One month ago today I got on a plane and came home.
One month ago today I finished an amazing trip, one of a lifetime, one that I am sure I will never experience again.
Now, one month later, I find that I am still having trouble finding the words to accurately sum up my trip.
Many people have asked me how my trip was. How can I put it into words? I know that they want a quick answer, so I throw out an "Awesome!" or "Fantastic!", knowing that these words are too little for a trip so big and with such an impact. What I really want to say to them is, "Come here, sit down, and let me tell you about it..."
I have so much to tell.
Can anything really compare to seeing the bent and twisted frame of the Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima? That can't be summed up in a word. In fact, there will never be enough words. I am still in shock that I was able to go there. While my time in Hiroshima was so short, I learned so much, and felt so much. I tried to blog how I felt, but there was such raw emotion that I held back. I think Hiroshima is something you have to experience in order to truly understand.
What about that delicious food? I've not eaten much rice, seafood, or sushi since I have returned home, but I crave it. Oddly enough, I crave it. I want miso soup. I want fruit so sweet that it hurts to taste it. I want that bread that had custard kneaded throughout. I didn't ever find the seasoning for rice that I had on that first night in Tokyo, and I want that too. I miss slurping noodles. And, God help me, I miss those school lunches, because that was some good eating!
I miss the subway. I miss the cleanliness of Japan. I miss the politeness of its people, and the gentleness that permeated everything. I never felt unsafe in Japan, never ill at ease unless I was trying to order something. I miss the easy routine of my days, knowing where and when I had to be everyday and what I needed to be wearing. I have found myself missing that routine since I have been back, and missing that program book more than I thought!
What are the greater lessons that I have learned?
For one, people are the same no matter where you go, although they may be more polite than what you are used to! My eyes were opened while in Japan to what a raucous group Americans are! We are proud, independent, stubborn people...not all bad things! But we don't acclimate ourselves well to our surroundings, and at times, I was embarrassed by the actions of my colleagues. So, I learned acceptance, and came to terms with the fact that people are people. Towards the end of the trip, I saw that some younger Japanese acted as we did...talking on the subway, eating and drinking while walking, and it made me sad.
Two, kids are kids no matter where you go. They laugh and cry, and when they get angry, beat up on each other. I think that the Japanese education system has its own problems, as does ours, and maybe we could benefit from sharing those problems with each other. For some reason, though, I think pride will stop us from that. Why admit problems in your country, much less share those with another? Oh, we could learn so much from each other, everywhere, if we just allow ourselves the pure and simple luxury of communication.
Three, I am blessed and fortunate to have been given this opportunity. This was the last trip of its kind sponsored by the Japanese government. How lucky I am to have been selected! I was treated like royalty, given gifts, provided rare opportunities, and created memories that will last a lifetime.
I simply cannot find the words to express all that I am feeling...
So, in parting, domo arigato gozaimasu to the people and government of Japan, who have given me this precious gift. Thank you to the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund and the Institute for International Education for the preparations made for me, and for taking care of me while in Japan. Thank you to my parents for taking care of my house and my cats while I was gone, and more importantly, instilling in me along the way some desire to learn and to be independent. Thank you to my school corporation and its administrators who allowed me to partake in this experience. I am extremely lucky and fortunate to work with people who value these types of experiences for their teachers. Finally, thank you to my students, who read the blog and asked questions. Some of you waited until I got home to ask, but I was touched that you followed the blog and showed interest.
Laozi (or Lao Tsu) said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I hope that this blog has inspired you to take that first step on your own journey, to find something that fulfills a part of you. I had always dreamed of a trip to Japan, and I could not ask for more than what I experienced. The good, the bad, the surreal...it all is wrapped up into one amazing and unforgettable experience.
Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. - Matsuo Basho
I couldn't agree more...
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Quick note!
I have safely made it home. I had an awesome seat on the flight from Tokyo...window seat right behind the bulkhead, so extra legroom for me! I got some pizza at the airport in Chicago and found it disgusting...this is clearly a sign that I have lost my senses or that I have just become accustomed to Japanese food and couldn't stomach cheese. I slept the entire flight to Louisville from Chicago, and am now nestled on my couch.
When did it get so cold here? It was hot when I left!!!
I have safely made it home. I had an awesome seat on the flight from Tokyo...window seat right behind the bulkhead, so extra legroom for me! I got some pizza at the airport in Chicago and found it disgusting...this is clearly a sign that I have lost my senses or that I have just become accustomed to Japanese food and couldn't stomach cheese. I slept the entire flight to Louisville from Chicago, and am now nestled on my couch.
When did it get so cold here? It was hot when I left!!!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Last Post from Japan
Well, it is finally here. I've been ready for this day for about a week now, and now that it is finally here, I am wondering if I got everything in that I wanted to do. In the days ahead, I will post about my final journey home, and will also reflect on what this whole trip was about. I think I will be very pleased with what I did. There were some definite negatives, but they have been so grossly outnumbered by positives that the negatives don't seem to matter that much. And in time, I know that I will forget those negatives and take the positives with me.
I got up very early today to go hit a couple shrines with Shannon. By early, I mean 5:00am. At breakfast I enjoyed some tasty treats for the last time. Miso soup may never taste as good as it did this morning, and why I can't find custard bread in the US is beyond me, but probably a good thing. It was strange to be on the subway so early. Rush hour was a few hours off yet, so it was peaceful.
I went to two major shrines in Tokyo that had been on my list for quite some time...pretty much dating back to when I first found out that I had been awarded this trip. The first was Yasukuni. Yasukuni is a Shrinto shrine dedicated to those who lost their lives fighting for the Emperor. I had been very interested in this shrine because of its museum, which I had hoped to see but it did not open until 9:00. My Chinese history professor told me in the spring that the Japanese clean up their history at this shrine, and leave out the really bad parts (want to read about an absolute atrocity in World History? Look up the Rape of Nanking - or Nanjing - which has been mentioned at a minimum in the Yasukuni Museum). The odd thing about this shrine, for me, was seeing the strings of cranes here that we saw similarly hung in Hiroshima. Peace cranes at a war museum. I am still trying to wrap my head around this one. I get the surface of it, but at the same time, this is a shrine that glorifies the military strength that Japan once possessed. It seems odd to have those cranes there.
The second shrine was the Meiji shrine, built to honor the Emperor Meiji, who introduced sweeping reforms across Japan and helped to modernize Japan and bring it into the 20th Century. It was extremely quiet, and extremely peaceful and beautiful. I didn't get a chance to do the museum, but that's okay. I think I will be okay! I found a little souvenir shop that finally had a geisha doll at the right price. Now I just need to find a place to pack that!
I have to wrap up packing, get my bags weighed, and start my checking out process. My plane leaves at 5:55pm Tokyo time, and I will get home tonight around 8:30pm Corydon time. And before you as, no, that does not mean I have a short flight. I will be on the plane to Chicago for 11-12 hours, and then from Chicago to Louisville for a little over an hour, with approximately a 3-hour layover in Chicago. Today is the day that time will stand still for me. It should be very interesting. I am EXHAUSTED, so I am sure I will get ample amounts of sleep on the plane. I am supposed to have a window seat, so that should help out a lot!
The next time you hear from me, I will be back home in the States! Woo hoo!!!
I got up very early today to go hit a couple shrines with Shannon. By early, I mean 5:00am. At breakfast I enjoyed some tasty treats for the last time. Miso soup may never taste as good as it did this morning, and why I can't find custard bread in the US is beyond me, but probably a good thing. It was strange to be on the subway so early. Rush hour was a few hours off yet, so it was peaceful.
I went to two major shrines in Tokyo that had been on my list for quite some time...pretty much dating back to when I first found out that I had been awarded this trip. The first was Yasukuni. Yasukuni is a Shrinto shrine dedicated to those who lost their lives fighting for the Emperor. I had been very interested in this shrine because of its museum, which I had hoped to see but it did not open until 9:00. My Chinese history professor told me in the spring that the Japanese clean up their history at this shrine, and leave out the really bad parts (want to read about an absolute atrocity in World History? Look up the Rape of Nanking - or Nanjing - which has been mentioned at a minimum in the Yasukuni Museum). The odd thing about this shrine, for me, was seeing the strings of cranes here that we saw similarly hung in Hiroshima. Peace cranes at a war museum. I am still trying to wrap my head around this one. I get the surface of it, but at the same time, this is a shrine that glorifies the military strength that Japan once possessed. It seems odd to have those cranes there.
The second shrine was the Meiji shrine, built to honor the Emperor Meiji, who introduced sweeping reforms across Japan and helped to modernize Japan and bring it into the 20th Century. It was extremely quiet, and extremely peaceful and beautiful. I didn't get a chance to do the museum, but that's okay. I think I will be okay! I found a little souvenir shop that finally had a geisha doll at the right price. Now I just need to find a place to pack that!
I have to wrap up packing, get my bags weighed, and start my checking out process. My plane leaves at 5:55pm Tokyo time, and I will get home tonight around 8:30pm Corydon time. And before you as, no, that does not mean I have a short flight. I will be on the plane to Chicago for 11-12 hours, and then from Chicago to Louisville for a little over an hour, with approximately a 3-hour layover in Chicago. Today is the day that time will stand still for me. It should be very interesting. I am EXHAUSTED, so I am sure I will get ample amounts of sleep on the plane. I am supposed to have a window seat, so that should help out a lot!
The next time you hear from me, I will be back home in the States! Woo hoo!!!
Woeful Wednesday
Well, today was the last full day in Japan. I headed up to the restaurant on the 40th floor again in hopes of catching another glimpse of Mount Fuji (did I mention I finally saw Fuji yesterday? It was a little hazy, and wasn't snowcapped, but I did see it), but it was way too hazy/foggy to get a nice clear view. Breakfast was still tasty...I am going to miss the fruit. It somehow tastes fresher and sweeter here.
Our group presentations were today. On the record, our group worked really hard to put together a nice presentation. Off the record, it was very nice, but it was a bit dull in my opinion. When you see how the other groups had everyone participate, and how they had such a good time, I admit to being a little upset. My students know that I am not a push through in a boring manner kind of teacher. Our presentation was like that. It was a little frustrating, and I did get upset about it. After our presentation, we had a break during which we presented Kyoko-san with some parting gifts. During this time, one of the group members offered to make a CD-ROM for everyone in the group about the presentation, which was very nice of him (he's a great guy, so I am not surprised). Someone mentioned meeting for breakfast at 8:00am Thursday so that everyone could get their disks. Several of us (including me) had already made plans...you can bet that I wasn't going to sit around and wait in the hotel all morning when I could be out exploring. When I voiced this, another group member took the opportunity to berate me in front of the entire group. Combine that with the fact that I felt shut out during the entire presentation process, plus just really being ready to go home, it made for a situation in which I became very upset. Very upset. To have someone who is a professional (or claims to be) speak down to someone else who is of his same level is a bit ridiculous. I am so ready to be away from some of these people!!!
Luckily, I made it through the rest of the presentations as well as another lackluster hotel buffet lunch (you should have seen the take on Mexican lasagna today...tortilla chips, grilled eggplant, some tomato sauce, and cheese...although come to think of it, it was probably the best thing I ate...weird). I registered and paid for the graduate credits I will be receiving through the program, and then headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping. I had about an hour to rest before the Sayonara Banquet.
The Banquet was interesting. It was another no-chairs situation. I can see why that is useful, as it allows you to mingle freely, but let me tell you...this girl has done a LOT of walking. The feet were not happy about being thrust into another pair of pantyhose and dress shoes. But, the two hours went quickly. We heard speeches, drank a toast, mucnhed on some fancy food, watched an akido demonstration (a pretty fascinationg Japanese martial art where you use the energy of your opponent to defeat them), and sang "Auld Lang Syne," which is what the Japanese sing for departures. You could have sworn that it was New Year's!
After the banquet, some of us ventured out to go to Tokyo Tower. We just barely made it before they stopped selling tickets. It was awesome to see Tokyo lit up at night! Very pretty. Hopefully the pictures turned out well...I haven't had a chance to put them on the computer yet!
I spent the rest of the evening packing and ignoring my blog. Sigh. Pictures someday, pictures someday...
Our group presentations were today. On the record, our group worked really hard to put together a nice presentation. Off the record, it was very nice, but it was a bit dull in my opinion. When you see how the other groups had everyone participate, and how they had such a good time, I admit to being a little upset. My students know that I am not a push through in a boring manner kind of teacher. Our presentation was like that. It was a little frustrating, and I did get upset about it. After our presentation, we had a break during which we presented Kyoko-san with some parting gifts. During this time, one of the group members offered to make a CD-ROM for everyone in the group about the presentation, which was very nice of him (he's a great guy, so I am not surprised). Someone mentioned meeting for breakfast at 8:00am Thursday so that everyone could get their disks. Several of us (including me) had already made plans...you can bet that I wasn't going to sit around and wait in the hotel all morning when I could be out exploring. When I voiced this, another group member took the opportunity to berate me in front of the entire group. Combine that with the fact that I felt shut out during the entire presentation process, plus just really being ready to go home, it made for a situation in which I became very upset. Very upset. To have someone who is a professional (or claims to be) speak down to someone else who is of his same level is a bit ridiculous. I am so ready to be away from some of these people!!!
Luckily, I made it through the rest of the presentations as well as another lackluster hotel buffet lunch (you should have seen the take on Mexican lasagna today...tortilla chips, grilled eggplant, some tomato sauce, and cheese...although come to think of it, it was probably the best thing I ate...weird). I registered and paid for the graduate credits I will be receiving through the program, and then headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping. I had about an hour to rest before the Sayonara Banquet.
The Banquet was interesting. It was another no-chairs situation. I can see why that is useful, as it allows you to mingle freely, but let me tell you...this girl has done a LOT of walking. The feet were not happy about being thrust into another pair of pantyhose and dress shoes. But, the two hours went quickly. We heard speeches, drank a toast, mucnhed on some fancy food, watched an akido demonstration (a pretty fascinationg Japanese martial art where you use the energy of your opponent to defeat them), and sang "Auld Lang Syne," which is what the Japanese sing for departures. You could have sworn that it was New Year's!
After the banquet, some of us ventured out to go to Tokyo Tower. We just barely made it before they stopped selling tickets. It was awesome to see Tokyo lit up at night! Very pretty. Hopefully the pictures turned out well...I haven't had a chance to put them on the computer yet!
I spent the rest of the evening packing and ignoring my blog. Sigh. Pictures someday, pictures someday...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Memoirs of a Micky
Okay, Tuesday...time is slipping through my fingers and I am having trouble keeping up! But, I'll get it done somehow!
I am writing this Wednesday around 1:00, so the verbs may be off. I apologize!
Tuesday we were back to a semi-regular routine with our meetings in Tokyo. I attended a seminar on art education, and it was so much fun! The leader of the seminar is the owner and operator of the Tokyo Toy Museum, and if I had more time I definitely would have liked to have gone there, but I can only do so much in the time that I have left. We made a couple of toys out of paper, which was fun. It was about time that we got some hands-on activities to do during a meeting! Had we done the same with the meeting with Sanyo-Onoda's mayor, I would have been at the top of my game! I think the most striking thing that was said during the presentation was that we can only have art education during a time of peace. There's something for you to think about! It was a very interesting presentation, and I am glad that I chose that one out of the four options that were presented to me (the others were on special education, kindergarten, and environmental education).
For lunch I did something I shouldn't have done, but it was all in the name of research! I went to McDonald's for the sole purpose of getting a McShrimp burger. In Japan, they call it the Filet O' Ebi (ebi means shrimp in Japanese). It was truly bizarre. I wouldn't say that it was bad, but I don't see myself rushing back to get another one. It was like a crabcake only it was made with shrimp. It, of course, had mayonnaise on it.
The afternoon session was spent at a question and answer session on Japanesse education. It dragged on a little longer than it should have. I honestly feel that most of the questions asked had been asked before we left Tokyo, and the answers didn't change that much. Of course, a couple of people from my group had to stand up and ask the same questions they asked everywhere we went. I am telling you, humans can be quite predictible creatures! We would be great in zoos because we do things the same way all of the time. It's pure and utter craziness, let me tell you. I had a hard time keeping my mind focused because of what I had planned for the evening.
That's right, kids...Tuesday night was Geisha Night. The Fat Geisha came to life!
Four of us went...Holly from the Sanyo-Onoda group, Cyndi, and Kathy. Cyndi, Kathy and I go way back to the early Ning days (I like to call it the Early Ning Dynasty). It was fun to hang out with them! I plan on documenting the entire process on the website in the days to come, but yes, it did get done, and when it did, I looked like this:
It took a lot of baby oil and time to get all of that make-up off, let me tell you! When I woke up this morning, I found traces of it behind my ears. As I don't recall having that make-up put on behind my ears, I am pretty confused as to how it got there!
After the geisha experience, we headed over to Oriental Bazaar to do some last minute shopping, but they had just closed (it was around 7:15...becoming a geisha takes a lot of time). So, we consoled ourselves over hot bowls of noodles and some nice fresh gyoza. Dad loved gyoza when he was over here and he kept telling me to try it. I'm glad I finally got the chance...he was 100% right, it was fantastic! I got home pretty early (home meaning the New Otani...I've been here long enough that it feels like home), around 9:00 or so. I decided to start going through paperwork and trashing some stuff. Let's face it...most of the literature about my host city was in Japanese and I will never be able to read it, so it went away. I don't think I am going to have problems packing, which is a HUGE relief!
Tonight I am going to try to fully catch up on the blog as well as go back and add pictures in where I couldn't. Check back and see what I've been doing!
Parting shot...I kind of feel that I look like Darth Vader right after they took the mask off. Pretty scary stuff...
I am writing this Wednesday around 1:00, so the verbs may be off. I apologize!
Tuesday we were back to a semi-regular routine with our meetings in Tokyo. I attended a seminar on art education, and it was so much fun! The leader of the seminar is the owner and operator of the Tokyo Toy Museum, and if I had more time I definitely would have liked to have gone there, but I can only do so much in the time that I have left. We made a couple of toys out of paper, which was fun. It was about time that we got some hands-on activities to do during a meeting! Had we done the same with the meeting with Sanyo-Onoda's mayor, I would have been at the top of my game! I think the most striking thing that was said during the presentation was that we can only have art education during a time of peace. There's something for you to think about! It was a very interesting presentation, and I am glad that I chose that one out of the four options that were presented to me (the others were on special education, kindergarten, and environmental education).
For lunch I did something I shouldn't have done, but it was all in the name of research! I went to McDonald's for the sole purpose of getting a McShrimp burger. In Japan, they call it the Filet O' Ebi (ebi means shrimp in Japanese). It was truly bizarre. I wouldn't say that it was bad, but I don't see myself rushing back to get another one. It was like a crabcake only it was made with shrimp. It, of course, had mayonnaise on it.
The afternoon session was spent at a question and answer session on Japanesse education. It dragged on a little longer than it should have. I honestly feel that most of the questions asked had been asked before we left Tokyo, and the answers didn't change that much. Of course, a couple of people from my group had to stand up and ask the same questions they asked everywhere we went. I am telling you, humans can be quite predictible creatures! We would be great in zoos because we do things the same way all of the time. It's pure and utter craziness, let me tell you. I had a hard time keeping my mind focused because of what I had planned for the evening.
That's right, kids...Tuesday night was Geisha Night. The Fat Geisha came to life!
Four of us went...Holly from the Sanyo-Onoda group, Cyndi, and Kathy. Cyndi, Kathy and I go way back to the early Ning days (I like to call it the Early Ning Dynasty). It was fun to hang out with them! I plan on documenting the entire process on the website in the days to come, but yes, it did get done, and when it did, I looked like this:
It took a lot of baby oil and time to get all of that make-up off, let me tell you! When I woke up this morning, I found traces of it behind my ears. As I don't recall having that make-up put on behind my ears, I am pretty confused as to how it got there!
After the geisha experience, we headed over to Oriental Bazaar to do some last minute shopping, but they had just closed (it was around 7:15...becoming a geisha takes a lot of time). So, we consoled ourselves over hot bowls of noodles and some nice fresh gyoza. Dad loved gyoza when he was over here and he kept telling me to try it. I'm glad I finally got the chance...he was 100% right, it was fantastic! I got home pretty early (home meaning the New Otani...I've been here long enough that it feels like home), around 9:00 or so. I decided to start going through paperwork and trashing some stuff. Let's face it...most of the literature about my host city was in Japanese and I will never be able to read it, so it went away. I don't think I am going to have problems packing, which is a HUGE relief!
Tonight I am going to try to fully catch up on the blog as well as go back and add pictures in where I couldn't. Check back and see what I've been doing!
Parting shot...I kind of feel that I look like Darth Vader right after they took the mask off. Pretty scary stuff...
Monday, Monday...
After an extremely rough night of sleep (the futons were hard, and that buckwheat pillow thing needs to be set on fire...add that to the snorer in our room who woke so many of the dead that I lost count), I got up and decided that I needed to go for another dip in the hot springs. Well, I kind of had to because we didn't have showers in our room, so we at least had to go down to the bathing room. I figured since I had already out myself out there, I might as well go ahead and take a dip. By that point, I was already used to the whole bathing process. It's actually quite liberating in a weird way. Extremely liberating considering the fact that I was the only one down there so I could walk around freely and not scare anyone or myself!
I tried to do breakfast after that. It was a nice set-up, but man, there was a little dish of sardines there, just staring at me! I tried some (because I am trying everything but natto while I am here) and they weren't bad, but I'm not going to rush out and buy any soon. There was the usual rice, seaweed, pickled vegetables, etc...but the weird thing on the table today (minus the sardines) was a bowl of this pale yellow creamy liquid. The host came over and lit a fire under it, and according to Kyoko-san, our fearless leader, I was supposed to let this cook until the fire went out, and then it would be a custard. A soybean custard. A tofu custard that I would put ginger and scallions on. I tried it. I hated it. Yuck.
I finished packing things up and went downstairs. I had seen a massage chair (one of those vibrating kinds) downstairs that you could sit in. 200 yen for 15 minutes. That's a $2 massage, people! I had to do it! I couldn't read anything on the contoller, so I just pushed buttons randomly. Ah, heaven. A girl could get used to this ryokan thing, as long as they brought me toast and Life cereal instead of tofu custard and sardines.
It was time to head off to Tokyo...finally! We crammed ourselves on our little bus and it was off to Ube Airport, where we had flown into a little over a week ago. We stopped at a grocery store (yes!) to get box lunches. These were much better than the box lunches we had eaten previously. The guy who made them came out and talked to us. He had been a travel agent before he went into his bakery/deli business, and has been to the States something like 27 times. Very nice man. Kyoko-san told us that he was happy to speak English with native speakers.
At the airport, I got to eat fugu again because one of the souvenir stands was handing out samples. You can buy fugu all over the place here! It was truly taking life into my own hands to eat fugu at an airport...for free...but I did it anyway. You only live once, right? At any rate, the 24-time period has elapsed and I am still alive, so no worries. Some host families showed up to say goodbye to the people who had stayed with them. I didn't look for mine, because I had a feeling that they wouldn't be there. They didn't disappoint! Luckily, I wasn't the only one whose host family didn't show up, but I think that this lends a little credibility to my host family story. I didn't want you guys to think I was making all of that up or being overly dramatic. They just didn't come. I felt like the last kid picked at the playground or even worse, the dog at the shelter that does not get adopted, even though every other dog did. Oh well. Like I said before, it's over now, and I can close that chapter!
Eating airport fugu
The trip back to Tokyo was uneventful save for landing. That was truly the worst landing I have ever experienced. The plane kind of shifted sideways when it landed. It was crazy. I hope to neer relive that one!
My group wanted to meet right after we got off the airport bus to talk about our presentations. I am in the Culture group for our presentation, and we weren't anywhere close to being finished because of all of the cultural stuff we had experienced over the weekend. The other groups (School and Community) had worked on theirs and were basically finished. They said that we should meet that night to get it done. What? I have a half day free in Tokyo and you expect me to sit around a hotel? Forget it. The presentations weren't until Wednesday, so we had plenty of time. I had decided to go to Yokohama, and nothing was going to change my plans.
Yep, Yokohama. Remember what's in Yokohama? The International Ramen Museum! Woo hoo! It was definitely an adventure. I had to take the subway to the largest train station I have ever been in, and then find the right line to get to Shin Yokohama (New Yokohama). I only got lost once and screwed up my ticket once, so it was okay. Luckily I was by myself so I didn't look like an idiot to a large group of people. Yes, I went by myself. I really needed some alone time, and besides that, people didn't think I was serious about doing this! Anyway, after about 35 minutes, I finally made it to the museum. I had the most amazing bowl of ramen I have ever eaten there. It was so good that I had another bowl. The museum itself was a bit of a disappointment. Maybe if I had at least one more person it would have been okay. Also, the place were you could make your own cup of ramen was closed down, and wasn't there anymore! I was so sad! I was looking forward to creating my own Cup O' Micky, and those dreams went up in pork ramen-flavored smoke. It's about this time that I started to feel guilty, so I decided to head back to Toyko and work with my group. I got there right as they started, so I didn't miss anything. I managed to get my ramen in and make the meeting.
We decided in our group to pick out the pictures showing culture that we loved best and put them in a PowerPoint (sigh) that would change the slides every four seconds. That way, we could show many things and get the most info out without boring everyone to tears. We ended up with 108 slides. We really didn't feel as if we could narrow it down because we felt they were all important. However, when Debi took our presentation to the people who put themselves in charge of the presentation, they immediately said we had too many...couldn't we cut it down to like 20? What?!?! They wanted narration for each slide, whereas we were content to do a general overview and then let the pictures do the talking. Very frustrating. Debi said they cut it down to around 50 or so. What stinks is that they arbitrarily cut the slides. They don't know why we picked each one. Let me tell you, I am so ready to get away from some of these people! Too many Type A, domineering personalities in that group! I had gone back to my room after we had originally met in our groups, and Debi filled me in on most of this Tuesday morning. I started to rearrange bags and began to sort things in preparation for packing. Thursday is right around the corner!
I tried to do breakfast after that. It was a nice set-up, but man, there was a little dish of sardines there, just staring at me! I tried some (because I am trying everything but natto while I am here) and they weren't bad, but I'm not going to rush out and buy any soon. There was the usual rice, seaweed, pickled vegetables, etc...but the weird thing on the table today (minus the sardines) was a bowl of this pale yellow creamy liquid. The host came over and lit a fire under it, and according to Kyoko-san, our fearless leader, I was supposed to let this cook until the fire went out, and then it would be a custard. A soybean custard. A tofu custard that I would put ginger and scallions on. I tried it. I hated it. Yuck.
I finished packing things up and went downstairs. I had seen a massage chair (one of those vibrating kinds) downstairs that you could sit in. 200 yen for 15 minutes. That's a $2 massage, people! I had to do it! I couldn't read anything on the contoller, so I just pushed buttons randomly. Ah, heaven. A girl could get used to this ryokan thing, as long as they brought me toast and Life cereal instead of tofu custard and sardines.
It was time to head off to Tokyo...finally! We crammed ourselves on our little bus and it was off to Ube Airport, where we had flown into a little over a week ago. We stopped at a grocery store (yes!) to get box lunches. These were much better than the box lunches we had eaten previously. The guy who made them came out and talked to us. He had been a travel agent before he went into his bakery/deli business, and has been to the States something like 27 times. Very nice man. Kyoko-san told us that he was happy to speak English with native speakers.
At the airport, I got to eat fugu again because one of the souvenir stands was handing out samples. You can buy fugu all over the place here! It was truly taking life into my own hands to eat fugu at an airport...for free...but I did it anyway. You only live once, right? At any rate, the 24-time period has elapsed and I am still alive, so no worries. Some host families showed up to say goodbye to the people who had stayed with them. I didn't look for mine, because I had a feeling that they wouldn't be there. They didn't disappoint! Luckily, I wasn't the only one whose host family didn't show up, but I think that this lends a little credibility to my host family story. I didn't want you guys to think I was making all of that up or being overly dramatic. They just didn't come. I felt like the last kid picked at the playground or even worse, the dog at the shelter that does not get adopted, even though every other dog did. Oh well. Like I said before, it's over now, and I can close that chapter!
Eating airport fugu
The trip back to Tokyo was uneventful save for landing. That was truly the worst landing I have ever experienced. The plane kind of shifted sideways when it landed. It was crazy. I hope to neer relive that one!
My group wanted to meet right after we got off the airport bus to talk about our presentations. I am in the Culture group for our presentation, and we weren't anywhere close to being finished because of all of the cultural stuff we had experienced over the weekend. The other groups (School and Community) had worked on theirs and were basically finished. They said that we should meet that night to get it done. What? I have a half day free in Tokyo and you expect me to sit around a hotel? Forget it. The presentations weren't until Wednesday, so we had plenty of time. I had decided to go to Yokohama, and nothing was going to change my plans.
Yep, Yokohama. Remember what's in Yokohama? The International Ramen Museum! Woo hoo! It was definitely an adventure. I had to take the subway to the largest train station I have ever been in, and then find the right line to get to Shin Yokohama (New Yokohama). I only got lost once and screwed up my ticket once, so it was okay. Luckily I was by myself so I didn't look like an idiot to a large group of people. Yes, I went by myself. I really needed some alone time, and besides that, people didn't think I was serious about doing this! Anyway, after about 35 minutes, I finally made it to the museum. I had the most amazing bowl of ramen I have ever eaten there. It was so good that I had another bowl. The museum itself was a bit of a disappointment. Maybe if I had at least one more person it would have been okay. Also, the place were you could make your own cup of ramen was closed down, and wasn't there anymore! I was so sad! I was looking forward to creating my own Cup O' Micky, and those dreams went up in pork ramen-flavored smoke. It's about this time that I started to feel guilty, so I decided to head back to Toyko and work with my group. I got there right as they started, so I didn't miss anything. I managed to get my ramen in and make the meeting.
We decided in our group to pick out the pictures showing culture that we loved best and put them in a PowerPoint (sigh) that would change the slides every four seconds. That way, we could show many things and get the most info out without boring everyone to tears. We ended up with 108 slides. We really didn't feel as if we could narrow it down because we felt they were all important. However, when Debi took our presentation to the people who put themselves in charge of the presentation, they immediately said we had too many...couldn't we cut it down to like 20? What?!?! They wanted narration for each slide, whereas we were content to do a general overview and then let the pictures do the talking. Very frustrating. Debi said they cut it down to around 50 or so. What stinks is that they arbitrarily cut the slides. They don't know why we picked each one. Let me tell you, I am so ready to get away from some of these people! Too many Type A, domineering personalities in that group! I had gone back to my room after we had originally met in our groups, and Debi filled me in on most of this Tuesday morning. I started to rearrange bags and began to sort things in preparation for packing. Thursday is right around the corner!
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