Impressions
Having never been to Japan before, many things were immediately new to me. While I've spent the last few days talking about the major changes I've been going through, there are many small ones that are what makes Japan so much fun. So today, I'm going to talk about some of those little things. Of course, Japan (and even Tokyo) is very diverse and I'm sure each thing I say will be somewhat contradictory.
The first thing I have to mention because it is raining today - clear umbrellas are soo popular. I had seen maybe one before arriving in Japan and on my commute to work this morning I have already seen about 500. I would say they are more popular among young people with an alarmingly many among men. I saw some on sale at Don Quiote on my way in for ￥398, so I might have to pick one up on my way home...
Another thing I was taken aback by was the amount of technology is cars. For the most part, the same vehicle could be found in the U.S. from the same manufacturer, same year and be completely less sophisticated. We are talking built in GPS (where you can also watch TV when the break is pressed), video cameras for backing up, side mirrors that fold in, taxis with passenger doors that open up, etc.
There is so much trust in the city! This is evident in multiple ways. For example, we weren't home when the co-op came to deliver the groceries and the driver just left them on the doorstep and my host mother didn't think a thing of it. Or even in how the bikes are constructed. In America, we have a bike lock to keep someone from moving our bike, but in Japan the lock is built in and just keeps the back tire from moving. It would be so easy to carry the bike away and cut the locking part!
Another thing I completely enjoy is the use of multiple floors for business. In Madison, buildings are residential with commercial space maybe on the first and second floors. Here, you can take an elevator to the 6th floor and it will open to a restaurant or a cafe or an amazing accessory store!
I know that through my year here, I will grow to take all of this for granted so I'm trying to enjoy it now while I can when I can be captivated for hours just walking around in the streets without ever actually entering a store.
The first thing I have to mention because it is raining today - clear umbrellas are soo popular. I had seen maybe one before arriving in Japan and on my commute to work this morning I have already seen about 500. I would say they are more popular among young people with an alarmingly many among men. I saw some on sale at Don Quiote on my way in for ￥398, so I might have to pick one up on my way home...
Another thing I was taken aback by was the amount of technology is cars. For the most part, the same vehicle could be found in the U.S. from the same manufacturer, same year and be completely less sophisticated. We are talking built in GPS (where you can also watch TV when the break is pressed), video cameras for backing up, side mirrors that fold in, taxis with passenger doors that open up, etc.
There is so much trust in the city! This is evident in multiple ways. For example, we weren't home when the co-op came to deliver the groceries and the driver just left them on the doorstep and my host mother didn't think a thing of it. Or even in how the bikes are constructed. In America, we have a bike lock to keep someone from moving our bike, but in Japan the lock is built in and just keeps the back tire from moving. It would be so easy to carry the bike away and cut the locking part!
Another thing I completely enjoy is the use of multiple floors for business. In Madison, buildings are residential with commercial space maybe on the first and second floors. Here, you can take an elevator to the 6th floor and it will open to a restaurant or a cafe or an amazing accessory store!
I know that through my year here, I will grow to take all of this for granted so I'm trying to enjoy it now while I can when I can be captivated for hours just walking around in the streets without ever actually entering a store.
What is Hippo?
I had heard many things about Hippo Family Clubs before arriving in Japan, but was I really prepared? I don't think entirely, but I'm not sure anyone can be entirely aware of what goes on at Hippo. Hippo is so many things that it is hard to even describe especially because each club is unique. So far I have attended 3 different clubs, 2 events, 1 trip and worked in the office.
The clubs are high energy, almost always hectic (maybe even more for me, because I have no idea what the instructions are), but definitely filled with fun. My host mother's club has a lot of little kids. This means that Sing Along Dance Along (SADA) is almost always chases or games. However, in Waka-chan's club there are a lot of older kids and the dances are more complex and well rehearsed. They also have most of the story tapes memorized and can lead them for other people to mimic.
It was through Cherry-chan's club that we took our trip to Fukui. Many of these members are also in my host mother's club and they are the family I have really connected with (mostly because I have spent a lot of time with them). This is one of the interesting points I had heard about Hippo but didn't really realize how stong it was - Hippo Clubs really are families! For the longest time, I was soo confused about which kids belonged to which parents. Every parent was helping everyone and kids were always showing up and going home with different people. It wasn't until I asked that I knew who the real families were.
I have also attended many other events. I went to a meeting some fellows held for people who had returned from exchanges and for those interested in going. While I didn't understand a lot of the speaking, I got to see pictures from the exchanges and could normally understand the meaning. I also went to one of the workshops sponsored by the office. There were a lot of people there most of them fellows, so it was awesome to see that if three-quarters of them had at least 10 members in their club exactly how big Hippo is just in the Tokyo area!
Tonight is my host fellows Hippo meeting. Over breakfast she told me she wanted me to recite a couple of tracks of Sonoko's story in Japanese. While I have listened to quite a few times just trying to mimic, I now have to have it memorized and recite it without a cd! I listened to the selection I chose over and over on repeat on my way to work and I will on my way home to try to get it down before tonight. Wish me luck!
The clubs are high energy, almost always hectic (maybe even more for me, because I have no idea what the instructions are), but definitely filled with fun. My host mother's club has a lot of little kids. This means that Sing Along Dance Along (SADA) is almost always chases or games. However, in Waka-chan's club there are a lot of older kids and the dances are more complex and well rehearsed. They also have most of the story tapes memorized and can lead them for other people to mimic.
It was through Cherry-chan's club that we took our trip to Fukui. Many of these members are also in my host mother's club and they are the family I have really connected with (mostly because I have spent a lot of time with them). This is one of the interesting points I had heard about Hippo but didn't really realize how stong it was - Hippo Clubs really are families! For the longest time, I was soo confused about which kids belonged to which parents. Every parent was helping everyone and kids were always showing up and going home with different people. It wasn't until I asked that I knew who the real families were.
I have also attended many other events. I went to a meeting some fellows held for people who had returned from exchanges and for those interested in going. While I didn't understand a lot of the speaking, I got to see pictures from the exchanges and could normally understand the meaning. I also went to one of the workshops sponsored by the office. There were a lot of people there most of them fellows, so it was awesome to see that if three-quarters of them had at least 10 members in their club exactly how big Hippo is just in the Tokyo area!
Tonight is my host fellows Hippo meeting. Over breakfast she told me she wanted me to recite a couple of tracks of Sonoko's story in Japanese. While I have listened to quite a few times just trying to mimic, I now have to have it memorized and recite it without a cd! I listened to the selection I chose over and over on repeat on my way to work and I will on my way home to try to get it down before tonight. Wish me luck!
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