Japanese food

Last night, Chihiro and I went out to dinner in Shinju-ku at Doma Doma.  I have to say this was one of the BEST food experiences of my entire life!  We had izakaya, a style of Japanese dining where food is shared, like a tapas bar.  We were given a white towel (oshibori) to wipe our hands.  We ordered tonpei-yaki, nama-harumaki, octopus and yaki-tori. 

We also got free drinks!  I got a mango and orange sangria and Chihiro got a kiwi and pineapple sangria.  Our drinks were free because on the way to the resturant, Chihiro spotted a "ticket" which is an employee standing in the street who is essentially a walking coupon.  We brought him with us to the resturant and redeemed our ticket!  It was really cool!

I told Chihuro I thought the guy was cute and when his back was turned, I blew him a kiss which had us both laughing hysterically. 

Our meal came to 2000 yen, just over $20 which was $10 for each of us, for seriously one of the best meals I have ever had!  I would expect to pay at least $40 for food like that in NY.  I wanted the experience to last forever!  It was so good!

My favorite was the tonepei-yaki.   Its a type of Japanese pancake made of cabbage, egg, tempura, flour, pork and cheese. 

My second favorite was the nama-harumaki which was served with a sweet and sour chili sauce.  Its a rice paper roll with shrimp, lettuce, and cream cheese inside. 

The yaki-tori looks is a type of Japanese skewered chicken.  As I was about to bite into one, Chihiro told me it was chicken heart.  I said, "I really wish you didn't tell me that just now!".  I ate it and it tasted like any other part of the chicken.  I also had chicken gizzard.

I tried eating the octopus but I couldn't swallow it.  It was raw (which she also told me after I tried eating it).  It was really rubbery and tasted really fishy.  The whole time I kept thinking of Ursula, the octpus from the little mermaid.

Today, Chihro worked.  I went to see Gundamu robot at Daiba street.

Then I went to Tsukishima to eat dinner.  I ordered a okonomiya, another type of Japanese pankake.  The chef heats the hot top on the table and makes it in front of you.  Then he topped it with flakes of seaweed and flakes of fried tuna so thin that it was transparent.  It was AMAZING! 

Chihro said that Japanese food is the best.  I said, "I think your a bit biased".  But it really was some of the best food I've ever eaten.

My experience the past 4 days has been so amazing.  I can't believe this is just the start of my trip!  When I think that one day it will eventually end and I'll have to go back to NY, I just appreciate the moment I'm in even more!

Mt. Fuji

I was super lucky to take a trip to Mt. Fuji on a day with sunny and mostly clear skies. 

I took a charter bus from Shinjuku station to Lake Kawaguchiko.  The trip took almost 2 hours.  Very shortly into the journey, I could already see Mt. Fuji in the distance. 

The tourist center at Lake Kawaguchiko was mostly in Japanese.  This took me by surprise!  All of the brochures, pamplets, and posters were all in Japanese and there were none available in English.  I was glad that that morning I watched a youtube video on Mt. Fuji.  I asked the information desk for directions to the cable car, which I saw in the video. 

The walk to the cable car had almost no tourists.  I was a little unnerved but it was broad daylight and there were several local people driving past and shopping.  It was interesting to me that there is a city built right around the volcano.  I mean, it offers amazing views, but homes and shops would be incinerated were the volcano to erupt!  I can't imagine building a house at the base of a volcano, even if it is said to be dormant.

After asking for directions, I found my way to the cable car, and paid 700 yen for a ride up to the top.  I had great views of Lake Kawaguchiko. 

When we got to the top, I climbed up the steps and a huge close of view of the snow topped dome of Mt. Fuji greeted me. 

Wow.  It was magnificent.  Sunlight reflected off of the snow and the volcano top glistened.  I sat and just stared.

As I was walking back to the bus station, a monkey ran across the power lines in front of me.  I couldn't believe it!  Then another monkey ran across!  I quickly grabbed my camera.  Then another monkey.  "Oh my gosh, another monkey!  And another monkey!  And another monkey!  Who let the monkeys outs?"  

Nice butt, tehehehehe :)

Then I heard foliage crumpling to my right.  Another monkey jumped right in front of me, crossed the street.  I thought it was going to get hit by a car!

I quickly put my camera back in my bags because monkeys are known to literally grab things off of people like hats, glasses or even cameras!

Welcome to Japan! 日本へようこそ

My 14 hour flight from NYC to Haneda Airport in Tokyo was smooth and I slept the entire way.  It was wierd to eat dinner on the plane after take off, and then eat dinner again before landing.  We touched down at the airport at 9:50 pm.  After collecting my luggage, I withdrew some Japanese yen from an ATM and went to the information desk to get help finding my way to the train station. 

Chihiro gave me directions as follows:
1. Get on train on Keikyu-Kukou line from Shinagawa station
2. Transfer, for JR yamanote line to Takadano-baba station
3. Transfer for Seibu-Shinjuku line.  Take local train.  Get off at Shimoigusa station.

I asked the lady at the information desk for a subway map.  I think it rivals London's tube map in complexity!  She highlighted the trains I needed to take. 

 

The first train did not have signs in English and I wasn't clear where I was supposed to get off.  I asked the man sitting next to me.  His English was poor but I understood that he was going to be transferring with me and I was to follow him.  We got on the next train which did have signs in English.  I made the correct transfer.  On the last train, I asked a man for help.  He said, "You did a great job making it this far on the train by yourself!" I said, "Thanks! I had people help me."  I said, "there are tour groups that take you everywhere but it's more adventurous to do it yourself".

 

The train was packed! It felt like rush hour on a NYC subway train. He said most people were coming from work. Crazy! At 11:30 at night!  I asked if I could call my friend on his phone and kind was enough to let me.  When I got off the phone I told him, "Actually I've never met her before."  And then I told him about couchsurfing and how I've stayed with strangers in Philadelphia and Atlanta.  I said, "The one in Atlanta gave me her keys the day I met her!".  His eyes bulged out. 

I got off at Shinagawa and another man walked me to the police station.  Chihiro was outside waiting for me.  My immediate impression of her was that she was a friendly, happy, and warm person.  She laughs a lot.  We walked about 10 minutes to her apartment.

Her apartment is adorable.  The door is a lot shorter.  Her room is full of color and decorations.  She was very hospitable.  She had a bed made for me which was mat with a comforter and blankets on the floor next to her bed.  She then gave me a warm pair of socks, and warm set of sweat pants and a sweater!  What more could I ask for! 

 

Thursday morning we were up early.  Her shower is so different.  There is a tiny bath tub and outside is a floor that drains so you can take a shower in the room.  She said she likes taking "Japanese" baths, meaning filling up the tub.  I said, "The British do it that way too!  I love baths". 

When I got out the shower, she was drinking tea and asked if I wanted a cup.  I said, sure.  We sat drinking Japanese tea, which is very bitter.  Then we made a fish bowl for breakfast.  We put rice in a bowl, then topped it with slices of medium-rare fish.  I'm not a big seafood person.  I don't like sushi.  I also don't like undercooked food.  But in the spirit of travel, I wan't going to let my own diet preferences interfere with experiencing something new.  We added spring onion, ginger, and soy sauce.  We had strawberry and bananas for dessert.

Wow!  It was delicous!  It was so good!  I wasn't expecting it at all!  I asked her if she ever gets fish frozen or is it alway fresh. "Frozen fish!" she said, like it was an abomination to mankind.  "Haha, well don't ever eat fish in NY because its always frozen".

We shared pictures.  She saw some of my party pictures and said, "Americans like to party!".  I said, "We do.  And I love to party!".  She said they don't have house parties in Japan but sees them on American movies.  I told her about the dance I was in last Friday and tried to teach her some step. 

I was super anxious to get outside and see what the city looked like.  We left for the train station and I felt like I was in a different world.  Yes there were cars, and roads, and houses but it was so different!  It was so clean and manicured.  It was peaceful and quite.  A group of juinor high students passed us on thier bike.  We passed by supermarkets, car dealerships, and resturants. 

We took the Seibu Shinjuku line to Seibu-shinjuku.  We walked to the bus station and I bought bus tickets to Mount Fuji for Friday.  On the way back, I took pictures of landmarks becuase tomorrow I have to find the place by myself.  I have no map and even if I didn't it wouldn't be helpful because there are not many street signs. 

We walked around some of the clothing stores.  I got so jealous of their fashion which I would describe as "playful".  There fashion is mulit-colored and cute.  Then we went to Starbuck and relaxed on a rooftop terrace.  Then we went to Karokee.  I loved it!  She sand Japanese songs and I sang Beyonce, Goo Goo Dolls, Florenc and the Machine and Bruno Mars. 

 

 

One the way back home, she had me lead her to see if I could find my way back on my own. I took 2 wrong turns! Tonight she's working.  She a receptionist at a dentist office but has some work tonight. 

I have a plan after Tokyo!

OMG!!!!!  I am SOOOOOOO excited!!  After 7 days in Japan I will be flying to Phuket, Thailand.

   Phi Phi Island

Similan islands

Phang Nga Bay   

Beijing is about 30 degrees right now and I decided its too cold for me.  I may not end up seeing the Great Wall of China on this trip.

Sharman, the couchsurfer from Melbourne who I met over the summer, happened to text me today since she's back in NYC.  She just got back from Singapore and I told her I was having a hard time finding cheap flights out of Tokyo.  It didn't matter which Asian destination, they were all about $500.  So she told me about AirAsia and I found a super cheap flight from Osaka to Phuket!

I also sent Chihiro an email asking if she lives in a safe area since she told me to wait by the police station.  She said, "It is safe everywhere in Tokyo.  The front of the police station is a good place to look for you".  Well that makes sense and I hope she doesn't think of me as a xenophobic American!  Really, I'm more afraid of needles than I am of traveling by myself!

Hostels in Thailand are as cheap as $8 a night!  They have excellent reviews so I don't think they are cheap because they are shabby.  But staying with a couchsurfing host is also possible in Phuket which, honestly, I didn't expect.  I didn't think people would actually live there.   Naive American thought #2 (I'm sure I'm going to have several).  But really, when you see a picture like the ones above, can you believe that people actually LIVE there?!?!?!  I'm so jealous!  They probably have such an amazingly calm and stress free life (naive American thought #3?).  It sure seems that way in comparison to my own life which often consists of slaving away in a NYC hospital. 


 

Couchsurfing

I love couchsurfing!  I've met amazing people when I stayed by their place in Philadelphia and Atlanta; when I've gone to couchsurfing Thursday night meetings downtown; and when I've huge out with an Australian medical student in the city who contacted me.

The thrill of staying at a couchsurfer's place for me is a lot like treating people in the ED.  Your patient is a complete stranger and you have just a couple of seconds to establish mutual trust.  You've just met them but already you are intimately involved in their life through your history and physical.  So it is with couchsurfing.  After a couple of emails back and forth, you show up at their doorstep or they pick you up at the train station.  You've quickly become intimately involved with them.  You are sleeping on a air mattress in their extra room, eating their food, using their shower, holding on to their house keys. 

I'm super excited to meet my host, Chihiro.  She lives just outside Tokyo.  From her Couchsurfing profile, I know that she is 27, and grew up in Japan.  She's been all over the world to Austria, Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Guam, India, Indonesia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand.  She like Audrey Hepburn. 

Each couchsurfing request starts with me searching for potential hosts based on their gender and profile.  Then I send a message in which I say something like, "Hi, I'm Nisha.  I'm 28 and a medical student in NYC.  I'm going to be traveling in Tokyo for a couple of days and was wondering if you could host me for a few nights."

Couchsurfing.org gives a recommendation on how many host you should contact based on how popular that city is.  I sent about 10 messages to people in Tokyo.  I was so happy when I heard back from Kanno saying she was able to host me!

She sent me a detailed message on how to take the train from Haneda airport to where she lives.  She gave me her number and told me to call her at the station and she would come and pick me up.  She said she's working during the week but we can eat dinner together.  She's off on Sunday and can take me sightseeing.  People in the world can truly be so kind. 

She said to wait by the police station that is outside the station.  To be honest, that makes me a tad bit nervous.  Is this a sketchy area?  Oh well.  I'm sure everything will be okay.  I'll call her a stop or two before I reach so I don't have to wait outside by myself.  It will be at night time.

I'm excited that I feel like I already have a friend waiting for me in Tokyo.