hey!
it's awesome to hear about what's going on at home. Training is long but easy. I'm on break, need to be quick so i can get some food and go back for another 5 hours without going crazy!
Uncle Don, try inserting a
. if you need image hosting go to www.photobucket.com !
it would be best to be able to post them in the comment section, then everyone could see! I look awesome in my suits, i need to get some pictures up. Not too much to write, except all I eat is pasta. I hope my hair doesn't start falling off from malnutrition. But.. it's so GOOD. Meat is scarce here. mostly i've just been pressed for time. I'll swing by the grocery store next door and get some sushi for lunch. Everything is so wierd here, little narrow alley ways... but down one you'll find the supermarket for example. Or a karaoke joint, or some such. I am bouncing off the walls to get outta here and get to Hiroshima!
Also, I see these little Japanese joints, all wood and lanterns outside and when you're by yourself it's SO intimidating to think about going into one, because you are so so different, so i usually go to 7-11 and pick up an obento(box lunch).
Definately still tons i need to get used to...!
Back to the ol' 9-5. Taught my first "practice" lesson today. No sweat.
<3 -D
First Journal
I'm uploading this on my lunch break from training ~ 1:30 tuesday. I wrote it yesterday, I might not have time to upload all the photos I talked about there, but check out my
photobucket dump anyways incase you missed something. I need to put a permanent link to that up here somewhere... back to work!
Okay I'm writing this at 3:30 Monday afternoon here. In advance, so I won't run outta time like on that last one, then I'll just hop on the net and copy-paste. Where do I start here? Our dorms are confusing,I'm not sure if they're really dorms, if Aeon owns them, or what, because it's right across the street from the training center, but I don't know how they could afford to own this building in the middle of town that's only used once a month. Who knows, anyways, I like Okayama. This is where my roommate is going to be stationed, too, so I wonder what that's like for him? It feels very Japanese here, that sounds like a no brainer, but... well, if you've played Shenmue, the whole city feels exactly like how that game looks. I'm not sure if Hiroshima will have this same feel, since it's so modern. Like everything is so packed, and random, and every inch of the city has something to look at, and is different. You'll know what I mean when you look at the photos.
Speaking of Hiroshima, I just want to get done with this week of training (starting tomorrow) so I can see my own city! It's driving me nuts. I want to move in. I'll overlap with the chick I'm replacing for a week, so depending on what they decide I or she will have to be in a motel for a week. I hope not...
So today we took a train for 320 yen, like 3 dollars, to Kurashiku. They have a few historic blocks, which were like the coolest thing I've ever seen. Mom, you are going to go ape shit here, there is SO much stuff to buy, and it's all so mysterious and cool you REALLY want to. We spent like 30 minutes in a snack shop, japanese snacks are really delicious. They're not just sugar, but wierd cake, bean paste type creations, I don't exactly know how to explain them. There are lots, and you could really become a connoiseur (if you can spell it, that is). Those steaming cake things that I have a picture of are manju ~ it was just in a stand and it's like soft doughey type something with this soy/bean paste in the middle. And they have them cooking in steam and it was DELICIOUS. Like the perfect little hot treat ~ it was 50 yen! (close to 50 cents). Beats the heck out of a gumball, eh? You could buy like 3 and make a lunch out of it.
Lunch ~ everyone eats obento for lunches, that means like...box lunch. But, you buy them in stores. They are made with very high quality food, and are sold at like corner stores, like 7-11. 7-11's are around here,and have some of the best fast food you can eat. There are little stands in 7-11s where fresh food is boilingand stuff to put in obento. Wierd.
Our room is cool, the shower/bath and toilet are in seperate rooms, which I love. The shower looks normal. There is a bathtub and then tile floor and sink and mirror. But actually the entire room works like a shower, so you fill up the tub with HOT water, there is like a temerature knob you can adjust so you can get it the exact temperature you want every time, and then you stand outside, shower like normal (Wash hair and body), then just soak soak in the tub like it's a hot-tub,and leave it for whoever's next. It's awesome.
Seriously, Cam, it's Shenmue. I want to get to Hiroshima bad.
We went to Izakaya last night, got octopus and all sorts of crazy things. No one here wants to ahve any drinks, though it's sort of a bummer. Then whenever we see booze for sale, everyone's like "Look, Dan! Alcohol!" And I'd really like to find out about the local alcohols, too. Shochu and Nihonshu are local japanese vodka-ish liquors. I had one cup last night, and it's sort of lemony, and light. You can just drink it straight on ice. I'm not sure exactly how strong it was, not 40% but stronger than wine. Maybe 60 proof or something? I think it's distilled from potatoes, anyhow. The Asahi here is good on tap, nothing to write home about but I guess I just did.
Well, I haven't even been here two days yet, but I don't feel nervous or freaked out, I just kinda want to move ahead, but I'll have to try and enjoy this week of training!
Also, the toilets plug into the wall, because the seats are heated. And since they're in their own room, a pair of slippers is kept in there (so you don't have to go barefoot, or wear bathroom slippers around the house/restaurant)and the sink is built-in on the top of the toilet, and turns on automatically when you flush. Ingenious. Also, they pass around packs of toilet paper on the street, because lots of public toilets dont have it, or have REALLY crappy TP. I'll send you a pack for your collection, Mom. Also, Dad, I haven't seen a single ATM. Not one. Anywhere. Telephones are in green booths, and you have to find special rare grey ones to call out of the country. ATMs will be the same. It's like they want the rest of the world to go away, here. And they use minidisks! So I can get a USB thing, and blank discs and use my player!!
okayama!
OKAY! So i'm in Okayama, and running out of batteries!! I won't have time, i don't think, to post up my photos here, but i can link you all to where i'll upload them. i also won't have time to use capital letters anymore, so sorry.
so it's 4:20 here in the afternoon, on sunday. i got in last night, stayed up till around 10:30, went to a bar, woke up this morning at 7 and have been running aorund. Oh my god, low battery message!!!
Here's my albumthat should work!! Gotta split! just have to say everything is swell, except my legs and knees are killing me. maybe i'll hop in the ofuro and take a hot bath.
freaking out
I think I feel like I need some sort of closure, but I realize that doesn't really exist, you know? So I guess I just need to look ahead instead. I'm about to try to hit the hay, then wake up and hop on the plane! Here's my address where you can mail stuff to me.
Daniel Martin
Hiroshima Omoto Building 1F
1-17 Naka-ku, Hacchobori
Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima-ken 730-0013
Japan
don't ask me what all that means, like what's the region and whats the district and so on, because I know most Japanese cities don't even use street names. So, I have no freakin' clue. Just smile and nod.
I'm pretty sure I WAY overpacked, I told myself I'd just "bring what I needed" but now my apartment will be flooded with junk from the past, haunting me every day. Or maybe I packed good, we'll see. Gah, I'm sort of freaking out! Good night, and I'll miss you all a lot, 'cause I do already and I haven't even left.
<3 -D
All about da Benjaminz! Err....whoever those dudes are
so... I got that today from the bank. I'm sure the cute chick was totally impressed by how loaded I am, thumbing through 55,000 yen without blinking. Really, it's only about 485 USD. but... that's still "loaded" to me. I really expected the Japanese, with their design genius, to make some better looking bills -- oh well, the first of my many disappointments i'm bound to experience. I can't wait for the surprises!
does cute have to be so sickening?
wow... i've been playing with this page trying to give it the j-pop, super genke hello kitty type look... but this is so freakin' ugly. Ugh. expect to see lots of changes happening around here.
*update* looks pretty sweet, ne?? maybe a little more color? i'll work on getting it in somewhere.
みんなさん！こんばんは、いま日本語をかけます。＾＿＾（でも。。 忘れなさい)
Install your language packs for foreign languages, please..
here's some directions! どぞ！
I got my digicam and a whole mess of clothes, too, so i will start to get some pictures up here. (and my work visa came safely. I will protect it with my life) Oh, don't worry I'm not in japan but i'll find SOMETHING to take pictures of. And I will keep in mind it's a family page, don't worry. ;)
<3 -D
a little eye candy
so this is i guess my first real post on this page. really, i just want to get some content up so i can get a good view of what my web design is gonna look like. no offense. either way! this is some good stuff.
So here are some pictures sent to me by my (soon to be) neighbor there ~ it's of our apartments, and the castle and shrine behind them.
Also, I put in my two week notice tomorrow! I leave in just a little more than that. How cool is that?
make sure to leave me comments and stuff. It's not too important since i'm still in Reno... but i'll expect them over there!
LAUNCHING!
I think I probably need post up for this to work. This should do.
