Okay guys, this is going to be a boring post about my day today, you've been warned.
So it all started when I got the dates for an English camp mixed up. I thought the camp was today, the 27th. So I made a hair appointment in the same city so I could go right after the camp was over. WHELP, turns out I was a few weeks off on the date. Which isn't so bad, except for the fact that the camp is in Arao, which is an hour away.
So it all started when I got the dates for an English camp mixed up. I thought the camp was today, the 27th. So I made a hair appointment in the same city so I could go right after the camp was over. WHELP, turns out I was a few weeks off on the date. Which isn't so bad, except for the fact that the camp is in Arao, which is an hour away.
Because I realized this the night before, it was too late to schedule a hair appointment somewhere else. So I decided to turn it into a road trip and visit as many temples and shrines on the way.
So my day started early and I left around 9am. First thing on my list was to head to the electronics store to buy a car charger for my phone (since I was going to be using the navigation on my phone all day). After leaving, I realized the store didn't open until 10am. So I wasted about 40 minutes at a grocery store mostly for the air conditioning.
Then I head to the electronics store and use my broken Japanese to ask for a car charger and a phone mount (try explaining a phone mount for your car using only gestures). Turns out they didn't have the mount, but I got a car charger. Heading back to the car, I plug it in, see the little light turn on, then plug my phone in. Buuuuut, it didn't work. Frustrated, I spend 10 minutes translating the instructions just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Nope. So I go back into the store and explain to them that it isn't working. I tell them what I did and they are just as confused as me. So a store associate follows me to my car just to make sure. He can't figure it out later, so they decide to swap mine for another one. I sit there while they fill out all the paperwork for an exchange. Then we both head back to my car, and the second one does the same thing! At this point I'm worried my whole day is ruined, because my phone battery is awful and I can't make it there and back without having a charger. So, the guy goes back into the store and brings out another charger cable. This doesn't work either. So he goes BACK inside and brings me a totally different adapter. FINALLY this one works. So we go back into the store and fill out additional paperwork to swap the old for the new. One hour later, I'm finally on my way.
The previous night before I had mapped out all the temples and shrines along the main highway to Arao. So I was able to visit about 2 before suddenly a light comes on on my dash. Being me, I know literally nothing about cars. So I pull over and immediately message my car tech boyfriend trying not to panic. Turns out it was my break light, which is just like the scariest light to turn on (in my mind). So he walks me through popping the hood and we check a few basic problems.
So my day started early and I left around 9am. First thing on my list was to head to the electronics store to buy a car charger for my phone (since I was going to be using the navigation on my phone all day). After leaving, I realized the store didn't open until 10am. So I wasted about 40 minutes at a grocery store mostly for the air conditioning.
Then I head to the electronics store and use my broken Japanese to ask for a car charger and a phone mount (try explaining a phone mount for your car using only gestures). Turns out they didn't have the mount, but I got a car charger. Heading back to the car, I plug it in, see the little light turn on, then plug my phone in. Buuuuut, it didn't work. Frustrated, I spend 10 minutes translating the instructions just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Nope. So I go back into the store and explain to them that it isn't working. I tell them what I did and they are just as confused as me. So a store associate follows me to my car just to make sure. He can't figure it out later, so they decide to swap mine for another one. I sit there while they fill out all the paperwork for an exchange. Then we both head back to my car, and the second one does the same thing! At this point I'm worried my whole day is ruined, because my phone battery is awful and I can't make it there and back without having a charger. So, the guy goes back into the store and brings out another charger cable. This doesn't work either. So he goes BACK inside and brings me a totally different adapter. FINALLY this one works. So we go back into the store and fill out additional paperwork to swap the old for the new. One hour later, I'm finally on my way.
The previous night before I had mapped out all the temples and shrines along the main highway to Arao. So I was able to visit about 2 before suddenly a light comes on on my dash. Being me, I know literally nothing about cars. So I pull over and immediately message my car tech boyfriend trying not to panic. Turns out it was my break light, which is just like the scariest light to turn on (in my mind). So he walks me through popping the hood and we check a few basic problems.
At this point it was around 100 degrees out, so I'm sweating like crazy and genuinely worried that I'm going to crash and die. Even worse, my phone starts to overheat, so I have to keep it in front of the air conditioning vent just so I can keep using it. Because my fabulously ancient Japanese phone has hot flashes like it's on menopause. But, we eventually decide that there's nothing immediately dangerous, so after crawling around and getting engine grease all over me, I put the hood back down and continued on the road.
I was able to see two more places before it was time for me to head into the city for my hair appointment.
I was able to see two more places before it was time for me to head into the city for my hair appointment.
So I walk in and let them know I'm here. Everyone looks pretty terrified that a foreigner has walked in (in that OMG NO ONE SPEAKS ENGLISH, WHAT DO WE DO kind of way). But the place looks really nice and super fancy. And ALL of the hair dressers are adorable men! I mean whaaaat? So anyway, we barely stumble through talking about what I want for my hair. I show the guy a picture of a previous hair cut I had, and he just looks at it like he can't understand what's going on. He just kinda squints and looks confused.
He eventually pulls out a magazine and flips through it, pointing to something similar and I just agree. He spends the next 20 minutes cutting then sends me off with an underling for a "shampoo." Now... Japanese hair salons have it figured out man. They give you a bajillion towels and other things to keep the hair off you. When you get a "shampoo" they cover your face with a little towel so that you don't get soapy water in your eyes. They give you an amazing head massage (the rare few I've had in America have been done by women with frighteningly long nails that scrape all your precious skin off). And this massage is not to rub in teh shampoo, it's just a straight up massage. They also clean your ears, which thankfully wasn't a surprise to me because I had done my research earlier. And they just generally pamper you the whole time. Then back to the chair! The same underling dried my hair while I tried to at least make SOME small talk (omg, I think we have the same sized gauges, what size are you). Then back to the all important stylist. He asks if I want my hair styled up, and of course I say yes. He then proceeds to give me the most cliche Japanese hairstyle I've ever seen. I almost had to laugh... like was this real? I googled "Japanese male hairstyle" and this was one of the top 5 responses. I even had his stupid weird bangs until I brushed them out of my face because they were weird.
They do this thing where they don't just style it in one direction, they make it stick out in every possible direction (like a hedgehog). So the hairs on the back of my head are sticking OUT instead of up or laying flat. Compare this to the American style of picking ONE direction and trying to make the hair look more natural instead of choppy with defined pieces. I also don't think they've heard of an undercut, which is what I ALWAYS get. But this guy when through great lengths to try and blend the lengths together more. And in my head I'm just like nooooooo.
Well anyway, it wasn't really what I wanted, but it was sort of like the Japanese version of what I get in America. It just goes to show you that what is super easy and incredibly common in America (my usual haircut) is just not a common thing in Japan. And it's not as easy as I had thought to create, it's just that I was asking for something very common for American stylists. But well, I was happy anyway and I thanked them and apologized for my terrible Japanese. Then I head over to the checkout counter and they proceed to not only try to sell me styling product (no way) but they give me a coupon to come back for a spa service (probably can't afford it) and then try to get me to download their app and add them on Line (turns out I couldn't do it because my google account says I'm in America). Then the bill.... the guy starts adding up the numbers and I'm PRETTY CONFUSED. The sign outside says a haircut is $35. Which I'm willing to pay. But the guy says "design style and cut" and the price was $45 and I'm like WAIT WHAT DID I PAY FOR NOW? Plus, the product that they added to my hair was $3 more. So I ended up paying $48 in total when I expected $35. I was... a little upset... but what could I do? Return the haircut? All in all, it was actually a really nice experience, they pamper you like crazy and spend a lot of time really focusing on cutting your hair, so I liked that.
After this adventure, I returned to my hunt for more temples and shrines. I found another 4 or 5 before it started getting late. As I was parking at the 4th shrine, I noticed my right leg starting to spasm. A combination of walking up hundreds of steps plus using my right foot for driving hours and hours (something I've never done before) meant that my leg muscles were giving out before the rest of me. So, I made that my last shrine and toughened up for the long drive home. By the time I got back, it had been 10 hours of adventure that was tiring both mentally and physically.
All in all, it was a crazy wonderful time and I'm actually really glad that it happened. Sometimes mistakes can open up doors to even better adventures. I wouldn't change a single part about today. (except the break light part..... but even thought taught me a valuable lesson about how cars work)
P.S. Yes a post with all the pictures from the temples is absolutely coming soon.
Well anyway, it wasn't really what I wanted, but it was sort of like the Japanese version of what I get in America. It just goes to show you that what is super easy and incredibly common in America (my usual haircut) is just not a common thing in Japan. And it's not as easy as I had thought to create, it's just that I was asking for something very common for American stylists. But well, I was happy anyway and I thanked them and apologized for my terrible Japanese. Then I head over to the checkout counter and they proceed to not only try to sell me styling product (no way) but they give me a coupon to come back for a spa service (probably can't afford it) and then try to get me to download their app and add them on Line (turns out I couldn't do it because my google account says I'm in America). Then the bill.... the guy starts adding up the numbers and I'm PRETTY CONFUSED. The sign outside says a haircut is $35. Which I'm willing to pay. But the guy says "design style and cut" and the price was $45 and I'm like WAIT WHAT DID I PAY FOR NOW? Plus, the product that they added to my hair was $3 more. So I ended up paying $48 in total when I expected $35. I was... a little upset... but what could I do? Return the haircut? All in all, it was actually a really nice experience, they pamper you like crazy and spend a lot of time really focusing on cutting your hair, so I liked that.
After this adventure, I returned to my hunt for more temples and shrines. I found another 4 or 5 before it started getting late. As I was parking at the 4th shrine, I noticed my right leg starting to spasm. A combination of walking up hundreds of steps plus using my right foot for driving hours and hours (something I've never done before) meant that my leg muscles were giving out before the rest of me. So, I made that my last shrine and toughened up for the long drive home. By the time I got back, it had been 10 hours of adventure that was tiring both mentally and physically.
All in all, it was a crazy wonderful time and I'm actually really glad that it happened. Sometimes mistakes can open up doors to even better adventures. I wouldn't change a single part about today. (except the break light part..... but even thought taught me a valuable lesson about how cars work)
P.S. Yes a post with all the pictures from the temples is absolutely coming soon.