Shopping for Trouble in all the Right Places

Hello all!  Today, I want to show you some of the great stores available in the center of Kyoto and an amazing take on the American ham-ba-ga (hamburger).  After  checking out Doshisha U again to make sure we knew where all our classes were, Julianna and I hit the shopping scene to scope out how people live and eat in BIG in Japan!

 So, our first stop was MOS Burger.  It’s a great chain in Asia and kind of looks like a McDonald’s but their food is WAY amazing!  http://www.mos.co.jp/menu/hamburger/ebi/  So, I was thinking I would one up my husband on the weird food list because I selected a “burger” made of what I thought was turtle.  It turned out to be shrimp.  Oh well, it was still damn good.

Check out the diagram of it on their website, and it says it has “American mustard” on it, along with mayonnaise and some type of coleslaw.  It was really phenomenal.  They also have teriyaki burgers, rice burgers and curry burgers (the curry is actually topping for the burger)!   It was really cute to hear the local kids asking for their chee-zu ba-ga.  J  The price is equivalent to the United States with the burger and a fry/onion ring combo with drink for about $8 US.

If you need a drink, there are vending machines everywhere on the streets and in buildings.  It’s like these things are stalking you.  Need a coke?  A juice?  Some sake or beer?  Some girl’s underwear?  Yes, that’s right, don’t ask, you don’t want to know.  If it makes you feel better, the THAT vending machine is hard to find.

So once you go to the center of Kyoto on the Karasuma line is one of the most fantastic shopping districts.  There is a mall IN the subway, you don’t even have to leave.  It has a number of upscale clothing stores, souvenirs, fast food (if you can call it that), and a grocery store selling imported goods (thank God they had my Quaker oatmeal).  You’ll pay a pretty penny in this place though.  The touristy stuff is great, but the clothes are pretty expensive and that oatmeal I bought (1 box) cost about $6.

BUT, this place has some of the best food and when you walk through the “food court” section it looks more like rows of restaurants, well actually I guess that is what it is.  All of the menus are picture menus so anyone can just point to what they want.  And, outside every restaurant is a plastic rendition of each dish so you know what they offer before you can go in.  Can’t decide what to eat, just find the best looking plastic food ever.  Remember when I used to love to go to Sears
and take all the plastic food out of
the refrigerators Mom?  I’m in heaven LOL.

So, outside and across the street next to Kyoto tower is a towering multilevel mall.  I think it has 3 basement levels and 6 upper levels.  The same electronics store itself is on two or three levels and sells everything under the sun.  There are a number of great little cafés down there too.  This one’s for you mom—right next to the Hyaku-en shop there is a a fantastic fabric store.  There are some really beautiful fabrics here, and I think they are about $10 a yard.  Lots of patterns too. 
Nice to see a major craft/fabric store in Japan.

And then there’s the Hyaku-en store.  That means 100 yen, which is the equivalent to the US dollar.  Although, like our US Dollar Store or Dollar Tree, the price has risen to 105 yen.  It’s like our dollar except honestly an even higher quality.  You can get almost everything you need here.  This is just one, but I’ve seen some that even sell meat and other food products, and upon inspection, I was surprised that they looked just fine.  They sell all your essentials like toilet paper, cleaning and laundry supplies, but they also sell really nice cooking implements, towels, bento boxes and accessories, and stationary.

I got everything I needed for my new apartment out of this store and spent about $15-20 total.  You can’t beat that!  I really enjoy it too because you can find some really awesome treasures like Hello Kitty stationary and trinkets and gifts for really cheap.  It’s crazy really.  And that’s where it gets dangerous right?  Because you could spend a TON in this store along with all the other stores that surround it.

I’ll conclude with the “Global Kitchen” grocery store.  This is a really fun place.  As you can see from the pictures, you can get just about any seafood.  There are tons of sushi, fish, tonkatsu and other premade dinners you can buy if you don’t want to cook along with tons of general groceries.  You do have to bag your own groceries though, which is interesting.  When you check out, they put your stuff in a small handheld basket with a bag and you take it to another counter where you can bag your meats in smaller bags and put it in the larger bag they gave you.  All the carts are very small, like the one’s you get at Lowes foods for when you are only getting a few things, and that is because people rarely buy in bulk in Japan like in America.  Most people have to walk or take the subway to get home, so you can only buy what you can carry.  This means multiple trips to the store a week, and I can see why many people would just buy these premade meals if they live in a small apartment like mine with only one stove burner and no oven.  Most Japanese take a reusable sturdy bag with them to carry these groceries home, and I followed their lead.  This is also why a lot of people shop for groceries at convenience stores—because they are so close to home.  There are plenty of cars on the road but that does require a certain income level since it is expensive to drive in Japan and you often have to pay for the use of a garaging facility.

Nonetheless, Julianna and I brought our groceries home and made Eggplant (Nasu) curry donburi together.  Donburi is a Japanese specialty which just means rice with topping.  The rice is the base of your meal but the topping possibilities are endless and is one of my favorite dishes.  It was a bit of a challenge having such a small cooking space, but between the two of us, it came out great!  A really great end to a really great day!

The Good, the Bad, and the Tasty

So when my iPOD alarm turned on this morning it was in the middle of a Japanese song from the Persona 4 anime that goes “don’t be afraid of making mistakes that may be your greatest rival.”  What are the odds?  Well, I would certainly need this advice today as we started our official outings in Kyoto that started with an orientation in only Japanese.  It was quite daunting, and I could only pick up bits and pieces of what was said.  I was really worried about missing something vital, so I resigned myself to spending a good deal of the night with my denshi jisho (Japanese to English electronic dictionary) translating. 

But, anyway, I know you all are waiting for some great pictures and info on the area and of course the eating scene. 

The Good

So, first of all, Kyoto is pretty easy to navigate.  The city was modeled after Chang’an, an ancient capital of China, so it follows a grid pattern unlike many other Japanese cities.  It just so happens that the old imperial palace is across the street from Doshisha University where I will be studying, and I hear this is a great place to go jogging (which I intend to try out tomorrow before checkout).  This happens to be not only an beautifully preserved relic of Kyoto’s ancient past, but it is also where the Emperor of Japan stays when he visits the city.  In fact, foreigners can show their passport inside the palace and schedule an inside tour of this estate, BUT this tour is not available to Japanese residents!  What an amazing opportunity! 

  There is so much to do here, and Buddhist temples are interspersed between businesses and convenience stores along all the roads.  There must be at least 50 temples in this city at least.

It’s amazing how easy it is to get everywhere by walking or bike.  Of course there are trains and subways also.  We were given an unlimited pass in fact while we are in the apartments, but when you visit you can also purchase passes for days or weeks that are inexpensive.  Of course, before you come to Japan you can also purchase a JR Rail Pass (only available to foreigners).  For less than the cost of a trip on the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo, you can get a pass that lets you ride on tons of trains, busses, ferries, and even bullet trains for a consecutive time period (7-21 days).   BENRI is the word, which means convenient, and Japan certainly embodies this.  For instance, Doshisha University not only has the traditional amenities of a college, it even has a yukata (summer kimono) shop for the very reasonable price of 6,800 yen (about $70 US).

It’s also easy to make friends.  I sat next to an old man on the express train today and struck up a conversation about sightseeing and Japanese religion (come on its me guys).  He actually gave me his business card before leaving with a big smile and a “Sayonara, Amanda-san.”  I found that lots of the other students had the same experience, resulting in new contacts, cool trinkets, and lots of interesting conversation.

The Bad

We had a security briefing today with the American Consulate and were given some very pertinent but disturbing information about police procedures here.  Let’s just say whatever you do don’t get in trouble.  The police here can hold you for a period of 28 days before they have to press charges, which means if you are involved in some kind of incident or even suspected, you could sit in prison for almost an entire month before they have to do anything including letting you talk to a lawyer.  Here, you are guilty until proven innocent, and you don’t want to sign anything they hand you without a lawyer/interpreter as it is probably a “confession.”  Apparently, this has happened a lot. 

It can be difficult to stay safe on the street… or rather the sidewalk.  Really, the cars are the least of your worries.  As you walk down the sidewalk, bikes zip past you from either side.  You really have to watch when you turn the corner and make sure you walk as straight as possible.  I must have nearly gotten clipped several times today trying to maintain a group formation with my peers.

Lastly, it’s hot as hell and muggy to boot, but as long as you remember to keep hydrated, you’ll be fine.  Unfortunately I realize now why the program guide said to bring a ton of shirts.

The Tasty

I’ve had some questions about how to find food cheaply.  It’s really not hard but you do have to sort of scout around, but you don’t have to go too far.  On campus, the cafeteria sells many different dishes for between $2-5 US dollars with a free drink to boot!  Anybody can walk in and order—you don’t have to have a college ID.  Today, I had kakiagi udon (udon noodles with tempura fried vegetables) for about $2.30 and only 80 calories.  Extremely interesting is that all the receipts at the cafeteria include the number of calories your meal is as well as all its nutritional values. 

On the streets, a donburi stand is never too far away.  There are a ton of places to eat and shop that are really reasonable.  Tonight, I found a little hole in the wall restaurant that also has a take out window where you can order yakisoba dishes that they will make fresh right in front of you.  Now, tonight I ordered one that cost 890 yen, about $9 US, but it was well worth it and I was starving.  They also had plenty of meals for about $4-5, and the portion size is generous. 

If you are in a hurry and have a microwave, you can always head to the local 7-Eleven or other conbini, which has a number of premade meals and even bento lunches.  You can also grab a notebook for school, toiletries, a cold drink (I have to try this Golden Pineapple beer!) and some Pocky.

I also managed to find a small grocery store and was very pleased with the selection and prices.  Vegetables are cheaper than the US, although fruit can be a little pricier.  I can get two small cuts of salmon for just $2 US or slices of beef or chicken for about $4-5.

In Conclusion

Don’t be afraid to explore and walk up and down a few streets to get the best deal.  You’ll find some gem in the rough that way.  Since many restaurants have picture menus, if you can’t speak the language, you can just point to what you want.  I’m so glad I found that little Yakisoba store.  The guys behind the counter were all smiles and extremely helpful, and I think I might just become a regular.  Everything here is super convenient, just don’t break any laws and Japan is nearly a paradise.

I leave you hopefully looking forward to my next entry about Hyaku-en shops (The Japanese "Dollar" Store).  And please enjoy this interesting video clip below.  Apparently, there is a van that randomly drives around all day dawning the Emperor's seal and blaring the National Anthem.

Lightening Your Load

Hello all, and thank you again for following another BIG in Japan posting.  Today’s posting has nothing to do with luggage, but rather that extra “baggage” that you inevitably take with you when you’ve had a full day’s orientation or travel the day before, you have to be at the airport by 3 a.m. and thus have had no sleep for 24 hours, and you and everyone with you has nerves as raw as a sashimi special.   In what ways can you deal with extreme stress and fatigue that are effective in not only alleviating your condition but helping those around you?

1.  Bring your sense of humor and don’t check it in with your luggage at the lengthy counter line.  So, funny story time--I was so tired this morning that I ended up literally beating myself up: bending back a nail, tripping over myself, biting my tongue by accident and on top of all this, an attendant directed part of our group towards a downstairs TSA terminal only to be told (when we got to the bottom of the stairs) that it was closed and we had to go all the way back.  At this point the line was MASSIVE.  After going to the back of the line, we got called out again to go to another terminal… which turned out to be the same one!  However it was open this time.  As the same lady who had turned us away initially gave us an embarrassed look I jovially called “Well, it’s great to see you again!,” to which my laughing friends asked how I could be so nice about all this.  After a slightly harrowing TSA experience with my very “dangerously questionable” wrist splints for carpal tunnel, we finally boarded our plane.  This is it—I’m gonna sleep the whole 5-1/2 hours!  Yep… Except that the very nice young man next to me really was ecstatic about watching our flight through his window, and it also so happened that the poor 5-year-old tyke behind me had problems with his ears popping and screamed at the top of his lungs until he was practically gargling the entire trip.  At this point, I couldn’t help myself I let out a big laugh, just amazed at the irony and the ease of my carefully laid plans falling through at every turn of this trip.  The guy next to me started laughing too and somehow the mood, through the screaming was lightened.  We shrugged our shoulders and said that’s life let’s all have some coffee and chit chat instead—rather loudly.  Remember that believe it or not, these are some of the things you’ll remember about your trip, but they don’t have to be negative and sometimes having a good sense of humor and be willing to adapt not only helps you ease your frustration but encourages others to as well.
2.  Hold onto your compassion like you would your passport.  Everyone around you is just as tired and cramped and cranky.  And, even though the screaming child may be keeping your from much needed beauty sleep, just think how embarrassed and panicked the poor mother feels as she does the best she can to quell his fear and pain and don’t assume she’s not trying her best.  Since I myself have had to take two small toddlers on a plane before, I offered assistance and even though nothing we tried seemed to alleviate his suffering, indeed I could see the relief in mom’s face from this small gesture.  We ended up being quite good friends once her son finally feel asleep from exhaustion and probably vocal cord paralysis.
3.  Be adaptable.  As odd as it sounds, it does seem to be very difficult to keep a set schedule on a trip other than your flight times, and as mine did, sometimes plans just fall through and you’ll just have to stay up for another five hours.  Eat lots to help keep you going!  Besides, your flight to Japan will take another 11 hours at least, there’ll be plenty of naps to be had on that one.  Too loud?  Try meditation-believe me this is an excellent practice opportunity!  Too bright?  Well, you have your sunglasses right?
4.  Take healthy risks.  What I mean by this is gathering up the courage to talk to that neighbor next to you and meeting another new interesting perspective on the world.  Or, just asking your Japanese only speaking neighbor if you can ad hoc with him on your Playstation Vita.  The only way to improve your language skills in a foreign language is by taking this kind of leap of faith or falter—whatever happens you still win because eventually the more your break out of your shell, the easier it will become.  And, for those not on the program, it can be a great way to practice speaking in public for that future job or job interview!

So, somehow, the more I laughed with others, made jokes and admitted my distress, the more others opened up too and alleviated theirs.  It’s really another great opportunity to make friendships with your peers or even just have an interesting conversation with a neighbor-stranger, but I don’t think this needs apply just to traveling either.   I have found that the things that went wrong on my previous trips have actually made them even more memorable, and there are always opportunities that pop up that you may not have encountered otherwise.  Oh, and don’t worry, you’re not the only adult who brought a stuffed toy on the plane.  J

Please join me for my next blog update.  I’ll be officially in Osaka/Kyoto then and plan to provide more in depth information about the structure of the CLS Program.  Thanks everyone!  Ja mata!

Getting ready to go!

Konnichiwa!  This is my very first blog and I'm so excited to be able to SHOW AND TELL you all about the wonders of Kyoto and the craziness of studying intensive language overseas!   I'm going to Kyoto to study Japanese--about the equivalent of one year's study--for two months.  I am very thankful to the United States Department of State for offering me a fully funded scholarship (Critical Language Scholarship), affording a great opportunity to not only learn language but also foster many valuable friendships.  I hope you enjoy this blog and that its contents will be useful to you for when you decide to travel to the "Land of the Rising Sun."

Right now, I know little of what to expect other than I'm going in the thick of monsoon season and unfortunately my rain boots won't fit into my bag.  Yep, I'm trying to travel through Japan for two months using only a duffle and a carry-on suitcase...  Thank you, I'm going to need that good luck.  While I did manage to fit everything into my suitcase on my trial run, it weighs about 45-50 pounds, so I think I'll have to ditch the 20 count fig newton packs.  :(  Goodbye comfort food.  I do, however, have about 20 packets of oatmeal and 15 Planters peanut energy bars so breakfast is still safe!  I'm pretty sure since my Hello Kitty duffle looks small but operates pretty much like the Bag of Holding I should be able to fit everything else in there.  Part of the reason it is so full is because the Japanese are BIG on gift giving, so I have made 10 treat bags to hand out, 5 with tea from Amanzi and Milano cookies and 5 with a Duke keychain and pencil and some candy.  I found these little treat bags to be a big hit the last time I was in Japan on SWY.

So, the next stop is Washington DC for orientation from June 10-12th and then off to Japan.  I'm pretty sure the government is going to add at least another 15 pounds of weight to my bag in paper.  I know SWY did.  I'm pretty sure we killed a miniature forest, so I'll have to plant a few trees when I get back.

I plan to keep you posted with all the ins and outs of Japanese travel and making new friends so you will be BIG in Japan too!  Standby for updates!

*As per US Department of State requirements, I am putting out the disclaimer that this blog is not affiliated with the CLS Program or the US Department of State, and any opinions expressed herein are solely the opinions of the blogger and do not reflect or represent the opinions of the State Department or CLS Program