Not at my library

Tell me if you peed a little.

Yo, Yokohama!

On Sunday I went to Yokohama which is about 19 miles south of Tokyo. The best part of the day (night) was viewing this from the 69th floor of the Yokohama Landmark Tower. The elevator goes about 28 mph taking you to the observation deck in almost an instant. (Careful, Ears!) It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest elevator.

Shopping at the tower can also fill your day. But it is totemo takai [very expensive]! I spent money only on Japanese cookies and sushi. Hey, priorities.

China Town is also in Yokohama, and there are many tempting trinkets to purchase and a myriad of Chinese restaurants to choose from. Eat at places where you see a line of locals standing outside the door. That's the good stuff, I learned. I've never been in a place as crowded as China Town, so it's best to go on a weekday.

Also, if you are able to take a cruise to tour the port, you'll get an excellent view of the Yokohama Bay Bridge and other port-ly, heavy duty chunks of metal and cargo ships. Plus the view of the city isn't bad.

Yo, end.

You tell me

Some days I just don't know what to write about. So I got some suggestions from Freeology.com.

YOU tell ME which question to answer, and I will answer it as best I can in a post.

It's like Truth or Dare for me; how exciting!

Cooking Nick Jagger

In my attempts to keep busy and soak in as much culture as possible while in Japan, I signed up for a Japanese cooking class. Tonight was the first meeting, and we made Niku-Jaga. The locals call it Nick Jagger so it's easier for Americans to pronouce, I guess. It is the simplest dish to make, and oh, so good.

I didn't have my camera with me, but click here to get the recipe and see what it looks like. Eat it with rice.

According to Kikumi-san, tonight's chef, Niku-Jaga is a very common Japanese dinner dish. She makes it at least once a week at her home, she says.

Enjoy!

Free will

I went to the legal office at work the other day to take care of some business and came across a Will Worksheet in the lobby. I'm in no hurry to die, but thought it would be considerate of me to leave my affairs in order should I kick the bucket. Plus it is a free service that my work offers, so why not take advantage of it? So I grabbed one.

I'm starting to fill it out right now and am torn between burial and cremation. I wouldn't care at that point, would I? I think I will state that the decision be left to my family. Whatever is more convenient/cheaper for them is what I am cool with. All I ask is that my facial hair is decently waxed and plucked (in those special places) before the viewing/burning.

There's a section on the form asking if I would like a living will done as well. A living will becomes operative if my physician determines that I have a terminal, incurable, medical condition, and my life is only prolonged by means of artifically provided life support. Do I want to give up that easily? I like to think of myself as a fighter, so I need to think about this one for a bit.

There's another section on the form for me to include "additional information." I think here I'll put my login and password to Blogger so that my beneficiary can type up a final post announcing my death. See? Even when I'm dead, I'm nice.

[Sigh] What a chore, this free will is. To be continued ... Or not.

Just kidding.

Check your drawers before you move

I'm practically done emptying my boxes of household goods. I thought I would eventually uncover the box that held my kitchen utensils, but it looks like the packers missed that specific drawer in Germany. So here I am, cooking-utensil-less. Not a big deal for me because cooking is not my forte. I do have the eating utensils, and flipping a grilled cheese sandwich with a butterknife works just as well.

This entry is just to remind you would-be movers to open each drawer before you leave the country. It'll save you some dough.

Hello Tokyo

It was this shot I enjoyed the most while visiting Tokyo for the first time today. Aren't they cute?

It is about a 25-minute walk from my front door to the nearest train station. Then it takes about a 1-hour train ride to get to Tokyo Station, which includes one transfer. The signs are a bit daunting, but it begins to make sense after some practice. Much like driving!

You'll see 2 out of 10 locals wearing face masks (I counted), but that's only because they don't want to catch/give the flu. At least that's what I'm told. Walking is the popular mode of getting around while in Tokyo; I took over 16,000 steps today which equals about 6 miles, I think. Tomorrow there will be a marathon that attracts over 30,000 people. My exercise was done today, thank you. The shopping is great, but expensive! I heard that a melon can cost $10! I saw many adorable wallets and purses and tiny bags, but I decided to save my yen until I can hit a flea market.

I can write more, but I'm about to drop dead because I did so much walking today. Oyasuminasai mase. Good night.

Full house

My household goods arrived the other day. My apartment is full of boxes! How did I end up with so much toilet tissue?! And trash bags?! I guess I have an underlying fear of running out of these two items.

And clothes. Good god, I have a lot of clothes.

The best part of all of it is: my sofa and futon have arrived as well! So who's visiting first?

Showing some love

I love my staff.

They indulge my odd questions and are always ready to cover my shift at The Desk if I have an important deadline to meet. They are Les, Yoshiko, Fumie, Natsuko, Tatsuya, Taizo, Shinya, and Jun-san(s). Thank you for welcoming me so warmly and being so willing to help!

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I'm new to iTunes, and I am finding many TV shows I want to download. Of course, I've already downloaded and viewed all the free ones to fill my non-cable nights 'til my TV arrives. Each time I search iTunes, I come back to the same three shows. Scrubs, Deperate Housewives, and Ugly Betty. I've decided to surrender my $34.99 to view Ugly Betty mostly because I'm a fan of Salma Hayek, who produces the show. Plus I'm all for minority support.

Love your work, Salma.

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Finally, much love to you who is reading this. Thanks!

Practice makes sense

I spoke some Nihongo (Japanese) today at a sushi restaurant, and I think I did okay. After asking the chef, in my ill-practiced Japanese, to whip me up some ikuras, maguros, ebis, and other sushi I've never tasted, I decided to top it off with some Japanese cheesecake. Stupid me, I thought I had to call one of the waitresses to tell her my dessert order. Turns out she just SCREAMS it out to the same chef and for all the restaurant to hear. "CHEESECAKEY ONEGAI SHIMASU" while pointing to me.

So much for keeping my sweet tooth on the down low.

After the cheesecakey experience, I proceeded to drive home, but took a wrong turn, got stuck in traffic, and tried not to sh*t bricks in this foreign land. I was lost.

I was ready to reach for my Important Phone Numbers card that I got at my newcomer's orientation to admit defeat and desperately say, "I don't know where I am. Could you please come and get me? I'm going to hand the phone to this nice 7-11 employee now."

But.

If there's one thing I've learned about driving in new territory, it's: don't panic and turn back the way you came. So that's kind of what I did, but my strategy was complicated by all the signs, crosswalks, bicyclists, and one-way streets. Indeed it took me 30 minutes to find my way back, but I'm glad for the near sh*tting-bricks experience.

How else am I supposed to learn my way around if I don't get lost?

Dorm issue #2

Here’s another gripe about living in A Dorm. I’ve always got to wear a bra when I go to the laundry room. No longer do I have the freedom and convenience of a private washer/dryer. Now I have to look decent … you know, a splash of color on the lips, a combed hairdo, and untorn houseclothes. Ugh.

My belief is that it will pay off when I meet a cute neighbor and we become special friends. Ha ha.

Flipped

(It's really smaller than it appears. And I didn't realize how pretty the hubcaps were until I parked it at home.)

I have to admit that the first day driving was scary, but the fear is lessening slowly. I have to constantly remind myself to look right, then left, then right again. I also have to get used to the turn signal lever to be controlled by my right hand and the windshield wiper lever by my left hand. Even actually getting into the car is awkward. I have to position my hips to swivel at just the right angle so as not to hit the steering wheel. Lastly, I have to remember to walk to the right door instead of the left.

Confused too?

Knock-knock, who's there

When I went to college and grad school, I did not live in the dorm. It's not something I regret, but a tiny part of me always wondered what it was like to live in such a quarter.

Now I live on-base in somewhat of a dorm, with deluxe apartments, I guess you can call it. The only common area is the laundry room, and even there I've only run into two strangers who seemed cordial enough yet private. The hallways are quiet, each door looks the same but with its own room number, and you can hear faint noises of the television or music coming from each room as you pass it. There are no rowdy ones on my floor, no bee-yotches I can sneer at, and no social committee to coordinate floor get-togethers. I'm dying to make a friend here at my building. Who knows when I will need a cup of sugar and vice versa? Perhaps I am judging the vibe too early or I'm totally ignorant about dorm/communal life. Perhaps the residents in this building like it just the way it is. Perhaps I should get this idea of dorm parties out of my head. Silly.

I guess I'll have to lure my would-be friends to my door with the smell of my Spam fried rice and yellow cake. You'd come-ah knockin', wouldn't you?

In between naps

Goal for the weekend achieved.

I purchased a used car yesterday, but won't be able to drive off the lot until Monday. Haggling is not in my nature, but I was able to negotiate $500 less than the asking price. Is that good, or am I sucker? It's times like those I wish I had my sister or mom with me to speak and negotiate for me.

The other item achieved this weekend was: cleaning up. I have been pulling clothes left and right out of my suitcases and throwing them back in after doing laundry. This I do even though there are two perfectly usable dressers in my room. I've scattered papers throughout the apartment and neglected addressing important mail. I even vacuumed, well, half-vacuumed the place. Plus the kitchen is organized and bacteria-free. Heck, I even made all my meals this weekend at home.

Between a search for a car, taking care of mail, and half-vacuuming, one must reward oneself with naps. Total nap-time this weekend was 9 hours. That's how I get my sh*t done!

The fifth & sixth day in Nihon

Yesterday I attended somewhat of a newcomer's orientation. Part of it was the driver's course briefing and written driver's test. Although I studied for the test, the test anxiety still surfaced.

I passed. Whew.

So today I started my search for a used car simply because I want to be mobile. It's great that I live only two blocks away from work and will walk to the office most days, but a girl's got to have wheels, you know? I test drove two from a used car lot off-base, but wasn't too impressed with them. Tomorrow I'll head over to another lot to check out what they offer. I know I definitely do not want an SUV and will probably go with a 4-door that doesn't make me appear too big inside. A 4-door for when the family comes, you know?

The experience of driving on the left hand side of the road was a bit nerve-wracking, but there were no casualties in the 5 minutes I was actually behind the wheel. The dealer chuckled as I told him of my nerves. The last time I bought a car was in '99, and I've forgotten how time-consuming it is to secure a vehicle--insurance and all. I'll be sure to share a picture of how I roll soon.

I tried signing up to watch a Sumo match happening this Sunday somewhere off-base, but they were booked. I did, however, secure a slot to attend two other tours this month. Plus I got a copy of all the maps and activities of the surrounding areas to assist me in my "tour" here. Have I got loads to read and soak in! My big goal right now is to purchase a car, so it looks like there won't be much fun and games for me this weekend.

Fun facts I learned about living in Japan at the orientation yesterday?
- Buy and carry a handkerchief. It is to be used as a napkin, scarf, towel, or first-aid. Japanese people will be pleasantly shocked to see an American pull it out of her pocket and use it in such a manner.
- When riding the train, push, push, push; don't be nice. "You will wait for the train; the train will not wait for you."
- Ever hear that traffic is a bitch here in Japan? Notice there aren't many reststops while driving? What to do when you need to do number one or two? No fear--Japan sells port-a-potties in a bag. Really.
- If you drink tea and leave lipstick marks along the rim of the cup, discreetly wipe the lipstick off the rim with your finger.
- Chopsticks: Break it away from you, not apart like a wishbone. If there are tiny, prickly pieces sticking out of the chopsticks, just pull at it gently. Don't rub the sticks together with your palms or perform the sharpening-of-knives motion. There's an order in picking up and holding chopsticks, but it's hard for me to explain.
- If lost, it's okay to ask for directions in English. Most might understand better if you write down what you want to say.
- There is such a thing as the "Love Hotel." (Gin: Ikaga desu ka)
- Kyoto is the "real" Japan, not Tokyo, she told us. Visit Kyoto.

Finally, did anybody sign me up for a Good Housekeeping sweepstakes? I received this piece of paper in the mail, and it looks legit. I think I won $2M or something.