I'm home from Yokohama. I almost didn't make it back home, since I spent too much money and barely had enough for my train fare. Oops. How did I do that? I think it's the souvenirs I bought for my friends. The things I do to be liked.
Of the things I will miss about Japan, I think trains will be in the top five. Even slow ass local trains, because it is usually easier than driving. I will not miss the expense of taking public transportation everywhere, but the convenience aspect is so great. If there existed a comparable system in America, I would never fly domestic again. Unless it was like New York to LA or something.
I ran into this guy at the conference that I met when I took the LSAT in Tokyo last September. I felt kind of bad, since he hadn't heard from any schools yet and I'd already gotten into five.
I have to teach the fucking 6th graders at Ido tomorrow. I think I hate them the most out of all the kids in Kumano. They are such little bastards. I've decided we're going to play The Price is Right, and if they can't enjoy that and not act like little shits, then I might just walk out. At least I've got 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades to balance out their awful.
Showing posts with label yokohama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yokohama. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
pity, party of 1
I didn't get into Berkeley. My first rejection, and it was a big one. At least they sent the letter to my house in America and not to where I actually live.
Oddly enough, I'm not too broken up about it. I think the fact that I already got into Virginia, which was my other top choice, played a big part in my response. I mean, sure it would be nice to live in California and go to a school that doesn't use grades, but I can always try to get a job out there after I have my degree from another awesome school.
I'm still waiting to hear from Columbia, since that's the only school I haven't heard from yet that I would consider going to. I don't want to go to Duke and Harvard is too cut-throat (and Boston is too cold). But most likely, I will go to Virginia. Woo-hoo!
The conference has been good. CLAIR got better speakers for this one than any other JET conference I've been to, I think. Even the guy who talked about something that had nothing to do with us was at least interesting.
Also, this conference is not mandatory, so I didn't have to go to all of the career sessions today, just the ones I was interested in. As it happens, I was only interested in the law session, so I spent the rest of the day shopping and eating. Haha! I got another pair of skinny jeans at Uniqlo (like I need them, but these are in a more casual wash!), plus some cute hoodies. I think I might go to Zoff tomorrow and see if they have the sunglasses I like so much.
Megan, Stan, and I went to TGIFriday's for dinner tonight. (We went to Chinatown last night, it was good, but the waitress was a bitch.) I never go to TGIFriday's or Applebee's or similar restaurants at home, but it was so good tonight! I had loaded potato skins and chicken fingers with honey mustard and this delicious Bailey's/mint/oreo/ice cream drink. It was expensive, but worth it, since I never get to eat stuff like that here.
I don't want to go home tomorrow. I'd much rather stay here and not work. Boo.
Oddly enough, I'm not too broken up about it. I think the fact that I already got into Virginia, which was my other top choice, played a big part in my response. I mean, sure it would be nice to live in California and go to a school that doesn't use grades, but I can always try to get a job out there after I have my degree from another awesome school.
I'm still waiting to hear from Columbia, since that's the only school I haven't heard from yet that I would consider going to. I don't want to go to Duke and Harvard is too cut-throat (and Boston is too cold). But most likely, I will go to Virginia. Woo-hoo!
The conference has been good. CLAIR got better speakers for this one than any other JET conference I've been to, I think. Even the guy who talked about something that had nothing to do with us was at least interesting.
Also, this conference is not mandatory, so I didn't have to go to all of the career sessions today, just the ones I was interested in. As it happens, I was only interested in the law session, so I spent the rest of the day shopping and eating. Haha! I got another pair of skinny jeans at Uniqlo (like I need them, but these are in a more casual wash!), plus some cute hoodies. I think I might go to Zoff tomorrow and see if they have the sunglasses I like so much.
Megan, Stan, and I went to TGIFriday's for dinner tonight. (We went to Chinatown last night, it was good, but the waitress was a bitch.) I never go to TGIFriday's or Applebee's or similar restaurants at home, but it was so good tonight! I had loaded potato skins and chicken fingers with honey mustard and this delicious Bailey's/mint/oreo/ice cream drink. It was expensive, but worth it, since I never get to eat stuff like that here.
I don't want to go home tomorrow. I'd much rather stay here and not work. Boo.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
yokohama yo mama
Yokohama is boring when you're alone. I realize that now.
The conference for JETs who aren't recontracting is tomorrow through Wednesday, and I came up to Yokohama today so I wouldn't have to take the early early train on Monday morning.
I got to my hotel about 3 o'clock, but check-in wasn't until 4, so I dropped off my bags and went to the history museum across the street to kill time. I'm not staying at my usual hotel choice, Toyoko Inn (which are usually awesome, except for the one at Asakusa Senzoku, as it is staffed with bitches), because they only had the expensive singles available, so I went with a place on almost the same street that was 2000yen a night cheaper.
Anyway, the history museum was nice. I like stuff like that. And they had these enormous pictures of Perry in Japan-o-vision, in which all gaijin look like giant-nosed monsters, which was a nice touch.
I got back to the hotel and ironed all my clothes again, since they got wrinkled on the way up. Then I looked up the location of the nearest Mosburger and went there for dinner. I was kind of paranoid walking there, as I was by myself and I'm not at all familiar with Yokohama. But I managed to get there and back without damage, and it's not that cold out, so I didn't freeze either.
Tomorrow should be better, as people I know will be here for the conference, the lucky ones that don't live 5 hours out like I do.
I'm thinking I'll go to the Ramen Museum to eat before the conference. At the museum, there are restaurants that serve the different kinds of ramen you can get in Japan, and much to my delight, there is a Fukuchan. I think I went to a Fukuchan with my host family in Fukuoka, and it was super delicious, as most Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen is. I mean, it might not be Ichiran, but it's close. I might try the "mini ramen" that is advertised in the brochure, or I might go all out and get a big bowl, since I'll be at the conference until 6:30 at least.
Yokohama also has the biggest Chinatown in Japan, and the dinner I had there the last time I was here was great. It was like seven courses for 2100yen. I was completely stuffed. So maybe something like that for dinner? Who knows.
I kind of wish I had called Kyle before I came up so we could hang out a bit. I haven't seen him since I stayed at his place before the LSAT. I'm a bad friend.
I took the shinkansen up here from Nagoya like I always do, because even though the overnight bus is soooo much cheaper, trains are the way to go. And I was fortunate enough to score a Fuji-side seat, which was great, because I have never actually seen Fuji from the shink, even though it's apparently very obvious. I think it's always been raining when I come up to Tokyo or I'm always on the wrong side, or I'm just not paying attention. Probably a combination of all of those. Anyway, I spent the whole time looking out the window, and I'm pretty sure I know where Fuji is now, but of course, there was a giant cloud sitting right on top of it, so I couldn't see it at all. Damn. I'll try again on the ride home.
Also train-related, there was a guy a few rows ahead of me who looked like homeless ana Jesus. With Japanese teeth. He had the long scraggly hair and one of those knit caps that wasn't pulled down all the way so it had the condom-tip effect going on (how do I know what that looks like, I wonder?), which I always associate with homeless people for some reason. But he had a really cute toddler, though said toddler was fussy and he had to get up and walk around with him. Fun times, I'm sure!
Okay, this has clearly gone on too long. It's because I am bored. I should just go to bed. I have to be rested for this totally useless conference. I mean, if I didn't really know what I was going to do after JET, it wouldn't be useless, but as I do, it is. Oh well, at least it's getting me out of work.
The conference for JETs who aren't recontracting is tomorrow through Wednesday, and I came up to Yokohama today so I wouldn't have to take the early early train on Monday morning.
I got to my hotel about 3 o'clock, but check-in wasn't until 4, so I dropped off my bags and went to the history museum across the street to kill time. I'm not staying at my usual hotel choice, Toyoko Inn (which are usually awesome, except for the one at Asakusa Senzoku, as it is staffed with bitches), because they only had the expensive singles available, so I went with a place on almost the same street that was 2000yen a night cheaper.
Anyway, the history museum was nice. I like stuff like that. And they had these enormous pictures of Perry in Japan-o-vision, in which all gaijin look like giant-nosed monsters, which was a nice touch.
I got back to the hotel and ironed all my clothes again, since they got wrinkled on the way up. Then I looked up the location of the nearest Mosburger and went there for dinner. I was kind of paranoid walking there, as I was by myself and I'm not at all familiar with Yokohama. But I managed to get there and back without damage, and it's not that cold out, so I didn't freeze either.
Tomorrow should be better, as people I know will be here for the conference, the lucky ones that don't live 5 hours out like I do.
I'm thinking I'll go to the Ramen Museum to eat before the conference. At the museum, there are restaurants that serve the different kinds of ramen you can get in Japan, and much to my delight, there is a Fukuchan. I think I went to a Fukuchan with my host family in Fukuoka, and it was super delicious, as most Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen is. I mean, it might not be Ichiran, but it's close. I might try the "mini ramen" that is advertised in the brochure, or I might go all out and get a big bowl, since I'll be at the conference until 6:30 at least.
Yokohama also has the biggest Chinatown in Japan, and the dinner I had there the last time I was here was great. It was like seven courses for 2100yen. I was completely stuffed. So maybe something like that for dinner? Who knows.
I kind of wish I had called Kyle before I came up so we could hang out a bit. I haven't seen him since I stayed at his place before the LSAT. I'm a bad friend.
I took the shinkansen up here from Nagoya like I always do, because even though the overnight bus is soooo much cheaper, trains are the way to go. And I was fortunate enough to score a Fuji-side seat, which was great, because I have never actually seen Fuji from the shink, even though it's apparently very obvious. I think it's always been raining when I come up to Tokyo or I'm always on the wrong side, or I'm just not paying attention. Probably a combination of all of those. Anyway, I spent the whole time looking out the window, and I'm pretty sure I know where Fuji is now, but of course, there was a giant cloud sitting right on top of it, so I couldn't see it at all. Damn. I'll try again on the ride home.
Also train-related, there was a guy a few rows ahead of me who looked like homeless ana Jesus. With Japanese teeth. He had the long scraggly hair and one of those knit caps that wasn't pulled down all the way so it had the condom-tip effect going on (how do I know what that looks like, I wonder?), which I always associate with homeless people for some reason. But he had a really cute toddler, though said toddler was fussy and he had to get up and walk around with him. Fun times, I'm sure!
Okay, this has clearly gone on too long. It's because I am bored. I should just go to bed. I have to be rested for this totally useless conference. I mean, if I didn't really know what I was going to do after JET, it wouldn't be useless, but as I do, it is. Oh well, at least it's getting me out of work.
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