Study and the Onsen.

Studied through the afternoon and headed out to ABC Mart with Phill so he could get some shoes. It was cooler and rained today. In the evening Andrew a previous home stay student came over and we all headed to the Onsen. The Onsen has a extra level of relaxation when it is cooler and entering the open air Onsen outside felt great. After about a hour in the Onsen we had dinner which was a Gyudon dish and for desert we had Ice Cream. After we went in the Onsen one more time before heading home and sleeping like a baby.

Work and the Ginza

Headed to work today. It was 30 degrees yesterday and today it was 17, so it got a lot cooler. Now it's finally in the cool comfortable Japan time of year. After work I headed to the 300 Bar in Ginza and caught the last train home. When I got back to Daiba I headed to the street next to the Toys R' Us where there are always a bunch of guys showing off their cars, and while they aren't always cool I figured I'd ask them if there are any drift spots around Daiba. They didn't know of any place but I see cars that are made for it all the time around here so I know it happens. They did have some cool remote control cars that they drifted for my entertainment in the street.

School, Shibuya, and Shinjuku

Japanese, Ethics, Law, and Accounting. Today the teacher in Accounting showed the grades for the whole class and out of a class of 40 people 12 were passing. Such a dumb class.

After that I headed home ate dinner and headed out to Shibuya where I met up with Josh and we met up with Aki and her friend. We went to two different places but they were both full and by the time we went to the third place our friend who was meeting us in Shinjuku mailed and we headed to Shinjuku. Someone decided to kill themselves on the train line that we were using so we wound up waiting around in the train for about 20 minutes before anything happened. Killing yourself is a really selfish act as it is, but killing yourself on Japanese commuter trains is just plain rude and inconsiderate. While we were on the train Josh pointed out one of his students from GABA who was sitting right in front of us. In Shinjuku we headed to Burger King but it was closed so we headed to Kabuki Chou where one of Josh's friends came and met up with us.

School and work

Headed to school for Math and my favorite Business class. I really love that class. Today we talked about interviews and what people are looking for in interviews and how to answer different questions. I think that class will be one of 2 classes that I have taken in life that might actually be useful outside of school. After that Josh, Mason, and I headed to Saizeriya before I went to work. I worked with more beginner students today and because of the training that I received at GABA I was more motivated then usual and tried some of the techniques that they taught. It was really pretty fun.

School

Japanese, Ethics, Law, and Accounting.

School

Math Class today. Big fun.

Final day of GABA training

The final day of GABA training! It went like usual and ended with a test. I actually found the training pretty worth while and actually learned something which is much more then I expected from it.

Right now the Japanese government is subsidising education costs by 40% so there is a high demand for teachers at GABA to accommodate all the new students. While these subsidies will drop to 20% soon, there will still be many more students then before. Another thing effecting the market here is that NOVA, one of the largest English school chains in Japan is facing financial difficulty because of the way they run the company and the fact that one of the upper management guys took a lot of company money and left the country. This all works in my favor as I get a $100 sign on bonus if I say for 6 months.

More GABA training

Day 2 of training at GABA. Headed in this time without my suit coat because the training is unpaid, it's too hot for a suit, and I didn't want to. Went through another day of training and headed back home. When I got back to the station near home I got a E-mail from my host Mom letting me know that we were eating out and that we should meet up at Aqua City. We met up and did a little shopping before we started our search for a place to eat. Since it was Saturday night, most places were pretty busy and so the first two choices of the Sushi place and the Shabu Shabu restaurant were unavailable. We headed to the 6th floor which is "little Hong Kong" and has a variety of Chinese restaurants and shops. The restaurant we went to had very cool decor but the service was pretty bad. The food was ok, but I guess we could have gotten the same thing for a fourth of the price in the US.

GABA training

Got up today, put on my suit and headed to Ebisu for GABA training. There were about 14 other teachers there some were native speakers and others had English as a second language. The classroom was just some desks with a bunch of computers and the lessons involved a lot of computer usage and role playing. The guy teaching the class was from Scotland and had a cool Scottish accent which made the class worth going to. Around noon we took a break for lunch and another teacher and I headed to a place called Amapola, which is a really good Italian restaurant although they market themselves at Mediterranean. We ordered pasta and pizza and the sauce on the pasta was some of the best I have had, it was a tomato sauce with a strong cheese flavor that made it all worth while. After that we headed back to class and our teacher let us out around 6:00.

I stopped home, changed out of my suit and headed to Ginza where I met up with Daniel and Mike, two good friends from when I was in Japan in 2005. We walked around Ginza looking for a place called the Three Hundred Bar which is a bar that as the name implies, sells all it's items for 300yen. It has a pretty cool atmosphere and for some reason always has a Will Smith movie playing with subtitles. In the evening, they usually have a DJ that comes in and spins for further entertainment.

While I was in training at GABA my host parents and my room mate went shopping and they bought me some of the socks that separate the big toe from a place called SOU・SOU. I haven't been there yet but it sounds like a pretty cool store that sells modern versions of traditional Japanese clothing.

School, and Roppongi

Japanese, Ethics, Law, and Accounting. After that I headed home for dinner and then back to Azabu where I met up with some friends. From Azabu we walked to Roppongi and went to a Club that is owned and run by a student at Temple. It was cool cause we were able to get in for free, the first round of drinks was free and the drinks after that were half price. After that we headed to a club called GasPanic! but since it was Friday and before 12 it was pretty dead so we headed to Tokyo Midtown to check out a place called A971. Although it was Friday and before Midnight it was packed and there was a large crowd around the place and a long line to get a drink so we just hung out outside and talked to some friends that were already there. It's a pretty cool place cause it offers a really classy atmosphere and there are a lot of OL's there. Roppongi is a pretty crazy place, and while I don't make it a habit of going there I always see something interesting when I go. Tonight I saw a Mustang convertible with two guys in the back seat in Storm Trooper outfits and a guy in the passenger seat in a Darth Vader costume. Awesome.

School and work

Math class today followed by the business class. We had two people from the Career center come and speak with us about jobs in Japan and the two things the guy stressed the most was getting a internship and being fluent in Japanese. After that I headed to work and that was the day.

These pictures are of the Wanza Ariake Bay Mall here in Daiba located near the Tokyo Big Site. It was built during the bubble economy in Japan and looks like something out of "Blade Runner" so I took a couple photos of it. It has a ton of high end restaurants and a cool atmosphere. The location isn't near the water so it doesn't offer the view that Decks and Aqua City do which is probably the reason for it's lower level of popularity.

School, and walking around Daiba

Japanese, Ethics, Law, and Accounting like usual. Had dinner after I got home and headed out for a walk. It's finally starting to cool down and I don't mind going out at all. Not much else is new. Hopefully I'll do something interesting in the evenings this weekend cause the three all day training sessions probably won't be that interesting.

Math, Interview, Walking around Daiba

Headed to school and took a math test. After I hung out in the cafeteria for a bit and headed home. Got home and changed into my suit and headed to Ebisu for my second Interview at GABA and got the job, now I just need to get some more suit coats and black pants. Headed home, ate dinner, and walked the Yurikamome checking out different parts of Daiba.

Yasumi! (Holiday)

Day off from school finally. Spend most of the day editing the the videos for previous entries and working on homework. It's still pretty hot, but not too bad. Have my interview tomorrow.

Work, Festival, and Indian Food

Headed to work for one lesson, but this weekend there is some kind of Holiday and there is a Festival being held in Shinjuku. They were carrying a portable shrine around the streets and selling food. Always fun. The video is from 2005 but it is the same Festival so you can get the idea of what it was like. After I got home from work we headed out to the Seaside Mall in Decks and had dinner at the Indian Restaurant there. It was pretty good but I still think I prefer Japanese Curry.

GABA, Work, Wangan C1, and Daikokufuto

Got up little earlier then I like to on Saturday and headed to Ebisu for Orientation at GABA. While teaching English doesn't really improve my Japanese, it is the highest paying job that will give me consistent work without a Degree. At the Orientation they told me everything I already know and set up my 2nd interview for Tuesday. From there I headed to Work in Shinjuku and headed to Kokubunji where I met up with Mason and we headed to Saitama.

In Saitama we met up with one of Mason's friends who has a 90' Nissan Laurel. It is a 4 door with a RB-25 which is a turbo 6 cylinder. We drove by a couple famous tuner shops including Yoshio Factory and headed out to the Freeway. We drove around on the C1 loop which I am very familiar with thanks to "Tokyo Extreme Racer 2" and my Sega Dreamcast. This was really cool cause I was able to actually drive on the roads from the game.

We stopped at a rest stop where we saw 2 R32's a R34, and some other nice cars. After that we headed to Yokohama and stopped over at Daikokufuto. This is a pretty famous rest stop that people go to to show off their cars. The stop it self was huge and there was easily over 300 cars there. It was really cool cause people parked in groups depending on the type of car they had. There was a really nice Old School Fairlady Z in dark blue but it left before I was able to get a photo of it.

As soon as we stepped out of the Laurel The smell of burnt rubber hit our noses and the sound of techno music which was being played from a van that was filled with massive speakers was audible everywhere in the lot. Not wanting to waste anytime we followed our noses up some nearby stairs where we saw a bunch of amateur drifters showing off in large intersection right in front of the Police Box. It was crazy because they would all line up and when the light turned green and traffic was clear they would all try drifting through the intersection and through traffic would speed through the intersection hoping not to get hit.

We watched this until a police car actually showed up and everyone just drove away. Then we headed back to the lot of take some pictures of the cars that were there before the cops kicked everyone out.

As it cleared out we got back on the freeway and drove around the C1 loop and the Wangan (bayside) It's amazing how small Tokyo really is when you have a car. Unfortunately, the freeways do cost a good amount of money and gas here is more then $5 a gallon. Needless to say this was one of the coolest things I have done in Japan

School and meeting up with a friend

Japanese, Ethics, Law, and Accounting like usual. Handed in a group project for accounting and took a online test for that class. After school, I headed out to Shibuya where I met up with my friend Miku. We headed to Friday's for dinner and was surprised to learn that one of the students from Temple works there. He talked with us for a bit and recommended that we say that it is Miku's birthday so that we can get free ice cream. After all the food we ate, there really wasn't room for ice cream so we headed to the Pool Hall near the station. We played 3 games and it was tied until I scratched on the 8-ball on the 3rd game, so now I owe her Ice Cream. This is the video I've been working on, YouTube limits you to 10 minute videos so it doesn't include everything I want but I guess it gives you a idea of what the area that I live in is like.

Train Delay, Taxi ride, and Math class

Well, headed to math class like usual but when I got to Shiodome I found that the Oedo line was out cause someone had jumped on the tracks to kill themselves which delayed the train. Fortunately, for me there was a older Japanese woman there who lived in Cali but was visiting and was also in a hurry to get to Azabu so she offered to pay for the Taxi since I she was going there anyhow. It's always fun meeting people with international backgrounds and I miss driving so riding in a Taxi or playing racing games at the arcade are the only way I can still connect with that. After Math I had the one Business class which I'm voting as my favorite class this semester.
From school I headed to Shinjuku for a lesson and home for dinner.

School...

Japanese, Ethics, Law, and Accounting. Just another day at school. School is keeping pretty busy and the blog is suffering because of it, but at least accounting is finally starting to make sense.

School, Squid, and Study

In typical Tuesday fashion, the day started with Math. After I got the semester sticker for my student ID to show that I'm currently enrolled and headed to Shimbashi Station to get a new train pass since mine expired yesterday. When I got home I filled out the form for the JLPT test and submitted it at the post office. They have really cool ATM's that scan bills, accept cash payment, and provide change. Pretty cool stuff. So I'm registered for the JLPT and need to learn 10 Kanji a day till December 3rd if I want to pass it. It rained off and on for the rest of the day and was pretty humid.
Had Squid for dinner and tried to study for the rest of the evening.

School

Japanese class in the morning. The teacher for Business Ethics was absent, so we had the same teacher from the other business class. That is just a fun class. Hung out at school till Law which was followed by Accounting and headed home.

Near the school there is a Restaurant just for people like me called Angelo Dining.

Boat Races, Work, and Home

Woke up this morning to the sound of people yelling together in time. Looked out the window and saw that people were doing boat races. Not as involved as what I saw before, but it still looked like fun. The boats were smaller and instead of Taiko drums the way to keep the rowing in rhythm was through everyone yelling together.

Left a little early for work and picked up a new Toshiba Iron from Yodobashi, it's pretty cool; cordless and has the steam built in. From there I headed to work and after headed back home.

Work at school and shinjuku

Headed to school today for a part time job there. The job started off by welcoming potental students to Temple and then we gave a speech in Japanese about our experience at Temple and why we think it's a good school. After that the people were divided up into smaller groups and we took them around on tours of the school. It was pretty fun and they paid us, so it worked out pretty well. I was supposed to meet up with Aya today in Odaiba, but Mason had me ask if she had any friends and she did. After work Mason and I headed to Kokubunji where he lives. He is in a guest house there that is actually pretty nice and it has a parking space for the car he plans on buying. From there we headed to Shinjuku to meet up with Aya and her friend. We got there a little early and headed to Kinokuniya where I picked up the form needed for the JLPT. After we met up with Aya and her Friend Miho. We headed to a restraunt called Chris on Cafe which was a really high class restraunt with a church theme to it. There another of Aya's friends came to meet up with us. After that we headed to Taito Station and did the purikura (Japanese photo booth) and headed home.

Pizza Party and hanging in Shibuya

Checked my Temple E-mail today and to my disappointment school was not canceled because of the Typhoon but since my first class doesn't start till 10:15, by the time I headed out the rain had stopped and by the time I got the school the sun had returned. My teacher for Business Ethics was sick so I had even more free time then usual between classes. My friend John and I worked on the project for accounting and I met some new people at school. Had law and Accounting and headed to Azabu for the Pizza Party. The party started at 6:00 and by the time we got there it was about 7:00 and the Pizza was all gone. They had chips and pop so I hung out and talked with people and when I was about to leave I heard that they were ordering more Pizza. When the Pizza came many of the students had already returned home and there was a lot of Pizza available. Around 8:00 I headed home and had dinner before Phil and I headed to Shibuya where a bunch of people were hanging out in celebration of someones birthday. We met up with a group of about 10 people and saw about 20 other Temple students there. As you can see in the picture, Japanese girls love guys with blond hair.

Typhoon!

Math class and the one Credit business class after. In the business class we talked about differentiating ourselves from other applicants in the job field. I really like that class cause it's just cool. I brought my umbrella cause the Typhoon was coming and after class the wind had already started. Mason and I headed to Shinjuku to pick up the forms needed for the JLPT test. I didn't really have that much time to get the entry form that day because we wasted time before heading to Shinjuku and I had to get to work.

On my way to work it started raining pretty bad and about 1 minute after I opened my umbrella the wind grabbed it and ruined it, so I wound up running in the rain the rest of the way to work. I got through most of the downfall and it just fell in patches till I got to work. When I got to work, because of the Typhoon only 2 students showed up and I was able to finish all my homework.

On the news many of the train lines were delayed and Although the stations on the Yurikamome line are covered buildings, the wind was blowing so hard that it brought water in through the doors.

School, School, School

Class started with Japanese like usual and a vocabulary test. From there headed to Business Ethics like always. Ethics is in the Mita Building which is about a 10 minute walk from Azabu. Soon after leaving the Mita building it started raining down pour and kept going till we got to Azabu. About 5 minutes after we got back to Azabu it stoped raining and the sky cleared up, it was like it rained just to soak me when changing buildings. Did some studying for Accounting with no improvement and headed to Law class where the Japanese students did presentations about the implementation of a Jury system in Japan which will happen in 2009. Over 80% of the people surveyed are against the system but they are gonna have it anyhow. Accounting after Law and then home. Had some Curry Rice for Dinner and took a walk around Odaiba before it started raining again. Typhoon is coming tomorrow so it should be fun.

More School and Shibuya

Headed to Math Class today. After class I met up with my roommate and we headed to a place called KoKo Don which serves a Rice Bowl with fish on top. It was pretty good and unlike most bathrooms in Japan they actually had paper towels. He headed to class and I headed to Shibuya in search of some cool school supplies. I headed to the Loft and after to Tokyu Hands which is like a Target without the electronics or the food. Picked up some pencils and headed home. After that I did some editing on the video I'm working on and after Dinner we watched "Aviator" which is a awesome movie.

School...

Headed in for Japanese this morning and got a lot of homework. After I had Business Ethics and hung out in the cafeteria. Had Law and Accounting and that was the day. Headed home and got some good food.

Home and work

Finished organizing my room today and got some things together, then I headed out to work. For the first 3 hours that I was there I didn't have a single student and was able to finish all my homework and play Tetris on DS.

Moving back to Odaiba, Phone, and Onsen

Started the day by packing my stuff and getting ready to move back to Odaiba. After saying goodbye, I headed back. The parents normally go to the gym on Saturdays so I got there a little before they got back so I rung the door bell till Phill my new host brother opened the door. After the parents got back we had lunch and soon after Andrew a previous homestay student arrived. We all headed out to the AU store in the Decks shopping plaza near home. Phill had already selected the phone he wanted and AU not offered a better student plan then was previously offered. He filled out the paperwork and left. In Japan after you apply for a phone they take about 30 minutes to charge it part way and get it set up so we walked around and got a Cinnabon and I picked up a shirt at the Eddie Bauer store. After that it was time to head back so we went back to the AU store and Phill picked up his phone.

From there we headed back home and waited for Kouros. When he arrived we all headed out to the Onsen where we enjoyed a sand bath where you are burried in hot sand. We grabbed some Ramen and Ice Cream, and entered the Onsen. We walked Kouros back to the station where we waved goodbye and then went back to the house for a couple rounds of Uno before going to bed.