Hanging out mischief

So some friends and decided to go out in the rain and hang out...

We went to Ueno for some shopping/browsing, and saw the Suica Penguin (LEFT) in the station! He is sooo cute!








Just to be stupid gaijin on the train, we all three whipped out our cameras and took mad pictures for a few minutes and then put cameras away... here is my best shot from inside the train on JR Yamanote.









Japan has this funny "manners campaign" or something... they have hilarious signs here and there.... click on the pic (LEFT) to see it up close and read the descriptions accompanying the diagrams!

Earthquake 地震

This morning I felt a small earthquake- my house shook for like 2minutes! Tokyo only felt a little bit of it, apparently it was a 6.6 in Niigata, which is up North somewhere.

We just get through a typhoon, and then have an earthquake! Wow.

Check out the news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6900156.stm

Typhoon台風

There is a BIG typhoon here in Japan... not bad in Tokyo, we just have a lot of rain. But the news says the winds were at 216 km per hour, the video/pictures are crazy! Reminds me of the news of Hurricane Katrina. And, the typhoon canceled Hanabi (fireworks)! I was planning on going to Yokohama today for the fireworks, but not anymore!

Roppongi 六本木: Mori Art and Midtown

I had been wanting to see the Mori Art Center in Roppongi for quite a while, and easily persuaded my host dad to go with me. The exhibit was AWESOME: about the artist/architect LeCorbusier. We spent probably 2 hours in the exhibit, seeing architectural models, diagrams, paintings, furniture, a model car, and even experiencing some architecture in life size models of his "modular apartments". Absolutely fantastic... and reminded me of the architect-hero in Ayn Rand's Fountainhead, in the way that his buildings were designed around man's proportions (LeCorbusier had an elaborate system) and for maximum efficiency, especially in housing projects/apartments. LeCorbusier also did urban planning, and designed some fabulous looking churches... very modern.

Link to Mori Art Center's page on the exhibit

Admission to the museum also grants permission to "Tokyo City View" (like so many other Tokyo "views") on the 53rd floor of the Mori tower. However, being situated in Roppongi gave a vastly different look than say the Tocho in Shinjuku or the Tokyo Tower near Tokyo Station. We saw the Aoyama Park 青山公園 and several parks.





Host dad had to run errands, so my friend L joined me and we wandered around another of my favorite places, Tokyo Midtown. I really like this sculpture out front (LEFT).










I also like the basement food courts in Midtown, and the Preece Supermarket that sells all sorts of imported things... like German sparking Cassis fruit wine! (LEFT, a tribute to Gramma's Thanksgiving picture!)

Kimono and Haori 私の着物とはおり

Just to give y'all a better look... this is my newest fancy outfit! The blue part is the kimono, showing the crane on the sleeve. The orange/pink color is the new coat (haori) that I bought for less than $10! It perfectly matches my obi (sash) and is beautifully embroidered with metallic thread!

I can't wait to wear this to the symphony or something!

Weekend Sampou

Another blissful Sunday hanging out with M. We went to Hibiya park, which actually had roses!!!
And a fountain, and an amphitheater... reminded me of my hometown!








First we went to sushi at our favorite spot in Ginza, called Tamasushi! I saw these weird "taxis" there...










And, another trip to Asakusa!! I can't seem to help myself! They have maybe a dozen used kimono/yukata shops... I picked up another "haori" (kimono jacket) for less than $10, and bought a "himo" (belt) for my yukata/kimono that will be more comfortable than the one I have.

LEFT: M's suggestion... cool pic! The praying/paying spot at Sensouji Temple in Asakusa. Everyone throws coins in (5 yen is most lucky) and then prays.

Comments!

I found the settings area (late I know!) and now ANYBODY can leave comments! Yay!

Sayonara Party さよならパーティ

My program had a Sayonara (goodbye) party, since we leave in two weeks! Wow! I decided to wear my new yukata that M gave me (thanks!!) and it looked wonderful! My host mom did practically all of the yukata-putting-on business. I was glad to have someone help me!

LEFT: me and the host fam! Aren't we cute?!!
We all gave speeches (in Japanese), so I was up late last night working on mine with M's help. My host parents gave a really nice speech about me, how they "received my energy" and enjoyed having me at their house. Shigeo had a surprise: he designed a hanko (signature stamp) for me, using old Chinese characters for my name, each with a specific meaning (I forget right now). He said that I should use the hanko when I write them letters! I was so touched I nearly cried! I will truly miss them!

LEFT: me and L, in our Yukatas before the party!







LEFT: me and our program director who has helped me *tremendously*. Not only a mentor, but a friend! We usually have lunch in her office on Mondays and tell her our stories from the week. We are very lucky to have her!

BELOW: The Go-nin 五人 who all arrived in late March! I have made some good friends! Sorry the picture is a bit blurry...

Printing Museum いんさつ博物館

My Japanese class took a field trip to a Printing Museum close to school. It was fantastic! They had a replica of the Rosetta stone, newspaper presses, and lots of printmaking tools (so you know I loved it!). They even had a couple lithography stones... so that was fun to see.

The museum was really spiffy! Lots of interactive screens, activities... I got to see a video on making Ukiyo-e, the traditional Japanese woodblock prints (link to Wikipedia article), which was fun since I have done multi-color wood block prints, so I appreciate how difficult that level of intricacy is!

LEFT: me at the printing station, putting the letter stamps together in preparation for printing! Don't you love the apron?!



Thank you to my friend R who took some lovely photos! The museum only let one person per group take photos, and R had to wear a "press" arm band! Plus she takes beautiful photographs!
BELOW: the shelves of characters/stamps... LEFT my friend L searching the stacks!















After you find the letters you want to use, then you stick them (backwards) into this metal thing (BELOW) to align them, before sticking the letters in a special inking/printing machine (LEFT). Strangely enough, the machine inks the letters from the round thing at top which is wet with ink, and then moves the ink roller out of the way to press the paper onto the wet letters. I was fascinated! So much simpler than the wood-block or lithographic printing I am used to!

















LEFT: here is our Japanese class!
It was nice to get out of real class (and subsequent kanji tests) and spend the morning here!







The BALL!! Used a a symbol of the museum, it is some sort of metal in a large ball, and stamped with what looks to be ancient pictograms....? I dunno, but it is cool!

Kaiseki Ryouri 懐石料理

M took me to a VERY FANCY restaurant she used to work at in Shimbashi. The food was INCREDIBLE! We were served probably a dozen different courses, each with a hot new cup of tea. The chef even came out and asked us what we don't eat; he tailors the menu to each customer!

As you'd expect, everything was beautifully arranged on gorgeous dishes...











ABOVE: a sea-creature of some sort served in the shell, a jellied thing in the orange leaf, and a tiny shashimi with a small leaf under the transparent slice of fish.

LEFT: "eel tofu" served with a Kyoto forest vegetable (the floaty things) that were coated in a gelatin.

For desert, we were served fruit, and then a special in-house ice cream made of ume (Japanese picked plum) and shiso (a Japanese leaf used in cooking).

Yoyogi Park 代々木公園

I went to Yoyogi park with my friends M and J this past weekend! Surprisingly, it was my first time there, despite its popularity with the wakamono 若者 (young folk).

LEFT: the big fountain

Walking through the park, I was astounded when I saw two Brits that I had met in Kyoto! In a city of how-many-million, here I am on the same pathway as people I had dinner with last week!



Me and J, and me and M, by a big pretty mural!



















LEFT: there are lots of "cosplay" (I think is the word?) people-- those who dress up either like maids or like anime characters... or anything really. Since Yoyogi is close to Harajuku (the young people fashion area), they seem to spill out, and I got to pose with one of the prettier of the costumed people. And by prettier, I mean, without blue hair!

BELOW: there is an odd group of middle-aged men who dress up like 1950's Elvis (?) and dance to rock music. They wear black leather pants, black leather jackets and black cowboy-ish boots... which are taped back together after the dancing tears them apart. One man (BELOW LEFT) had hair sticking straight up almost a foot above his head... I wanted a picture with him, but he was cranky that day and was tired of photos with tourists.

Sensoji Temple at night

After the Taiko concert, L and I decided to go to the temple in Asakusa when there aren't the crazy crowds of gaijin everywhere.

We even talked to the kimono-shop lady, which was really fun. She was impressed that I knew a few kimono words, and taught me "himo" which are the small belts that nobody sees that holds the whole thing together. I am starting a sort of obession with kimono/yukata! So many fabrics and textures and options... and all so pretty!!! I just hope I can get away with wearing my yukata/kimono in the states... we shall see!





















Sorry this pic is blurry, it is outside the temple, along the area where the touristy shops are during the day.