Monthly Archives: July 2012

getting to work

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Wow. Monday seems like five years ago. So many new things! This post will cover getting to work. Eventually, there will be less to share, but right now everything is just so new and different. I want to make sure I capture it all!

Monday morning I met my boss in my lobby so we could go into work together. Since it was my first time finding the office or riding the Tokyo subway, this just seemed like a good idea. And my instincts proved right. I’m sure I would have found the building eventually, but…it might have taken a while. (Not having constant google maps access has shown me just how reliant I have been on my iPhone for the past few years!)

Tokyo Metro! “We’re not in Kansas (New York) anymore.” First of all, they are uber clean. Like, “you could lick a hand rail” clean. I’m not sure how they do it (oh, wait, Japan is a culture of respect and honor…could that be it?), but seriously, they are that clean. I’d like you to notice that lack of gum stuck to the ground and trash everywhere. Even the tracks are clean!

There are also these great maps in each subway station. Every stop is numbered and every line is colored making it pretty easy to figure out how to get where you want to go.

And then there’s the schedule. Yes, my New York friends, a subway schedule. And they are on time. All the time. It’s incredible. Unless, of course, someone decides to jump on the tracks (something they do a lot more here than they do in New York with one of the highest suicide rates in the world–a little tidbit my boss shared with me on our way into work).

There are also these super handy neighborhood maps outside most subway exits–and the exits are numbered, too, making it super easy to figure out how and where you want to exit in order to be outside as little as possible. And why would you not want to be outside? Because it is ridiculously hot and a lot of the subway stations are attached to little underground worlds (clean, nice shopping areas, etc) that are AIR CONDITIONED!
Japan is one of the most homogeneous countries in the world (coming in third behind 2. South Korea and 1. North Korea). And just in case you wanted to know just how white I feel even here in “diverse” Tokyo (as compared to the rest of the country), here is a of picture from my commute. “One of these kids is not like the others…”

The subway is also incredibly quiet…and people like it that way.

Finally, I had to get used to standing on the left and walking on the right. Walking follows driving and there are signs everywhere to ensure that people know this. 

Another interesting tidbit. As we walked down into the subway stop, I noticed that, unlike me, most women were not wearing commuter shoes (aka flip flops)…partially because I noticed that my manager looked at my feet. And then she shared with me that most women in Tokyo wear their nice shoes while commuting because they are out in public and then they change into comfy shoes once they get into the office. And just like that, I understood why so many American men here have Japanese wives. I will continue to wear my flip flops to work, thank you very much.

sunday (aka first full day in tokyo)

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Part of the reason I liked the idea of moving to Tokyo on a Saturday was being able to go to church and meet people the very next day. As luck would have it, I live about 20 minutes walking from the temple/church, even closer than I lived in Manhattan. And church (the English branch) is at 10 am. The best church time there is. So, to church I went.

view of the temple from within the park across the street

Similar to New York, the church has a varied population in the summer (lots of men with wives and children who have gone home to Utah and tourists). I did meet some nice members and, once I stopped sweating from the walk, I really enjoyed myself.

Once church was over, and I had just accepted the fact that I would be hot the rest of the day, I headed into the park just across the street. So reminiscent of the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park that I loved as a child…only it was the real thing. Perhaps not a “tea garden”, but the park was beautiful.

A man painting. I didn’t want to get too close because I wasn’t sure he’d like me taking a picture of him, but it was very pretty.

the pond
the pond from a little hill
the beginning of the pond
and a waterfall with Japanese maples…I cannot wait to see the leaves change this fall!
On the walk home from church, I saw this little dude (we’ll assume it’s a “he”). Anyone want to take a stab at what this character belongs to? 

 He was outside of a fire station, so we’ll assume he’s a little fire fighter?

lunch
When I got home, I made myself this very basic, very delicious lunch. And why am I sharing this on my blog? Because A) while fruit here is super expensive, it is also super delicious. B) I am so happy to be living somewhere that has natural light again I cannot even explain it. And C) to prove that I don’t eat out every meal. 

 And then I finished off lunch with a favorite treat. I know you can get Pocky all over the US now, but eating them in Tokyo is just way cooler. And they totally remind me of when my mom went to Tokyo and brought us packs of these before you could get them anywhere. Such a fun treat!

And of course, then there was dinner. My boss offered to take me out to eat Sunday night and I took her up on it. She asked me if I wanted traditional Japanese or something else. Of course, I went with Japanese. And, while my boss is American and doesn’t speak much Japanese, she has command of “restaurant Japanese” so it was really nice to just have someone else take care of ordering! Also, have I mentioned just how much I love Japanese food? And that I haven’t touched a fork since I got here?

appetizers – these were just brought as a start to the meal, a sort of amuse bouche

soba

 She ordered a number of small plates for us. One of which was soba noodles. In the summer time, these are served cold (you can see ice on them if you look closely) and they are brought out with a sesame dipping sauce that’s amazing. They are thick and chewy and absolutely delicious!

yakitori

 Then, there was the yakitori (aka grilled meat on skewers). Also delicious. In case you were wondering, the food here is just incredible. It’s a good thing the gym is right in my building…

On that note, I must go exercise before the gym closes so I can keep eating all of these delicious things and not gain more than five pounds (I have to be realistic, right?!). But before that, tomorrow (or later tonight if I have the energy) I will be sharing with you Monday, my first day of work and the subways! More to come on the toilets, as well.

the arrival

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Well, it has now been a little over 48 hours since I arrived in Tokyo. It seems like much longer than that…not in a bad way. It’s just that there’s so much to take in! This post was going to cover the first 48 hrs…and then I realized just HOW MUCH there would be to cover, so instead, this is the first day. Heaven help me!

When I arrived at the airport, I noticed two things. First, it was super hot/humid. Second, it was very orderly. Going through customs was a breeze…except that I got in the wrong line at first. And then I got yelled at (“yelled” might be a bit strong) for taking a picture of the “Welcome to Tokyo” sign. Not very welcoming, if you ask me. But it’s not like I deleted the picture, so I won’t hold it against Japan.

Baggage (still in NYC)

Narita airport is quite far from Tokyo proper, so there’s not taking a taxi (even when on the corporate dime), which meant taking a bus into the city and then a taxi from the bus. I considered trying to deal with my luggage myself, but my International Assignment Consultant (IAC) mentioned something about baggage delivery, and then I saw all of the service desks and just thought, “You know what…totally worth the $50 to have three of my bags delivered even though it’s not reimbursed by the company. So worth it!

While waiting for the bus, I wandered outside and noticed something else I found very interesting. Smoking rooms. Outside.

Anyway, I got on the bus, which dropped me off at a hotel near my apartment. At the hotel, I got a taxi to take me the rest of the way. A couple of things about taxis here, and driving. First, they drive on the left here. Not sure why or where that comes from, but they do. Second, the taxi drivers open the car doors from the driver’s seat (some sort of electronic opening). And third, the taxi drivers don’t really speak English. Thankfully, I knew that last one and had asked my IAC to send me the address of my apartment building in Japanese and then printed it off. This proved extremely useful.

I got to my apartment around 8:00 pm and I was thrilled to see just how nice and clean it was. And the lovely woman at the front desk was so very friendly, which made it okay that both my first and last names were spelled wrong. She showed me to my apartment and asked me if she could show me around (which is when the aforementioned shoe removal incident happened). Of course I’m thinking, “It’s an apartment. What, exactly, do you need to show me?” Well, stupid me.

from the front door
bathroom (obvi)
toilet = way too many buttons (not sure I’ll ever get used to the warm toilet seat)
bath/shower pod room thing (more to come on this)
entering the kitchen 
washer/dryer (it does both) = dream come true!
bed
reverse view
desk (where I’m sitting right now to write this)

After getting semi-settled and unpacking one of my suitcases, I realized I was starving (I slept for about 8 hours of the 14 hour flight, I think) and so it was time to venture out into Tokyo and see if I could find some food.

Business class or die (okay, not really…I can’t afford business class on my own, but it was AMAZING!)

I wandered for about 10 minutes, seeing several restaurants that looked appetizing…but also very daunting. Suddenly, my lack of Japanese speaking ability was making me very uncomfortable. I was tempted to stop at a doner kebab stand (mission friends, you will understand my temptation), but I couldn’t have my first meal in Japan be a Turkish kebab. So, I kept walking until I found a sushi restaurant advertising an English menu. I decided, with ordering, to just choose a mixed sushi plate because the thought of trying to order individual pieces was just too much (even if I do speak “sushi japanese”…toro, tobiko, unagi, etc). I was not disappointed.

variety pack
loved watching the sushi chefs do their thing
One thing that was different was the shrimp heads in my miso (at lunch today it was itty-bitty clams). Apparently it’s a thing. And while semi-shocking when you don’t expect it, totally delicious!

And that ends day one. I promise not every post will be so travel-log-gy, but hopefully the photos make it worth it. In any case, days 2 and 3 were both great, too. Posts to come which will include more food, the subway, groceries, and things that are really different in Japan. If there’s something specific you want to know more about, leave a comment and I’ll try to address it…otherwise, you get what you get.

Arigato gozaimasu!

tokyo – first cultural mistake

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When I got to my apartment building (after taking the limousine bus and a taxi because a taxi from the airport is too expensive), the nice woman at the front desk of my serviced apartment building (like a residence inn) showed me to my apartment. She came in with me to show me all the toys and gadgets (who knew a toilet/shower/washer/dryer could be so complicated?!). After a few seconds I realized how quiet she was moving around the hard wood floors. Then I looked down and saw that she had removed her shoes. Thankfully, I made that mistake in my own home and not someone else’s. I’ve decided to get in the habit now so I don’t make that mistake again.

Things I’m loving so far: the food!
Things I’m not loving so far: my lack of Japanese speaking skills!

happy birthday to my mom

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So, my goal is to update my blog more regularly (especially with this move to Tokyo), and why not start now? Today would have been my mom’s 65th birthday. I’ve been thinking about her a lot as I get ready to embark on this new adventure. I’ve also been thinking a lot about who I am and how I am and my desire to embrace every exciting opportunity that comes my way (even when it scares the crap out of me). I have decided that I learned this from my mother.

The example she set for me at a very young age was that of “doing”. Even as a mother of five, she would go on great adventures with her girlfriends, traveling around Europe and Asia. She took up new hobbies. She got us involved in the things she loved so that she could be a great mom AND follow her own dreams.

Side note: one of my favorite memories from childhood was when she returned from Asia, having gone there with my grandparents to revisit Japan (they lived there for a while…another reason I’m so excited that I’m heading to Tokyo). She came back with beautiful earrings for each of her three girls, and they were pierced earrings. The rule in my family had always been that we could get our ears pierced at the age of 16 (I was 8 at the time), but when she came home with these earrings for each of us, she decided we could all get our ears pierced, and so we did.

Anyway, my point in all of this is that I watched my mom, even with her health issues and her five kids, totally embrace life. She camped with us. She went on trips to exotic and exciting places. She took us on trips. She allowed me, at the age of 14, to go live in a foreign country with a foreign family because it was a dream of mine. I wonder if she had any idea at that point in time how such a decision would shape my life. Probably not, but I think she knew that allowing her children to chase their dreams was important.

And so, 20 years after leaving to live in Belgium for six months, I am heading off to live in Tokyo for six months. There are some similar feelings. I am excited to do something different. I am excited for the opportunity to get to know a different culture first hand. I’m nervous about the language and different customs. And I think I’ve realized that maybe this is such a big deal to me because it’s something my mom would have just loved for me to do. And she would have been on a plane as soon as possible to come see me. And even though she won’t be able to visit me physically, I know she’ll be there with me because she is a part of me.

I love that even after 16 years without her here physically, I can still feel her influence in my life. She is still helping me make decisions and the loudest voice in my head (besides my own) driving me to push through whatever fears I have because “if you don’t try, you’ll never know”. And she’s the voice that calms me in those crazy moments (like right now) and reminds me “it always works out”.

So, as I think about her on her birthday and how much I miss her, I am also so very grateful for the 18 years I had with her and for the memories (both my own and those shared by others) that continue to shape my life.

ETA: I posted a little blurb on FB today and it was so nice to get comments from some of my mother’s friends (the parents of my childhood friends) and my siblings friends, as well as my own, about my mom. Technology truly is fantastic!