HI All!
I LOVE JAPAN! I`m getting a little better about asking people questions, and my Japanese is coming back a little. So... I think when I left off we were about to leave Nartita Airport hostel. So, here`s what happened: We got to the train station at the aiport. We had to ask three different desks until w found the right one to buy uor tickets for Tokyo. English was lacking, and I had to attempt and use some f my amazing Japanese, which went something like: Tokyo...Tokyo.. train... JR...I mean...Uh, um, Tokyomadeshinkansen...no...yoyaku wo...um...Onagaishimasu! And then they would start speaking in Japanese and I would start staring like I was stupid. Apparently I can`t say Ueno rght (our destination) beacuase everytime I did, they corrected me. So finally we got a ticket to Tokyo station. We then had to ask were the train was, and once we got to the platform, which area we waited for the train. Then, while we were waiting we bothered the guy next to us about how and when we get on the train. It went really well though. We arrived at Tokyo at 10:44 exactly. They don`t kid at all when they say what time something is leaving or arriving. We ran into a liitle truble at the station. I had no clue where to go. We needed to take a JR train to Ueno station. So We asked a few desks, and ended up at the platform. WHat the heck?! Don`t we need to buy tickets? We didn`t want to go back stairs and ask, but when momsuggested asking the guy standing next to us about it I came up with the lame excuse that he probably doesn`t speek english so don`t do it. She did. He spoke a little english, and thank God we asked him. After a few minutes of confused bantering, we followed him back down stairs where he asked a guy at a desk about it. Turns out, it is not a reserved train and you just get on and pay after, when you go through the gate, or just show them your pass. Then we folllowed him back upstairs and waited for the train. We all got on the train. It wasn`t too crowded. You still had to stand, and hold on to one of those thingys, and then he told us when to get off. Then he showed us where to go out of the ticket gate and then from there how to get to the Ueno Zoological Park. VERY nice guy. So we walked around the park until we got to the Zoo. The park is huge and beautiful, and crowded. It was interesting because mom commented on how many old poeple there were, but there wasn`t. You know how usually when you go somewhere you see mostly one age group? Saturday at the mall: teenagers, Sunflower during the week, only old people. Here there was about equal of all ages. Tons of school group(all ages), moms with babies, and old people. Tearah, the fashion is amazing!!! You know how I have probalems hiking with staring at my feet and the graound the whole time? Well, I have the same problem here, only I`m staring at all the girls`s shoes!! Especially the mom`s!! (most girls are in uniform). Talk about hip mom`s!! Almost all of them wear boots of every verity on the planet!! I`m in heaven with the clothes here. In that area of anticipation, Japan hasn`t let me down in the slightest.
Ok, so the zoo was really nice. You know how at ours there is always sighns out when that one animal has a baby? Well here there arn`t signs, cuz almost every animal had a baby! Baby gorillas, baby monkeys, baby seals, everything!
About half way through, I started starving. It was around 1:00. One peice of toast \doesn`t hold me off that long. I tried to get mom to go a little faster, but she wouldn`t. Oh, ya, and we put our backpacks in a locker (\300). Teh zoo cost \600 per person. Once we left the zoo, we had to find Asakusa dore(street) Some teen and his girlfriend helped, and then later, I asked an old lady too. By this time I was almost dead by starvation of course, so when we passed a ramen shop we decides to eat. You look at the plastic models outside the window, they all have prices and take your pick, the you go inside where they\(the cook) yell out really nice things the whole intire time. Saying Thank you in like 3 different ways. Oneigaishimasu! Doomo! Argatou gozaimashta, ect... Then mom started walking over to the counter to order, but I stopped her, becuase I \actally knew what to do in this situation thanks to the internet. You have to get a ticket for what food you want from the machine first. What the internet didn`t tell me was exactly how to do it. So we stood and stared for a while. And the a Guy came in and was going to use the other machine. We ran over and started staring at him, and he looked at us like we were weirdos. Mom started spwaking in english, he couldn`t understand anything, but I actually knew what to say!!! watashihamittekudasai. Can I watch? (I don`t know how to say we). He said ok and proceeded. You put your bill in, push the picture with the number that you want, a ticket5 comes out, you push another one and then get your change. Then you tak your ticket ad pput it on a tray on the counter. The cook takes it and makes your food and puts the bowl on the tray and then you go back in get it. Then you sit and eat. Apperantly mom and I are really slow beacuse about 5 people came and went while we ate. Somehow also, mom, who can barely use her chopsticks, finished her bowl befor I did. Maybe I was talking to much? Then we sayed thank you and left. Then we stopped at a little food store,a nd ibought a desert for \105. I totally got \ wrong and over paid the guy, but he fixed it! I wanted to tear it open and eat it as we went along, but mom wanted me to wait till we got to the hostel. I finally decied to do what she said. Later it dawned on me that walknig and eating in Japan is really rude (even my penpal said so)!! So my mom unbenoestly saved me from humiliation. So we got here, and it is rubn by ladies who are SUPER nice and friendly and funny. They were lauhging abou the fact that I was 17 and I don`t know why. We got a double room for tonight because one of the beds in the girls dorm is messed up. It is tiny!! It is a bunk bed up against the wall and about one arm length or less across the other two walls. Looking out the window it is about half an arms length frmo the other building. The hostel is 3 stories. We are on the 3rd tonight and 2nd tomorrow. You can go on the roof. I ate half of my coffe desrt, which turned about being some jello thing, I don`t like jello, and yes, mom actually ate the other half.
And that is about all for today! We might eat sushi tonight. Don`t know yet. It is 6:15.
See you!!
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