Food, Films, and Fun

This weekend, on my days off, I went exploring. With my friend Miho I was able to find a true British Pub in the heart of Sannomiya, which is awesome. Good food, good people, good fun. I'll be watching the Superbowl there at 830 am on Monday; Live! :) 

Besides the pub I had my first experience at a Japanese movie theatre. 

As expected, ticket prices were very high, but I had been wanting to see Revolutionary Road for a long time, so it was worth it. The theatre I chose was in Sannomiya and was on the 9th floor of a building overlooking the whole city! AMAZING VIEW. When you get off the elevator, you enter a large lobby with three-story-high ceilings. Here is where you will see the cue set up for ticket purchasing along with ABO (automated box office) machines. Only in recent years have the Japanese turned to the multi-plex for cinematic enjoyment, but boy do they know how to do it right. 

I got in line for my ticket, not exactly sure how to order a ticket. I said one (hitotsu) for Revolutionary Road, and I was lucky that this one has the same title in Japanese and English (sometimes they rename American movies). I got my ticket and for a student discount making it only 1500 yen! (about $15, which is so cheap here). I then was able to choose my seat, since here seats are assigned so the sooner you arrive, the better your seat. (they take this seriously here. If you take someone else's seat, even if there are hundreds more, God help you)

I then moved on to explore my snacking options at both the concession stand and the Crepe stand. :) Although the sweet crepes looked so delicious, I was in the mood for a more traditional movie snack. I opted for a small popcorn and went to order. Again popcorn, one (hitotsu). This time they asked me something back in Japanese. I was in trouble because I didn't know what they were saying to me. I eventually remembered some advice I was given by my trainer about how the theatres here have caramel corn and salted. I responded with salt...which to them was salto... so it all worked out. for 250 yen (about $2.5) I had my popcorn and I was ready. 

I had to wait in the lobby with a slu of people until the theatre would be opened for seating. I browsed the cinema shop, where they sell things related to the movies that are out (right now it is all 007 stuff), and took a look at the free mini-posters which were fun in Japanese. 

Then it was on to my movie when they announced seating. Here is where I experienced the BEST THING EVER. An Escalator that goes up like stairs, then switches to flat, then back to stairs! I have seen moving walkways, and escalators...but never combined! ( I added a picture so you can check it out. 

My movie was great, the sound was amazing, and the Japanese Watchmen trailer was so much better than the American one. Check it out online. This theatre still uses film, but does use digital for its NCM's (for all of you who know what I mean).

After my movie let out, I called Miho to see where she was and if she wanted to meet up to catch a bite to eat. She was on her way to a restaurant with a friend and invited me along. I arrived and the whole walk there they were trying to figure out what it was that we were going to be eating. They knew what it was in Japanese, but couldn't find the right word to explain it to be in English. I said, "No problem, I'll try anything. It really is okay". They were so worried I wouldn't like it.

However, when we got to the restaurant I ate  my words, and a lot more. It turns out that you sit at a table with a burner and they bring out a pot. It is called a hot pot and it has cabbage and green onions in it as well as broth. Then, there was the mystery ingredient, which they eventually had decided translated to 'guts'. Now, in my book there are many kinds of 'guts'. Insides of any kind can be called 'guts'...but these guts, were not guts at all. It was intestine. Cow's intestine, cut into bite sized pieces. Miho's friend loved it and I didn't want to be rude, so I tried a couple of pieces. I can honestly say never again will I have that! It didn't taste horribly, but it was just not something I could see myself wanting to eat frequently. It is not that common here, but it is considered a delicacy and very good for your skin.  No thank you!

So I can now say I have finally eaten something I don't like at all and I have been to my first movie. How exciting. Work is busy, but going well. I'll write more soon!

Settling In

Hello To everyone :) 

I am sorry I have not written more recently, but I have been moving from a hotel to another hotel, to my APARTMENT and getting settled in. A ton of new things have been going on.

The Pictures are from the town area during the day in Tarumi. The grocery store and my school are near here. The night picture is from Sannomiya. That is where shopping and bars and restaurants are. Lots of fun. 

First of all, I started at my school and am teaching my own classes alone already, which is amazing. The students are all so interesting and sweet and I just LOVE them. My staff members and manager are awesome too, which makes going to work a real pleasure. 

I was worried about my apartment and what it would be like since my school found it for me, but upon moving in I was very pleasantly surprised. It is only about 7 minutes walk from my school and the train station, which is amazing. It is also in a new building and is clean and new! :) It is small, as was expected, but I have more than enough room for myself. 

Yesterday I went out with my co-worker and friend, Miho. We went to a British Pub that she likes in Sannomiya called Hobgoblin. It was great! Not only was it on the 8th floor of a building with a wonderful view of Kobe, but it also staffed a bunch of awesome people and had a delicious British menu to boot! YUM. We met a few people but we made sure to leave in time to catch the last train to Tarumi at 12:25. 

Today was an adventure. I went to Osaka (about 40 minutes by train) to get a cell phone at a SoftBank where there was a reputable English speaking employee that I found via the net. I took Miho with me, and thank goodness I did. The contract was all in Japanese! It was an experience I hope I never have to repeat, as Japanese cell phone companies and service plans are more complicated than anything I have ever experienced in America. Needless to say, one hundred and fifty dollars and two and a half hours later, I have a shiny pink new cell phone!:) How wonderful! 

I am slowly learning some Japanese, but it is taking a lot of time. Mostly food items, of course. But everyone is very patient with me, which helps so much. I went to McDonald's one day and ordered in Japanese and the cashier got so excited and started speaking to me really fast in Japanese! However, ALL I KNOW IS HOW TO ORDER AH! I just looked at her and laughed and shook my head no. She giggled at me when she realized I didn't understand her, but I could tell she thought it was nice I tried so that was very encouraging. 

Other than that, not much else is new; actually everything is new. The food is different, the people are different, the cars are different, EVEN the Dogs are different. I love it. I do get starred at from time to time when on the train and walking places, but I just get used to it. When you are different in a new country that will happen, so I just have to deal with it. I also inherited a bento box restaurant that the former teacher used to go to every day and they know my name. They don't know English yet, and I don't know Japanese, but we somehow get by with smiles and pointing followed by my 'Arigato Goziamasu'. Smiles really are universal. 

Tomorrow is another day off for me, so I am sure I will be able to fill you in on more events for the day! 

AH! Whale Sharks!

First off, I want to apologize for not posting sooner! I just have been so busy with my training and have not gotten a chance to write. Let me update you all on my visit to Osaka Aquarium on my first day off!

I found my way on the train to the Osaka Aquarium very easily. When I got on the train and connected to my second train any doubts about being in the wrong place were alleviated by the fact that there were tons of families and children there. As I rode the subway train it went above ground for the first time since I had been riding on the Osaka Subway Circuit. I was able to see the mountains that surround the city and how beautiful the coast was. 

I knew I got off at the correct  stop when I could see the GIANT ferris wheel in the distant skyline and I proceeded to walk in that direction. As I got closer I could see the marketplace and the AQUARIUM! There were a lot of people crowded around outside and, much to my chagrin, a real-life march of the penguins was about to begin! A track was set up in the square outside of the entrance to the aquarium and people lined it on all sides. I walked closer and when I realized what was about to happen I made sure to get in a good position to take pictures!

AND OUT MARCHED THE PENGUINS! There were probably about seven or so of them and they were literally a foot away from me. I could not believe this, how AMAZING! After the march was over I made my way into the aquarium where I paid my 2,000 yen entry fee (*only about $22 in USD). :) 

I was here on a mission: to see the Whale Sharks. 

First you walk through a tunnel tank with fish and stingrays swimming right over your head. Then you walk for a little while without seeing any wildlife. I was wondering how exactly this aquarium was set up, which I very soon found out. I rode up a very long escillator that went to the top floor, floor 8. From here you work your way down through the aquarium with the largest tank (the pacific ocean tank) in the center. However, you don't get to see that tank until about floor 6. The first two floors were otters and dolphins as well as some more penguins. 

The way that the aquarium is set up is by region of the world. So, as you progress through it, you see animals from all over the world. 

When I finally made it to my destination of the Pacific Ocean tank I was absolutely overwhelmed. TWO whale sharks were swimming in a giant tank with other sharks (tiger, hammerhead, and many many more), fish, stingrays, and even a Manta ray. :) In a tank that shared the same water, but was netted off, there was a GIANT manta ray! The Whale Sharks were enormous and I found a seat facing the tank and sat for over an hour just watching the sharks swim around the tank. 

There were so many things to see at the aquarium and far too many to write here. However, if you have any questions please feel free to ask! 

After this, I walked over to the marketplace to get lunch. It was set up kind of like an indoor mall. I bought some sort of Japanese dumpling for lunch which was filled with meat and grilled onions (and possibly other ingredients) and it was so delicious I almost wanted to buy another, but decided I would find something else to try. 

As I was walking though the marketplace, I found a ninja store that not only sold ninja stars and other weapons, but for 300 yen (about $3.20) you could practice throwing ninja stars at targets on a wall! I really wanted to try, but decided it best to wait until I had someone with me to try also. This way I wouldn't be the only one looking like a foreigner. 

After I found this, I found the best and most surprising thing of all! A CAFE DU MONDE! Now, anyone that knows me knows that my mother and her side of the family are from New Orleans.

Cafe Du Monde is a very famous doughnut and coffee shop in New Orleans however, it is not all over the US. Apparently, someone from Japan visited New Orleans, found a Cafe Du Monde, and loved it so much that he decided Japan needed not just one of these, but a whole chain of them here! The only difference is the beignets(doughnuts) are bite sized, which makes them a lot less messy. They are even about the same price- WHOA! How amazing is that?

The more I see, the more I enjoy. I can't wait to share more with you about this magical place. 

I promise to update more tomorrow and again I apologize for the wait!  So I decided to Upload A video this time. WHALE SHARK! ENJOY!!!!

First Night of Exploration

Hello to everyone! Ohio Gozaimasu! tonight i went out Exploring! I decided that I wanted to see where the young people of Osaka City hung out so I went to the area that is is known as the American Village. When I first got off the train, I realized that it looked just like 5th avenue in NYC. All of the best designer stores were there and all of the clearly fashionable people were there. As I walked 6 blocks south to where the village was I came across one more familiar establishment known as 7-11! While they do not carry slurpees, they do carry about a thousand food options and countless more snacks. In the candy section, I was able to find chocolates shaped like little pigs! How CUTE!

After my trip to 7-11 I found what I was looking for. The bright lights pointed me in the correct directions and soon I walking over a bridge with a river through it(picture above) Here there was a ferris wheel that was shaped like an oval. I will have to go back during the day to ride to the top and get a great view of the city! As I continued on, I found restaurants that served the infamous blowfish, which were designated by GIANT blowfish outside. 

I then came across a japanese bookstore that was 5 floors with all types of media from video games to movies and music as well as books. As I ventured to the music floor I was bombarded by the inevitable sounds of Brittney Spears and Mariah Carey. CDs were resonably priced and such a HUGE selection of american music is available. However, when I arrived on the DVD floor the prices jumped through the roof. A regular copy of The Dark Knight is selling for about $50- american!! 

Also, I learned today that movies come out in Japan after they come out in the US. For example the movie Hellboy II just came out today here, but is almost on video in the US. However, I was also told that any movie that is released by SONY will, in fact, be released here FIRST! :) HAH!  And we only get Watchmen  about twenty days late, so that is not unbearable. 

After this, I went deeper and deeper into this trendy village and found something that many Japanese youth like to do, play in arcades. But these arcades differ slightly from american style arcades. These are filled with bright lights and an abundance of CLAW MACHINES. They have everything in them from ice cream and food to GIANT stuffed animals! There were tons of these arcades here and they were just full of people all playing these claw machines trying to win these adorable plush animals! How FUN! I tried my luck...but I did not succeed. Maybe tonight I will have more luck. The claw is different from the US. Here they only have two prongs which makes this game much more challenging. 

I found a bowling alley as well (yes, bowling is, in fact, VERY popular here). It was an entertainment center actually that had 8 floors of things to do from pachinco machines and claw games to bowling and darts. How fantastic!!

After a while I decided it was time to head back to my hotel in Namba and grab a bento box on my way for dinner as I had a Skype date with my boyfriend and my mom :). I went through the festival at the shrine by my hotel and picked up  a small, round, pancake-like dessert filled with vanilla custard and chocolate. HOW DELICIOUS! I grabbed my bento from a local market and was on my way! What an adventurous day! Tomorrow it is on to see the WHALE SHARK at the Aquarium here!

Check This OUT!

I saw this on TV today. Had to post it. Click the link in the comment section!

I have arrived!

As most of you know, I left for Japan a couple of days ago. I arrived in Osaka last night (which was  early this morning to everyone in the States). We are 14 hours ahead of you in time, in case you are trying to figure that one out :). 

The flight was not nearly as grueling as I had assumed it would be. First of all, I was certainly lucky that in my row of three seats, one person did not come. This gave me some added comfort on my 13 hour flight to Tokyo. The plane was a 747-400 (A double decker Jumbo!!) which was interesting for a change. Also, we were able to fly over the frozen tundra of ALASKA for over a couple of hours. There was no cloud cover at this point, so I took some photos which I will attach. It was absolutely breathtaking.

While on board the long international flight, we were fed two meals, both of which were actually very appetizing to my surprise. The first was four courses which included a caesar salad, some sort of Japanese noodles with a small bottle of noodle sauce, tiramisu for dessert, and a main course of curried chicken and white rice with ginger. It was AMAZING, especially the noodles. The second meal surprised me. It was four courses as well which consisted of a regular salad with italian dressing, a fruit salad, a container of yogurt, a roll,  and a main course of baked ziti. It surprised me that we were given italian food just 2 hours before we landed in Tokyo instead of Japanese, but it was tasty regardless. 

During the flight there were many movies on our personal Televisions that were on a continuous loop so I was able to watch Ghost Town and Vikki Christina Barcelona, both which served their purpose of keeping me entertained between flipping back and forth to sing along with MamaMia!  and catch small snipits of the wonderful Wall E. 

After arriving in Tokyo, I had to go through Immigration, which was surprisingly easy. They took my picture and fingerprints, stamped my passport, and I was on my way. Next, I picked up my baggage at the claim carousel and proceeded to Customs. Here they welcomed me to Japan and I was out the door and on my way to the Domestic Flight counter for JAL where I needed to check in and re-check my baggage for my flight to Osaka Itami airport. 

After I checked in I went through security to get on my domestic flight. This is where I started to realize not only was I in Japan, but they have tools for security I have never seen that make it so much easier to travel. First of all, you can bring liquids through security, unlike in the states. They have a machine they set your plastic or glass bottle on and it somehow scans it and checks to see that the contents are safe for travel. Also, of all of the places you have to remove your shoes in Japan, airport security is not one of them! You also do not have to remove all of your layers (coat, sweater, sweatshirt, belt etc) which is nice for a change. 

It was just inside the domestic terminal gate that I made my first purchase in Japan. A Diet Coke! It was just 170 yen, which is a little under $2 American, so not as different as everyone stresses, which is nice. Arigato Gozaimasu (Thank you very much!). :) 

After getting on a bus, which took me to a small plane (about the size of what I used to take from Newark or Philly to Binghamton), we flew into Osaka. Since I already went through customs I did not have to again and was able to claim my bags and find Todd who was meeting me at the airport to take me to my hotel for the first week of training. It was after leaving the airport that I already saw the first three things that reminded me of home. Starbucks, Dunkin Doughnuts, and McDonalds! Haha. They really are everywhere aren't they? 

Upon arriving at the hotel I was shown where the 24 hour grocery was and a local shrine. My school purchased some food items for me and stocked my fridge with tea, milk, juice, and water along with deli meat and KRAFT SINGLES so I have food for the next couple of days! How sweet! :) 

So far, I have not seen much, but I can tell this is going to be interesting. I will probably post again tonight, which will be morning for you all, after I explore today after a short day of 4 hours of training! 

Two Days and Counting

Hello to all of those who are interested in following my travels as I work abroad for 2009 in Kobe, Japan teaching English! I will make sure to upload as much as I can and keep everyone updated on what's going on with me at least once, maybe twice a week.

So here is the basic information...

How I landed the best job out of college:

I have always wanted to go to Japan. After graduating college with a degree in English Rhetoric and Global Culture I was looking for something that would not only utilize my degree, but would be an experience before I headed on to get my Master's or PhD. I found this company online and applied after getting the necessary recommendations and completing the essays. I landed a group interview in NYC.

At the interview we had to present 5 minutes of a lesson plan we created for beginning level English students. The lesson plan had to be 15 minutes worth of material, but we only presented 5 to the group. After our information session we all presented and then were asked to wait in the lobby. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the recruiters came out and handed each of us an envelope that said if we would be offered a personal interview the next day and we were told to wait until we left to open it.

As we rode down the elevator the tension was building. I could not wait to see if my future would be changed forever by the contents of this one white envelope. When the elevator doors opened I tore my envelope open and peered inside to my delight! I was asked back to interview the next day for the impromptu lesson plan and personal interview. 

The next day, I was tired. I had been lucky enough to go to see Billy Joel in the Last Play at Shea concert and was worn out. (It was luck that I got to go and was certainly not planned. I would not plan to go to a concert the day before and interview, but my awesome friend Cheryl got tickets from her sister last minute. So amazing). I was told that there were few asked back and that my lesson plan was impressive from the previous day, which certainly made me feel strong. I completed the interview and then was given a page of the actual textbook and told I had 5 minutes to prepare a lesson and my interviewer would act as a student. 

This was interesting and new so I gave it my all. It went well and I was then told it would be at most 14 days before I heard back. I will always remember the day I got that call. I was in the basement of a department store in Boston after getting off the T. I only had cell reception in one spot so I couldn't move around for fear of losing the call. It was the best moment ever! 

After this they took information on when I wanted to leave and where I would ideally like to be placed. They also wanted to know if I wanted to be at a school with children or not. After that it was on to the visa application and contract, which all got me to the point I am at now.

The Details:

I will be teaching in Tarumi-ku, which is one of the nine wards of Kobe City. It is to the west of Kobe and Osaka. My school is a school that consists of 30% Kids under high school level, and the rest range up to senior citizens with the youngest being a 1 year old (which I am pretty pumped about). 

My mailing address is going to be my school, as opposed to my apartment and it is as follows:

AEON TARUMI

Jennifer Dickey

Aoyama Bldg. 1F

3-2 Kanda-cho, Tarumi-ku

Kobe-shi, Hyogo    655-0027

JAPAN

Please just make sure to write personal on it. :) I don't think anyone would open it anyway, but just out of courtesy really. 

Well, that is just about it for now, but there will be much more to follow. I will keep you updated as early as Thursday!! Off to Japan!