Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima

Tomorrow night, I take a night bus from Shinjuku Station down to Kyoto - this will begin my second trip across Japan. I'll make sure to review my bus company and the hostels I'll be staying at. I did my laundry today and I start packing in the morning. :D

There will be a 24 hour period where I technically will not have accommodations - I'll be checking out early one morning, hauling all of my stuff to Nara, spending the day there, hauling it to Osaka and then taking a bus from Osaka to Hiroshima. I'm a light packer though, so it's all good.

Jimmyz Backpackers Review

Jimmyz seems to be a wonderful little hostel in Sapporo. It's about a 5 minute walk from Hosui Susukino station on the Toho subway line. It's within a 15 minute walk from Odori Park/Sapporo TV Tower and roughly 8 minutes from Susukino. I've been here for a day and a half. The building is a little old, but he cleans daily. There are separate showers and toilets for men and women. The shared space has a tatami section and a regularly floored section.The female dormitory is for 4 women and is quite large. The bunks and a mirror are the only furniture, but the down blankets are nice and warm. He also heats the building rather generously.

So far, I think the only downside is that the building isn't weatherproofed. Windows in Japan aren't double-paned because they would shatter easily in an earthquake, so the windows and doors are quite cold to touch.

I highly recommend Jimmyz Backpackers for a stay in Sapporo. For the price, it's phenomenal!

Sapporo

In less than two hours, I'll be on my way to the airport. It's currently snowing heavily in Tokyo, so it'll be annoying until I get to the closest station (about 10 minutes ). After that, I don't have to go outside, so I'm safe from the weather.

This is a good time to mention that packing light can be a great help. By only packing what I can physically carry, I can deal with situations like this where it's likely I'll have to carry my rolling suitcase in my hands to prevent my clothes inside from being soaked.

I'll update once I arrive in Sapporo.

-------- Update

First off, Sapporo isn't nearly as cold as everyone makes it out to be. It's about as cold as DC is at night, maybe a little bit colder because the wind seems to blow.

Secondly, the sidewalks are about a foot higher than they should be because rather than remove the snow, people just trample it down into an ice walkway. Interesting, huh?

Oops and Sapporo

Well, by now, anyone following my blog probably knows that I'm a terrible blogger. I forget these sorts of things rather easily - but I'd like to become a better blogger, one day. Just like I'd like to become a healthy person. Some day.

On Wednesday, I head out to Sapporo for one week (I'll be back in Tokyo on the 13th). I'll be taking plenty of pictures, so if you're friends with me on the facebook, watch out for those. I'll also be going to Kyoto, Nara and maybe Hiroshima sometime later this month.

Japan VS America

This is going to be a relatively short post, but a Japanese friend mentioned that she was shocked at how scandalous American stars could be. It's one thing for the paparazzi to swarm stars on when they're dating or for rumors to go around about possible affairs.

But.

In Japan, usually if there is reasonable proof of the scandal, your contract is TERMINATED. This is especially true if you're a young star.

For instance, if there is a member of AKB48 (a famous pop group) and a sex tape with one of the members was found, shit would get real. If someone captured a picture of her without panties in public, shit would get real. Her contract would be terminated and because she was a famous individual, she would have serious issues finding a job.

This is, in part, because actors/actresses and pop stars/idols here are considered to be role models. If you're being a poor role model, you loose your job.

To some extent, I think America should adopt this policy. I'm tired of hearing shit about Paris Hilton, Lindsey  Lohan, Miley Cyrus....

Body Image

I don't mean to be critical (we've all been trained to), but today, I noticed something about Shakira. Most people hold Shakira up to a certain level of fitness and attraction. As I watched the Hips Don't Lie MV today, I noticed several things.

1.) The clips of her back have rolls when she moves her hips. They are not pronounced (like mine ><), but still there.

2.) Her stomach is not flat - it has a strip of muscle running down the center that causes it to bulge a bit, especially when she does abdominal ripples.

3.) When she leans forward while sitting, her tummy gets that roll like the rest of us.

That said...Why do magazine companies photoshop models to the extent that they do? I don't blame my self-image issues entirely on the media, but when SOCIETY believes that those women look like that in real life...I had to explain to my dad that it wasn't real and he was shocked. Now he points to every attractive woman on the cover of a magazine and asks me, "is she real?" And I'm forced to say no. When MODELS, our society's "standard" for women, say that they don't look that way in real life...something is wrong. What's wrong with a bit of body fat?

All this said, I have (personally) found that how I look in the mirror depends on how I am standing. My posture and the tilt of my hips are big factors in how a tight shirt look on me.

It's been nearly 5 years since my body felt this good. I feel powerful and I can walk briskly for over a mile and hardly get winded. I discovered if I start walking slow, then brisk and then start jogging over the course of a mile, I hardly get winded. I am 5'4" (162 cm) and 165 pounds (75 kg). By every standard, I am overweight/borderline obese.

And yet I am slimmer. In four months, I've been able to take my belt in 2 holes. My size 11 pants have become baggy when I could hardly fit in them - I bought two pairs of size 13 pants before I left the States. Stupid mistake. My tight shirts are all a bit baggy on me because I stretched them out.

Yet when I look in the mirror, I still see the rolls of fat. I see the cellulite on my posterior and my thighs. I have whale arms. I see how disgustingly fat I am and it makes me want to change.

And yet, aside from getting physically healthy, I don't want to change. You shouldn't either. If you are happy with who you are, eat whatever the fuck you want. I do. I've never dieted in my life (unless you count financially restrained dieting?) Hell, I'm eating potato chips, M&Ms and ramen for dinner.

My advice is simple. Walk. If you live in Japan, walk to the next station over instead of taking the train. Walk  home from school on nice days. On average, I walk 3-5 miles a day.

First blog of the New Year

Japan doesn’t seem to have proper insulation codes, so my apartment tends to get cold pretty quick, especially if it’s windy. If you know me, you’ll know I’m pretty sturdy against the cold, so it’s a bit of a problem.

That said, I’m going to take you through the process of winterproofing your apartment. I live in a cheap studio in Nakano-ku, Tokyo, so my prices will probably be cheap compared to larger apartments.

For bubble wrap specially designed for winter insulation on windows, I paid around 580 yen per roll (90 cm X 180 cm). They had much more expensive ones, but I went with the cheapest. Two rolls were roughly able to cover my massive window, my small loft window and most of my door.

Hours later, I can feel the difference. Those areas aren’t quite so drafty anymore – especially my door.

I will say that putting the wrap onto the windows is a bit annoying, as it’s designed to use static and water or something to create a seal. I’m bad at that, so it never works out right. XD I used tape just for good measure. I’ll update in a few days with how this method is holding up. 

If all else fails, I'll get reflective sheets. They're designed to keep heat in and the cold out, but I'm sure it'll work for the summer time too. 

Still need other ways to stay warm? If you haven’t bought a heater, you probably should. February is the coldest month here, so it’s only going to get colder. When using your heater, try to get it as close to your space as possible. My panel heater is boxing me in between my desk and the wall, effectively creating my own little cubicle of warmth.

Still cold? Learn to layer. If you’re a lady, buy camisoles and avoid bras with no lining – you lose a lot of heat through your boobs. Leggings and knee socks under loose pajama pants (or any pants) will also create an insulating layer of air between you and the chill. Skin tight clothing only works well if you have a baggy layer over top. Warmth of the sake of fashion, I say!

If it’s late in the evening and you haven’t showered yet, take a very hot shower and avoid turning the water back down, even if it’s too hot. Get in bed as soon as you can afterward. It’ll provide a temporary solution that chases the chill away.