Wonderful people who I met via CS

I met some people via CS(Couch Surfing.com) recently.

I’m keen on meeting foreign travelers via CS.haha.

Most of them have nice personalities, as I’ve written in my previous articles.

But the most interesting thing for me is to get to know their points of view about Japan and Japanese culture.

So I think I want to meet CSers one-on-one at first, not in a group.

Recently I’ve met a French woman who is a writer on town planning issues.

Her age is in her fifties, and she has a daughter whose age is similar to me.

At the first time, we met at her hotel in Aoyama-icchome after my work, and then moved to a Japanese restaurant which had a very nice atmosphere.

We talked about many topics, and had a very good time. Her experiences in her life impressed me very much.

The second, we met at her hotel again on the weekend, and I guided her around Omotesando, Harajuku and Kagurazaka.

She is very fashionable, and we enjoyed window-shopping in Omotesando.

I seldom go window-shopping these days, so it was a lot of fun for me too.

In Harajuku, we ate Crepes. It was typical Harajuku style.(Many Harajuku girls love to eat Crepes, while enjoying shopping and talking with their friends)

After Harajuku, we moved to Kagurazaka.

Kagurazaka is the one of popular places amoung people who love traditonal Japanese culture.

It wasn’t me who chose those areas.  My new French friend was interested in there. haha(Sure, me too.)

The other day, I met an Italian girl who is studying in Tokyo.

It was funny that the first person who contacted me via CS was her brother. Incidentally he introduced me to his sister.

We met at Hiroshimayaki restaurant in Kanda, which is not so far from my office.

A well-known food in Japan is Okonomiyaki, local Osakan cuisine, but  Hiroshimayaki is also a well-known local Hiroshima food.(The shape of Okonomiyaki and Hiroshimayaki is similar.)

Her Japanese was good, so I could understand everything that she said. But that day, my condition was not good, so we said good-bye early.

After I met the French woman on the weekend, I met the Italian sister and her brother in Mitsukoshi- mae, the nearest station of my office.

We moved to an Oden restaurant near Nihonbashi, Mitsukoshi-mae and Nihonbashi are very near.

At the Oden restaurant we really enjoyed talking about many topics. And after the Oden restaurant, we moved to Shiodome to see the night view.

The Italian sister and I enjoyed the night view at Caretta Shiodome, but her brother was very tired after his long trip.

So we said good-bye before getting late.

I met a Rusian woman who is also studying Japanese in Tokyo.

I set our first meeting near my office after work. I introduced her to the same Oden restaurant.(I really like that Oden restaurant, because their style is traditional and the price is nice.)

We enjoyed conversation there and  talked in Japanese sometimes.

On an other day, I met a Madagascan woman who is from the UK.

We exchanged emails several times before her trip to Japan, so I could get to know her personality a bit before we met.

We went to a Monjayaki restaurant in Kanda.

Monjayaki, a local Tokyo food, belongs to the same type of cuisine as Okonomiyaki and Hiroshimayaki.

She was interested in modern Japanese culture, especially J-pop music and Manga.

We really enjoyed our conversation at the Monjayaki restaurant.

All meetings were very very exciting, so I decided to invite all members to my house at the same time.(The first person who I was planning to invite to my house was the Madagascan woman, but I changed my plan.)

And the final person I invited to my house was a Swiss guy who also contacted me via CS. I thought  his personality was nice, so I imagined all members could become good friends.

What an amazing home party!

We ate Nabe(hotpot) and I showed them a Shamisen performance.

We exchanged our cultural differences and the experiences of traveling in Japan. All members really enjoyed the party.

The Swiss guy had been living near my house for 7 years, so I was very surprised at his deep knowledge of Ogikubo and Asagaya.(my residential area)

There were 6 different nationalities at the party.

2 days after the home party, I went to the Swiss guy’s farewell party in Yomiuriland-mae.

There I met 2 people who were friends of the Swiss guy. One of them was an Israelite, and the other was Canadian.

All members had a good humor sense, so we had a very nice time together.

I experienced very interesting gatherings within one month.

But I know for me, someone who is studying English, it’s dangerous to become addicted to such gatherings.

I need to spend my time to read grammar text books and memorize English words, because my goal is not only daily conversation but also to master business English.

Two new experiences of communication with foreign traveler

First of all, I invited a Singaporean couple to my house, because I trusted them fairly well.

I exchanged emails with the husband several times before they visited Japan, and I could get to know about his family, job etc.

Actually it is one of  my dreams to tell people about Japanese food, especially my hometown’s local food.

Although I stopped organizing my food event in Tokyo, at that time I wanted to popularize “Tarai udon”(my hometown’s local food), so I sometimes had events.

When I decided to invite them to my house, I asked my aunt to send me some “Tarai udon”.

It was very nice time to eat it with them.

To tell the truth, it was my husband that cooked not only Udon but also other Japanese dishes.

After lunch, I played the Shamiesen for them, and told them about Kimono culture a little.

I want to keep in touch with them, because it was also a lot of fun for me.

Next, I guided a Finish guy who contacted me via CouchSurfing.com.

We exchanged emails several times and discussed some topics before he came to Japan, so when I met him for the first time, I felt like we were already friends.

It was my first experience of CS(Couch Surfing).

As I wrote about him in my previous article, he was really kind and gentle.

At first, we met in Kanda, and went to a cafe and an Izakaya(Japanese restaurant or pub), where we talked about many topics.

Second, I joined an international gathering which he had told me about, in Siba park.

I met several people of 6 different nationalities!

I enjoyed this event.. but to tell the truth, I like more deep discussions with small groups of people than such large events.

However, I like cultural and international events, so if I had have continued to organize my own event, maybe I would not feel this way.

But now I want to communicate with a few people at a time, and become close friends with them.

Third, the Finish guy and I did some shopping on the weekend.

I think if my English was better, I could have helped his shopping more!

I’m planning to meet an Italian guy( I already met his sister, who studies Japanese and Japanese culture in Tokyo! ) , another woman who will come here from the UK, and a guy who comes from Morocco, who will be in Tokyo till August.

I hope our gatherings will be nice and we will become good friends.