I'm in Japan!

Booyah!


Quick recap of the first day:

The flight was a long 10 hours, but I slept for about 6 of those. The time transition shouldn't be too bad.


My kind of airplane food.

My classmate/friend Victor and I waiting for our bus to arrive at Narita International Airport in Tokyo.

The bus took us to our hotel in the Ikebukuro district in Tokyo. It's past 10 p.m. and the streets are still bustlin'. Love it.

The soft drink vending machines. I felt reeeally touristy taking this photo:

And AH so cute!

No, I did not play this crane machine game -- I just oohed and ahhed. This should come as a relief to some of you.

We also visited a konbini (convenience store) near our hotel, where I picked up a corn bun and some fizzy lemon drink. I was also going to order some yakitori at a food stand nearby, but I'm embarassed to say I chickened out right before ordering because I realized I had no idea what I was doing and ohmygodi'mactuallyinjapan.

Tomorrow we move to Kyoto -- we'll head back to Tokyo after a few days there. I'm off to bed (it's past midnight here).

Finally done packing.

Key things I'm bringing along:

A fresh, new Moleskine pocket notebook, to be filled on-the-go.


My trusty-rusty compact digital camera, to visually document my trip as best I can. Nothin' fancy, but it gets the job done.


One backpack and one small luggage. I'm supposed to be "packing light." Considering that I used two or three gigantor jam-packed suitcases on my three-week trip to Indonesia a few years back, this is about the best I can do.


A few things I'm leaving behind:


Wish I could take these with me.

Things I'm bringing home:

Not sure yet. Cultural experiences. A belly full of Japanese food. A new perspective on life..?

And probably lots and lots of junk(/souvenirs). But super cute junk.

Japanese of the Day:
Kawaii omiyage = cute souvenir(s). As in, I am going to get SO many kawaii omiyage.

Too soon. And not soon enough.

ONE WEEK.

No, I have not begun packing. No, I have not yet read my travel books. Yes, I am kind of freaking out.

But excitedly so.

Wish list of activities.

Several weeks ago, the organizer of the trip asked us to write a "self-intro" of sorts. One of the questions asked what kinds of activities we're interested in. Well, it'd be impossible to answer that question fully, but I conjured up a short list. Here's what I wrote to her:

I'm open to participating in a variety of activities in Japan, including:
- eating sushi
- watching kabuki
- making wagashi
- learning about Japanese history and culture
- eating ramen
- experiencing Tokyo night life
- enjoying natural beauty
- visiting a Japanese marketplace
- singing karaoke
- interacting with locals
- doing a traditional tea ceremony
- eating curry rice
- shopping
- eating ALL kinds of Japanese cuisine
- dressing in a kimono
- eating sushi from a conveyor belt a.k.a. kaiten-zushi

Yup. Nine out of sixteen (56%) of those have to do with food.

Two weeks to go.

Past travels.

I don't really get to do a lot of traveling, which is why I'm so excited for Japan in the first place. But I had enough travel photos to create a little collage for my header:

1. In LAX before leaving to Indonesia in 2005. Eep. Has it been that long since I've been out of the country?


2. This was captured at a beach within a five-minute walking distance from our hotel in Bali.


3. The most adorable Balinese babies you have ever seen. Taken in Bedugul (still Bali), a gorgeous lakeside village in the mountains.


4. My sister and I parasailing in Hawaii in 2003, about 20 minutes before I'm doubled over in seasickness, ready for the little boat to dock.


Of course, my plan is to take a bazillion more photos in Japan. I'll be posting them here.

Why "Ramble On"?

1. Led Zeppelin was/is the greatest band ever.
2. It's time I was on my way.
3. That's what I do best: I ramble. On and on.
4. And on.
5. Isn't this trait evidenced by Food Blahg?
6. The lyrics are relevant to traveling/wandering.
7. T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor...
8. Just kidding.
9. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart.
10. It just fits. Listen to it.

Three weeks to go.

For those of you who don't already know:

I'm traveling to Japan! YAY. For three and a half weeks (that's nearly a MONTH), departing May 25 and returning June 18.

And I created this secondary blog because I am just so dang excited. I'll use it to document my experiences the best I can -- we'll see if I can do it daily or at least every other day. That is a tall order for me. Readers of my food blog are going 'pfffhhtbtt.' Speaking of which, I'll also maintain Food Blahg when I encounter yummy eats (which I am planning to do a whole lot of).

The itinerary:
- Kyoto: 4 days
- Tokyo: 5 days
- Hakone (hot springs): 1 day
- Yoron Island: 2 weeks
- Tokyo: 2 more days

I'm counting down.. 21 days left.

T minus 28 days.

Exactly 4 weeks until I leave for Japan. (!!!)

To say I'm excited is an understatement.