First Outing

Good morning from Osaka!

Well I survived yesterday, and yes, that’s kinda how it feels.  In a good way 🙂

The weather is quite intimidating to me because I hate the cold.  So yesterday I again stayed in until it was time to get Katie at noon.  At least I did do a 30 minute workout–my first in a while.  But as I was making what seemed like a lot of noise jumping up and down I realized OMG! I had my shoes on in the house–yikes!  I really felt bad because it is important here.  And really lots of people in the US don’t like people to wear shoes on their hardwood floors or whatever.  Anyway, I quickly took my shoes off, apologized to the universe, and finished my workout.

Then we moved to the next giant problem:  I washed my hair and realized I had given my all-important hair product to Katie.  She was still sleeping because I had gotten up at 3 a.m.  It was 38 degrees outside and Katie had already educated me there is nothing to buy here for us anyway.  I searched my small apartment for anything that my work, but the only thing that came in the apartment was soy sauce haha!  So…….I used a small glob of coconut oil Katie had given me for dry skin and a blob of Johnson’s Baby Lotion we found at that crazy store.  Oh man!  I waited for it to dry and it looked ok, so maybe I’m on to something!

It takes 2 trains to get to the school Katie teaches at on Tuesday.  As she got ready for work, she gave me instructions on how to get back, which I typed into my phone.  I was not feeling confident at all.  But off we went and she gave me more pointers on the way.

The trains run so frequently and on time that we were able to arrive at the station to take the 12:52 p.m. train with only minutes to spare.  The trains are clean and some of them are beautiful.  When we switched trains in Umeda–one of the biggest stations in the city–the next train was shiny burgundy color with chartreuse colored, crushed velvet seats which are heated, for cryin’ out loud!  Katie had helped me get a “train card” the night before, so we just beeped ourselves in, then you beep yourself out on the other end, which deducts the amount you used depending on how far you went.

I dropped Katie off at her building in Kawanishinosegushi–I’m not even making up that word.  We agreed to meet in front of the building at 3:30 p.m.  Katie taught me how to “drop a pin” (whaaaat?) on my google map so I could find the school again.  Well maybe I dropped a pin I really don’t know, but I was so freaking nervous about getting disoriented and not finding my way back.  This has never happened to me before.  I have a pretty good sense of direction and usually understand north-south-east-west.  But the whole no street sign thing has me stupified.  Plus the buildings are unremarkable and even if they have a sign it looks like a decoration rather than a title to my American eye.

I stood there debating what to do for an hour and a half and I will admit that what I really wanted to do was get back on the train and try to find my way home.  Like a scared suck, I googled “closest Starbucks to me”–ha!  7 kilometers.  So I tried “closest coffee” and all it did was show that stupid “pin” I dropped.

I took a photo of the building she works in.  Maybe if I got lost I could find a cab to take me back.  Instead, I decided to walk in each direction in a straight line.  I would not turn a corner and if I turned around the building would be in sight.  Ridiculous.

But, I DID have on my new coat which not only helped keep me warm, it made me feel Japanese and gave me a little confidence.

The first direction had storefronts, but it was unclear what they were except for one 7-11.  I figured, worst case I’ll go there and get a bag of chips.  The next direction had some pretty homes.  I really wanted to explore the neighborhood, but that meant turning a corner so forget it.  This is a terrible picture, but you can already see the roof tops which are like dark clay tiles which are shiny and look different than what we have.  Plus you can see the low mountains in the background.

The next direction had a mall, right there off the street.  Katie had explained this area was higher end and the prices were more expensive.  Then I smelled coffee yay!  I discovered a darling little coffee shop.  It looked like a European museum, with tiny decorated coffee cups made of porcelain.  I lurked outside pretending to admire the fancy grinders in the window, but secretly trying to get up the courage to go in.  I couldn’t believe how anxious I felt, standing there thinking, REALLY? You’re afraid to walk into a coffee shop?!  Finally, I stepped in, smiled, and waved at the turquoise and gold chairs and the sweet clerk smiled and nodded.  Phew, I was in!

Then I looked at the menu.  It had 2 sections.  “Straight Coffee” and “Blended Coffee”.  The descriptions were in Japanese with no pictures.  I randomly pointed at one and smiled.  I was the youngest person in the shop, which had about 8 older ladies enjoying their coffee and maybe like pie of some sort.  A couple older men came in also.  The women would glance up at me occasionally, no doubt puzzling over my baby lotion covered hair.  But me and my new coat sat there and pretended we were enjoying ourselves.  And it was a delicious cup of coffee with real cream I poured from the tiny little porcelain pot.  We will never know what type of coffee it was, but I had a cup at Sakai Coffee, by gosh!

I had another first at the mall–a public restroom.  Katie had told me about them and no kidding, it was amazing.  The stall was floor to ceiling dark wood–very private.  The toilet seat was warmed and there were so many buttons I swear you could nearly take a bath.  You can be sprayed, deodorized, hear music or water.  Outside near the sinks was a tall white urinal looking thing–but this was the ladies room.  Katie told me later it is actually for moms with little boys–how cute!

Back I went to Katie’s building and started off in the next direction.  Mind you I’m only talking a few blocks each way, but I couldn’t lose site of her building.  This way had a grocery store.  Again, it was pressed into the city, not like at home with a big parking lot, in fact I saw no cars only people.  This was a specialty store with foreign foods and wine.  I found something that looked like chocolate dipped straws and figured I earned them and could include them in my other blog section about coffee and chocolate.  When I got outside I immediately opened them, then STOP! In Japan you don’t eat or drink in public.  Katie had warned me and I observed it to be true.

I figured I should pick up some fruit to offset my chocolate straws.  Produce is very expensive here with each item wrapped individually.  There was one, and only one, cantaloupe, which could be bought for 2380 yen or about $23.

I walked in the last direction and there was a casino of sorts, with a strong smell of cigarettes.  Katie had told me they only allow slots and Pachinko for gambling in Japan.  The YouTube video I watched shows Pachinko like a roulette wheel combined with pinball or something.

Finally, I got Katie and we went to……..McDonald’s haha!  She ordered the Teriyaki Burger, which was like a cheeseburger but with Teriyaki sauce instead of ketchup and mustard, plus lettuce and tomato.  It was surprisingly good.  We both had fries which were exactly the same–salty and delicious.  Katie had an apple pie too, which was like the ones we used to have, shaped like a long turnover and deep fried.  I noticed that although McDonald’s was full of people, it was quiet and no one left.  It seemed like a place to relax and catch up on your phone.

45 minutes later, Katie pointed me in the right direction for my train trip home.  She said, “Track 3 Mom.  It arrives in 2 minutes.”  Oh good grief!  She had explained if I take that train I will get a seat and it’s the express train so it takes 20 minutes instead of an hour.  Turned out to be no problem and my Japanese friends and I relaxed in comfort.  I smiled when a lady across from me pulled down the shade behind her when she saw the sun flashing in my blue eyes.

This train was easy–I just to go to the end of the line.  But now I was in Umeda, the biggest station, trying to find Midosuji subway line and let me tell you there were stairs, escalators, train lines in every direction, and oh by the way the whole station is within another mall so there are stores everywhere too.  I had been up since 3 a.m. and gave up pretty quickly.  I wandered towards 2 women in what looked like train station uniforms.  I pulled out my phone to point to Katie’s directions.  Little did I know I dropped my train card–no problem, they rushed to pick it up, pointed me in the right direction and said “downstairs, 2 flights.”  Ok…….

I found the Midosuji line and then used the signs Katie had shown me to determine I was getting on the train going in the correct direction, towards the Daikokucho station:  my stop.  On this Women’s Only car there were no seats now that it was rush hour.  I tried to look cool in my coat, but I was feeling weak and worried about missing my stop.  Holding on to my handle bar I listened carefully because they do announce it once in English.  Finally after 5 stops I was there.  Katie had said “Take Exit 1 out of the station, go up the stairs, turn backwards and you’ll see our Family Mart which is on our street.”  Yeah right.  I swear there was no Exit 1.  I asked the uniformed man and he pointed to a map saying Exit 3 and then moving his finger backward on the map.  Finally outside where the temperature was dropping, I found Family Mart–but not our Family Mart.  They are everywhere!  I walked backward like the man maybe said and after a block saw a sign for Exit 1.  And there was our Family Mart.  Honestly I felt so relieved it was ridiculous.

I was only gone about 5 hours but was glad to be back in my little apartment, with my Japanese cable t.v., the little blanket I brought from home, and the 1 can of beer I bought.  In hindsight it was such a cool day, but difficult to appreciate at the moment.  Hopefully each day will be a little more relaxed, but truly it’s hard to imagine.  Me and my coat are gonna try again today though!