3/11/11

It was a Friday.

A Friday in the midst of my month long spring break. A spring break that was filled with travelling to see old friends, concerts, and lounging around in my room. Also, the March break in Japan is the equivalent to the American summer break. When we would come back in April, it would be the start of a new school year. New freshman would start school, more international students would come from all over the world. The official season for the University's Ultimate Frisbee team (which I was a part of) would start, and while I wasn't sure if I'd actually play in any games, I was looking forward to continuing to practice every week in warmer weather.

This was of course, on top of all the good times I had through out the previous semester. Things were certainly looking good.

The day started out like any other day. Woke up late, ate my usual breakfast of a bowl of "Ciscorn Frosted Flakes" and took a shower. It was a really nice day, so I decided to bike to the McDonalds a bit further away and try the final "Big America 2" burger.

McDonalds Japan had been running a campaign from the end of January where every two weeks they offered a "limited time only" burger based off some place in America. First was the "Texas Burger" with chili sauce. Next was the "Idaho Burger" with a hash brown. Then the "Miami Burger" with a taco chip and taco meat and finally, the last of the set, and one I was looking forward to the most, the "Manhattan Burger" with a slice of pastrami. I took the picture above, and while eating, I was making mental notes on my next blog article, which would once again be about American fast food in Japan.

After, I finished my meal, I biked across the street to one of my favorite stores, "Hard-Off."

Unusual name aside, Hard-Off is a chain of second-hand stores that sold anything that you could think of. Appliances, guitars, clothing, toys, silverware, obsolete broken electronics, really anything you could think of. Though, I mostly went there to find old Famicom video games without having to travel all the way to Akihabara or elsewhere, I had also bought a travel bag from her for about 6 bucks.

I had been in Hard-Off for a while. I had nothing else to do that day, so I leisurely looked around the store. I was giving one final look over the video game selection, when all of a sudden it felt as if I had lost my balance. The ground beneath me was no longer solid as it just had been. I was no longer able to focus my vision. Then I noticed the hanging lights. Rather than hanging straight down, they were now swinging like pendulums from the ceiling.

It was at this point I realized I was experiencing an earthquake and I had better get out of the store unless I wanted to be crushed by a shelf full of 1980s video games.

Coincidentally, a few weeks earlier, I had gone to the Tokyo Natural Disaster Museum with several of my classmates where we had learned exactly what to do in an earthquake. Using this previously learned information, I decided the best idea was to calmly leave the store and go to the, wide, open, parking lot. As I made my way to the doors, which, the store employees were motioning to, I heard the first two aisles of plates and such, crash to the floor.

While I was feeling pretty under control about the whole thing, my anxiety increased going down the giant iron steps that led from the second floor to the parking lot. As the ground was still shaking, I kept thinking to myself "please do not collapse" as I made my way down the steps.

Finally, I stepped onto the (hopefully) solid ground of the parking lot as the rumbling started to fade away. Many people had gotten into their cars and were driving away. Presumably back to their homes to check on their families and things. I, however, came by bike. Being less earthquake proof than a car, I decided to wait a little bit before making the trek back to campus. During this time, I spoke to a middle aged man standing next to me who was commenting out loud how big the earthquake was.

"That was the first time I really felt an earthquake," I said.
"That big? Me too."

Still unaware exactly how big this earthquake was, I emailed my mom's phone, as she would somehow found out about any minor earthquake that happened in Japan and ask me about it.

I think I just experienced a major earthquake. if you hear about it on the news tomorrow I'm totally fine I'll tell you more later

3/11 15:00

As I found out later, back in America where it had been the middle of the night, my mom had a nightmare and woke up. Attempting to calm herself down, she turned on The Weather Channel. Instead of getting "Local on the 8s," she got complete coverage of what was going on in Japan at that moment. When she went to go email me from her phone, she was greeted by my message instead.

Back in Japan, I had made my way to my dorm. Outside, were all of the foreign students who were staying in Japan for spring break, talking about what happened. Some who lived on the top floors of the seven story high building said that all of their glass wares fell off the shelves and had shattered. I was now happy that I lived on the first floor. Finally, a student came out of the dorm and said that a major tsunami had hit Northern Japan. Of course, hearing those words meant nothing at the time. From just those words alone, it was impossible to judge the severity of the situation. As we were talking about this, the first aftershock hit.

Once things had calmed down we returned to our respective dorm rooms. I had not been in mine during the earthquake, so I feared that my newly purchased and opened bag of rice that was sitting precariously on the top shelf had spilled all over my room. Or that my pots and pans had fallen and smashed my laptop. This fortunately, was not the case. Other than my CDs falling over, there was no noticeable damage to my room. I still didn't know how bad it was.

I booted up my laptop and checked Facebook. People's statuses were filled with my Japanese friends in America asking if everyone in Japan was okay. Comedian Patton Oswalt was openly criticizing the attitudes of the CNN anchors who were showing footage of the tsunami. I kept reading about the "tsunami in Tohoku." I decided to finally turn on NHK.

That's when I understood what was happening.

The footage of water rushing across rice fields, with full buildings and cars being carried along will forever be burned into my mind. Buildings, on fire, caught in the wake of a tsunami rushing over where that much water should not be. The blinking map of Japan signaling a Tsunami warning for nearly every coast. All the while watching this, constantly feeling tremors and aftershocks. Strangely enough, although it had started as a sunny day, by evening it had grown cloudy and grey, casting a dark shadow over the already dark day.

The day felt very similar to 9/11/01. Everyone glued to their TV sets, asking themselves if today really happened or if it was just a terrible dream or a movie.

Falling asleep was not easy that night. Completely unaware if a major aftershock would hit, forcing evacuation into the unlit streets. Or even if the ceiling above us and ground beneath us would be there when we woke up.

Little did I know, that this day would change my life.

King of Burger

A guilty pleasure of mine is that I love eating at American fast food chains in Japan. Not because it's some sort of homesickness of mine, well, maybe. But really, I love seeing how something that's so common to me in the US, gets translated for the Japanese market. I've had McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Baskin-Robbins, even Krispy Kreme all Japanified. And today, while killing a lazy Sunday afternoon in Akihabara, I came across the one chain that, because of it's rarity, I have never had in Japan.

Enter; The King.

Also, notice how McDonalds is right next to Burger King. This is something that, unlike America, never happens in Japan. Again, due to the rarity of BK in Japan. Also, never in America does a "Standing Sushi Bar" separate them.

Anyway, I'll be honest, I rarely eat BK in America. I never really liked it, truthfully. In my opinion, McDonald's is the best fast food in America, despite all the negative attention it gets. The Quarter Pounder With Cheese is the best fast food burger, hands down. At one time, I thought BK's fries were better, but nope. McD's trumps them. I know there's people who swear that BK is the best or whatever. But these people are wrong. I forgive them, though.

Looking at the menu, because I didn't have a favorite at American BK to compare it to, I went with a Japanese specific option.

"The Grill Teriyaki." Grammatical issues aside, it's basically a burger coated in teriyaki sauce with some lettuce and mayo. Actually, putting teriyaki sauce on things at American fast food restaurants is something Japan does all the time. McDonald's has their own Teriyaki Burger as well. Subway has a Teriyaki Chicken sandwich that's completely different from whatever weak crap Subway America pulls with Sweet Onion. I have no idea why McDonald's or BK in America doesn't do this. I'm sure most people would be interested in seeing something soaked in teriyaki sauce at their local McDonald's or BK.

Also, looking at the menu, I noticed something that is also absent from menus at American BKs.

Booze.

For around $4, you can wash down your Whopper with a Heineken, a Highball Coke or Ginger-Ale. What's more, is that it's only $1 to add either to a meal set.

Thanks to America's strictness when it comes to alcohol, it always blows my mind whenever I see alcohol at fast food places. I have never seen alcohol served at McDonald's, but I've seen Asahi Beer for sale at KFC. I know that it's only because I live in the US, and at high school's in France they serve cafeterias, and hell, I've even seen alcohol for sale at mall food courts in Canada. But coming from the nation of "Blue Laws" it still shocks me.

Japan is more open with alcohol then one would expect. Liqueur stores close early, sure. But unless you're looking for something incredibly specific, you'll probably be fine with the selection at any convenience store, which are usually always open 24/7. In addition to beer, most convenience stores sell whisky, wine, and Japanese specific alcohol such as sake, shochu and "chuhai." Less commonly, there are even beer vending machines. On these vending machines, there's no place for an ID to be checked, but IDs are rarely checked at convenience stores or bars anyway. When I go back to America, I can see it taking a while to get back to the rigid laws of the US.

Anyway, back on topic, after ordering the Grill Teriyaki and fries, BK is the first burger place to actually give me ketchup to begin with for my fries. Let me explain, in America, nearly everyone eats ketchup with their fries. If there's no place to get it for yourself, the cashier will ask if you want it. However, in Japan, that concept never really made it over here. And many-a-times, I'll have to ask for ketchup after I get my food because I can never remember that I need to ask for it. Once, while I was eating at McDonald's I wondered what Japanese people do if they don't eat fries with ketchup. Because even at McDonald's in America, I skip the ketchup and go with Hot Mustard instead. I took a look around and found out that the answer was...

Nothing.

Ew.

Not only was BK the only place to give me ketchup without asking, but they even had extra packets and those small ketchup holders by the napkins and stuff. Kudos Burger King. Though, looking around I still saw people eating fries with nothing, so maybe the cashier saw my white self and knew what was up. Who knows.

Burger King in Japan also uses the "Have It Your Way" slogan, just like in America (do they still even use it in America? I don't even know anymore). However, this comes at a price (apologies in advance for the messy picture):

Want cheese? Roughly 30 cents. Tomato? 50. Bacon? 60. Lettuce, onions or pickles for your Whopper or Whopper Jr.? Up to 50.

I know BK in America charges for cheese sometimes, but charging for lettuce onions and pickles? I thought all that came standard? That's like charging for a tape deck in a car. It's 2010 guys. Cut the cheapness.

Finally after getting my food, and getting to the second floor, I noticed a bunch of guys drinking BK Heineken and eating one of those new Pizza Burgers. I guess, they're in America too now. I saw the ad for it at this BK and thought about it, but then I saw that the price was almost $20. Yikes. That's besides the point though. They were drinking their Heineken out of plastic beer cups with the Burger King logo on it.

I've never wanted something so much before. Why? Because they're plastic beer cups with the Burger King logo on it. How cool is that?

Finally, getting to the actual food and instead of wishing for plastic cups. After much consideration, I came to the following conclusion.

Bland.

Again, I'm sorry for uploading kind of a gross picture. I wanted to take a picture of the burger uneaten, but truthfully, there wasn't much to look at. The bun covered the whole thing. Also, the fries were a bit soggy too. Sure, the teriyaki sauce made it taste different, but I felt like it was missing something. On my master ranking of fast food burger places in Japan, BK most likely ranks last (maybe I'll try and compile the whole list one day).

I should have sprung the buck-fifty for cheese and a Highball Coke.

Pepsi Mont Blanc

Those crazy guys at Pepsi Japan have done it again! For the past few years, Pepsi Japan has been releasing a special seasonal flavors for the past few years. Lots of people heard about the infamous, Cucumber Pepsi via the web when it was released. They followed it up with Pepsi Blue Hawaii, Pepsi Shiso and Pepsi Azuki. This winter, Pepsi Japan brings to the nation of Japan:

PEPSI MONT BLANC

Upon seeing the rack of these Pepsi bottles for 90 yen each at the supermarket, I knew that this had to be one of Pepsi's newest experiments. According to Pepsi Japan's website, it actually went on sale today (this might even be the first English article on Pepsi Mont Blanc, so hopefully that'll bring in the Google hits). Without hesitating I grabbed a bottle and went to the cashier. Despite the fact I had no idea what "Mont Blanc" actually is. So, before I drank it, I consulted our good friend Mr. Wikipedia:

A Mont Blanc, is a cake or tart made of puréed chestnuts and whipped cream, often on a meringue base. It is named so due to the way it is constructed to look like a mountain, and gets its name from the Mont Blanc mountains.

According to the article, it's fairly popular in Japan. Anyway, sounds fairly bizarre to make a drink after a dessert. But then again, this is the company that made drinks out of vegetables and beans. Clearly there's no limit for these guys.

After unscrewing the cap and hearing a loud pop, a smell, similar to cream soda, began to fill the air. If this tastes like cream soda, I'm all on board.

It doesn't taste like cream soda, though.

Actually, when you first drink it, it tastes a lot like just standard cola. But then there's an after-taste.

And that aftertaste is chestnuts.

Yes, Pepsi Japan have made a cola with a nutty aftertaste.

An incredibly strong nutty aftertaste at that.

I don't know what an actual Mont Blanc dessert tastes like, but I do know that this tastes like nuts.

Soda.

That.

Tastes.

Like.

NUTS.

To be honest. It doesn't taste that bad. Not something that I'd drink too often, but that's the deal with these seasonal Pepsi drinks. They make something ridiculous so everyone will have to try it once and talk about, and then it's gone forever. So, kudos to the Pepsi Japan people for um... doing their job again.

Video #1: Dorm

So yeah, I'm in Japan. Sorry for the long delay in between posts. I've been doing a lot and had too much to think about.

I took this video sometime last week. My camera was being a pain and not letting me transfer the video over USB, so when I went to the campus bookstore to buy a Mini SD card for my phone, they had a USB SD Card reader for cheap right next to it. I picked it up, and was finally able to put it on my computer... FINALLY.

My desk is a lot more cluttered now. I have the cellphone and bank account. There's more in my fridge than just a CARTON (I know that's a carton not a bottle) of apple juice. I still never cleaned those pans.

I was still jetlagged, which is why I had a hard time forming my thoughts. Other than that... enjoy, I guess.

Blast Off!

In about ten hours, I'll be traveling to Japan. Honestly, I still can't believe it. I bought these tickets back in May. September 20th seemed like ages away. It's been kind of a bumpy road to this day, but I survived, and everything ended up okay in the end, anyway.

My last full day in my hometown started with me with Novocaine numbing my mouth as part of a routine procedure to take care of something insignificant. Not how I'd expect my last full day to go. After that, I pretty much spent most of the day packing and finding out that my parents are going to have to mail me quite a bit of clothes. I also emptied my wallet of things like Borders and Best Buy and Boloco Burrito rewards cards, as well as a metric ton of receipts and coupons ranging over the past year. Luckily, my old Suica card can remain standing.

After watching the Jets beat the Patriots, I had the last meal with my family at a Mexican restaurant. In the past, the night before I left the country, I'd often eat with my family at an American restaurant to eat a giant cheeseburger or something. But this year, I decided, "Hey, Japan at least has restaurants serving American food, but one thing they don't have AT ALL are Mexican restaurants." The two times I've gone to Japan before, I can't recall seeing any places that serve burritos. Which is a damn shame because I LOVE BURRITOS. If anyone reading out there knows of any place in Japan that serves burritos, please let me know in the comments below.

Anyway, I'm ready for this trip tomorrow, I've loaded my Philips GoGear Spark with Weezer, Pavement and Local H. I've packed John Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley" for reading material. I even brought a few DVDs along for my laptop. All that's left to do is... Blast Off!

ブログの友達

Last night, I included links to the blogs of good friends of mine from my Japanese class. They're studying abroad in the Kansai region at the other school in Japan my school offers. I mostly added them so I can remember to easily check them.

Rob (Let's Rock This) I've actually known since my Japanese 101 class from two years ago. We ended up in the same 201 class and made a really kick ass video together with some other people (one of which will be joining me in Tokyo soon).

Elyse (Plus-Size Kimono) was in the rival video group in our 201 class, but I've been in every class with this one teacher with her. She also likes Batman a lot. And we used to make witty remarks about the examples in our Japanese textbook together. So, she's pretty awesome.

If you're reading this, there's a good chance you already knew them. If not, check them out anyway. When we finally all meet up, our blogosphere will explode.

Also, while I don't personally know these people, I've added links to Gaijin Chronicles (formerly "I Am A Japanese School Teacher" and Gaijin Smash) and TokyoCooney's YouTube channel. Mostly because I've been reading/watching these guys forever, and I trust/enjoy their opinion when it comes to things about Japan. So check them out if you didn't know about them already. Especially check out the "I Am A Japanese School Teacher" archives. That stuff is GOLD.

Fears

"I've got a number of irrational fears / That I'd like to share with you."
from the song "Falling For You" by Weezer

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are beginning to change signaling that fall is coming. Meaning that in most places, school has started. I, on the other hand, am still waiting for school to start, but fall did cue one thing; it's getting closer to my departure to Japan. One week from Monday, I'll be spending the day in airports and in planes, and one week from Tuesday... I'll be in Japan.

As it does get closer, I've been busy with getting everything set. I got a bunch of yen last week. I'll be spending the weekend cleaning my room. Probably going to get a bigger carry-on bag this weekend. etc. etc. Of course, as it does get closer, there is one question that is asked by people more than anything else. Nearly everyone asks this question, from the teller at the bank, to the people I work with.... everyone. What is that question?

"Are you nervous?"

Honestly, at the risk of sounding too arrogant, I always answer this with a "No." I mean, I've been to Japan twice before, most of my friends are Japanese, I know a fair bit about Japanese culture. While, I'm sure, no doubt I will experience culture shock, I'm not nervous in the traditional sense of being nervous for a study abroad.

But... as the quote from the awesome Weezer song at the start of this entry suggests, I have a couple of irrational fears that go beyond the duty of simple "study abroad nervousness." Both of them related to my overall goals in Japan.

The first is related to the second most asked question by people:

"So, you probably know a bit of Japanese, huh?"

The answer to this is: "I guess." I'm nowhere near fluent, but I've had conversations in only Japanese with people. And I can probably read enough kanji to get by on the streets. Also, I've known enough Japanese people/watched enough Japanese dramas when I was younger to get the correct accent and such. So, even if I don't know what I'm talking about, I can usually fake Japanese pretty well.

But my fear is that I'll never become fluent in Japanese. My skill will just plateau off, and I'll never improve. Partially, this is because in my Japanese class last year, I was in an unusual position of understanding everything we were going over, studying hard and getting abysmal grades on my tests. Now, as the people in my Japanese class know this is partially due to how the tests were graded and such, which I won't really get into and only say that it didn't fit my learning style or whatever at all. But still, this leaves a lingering fear in the back of my head that it's because I just can't learn Japanese. Of course, when I went to talk to my teacher about my grade, she gave me the (not very helpful) advice of "you need to go to Japan to improve." So that's promising, I think... but regardless it's something I'm afraid of.

The second of my fears is that I won't be able to get a job teaching English. When I tell people my plans here, lots of people have told me "that'll be hard" or "you can't do that so you should do _____ instead, then you'll get there one day." This fear comes from the fact that I've known people who are much much smarter than me who couldn't find a job in Japan. Much to my father's dismay, I've made it my goal that I won't return to America to visit until I find a job. But still, there's the possibility that I won't find a job teaching high school, and instead will pick up some job working at something like Nova and I'll never be able to move out of it before becoming so frustrated that I'll move back to America and go back to school or something.

But with both of these fears, the only way to quell them is to think the opposite. Like, learning Japanese will be much easier in Japan because Japanese is all around me. And I've known people who are much dumber than me and had worse personalities (in my opinion anyway) and they've gotten jobs teaching English in high schools in Japan, so why can't I? I have to keep thinking these positive thoughts to get the negative ones out.

One thing is for sure... I'm never giving up these dreams and I'm never giving in to my fears.