FIRST OFF!  Here is the link to my first video!  Be sure to click, "Watch in HD"!!






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdCKJZdi8sc

Anyways, I got a sweet Japanese cell phone that stores and plays music, comes with a speaker-pod, takes great video and stills, internet everywhere I go, code scanner (Japan does this thing with scanning codes on products to tell you info or get discounts, etc.), infrared phonebook sharing, and...best of all....its GOLD.  hahaha In japan, all phones have really embarrassing colors, and apparently, Gold is the new black.

I will post pictures of it later, I didn't have time today because...well because I got lost.

I got lost - to the extreme.  I got off of the bus to go home, looked up, and realized. "OMG I don't know where the F*** I am!!!"

It was at that point that I put my 日本語 (Japanese) to the test!  I failed that test.  Well not really.  I asked 3 different people how to go home in very good Japanese, and they all told me in very good Japanese, that they have no idea where I want to go...I didn't have my address on me (-__-メ).

It was about 30 minutes after I began wandering the streets of the Kumano-cho, that a horrible, desperate, and overwhelming feeling hit.  I'm lost, nobody can help me because I can't even help me, and I can't read shit!

I called my host mother and father 10 times each before they finally picked up.  I thought Japanese was hard to understand.  Over the phone, with cars, buses, and trains flying past--its impossible.  After 30 more minutes of following directions via the phone, I ended up close to home.  Close enough for my host mother to spot the 6 feet 1 inch 外人 (foreigner) wandering the streets like a stray dog.

I wanted 2 things, a plane ticket home, and some 酒。  That was a terrible feeling.    ＿|￣|○


I however did make a friend on my journey...and well, I scared somebody too I guess.

There was this stray cat, that meowed at me each time I passed it as I walked up and down, up and down the streets.  Finally, it decided to follow me and keep me company while I desperately searched for anything that seemed familiar.  During that process, one of the Japanese men that I asked for help---he just backed away from me with a very scared face until he hit a wall, and then managed to sink himself into the wall to get away from me.

Well Enjoy the video, I need some 酒.  Tomorrow is a new day right?

Intelligent Bumper Stickers

I know I know, you are all wondering why Bence hasn't said a word for 2 days and now he uploads three times in one day (night for you)! Well now that I'm settled, I have time to explore and to do research.

Seeing as the temperature here in the Hyogo-ku is melt-your-skin hot, and the humidity is drown-if-you-open-your-mouth%, I think research is best.

I'd like to introduce and explain one of the things that Japan does which makes me all giddy, which is to display cute little stickers on cars based off of the driver of said car! I've been seeing these everywhere and have been wondering what the heck they were.

Anyways here are the symbols and their meanings and readings (in JSL romanization):




高齢運転者標識 （こうれいうんてんしゃひょうしき）　
(korei untensya hyousiki)
Elderly Driver Sign:
















This sign is used to display that the driver is old.
(typically around 70)

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初心運転者標識 （しょしんうんてんしゃひょうしき）　
syosin untensya hyousiki)
Beginner Driver Sign:


















This sign is given to all beginning drivers and must be displayed until 1 year after they've received their driver's license.

This is the WATCH OUT I'M A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL!! sticker.
(Though in Japan the driving age is 18.)

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身体障害者標識 （しんたいしょうがいしゃひょうしき）　
(sintai syougaisya hyousiki)
Handicapped Driver Sign:

















This is the handicapped-driver sign. I think our picture of a person in a wheelchair is much more clear, but this 4-leaf clover works too I guess.

(Maybe Japan thinks that these drivers will need all the luck they can get to make it home in one piece?)

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聴覚障害者標識 （ちょうかくしょうがいしゃひょうしき）　
(tyoukaku syougaisya hyousiki)
Deaf Sign:


















This little butterfly is used to let all other drivers know that this driver is deaf. Go ahead and honk your horn all you like, they can't hear it.
(This symbol will be replaced soon with a new one depicting dots like this, 「○○○」 so I have heard.)

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I hope when you go to Japan and see these cute stickers, you will remember this and drive accordingly! I really wish we did this back in the States. I want to know who is old, who is young, and who is deaf!

But remember to put them on your car in an easy-to-spot area!




or else...

Some more pics from Okura Hotel and some from Konan University.

So I'm emptying the pics from my camera and found a few that I hadn't posted yet. Here they are:



A pirate ship on display in the Kobe bay as seen from my hotel window.



Kobe bay in the afternoon, as seen from my hotel window



The white structures at night, illuminated with green lights in the Kobe bay, as seen from my hotel window. Bonus points for the Ferris wheel in the back that is constantly changing color!



The Kobe Bay Tower at night, as seen from my hotel window.



A car right outside of the entrance to 甲南大学 (Konan University) with the popular "ensign" sticker (the yellow and green chevron). Is this the car of an ensign drifter? Possibly. Possibly.

Apologies, and the War on Spiders

SORRY!!

I had so much going on that I couldn't update lately, just sleep :[ But now things are different.

I moved in with my host family, the 吉田 (Yoshida) family. They are really cool, kind, fun, and strict!

But anyways, I have to apologize that there are no pictures or video this time. I'm still setting things up, and failing. :[


However, I wanted to write, that this morning it really hit me--I'm on an island in the Pacific ocean, 7000 miles from home, where I can understand about 40% of what I hear, and about 10% of what I read. ちょっとこわいなあ (It's kind of scary huh?)

But I didn't have much time to think about it since I was quickly and quite rudely roused awake by the king of large, hairy, juicy jumping spiders.

No matter how I tried to kill him, this thing was a ninja-spider and just didn't want to die, or get caught. This thing was jumping from the wall to the ceiling, punching me in the face, kicking me in the butt, and whenever it felt that I had struggled enough to gain the upper hand, it would use it's ninja skills to hide!

BUT!! Victory was mine as I had finally managed to kill the sucker! However it was only a short victory as I had noticed 3 more later :[

I asked my host father about this and he assured me that this is normal, and OK. Spiders don't bother you, just scare you.

So my host family currently enjoys hearing me scream like a girl about 7 times a minute.


Anyways, I'm working on getting wireless internet, until then I just have a wired connection in their kitchen.

I have Japanese placement tests on Monday, so I will be hoarding myself up in...Japan...to study...Japanese.

I am working to fix my video issues and take more pictures. I'm sort of testing the waters now with my host family to see what is acceptable and what isn't. So it takes a while. Sorry.


Thanks for reading!!

Kobe, Kobe, Kobe

So here I am! In Japan, in Kobe, at the fabled Okura Hotel! Just wanted to post some pics!

Our view


A famous structure in Kobe, right next to our hotel.


Some crates and a the bay (as seen from my hotel room)


Nissan cube with the pillar on the other side since the driver is on the other side!


I promise tons of video when I have the time to figure this out! Sorry, I am taking tons of fun footage!

Departure!

Well this is it. This will be my last post before I can find some reasonably priced internet somewhere in Osaka.

I've said my good-byes, counseled my mother, and even rear-ended my car into somebody else's.

--Yep I'm ready for take-off. See you guys whn I get to Japan.






PS: I'm having a bit of trouble getting Adobe Premiere CS3 to handle the .mp4 files that my Sanyo Xacti HD1010 spit out. If anybody could help me that would be great, until I can figure this bug out, no video :[

Packing, packing, packing.

Just wanted everybody to see my matching Nautica luggage set. OK back to packing...