We hit the Roll and Soul Museum here in Memphis which was really awesome! I highly recommend everyone hits it if they are visiting. It starts you off with a short video about the legends to pass through. Then they give you a head set and you get to walk through the museum, starting at folk music of the early 1900's and progressively get further along till you reach the last room which is today. They have all kinds of artifacts and music clips from all kinds of musicians. My personal favorite was the part about Elvis (of course) They had a section where they played clips of songs he sang and compared them to the original folk version. Hearing the different influences in his voice and the way he sang made his music even more enjoyable for me. I love folk music, so to be able to see the progression of modern music from that was something that was really enjoyable for me
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Because of East Asia Term:
TRAVEL DAY! Today we are leaving Tokyo, Japan and headed for Taipei, Taiwan!!! I’m sad to leave Japan, it’s been so great and fun and amazing beyond words but… lets give a big WHOOP for a new country with new languages and customs and experiences just waiting to happen! We should get there around 10:00 pm but apparently there is a typhoon so lets hope that doesn’t put a damper on our plans. (Pun intended) Since I’m going to be planes, trains and automobiles today there’s not much that’s going to be happening here except my jittery excitement. So I figured it would be fun to put together a compilation of all the tips and tricks I’ve picked up here in Japan.
1. Double check your chocolate sweets because more often than not it’s NOT chocolate but a traditional Japanese sweet, Red Bean Paste. ICK! 2. Try to know the basic words and such to try to get by, but more importantly try to learn responding words so that way people can answer you. 3. Japan DOES have a typhoon season, technicalities be damned so bring rain gear in the summer and fall. 4. Try to bring small gifts or tokens of thanks for people you meet on the street. It’s a great way to show thanks and make positive impressions. 5. Don’t get use to coffee unless you have a small fortune to spend on it. 6. Public showers in Japan mean public showers, emphasis on PUBLIC. So try not to be too bashful and just remember everyone is sporting their birthday suits not just you. 7. If you find yourself in a situation with a language barrier try writing things down. Lots of people learn English reading writing and speaking but can’t understand our accents. This makes it easier for them. 8. Sushi doesn’t always mean fish. Look out for raw hose meat. 9. There are usually tea pots in hotel and hostel rooms so you can boil water but actually, water in Japan is okay to drink-indulge while you can. 10. You don’t need to take you’re shoes off in Japanese airports. Remember this or hold up the line. This morning started off pretty well, I thought. I woke up early and decided to go down to 7/11 for breakfast. I was just going to have a biscuit or something but then I thought, no. I’m going to have a hot meal for breakfast, not 7/11 food. So being the classy college student that I am, I walked 2 stores down to the McDonald’s, got hotcakes and hash and ate on the side of the road while I bummed internet from 7/11. And you know what? It was great! I got some looks, but at this point I really just don’t care… Sorry Japan. It doesn’t really matter though, I’m leaving soon and I could never be classy like you anyways. I also got to Skype with my mom (finally!) which not only made me feel so much better but I was also able to get all the gossip from back home. I don’t care what anybody says, sometimes nothing makes your day like talking to your mommy. After that I had to rush back to class where we are wrapping things up on presentations. Besides that today is just a chill day. So after class I had a quick lunch and went out with my friends before they left for sumo. And let me tell you, We. Went. CRAZY! Her we are, a bunch of 20 year olds, out on our own and able to explore one of the biggest cities in the world! So obviously, what do we do? POKECENTER!!! Yep, you heard right, I said Pokecenter… like Pokemon. But seriously, it was really fun and there is only one way to truly describe it… Pikachus everywhere!! I never understood Broadway. Or Shakespeare or most theater. Its wonderful and beautiful and very interesting and cultural but it just gives me such a headache. The lights, the music, the LOUD talking. And let me tell you, Kabuki isn’t any different. For those of you who don’t know, Kabuki is a Japanese form of theater. Its very interesting actually, all the actors are male and dress in these really elaborate kimonos and have really intense make up. As actors, they have to do it all themselves which I thought was really interesting. The reason behind the all-male cast is because back when Kabuki first started and was popular women were not allowed to perform in plays like that. The same kind of thing occurred in Europe during Shakespeare’s time too. However, unlike the plays from Europe, Japan has kept this tradition in its plays. Three of the main reasons are because, one, the costumes are so elaborate and heavy it is thought that no woman can ever stand the burden and still play her roll well. The second reason is because it is thought that a woman cannot portray the Ideal female characters that are in kabuki plays as well as a man can. (Weird, I know) And third, it is just tradition.
Another really interesting thing about these plays is the vocals and music of it. Most of the time, the musicals are meant to sound beautiful and enchanting as the key priority. However, in Kabuki the annunciation in the most important, weather your voice sounds beautiful or not. This means there is a lot of voice cracking when speaking and singing. The music however is traditional and enchanting all the same. The actors are also very loud. The show that we saw was quite hard to fallow at times and very complicated. Most Kabuki is centered around Folktale like stories. With Gods and Magic it is very entertaining and funny too. I enjoyed it but I would probably enjoy it more if I had been able to understand directly and not need the translator in my ear. Also, by the tie we had gotten our tickets there was only standing room left.. sitting wouldn’t have hurt the experience either. Afterwards was also fun. I went down to the electronic district with my friend Stephi and we got to hang out. Did some Kawai Pictures and ate ice cream… I love Japanese ice cream. Kawai booths are fun too. I’m going to miss those. AH... MT FUJI! We have all heard of it. This big (massive actually, I could see the freaking thing from my plane window coming in to Tokyo a few days ago), Important (the kind of thing great civilizations center around and worship) and you know, Japanese... I'm willing to bet many people can think of little else when thinking about Japan. Strange isn't it? I've been in the country for a few weeks at this point and it seems like such a small insignificant detail. One volcano in a ring of fire, one mountain among millions in the world. There is something else too, that strange feeling I've been getting every now and then when it finally hits me and i come to terms with what I’m doing, to be going places everybody knows about. To be standing somewhere you have known about since grade school but never thought you would actually go... very strange... But to be perfectly frank i will say that if I hadn't known I was standing on Mt Fuji, if I didn’t know I was climbing among legends, I would be extremely underwhelmed. It’s not like in the woodblocks we see, where a huge monster of a rock standing before you, towering over you and being able to be seen for miles! But rather a sleepy giant drifting in the clouds. And once you’re up here there really is not much to see, all you have is some moist dirt under your feet and white misty clouds whipping past you. But I think that is part of it. Part of what this trip (and all our schooling for that matter) is trying to teach us. You can't truly appreciate anything to its full capacity until you know it. The history, the struggles, the successes, the lives that have been touched. If you don't understand the value of an object how can you be awed by it? (And "value" Doesn’t mean money) This mountain would just be a mountain if it wasn’t for the people who love it. It would be just a misty cold hike but the knowledge of what this place represents and where it stands in Japanese Culture is incredible! That’s what makes it beautiful. TOKYO IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST DENSELY POPULATED city in the world. It never hit me until my visit today. I also never realized how immensely spoiled and pampered I am until our arrival at our hostel (Oh, excuse me, “Youth Center”). And let me tell you, I have felt cleaner camping in a tent than I do here. It is four to a room, which wouldn’t be that bad if we were told and could have made groups. There are these stupid doors that slide and revolve open, exposing your room to the rest of the floor, one key to share, and strict rules about showering, eating, etc. There is a bug problem here too and the beds have the original mats from the 60’s (not in the best condition either). AND the best part, hold on to your hats, public baths!! And I don’t mean public like in America. I mean one big room with several shower heads and many, many naked bodies. We are here for 8 days. I really want to be appreciative for this opportunity and I’m sure I’ll laugh about this when I’m back at school (oh, remember that time I got bed bugs and had to fumigate my luggage? Haha, but right now I’m not finding this fun. Though, I guess this IS more of what it’s supposed to be like, isn’t it? A college student backpacking their way through Japan; sleeping in hostels for 15 bucks a night with crappy beds and food to match. I know Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world, but I’m still putting my money on Chicago being the best. By the way, the picture is from our flight in, we could see the legendary Mt Fuji from our plane window! (It’s that massive! And beautiful). I can’t wait to get a crack at it in a few days! If nothing else, I hope THAT at least makes Tokyo worth it. |
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