Japanorama

Sometimes I feel like I'm a student at Kellogg.  I never expected to be so fully involved with the community, and that, perhaps is the biggest and most pleasant surprise of all. Just being around such amazing people is very inspiring, and it almost makes me want to apply for next year's term.  Almost.

As a significant other of students in the program, you can pretty much be involved in everything that goes on at the school.  I fully intend to take advantage of all the possibilities, from attending classes to joining clubs and possibly even holding a position of some sort.  There is a huge number of significant others (termed JVs for JointVentures) here, and to be quite honest, it is often difficult to tell them apart from the students because of how involved they are.  The JV community in itself is impressive- you can be as active or inactive as you wish, but rest assured, there is always something planned for the JVs.

By far and above, my best experience in the Kellogg community has been the KWEST trip.  I've been hearing about how amazing KWEST trips were since I attended DAK last spring (which was the Admitted Students Weekend), and have since wondered how it could possibly live up to the expectations I already had in my head.  I'm happy to report that every expectation was not only met, but exceptionally exceeded.

A little background about KWEST.  Right before orientation starts, students and their SO's have an opportunity to do a little traveling around the world and bond with their classmates.  We were given a whole list of countries to choose from, and after ranking our top 10, we found out that we got our first choice- Japan.  There were so many great countries to choose from that spanned all over Central America, Europe, and Asia.  

In total, there were 25 of us on the trip, including 5 outstanding trip leaders (2nd year students), 15 students, and 5 JVs.  We were told from the beginning not to reveal certain information, such as where we were from, what school we went to, what job we had, or if we were the student or the JV.  This made it difficult at first because those are typical talking points when you first meet people, but this way it really forced us to get creative and know each other in different ways.  It also made the "Big Reveal" very exciting...

Although I didn't intend for it to be this way, I hung out with almost everyone else on the trip more than I did with Scott.  I genuinely wanted to get to know everyone else on the trip, and sometimes it is easier when you do that alone instead of always being with your other.  Similarly, I felt like people genuinely wanted to get to know me.    

There is a theory that a group becomes a group only when they experience something of significant magnitude together.  It could be extremely difficult, fun, or maybe not fun at all.  No matter what differences individuals might have, they will always have that common bond.  I was thinking about how much that related to pledgeship and sororities, but it was especially true for the KWEST experience.  We could not have been a more diverse group, but we got along so well, and I know I have made friends I will have for a lifetime.  I was happy to learn that our journeys together would not end here- there was a social chair to be appointed to make sure of it.  Can you guess who is super excited to plan away?!!

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Below are a few pictures and brief description of what we did in Japan each day!

Day 1:  It all begin with a 13 hr. flight from O'hare to Japan, followed by a 1 hr. bus ride to the Hotel Monterey in Akasaka-Mitsuke.  For our first meal together, we had okonomi-yaki (Japanese stuffed pancakes) and afterwards we went to the Tokyo Tower.  

Day 2-  We started off the day with a nice Japanese breakfast at the hotel and then went to Asakusa to shop for souvenirs.  After that, we broke off into groups and had Kaiten sushi (think conveyor belt) and participated in a Tokyo scavenger hunt.  Tasks were spread out all over well-known places in Tokyo, including the Takashimaya department store, Harajuku St, and the Electronics District.  Last but not least, we had Izakaya (bar food + beer/sake) and Karaoke in Shibuya.

Day 3- This was our community service day.  We took a train to Sagami-ko and did a joint activity with the local college students.  After having a bento lunch together at the campsite, we participated in a version of the "Olympic Games" (my team, the Green Dragons won!) and then cooked curry together from scratch... at the end of the night, we performed skits, and had a campfire where some of the guys played guitar and sang songs.  Oh, and there were fireworks sparklers too... we felt like kids again running around and waving them everywhere!

Day 4- Two words.  Mt. Fuji.  Wow, did I ever understimate how physically and mentally difficult this was going to be- I couldn't have done it w/o the support of my friends on the trip, and especially Atsushi, who was the most amazing mountain guide ever.  His accomplishments climbing were truly incredible- he had once held the Guinness World Record for climbing the highest mountains on all 7 continents at the youngest age.  To top it off, his hike with us would be his 131st at Mt. Fuji.  Well, I am not going to lie.  The hike literally kicked my ass (I even fell on the way down and bruised my tailbone).  It was no easy task- 7.5 hrs to get to the mountain lodge (most horrible experience ever- most of us did not sleep a wink due to the "conditions" there).  By 2am we were out and about- it was pitch black and we needed our head lamps, not to mention that it was freezing cold and windy.  Words cannot describe what it felt like to reach the summit.  It felt like the achievement of a lifetime, and I could not believe my eyes when I saw the sunrise- it was unlike anywhere else in the world.  There was this dark red ring around the sun as it rose out of the sea.  I couldn't capture it on my camera, but the picture is crystal clear in my memory.

Day 5- After climbing Mt. Fuji, we were all exhausted.  We were practically zombies at lunch, and I think the greatest gift we could have received was a shower. Thankfully we got to stay at a Japanese inn and soak in the hot springs, which are known to have magical healing powers (much needed for all of us)!  At last, we were fully relaxed and had a chance to rest before a traditional Japanese dinner and the "Big Reveal."

Day 6- Back to Tokyo.  We had a delicious Katsu (breaded pork cutlet) lunch and some free time to ourselves... our farewell dinner was a traditional sukiyaki- dipped in raw egg.  After the egg scare in the US, we were a little weary of eating it, but since we didn't really have a choice, we sucked it up and ate it anyway.  We celebrated by having a night out on the town at the Roppongi clubs.  A few hardcore people stayed up all night to go to the fish market to see the tuna auction, but at that point, I was so beat. I wish I could have made it, but my body could not handle another all-nighter!

Day 7- Going home.  This time it took just under 12 hours.  JAL was fantastic, and this time I did actually get some sleep.

I feel so fortunate to have met so many great people.  The memories we made in Japan are unforgettable and I can't wait until we have our reunion!  

The Magnificent Milestone

One of the best parts about where I live is that the train station is literally across the street.  In a quick minute, I'm already at "The L," which is just about the easiest and nicest method of public transportation I have ever used (aside from the bullet trains in Japan).

It's quite different from the NYC subways, the main difference being that it runs above ground... so it's nice to be able to see what you are passing through.  I also got my official CTA card, which makes the whole process so much easier.  It works like a debit card, but when the balance hits $10, it refills back to $20.  No more stopping by the automatic tellers to grab tickets- love it.

I've already used my card way more than Scott has, and he thinks that I'm going to get to know Chicago better than he will!  Right now he's really busy with school, so I've been taking off on my own to go on job interviews or meet up with friends downtown.

This is my stop.  I felt incredibly touristy taking a photo here, but I thought it would be nice to document as it was my first time taking The L and going into the city. 

The very first thing we did was see the Macy's.  Until that day, Macy's New York had been my favorite department store in the US, but I have since changed my mind.  It was fabulous!  I wanted to spend so much more time there, but since I couldn't, I took a quick peek in the Walnut Room (where I desperately want to have a Christmas dinner when the tree arrives), read up on the history of the building (it used to be a Marshall Fields), and made a mental note about how awesome the food court was- come on... Marcus Samuelson AND Rick Bayless had counters there!

Since the food court was closed and we were starving, we decided to go The Plaza at Park Grill.  It was a beautiful day, and so nice to have lunch outside and people-watch.  I was very impressed with their Kobe beef burger and blue cheese potato salad.  I normally hate blue cheese, so I know it must have been good!  

After lunch, we saw the famous bean (cloud gate sculpture) and attempted to take several photos until we had a few that were "Facebook profile worthy."  I know it's just a bean, but it was pretty cool to see it so close up.

Then I thought I saw what looked like the Disney Concert Hall, and I realized that it was the same designer Frank Gehry's creation called the Pritzker Pavilion.  There was a free concert that was about to begin, and I made another mental note to come back one day and see one of the shows.  It was certainly a sight to see- funny how I know his work through his jewelry line at Tiffany, but no matter- his work is genius in any art form.

I also found the Crown Fountain to be quite interesting... we saw the Buckingham Fountain too, but I was less impressed with that one.  One can only get so excited about fountains.  I really wanted to go on the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour, but we just missed the last tour for the day.  The desire is two-fold- 1) because I am fascinated by the buildings and architectural design and 2) My Best Friend's Wedding is one of my all-time favorite Romantic Comedies.  Of course I need to see the boat tour!  And then maybe have a drink at The Drake hotel or something. :) 

My first two weeks in Evanston were dedicated mostly to getting the apartment ready, and there would be random times in the day where I would miss home and feel overwhelmed.  But I have to say that this trip made the difference in my whole attitude out here, and it really was the first day that I truly enjoyed being in Chicago. There is so much to do and see here.  I wish that everyone had the opportunity to pick up and live somewhere completely different from what they are used to.  You would be surprised at how much it could change your life.

Before hopping back on the train to go home, we walked along The Magnificent Mile just to take it all in and also visit a few shops.  

To me, Chicago is so different than LA and NY.  I feel like it's a great combination of the two.  A few things I noticed- it has an energy.  Not quite like NY, but it's there and just the right amount for me.  People stroll instead of walking super fast from point A to point B.  It's clean.  The architecture is just incredible.  There is great food and great shopping.  

It doesn't feel like "home" yet, and that realization sank in when I came back from Japan a few days ago.  It felt weird to have O'Hare be the final destination.  In any case, I am proud to be a part of this city.  

Next on the blog: KWEST Japan!  Another milestone waiting to be told...