Allison and Shannon Do Japan!

I think it goes without saying that when one of your best friends comes to visit to help celebrate the holidays in Japan, amazing things are bound to happen.  Here's a glimpse into our Japanese holiday vacation.  :)

The first night Allison arrived, we went to THE one and only bar that feels so like home to me...let's just say Best First Night Ever.  Japanese guy sits next to us...and although he couldnt speak any English (and of course our Japanese is not yet fluent) he just kept giving us "presents." This was pretty much a foreshadowing of what the rest of our trip would be like.  :)

LOVED this guy  :)

 We were lucky enough to participate in a half marathon just a few days into our trip...the weather was sooooo freaking beautiful and pretty sure we were the only foreigners.  :)  Although I think we missed the memo to dress up as a Japanese anime character....

Pokemon or Pikachu?  I'm not sure...

We took a trip down to the Okinawa islands for a few days and decided to rent a car one day and cruise around.  We somehow found what seemed to be a hole-in-the-wall car rental shop....which was perfect...spoke with a man who couldn't understand us and we couldn't understand him, barely showed any form of ID, signed a paper, and we were off!   We may or may not have gotten lost a few times, somehow ended up in a random Japanese tiny town bus station in which 3 Japanese old men bus drivers drew us a map to a Sake Brewery we were trying to find, saw some amazing beaches and of course accidentally drove on a sidewalk.  To sum it up, it was a great day with the rental car.  :)

I have no clue what he's saying

Our "map" from the bus drivers 

Zamami Island

The Japanese tradition for Xmas is to celebrate with, you guessed it, KFC. We of course decided this was the obvious choice for our Xmas dinner as well...but little did we know that we were supposed to make a reservation for the chicken literally months in advance!  After about a 2 hour long ordeal with lines out the door, we FINALLY got our fried chicken.  In search of KFC we stumbled upon a pretty awesome Xmas concert.  Merry Xmas to us and the Colonel.  :)

Xmas at KFC!

Please note the cow and pig

Our time in Tokyo was pretty hectic since there were millions of Japanese buzzing around for the holidays...especially at the Tsukiji fish market.  It's the World's largest wholesale fish market with the World's freshest sushi....so this place is absolutely nuts.  There are mini trucks everywhere blasting through people...pretty sure Allison almost got taken out more than once, fish guts and blood, and not to mention everywhere you look you see a poor little fish take his last breath.  And the sushi here actually was unbelievable...fresh as fresh can be.  :)

Gross

Typical day in the fish market

 Our lovely place for relaxation in Tokyo was the capsule hotel we stayed in....this place was AWESOME.  The capsules are pretty small, but yet big enough to sleep with your luggage in there if you want.  They even had a TV and cute lil dimming lights....let's just say I was pretty much in Heaven in this thing...especially because I was falling asleep to Japanese Ice Skating.  Allison loved the slippers here.  :)

Cool slippers

Our time spent in Mt.Fuji and Kyoto were full of some spectacular world heritage sights....

Mt.Fuji at dusk

Kinkaku-ji -Golden Pavilion, Kyoto-actually made of real gold

 We rang in the New Year in Nara which of course could not have been a better place for us.  Started the night off in our hostel with some episodes of Sex and the City, beer, popcorn and a few other travelers.  Ended the night at midnight with all the other Japanese at one of Japan's most famous temples.  They all wait in line to go into the temple at midnight...we didn't realize there would literally be about 10,000 people in line...so we just observed the Japanese at their best.  :)

Beginning NYE w/some beer and popcorn  :)

Someone's new favorite animal

NYE at the shrine

Oh and how can I forget the fact that we tried snake sake.....

Not sure why we did this....

During....

After...

Cheers to such a great time in Japan with such a great friend.  Oh and by the time Allison left, her Japanese was near to perfect.  :)

Bits of Randomness in Japan

Over the last 3 months I have to come to learn more and more about the Japanese culture as each new day passes.  One of the first being that saying goodbye is quite the process here.  It's not just one goodbye and that's it...there are about 3-4 "goodbyes" while maintaining eye contact the whole time until you literally can't see that person anymore.  I've had some adult students actually run into the wall on their way out of the classroom because they are saying goodbye and walking while looking back at me the whole time.  They then bump into the wall, laugh nervously, and book it outa there.  I wish I had a picture to insert here but unfortunately I don't.  :)

Serving  Christmas cake at a Japanese Xmas party isn't as easy as it sounds.  There is a way of doing absolutely everything here...and the serving of Xmas cake does not fall short on that list. To make a long story short, it took over 20 minutes to systematically place a piece of cake on every student's plate.  I was quite impressed, although not at all surprised to see that not ONE child touched their cake until everyone was ready to eat.  It finally came down to me actually having to tell people they could eat!

Japanese type version of Christmas Cake :)

Santa and his helpers...and yes his beard is real!  :)

Wreath Making  :)

Going on a hike in Japan is also a very orderly ordeal.  I went with my two Japanese co-workers and before we even started the hike, one of them said "Ok this should take us approximately 300 minutes. " Extremely precise to say the least!  She then laughed about it and apologized because she admitted that was a very Japanese thing to say.  :)
The mountain we climbed was SUPER crowded...and as some of you who are familiar with hiking know, usually when slower people are ahead of you, you can pass them or they will even step aside and let you pass.  In Japan, that is of course considered rude and it's best to wait in line.  SO, although there might be someone moving as slow as molasses in front of you, you wouldn't dare pass them as that isn't the right thing to do.  It was pretty interesting and cool to see all of the Japanese in their hiking mode.  :)

The very orderly line when hiking in Japan :)

Prayers before the hike

Miki and I at the top of Mt.Tsukuba  :)

 My friend Dave and I took a road trip to check out the tallest Buddha statue in the world.  I had absolutely no clue that this was here in Japan, let alone pretty close to my house.  It's in the Guinness Book of World Records and really is a beautiful site to see.  :)

Diabatsu - World's tallest Buddha Statue

Typical Japanese garden

A Room full of thousands of Buddha statues  :)

It's Sumo time!

As luck would have it, I arrived in Japan last month at the perfect time for the beginning of  one of the biggest sumo wrestling tournaments.  Figuring out the subway, catching a train, and getting in line by 7am to snag a ticket was well worth the early wake up call.  AND it was also the opening day of the tournament.... so I was fortunate enough to be able to see the opening ceremonies as well. Lucky me.  :)

Opening Ceremonies

The line for tickets well before 7am

Before going to this tournament, I had never seen a sumo match and I don't even like wrestling.  AT ALL.  I just wanted to see what the hype was all about.  BUT, I am now the biggest sumo fan ever.  Ok well maybe not ever...but I am definitely a sumo fan!  After watching Sumo matches literally all day...from 8:30am-6pm....I definitely have a new found respect for this sport.

My BFF

There are soooo many rituals in this competition it is unbelievable.  It actually made watching wrestling SUPER relaxing and at times I felt like I was in a meditation center. Weird, I know.

A couple of the the rituals they do:  they throw salt on the ring to get rid of any evil spirits.....that's also why they stomp their legs on the ground.  They are "crushing" any evil spirits that may be there.  And all of the rituals they do are offerings to the God.  I feel like a nerdy history buff right now but sumo wrestling is a tradition that dates back over 1500 years and a lot of the traditions from back then are still preserved today.  It's pretty cool.  :)

The "referees" change kimonos about every 30 minutes.  One of my favorite parts :)

The arena we were in was pretty amazing....We could bring in our own food and drinks...SO of course I enjoyed the matches with some lovely Japanese beer and sushi.  :)  The crowds at these tournaments go nuts....especially for the Yokozunas....aka the grand champions.
Oh and there are also ladies that walk around with mini kegs on their backs....no joke. :)
I tried to snag a picture but they were too quick...

Kokugikan Stadium, Tokyo

Until the next Sumo Match....

Surviving the First Month in Japan

Here are some of the things that I've learned after my first month in Japan....

1. There are many earthquakes here. Awesome.

One of the first things one of the trainers tells us as I'm expressing my nervousness about earthquakes is...."Seriously don't worry, they're not bad at all.  I'm trying to think...I don't even think there's been one this past week..."  Perfect.  So basically she can recall earthquakes on a weekly basis.... Are you freaking kidding me?
A couple weeks later on my Japanese phone I see a message that says "earthquake." What on earth is that supposed to mean?? Did someone text me this?  Does it always say this?  Maybe it's a warning?  I later come to find out that yes, there was an earthquake (which somehow i didn't feel) and I'll get a text message with alerts...so I guess that's good to know?

They also have a city-wide loudspeaker that I am pretty sure is used to inform us about storm conditions...but unfortunately i have no clue what they're saying...all I know is that when I hear someone talking at 4am, I know there is most likely going to be a typhoon that day....

My amazing start group...all of whom have felt the earthquakes...I'm somehow the only one who hasn't :)

2. Driving on the left side of the road in Japan is NOT a piece of cake.

On my first drive here in Japan (yes I somehow have a car) I was quite nervous to say the least...but
forty minutes later I successfully arrived at my apartment....besides of course the two curbs I ran over and the side mirror of someone else's car that I hit...SOOOO, not too bad for the first drive in Japan I guess.  :)
Oh and I may have been having problems with the windshield wipers as I kept thinking I was turning on the blinkers...I couldn't figure out how to turn them off....so maybe the distraction from the wipers is why I hit that car?  I'm not quite sure....

Still Best Friends :)

3. "Yield" Signs are actually Stop signs.

 I also soon found out that a red sign that looks EXACTLY like a yield sign, is actually a stop sign. But then again, I wouldn't know since I can't yet read Japanese.  But yes apparently this a stop sign.  Again, good to know since I had been whizzing through them on my first drive.  :)

I love signs that I can't read....especially while driving

4. Taking out the trash and recycling is a project here that I should get paid for.

The garbage and recycling procedures are SUPER strict here to say the least.  Everything has to be placed in certain colored bags and taken out only on that particular morning that it is scheduled for.  I'm still really not quite sure exactly what goes where since the schedule is not surprisingly in Japanese, but thank goodness for pictures right?  :)

Hoping to find an english chart :)

A little ridiculous

5. Grocery shopping is STILL not easy.

It took me over 3 days and a purchase of shower gel to finally figure out where the lotion was and what it looked like.

6. Things are very orderly here. VERY ORDERLY.

In the park the other day, a man was cleaning up his dog's "stuff."  It's not like he just used a pooper scooper or a little bag and was on his way.  That would have been way too easy.  He LITERALLY carried a kit just for this special occasion.  After his huge St.Bernard dog went to the bathroom, he spent the next, no joke, 10 minutes sanitizing and cleaning the grass with all of these cleaning items he carried in his what I like to call "Dog bathroom clean-up kit bag."  Only in Japan...

Oh and the sunsets from the park right next to my house have been absolutely amazing :)

The entire sky was literally PAINTED this night :)

Konichiwa! The beginning of a year in Japan :)

So if we're being honest here, I would MAYBE have to say that my first day here in Japan was a bit of a culture shock.  I guess I'm not really sure why...maybe it's because BARELY anything here is in English.  Maybe it's because I had no clue what any of the food was in the supermarket and I almost bought dog food....until I realized I was in the pet section. Maybe it's because I can't even understand the washer/dryer, ac remote, or tv because they are all in Japanese!  Not to mention trying to figure out public transportation in only one of the biggest cities in the world. But not to worry, the culture shock quickly subsided after I was cured by the wide selection of sushi and Japanese beer.  :)

The washing machine....yeh not sure...

The most technological toilet ever...and my first heated toilet seat...pretty nice.  :)

So here are a few fast facts about Japan...
Vending machines on the streets are as common as the arcades and casinos here.  Which means they have a SH%T ton of both literally on almost every corner! And the vending machines here sell everything from juice, soda, beer to even cigarettes.  The Japanese are also crazy for arcades...It must be a law that every city has to have an arcade or casino because so far that seems to be the case.

Line to get into the arcade on a Saturday morning before 9am

Shinjuku, Tokyo

 I think that it goes without saying that there is so much to see in Tokyo.  I'm pretty sure the entire day my head was spinning in all different directions trying to take everything in. I'm surprised I didn't get lost and I somehow survived all the train and metro lines...basically by pointing to a destination on my map and being told which platform to run to from there. :)

Meiji Shrine, Sake barrels

Personal prayers from all over the world :)

One of my favorites :)

One of the little neighborhoods I explored was quite different to say the least.  I seriously felt like I was in a fun park or something...the shops and stores all seemed JUST a LITTLE different.  But I'll leave that for you to decide...

Fun land?  No, just a normal crepe shop

I'm still not really sure what was going on here

The shrines and parks all over Tokyo are amazing.  Just by being here you can tell this country is rich in it's ancient traditions.  And it's beautiful.  :)

Japanese traditional garden

Japanese wedding I was lucky enough to see :)

Just a typical stranger wanting to take a picture :)

 I'm not sure if any of you have seen the movie Hachiko...if you haven't, you definitely should! The Japanese made a statue of the dog in remembrance of him and it is now in the center of Tokyo.  :)

Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko statue

Until next time!

Vipassana Meditation in the Philippines!

I’m really not quite sure where to begin after I somehow managed to survive an 11 night/10 day Vipassana meditation course. You're probably wondering what that even is...WELL, let me tell you.  :)  For the entire 10 days you are to observe noble silence.  And what exactly does that mean?  ABSOLUTELY no talking, no eye contact, and no gestures/physical contact towards anyone else.  Not only that, you are not allowed to use computers, phones, books, or to write.  The wake up bell goes off at 4am (I grew to dread that bell), AND to top it off, there is absolutely no exercising AND no dinner!  For "dinner" you get a piece of fruit and tea.  Mind you, the bananas here in Asia are extra small.  They are literally Chiquita bananas.  Let's just say that I had quite a few cups of tea and coffee to fill me up.   

Literally meditated for 10 hours everyday

 

Although we shared a table together, we enjoyed all of our meals in silence  :)

 

 Our living conditions weren't really much to write home about either.  I shared a container with 13 other girls and there were hospital like curtains to separate the beds. But since none of us could talk it actually wasn't too bad...it was so quiet there were times I thought I was actually in there alone.  Oh and I also wasn't prepared for 10 days worth of bucket showers.  I thought I had somehow escaped those but I guess not.  :) 

Mandy and I in our "living area"

 

The container we slept in

So here are a few things that happen when you're sharing your living area with others and aren't able to communicate...

On the first night there was a tarantula type spider on the bathroom mirror…I saw it but couldn't tell the next person coming into the bathroom to watch out for it…I just silently wished them luck.We also took a vow not to kill anything during the course...including spiders...so the lucky little thing got to live.

After accidentally slamming the door literally on someone's face, you can't say sorry or even make eye contact to apologize or see if they have a bruise.  Oh well I guess.  :)

One of the poor girls also didn't realize that there were specific sandals to use while in the bathroom since it was so gross.  For the entire course, she was going in barefoot.  Seriously, pretty disgusting and no one could tell her that she could use the sandals.  Needless to say, I felt pretty bad for her once she found out she could have used them. :)

Not happy after finding out about the bathroom sandals

The 2 Americans with the Filipinos :)

In regards to the meditation, it was definitely a challenge that's for dang sure.

There was no where to turn to and no one to go to except 4 ur own mind.  I mean LITERALLY, there was nothing else except your mind. And after sometime you really do start to lose it.  But what to do? Want to work out?  Can’t. Want to go for a walk? Can’t.  Go out for dinner?  Can’t.   This is definitely not the right place to lose ur mind….it’s LITERALLY the only thing you have. 

 You can tell sometimes we just didn’t know what to do with ourselves.  I often times saw others playing with ants and really just doing the weirdest things to keep themselves busy.  I’m also pretty sure we all brushed r teeth at least 4-5 times/day. I mean, why not?

I also started to find myself cracking up at some pretty ridiculous things.  One day I saw a mini banana in the toaster oven and thought it was the most hysterical thing ever.  I mean, really?  Not that funny...

After being split up from the guys for the entire 10 days, we were finally reunited.  :)

Over the course of the 10 days, I spent over 100 hours observing my breath and the sensations in my body.  I could easily write a book about it.  But I won’t bcuz that would be boring.  :)

To sum it up, the course was hard as hek.  But SUPER insightful after somehow surviving it.  And if you're wondering, right when I got back to the city I went out for a few beers...of course.  :)

A couple of the girls and I celebrating with a massage...along with the 25,000 workers they had there.  :)