Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

The warm weather of Hawaii was nowhere to be found while in Japan.  Actually, the first day was sort of a tease as it was sunny and somewhere in the mid 50s.  The following days mother nature showed us that whether at home or in Japan, winter in February is just plain cold.

I had few things I wanted to accomplish while in Japan.  Most importantly was getting sushi.  Its been over two months since I've had sushi and I've greatly been missing my often weekly visits to Wasabi in Minneapolis.  Japan did not disappoint.  In fact, it may have been a step up from the normal spicy crab and spicy tuna that I am used to (sorry, Carlie).  A new favorite - tuna salad roll. 

Part of the excitement for visiting Japan is experiencing a place I have been before, but now with a new sense of awareness following graduate school.  I have often overheard people onboard ship talk about something they saw or an experience they had that was just wrong or about how they couldn't believe someone would act "that way".  The way people in Japan, or anywhere, act is not wrong.  It is right to them based on their culture.  Just because those from a different culture do not view it as right does not make it wrong.  I was more aware of this after my first voyage 6 years ago.  It is interesting to have that awareness going into this one.  Sure, there are things that I view as different or frustrating still, but I at least know they are not that way to simply make me uncomfortable.  

My exploration style is usually random.  I have no set itinerary or idea of what I want to accomplish.  While this would be helpful in some regards, it has allowed for some great random moments and great little finds.  Plus, I know Courtney is never far away with a Lonely Planet in hand to help along the way.  The only structure I had was a planned capsule hotel stay and an overnight bus from Tokyo to Osaka.

Danielle, Nate, Courtney and I descended upon Tokyo for two solid days of exploration.  From Yokohama we took the direct train to Shibuya, Tokyo's Times Square.  While bright and flashy, it luckily was not overcrowded as New York's Time's Square.  Our wandering took us to many areas of town that are likely not visited by tourists.  We visited small neighborhoods, parks and restaurants.  While four Americans will never truly be able to integrate into life in Tokyo in two mere days, it is at least nice to get a snapshot of what life is like in those communities.

As a group of self-proclaimed wanders, we frequently were heard saying, "What's that?"  To which the response was always, "I don't know, but let's go check it out".  On two separate occasions, a what's that moment brought us to two of the highlights of our time in Tokyo.  They included the Shakaden -- a main meeting hall of the lay Buddhist Assocation Reiyuka and Sensoji Temple -- a Buddhists temple.  Sensoji offered some great exploration and witness to the practice of Buddhism.  As it was a national holiday (Founder's Day), the area was a popular stop for many.   

The most off the beaten path thing for me during my stay in Tokyo was the capsule hotel.  Capsule hotels are a popular form of lodging for traveling business men in Japan.  Similar to a hostel, many people share the same room.  The difference is that you are in individual capsules or what looks like elongated human microwaves.  It is uncommon for women to stay in capsule hotels and from our searches, there were very few that could accommodate women.  Courtney was determined to find one and succeeded.  As did a large portion of the SAS student population.  Inside the capsule there is a control panel to the right that controls the lights and the television.  It is reminiscent of controls and dials from yesteryear.  To my surprise, the capsule was pretty comfortable.  Getting a decent amount of sleep on the other hand was influenced by the amount of people coming in around 3am.

The not so hot part of Japan was the weather.  We had reservations for an overnight bus around 11:30pm.  The lack of sleep did not help with the walk, but our spirits remained high.  Our limits were tested, however, when mother nature showed her face again.  This time in pouring rain which created the cold to your bone chill.  A random hotel lobby and several rounds of Uno helped us through until we had to wait in said rain, huddled together, for the bus.  To my surprise, though, the bus was quite comfortable and an 8 hour ride went by quickly.

During my time spent in Japan, Mr. Roboto was frequently stuck in my head.  And if you're lucky, it will be now, too.

It's a hard days work

To fully describe my job would take a bit of time, include many elaborations and several examples before someone has a sense of what it is I really do.  To many, I work on a ship and that is “so cool”.  Had I not worked for Semester at Sea for so long, I don’t think I would completely know what it is I do.  There are multiple sides and facets of my job that stretch from two opposite ends of a spectrum.  It ranges from student affairs all the way to sales.  If you asked me to describe my current job in the most simplistic of terms, I would tell you that I am in the business of saying no.

I have been on ship for 18 days and I have said the word no or moved my head in a side-to-side motion more times than I can count.  My work is spiced up when I am giving the opportunity to say more than just no.  It has included, “I’m sorry that can’t happen”, “That is against ISE policy”, “That is not allowed”, etc. etc.  It has been interesting working in higher education for the past 7.5 years and seeing the change in college students today.  Living with nearly 600 of them has made me even more aware of the latest generational trends.  In particular, lack of commitment.  My “just say no campaign” is more a result of this lack of commitment.  The students have made their field program choices, but constantly want to cancel or change them.  Their reliance on instant satisfaction and pampering from their [helicopter] parents allows them to think that if they want it, they can have it.  Then they come to the Field Office desk and hear (and based on their reactions, they are hearing it for the first time) no. 

To counter this, there are many positive aspects to my job that include the fantastic students that come to the desk (yes, they do exist) and the many opportunities this job provides.  As an example, I am currently sitting on Deck 5 aft, legs stretched out with nothing but blue ocean as far as the eye can see.  I cannot ignore the fact that I am circling the globe.  To quote one my favorite fellow SAS alums, “My worst day at sea is better than my best day on land”. 

Because of this job, the last 18 days have been exciting, tiring, long, short and everything in between.   After a rough ride from Mexico to Hawaii, we arrived to Hilo, which is located on the eastern side of the big island.  Often referred to as the wet side of the island, Hilo is more industrial and lacks the hype and allure of Waikiki or other travel resorts.  That is a good thing.  While I am open to traveling to many different places, a tourist trap is often last on my list.  Hilo had a feel that was more off the beaten path and true to local island life.  When the ship arrives in port, the second half of my job comes to life.  I, along with my colleagues in the Field Office, are responsible for seeing each field trip off.  This means that as the hundreds of passengers rush off the gangway to explore the island, we get to go only a stone’s throw from the ship.  Once the trips are away, we get a little playtime ourselves. 

My two days in Hilo provided some quality time to relax and to spend with friends. It included a walk through downtown Hilo, a Lu’au and a drive south on the island to explore Volcanoes National Park, tidal pools and a natural hot pond.  All-in-all, it was a good reprieve from the battering we all had taken while crossing the Pacific to reach the island chain. 

  

Local brews.  Always the way to go.

 

Tidal pools on the Big Island

Volcanoes National Park.

Arriving in Honolulu was a reminder that we had traveled thousands of miles, but had gone nowhere at all.  A modern U.S. city, Honolulu has the hustle and bustle you’d find at home.  If you avoid the tourist trap that is Waikiki and the resorts, you’ll find some amazing things on the island of Oahu.  Armed with a rental car, we took off with no set plan but to explore the island.  Within 10 minutes of leaving the hustle and bustle of downtown Honolulu, you are taken up the mountainside, where the car’s temperature gauge drops from a warm and welcoming sunny 81 degrees to 70 degrees, foggy and rainy.  Our drive took us along the northeastern side of the island, following the coast to the North Shore with random stops along the way.

 

Photo op on the way to the North Shore.

Following Hawaii, we began our 10 day stretch to Yokohama, Japan where will we arrive in just a few days.  The seas have been cooperative, though I hear we are to experience some rougher waters as we turn more northward tomorrow.  The Pacific Ocean in winter often leaves little to be desired.  That aside, I do have some exciting things to look forward, including a capsule hotel stay in Tokyo, more random exploration, sushi and an overnight bus.