live in japan

I can’t believe I never updated this while I was in Japan. Anyway, I lived in Tokyo for three months, and it was a great experience. I loved it so much that I’m already planning my second stay (I use the word “planning” figuratively).

Anyway, I guess I’ll set this to done.

Despite wanting to go as much as I want, I feel my Japanese isn’t up to level yet, though I think it will improve dramatically when I’m actually there… The hardest and foremost thing is landing a job which allows me to go. If only my Japanese was better I’d have more confidence. Also moneywise I’m not prepared yet, sigh!

Summer festival. The last Sunday we were in Japan, the neighborhood festival was held at the park down the way. The day was full of interesting activities starting out with watermelon-smashing. Here is Will after his attempt.

When you don’t have a lot of it, you have to put things like your soccer field anywhere you can find the room. So…a roof in Shibuya!

In two months it’s my 3 years anniversarie studying japanese. This dream has being there for too long. It’s time to start to plan it. I have being saving and saving and saving for make this dream come true…

I want to live in Japan more than a year, not only visit as a tourist, but experience the entire trip learning the culture, meeting and interacting with japanese people, sharing a little bit of my culture…

Im excited
:p

I love Japan. I have been studying Japanese language and culture for four years now and so far I have loved every minute of it. I went to Japan for three weeks in April and it was the BEST weeks of my life. I am SO determined to go back and live there. I’m SO excited! I think about Japan everyday it is my true passion

I found it! Cool Japan!

I have to finish college. Its the big thing in my life right now my big goal. when i do i will be one step closer to living in japan.

As part of the beginning of the end in Japan, some friends and I planned a trip to Tokyo this past weekend. Katie, Nadine, Reiko and I headed into Harajuku Saturday morning to a studio where maiko or geisha makeovers are done. We pushed through the crowds of Japanese and tourists alike, all gawking at the cheap wares for sale and crowding into McDonald’s to see what it tastes like in Japan. Finally at the studio, quiet reigned. We chose kimono and poses and then were escorted to a room to get our makeup applied. What an experience. I’ve spent time being made up for theatrical performances and this certainly reminded me of those experiences but it was much more involved. First, the artists studied our faces and then applied a wax all over. Then cold, white makeup was put all over except the very backs of our necks. Red highlights were applied to eyebrows and eyelids and a pink flush accented nose and cheekbones. Fake eyelashes, some lipstick and an hour later and we were ready to be outfitted. After they bound us all up until we couldn’t breathe anymore, we maneuvered some stairs and wigs were plunked on our heads.

After the photo session, Reiko and Nadine took pictures of us in our kimono in a little garden and we went back inside to lose all that weight. I was rather used to it by then though the removal of the wig did make my head suddenly lighter! I can’t imagine wearing all that everyday…

For dinner, we met 5 other women at a Mexican restaurant. Though the drinks were expensive, we had a really good time. Afterward, we headed to a drag show at the Black Swan in Kabuki-cho. Wow. The women (men?) performers were so beautiful, I thought for a while that someone had made a mistake and we were simply at a stage show. But no…introductions and announcements were made and it was discovered that one performer had returned from Thailand only a month earlier after getting a final operation to become fully a woman. They were unbelieveably beautiful and feminine.

Though it rained yesterday, we did manage to head to Shibuya and sightsee a little, shop and eat.

The stress of planning this and working out the details drained me and today I have been a little down. The reality of our leaving is hitting me…I’m back to being a little sad and not wanting to think about all I have to do and all I will miss…

YES!