My first night here in Japan we were welcomed most graciously into the country by a 3.5 magnitude earthquake around 3 am. Some of you who know my propensity for sleeping like the dead won't be surprised that I had no idea that it had happened until I awoke the next morning and met up with everyone else. Figures I would completely sleep through it haha.
After we'd all met up in our dorm community center we got to meet our three tour guides for the day: Yukari, Maggie, and Dezu. Yukari and Maggie were very confident and their English was excellent, I later found out that it was due in great part to the fact that both of them had come on an exchange to Utah State last summer for a month. Dezu was a little more shy and after introducing himself seemed content to just let the girls take charge.
We headed out to walk about halfway across campus to a conference center where we would meet up with he two professors over our little band. The first thing I noticed as we trudged down the road under the cloudy grey sky and drizzling mist was how absolutely gorgeous this campus is. The pedestrian walk that cuts down the middle is lined with beautiful trees and ponds and fountains. Small parks dot the campus, and everything is just so GREEN. I LOVE IT.
As we walked I got to chatting with Yukari. She is by far the cutest girl I have ever met and we became fast friends. She told me about her trip to Logan and you'll never guess what two foods she misses the most: tacos and chocolate milk! Definitely worthy of missing in my opinion! When I asked her what things had shocked her the most about the culture, she said that one of the biggest things was how we would speak with each other and with the professor during class. She thought it was so strange how the teachers would encourage us to ask questions and converse with them. She also said she was just as thrown off by how we drive on the right side of the road as we were by how they drive on the left.
A little ways down campus I noticed that most of the buildings had tall nets draped down the sides. When I inquired as to their purpose she explained that they were put up after the earthquake last spring so they could grown vines up them to act as a shade over the building because they could not use the air conditioning because of the electricity shortage. Many buildings were also still under construction, having damage from the quake being fixed.
At the conference center we met with our two professors who gave us a rundown on the school and it's history. Tsukuba University was founded only about 30 years ago and is now one of the largest campuses in Japan, and has one of the largest populations of international students. As they talked about the different initiatives the school was putting into place to attract more and more foreign students I couldn't help but feel myself being tempted into finding a way to come here for a longer stay. After we got a run-down on the weeks activities and all the basic safety and school policy-ness, we headed out to go visit downtown Tsukuba and grab some lunch with our three new friends.
Hopping on the bus, I had to once again stop myself from momentary shock as I shelled out 190 yen for the ride. I think it's going to take me awhile to stop feeling a twinge every time I look at the prices of things here. The ride was short and quick and as we hopped out I got to catch a glimpse of the entrance to the rail line that would take us into Tokyo, which by the way costs 2000 yen in case you were wondering haha.
Our first stop was Q't (pronounced 'cute') which is fun little shopping center in the middle of town. We headed inside and stopped at the mall food court. All it took was one whiff of the place and I was in heaven, everything smelled so good! I asked Yukari what she suggested and she gave me two of her favorites: Udon and Takoyaki. I figures since I'd had udon before (those delicious thick Japanese noodles are one of my favorite foods) I would go for trying Takoyaki which I had never heard of before. As it turns out, it is now on my list of top things I have ever eaten! Takoyaki consists of basically a fried dough ball around a delicious center of octopus, ginger, and green onion which can then be topped with a variety of choices ranging from egg salad to cheese to fish flakes. Nicole, the Anderson brothers, and I all got different kinds and shared in the deliciousness until we were all full and content.
After our delectable meal we began wandering around the mall as Yukari and Maggie showed us some of their favorite shops. We even came across a 100 yen shop where I picked up some more calligraphy brushes and some nice paper. Perhaps my favorite moment was finding mint ice cream in one of the stores and shivering as I ate it in defiance of the cold wind blowing through town. We also had the pleasure of coming across a candy store where our good friends showed us some of their favorite candy. I bought some very tart cotton candy that turned onto gum, fizzy soda sticks, a drinkable jelly, and a few other delicious odds and ends.
Outside the mall we wandered about the streets for a little while exploring the surrounding neighborhood. As we walked over one of the bridges spanning the streets below I stopped for a moment to watch the cars rolling by. I quickly realized that as far as traffic etiquette goes I had just wandered over to the other end of the spectrum. In america I figure we stand fairly middle ground, we're impatient, sometimes thoughtless, but in general we mostly follow the rules. In China it was a crazy deathtrap of aggressive (but attentive) driving, where right of way was only determined by how big and stubborn you were. However, here I was amazed by how polite everyone was. I never feel like my life is on the line crossing a road, and I certainly would never see someone driving blatantly down the wrong side of the road, or driving cops into fences. The cars just glide by paying careful attention to each other and graciously allowing right of way according to the rules of the road. It was quite fascinating. It's of course easy to see that this way of thinking is simply a part of the Japanese mindset. I have never met a more polite people. Oddly it's actually kind of unsettling sometimes, but I welcome the chance to experience it. At one point they took us up to the top of tone of the office building where we got to look out the window at a wonderful view of the city. We sat and entertained ourselves learning about all the different landmarks.
A short while later we all met up together to go to a small photo shop that Yakuri and Maggie insisted we had to try. The shop was full of various photo booths reminiscent of the little booths one would have seen frequently in the olden days, where a few coins or a couple bills would get you a small sheet of funny portrait souvenirs. These booths took it a step further however by providing complimentary free photo-shopping to "smooth out the rough edges" ;) and then an array of different backgrounds, stamps, and writing tools you could use to add a bit of "flair" to your photos before having them printed out. Perhaps the best part was trying to squeeze all 11 of us into the booth and laughing hysterically as we attempted to quickly rotate around in between pictures to try and make sure everyone was in at least one of them. I think the shopkeepers were quite entertained by our antics.
About half the group opted to head back on the bus up to our dear university after we were done harassing the photo booths, but I and a few others decided to save ourselves a few bucks and see a little more of the city by taking the hour long walk back up to our dorms from the mall. It was certainly worth the effort (despite my sore feet) to get to see the gorgeous Tsukuba University campus.
As we passed lakes, and gardens and trees, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness that I would be spending only a short time in this beautiful place. I also enjoyed getting the chance to get to know some of my fellow travelers a little better. It seems I was the only one to come on this trip without previously knowing at least one person. It's good to know that I'll have a few more friends when I return home.
After getting back to our dorms we took a short break which consisted of me passing out briefly on my bed until 6:30 rolled around. Then we met up with everyone in the community center where we were welcomed by a large crowd of Japanese students who had cooked a delicious meal for us. I and several others had brought a few treats to share from home as well. As the little party began, they took a moment to welcome us and teach us a little but about meal etiquette in Japan, and with a loud chorus of Itadakimasu! we dug in.
The first item to fall onto my plate was a gracious serving of Japanese curry offered to me by the students. Although possessing a slightly different tang from the Thai curry I'm used to, it was equally delicious and easily made it onto my list of top foods. Any feast wouldn't be complete without a mouth-watering plate of sushi and sashimi to make your day. Although it was store-bought from the local supermarket, I dare say it rivaled even the restaurant made fare back home.
Perhaps the only thing I have found so far on this trip that I didn't like was what befell me next. Our dear lovely Maggie was so insistent that the smelly slime she was proffering to me at that moment was a necessary delicacy for me to try on a trip to Japan that I of course simply could not refuse. Natto she told me was a fermented soy bean paste that I was required to try "at least once" even standing within five feet of the smelly concoction was enough to let me know that I would not enjoy it one bit, but the adventurer in me, was insistent that I not get away with neglecting my duty to try everything I could. Chopsticks in hand I grabbed a small pinch of the goo and quickly put it in my mouth. Eyes-watering I choked it down, every bit as disgusted by the taste as I was by the smell. I laughed along with my new friends as they handed me my glass of coconut milk to wash it down. Another successful conquest :)
As the meal winded down I began wandering around chatting with all the different students. Their proficiency at English varied greatly, but for the most part we were able to at least cover the basics. One guy was excited when I mentioned that I snowboard which spurred on a conversation comparing the climate of Logan and him hometown in northern Japan. I found out that a couple girls were going to be in Logan this summer on an exchange and I quickly told them that they'd better look me up when they were in town. That conversation quickly caused me to track down Christa and ask her how I might get involved with helping out when they came over, she said she'd keep me in the loop ;)
As the evening wound down a few of us decided it was finally time to scrub off the grime of our travelling and decided to venture into the dorm bathhouse. Now that was an adventure. Here's how it went down. We walk into a small area where a guy at a table took our money (170 yen) and directed us to the women's area. Through the door we removed our shoes next to a small set of shelves and then entered a wood paneled room where we grabbed a plastic basket and chose a spot on another set of shelves where you strip down and leave your clothes behind. From there you enter a shower room. Along the walls are several shower heads, you pick one, shower off, and then if you so choose, go and soak in the hot pool and the other end of the room. I gotta say that as odd as it was, it was a great way to spend an evening after an exhausting day.
I headed back to my dorm soon after and climbed into bed, content and happy. It would be another long day in the morning and I couldn't wait for it to begin.
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