Japan I

Well, after a bit of drama, this isn't going to be just one great big post. Otherwise, I'll never get it done!

Friday

I think I was the very first person at LAX because Andy dropped me off before work. It wasn't long, though, before more people came. I had McDonald's breakfast, checked in, got on the plane, all no problem. In fact, I had probably the least amount of luggage as most people!

The 11 hour flight was, in a word, miserable. The plane was incredibly hot; too hot to sleep. They were playing two movies in English: National Treasure 2, and Bee Movie; I really, really didn't want to watch Bee Movie, so I ended up watching a really good Japanese movie with subtitles. They served pretty elaborate little meals, and since I'm not really keen on sake I tried the plum wine (which I highly recommend!). Most people opted for chicken for dinner, but they were really missing out - the fish was great.

Saturday

We landed sometime Saturday evening at Narita, only to go through customs, claim our bags, re-check our bags, go through security, and get on the plane to Kyoto. Super simple (for me at least) - customs form, passport, in, out, check! Our flight was actually quite late, but since there were over 75 booked for the domestic flight, they waited for us. It was only another hour flight, but I don't remember a minute of it. I slept through the whole thing.

We landed, collected our luggage, and got on our respective buses to the hotel. Our group was too big for one, so we were split up by project groups. At least our bus had one less group and a little more room. It was sort of late when we checked in to the hotel, but they had a separate table for us to simply pick up our keys and go. Actually, they offered money exchange at the front desk, which I took full advantage of for the super crappy rate. And, it only got worse when we were there. But, at least I had some cash, went up to the room, and got settled in.

The Hotel Granvia was, by far, one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. When I'd checked out the hotels online before the trip, the hotel, and Kyoto in general, seemed kind of old and ... just not that nice. The beds were super fluffy and comfortable, but there weren't any TV channels in English. I kind of got in to a dubbed Ben Affleck movie that cracked me up for the crazy voices. They had all these stereotype voices - the bad guy, the hero, the comedic relief. And I couldn't even tell what they were saying! The best part of the day was just showering and crawling into the fluffy beds, especially since I was supposed to get up early for an all-day tour of Kyoto.

Still

Whew! It's been a crazy week since I got back. And, it seems like jet lag doesn't hit the first couple of days you're home, but wreaks havoc on the next week or so. This is the first I've had to sit down for a few minutes! Since I got home, I've:

• Gone grocery shopping.
• Run.
• Organized and uploaded (most of) my pictures.
• Studied for, and took, my business law exam.
• Unpacked.
• Did laundry.
  
• Shopped for some essentials (deodorant is for everyone!).
• Baked muffins, and soon cupcakes.
  
• Attempted to work out our reception contract.
• Started a new job.
• Moved my office.
• Finished up my old job.
• Started both my law and globe projects.
  

Home

Oh my, what a trip ...

I'm still a little jet lagged, tired, and goofy. Will share stories later.

Rickrolled

This was on xkcd. I enjoyed it. You won't.

Rickroll me!

3

And the great countdown begins - three days until I leave for Japan! I started packing last night and realized not only did I need to do laundry, I also needed to figure out how to make my limited professional wear stretch over four days of company presentations. It looks like I'll be bringing only two suits, and changing what I wear underneath, and that's the best I'll be able to do. It's also been unusually cold there, so suddenly my old wool suit isn't sounding so bad.

On the other hand, what does one wear to Japan?? I've already pulled out my yoga pants and a couple of favorite comfy shirts for the plane, that's for sure.

Plus, I'm a little afraid I'll offend some of our hosts with how much food I need in a day! I like Japanese food - you can't really go wrong with rice anyway. But lately my eating habits have been insane, since reception site hunting comes with eating a lot of very good food (and can I just say, I'm thrilled with ours!). But I've been on a real Mexican kick lately, and I'm not going to the other side of the world for that.

I'm otherwise ready to go, but it's just narrowing down those last few outfits and packing as optimally as I can.

It's been quiet at work recently since my job is winding down. I'm a little disappointed I don't get to see this current project out, but then again, I don't know that I really want all that riding on me. I saw our apartment manager today, and her first question to me was "How is work?" Since I see her about as much as I see my parents, it was a weird thing to ask, but apparently there are other tenants who work at my company and are worried about layoffs. I wasn't, but I guess I will be now!

Since I never blogged about my mom's visit, and the wedding-binge that ensued (literally, to the point that I couldn't take it any more), I might work on that tonight. I have laundry to finish, studying for a midterm, and packing to do!

So, until I return, sayonara!

Destitute

The thing that really bothers me about my school is its reputation. Not of high academic standards and expectations. Not of quality education.

It's the University of Spoiled Children.

MBAs don't exactly have a good reputation. They're money-grubbing, dishonest (surveys show that something like 70% of MBA students cheat on tests), and represent "evil corporate America." And I'd have to agree. There's a very small number of people in my program that I'd call friends. Which is surprising, because I always thought it was a stereotype.

But for some reason, MBA candidates feel like they're especially deserving. (And the faculty dedicates some time to facilitating this attitude.) Coming to campus is a nightmare, because apparently a USC license plate cover and a BMW/Audi/Mercedes (in that order) exempts one from traffic rules. Students are primed to expect an average $100,000 salary, but not have to look for a job. In fact, they say, the average would be higher, but it includes people who work overseas where the wage rates are typically lower, and those who work for non-profits. The people that I'm friendly with are the few who don't corner me in class or in the hallways to try to weasel a job opportunity or sleep with me (also surprising - sure, my program is only 27% female, but I'd say 90% of them are there for a degree and not a husband).

Normally I'm not the type to feel inferior because of social class or perceived wealth, but it's been really hard the past couple of years.

When I first moved out to California, and got my first job, it was sort of a disappointment. I mean, most schools prime their students with ideas that a college degree will almost automatically guarantee you a good, decent-paying job. Being out in the real world, and talking to a lot of people, I think we've all discovered that the real hard work starts after graduation.

But all of my job moves have been upward, and I'm able to live comfortably within my means. And yet when I'm at school I'm painfully aware that my clothes/shoes/purses are not designer labels (and are, in fact, from the Limited, Express, and Gap, but from TJ Maxx), I drive a terribly old car, rent an apartment in questionable neighborhood, and likely make the least in my class discounting those who aren't employed. I can't even begin to wonder how many dollars worth of automobiles park in the university lot, or the value of engagement rings of that third of my class.

I'm obviously attached to my car, and I always thought I dressed reasonably well. I'm not extravagant, and honestly, some of those designer purses? Do you really need to carry around a suitcase worth of stuff covered in an unattractive logo? I've gotten my own jobs, without referrals or family/friend help, and established myself pretty well. But now, it's time to buy a new car, and while I'd like something nicer than a Civic (Nissan Z350), it's far out of my league (Mitsubishi Eclispe). Buying a house in southern California is tough, but I'd never be able to if not for dual income. And most people know weddings are expensive, but few know just how much, even for a relatively small, simpler affair.

I've always lived by asking for little, but expecting even less. Lately that "less" feels way out of reach. Who would have ever thought that the basics (and the occasional luxury, like Starbucks or Disneyland) was too much to ask for?

Reading

Sigh. I didn't want to do it. I thought it'd be a pain.

But I've jumped on the Google reader bandwagon.

So far I've added my usual blogs and websites, but I see you can also add flickr and myspace accounts, as well as a lot of other websites that I'm sure I read but can't think of off the top of my head. (My blog should be available for feeds, if you're interested.)

Oh Google, why do you take over my life? I've effectively switched to the calendar, use the notebook for recipes, gift ideas, and inspirational wedding pictures, and of course use my (oft stolen) email & chat. Now you're managing all of my favorite sites (save for one blog) for free???

Ah, you do know the way to a girl's heart!