This Week In Japan

Ok, down to business because I know that I've been the laziest girl in the whole world. On Sunday (thats 24/5/04) I got the chance to go to the 90th Annual International Rotary Convention, which by some stroke of luck was being held in Osaka this year. All you Rotarians back home reading this...I'm so sorry, but I have nothing really on interest Rotary-wise to report. Being the almost non-important (and stupid foreigner - easily bored and easily amused) I was only able to see the opening ceremony and the starting performances, not actually any of the real Rotary stuff. However, for my friends who are reading this, I did get to see some pretty cool traditionaly Japanese music and arts. First up, the thing I remember most was that they were playing one of my CDs when everyone was walking in. I know that that sounds so trivial but seriously, to have a Ministry of Sound Chillout Album (Number 2, disk 1 actually) played at a major event, a major Japanese event just kinda blew me. Then after about 30 minutes sitting in the crowd I go so bored that I decided to go walking. Ended up bumping into two American boys who then attracted some American girls (and the magnetic chain goes on) until I was standing in a group of about 15 exchange students swapping business cards and jacket pins. It was great to be able to talk to so many people (english speaking that is) after so long being the only exchangie in Imabari. Turns out one of the American dudes' host father is the director of the whole exchange program in Japan so he managed to rent out A WHOLE HOTEL for the exchange students (a party, sadly I was not part of) and also provide FREE-EVERYTHING passes for anyone Rotary at the Osaka Universal Studios the next Tuesday. Sadly again, I was going back home on the Monday. WHY! WHY! MUST I MISS OUT ON ALL THE GOOD STUFF!!!

So after about an hour talking with the guys I had to go back and sit down with my club again for the opening ceremony. This was very cool. Lots of lasers (everyone likes lasers) and bright lights and such. At the beginning we all stood for the Japanese National Anthem, which I know the general tune and word sounds (not the actual words, I really should learn it though) then the procession of countries in which all the flags of all the participating countries were brought in by Japanese school students. I was amazed to see how many country's flags I didn't know, and how many had just materialised out of nowhere. I mean, how many small principalities can there possibly be in the Balkans anyway? And why does evey small Island Nation have to have its own flag? And why do they all have Rotary clubs!!! I mean seriously, did YOU know that Antarctica has a Rotary club? Let alone a Rotary club flag.
All the nations' names were of course spoken in English but being the curious little bunnie that I am, I wanted to know the Japanese name for them as well. So my conversation went something like this:
"Um, Otoosan (Jdad), whats the Japanese word for Liechtenstein?"
"Whats Liechtenstein?"
"Oh,"............"Do you know what the major export of Liechtenstein is?"
"No...."
"False teeth."
Hahahahahahahaha! The look on his face!

So after that we got to watch some traditional Japanese Arts. First up was this guy who played this really cool traditional three string Japanese lute. The first piece that he played was a modern piece with a full orchestra and bright lights and such. The second piece he played was more traditional and of his own composition. It was so beautiful...I was captivated. Well! After that we got to see some real traditional Noh Theatre. This one has been sitting on my list of Things To Do While On Exchange for a while. It was pretty cool. As far as I could understand it, it was two demons/ogres (men dressed up in costumes) chasing each other (in slow motion) to music (very zen music). It was...for the hard cores, but I liked it.

Well, after that, there was nothing really more that my club wanted to see for the day so they all went back to the hotel for some R'n'R and a few beers. I however, was not satisfied to have only 1 hour talking to exchange students so I asked for another hour at the Osaka Dome (site of all Rotarian-ness this year) and scouted around for more bewildered looking foreigners. Found then, huddling in group as per usual and managed to pick up friends from Hungary, France (one of a triplet A team, all on exchange in Japan !!!), America (of course), Sweden, Mexico and of course Oz. Met up also with one of the girls that I came over on the plane with and it was great to say hello and catch up. Seems like everyone got sent to a major center except me so I was regailed with stories of how wonderful it was in Osaka/Nara/Hiroshima/Tokyo/Kyoto/Sendai/Kobe *sigh* I haven't even got a friend to go to Matsuyama with me, 30 minutes away. Life's so lonely.

After dinner and good nights sleep (lets just say that my dinner companions were very /very/ interesting Rotarians), it was another day in Osaka. However being the fool that I was, gave everyone MY mobile number and email, but didn't ask for anyone's in return...*grumbles* so I had noone to explore Osaka with. Yay, so I went out by myself! How stupid. Managed to get lost in Osaka central station, buy myself a new shirt from the uber chic Comme Ca Ism then get unlost in time to meet up again with my club to take the shinkansen (bullet train) back home. Yay, some bright spark booked us seats in the smoking car so for the whole 3 hours back I was breathing through my T-shirt trying not to cough (and die).

So that was my trip to Osaka. Would have loved to regail you with stories of how I (insert amazing Japanese experience here) but I can't so Nah! But, made heaps of new mates and have even been keeping in touch with some of them. Hey Guys! *waves*
*everyone turns away, what a loser*

2) Turns out that one of the guys in my club is an astronomy buff so he invited me to his star gazing night. But like always, Jane brings the rain and so it was too cloudy to see anything, let alone stars. So for two hours I got to learn all about the moon, the northern sky and how to count kilometers from earth in Japanese. The guy was very accomodating at first, trying to count the kilometers in english but at 100,000 kilometers he gave up and so I was left to try and figure it out for myself. Managed to get at far as 100 trillion kilometers before I couldn't recognise the chinese character for the number after that, nor did I know the english for it. Meh, at that distance, who cares! Its big! It was very interesting stuff and even though I didn't understand a lot of it, I was amazed how much I did understand and how much of that made sense. It was great fun, Thanks Mr Rotarian.

And that was the week. I am so sorry that I didn't update it faster...I've been a lazy bum...sorry ^-^