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[maginjapan]

8/7/19

I don’t know what happened to the headers for making a post. Maybe tumblr updated and removed them. Glad they’re still on my old posts though.

Today was really emotionally challenging. I’ve been really struggling with whether or not I should stay at my current job a bit longer. My work environment is borderline intolerable. I don’t want to start this out with negativity because I’m in a really positive headspace now but let me just summarize by saying I cried at work earlier today. I mentally and emotionally broke from constant unkind words and the uncomfortable work environment I have been having to deal with. Needless to say today really lit a fire under my ass to find a new job.

Which brings me to the reason why I’m writing this all here instead of on some randomly long Facebook status update rant. I’m going to learn Japanese. I’m going to live in Japan for some period of time. I’m going to get a good job in Japan that will sponsor my visa. I’m going to be happier. I’m going to love myself and be kind to myself so that I can be more motivated to achieve these goals. I also want to share my love with someone else. I’m ready to get to know someone new.

So what have I been doing to try to make this happen? I’ve been practicing my Japanese on Duolingo and I just got a Japanese text book and workbook that a bunch of youtubers recommended learning from for beginners. So far, in terms of progress, I’m a small chunk of the way through learning hiragana. I was able to slowly read two pages of comic book style dialogue from the text book today. Made me really aware that I’m retaining what I’m learning. After today, I really want to dedicate time towards searching for a new job. Maybe by gaining more knowledge with Japanese it will motivate me in other aspects of my life?

All I know is I have these goals in mind and somehow I’m going to achieve them. I’ll start to worry about the technical stuff when I get to a more advanced place in my sort-of-a-plan-plan.

Glad I got this off my chest. I had a really wonderful experience today at the end of my day and I just felt the urge to write these positive affirmations here. I had words in my soul that needed to be released.

[maginjapan]

It’s Hot!!!!

7/17/19

It’s disgustingly hot in New York City today. I wish I could walk into a combini/konbini and get a coolish.

Currently listening to the latest episode of Abroad In Japan Podcast and living vicariously through Chris and Pete’s experience of walking through Shibuya (or are they in Shinjuku? I forgot) and chatting about all things Japan.

I miss you Japan.

[maginjapan]

Japanese Content

7/7/19 - NYC

It’s been approximately 2.5 months since returning from my Japan trip and I’ve noticed something strange. Prior to my trip I was watching videos and reading articles and looking at posts about/from Japan every day from people like EatYourKimchi, Paolo From Tokyo, Kawaii Arcade Masters, Japan-Guide. I consumed Japanese content like 3 square meals a day, in the morning, in the afternoon and especially at night. However, since returning from Japan it’s been really difficult finding the interest or passion in watching anything related to Japan. I would see content pop up on my YouTube subscription list or instagram and I would swipe right past it without really bothering to really look at it. I noticed this after a couple of weeks and did some self-evaluation and realized that I missed Japan so much that I was completely avoiding anything Japan to save myself from the sadness. What the heck was wrong with me?! I had a book in my amazon shopping cart for weeks, “Geisha, A Life” by Mineko Iwasaki that my friend in Kyoto recommended to me. She said it’s the book that sucked her into the world of Geisha. I was so excited and enthusiastic about reading it and yet it sat in my amazon cart for weeks. My mom noticed it was there and as a surprise she bought it for me and had it shipped to my job. I was so thankful for her sweet and thoughtful gift but it sat on my table for quite some time unread. I have been going through some things here in New York that have been affecting my daily life; some stressors and some postive things. I am sort of going through a quarter-life-crisis trying to redirect my life on a happier and healthier path and it’s very much a struggle even today. So, you would think that I’d want to escape back into the digital world of Japanese content? Wrong, 2.5 months and I avoided it like leftovers in the fridge you just don’t feel like eating for the 2nd night in a row so you just let it sit there in hopes maybe you’ll have the appetite for it the next day. It took me up until this past week to finally get my appetite back. It stared out with a Kawaii Arcade Masters video of Nancy playing some claw machine games and a gem push game. Then, I watched Martina’s Midnight Munchies episode on how to make Purin. I even left a comment on the video. Then I started looking at video clips and pictures from my Instagram of things related to Japan. Then finally I picked up the Iwasaki book and have been reading it in my spare time. Coincidentally, my friend told her friend to reach out to me this week about their upcoming trip to Japan and if I had any advice. I had a quick convo online with them and it was nostalgic. Then I appreciated the nostalgia I felt towards Japan and for the first time in a long time it didn’t make me sad. So, here I am writing this post as a means of flushing out the last bits of avoidance towards anything Japanese. I hope by finally expressing these thoughts on this blog I can find my passion and excitement again for all things Japan.

P.S. Did I mention before, I still say “sumimasen” in my head when I’m on the train and I still want to abide by the left side rules in the train stairs and escalators? That always makes me smile.

[maginjapan]

Thirsty

June 30 2019 - NYC

It’s 2:30 am on a Saturday in the summer in New York City and I’m waiting for a delayed train so I can go home. A thought floated through my mind right now and I felt compelled to write it here:

“I’m thirsty. (Looks around platform) I wish there was a vending machine. Damn, I wish I was in Japan.”

Why are there no vending machines in the subways in New York City?!?! Makes no damn sense!!! For those of you that don’t know, New York City’s MTA train system is the OLDEST and the LARGEST in the entire world. With that being said, frankly, there is no fresh air underground in any of the stations (except for very few new ones like WTC and above ground stations). Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense to have beverage and ice cream vending machines on the platforms? The temperatures on the platforms can get hotter than the temperature outside. Think about that. 34th Street penn station 1,2&3 platform is the hottest train station I believe in the entire system. I’ve been down there when it’s 80 degrees outside and what feel like 100 degrees inside the station; no exaggeration.

My point is, I’m thirsty and there is no vending machine for water or pocari sweat or coolish. Oh man I really want a coolish right now. *drool*

New York sucks. I miss you Japan.

[maginjapan]

New Yorkers

5/17/19

On my way to gastro doctor. I’m still experiencing cramping and diarrhea from whatever I ate in Japan.

I’m sitting on the train going downtown to the doctor and something occurred to me. As I looked around the subway car I realized that most New Yorkers don’t dress nicely. LOL! Like, the range of fashion is all over the place. In Japan, the ladies and men dress so nicely. They care about how they look when they walk out of the house. You’d never catch someone looking sloppy. It’s funny, TJ always criticizes the men in Japan for wearing poorly fitting suits, but damn at least they wear suits. Men here in New York, for the most part, look so sloppy in general. Like damn, NYC needs to step it’s fashion game up.

That’s all for now.

[maginjapan]

3 Postive Things

5/16/19

There are only three positive things about New York City that come immediately to mind when I compare NYC to Tokyo.

1. Trains are 24/7

2. Air conditioning in public places (other than stores).

3. Diversity

That’s it. How sad.

[maginjapan]

Ugh

5/16/19

New York City should be renamed Cesspool City. This city is absolutely disgusting and unsanitary. I feel absolutely disgusting. I’m heading home on the train and I feel like I need to take a shower immediately when I get home. The aroma of urine and stale dusty air is grossing me out so much right now. I had to put my grocery bag on the platform floor and I genuinely hesitated and cringed when I realized I don’t have any other choice but to put it down on the ground because my hand was hurting from the weight. This city is truly embarrassing.

[maginjapan]

That time TJ and I went into those Kawaii photo booths and took pictures LOL

This was last week.

Send me back to Japan. Someone pack me in a box and mail me over.

[maginjapan]

I miss...

Internet on the trains. MTA sucks ass.

5/15/19

[maginjapan]

Send me back

5/14/19 - nyc

Send me back. I don’t want to be here. Send me back to Japan. Plane just landed in JFK. I’m ready to go back to Japan now.

[maginjapan]

5 hours to go

5/14/19-5/15/19-5/14/19 LOL!

I really like EVA Airlines. I’m comfy and I got lucky that there is no one in the middle seat again so I get to stretch out and my neighbor is a nice Chinese woman that doesn’t know any English. Food has been good.

I really wish when I got off this airplane that I’d be in Japan again. I am really going to miss the transit system, the polite people, the silence on the trains, the vending machines, coolish, the ease of having a JR Pass, the IC card system in general (c’mon seriously US why the fuck aren’t we using IC cards yet?!?!), the chaos and beauty of the crowds, the neon signs and the advertisements... I could literally go on forever. I miss you so much Japan. Part of me feels like I am not going to like being back home, so much so that I’ll be in a depressive funk. I hope that doesn’t happen but I can kind of already see it happening. I miss my family and friends but I might miss Japan just a droplet more, jury is still out on that. Oh speaking of jury I just remember I have Grand Jury Duty next month - yippie! Ok I’m going to watch a movie now. I’ve already seen “A Star Is Born”, “Miss Bala” and “Second Act” now I’m going to watch “The Upside” then after that maybe I’ll see “The Favourite” or “Bad Times At El Royale”.

[maginjapan]

I don’t want to go home.

[maginjapan]

Last day

5/13/19

I spent my last full day today with good energy and went to see Ghibli Museum and have dinner at my favorite sushi place in Shibuya. Both were amazing. I’m trying not to get emotional because I still have to finish packing so I can’t be a tired weepy mess but I am so thankful I got to spend 3 weeks here in this amazing country. I want to come back. I WILL come back. I don’t have much to say right now I’m just trying to absorb as much as I can right now on my way home. Talk to you later. ❤️

[maginjapan]

Motomishima

5/12/19

I just ran outside because I heard the noise of people and festival parade. This weekend is Kanda Matsuri which is a well known and huge festival where the people carry a shrine (don’t know any terminology sorry) and chant down the streets to celebrate the god of their local temple. So over here where I’m saying in Uguisudani (close to Ueno) it’s Motomishima Shrine that is being carried and parades down the streets of the neighborhood. So I ran outside and got some pictures and video. It was a lively small crowd of families, men, women, old people. Then to my surprise the area around the corner from my hostel is a rest stop so they rested the shrine on social pedestals and got free cold tea from a nice old woman for free. Then after a few minutes rest they started back up again and continued on their way. I love the unifying clothing and the funny looking pantsless men. Yes, some of the men are not wearing pants. My favorite look was the woman with the head band, she just looked so bad ass. There was still some cups of cold tea leftover so granny offered my a cup and I took it and thanked her. It’s delicious and refreshing. Now I’m back inside hostel so I can get ready to start my day. I’m feeling much better. No fever. Minimal toilet runs. Ate some bread. Today is Kusama Museum! Yay!

[maginjapan]

Taking it easy.

5/12/19

I have been battling gastroenteritis since 5/9. It’s not been fun. During my nap 5/9 I experienced sweating fever and shakes and more fever and stomach cramps that felt like a giant hunting knife stabbing my stomach open and of course lots of diarrhea. I was very weak and tired and my body hurt not only from the illness but from the way I carried my heavy ass backpack into Kyoto. I hurt my neck and lower back carrying it, so I was in a lot of body pain as well. When I woke up from my 4 hour nap I thought I should eat something soupy and noodley and I wanted to see about getting a massage. I had the pod hotel call a local massage place and turns out they had an opening if I went immediately over so I did. I didn’t have fever anymore and felt it was worth the small walk over. I got the most amazing 60 minute shiatsu massage I’ve ever had in my entire life. I walked in with lumps of rocks in my muscles and walked out feeling like soft pudding. The receptionists were so nice, I shared pictures of my day with them of seeing the Maiko debuts (yes two!) and some pictures of other things. They then recommended a great taukamen (dipping noodles) place and I went. I ate the noodles and some of the broth and ordered rice too in hopes it would “bind me up”. I went back to pod hotel after dinner and rested some more until the next day. Of course, my attempts at “binding” failed and I continued to have diarrhea that night and the morning. I also fought a mild but still quite warm fever in the morning too. When I finally woke up to start the day 5/10 I decided to go to the hospital in Kyoto. I found one on google maps near the train station which was reviewed as having English translators. See, it was Friday and I had to check out of my pod hotel at 10 am or else they would charge me every hour I was still there so I had to think fast and figure out a plan. I could either go to the hospital in Kyoto and find out what’s really wrong with me, or stay another night in Kyoto and try and find someplace cheap to stay in or I could check out and get a shinkansen immediately back to Tokyo and deal with my illness there. I decided to check out and go to hospital in Kyoto. So I went and the whole thing took about 3-4 hours and 1.25 of those hours was me laying down sleeping while an IV drip replenished my hydration. I got 3 medications from the doctor and a diagnosis of gastroenteritis which for those of you that don’t know is an inflammation of the stomach and intensities due to viral infection or bacterial toxin. I think it’s from bacterial toxin because I ate a raw oyster and an izakaya with Liz on the 8th. Anyway, after the doctor, I got my prescriptions next door and took them immediately. I then had a nice boost of energy and wanted to do something to make me happy so I decided to check out the famous Inari Torii Gates, the bajillion famous orange gates that all the tourists go to. Liz warned me (by this point she went back to Tokyo) that there were a lot of stairs at this place, and stairs were my enemy at the moment because they force me to exhert too much energy and I was running on no food, some water and an IV bag. I decided to go anyway and to just stay to the bottom of the mountain and prayed that I’d be able to experience a little bit of the gates without having to climb much. I hopped on the train and took my sweet ass time walking from the station to the entrance of the temple/gate area. It was an absolutely gorgeous day that day too. To my pleasant surprise I didn’t have to climb any steps for a big chunk of the bottom area of the mountain, they had wheelchair paths and just flat areas along the gates and near the temples. I walked and enjoyed and soaked in the moment. It was truly beautiful and not too many tourists. I am so happy I went, worth it. I then got tired of walking and knew I needed to stop and lay down so I found some rocks near a rest area and laid down. I took some cool picture from the ground and then didn’t give a shit if people thought I was weird for laying down... to be continued...

[maginjapan]

It was bound to happen at some point....

5/9/19

Had a fantastic morning and early afternoon. Will post pictures later. But, I have officially been knocked on my ass. My body aches like crazy and my stomach hates me. Thank god for pepto. I’m back in my hostel and I’m gonna take a nap. Then, hopefully I’ll feel better and be able to explore more of Kyoto today. If not, I am greatful for today’s events. I cried real heartfelt tears when I saw a Maiko debut. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my whole life. So thankful to Liz for opening the door to the most amazing world of Geisha. Ok nap time.

[maginjapan]

New video

5/9/19

New video on the YouTube channel.

Funny as hell.

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