Dollar store haul

Whee! Today I finally had time to do some exploring!! I really wanted to go and get some kind of basic things that I was lacking (like dishes of my own, some paper, an umbrella, etc).

The first thing I did was get lost trying to leave the research facility where I live >___> In my defence, I've only left twice before (and both times at night!). In retrospect I ALMOST didn't get lost - I just went down a side-street and realized right away that it was not right. So then I remembered that a) google maps actually suggests a different route out of this maze, and b) I saw a labmate heading in that apparent direction when she left yesterday, so I walked to my lab (about 7 minutes from where I live) and then out to the nearest road. Well, that led to several fields and what looked like some mountains, so that wasn't right either. THEN I turned back to where I live and was just starting to get a bit concerned when I saw a car head down a road that I can't see from the building where I live. Huzzah! That finally did lead me to the loong road out to the main street. Oh, did I mention that it was about 5°C, raining heavily, and there were wind gusts up to 70 km/h? So by the time I finally made it here I was already soaked :p

The long and non-winding road.

That road is about a 7-minute walk, and from there it was about a 15-minute trek to the subway station. I headed downtown and made my way to the Daiso 100¥ store (100¥ =~ $1). Holy.Freaking.Cow. This place was seriously amazing. It's 5 stories tall and they have pretty much everything you could imagine (including yarn!!!!!!!!!!!). I was able to get every single thing I wanted to pick up in one place (except for a mic for my computer - though they did have a pretty decent electronics section). I will definitely be back and I will take pictures. My basket was so heavy that it wasn't possible today. Here is the store that was across the street. I like the name because "Book Off" sounds kind of like an insult.

I'm going to start telling people to Book Off since nobody understands me anyway. Not everyone. Just people on the subway who refuse to give up their spot to a clearly disabled person. Not that I saw that today or anything >_>

Anyway, I did a bunch more wandering around between this store, Odori Park (a long, skinny park through the centre of the city where there are festivals throughout the year), and Sapporo Station, which at least to me is the heart of the city. I was kind of hoping to do a bit more shopping, but my dollar store haul was heavy and I was cold and wet so I just headed back home. The subway was jammed because, as it turned out, there is a baseball game today and from the crowds it must have been starting shortly. The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters play in a stadium that is just up the street from where I live. I really want to get some Ham Fighters paraphernalia because that is the best name ever. 

My Daiso haul includes a clothes hanging rack (because I was warned that the dryer loooves to shrink stuff), baskety things because I have no drawers for socks and things (the plaid thingies on the right), laundry detergent, tragically non-Hamtaro dishes, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Now I am tired.

Arrival and survival!

Whew!! I am in Sapporo, and I just finished my first not-actually-full week of work!

I left Canada early on Monday morning, and because of the time difference arrived in Sapporo at about 8 pm on Tuesday, Sapporo time. My trip went really smoothly! I just missed meeting up with a friend in the Toronto airport completely by chance; she's a prof in Manitoba and was travelling to a conference, and we were actually in the airport at the same time but only realized it right before I stepped onto my plane. On the way to Japan I actually received vegan meals that were really vegan (instead of a cheese omelet, like I got on United airlines once) and the worst thing that happened was that I ended up speaking French on the plane, which pushed my minuscule Japanese knowledge right out of my head. My prof met me at the airport in Sapporo when I arrived, and he drove me to the research station where I'll be working / living. 

My. room. is. amazing. It is a billion times better than I was expecting!! I have a little kitchen area with a microwave / toaster oven (something that I thought was only a legend), a pretty-big fridge, and a gas cooktop. Holy cow is a gas stove ever amazing. I can boil a full pot of water in like 5 minutes!!! I also have a rice cooker and a kettle, and the kitchen was stocked with a few pots and pans. I have a full bathroom of my own (no shared showers!!) and there is FREEE laundry right across the hall from me!! There are only ten rooms in this place and just three are occupied, including my own. One of my labmates actually lives here with her husband and daughter. It's super quiet and it looks out at some woods. It's super nice!

 

Sadly I don't have a space toilet.

I spent my first full day in Sapporo (Wednesday) running around with my prof doing administrative stuff, like mailing off forms to my funding agencies and getting registered at the municipal office (so that when the next crime spree starts, they'll know who to blame). Then we began a 4-hour adventure to try to get me a bank account. Apparently you really need to be in the country for 6 months before you can get a bank account in Japan, which seems a bit weird to me.. although to be honest, maybe there are similar rules in Canada (my prof mentioned that he was only able to get a weirdo student account when he was a visiting prof in Canada a few months ago). Anyhoo, we went from bank A (who straight up said no and cited this rule), to bank B (who said yes but had some archaic rules about minimum balances and junk), to bank C (who had some REALLY strict rules about minimum balances and a million fees and junk). Then we went back to bank B, who were suddenly very concerned about the 6-month rule, and then FINALLY back to bank A where we begged them and they hemmed and hawed and finally said yes. So now I have a bank account!! This whole ordeal made me realize how much I love my PC bank account. I never have to interact with humans and there are no fees for anything. It's win-win!! 

By that time it was so late that my prof had to go and pick up his kids from school, so he dropped me off at my apartment and assigned a student from the lab to take me grocery shopping. It was actually pretty helpful to have a ride because we went to a larger grocery store that was a bit far from my apartment and was at the bottom of a long hill, and since I had a ride I was able to buy rice and other heavy stuff. So now I have food!!

On Thursday and Friday I started doing a bit of actual work in the lab. I had a sit-down with my prof to hash out the project, then I got my bench space and I started preparing some samples and growing up plants and stuff today. My labmates are all super nice and very helpful but there is definitely a language barrier. My prof has mostly been encouraging them to speak English with me (because it's good practice for them for conferences and stuff), so I haven't practised my Japanese very much. The one exception is when I was left alone with a girl who told me that she really didn't speak any English, so I said in Japanese "I understand a little Japanese but I can't speak it very well." I heard her telling a few people that I speak pretty ok Japanese but I think they think she's making it up haha. Other than cruelly bewildering my labmates, the main thing I have used my Japanese skillz for are reading signs while waiting in banks and offices. My amazing kanji skills mean that I can read almost everything on a toilet (big flush / little flush)!! And fire extinguishers (fire pour vessel)!! Sadly I can't read the laundry machines. Or the kettle. Or the rice cooker. Or any of the documents I signed >_> But I do know that the post office will let you send someone an aspara-gift (of asparagus). I did not make that up. 

I want to mail everyone an aspara-gift but sadly I don't think they ship well.

So far the worst thing that has happened is that I saw the biggest non-tarantula spider that I have ever seen in my life. It was no joke bigger than anything I saw in Costa Rica. Luckily it was outside and I was inside but still ;________; I was talking to my prof when I saw it and I was like "UH is that really a spider??" And he was like "Oh yeah, those things are everywhere!" and my neighbour labmate told me that her daughter catches spiders in their apartment ;;;;;;____;;;;; so I guess I'll either have to a) get a really big cat to eat these enormous spiders or b) recruit my labmate's daughter because I am certainly not doing c) grow up and either smash it or catch it and bring it outside. It was bigger than a black widow. I would have taken a picture but I couldn't fit it in the frame. 

This weekend I'm going to go shopping because I have no running shoes and I need some basic things like dishes (although my prof did lend me an amazing Hamtaro bowl), and on Sunday I'm supposed to go to the lilac festival downtown with my labmate and her family! 

Sooo so far so good. I miss everyone (especially the cats) but things have been going well, and I've been so busy that I haven't really been lonely. Hooray for amazing adventures!

Little hamsters, big adventures, HAM-HAM-HAM-TARO!

Re-revival!

Whoo! I am leaving for Japan in less than a week! Maybe I should try again to again have a blog where I can post pictures and stuff without annoying everyone on facebook.

So. I leave in less than one week. I have been acquiring vegan household items (e.g. seven bars of soap, vitamins, crap from Lush, etc) for the past few weeks. I don't generally spend a lot of money on myself, and I don't consider myself high-maintenance, but man. Seeing all of the personal hygiene products that I'll use in one year is a little alarming. And expensive. I am aware that things like deodorant and soap exist in Japan, but my logic is that it's hard enough to get my hands on vegan items in Canada so I don't want to set myself up to make a mistake that I'll feel gross about later (especially since I'm the kind of person who sometimes goes to brush her teeth in the morning and remembers that I finished off the toothpaste the night before. Ew).

Because everyone who knows me is very concerned about this subject: the cats are staying in Canada. They are kinda sometimesish ok with car rides, but three flights (or two flights and a 12 hour train ride) is probably a little unrealistic for them. Also, someone who will remain unnamed MAY be too big to be carry-on. And also I would need to convince another person to fly to / from Japan with me if I did want the cats to be carry-on. So the cats will be staying with their grandparents, which is fine with them because they like stairs, crackers, windows that look out on squirrel highways, and meat, which are all things that my parents have that I don't.

My junk is currently unpacked and is strewn across my parents' entire house. I should probably start really packing, this time for real.

Cabled mittens with pattern!!

My mittens exploded! I was really sad about it until I found a huge ball of crazy thick yarn right before the holidays. When I finally got around to trying to make myself some mittens, it turned into an ordeal because my yarn was so fat that I couldn't find a pattern that worked, so I finally gave up and made my own pattern. Here it is in case you find yourself in a similar predicament: 

Cozy Cabled Mittens

Materials:

•Cable needle OR spare dpn in gauge of main needles

•US 10 / 6.0 mm dpn (4 needles) or 2 sets of circular needles

•Tapestry needle

•“Super Bulky” (weight 6-8) yarn in colour of choice (approximately 400 g)

Abbreviations:

•K - knit

•P - perl

•k2tog – knit 2 together

•sl1,k, psso – slip 1 stitch onto working needle, knit one, then pass slipped stitch back over newly-worked stitch.

To make body of mitten:

1. CO 28 stitches in preferred method (I use long-tail cast on, but anything  with a bit of give would work).

2. Mark first stitch, then work k2 p2 ribbing across row. Repeat until 14 rows have been completed or until cuff has reached desired length (28 st).

3. Knit across for 2 rows. If desired, place marker at halfway point to delineate front and back of mitten.

4. K14. Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle and hold in front. K3. K3 from cable needle.  K2. Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle and hold in front. K3. K3 from cable needle.

5. Knit across for 5 rows.

6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 twice (i.e. until you have completed a total of 3 cables and are set to start a fourth).

7. a) For RIGHT MITTEN: K4.  Using scrap yarn of the same weight, K4.  Leave a long tail (5 cm) across stitches* and K6.  Move to 7c).

  b) For LEFT MITTEN: K6.  Using scrap yarn of the same weight, K4.  Leave a long tail (5 cm) across stitches* and K4.  Move to 7c).

  c) Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle and hold in front. K3. K3 from cable needle.  K2. Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle and hold in front. K3. K3 from cable needle.

8. Knit across for 5 rows.

9. Repeat steps 4 & 5 two twice. You should have a total of 6 cables completed.

10. Try on the mitten to check for size (it will be a bit tight because the thumb has not been completed). It should be just a centimetre or so shorter than your tallest finger. If not, K around until desired length is reached.

11. K2tog, K10, sl1, k1, psso, K2tog, K10, sl1, k1, psso (24 st).

12. K24.

13. K2tog, K8, sl1, k1, psso, K2tog, K8, sl1, k1, psso (20 st).

14. K2tog, K6, sl1, k1, psso, K2tog, K6, sl1, k1, psso (16 st).

15. K2tog, K4, sl1, k1, psso, K2tog, K4, sl1, k1, psso (12st).

16. K2tog, K2, sl1, k1, psso, K2tog, K2, sl1, k1, psso (8 st).

17. Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining stitches, then bind off and weave in.

* If you prefer, you can just cut the yarn at this stage rather than leaving a long tail. I prefer leaving a long loop because I find it easier to adjust the tension this way, but it’s fine to cut it as long as you leave enough on each side to weave in later.

To make thumb:

1.Carefully remove scrap yarn from step 7.  You should be left with 8 loose stitches (4 above and 4 at the level of the yarn). Pick up these stitches and pick up 3 stitches on each side of thumb gusset. Place marker at beginning of row (first stitch on underside works well) (14 st).

2. K14. Repeat for 12 rows or until thumb has reached desired length (should be less than 1 cm from tip of thumb).

3. K2tog, K3, sl1, k1, psso, K2tog, K3, sl1, k1, psso (10 st).

4. K10.

5. K2tog, K11, sl1, k1, psso, K2tog, K1, sl1, k1, psso (6 st).

6. Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining stitches, then bind off and weave in.

7. Cut loop from behind gusset (if you left it) and weave in.

I am leaving Japan!

Sadly, I am on my way home because for some reason I should go to school again :(

The last few days were amazing. I went to the Edo-Tokyo museum and learned some stuff. At the museum there were a bunch of kids on school trips, and kids kept coming up to me and saying "HELLO, HELLO!!!!" lol. I've heard that that is pretty common: kids get excited at the chance to practice their English when they see a foreigner.

After the museum I went to Akihabara,aka the promised land for nerds. It sure was a place! It was fun to see store after store after store selling nothing but electronics and video games and manga and action figures. There were also several crane game parlours: I won on my first try, but the coolest machines were super complicated and required several plays so that you could work this elaborate trap mechanism. There were also several maid cafes >__>  They all had maids on the street advertising for them, and the best was a comics-themed maid cafes where the girl advertising on the street was wearing a Chopper hat. By the way, One Piece is still crazy popular here.

I also visited a famous gate and shopping area in Asakusa, and visited this amazing street that only has restaurant supply stores. All of the restaurants here have fake food in the window to advertise their food, and this fake food all comes from Asakusa!

Finally, this morning I visited the shrines to Meiji, the dude who established a constitution in Japan, then walked around Harajuku, a high-fashion area. Then I made my way to the airport, and now I am waiting to board my plane to Vancouver. I have had a great time and I can't wait to see you all soon (and to share my weird candy with you)!

Back to Tokyo!

The conference is over (or rather, I left....), and I am on my way back to Tokyo for a few days before I head home!  Sapporo was really nice and I wish I would have had more time to spend there.

For people who have asked what Japan is like, here is a summary of stuff that is basically exactly like in anime / video games in my super limited experience:

- When you enter a store, the staff always stops what they are doing and calls irashaimasse (welcome). ALWAYS.
- There is a lot of bowing. If you buy something expensive the staff will chase you out of the store and continue bowing after you on the street!
- There are vending machines and convenience stores everywhere (as in, usually more than one per block on every block) and they are crazy cheap
- There is a lot of random English around but most people don't really speak it.
- The tv shows are really, really weird. I saw a reporter taking about what looked like a really serious car accident, and then he turned to his co-anchor... Who was talking to a puppet.

Finally, in terms of how stuff looks on the streets, I would say that Katamari is an excellent representation.

I am still in Japan!!!

I haven't been deported or anything!

On Sunday I met up with my professor and traveled to Sapporo for the conference. Sapporo is a really pretty city - it's comparable to Ottawa in size, whereas Tokyo is like Toronto x 1,000,000. The temperature here is also way more comfortable. Tokyo was SO HUMID! I thought Ottawa was bad but Tokyo was just insane!

So far I have eaten a lot of delicious stuff. The convenience stores sell all kinds of sushi rolls and rice balls that come in this amazing packaging; the nori and the rice are in separate compartments, but if you open them right they just automatically come together in this crazy self-wrapping way from the way that the plastic slides between them. Clearly I can't explain it well but suffice to say that the Japanese are light years ahead of Canada in the rice snack packaging department.

The green tea here tastes really different and doesn't have that weird cigarette smoke aftertaste that some tea at home does. Did I mention that I once read a paper about food authenticity that found that a lot of packaged green tea was like 80% grass (i.e. The stuff on your lawn)??? That may explain that weird flavour lol.

Yesterday I was mainly just at the conference (but I went for a walk and ate lunch in a park where there was a huge flower festival!), but today we have a conference field trip. We're going to the Sapporo brewery and to a horse park. The Sapporo beer that is sold in Canada is actually brewed in Guelph, and our student councils are always organizing tours, so I think it's a bit funny that I will go to the Sapporo brewery in Sapporo before I go to the one that is literally 15 minutes from where I live.

In conclusion, I have taken a billion pictures but I don't have a way to transfer them to my tablet, so here is a picture I took of the Rockies from the plane.

I looked really hard for sheep and / or sasquatches but there were none to be seen.

PS Japan needs daylight savings time because it is not quite 4 am and the sun is basically up.
PPS I thought I was totally not jetlagged, but it is not quite 4 am and I am wide awake lol.