Jennice Meets Japan » Komeri, point card, & coins

My first meeting with Japan!

Welcome to my website about my one year study abroad in Osaka, Japan 2008-2009. I am a 22 year old SDSU student studying film at Osaka University of Arts. I hope to share Japanese culture and my experiences through my videos and website. Thank you for visiting!

ようこそ〜！私の一年間日本の大阪留学のホームページです。私は２２歳で大阪芸大で映像を勉強しているサン・ディエゴ州立大学生です。ビデオとホームページで日本の文化と留学の経験を教えたいと思います。よろしくね！（ほとんどは英語でごめんなさい；；）

If you can't view Japanese, click here

Komeri, point card, & coins

On Monday, I took my Japanese 1 and Japanese 2 classes for the first time. Since there are very few international students at Osaka Geidai, there were maybe only about 5 people in that class, there was an American teacher there too. Ryan was there also. I arrived a bit late tho trying to find the classroom >_< bad bad. Anyway, we each had to introduce ourselves and then watch a video on using japanese in the work force. We also had a worksheet that we went through together. Yay for keigo! (敬語 = honorific and polite way of speaking). After lunch, I had to come back to the same exact classroom (4th floor yay T_T). While I already knew stuff from the Japanese 1 class, Japanese 2 suddenly jumped past my level –; Sensei passed out handouts with an article on it and we would read through it and discuss and answer some reading comprehension questions. So many kanjis and vocab I dunno –; So instead, sensei gave me a separate handout with a short article on fast food in Japan, which was fairly easy, although I don’t know all the vocab on the articles so I figured it’d be good to do anyway. Normally for Japanese 2 at OUA you’d do your own self study, since everyone is at different levels (well the Korean and Chinese students in my class were already ahead of me since they’ve been in Japan a while) The only textbook I really brought with me was from Japanese 321, which had the most useful lessons in it. Though I wish I had brought the textbook that I would be studying when I come back to America to get a head start >_< The teacher, Saito-sensei, seemed really nice and she’d occasionally ask me questions regarding the topics they’re talking about in class or the worksheet I was doing

Tuesday there was no class again (I don’t know what’s with all these no class days) So I decided to get a few more things I needed and check out a store called “Komeri” that was pretty close to where I live. Judging by the outside, it had all farming things and assorted plants. And walking inside, it did pretty much feel like a watered down home depot, smaller (not in a warehouse kind of building). They sell equipment for farmers, pet things, a few electronics, kitchen things, toiletries and furniture. Komeri even has its own original soundtrack…the music seriously sounds like the store music in rpg games! This was probably the best place for me to get toiletries since the prices are better than Mandai’s. Later I found out that I can buy a box of 6 2 litre water bottles for much cheaper than separately, WIN . It’s the American mentality: buy in bulk, save more money.

Been surviving on konbini food, which I know is pretty bad >.>; at least for the time being until I figure out how to get to the nearest market from here. –; The customer service is as good as foreigners say so far, compared to our standards. They treat you really well and always acknowledge your presence, so if you just browse the stores and pass by any of they may say 「いっらしゃいませ！」”irrashaimase!” even if they already have when you entered. They are attentive and speak in a clear audible voice with a smile, and of course speak in really polite language 「敬語」”keigo”. They announce the price for each item scanned and they really confirm everything with the customer. Do you have a point card? Would you like this heated? From a 1000 yen? Would you like the warm food and the cold to be in the same bag? One time a lady was about to bag some of my things, but she stared at it for a couple seconds and said “sorry” and put that one aside and opened up a new bag…maybe there was a hole in it???

Oh yea and point cards…I always been saying no at Family Mart just cause I don’t want to deal with it. (I guess part of the mentality with avoiding getting credit cards). A point card though is different from the kind of store credit cards back in America. Everytime you purchase something at the store, you collect points on the card, which you can use later to receive bonus things for free. You can also get some percentage discount and other stuff. It is similar to the membership or credit cards, that they’re supposed encourage you to shop more and be loyal to their store.

Oh yea and I need to develop a system for dealing with the coins. oh and…I HATE COINS. In America, I used my debit card a lot and avoided carrying too much cash. When I did use cash in America and got change back I would collect all the annoying pennies, dimes, nickels in a bag and when it was pretty full I’d throw it all in the Coinstar machine at Ralphs. But Japan uses cash more, and they also have more coin denominations. The lowest paper bill is 1000 yen (roughly 10 dollars), so I figure the 500 yen, 100 yen, and 50 yen coins will be used a lot. Then there’s the loose 1 yen, 5 yen, and 10 yen coins… so annoying T__T Especially when I buy something and get my receipt and change back, they would stick this heavy wad of coins on top of my receipt…I wouldn’t be able to put it in my wallet like normal T_T So I just throw it all in my pocket, and later I gather them together in an ash tray at home as kind of my coin holder. Judging by the time at Izumiya with Mamiya-san, it’s probably encouraged to get your payment exact or to even out the payment enough that you don’t have to receive and deal with more loose 1,5,10 yen coins. So now I try to get the payments down to the cent to get rid of those annoying coins –;

Each time I get home, I get tired so easily. I mean to do the blog and my video project but I just knock out really easily –; Until I get used to the new routine and time difference maybe…

Frankie Says:
June 11th, 2010 at 10:34 pm

How are you?! Please e-mail me your contacts. I have a question james@infansport.ru” rel=”nofollow”>……

Best regards….

Frankie Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 9:35 am

Привет!! carlos@onlylcd.ru” rel=”nofollow”>……

С уважением,…

Freeman Says:
June 16th, 2010 at 4:09 am

Добрый день! thomas@sotkashop.ru” rel=”nofollow”>……

TIM Says:
June 25th, 2010 at 2:01 pm

PillSpot.org. Canadian Health&Care.Special Internet Prices.No prescription online pharmacy.Pillspot.org. Vitamins@buy.online” rel=”nofollow”>.…

Categories: Stomach.Anxiety/Sleep Aid.Mental HealthAntidiabetic.Antidepressants.Womens Health.Blood Pressure/Heart.Weight Loss.Eye Care.Antiviral.Stop SmokingAntibiotics.Mens Health.Vitamins/Herbal Supplements.Pain Relief.Anti-allergic/Asthma.Skin…

ALEX Says:
July 21st, 2010 at 7:38 am

MedicamentSpot.com. Canadian Health&Care.No prescription online pharmacy.Best quality drugs.Special Internet Prices. High quality drugs. Order pills online…

Buy:Benicar.Lipitor.Ventolin.Lipothin.Female Cialis.Buspar.Cozaar.Advair.Wellbutrin SR.Nymphomax.Seroquel.Zetia.Zocor.SleepWell.Prozac.Aricept.Amoxicillin.Acomplia.Female Pink Viagra.Lasix….

MARTIN Says:
September 5th, 2010 at 5:35 am

CheapTabletsOnline.Com. Canadian Health&Care.Best quality drugs.Special Internet Prices.No prescription online pharmacy. High quality drugs. Order pills online…

Buy:Ventolin.Seroquel.Female Pink Viagra.Advair.Acomplia.Nymphomax.Lasix.Female Cialis.Prozac.Lipothin.Amoxicillin.Benicar.Lipitor.SleepWell.Buspar.Wellbutrin SR.Aricept.Cozaar.Zocor.Zetia….

CHRISTIAN Says:
September 6th, 2010 at 1:55 am

CheapTabletsOnline.Com. Canadian Health&Care.Best quality drugs.Special Internet Prices.No prescription online pharmacy. No prescription drugs. Order drugs online…

Buy:Viagra Super Force.Levitra.VPXL.Viagra.Super Active ED Pack.Cialis Super Active+.Viagra Professional.Cialis Soft Tabs.Zithromax.Tramadol.Propecia.Maxaman.Viagra Soft Tabs.Viagra Super Active+.Soma.Cialis.Cialis Professional….

DOUGLAS Says:
September 6th, 2010 at 8:45 pm

CheapTabletsOnline.com. Canadian Health&Care.Special Internet Prices.Best quality drugs.No prescription online pharmacy. High quality pills. Buy pills online…

Buy:Nymphomax.SleepWell.Female Cialis.Prozac.Benicar.Ventolin.Amoxicillin.Zetia.Seroquel.Buspar.Lasix.Lipitor.Lipothin.Acomplia.Zocor.Advair.Cozaar.Female Pink Viagra.Aricept.Wellbutrin SR….

EVAN Says:
December 17th, 2010 at 12:53 pm

████████►BUY VIAGRA◀███████…

████████▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲████████…

TIMOTHY Says:
December 22nd, 2010 at 12:17 pm

dosage of amoxicillin for respiratory disorder…

Buygeneric drugs…

FERNANDO Says:
December 29th, 2010 at 7:12 pm

Amoxicillin@official.site” rel=”nofollow”>……

Buyno prescription…

GREGORY Says:
December 31st, 2010 at 7:41 am

Azor@official.site” rel=”nofollow”>……

Buygeneric pills…