I’ve had just about ZERO internet access over here, and when I have had access I’ve had zero time to do anything with it. Because of this I made an executive decision to wait until I got home to begin writing and posting pics and vids. I’ll have about half a week of decompression time before heading back to work which should give me plenty of opportunity to write about the trip. Sorry to those I told to keep up with the blog I just simply haven’t had the time or opportunity. Until then…
I’m completely overwhelmed by the super fast jam packed pace of Tokyo (ever been to NYC? Yeah, x10)… I have so many pics and vids to share but I’ve not gotten very much free time to edit and post them yet. Basically every day we go out and it’s such an exhausting adventure by the time we get back to the hotel/hostel/etc we’re so pooped we just collapse! Not to mention that we keep jumping from place to place as far as lodgings so it makes it that much more difficult to sit down and dedicate an hour to doing this…
But there is hope in Iwakuni! I’m guessing that while in Tokyo I’m probably not going to get the chance to really post much due to the reasons above. When we arrive in Iwakuni to meet and stay with Jacob, however, I will finally have some real time to do this so give it a couple days and the madness will come pouring in!
Thanks everyone, sorry for the wait, why don’t you try this yourself and see how you fare haha!
Just a quick update, we’ve barely had time to think let alone edit and post videos but tonight when everything is closed we’ll have little to do but that so I just wanted to let everyone know that the first few days worth of content is coming soon :)
Well it seems Tommy Lee Jones did a series of Japanese television commercials to promote some canned coffee called Boss. Sounds pretty gross. Anyway these are really funny to me, really just hearing him speak Japanese. I imagine I’ll probably sound a lot like that only far less elegant and compensated! There are 18 total videos here, enjoy!
SUGOI! KORE WA KAKKOII DESU!! Apparently just 45 minutes outside of Tokyo by bullet train there is an 18-meter (59-foot) tall 1:1 replica Gundam RX-78-2 Mech statue built for the company’s 30th anniversary at Shiokaze Park, complete with smoke, dramatic lighting effects, and animatronic head. I really really really hope to get to see this. If I do, believe me you will too! There’s a video and more pics after the jump. Can we say newest wonder of the world?!
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I love the Japanese (as well as many other Asian cultures) and their strange usage of our word “Fuck” which over here carries a heavy weight but to them it has barely any connection with the concepts to which we associate it. It’s just something that amuses me. More pics after the jump…
Turns out it’s NOT that difficult for a man to get laid in Japan. Who knew?
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Now I’m not talking about Engrish here, I’m talking about actual English words adopted into the Japanese language as official phrases but with contexts a bit skewed from what our American minds want to perceive. Some of this list comes courtesy of Peter Payne of the J-List Blog, paraphrased and commented by yours truly. I hope to consistently update it while I’m in Japan learning new misuses of our already cumbersome language. Enjoy!
- American Dog – no this is not what they call us, this is how they refer to a regular corndog
- Cool Biz – the official government policy of banning neckties in summer to run air conditioning at lower levels
- Don’t Mind – similar to “nevermind” or “don’t worry about it”
- Fancy Shop – a store that sells cute culture items like “Hello Kitty” merchandise
- Free Size – the same as “one size fits all”
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Lately I’ve been learning a lot about the social culture in Japan, focusing on the things we Westerners would be ignorant of or take for granted, although I’m only barely scratching the surface here! I’ve decided to keep a running list of their rules of etiquette as I learn them. I would like to try and observe and practice as many of their ways as I can so as both not to offend as well as educate and better culture myself. This list will probably continue to grow over the duration of the trip.
Involving Food and Drink…
- Say “itadaki masu” before every meal - This phrase doesn’t translate into English but it roughly means “this looks great, i’m ready to begin eating!” and expresses gratitude for the meal. Plus Japanese girls will find it adorable!
- Never tip your servers - While it is practically expected here to leave a tip for food servers, it is offensive to the Japanese to be given this extra money. They have pride in their workmanship and want to offer you the best service they can for the price you have already agreed to. Tipping appears as a bribe or as if to say you are a better person.
- Do not pour your own beer – Serving others is huge in Japan so it doesn’t matter if you’re drinking with the Emperor or your closest buddies down at the local izakaya (pub) if you are drinking beer poured from a bottle then show some respect and fill up your friends’ glasses and they will surely repay the favor! Also remember to always pour, never drink from the bottle!
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Join Austin, Terry, Katie, and Jacob as they romp around Japan for two weeks!
This is a conscience stream of our experiences as they unfold with photos and videos galore, plus our usual sass mouths!
It's definitely going to be an entertaining and interesting experience... Join us won't you?
