Fireworks

This morning I hit up the Edo Tokyo Museum with Lauri. I have to say, I think wiki would be a better source for my paper. I don't have the attention span for museums. And at the time I didn't have the full stomach. And shopping was planned afterward. That cut my attention span in 1/2.... and probably in 1/2 again ^.^ It was kinda a cool place though. I'll get pics from Lauri. My camera was charging so I didn't have it. We went to Ueno and I got my shorts! (did I mention them? I thought it was a white lacy layered skirt, but it's actually shorts). I wanted them so bad... and I got them :D SUUUUUPER CUTE! Then we ate McDs over a discussion about the weird barcode things on everything in Asia. Lauri went to the museum to see the stuffed Hachikou. I took the Ginza line subway back to the hotel.

I did laundry, rested, started my paper, and eventually made my way to Vanessa and Hailie's room where we all got in our Yukatas in preparation for the fireworks. Diane dressed everyone. Kojin undressed himself and couldn't figure out how to redress (took an hour or 2 and a youtube video later for him to just get himself tied up where it worked). Fireworks started at 7 and we left at 6ish in our Yukatas and Getas (wooden shoes... I think ours were more plastic wooded shoes lol). We didn't go to Odaiba, at Tokyo Bay, where they were being fired (because we were kinda late...) so we went Tsukishima. I'm thinking we are going where we can see them, a place not as far or crowded as Odaiba because we'd miss them if we go that far. Well, I don't know if Odaiba was more crowded but I was SOOOOOO WRONG!

So we get off at the station and sooo many people. Like a line just to get out of the exit. And we just follow crowds and crowds of people for 15 minutes when we kinda split up for some people to go to the bathroom. I keep going with others to get close and find a spot. At one point we stop and I take a picture, turn around, and everyone is gone. WELL GOOD THING I HAVE A PREPAID CELL PHONE!!! not... the lines were so jammed with people calling and sending pics, I couldn't get through for like 10 minutes. So I figured the lines are jammed, they didn't realize I was missing, or they did but they didn't come back to find me (I didn't move.... I stayed there thinking someone would come back)... I figure the best idea is to find the station and head back. So I ask one of the nice police officers directing people where the station was that I can go back to my station and he points me in the directly. 1 minute later walking Vanessa gets through to me and after some time finally get back together. There's a video I took and you hear me say "I'm glad I came back" so that's what that means LOL.

At one point I took my shoes off and stood in the rocks. That honestly felt better for 5 minutes then I stood on my shoes... then I got back in them. There was no comfort to be found. None. Zero. Yes, we were standing. The fireworks were awesome. Every time I thought it was over, it started again. Then the finale ended... and I guess they forgot one because this last little firework went off. I got some video and pics that I'll post and get up when I feel better.

Afterward after 15 minutes of walking or so, we met up with the other people and went into the mall to try to find food. Our choices were basically get on the crowded trains or go into the mall with crowded food places. I didn't care, I just wanted to sit. My feet hurt so bad that I could have been starving to death and not realize the pain in my stomach! Even now I don't but maybe because I'm munching on chips. I haven't eaten since noon-ish.... I guess I'm ok. But man... my feet... STILL HURTS! Sitting or standing is painful LOL.

At the mall we split up again, some people ate (it was too crowded and no one had room for all 9 of us) and some of us returned. Well majority of returned. So we had to wait in line OUTSIDE the train station to get in the station, got in, waited for the train, and the train was so crowded... so I thought... then we go to the next station... even more crowded train... next station... well I didn't think we could fit more people but we did. I'll admit though it was as crowded as the train I rode in Kyoto last year but I don't think it was as stressful. Maybe because I was against the opposite door that wasn't opening or closing rather in the middle LOL. I just kept my mind on other things while walking back.

Right now I still wonder whether all this pain is worth fireworks........ but after surviving, maybe tomorrow I'll think it was worth it. Maybe. If Shota is working, I'm not going anywhere LOL. I guess that's a given, I got a lot of school work to do too. Technically just a paper, the Japanese work is optional (except for studying for a quiz) but I want to do it and possibly finish the other paper due this week in history.

I want to soak my feet.......... I don't think I can stand a shower tonight (haha because I can't STAND LOL that is funny). I'll take it in the morning... stick my little "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door... sleep in, shower, work...

Like I said I'll work on pics and videos ASAP. I'll try tomorrow if I can if not maybe Monday.

Ueno and Karaoke!

Yesterday was the second test in Japanese... after my oral test, sensei said it was perfect. I didn't understand what he said once I narrowed down my choices (we are "shopping" and I'm looking for a small white bag). I really wanted to decide not to buy because deciding to buy is easy and I wanted to try a difficult one... but because I didn't pick up what he said (I'm pretty sure it was what I was asking for, I just can't remember now) I just decided to buy it. Test was pretty easy.

We didn't get the history midterm back. Probably a good idea, I'd like to enjoy my weekend without the thought of grades on my mind. But I think I did OK on it. We spent half of class time in lecture then he put a movie in. I excused myself for the last half to return to the hotel and "take medicine because I was sick" and I wanted to go to Ueno afterward and needed to be well. That quote will be line when need be HAHA. I'm not sick though, no worries!

I met my friends back up at the school and we decided to eat then go shopping in Ueno for yukatas. I was hungry but I guess not much of an appetite. I ate like 1/4 of katsudon. I think Vanessa and I though did a good job reading the menu :D

After lunch we went to Ueno. Kojin was funny he kept counting us to make sure we were all there. Nice shopping area. There was this one store with purses... all 3150 yen (about 31.50$). All the price tags read like 20000 yen... I'm not sure if those purses really were worth over 100$ but 31.50 seemed like a good price. I didn't buy one though. I wanted to. Still do. We went to this department store to buy Yukatas for those who didn't have one yet. I was the only one that ended up buying one. I think that makes about 5 of us wearing yukatas tonight? For those who don't know, yukata is a summer kimono. It's thinner than a kimono... imagine wearing that thick heavy kimono in the summer >.< DEATH! A yukata is torture! I got the yukata witht he fake bow because it came with every thing except the baggie and fan and was the cheapest still. It's purple with a a yellow gi (sash).

After Ueno shopping we headed back. As we crossed the intersection to go to the station, I notice this little old Japanese guy talking to some foreigners (I figured the were foreigners because they kept telling him "wakarimasen" I don't understand) and eventually he left them alone and walked past me and whoever I was walking near. I figured he was trying to ask directions. I turned around and saw him talking to Justine! She told him wakarimasen as well and he followed us across the intersection. Kojin started talking to them and all of us girls are standing there not sure what is going on... THEN KOJIN GRABS HIM BY HIS SHOULDERS AND STARTS PUSHING HIM! Not hard... but like trying to get him away from us. We realize we should go down the station and wait. Justine says he was drunk. So we go down there and Kojin still doesn't come, we look up the ramp and see the old guy still trying to follow us so I decide to go tell someone. While in the midst of trying to tell a station attendant, Kojin comes back and it's all ok. He was a crazy old man =/ Wanted to have tea with Kojin too.

Anyways, we headed back, eventually it ended up just being Vanessa, Hailie, and me. We stop at the konbini and because Vanessa was going out later with everyone else, Hailie (forgive me if I misspell her name) and I decide to go to karaoke. I hang out for awhile in Vanessa and Hailie's room before freshening up and going to karaoke.

SOOOOO MUCH FUN :D Cant' wait to go again. We did it for an hour (it was after 7 and was expensive at this point). With 15 minutes left, I found the stop button. Good thing too because Hailie was trigger happy and would send the same song to sing like 3 times LOL. I did it too though... once... funny ^.^ I just saw the "stoppu" on the machine but couldn't read the rest... so I was like "should I push it????" and then try and it works. So now I know how to stop the songs. I had fun with my Japanese songs... especially "Kiseki" by GReeeeeN... it just put the words up there but no highlighting to follow it. I did a lot of "lallala nananan nenene" in the songs. I think we had fun though :) We'll have to go before 7 so we can pay like 133 yen/person (compared to 650yen/person/30 minutes!)

After karaoke we walked around and went down that one road I've been wanting to explore since I found it when trying to find a McDs (but I went to Roppongi instead). Seemed mostly residential. I don't know if that is where the McDs is that I was looking for... good thing I didn't go that way. We turned around and went back up the stairs to the main road and decided to go into that park area (I want to take pics there) but as we went around the corner there seemed to be two people trying to have some private time so we decided to not go in. We were singing Mulan songs this whole time while walking. Maybe people thought we were crazy LOL

We returned to the hotel and watch Death Note. This is when I realized for some reason my Death Note on my computer doesn't work with subtitles because of this stupid file... I'm gonna try to fix it.... but I may have to let a friend figure out if I can't =/ This is because last year my external HD broke and I had to replace everything and I haven't watched Death Note since before my old one broke. I wonder what else isn't working.

I'm going to the Edo-Tokyo Museum with Lauri this morning and then returning to get dressed for Hanabi (fireworks). There's a big show in Odaiba... it's going to be very very crowded so we are getting there a couple hours early. The show should last a couple hours. So there should be lots of awesome pics come soon :) STAY TUNED~~