Day 4: Part 1

Saturday May 2 Day 4

Day 4: Part 1

We get into our room just after 5 am, I wake Bestie up and we each pack our overnight bags. Today we are going to Kyoto via Bullet Train, and I skip a great view of Mt. Fuji to catch up on some sleep. Arrival time is right around lunch so we head straight for food after leaving the station, which by the way almost never happened.

When we get off the train I’m groggy from sleep and get lazy with my outfit selection, forgetting I’m wearing a long dress and kicks. Considering that I buy long dresses with the intent to rock a 6-inch heel, there is a lot more dress to manage in flats. Back in the train station, I’m heading down the escalator, and at the half way point Bestie and I both notice that I’m caught. We frantically begin yanking at the dress to free it and me because I am 3 seconds away from being eaten whole. In 0.5 seconds that dress was coming off, it was hiked up to my waist when Bestie finally broke me lose. We shared a laugh over how “Workplace Safety Video” it felt. The moral of this story is, when wearing a long dress and kicks, take the elevator.

Right, lunch! We dash across the street and I grab some curry Udon that tastes just like something my mom would make, a welcomed reminder of home. Little did I know that this would be the last enjoyable meal of the day, maybe I’d have taken a To Go bag.

After our meal, we head on a coach to Suntory Brewery for a tour. Might I note, at this point it has become apparent that the majority of students on our trip have been on a beer tour since we landed. The Suntory Brewery seemed like a perfect compliment to our already intoxicated team. To add to the laughs, the MC of our tour is a tiny woman closer to the floor than not, that spoke in a very high-pitched Japanese. Only Japanese. We had an English-speaking guide with us but she was not allowed to translate during the tour. At the end everyone got to sample the stock. I cheersed with my alcohol free and watched the show.

Being a somewhat chill day in comparison to our pace thus far, Bestie decides it would be nice to experience a traditional Japanese meal. Since Kyoto is not a town known necessarily for its nightlife, Roomie and I agree. Our guide gives us a recommendation and reservations are set for 7 pm sharp.

Yep, another Two Part day.

Land of the Rising Sun

Friday May 1 Day 3

Day 3: Part 2

I know that technically we are now onto Day 4, but I consider this the nightlife part of Day 3, so Day 4 will start at sunrise.

By midnight I’m showering, when the alarm goes off. I feel rested in comparison to how I have been feeling since we landed. We are joined in our room by fellow students on the trip, and there’s a tiny pre-drink party happening while we get ready to go out. Roomie is set on a reggae spot, and for me it seemed a thing I had to do. When I was in Vancouver years ago I went to a reggae club named Tokyo, so it makes sense that I should to go to a reggae club in Tokyo tonight.

Bestie stayed in to catch up on some much-needed sleep, and we parted ways with the others in the hotel lobby. A recommendation from a travel book gave us the name of a place in Shinjuku that seemed not too far away. After a cab ride through the bright lights of Shibuya we were dropped in front of a place called “Open”. A tiny staircase down to the basement of a building led us into a smoke filled room with a bar at the back. Aside from the posters of Bob Marley on the wall, this place did not read reggae bar and we needed a plan B. Everyone was more than happy to help the foreign girls, so with cell phones and body language we managed to get ourselves sorted.

Helpful locals outside Open

With a locally hand drawn map in hand, and an escort in tow (that Roomie and I could have taken down if we had to), we were set out in search of a reggae club by the name of Garam.

Our reggae club tour guide

The taxi ride is short, and Roomie has made a new friend before even entering the club. We are now a group of 4 and heading up in an elevator to Garam. The doors open to another smoky room, this time we got it right, and they are playing my jam.

We party with the DJs, the owner, and our new friends, who offer us a glimpse into this side of Tokyo. We are also offered shots, and when I decline, I am quickly served a shot of Ginger Ale instead so that I can at least join in the cheers. We celebrated a birthday, Golden Week, and new experiences. I am overwhelmed by how humble and polite the people are.

Garam

We have to leave to make our breakfast curfew, so I kiss the sky in the stairwell before getting to experience live why Japan is called The Land of the Rising Sun.

Shinjuku at 5 am

It is 5 am and the streets are crowded with people, I’m thinking about breakfast and sleeping on the train.

Cue Day 4, no alarm required.

Day 3: Part 1

Friday May 1 Day 3

No matter which way I try to put it, Day 3 cannot be told in a single post.

Day 3: Part 1

Where to start, where to end, what to tell?

The alarm goes off at 5 am. I’m not one who likes to get up in the morning so my alarm criteria are lengthy; loud and obnoxious definitely top the list. It’s not just waking me up but everyone else in the room, and maybe a couple of neighbours. Needless to say it’s 5 am and I’m up and ready for the day. The itinerary is packed, which is exactly how I like to see a city. My outfit plan has already been sorted weeks before when I decided what to pack, so I was on autopilot for the rest of the day. Our group of 20 meet in the hotel lobby for 9ish to start on the day’s journey. First stop – Harajuku. I am expecting to enter a world catering entirely to Lolittas. Although I am not disappointed when we arrive, I am surprised at how Disney everything feels.

Harajuku

Even the Disney store feels more Disney, the sales girls holding teddy bears that practically come alive with their touch. With gestures, not words, it is explained to me that each bear is the likeness of a well-known Disney character and only available in Japan. I know right! Check them out:

http://www.disneystore.co.jp/shop/u_page/giftunibear.aspx

I want one of each, but there’s no time to shop because we are already late to meet for our next stop on the itinerary, Meiji Shrine. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to take pictures of everything, it is just so different from what I am familiar with at home. I have to pry myself away from the camera to seize the day, these are moments I want to be present in, this is what it’s all about.

Meiji Shrine

Good thing because this place needs attention, everything has a meaning, a ritual, a tradition and I want to know it all. Although I consider myself to be without God, I can’t help but feel drawn to the spiritual vibe of this place.   I like the idea of fortunes and lucky charms, and I grab a few of each from the shops. Of course I grabbed one for love and another for success,; really I’m open to improvement so could use a charm in every area of my life. I also received a fortune that could not have been more appropriate. To end our time at the shrine we were witness to a traditional Japanese wedding. I’m not sure if there are any superstitions around weddings and luck, but it felt like we had been chosen to witness this event, and that felt lucky to me. Grateful, I snapped a picture.

Meiji Shrine

Our next stop was the Tokyo Sky Tree. I looked forward to finally catching a glimpse of Mt. Fuji and seeing how the largest metropolitan in the world compares to some of the biggest cities I’ve seen. Japan continues to exceed my expectations, it makes my heart beat fast to see a city that sprawls farther than the eye can see, whichever direction you look. I decide from this vantage point that I could never live here, but would have to return to finish what this trip starts because it is way too big to see in only 3 days.

Skytree view of Tokyo

Our last spot of the day takes us to Senso-ji in Asakusa, one of (if not the) oldest Temples in Tokyo. Leading up to it, rows of souvenir shops, some of the best knick-knack shopping that I’ve ever done. I got so carried away picking out a Samurai sword for my nephew that I completely lost track of time and my Bestie. I had to run through the Temple (which for the record is at the very end of all these awesome shops), but managed to make it to the meet spot on time. The pictures are blurry as a result though.

Senso-ji in Asakusa

Reunited as a trio; Bestie, Roomie, and I head back in the direction of our hotel, grabbing dinner at a place we had picked out the night before. A cool spot, walking distance to our place where we sat on the floor to eat and were required to remove our shoes before entering. This was not a problem; our feet welcomed the rest after pounding the pavement all day.

Shinjuku dinner

I hatch a plan over dinner electing to go back to the hotel and sleep now, waking up at midnight to start our day. Rather than staying up all-night and grabbing a couple hours when we get in at 5 am. That way we could sleep 4 hours, wake up at midnight and stay out all night, we just need to be back in time for breakfast at 7 am. The other girls are in, so we finish eating and head to our beds. The alarm is set for midnight.

P.S. Meiji Shrine may have happened before Harajuku Day 3. It has only been 2 weeks and I have already started to forget major details. Good thing I’m getting it all down now, because at this rate I won’t even remember going to Japan at all.

Raw Deal

Thursday April 30 Day 2

It is a funny thing to land in a place 24 hours (their time) after you first took off, mind boggling actually. Take it from a girl who has had her mind boggled, this “lose a day of your life” shit will mess with even the strongest of Samurai. Ladies and gentlemen and everything in between, welcome to Japan.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned yet, but this Asia trip is with school. Yep, I am getting a credit for it. Five cities in 8 days, the time is money factor alone pays for itself.   If I consider  that to get a credit I would have to sit through 3 hours of lecture for 14 weeks, plus reading, review, assignments, workshops, and studying that on average will take at least double the amount of lecture time, that equals more than 125 hours.  Multiply that by my current pay rate and the trip literally has paid for itself. The fact that this is a school thing also means that the mischief level needs to stay within reason, which will be tested when my equally wild best friend joins us.

SIDE NOTE: She is an environmental scientist working in Kuwait and has just finished a grueling Masters and basically couriered her dissertation then got on a plane to meet me in Tokyo. We’ve been friends for over 25 years.

Thankfully we have been graced with a roommate that seems as though she’ll be able to keep up, which is good since Bestie arrives with drinks in hand and I’m pretty sure she landed this way.  Not sure if it is technically breakfast or dinner for us, but the three of us hit the town in search of food and a little trouble. I have travelled quite a bit and am use to the language barrier thing, it’s part of what I enjoy on a trip. However,  when you are in Asia (and this is my second time this year) it’s not just the language thing, you are also dealing with an entirely different character system, which makes finding a late night food place that much more challenging.

After what felt like hours of circling like vultures’ over the tiny caves of raw meat, we descended on a place that seemed to have the most recognizable food, or at least it looked that way in the plastic sushi displays in their front window.  I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words “raw” and “pounded” I’m definitely not thinking edible, this is the first of many times I will be wrong on this trip.  Everything on the menu was “Raw Pounded” and the words to follow weren’t any more reassuring. “Horse Mackerel”, “Manta ray Fin”, “Tuna”; “Raw Pounded Tuna” sounded more like what was on the cover of the Manga porn we purchased at  7/11 later that night, not something that I was going to even attempt putting in my mouth.

We ejected ourselves from that spot immediately and landed at a cozy sushi joint close to our hotel. It was some of the best sushi I have ever had. More notable was that for the first time ever in my life I ordered an alcohol free beer.  Tasting the beer of a country has been a big part of my travels to date and I didn’t want that to stop.  I had a brain hemorrhage 18 months ago, and quitting drinking was one of many life changes I decided to make after surviving it. Back at the sushi bar, I enjoyed the local flavors including a beer.

Though we were close to the hotel, it was easy to get lost so after our meal the 3 of us roamed the streets for hours. I don’t remember getting back to our room, or falling asleep, but the alarm was set for 5am sharp.

Great Expectations

Rewind the clock to just shy of 2 weeks ago.

Wednesday April 29 Day 1

Oh travel days, there once was a time when the airport was a part of the trip excitement for me, but those days are long gone.  After a few trips across the planet I’ve learned that things go wrong on travel days and your goal is just to survive it.  The airport shuffle makes me cringe, and this time is no exception. Screaming baby – check, bad food – check, seat kicker – check, but at the end of the day I started in Toronto and will finish in Tokyo so I can’t really complain.

I guess it might be fun to share a bit of what I am expecting on this trip, since pre-conceived notions and reality rarely intersect this might be a funny re read upon my return. Obviously I am expecting everywhere to smell like fish; to be the only blonde head in a never ending sea of black ones; to get lost more than once, but find something awesome in the process; to order plenty of things that I won’t actually end up consuming; to consume plenty of things I didn’t actually intend to order; to be confronted with technology I won’t yet understand; to be confronted by people who won’t understand me; to be humbled by tradition and gain insight into the where, when, and why it still has a place in this world; to reconnect with old friends and maybe make some room for new acquaintances; and to add a few more niceties to my foreign vocabulary like “hello”, “thanks”, and “please”. Although there is a lot that I am scared of, the bar is set pretty high for East Asia and I am not one who handles disappointment well, so I intend to hit the ground running.

Let me loose on this town, I’m ready for it!

Life Lag

I just jolted awake and checked my phone, it is Monday May 11 at 2:06 am and I’m wide-awake. People, jet lag is real. I have literally slept through the entire weekend and have to be up in 3 hours to start my work week, but complaining I am not. I guess I owe a bit of backstory, not just for the jet lag thing but also for the blog lag thing.

Ok, so it was October 17^th (2013 for those who need a refresh) and I had just finished Assignment 1 right? (in the “is that correct” way) Right! (in the entirely sarcastic way). That teacher handed back the assignment to any student who did not have it working exactly to spec which fast became my least concern when my best friend delivered the news that a very close childhood friend had been killed, and I use the word killed with purpose. I would say that time stopped in that moment, but four funerals, two near death experiences, and a lot of exams and assignments later, I can assure you that the past 19 months have passed. I have actually been on a bit of a life sprint it seems, accomplishing personal goals and attaining growth in areas I never thought I’d reach. The “Home sweet home” feeling I got on return from my most recent trip to Asia has placed me back in the present moment, and I’ve missed it.

I’ll spend the next couple of weeks reminiscing on my adventures in Japan and South Korea, and if I stay motivated may just work backwards all the way to October 22, 2013, but we’ll see.

class8am = bull;

No matter what way you cut it, if you are in the 3^rd semester of Programming right now you have at least one 8am class. I know because so do I. There is nothing I hate more than having to wake up early, well other than being cold, and maybe spiders.  So to be in class for 8am I need a little help. Yep, coffee would be the obvious choice, but really coffee makes me puke. It seems I’m not alone. Of the few people that actually make it to class that early, many have the same nasty habit as me.  Seated next to a large percentage of my peers sits a tall can of awesome. My drink of choice is Red Bull – The Blue Edition, but when I look around the classroom it is clear to me that I’ve been cheating myself of options.  There are energy drinks out now that I’ve never even heard of.  I can’t imagine these cans of poison ever tasting any better than Red Bull Blue, but maybe there is another option that I am missing out on. What in your opinion is the best energy drink right now? I would like to know.

ROUND 1: Shopping Vs. C++

While reviewing last semester’s notes I came across what distinguishes C++ from other languages.  C++ is a hybrid language, how cool does that sound? WTF does that even mean? I read on and it all started to make sense – like I was suddenly at the Las Vegas airport – bells and lights I swear. I finally get the big picture with this C++ stuff. Here is my “Basically” explanation. Basically, not only can we break our problem into activities, but we can also break it into objects.  Get out of here, this C++ is just like shopping!  And what is shopping? An activity.  Once you’re at the mall, then you can purchase stuff like objects.  Now this part was a little tricky for my girlie brain to wrap around but if I’m not mistaken – everything in that mall would be an object. Stores, fast food joints, items to purchase, even the mall itself, all of them are objects. The objects can contain objects – I guess a clothing item would inherit the store brand – but both the store and the item are objects.  This is giving me a totally new perspective and affection for C++. I love shopping, so if C++ is anything like it then maybe I will love C++ too. I’ll keep you posted!

Resources: Introduction to C++ for C Programmers (pg 2)