What's so great about Japan?

Listening to: Meet Virginia by Train
Currently drinking: My own fine creation: drip with cocoa and milk 


Most people, when first studying abroad, generally go through a cycle (you may have heard of it) called Culture Shock. There's a whole set of graphs and scientific explanations for it, but basically, Culture Shock goes like this:

1) Be super excited to go to new country
2) Get to new country (maybe worship the porcelain god for a bit because of jet lag), don't sleep, but still have a blast anyway
3) Proceed to go out, sight see, party, and have an overall awesome time for about 2-3 weeks
4) By the 3rd-4th week, fall into a grave depression due to severe homesickness and slight hatred for new country
5) Depression lifts by about the 7th-8th week, begin riding high on renewed love for foreign country
6) Repeat cycle

For some reason, I did not go through this cycle. In fact, when I first arrived here, I wanted to go home immediately. I abhorred the idea of remaining in Japan for longer than three weeks, and planned on buying the next plane ticket home. Thankfully, due to much support from home and from many of the I-House folk, I was convinced to at least stay and take some time before making up my mind about returning. After a few weeks, I began to realize that I actually could stand being in Japan, in fact, I might even like it. I have not gotten back on any sort of cycle, I have not become infatuated with Japan nor have I fallen back into any sort of loathing. Instead, I have just kind of acclimated. Just like at home, there are some things I really love, as well as those that I hate. So, for today, I will give you a list of all the things that really make me happy about Japan:

1) The food:

It is amazingly delicious and sized proportionally! I don't ever have to worry about going hungry, even though fish makes up the main diet here, because there are so many other meat options like: port, chicken, beef, and even horse (ok, I have not eaten horse)!





2) Purikura:

 As  I said in one of my earlier posts, purikura is very, very dangerous for vain people. This last weekend I went with several other girls to go shopping in downtown Nagoya and we made sure to go to Bic Camera and take loads of purikura. There was a line of girls waiting for almost every machine, but we luckily found one that was unused and made sure to take advantage of our good fortune. Mass poses ensued :)

3) The fact that I can unabashedly watch J-dramas, gush about my favorite idols, and listen to K-pop without fear of awkward silences or eye rolls:

Shinee is amazing, their dancing is incredible and the music is so dang catchy.

Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers) is my favorite Japanese Drama. It's fun, cute, and surprisingly filled with a lot of dark subject matter.

4) Fashion:

I admit, fashion might be a little over done here, almost to the point of obsession.

Harajuku Fashion 

Street Fashion

Lolita Fashion

Me wearing Liz Lisa!

Still, being a foreignein Japan (especially a blonde one), I can pretty much wear whatever I want and get away with it. 

5) Karaoke:

So in America, karaoke consists of going to some random bar, gathering up the alcohol assisted courage to get on stage, belting out one or two renditions of Journey and Celine Dion, and being done with it. In Japan, you can go by yourself or with a huge group of people, rent a room, and spend the next twelve straight hours happily singing until your voice sounds like some sixty year old smoker. You can choose to drink or not, and everything you order is delivered to your room. All of this for an incredibly reasonable price... it's fantastic.

6) The people:

All the friends I've made through school (I-House, Proxy, and local students) are amazing, interesting, individual, and fun. The people that come here are so incredibly unique and I enjoy each one in a different way. I also really appreciate the local people. I can't count all the times when some random Japanese person has gone out of his or her way to assist me. I will miss the knowledge that, even if I am completely lost, I will always be able to rely on the help of strangers.

Maybe next time I will share with you some of my dislikes, but that's all for now :) Thanks for reading and lattes of love <33333

The, not so secret, garden

Listening to: Joy played by George Winston
Currently drinking: I'm a little too tired to make anything right now


Congratulations, two posts in one day :) I am quite content right now, I just returned from my first real Japanese Ramen shop, and am now ready to share with you my trip to Tokugawa Art Museum.

Entrance to the museum 

I spent the first part of the trip with the group. We got to do all of the normal things, you know, like: playing with swords, old guns, and painted seashells (so it wasn't thaaaaat fun ;)). The museum itself contains over 10,000 artifacts and exhibits, but I was mostly interested in the garden, which I heard from one of the RA's was absolutely beautiful, breathtaking, etc, etc... so basically, as soon as we were allowed free time, I split off from the group, meandered on over to the garden area, and had some peaceful personal time that I was definitely in need of.

Ninja apparently wore two katakanas...sweet

Lacey and her gun 

Ninja v Pirate
You decide who wins

These shells are part of a matching game
and the insides are all intricately painted,
apparently they are meant to be wedding gifts
 from wives to their husbands because they are
only one pair out of all the shells in the world... 

Love

Over the bridge and through the woods,
to the Immortal Lake we go!

I couldn't figure out if it was a wedding, or just
a couple really wanting to dress up

Enjoying the koi

Koi enjoying the people, or the food...

Idk I just thought this was really beautiful

Ozone Waterfall

B&W

Can you spot the ducks?

Tik and Mickey on their way into the garden 

Honestly it was almost like a dream...

The koi wanted to suck my toe

But I pet his head instead :P

These tiny, yellow flowers are so pretty :) 

Little gate into the garden :)

Always and forever, love you lattes~

Escape artist

Listening to: Hot Child in the City by Nick Gilder
Currently drinking: Starbucks grande triple mocha (I needed the extra caffeine love this morning)

Why do I all of a sudden want to watch Sex and the City right now? I'm going to do a double post today because I went to the Tokugawa Art Museum, but I also wanted to share some thoughts that I've had since a recent conversation with Leah (you remember Leah right?).

There are three types of people that come to Japan, be they students, foreign teachers, or adventurers:
1) those who come for the language 2) those who come for the culture, and 3) those who come to escape. The first two generally end up coming here, learning a lot, and having a wonderful experience. The third category tend to arrive, have a fantastic time for the first few weeks, and finally end up hating it here because they realize that daily life is exactly like it is at home (except they don't speak the language). Japan is a modern country, so I don't know if this phenomenon is the same for people traveling to the third world...

I've been trying to figure out what category I fit into. Of course I came here for the culture and to learn the language, yet at the same time, I definitely feel like being here is somewhat of an escape. I don't necessarily mean an escape from some horribly boring life I led back in America. I go to a fantastic school, have amazing friends, and a wonderful boyfriend (who has been incredible since I've been here). I think, more so, this trip to Japan has been an escape from myself. I'm running away, attempting to anyway, from the scared little girl that doesn't want to grow up, who wants to remain safe in her own comfortable bubble of a life. In high school I had this giant fear that I would never graduate and end up living at home for the rest of my life (sorry mom and dad), and before I came here I had this notion that I would never be able to travel the world, that I would end up hating myself for not being adventurous. It's like I am constantly nervous that I won't be successful in life, so I turn myself into an escape artist. The real me, the strong girl who wants to do anything and everything, has to constantly perform incredible feats of escape from the obnoxious little naysayer that follows her around and attempts to lock her away.

Whether this is a good or a bad thing....I don't really know, but as of right now, I'm going to try my hardest to enjoy every moment.

See you next time and love you lattes <3

The saga continues...