BigMike's Big Japanese Vacation

[BigMike]

Today, after walking with Misato to her work, I decided I would go deeper into Akihabara then I have ever gone before.

Wow, what an amazing place. I can see why Tech TV always has specials on this place. It is a computer geek's heaven!!

According to legend, because of its lure to tourists, the workers here are multi-lingual. But I did not think so. I spoke to quite a number of store clerks and either they didnt speak english, or they thought I only spoke Japanese. I actually like that.

But I did learn yesterday that trying to sound fluent in Japanese when I really am not is a bad thing. I was in an AM PM to pick up some more Ice Tea and some AA batteries. When I approached the clerk, I confidently said "konnbanha" which is "Good Evening". Then when he read outloud what the total was, I was quick and firm to say "isen en desu" which means "here is 1,000 yen". Well, of course this is the regular thing for me and I have caught on to the purchasing system rather quick, I thought.

Then, after I gave the money to him, he said "jkhsd kjh euiys fkjhsd iuesk jfsh dsjkhg efs" and I was really confused and I didnt know what to say, and again he said "oisdh oiuhes iujfhes kjfhkj hse ikuifhse" and I just said "uuuhhhhhhhhhhhh" and I started saying "gomennasai, wakarimasen deshita" which is a polite way to say "I am sorry but I could not understand you", and he just nodded his head and gave me my stuff and I left.

Well, during that time, Misato was with me, being that this was after I had picked her up. And she was over at the magazine rack thumbing through some Japanese beauty magazine. She told me that she heard everything that happened, and the guy was asking me if it would be ok to put the batteries in the same bag with the Ice Tea. yeah, like I would have guessed that 1.5 years of Japanese class isn't enough to learn that kind of detail.

That's why I am pretty excited about next semester's Japanese class, and the advanced class I will take next fall. Well I sure have come along ways since I was last in Japan. Before I could only say "Hello, How are you, I am hungry, Where is the bathroom, Are you a postman?" you know, just the essentials hahahaha

Last night Misato told me that her company is in need of Mechanical Engineers and that they have a flyer up on their window searching for hire.

MMMMAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN ITS A F1 ENGINEERING JOB!!! Wow. That is all I can say is just "Wow"

So after I left her office this morning, I found the flyer and took a picture of it.

Then I proceed to walk on down Yasukuni Avenue and then a right onto Chuuoo Avenue, then up and over the Kanda River, and wa-la, I am now in the heart of the Electric City!!

I'll have to come back to this place at night, thats gotta be a crap load of lights going on here

[jimbo74]

cool

[BigMike]

Many of the stores were closed then. For the first time this trip the new Kanji I just learned (advanced character set) went to good use. I stopped and read a sign that had Kanji and I could understand about 40% of the Kanjis, but it was enough for me to understand that normal business hours are from 10a to 6p.

So I decided to go back to the apartment for some breakfast and also to do some research on the internet for some key places to go to in Akihabara.

On the way home I kept my eyes open for any Toyota 4WD pickups.

Of course I saw some cool bikes and cars, so that found themselves trapped in my camera

Heres a Scott Dual Sus. Mountain Bike with some road tires that I thought looked rather goofy.

I had heard some rumors that Toyota has started selling autos under their Lexus badge, and today it was confirmed when I spotted this Lexus Van.

Then of course I saw some sports bikes, so I had to take some pictures of them
The Blue one is a Honda CB400 Super Racer?
And the Black one is a Yamaha Zeal?

[wa4x4]

I bet you wish you had your bike there to zip around, but it seems like you are doing a good job. How many pictures are on your camera from this trip I wonder.

[BigMike]

Well, as I feared, that's all I've got time for right now.

I think we are going to go into Ginza tonight, so I will have so many pictures I'm gonna go crazy

Be back later-
BigMike (6:35p Thursday night)

[RHG]

Hey Mike how many hours ahead are you from us in good ol Cali? Have to be nearly 24 cause isnt the "time zone line: right near Japan. I am having a hell of a time looking through all your pictures. I'm getting impatient waiting for more im so excited so I can only imagine how much you are having. So is it true that you learn a language the best if you are immersed in it? I bet you have caught on to so much in just these few days. Have a good time man.

[Rocksurfer]

Hey Mike how many hours ahead are you from us in good ol Cali? Have to be nearly 24 cause isnt the "time zone line: right near Japan. I am having a hell of a time looking through all your pictures. I'm getting impatient waiting for more im so excited so I can only imagine how much you are having. So is it true that you learn a language the best if you are immersed in it? I bet you have caught on to so much in just these few days. Have a good time man.

We are so yesterday to Mike right now.

[*FFC*]

Mike I'm reading all this and I can just see that you two are hopelessly in That's so awsome!!


RS, that was

[Lady Di]

Dang, I finally got a chance to read through this! What an amazing adventure, it is so much fun following you around the city (you didn't see me behind that van did you)!

Skipping and singing down the street!! You two kids are so smitten!! It is really sweet.

Can't wait to see more pics.

[...................................]

hope you're having lots of fun! pics are awesome!!

[rockhound]

Hey Big Mike,
Funny story about the store clerk. And the whole time Misato was letting you fend for yourself! Good for her. You guys seem really cool together. The pics are great, we get to experience a little bit of culture too.
Keep it coming.

[wa4x4]

Mike make sure not to neglect the sports cars over there, ya know WRX's and STis. I know they got some cool cars over there, post what you find.

[Brandon]

WOW!

Mike - thanks for the tour!! I have hardly left cali in my life, I would really like to see the world but I think I'd have to start somewhere that I know the language 

I just read the whole thread, sounds like your having a blast! Apply for that job

BTW, part of why LA has so bad of smog is that is has nowhere to go. Have you snapped a pic of something only to have the owner come look at you funny yet? Are you getting funny looks for being "an american."

That has got to be some experience...

[BigMike]

Hey guys,

Sorry, no updates yet, we are too busy having too much fun. Today is CHRISTMAS!! here so Merry Christmas!!

Misato has taken me to three amazing places!! I have many pictures and I cant wait to show them to ya!

But I am going to wait until tomorrow because Misato will be back at work, so I will have time during the day to do my updating

So check back tomorrow at about this same time, and Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Cya
BigMike (Dec 25 11:14am)

[Pancho]

samea to you Mike and Misato too. have a wanderfull time and keep posting pictures.  and if you find a WRX or STI take a picture too Thanks

[kneedownnate]

Cool Mike, merry christmas to you and Misato too!  I hope you guys had a great weekend.  Can't wait to see the new pics.  Have you seen any nissan skylines there yet?  Those cars are wicked fast.

[FATB0Y]

Merry Christmas Mike

[Lady Di]

Well, where are the latest pics?

[Marlin]

Merry Christmas Michael and Misato.

Brandon has not picked up his computer yet.

Chrystal and Tyler send their love.

We all miss you but understand you have your great priorities.

Mom wishes you were both here for Christmas.

Love you


Hey, are there any Christmas decorations over there?

[KYOTA]

merry christmas Mike

[Lady Di]

Hey, are there any Christmas decorations over there?

Yeah, how do they celebrate chrismas over there?

[BigMike]

I bet you wish you had your bike there to zip around, but it seems like you are doing a good job. How many pictures are on your camera from this trip I wonder.

A Motor Bike would be sweet, but seriously, everything that I seem to need is always within walking distance. And the public transportation here is beyond excellent. In fact, Misato's work is only about a mile away, yet she could get on the Kodemmachou subway line from home and to work in probably less than 100 steps combined.

As I mentioned earlier, there are so many restruants and drug stores on every street... Even last night on our way home, we were going to cook some rice here, but it would already be past midnight, so we just decided to stop at a Curry fast-food restaurant, which was crowded, so we walked around the corner, and boom, another curry restaurant. So we picked up a couple of "obentos" or "lunch boxes" from there and went home.

It seems so amazing to me that there are so many restruants in such close proximity. Even they might have the same menus.. But at lunch time and dinner time, they are sooo crowded that you can not even get into the door.

You know, I am soo sick of seeing so many Starbucks back at home in Fresno. We even have two that are less than one mile apart. And yet here, I have been in a train station, and I have seen TWO starbucks in the SAME station. I would say they were 1/4 mile apart. AND YET THEY BOTH LOOKED SO CROWDED!!! Its Incredible-

Hey Mike how many hours ahead are you from us in good ol Cali? Have to be nearly 24 cause isnt the "time zone line: right near Japan.

Japan is +17 over PST and +14 over EST. But in accordance with the dateline, Japan is only +9 hours GMT.

So is it true that you learn a language the best if you are immersed in it? I bet you have caught on to so much in just these few days.

Well, it is strange... Last time I was here, I could not speak the language, but I caught on to so many new words and my brain was like a sponge. But this time, since I have some comprehension, it seems I am spending my time concentrating on what people are saying, what they are asking, what are the proper ways to request something, listening to TV programs, and listening to announcements while riding on the subway or trains.. Also, since I can read and write Japanese, I am reading road maps, street signs, and restaurant menus.
Whatever free moments I have from all of that, I am taking in the culture, the awesome automobiles, the fact that I have never spent this kind of time inside of a metropolis, and of course hanging out with Misato.

In Japanese classes, I would get headaches on nearly a weekly basis. Whenever we would learn some new grammar, man, it would walk out of that class with my mind blown. Well, here I still seem to be learning so much, but actually, I feel dizzy instead of a headache. Seriously, as weak as it sounds, I have felt dizzy about 10 times already. It sometimes even feels like the building is moving. It makes since because I am on the subway and it is moving all over the place and when its so crowded, you cant even hold on to anything, so people just basically fall onto one another and its very difficult to keep your balance.

Thats where the word "chikkan" comes from, which is a-whole-nother story I could talk about hahaha
Have you seen the movie with Bruce Willis, The Fifth Element? Well that movie Rocks baby!! Anyways, after that hot girl has learned some English and she eats some Chicken, she says "ohhh good chick-en, goooood chick-en" like that, and my buddies and I used to go around in Highschool saying "ohhh good chick-en" until one day our friend, who was a Japanese exchange student, told us what chikkan means. "Chikkan", which is pronounced nearly the same, is how the Japanese define people on a crowded subway who, uhhhhhh, who "Accidentally" touch a girl/woman in some certain, how do I say, More Personal locations
See, as the train/subway is moving around corners, everyone is moving and falling all over the place, so its a good excuse for some old guys to get in some free shots. I dont know if this is done in the states or not, like in New York, as I have NEVER been on a subway in America, but its really not cool here!! because the way the society is. Remember, traditionally, women have little or no voice. It does seem that Japanese women today are becoming more like the USA's womens movements of the late 40s, but still, when a chikkan makes his move, the ladies usually just turn the other way. Its really sad and of course extremely degrading.
Although I have not seen a chikkan in progress myself, I have done a little chikkan on Misato hahahaha you know, it was an "On-purpose mistake" hahahaha Hey, you would do it to your significant other too! hehehe

[79coyotefrg]

on purpose mistake    you pervert 

im glad your havin a good time Mike,  so for a dummy  what time and day is it there now

[BigMike]

it is so much fun following you around the city (you didn't see me behind that van did you)!

Man that was you? Yeah I thought a sumo person was following me hahahaha

Mike make sure not to neglect the sports cars over there, ya know WRX's and STis. I know they got some cool cars over there, post what you find.

and if you find a WRX or STI take a picture too Thanks

Yup, so far I have seen one really cool WRX STi here, and I will post it up
Pancho, yesterday I bought you an Imprezza Magazine that is pretty cool

Have you seen any nissan skylines there yet? Those cars are wicked fast.

Yeah dude, the R33 Skyline is my #1 favorite Japanese car of all time. I dont know why Nissan didnt want to compete with the Toyota Supra stateside. Come on, the twin turbo Z car? HA!! WHAT A JOKE. My MR2 could walk all over 300Zs in its SLEEP. But the Skyline, now thats one piece of art right there
And yes, I found a SA-WEET Black R34 and took plenty of pics

Brandon has not picked up his computer yet.
.....
Chrystal and Tyler send their love.
.....
Mom wishes you were both here for Christmas.

Love you

Man, what the heck is Brandon doing? I worked on his computer while I was packing and didnt get it finished until the day I left. I made some sacrafices to get that thing going, I was expecting him to pick it up the next day
So what do the Logans think about the new pad?
Yea, I wish Misato could get back to school
Love ya too man!

Hey, are there any Christmas decorations over there?

Yeah, how do they celebrate chrismas over there?

Well, some how the holiday has caught on over here, and there are plenty of trees and christmas lights put up
It is an economy booster, like in the US, but without any religious ties.
I dont think anyone personally has Christmas Trees in their houses, now do I think there is a large pile of presents waiting on Christmas morning, but for sure, it is a special time for couples, and it was a very busy shopping day yesterday with plenty of couples holding hands and walking around

[79coyotefrg]

    

[BigMike]

on purpose mistake you pervert

im glad your havin a good time Mike, so for a dummy what time and day is it there now

hahahahaha It is currently 11:35am Monday morning

[79coyotefrg]

chikkan in progress  >  < 

[79coyotefrg]

hahahahaha It is currently 11:35am Monday morning

ok,  so your like 16 hours ahead of arkansas 

[BigMike]

oh geez

[79coyotefrg]