aliiiila's Xanga

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Tue, 18 May 2004 09:58:20 GMT

April 21^st

Wanted to join a club decided I take pictures so ill try and join the photo club. Found out where there room and decided to drop by and see what they were up too. Walked into a cheerful small room with a small group of people talking happily. They all turn around notice my presence and all talking ceases. I tell them I want to join there club then a look of horror breaks out. Three guys sitting on the couch in front of me immediately get up and tell me to sit. So I do. The guys who got up didn’t know what to do they just stayed standing. Then some Japanese broke out and one of them decided that she would be the brave one who would communicate with me. After some time and some difficulty they figured out that I did not have a film camera. They said they would loan me one but that they didn’t have it that day so I would have to come back. I thought it was really nice of them to give me a camera without even knowing me but then I guess they have nothing to worry about why would I steal it.

No pictures of photo club but..

picture of Tohoku University Parking lot

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Tue, 18 May 2004 08:27:55 GMT

April 17^th

(WARNING: This entry is long and possibly boring entry so it’s broken up into sections for your reading enjoyment)

Part I

Hanami # 4 Hanami ESS Style: Got there and noticed that there was only alcohol and very little food. Found out later that each sophomore member had to pay 100 dollars for the alcohol and couldn’t drink any of it themselves. There was about 15 sophomores so that’s like 1500 dollars worth of alcohol for like 20 – 30 people. This is not surprising since ESS is known for there crazy drinking party. They separated us into groups and then distributed the alcohol. With the usual chants and the usual little guy downing cup after cup of alcohol the drinking began. It didn’t take them much time to bring out huge bottles of sake and wine and use karosine pumps to create there own kind of bear bong excitement. They go up to people fill the pump with alcohol then while singing the mission impossible theme song and chanting pumpu pumpu they would encourage people to drink as much as they could handle. I was wanting to meet some of the ESS girls which reminded me of but before I could get to go talked to any of them this guy came over and started talking to me. Somehow I fell into the usual daily I hate bush and I hate America conversation and so was unable to participate in the activities. Meanwhile my friends were getting drunk and showing the ESS guys how to shotgun beers (Poke a whole in the top of a beer and then drink the whole thing in about 2 seconds) The ESS guys loved this. After about 40 minutes there were guys humping each other and rolling around and throwing up in the bathroom and all of those kinda things. After the ESS members were sufficiently wasted the group decided it was time to go to there second welcome party of the day, Karaoke, After this karaoke party they planed to have a third party, a tea party to sober up, then a fourth party, an all you can drink nomihodai. After the ESS hanami I went to the At home hanami Hanami # 5. There was no drinking there met some more girls, and including one that spoke really rearry rearry good English.

Girls clean up after the guys got wasted at the end of ESS hanami

Part II

Went to a friends birthday party for dinner did some more talking and learned a few Japanese words. The birthday group was gona go to the ESS 4^th party to drink some more but it was too expensive so we split up and my group went to a coffee shop. Drank some tea chatted a little then played some card games stayed there till it closed. To kick people out they play the American new years eve song. Some songs are meant to be played only once a year and that’s one of them. Hearing it reminds me of new years. Anyways didn’t wana finish at 11 so the girls we were with decided they wanted to get some alcohol and some food and go back to our dorm. There was 8 of us and 4 bikes so we decided to pear up. The bike I was driving was unstable so it took me some time to get steady by the time I was secure the group was gone and it was just me an a girl weeks out of highschool who couldn’t speak much English. Im new to sendai so I wasn’t really sure where I was going but since it is impossible for me to get lost I headed of in a direction. This bugged the girl so she began to panic and not understanding me thought we should head back. And since we were heading back we might as well go to her place which was about 1.5 miles in the opposite direction. Biking through sendai at midnight with no traffic and nice cold weather was really nice.

Me and some of the people i met at frined's (white guy with t cup) party. Same people for part III.

Part III

So got back to my dorm at 1 or 2. Went up to join the rest of the group. We decided since there was four girls and four guys we should play some nice highschool games. And I suppose it was appropriate since the girls that were over just graduated highschool a month ago. So yea played games like someone ask a question and a sock is passed around and if its true for you put a 10yen coin in or if false put in a 100yen. Found out a lot of people wanted to hook up in the room and that all of the guys would have slept with all of the girls, among other things. Then played a game where cards are passed out and whoever gets the king calls out numbers and makes those numbers do fun(stupid) things. So after an hour of shirt switching and cheek kissing we got tired of that and by this time it was 6 o clock in the morning. The sun had come up like 2 hours ago. I was rearry tired.

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Tue, 18 May 2004 07:56:32 GMT

April 14^th

Things have slowed down so I spent most of this week working on my Zanga site. It takes me the longest time to do the simplest things. Anyways went with a friend to check out the traveling club. Turns out the club travels by bike riding all over Japan. They can ride between 50 and 200 kilometer per day. There fairly serious. I can hardly even ride the two miles from my dorm to campus or up the mountain I need to ride to get up to lab.. and internet access. Anyways the guys were really nice and treated me and my friend to dinner. We ate at another small restaurant but it was full of about 40 college students. It was only operated by a woman and a cook. It took a about 1.5 hours to get food cause the place was so busy but it was worth it cause this place served huge portions for very little money. Its very nice eating at these small places cause its very personal it is as if the cook is cooking food just for you. The woman host was so nice that she even gave us candy for coming. Never run into such cheerful people happy to do there job in California.

Some of the members from the travel club

Touring bike made by panasonic

Restaurant we ate at

Friday, April 30, 2004

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 09:39:28 GMT

April 11^th

Went to my 2^nd Hanabi today held by my dorm. It was almost over when a drunken Japanese man showed up and insist we try some of his 30 percent alcohol soju. The stuff wasn’t all that good but it made him happy to see us drink it. He then invited us over to join his group which consisted of about 20+ people of all ages. They supposedly own a liquor store in the red-light district in Sendai. After joining his group they offered me some wine and some tea. They were very friendly. While sitting with the group talking with a few of them and taking pictures with the others the drunk guy constantly kept patting me on the head and grabbing my leg. He sure was friendly. It was nice hanging out with that group… The drunk Japanese sure are friendly and kind to foreigners.

Drunk Japanese guy and his group

3rd Hanami: Held by international student center

Friday, April 30, 2004

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 09:11:52 GMT

April 10^th

Its cherry blossom (sakura) season so the Japanese like to go out and flower watch, They really go out and get drunk in the park under Sakura trees – they call it hanami. Everyone seems to do it. I think I have been invited to about 5 of them. I went to my first one today with my lab. When I got there the first thing I see is a drunk guy rolling around on a matt. Supposedly he was there all night holding the spot. And while holding the spot decided to get drunk. Then I was met by 4 others from my lab who were also slightly drunk after drinking in the morning. Professor showed up, got to drink with him and 25 lab mates all guys, no girls. It was fun lots of food lots of alcohol and lots of simple conversations and lots of Japanese which I can’t understand. After that the lab gave me a bike that used to belong to another student. A bike is necessary considering my classes are about 2 miles from my dorm and my lab is up a steep 300 foot+ hill. After that got a cell phone for 1 yen (1 cent). Fairly nice. Much better then my old Nokia.

Cherry Blossums

Guy holding are hanami spot since the night before

Lab Hanami

Cell Phone (1 yen)

Friday, April 30, 2004

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 08:55:51 GMT

APRIL 9th

On Friday I was invited to the English speaking society (ESS) first meeting for freshmen and new comers held on campus in the clubs area. First thing I see is a bunch of Japanese students speaking Japanese. Then I’m given a cupu and poured some Asahi. Then a little guy jumps up on a table and starts downing 8 ounce cups of beer one after another while the ESS group cheers him on. Then everyone said kanpie (cheers) and the fun (Drinking began). Now I don’t get drunk but the Japanese in ESS sure do. During all the drinking I met a few people, most of them could not speak much English and whenever I run into someone like that there is usually a lot of laughing involved because neither of us can understand each other. I try as hard as I can to simplify my English but its still hard for them to understand me and my Japanese is virtually useless. So all of my conversations are very simple but then I guess when I meet people in English the conversations are also simple. Any how the Japanese kept drinking and kept getting drunker. The little guy who was drunk from the beginning was drinking strait from a large sake bottle and was now fairly drunk. He came over and was like where you from and I said California. (Japanese people love California its one of the states they know and usually want to visit and well California is the greatest nation on earth… Anyways) And he was like waaaaaaaw California…. Red hot chili pepa…. Californication. And I was like yea. Then my friend from Indiana came by and said do you know what fornication means. And the drunk Japanese guy said no. So the Indianan was like yea fornication means ________ and he demonstrated too the guy duff man style. The guy was like “ohhhhh sekura intakasu” and proceeded to hump me. Yea drunken Japanese are fun. I think ill join ESS.

No Pictures of ESS but heres a picture of 1000 dollar toilet seat....

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 09:50:02 GMT

April 4^th

Went out and did some grocery shopping which was kinda difficult. It’s hard to know what to buy when you can’t read what you’re buying. So I spent a lot of time analyzing the shapes of bottles and the colors of liquids to determine what I was getting. Took about 25 minutes to buy 8 items. Later on I went to a Korean nomenodie (all you can drink) which is all you can drink in 140 minutes for 10 dollars (you have to also order food which when split is about an additional 10 dollars). Wasn’t too bad only had 4 medium - light drinks so didn’t get drunk. The others had between 6 and 10 varying strength drinks some getting drunk which is why I guess they wanted to check out the porn section in the seven eleven afterwards. There’s a good amount of nude porn there and is the reason why I guess I always see Japanese business men standing in the corner of seven eleven flipping through magazines. The strange thing to me is that like ¾ of these magazines is like hentai but I guess the stories are interesting I gota read them some day

Pictures

Me and some dorm people at Korean Tabenodai

Results of tomenodai

The open liquor shop vending machine outside the closed liquor shop store

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 09:35:18 GMT

April 3^rd

Today went with a big group to have tabenodai, all you can eat Indian food. The food was excellent. Then did some more exploring, went to yodabashi kamera, the electronic store which is like a big frys. Went to a store called hard off which sells porn and other used electronics. Then went to a store called book off the cousin of hard off, where I was able to find an endless supply of photo books and music cds. Went to a Starbuck felt strange cause it felt just like I was back in America as soon as I went through the doors. Then came back and hung out with the dorm people. Rearranged my room. Really need to find internet access.

Pictures....

More pictures of Utada and all of her Singles.

Hard off where you can buy used hardware for alot off the normal price

Used Utada video album sold at hard off.

The Yatta Guys which can be purchased at book off.

Monday, April 19, 2004

Mon, 19 Apr 2004 08:55:23 GMT

April 2^nd

Today was hella cold it even snowed haven’t seen snow in years. Went to the central office to register as legal aliens, opened a bank account, and then was treated to lunch by some of the faculty wives. They have been very nice to us and have showed us around and what to do. We also met some members of a campus group called at home which helped us fill out our paper work and then took us to the 100 Yen store which is somewhat better then the 99 cent store in the USA. After that met more people in the hall then went out exploring looking for some more authentic Japanese food. This time we found a place where the host did not speak any English. After about 10 minutes of pointing and trying to communicate with the host the host finally figured out what we wanted to order from a menu that had no English whatsoever and no pictures. In the end it was all good the food was delicious.

Few More Pictures

Sweet Living Room

View from my window of the beautiful Garbage pile.

At resteraunt in downtown sendai with member from at home and other UC person

My Lunch: hanba-gu and some other stuff

Friday, April 16, 2004

Fri, 16 Apr 2004 09:08:12 GMT

April 1st

Went to Tokyo station today and saw the emperor’s palace. There wasn’t much to see except for the outer walls. The palace grounds are massive and on some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Took the shinkansen(bullet train) to Sendia. Was interesting traveling 150 mph but 120 dollars is to expensive for just an 1.5 hours of travel. Moved in to my dorm. The place is kinda shity looking, looks like a hospital or some kind of internment camp…. There just white bleak concrete buildings with no trees. Also met some of the other hall mates all seem very interesting and all from different parts of the world… One from Korea, and one from Australia who knows how to make good money in Japan. Supposedly there are three ways. One is to import stuff from America such as denim jeans and sell them for twice to three times there value in the used jean stores. Another way is to buy cute Japanese things such as hello kitty vibrators or Honda accessory parts and sell them on eBay. And the last way is to be a conversation partner for around 30-50 dollars an hours. Apparently all you have to do is talk to the customer and accept them buying you drinks for a few hours a week.

Another thing I ate first authentic Japanese meal. I didn’t know how to use chop sticks and the cook could see me struggling with them. So he came over and taught me, even though he could not speak English He kept explaining it to me in Japanese for about 5 minutes till I finally got it. He was very helpful deserved a tip but then you don’t give tips in Japan – there just so honored to do there job.

More Pictures

Outside Tokyo Station

One of many Gates to emperors palace. The mote that sparates the park from the palace

Mote that separates city from palace.

Park Between emperor's palace and city. The park surrounds the palace. Some of the most expensive realestate in the world

The middle class neighborhood i live in.

Sendai City 1.3 million people

Down town Sendai shoping mall.

My dorm room

Two other UC people doing the same EAP program with me holding up the 6 ounce can of asahi and the really big can of asahi. The japanese confuse the one on the right with tom cruise.