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Nov. 30th, 2010 11:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blodeueddHow weird. Though I got home before 10:30, I feel like it should be much later. That's what happens when you get home near midnight every Tuesday for months, and then suddenly you don't need to stay late for rehearsal anymore! ^_^
This is it, folks, the last day of forced writing. From tomorrow, I'll be free! :D
I jest, I jest. Considering I only failed to post on two days, and for the most part, I had no trouble with the writing itself, I declare my Non-NaNoWriMo to be a smashing success. I'll check my final word count tomorrow. And then maybe I can get working on my million sewing/knitting projects, some of which need to be finished pdq!
So here they are, my last two anwers. Can I get a drum roll?
Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?
This one is tough to answer, because I really try to go to new places without too many preconceived notions. That way, everything feels fresh and interesting. Recently, I was telling someone that even though I've been in Japan for over four years, and I do consider it my home now, I still look at every day as a little adventure because technically, I'm still travelling.
That said, here are a few of the things that I expected this country would be (these responses are Tokyo-centric, since that's what I know):
- Crowded: Tokyo is, but I've gotten used to it, so it's not that big a deal;
- Polluted: I imagined Tokyo, being as huge as it is, would have much more air pollution, but for a city this size, the air is remarkable clean, because there's no heavy industry around here;
- A challenge to navigate: I was surprised by the amount of English (or romaji, really) signage everywhere, especially in the public transit systems;
- Very hot and humid in the summer: it is;
- Not very cold in the winter: it isn't;
- An expensive place to live: it can be, but then again, if you know where to shop, it's no more expensive than back home, except for the fruit. In some ways, it's cheaper, especially when it comes to eating out, since you can get set lunches for Y1,000 yen, the equivalent of which would cost $20 in Canada, with taxes and tip;
As for what surprised me the most, I think it was how easy life is here. Obviously, this is a first world country, but I thought the language barrier would be thicker, somehow, or that I'd run into all sorts of unforeseen difficulties. Another thing is that I didn't expect to like living here so much, and that I'd make so many wonderful friends. It's kind of ironic that it took a country that is seen as being closed off and inward-looking to make me come out of my shell a bit, but I'm very thankful for that!
Day 01 - A picture of you "in Japan". (doing or wearing something "Japanese")
Day 02 - Describe your neighbourhood in Japan.
Day 03 - Most interesting person you've met.
Day 04 - What's your favourite place that's not in any of the guidebooks/lists of places to visit?
Day 05 - Which, if any, Japanese mannerisms or expressions have you adopted?
Day 06 - Food that you swore you would never eat but now love (or tolerate).
Day 07 - Which Japanese words do you use in English? (hanami, shinkansen, etc.)
Day 08 - What thing(s) or product(s) from your home country do you refuse to do without in Japan?
Day 09 - Favourite stores/shopping centers.
Day 10 - Something about Japan that sets it apart from anywhere else.
Day 11 - What did you find most overrated and underrated about Japan?
Day 12 - Describe a fail!gaijin moment. (Where you did something wrong or completely misunderstood because you couldn't ~read the air~ or just plain had no idea what you were supposed to do because you weren't born and raised here) Describe a gaijin!smash moment (Where your foreignness was to your benefit)
Day 13 - How is daily life in Japan different from how it was back in your home country?
Day 14 - What is the hardest thing about living in Japan versus your home country?
Day 15 - Weirdest food item you've seen, and weirdest food item you've actually eaten.
Day 16 - How you realised you'd acclimated to Japan. (if you have)
Day 17 - Your karaoke top 5, your sushi top 5, your conbini top 5.
Day 18 - Post some amusing/cute/faily purikura.
Day 19 - Your favourite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toys
Day 20 - Favourite Japanese festival or folklore.
Day 21 - Favourite and least favourite Japanese fashion trends.
Day 22 - Your favourite Japanese saying or kotowaza (proverb).
Day 23 - What is something you have/do in Japan that you wish you had/could do in your home country?
Day 24 - Your favourite Japanese slang or borrow-word (外来語), e.g. セフレ "sex friend"
Day 25 - Most interesting vending machine find.
Day 26 - What's your favourite/least favourite train line?
Day 27 - Place you avoid going to if at all possible.
Day 28 - A picture of you looking like a weaboo/A picture of you trying to blend in and failing.
Day 29 - What's the thing you [will] miss the most about Japan when you leave (either on vacation, or move away)?
Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?
Day 30 – One last moment
When I was in Vietnam with M-P in 2002, we stayed in the town of Hoi An for three or four days. One day, we were wandering through the relatively narrow streets (Hoi An is a small town, and one of the few places in the country that still has lots of old buildings left standing, since it wasn't bombed during the war), looking at the shops and the wares and the people. A man pedalling a kind of modified cyclo, with a cart attached to the back, was coming up the street. As he got closer, we could see that he sold dumplings, and there was a little tape deck in the corner of his cart, which blasting "Y.M.C.A." as loudly as its tinny old speakers would allow.
The song seemed so out of place that it took us a few seconds to place it. To me, that surreal moment perfectly encapsulated why I love to travel: to see things that aren't like they are back home, but at the same time, to have it confirmed that no matter where you go, people are just people. And they like "Y.M.C.A."
Day 01 - Introduce yourself
Day 02 - Your first love
Day 03 - Your parents
Day 04 - What you ate today
Day 05 - Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A moment
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What's in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – What you wore today
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favourite memory
Day 18 – Your favourite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – This month
Day 21 – Another moment
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – A first
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favourite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your aspirations
Day 30 – One last moment
This is it, folks, the last day of forced writing. From tomorrow, I'll be free! :D
I jest, I jest. Considering I only failed to post on two days, and for the most part, I had no trouble with the writing itself, I declare my Non-NaNoWriMo to be a smashing success. I'll check my final word count tomorrow. And then maybe I can get working on my million sewing/knitting projects, some of which need to be finished pdq!
So here they are, my last two anwers. Can I get a drum roll?
Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?
This one is tough to answer, because I really try to go to new places without too many preconceived notions. That way, everything feels fresh and interesting. Recently, I was telling someone that even though I've been in Japan for over four years, and I do consider it my home now, I still look at every day as a little adventure because technically, I'm still travelling.
That said, here are a few of the things that I expected this country would be (these responses are Tokyo-centric, since that's what I know):
- Crowded: Tokyo is, but I've gotten used to it, so it's not that big a deal;
- Polluted: I imagined Tokyo, being as huge as it is, would have much more air pollution, but for a city this size, the air is remarkable clean, because there's no heavy industry around here;
- A challenge to navigate: I was surprised by the amount of English (or romaji, really) signage everywhere, especially in the public transit systems;
- Very hot and humid in the summer: it is;
- Not very cold in the winter: it isn't;
- An expensive place to live: it can be, but then again, if you know where to shop, it's no more expensive than back home, except for the fruit. In some ways, it's cheaper, especially when it comes to eating out, since you can get set lunches for Y1,000 yen, the equivalent of which would cost $20 in Canada, with taxes and tip;
As for what surprised me the most, I think it was how easy life is here. Obviously, this is a first world country, but I thought the language barrier would be thicker, somehow, or that I'd run into all sorts of unforeseen difficulties. Another thing is that I didn't expect to like living here so much, and that I'd make so many wonderful friends. It's kind of ironic that it took a country that is seen as being closed off and inward-looking to make me come out of my shell a bit, but I'm very thankful for that!
Day 02 - Describe your neighbourhood in Japan.
Day 03 - Most interesting person you've met.
Day 04 - What's your favourite place that's not in any of the guidebooks/lists of places to visit?
Day 05 - Which, if any, Japanese mannerisms or expressions have you adopted?
Day 06 - Food that you swore you would never eat but now love (or tolerate).
Day 07 - Which Japanese words do you use in English? (hanami, shinkansen, etc.)
Day 08 - What thing(s) or product(s) from your home country do you refuse to do without in Japan?
Day 09 - Favourite stores/shopping centers.
Day 10 - Something about Japan that sets it apart from anywhere else.
Day 11 - What did you find most overrated and underrated about Japan?
Day 12 - Describe a fail!gaijin moment. (Where you did something wrong or completely misunderstood because you couldn't ~read the air~ or just plain had no idea what you were supposed to do because you weren't born and raised here) Describe a gaijin!smash moment (Where your foreignness was to your benefit)
Day 13 - How is daily life in Japan different from how it was back in your home country?
Day 14 - What is the hardest thing about living in Japan versus your home country?
Day 15 - Weirdest food item you've seen, and weirdest food item you've actually eaten.
Day 16 - How you realised you'd acclimated to Japan. (if you have)
Day 17 - Your karaoke top 5, your sushi top 5, your conbini top 5.
Day 18 - Post some amusing/cute/faily purikura.
Day 19 - Your favourite Japanese character(s) and Gachapon/UFO Catcher toys
Day 20 - Favourite Japanese festival or folklore.
Day 21 - Favourite and least favourite Japanese fashion trends.
Day 22 - Your favourite Japanese saying or kotowaza (proverb).
Day 23 - What is something you have/do in Japan that you wish you had/could do in your home country?
Day 24 - Your favourite Japanese slang or borrow-word (外来語), e.g. セフレ "sex friend"
Day 25 - Most interesting vending machine find.
Day 26 - What's your favourite/least favourite train line?
Day 27 - Place you avoid going to if at all possible.
Day 28 - A picture of you looking like a weaboo/A picture of you trying to blend in and failing.
Day 29 - What's the thing you [will] miss the most about Japan when you leave (either on vacation, or move away)?
Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?
Day 30 – One last moment
When I was in Vietnam with M-P in 2002, we stayed in the town of Hoi An for three or four days. One day, we were wandering through the relatively narrow streets (Hoi An is a small town, and one of the few places in the country that still has lots of old buildings left standing, since it wasn't bombed during the war), looking at the shops and the wares and the people. A man pedalling a kind of modified cyclo, with a cart attached to the back, was coming up the street. As he got closer, we could see that he sold dumplings, and there was a little tape deck in the corner of his cart, which blasting "Y.M.C.A." as loudly as its tinny old speakers would allow.
The song seemed so out of place that it took us a few seconds to place it. To me, that surreal moment perfectly encapsulated why I love to travel: to see things that aren't like they are back home, but at the same time, to have it confirmed that no matter where you go, people are just people. And they like "Y.M.C.A."
Day 02 - Your first love
Day 03 - Your parents
Day 04 - What you ate today
Day 05 - Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A moment
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What's in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – What you wore today
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favourite memory
Day 18 – Your favourite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – This month
Day 21 – Another moment
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – A first
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favourite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your aspirations
Day 30 – One last moment
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Date: 2010-12-01 07:14 am (UTC)I guess I'm not gonna do Nanowrimo this year... well... I have a few hours still...
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Date: 2010-12-17 12:53 am (UTC)