On the subject of complaints...

Dear Man-playing-the-accordion-outside-my-window-at-5-a.m.,

First of all, WTF?!? Seriously, WTF?!?! In case you haven't noticed, it is FIVE IN THE MORNING. NO, it is NOT acceptable to play loud, obnoxious music and sing loudly (and horribly, I might add) during the wee hours of the morning. Now, I probably wouldn't appreciate your music at any time of the day, but ESPECIALLY NOT at dawn.
I don't care if you're drunk, I don't care if you and your friends are having a little party in the middle of street. I live on the fourth floor of a building, and I can hear every bit of your noise, as if it were coming from the room next door.
Now, yes, I was awake at 4 a.m. because it was hot in my room and I couldn't sleep, so technically you didn't wake me up, but just as I was falling asleep around 5 a.m., you came in with your racket and kept me up for another hour, so basically I HATE YOU.
If I had a weapon, you would probably be my first target--how does that make you feel?!
Why am I angry, you ask?--YOU WERE PLAYING THE ACCORDION AND SINGING AT DAWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
OK, seriously, if you do it again YOU WILL PAY.

Kind regards,

Merav

Much overdue post

So... I've been in Brussels for about a week and I've been totally MIA, so here I am to give an update on the past week.
Let's see, I arrived last Saturday and my parents' friends picked me up from the airport and brought me to the apartment I'm staying in (which was a blessing because my suitcases are BIG and no, I don't know how to pack lightly). They left and let me get settled and go out to get some money and some food, etc. and then I caught up with them later in the day for dinner and some sightseeing.

I'm living in an apartment in a building that's basically full of interns or students (though I haven't met anyone else in the building--I guess everyone has different hours). My apartment is really big, has four bedrooms, and distinctly reminds me of "L'auberge espagnole." It's not exactly the nicest or cleanest place (people are always coming and going and staying for short periods of time, so no one puts a lot of effort into taking care of it), but it's alright. Maybe if I had seen it before I wouldn't have picked it, but it's pretty comfortable and has pretty much everything I need. I work fairly long hours and have been sightseeing on the weekends (and I'll be away a bunch of weekends), so it's fine. I currently have two other "flatmates," a French guy and an Italian guy, who are both really really nice, but unfortunately will be leaving this week or next week (beginning of July), but I should be getting some new flatmates (preferably a girl!) with whom to explore and go out and whatnot because I still don't really feel like I have friends here.

The area I live in is pretty exciting and young and ethnic (there are Portuguese people, Moroccans, and people from the Congo a bit further away--medium-sized communities that have their own areas basically). There's a big square and now there's a film festival going on so they're playing movies there at night. There are also some really pretty lakes where people can just walk and sit. My favorite is the Saturday morning farmer's market, which has fruits, vegetables, flours, cheeses, olives, everything. Everything looks so delicious! And, the weather has been very un-Belgian--it's been sunny and warm everyday and it only rained for a little while during my first weekend here. I hope the weather stays this nice for a while!

Work has been OK so far. The people I work with are very nice and flexible and helpful, but the work I'm doing hasn't been so exciting. I'm working for a European Jewish student organization (the umbrella organization) to help plan a 500-person (Euro-Jewish students) conference that will last a week at the end of August and will be held in Switzerland this year (every year it's somewhere different and I feel like I got a little shafted because last year it was in Turkey and the year before in Italy, and one year it was in Greece and another in Croatia, all of which are much more exciting than Switzerland, but anyways...). So my job is basically to take care of the participants (enter their info into the database when they've registered, answer their questions, make sure that they've paid, try to set up rooms with the roommates they've requested, etc.) and since it's still relatively early, very few people have registered. So I basically work from 10 a.m. until 6 or 7 p.m. (my bosses stay late, so I can't very well just leave super early) with a one-hour lunch break or so, but I definitely don't have enough work to occupy that time, so I spend a lot of time on email or facebook, which is not entirely satisfying when you're working such long days.
And unfortunately, by the time I get out of work (and walk home because it's a nice walk and the weather has been good), most stores and museums are closed, so there isn't that much to do (though I have been lucky to know some people here and there with whom I have gone out or gone to museums or movies). What is really nice, though, is that it stays light outside until 10 or 10:30 p.m., so I can go walking around the city exploring or sit by the lakes and just hang out and feel pretty safe. It's really crazy when I check my watch and it's 9:30 p.m. and the sun is still out and bright.

And now that it's July there are more street festivals (and tourists) so there are more things to do later at night that hopefully I can take advantage of after work. It's kind of hard because I don't know too many people (and don't want to go out alone--museums, sure, but not restaurants or bars) and Brussels is such a transient city (it's the capital of Europe! People are always coming and going...), but hopefully I'll meet more people. Also, the next few weekends I'm going to London, then Paris, and then my parents are coming here, so really, I don't have that many weekends here in Brussels. After that I'll be here for a weekends, then in Berlin for 10 days (so two weekends), then back for one, and then in Switzerland for 12 days or so (so another 2 weekends), so aside from the first weekend I was here I'll only be here for four weekends (and my parents will be here for one of them). That's ok with me, though, because there isn't thaaaaat much to see in Brussels, and I'm just trying to do my sightseeing on the few weekends that I'm here and in the evenings when I can.

So, on that note, I think I'll go have breakfast and get ready to hit some museums and shops (the sales are starting, so people are going crazy) before another week of work arrives (and London next weekend--WOOHOOO!!!)

A few brief comments about Brussels:
1. The French fries and chocolates here are amazing--the rumors are true. (And the waffles and beer seem pretty popular, but arghhh gluten.)
2. I have never seen so many BMWs in my life.
3. There are vending machines that sell yogurt and yogurt drinks. Weird.
4. There are no local Belgians in Brussels. Everyone is from somewhere else.
5. The men here are unbearably forward. Really. It's bad.
6. The public transportation is awesome. I've never taken so many buses in my life. (But I don't live near a metro stop...)
7. There is a farmer's market in some part of the city every single day of the year.
8. This is the highlight of Brussels tourism. Don't let it deceive you--he's about 1-foot tall maximum. And still, the tourists gather in flocks.
9. Tintin was created here! As were Asterix and Obelix and the Smurfs! (And many others that never made it to English-language presses.) There are a bunch of different comic strip museums/exhibits (because this is the "Year of the Comic strip"), which have turned out to be AWESOME. In fact, I might hit another one today.

I think that's all for now!

speaking of comparisons...

let's talk about the pharmacy situation here in france.

ok, i know what i want, mr french man. i have allergies, and i want some benedryl, or whatever euro equivalent. i dont need to describe to you my symptoms. can i just reach for it and then pay you? I miss CVS and the hodgepodge that is the american pharmacy institution.

also you! yeah you! the french woman who needs to be wearing shorter heels and less eye makeup, i was here first. as in next in line... meaning that when you walk deliberately in front of me, I CAN SEE YOU. also, not cool to try to pay with 2 different credit cards to cover the booze you are buying. it is sunday morning and the only store open that sells food is the shell gas station quickee mart, so not only has your card declined buying booze in the morning, you are in a SHELL gas station...

whew! ok, im done. really, im actually having a fun time here. not really any stories that would be interesting. will post if something eventful happens to me. seacrest out

A little friendly comparison

...between America and Japan. You see, there are a great many things here that the great country of Japan has thought of having that do not exist in the States. On the other hand, there are a few categories where Japan is sadly lacking. And, seeing as I am one month into my stay here, I figured now would be a good time to post these thoughts. Here is a small list of the ones that stick out the most in my mind:

Something Japan has: First and foremost, one that is fresh in my mind because I just went to the bathroom: heated toilet seats. Although Japanese toilets have so many buttons you hardly want to sit down for fear of pressing the wrong one and ending up getting an appendectomy, they have the most wonderful feature of always being warm. After the initial shock of wondering who was sitting there before you and if they were the Human Torch, you really get used to the pleasurable sensation of not freezing to death while using the bathroom. I think this may be the thing I miss the most about Japan, sadly enough.

However, on the flipside, Japan does NOT have the guarantee upon walking into a restroom of finding a Western style toilet. Learned this one the hard way. There is also a shocking lack of soap and dryers in Japanese public bathrooms. In a country where most public surfaces are so clean you could eat off them (I certainly think you can do this in the trains), I feel this is a bizarre oversight. No wonder they're so paranoid about swine flu, if no one washes their hands properly.

Something else Japan has: free green tea in almost all restaurants. It comes complementary with meals, the way a glass of water would in the States. It comes in all forms: usually it's chilled, but at the sushi restaurant my host parents took me to, there were little tubs of powdered green tea (macha) that you put in your cup, which you then filled with hot water from a spigot at your table. I got a real kick out of that one, and even told my host parents how much I liked it, which they found amusing.

However, Japan does NOT have napkins. Period. The closest they come are moist towelettes, which you are likely to get at many a restaurant. The alternative is usually Kleenex, which puzzles me to know end. I mean, that stuff comes apart when you get liquid on it, and you just end up with a hand full of tissue shreds.

Another thing Japan has: the most adorable socks you've ever seen in your life. It makes sense, considering this is a country that regularly requires the removal of shoes to enter certain stores, restaurants, and other buildings. I, of course, can't handle the constant changing of footwear, and kept accidentally wearing the toilet slippers outside of the toilet at the traditional Japanese inn we stayed at.

In an unrelated topic, Japanese people do NOT have dryers. They, much like my host family in France, proudly air dry their laundry, whether it be from balconies or windows or in the front yard. I've seen all types of clothing, underwear included, on my walks to the bus stop. And this is from a country that thinks that people shouldn't be heard while going to the bathroom.

Japan also has a shocking number of machines that talk to you or play you songs. My family's washing machine plays at least a bar of music every time you turn it on and again when it stops washing. The bath controls talk to me when I press the button to heat up the water. If you walk up to automated machines to buy tickets or withdraw cash, they verbally welcome you. I'm not sure if I think it's annoying or wonderful.

In an effort to round off the list with equal haves and have nots, I give you this: Japanese people do NOT seem to have a coherent social norm for smoking. That was slightly awkwardly worded, so let me explain. Smoking is not taboo here by any means, but I am constantly surprised by the way Japanese people do it. They hide behind signs outside of buildings so you can't see them doing it, only the smoke rising from behind the signs as if the building is on fire. But then, I frequently am greeted by this sight in the morning as I wait at the bus stop: men, perched lightly on their bikes, apparently exerting no effort at all though they just climbed a steep hill, with an umbrella in one hand pointing straight up when it's raining...and a cigarette clenched firmly between their lips. It never ceases to amaze me.

Tomorrow I leave for HIROSHIMA! Can't wait!

So many cultural experiences, so little time

It's been a long (and short week) here in the future. Apparently our teachers decided that the best way for us to be tourists in the area around Kanazawa was to take us on a two day trip that was packed full of more cultural experiences than I care to think about. But we had a good time, and of course I must explain it all right here.

So we started off bright and early Sunday morning, all bright-eyed and chipper and ready to greet the day. We first went to a temple fairly close by and wandered around a bit. My friends and I might have gotten in trouble for walking on some bridge with our shoes on, as we could not read the no-shoes sign in Japanese. I also took a billion pictures of the graveyard there. Graveyards are ridiculously pretty in Japan; because of it being so hilly and limited amounts of space and whatnot, they're usually tucked away onto the sides of hills, amidst a ton of trees and generally beautiful scenery. The one we were in at the temple looked like fairy land. Also, the tombstones just look so elegant. I think names look better in Japanese than in English; there's just something so graceful about the characters that roman letters can't really get at.

After that we went to this shrine and saw some purification ritual or something like that. Apparently the shrine is all about good luck and marriages and stuff like that. I gotta say, though, they had some wacky head gear there. One girl was wearing holly leaves that shot straight off her head like antlers, and the guy had some weird black stuff in a boxy design on his. I'm sure it was all very significant, but I didn't really get it.

After that, we all piled back in the bus and trucked it to one of the more interesting locales on the trip: the beach drive way. This essentially is a place where cars are allowed to drive on the beach, pretty much right next to the water. It was so weird to be cruising down the sand with the water almost lapping our tires. Other cars had parked and people were having cookouts (but it was freezing out, and considering how temperature-sensitive the Japanese I've met can be, this was surprising). We stopped and had lunch here, and played around on the beach for a while afterward. Some people went in the water, and one poor girl fell...that must have been a shockingly cold experience. Also, it made her dress see-through, so the teachers had to shield her as they took her back to the bus for new clothes. She survived okay, though, and we moved on in our journey.

The next stop was Ganmon, which is essentially this spot on the coast that has a huge rock formation that sort of looks like a gate. I am assuming this is the areas namesake, as the word for gate in Japanese is "mon". We got to play around on the rocks, which had mini tide pools and fun stuff like that. We took tons of pictures there, especially since it pretty much looked like Lost.

Finally, we made it to our final destination for the day, the Kagaya hot spring hotel in Wakura. This place was EPIC. I always feel like I don't really need to be rich, but let me tell you, this place makes you want to be able to afford it. We stayed in HUGE suites, complete with mini bathroom (including traditional Japanese tub), tea room, bedroom/dining room (they used futons so it was the same room), and a room whose purpose we never determined. All the floors were tatami mats. We got to dress in yukata, which are kind of like less intense versions of kimono, and prance around the hotel...it was awesome! They also threw us a little party, and then gave us a huge meal involving several courses and a ton of entertainment (aka drumming by dudes in masks and a bunch of girls dancing with clicky-clacky hand things. We actually got to go up on stage and dance with the girls, which was SO FUN). We then watched people make mochi, and some people helped too; mochi is essentially rice that's been pounded until it's all sticky and sort of paste-like, only more solid than paste. It's hard to describe, but it's amazing.

But the night was still young when we finished, so a few of my friends and I went down to experience our first Japanese onsen. Onsen is the word for hot spring in Japanese; essentially, this hotel pipes in fresh water from hot springs that's all nasty and salty and sulfer-y and let's people take baths in it. Now, bathing in Japan is a whole big deal; this was essentially what I do every night, only with other people and in a nicer place. You're not allowed to take towels into the bath, so you just get to run around naked with other peeps for a while, which was weird at first but then okay. Before you can get into the bath, you have to shower so that you don't take any nastiness into the bath with you. Then, you get to submerge yourself in ridiculously hot water (my bath at home is 42*C, or roughly 107*F; I have no clue how hot the onsen were, but probably about the same) for as long as you can. We did this for the next hour and a half or so, as there were a total of three baths on the women's side and we wanted to see them all. My favorite was the outside one, where the cool breeze really helped take the edge off of boiling your body alive.

I also discovered something else: I really like being the giggly gaijin who speaks a language pretty much no one else around can understand. It's funny, because in France I usually hated speaking English and hated the foreigner label it gave me. Now, because my looks pretty much give me away as a gaijin anyway, I care so much less. At first I was worried some people might understand, as English is required in all the schools here now. However, upon close observation, I have discovered that the average Japanese person is somewhat less skilled at English than one might think. Particularly fast English; sometimes they can get words if you say them slowly, but grammar in particular is lost on them, so if you speak quickly, almost no one understands anything. Of course, this is the same with me and Japanese, so I can't really feel good about my knowledge of English. I think this proves just how difficult it is for Japanese and English speakers to learn each others languages.

We woke up to tea and a very intense breakfast far too early the next morning. After bidding the hotel a reluctant farewell, we made our way over to a huge morning market in Wajima. It was really fun to walk around and see everything, and we picked up some weird pancake sandwiches (mine with cream in the middle!) as a quick snack. Next stop was the Kirico museum, which is all about an annual festival in Japan. We had our picture taken; I look horrible in it. Post-lunch, we went to a nearby rice field. I know this sounds boring, but it was actually really gorgeous. I made the poor choice of trying to run up the hill from the bottom to the top...I had to stop halfway, and I def was not making good time. The lack of exercise here is definitely detrimental.

Finally, we headed back home. As this leg of the trip was 2 hours long, all of us passed out, as most of us had gotten about 4 hours of sleep at the hotel. I have some pretty hilarious pictures, both mental and physical, of what everyone looked like asleep. It was a really really great time, even if it was a bit exhausting.

Today was also a lot of fun! One of the girls invited a bunch of us over to her house and we made soba, which is a kind of buckwheat noddle that's extremely popular in Japan. It's actually really easy to make, and I could probably manage it at home, provided I could find the right flour. It was really fun to just hang out with everyone and chat, as we don't really get much of a chance to talk to each other in English. I keep getting surprised when people I've only heard speak Japanese speak in English. For example, one girl in my class has a really high-pitched voice in Japanese; her voice in English is at least an octave lower, and her accent is not at all what I expected. It makes me wonder how different my voice is in other languages.

Anyway, this post is far too long, so I'm ending it here. Fun differences between Japan and America will just have to wait for another day!

Another animal themed post

Since SB decided to share about her host fam's pet, I'm sharing about mine. These are (in order from oldest to youngest) Chokore, Shifon, and Shiruku. Yes, the first two are supposed to be French. Why? I'm not sure.

Chokore (Chocolate) is the black one. She's the only girl, and also the only one who isn't falling all over herself to be around me. She's lovable, though, and I like that I don't have to constantly keep moving my face away from her so that she doesn't lick my face off. Sadly, I usually deal with cats, and know how to make amends with them when something has gone wrong. But my attempts to smooth things over with Chokore have been a complete failure. I will keep trying, however, and hope that one day we can be friends.

The brown one is Shifon. I'm not really clear on the spelling of this one, since it's supposed to be Chiffon but they don't have the chi as a "shi" sound in Japanese, nor do they really have "fo". So, I'm at a loss. Shifon is the one who's probably the most obsessed with me. He usually lies next to me when I'm eating dinner, and he's spent all of this afternoon in my room. If I try to pet one of the other ones during dinner time, he actually growls. He also constantly licks whatever part of my body is closest to his mouth. This morning while I was eating breakfast I looked up to see him licking a pillow. Whatever keeps him happy?

Finally, there's the baby, Shiruku. Shiruku is by far the most spoiled of the three. He's Chokore's baby, and he is cute but an absolute pain in the butt. He insists upon licking my face at every opportunity, as well as trying to go through my garbage. He stole my underwear once; I kid you not. If he thinks you're not paying enough attention to him, he scratches you...hard. Still, he's sweet and fun to pet, so I guess it's alright. He loves chewing on things. Fortunately, he seems to know that there are something things he shouldn't chew.

In other news, I've been keeping busy. This week I made Japanese sweets, went to the 21st century museum of contemporary art in Kanazawa, started making a pottery bowl, and meditated at a zen temple. Whatever, you know, just keeping it real.

I'm planning to include in my next post things that Japan has that America doesn't, as well as things that it doesn't have that America does. Stay tuned!

So...

not that this is terribly notable, but the family i'm staying with has a cat named "Chou Chou". now chch is one freaky dude. I've woken up on numerous occasions with him staring at me, sleeping on my crotch (above the covers!) or alternatively my chest so that i cannot breath. Also chch likes to lull you into a false sense of security, and while you pet him he takes a huge bite out of your arm. I could forgive all this is he didnt follow me around as well. i cant take the feline bedroom eyes...

Also, in unrelated stories, the other night i was taking a shower and something eventful happened. Now my host mother told me to be careful when stepping out bc the bathroom has a tendency to overflow. now after i took my shower, i carefully, ever so slightly/delicately etc etc reached for my towel and the end of it hooked onto a precariously placed glass foundation bottle on the sink and broke on the floor. now there is foundation EVERYWHERE and also broken glass. I look down and i notice that the i have a gash on my leg and its bleeding on the bath mat, and so I suddenly find myself all at once trying to clean up the foundation, mop up the water on the floor, keep my leg from bleeding, pick up the glass shards (giving me more cuts all over my hands in the process) all the while freezing my butt off bc i am still only wearing a towel! It was the host sister's foundation, so i had to tell her about it when she came to use the bathroom while i was half dressed and covered in foundation, toilet paper and blood. that was certainly awkward/maladroit. yay

I forgot to mention this last time...

I ate this. In case you're wondering what in god's name it is, let me explain. Those are doughnut hamburgers. They consist of doughnut buns, crunchy chocolate "meat", and some sort of sauce. I didn't even realize they had toppings until I started to eat them. Let me tell you, that was a shock. The first one I ate had strawberry cream in it. When I opened the next one, expecting the same, I ended up looking at a mysterious green paste, which upon tasting turned out to be green tea. Surprise! Let's just say I'm not going to repeat this experience any time soon.

look what i found on my camera...

Caitlin passed out after a frisbee tournament! ...i think

met the peeps...

they seem nice. I'm staying on the left bank in what seems like a fairly affluent area. Apparently Sofia Coppola lives in the same building (or so I am told). The parents are about middle aged, with kids around my age and older. They seem pretty independent, and each member of the family does his or her own thing.

oh, and they live on the top floor of a building with a broken elevator. sweet. Nothing gives a great first impression like a sweaty, disheveled New Yorker who is out of breath from trying to carry the 30+lbs bag up a narrow staircase while trying to remember the various verb tenses in french. Oh, and i misplaced my deodorant. go me.

One week in...

Other people need to update this thing…I look like the only freak who’s doing anything, it’s kinda embarrassing.

Everything’s going great here. I’m making friends with a real live Japanese schoolgirl, who said to me the other day: “I speak English. You understand it. I’m happy!” She’s so adorable it’s killing me. I managed to ride the bus incorrectly yesterday, though, so that was a failure. Still, I think I’ve had more wins than losses. I take baths every night, which is wonderful, and I watch wacky Japanese television where they play games to see who can shake a coat the most. Yeah, I’m being serious.

Sadly, I’m having trouble with that whole “exercise” thing. There’s NOWHERE here to exercise, or to throw discs or anything. There are parks, but they’re works of art, and I’m pretty sure no one would appreciate us throwing there. Plus, I’m not sure if the Japanese really think women can exercise. A question for my sensei.

I took a ton of pictures when we went to a local park for a tea ceremony. The Japanese certainly know how to make parks. I'll upload most of them to facebook soon. Keep an eye out!

Greetings from the future

Sorry it's taken me so long to post. Life's a little hectic here, and getting the internet can be a bit difficult, especially when 40 kids are all trying to use the wireless at the same time. I'll try to be quick and say as much as I can!

Japan is CRAZY. There's vending machines everywhere, but they only sell drinks...it's weird. Also, the buses are scarily clean. I'm constantly weirded out by how little garbage there is everywhere. Still, I guess that's something that shouldn't take too much getting used to.

My host family is ridiculously cute. There's my dad, who kinda looks Indian and doesn't really know how to handle me. Then there's my mom, who's really into new age stuff like crystals and all that; she's also extremely protective of me and also about the nicest person ever. She runs an adorable coffeeshop that I love. Then there's the grandmother, who I've only met once, but she seems like the world's most stereotypical Japanese grandmother. My host sister is kinda one of those crazy stylish asian teens, and she's really intimidating, but fortunately she doesn't really live with the family, so we don't see each other much. Oh, and the three dogs, who make a habit of attacking me in my room whenever they can...but I forgive them.

School is good so far, I guess. I have more fun getting interogated by the workers at my fam's coffeeshop, who ask me to clarify the difference between things like "meet" and "meat" in English and then act shocked when I can piece together a sentence in Japanese. Sooooo cute!

If I get a chance later when the internet's working again, I'll throw another update out!

Hot dam

I'm in Amsterdam with my dad. Yesterday we went to the Heineken Brewery and took the tour and had some beer. With the entrance fee you get like 2.5 beers, but since I don't like beer I made my dad drink like 4 beers in the span of 20 minutes. sweet. Then we did pedal boats on the canal, dude those things are hard enough without motor boats wizzing by and asain glow/disorientation from the 1/2 a beer i had.

Also, the peeps next door to my room in the hotel really need to lay off the pot. seriously. it smells like ass. ALL THE TIME