Kyoto and the Weekend: Part Ni

Sorry about having to continue this entry and leave you hanging on my adventurous weekend!

After we hiked through the absolutely amazing bamboo forest, we came across the other side of the shrine. We came out at an end with a ton of mini shrines and people praying and burning incense. The shrines were so interesting because even though much of them all looked the same, they all had something a little bit different. Many of them had food on them or drink, which was placed there as an offering. They all had some sort of Fox statue, some had many(as in my photos from my last post; hundreds of foxes).  As we walked further down the mountain back towards the front of the shrine, we saw more and more mini-shrines. 

We realized that we had been walking this shrine for a couple of hours and wanted to try to get some other site in before everything closed at 4pm. That is the only downside of Kyoto and the historical castles, temples, and shrines; they all close early!

We hopped back on the JR train to Kyoto station where we tried to figure out the city bus system. To our frustration, we couldn't figure out how to buy a ticket. We went to an information center in the Kyoto Station, which is the most beautiful train station I have ever seen. There was a man there who spoke English and he suggested that since it was already 3pm, we probably wouldn't make it to the Golden Pavilion, which was one of our top choices. The only place that would be open later, until 6pm, was Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist Temple. This was one of the other places of interest that we discussed, so we thanked the man and hopped onto the number 100 bus towards our destination.

When we arrived at our stop, we saw no real direction to where we were going so we decided to walk uphill. We knew that this Temple was famous for a night view so it had to be up the hill. We knew we were in the right place when we started to see the streets narrow and the crowds grow. Everyone was eating ice cream, despite the wind and chill in the air, as well as various snacks on sticks. And then we rounded a corner of the street and there it was, standing tall, the gate to the Temple. It was beautiful as the sun was shining on it, setting in the west, and a single plum tree sat to it's right with it's flowers in full bloom. 

We walked up the steps and couldn't help but feeling amazed as we turned to the west and saw the amazing view we had of the city. Everyone that had told us that this Temple had the best view of Kyoto was dead on. It was simply breathtaking. 

Next, we paid our 300 yen entry fee and walked through the Temple. We saw the Holy fountains and watched as people washed their hands in it's water. We walked around the Temple and stared at the amazing view. This is when, for both of us, it really sank in how amazing this all was.

That is something that I have noticed. On a day to day basis, it doesn't always feel like Japan. Even with the language barrier sometimes, it just feels like I am home. But on certain days, special days, you feel something unique. It all just clicks. "I am in Japan. Look at how beautiful this is. I really am so fortunate to have this opportunity."

Another awesome thing about visiting all of these historical places in Kyoto is that they are intertwined in the modern aspects of the city. You can be shopping in a department store of walking out of a McDonald's and right across the street there is a temple or a shrine that is thousands of years old. The juxtaposition is mind-blowing. Plus the simple fact that all of these historical sites are far older than the United States. It's a very humbling and surreal experience. 

When we decided that we had spent enough time looking at the view, the Temple, and the garden, we headed back down towards Gion. Gion is the only place in Japan where you can still see the Geisha and Meiko if you are lucky walking to work between the hours of 4pm-630pm. We thought we would head down this way to try out one of the restaurants that seemed to be abundant in this area. On our way down the hill, we passed a Takoyaki stand. Takoyaki is famous in Osaka and is simple some sort of flour mix with octopus (tako) on the inside. They are octopus balls (not literally, but you know what I mean). They put sauce on the top and then fish flakes and parsley and finish them off with a toothpick so you can eat them while you walk. I still had not tried them and Anthony was in an adventurous eating mood for once, so we purchased some to try it out. They were soft and strange tasting. Not terrible, but probably not something I would fancy frequently eating. 

No Geisha were spotted in Gion, and no restaurants either. That is another cultural difference I have found very difficult in Japan. If you want to eat something, say perhaps a late lunch/early dinner, you can't unless you want fast food or take out. There are no restaurants that are open until 5 or 5:30 in most cities and they close after lunch. So we were in Gion at the wrong time. We decided to walk around until we found something that looked both appetizing and affordable and after walking for what felt like days, we decided to go to a 280 bar. 

This is another interesting experience in Japan. Everything is 280 yen on the menu. This includes all alcohol and food. You choose a lot of small portions and share. It is awesome, especially when you want to try new things and not spend a lot of money. We tried all sorts of yakitori and I even had a mango beer! 

Next, we hopped on a train to take us to Osaka where we walked around the 'famous' (haha) Yodobashi Camera. This is the largest department store for electronics. You think BestBuy is big, BestBuy has nothing on Yodobashi. This place is probably 15 times or more the size of Best Buy with over 7 floors of items. It is way too overwhelming to just browse and you would surely get lost for days. 

We walked around Namba, tried our luck at some UFO machines, Took a few photos down by Dotonbori and were on our way back to my Tarumi apartment, but not before a quick stop in the local 24 hour Yoshinoya for a gyudon, nami size*! What an amazing visit.

Gyudon-(beef and rice bowl...japanese fast food. Very thin sliced beef with onions and broth...so SO amazing) 

Nami- Medium/ Regular. 

Kyoto and an Old Friend :)

This weekend was full of exciting surprises and adventures. More Pictures to come in the morning. 

First of all, my good friend from high school, Anthony, lives in Tokyo teaching English also. We didn't know each other was coming until we were already here. He arrived in Tokyo two days before I arrived in Osaka. We have been trying to plan a trip to see each other ever since. On Saturday I get a e-mail message on my phone from Anthony saying he is going to catch the Shinkansen after work on Saturday to visit! I was so excited to see and old friend and to get to explore the Kansai region with such a good friend. 

After work on Saturday I came home and got things ready. Then, I went to the Shin Kobe station, which is where the Shinkansen lets off in Kobe, to wait for him. Sure enough, right on time he comes off the train! I was so happy to have him here visiting! We went to the pub so he could meet some of my friends and it happened to be one of their birthday's, so we stuck around and celebrated on the 7th floor. I love that pub.

The next day, we decided we wanted to go to Kyoto to get some history and visit a shrine or two and maybe a rock garden. Anthony had been to Kyoto once before when his older brother had been teaching English here a couple of years ago. However, he only went once place, Nijo Castle (see previous post). This was a perfect coincidence because that was the only place in Kyoto that I had been also, so we knew that no matter what it was going to be a new experience for the both of us. :)

The first place we decided to go was Fushimi-Inari Taisha. This is one of Kyoto's oldest shrine and it honors one of the goddess of agriculture and prosperity. There are over 40,000 mini shrines representing Inari here. There are also foxes all throughout the shrine. This place is amazing and it dates back to the 8th century. Some of you might recognize it from it's pictures above because of the 10,000 orange torii that make up tunnels all through the shrine. They were featured in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha (Kyoto is the only place in Japan where there are still Meiko and Geisha; and no, they are not prostitutes).To walk the full path around the entire shrine, and through all the torii, will take a minimum of two and half hours. It's worth it. This shrine offered breathtaking views and the tunnels were just so unreal. 

It was surrounded by a bamboo forest and when Anthony and I saw a trail that went off the beaten path, we had to follow it. Mind you I was wearing a dress and blue ballet flat style shoes, but if you know me well, you know that shoes won't stop me from hiking through a little muck to explore! The scenery was amazing on the trail and we couldn't help but feel we had found a lost land and that we were really experiencing something special that other visitors missed out on.

This shrine was also interesting because there were not many foreign tourists which made it much less crowded and much easier to enjoy.

I have so much more to say about this beautiful place but I must refrain. Lesson plans await, as does prepping for classing and meetings. Please check back for the continuation of my weekend story...One more Shrine and many more adventures. Check back tomorrow. :)

Hinamatsuri

Yesterday I had a very busy day and a counseling with one of my oldest students. She is wonderful, but a very low level speaker. Sometimes we have a hard time communicating but she is always warm and welcoming. She speaks of her "head's memory" being bad when she is explaining how she studies but forgets everything on the way to class. Ha.

So, she is the sweetest lady ever. Today, after counseling, she pulled a small bag out of her purse. She explained to me on March 3rd, which is the third day of the third month of the year, it is called Hinamatsuri. 

This day is also known as 'Girl's Day'. She said with a huge smile, that even though this day is celebrated by young girls, she is just an old girl and I am still young enough to enjoy it. :) (however, other students have told me that only girls much younger celebrate this day). 

On this day, girls use ornamental dolls on red hi-mosen (stairs...or display. Hard to explain) to represent the Emperor and Empress, traditional court, and so on from the Heian period. The girls often dress up in kimonos and take photos with the dolls. 

There are many things related with this custom and this day that she told me about and other students helped her explain. If you are interested more in it, please make sure to look it up.

The girls here have very fond memories of their days celebrating Hinamatsuri. 

So, out of her bag, she pulled two tiny dolls, one man, one woman. These dolls are to represent the Emperor and Empress. They were made by her friend and they are a very advanced form of origami. They were just so beautiful, and I was so touched by this gift, that I felt I needed to blog about it and post pictures out of respect for her and the custom. 

It is extraordinary that even though we can't always communicate well, she still found a way to connect to me and to teach me something. I only hope that I can be as good of a teacher to her as many of the students have been to me about the customs and cultures of Japan. I have so many students who come to class each day to learn, but also to teach me, their sensei, something about Japan. I appreciate them more than they could possibly know. 

This week

These photos are as follows: 

The picture on the left is in China Town in Kobe. This area is famous among all Japanese and it is one of the only China Town areas in all of Japan. Lots of festivals! :)

The next picture is of an awesome building that is randomly in the middle of Kobe. I believe it is a shrine, but I didn't get close enough today. I was in a hurry. The last photo is for all of my comic book and philosophy fans that know about Watchmen. I can't wait for the Japan release. Here is the awesome standee at the movie theatre. The Japanese trailer shows so much more than the American one. CHECK IT OUT! 

:)

This week was so incredibly busy at the school. I felt like I was constantly on the go and with two extra training sessions at home office and another school, I was exhausted! 

I have been keeping really busy with school and have been kind of stressed out due to the heavy load of classes and counseling due to the end of the school year. We are about to hit what is the new start of the school year here, in April. This means there are lots of people that are starting and also that we are starting a new book and new classes soon. So much to do!

This week at school, one of my students brought me a DVD he downloaded to show me about Mansai, a type of Japanese comedy. He had given a speech about this comedy the previous week and I was very interested, which is why he went home and searched to find a video that explains the type of comedy and characters in English! How sweet! I haven't had a free moment to watch it, but I can't wait until I can. 

For this weekend, I made plans with a sweet student of mine to go to the movies. I wanted to see a movie and she had a Sunday off, which is a rarity for her due to her part-time job at McDonald's.  

OH!! SIDE NOTE: McDonald's just released the Quarter Pounder and Double Quarter Pounder in Japan. The release of this burger is so huge that I can't even explain it to you. I honestly can't go a day, let alone a couple of hours, without someone referring to the NEW burger and how they ate the DOUBLE. Haha. It is so awesome! When I went to get mine, with a coupon that said student that works at McDonald's gave me, I even got a bumper sticker for the Quarter Pounder with some funny Japanese Slogan on it like "Don't you know?". 

So, back to the story of the weekend. I invited my student to come to the movies with me in Sannomiya. I let her choose the movie, which was between Benjamin Button and Changeling. (she loves American film, which is great, because the Japanese films are not subtitled in English). Changeling just came out this week and she was dying to see it so we decided to meet up at 1:30 in the lobby of the theatre. While I was waiting for her, I noticed that the theatre was very busy, and with Japan having assigned seats, I wanted to make sure we could sit together, so I bought two tickets. 

When she arrived, I told her I already got the tickets. However, she had already bought tickets earlier that day! OH NO. So we tried to return the tickets, but they wouldn't let us return them. They were about $16 each (1500 yen) and I really didn't want to lose out on over $30. We found a nice young couple who bought the tickets from us after a couple of attempts. People are so sweet here! I was Saved! 

We went to the movie, which was horribly depressing but also probably one of the best roles of Angelina Jolie's strange career, and then decided to walk around Sannomiya and look in the shops. 

We were getting hungry and I was exhausted from going out the night before with Miho to the Pub, so we decided to get some food. Everyone here is very concerned with me trying as much Japanese food as possible, which is funny because they always think that I won't like it or that I don't like it and I am just being polite. Usually I like 95% of what I eat here, which is probably a much higher percentage than in the US. 

She suggested we go for Okonomiyaki, which is famous in Osaka and Kobe. It is called a Japanese Pizza by some, but does not remotely resemble a pizza in taste or appearance. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that they are round. It is made of Japanese cabbage, flour, egg, some sort of meat or seafood, and scallions. There are lots of other ingredients you can get, but these are just a few examples. We sat at a table that had a griddle top and I let her order. Then the waitress came out and mixed together all of the food. She then put it on the griddle and made it into a circle. We let it cook then she came and flipped it, and finally topped it with some sort of fish flakes and mayo as well as some type of brown sauce (in Japan, they love their mayo...it's gross). However, this was very interesting and without the mayo, might be quite healthy.

We finished up and parted ways in Tarumi. What a full day!

Today, I woke up early and had a few errands to run. Then I met my friend Miho in Sannomiya so we could take the Port Liner to Port Island to go to Ikea. We knew if we made it before 11 am we would be able to take part in the 99 yen breakfast they offer, which was awesome. We made it at 1055 and got our breakfast. As most of you know, Ikea is a place where you can get lost very quickly. It smells of cardboard, and as a friend of mine once said, smells like America. Haha. 

I picked up a few interesting things for my place to make my life a little easier. After all, how can you beat a ironing board for 550 yen!? 

So, nothing too exciting going on right now. Basically trying to catch up on sleep and unwind. I want to get myself rested up before Golden Week because I think I will be traveling with a friend from High School that lives in Tokyo. :) I can't wait to see more of Japan. 

A Night on the Town: Osaka

This weekend, after a relatively short week due to a national holiday on wednesday, my friend Miho and I decided we needed to get away from Kobe and head into the city for a night. Osaka is only about 40 minutes from us by Rapid Train and there was a cafe we had been wanting to check out. 

We made reservations at a hotel the night before for relatively cheap and booked a 'ladies room'. We had no idea what the hotel would be like or what 'ladies room' meant, so we were curious and excited about what was in store for us. However, the room was only 8200 yen and included breakfast in the morning so we were happy.

When we got to Osaka, we were able to find the hotel with relatively no trouble. It was very swanky and contemporary. At check in, we found out what it meant to have a 'ladies room'. It meant that we got special little bags of bubble bath and nail stuff as well as slippers and pajamas!! HOW FUN! 

We went up to the room and it was very nice. A bit small, but very modern and new feeling. We got ready and headed to our first destination for the evening, Cafe Absinthe. As many of you know, Absinthe is a very strong alcohol that is herbal and is anise flavored. It was also banned in the US until late 2007 and is still not readily available. 

However, in Japan it is legal and we were ready to try it out. van Gogh, Picasso, Wilde, and Hemingway all were known to be big advocates and drinkers of the potent green drink, so I really wanted to see what it was all about.

We got to the bar and it was very trendy and upscale, a big change compared to most of the places in kobe which are more laid back than sophisticated. We hopped over to the bar to wait for a table because the place was packed and said 'Hi' to a bartender that knows one of the teachers at our school. We then looked at the drink menu, which was HUGE. There were at least 15 different types of straight absinthe and then at least 20 more drinks made with it. Then there was every other kind of drink you could imagine. The food was Mediterranean, which I had been hoping for most of the night. 

Miho ordered a cocktail called the Hemingway which was white wine and absinthe but I wanted to try it straight, so I ordered a french brand with the name Pernot. There was only one kind of absinthe on the menu that contained a large amount of wormwood, which is the hallucinogenic that is some absinthe. This is what most of the artists used to drink, however, it was about 4000 yen a glass ($40), and we decided we'd better just stick to the alcohol anyway. :)

The brought it to us with a shot and a glass. Over the glass they placed a slotted spoon with a sugar cube on top. They then poured the liquid over the sugar and lit the sugar cube on fire. It then melted into the glass and wine was poured into Miho's drink and cold water into mine. Mine turned a milky green color and was then ready to drink. The taste was very strong, but very delicious. 

We then got our table and ordered our food, which was kebabs and pita as well as a creamy mushroom linguini. The staff was great, the food was outstanding, the atmosphere was intellectual, and we had a great time. 

After Cafe Absinthe, we decided we wanted to see what this really popular dance club, Sam and Dave, was all about. We walked around the maze of a city until we heard the music a couple of blocks away. It was thumping so we knew we were in the right area. When we finally approached the club, which is underground, we noticed that it was a sketchy crowd, even for Japan. We observed for a minute and decided it was best to just pass on this experience. 

We walked around Osaka, considered going to Bowling or Karaoke, but ultimately went back to the hotel to rest up for the next day. When we got there we decided to have a little fun and put on our matching Pj's and jumped on the bed. It was a true slumber party! :) Haha. So much fun.

(I have pictures...it is hilarious... I will upload them for you all soon:) )

Breakfast was as you would expect, Japanese Style. The buffet went in order like this: Salad, Pasta salad, Fish, Fish/Meat balls with onions, Boiled eggs, Raw eggs, Spinach, Rice, three kinds of bread for Toast, Rolls, Strawberry jelly, Coffee, Milk, Juice, and Water. Oh Japan... My stomach didn't know if it was breakfast or lunch, but ultimately it was good. 

As for the day, we had to get a birthday present for Miho's mom and just wanted to look around at what Osaka had to offer. We found a little boutique that sold Barbie clothes made for adults, but the were 50's era, SOO CUTE. 

The weather was beautiful and it was warmer than it had been since I got to Japan. We found a little Indian restaurant for lunch on Dotombori that was only 999 yen for all you can eat lunch which ROCKS. We went there, finished shopping, and headed back to Kobe.

One more day off today. We will see where my adventures take me next! :)

Daily Life

This photo is the longest suspension bridge in the world. It is called the Akashi Bridge and it is only 2 miles from my house. Beautiful! 

Just thought I would write a little something about how the professional side of my stay in Japan has been going.

First of all, I am very fortunate with my school and living situations. They are both comfortable and convenient. I live only 7 minutes from the school and train station by foot, and once I get a bicycle in the spring it will only take about 3 minutes! It is really wonderful.

The other teachers at my school, and my manager, are all so sweet and helpful. We have an all female staff, which is actually very warm and welcoming and I like a lot. The students are top of the line. They all really want to learn and also want to get to know you. I love hearing their stories and seeing how happy they get when they are able to teach me about Japan. It is a very interesting exchange because I am teaching them English, but in turn, they are teaching me culture. I really can't thank them enough. 

I have mostly upper level and discussion courses but I do have a couple of low and beginner classes. I teach about 27 classes a week, including private lessons, give or take. It really is not very difficult, but it is challenging.

A few things that my students taught me:

In elementary school, tax dollars pay for children's school lunch. They are NOT allowed to bring lunch from home and all must eat the same thing. Also, they wear cute little hats and uniforms. Trust me...it is the cutest thing ever.

Valentine's Day is a day here where the women get the men chocolate. It is to men they love, but also to men they respect, such as bosses and friends. Because of this, the department stores have so many people in them trying to pick out the perfect box of chocolate for their loved one. 

Department store basements are full of delicious foods. My students told me that one of them gives out food to try. Sure enough, they do. Kind of like samples in the US- but more food. It is interesting and delicious.

Sushi can be, and is very often, eaten with your hands... NOT chopsticks. However, sashimi is eaten with chopsticks. Japanese throw away over 6 million pairs of chopsticks every day.

There are many more facts and interesting info on Japan that I have been told, but I will have to post an addition to this later. It is nearing the time that I will be required to work...so I must go.

1st Japan Road Trip...Well...Track Trip

This weekend I headed out on an adventure; destination: Unknown. Hopped on a train and headed northwest. After switching trains a couple of times we were on our way to somewhere great!

The Japanese countryside was much different than the concrete jungle that I know in Osaka, Kobe, and even the suburb of Tarumi, where I currently live. This is a whole different Japan. You can see people working out in their farmland and vegetables flourishing. There is not a Starbucks or a McDonald's in sight (despite the weekend release of the Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Double Quarter Pounder), which makes me very happy. Our ultimate goal was the reach the other coast, the Sea of Japan. After not very long the landscape went from mountains in distance and the train riding in the valley to the train tracks becoming one with the mountains. We went through an endless amount of tunnels and climbed and dropped elevations. The scenery was breathtaking. 

This is one of the views from the train. 

We finally reached the Sea of Japan and WOW was it worth the trip. It was absolutely unreal. The waves were large, and I wished the weather was warmer so I could jump right in. We wrapped around the coastline on the train with the mountains on our right and the Sea on our left. There were mountains all the way up to the water in the distance which provided us with the most exotic ocean view I think I have seen to date. Beautiful, simply amazing. 

We realized that the sun was starting to set and we did not have a place to stay for the night as of yet. We decided to get off at the next stop, which, without plan or real want, was Obama, Japan. 

Once getting off the train we realized that there was not a ton to do here but that it would do for the night. It was plastered with flags and posters with the likeness of a man from the US who bears the same name. They just LOVE Obama here. While walking to the coast to catch the end of the sunset we noticed that there was a small statue of Obama outside of a hotel. It was then we decided we would have to return in the morning to take a photo next to him. (there is said photo above)

The sunset photo is from Obama, Japan.

After nearly freezing and being tired of walking around on feet we could not feel, we decided to find a place to stay. We found the most charming traditional Japanese Inn. Our room had tatami mat floors and sliding doors, just as you would expect...and there was even a closed in porch with a table and chairs that overlooked a small garden courtyard!  

We went to get a bite to eat in the restaurant downstairs because Sushi seemed like a delicious meal at this point, and it was so cold we did not want to leave the inn! We had some delicious sushi and a fish (Unfortunately, I don't know what kind) that was halved and cooked, served whole. :) It was so good and very satisfying. 

After settling in we headed downstairs where they had a men's and a women's public bath. We were dressed in our yukata, which are Japanese robes. This was a new experience to me, but I really enjoyed it and after a long day of travel it was very VERY relaxing. It also provided a small view of the garden, which is really serene after a tiring day. After this, we went to the room and made some tea and decided to rest up for the second day of adventures. 

Upon waking the next day, we went around the town of Obama and took our last pictures. Unlike Osaka and Kobe, in Obama, the train comes only once every couple of HOURS. So we were in for a bit of a wait. We decided to go to Kyoto for the rest of the day and then head back home to rest up for a day of work.

We purchased our train tickets and found out that we would be switching to a train on our way to Kyoto. This train had reserved seats and it was called the THUNDERBIRD. (here is a picture of the THUNDERBIRD coming into the station!)

This ride was only about an hour and a half but was different from other trains; A little more cozy. :)

After arriving in Kyoto we decided to explore until we found one of the many temples/castles/ or shrines. We ended up finding Nijo Castle. This castle was build in 1603 and was the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. It was absolutely beautiful. I have some pictures from here as well, but you can't take photos inside of the beautiful wall painting and large rooms. My uncle Kim told me about the "nightingale floor" in some of the castles here and this one had it, which tickled me to death>  I wonder if this is somewhere that he once laid his feet as well? The way these floors work is that when you step on the floorboard, there is a gap between the board and the plank below it. When the two pieces of wood rub into each other they produce a squeaking noise, much like a bird. This was an ancient security system that let the Shogun know when someone was in the Castle. Really REALLY remarkable if you think about it. :)

After this, we walked around Kyoto, grabbed a bite to eat and a delicious European desert and were on our way home. 

WHAT AN ADVENTURE!