Hey guys, if you want to drop me a line sometime, here's my new address:
Matthew Christensen
Mettsu Sakura #202
2-2-35 Sakura
Utsunomiya, Tochigi 320-0043
JAPAN
If, however, you want to send something larger - say, something more, oh, I don't know, care-package size (hint, hint), please send it to my school address as I can only receive packages at home if I am at home. Here's the address:
Attn: Matthew Christensen
AEON Utsunomiya
Utsunomiya NF Bldg. 5F
2-1-1 Baba-dori
Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi-ken
JAPAN 320-0026
Just taught another class today - this one a bit harder because the structure was different from the first, but still a lot of fun. One of my students found out I played the violin, and asked me to join his community orchestra. Say hello to everyone, and keep me informed as to what's happening in your neck of the woods.
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7 comments:
Huzzah! I knew you were going to start making connections right away; music really helped me do that when I was a foreigner, too. Mmm...Foreigner. So urgent....you know it's urgent....
I miss you.
Package, eh? I will see what I can do. First though I must get paid by the ever-lovely MSU... on February 17th.
Gah.
Congrats on getting through the first couple of days, and get some photos up soon!
It's Friday today in Minnesota so you must be preparing to travel to Utsunomiya today. I'm looking at Yahoo Maps Japan and see that you are one kilometer from Tobu Utsunomiya Train Station and about 2 and a half miles from the center of the city. Tobu is a major department store chain and owner of a train line, so I'm guessing one of its stores is at the train station near you. The train station is the terminal station, so you won't miss your stop if you travel on that train station. Unfortunately you can't directly take that train line east to the downtown -- this line goes south. You'll need to transfer later onto the JR Line if you want to take the train. I'm guessing that you'll take the bus downtown since you are on one of the major streets, O-dori.
You are 700 meters north on Route 119 from Chuo Koen (Park), which seems to be a fairly good size park. Oh, good luck converting your mind to the metric system.
You'll see that you are in easy walking distance of a medical clinic just to your north. There's also a clinic on the east side of Chuo Koen. Ain't the Internet grand?
It looks like there are several Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines to the southeast and east of you. I can't tell how large those are, but my guess is that the shrines are small neighborhood shrines. Ring the bell, clap your hands twice, and bow your head as you pray at the shrines -- the bell and clapping is to summon the deity. If I remember correctly, you do not clap your hands at a temple; merely place your hands together and pray. Keep 5-yen coins with you so that you can toss them into the collection boxes at shrines or temples.
BrianH (your pal from Borders)
Quick correction from my last post. Chuo Koen is south on Sakura-dori, not Route 119. Sakura-dori becomes Route 119 as it goes north next to your neighborhood. Route 119 takes a jog east on O-dori and then goes south again.
Brian
I'm hooked on these maps. I see where your school is. It's about one mile straight east on O-dori from your apartment. I guess AEON tries to make commuting idiot-proof. The school is a couple blocks from Tobu Utsunomiya Station. Knowing where AEON places its schools, there is a good probability that your school is above, next to, or across from a Mister Donuts doughnut shop.
I gotchyer package right here, baby. Ohhh yeah.
I MISS YOU too. Tons. More than tons.
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