Asakusa

Yesterday was a Japanese holiday, but of course we were working as usual. Although we worked more of a normal work day instead of the usual double shifts. Helena (my personal guide in Tokyo) took me to Asakusa to see the market and the beautiful temple. The market really had a lot of good things to buy as presents and souvenirs, so I might have to go back there some time. And of course there were lots and lots of things to put on you mobile. I don’t think I have seen one single person in Japan without something hanging from their phone. Sometimes even a stuffed animal so big they almost need a separate bag just to put the phone in.

When walking along the street with the market and going through the gates to the temple it finally arises in front of us. This big old… tent? The entire temple was undergoing some reconstruction and was completely covered. How ironic. Especially since I just a few days ago laughed at a friend who had a similar experience… =) Unfortunately we also came a couple of hours late so we couldn’t go into the temple. However, the surroundings were really nice and we found a small Japanese guy (as if there are any big ones) who most likely wanted to practice his English. He took on the task to be our private guide and started leading us all over the Japanese garden that lied in the vicinity of the temple and he just kept going and going. We kind of got the feeling that he wanted to hang out a bit longer than we did and it’s a good thing that Helena is a bit more firm than I am otherwise we would probably be talking to him still.

After the temple we went for a walk around Asakusa and ended up taking some pictures, purikura. If we had it in Sweden it would probably be a huge thing for 14 year old girls, but since I’m so young at heart I thought it was really fun to try it. Although everything gets a bit more complicated since everything is in Japanese… We ended the day at Starbucks with some fika and girl talk before going back to Roppongi.

men...

everyday excitement...

To try to get rid of all the ton katsu and yakitori from yesterday I went for a run this morning.. Quite interesting thing to do in a city where you don't know your way, can't read signs, can't ask anyone, don't have a map... and even if you did you wouldn't be able to read it.. and if you could you still wouldn't be able to compare it to real life... =)

sleepy....

How is it possible to feel so reluctant towards getting up on a Monday morning?!

Finally some shopping!!

This has been an awesome summer day here in Tokyo! Me and the guys from work started out with an enormous brunch here in Roppongi. Then we went to Odaiba, an artificial island in Tokyo bay. It felt great to be able to lie down in the grass and just relax for a while with a cold beer. We went by both subway and train to Odaiba. When standing in the front cart of the train it felt almost like being on a rollercoaster.

The skyline of the city is really cool, and it reminded me a bit about New York.. or was it London... I’m a bit confused since they had both the statue of liberty and London Eye on Odaiba. =)

Being here in Tokyo for a while and watching all the well dressed people I have built up a gigantic desire for shopping. Therefore we all went to Ginza. I must say that most shops here in Tokyo haven’t really accounted for my long torso and sumo arms. But in the end I ended up buying one new outfit.. at H&M.. Amazing that you can go half around the world and still buy the same clothes you can find around the corner back home. Although I must say that H&M here felt much more fancy than it does in Sweden (or elsewhere..) and the price tag showed that it was.
So, Sunday night and another week has gone by.I’m really amazed how fast time flies. It will probably just feel like a couple of days before I have to go back home...

A work free weekend..

Yesterday we went to the yakitori place again. It’s so good I cannot find words!! We just kept ordering one thing after another. We finished off with a crème brûlée which is surprisingly good for being in Japan. After that we went to Shibuya and spent an hour or two at a karaoke place. Two of my colleagues sang me a love song. Isn’t that sweet! =)

Today I was planning to go to Ginza for some shopping, but the rain is really pouring so I’m having a nice and calm day in front of the TV instead. The weather has been going a bit up and down. One day it’s like Sweden a warm day in July, and the next it’s really cold. But it seems like it’s gonna be nice weather tomorrow so I’m keeping my fingers crossed!!

To my great surprise I have actually started thinking about what it would be like to stay here a bit longer. I really do like the country (i.e. Tokyo which is the only part I’ve seen…) and the people are really nice. It would sure be a great experience both personally and for my career. However, there are so many things back home that I would miss. Everything from being able to read signs and communicate with people to friends and family. I guess I’m fooling myself a bit as well since this is more of a vacation (and I don’t mean work wise..) than an actual move. A lot of practical issues would have to be solved if I would actually move here.

My apologies to all horse lovers...

I actually tried raw horse meat yesterday.. Nothing I would recommend, but you have to try everything once right?

The restaurant was really nice. Really classic Japanese environment and the menu was stapled all over the wall.

No work, just play!!

Yesterday me and Paweł spent a work free day in Tokyo. We started off with some really nice sushi in Roppongi and then we left for some shopping in Harajuku. You could really notice a huge difference in how people dress. This is where all the cool people go. I went into a shoe store that felt like shoe heaven. Lots of gorgeous shoes for only 2000¥, but when you’re a giant it’s not that easy to find shoes in the land of the Lilliputians. Although I’ve seen plenty of girls walking around in shoes that are at least 2 sizes too big. That’s not fare..

It was really amazing how much people that were walking the streets on a normal Saturday. It was like when there’s a fair in Sweden. Even though it’s really crowded it doesn’t feel that way since people aren’t bumping in to you as they would any other place. Another thing about Japan is that in front of almost every restaurant they have plastic food in a monitor. Sometimes it looks really disgusting! Although I found some really good examples yesterday that I put up in the photo album.

After the shopping trip (on which I bought nothing but food..) we went back to Roppongi and went to the cinema. A good way to end a nice day.

Another week has gone by..

This blog has turned into the most boring place on the internet. All I do is wake up, work, have lunch, work, have dinner, work, go home, barely sleep, and then it all starts over again. This week is also approaching 60 h of work and I have some more stuff I’ll need to have in place before Monday. But then again, I’ll rather work 60 h in Tokyo than 60 h in Malmö. =)

It's not always that easy to be working in Japan. This is one of the things I'm up against. Everything is in Japanese...

Anyway, now it’s Saturday and I think I slept almost 15 h tonight. Awesome!! I’ve been really tired the last couple of days and had a sore throat as well, so I guess I needed that. This weekend I will hopefully hang out a bit with my colleagues. And apparently everyone desires for me to start dating a really short Japanese guy, so I guess I’ll have to put some effort into that as well. Don’t think I’ve met a guy that short yet, but yesterday on my way home I walked by an old lady who was probably half my length. I felt like a giant!!

The weather has been really nice and warm all week, except from yesterday when it was suddenly freezing. Today it’s a bit cloudy but I hope it’ll get better.

Not much news on the picture front either. Not much more to see on my way to and from work. =) But a couple of small ones though.

Jealous?

Don’t be. I just quit working after (yet another) about 8 – 22 day, and my dinner was some Japanese fast food in front of the computer. Isn’t travelling with your job really glamorous?

i'm lovin' it

I can now confirm that Mickey D's actually taste the same no matter where you are. Gives you that certain homy feeling. =)

I would also like to introduce a newcomer in the Mc Donald's family (at least for me.. not that I tried it yet, but still..):

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...

First laundry day.. How on earth do you know what button to choose?! You have to do a lot of guessing over here. No matter if it’s using a public restroom, doing the laundry, going to a supermarket or ordering food.

This has been a pretty rough week. I have already worked over 50 hours, and I will most likely be working today and tomorrow as well.. No easter holiday for me.. My guess is that next week will be even worse since we have a planned release on Tuesday and have plenty of testing we need to get done.

The upside though is that the weather here is awesome. I’d say it’s like Swedish summer by now. Unfortunately I don’t have any time or opportunity to be working on my tan.. but on the other hand, Japanese love pale people. =)

Like birds in a small cage...

I counted the seats.. There are about 120 seats in an office area where we in Sweden would be about 30-40 people. And even though the temperature is higher than in a sauna, one girl was actually having a blanket over her legs so she wouldn't get cold. How insaine is that?

Yesterday was all work and no fun. I worked from 8 to 23, and then continued to answer e-mail lying in bed using my pda.. I don't like where this is going....

Es ist unser in die Luft und bald kommen die Löwen und die Bären...

The weather is getting nicer and nicer every day!! You hardly need a jacket anymore. Today we bought ourselves a bento box and had some lunch in the sun. Really nice. The black pantihose felt like a bad choice today.. =) We finished the meal at Starbucks with some kind of seaweed and cream frappuccino. Really nice!!

In half an hour I will be going to the customer for the first time and do some testing. Will be interesting to see how they work and I must admit that I'm a bit nervous.. Wish me luck!

Thank you...

.. Mattias for your humble contribution to my poll this week. =)

A night off..

Today me and Helena went early from work and took the metro to Ginza for some dinner. The restaurants are really lined up and it didn’t take long until we found a really nice place. We had some okonomiyaki, yakisoba and some other spicy shrimp probably with a funny name (I tend to write a lot about food, don’t I… hmm..). It's really nice that you normally order a couple of dishes that you share so you get to taste a lot of different things. We also had some umeshu which is a really tasty plum liqueur. Tastes a bit like pommac, but better. Everything was, as always, really delicious! We sat at a table overlooking the chiefs. It’s quite common that you do that here. Your clothes always smell like food when you come home. The most surprising thing was that the chief sneezed several times over the food!! Our food unfortunately… If I get a cold at least I know why… Very untypical Japanese to spread your germs like that..

After dinner we went to have some tea at the top floor of a skyscraper. We sat by the window on the 42d floor overlooking the lights of this amazing city.

The sakura have now started to drop their petals. Quite sad actually, but nothing lasts forever. The Japanese will have buzy days sweeping the streets from now on.

Sushi it was...

Sushi was actually the first thing I ate when I had just arrived in Tokyo. Yesterday I also tried yakitori at a really nice (and really Japanese feeling) restaurant. Yakitori are skewers with different kinds of meat. The food was really great although I didn’t dare to try the most weird stuff like chicken heart or raw liver.

When we came in we had to take our shoes off at the door and the tables were lowered a bit under the floor in a fake traditional kind of way. I had a bit of trouble getting in and out of the table.. Limber as always… When we left the restaurant they had already put our shoes neatly by the door. The Japanese sure are amazing. =)

Poop...

Why on earth would I want to bring it home?!

Sakura day

After a long week of travelling, jetlag and ridiculous amounts of work I finally got some time off. Starting Friday night with enormous amounts of food at a Japanese restaurant were the food and drinks just kept coming. They even cooked some of the food on the table with a gas burner. Wouldn’t want to get to close to that one… After the restaurant we went to a club to show of our best dance moves. And then, the big finale, we did the most Japanese thing of them all: Karaoke. We got a private room and sang our hearts out! Really cool!! I think we were all quite surprised when we left the place that it was already 5.30 in the morning.. Despite the early hour there were so many people still walking the streets. This sure is a city that never sleeps.

After a beauty sleep of about 4 hours, me and Helena went sakura hunting. Sakura is the cherry blossom that happens this time of year in Japan. We spent a whole day all around Tokyo and she showed me all different kinds of places. Thanks again Helena for showing me around!! =)

First we took the subway to Ebisu and from there we walked along a canal with sakura along the whole canal on both sides. Really amazing! It’s almost like it’s too much to take it all in. For the Japanese sakura is like the happening of the year and all people gather around the trees and sit on blankets underneath to have picnics. It’s amazing to see how people of all ages do this togehter. We walked all the way from Ebisu to Shibuya where we took the subway to Yanaka. There we saw even more sakura and also a lot of small convents with old graveyards.

After this we went to Hibiya (at least I think it was…) and had some great sushi. It doesn’t matter where you buy the sushi here, it always tastes great. Even the cheap one’s in the supermarkets. With our bellies stuffed with sushi we continued to Ginza. A quite cool part of the city with lots of skyscrapers and neon lights. And for the rich people, fantastic shopping!

We finished the day with a cup of tea at a big oval building (don’t remember what it was though.. maybe should have checked with Helena before writing this..) with really incredible architecture. After a long day of walking it felt great to sit down for a while just relaxing and gossiping a bit.

Finally back in Roppongi I got out of the wrong exit from the subway and was really confused on what direction to go. But with the help of some European looking guy (the only kind of guy I would dare to ask..) I soon got on the right track back home.

I have uploaded insane amounts of pictures, and if you don’t like flowers you shouldn’t bother to look. =)

Spring in Tokyo

Springtime in Tokyo look a bit different than in Sweden. =)

Things are looking up!!

The weather here has been really crappy since I got here, and I started to think that they tricked me to go here with false intentions by telling me that the weather was so nice and like 20 degrees and sunny. But on Wednesday night I experienced the worst downfall I have ever seen. It was like walking under a waterfall. However, yesterday and today the sun has actually made an appearance. Hopefully we can look forward to a nice weekend.

I've just been to a small supermarket to get some breakfast. It sure is a challenge every single time. Today I got really happy when I found some boxes with english text on as well so I could safely by some yogurt and milk. The milk didn't quite taste like home, but close enough so I think I'll survive. =)

I didn't expect my surname to be easy to pronounce, but I also didn't expect to be called Miss Rövgren (directly translated something like Miss AssBranch). Well.. I might have to get used to that.. =)

Because first impressions last...

Still a bit jetlagged.. but I'm slowly starting to get more normal. I'm realising that my knowledge in body language is extremely under-developed. However, the fact that I don't understand anything what they say doesn't seem to bother the Japanese at all.. they just keep on going and going and going.... One weird thing is that they always scream at you when you leave a restaurant.. Would be interesting to know what their saying. But they look happy so I'm guessing that I didn't do anything wrong.

The Japanese seem to be very polite and everyone bows a lot all the time. The people working by the airport buses even bowed to the bus driver when he took off. Every other person you meet also wears a mask over their mouth. The woman next to me on the flight over here took one on. I got a bit offended and started smelling my armpits, but apparently she just didn't want to catch a cold, or give me one for that matter. Really polite.

One thing that really amazes me is the toilett at my hotell. How about a heated toilett seat with rear and frontal flush and a fan that automagically turns on when you sit down. For the first time in my life I actually had to read an instruction manual to be able to flush a toilett.. I have uploaded a couple of pictures of my room for the curious.

Today I have also tried out the swiming pool at the embassy where we have our office. Really nice to have an entire pool for myself. I'm planning on checking out the treadmill tomorrow. Tomorrow I will also meet with the customer for the first time. Will be interesting... Wish me luck!!