Golden Week!

So sorry about the delay in my writing! I have gotten caught up with a lot of things and haven't really had much time to write! I will try to catch you up on the past month in a few blogs this week. I can't believe I let myself get so far behind!

Where do I begin? GOLDEN WEEK.

In Japan, Golden Week is a week in the end of April and beginning of May where there are many national holidays that come in a row and the entire country is off of work or school. Many people visit their hometown and traveling to somewhere new is also common. That is also the reason it is one of the most difficult times to try to travel in Japan.

Despite all of the bad things we heard about travel at this time of year, my friend Anthony and I decided we were going to brave the crowds and take advantage of one of the few weeks off that we are given a year. The destination we chose was Kyushu Island. Kyushu, for those of you who don't know, is one of the five main islands of Japan ***Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa***

We made loose plans for the first few days, but because we were booking so late there weren't a lot of hotel rooms to be had in the northern part of the island for the end of the week. We decided we would try to wing it and head out there anyway. We took the *bullet train* to Kyushu and switched to a Special Rapid train the Beppu. The second train we were on was awesome and looked like something straight out of a space movie.
That is something interesting about the train system in Japan. There are generic trains for every region, but there are also local train companies that run some pretty crazy and interesting trains, old, new, with wood seats, with no seats, one car or fifteen cars. It's luck of the draw really.

After we got to Beppu we switched one more time to a local train to get to our location we would stay for the next two nights. Miyazaki. In Miyazaki we only had two goals. We wanted to go to Aoshima Island and we wanted to go to Udo Jingu Shrine. We knew that we weren't going to be in the best location hotel-wise but we still wanted to make the most of our time in Miyazaki before moving on to Kagoshima. We arrived at our hotel late and checked in with no surprises.

The next morning we headed out> While Anthony headed to his usual breakfast for the trip (Mister Doughnut) I headed into a local bakery. I ended up purchasing two things. The first was a small pastry and the other looked something like a pizza. I get something like this at my local bakery as well and it is very delicious. However, upon taking a bite of it, I discovered it was nothing like my bakery and was in fact brushed over with curry. Let me tell you, if there is one thing that you don't want to be eating in the morning it is Japanese curry on your pastry. I settled for some OJ to get the rancid taste out of my mouth and we hopped on the rapid train for Aoshima.

When we arrived in the super small town of Aoshima, we were surprised that no one was even at the JR station to take our ticket. The trains only ran twice an hour also and we figured this would be the case because the train we arrived on only had one car. We figured it would be okay and just headed toward the shore. When we finally reached the water it was beautiful. There were rocks that piled upon rocks all the way down the small island and a bridge to walk out to it. This Island town used to be the most popular honeymoon destination in the past for Japanese couples but since has been nearly deserted as many people head abroad for honeymoon with the strength of the Yen.

I decided I wanted to get out onto a giant rock that was in the middle of the water so I slowly walked out and climbed up on it. The view was stunning and the sun felt so good for a change. I walked along the beach and collected shells, which reminded me of my mother and father and our trips to the beach. The beach here was different though because the sand was black from the volcanic ash, which was beautiful but made your feet tarnished. It was well worth it.

After spending some time in the sun we headed over to the island. On the way over on the bridge, we noticed all of the rocks that were layer upon layer all the way around the island. How they were created was very interesting. Since Japan lies on tectonic plates, when they shift they push the rocks upward like this forming this amazingly beautiful rock formations. These specific rocks had been formed over thousands of years and they were referred to as something that translates to The Ogre's Washboard. :)

Next, we went to the shrine on the island. It was small, but was probably one of the most interesting shrines I have seen in Japan in my recent months here. Due to the Children's Holiday, there were many colorful fish flags hanging around the entrance to the shrine. The sea breeze kept them blowing in the wind as if they were alive and the bright blue skies seemed like their ocean.

Inside the shrine the thing I found most interesting were the offerings. At many shrines, there are completely different styles of offerings. here there was something unique. I found two ropes both covered in bright colored twine, threads, and wires. As I more closely inspected the ropes I realized that each one tied on a yen coin with a hole in it. There are only two yen coins with holes in them: the 50 yen *about 50 cents* and the 5 yen *about 5 cents*. The entire ropes were covered in offerenings and it was bright and vibrant, just like the island setting it was in.

After we left the jungle shrine (I call it this because it was in amongst trees and was probably the most tropical setting for a shrine I have ever seen), we decided it was time to try to head back and find our way to the Udo Jingu Shrine. This was going to prove to be difficult because not only was it not in any of our tour books or on any of our maps, but we were in a town where the train ran once every two hours and no one spoke English.

Please check back for more story and photos tonight... I must depart for work at this time so I hate to leave you all hanging... but this entry is TO BE CONTINUED>>>>>

Himeji Hanami: Flowers and Friends

Cherry Blossom (sakura) season had begun in my region of Japan about two weeks ago and I had already been to one Hanami (cherry blossom viewing party) east of where I live. However, during that party, it was quite cold and the flowers were not bloomed! Also, it was wonderful because I met and made many new friends, but there were a lot of families and we did not get to enjoy a drink under the trees, as tradition has it. 

So, I decided that not only should we have our own Hanami among our friends, but in fact, it was absolutely necessary for the spring-time Japan experience; and what a better place to have it, but the epic castle of Himeji? 

I then set up an invitation to groups of friends and got enough responses to choose our date. I knew everyone wouldn't be able to make it due to busy schedules, but I knew that the group that was going would be fun and I would get to meet some more teachers that were new through my friend Meredith. I was very excited at this idea as I love meeting new people, especially for such a special occasion! I also invited one of my intermediate students because I knew she would enjoy the party and also because she is one of the kindest people I have ever met. 

The plan was to meet at Tarumi station to catch the train to Himeji, but some people wanted to meet at the park. That was fine with me so I met Meredith and her three other friends in Tarumi and we were off for our adventure. We were all very excited about our adventure, our day, and getting to know each other and as we sat, talked, and laughed on the train I could see we were catching stares. But hey, I thought, when are 5 foreigners on a train together not going to catch stares in a Suburb in Japan? 

When the train finally made it's way into the Himeji station we all gathered our supplies and headed in search of a bank and a market. We found the band, went to the market, and were on our way to the Castle Grounds. As we approached the park we noticed how crowded this was going to be, but regardless we were excited and sampled some of the local fare from vendors on the street side. 

We then met up with a student and my friend and Co-Teacher Miho. We found out spot near the castle in the middle of the large field filled with groups of business men, students, and families. We strategically placed ourselves between a group of University Students who seemed into sports, and a group of salary men who seemed far past their alcohol limit. This proved to be the best decision ever as through out the afternoon we took pictures with the businessmen, and were given copious amounts of Sake, and played endless games of Japanese style dodgeball with the University students. 

All in all, the Hanami was a success! I wish it was sakura season year-round. 

They say a smile is contagious, not in Tokyo.

I have been falling behind in my Blogging and for that I am truly sorry! So two weekends ago I decided that it was about time I visit my friend Anthony in Tokyo. I knew that one of the days he was going to have to go to work, but that was okay with me because I would see him after work and would be able to spend the day exploring the city.

Before I was very apprehensive about going to Tokyo for a few reasons. First of all, I had thought long and hard about where I wanted to live when I came to Japan. I was lucky enough to come with a company that let me choose my region. I made the decision of Kansai and specifically 'near Osaka'. I love where I live in Tarumi/Kobe, but I was afraid that upon venturing into the big BIG city, I my love for my Medium/Large city would pale in comparison and I would be endlessly jealous of my friends in Tokyo.  Secondly, I didn't know how the best and cheapest ways to get there were and how to best utilize the short two day weekend that I would get once I got there.

To comment on my feelings for Tokyo. I have decided that Tokyo and I are going to be acquaintances but could never be best friends. First, Tokyo has way too many people. I felt like, and did, in fact, wait in a line to do everything. If you wanted to get a quick bite to eat...wait in line. If you wanted to get on a train or in a cab.... wait in a LONG line. IF you wanted to cross the street... LINE! It was something that made ME feel antisocial (which is super abnormal for this Chick). There were also so many people just walking on the street. In Sannomiya, where i go to eat, shop and hang out with friends in Kobe, is often crowded; especially on weekends. However, this was just out of this world. The main dilemma I faced here was that people would bump into you and get in your way or cut you off when walking and would not say they were sorry. This is very strange for me to do. I didn't want to stand out in Tokyo more than I already do being foreign so I had to learn quickly how to be impolite! In Kansai, we are very polite and always excuse ourselves when we get in another's way.  

I was told that the personalities of people in Tokyo are different than those in Kobe. That was 100% true. The people here are so lively and friendly. They are often outgoing and very nice. In Tokyo, people either seemed too busy or just plain cold. They say a smile is contagious, not in Tokyo. 

There are two positive things about this mass of a city. One is named Elizabeth, and one Anthony. These are two of my high school friends that I have managed to stay in touch with since our days at our 'beloved' East Lake High School. And to think...we would all end up in Japan. :) Elizabeth is working at Disney Tokyo...which is an awesome job by any standards and Anthony is also an English teacher...that you probably remember from a previous blog when he visited me! :) These two and I reminisced and enjoyed each other's company for many many hours over dinner at Tokyo Downtown Disney. The restaurant was fun, but didn't altogether feel like Disney. Elizabeth was great and is now happily married to a man that I hope to meet soon! She has lived here and in Hong Kong... both amazing... and both she loves. Anthony is still doing well, teaching away in Tokyo. We have a lot in common and always have fun when we get together, so this Tokyo trip was no exception.

Just so you know, from Shinjuku, where Anthony lives, to Disney, took two train transfers and about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and that is just to get across town. WHAT??!! 

On the whole day I had to explore the city I just walked around. I went to Shinjuku-goen, which is the big park in Shinjuku  and here is where I saw some of the first Cherry Blossom trees of the season! They were beautiful and I wish that Anthony didn't have work so we could grab a bento and a blanket and lay peacefully under the blossoming trees. The only strange thing I saw with Shinjuku park was the fact that there were a lot of homeless people. In fact, there was a tent city set up, but there were tons of people just leisurely eating their lunch and taking photos of the trees with a tent city of hundreds directly behind them. If you want to see the photo please ask me, because I think the dichotomy was striking. 

Anthony was a great tour guide though, and on his day off he took me to Harajuku and Mejii Shrine as well as Shibuya to explore and see the busiest crosswalk/intersection in the world. We also rode on the infamous Yamanote line (the busiest train in Tokyo). It was crazy!

Overall, The first trip to Tokyo was a success because I was able to see both Anthony and Elizabeth and explore. So far, my opinion of Tokyo is wavering, but there is still plenty of time for it to redeem itself!

And then...there was the Garden

The next day, after going to Himeji Castle, I read online that right next to the castle there was a famous and very beautiful garden. I was disappointed that I didn't know this sooner because I had spent so much time for the travel to Himeji that I didn't think I was going to go back so soon. I thought about it and figured, hey, might as well go back, visit the garden on a beautiful sunny day, and pick up another Yukata for my mom. :)

So I packed my day bag and hopped back on the train out of Tarumi and headed west. I got off at Himeji and walked straight over to where the shop with the Yukatas was. I was able to find two that were beautiful. One is a blue pattern and the other is silk with beautiful japanese scenery on it. They were so cheap and I couldn't resist buying both. I didn't know which one my mom would want more, so I figured I would give her a choice. 

Very pleased with my recent purchase, I headed toward the site of the garden, Nishi-Oyashiki-Ato Garden Koko-en. As I approached the entrance gate, I wondered how I could have missed this the first time around. It is not even two blocks away and I am sure you can see it's beauty from the top of the castle where I was just one day earlier. I was not upset, however, because each day is a new and different adventure and you never know what new things you will find or experience. 

I went to the clerk at the counter and paid my 200 Yen entrance fee. I wondered why there was a fee for the garden, since many gardens are free and small. Much to my delight, this was not just one garden, but many many gardens separated by walls and trees. As I approached the first Garden... Tsukiyama-chisen-no-niwa, (which literally translates to the garden with the hill and pond) I was in awe at it's beauty. It had waterfalls and stone bridges and was much larger than I thought the whole garden would be. There were giant carp in the water and it was so beautiful and peaceful. 

Every corner I turned and every new garden I entered was like a new experience and a whole new place. One signified the pine forests which are along the Seto Inland Seacoast (Matsu-no-niwa), one was a Garden of Flowers from the Edo period only (Hana-no-niwa), one had fifteen varieties of bamboo (Take-no-niwa), one was to remind visitors of the nature of the countryside of Japan (Nagare-no-hira-niwa), one was composed of deciduous trees (Natsuki-no-niwa), and two were a traditional Japanese gardens to represent nature on the small scale (Tsukiyama-chisen-no-niwa and Cha-no-niwa). 

The biggest garden, and the first that I went through, was the Oyashiki-no-niwa; the garden of the Lord's House. This garden had many elements. The had a circular spring style to it and had a background of Himeyama forest. The waterfall on the south side of the garden is meant to represent a fall of a deep valley. The fish, Carp, were reaching numbers of over 250.

There was even a traditional Japanese teahouse that served tea and cakes for 500 Yen(Souju-an) as well as a replica of a place where samurais gathered to protect Himeji Castle of attack(Musha-Damari) and a garden of seedlings(Nae-no-niwa).

I sat in this garden on a bench for a long time; what felt like hours. The sun was shining for two days in a row and my skin and my mind were both happy to feel it's warmth. The garden was also fairly empty because of the weekday I visited on, which made it much more peaceful and pleasant. I really felt relaxed and at ease with my thoughts there, which allowed me to write.  I love how inspiring small things in Japan often are. :)

This garden also has a great view of Himeji Castle and was really so beautiful. I am very pleased that I went back to experience this amazing garden. I will be more careful next time I travel because now I fear that if I do not keep my eyes open wide, I could miss something amazing less than too blocks away! 

Himeji Castle Adventure... Continued

Okay, So sorry I have kept you waiting on an update of two weekends ago. I am just terrible like that I guess. Things have been so incredibly busy here I have not had the spare time to sit down and write what I really wanted to say, therefore, no blog up until this point. I apologize sincerely.

So, the first day of my weekend, was Sunday. I decided that I had been really wanting to get out and see Himeji Castle and that I hadn't really been exploring very much in the past week. I got up early, got dressed, and was blessed with a beautiful day. The sun was shining and I was going on an adventure. I had Billy Joel 'The Entertainer' playing on my ipod and I was almost skipping to the train station in anticipation. 

When I got to the square in front of the Japan Rail Station, I noticed a lot of people were there. I was curious so I walked into the crowd to find that they were having a large sale of goods. It was like a multi-family garage sale. Fantastic! I looked around at each families unwanteds and decided that maybe I would come back later to purchase something. Japanese garage sales are much more interesting than American ones. 

I bought my ticket to Himeji and was on my way. The train ride was long and I had to switch trains once. I do believe it took me about one and a half hours on the way there due to the changeover. No problem. I learned some Japanese on my way and took notes in a notebook. At one point I even dropped my cap to my green tea bottle, which subsequently rolled down the isle and stopped next to an elderly woman's foot. She then proceeded to look at the cap, then back out the window. I wanted to just leave it there, however, my bottle of tea was still full and I wanted to have it to drink for the day. I finally got up the nerve to go over and say 'excuse me' in Japanese and pick it up. It was fantastic because she just ignored me the whole time. Hah

Well, then we arrived in Himeji. I got off the train and headed north. I had caught a glimpse of the Castle on the way into the station and had a perfect idea of how to get to it. It was very easy to see and was sitting high up on a hill in all of it's glory.  When I was walking out of the train station I found my second Cafe Du Monde. I didn't want to stop for a coffee today though, so I just kept on trekking to my destination. 

When I arrived at the gates I was blown away by the beautiful castle that stood before me. It looked so proud and prestigious, which is probably one of the main reasons that Japan named it a World Cultural Heritage spot in 1992. I walked across the bridge over the mote to the castle and in through the gates. This opened up to a huge field that was surrounded in unbloomed cherry blossom trees (sakura). I could tell that this place would be where I wanted to go to see the blossoms once they had bloomed. To the right there is a small zoo. I walked up and on the field, where some families were sitting and having lunch and others were playing soccer and taking pictures. It was a sunny day, which I had not been lucky enough to experience in a long time so I was eager to just sit down and soak up it up. 

Finally, after a few pictures and a little sun, I paid my 600 yen and went into the castle. I was presented with a map of the castle grounds in English, much to my delight, and I headed first to the west part of the castle which boasts the West Bailey Building. This building was built for the Princess and later her and her husband. The long corridor that you walk down had many windows and the ladies quarters, for women that were responsible for taking care of the Princess, was amazing and built all in beautiful wood. This is one of the few castles built mostly of wood, that still stands in mostly it's original form. Most of the other castles had been burned down in the past. This castle was built in 1346. 

After this I walked toward the main building. Here I encountered what my younger brother has been asking me about for months. A Ninja. Yes, that is right, I saw a ninja in Himeji castle. He was dressed in all black and you could only see his eyes. He carried a sword and when someone yelled "look a ninja!" he ran up a wall to their delight. I wanted badly to take a photo with this ninja to prove that he was not just a manifestation, however, I refused to be like the 'stupid Americans' behind me that yelled "look a ninja!" at a beautiful, serene Castle. 

Finally  I made it to the Main part of the castle. There are a few things that are interesting an unique about this castle. First of all, the stone that holds the castle up is very unique. It has what is called a fan curve, which means that they have a slight curve at the corner, appearing like an open fan. You can see this from my photos :). 

The second interesting thing about this castle is that when you look at it, it appears to have only 5 levels, but it in fact had six stories and a basement. 

Also, like many of the castles in Japan, there are small holes in the wall that have more narrow openings on the outside of the wall. They were used to throw rocks, spears, and other objects at people that were attacking the castle or trying to scale the walls. They were made narrow at the outer end so that no one would be able to throw things back at them. 

The view from the top was breathtaking. However, it takes quite a long time to walk up all of the incredibly steep stairs to the top and I feared many times that the tiny older ladies in front of me were going to slip back and fall. Somehow, we all managed to make it to the top where there is a stamp of the castle, a small shrine, and an amazing view perfect for photos. 

After this I climbed down and decided to explore one more part of the castle before I headed out to find something for lunch and to explore more of Himeji. I wanted to see the Harakiri-maru. This place is the building where the samurai performed their ritual suicide. They think that the well in the courtyard area was used to wash the beheaded. It was a small building and I tried to imagine what it must have been like back then. So much honor. Truly amazing. 

Finally I left the castle. I had a snack from a local vendor of takoyaki and then I found a shop where a man was selling used Yukatas, which are like an informal Kimono worn in summer especially for festivals. I was amazed at the price being so low so I bought one that is orange and looks like it has the scales of a coy. It is absolutely amazing, and for the price, what a steal. 

I doubt I will ever wear it out in public, but maybe sometime just for fun! :) 

Himeji Castle Adventure

 Here is the video of my adventure today. Blog to follow tomorrow! :)

My New Hometown

I haven't posted in far to long, so let me fill you in on what has been going on in 

my life. 

First of all, I have been very busy with classes and school. SO much adventure has been catching up to me, leaving me exhausted. Bummer. I have been trying to catch up on sleep, but for one  reason or another, I never quite can. So maybe I am not actually tired, rather just busy. I should learn the difference. 

Last weekend I decided to go down to the Port of Kobe to check it out. I hadn't seen the Port tower in person yet, well at least not close up. I have been hanging out in Port Island from time to time with a friend and going to Ikea and from the bride you can see the Tower. 

So I took a train to Kobe and decided I would go for a walk near the water. The weather was beautiful, even though it was slightly chilly. I was waiting for a day like this to explore the port due to the fact that a Port always looks better in the sunlight, which we don't get a lot of here during the winter. However, on this day the sun was shining and I was pumped. I walked around a shopping area and everything near the water which is called a number of things; Kobe Harborland, Mosaic, etc) so I am not quite sure what to call it. There is a movie theatre, so I rode up to the third floor to check it out. Prices were normal for Japan and they were only playing Seven Pounds and Mama Mia! for English films, so I decided exploring would be more fun.

I headed back downstairs to check out the bistros and restaurants that line the area. There were also all kind of specialty shops including a real gelato stand and a specialty clothing store for dogs. They just love to dress their pups to the tee. It's crazier than you can even imagine. They have raincoats and fur coats... as if a dog can't get wet and doesn't have fur or hair of it's own. Ha, as all fashion is in Japan, it is about the fashion, never to serve a purpose. Perhaps this is why I see girls wearing shorts and heels in the dead of winter. 

I turned a corner around the side of a restaurant that puts fleece blankets out so diners can eat outside even in the winter, and there it was. Beautiful. Standing tall, bright red, staring right at me. It was much grander in person than I could have imagined. I snapped some photos and headed over towards the small 'amusement park' they have there to check that out. 

After this, I just walked around Kobe. I found a few cool shops and restaurants and an import store that had a huge selection of Diet Dr. Pepper for 117 yen a can ;). I only bought one for the road. I am trying to kick that habit, which is easy if I don't have a can of Diet Dr. staring me in the face. I took my soda pop on the train and called it a day, but not before stopping at Yoshinoya for a gyudon. MMM.

Side Note: There are YOSHINOYA in THE US now! The website says that there are locations in California, New York City, Arizona, and Las Vegas. Make sure to check it out. When I get back to NY we will be frequenting that place.

Fun Facts, Information, and Quotes from Students and friends alike:

This is to all of my AMC friends: I had a student of a beginner level in class the other day during a lesson on movies talk about the movie Australia. When asked what the movie was about, she hesitated and proceeded with  "It's a love story, about... about...ehh... people in Australia." I laughed for about 5 minutes due to the fact that it is obviously not clear to anyone what the heck this movie was even about. Not anyone in the world. I remember the days of people coming into the theatre and asking what that movie was about. I could never really give a better answer than my student. Awesome. This was probably one of the shining moments of the last couple of weeks.

I learned that people in Japan still eat Whale. I knew they did, but somehow I forgot and upon being reminded I was freaked out. Kujira is what is called in Japanese and it can be bought at the supermarket from time to time. It is cheaper than most fish. They asked me what I thought of whale hunting, but swear they don't eat it. They said that their parents used to eat it as part of school lunch and that it was fried, mmm whale fritters. :(

While teaching a lesson in one of my intermediate classes I learned where the term 'best man' originated from. Apparently, it was from a time when men used to go to neighboring towns and kidnap their wives. They would bring a friend of family member that was the largest and strongest to protect them and help them kidnap the bride of their choice. Somehow, over time, this originated into the form that it is today. This one is for you Bryan and Cortney. Hah. I love you.

*** This is the most beautiful and wonderful thing I will ever type in this blog.

I have a student that I teach private lessons to and she is just a wonderful and beautiful lady. She is always sweet and smiling and tells me stories of her family and her life. She has a husband who works away five days a week and a daughter who is away at school, but instead of feeling alone, she loves her independence. I admire that about her. 

So, in class last week, I asked her favorite flower. She said it was a carnation. This was almost shocking to me, because with all of the beautiful flowers in the world, why would she choose a carnation? I asked her why and this was her response. " I like carnations because they look very weak and fragile, but they are the strongest flower." This statement was so poetic, so beautiful that I literally sat there and contemplated its perfection in its simplicity. As time went on in the lesson, I realized that the carnation is her. She seems so fragile, so sweet, but she is a strong woman. I told her this and she responded with "it is like you too, like us". I was almost moved to tears. So amazing. I can't even say anything more about this without getting chills. This truly was so important to me. 

With that amazing story, I will leave you for now. Don't worry, there will me more adventures to come. This is not goodbye... merely a see you later....