Festivals, Chilling, and Cooking in Nagoya

Hey guys~!

This week has been a bit slow, so this post will be a bit shorter than usual. Anyway, early this week, my mother and I went to a family friend's house in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture to meet her newborn daughter. My mother and I went by car with another friend of ours. Anyway, the house we visited was VERY cute and it looked like an American house! Inside the house, we spent a few hours talking and playing with the baby. She was very adorable and she was smiling most of the time! No matter who held her, she never cried, which surprised me. I would love to visit our friend's daughter again!

After the visit, my mother and I went to a restaurant with the friend who drove us to Toyota. Although I been to the restaurant many times, I still don't remember the name of it. :[ However, when we all get together, we always go to the same place. We ordered okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), monjayaki (Pan-fried batter, kind of similar to okonomiyaki), and other pan fried foods (such as seafood). It was all very good and I was BLOATED.

On Sunday, I went to a a festival near the house with my mom, grandmother, and my grandmother's friend. It took place in an area called Kakuozan in Nagoya. It was awesome! It was similar to the street fairs in NYC, where there were many clothes and food vendors. There were a lot of people as well and some were wearing yukata. Seeing them, I wish I had brought mine with me from NYC. >.< Along the way, I saw some performances including bands and taiko drummers. In general, the festival was very lively and I loved the atmosphere. I hope I can go to another one!

I have been recently been making food for myself as well! In the picture, I made pumpkin wrapped in pork, sour plum rice balls (using brown rice), natto with sour plum, and slice nagaimo with pumpkin, shiso, and sour plum sauce on top. It was really good! I ate all but a rice ball. I am hoping by cooking often at home, I can cook while I am in Kansai Gaidai University. ^.^



Anyway, next week I'll be going to Tokyo and seeing my family and friends. I am SOOO excited!

Sayonara~!

Touring Around Nagoya and Going to Atami

 Hey guys~!

Sorry I've been writing later and later. A lot of things has been going on and I couldn't start on writing the blog! Early this week, my friend from NYC came to Nagoya and we went around various tourist attractions. He stayed for two days, one night at the house. On the first day, we went to Nagoya Castle, Oasis 21, the SKE48 theatre, Higashiyama Sky Tower, and the restaurant Gomitori with my mom. I've been to Oasis 21 and Gomitori before, but other than that, it was my first going to all the places. It was really fun looking around, but so tiring! -.-'' Here are some pictures of some places we went to.

This is the Nagoya Castle, which is one of the Japanese castles around the country! Here, we ate kishimen, which is flat, thin noodles famous in Nagoya. I ate cold kishimen and it was perfect for the hot weather.

This is the Higashiyama Sky Tower. We went up to the top by elevator and we were able to see the whole city! We went up exactly when the sun was starting to come down, so it was VERY pretty! ^.^ The picture of the view is right under. If you look closely, there are mountains all the way in the back.



 The next day, we went to Osu Kannon Temple, where we prayed, and the Osu shopping area. The shopping area is HUGE and we only walked around just a bit of it. We looked at some shops, but I didn't buy anything. We had lunch there too, and we ate at a hamburger shop (I had a gorgonzola cheese burger). After, we hanged out at Nagoya station for a bit until he had to leave to Osaka. It was very nice looking at all the Nagoya tourist sites because usually I don't have the chance to actually visit the places. Maybe I'll go again (like the Osu shopping area!).

This past Saturday, I went to Atami, Shizouka prefecture to meet with family members and spend time with them for two days, one night. I went with my mother and grandmother, and we met up with my aunts and great aunts. We went to a hotel that's right in front of the ocean and it was very nice! It has been 3 years since I actually went to the beach (except for Coney Island. That doesn't count). The hotel had a very retro 70s look. There was a dagashiya (cheap candy store), an izakaya with old movie posters on the wall, and souvenir shop (it had a lot of retro bathing suits!). It was so much fun just looking around the hotel.

At night, my family and I went to a performance dinner. The dinner was really good although I thought there was too much meat throughout the whole course (In one course, there was pork hot plate, sashimi, and steak. I thought the steak was unnecessary). The performance was very nice as well, where the performers sang various types of songs. However, the performance was too loud and I was unable to hear my family members talk.

After the performance dinner, we watched fireworks go up from the ocean. I loved it! It was much prettier to see from the ocean rather than the Hudson River in NYC during July 4th. The firework performance lasted for 30 minutes.

Later that night, we all went to the onsen before going to sleep. The next day, my family and I went to a rose garden that was set on a side of a mountain. Although it was VERY hot, looking at the flowers was nice. There wasn't much roses, but there were other flowers as well and the garden was very colorful. At the rose garden, we all ate this delicious rose ice cream! On top of the rose ice cream was rose syrup and on the bottom, there was corn flakes. I must say that this ice cream was probably the best ice cream I ever ate (the second best ice cream is the ice cream I ate at a farm in Kyushu). However, the ice cream would of been better if the flakes were on top instead of the bottom because by the time I went to the bottom, there was no ice cream left but corn flakes. >.<

Anyway, this week has been fun! Until next week, sayonara~! ^.^

Visiting the school

Hey guys~!

Sorry for the last post! I have been busy the whole week, so I couldn't write for much. However, I'll be back on track (hopefully)! Anyway, this week I went to visit Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata City, Osaka to take a look around the campus. Before I went to the campus, I stayed over at a friend's house for the night before we went to visit. Her house was in Osaka and we got there pretty late at night, so I didn't have time to look around the city. Instead, we all ate a famous yakiniku chain place called Jonetsu Horumon. The meat was pretty good and I ate a lot of garlic! -.-'' After eating, we all went back to the friend's house and watched a horror drama and variety show.

Early next day, we all went towards Hirakata City from Osaka which took about 40 minutes by train and bus. The campus was REALLY beautiful and I loved it~! The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of green around the campus. Although it was really hot day, by having plants and flowers around the campus made it seem a bit cooler. There were many students around as well, going to their classes. Apparently, finals were nearing and everyone was getting stressed about it. We first got a tour of the campus by a student who goes and works there. I learned that Kansai Gaidai has three dining areas as well as McDonald's, Seattle's Best Coffee, and a fancy Italian restaurant/cafe. They also have a convenient shop with an ATM. There are two main buildings made for lectures/classes. One of them are mostly for students who are studying abroad. Other than that, we looked at each buildings without going inside and I learned where each building was.

After touring around the campus, we all went to the Center for International Education, where I met up with one of the women who works there. Coincidently, the women was an old coworker of my mom and we got along very easily. I asked her many questions about studying abroad such as paying money for the program, getting an ATM and opening a bank, etc. She was very helpful and I was so relieved. I also looked at the dorms at Kansai Gaidai University since I didn't know what dorm I wanted to live in. Although I couldn't see all the dorms, I saw the one that I preferred the most, which is Seminar House IV. The students live in an eight tatami style rooms that each has a desk and dresser. Futons with linen are also given to the students for when they sleep. For those who wondering what the room looks like, the picture is on the right. The dorm also has a REALLY gigantic kitchen, where everyone can cook. Two rooms each has a refrigerator and there were many stoves for the students to use. The dorm also lets the students borrow cooking supplies, which means I don't have to bring some from my grandmother's house! ^.^ There was also a really nice lounge next to the kitchen with a TV. From Seminar House IV, a bus also runs right in front of the building, which stops right in front of the school. However, I'm thinking about buying a bicycle because it's cheaper! Plus, by the end of the year, I was told that I could sell the bike at the same place I can buy it. Yay! But the only negative thing about the dorm is paying for the laundry and dryer.

 Other than visiting the school, I celebrated my grandmother's birthday on July 9th. She turned 75! My mother and I bought a strawberry shortcake at a department store called Mitsukoshi. Here's a picture of her blowing out the candles!

Although this week has already started and I have done some cool stuff, so hopefully I can write about it this upcoming weekend. Be excited!

Until next time, sayonara~!

Spending time in Nagoya

Hey everybody~!

This week has been slow and I haven't done anything grand or exciting. The weather here in Nagoya has been pretty bad lately and for a few days it was raining. Now it's just cloudy and REALLY humid. According to the news, the rainy season has passed 15 days earlier than expected. Anyway, the whole week I chilled with my mom. During the weekend, I help out with my grandmother. At home, my mother and I tried to clean up because it is SOOO messy and there's just so many stuff. Literally, it's taking us a long time and I'm starting to think I won't have time to find a job. D:

Besides cleaning, my mother and I joined a gym for a month. It cost about ¥8500 or $85 for each of us. I think it's a bit expensive, but my mom said it's not bad... so whatever. We've been going to the gym for 3 days now and my legs felt like bricks. On the first day, my mother and I took a class called Technical Ballet. It was mostly a muscle training class rather than ballet so I was able to do it even though I have no ballet experience. On the second day, we took Shape Aero and CXWORX. I did not like Shape Aero because it was kind of like dance and for some reason, the choreography had a lot of spins (I got bit dizzy >.<). CXWORX was a core muscle training class, which was kinda hard. :/ On Friday, my mother took an aquatics class while I just swam some laps around the pool. It wasn't bad since it was a hot day. We'll be going back to the gym on Monday!

I have been cooking a bit as well. Recently, I have made hanetsuki gyoza (fried dumplings with crisp edges?), nagaimo and tofu baked guratan (gooey yam with tofu and baked in an oven), and sweetened pumpkin. Here is the sweetened pumpkin and nagaimo and tofu baked guratan. How does it look?

What else has happened...? I have also gotten a cell phone in Japan, which was cheap. My mother is already part of a plan in Japan with Softbank, so we were able to get an extra line barely without any cost! It's not a smartphone, but rather a regular white flip phone. Unlike the cell phones in America, it seems a lot better since it has a music/movie player and a REALLY good quality camera. Although it's not a smartphone, I'm fine with it! It's not like I'm going to be here forever! :P

Next week I'll be going to Osaka to visit Kansai Gaidai University and to meet up with a family friend. I'll write about it and put a lot of pictures! ^.^

Until next time, sayonara~!

My Kyushu Adventure

Hey everybody~!

So this week I went to Kyushu from Nagoya by Shinkansen or the bullet train. My mom and I went for five nights and six days, going to different cities/towns each day by train. It was VERY tiring because I was sick the whole time and it was raining most of the time. >.<

Day 1

My mother and I first went to Kagoshima city from Nagoya by Shinkansen early morning, which took about 3 hours. When we finally got off, we were picked up a friend who drove us to Miyakonojo in Miyazaki Prefecture, which was our first stop of our trip. It was really cloudy and rainy, and because of this, we were unable to see most of the mountains and scenery along the way. We stopped by their house for a few hours and then we went to a restaurant. We met up with some more friends and we all had yakiniku (Korean bbq) and shabu-shabu (a dish where thin slices of meat are dipped in boiling water along with vegetables). The meat was extremely delicious and it's seemed more fresh than the ones in United States!

After eating dinner, we all to a friend's dance studio and talked some more. At that studio, there were nine miniature dachshund. They were so cute~! Most of the time I was playing with them. Here's a picture of some of them!

That night, my mother and I stayed at a business hotel.

Day 2

The next morning we checked out at 10am. We went towards Kirishima, Miyazaki Prefecture by car with the same friend we met up on the first day. Along the way, we all ate some REALLY good soba and udon for lunch. I had tempura udon and the noodles were really soft!

We went to Kirishima-jingu, which is a shinto shrine. There, I prayed and bought an omamori (charm) for a friend of mine!




We all, then, went to an onsen in Kirishima, where we rubbed mud all over our bodies. Supposedly, by rubbing the mud on our bodies, it makes our skin very smooth. After, my mother and I stayed at a hotel at Kirishima, which also had an onsen. However, I did not get a chance to go inside. -.-''

Day 3

This day, my mom and I went to Yufuin in Oita Prefecture. The town was very cute! There were many cute shops and food shops along the main street. While walking to the hotel, we stopped by many shops including one called Donguri no Mori (translated to "Acorn Forest"). There, a lot of Ghibli goods were sold such as Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, etc. However, they were all expensive! :( Along the way, we became hungry, so we bought this type of food called bakudan-yaki ("fried dynamite"). It was exactly like takoyaki (fried octopus ball), but much bigger. Apparently, the store was featured on T.V. Anyway, the picture of bakudan-yaki is on the left!

Day 4

After the night at Yufuin, my mom and I went to a friend's relative's hotel in Oita Prefecture. All I can say is that it was really nice because those we met were all very nice and welcoming! Also, the hotel was all the way deep inside the mountains and the scenery were very nice! But because of the rain, we were unable to see the stars during the night. :(

That night, my mother and I went in the onsen, where half of the village shares the bath (there's 10 families in the whole village!). Again, it was very relaxing and nice. :) We also ate some REALLY great food. All of it was really fresh and I loved it! I had horse meat for the first time as well and I liked it a lot. 

Day 5

When my mom and I checked out of the hotel, we were taken to Rakan-ji, which is a Soto temple in Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture. It stands on the side of a mountain and we had to get on a lift in order to visit the temple. When we got off the lift, we walked towards the main hall of the temple, where there was a lot of Buddha sculptures along the way. It was interesting, but a bit scary at the same time because all of the sculptures were really old (apparently, the temple was made in 1337!). We wrote our wishes on a shyamoji when reaching the main hall, and we attached them on the wall along with many others. An example of how we done it is right below! Before we left the temple, I bought myself an omamori that brings happiness! ^.^ It has two little cherry blossoms on it and I attached it to a little pouch of mine. 

After the temple, my mother and I went towards Hakata, Fukouka Prefecture and met up with a long time family friend. Unlike the places we visited, Hakata is more of a city. We all stayed in a gigantic hotel that has an onsen along with a game room, a library, and other cool stuff. It was pretty cool just walking around the hotel!

Day 6

During the last day, we all stopped by Dazaifu, Fukouka Prefecture before my mother and I went back to Hakata and then to Nagoya late at night. Although there were a lot of stores for tourists, we went straight to Daizaifu Tenman-gu, which is a Shinto shrine. There, I prayed that I'll do well in my studies during my time in Kansai Gaidai. 

In general, the trip was a wonderful experience and it was so nice meeting friends as well as new people! Although I was sick, I would love to go back to Kyushu. Hopfully when I feel better and not during rainy season. 

This week, I'll be in Nagoya the whole time and I'll be relaxing. 

Until next time! Sayonara~! ^.^

Experiencing Nagoya

Hey everyone!

So this week I spent most of my time in Nagoya, just chilling. Starting from early this week, I bought a charity t-shirt for "24 Hour Television ~Ai wa Chikyuu wo Sukuu~" ("24 Hour Television ~Love Saves Earth~), which is a special television program done once a year for 24 hours. The program raises and donates money to charities that aids in the sick, victims of war and natural disasters, and more. Each year, there's a special theme and this year it is "Nippon tte...? ~kono kuni no katachi~" (which means "What is Japan...? ~The shape of the country~). Here is the front and back of the shirt. The drawings are done by Ohno Satoshi (from the idol group Arashi) and an artist name Kusama Yayoi. Isn't is cute?! ^.^

On Wednesday, my mother and I went to a nearby city called Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture with a friend name Misato-san. There, my mother and Misato-san took a dance class with a teacher name Seiji-san, who we all know and are friends with. I didn't participate, but my mom did and she said it was pretty hard. He taught two classes, one beginner "Soul" dance class and another intermediate level fusion class (apparently which is house dance, and other street dance combined). The last class ended at 11:30pm. My mom, Misato-san, Seiji-san, me, and another friend went back to Nagoya and ate at a family restaurant called Cafe Gusto. It had different types of food such as pasta, pizza, and hamburgers. My mother and I shared a dish called doria (a rice casserole). It had various seafood and vegetables inside. After eating, my mother and I went back to the house at 3am.

The next day, Seiji-san taught another class and did a workshop at a different location. Although my mother did not take the class, we later met up with him after at 10pm in Nagoya. Along with Misato-san, Seiji-san, and four other people, we all went to an izakaya, which is basically a restaurant that serves food with sake/alcoholic drinks. The izakaya we went to was called Gomitori and it was in Sakae, a popular shopping area. I did not drink anything, but I ate some REALLY good food. I had some famous Nagoya specialty food including miso katsu (pork cultlet with miso sauce) and tebasaki (chicken wing). I also ate some really good sashimi and other Japanese food. My mother and her friends had a lot of drinks (including beer and sake), and we all talked until 3 am in the morning. After leaving the restaurant, Seiji-san wanted to have some more drinks, so we went to another restaurant type place. However, we made a wrong choice and picked a restaurant that does not particularly specialize in drinking (instead it was just a 24 hour restaurant -.-''). We were told that each person had to order a dish (not including drinks) even though we were full. Reluctantly, we all did (including beer for Seiji-san) and stayed 'till 4am. After, we all finally parted ways, and my mother and I got home at 5am. Although it was fun hanging out with everyone, I was SOOO tired! >.<

This week, I started to catch a cold as well. :'( I don't know how I got it, but recently it has been a little chilly in Japan because of the continuous rain for the past two days from a hurricane. Next week, I'll be going around Kyushu, which is an island all the way south of Japan. I'll be going around the island with my mom, mostly for her work as well as sightseeing. I'll be writing all about it when I come back.

Until next time, sayonara~!

Start of my fun experience!

Hey everyone! 

So, I will be writing a blog about my experiences in studying abroad in Japan. I'll be studying in Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan as part of the Asian Studies program. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm very excited! I'm hoping that I will improve my Japanese significantly especially my reading and writing skills. I'm also hoping that I'll be more independent and perhaps even start cooking more often while I'm dorming! By doing this, I'll probably save some money. However, school has not started yet (which the first day of classes is September 2nd, 2013). 

I landed in Japan early on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013, about two months before school starts, because I wanted to spend time with my family here and perhaps even find a job while I'm at it (don't worry! I'm a Japanese citizen so I could work! ^.^). I'm currently in Nagoya, but I landed in Tokyo on Tuesday, and my mother and I met up with a family friend. We went to their hometown in Nagono Prefecture by their car. Their town is called Kijimadaira. 

Kijimadaira is VERY nice! In every directions there were mountains and it was very cool unlike Tokyo, where it was very humid and hot. There were a lot of rice and vegetable fields in the town as well. The town also had a ski resort, which was right next to our friend's house. 

Our friend's house, which my mother and I stayed in, was GIGANTIC!!! They have about 3 floors with 3 baths and bathroom. My mother and I counted the number of rooms on their 3rd floor and there was 11 rooms! Their house was apparently a small hotel before they bought it and moved in. This is a picture of their house. Isn't it nice? :D It doesn't seem like a Japanese house at all!

Around the area, there are a lot of onsen. An onsen is a place where people take baths together in hot springs at hotels or inns. Often times, friends, colleagues, and family members go together to relax. Of course, men and women bath separately. During the first night, we went to a hotel right in front of their house which had an onsen. It was mostly indoor and relaxing. 

On the second day, we went to another onsen, which was a lot nicer than the first. Unlike the first onsen, it was set outside! The mountains were right in front of us and it was spectacular. My skin became very smooth as well when I went in the onsen perhaps because of the minerals inside the water. We spent about an hour and a half here. Here is a picture of me and our friend in onsen.

After visiting our family friend, we went back to Nagoya to take care of my grandmother. Besides that, I have been hanging out in the city, getting groceries and other necessary items with my mother. While shopping for food, it made me realize how cheap many of the foods are such as vegetables. In New York City, it's so expensive! I haven't done much else besides buying necessary personal items and hanging out with my grandmother. 

Well, until next week, sayonara~!