Saturday, January 20
Wow!! It is snowing like crazy this morning, it is soooooo coool. I was ecstatic yesterday but today it is really coming down harder and forming a white blanket over the city. Will go out today to pick up food for tonite's dinner with Eugenie and Robert.
I have not been watching much tv here but sometimes I just turn it on in the mornings because there is no stereo on and its strange to not be hearing any kind of sounds. What amazes me is the number of commercials done by American stars for Japanese products that are not available in America. Jody Foster does a commercial for some sort of cosmetic product and I can't even imagine Jody Foster doing the same at home: someone of HER caliber?? And today I just saw one by Boyz II Men for a Toyota wagon that is not available in the states. Charlie Sheen promotes cigarettes, Sharon Stone pushes some sort of skin treatment thing, soap, I think, and even the Warner Brothers cartoons advertise for Toyota. Brooke Shields is in a commercial for some sort of feather comforter. Karen tells me that it is because it won't be seen in the states, there is no impact on their reputation and in addition, the earnings are probably outrageous. Hideo Nomo is making a brisk business in commercials over here; he must be doing commercials for at least five different products. Also the guy that played the Japanese cop in "Rising Sun" is also in a ton of commercials, mostly for Lark cigarettes.
I'm having second thoughts about my itinerary; Christopher thinks that Kyoto is going to be too provincial for me - that I would benefit more from staying in Tokyo longer. I can see why. He did have a good suggestion and that is to stay a month longer, move out and stay at I-House once in a while, and travel for a week or two at a time to Kyoto, and Kyushu. I-House by the day is almost the same as the apartment and it is a dependable source. It's an idea anyway.
I guess there is still time to decide. I need to reply to the various people here in Tokyo to set up visitations. I also need to contact the various people in Kyoto as well. Already it seems like things are starting to pile up.
I managed to explore my immediate neighborhood a bit, found two post boxes, a copy machine, a liquor store, and in fact one of the liquor stores has a large vending machine which you can use if the store is closed, which is great. There is also a liquor store right next door to my apartment. I just love my neighborhood, it is incredibly convenient.
I had invited Eugenie and Robert over for dinner for their farewell dinner; they leave for Australia in two days after four months here. I didn't cook anything because all my best recipes that I can remember by heart require baking and the oven is too small, so I decided to buy prepared food. I went totally overboard in buying the food in the Ginza, probably had enough food to feed three more people but I always tend to do that. Nothing worse than running out of food. I bought fishcakes (two kinds), sushi (three kinds), pickles (five kinds), chicken balls (three kinds), curry mix, teriyaki fish, rolls with azuka bean stuff in the middle, beer and wine. I now have enough food to last a few days. I spent about $100 but I wonder now if it is cheaper to do it this way; I spent $50 to make dinner for two days....Also I have spent way more than that eating out at those little shops so maybe buying prepared food is the way to go.
My little shopping excursion was a bit embarrassing; I thought I was being good about asking things in Japanese, and when I got home, I went over my flash cards and realized to my horror, instead of saying "I would like to buy this" Kore o kai i desu, I have been saying "how much?" Ikura desu ka. Shit I don't think I am made for this language thing. Also I found myself translating English to French rather than Japanese, since that was the last major language I learned and used. Somehow French seems easier to remember (although French is no cakewalk), I have a very hard time with all those Japanese syllables.
Eugenie and Robert brought over a ton of left-over food, miscellaneous sundries and an air mattress. They are very considerate for doing so- I'm sad to see them leave, it was nice to have friends to see in Tokyo. I am so glad we had a chance to get to know each other better; when we were students at the same time, I didn't know her all that well. And when I do see them in San Diego, it is always sort of in passing. So now I feel like I have gained two new friends.
I have not been watching much tv here but sometimes I just turn it on in the mornings because there is no stereo on and its strange to not be hearing any kind of sounds. What amazes me is the number of commercials done by American stars for Japanese products that are not available in America. Jody Foster does a commercial for some sort of cosmetic product and I can't even imagine Jody Foster doing the same at home: someone of HER caliber?? And today I just saw one by Boyz II Men for a Toyota wagon that is not available in the states. Charlie Sheen promotes cigarettes, Sharon Stone pushes some sort of skin treatment thing, soap, I think, and even the Warner Brothers cartoons advertise for Toyota. Brooke Shields is in a commercial for some sort of feather comforter. Karen tells me that it is because it won't be seen in the states, there is no impact on their reputation and in addition, the earnings are probably outrageous. Hideo Nomo is making a brisk business in commercials over here; he must be doing commercials for at least five different products. Also the guy that played the Japanese cop in "Rising Sun" is also in a ton of commercials, mostly for Lark cigarettes.
I'm having second thoughts about my itinerary; Christopher thinks that Kyoto is going to be too provincial for me - that I would benefit more from staying in Tokyo longer. I can see why. He did have a good suggestion and that is to stay a month longer, move out and stay at I-House once in a while, and travel for a week or two at a time to Kyoto, and Kyushu. I-House by the day is almost the same as the apartment and it is a dependable source. It's an idea anyway.
I guess there is still time to decide. I need to reply to the various people here in Tokyo to set up visitations. I also need to contact the various people in Kyoto as well. Already it seems like things are starting to pile up.
I managed to explore my immediate neighborhood a bit, found two post boxes, a copy machine, a liquor store, and in fact one of the liquor stores has a large vending machine which you can use if the store is closed, which is great. There is also a liquor store right next door to my apartment. I just love my neighborhood, it is incredibly convenient.
I had invited Eugenie and Robert over for dinner for their farewell dinner; they leave for Australia in two days after four months here. I didn't cook anything because all my best recipes that I can remember by heart require baking and the oven is too small, so I decided to buy prepared food. I went totally overboard in buying the food in the Ginza, probably had enough food to feed three more people but I always tend to do that. Nothing worse than running out of food. I bought fishcakes (two kinds), sushi (three kinds), pickles (five kinds), chicken balls (three kinds), curry mix, teriyaki fish, rolls with azuka bean stuff in the middle, beer and wine. I now have enough food to last a few days. I spent about $100 but I wonder now if it is cheaper to do it this way; I spent $50 to make dinner for two days....Also I have spent way more than that eating out at those little shops so maybe buying prepared food is the way to go.
My little shopping excursion was a bit embarrassing; I thought I was being good about asking things in Japanese, and when I got home, I went over my flash cards and realized to my horror, instead of saying "I would like to buy this" Kore o kai i desu, I have been saying "how much?" Ikura desu ka. Shit I don't think I am made for this language thing. Also I found myself translating English to French rather than Japanese, since that was the last major language I learned and used. Somehow French seems easier to remember (although French is no cakewalk), I have a very hard time with all those Japanese syllables.
Eugenie and Robert brought over a ton of left-over food, miscellaneous sundries and an air mattress. They are very considerate for doing so- I'm sad to see them leave, it was nice to have friends to see in Tokyo. I am so glad we had a chance to get to know each other better; when we were students at the same time, I didn't know her all that well. And when I do see them in San Diego, it is always sort of in passing. So now I feel like I have gained two new friends.
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