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Bootz
New Member
United States
28 posts
Joined: Sep, 2003
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 Posted - 2003/10/27 : 17:20:30
to be afraid or not to be afraid, i'm soooo confused...
*HUGS AND SNUGGLES*
HEEHEE, I LUV SKITTLES!!!
THE SHOWER HEAD HAS FEELINGS TOO!!
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*HUGS AND SNUGGLES*
HEEHEE, I LUV SKITTLES!!!
THE SHOWER HEAD HAS FEELINGS TOO!!
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Bootz
New Member
United States
28 posts
Joined: Sep, 2003
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Posted - 2003/11/15 : 21:04:22
And the thread is dead...
*HUGS AND SNUGGLES*
HEEHEE, I LUV SKITTLES!!!
THE SHOWER HEAD HAS FEELINGS TOO!!
__________________________________
*HUGS AND SNUGGLES*
HEEHEE, I LUV SKITTLES!!!
THE SHOWER HEAD HAS FEELINGS TOO!!
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Dj Kaminari
Starting Member
United States
4 posts
Joined: Oct, 2003
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Posted - 2003/11/16 : 16:29:30
little revivification for you ^_^
I went on the trip with Josh (Mr LostIt) to japan, and my experience was pretty much the same as his, except I'd like to go into a little bit more detail with some of the nuances I had and some of the things people have said on this board.
The first thing i'd like to say is that Japan is a lot like any other country: there are tremendous amounts of differnet opinions, different kinds of people, expression, and whatnot. You'll meet the same variety over there are you do here: some people will be nice, some will be mean, some will be indifferent--just the way the ball bounces. Same general rule applies in japan as in america, though: small-town people tend to be kinder and friendlier (though they speak less english) and city dwellers tend to be meaner and more hostile (not to mention the fact that in Tokyo you'll be hit on by hookers...happened to me 9 times while i was there for 3 days lol). Just try to be friendly, be on good behavior--and by good behavior i mean don't do anything that would get you arrested or cause a public disturbance, just have fun. Kyoto Eki (kyoto train station) is like a semi-mall, and right across the street is a fairly large department store, and if you wander around you can find a lot of arcades, shopping districts, and pachinko (we stayed at Hotel Station Kyoto, which is a phenomenal deal. If you haven't picked hotels yet, I'd suggest there.)
Second part: cultural boundaries. Don't be afraid to try and cross them, and the biggest one out there is what most people would consider the worst aside from eating sushi/sashimi--onsen, or hot springs, and public bathing.
(Side note: do not--I repeat--do NOT miss your chance to partake in the baths. The biggest fear is stripping down and going into the bath naked, but it's no big deal at all. Nobody else cares, it's not sleazy, and, after the first time, you won't care either. Mr LostIt had some apprehensions but we convinced him to go and he loved it). Long story short: don't pass it by because it's not american. Trips to foreign countries are learning experiences: dive right into the culture! If you know some japanese (if you don't, respond and i'll direct you to many good websites/learning materials ^_^), use it: people will always be grateful, it makes things easier, and people never put you down for trying to use it (Silver was right about the whole
Nihonjin nara, kono kotoba ga wakaru darou ^_^
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Nihonjin nara, kono kotoba ga wakaru darou ^_^
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Dj Kaminari
Starting Member
United States
4 posts
Joined: Oct, 2003
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Posted - 2003/11/16 : 16:32:10
about the whole "Japanese is the hardest language in the world to speak" mentality of the Japanese people: if you can speak three words of japanese, you'll get a whole bunch of people saying "Uwa! Jouzu desu ne!" (Wow! You're good!")).
Some phrases that are useful to know:
How much is it? (Ikura dess ka?)
Where is ...? (...wa doko dess ka?)
Thank you! (Arigatou!)
Thank you very much! (Arigatou gozaimahss!)
I'd like this, please. (Kore o onegai shimahss) (Note: Works on anything, whether in a restaruant, store, or anything else)
Another thing silver is right on is the "No Foreigner" rule in a lot of places. Japan is one of the most blatantly racist countries (yes i realize many other countries, including the US, are entirely or partially racist but Japan is one of the most blatant about it) that I've run across, and though I love it, it does get tiresome when public places can just cross their arms and say "No Gaijin." It happened to me once (I tried to go into what i thought was an anime shop on a semi-back-street in Tokyo, but it was a porno shop) but it was kind of a sobering experience. Just don't let this kind of thing get you down, and enjoy your trip. (Oh, by the way: if you're going to be staying in Tokyo, visit Ikebukoro district: they've got a restaurant that serves Fugu year round, the best sashimi I've ever had.)
If you haven't planned on the trip's schedule yet, several places I'd suggest going are the Gion District in Kyoto, the Ginza shopping district in Tokyo, Byodoin Temple in Uji City (this is one of the best temples I visited, and an added bonus is that Uji produces some of the best green tea in japan and you can try samples before you buy it at most stores. The way to Byodoin is effectively lined with tea shops), and, of course, Hiroshima. It may seem redundant, but I strongly encourage you to visit Hiroshima; there's no words that can describe it, it's like visiting Pearl Harbor but it carries fifty times the impact...you'll see when/if you go there.
I'd also suggest is to buy a JR Rail Pass before you go: it's about $250 dollars per pass, but it gives you nearly unlimited travel on almost every Japan Railways train. It will save you massive amounts of money, believe me ^_^.
Final word of warning: I've never seen this covered in any guide book, but it's the truth: you WILL spend about 40/50 dollars in vending machines while you're there, mostly on sodas (pepsi is hard to find, just so you know...lol). They're so convenient and you get thirsty walking around during the summer because Japan (especially in Kyoto, and especially farther south) is exceedingly hot and humid (PS: Bring an umbrella. They have little 250 yen umbrellas but those break faster than anything, as I found out twice...)
I hope I helped, and enjoy your trip! Trust me, the months will fly by and before you know it you'll be on the plane going to japan ^_^.
Nihonjin nara, kono kotoba ga wakaru darou ^_^
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Nihonjin nara, kono kotoba ga wakaru darou ^_^
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