Saturday was fun even if it was full of cleaning. I got to sleep lots, which as the semester winds down becomes an every increasing need. When I did drag myself downstairs (at 11:30 or so), I shared a brief lunch with Kayoko and Okaasan. With that done, we started to clear space for the new fridge to come in and the old one to go out. The old fridge was emptied into some cold boxes and the kitchen counter, then cleaned. Next dinning room table and part of the couch were rearranged in the living room area. Then the shelf in front of the large window was cleared of boxes and knickknacks, so the window could be opened to let the fridges in and out. When that was done, Okaasan ran the vacuum cleaner over the newly revealed floor where the table and chairs had been. Finally, she and I pushed the old fridge from its place in the kitchen corner into the living room, and she cleaned the floor behind it. By the time all that was done, it was a little before 3 and the fridge guys were there!
They put a bunch of blankets/pads down in the dinning room, and over the window sill/self. Then they used the crane attached to their delivery truck to lift the box with the new fridge through the window and into the house. Kayoko didn't pay any attention to it-retreating to the tatami mat room and immersing herself on her laptop. I on the other hand sat on the couch and watched the goings on with rapt attention. I probably freaked the delivery guys out a bit with my staring, but I can't help it that I've never seen a fridge come in via a 2nd story window before! It was a strange and interesting sight. They quickly unboxed the new fridge (れいぞうこ、reizouko, by the way) and maneuvered it into place. Then they wrapped ropes and pulley cords around the old fridge and again used the crane to lower to the ground outside. The whole event took about 40 minutes or so, and then they were gone, and we had a new fridge and a dining room to rearrange.
For Sunday's entertainment, I met Kolla at Hirakata-shi eki (which Okaasan kindly offered to drive me to). We set off to Osaka with shopping on our minds! Our goal was Christmas shopping, but we managed to sneak a bit of personal shopping in too! :) The first stop was Shinsaibashi, an area known for its shopping districts and as a gathering place for Osaka's youth. We found plenty of both. Starting with the Sanrio Gallery and feasting our eyes on all of the Hello Kitty merchandise there, then moving on to some music shops, then a clothing boutique or two, and throwing in a traditional Japanese good stores to round things out, we made our way from one end of the long street to the other, and a bit beyond as well. Around two o'clock or so we succumbed to hunger and joined the line outside Shakey's Restaurant, a pizza buffet place. The line moved quickly thankfully, and we soon got a booth and as much pizza, spaghetti, curry rice, and fried potatoes as we cared to eat.
After lunch, we headed back to the station and slowly made our way to Kyobashi station and from there to Korean town, which we'd been to before, but in the company of Japanese friends who knew where they were going. We found our way there eventually and even found a few of the same shops we had visited last time. All hail the glorious K-pop Boom!
We only spent a few hours wandering around that maze of streets and shops and then admitted exhaustion. We headed home for dinner, studying, and finally sleep!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Autumnal Leaf and Tori Gate Viewing
On Sunday of last weekend, we got a slightly later start on our sightseeing than on Saturday. Kayoko stayed at home studying again. Side note: that girl can study! Every night this week she's been across the table from me, before and after dinner, with her books open, reading, and making notes. Otoosan and I walked to Korien station, Okaasan left after us, and biked there. We ended up arriving at the station around the same time. We took the Keihan line trains to Tofukuji station. (東福寺, とおふくじ) There are lots of smaller temples surrounding the station, and on the way to the biggest in the area which is Tofukuji Temple. The smaller temples and shrines were all open that day, and were selling souvenirs, tea, and sweets to the huge crowd.
The area, especially Tofukuji Temple, is known as being on of the best places to view the color-changing autumn leaves. The Tsutenkyo Bridge, which arches over a small stream and many maple trees, is the most famous part of the temple, and was packed with people with all sorts of picture taking equipment, from large, professional cameras to cell phones. The bridge is actually two bridges, running parallel to each other. This is the first place I've actually seen a significant number of trees with yellow, red, and orange leaves. Surprisingly, the parts of the temple complex where the trees hadn't changed yet were ignored by the Japanese viewers. However, to me, they were just as beautiful as the brilliant colors in the rest of the complex. The entire area had the feeling of a fairytale forest, with sunlight streaming through the branches and leaves to dapple on the moss covered ground. Speaking of sunlight, the weather was much improved from Saturday's rain, but it was still very chilly due to the strong wind.
We made our way out of the Tofukuji area, and walked to the next stop on our list: Fushimi-inari. Fushimi-inari station is four train stops away from Tofukuji station, but we meandered through the streets, and it didn't seem to take as long to go from one to the other on foot as it does by train. Fushimi-inari is also quite famous, it's dedicated to the Kitsune or Foxes. However, you might know it better as the mountain that is covered (I'm not exaggerating here, it is literally covered) in Tori Gates. Tori gates being those large orange and black, square arches seen at shrines all over Japan. Okaasan and I lost Otoosan for a while, but we finally met up again, and headed up the mountain.
So if any of you have seen the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, then you remember the part where the little girl runs through the seemingly-neverending path under the tori gates. Fushimi-inari is that place. Everywhere you turn, there's another path running under more tori gates. On the way up Okaasan and I followed Otoosan, who seemed to magically know which path to take to get to the top of the mountain. Which took a really long time, by the way, and many, many steps. Oh, and we found three kittens near the top of the mountain. Two were friendly and let us take pictures and pet them, but the third ran away behind some of the many small shrines set up just off the paths, all over the mountain. Some of these areas looked like miniature villages made up of shrines.
On the way back, Otoosan practically flew down, while Okaasan and I took our time. We soon regretted this though, as we had difficulty when we came to the many crossroads, which tori shrouded path we had come up. It was felt like a maze at times! Well, we eventually made our way to the bottom, and then had to find Otoosan again! When we did, we did a bit of shopping, and then found an udon restaurant for lunch. Otoosan picked out the restaurant! Both days this weekend! So, clearly I'm not the only one who likes udon! :D
Speaking of udon, though, I think I've eaten too much of it, because I'm becoming an udon snob. It's sad really, because I used to just love udon, and eat it whenever I got the chance. And now, I've started noticing differences in the soups or the texture of the noodles, and preferring some to others. For instance, the noodles at this shop weren't as firm or chewy as the ones at the shop we ate at on Saturday. And Tuesday night we had instant udon at home for dinner, and I noticed that the noodles were much shorter than those at the restaurants, and that they were almost too chewy. Argh! Why can't I just enjoy the yumminess of udon? Why did I have to develop preferences? If I hadn't developed these preferences, I wouldn't ever get disappointed by a bowl of udon. And really, who wants to be disappointed by a bowl of delicious noodles?
The area, especially Tofukuji Temple, is known as being on of the best places to view the color-changing autumn leaves. The Tsutenkyo Bridge, which arches over a small stream and many maple trees, is the most famous part of the temple, and was packed with people with all sorts of picture taking equipment, from large, professional cameras to cell phones. The bridge is actually two bridges, running parallel to each other. This is the first place I've actually seen a significant number of trees with yellow, red, and orange leaves. Surprisingly, the parts of the temple complex where the trees hadn't changed yet were ignored by the Japanese viewers. However, to me, they were just as beautiful as the brilliant colors in the rest of the complex. The entire area had the feeling of a fairytale forest, with sunlight streaming through the branches and leaves to dapple on the moss covered ground. Speaking of sunlight, the weather was much improved from Saturday's rain, but it was still very chilly due to the strong wind.
We made our way out of the Tofukuji area, and walked to the next stop on our list: Fushimi-inari. Fushimi-inari station is four train stops away from Tofukuji station, but we meandered through the streets, and it didn't seem to take as long to go from one to the other on foot as it does by train. Fushimi-inari is also quite famous, it's dedicated to the Kitsune or Foxes. However, you might know it better as the mountain that is covered (I'm not exaggerating here, it is literally covered) in Tori Gates. Tori gates being those large orange and black, square arches seen at shrines all over Japan. Okaasan and I lost Otoosan for a while, but we finally met up again, and headed up the mountain.
So if any of you have seen the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, then you remember the part where the little girl runs through the seemingly-neverending path under the tori gates. Fushimi-inari is that place. Everywhere you turn, there's another path running under more tori gates. On the way up Okaasan and I followed Otoosan, who seemed to magically know which path to take to get to the top of the mountain. Which took a really long time, by the way, and many, many steps. Oh, and we found three kittens near the top of the mountain. Two were friendly and let us take pictures and pet them, but the third ran away behind some of the many small shrines set up just off the paths, all over the mountain. Some of these areas looked like miniature villages made up of shrines.
On the way back, Otoosan practically flew down, while Okaasan and I took our time. We soon regretted this though, as we had difficulty when we came to the many crossroads, which tori shrouded path we had come up. It was felt like a maze at times! Well, we eventually made our way to the bottom, and then had to find Otoosan again! When we did, we did a bit of shopping, and then found an udon restaurant for lunch. Otoosan picked out the restaurant! Both days this weekend! So, clearly I'm not the only one who likes udon! :D
Speaking of udon, though, I think I've eaten too much of it, because I'm becoming an udon snob. It's sad really, because I used to just love udon, and eat it whenever I got the chance. And now, I've started noticing differences in the soups or the texture of the noodles, and preferring some to others. For instance, the noodles at this shop weren't as firm or chewy as the ones at the shop we ate at on Saturday. And Tuesday night we had instant udon at home for dinner, and I noticed that the noodles were much shorter than those at the restaurants, and that they were almost too chewy. Argh! Why can't I just enjoy the yumminess of udon? Why did I have to develop preferences? If I hadn't developed these preferences, I wouldn't ever get disappointed by a bowl of udon. And really, who wants to be disappointed by a bowl of delicious noodles?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Buddhas and Deer and Baths! Oh my!
This weekend was tons of fun! My host family (Otoosan and Okaasan) and I went to several interesting, sightseeing places. Kayoko has midterms all this week, so she stayed home and studied. :(
Saturday we drove to Nara, which is sort of south of Osaka, about 1.5 hours on the terrifying highway and then through some twisty mountain roads. The highway is terrifying for this reason: It's really high. As in, imagine a typical (American highway), then put in on stilts, then add other roads/houses/buildings/fields underneath it, and there you go. It rained the entire day, quite a downpour at times, so I got very very wet, but it was worth it.
First stop was Todaiji Temple and the Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall). It's the largest wooden structure in Japan according to Otoosan, and it has, you guessed it, the largest Buddha statue! It also has several other statues, including two of the Four Heavenly Kings. I studied/wrote about them in a paper for Chinese Art History last semester, so this made me smile!
Then we wandered through another couple of shrines in the complex. There were deer everywhere! Most of them were huddled under trees, trying to stay out of the rain. At least until we got to the Great South Gate. Yes, almost everything there had a Great in front of it, to be fair though, most of it was pretty big. Outside of the gate, there were lots of little street stalls, most of them selling packets of special deer crackers that you could buy and feed to the deer. This is the area where all the warning signs about the deer start to make sense. I myself got headbutted in the rear end by one deer who was unsatisfied with my decision to not buy deer food! I saw a kid running with a line of deer following him until he dropped the cracker, which they immediately devoured.
As we left to park limits we saw a line of deer crossing the street, near a deer crossing sign no less. (There aren't any closed fences or gates around the pak, the deer are allowed to wander where they will, though they tend to stay near the park 'cause that's where the easy food is.) We stopped and watched them. As traffic got a little heavier, the deer on the other side, stopped, formed a line, and waited until the cars stopped, then crossed. I'M NOT KIDDING AND I HAVE PICTURES AS PROOF! It puts a WHOLE new meaning on the deer crossing signs!
There were a bunch of guys in uniforms, not police, more like security guards, standing in groups along the road as we walked to find a place for lunch. We stopped and asked them what was going on. It turns out that a Japanese prince was going to be visiting the area, and there would be a sort of mini parade as he drove through. We did some window shopping to kill time, and then stood on the street side with the crowd and watched a bunch of cars pass, one of which had the windows rolled down, and a waving hand in it. That's all a saw of the guy, but Otoosan was really excited about it. Then we went to an udon restaurant, and all had curry udon. It came in giant, bigger-than-my-head bowls, and I couldn't finish mine! By the time we were done, Prince and company were coming back around, so we watched them pass again. Then we headed home.
A few hours later, Otoosan, Okaasan, and I packed up a change of clothes and drove to a nearby onsen, or public bath house. Otoosan went through one door, and Okaasan and I went through the other. We stripped, then took very long showers, and I tied my hair up to keep it out of the baths. There were several different sorts of bath areas. The ones inside all had jets and bubbles, and were very hot tub like, except imagine the hot tub sectioned off into four or five individual areas. Then we headed outside where there were long square hot and warm baths, all with room for multiple people to lay down and relax. There were also giant tubs of cooler water. They were big enough for me to sit in indian style, with water up to my chin! The large center bath was modeld after a natural hot spring, with fake rock providing excellent backrests! Okaasan and I also sampled the hot sauna for a few minutes, but neither of us liked it much. There was also a cold sauna! I was surprised by this, and Okaasan explained that going back and forth between the two saunas was very good for your complexion, but she didn't want to try it, and neither did I!
When we were done relaxing, we got dressed and joined Otoosan in the main room where we had dinner. And I had my first beer! I actually didn't like it very much. After dinner, we made our way home, where I read for a couple of hours on the couch, and then fell straight to sleep as soon as I hit my bed.
Saturday we drove to Nara, which is sort of south of Osaka, about 1.5 hours on the terrifying highway and then through some twisty mountain roads. The highway is terrifying for this reason: It's really high. As in, imagine a typical (American highway), then put in on stilts, then add other roads/houses/buildings/fields underneath it, and there you go. It rained the entire day, quite a downpour at times, so I got very very wet, but it was worth it.
First stop was Todaiji Temple and the Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall). It's the largest wooden structure in Japan according to Otoosan, and it has, you guessed it, the largest Buddha statue! It also has several other statues, including two of the Four Heavenly Kings. I studied/wrote about them in a paper for Chinese Art History last semester, so this made me smile!
Then we wandered through another couple of shrines in the complex. There were deer everywhere! Most of them were huddled under trees, trying to stay out of the rain. At least until we got to the Great South Gate. Yes, almost everything there had a Great in front of it, to be fair though, most of it was pretty big. Outside of the gate, there were lots of little street stalls, most of them selling packets of special deer crackers that you could buy and feed to the deer. This is the area where all the warning signs about the deer start to make sense. I myself got headbutted in the rear end by one deer who was unsatisfied with my decision to not buy deer food! I saw a kid running with a line of deer following him until he dropped the cracker, which they immediately devoured.
As we left to park limits we saw a line of deer crossing the street, near a deer crossing sign no less. (There aren't any closed fences or gates around the pak, the deer are allowed to wander where they will, though they tend to stay near the park 'cause that's where the easy food is.) We stopped and watched them. As traffic got a little heavier, the deer on the other side, stopped, formed a line, and waited until the cars stopped, then crossed. I'M NOT KIDDING AND I HAVE PICTURES AS PROOF! It puts a WHOLE new meaning on the deer crossing signs!
There were a bunch of guys in uniforms, not police, more like security guards, standing in groups along the road as we walked to find a place for lunch. We stopped and asked them what was going on. It turns out that a Japanese prince was going to be visiting the area, and there would be a sort of mini parade as he drove through. We did some window shopping to kill time, and then stood on the street side with the crowd and watched a bunch of cars pass, one of which had the windows rolled down, and a waving hand in it. That's all a saw of the guy, but Otoosan was really excited about it. Then we went to an udon restaurant, and all had curry udon. It came in giant, bigger-than-my-head bowls, and I couldn't finish mine! By the time we were done, Prince and company were coming back around, so we watched them pass again. Then we headed home.
A few hours later, Otoosan, Okaasan, and I packed up a change of clothes and drove to a nearby onsen, or public bath house. Otoosan went through one door, and Okaasan and I went through the other. We stripped, then took very long showers, and I tied my hair up to keep it out of the baths. There were several different sorts of bath areas. The ones inside all had jets and bubbles, and were very hot tub like, except imagine the hot tub sectioned off into four or five individual areas. Then we headed outside where there were long square hot and warm baths, all with room for multiple people to lay down and relax. There were also giant tubs of cooler water. They were big enough for me to sit in indian style, with water up to my chin! The large center bath was modeld after a natural hot spring, with fake rock providing excellent backrests! Okaasan and I also sampled the hot sauna for a few minutes, but neither of us liked it much. There was also a cold sauna! I was surprised by this, and Okaasan explained that going back and forth between the two saunas was very good for your complexion, but she didn't want to try it, and neither did I!
When we were done relaxing, we got dressed and joined Otoosan in the main room where we had dinner. And I had my first beer! I actually didn't like it very much. After dinner, we made our way home, where I read for a couple of hours on the couch, and then fell straight to sleep as soon as I hit my bed.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Random Observations
1. The cat likes me. I think. I'm as sure as anyone can ever be about a cat's thoughts. Anyway, he used to sleep in Otoosan's chair (at the dining table). When I asked Okaasan why he slept in only that chair, she said that when they don't have a host student he sleeps in the extra chair, but when there is a host student he sleeps in Otoosan's chair. Maybe because they are on the same side of the table. I think it's because he can tell when there's a new=strange person in the house and doesn't accept them as part of the family. But lately he's been splitting his time between my seat and Otoosan's seat. Also, he likes to sleep on people's stomachs. Mostly Okaasan but sometimes Kayoko too. And he has slept on my stomach twice now, but only when no one else is home. He's starting to think that I'm part of the family-in so far as I am now an acceptable heater/bed. It makes me happy.
2. Japanese people almost always back into parking spaces. And they back up all the way. Which means that they wait until the tires bump into the parking block thingy.(What is the proper name for the concrete block that marks the end of a parking space?)
3. Whereas I have lost 5-6 lbs since being here and being off cafeteria food, a friend of mine has gained 5-6 lbs. So, clearly Japanese food isn't always completely healthy.
4. Kansai Gaidai has a football team. As in American football. But half the students-the actual Japanese student, not just us foreigner, don't know it exists. But EVERYBODY knows about the cheerleaders. And the cheerleaders don't cheer for any of the teams. They even have their own name/mascot. Is there any school in America where this would happen? I don't think so. Side note: Everybody also knows about the football-as-in-soccer team here. I don't know how well they do, but they exist and can't be too bad.
5. Okaasan wants a new fridge. I asked her why, because the fridge they have looks to be in good shape still. She said the one she wants is narrower, but bigger on the inside. I am not making this up, that is the literal translation of what she said! And, okay, technically she meant that she wanted the 'drawer section' to be bigger, and so the shelf section smaller, but what she SAID was that it was bigger on the inside. And we all know what that means. TARDIS!fridge! Also, since the stairs in the house (and most Japanese houses) are so narrow, it will be coming in via the window. I hope I will be home when it comes so I can see this absurdity in action!
6. The trees still haven't changed color for the most part here. Even the Japanese people are saying the trees are a bit late this year, but that they don't usually turn until November. Which boogles my mind. I miss the pretty colors and the crunch of leaves. And I have the feeling I'll barely get any 'actual' fall before I go home in December and it's the dead of an Illinois winter. It's a shame because Fall is really my favorite season. I love all the color, and the coolness without the biting cold, and without the rain of spring.
2. Japanese people almost always back into parking spaces. And they back up all the way. Which means that they wait until the tires bump into the parking block thingy.(What is the proper name for the concrete block that marks the end of a parking space?)
3. Whereas I have lost 5-6 lbs since being here and being off cafeteria food, a friend of mine has gained 5-6 lbs. So, clearly Japanese food isn't always completely healthy.
4. Kansai Gaidai has a football team. As in American football. But half the students-the actual Japanese student, not just us foreigner, don't know it exists. But EVERYBODY knows about the cheerleaders. And the cheerleaders don't cheer for any of the teams. They even have their own name/mascot. Is there any school in America where this would happen? I don't think so. Side note: Everybody also knows about the football-as-in-soccer team here. I don't know how well they do, but they exist and can't be too bad.
5. Okaasan wants a new fridge. I asked her why, because the fridge they have looks to be in good shape still. She said the one she wants is narrower, but bigger on the inside. I am not making this up, that is the literal translation of what she said! And, okay, technically she meant that she wanted the 'drawer section' to be bigger, and so the shelf section smaller, but what she SAID was that it was bigger on the inside. And we all know what that means. TARDIS!fridge! Also, since the stairs in the house (and most Japanese houses) are so narrow, it will be coming in via the window. I hope I will be home when it comes so I can see this absurdity in action!
6. The trees still haven't changed color for the most part here. Even the Japanese people are saying the trees are a bit late this year, but that they don't usually turn until November. Which boogles my mind. I miss the pretty colors and the crunch of leaves. And I have the feeling I'll barely get any 'actual' fall before I go home in December and it's the dead of an Illinois winter. It's a shame because Fall is really my favorite season. I love all the color, and the coolness without the biting cold, and without the rain of spring.
Monday, November 7, 2011
I'm an adult now?
As of Saturday, I'm 21 years old, and considered an adult by almost all societies. I don't really feel like an adult though, because I'm still in school, and mostly dependent on my parents, and well, I still feel and act like a kid sometimes. This whole 'adult' thing is weird, and I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace it. This is evidenced by the way I spent my birthday. I went to an amusement park!
Hirakata Park is really close by. I pass the train stop for it everyday on the way to school and back, and you can see the ferris wheel from the train. I went with a group of people, and we had a ton of fun! Even after it started raining!
We got there a little after 11am, and the sky was sort of dripping, off and on, but hadn't decided if it was really going to rain or not. We took advantage of this fact and went on as many rides as we could see as fast as possible. We wanted to get our fun in while the rides were still open. There were three main roller coasters, and we started with the smallest. It was very short and very violent-slamming us around in the hard cars. Next was what Mason City fairs call the Salt and Pepper Shaker and what I call the Emma's Going to Throw-up Now ride. Needless to say, I didn't go on this one. It went upside down. I don't do upside down. I surprised myself by joining them on the next one though-a meteor drop ride. You go way to high up, and then they drop you down really fast so you're sure you're about to splat on the ground, and then it stops and your safe, but you can't walk. Yeah, why did I go on that again?
Then we headed to the longest roller coaster-Red Falcon. Most of the rides' names were in English strangely enough. It was pretty good, but still a bit uncomfortable-my knees were up to my ears in the small car. We did a couple of water rides after that. In one we sat in a log shaped car and rode through a 'jungle' and in the other we were in a large round circle, and got splashed. We didn't get as wet as we would have in similar rides in America, but there were some wet jeans and shirts at the end of the ride. We then found the final roller coaster which turned out to be the best of the three. It was called Elf and was the only wooden coaster in the place. Its seats were really comfortable and most of the ride was up and down long and short hills. It was also the fastest ride, a definite plus!
We rode the ferris wheel of course, and a few other rides, namely the carousel and the tea cups. The tea cup ride was interesting for two reasons. One, the cups had Sanrio characters on them, like Hello Kitty. Two, we spun the cup really really REALLY fast. I usually don't get dizzy on a tea cup ride, but there's a first for everything. Sooooo dizzy..... We also played a couple of 'games' There were three or four of them and they all revolved around some sort of maze, and doing a task as you go through the maze, which earns you points, and then playing a mini game at the end with those points, and maybe winning a prize for your efforts. The fun part came from the fact that most of the participants were small children running to and fro, and we were five tall foreigners, who didn't really understand what was going on, but running around anyway! I somehow managed to win one of the end games and got a small bag on a lanyard. I have no idea what or how I did so, but yeah me!
For dinner that night, my host family took me out to a udon restaurant. We were in a 'traditional' room, with tatami mats on the floor and an alcove for speical decorations, but there were carpets over the mats with Western tables and chairs. In the alcove, there was a drawing of a horse! Perfect for my birthday dinner, as I was born in the year of the horse! When we got home Okaasan handed me a bag and said they had gotten me a present! Which I completely didn't expect at all! It was a nice jacket-black and soft on the inside.
I hope I expressed my appreciation enough! For desert she had bough a number of individual cakes of different flavors. I had a chocolate one and one that was white cake, with lots of whipped cream, with strawberries and other fruit on top. Yuummmmy~! While eating the cakes, Okaasan and I discussed the differences in American and Japanese birthday cakes. She said that they could get whole cakes of one flavor, but she thought that was a bit boring. She liked trying the different kinds. It was fun to have so many cute cakes, but I also like my chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate chips. :P
All in all, I had a pretty awesome birthday. It wasn't what I normally do, but it was fun all the same!
Hirakata Park is really close by. I pass the train stop for it everyday on the way to school and back, and you can see the ferris wheel from the train. I went with a group of people, and we had a ton of fun! Even after it started raining!
We got there a little after 11am, and the sky was sort of dripping, off and on, but hadn't decided if it was really going to rain or not. We took advantage of this fact and went on as many rides as we could see as fast as possible. We wanted to get our fun in while the rides were still open. There were three main roller coasters, and we started with the smallest. It was very short and very violent-slamming us around in the hard cars. Next was what Mason City fairs call the Salt and Pepper Shaker and what I call the Emma's Going to Throw-up Now ride. Needless to say, I didn't go on this one. It went upside down. I don't do upside down. I surprised myself by joining them on the next one though-a meteor drop ride. You go way to high up, and then they drop you down really fast so you're sure you're about to splat on the ground, and then it stops and your safe, but you can't walk. Yeah, why did I go on that again?
Then we headed to the longest roller coaster-Red Falcon. Most of the rides' names were in English strangely enough. It was pretty good, but still a bit uncomfortable-my knees were up to my ears in the small car. We did a couple of water rides after that. In one we sat in a log shaped car and rode through a 'jungle' and in the other we were in a large round circle, and got splashed. We didn't get as wet as we would have in similar rides in America, but there were some wet jeans and shirts at the end of the ride. We then found the final roller coaster which turned out to be the best of the three. It was called Elf and was the only wooden coaster in the place. Its seats were really comfortable and most of the ride was up and down long and short hills. It was also the fastest ride, a definite plus!
We rode the ferris wheel of course, and a few other rides, namely the carousel and the tea cups. The tea cup ride was interesting for two reasons. One, the cups had Sanrio characters on them, like Hello Kitty. Two, we spun the cup really really REALLY fast. I usually don't get dizzy on a tea cup ride, but there's a first for everything. Sooooo dizzy..... We also played a couple of 'games' There were three or four of them and they all revolved around some sort of maze, and doing a task as you go through the maze, which earns you points, and then playing a mini game at the end with those points, and maybe winning a prize for your efforts. The fun part came from the fact that most of the participants were small children running to and fro, and we were five tall foreigners, who didn't really understand what was going on, but running around anyway! I somehow managed to win one of the end games and got a small bag on a lanyard. I have no idea what or how I did so, but yeah me!
For dinner that night, my host family took me out to a udon restaurant. We were in a 'traditional' room, with tatami mats on the floor and an alcove for speical decorations, but there were carpets over the mats with Western tables and chairs. In the alcove, there was a drawing of a horse! Perfect for my birthday dinner, as I was born in the year of the horse! When we got home Okaasan handed me a bag and said they had gotten me a present! Which I completely didn't expect at all! It was a nice jacket-black and soft on the inside.
I hope I expressed my appreciation enough! For desert she had bough a number of individual cakes of different flavors. I had a chocolate one and one that was white cake, with lots of whipped cream, with strawberries and other fruit on top. Yuummmmy~! While eating the cakes, Okaasan and I discussed the differences in American and Japanese birthday cakes. She said that they could get whole cakes of one flavor, but she thought that was a bit boring. She liked trying the different kinds. It was fun to have so many cute cakes, but I also like my chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate chips. :P
All in all, I had a pretty awesome birthday. It wasn't what I normally do, but it was fun all the same!
Friday, November 4, 2011
TINKER DAY!
I was going to Tinker day it up last Saturday, but things came up, so instead I went yesterday. Now, yesterday was in Novembr, whereas Tinker Day is always in October, but yesterday was National Culture Day here in Japan, which meant school was canceled in the middle of the week, versus a Saturday, when there is no class (for me at least). For those of you who don't know what Tinker Day is, it's a tradition from my home university. Here's a quick run-down of the Tinker Day essentials:
-Eating Krispy Kreme Donuts
-Wearing crazy costumes (tutus encouraged)
-Climbing a mountain (preferably a steep one without much of a strict trail, necessitating rock climbing skills)
-Eating fried chicken and Tinker (chocolate) cake at the top
-Running down the mountain, ping-ponging off of the trees to keep from falling
-Singing, dancing, and skits are highly encouraged (especially Disney songs and "I love you Hollins")
For my version of Tinker Day, I had to change some things, but the general spirit of the day was maintained. I left the house at 8:30, a bit of a late start, and headed towards the train station. I got off at Hirakata-shi station and found the nearby Mister Donut shop without too much trouble. Mister Donut has an interesting history-they started out in the US, but were much more accepted in Japan, and have died out in the States, though some sources said they have been converted into Dunkin' Donuts. I thought they'd be a good Japanese substitute for Krispy Kremes. I had a chocolate icing one and one that was labeled as "huney dipped". They were both good, and the huney dripped one didn't really taste like huney, but was close to a Krispy Kreme flavor. Item number one was crossed off.
Next, I went back to Hirakata-shi station and caught a train into Kyoto. My goal was Mount Kurama, to the north of the city. I got off of the Keihan line at Demachiyanagi and switched to the Eizan line, the last stop of which lands you near the entrance of the Kurama shrine and the hiking trail over the mountain. I got off the train about 11 o'clock and started climbing. I got a a couple to take a picture of me in my outfit near the beginning of the upward slope. The cool thing about that, is that they then asked me where I was from, and I answered without thinking about how to phrase the answer! And it came out right! That alone would have made my day, but it was icing on the cake of the wonderful day! My usual Tinker Day outfit is a mis-match of layered clothing in bright, contrasting colors. I toned it down a bit for this year though, and did what I'm calling a study in purple. (My favorite color, don't ya know?) I wore a wrap-around skirt of yellow, purple, green, and pink, purple leggings, purple socks (not the same color as the leggings), purple shirt, and my purple and pink tennis shoes. Crazy outfit: check.
The mountain was really interesting. The way up was VERY different from Tinker Mountain. It was a wide, mostly stone path, with some dirt and gravel sections, and there were tiny shrines and statues every so often. About half way up there was a much larger shrine, near it was small restaurant set up. I borrowed one of their chairs and sat down and ate my 'Tinker cake' which was actually a small chocolate cake I got from a conbini. It was a bit squased from being in my bag, but still yummy! After the large shrine, the path got my narrow, and mostly consiste of stone steps. The top of the mountain appeared suddenly, and was quite different from what I'd seen so far. It was a cedar grove, and the roots of the trees jutted up and created an intricate web across the 'floor'. It was beautiful and peaceful and awe-inspiring. Standing in the middle of it, I realized that it was the exact top, every step away from the grove was a step down. The rest of the mountain might have been full of man-made shrines, statues, and paths, but here, at the highest point, everything had been left natural, and it was beautiful. Way to go Japan.
The way down the other side of the mountain was an interesting experience, as on Tinker Mountain, we climb up and down the same side. It was cool to see both sides of the mountain. The way down was also more rougher, more natural than the way up. The steps were not of stone, but of dirt and pieces of wood. There was a handrail however. The path was still pretty wide, compared to Tinker's and the trees lining the side were not bouncy younger ones for me to ping-pong off of as I half fell down the mountain, they were tall, old, sturdy ones I would have crashed face first into and stuck there! So, after a while, I very much appreciated that handrail! I got down around 12:30, and made my way back to the school (where a cultural festival was in full swing) by 2 or so.
So, let's recap: donuts-check, outfit-check, mountain climbing-check, chocolate cake-check, almost falling down the mountain-check, singing/dancing/skits-I sang in my head quite a bit, but couldn't get up the courage to belt out "I'll make a man out of you" in the middle of a crowd of Japanese hikers. I sang that song, and the "I love you Hollins" song multiple times in my head, as per tradition. The only thing I didn't get in was fried chicken. But FATE prevailed! Last night, Okaasan made fried chicken pieces as part of dinner! Which just proves that yesterday was perfect for a Japanese Tinker Day! It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and cursed my aching legs last night and this mornging--Tinker Day tradtions indeed!
-Eating Krispy Kreme Donuts
-Wearing crazy costumes (tutus encouraged)
-Climbing a mountain (preferably a steep one without much of a strict trail, necessitating rock climbing skills)
-Eating fried chicken and Tinker (chocolate) cake at the top
-Running down the mountain, ping-ponging off of the trees to keep from falling
-Singing, dancing, and skits are highly encouraged (especially Disney songs and "I love you Hollins")
For my version of Tinker Day, I had to change some things, but the general spirit of the day was maintained. I left the house at 8:30, a bit of a late start, and headed towards the train station. I got off at Hirakata-shi station and found the nearby Mister Donut shop without too much trouble. Mister Donut has an interesting history-they started out in the US, but were much more accepted in Japan, and have died out in the States, though some sources said they have been converted into Dunkin' Donuts. I thought they'd be a good Japanese substitute for Krispy Kremes. I had a chocolate icing one and one that was labeled as "huney dipped". They were both good, and the huney dripped one didn't really taste like huney, but was close to a Krispy Kreme flavor. Item number one was crossed off.
Next, I went back to Hirakata-shi station and caught a train into Kyoto. My goal was Mount Kurama, to the north of the city. I got off of the Keihan line at Demachiyanagi and switched to the Eizan line, the last stop of which lands you near the entrance of the Kurama shrine and the hiking trail over the mountain. I got off the train about 11 o'clock and started climbing. I got a a couple to take a picture of me in my outfit near the beginning of the upward slope. The cool thing about that, is that they then asked me where I was from, and I answered without thinking about how to phrase the answer! And it came out right! That alone would have made my day, but it was icing on the cake of the wonderful day! My usual Tinker Day outfit is a mis-match of layered clothing in bright, contrasting colors. I toned it down a bit for this year though, and did what I'm calling a study in purple. (My favorite color, don't ya know?) I wore a wrap-around skirt of yellow, purple, green, and pink, purple leggings, purple socks (not the same color as the leggings), purple shirt, and my purple and pink tennis shoes. Crazy outfit: check.
The mountain was really interesting. The way up was VERY different from Tinker Mountain. It was a wide, mostly stone path, with some dirt and gravel sections, and there were tiny shrines and statues every so often. About half way up there was a much larger shrine, near it was small restaurant set up. I borrowed one of their chairs and sat down and ate my 'Tinker cake' which was actually a small chocolate cake I got from a conbini. It was a bit squased from being in my bag, but still yummy! After the large shrine, the path got my narrow, and mostly consiste of stone steps. The top of the mountain appeared suddenly, and was quite different from what I'd seen so far. It was a cedar grove, and the roots of the trees jutted up and created an intricate web across the 'floor'. It was beautiful and peaceful and awe-inspiring. Standing in the middle of it, I realized that it was the exact top, every step away from the grove was a step down. The rest of the mountain might have been full of man-made shrines, statues, and paths, but here, at the highest point, everything had been left natural, and it was beautiful. Way to go Japan.
The way down the other side of the mountain was an interesting experience, as on Tinker Mountain, we climb up and down the same side. It was cool to see both sides of the mountain. The way down was also more rougher, more natural than the way up. The steps were not of stone, but of dirt and pieces of wood. There was a handrail however. The path was still pretty wide, compared to Tinker's and the trees lining the side were not bouncy younger ones for me to ping-pong off of as I half fell down the mountain, they were tall, old, sturdy ones I would have crashed face first into and stuck there! So, after a while, I very much appreciated that handrail! I got down around 12:30, and made my way back to the school (where a cultural festival was in full swing) by 2 or so.
So, let's recap: donuts-check, outfit-check, mountain climbing-check, chocolate cake-check, almost falling down the mountain-check, singing/dancing/skits-I sang in my head quite a bit, but couldn't get up the courage to belt out "I'll make a man out of you" in the middle of a crowd of Japanese hikers. I sang that song, and the "I love you Hollins" song multiple times in my head, as per tradition. The only thing I didn't get in was fried chicken. But FATE prevailed! Last night, Okaasan made fried chicken pieces as part of dinner! Which just proves that yesterday was perfect for a Japanese Tinker Day! It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and cursed my aching legs last night and this mornging--Tinker Day tradtions indeed!
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