The Word

On Saturday I was in Asakusa with Katharina, Rei, Akari, Ayaka and Anna (friends from school, Katharina is the other exchange student). We wandered around. Ate too much good food. Took alot of purikura (photos that makes you look like a doll). And just had a very nice time hangig out.

Asakusa

Ayaka and Rei

Anna, Akari, Katharina, Me, Rei and Ayaka. Love.

Yummy!:

Sunday was kinda boring. I stayed home since it was raining so heavily. Was also tsunami warning, maybe that's why it's been raining so much? So, I've survived earthquakes, tyfons and a tsunami during my stay here. I feel like wonder woman.

(We don't have to mention the facts that both earthquakes and tyfons are VERY normal here, it's even an own tyfon season. And, ehm, I don't even live by the coast, so I guess I would be wonder woman if I in some freaky way had managed to get myself killed during this "tsunami")

Today is 1 March. School. A very normal day. Except that I have holiday from handball. And I had to read some Japanese loud in class today, try to say this word fast, it's hard(!): Shyosaiyuisyuchohen. Ha.

Twist And Shout

Ok, Phoenix last night. As Perez Hilton (yes, I do read his blog, and I'm not ashamed to admit it) would say: AMAZEBALLS! Wow, this is like, my second concert or something(?) ever. Only other concert I can remember is, uhm, Norwegian Idol Tour 2005. Or something like that. What I clearly remembered is that it sucked :)

So Phoenix was a BIG improvement! We also had a great place to stand since Joakim was working with the light, we got to stand next to him. Best. Place. Ever. No screaming people pushing you, and you could se the stage really clearly.

Phoenix is one of those bands who play music that makes me happy. More than once have they saved me from going suicidal on the train at 7AM in the morning after 5 hours of sleep everyday the last week. And they were so great live! Wow, thank you SO much for taking me there Pia and Joakim. I owe you alot. (Oh, and if you in some wonderful way manage to read this Joakim: you did a great job, two thumbs up!)

Look, Joakim is working:

After giving the croud six extra numbers, why not invite them up on stage?

Come Together

I was at a Phoenix concert today with Pia and Joakim from Norway, amazing. I'll write about it tomorrow, now I don't have the time. It's late, and I have school tomorrow. Yay for waking up 6. Not.

I have to confess something. On Tuesday, before I met Pia and Joakim, I sinned. I went shopping at Zara AND H&M, I barely know if I can forgive myself. I'm in Japan and I'm shopping in European stores, it shouldn't be legal. Oh well, I'm probably going to hell anyways :)

As I tried to say, I met Pia and Joakim on Tuesday in Shibuya (LOVE that place). They're here because Joakim is working with the light at concerts, and now he's here with Phoenix, think he's going to Australia tomorrow or something. That's one awsome job!

Well, I met them and we went to find a place to eat. My hostmom had told me about one place that was supposed to be really good, but I couldn't find it. So we went to a place I've been before, a place that looks exactly the same as it did 60 years ago, where the menu is in all Japanese, and those who work there only speak Japanese. My Japanese skills got tested the hard way. We did manage to order some food in the end, and I thought it was good. I even took some photos for you guys. You're welcome.





















Shibuya, love love

From Me To You

A long time ago, Ida asked me if I could post some photos of my hostfam's house. And here you go, a bit late, but at least I'm posting them :)

My bedroom


Hostdad's bedroom, and where my hostmom has her English lessons


Toilet


Bathroom


Entrance door


Hall


Eigo's fishes


Eigo and Nene's bedroom


Livingroom


Dining table


Kitchen

Eight Days A Week

Ha, I survived Valentines Day. I'm proud. I even had enough gifts for all the people. Even prouder.



Now I'm just really enjoying the week-end, after a week with too little sleep (I'm so glad you're allowed to sleep during class here, if not I don't know how I would survive math).



Pia, a woman that works with my dad, is coming to Tokyo on saturday (yay! :D), and we'll go to a Phoenix concert next Thursday. She's got her boyfriend with her, so doubt I'll see her much though.

Anything else happening? I have to think. Well, on Monday HUG-club tried to hook me up with a guy I've spoken to once before. Tuesday I was pushing car-wheels across the handball field. Wednesday I skipped training because I was so tired. Thursday I went to the movies and saw "Valentines Day" with Carina and Amanda (not a great movie, but I didn't have to pay, so I'm happy). Yesterday, handball was so funny, since Junpei and Sekariyo decided to make a new rule (it lasted for about five minutes though): Ellinor is only allowed to speak Japanese, and they can only speak English. I laughed so hard! Comments like "you wanna dance?", "hey baby, come here," , "I looked (he ment see) angels!" and "Norweeeeeeeegian!!!" made my day.

Today I went with Katharina to Tokyo. We were supposed to explore Shibuya, but ended up in Yoyogi because we wanted to find a special store. We got kinda lost and walked until we got to Shinjuku, then we realized we wouldn't find the shop, turned around and walked to Shubuya... My feet are now hurting, but it was a lot of fun. Walking from Shunjuku, through Yoyogi and Harajuku to Shibuya is interesting, I'm deffinately doing that again.

Act Naturally

Happy Chinese New Year! Figured it out about five minutes ago when my hostparents suddenly remembered it. My hostdad's from Okinawa (island south in Japan), and they follow and celebrate the Chinese new year. We're now in a Tiger year. Grrr.

Enough about not important stuff (like anything on this blogg's important). Nene's (hostsis) bithday is on Tuesday, she's turing 7, so we celebrated today. Went to a resturant and ate pizza for lunch. I got her a teddybear as present (kalled Rilakkuma, kinda famous over here). While we were waiting for the food, Nene and I had fun with me taking photos of her. And her it is, the result of "Photoshoot with a soon seven year old girl who can't sit still a second". Enjoy.










Hmm, I just watched a advertisement on TV for YKK, a japanese sipper company. Interesting.




Hope cigarettes... Enough said

Think For Yourself

The sun's not yellow, it's chicken

Love Me Do

Valentines day is kinda a big deal in Japan. It's for us girls to give chocolate to our girlfriends, and to boyfriend (if you have one). Which means that I have a LOT of chocolate to buy before monday. Since I'm the blonde foreigner, half of the girls in school will give to me, and I'll have to give back... Not really looking forward to that. It's a nice thing to do and all that, and I like giving away stuff, but still, and don't want to use all my money on chocolate. Ah well, always look at the bright side of life: I'll get chocolate back! (Boys give chocolate to eachother on white day, March 14)



Anything else happening? Nah. Today we used two classes to watch the Michael Jackson movie "This is it!", I liked it. And I also listened to The Beatles with Kenya (a boy I know). It was nice. Skipped handball to be guest at tea-cermony club(and they gave me candy). Chill day. I'm happy, but miss my friends.


I hate valentines day

A Day In The Life

Good news:
I can stay with my hostfamily the rest of the year. Happyface. And (yes, there is more!) we have a new handball goalkeeper, Kaido! Now we're only missing two fieldplayers.



Bad news:
When I first started at school, I figured it was a pretty pond there with carps (fishies). I named most of them after my favourite norwegian people. Now all of them have died of the cold, except Minh.

Dig It

Inger Anna (glad i deg) gave me a tip about this article, and figured I should post it so you all could read it. From stylenoir.co.uk

To put it quite frankly, Japan is insane. To the western world it's as mad as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, as monstrous as Godzilla yet still way ahead of Britain, America and any other cultured nation.

Insanity or normality is the question, take laws for example. It's classed horrifically rude to use your mobile in public, god forbid on the train. If you try and cross a road not at a pedestrian crossing and a Policeman sees you there's a damn sure chance you'll get fined, if not arrested.

Yet, at the same time the girls in Harajuku dress up in full blown Nazi uniforms, paint swastikas on their arms and state "I don't think Jewish people would like it". Vending machines are full of used and dirty knickers for the public to buy and the list goes on.

Seriously, does that sound like a normal balance to you? We definitely had to investigate not only on the culture, but on the fashions and costume play that would put Lady Gaga not only to shame, but would make her look like a simple shelf-stacker.

So come next week both our editors, James Mills and Alison James will be setting out with a few others to bring you the insanity and the ridiculously amazing direct from Tokyo itself. When it comes to Nazi loving goth girls, sweet lolitas and vending machines full of dirty knickers, Japan has it all. . . stay tuned.

Boys

Today Shuri(boy in Katharinas class) had taken Katharinas chair and was speaking to a friend. When he saw her coming he instantly stood up, placed her chair by her desk, and bowed to her. No, I'm not kidding, he BOWED. Seriously, he's so shy, and so incredible cute! It's very normal for Japanese people to bow for people they don't know, and people who're older than you, but not your classmates. Most people don't bother naming us with the additonal -san enymore either (maybe because I asked them not to). Still cute though.

Lovely, lovely japanese boys. Seriously, they're so charming! I mean, they don't have to be drunk to give you a compliment, they acctually notice when you've cut your hair, and they don't mind telling you that you look good (if you do). Since I'm a scary (blonde) foreigner, they're very shy, because they want to speak English to us, but they don't want to show how bad their English accutally is. They really want to impress us you see. And they are gentlemen, not kidding! They always open the door for you, and insist on you walking in defore them. Love them. Norwegian boys, you've got a lot to learn.

Japanese men on the other hand... They're scary and look like pedofiles. They way they stare at you, it's creepy. Most of they are nice though. It's just that all of them seem to have this school-girl-in-uniform fetish.


Not my photo