I failed in many ways!!!! but Happy 100th anniversary to me anyways)
i guess i had to many expectations of this day.. and i failed nmyself to achieve anything from the list that i had made before.. not really a happy anniversary I ate a big breakfast in hotel - i tried every kind of food they had there and i trully enjoyed. When i got to the office, SY told me that i need to go back to Tm if i want to go back there today. The storm was coming towards Japan, therefore in the eve most of the trains and buses were expected to be stopped. I had no idea what to do... I did not want to go back, cause that meant that there was no meaning in me coming to begin with (wich is 100% true, but i still could not admit it to my bosses XD) Then it was also CM's birthday and i wanted to give her my present. On the other hand i was missing the cable. so it was the perfect chance to go back without being discovered, but i still had no idea what to do... SY called to my direct boss and asked for his opinion and then stood up for me and said that he would like me to stay cause i am usefull... yeah.. right))) but i do appreciate the gesture. I think after that nabe party at chris's place i am more open towards him (he is still the same, i guess, but it's me who feels more at ease and i must say that lately he does takes more care of me at work - so i got myself anotehr older brother) I also pissed teo a big deal XD I understand that she has all the right to be pissed cause i ket changing my mind whetehr i were going to CM's surprise party or not (the deal is that they booked the izakaya 3600JPY for one person and even if somebody would not show up they still would have to pay the total... and as i had not idea where i was staying/going back i could not give her a proper answer) In the eve the storm did come to Yh. it was kind of scary, so most of the employees were allowed to go back early. However we stayed to finish the task. It was very nice that one "daddy" colleague from Tm actually send an email to me and CTG3 asking me to be careful on way back and telling CTG3 to take care of me) We finished around 8~9 pm, so it was late for me to go to CM's party and i was getting ready to go to the hotel. CTG3 boss tried to give me money once again and once again i did refuse. SY was leaving as well and we ended up going out for dinner together - i guess CTg3 boss asked him to take care of me, and as long as SY does not think it is way too troublesome for him, I wa gld to have some out of office chats with him) We had some ramen and gyoza) and talked a lot) SY offered to pay for me, but i did not want to, ass he did not insist I guess it was more of him trying to be polite (cause yeah, right, who would want to spend money on a random ua girl XD) there are actually two things that surprise me about Japanese - they apologize for smth that is not their fault (like really random stuff) and that they offer to pay for you when they are not really willing/should be paying for you.
I left Lena’s place together with her husband. He was worried as a first grader on his first day of school! Yasu changed companies and even though he is 28 he was entering compnay together with all new grads. His sallary is gonna be lower and he has to act like a new grad as well, which in his sense means to act "pure" (quote/unquote). but he is gonna stick to it in order to build up a better career. I talked with him about the educational and hiring systems in japan and other countries. Seems like the new grad system in japan is not working properly anymore... it still "rules" the hiring process, but it has nothing to do with the real needs. When I got to the office my boss was already there (now i know whose empty desks those are). The day was ok. I did some work, met CM after lunch and we went out for a walk. She saved me by lending me her charged cable for pc... cause my pride would not let me confess that i have left mine in Tm XD And then I had a very quiet eve in hotel.
I told Hiro that I will be out of is place by 9 am… but I played a blond card and slept till noon. I had no exact plans for the day (some friends did not reply to my emails –probably too sick of me XD) and as I was/am still sick I thought that I can use some sleep. Then I went on my own to Tokyo Edo Open air museum – pretty much our Pyrogovo. I do enjoy watching Japanese families going out on the weekend to park to play together with kids. I do not remember that our young parents do anything like that…
Then I got an invite for dinner from the original Chris, now I will have to call him C1, or I will be confused myself. He had some hard time deciding on the location so we just met in Akihabara) and went for some ramen) And the for dessert at conbini… we wanted to have drinking competition with whiskey) but I am taking medicine and we had no place to actually go and drink, so we just bought some hot tea and strawberry sandwich… it was really weird!!! White bread for toasts, some cream and strawberries.. We made fun of it a lot but ate it on the bus stop XD I really like this guy) He makes my mood much better no matter what's the problem I haveXD Then I went to meet Lena and her husband. And once I got to their home I basically went straight to sleep.
Surprisingly I was almost late for bus… When I arrived at the bus stop I could see the door closing right before me. Good that I was not late, cause otherwise I Have no idea what I would have done… I came to Ikebukuro and went to shrine) before meeting with the other “Chris”
I think I will call him C2))) I think he should have some Spanish blood because the first thing he did when greeting – hugged me and two kisses on the cheek XD I am not the type to get shy about such stuff so it was funny XD I think it was just like my first day in Tokyo – the same route – Shinjuku-Harajuku-Shibuya-Akihabara. we did tried to go to Shinagawa acqarium, but we were too late for that(((( The guy is really friendly and very promising in many aspeckts… but I can tell for sure that he is way to flirty and has this bad-boyish attitude. And I am not the type to fall for that kind of tricks.. been there, know it all XD But in general it was a very pleasant time and I hope we can get along better, cause I intend to “use” him a lot to learn more about various topics and… he already promised to give me his white mouse when I mentioned that it looks nice (I even didn’t have to ask for it ~he~he~)) upd nah... i let him keep his mouse) I stayed the night at Hiro’s place. I stayed up till 1 am to chat with my “fluffy buddies” (one in ua and other in de – thank you skype that u exist!!!) And then I fell asleep in my sleeping bag)
I lost my voice! I woke up and realized that I can speak... my throat hurt like hell and I could hardly swallow any food... I was whispering all day long... and others really enjoyed making fun of me....
Anyways I am having a busy weekend) I hope it will be nice just as I expect it to be)))) gonna write about it lwhen time comes) And I wish all nice weekend as well))))
All i can say is that I missed my Japanese class. That was the first time Imissed the class even tough I was in town. I will try not to do so again, but I was stuck atwork till 7-20 pm and then was too tired to go. I went to buy some medicine at the drugstore and basically finished folding cranes) I must say they look beautiful)))
I watche the spin off to "Liar game"... During lunch we once again discussed about going to watch it... I guess it's only me and KY who would actually want to watch it... But as ur schedules do not match, we can hardly find time to go together... He wanted to go on Sunday but I am going to Tokyo on the weekend and then Mon and Tue I am in Yh, and on Wed he is going to nagoya to visit customer and on Thu I have Jap class... I gues it's just not ment to be, just like many other things for me)
but another shock was Madonna's new video with Kazaky...
In the eve wakamono went to dinner with the new girl - BM) Her last name sounds very German and name very Japanese and inded her mom is Japanese, but dad is American instead of German. She grew up in many countries as dad kept moving around changing jobs. She graduated from Waseda with bachelor majoring in liberal studies, never taking economics classes... (i am feeling annoyed with such employement decision of Bosch) She is tiny and pretty, seems very nice, but i am afraid she is falling under IM;s influence XD. But I did not get a chance to talk much with her, so I can tell more about her.
Once again I am cutting all the complaining parts) therefore there is nothing left for me to say XD
I did not go to sado class, I was to weak for that. In the eve I did tellmom that I plan to stay in Japan till the end of the year... Well, it is tragic story so I will skip it as well...
I will cut all the parts where i nag about being sick and tired... therefore all i can tell is the following
The photo that Chris sent me is actually a cover page for bosch newsletter!!! That was a shock alright. I guess I will get more teasing from now on. The Admin lady brought one for each employee, and she gave up hers to me...
The only bad part about such outing was my state. I was wet (especially feet) and cold, I got a blister on the soles of my feet (when I had my nails done on both hands and feet - the lady was surprised that I have such a tender skin in some weird places XD like sole and palms, but my face skin is kind of rough XD) the blisters burst and started bleeding. So it was painful. We got on the first train around 5-30 and went to Kashiwa. I was thinking about going all the way to Bee to have some sleep, but then I would have only 2~3 hours of sleep and spent lots of money for trains and buses. So while we had breakfast inside the station (bee and bf were waiting for the first bus) I made up my mind to go back to Tokyo) I rode the local train so it would take more time and slept most of the time…
running a feverI got to shibuya and went around. I must say it is hard to find a sofbank store that sells prepaid cards for sofbank… so only in the fourth store I was finally able to charge money to my account. I also sat at the crossroad area enjoying the view and watching people. On the screen I saw one commercial that I really loved with the cats) I hope I can find it on youtube. Another curios thing was that before tvxq’s single promo, there would be an ad shown for some ice cream/yogurt (imho for which they look so gay!) and only after yogurt you can get to see the teaser of the “still” XD Then I went to Tokyo station. Halfway there I got emails from CM and we agreed to meet back in Shibuya) I am glad that yamanote line goes in circles. One hour sleep from shibuya to shibuya was helpful)
The tour was nice.
Meeting other people and sharing ideas is really nice. There was this French physics student – seemed like guy is totally lost in Japan and very French XD, the Spanish guy – not the typical kind! He is half german and came to japan to travel for a month or so. I think the blood combo in him is nice. He is kind and easy going as Spanish but also without losing his mind and going overboard (German blood, ne). crazy African girl –who kept laughing at anything I or others said, which was tiring… then another Spanish photographer guy – I enjoyed talking with him about cultural differences a lot. Later we met up with other intern girls and went for dinner. Girls are busy with all the dates and nomikais and partys, so they wanted to go to ginza for dinner. Fine with me, but they did not realize that there is nothing much that we can afford. We wondered around for an hour and came back to the station to the first place we thought of going in. and of course it was booked and we had to wait for almost an hour.. outside.. standing… by the time we sat down I was already running a fever… after dinner everyone seemed tired and we all parted our ways. CM was not feeling well so I went to ikebukuro on my own. I had over an hour to my bus, but as I was cold and feverish I stayed in one of the department stores watching all the people pass by me…
I was so happy to get to the bus to find out that it was broken and we had to wait for the next one just for “chotto”, well this chotto lasted for 40-50 minutes and I was shivering by the time I got on the bus. One couple that I spotted that was also going to Tomioka took pity on me. Lady saw that I was not feeling well and her motherly side showed a lot. Her husband was a bit drunken but still very pleasant. Japanese are nice and ready to help you when you need it, especially when they learn that you can speak Japanese) in Tomioka I went into bento shop near station. And after some time the husband came tome and said that as his wife is worried about me, they want to take me home (their son came to pick them up) it was so nice of them! I declined the offer. I know that I should not have! Cause I could have met new people, but somehow I did not want to cause them trouble.. And I was sick and needed to wait for my bento and so… I got home and uploaded photos to facebook and had some obligation chats… even when sick I can not avoid staying up late…
The bus was stuck in the traffic jam. I slept most of the high way part of the way but when driving through Tokyo streets I enjoyed the familiar view and folded some “homework” cranes… I still was not sure of my plans so I found my way to Tokyo Dome without any help)
I also went to the park nearby and enjoyed it much better than Tokyo dome. It was raining hard and I enjoy walking in the rain )but now when I have to sit in the office with the fever I do not feel it was a good idea… what’s done is done)
In the afternoon I was supposed to meet bee and her bf in Asakusa, but they were running late , so I just stayed in asakusa on my own and explored the area better)
I still do not like the temple as I got bad omikuji there. One jap guy came up to me and started talking in English. I replied in Japanese but he continued in English trying to show off how well he speaks English. When I was able to get rid of him I went to meet the rest for bd party in Shinjuku.
Izakaya was nice and Lena looked gorgeous in her wedding aka party dress.
It was NewYear (at first i typed NY and then it hit me that i myself confused it with the guy XD) eve all over again, but this time the third half couple joined – next step in the relationship. UA girl (25), her husband (40 – doesn’t even look 35) and their baby boy (2). The new guy told other two all about visa issues, insurance, taxes, pension etc. the idea is – you need to get married asap cause it take slots of time to go through official procedures in Japan. After the party bee’s bf came up to me and said that if I have a guy I like I need to marry him really fast! On my remark that the guy I like is kind of slow he said that than such a guy is no good! Well, he has a point)
After the Shinjuku party we went to Roppongi. There was this whole night event – Roppongi art night. I was tired but I am glad that Bee was persistent about going to everyplace and checking out each place) Surprisingly I got an omikuji! Even though I was planning on getting one next week, but you can not run from your destiny. And once again the saying had the menaing that I can relate to a lot. This time it said that to find my way back I need to listen. Listen to everything that is going on around me and to the “taisetsuna hito no koe”. It never said that I need to listen to my own voice XD I guess I am not reliable enough.
My camera died and I was using my cell to take photos, quality suffered but at least I got some memories captured on the film. For example a sunrise over Tokyo tower)
I had a very weird dream. There were Bee and her bf and there was my mom… I was going back from Tokyo to Tomioka and she came to the bus station to see me off. And I had a violin with me. I do not play any musical instruments, but in the dream I knew I could. And my mom and i started fighting over the violin regarding how I am supposed to carry it in the bus or leave it or whatever. I woke up and didn’t get the point at all…but I didn’t like the feeling either... Probably my guilty hamster conscious is getting to me...
And it was already 8 am. My cell died so no alarm clock for me… Maybe I should keep the curtains up so that I can at least wake up with the sun… smile I worked on the smiles all morning… and lunch and after lunch… and just those smile I was turning from green smiley to red angry… not really angry, just not getting it.. Why people are so obsessed with the details that do not matter. But I am proud of my conduct and how I handled the situation… I did not show my frustration- simply smiled and apologized for taking time and causing the inconvenience to others… I guess I am getting more Japanese in that way…
the result the original
For the eve I made plans with KY and NY to go to Takasaki. Actually I was thinking about going on my own to buy the present, but then KY offered me a ride and we ended up talking about Thai food and so we went all together. IM went to her dance class. I was supposed to meet guys near the dorm. On my way to the dorm I booked my bus ticket). It started raining badly and there was an announcement about fire in Tm (I asked about it later on) so it took me some time to get to the dorm. NY has drove to some store near takaski station and when I found the aroma lamp I decided to confirm it with Lena first. And she said that it was better to give her money. Geez.. Could’ve saved all the trouble.. I had my budget so for me it didn’t matter whether I buy smth or give her an envelope. But I felt bad that guys had to come all the way with me. Because they were actually looking for stuff I told them. KY went into female cloth store and went through all the shirt with prints they had there to find some with Totoro! (he never did, but the effort counts))) So afterwards we went to the Thai restaurant. The funny thing is that they lost me at the parking! I opened the door saw that there is a bag and decided to go around the car, but when I shut the door the car just took off. I thought that they were teasing me, but apparently they did not notice me not getting in the car! Only near the counter they saw me standing there outside! They did not pay attention whether I am in the car or not… Thai food was really good and a bit spicy. It was nice to get a chance to have dinner out and chat about random stuff… apparently what I call random, they call trivia knowledge! I wonder if I am a trivial person. I do not know any topic very well, and all my knowledge is just trivial and I am a stupid blond even without being actually blond. But back to the topic… We got back and went to the supermarket. And than to spy on IM at her dance club) Oh yes I do have blackmailing video of guys spying on her) and NY even did some performance. Then we got into the car. Well they did, but my door was locked and I couldn’’t and they once again were about to leave before noticing that I am missing. But I will talk about the noticing part some other time. At home I did some laundry and chatted with mom…There is no way I can manage to go to bed on time any time soon… I also chatted with Chris. He sent me this photo
and I had no idea where he got it from (SY I guess). He teased me and I think he was somewhat drunk. The photo was taken in January, but at that time SJ said that they might not need to use it a t all (especially considering that they were taking pictures of all foreigners) so I never thought much of it. But I should have.
There are good days and there bad days... and there a mixture... just like today.
Let's try to make a balance for today: input+chatted with Yuki and sister - late for work + boss was extra nice to me - i think it is scary when he is extra nice +KY promissed to give me a rde tomoroow to go shopping for BD present for my new ua friend, even though he is busy at work, even though he has to drive to Saitama afterwards=> i hate when he is nice to me - IM might tag along + I am going to tokyo on the weekend - KY and IM are going sking and I have no exact plans for the weekend except for the BD party +there are two more young people coming to Tomioka: half-german-half-japanese girl - new grad and a german guy -trainee for four month - should i really comment on this one? XD +got more assigments at work... -... at 17-55 and had to finish it , therefore was really late for class +had nice teachers and my curse grandpa has lent me the book that i need - now i feel bad towards him +walked all the way home -feeling tired and sleepy
Total amount - messed up cat, who has to take the responsibility for her actions!
I went to bed earlier and got up late. So I have no idea what I need to do about myself to change my strange habits.
going 365~~~ During lunch there were only three of us at the table… and we talked in Japanese about some random topics and that sking season is almost over (i really hope so!). Then NY had to run and KY and I went for a walk. And surprisingle the blood type topic came up. He described types as following: A – caring B – selfish O – cooperative AB – genius. I thought he was A, but he is O. He said that I am probably not O and I said that I am not AB either. So aftersome time he was still guessing my type and I just that I am B, so the selfish type. And that I am rather stubborn and usually do not care about small thing but very persistent about some serious matters. Apparently as most of the people in QMM (quality management - KY's department) have to deal with customer there are many O type, but their boss is B type))) Near the locker room where we usually part our ways some colleague of his apparently made some fun of him for hanging out with me… I didn’t catch what both of them were saying cause they were speaking way to fast… so I feel bad for him if he is getting teased for taking pity on a foreigner…
~~~ After lunch I became bold and asked my boss to discuss my internship and work related topics. He seemed glad about the idea of me staying longer and said that for ctg it works just fine! He is gonna support me with thesis, but warned that I could not use real numbers or publish it and all the right s would belong to bosch. I do not think it is such a big problem for me, as I am not planning on pursuing an academic career in the future… I want to chase my dreams in japan)
~~~ And then I was stuck in the management meeting for over 2 hours… at least I was smart enough to take my pc with me, so that I could write an email to CM and stay online. Meeting itself was pretty interesting… but very long and slow…
~~ i've heard before that there is a german trainee coming to CTG in TmP, but it has never been confirmed. But tonight I was able to get to know the guy. I guess I will have another Chris around me XD. But this time Chris short for Christopher))) So from now on it's gonna be C1 and C2))) lol i am evil) C2 is 27 years old and he is coming for 4 month. I have given him some info about people here, tomioka, japan in general. I think it is good to have another foreigner around, but he might ruin some of my plans... or maybe it's just my selfish B type blood is speaking in me))))
anyways... tonight is my happy night))) i am gonna make 255 into 365!!! and my family is gonna kill me on 366th day! but for now ... i do not care and I though of one more card that i can play to calm my mom down))) but i hope that i would not have to use it... unless for real...
@музыка:
NEWS - Koi no ABO (Just for the fun of it)
I woke up in time for the chat with Karen which I was so looking forward to, only to find out that I do not have inet.. Seriously??? No, I mean it, seriously??? I was mad and decided to go back to bed… bad idea… I woke up again at 9-10. Well, today there is no manager in the office so I think it is ok to come in later in the day XD…
...... Today is the shunbun no hi! From this point on the day is gonna be longer than night! High time to change smth in my life) or so I have been saying for the past three month, but I never change XD
Today I spilled my tea twice on me… I think it is a sign for me to stop doing useless stuff and get to work if I want to impress my manager so that he would want to keep me)
And now I am back at home and tring to make myself ot go to bed early... And here is my motivation for tonight!!!
Tomorrow I am gonna have a busy day in many aspects, so I need to rest well)))
In the morning I got to chat with my sister a bit… I feel so apologetic towards her… she is doing so much for me when I am not even able to help her with anything… but at least I can keep my promise! The thousand cranes will carry my best wishes for her…
As my hair was still wet and I was tired of tieing it in ponytail I made some easy but pretty hairdo. Nice hairdo always makes my mood much better)
... dot dot dotMorning was busy as I had to go through my emails, finish presentation and meet guests from Thailand. We had many meetings. My boss was back from india nicely tanned, but apparently he had eaten smth wrong in india and was still suffering from stomach pains. ...
After lunch we went for the plant tour! This one was much better than in higashimatsuyama!!! Seriously! We were able to see the actual production process and the explanations were clear and easy to understand. I enjoyed it a lot! Afterwards it was somewhat slow… I got some tasks and my boss said that the topic that we need to discuss we can only do so on Wednesday so the rest of the day I spent on some usual projects.
In the eve NY asked me to join the dinner with out Thai guest (one lady had to go back to Tokyo, but the other one was staying one more night) my boss was still feeling and other managers were busy so in the end only 5 of us went- Thai guest, NY, IM, me and older colleague. I’ve learnt one more fact that you can not leave any planning to IM. She messed up the time and place where NY was to pick us up (facepalm), but nevertheless it was very relaxing and pleasant eve. And as it was considered a company’s dinner, bosch paid for it)))
In the eve I talked with mom and dad telling them all about weekend. Mom keeps nagging about me writing thesis and getting married.. I am not even sure which one she wants more – my diploma or son-in-law XD Another point is that everytime she asks me when I am gonna be chatting with her in skype… like I have a clue! I am in inet often in the eve, but she is not. And I have no idea what to talk to her about every single day. Cause most probably we will end up fighting … she would nag, I would get angry and we would fight… so therefore I think chatting once or twice in a week with her is enough –for the good of both of us!
On the other hand when I was about to go to bed (past midnight as usual) I got a message from chris… and we ended up chatting till 2am? Or maybe even later… I might be repeating myself, but he gives out this brotherly feeling… I feel like a small clumsy kitten around him and he teaches me how to catch a mouse XD (sorry, but I must be a crazy cat lady through and through)))
OFFTOP BUT SO TRUE Saori sent me this picture which is so true about me and most of the people who “live” online…
It was hard to get up on time and we had a slow morning – showering, having breakfast and deciding where to go. In the end we went to kirin brewery. The tour was free of charge and at the end of it we got three glasses of beer and some snacks for free. No photos were allowed to be taken during the tour, but as I’ve been to Obolon in ua, I can say that brewery in ua is pretty much the same as one in jp)
I was not planning on buying any omiyage this time, but then I saw chocos with beer inside fro reasonable price – 20 pieces (just the amount that I needed) for 750 jpy … and I bought it) CM got one to send it to her dad. The funny part is that everywhere with strangers I speak Japanese just fine! And they think that I have lived in japan for years XD Surprisingly I can imitate Japanese pronunciation quite well XD but I feel burdened when I have to speak with people I know… I need to work on that one!
After brewery we made one more crazy stop -sweets paradise!
It was more like round to hell from heaven to me. Sweets paradise is keki tabehoudai –which means all u can eat sweets! We went for one in shibuya. And fro 70 minutes u can eat anything u like, as much u like… they had like more than 30 kinds of cakes, pasta, rice, potatoes, salads, drinks, ice cream, fruits etc… we were eating up!!! I know that I have gained weight and need to go on a diet.. but it was worth every single yen we paid for it! Near us sat a cute jap couple… the girl was eating so slow and so little (probably to look good in front her guy) so it seemed like a waste of money to come there for her -_-
I was only worried about my bus back to Tm. Our time in café was till7-24 and my bus was leaving at 7-50. form shibuya to ikebukuro it is 15 minutes ride on the train. Plus at least 5 minutes to and from the stations… after 7 pm I was telling CM that we need to go, but she thought that I was talking about admittance time instead fo my bus, and when at the end I finally said that I might be late for bus she realized my worries XD. So with our tummies so full we hurried to shibuya station. At the crosswalk near ikebukuro station I bumped into two Russian ladies who were talking about boiling sausages for dinner. I think if I were not in a hurry I could have made new ru friends in Tokyo but I had to ran for the bus… What can I say… I got to the bus just before the driver was getting in it to leave… I got on and we left! I was so happy to be able to relax a bit))) I tried to prepare entries for posting, but was too full and sleepy to do so, so I just filled in the expenditures spreadsheet. Got a shock form how much I have actually spent in three days in Tokyo XD and was simply napping the entire way back)
In Tm I stopped to get some bento and went home. Unfortunately I was too tired to chat with friends even though I promised to do so((( sorry for that…
The morning was lazy”ish” on my behalf… I did not want ot get out of bed at all.. Too warm and nice. But “shoganai”. I showered and Sara has taken me to the station so that I can get to the soap bubble event that I promised bee to attend. Sara had to leave later in the day so I wanted us to go together and save her some extra trip , especially considering that it was raining, but she said that she needed some time to herself to get ready fro the day, so it made more sense for her to bring me to the station , go all the way back and then after her alone time go again to where she needed to go… She is just that kind of airy person) Anyways I got to kitasenju after sometime.. it was raining, so I did not expect much from the event. But it turned out to be very nice!!! Very family like and nice.. truly bringing the community together) Lena didn’t come at all, and I guess was glad that I came… I was late for the concert but at least I showed up… I enjoyed seeing all the kids playing with the soap bubbles. And it made my mood much better.
In the afternoon I got an email from Chris. He was asking me to come to nabe party. I agreed to hang out with CM so asked whether I could bring her along and he said it was ok. I met CM in harajuku and teo came a bit late on and we went shopping. This time I was spending too much money in Tokyo even though I was thinking that I should probably go into economy mode.. but somehow I ended up buying myself a watch-ring. I saw such rings in the US for the first time. But that time it seemed really pricy to me so I never got one. I could not find such watches in ua, but I knew that u can get one in jp, cause miyashiro –san had one) So this time I went and after some thinking I did buy it. It costs 1390jpy (about 150 uah) but as I rarely buy myself anything as a "momento", I thought it can be a present to myself with my first Bosch salary)))
In harajuku there were many black guys and I felt myself a center of attention XD My big butt is trully popular with black guys. Basically each one started talking to me and one guy was extremely persistent and even gave me his business card so that I can call him XD idrisu haruna, a manager at Hip Hop Shop (whatever kind of shop that is XD), so ladies, if you want to chat with a guy I can provide more details)))) then we separated from Teo, who did not seem pleased that she was not invited to the nabe party, cause she is used to being the center of attention I guess)
Anyways chris gave us direction how to get to his station (where I actually forgot my 100JPY umbrella in the restroom XD, but as it was too bothersome to go back for it and I do not like going around with umbrella I just gave up on it)When we got there Chris and Max were already waiting for us, SY was the only one missing and he was the one bringing all the food and stuff) When he came to the station it was obvious that he was surprised to see me, but oh well he would have to deal with it. And I came there not for him) we stopped by some stores to get more ingredients and went to Chris apartment. There we met his roommate of a kind – Christina, she gave up her work in Serbia, sold her apartment and car and came to Japan with no knowledge of language and no work! Oh and she is 34 years old, but feels herself as 22. I guess I am the other way around – I am 22 but feel myself as at least 35 XD… It was nice to see guys preparing food. And the girls sat around and watched) afterall the guy should know how to cook (and “Sorata” is my ideal type). Nabe was good an we had some fun) They were mostly speaking german so it was hard on me, cause I believe that currently my Japanese might be much better than my German XD, but Chris was very nice and supportive. We talked some more about the people we know, this time including SY. (oh.. if before I was addressing SY by his last name, now we are using first names XD and they actually call me Katya, which is nice to hear after all that Katanova-san) we had some drinks saying kanpai and they tought me that if when saying “cheers” you do not look into the eyes of the cheers-partner you will have seven years of bad sex XD So Chris made me do kanpai again looking into his eyes cause he is concerned about me XD
We also played some card games. It was basicly game of trust. There are 64 cards with 8 cards with one kind of animal on each – frog, rat, scorpion, fly, stinkbug, spider, cockroach and a bat. Players get cards and they start offering their cards to other player with face down stating the animal. The other player has two options: 1) to accept the card trusting it or not. If the guess was correct the first player has to take card back and lay it out in front of him with face up. If the second player guessed wrong, he gets the card. And now it is his turn to offer somebody a card. 2) Second option is to pass. You can look at the offered card and offer it to the third player confirming the animal or stating a new one. And than it’s up to the third palyer to guess or pass. Of corset ha last person who has not seen the card can only accept and make a guess. The game is over when a person has collected 4 animals of one kind in front of him or he has no more cards to play with. The game is pretty much the same as “believe u or not” that we play, but the animals make it more fun. As I was the youngest I started the round) Max lost 3 times in a row! And I learnt some new German “ Max wird gefickt”… which roughly means that "Max was fucked"… SY also lost one time. But it was really interesting to see him outside office and his usual serious self XD. Also the game itself is interesting, to see how people are playing. Chris style is very fast and straightforward but with hidden attacks. SY risks a lot and goes all the way. Max just sucked at game in general XD CM was not really active, I guess cause all the attacks were concentrated against Max, SY and me) As for me – I am a logical type. I count) I counted cards on the table and the ones that I had in my hand to make my moves and judgments. One time I was close to losing but was able to survive due to such tactics and I think onlyChristina noticed that I do actually count cards, when others were playing based on instincts.
We were playing till late and after another round we heard some light knock on the door. Guess who can come to your house in the middle of the night – police) neighbors didn’t like us being noisy, so they called police XD I know when party is loud and trust me that was not the case, but as walls in japan are very thin I guess jap neighbors were not happy about us. Policeman was so confused to see the room full of foreigners and his first question was whether anyone speaks Japanese. SY went to handle the situation. Remember the fact that he doesn’t look like Japanese much so in the end policeman was the one to apologize for bothering us XD. How hilarious can that be. And during this time we realized that we are kind of running late for the last train. We had to run all the way to the station with SY who led the way. We were able to jump in the train the moment the door were closing… that was fun) Cm and I transferred at Shibuya, but the last train from shibuya to the station we needed has left some time ago and the very last train was going to the stop that is before our stop. Well, it was better than nothing. And CM seemed to know how to get from that station to work on foot and from work to dormitory as well. So at the end stop we asked for direction to our station. The lady told us it was 15 minutes walk... Actually it was more like 35-45 minutes walk. But the weather was nice so it didn’t trouble me much to walk)
When we got back I had a short chat with Axel (French intern in hr Yh office) about “little prince”. Yes… it’s about a children’s book, which I do not find to be all that childish! I’ve read it in Russian as I was a child and one famous part has made quite an impression on me. Conversation between fox and little prince. But I had no idea how it was translated into English, so when I had a chance I decided to reread the book. The quote goes like this “people have forgotten this truth. But you must not forget! We are responsible forever for what we’ve tamed!” So it is this “tamed” part was troubling me a lot…
Anyways I might have been selfish but I made CM stay up with me till 4am before we went to bed. Therefore I am sorry towards her for that.
It was a beautiful morning to ride a local train and enjoy the view , but I slept most of the time XD. Train from Tomioka to Takasaki is the most expensive in whole japan, or so Japanese tell me (770 JPY one way, which is about 35 minutes ride).
busy day)The transfer time between trains was not a good one for me, so I had to go to Higashimatsuyama smth like one hour before the actual meeting time, otherwise I would’ve been late for it (according to google maps of course). But I do not regret going there so early. When I arrived I decided to go and visit local shrine – Yakyu Inari Shrine. Apparently it is a shrine to go a pry for your lifelove XD The symbols are foxes, and you could see the statues everywhere. But one couple was extremely cute.
Actually I saw one schoolboy praying to the couple, but once he noticed me he got kind of embarrassed and left in a hurry. Well, I was in no hurry so that I could wonder around as much as I wanted.
In the far away corner of the shrine I found this graveyard so to say. I wonder what happens to all those broken statues..
Afterwards I went to Bosch plant to meet other interns. Higashimatsuyama plant is hugeeeeee especially comparing it with TmP.
All the interns gathered and we went fro lunch. He-he.. it was the first time I was in a better position than others) in TmP we have this meal tickets (piece of paper where its value is written 50-100-200-250) but in Sby and Yh they r using cards. So everyone was really mad that they had to stand in line to get their tickets. Well, as I had extra I has given one to CM and one to Max (another intern , a good friend of Chris). After lunch the tour has started. I do not why, but some parts of presentation were plain boring.. like listing all the products… and not even by group, but per part number… and the actual tour around plant was a bit slow. Due to volume decrease on that day plant has “production stop” for some lines and there was nothing much to see. The interesting part was the demonstration of the training that each employee has to go through – actual work in the plant even though you can be an office worker. There is also smth called skills Olympiad. Young employees compete in producing some products as fast as possible, the best would be preparing for the event for the entire year without actually working, which was a bit surprising to me. The tour was finally over and everyone went to Ikebukuro.
I rode a train with CM and chatted about random stuff, that’s what we usually do) In ikebukuro everyone went their own way, as for us (CM, Marie, Teo and me) we went “shopping” but were only able to make it to the mall, go to the restroom and it was time to go back XD My cellphone died when I was booking my bus ticket fro Sunday, but by using CM’s phone I was able to do so on my own… great) it was not as scary as I thought given all the keigo that is used in such situations. So now I am more than capable to book my ticket myself without troubling anyone (and letting them now where and when I go) When we got to the meeting place I’ve met Patty (a friend of my ua friend, the girl that I should look after) and her friend Felix. Somehow I chatted more with Felix than with Patty XD. An interesting guy I must say! But he was not the star of the night… Chris was)
Well, well, well) He greeted me still at the meeting place, but as I was chatting with Felix we got to talk only when we got to the Izakaya. Chris was the one to come up to me and tell me that he wanted to sit somewhere close cause we needed to chat. And so we did. At first we sat across each other and cared that my glass was not empty all the time XD. When it got to load we had to switch sits so that we sat next to each other chatting almost nonstop. I am sorry to everyone who had hiccups that day, cause we talked about everyone XD It was too loud in izakaya so we agreed to go somewhere quiet for more drinks afterwards and he invited me to the nabe party at his place for the next day. After the nomikai everyone got separated and went for afterparty. While everyone was trying to figure out where to go Chris has met some random Japanese guy who gave him 10000 JPY “to enjoy his time in Tokyo. What can I say, I hope that the guy is not married, cause his wife won’t like it at all XD. So Chris has used that money to buy me and Sara more drinks in Shibuya. It was getting close to midnight and as Cinderella I had to think about how to get home and where my home for the night would be) Originally I was planning to stay at Hiro’s place, then switched it to CM, but I ended up sleeping with a total stranger XD – Sara., Chris’s study buddy from uni… We almost made it to the last train, but as it was so full so we decidedto walk or to take a taxi. Sara was drunk and messed up the train line so we could not make it earlier for the last train. She felt bad about it, so she was insisting on paying for the taxi. However we did split the fee (1000 each), cause I couldnot let her pay for it on her own as I was staying at her place for free) Sara is somewhat naïve like a child and hard to describe her.. but she is very nice and kindhearted, however I gues there should be someone to look after her at all times, otherwise she is the type to get in trouble. That someone is chris for now. Chris seems really friendly and nice… he gave out this brotherly feeling. He told me that I am the way he imagined me to be, and I do not know whether it is good or bad XD I think he exceed my expectations of him, which is always a pleasant surprise. He even sent me an email to check whether we got home safe and sound… We crawled in the bed with sara and fell asleep almost immediately.