Trip to Harajuku and Shibuya

This past weekend I went to Shibuya (twice) and Harajuku with some friends. It was pretty fun. A good place for window shopping and eating. I've yet to do karaoke, though. I hope I'll get to try that soon.

Videos

Waiting at Shinjuku station for the last member of our party.
http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3V80L0QBH9XN11ZGVYUKN99E0I

In harajuku (on Takeshita Dori, a street with lots of shops).
(i feel sorry for the guy who thought i was video taping him. i didn't even notice he was there until he moved)
http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=02RGFJP7H0EU43R0UPMTXJZATK

http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3G5B1T9I73N2W0K9QCAYV1LDPK

http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2BILD92Y5ASUS3RIIH3EAHZCP5

In Shibuya now crossing a large intersection (Right down the street from the Shibuya 109 store)
http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2QMMONRLTWWYS1VLKPFJF5J5O9

http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3PTX42ZERM82L36WSEK8DZ1M17

(waiting outside Bic camera...I really hate their song.)
http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=130DYF6WL6HIK3FQ0AHXEJ3NOT

Second trip to shibuya I caught a festival/parade of some sorts.
http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2ATL2L28PBX7N10H83TZINV57Q

http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=33AWH7PN9ZC153SFJ9O0SX8YUO

Videos! yay!

If you can't see the video, but here sound download divx (http://www.divx.com/divx/play/download/)
If that still doesn't work..sorry i can't help you >_< href="http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3MP4QZ7CZUVTB2GOADY6KGXBG4">http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3MP4QZ7CZUVTB2GOADY6KGXBG4

http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2XMNXBPT7ODSD3K5H8HQRZW4RV

Transferring at a train station in Shibuya (if i remember right. could've been shinjuku) http://s12.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2BHS0UJ7SDUUK2BZ0YFZRLN1IB

Break dancers at our train station (shot this vid this week)
http://s9.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=11FA96C33OS9M34P7GN1JD8DJU

The links last for 7 days or 25 downloads. Which ever comes first. I will check back to see if I need to reup anything.

Guess what...pictures!

Hey hey! Guess where I'm writing from...my room! yay! I dunno why, but I think the computer ate part of my last post. o_0 It's missing a few parts. Don't know how that happened.

So anyway, here are some pictures (finally) of the area. I have to upload it to somewhere else and post links. Blogspot is being very stupid on my computer for some reason.

Our train station
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0027.jpg
Inside
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0030.jpg
(ticket machine)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0029.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0031.jpg
From the train platform
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0032.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0033.jpg

Shots of "the hood"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0021.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0020.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0019.jpg
(that's 1. are you counting michelle? ^^)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0026.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0022.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0018.jpg
(this car looks weird)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/takao/IMG_0023.jpg

Monday was a holiday for us. (school started friday then we got a 3 day weekend....o_0 Far be it for me to complain. *points and laughs at all her schoolmates in the US* And we get this friday off too. HA! ^^v ) I was very bored, so I packed up my book bag after lunch, went downstairs, found three of my friends sitting in the lobby, and announced to them that I was going to Shinjuku, Shibuya, and/or Harajuku because I was dead bored. They asked if I was going alone, and I said no, I had come to ask if they'd like to come along. One of the guy's(who's a ninensei (second year student)) knew how to get to Odaiba, so we decided on that. Somewhat unfortunately, I suggested we call the other 2 ichinensei to ask if they'd like to come, too, which meant we waited around for like an hour. >_< (But I figured I'd be sad if my friends just didn't bother to call me when they were going someplace fun) So here are some pictures. They're kind of random. (and i'll be posting short videos later) Transferring http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0035.jpg
Candid shot on the train
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0034.jpg
Transferred here and also stopped to get dinner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0040.jpg
Dinner (didn't like the soup, but the rest was awesome. ^^)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0044.jpg
Some shots of Shimbashi
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0045.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0047.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0048.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0041.jpg
(For tricia ^^V)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0042.jpg

Odaiba
Er..rainbow brigde? (i dunno. That's what Xiaorei told me it was o_0)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0063.jpg
Omg, they stole Lady Liberty!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0067.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0068.jpg
(It's a mall with lots of stores)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0064.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0066.jpg
takoyaki stands they had outside Aqua City
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0071.jpg
Fuji TV!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0057.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0061.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0078.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0074.jpg
(shots from their observation deck)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0059.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0082.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0084.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0088.jpg
Sanma san say me "No eyebrow!" (ok, you're only going to get that if you watch Hello!Morning, so don't worry about it)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/neko109/Odaiba/IMG_0090.jpg

Ok, that's it. Later I will post some short videos (they're like...less than a minute short. I need to get better at video mode).

Me want Internet in room...now!

(if you see a duplicate post after this one, just ignore it) The walk from my dorm to the IC (internet cafe) is getting more and more annoying. Plus, I probably should be dropping a couple hundred yen everyday for an hour of internet. >_<>I'm just some other place in the world (which I am). If anything, I:m (aaaah!) I'M more comfortable here then in America. And people watching is more fun. The styles of the Japanese youth are very interesting (I haven't been outside the area where my school is yet besides the train ride from Narita). I was laughing to myself on the first day of school. It almost seems like everybody is like "omg! I'm in college! No more uniforms! *goes crazy with clothes*". It's fun.

So far I've gotten to know a few people (mostly rugakusei). There's
Mr and Mrs. Yokoyama - They're basically the mom and dad of the dorm, hehe, and I guess the caretakers. Having them there makes it just like a home stay because they always talk to me when I come downstairs. They're both so nice. I love em. ^^ It's great cuz I get to call out "itte kimasu (i'm going out)" and "tadaima (i'm back)" whenever I'm coming and going. Always wanted to do that. ^^v

Yukari san - On Wednesday, she took us to do our Alien registration stuff and shop. She speaks Spanish (I think she just came back from a year in spain) and hates beans and dodge ball (What? You mean, you don't like getting hit in the face with rubber balls?). She's cool, and I hope to get to see her again. ^^

Risa san- Only met her once so far, but she is my tutor (and speaks some english). She replied to my email, and we're having lunch on Tuesday. yay! ^^ I felt bad after I first met her because, when she was introducing herself, I didn't stand. Or say "yoroshiku onegaishimasu". I was mentally kicking myself all day for that, but we all make mistakes >_<(just chalk it up to the baka gaijin syndrome and move on, hehe).

Reita - Ya'll already know him. ^-^

Ichinensei (first year students. i'm one btw)
Riida (no idea how to spell his name)- He's from Eygpt and is very nice (everyone is). It's seems like his Japanese is really good since it looks like he understands everyone a majority of the time. His english is good, too, so I can speak to him in english if I don't know how to say it in Japanese.

Cheima (sp?) - He's from Spain. He's cool (but he smokes to much o_0 *gasp*). He speaks english, too, and his level of Japanese is probably around mine. He has this awesome shirt with a UFO on the front and the words "Give us Elvis back" printed on it. I love it!

Xiao rei - A girl from china who's my age. She's pretty cool and funny. We hang out in each other's room a lot. Her english is pretty good ,even though, sometimes she can't understand what the 3 of us are saying if we speak in english.

Other rugakusei
Cho Ki - She is a TALL! Chinese girl I met on Wednesday. When I say tall, I mean "my head is around her shoulders!" tall. When we were out to lunch with the faculty of the international office I said I liked basketball. The...er...head person in the office said there were two girls that were in the basketball club he'd introduce me to. Later when we were back in the office, he walked in with the two girls. I was so surprised I made a very audible noise when I saw her. (The main reason for my surprise was because I thought she was Japanese at the time.) I met her again today in the stairwell of the dorms, and she said the next time she goes to play ball she'll come get me (yay!). I know I'm going to get my fanny handed to me, but it should be fun. She speaks some english, too. She promised to teach me basketball if I teach her english. (I told her Ive never been on a team before, and I'm not that good)

A Chinese boy who's name I can't remember - Met him on Wednesday when we went shopping at the 100 yen shop (aka. japanese dollar store. it's AWESOME!) He's nice and asked me if I could help him with his english (i need to start charging these people, haha).

And that's about it till classes start again on Tuesday. It's funny, but I'm a little ashamed of myself. All the students I've met can speak their own language, Japanese, and English (the latter two, to certain degrees). All I can speak is English and Japanese. It makes me feel a little pathetic, hehe. I know people say english is the language of commerce (or whatever), and maybe it's not such a big deal that they are studying english. I still think it's cool they took the time to learn so many different languages, and I think very highly of all the students for that. Language is power.

Minna! Hisashiburi!

Ok, before you pick up your chairs to bash me over the head，Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ａｎ　ｅｘｃｕｓｅ　ｆｏｒ　ｎｏｔ　ｃｏｍｍｕｎｉｃａｔｉｎｇ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｎｙｏｎｅ．　　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｇｅｔ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ　ｉｎ　ｍｙ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｕｎｔｉｌ　ｗｅ　ｇｅｔ　ｏｕｒ　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ　ＩＤｓ　（ｔｈａｔ’ｓ　ｎｅｘｔ　ｗｅｅｋ．．．Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｏ＿０）．　　Ａｌｓｏ，Ｉ　ｃａｎ’ｔ　ｇｅｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌ　ｔｅｌｅｐｈｏｎｅ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｌｏｂｂｙ　ｔｏ　ｗｏｒｋ　ｆｏｒ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｒｅａｓｏｎ　（ｅｖｅｎ　ｔｈｏｕｇｈ　Ｉ　ｂｏｕｇｈｔ　ａ　ｃａｌｌｉｎｇ　ｃａｒｄ　ｆｏｒ　ｉｔ）．　　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ａｎｙｂｏｄｙ　ｉｓ　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｗｏｒｋ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄｎ’ｔ　ｃａｌｌ．　Ｍｅ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｔｈｅｒ　ｆｏｒｉｅｇｎ　ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔｓ　ａｒｅ　ａｔ　ａｎ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ　ｃａｆｅ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ｎｏｗ　because　ｗｅ　ｄｉｄｎ’ｔ　ｆｅｅｌ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｗａｉｔｉｎｇ．(i have no way of spellchecking, so please ignore whatever awful spelling mistakes i make. Plus, I don't know what's up with the font.)

Ｙｅａｈ，　ｋ，　ｓｏ　ｈｏｗ’ｓ　ｉｔ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｙｏｕ　ａｓｋ？　　Ｗｅｌｌ　ｓｔａｒｔｉｎｇ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｌａｎｅ　ｒｉｄｅ，　ｉｔ　ａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ　ｗａｓ　ｑｕｉｔｅ　ｆｉｎｅ．　Ｅａｓｙ　ｂｒｅｅｚｙ　ｃｏｎｓｉｄｅｒｉｎｇ　Ｉ’ｍ　ｕｓｅ　ｔｏ　ｐｕｌｌｉｎｇ　１６　ｈｏｕｒ　ｓｈｉｆｔｓ．　Ａｎｄ，ｍｏｍ，　ｔｈｅ　ｒｏｗ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｂａｃｋ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｌａｎｅ　ｗａｓ　ｑｕｉｔｅ　ｆｉｎｅ．　Ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｌｅａｎ　ｍｙ　ｃｈａｉｒ　ｂａｃｋ　ａｓ　ｆａｒ　ａｓ　Ｉ　ｗａｎｔｅｄ，　ａｎｄ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｃｌｏｓｅ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｂａｔｈｒｏｏｍ．　Ｏｎｌｙ　ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍ　ｗａｓ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｈｕｇｅ　ｇｕｙ　ｓａｔ　ｉｎ　ｆｒｏｎｔ　ｏｆ　ｍｅ，　ｓｏ　ｅｖｅｒｙｔｉｍｅ　ｈｅ　ｌｅａｎｅｄ　ｂａｃｋ　ｍｙ　ｋｎｅｅｓ　ｇｏｔ　ａｎ　ｉｍｐｒｉｎｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｂａｃｋ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｈａｉｒ．　（ｏ＿０）　　

Ｌａｎｄｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｔｈｒｏｕｇｈ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ａｒｒｉｖａｌ　ｌｏｂｂｙ　ａｔ　Ｎａｒｉｔａ　ｗａｓ　ｏｋ，　ｔｏｏ．　Even　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ　ｗａｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗｈｅｎ　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｏｕｔｓｉｄｅ，　Ｉ　ｆｏｕｎｄ　ｏｕｔ　Ｉ　ａｌｒｅａｄｙ　ｋｎｅｗ　ｔｈｅ　Ｔａｋｕｓｈｏｋｕ　ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ　ｗｈｏ　ｈａｄ　ｃｏｍｅ　ｔｏ　ｍｅｅｔ　ｍｅ．　　It was Reita! He was a foreign exchange student at my school last year. I met him when hｅ　came ｔｏ　ｍｙ　Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　ｃｌａｓｓ　ｔｏ　ｓｐｅａｋ　ｔｏ　ｕｓ　ｉｎ　Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ　（ｄｏｏｍｏ　ａｒｉｇａｔｏｕ，　Ｎａｄａｙｏｓｈｉ－ｓｅｎｓｅｉ！）．　　Ｉ　ｒｅｃｏｇｎｉｚｅｄ　ｈｉｍ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ａｗａｙ when I saw him in the arrival lobby，　and that made ｔｈｉｎｇｓ　ｅａｓｉｅｒ．　Ｈｅ　helped me ｄｒｏｐ　ｏｆｆ　ｍｙ　ｌｕｇｇａｇｅ　ａｔ　a ｃｏｕｒｉｅｒ　ｗｈｏ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｄｅｌｉｖｅｒ　ｉｔ　ｔｏ　ｍｙ　ｄｏｒｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｎｅｘｔ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ　（ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｄｉｄｎ’ｔ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｃａｒｒｙ　ｔｈｏｓｅ　ｔｗｏ　ｈｕｇｅ　ｃａｓｅｓ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎ）．　　Ｏ，　ａｎｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｌａｒｇｅｒ　ｓｕｉｔｃａｓｅ．．．ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｓｏ　ｈｅａｖｙ．．．ｔｈｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ａｉｒｐｏｒｔ　ｉｎ　Ａｍｅｒｉｃａ　ｈａｄ　ｐｕｔ　ａ　ｗａｒｎｉｎｇ　ｌａｂｅｌ　ｏｎ　ｉｔ．

Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ａ　２　ｈｏｕｒ　ｒｉｄｅ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　Ｔａｋａｏ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎ，　ａｎｄ　ａ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｂｉｔ　ｏｆ　ｗａｌｋｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｏｒｉｅｇｎ　ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ’ｓ　ｄｏｒｍ．　　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｔｏ　ｍｅｅｔ　Ｙｏｋｏｙａｍａ　ｓａｎ　ａｎｄ　ｈｉｓ　ｗｉｆｅ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｗａｓ　ｔｈｅｎ　Ｉ　ｒｅａｌｉｚｅｄ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ’ｍ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　LOADS of Japanese practice in. They don't speak english and neither does just about everyone else, lol! So anyway, I got to my room and slept for the rest of the night. (I think it was probably like 7pm) I randomly woke up at like midnight and went downstairs to search for the international phone, found everything was locked up, and stumbled back upstairs to bed.

Wednesday, I woke up at like 6am and went downstairs at 7am to use the phone. Mrs. Yokoyama explained I needed a calling card which I could find at the 7/11 (yep, they got them here, but no slurpees! T_T posers! ) I went out to the 7/11 which was near the Takao train station (i remembered the way from walking with Reita the night before. Plus, I have awesome navigational skills...was that someone laughing just now?) I bought a sandwhich, some cup o noodles, and asked the guy at the counter about the card. (amerika ni denwa o shitaindesu kedo kaado ga irimasu). He showed me what they had, and I bought one and went back to the dorm. I tried to use it, but the phone (as I said) didn't work. I went back up stairs, ate my breakfast, came back down and got my luggage (came at like 9something), unpacked a bit, then went back at like 9 something), unpacked a bit, then went back down at 10am to meet the other students in the lobby.

We went over and did some stuff in the international office. Stuff would include having the school rules explained to us, eating lunch, and signing some papers. Then the four of us exchange students (me, a guy from Eypet, a guy from Spain, and a girl from China) went out with Reita and Yukari san to shop and...er...do some legal stuff.

I'd go into more detail or go on to explaining about today, but my hour is almost up.
Lots of love to my family! Everything is going ok! I will write again hopefully soon!

p.s. Mom, I got the email from Kojima san.

Oops! I fixed the blog.

Sorry everybody. I forgot to fix the comment's setting so anyone could leave comments. It's fixed now, so anyone should be able to leave a comment. If not, just yell at me. ^_~