~LAST ENTRY~

Four days later and nearly time zone adjusted, I have finally had some time to reflect on this trip. What events stuck out? Which people will be remembered or for that matter, which people have I already received emails from? Are they friends yet? How can I measure the impact Japan had on me? What will I do now that I am back in the States? All these questions will not be answered in this blog, but I assure you that these questions have been bouncing away in my head and I’m sure, in everybody else’s head.

Being somewhat OCD and anal retentive, I was close to being unpacked the night we returned. Naturally, being a 21st century geek, my computer was promptly set up. Not six hours after landing in the U.S., I had received an email from a newly acquired friend, Jing. She is of Chinese decent but studies at Rikkyo (taught in Japanese) and was vital to our survival in the Metro maze. Not only was she useful, she was kind, patient, and generous. Even though her English was not perfect, many of us worked together to find common ground, which proved to be one of the most beneficial experiences of my trip. On our last night in Tokyo, since Jing was stuck working at a restaurant, she invited us along for a bite to eat and to say goodbye! She is an excellent waitress and somehow managed to be more inexpensive than the other servers ;). I’d call that friendship!

As we boarded the bus that was to take us from our luxurious hotel to the overly systematic airport, I noticed that about half the group wanted to stay while the other half was content with heading home. One student even stayed and met his fiancé in Tokyo to enjoy another week of traveling in Japan! Lucky.... hope you had fun Javier! I dunno, as exhausted as I was, I would have stayed longer for almost anything. Homesickness and foodsickness aside, we were only in Japan for 11 days. That’s not long at all, people. I just wanted to rent a tiny apartment, learn the language and a few customs, and live among the Japanese. At least for another day or so... ya know? Ah well....

Before we left, I studied very little regarding the language, but about two days into the trip, while in Kyoto, I realized that not only would it help me to learn some phrases, it would make for a better impression of Americans. From thereon, my desire to learn only became more intense, fueled by the same forces, but with stronger convictions. The thought of me staying in someone else’s home, and not caring enough to assimilate to their most fundamental form of communication, started to make me angry. Just ask my friends folks, usually I am all about being an individual and acting on one’s true instincts, but what I am trying to describe falls under a different category, maybe ignorance or courtesy, either way will do. To make my point I will describe a conversation I had with a Japanese friend. We were discussing how most Japanese people are taught English, even if it’s just the basics. Even though I know already knew this, something stuck out. It was the tone that carried his words so casually, like “duh Paul, everyone should know English so that’s why we do.” Now, as somewhat of a “liberal,” or whatever you want to call it, I could not help but think why the hell do we, as part of the English speaking community, get such treatment. So I asked, “I understand why you want to learn English, but don’t you ever think that it’s a bit unfair. Economics aside, why doesn’t the world learn Japanese? Wouldn’t that be flattering?” He simply said, “yeah, that would be cool.” So, long-story-short, I am currently seeking the best route to learn Japanese. For the last few years, I’ve had the desire to become bilingual, mainly because it impresses me so much when someone else is. Now, I have found a language that I seem to enjoy and can be applied to my career. The Asian communities, especially the Japanese (and now the Chinese), are close economical allies to America. I want to be apart of that connection. Sure it’ll be hard, but it is of my opinion, that so many members of my generation are lazy, pampered, and unmotivated. I’m no exception, it’s just that now, after this brief trip halfway around the world, I have the motivation to change my ways. Look out world, or whatever, Duquesne is making a NET IMPACT (inside joke, kind of)!

Tokyo Tower

Okay I lied. Here's one more small post with some cool pictures. Yesterday, a few of us went to the Tokyo Tower, which is that thing that kind of looks like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Fun fact, this one's taller, 333 meters in total to be exact! Anyway, it took a while to get there, but we met a few cool people on the way who helped us find our way through the subway system maze. Fun times. Like I said, here are the pics. I just wish it was a sunny day and not so hazy, because we may have had a better chance at seeing Mt. Fuji!

Later folks.

SO LITTLE TIME

I was going to try to post something right now, but there is so much I still want to do in such a short amount of time and so I have decided to forego my blog writing responsibilities until I return to the States. Once I'm home and somewhat collected, I plan on writing a fairly lengthy summary and recap of the entire trip, including much more on Tokyo. So for now, and the next 2 days, Sayoonara!

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Kon’ban’wa (kon-bon-wa), or for all of you 13 hours behind us, ohayoo gozaimasu (o-hi-o go-zi-mus)! O-gen’ki deska (o-gen-ki-desk-a). I just asked you, “How are you?” From what I understand, the Japanese language does not use question marks, but the ending “ka” typically signifies that a question was just asked. So for this example, you might respond, “hai, gen’ki desu (hi, gen-ki-des-ka),” which means, “Yes, I am fine,” unless of course you are not, in which case I have no idea. I guess people generally say that they are in a good mood here, which makes sense because the Japanese rarely use the word no. To help with your pronunciation, remember that each syllable is pronounced. So, Hajimemashite, which means “how do you do (more polite)” contains 6 syllables that are all pronounced, kind of. Ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it.

So, I have been thinking about what to write about for this entry and the truth is, I really don’t know, hence the language lesson in the beginning. Also, the last few days have been extremely exhausting, so needless to say, my creative skills are not at their best. In addition to drinking more than I ever thought I could, getting very little sleep, and attending long classes early in the morning, I am finding that it is very tiresome trying to communicate with people here. Please, understand that I am thrilled to talk with students and strangers in Japan, especially at Rikkyo University, but that it is simply mentally strenuous and can therefore lead to the occasional shutdown of one’s cognitive functions. For example, today I mistook a tiled-ledge in front of me for a smooth wall, meaning that I was so out of it for a second that I had not realized my eyes were crossed. Shortly after that, I looked a blank piece of paper and saw a distinctive blue ray of light only to realize that I my eyes were playing tricks on me. I hate to admit it, being that I am in the city that truly never sleeps, but I resorted to taking a 45-minute nap this evening. It certainly helped, because now, I am only seeing curved walls and light orange hues when glance quickly at the computer screen... clearly, I’m cured.

Yesterday, I think Tuesday, we spent the afternoon taking a consumer-oriented tour of Panasonic, which is officially known as Matsushita, and then had the unique opportunity of being presented to by an executive of engineering resource planning and allocation, whose name is Hoshi son, regarding Panasonic’s distinctive strategic business practices. Even for a non-business person, I honestly think it would have served as a rewarding experience. Hearing how the Japanese think compared to westerners is just so... well, cool, I guess. To say the least, it is usually very different and can be stimulating if that kind of stuff interests you. However, what was more exciting was the 45-minute tour we took of some of Panasonic’s latest technological developments. In addition to cameras, 1000-inch televisions, and the wall-sized Lifestyle TV (cannot recall the official name), which does everything from creating indoor landscapes, educating children, having multimedia functions, and anything else you can possibly imagine, we took a tour of one of their EU Homes. This spacious model home, was easily the coolest thing I’ve ever witnessed and Im sure that most of the group would fully agree. I will leave it to a professional, more knowledgeable writer to explain it in detail, so PLEASE, read this brief article at http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/1035. All I will say is that it essentially creates its own power, has a sound proof home theater that puts the IMAX to shame in some respects, and has absolutely no corners or edges that are not rounded smooth for safety purposes. This is all accomplished while still maintaining a sense of comfort and tradition. Honestly, I could go one for hours, so just read the article, book a flight to Tokyo, and then apply for a tour of the EU House. Incredible! For those of you who are aware of the ecological/sustainable group that some of us MBA students are active in, Net Impact members were stunned and finally saw an example of what we believe in. Word.

Back to learning the language and immersing myself in the culture, the trip to Matsushita also served as a great atmosphere for such activities. To assist us in our travels and translation, which is barely necessary because so many people in Tokyo speak English fairly well, a group of highly competent and cool Chinese peers accompanied us to Matsushita. Throughout the day, I spoke with a somewhat shy Chinese female, who did not speak English all too well, but could certainly hold her own, in addition to being fluent in 2-3 other languages. She taught me how to pronounce so many words and gave me insight on the Tokyo lifestyle, all while I would try and do the same for her with regards to English and North America. Now maybe she’ll have a Rochester, NY accent, like I do... HA! Seriously though, these three students are incredible individuals, who in a matter of 8 hours or so, felt like lifelong friends to most of us. That aspect was the highlight of the day for me. I will never forget it, ever.

Okay... there is much more to write, but I must try and get some sleep. It’s weird how exhaustion and insomnia can coexist. I will try and write more soon, I promise. Lastly, for those of you how do not personally know me, sorry if this entry was a bit more personal. Like I said, the last few days have been so busy and tiring that I struggled to settle on a focused topic and resorted to rambling instead. Hopefully it made sense and was enjoyable. Try and find comfort that in general, my descriptions are representative of the others’. At least that’s what they tell me. Falling asleep... Oysuminasai.

P.S. Mom and Dad, just so you know, I have decided that when I return to the States, I plan on taking Japanese speaking, writing, and reading lessons. I think it’s just something I need to do. Worry not though; at least I will be coming home with the rest of the group on Sunday. The others here joke that I will end up staying... if only.... kidding, kind of. I do love it here, really, but home will always be home. Love you all.

“WAS NOT ALONE, WE TOOK A RIDE, WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD FIND THERE!”

This blog will be broken down into four sections, each depicting four groups’ very exciting days. However, since I was only a part of one group, that section will be more detailed, so in the event that it sounds like it was better than the others, I apologize.

Philosopher’s Walk – The “adults” chose to take a walk down philosophy lane, which is a cherry-tree lined 2 km road located in Kyoto, Japan. The name is derived because the Japanese philosopher, Kitaro Nishida, used to walk the path to meditate. I cannot say much more regarding the actual walk, because I do not know any more, but I do know it was lined with historic temples and shrines and was also littered with many authentic craft shops. After that, the chaperones continued to shop and explore the eastern side of Kyoto. From what I was told, much was learned and many yen were spent!

Shop-Shop-Shop – Six out of 15 student members of the total group are female. Six out of 15 female student members, shopped until they dropped. From 9AM to 6PM, these ladies entered numerous boutiques and shops to purchase and peruse. I think that some of the items bought include shoes, purses, kimonos, and Japanese fans. The department stores are stocked full of female sales clerks waiting for questions to be asked, just standing attentively, yet distanced enough, much unlike the American norm. Once asked for assistance, the sales clerks certainly took charge and helped in any way possible. For example, one member fell in love with a pair of shoes, but unfortunately the store did not have her size in stock. Amazingly though, the Japanese speaking clerk retreated for five minutes, only to return with a detailed description of the shoe, a sketch of the shoe, and a map to at least two other locations where they could be found in her size. AMAZING. Whereas in the States, they would ask if you would like to order something and receive it in a few days, instead of sending you to a nearby competitor, God forbid. I dunno, as business majors and Americans, we find this really interesting and somewhat unique. What do you think? Wouldn’t it be cool if people were more helpful and less selfish?

Nara – Four male members woke up bright and early and ventured to the bus/subway station in Kyoto. From there, they managed to navigate their way to the city of Nara, 30-miles away. I think they got lost once or twice, but nonetheless, they made it there safely. Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784, lending its name to the Nara period. The original city, Heijō-kyō, was modeled after the capital of Tang Dynasty China, Chang'an (present-day Xi'an). According to the ancient Japanese book Nihon Shoki, the name "Nara" derived from the Japanese word narashita meaning "made flat". That last part was from Wikipedia, so of course, it’s all true. The group walked around Nara Park, which apparently contained thousands of deer and the largest Buddhist temple in the world. From what they say, the whole bus/subway debacle was the most exciting experience. Funny story, at one point they entered a subway car reserved for a group of school girls, only to be harshly kicked off. I guess you had to be there! When we return, there are plans to start a YouTube account and upload some videos. You will most likely see some footage of Nara, so be prepared.

Bike Ride (This one’s mine) – Five guys rented some bikes and rode north of Kyoto. Riding alongside the Kamo River, we saw so many amazing sites from copper wire basket makers to musicians to mountains. One member and I stopped to purchase a couple of the copper woven baskets and had an incomprehensible, yet very meaningful conversation with the older gentleman who was crafting our gifts. They’re pretty cool, and so was he. Side note, upon our return, we also plan on creating a Webshots account, in which LOTS of pictures will be posted, including the basket-maker-man. Eventually, we ended up in a beautiful park, where we rode around seeing even more! Here, we saw a group of drummers playing African style beats (YouTube), the most mammoth-sized building I have ever seen in my life (Kyoto International Conference Center), and a gorgeous body of water called the Takaragaike Pond, which happened to be the name of the park (minus the “Pond,” plus the “Park”). About ten miles and five hours later, our butts were sore, but our spirits were high! Seriously folks, I haven’t had a day quite like this in a very long time. On the way to the park, we entered a very wealthy suburban/rural area of Kyoto. Ferraris, and Porches, and Jaguars OH MY! We were told that some of these tiny, yet pristine homes go for anywhere from $100,000 to $3,000,000, depending on all those things that real-estate prices depend on. Also, English was not to be found anywhere. I guess once outside of the tourist area, people have no incentive to accommodate us Westerners. Once again, suggesting that the “westernization” of Japan is mostly economically driven. Anyway, we could not have had a better experience that day, not with culture shock shopping or with ancient historical sightings. It was just us and the land...

For all intents and purposes, each group felt that it made the right choice, and rightfully so. I mean, not one person made a single complaint, and when in the privacy of his or her preferred company, he or she would most likely claim that they had more fun than the others did. The truth is though, that each of us made the day our own and truly opened ourselves up to another culture and its customs. That’s ALWAYS fun for me.

Next blog = Tokyo is so big, that not even Godzilla could tear it down - OR - Tokyo is so much bigger than NYC that the Yankees look like ants from up here - OR – Tokyo is not only the most populated with over 35 million residents, but it is also the wealthiest city in terms of GDP, which is $1.315 trillion, placing just this one CITY somewhere between that of Italy (COUNTRY) and Canada (COUNTRY), which rank 7th and 8th in the world, so in a sense, Tokyo alone ranks 8th in the world in terms of GDP. Honestly though, what’s most impressive, is looking out of my 23rd story window in any direction and not being able to see anything other than skyline. This is no exaggeration... the sprawl undoubtedly puts NYC to shame... but don’t worry all you Big Applers, I still love you, and you’re size.

P.S. They hate Brittany Spears now as much as we do... go figure!

“WOKE UP, GOT OUT OF BED, AND REALIZED WE HAD JETLAG”

Today felt an awful lot like one of those daylong trips to Niagara Falls, the local museum, or the zoo that so many of us took as 6th graders. The day was full of riding around in a bus, getting on and off countless times, taking guided tours, and being surrounded by hundreds of people at each visit. The main difference was that instead of water, artifacts, and exotic animals, we saw temples, palaces, and shrines. You may find this interesting and/or hilarious, but typically, there are just as many Asians snapping photos and taking video of the landmarks as there are at... let’s say... Niagara Falls? Or Disney World? Try and keep in mind though, that these historic landmarks date back to the 8th century. That’s roughly 700 years before the America was even discovered by the Europeans, which is over three times the duration that the United States has been a sovereign nation! Most of our oldest buildings date back to the 18th century, I think. The point is, while standing in front or inside of these sanctuaries that were constructed from tree bark and ceramic, which were home to very powerful shoguns, emperors, and Buddhist leaders and were able to survive tons of earthquakes due to various ingenious foundation designs, one cannot help but feel awestruck and maybe even a little envious of another population and its history. Now, I’ve never been to Rome, or Pompeii, the lost city of Atlantis or anything else quite as remarkable, but from what I understand, we may be experiencing a similar reaction. By the way, has anyone been to Atlantis? I bet it’s sweet.

When we arrived back the hotel, exhausted, sweaty, and more informed. Also, we were starving! Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, we were to eat a traditional Japanese 21 course feast of delicacies. Sure, as cultured, open-minded graduate students, we were thrilled to experience a meal that was commonly prepared for emperors and the like, but as hungry hamburger-loving Americans, we may as well have been contestants on fear factor or survivor! Speaking personally, I must congratulate myself on trying each and every dish at least once. To give you some examples, dishes ranged from charred tadpoles, raw eel, uncooked suction cup laden tentacles, some type of brownish greenish sashimi (what yinz call sushi) that crumbled and slimed all over your tongue and tasted like nothing mixed with garbage, and lastly, you know when you bite into a piece of chicken and you hit a piece of fatty membrane that instantly triggers your gag reflex, effectively making you temporarily regret you were alive? ... well yeah, some of that too. All in all though, it was a wonderful experience that could not be repeated outside of Japan. We will certainly never forget it. Did I mention there was Ashai beer and plenty of warm Sake to go around? Kan’ pai!

This section is for those of you over 21, okay? Before, during, and after our questionably delicious dinner, some to most of the group decided to partake in a little to a lot of wonderful, and most certainly deserved alcoholic beverages. Even some of the “chaperones” joined in on the fun, but shhh, don’t tell our Dean! Anyway, after dinner, the majority of the group walked aimlessly through Kyoto in search of a fully stocked bar. Apparently, the section of town we were staying in was nothing like Pittsburgh’s South Side. However, we found a very quaint bar/restaurant that served us some beer and plum wine (for the ladies). Some fellow group members and myself spotted some ladies and decided to test out our “excellent” Japanese language skills and to use the latest word we learned, Kirei, which means beautiful. Needless to say, we went home rejected and alone that night... KIDDING! Seriously though, we mingled with a group of Japanese peers for over an hour, learned how to play “rock, paper, scissors (jyankenpon – gu, cyoki, pa),” as well as many other phrases. I also met a fellow skateboarder and so then as a sign of acceptance, we had to high five! So many stories, so little time to convey them all to you. Sorry, but I think you understand.

Next Blog = THE MOST AMAZING DAY OF MY LIFE!

P.S. Some of us had some Absinth, but failed to experience the trippy results... oh well, it still tasted good!

OMGTFWS (Oh My God, That Flight Was Long)

Welp... most of you reading this are just waking up, brewing your morning cup of whatever, and heading to work or to school or to the couch. We, on the other hand, are in the middle of the last section of our extremely long voyage to Kyoto, Japan as the clock strikes 10 o’clock, Thursday night. To the few students I surveyed, this two-hour bus ride to the Ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn), which was preceded by a 20-hour airport/airplane extravaganza, feels like home. For some reason, with the sun now below the horizon and sleep deprivation distorting our perceptions, the highways, tollbooths, gas stations, office complexes, and multi-tiered driving ranges look much like those found in the States. Honestly, the only glaringly noticeable exception is the fact that we’re driving on the left side of the road. If only our observations were skewed due to hefty servings of warm Sake, as opposed to the mandatory 13-hour stoppage of blood flow, which was so graciously served to us by the “cozy” plane accommodations!

Now, that cynical sounding opening paragraph could appear, well, cynical, but I assure you that despite the exhaustion, our spirits are as jubilant as when yinz (ya’ll or you, plural) last heard from us. But as I look around, I see mostly the eyelids or your very sleepy loved ones and can’t help but to illustrate how long that flight really was and the resulting physical effects it had on the group. Bedtime could not come any sooner... (We actually decided to go have a few drinks at a local bar, which turned out to be AMAZING! It was a "dive bar" that played old vinyl jazz records that we got to pick out!!!)

Tomorrow though, brings a dawn to dusk tour of Kyoto, including visits to the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Heian Jingu Shrine, Sanjisagendo Temple, and Kiyomizu Temple. Truthfully, I personally do not know anything about these sites other than they are to be spectacular spectacles!

More to come...

FYI – The movies available for viewing on the airplane were Miss Potter, Charlotte’s Web, and Music and Lyrics. Jealous?