Nihongo

Tuesday 11/30/2007
Hello, this was my first Spoken Japanase Class. It's not a lie when they say in Japan teachers are demanding. Today was introduction day but also we had a lesson and we already have to study 26 new words for a quizz tomorrow, and the 20 more words for Thursday's Quizz!! Wow, and turn in an assignment Friday. The teacher is a very nice professor and he made the class enjoyable, the time went fast during his lecture.

My Japanese Speaking Partners

Tuesday 01/30/2007

Today at 2:00pm I met my two speaking partners Kanami and Yukari.

Yukari is the tallest in the Photos. We met at school today and walked to a restaurant called "Daisann Syokudo", which I have not been before (located on Campus). It's a quiter and mostly visited by japanese students. Maybe the International Students don't know about it yet!!

My speaking partner are very sweet and nice, we had some green tea ice cream and talked for about an hour. They had a Japanese-English translator machine, so we could communicate a little bit better than if we didn't have it, but is was challenging because their English and my Japanese is very limited. I learned a few words in Japanese "Daisann Syokudo" (lunch-place), "Ohiru" (lunch), "Chicai" (close by), "Saki no" (a little while ago), " and they learned a few words in English. It was fun and nice to have met them. We made plans to go have lunch Friday at Hirakata-shi and maybe go window shopping. Also they invited me to visit Universal Studios in Japan, so we are planning to do soon.

The Food as a Challenge or Uhmmmm...

Well, Well
as everything seems to be so pretty and nice in Japan, not everything
I have lived has been completely great. It is not because is not great but because you need to know what you are ordering when it comes to traditional Japanese dishes and getting used to the food may take a little while.
Remember, the only way to learn about food is by "Trial and Error".
The first meal I had was a regular pasta dish with alfredo sause at the restaurant I went with Tommy, Koen and Ashley. (see blog titled: My first adventure in Hirakata City) Sounds like a regular plate doesn't it? but after about 20 minutes walking around the Mall in Hirakata Station, I started feeling the stomack pain, and knew I had gotten sick. My roomate fromSweden told me that some countries food bacteria may vary per country and I had just to adjust to it.
The second meal was a breakfast on a small coffee shop (see photo above) around the neightborhood. It was delicious, it was filled with egg, mayonaise and some other sauce, they served it with a mandaring and cabbage salad. I truly enjoyed it, but then after one hour, my stomack must have been sensitive to the ingredients, or to the previous day sickness, but yeah I got sick again. That worried me because I wasn't sure why I felt that way. What should I not eat. I got concerned and started preparing my own food-Sandwich with Ham and Cheese.
Finally, my third try: the first meal I ordered on the Campus Cafeteria. The menu was so different from what we are use to eating-Most everything were delicious looking desserts, and plates with curry, noodle soup with curry, rice and chicken with curry, and fried foods. Since I cannot eat fry stuff I was looking for the healthiest dish. I found Soup- It looked nice, and so I ordered "Supa", it tasted well, it had a lot of seaweed, noodles and some other greens in it. After I ate a few spoons I couldn't continue, the seaweed taste was quite strong for me and I was so sad I couldn't finish it even if I wanted. I started to "really dislike" the idea of adding seaweed to my plates, so I just finished all my rice and that was my lunch.
I was glad though, I didn't get sick again. In Spanish we say "la tercera es la vencida", in english I don't know how to exactly translate the saying, but it means "The third is the last", and yes it was for me, since then I have been able to try many other dishes and feel well.

Kyoto Tour

Friday

11/26/2007

KIYOMIZU TEMPLE

This day was just for fun and walking. We went to Kyoto and saw many beautiful temples. We had to take 2 trains to get here. The second train stopped for about 20 minutes because there was a train crash on the way, so they had to clear the rails out so we could continue...

Before we arrived to this temple, we walked through a very traditional beautiful village. The first phot0 is one of the first temples you see, the second one is the hill top entrance to get into Kiyomizu temple, this is the hihest temple and you can see the whole city of Kyoto from there.

The first 2 photos are temple with 3 thick ropes with belts on top, and you move the rope, make the bell sound and make a wish - or pray.

(More cool photos have been posted in my kodak gallery, if you have not receive them and would like to check them out just e-mail me at g-spinosi-phillips@sbcglobal.net)

Sukiyaki -

January 26th, 2007

"Home Stay Visit Roomates Going Away Dinner"

We had Sukiyaki: The main ingredient is thinly-sliced beef, simmered in a skillet or pan in sukiyaki sauce with vegetables, tofu, noodles etc. ... Before you order, you need to all agree that you want to eat Sukiyaki.

“Suki” means “as you like” and "yaki" means "sauté" or "grill" in Japanese. Therefore Sukiyaki literally means “sautéed as you like”

At Asian Days Restaurant in Hirakata City the customer service is great and the food is delicious.

See the bowl in the middle of the table? Is called Shabu-Shabu and they heat the Sukiyaki Sauce-(very liquid) and underneath there is a warmer (flat stove) so you put all your raw vegetables, noodles and meat inside the bowl let them simmer for a little bit and eat them. Many put a raw egg in a bowl and mix their cooked food with the egg and eat the whole thing, using the egg as a type of sauce as well. This meal was certainly one of my favorites- And it is all you can eat for 1,800 yens. No bad at all!!
For more info and photos check out: http://www.pi-at.com/megu/joysoccer/sukiyaki.htm

The Geishas in Kyoto

This was a really cool experience!!
I couldn't belive what we were seeing, this is a very unique traditional place to visit in Kyoto.

The area is surrounded by many tea houses and beautiful tiny shops with many different foods and souvenirs.

When the geishas walk by, wether real or not, they are astonishing!!

A Business Presentation

Thursday 1/25/07

At 4:00 pm I went to a Business Presentation offered by two Japanese Students and an American Professor who each gave a half an hour informative speech about -Branding.

The topics covered were "Muji's Marketing Strategies", "Starbucks' Branding". Both presentation wee given by the Japanse students and finally Professor Garr Reynolds gave a presentation on "Brand Yourself", if you want to learn more about this topic you may visit his website at: www.garreynolds.com.
At the end of their presentation I asked to participate in those type of events and the Japanese students said they had a club "The P-Store" is a Kansai Gaidai Business Study Group who are dedicated to give business topics presentations on campus.

A Venezuelan-Japanese Guy I met

Thursday 1/25/2007


These students in the photos were some students from the audience at the P-Store Presentation and the guy on the back wearing the bandana and the hat is actually from Venezuela. Can you believe it from "Los Teques" a town 15 minutes from my town, he lived in Vzla for 11 years, but his dad is Japanese and he now lives here in Japan. His name is Yukio Maniwa.

OKONOMIYAKI

Konnichiwa!!

Tuesday 11/23/2007

Today I tried Okonomiyaki, this is a delicious dish. It looks like an omelete, yet it is filled with cabbage and any of the following or a mix of: meat, chicken, shrimp, squid or pork. It is made in batterand it is grilled and condimented. On top it has a spread of dry (seasoning) seaweed, and you could request them to add some dry bonito fish on top. Finally a delightful sause is added on top and it is called Okonomi-sauce. It tastes like eel sauce. Wow!! this dish I can reccomend, it is very good.

On the photos, the one to the right the Okonomiyaki is still in the middle of the process, the one to the top left is done.

It is interesting to see how they make it. The chef first makes it step by step adding layers of the filling and then once it is cooked she flips it over and spreads all that good seasoning and sauce, once it it completely done, she bring the okonomiyaki to the table, which has a flat iron and remains warm while you eat your food. You see a spatula on the table, that is the only utensil you will have to eat your plate, plus the chapstick.

Sayonara!!
---------------------------------------
Konnichiwa!!
Hoy traté Okonomiyaki, esto es un plato delicioso. Se parece a un omelete, mas esta relleno de repollo rallado y cualquiera de las siguientes carnes o una combinación de: carne, pollo, camarón, calamares o puerco. Es hecho en con huevo y harina y es asado a la plancha y condimentado por encima. Le ponen por encima algas secas (en sazon seca) y usted puede solicitar que ellos le agregen algún sazon de pez seco llamado "Bonito" por encima tambien. Finalmente le agregan una salga que le da el toque final y mucho sabor. La salsa es muy deliciosa y se parece mucho a la salga de anguila, pero se llama Salsa Okonomi. Ah!! este plato es uno de los poco que he probado y que puedo recomendar, es muy bueno. En las fotos, a la derecha el Okonomiyaki es todavía en medio del proceso, en la primera fot de arriba ya esta cocido completamente. Es interesante ver cómo lo preparan. La chef en este caso, lo va rellenando y agrega capas del relleno y entonces una vez esta coci ella lo echa en una plancha ubicada en en medio de las mesas en donde se sienta la gente y esa placha mantine tibio el okonomiyaki mientras te los vas comiendo y picando con una mini espatula (mira la foto)
Sayonara!!

The way you pay

Ohayogozaimasu-Good morning!!

I just forgot to tell you how to pay in Japan.

Usually the stores have a little plastic tray next to the cashing machine. You place your bill or coins on it, they call the sell, take the money and give you back your change if any.

When eating at restaurants you don't tip, and the price you pay is exactly what is shown on the menu. So no taxes!!

Kombanwa- Good Evening!!

Walking the neighborhood - Por la vecindad

Lunes 11/22/2007

This day I went for a walk around the neighborhood to see where we could find a shop to check out the bicycles and maybe buy one, but everything was closed because the shops don't open until 10:00am so we just took photos and look for a place to eat breakfast. I was loving my walk as I got to see many differnet types of motorcycles.

En este dia fui con una amiga a caminar por la vecindad para ver donde podiamos compra una bicicleta pero las tiendas aqui no abren sino hata las 10 de la manana, entonces solo pasiamos, tomamos fotos, y buscamos un lugar donde desayunar.

Luego les muestro fotos del sitio y de la comida que comimos.

Kansai Gaidai University Orientation

Monday 11/22/2007

Before I start telling you how my day went today, let me tell you that the Japanese people are very, very nice and humble people. I love the way they treat you regardless of your knowledge of Japanese.
Today I went to Kansai Gadai University, we had to do a tour and orientation. The campus is big and I have heard that this is the biggest University in Japan and the largest international student campus. Wow!~! What a walk, this was definitely another busy day. There were about 100 International students doing the tour today, but this tour will take place 3 times this week. I have heard the program averages 500 international students per semester. There students from all over the world, many from Europe.
The tour guides who were all japanse were very nicely dressed. Men were all wearing ties and the women were wearing nice boots with hills and long skirts.

My International Friends

Hirakata City Mall, Waffle Restaurant.

Sunday 11/21/2007


To the left-This are my friends from Holland, Sweden and Philadelphia. Koen, Tommy, and Ashley.We had the desire to try something different but we ended up choosing the Waffle restaurant because the other restaurant's menus were very unknown.

To the right- My roomates' friends from last semester plus some new students, we just hang out that night and watched a movie. Among them:we have people from Egypt, Switzerland, Australia, Colombia, Brazil. For some this is their second semester. Sabina (wearing glasses-Sweden),Marcelo (the guy-Brazil), Banca (blonde with pink sweter-Switzerland), Sandy my friend from Cal State San Marcos (black sweter and blue jeans-Colombia).

A Bathroom feature at the Hirakata Station Mall

Sunday 11/21/03

Oh well, so I needed to use the bathroom and run inside it at the Hirakata Station Mall, when I opened the door there it was "this surprice (see photo)" the bathrooms at the Mall. Believe it or not is on the floor. Only 1 handycap bathroom had a toilet. Shocking ahh? So lucky me, nobody was in the handycap bathroom and I didn't have to use the floor one.

Flowers or Cabbage?

Sunday 1/21/07

This photos were taken in Hirakata City at the Town Square close to Hirakata Station, see previous blog.

These beautiful flowers are all over the parks and town squares in Japan. They really look like a cabage from far away, yet they are also like a lettuce, but amazingly interesting they are JUST flowers.

Solo son flores que parecen lechuga o repollo y estan en todos los parques y plazas por aqui en la ciudad de HIrakata en Japon.

My first adventure to Hirakata City

Sunday 21/2007

Today we went to Hirakata City. We took Bus #12 from our town and rode for about 15 minutes. It cost us 220 yens and we walked around the Mall.

This was a great experience, you step into the bus from the exit door and exit from the front door after you pay the driver.

We walked around the Mall, which was like an American shopping center just smaller. In this particular Mall all the stores surround the electric ladders which were in the middle and there was 1 restaurant per floor. Some things were cheap others were expensive, but afterall the prices were not that bad. If you want to look for men shoes, good luck!! My friend Tommy from Sweden could not find sleepers at all, the largest size availale was 25-27cm, which translates to maybe a size 7.

We were hungry so we looked for a place to have breakfast and went into a Waffle restaurant. The menu was very limited, they offered only 3 different types of waffles, and pasta so I decided to have some Alfredo Pasta. During the meal I learned that you don't tip in Japan and that you vow everytime you say Thank you too. The first photo is a Town Square "Plaza" close to Hirakata Bus Station. The second photo is in front of the Mall. Click on the Flowers or Cabbage blog to see more photos.

Our welcoming into Kansai

Seminar House (left photo)

Dorm building

Neightbord Residence (right photo)

Friday Night 01/19/2007

We arrived to Kansai about 4:30p.m, checked out of customs and got our luggage about 5:30pm.
At the airport there were a couple of Japanese people from Kansai Gadai welcoming us to Japan, and registering us to catch the arranged bus that picked us up. That was Nice, Sandy and I sat in the front seat to see all the scenery at night on our way to school in Hirakata and took a few photos, but it was dark so they did not come out too well. While driving through Osaka we saw pretty cool huge stores, and everyone driving bicycles everywhere. The roads were nice and O’Saka was beautiful. The city is so much different than any cities in the USA, but along the freeways there were many electronic billboards, and a few high rise buildings. All the cars are narrow and small SUV’s. People drive on the opposite side on the freeways and they also drive on the right side of the car (passenger side). It's cool and strange at the same time. Looking at the Japanese signs was a pretty cool. We couldn’t believe we were in Japan!!

When we arrived, we noticed our College is in a smaller town in Hirakata, but it is not the main Hirakata City. The school has 4 seminar houses where students were distributed and checked in.
We had to take our shoes off for the first time in Japan to enter the building. The is a room with square boxes with our room number where we put our shoes. The floors and everything else look super clean and neat. The seminars managers were Japanese and talking Japanese to everyone. Many of the students here already have a few years of Japanese, so Sandy and I were lost on what they were saying, but we just smile and said ok.ok, and bowing down our heads. I introduced myself to everyone and so far I have met people from Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Egypt, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Mexico. When we had to carry our luggage to our rooms we were laughing because It was so funny, because many other people had brought less luggage. Sandy and I had to carry our luggage so we had to make like 3 trips to move our suitcases from the lobby to our room. Thankfully they had elevators so we didn’t have to struggle that much. We were wondering if we had exaggerated in our luggage.
About the Seminar Houses:
I have chosen Seminar 3, which is and apartment style dorm. In my seminar house each group of students have their own apartment. The rest (Seminar 1,2 and 4 ) are regular dorm style. They have a more college type environment where people meet and hang out at the lobby, which has a TV and tables for people to eat. It has a basement with the laundry rooms and 5 floor with 3 apartments each. Sandy and I are in different room numbers, she is actually in 4th floor and I’m on the 3rf floor.
In our building we do not have a family room in the lobby because each apartment has their own living room with TV, kitchen, 4 nice individual showers with separate dressing rooms and 2 toilets. It actually looks like a regular apartment building inside and is very nice and comfortable. Our bedrooms are really nice, we have tatami mats, futon laying on the floor, two little closets and two desk. Each room is shared by 2 people. As for this week people will share their room also with the student who have chosen host family stay. Therefore, making some rooms crowded, lucky me. I only have my 1 roommate so far. She is from Sweden and she is really nice and beautiful.
The night had not ended yet. We had such a long day the day we arrived, as soon as we placed our luggage in the rooms we had to go for a late night tour. All the students doing the tour have been in 15+ hours of flight, everyone had red eyes and were exhausted. But, let me tell you that this little town seemed familiar in the sense that it has little streets just like some parts of Venezuela. The streets are narrow and the infrastructure is modern, you only see a few buildings with the Asian style roofs.
As soon as we got the luggage to our rooms, they asked us to go for a tour, at night, walking to show us around. WOW!! That was exhausting we walked miles, checked out a grocery stores. While at the store we were astonished because everything was so perfectly packed. The produced was super fresh and many products were unfamiliar to us. It was hard to figure out what to buy and finally Sandy & I bought sandwich meat, bread and cheese and later fixed ourselves some sandwiches. Then they showed us the Post Office, the entrance of the University is a good 20 minute walk from the dorm, and then we finally went to a restaurant where some students stayed to have dinner at 10:00pm. Sandy and I went back to the dorms with our Japanese guide who was really nice and humble. People here seem to feel very secure, we saw many women walking alone at night, and the streets are not very lighten, so I guess is pretty safe, except the crazy drivers around us because I have not seem side walks in this town so we walked along the narrow roads. It took us for ever to get to the dorms but once there, we made our sandwiches, took a hot nice shower and went to bed.

My flight

01/19/2007
Hello Everyone!!
I left San Diego Airport on Friday at 8:30am. During the first ½ hour of the flight, I didn't interact with anyone, until I had to start a conversation so I could make some connections. So I met two people who where sitting on my isle. One was a gentle man who works for a Company called "Eye Tactical" and manufactures equipment for Training & Combat Scenarios. He does a lot of business abroad and some of their parts are manufactured in China. He is the VP of Sales Marketing, so I tried to gain as much information as possible about his company practices and exchange business cards. The other person I met was a girl from San Diego who was a Psychology student.
Once I arrived to San Francisco, I barely had time to look at the screen and called Sandy who told me the gate number and I had to walk a little while before I found my way to the boarding gate for my flight to Japan. This flight was full, and many of the people around me looked young-so I imagined they were students going to study abroad as well, so I was so curious that I started asking and I was right, not to be surprise that almost everyone I met was going to Kansai Gadai University. The students I met in the flight were 2 guys from Florida, a Chinese girl from LA, her name is Seraphina Wong and a Japanese guy from San Francisco. We all talked through the flight, exchange e-mails and I tried to ask as many questions as possible to the people who had previously visited Japan. Sandy and I had separate sits, but I would go stretch out and go talk to her once in a while throughout the flight. Hence, I met 2 graduate students who where going to Japan to teach English for 1 year. One of them had a lot to say about Japan since she had previously studied at Kansai Gadai University. After a 12+ hours of flight, talking to people and watching 2 movies, I did not feel tired but my neck was so stiff, yet I couldn't hold my smile, I felt too excited about finally being in Japan.