I mentioned in my last blog that during my interview on Wednesday, there was one professor that was a real jerk and seemed to have it out for me.
Well, you'll never guess what! It turns out that not only is this person a high ranking administrator at the same university that I work at, but he also happened to be at 2 meetings that I had to go to during the two days following the interview!
Upon discovering that not only does he work here, but that our offices work closely together, I immediately emailed him to ask him if he had known that we worked together prior to the interview since he hadn't mentioned it and I definately talked about what I do and where I work during the interview. I guess I just wanted to find out if he didn't know and was a jerk to me, or if he did know we were colleagues and was a jerk in spite of it. (It's not that I would have expected special treatment or anything, but as a colleague, I would have expected him to be a little friendlier or to at least have acknowledged that we work together)
Well, as it turns out, the latter is the case, and he was made aware of it 2 weeks prior to the interview. Oh well...that's one coworker that's not getting a Christmas card this year. ...well, unless of course by some miracle I end up getting the scholarship afterall in spite of him. haha
Anyway, this has been one CRAPPY week, so as is often the case, I've decided to buy myself something nice to make myself feel better. The two contenders are a new iPod (because mine is all scratched and the battery doesn't last more than an hour or two now) and a sexy new iPhone. I'm leaning towards the iPod, and not only do I get paid on Friday, but I also just got a phatty big raise, so I definately see some purchases in my future :)
Okay...gotta go in to the office now to get caught up on some stuff for Monday...yep: even on a Saturday! :(
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Disapointment :(
Well, I had my tests and interviews today and they didn't go well at all... In fact, the whole day was awful.
There were only 5 of us there (but thousands of people apply at all of the Japanese consulates around the world) so at first, I felt pretty confident.
Then, the pissing contest began, as everyone introduced themselves to each other and I found out that nearly every person there had multiple degrees from Harvard and MIT and Yale and Brown and spoke near fluent Japanese. One guy was already almost done with his PhD, had two degrees from Harvard, lives in Japan, speaks Japanese fluently, is from a Japanese family, and is even married to a Japanese woman! Immediately, I started to feel insecure.
(Now, I know that I am a smart and capable person and am every bit as good as them and even got into an ivy league school myself, but the names that they were throwing around surely count for something, and it was pretty intimidating and discouraging.)
After that, we took the Japanese test, which is broken down into 3 one-hour long tests that increase in difficulty. The entire test is written in Japanese. Well...I could only answer about half of the questions on the first test. :(
I didn't feel so bad, because one of the girls that was there could only do the first test too. (she was the only other non-ivy leaguer) We then took an English language exam, which was easy except that there were lots of typos in it which made the sections where you are supposed to identify the grammatical errors somewhat difficult. (it was hard to tell which were intentional and which were just typos and misprints)
Anyway, I was done by 11:30 with both of these tests, but my interview wasn't until 4:15, so I had to spend nearly 5 hours alone on the streets of Boston killing time in near 100 degree weather! It sucked.
Finally, I came up for my interview, and guess who was the person that went before me: super fluent Japanese married Harvard guy! Of all the luck! And I could hear through the door that they loved him and were laughing and having a great time.
When it was my turn, I went in and sat across from 3 professors and one woman from the consulate. I'm not sure why, but one of the professors grilled me super hard, didn't care for my research proposal, and was dissatisfied with my research methods. He just kept asking really specific questions and it was impossible for me to try to throw in good stuff about myself to try to get them to see all the awesome things that they wouldn't see just by looking at my application and essays.
Finally, the Japanese professor asked if he could speak Japanese to me. On the application, I checked the box for "fair" for speaking and for "poor" for reading and writing, not really knowing what exactly "fair" and "poor" meant. Well, as soon as he started speaking super fast using words I'd never heard before, I knew that clearly "fair" was the wrong choice. This was obvious to everyone there, and yet he just kept on talking. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he dumbed it down for me and asked some simple questions about where I lived when I was in Japan and stuff like that, but at that point, the whole interview was soured.
I'll find out sometime next week if I get moved on to the next round, but after the shear crappiness of today, I am expecting an impersonal rejection letter to show up in my inbox :(
I guess this means I need to make some decisions about stuff and pursue some other options...
It just sucks, because I wanted this so bad. :(
There were only 5 of us there (but thousands of people apply at all of the Japanese consulates around the world) so at first, I felt pretty confident.
Then, the pissing contest began, as everyone introduced themselves to each other and I found out that nearly every person there had multiple degrees from Harvard and MIT and Yale and Brown and spoke near fluent Japanese. One guy was already almost done with his PhD, had two degrees from Harvard, lives in Japan, speaks Japanese fluently, is from a Japanese family, and is even married to a Japanese woman! Immediately, I started to feel insecure.
(Now, I know that I am a smart and capable person and am every bit as good as them and even got into an ivy league school myself, but the names that they were throwing around surely count for something, and it was pretty intimidating and discouraging.)
After that, we took the Japanese test, which is broken down into 3 one-hour long tests that increase in difficulty. The entire test is written in Japanese. Well...I could only answer about half of the questions on the first test. :(
I didn't feel so bad, because one of the girls that was there could only do the first test too. (she was the only other non-ivy leaguer) We then took an English language exam, which was easy except that there were lots of typos in it which made the sections where you are supposed to identify the grammatical errors somewhat difficult. (it was hard to tell which were intentional and which were just typos and misprints)
Anyway, I was done by 11:30 with both of these tests, but my interview wasn't until 4:15, so I had to spend nearly 5 hours alone on the streets of Boston killing time in near 100 degree weather! It sucked.
Finally, I came up for my interview, and guess who was the person that went before me: super fluent Japanese married Harvard guy! Of all the luck! And I could hear through the door that they loved him and were laughing and having a great time.
When it was my turn, I went in and sat across from 3 professors and one woman from the consulate. I'm not sure why, but one of the professors grilled me super hard, didn't care for my research proposal, and was dissatisfied with my research methods. He just kept asking really specific questions and it was impossible for me to try to throw in good stuff about myself to try to get them to see all the awesome things that they wouldn't see just by looking at my application and essays.
Finally, the Japanese professor asked if he could speak Japanese to me. On the application, I checked the box for "fair" for speaking and for "poor" for reading and writing, not really knowing what exactly "fair" and "poor" meant. Well, as soon as he started speaking super fast using words I'd never heard before, I knew that clearly "fair" was the wrong choice. This was obvious to everyone there, and yet he just kept on talking. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he dumbed it down for me and asked some simple questions about where I lived when I was in Japan and stuff like that, but at that point, the whole interview was soured.
I'll find out sometime next week if I get moved on to the next round, but after the shear crappiness of today, I am expecting an impersonal rejection letter to show up in my inbox :(
I guess this means I need to make some decisions about stuff and pursue some other options...
It just sucks, because I wanted this so bad. :(
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The big day
Well, after a week of non-stop studying and preparations, I am heading off to Boston for my language exams and interview tomorrow!
Am I nervous? You bet!
But, at this point, I've studied and prepared as much as I can, and the only thing I can do tomorrow is my best. Hopefully that will be enough and they'll recommend me.
At any rate, I'll post again tomorrow after it is all over and let y'all know how it went.
Am I nervous? You bet!
But, at this point, I've studied and prepared as much as I can, and the only thing I can do tomorrow is my best. Hopefully that will be enough and they'll recommend me.
At any rate, I'll post again tomorrow after it is all over and let y'all know how it went.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
A weekend of studying...
Well, after spending the entire weekend so far studying for my Japanese exam on Wednesday, I have now managed to increase my score on the practice exam up to 36%! That's an increase of 34 percentage points since Wednesday!
So, on the one hand, I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to get more than 25% of the questions right on a test about another language that is also written in another language.
But, on the other hand, a score of 36% sucks! And I wonder if at this right, I might be better off just choosing "C" for all the questions and hoping for the best haha.
Oh well...I still have all day tomorrow and Monday and Tuesday night to study and prepare. My goal is 50% or higher.
Wish me luck!
So, on the one hand, I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to get more than 25% of the questions right on a test about another language that is also written in another language.
But, on the other hand, a score of 36% sucks! And I wonder if at this right, I might be better off just choosing "C" for all the questions and hoping for the best haha.
Oh well...I still have all day tomorrow and Monday and Tuesday night to study and prepare. My goal is 50% or higher.
Wish me luck!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
My Top Chef 3 Prediction
After 2 episodes, I am now ready to make my official prediction of who will be the Season 3 winner of Top Chef: Hung
He's definately one of the most talented chefs on the show, despite the fact that he's kind of a cocky jerk. But, I'm rooting for him because not only does he live in Las Vegas and love tiramisu, but he also happens to have worked at two of my favorite restaurants of all time in Vegas: Guy Savoy and Aureole!
Man! Thinking about those places makes me hungry and makes me miss having dozens and dozens of 4 and 5 star restaurants less than a block away when I lived in Vegas.
Good luck Hung!
Saved by the Bell
I woke up a little early this morning, and when I turned on the TV, Saved by the Bell was on. Saved by the Bell is by far the greatest 90's TV show ever, well except for Macguyver. That man could make anything out of a straw, some gum, and a little duct tape haha.
Anyway, in honor of my Saved by the Bell stroll down memory lane this morning, here are two videos from the best episode ever: 309 (the one where Jesse Spano gets hooked on caffeine pills)
Anyway, in honor of my Saved by the Bell stroll down memory lane this morning, here are two videos from the best episode ever: 309 (the one where Jesse Spano gets hooked on caffeine pills)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
4 hours of tests! sigh...
I haven't really told many people this yet, but I have submitted a research proposal to a university in southern Japan for a PhD program for fall 08, and a few weeks ago, I found out that my proposal has been accepted. I still need to formally apply to the program, which is taught in English, but from what I understand, the application is just a formality.
I also applied to a special Japanese government scholarship. Getting this scholarship is basically the only way that I could afford to go to school there, and if I get it, it would pay for my tuition, room and board, a monthly stipend, and my airfare.
Well, I found out today that my application for the scholarship has passed the initial screening, and that I have to go to the consulate next Wednesday to sit for a 3 hour long Japanese test, a 1 hour long English test, and a half hour long interview. I'm not nervous about the English part or the interview, but I saw a few practice tests for the Japanese part, and they are super hard. The entire test is in Japanese, even the questions. And the questions aren't simple either.
I have forgotten so much Japanese since I have moved to Worcester, and I definately have my work cut out for me. I really want to be able to go to school there, so I'm really nervous. Needless to say, I'll be studying Japanese every free second until then. Wish me luck!
I also applied to a special Japanese government scholarship. Getting this scholarship is basically the only way that I could afford to go to school there, and if I get it, it would pay for my tuition, room and board, a monthly stipend, and my airfare.
Well, I found out today that my application for the scholarship has passed the initial screening, and that I have to go to the consulate next Wednesday to sit for a 3 hour long Japanese test, a 1 hour long English test, and a half hour long interview. I'm not nervous about the English part or the interview, but I saw a few practice tests for the Japanese part, and they are super hard. The entire test is in Japanese, even the questions. And the questions aren't simple either.
I have forgotten so much Japanese since I have moved to Worcester, and I definately have my work cut out for me. I really want to be able to go to school there, so I'm really nervous. Needless to say, I'll be studying Japanese every free second until then. Wish me luck!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Sunday with the Water Boys
Those of you that know me know that I have a small addiction to watching Korean dramas (with subtitles of course). Well, at the recommendation of a friend, I started watching an 11 episode Japanese drama called Water Boys last night. (it seemed like a lot more fun than unpacking or doing my laundry)
I got pretty hooked on it, and ended up finishing the who series this afternoon. It was totally addictive.
Basically, the plot (ridiculous as this sounds) focused on a group of 5 Japanese high school seniors that for whatever reason were incredibly passionate about wanting to form a synchronized swimming club and perform at their annual school festival. However, where's the drama in that? As it turns out, the entire school administration is out to get them and the 5 swimmers encounter numerous obstacles along the way, and even a few budding romances.
Although the plot is pretty ridiculous, the whole series was hillarious, entertaining, and kept me totally hooked for all 11 hours. It's definately one of the top 5 dramas I've seen. It's all available on youtube, so check it out.
Here's a bit of episode 1:
Anyway, it's back to work tomorrow :(
I got pretty hooked on it, and ended up finishing the who series this afternoon. It was totally addictive.
Basically, the plot (ridiculous as this sounds) focused on a group of 5 Japanese high school seniors that for whatever reason were incredibly passionate about wanting to form a synchronized swimming club and perform at their annual school festival. However, where's the drama in that? As it turns out, the entire school administration is out to get them and the 5 swimmers encounter numerous obstacles along the way, and even a few budding romances.
Although the plot is pretty ridiculous, the whole series was hillarious, entertaining, and kept me totally hooked for all 11 hours. It's definately one of the top 5 dramas I've seen. It's all available on youtube, so check it out.
Here's a bit of episode 1:
Anyway, it's back to work tomorrow :(
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The best vacation ever!
To start, I just have to say that my short trip to Japan definitely ranks among the top 3 vacations I’ve taken, maybe even the best.
Here is a picture video from my trip. Consider it the short version of my blog. But if you want to actually know what the pictures are of, read below :)
We stayed at the party pretty late and then Yumiko took me and David, the teacher who replaced me, back to Minokamo, where I spent the night in Michael’s apartment.
Friday:
On Friday, I woke up medium late and then headed back to Nagoya, where I picked up my JR Train Pass and took a quick nap in my hotel. I was originally planning on heading to Gero for some good old fashioned onsen fun, but it was raining quite heavily, so I decided to hang out in Nagoya for the day instead. So, I went to Osu to pick up a new memory card for my camera since I lost mine somehow, went to the Nagoya Art Museum and saw a Dali exhibit, did a bit of shopping and eating in Nagoya, and then headed to Nan Nan, my favorite neighborhood gay bar.
At first, I felt a little shy there, even though everyone remembered me. But, eventually several people came in that spoke decent enough Japanglish and I ended up having a great time, a bunch of drinks, and even left with a few numbers and emails. (it turns out to my surprise that I am quite the Don Juan in Japan…who knew?)
Saturday:
I woke up pretty early on Saturday and headed to the station, where I took the Shinano line to Nagano to meet Ryo sensei and his new wife Morika. It was a pretty short trip of only about 2.5 hours, and there was some really great scenery along the way. Once I got there, Ryo and Morika met me at the station and we went for lunch at a new okonomiyaki shop in Nagano. The food was great, and the locals there had a great time staring at me in awe of the fact that not only could I use chopsticks proficiently, but also knew how to order food in Japanese and to cook okonomiyaki myself. Haha
After lunch, we went to a famous temple in Nagano called Zenkoji. The temple itself was quite large, and there was this really cool secret tunnel underneath that we got to go in to feel around for a hidden door. (we found the door, but Ryo wasn’t quite sure what the story behind the door was, other than that it was special haha) We then had miso flavored ice cream, which was well….interesting, and then headed back to Ryo’s house.
Once we got there, I got to see the pictures and DVD from Ryo’s wedding, and Ryo’s mother prepared a huge meal of sushi (the biggest plate of sushi I have ever seen), tempura, steamed egg custard, miso, rice, and other things. It was delicious, and his mother and I had a great time talking about all of the American tv shows that she likes to watch. (her favorite is 24!)
We spent the rest of the night talking and making jokes and having a great time. It was so great to see Ryo!
Sunday:
On Sunday, I woke up, had breakfast, and headed to the station. I said goodbye to Ryo and Morika, and just barely made my train to Nakatsugawa. Once I arrived in Nakatsugawa, Yumiko met me, and we had a great sushi lunch and caught up with one another. It was a lot of fun.
Yumiko then surprised me by taking me to our friend Rie’s house near Tajimi, before we headed to Minokamo to pick up David. (I have a bit of a straight crush on Rie, so it was really cool to see her J)
We then headed to Seki and to a yakiniku restaurant called Mori Mori for a party with some of my old students from Seki school. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see my former students and Tommy, my former manager. There was also soooooo much food there. We could barely fit it all on the tables haha. We ate as much of as we could, had some drinks, and took lots of silly pictures.
After dinner, we went to David’s apartment and Yumiko, David, and I watched Borat. (which FYI is hilarious!) It felt sooooo strange to be in David’s apartment, since it used to be mine. But, David is a cool guy and the students all like him, so I am happy.
Monday:
On Monday, the weather was finally nice and sunny, so I spent some time hanging out by the river in Minokamo and then hopped on the train to Gero, or as I like to call it, onsen paradise.
Once there, I put bandaids on to cover my tattoos, and headed to 2 of my favorite onsens. Ah, kimochi!!!!!!! I then headed to a famous footbath/fountain that is said to have healing powers.
As I was sitting there, a girl named Sayuri, and her sister and father, came up to the fountain and begin speaking to me in English. It turns out that not only is Sayuri super cool, but she also has spent the past 6 years studying in America. We talked for several hours, and I showed them around a bit in Gero. (I have been there so many times that I should consider a job as a tour guide haha) Sayuri then invited me to come and hang out with her at her home near Kyoto the next day, and I headed to the train station and back to my hotel in Nagoya for the night.
Tuesday:
As planned, I the Hikari Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning to meet up with Sayuri. One problem, I forgot to bring her phone number with me!! Stupid!
So, since I had already been to Kyoto several times and seen most of the touristy things there, I simply walked around for a while, and had lunch in the station. I then called my friend in Tokyo to see what he is doing, and ended up taking the Shinkansen all the way to Tokyo to meet up with him for dinner.
The train to Tokyo only took about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and I slept through most of it. Once I got there, I met up with Sho and had a good dinner in Shibuya. I also had coffee in the Starbucks at the famous pedestrian crossing there (the busiest in the world) and walked around in Shinjuku for a bit before heading back to Nagoya.
It was a busy day, but it was a really good one.
Wednesday:
I woke up early on Wednesday so as to get some shopping done for omiyage (souvenirs for friends and family), but mostly for stuff for myself. I ended up getting a little bit of both, and also bought the coolest pair of shoes from Burberry Black Label that I have ever seen! (and exchanged emails with the cute guy that worked there)
Here is a picture video from my trip. Consider it the short version of my blog. But if you want to actually know what the pictures are of, read below :)
So, my vacation started on Thursday, when after checking into my hotel in Sakae (the cool and hip part of Nagoya), I headed to Kani for a party. Unfortunately, I just barely missed the last train to Kani for the night, so I had to take the train to Minokamo, and then take a taxi from there, but whatever…
Once there, I met Yumiko outside and she blindfolded me and guided me inside. Well, actually, she first let me accidentally walk into a plant, but eventually she guided me inside. Although I knew that there was going to be a party for me and for Masao’s birthday, I wasn’t expecting there to be so many people there, and even some students from Seki school! I was so surprised, and there was so much food. (Okonomiyaki and daikon salad, two of my favorites!) It was so great to see everyone and I could tell already that this was going to be a great trip.
Once there, I met Yumiko outside and she blindfolded me and guided me inside. Well, actually, she first let me accidentally walk into a plant, but eventually she guided me inside. Although I knew that there was going to be a party for me and for Masao’s birthday, I wasn’t expecting there to be so many people there, and even some students from Seki school! I was so surprised, and there was so much food. (Okonomiyaki and daikon salad, two of my favorites!) It was so great to see everyone and I could tell already that this was going to be a great trip.
We stayed at the party pretty late and then Yumiko took me and David, the teacher who replaced me, back to Minokamo, where I spent the night in Michael’s apartment.
Friday:
On Friday, I woke up medium late and then headed back to Nagoya, where I picked up my JR Train Pass and took a quick nap in my hotel. I was originally planning on heading to Gero for some good old fashioned onsen fun, but it was raining quite heavily, so I decided to hang out in Nagoya for the day instead. So, I went to Osu to pick up a new memory card for my camera since I lost mine somehow, went to the Nagoya Art Museum and saw a Dali exhibit, did a bit of shopping and eating in Nagoya, and then headed to Nan Nan, my favorite neighborhood gay bar.
At first, I felt a little shy there, even though everyone remembered me. But, eventually several people came in that spoke decent enough Japanglish and I ended up having a great time, a bunch of drinks, and even left with a few numbers and emails. (it turns out to my surprise that I am quite the Don Juan in Japan…who knew?)
Saturday:
I woke up pretty early on Saturday and headed to the station, where I took the Shinano line to Nagano to meet Ryo sensei and his new wife Morika. It was a pretty short trip of only about 2.5 hours, and there was some really great scenery along the way. Once I got there, Ryo and Morika met me at the station and we went for lunch at a new okonomiyaki shop in Nagano. The food was great, and the locals there had a great time staring at me in awe of the fact that not only could I use chopsticks proficiently, but also knew how to order food in Japanese and to cook okonomiyaki myself. Haha
After lunch, we went to a famous temple in Nagano called Zenkoji. The temple itself was quite large, and there was this really cool secret tunnel underneath that we got to go in to feel around for a hidden door. (we found the door, but Ryo wasn’t quite sure what the story behind the door was, other than that it was special haha) We then had miso flavored ice cream, which was well….interesting, and then headed back to Ryo’s house.
Once we got there, I got to see the pictures and DVD from Ryo’s wedding, and Ryo’s mother prepared a huge meal of sushi (the biggest plate of sushi I have ever seen), tempura, steamed egg custard, miso, rice, and other things. It was delicious, and his mother and I had a great time talking about all of the American tv shows that she likes to watch. (her favorite is 24!)
We spent the rest of the night talking and making jokes and having a great time. It was so great to see Ryo!
Sunday:
On Sunday, I woke up, had breakfast, and headed to the station. I said goodbye to Ryo and Morika, and just barely made my train to Nakatsugawa. Once I arrived in Nakatsugawa, Yumiko met me, and we had a great sushi lunch and caught up with one another. It was a lot of fun.
Yumiko then surprised me by taking me to our friend Rie’s house near Tajimi, before we headed to Minokamo to pick up David. (I have a bit of a straight crush on Rie, so it was really cool to see her J)
We then headed to Seki and to a yakiniku restaurant called Mori Mori for a party with some of my old students from Seki school. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see my former students and Tommy, my former manager. There was also soooooo much food there. We could barely fit it all on the tables haha. We ate as much of as we could, had some drinks, and took lots of silly pictures.
After dinner, we went to David’s apartment and Yumiko, David, and I watched Borat. (which FYI is hilarious!) It felt sooooo strange to be in David’s apartment, since it used to be mine. But, David is a cool guy and the students all like him, so I am happy.
Monday:
On Monday, the weather was finally nice and sunny, so I spent some time hanging out by the river in Minokamo and then hopped on the train to Gero, or as I like to call it, onsen paradise.
Once there, I put bandaids on to cover my tattoos, and headed to 2 of my favorite onsens. Ah, kimochi!!!!!!! I then headed to a famous footbath/fountain that is said to have healing powers.
As I was sitting there, a girl named Sayuri, and her sister and father, came up to the fountain and begin speaking to me in English. It turns out that not only is Sayuri super cool, but she also has spent the past 6 years studying in America. We talked for several hours, and I showed them around a bit in Gero. (I have been there so many times that I should consider a job as a tour guide haha) Sayuri then invited me to come and hang out with her at her home near Kyoto the next day, and I headed to the train station and back to my hotel in Nagoya for the night.
Tuesday:
As planned, I the Hikari Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning to meet up with Sayuri. One problem, I forgot to bring her phone number with me!! Stupid!
So, since I had already been to Kyoto several times and seen most of the touristy things there, I simply walked around for a while, and had lunch in the station. I then called my friend in Tokyo to see what he is doing, and ended up taking the Shinkansen all the way to Tokyo to meet up with him for dinner.
The train to Tokyo only took about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and I slept through most of it. Once I got there, I met up with Sho and had a good dinner in Shibuya. I also had coffee in the Starbucks at the famous pedestrian crossing there (the busiest in the world) and walked around in Shinjuku for a bit before heading back to Nagoya.
It was a busy day, but it was a really good one.
Wednesday:
I woke up early on Wednesday so as to get some shopping done for omiyage (souvenirs for friends and family), but mostly for stuff for myself. I ended up getting a little bit of both, and also bought the coolest pair of shoes from Burberry Black Label that I have ever seen! (and exchanged emails with the cute guy that worked there)
Once I was done shopping, armed with directions and Sayuri’s phone number in hand, I again ventured to Kyoto, and then to Kizu, and then to Kamo to meet Sayuri. Once I got there, Sayuri and her mom picked me up from the station and drove about 15 minutes to their home/green tea farm.
Sayuri then showed me around her home for a while and then had her brother drive us around the mountains of Wazuka to give me a tour. It was really fun and I couldn’t believe how random it was that I was in pickup truck on a mountain in a green tea farm in rural Kyoto!
We then parked and hiked a bit up a mountain to a really cool old temple from the Edo period, and had a great lunch of sushi, okonomiyaki, breads, and beers. It was great!
Afterward, I met up with Sayuri’s dad again, and then headed to the station and back to Nagoya.
Thursday:
I woke up really early on Thursday and took 3 trains to Seki. Once I got there, I took some pictures at the temple there, visited the shop keeper at the Yamazaki convenience store that I went to everyday (he was sooo surprised to see me haha), and then did some shopping for Japanese treats and food at the Uni.
At noon, Tazuko and her friend picked me up and took me to an amazing sushi restaurant close by, where we talked and ate great food. We then went shopping at a famous (by Gifu standards) shopping area and had coffee.
Later, I came back to Seki school and hung out with Tommy for a while before more of my former students came to see me. Hiroshi, Asuka, Kaoru, and Rina all hung out with me and talked for a while, and it was great to spend time with them.
David then informed me that there would be a party for me at Kani school later that night, so we invited the students and we all headed there after there lessens were over.
Once we got there, Yumiko had prepared a nice meal, and we talked and made fun of the tv show that was on, and even gave a mini lesson about the idiom “it’s like watching paint dry” to some of the students.
Afterwards, Yumiko and David took me to my hotel in Nagoya, where I packed everything that I bought into my suitcases and a few shopping bags and grabbed about 2.5 hours of sleep before I had to get up and leave for the airport.
Friday:
After waking up at 5:20 am, I headed took the Meitetsu line to the airport and checked in for my flight, and even somehow convinced them to let me sit in business executive class again for my flight from Nagoya to Tokyo. Unfortunately, I was stuck in economy class for the rest of the trip home L
My flights were fine, but after flying in uber luxurious executive class on the way over, economy class seemed to downright suck! There were no slippers or noise reducing headphones. There was no wine list or dessert and cheese cart! And horror of all horrors, me seat only reclined about 5 inches! What is this crap!!
Anyway, I arrived in Boston at about 3pm and Bethany picked me up and took me back to scenic Worcester, MA, where I arrived about 24 hours after I left!
All in all, this was a wonderful trip and was exactly what I needed to de-stress a little and to gain some closure on my Japanese experience. There were definitely some awkward feelings, but I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect vacation. And it definately helped me to make up my mind about some things.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Getting groped at customs
So, I finally arrived at Chubu Centrair Airport last night at about 8pm Japan time after an unventful flight from Tokyo to Nagoya. I sailed through immigration and got my passport stamped, got my luggage, and headed to the customs counter (the last step in the process).
Usually, you simply show the inspector your passport and he asks you a few questions and then you are on your way. But for whatever reason, the guy was quite intriqued that this was my 5th trip to Japan. He then asked why I had been to Indonesia and why I travel so much. This is a common question, and to be honest, ever since I have been there, I get questioned a lot at every immigration counter I go to.
But for some reason, this guy must have thought I was extra suspicious...or he was just bored, and asked if he could search my bags. No big deal, right?
Well, what I had forgotten is that in my suitcase (on the very top) is a Japanese book that I had bought in Nagoya last year called Gay Navi '06, which is basically a big book of information about and maps to every gay bar, hotel, etc... in the entire country of Japan.
(it's not illegal to have the book or bring anything like that into the country)
(it's not illegal to have the book or bring anything like that into the country)
With my luck, the man of course reached for the book and spent about 5 minutes (literally) thumbing through it and periodically looking up at me. I wasn't quite sure whether he thought the book was cool and had never seen it and was impressed that I could read it in Japanese, or if he was silently judging me. I was so embarrased and didn't really know what to say. So, I took a chance that he thought it was cool, and said "So goi, ne," which means, very cool isn't it?
He responded with "ne, so desu," which means yes, it is. Immediately he smiled at me and asked me to empty my pockets and asked, and I quote: "May I touch your body now?" (Japanglish translation: could he frisk me)
He responded with "ne, so desu," which means yes, it is. Immediately he smiled at me and asked me to empty my pockets and asked, and I quote: "May I touch your body now?" (Japanglish translation: could he frisk me)
I said sure. Why not, right?
He then spent literally 3 minutes "frisking" me in a mannor that very clearly was more of a caress/fondle than a frisk. (particularly when considering what parts he was focusing his attention on)
Seriously! Who else but me gets groped by a random customs inspector in a foreign country???
But hey, it's been a while, so I'll take what I can get. haha
But hey, it's been a while, so I'll take what I can get. haha
Anyway, after that, I headed to my hotel in Nagoya and then to Kani, where some of my friends and several of my former students had a party for me and had cooked some of my favorite Japanese foods! It was so nice to see everyone, and I already have most of the rest of my trip planned out with various parties, lunches, dinners, and other outings with my friends and former students.
It's definately weird being back here though and meeting the teacher that replaced me and is living in my apartment now. But the weirdest thing is that as soon as I got off the plane in Nagoya and was on the train to the city, I had the strongest feeling that I was finally coming home.
Anyway, I'm off to take a quick nap, then am heading to the onsen in Gero for the afternoon, and then for a night at my favorite gay bar, Nan Nan in Sakae in Nagoya.
This is a really great trip so far!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
See you suckers in coach!
So, today marked the beginning of my Japanese vacation. It started at 4:15am (ugh!) with an uneventful ride to Boston Logan Airport, followed by an even less eventful flight from Boston to JFK.
That's when the un-fun began...
The woman on the plane told me and about 10 Japanese people that were connecting to the Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo that we needed to go to gate 6. So we did.
However, once we all got there, we were told that she actually meant for us to go to gate 6 in Terminal 1. We were in terminal 9. So, they instructed us to exit the building and take the Sky Train to Terminal 1.
Well...we all got on the train at about 8:45. And as soon as we got on, there was an announcement that all trains were being held because of "congestion ahead." This announcement continued until about 9:20. Then, they shut the doors to the train so that people couldn't get off, and continued with the announcement. (keep in mind that our flight was at 10am)
Finally, at 9:40, the train still not even having moved, the doors opened and a woman came in and told us that we all needed to leave the train immediately and take a bus instead. So, like cattle, we all headed to the bus stop and waited for the bus until 9:55.
Finally, me and this Japanese family, in a last ditch effort to try and make our flight, flagged down a cab and made it to the terminal at exactly 10am. But unfortunately, our flight had just left without us :(
I was so pissed because the whole situation was ridiculous. The woman at the counter was super nice though and told us that we could all probably get on the 1:30 flight and to come back in a little while. However, because I am a Japan Airlines Mileage Bank member, she decided to immediately give me a ticket for the flight, and bumped me up to Executive Class!!!!!!
How sweet is that! I did feel medium bad for a second because the woman and her 3 children and elderly grandmother that I was with were only put on standby and might not get on the flight, but I was not about to give up an Executive Class flight to Tokyo! It doesn't get much better than that.
Now, flying on Japan Airlines is pretty luxuriuos to begin with. The food is good, there are tons of movies for you to watch at your seat, and the chairs are pretty comfortable.
But, now that I've flown Executive Class, I may not ever be able to go back to flying coach again! Let me tell you about my flight...
Got on board and found my seat (I'll talk about that later) and was immediately greeted by a flight attendent who asked for my cocktail order. She then provided me with super comfortable slippers, a cardigan, and an amenity kit that included a toothbrush and stuff like that, rejuvinating face mask, and special Sony noise eliminating headphones.
The food was amazing, and not only were there multiple courses to each meal, but a wine list, and unlimited premium alcohol. (which I totally took advantage of with 2 glasses of champagne, 2 glasses of wine, and a Bailey's on the rocks with dessert =) There was also a list of hot snacks and sandwiches and other things that we could have at any time by simply pressing the call button! There was even a dessert and cheese cart! And, it was all served on fine china!!
As if that wasn't enough, Executive Class features these special shell seats with electronic controls, a back massager, and a built in tv. The best part though is that somehow, by pressing only one button, a footrest pops up and extends outward, and the whole back goes down to form a completely horizontal bed for you to sleep in!! You need to see this thing to understand just how cool it is:
Honestly, this was the best flight I've ever been on. It was like going to an international day spa! The downside is that actually buying a ticket for these seats costs thousands of dollars, so I doubt I'll ever afford to fly it again. So I guess I'll have to slum it with the common folk in economy on the way home haha.
Now, I'm in the Tokyo/Narita airport killing time before my short connecting flight to Nagoya. Once I get there, I'll check into my hotel, and then head to Kani, where some of my friends are having an okonomiyaki party.
Okay...WHOAA! A really hot guy just sat down across from me...
This is shaping up to be a great trip!!
That's when the un-fun began...
The woman on the plane told me and about 10 Japanese people that were connecting to the Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo that we needed to go to gate 6. So we did.
However, once we all got there, we were told that she actually meant for us to go to gate 6 in Terminal 1. We were in terminal 9. So, they instructed us to exit the building and take the Sky Train to Terminal 1.
Well...we all got on the train at about 8:45. And as soon as we got on, there was an announcement that all trains were being held because of "congestion ahead." This announcement continued until about 9:20. Then, they shut the doors to the train so that people couldn't get off, and continued with the announcement. (keep in mind that our flight was at 10am)
Finally, at 9:40, the train still not even having moved, the doors opened and a woman came in and told us that we all needed to leave the train immediately and take a bus instead. So, like cattle, we all headed to the bus stop and waited for the bus until 9:55.
Finally, me and this Japanese family, in a last ditch effort to try and make our flight, flagged down a cab and made it to the terminal at exactly 10am. But unfortunately, our flight had just left without us :(
I was so pissed because the whole situation was ridiculous. The woman at the counter was super nice though and told us that we could all probably get on the 1:30 flight and to come back in a little while. However, because I am a Japan Airlines Mileage Bank member, she decided to immediately give me a ticket for the flight, and bumped me up to Executive Class!!!!!!
How sweet is that! I did feel medium bad for a second because the woman and her 3 children and elderly grandmother that I was with were only put on standby and might not get on the flight, but I was not about to give up an Executive Class flight to Tokyo! It doesn't get much better than that.
Now, flying on Japan Airlines is pretty luxuriuos to begin with. The food is good, there are tons of movies for you to watch at your seat, and the chairs are pretty comfortable.
But, now that I've flown Executive Class, I may not ever be able to go back to flying coach again! Let me tell you about my flight...
Got on board and found my seat (I'll talk about that later) and was immediately greeted by a flight attendent who asked for my cocktail order. She then provided me with super comfortable slippers, a cardigan, and an amenity kit that included a toothbrush and stuff like that, rejuvinating face mask, and special Sony noise eliminating headphones.
The food was amazing, and not only were there multiple courses to each meal, but a wine list, and unlimited premium alcohol. (which I totally took advantage of with 2 glasses of champagne, 2 glasses of wine, and a Bailey's on the rocks with dessert =) There was also a list of hot snacks and sandwiches and other things that we could have at any time by simply pressing the call button! There was even a dessert and cheese cart! And, it was all served on fine china!!
As if that wasn't enough, Executive Class features these special shell seats with electronic controls, a back massager, and a built in tv. The best part though is that somehow, by pressing only one button, a footrest pops up and extends outward, and the whole back goes down to form a completely horizontal bed for you to sleep in!! You need to see this thing to understand just how cool it is:
Honestly, this was the best flight I've ever been on. It was like going to an international day spa! The downside is that actually buying a ticket for these seats costs thousands of dollars, so I doubt I'll ever afford to fly it again. So I guess I'll have to slum it with the common folk in economy on the way home haha.
Now, I'm in the Tokyo/Narita airport killing time before my short connecting flight to Nagoya. Once I get there, I'll check into my hotel, and then head to Kani, where some of my friends are having an okonomiyaki party.
Okay...WHOAA! A really hot guy just sat down across from me...
This is shaping up to be a great trip!!
Monday, June 4, 2007
The loniest year
It's about 1:30 am. It's a windy night, and the pitter patter of rain drops hitting my windows should be easing me into a gentle sleep. But instead, I'm staring out the windows gazing at the tree limbs as they sway back and forth in the breeze, totally preoccupied with today's date.
June 4; a date that used to mean so little. It was a day before my sister's birthday, three days before my parents' anniversary, and a week or two before Father's day. Nothing too important.
But last year, this date took on a meaning of its own, as exactly one year ago today, I said goodbye to my friends, job, and life in Las Vegas, and boarded a plane bound for Japan, the unknown, and the unexpected.
I remember it all so vividly. The days and weeks leading up to it. The packing. The goodbyes. The unsuccessful efforts not to cry.
In fact, at this exact time last year, I was just getting home from my farewell dinner with my closest friends out on the Strip. It was my last night in Vegas. My last night with a safety net. And my last night in America for who knows how long.
And in only a few short hours, I had said my last (and most difficult) goodbye and was sitting on an airborne plane with my fingers pressed against the window as I looked through tear filled eyes down at a shrinking Las Vegas skyline for one last time.
It was a day filled with so much sadness. But for all the sadness; for all the sacrifice, I knew in my heart that going to Japan was a dream worth following and that goodbyes are only as permanent as I make them.
After all, a life full of adventure awaited me.
Flash forward one year, two jobs, and a whole lot of frequent flier miles later, and here I am in Worcester, Massachusetts and living a life that I hardly recognize.
Since I haven't posted any blogs in quite a while, here are some of the items of interest from the past five months:
- Briefly dated a stalker.
- Temporarily co-adopted a devil cat that bit me while I slept.
- Learned how to make sangria in my Brita pitcher.
- Adopted the most wonderful dog ever.
- Had to give my dog away because she was too loud L
- Did a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
- Discovered that Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List is my new favorite show.
- Got a new high score on Text Twist.
And that's it in a nut shell. Exciting, huh?
Don't get me wrong, things could be so much worse. And I realize the triviality and insignificance of my woes in the big picture. In fact, as I write this, a friend is grieving the loss of a parent, another is dealing with the loss of her long-time partner, and there is war, famine, poverty, illness, celebrities being photographed by paparazzi while not wearing underwear, and other "real" problems happening all around me.
Still, the bottom line is that I am just not that happy here. I don't love my job, yet all I do is work. I really don't love the place where I live. My love life is non-existent. And my social circle, while great, consists primarily of two people, really making it more of a triangle than a circle, and definitely making it lame.
Now, it's not that I'm not trying. And it's not that I don't have a plan and lots of hope. There are just lots of obstacles to overcome here. And I realistically don't think that I will ever be very happy here in Worcester.
But staying for another year is part of the plan, so I'll make the best of it.
I think this anniversary is just leaving me in a very reflective mood. And I'm feeling so many things, ranging from disappointment that my "life full of adventure" has turned out to be THIS, to examining the choices that brought me here, to a determination to make things better.
But mostly, this day just makes me remember how much I miss my friends and my life back then and how important it is to appreciate the good things in life while you have them. Beauty is indeed fleeting.
At any rate, I'm headed to Japan for a much needed vacation and to visit some friends on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to it, though I'm sure it will be a somewhat emotion filled trip as I return to the place I once lived and made so many wonderful memories.
Here's hoping that Monday and Tuesday fly by.
June 4; a date that used to mean so little. It was a day before my sister's birthday, three days before my parents' anniversary, and a week or two before Father's day. Nothing too important.
But last year, this date took on a meaning of its own, as exactly one year ago today, I said goodbye to my friends, job, and life in Las Vegas, and boarded a plane bound for Japan, the unknown, and the unexpected.
I remember it all so vividly. The days and weeks leading up to it. The packing. The goodbyes. The unsuccessful efforts not to cry.
In fact, at this exact time last year, I was just getting home from my farewell dinner with my closest friends out on the Strip. It was my last night in Vegas. My last night with a safety net. And my last night in America for who knows how long.
And in only a few short hours, I had said my last (and most difficult) goodbye and was sitting on an airborne plane with my fingers pressed against the window as I looked through tear filled eyes down at a shrinking Las Vegas skyline for one last time.
It was a day filled with so much sadness. But for all the sadness; for all the sacrifice, I knew in my heart that going to Japan was a dream worth following and that goodbyes are only as permanent as I make them.
After all, a life full of adventure awaited me.
Flash forward one year, two jobs, and a whole lot of frequent flier miles later, and here I am in Worcester, Massachusetts and living a life that I hardly recognize.
Since I haven't posted any blogs in quite a while, here are some of the items of interest from the past five months:
- Briefly dated a stalker.
- Temporarily co-adopted a devil cat that bit me while I slept.
- Learned how to make sangria in my Brita pitcher.
- Adopted the most wonderful dog ever.
- Had to give my dog away because she was too loud L
- Did a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
- Discovered that Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List is my new favorite show.
- Got a new high score on Text Twist.
And that's it in a nut shell. Exciting, huh?
Don't get me wrong, things could be so much worse. And I realize the triviality and insignificance of my woes in the big picture. In fact, as I write this, a friend is grieving the loss of a parent, another is dealing with the loss of her long-time partner, and there is war, famine, poverty, illness, celebrities being photographed by paparazzi while not wearing underwear, and other "real" problems happening all around me.
Still, the bottom line is that I am just not that happy here. I don't love my job, yet all I do is work. I really don't love the place where I live. My love life is non-existent. And my social circle, while great, consists primarily of two people, really making it more of a triangle than a circle, and definitely making it lame.
Now, it's not that I'm not trying. And it's not that I don't have a plan and lots of hope. There are just lots of obstacles to overcome here. And I realistically don't think that I will ever be very happy here in Worcester.
But staying for another year is part of the plan, so I'll make the best of it.
I think this anniversary is just leaving me in a very reflective mood. And I'm feeling so many things, ranging from disappointment that my "life full of adventure" has turned out to be THIS, to examining the choices that brought me here, to a determination to make things better.
But mostly, this day just makes me remember how much I miss my friends and my life back then and how important it is to appreciate the good things in life while you have them. Beauty is indeed fleeting.
At any rate, I'm headed to Japan for a much needed vacation and to visit some friends on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to it, though I'm sure it will be a somewhat emotion filled trip as I return to the place I once lived and made so many wonderful memories.
Here's hoping that Monday and Tuesday fly by.
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