Commodore Perry and his visits to Japan in the 1850's. I found it quite amusing when the professor showed us Japanese drawings of him. He was drawn like a monster, with a giant nose, bright red lips and a full beard (which Perry didn't have, for the record). I guess everyone views a new culture as savage when first they meet.
After that class, Kazu came back to my room here at the dorm. We decided that we would try to go out to Amanohashidate the next day as Kazu had already asked his father to borrow the car. Back in the States, Kazu often talked about how much he missed driving and he had promised to drive me around when we were in Japan. This seemed like a great opportunity to do that as the site was quite distant (and expensive) via trains. Kazu also said it was OK if I stayed at his house tonight so we could just leave first thing in the morning. So I packed a few things and we took the bus to Hirakata station.
From left to right: Jacques, his girlfriend Manami and Kazu. I apologize for the red-eye effect as I don't have access to my usual clean-up software on the school's computers.
We took a sequence of trains into the heart of Osaka. I must say, emerging from the station really gave me a great sensation. This was the Japan I was waiting to experience! Bright lights and busy streets, not blistering heat in quiet suburban hell. I took a lot of pictures in succession, here are the ones that were in focus:
Street shot from Nanba on a Friday night. We're not inside, strictly speaking. Some streets with lots of stores will just have a roof over certain blocks.
This is the Dotonbori neighborhood. I'd compare it to Times Square but this place actually seemed cool.
Here's the other side of the street across from the big crab. I could have spent an hour just taking pictures. I never even got to the canal!
Ryan got caught in this shot. For some reason, he apologized. It's all good! People are supposed to be hanging out here.
We went to an izakaya known as Wara Wara, wara (笑) being Japanese for "laugh" or "smile." So it's supposed to be a fun place where people laugh and smile. Obviously, drinking helps. A lot. I lost count of how many beers I had or even how many different things I tasted. It was very communal; everyone ate a little bit of everything. I did try to respect my diet and avoided too many carbs but I was drinking a lot of beer. Jacques maintains that with all the walking we're doing we should be able to eat and drink all we want and not worry about that. He might be right. Still, I ordered a pretty tasty seafood salad.
See? Wara Wara, spelled out for you.
L to R: Kazu, Elina (I'll check on that), Ryan, Jacques, Manami, me.
As the drinks flowed, I got tipsy for the first time since I arrived here in Japan. Then I had a few more and I got pretty drunk. I wanted a photo of the entire group and someone suggested we ask a waiter. I instead turned to the table across from ours and asked them to do it. However, I fumbled the sentence a little and instead of asking them to photograph us, I actually asked for permission to photograph them. I corrected my mistake but everyone got a laugh out of it.
And then I took their picture!
You may notice that they were smoking. This reminded me that here in Japan you're allowed to drink and smoke indoors (it's easy to forget, given that New York outlawed it a while ago). I hit up a vending machine in the restaurant for a cheap (270!) pack of Mild Seven. It's a native brand that I rarely (if ever) see in the States so I figured it was worth buying for the novelty alone. Still drunk and emboldened by my earlier success, I asked the next table for a light. I thought I'd learn a new vocabulary word in the process but all you need to say is Raitaa ga arimasu ka? ("Do you have a lighter?") They did, of course.
Is this really cool? I thought so at the time.
The red-eye actually seems to suit Ryan in this shot.
The "party" was still rolling when Kazu suggested that we head over to his home. I was quite hammered by this point but I didn't want to miss out on our sightseeing plan. Anyway, there was talk of dancing which usually scares the drink right out of me so it was an opportune time to split. I laid down a modest sum of cash to cover my share of the bill (no tipping, thankfully) and we left.
I remember walking on the streets with Kazu and feeling fantastic. Sure, I was loaded and prone to that sensation but here we were, in Osaka on Friday night, people all around us and we were having fun! Drinks or no drinks, it was a wonderful moment to have and to remember. Along the way I opted for another cigarette and figured I'd just ask a stranger on the street. I waited until we saw a young woman smoking (way more fun than asking some tough guy) and tried my luck. Not only did she agree, she let me keep it! Come to Japan, where cigarette lighters are free for the taking!
When we got to Kazu's house I did my best to sober up quickly. I hated the idea of meeting his family for the first time drunk! Still, I don't think there's the same cultural stigma attached to drinking here; I think a young man like myself is expected to go out drinking on Friday night with my co-workers or fellow students. Just in case, I was super-polite, bowing and thanking her profusely for letting me stay. In order to save time in the morning, I took a shower before going to bed which happens to be the Japanese custom anyway. I thought it would clear my head but it didn't do much. I hit the bathroom one last time before bed and get this: in addition to a high-tech washlet, Kazu's bathroom has a full-size urinal! He says this is not uncommon in Japan. I did my best to fall asleep but I was quite drunk and I'm still not 100% used to lying on the floor.
We got going really early the next morning because Kazu had heard it would take several hours to reach Amanohashidate. I had a splitting headache (no surprise there) which seemed to overly concern Kazu and his mom. I could understand her reaction but why would Kazu be nervous? He's seen me like this many times before. I assured them I would be fine so long as I could take something for my headache. Kazu gave me some kind of Japanese pain killer that warned not to take it on an empty stomach. I absolutely wasn't hungry in the slightest so I just took it anyway. We took off in his father's car before seven AM. I hope the next time I visit Kazu's home I can be a little more charming as his mom was very nice to me.
As we rode out the pain killers made short work of my headache. Unfortunately, they also made me feel queasy. That, or I was trying to read so many signs that I made myself motion-sick. I figured the best answer was to just try and keep my eyes closed and let my body settle. I got about two hours of napping in and then I felt much better. We stopped at a convenience store for some onigiri which really helped settle my stomach. I also used the facilities which, thankfully, were not the old-fashioned "squat" style. I doubt my equilibrium would have allowed me to balance myself very well.
It was a very long drive although not in distance. We were just going around so many mountains that it took hours on end even though it was only a few hundred kilometers. Also, Japanese speed limits are pretty low. Even on straight, multi-lane roads we were never authorized to exceed 80 kph, a mere 50 mph to us Americans. Also causing delays was Kazu's struggle with the map. He simply wasn't positive about which way to go and we often had to stop to consult the map or even ask for help. In fairness to Kazu, I think Japanese road signs leave much to be desired. There were quite a few times where had to make a turn and there simply wasn't a clear indication of which way to go.
Kazu reviews the map again. I wasn't as helpful as I wanted to be because his map is mostly in Japanese.
I try to avoid taking pictures of generic pachinko parlors but I was amused by the English signage and the odd choice of the Statue of Liberty on top.
Typical shots of rural Japan. Lots of farm land out here.
Getting closer! Notice that road signs feature romanized names, much like the trains do.
We finally got to our destination around noon. Yeah, you heard right, it took over five hours. Amanohashidate is essentially a natural "bridge" across Miyazu Bay. While we could see it as we drove in, the best way to view it was to park and go up a mountain to view it from up high.
You could walk up...
...but this chair lift was much more fun. That's Kazu sitting ahead of me.
Once at the top, we got to really get a good look at Amanohashidate. I took some high-quality photos which I've placed on a separate page. Unfortunately my camera's battery gave out after only a few shots. I would have liked more warning but the charge had lasted for weeks so it was just a matter of really, really shitty timing.
We spent a little while hanging out up there. I had some ice cream because it was super hot and humid (as usual). It started to rain so we stuck around a little longer, grabbed a bite to eat even, before heading back down. We weren't sure what to do next. Kazu made note of several local onsen but I simply couldn't do that for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I hate hot weather and I cannot fathom dealing with it by climbing into even hotter water. Secondly, and this is the less defensible position, I am not comfortable with public nudity. It was strange enough to be seen shirtless by Kazu's mother in his house; I can't even imagine being naked around anyone who happens to drop in for a bath. No, onsen are not co-ed (most of them anyway) but that's not the problem. I don't care to display myself like that and I don't know if I ever will.
We visited a temple near the base of the mountain but otherwise we started back home to Osaka. There was some confusion over the best way back. I felt we should just take the highway that we had avoided coming up. Sure, it wouldn't be very scenic and the cost would be high but I couldn't handle another five or six hours driving back. Indeed, we came very far in ninety minutes on the highway before Kazu exited in an attempt to get straight back to Hirakata. It was only about 100 kilometers but it cost nearly 3000 Yen! You could drive from New York to Buffalo and back and not break $20.
Here's where things got ugly. Kazu's unfamiliarity with the route combined with high traffic led to very slow progress. He eventually suggested (although not directly) that it would be faster for me to get out and catch a train. I had no problem with that so long as he dropped me off by a station. Any station, really, since they all connect eventually. We made informal plans to get together tomorrow and I said I'd invite Scott as well. To sum up: I had a lot of fun, drank a lot, saw some incredible sights, but driving in Japan is teh SUCK.
Whew! Either I need to type faster or do less!
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1.) as a teacher I must admonish you--no sleeping in class!
2.) I love Jacques' T-shit. ;)
3.) Looks like the mysterious victory/peace sign is a popular pose to strike in Japan.
Seems like you had a really great time and are seeing some amazing things. I'm glad it's cooler than Times Square.
2.) I love Jacques' T-shit. ;)
3.) Looks like the mysterious victory/peace sign is a popular pose to strike in Japan.
Seems like you had a really great time and are seeing some amazing things. I'm glad it's cooler than Times Square.
Saying the "V" hand gesture is popular is an understatement. It's almost like that's what is done, and that's that. More so for girls than for guys. I used to ask people about it but, like most customs in Japan, no one has any idea where or how it started.
I've heard some folks theorize it started with the Beatles, in which case it definitely means "peace."
コメントがあります？ Type something, please. It's less work for me.I've heard some folks theorize it started with the Beatles, in which case it definitely means "peace."
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Be sociable! No sign-up is required!
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