Normal blogging

As you well know, I have left Japan. I will probably be returning to this page at various points to wax nostalgic and post a few more Top Ten lists, but it won't be regularly updated. I've returned to my normal blogging lifestyle (sporadic, more reflective) over at Wicked Words, so join me there if you're not merely a Japanophile or looking for photos of manga babes.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Just returned from Beijing this afternoon and I'm still reeling from how wonderful of a trip it was. I was expecting an exciting time to be sure, but I guess I'm just surprised at how great everything turned out. Still need to upload photos and share tons of stories, but that will have to wait for later.

Tomorrow is my last full day in Tokyo before I return for Boston and I'm a bit heartbroken over it and all-in-all angsty about the next few turns that my life will take. But it will not be the end, as I will continue to post my thoughts and stories about Japan in this space for at least a little while longer, particularly since I've decided to continue to pursue my study of Japanese this summer.

Done with second year!

Finished up my last exam yesterday, and so I'm two-thirds done with law school! Unfortunately, that means that I have only a few days left to explore Tokyo. I'm headed to Beijing on Monday and staying through Saturday and then leaving for home the Monday after that. While walking around Shibuya the other day, I was definitely a bit crestfallen to be leaving this incredibly exciting city, but it will also be nice to be able to drive through empty spaces again and return to beautiful New England.

But I will be happy to leave the traditional law school studies behind for a summer, along with the ambitious, and yes, manipulative, law school types that go along with it. For now, I will revel in the glow of freedom and the ability to read the books I please, to write a bit, and to learn whatever I like.

Greek food ... in Japan?

My grandma has a Irish soda bread frozen for me when I get back so that we can celebrate St. Patrick's Day and a pizzagaina (a very, very healthy Italian quiche), so I'm looking forward to that, but I didn't have to wait to go home to have my Greek Easter, or Πάσχα (Pascha). The Orthodox Πάσχα is celebrated at a different time from the other Christian sects because it follows the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian one, in order to ensure that Easter falls after Passover, which is when Jesus celebrated Holy Week.

So, yes, indeed, I celebrated Πάσχα in grand style today, at a dinner with Jeremy, Jeremy's brother Jon and two of Jon's friends. I was skeptical at first, but the food was really good! We went to a place called Spyro's in Harajuku and ordered tons of Greek food, including pastichio (a lasagna-type dish with ziti, ground lamb, and cream and tomato sauces), moussaka (eggplant with beef and tomato sauce), souvlaki (grilled lamb skewers), tzatsiki (garlicky yogurt) sauce, saganaki (grilled Cypriot cheese) and of course, lots and lots of feta and olives! Topped off with γιαούρτι και μέλι (yogurt and thick Greek honey). Delish! It actually rivaled a lot of the Greek restaurants I have been to in the U.S.

But the kicker was the bottle of ouzo that I found. Check out the name of the bottler! Nice! Apparently my heretofore unknown cousin Issidoros is a "persistent perfectionist" who bottles only ouzo with a "strong and fragrant spirit." Of course, all we Arvanitises share the same attributes along with a healthy share of procrastinating when it comes time for finals.

I have loved just about everything I have encountered of Japanese culture, from tatami mats to Shinto shrines, but it's nice to have days like these to remind me where I come from and the Irish, Italian and Greek traditions that my family incorporates into everyday American life.

Incidentally, My favorite part of going to Easter Mass as a child was when the priest read the Paschal greetings in different languages. I guess it's fitting that I'm so interested in international affairs even today! Χριστός ανέστη! Αληθώς ανέστη!

April Fools Day earthquake

I thought about posting a fake entry as a joke for April Fools, but never got around to it. Instead I called up my grandparents and told them that there had been an earthquake in Osaka and that we had got the aftershocks and that some of the rooms at TUJ were pretty wrecked up and classes got cancelled. Grandma told me to come home right away! It was an elaborate joke that worked very well - she was surprised (and relieved) when I told her April Fools! (Don't worry, my grandma is a tough lady, so it wasn't too mean!)

In reality, earthquakes are a concern in Japan. The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake killed 140,000 people in Tokyo and its environs and destroyed 570,000 homes and even more businesses. More recently in 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe killed over 6,000 people and destroyed more than 100,000 homes. As a result, there is an emphasis on emergency preparedness and infrastructure is now built to withstand smaller earthquakes. Above, you can check out this sign we saw in Kawasaki (about 20 minutes south of Tokyo) this weekend.

My humble Tokyo abode

Just because my family seems to be convinced that I'm living in a cardboard box in the seediest parts of Shinjuku, I now present the pictures of my apartment. You'll have to take my word that I have a bathroom with toilet and shower, because I really don't feel like posting that here. To the left is the view from my balcony, where we see some tiny trees (including a tiny palm tree) and the face of a monstrous apartment building. The people in Tokyo are fairly well packed-in and the neighborhood where I live, Takanawa, is pretty desirable because it's near a major train station and close to some of the richy parts of Tokyo.

Here's one half of the studio, complete with bookshelves, a desky thing that basically serves as a de facto bookshelf, and my dining table, which serves as a desk/workspace. You can see that today is a special occasion and I have decided to make my bed up.

Here's the other half, with a better view of the table, couch, TV and balcony. Huzzah!

And finally, the kitchen, complete with double convection oven and all the accoutrements that would make my father, Billerica's answer to Emeril LaGasse, extremely proud. Actually, as you can see, there is a toaster oven, microwave, mid-sized fridge, stovetop, sink, countertop and shelf. It came with a pan, mugs, a pot which I have yet to use, and a brand new spatula!

Well, I hope you have enjoyed your tour of Kristina's apartment. Please watch for crows on your way out, and no, no, you're too kind, but tipping is not customary in Japan. In fact, why don't you take some of the piles of useless 1-yen and 5-yen coins I have waiting right next to the door... There you go! Have a great day!