I got my family profile today for Sapporo! Not much on it, but at least I have names and an address. No kids, well, two older than me, but no little kids. Somehow they put down what the older kids like, even though they live somewhere else. The mom teaches flower arrangement. It might be a little anal, but I'm gonna try and try it anyway.
Decided today...gonna buy the hardcase! Hehe, excited now. Now I can go crazy at Shibuya next week!!
Taking flowers to Mrs. Ikeda tomorrow. We're taking flowers from the Women's Division of Kanagawa. And we're taking letters. My letter says...nothing. I don't really have anything to say to her, I don't know very much about her as a person. It's a little odd...
26.2.04
25.2.04
Okay people, this is how it's working. I've got two blogs going. This one, and one for people who only care about my doings and not my inner thoughts (or people I don't especially want reading my inner thoughts). The long long narratives have been at the request of the other folk. I've been posting them on both sites, with maybe a little extra here sometimes. But I'm tired of that. Lately, I have been too tired to do the inner thought bit. So, if you want to read long narrative, go to http://greenorangegeek.blogspot.com. If not, stay tuned to this channel.
Okay, now channeling inner thoughts...
I am a trained monkey. We went to big SGI place today and they made us say our little practiced speaches. Then Okaasan told the people about Conny's dream to build Soka University of Europe. Oh, didn't know that's what she was going to do? Neither did she. When we walked into the back area, the people all clapped for us. It's insanity, and they just perpetuate it by spreading what great and wonderful people we are. Argh, it makes me insane. I am somewhat safe because I have been adimant about NOT having plans. But recently I have become the genius child because I started SUA at 17 and could do part of gongyo at about 5. So she tells everyone we meet this, and we can't refute it, because none of them speak English, and it would be WAY weird to contradict her in the middle of her session.
It's impossible to be angry with the people we meet, because seem soooo sincere about hoping and thinking that we will change the world. Of course, some of them just think about us as things to show off, but many are truly interested in us as people and want to discuss actually how we are going to change the world and all that. But I can be angry at the people who are spreading and encouraging this kind of behavior. I go back and forth between thinking that Okaasan just wants to be the bringer of all this good news and thinking that maybe she is just trying to give people hope. But then, what happens when Conny doesn't open SU-Europe? She KNOWS. We had a long and difficult conversation about what our dreams are. I'm thinking that SGI-Japan is a little messed up. Oh, and try convicing them that SUA doesn't exist as a conduit to help people work for the advancement of the SGI alone. I think they understand that not all the students are SGI, but I don't think they understand that we are going to go on and work for organizations other than the SGI.
Oh yes, and did I mention that I'm being slightly smothered by all the attention? I love it when Conny and I are out and exploring, but when we are with Okaasan and Otousan, they keep trying to lead us places. I want to look and go for myself. Okaasan kept taking my arm today, and I really did not want it taken! And you walk into a room after having ben absent from the group for three seconds and they ask you if you are all right. I know some of it is Japanese culture, but I think a little bit could be SGI culture.
The woman we met at the culture center today is a bug leader in Kanagawa. They said that she is so busy that she never had time to get married, even though she wanted to. All I could think about was how that is so wrong. I don't think that people should put so much of their lives into something that they can't even have a life of their own. If they want to that is. If someone is perfectly happy without a family or a life of some kind, whatever, but if a person wants a family, they should have a family. What is the point of an organization that celebrates everyday life when the people working for it can't even have one of their own?
Yeah...done, inner thoughts for the day.
Okay, now channeling inner thoughts...
I am a trained monkey. We went to big SGI place today and they made us say our little practiced speaches. Then Okaasan told the people about Conny's dream to build Soka University of Europe. Oh, didn't know that's what she was going to do? Neither did she. When we walked into the back area, the people all clapped for us. It's insanity, and they just perpetuate it by spreading what great and wonderful people we are. Argh, it makes me insane. I am somewhat safe because I have been adimant about NOT having plans. But recently I have become the genius child because I started SUA at 17 and could do part of gongyo at about 5. So she tells everyone we meet this, and we can't refute it, because none of them speak English, and it would be WAY weird to contradict her in the middle of her session.
It's impossible to be angry with the people we meet, because seem soooo sincere about hoping and thinking that we will change the world. Of course, some of them just think about us as things to show off, but many are truly interested in us as people and want to discuss actually how we are going to change the world and all that. But I can be angry at the people who are spreading and encouraging this kind of behavior. I go back and forth between thinking that Okaasan just wants to be the bringer of all this good news and thinking that maybe she is just trying to give people hope. But then, what happens when Conny doesn't open SU-Europe? She KNOWS. We had a long and difficult conversation about what our dreams are. I'm thinking that SGI-Japan is a little messed up. Oh, and try convicing them that SUA doesn't exist as a conduit to help people work for the advancement of the SGI alone. I think they understand that not all the students are SGI, but I don't think they understand that we are going to go on and work for organizations other than the SGI.
Oh yes, and did I mention that I'm being slightly smothered by all the attention? I love it when Conny and I are out and exploring, but when we are with Okaasan and Otousan, they keep trying to lead us places. I want to look and go for myself. Okaasan kept taking my arm today, and I really did not want it taken! And you walk into a room after having ben absent from the group for three seconds and they ask you if you are all right. I know some of it is Japanese culture, but I think a little bit could be SGI culture.
The woman we met at the culture center today is a bug leader in Kanagawa. They said that she is so busy that she never had time to get married, even though she wanted to. All I could think about was how that is so wrong. I don't think that people should put so much of their lives into something that they can't even have a life of their own. If they want to that is. If someone is perfectly happy without a family or a life of some kind, whatever, but if a person wants a family, they should have a family. What is the point of an organization that celebrates everyday life when the people working for it can't even have one of their own?
Yeah...done, inner thoughts for the day.
24.2.04
Today we went to the Tama Doubutsuen. The ZOO! Once we figured out how to get there...the evilness of changing trains across train companies...it was pretty cool. It only cost 600 yen to get in, less than $6.00 U.S. Though it did cost about $10.00 U.S. to get there...but that is beside the point. This zoo is apparently known for housing its animals in natural environments. Many of the animals looking pretty content, but there were a few that we unhappy to be the center of attention.
The first thing we saw was a Tapir. Yeah, what?? They were actually pretty cute!! They have the body of a pig kind of, and a nose between an elephant and a pig. Maybe closer to an anteater. One of them was just wandering around, he had a lumbering gait that endeared him to me. He may have been a little bored, because he kept bugging the one that was trying to sleep. And he wouldn't hold still so I could get a nice picture. We'll see how the roll develops.
Then we saw this really cute and friendly Wild Pig. Boy was he hairy!! He kind of followed us along the fence as we read his information and tried to stick his snout through the wire at us. Yuck, but cute. He was like a dog wanting attention. There weren't many people there, so we were the only ones looking at him at the time. I didn't see any female wild pigs, and I can imagine it gets pretty lonely all by yourself. His pen was all full of mud, and so was his fur. I guess that's what he likes.
Then there were some PereDavid's Deer. Don't ask me what kind that is, but they were big and had fuzzy antlers. They were also really bored and unhappy. The male, I think...he was separated from the rest, was just lying on the ground with his back to us. He barely had any room, and those guys are used to the forests and lots of space...I'm assuming. The others were just standing around. They didn't look happy at all.
Next we saw Snow Leopards. In one inclosure, there were two adults. One was sitting high on a rock and staring at something. Don't know what, but when we walked by later, he was still in the exact same position. The other one was laying in a rut and licking at the ground...who knows. They have the furriest, puffiest tails I have ever seen. They actually got even more puffy at the end. They were probably as big around as a two-liter bottle of pop!! The one licking the ground stopped and when to play with a wooden post. He was just a big kitty-cat at this time. And he knew exaclty where to keep his head so we couldn't take too many pictures. In another area there was a mom and two babies. Maybe teenagers. The little ones attacked the mom, and she just licked them. Then one made the mistake of lying on his back while the other was sitting on a rock. Showing your belly is the universal sign for "Attack me!!" They were already so so fluffly! I bet they don't have to worry about staying warm.
Then the best exhibit in the place: Red or Lesser Pandas. They are SOOOOO cute. They look like a red colored raccon with the face of a panda bear. They have little ears and hands they can use to manipulate the branches. They eat like pandas, all slow and very concentrated. But then they would wander about like a bear, just plodding about. And they also climbed the rocks and trees. One was high in a tree and hanging upside-down and generally hanging-out. They also slithered like otters when it came to small spaces between braches. I just wanted to take one home and poke its belly. They were also really fluffly!!
They had a Tiger, some Gray Wolves, and an Asian Elephant that were all really unhappy to be there. The Tiger wouldn't stop pacing and scratched a couple times at the door to the inclosure. That's all the Wolves did. They didn't even bother to look at the spectators, they were intent on getting through that door. But the scariest was the poor Elephant. His pen was all make of concrete, nothing nature like in the others' cages, and he was standing there swaying. It looked like he was dancing, but I really don't think that's natural for an elephant. Maybe he used to perform in a circus or something, but it kind of freaked me out. If he was a human, I would have said that he was dancing to the music in his head...but...
They had a Koala house, but all the Koalas were sleeping...noctural I guess? There were some cute Wallabys and a huge Wombat. I thought wombats were small like the Wallabys, but this one was as big as a medium-sized dog, though lower to the ground. Way bigger than a bread box. They also had Laughing Ko-ca-something birds that were kind of cute.
Then we went to find the African animals. They were on the map, but there was construction (and I think the map was a little wonky) so it was hard to find. On the way we passed a mega-load of Storks and a bunch of Hawks and Eagles that showed off their impressive wingspans. Wouldn't want to make one of those upset with me!! We finally found the African section and the Chimpanzee habitat. Their playground looked like the playground at any elementary school, with lots of things to hang from. Not exactly natural, but I'm sure they didn't mind.
But they didn't stay long...ran off to the back or somewhere. About this time, we started wondering when the park closed. We got a late start, so it was already after 4:00. And yup, that's when the park closed... So we didn't get to see the Lions, or the African Elephant, or the other fun things. We did find the Giraffe house on the way out, though why they are kept in a rather smallish building is beyond me. But they were cute, they kept crossing over other peoples necks to get at the food. It looked like a complicated knot, but they were very serene about it all. So we left, and that was that. Have to go again to see all that we missed, I suppose.
The first thing we saw was a Tapir. Yeah, what?? They were actually pretty cute!! They have the body of a pig kind of, and a nose between an elephant and a pig. Maybe closer to an anteater. One of them was just wandering around, he had a lumbering gait that endeared him to me. He may have been a little bored, because he kept bugging the one that was trying to sleep. And he wouldn't hold still so I could get a nice picture. We'll see how the roll develops.
Then we saw this really cute and friendly Wild Pig. Boy was he hairy!! He kind of followed us along the fence as we read his information and tried to stick his snout through the wire at us. Yuck, but cute. He was like a dog wanting attention. There weren't many people there, so we were the only ones looking at him at the time. I didn't see any female wild pigs, and I can imagine it gets pretty lonely all by yourself. His pen was all full of mud, and so was his fur. I guess that's what he likes.
Then there were some PereDavid's Deer. Don't ask me what kind that is, but they were big and had fuzzy antlers. They were also really bored and unhappy. The male, I think...he was separated from the rest, was just lying on the ground with his back to us. He barely had any room, and those guys are used to the forests and lots of space...I'm assuming. The others were just standing around. They didn't look happy at all.
Next we saw Snow Leopards. In one inclosure, there were two adults. One was sitting high on a rock and staring at something. Don't know what, but when we walked by later, he was still in the exact same position. The other one was laying in a rut and licking at the ground...who knows. They have the furriest, puffiest tails I have ever seen. They actually got even more puffy at the end. They were probably as big around as a two-liter bottle of pop!! The one licking the ground stopped and when to play with a wooden post. He was just a big kitty-cat at this time. And he knew exaclty where to keep his head so we couldn't take too many pictures. In another area there was a mom and two babies. Maybe teenagers. The little ones attacked the mom, and she just licked them. Then one made the mistake of lying on his back while the other was sitting on a rock. Showing your belly is the universal sign for "Attack me!!" They were already so so fluffly! I bet they don't have to worry about staying warm.
Then the best exhibit in the place: Red or Lesser Pandas. They are SOOOOO cute. They look like a red colored raccon with the face of a panda bear. They have little ears and hands they can use to manipulate the branches. They eat like pandas, all slow and very concentrated. But then they would wander about like a bear, just plodding about. And they also climbed the rocks and trees. One was high in a tree and hanging upside-down and generally hanging-out. They also slithered like otters when it came to small spaces between braches. I just wanted to take one home and poke its belly. They were also really fluffly!!
They had a Tiger, some Gray Wolves, and an Asian Elephant that were all really unhappy to be there. The Tiger wouldn't stop pacing and scratched a couple times at the door to the inclosure. That's all the Wolves did. They didn't even bother to look at the spectators, they were intent on getting through that door. But the scariest was the poor Elephant. His pen was all make of concrete, nothing nature like in the others' cages, and he was standing there swaying. It looked like he was dancing, but I really don't think that's natural for an elephant. Maybe he used to perform in a circus or something, but it kind of freaked me out. If he was a human, I would have said that he was dancing to the music in his head...but...
They had a Koala house, but all the Koalas were sleeping...noctural I guess? There were some cute Wallabys and a huge Wombat. I thought wombats were small like the Wallabys, but this one was as big as a medium-sized dog, though lower to the ground. Way bigger than a bread box. They also had Laughing Ko-ca-something birds that were kind of cute.
Then we went to find the African animals. They were on the map, but there was construction (and I think the map was a little wonky) so it was hard to find. On the way we passed a mega-load of Storks and a bunch of Hawks and Eagles that showed off their impressive wingspans. Wouldn't want to make one of those upset with me!! We finally found the African section and the Chimpanzee habitat. Their playground looked like the playground at any elementary school, with lots of things to hang from. Not exactly natural, but I'm sure they didn't mind.
But they didn't stay long...ran off to the back or somewhere. About this time, we started wondering when the park closed. We got a late start, so it was already after 4:00. And yup, that's when the park closed... So we didn't get to see the Lions, or the African Elephant, or the other fun things. We did find the Giraffe house on the way out, though why they are kept in a rather smallish building is beyond me. But they were cute, they kept crossing over other peoples necks to get at the food. It looked like a complicated knot, but they were very serene about it all. So we left, and that was that. Have to go again to see all that we missed, I suppose.
23.2.04
Today we went to actual Tokyo to go to the Imperial Palace. It was a little nerve racking at first because we had to switch trains at the Kawasaki Station. There were two lines that we could take. One would stop at every station (maybe 15 or 20?) and would take forever and a day to get there. The other train had two options. One would stop at some stations, but not as many as the other line, and the other would go straight to Tokyo but would cost extra money. So we were trying to catch the fastest train that wouldn't cost us extra money. When we got to the platform for what we hoped was the right train, there are all sorts of signs for the "green car." No one mentioned anything about a green car. I'm suspicious that it's the expensive one...because it was different than what I had seen before. So a train comes, and there are green squares all over it, but the sign says it's a regular train. So we get on. Then it gets going really fast, faster than any of the other trains we have been on, and doesn't stop for a long time. And I'm beginning to think that maybe we did get on the one that takes extra money, but how the heck did they let us on without paying? Are they going to stop us and yell at us in this other language when we get to Tokyo? Long story short: we were on the right train, I was stressing about nothing.
So we finally make it to the Palace, and the gate is closed. There are about five guards stationed outside the gate and some others inside a booth. Well how about that. The guards let in some people, but they look like they are too well-dressed to be tourists. We don't trust our language ability enough to ask what is going on or understand the answer. So we walk a bit and see another gate. There are more tourist-looking people at this one, but they're just standing in front of the gate. So we take a few pictures of the roof of the house that we can see over the fence and we leave. As we are leaving, a large group of tourists come, "Boy are they going to be disappointed."
As we head back to the station, we hear a megaphone. Can't understand what it's saying, it's in Japanese, but we decide to follow it anyway. All around us are business people in business suits entering and exiting the banks and insurance companies surrounding us, and all ignoring this Voice. A couple blocks away we see a guy standing on a make-shift platform with a megaphone. Everyone is ignoring him.
We find a gigantic underground mall attached to Tokyo Station. Well, who knows if it's gigantic, but for a mall attached to a subway, it sure is. Wander, wander, wander. Conny wants a white jacket. Too small, bad collar...WAY too expensive. Why oh why am I in a first-world country?? But luggage is cheap. Pretty colors, hardcases, a hundred and some odd bucks. Jessica may acquire a new suitcase on her stay here. Saw one with Mickey Mouse on it.
Leave to go home just about rush hour. Why is being smushed between many people you probably couldn't hold a conversation with to save your life so funny? The way everyone just takes a breathe and squishes together is truly hilarious. There are three people inside your personal bubble, you are probably in three other peoples' personal bubbles, and everyone tries to be polite and not notice how uncomfortable the situation is. No one complains when the train goes around a corner and the domino affect topples everyone and their sister because no one can reach a handhold, even if there were enough for everyone. So we do the horribly inappropriate, we laugh every time we fall into another person, squeak when we are pushed against a wall.
Okaasan tried to convince me that I shouldn't take a bath, or ofuro, because I'm sick. These people. A Japanese ofuro is different than an American bath. It's deep so that a person can sink in up to their chin, indeed, they can't not. It's temperature controlled to be 42 degrees Celsius always. When not in use, a cover is placed over the top to conserve as much energy as possible, a whole family will use the same tub full of water. As such, you clean yourself off as much as possible before going in. As whole family's worth of sloughed off skin...eeewwww. But it's worth it, kind of. When I get in the tub, my whole body tingles in a way that is not always so pleasant. I think it comes from my surface being warmer than the inside. Normally, body temperature is 37 celsius, that's 5 degrees warmer than normal. So it's a case of what's just underneath my skin shivering at the temperature difference, while my skin is very happy indeed. Once I'm used it, I'm still not used to it. It's just too hot. But I don't want to get out. No matter that I can feel myself overheating after sitting for two minutes, I don't want to go out into the cold again. But after awhile, I must. And it feels good to be in the cool air.. And still, a hour after getting out, I feel warm. The air around me cannot touch the inner core of warmth that the ofuro gave me.
So we finally make it to the Palace, and the gate is closed. There are about five guards stationed outside the gate and some others inside a booth. Well how about that. The guards let in some people, but they look like they are too well-dressed to be tourists. We don't trust our language ability enough to ask what is going on or understand the answer. So we walk a bit and see another gate. There are more tourist-looking people at this one, but they're just standing in front of the gate. So we take a few pictures of the roof of the house that we can see over the fence and we leave. As we are leaving, a large group of tourists come, "Boy are they going to be disappointed."
As we head back to the station, we hear a megaphone. Can't understand what it's saying, it's in Japanese, but we decide to follow it anyway. All around us are business people in business suits entering and exiting the banks and insurance companies surrounding us, and all ignoring this Voice. A couple blocks away we see a guy standing on a make-shift platform with a megaphone. Everyone is ignoring him.
We find a gigantic underground mall attached to Tokyo Station. Well, who knows if it's gigantic, but for a mall attached to a subway, it sure is. Wander, wander, wander. Conny wants a white jacket. Too small, bad collar...WAY too expensive. Why oh why am I in a first-world country?? But luggage is cheap. Pretty colors, hardcases, a hundred and some odd bucks. Jessica may acquire a new suitcase on her stay here. Saw one with Mickey Mouse on it.
Leave to go home just about rush hour. Why is being smushed between many people you probably couldn't hold a conversation with to save your life so funny? The way everyone just takes a breathe and squishes together is truly hilarious. There are three people inside your personal bubble, you are probably in three other peoples' personal bubbles, and everyone tries to be polite and not notice how uncomfortable the situation is. No one complains when the train goes around a corner and the domino affect topples everyone and their sister because no one can reach a handhold, even if there were enough for everyone. So we do the horribly inappropriate, we laugh every time we fall into another person, squeak when we are pushed against a wall.
Okaasan tried to convince me that I shouldn't take a bath, or ofuro, because I'm sick. These people. A Japanese ofuro is different than an American bath. It's deep so that a person can sink in up to their chin, indeed, they can't not. It's temperature controlled to be 42 degrees Celsius always. When not in use, a cover is placed over the top to conserve as much energy as possible, a whole family will use the same tub full of water. As such, you clean yourself off as much as possible before going in. As whole family's worth of sloughed off skin...eeewwww. But it's worth it, kind of. When I get in the tub, my whole body tingles in a way that is not always so pleasant. I think it comes from my surface being warmer than the inside. Normally, body temperature is 37 celsius, that's 5 degrees warmer than normal. So it's a case of what's just underneath my skin shivering at the temperature difference, while my skin is very happy indeed. Once I'm used it, I'm still not used to it. It's just too hot. But I don't want to get out. No matter that I can feel myself overheating after sitting for two minutes, I don't want to go out into the cold again. But after awhile, I must. And it feels good to be in the cool air.. And still, a hour after getting out, I feel warm. The air around me cannot touch the inner core of warmth that the ofuro gave me.
