Can you believe that we've been without a TV for over half a year? When we were in Germany, the apartment came furnished with a TV, so we didn't need to get our own. When we moved to Japan in April, there were so many things to buy (dining table, fridge, shelves, bed, etc) that we decided that we would put off on getting a TV and get the necessities first. (apparently a TV isn't a necessity). Anyway, it hasn't been bad at all. We have Internet, so we watch movies on the computer. The time that we would use watching TV is now used to read books, play DS against each other, and play games. We haven't really missed not having a TV at all. But, I recently got a Wii for my birthday, and it makes it very difficult to play with no TV!!!
We were THIS close to getting a new TV over the weekend! We already have a TV picked out, we just need to price around to see where we can get the best discount. After visiting 2 Yamada Denkis, Kojima, and another smaller electronic shop, Kojima was able to give us the best deal. . . or so we thought.
We were pricing around for a flat screen TV and the matching TV stand. Kojima gave us a deal that was $300 cheaper than the other shops, so we decided to go back and get the TV! We were all excited about finally getting a TV and were thinking of when we should have it delivered, etc. HOWEVER when we went back, and asked for the same price, they were like "oh, sorry, we gave you the wrong price!" HMPH! Apparently the price they told us was for the cheaper TV stand, not the one we wanted! The correct price they quoted us was actually $100 more expensive than the other shops! We felt kind of cheated! We didn't end up getting a TV, but went home very disappointed. We decided to wait until the price of the TV of our dreams drops to within our budget.
So, needless to say, my Wii is still sitting in the box.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
That's Some Dangerous Eats!
Last weekend we went out to dinner to a Fugu restaurant. (Fugu is a Japanese delicacy, otherwise known as blow fish). Anyway, did you know that Fugu is actually a poisonous fish? I think it is only served in Japan, and the chefs need to have a special license in order to prepare it. Supposedly there are a few people who die every year from eating Fugu that wasn't prepared correctly (probably done at home or something.)
Anyway, we got the Fugu course, which consisted of Fugu sashimi (I didn't try it), deep-fried Fugu, Fugu skin in jelly, Fugu skin salad, and shabu-shabu Fugu (like hotpot). And we got another course which included some shabu-shabu beef. We all agreed that it wasn't what we expected it to taste like. It didn't taste spectacular or anything. To me, it tasted like catfish. . . just a MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE version of it!
So, if it doesn't taste all that spectacular, what's all the hype? I think people just like the thrill of eating something that could potentially kill them!
Anyway, we got the Fugu course, which consisted of Fugu sashimi (I didn't try it), deep-fried Fugu, Fugu skin in jelly, Fugu skin salad, and shabu-shabu Fugu (like hotpot). And we got another course which included some shabu-shabu beef. We all agreed that it wasn't what we expected it to taste like. It didn't taste spectacular or anything. To me, it tasted like catfish. . . just a MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE version of it!
So, if it doesn't taste all that spectacular, what's all the hype? I think people just like the thrill of eating something that could potentially kill them!
Friday, November 30, 2007
What Are They Thinking?
It's been pretty cold here in Japan during the past few weeks. In the 50's during the day, and low 40's at night. It's become necessary to start turning on our heater and get out the heavy blanket for the bed. Ahh, winter is finally here. . . at least unofficially.
At school, the teachers room is heated, so it's warm and toasty all the time. . . sometimes to the point of it being too warm. HOWEVER in the classroom, they have yet to turn on the heaters. So, all the teachers and not to mention students have to wear jackets to the classroom. I've been keeping a fleece pullover at school for when I have class. I feel really sorry for the girls, because they have to wear skirts! They must be freezing! A lot of the girls have blankets in class to keep their legs warm. It's really sad. Or some have resorted to wearing their gym pants under their skirts to keep warm.
I asked the teacher when they would start using the heaters in the classroom, and they said that the official heating day doesn't start until December. BUT, get this, they will only turn on the heater for the students if the temperature goes below 10 degrees Celsius (or 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Then I was like "huh? You mean the outside temperature or the inside temperature?" Then the teacher told me that it was the inside temperature!!! I've never heard of anything so ridiculous! So, that means that outside it has to be in the low 30's for the temperature inside to be below 50 degrees F.!!!
Then I'm thinking, no wonder there are so many kids getting sick! It's freezing in the classroom!!!
At school, the teachers room is heated, so it's warm and toasty all the time. . . sometimes to the point of it being too warm. HOWEVER in the classroom, they have yet to turn on the heaters. So, all the teachers and not to mention students have to wear jackets to the classroom. I've been keeping a fleece pullover at school for when I have class. I feel really sorry for the girls, because they have to wear skirts! They must be freezing! A lot of the girls have blankets in class to keep their legs warm. It's really sad. Or some have resorted to wearing their gym pants under their skirts to keep warm.
I asked the teacher when they would start using the heaters in the classroom, and they said that the official heating day doesn't start until December. BUT, get this, they will only turn on the heater for the students if the temperature goes below 10 degrees Celsius (or 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Then I was like "huh? You mean the outside temperature or the inside temperature?" Then the teacher told me that it was the inside temperature!!! I've never heard of anything so ridiculous! So, that means that outside it has to be in the low 30's for the temperature inside to be below 50 degrees F.!!!
Then I'm thinking, no wonder there are so many kids getting sick! It's freezing in the classroom!!!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Japanese Wedding
Last weekend we went to a friend's wedding party. We were not invited to the wedding or wedding reception, but this was sort of like a gathering of friends. In Japanese it is called a 二次会、which is like a "second" party. Anyway, even though these are invitation only parties, guests have to pay for themselves, usually a set amount decided upon by the couple. Can you believe that? It's typical in Japan to have these types of parties. . . or so I'm told. I still wasn't used to the fact that we are invited guests, but were expected to pay!!! (since guests have to pay, they are not expected to bring a gift.)
Guess how much it cost to attend the party? Wait, before you guess, let me describe the location and the food, then you can guess. The couple rented a hall in a trendy part of Tokyo called Aoyama. There were probably about 70 people there, standing room only. . . unless you were lucky enough to get there early and sit at one of the 4 tables! The food was just okay. There were some finger foods, followed by salad, and then some pasta. This was all buffet style. . . but I think there wasn't enough food to go around. And of course there were just small serving plates, so you couldn't exactly pile it on! There was an all you can drink bar as well with bear, wine, juice, tea, etc. For dessert there was gelato, tiramisu, as well as wedding cake, but we didn't get a piece of the wedding cake, since it was so small, and it didn't get passed around to us. But, the gelato and tiramisu was good. Oh, and there were some raffle prizes, such as a mp3 player, 2 tickets to Disneyland, and the grand prize was a Nintendo DS. I think the cost of the prizes are included in the "admission" price of the party. So, what's your guess?
It cost us a WHOPPING $180 to attend the party! The cost was $90 per person!!! Can you believe that? Oh, but I should mention, that the invitation did say that if you are can show a student ID, then you can get a $5 discount! Whoopie! Like what student can afford to pay $85 for "dinner?" I was expecting to have a sit-down steak dinner or something!!! This was far from close to that!!! I've talked to other people about these types of parties, and they say that they usually cost around $50 per person. So, the $90 that we paid was too much! It must have been the location that was expensive!
Out of the 70 or so guests that were there, we only knew 1 other person, other than the couple. So, the 3 of us hung out the whole time. We were tired of standing for 2 hours, and just snacking on small snacks, that we decided to leave a bit early (after greeting the new couple of course) and we went out for ramen. I would have never expected to pay $90 and still end up being hungry at the end of the night!!! Go figure!
Guess how much it cost to attend the party? Wait, before you guess, let me describe the location and the food, then you can guess. The couple rented a hall in a trendy part of Tokyo called Aoyama. There were probably about 70 people there, standing room only. . . unless you were lucky enough to get there early and sit at one of the 4 tables! The food was just okay. There were some finger foods, followed by salad, and then some pasta. This was all buffet style. . . but I think there wasn't enough food to go around. And of course there were just small serving plates, so you couldn't exactly pile it on! There was an all you can drink bar as well with bear, wine, juice, tea, etc. For dessert there was gelato, tiramisu, as well as wedding cake, but we didn't get a piece of the wedding cake, since it was so small, and it didn't get passed around to us. But, the gelato and tiramisu was good. Oh, and there were some raffle prizes, such as a mp3 player, 2 tickets to Disneyland, and the grand prize was a Nintendo DS. I think the cost of the prizes are included in the "admission" price of the party. So, what's your guess?
It cost us a WHOPPING $180 to attend the party! The cost was $90 per person!!! Can you believe that? Oh, but I should mention, that the invitation did say that if you are can show a student ID, then you can get a $5 discount! Whoopie! Like what student can afford to pay $85 for "dinner?" I was expecting to have a sit-down steak dinner or something!!! This was far from close to that!!! I've talked to other people about these types of parties, and they say that they usually cost around $50 per person. So, the $90 that we paid was too much! It must have been the location that was expensive!
Out of the 70 or so guests that were there, we only knew 1 other person, other than the couple. So, the 3 of us hung out the whole time. We were tired of standing for 2 hours, and just snacking on small snacks, that we decided to leave a bit early (after greeting the new couple of course) and we went out for ramen. I would have never expected to pay $90 and still end up being hungry at the end of the night!!! Go figure!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Grammar Check!
Okay, last week, in the 3rd year classes, we were studying "must and must not." I was teaching only "must" and "must not" but in the book it also mentioned "mustn't." First of all, how do you spell the contracted form of "must not?" I had never used it to begin with, but if I were to spell it, it would be "musn't." I was going around checking the students' sentences, and I was correcting some of them because I "thought" they had too many "t's." I later found out that the proper way to spell it is "mustn't." (a student actually showed me the text book and corrected me.)
So, that got me thinking about my second question. Do native English speakers actually use the word "mustn't?" I never use it. Is it something that we actually learn in school as young children? To me, it sounds like something that people in the South would say. . . like, " Billy-Joe, you mustn't talk loudly in church." I don't think I've ever heard it in daily conversation at all. That makes me wonder, who wrote the text book? Maybe it's some Japanese person living in Georgia!
So, that got me thinking about my second question. Do native English speakers actually use the word "mustn't?" I never use it. Is it something that we actually learn in school as young children? To me, it sounds like something that people in the South would say. . . like, " Billy-Joe, you mustn't talk loudly in church." I don't think I've ever heard it in daily conversation at all. That makes me wonder, who wrote the text book? Maybe it's some Japanese person living in Georgia!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A movie costs how much?!?!?!
Last weekend we went to the movies. This is very rare for us, since movies here in Japan are so expensive!!! Just how expensive? Well, considering the price of a regular ticket at AMC or Century Theaters at home cost about $9 (Last time I was at home), try doubling that! Yes, it costs about $18 for a regular price movie ticket here in Japan! So, for 2 movie tickets, 1 medium drink, and 1 small popcorn, and parking, it came to a grand total of about $50!!! Can you believe that?!?! Yes, you have to pay for parking almost EVERYWHERE in Japan!!! That comes out to about $25 per person. I can't imagine a family of 4 going to the movies!!! It would cost $100!!! Of course, if you were lucky enough to go on Lady's day (usually a Tuesday or Wednesday, when people are too busy working!) it would only cost you $10! Seems like a deal, right?
Well, we saw some Japanese movie about a windsurfer in Hawaii. In Japanese it is 天国で君に逢えたら (When I meet you in Heaven.) I was crying during the whole movie! It's a true story about a profesional windsurfer and his struggle with a rare form of cancer. (I'm really impressed as to how much my Japanese has improved, if I can understand a movie and cry!!!) I would definitely recommend it if it ever comes out in English!
Well, we saw some Japanese movie about a windsurfer in Hawaii. In Japanese it is 天国で君に逢えたら (When I meet you in Heaven.) I was crying during the whole movie! It's a true story about a profesional windsurfer and his struggle with a rare form of cancer. (I'm really impressed as to how much my Japanese has improved, if I can understand a movie and cry!!!) I would definitely recommend it if it ever comes out in English!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Shopping Blues
For the past few days, I have been busy shopping for new school clothes. (by the way, I think I forgot to mention that I got a job teaching English at a jr. high school, so I'm looking for School-work clothes.) I hit the main department stores in Machida, Shinyurigaoka, and even the new La La Port in Yokohama (or "Ooh La La," as my sister would call it).
I just want to say that I never considered myself a BIG person, until I came to Japan. I know that I am about a whole head taller than the average Japanese woman, and my feet may be a little larger than the typical Japanese woman, but I didn't think it would be so difficult to find clothing in my size! Keep in mind, that back at home, I would usually be a 6 or 8 (small or medium) in clothing, and around 8.5 in shoes.
Keeping that in mind, it still seems that I am too big for even a Japanese women's large size in pants! It's depressing having to look at the bottom of the pile for the large sizes, and only to try them on and not have them fit! (it seems that a Japanese woman's large is the equivalent of a size 4 or 6.) Then the poor sales women appologizes that they are too small for me, and that it is the largest size they carry! Or I even had one salesman tell me how good the pants look on me, until raise my shirt to show him that I couldn't button the top! (then he only cheerfully told me, oh, that's the largest size we have, but please do look around the shop to see if there is anything else you would like!)
After searching in several shops, I discovered that there was also a Gap, Banana Republic, and Zara! Thank goodness for American and European brands! It's very comforting shopping in brand shops that you are familiar with! It's great knowing exactly what size will fit you. But, knowing the brands also has its disadvantages. You see, I know how much things should cost at Gap and Banana Republic at home, and when I compare those prices with the prices in Japan, things are WAY too expensive here! Who would pay the equivalent of $100 for Gap Khakis? I'm sure I could get them at home at regular price for around $50!!!
After looking at such outrageous prices of Japanese clothing all day (the average price for regular pants is around $140) , the $100 for Gap Khakis starts to look good, real good, especially after trying them on and actually having them fit! But, I still couldn't get myself to buy them. . . after all, they are only Khakis!
I also tried on several pants at Zara (a Spanish brand), and they actually had pants that fit, and the price was relatively cheap for Japan (between $75-$100), but unfortunately, I didn't like the styles. (seems like skinny pants or really baggy pants are in fashion now.) I'll probably shop there on a regular basis though, since the clothes look nice and the prices are relatively reasonable for Japan.
Then I head on over to Banana Republic. I really like the clothing here, although at home it is a bit on the pricy side. I never buy anything there unless it is on sale. They had some nice pants that I tried on, and I was standing in the dressing room for a long time, debating whether or not to get them. They fit perfectly! (the largest size that Japan Banana Republic carries is a size 6!!! Good thing I fit!) The length was perfect, the waist was just right, the color was also nice but the part that I couldn't get over was the PRICE on the tag!!! After trying on several pairs of pants during the past 2 days, actually finding a pair that fit perfectly was a sigh of relief! However, the hefty price was weighing heavily on my mind! I ended up getting them, although they were not on sale. As for the price? Let's just say that I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy pants this expensive at home!!! Just think about how much Banana Republic pants cost regular price at home, and maybe add another $50-$75 on top of that! Yikes! After this purchase, the $100 Gap Khakis didn't seem that expensive anymore!
I just want to say that I never considered myself a BIG person, until I came to Japan. I know that I am about a whole head taller than the average Japanese woman, and my feet may be a little larger than the typical Japanese woman, but I didn't think it would be so difficult to find clothing in my size! Keep in mind, that back at home, I would usually be a 6 or 8 (small or medium) in clothing, and around 8.5 in shoes.
Keeping that in mind, it still seems that I am too big for even a Japanese women's large size in pants! It's depressing having to look at the bottom of the pile for the large sizes, and only to try them on and not have them fit! (it seems that a Japanese woman's large is the equivalent of a size 4 or 6.) Then the poor sales women appologizes that they are too small for me, and that it is the largest size they carry! Or I even had one salesman tell me how good the pants look on me, until raise my shirt to show him that I couldn't button the top! (then he only cheerfully told me, oh, that's the largest size we have, but please do look around the shop to see if there is anything else you would like!)
After searching in several shops, I discovered that there was also a Gap, Banana Republic, and Zara! Thank goodness for American and European brands! It's very comforting shopping in brand shops that you are familiar with! It's great knowing exactly what size will fit you. But, knowing the brands also has its disadvantages. You see, I know how much things should cost at Gap and Banana Republic at home, and when I compare those prices with the prices in Japan, things are WAY too expensive here! Who would pay the equivalent of $100 for Gap Khakis? I'm sure I could get them at home at regular price for around $50!!!
After looking at such outrageous prices of Japanese clothing all day (the average price for regular pants is around $140) , the $100 for Gap Khakis starts to look good, real good, especially after trying them on and actually having them fit! But, I still couldn't get myself to buy them. . . after all, they are only Khakis!
I also tried on several pants at Zara (a Spanish brand), and they actually had pants that fit, and the price was relatively cheap for Japan (between $75-$100), but unfortunately, I didn't like the styles. (seems like skinny pants or really baggy pants are in fashion now.) I'll probably shop there on a regular basis though, since the clothes look nice and the prices are relatively reasonable for Japan.
Then I head on over to Banana Republic. I really like the clothing here, although at home it is a bit on the pricy side. I never buy anything there unless it is on sale. They had some nice pants that I tried on, and I was standing in the dressing room for a long time, debating whether or not to get them. They fit perfectly! (the largest size that Japan Banana Republic carries is a size 6!!! Good thing I fit!) The length was perfect, the waist was just right, the color was also nice but the part that I couldn't get over was the PRICE on the tag!!! After trying on several pairs of pants during the past 2 days, actually finding a pair that fit perfectly was a sigh of relief! However, the hefty price was weighing heavily on my mind! I ended up getting them, although they were not on sale. As for the price? Let's just say that I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy pants this expensive at home!!! Just think about how much Banana Republic pants cost regular price at home, and maybe add another $50-$75 on top of that! Yikes! After this purchase, the $100 Gap Khakis didn't seem that expensive anymore!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Finally!!!
Welcome to my new blog site! I've been wanting to start one for a while, but just never got around to it. I know I've been telling some people that I'm going to start one. . . and a year went by with nothing! Well, here it is! Please check frequently for updates on what's going on in my life!
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