Seven women walk into a bar. Three are Japanese, Two are American, One is Philippino, and One is Chinese. One woman stumbles home drunk on the shoulders of her friends.
And I have the proud honor of not only being the person who ordered the drunken woman's drinks, but also had to carry her home. Learning experience.
Some good things to know about the friend you are going drinking with BEFORE you let them order a drink:
1) Have they recently had any alcoholic beverages?
2) If so, what did they drink and how much?
3) Do they have work the next day?
4) Is it a job that is survivable with a hangover?
5) What have they eaten recently and when?
For the somewhat idiotic reason that I didn't want to feel like I was interrogating my friend, I did not ask the above questions until it was too late.
Before we left for the bar, another friend had already given her a full glass of wine and 3/4 of a glass of tequila. She had a sandwich and chips along with some other party snacks at the Halloween party we were coming from. The next day she had to work at 10am teaching English to 2 and 4 year olds.
I know the strengths of a lot of the alcohol here, so when she told me I should order for her I made some conservative choices. She started with a cup of sake and water, had a Lime Sour about 20 minutes later, did a shot of tequila (ordered by another friend), and finished the night by chugging down nearly a full glass of Umeshu (Plum Wine). I did not order the Plum Wine...but it is most definitely what knocked her over the edge.
So I did my friendly duties and slung her arm over my shoulder for the walk to the subway and the trip home. I have a feeling it is much easier to do when the other person can at least stand up on their own...but I guess I won't find that out until another friend gets really drunk. The best thing that we accomplished was being home by midnight, where we learned of her commitments for the day.
Drunks are fun to be around...when they are buzzed. But when you get slapped twice while you are carrying them back to your own place so they can pass out, you lose sight of all of the fun you were having earlier in the night.
....
That being said, I had a blast while we were at the izakaya. It was a new location and they had amazing rooms, prices, food, and - of course - drinks. With 7 people, we ended up spending ¥13,300 ($146ish); divided 7 ways, we spent about $20 a piece for nearly 4 hours of food, drinks, and fun.
I improved my Japanese speaking skills, learned some Japanese drinking songs from the large group of Japanese men next door (we could hear them through the holes in a dragon carving in the adjoining wall), and learned some more things about some of the friends I have made since coming to Japan.
There will most definitely be another trip to that particular izakaya, probably with several more people than we had during this past trip, and I will be sure to check that if anyone gets really wasted, they will be okay to sleep it off the next day. Hopefully there will be more people to help carry them home and put them to bed.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Art of Socializing
The Japanese nightlife includes the following:
Amusement and Pachinko (gambling and arcade gaming)
Izakaya (japanese drinking establishments)
Karaoke
All Night Sports Centers
Dance Clubs
In the past month of my stay here in Nagoya, I have experienced all of the above except for Pachinko and Dance Clubs. I have to say that the Japanese really do know how to have fun at a cheap price. Karaoke and Sports Centers are the cheapest, while Izakaya and Amusement depend on how much you want to drink/eat or how many games you want to play.
I have been out to Karaoke on two occasions; the latest happening on Friday night for a friend's birthday. For ¥1,100 ($13ish) per person, you get 3 hours of nonstop karaoke and unlimited free drinks, alcoholic and otherwise. Pretty good price for what you get. There are American, Korean, Japanese and Chinese songs. All non-Japanese songs have Japanese katakana above the words so that anyone who knows Japanese can still sing along. Mostly, I stick to the American songs...because I haven't heard many Japanese songs. One of my friends does an amazing "Anarchy in the UK", while another friend loves to imitate and make fun of Creed. It's a lot of fun.
The Sports Centers are non-stop fun! For ¥1,500 you can do anything you like all night until 9am. They have batting cages, archery, mini-golf, golf driving ranges, basketball courts, arcade games that don't require extra money, a catch-and-release fishing pond, billiards tables, roller skating rink, bowling alley, mechanical bull, bb gun shooting range, tennis and soccer games, ball pits, and tons more. I think I hit over 300 pitches in the batting cages, rode the bull twice, kicked ass at the gun range, was beaten to a pulp during a doubles billiards game, and killed a whole lotta zombies in the arcade. I will definitely have to go back there again sometime.
As for Izakaya, I have only been out to one on a single occasion. It is about a 10 minute walk from here and the old lady who runs it is one of the nicest people I have met in Japan. We cleaned her out of all forms of meat, finished off her potatoes, and I seriously think she had to put in another order for sake and Asahi Beer. She is an amazing cook and earnest hostess. When I decide to go out drinking again, I will probably go back there, even if it is ¥450 a beer.
Okay, quick information on currency when you are in/traveling to Japan.
1) Do NOT use traveler's checks - few banks will cash them, others will deposit them but you need a stamp of your name in kanji to set up an account
2) Cash is King - few places take Debit or Credit cards, the only places that I know of are chain stores where everything is pretty expensive anyhow, and I have only used my card at an ATM to withdraw more funds
3) Use your coins! - money less than $10 (¥1000) is all in coin form, and many places where you can exchange currency from ¥ to $ will NOT exchange the coins and you could end up with quite a bit of your money in ¥1 pieces that are never used
Amusement and Pachinko (gambling and arcade gaming)
Izakaya (japanese drinking establishments)
Karaoke
All Night Sports Centers
Dance Clubs
In the past month of my stay here in Nagoya, I have experienced all of the above except for Pachinko and Dance Clubs. I have to say that the Japanese really do know how to have fun at a cheap price. Karaoke and Sports Centers are the cheapest, while Izakaya and Amusement depend on how much you want to drink/eat or how many games you want to play.
I have been out to Karaoke on two occasions; the latest happening on Friday night for a friend's birthday. For ¥1,100 ($13ish) per person, you get 3 hours of nonstop karaoke and unlimited free drinks, alcoholic and otherwise. Pretty good price for what you get. There are American, Korean, Japanese and Chinese songs. All non-Japanese songs have Japanese katakana above the words so that anyone who knows Japanese can still sing along. Mostly, I stick to the American songs...because I haven't heard many Japanese songs. One of my friends does an amazing "Anarchy in the UK", while another friend loves to imitate and make fun of Creed. It's a lot of fun.
The Sports Centers are non-stop fun! For ¥1,500 you can do anything you like all night until 9am. They have batting cages, archery, mini-golf, golf driving ranges, basketball courts, arcade games that don't require extra money, a catch-and-release fishing pond, billiards tables, roller skating rink, bowling alley, mechanical bull, bb gun shooting range, tennis and soccer games, ball pits, and tons more. I think I hit over 300 pitches in the batting cages, rode the bull twice, kicked ass at the gun range, was beaten to a pulp during a doubles billiards game, and killed a whole lotta zombies in the arcade. I will definitely have to go back there again sometime.
As for Izakaya, I have only been out to one on a single occasion. It is about a 10 minute walk from here and the old lady who runs it is one of the nicest people I have met in Japan. We cleaned her out of all forms of meat, finished off her potatoes, and I seriously think she had to put in another order for sake and Asahi Beer. She is an amazing cook and earnest hostess. When I decide to go out drinking again, I will probably go back there, even if it is ¥450 a beer.
Okay, quick information on currency when you are in/traveling to Japan.
1) Do NOT use traveler's checks - few banks will cash them, others will deposit them but you need a stamp of your name in kanji to set up an account
2) Cash is King - few places take Debit or Credit cards, the only places that I know of are chain stores where everything is pretty expensive anyhow, and I have only used my card at an ATM to withdraw more funds
3) Use your coins! - money less than $10 (¥1000) is all in coin form, and many places where you can exchange currency from ¥ to $ will NOT exchange the coins and you could end up with quite a bit of your money in ¥1 pieces that are never used
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
It Was Terrible
The typhoon was so terrible that I slept right through it this morning. When I woke up after noon, it was one of the nicest days that we have seen around here.
Now for the real terrible. Yesterday, my karate teacher decided to flip me onto the ground a few times for good measure. Good thing I brought my wrist brace, bad thing is that it's for the wrong wrist! No major injury, but when you have your wrist twisted back at an extreme angle that forces you to flip onto the ground...it tends to hurt for a bit, along with your pride. At least I was able to learn how to do the same thing to other people.
After class my sensei came over and personally introduced himself and asked for my name (it's not like we do self introductions, mostly we are just nameless students). He said I was doing very well, so I guess I got some pride back. But it looks like my Thursdays are going to be filled with sore muscles for the rest of the semester. It feels good to be back into some kind of sport.
Classes are going fine. I have my first major test on Tuesday, so a lot of this weekend will be spent studying. Oh boy!
Now for the real terrible. Yesterday, my karate teacher decided to flip me onto the ground a few times for good measure. Good thing I brought my wrist brace, bad thing is that it's for the wrong wrist! No major injury, but when you have your wrist twisted back at an extreme angle that forces you to flip onto the ground...it tends to hurt for a bit, along with your pride. At least I was able to learn how to do the same thing to other people.
After class my sensei came over and personally introduced himself and asked for my name (it's not like we do self introductions, mostly we are just nameless students). He said I was doing very well, so I guess I got some pride back. But it looks like my Thursdays are going to be filled with sore muscles for the rest of the semester. It feels good to be back into some kind of sport.
Classes are going fine. I have my first major test on Tuesday, so a lot of this weekend will be spent studying. Oh boy!
TYPHOON!!! No classes!
Tomorrow a typhoon will hit Nagoya. It looks like it is coming up out of the southwest and will hit land near Osaka before heading over to us. Even if it doesn't we have strong winds and constant hard rain that have been here the past 24 hours. Classes are suspended (I think they have used these terms because they will be made up at a later date) for Thursday. There is no word on if this will continue through Friday.
No major emergency procedure has been activated, so I am under the impression that we are safe from anything extensive when the typhoon hits the city.
No major emergency procedure has been activated, so I am under the impression that we are safe from anything extensive when the typhoon hits the city.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Classes & Making Friends
As mentioned in my last post, I have started to take karate. On top of that class, I am also taking Japanese Society and Seminar in Japanese Culture and Art. Each of these three classes meets once every week, so I thankfully get a full week to complete my homework.
My Japanese language class, on the other hand, meets seven times Monday-Friday; one of these sessions is on Kanji, the rest all focus on Grammar and Speaking. So we always have homework and it is always due the following day. I'm not really a fan of Monday or Thursday. I mentioned my problems with Monday being the large gap between my class periods, but I don't like Thursday for an entirely different reason; on Thursdays I usually have three times the usual homework. At least I am learning it quickly, but it keeps me so busy that I haven't really managed to go out and make friends with Japanese students.
In fact, I am still at the staring phase with the Japanese students here. They see a pale blonde and seem to have no control over their impulse to stare at me. I have yet to be approached, either due to the shy nature of the Japanese or the fact that I have an uncanny ability to intimidate without meaning to. It is also a trend that those who study foreign languages in Japan are usually pretty good at reading and writing, but very poor at speaking (such is the case with a lot of Japanese students who are learning English). Maybe they think I am in a similar situation. Which is true...my communication skills suck! Hahaha. I just don't seem to have the vocabulary necessary to carry a casual conversation. My classes are helping with that, though.
I was able to meet up with a friend of mine this past week. Kengo is a student here at Nagoya Gakuin, and he spent two months at Coe College two years ago to study English. He was shy at first and we didn't really get to know each other until his last two or three weeks. My friend Kat and I were sitting at a table in a lounge area doing homework when Kengo walked by. I'm assuming he spotted the blonde hair and heard me talking. All I heard was, "Amy?" and I looked up to see a much more professional-looking Kengo.
(It seems the last year or two of college, many of the NGU students lose their long, funky hair and start dressing nicer as they begin their job hunting. Yes, it happens the same in America, but not to the same degree; most Japanese students have a very wild sense of fashion and even crazier hair colors and styles. This is mostly because fashion and hair are the only ways they can really act out or even be individuals in such a strict environment. At least, these are all things that I have learned in my Asian Studies and Japanese classes in the past.)
So this weekend I hope to get together with Kengo and improve my Japanese skills; maybe he could also introduce me to his friends later. I will also help him with his English - which has improved quite a bit in the past two years - so that he has a greater chance at passing the English Communications exam so that he can be a pilot. We have plans to go drinking, but we might grab some sushi first. I have no idea how much I will actually drink, but I guess we'll find out. (By the way, 20 is legal drinking age)
My Japanese language class, on the other hand, meets seven times Monday-Friday; one of these sessions is on Kanji, the rest all focus on Grammar and Speaking. So we always have homework and it is always due the following day. I'm not really a fan of Monday or Thursday. I mentioned my problems with Monday being the large gap between my class periods, but I don't like Thursday for an entirely different reason; on Thursdays I usually have three times the usual homework. At least I am learning it quickly, but it keeps me so busy that I haven't really managed to go out and make friends with Japanese students.
In fact, I am still at the staring phase with the Japanese students here. They see a pale blonde and seem to have no control over their impulse to stare at me. I have yet to be approached, either due to the shy nature of the Japanese or the fact that I have an uncanny ability to intimidate without meaning to. It is also a trend that those who study foreign languages in Japan are usually pretty good at reading and writing, but very poor at speaking (such is the case with a lot of Japanese students who are learning English). Maybe they think I am in a similar situation. Which is true...my communication skills suck! Hahaha. I just don't seem to have the vocabulary necessary to carry a casual conversation. My classes are helping with that, though.
I was able to meet up with a friend of mine this past week. Kengo is a student here at Nagoya Gakuin, and he spent two months at Coe College two years ago to study English. He was shy at first and we didn't really get to know each other until his last two or three weeks. My friend Kat and I were sitting at a table in a lounge area doing homework when Kengo walked by. I'm assuming he spotted the blonde hair and heard me talking. All I heard was, "Amy?" and I looked up to see a much more professional-looking Kengo.
(It seems the last year or two of college, many of the NGU students lose their long, funky hair and start dressing nicer as they begin their job hunting. Yes, it happens the same in America, but not to the same degree; most Japanese students have a very wild sense of fashion and even crazier hair colors and styles. This is mostly because fashion and hair are the only ways they can really act out or even be individuals in such a strict environment. At least, these are all things that I have learned in my Asian Studies and Japanese classes in the past.)
So this weekend I hope to get together with Kengo and improve my Japanese skills; maybe he could also introduce me to his friends later. I will also help him with his English - which has improved quite a bit in the past two years - so that he has a greater chance at passing the English Communications exam so that he can be a pilot. We have plans to go drinking, but we might grab some sushi first. I have no idea how much I will actually drink, but I guess we'll find out. (By the way, 20 is legal drinking age)
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