As of this week it’s official: I am no longer a tourist-in-Japan. And it isn’t just due to the fact that I am now in possession of my alien registration card. Last week, for the first time since I started learning Japanese, I experienced that wonderful moment every language student is yearning for: speaking a foreign language without noticing it. It happened quite suddenly- one of the sensei asked a question, and not until I was halfway through answering it did I realize that I was, in fact, replying in Japanese. Apparently, after four months of intensive study in Leiden the best thing I could do for my Japanese language skills was not to learn more kanji or to drill more verbs, but to come to Japan. Here, kanji are everywhere! In Leiden I sometimes struggled to remember the ON- or KUN-yomi of the kanji, or even worse, their stroke order, but in Tokyo travelling by chikatetsu alone has already imprinted the kanji for ao, kin, za, roku and many more on my mind in a way that studying them in the library never could.
As for enhancing my conversation skills, Tokyo still feels like one big language lab. It is still incredibly cool to notice that the exotic and at times downright strange language I started learning back home is actually being spoken on the streets here. I am beginning to feel at home not just in this city, but also in this language. Still, using Japanese can be infuriating at times: emotions, for example, are very difficult to express. Of course my command of the language is still very limited, but I also find that Japanese is much more indirect than other foreign languages I’ve learned in terms of voicing an opinion, or expressing hopes and fears, likes and dislikes. Practical things like shopping for clothes (Structural Functional Japanese lesson 10), sending post cards home (SFJ lesson 2) and making small talk (SFJ lessons 1 through nan demo ii desu), pose no serious problems though. But finding the right shampoo or make-up remover can be very difficult. It took me a lot of patience, comparing labels, bothering shop assistants and visiting every drug store in a 3-mile radius of the NichiRan Gakkai in order to finally succeed.
However, this sort of practical stuff is also fun, and one of the reasons I wanted to participate in the JPP in the first place: living in Tokyo, rather than just visiting it, is so much more rewarding. The homework can be too much at times and the sleep I’m getting is definitely too little, but sitting in a café in Asakusa, practicing my kanji and watching the passers-by, I cannot imagine anything else I’d rather be doing right now. Especially last weekend, when fellow JPP student Evelien had arranged for all of us to go to a concert/party in a club in hip and happening Kijijoji. Advertised as an Otaku music party it featured bands such as YMCK and Sexy Synthesizer performing electronic dance music based on the blips and beeps of old-fashioned 8-bit computer games. It was great! Not only did I actually like most of the music (I’m quite a lover of eccentric electro-music), but being there and observing our fellow party-goers was great fun as well. The room was filled with (mostly) male gamers, ranging from reasonably hip to terribly geeky. All of them had one thing in common, though: they hardly ever danced. The beats were great, the beer was not too expensive, but they just stood there, packed together on the dance floor, standing transfixed by the animations projected on a large screen at the back of the room. It was a strange experience, but we still had a lot of fun, especially since most of the acts mentioned us “oranda-jin,” thanking us for our presence that night.
Apart from the Otaku party, one of the coolest things this week actually happened today. Five of us got up at around four o’clock this morning, taking the first metro to the Tsukiji fish market. Upon arrival we were welcomed by sushi-chef Suzuki-san, wearing a green jacket to match his signature green hair. Not wasting any time he immediately took us down to the tuna auction hall, where the floors were covered wall to wall with huge tunas, freshly imported from Spain. Apparently these fish can weigh up to 500 kgs, selling for up to 10,000Y per kg. Before the auction started, fish buyers gathered to poke at the tuna with specially shaped hooks whilst shining into the carcasses with their torchlights in order to determine whether the fish were fat enough (yes, the fattest parts are the tastiest). The auction itself went very fast, with several auctioneers yelling out prizes and buyers too fast for us to understand. Suzuki-san then took us to a part of the fish market that is usually off-limits for tourists. There, in the inner heart of the market, was the widest variety of most amazing fish I’ve ever seen. There were fish in all shapes and sizes, ranging from tiny shell fish to bright red octopi with tentacles as thick as my forearm. There was so much to see I never knew where to look or when to pause for a photograph. What struck me was that although we must have been standing in the way all the time, taking pictures, walking slowly, obstructing passageways, we never got one dirty look. Most people smiled, several people offered us tea and coffee, some told us their stories and one of them even let us taste some whale meat. Whilst I do feel slightly ambiguous about Japan’s continued whale hunting activities, I had decided beforehand that I would, at least, try some whale meat if it was offered to me. Well, it was terrific. I don’t think I’ll go looking for a restaurant that sells it, partly out of principle and partly because I don’t think I’ll get in as a foreigner, but I must admit: now I understand what the Japanese are on about.
Having experienced things this cool in an otherwise “quiet week,” I am already looking forward to what next week will offer. One thing is certain: whatever you’re looking for, if you can’t find it in Tokyo, you probably can’t find it anywhere else in the world.
donderdag 31 januari 2008
vrijdag 25 januari 2008
I. Bewilderment
Two weeks in Tokyo have gone by in the blink of an eye. There are so many things to see and do that I’ve already begun to compile mental lists of places to go to, things to experience and “interesting” food to eat. The list is endless. However, so far the score is pretty good: I’ve had jellyfish in an izakaya which was quite nice, tried the sea urchin sushi when the sushi chef came to Nichiran gakkai (loved it!), and last weekend I had octopus which looked interesting enough but was actually rather disgusting when eaten. Still, I’m all for experiencing new and preferably Japanese things. The sumo match we went to last week was terrific, especially since we got to see the usually composed and dignified Japanese business men screaming their lungs out when their favourite wrestlers walked into the ring.
Before coming to Japan I bought a new digital camera (Canon, of course) and I am glad I did. So far I’ve seen so many beautiful and sometimes bewildering things I haven’t been able to keep track of how many pictures I took. What strikes me about Tokyo is that many things seem very “normal,” “Western” or “similar” at first, but turn out to be completely different (or at least have a strange twist). In some ways this city reminds me of Paris: the way people dress, especially women in their skirts and high heels, the metro system (organized according to final destination, instead of where lines are bound like London), the love of food and eating out, and the ideas of centre-periphery (the Route Péripherique and the Yamanote line being the respective boundaries). Yet Tokyo is also completely different. My daily chikatetsu ride, for example, is nothing short of bewildering. As the doors open, the commuter-tide comes rushing in: bags, feet, elbows, knees, ribs, coats, arms are everywhere- no room left to move, or, indeed, to breathe. Yet amazingly enough, the Tokyoites remain calm and keep their poker faces on; even when crushed between tall Dutch people, they keep their cool. The silence in the metro (no cell phones, hardly any conversations) came as a pleasant surprise the first time I traveled by metro- I expect the readjustment to the Dutch railway system will not be easy.
Of course there are low points, as well. Living in Tokyo, I try to use my Japanese as much as I can, whenever wherever. Usually, subjecting unsuspecting Japanese to my limited command of the language is fun- it got me an exclusive guided tour at the Ueno Mori bijutsukan, where the English-speaking guide got so enthusiastic about my interest in Kanji and Japanese history that we explored the expo on the origin of Kanji for at least an hour together. Old ladies in shops and restaurants also respond well; they start explaining about Japanese seasonal flowers, holiday cards or which ingredients make up Gyoza. But often I’m confronted by the limitations of my Japanese language skills and/or the unwillingness of some Japanese to converse with me. This can lead to comic situations where I start asking questions about the menu in a restaurant and all I get in response is “CHIKIN! You know CHIKIN yes?”, but sometimes it’s really frustrating when I’m trying to, for example, fill out some paperwork or buy electrical appliances, and all I get are blank stares or frowns. Nevertheless, most Tokyoites I’ve met so far have been very kind and helpful and generous with compliments about my Japanese (I, of course, respond with “Iie, sono koto nai desu,” or “iie, mada mada”).
In short, my first two weeks in Tokyo have been great- I’ve experienced my first earthquake (which was quite scary, even if it was only a simulation) and as I love singing and corny pop songs, my first visit to a karaoke bar with my fellow JPP-students has been a great success. On a more serious note, last week’s self-introduction speech and meeting the Hitachi people at the Dutch embassy really boosted my willingness to get stuck in with the language studies again. Not only were my future colleagues very friendly and interested in what I had to say, it turns out that I share several interests with one of my future bosses (including Dutch history and classical music). It was great to discover that I already knew enough Japanese to keep the conversation going and explain reasonably well about my background, or ask questions about Hitachi’s Corporate Social Responsibility. We basically spoke Japanese all night, and my other boss joked that anyone speaking English to me during the internship would get fined.
I am really looking forward to my internship, but for now I’m also enjoying my freedom, going for a run at the nearby Hinoki-cho park, browsing for books at Tower Records, partying in Roppongi, making grammar exercises in the Shibuya Starbucks, and experiencing wonderful and at times surreal things on a daily basis, reminding me that I do, in fact, live in the city of Haruki Murakami- one of my favourite authors ever.
Before coming to Japan I bought a new digital camera (Canon, of course) and I am glad I did. So far I’ve seen so many beautiful and sometimes bewildering things I haven’t been able to keep track of how many pictures I took. What strikes me about Tokyo is that many things seem very “normal,” “Western” or “similar” at first, but turn out to be completely different (or at least have a strange twist). In some ways this city reminds me of Paris: the way people dress, especially women in their skirts and high heels, the metro system (organized according to final destination, instead of where lines are bound like London), the love of food and eating out, and the ideas of centre-periphery (the Route Péripherique and the Yamanote line being the respective boundaries). Yet Tokyo is also completely different. My daily chikatetsu ride, for example, is nothing short of bewildering. As the doors open, the commuter-tide comes rushing in: bags, feet, elbows, knees, ribs, coats, arms are everywhere- no room left to move, or, indeed, to breathe. Yet amazingly enough, the Tokyoites remain calm and keep their poker faces on; even when crushed between tall Dutch people, they keep their cool. The silence in the metro (no cell phones, hardly any conversations) came as a pleasant surprise the first time I traveled by metro- I expect the readjustment to the Dutch railway system will not be easy.
Of course there are low points, as well. Living in Tokyo, I try to use my Japanese as much as I can, whenever wherever. Usually, subjecting unsuspecting Japanese to my limited command of the language is fun- it got me an exclusive guided tour at the Ueno Mori bijutsukan, where the English-speaking guide got so enthusiastic about my interest in Kanji and Japanese history that we explored the expo on the origin of Kanji for at least an hour together. Old ladies in shops and restaurants also respond well; they start explaining about Japanese seasonal flowers, holiday cards or which ingredients make up Gyoza. But often I’m confronted by the limitations of my Japanese language skills and/or the unwillingness of some Japanese to converse with me. This can lead to comic situations where I start asking questions about the menu in a restaurant and all I get in response is “CHIKIN! You know CHIKIN yes?”, but sometimes it’s really frustrating when I’m trying to, for example, fill out some paperwork or buy electrical appliances, and all I get are blank stares or frowns. Nevertheless, most Tokyoites I’ve met so far have been very kind and helpful and generous with compliments about my Japanese (I, of course, respond with “Iie, sono koto nai desu,” or “iie, mada mada”).
In short, my first two weeks in Tokyo have been great- I’ve experienced my first earthquake (which was quite scary, even if it was only a simulation) and as I love singing and corny pop songs, my first visit to a karaoke bar with my fellow JPP-students has been a great success. On a more serious note, last week’s self-introduction speech and meeting the Hitachi people at the Dutch embassy really boosted my willingness to get stuck in with the language studies again. Not only were my future colleagues very friendly and interested in what I had to say, it turns out that I share several interests with one of my future bosses (including Dutch history and classical music). It was great to discover that I already knew enough Japanese to keep the conversation going and explain reasonably well about my background, or ask questions about Hitachi’s Corporate Social Responsibility. We basically spoke Japanese all night, and my other boss joked that anyone speaking English to me during the internship would get fined.
I am really looking forward to my internship, but for now I’m also enjoying my freedom, going for a run at the nearby Hinoki-cho park, browsing for books at Tower Records, partying in Roppongi, making grammar exercises in the Shibuya Starbucks, and experiencing wonderful and at times surreal things on a daily basis, reminding me that I do, in fact, live in the city of Haruki Murakami- one of my favourite authors ever.
I already had a blog. But...
... it's in Dutch. It has been up and running for the past 3 years and I'm pretty proud of it. You can find it here. Why I started this new blog? One of the reasons is that from January to August 2008, I am living, studying and interning in Tokyo, Japan. Which is cool in itself, and very cool to write about. Until now I've kept (most of) my friends up to date through my Dutch blog and, having limited time to spare, have been reluctant to translate or rewrite my blog entries into English. But, as I now have to write weekly reports in English so that the people of the people of the Japan Prizewinners Programme can keep track of what I'm doing, I figured I might as well upload them to this blog, thus offering my international friends a small and hopefully interesting glimpse into My Life In Tokyo.
As for the name of this blog? Stupeur et tremblements was written by Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb and has been one of my favourite books on life in Japan ever since one of my friends from the EP suggested I read it. It has also been made into a wonderful film.
As for the name of this blog? Stupeur et tremblements was written by Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb and has been one of my favourite books on life in Japan ever since one of my friends from the EP suggested I read it. It has also been made into a wonderful film.
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