September 12-18, 2005
Hey everyone
Wanted to send you all an email again to inform you of my comings andgoings, ins and outs, ups and downs. It's been a very interesting week.Last Monday I went to the 100 yen ($2 shop) and stocked my room with littlenick nacks, food, and plants! I have started a collection of cactus on mywindow sill, and they are about the only plants that are surviving in thislast burst of summer that keeps coming back to attack Japan. Each day oflast week was well over the 30 degree mark, and one night I remember walkinghome from the station at 12am and seeing "25 degrees" lit up on the councilbuilding.
Last Monday night I met a Japanese friend whom I had previously becomeacquainted with back in Sydney. He took me out with his friends who treatedme to okonomiyaki - Japanese-style omelette - and pints and pints of beer.We had a great night, and I felt like I wasn't even in Japan - or away fromhome.
Last Tuesday I met a long-time friend Takao whom hadn't even contacted me in2 years after he left Australia, but I thought it would be nice to catch up.We had lunch together and then went to watch "Charlie and the ChocolateFactory" - lovded the movie, and gotta say that Johnny Depp did an amazingjob as Willy Wonka!!
Last Wednesday, my Australian friends Emerald and Ky-lee (Emerald will bestudying with me at Waseda) came and visited my place. Gave them a bit of atour, and then saw Ky-lee off to her accommodation - dorm style room at Keio University. Had a beautiful but expensive dinner with Emerald at the sushi bar around the corner from my place. We accidentally ordered the most expensive sushi, which means you don't get much, but you pay a lot!!Last Thursday, we went and registered at the Australian Embassy. Considering Japan is prone to so many natural disasters, it was a smart move. Had a nice dinner at Yoshinoya, which is Japan's first official Japanese fast foodoutlet....I am beginning to know all the "cheap eats" around Tokyo - thereare so many of them, and they are all so delicious. Lucky I love Japanesefood hey!I also dyed my hair - I put bonde streaks through most of it, and also havesome wash in black colour, which I put in before going out, to make me lookmore Japanese! hahahaLet's just say I am happy with the way it turned out!
Last Friday I heped Emerald check into her accommodation. She wil be stayingin a dorm room at Waseda University. I had the option of doing that, butafter looking at her room - the size, facilities etc, I am happy I choseindependent accommodation of the university.She is happy that she's settled in now which is good. After spending twonights at my place, I think she now feels more comfortable to be able tocall HER room home!Well, the weekend had just passed, and I did a lot to keep myself occupied.Throughout the week, I met a lot of new faces at my accommodation (I'm goingto refer to it as Big Wing 21, because that's what it's called) - until nowthe place seemed like a bit of a ghost town, but I have met about 6 or 7 people and they all seem really nice.
There is a great mix of people -Germans, Americans, Canadians, Australians, Koreans, and a lot of Japanese.I met the Japanese boy who lives next to me and we went to the moviestogether (more on that later). The American guy who lives at the end of thehall has offered to give me a kanji cd, to hep me practise my reading ofChinese characters. I met a German girl, who lives downstairs and I helpedget her connected to the internet after she had a few problems. I met aJapanese girl in the lounge room and ended up chatting with her for 4 hours while she drank red wine from the bottle! So, I have managed to build a bit of a network - everyone is realy keen to speak Japanese which is good, and I find my self conversing in Japanese even with the foreigners, so that's agood sign.
On Saturday I met up with Emerald, and we went to Harajuku together - famous for the fashion and the "Harajuku girls" now made famous by Gwen Stefani and her latest album - some of you will know what I'm talking about. We walked to the "United Natons University" and took some brochures of interest. Bothmyself and Emerald are seriously considering working at the UN in thefuture, so we definately need to get some connections and get our feet inthe door!!We also did some serious shopping at the stalls and markets - I bought a lotof clothes and jewellery for a small price - about 5, 000 yen ($60). Had anawesome pizza for dinner, which I'd been craving since coming here. You canonly have so much Japanese food, before you crave some grease and fat! heheAnd yesterday, I went to the movies with my "neighbours" at Big Wing 21 -the Japanese boy next dor invited me, and he brought along his girlfriend,and a a few of the other housemates who share accommodation with me. We saw "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" which I thought was a weird, wacky, mess of a movie that I wouldn't NEVER see again! e went to the Virgin Toho Cinemas at Roppongi - Roppongi is famous for the infestation of foreigners (mainly Americans) who have come in and developed what used to be a traditional Japanese village - I hate that!But it was good to see what everyone's talking about.We then went to Shibuya - home of the busiest intersection in the world -and I could see why! The amount of times, people trod on my feet!!!! ahhh!Came back to our place with everyone, and we ate dinner and drank some good beer and wine on the roof of Bing Wing 21 - 4 1/2 storeys up, you get a good view to Shinjuku (the skyscarper district) and all around Tokyo. I am sure there will be many more memorable rooftop parties to come!!!
Today is a public holiday in Japan, so I am relaxing this morning (havinggotten to bed late last night). Wll go for a walk later and have a coldshower! It's still hot here - today is about 33 - expected to stay that wayfor a few more weeks yet.I'm meeting Ky-lee and Emerald later and we'll go to see the Imperial Palace- in the centre of Tokyo and then head out for some dnner and karaoke!I begin all my university preparations this week - tomorrow is myorientation, Wednesday is the opening ceremony for al the internationalexchange students, and Thursday is the Japanese placement test. I'll emaileveryone, probably next weekend again.Hope everyone is taking care and enjoying themselves too.Keep in touch and miss you all
Tim
xx
Wanted to send you all an email again to inform you of my comings andgoings, ins and outs, ups and downs. It's been a very interesting week.Last Monday I went to the 100 yen ($2 shop) and stocked my room with littlenick nacks, food, and plants! I have started a collection of cactus on mywindow sill, and they are about the only plants that are surviving in thislast burst of summer that keeps coming back to attack Japan. Each day oflast week was well over the 30 degree mark, and one night I remember walkinghome from the station at 12am and seeing "25 degrees" lit up on the councilbuilding.
Last Monday night I met a Japanese friend whom I had previously becomeacquainted with back in Sydney. He took me out with his friends who treatedme to okonomiyaki - Japanese-style omelette - and pints and pints of beer.We had a great night, and I felt like I wasn't even in Japan - or away fromhome.
Last Tuesday I met a long-time friend Takao whom hadn't even contacted me in2 years after he left Australia, but I thought it would be nice to catch up.We had lunch together and then went to watch "Charlie and the ChocolateFactory" - lovded the movie, and gotta say that Johnny Depp did an amazingjob as Willy Wonka!!
Last Wednesday, my Australian friends Emerald and Ky-lee (Emerald will bestudying with me at Waseda) came and visited my place. Gave them a bit of atour, and then saw Ky-lee off to her accommodation - dorm style room at Keio University. Had a beautiful but expensive dinner with Emerald at the sushi bar around the corner from my place. We accidentally ordered the most expensive sushi, which means you don't get much, but you pay a lot!!Last Thursday, we went and registered at the Australian Embassy. Considering Japan is prone to so many natural disasters, it was a smart move. Had a nice dinner at Yoshinoya, which is Japan's first official Japanese fast foodoutlet....I am beginning to know all the "cheap eats" around Tokyo - thereare so many of them, and they are all so delicious. Lucky I love Japanesefood hey!I also dyed my hair - I put bonde streaks through most of it, and also havesome wash in black colour, which I put in before going out, to make me lookmore Japanese! hahahaLet's just say I am happy with the way it turned out!
Last Friday I heped Emerald check into her accommodation. She wil be stayingin a dorm room at Waseda University. I had the option of doing that, butafter looking at her room - the size, facilities etc, I am happy I choseindependent accommodation of the university.She is happy that she's settled in now which is good. After spending twonights at my place, I think she now feels more comfortable to be able tocall HER room home!Well, the weekend had just passed, and I did a lot to keep myself occupied.Throughout the week, I met a lot of new faces at my accommodation (I'm goingto refer to it as Big Wing 21, because that's what it's called) - until nowthe place seemed like a bit of a ghost town, but I have met about 6 or 7 people and they all seem really nice.
There is a great mix of people -Germans, Americans, Canadians, Australians, Koreans, and a lot of Japanese.I met the Japanese boy who lives next to me and we went to the moviestogether (more on that later). The American guy who lives at the end of thehall has offered to give me a kanji cd, to hep me practise my reading ofChinese characters. I met a German girl, who lives downstairs and I helpedget her connected to the internet after she had a few problems. I met aJapanese girl in the lounge room and ended up chatting with her for 4 hours while she drank red wine from the bottle! So, I have managed to build a bit of a network - everyone is realy keen to speak Japanese which is good, and I find my self conversing in Japanese even with the foreigners, so that's agood sign.
On Saturday I met up with Emerald, and we went to Harajuku together - famous for the fashion and the "Harajuku girls" now made famous by Gwen Stefani and her latest album - some of you will know what I'm talking about. We walked to the "United Natons University" and took some brochures of interest. Bothmyself and Emerald are seriously considering working at the UN in thefuture, so we definately need to get some connections and get our feet inthe door!!We also did some serious shopping at the stalls and markets - I bought a lotof clothes and jewellery for a small price - about 5, 000 yen ($60). Had anawesome pizza for dinner, which I'd been craving since coming here. You canonly have so much Japanese food, before you crave some grease and fat! heheAnd yesterday, I went to the movies with my "neighbours" at Big Wing 21 -the Japanese boy next dor invited me, and he brought along his girlfriend,and a a few of the other housemates who share accommodation with me. We saw "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" which I thought was a weird, wacky, mess of a movie that I wouldn't NEVER see again! e went to the Virgin Toho Cinemas at Roppongi - Roppongi is famous for the infestation of foreigners (mainly Americans) who have come in and developed what used to be a traditional Japanese village - I hate that!But it was good to see what everyone's talking about.We then went to Shibuya - home of the busiest intersection in the world -and I could see why! The amount of times, people trod on my feet!!!! ahhh!Came back to our place with everyone, and we ate dinner and drank some good beer and wine on the roof of Bing Wing 21 - 4 1/2 storeys up, you get a good view to Shinjuku (the skyscarper district) and all around Tokyo. I am sure there will be many more memorable rooftop parties to come!!!
Today is a public holiday in Japan, so I am relaxing this morning (havinggotten to bed late last night). Wll go for a walk later and have a coldshower! It's still hot here - today is about 33 - expected to stay that wayfor a few more weeks yet.I'm meeting Ky-lee and Emerald later and we'll go to see the Imperial Palace- in the centre of Tokyo and then head out for some dnner and karaoke!I begin all my university preparations this week - tomorrow is myorientation, Wednesday is the opening ceremony for al the internationalexchange students, and Thursday is the Japanese placement test. I'll emaileveryone, probably next weekend again.Hope everyone is taking care and enjoying themselves too.Keep in touch and miss you all
Tim
xx
posted by Tim at 10:32 AM
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