tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12458882011-07-14T19:45:59.977-05:00Japan.englishThis is the english version of the I-House/Japan weblog. Enjoy.TGnoreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-30134752001-04-01T04:13:00.000-05:002007-11-07T16:56:01.501-06:00the end is closeI left Japan on 3/29/2001, after a whole year in Japan, a whole year since I first put my feet on Japanese soil, leaving behind that Air France plane. It was a year full with invaluable experiences, which I take back home, while I can share a part of it with this weblog. Everything following this posting are articles I didn't post yet, no new stories. Anyway, I plan to return to TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-27236372001-03-10T20:49:00.000-06:002001-03-10T21:01:42.000-06:00strange GermanEvery friday night I go to martial arts in a hospital in the northwest of Kyoto. The guys have the nice habit to sit together after the training and to eat, talk, drink, exchange views... Last week we started to talk about peculiarities of the German language. Articles. Who ever had some Japanese, knows that there are comparitively few grammatical structures to learn. After some TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-26357872001-03-04T23:13:00.000-06:002001-03-04T23:24:39.693-06:00Ojigi"If somebody bows, bow back" That`s a tip from the movie "The Rising Sun". Unfortunately it`s not that easy. Bowing in Japan is as important as a hand shake in the West. You squeeze the other guy`s hand or hold it like a dead animal, and there goes your image.... Your body language is mostly subconscious - and about two third of all communication - but you can influence on how to give TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-26116632001-03-03T01:12:00.000-06:002001-03-04T00:47:32.450-06:00friendlynessOne of the things that remind me why I like Japan is, when I`m treated much more human or friendlier in an unexpected situation, than it would be the case in my home country.How often did it already happen? You went to a party to have fun, but you barely escaped a brawl with some scrappers, because they were offended by your south-european appearance or your short hair and heavy shoesTGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-24489142001-02-20T02:26:00.000-06:002001-02-20T02:33:53.953-06:00special cosmeticsHave you seen them once? One of those girls with make-up that makes her looking like a negative picture, a ganguro? If you take a closer look, you`ll notice they are prepared for everything, carrying a complete make-up and nail set, spare clothes, a mobile with the melody of the latest J-Pop chartbreaker... but what do they use behind the scenes? What exactly is the inventory of TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-22766312001-02-07T02:03:00.000-06:002001-03-10T20:56:33.986-06:00Modern JapanWhen I arrived in Japan at the Kansai Airport last year in April, I took the train to Kyoto. On my way I was very surprised to see the poor state of the infrastructure in the area. Japan, the world`s economy number two? How does that fit to all those old houses made of wood and tinroofs, the chaotic telephone and electricity poles, the homeless under the bridges (yes, I know, they TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-22496282001-02-05T01:40:00.000-06:002001-02-05T01:45:29.030-06:00To the end of my year in Japan, I have to leave the foreign students dorm and look for an appartment or a homestay in the aera of Kyoto. The main problem is - and always has been - the money. First, I tried to find a family for homestay myself, posting into newsgroups, asking friends, writing handbills and have them displayed at busy places... but all that didn`t really work. Luckily, I heard TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-21138332001-01-25T03:59:00.000-06:002001-01-25T03:59:23.563-06:00I love Japanese commercials! So much stuff to see, so many interesting offers. My favourites are the following two:The first one is a commercial for a vitamin compound called DHC.It generally shows two girls with ...extremly huge breasts, the camera closing up all the time - the changes in perspective were similar to those in the first part of Lara Croft ;-). The two girls, hardly wearing any TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-19913232001-01-16T04:12:00.000-06:002001-01-16T04:17:35.900-06:00to pay or not to payDuring my two weeks in Tokyo I found something, that surprised me completely. It was in the middle of the city, a food/goods stand, with potatoes, flowers, New Years Eve decorations etc., but no vendor. A sign said that you could take whatever you wanted, one could voluntarily pay the price that`s written on small tags. Now, a, upright person with a pure conscience and mannersTGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-19149932001-01-10T03:17:00.000-06:002001-01-10T03:17:29.336-06:00New Years EveEnd of the year, end of the decaede, end of the century, end of the millenium - where could you celebrate thet better than in Japan, at the most traditional shrine, the Meijijingu in Tokyo? Of course, it`s a little bit hard to wait for three long hours in the cold, outside, just to be in the first row - but it`s definitively worth it.Although me and my girlfriend didn`t see too much TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-19013952001-01-09T01:45:00.000-06:002001-01-09T02:00:28.183-06:00ChristmasGlitter, flimflam, music, consume addictions at Takashiya and masses of customers at Isetan, here you can find everything. The only difference you can notice to christmas in Germany, for instance, is, when you stop for a second, sit down and look around you.On the one hand, the whole event is almost the same, but without the smell. No german Gluehwein, sold in little stores outside, no "TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-17086862000-12-19T06:26:00.000-06:002000-12-21T00:04:06.336-06:00cultural differencesYesterday I had a Japanese friend come over. We talked a little bit, etc. then I noticed that he had a cold and he needed to clean his nose. I handed him a tissue, and he used it carefully, so I hardly could hear it. I was surprised when he put the used tissue onto my room's table. He did the same thing with the second tissue, and when he left, he took the tissues with him. TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-16473642000-12-13T03:25:00.000-06:002000-12-13T03:25:48.860-06:00first snowSummer seems to be over. From end of April until the end of October, the sun was shining, with just a few wet days inbetween.Meanwhile it`s really cold, and... on Monday we had the first Snow this year. It wasn`t really enough to cover the floor, but it was at least one or two snow flakes. For me, it could be the first white christmas in years.TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-16467762000-12-13T01:31:00.000-06:002000-12-13T01:31:14.736-06:00new windowsAfter waiting for weeks for those new windows, the workers came the first three days this week. It was a dissapointment when they just exchanged the little wheels for new ones and not the windows themselves, which have partly cracks and are so dirty you wouldn`t like to touch them. So, in the end we have to clean the old windows...During the changing I talked to one off the workers. TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-16144332000-12-10T00:13:00.000-06:002001-05-02T11:03:03.326-05:00PornokingThis week Richard and me had an idea. We organized a movie night, an Anime and a real movie from the hard core section at Step One at Marutamachi. On that evening, about eight people watched the show. The funny part was, that Jay commented everything, pretending to be the producer of the movies. The content of the two movies apart (the Anime peaked in a bloody defloration, the second TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-15736502000-12-06T02:07:00.000-06:002000-12-10T00:16:57.063-06:00picture pageThe picture page is online, life and kicking! You can access the pictures by clicking on the link in the lft bar. I will upload new pictures as long as I get new ones. So, if you have some, send them to me please. All pictures have some connection either with the I-House or Japan. I would appreciate it, if you could look through some of them and correct me if I gave a picture a wrong TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-15229872000-12-01T02:10:00.000-06:002000-12-01T03:50:50.340-06:00Celebreties you would never expect in adsWhat is rarely known in your homecountry, celebreties from the US or England (and yes, Canada) do commercials for good money which range from hilarious to plain stupid.You can see a smiling Bruce Willis sitting on the beach in bermudas on every other vending machine or Mariah Carey kicking some Japanese ass in playstation games on a television commercial TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-14887472000-11-28T05:21:00.000-06:002000-11-28T05:21:22.360-06:00Asian KitchenIf you are looking for a place at Kawaramachi to eat a little something, try "Asian Kitchen". The food is spicy - no wonder, it`s indonesian, thai, etc. - and for the price, the plates are not small. I was totally stuffed after 2000 Yen (if you know me you might remember how much food I need ;-), and the atmosphere is not bad either. The interieur has been decorated as a catacomb, TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-14871572000-11-28T00:09:00.000-06:002000-11-28T00:10:21.770-06:00"Zac Baran" - Second HouseYesterday I met with a friend of mine in a nice Cafe in the City, called "Zac Baran", a branch of Second House. From the outside it doesn`t look special or too interesting, but as soon as you enter the Cafe, you might be surprised. The staff friendly as you are used in Japan, but the atmosphere of the interiour is great, Jazz or Easy Listening in the background, TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-14217682000-11-21T05:07:00.000-06:002000-11-21T05:07:42.343-06:00Ritsumeikan`s computer roomsIn respect to the full computer room in the library I get the impression that many people don`t know about the other rooms at Kinugasa Campus they could go to.You can find a list of all rooms on the pages of the Rainbowstaff.In short, you can use computers in the following buildings: �}�‘ŠÙ —L�SŠÙ �s�SŠÙ �P�SŠÙ —m—mŠÙThe computerroom in the —L�SŠÙ, 3. floor (TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-14198682000-11-20T23:24:00.000-06:002000-11-20T23:24:08.033-06:00Gakuensai at RitsumeikanLast weekend the Gakuensai was celebrated at the Ritsumeikan Kinugasa Campus. All people selling old clothes, J-Pop CD`s, Yakitori, "Hot Drug", Okonomiyaki and other rubbish aside, the foreign students managed to sell loads of german "Pfannkuchen", or pancakes, to a huge crowd of japanese girls... (and a few guys)Having one of the best places on the campus (in the middle TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-13803832000-11-16T01:14:00.000-06:002000-11-16T01:14:46.143-06:00Pachinko
If you are fascinated by bright, shiny, objects, and you feel that you have been working to much recently, or you are frustrated by games of skill or have lots of time to spend... Pachinko may be the hobby that you have been waiting for.
Pachinko, which could be described as 'Japanese Pinball', is a game in which a large quantity of silver balls is fed into a sort of TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-13604812000-11-14T02:30:00.000-06:002000-11-14T02:30:11.853-06:00Parties
There are not too many clubs for good parties, some of the most popular include Metro, Club Africa and Imagine at shijo kiamachi. To prevent spending 3000 Yen for a punk party with a great atmosphere but shitty 60ies rock music, send somebody in to check things out ("I`m looking for a friend"usually buys you a 5 minute ticket). Sometimes the japanese definition of a music style does not TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-13497342000-11-13T03:24:00.000-06:002000-11-13T03:24:25.866-06:00Where to buy cheap
The 100 Yen shops are one interesting alternative to Daimaru - if you`re looking for cheap stuff. Literally. What you don`t find there simply doesn`t exist: Good Luck bringers, soap, kitchen utensils, food, hygiene articles, crap without purpose, toys, any tools you cvan think of, watches, music, etc. blabla.
The closest 100 Yen shop to the I-House is at ŠÛ“c’¬, turn west whenTGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-13029702000-11-08T02:26:00.000-06:002000-11-08T02:26:21.086-06:00Well, not a day passes that something interesting happens.
Halloween seemed to be fun. People could watch Shinya with brunette hair, wearing make-up, bunny-ears, a little leather-something around his waist and Strapse. Nice, nice. He looked like a brutal Playboy bunny. •|‚¢�IRichard, of course, has been elected having the best costume. He went in his Sunday clothes. ;-) Also, Ricken got severalTGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-12459852000-11-02T01:22:00.000-06:002000-11-02T01:22:37.116-06:00The open •¶‹åletter by 17 students seems to have at least partly an effect on the I-Center:
Last week, Yamada Sensei has visited the I-House.
The Kanrinin (my favorite topic ;-) lied blatantly and denied using the girls restroom for anything else than cleaning. Yeah right...
The toilets are now officially girls territory, but only until the first floor is filled with guys again. We can assume TGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1245888.post-12459182000-11-02T01:10:00.000-06:002000-11-02T01:10:54.850-06:00Hello everybody,
this is the english weblog for students in Japan, news, cultural events, changes in policy of the I-Center, locations for good parties, tips`n` tricks how to survive in Japan are soon going to be published here ...and of course, what you all have been waiting for: rumors and other hogwash!
If you want to reflect on something, please use the forum, until I set up the commenting TGnoreply@blogger.com