TheGerf.net


[Up one level]


Arrival at Narita 01 - Disembarking Arrival at Narita 01 - Disembarking 20040910-1atnarita01.jpg
After a 13-hour flight, we finally got off the plane... in Japan! So, this is technically my first picture of Japan. Looks no different from any other airport, huh?
640x480 54670 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 02 - Huge flight sign Arrival at Narita 02 - Huge flight sign 20040910-1atnarita02.jpg
Ah, here we go... you wouldn't see something like THIS in America, would you? Well, at least not with the Japanese on it, anyway. This was in the main terminal area at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo. That's one BIG sign. o_O;;
640x480 60166 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 03 - Security gate Arrival at Narita 03 - Security gate 20040910-1atnarita03.jpg
This is probably where we'll have to go through when it's time for us to leave Japan in June. Beyond the security gates are the concourses and everything. We all went by here to check out the stores and restaurants in the airport. Looks like we're runnin' pretty fast, huh?

Run 外人, run! *laughs*
640x480 61958 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 04 - Toy Park Arrival at Narita 04 - Toy Park 20040910-1atnarita04.jpg
This is just one of the many stores at the Narita airport that seemed to be entirely in English. At least, it did on the outside. Wouldn't you like to go to a toy park, too?
640x480 72791 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 05 - Display food Arrival at Narita 05 - Display food 20040910-1atnarita05.jpg
Anyone who isn't familiar with how ordering food in Japan works, you're in for a pleasant treat. In Japan (as with other countries, I'm sure... just not America) most restaurants have plastic, wax, or real dishes of the things they are currently serving out on display. That way you know exactly what you're going to get BEFORE you sit down and order. I think it's really cool; it takes up a lot of space, but it's much more appealing to see what you're going to eat in all three dimensions.
640x480 65041 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 06 - Engrish 1 Arrival at Narita 06 - Engrish 1 20040910-1atnarita06.jpg
Here is the first good instance of Engrish I found. "We don't accept a credit card Only cash of the yen." Quality. ^__^
640x480 45090 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 07 - First meal (expensive OJ) Arrival at Narita 07 - First meal (expensive OJ) 20040910-1atnarita07.jpg
Yes, my first meal in Japan. Actually, it wasn't so much of a meal as a "light dinner," since all I got was some ひじき (hijiki sweaweed) and OJ. Yes, that OJ was four bucks. It was good, though.
640x480 45337 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 08 - Eating at Soba Raku Arrival at Narita 08 - Eating at Soba Raku 20040910-1atnarita08.jpg
The first picture of several that shows people from the Japan Study group eating together at a restaurant. Yay! We had an interesting dilemma when we finished with our food: we didn't know whether to leave our stuff there and just walk out, or if we were supposed to put it somewhere. Eventually some of the people asked a passerby what we were supposed to do, but it didn't go super-well so we just decided to leave things out. In the end, we made the right choice to just leave it out, but getting to that choice was humorous.
640x480 63099 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 09 - Engrish 2 Arrival at Narita 09 - Engrish 2 20040910-1atnarita09.jpg
"Help yourself iced water, please." I suppose it's not THAT bad, but it's still somewhat amusing. I don't mean to be poking fun at the Japanese with these "Engrish" pictures, of course... I mean, we do worse in America, what with getting the kanji for "bicycle" tatooed on our arms and stuff without having any idea what it means... o_O
640x480 50772 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


Arrival at Narita 10 - They sell Apsu here Arrival at Narita 10 - They sell Apsu here 20040910-1atnarita10.jpg
Hey, they're selling Apsu here! I couldn't resist taking a picture of one of Apsu's foreign brothers. Now the question is... is it an older brother or a younger brother? Hmm.
640x480 84097 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


NWEC Room 586 1 - Amazing bathroom NWEC Room 586 1 - Amazing bathroom 20040910-2nwec1.jpg
During our 10-day orientation, we stayed in the National Women's Education Center, a nice center out in Ranzan. And yes, the first picture I took of it was the bathroom we got in our room. *laughs* But, I mean, it was very cool. The toilet had buttons for heating the seat, spraying your butt with water when you were done with business, and so on. Apparently toilets in women's bathrooms have far more buttons, including ones that make flushing noises. There are some very... strange female toilet customs here, I suppose, none of which I really understand yet and none of which I quite care to learn about now.
640x480 24579 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004


NWEC Room 586 2 - My room NWEC Room 586 2 - My room 20040910-2nwec2.jpg
This is a shot of my room the day I moved in, before I had really unloaded my stuff. Actually, I guess I never really unloaded too much more after this, but... yeah. We had two beds (my roommate came later that day because the plane was delayed), a tea set, a porch, a bathroom, and a big safe, too. Coolness. Oh, which reminds me: an air conditioner, too. We kept it at a balmy 20 degrees celcius in there most of the time (about 68 degrees Fahrenheit).
640x480 46766 bytes JPEG Image 9/10/2004



TheGerf.net
All content ©2004-05 Greg Strnad.
All rights reserved.