"There are no foreign lands, it is the traveler who is foreign"

While looking through my pictures, I just remembered something silly that happened right after I got off the ship in Yokohama. I was waiting outside the post office for Jenna when this little boy stopped to look at me. He couldn't have been much more than a year old. He just stood there and stared at me. No smile. No hello. Just stared. I tried to say “Konnichiwa” (hello) but he was so confused by me that he didn't even know what to do with himself! He must have stared at me none-stop for three or four minutes. It was hilarious! His mom kept trying to get him to walk away, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't even blink! I must have looked very strange to him with my blonde hair and big eyes. Plus, I was wearing a bright, colorful scarf and I had blue feet. I'm a freak. Hahahaha! Indeed it is true that, “There are no foreign lands, it is the traveler who is foreign.”
        After Yokohama Waterworks, I returned to the ship. I received some bad news that had me crying on the stairs... but I found a couple friends and put it in the back of mind for the moment. It was not worth thinking about at the time because my time in Japan is so limited.
        After pulling myself back together, I met up with my friend Akiko in the port terminal. She took me out to dinner and karaoke with her friend from work (whose name I can't remember right now and I feel really bad because she was wonderful!). It was so much better being at dinner with two Japanese women! I just let them order for me and everything was delicious! We had pickled vegetables, small fish with wasabi, dumplings (basically potstickers, my brother Dillon would have gone crazy for them! I wish I could bring some back... I guess he'll just have to go to Japan), and sake! It was great to be with two people who grew up in Yokohama and had also spent time in the US. We were able to talk about the differences (or more often the similarities) between our cultures on a deeper level than I could have with the American “experts” on the ship. Plus, they understood the beauty in taking time to eat slowly and enjoy the conversation of those you are with as opposed to just rushing through the meal and getting the check ASAP like the Americans I was with did...    I found it interesting that there was a time limit on how long you can stay at a table. They kick you out after two hours because there are other people who want to eat, too. That just goes to show how important taking time to talk over dinner is...
        After dinner we went out to Karaoke. In Japan, you rent out a room for an hour or so with your friends. Karaoke isn't sung in a bar or public space so you don't have to worry about sounding bad in front of some random people. The size of the rooms vary depending on how large your group is and you can even rent the rooms out for the entire night and sleep in them! Although, there isn't much space, so it probably wouldn't be the most comfortable sleeping arrangement. Since there were only three of us, we were in one of the smaller rooms, but we were right by a window, which was quite pleasant.
        It was great singing with two Japanese women compare to with an American crew. They don't worry about sounding bad, its all part of the experience. Not that they were bad singers, they were actually quite good. I just found that some of the Americans I was with wouldn't even try to sing because they were so nervous about messing up. They should just let go! No one cares if you suck, just have fun with it! Its supposed to make you laugh!!! I was so excited because they had Kimya Dawson! I couldn't believe it! Akiko and her friend hadn't heard her songs before but they really like them, fast and silly but packed with so much meaning :D
        Another great thing about going with them, I got to hear Japanese songs! I felt like everywhere I went, American music was playing, so it was nice to hear something different for once. I find that most pop music sounds similar, though. Nonetheless, it was an awesome experience! It felt like I was experiencing Japan more like the Japanese and less like an American tourist with other students... of course I was still a complete tourist and I was taking pictures of everything like a total dork, but at least I got to do it with someone who speaks the language, knows the best places to go and can answer most of my questions and provide great conversation!
        After karaoke, Akiko and I went back to her home. She lives on the outskirts of the city, which was very nice! I am not much of a city person, so it was wonderful to get out into a neighborhood!!! She lives with her mother and sister. Most Japanese live with their families until they begin their own. Maybe this seems a little strange to most Americans, but I think it makes a lot of sense.
        Her house was very pleasant! There was an adorable Micky Mouse doormat at the entryway. Once you walk in there is a door to the left that is the bathroom, one to the right that is the washroom and one to the front that enters to the kitchen and rest of the house. It seems like a smart way to lay out the house because then only the most used rooms (bedrooms, living room, kitchen) must be heated and heat isn't lost to the outside. Much more efficient. I noticed that many things in Japan were set up in a way that uses the most efficient use of space and resources, especially in comparison to America where we have sprawled out in a completely unnecessary and inefficient manner.
        The washroom was so cool! I wasn't planning on taking a shower (I've gotten very used to showering only every 3 or 4 days and I just showered the day before), but when I saw how different the washroom was, I decided I had to just for the experience. When you walk into the washroom there is the first room which has a sink, mirror, drawers, the typical stuff... and then there's a door for the shower and bath. You close the door behind you and then the entire room is turned into a shower! Akiko is probably reading this and finding it silly that I was so excited by her shower... but I was! And the bath! I didn't take one, but I noticed that they put a cover on the tub so that the water stays warm instead of refilling it every time they take a bath, so much better than what we do! You are supposed to shower first and then the tub is just for soaking and relaxing, so the water stays clean and can be used again and again... brilliant...
        She was kind enough to let me sleep in her bed, I was very grateful for how well she treated me as her guest. Akiko-san, Arigatai (basically, deep thanks and gratitude).
        The following day was a national holiday, the day that Japan became a nation. So Akiko had the day off! We woke up early and walked to the tram station to head to Yokohama Central and then to Kamakura. The walk through her neighborhood was delightful! We passed several gardens along the way that reminded me of some of the communal gardens at home, but Akiko said they are not community gardens. Someone owns the plot and farms some vegetables for themselves or possibly for sale. There are no farmers markets in Japan, however, so I suppose they wouldn't be small-scale farmers that grow veggies and then sell them at market. One of her neighbors had a great bonsai garden! I did the tourist thing and took lots of pictures... its good though because now I can look through them and remember the things I want to talk about and share them with all of you and other people I meet!
        So then we headed to Kamakura. We had many great conversations on the tram, about Japan and the US. One big thing we talked about was materialism. I'd noticed that in Tokyo people were big on labels and fashion and Akiko agreed. I noticed that even the guys are incredibly materialistic. They all have gucci wallets and bags and all that other high fashion bullshit... the guys spend more money on their clothes than on things that actually matter, like traveling or love. But I guess love doesn't cost anything, so I more mean than on the ones they love. I find this high-fashion obsession to be a big problem in the US as well. Underneath the superficial layer of language, I feel like Japan and the US are very similar and possess many of the same problems. However, Japan does have a much longer history and that history includes a great connection to the earth and natural way of life, so I think that gives them more perspective on many things.
        Whenever there was a moment of silence (which didn't happen often, we had many things to discuss!), Akiko would ask me to point out what looks weird to me. I would comment on the signs or people's clothing or behaviors. I think she found it interesting to look at her culture through my eyes and notice what was different to me.
        After an little under an hour on the tram (the time just flew by though because we were so engulfed in conversation) we arrived in Kamakura...