Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye is never easy. This time I felt it was harder than ever before.
I had an absolute blast in Japan and met some of the craziest and greatest people I know. From climbing Mount Fuji, random statues in a zoo, popping into downtown Tokyo, going to a baseball game (still trying to understand the rules), or travelling all the way to Nikko, these people accompanied me on my adventures.
 I sure am going to miss everything.
So...what exactly did I do since I last wrote in my blog (which was ages ago, I know).
Well, I visited Tokyo a number of times, in the end more to hang out that anything. I got lost countless times on the train (yes I was that foreigner) and though I could ask for directions in Japanese, understanding the instructions wasn't always as easy.

I also ended up going to the same zoo twice because it was just that fun. Korea town was another place I ended up going to again. It was super fun and the food was delicious as always.Nikko was interesting in it's own way. Ever tried sitting in a hot spring of water containing sulfur while wearing your rings? My advise, don't do it. I found out first hand what happens when my lovely silver ring turned black. I must admit, I panicked before skyping my dad who gave me a simple remedy. Who knew that putting aluminium foil in hot water and then plopping your ring on top would return it to silver?

 I also got to meet up with my cousin a couple of times as well which was fun. It was certainly interesting speaking German again and we had a blast together.
Oh, oh! I also got sick! Why the excitement? Because I finally got to wear a mask! And...well it wasn't as fun as I imagined. After wearing it for two days I got tired of breathing in my own sickness and decided to say a solemn goodbye to masks of any kind that cover your mouth and nose when you're sick (right...let's see how long that lasts).
Wow, now that I think about it, there are so many things I did and yet I can't recall all of them (and if I were to write then all down I'm sure I would bore some of you).
Let's just leave it at "Japan was a blast and I'm definitely going back one day".
As much as I'm going to miss it in the mean time it's time to move on to the next step; going back to Judson and studying so that I can hopefully graduate in 2015. But before that, first it's time to spend Christmas in Germany with half of my family.
Did I ever mention that I tend to always be on the go? ;)

Tokyo, Food, and a New Laptop

A lot has happened since I last posted.

Firstly, my laptop died *insert crowd booing here*. I went almost 3 weeks without one before I finally started looking around. In the end I went to Akihabara (known for electronics) and found one in a side store. Who new laptops could actually be so fast and have every feature, including the volume, work? Ok, perhaps it was high time to get a new laptop anyway.

So, what have I been up too lately? Well, I'll start off with the Tokyo Museum I went to visit along with the other EAI students (other students in the same study abroad program). It was super interesting walking through the place and seeing ancient swords, kimonos...and well other ancient stuff. 

After that I rushed off with Kate to the Tokyo Game Show. Yup, you read right, the Tokyo Game Show. If you've never heard of it before, it's an event where all the video game software companies display ad show off their newest games which they will be releasing on the market soon. There weren't just Japanese games, but Fifa, World of Tanks, Halo and a whole bunch of others turned up (yes, my memory is so bad I don't really remember who else).

Anyway, throughout the event we got to play some of the newest games, get tones of free stuff (mostly posters and bags which advertised these said games) and saw a tone of people who cosplayed.

The same weekend I got to spend some time in Tokyo with some friends.

It was super fun as we hit all the tourist spots and then even stayed over night in Shibuya. Was it worth it? Yeah but...well lets just say that staying at an internet cafe place isn't the best idea if you want to get some sleep. Perhaps I'd better explain.

So there are certain places around Japan (mostly in the cities I think), where you can go for the night. You pay a sum (depending on how many hours you're staying) and then you get a small stall like room with either a chair or a mat. In that room you have a TV and computer and have access to watch unlimited anime. There is also a manga library downstairs where you can borrow pretty much nay manga that exists in Japan.

So what is the point of these paces? To go read and watch manga and anime to your heart's content. Why did we go? To sleep because it was a cheaper option. Let's just say that when other people go to the same place to hang out in groups and have a bast, you don't exactly get much sleep with all the noise.

After that adventure, the EAI students got to go to the Tokyo Sky Tree on the following weekend. Yup, going up the tallest tower in the world really is something. Only sad part is you aren't allowed to parachute off it (believe me, I wanted to try).

Being at the top also made me realize how large Tokyo really is. Honestly, I don't think I can ever go there alone or I would be lost in 2.3 seconds (yes that is a precise calculation). After eating some very yummy food, we headed off for a boat ride down a channel in Tokyo (yes, I don't know the nae once again). We got to see a whole bunch of the city from the water which was amazing.

Now that is a cool job...

 This weekend I popped into Tokyo with two friends to go listen to Francis Can speak. Who would have thought that I would come all the way to Japan only to bump into him? He gave a wonderful sermon, though we came a bit late and so barely found seats since the place was packed. Why were we late? Well, the place Francis was talking happened to be in Korea town. We decided we couldn't pass up the chance and paused at a restaurant to eat a Korean meal. How was it? It made me want to jump on a plane and fly to Korea right then and there! But I guess I'll save that for the future.

So...I guess I've pretty much caught you all up. Now I'll return to discovering new places and doing new things. Hopefully I'll update sooner next time.

Mount Fuji!

Starting a blog confirmed just how bad I am in keeping people updated.

It’s been about three weeks since I moved to TCU and I have to say that in this short time I’ve fallen in love with the place. The people are super friendly, the classes are fun, and the cafeteria food is worth it. Of course, homework is also part of it, but it hasn’t been an impossible load so far.

Nana

God blessed me with an awesome roommate, Nana. She is the sweetest person ever and helps me out with phrases all the time when I get things muddled up. It helps having someone around who corrects you when you say something the wrong way or are not sure on how to even start.

 I’ve been to town a few times, gone to a Japanese movie in the theater (with no subs), went to a small festival while wearing a yukata, and gone to a sushi place where every plate of sushi cost only $1 regardless of the type!

At the festival with Nana and Katie

Yesterday I came back from my most recent adventure. A small group of us decided to go and climb Mount Fuji. The craziest part was, that we decided to do the all night climb so that we could watch the sunrise from the top! And yes, I decided to attempt the climb in brand new sneakers. I know, I know, it's not something that is advised. But I did bandage up my feet ahead and even wore two pairs of socks. It seemed to do the trick.

We left on Friday, around 4:50pm to grab a few supplies in town and then took the train and a bus to Fuji. 

Katie and I on our way up

Starting out from the fifth station, we began to climb a bit before 12am. It stared out easily enough, but the further we went the harder it got. At first we paused ever so often at stations, but then around the seventh station we split up and all began to go up at our own pace.

The sky was so clear and I saw at least six shooting stars while climbing. It was almost as though God was putting on a private show :)

It started getting steeper and steeper and soon we were using our hands as well in order to climb up the rocky path. The crazy thing is that there people all along the way climbing too. Therefore, you're never really on your own. We came across Germans, French, Japanese, and even some British along the way.

We were near the top when it started getting light and managed to reach the summit about five minutes before the sun began to peak out (I think it was around 5:15am). It was beautiful watching the sun emerge, and though it was cold (especially if you just stood still) it was well worth it.

 I took the time to walk some way around the crater at the top, both to see it and to keep warm. It was only then that I remembered that Mount Fuji is actually a dormant volcano!

Crater at the top

Below is a picture of the awesome group once we re-united at the top. Everyone was still in high spirits, despite the long climb. After this, most decided to take a nap. I guess not many can say they've slept on the top of mount Fuji. I can't, because I couldn't fall asleep...*sigh*.

The endless road down

After resting, we decided to head back down a different and less steep way. Now, if you think climbing a mountain is difficult, just wait until you have to climb back down! It was hard in its own way and seemed to take forever (though it was a lot shorter than climbing up). At one point I decided that we had somehow ended up in a timeless loop and would be wandering down the mountain side forever. 

Luckily, I wasn’t right.


We soon descended through the clouds, which is the first time we got wet, and finally reached the fifth station.
There we took the time to grab something to eat and I had a wonderful bowl of hot Ramen.

After eating we headed back to TCU. The journey was somewhat more quiet as we were all pretty exhausted. We made it back in one piece and arrived back on campus around 5:30pm with time to take a quick shower before dinner.

Overall, I feel so blessed to have had this experience. Before we started off, I heard so many stories of how hard it would be, how miserable we would feel, and how cold and wet we would get. However, the weather was perfect on the way up, and most of the way down, and not one of us suffered from altitude sickness!

I’ve got to say, seeing God’s creation from the top was a wonderful experience. Without him, the climb would never have been possible. On top of that, I got to know all the awesome people, who went along, a bit better. I love how everyone stayed in high spirits the entire time.

Would I do it again? Yes...in perhaps five years or so :)

I Have Arrived!

If you’re in America reading this, then I’m around 12 hours ahead of you…meaning it’s already your tomorrow for me, and my yesterday for you. In other words…I’m writing to you from the future! And who said that time travel wasn’t possible? *Dum dum daaaaaaaaa!* (yup, that was my attempt at dramatic music).

Soooo…I guess since this is my first entry I should say something like “welcome to my blog”. I hope you don’t mind my endless ramblings, sometimes mindless and sometimes…weird.

So, where am I now?

Grand Canyon

Board a plane and 11 hours later you find yourself at the other side of the world. So, two years of planning and tada, I’m here in Japan. I’ve got to say, the plane ride to LA was interesting.
We flew over the Grand Canyon and before landing got to see that famous Hollywood sign. Like any tourist, I was glued to the window with wide eyes (I think I finally found the place I want to try skydiving for the first time :)).

The plane ride from LA to Japan wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had, but I still didn’t get more than an hour of sleep. Honestly, I don’t know what it is with planes and not being able to sleep. Maybe it’s the lack of space…or the screaming kids...or all the movie choices…. Now if I were to fly first class I’m sure it would be a different story…so if anyone wants to donate for my next flight, I wouldn’t have anything against it. We could call it the “Gabi Flies in First Class” contribution ;)

In all seriousness though by the time I arrived in Narita airport I was super tired.  One and a half hour train ride and ten minute walk later, I was at the house I will call home for the next week (did I mention I had to lug around my two heavy suitcases the whole way…yeah, I haven’t exactly mastered the art of packing light yet).

Yokohama (see the Ferris Wheel?)

My first full day here I got to see Yokohama. Ashiho-san took me downtown where we went on a gigantic Ferris wheel and looked at the harbor from above. Afterwards we ate….sushi and sashimi! It’s different from the sushi I’ve had so far; definitely better than any other I’ve had before as it was super fresh. If you don’t like raw sea food you’re probably about to hurl at the thought, but if you do like it then ha…be jealous! 

Nippon Maru

Oops…going off subject. So…um…sushi. After eating, we visited the Nippon Maru (translated as ‘Japanses Ship’), which is an old sailboat with four main masts. The tour was in Japanese, but Ashiho-san translated quite a bit of it for me so I wasn’t completely lost.

Speaking of Japanese, it’s interesting trying to communicate. With the little Japanese I know I can usually make out the topic that is being discussed and yet not the specifics. Thus, at times it takes some guessing on my side when Ashiho-san isn’t around. It still works out fine though. I’m picking up new words and phrases every day. Maybe I'll be fluent in...five or six years :)

On my first evening, Ashiho-san and her mother dressed me up in a casual Kimono (traditional Japanese wear). Why don't we have something this cool in the Western World? It's not unusual to wear them around here. On Sunday alone I think I saw at least six women on the train with one on.

Sidenote:

Below is a picture of my room. I’m sleeping tatimi (I think that’s how to spell it) style. Every night I get my bed out of the closest, and every morning I put it back in. It’s actually pretty comfortable as the floor is made if tatami (matts). I’ve slept like a baby every night to far with only one minor interruption from a small earthquake.

The weather here…hmm…before I came I was told it was going to be hot and humid, and yet I didn’t quite expect it to be like this. If it wasn’t for air conditioned rooms, I think I would have melted by now. When going outside it doesn’t even take five minutes and I’m already sweating! Yet, somehow some people here manage to walk around with sweaters! Anyway, because of the heat I’m drinking water like a fish…that is, if fish drink water…(Not a word Lulu).

Anywho…

Yup, that’s a picture of a Japanese toilet. Everyone who visits Japan seems to take a picture of them so I thought…why not? And no, I have no clue what all the buttons at the sides do. To tell the truth, I don’t think I’m brave enough to try them. I’m just happy that they flush on their own, because if I used any of the gadgets then I have no doubt we would end up with a very flooded bathroom, and I have no intention of drowning just yet (if ever).

The food...so far I love it! I pretty much eat anything put before me (I've got Sakeji to thank for that), and so far haven’t eaten anything I don’t like. Along the left edge below are a few pictures of just some of the foods I’ve eaten so far.

We made the Gyoza (on the left). My first few tries didn't turn out that well, but I think I got the hang of it towards the end. Yes, on that's a lot of raw fish on the right, but it was really tasty.

 The food on the right was super delicious. It had bacon, sausage, cabbage, egg, and a bunch of other healthy stuff in it. Sorry, being forgetful I can't remember the name of it. The other two picture is Udon noodles with tempura and rice which has tuna and another type of fish (yes I've forgotten the name again), on top of it.

A few days ago I took the train and went to visit my cousin who is currently about 32 minutes away from where I am. It was great getting to spend some time with him and hopefully we can meet up again while we are both here.

Ashiho-san also took me to the Edo Museum with a lot of…well really old things from the Edo period in Japan (and a few other time periods). We lost track of time and stayed most of the afternoon until we had to leave because it was closing. I put up some pictures of the inside on my facebook.

Edo Musuem

Yesterday we went to Kamakura. We visited a few temples and the giant Buddha statue. On top of that we even dropped by the beach! It was a lot of walking but totally worth it. I had a blast. I’ve got to say that so far I’m enjoying my semester abroad from abroad…that kind of sounds confusing but oh well.

I leave for TCU tomorrow and am somewhat nervous on a new start in a new place. It’s like freshmen orientation all over again! So think of me in your prayers :)

Whew…this was a super long entry. Guess I should end it now...

Till next time.