Asakusa...Hai!

Hello Ozzies!

It's been a couple of days since my last post, but things have been pretty hectic in here. As a preview, just take a look at this video and tell me want you think...Ok, the sound is pretty bad, but anyway, you can get the idea! In fact,this is the line I take everyday!

And it is always packed like this during rush hours...which means that every morning I have like 30 mins of Japanese subway hell. It takes me 2 hours from the door of my studio to the door of the Language Academy, and it really feels like a whole lot of time. No wonder people get sleep on their way. One of these days, I have to make a post with the best sleeping Japanese! I swear you, I don't understand how they do it to sleep in such conditions!

Anyway, this post was meant to be about my Sunday excursion to Asakusa and Ueno. Asakusa preserves the "old Tokyo" concept buildings. Most of it was destroyed during WWII, but the reconstructions a very good. And some parts managed to survive. All my tourist guides (and I have 4!) say that this zone is a "must-see". From my point of view, it's not such big deal. It's full of people, full of tourists, and there's not so much to see. Plus, the temple of Kannon (the oldest in Tokyo), was being repaired. This is not the real name of the temple, but I'm too lazy to look up its real name right now... Maybe it's so popular because it's all the shinto + buddhist stuff you hope to see when coming to Japan, but I'm sure there are better places to get a more impressive look of this, without feeling somehow in an amusement park.

Keeping this in mind, this zone has very very good restaurants. And cheap ones too! I'm looking forward to eating in many of them. We chose Katsukichi, whose specialty are tonkatstu (breaded pork with different toppings inside). OH MY GOD! Everybody should put a piece of heaven like that in their mouths! Unbelievable. And only for 10 euros! A place I will surely repeat!

After that, we went walking to Ueno. Ueno hosts many of the most important museums of Tokyo. We decided to focus on the park instead of seeing museums, and get a general idea of the place. It is a very nice place to walk around: there are beautiful views, and you don't have the feeling of being inside Tokyo when you wonder around its walkways.

We didn't have much luck, though. The only National Interesting Monument shinto shrine (it is a list done by the Japanese Governement with key elements of the Japanese old heritage) was also being repaired (so we coudn't see it).

In following posts I will come back to this zone, because there is a lot to be said. But for now, I'm going to bed! I leave you all with a photo of the Last Samurai (Saigo Takamori).

Sleep tight and don't dream about wicked witches!

About bento boxes, cocktails and metros

Hello Ozzies!

Back again with fresh info! It's been a couple of days since my last entry, and its time to make an update.

For the moment, what strikes me the most is the perfect synchronization between all the Japanese people. Here, pedestrians flow like a river, and there is never a crash. They even do the queue to get inside the metro!

Thursday and Friday, we registered ourselves in our respecting city halls (apparently, we need to carry a special card that tells everyone we are not Japanese...as if it wasn't written all over our faces!). It was quite funny, because, surprise surprise... nobody speaks English! Lucky for us, the Center provided us with a couple of sentences and some useful fotocopies to show around and get ourselves understood. We also registered at the Embassy, just in case. By the way, we had our first earthquake! The told us it was 4,5. And to tell you the truth, it was quite shaky. But at the moment I thought it was due to a passing train. People take it so casual, it's amazing.

In the picture, some of the Spanish Vulcanus during lunch break. The 4th floor is where most of the following 4 months are going to take place...

Lunch was funny: we had our first bento box (a box with a full meal), but since there are no banks in the streets, we tried to eat it in the first place we found. As a result, we had to move twice because door keepers from different buildings kicked us out.

And Friday night, the D-day: members from the Embassies, from the EU, from the Japanese government and from the companies. It was quite nice: we were also able to meet Vulcanus alumni (it is amazing to see how many Spanish alumni have stayed in Japan!) and I was glad to hear that I would be able to get some holidays during my internship. Yuhuu!

After the cats were not around, the mice went dancing. First night in Roppongi (with real, serious partying). We went to a club called New Lex. As in everywhere else in Roppongi, the majority of the people were occidentals. Which was ok, takin

g into account is our first night and we have plenty of nights to go to more Japanese environments. It looks like we Vulcanus are not that otaku after all...

Clap your shoes three times and say "There's no place like Tokyo!"

Hello Ozzies!

Well, now is where the fun starts (at least for me!). From now on, I hope I will be able to post more often, at least a couple of lines (easier to write, easier to read).

Unlike Dorothy, my shoes are neither red, nor magical, so I had to take two planes to arrive to Narita airport (Tokyo's international airport). Which means something like 17 travelling hours (14 hours inside a plane, and 3 hours waiting at Fiumicino's airport in Rome). If we add the 7 hours of difference, that makes...yes, 24 hours! I feel so bad for having lost a whole day doing nothing, that I'm going to buy red All Stars and pretend they are Dorothy's shoes.

The rest of the day...well I've decided that today's post is going to be more "interactive". I'm going to put some photos, and I will be answering the posts I receive. There are so many things to talk about, I don't know how to put them all into words. Well yes, but I would take too much time...

IN ONE SENTENCE: TOKYO ROCKS!!

Have a nice day all!


















Little old man, feeling really like home: Beer at the window, sandwich, newspaper, no shoes (of course, the shoes are properly put near the window). This was surprising, as I expected something much more strict in Tokyo's metro!

Firs essay to eat in a Japanese restaurant: Total success! The didn't know much English (we don't know no Japanese!), but we managed to get what we wanted. Only inconvenient: they tried to sit us in Japanese tables, kneeled...well, let's say that we didn't do well in our gym class...


















Why would they leave those things in our rooms? So that we could make silly pictures like this one!



Yep, that is a roller coaster...just above one of Roppongi buildings. I don't know if I would get inside...



First night: Wall Street's at Roppongi. Yes, it's for tourists, and yes, it is not Japanese at all...but it's our first night, so what the heck! Anyway, apparently nobody goes out on Tuesdays. I wonder why...



1 a.m.: A young lady playing something (does someone know the name of that?) and singing., in order to get people inside a restaurant.

Part of the Spanish group (my family in Tokyo!). From left to right (always starting from the left!): Pedro, Jorge, Benjamín, Laura (well, half of her...), me, David, José and Manuel. The one taking the picture: Juanma.


















Hmm...nice typical Japanese toilet! For those wo don't see it, the white thing on the lower right side of the picture is one of my shoes! Yep, that's the floor...



This is a gas station: Can someone tell me what's wrong with this picture?

Meeting Aunt Em and Uncle Henry

DOROTHY: Aunt Em! 

AUNT EM: Fifty-seven, fifty-eight -- 

DOROTHY: Just listen to what Miss Gulch did to Toto!   She -- 

AUNT EM: Dorothy, please!  We're trying to count!   Fifty-eight-- 

Hello Ozzies!

First stop in my little trip towards Oz: Brussels. All Vulcanus members went there for a one-day-long talk about some points of the program.

After a loooong working day (I really love when those bitching microprocessors don't do what they are supposed to, and instead decide to go on strike. Hmm...must be this lovely country...), I stepped on the magic train and off I went. Normally, it should have been a hurricane or a tornado, something spectacular. Unfortunately, they went on strike (pay rise, I think). anyway, Thalys is just as good (doesn't sound as cool though).

Must take a small break here: a dog has stopped in the middle of the metro rails, and we are waiting for it to leave. One of Toto's most feared enemies, I presume. Parisian subway system is just sooooo good, I don't have enough words to describe its infinite virtues! Apparently, we're dealing with Super Dog in here, because the electric current also went off. Must be really pissed off this dog. I wonder what Toto did to it... (or maybe this is why it is such a horrible enemy!).

OK, end of the break: the current has come back, everything is fine. 15 minutes to deal with a dog! (as if we where in India, and a cow had just crossed over the railway...)

Bad news! Super Dog is back, we stopped again. I hope this time it's come for blood...Muahaha! It would be much more fun to have a little bit more of action around here.

Back on track! RATP: 1 - Super Dog: 0. Maybe next time...

Where were we? Ah, yes! Vulcanus meeting in Brussels!

First thing I see when I arrive to the hotel: a couple guys from Letonia (Dainora and Michail) and another one from Hungary (Balazs). All of them looking for a bar called "Delirium Tremens" (like the beer). Seems like our journey is gonna start well...

After losing ourselves a couple of times, we managed to arrive. Very cool place, by the way. It has the largest beer menu in the world (Guiness's World of Records proved), plus nice people, plus good music. Once in there, we met the Spanish "avanzadilla": Manuel, Pepe, Jorge and David (I put the names because from now on, Vulcanus member's names will appear quite frequently,so you better get used to it!). We are something like 11 Spanish participants, so obviously, not everyone was there...One of the French guys was also with them, Clément. We were not supposed to stay there for long (tomorrow is the big day, and it starts at 8 a.m.), but guess what, we finally arrived to the hotel at around 3 a.m.

Next day, the D-day! Where everything begins. The European organiser of the program and the rest of the team present themselves and start talking about the program. Geez, they really know how to talk to people! First thing they say is that we (Vulcanus participants) have been very lucky to have been chosen. They even go as far as saying we are not the best applicants, but the ones who matched better with the companies that work with the program. Aren't they just lovely!

But it doesn't matter, because after that they start talking about some key points of the program: insurance, visa procedure, the residence, transportation,...Everything becomes so real, we are all daydreaming wiht the trip. Then, a former participant talks, and we all explose with happiness. I just couldn't have enough of what he was saying. Everything sounded perfect: where he's been, what he's seen, who we'll meet...I'm having goose bumps as I write this, just thinking about all that stuff!

Finally, the Japanese exam. Well, let's say that Ishi Sensei won't feel very proud about it if she ever knows...

To round it up, we all go out to have dinner and beers. Veeeeery funny, it seems we're all going to rock the hell out of Tokyo. We ended up in the Delirium Tremens bar (again), drinking, dancing and laughing. The Wizard of Oz told me not to be gossiping around, so...I'll only say that true colors started to come out, and they looked really cool!

Now, I'm back to work, and it feels as if everything was a pleasant dream. But we'll come back, just wait and see...

Don't miss the next episode!

Getting started (I)

DOROTHY: Aunt Em!  Aunt Em!

Hello ‘Ozzis’ (hope anyone of you is Australian)
Well, here starts a series of pretty useful posts, even though some of you may find them a bit boring… 
Toto is stressing himself a bit with the preparations for the trip to Japan. So, during the next weeks I’ll be talking about some stuff you should take into consideration before going to Japan.
Today, I’ll begin with the basics: gathering information and looking for cheap flights!
Dorothy should never have begun her journey without getting brochures about Oz…Nobody wants to finish in a creepy dungeon, with horrible witches doing weird stuff to you, isn’t it? Or maybe you do (now that I think about it, it may sound tempting…). Anyway, I’m changing of subject here!
So let’s go back to business: The first thing to do in order to prepare our trip, is to look for tourist information offices in our country, and buying some travel guides. Since the Vulcanus program takes a whole year, I decided to buy a couple of guides, one of Japan in general, and the other one about Tokyo and Kyoto. The one about Japan in general is La guide bleu de Japan, from Hachette editors (yep, it’s a French guide guys!). The one about Tokyo and Kyoto is the Guía viva, from Anaya Touring Club (and surprise, this one is Spanish! Too much time spent in different countries, I guess). I have read both of them (ok, maybe not in deep detail, but quite well!). Anyway, there are loads of good guides (Lonely Planet, Guide du routard, etc…), and it’s better to take a quick look to different ones. Depending on the kind of trip you have in mind, you may have different preferences.
Since I am also planning on communicating with the ‘natives’ (hey, people from Oz have feelings, didn’t you know that?), I thought it would be good idea to buy a small book about customs and etiquette. I know that home rules don’t apply everywhere in the world, so it’s better to be aware and not make silly mistakes. I bought the Culture Smart! Guide of Japan (Kuperard editors) (which is in English, I’m afraid…Now you know why learning different languages at school comes handy!). If you want, I can post later on something about Japanese etiquette. I think it’s better knowing than making a fool of himself later on, when not even  Glinda would be able to help you out!  As for addresses where you could gather some information, you should always consider checking the Japanese embassy in your country first. Here is a couple of places you could check out also:
·      Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO): 
o 4, rue de Ventadour, 75001, Paris
o Web address: www.jnto.go.jp
o E-mail: info@tourisme-japon.fr
·      Tokyo Metropolitan Government
o  Webs: www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp , www.yes-tokio.es
o  E-mail:taekoueda@yes-tokyo.es (Ms. Taeko Ueda in in charge of this office)
·      JTB Viajes Spain, S.A. (JJPAK)
o  C/ Principe de Vergara, 111- Duplicado, 28013 Madrid
o  Web: www.jjpak.es
o  Mail: informad@jjpak.es
I suppose there are no Wizards of Oz around you, so nobody will be planning to take a balloon to fly to Japan, is there? As with Travel Guides, there are a lot of companies which fly to Japan…but I presume here the main issue is money, not ‘your idea of the trip’. The earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper. The best fares are always when buying like 6 months in advance (I have some friends that fly with Air France for something like 450€ i/v, which is pretty cool). If you have the chance to choose a company, I would say that it’s better to fly with Air France or Bristish Airways, since they have the best catering offers (and believe me, when you’re in a plane for something like 13 hours, THAT counts a lot!). If not, you should check in Finnair, or in Air China. They have pretty good prices if you buy your ticket 3 months in advance (I saw one from Air China for 700€ i/v). As for travel search sites, I recommend you to take a look at Atrapalo(www.atrapalo.com) or at Mon nuage (www.monnuage.fr). The normally have good offers, also.
Well, I think this is enough for today. Aunt Em is calling for supper…
Enjoy! 

To begin with...

Well, here we are! As I promised, here comes the blog of my adventures. Easier than mail, cooler than Facebook!

As you all know, I have been accepted in the Vulcanus in Japan Program for 2009/2010. If you don't know it, well...just give me your adress and mail so that I can spam your life until you know it! Anyway, it's my fault...I should have hired one of those super planes that write with smoke in the sky. It's just that they run out of them around here!

So, back to the point! Before getting started, I want to thank you my family and all of my friends. Guys, this wouldn't have been possible without you, and you know it. Thanks for the support, for all that help when things seemed impossible. for the calls from telephone booths (yep, that's the translation for "locutorio"), for the origamis, for everything! What I will be writing in here is not just the story of my amazing adventures (though they are going to be quite amazing, that's for sure), but our story. You made me who I am, and this is our trip! Except that only me is going...lol. But I also want to thank all those anonimous readers that will come and go. Those that will really make this blog worth living! I hope that you have a great time reading what will be posted. As this is a communal project, all remarks, questions and commentaries are more than welcomed! 

During the life of this blog (which I hope will be an ever-lasting one), I will try to show all the different aspects of the Japanese culture and lifestyle. Cultural differences, hints, things to take into consideration before and while in Japan, and so on. I hesitated between writing in Spanish or in English, but in order to make a compromise between France and Spain, I've chosen modern Latin. That way everybody can read it. So no excuses! If you know me, then you have to read me...else I will ask the Toto to eat your legs. And believe, he's not the cute small puppy of the film anymore...

So, why bothering reading my blog, when there are tons and tons of blogs about Vulcanus students (specially Spanish ones!) telling their lifes during the programme? Because mine is best! Because I'm cooooooooooool. But most of all, because we have Toto! And Tin Man, and Lion, and Scarecrow...

So, let the journey begin...

DOROTHY

  She isn't coming yet, Toto. Did she hurt you? She tried to, didn't she?  Come on -- we'll go tell Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. 

Come on, Toto.