live, walk, eat, drink
There's a bar RIGHT in front of my house. Sounds like it should suck, ne? But every night as I've walked by it, regardless how late, it's been closed. The bar is called "Chocolate." I wondered at what kind of bar it was, what kind of people went there, what it looked like, what it served, when it was ever open. It turns out (as far as I can guess) that the bar is only open on weekends because when I got off the bus in front of it tonight, for the first time there was a lighted sign in front and the shop screen was open.

It's fabulous. I haven't gone inside yet but it looks EXACTLY like my type of place. Totally classy, totally hole-in-the wall. A great place to have not a lot to drink and practice Japanese with the bartender and patrons, who are probably my neighbors. I think I may check it out tomorrow if I can work up the courage to converse alone. Eeeek!

I must do a bit of homework and study much Japanese this weekend but besides that I should probably spend tomorrow relaxing instead of sightseeing as I've been doing too much. Even on my "free" time I find that I'm not really "free" but impulsively going here and there by myself and with friends. My brain is spinning.

Today after Japanese class I went to Roppongi with this girl who is from the CALPUC group and is in several of my classes. I had planned to do some homework and go home to rest but right now impulse suits me so I went with her. Roppongi really is nothing special. It's like the dive bar capital of the world and it has some really famous night clubs but during the day it just seems to be a haven for Gaijin. She wanted to eat some American food so we hopped across the street from the station to a TGI-Fridays (of all the fsking places to eat in JAPAN!). I like this girl, but I do find it a fault that she's ACTUALLY craving hamburgers now that she's here. So cliche!!!

TGI-Fridays was fun and amusing. The food there isn't bastardized, as most euro/american ethnic food here is but it was EXTREMELY expensive. Not more than $4 more than a typical US TGI-Fridays might be, but I paid nearly $9 for a teriyaki chicken burger with fries and a salad. The waitstaff seemed terribly surprised that we "spoke" Japanese. Hee.

Afterwards, she and I strolled around and mostly talked without really seeing where we were going. It was nice to talk to someone about something other than JAPAN for once. We talked about religion, politics, moral upbringing and a lot about sexuality. Since she's bi-curious, she's really into checking out the nearly nonexistent (yet somehow NOT taboo) rainbow scene in Tokyo. Though it sounds strange I might go with her to a few of the classy bars in Shinjuku just for kicks. I'm really curious what the "scene" is like here since people certainly aren't "out" like they are in Eugene. Yet it's common for young girls to buy "shonen ai" (male love) manga and comics or even "yaoi" (like more hardcore shonen ai) comics. I also imagine that homosexuality is much more common among males than females. I can't imagine how a Japanese lesbian would EVER get by since most women seem so reserved, even when drunk. Of all the millions of people here, I bet there are about 10 lesbians in all of Japan. Less for my poor companion who wants to date someone new now that she's here away from her family and more conservative peers.

We walked around Roppongi for a few hours and found it was really nothing special. A great deal of the foreign embassies are located there, as is the Tokyo Tower. It was really amusing to see the Tower because it's such a familar sight from anime such as Tenchi Muyo, Sailor Moon and the like. It's definitely more impressive in the anime though. The Tower is just a stupid radio tower. THAT'S ALL. Granted, it looks cool at night, as I imagine does most of Roppongi. However, it's just a stupid radio tower. That's all it looks like. That's all it is. How disappointing.

What made the trip worth it, however, was this WEIRD shrine/ church place we found. I have no clue what it was, though I imagine it was a buddhist sect. Probably one of the "new religions" or cults. The place was HUGE and shaped like some freaking spaceship or something. Couldn't help but think of "2001." Inside was even creepier. The sanctuary was... definitely cultish. I don't know how to describe it. The whole thing gave me a weird feeling unlike any place I've yet seen here.

Anyway, I don't think I'll be going back to Roppongi any time soon. It's just too expensive-- probably $6.00-- to get there and another $6 to get back. My companion showed me, with some ease, that it's very possible to go somewhere without paying the fee by just walking through the gate close behind somewhere. While I assumed it was possible, I think it's stupid and selfish to make a practice of it. Travel is ungodly expensive here but so simple and precise that I don't think it appropriate to take advantage of the system. However, another friend made a good point about a way to save cash: simply pay the lowest fare if your destination is somewhere on your "teiki" (pass) and then use your teiki to exit the station rather than your ticket. Makes sense but I think I'd still feel guilty.

I don't think I realized until after talking to this girl just how many people feel as if they can come here and do anything they want. I'd gotten that impression from some people but I figured it was the impression rather than the rule. After speaking with her and with Chris I'd venture a guess that it's the other way around. What is WRONG with people? Coming here to drink, screw, party and act like stupid foreigners? Yeah, I'm a stupid foreigner but I respect myself and my peers too much for that. All things in moderation, yes? *sigh* I do like this girl but I find that perspective a touch disconcerting.

After hanging in the Roppongi, we went back to campus where I went to the first meeting of one of the Waseda "circles" (clubs). Waseda has over 3,000 clubs for everything you can think of. It's crazy. I'd love to join some and practice my Japanese but I can't think when I'll have time between homework, family life, friends and sightseeing. Yeesh. I can't even find time to go lift weights!!

The club I've "joined" is one version of the International clubs at Waseda. Basically, it's a place for the Waseda members to communicate with foreign students. Together, we'll talk, watch movies, travel and eat lunch. It sounds like a promising way to meet friends, if a bit more tame than most clubs on the campus.

After the meeting, another OUS student and I walked around Takadanobaba and explored a few shops. One in particular I'd walked by several times and been curious about but never entered. The shop front was all in traditional wood with a very tasteful and minimalist (<-- word of the week) design and mini garden in front. The shop itself was down a flight of stairs and behind a door, leading to my hesitation about entering by myself lest it be a hostess bar or worse. Erin and I ventured downstairs despite our dislike of entering places and leaving. It always seems to confuse the staff.

As it turns out, the "shop" is a restaurant and from the pictures of the inside posted outside the door, a very very classy one. Looks traditional but extremely affordable. And from the inside I could hear clear piano jazz. Sounded live but I don't think the place is large enough to have a piano in it. Of course, we did confuse the waitstaff, who opened the door and said "irashai!" and tried to get us to enter. I'm not sure yet how to say "just looking" so we acted confused and pretended we went to the wrong place while peering around the host looking into the restaurant. I will DEFINITELY go there some time soon. It looks amazing and so my style. Except the seating. Unfortunately, traditional restaurants mean traditional seats which means "food that makes your legs hurt." Damn it all. I'm a stupid foreigner and I sweat, I smell bad, I'm loud, I can't sit nicely and I say things like, "My husband is Michigan."

Erin and I also talked a lot about our personal lives. Boyfriends at home and such. Then we went to "Book Off!!", a cheap book store, to look at manga. Picked up a few items. Haven't looked at 'em yet. Giggling with anticipation. I'm not sure how the shop clerks feel about such things. It makes me crack up, which I'm afraid causes more of a scene than I'd like. Everyone else is so quiet and us Americans are just too excited about everything we see to shut up! God, I love talking!

Tonight I hope to watch a bit of anime before turning in. Had a light dinner and am feeling good but utterly exhausted. Tomorrow I will sleep in. : ) Before I call it quits, I have to issue a few COMPLAINTS. My first complaints about Japan... but minor ones, all things considered. *eh-HEM*

< rant >

1) THE MEAT. Why, why, why must such a healthy country insist on such fatty, gnarly meat? Kim and I ordered yakitori chicken at the izakaya the other day and it was YAKITORI GRISTLE. Every time I try something with medium to large pieces of meat here, I find that it's covered in FAT-- besides fish, that is, which only has tons of bones. Not like a tad bit of it either. SCADS. uuuhhggghhhhh. Bleh. Bleh BLEH. I'm glad I don't like meat because there's only so much freaky tendony-fatty-gristly chicken and bacon-greasy pork I can take. Fortunately, my host family stays completely away from such things and serves good meat. Tofu here is way cheap. Beef prices are outrageous. I say "thank god" because with my lunch-bento experiences with meat so far, I don't think I'll ever try and buy it again. Seafood it is.

2) THE POINTY SHOES. What, what, what the FUCK? I, um, I don't know what to say. Keebler elves have run loose in Japan. Or witches. Witches with pointy shoes. Ugly, putrid, pointy shoes. Shoes that should be forever sealed in a box with a major demon ward on it. Shoes that should never have been created. Shoe fashion here is terrible. These shoes look 70s, or 80s, or something. But something that was never and never should be popular. Yet everyone wears them. With dresses. With jeans. With slacks. In camo. In pink. In blue glitter. With long, pointy toes. Who wants long, pointy feet and WHY?!?!? Even with the conservative dress here, I don't think I've seen a more dowdy, unattractive fashion accessory every. Given the choice between pointy shoes and a mullet I'd definitely choose... a... a mul... no, pointy shoes. Mullets are too awful.

3) TOILET SLIPPERS. These things are too comfortable to be confined to the bathroom. I like them SO much better than my "room slippers," which are both too small and too hard. I've stupidly worn the bathroom slippers into the house area at least twice now because they're too comfy. The problem is, I don't understand them. What's the point? We have a pair both in the closet-sized toilet and in the sink room. You wear one pair in the toilet and the other while at the sink. Well, the family does. I don't because I don't get it and I don't want to wear them around the house by accident any more. So what do they do? Prevent you from getting your feet... dirty? From what? In the context of a culture that until recently had squat toilets, I think I can understand it. But otherwise I just think it's silly. A silly thing. But I still want a pair for my room, darn it.

4) ONE YEN COINS. Much worse than the penny, these worthless things are actually made out of aluminum and both look and feel like play money. Sure, change is change but wouldn't it just be easier to make everything in even prices or do away with the tax? I'm slowly accumulating these and forgetting to use them. Yes, just like pennies but somehow worse.

5) SIDEWALK BICYCLISTS. I'd like to ride a bike here but it's too scary. These poor fools have all my sympathy. For a want of bike lanes they ride in and out of pedestrian and cart traffic and sometimes in the street. I'm already sick of almost getting run over.

6) POO GAS. Sewage stink. A big city, what did I expect? (Tomorrow I'll speak more about expectations) It wafts up from nowhere when you least expect it. It's gross. Need I say more?

Anyway, that's it. < /rant >

I'm off to bed. Tomorrow's another day. Having fun now. Good times, Japanese improving. Host mom says so and I believe her! Yay!