a letter from a friend serving in Japan (3)

When most people think of Japan, they think of Tokyo; if they could only go to one city in Japan, it would be Tokyo. Am I right?

The problem is, I hate Tokyo. I have been there 3 times, and each time I was underwhelmed. Sure, I have had fun, but mostly because I enjoy the company of the people I have traveled with. Tokyo is too big, too crowded, too expensive, and you basically spend most of your time on the train or walking around looking at over-priced clothing.

However, that did not stop me from trying out Tokyo for a fourth time this past weekend. (Fourth times a charm?) On Saturday after work, I headed up with a big group (about 11 of us), although on Sunday we broke up into smaller groups, so I spent the majority of my time in Tokyo with my friends Derrick, Susannah, and Gwen. Although the trip did not change my feelings about Tokyo, I did have a blast. Here are some highlights:

- Clubbing at Ageha, which is Tokyo's biggest club. It has like a million rooms...and a swimming pool!! The only problem is that a lot of the club (including the pool and the bar that served Long Islands) is outside...which must be great in the summer, but not so much in the winter.

- After staying out all night, going to an Internet cafe in Akihabara (the electronics/nerd district...also made infamous by the guy who went on a stabbing spree here last spring) to sleep for three hours. For $12, I slept in a comfy reclining chair in a tiny cubicle. Classy right? But after spending $200 on the shinkansen ride alone, we had to cut corners somewhere.

- All you can eat okonomiyaki and monjayaki (Tokyo's version of okonomiyaki) lunch at a restaurant in Harajuku. For only $11!! Amazing. And totally worth the 90 minute wait.

- Eating at both Wendy's AND Burger King in Shibuya (think famous intersection from Lost in Translation) after we paid $33 each for nabe at a nice restaurant. The meat in our nabe was waaay too fatty and chewy (we still are not sure what kind of meat it was...damn menus all in Japanese), so we were quite hungry after basically eating boiled cabbage soup for dinner.

- Spending 2 hours sampling chocolate in a department store back in Nagoya. In preparation for Valentine's Day (yes, the Japanese celebrate it!), about 50 or 60 high-class chocolatiers hawk their goods in Takashimaya, which is an upscale department store. Most of them offer free samples, so Susannah and I basically went to every booth, perusing and tasting. And now I have quite a stomachache. haha

Besides Tokyo, I have been keeping myself quite busy on the weekends since I returned to Japan from my all-too-brief vacation in the States. Last weekend, a group of us ventured out to the boonies to visit a plastic food factory, where I got to make my very own plastic shrimp tempura!!! Plastic food is a essential part of the Japanese dining experience. All the restaurants have windows out front with plastic versions of their menu items. It's a very helpful practice, especially for foreigners, because it shows us what the restaurant serves...therefore, little effort is needed to read the menu! So you can imagine my excitement when I got to make my own plastic food! (And yes, it looks real!)

I also started taking Japanese lessons (better late than never, right?) with Derrick and Susannah. My new year's resolution was to study more, but I apparently am not as self-motivated as I thought. Not trying to look like an idiot in front of my friends and our super-sweet teacher is just the kick in the pants I needed. So far, the class is going well. I know a lot more than I thought, which is cool, but there is also a lot I don't know. Like how to read and write kanji (the Chinese symbols). But we learn like 15 every week, so that has been really fun and interesting.

In other non-Japan news, I was also accepted to my first graduate school a few weeks ago. I fooled Seton Hall into allowing me into their master's program for international relations. It's not my top choice, but I am glad to be in somewhere! The DC-area schools (where I actually WANT to go) won't get back to me until March/April...which is annoying and stressful. But I do have a future at least!

Once again, sorry this email is so long...as usual. haha. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know about my latest escapades. I miss everyone immensely...New Year's was such a tease!

Write back soon please! :)

xoxo

Beth