こまりましたねえ！

Hakodate

So today's post will start with a brief vocab lesson, featuring one of my favorite phrases- "Komarimashita ne!," which is written in Japanese above.  It means something like "that's a problem" or "I was in trouble."  And its a good way to describe today.

So, things started off as normal as a day seems like it can start in Japan, which is with a cup of tea that tasted bizarrely like egg soup.  Our plane was supposed to leave the airport at 6:40 AM, which is why I was surprised that we waited until about 6:20 to get there.  Here's where the troubles start.  As we walk in, several airport women did their hurried japanese walk toward us saying in Japanese "There's no time! There's no time!"  They divided us into groups and put us into lines to check bags.  So I hauled my big duffle bags to the line they pointed at and waited...but only until about 3 minutes later when they decided that the line I was in was too long, so they moved myself and one other person into a different line.  This line had the same fate as the last, and I was soon whisked away to a final line, this one being the security check line.  The only problem is, I was still carrying my big bags that needed to be checked, which had all sorts of prohibited pokey objects inside.  I tried to explain the "naifu" (knife) in my bag, and when I finally got myself across to the HIF woman, she said to just leave without my bags and they would have them shipped.  So I snapped a quick picture and ran through security just in time to catch the plane.  Whew!

The bags right outside the security check...Oh did I mention, these bags have all of my clothes in them.  I've been told that they'll arrive in 3 days.  Komarimashita ne!

Next we had the written and oral placement tests.  On the oral test things were going really smoothly until the teacher purposefully dug too deep into a question and I suddenly had no knowledge of any of the words that I was supposed to use.  Apparently they did some form of this to everyone, but mine went something like this: 

What do you do on weekends? 

-I watch movies.  

What is a good movie? 

-Taken. 

Describe the plot. 

-uhhhhh...the dad...the girl....(makes searching around gesture) then the dad (makes finding gesture.) oh yeah and....lots of (makes gun gesture). Good movie!

The written test also went pretty well, until I subsequently realized that I had forgotten the way to write the sound "ne" and instead wrote "nu."  And so we'll see what they think about my essay about emails and the internut.

So to cheer myself up I got myself another überjapanese vending machine drink, this one called "Lucky Cider" which tasted like fruity sprite, and like other bizarre things I've had so far, delicious.  Oh speaking of bizarre but awesome treats...

This is definitive proof that Japanese has reached the pinnacle of civilization. They've done it. Waffles. In a Bag.  Also in the picture is the "Apple Vinegar KitKat Bar" which I broke myself a piece of and thought was very tasty.  Japan also has some tasty culinary delights that are not from convenience stores and vending machines, like my dinner tonight:

It's funny how today had all the makings of a bad day, but turned out just fine.  HIF is even giving me 2 bright yellow T-shirts to wear until my bag gets in, so I'm all set.

High: Walking to dinner with a group of friends and then finding the above culinary masterpieces, including famous waffle in a bag.

Low: The feeling as I was approaching the medal detector carrying my big bags loaded with knives, not knowing what to do.

Hero: Whoever invented the bagged pancake.  And of course my brave new friends who went to the convenience store with me and laughed at buying apple vinegar kitkats.  I'm looking forward to exploring Hakodate more tomorrow!

Oh yeah bagged pancakes? They make those too.  Cue heavenly chorus.