Internet is expensive here so when my dorm mate and dear new friend Sophia offered her computer for me to use, I decided to overcome the French keyboard and update my blog.
I've been in Christchurch almost a week and sadly, do not have a whole lot to report. I got very sick in Aussie-land and, upon arriving in New Zealand, went almost directly to the ER. Several days and many, many hours of sleep later, i finally felt up to going outdoors for more than an hour or two.
I headed to the park yesterday in hopes of catching a game (Saturday is a rugby day here too) and was delighted at stumbling across a game of hard hitting, big play making, incredibly intense rugby - did I mention the players were all about six or seven-years-old? I looked on as the sole little girl playing against all boys grabbed an opposing team members jersey and socked him in the face for kicking her...i decided right then and there that i will, without a doubt, be raising my future children in New Zealand!
I've started to mingle amongst the hostels here and have made a few friends. The other night at dinner i was amazed to have practically the whole world at my table... Sophia from France, Nicole from Germany, Paul from Ireland, Mia from Australia, Francesca from Chile, and little 'ol me from California. So far i havn't made any solid traveling plans, but i tentitivly may be road-tripping with a 4'8 hairdresser from Australia who doesn't care for sports and dislikes the outdoors... we'll see how that goes!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The One That's Awesome!
(Sunday 5PM)
Okay, don't panic! I thought to myself as the road I had been walking along for over an hour suddenly turned into gravel. I literally was out in the middle of no-mans-land, by myself, and it was getting dark...this was not the right way to town.
(Friday)
When Natasha enthusiastically told me "you have to do Spit to Manly" my reaction was she wants me to spit on who? I later figured out that what Tash had meant was that the Spit Bridge to Manly Harbour bush walk was amongst the best in New South Wales. I gladly took her suggestion. About an hour and a half into the hike my cheeks started hurting from smiling so much. It was as if i couldn't stop. Every corner brought about even more spectacular views of the pristine white sand converging with clear blue ocean waters. I wasn't even annoyed when a party boat blasting very bad techno music decided to anchor in on one of the harbors i had stopped at to admire.
I got so caught up in my walk that i was almost two hours late meeting up with some fellows at the Gordon Social Club. Andi (rugger extraordinaire) had made a few phone calls for me, and all of the sudden, i feel like I'm VIP at this posh rugby club. Did i mention rugby teams here are big business? They had a dress code and a receptionist at their two story clubhouse for God's-sake! So like any proper rugby player, I proceed to get pissed with the rugby boys (and by boys I mean the men aged 25-75 that were ordering me drink after drink. I was savvy enough to figure out their evening objective was to get me hammered, so I played my cards accordingly). I won't go too far into the details, but lets just say it was fun enough to sustain a two-day hangover.
(Saturday)
Around 6 o'clock I finally managed to choke down a meat pie. It was, well, meaty. The delicious indigenous Australian dish was almost as good a hangover cure as an Aca Taco burrito...almost. By the time i checked into my hostel - which smelled of fresh up-chuck and dirty laundry, it was time for me to immediately head out to the WALLABIES VS ALL BLACKS RUBY MATCH!!! I had no idea how to get to the Olympic Stadium, where the match was being held, and so followed the throngs of mildly to highly intoxicated folks sporting yellow and black rugby jerseys. Once on the train, i spent a half hour being entertained by a dozen or so Kiwis (some of whom had flown in from New Zealand just for the game) singing rugby ballads and rock songs I'd never hear of; I enjoyed this immensely.
The sound of 80,000 people singing, in perfect unison, Australia's national anthem would have been eerie had it not been so incredibly moving. What was even more amazing was the deafening roar in the stadium as both the All Blacks and Wallabies took to the pitch. The spine-tingling sound and intense feeling will never be properly captured on television. The game was brilliant. I got a slightly humorous personal commentary as announced by the 8-year-old sitting behind me that knew every possible thing you could know about both teams and the game of rugby. The match, a 19-18 thriller, ended in the Wallabies falling just short of scoring a winning try in the last seconds of the game. The All Blacks, of course, came out victorious. It was a sporting event that i will never forget. The athleticism displayed by both teams, the intense rivalry, how sexy Dan Carter and Matt Giteau are, and the sheer magnitude of an Olympic stadium filled to near-maximum capacity with die-hard fans was just incredible.
(Sunday)
After a three hour bus and train ride, I finally arrived in Katoobma around midday. A short 20-minute walk brought me to the entrance of Blue Mountains National Park and a spectacular view of the World Heritage listed Three Sisters Rocks. I enjoyed a beautiful 180 degree view of the immense park (which actually looks blue) before heading out on the hiking trails. What began as pleasant boardwalks eventually tuned into more strenuous trails followed by hundreds upon hundreds of stairs headed straight down a steep ravine. I eventually stumbled into a quaint mining area that had been revamped as a major tourist site (complete with the worlds steepest train to get the less enthusiastic outdoorsmen down there). I passed through the area on my way to more challenging trails and zoomed by a funny sign involving a stick figure falling off a cliff. Little did i know i was about to tackle trails that made even the hardest hikes of Upper Bidwell Park seem like a piece of cake. There were points where i was making my way through cliffs of sheer rocks hoping that i was still actually on the trail.
(Sunday 4PM)
Too exhausted to actually hike back, i grudgingly forked out the money to take the worlds steepest train back to civilization. It was the scariest 5-minute ride of my life! No safety measures were provided other than a measly rail to hold onto as you speed up the mountain almost vertically (praying that you don't slip and fall out). Not ready to get on anything else that moved, I decided to take the short walk back into town. Apparently I mixed up the directions and ended up meandering down Cliff Drive rather than Cliff Street (which led into town). But really, who (besides Chico) would put two roads with almost the same name in a tourist area?! By the time it was getting dark (two hours later) i made it to a paved road and picked the direction that all the cars were coming from and prayed that it led to town. Bingo.
I will officially be sorer than i've been in months in perfect time to sit on a plane and do nothing on my way to New Zealand. I only hope everything continues to be so adventurous!
-Ashley
Fun Fact: MacDonald's is the it place to be around here. Only its not called McDonald's or Mickey D's even...its referred to as Maw-kays.
Okay, don't panic! I thought to myself as the road I had been walking along for over an hour suddenly turned into gravel. I literally was out in the middle of no-mans-land, by myself, and it was getting dark...this was not the right way to town.
(Friday)
When Natasha enthusiastically told me "you have to do Spit to Manly" my reaction was she wants me to spit on who? I later figured out that what Tash had meant was that the Spit Bridge to Manly Harbour bush walk was amongst the best in New South Wales. I gladly took her suggestion. About an hour and a half into the hike my cheeks started hurting from smiling so much. It was as if i couldn't stop. Every corner brought about even more spectacular views of the pristine white sand converging with clear blue ocean waters. I wasn't even annoyed when a party boat blasting very bad techno music decided to anchor in on one of the harbors i had stopped at to admire.
I got so caught up in my walk that i was almost two hours late meeting up with some fellows at the Gordon Social Club. Andi (rugger extraordinaire) had made a few phone calls for me, and all of the sudden, i feel like I'm VIP at this posh rugby club. Did i mention rugby teams here are big business? They had a dress code and a receptionist at their two story clubhouse for God's-sake! So like any proper rugby player, I proceed to get pissed with the rugby boys (and by boys I mean the men aged 25-75 that were ordering me drink after drink. I was savvy enough to figure out their evening objective was to get me hammered, so I played my cards accordingly). I won't go too far into the details, but lets just say it was fun enough to sustain a two-day hangover.
(Saturday)
Around 6 o'clock I finally managed to choke down a meat pie. It was, well, meaty. The delicious indigenous Australian dish was almost as good a hangover cure as an Aca Taco burrito...almost. By the time i checked into my hostel - which smelled of fresh up-chuck and dirty laundry, it was time for me to immediately head out to the WALLABIES VS ALL BLACKS RUBY MATCH!!! I had no idea how to get to the Olympic Stadium, where the match was being held, and so followed the throngs of mildly to highly intoxicated folks sporting yellow and black rugby jerseys. Once on the train, i spent a half hour being entertained by a dozen or so Kiwis (some of whom had flown in from New Zealand just for the game) singing rugby ballads and rock songs I'd never hear of; I enjoyed this immensely.
The sound of 80,000 people singing, in perfect unison, Australia's national anthem would have been eerie had it not been so incredibly moving. What was even more amazing was the deafening roar in the stadium as both the All Blacks and Wallabies took to the pitch. The spine-tingling sound and intense feeling will never be properly captured on television. The game was brilliant. I got a slightly humorous personal commentary as announced by the 8-year-old sitting behind me that knew every possible thing you could know about both teams and the game of rugby. The match, a 19-18 thriller, ended in the Wallabies falling just short of scoring a winning try in the last seconds of the game. The All Blacks, of course, came out victorious. It was a sporting event that i will never forget. The athleticism displayed by both teams, the intense rivalry, how sexy Dan Carter and Matt Giteau are, and the sheer magnitude of an Olympic stadium filled to near-maximum capacity with die-hard fans was just incredible.
(Sunday)
After a three hour bus and train ride, I finally arrived in Katoobma around midday. A short 20-minute walk brought me to the entrance of Blue Mountains National Park and a spectacular view of the World Heritage listed Three Sisters Rocks. I enjoyed a beautiful 180 degree view of the immense park (which actually looks blue) before heading out on the hiking trails. What began as pleasant boardwalks eventually tuned into more strenuous trails followed by hundreds upon hundreds of stairs headed straight down a steep ravine. I eventually stumbled into a quaint mining area that had been revamped as a major tourist site (complete with the worlds steepest train to get the less enthusiastic outdoorsmen down there). I passed through the area on my way to more challenging trails and zoomed by a funny sign involving a stick figure falling off a cliff. Little did i know i was about to tackle trails that made even the hardest hikes of Upper Bidwell Park seem like a piece of cake. There were points where i was making my way through cliffs of sheer rocks hoping that i was still actually on the trail.
(Sunday 4PM)
Too exhausted to actually hike back, i grudgingly forked out the money to take the worlds steepest train back to civilization. It was the scariest 5-minute ride of my life! No safety measures were provided other than a measly rail to hold onto as you speed up the mountain almost vertically (praying that you don't slip and fall out). Not ready to get on anything else that moved, I decided to take the short walk back into town. Apparently I mixed up the directions and ended up meandering down Cliff Drive rather than Cliff Street (which led into town). But really, who (besides Chico) would put two roads with almost the same name in a tourist area?! By the time it was getting dark (two hours later) i made it to a paved road and picked the direction that all the cars were coming from and prayed that it led to town. Bingo.
I will officially be sorer than i've been in months in perfect time to sit on a plane and do nothing on my way to New Zealand. I only hope everything continues to be so adventurous!
-Ashley
Fun Fact: MacDonald's is the it place to be around here. Only its not called McDonald's or Mickey D's even...its referred to as Maw-kays.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The One About Me and Rich People.
I passed Emily and Liam's house four times before I realized their building was not, in fact, a luxury hotel. I buzzed myself in and met a young gentlemen sitting behind a giant marble front desk who directed me to the proper elevator for my floor. Getting to the apartment, I was expecting things to taper off (they were two college kids, how nice could their place really be?). When Liam opened the door I was shocked, to say the least, by the grandiose view of the park from the balcony, leather furniture, top-of-the-line electronics, and a master bedroom/bath...just for me. I must say, this couch surfing thing is awesome!
I've enjoyed myself the past three days just wandering leisurely around the city. Emily took me on a wonderful walk along the harbor where she pointed out Russell Crow's house, Nichole Kidman's house, and several other gorgeous 10 million dollar+ estates. We witnessed (and took part in) the catching of an octopus, strolled through several adorable residential parks, and furthered my education about coffee and tea here in New South Wales. Both Liam and Emily have great taste in music and movies, so I spent several quiet evenings basically recovering from Japan and enjoying my short-term flatmates.
The harbors here are beautiful. They don't quite have the beaches beat, but the parks surrounding the harbors are as good as, if not better than, any i've been to (I still love you Bidwell Park!). There is this indescribable calm that occurs when you step into the Royal Botanical Gardens. The acres of perfectly tended rolling grass, plants, and ponds -all looking out on the ocean and the Sydney Opera House, paint a good enough picture to sit an view for hours. While at the parks i've noticed how active Aussie's here are. I even asked my newest couch surfing host, who is a good bit older than me, how active she was and then listened as she listed off a different activity for almost every day of the week!
And people don't just throw any old thing on to work-out. There is an unspoken rule of thumb that your running top must fit the shorts/pants you are wearing in brand (and color) and the shoes must match the color of the outfit. I was intrigued by this and stepped into a sports store (okay, I searched relentlessly for over an hour to find a store ) to check out this must-have gear. I found a wall of running shoes and had to ask the guy who worked there if the prices were written correctly. This due to the pair of Aisics, that had only cost me $50.00, which were priced at $249.00!!! For the exact same pair of shoes!!! On the upside, rugby gear here takes up half the store. You can find shorts and boots in every color imaginable. Not to mention the selection of jersey's from every pro, semi-pro, local, regional, and national rugby union and league team.
I almost forgot, the whole reason why I titled my post about rich folks. Last night I met up with Deb, my new couch surfing host, and she took me to meet up with friends for drinks. Being the budget-conscious traveler that I am, i figured i'de socialize and sip on water. When the sixth bottle of wine was brought over, along with another round of beer, I quietly asked Deb what everyone with us did for a living. Random House, the French National Bank, professional cyclist...these were just a few of the jobs thrown out there. I must say, for a bunch of bloody rich people, they were all tremendously friendly and funny.
I leave you with a conversation I overheard while in line for the loo between a British woman and her daughter...
(use a British accent when reading)
"Oooh look Mum! They have disposable toilet covers!"
"Disposable what?"
"Look above you mum."
"Well, by god, they do...how do you suppose I get it on me seat?"
"There's directions mum."
"I do suppose there are... (Pause for several seconds) mines not working deary."
"Unfold it mum."
"There we are!"
....
"Its not disposing itself love. Bloody hell...I don't know why we need to cover our bum with this contraption."
"Give it a shove mum"
"They want me to keep me bum clean but then expect me to stick me bloody hand down the toilet!?"
"Use your foot."
"Ahhh! Thanks love!"
-Ashley
I've enjoyed myself the past three days just wandering leisurely around the city. Emily took me on a wonderful walk along the harbor where she pointed out Russell Crow's house, Nichole Kidman's house, and several other gorgeous 10 million dollar+ estates. We witnessed (and took part in) the catching of an octopus, strolled through several adorable residential parks, and furthered my education about coffee and tea here in New South Wales. Both Liam and Emily have great taste in music and movies, so I spent several quiet evenings basically recovering from Japan and enjoying my short-term flatmates.
The harbors here are beautiful. They don't quite have the beaches beat, but the parks surrounding the harbors are as good as, if not better than, any i've been to (I still love you Bidwell Park!). There is this indescribable calm that occurs when you step into the Royal Botanical Gardens. The acres of perfectly tended rolling grass, plants, and ponds -all looking out on the ocean and the Sydney Opera House, paint a good enough picture to sit an view for hours. While at the parks i've noticed how active Aussie's here are. I even asked my newest couch surfing host, who is a good bit older than me, how active she was and then listened as she listed off a different activity for almost every day of the week!
And people don't just throw any old thing on to work-out. There is an unspoken rule of thumb that your running top must fit the shorts/pants you are wearing in brand (and color) and the shoes must match the color of the outfit. I was intrigued by this and stepped into a sports store (okay, I searched relentlessly for over an hour to find a store ) to check out this must-have gear. I found a wall of running shoes and had to ask the guy who worked there if the prices were written correctly. This due to the pair of Aisics, that had only cost me $50.00, which were priced at $249.00!!! For the exact same pair of shoes!!! On the upside, rugby gear here takes up half the store. You can find shorts and boots in every color imaginable. Not to mention the selection of jersey's from every pro, semi-pro, local, regional, and national rugby union and league team.
I almost forgot, the whole reason why I titled my post about rich folks. Last night I met up with Deb, my new couch surfing host, and she took me to meet up with friends for drinks. Being the budget-conscious traveler that I am, i figured i'de socialize and sip on water. When the sixth bottle of wine was brought over, along with another round of beer, I quietly asked Deb what everyone with us did for a living. Random House, the French National Bank, professional cyclist...these were just a few of the jobs thrown out there. I must say, for a bunch of bloody rich people, they were all tremendously friendly and funny.
I leave you with a conversation I overheard while in line for the loo between a British woman and her daughter...
(use a British accent when reading)
"Oooh look Mum! They have disposable toilet covers!"
"Disposable what?"
"Look above you mum."
"Well, by god, they do...how do you suppose I get it on me seat?"
"There's directions mum."
"I do suppose there are... (Pause for several seconds) mines not working deary."
"Unfold it mum."
"There we are!"
....
"Its not disposing itself love. Bloody hell...I don't know why we need to cover our bum with this contraption."
"Give it a shove mum"
"They want me to keep me bum clean but then expect me to stick me bloody hand down the toilet!?"
"Use your foot."
"Ahhh! Thanks love!"
-Ashley
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The One With Natasha and Liesl...
I had been in Australia for roughly 35 minutes when I began crying uncontrollably.
Let me explain.
My jumbo-jet experience from Tokyo to Sydney was not quiet as wonderful as the first leg of my trip. I was being kicked constantly by the little bugger sitting behind me, and for some reason, I got incredibly nauseous about halfway through the flight. I then spent the remainder of the flight sleeplessly debating whether or not to wake the two young men next to me so I could go upchuck in those tiny little airplane bathrooms. I burped a lot and got over it.
On the upside, I experienced the most extraordinary sunrise i've ever seen in my life. While flying 30,000 feet in the air, I watched the sky turn from a starry blue with a low sliver of red brushing the horizon into the most gorgeous array of reds, oranges, yellows, blues and violets. The stars were just beginning to fade into daylight when we descended into Sydney. The whole experience was breathtaking.
Once I arrived at the airport I breezed through customs and purchased a ticket to take a $15 shuttle into the center of the city. I got switched from one shuttle van to another several times before finally settling into a seat. Once everyone was situated, the driver demanded that I give him my ticket, despite the fact that I had already given my ticket to the initial shuttle I was supposed to take. A string of curses flew from his mouth as I tried to explain the situation to him. He then thrust his iPhone at me where I got belittled by the original driver who called me a "feckin' liar" and then hung up. On the verge of tears I was rudely escorted out of the van while watching my baggage being thrown onto the sidewalk.
I held it together for a good 5 minutes until I returned to the ticket window to explain how my ticket had been misplaced and began bawling at the poor ticket woman. I was exhausted, hungry, still nauseous, embarrassed, and hugely disappointed with my first experience in Australia. Luckily she was understanding and remembered me so I got on another shuttle without incident. After almost two hours of trying to find the persons house Im staying at, I finally gave up and began looking for coffee (I now know that addresses are backwards here with the apartment number first followed by the street number). Little did I know I would be stumbling across two of the coolest people on earth!
Natasha was sitting quietly reading, minding her own business, when I asked how the whole getting coffee thing works here (they have the strangest words for things such as coffee). Within minutes we were chatting away like old friends and she generously offered to take me with her on a walk around the beaches. I'm quickly learning to love spur of the moment decisions so I graciously agreed to go. Thats when Liesl (yes, like the girl from The Sound of Music) showed up. She was just as incredibly awesome as Natasha.
The three of us spent over an hour hiking around the bluest beaches I've ever seen. I saw pods of dolphins, a homeless man's shanty on a cliff overlooking the water (that he's been living in for 10 years! Talk about prime real estate!), and some of the most incredible rock formations that had been carved out from the ocean! We hiked for over an hour before heading to meet up with more Australians for lunch. I ate kangaroo (i'm serious), which tasted a bit like venison, and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon learning more about Australia. The whole day (minus the shuttle fiasco) couldn't have been more perfect!
I've now arrived at my couch surfing buddy Emily's penthouse, er, i mean, apartment and am headed to bed early to catch up on some sleep!
-Ashley
Fun Fact: Rugby is everywhere here. Instead of throwing baseballs and frisbees, the kids (and super hot muscular young men) throw rugby balls around while at the beach!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The One With a Lot of Different Things
Everyone is going to have to please bare with me on the novella im about to write. A lot has happened in the last few days (and I arrived at the airport 5 hours early) so here comes a mega-update!
Last night I found myself dancing enthusiastically on a bench while screaming the lyrics to that awful, overplayed, "I Like Big Butts" song at 2 in the morning with six of my new SCOA camp friends...this was by far the culminating moment to a hectic but incredible three days in Tokyo! We finally arrived in Tokyo after a long and draining day of bus and train rides from camp. Our camp director was nice enough to provide us with ungodly amounts of alcohol before we headed to the most delicious 9 course dinner i've ever eaten. Our friend Nagi (a very friendly and helpful Japanese cheerleader from camp) knew some people, as she does almost every place we went to, and got us a great deal on a really fun and low-key night out.
Day two consisted of visiting a really beautiful sacred shrine and Tokyo Tower. The shrine was surrounded by a blocks upon blocks of small stores and restaurants (you cannot escape either of these anywhere in Tokyo). After wading through the crowds, I made it inside the shrine and took a few moments to observe people praying and wafting incense all over themselves sort-of like a shower of smoke instead of water. I resisted the urge to buy everything in sight (shocking, i know) and instead took a stroll through a quaint park alongside a large river that runs through the middle of the city. That night Nagi (the best tour guide ever) met up with us at Tokyo Tower and pulled some sort of string to get us VIP status at a wonderfully delightful Irish pub. We became fast friends with the owner, an Irish man named Neill, after he put on Michael Jackson and poured all 10 of us any drink we asked for, free of charge.
A drink or two (or three or four) into things I started talking to a Brit and his girlfriend, who was refusing a perfectly good shot of tequila. She begged me to take the shot for her and I obliged; but not before getting the insane idea to show the unknowing couple what a tequila suicide was. I poured an enormous amount of salt on my hand, snorted it, took the shot, then squeezed the lime not into my mouth, but into my eye. It was brilliantly awesome. For a minute there I thought I was blind, and my left nostril has been burning for two days...the incident further convinced me that snorting anything (of any kind) is has been, and always will be, a horrible idea!
The next day (burning nose and all) I headed to the emperors palace for a tour of its world-famous gardens. Unfortunately for our group, the gardens are closed on Fridays and seeing as we all had lost track of what day it was about two weeks ago, we arrived the very day it was closed. Not to worry, Nagi directed us to a shopping district called Shibuya with promises of seeing the biggest pedestrian street crossing in the world. She wasn't kidding. I can't describe adequately enough the hordes of hundreds of people scurrying from one side of the 6 way intersection to the other. When I get the chance to upload the pictures and video you'll get to see for yourselves. I wont go ito the details of Shibuya for the sake of your eyes, but just imagine a fashion show crammed into thousands of stores that are full of thousands of people that are 8 and 9 stories high...I was overwhelmed to say the least!
That brings us full circle to karaoke last night. We were all dead-tired but were told karaoke is the IT thing to do in Tokyo so at 1 AM we dragged ourselves out and gave it a try. I was appalled that it cost $80 for our room, but shortly after our group's rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" I changed my mind. I'm boarding my flight soon but promised Fitz to tell you all about how things are different here in Japan. So here goes...
* Trashcans are impossible to find. Despite this, everything here is kept spotlessly clean.
* Homeless people are hard to find too. They are very hygienic and therefore blend in well...
* Every few blocks there is a square marked on the ground or a small glass enclosing- these are designated smoking areas. Despite this courtesy, people still smoke inside buildings...
* While on an escalator, you stand on the left in a straight line so others can walk or run by on the right. This is strictly enforced.
* Bikes are EVERYWHERE. Many of them are not locked because theft (and crime in general) is not common here.
* Five people were murdered...in the entire country...in the last 12 months!
* 98% of the women i've seen are wearing at least 1-inch heels.
* I feel under dressed all the time. Fashion is a lifestyle here.
* Women rarely pay for drinks and its incredibly safe to walk alone almost anywhere.
* Do NOT talk to others while using the toilet. This is taboo and one of my 12-year-old campers scolded me and my friend for talking across the bathroom at one another.
* Talking (anything above a strong whisper) is not socially acceptable in public places. Especially the trains and in restaurants.
* Typically you dont get napkins with meals. The Japanese are very tidy eaters and like to slurp.
* Lifting a bowl/plate to your face and shoveling food into your mouth occurs regularly.
* You can buy alcohol out of vending machines (along with everything else).
* Coins are used A LOT here. I wish I had brought a coin-purse.
* When you pay for things you place your money on a tray and the cashier gives you your change back on a tray so that the money doesn't touch their hands.
* Cars drive on the opposite side of the road.
* There are machines that lift cars up in parking lots so that other cars can fit underneath.
* Technology here is light years ahead of the US. Especially cell-phones.
* I never did find a nail salon.
* Eggs and bacon are undercooked on purpose (which should be a crime).
Gotta catch my flight! Cheers!
-Ashley
Fun Fact: Read above.
Last night I found myself dancing enthusiastically on a bench while screaming the lyrics to that awful, overplayed, "I Like Big Butts" song at 2 in the morning with six of my new SCOA camp friends...this was by far the culminating moment to a hectic but incredible three days in Tokyo! We finally arrived in Tokyo after a long and draining day of bus and train rides from camp. Our camp director was nice enough to provide us with ungodly amounts of alcohol before we headed to the most delicious 9 course dinner i've ever eaten. Our friend Nagi (a very friendly and helpful Japanese cheerleader from camp) knew some people, as she does almost every place we went to, and got us a great deal on a really fun and low-key night out.
Day two consisted of visiting a really beautiful sacred shrine and Tokyo Tower. The shrine was surrounded by a blocks upon blocks of small stores and restaurants (you cannot escape either of these anywhere in Tokyo). After wading through the crowds, I made it inside the shrine and took a few moments to observe people praying and wafting incense all over themselves sort-of like a shower of smoke instead of water. I resisted the urge to buy everything in sight (shocking, i know) and instead took a stroll through a quaint park alongside a large river that runs through the middle of the city. That night Nagi (the best tour guide ever) met up with us at Tokyo Tower and pulled some sort of string to get us VIP status at a wonderfully delightful Irish pub. We became fast friends with the owner, an Irish man named Neill, after he put on Michael Jackson and poured all 10 of us any drink we asked for, free of charge.
A drink or two (or three or four) into things I started talking to a Brit and his girlfriend, who was refusing a perfectly good shot of tequila. She begged me to take the shot for her and I obliged; but not before getting the insane idea to show the unknowing couple what a tequila suicide was. I poured an enormous amount of salt on my hand, snorted it, took the shot, then squeezed the lime not into my mouth, but into my eye. It was brilliantly awesome. For a minute there I thought I was blind, and my left nostril has been burning for two days...the incident further convinced me that snorting anything (of any kind) is has been, and always will be, a horrible idea!
The next day (burning nose and all) I headed to the emperors palace for a tour of its world-famous gardens. Unfortunately for our group, the gardens are closed on Fridays and seeing as we all had lost track of what day it was about two weeks ago, we arrived the very day it was closed. Not to worry, Nagi directed us to a shopping district called Shibuya with promises of seeing the biggest pedestrian street crossing in the world. She wasn't kidding. I can't describe adequately enough the hordes of hundreds of people scurrying from one side of the 6 way intersection to the other. When I get the chance to upload the pictures and video you'll get to see for yourselves. I wont go ito the details of Shibuya for the sake of your eyes, but just imagine a fashion show crammed into thousands of stores that are full of thousands of people that are 8 and 9 stories high...I was overwhelmed to say the least!
That brings us full circle to karaoke last night. We were all dead-tired but were told karaoke is the IT thing to do in Tokyo so at 1 AM we dragged ourselves out and gave it a try. I was appalled that it cost $80 for our room, but shortly after our group's rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" I changed my mind. I'm boarding my flight soon but promised Fitz to tell you all about how things are different here in Japan. So here goes...
* Trashcans are impossible to find. Despite this, everything here is kept spotlessly clean.
* Homeless people are hard to find too. They are very hygienic and therefore blend in well...
* Every few blocks there is a square marked on the ground or a small glass enclosing- these are designated smoking areas. Despite this courtesy, people still smoke inside buildings...
* While on an escalator, you stand on the left in a straight line so others can walk or run by on the right. This is strictly enforced.
* Bikes are EVERYWHERE. Many of them are not locked because theft (and crime in general) is not common here.
* Five people were murdered...in the entire country...in the last 12 months!
* 98% of the women i've seen are wearing at least 1-inch heels.
* I feel under dressed all the time. Fashion is a lifestyle here.
* Women rarely pay for drinks and its incredibly safe to walk alone almost anywhere.
* Do NOT talk to others while using the toilet. This is taboo and one of my 12-year-old campers scolded me and my friend for talking across the bathroom at one another.
* Talking (anything above a strong whisper) is not socially acceptable in public places. Especially the trains and in restaurants.
* Typically you dont get napkins with meals. The Japanese are very tidy eaters and like to slurp.
* Lifting a bowl/plate to your face and shoveling food into your mouth occurs regularly.
* You can buy alcohol out of vending machines (along with everything else).
* Coins are used A LOT here. I wish I had brought a coin-purse.
* When you pay for things you place your money on a tray and the cashier gives you your change back on a tray so that the money doesn't touch their hands.
* Cars drive on the opposite side of the road.
* There are machines that lift cars up in parking lots so that other cars can fit underneath.
* Technology here is light years ahead of the US. Especially cell-phones.
* I never did find a nail salon.
* Eggs and bacon are undercooked on purpose (which should be a crime).
Gotta catch my flight! Cheers!
-Ashley
Fun Fact: Read above.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The One Where There`s an Earthquake and Typhoon
Just as I was enjoying a thoroughly delightful dream, I woke up to what seemed like a amusement park ride gone bad. The bed was rumbling beneath me and I opened my eyes in time to see the books from my desk crashing to the floor and the cabinet swaying heavily from side to side. I stood up literally on shaky ground and called out to my suite-mate Mimi before rushing out to the hall...that's when the first giant boom of thunder ran out. Mimi swung her door open and I rushed into the room. We both jumped into the tiny twin bed and basically freaked out for a good five minutes; then watched like sissy little girls as lightening bolt after lightening bolt shot from the sky. And it was only 5AM...
Our morning was filled with Typhoon weather followed by what turned out to be one of the most fun days of camp. The junior high kids and I took a lunch trip to this awesome 150-year-old traditional Japanese house and proceeded to play baseball with a ball of aluminum foil and sticks for bases. The only downside was when I got caught up trying to catch a frog in the outfield and got smashed in the head with the ball. Oops.
Tonight is the last night of camp and tomorrow we are DONE! I'm so excited to explore Tokyo for a few days with my new found friends! Australia...here I come!
- Ashley
Fun Fact: There is a difference between `bathrooms` and `toilet rooms` here. Bathrooms have no toilets...just sinks. You also have to wear special shoes when using either bath or toilet rooms!
Our morning was filled with Typhoon weather followed by what turned out to be one of the most fun days of camp. The junior high kids and I took a lunch trip to this awesome 150-year-old traditional Japanese house and proceeded to play baseball with a ball of aluminum foil and sticks for bases. The only downside was when I got caught up trying to catch a frog in the outfield and got smashed in the head with the ball. Oops.
Tonight is the last night of camp and tomorrow we are DONE! I'm so excited to explore Tokyo for a few days with my new found friends! Australia...here I come!
- Ashley
Fun Fact: There is a difference between `bathrooms` and `toilet rooms` here. Bathrooms have no toilets...just sinks. You also have to wear special shoes when using either bath or toilet rooms!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The One With Ambulences, Firefighters, and Broken Faces
When I first saw the giant cement 6-foot-deep (correction, im told it was closer to 13 feet) pit at the playground I thought to myself “I can’t believe they have this at a playground! Someone could get really hurt!”…This was followed an hour later by me chanting, “Go Aki! Go Aki! Go Aki!” as I peer pressured a Japanese counselor to run into and out of the pit (something I had done myself several times). She made it halfway before slamming face-first into the concrete wall. Blood was everywhere; Aki was curled into a ball at the bottom of the pit, and panicked shouts of “She’s hurt! She’s hurt!” rang out.
Aside from being worried about Aki being okay, my second thought was “we’ve gotta find a camera and get a picture!”. I slid down into the pit to assist with first aide; the girl who was in charge of medical stuff was obviously freaking out over the blood whilst my rugby-conditioned mind was fine. It turns out Aki wasn’t really all that okay. After spending almost two hours in the pit (Aki was too dizzy and nauseous to move, let alone climb), about 18 firefighters, EMTs, and a docter finally pulled her out and took her to the hospital. Aki was a champ about the whole thing, putting on a smile for the kids even though I could tell she was freaking out. Turns out she survived with a bruised shoulder and hand, busted chin, broken jaw, two broken teeth, and a concussion. But don’t worry, she was back that night (heavily medicated) playing Duck Duck Goose and dancing at the campfire!
First, and hopefully last, medical emergency in the bag! A typhoon is coming tomorrow...should be interesting!
Camp Session 5 here we go!
Fun Fact: While at the hospital Aki had 3 MRI’s, X-rays, a CAT scan, stitches, surgery, and medication – without insurance...it cost her a whopping $210.00!
Aside from being worried about Aki being okay, my second thought was “we’ve gotta find a camera and get a picture!”. I slid down into the pit to assist with first aide; the girl who was in charge of medical stuff was obviously freaking out over the blood whilst my rugby-conditioned mind was fine. It turns out Aki wasn’t really all that okay. After spending almost two hours in the pit (Aki was too dizzy and nauseous to move, let alone climb), about 18 firefighters, EMTs, and a docter finally pulled her out and took her to the hospital. Aki was a champ about the whole thing, putting on a smile for the kids even though I could tell she was freaking out. Turns out she survived with a bruised shoulder and hand, busted chin, broken jaw, two broken teeth, and a concussion. But don’t worry, she was back that night (heavily medicated) playing Duck Duck Goose and dancing at the campfire!
First, and hopefully last, medical emergency in the bag! A typhoon is coming tomorrow...should be interesting!
Camp Session 5 here we go!
Fun Fact: While at the hospital Aki had 3 MRI’s, X-rays, a CAT scan, stitches, surgery, and medication – without insurance...it cost her a whopping $210.00!
Friday, August 7, 2009
The One About Department Store Basements
As I searched my way through the throngs of people in a giant food court I asked our camp Director Kieko (who is 47 but looks about 34) “Where are we?”. She replied with a smile saying “You know stores like Macys? I think they’re called department stores? We are in the basement of one.”
Some freaking basement!
There was anything and everything you could possibly imagine to eat – except American food. Hundreds of stalls selling pastries, chicken kabobs, huge slabs of eel, and fruit that was about five times as expensive as in the US (a small bunch of grapes for $10.00). The whole place was jam-packed full of people, as we were directly below the worlds busiest train station that the department store was built around. Something like 3 MILLION people A DAY make their way through the station we were at…it was insanity! I felt like I was in a river of moving people. We were nine of about fifteen non-Japanese people there and even got questioned by some camera-shy cops, pretty much because we were obviously foreigners.
As I was waiting for our group to use the restroom I wandered into a bookstore to check out the magazines. They open backwards, the writing goes from the top of the page to the bottom, and a few of the magazines came with gifts! I also took notice that it was very quiet inside the bookstore, pretty normal for a bookstore…but then I realized how quiet it is in ANY store or building you go into here. I learned firsthand just how loud Americans are when half the Japanese people traveling in the train with us moved to a different car. We are all working on being quieter!
Fun Fact: There are no public trashcans in Tokyo because of 9/11. The really amazing thing – there is no trash either. Everyone takes his or her trash home!
Some freaking basement!
There was anything and everything you could possibly imagine to eat – except American food. Hundreds of stalls selling pastries, chicken kabobs, huge slabs of eel, and fruit that was about five times as expensive as in the US (a small bunch of grapes for $10.00). The whole place was jam-packed full of people, as we were directly below the worlds busiest train station that the department store was built around. Something like 3 MILLION people A DAY make their way through the station we were at…it was insanity! I felt like I was in a river of moving people. We were nine of about fifteen non-Japanese people there and even got questioned by some camera-shy cops, pretty much because we were obviously foreigners.
As I was waiting for our group to use the restroom I wandered into a bookstore to check out the magazines. They open backwards, the writing goes from the top of the page to the bottom, and a few of the magazines came with gifts! I also took notice that it was very quiet inside the bookstore, pretty normal for a bookstore…but then I realized how quiet it is in ANY store or building you go into here. I learned firsthand just how loud Americans are when half the Japanese people traveling in the train with us moved to a different car. We are all working on being quieter!
Fun Fact: There are no public trashcans in Tokyo because of 9/11. The really amazing thing – there is no trash either. Everyone takes his or her trash home!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The One About Interesting Food
I ate a fish eyeball last night…it was somehow crunchy and squishy at the same time and tasted like, well, eyeball. No, I am not eating disgusting animal parts for the taste, it was a dare and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show up the head male counselor. Food here is interesting and incredibly healthy. I know its going to be hard to believe but kids here eat veggies and fish with rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even on the mornings that we had French toast available the 5-year-olds headed straight to the tofu and zucchini dish…its crazy!
I’ve also learned there are about ten different ways to use chop-sticks and the campers have taken it upon themselves to teach me – at every single meal. They also play some neat games involving hitting each others fingers and adding and subtracting numbers and I of course can’t participate because the math is far too complex.
We are leaving Kiyatsoto today and headed to Izu. Apparently it doesn’t rain as much there and I’m excited to be out of the mud. I took my kindergarten team on a nature walk yesterday and what started out as a fun adventure through the woods turned into shoes getting stuck so deep in the mud that I couldn’t find them for a good three minutes!
I’ve been learning origami (which is so complex!) and am far inferior to the small children teaching me. We have moved camp outdoors and its been great being outside in the sun and hearing all of the animals and running from all the bugs that have come out. We caught some tadpoles yesterday and spent this morning in a field catching frogs and grasshoppers. I also took the little ones on a “bear hunt”…I’m pretty sure they didn’t understand anything but “RUN, IT’S A BEAR!” where we were looked at strangely by all the Japanese tourists as we screamed sprinting through the field!
Gotta head out to the bus for another fun-filled week of camp! Pictures on Facebook, check them out!
-Ashley
Saturday, August 1, 2009
The One When Everything That Could Go Wrong, Does...
Last night I found myself sprinting through the woods in the pitch black pouring rain in search of my inhaler as an allergic reaction from cabin bedding took over my lungs. That was the culminating moment of another delightful day at camp!
It pretty much hasn’t stopped raining here, and the thunderstorms have knocked out our power several times, depleted the hot water, soaked the fields, and dampened the campfire wood. We have resorted to having all 40 kids playing soccer, football, ultimate frisbee and cheer dancing in a barn the size of Acker Gym. Did I mention there were sharp objects and giant piles of wood and construction equipment everywhere? It’s a great thing for us that Japanese people rarely sue!
Just as we were leaving the barn for dinner a torrential downpour took over and forced us to drive the youngest kids the ½ mile back to the dinning hall. I was instructed by a Japan
ese counselor to help load the kids. I asked how many to load up for the first trip and the shocking response was, “All of them”. We may have set a world record because we managed to fit 21 people into a standard sized minivan!
Dinner was uneventful except for several kids coming down with a fever (Japanese are hyper-sensitive about sickness, scrapes, cuts, and generally everything health related). Again, due to the rain, we were made to stay inside and duct-tape flashlights together for a “campfire” and then made S’mores over a gas stove. It was great though because most of the kids had never had S’mores and they were totally stoked about how mushy the marshmallows were!
After the kids were all in bed (they often stay by themselves in the cabins with no adult supervision because they are THAT well behaved!) we were told that the girl counselors were moving cabins again (the third time in two days). The camp van was fetched so we didn't have to trek our luggage through the mudd in the dark and suddenly we heard a CRASH. Yep, our camp director drove the van (which belongs to a counselor’s parents) into a ditch! Several attempts to push the van back onto the road failed miserably and when a tow-truck was called it got stuck in the mud too! We have yet to hear about how the van is doing…
Despite the mass chaos being wreaked on us, camp has been pretty amazing. I really want to take half of the kids home with me! The language thing has been difficult at times but its been fun being silly and literally acting out the things we need campers to do. Duck-duck-goose is a hit as well as Uno and freeze tag.
Fun Fact: Most kids here don’t fight (with an exception of the Americanized boys)…they solve 99% of disputes with Jyan-Kan-Po (the Japanese version of Ro-Sham-Bo).
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