1st 6 months part 8

The first snow. Just like Nebraska, people can't drive during the first snow. Also, it doesn't appear to be a requirement to shovel sidewalks. It's actually quite a relief to know that you are responsible for yourself and not others. If you walk in the snow and fall, it's your fault. Maybe it seems cruel but I love the responsibility. It actually carries over to almost everything, for example, bars are not required to close until they choose, as far as I can tell. The one exception, is that Pachinko parlors must close at 11pm. Just look at the snow... Also, if you see this first, try starting at part one. It is pretty much in chronological order. There is more to come soon.

1st 6 months part 7

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING has a mascot in Japan. Unfortunately, I only have a few examples, but once visiting Japan you will soon realize that this is true, even comical. Just like Disneyland, which is one reason it may be so popular in Japan.

1st 6 months part 6

More Tokyo...

1st 6 months part 5

Tokyo continued... My first visit to Tokyo was too short and even though we skipped around town I felt like I saw less than 1% of the city. 

1st 6 months part 4

Tokyo was great but extremely crowded. I will be going back at the end of December and hopefully will continue to fall in love and see more of the city. I used to think that I could convince people to visit me in Hirosaki(which you should because it's beautiful and calm) and was considering copying Andrew's offer of buying dinner for my first visitor, Rie you don't count but I bought you dinner anyway. However, I soon realized that Hirosaki is like Maine in the USA, nobody in Japan ever comes here. I don't think anyone realizes how nice it is. So, if you come to Japan I promise that I will meet you in Tokyo and show you around. You will love it, unless you are claustrophobic and you have the patience to wait in line.

1st 6 months part 3

Mount Iwaki...It's about 30 minutes from Hirosaki and is a great place to go fro hiking. It's quite beautiful even on a cloudy and foggy day. In fact, it is easy to see why people once believed there was a dragon living in the mountain. Soon, many of the mountains will be covered with snow in which I will be snowboarding.

1st 6 months part 2

Neputa...This is only a brief view of what really happened, there were some 70+ neputas, or floats(except they aren't floats). There is also some discrepancy as to who has the largest taiko drum in Japan. I was told that this one is, however, I have heard contradictions from people who are not from Hirosaki. Needless to say it is large!

1st 6 months part 1

First of all, to all my friends and family who have waited to hear from me or learn about life in Japan, I am sorry for the wait. In my defense, I have to say that I didn't have internet until late October. I went 5 months without internet and it was nice, however I am sure my parents wished they had heard from me more. 

The first question you may ask yourself(and my FAQ will be what I think you wonder, maybe not what you really care about) is Japan better than the USA? I can't definitively say yes, but many things are better and I'm sure many things are worse. At the moment, I am still in love, and as they say, "love is blind." Even the things that have bothered me I tend to look at more optimistically than other foreigners do.  Most of the things people see as faults in Japan, I see as faults in me. Not being able to use ATMs 24/7 seems like a burden but it's actually quite refreshing.  So I will begin with a few pictures and short descriptions and if you have questions feel free to ask. However, if you want to ask about my work you will have to send me an email as I cannot talk about my job in a public blog.

Enjoy...

Barack Obama Wins!!!!

You have heard it first here. I am calling the election at 2:20 am Wednesday morning Japanese time. That's 11:20 am Central time USA on Tuesday November 4 th. Obama wins!!! Hope for the world...Next post will be back to Japan

So just under six months and I finally have internet!  It's kind of crazy to think of a country so advanced in technology could give me so much trouble. As it turns out, apparently my city changed all of the addresses about 5-10 years ago and my company didn't pick up on that so that delayed my internet 2 months beyond the original 3 week wait. I have plenty of pictures but not a lot of time so check back once a week and hopefully I can fit something new onto the site.

VOTE OBAMA or else! (not much I can threaten you with as I am not moving back to the USA anytime soon, but if you visit me I won't talk to you for 30 minutes out of every hour you are here! booyah!)

I am still alive, just having a tough time with internet

Here are some pictures to wet your appetite for what's to come...as soon as I sort out my internet.

only 2 weeks or more until new posts!

I am sorry for all of you who have been waiting so patiently for new posts. However, there is a little problem with Hirosaki. It seems that there is no such thing as wireless internet in coffee shops or restaurants, etc. Also, before I can start a bank account I had to get a gaijin card, which is a slang term for foreigner card. Without this card I cannot get internet, cell phone or anything else for that matter. So it has been a bit lonely but I have also been busy. I have a lot of pictures to put up and stories to tell. Tomorrow I will pick up this wonderful card and set up a bank account and if I have enough time I will get a cell phone. After I set up the internet it may take weeks before they actually install it, so hang on don't forget about me. I promise that you won't be disappointed.

Izakaya Night...but still in Vancouver

Words of Wisdom

Vancouver

                                                           

                                                                                If you haven't heard yet, I'm out of the USA. I have travelled to our northern neighbor Canada. I am in what may be the most amazing city I have been to so far in my short life. Imagine a city like San Francisco or Chicago except where kilometers are used, some funky money with the queen of England(I think!) on it, 2 and 1 dollar coins, and dimes and quarters that are cleaner and shinier yet a little smaller than ours in the US. Next, replace every scowl and unpleasantness with a smile and helping hand. Finally, the part that I least expected, about 40% of the population is Asian, mostly Chinese and Japanese, it is astonishing. I actually don't believe this figure as I have seen more asian people than white, but that's what wikipedia said. You also have to just see the other cultures that are also considered part of this wonderful city. Even the airport workers/security were in good and helpful moods, I swear it's true. Anyone who has traveled within the US is sure to think I am telling lies, thinking I've become to soft and gone pro-Canadian, but honestly I can see why people love it here. I actually was waiting to speak to the traffic/security lady at the airport and she didn't ignore me, she approached me and asked what she could do. Then as I asked where I could find my bus, she smiled and showed me where to go.  It was almost too scary.

 I didn't get any pictures of it, but along the main road from the airport there are thousands of trees that are literally walled together providing privacy for the houses behind. There were your normal evergreen-like trees you would expect to see in Canada, but then I kid you not there were palm trees!  Could Vancouver be the paradise of cultural togetherness and love?  I almost forgot, even the homeless on the street do not even ask you one thing, is it that maybe people give to them from the kindness of their hearts? I don't know what's going on here, but I will do my best to find out and Americanize Vancouver before it gets to crazy.  I have 6 days.