Here's a list of the people who have practiced their mad English skills on me thus far:
the guy on the Tokyo Narita Express- incredibly friendly and helpful. surprised I'm traveling by myself. absolutely perfect English without any sort of accent. I think he was a businessman.
the guy at Odori Station in Sapporo- I'm still laughing about this one.
him (runs up to me and shakes my hand): hello!
me: hi...
him: you are English?
me: um, yes
him: you are...college student?
me (bowled over because nobody in AMERICA thinks I'm a college student): yup!
him: you are...twenty years old?
me (thinking 'wow!): right. twenty years.
him: you were born in...*thinks*...nineteen-eighty...six?
me (amused): yes, in September
him: *nods* okay, goodbye! *leaves*
guy at the beer museum- again, friendly to the max. took a picture of me after he saw me setting up a self-portrait (I should have brought a tripod). knew where Connecticut was!
asparagus boy at the fish market- apparently the word 'asparagus' was all he knew. he kept pointing to them as I walked by the stall, and saying the name.
Monday, June 11, 2007
11 May 2007- 6:46pm: le hostel part two
Today after I woke up, I showered (about damn time), and went to the Sapporo Beer Musuem (I should note that last night was the first in 2 days that I'd slept in a real bed). The city's easy to navigagte; it does the grid thing, and the subway lines use romanji. The Beer Museum was good enough- it was free (if I'd had to pay, I would have been sad), but all the signs were in Japanese, so I mostly wandered around looking at the displays. There was a great one of 'how to make beer' that was a series of diorama. Little elf-monkeys were making the beer- cute. I hit the museum store, too (natch).
I wanted to visit the Salmon Museum, but was afraid that by the time I got there it'd be closed. So I tried to find Hokkaido University, failed, and then decided to visit the fish market. That was probably my favorite part of the city. The TV tower (I'm not sure what exactly its purpose is) is there, and a lot of malls, etc. After seeing the fish market, I came back, as my feet were killing me.
I want to write more about the non "What I Did, blah blah" things, but right now I should go to bed. So here's my list (for later): jet lag, lack of Japanese skills, other people practicing English on me, the side of the road thing (driving and walking), squat toilets, homogenity and me standing out, the trains/subways, Dice-K, being alone, why I like long train rides, door locks, and the benefit of the doubt that comes with being foreign.
I wanted to visit the Salmon Museum, but was afraid that by the time I got there it'd be closed. So I tried to find Hokkaido University, failed, and then decided to visit the fish market. That was probably my favorite part of the city. The TV tower (I'm not sure what exactly its purpose is) is there, and a lot of malls, etc. After seeing the fish market, I came back, as my feet were killing me.
I want to write more about the non "What I Did, blah blah" things, but right now I should go to bed. So here's my list (for later): jet lag, lack of Japanese skills, other people practicing English on me, the side of the road thing (driving and walking), squat toilets, homogenity and me standing out, the trains/subways, Dice-K, being alone, why I like long train rides, door locks, and the benefit of the doubt that comes with being foreign.
11 May 2007- 6:46pm: le hostel
Oh WOW. The last 24+ hours have been wonderful.
I got to Sapporo Station at 3:30, and immediately shoved my two bigger bags into a coin locker before running off to the Toho line and Fukumazi Station. It was about 4:15-4:30 (I think) when I got to the Dome. Unreal. You're walking along through Sapporo, which is not by any means supermodern, and then BOOM out of nowhere there's this huge shiny silver Thing up on a hill. It's very futuristic. There were already fans going into the stadium, and I was religiously following Ken Iwamoto's directions, so I did NOT follow them, and instead went around the back way to the press entrance (so cool! The funny thing is I had to show the College AP pass (from the Thresher) to get back there in the first place, even though I would get my Fighters pass later).
Then I didn't speak Japanese (shocker), and basically managed to get across to the press people what I was doing by hopefully pointing at Mr. Iwamoto's name and number at the bottom of my printed-out e-mail. And some guy took me to him, and then we went to the manager's office. It was all so surreal; I still can't believe how helpful and friendly everyone was. So. Then I met Trey Hillman, who's from Texas. Texas! And he manages a Japanese baseball team. His family lives with him in Japan. God. I would marry a baseball manager if I could. He was so laidback, and really just superfriendly. I guess not a lot of Americans come to Japan doing what I'm doing. I got a few quick interview questions (hardhitting? Nooooo not so much. Ah well)- which was sweet for more than one reason. First, I had JUST bought the batteries for the recorder at Fukuzumi Station, as I was running around, and second, because I figured out how to work the thing without problemas. Clearly the interview thing was meant to be.
I didn't get his autograph, which was silly of me, but I do have a picture of me with Messrs. Hillman and Iwamoto. AMAZING. So then I whipped out the granddaddy telephoto lens (which might be the single greatest purchase I've made in my life), and Ken Iwamoto then took me around to all these crazy places- first, the field. I have never seen a stadium with turf, let alone a dome. That by itself was nuts. The dugouts aren't dugouts; they don't even have benches! (chairs, instead). Advertising's much more subtle out there (this might be because characters still look to me like pretty sketchings, and not words). Anyway, I also saw the indoor (!) bullpens (and the video in the dugout so you can see what the pitchers are up to), the swing room (exactly what it sounds like), and the 'hero board.' Then Ken I. gave me a bag of free Fighters stuff (still floored), and sent me off with one of the events people for a complete tour. And that was incredible.
I would never have had any clue about the observatory, or the fact that the Sapporo Dome converts to a soccer stadium (with a pitch of real grass, no lesss, or who knows what else. The best part is I can now SHOW other people this, because I have a promo video of my very own.
It's a shame that Lonely Planet doesn't mention the Dome at all- I checked the Let's Go they have at the hostel, and it definitely gets its little blurb. I personally think baseball needs more attention in the guidebooks, because games are different-yet-same enough to really be interesting to the casual fan.
Okay, so I got the tour of awesomeness. Then the game started! Nippon-Ham Fighters vs. Fukuoka Hawks. After all that craziness and excitement and just being wowed by it all, I was so antsy through the first inning that I had get up (from my seat that I didn't have to pay for, btw) and roam around some more. I got this noodley seafood thing for dinner, was impressed that the bathroom had Western AND Japanese style toilets, and then tried to go sit still again. I also had to call my hostel, who'd been expecting me about-oh-four hours before.
All the Thresher baseball photography this past semester has made me see all games pretty much through a lens. Not that this is a bad thing, and I think it also has a lot to do with me being alone at these games- if someone were here with me, I'd be much more inclined to pay attention to the game without looking for photo ops. At any rate, I loved the whole thing. I made little notes about all the nifty things going on, so I'm not going to rewrite them here. Around the 6th (?) inning, I met Trey Hillman's wife (because I stand out like whoa as an American/English/decidedly NOT Japanese...so she just walked up to me and struck up a conversation), and that was pretty nice. The Fighters were down 8-2 in the top of the 9th, so I left (feeling very lame for doing so, but I had told the hostel people I'd be there at 10:30, and as it was I got there at 11), checked out the gift shop (where they were having a love affair with the Mariners), and got in the crowd o' people going to the subway. Just like at Fenway.
I had to go out of my way BACK to Sapporo Station, to pick up my luggage- and I found my lockers, which I thought very impressive. And I stumbled down from Shiroishi Station the 5 blocks to Ino's Place. I like it here very much. It reminds me of a camping lodge. The owners speak English, which is helpful, and there's Internet (yay!).
I got to Sapporo Station at 3:30, and immediately shoved my two bigger bags into a coin locker before running off to the Toho line and Fukumazi Station. It was about 4:15-4:30 (I think) when I got to the Dome. Unreal. You're walking along through Sapporo, which is not by any means supermodern, and then BOOM out of nowhere there's this huge shiny silver Thing up on a hill. It's very futuristic. There were already fans going into the stadium, and I was religiously following Ken Iwamoto's directions, so I did NOT follow them, and instead went around the back way to the press entrance (so cool! The funny thing is I had to show the College AP pass (from the Thresher) to get back there in the first place, even though I would get my Fighters pass later).
Then I didn't speak Japanese (shocker), and basically managed to get across to the press people what I was doing by hopefully pointing at Mr. Iwamoto's name and number at the bottom of my printed-out e-mail. And some guy took me to him, and then we went to the manager's office. It was all so surreal; I still can't believe how helpful and friendly everyone was. So. Then I met Trey Hillman, who's from Texas. Texas! And he manages a Japanese baseball team. His family lives with him in Japan. God. I would marry a baseball manager if I could. He was so laidback, and really just superfriendly. I guess not a lot of Americans come to Japan doing what I'm doing. I got a few quick interview questions (hardhitting? Nooooo not so much. Ah well)- which was sweet for more than one reason. First, I had JUST bought the batteries for the recorder at Fukuzumi Station, as I was running around, and second, because I figured out how to work the thing without problemas. Clearly the interview thing was meant to be.
I didn't get his autograph, which was silly of me, but I do have a picture of me with Messrs. Hillman and Iwamoto. AMAZING. So then I whipped out the granddaddy telephoto lens (which might be the single greatest purchase I've made in my life), and Ken Iwamoto then took me around to all these crazy places- first, the field. I have never seen a stadium with turf, let alone a dome. That by itself was nuts. The dugouts aren't dugouts; they don't even have benches! (chairs, instead). Advertising's much more subtle out there (this might be because characters still look to me like pretty sketchings, and not words). Anyway, I also saw the indoor (!) bullpens (and the video in the dugout so you can see what the pitchers are up to), the swing room (exactly what it sounds like), and the 'hero board.' Then Ken I. gave me a bag of free Fighters stuff (still floored), and sent me off with one of the events people for a complete tour. And that was incredible.
I would never have had any clue about the observatory, or the fact that the Sapporo Dome converts to a soccer stadium (with a pitch of real grass, no lesss, or who knows what else. The best part is I can now SHOW other people this, because I have a promo video of my very own.
It's a shame that Lonely Planet doesn't mention the Dome at all- I checked the Let's Go they have at the hostel, and it definitely gets its little blurb. I personally think baseball needs more attention in the guidebooks, because games are different-yet-same enough to really be interesting to the casual fan.
Okay, so I got the tour of awesomeness. Then the game started! Nippon-Ham Fighters vs. Fukuoka Hawks. After all that craziness and excitement and just being wowed by it all, I was so antsy through the first inning that I had get up (from my seat that I didn't have to pay for, btw) and roam around some more. I got this noodley seafood thing for dinner, was impressed that the bathroom had Western AND Japanese style toilets, and then tried to go sit still again. I also had to call my hostel, who'd been expecting me about-oh-four hours before.
All the Thresher baseball photography this past semester has made me see all games pretty much through a lens. Not that this is a bad thing, and I think it also has a lot to do with me being alone at these games- if someone were here with me, I'd be much more inclined to pay attention to the game without looking for photo ops. At any rate, I loved the whole thing. I made little notes about all the nifty things going on, so I'm not going to rewrite them here. Around the 6th (?) inning, I met Trey Hillman's wife (because I stand out like whoa as an American/English/decidedly NOT Japanese...so she just walked up to me and struck up a conversation), and that was pretty nice. The Fighters were down 8-2 in the top of the 9th, so I left (feeling very lame for doing so, but I had told the hostel people I'd be there at 10:30, and as it was I got there at 11), checked out the gift shop (where they were having a love affair with the Mariners), and got in the crowd o' people going to the subway. Just like at Fenway.
I had to go out of my way BACK to Sapporo Station, to pick up my luggage- and I found my lockers, which I thought very impressive. And I stumbled down from Shiroishi Station the 5 blocks to Ino's Place. I like it here very much. It reminds me of a camping lodge. The owners speak English, which is helpful, and there's Internet (yay!).
10 May 2007- 11:14 am: same train
This is a serious tunnel system. Hot damn. We have been cruising along (underwater!) for quite some time.
I'm finishing up the Ichiro book, and am now convinced that I have really (or am really) going to offend the Fighters people by being late. I have a full TEN minutes (yay!) to change trains in Hakodate, so maybe I can call ahead. Oh dear god. So many faux pas.
I'm finishing up the Ichiro book, and am now convinced that I have really (or am really) going to offend the Fighters people by being late. I have a full TEN minutes (yay!) to change trains in Hakodate, so maybe I can call ahead. Oh dear god. So many faux pas.
10 May 2007- 10:03am: another train
It's really the little things that completely, totally make my day. Like actually MAKING my connecting train at Aomuri, even though my tickets gave me five minutes (!!!) to do so. Man, what a good feeling, and infinity times better that the one I would have had if I'd missed it. I must thank immensely the Japanese guy with a backpack, because I figured out which way to go when I saw him go rushing by (thus he was clearly in the same situation as me).
The train system is pretty easy to figure out, though. The best part is that things are so PUNCTUAL (not like in Spain). Apparently you can set your watch by the train times. That's pretty impressive. I'm glad I picked up a timetable at the rail pass exchange place. I checked the map inside, and I guess the overnighter I was on went over to the Gulf side of Japan. Hm. We get to cross the water between Honshu and Hokkaido soon.
I learned how to say "which train" ("doko densha") today.
The train system is pretty easy to figure out, though. The best part is that things are so PUNCTUAL (not like in Spain). Apparently you can set your watch by the train times. That's pretty impressive. I'm glad I picked up a timetable at the rail pass exchange place. I checked the map inside, and I guess the overnighter I was on went over to the Gulf side of Japan. Hm. We get to cross the water between Honshu and Hokkaido soon.
I learned how to say "which train" ("doko densha") today.
10 May 2007- 7:07am: a train, somewhere
Ahh I am such a douche. I don't have any presents for the Sapporo people! Why didn't I buy some Rice key chains or something (anything) at the airport or whatever? I know they expect the Americans to screw up, but this seems like complete foot-in-mouth. Embarrasing (already!). What do I do? I could wrap up my Brown shirt, since it's never been word, and that would be a Rice thing, definitely. I don't know. I feel so stupid and self-centered. SO STUPID, IVY. I guess I can make up for it with a really well-done thank-you note, but not to my mind. I can't believe this.
I can't believe a lot of things. Somehow, last night, between sitting at Ueno station waiting for this train to come, and boarding said train for the first time, I lost my ticket. How this happened, I have no idea. So I had to run over to the ticket office, and be a total ass once more, trying to get a new ticket. And I did, but that's besides the point. I keep forgetting that I can actually write romanji, especially for place names. Ugh.
I guess the one good, intelligent thing I've done was buy tickets BACK to Tokyo. That was probably a good call.
I just feel so stupid. I memorized "excuse me" and "May," but not much else. Why didn't I teach myself more words? Such a dumb American.
I don't even know if Ken Iwamoto got my e-mail. What if I'm late, and he doesn't know why? Then I'll REALLY be the idiot.
I hope I get some damn good pictures while I'm here.
I can't believe a lot of things. Somehow, last night, between sitting at Ueno station waiting for this train to come, and boarding said train for the first time, I lost my ticket. How this happened, I have no idea. So I had to run over to the ticket office, and be a total ass once more, trying to get a new ticket. And I did, but that's besides the point. I keep forgetting that I can actually write romanji, especially for place names. Ugh.
I guess the one good, intelligent thing I've done was buy tickets BACK to Tokyo. That was probably a good call.
I just feel so stupid. I memorized "excuse me" and "May," but not much else. Why didn't I teach myself more words? Such a dumb American.
I don't even know if Ken Iwamoto got my e-mail. What if I'm late, and he doesn't know why? Then I'll REALLY be the idiot.
I hope I get some damn good pictures while I'm here.
09 May 7:18p: Tokyo-Narita Express
Okay, so it's now however many hours later, and I just left Tokyo Narita Airport. I have my rail pass and about 13,000 yen [$130]. I also have a bunch of reserved seats for this trip up to Sapporo.
My plane from O'Hare was delayed2 hours, which wouldn't be a big deal except it threw off my train plans. I'm now getting to Sapporo an hour later than I was supposed to BE at the Fighters stadium. Damn! I e-mailed Ken Iwamoto, and will call him sometime tomorrow (I'm guessing it's too late to call now...). I don't think it'll be a huge problem, and I at least will get there in time to see the game, which is all I really care about.
I was flipping out about 8 hours into the flight here (maybe that's the 'go insane' point. I wouldn't be surprised) because I somehow thought I was going to end up here on the TENTH. I forgot how the International Date Line works. Oops. The flight itself was fine. I wish I'd had a window seat, because we went basically right up over Alaska, across the Bering Strait, and down (which makes perfect sense; I just never thought of the trip that way before). It would have been amazing to see that landscape from the plane. But I had an aisle, right next to the galley and next to two Japanese people who probably thought I was ridiculously dumb (particularly when I was flipping out and constantly opening the overhead compartment to check what Lonely Planet had to say). A lot of Japanese people so far seem to have thought this, but I don't blame them.
I slept a lot (on the HOU-Chitown flight, I slept right through takeoff and woke up in the air, which was a little surreal). I watched parts of Happy Feet (when I go back, I'm going to watch The Prestige- I missed the start of it and didn't want to see only part of a movie...), and read the Ichiro book. I will probably do more of the same when I get on the overnight train. The woman thought I was nuts when I told here I was taking the train to Sapporo, but honestly, it was so expensive to fly one way, and I really want to see as much of the country as I can while I'm here. Train it is.
I decided that the point of no return (not to be confused with the go insane point) on those trans-oceanic flights is 6 hours.Before that I'm good, I'm sleeping, whatever. Afterwards, I get antsy and my leg gets twitchy and oh god there's another SEVEN HOURS on this thing. Naturally, the only thing to do is go to sleep again.
The food was very tasty on the way over. The first time, we had seafood curry and rice, a salad, and some Japanese cake thing. About 2 hours before landing, we got this alfredo/salmon pasta dish, another salad, and vanilla pudding.
It's so funny how much I stand out as foreign.
I think I might conquer jet lag pretty easily. I can't fall asleep till 10, when I get on the train (well, the first one). And 10pm is a reasonable American bedtime. If I sleep 12 hours (oh WOW that would be amazing), I still have 2 hours overlap, so I won't miss my stop. This seems promising.
These first few days are insane. INSANE. Tomorrow I have to look presentable (hahaha) to Important People, and put my journalist game face on (do I have one?). Also not get lost in Sapporo. It is crazy. Then I have to immediately plan the return to Tokyo- maybe I can do this tonight, at Ueno. I HAVE to be there the 12th, by 6 or 7 pm. That is not even up for debate. From Tokyo- Chiba Marines AND the Giants on the 13th. I think once I get to the 14th, I'll be fine. The schmoozing will mostly be done; I'll have seen 3 games, etc, etc, etc. So crazy.
So far I can read (well, remember) the kanji for "entrance." I felt that was a good thing to know. I can also say 'arigato,' even though I am probably butchering it. Mostly, I'm just smiling a lot, and saying OK.
Hey, we just went by the Chiba station! It's 7:47; let's see how long it is to Tokyo from here...
I cannot wait to get on that train. Maybe I can even change clothes, since I've been wearing these for a while.
Where is Tokyo? I want to see it and its awesomeness.
My plane from O'Hare was delayed2 hours, which wouldn't be a big deal except it threw off my train plans. I'm now getting to Sapporo an hour later than I was supposed to BE at the Fighters stadium. Damn! I e-mailed Ken Iwamoto, and will call him sometime tomorrow (I'm guessing it's too late to call now...). I don't think it'll be a huge problem, and I at least will get there in time to see the game, which is all I really care about.
I was flipping out about 8 hours into the flight here (maybe that's the 'go insane' point. I wouldn't be surprised) because I somehow thought I was going to end up here on the TENTH. I forgot how the International Date Line works. Oops. The flight itself was fine. I wish I'd had a window seat, because we went basically right up over Alaska, across the Bering Strait, and down (which makes perfect sense; I just never thought of the trip that way before). It would have been amazing to see that landscape from the plane. But I had an aisle, right next to the galley and next to two Japanese people who probably thought I was ridiculously dumb (particularly when I was flipping out and constantly opening the overhead compartment to check what Lonely Planet had to say). A lot of Japanese people so far seem to have thought this, but I don't blame them.
I slept a lot (on the HOU-Chitown flight, I slept right through takeoff and woke up in the air, which was a little surreal). I watched parts of Happy Feet (when I go back, I'm going to watch The Prestige- I missed the start of it and didn't want to see only part of a movie...), and read the Ichiro book. I will probably do more of the same when I get on the overnight train. The woman thought I was nuts when I told here I was taking the train to Sapporo, but honestly, it was so expensive to fly one way, and I really want to see as much of the country as I can while I'm here. Train it is.
I decided that the point of no return (not to be confused with the go insane point) on those trans-oceanic flights is 6 hours.Before that I'm good, I'm sleeping, whatever. Afterwards, I get antsy and my leg gets twitchy and oh god there's another SEVEN HOURS on this thing. Naturally, the only thing to do is go to sleep again.
The food was very tasty on the way over. The first time, we had seafood curry and rice, a salad, and some Japanese cake thing. About 2 hours before landing, we got this alfredo/salmon pasta dish, another salad, and vanilla pudding.
It's so funny how much I stand out as foreign.
I think I might conquer jet lag pretty easily. I can't fall asleep till 10, when I get on the train (well, the first one). And 10pm is a reasonable American bedtime. If I sleep 12 hours (oh WOW that would be amazing), I still have 2 hours overlap, so I won't miss my stop. This seems promising.
These first few days are insane. INSANE. Tomorrow I have to look presentable (hahaha) to Important People, and put my journalist game face on (do I have one?). Also not get lost in Sapporo. It is crazy. Then I have to immediately plan the return to Tokyo- maybe I can do this tonight, at Ueno. I HAVE to be there the 12th, by 6 or 7 pm. That is not even up for debate. From Tokyo- Chiba Marines AND the Giants on the 13th. I think once I get to the 14th, I'll be fine. The schmoozing will mostly be done; I'll have seen 3 games, etc, etc, etc. So crazy.
So far I can read (well, remember) the kanji for "entrance." I felt that was a good thing to know. I can also say 'arigato,' even though I am probably butchering it. Mostly, I'm just smiling a lot, and saying OK.
Hey, we just went by the Chiba station! It's 7:47; let's see how long it is to Tokyo from here...
I cannot wait to get on that train. Maybe I can even change clothes, since I've been wearing these for a while.
Where is Tokyo? I want to see it and its awesomeness.
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