Emy in Japan

Leaving Sunday

2009-11-06T11:29:59Z

I had a really happy yet sad last day. In my last class a couple of students surprised me with a small birthday cake and sang me Happy Birthday before presenting me with a mural of photographs and notes from various coworkers and students. <3 It was the best way to end my last day. I'm so happy and I can't wait to come back and visit all of them again.

Saturday, I'll be going to the airport hotel, and I fly out on Sunday around 8:30 AM. X__X I fly for an insanely long time but then get to spend a week and a half with Dani/friends/student. Please be kind to me, jetlag.

Final Nara Trip

2009-11-04T00:03:55Z

I went to Nara yesterday. Some of the leaves were starting to change colour for autumn. There seemed to be a lot going on. I managed to see the pounding of mochi at a famous shop. It was impressive. First two guys hammer it, and then the other puts water or something on it with his hands while the second guy is STILL pounding away, and somehow no hands are broken. It was really fun to see.

There was also an exhibition of National Treasures at a temple, and then some sort of event at the museum, but the lines were horrendously long, so I opted not to go to either. Instead I went around Nara deer park and Todaiji temple and a bit of the forest. Even with just that, I finished at around 6:30, when it was already getting dark.

I got interviewed by a group of junior high girls who were practicing English and doing an assignment. Their English pronunciation was quite good. I also had takoyaki later, and a deer tried to nab it and run off with it. :(

I love the kid's expression. XD

The statue in front of Kintetsu Nara Station.

Went to Animate for the last time. :( I will miss it.

Pictures from the mochi-pounding shop:

I already took a bite before taking this picture. It was so delicious, with red bean inside.

Tons of deer merchandise.

It was so strange that there were no deer at the park, save maybe one. They had all been moved to the Todaiji-temple area, I'm guessing having something to do with the annual horn removal.

Part of the line for the temple (for people who already bought tickets)

Deer cookies. They either love them or hate them (depending on how many have gotten shoved in their face in the past hour)

A sea of people going towards Todaiji temple.

Takoyaki. :D

The deer that attempted to steal my takoyaki by trying to yank the tray away.

These were all cherry blossom trees in bloom during spring.

I went to Coco's Curry in Kutsukawa for one last meal there. I will miss their curry. <3

It's like feeding koi XD

2009-11-03T01:40:32Z

Found this randomly online and it has amused me far too much. Reminds me a lot of feeding the fish here or watching them swarm if I don't have food too. The digital fish swarm to your mouse and if you click, they'll eat the food you drop in.

Heading to Nara today. Yay deer! :D

Last Shijo/Sanjo Trip

2009-11-02T10:26:56Z

I went to my final Japanese lesson in Shijo today and walked around Sanjo/Shijo. I had my final ojii-san crepe which was delicious. I was lucky and the girl who gave me my first crepe when I came to Japan was working, and she has the timing PERFECT when she makes it so it's so soft and chewy. Good to know that my last crepe was as good as the first.

It was SO COLD today as well as rainy, but on the bright side, there was a full-arch double-rainbow over the bridge/Book-off in Sanjo. I only had my cellphone on me, and the camera function doesn't do the rainbow any justice. I couldn't get the full thing in one picture.

Book-Off XD

Is the pot of gold in Sanjo-Keihan station???

I'll be heading to Nara tomorrow. Wish me luck with the weather.

Farewell Party, two more days of teaching left ;_;

2009-10-31T15:31:17Z

Well I made it through my farewell party without crying (though I was on a thread at some points) but I'm making up for it now, especially after opening some of the farewell cards/drawings/presents I've received. I have met so many amazing people and I've had such wonderful students, it hurts so much to just leave. It feels surreal that in less than a week, I wont be in Japan. It has felt so readily like "home" that it's hard to let go, even if I'm excited to see people back in Canada again. This has been one of the best, if not the best, experiences of my life. I've learned so much, experienced so much, met so many great and understanding people that it hurts to let go. I think I'm going to go through a small culture-shock just being home for a little while and adjusting back to not being surrounded by 75% Japanese that I can't understand, or not heading off to some temple on the weekends, or just talking to my students and finding out about their week.

I'll be wrapping up this journal too, once I return home. It'll be weird not to write/post photos from places anymore, but it'll at least be here for the memories. <3

Time's getting closer...

2009-10-26T11:20:27Z

Wow, I can't believe I only have only 12 more days or so left in Japan. D': I will miss it so much. Living here has been great. Good trains, great food, friendly people, and historical places EVERYWHERE make Japan...well, Japan. I'll be happy to see people I know again, though. Japan holds many travel distractions, but it's not the same without a travel buddy (miss you Dani <3). I've met wonderful people here, and ones I want to stay in touch with, but haven't really found anyone to just hang around with. That, and the lack of a cat, makes it a little lonely sometimes. However, one thing that really makes me regret not staying is seeing all the year of the tiger merchandise and ornaments that are popping up now in preparation for the new year. It's too bad I'm going to miss my Chinese year. That would've been awesome to be in Japan to celebrate. :(

I have most of my bags packed up but my house seems to be more of a mess because of it. I can't win. Here's hoping the traveling goes smoothly. I can take a direct bus from Kyoto station to the airport, which preferable to my previous plan of trying to manage the train system with my bags.

This coming week is going to be so difficult for me since it's my last full week of teaching (I finish on November 5th). Saying goodbye especially to my little 3-year-olds is going to make me teary-eyed. I'll be sad to leave my Japanese lessons too (only 3 more left, collectively). I've improved so much since I started them. My speaking is still pretty bad, since I get nervous and blank out on grammar. But my writing and understanding has been growing a lot. I hope I can keep learning back in Canada.

I need a sketchbook badly, but I'm holding off. The last thing I need is to lug another book around on top of everything else. I did get more practical cuddlywarm sweaters, though, to deal with the cold when I come home. Kyoto was basically the same temperature in winter as home, except with almost no snow. It's going to be weird to see that white stuff again and I hope I won't have to shovel too much.

I lucked out and my last full weekend is 3 days, due to a national holiday. Mind you, that extra day is probably going to be me running around trying to get my apartment spotless. Hopefully I can squeeze in travel. I MUST make it back to Nara at least once before I come
home, and hit any other places I manage to get to after that.

I'll be officially home after November 17th. Visiting Dani and friends on the way home. :)

Sickness, then Tokyo

2009-10-21T00:57:11Z

Well, it has been a roller coaster ride of days, starting from bad to good. On Tuesday, I caught a small cold. It wasn't so bad, nothing more than a headcold at most, with a sore throat and stuffy nose. I didn't have much of a fever. Come Thursday night, something inside me broke down in my second to last class and my throat went dry and I actually had to leave the room because of a coughing fit. From there it went downhill and I felt worse and worse until my last class ended at 10:00. I ended up taking a sick day the following day which was a good idea, since I pretty much lost half my voice and felt terrible. I stayed in bed all day. Saturday, I went in but I only lasted through 3 classes before I had to cancel the rest, because I once again took a turn for the worse. D: It was not fun. I hate being sick, and I hate it more because I had to miss classes when I already have a limited number left with my students.

Luckily the rest on Saturday was a lifesaver and I was able to risk taking the Shinkansen (bullet train) the next day for my scheduled trip to Tokyo. Aside from a runny nose, I felt a lot better as long as I didn't push myself or talk too much. The Shinkansen was a lifesaver in its 2 hours compared to the 8 hours of no-sleep the nightbus offered (which I'm sure would've done me in). I was able to meet up and stay with the couple that I met on the plane ride over and also got to practice my Japanese. :D I'm still not great, but my understanding and some speaking has shot way up from when I last saw them.

The first day upon arriving I just rested and ate, but the next morning I got to go swanboating on a lake nearby, and then got taken around the Tokyo area. We went up the Tokyo Metro Building to get a great view of Tokyo, and then drove around to other notable places, like Tokyo Tower. :D

The next day I went to Ueno to check out the markets there, and eat Hokkaido food (finally!) at the Hokkaido exhibition they had in a department store. The sushi was amazing. :D Lastly, I went to Ueno zoo, which was full of birds, so I was a happy camper. They used to have a giant panda, but it died of heart failure last year. :(

Tokyo Tower!!!

One of these things is not like the other...

At the top of Tokyo Metro Building.

Tokyo Tower

I was impressed with the zoom on my camera.

Tokyo Metropolitan Building from the ground.

A government building of which I forgot the name.

Tokyo Tower

I think this is an old Kabuki theater that may be closing.

AMAZING nabe that I had that night. It was SO GOOD.

The next day, at Ueno park.

\

These are all cherry-blossom trees. They must look amazing during the spring.

Down this street were a lot of food vendors of every kind. After that, I went to the department store that had the Hokkaido market. The food there was amazing.

At Ueno Zoo :3

NOM NOM NOM

Tiger's forest

Sleepy bear

These are the same type of monkey that I saw roaming around Monkey Mountain in Arashiyama.

Unfortunately, the okapi was put in its enclosure by the time I got to it, so I took a picture of the sign. >_>;

Shoebill

Uji Illumination

2009-10-11T13:05:38Z

I went to my Japanese teacher's house today. We made okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake) and yakisoba (fried noodles). :D It was yummy. I also got a quick informal run-through of the procedure of a tea ceremony. It was a lot of fun, and she and her husband are so kind. :)

After eating (waaaay too much) we went to Uji where they were having an illumination. I'm sorry for the picture quality. I'm not very good at night photography, and with my flash, nothing look illuminated so it killed the effect having it on. If some places look familiar, it's because it's the same place I went while visiting Byodo-in temple a few weeks back as well as the river during cherry-blossom season that I photographed.

The sunset was gorgeous.

A big inflatable balloon that had pictures projected across it when it got dark.

I think these flowers were made of some sort of paper. They were beautiful floating in the river.

They had a presentation/reading of part of the Tale of Genji.

Of course I had to have some bird pictures. ^^;

Inside this small house are cormorants (you can see the faint silhouette of one). They are used in traditional fishing. I don't know much about it, but apparently they tie a rope around the bird's neck and the cormorants are used to catch the fish, but they are unable to eat them because of the leash.

The woman telling part of the Tale of Genji. I was impressed with the amount she had to remember.

Part way through the Tale of Genji reading, they had this performance:

Byodo-in temple as seen through the trees by the riverside. Of course, my flash thought the surrounding trees were much more interesting to focus in on.

They had some radio DJ's chatting after the Tale of Genji performance.

They had images moving around on the balloon I photographed earlier. It was really bright and pretty, though the pictures changed a little slowly. Just previous to these projections, they had some gorgeous pictures of Byodo-in in the fall with all the leaves colourful. The little kid you hear in the background was so cute bouncing around and trying to get her dad's attention.　ほたる！ほたるほたるほたる！ほたる！！！ (fireflies) There were several fireflies swarming around the lights surrounding the balloon.

This is going up the path to a shrine that I visited during cherry blossom season. I learned the main shrine building has a really unique asymmetrical roof structure and has been maintained for just under 1000 years.

Caterpie

2009-10-08T14:09:19Z

Well, despite all the fuss, the typhoon only did last for the night and a bit of the morning, and the rest of the day was bright and sunny.

Walking to the plaza today I came across this neat little caterpillar. I thought he was adorable, even if one of my coworkers had a different opinion of him.

Morning Typhoon

2009-10-07T22:40:26Z

The wind was super noisy last night, it was a little hard to sleep through. This morning when I went outside, I found the poor trees outside my balcony were too flimsy to withstand the wind. Luckily they fell away from my apartment (barring one whose top decided to pay me a visit). I don't think they could've done damage if they tried though, since they're quite thin. Right after I took these photos, it started to bucket rain again.

This morning it doesn't seem to bad. The trains are running from what I can hear and it was a little windy on my balcony but it seems to have died down since last night.

Poor trees. :( I don't think anything snapped so maybe they just need to be set upright again?

Farewell Typhoon

2009-10-07T12:59:06Z

Well, Japan decided that I should have ALL the experiences it has to offer, and thus, a big typhoon is scheduled to hit tomorrow. Of course it chose this year to hit:

search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20091007x1.html

Walking to work tomorrow should be wild. If I see any flying trains or tanuki's, I'm not going. >_>;

I love the advice of my students to stay away from windows when my entire wall is a window in my apartment. The next best thing is for me to sleep in the hallway. >_> Thankfully there's a big apartment building on that side of the house, so I'm hoping it'll act as a wind-guard. I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that my power will stay on.

Right now it is BUCKETING rain and the typhoon isn't even scheduled to hit until midnight. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it moves quickly and harmlessly. Being on the 2nd floor I'm not too worried about flooding (don't you dare prove me wrong, Japan).

Gradually telling my students that I'm leaving, and it gets harder each time. ;__;

Haircut and FINALLY COMPLETED KUROSHITSUJI

2009-10-04T10:05:16Z

Got my hair cut today, which was a welcome relief, since my bangs were getting annoying. I was shooting for style that Chie has, but didn't end up going that short and ended up getting more of an Elizabeth-bob. I had my bangs cut pretty short on purpose so I could grow into them and wouldn't need to get them trimmed for a while

I thought they would never finish releasing Kuroshitsuji DVDs. For a show with 24 episodes, I'll never know why they needed 9 DVDs to contain them all. Least that drain on my wallet is gone and I can send them back home as a complete collection.

I love the extras that came with it. My favourites are the art prints by Yana Toboso.

Also included was a card game. Each pack contains 5-8 cards with screenshots from the show. There's hirigana on the front and a quote in Japanese on the back, where one character is highlighted. I think the point is to guess the highlighted character and chose the same sort of sound from the hirigna on the front of the cards, though I might be totally off base. I don't know the name of the game, but if anyone does please let me know! I'd love to figure out how to play it.

Because I got my hair cut in Shinsaibashi, I scooted over to Namba (both in Osaka). While there I got stopped by some guy asking me about the DS and if I had ever played Dragon Quest (a very popular game here) but I slunk away when I found a big news-casterlike camera in my face. ^^; I'd prefer not to be part of some publicity thing, especially with my broken Japanese. On the way home the train smelled like sour milk which was HORRIBLE because it was such a long ride. I chose to stand next to the air-conditioning fan which made it slightly more bearable, but my legs were hurting from standing so long.

I'm telling my students next week that I'm leaving. I'm so sad and nervous how they'll react, especially since I don't know who's replacing me. D:

I'm getting a little sad thinking about leaving Japan but I think it'll be good. I know I'll come back some day and still study the language, so it's not so bad. I definitely am glad I came here, through all the ups and downs. It's such a memorable experience.

Now to get planning for what to do when I get home... *facedesk*

NHK wants my yen for TV I don't watch. >_>;

2009-09-23T08:01:50Z

Well, got bothered by NHK today. They're the public television station in Japan, like PBS is in America, except rather than having monthly drives they have salesmen come by to the door to get donations. I was luckily warned about them from other foreigners like me that I was not obligated to pay them, despite what they might say. Some of my coworkers got talked into it before. Considering I haven't watched a single channel since maybe the third day after I ARRIVED in Japan (and since most of my channels seem to have vanished anyway since that time) I really don't feel any guilt for not paying. It was pricey too, considering I only use my television for video games and NOT the station itself (about 2600 yen for two months). No thank you. That money's for my electric and water bills.

It didn't help that when the salesman dropped by I had just started an ice cream bar, and since it's rude to really eat in front of someone like that, it started melting down my hand while he was trying to convince me that it was the law and I had to pay for the two months I'd be in Japan. Luckily, I think my broken Japanese scared him away after fifteen minutes as I stopped using him as a guinea pig to test using new Japanese phrases and just kept repeating that I didn't watch television and I was leaving November.

I'm sad for the loss of my ice cream. D: If they want me to pay for television I don't watch, when is NHK going to pay me for the ice cream I didn't get to eat?

Well I guess my Japan experience wouldn't have been complete until I was hassled by an NHK guy.

Byodo-In Temple

2009-09-22T11:09:46Z

I went to Uji today to the Byodo-In Temple, whose Phoenix Hall is represented on the Japanese 10-yen coin.

You could pay an extra 300 yen to go inside Phoenix hall, but it was so packed, I opted not to.

They had a museum as well with artefacts inside, but photography wasn't allowed.

The Phoenixes atop Phoenix hall.

I walked along the Uji River after the temple. The weather wasn't as sunny as the past couple of days, and there was barely a drizzle while I was out. Uji was rather crowded. I had some green tea ice cream which was delicious. If you remember from my posts around cherry-blossom season, I went to Uji river to see the sakuras. The riverbanks were completely green compared to that time, but still pretty.

I sat by the riverbank for a while and a couple of cats came up to me. It was so sad I wanted to cry. ;__; There was something wrong with them, and one of them had difficulty opening his eyes fully. They were dirty and had patches of fur missing. I wish I could've done something, but they needed a proper vet to look at them. They were so affectionate with each other though.

I'm not sure where I'm headed tomorrow. I might just take it easy or go to Osaka.

Toji Flea Market & Inari Torii

2009-09-21T11:33:19Z

Today's plans were generated randomly in the morning. Good ol' google is great for sniffing out interesting attractions in Kyoto. The resulting targets: Toji temple and the Fushimi Inari Taisha (the tunnel of shrinegates).

I just happened to luck out and found out that a monthly flea market was going on at Toji Temple. It was much bigger than I expected! I saw a few stalls and blankets with goods set out in front of the temple, but the entire inside was jammed with people and stalls as well. I didn't get to go through the whole thing due to limited time, but what I did see was interesting. They had everything, from food stalls to trinkets and statues, jewelry, dishes, bags, kimono fabric, vintage items, and so on. The most interesting stall by far was of these handmade insects made out of wood. They ranged from small to large but the level of detail on them was astounding. There were wooden dragonflies that looked real, perched by their nose on twigs. I would've gotten one if there was any way to get it home without it getting horribly damaged, but that seemed unlikely. There were also praying mantises snatching up tinier bugs and beetles with their elytra raised, inner wings extended. In retrospect, I should've taken a photo of his stall. I had okinomiyaki for lunch. It was sooo good. I hadn't had it in a while.

The pagoda of Toji Temple extends high above the other buildings, and I first noticed its existence taking the Kintetsu trainline to Kyoto.

This canal was FILLED with turtles and koi! Very cool watching them all come up to feed. Of course, the pigeons and other birds wanted a bit of the action.

My following stop was Inari to check out the many torii (shrine gates). This site was apparently featured in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. It's been so long since I've seen the movie, though, I can't remember which scene. The torii are donated by businesses or people, so each gate has its own writing. Inari is the protector of rice, and the messenger foxes that are represented by the statues often hold a key to the granary in their mouths.

The walk was a little steep at times, but always exciting. I didn't realize how far the torii extended, and just how many there were. The path split many times, and each one had its own character. I certainly didn't get to explore everything that was there. At the top, there was a nice view of the city. Every little while there would be tiny restaurants and reststops. There were also tiny shrines dotting the paths.

They had cute fox-shaped emas, where you could draw on the fox's face. Persona 4, anyone?

A foxy-looking dog outside of the train station on my way home.

It was a great day. I'm hoping tomorrow to hit Uji and check out Byodo-in Temple (which is on the 10-yen coin). And of course, pick up tea things since Uji is famous for its green tea.

Hit 11747 steps on my pedometer today. ^w^

Arashiyama

2009-09-20T13:14:01Z

Warning: The amount of pictures in this post could wound a small gazelle, so just be aware of your connection speed when clicking the links.

Well, for the first day of my 4-day weekend, I headed to Arashiyama. It was about an hour away by train, but well worth the trip. I went to Monkey Park Iwatayama (Monkey Mountain), Tenryu-ji temple, and a bamboo grove. I really wanted to top it all off with a scenic Sagano trainride, but by the time I reached the station the last train was booked solid. :( Arashiyama is so beautiful. It was really crowded, but it still gives off an aura of quiet peacefulness. The mountains with all the trees are amazing to look at. The weather was sunny and not to hot. Finally! I quite like this time of year. :D

The most distinctive feature of Arashiyama: the Togetsukyo Bridge.

My first stop (aside from the bridge) was Monkey Mountain. Dani and I were supposed to go to this together before she left but we never got around to it. WE'RE GOING TO GO IN THE FUTURE DANI!!!! It was really fun. There were monkeys free-roaming EVERYWHERE. It was a small bit of a climb, but it gave a great view of Kyoto at the top. You were only allowed to feed the monkeys in a special fenced house, through the fencelinks. This was because the monkeys went CRAZY when there was food. They were batting each other off the houses and chowing down as much as possible. It was funny being inside because it really looked more like the people were the exhibit inside while the monkeys were looking in from outside. Further up the mountain, it was thankfully windy and cool, and most monkeys were either grooming or sleeping. Leaving the park, there was a looong slide that you could slide down.

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I cracked up when I saw this. Apparently a little one thought some guy's leg could do with some grooming.

It has swings too, Dani! :D

I love the gift-bag. XD I got you a monkey, Dani!

Next was a visit to the Zen-garden temple of Tenryu-ji. There were some sand gardens and flowers, along with a pond with ceramic frogs. Gero~gero~ XD

The maple leaves are still quite green. I heard it's quite a sight when they turn red in autumn. I missed out on it when I arrived, but I'm hoping I'll get to at least see some of the fall colours before I leave.

Don't eat the purple berries...

This pond completely reminded me of Naruto's sage-mode training pond. XD

ゲロ～　ゲロ～

As you exit the zen garden, you can enter a bamboo forest. The height of the bamboo is really impressive. It feels like you're going through a tunnel of bamboo.

Outside of the bamboo path was a pond and a small shrine. I, of course, zoned in on the heron in the water.

My legs were aching so I shared a bench with this little guy.

I missed out on the Sagano Romantic Train (that's really what they call it). Maybe I'll get it sometime later this weekend because it sounds like it's a really scenic ride.

Like the complete nerd I am, I have the same pokepedometer merchandise that my eight-year old students have. XP It came with the remake of the Pokemon Soul of Silver game I picked up. It was interesting to see the difference in the number of steps. On an average workday I only have about 5,000 steps, but today it was 16,790. No wonder my legs were sore.

Aaaand I got your game, Hannah! The preorder worked out despite the language barrier (thank goodness!) Unless the little card taped to the front of the game that depicts the bonus pre-order costumes is a lie, I think it has all worked out in the end. :)

Kiyomizu-dera

2009-09-13T10:42:13Z

I went to Kiyomizu temple today. I'm a little surprised I didn't go there sooner, since it's so famous and beautiful. Because it's so high up, you get a nice view of Kyoto. The weather actually turned out okay. It was sunny, but not overly hot when I arrived there.

Kyoto Tower in the distance.

P3P???!!!

2009-09-07T07:00:07Z

What an exciting surprise! While walking around Animate after my Japanese lesson, I saw a poster today for Persona 3 Portable, coming out November 1st!!!! :D :D :D I don't have a PSP but I'll probably get one once 'Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep' gets released (eventually). I have my fingers crossed for a translated English release! :D Please please PLEASE let Atlus bring it over.

I don't know how they'll handle the storyline with a female protagonist, but it's intriguing. As long as it's still an option to play as Minato, I'll be content. I'm surprised they're making another remake of the game, but I'll never get tired of it. <3

I finally beat Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Overall, it was a fun game, though some of the missions were slightly annoying (hence me taking so long to finish the game). I love seeing the story from Roxas' point of view. He's grown on me so much more, along his vocabulary (during the start of the game he wasn't very talkative and mostly came out with "..........." and "....aa...") The ending was pretty epic for me, and I'm pleased how the story of this "mid-quel" (???) fit in between KHI and KHII. I think its English translated release comes out this month.

Also out this month in Japan is Pokemon Heart of Gold/Soul of Silver, the remake of the old Silver/Gold games from ages back. They were my favourite from the series, so seeing them remade (and with the option of having any Pokemon follow the main character on screen) has made me really happy. All these game remakes are making me nostalgic.

Wow, enough about video games. In other news, the weather keeps shifting from comfortably warm to uncomfortably hot, with a greater representation of the latter. D: I just want cool weather to come now.

There's a string of national holidays coming up the third or fourth week of September, so I need to figure out what I want to do during then. It'd be a good time to get some traveling done if I'm able, or at least hang out more around Nara, Osaka, and the like.

I'm gradually trying to figure out how to get stuff home. My main problem isn't so much space as it is a multitude of books, especially for my Japanese language studies which I want to bring home. I'm hoping I can somehow divide them up among my suitcases to help balance out the weight. Poor Slayer will probably have to go into undercarriage luggage, because there is no way I can carry him, and his box fits far too conveniently into one of my roller suitcases. I'll be smothering him in bubblewrap and his box cushions and praying nothing happens to my undercarriage luggage during the trip.

Time's going by way to fast now. There's so much I want to do and so little time to do it.

Coming Home

2009-09-06T22:41:51Z

For those that don't know, I'll be leaving Japan on November 8th. I'll be stopping to make a couple of visits, and then I will be officially home late on November 17th. I'm going to miss Japan so much, but I'm excited to see everyone again. :3 I definitely need to come back to Japan some time as a tourist so I can get cheap bullet train tickets and visit all the places I missed. :D

The cat came back...

2009-09-02T13:02:38Z

MIKAN!!!! Mikan came back!!! After months of not visiting and reluctantly humoring me whenever I'd run into him in the middle of town, Mikan finally dropped by again to say hello. And his first intent for once wasn't food, until I shoved it in his face. (I need to get rid of the catfood I have somehow.)

Whenever I saw him in town, he looked slightly ruffled (probably didn't help that it usually had finished raining when I'd see him), and his former pink collar looked like a fuzzball around his neck with the amount it was frayed.

When he came tonight, though, he was looking all sleek and groomed, and was sporting a fancy new blue collar complete with a bell. I was impressed. If he's actually just a stray, he's doing pretty darn well for himself with the people he meets. I'm glad I got to see him again before I leave Japan in November. Fingers crossed he'll stop by again.

I can never get enough of his forked-bobtail.

Visit again soon Mikan! :3

Daimonji

2009-08-16T13:02:51Z

Just got back from watching Daimonji. It was really beautiful to see. I didn't take my camera so I only have bad cellphone pictures.

Here are pictures by other people of the two kanji I saw:

Getting back home was quite interesting. There were SO many people, so it was difficult to get back to the train station. I was a little nervous because there was a lot of pushing in such a huge crowd. But I made it back in one piece and got sardined into a train home.

Earthquake

2009-08-10T23:41:48Z

There was an earthquake at about 5 AM this morning, but a small one. It woke me up and lasted less than 30 seconds. Apparently I got a very small part of it, because the news says that the tremor was around 6.6 in Tokyo. Scary. :(

Uji Hanabi Festival

2009-08-10T12:46:38Z

It poured all morning, but then everything cleared up by evening. Thank you, weather!

The Uji fireworks were amazing! The festival itself was much larger and more crowded than I had anticipated. There were two or three long streets full of foodstalls and games, and many of the girls were all dressed up in their yukatas. It was so hot and humid, so I was glad I just went in a tanktop and jeans. The fireworks lasted for about an hour. Coming home, I had the joy to experience the Japanese "sardine-train" again as everyone tried to squeeze into a small train car. I didn't bring my camera, thankfully, because I'm sure it would've gotten flattened along with me.

I'm excited for Daimonji next week, but it'll probably be even more crowded. (is that even possible?)

Yay!

2009-08-09T13:11:50Z

The weather cleared up after a couple of hours. :D It was still raining a little and pretty windy, but at least it wasn't as bad as it was before. I managed to make it down to Nara. It was really beautiful with all the lanterns lit up on the paths. The deer had grown their antlers out as well which was neat to see. Unfortunately, I fail at night photography.

Choco-koala-banana

Rrrrrain! D:

2009-08-09T09:23:26Z

I was hoping to go down tonight to Nara to check out the lantern festival they have going on, but due to thunderstorms, I don't think it's such a good idea. Even if they have the lanterns lit somehow, it'll be difficult to see them properly with the way rain falls in buckets in Japan. Also don't want to be caught in Nara with lightning and thunder either. >__> Whyyyyy rain? I'm hoping to get to Uji city tomorrow for hanabi (fireworks) but the forecast predicts rain then too. I hope it's not cancelled. D:

Next Sunday is Daimonji, when fires in the form of Kanji are lit on 5 mountains. I'm hoping the weather will be kinder....