Yesterday, in the morning Becca and I went to pay my first gas bill. This is done at any convenience store (conbini). Conbini are everywhere here in Japan. They are roughly like a 7-11 or gas station (minus the gas) in the United States. However, in Japan there are also many services offered at conbini, such as paying bills. You can even have items shipped to your local conbini! Afterwards, I attended a lunch lecture given by the Graduate School of Agriculture, forest science lab members. There were some delicious snacks shared, and tea as well. The topic of the lecture was one of the graduate students' research on Oak wilt, which has been gradually spreading south to north in Japan in particular since about the 1960s. It is caused by a small beetle, which carries a fungus. The beetles bore into the wood of the oak tree, where they cultivate the fungus. This slowly kills the oak tree--a sign of wilt is when the oak leaves turn bright red, and then brown as though it were fall. It is a concerning problem in Japan, and it is becoming increasingly prevalent in many forests. Professor Koike compared it to the devastation of Dutch Elm Disease which took place, and is taking place, in the United States. Oak wilt has not yet spread to Hokkaido, primarily because it is regulated by temperature. Hokkaido is for the time being too cold. (Oak wilt also exists in the United States, by the way.) Professor Koike was extremely kind to translate the lecture for me as it was being given--although I would like to listen to the Japanese as well to learn the vocabulary. He is so invested in his students, I am very grateful to him. Afterwards, I met Becca for lunch at the Shokudou (cafeteria). There is a wide variety of food served there, including my favorite agedashi tofu, as well as rice, miso, korokke, kimchi, fish, and all sorts of things. It is also very cheap! A tray-full of food still only comes to about 500 yen. My meal of agedashi tofu, rice, kimchi, and squash came to only about 300 yen, in fact. In the afternoon, I attended my Environmental Science course. After my class, Becca, her good friend, and myself went to the International Student Potluck at 6PM organized by the university. The building had huge windows, and a lovely wooden frame inside. The downside was that it was packed full of people. There were many international students from all over, as well as many Japanese students hoping to make international friends. There was a performance schedule as well. One performance was a well-known Soran Bushi student dance group from Hokkaido University. The dance style appears to me to be extremely enthusiastic matsuri-style, combined with cheering, and a whole lot of smiling and arm flailing. I was astounded by the energy of the group. I was even more astounded when the men in the group threw of their yukata/robes and began dancing around in traditional Japanese undergarments--those being, frankly, cloth thongs. I have been told many times that Japanese people have difficulty expressing themselves, but these students had no problem whatsoever jumping around the crowd nearly naked. The absolute highlight of the evening, though, was another very surprising performance, a university student Japanese Bluegrass band! They are called Bremen Backpackers, and here is a video of one of their songs. When I first heard that they were a bluegrass band I was dubious. "A bluegrass band in Japan? What does Japan know of bluegrass?" is what I thought initially. Once they began to play, it was obvious that they knew their music. They sounded fantastic, as if they were straight from the U.S. I was so happy when they even did a bluegrass cover of Lady Madonna by the Beatles. This is one of my favorite songs, in one of my favorite styles. The main singer had a surprisingly deep voice, which is rare in Japan. They have another concert coming up soon, and I hope to attend. They reminded me of Minnesota, and listening to the sounds of Prairie Home Companion.
After the potluck, we decided to head to the Indian restaurant we had enjoyed so much last time. We hadn't eaten anything at the Potluck, because it was too packed. Becca and her friend had their bikes parked outside, but I had walked. They biked next to me while I walked for a while, but I felt like this was taking forever. I offered to run next to them to get us back to the dorm to pick up my bike a little quicker. It was dark out, so fortunately no one we passed could (hopefully) tell that I was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and sandals. I love running along, so it was no problem, especially on a cool night. Walking can take so long, and if I can run, I figure I might as well do so--it really does save so much time. Becca and her friend put up with me being weird and running alongside them like a crazy person. We reached our bikes and rode to the restaurant. At night, it is important to wear a light on your bike here in Sapporo. As I've mentioned previously, bikers in Japan seem to be especially reckless. Well, it is not so much reckless as it is a general sense of chaos--folks don't necessarily pay attention, and for the most part, to me, don't appear to follow any standard, discernible system of road etiquette. Do you bike in the street? On the sidewalk? Into people? Who knows! Fend for yourself! That is my impression. No one even bothers to say "thank you" or "sumimasen (excuse me)" when it comes to bikes. As you can perhaps tell, I am a little exasperated with the situation. Biking in the U.S. can occasionally be chaotic, but I feel that at least in Minneapolis there is a fairly standard set of rules and common sense manners that most abide by. Anyways, the Indian food was delicious again. The naan that comes with the meal is so huge! I had been secretly looking forward to going back to this restaurant all week, so I am glad that we made it back. The goal is to go once a week, and I most certainly hope that we do. The owner even gave us all free lassi (a type of yogurt drink))!!! This was so kind, and I was both surprised and grateful. Next time, I may bring him a postcard from the U.S. as a thank you.
Today and tomorrow I am on my own again in Sapporo. Becca and her friend are off on an excursion, and so it is up to me to explore the city independently for a bit. This is both exhilarating and intimidating. My goal for today was to visit Hokkaido Shrine and also Mt. Moiwa. Mt. Moiwa is about a 500m tall "hill" next to Sapporo that provides an excellent view of the city, or so I have heard. I had hoped to also climb and hike around. First I set off on my bike to find Hokkaido Shrine, which is only perhaps 2 miles away from the International House. It is located next to Mastuyama Park here in Sapporo. I got some use out of my iphone navigating there with google maps. It would have been pretty complicated otherwise, because even though Sapporo is laid out like a grid occasionally there are streets that disappear. If I return, though, it will be very simple. Matsuyama park is very beautiful, with a variety of tall trees, many of which are labeled with name tags to identify their species. This was especially intriguing for me. There were many groups of young children playing and searching for acorns. I walked my bike through the park to find the entrance to the shrine. The gate is very beautiful, and reminded me of a much less intimidating version of Meiji-jingu back in Tokyo. I parked my bike and followed the path inside. The main path through the gate also passes through what appeared to be a garden with small trees and shrubs, as well as an older cemetary off to the side. I was so relieved and pleased to finally be walking through greenery. Although there were busy streets within a stones throw, I felt hidden away from the loud traffic. It was calm, at last. I washed my hands at the well, like at Meiji-jingu, and went in. There were many young children dressed in kimono and young boys in traditional clothes. They were all adorable. Since it was a Saturday, I am guessing there was some sort of ceremony. Unfortunately, almost immediately after I entered the main building it began to pour! I am two for two on rainstorms when visiting shrines. I was not outsmarted by Sapporo's weather this time, as I now always pack an umbrella. However, umbrella's don't keep you especially dry when walking around, and so I ended up damp anyways. It was admittedly a let down to be rained on again, when I wanted to wander and explore freely instead of avoiding puddles and getting all wet. Water drips off of all of the buildings at shrines as well, and so it made looking around difficult. I bought an O-mamori charm, then was somehow convinced to buy a bear-shaped bean paste pastry by an old lady. I love bean paste ('anko') but I hadn't intended to buy anything to eat there. Oh well. I left, feeling a bit defeated even though I enjoyed the shrine. I returned to my bike outside of the gates, in Matsuyama park and stood rather dejectedly under my umbrella, trying to keep my bike seat dry as I waited for the rain to subside. It took awhile, but eventually slowed to a sprinkle, and stopped. I walked my bike out of the park, with clammy hands and a damp backpack. Navigating back towards the International House was much easier, and I didn't need my phone to help me at all. I was happy to be able to understand the layout of the streets to get back. I ended up right outside of Aeon, the local grocery complex. I parked my bike and went inside to warm up. My plan was to walk to Sapporo Station afterwards to find a cup of hot chocolate. After wandering inside Aeon, it turns out they also have a starbucks! I was hesitant to go there, because it is extremely expensive in Japan and I don't drink coffee anyways, but I wanted a cup of hot chocolate that I would recognize and a calm place to sit. My tiny cup of hot chocolate was indeed expensive, but I added heaps of cinnamon and vanilla on my own which made it delicious. I drank it with my bear-shaped anko pastry, and it made me feel warmer and all around more encouraged. I bought an apple for the road, and then dropped my bike off back at the International House. I decided against trying to hike at Mt. Moiwa for the day because everything was so wet. It makes me feel a little self-conscious and stressed to ride my bike in the city here, what with the aforementioned chaos, and so that combined with water everywhere was enough for me. I decided to run some errands on foot. I picked up some envelopes, and when I got back prepared them to be mailed. All around, the day was not so bad--I sure do wish it wouldn't always rain on me, though! I must be doing something to offend the gods at these shrines! Tomorrow, I am hoping to cover more ground.
After the potluck, we decided to head to the Indian restaurant we had enjoyed so much last time. We hadn't eaten anything at the Potluck, because it was too packed. Becca and her friend had their bikes parked outside, but I had walked. They biked next to me while I walked for a while, but I felt like this was taking forever. I offered to run next to them to get us back to the dorm to pick up my bike a little quicker. It was dark out, so fortunately no one we passed could (hopefully) tell that I was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and sandals. I love running along, so it was no problem, especially on a cool night. Walking can take so long, and if I can run, I figure I might as well do so--it really does save so much time. Becca and her friend put up with me being weird and running alongside them like a crazy person. We reached our bikes and rode to the restaurant. At night, it is important to wear a light on your bike here in Sapporo. As I've mentioned previously, bikers in Japan seem to be especially reckless. Well, it is not so much reckless as it is a general sense of chaos--folks don't necessarily pay attention, and for the most part, to me, don't appear to follow any standard, discernible system of road etiquette. Do you bike in the street? On the sidewalk? Into people? Who knows! Fend for yourself! That is my impression. No one even bothers to say "thank you" or "sumimasen (excuse me)" when it comes to bikes. As you can perhaps tell, I am a little exasperated with the situation. Biking in the U.S. can occasionally be chaotic, but I feel that at least in Minneapolis there is a fairly standard set of rules and common sense manners that most abide by. Anyways, the Indian food was delicious again. The naan that comes with the meal is so huge! I had been secretly looking forward to going back to this restaurant all week, so I am glad that we made it back. The goal is to go once a week, and I most certainly hope that we do. The owner even gave us all free lassi (a type of yogurt drink))!!! This was so kind, and I was both surprised and grateful. Next time, I may bring him a postcard from the U.S. as a thank you.
Today and tomorrow I am on my own again in Sapporo. Becca and her friend are off on an excursion, and so it is up to me to explore the city independently for a bit. This is both exhilarating and intimidating. My goal for today was to visit Hokkaido Shrine and also Mt. Moiwa. Mt. Moiwa is about a 500m tall "hill" next to Sapporo that provides an excellent view of the city, or so I have heard. I had hoped to also climb and hike around. First I set off on my bike to find Hokkaido Shrine, which is only perhaps 2 miles away from the International House. It is located next to Mastuyama Park here in Sapporo. I got some use out of my iphone navigating there with google maps. It would have been pretty complicated otherwise, because even though Sapporo is laid out like a grid occasionally there are streets that disappear. If I return, though, it will be very simple. Matsuyama park is very beautiful, with a variety of tall trees, many of which are labeled with name tags to identify their species. This was especially intriguing for me. There were many groups of young children playing and searching for acorns. I walked my bike through the park to find the entrance to the shrine. The gate is very beautiful, and reminded me of a much less intimidating version of Meiji-jingu back in Tokyo. I parked my bike and followed the path inside. The main path through the gate also passes through what appeared to be a garden with small trees and shrubs, as well as an older cemetary off to the side. I was so relieved and pleased to finally be walking through greenery. Although there were busy streets within a stones throw, I felt hidden away from the loud traffic. It was calm, at last. I washed my hands at the well, like at Meiji-jingu, and went in. There were many young children dressed in kimono and young boys in traditional clothes. They were all adorable. Since it was a Saturday, I am guessing there was some sort of ceremony. Unfortunately, almost immediately after I entered the main building it began to pour! I am two for two on rainstorms when visiting shrines. I was not outsmarted by Sapporo's weather this time, as I now always pack an umbrella. However, umbrella's don't keep you especially dry when walking around, and so I ended up damp anyways. It was admittedly a let down to be rained on again, when I wanted to wander and explore freely instead of avoiding puddles and getting all wet. Water drips off of all of the buildings at shrines as well, and so it made looking around difficult. I bought an O-mamori charm, then was somehow convinced to buy a bear-shaped bean paste pastry by an old lady. I love bean paste ('anko') but I hadn't intended to buy anything to eat there. Oh well. I left, feeling a bit defeated even though I enjoyed the shrine. I returned to my bike outside of the gates, in Matsuyama park and stood rather dejectedly under my umbrella, trying to keep my bike seat dry as I waited for the rain to subside. It took awhile, but eventually slowed to a sprinkle, and stopped. I walked my bike out of the park, with clammy hands and a damp backpack. Navigating back towards the International House was much easier, and I didn't need my phone to help me at all. I was happy to be able to understand the layout of the streets to get back. I ended up right outside of Aeon, the local grocery complex. I parked my bike and went inside to warm up. My plan was to walk to Sapporo Station afterwards to find a cup of hot chocolate. After wandering inside Aeon, it turns out they also have a starbucks! I was hesitant to go there, because it is extremely expensive in Japan and I don't drink coffee anyways, but I wanted a cup of hot chocolate that I would recognize and a calm place to sit. My tiny cup of hot chocolate was indeed expensive, but I added heaps of cinnamon and vanilla on my own which made it delicious. I drank it with my bear-shaped anko pastry, and it made me feel warmer and all around more encouraged. I bought an apple for the road, and then dropped my bike off back at the International House. I decided against trying to hike at Mt. Moiwa for the day because everything was so wet. It makes me feel a little self-conscious and stressed to ride my bike in the city here, what with the aforementioned chaos, and so that combined with water everywhere was enough for me. I decided to run some errands on foot. I picked up some envelopes, and when I got back prepared them to be mailed. All around, the day was not so bad--I sure do wish it wouldn't always rain on me, though! I must be doing something to offend the gods at these shrines! Tomorrow, I am hoping to cover more ground.
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