Time flies when you’re having fun. As I am writing this, February is half past. I can’t believe that the last two months of studying Japanese are drawing to a close, and that in two weeks, I will begin my internship with Hitachi. Although I am sad to leave the Ajia Kaikan (or more precisely, its terrific location in central Tokyo), I am looking forward to having my own small appartment in the Hitachi dormitory and starting “normal life” as someone who works in Tokyo. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I am well and truly settling into the Tokyo lifestyle, discovering where to shop, what to eat and, most importantly, how to make friends. So far, most social activities have been limited to trips and evenings out with other JPP students or other international friends. Apart from the Japanese language teachers and the JNI staff I had hardly met -let alone talked to- Tokyoites in a social setting. Until last Sunday, that is, when I went to do what I always do after moving to a new place: join a choir.
The Tokyo International Singers are a large choir consisting of approximately 80 members. About half of them are Japanese, whilst the other half hails from all possible countries of the world. Musically, TIS are also an interesting group, as they aim to perform large-scale pieces on a high amateur level. Last semester they performed Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem (which, coincidentally, I have been singing simultaneously in Leiden). Now, rehearsals have started for Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. The rehearsals are structured in an interesting way: each Saturday, Sunday and Monday members of the choir can attend rehearsals at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Centre at Yoyogi Park. Attendance is required at least once a week, but members can pick the day which suits them best. This arrangement struck me as strange. Usually, even choirs of this size rehearse once a week on a fixed day and time. But in fact, it’s a very sensible way of organizing rehearsals, since many of the choir’s members are hard-working Tokyoites or English-language teachers who have to work at night or during weekends. This goes to show that even when it comes to organizing Western-style activities, there is a Japanese solution that may seem rather farfetched at first, but is actually very efficient.
Other main events in the past week included the JPP site visits to Taisei Construction and the large drainage pipe near Honancho. I very much enjoyed visiting Taisei’s beautiful office overlooking Mt Fuji, and I was amazed at the ingenious solutions the company has come up with to improve the working conditions of its staff. This is what I really love about the Japanese: their ability to look at things differently, to continually improve upon existing ideas, their drive for perfection. The drainage pipe I found less subtle, but equally impressive. As both my father and brother are engineers (TU Delft, of course), I’ve seen my fair share of civil engineering landmarks. Yet to be standing in a tunnel this long and wide, realising that in summer it will fill up with water, was pretty cool.
Finally, I made another daytrip in anticipation of the upcoming trip to the Kansai region. Together with another JPP student and a friend I went to Kamakura. As I love to go hiking and the weather was great, we put on our walking boots and planned a route past several temples, following a hiking trail through the hills (mountains? or is that a Dutch perspective?) up to the giant bronze Buddha. The temples were spread apart further than in Nikko and were more sober in their design. There were also fewer tourists, which definitely gave Kamakura a more relaxed feel than Nikko. Except at the Buddha statue: coming down from the idyllic hiking trail, we were slightly disappointed to see soo many souvenir shops and large groups of people wanting to have their picture taken with the Daibutsu. Yet the statue itself is fascinating, not in the least because it has withstood 750 years of war, earthquakes and fire. I’m very curious to see its rival, the Nara Buddha- now I can compare…
woensdag 20 februari 2008
IV. Countryside
Week 5 in Tokyo went by so fast that I didn’t have time to reflect, let alone write on, all the things I did. Luckily I have the photos to go by. This week was the first time I ventured outside of Tokyo (not counting my foray into the Kichijoji suburbs). On Saturday, I went to meet an Australian friend who has been living in Tokyo for over a year now, and a German friend who stopped by on her round-the-world travels. We went to Yokohama for the day, which was great fun. As it was just days after the beginning of the Chinese New Year, we decided to go to Yokohama’s Chinatown. Unfortunately we didn’t come across any celebrations, but we did visit several beautifully decorated temples and sampled all kinds of Chinese dishes in an all-you-can-eat restaurant. I have had Beijing Duck before, but never just its skin. What can I say… at least it was served in a nice sauce. Other highlights included the giant prawns and the mochi filled with azuki paste. The rice cakes were covered in sesame, and hot! Which is the best way to eat them, as it keeps the azuki filling from being too overpowering. After enjoying Chinatown’s many attractions (including a shop stuffed with panda bears and Hello Kitty), we went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building near Shinjuku to enjoy the alledgedly amazing view. Allegedly, because when we got up there, it had started snowing. As the world down below turned into a fairytale-like scene with lights in the trees adding to the effect, the tower itself was surrounded by a thick white fog. Luckily, there were several amazing toy/gadget shops on the top floor of the building, stocking everything from tap dancing Disney dolls to electronic pets and musical piggy banks.
The next day, I went to study in Kanda, around Jimbocho, where the area is filled with second-hand book shops. One of them also had an entire floor devoted to English-language publications, from obscure books on gentleman’s fashion or Britain’s gardens to well-thumbed editions of Catcher in the Rye and the Graduate. I spent some time browsing through books in the shop, which was clearly modelled after British second-hand booksellers’shops –including heavy dark-wood book cases reaching up to the ceiling. This is an area many students frequent as well, and so I ended up memorizing my kanji surrounded by Japanese students at a nearby Starbucks, where I sat at a library-style reading table, complete with desk lamp. That night, I had my interview with Yanagisawa-san about the practicalites of my internship. There was a lot to discuss, but so far everything looks good. I’m really looking forward to working at Hitachi, and quite curious about what life in a Japanese company dorm will be like.
As this was a long weekend, I boarded an outbound train once more early Monday morning. With a couple of other JPP students, I went on a daytrip to snow-covered Nikko. Arriving at Nikko after the two hour train ride was simply amazing. The sky was a bright blue, the snow lay thick around the area, and behind the Chalet-style JR station we could see a nearby mountain range. As we had only one day, we decided to forgo the waterfalls and focus on the Tosho-gu complex instead. Walking up from the station we first passed the Shin-kyo bridge, which, with its red-laquered wooden structure and the mountains in the background, very much looked like the mental image I had of Japan before coming to Tokyo. The temple complex itself was equally wonderful: the elaborately decorated roofs were covered in thick snow blankets, and the setting in the middle of the woods added to the atmosphere. There were quite a lot of tourists, but not as many as we had feared beforehand. Of course, after visiting the temples, we climbed up the two hundred steps to Tokugawa Ieyasu’s tomb. It was surprisingly sober compared to the temples below, but the light coming through the trees in the grove was simply amazing. Having spent the best part of the day temple-viewing, we were chilled to the bone by the time we went back down into the village. We had dinner at a quaint little restaurant- which later turned out to be listed in all major travel guides. It was run by an elderly woman who turned out to be a great cook, and the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with visitors’ thank-you notes, drawings and meishi. The food was quite simple (yakitori, tsukune, soba) but the taste was amazing.
All in all, Tokyo still is an amazing city of which, despite my best efforts, I’ve only seen a tiny portion. Yet it was a terrific idea to leave the city for a change. Living in a cosmopolitan city like Tokyo, sometimes it seems like I’m not living in Japan at all, what with all the Western-style clothes, food and shops. The fresh air, the change of scenery and the historically interesting sights of Nikko have really done a world of good and made me very curious about what the rest of Japan might look like. I can’t wait to venture outside of Tokyo again.
The next day, I went to study in Kanda, around Jimbocho, where the area is filled with second-hand book shops. One of them also had an entire floor devoted to English-language publications, from obscure books on gentleman’s fashion or Britain’s gardens to well-thumbed editions of Catcher in the Rye and the Graduate. I spent some time browsing through books in the shop, which was clearly modelled after British second-hand booksellers’shops –including heavy dark-wood book cases reaching up to the ceiling. This is an area many students frequent as well, and so I ended up memorizing my kanji surrounded by Japanese students at a nearby Starbucks, where I sat at a library-style reading table, complete with desk lamp. That night, I had my interview with Yanagisawa-san about the practicalites of my internship. There was a lot to discuss, but so far everything looks good. I’m really looking forward to working at Hitachi, and quite curious about what life in a Japanese company dorm will be like.
As this was a long weekend, I boarded an outbound train once more early Monday morning. With a couple of other JPP students, I went on a daytrip to snow-covered Nikko. Arriving at Nikko after the two hour train ride was simply amazing. The sky was a bright blue, the snow lay thick around the area, and behind the Chalet-style JR station we could see a nearby mountain range. As we had only one day, we decided to forgo the waterfalls and focus on the Tosho-gu complex instead. Walking up from the station we first passed the Shin-kyo bridge, which, with its red-laquered wooden structure and the mountains in the background, very much looked like the mental image I had of Japan before coming to Tokyo. The temple complex itself was equally wonderful: the elaborately decorated roofs were covered in thick snow blankets, and the setting in the middle of the woods added to the atmosphere. There were quite a lot of tourists, but not as many as we had feared beforehand. Of course, after visiting the temples, we climbed up the two hundred steps to Tokugawa Ieyasu’s tomb. It was surprisingly sober compared to the temples below, but the light coming through the trees in the grove was simply amazing. Having spent the best part of the day temple-viewing, we were chilled to the bone by the time we went back down into the village. We had dinner at a quaint little restaurant- which later turned out to be listed in all major travel guides. It was run by an elderly woman who turned out to be a great cook, and the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with visitors’ thank-you notes, drawings and meishi. The food was quite simple (yakitori, tsukune, soba) but the taste was amazing.
All in all, Tokyo still is an amazing city of which, despite my best efforts, I’ve only seen a tiny portion. Yet it was a terrific idea to leave the city for a change. Living in a cosmopolitan city like Tokyo, sometimes it seems like I’m not living in Japan at all, what with all the Western-style clothes, food and shops. The fresh air, the change of scenery and the historically interesting sights of Nikko have really done a world of good and made me very curious about what the rest of Japan might look like. I can’t wait to venture outside of Tokyo again.
III. Settling in
It is strange to think that I’ve now been living in Tokyo for a month. The days are still passing way too fast, but the settling in has begun. I’ve now built up a routine of studying, shopping, going out for dinner, and I don’t need a map anymore to find my way around the JNI/Ginza area. As I usually prefer to go out and study in a café rather than staying in my Ajia Kaikan room, I try to combine exploring new parts of Tokyo with making my homework- until now it works out rather nicely. I am also busy looking for a choir in Tokyo. At first I wanted to join a university choir in order to meet some Japanese people as well, but as these choirs appear to be performing at a high level I don’t think they accept members for shorter periods of time (at least, the choirs I used to be in generally didn’t). So now I have sent an e-mail to the Tokyo International Singers, a choir which is at least partly Japanese. I hope to hear from them soon.
Apart from settling in in Tokyo life, I am also getting used to the way lessons are structured. At first I didn’t always know how to prepare or what was expected of me during tests, but now I am getting the hang of it. All in all, the language studies are coming along well. I am a big fan of the red 3kyu grammar book. I wish we had received it earlier on in Leiden! With its concise and clear explanations, examples, overviews and useful exercizes, it has become my Bunpo Bible. I use it all the time. I am also quite enthusiastic about the JETRO text book. I know that some of the other JPP students might disagree, but for me, learning business terms and practicing dialogues (making a business phone call, introduce oneself properly etc.) are very useful. Those newly learned words also come in handy during company visits, such as today’s visit to Canon. I am, by the way, quite a fan of these company visits. They are generally fun and they break up the week nicely, so that each Thursday I come to the language lessons with renewed enthusiasm.
During the weekends, I try to relax and catch up on my sleep, but of course I also want to see and experience as much of the city as I can. Each weekend comes with its own adventures. Last weekend, for example, almost all of us JPP students went to sushi-chef Suzuki-san’s restaurant, where he had prepared a huge multiple-course meal. It included salads, roast beef, Dutch cheese (!) and of course sushi and sashimi. But the most important course of the evening was the tuna head steak. It was brought in on a huge platter, and although cooked, still very much looked like what it was: a fish head. Including the eye. As he scooped up generous bowls, Suzuki-san explained that this was a special dish one rarely finds in restaurants. We now know why. The fish itself is quite tasty, but the texture of skin and eye ball sent shivers down our spine. Of course, since Suzuki-san was so proud of this dish, we felt obliged to help ourselves to seconds. Luckily our bravery was rewarded with very good sushi indeed.
On Sunday, we had snow. I decided I had to go out and experience Tokyo dressed in white. Together with Vivian I went to the Imperial Palace Gardens. It was cold, it was wet, but it was gorgeous as well. We took lots of pictures and almost had a snow fight, if only it hadn’t been snowing so hard… Maybe next time.
Apart from settling in in Tokyo life, I am also getting used to the way lessons are structured. At first I didn’t always know how to prepare or what was expected of me during tests, but now I am getting the hang of it. All in all, the language studies are coming along well. I am a big fan of the red 3kyu grammar book. I wish we had received it earlier on in Leiden! With its concise and clear explanations, examples, overviews and useful exercizes, it has become my Bunpo Bible. I use it all the time. I am also quite enthusiastic about the JETRO text book. I know that some of the other JPP students might disagree, but for me, learning business terms and practicing dialogues (making a business phone call, introduce oneself properly etc.) are very useful. Those newly learned words also come in handy during company visits, such as today’s visit to Canon. I am, by the way, quite a fan of these company visits. They are generally fun and they break up the week nicely, so that each Thursday I come to the language lessons with renewed enthusiasm.
During the weekends, I try to relax and catch up on my sleep, but of course I also want to see and experience as much of the city as I can. Each weekend comes with its own adventures. Last weekend, for example, almost all of us JPP students went to sushi-chef Suzuki-san’s restaurant, where he had prepared a huge multiple-course meal. It included salads, roast beef, Dutch cheese (!) and of course sushi and sashimi. But the most important course of the evening was the tuna head steak. It was brought in on a huge platter, and although cooked, still very much looked like what it was: a fish head. Including the eye. As he scooped up generous bowls, Suzuki-san explained that this was a special dish one rarely finds in restaurants. We now know why. The fish itself is quite tasty, but the texture of skin and eye ball sent shivers down our spine. Of course, since Suzuki-san was so proud of this dish, we felt obliged to help ourselves to seconds. Luckily our bravery was rewarded with very good sushi indeed.
On Sunday, we had snow. I decided I had to go out and experience Tokyo dressed in white. Together with Vivian I went to the Imperial Palace Gardens. It was cold, it was wet, but it was gorgeous as well. We took lots of pictures and almost had a snow fight, if only it hadn’t been snowing so hard… Maybe next time.
donderdag 31 januari 2008
II. Alien?
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.
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.
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.
Abonneren op:
Posts (Atom)