Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2006-04-19T01:57:00.000+09:00

It's been surreal, and it's incredible to think that a place that was so foreign can become so comfortable. There's plenty I'll miss, but knowing what waits for me on the other end of that long flight back home brings a smile to my face.

"I know I've got one thing I got to do
Ramble on
And now's the time, the time is now."

Trash Duty

2006-04-11T15:58:00.000+09:00

So the trash system operates a little differently here in Japan, and I just wanted to explain how it worked. Trash is divided into three categories, and is sorted by the individual who is throwing away the trash. The categories are: combustible (burnable - consisting of food waste, etc.), uncombustible (or non-burnable - consisting of glass, plastics), and recyclable (paper). Japan is incredibly cleanly, with little trash found anywhere. The mystery of all this lies in the fact that trash cans can rarely be found in public. Turns out that most of them were taken away after 9/11 for fear of trash can bombs. In return for this safety, people carry their trash with them.

At the beginning of the semester, we drew lots to see who would take out the trash (since each has its own day, and burnable goes out twice, there are four trash days during the week). Lucky me, I got bathroom duty. At least this gives me an excuse to put up a picture of our toilet:

Notice the ingenuity of the Japanese in the faucet on top of the tank, so that when you flush you can rinse off your hands without using excess water.

Cambodia

2006-03-31T22:34:00.000+09:00

Cambodia was a powerful trip. The country is blessed with architectural wonders, as well as haunted by recent and unclear genocide. What really amazed me is the resilience and humor of the people who have faced more tragedy than most of us will ever know.

We started our trip by flying into Bangkok, staying overnight and then taking a bus to Poipet, a border town between Thailand and Cambodia. After clearing Thai immigration, we made our way into The Kingdom of Cambodia.

The morning after we arrived in Siem Reap we woke at 4:30 (although my roommate tried to get me up at 2:30 because his phone was on Japan time - good thing I verified) to get to Angkor Wat in time for the sunrise.

We were led by Mr. Keo, our ever-cheerful tuk-tuk (motorcycle taxi) driver.

Seeing the sunrise over Angkor was magnificent: as the seconds passed by, the ominous, dark structure we had approached earlier was revealed to us bit by bit.

The temples at Angkor are mainly Hindu, but Buddhism later permeated Cambodian culture. The above is a scene from the Churning of the Ocean.

We paid for our passes to the Angkor temples (in USD, since dollars are the de facto currency. This was a welcome change after six months of doing mental currency conversions for every purchase I made. Strangely, no old or torn bills are accepted. I actually had to trick someone into thinking I had no other bills for them to accept my old five dollar bill.) and spent two days driving all over the Angkor temple spread which covers many kilometers. The temples and their stone carvings were simply magnificent - like entering an Indiana Jones movie.

Entrance to Angkor Thom

The Bayon at Angkor Thom - notice the faces of King Jayavarman VII looking in all directions

Notice yours truly standing near the top of this temple. These structures were simply massive. It was wonderful to explore these temples, and you were free to walk anywhere (except on roofs). I think that the philosophy is, "Hey, they've been here nearly 1000 years. You walking all over 'em isn't going to do anything." The freedom was great, but I worry that it will only serve to accelerate the wearing of the temples. The Cambodian people (Khmers) are one of the poorest and least educated in the world. Opening to tourism is one of the only ways in which they can generate an income, but I hope that the tourism sector will not increase too much. I hope that the area retains some sanctity.

These pictures are from Ta Prohm, a temple whose surrounding jungle has been allowed to grow freely. All of the temples of Angkor are subject to this same fate if the jungle around them is not cleared. The trees astoundingly grow in between and on the stones of the temples. As the roots penetrate into the structures, supports change. If a tree dies, the stones that it is holding into place will crumble. It's amazing how nature can so patiently clear what we deem permanent.

Above, left: Gas station. Above, center: Khmer Wedding. Above, right: tuk-tuk driver.

An example of the fine stonework we were fortunate enough to see.

Macho men.

Dragon fruit.

The Killing Fields in Phnom Penh was harrowing.

Pol Pot came into power after the Vietnam War ended and ordered all to leave Phnom Penh, the capital city, citing that American bombing may be likely. People thought that they were leaving for a matter of days, but they were forced out of their homes for years. Khmer were scattered all over the countryside harvesting rice, left with no means of communication. Pol Pot was looking to return Cambodia to an agricultural state in which he took a great deal of pride.

Khmer Rouge ('Red Cambodians,' called so for the red scarves that they wore around their faces), led by Pol Pot, went to the countryside to ask for the intellectuals, telling that doctors, teachers, engineers and the like were needed back in Phnom Penh to help the country rebuild. They were taken back to the city and then sent to Tuol Sleng (pictured below), a high school that was converted into a 're-education' center. Nobody knew what 're-education' meant, but it was only a cover for torture and death. The Khmer Rouge photographed all those who entered Tuol Sleng, some even after torture or death. Looking into the eyes of those who had died was eerie, but the number of faces that were set in an expression of fearlessness was inspiring.

In a search to eliminate all the intellectuals, those who had soft hands, wore glasses, spoke a foreign language, etc. were all targeted for 're-education.' Nobody knew where people were being taken - they merely lived in a state of confusion and fear. At Tuol Sleng, the torturers often became the tortured, generation after generation, one proof of the sheer madness of the Khmer Rouge.

After torture at Tuol Sleng, prisoners were sent to the Killing Fields for extermination. Bullets were too expensive, and thus prisoners were forced to their knees so that the 13 to 15 year-olds that comprised most of the Khmer Rouge would be able to easily bludgeon the victims. Some were forced to kill their own family members. Other horrific acts, including torture, infanticide, and rape, occurred here. One of eight Cambodians were killed during the genocide. Estimated number of deaths is around 2 million. Not one person left alive has not lost someone in their family.

The above is the monument at the Killing Fields, and contains the skulls of 9000 victims that have been recovered from the mass graves at the Killing Fields. Only a portion of the graves have been exhumed, as the project is too massive to complete. Those skulls that have been removed have been organized by sex and age, and many of them were found still blindfolded.

Our cab driver told us as we left the Killing Fields that he was a young boy when the Khmer Rouge took over and was put in charge of cattle. His mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, uncle and sister were all unjustly killed by the Khmer Rouge.

All those who were confronted about the crimes committed claimed that they did not know from where the orders to kill came. Even Pol Pot, when he was finally found in his hiding in the jungle, claimed he was not sure who issued the orders. He died before he could reach trial and so most questions have gone unanswered. Many Khmer Rouge still live all over Cambodia, and none will ever be brought to trial. They have re-acclimated into Cambodian society, and most are just as confused about the whole situation as anyone else.

The only consolation that I can take from this depressing situation is that the Cambodian people are so resilient. They have known more tragedy than any of us, yet all around you see smiling faces.

We ended our trip at the Snake House in Sihanoukville (the beach), a place run by a Russian herpetologist who collects venomous Cambodian snakes. They are throughout the hotel, and even in the table, making for an interesting dining experience.

Two of us decided to catch sunrise the next morning and I asked to be woken up. A rapping on the door in the middle of the night caught me off guard and when I went to answer it, I was greeted by my sunrise partner, saying it was 5:30 and time to head to the beach. Learning my lesson from the first night when I was almost tricked into getting up 2 hours before the actual time, I checked my watch, which provides for 2 time zones. Seeing that it said 3:30 I pressed the button to switch, saw 5:30, was satisfied and got ready.

We got down to the beach and had waited an hour, quite puzzled. I was getting ready to explain this phenomenon of the late rising sun in Cambodia to all at home. I playfully posed a question, wondering how long one would wait for the sunrise, which reminded my companion that she had set her watch back to Japan. So there we were, at the beach at 4:30 in the morning, waiting for sunrise. From there, we did the only logical thing and buried me in the sand so I could go back to sleep. When I woke up however, the whole time had definitely been worth it:

One experience really sticks out in my mind: I can't stop thinking about it.
Throughout the temple complexes, there are people selling their souvenirs, and one approached our tuk-tuk after we had just finished a temple complex. She asked me, "Would you like to by a scarf?"

"No, thanks."

"How about for your girlfriend?"

I laughed a little. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Oh," she smiled. "I want to be your girlfriend!"

My eyes widened and I looked up at her, lost in her beauty. "Really?"

Just then the tuk-tuk sped away, and as we realized that we were parting forever, our eyes met. She only smiled, "Yes."

I hope that true love doesn't come but once...

Blood, revisited

2006-03-25T14:59:00.000+09:00

I went for a walk last night and when I came back went to go see the beagle out back. I talked with the landlord and his wife. He used to be a marathoner and he was asking me about my running and thanking me for coming to see the pup out back after my runs because after I come, he always seems "joyful." I also found out that I had misheard the dog's name, which is what prompted this entry. Speaking with the former runner, who has the best English of all our neighbors, I was able to make sure I heard correctly. Turns out that it's not "Blood," but "Brad." "Brad Pitt."

The dog out back is named Brad Pitt.

South Korea

2006-03-15T12:47:00.000+09:00

South Korea was an absolutely astounding trip. Was really impressed with the city of Seoul and the cuisine certainly was a welcome change from the lacking flavors of Japanese cuisine. The mountainous scenery and the Koreans' love for the outdoors really added to the enjoyment. Spending time with Jeremy was really great too. A fellow Willow Laner, Jer is now teaching English in Seoul. It's crazy to think that the last time we saw each other was in West Virginia.

This rock is one that women come to pray to for a male child. It has been naturally weathered to resemble a hooded monk in mediation, contemplatingly looking over Seoul.

All these offerings were stacked up and I found a man singing loudly in the tent just behind them. Wonder where all that alcohol went...

This is the most famous shaman shrine in Korea. I was not able to see inside but could hear tha dancing and singing that was occuring for good blessings.

Seodaemun Prison was one that the Japanese used to confine and torture the Korean freedom fighters. This was a truly harrowing visit, one that was made all the worse by the fact that I traveled solo.

The pictures above and below are some of the things that made it so chilling. You were supposed to crawl inside that box and press the glowing button to see the torture that the Koreans experienced, so you could put yourself in their shoes. The chair to the right was one that was set up for fingernail torture. In the below picture, a caution sign says that pregnant women and children are not allowed to try out the noose demonstration. One place showed a man in a standing coffin that reduces one to paralysis in a matter of days, and just down the way was an open coffin where "you could experience what our freedom fighters went through." In one building basement, there were animatronic robots set up within cells that were activated by motion sensors. As I walked through the basement on my own, the figures would come to life and scream in Korean as they were tortured. It created a lasting impression, and made one wonder what drives men to such acts. Those who had visited had felt the same, as they had graffitied their dissent in broken English on the walls. My personal favorite, that was seen quite a few times: "Japan is f***ing country."

Enough said.

The Olympic Park was one of my favorite sights. Not only was the area filled with rolling hills and paths, but sculptures from artists of the world were exhibited throughout.

This is one of my personal favorites: "Hanging Nature."

On the Olypmic Park grounds, ancient dwellings had been uncovered and are now protected.

Royal tomb.

This is the Royal Palace, at which a festival for the Independence Movement Day (March 1st) was taking place, which included dancing and a most impressive display of tightrope walking.

On the same grounds, this is the site where hangul, the Korean writing system, was invented.

A wild bar in Sinchon, around where Jer lives.

The above is the Seoul Time capsule, in which hundreds of items were placed in 1994, on the 600th anniversary of Seoul. It is set to be opened it 2394, during Seoul's 1000th year commemoration.

These are smoke stacks used for signaling atop Namsan, the central mountain upon which Seoul Tower sits.

And, of course, no trip would be complete without a healthy serving of silkworm larvae.

Vending Machines

2006-03-08T10:36:00.000+09:00

Vending machines are a thing of the future here in Japan. Imagine taking our 'American' (scoff) knowledge of vending machines and blasting it forwards a few decades. These vending machines can be found all over the place as you walk through the city, even occasionally in the stray alley. Dispensing everything from cigarettes to caramel bakery goods to beer to ice cream to hot lemon tea, you can go for days getting all you need without human contact.

Blood

2006-02-23T22:50:00.000+09:00

This is Blood. He lives behind our house.

Well, I think his name is Blood. That's the best I could get talking with the landlady about him. Apparently he's 11 years old, and only gets a bath once a year. The last part I infered because only after the New Year did I not get my hands dirty from petting him. He's a real sweet guy - I think he's got some vision problem but he's always really happy for just a little attention, which I fear he lacks spending his life chained to a dog house. I like to go see him and play with him for a little bit whenever I get back from a run. I assume that living in Japan for so long, he only understands Japanese, and it fills me with a great sense of pride that I can communicate with him.

missing my friend back home...

Thailand

2006-02-23T22:27:00.000+09:00

Thailand was definitely a visit that I was fortunate to have made, as it was both comforting and strange. It was comforting that it reminded me a great deal of India, which is entirely understandable. It was strange as it was filled with international tourists. Being used to the random spotting of gaijin (foreigners) in Japan, it was a bit overwhelming seeing so many farang (foreigners) in Thailand. In addition to that, the temples were quite glitzy, highly in contrast to the subdued beauty of Japanese temples. There was also that certain emptiness that pervaded all of the city: the emptiness of mass tourism and commodification, coupled with the obvious emptiness that comes from the popularity of the sex industry (which makes two times as much annual income as the Thai government).

Thailand definitely has an in-your-face type appeal.

We started out at the Sirocco, a restaurant on the 64th floor of the State Tower, with no railings but a spectacular view.

We started out the second day with a bike trip through the Bangkok Countryside, which I felt was a great way to see a part of Thailand that we would not have been able to see otherwise.

One of the bike trip stops landed us up at this temple in the countryside, which was a rendition of heaven and hell reminiscent of an abandoned carnival. You had to climb up many narrow steps in the building in the background of the picture to achieve heaven, but when you arrived at the temple grounds you were already in hell, and it only took three steps down to be fully inside of hell, which is a place where coin-operated torture reenactments are prevalent. Please note the graphic representation of birds eating the humans in the foreground.

We took a boat down the river after the biking.

This is a picture of a Buddha that was encased in concrete so that it could be transported without fear of theft. Years later, after the secret was forgotten, the concrete accidentally started falling off and the magnificent Buddha underneath was revealed.

The Grand Palace

The glitzy Grand Palace glistened in the sun.

The Reclining Buddha was one of my favorite stops - he really looked quite at peace.

At Soi Cowboy, one of the original red light districts.

Midnight snack.

Bike trip number two - through the Bangkok Jungle.

Muay Thai fighting is a type of kickboxing that is the national sport of Thailand. It is considered one of the world's toughest combat forms because it involves no pads and is marked by blows struck with the knees and elbows - punches are considered the weakest blows.

We ended our trip in Pattaya, just relaxing on the beach.

Setsubun

2006-02-09T23:43:00.000+09:00

Setsubun is a ceremony celebrated to bring in the spring and send out the Oni (demons). People gather at the shrines during the midday to not only observe the rituals, but to have things thrown at them. Well, that's not quite right. What is supposed to occur is that roasted beans are thrown a the Oni to ward them off in the coming year. At different shrines, celebrities gather (whose birth year coincides with the current year - i.e. year of the dog) and throw goodies into the crowd, which causes a bit of a commotion. There's nothing quite like seeing businesspeople and the elderly in suits fighting each other and scrambling on the ground for oranges, packets of roasted beans, and chocolates.

Some line up well in advance to have a spot right up front to get the best goods. One man int the first row even had brought a huge plastic bag, the mouth of which took in most of the thrown candy.

During this day, you are also supposed to eat your age in roasted beans for good luck and eat an especially long roll of sushi without stopping, while facing the southwest(?) (convenient stores even have signs that tell you which way to face).

Pictured here are the steps to the shrine that we visited. These are called the Steps of Promotion because in ancient times the emperor placed a palm at the top of the stairs and the emporer asked, "Who is brave enough to ride their horse up these stairs and bring down this palm?" Most just looked at him thinking, "For real?" but one brave soldier rode up and rode back down these steep steps, and for risking his life in such a manner, dude got a promotion.

Tsukiji

2006-02-09T23:36:00.000+09:00

Last Wednesday, Sam and I decided to make our way to Tsukiji - the world's largest fish market.

Since most of the customers are wholesalers, the action at Tsukiji begins early and ends as the city of Tokyo is waking up. This being the case, we awoke at 3 AM (hence the three finger gesture) and ate some avacado sandwiches to supercharge the day (Sam's suggestion).

The ride through the empty streets in the light rain was strange - it was so early that we made record time on our bikes, and our voices echoed off of buildings.

We followed our maps to where we thought the market was, and after some searching went to ask a guard in the parking lot. "Ooki-na maguro wa doko desu ka." (Literally: "Big tuna where is?")

Following his directions, we knew we had found the place.

The market consists of rows and rows of stalls, where vendors sell their goods daily. There is little space to walk, and as such there is even less space for the touristy type to walk around.

Forklifts like this one zoom around, not expressing tolerance for the gawking tourist. They've got business to attend to.

The tuna auction is perhaps the most impressive portion of the market. Every day these massive fish are hauled in, inspected, and auctioned off. Good thing we saw the "No Admittance Without Permisson" after coming out of the warehouse.

These tuna account for a lot of the money exchanged at Tsukiji. Annually, over 6 billion dollars worth of seafood passes through Tsukiji.

Over 2000 metric tons of seafood is handled every day.

After the tuna is auctioned off, it is shipped to the respective purchasing stall for slicin'. The cutting of the tuna was amazing to watch. These men had mastered an art, working with supreme efficiency and skill.

Getting out of the cold for this sushi meal was great. My hands were so cold I couldn't operate the chopsticks well, and my right foot was freezing because it had been splashed with icy fish water. It was some of the freshest, most delicate sushi I've ever eaten.

Two Weeks Ago: Snow

2006-02-03T21:49:00.000+09:00

It snowed.

Holiday Hiatus: So this is the New Year

2006-02-01T02:59:00.000+09:00

We returned from Kyoto just in time for some New Year's festivities, which resulted in one of the most memorable New Year's that I have ever had.

Alysha and I went to spend the traditional Japanese New Year time at a shrine with Rieko, Viki, and Viki's younger sister. The tradition is to travel to the temple to ring in the New Year. We lined up at the base of the stairs below before midnight, waiting to get into the temple grounds.

The New Year arrived while we were in line, and we said "Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu" (Happy New Year) to our fellow cue-mates. The line passed by a fire, where people burn the wishes and good luck charms of the past year in the fire, ready to pick up new charms and fortunes for the coming year.

After throwing change into the collection pot at the entrance to the temple, bowing, and clapping, you pull on the bell's rope, subsequently ringing in the New Year. As you bow, the preist blesses you by shaking his... pom-pom?

Following this, you pay 100 yen for a fortune for the coming year. Don't worry - both the Kambeyanda children drew good fortunes.

Musicians on the temple grounds played the drums and flute (an interesting musical combination), while dancers shook their ribboned staffs. Sake and anko (red bean) soup were provided and were delicious. Some people said the bean soup was too sweet, but some people have bad taste.

Making anko soup.

A day or so after Rieko helped us translate our fortunes, we traveled back to the shrine to tie up our fortunes, so that they would come true! Please note, there is some contradiction over this: some say that you should tie bad wishes so that they will not come true, and others say that you tie the good wishes so that they do come true. We're banking on the latter.

Holiday Hiatus: Alysha Visits

2006-01-22T16:05:00.000+09:00

I return to Japan, saddened to return to an empty house with no food or family, much in contrast to the time that I spent in India. Thankfully, however, Alysha landed up the very next day, right on time.

We headed out to the Imperial Palace to celebrate the emperor's birthday. Was kind of hesitant, but the offer of chocolate cake was what pushed me over the edge.

Alysha ready to greet her favorite Japanese emperor. We just made it inside the gates for the last appearance of the emporer. The Imperial Palace is only open two times during the year, one of which is the 23rd of December, the emperor's birthday.

We also traveled to the Meiji shrine, where we saw the wishes below:

Please note the wishes in the third row, far right. If you can't read it, leave a comment and I'll transcribe for you.

A wedding was taking place at Meiji that day.

In Harajuku there are a lot of cosplay (costume play) fans that dress up on days off from school. This is a little bit different from what Gwen Stefani has glorified for the American public.

Hey, friend.

Though it was bitterly cold, we traveled to see the lights around Tokyo station. It was so incredibly crowded that we reduced ourselves to stepping out of line and finding our own route. Good thing we did, because we saw this building with some pretty sweet building lighting.

After a few days in Tokyo, we traveled on to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. We hit a lot of the same stops as when I traveled earlier last semester, but got to hit a couple more places as well.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Kyoto Monkey Park, a place where Japanese monkeys can roam in their natural environment forage as they would in the wild - gathering bits of cut up fruit handed to them by people on the other side of a wire screen.

Monkey surveys his domain.

Refreshing fountain in Nara deer park.

One new place we visited was Fushimi Inari shrine, which consisted of walking through torii gates for a couple hours.

We went to this wild okonomiyaki joint in Gion - the Geisha district in Kyoto. There was one Geisha spotting, by the way. This place was just crazy because the menu consisted of one item (here we contemplate our choice) and there were mannequins seated throughout the restaurant, so we really couldn't tell how crowded it was.

Shinkansen (bullet train).

Alysha met a geisha.

Alysha has a kimono.

Having Alysha with me for 10 days was awesome. It was surreal guiding family around a place that was so foreign to me just a short time ago.

Holiday Hiatus: Aiyappa Festival

2006-01-16T10:03:00.000+09:00

The Aiyappa Festival was another gem on my visit to India. Aiyappa is a hunter diety, and the most compelling part of the whole shindig was the possession. No, I'm not talking about holding land or wealth, or even having control of the football. I'm talking genuinie, full-blown, no holds-barred, spiritual possession.

After filling our stomachs, we traveled into the estate to a holy area of the forest. It is considered God's land, and as such cannot be cultivated. Thus, it is unadultered Indian jungle. The bull below was loaded with some rice as a means for offering, actually provided by my cousin because jewelry that she had lost was returned to her.

We walked into the coffee plantation, and after some time entered the untouched forest. We walked along the above path and suddenly, the clearing stood before us.

The above mound in the clearing is comprise of offerings to Aiyappa. All are statues of dogs that have deteriorated through weathering, and as new offerings are tossed on top, the newest statues are on top with the bottom of the pile consisting mainly of unrecognizable pieces of clay.

A shooting contest (since Aiyappa is the hunting god) started the events in the clearing. A coconut was set up in a tree and I was third in line to take a shot. I never got my chance, however, thanks to the excellent marksmanship of my cousin, Gautham. It's a good thing he hit the target, because I wouldn't have wanted to have to show him up. He was even given the shell as a commemorative piece. I belive it's going to become a necklace for his wife, Malvika.

After this, the man to be possessed came. Apparently, one day long ago he ran away from school and didn't stop until he reached this auspicious spot. Annually since then, he has become possessed by the spirit of Aiyappa. Normally, he speaks Kodava language (dialect of the region) but when he becomes possessed he speaks an old form of Malayalam, a language which he has never been taught. After he becomes possessed, he shakes and grunts and the people line up to receive his blessings and ask their wishes. After getting blessed, we were all served sweet from a huge pot.

Holiday Hiatus: Puthari

2006-01-15T18:34:00.000+09:00

I was lucky enough to be in India during one of Coorg's major holidays: Puthari, the harvest festival.

Seetha Doddavva prepares some food for the feast for the workers. One of the key dishes prepared was thumbuttu, which is something like a pudding made of bananas, fried rice powder and jaggery - my mouth waters right now just thinking of it.

Preparations: These leaf bundles are eventually put around the house, car, etc. for good fortune.

As Puthari is one of the few major holidays on the Kodava Calendar, there was certainly a great deal of anticipation leading up to this day. Akka had told me in my younger years of the triumphant cries of "Poli Poli Deva!" and the general revelry that happened on this auspicious day. Basically, on December 14th, thanks are given for the harvest and to the ancestors.

Amongst other things, Puthari involves children and fireworks...

...always a good combination.

Here Rani Kunjiavva preforms prayer before the paddy that is to be harvested by Ben Kunjiappa.

Gautham Anna fired off the gun, amidst the cries of "Poli Poli Deva!" and flying shards of fireworks. Thankfully, only two people were hit with the firecrackers, only one of which was pregnant.

After Kunjiappa got his feet washed before re-entering the house, he had to have some milk. Drink up, strong bones will make you grow tall!

Puthari was one experience of which I was certainly glad to have been a part. Kunjiappa was looking sharp in his kupya, and it was indescribably great to be with family for the event. After all of the feasting and ceremony was over, the workers came to kaal puddi (take blessings by touching another's feet) the family. I was not expecting to be a part of this, seeing as I'm a youngster in the family, and I'm always on the giving end of kaal puddis. Lo and behold, my first kaal puddi occured that night when the some of the workers' children shot over in my direction, bent over, and touched my feet. My, I felt so grown up all of a sudden. Bless you, children.

Holiday Hiatus: Mother India

2006-01-05T12:59:00.000+09:00

My trip to India was quite memorable, but I suppose moreso it was surprising. The surprise arose from the fact that nobody besides my uncle, Panchu Boju, knew that I was coming. So one morning I just landed up in good ol' Bangalore, after about 24 hours of traveling and layovers at nearly every airport from here to India. Panchu Boju picked me up and after a brief nap, we headed off to surprise people. After changing into pants to cover up my legs, I covered my head with a jacket and was led into houses to be introduced as Boju's "new girlfriend." Nobody really had any clues who this person was (the most fruitful guess was, perhaps, "Usha"), and then SURPRISE! - out came Rohan to what I like to think was more excitement than bewilderment. Boju and I thought we were pretty smart until we arrived in Victoria Layout. My immaculate and timely sense of fashion is what did us in. Suhana guessed "Rohan" right off, thanks to fact that I haven't purchased new shoes or socks since my last visit two years ago. That Suhana's first guess was correct was the first SURPRISE! for me. After revealing myself, and getting hugs and greetings, I got the next one. SURPRISE! - Suhana's working on her final project and you can help! Welcome to India...

Suhana was working on her textile design graduation project for the revered Shristi design school and she had chosen screen printing as her medium, which I must say is quite sweet. Long hours of drama unfolded that carshed-turned-workshop, but the final product was worth it, as Suhana got rave reviews.

There's me, hard at work setting up Suhana's exhibition. They forced me to smile, so that people would think i was "enjoying" my time in India.

After showing up unannounced at various houses in Bangalore, some dinner with cousins, and a birthday party, we headed off to Coorg.

Ananth suggested martial arts poses in honor of my visit from Japan.

Sumedh/Cookies' birthday party. Sumedh's little friends were a treat, as you can judge from their expressions.

Dinner on a banana leaf... you just can't go wrong.

Aww, the moms-to-be.

Indian assembly line.

Indian highway carpooling.

At a gas station mid-way from Bangalore to Coorg. My new friend, Arjun.

Seeing family in Coorg was like none other. This was made all the better by the Coorg scenery - the views are unparalleled. Lush green colors, the clear blue skies - a veritable paradise. It's the kind of beauty that calms and exhilarates you deep within.

Some serious rummy. Nice hand, Boj.

Kunjiappa and Kunjiavva's work in progress. Absolutely wonderful location.

I ended my week in Coorg at Kunjiri. Having completed all the essential stops, I was whisked back to Bangalore by early morning bus, just in time for Suhana's graduation.

Looking quite dignified in a sweet Coorg saree.

Suhana came away with awards and compliments galore, and even did the farewell address for her class. (Which she found out about the day before.)

This shot was taken for verification that Suhana really was at her 2005 Graduation. Notice that she is peeking through the curtains...

The night of graduation I was treated to a club with a bunch of fashion school girls, which unfortunately closed down at 11:30. It was proving to be an interesting night, but Suhana wasn't about to let that happen. "Can I hit on your cousin?" "He's 19, you know." "Damn." Thanks cuz, I'll remember that.

After Suhana's exhibition, there was a neat little luncheon shindig in her honor where a bunch of family showed up. 'Twas wonderful, as you can judge by the fact that a dance party sporadically broke out.

Later that night, a bunch of us met up at Rocky's club where we hung out for a while. The dance floor wasn't open that night, but that didn't stop us. Soon the whole club was was on the floor, and I was being laughed at for my dancing. Appreciate the confidence-boost, Sheetal.

The trip to India, as usual, ended more quickly then desired. But I can't complain; I had an amazing time. What's more, I was sent away with more Indian food than any man would ever need (thanks for the packing skills, Pooja), and when when your time ends with a party on the roof, you know something has gone right.

Pri is somewhere between 90 and 95% here.

With all the family that I saw, all the good times that I had, all the memories that I came away with, and the discussion of the correct pronunciation of "scooter" ("scoo-TA?" - what rubbish), I know I'll be back soon.

Holiday Hiatus: Happy New Year

2006-01-02T19:48:00.000+09:00

I hope that you and yours had a wonderful New Year's holiday. Please forgive the intermission. It's been long since I last wrote mainly because my holiday was just too good. I am really thankful that I was able to spend the time traveling and with family. More details to come, but for now here's wishing you all the best for 2006.

Hakone

2005-11-27T23:15:00.000+09:00

The trip to Hakone, a resort region in Japan, was initially perceived to be a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Little did I know that it would be a 36 hour whirlwind of excitement...

We started at the Hakone Open Air Museum, which really had some sweet eye candy. It was a park where all sorts of different artwork could roam freely in their natural habitat, protected from poachers and predators.

We had an insane game of tag through this maze.

This was a really neat structure in that from the outside, the stained glass was not illuminated and appeared a dull brown. Only upon going inside could you appreciate the vibrant colors.

Next, we traveled to the natural hot springs at the top of the mountain. Here we climbed in quest of an egg hardboiled in the sulfuric springs that promised an additional seven years of life.

Okay, so we didn't go all the way to the top. And we didn't have to climb. We followed a trail to the brown building less that half of the way up the mountain. And it wasn't so much a quest as it was paying 500 yen for six eggs. But the part about the seven years is true, or so the legend goes.

Here, the guy is checking on the eggs cooking in a crate in this pool. After they are cooked, the shells of the eggs turn black.

They tasted like regular eggs, but were a whole lot more enjoyable because the air was rank with the scent of sulfur.

For those less adventurous (or just lazy) eggs are shipped down to a building at the foot of the mountain via this cable car. Raw eggs are shipped up for cookin' in the same manner.

Sunset in Hakone. Mt. Fuji is on the right side, but cloud cover impeded visibility.

That night, we had a huge feast in a room of our own. This led into karaoke, although there weren't many English songs available.

One song that we did know, however, was the theme to Titanic. Thank you, Celine Dion.

On Sunday, we visited the first Western style hotel in Japan. Really had a nice feel to it, but it was little wonder why we didn't stay there, as one night runs for about 900 USD.

Each of the rooms had their own flower theme. We were shown the Cherry Blossom room. Patrons to the hotel have included Mr. John Lennon, and Alabama's own Helen Keller.

Japanese fish are apparently amphibious - they actually would beach themselves atop the rocks or other fish for food.

Taking a dive in the garden pool in the back of the hotel.

The garden was full of radiant autumn colors.

We visited Hakone Castle after the hotel, where we played some dress up. For only 200 yen, you can become a samurai or Japanese princess. The rental place made the mistake of lending real metal swords, and the samurai drew a crowd as they re-enacted battles of long ago.

Finally, we visited a shrine with 1000 steps. Naturally, races ensued.

The slippers on the left side of the picture represent patrons of the shrine. The bigger the donation, the bigger the pair of slippers. It was easy to spot who the "big spender" was.

Hakone was one of the most enjoyable weekends I've spent in Japan. The people were all great, as was the food, sights, and accomodations. I don't think that anyone who went on the trip came away with a single complaint.

The Yasukuni Shrine

2005-11-12T22:09:00.000+09:00

With our Japanese Culture class, we traveled to the Yasukuni Shrine today. The shrine is notorious for the controversy that surrounds it. Analogous to Arlington Cemetery in the United States, the shrine is dedicated to all those who have died fighting in the name of the emperor.

The shrine rouses controversy as, in honoring the spirits of those who have fallen in battle in the emperor's name, it subsequently honors about 1000 Prisoners of War who were executed for war crimes during World War II. Furthermore, "14 Class A war criminals . . . were quietly enshrined as the 'Martyrs of Showa,'" and the controversy truly erupted when this was revealed to the public by the media. Nations who had suffered under Japanese military aggression, including China and Korea, saw the shrine as a symbol of Japanese militarism and conservative national pride. In response to the outcry from such countries and Japanese peace groups, the emperor stopped visiting, and his successor has not visited to date. Strong opinion is expressed by many groups for the emperor to continue visits.

Prime ministers have not, however, restricted their visits. Current Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has visited five times, despite the fact that visits by Japanese prime ministers to Yasukuni has led to "official condemnation by neighboring countries." Their visits are seen as an attempt to support Japan's past militarism. Additionally, the way in which historical events are presented in the shrine's museum have been called into question.

Events such as the Rape of Nanking are denied, and Japan is constantly portrayed as a victim of circumstance, particularly due to Western influence. "A pamphlet published by the shrine says: 'War is a really tragic thing to happen, but it was necessary in order for us to protect the independence of Japan and to prosper together with Asian neighbors.'" The pamphlet also defends "Japanese POWs executed for war crimes" saying that they were '"cruelly and unjustly tried" by a "sham-like tribunal of the Allied forces."'

On a lighter note, the Shichi-Go-San (7-5-3) Festival is just around the corner, at which children aged seven, five and three dress up traditionally and go to the shrines. This being the case, we spotted little ones like the one below dolled up all over the shrine grounds.

Well, that was a refreshing break. The kamikaze plane presented below was dropped off a larger airship and was only equipped with enough fuel to propel it for nine seconds, presumably enough for the pilot to make it to his target and take his own life. There were other examples of suicide workings as well. What we at first thought was a torpedo because of its slenderness was actually a single-manned submarine that was to be guided into enemy ships. Also, a small sculpture depicted a technology that was in testing when the war broke out, and was never perfected. A man in an aquatic suit would wait in the water for enemy ships, whereupon he would stab an explosive attached to the end of a bamboo pole into the vessel, killing himself and hopefully dooming the men on board. The plaque said that many soldiers' lives were lost in the development of this method.

The controversy around the Yasukuni Shrine is obvious, and though many suggestions have been made to make it more politically correct, Japan has made very few concessions. Visiting such a blatantly contentious site was quite compelling.

Reference: Wikipedia

The Tokyo Motor Show

2005-10-31T19:39:00.000+09:00

Went to the Tokyo Motor Show on Sunday, and it was amazing. Though a bit daunting due to the size of the exhibition and the number of people, the exhaustion gained by the end of the day was well worth it. Whether or not you are a car enthusiast, these bits of eye candy are sure to satisfy...

This was a strange, shifting prototype bike... it was constantly changing its structural configuration.

At first we weren't sure if this was meant for use on land or sea... but then we saw that it did, indeed, have wheels.

Hey Mom!

Good ol' Harley... a taste of home.

The exhaust... the exhaust...

This is a partial view of one of the four buildings housing the show.

The below picture exhibits a phenomenon that we observed throughout the show. (Notice the men to the rear of the car.) Most of the men at the show were not concerned with the cars, but were preoccupied with the ladies. It was like a modeling shoot for some of these women. Once, we even saw a woman surrounded by men with flashing cameras, and there was no car to be seen! I felt sorry for these girls, as they had to incessantly smile for hours on end, but I guess that's what they are paid for. I'm not really complaining though, for they certainly added to the scenery...

And here she is. The car that I just can't get over: breathtaking in person; the kind of car that just puts a smile of disbelief on your face. Enjoy.

P.S. Happy Halloween!

The Godzilla Report

2005-10-25T01:35:00.000+09:00

Brandon, my friend, you have waited long enough, but not at my hand. I thought that it would be pretty easy to find such a tremendously conspicuous lizard walking the streets of Tokyo, but I was wrong. As popular as we Americans think Godzilla is here in Japan, the Japanese give me a far different impression. I have asked several times about Godzilla and Godzilla related items, but they are nowhere to be found. This is the ONLY thing I have come across in the two months that I have been here. I will let the picture speak for itself. I will keep my eyes and ears diligently open, but I fear that the pickings are slim...

Health and Sports Day Traveling: Kyoto

2005-10-25T00:56:00.000+09:00

So, as for our degree of enjoyment for Kyoto, it was certainly in a great deal of fluctuation. Kind of like kissing a big, dead fish (see picture below). It was something that sounded like a good idea, smelled and tasted funny, but you knew that it would be a memory you'd keep for a while...

Kissing a big, dead fish outside a restaurant in Shinjuku, where we caught our overnight bus (8 hours) out of Tokyo to Kyoto.

First temple we visited in Kyoto

some pretty cool drain pipes

Engrish words to live by

Now, no trip to Kyoto is complete without a stay at the Uno House. What claimed to be a traditional Japanese ryokan actually turned out to be a garage that was converted into a... well, it was still a garage, just people were supposed to sleep in it. This place was undoubtedly memorable, but not really in a good way.

Our beds were roll-away mattresses with mismatched covers. The place was ripe with the smell of mildew, which even graced us with its presence in the towels. There were two showers for however many people were staying there (obviously a lot because we were told we were entering a four person room, but actually there were five.

Here's a picture of our mystery roommate. (That's my bed at the foot of his. The cockroaches liked to crawl up and down the legs of the bed.) The list of notoriety for the Uno House goes on and on, but what do you expect for 1500 Yen per night? We should be thankful that we got so much extra value(?) thrown in at no additional cost!

This is a train on the way to Nara. I just wanted to show that there are cars for women only at specific, high traffic hours of the day, when the businessmen tend to get a little too touchy-feely.

There was a traditional Japanese wedding going on at this shrine that we went to. Well, traditional aside from the fact that the groom had blonde hair and blue eyes.

View over Kyoto from the Silver Pavilion

Sake and wishes on the right side of the picture

We rented bicycles from the Uno House, and they were nice to throw in a flat tire at no extra cost. When I called from a bicycle repair shop, I wanted to make sure that they would foot the cost of the tire replacement, since it was because the tire was too old, and not because of misuse. After exchanging "Please come back to Uno House," and "I cannot, because I am very far from Uno House with a flat tire" seven more times than necessary, the mysterious Uno (the owner of the Uno House) insisted to the man on the phone that I should be responsible for 1/3 of the cost, because I was riding it and it broke. I asked them if they were just waiting for a guest to use the bike and have the tire pop so that Uno wouldn't have to pay for it. There was silence for a while, and then, "Please come back to Uno House." After some more jovial conversation, I gave up and decided to foot the bill and work it out later. We talked to our friend the bicycle repairman, who was extremely helpful, and then, instead of a complete tire replacement, he just used an old tire to patch up the the worn areas. It was much cheaper and lasted throughout the day. And what's more, Uno House was so impressed with the lower price that they refunded me in full.

Wishes on a tree

I must seriously suggest using the Kyoto International Tourist Center, because, I mean, look how happy Gary is. They were insturmental in hooking us up with Hotel Iroha, a real ryokan (for only 500 yen more). This place had real tatame mats, gave us robes, and had a public bath...

I went to the bath late at night to catch this rare glimpse of the onsen for you. You wash up around the sides before getting into the center tub. I was highly satisfying with the shave I had there.

The Golden Pavilion

I've determined that the rock garden is the predecessor to the modern Etch-a-Sketch - beautiful designs are created then erased naturally by the shaking of earthquakes

Pretty

Okay, so I must say that in the end, even with Uno's curse upon us (flat tires, everyone getting sick from the mildew, have a roommate lose a lot of money, etc.), Kyoto wasn't really like kissing a dead fish. It was more like this Big Sandwich I bought before getting on the Shinkansen (bullet train) back home - reminiscent of "the lovely flavour of the wind in the meadows." The Shinkansen was basically like riding in an airplane on the ground, without the turbulence. It was really relaxing and exciting.

Kyoto was the start and the end of the trip, but for organization sake, the Osaka side-trip edition is being released alongside Kyoto.

Health and Sports Day Traveling: Osaka

2005-10-25T00:47:00.001+09:00

Osaka is one of the less traditional areas of Japan, and is one of the shrewdest in terms of business. If the prefecture of Osaka was a country, its GNP would make it the tenth most prosperous nation on Earth. Osaka even has an "American Village."

The moat of Osaka-jo Castle

This is the largest stone in the whole castle. The "Octopus Stone" has a suface area of about 60 squre meters, and its estimated weight is 130 tons.

Osaka-jo castle

View from the top

Osaka is the orgin place of Okonomiyaki, which is a large pancake made with seafood, meat, and vegetables. It literally means "cook what you like" because it is an inexpensive combination of foods that is cooked-to-order. We asked a security guard where the number one okonomiyaki place was, and he walked off from his post with us for about 20 minutes to lead us to the best place. I heart Japan.

A ferris wheel on top of a building?

The Umeda Sky Building - Modern Japanese architecture at its finest

Health and Sports Day Traveling: Nara

2005-10-15T01:54:00.000+09:00

Gary, Nick and I traveled to Kyoto over the long weekend that we got for Health and Sports Day. I wish that we had some of these holidays in America (this is one amongst the likes of Respect for the Aged Day, Ocean Day, the Star Festival, etc.). There was a lot to cover for the trip, so I thought that I would divide it up into tasty, easy to digest segments.

We arrived in Kyoto via overnight bus (8 hours) on Friday morning. Our first big excursion occured on Saturday, and as much as I would have liked to have saved its description for last, I think it necessary to be logical and start with Nara. It was here in the Nara basin that Japanese civilization first appeared.

So, we may have sat on the train to Nara for so long that it started going back in the direction we came... at least when we got off to turn around the view was scenic

Misty Nara pond

Rain runoff overflows the memorial

It was quite wet when we first arrived in Nara, and our plan was to get something to eat while we waited out the rain. We asked at the busstop, and found the name of a restaurant that served traditional Naran food. By the time we got there, our shoes and socks were soaked. I felt bad when the waitress aligned our shoes for us because we had not placed them straight, but was impressed once again by the sheer sense of duty. Our meal was delicately fragrant and aromatic. Not a big meal, but utterly satisfying. We had noodles cooked in tea and sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves.

One of the best meals I've had in Japan

Calmer waters after lunch

After the meal, we put our wet shoes back on and headed toward Nara-koen, Japan's largest city park. Though we had heard a lot about them, it was still a surprise to see some of Nara's 1500 tame deer walking freely through the park.

The Notorious Naran Deer

Five story pagoda and Eastern Golden Hall from the early 15th century

Making friends

The Daibutsuden was really impressive. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but it was massive. Look at the size of the people, and that should give you some idea. When we reached this point we knew that all the traveling and rain had been worth it.

I also would like to take this time to mention that the pink umbrella you see in the picture is not mine. It was borrowed. No really, it was. Cross my heart. Japan has an interesting system with their umbrellas - there seems to be a universal pool of shared umbrellas all over the country. I'm pretty sure that there is a complex Japanese formula somewhere that takes into account all the umbrellas lost versus all those 'borrowed,' and it proves that in the end, this results in everyone being happy. You simply leave your umbrella at the door (for it would be rude to get the floor wet) and pick either it or a different one up on the way out. If you don't have an umbrella, feel free to grab someone else's, because they'll be sure to find one somewhere else. It seems really nice that everyone is so willing to share, but I guess I'm not used to living in a country where everyone is so promiscuous with their umbrellas.

Hall of the Great Buddha - one of the world's largest wooden structures (187 feet wide, 164 feet deep and 157 feet high)

This picture doesn't do justice

The Daibustu (Great Buddha) - the largest bronze statue in the world - over 1200 years old and 53 feet high, weighing in at 550 tons, incorporating 290 pounds of gold

The Great Buddha was astonishing; it was hard to take it all in. There were several other statues around the way, in addition to this wooden pillar. This particular pillar has a small square cut through it, and supposedly if you pass through it, it is thought that the path to enlightenment will open up to you. I had only seen children and women pass through it, and was afraid to be the stupid gaijin (foreigner) who tried and got stuck in the pillar (because there was a crowd circled around), but I decided that I'd never have a chance like this again. When I squatted down, I thought there was no way that I'd be able to fit, but after some pulling, I slid right through. Quite exhiliarating, I must say. Oh, and feel free to ask me any perspicacious life questions you may have - since passing through I have felt the clouds dissipating overhead and the world grows clearer...

On the path to Enlightenment

A really big bell

View of Nara

Despite the intermittent showers, Nara was one of the greatest stops on the trip, perhaps my favorite. In fact, it was so good that the rain actually enhanced the mountain scenery. Stay tuned - more to come from the trip to Kyoto...

The Clash of the Cultures

2005-10-12T23:09:00.000+09:00

Two weeks ago, we went to the Indian festival at Yoyogi Park. After being ditched by a girl who couldn't go because her girlfriend's ex-boyfriend's dog died, we had a great time. It was really nice to have a blast of culture; it made me quite homesick. On the way there, we ran across a group which combined American punk rock with the style of Japan. In a word, they were everlastinglie. Yes, I meant that, because on the free CD that they gave out their band's name was one word. They were surprisingly good.

everlastinglie - the best punk rock show on a sidewalk in Japan to date

So the guy with the feather in his hair was a little confused about which kind of Indian festival this was...

...as was this guy about what gender is supposed to wear the saree

The all Japanese Indian dance troupe - led by the lone, valiant Indian in orange

If anyone has any idea what kind of moments this kid might be experiencing, I'd love to know

The boys and their naan

It was really nice to have some Indian food (haven't had jamun in quite some time) and see all the Indians out in full force. It was great to see how appreciative the Japanese were of other cultures - they actually outnumbered the Indians and were an integral part of the shows.

I have seen the future of technology, and the future is Japan

2005-10-05T00:59:00.000+09:00

Okay, so basically in coming to Japan I have been transported to a world of advanced technologies. We've determined that civilian staples equate to U.S. military capabilities. Seldom do we see a car not equipped with a widescreen GPS. I think that the best way to convey just how advanced they are is to describe the features of the standard cell phone.

These cell phones are much larger than the average U.S., and you see people all over the place using them. Mostly, text messages are used. You can also check your emails from these phones. This is much less expensive than using minutes for calling. There are no night or weekend periods for calling. Instead, anything received is free of charge. If someone calls or texts you, it is like they are giving you a gift. A much different approach from the States.

So that's Formula 1 Racing that Andy's watching...

The phones also come with GPS navigation, so that if your car's system can't get you close enough, you can travel on foot to the destination without fear of being lost. A 1.3 megapixel camera also comes on most phones, and the pictures are incredibly clear. There is also television. Yes, you read correctly, television. You get over ten channels, and they are all pretty clear. If it's not clear enough for you, there is also an attachable antenna. In profiles for your contacts, there is also space to enter zodiac information, hobbies, and blood type. When all of these things would be necessary to know, I can't be sure. But, I assure you, trust the Japanese that there's no way that these things are superfluous.

The barcode scanner is perhaps the most captivating feature for me. You can take a picture of a specific barcode on participating internet sites, and the site will automatically load up on your phone's web browser. I just found out that you can also pull up a picture of a barcode on the phone's screen and go to select convenient stores (7-11 types), where you can have them scan the barcode and you can pay for your phone bill along with a corndog (and yes, they do have corndogs here... they are actually very popular convenient store fare). With all of these features, it's a wonder I haven't convinced myself to get one.

...with an antenna for improved reception.

I suppose a bright note to end on would be the toilet. The restrooms at school are amazing... heated seats, automatic flush, scented air freshner and, of course, a bidet with adjustable pressure. How can one ask for more?

Singing, Running Meat

2005-09-26T00:37:00.000+09:00

We were granted with a national holiday on Friday, giving us an enjoyable long weekend. Thursday after school I went to Futaba Gakuin, a (very) small private school, to interview for an internship. As soon as Cameron, who already had a position, and I got there we were offered tea and chocolates. Mr. Shimizu, who is the director, was incredibly hospitable. He had me fill out a form with personal information, and just like that I had the position. It is unpaid, but our transportation to and from is covered. He asked me if I was able to stay, and I told him that I could. The internship involves helping Japanese students (elementary through high school) learn English. I started by helping Mr. Shimizu do some translation from Japanese to English. Through my time in Japan, I have realized just how difficult the English language is. The rules are quite complex, and I see that it is quite hard learning it coming from languages that have strict and understandable rules (as Japanese does). Our language structure is pretty interesting. I'm lucky to have learned English first, I think, as it is always easier to go from the complex to the simple. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to interpret the writer's meaning and reconstructing it in English. After this, I started working with a younger boy. We started playing a game that involves moves on paper. You decide who takes a turn by playing paper-rock-scissors, and it seems that the Japanese are raising paper-rock-scissors masterminds. Out of the four games played against the kids by Cameron and I, we were thoroughly trounced all four times. After suffering defeat, we started working on pronunciation. The boy was pretty good at reading, or at least recognizing words. He would often guess at what a word was, guessing based on length ('car' was a common guess for 'dog'). I wondered if because the written language of Japanese is hightly character based (where some character will stand for a whole word, instead of the English method in which all words are made by stringing characters together), the boy was trying to guess at the whole instead of breaking it up into the individual. My speculation could be completely off, and I could imagine this also being the case when a child who only knows English begins to read. (Someone who's had children who can read needs to inform me.) He was very good at repeating my pronunciation. That is, until we ran into volleyball. I say the following not out of a cruel sense of humor, but simply to paint a picture.

Rohan: "Good job. Now try 'VOL-LEY-BALL.'"
Kid: "VOREBAW."
Rohan: "Um... 'VAW-LI-BALL.'"
Kid: "VO-RE-BAW."
Rohan: "VAW...LI...BALL."
Kid: "VO-RE-BAW."
Rohan: "Right. Good job."

Now, though this kind of thing is widely made fun of, allophones do exist and cause many people troubles while attempting to learn other languages. I didn't know if it was my place to drive a point, and certainly didn't want to make the kid feel bad. He was doing great with all the other stuff, that's for sure. Maybe I'm just a little bitter about paper-rock-scissors.

After getting home, we went out for karaoke in Akasaka. When we got there, the place only had Japanese style rooms left, so that's why we were all sitting on the floor. It was the best karaoke I've done. Blitzkreig Bop went over very well. After karaoke, we headed to Roppongi (the foreigner district of Tokyo) to go to some clubs. Strangely enough, all the clubs in this area are owned by Nigerians, who stand in the streets and incessantly talk to you to try and get you to come to their clubs. Some people get really annoyed by these people, but I enjoyed seeing their tactics in action.

Performer outside the subway

Karaoke...

...with surprise visitors

For those interested in such things, we see cars like this all over

I'm not sure what to say

The flowers are in bloom in the garden outside our house

On Friday night, we went to an all-you-can-eat sukiyaki and shabu-shabu place nearby our house. We had about a 30 minute wait, and I had seen a guy in the street on the way to the restaurant with a UAB shirt on. I went and found him and talked to him, which definitely through him off. He didn't share my excitement for the fact that both of us had been to Alabama. He had just visited there once for the medical school. Judging by his reaction, I don't think that he will wear that shirt in public ever again. After this, we went to eat in the restaurant which was really trendy and really good food. It's a lot like fondue in that you cook the meat and vegetables right in front of you (sukiyaki - boil in brown sugar and soysauce, dip in raw egg and consume; shabu-shabu - boil in water, dip in sauce, and consume). We were stuffed when we left, perhaps in a bit of pain. But it was all worth it because we all slept quite soundly that night.

Sukiyaki

The next morning we got up for a charity run for the YMCA. We had checked the weather forecast and it looked promising - only a 100% chance of rain. We got to the park and got signed up and everything. The manner in which the YMCA got permission to use the park is quite an interesting story. A taxi cab driver in his spare time does charity work for the YMCA, helping to organize events like this run. The YMCA had tried different venues, but none had really worked out, because the event is a six person relay race, and all the other places required that the exchange be in different areas because it was not possible to map out a 1.8km course at those places. They found that this spot in Yoyogi Park (near the Meiji shrine) was ideal, but after asking for it, were not granted permission for some reason or another. The taxi cab driver found out and told them not to worry. Two days later, he came back and told them that they had the go-ahead to do the race there. Turns out, the man was a taxi driver for the Yakuza - the Japanese mafia. It's nice to see that the Yakuza is giving back to the community.
It looked as if the rain was letting up, but as soon as the gun was shot for the race, the downpour began. I got the sash in fourth place, and passed it on in second. It was really exhilarating to race again after so long, and I felt really good. After the race (which we finished in 14th) we were given all sorts of goodies - food, drink, t-shirts, bags. It was definitely time well spent.

Entrance to the Meiji Shrine

The Temple Team

Running in the rain

EARTHQUAKE!!!

2005-09-24T10:13:00.000+09:00

Well, now I suppose I have your attention. We did suffer an earthquake earlier this week, but I feel that the capitalization and triple exclamation mark in the title made it seem much more than it really was. It was M=4 on the Richter scale, so we just felt the walls and windows shake. When it happened we at first were really confused, then all got excited when we realized we had just made it through our first Japanese earthquake.

This past weekend was, as anticipated, really great. I took my Japanese quiz early and went with the guys on Friday to Kamakura, to check out a festival going on there. We were searching for the right place, and we followed a stone path into the woods. Suddenly, we walked into an opening filled with people. It felt very Secret Garden discovering this hidden majesty. After waiting for quite some time, the festival started. We quickly realized that it was well worth the trip (and the day off of school). The festival involved Shinto priests riding on horseback, shooting arrows at wooden targets. They would ride swiftly by with the target on their left-hand side, and without looking they would string their bow, take aim and smash the target. I don't think I fully realize how difficult it all is - riding the horse at full speed with no hands, not looking the target, and actually hitting it.

After the archery, we headed into the shrine, where we chilled with some of the priests. If you enlarge the picture by clicking on it, you can see papers tied to string in the back - something that is seen often, for good luck. We checked out the shrine, and after some time we headed on into the city of Kamakura, where surprises waited...

Barrels of sake (and other alcohol) given as offerings

Inside the shrine; on the right hand side are wishes written by visitors

At the top of the shrine steps

Different shrine, on the same grounds

Water lily pond; man on the right is feeding the turtles

Percussionists just outside the temple ground; we had to restrain ourselves from dancing - the beat was intoxicating

It turns out that the Miss World contestants were in Kamakura for that day. Not really sure what brought them there, but they certainly complemented the scenery. We went and got dinner in the town, and the Miss World ladies were causing quite a stir. They weren't too friendly, unlike my new, much more receptive friend, who simply goes by "The Colonel."

Miss Worlds draw a crowd

Crazy Kamakura Crosswalk

After eating dinner, we headed to the beach and caught the sunset. It was beautiful. We decided to get into the water, because its not every day one can swim in the Pacific Ocean. The idea was quickly challenged when 50% of our swimmers were stung by jellyfish. I was one of the lucky two to escape unscathed.

Happy beach collage

Saturday we traveled to Yokohama for a baseball game. Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan. The baseball game was a lot of fun. The atmosphere is much different from baseball games in the US. An adequate description is that it was a baseball game with a college football atmosphere. It was more impressive, because there was no set band or cheerleaders. The fans all knew the cheers and some had brought their own instruments.

On the boat taxi to Yokohama; this building had a grass park on its roof

After each game, the MVP is awarded

We headed to the largest Chinatown in Japan, and got some dinner. It was nice walking around, though Gary was really disappointed that we didn't find any fireworks.

China town

Just goes to show you have trustworthy the Japanese are - nobody will touch stuff that is not theirs

Sunday was a festival day (thanking the fox god for a good harvest?) by Temple University. An old man had come to ask one of the faculty at TUJ to provide some strapping young lads to help carry a shrine. It was exciting because none of them spoke English, and there was not going to be any university representative present. We were given headbands, robes and two-toed shoes to wear. We got dressed, and he tied our waistbands extra tight, perhaps to prevent hernias. We all carried this heavy shrine on our shoulders, and this would not have been to bad, except we were dancing on our toes the whole way. We chanted as we went, and I know that that was the slowest that I had ever moved to get anywhere. We took about three hours to cover a (estimated) mile. We took breaks along the way for water, but it was really enjoyable. Our shoulders were really torn up by the end of the day. After we finished the carrying, we sat down to some food. Food and drink were forced upon us, and we had a great time conversing with people that couldn't understand us. I was flattered when I said "Temple daigaku no gaksee" (Temple University student) and was mistaken for a Japanese speaker. When we told the guy who we were talking to that I did not speak Japanese, he was quite disappointed, and didn't talk to us for the rest of the night. I guess it's the thought that counts.

Aerial shot of the procession

Monday was another national holiday. We headed to the Edo-Tokyo museum in Ryogoku. Afterward, we headed to the Grand Sumo Championship. For some basic info, click here. I found that sumo is much more ritual than action, but one can easily get into the atmosphere. The crowd went crazy when one of the wrestlers tossed a huge pile of salt onto the ring (the wrestlers throw salt to purify the ring - but this guy used an exorbitant amount). The matches were exciting to watch, and we got to see the current Yokozuna wrestle.

The Edo Period museum

Edo period printing

"Who's winning the match?"

Those percussionists again - after the tournament, there was a drummer in the top of this tower

We concluded the long weekend searching for sumo stew - all to no avail (we did find it, but not for less than ¥2500 - about $25). A day or two later, we had the earthquake. Here we end our tale, right where we began.

Arts of All Sorts

2005-09-16T15:06:00.000+09:00

Last week allowed me to see much of the modern arts that Tokyo has to offer. There was, of course, the art on the back of our Corn Flakes box (that I have since completed - and I must say that the roaster is looking quite handsome).
During the week Cameron, who runs for Cornell, and I went to Komizawa Park to scout out places to workout and run. The park was pretty impressive (it was used when Tokyo hosted the Olympics). The most exciting part was seeing a group of kids breakdancing in the park. I approached them and tried to ask them to take a picture. Only one of them understood English, and he didn't really know all that much. They were kind of weirded out (as I have been in the past when someone interrupts me when I'm getting my groove on), but I was simply amazed by their dancing abilities. It was neat to see them out there just having a good time. After I got the picture, I thanked them. As I was walking off, one of the boys who didn't know much English proudly used one of his well-rehearsed phrases: "Bye! See you next time!"

I joined the Shihan Moto Kyudo club. It was a type of archery that was created by farmers 400 years ago. It involves shooting a bamboo arrow from a shooting position. The group was really small, and we actually were shooting in a room in the school. Our club leader is really nice, and from the e-mail I think her name is Jennifer Jennifer, but I could be mistaken. Regardless, I was able to get it down the first night and hit the target. I also restrung the bow without injury. But it's not about that stuff; Shihan Moto Kyudo is practiced for its meditative qualities. The only down-side was sitting in that position for extended periods of time.

The next art experienced was karaoke. You pay by the hour and get a room with your group for that time. The room that we got had an interesting invitation printed on the front...You just look up the song you want in a book and punch in the number into the remote, and it automatically cues it on the playlist. It was exactly what one would expect, and a lot of fun.

On Sunday, we hit what I guess one would call "real" modern art. After getting caught in a downpour, we made it to the MOMAT - The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. There were many interesting art works, although I'm not too refined in my artistic tastes. We did get to see an original Picasso.
The above was my favorite piece in the museum. It wasn't even an exhibit, but it was just a really innovative concept. Just goes to show you how cultured I truly am. I didn't think it was possible, but there was actually a piece that was a canvas painted black in a frame. I thought for a moment that perhaps there was a fading effect with different shades of black, and that there was more to it than first met the eye. Upon further inspection, I realized that this wasn't the case. My first impression was correct - it was just all black.

After MOMAT, we headed to the Imperial Palace. You can only enter on two days of the year, and it just so happened that we came on one of the 363 that nobody is admitted. I got some pictures from afar. The place is guarded by a moat and looks immaculately manicured from where we stood.

Afterwards, we took the subway back to Jiyugaoka (the ward in which we live). We got dinner at a sushi-go-round. I thought I would include a picture of what I ate because it was certainly interesting. The plates are color-coded, and each color indicates a different price. The one on the right was more expensive, and I believe it was octopus. When I saw the one on the left, I knew that I had to try it. The taste was ... distinct. I'm not sure what it was. All that I know is that those little white things on top were fish, with a healthy topping of garlic.
Dinner ended and we headed to the 100 yen shop, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit. For some reason, they have American top 40 blasting, and it definitely is a money-saver. The place is much nicer than dollar stores back home. It has a very Pier-1 feel to it, and, just like in the States, there are a wide variety of products to be purchased. I took a picture of one of the shopping bags for sale; if anyone can tell me what exactly this means, there's a hefty share of Japanese yen with your name on it.
This past weekend allowed for a lot of good times, and the coming weekend promises even more.

Pacific Culture Club, Outstanding Onsen, and Amazing Andy

2005-09-05T12:35:00.000+09:00

Saturday was an incredible day. After a good first week of classes (I am looking forward to all my classes, as I really see how I can apply them to the world around me. I also got a position as a tutor for English and Math in the Learning Center at school. It will be a good chance to meet Japanese students.), I really got to experience study abroad as I had imagined it would be. About a dozen study abroad students traveled to a woman's house in Tokyo for the Pacific Culture Club. Before our rendezvous with our group leader, we traveled to Shibuya to get something to eat. We were searching around, and once we found this item on the menu, we decided to try our luck elsewhere.
After eating at a small shop, we met up with the rest of the group at the station and traveled by subway to the woman's house. It was a traditional wooden house with thin paper walls. The woman was very eager to share her culture with us, and earnestly was pleased to have us. She thanked us for coming multiple times, and her polite, neat and sincere demeanor reminded me a lot of Avva.
We started off the event with a Shinto prayer. We all tried to sit in the traditional manner with legs tucked directly beneath you, and found it to be much less comfortable than our host made it appear. Most of us could only take the position for a little bit, but she sat like that all day without the slightest bit of discomfort.
Next, she played the koto for us, and it was much different from other harps that I had heard. The long wooden instrument and her singing brought Seetha Doddavva and the sitar to mind. It was quite lovely to hear.Afterwards, the girls played paper, rock, scissors to decide who amongst them would be so lucky as to try on the kimono (actually these may be yukata, which is a summer version). While they were deciding, the guys (there were only four of us) were guided in calligraphy. The woman reminded me of Minnie Thai. It is surprising to think that even though it is all simple strokes, there is still so much to master there. You must sit straight up to channel positive energy and hold the brush vertically. We did the kanji for mountain, wind, and flower. Then we all signed our names at the bottom. It really took me back to first grade art class. Gary really liked it, and was considering pursuing it as a hobby. You can see my artwork sitting next to Gary's lap if you enlarge the picture. It is the kanji for flower.After we had gone through our calligraphy lesson, the girls had finished their kimono fight and had dressed. Next, some of the girls took their calligraphy lesson and a few of us were led upstairs to look at a famous painter's work on the paper walls of a room. upstairs, but we didn't have tea up there because it would be much too unbearable. Our host really looked out for us (she told us not to worry about sitting in the traditonal manner if it was uncomfortable, and later told us not to worry about finishing the tea of it was too bitter). I took a picture with the her and she was so polite and appreciative. When I asked if she would stand with me for the picture she said that me asking was "such an honor." Behind us are the paintings of the "Picasso of Japan." There was also a painting of dragon babies done by this artist, and the mystery of this painting is how in a single stroke, he It was re quite worth it. The tea room wasally hot upstairs, but seeing the room was was able to leave the small eye of the dragon baby. You may have to enlarge the picture to see it. After being offered some cool tea juice, we sat down to the tea ceremony in the main room (because it was too hot to be in the small tea room upstairs). There was a lot of ritual behind it. We bowed to our host as she served each one of us individually. Before eating, though, we all were given a sweet and had to bow and say a word of thanks before taking one and passing it on. Only once we had finished could we be served our tea, because it was not good to eat and drink at the same time. When it came time to get our tea our host bowed to us, and then we bowed back, placing our hands on the floor. We were instruced to keep our fingers together because to bow with spread fingers was to be like a monkey. We would then take the bowl, and place it in our hands. We would then give it two clockwise turns so that the front of the cup, some of which had a design, faced outwards. The tea was unlike anything I had drank before. It didn't really look like tea. It was kind of a bitter, pea-soup looking drink. I enjoyed it, though, finishing my whole bowl. Some of us, including Gary, whisked the tea themselves. It was quite difficult actually (as Gary's determined face indicates), as you had to create bubbles and stir up the tea without spilling it over the side of the shallow bowl. When one of our hosts did it in front of us, it was amazing to see how masterful she was. There can be an art to the simplest of things. I really admired the fact that all we saw yesterday was a part of culture and tradition that had evolved over time and had been around for so long. There was meaning and purpose behind everything that we did. Also, I drew many comparisons to the Indian traditions I know, and it made me appreciate them even more. It's nice to experience a different culture, especially when it enhances your appreciation for your own family and history. We concluded with a group picture, with all of our artwork on display (aren't you proud, Mom and Dad!). After this we thanked our hosts and said goodbye, traveling on to our next stop - the onsen.The onsen truly was a memorable experience. For those of you who don't know (and don't worry, I had no idea what is was called beforehand either), the onsen is the traditional Japanese bath. I had never done anything like this before. The picture here is of the entrance to the onsen. We caught a free bus to the onsen and once we got there we stowed our shoes in a locker and traded that locker key in for a locker key in the changing room and a towel token. We were given our towels and sent into the locker room. It was interesting seeing the Japanese people, who come across as a very shy and modest group, not worrying about nudity. It was unusual getting undressed with the other study abroad students, as we had known each other for only a week, but it was not a big deal. From the locker room, you move into the main part of the onsen. To your left is a row of stools facing mirrors and handheld showers. Directly ahead of you is one bathing pool. Everything was cast in a dim yellow glow, and the distinct smell of bath salts was in the air. I sat down, next to a man that was shaving in the mirror. After rinsing off and cleaning my body with the bottle labeled "Foam Soap," I asked what the other bottles were. The study abroad guys who were there told me that they guessed it was shampoo. I squirted some into my hand and a dark Everything was made of wood, and we found our lockers and undressed. There were men of all ages in there, from very young to very old. It black liquid came out. I washed my hair and left the shower, taking my handtowel with me. I stepped out of the shower room to the outside area. It was surrounded by tall vegetation, trees, and fences, so it was quite private. It was strange hearing someone mowing a lawn outside to remind us that we were not as secluded as we may think. There were about four pools outside. Each one was said to target a different part of the body. I joined the other study abroad guys in the first pool, which was the largest. Parts of it were bubbling, and there was even a small cave, the inside of which was illuminated by dark red lights. I decided to get adventurous and went inside while the other guys stayed outside. I sat around for a little bit and then went back out, saying that it wasn't anything special. I found out later that inside that cave, if you sit at the right points, a mild electric current is sent from the wall to you. It's supposed to be pleasurable, but most say that it is an acquired feel. I don't know how I would have reacted had I found that out the hard way. The water in the pool was warm and dark brown, like a tea color. It was filled with minerals and was very relaxing. After a while, we moved on to another, smaller pool which had pebbles all across the bottom. It was the same temperature as the other pool By the picture, it was for the benefit of the foot. We stayed in there for some time and then the guys said they needed a break, as they were getting too hot. I sat in for a little while longer and then went to meet them where they were sitting on the other side of the enclosure. Upon getting out, I started feeling the effects of the pool... I was feeling a little lightheaded, and very relaxed. When I got there I found the most personal pool. It was just the size of a barrel and only intended for one person. I sat inside it and water fell over the edges. It was the warmest of all the water I had gotten in, and it was fun to talk to the guys from my own personal bathtub. Next Gary and I went to a sauna-like enclosure with a tub in the middle. I think the other guys went to wash up at this point. It was hot water as well, and later we found out that it was for the benefit of the sexual drive. We didn't stay in there very long, but this piece of information was amusing because when we walked in there was a man submerged in water, intently doing deep-breathing exercises.
Next, I tried the last of the outside pools, which none of the other study abroad students would venture into. It turned out that the water was freezing cold. The thermometer read zero, but I'm not sure if that was correct. Regardless, I got in slowly and in doing so was met with a sharp, pins and needles feeling. It was exhilarating. I stayed in there for a while and met Gary at the warm indoor pool. I had been looking for a cool mist sauna, because it was advertised in the information we got about the bathhouse, but I had not seen it anywhere. While sitting in the indoor pool, I saw two wooden doors. I figured that they were saunas, and tried to read the Japanese above the doors to see which was hot and which was cold. I started sounding out the few letters I knew, only later realizing that if I was successful, I would still not know which was which because I didn't know the words for hot or cold. At that moment, my resourcefulness kicked in and I saw two thermometers... one was quite hot and the other was at -2 degrees Celsius. I got excited and walked inside, with a little fear. I turned the first corner and then walked into the actual sauna. It had white walls and smelled like fish. It was like being in a meat freezer. I stayed in there a little while by myself and then two other Japanese guys came in. They seemed to be shocked by the fact that it was cold, and I smiled to myself because I had understood which was which over these guys that could actually speak Japanese. They sat down for a little while, and one of them smiled at me, and I smiled back. It was the only positive exchange I had with any Japanese person while there. After some time, I left and went to shower. I tried another of the "shampoo" bottles. This one was a little less black, and I still used it to wash my hair. When I got out to the locker room, I found out that an hour had already passed. It was incredibly how quickly time passed. I really had enjoyed the whole experience. I felt so relaxed for the rest of the night. It was great. I wasn't tired or sleepy... just very relaxed. My eyelids hung down and I was just very happy. Afterwards, we went to eat at this really good, cheap, kabob-like place. There we had chicken, chicken-hearts, chicken livers and chicken intestines on a stick. All in all, a lot of fun.
Saturday was amazing, an experience I will look on fondly for some time. I feel that the only way to end this, is to leave you with pictures of my housemate, Andy, who has the incredible innate ability to balance things on his chin.

A View from the Top

2005-09-01T12:39:00.000+09:00

On Friday, our first day of orientation, we went up to an observatory in this building (pictured at right) to view all of Tokyo. Frankly, it was incredible. Buildings neatly stretched out as far as you could see, and I got some perspective as to just how amazing the city that I am in truly is. Just wanted to share these pictures with everyone.

Please click on the pictures to enlarge.You can see Tokyo Tower in the picture below (the red and white structure).

More of good eats

2005-08-31T23:21:00.000+09:00

Just wanted to include two other intersting items in terms of restaurants. The first is a restaurant we found when we were searching around for a place to eat. I think that there may have been something lost in translation here, but we were all pretty sure that our foreign stomachs wouldn't be able to handle whatever was dished out.

Another interesting dining place was the Tokyo Restaurant. (Whether or not it is THE Tokyo Restaurant is still up for debate.) We were starving around campus and couldn't decide on anywhere. We decided to switch up from all the cheap eateries we had been to and hit up this posh place. Apparently it's pretty popular, because as we walked up the stairs to be seated, the waitress signaled that we go back down. The best seating that she could provide us was in the waiting area under the stairs! On the plus side, the seats were comfortable and intimate. What more could you ask for?

Pictured here are my roommates Andy and Gary, and Leah, who is a homestay student.

Mmm... tastes like good

2005-08-30T15:47:00.000+09:00

We've had a couple of interesting eating experiences here in Japan. The first authentic Japanese meal that I tried was at a Ramen shop just down the street from the university. It felt really, well, real, seeing all the working men on their lunchhour devouring their noodles at the counter. It was actually a lot more different than I had expected. The most interesting part was how you order. Even though there are people serving and cooking for you, nobody takes your order. This portion of the dining experience is completely automated, and certainly intimidating as those that know what they are doing wait impatiently behind you. You put your money into the machine and press a button indicating your dish of choice. (In my case, the first time was determined by what price seemed reasonable, since I can't yet read Japanese. The next time we returned to the place, I stuck with my 750 yen button since it had been so good to me the time before.) Many of the people that we see eating are hunched over their food, intent on the task at hand. I've come to find that the louder you slurp your noodles, the more it means you are enjoying it. The only problem that I haven't solved yet is splash control, because as you slurp up the noodles, broth goes everywhere. This being the case, I resort to a quiter dining experience. Another thing that I marvel at is the size of these shops. Some of them barely have enough room for you to get into the door. I tried to capture the size of the shop in this picture, but don't know if I have done it justice. (I do know that I have done a good job of capturing the surprise of the chef at the fact that someone is taking a picture of the place.) It is always a squeeze when someone new comes into a restaurant. One of the solutions I found that one Japanese restaurant had to the demand of many patrons is that of the kaiten. Here sushi travels around on plates, and you just select whatever it is you want to eat. When you are done, you stack up the plates and they are counted for you to get you your total price for the meal. Some places have colored plates that indicate different prices. Before you can eat, you have to wait for your place. There is a bench that goes all the way around the wall, and you start right by the door and keep scooting down as people finish their meals. Apparently, we are used to American oversized seating, because we were asked by hand gestures to scoot closer together to make more room. This specific place also had a seven plate minimum buy. When you reached that amount, you secured yourself 20 minutes of eating time. The whole time that we were there the place was packed.
We have been around a whole bunch of restaurants, and many of them are very similar in style. I think with this last picture I cover the whole spectrum of interesting types of restaurants that we have visited so far. This was from the only free meal we've had so far, during Temple Japan's orientation. We had to take off our shoes to go into this restaurant, and the floor was raised up around the tables so that you sat on the floor and your feet sank down beneath the table. It was nice to have some free food, even though the Japanese that accompanied us complained that the food was really cheap. Oh well, it was all-you-can-eat.
Well, the first day of classes went well, and this past weekend was fun, too. It was nice to check out the Tokyo night scene that I had heard so much about, even though I'm not really into clubbing. A lot of the songs the DJ played reminded me of fun times dancing at home. (Not by myself, but with my friends. I was trying to say it reminded me of my friends.) We went and applied for our alien registration cards today, and with those we will be able to buy bikes and phones. Slowly but surely, I am getting adjusted to Tokyo life, and I think that my body is getting used to the Japanese diet.

Oh, what a shame

2005-08-25T04:00:00.000+09:00

Well, it seems that I am still learning how to use this blog deal, and in the process managed to delete all of my original posts. Regardless, I'm going to repost all of the pictures, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to rewrite all that I had before. That being the case, I am providing pictures and summaries in reverse chronological order, in an effort to preserve some of the memories:

The Green House - Just provided some pictures of the house, and mentioned that it was the best living situation out of all of the TUJ. Perhaps even the world.

The Garden

The Entranceway (please take off your shoes)

The Bedroom
The KitchenThe Lounge

The Arrival - We had a good trip to Narita Airport in Tokyo, aside from being stuck on the runway for 2 hours in Minneapolis. I met Andy in Minneapolis and it was great having a travel partner, especially when we took the train to the rendevouz point. (We later found out that we were the only study abroad students to take the train... ever.)
Courses - Just posted my courses... which have actually changed. So I guess in the end, it's awesome that I lost all of the stuff that I had written.

Japanese Culture - TTh 10:40-12:10
Japanese Elements I - MWF 13:50-15:10
Practical Asian Society and Culture - TTh 9:00-10:30
Survey of Japanese Modern Literature - TTh 15:50-17:20

The Greece Trip - Told about the wonders of Greece. Truly had a wonderful time, and just said that I was looking forward to the study abroad experience, even though 8 months was an intimdating amount of time.