Sunday, June 6, 2010

First day with host family :D

Sunday night, 9:20pm Japan time (8:18am US time)


Apparently there was a small earthquake this morning while I was asleep and I didn't even notice!!!! CRAZY! My host family noticed, and they said it was small but shook the plates a little bit. :) I really hope I get to experience one while awake!


Today my host family took me to Tokyo Tower! The view was really amazing. I kept thinking about how ithe city is like a majestic expression of human power and accomplishments, in huge contrast to the Japanese humility and hospitality. I'm going to let the photos do the talking for a minute because it was too cool for words.
 This photo was taken from the road, but even so, look at those beautiful buildings. My host family seemed to think it was funny that I am obsessed with buildings and think they are beautiful, but they really are. In all the places I have lived (when I was aware of the world outside my house), I have never become accustomed to seeing such huge buildings. It's always a treat to see on vacations. Even though I'm going to be taking very intensive Japanese classes starting tomorrow, this is like the ultimate vacation for me. :D













I'll probably go to a Japanese arcade sometime, but the orientation leaders warned us that they are money sinkholes. And I have so many other things to be doing with my money here. :) There are all kinds of ridiculous games, but today my host family and I played a fun interactive game. It was called Magical Dungeon or something, in a room full of mirrored walls and pathways. (It's Taku-chan's favorite game, located under the Tokyo Tower.) I was given a card that went into a machine and assigned me a special category. Then I had to find a mirrored wall that had a hidden video screen behind it and it recognized my category and told me to find a special symbol. When I did, it told me what prize I won (a golden key, which opened a nonexistent gate into prizeland!) and then I had to go find that gate. After finding my symbols and gate through the mirror maze, I had to play a videogame with little coneheaded characters (but Taku-chan took my controllers and won the game for me). At the end, I had the most points of everyone, 20,000. :)

Anyway, I need to go now. :D

4 comments:

  1. Haha, hopefully you don't experience an ACTUAL earthquake.

    The Japanese buildings are very cool. I am wondering though, is your amazement with these city buildings because of how they are in Japan specifically, or because of how city buildings tend to be? Because these buildings don't look too radically different from the city tall buildings I saw in NY or even Mumbai for example, so I am curious!

    JAPANESE ARCADE IS BOSS AND YOU KNOW IT. Think of how amazing a Japanese arcade in Tokyo would be when Japan is like the origin of 80% of modern videogames!

    I'm excited to hear about your metro and class experiences in Japan next!

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  2. It is because they are really tall, really shiny buildings. I would like them if they appeared in a different city just like I think NYC is cool, but I have rarely been to big cities, it seems. (Remember, I was in NYC for only several hours.) Also, Japan has not a handful of huge buildings but TONS AND TONS. More than NYC, I bet. That, to me, is really cool.

    You forget that I am bad at videogames. :) Taku-chan keeps trying to play Wii with me but I keep getting awful headaches, for real. I actually have one right now.

    I didn't get lost today. :D

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  3. I don't know if Tokyo has more tall buildings than NYC. Maybe, but NYC has a shit ton of tall buildings! I love that city.

    PLAY MORE WII WITH TAKU-CHAN! I bet we could play some videogames when you return to the U.S. if you get decent at any of them :P.

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  4. I think I might like to live in a big city for a few years after I graduate.

    We can still play videogames even if I'm not too good at them. I like Wii Sports, the original 2-dimensional Mario, and Pokemon Stadium!!

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