Ehheh... this one is it bit late, having happened the Saturday before the Kamakura trip. Nevertheless, here it is.

I went two other exchange students, one from Hungary and one from Germany, the Aussie's host mum, who has turned out to be a very kind person always willing to take us to interesting places, and a person who I recall being the host mum of either the Hungarian or German.

Inside the university we were assaulted by friendly university students, no doubt attracting even more attention that usual with three foreigners in Japanese school uniform. In typical Japanese festival style, there was a wealth of stalls selling your typical Japanese festival foods, from octopus balls to okonomiyaki to a crushed iced slushy type thing.

We wandered on, following the sound of drums, and ended up at a Taiko show. 

Unfortunately, and quite predictably, the sound really doesn't convey the booming awesomeness of the thing. I've heard Taiko from a CD before, and wasn't interested for too long, but it really is superb live.

Next we found a crazy dance being performed by some university students, and some old very professory looking foreigner.

 

Finally, we walked into the famous silhouette of Tokyo university, where we found a bunch of Japanese rascals playing music which might have been good were it not for the side motive of trying to make anyone who dared go within a hundred metres deaf.

 

 

Apologies for the recent lack of updates; partly due to the fact that I've simply been very busy at school and partly because I haven't had anything interesting to write about. It dawned on me one day that I should write about what it is like to be an exchange student 'That'll give me loads to write about!' I though, but I can't actually think of anything worth saying that isn't made up emotional dribble or practical advice like... err... remember to by some adapters at the airport for example.

Now however, I have two weeks with loads of free time. This is because it is now the week before test week at my school, and all clubs are taking a break, including the Kendo club. Next week, test week, is also club free, with every day ending at 11:40 so those poor Japanese students can go study all day and all night. Last Sunday then I wen't to Harajuku once more, the previous Sunday having been a YFU orientation day.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera's memory card at home, so I only had the camera's internal memory. This would have been suffice had I realised how to decrease the whopping resolution of the pictures, but try as I might I could not figure it out, which meant I could only take so many pictures. Only upon returning home did I realise I could have taken pictures with my perfectly adequate mobile phone camera. At home I also figured out how to change the resolution after about three seconds of fidgeting. God damn I hate being an idiot sometimes...

 

Unfortunately I don't real have pictures of the eccentrics today, as they were all gathered in the shady corner being oggled by an annoying number of tourists with huge cameras. Whenever any of them would pose some fat american (Don't you just love how nobody cares about prejudice against American tourists?) would shove in so their friend could take a picture. So instead I headed off to Yoyogi park for the first time, and bumbed into some of these fellows.

Another of Harajuku's Sunday spectacles is the congregation of so called "rockabillys", who dress up in leather, do their hair and put on a show. I had heard of these guys before and I wasn't expecting it to be very good, but I actually found them to be brilliant entertainament.

I swear it didn't even sway in the wind. 

And what better car for these eccentric scallywags than a pink cadillac? 

From there a followed a path on the left of the park which was crowded with lots of bands, most of them quite good. (Unlike the not-quite-so-skiled rapper I saw outside Shibuya station; felt a bit sorry for him when he said thank you into the microphone even though nobody even gave him a glance... then I found it amusing.) The interesting thing was that there would occasionally be two bands right next to each other, playing at the same time, which it seems results in a discreet yet furious battle with some volume knobs. I know my right ear was bleeding after passing them.
A nice band composed entirely of drums and barrels.

 
Also found these hippies painting the canvas for their new peace tent. 

 
Yoyogi park seems like a great place to go for a picnic, hard to believe a place like this exists in the middle of Tokyo. 

And finally I bumped into these girls on the bridge on my way back. Needless to say I made the most of their offer. As did a tall nerdy fellow who sort of stood in front of them with a petrified look on his face until one of the girls hugged him nervously while he stood there with his arms straight.

 
Last night I took my new camera (A Nikon Coolpix P5100 for those who care.) for a test drive with my good host brother who was kind enough to take me to Shibuya in the evening, despite the fair amount of rain which had lasted all day. Shibuya is about 15 - 20 minutes by train from where I live, so a quick trip to one of the coolest neon centres of the world before dinner isn't all too difficult.

Head to the photo gallery for more... photos! 

Today I had the surprise opprotunity to go with my brother to Shibuya to take his broken guitarr amplifyer to a music shop. Hooray! Didn't do anything else, but it was nice to see the place for the first time. On Thursday my older brother will hopefully take me to Shibuya in the evening, provided he isn't busy. By then I will have my new camera, so hopefully I can put up some decent photos ^^

View from the station. 

Shibuya crossing. 

Some streets! 

I wrote this post on Tuesday evening, but with no WLAN at the centre I haven't been able to publish it yet. Anyways, I've now safely settled down with my hosuto famurii. More on that later tonight perhaps.

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Monday, some time past 6AM, check in and nervous shuffling about done, the final goodbyes are said and we proceed through the security. I was expecting myself to be at least a little sad, but though I was incredibly moved by my parents goodbye, I could not help but grin. It’s finally the time I’ve been waiting for for so long, I am ridiculously excited and ready to rumble. Behind security our group, now isolated from our parents, exchanges phone numbers and news of our host families. Finally everyone makes it through, and after several completely unnecessary exclamations regarding the awesomeness of it all, we head to the gate. I sit myself down, take a breath, and stand up again, remembering that I need to buy some adapters.

Some of my adventuring comrades at Helsinki Vantaa airport.

The plane leaves fashionably late as airlines tend to do, and I spent the time in the air continuing to grin in awe at earlier mentioned awesomeness, while enjoying a fairly decent airline breakfast of ham, egg and tomato. Arrival at Vienna was easy, as we stepped off the plane almost straight into the terminal, where after some simultaneous gawking we decided to go straight through passport contro. There we bumped into some German YFU students who would share the plane with us.

We spent our time mostly at a cafeteria, where we made the most of our dodgy native language to talk about an annoying waiter irritated by our meagre orders, an unexpectedly large banana split. After the obligatory, and predicatbly dissapointing tour of the available shops we formed the trademark circle of shady looking youths along the terminal wall. Meanwhile, I indulged my masculine ego by filling the one deficiency in my supplies by buying a shaver. Gillette Fuuuusion Powaaaaa!!! Oh I do feel manly now.

More comrades, not so tired yet.

The plane to Tokyo was quite large and equipped with a decent LCD Enterteinamatron. The food on the plane was good, and in the middle of the night (Japan Time) we were treated to our first genuine Japanese food: instant ramen.

Mm-mm...

I also had the pleasure of sitting next to a friendly Japanese fellow, who was quick to begin with me a conversation about what us young scallywags were doing in such large numbers on our way to Tokyo. He turned out to be the head coach of the Japanese ski association’s Nordic Combined Team. He had even been to Finland, and one of his team members was Finnish! “Hyvää matkaa da ne” says he. Not bad for my first meishi (business card).

It seemed he also possessed the Japanese ability to fall asleep anywhere. I tried for many hours to get some sleep, but to no avail. All this time he was enjoying the entertainamatron, watching movies and the Japanese news. I then remember him going to sleep sometime before I did; he simply let his head drop in front of his torso and stayed so until morning.

Upon landing we finished off our customs and immigrations paperwork, and navigated our way thourgh the incredibly spotless Narita airport to the lobby. There we were met by an enthusiastic Japanese lady, who eventually guided us to our bus. The bus would take us to the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Shibuya-ku in the middle of Tokyo. The journey was proabably the coolest bus trip I have ever taken, with urban sprawl visible to the farthest horizon, crazy rollecoaster like roadways criss crossing over each other, and of course: the skyscrapers. We even got a glimpse of the Emperors Palace, not to mention the suitcase totting salarymen.

Disney Resort Tokyo’s new hotel on the right.

These pictures don’t really do the ride justice, but my phone camera wasn’t quite practical enough for this occasion.

At the center we were sheperded to a conference room, where some enthusiastic and good natured YFU volunteers enlightened us on the programm for the next few days. A slight dissapointment, as despite being in the middle of Tokyo we wouldn’t be leaving the center at all. Ah well, I’ll be staying here for the next ten months anyway.

 

Will have to do with oggling the view.

The only exception to this was today, when after the information session we had the opportunity to visit the Mejijingu Shrine, apparently one of the largest of its kind. It was situated in the middle of a large, scenic park, a nice destination on it’s own. At the entrance to the temple we rinsed our hands and mouth at the available holy water.

Slightly brown as of yet it seems...

Entrance to the shrine.

Inside the shire we went to the main “altar” where our YFU Volunteer showed the correct way to make a prayer. First, chuck some money into one of the trays, then bow twice, clap your hands twice, make your prayer with your hands held together and then bow once more. Obviously I had to give it a go.

Finally our group made our own prayer tablet to add to the ones above.

It says in Finnish: “A brilliant exchange student year for all of us.”

Back at the centre we were enlightened some more, and were then showed to our lodging. Bags deposited, we headed back for an explanation of the meal system and then dinner. One could choose from a variety of themed dishes, such as Japanese, Chinese, or Western. I chose the Japanese dish, a meal composed of miso soup, a bowl of rice and a chunk of Tofu with a surprisingly small amount of beef something-or-other. After the meal I headed back to the lodging to fidget with a not-so-idiotproof adapater, and write this article. Time to head for a shower.

Right, I’m back. Now to continue the article previously thought finished. Not only did I have a shower, but the whole Japanese bath experience. The communal changing room was no shocker, since we have similar ones in Finland. In fact, thanks to my nationality I was able to enjoy the whole process without needless shyness with my nether regions. After stripping, we entered the bath area, and sat on one of the stools as the tap stations lining the bath area’s walls. In addition to a shower head, there was a small tub or bucket for wich I found no practical use. I assumed it was to be filled with water and used for rinsing, but there was already a shower for that. Looking around at the natives I found the buckets to be full, but lying idle. Nevertheless, this mytery left temporarily unsolved, Osaka boy and I proceeded to the bath, which wasn’t quite as searing hot as I had been expecting. Truly I found it to be a very enjoyable experience, and a fine substitute for sauna while I’m here.

Initially alone in the large bath tub, we were then joined by an American. Friendly conversation revealed that he infact lived here, a surprise considering his appearance. In fact he had lived most of his life here, and was currently in Tokyo researching Japanese history.

Slowly the disbelief that I’m actually in Japan is wearing of, but the ridiculous awesomeness sure isn’t. I can’t wait to meet my host family on Saturday, but until then, I doubt I will be bombarded with new experiences at such a rate here at the orientation site.