Yesterday was our dialogue’s first free day! Each one of us explored Japan at our leisure, but today was our first day of classes post free day!
I woke up this morning around 7 am to make sure I had time to call loved ones. I finally feel adjusted to the time change and can coordinate well with them to discuss what I have been doing here 6,000 miles away.
Breakfast is the usual bowl of miso soup, a few “weinies”, and of course rice. OH! Can’t forget the 3 cups of coffee….don’t worry, the cups are the size of the mouthwash cups given to you at the dentist. I can assure you I am consuming a normal amount of caffeine here.
Annika, Niki, and I braved the 3rd busiest subway system in the world alone to class for the first time today! With enough time for a 7-Eleven pit stop for Annika’s Japanese jelly and my vitamin C drink, we all walked to class.
Today we had a guest speaker named Brandon come teach us about Japanese “school refusal” along with information on diets and his journey to finding what food works best for him. He brought us vegan pizza to try with homemade sourdough bread, a red sauce, and foxtail millet. It was so delicious. Thank you again, Brandon. I felt at home eating this as it reminded me of Rhode Island’s “party pizza,” which is basically just focaccia bread and red sauce.
After class, Niki and I decided to continue our shopping from yesterday in Harajuku! We wanted to hit up some cool vintage clothing shops. They did not disappoint. I would describe the aesthetic of the clothes we saw as 90s beach/skater vibe; Niki agreed. We even saw some guys skating and doing kickflips on the streets.
After wandering around, we made our way to the 3-story Brandy Melville. It definitely compared to the one back in Boston on Newbury. Then we headed to a rooftop dinner I planned at Two Rooms. Shout out to Rachel (my friend from school) for this amazing recommendation!
We got there early and were able to watch the sunset while waiting for Annika and Calvin. Once they arrived, we ordered food. I got the pasta special. The unknowing waiter told me it was “thin pasta with lobster bisque,” so I took a chance and ordered it. Spaghetti with seafood red sauce came out, and at first it looked very promising. However, after a bite, I realized the dish was very much just red sauce with dried fish added. The dish tasted almost correct but lacked a rich tomato sauce and real seafood.
Annika shared with me that she actually loved her dinner. At that moment, I wished I had ordered the scallops, at least that reals seafood. Overall, we collectively, as a group, rated the food a 7/10 but all agreed that the vibes were 10/10. Then it was back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep!
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