Arashiyama

Saturday morning: up, eat brekkies, and head out to the train station near the dorms. From there it was off to Arashiyama: it's on the far edge of Kyoto. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. It is highly, highly, highly recommended. First we went to a zen temple: Tenryoji? Something like that in name, i've got it on a ticket stub somewhere. That lake, (of the four pictures bottom left) is at the temple. It's fall colors are to die for, it's got some lovely statues, but mostly just go to see all of the pretty scenery, unless you're a religion buff and want to learn about every sect of Buddhism. Then we walked through the bamboo forest, which was quite literally right outside the back gate of the temple. It's pretty cool to be able to say you walked through a bamboo forest, I think! The bamboo trees were incredibly tall! 

Then, after managing to decipher a map we took a left at the edge of the forest and found ourselves taking the long way toward our third destination. Not that I minded at all, when it had us walk along a riverbank. The water and the trees, and the boats rowing all over it were amazingly beautiful. I just can't imagine falling into that water....freezing! Can we say: where is a new wardrobe because I will catch my death if I wear these wet clothes? So we crossed the river, on this absolutely crowded bridge. Following this time, we found the signs were were looking for, and climbed a mountain....never ever again.

Somebody, who shall remain nameless, told me it was likely to rain. This meant I needed to wear my boots, which have a heel on them, or have sopping wet feet all day. Well, it wasn't going to rain--wrong city's weather...and even though the cities are close, yes it does make quite a difference. Sooooooo yeah, hiked a mountain in boots with a heel (not a narrow heel thank you very much, a nice wide one) however I still managed to twist my ankle. In defense....I uhh probably could have managed that without the heels, with my stupid ankles. :D

So we climbed this mountain: to a monkey park!! It was so cool. This monkey, as we're walking up the trail, just walks right past, a foot from us! ...course thats not quite as exciting when I think that I put apple on my hand and fed monkeys, or that they're all willing to come pretty close. I felt bad for the baby monkeys: big fat monkeys chased them away from the food!

So, then we headed back, walked down the trail, about this time I noticed the pain in my ankle, walked around some shops, found out we walked the long way---by taking the short way back and realizing we'd been all but the last 20 yards or so toward that bridge at lunch time, before going into the temple. If there hadn't been so many people, I'm sure we would have noticed it earlier. Rode a really slow train (street car?) back to the main part of Kyoto, got off, transferred, decided we wanted to check out Gion again.

Uhh...if you can't afford to go into a shop, and trust me they're ALL expensive you're not going to see a whole ton in Gion unless you're pretty lucky. It's all lit up, and looks old, but you'd have to do some waiting to see a geisha or maiko (geisha in training--and btw geisha isnt what they call themselves so much) walking around between appointments. So, we headed back to Hirakata, and to our respectives homes..

Oh! a note...DO NOT be at Hirakata station when all the shops close.....man those metal doors over the shops screech!!! OWWIE!

All future travellers to Japan: women, do not do as the Japanese women do and wear high heels all the time. Even if you do not think you will go hiking...bring tennis shoes! And definitely, if in Kyoto check out Arashiyama! 

Kyoto!

I bet everybody has heard of Kyoto? Yes? No? Maybe not? I hope so, cuz it's pretty famous. I went there this weekend--it's less than half an hour by train from school. First I went and explored this HUGE flea market. We're talking, for those in Oregon, something about the size of the annual Christmas Bazaar. Bigger than the Saturday Market, all outside, and happens twice a month: the 21st and the first saturday? sunday? one of those two. It was pretty cool. Had some yummy chestnuts. 

Then we walked to Kyoto station, looked at the map, ate cake at a cake shop. yummy. Then walked all the way to Kiyomizudera. First we looked around the souveneir shops since we were waiting around for the opening of it we wanted. Yes, I know I know, you realize the name Kiyomizudera sounds familiar. That's because I mentioned it in probably my first blog entry about Japan. But this time we were going at night for a special time of the year where they light everything up in the dark. I got some fair pictures, which was quite the challenge in that throng....*Shudder* crowds...

It was gorgeous all lit up like that, and of course as I'm here saying that I realize that I never put those photos into my laptop. Guess I'll do that tomorrow or something. Tomorrow is a study day since it's Japan's version of thanksgiving--a national holiday. No school. Libraries are closed....may have to buy all my meals at conbini's (convenience stores) tomorrow....didn't think about that earlier....

Today I went to t he school culture festival. It wass quite interesting. Lots of yummy food, watched Joel (a friend) perform on the Koto at his club. The Koto is ....remember the movie August Rush how the kid plays the guitar laying down rather than in his hands. Well the Koto is a big huge string instrument that you play flat like that, only its more along the lines of a harp...that's hollow....gah, look up images on google! Anyways, it was pretty neat, and it had a good atmosphere for the performance. Watched a little bit of the international dance performance, watched a Japanese student rap in Japanese...okay...didn't quite get it at all. Saw lots of crazy stuff. Japanese boys dressed up as Japanese school girls, power rangers and scream costume people, cheerleaders who were incredibly athletic, lots of kimonos (but that's pretty common--if i leave the house and don't see somebody wearing one, it's an unusual day). 

Aww well, yawns, I'm kind of tired. Goodnight Neverland,

Jessica

Nara

Four of us went to Nara this weekend. It was a lot of fun, and really cool. As you can see the deer, which were originally sacred and now are deemed a National Treasure are quite friendly, know who feeds them and will walk right up to you. When I held my hand out to one, she decided to lick my hand. It tickled! Yes I washed my hand afterwards, but not before threatening to put my hand on Diego's face--he's not a big fan of animal kisses on his face it seems. Pobrecito. Also we saw this amazing vine that had grown right over the path. It kind of felt like we were walking in this ancient jungle as we walked through the forest in Nara. Of note: the bathrooms in the forest are way nicer than those near the largest of the temples. Toilets, instead of the Japanese-style porcelain hole in the ground, toilet paper and soap. It's a miracle! 

Okay, the big huge Buddha statue you see? Look closely it's not just the hand! Here is the stats on it and on the temple it stands in. "Todaji Temple was built in the Nara period (710-794 AD)....The chief object of worship is the Vairocana Buddha....is made from cast bronze, which was then plated with gold. the statue was consecreated in 752, but was damaged and repaired several times  in the following centures. The current hands of the statue were made in the Momoyama period (1568-1615) and the head was made in the Edo period (1615-1867). The Great Buddha Hall (which is the building it stands in) was burned in the fires of war in 1180 and 1567, and the current building is actually the third generation structure, which was built in the Edo period. the width of the current building is approximately 33% smaller than that of the original structure, but it still ranks as the largest wooden structure in the world."--entry ticket

Stats: Hall: 187 ft for "frontage, 165 ft for depth, 160 ft in height.

            Buddha: Heint of body 49 feet. Length of head 18 ft"

This thing was HUUUUGGEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! Nara was amazing, not just the temples. It was really beautiful. There's not a lot to see other than temples, so far as I could tell though. It really is a largely historical city, with little modern-day attractions. Didn't see any huge department stores. They are there for sure, they're just not the main attractions. 

Please, if you go to Nara remember: don't antagonize the baby deer. Mama will not like it. They've got charming little signs up, with way too much kanji for me to read, but with lovely mangas that I can read quite easily showing unhappy dear. And signs saying don't kill the deer, or the others will cry.

I found a great gift for someone when I was out. Nya Nya, I'm not telling! Lol. This next weekend I am going to spending two out of three days of it in Kyoto--the third day is reserved for the school international festival. Okaasan is going to Yokohama one day that weekend, so we'll see what happens with me regarding that. Guess that means I'll have to update again in a week! 

Jessi

Updates, updates

First of all I have not in all reality been doing a lot lately. This past weekend I didn't do a lot, but we'd had Tuesday off and I wen to Osaka castle. The weekend before I had gone to a mall to look around and out to karaoke for the first time. Monday was Okaasan's birthday. And today was another day off of school...but i have a test friday, and another monday so it's another tame weekend. 

First, midterms and tests finished. Then I can't really remember, cuz i realize it was nearly a month ago that i updated last...

October 30th was a Halloween costume contest at my school. It was quite amusing to watch! Some of the costumes were really bad. I really wished I dressed up, but I never did find a good costume. Soo.....bleh. Oh well. Then i went and had yakitori for dinner. Imagine chicken shishkabobs people. 

Kuzuha mall: Uhm, I found a cute souveneir to bring home for somebody. I ate baskin robins Ice cream at lunch---to cool my mouth down i swear. I ordered this "Red Spicy German Dog" and let me tell you that was the spiciest hot dog I'd had in my life (good hot dog not crappy american mystery meat). I needed the ice cream to cool my mouth down. Lucky me, it was on sale since it was halloween. 

We then tried to go to this restaurant in Hirakata called "the hobbit" that has food from all around hte world. There were like 6 of us at that point and Diego decided to be proactive and talk to the restaurant owner---who had indeed lived Diego's dream and travelled to a ton of countries, around the world, for a year. But because it was apparently a halloween party it was fancy hors d'ouvoirs only, or however you spell that wretched word. Is there an anglicized version for my usage? So we left after a little while, hungry still and went to a restaurant. The group got smaller: down to four after dinner at the Seizeria (italian) and then we went to karaoke. It's fun, but its not my favorite thing. Apparently I suck at singing. Go figure. So surprised. Shellshocked, really. 

Can't remember what I did the next day: probably studied.  

Then the 3rd was a day off of school. Tuesday (think it was the third) and la la la! I went to Osaka Castle with Diego. it was really fun! and pretty! Lol: I wish that I had a picture Diego made me take on his camera of him. He decided to be a little kid and play with the cannon. let me just mention that people who aren't big fans of cafeteria-style japanese food should NOT find themselves hungry at Osaka-jo! 

Oooh and the Panasonic center was amazing (we saw it on the way to osaka castle). Nanotechnology! for cleaning!!!!! and there was this great photo gallery that we saw, and we ate delicious crepes (the guy making them was sooooo cool!) and since the day before had gotten wicked cold and that day was too, i bought a winter hat. I brought gloves, scarfs, coats...but no hat! lol. I got dragged into another pokemon store. And a tech store: yodobashi camera. That store was actually pretty cool though!  it had like 9 levels. b1, b2, then up to seven. but six and seven had no tech--they were restaurants and clothes shopping. Found Diego some nice Isotoner gloves there. 

Then classes. classes. Classes. Then Saturday: Okaasan's friend and her teenage daughter came over and I was asked to talk to the daughter. Interesting. I made dinner. It went over well, but I didn't realize we were having a guest so ..... I wish I'd gotten more! People weren't starving or anything at all, but I felt like a little more would've been good. Then Sunday I spent time with my friends, just chilling at the dorms for the day. 

Monday was Okaasan's birthday. We went out to dinner. Had lots of cake when Okaasan's friends came over. Poor Ryoichi was the only male in the house! 8 women: 1 male. He hid in his room. Smart or foolish? 

Tuesday was time for me to be an idiot! Yay me ala London. ... You want to know what I did? I fell down the stairs!!!! Bounce, bounce, bounce.....foot, arm, butt. The latter two hit every stair as I went down, and I fell on the top of 14 stairs....I don't think anyone was home, since nobody came running at the horrible racket. Might I mention the stairs aren't carpeted? They happen to be a nice solid hardwood, which is why my slippered-foot slipped so easily. Today my right foot (the one that hit a few stairs) is swollen. My right arm is tender and i don't want to rest it on a hard object, and my butt hurts to sit, wo lay on my back, to go upstairs.... Nothing seems to be broken, but I can definitely not say that I escaped without bruises!  Owwwieee.....

Today was the school's anniversary, so there weren't any classes. Yay. I slept in. Then I headed out to the dorms to study a bit. We tried to watch Watchmen but theres some technical problem with the disc that i can't begin to accurately explain. God forbid I explain it wrong! Which brings me to now, laying in bed, cuz that hurts my butt slightly less, but it is STILL throbbing...I hate myself. I really do sometimes. At least my clutziness. .... and I always give people dirty looks when they're constantly pulling me back thinking I'm going to hurt myself....where were my guardian mother hens this time?????

Oh! I've also been working on some things for classes in the spring. I will not be taking a winter 3 class. Which means I have all of January off of school. I will be taking 17 credits this spring. Pre-practicum class for social work  (the practicum is my senior project that i have to do all of senior year basically--next spring), social statistics (math), Global Capitalism and Neo-Colonialism Inequalities (sociology with one of my favorite professors), Asian Philosophy, and Stained Glass 1!  Sorry no project requests until I learn more about what I'll be required to do in the class! Yay! 

I requested my housing for this spring. Dunno where I'll be until sometime in January. Too bad, eh? 

Alright, I can't think of much else to say. Hearts to everyone,

Jessi