Leaving Japan...

Squirly, as far as I know, yes, we all still check our Augie mail. Of course, not several times a day as we would on campus.

For all of you who were concerned, I got a new (emergency) passport, so I am covered, but it really sucked. Also, yes, that was a Japan mad-lib that Mollie and I made when we were bored.

Today is our last day in Japan and we were hoping to see a soccer game, but it was sold out, so we are going to a pub this evening to watch it on tv. But tomorrow we head out for Taiwan. I might miss Japan a little bit, but I am excited to get to China and finish our classes. We just had presentations for our big project this morning and yesterday and finals are next week! Crazy.

I feel like we have not had any free time really in Tokyo, but I will get over it. There are so many Asians! There are also quite a few white people here, so I have been doing a black person count. I do not know if I said this already, but since we have gotten to Japan I have seen only 35 black people at this point. And that includes Tokyo (and the "black" club that we went to)!

But things are generally pretty great... i.e. Asia is much better than the United States. (Although I will be so ready to not have raw fish around... but I have found an intense love for curry.) Remember, you can always e-mail me and I will check it, and respond eventually. I hope you are all very jealous and keep reading this. Next entry will be from Taiwan (most likely)!

A Post For My Mom

Hi Mommy! I tried to call you last night, but you must`ve been busy. I am doing well. I got your comments on the blog...I keep forgetting to check it/post. I know I`m bad. Anyway, we are drawing near to the end of Japan, which is very sad. I just got used to this country! All the Japanese I learned will be useless (and by all I mean the 4 words I know). I am looking forward to some non-bland food and the ability to keep my shoes on inside. I`m also hoping for no more communal showers. I`ve definitely seen enough naked Asian ladies. I hope Taiwan has a similar subway system, because I feel like I`ve mastered Tokyo`s. Well, maybe not mastered...but I can find my way around. I got my nose pierced the other day. Don`t freak out. The place was very clean and nice and safe and the guy spoke wonderful English. He was actually Italian. Anyway, it looks adorable and barely hurts. I went to a baseball game last weekend and it was so fun! The stadium was huge and full of people. It was great, because I could be a loud, obnoxious American and not feel bad about it. We met up with Jeff Noetlich last weekend and hopefully we`ll see him again tonight. I don`t know if you remember Jeff, but he was in Heywire my freshmen year and then moved to Japan. He`s been showing us around, which is great because he speaks Japanese really well. He took us out shopping past a Krispy Kreme and the line was around the corner. The wait to get in was an hour and 20 minutes. It was so funny. When they buy them, they hold the bag out in front of them to show off their doughnuts. Well, I`m running out of time at this internet cafe. I miss you a lot and I`ll try to call you again! Love you!

Kyle

'Japan'

Once　upon a　fishhead, I visited a phatty place called Japan. I never wrote this in my journal, but my initial feelings about the trip were gay, at best. However, the first time I tasted curry I knew I was in communal showers. The toilets here are gigantic! Surprisingly, pressing a button shoots a chapstick of watches at my collarbone. The first time I felt that, I cried aloud: OMG! The best parts of travel, it seems, are unexpected. Like when I visited Nara, and 713 llamas tried to bite me. I had to console myself with green-tea-flavored koala yummies.

I've practiced a few independent Japanese arts, such as origami. I folded my paper 3.1415926... times and all I made was a philosophy. I also tried calligraphy, where I drew the character 'dai', which means simply 'Jesus didn:t have any sons; he died.'

Someday I hope to return to Japan, since I never got to folick through the nostril of the 45-foot Marsha Smith. And I'm not sure I'll have enough time to climb Mt.Fuji　or see the Disneyland. It won:t be too layered, because I can always pay with my host family again! Yes, I love Japan! I just wish everything didn:t taste like chipmunk.

The best part about Japan is the sexy men. They seem to be everywhere. They are also useful to buy you bunnies at bars, which can cost up to 32.5 yen. Another way to enslave money is to know what you are eating before you electrocute it. There are lots of pigs' ears. The best bet is to buy an earthquake and hope it has lots of rice. Many of the beds are actually sumo diapers on the floor, which are actually more balding than the beds. And the pillows are full of George W. Bush. No matter what make sure you have the time to wash your laundry in the xylophone. Use your armpit to judo-chop your clothes. And always give them at least 9.5 billion hours to dry.


-Rachel and Mollie

Tokyo

We just got to Tokyo on Wednesday, but we have not had an opportunity to see much yet. We just had midterms. Sociology went well; economics I am not so sure about. Disneyland Tokyo is happening tomorrow and I am really excited. There are 16 of us I think and it costs like 58 dollars. I do not think I can do Hong Kong Disney though... no free days.
Plus Sumo tickets were sold out, which is kind of sad.

It is so hot here still and I have a lot of bug bites. More communal showers at this youth center! But these ones are cool with like 25 shower head and a huge hot tub thing. Today we started out Neighborhood Tokyo assignments, so I got to go explore Sugamon with people in my group. Last night we found some cool places and we will have more time to explore lately.

I lost my passport, which sucks, but I have like no time left, so I have to head out.

Matsuyama

Sorry none of us have written in so long we have had limited computure and phone access while in Matsuyama Japan. It is not a real torrist town. Anyway I wanted to tell you about the famous hot springs here that Molly and I braved. It is basically a big, communial, naked hot tub. I thought it would be relaxing but I think I just ended up with heat stroke because the water was so hot. For 300 yen, about 3 dollars, you go into a room, get undressed, take a shower, and sit in a big hot tub with a bunch or other naked Japanese women. Then you shower again and leave. I think I lost 3lbs of sweat in the heat. But the experience was not as uncomfortable as you may think. May the intorduction to Asian term should have been (Turn to the person to your left...chances are you will see them naked at some point in this trip) Hehe.

Well the next day we had class and then got to watch a tea ceremony. It was interesting and I felt obligated to eat a very gross bean cake. Katie failed to eat the bean cake and the lady asked her if it was too sweat for her. We did not have the heart to tell her it was gross. Later that evening was the best time however. We met up with University students and they took us to dinner. Kyle, Katie, Sara, myself and two other students went with Yoki and Awa to an awsome restaurant! As we walked in the restuart there was a beautiful saltwater stream with live fish. They ordered a bunch of small traditional Japanese dishes for us all to share. And they tasted so good. One of the dishes was fresh raw fish. Allow me to elaborate on what I mean by fresh. As we sat there looking at the plate we noticed the tail on the fish moving. We all thought it was the vent blowing. No, the fish had just been killed and was still twitching on the plate while its insides were being consumed by the table member. Dont worry I have video to prove it. The fish we saw when we walked in we were now eating. Awwww. Afterwards we went on a ferris wheel. I am out of time but we leave for Tokyo tomorrow so Im sure we can write then. Love you all. Collette write me an e-mail I want to here how Paxton is doing.

Mollie and Rachel in the Haunted Hotel

We're in Hiroshima. It's pretty great. I slept for like 4 hours today, so did Mollie. Now we're using Rodolfo's computer because it's free. Yay!

Japan is great. You should all be jealous. There are ghosts in Mollie's room though. Sarah is making fun of us because we didn't go to this really cool place today. Mollie has a virus and I'm in a lot of pain, so we have excuses. We have been traveling a lot lately, so we're all exhausted, but now we can get naked in private, which is nice. We eat a lot of ice cream here and walk a TON. But Japan is much better than Augustana (i.e. why we're completely avoiding our homework right now).

Sheila, if you're reading this, I only have like 5 minutes left on my phone card, just so you know. So you may only get a call at O'Hare. Sorry I called when you were in Kentucky.

Homestay

My homestay was awsome. I stayed with an 18 year old girl named Shizuka in her apartment in Kyoto Japan. She is in her freshman year at Kyoto University. It was a blast! After playing some goofy intorduction games in a different language we went to her apartment and looked at some pictures of my family and hers. It was funny becasue she basically compared everyone to an American movie star. Collette she thinks you have Linsey Lohan cheeks. And Paxton is Kawahi (so cute). Afterwards we went shopping with her friend Mika. Mika spoke a bit more fluent english. I think Shizuka spoke good English but was more embarassed to do so. Then we stayed up till 2am watching TV, doing face masks, and talking. It was like a big slumber party. The most interesting conversation we had was when I asked them about what they want to do after University. They looked confused and told me they do not choose their jobs somebody else does for them. Both Mika and Shizuka want to marry a foreign man and live in a different country. It really gives you a whole new respect for what it means to be free in America. The next day we visted some temples and it was so much fun to go out in Kyoto with people who could at least somewhat understand what you were saying. On Saturday night Shizuka made and awsome dinner. It was pork and rice but it was so flavorfull. I also showed her and her friends some Heywire videos online. They loved them! It was hard for me to explain Improv comedy but the videos helped becasue none of them have speaking so they are universally funny. So thanks Nate for putting those up on u-tube. You now have an Asian fan club. It was hard saying goodbye but I really hope they get the opportunity to come to America and visit me I would love to show them around.

Today we went to some more temples and saw a 46ft tall Buddah, some sacred deer bit my pants, and we also saw the largest wooden building in the world that housed the great Buddah. We leave for Hiroshima tomorrow and will be in Tokyo in 4 days. Love you all and its so great to hear your comments. I will call again from Tokyo

we went to a karaoke room

it was awesome.


the end.

It's Zero O clock in Kyoto

It's midnight. In Japan, that's zero o clock. Why am I up so late when the hostel curfew is 103opm *or 2230 in 24 hour time?? Because we went out tonight and showed up at the hostel 5 minutes after closing, so we flagged some kid from our group who was looking out a window. He ever so rudely closed the blinds on us, so we called Sensei...and here I am.

Adding on to Mollie's homestay stories. Jessie and I had a GREAT time in Osaka. We ate takoyaki (a pancake puff filled with onions and octopus) which was a lot more delicious than it sounds, we had sushi platters and elaborate breakfasts. We went to Hippo club meetings where we had a Japanese potluck and we got to try on kimonos, I would post the picture here, but with all the signs in Japanese, I am not sure how to do this. When I get a hold of Rudys camera, I will try.

On our first afternoon with the family, we went to a buddist temple where we got to learn how to ring the giant bell/gong and pray and we got our fortunes. I received the luckiest fortune you can get. Agi-Chan (my host) told me to keep it. It says I will be the boss of something someday. From the temple, which is up on the mountain, we had the most amazing view of all of Osaka, the mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. It is literally the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.

This afternoon, Agi-Chan and Kyles host family took us to Padios Kyoto which is a still-in-use period Japanese movie set, so a little like Universal Studios. Two words -- Ninja show. It was awesome. Kyle got a ninja gift from the evil ninja. They gave Kyle and Jessie maps and brochures in English, they gave me the Japanese one. SIGH.

It is absolutely pouring outside, which is scary, but nice since it has been sooooo hot here on our stay. I think it is funny that it is so hot here and everyone sweats a lot, but their beverage glasses are so small and they look at you funny if you ask for a refill. How is a girl supposed to stay hydrated??

Everything has been really really great so far. I've seen so much is so little time. We will have pictures soon. I promise!

Homestaylicious

Konnichiwa^

I finally broke down and decided I needed to check my e-mail, but I happened to pick the computer that does not let anyone email for some reason... I don:t know if this post will show up either, but oh well, I am going to get some sort of money,s worth. I don:t even have time to find the apostrophe key\1!!!!!
We just got back today from our homestay. I was with Beth George and we also met up with another two girls: homestay family for some group activities. It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I was with a family of four; most of the time was spent with Yayo, the 18 year old girl. She is a hip-hop dancing piano-playing Spanish major. We did a lot of sightseeing, some calligraphy and origami, and ate some excellent food. When I got the initial information sheet about my hostfamily, everyone was amazed and jealous at the appearance of Yayo:s brother, who is both hot and fifteen years old. Odd, I know. Most people in Japan are good-looking. They can even pull of the mullet. And boy, do they ever! I feel so BLEhadlh.
Yeah. I:m really bummed, I wanted to check my e-mail. And now I have to go back to homework...

Today we visited Toyota City. It was pretty neat to see all the cars being made and tested and even more amaizing to know that robots do 93% of the work. We also got to see some new futuristic cars and alot of hybrids. We even got to see a robot play the trumpet (I know thats not really car related but Toyota made a whole band of robots) Anyway I think my best part of the day was the ride back to the youth hostel from the Toyota plant. We had a 3 hour bus ride through the mountains and the veiw was amazing! You really know you are in a different country when you look out the bus window and you see miles of rice patties with a tiny town in the background and towering mountains in the distance. The mountains out here are huge rolling mountains covered in japanese pines and various other trees I have never seen before. But just when I thought they view couldn`t get any better the sun began to set and the whole picture was glazed in orange. The tiny houses on the outskirts of the rice patties had their lights on creating dots of lights in the distance. The sky was so clear you could see the clouds hovering on the tops of the mountains. I have to describe this because no pictue I took could do it justice. It was absolutly breath taking! Then Sara had her i-pod and decided to play Death Cab Transendentelisim (I can`t spell sorry). So basically I felt like I was watching a movie. It was awsome!

Well tomorrow after class we get to go meet our home stay families. We already got sheets describing themselves. My family is a mom, dad, 18 yr old daughter, 16 and 10yr old sons. But it sounds like the 18yr old daughter is the one in charge of me because she filled out the sheet and said she would be showing me around. Most of us our staying by ourselves with our families because they have so many host families. I am a little nervous because she mentioned she does not speak much english but I think it should be fun none the less. We will let you know how it goes when we return from our weekend home stays.

McDonalds

Mollie and I visited McDonalds today for Economics class. It was pretty exciting mostly because it looked like a cafe and the bathrooms did NOT have any holes in the floor. But in Japan there have been buttons either on or by the toilets, and this time we decided to try them out. Basically we thought it was going to wash our butt, but... it sent a very warm jet of water right at our buttholes. Awkward. I guess it is to clean you off... it took us a while to figure out how to get it to stop.

Also, we forgot to tell you that every morning we are woken up at 6:40 by a Japanese woman`s voice on a loudspeaker in the hall that talks for about 5 minutes. About what? We do not know.

Mollie has lopsided braids today. She is hoping to start a fashion trend that is less painful than the ones she has seen on the streets- lots of very high and uncomfortable heels.

It is slightly difficult to order food here and it has been very hot and we have been exhausted (by like 8 at night) and our classroom does NOT fit 80 people (let alone like 60), but I have been rewarded by LOTS of cute Japanese children... like the boy in McDonalds today who had squeaky shoes and kept smiling at us.

Hello　everybody, I am trying to upload photos but despite being able to type in english everything on the screen is in Japanese so I just click buttons to see if it works. I will work on that. Anyway we are having a blast here. Green tea icecream is great and so is crab! I have 1 min left love you guys!

Adventures in Kyoto

First real day in Japan! It has been an interesting experience thus far...hole in the floor toilets, communal squatting showers, etc. I am really glad that they had all those seminars last spring to give us a bunch of information that did not prepare us at all for the actual experiences. I did not realize that when they said `you will get to know these 80 students` it really meant `you will see these people naked when you have to shower with them`. So, that is a little awkward, but we are coping with it well (mostly by taking showers in groups of 4 with people you know). Today we went out into Kyoto to do some sightseeing. We went to a couple temples and shrines. Being the intelligent students we are, Katie and I decided to break off from the group to do our own exploring...which got us completely lost in a foreign place where no one speaks English. Well done us! We ended up hailing a taxi and getting back to the youth hostel with little problem. All of us went to eat at a wonderful Japanese restaurant for lunch. Even though the restaurant had an `English menu` we still just pointed at what we wanted. We ended up with things like `one boiling crab`. We are all safe and well and missing everyone at home. That is all for now.

Rachel and Kyle