quirky days in Dallas

New passport! Yippee!

2007-10-09T18:30:00.000-05:00

On September 27, 2007 I finally got the courage to get new passport photos and submit my old passport to the queue at the State Dept. I needed a passport with my married name, but I was hesitant to lock myself into the USA while waiting for the replacement. I filled out the renewal form and printed a paper copy from the website. I carefully double checked all the enclosures, and sent it off in a Priority Mail envelope with Delivery Confirmation using the Automated Postal Center at my local post office.

Today, on October 9, 2007 I received my new passport via Priority Mail. I didn't even ask or pay for expedite service.

To all of the employees at the State Department who renewed my ability to travel anywhere in the world: a huge heartfelt THANK YOU!!

Zeus gets chased by a monster

2007-01-22T21:44:00.000-06:00

Today the cats reached two new milestones. Pandora has started jumping on the master bathroom counter so she can destroy my toothbrush and turn off the closet lights while I'm trying to get dressed. Together, Zeus and Pandora wreaked havoc on my desk in the upstairs office. They found the hidden stash of cat toys in a Bath and Body works bag. They are growing up, but Zeus proved today that he's still scared of monsters.

I was talking on the phone when I heard a terrible racket on the stairs outside my bedroom door. I looked up just in time to see an ivory shopping bag flying across the bedroom floor and into the bathroom. Presumably, the shopping bag contains Zeus. Pandora definitely can't run that fast. After a tremendous thud and some crinkling and tearing noise, I found part of the shopping bag crumpled in the entrance to the crawlspace under the whirlpool tub. The shopping bag was missing one handle and about two-thirds of one side of the bag.

Zeus spooks easily, so I wasn't too worried until I saw that the shopping bag handle was missing. Uh oh... what if he had it wrapped around his neck?? Brandon and I listened carefully, but we couldn't hear any noise coming from under the tub. I removed the second access panel to the crawl space, and discovered that there was a hole in the floor large enough for a cat to go below the floor and into the space above the garage ceiling. Still no noise from the cat. By this time, we both know that he's a goner if the shopping bag handle is around his neck. I could smell "scared kitty". It was the same odor that clung to Zeus when I first brought him home from the animal shelter.

There was something wet and slimy on the floor. I started wiping it up with a paper towel, thinking that Zeus had drooled on the floor as he ran. No, it wasn't drool. Think about it... What would happen to your bodily functions if you were grabbed and chased by a monster?

I sent Brandon downstairs to run the garage door up and down, hoping that the noise would scare Zeus out of his hiding place if he was still conscious. I heard a faint rustling noise and mewling after Brandon came back in the house. Zeus was definitely down under the floor. We called him, coaxed him with food rattling in a bowl, enticed him with the jingle of his favorite toy. Twenty-five minutes after being attacked by the monster, he finally poked his head up through the hole in the floor. I sent Brandon downstairs to disarm the monster by removing the remaining handle from the shopping bag. It took another fifteen minutes to convince Zeus to come out from under the bathtub.

Alas, the humiliation of Zeus wasn't finished yet. I had to rub him down with a wet wipe to eliminate the "scared kitty" smell and make sure he didn't ingest too many insulation fibers after his adventure in the crawlspace.

The special place...

2006-12-21T12:58:00.000-06:00

Here is a daylight picture of the place where Ed proposed in front of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Very tranquil... you may even notice the man taking a brief nap while enjoying the beautiful weather over lunch hour.

We're engaged!

2006-12-20T18:30:00.000-06:00

Ed popped the question in front of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. And I said yes...

I need a name!

2006-10-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

I still need a name. Anyone got ideas?

Pandora makes a new friend

2006-10-07T23:53:00.000-05:00

First it was war. The first half hour, I heard Pandora hiss a lot. There were a few squalls and growls. Finally I pulled out the toys to break the tension. She's still not too sure about the newcomer playing with her toys. Then she realized that the newcomer had a tail that flipped around when he played. She loves strings, ribbons, and anything else long and skinny that moves.

Playtime!

Dinnertime!

I had just come upstairs when I heard some unbelievably loud purring coming from my bathroom. Not sure what to expect, I grabbed the camera and snapped a shot of the general direction of the noise. And this is what the flash illuminated in the dark bathroom. My amateur opinion is that Pandora loves her new playmate. The adoption was a roaring success.

Say what?

2006-09-29T15:57:00.000-05:00

Pandora's new favorite toy

2006-09-14T23:29:00.000-05:00

Pandora likes to roughhouse when she plays, so I decided she needed an appropriate kitty roughhousing toy. Tonight I went to the dollar store, hunting for a small stuffed doll with stringy hair. I didn't find a doll, but I did spot this woolly Milkbone chew toy. It's almost exactly her current size, so it will be useful in tracking how much she grows.

Pandora

2006-09-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

There's a new baby at my house!

2006-09-12T22:57:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Brandon and Lydia!!!

2006-08-09T17:54:00.000-05:00

They're engaged!!

Adventures in car ownership

2006-08-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

Tuesday morning, I was on my way to pick up some coffee when I realized that my car was pulling hard to the left. Last week I had a badly-needed wheel alignment done. Surely it shouldn't be acting like this... So I pulled into a grocery store parking lot and hopped out to check the car. The rim was just settling to the surface of the parking lot, and the flat tire smelled of burnt rubber. No sign of any metal puncture, just totally flat. At least I didn't drive on the rim and risk starting a fire. (Lucky point #1.)

I opened the trunk to pull out the spare tire and jack. A kind stranger in a Volvo had pulled up when he saw my car limping into the grocery parking lot. He gave me a strange look when I peered into my trunk and declared that my jack was missing. "It's right there," he said, pointing to a rusty, but functional, jack. Sure... what I meant was that the jack handle was missing. No jack handle. (Unlucky point #1.) No wrench to remove the lug nuts. (Unlucky point #2.) Kind stranger opened up his trunk and produced a socket wrench. (Lucky point #2.) Now we had the tools necessary to change to the spare tire.

A few minutes later, we had the flat tire off. I picked up the spare and tried to line it up, but it wouldn't clear the brakes. I kicked it (gently, didn't want to ruin my new pair of heels) but that didn't help. Spare tire doesn't fit. (Unlucky point #3.) This mess was definitely going to require stronger measures. I thanked the kind man for his help and the use of his tools and he went on his way.

I called my boyfriend and explained that I had a flat tire with complications. I gave him my location and asked him to google the nearest tire store. While he was on his way over, I started figuring out my options. I called my auto insurance company and learned that I had coverage for towing a disabled car. (Lucky point #3.) Then I searched the glove box for my list of towing phone numbers, but all I found was the business card for the shuttle service at the local Honda dealership. Since that was nearby, I called the dealership and asked for a tow truck phone number. Finally, a tow truck was on the way.

While waiting for the tow truck, I tried to open the passenger side door with my key. The key wouldn't go in the lock. (Unlucky point #4.) Why is this bad? Well, I know that the lock on the driver's door already has something stuck in it. That means that the only way to get in the car without the key fob unlock button is to go through the trunk. Given my terrible habit of draining the battery by leaving the headlights on, I quickly lowered the back seat so I could access the car from the trunk. The hazard lights had been on for a while, and I had no idea how much longer the battery would last.

My boyfriend arrived before the tow truck did, so we put the flat tire back on the car. Better with four wheels and one really flat tire; three wheels just doesn't work well for getting a car on a tow truck. When the tow truck arrived, we rolled the car out so he could put it up on the truck. That's when I discovered that the battery had indeed gone dead. (Unlucky point #5.) The car was stuck in park. Fortunately the tow truck driver knew the override button for that problem. (Lucky point #4.) In less than 10 minutes, he had my quirky car with the dead battery, flat tire, and messed up locks sitting on top of his tow truck. Modern flat-bed tow trucks are pretty amazing. All sorts of levers, handles, and nifty mechanisms to hold the car in place. I wonder if Tonka makes a toy tow truck?

The day ended with four new tires and a slip of paper printed from the battery tester certifying that my battery is bad.

Current car wish list: new battery, spare tire, jack handle and wrench, locksmith.

Score for the day--
Lucky: 4
Unlucky: 5

stem the flow of junk mail!

2006-01-25T14:47:00.000-06:00

While living in Japan, sorting my mail was a daunting task. Every week, I set aside an hour or two to examine all the unidentifiable Japanese mail to make sure I wasn't trashing anything important. I quickly learned how to read the telephone bills, bank statements, and other periodic "action required" mail. Fortunately, my stack of Japanese junk mail was fairly limited. There were a few promotional campaigns from my one credit card, occasional safety and disaster planning info from the city, and even a couple letters offering me an annual preventive health exam through the Japanese health service.

One of the nicest thing about moving back to the USA was being able to quickly skim and identify junk mail. However, I was livid when I realized that having my house title registered with the county would result in a pile of solicitous mailings from dentists, pest control, chiropractors, and purveyors of life insurance for the exact amount of my mortgage. Within one month, the pre-approved credit card offers started to arrive. Ack!! I have enough to worry about without worrying about breaking the poor postman's back.

Action plan:
Check with the FTC: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/optoutalrt.htm
Opt out of pre-approved credit card offer lists from the credit bureaus: https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
National Do Not Call Registry: https://www.donotcall.gov/
DMA Mail Preference Service: http://www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist.html

I don't know if these steps will produce measurable results, but my research indicates that they are legitimate ways to try and decrease the junk mail and annoying phone calls.

for shame...

2005-12-08T12:20:00.000-06:00

Last night as I was leaving my desk, I remembered that I don't have an ice scraper in the car I brought from California. (I only used an ice scraper once in California to scoop a pile of soggy dead leaves off my back window.)

My first step outside the door assured me that everything was coated in a layer of ice. My third step past the protection of the entryway convinced me that it was very cold. I evaluated my situation. No hat. No gloves. No heavy coat. No ice scraper. No disposable credit cards to substitute for an ice scraper. The heat in my car doesn't seem to start working until the car is in motion... no matter how long I let it run. Melting the ice layer from the inside out didn't seem very likely.

So, I turned around and walked across the bumpy parking lot to the train station. Normally I would complain about the small potholes and broken asphalt, but in the dark with a layer of ice, it was really an advantage.

How did a North Dakota girl end up slinking across the parking lot to find alternate transportation because of a cold snap? Partly because I don't use my car as primary transportation anymore. Partly because I don't check the forecast very often-- a bad habit from living in San Diego.

Instead of going straight home to a mostly empty refrigerator, I walked over to one of the neighborhood restaurants. They had a fireplace burning in one corner, and a guy performing live music in the other corner. Not such a bad evening after all...

my next computer

2005-12-07T09:56:00.000-06:00

After living in Japan, I turned into a gadget geek. Well, maybe not an ordinary gadget geek, but a gadget geek with an eye for style and universal design.

Today I spotted my next computer, the Tulip E-Go. It comes with changeable decorative covers, compact size, and a convenient carrying handle reminiscent of my childhood Speak-N-Read.

In honor of the name, I think I'd order this decorative plate.

Finally, a bed!!

2005-12-06T14:18:00.000-06:00

Last night, with the help of Shane and Andrea, I got my mattress delivered and the bed made. After many months of sleeping on a Japanese futon, this bed feels like absolute luxury.

Have you seen my shoes?

2005-12-06T14:07:00.000-06:00

Just before Thanksgiving, I realized that my comfy, black walking shoes were missing. Not terribly unusual... When moving to a new house, lots of things get misplaced. I thought I had unpacked everything, so I called the friend I stayed with before moving into my house. "Have you seen my black shoes?" She replied that she hadn't seen the black ones, only the tennis shoes and the brown ones with tooled leather.

I was disappointed, but decided to finish up my projects before leaving town for Thanksgiving. One project was routine fridge cleaning. In the meat drawer, I saw a Whole Foods bag. Not remembering any meat purchases at Whole Foods, I pulled the bag out to check what was hiding in the bag. Imagine my shock when I opened the drawer and realized that it was my missing black shoes, wrapped in two plastic bags from Whole Foods and smelling faintly like the garlic clove in the vegetable drawer.

Though I was relieved to find the shoes, I'm hoping that I didn't misplace a bag of fresh vegetables in a closet somewhere.

compliments to the California DMV

2005-11-10T10:19:00.000-06:00

Although a visit to the California DMV is a long, time-consuming, half-day event, it has a couple nice perks. Going to the California DMV is an amazing people-watching experience. Everything you need to do with the California DMV is located in one building. About the only thing necessary outside the DMV office is the smog test. Most DMV offices in California tend to attract lots of smog testing stations, so that isn't even a problem.

This morning I tried to register my car in Texas. I consulted the txDOT website and noted that Vehicle Title and Registration was supported by the Dallas Regional Office. So, I drove over to the Dallas Regional Office, no small feat considering the state of disrepair on Belt Line Road. I arrived at the office, took a number, and tried to figure out which form to complete. When they called my number, I admitted that I was stumped. All I wanted to do is register my car... "But honey, we don't do registration here. Only titles." Argh. Why did the website say Vehicle Title and Registration?

one evening, two coincidences

2005-11-09T10:07:00.000-06:00

Last night I decided to pull a "social" evening.

First I dropped in at a casual happy hour with some people from work, hoping that I might run into some former colleagues that I haven't seen in several years. I didn't see any former colleagues, but I did meet the former office mate of the computer engineering major who sat next to me during 8am chemistry lectures.

After about an hour, I migrated over to the Japanese language meetup just across the courtyard. When I walked over to the table, I caught the eye of a blonde guy sitting at the end. He looked vaguely familiar, but I didn't say anything. One of the challenges of returning from Japan is re-learning how to distinguish the differences between Caucasian faces. When I got my food, I took another look at him... Then I realized who he was. Five years ago, we met on a flight from Dallas to London. We were heading to a summer program at Oxford, and he needed to borrow a book to use as a reference for the first paper due on arrival. We spent a lot of time poring over thick books and discussing ideas during the 2-on-1 tutorial sessions with the professor. Ironically, we both just returned from Japan. I was disappointed to learn that he lived in Saitama (neighboring prefecture to Tokyo), but we never met. Nevertheless, it's nice to encounter an old friend to share memories of experiences in Japan. There's something amazing about being able to share experiences with a friend as you both re-adjust to your home country.

Standing Room Only

2005-11-03T10:43:00.000-06:00

This morning I rode the train to work during rush hour at about 8am. When I stepped on the train, there were no seats left. When the train is full and people are crowded in to the standing spaces, people watching is at its best. I started mental comparisons with my commuting experiences in Japan.

Lots of people reading newspapers, just like Japan. Only difference is that here on the DART, there is room to open the paper without folding it four ways. (Tokyo even has Muppet courtesy signs demonstrating how to hold a newspaper in a crowded subway car.) The most common publication is the "Q". Unlike Japan, there are no porn or erotic magazines in sight. I occasionally see people reading novels or the bible.

This morning, I was pretty shocked to see a woman seven months pregnant forced to stand in heels because there were no seats available. Yes, I've seen that in Japan. But Japanese women generally don't gain as much of a percentage of their weight during pregnancy. Seeing a pregnant woman standing on a train in Dallas is shocking because you would really expect a few more "southern gentleman" manners here.

new phone number

2005-11-03T07:29:00.000-06:00

Last night I picked up a new phone number for my Vonage phone, this time in the Dallas area code. If I've forgotten to send it to you, let me know!

downside to stainless steel fridge

2005-11-01T10:23:00.000-06:00

I discovered a new piece of science that has managed to elude me for 27 years. Magnets do not stick to stainless steel.

While unpacking, I found a couple ceramic refrigerator magnets. Excitedly, I slapped them on the refrigerator door. Expecting them to stick I pulled my hand back, getting ready to admire them. SMASH! Magnets don't stick to tile floors either, but ceramic shatters.

Time to think of a new place to hang my magnetic architecture of the world quiz. (I had to have something less cliche than refrigerator poetry.)

plumbing school?

2005-10-31T15:16:00.000-06:00

In plumbing school, do they teach students how to connect hot water and cold water lines to the correct sides of plumbing fixtures?

This morning my dad told me that he had trouble getting hot water in my guest bedroom shower. After trying the sink, he realized that the shower had the hot water and cold water lines switched. Unfortunately, this is a shower where you can just change the temperature markers on the respective faucets. It is a one-handle shower faucet that is supposed to turn on cold, then get warmer as you turn it. Instead, it turns on hot and gets colder.

Be warned if you use my guest bathroom shower!

Trick Art Treat

2005-10-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

In San Diego, I was a fan of the monthly Ray at Night art walk. I've been wondering if there is anything similar in the Dallas area.

This Friday evening there is an event pretty close to home. Trick Art Treat is the second annual art walk in Downtown Plano. Music, art, and people...

still seeking a soul mate...

2005-10-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

Chipotle may not be the ideal place for a date because of all the loud noise, but now someone has created a way to find your burrito soul mate. Not sure whether I'd actually get along with my burrito soul mate, but at least I wouldn't get upset because he brought home the wrong burrito.

Where are my chopsticks?

2005-10-27T16:20:00.000-05:00

The first time I tried to eat with chopsticks, food fell in random directions. The Japanese man sitting across from me summoned the waitress to bring me a fork after about two minutes of embarrassing attempts to eat.

Today as I was eating my salad at lunch, I realized that I've turned into a really messy eater when I use a fork. Bits of lettuce were falling off my fork almost every time I picked it up. I think I just need to re-learn how to "stab" food properly with a fork. It just seems strange not to have two utensils to help with the slippery balance problem... a little like trying to cut a steak with a knife and no fork.

House Buying Lessons Learned

2005-10-21T14:57:00.000-05:00

1. If you plan to apply for a mortgage, don't pack your financial statements in a box you can't see until after you get a house. Keep at least 2 months of all financial statements, lists of any current loans and assets, and your most recent W-2 and tax returns.

2. Hire professional movers if you value your friends.

3. Measure your doors and your furniture. Don't forget to watch out for door hinges and lock protectors that stick out from the edge of the frame. My red couch is not where I intended to put it. The cabinet imported from India is banished to the garage until I find a way to lift it over the gate to move it in via the french doors at the back of my place.

Life is an education. To be continued...

I wanted a kitten, but I decided on this tiger instead!

2005-10-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

adopt your own virtual pet!

Where in the world is Carissa??

2005-10-03T19:59:00.000-05:00

After a long hiatus, I have decided to return to the blog. My first day back at work was too ironic not to write about. Believe it or not, I got my old desk back! At least this time I didn't get lost for 45 minutes trying to find the bathroom.

Postcard campaign!!

2005-07-31T09:20:00.000-05:00

I am planning to update my personal address book. To do so, I am giving a special internet incentive. If you email me your physical mailing address by Tuesday, August 2, I will send you a personalized postcard direct from Japan.

Note: Even if you think I know your address, getting a postcard would be pretty cool. Email me. If you know I don't have your address, and you just want a postcard, let me know!

earthquake survival

2005-07-23T07:02:00.000-05:00

If you've heard about the earthquake in Tokyo, rest your mind. The 5.7 magnitude earthquake managed to throw a few books off my bookshelf, but I was hidden safely under the kitchen table. From under the kitchen table, I saw my last plate fall off the coffee table. (I broke the other one washing dishes two weeks ago.) Fortunately it landed on my thick rug. No damage done. I still have one plate!

Next time I'll make sure that I stack my books neatly rather than haphazardly. Probably could have prevented a few bent pages. Also, I'll make sure that I don't leave my last plate sitting on top of a haphazard pile of books on the coffee table.

Earthquake survival lesson #16: learn to be a neat freak.

Harry Potter vacation

2005-07-11T08:11:00.000-05:00

I admit that I'm a Harry Potter fan. So much of a Harry Potter fan that I scheduled my summer vacation around the release of book #6. My copy has been pre-ordered from Amazon, and is scheduled to be delivered to my parents' home on the release date.

I am scheduled to arrive at my parents' home in Texas two days before the release. That should give me enough time to recover from jet lag so I can focus my attention on the new novel at hand. With one week in Texas, I should have plenty of time to finish the book. Perhaps I'll even have some time left over to go visit some college friends in Dallas.

If you believe this post is the true reason for my vacation, please don't tell my boss or my parents.

language connection

2005-07-10T06:17:00.000-05:00

Recently I've been pondering the way that I'm learning Japanese vocabulary and kanji. Why do kanji make so much sense to me? Why am I not frustrated that the same ideogram can have two or more pronunciations?

Japanese is the fourth language I've studied. I started with English, studied Spanish in high school, then hastily studied French when I was almost finished with college. Now that I have learned enough kanji to understand how they are used and adapted in the Japanese language, I'm looking back at how I learned vocabulary in my other languages.

I learned English vocabulary by absorbing the language around me. During my spelling bee days, I studied lists of words trying to use root words and meanings to help me remember the spellings. I remember wishing that there was some easy system to tell whether an English word was derived from a Greek or Latin root that showed up in its spelling. During my Japanese lessons, I've started to do the same thing. If I hear a new word or see a new word written in phonetic kana, I attempt to guess the kanji based on the meaning (first) and the sound (second). I've discovered that my guessing usually doesn't work if I don't know the meaning of the Japanese word. I've started to think of kanji in the same way that I think of English words that are made of idea compounds: geo-logy, geo-graphy, bio-logy, bio-graphy, auto-bio-graphy.

Though I never achieved fluency in Spanish, the similarity of Spanish and English vocabulary combined with basic knowledge of the grammar makes it fairly easy to read and understand. Spanish and French are even more similar in spelling and grammar, but the pronunciation is different. By the time I landed in Japanese lessons, my mind was flexible enough to use the knowledge of differences in other languages to help me grasp the concepts of the Japanese language. Japanese has strict and confined pronunciation like Spanish. Phrases and adjectives used as noun modifiers are placed before a noun, which I haven't found in the other languages, but my mind is familiar with the idea that different languages choose different locations for the noun modifiers. Japanese words imported from French tend to take the French pronunciation, which is often missing consonant sounds found at the end of their English equivalents.

One of the fascinating things about living in a different country is that I've had several experiences that illustrate how I think and react. The human mind is amazingly adaptable in many ways, but can also be amazingly stubborn and inflexible in other ways.

Tanabata (Star Festival)

2005-07-07T08:33:00.000-05:00

This tree appeared in the lobby of our office building about a week ago. At that time, it had only a few pieces of colored paper hanging from it. I was puzzled by all the people I saw writing on pieces of paper and hanging them from the bamboo leaves.

Then someone explained. You can write wishes on the paper, and on July 7, everything is burned. The name of the festival is Tanabata.

The trees appear everywhere... office buildings, some hotels, and even busy subway stations. The one in the photo is the most elaborate one I saw. All the plants are living, and there is even a small stone garden in front of it.

rude customer service in Japan??

2005-07-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at lunch I experienced my first episode of rude customer service in Japan. When the waiter brought our food, she threw the plates down on the table so hard that I was afraid they would shatter and spill taco rice all over my lunch partner's lap.

At the end of our meal, she quickly removed our plates. About three minutes later, she yelled across the shop, "Get going, we have some more customers who need your table."

a new train experience

2005-07-04T19:11:00.000-05:00

This morning, I heard a man snoring on the subway car. His head was tilted back, and he was sound asleep. Every time he let out a particularly loud snort, people would turn and stare at him. At my stop, the car empties out. The young woman sitting next to him jumped up and quickly grabbed a new seat. Must be uncomfortable sitting next to someone who attracts so much attention.

I hope he didn't miss his stop.

2005-07-01T05:41:00.000-05:00

Today I had a huge headache before lunch. It was so bad that I forgot to schedule next week's Japanese lessons at the end of my lesson today. Instead of eating lunch I decided to take a walk in the rain, with the goal of reaching Tower Records to pick up the new edition of Metropolis (equivalent of San Diego Reader). I purchased a banana lassi at the convenience store, quickly drank it, and set off. About 20 minutes later, I started to feel a bit better. On my way to Tower Records, I noticed that all the department stores had big discount signs. Because it was raining, I had to cut through one of the department stores to avoid a notoriously slippery set of stairs. A white purse caught my eye. In San Diego, I looked everywhere, but didn't find one that I liked. I took a closer look, and learned that it was on sale, just like everything else! 2800 yen for a purse in a Japanese department store. It was a total success.

After picking up a copy of the new Metropolis and Tokyo Notice Board, I decided to head back on the subway. As I descended the stairs to the subway, I smelled a familiar soap shop. Peering down the corridor, I spotted the row of quaint little shops that eluded me during my Shinjuku shopping trip last weekend. I'm finally starting to get a good mental map of Shinjuku station!

On my arrival at the office, one of the assistants saw my shopping bag and insisted on seeing the new purse. Within minutes, word had spread to all the ladies that I found a great deal at the summer sales that started today. I had no idea that it was such an important day! They have all planned after-work shopping trips now. I feel like such a trend-setter.

transportation re-route

2005-06-29T22:38:00.000-05:00

Last night I discovered a gaping hole in my knowledge of the public transportation systems in Japan. I wanted to take a train from Shinjuku station to Yokohama. However, there was a schedule delay. That's when I realized I had no idea how to make an informed decision on an alternate route.

Was it just one train line delayed? Was everything delayed? Was it specific to a certain station? Does Japan have real-time tracking for train schedules available on mobile phones?

Time to do some research!

2005-06-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

Japanese design never ceases to amaze me.

Tonight I smelled something funny in my kitchen. It baffled me, because it was coming from the general direction of the sink, even though I had just recently cleaned out the metal trap that substitutes for an American kitchen disposer.

So, I turned on all the funky hidden lights in my kitchen, grabbed the high-powered flashlight, and started investigating the kitchen sink.

Apparently, the colander style metal food catcher isn't enough to satisfy the Japanese way of running nothing but water down the kitchen sink. I pulled off the rubber drain cover, extracted the metal trap, and pointed the flashlight down the drain. Aha! There's a plastic piece with some Japanese writing and a small arrow that looks like an instruction to twist. I reached in, twisted, and pulled it out. Ewww... there were white streaks where my fingers had scraped off the brown slime. The plastic piece looked like a miniature upside-down bucket. The edges were submerged in a recessed water pool surrounding the drain opening to the pipe. The drain opening was ringed by fluffy-looking gray slime. Surely this can't be normal!!

I sprayed some high-power cleaner in the sink basin and covered all the pieces of the drain contraption. Ten minutes later, I mustered the courage to wipe off all the removable pieces. But, alas... I don't have a turkey baster so I couldn't remove all the water from the recessed pool around the drain. So I put a utility rag on the end of a disposable chopstick and detached the slime. Then I poured blistering hot water down the drain until it looked like it had all washed away.

My mind is overflowing with indignant questions. What is this annoying slime-filled plumbing contraption? Is it meant to turn any loose kitchen waste into an organic slime compost before releasing it into the drain? Am I supposed to clean it every day? I'm debating whether life would be less hassle if I just ate out for every meal.

This plumbing contraption ranks up there with the inconvenience of having the clothes dryer refuse to run if you forget to empty the water tank after every load.

ramblings in Tokyo

2005-06-27T09:36:00.000-05:00

On my way home, I decided to take the random route. First I walked to Shinjuku station to look for an underground shopping area I saw there a couple weeks ago. I couldn't find the exact spot, but I did find a few other shops that sold assorted purses. Unfortunately I didn't find anything quite the right size.
Next stop in my rambling was Tokyu Hands. I needed to find a cake pan, preferably 8x8 inches so I can make some brownies. It sounds so simple... but apparently that's unheard of in Japan. So, I settled for a mini-muffin pan and something that looks like a square jelly roll pan. This week I will be experimenting.
On the top floor of Tokyu Hands, I found the stationery department. After several minutes of internal debate, I picked out a small, light plastic planner to replace the funky blue suede planner that just can't stay clean. Tomorrow I'll start planning my holidays and trips for the next few months.
After a short ride on the Yamanote Line, I was intrigued by the bright lights of something that looks like a big drug store. I wandered in, and slowed down to read some of the labels and try to figure how the products are used. Depilatory creams with little "squeegees" to remove the cream after 3 minutes. Rubber bands to help you distribute weight properly on your feet. Lip gloss in little rectangular tins exactly like the one I had in elementary school. A myriad of puzzling diet pills, shakes, and meals. Hilarious-looking cellulite-reducing pants and wraps. Even more hilarious cellulite "viewer" which shows different colors to indicate the distribution of cellulite under the skin surface. An entire corner devoted to scrubbing cloths and scrub brushes for the ultimate bath experience. Downstairs was a huge collection containing almost every brand of makeup available in Japan. Next to the makeup are the assorted whitening creams and antiaging potions. After spending almost an hour gawking at the assortment of items, I decided that it's time to enlist a Japanese friend to explain the stuff. I haven't seen the requisite lifetime of commercial advertisements to understand how it all works.
After the cosmetics adventure, I headed home. What an evening.

reverse culture shock?

2005-05-11T01:37:00.000-05:00

For the Golden Week holiday, I traveled to the United States. I had some very important things to do... like eating at my favorite restaurants in San Diego, and buying clothes that fit.

The first thing I encountered in LAX was a disorganized immigration line. There were several lines, none clearly labeled. After I randomly chose a line for US citizens, I was directed to another longer line for US citizens because it was supposedly shorter wait time. That didn't make sense, and it turned out to be a false claim. I waited nearly 30 minutes. Contrast this with my immigration line experience in Japan... sections clearly labeled for Japanese citizens and foreign residents with re-entry permits, one line for airline employees, and one line for all the others. The "others" line feeds into about 8 or 10 immigration counters. Because I have a re-entry permit, I joined the line for Japanese citizens and cleared immigration in less than 3 minutes.

The second experience for me at LAX was renting a car. While processing the paperwork for my reservation, the agent managed to send two text messages on her personal cell phone, reset her watch, and pay her coworker to buy tickets for a weekend excursion. What happened to customer service? The customer is always first priority in Japan. Finally, I was handed the keys to my car. I opened the door to the backseat and discovered dog hair. Opened the driver's door, and saw long hair stuck to the passenger seat, nasty stains on the upholstery, and piles of dandruff next to the driver's seat. After 6 months of riding on clean public transportation, I couldn't even force myself to get in that dirty car. I waved at the nearest rental car employee, a car-wash specialist, and he quickly reassured me that the last renter must have just spilled some coffee... Aaack! I went back inside to the exchanges counter. "How about this nice Ford Taurus?" Ummm... why do the rental car agencies always force me to admit that my legs are too short to reach the gas pedal in a car like a Taurus? It's so embarassing. (There's a reason I bought a Japanese car when I lived in California. Japanese companies have much more experience designing vehicles for someone who is only about 5 feet tall.) Finally, after some haggling, the exchange agent agreed to give me a compact car, which is what I originally reserved. This time, I went out to the parking lot and found a sparkling, clean, silver Ford Focus. Thank you very much. But why did it have to take almost 90 minutes to get an acceptable car??

Finally, I escaped LAX and headed south toward San Diego. Southern California is beautiful this year. Gorgeous green hillsides, brilliant wild flowers, stunning views of the beach just south of San Clemente, and rows of flower fields in Carlsbad. Since it was early afternoon, the normal traffic jams were absent. What a welcome change from the concrete jungle of Tokyo!

2005-04-24T18:50:00.000-05:00

Sakura... cherry blossom season.

2005-04-24T18:49:00.000-05:00

Even the penguins enjoy hanami!

2005-04-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

pagoda at the zoo

2005-04-24T18:41:00.000-05:00

Hanami: don't stop walking or you'll be run over by the crowds!

2005-04-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

I wanted a nice chocolate ice cream bar. This one looked pretty good at the store. Then I opened it.

2005-04-24T18:34:00.000-05:00

But look at the package!

SMU connection

2005-04-02T10:20:00.000-06:00

Bonus points to any SMU people who can name this face! Photo taken in the only authentic Mexican restaurant in Tokyo! Best mariachi I have ever heard.

2005-03-29T09:17:00.000-06:00

All ready for a cleaning frenzy. Vacuum on the left is an American Dirt Devil that I use on my white carpet. Vacuum on the right is a trendy made by Electrolux and currently sold in Japan. It works great on the wood floors. Notice that the red one is cordless... and plugs into the wall with an AC adapter that looks like it belongs on a cell phone. Also, check out the cute, baby-size "dust-buster" that mounts on the front of the vacuum.

2005-03-29T09:08:00.000-06:00

My new bicycle!!!

2005-03-29T09:06:00.000-06:00

Basket large enough for two bags of groceries and a big red purse. The light gets its power from the motion of the front wheel, and it makes funny noises.

2005-03-29T09:04:00.000-06:00

totally enclosed chain

2005-03-29T09:03:00.000-06:00

cool kickstand

Shopping spree!

2005-03-19T16:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I left my apartment with two goals. One, I needed to find a couple outfits to replace some things that have been utterly destroyed by my wash machine. Hot water rinse plus 1000 rpm spin dry has taken its toll. Two, I really need a vacuum cleaner to replace the inefficient one I sent back to the leasing company.

On my walk down to Shibuya, I passed a drug store. That reminded me, time to find a refill pack for my bathroom hand soap. I ventured inside. After 20 minutes, I finally found what I was looking for. I almost slipped up a few times on the same brand of dish soap, kitchen hand soap, and spray cleaner refill. Apparently hand soap belongs over by the facial cleansers, not sitting next to the kitchen soap. Makes sense... but I guess I'm easily confused when I can't read much of the labels.

Just before I got to Shibuya, I spotted a sign for a 100yen shop in the basement of the corner store. Those can be hard to resist. This one wasn't one of the spectacular ones, but I still emerged with a good deal on some dark chocolate and a blank practice book for writing kanji. The kanji practice book has a list of kanji by grade level. After a quick assessment of the list, I discovered that I can read and write at about second grade level. Woohoo!

Next stop: Tower Records. On the top floor of the Shibuya store, they have imported foreign books and magazines. That's the closest thing I've found to an American style English bookstore in Tokyo. It's similar in size to a B. Dalton books at an American shopping mall. Fortunately, I knew that I still had some serious shopping to do, so I exercised restraint. I bought only three books, because I knew that I would have to carry them around all day. I also found a CD with one of the most catchy J-pop songs I've heard in my 4 months in Tokyo.

A quick glance at my map confirms that my next two stops will be the clothing stores. First stop is the large Gap store where I recently spotted a pair of jeans in womens' size 12. Surely they would have at least one skirt in size 6 or 8. The first two skirts that caught my eye were available in size 00, 0, 1, 2, and 10. Apparently the other western women in Tokyo beat me to this store. My sweep of the entire womens' section yielded 3 skirts available in size 6 or 8. One was the same design and color available in size 6 and 8. I quickly chose a coordinating shirt, and headed for the fitting room. The fitting room attendant counted my items, handed me a paper "face cover" and then carefully tucked the curtain shut. What am I supposed to do with the face cover?? I ignored it, and started trying things on. The skirt available in size 6 or 8 didn't work at all. Totally unflattering for my body shape. Fortunately, the other one fit! Then I tried on the coordinating sweater set I had found. Obviously, it was way too big. I stepped out to look at the bigger mirror, and the fitting room attendant immediately requested that her assistant bring me a smaller size. Amazing service. Very happy that I had found something that fits, I headed for the clearance racks to stock up on long-sleeve t-shirts. I also found an incredibly soft cardigan.

Next stop is around the corner at Uniqlo. My goal was to find a spring jacket. Success! Browsing through the casual skirts, I found one that looked like it might actually fit. I ran to the fitting rooms, waited in line, remembered to remove my shoes before entering. When I tried on the skirt, it almost fit. I stepped out to ask the fitting room attendant for help. She covered her mouth, giggled, and then reached over and spun the skirt around my waist. I was wearing it backwards!! After that minor adjustment, it fit perfectly! I'm still trying to decide which Andy Warhol screen print v-neck t-shirt I want, so I'll be visiting Uniqlo again soon.

After I left Uniqlo, I realized I was very hungry. I spotted Freshness Burger just down the street. The cheeseburger tasted almost like In-N-Out. The coleslaw with corn was great. The yuucha soda with mint flavor was interesting, but I'm still not sure what yuucha means.

Now for a vacuum cleaner. I headed to Tokyu Hands. The electrical appliances were on the 6th floor, near the bicycles. My eyes locked immediately on the ferocious-looking vacuum cleaner on the top shelf. Surely that one would have a power brush capable of cleaning carpet. Since I can't read the labels, I inspect the vacuum cleaner head to see if it has a sufficient brush and a rubber belt to indicate that the brush is rotated by a motor. It's all there, but I couldn't find the price tag. Not a good sign. I asked the store clerk (in Japanese) about the price. I didn't understand her reply, so she pulled a tag off the top of the shelf. I nearly fell over... it was a ferocious-looking vacuum cleaner, but $850? Maybe I should settle for the Japanese style cordless vacuum cleaner with a "dustbuster" attachment... they're great for wood floors. It's just that I hate cleaning the carpet with duct tape, even when I can get special Hello Kitty duct tape at the 100yen shop (dollar store).

My quest for a vacuum cleaner failed. Perhaps I can try Costco on Monday.

Vonage update...

2005-03-06T06:19:00.000-06:00

YAY!!! Thanks to an amazing customer support representative named Marie, I have successfully updated the firmware on my Vonage-issued Linksys RT31P2 router. Hold time: 30 minutes. Support time: 40 minutes. (Previous attempts: 3 email messages with no response for 2 weeks, 50 minutes on hold, and 10 minutes talking to a customer service rep who is better at fixing bills than he is at providing technical support.)

My phone is online and working again. A big thanks to all the people who submitted helpful information after my desperate blog post. I found my problem with a link to the Vonage help forums, called customer service using SkypeOut, and had lots of moral support.

Vonage frustration...

2005-03-03T22:29:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to use Vonage VoIP to maintain an American phone number. I'm having a technical problem now, and no amount of patience and careful resets have given me results.

Wonderful readers, do you have any brilliant ideas on how to get a response from Vonage customer support? I think all my messages have gone into a black hole because there is no response from them.

Any recommendations for a different VoIP provider?

Learning Kanji!

2005-03-02T20:20:00.000-06:00

This week my Japanese teacher started introducing kanji in his lessons. I've been studying a little on my own, and learning a few of the really necessary ones required to get around Tokyo. On Monday, he handed me the kanji software learning program and a printed list of kanji. My assignment for Wednesday was to study the first 50. On Wednesday, after a quick review, he assigned the next 50 for Friday's lesson. My brain will eventually hit overload, but it's exciting to study the kanji ideograms to see how some Japanese words are related.

Technical documents contain many kanji interspersed with words in katakana that have been adopted from foreign languages, mostly English. Skimming Japanese technical documents is hard work.

In my free time, I have started collecting a few Japanese books for children. The sentences are simple, I learn new kanji quickly because the reading is listed next to the kanji, and the illustrations are adorable.

Mal de mer (part II)

2005-02-09T06:12:00.000-06:00

Motion sickness is the bane of my existence. Tuesday, I had two episodes of it.

The first one happened in the office just before lunch. We were sitting in the conference room having a meeting when I started to feel dizzy. At first, I thought I was suffering from lack of food. The walls swayed a little bit. Then I noticed that everyone in the room looked a little uncomfortable. Earthquake. [4.8 Ibaraki prefecture] The swaying made my stomach queasy, so I stepped into the unheated hallway outside our offices and quickly felt better.

After a long day of meetings, we all had dinner at a nearby restaurant. Then we headed home on the train. I was fine for over an hour, then suddenly the swaying and jolting of the train car made my stomach queasy. My eyes started to water just as we pulled into a station. I muttered something about not feeling well and quickly ran off the train, leaving 2 out the 3 managers traveling with me a little confused. One manager understood what was happening, he witnessed mal de mer (part I) back in October. They stayed on the train, and continued on. I began my desperate search for the station toilets. I found a sign, but I couldn't find the ladies' room. I was almost desperate enough to go into the mens' room when I realized that the station was built on a mirror image floor plan. Why does the toilet sign only point to the mens' room? Less than 10 minutes later, I was back on the train, feeling almost normal.

I still prefer trains instead of taxis. ;) At least I can jump off at the station and save myself loads of humiliation.

Beggar in the street

2005-02-09T05:49:00.000-06:00

On Sunday I walked out of a convenience store and a man approached me. At first I thought he was trying to get my attention to tell me that I had accidently dropped one of the various items from my overstuffed purse.

I quickly realized that he was begging for money in a combination of Japanese and rudimentary English. First he asked for money to buy a sandwich. I offered him the small bag of snacks I had just purchased at the convenience store. He refused it. Then he asked for money for train fare to go back to Yokohama. Since he had changed his story, I didn't trust him. I told him I couldn't help him and quickly crossed the street.

If someone looks hungry and asks me for food, I will likely give him food. But I don't give people money. It often goes to support habits that make them hungry and homeless.

This story isn't in my blog because it is an experience unique to Tokyo. Rather, I'm writing about it to stress that this is VERY rare in Tokyo. In many large cities, the beggars prey on tourists and foreigners. No matter how long I live in Tokyo, I will always look like an outsider. But this was the first time in four months that anyone has approached me and asked for money. I was shocked by this experience, and a little ashamed because the man told me that he was half American.

Auld Lang Syne

2005-02-03T07:42:00.000-06:00

I'm learning the art of after-work shopping in Shinjuku. Many stores are open late, but they all seem to have different closing times. Now that I have learned a few places to shop, I can remember the closing times and visit them in the right order.

Tonight I timed my shopping perfectly. In each of my three main stops, I was there to hear Auld Lang Syne start playing. Many Japanese shops use the tune as a signal that the shop is closing and customers should leave. I think it's much more pleasant than the American custom of turning off some of the lights. But perhaps I'm not yet conditioned to the Japanese shopping culture...

My final stop was Yodobashi Camera. I was amazed to discover that it has at least 8 floors. It must be about the size of six American Super Walmart centers. Every open space is packed with electronics. Needless to say, it was my first visit to the store, so I did not find what I was seeking before I heard the familiar strains of auld lang syne.

Did I mention there's a rolling pin in my purse?

2005-01-14T07:07:00.000-06:00

Tonight I was very tired on my way home from work. It was about 9pm when the meetings finally ended and we finished cleaning up the conference room. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch at 1:30pm. I was exhausted.

My kind colleagues brought me some kitchen stuff from America earlier this week. Since there is a forecast for heavy snow tomorrow, cooking may be my best weekend entertainment. So, I stuffed my rolling pin and potato ricer in my purse and headed for the subway.

The first 15 minutes were fine. Then I had to transfer to a another line. The train was so crowded that three tall and skinny American guys standing on the platform decided to wait. I just wanted to get home. So I threw myself into the car, knowing that even if it looked like there was no space, they would surely move over just a little bit. The people squished together. Five more brave Japanese women hopped in after I did.

Then I noticed something very strange. All of the Japanese people around me, including the five women, were much taller than I. After weeks of feeling like a clumsy giant, I was both relieved and feeling the first twinges of claustrophobia. I maneuvered my purse and laptop bag to the level of my waist and chest. One great thing about carrying lots of stuff is that propping my purse in front of my face gave me a little breathing room. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about falling over. There was no space for that.

And to all of the readers who might worry about my safety... did I mention that there was a rolling pin in my purse?

2005-01-03T06:25:00.000-06:00

The strawberries in Japan are amazing. I tried to do justice to them with my newly discovered crepe-making skills.

2005-01-03T06:24:00.000-06:00

My new cooking equipment.

2005-01-01T02:16:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

Official advice from U.S. Dept. of State

2004-12-29T17:24:00.000-06:00

Today I received an email from the United States Department of State. They advise all American citizens living or traveling abroad, "Call your mother!" Apparently they understand that a mother's job is to worry about her children, even if they are more than 500 miles from the areas hit by the tsunami.

2004-12-27T08:45:00.000-06:00

Holiday illumination!

2004-12-27T08:42:00.000-06:00

I went shopping on Christmas Day. Found a great dress, but they didn't have my size!

Days of the Week in Japanese

2004-12-24T06:51:00.000-06:00

I was looking for the business hours of Tower Records during the holidays. Since I didn't find an English button, I submitted it to Google's Beta Japanese to English translation. I didn't find the store hours, but I did get a good laugh when it gave this translation for part of a calendar.

Japanese has wonderful names for the weekdays. Isn't it appropriate that Friday is called Gold?

Sun: Sunday
Moon: Monday
Fire: Tuesday
Water: Wednesday
Wood: Thursday
Gold: Friday
Earth: Saturday

2004-12-23T03:49:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays from Tokyo!

Press Holiday

2004-12-13T17:26:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I didn't get a newspaper. I didn't figure out why until about 9:30pm, when I read online that it was a press holiday. Once a month, the newspapers in Japan don't publish. The purpose of the holiday is to give the newspaper delivery people a break from their busy schedules.

It's really not a bad idea! We can all use a break from constant bombardment by news.

Mt. Fuji

2004-12-05T20:19:00.000-06:00

I finally caught a glimpse of Mt. Fuji today. This weekend, we had a huge storm that blew away all the smog. This morning after I arrived at work, the French guy sitting next to me asked if I had seen Mt. Fuji yet. I hadn't, so I made a quick sightseeing trip to the ladies' room. It has a huge picture window with an incredible view of Mt. Fuji. I wish I could take photos, but it's not allowed in the building. If the weather is still clear tomorrow, I may make a visit to one of the observation floors in a nearby skyscraper. Then I will definitely take photos!

Ginger Ale coughdrops

2004-11-30T22:35:00.000-06:00

Buying ginger ale with a meal at McDonalds apparently isn't enough. I didn't have time to read the packages carefully, so I grabbed the only one that said "Hall's" expecting the normal honey lemon flavor cough drop that comes in a gold package. They tasted pleasantly different. When I got to my office, I read the fine print... Ginger Ale coughdrops.

WIRED!!!

2004-11-26T10:09:00.000-06:00

It's not caffeine, I promise.

I have my own ADSL and VOIP at home now! I just finished talking with my family celebrating Thanksgiving out east. Next step is to test incoming calls. Any takers? I've got a San Diego phone number, and a desire to speak English. ;)

2004-11-26T09:31:00.000-06:00

Which subway car is best for you? Find your destination and board the perfect car to run straight for the exit!

Throw away the manual!

2004-11-25T06:42:00.000-06:00

My senses have finally returned! Instead of attempting to read Japanese manuals, I simply throw the manual in my messy "office" closet. Then I sit down and try to figure things out. I used to give up on poorly written manuals, so I've developed some skill in just punching buttons until something works.

P.S. Thank you, Kazu, for finding the reset button on my Japanese cordless phone. Despite the appeal of its colorful blinking lights, I don't think it would have made a good Christmas tree. It's sooo nice to have a phone that works!

subway wisdom

2004-11-25T06:11:00.000-06:00

The main purpose of any transportation is to be efficient. The secondary purpose of transportation is to provide a scenic view.

I have discovered a truly amazing feature of the Tokyo Metro. If you look carefully, next to most tracks you will find a diagram which will help you choose the car which will give you the most convenient exit. Do you need an elevator? An escalator? A toilet? Transfer to a particular line? It's all listed there. Just find your destination, choose your desired exit, then board the appropriate car.

My favorite scenic view every day is the brief stretch of daylight near the Yotsuya station on the Hanzomon line. I think it's an Olympic park... but I guess I'll have to read an English guidebook to know for sure.

aloe vera yogurt

2004-11-16T04:24:00.000-06:00

Sounds like a skin treatment... I think that might be part of the marketing strategy for aloe vera yogurt. Though I don't understand exactly what it is, I've discovered another "foreign country" yogurt with an amazing flavor. Actually Japan has two amazing yogurt flavors: lychee and aloe vera.

Anyone traveling with me in Ireland last summer likely remembers my ecstatic reaction when I saw Muller yogurt in a convenience store. It was my first Muller yogurt in almost 4 years.

One word of warning. Do not drink espresso drinks while eating aloe vera yogurt. The flavors really don't mix. Or maybe it was the egg salad and ham sandwich.

Tokyo society would grind to a halt without cigarettes and caffeine. Carbonated soft drinks are relatively rare, but the cooler is full of iced tea and iced coffee. I've learned to live with, even enjoy, the caffeine but the ubiquitous cigarette smoke still bugs me.

2004-11-13T03:45:00.000-06:00

I think it's a delivery truck!

2004-11-13T03:41:00.000-06:00

More interesting logos than UPS!

What would you do?

2004-11-12T06:43:00.000-06:00

The manual for my laundry wash machine is entirely in Japanese. The management company specifically warned me that these washers have a tendency to spew bubbles if you use too much detergent.

clear plastic umbrellas

2004-11-11T20:50:00.000-06:00

On my first day in Tokyo, I wondered why so many people had clear plastic umbrellas. Yesterday, I found the answer. The 10-day stretch of nice weather ended. It started to rain, and I was caught without my umbrella. So, I went to the convenience store. They had clear plastic umbrellas for about $4. After I bought one, I noticed that almost all the clear plastic umbrellas were identical to mine! Mystery solved.

The nicest thing about a clear plastic umbrella? It doesn't interfere with my skyscraper navigation system.

reading the news...

2004-11-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

Today I stumbled on a couple interesting articles in The Japan Times Online.

One article is about allowing foreigners to vote in local elections. This really made me think. How much thought do I put into the candidates and issues at the local level when I vote in the United States? From the perspective of living in Japan, I've got a lot to learn about the tensions and issues regarding Koreans who live here.

The other article is advocating home ec for Japanese schools. Their description of convenience store food is a little scary!

2004-11-08T01:17:00.000-06:00

For lunch today, I had an omelet stuffed with Spanish rice and smothered in tomato sauce that tasted like Campbell's tomato soup. It was accompanied by a side salad and miso soup. The other guys had fried oysters... maybe someday I'll be brave enough to try that too.

foreign viewpoint

2004-11-07T00:40:00.000-06:00

My strangest experience so far has been seeing the way I view foreigners here. The first few days, I noticed that everyone looked Asian. Then I started to see a few faces that looked like they might be part Asian, but I wasn't sure if they were or not. Next I started to pick out which faces were Korean and Chinese instead of Japanese. On Thursday, I remember registering shock when I saw a Caucasian face. My next reaction was disgust, because it was obviously an overweight American. In Hiroo, I saw several Caucasian women pushing strollers and out walking or riding bike with their children. My first thoughts were wondering what their husbands were doing in Tokyo. I remember talking to the women in my French class in Paris who had moved to France to be with their husbands and boyfriends. It was a frustrating experience for them. The men went to work and saw a familiar environment. The women were left to find a way to fit into a very foreign culture, with little knowledge of the language and no real support system. I wondered if the women pushing strollers had the same difficulty.

Today, I saw a French or Russian woman on the subway. We smiled at each other, but didn't speak. We got on at the same station, and she looked confused because all the signs were in Kanji (outside Central Tokyo). After I got off the subway, I saw a French man and his Japanese girlfriend crossing the street in front of me. It was strange to see him putting his arm around her shoulder... so I was not surprised when I heard his very French-accented English. Seeing that in Paris, I would have called it romantic. Seeing it in Tokyo makes it seem possessive, alien, and almost sinister.

What's happening to my perception? Is it turning Japanese? Am I being overly sensitive? How does my reaction to foreigners compare to the Japanese view of foreigners? The next few weeks will probably be turning my perceptions upside-down!

practical education

2004-11-05T03:24:00.000-06:00

Part of my relocation benefits moving to Tokyo was a "settling in" program. Aside from having a contact person to answer all sorts of questions, I was given a personalized tour of Tokyo. The agent took me to the city offices where I applied for Japanese identification documents. Using these documents she helped me apply for a bank account. Then she showed me the closest grocery store to my apartment, international grocery stores, how to use the subway, how to take the bus, where to shop for household goods and furniture, where to shop for clothing, places to find bargains, and even a few good restaurants! She also gave me a booklet on how to survive and earthquake, and a book that thoroughly explains the medical care in Tokyo. I can't believe we accomplished all of that in just one day.
After we were finished the settling in program, I headed for the office. My first mistake was exiting the train at Shinjuku station, a very confusing station. My second mistake was taking the wrong turn at my landmark department store. Twenty-five minutes later, I realized I had walked out of the skyscraper district. This was bad news because my office is in the skyscraper district! I turned around, headed back, and carefully followed my maps. Finally, I arrived at the office. After checking my email and feeling unproductive for a couple hours, I headed for home.
On my way home, I walked through the neighborhood where my "first choice" apartment is located. Fortunately, someone else rented the apartment before I could make that mistake! The area, Harajuku, is the teenager's hangout in Tokyo. It is especially busy on weekends. During my visits to the apartment with the realtor, a typhoon was dumping rain on the area. Last night, the entire area was filled with teenagers. It was so busy that just walking through the area was exhausting! I really don't think it's necessary for me to live within 5 minutes walk of two Claire's Boutiques and the Tokyo Rock-N-Roll Museum.
In Harajuku, I was tempted to stop at a crepe stand. It wasn't quite like the crepe stands in Paris, but they had amazing crepe creations including such items as cheesecake, ice cream, or Caesar salad. Personally, I don't think I'll try a crepe with a Caesar salad on top. I'll stick with Nutella and bananas, thank you very much.
After an extremely long day, I knew I needed some decent food. The El Torito sign has been calling my name since I spotted it on Monday. I tried to find the entrance to the restaurant on Tuesday, but was unsuccessful. After learning so much about living in Tokyo, I decided to conquer the task of finding the door to El Torito. I walked up the stairs near the sign, but realized I was in the building next door. None of the businesses were open! So, I went next door. I walked up one set of stairs and reached a dead end. No luck there. Went downstairs and wandered to the back of the building where I found an elevator. The directory said something about Restaurant, and I thought I recognized the Katakana (Japanese characters) spelling out "El Torito" on the third floor. When the elevator door opened, I was greeted by a very familiar El Torito sign! Hooray! I found good Mexican food! I'm picky about my tortillas, so I ordered a sizzling "fajita chicken" salad. I didn't spy any tortillas on other people's plates, so I will have to check out the tortillas on another visit.

bicycles + sidewalks + people = ???

2004-11-04T06:45:00.000-06:00

Walking down the sidewalk in Tokyo requires almost as much concentration as driving on the stretch of Interstate 35 between Dallas and Austin. My greatest fear in Tokyo is that I will be run over by a cyclist riding on the sidewalk. Most people ride their bicycles on the sidewalks here, though I don't know why. I would be afraid of getting my tires stuck in the grooves of the sidewalk tile guides for the blind.

2004-11-03T07:41:00.000-06:00

To my friends in San Diego:
I apologize if I didn't get a chance to see you before I left town. I was trying to pack for my move to Tokyo. This photo was taken at 1am Friday, just 9 hours before the movers arrived!

Finally moved to Tokyo!

2004-11-02T23:01:00.000-06:00

On Sunday evening I arrived in Tokyo. After spending my first night in a hotel, I met up with the realtor and picked up the keys to my apartment. My rental furniture was delivered in the afternoon. Tuesday I arrived for my first day of work in Tokyo. There was so much to do that I didn't leave until 7pm!

I spent Monday evening learning a few of the streets in my neighborhood. I'm starting to understand the addressing and block marking system. After getting lost for about 45 minutes, I finally found a set of landmarks to guide me from the station to my apartment. It goes something like this. Pass the 24-hour fruit market and Dai-ichi mansions. Turn at the Prada store. Turn again at the restaurant with cuisine franco-japonais. Watch for the tell-tale bricks at the building across the street from my apartment. Eventually I will post photos of my landmarks... but if you're curious, do a google search on tokyo, architecture, and prada.

On Monday night I walked down hill to Shibuya and found the most popular meeting point landmark in Tokyo. It's a small statue of a dog next to the station. Hundreds of people are gathered around it, just waiting for their friends to show up! I did get lost on my way to Shibuya... but fortunately I landed in a large bookstore where I could find a good bilingual map of Tokyo. It's similar to the Thomas Guide in San Diego or Mapsco in Dallas. The only problem is that it focuses on neighborhoods, and it has a gap in the area where I live! Time to look for a new map!

After wandering around in Tokyo for a while, I have to say that the arrondissement system in Paris, with it's spiral design, actually does make sense.

On Tuesday after work, I made a visit to the Bic Camera store. That store has everything you could possible need or want in the realm of electronics and household goods! Now I just have to figure out how to read the manuals!

car for sale!

2004-10-18T22:09:00.000-05:00

Do you know anyone in San Diego or Southern California who wants to buy a green 2001 Honda Civic EX Sedan? My car is for sale. It has brand new windshield wipers because I got caught in a downpour today.

jet lag

2004-10-15T04:18:00.000-05:00

I've been back in San Diego for a couple days now. My original plan of moving directly to Japan without a preliminary trip is sounding less crazy every time I wake up in the middle of the night. Perhaps the jet lag is making me think in solitude too much. I'm starting to feel philosophical.

Last summer, on a trip to Ireland, we visited the Cobh Heritage Centre. It tells the story of thousands of emigrants who left Ireland. It is similar to Ellis Island, but it is the departure point rather than the arrival point. People left desperate situations in hope of finding a better life in a country they had never seen. At the time of my visit to Cobh, I knew there was a possibility that I would be moving directly to Japan without visiting the country first. For me, the experience would be fundamentally different from the experiences of the people who left Cobh. If I became homesick, I could easily schedule a vacation back to the United States. For the people departing from Cobh, returning to Ireland was such a remote possibility that their families held wakes for them before they left home, understanding that they would never be seen alive in Ireland again. Nevertheless, the same sense of anticipation and uncertainty is there.

I can't wait to start a new adventure, but I'm still a little unsure what I should take with me. I've been given a few clues by the items some Americans in Tokyo have requested I bring. Toothpaste, toiletries, books, and peanut butter. If anyone has plans to visit me in Tokyo, be warned that I may request that you pick up some really mundane things to import for me!

ginger ale

2004-10-11T15:17:00.000-05:00

I've had to eat too much McDonald's food in Japan. On the bright side, the cheeseburger value meal has only one cheeseburger. The reason I celebrate? I figured out how to order ginger ale instead of Coke with my meal.

shopping and the skyscraper navigation system

2004-10-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight I decided to venture out to go shopping. I had a few small things in mind, but I didn't find anything on my list. However, I found plenty of other fascinating items!

Yamaha Clavinova digital piano
space heater
beds and bedding
a fancy bathroom scale
rice cooker
lots of other nifty kitchen appliances, including a grill that would be perfect for making tortillas and small lefse
Toshiba refrigerator
a toilet seat with an automatic lid (think this might save any marriages?)
one toilet seat with a price tag of more than $1000!
CD player and radio with Japanese frequency bands
sewing machine
Chevrolet "Heartbeat of America" bicycle

I wandered around for a while looking for a restaurant. Eventually I stumbled on a little place called Cafe de Ville, right next to the hat section in the department store above the train station. I ordered the dinner set. The dinner set was an amazing salad, spaghetti with tomato sauce and seafood, iced coffee, and dessert. The waitress brought me a little shaker of Kraft parmesan cheese and a little bottle of Tobasco sauce. That was a bit surprising! Iced coffee here is a lot like unsweetened iced tea in the United States. It's served almost everywhere. Instead of serving it with granulated sugar, they give you a small portion of "gum syrup." It looks like clear corn syrup, but I think it's actually sugar dissolved in water so it doesn't just sink to the botttom of the iced drink.

After dinner and shopping, I discovered I was lost in Shinjuku station. I really need to learn the kanji for the word "exit." Eventually I found the way back to the street, where I had to test my skyscraper navigation system. Shinjuku is confusing. The easiest way for me to find familiar ground is to hunt for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government buildings. It's one of the tallest, most distinctive skyscrapers in Shinjuku. From the street below this building, I know my way around. I suspect I'll probably be doing lots of skyscraper navigation until I establish some street-level landmarks!

less intimidated

2004-10-11T01:15:00.000-05:00

Today I managed to navigate a couple subway lines in Tokyo to get to a specific destination at a specific time. It's easy to get frustrated when searching for a specific subway line in a large station. I learned that if I relax, take a deep breath, and read the signs, I can find what I need. The most difficult thing was reading the fare calculation map that was written entirely in Japanese. After about 10 minutes of cross-referencing with my bilingual subway station maps, I finally found the station name and fare! There was another woman staring helplessly at the map at the same time. She didn't speak English, Japanese, or French so I couldn't help her with my handy pocket-sized Japanese and English map.

As I spend more time in Tokyo, I am less intimidated by the fact that I don't speak or read much Japanese. I hope this doesn't make me lackadaisical in studying the language!

typhoon!

2004-10-10T01:10:00.000-05:00

I survived my first typhoon in Tokyo. It was the worst typhoon to hit Tokyo in ten years! A typhoon is the Pacific version of a hurricane. The warm water temperature this year has caused an unusual number of typhoons in Japan.

For most of the day I stayed in my hotel room. Later in the evening, I ventured out to have dinner with a new friend in Tokyo. The wind was blowing water everywhere! It felt a little like a blizzard in North Dakota, except that it wasn't quite as cold. Tonight, it is amazingly calm. Walking back to the hotel, I noticed motorbikes tipped over by the wind. The sidewalks were covered with leaves and twigs.

I've been in Tokyo for less than one week, and I've already experienced moderate earthquake and a big typhoon. There's not much left to fear!

apartment hunting

2004-10-09T18:02:00.000-05:00

On Friday I did a marathon apartment search. Three realtors, 15-20 properties, and all in less than 8 hours!

The good news is that I found several I like. The bad news is that my first choice is probably already taken. That means I have to start figuring out the criteria to choose between the others. What's more important?
-carpet or wood floors?
-toilet with a washlet, or would a warmlet be sufficient?
-view of Tokyo Tower?
-proximity to green space park?

Decisions, decisions. I've never been any good at making decisions! I will post photos after I make my choice. ;)

2004-10-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

before I realized I was lost in Shinjuku...

earthquake!

2004-10-07T01:55:00.000-05:00

I just experienced my first earthquake in Japan. The 18th floor of the hotel tends to sway considerably when the ground shakes. According to the loudspeaker under my nightstand, we are safe in the hotel because it is "earthquake-proof."

hatsugagenmai

2004-10-06T20:07:00.000-05:00

What is hatsugagenmai?

mal de mer

2004-10-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

My life has often been altered by a little problem called motion sickness. In elementary school, it determined my seat on the bus. It prevents me from riding roller coasters where the cars hang from a track, and your feet dangle from the car.

Last night, I found a new trigger for the problem: a Tokyo taxi cab with a driver who specializes in bunny-hop acceleration. After spending a total of one hour traipsing around in the rain to get to and from meetings at a customer site, we discovered that the train system was having some rare delays. I spent the day wearing a suit, hose, and heels while carrying an umbrella and a 15-lb laptop bag. I was more than willing to accept the idea of taking a taxi. It sounded like a great escape from the stress of rush hour mass transit delays in the rain.

About 20 minutes into the two hour cab ride, I knew I was in trouble. My empty stomach was feeling queasy as we rounded the curves and hit stop-and-go traffic. Using sign language and the help of my Japanese colleague in the front seat, I requested a barf bag. Unfortunately, there were none in the car! So, I had to roll down the window and stick my head out while we went zooming down the freeway. I'm glad my managers had their windows closed in the car behind me. Things could have been much worse!

Then, the cab driver produced a staple of Japanese service: the wet cotton cloth, neatly rolled and wrapped in plastic. You'll see them on international flights. You'll find them in restaurants instead of napkins. You'll get them after you've finished your main course at restaurants that do have napkins. Being handed a wet cloth by the cab driver when I was feeling sick reminded me of the chivalrous practice of a man handing his handkerchief to a woman in distress. That sentiment doesn't quite translate into Japanese culture, but it was an interesting comparison!

I learned a couple lessons from that ill-fated taxi ride. First, I'm better off taking the train or subway. I'd rather be crowded and wet than motion sick. Second, I have to be able to laugh when I make mistakes or find myself in embarrassing situations. It's going to happen frequently as I adjust to my new home. Humor, patience, and resilience will serve me well.

I'm going to get lost.
I'm going to do things the wrong way.
I'm going to get stuck in embarrassing situations.

I must laugh.
I must learn.
I must treasure the memories.

I shall survive!

oto-hime "Sound Princess"

2004-10-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

It's a very good thing my mother never took a 3-year-old Carissa into a modern Japanese toilet stall. She probably would have been forced to wait while I punched all the buttons. Even worse, I would have drenched a few people while experimenting with the Toto Washlet. If you consider yourself even half as curious as I am about toilets, then you absolutely must check out this description of Japanese bathroom technology complete with some photos.

As for the noisemakers next to the toilet... Today I saw a news article on the popularity of the oto-hime that describes them much better than I could. I never realized this particular engineering problem had been solved nearly 20 years ago!