McDonald’s

Back home, you would never find me in this restaurant without being with someone who brought me there.  Ever since I saw the movie Super size me, I do not want to eat there.   Still, I got word that in Japan there are different and taste better.  I have eaten at McD’s a few times and it’s not that bad.  But, this is not reason for my post.  The real reason is that this is one of the best places to study and grab a coffee that is not overly expensive.  Back in Montreal, my favorite haunt to grab a coffee was Tim Hortons (which I miss a lot).  I know it is a family restaurant, so the chances of kids being around are strong.  Still, in Japan when a restaurant is aimed for the family the prices for the food is lower than other places.  This is a real draw for me.  Furthermore, depending on the location of the McD’s you can sometimes not even see a kid, just teens (who are very loud) and adults.  Over the last week, McD’s has become the place where I go to study my Japanese, since I can get a small coffee for a 1$ and get out of my house without having to spend a fortune to change my mind.

Another big difference, between the Japanese version and the one back home is the service.  Here it is much faster and when they have a temporary shortage of a product they will bring it to your table.  So, you don’t have to wait at the cash register for your food if they don’t have one already ready.  Also, if the location is busy they will take care of the disposal of your trash.  This is something that you would never see back in Montreal.  Which brings me to something I adore here,  the attention to giving the best service possible to a client.  Here you get served much faster than in Canada.   Furthermore, they don’t get a tip when you pay.  Tips are never given here, compared to bars and restaurants in Montreal  and still, you get a much better service here.  It shows how treating a person right is important for the Japanese.  This is something I will dearly miss when I come back to Montreal.  Now, I understand my girlfriend when she told me that the service is Montreal was horrible compared to her home country.  In Japan, it’s much better and they don’t get a way better salary than the ones in Montreal.  They just are trained that way and have that mentality of giving you the best service possible.  Something that is sorely lacking in Montreal.

Busy week-end

The past week-end was a busy one for me.  Friday, I found out that I would have an interview the following day at 1 pm with a company that teaches English to young children.  I have taken Japanese classes with them, but the part of the company that relates to adults and not the younger generation.  So, I had to prepare very fast to make a good impression and hopefully get a job.  I had to shave my beard, which I had not shaved in over 2 years, revise my cv to put it up to date and make sure that my suit was pressed and cleaned.  It was a stressful night and morning.  I could not wait to get the interview behind me.  The interview consisted in a presentation of the company, followed by a 30 minute English exam test (which was not easy for me, even do I can speak and read English no problem).  Afterwards, I had to prepare a 5 minute lesson for a 5 year old in a matter of minutes and finally the actual interview.   I do not know if I will get the job, but I know that I did my best  and I will know on Wednesday night the outcome of the proceedings.

On Sunday, I went to Tokyo Disney with my sister, her friend and the mom of her friend.  It was the first time that I have ever gone to a Disney theme park.  When I arrived, I was so happy to finally visit one.  I have been waiting to do this, since I was a small child.  The decoration and the whole park are a living incarnation of everything that is Disney.  Everywhere you look there is something that makes reference to the cartoons or Americana.  Furthermore, there are many stores and stalls that sell all kinds of souvenirs and memorabilia of the famous characters.  It is hard not to let yourself buy some kind of keepsake as a souvenir or just something you think is useful.  The reason for this stems from the fact that everything is made to be cute and attract the eye.  I fell for the consumerism that was apparent, and I don’t mind at all.  The rides were fun to ride, especially Space mountain(which I highly recommend btw).  Me and my sis rode the teacups in the Alice in wonderland part of the park.  We mad that thing go around so fast that everything around else was a blur and I thought that I would be unable to walk normally, since I felt so dizzy.  When I got off I was ok, but my arms hurt from making the center wheel spin so fast.

The reason for the visit was to celebrate the birthday of the friend’s mom.  To commemorate it, me and my sis bought her a nice cake from a restaurant where we ate.  The store made reference to Alice in Wonderland and sold a cake that said happy unbirthday (referencing to Queen of hearts).   The mom was so happy to get the cake and it was delicious.  In the end, I think she had a good time.  We went on rides that she recommended and wanted to go on as much as possible, since it was her day after all.

All in all, it was a busy, but fun week-end.

Tokyo tower

Last monday, me and my girlfriend went to Japan’s version of the Eiffel tower, Tokyo Tower.  As soon as we got out of the metro station, we could see the tall structure towering over the nearby buildings.  Because of this, it was not difficult to find.  This was a relief for me, since in the past some areas were difficult to locate even with the help of a map.  So, I was happy to see it from a far and always be able to know where I was compared to it.  When we arrived, we saw that a lot of people had taken the same idea as ours to visit that day.  This was normal, since it was a holiday in Japan.  Therefore, a lot of people had the day off, including my girlfriend.  To get into the observation area we had to buy a ticket and take an elevator to the specified floor.  The ticket was not cheap, but worth it for the view you get of Tokyo.  You can see the entire city from the main observation area.  There was higher point to see other aspects of Japan, but it cost extra to go higher and I did not feel like paying.  Maybe another time.

After we left Tokyo Tower, me and my girlfriend walked to a nearby that we saw from afar.  It was the biggest one yet and  had some beautiful statues laid out on its grounds.  I love seeing the traditional part of Japan.  Seeing the temples between modern structures is something that amazes me.  I know you can see the same thing with churches, but there is something more interesting with temples, in my eyes.  I can’t wait to see more of the old Japan in the upcoming months.

Return on the judo competition

The competition was interesting to watch.  The male japanese athletes did not do so well.  I read that it was the poorest performance ever at the world championships.  They only succeeded in getting two medals.  The opposite happened for the women. They succeeded in getting seven medals.  One of the female athletes made a successful return after being on maternity leave.  She won the gold medal and proved that she was still a stong judoka even do she had been competing in a while.

Fight wise, it was split in my mind.  Some of them were interesting to watch, while others just did not have enough action.  This happened, since some competitors are obsessed at getting their favorite grip and won’t attack if they don’t have it.  Other times, my frustration came from the ones who refused to continue when it was on the floor and not standing.  In judo, you fight standing and on the floor, not just standing.  When, I see someone refuse to fight on the floor it makes me mad.  I have been taught that you should not stop till you hear the referee stay matte (which means stop).  So, when I someone just stop for no good reason it gets to me.  They are there to fight and win, not to waste time.  But, I should not say too much, since they are the competitors not me, I am just a spectator.

Matsuri

This past weekend was the Matsuri in a temple near my apartment.  It is a festival to celebrate the coming of autumn (I am guessing).  They were people carrying a mikoshi all over the streets near certain vendors.  These were of different sizes, the smaller ones were lifted by children, while the bigger ones were held by adults.  At the Kumano shrine, boots were installed that offered games, food vendors and toys for the kids.  Also, there was a stage set up for performances from singers and actors.  As you can imagine, a lot of people attended the festivities.

At first, I was thinking of eating at the Matsuri, but I got chance to look at the stalls and saw that they were not very clean.  Therefore, I changed my mind and ate elsewhere.  Still, it was nice to see a festival in Japan.  They have this kind of festival in Montreal, but you do not get the same feeling as in Japan.  So, if you have a chance to see one take the time do so.

Anxious for the judo tournament

Tonight will be the first of four nights that a Judo competition will be aired on tv.  I really can’t wait to watch it.  Even do all the comments will be in Japanese, I will have no problem understanding what is happening.  I always wanted to see a competition on tv in Japan and now I will get my chance.  Yipppeeee.  Next month, I am hoping to be able to attend a real competition as a spectator and see the difference between here and Canada when it comes to attendance.  Until then, I will watch it on the old tube tonight and the following nights until monday.

God I love judo.

Inexpensive fruit

A lot of times I have complained about the high cost of food here, but yesterday I saw a glimmer of hope.  I was out getting groceries, when I made my routine stop to the 99 yen store (0.99$ store in Canada).  In the front entrance were some pineapples.  Now, usually they cost about 3,49, but I saw a price that just made my mouth drop. They were selling them for 0,99$ plus tax = 1,04.  I was so happy, since I love pineapples that I bought two of them.  In the past, I purchased some peaches and apples there, but I would have never thought of finding more exotic fruits at such a great price.  Just shows, that if you look around you can find some bargains in an expensive country.

Sumo

Yesterday, I had the chance to watch a sumo tournament on my television.  Let me tell you, it is something to see those athletes perform.  Some of you may think that I am making a joke, but I’m not.  When you see the higher rank sumo fight, you will be amazed at how fast they can move.  I was surprised to see they can do that.  Also, sumo is a very violent sport.  Often you can get big slap in the face or the throat, get thrown off the ring by a 300 pound man or he could fall on you.  Not the kind of thing I would want to be on the receiving end of.  In the past, I always believed that the notion of fat men fighting being a sport was a joke, but when you see them move and the training they go through to become better.  You believe that this is a sport and a violent one at that.  I, especially, recommend watching the higher rank fighters, since their fights are more interesting than the ones of people starting in the sport.

Ikebukuro

Today, me and my girlfriend decided to do a little bit of shopping in a part of the city that I did not have a chance to visit so far.  This place is known for a multi-level shopping mall that contains a small aquarium, a museum and Namjatown (a sort of show for the kids).  On our way to the building, we found a used bookstore and decided to take a look at what they had in stock.  The place had a used copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire part 1(they sell the book in 2 parts in Japan).  We were especially surprised at the price for the book.  It was just 210 yen (about 2,10$ in Canadian dollars).  As you can surmise, it was a very good price.  Especially, since the book was in a very good condition.  The store did not have the second part, but we were unable to let go such a find.  In the future, I will keep my eyes open on any used book store to see if anyone sells the second part of any Harry novel past the second one at such a good price.

Afterwards, we went to shopping mall and looked at all the different stores that can be found in this location.  They were many different kinds of products on the floor, but the majority of them were aimed for women.  This is not surprising, since the female gender likes to shop than men do.  Myself, I found something nice for my mom for her birthday, which I will not reveal here, because it is a surprise.  But, I can say that she will like it for sure.

Finally, we made a quick stop at an anime store and after that at the HMV.  At HMV, I saw some movies and cds that I want to have, but for now I have to restrain myself.  Until I find a job, I cannot spend my money foolishly.  Also, it’s good to wait, because it makes me think twice about my future purchases and make sure that I want them for real.  I can’t wait to look for a job, just need to get my alien registration card.  Without it, I am limited in what I can do other than visit in Japan. The card allows a foreigner to open a bank account, find a job and get a cell phone.  So, I am becoming impatient to get it.  I have made the demand, now I just have to wait for the paperwork to finish.  The wait will end on September 19th, thank god.  After that, I start looking for a good job.

I will end my entry for today and came back tomorrow with more.

The last few days

I apologize to everyone for not having posted anything, since a few days ago.  I have just been busy.  Two days ago, I took the time to visit a place that is very dear to my heart.  It was the Kodokan, this location is where the heart of judo is located.  I have been practicing this martial art, since I was a young boy.  So, I have been wanting to visit the Kodokan for many years now.  I was so happy to finally set foot in it and see this well known establishment.  Sadly, I was not able to practice there, because I forgot my judo passports in Canada and my belt.  Still, I aim to practice there someday and attend a competition there, as a spectator of course.

After visiting the Kodokan, I looked at a map to see what is around me.  Very nearby was another tourist site…. the Tokyo Dome.  So, I went there and found some  interesting things.  This included a theme park, many souvenir shops, and a baseball hall of fame for the Japanese baseball league.  It was a nice surprise to find this building, especially since I did not know it was near the Kodokan.  The coolest thing about this place is the fact that there is a roller coaster that passes through a building and over an area where people can walk.  I have to go back there someday soon to try it out.

The next day was stressful, because on the news they were warning the population that a typhoon was coming.  All day it was windy and rain was falling at intervals.  In the end, the typhoon hit Tokyo near the end of the day.  When the worst of it passed, I was in bed sleeping and no apparent damage was caused to my home or nearby.  I was lucky, since other parts of Japan were not so lucky.  Some areas suffered some damage, but not to the point that I expected.  Afterwards, the news said that an old man died and four people were missing.  I was afraid that the damage and the death toll would be high and not so low.  My stress, also, came from the fact that this was my first typhoon.  If they are all like this, then my time here should go smoothly.  By the way, it was the 9th one this season.  By what I heard typhoons are a natural occurrence during summer.  They will not happen during autumn and winter, Yipppeee.

That is all for now, more to come soon.