Japan, Old School

So here is the big report on everything I have done up until now. So I made it to Osaka in one piece and all my lugage and I was lucky enough to have one of my old friends meet me at the airport. If he hadn’t been there I probably would have slept on the curb. After we found my hotel we went back to my old japanese university to meet up with some familiar faces. I show up at the favorite hang out place for all foreign exchange students, The Transcope Cafe. When I studied in Japan I went to the Transcope at least once a day. I showed up just in time for their closing. Their final closing. The Transcope had gone out of business during my time away and they were closing it the night I arrived in Japan. So I said hello andgoodbye to all my old friends who had worked there. On my way back home from the painful hello, Japan decided to give me it’s traditional welcome gift for foreigns who have a long way to walk and no umbrella, it rained on me. After waking up in a hotel room that was smaller than my bathroom at home(and I had to share it with another guy), I left the hotel without paying(trust me, I got into serious trouble about this later). After dragging all my luggage around Osaka in search of a cell phone we made our long trip to kyoto and when I say long I mean LOOOOOONG. It’s about an hour everyday from my house to my job. Thats not cool. Anyway my host family has a house in which the 5 of them live. Parents, two kids and a grandfater. The kides are 19 and 16 and the older goes to school at Kansai University. The first night there was alot of awkward silences and even more misunderstandings. I found out that the family runs a phamarcy that is literally a hop, skip, and a jump away. Counting from their front door, it is about 6 steps to the back door of their shop. The family is old school japanese, with the tatami mats, the pull out futons, and all the weird japanese customs and traditions. It’s the full on experience for me this time.  The whole house looks so classical but also very old.  It reminds me of my great grandmothers house in a good way.  I wish I could tell all the small things that have been simply amazing but sadly I am too exahusted from work today to go into detail. So I will try for later. On my day off we went to the local park and played catch. Of course if anyone knows me they know that anytime I play baseball I have to get hit in the head and this time was no different. Thank goodness the ball was soft. I can’t tell you how many brain cells I have lost playing baseball. I used to be smart when I was young. After that the parents cooked tempura for us. It was amazing. The mother is a great cook. After dinner the grandfather sat down and talked with me about his time in America. He showed me his maps from over fourty years ago. It was an great time. Well that is all for now. I will try to Update tommorrow.

later

Here I go again on my own….

going down the only road I’ve ever know. Wow….White Snake totally knows what they’re talking about. So I am going back to Japan. Correction, I am in Japan now as I write this in the airport lobby. I threw down 500 yen for internet access and I am going to get my yens worth with this. So far everything has gone pretty smoothly. My lugage has made it, made all my flights, got lots of sleep on the way over…..My only major complaint is that I got stuck between the two fattest asian men I have seen in a long time. I swear when they bought they’re tickets they said, “Hey lets sit apart from each other so someone gets stuck between our massive butt cheeks.” I’m sorry for being rude but they took up the arm rest and I wanted to use them too. This was my first time on a plan after turning 21 too. Nothing says good flight like all the free wine you can drink. I guess I will let everyone know what happens when I get to my final destination. Hopefully I will have enough stories to keep this blog as exciting as the last trip was.

Later

UPDATE

Well Guess what….I got the internship in Japan. Yes I shall be returning to Japan not as a student but as an employee. Actually, I will be returning as an intern but whatever. If you don’t know how, my school has a program called IBIE or International Business Internship Exchange. It might be through the whole state but I’ve been wrong before. I will be over there between May and July. The best part is that it will be back in the same area. Yes I will be back in OSAKA. Where in Osaka I don’t know and Osaka is very big so that might be a problem but still. See you in Japan.

He’s Back

Sorry for the lack of updates for anyone other than my immediate family and friends who read this.  I am now back for the time being in America.  My stay in Japan has finished and I am back to the usuall grind of my life.  Classes at my University have started and I am already overloaded.  Hopefully if I have time I will continue to update my site with more of my stories from Japan that I left out as well as my current life.  For the record my goal for the summer is to head back to Japan to either visit or to have an internship.  I have already started the internship paperwork and now it is just depends on luck.

later

Andrew Lee

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, I hope everyone out there had a wonderful holiday.  The students in Japan celebrated in our own way.  We had a day off for some holiday that most japanese people don’t even know about.  So we spent our day back on Monkey mountain.  Many people heard of our tale and wanted their own experience. So we went again.  Thats the good thing about wild monkeys is that you never know what they are going to do.  I won’t go into the details.  One story of wild monkeys is enough for me.  We ended the night in a classic turkey day style.  We went to KFC.  Yes Japan has a Kentucky Fried Chicken.  But sadly it isn’t the same.  I don’t know what it was.  It was either the hard, soggy chicken, the price, or the fact that they didn’t come in a bucket.  We were all just thankful that we could celebrate it together and in Japan.  Man, I want some mashed potatoes.

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And One And Two…

Well, I have now accomplished another of my goals for Japan.  I am going to be on Japanese Television.  To be specific, I am going to be on Japanese public television.  Not great but not bad.  At least in my opinion.  I am sure all of you out there are asking, ” Andrew, why are you going to be on television?”  The answer is very simple: Aerobics.  Yes aerobics, the activity of Kings and royalty.  The show was to be taped in our dorm and they needed some of the students from the dorm to take part.  Of course how could I say no to dancing around on national television.  You also can’t do aerobics on national television without the proper wardrobe either.  This includes: sweatbands, wristbands, tight shirt, speedo, and anything else that makes you look like a cast member from the movie “Flashdance”.  If you could have seen all of us you would have died laughing.  All the japanese kids were talking about how serious it is supposed to be.  We were all very serious in our spandex.  One of the students, Dan, used to play football and probably weighs more than 200 pounds.  He borrowed a shirt that belonged to a 120 pound japanese GIRL.  Holy stretched shirt Batman.  We all did what we were supposed to once the cameras started rolling.  Many of the Exchange students were thrown in the back.  Why, I do not know.  But about halfway through the show the producer walks up to me and says “Ikimashoo”,  which means come with me.  He drags me to the front and starts tapping again.  MOMMY MOMMY Your boys a star now.  THere was a camera in my face more than half the time.  I am not exagerating either.  The director came up to me afterwards and said, “Man, we had that camera on you half the time.  Why weren’t you smiling more.”  Maybe because I had a camera two inches from my face while I was trying to do aerobics on national tv.  Everyone be sure to tune into to NHK on February 2 at 9:00 a.m. 

Adventure on Monkey Mountain

Sorry I thought I published this last week.  I guess I don’t know how to use the internet. 

Well, I can now scratch off one more thing from my list of “Things to do in Japan”.  Today I tagged along on a class field trip to go hiking in the mountains near Kyoto.  I had to skip one of my classes but it was absolutely worth it.  We the walk to the mountain is a tourist dream with stores everywhere.  There were a few restaurants that were overlooking a creek in the forest.  I wanted to stop to eat there so badly but then I saw the menu and realized that some of the best things in life are not free.  As we continue up we pass by many small temples along the path which just radiate history and beauty.  And in the background some of the trees have started to change for fall.  All around green mixes with vibrant reds, yellows, oranges, and all the shades inbetween.  It is one of the most amazing, spine-tingling sights I have beheld here in Japan.  Well enough about the beauty, it’s time for the interesting part of the trip.

So on our way to the top of the mountain we run across a group of mountain monkeys.  When I say a group I mean a legion.  There were monkeys jumping down from everywhere.  The best part was they weren’t even afraid of humans.  They would just walk up to us and just look at us.  One stared at me for a while. I think that one might have been thinking “Hey look at this stupid guy with red hair.  What a weirdo.”  Well, you know what monkey, your butt is red so shut up, you damn monkey.  I know I shouldn’t pick a fight with the monkeys but in my defence they started it.  As we were walking past one of them walked up to my friend Matt and started attacking him.  None of us had any idea why either, it just started jumping up and swiping at him.  Then we found out why.  Matt had bought a thing of chicken before we left and the monkey had smelled it.  So after about two seconds the monkey rips apart Matts bag and runs off with his chicken.  We all sit back and laugh as the monkey tries to get the the chicken out of the saran wrap.  The second he does monkeys start coming out of the woodworks to get a piece.  If any of you doubt me I have video proof.  Hopefully I will have that up soon.  Of course I have said that about every piece of video I have but please be patient.  Also I have updated my photos on the .mac account so give them a look.

Kansai Festival. PARTY PARTY

This weekend was my universities festival.  They really take festivals serious.  For four days the entire university was shut down in order for everyone to take part in the festivities.  I shall now recap what has happened.

The first day a group of us showed up to take a look around.  The second we get there we get swarmed by people trying to sell stuff to us.  It was so funny how people came running at us expecting us to by whatever they were selling.  Well, at least it was funny for the first five minutes.  Then it got really, really annoying.  Because when we didn’t buy thing from people they got mad at us.  They also wouldn’t leave us alone either.  It was like walking around in a third world country.  It was infuriating.  Just to as a quick note, it was like this everyday that we were there.  But putting that behind us we went and watched a fashion show that a fellow exchange student was in.  I wish I could show everyone all the weird things that people wore in the show.  Of course I am the one who sat in on the fashion show.  Of all the things to do in Japan a fashion show was not one of them.  After that we walked around and ate some interesting festival food.  There wasn’t much to do besides eating and watching people and shows.  I guess the theme this year was “Pirates of the Caribbean”   because many of the shows had pirates in it.  Many people dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow.  Of course many people were dressed up in funny costumes.  People were dressed in drag, as pirates, cats, winnie the pooh, dragons, power rangers, vegetables, maids, and a few others that I can’t remember.  Now I tell you this not to describe the festivals weirdness.  I am telling you so you can understand my anger.  As we were walking around we noticed people staring at us.  Now a little staring is expected, in fact it’s a daily occurrence, but at the festival EVERYONE stared and not discretely either.  People were pointing and gawking at us.  Once time I walked by someone dressed up as a pirate, he lifted his eye patch to get a better look at me.  All these people in crazy costumes and WE WERE THE ODDITIES.  I really wanted to dress up like a robot, that way I could walk around without being stared at.

The second day we checked out the flea market area.  It wasn’t too impressive but it did have a few things I found interesting.  We also checked out some japanese style comedy.  I didn’t get it but then again I couldn’t understand what he was saying.  Then afterwards a big group of guys went out to get a tabehodai of yakiniku.  In english that means all you can eat meat for two hours.  That was a fun night.  I haven’t eaten like that since I left America.

The third day passed without anything exciting happening.  So sorry.

The fourth day was the fun day.  It was also the coldest.  We started out as we had the past few days.  Walked around and eat some food.  Then we found some new things.  I pied a guy in the face.  They had a booth set up to pie people.  So I took a turn.  Got that guy square in the face.  I even have it on tape.  I taped a bunch of stuff that day.  Or at least had a friend tape it.  After that we went and checked out some of the free concerts they had.  It was an interesting list of bands.  First was a cover band of System of a Down which was horrible.  They tried to sing in english and they couldn’t.  The second was a pop girls band which sang and danced and just looked cute.  Then was another cover band playing Slipknot.  Then the school band playing the school song. Just to clear the air if there is any confusion: Hard rock, girly girl band, death rock, school anthem.  Trust me it was weird to see.  But the interesting thing I must add is that there was a small mosh pit near the stage during the Slipknot cover.  Not wanting to miss the opportunity me and a few of the guys rushed over to join in.  I like japanese mosh pits because I was one of the biggest guys in the crowd.  My other friend, who is a meat tank, just stood while people ran into him and just bounced off.  I also accomplished one of my life goals: I crowdsurfed.  My friend started helping me up when some other guys noticed and just hoisted me in the air.  I was flopping around for a good minute.  I also have this on tape.  I was one of the lucky few because the crowd couldn’t support the weight of anyone else.  Another guy from the group ran on stage and jumped into the crowd and took out like half the people in it.  After that was done there was a parade that ended at the same stage we were just at.  People sang the school anthem and there was a closing ceremony and that was it.  The festival was over.

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