IN A NUTSHELL: I'm Translated
JAF Comes Through I received the Japanese translation of my driver's license today in the mail. They did not bother translating height, weight, hair color and all that. Maybe it is because only American licenses see fit to put all that extra changeable information on it. I am now putting this envelope in a Safe Place.
Doorbell Phone Wacked Out? The doorbell phone rang, but no one was at my door. (I know, because I can usually hear people coming from far away as everyone has to drive/walk up my driveway first.) I picked up the doorbell phone, and it beeped at me. What's that all about?
IN A NUTSHELL: Traveling During Golden Week? What Was I Thinking?
Iwakuni Iwakuni (a coastal town an hour south of Hiroshima city in the next prefecture down) is famous for one thing: a elegant all-wooden 5-arch bridge originally built in 1673 that samurai used to walk across. I really did not think it was a popular Golden Week destination. I mean, it's a BRIDGE. Okay, it is next to a hilltop castle and surrounded by a pretty garden and picnic area, but those kind of things are all over Japan. Since we wanted to make it back in time for my friend's ferry, we had a time schedule, which began to run short after spending forty minutes in bumper to bumper traffic. Ironically, though, we found a really good parking spot. We paid the toll and walked across the bridge. It was elegant and all, despite being packed full of people (I wondered what the weight limit was.) It looked like it was being re-done since many wood slats seemed quite new. Also, I saw a lot of things that looked like nails, despite that it is famous for having been built without using nails. Maybe the people who did the reconstruction in the 50s were too lazy.
White Snake We decided we did not have the time to wait in line for forty minutes to take the cable car ride up to the castle, so we wandered the garden instead. Within the garden is a small habitat where you can catch a glimpse of Iwakuni's famous "white snakes" (not to be confused with an 80s band.) Indeed, I caught a glimpse, and indeed, they are white. I enjoyed chatting with the cute kids in line more. "Gaikokujin da!" They were adorable. We did the typical teacher things and asked them easy questions in English. But we also spouted out Japanese at random to impress them. Later, near the fountain, I took a photo of two really cute girls. We didn't see many foreigners there, but it was a friendly place.
IN A NUTSHELL: Banging On Drums!
Ann! Ann drove up to see me (yay!) and she brought her Playstation! We played DDR, the taiko drum game (like DDR, except you bang on a drum) and watched movies and Highlander! We also went to "Kawa no Eki" (Sakugi's only restaurant) and it was packed. I've never seen it so full of people and here I was worried it wouldn't be open over the holiday.
Futaba! We went up to Miyoshi and I discovered that the giant video/book/CD store also has Playstation games (including DDR.) I was very tempted to buy something right there (especially given their selection of Karaoke games). I didn't, but Ann bought another drum so we could play taiko in double-mode. Afterward, we went to Sunday's Sun (there was a line to get in, if you can believe it - I guess people spend their Golden Week going out to restaurants), and it was actually pretty decent for what is basically the Japanese equivalent of Dennys. I like it much better for dinner than for breakfast. And the drink bar is the best.
IN A NUTSHELL: Magic Dance
More Fun Stuff We played some double-drum taiko in the morning (what a great way to wake up - by banging on little plastic drums in your pajamas) and later, after a nice walk through Sakugi, I got to introduce Labyrinth to Ann. Woo hoo! On top of that, we even found the only Stargate SG-1 episode in a fifty mile radius and watched it. That night, we did the obligatory karaoke and had fun trying out songs that we did not want to try out in a big group just in case we couldn't actually sing them. (Nope, I can't sing T.M. Revolution despite that I've heard Heart of Sword a hundred times.)
IN A NUTSHELL: Last Day of Golden Week
Withdrawal; Obsession; Purchase - In That Order Ann hadn't been gone an hour when I drove over to Miyoshi and decided to buy my own Playstation 2. Yes, I'm insanely addicted. However, I was a good girl and bought it used, as well as a used DDR pad/game. I still spent a fortune. They only had one dance game available (the Dance Party Mix) but lots of karaoke games, so I bought the "Snow and Party" karaoke revolution game. Only, nowhere in town had a microphone. I ended up ordering one online in Japanese. They really need online credit card ordering here. I hate C.O.D. Postal transfer isn't too bad, I suppose, but a credit card would be much less hassle.
Reservation? I made an email reservation to a ryokan in Miyajima for when my parents come. I would have just called, but it seemed like I would get a discount if I used the site, so I did. Hopefully, they'll get back to me soon!
IN A NUTSHELL: Time To Start Panicking
Press 1 For Amari Wakaranai Dayo Now that Golden Week is over, I get to worry about getting a Japanese driver license. The very thought of it makes me all wound up and confused. I just don't get it. I tried to be on the ball and I did lots of research - I even found a great site with Hints on Passing the Practical Test - but I could not get through to the Driver License Center with the number they gave me. I was stuck in a Press 1 loop that I barely understood (or that told me things I already knew). No matter what I did, I could not get through to a person. It was very frustrating. Am I just supposed to show up and take the written test, THEN get an appointment for the practical test? Do I need an appointment for the written? Either way, that seems to involve taking an awful lot of days off...
IN A NUTSHELL: Boring Karaoke?
A Real Microphone My microphone came the second I pulled into my driveway. I was all excited. I plugged everything in and started the Karaoke game. However, I was sort of unimpressed. There was not much of a game aspect to it. The microphone wasn't very loud and the game did not give me very good feedback on how I was doing. (basically, "sing louder!") I did not know a lot of the songs and they didn't give me much clue as to how to sing them. I could at least practice "promise" if I wanted, or sing that SMAP song, but that's about it. I heard the American version is much better (with actual musical notes and stuff.) A single score out of 100 doesn't do much for me.
IN A NUTSHELL: More Babbling About Movies
Found in Translation Probably the point of Lost in Translation was not to make me feel all nostalgic for Tokyo, but that's what it did. I enjoyed the slow pace because it was a pace a relationship like that would actually develop. The Britany Spears look-alike was amusing, too. The movie was similar to the experience anyone would have taking their first trip to Tokyo. It presented that very accurately without stereotypes or exaggeration, even if they did not like my favorite Japanese food - shabu shabu. I think there were parts that were funnier if you knew the Japanese, but mostly the Japanese was just what you expected them to be saying. And, sure enough, there was scenes from Kyoto's Heian Shrine & Garden in it - the same place I was just at! Cool!
