Leaving Japan...for real this time :-(

Well...I'm out.  But my 6 and 1/2-week stay in Japan ended wonderfully!

On Friday I did final Nagoya touring.  I went to the Nagoya City Art Museum, which provided a relaxing way to hang out indoors on a very hot day.  I then just walked around the city, enjoying the day, until my 5pm train to Osaka.  

I arrived in Osaka around 6:30 and Asae's mom, Junko, was waiting for me as my train arrived.  We went to visit a friend of hers and then had an AMAZING sushi dinner!!  Masa (Asae's father) also joined us.  I tried taco yaki and the best sushi and sashimi I'd ever had!  I even ate a shrimp head...that was weird...but yummy.  Stuffed, we returned to their apartment for the night.

On Saturday we visited Asae's grandparents in "the country".  They live outside of Kyoto in a tiny mountain town.  The area was beautiful and the house was over 100 years old and very traditional.  We then went to an Onsen, a bathing hot spring.  This was something I definitely wanted to experience before leaving and this was a perfect time to go.  I have been VERY tired the past couple days and the onsen was relaxing.  Then we went to a 'famous' soba restaurant in Izushi.  We returned to the grandparents' where I napped on the floor.

Sunday was also extremely atsui (hot) so Masa and Junko took me on a riverboat tour of Osaka.  This was my ideal way to see the city, in AC.  We then had a late lunch in a civic building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (a popular influence during the Meiji era).  From there, it was off to a night in Tokyo.

Sunday night I arrived in Tokyo around 8pm and caught a taxi to the hotel.  I was only staying for 1 day so I ventured out for the night in the Akasaka

 and Roppongi areas.  There weren't many people on the streets, but the lights were pretty.  I even made my way to Tokyo Tower (looks like Eiffel tower).  I ca

lled it a night and knew I'd have a long day of walking ahead of me.

Monday I started around 9:30 and followed and 'Art Map' of Tokyo that Glen gave me.  I started at the National Art Center where they had exhibitions of European Still Life, Calligraphy, and my favorite, "Utopia: the Genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye".  The final exhibition was spectacular!  I then headed to the Suntory Art Museum, as well at the Mori Art Museum...both were closed, but I saw a spectacular view of the city from the top of Roppongi Towers and fixed my disappointment with an Issey Miyake scarf!!

After that purchase, I was broke, so I headed to the train station to return to Nagoya.

Last night was my final in Japan.  Luckily Dustin and Charlie were still in town so we had an exciting night of Hard Rock Cafe (yum!) and one last karaoke!  I retired for the night in my comfy Hilton room and repacked.  Now I guess I'm really leaving...in about 10 minutes.  Its going to be horrible trying to tote my luggage to the airport!  I must catch a taxi to the train station, then a train to the airport.  Wish me luck!  

In about 24 hours, I'll be in Hawaii!!

So its time to say 'goodbye' for the summer :(

NUSIP 2008 has officially ended...and we went out with a BANG! (literally)  After an Amazing Farewell Party hosted by the program, most of us went out in Sakae for a final time, and one last karaoke (and with Sensei!).  

I spent Thrusday shopping in Osu Kanon and practicing my Japanese in the real world.  I then headed out to Nagoya Dome with Eric and Kenny to find T-shirts with funny sayings (and poor English) on them...success.  I got back just in time to join Yuri, Seigi, Yusuke and most of the NUSIPers for pizza (a rare delacacy in Japan) and then celebrated with HANABI! (fireworks)  Goodbyes at the end of the night were very sad...but I hope that I will return to Japan (maybe even work here?) and I now know I have an amazing group of friends (and network) to return to.

Today I'm going to hit up the Nagoya Art Museum and the International Design Center.  I then will catch a train to Osaka, where I will meet Asae's mom.  I will spend Saturday and some of Sunday with her parents before making my way back to Tokyo (for a day).  I should be able to update 1 last time before heading back to the states.  Wish me happy travels!!

Final Plans

Hey hey...here I go!

So Monday and Tuesday this week was for work.  We had a final group presentation (60 min) on Monday...it went pretty well, but we're just glad its over.  There is still a 10 page (each) paper to write...so I guess I'll be doing this on the plane.

Tuesday we had our Japanese final.  This included memorizing a favorite event (from the trip) in Japanese and talking about it.  Also being able to ask and answer questions.  Finally, we had individual interviews with Hattori-sensei.  Mine was actually not too bad.  I had originally considered not taking the class since I've had so much stuff for grad school going on...but I'm so glad I did.  I wish I could have studied more so I could actually use what I've learned...but I'm at a pretty good comprehension level.  I will certainly keep up my studies when I get home! (Dad, mom...Rosetta Stone?).

Last night Eric, Charlie, Andrew and I went to shabu shabu for dinner with Hiro.  (Hiro is Japanese and lives in Nagoya and has been hanging out with the guys a lot).  We did All-You-Can-Eat (tabehodai) and they just kept bringing trays of meat that we cooked ourselves on the table...it was totemo oishii! (yum!)  We then went to an *arcade* (I dont' know what else to call it) and found photo booths!  The guys were so glad I was with them because its a "girls only" area, but with 1 girl, they are allowed in.  We definitely had fun putting our heads on different bodies and in funny positions...and then decorating the photos!  Hiro should be getting these in email, so I hope to post them!

I called it a night somewhat early so that I can enjoy our Farewell Party and Karaoke tonight!

So from here:

Wednesday: Final Presentations (remaining groups)

                       Farewell Party

                       KARAOKE!!

Thursday: Shopping in Nagoya (who wants a souvineir?)

Pizza Party and Hanabi (fireworks)

Friday: Moving Out (by 12 noon)

Final Sightseeing and Shopping

Shinkansen to Osaka

Saturday & Sunday: Enjoy Osaka with Asae's parents!!  (Domo!)

Shinkansen to Tokyo

Sunday Night & Monday: Follow Glen's "art guide" through Tokyo

Shinkansen back to Nagoya

Tuesday: Fly Out :-(

I've certainly got an exciting week ahead!

Last Weekend in Nagoya

Wow...the past week has really gotten me down...only because I'm not ready to leave this place...or these people!  The biggest difference from my other study abroad programs is how many international students I have met during this trip.  Not to be too much of a downer, but I know its very unlikely that I will get to see many of my new friends again after this trip.  This group has been amazing!  Fun, intelligent, and everyone is so nice and get along so well!  The reason for these thoughts are because I had another Amazing week/weekend!

Thursday's lecture was on recyclable materials for automotive.  I was so in to it!  I'm sure a lot of the reason for my excitement is because I've done some pretty heavy research into sustainable and recyclable textiles for automotive use.  Maybe I should take this interest further into my research?

All of our "free" time over the past week has been dedicated to our final projects for seminar class.  We really only have about 2 weeks to work on these group presentations and papers.  My group (Kai, Dustin, and Miki) is working very hard and have put forth a great effort.  I'm actually pretty excited about presenting although, because of the time limit, this will not quite be to the level of a professional research paper... but we're trying to make it as fun as possible. We will finish tonight and are the first group to present on Monday (which also means we are the first group finished!)

On Friday, we were invited to enjoy the Alumni Association Higashiyamakai, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Nagoya University in an "Evening Salon".  This event (including sandwiches and wine) unveiled the "Secret Story of the Development of the New Lexus".  Mr. Moritaka Yoshida, Chief Engineer of Toyota Motor Corporation shared  with us (through a simultaneous interpreter) and even gave us a chance to see his personal Lexus LS460.

Following the event, Seigi, Victor, Kai, Dustin, Yusuke, and I headed for the beach!  (I hear Japan is an island).  This was a fun and rare adventure for visitors.  Seigi and Yusuke rented a car, which seemed to be the only way to get to the tip of the Aichi Prefecture.  We stayed the night Friday and then needed to travel about another hour to reach the beach...and surf shop.  Victor (of course the California boy) tried his best to teach us how to surf.  That was something I've never tried before...and I think we tried the right spot.  The entire area was surfers...so when I tired out, I was the only one trying to soak up the rays.  I didn't manage actual surfing, but at least got a good feel for fighting with the waves while attached to a board and sitting on it while waiting (which is actually pretty difficult for a first time!).   We only had about 3 hours before we needed to head back (so we could return the car on time) but that was still plenty enough time to burn (oops).  Overall, it was an excellent trip!  That evening we walked around our area of Nagoya (which we now know is only blocks away from the red light...yikes!).

Today I finally headed to the zoo, which I have been trying to do since I got here!  It was fun and definitely an enjoyable way to spend the day...but it was HOT!  Even so, its always nice to walk around a new area.  The rest of the day I have been working on our project and our group will meet soon to combine our slides and make final adjustments.  Wish us luck!

Mitsubishi Tour

Ok...so I'm cheating with 2 posts in 1 day...but so much has happened!  

After returning from Kyoto Sunday night, I was completely exhausted...but my Textile Futures paper was due the next day and still needed major editing and a conclusion!  I worked on it through the night and skipped out on Japanese class Monday morning (which allowed 5 extra hours of writing!).  Nancy and I worked back and forth for the next 24 hours trying to get a professional-level research paper finalized for the June 30th (NC time) deadline....and we did it!  I am very happy with the final paper and glad its written!  Now the fun part will be preparing the presentation for the International Conference in mid-August.  (Although working on this will wait until I return at the end of July).

I did make it to seminar and then our group met to prepare ideas for the final presentation for our Automotive Seminar.  This is going to require a LOT of very quick work over the next 5 days before it is due!

Today was the real excitement!  We went on our last group tour to Mitsubishi.  We started in a conference room with a video on Mitsubishi's current research and the MiEV (their newest electric vehicle).  We then were given a chance to see the car, and poke and prod every detail as any engineer (or designer) would.  I sat down inside and closed the door, then a driver sat down and started the vehicle!  I had no idea we would get to do this!  He drove us down a short road and in a circle.  The car was nearly silent, very smooth, and accelerated with power!

Our group then hopped into a small tour bus to view the test track.  We crossed a bridge where we could see the banked curves and before we realized what was happening...the van was on the test track with other vehicles speeding by!!  If this wasn't strange enough, the driver accel and our van was taking the curves at a 45 degree vertical angle!!  After about 2 laps we thought we were back to reality but then toured the extreme condition testing facilities.  We got to enter a room testing vehicles at temperatures over 50*C.  We then entered the cold chamber at -20*C.  Our final destination was the radiation room.  This room was NOT running at the time, which is probably a good thing because I didn't really want to come back from Japan with a tail!

It was another very exciting day in what has been an incredible program!  A group of us ended the day with a merry-go-round sushi dinner and a full belly!

Return to Kyoto!

Wow...I don't know where to start with this incredible weekend!  On Friday, I left the comfort of Nagoya and my NUSIP group to visit a contact  in Kyoto, Glen Kaufman.  Glen-san was actually one of Nancy's professors.  He has been living in Kyoto and working as the Director of Japan Study Abroad for The University of Georgia.  He has been a tremendous help as I prepared to visit Kyoto and left me with lots of advice for other visits, including a map of some of the must-do's in Tokyo.After class on Friday I went straight to the train station to board my first shinkansen!  35 rapid minutes later, I was in Kyoto.  I knew that I was arriving earlier than Glen-san could leave the gallery, but waiting patiently to meet him...for 3 hours!  Oops...not having a cell phone is rough!  I was not positive what time we'd be able to meet, but around 9:00 I realized that we must have missed each other.  I was able to grab a taxi to the Ryokan I was staying at (Rakucho Ryokan).  When I arrived, a message from Glen-san was waiting...we certainly had just not been able to find each other...which is easy to do in one of the largest train stations in the world!  I spent the night on a futon in a tatami-filled room (very traditional).  There was a computer with Internet available so I was able to contact Glen as we decided on an 8:30 meeting time for the morning.  I woke up early and explored the area of the Ryokan.  What a great location!  I was right by the river where there were tons of people up early for morning walks, runs and fishing.  I grabbed a pastry from a local bakery and enjoyed the morning.  

Glen arrived and we navigated the bus system to a local Starbucks, where we met my first "guide".  Seiki Iwasaki was wonderful!  Seiki is a recent graduate of a Kyoto art school who specialized in painting (his portfolio was beautiful!)  We spent the early morning exploring Iwashimizu shrine  and then visited the Weaving god at Imamiya-jinja shrine (which is about 1000 years old...like everything else in Japan...OLD).  I hope that my visit to this shrine will bring good luck to my weaving career.  Seiki and I were certainly rushed trying to do many things in little time, but managed to grab a roasted sweet which can ONLY be found in this

 location (although I have forgotten the name) and was a delicious, buttery treat.  We then met Glen-san for fresh onigiri and headed to the Kawashima Textile School.  This was a real treat and my primary reason for returning to Kyoto.  I got to tour the facilities and saw some class projects in progress on the looms and in the studios.  Unfortunately it was a little dead on a weekend, but this was a great opportunity for me to see what kinda of work students are creating in Japan and Glen-san was very informative.  

The school was created by Kawashima Textile and hosts full-time students, one-day workshops, and everything in between.  The school is located right next to the Kawashima Facility.  Here I also got to view the showroom,

 which allowed me to get close and personal with very innovative fabric solutions.  I was so glad to familiarize myself with the company and realized that Kawashima is certain a company I need to research more for job potential!

After our tour, Glen parted so that he could prepare for his fiber art opening show at Gallery Gallery.  Seiki and I then went to Kurama-dera, a temple with beautiful big trees around 700 years old!  During these visits Seiki was a wonderful help in sharing Japanese culture and tradition (and he was very fun to spend the day with).  We tired quickly

 though and headed back to

 the Ryokan so that I could change for a nigh

t of Kyoto art and culture!  Saturday evening was by far the highlight of my trip!  We enjoyed a little shopping and coffee and then headed downtown amidst nightlife of locals, tourists, and artists!  We viewed several small galleries which were directly off the main streets, but would not be found without the help of a local.  I felt like First Friday and I felt at home!  We then made it to Glen's show just in time for the live dance performance.  

Glen's show was entitled: "Kaunakes: The Ghosts of Mesopotamia" and was an exciting fiber art installation of garments created from plastic bags and hung eerily in the gallery space.

  Imatenko performed live, dressed and painted completely in white, which composed beautifully with Glen's orangey-red hanging "garments".  After the reception we joined Glen's people, the Gallery Gallery founder, the director, Imatenko, and friends, for an unending Chinese dinner.  We filled the tiny restaurant with lively conversation, laughter, broken English and disconnected Japanese.  I couldn't imagine a more exciting end to such a cultural day!

Sunday was a little bit of a rougher start in the morning as we began our day again at 8:30 by dropping my luggage off at the train station and meeting my next "guide": Kazuaki Tsujii.  Kazu is a student at Doshisha University studying political policy, but just spent the semester in the UK....where he will be returning for the next year.  (I'm glad I caught him while in Japan!).  We started by visiting Nara, which involved almost an hour-long train ride and gave us plenty of time to talk and share cultural stories.  Nara was beautiful!  It was Japan's first permanent capital established in 710.  The area is filled with Buddhist temples...and deer!  These are the

 tame deer which you can feed and pet, although after a half day there, I was even wishing they'd just get out of the way (jk).  One of the main attractions we visited was the largest Buddha statue in Todaiji Temple.  Around the back there was a hole through one of the primary support beams that children were crawling through.  Kazu said that this represented Buddha's nostril (fun!).  We then met a friend from Doshisha for lunch and returned to Kyoto.

In Kyoto we walked through some of the shopping areas and then through the main market, where you could find all sorts of Japanese fish, meats, and treats.  We returned to the train station, which was its own tourist attraction, and viewed the Sky Walk.  Exhausted after a very long and exciting weekend, I departed from my second set of wonderful guides and new friends and returned to Nagoya.

After just 1 short weekend away, Nagoya felt like home and I was glad to be back.

Thanks to EVERYONE who made this the most exciting, and possibly best weekend yet in Japan!

Toyota and DENSO Factory Tours

Today we had another early start in order to visit the Toyota and DENSO factories.  We first went to Toyota and took a tour through the assembling lines of the plant.  This area was very catered to visitors with a tour guide as well as audio and video stations to explain the sections that were not visible from our path.  The exciting part of this tour was at the end you could "challenge the champions".  This was a series of skill tests that was timed against plant workers via video recording to see who could accomplish the simple tasks most quickly.  The champions could not be beat!

We then headed to the Toyota Exhibition hall where there was a showroom of the newest Lexus and Toyota models and exploratory stations.  We even caught a live performance of a trumpet playing robot and the i-Unit (the future of mobility).  Check out the videos!

After a very yummy lunch, we transfered to the DENSO Gallery where we enjoyed interactive exhibits showcasing the past, present, and future of innovative design through the company.  From there we toured the Takatana Factory and the assembling line for electronic dashboards...everything was prepared by robots!

Remember to check out my pictures...although these are only from the Toyota Exhibition Hall because cameras are not allowed on out top-secret plant tours!

I arrived back at the apartment around 6pm and have been focusing on the Textile Futures paper (and will continue to for most of the night).  Tomorrow is a normal class day: Japanese and then Seminar, and then I will test out the train system with a trip back to Kyoto to visit Glen Kaufman.  Mr. Kaufman is a contact of Nancy's who is going to show my the Kawashima Textile School and more of the many wonders of beautiful Kyoto!

Toyota Museum and Electricity Museum

On Sunday, after a tiny chance to sleep in from the long weekend, Victor and I decided to do some sightseeing since it was our ONLY free day until the program is over.  We headed to the Toyota Museum, which was awesome!  They did a wonderful job of showcasing the cars of the past in a beautiful facility.  

We then headed to the Sakae to see which museums we could enter before the 5:00 closing.  We were only able to make it into the Electricity Museum, which would be fun if you were under 10, and could read Japanese.  Instead we goofed off for a bit and then headed back outside in the very rainy weather.  We were able to walk around a park I had not seen before.  This is where the Nagoya Art Museum is located, and is very close to our apartments.  We were not able to go in, but maybe one day...if we RUN from class.  

It was a very long and exciting weekend, and I am very exhausted!  I spent Sunday night working on my Textile Futures paper (for CoT at home) and will try to finish up my first draft tonight.  We were assigned our final project (with a group) and still have papers after every lecture and studying Japanese.  Busy doesn't begin to describe my schedule...but its all worth it!

Factory and Laboratory Visit Tour in Kanto Area

From Thursday through Saturday our group left Nagoya for a very exciting adventure!  With a very early morning start by bus, we first landed at Koito Manufacturing Co. (Shizuoka Factory).  Here we received a brief introduction into the world of advance LED headlamps and a short factory tour.  I had never really looked at a headlamp beyond the exterior shape, but what goes on inside is amazing and Koito is at the top of the industry producing for Toyota and the top-of-the-line Lexus models as well as LED lighting for the aircraft industry.  

Our group then headed to Yamaha Motors!  Here we walked through the factory where it was very

 interesting to watch the bikes transform through each stage of the assembly line.  The entrance of the factory hosted a beautiful showroom of Yamaha's products and history.  While motorcycles are 60% of their products, they also produce marine and snow vehicles, and other power products.  I don't know what it is about being in a factory like this one that just

 gets my blood pumping... but it is this feeling that is leading my career desires.

After a very long day and probably a little too much time on the bus, we ended in Yokohama for the night.  Here we feasted on an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet.  This was a great chance to try the amazing Japan Chinese food I'd been hearing about.  We then spent the night walking around the city and caught a beautiful view of the harbor and city.

Friday was also and early start with our next stop at the Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI).  The purpose of this institute is to engage in general research on automobiles.  It started as a public-service corporation of a test-research organization intended to contribute to healthy development of the automotive society.  JARI's current research fields are related to environment, fuel cell, electric vehicle, intelligent transport system, active safety, crash safety, and economic analysis.  Here we toured the facilities and heard about the excellent internship program they offer.

From JARI we headed to Honda Automotive R&D.  At Honda, they REALLY went out of their way to cater to our group.  We were first given an introduction into their "Indoor Omni-directional Car-to-Car Crash Test Facility".  This facility allowed for crash testing from all angles and directions in a highly efficient building design.  Our group was even allowed to view the facilities!  But!...even better!  They arranged for a live crash test just for our group!!  We were able to view the crash from the birds-eye control tower centered over the impact site...man it was intense!  After the crash we were even allowed to go onto the floor to review the damage.  I cannot believe they gave us this opportunity and feel much more knowledge about about the results. 

Friday night we headed to Tokyo!  We stayed in Asakusa next to the Sensoji temple.  Unfortunately we arrived just after closing time and missed the souvenir shops surrounding the promenade (known as Nakamise).  We then divided into smaller groups in order to explore the city.  There was not much time since the subways close around 11pm, but our group managed to eat a delicious Indian dinner and see the lights of Shinjuko!

Saturday was a very long and winding day on the bus.  We spent the day sightseeing at Hakone (at the foot of Mt. Fugi) where there were natural hot springs and we enjoyed an egg boiled in the hot spring water.  This area was the result of the eruption of Mt. Kamiyama about 3000 years ago!  We then stopped for lunch at Ashinko where we had a beautiful, yet eerie view of Lake Ashi.  This area was known for its view of Mt. Fugi, but on a very foggy day, I don't know that any of us realize the mountain was out there.

Due to time and weather we did not make it to our last destination, but it was nice to get back earlier than planned.  We were EXHAUSTED!  The trip was amazing and we did so much....but we also spent entirely too much time cramped on a bus and had lots of sleep to catch up on.  Looking back at the trip, I realize the best part was getting to know our Nagoya University

 classmates...really for the first time.  They live across town from us (around the University) and we really haven't gotten a chance to talk to those that are not our tutors.  They are all a wonderful group of students and I hope we get to spend more time together before the trip is over.

Company Visit at Guilford Mills (Japan)

It has been a VERY busy week of classes and outside of class work.  While in Japan, I am still trying to keep up with some of my grad school responsibilities.  This includes working on a research paper and presentation for the Textile Futures International Conference when I return in August.  It was an honor to have my abstract selected (my topic is the seat design for The Splinter all wooden supercar concept...see the Link to the right), but now it has been time to really get through the writing process since the paper is due June 30.  So this is where much of my "free time" has been going this week.  Tonight I made significant progress and feel like I'll be able to make the deadline.  

On Monday, Yuri and Seigi took a group of us to Nagoya Station so I could figure out my Railpass.  It doesn't seem too difficult, but I certainly couldn't have figure it out without their help!  We then went to dinner where we had a private room on the top floor since our group was so large, and the to Tokyo Hands.  This is a store in Nagoya Station that takes up about 5 floors with every thing imaginable...lots of cheap, fun, and useless knick-knacks!  

On Tuesday, I finally got to meet up with Kerry at her work!  (Trying to meet her Friday was a disaster since our seminar ran over by 30 minutes!)  Her office is very cute, clean, and large for only 3 people.  Kerry told me the good, bad, and ugly (mostly good!) about her job as an automotive textile designer.  I got to see several of her trendboards which she presented to Honda (her main account) and also got to ask her many questions about process.  She also showed me NedGraphics which seems to be the primary CAD system used in most automotive design companies.  I met Kerry's co-workers, including Takada-san, the VP of Sales and Marketing for Guilford Mills.  He was very nice and showed me Nancy's business card from working with Guilford before her teaching days.

 

I'm surprise I got this post in tonight...its been a late night of more paper writing...but now its time to pack for a weekend in Tokyo!!

Home Stay (HIPPO) in Tokai City

I have to admit, I have been a little nervous about my weekend Home Stay since the day I signed up...but I am SO GLAD I participated!  My host family was Mizuyo (the mom), Yuri (10, girl), and Mistuki (6, girl) Sato.  Masaaki (dad) works in China...so it was just a weekend with the girls!  They were all so cute and sweet!  I met them at the University with the rest of the group.  A friend of Mizuyo's came with her and helped with translation... which was wonderful, but also had me very concerned because we were going to have a very difficult time understanding each other over the weekend.  Once at their house, Mizuyo opened up a bit more, and it turns out her English is much better than she thinks.  Unfortunately, my Japanese is still not good enough to form sentences.  The girls did not understand any English and were very shy at first.  We made it through the weekend with lots of charades!

When I arrived at their house, a traditional (yet modern) Japanese house in Tokai City, they welcomed me with a piano concert.  Mizuyo was AMAZING! and the girls were also very talented (far more than I will ever be on the piano).  The girls then taught me some origami, and I was actually able to teach them a few as well.  They also presented me with a giftbox full of oragami necklace, bracelets, and shapes.  We also played outside in a park just around the corner.  

For dinner, we had a homemade meal of tempura pork, rice, edamame (my favorite), a lettuce, cabbage, tomato, and broccoli salad (the tomato and lettuce was directly from the garden), a seaweed dish, and of course tea. It was wonderful!  We then went to the HIPPO family meeting at the Community Center.  HIPPO is a language project that has over 700 families in Japan participate through Home Stay abroad, hosting students, and fun language study.  They aim to learn multiple languages through singing and dancing.  This is done by hearing the same songs and speeches in every language as often as possible.  It is not expected that you know what is being said, you are just to repeat the sounds.

Eventually you will be able to distinguish between languages by the pattern and rhythm, and after an even longer amount of time, you will learn the meanings of the words.  They describe this method as being similar to how a baby learns to speak and understand.  It was incredible, fun, and inspirational!

That night, Mizuyo and I stayed up for a little wine and ika (cuttlefish... which I LOVED!) and practiced speaking with each other.  This was a very good chance to learn about each others culture.  We were up by 6:30 on Sunday (well...they were all up around 5:30, so 6:30 am was me sleeping in)...and did I mention the sun comes up at 4:30 here?  Anyways, we started the morning with more oragami and a yummy egg and pork breakfast.  I also had what I thought was cheese and bean toast...and it, was, but they later expressed their surprise that I ate "nato".  This is fermented and caramelized soy beans, which is apparently a food foreigners and many Japanese do not like because of the smell and texture... I didn't even noticed and enjoyed!  We then went for a walk and bike ride through the neighborhood, which had several playgrounds and the kindergarten (directly behing the Sato house).  Yuri was even riding around on a unicycle... she was quite good!

Next, we went to Ureshii-mura Park (Happy Village).  This was were the community center is located.  The park is huge with a large pond, swimming pool, tons of playground

equipment and a shrine to Daibutsu (a giant Buddah).  Here we joined a family from HIPPO, played for a bit, and enjoyed a traditional Japanese Tea House.

We ended the stay with more food: cooking pork and cabbage yakisoba on a tabletop grill.  The girls and I then went to the park one last time to play basketball and catch.  They wore me out...but it was a wonderful weekend!  Mizuyo invited me back the next time I am in Japan, and this is definitely an invitation I will accept!

Busy, Awesome, Week..Including Kyoto!

So much happens in so little time in Japan!

This week we have really jumped into classes.  Japanese is tough!  I don't think its necessarily that hard of a language to learn...we just have so much going on.  We have had a few experiences trying to get used to speaking the language, which will definitely be the best way to learn.  

Since I last wrote, we have had 2 more Automotive Seminars: "Observation and Evaluation of Driver's Behavior" and "Car Materials and its Processing".  The first was very interesting to me because I love trying to understand what it is the driver wants.  In order to better understand this, the University developed a van with thousands of sensors that quantify driver's reactions, physical and emotional.  I would certainly benefit from doing more research into these

 reactions to better understand the driver in order to design the ideal automotive interior environment.  The second seminar consisted of some relatively unfamiliar processes for me relating to steel composites and forging techniques.  We slightly touched on carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), which I chose for the topic of my paper so that I can better research the effects the textile world is having on material choices.  I have created a link to the right of this blog where I am posting these seminar write-ups.

On Tuesday, I went back to Nagoya Castle (with a group) in order to go inside.  I have to say the grounds and moat outside are much more impressive.  I had not realized that the entire Castle had been rebuilt.  The inside was very modern and touristy with museums on every level.  The view from the tower was wonderful, but I think I will stick to enjoying the outside of most buildings and the landscape.

Wednesday began with Japanese and Seminar, and ended with a fun night with Kerry.  We went to a "hole in the wall" spot towards her in of town (which is closer to the University) where we met up with one of her friends.  He was with a large group of Americans (and 1 New Zealander).  They were all teachers here in Nagoya and have been living here for a number of years.  All were very nice and certainly made for an exciting night.  The ride and walk home was another highlight of the week.  Erin, one of the teachers I'd met, lives in the same area and we rode the subway and then walked back together.  During the walk home we ran into some of her friends. They were all from Nagoya and were playing African-inspired musics in the streets at night.  Even when most of the city had died-down for the night, there is still so much culture!

Today we traveled to Kyoto!  This was a beautiful trip and so much fun!  We started at Kiyaomizu Dera in the Higashiyama area.  This was certainly a tourist spots with tons of cute shops along the way to temples hidden in the mountain.  There were monuments throughout this site believed to bring you good luck.  One site was between two small rocks and it is believed that if you could walk between these rocks with your eyes closed you will have good luck in love.  There was also a waterfall with 3 spouts to drink from.  One brought you luck in love, one in intelligence, and one was for long life.  (I took a huge sip of the intelligence water!)

Next we went to Kinkaku-ji in the foot of Kingasa-Yama.  This was the site of a temple (constructed in 1397) which was part of a new residence for the retired shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.  Kinkakuji was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimitsu's death in 1408.  The entire temple is covered in golden leaf.  

To finish the trip, we visited the Kyoto sweets shop of Yatsuhashi.  Yatsuhashi is a Japanese confectionary (a type of rice-based cookie dough) served in every flavor imaginable!  We got to sample all we could take and brought back many souvenirs from the store.  

It has been a wonderful week and we have very excited Friday (I get to visit Kerry's Guilford office) and weekend (Homestay is this weekend!).

Nagoya Port

Man oh man have we been busy!  Today we got a bit of a later start.  Around 1:00 a group of us headed out to Nagoya Port.  We got really lucky because the weather was beautiful!  We didn't really know what to expect, but heard there was a lot to do there.

First we headed towards "Villaggio Italia.  This is an area that consists of shopping and restaurants reminiscent of Venice, complete with waterways, gondola rides and liver performances.  The only problem is that the this area was closed because of what we understand was a lack of business.  It had only been open since 2005.  This started a somewhat erie mood as we continued through a newly deserted and poor-conditioned playground.  The area was beautiful and fascinating...but where had everyone gone?

We then managed to buy tickets to the observatory, maritime museum, and a tour through the Fugi icebreaker (used to explore the Antarctic Ocean in the 1960s-80s).  From the top of the observatory, we found people.  There was a large crowd at the Aquarium.  We were unfortunately too late to purchase tickets that day...but hope to come back.

We ended the day with pizzas at Cat's Garden.  We mainly wanted to try this place out for the name, and the cute quotes on the walls like: "Please tea with cat".  We split 3 pizzas: teriyaki chicken, captain's choice, and tomato, cheese and basil.  They were all very yummy and very different from anything in the states.  This place definitely seemed to be more of a desert stop than a meal restaurant, so I joined the trend and enjoyed a sweet potato with ice cream desert!

We had lots of fun and took lots of pictures!  Please enjoy...but now there is work to be done!

Midland, Nagoya Station, and Sakae

Today Seiji offered to lead a group of us to some key spots in Nagoya.  We first went to Midland Square, an area of Nagoya with the main building reaching 53 stories at 247 meters.  There are 6 floors underground (like many things in Japan) that house high-brand stores and restaurants.  We glanced inside but I'd really like to go back to the Observation Deck...the highest in Nagoya.

We then went inside Nagoya Station (the largest in the world).  This was definitely the most crowded and fast-paced area I've seen since I've been here.  There were stores and restaurants everywhere.  Looking for a price-conscious lunch, our group ended up at McDonald's where I had a shrimp burger.  It was very tasty!  

We then walked to an area near our apartments known as Sakae.  This is Nagoya's downtown district.  I walked through the area on the way to the castle, but just a block from where I was, and what we saw today, were all the very high-end stores.  One block had 2 huge Louis Vuittons on different corners, Coach, Tiffany & Co., and many other stores I cannot afford.  But its nice to look.  We also caught some live music...Japanese rap.  

Believe or not, the boys went shopping and I had to head back.  My feet are very soar from 4 intense days of walking and I was tired from a late night of Karaoke!

And the best part of the day!...I got to meet up with Kerry Pumphrey!!  Kerry is a NCSU Textiles graduate working with Guilford Mills (a North Carolina-based performance textiles manufacturer).  They sent her to Nagoya early in the year and she has been living here working in an office of 3 total employees and serving as the only Designer.  It was WONDERFUL to talk to her about Japan, and I drilled her about the work that she is doing with Guilford.  Kerry is so informative and its so good to hear her first-hand experience in the industry.  I hope to spend more time with her before she leaves on June 20th, and even visit her office.   I think the best part may have been spending some time with familiar face, Phi Psi brother, and a female!  (Sorry boys, but its nice to get a girls perspective every once in a while)

Meiji-Mura

Today our group went on an excursion to Meiji-Mura, just outside of Nagoya.  We joined a group of international students from NUPACE.  They have been here for several months already, studying at NU.  There are even 2 students in the group from NC State!

Meiji-Mura is a site constructed to display architecture from the Meiji era (1867-1912).  This was a time that Japanese architecture experienced a strong western influence when the Tokugawa government gave up power.  It was during the Meiji era that Japan sought to transform itself into a unified modern nation and become an international power.   The site consists of over 60 reconstructed buildings.  Among these is the well-known Tokyo Imperial Hotel built by the American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

This trip was a wonderful chance to become closer with our classmates as well as meet the NUPACE students.   We began with a guided tour and were then given 4 hours a free time for lunch and exploration.  At the end, my group tasted traditional Japanese ice cream.  Mine was sakura flavored- cherry!

When we ended the trip we were dropped off at the Toyoda (Toyota) building on NU campus.  This was the main location for the Nagoya University Festival which is taking place this weekend to celebrate 49 years since the school's opening.  All student groups had booths selling food and there were bands playing throughout the day.  This event is celebrated throughout the weekend and we hope to go back tomorrow.

A Little Self-Exploration

Today we only had 1 Japanese lesson (9:30-12:00).  It is the only day we are done at noon, so I decided to take advantage.  I hurried back to the apartment to grab some lunch, stared at a map for a while, and decided to head towards Nagoya Castle.  I didn't know how far it was, or if I'd make it in 1 day...but it was driving me nuts to not know my environment.  Our area of Nagoya is actually really easy to navigate.  There is a Central Park that is a half block wide and runs from highway to the next.  As long as I stay between the 4 overpassing highways...getting lost is virtually impossible.  At the beginning of my journey, I came across a bus station with an interesting architecture.  I started to walk pass it, but when I looked closer, I realized that the clear rough had a pool of water on top...more than what rain alone could do.  As I got closer and looked down into the opening, I was an entire mall underneath.  I was actually able to walk to the roof where there was a fountain pool.  Known as Oasis 21, this area gave a great view of the city.  

I continued walking to the side of the park and saw lots of fancy stores and hotels.  The sprinkle that had started when I left the apartment was getting heavier...but I pushed on.  It is rainy season so I can't just sit around waiting for the sun to come out.  I didn't watch the time, but quite a bit later I reached another overpass, which meant the Castle was somewhere nearby. I started to follow a couple school children and decided that anywhere they can go, I can go too.  I came to a gate that had some English writing on it.  For less than $5, I could enter the Castle grounds.  I made it this far, so why not.  I spent a considerable amount of time walking the grounds, which were BEAUTIFUL!  There were so many different types of plants and stone walkways.  The entire area was surrounded by a moat that was still a moat!  I finally found the Castle (AMAZING!) but decided to save going inside for another day.  

The very successful trip ended with what I decided is a 2 mile walk back to the apartment in what became a serious downpour.  By time I reached the last block back, my umbrella had soaked all the way through and was dripping on me.  Its all part of the experience.  I was certainly not alone soaking wet and walking the streets and it actually wasn't completely unpleasant, especially since the temperature was in the mid 70s.

I've added links for pictures...enjoy!  I'm going to retire kinda early again tonight.  Tomorrow is a long day a Meiji-mura...I'm Pumped!

First Day of Class and First Nagoya Adventure

On Wednesday, a group of us decided to head to class at 9:30 to allow plenty of time to reach our 10:30 class...turns out 9:30 is the latest we should ever leave.  The commute is long, but easy...the subway is only about 3 blocks from our apartment and the exit is 2 blocks from the classroom.  We start the day with Japanese.  Only 5 of us are in the beginner's class (this was definitely a surprise to me).  Our teacher seems very nice, but is a bit difficult to understand, which I guess will help us adjust to the accent better.  We jumped into the lesson with a basic greeting and syntax.

The lesson ended at 12:00 and we have until 1:30 for lunch.  The first cafeteria we headed for, the "best" one, had a line that may have taken the whole break to get through.  We ended up at another and didn't have too much trouble getting through 

even though it was a confusing experience.  There were many tempura, rice, and soup options.  It was all pretty delicious...and affordable...none of us spent more than $6.  

After lunch, we had our first Seminar: The Car Industry, Market Trend, Circumstance, and its Future.  Our presenter, Shinichi Kurihara, is a Senior Executive Officer for Mitsubishi!  This lecture was awesome!...right up my alley!  I hope to use quite a bit of the demographic and trend information we received in my graduate research.  Although fascinating, 3 hours is a long time to sit in a classroom taking notes, and makes for an exhausting day.

After class, I came back to the apartment and focused on Japanese for a few hours.  I don't think it helped.  ; )  A group of us then headed for the grocery store.  On our way, we came

across a 4-story bowling alley, karaoke bar, billards and video game room.  We'll definitely have to take advantage of this place!  The grocery store was in a mall, so we walked the mall and grabbed some food before grocery shopping.

The shopping experience was pretty smooth.  Food is expensive, but we did the best we could.  I stocked up on yogurt, kiwi, and bananas (all are kinda hard to come across).  We also found a lot of discounted food since it was after 7pm.  I think the issue with shopping is that I don't know how to cook Japanese food.  I have a full kitchen in my apartment...so I think I'm just going to have to learn.  We then headed back, groceries in hand and very tired.

Orientation

The day started well...I was in the right place at the right time and met all other International students participating in the program this summer.  There are 6 from University of Michigan, 3 others from NCSU, 1 from Kentucky and 1 from UCLA.  Out of the 12 of us, I am the only female (no big surprise).  We began with an Orientation about our apartments, what is what, how to recycle and dispose of trash (very crucial), who to contact, etc.

We then traveled by subway with Reiko Furuya, our main NUSIP contact, to Nagoya University.  There we met the other professors and faculty assisting with the summer program, the Associate Dean, and the Nagoya University Students.  There are 8 Students currently studying at NU who are participating (and I'm glad to say that two are female).  Many of these students are also from outside of Japan.  Our group ranges from Juniors to Graduate Students seeking Masters and PHDs.  

Following Orientation, we were invited to a Welcome Party!  This was a wonderful opportunity to chat with other members of the program and the faculty while enjoying an INCREDIBLE traditional Japanese buffet!  We were served several types of sushi and cooked fish, pork, soups and fruit bowls. Throughout the meal they continued to bring more new dishes.  All were delicious!

We then were given the opportunity to walk off some of this meal. We broke into groups and the NU students gave us a tour around campus. The campus is very large (20,000 students) and a busy place.  At one point we commented on the greenery.  I suggested "we only have greenery areas similar to this at Zoos in the states". Seiji told us that the Nagoya Zoo was actually right next to campus (1 point for Jenna).  I will definitely visit the Zoo although he told us that in Japan it is more for children.

The weather is muggy, the rain is off and on, but has only been light.  It got very warm during the middle of the day and we were all sweaty zombies by the end of a long first day.  We returned to our apartments around 5.  I've taken some time to organize my files and will retire early for the evening.  Although we're visiting during rainy season, this is still going to be an Amazing trip...they have so much planned for us...and all the students seem cool and kind! 

The Journey

Looks like I made it!  25 hours of travel time later.  

I left RDU at 9:40 to head to ORD.  With only a 1.5 hour lay-over...things had to go smooth...and they did!  From ORD (Chicago) I had a 13+ hour flight across the US, Canada, and the Pacific Ocean to reach NRT in Tokyo.  During this flight, I watched Jumper, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Vantage Point, and Fools Gold because I couldn't get a wink of sleep.  This was also a smooth transition with a 3 hour lay-over.  I had a solid, deep sleep for 1 hour in Tokyo.  This flight was slightly delayed because of weather, but since it was the last leg, it wasn't too big of a deal.  I slept through this entire 2 hour flight, from lift off to touch down.  Apparently there was a LOT of turbulence and they couldn't even serve the meal they were supposed to.  Didn't bother me.

I arrived in Nagoya with a very smooth baggage claim and customs experience. 

 At the airport, I was greated by two Nagoya University students and a NU professor participating in NUSIP: Ms. Yuri Sakaki, Mr. Seiji Saga, and Professor Mizutani.  Also there was Victor Liu Chen.  Victor is an UCLA student who just finished his Masters in Electrical Engineering. 

We were taken to our rooms and dropped off for the night.  Victor and I are in 

a different building than the rest of the students because we are in single rooms...but they are all just around the block.  After Victor and I dropped off our luggage we headed to a 24H convenience store to grab some breakfast for the morning.  It was a small store with everything prac

tical you could need from fresh cut fruit to mens dress shirts in tiny packages.  

I showered, made myself at home in my BEAUTIFUL room

 and tried to get some sleep.