22 December we're taking a nightbus for 9 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto. We'll stay in the area doing stuff and leave from Osaka 26 December.
A very different Christmas 2011 indeed.
Jo x
2011/11/18
have a merry christmas
Christmas is around the corner and here I am, far east in a country that sure, celebrates it to some extent, but hardly with the traditional blinged-up Christmas tree, fake meat-meatballs, vegan ham, rice porridge etc as I'm used to. So what do to? Sit alone in the room, devouring gingerbread biscuits from IKEA by the bucket? Could, (and probably will at some point) but no.
I'm going to Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nara with 2 friends. All of those cities are located west-ish in Japan (see map) and are all within an hour's travel from each other. Kyoto is an über traditional town with temples behind every tree and geishas sauntering the streets all over the place (well...), Osaka is something like Tokyo only smaller, Nara is deer paradise (they have wild ones running around!) and Kobe is beef town with lots of temples too. In short - all 4 are a must if you're in Japan.
22 December we're taking a nightbus for 9 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto. We'll stay in the area doing stuff and leave from Osaka 26 December.
A very different Christmas 2011 indeed.
Jo x
22 December we're taking a nightbus for 9 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto. We'll stay in the area doing stuff and leave from Osaka 26 December.
A very different Christmas 2011 indeed.
Jo x
healthy japan?
I remember before I left England/Sweden to come here; when I began telling people I was going to Japan for a year. Roughly 76% of the people I told went "Oh my goood, you'll come back soooo skinny!" Well, hate to break it to you, friends - this is not going to happen.
That food in Japan is healthy is a myth. Yes, it is so. Sure, as in every country there is the healthy side - tofu, noodles (soba) etc. But the truth is that the majority of food here is unhealthy! Plus vegetables and fruit is ridiculously expensive. Instead we see low prices of rice (carbs!), snacks and red meat. Additionally, everything seems to be deep-fried: from snacks to actual food. Tempura, fried beans, fried edamame/pea snacks to mention a few. The healthy nuts are expensive (except peanuts) while carby soy rice crackers are practically thrown at you alongside the chocolate-covered thisandthat. The only bread available is whiter and fluffier than in the UK.
But let's not be unfair. Japanese people are super skinny, that much is true. They keep a healthy lifestyle and work, work, work everyday. In the gym (which is super expensive) they spend more time on the treadmill and crosstrainer than doing weights, and so get that tomboy-ish body most girls display. Also, it's probably partly genetic.
So for a Western girl this environment is not ideal. Those of you who expect to see a stick walking towards you next time we meet, think again. This lady is putting it on, and putting it on good. Look at it this way - you'll have plenty more of me once I'm back! What a way to make up for the year of absence...
Jo x
That food in Japan is healthy is a myth. Yes, it is so. Sure, as in every country there is the healthy side - tofu, noodles (soba) etc. But the truth is that the majority of food here is unhealthy! Plus vegetables and fruit is ridiculously expensive. Instead we see low prices of rice (carbs!), snacks and red meat. Additionally, everything seems to be deep-fried: from snacks to actual food. Tempura, fried beans, fried edamame/pea snacks to mention a few. The healthy nuts are expensive (except peanuts) while carby soy rice crackers are practically thrown at you alongside the chocolate-covered thisandthat. The only bread available is whiter and fluffier than in the UK.
| Had these bad boys yesterday |
So for a Western girl this environment is not ideal. Those of you who expect to see a stick walking towards you next time we meet, think again. This lady is putting it on, and putting it on good. Look at it this way - you'll have plenty more of me once I'm back! What a way to make up for the year of absence...
Jo x
2011/11/13
blonder = better!
Jo x
fail of the day: losing one's way
After a lazy Saturday + half a slothful (is that even a word?) Sunday I decided it was time to drag my sorry behind out in the real world and go for a run. As I already spend a lot of time at the gym and the weather was lush (20 degrees or so!) I thought I'd take it outside. I've done it before and I have a route of sorts that I usually go on, so I felt confident. Oh, dear, little did I know.
For I planned a short run, 30 minutes or so, as I tend to get quite bored. So off I went, following the river. With Eric Saade and Mr Saxobeat busting on top volume in my ears I jogged along without any major trouble. Then all of a sudden the river was gone. I have no idea how it happened. Somewhere, somehow, I took a wrong turn and I found myself basically lost. And rather than retracing my steps I decided to find my own way back. Bad, bad decision. After fifteen minutes or so I was further away from the river than ever, and a lot more lost than before. Again, rather than retracing my steps, or even asking someone, I continued on following my instinct. Bad, BAD, decision. Utterly lost, and the street signs did not even hint towards my area. They said Kawasaki and Motosumiyoshi, which are both about 10 minutes away by train!
Finally I managed to find the railway and luckily (!) a train just passed, heading towards Hiyoshi, my area. I had enough sense to follow the tracks and soon found myself in the centre of Motosumiyoshi - on the main shopping street! Remember this was Sunday afternoon/evening = lots of people, Christmas decorations and lights everywhere - and then me, sweaty, lost and getting quasi-desperate (and superblonde as I dyed my hair today...)! Not a splendid sight, or maybe amazingly splendid, I don't know.
Aanyway, long story short(-er), I ended up asking someone after having ventured on small dodgy streets in the dark (thank deity-of-your-choice that I'm in one of the safest countries in the world; UK/Sweden, and I would not be alive to tell the tale) and they pointed me in the right direction. My 30 minute run transformed into around 1 hour 40 minutes. Of course that includes me stopping and staring at maps, turning 360 degrees a couple of times, changing direction, running back and forth etc.
As a reward/comfort after this traumatic experience I went to Starbucks with a friend afterwards (photo stolen from her) for a nice large cup of coffee. I discovered they DO have the Gingerbread Latte! Come December, I shall have one of those bad boys. And/or a Chai Latte. Yes, veganism has been temporarily semi-abandoned.
Plans for the week are not particularly impressive: tutoring (getting the monetas!), studying (presentation and essays and kanji test), volleyballing (wiie!), gymming (yay?), and the beginning of Mita Fest - a huge school festival at Keio! They're expecting over 200,000 visitors during the week in which it takes place. Watch this space for full coverage.
Ta!
Jo x
For I planned a short run, 30 minutes or so, as I tend to get quite bored. So off I went, following the river. With Eric Saade and Mr Saxobeat busting on top volume in my ears I jogged along without any major trouble. Then all of a sudden the river was gone. I have no idea how it happened. Somewhere, somehow, I took a wrong turn and I found myself basically lost. And rather than retracing my steps I decided to find my own way back. Bad, bad decision. After fifteen minutes or so I was further away from the river than ever, and a lot more lost than before. Again, rather than retracing my steps, or even asking someone, I continued on following my instinct. Bad, BAD, decision. Utterly lost, and the street signs did not even hint towards my area. They said Kawasaki and Motosumiyoshi, which are both about 10 minutes away by train!
Finally I managed to find the railway and luckily (!) a train just passed, heading towards Hiyoshi, my area. I had enough sense to follow the tracks and soon found myself in the centre of Motosumiyoshi - on the main shopping street! Remember this was Sunday afternoon/evening = lots of people, Christmas decorations and lights everywhere - and then me, sweaty, lost and getting quasi-desperate (and superblonde as I dyed my hair today...)! Not a splendid sight, or maybe amazingly splendid, I don't know.
Aanyway, long story short(-er), I ended up asking someone after having ventured on small dodgy streets in the dark (thank deity-of-your-choice that I'm in one of the safest countries in the world; UK/Sweden, and I would not be alive to tell the tale) and they pointed me in the right direction. My 30 minute run transformed into around 1 hour 40 minutes. Of course that includes me stopping and staring at maps, turning 360 degrees a couple of times, changing direction, running back and forth etc.
As a reward/comfort after this traumatic experience I went to Starbucks with a friend afterwards (photo stolen from her) for a nice large cup of coffee. I discovered they DO have the Gingerbread Latte! Come December, I shall have one of those bad boys. And/or a Chai Latte. Yes, veganism has been temporarily semi-abandoned.
Plans for the week are not particularly impressive: tutoring (getting the monetas!), studying (presentation and essays and kanji test), volleyballing (wiie!), gymming (yay?), and the beginning of Mita Fest - a huge school festival at Keio! They're expecting over 200,000 visitors during the week in which it takes place. Watch this space for full coverage.
Ta!
Jo x
2011/11/11
quick update
Hello, peeps. Just a little short update on recent events here in Japanlands. For some reason I am ridiculously busy and hardly have time for anything but...whatever it is I'm doing. If I'm not in class, I'm in the gym, and if not there, I'm off in some gallery and what not. Is this what they call 'having a life'? If so, I suppose the point with life is to get time to fly by. It's almost mid-November and I've been here 2 months. How did that happen?
Anyway, what have I been up to in my excessively exciting life? The truth is - not a lot. Well, I did go to the volleyball club (or circle as they're called here) and had a marvellous 3 hours with the lovely girls. The reaction when I said I was from Sweden was priceless: 10 girls in a circle going "SWEEEDEN!" in a high-pitched (think Sailor Moon) chorus. Just...priceless. But yes, super nice people and I might be joining the club and play once a week. I am after all in need of a new hobby.
Today I attended a class I'm not actually enrolled in, but they were talking about confectionary and I felt the need to go (did I mention I'm gaining weight rather than losing it as I was promised before I came here? Then again I always put on weight in time for winter - a sort of extra layer of insulation if you will. I know, I know, I'm from Sweden I shouldn't be cold. Have I heard it before? But forgive me, I've gotten sidetracked). So the class had a visit from a man from Japan's most famous sweet producer. The company - Toraya - was founded in the 1520s (!) and have since the beginning been the main supplier for the Imperial family. Of course the highlight was when we got to try the £20 a piece cake made with only natural ingredients (see right; photo stolen from Serruria). It was lush, just lush. Some red bean paste yummyness inside enclosed by a sugary cover that melted in the mouth. Incredible.
This weekend will be mostly studying. Boring, eh? Well for one of my courses we're doing a presentation and we drew lots to decide in what order we will have them. Guess who drew lucky number 1 out of 21 pieces of paper? Indeed.
That's all for now. Ta!
Jo x
ps. Right: Bottle of hot coffee out of a street vending machine. Surprisingly good!
Anyway, what have I been up to in my excessively exciting life? The truth is - not a lot. Well, I did go to the volleyball club (or circle as they're called here) and had a marvellous 3 hours with the lovely girls. The reaction when I said I was from Sweden was priceless: 10 girls in a circle going "SWEEEDEN!" in a high-pitched (think Sailor Moon) chorus. Just...priceless. But yes, super nice people and I might be joining the club and play once a week. I am after all in need of a new hobby.
Today I attended a class I'm not actually enrolled in, but they were talking about confectionary and I felt the need to go (did I mention I'm gaining weight rather than losing it as I was promised before I came here? Then again I always put on weight in time for winter - a sort of extra layer of insulation if you will. I know, I know, I'm from Sweden I shouldn't be cold. Have I heard it before? But forgive me, I've gotten sidetracked). So the class had a visit from a man from Japan's most famous sweet producer. The company - Toraya - was founded in the 1520s (!) and have since the beginning been the main supplier for the Imperial family. Of course the highlight was when we got to try the £20 a piece cake made with only natural ingredients (see right; photo stolen from Serruria). It was lush, just lush. Some red bean paste yummyness inside enclosed by a sugary cover that melted in the mouth. Incredible.This weekend will be mostly studying. Boring, eh? Well for one of my courses we're doing a presentation and we drew lots to decide in what order we will have them. Guess who drew lucky number 1 out of 21 pieces of paper? Indeed.
That's all for now. Ta!
Jo x
ps. Right: Bottle of hot coffee out of a street vending machine. Surprisingly good!
2011/11/05
blow my windbell
It sounds like a crude innuendo (or is that just me?) but it's not. Take it literally: because today that's exactly what I did.The arts class I'm taking takes us on field trips every now and (you may remember the arts exhibition a few weeks back), usually in places far off in the middle of nowhere - today was no exception. We took a train, and then another train and then, 75 minutes later we arrived at Mizue Station from which we walked 25 minutes to get to the place.
Windbells are apparently a big thing here and they consist of a glass ball thing and a metal 'stick' hanging from a string, which then creates a sound as the wind causes it to hit the glass.
First we made the glass ball by blowing (see photo) - with a little help from the real practitioners. They said it takes about 3 years to learn how to make a perfect one, so we figured we'd save some time this way. Basically all we had to do was blow in a tube, so I'm not going to take too much credit for my performance (even if the guy said my windbell had good size!).
 |
| Don't laugh. |
Once it's done you put it to cool on a bed of glass shards for about 10 minutes. Then you paint it on the inside. I made 2 attempts, one worse than the other. Have I mentioned I have zero artistic talent? Well, you're about to find out just how true that statement is. And I'm really honouring the medium of a blog here with my candid exposure of my utter failure so feel special, people. I don't do this every day.
Then I decided it looked as though a 5-year-old (4?) had made it and flushed the whole atrocity away with water (thank frick for water-based paint). Of course the second attempt did not prove to be any larger a success than the first, but I did not feel as ashamed to present it. I took the safe road for that one.
 |
| I repeat: don't laugh. |
So there you go. My artistic failure of this lovely Saturday revealed to the public eye. Hope you enjoyed. Oh, and I guess some lucky someone can look forward to an authentic, loving, handmade Christmas present this year.
Jo x
2011/11/02
culture day
Let me illustrate:
サラさん よくコーヒー お のみますね.
Meaning: Sarah-san, you often drink coffee, right?
My head hurts.
Later I will drag myself out for a run. Had an epic gym session planned for today, but then I remembered it is closed on national holidays. Silly me (silly gym!).
Oh, and it's 19 degrees outside. Yeah, that's right. November 3rd. Yesterday I got home at about 10pm after my private tutoring. I was wearing shorts, people! Shorts! Gotta love Japan.
Jo x
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