First Week of Japan


I have been in Tokyo for a little over a week now. For most tourists, they might have already seen all the temples and parks and fancy restaurants. I, on the other hand, am only beginning to fall in love with Tokyo.

Apologies to myself for not blogging until now. I arrived at a busy time, so I always feel rushed to get things done. Being in Tokyo itself feels like being in college all over again, everything has a deadline, a schedule and a hierarchy. Sometimes I think blogging takes away too much of my time, but it's wonderful to be able to look back and laugh at all the little mistakes I used to make, so I think it's still a worthy compromise.

So here goes my lengthy blog--

Brief Timeline

3/3 - Depart from Hong Kong
4/3 - Arrive Narita, bus to Kichijoji, met Mr. R
5/3 - Visited a few guesthouses in Higashinagano, Nakano Shinbashi, tried and failed to get a cell phone, and cooked for my host.
6/3 - Visited a few guesthouses in Sendagaya, Higashi Koganei. Spend a few peaceful hours at Kichijoji Park. (I think this is when I really fall in love with Kichijoji and feel really at home...)
7/3 - Unbelievably stressed out. Met Sumie, Moved out to Higashi Koganei, met Yuliya, got lost in Shinjuku, freaked out, and finally found my way to Sakura HQ and paid my deposit.
8/3 - I wore a suit! Good god, I feel so weird, like a monkey in a boardroom. I went to the International JobFair in Akibahara. It was ... intense. Then I went to Sakura HQ again to pick up my room key and sign all my contracts. I am so irritable and bitchy when I speak in English... but it has to be done, signing contracts has never been a pleasant business anyway. Then I met James and Richard at the Higashi Koganei guesthouse.
9/3 - Met Andrew; and have breakfast with James, Andrew and Richard at Jonathan's. mmMMmmmm, sausage, bacon and eggs. I never thought I would say that but American breakfast is goooood. Then I moved to Sakura House in Sendagaya near Yoyogi station. Then I met Sumie-chan for dinner at a Izakanaya, we had Oden, a salad and a few drinks.
10/3 - Talked to American student in the Sakura house kitchen. Tried to find my barings around yoyogi area, e-mailed a few eikawa schools, and picked up some leaflets from several schools in yoyogi area. (anime schools, language schools, and yobiko)
11/3 - Walked into a Chinese restaurant to ask for a job, I think I got it (but I am still waiting for the e-mail.) Then I went to Shibuya to fill in my Gaijin Registrations. Then I went into an Apple Shop to admire the Mac Book Air... how I wish I could have one!! ;__; Then I spend hours and hours and hours in Kinokuniya (after visiting a few smaller bookshops.) I think I am in love with Shibuya, what with the apple shop and bookstores, I feel right at home!
12/3 - Went to Foodex with MrR and Sonoko, Internet died at sakura house that day and everyone suddenly have nothing to do... hurray! People are finally talking to me! Two Chinese girls came into my room after their part time job. Chating casually like this reminds me of the good old time in Lombok, Indonesia.



3-Mar-2008 Depart Hong Kong

I knew something was wrong as soon as I got up. Damn it, I still have so much to do. I was hoping to see a few more friends before I go, I still need to pack a few things, and was hoping to burn more data onto DVD for reference use in Japan. But, but, but... I have to wake up with the stomach flu (?)

I am not the kind to use drugs recklessly ... normally. I mean, I work in a clinic, I have seen enough animals getting mortally sick from owners who try to play doctor and self-medicate them with over the counter drugs. But, this is my last day in HK, and I wake up feeling like crap, so... after my first bout of diarrhea in the morning, I took some herbal medicine and hope to feel better.


A few hours afterwards, my diarrhea got worse. My whole body aches and I felt dizzy. I don't have a thermometer, but I just know I had a fever... either that, or I think I have one coming. So I took some paracetamol.

Then I proceed to sleep through most of the day. I couldn't actually sleep, but I was feeling too week to do anything else. Mom came back for lunch and offered to cook for me, but I was so nauseated I couldn't keep any food down. At last, I ate some lattice and tried very hard not to vomit.

Then came night time, mom and dad tested me for fever with the good old parental way -- with the back of their hands on my forehead ^_^;; They both think I had the fever, and I was feeling worse by the minute. I was starting to worry that they won't let me onto the airplane.

We were going to have dinner at the airport, but I just don't think I could keep anything down. So instead, mom and dad send me off and I entered the gate a few hours early. I was sweating one minute and shivering the next. I don't even get sick that often, why do I have to get sick now!??


4-Mar-2008 Arrive Tokyo

I found a cell phone in the airport, I tried to give it to one of the staff, he wouldn't even touch it. He told me to give it to a security officer, but offered no help as to where to find one. How is that for airport security? Some country encourage people to be alert about suspicious objects in public transits, HK airport just can't be bothered! Well, I am sick and I am dragging an oversized backpack around, so too bad if the cellphone is bomb activator. I just don't care!

0050am, I finally boarded the plane. I fell asleep almost as soon as I sat down, by the time they wake me up for the meal, I was feeling much better. I even managed to eat without feeling like throwing up. Seriously, I am not superstitious and I don't believe in fung shui, but I think there is something about HK that just ... makes me sick. As soon as I leave HK region, I am healthy again! Woohoo!!

The reality of going to Japan started to hit me as soon as I changed flight in Korea. The first announcement for boarding was in Korean, which I couldn't understand. So all the Korean started lining up and the rest of us just sit around like dummies. Then came the Japanese announcement, which was easy enough to understand, so I obediently joint the queue. At last, they did an annoucement in English thick in accent, which I actually couldn't understand. And the foreigners start to line up to0. I wonder what would I do if I were a typical Hongkie, with broken English and understand no Japanese.

During the entire flight, the flight attendants spoke to me in Japanese. Probably because I grabbed a copy of the Japanese news paper while I was boarding. It made me a little nervous and I was a little shy to speak at first, but I got over it quickly.

Japanese custom is simple if you have done your homework. I have to declare an address where I will be staying and I have to tell them what I would be doing. Since I have no solid plan, I just pulled Mr. R's addy out of my bluebook and walked on with no further issue. They didn't even ask to see my return ticket.

I took the Limosine Bus service from the airport to Kichijoji, which was simple enough. The first panic was the telephone system, which I got a little confused. I tried to reach Mr. R at a telephone box once I've reached Kichijoji, but I couldn't get through. I knew the number works because I had called him from HK before, but somehow I can't connect from with Japan. Luckily for me, there is a koban (police box) nearby, the omawarisan (cops) have been eyeing me with curiosity for some times anyway, due to my oversized backpack. So I walked in and explained my situation, I am supposed to call this person but I can't get the number to work. They were helpful enough -- turns out you have to add a zero in front of the area code when you call within Japan.

I waited in front of the koban for about an hour, and finally Mr.R came. I had no idea how busy he is at the time, I only start to appreciate the efforts he is making to help me (a total stranger to him) after living with him for a few days. Really, as wonderful as Tokyo is, nothing is easy. Choosing to couchsurf at a well-established gaijin's home is probably the best thing that happened to me. I thought gaijins are so preveledged in japan, life must be easy, but boy, I was wrong.


* * * That's enough writing for a day... I will blog again .. later. Right now, I gotta catch up with Aaron!