Thousands of Miles from Home
日本で過ごした日々の記録

8/30/2004

The Usual

I've had some requests to answer some mundane questions about japan/my stay. So here's some boring, I mean wonderfully exciting, information.
ATMs here work pretty much the same as they do in the USA. Except more cartoony displays. In fact, everything here is more cartoony. I enjoy it because it keeps me entertained (or horrified, in the case of various cartoon pictures describing what will happen if you jump from the escalator). I've been going to bed pretty early. Except for a few nights when the whole family was out late. But I also wake up early so I feel pretty rested.
For breakfast I've been eating cereal, eggs, rice, bagels, or toast with jam. And bananas. Sometimes we have dumplings, but mostly I make my own food for breakfast.
I will be riding a bike to school, and it takes about 10-15 minutes. Mostly flat, but I have to go in a few tunnels through mountains. I hear the school has a very good library, but have not been able to check it out yet. I eat vegetables, but I think I will lose weight (because of all the rice consumption). My host dad has a vigorous workout routine every day. I have been pretty good about staying active. I read a lot too.
I bought an electronic japanese dictionary. It does everything I need, is small, and was on sale.

8/30/04
Today Mai and Miyu went to Tokyo. Mai is staying there for school, and Miyu is coming home in four days. We went out to lunch at a restaurant by the sea, with high winds and choppy water from the typhoon. It's raining right now, but still relatively hot. I don't think there will be any damage from the storm because the inland sea usually remains calm. I watched The Pianist because I'd never seen it before (in English, subtitled in Japanese). Masatoshi took me in the car to see the ocean because I'd never been in a typhoon before. When we came home there was a man with some expensive dog figurines in ceramic and porcelain that masatoshi may buy. From what I could tell they were very expensive, and Shoko thought he was crazy, but he liked them. I'll be taking a tour of the school tomorrow, as well as going to city hall.
It's hard to explain, but I've has some hilarious conversations about English words and their connotations. Like the difference between "chapped lips" and "canker sore." Good times.

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