Security Ordeal...

...Not!

I managed to get through security and customs with no problems.

... Really!

I'm now in the secure area right above the wireless access point that I have been using for the past two days. Though that it happened to be right here where I pulled my laptop out is kind of strangely coincidental, I think. There also just happens to be a power plug right here, as a random bonus.

Surprisingly enough, they didn't even pat me down or have to have me do anything weird. I even made it through the metal detector without having to take my belt off - a first! More surprisingly, I'm wearing my huge brown Marine desert boots and didn't they didn't make me take those off either. I was a little worried that they were going to say something about the fact that my ticket says I'm coming back in three weeks, but that my visa ends in about two, but I said I wouldn't be coming back for a while, and it was okay.

One guy at security was determined to talk to me in English, but after struggling his way through "Check... you... plane... on... [gesture at passport]... 20 o'ten... ride." he let us finish the conversation in Japanese.

Now, I'm killing another 45 minutes while I wait for them to begin boarding the plane.

Status Updated: Missed Flight, part three

See the previous two posts for detailed information on the extent of my foolishness as it relates to international air travel.

Alright, they were able to get the fare difference down to $800 ($2,000-$1,200) and I think they completely dropped the change fee - for reasons unknown to me - but we were able to get it paid for. By "we", I mean Dean, in case you're wondering. One stack of various cards later, I have in my pocket my boarding pass.

Now there's only one more thing to worry about on this end, which is security. The boarding time is listed as starting at 8:10PM for my flight at 8:50PM, but I fully intend to go there around 7:15PM or so and stare at them until the time comes. Then they will, no doubt pat me down. I've made sure that I don't have a bunch of stuff attached to my belt this time, and the only even vaguely dangerous things I have with me are two pens and a notebook.

Bets they confiscate the notebook?

Two Weeks' Plans

I'm currently planning and generally preparing for two trips I have coming up. One to Tokyo and one to Matsue.

Tokyo, besides being the capital of Japan, is also home to the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. Well, technically, that's in Shin-Yokohama, but it's all part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, but that's like the difference between Seattle, Renton, Tukwila, and the rest of Western Washington. It's all kind of one big urbana.
The main reason I want to visit Tokyo, however, is Akihabara. While KMD may think that it's Swahili, it's actually like Mecca for geeks. Imagine an entire area of town that's basically a big Radio Shack. Blocks on blocks of camera gear, various electronics, games, anime, and all kinds of a things otaku. Sounds fun, right?

I would normally not be able to afford this at all, but a graduate student who is the son of one of my teachers has offered to let me stay at his apartment and show me around.
I was talking to Sara yesterday while she was trying to find hotel reservations and she's looking at about $950 US for five days' stay. Not too outrageous, but that's double the amount of money sitting in my bank right now and doesn't include the two-person, two-way Shinkansen tickets, which are $110 each way if you get the student discount. Normal tickets are $135 or so, but they're both students, so figure an extra $450 for transportation.
You can see why I think they're rich.

Matsue is the place I was originally going to do my study abroad. It's the largest city in the Shimane prefecture, and home to Shimane University and Shimane Junior University, where Yoko KODAMA (a teacher of mine from a year or so ago) works. I've got some friends in the area, too, and hope to visit them.
Transportation to Matsue is roughly equivalent with transportation to Tokyo, but I'm told there are really cheap hotels you can stay at in Matsue.

Anyway, that all starts on the 27th of this month, which is three days from now, but somehow feels like more than that.

"Arashiyama" means "storm mountain"

Hamid and I were going to go to Arashiyama today, but he kind of fell asleep. I went over to see what was going on he said something along the lines of "I wish I could just sleep..." so I came back and I've been poking at the Internet for a while. I got some nice pictures yesterday, so I'll put some of those up.

[Edit: Looks like it'll have to wait. We've got a pretty decent thunderstorm going on right now, so I've got nearly all my electronics unplugged. All that's left is my wireless router, and that's only plugged in because someone else is using the connection as well. I Wi-Fi router I can replace for about $50, but the rest would get pretty pricey to replace.
Maybe I should follow Hamid's example and just take a nap?]

祇園祭 (Gion Matsuri)

Aaron Dean and I are going to head over early and see if we can't get a good spot to get pictures of the opening ceremonies for Gion festival. Here's hoping!

Woot, Akiba plans!

Well, it looks like I've accidentally secured a place to stay late-ish in the summer for my Tokyo trip. A friend's son has offered to let me stay at his apartment in Yokohama for a few days. It's a $7, one-hour trip from Akihabara, so I won't be limited to just one trip to Geek Mecca, but will be able to go numerous times. Figure three or four days if that's okay, and I will probably spend two to three of them exploring Akihabara.

Summer Plans

Well, after consulting with my parents, I've decided to stay here over the summer. I was thinking that I might come back for three-ish weeks so I could visit family, and so I could get my dose of kitten, which I am dangerously low on.
This is largely from a fiscal standpoint, which makes a very strong case for staying right where I am.
$1400 - Round-trip plane ticket to Seattle, Washington, and back to Kyoto, plus transportation on both ends
$425 - The amount of rent that I'd have to pay despite not being here

And that's really about it. I just don't like to think in numbers that large, and I have no idea where I'd come up with that kind of cash. On the other hand, I'd like to do a little traveling over the summer, and it looks like I'll at least be going to Matsue for a while. I might be able to get some work there, even.

Even if I can't, there's still a lot of Kyoto that I haven't seen, and there's also Osaka that's not very far away. Tokyo is a $130 and three hours of bullet train away, so I might get to visit Akihabara, which is pretty high on my list of things to do.