Lauren Gibbemeyer in Japan

The first time we saw her at the 2011 Pan American Games, we already <3 her!

The 6’2 middle blocker from University of Minnesota is currently playing in the Japan for the very FIRST time this season. She plays for Toyota Auto Body.

Despite her busy schedule, Lauren still had the time to write and share to us her FIRST MOMENTS in the Land Of The Rising Sun.

Enjoy this…

first delicacy/ meal I tried

The first meal I tried was not very exciting because it was lunch at the gym which is provided for us every day. The meal usually consists of a salad with ginger dressing, white rice, miso soup, brown tea, a tofu patty, some kind of vegetable, and fruit. I’m sure that doesn’t sound appealing to a lot of people, but I love almost everything i’ve tried since I’ve been here and lunch has been no exception.

first place/spot I visited

The first place I visited in Japan was an area called Sakae in downtown Nagoya. Me and a few of the other new girls went out to a traditional Japanese dinner treated by the Vice President of Toyota. Dinner consisted of many courses such as octopus, fish, fried cheese, and of course, sake. Afterwards, we headed out on the town to a karaoke bar. The Japanese take their karaoke very seriously and I was a little intimidated by how good they were. I was saved from singing at the last minute when I realized there weren’t any songs in English. Bummer…

first person I met

The first people I met were my translator Yoshi and our team analyst Okamu when they came to pick me up at the airport. From day one, these two people have been extremely helpful in making my first overseas experience less stressful by driving me around and helping me communicate with my team.

first match I played

It was a league match against a team named Hisamitsu. We ended up losing to them in 4 close sets with a lot to work on, but showing a ton of potential. Playing in Japan is so different from playing in the US. First of all, they are not very tall so they tend to struggle with attacking and blocking. However, they are very good defensively and have a great shot selection when trying to avoid a block. This is why most teams rely heavily on their Gajin (foreigners) to be the offensive weapon.

first night in Japan felt like or was like

My first night in Japan felt like I had been up for days… Which is true considering I had just flown halfway around the world and went to bed within 30 minutes of arriving at my apartment. The time change from Japan to my home in Minnesota is 15 hours so I was definitely jet lagged for a few days.

first impression

When I first got to Japan, my first impression was that it is a very respectful culture. I say this because everywhere you go, people bow to each other as a sign of respect. The younger you are, the further down you bow. I thought it was very interesting that someone’s age held so much importance when it came to respect regardless of their actions.

first word I learned

As you can imagine, coming to a foreign country and trying to work together with people who don’t speak your language can be tough. My coaches and teammates do not know any English but I am fortunate enough to have a great translator and an athletic trainer who do, and who follow me everywhere to make sure I am understanding. When I first got to Japan I knew it would be crucial to learn some volleyball terms so I could communicate with my teammates, and therefore, I learned: choto cacacoo, which means “a little higher”. Being the tallest player on the team, this phrase was vital and is used quite often!

first person who visited me

I have not had any visitors come to Japan yet due to the fact that a lot of my friends are still taking classes and my parent’s have busy schedules. However, starting in late February I will have an influx of visitors including my mom, dad, sister, and best friend from home.

first weekend

Double days. My coach’s philosophy is to be the team that trains more than any other team in the league and we sure do. Especially before the league started, we had two practices every day along with either a cardio or weights session. Eventually, we got to have Tuesdays off, but like I said, I spent my first weekend in Japan in the gym 8 hours a day!

first thing I wanted to do

To eat sushi. I know this is a very generic response, but sushi is one of my favorite foods back in the states so it only makes sense for me to want to eat it in the country that does it best! My translator and I made sure to go to a rotating sushi restaraunt so that I could simply grab whatever looked good to me right off the conveyer belt as it passed.

last thing I wanna do before I go home would be

Spend some more time in Tokyo. My team had a tournament in Tokyo in December and I was able to walk around the crowded streets on my off time. I love big cities and Tokyo is pretty impressive. I’m thinking I will take the bullet train and spend a weekend there sometime in April and do some retail therapy before heading back home.

Thanks for sharing Lauren!

Click HERE to Read Lauren’s Updated Personal Blog!

Click HERE to Read Lauren’s Updated Personal Blog!

Click HERE to Read Lauren’s Updated Personal Blog!

She has a bright future ahead of her!