The Beat Goes On

So here I am, more than halfway into my time in Japan, and unsurprisingly, it’s flying by. It’s difficult to get a grip on things and time when I’m trying to complete a project while also enjoying the culture and going on mini reunions with old friends. That being said, I’ll try to stick by the old mantra “No Excuses, Play Like a Champion” with the little time I have left. Alright then, back to the shenanigans




Last time we left off, I was explaining my beginnings in the country and becoming acclimated to the culture and what not. All that pretty much rings true, the only difference is that I’ve had a weekend of fun in between. Over the weekend my coworker and I went out to grab some drinks at the local establishments, it turned out to be a lot of fun. Naturally Japanese people see us and immediately want to start practicing their English, which I found to be comforting since that has not changed in 5 years. Saturday was spent meandering through the city. My coworker and I were able to get to the Skytree, which was the world’s largest tower up until 2011 or so (defeated by Dubai I think). We got a really good opportunity to see the entirety of Tokyo and wow, it’s made up entirely of buildings. Skyscrapers, apartments, department stores, there is very little nature left. It reminds me of just how much Tokyo is similar to New York City. Sunday was spent going to Hakone, which is about 2 hours from Tokyo proper and much more rural compared to Tokyo. Our intention was to see Mt. Fuji; however, due to cloud coverage we were only able to see glimpses of it. Still, I was able to purchase Strawberry Kit-Kats in a Mt. Fuji shaped box, so not a total loss. Finally, we hit up a hot spring to relax after, and while interesting, is something I don’t think I need to go to again. Let’s just say there were significant cultural differences.



Since the weekend, we’ve been hard at work on the project. We only have about 1 week left working in Japan so our hope is to crush as much as possible before we head back. That being said, between now and next Friday morning I plan to do the following: Go to the Ninja Restaurant (Google it, it looks awesome), meet up with my amazing old speaking partner Ayuna, hit the Club, go to the Kit-Kat store, go to Kappa Sushi, go to Kamakura for sightseeing, go to the Suntory Hall for some classical music, meet up with the wonderful Yu Furukawa who visited Walpole a few years back, crush some okonomiyake, go to Tsukiji market, go to Harajuku, and possibly more. I know that seems like a lot, but I’m going to try my best.



One thing to leave you all with (and I apologize for the lack of pictures, I’ll do better next time), is that I have been constantly comparing this experience to my one in Osaka. Unfortunately, I’ve come to terms with the fact that it isn’t fair to compare the two (except when it comes to food, edge – Osaka by far). 5 years ago I was a college kid trying to figure it all out by learning and experiencing as much as possible. While I may still be trying to figure it all out, this trip is purely business. I know I’m able to take advantage of my time here to the best of my abilities, but I’m left to question how I will feel about Japan when I return home. As it stands now, I think it is quickly becoming another place where I conduct business. Yes, I do have the added benefit of language and past experiences in here, but the experience I loved so much as a student was made up of a different combination of factors. This time however, I have 3 weeks to complete a significant amount of work, and whatever experience I find on the side is an added bonus. The scary thing about realizing this is that now that I fully, truly understand it, I am quite content with the experience as well. It would have been immature to come here and expect an experience similar to that of five years ago; realizing that this is very different experience (but still good mind you, just different) is a part of growing up.



No matter what I may feel or contemplate, I do know one thing: I am lucky to have this opportunity, and I look forward to what lies ahead.

Looks like we made it

Well I am back folks, and the feeling is surreal. It’s difficult for me to put into words what it feels like at the moment, but I’ll get to that later.

Now then, onto what I’ve been up to. Let’s start with leaving the US on Friday. The flight was wicked long (13.5 hours woof), but good overall. Side note: be sure to watch Rush and In a World, both are excellent. The jet lag has not been that bad either, as I’ve been able to sleep through the night for the most part. Over the weekend my coworker and I traveled to the Sensoji temple in Asakusa, along with the Edo museum and the Tokyo tower. I had already seen the Tokyo tower once (as my most devoted readers might remember) but it was great to experience the sights in Asakusa, something I regretfully missed my first time around. Both the temple and the museum were very beautiful, and I found myself over the weekend appreciating just how lucky I am to have this opportunity.

​​​​​View of Tokyo

As for food, I delved into some steamed pork buns, a trip to Mister Donut, some ramen, yakiniku and some delicious CC Lemon since I’ve been here. It pains me to say it has been difficult to find CC Lemon, which is my favorite soft drink in Japan. After asking the Japanese Audit team here, they confirmed that the popularity of the beverage had waned in recent years, a crushing blow to me naturally. I guess it just shows that nothing is guaranteed, especially something as seemingly insignificant as a soft drink brand. As for the project, it seems like we’ll have some decent work ahead of us, but hopefully nothing too strenuous. Also, it’s been excellent to use my Japanese in public again. I think I am still rusty, but I’ve been surprised with how much I’ve been able to remember, and I definitely think I can still hold my own here.

​​​​Jay with beloved Ramen

As you might have read in my last entry, this had been a goal of mine since the blog went dormant, but now that I am here, I find myself at a loss in how to articulate my feelings (not to mention, I don’t really like sharing my feelings). I suppose the best way I could frame the experience is that there is something here that resonates with me. Although it seems absolutely ridiculous, there is something about Japan that gives me a feeling of home, a feeling of belonging at times. Maybe it’s because I love the food (ramen twice already, now where’s the okonomiyake), or maybe it’s the cheery and enthusiastic population, one that I feel I can connect with on a personal level. Maybe it’s that I find myself using this experience as an escape from the world back home where I am so tied down to things.  5 years ago I was leaving my life in America for the first time, and I was ready for a change. My time abroad provided that, a clean slate if you will. 5 years later I can feel that echo within me again, I needed this escape, this disconnect. I think that by being isolated as a person yet surrounded by a new world, I can grow in a different way that home does not provide. Whatever the case may be, there is something about being here that makes me stop and really savor the moment, and I believe that’s what matters most.

That’s all for now, looks like the weekend will consist of day trips and debauchery, I’ll try to circle back sooner for the next one!

The Return

Next Friday, February 14^th, marks my return to Japan in almost 5 years. It was May 27^th, 2009 when I flew back to America. Getting off the plane I knew one thing: I had to go back. While things have changed over the years, that goal remained the same. After years of hard work and dedication I have finally achieved what I set out to accomplish. This marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

So where I have I been the past five years? Glad you asked. I’ve travelled extensively both worldwide and domestically, including places such as Reykjavik, Seattle, Rome, Nashville, Mumbai, and many other places. Coincidentally enough, I only had a passing interest in travel prior to my term abroad, since then, I cannot get enough of it. As for my career, I completed my time at Tufts majoring in International Relations and Japanese, and after one summer of funemployment moved on to work as a Portfolio Accountant at State Street Corporation. I have held multiple roles within the bank, but now reside in Corporate Audit, which provided me with this incredible opportunity to go to Japan. I’ve enjoyed my time thus far at State Street, there have been ups and downs like at any other job, but the people I work with are great, and the work itself is exciting. I will be going with a coworker to audit a specific group within the bank. Now while Internal Audit may sound like the villain, I actually prefer to think of my work akin to Corporate Consulting. We analyze business and make educated recommendations based on what we evaluate. We’re really here to help our fellow employees. Unfortunately, the term “audit” still scares some of our clients, but it is what it is.

As for me personally, I still reside locally in Somerville, MA. Although it was not my intention to live so close to Tufts, when a good opportunity presents itself you have to take it. I also sing in an a cappella group that is pretty balling out of control, check us out at http://bostonality.weebly.com/.  At age 26, I am starting to think about where I want to be and what I want to do in the next few years, but truthfully, I have no idea what I want. This trip means a lot to me, I’ve wanted this for a long time and it feels good to get it, but at the same time, it leaves me wondering what lies ahead. What’s the next step, the next goal, the next event? I guess I’ll let time decide.

2013 vs. 2009, not too different I hope.

As for the future of this blog, I intend to update as frequently as possible during my three weeks in Japan; however, I can neither confirm nor deny that my antics will be anything like what they were in 2009. Granted, this has always been a pretty tame blog due to my low viewership and because I thought it would be a good way to keep in touch with a broad range of people, but I am no longer a college student. I am, and this pains me to say it, a maturing adult. Furthermore, I am representing my company and acting appropriately is obviously something that is pertinent on this trip. Don’t worry; I’m sure I’ll end up with some decent stories to come home with, but with the limited amount of time and my professionalism at hand, this will be a sort of reunion tour of sorts, with a few moments of ridiculousness in between. Ladies and Gentlemen, here we go.  

5 Years Later

Hey Japan, I'm coming BACK.

Goodbye Part 2

Well this is it. It has been tough to come to terms with writing this post, because after I finish typing and hit the publish button, it's over. The experience is gone. My study abroad tenure has ended, and another chapter closes, one that I wish could stay open for just one more day. All good things must come to an end though, so without further cliches, let's get down to it.

Basically, this post will just list some of the highlights of Japan, along with some of the things I could do without, so enjoy! Highlights first:

1. Karaoke (totally brought me back into the music world, I didn't realize how much I missed it)
2. Speaking/Thinking in Japanese (the challenge, the rush, the sense of achievement, incredible moments)
3. Japanese food (although I have had some pizza and other American goodies, I could really go for a bowl of ramen right now :-P)
4. Japanese people (I feel like I didn't go into enough detail on this subject on my blog, but these are really kind and fascinating people. Some have racist feelings towards foreigners, some don't, nonetheless they are very interesting. Needless to say I kept the whole female thing off the blog, but let's just say that Japanese girls and courtship in Japan is very, very interesting to say the least, but you'd have to talk to me in person for the details)
5. Purikura, hilarious and a lot of fun
6. Sightseeing (needless to say, I saw some amazing things in Japan, but you can go back to the other posts for more details)
7. Always having an extra seat next to me on the bus or train (hey, racism has its perks)
8. In such a stoic society such as Japan, I found this more of a return to form in terms of my identity. I really felt like I could be an individual, but at the same time, this experience was very humbling. I learned to find my place in the system, and that I would have to be a more forward person with the locals. Aside from asking for help on a survey or English homework, Japanese people do not approach the foreigners that often, so it was left to me to meet new people, which I think I did more of in my last two months.
9. Classes (interesting and pretty easy for the most part)
10. Public transportation is just flat out incredible in Japan, much love to the Shinkansen (bullet train) as well.
11. Devotion to the geekdom of arcades and nerdy stuff, I had a real nice coming out party for my inner nerd.
12. The 5 dollar coin, awesome
13. Melon Soda
14. C.C. Lemon
15. Creating the feeling of home in a place 10,000 miles away from where I was born
16. My wonderful speaking partner Ayuna
17. Keizu Denki...YASUI!



Ok, so those were some quick picks, and I'm sure you all don't understand some of them (nor should you), but hey, this blog is also a memory for me too haha. Anyway time for the lowlights:

1. Racism, as much as it didn't bother me it is still inexcusable.
2. Passive-agressivism, it gets semi-annoying (moreso when it happens to fly over my head, which is all too often).
3. The inability of a Japanese person to choose something to do (we always have to choose, burns me up).
4. People in my program were either solid or awful, kind of a tough distinction.
5. Green tea is still not my thing, and I'm still iffy on seaweed. If Japan has all this other amazing food, why don't they bring that over instead of green tea, yuck.
6. Last and certainly not least, prices. Japan was wicked expensive, it kicked my wallet's ass often.

That's about it for lowlights, nothing too serious thankfully.


In the end though, I cannot wait to go back to Japan. I loved my experience so much that I am now defining my career ambitions on companies that will allow me to work abroad in Japan, or at least ones that have strong ties to Japan to keep my Japanese training up. In a way, it changed my life. My commitment to Japanese language has been steadily increasing ever since I started it back in High School, and while I was losing my confidence due to the difficulty of the Tufts' program, I feel like it is back in full now. I am really looking forward to going back to Tufts to show my new skill set off. Until then, I guess I'll be studying all summer to not lose what I have learned.

I guess with that, I have reached the end of my blog. It is a weird feeling to say goodbye, but in a way, this chapter needs to end. My time has come and gone, and now I am left to prepare for the next significant chapter in my life. I don't intend to delete this blog though, so who knows if I will bring it back to life years down the road. Here's to hoping I do.

Sayonara

Goodbye Part 1

My apologies everyone, I meant to write a blog post sooner. That being said, this one is going to have to be short as well. Tomorrow I begin my journey back to the good old USA, my mouth already watering for a decent slice pizza :-).


Lots of mixed emotions going on. On one hand, having the week off and no finals due to swine flu really made me want to go home, I had finished everything I needed to do. I was growing antsy to get out of here with little to do. However, seeing my friends for the very last time (possibly ever?) can be really heartbreaking. We all go into this process, knowing that it must come to an end, and yet, people still get involved in each other's lives. Yet, I write these words still not feeling that ache in full. Maybe it hasn't hit me yet, or maybe I'm growing up, but I don't really feel the pain or shed the tears that others have. That's not to say I haven't loved the relationships I've formed here (losing my wonderful speaking partner really makes me upset), but at the end of the day, I've accepted this program for what it is, a brief escape into a new world. However, leaving that new world itself is a bit harder to do. I really fell for speaking in a totally different language, and while I will never give myself the credit of becoming fluent, I now have the confidence to speak Japanese in public without fear. I cannot wait to bring this revamped mentality back to Tufts next year. I also loved adapting to a new culture. It was difficult at first, but I think I've really blended in to Japan. My only regret remains that I did not come here sooner.



Anyway, I'd love to continue to wax philosphically with you all, but I need to get some rest for a long 18 hours of travel ahead of me. I will be adding some more pictures, giving you all some lists of my favorite things in Japan for my final post back in the USA (quick spoiler, Karaoke is an easy #1). As for a final recommendation, either go watch the show Dexter because it is amazing, or listen to this song "Lullabies" by All Time Low, it kind of gets my mentality right now, and is also my goodbye song (oops long sentence >_<)

Much love Japan

SWINE FLU....and Souvenirs

Swine flu has come to Japan in a nearby city, people are running in the streets, masks are everywhere, and oh yeah, my finals got canceled!!!! Minus the one I took today before the news spread, I am now donezo for the semester. With not a lot of time left, I am definitely going to make the most of it. Hot damn, May has been a hell of a month so far me.

Nothing else to report, I was doing a lot of work and studying and such last week, went to a friends birthday party on Friday and it was crazy. I'm going to miss this place so much!

Most importantly though, this is a quick call for souvenirs. If you want something specific, drop me a line and I'll do my best to find you what you'd like. Much love to you all back home.

Jay

PS Celtics did a decent job all things considered, Bruins broke my heart. GO SOX