After almost three weeks in Tokyo, I finally got to see Mt. Fuji! It was quite the way to end my week. And I have yet another potentially disastrous natural phenomenon to thank for it.
Last night, Typhoon 11 made it's way through the Kanto plain. Yes, it seems that if it's not earthquakes, it's typhoons. Next week, I've got my money on locusts. There must be some really bad karma floating around here...but I digress. Typhoon 11...not a big deal. Just heavy winds and lots of rain. But all that wind and rain completely washed the city, clearing out all the smog and crap, and paving the way for Fuji-san's magnificent appearance. I had just been saying how much I was looking forward to seeing it, how the guys on the 12th floor had to call me when it appeared and I get in to work this morning to find Nicki beside herself with excitement. No time for e-mails, no time for even putting my bag down. Right over to the window we went and there it was. I was so excited that I didn't even care that one particular little cloud was blocking the very top and my view of the snow-capped tip. I was actually looking at Mt. Fuji from my office building and it was beautiful. I can't wait to get on top.
[Apologetic note: I would have a photo for you all but I had forgotten my phone this morning. No pages but no photo either. Next time...]
Friday, August 26, 2005
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Apartment Searching
Funny you should mention apartments, Ms Pake. I had just started writing this entry this morning but had to, surprise, go out and see more apartments. I shall pick up where I left off.
I have less than two weeks left to find a home here in Tokyo. While I don't think I'm necessarily stressed out about it, I am just hoping it will all work out. My approach so far has been a very fatalistic one. I will end up living in the apartment/neighborhood I am meant to be in. It will work out. No worries, mate. I just hope fate knows what it's doing, dammit.
I've looked at about 10 apartments so far...and here's where I pick up. I've now looked at about 17 apartments. Before going out this afternoon, I had decided on one. The agent was going to apply on my behalf as see if we could steal it away from this other guy. Yes, it seems I am playing a Manhattan type game of apartment hunting although for all intents and purposes, this is not necessary. Obviously, I've seen many apartments and haven't had to make a decision on the spot as one would in New York so it is different. It's just the case of me wanting this apartment, the rent is quite good, it's a 10 minute walk to the office, and it sits on a little canal with a walking path...and this other guy apparently wants it too. But he's trying to negotiate and I'm willing to pay all the ridiculous fees because well, I'm not paying for them. So, to quote Rie-san, the agent, we have much possibility.
And then today, I go out with another agent who takes me to an apartment I think I want. It's about a 7 minute walk to work and closer to the train station. That's been my dilemma so far...convenience or space. Do I want to be in the middle of the action and have less space or live a little farther out and have lots of space? The place on the canal is 10 minutes from work and even still has good space yet is smack bang in the middle of three train stations. That means at least a 12 minute walk to the subway, any of the three. Not all that convenient when it's typhoon season and pissing it down every day. Or when I want to go out wearing less than comfortable shoes (yes, that is important). But for this exact reason, the rent is great. And there's the canal, walking path complete with cherry trees, and a driving range right down the way. That's why I went for it. But this apartment today is also probably as spacious as the canal one but only 5 minutes to work and 8 minutes to the station. And it's right in the heart of Ebisu where there are plenty of restaurants and bars and if I can get the price I want, not all that much more than the canal place. I've applied for that one as well. If I get the right price, I'll take that one. If not and I get the other one, I'll be very happy. If I get neither, there are a couple others I would be happy in but just not my first choice. My old friend fate shall decide.
So, to answer Jill's question, I'm hoping to have found an apartment this week and maybe in by the weekend. It's been over two years since I've been in my own place with my own things. It's well time.
I have less than two weeks left to find a home here in Tokyo. While I don't think I'm necessarily stressed out about it, I am just hoping it will all work out. My approach so far has been a very fatalistic one. I will end up living in the apartment/neighborhood I am meant to be in. It will work out. No worries, mate. I just hope fate knows what it's doing, dammit.
I've looked at about 10 apartments so far...and here's where I pick up. I've now looked at about 17 apartments. Before going out this afternoon, I had decided on one. The agent was going to apply on my behalf as see if we could steal it away from this other guy. Yes, it seems I am playing a Manhattan type game of apartment hunting although for all intents and purposes, this is not necessary. Obviously, I've seen many apartments and haven't had to make a decision on the spot as one would in New York so it is different. It's just the case of me wanting this apartment, the rent is quite good, it's a 10 minute walk to the office, and it sits on a little canal with a walking path...and this other guy apparently wants it too. But he's trying to negotiate and I'm willing to pay all the ridiculous fees because well, I'm not paying for them. So, to quote Rie-san, the agent, we have much possibility.
And then today, I go out with another agent who takes me to an apartment I think I want. It's about a 7 minute walk to work and closer to the train station. That's been my dilemma so far...convenience or space. Do I want to be in the middle of the action and have less space or live a little farther out and have lots of space? The place on the canal is 10 minutes from work and even still has good space yet is smack bang in the middle of three train stations. That means at least a 12 minute walk to the subway, any of the three. Not all that convenient when it's typhoon season and pissing it down every day. Or when I want to go out wearing less than comfortable shoes (yes, that is important). But for this exact reason, the rent is great. And there's the canal, walking path complete with cherry trees, and a driving range right down the way. That's why I went for it. But this apartment today is also probably as spacious as the canal one but only 5 minutes to work and 8 minutes to the station. And it's right in the heart of Ebisu where there are plenty of restaurants and bars and if I can get the price I want, not all that much more than the canal place. I've applied for that one as well. If I get the right price, I'll take that one. If not and I get the other one, I'll be very happy. If I get neither, there are a couple others I would be happy in but just not my first choice. My old friend fate shall decide.
So, to answer Jill's question, I'm hoping to have found an apartment this week and maybe in by the weekend. It's been over two years since I've been in my own place with my own things. It's well time.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
I heart Earthquakes
Ok, so not really. But at least you all know I'm fine and not to worry.
It was a pretty big one. And yeah, I was a little scared. The whole building was literally swaying. It started off a little trippy and then moved swiftly into "oh, man, I don't like this". It was not a frantic shaking with things falling off the walls as Hollywood likes to make one from non-earthquake places like Pennsylvania believe. The building was just moving...swaying. It was creaking even. If I wasn't so petrified, I might have enjoyed the short, strange trip we were on.
Mind you this is not the first earthquake I've experienced since my arrival in this tectonically friendly little hamlet. There were two the first weekend I was here. Two! The first one, not this past Saturday but the one before, was at about 1:00 in the morning as I was laying on the couch reading, wired on Turkish coffee. It was one jolt...as if someone on the floor below me slammed their door really, really hard. And that was it. Of course, I went running to the door to see if everyone else was running to the door. They weren't. The second one was the next night around 12:30 and I was such an old pro, I didn't bat an eyelash but remained in bed with Harry (Potter, you guys...come on).
At work on Monday, after cursing Nicki for her "you just need to experience one" lecture on Saturday night hours before the first one that night, I was directed to my new favorite website. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html
It gives me all I need to know and then some. Location is important, obviously...the farther away, the better and depth is important as well (those closer to the surface cause more shaking). I like having the facts but I certainly don't pour over this regularly. I'm with those that say lots of small to medium ones mean that the pressure is being released.
All in all, it was nothing and a part of life in Japan. One that I'm sure I will get used to...eventually.
It was a pretty big one. And yeah, I was a little scared. The whole building was literally swaying. It started off a little trippy and then moved swiftly into "oh, man, I don't like this". It was not a frantic shaking with things falling off the walls as Hollywood likes to make one from non-earthquake places like Pennsylvania believe. The building was just moving...swaying. It was creaking even. If I wasn't so petrified, I might have enjoyed the short, strange trip we were on.
Mind you this is not the first earthquake I've experienced since my arrival in this tectonically friendly little hamlet. There were two the first weekend I was here. Two! The first one, not this past Saturday but the one before, was at about 1:00 in the morning as I was laying on the couch reading, wired on Turkish coffee. It was one jolt...as if someone on the floor below me slammed their door really, really hard. And that was it. Of course, I went running to the door to see if everyone else was running to the door. They weren't. The second one was the next night around 12:30 and I was such an old pro, I didn't bat an eyelash but remained in bed with Harry (Potter, you guys...come on).
At work on Monday, after cursing Nicki for her "you just need to experience one" lecture on Saturday night hours before the first one that night, I was directed to my new favorite website. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html
It gives me all I need to know and then some. Location is important, obviously...the farther away, the better and depth is important as well (those closer to the surface cause more shaking). I like having the facts but I certainly don't pour over this regularly. I'm with those that say lots of small to medium ones mean that the pressure is being released.
All in all, it was nothing and a part of life in Japan. One that I'm sure I will get used to...eventually.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Little photo album
I forgot that last weekend I had taken some photos. I'll just throw them up here...
This is Yebisu Garden Place aka home for the time being. Starting on the left with the red letters is Mitsukoshi, a department store. Kind of like the Harrod's of Japan. There happens to be a Mitsukoshi in Fort Lee, NJ. The very next building is Nibankan. This is where I live, where my temporary apartment is, #906. My view is out the back side of the building in the other direction. Next is The Westin. At the bottom of the Westin is a chateau-like building. There's another photo of this coming up but I just love how Japanese that is...I know, let's put a French chateau right in the middle of all these modern glass buildings. And the glass building on the right in the foreground, that you can only see a bit of is Yebisu Garden Place Tower or the office.
Chateau Restaurant Taillevent-Robuchon...I haven't been here yet. I think it might just be overpriced French food but that's just my guess. They have a bakery though in the concourse that is underneath all these buildings. It's supposed to be fab.
The center square in between Nibankan and the office (under that glass dome thing). There have been concerts each of the Sundays that I've been here so far...very nice.
View off my balcony...Tokyo Tower is the pointy structure. I think it resembles the Effiel Tower. Quite the Francophiles, the Japanese.
Shibuya Crossing..this really is Tokyo madness. A nightime photo would be better...I'll get one. This is the Times Square of Tokyo. It's also featured a number of times in Lost in Translation. The final scene being one of them.
This is Yebisu Garden Place aka home for the time being. Starting on the left with the red letters is Mitsukoshi, a department store. Kind of like the Harrod's of Japan. There happens to be a Mitsukoshi in Fort Lee, NJ. The very next building is Nibankan. This is where I live, where my temporary apartment is, #906. My view is out the back side of the building in the other direction. Next is The Westin. At the bottom of the Westin is a chateau-like building. There's another photo of this coming up but I just love how Japanese that is...I know, let's put a French chateau right in the middle of all these modern glass buildings. And the glass building on the right in the foreground, that you can only see a bit of is Yebisu Garden Place Tower or the office.
Chateau Restaurant Taillevent-Robuchon...I haven't been here yet. I think it might just be overpriced French food but that's just my guess. They have a bakery though in the concourse that is underneath all these buildings. It's supposed to be fab.
The center square in between Nibankan and the office (under that glass dome thing). There have been concerts each of the Sundays that I've been here so far...very nice.
View off my balcony...Tokyo Tower is the pointy structure. I think it resembles the Effiel Tower. Quite the Francophiles, the Japanese.
Shibuya Crossing..this really is Tokyo madness. A nightime photo would be better...I'll get one. This is the Times Square of Tokyo. It's also featured a number of times in Lost in Translation. The final scene being one of them.
Take me home, country loads
It was time. There was no getting around it. I had gone well past the grace period for time spent in Tokyo without participating. That's right, I'm talking about the Japanese national pastime/obsession...karaoke.
Karaoke in Japan is serious stuff. None of this getting up on the stage in front of the whole bar and it's certainly NOT a group effort as it tends to be at home. Each group of karaokers reserve a private room where you can sing until your heart's content or until your time's up. In our case, it was the later. The place we went was almost like a karaoke hotel. The building had about 10 floors, each one with room after room filled with joyful people singing. You order all food and drinks either through the TV or by the phone on the wall and presto, bango, you have sustenance. In fact, after each song, a little calorie counter appears on the bottom corner of the screen. Because, yes, it seems you should be getting so into it that you burn calories! Go figure. Just make that strange but endearing thing about Japan number 8,437...
The evening started out on the mellow side. It was a work function after all with the head of our department there. It ended on the other hand with 5 of us left fighting over the microphones and reducing ourselves to Disney tunes. I had a most distressing time when I went for one of my favorite inane songs, Peaches by Presidents of the United States of America and got completely destroyed for it. Not only had no one even heard of it but they thought it was the most bizarre song in the world. And the only other American guy there was too much of a wus to admit he'd heard of it too..."I'm going to deny everything so I don't have to get hung out to dry like Corinne is." Lame. Typical of the kind of guy who has to come all the way to Japan to find a girlfriend but THAT'S a-whole-nother blog entry...:) I'll admit. The lyrics moving to the country, going to eat me a lot of peaches probably does somehow get lost in translation and might require some time spent in a US university. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. If anyone wants to weigh in on this, by all means. Regardless, I now know that choosing a good karaoke song does take some thought.
There was lots of Abba, many duets (I Got You, Babe, etc.), John Denver, Beatles, Britney, and Backstreet Boys. Rajendra did some brilliant Celine Dion and a fantastic Copacabana. Nicki and I worked ourselves up to Holding Out for a Hero. Ramesh did this Dido song with some kind of British version of rap thrown in, and Rustam, when he arrived, was all about the showtunes. Yahlin, the head of the group, was the only one smart enough to not get involved. But where's the fun in that, I ask you? I'm sure it's going to take me months to live down the Peaches incident and restore my reputation but I think it's all part of the experience. :)
I put one photo...even though I look terrible in it! I'm hoping that other people took more interesting ones and I'll get them up soon.
Karaoke in Japan is serious stuff. None of this getting up on the stage in front of the whole bar and it's certainly NOT a group effort as it tends to be at home. Each group of karaokers reserve a private room where you can sing until your heart's content or until your time's up. In our case, it was the later. The place we went was almost like a karaoke hotel. The building had about 10 floors, each one with room after room filled with joyful people singing. You order all food and drinks either through the TV or by the phone on the wall and presto, bango, you have sustenance. In fact, after each song, a little calorie counter appears on the bottom corner of the screen. Because, yes, it seems you should be getting so into it that you burn calories! Go figure. Just make that strange but endearing thing about Japan number 8,437...
The evening started out on the mellow side. It was a work function after all with the head of our department there. It ended on the other hand with 5 of us left fighting over the microphones and reducing ourselves to Disney tunes. I had a most distressing time when I went for one of my favorite inane songs, Peaches by Presidents of the United States of America and got completely destroyed for it. Not only had no one even heard of it but they thought it was the most bizarre song in the world. And the only other American guy there was too much of a wus to admit he'd heard of it too..."I'm going to deny everything so I don't have to get hung out to dry like Corinne is." Lame. Typical of the kind of guy who has to come all the way to Japan to find a girlfriend but THAT'S a-whole-nother blog entry...:) I'll admit. The lyrics moving to the country, going to eat me a lot of peaches probably does somehow get lost in translation and might require some time spent in a US university. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. If anyone wants to weigh in on this, by all means. Regardless, I now know that choosing a good karaoke song does take some thought.
There was lots of Abba, many duets (I Got You, Babe, etc.), John Denver, Beatles, Britney, and Backstreet Boys. Rajendra did some brilliant Celine Dion and a fantastic Copacabana. Nicki and I worked ourselves up to Holding Out for a Hero. Ramesh did this Dido song with some kind of British version of rap thrown in, and Rustam, when he arrived, was all about the showtunes. Yahlin, the head of the group, was the only one smart enough to not get involved. But where's the fun in that, I ask you? I'm sure it's going to take me months to live down the Peaches incident and restore my reputation but I think it's all part of the experience. :) I put one photo...even though I look terrible in it! I'm hoping that other people took more interesting ones and I'll get them up soon.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Arigato Gozaimasu
Thank you for the comments! They are fantastic.
This is the extent of my Japanese at the moment. Impressive, hai? I do, in fact, have one more and sadly it's a variation of arigato gozaimasu. Every morning I leave my building and the sweet girls at the reception desk say something to me. I, as with most greetings, just nod profusely (some bastardized, western version of a bow, perhaps?) and smile alot. I now know they are wishing me a good morning and I can reply with my own "ohayo gozaimasu". I'm practically a local.
I have started looking into Japanese classes. As part of my relocation package, I have a certain amount of money to spend on lessons. Most people get individual lessons and the instructor comes right to the office. I think I can tailor them to what I need...I still haven't decided if I'm going to properly learn Japanese or just conversational. Right now, I'm thinking there too many other things I want to get up to while I'm here so I'm going to go for how to direct a taxi, order food, etc., etc., basically things to entertain my native Japanese speaking colleagues at work. They get heaps of enjoyment out of laughing at the gaijin trying to speak Japanese. But the real message is that I'll be well proficient in the necessities when everyone comes over to visit. :)
This is the extent of my Japanese at the moment. Impressive, hai? I do, in fact, have one more and sadly it's a variation of arigato gozaimasu. Every morning I leave my building and the sweet girls at the reception desk say something to me. I, as with most greetings, just nod profusely (some bastardized, western version of a bow, perhaps?) and smile alot. I now know they are wishing me a good morning and I can reply with my own "ohayo gozaimasu". I'm practically a local.
I have started looking into Japanese classes. As part of my relocation package, I have a certain amount of money to spend on lessons. Most people get individual lessons and the instructor comes right to the office. I think I can tailor them to what I need...I still haven't decided if I'm going to properly learn Japanese or just conversational. Right now, I'm thinking there too many other things I want to get up to while I'm here so I'm going to go for how to direct a taxi, order food, etc., etc., basically things to entertain my native Japanese speaking colleagues at work. They get heaps of enjoyment out of laughing at the gaijin trying to speak Japanese. But the real message is that I'll be well proficient in the necessities when everyone comes over to visit. :)
Friday, August 05, 2005
Alien
I am officially an alien albeit a legal one. Isn't there some song about being a legal alien? (...Google break...)Oh, right...it's the handsome, tantric Sting and it's about being an Englishman in New York titled as such. Anyhoo, I am an alien. I had to go to Shibuya yesterday morning to register at the ward office. Quite the adventure, I must say but I will bore you with my stories another time. My internet is not going to be up this weekend so if I feel like walking across the courtyard to the office, I might give them to you this weekend, otherwise next week.
I have eaten sushi everyday, I think, since I've been here and it's hot as hell. It really seems hotter than New York. Very hot and steamy. My plans for the weekend are neighborhood scouting. I want to get on the ball with finding a place to live so I don't end up living in Nibankan which is the building where my corporate apartment is. It's very nice and literally right across from the office and several of my colleagues live there but it's just too close. I don't want to live so close to work. Even if it does have a bathtub remote in the kitchen! I kid you not. You never know when you might feel like a bath while you're cooking your ramen. But I did realize that it's probably because the tub is very deep...yet not very long. I guess I'd better get used to that though!
By the way, to the person(s) who commented and then deleted it...can ya please put it back up??? I'm dying for comments, people! Especially since I can't read my gmail right now. No one cares what you say...I only care if you don't say anything at all!
I have eaten sushi everyday, I think, since I've been here and it's hot as hell. It really seems hotter than New York. Very hot and steamy. My plans for the weekend are neighborhood scouting. I want to get on the ball with finding a place to live so I don't end up living in Nibankan which is the building where my corporate apartment is. It's very nice and literally right across from the office and several of my colleagues live there but it's just too close. I don't want to live so close to work. Even if it does have a bathtub remote in the kitchen! I kid you not. You never know when you might feel like a bath while you're cooking your ramen. But I did realize that it's probably because the tub is very deep...yet not very long. I guess I'd better get used to that though!
By the way, to the person(s) who commented and then deleted it...can ya please put it back up??? I'm dying for comments, people! Especially since I can't read my gmail right now. No one cares what you say...I only care if you don't say anything at all!
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
I have arrived
I have already made a vending machine purchase and have been caught clueless due to Japanese instructions at least 5 times. Most importantly being my Internet access...the whole bloody manual, in Japanese. I'm hoping to get it sorted sometime this week and will be online soon (work blocks my gmail and IM but thankfully, not blogger.com). Until then, know that I'm here and I'm confused most of the time and I'm loving it.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Lunch
Yesterday, my colleagues and I went out to lunch. A real dim sum place...I think I was the only westerner in the whole place although in retrospect I find that hard to believe because Hong Kong is swarming with 'em. Let's just say I was the only one I noticed. In my new role as not-pushy-American, I sat back and let Banny and Steve do the ordering (the fact that I couldn't have ordered if I wanted to due to my lack of Chinese was a whole other matter). Little pork barbeque buns with this sweet pineapple crust like thing on top, dumplings, more little buns only these with a sweet custard inside, crispy noodles, shrimp, chicken feet...yes, that's right. I said chicken feet. I ate a chicken foot! It's not so much eating one but more like sucking the skin off it. God, that sounds disgusting!! The sauce on it was really nice and it tasted quite good but you're still eating a scrawny, three toed, chicken foot. If I didn't look at it, I could do it. Will I endulge again? Probably not.
I'm at the airport getting ready to get on my flight to Tokyo...at last. I'm pretty ready to be there. I had a terrible night last night paying for my little nap on Sunday. Woke up around 2:30 after having a natural disaster dream involving lots of water (I think I was thinking about India before I went to bed) and then couldn't sleep. Read Harry Potter, watch Australian golf on TV, fell asleep around 5:00 only to be woken up by the guy bringing coffee. I'm a walking zombie at the moment. I really can't wait to get on the plane and sleep.
My reflections on Hong Kong will have to wait for the next trip. I think I really liked Hong Kong but really only saw the hotel, the office, the airport, and two restaurants. I did have delicious French Vietnamese last night in addition to the chicken feet. On the train ride to the airport (15 minutes from the center of town...and you can check your luggage in right there in the train station!), I noticed that Hong Kong is very green, had lots of mini-mountains, and apartment blocks. An incredible amount of apartment blocks. It's quite amazing. All these green hills and very tall skyscrapers of apartments. I tried to take a picture but to no avail. Too many wires in the way. I'll definitely be back soon and want to do Hong Kong properly.
I'm at the airport getting ready to get on my flight to Tokyo...at last. I'm pretty ready to be there. I had a terrible night last night paying for my little nap on Sunday. Woke up around 2:30 after having a natural disaster dream involving lots of water (I think I was thinking about India before I went to bed) and then couldn't sleep. Read Harry Potter, watch Australian golf on TV, fell asleep around 5:00 only to be woken up by the guy bringing coffee. I'm a walking zombie at the moment. I really can't wait to get on the plane and sleep.
My reflections on Hong Kong will have to wait for the next trip. I think I really liked Hong Kong but really only saw the hotel, the office, the airport, and two restaurants. I did have delicious French Vietnamese last night in addition to the chicken feet. On the train ride to the airport (15 minutes from the center of town...and you can check your luggage in right there in the train station!), I noticed that Hong Kong is very green, had lots of mini-mountains, and apartment blocks. An incredible amount of apartment blocks. It's quite amazing. All these green hills and very tall skyscrapers of apartments. I tried to take a picture but to no avail. Too many wires in the way. I'll definitely be back soon and want to do Hong Kong properly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)