Thursday, 10/2/2014 Orientation and Art Club

This morning I woke up early, probably because I was a little cold, despite having adding a freshly washed sheet to my bed. I went back to sleep at woke up 10 minutes before my alarm from a dream about me and my ninja family trying to defeat/escape from bad guys who had our house under siege by paparazzi. I got up at 7:40, got ready, and put my plastic trash out at 8:20am. As I was waiting for the elevator, I saw it was going up to the 5^th floor. A middle-aged/old salaryman with a combover came out of the elevator. We nodded at each other, and glanced at each other again as the elevator doors closed behind me and stepped out the glass security door. I went back to my room to wait for F-sensei. I opened the windows and ate a banana.

At a little past 9, my intercom rang, and F-sensei told me to hurry down. I donned the gloves from last time and raced downstairs and dragged the rusty drying rack (he did understand what I wanted after all) and the basket of hangers he had left in front of the security door to the elevator. F-sensei passed by outside in his car, and I waved and bowed to him. As I carried the grubby thing to my room, I resolved to cover it using the same plastic sheets I had bought at the 100 yen store to cover the old desk with. Then I grabbed my stuff and left, fearing that I would be late for orientation. F-sensei and K-san from the International Exchange and Support room had both checked to make sure I would attend. F-sensei, especially, said that attendance was mandatory, in a way that if I didn’t attend, I would be kicked out of the program.

I made it to campus by about 9:30am, where I ran into a group of Chinese students. One of them recognized me from the day before, and she called out to me. We walked together to the Economics building. We waited outside since we were 20 minutes early. When it was time, we all filed into the room, where we were given assigned seats. I was placed in the back and asked to try my best with Japanese explanations. The Chinese people were lucky, because after the Japanese explanations, they got Chinese explanations too. But I understood most things, and some of the papers had English too, so I was fine.

Orientation felt very long. The banana had dissolved away into nothing, leaving me feeling lethargic and restless. I was also suddenly afflicted with a runny nose, which I tried to blow discreetly as some of the very accomplished senior Chinese students (one of whom was preparing to study abroad in Germany) introduced themselves. They were very good at Japanese. I’ve been surprised by how many Chinese people at Tohoku University are excellent speakers of Japanese, some with minimal Chinese accents. Of course, they’ve been in Japan for a while and are probably hardworking and very smart.

I was exhausted by the time orientation was over. I was hungry, but I didn’t feel like venturing out by myself to get food. I went up to the Exchange room and sat next to the quiet Japanese guy from the night before (Yh-san). There were other Japanese guys there, and we said introductions. Then most of them except for Yh-san had to go to class. I stayed and looked at my orientation papers for a while, and Yh-san gave me a tiny cookie, which re-energized me. I decided to go to the school convenience store to buy food. As I was leaving the store with onigiri and a daifuku?, I ran into the Fulbright researcher studying geology here, with some of her coworkers. We spoke briefly, she introduced me to her coworkers, and then I went back to the Exchange room.

My food disappeared very quickly. I regained some of my focus and looked through my papers and worked on various paperwork forms I needed to fill out. One of the Japanese guys came back as Yh-san left, so he helped me with the parts of the forms I was unsure about. Meanwhile, the two of the staff members were passionately arguing/discussing the upcoming Welcome party and whether or not they were expected to attend. One of the women hadn’t been present at the previous instance of the event, so kept asking the other one what had happened to the attendance sheet, but she didn’t know. The staff get along really well, so even though they seemed like they were arguing, they were actually agreeing and patting each other on the shoulder. Yh-san commented later after they left that the Exchange room was rather noisy (sawagashii) today.

At about 3 or 4pm, a lot of the Japanese people came back, and it became even noisier. Allergy-san was there, and his voice was louder than everyone’s. I tried to work on my application for a Japanese tutor, but I couldn’t concentrate, so I joined the conversations instead. Or, I attempted to. I mostly listened, because there were at least 3 conversations going on at once. Allergy-san’s was the loudest, but he also had the most slangy Japanese, and he spoke really fast, so I didn’t understand a lot of what he was saying. The Japanese girl, K-san, and the guy next to her were talking about paperwork. One of the staff members was talking to me; she told me that I actually didn’t have a tutor yet, because all the guys I had met so far didn’t speak clean enough Japanese for me to learn from. She thought I should have a more serious, hardworking tutor like K-san to teach me proper Japanese, like the kind I would need to write for my research reports, and I could just be friends with the guys.

Things continued like this, with lively conversations going on all around, until after 5pm, when Allergy-san and K-san mentioned that there was a class they wanted to go to, but they weren’t sure about it because it might rain and because it wasn’t clear whether it was in English or Japanese. They finally left at 5:40pm, and I tagged along.

The class was called “Global Company Research,” and the teacher, a soft-spoken middle-aged man who you could barely hear despite the microphone, conducted the introduction mostly in English, with some Japanese explanations.

When class ended, I went up to the assistant teacher to ask if I could audit the class, and to have her sign my form. Then I rejoined with the Japanese people, who had found some friends, and we all went outside, fearing that it would be pouring rain. It turned out to be a gentle sprinkle, but the Japanese people all acted like it would suddenly turn into a downpour. The girls hadn’t brought umbrellas, and they debated how safe it would be to ride their bikes back. They ended up doing it.

I parted ways with them at the bike lot, explaining that I wanted to look for the Art Club. They pointed me in the direction they thought it was, and I started walking. I was approaching the Bee Café when I spotted a group of people practicing a dance. I went up to them and asked about how often they practice, what kind of dance they do (hip hop/break dance), and if I could watch. They were very friendly, but told me that their leader hadn’t arrived yet. I told them I would come back in a little while to watch then.

I kept walking to a building that was labeled “Physical Education Building.” It clearly didn’t have clubrooms for nonsport activities, so I went around the side of the buildings to a row of low buildings. The first door was open, revealing a guy working a pottery wheel, with pots on the floor all over the room. There was another door inside leading to a side room, with a couple guys talking. (BTW: the university is probably about 60% boys to 40% girls, or maybe more skewed, depending on the department.) I asked the guy at the wheel if this was the art club, but he said that this was the pottery club, and that the art club was somewhere else, but he didn’t know where. I thanked him and kept walking along the path between the club rooms and the Phys Ed Bldg. Suddenly, I heard two guys calling out to me. I turned around and saw the two guys who had been in the side room. They explained that they had heard I was looking for the Art Club, and that they thought it was in that building over there. I thanked them, and they hurried away as I followed the path to a poorly lit building. A girl exited an unlit door to the bike lot. Some of the rooms were lit, and many were dark. I could hear people practicing on instruments: trumpets, violins. I went around the building to see if there was a better lit door, but there wasn’t. I went in the other open door, past a staircase, and found myself in a courtyard. Students sat on the edges practicing with their violins. I spotted the mandolin club practicing in their club room. I went out through the door to the bike lot, and then came back in. As I passed the staircase, a group of people came from the courtyard. I stood aside for them, and asked them if they knew where the Art Club was. They were flustered by my question. They didn’t know where it was. I thanked them and went upstairs a floor. There were flyers for various clubs hanging on the walls: Go club, manga club, animation club, jazz club, etc. There was a Photo club flyer buried beneath a spider web. On the second floor, there was a large space in the middle I couldn’t enter (I don’t remember why). I walked around the edge to where a couple of trumpet players were squatting, paging through music. It was dim. They scooted so I could go past, but I stopped and asked where the Art Club was. To my surprise, one of the players knew, and he enthusiastically offered to take me up a floor to their room. We walked up the stairs together onto the dark 3^rd floor (all the floor were dimly lit and grimy). We turned to the left and he pointed to room 307. Next to the door of the room was a stack of paintings leaning against the wall. He moved some aside so I could see the one reading “Art Club” in Japanese. I thanked him with a big smile and went to the door. I could see the room was full of people. I timidly knocked and opened the door. I asked, “Is this the Art Club?” They said yes. Then I asked if I could come in (although I was already halfway in anyway). They were disconcerted, but they welcomed me. I introduced myself, and they commented on my Japanese skill. I asked about the club, and they explained, gesturing to the sculptures and paintings displayed around the room. Then they had me sit and gave me a photo album of their previous art gallery show for me to look at. As I paged through it, they explained different events they had coming up: the school festival at the end of October, where they would sell food and draw portraits; a portrait practice session tomorrow; a riverside potato boiling event, apparently a tradition in Sendai. They were also very relaxed about attendance. The room’s smell and the club’s atmosphere reminded me a lot of the Art Club at Kobe University. But I definitely had less difficulty communicating this time around.

After they explained the events and mentioned the 3000 yen ($30) club fee, I took my leave. I went back to the dance club. I asked if it was okay to watch, and they said it was okay to try practicing with them. I immediately joined them at the back, but I was awful. I hadn’t eaten dinner and I was tired from orientation, so I couldn’t remember the dance moves. The leader also asked for less feedback from the dancers; he paid attention and would repeat moves if he saw a need, but there was more pressure to catch up quickly. The people in the front row caught on very quickly, so I tried to follow them. The practice style was also different. He would teach a set of moves, and then we would practice them in a loop. Then we would learn the next set of moves, and loop them. After we learned 4-6 sets, we went through all of them. Personally, I’m terrible at mentally connecting set of steps, so I always forgot the next step. The practice speed went from slow to very fast quickly and abruptly, so I was trying to catch up the whole time.

After an hour, we got 15 minutes break to drink water and practice on our own. I had reached the end of my endurance, so I decided to leave. I wanted to say something to the leader before I left, but everyone was busy practicing and teaching each other, so I didn’t know how to interrupt. I walked home, feeling guilty for not properly showing gratitude for letting me practice with them.

I stopped at the CO-OP on the way, and picked up some items to make dinner and breakfast with.

Then I looked at the mail I had gotten: a mysterious paper saying that a company was holding a security deposit of 10,000 yen ($100) for me, a notice of undelivered mail from the post office, an advertisement for a prep class to become a government employee, some sort of magazine printed on newsprint, and a weekly newspaper from Kahoku Sendai. I don’t understand the bill-type of mails I’ve received, so I plan to ask about them tomorrow.

All the Japanese people I met today asked if I speak Japanese; and when someone or I would answer yes, they would respond “Really?” disbelievingly, look at me incredulously, and then speak Japanese. As the conversation progressed, they would become impressed that my abilities exceeded their expectations so much. I guess at a university that offers so many English-language classes, including entire degree programs targeted towards foreigners, it’s normal not to expect much Japanese skill from a foreigner.

Writing this took a while, so it’s 1:26am now. My internet isn’t working. “Error 651: The modem (or other connecting device) has reported an error.) I want to read the email my advisor has sent me.

Wednesday, 10/1/2014 First Day of Classes, and Beef Tongue

I got up at 8:40am today. I did my laundry, washing the new sheets and blanket I bought. There were a lot less people on the street at 9:30am. I sat in the coin laundry reading the previous day’s newspaper that someone had left on the washer. I didn’t understand many of the words, but I got the gist. There had been a volcanic eruption at a mountain somewhere, and 12 people had been killed. Rescue efforts had paused do to the risk of more volcanic activity. In another article, the electric company for northeast Japan was planning to implement more renewable energy sources, in particular what they called “Mega-solar,” but the problem was that this would likely dramatically increase monthly energy costs for households.

Near the time that my drying was finished, an old man spotted me and stood in front of the door. We nodded to each other, but he kept standing there. Finally he came in and stubbed out his cigarette in the trash. He left, but a few other old men began loitering outside. I waited a moment before getting my laundry. When I left the coin laundry, there was a group of 7-8 old men standing in front of the shrine on the other side of the tonkatsu restaurant next to the laundry. I nodded at them and made my way past them.

I got back to my room at 11:40. I bought a takeout lunch at the fast food place next door. I hung up the laundry that was still wet, folded the rest, and ate the lunch in my room. I had opened the windows to let the air circulate and blow against the clothes, but the temperature difference made me really cold. I donned my sweatjacket. The radio was on, playing mostly Western music, alternated with news clips, the radio person talking, and commercials.

At noon, I finally connected my internet. I took care of things that had been waiting, until the buzzer rang at about 1:30pm. I went downstairs and had the deliveryman carry the bedding set up to the door of my room. Then I signed his slip and lugged the unwieldy package into my room. I took off the paper cover and stuffed the pack into my closet. If it really would inflate, there was no point opening it until I needed it.

I continued my computer stuff until I realized it was 2:30pm, and I had half an hour to get to campus. I threw on my backpack and speedwalked to campus. I wasn’t quite sure where the room was, so I arrived about 10 minutes late. I was gestured to a seat at the end of the U-shaped table. I was the farthest from the front, so I had difficulty hearing and I couldn’t see the board at all. On top of that, they used lots of words I didn’t know and made references to events that had been planned previously, so the fellow exchange students (3 Chinese students) and I were left very confused. After the seminar ended at 5pm, the Japanese students stayed after to prepare for presentations they would be conducting in Osaka at a conference for disaster preparation and management. Our teacher came to us exchange students. We went over the papers and had her explain all the things we didn’t understand. She was very kind, understanding, and laid back.

After our questions were answered, I had her sign a form for me at her office, and then we parted at the Economics office. The Chinese research students were there, so we exchanged contact information. I also showed them to the International Exchange and Support room. One of the Chinese-speaking staff members was there, and I introduced them to her. She told them she wouldn’t speak Chinese to them from then on, and teased them to work on their Japanese. The Japanese guy she was speaking to was the one who had been suffering from allergies the last time I came. He was completely better, so it must have been a cold. I introduced myself to the other two Japanese people and sat down next to Allergy-san as the Chinese people left to go home. While we were hanging out, a black British student came to use a computer. We talked and I explained to him that the best way to improve one’s Japanese is to make Japanese friends and join Japanese clubs, in addition to reading anything you come across in your daily life. He left, and I drank some coffee with the Japanese people. I asked them if they had dinner plans, and since they didn’t, they agreed to eat with me. “What do you want to eat?” the girl asked me. I decided that I wanted meat more than fish, so Allergy-san looked up restaurants that served Sendai’s specialty, cow tongue. We agreed to meet later in front of the Disney store in the downtown area. Allergy-san and the quiet guy wanted to drop off their motorcycles at home. So I walked with the girl to her bike, but before we made it there we encountered a couple of Chinese girls who needed help finding the bus station that would take them home. At the same time, a friend of theirs happened by, so it ended up turning into an exchanging of contact information, while the Japanese girl used her phone and asked people nearby until she found out where the bus stop was. It’s rather inconvenient I don’t have a smart phone, because apparently everyone, American, Chinese, or Japanese, now uses Line to chat with each other. If I could at least register from a PC, I could use it on my PC, but you have to have a smartphone to even sign up for the service.

While we were standing at the intersection exchanging information, the quiet Japanese guy found us. He got caught up the exchanging too, but finally everyone had each other’s contact information. The girl and I hurried to her bike so that we could stop by her apartment, which was on the way, to drop off the bike, and then walk to Disney. When we got to Disney, the other two guys were waiting. We walked to the store, which was in the basement of a building. It was small room with tatami mat flooring on a raised area. We took off our shoes as we entered and climbed onto the tatami area, where seat cushions were arranged around the low tables. There was only one employee, an old woman, who brought us a menu and iced barley tea, took our orders, cooked our food, and later talked with us. Allergy-san, a very energetic person who talks a lot, had a good time talking with the old woman. The rest of laughed as he came up with witty or self-deprecating replies to her questions about us being students at Tohoku University (a high-ranked public university). She enjoyed talking with us.

Allergy-san was surprised that I could use chopsticks (although I dropped a piece before very first bite), and the others commented as well. I explained that Americans are used to using chopsticks from a young age because they’re available at Chinese restaurants.

After dinner, we walked back to Disney. We kept being hailed by the nighttime employees, who asked if we were looking for a place to drink or do karaoke. The quiet guy split off from us to go home. Allergy-san and I walked with S-san, the girl, to her apartment, and then Allergy-san walked me home (which was really nice of him, because it’s far). While we walked, I told him about my research theme, which turned into a very long-winded and stumbling attempt to explain my goals for the future to make the world a better place. He commented that I had pretty deep thoughts and that my Japanese was very good. I was moved that he walked me home and that he had listened and engaged with my explanation about my goals. This was the kind of interaction I had been craving; I didn’t have to be lonely anymore. I could go with my new friends to restaurants and karaoke.

I felt very happy and excited when I got home. From now on, things would be more fun, and probably very busy.

Tuesday, 9/30/2014 Movies, Shopping, and Ramen

I set my alarm for 7:30am, but I didn’t get up until 7:40. I got ready as quickly as I could, demolished a banana, and speedwalked to the subway station, which I estimated was 30 minutes away. I left at about 8:05. At the elevator on my floor, a Japanese girl got off as I got on, so now I’ve seen one of my neighbors. I also brought my non-plastic trash outside to the cage. I got to the station by 8:30. The crowds out on the streets were very different at this time of day. Close to my apartment, middle-aged women in yellow vests stood at each intersection, and police officers stood at the biggest ones. Elementary school kids in yellow hats—baseball caps for boys, sun hats for girls that had a visor that went all the way around but was smaller in the back—yelled and chased each other as they walked to school. Middle schoolers in uniform and high schoolers in regular clothes (or vice versa?) rode their bikes along the roads and sidewalks. Salarymen and women going to work also rode their bikes. All the bike riders had intense expressions of concentration as they raced through the crowds of pedestrians and fellow bikers. The road was full of car as well. I got lots of stares.

At the train station, I had no trouble finding my station on the map, since there was only one line and therefore one set of platforms. I thought I was late, but I wasn’t going to run, and I couldn’t speed up the train. The train was very crowded when I got on; I was squeezed against the people next to me. But lots of people got off at every station until Sendai Station, so I had a seat for most of the ride.

At Nagamachi-minami Station, I looked at the local map on the wall to figure out what exit to take. I found the exit leading to the mall and went outside. A-san had told me that I would have to enter the mall through the parking lot if it was early, so I followed a random woman to the entrance. I was able to enter the mall, but all the stores had nets hung up in front of them. There were people sitting on benches waiting. It was about 8:40am, and most of the stores didn’t open until 10am, according to the sign I saw at the doorway. I asked a security guard standing in the hallway between 2 stores how to get to the movie theater. He said I had to go outside to the next building, since the connecting hallway between the two parts of the mall wasn’t open yet. I found the movie theatre MOVIX, which was on the 4^th floor of the 2^nd building. I went to the ticket counter, and since it was past 8:30am, which I thought was the starting time for the movie I wanted to see, I asked them which movies I could see right away. They pulled out a book of movie posters, and the fourth one they pointed to was “When There Was Marnie,” the movie I had planned to see. Apparently it actually started at 8:50am, so I was still in time. I was able to get the student discount (1,100 yen for a ticket) despite not having my student ID yet (which I emphasized, but for once they didn’t want proof).

I went to the concession stand and bought a bottle of water and a cup of iced Royal Milk Tea. The tea was horrifically sweet, so I was glad for the water. Later, the ice melted and watered it down, thankfully. I went to the bathroom, and then I went to the theatre. I had to ask the people at the desk since I wasn’t sure which theatre it was. There was about 4-5 other people watching the movie: 2 men and 3 women, I think.

The movie was enjoyable, if not a little strange. I understood almost everything. I found it appropriate to describe the way I’ve been feeling in Sendai so far. Like the main character Anna, people are nice to me, but I have no real friends. Like Anna, some of it is because I get nervous about interacting with people, and some of it is because I need someone to interact with me who is genuinely interested in being my friend. But it’s still early. I expect things to change once classes start tomorrow and I go to orientation on Thursday. And once I have consistent internet access.

I liked the song that played during the credits. It was an English song, and the singer described herself as a loner who enjoys reading books and spending time by herself, but sometimes she gets so lonely she cries and wonders if anyone would remember her if she died.

Everyone stayed in their seats until the credits ended and the lights came back on. I threw away my trash and went to the bathroom again. Then I checked my phone and saw it was 10:20am. I figured I might as well see another movie since it cost 300 yen ($3) to get to this mall, and I had all day. I bought a ticket for the 11:35am showing of the first Rurouni Kenshin movie. I didn’t know the exact title, so when I bought the ticket I asked to see “movie number one” and when they seemed unsure, “the first movie.” When I was watching the movie I wasn’t sure if it actually was the first, since they seemed to assume a lot at the beginning, but since it ended with a cliffhanger and showed the title of the next movie, I was reassured. The movie was very thrilling; it was packed full of fast-paced action scenes with skilled choreography. I understood the gist of the movie, although I didn’t understand the parts that went into history or philosophical reasoning.

Before I saw the Rurouni Kenshin movie, though, I was hungry. It was 10:50, so I had about 20-30 minutes to eat lunch. The restaurants on the floor below were all sitdown except for the Dotour coffee shop, so I rushed to the other building through the connecting hall and went down to the first floor food court. I bought a pork bun and a cinnamon roll from a bakery, and got a paper cup for water. The pork bun was crispy like a spring roll you get at Chinese restaurants in the States. The cinnamon roll was rather dry.

Then I rushed back to the movie theatre for the movie. After the movie, I took my time looking at the movie posters and flyers. Then I spent several hours wandering in circles around the two mall buildings. I went to Seiyu, as A-san had recommended to me. It was hard to figure out the physical division between Seiyu and the “specialty stores.” I looked for the red archways of Seiyu for guidance. At Seiyu I bought lint roller refills, sheets (they cost 980 yen each instead of the 3300 yen it costs at Daiei), and a towel. I looked at their futon set, but their 3-piece set, which only had the top and bottom futons and a pillow, cost the same as Daiei’s 6-piece set, which includes covers for each of those (and, I discovered when I bought it later that day, also includes free shipping). I looked at drying racks too, since I wasn’t comfortable with stretching a string across the room from the closet bar to the curtain rod and hanging all my laundry on it. I found the same racks that I saw at Daiei, for the same price. I suddenly wondered if perhaps F-sensei would happen to have a spare drying rack laying around. I tried calling him, but he didn’t understand the type of rack I was talking about, and suggested I buy one from the 100 yen store. I knew the 100 yen store carried the circular type that you hang and clip things to, but that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted something big enough to handle a lot of clothes. But I wasn’t able to express myself properly, and the store was too loud anyway, so I gave up and let F-sensei make plans to send me pictures of his tiny hanging rack for me to consider.

I also looked for fridges. They had one fridge that was smaller than the ones at Yodobashi and Labi, but still had separate sections for freezer and fridge. I need to look at the price and the measurements though, and compare.

When I was done shopping, I felt hungry again, so I went up to the top floor and ate a caramel cheesecake crepe, and drank oolong tea to wash it down. A bunch of middle school girls (15+) and sat in all the seats, so I squatted near the stairs to eat. When I finished eating, I found my way back to the subway station and took the train to Sendai Station so I could purchase the bed set at Daiei.

When I got to Sendai Station, I looked at the map. I spotted Loft, and realized I hadn’t been there yet. So I went there and wandered through the floors. The bottom two floors were pachinko. Strangely, there was a no-smoking sign on the escalator, but I could definitely smell cigarette smoke coming from the parlors.

Loft also had bedding and curtains and various other goods, but they were more expensive than Daiei and Seiyu. The number of stores that sell variations of the same things (that are not clothes) astonishes me. Bedding is for sale in Daiei, Seiyu, Loft, and a bunch of other specialty stores housed in the same buildings as these large stores. Depending on the store, prices can get pretty high. It’s also interesting because they sell bedding for both Japanese futon-style beds (on the floor) and Western-style beds (on stands with mattresses), although they use the word “futon” for certain types of bedding for both styles. Loft was also crowded with middle school and high schoolers.

I left Loft and walked briefly to SPAL to see what they sold, but I was getting tired, so I just went around one floor and back out onto the walkways by the station. I wanted to go to Daiei now, so I followed the walkway to Labi, and I took the escalator down into the basement to Daiso, the 100 yen store. I was looking for an exit, but I couldn’t see any from the escalator, and they weren’t labeled on the floor guides on the wall. I guessed that the exit was probably on Floor 1, so I went back up to Labi and exited into the shopping streets. After taking a moment to get oriented, I managed to find my way to Daiei. I went to the 6^th floor to buy the 6-piece bed set. When I brought it to the register, I wasn’t intending to deliver it; I wanted to ask about options (carrying it, taxi, delivery). However, the cashier immediately pulled out a delivery slip and asked if it would be okay if it arrived tomorrow. It didn’t seem to cost extra, so I didn’t ask further. What I did ask was whether this set actually contained all the items it said it did, since it was the same size or smaller than the bedding packs that only contained a top futon or a bottom futon. I didn’t know the word she used, but I assume her explanation meant that the bedding had been vacuum-packed, since she said that it would expand once I removed it from the packaging.

After purchasing the bedding, I went to look at the drying racks on the same floor. When I couldn’t find the type I was looking for, I realized the one I wanted was actually on the bottom floor. But in this section there were also large mirrors, which I had been wanting. The bathroom mirror in my room was small and inaccessible if the floor was wet; plus it had water stains that wouldn’t go away with cleaning. They had mirrors for about 2000 yen ($20). I decided to go to the mirror store I had spotted on the corner of one of the shopping streets, so I could compare prices and sizes. I knew that when I move out I’ll have to dispose of everything I buy, so I should take that into consideration.

I went to the mirror store, but I only walked in for brief second before walking out again. The cheapest mirror was 1500 yen ($15), but it was tiny. All the other mirrors were more in the ranger of 10,000 to 30,000 yen ($100-$300). I didn’t need a mirror as expensive as that. I gave up and started walking home.

I decided to eat at a ramen shop called Kakashiya I often passed on the way to the city center. I paced in front of the restaurant, staring at the posters picturing different types of ramen, as I debated whether or not to go in. From the view of the door, all the customers seemed to be men, and I hoped that this wasn’t one of those restaurants that caters mainly to (old) salarymen. Finally, I told myself, “You came all the way to Japan, and since it’s a restaurant they’ll definitely serve you food!” And I went in. I was immediately reassured because neither pair of customers were salarymen. One was a couple, and the other was a pair of men in their late 20s/early 30s. I stood awkwardly, not knowing where to sit. The man behind the counter noticed me and welcomed me. I asked if it was okay to sit anywhere, and he said sure, gesturing in a vague way that encouraged the bar more than the one table. I sat down at the bar. I stared up at the signs around the restaurant featuring various menu items until I noticed the menu on the table in front of me. I browsed the menu, but I didn’t see the item I had seen on one of the posters outside. I ordered it anyway. From my seat at the bar, I could see the cook preparing the ramen in front of me. I only paid slight attention though, getting lost in thought and drinking water from the pitcher next to me.

My assari ramen was delicious, although it definitely tasted of fish (which may be normal for assari ramen). The broth was very salty, so after I finished the noodles, I leisurely (meaning 15+ minutes) alternated drinking sips of broth and gulping down water. My stomach was hard and round by the time I finished, but my thirst was quenched. I probably drank 2L of liquid, between the soup and the water. I felt sleepy when I finished. I asked the waiter some questions about the menu, including what the name of the restaurant meant. Apparently it was created by taking one kanji character from the names of the master and the owner (2 separate people), and then adding the kanji for “house.” Finally, I paid my check and started slowly walking home. My full belly and the time sitting made my back feel better, but the added weight made my legs more tired, so I felt like a drunk person walking. Sheets are heavy.

I got home at around 8:40pm. I decided to organize all the papers piled on and next to my desk, since I had picked up more during the day. When I moved my desk chair, I noticed the wheels had left dents in the floor. I had slightly noticed it before, but even though the floor looked like a hardwood floor, it was strangely soft, sort of like memory foam but harder. Perhaps it was some sort of linoleum. I hope the dents aren’t permanent, because that could be expensive to fix. I guess I’ll have to look for some sort of floor cover, but I haven’t really seen anything except rugs.

By the time it was 9:30pm, my eyes were getting heavy, but I needed to write this. (I’ve been making lots of typing errors, such as typing “you” instead of “used” or writing the same word twice or skipping words.) The radio was playing; it hadn’t thumped so much because a pop song was playing when I turned it on. I noticed that the radio station had more talking than music; they never played any songs in a row, the songs sort of sounded like they might have faded off early, and the radio personas talked a lot about their personal lives and random stuff for long amounts of time in between songs and commercials (which did occur consecutively). Like with Japanese TV, there were barely any transitions between elements, if any: a song would fade away to an awkward pause that would be replaced by the radio persona talking, who would be abruptly cut off by a commercial, which would be abruptly cut off by the person. I was irritated because I wanted to hear music! If I wanted to hear words I would listen to the news station.

Writing these entries takes about 1-2 hours.