A Day of Parties

The Christmas party at school was better than I could ever have imagined. It was, without doubt, the best Christmas party any of my schools have ever hosted. The food served was kind of like a julbord consisting of a variety of fruit, sushi, and pizza. Especially the fruit and the pizza were quite a surprising sight, as both are things that tend to be really expensive here in Japan (with the exception of bananas and pineapple, for some reason). They even has strawberries! Believe me when I say that strawberries are worth their wight in gold here, despite their great popularity.

Once I'd eaten myself full on a variety of very tasty food, I found my way to a room where I could try my hand at the fine art of calligraphy. Sad to say I was not very good, which would prove to have consequenses later on, when I to my surprise was called to stage along with the other calligraphists, and had my work voted down by the ruthless crowd before us. Then came the fun part, getting up on that table with a microphone when accepting my consolation prize (which was ramen! ;D). Though my japanese skills still have a tendency to fly into hiding whenever I really need them, thus preventing me from expressing most of the things that popped into my head at the time, I had a great time anyway - I very much love speaking in front of a crowd.

One of the more interesting acts of entertainment during the party was a drag queen competition, which I am sad to say I took no part in. But I wasn't about to jump into something like that with my head first. If I were going to dress up as a girl, whether for a competition or just for fun, it would be done properly, requiring the right top, the right skirt, the right boots and accessories, hairstyle and makeup. Overall, I'd probably wear quite alot of fur. The boots would likely be lined with it, for one thing. In other words, I would have to do some serious shopping, which would all be fine (who doesn't love shopping, after all?), except I wouldn't currently have the money for it all. Who knows... when I do, maybe you will get to see me dressed up like that.

Once the party at school was over, I went home to wait in Alberto's party in the evening. Meeting up at 8 'o clock outside the koban by the east exit of Shinjuku station, we took the subway to Roppongi, where we went to the greatest drinking place ever! Designed like a block in some ancient Japanese town, or maybe it was as a larger inn from the same era, it really had atmosphere. It was quite expensive too, but Miyasaki-sensei was really generous and paid for all the food, so most of us only had to pay for whatever drinks we ordered. Anyway, the place is truly worth a visit, so I'll make sure to bring all of my friends there as soon as I have the opportunity. 

The people who were there today - apart from Alberto, Miyasaki-sensei and myself - were Sarah, Jennifer, Kitti, Legato, Victor, Kim, Poha, Runo, Yamanaka-sensei, and a friend of Miyasaki-sensei who looked very much like some actor or something whose face I can't quite place. (There was another classmate as well, who's name will be edited in as soon as I am awake enough to remember it.) Once we were full of food and drink - the best food and drink I've had in months - most of us went to see the Christmas lights around Roppongi Hills. They very very nice, especially with the beautifully lit up Tokyo Tower clearly being seen in the background.

Once it was time to return home, the group split in two once inside the subway station. Along with my half, I returned to Shinjuku to take the Yamanote line back to Ikebukuro.  But when we got to Shinjuku, it seemed that the trains going north had already stopped running. As Miyasaki's friend were also heading for Ikebukuro, he suggested to me and Legato that the three of us take the Chuo line eastwards to Akihabara, to hopefully be able to catch the Yamanote line from there before it would be too late.

But alas, somewhere along that trip he started to realize that there was no way we would make it (he was constantly browsing the internet on his phone, keeping track of all the trains and stuff). So when we got to Suidobashi, he urged us off the train, brought us out to the Taxi stand outside the station, and in a very nice gesture paid a taxi for the three of us back to Ikebukuro! I can't express how greatful I am to him at this moment. Without him, both Legato and I would be stuck somewhere in Tokyo right now, with no real possibility of getting home before the morning trains start running. Instead I now have my nice and cozy bed right here before me, and into that bed I will now fall down, let sleep overtake me, and get a really nice rest before tomorrow. Because then awaits a movie afternoon with pancakes and friends, followed by yet another sayonara party of Alberto's.

The Story of the Phone

I've been meaning to update the blog for a few days now, but unfortunately my studies have come in the way. Well, that and the fact that I still do not have a computer of my own. I had intended to buy one as soon as I got here, but an ocean of unexpected expenses put a quick end to that wish. And so I find myself limited to internet cafes, my friends' computers, and the few computers available at school.

The main point of interest for this update was supposed to be the heat. It's been hotter in the past three or four days than anything I've experienced since I was in Egypt two years ago. But though the rain is now nowhere to be seen, the moisture content in the air is as high as ever.

That were supposed to have been the main point of interest. But then I went and bought a phone. I have been feeling a great need for one ever since I arrived. Try getting in touch with your friends, in Tokyo, when you haven't seen them for a day or two, and you'll know what I mean. Also, I use my phone as a watch - my wrist watch doing not much more than being a shiny bracelet at the moment - so not having one at hand has proven quite... untimely.

The phone I bought is a red one, at least according to the operator. I would call it some kind of very dark pink. It looks stunning, if I may say so myself. The phone itself cost me 30720 yen (about €200), which I paid up front. I then have a basic subscription fee at ca 3900 yen (€25) the first month, 1200 yen (€14) the second, and from the third month on, an unbelievably low 21 yen (14 cent) a month. I nearly coughed up my coffee when I heard that part.

The subscription fee includes free calls and mails within Softbank between 1 am and 9 pm. There is an addon service (there are optional addon services for everything in Japan) that expands that to the full 24 hours of the day, but I figured it wasn't worth it yet. Should I reevaluate that decition later on, I can always get the service when that time comes.

Actually getting to the part where I had the phone in my hand included a couple runs to Matsudo City Hall (first to register for the mandatory Alien Registration Card, then to get a very official teal piece of paper saying what will eventually be printed on the card, as the temporary paper I recieved when I first registered apparently wasn't enough. The japanese are very fond of bureaucracy. Now that I have a phone, I next need a bank account. I'll let you know how that persuit turns out.

I have been meaning to mention a few facts about the school and the guesthouse where I live all week, but time has always gotten in the way. This time it's my stomach getting in the way, as I haven't had my breakfast yet - at 16:50. So I'll make it short. The school I attend is called ISI Language School. It's located right in the middle of Shin-Oukubo, Tokyo's own "Korea Town", only a minute's walk from the train station. I like the area, though I have to admit it surprised me alot to see so many signs in korean everywhere the first time I came there.

Where I live, on the other hand, is technically not in Tokyo at all, but in the next-door province of Chiba, in a bedroom community town known as Matsudo. Connections to Tokyo proper are very good though, with trains at times running as often as every two minutes, and it takes me only about 50 minutes to get to school in the morning.