Just for fun

Just for fun

I figured some of you may want to know what sorts of things I do in my free time out here. So now (before my trip to Osaka tomorrow... By bus... 10 hours... for 4,000en... We'll see if I survive) I thought I would take this belated opportunity to tell you about some of the things that occupy my time.

(Also, sorry about the totally unrelated photo of the sunset. I took that picture a couple days ago while walking home early from work one day. Pretty, isn't it?)

ADVENTURING (TAKING WALKS)
But you know that already. ;) The next trip I'm planning (other than Osaka this week!!) is Nikko, so I'll let you know how that one goes. My only beef with taking walks lately is that I got some nasty sunburn, and so I've been trying to be more careful with that. I'd include pictures, but then again, I'd really rather not.

KARAOKE
I love karaoke. Nothing like getting a bunch of friends together to sing their hearts out while drinking free water and eating free ice cream. But the karaoke booth itself isn't free, so that's unfortunate. Last time I went, I visited Kawagoe, where me and my friends spent 1,000en a piece for a no-time-limit event for the weekend (super cheap). I'm lucky my friends are so patient with my slow-lyric-reading Japanese and unfamiliarness with all these new popular songs. Also lucky for me, the machines have a lot of English songs I used to hear back in the States, too; so we can still rock out to those.

SHOPPING
You probably know this already, too. Ikebukuro, Akihabara, and Kichijoji are still my favorite places to shop. Lately, I've been scouring around trying to find some cheap secondhand clothing stores. I found a great one back in Chiba called Treasure Factory Style, and now trying to locate one that's not two hours away from where I live in Saitama. Also, just the other day, I discovered Mode Off, where I bought two really cute shirts for a total of 800en. I love getting compliments and then telling them, "Yeah, I got this shirt for $3."

PURIKURA
After a trip to the Sunshine City Aquarium, or Plaza Capcom Arcade, or Mr. Dounut for a sugar spree, it's customary (kinda-sorta) to take group purikura. I've got a collection going that I'm hoping will get even bigger from here-on out. Basically, a purikura is a photo booth where you put 400en into the machine, take a couple close-ups, a couple full-bodys, and then decorate your heavily-Photoshopped pics with stamps and sparkles and that sort of thing. Some of my friends are really good at decorating and being creative, but I usually just put a couple hearts or the date on it. But anyways, purikura is a lot of fun to do and great for memory-making.

LINE-ING FRIENDS
I'd never heard of Line until I came to Japan. Turns out, a big part of Asia uses this texting thing called Line, and at first, I was skeptic of a new app on my phone (like really, do I need one of those), but it's proven to be incredibly helpful for me out here. And the stickers absolutely adorable! I've been hooked on earning free coins and getting new stickers. So far, I have a collection of ghosts, birds, and Japanese manga boys speaking different Japanese dialects (it's an educational experience!). But other than the stickers, it's also been great to communicate with my friends/coworkers without dishing my American phone number and having it not be compatible with a Japanese phone service. Super handy. I can even make phone calls if they're on my Line friends list.

VISITING LEX/HIPPO CLUBS
Right now, my weekly Hippo club is on Wednesday nights, where my host mom, brother, and other members I've gotten to know get together to talk, trying their hand at speaking other languages, do SADA and metakatsu Hippo activities, and some people introduce themselves or talk about their latest trip using a kamishibai/photo album. Going to these clubs is also a great opportunity for me to meet lots of folks who are curious about new people, different cultures, and are generally open from the get-go. Which is a real breather out here sometimes when I feel like "the gaijin/foreigner" around certain parts of Japan. They're also more accepting of mistakes, as we all learn together to attempt different languages. My club members in Saitama have all been so patient with me, and I feel so lucky for the great club that I'm a part of now. It's called Hogwarts, since my host brother loves Harry Potter! :D

STUDYING JAPANESE
Other than learning language acquisition "the Hippo way" (aka the fun way), I've also been studying the bookish way. When I go back to the US, I'm planning on taking a JLPT test, which means in addition to getting more speaking and listening practice in out here (always :), I also have to study up on the nitty-gritty of the language (grammar, sentence structure, that sort of thing). I found a few books out here that have been great for JLPT test prep, and when I get a chance to sit on the train (unfortunately been doing a lot of standing on the Shonan-Shinjuku Line), I whip out my book and get to work on those practice questions.

TAKING PHOTOS
Whenenver I get to a point where I start to feel TOO USED to the scenery, I take my camera out of my backpack and into my hand. I notice that if I'm actually holding onto my camera (or if I have it in my pocket), I'm more prone to keep my eyes open for something to take a picture of.

LISTENING TO MUSIC
Nothing new here. :D I'm pleased to say, I haven't gotten homesick out here, but whenever I start thinking about home (wishing I was anywhere else but on a stuffy train haha), I just plug in my music and WHAM, I feel at home again. And also, Danielle's rule still holds true; Danielle FINDS piano, Danielle PLAYS piano. A visit to a Yamaha shop always makes me happy.

I'm sorry this post didn't have any pictures, but I can promise you LOTS more in my next post when I come back from OSAKA!! :D Take care, all, and don't get sunburn. Just don't. It peels and itches. A lot.