tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25243410749117589392024-03-12T17:59:19.628-07:00i want a star弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-44330146394152759322010-03-31T00:11:00.000-07:002010-03-31T01:00:27.716-07:00出発!!There's really no suitable way to translate that. 出発 technically means "departure," but who the hell wants to say "departure" when you can scream out "shuppa~ts!!" while striking an astroboy pose? Anywho, this entry is about leaving for my second trip to Japan. And it was almost exactly the same experience as last year. sorta.<br />
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Both times I left the US from SFO (San Francisco Airport) where it was sunny and beautiful, slept almost 10 hours on the plane ride over, sailed through customs, got greeted with the heaviest rain known to man, got hit on by some weird guy, and spent the first few days in a guesthouse in Koenji while I looked for an apartment. I wonder if things really do come in threes....should I be worried?<br />
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The difference, the obvious one of many, is of course that I wasn't staying in Koenji because I had gotten swindled out of an apartment and was stuck in Tokyo with no place to go. Handy little point there. No, this time I was headed back to Koenji because I love the place. It's really close to the station, cheap, safe, and really quirky. I love all the weird stuff about it.<br />
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First of all, the two stairs are scary as hell, especially when carrying a 68lb suitcase. Secondly, it's located over something that looks like it belongs in the pink light district. Can't figure out what it is, but I never see anyone go in or out and I never hear anything from there so I know it's not a karaoke place. Tis a creepy mystery.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6KKlOG3CDos9uJKNbJVPu4GSD-TKu4vKhgyk-abqjqwC2MzouxhyXnN4FBr8q2GjBybj-qtbmP0ZO5gDXsHx5TZx16Vg4v3ojrzWx9mfrNkFKS8gDkaiY9HxXNox68KQA6bLM7Si32PK/s1600/IMG_0584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6KKlOG3CDos9uJKNbJVPu4GSD-TKu4vKhgyk-abqjqwC2MzouxhyXnN4FBr8q2GjBybj-qtbmP0ZO5gDXsHx5TZx16Vg4v3ojrzWx9mfrNkFKS8gDkaiY9HxXNox68KQA6bLM7Si32PK/s400/IMG_0584.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicLZM2YY5Tv9LGnsI7ArYN3d5j17PmAiXmzqLXqYG8vqeZjZAfNR6tz61wrXeTREka0j5X71TbDKdI9YXljYqzN0y0BQ1bUPUw7cgZuuzCJabHQ7WtVbrNL1pv_gwg3LD4F5MUfoEBa5A/s1600/IMG_0581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicLZM2YY5Tv9LGnsI7ArYN3d5j17PmAiXmzqLXqYG8vqeZjZAfNR6tz61wrXeTREka0j5X71TbDKdI9YXljYqzN0y0BQ1bUPUw7cgZuuzCJabHQ7WtVbrNL1pv_gwg3LD4F5MUfoEBa5A/s400/IMG_0581.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another really hilarious thing about the place is that it is <i>too</i> close to the station. You can actually hear the lady on the train platform informing everyone that they have reached Koenji Station. "高円寺、高円寺です。ももなく・・・" Yea, you can actually see the station from the roof.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite that, which is actually not a bad thing really, the place is really wonderful and I would really suggest it to anyone who wants a temporary place to stay in Tokyo. It's just two stops over from Shinjuku on the Chuo rapid line and less than a minute from the station, and Koenji itself is a really fun area of Tokyo. Excellent location, comfortable rooms and beds, and the management couldn't be nicer. Just look how happy and friendly Ryuusaku looks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikq0K3c0_GB4GOn2yQMZUKdLYhx8P4Y5Owe-Wexrf1EpQrNOZXKLsC9TcDZiRyezdcEeiQTtd2jeJS7IpfJeQ8yWkP7gN9UE4137GCzlmbxU-O5rG76jTT6IDupDHAC7RlGUs9_uFVVmyh/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikq0K3c0_GB4GOn2yQMZUKdLYhx8P4Y5Owe-Wexrf1EpQrNOZXKLsC9TcDZiRyezdcEeiQTtd2jeJS7IpfJeQ8yWkP7gN9UE4137GCzlmbxU-O5rG76jTT6IDupDHAC7RlGUs9_uFVVmyh/s400/IMG_0576.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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</div>And as you can see it has a nice sunny rooftop with wooden patio. The whole place has a nice wood feel to it. Very tiny, very cheap, but warm, safe, and friendly. They speak perfect English and of course native Japanese so just send them an email if you're in Tokyo! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ffe599;">koenjitokyo@gmail.com</span></span>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-46684638471241822092010-03-31T00:02:00.000-07:002010-03-31T00:08:46.727-07:00HomeSo I've been back home for a while, which sucks but is also kinda wonderful. Two adjectives that often seem to go together in my life. Maybe they're having like a little affair or something, hmmm? Oh god, I'm so weird. Why the hell does anyone read this?<br />
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Anyways, it sucks because I'm stationary. I'm in sunny California, which is not the worst place you can be, but it seems like hell. Funny how I always want to be somewhere else. When I'm in Vermont, I miss little things about California. (Like diversity. haha.) But when I'm in California, I find myself telling people about this cute little coffee shop in Burlington, or this amazing crepe place down by Lake Champlain. Can't stop talking about it. I should learn to be a little more grateful of what I have, maybe. oh well. *shrug.*<br />
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It's kinda wonderful because I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my family who I like never see. Ever. I've been here long enough to remember why sometimes just home is as wonderful a place as those half way across the world. This is what my home looks like:<br />
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</span></span></span></span></div><div>Mom:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzOfAY-y3YtJpTPoEALnKKsAZQS0o6S-uwUeHwFGPZTP8ogE8lSheNdBPi893ogyrEsbe0urQOAkcCGJDcam0iY09ietNmg6TGWkPm4tyvaf4eEOYYVUf_JgyruHiYe_FogzNqhMLGYrw/s1600-h/IMG_0531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzOfAY-y3YtJpTPoEALnKKsAZQS0o6S-uwUeHwFGPZTP8ogE8lSheNdBPi893ogyrEsbe0urQOAkcCGJDcam0iY09ietNmg6TGWkPm4tyvaf4eEOYYVUf_JgyruHiYe_FogzNqhMLGYrw/s400/IMG_0531.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Dad:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecN04FaagkD7AwdXRcc8B7u-6A8llCzN-Qn1M-hXdsNNicGQhvbm0lowUTCkQ0uQtt3W_XD7OVOMgXGg1yDuHu_5UlFQhZY_TnHQ7XeYITgzk72t6JNFEPxPyHEYqFN_X1oZpTrJhU024/s1600-h/IMG_0319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecN04FaagkD7AwdXRcc8B7u-6A8llCzN-Qn1M-hXdsNNicGQhvbm0lowUTCkQ0uQtt3W_XD7OVOMgXGg1yDuHu_5UlFQhZY_TnHQ7XeYITgzk72t6JNFEPxPyHEYqFN_X1oZpTrJhU024/s400/IMG_0319.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sister:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCVUhZKfUqnkTlqxpFvkAu6ubk-tNjXusarBzjlRv8kf9iv8VHBgUO2dhsOOJM6fBtmpXpQgJHVdNthvkoXc7PQmD7QxNxQSNzhXqJ3f3RvgM9Ho0TAYzChEn85NKmXSWYZjgEKJqofHi/s400/IMG_0012.JPG" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>And in case you didn't know, I'm a crazy cat person.</div><div><br />
Cheer:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXu_Jz7u9aO3cGJBjlaVYn7r8cZD-5knPYcfG-eTVdIxAzciypx-mpEo0mvumQzvDcmChDciTjcQ-gH1ij_2VToF7Qqcc43R7ebQaebdVB-xgX1AKY2PVW8nOJ_JLyWbWhW9uSCoISX-7/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXu_Jz7u9aO3cGJBjlaVYn7r8cZD-5knPYcfG-eTVdIxAzciypx-mpEo0mvumQzvDcmChDciTjcQ-gH1ij_2VToF7Qqcc43R7ebQaebdVB-xgX1AKY2PVW8nOJ_JLyWbWhW9uSCoISX-7/s400/IMG_0289.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Play:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SK-slhlv6-N2MMb-68-xTzEpUilsA6apjhNa6yMkWv30k0UT7D-pTxxBP7HkjHi9Utm3uMcpLpuJlPthyphenhyphenNTMyCYP6MpNh78J64Ls378r5ax5vhw3iRHqIvFzEfDwcaMmZs2yFsT9os6i/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SK-slhlv6-N2MMb-68-xTzEpUilsA6apjhNa6yMkWv30k0UT7D-pTxxBP7HkjHi9Utm3uMcpLpuJlPthyphenhyphenNTMyCYP6MpNh78J64Ls378r5ax5vhw3iRHqIvFzEfDwcaMmZs2yFsT9os6i/s400/IMG_0269.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Rose:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO4XmooCOQMI3QeH1EkU5iRWbMYDtrpXtM_Cnuxn6IkNIrC4117BESN_b4YjPhXnIJepB2cw3Mh2rgD1ATDpj2gZ1Tn-YlpDA_W9f2OBVPYL9bbte_BdDG3YnM6jzPRYt7f2n_Is39LEP/s1600/IMG_0096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFO4XmooCOQMI3QeH1EkU5iRWbMYDtrpXtM_Cnuxn6IkNIrC4117BESN_b4YjPhXnIJepB2cw3Mh2rgD1ATDpj2gZ1Tn-YlpDA_W9f2OBVPYL9bbte_BdDG3YnM6jzPRYt7f2n_Is39LEP/s400/IMG_0096.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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</div>Fig:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDcmp2mUzTVseXFJovis-T7LTbg3psFSgy4xSGa6JbG95rDo3DrFXLxcygRtuEqmHE-P6etGA_GWLBzBdENF5ZfexdWhYahInJWCGzNA7iQgX4TPblvycDG40Qgkb6ROC92k4887sPP-Y/s1600/IMG_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDcmp2mUzTVseXFJovis-T7LTbg3psFSgy4xSGa6JbG95rDo3DrFXLxcygRtuEqmHE-P6etGA_GWLBzBdENF5ZfexdWhYahInJWCGzNA7iQgX4TPblvycDG40Qgkb6ROC92k4887sPP-Y/s400/IMG_0245.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Ceece:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhkLuhY4pvpIwjyMVDnZtxHQz8cEtSy_TebD3w3SIYydn1e9OFiBl9li-l4ulLwEw7zHD7tpXf5MVNJJt_I1gbuBSTBwB1s59sRqPpnDrPg_xDqFifSrvLMCtw_aa-OKKZQlUM1o-5bHs/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhkLuhY4pvpIwjyMVDnZtxHQz8cEtSy_TebD3w3SIYydn1e9OFiBl9li-l4ulLwEw7zHD7tpXf5MVNJJt_I1gbuBSTBwB1s59sRqPpnDrPg_xDqFifSrvLMCtw_aa-OKKZQlUM1o-5bHs/s400/IMG_0071.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-11147604577175650922010-03-13T21:22:00.000-08:002010-03-13T21:33:34.700-08:00Sum up of my time in the US<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The US is boring. That's why I haven't been posting anything. It's boring, no one cares. Japan is way more exciting, but I have actually been traveling a bit, and this is a travel blog, so I thought I'd just sort of sum things up here.</div><br />
First, I flew back from Indiana with my mom, slept over one night in California, and then took a red-eye to Burlington, Vermont for school. I go to the University of Vermont, not the most exciting place, but me likes it.^^<br />
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</div>I had a wonderful fall semester. I started learning Mandarin. My school teaches Beijing Mandarin, but I watched a ton of Taiwanese dramas so I'm also learning the Taiwanese dialect. Also, my school teaches simplified characters, but I decided to learn traditional as well on my own so I won't die if I go to Taiwan. haha. And of course still studying Japanese and Korean. Also, I got to meet a ton of really nice international students! I met 2 from South Korea, 1 from Taiwan, 1 from Thailand, and including my friends from last year, 6 from Japan!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfE8RyJ_g5vRl1rndmIQ6HVRsRjoJrUSTlyshIJK1aljc7sK50Z0n2LlgSG06R2JD-kzmMG4oVSNLrPT9qk2f51g1a9gIgQYBQAJOtYZUkAlAnxcvj1VNWxkqOVCX0e0nh5iKz0Tyc4UsM/s1600-h/uvm+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfE8RyJ_g5vRl1rndmIQ6HVRsRjoJrUSTlyshIJK1aljc7sK50Z0n2LlgSG06R2JD-kzmMG4oVSNLrPT9qk2f51g1a9gIgQYBQAJOtYZUkAlAnxcvj1VNWxkqOVCX0e0nh5iKz0Tyc4UsM/s640/uvm+1.jpg" width="428" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">One day we all climbed up the fire escape on the tallest building on campus to watch the sunset. (The picture's a little West Side Story, don't you think?)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAG47JxkyTvGTiynIPd_nAPp9ep9MHWQ9xWqh8kS5BOeumWWUugrMWjf3PzYJyzwmpwopJQP1P81JW9c70VyCxL3nhiPZSfHTrzNNoj8sh-uMAuQavaorqLfhnpQzgf_WT4R2AKdX5YHa/s1600-h/uvm+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAG47JxkyTvGTiynIPd_nAPp9ep9MHWQ9xWqh8kS5BOeumWWUugrMWjf3PzYJyzwmpwopJQP1P81JW9c70VyCxL3nhiPZSfHTrzNNoj8sh-uMAuQavaorqLfhnpQzgf_WT4R2AKdX5YHa/s640/uvm+5.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADRzYFOWBdUMHubTn8TfFS7np-nEGEUOmwy-Ckkk6R1NiaHlZBdaiObW_QRYiQni2LqzRxJbgEBzUepJfkO6nUsLySUjvp-qN-SFmmeot2jxqukRZxKGebTWLM9npxDnLIn_MD0JGq2Wv/s1600-h/uvm+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADRzYFOWBdUMHubTn8TfFS7np-nEGEUOmwy-Ckkk6R1NiaHlZBdaiObW_QRYiQni2LqzRxJbgEBzUepJfkO6nUsLySUjvp-qN-SFmmeot2jxqukRZxKGebTWLM9npxDnLIn_MD0JGq2Wv/s400/uvm+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbdHshrqOY-QOPqt39F61kua6ilmVCFTgiJgoMDrsSO0wQlpH5F79NIx4_pIAO9asN766YS93ZVWsEu0LzwEKA4DLkmdj97Cp0GQzqfAk9-h2CXcESBD1gclB2XUnH1EI2B1PI9_ivI1L/s1600-h/uvm+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbdHshrqOY-QOPqt39F61kua6ilmVCFTgiJgoMDrsSO0wQlpH5F79NIx4_pIAO9asN766YS93ZVWsEu0LzwEKA4DLkmdj97Cp0GQzqfAk9-h2CXcESBD1gclB2XUnH1EI2B1PI9_ivI1L/s400/uvm+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That's the view from the top of the fire escape. It's what most New England looks like for those of you who've never been. It's really cute, actually. Really pretty in the fall when all the leaves turn and a really wonderfully tiny place to study.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhWQJ7Dp12g5v8IGOCiOZ-Kf-vZ_iunZ1-wSKmZMhSuwSJoN8X9arUHXsIaJ9f4ka-aZl7JXAqgjUrZMCVxnmDIBzbQwJGOaQnoeu-3ofXeWtrBYDFb11ViEtDlqjZ9bQ0My-CKLVhJj9/s1600-h/uvm+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhWQJ7Dp12g5v8IGOCiOZ-Kf-vZ_iunZ1-wSKmZMhSuwSJoN8X9arUHXsIaJ9f4ka-aZl7JXAqgjUrZMCVxnmDIBzbQwJGOaQnoeu-3ofXeWtrBYDFb11ViEtDlqjZ9bQ0My-CKLVhJj9/s400/uvm+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's me and all the international students as well as some other college friends down by the waterfront of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont. I've mentioned earlier that I'm a sunset whore, well here's another great sunset for you over the lake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrGEn79WqjmGcOE6IFpeXopO03zjOLNIhP5c_Ra50k2FgJqjvk9mxfFt5qpLsL1X6qDv1C8ot0DMJ5poHfab7Y_uzMlM_AqEU_L6VaoP3U0cCU2E_-rJxxwuH16OJADU_UmpenBdNgZK8/s1600-h/uvm+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrGEn79WqjmGcOE6IFpeXopO03zjOLNIhP5c_Ra50k2FgJqjvk9mxfFt5qpLsL1X6qDv1C8ot0DMJ5poHfab7Y_uzMlM_AqEU_L6VaoP3U0cCU2E_-rJxxwuH16OJADU_UmpenBdNgZK8/s400/uvm+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
I traveled to Boston a few times this fall. Boston is a great city if you don't have to drive. It's only about a 4 hour bus ride from Burlington to Boston and it's a beautiful route down highway 39, especially for a Californian like myself. Lots of green.^^<br />
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I also went apple picking in both New Hampshire and Vermont! The one in Vermont was actually for the りんご祭り or "Apple Festival." They had taiko drums and everything...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrXJHcmM2QlwmQGETYJ2-emu6xjgF8gKx3zaxfeWB0ytYesIghQt7pKvO_3Xn9KPBn0Qt-1b0uaGqiqgwBh8glI2RtBsePa0o9oS0h_qGJJmTH27kvQs64sNt4NYIip5Nk09St3XoIhjn/s1600-h/uvm+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrXJHcmM2QlwmQGETYJ2-emu6xjgF8gKx3zaxfeWB0ytYesIghQt7pKvO_3Xn9KPBn0Qt-1b0uaGqiqgwBh8glI2RtBsePa0o9oS0h_qGJJmTH27kvQs64sNt4NYIip5Nk09St3XoIhjn/s400/uvm+9.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrXJHcmM2QlwmQGETYJ2-emu6xjgF8gKx3zaxfeWB0ytYesIghQt7pKvO_3Xn9KPBn0Qt-1b0uaGqiqgwBh8glI2RtBsePa0o9oS0h_qGJJmTH27kvQs64sNt4NYIip5Nk09St3XoIhjn/s1600-h/uvm+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyh8ZQX3gmZ5yyHH9lWcmRcUJefN044pi5MBmg3I0gnH7MGYfN8toYkFMkLj3uRUedA8-PZAPTg9m4bmnQ2cjvZff4QP0nTIoWClWdagJbgcDaIBE22VJ-Y3rTSrN75EXuOM-pqD_UHIk/s1600-h/uvm+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyh8ZQX3gmZ5yyHH9lWcmRcUJefN044pi5MBmg3I0gnH7MGYfN8toYkFMkLj3uRUedA8-PZAPTg9m4bmnQ2cjvZff4QP0nTIoWClWdagJbgcDaIBE22VJ-Y3rTSrN75EXuOM-pqD_UHIk/s320/uvm+11.jpg" /></a></div><br />
After the fall semester, I've come back to California for winter break + 3 months because....drum roll please...I"M GOING BACK TO JAPAN!!!!! I'll be studying abroad for a year at 青山学院大学 or Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo!!!! But, the calendars of my American university and Aoyama Gakuin (which I will refer to as Aogaku from now on) clash meaning that I've been stuck in California until the spring semester at Aogaku starts in April.<br />
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But my wait is almost over; my flight is on March 23rd. So, starting now, this blog with now be updated hopefully weekly or so with my doings in Tokyo. I also plan to go to Taiwan and South Korea over my summer break, so this blog will (finally) no longer be only about Japan, but also about China and Korea and their respective languages. Yay, languages!!<br />
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Much to look forward to...<br />
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(p.s. all these pictures are courtesy of facebook, and most are from Akane. I stole them. haha.^^)</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-48548241783287339462010-03-13T20:43:00.001-08:002010-03-13T20:43:38.054-08:00IndianaAfter Japan, I had to go to Brazil, Indiana to clean out my grandparents old home. My grandmother had passed away back in 2003, but my grandfather just died in the Spring of 2008. We hadn't gotten the time or the money to get ourselves to Indiana since visiting him in the hospital, so, my mom and I went out to rural middle America to sort through all the legal stuff as well as they're old house so we could sell it.<br />
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It was an extremely hard week. Emotionally draining, physically taxing, logistically and legally annoying. But, there is always a positive part of everything; it's a choice to see the ugly or the beautiful. I choose beautiful.<br />
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I got to spend a week with my mom, which is rare. We've always been very close, my mom and I, like Gilmore Girls only more sane. Since I went to college 3,000 miles away and then spent my summer in Japan, I haven't really gotten a chance to be with her.<br />
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Also, My mom has two step-sisters who were never really part of her life, but they came and helped us clean out the house. I really got along with one of them; had the same sense of humor. I've really gained a lot of family this year, huh? Two aunts and 25+ cousins in Hawaii. I used to be able to count all my blood relatives on my hands.弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-20442235669198397132010-03-13T20:43:00.000-08:002010-03-13T20:43:20.125-08:00Getting HomeOne would think that getting home would be the easiest part. You've already been in Japan for a while now, you know the area (in my case, I had already been to Narita Airport 3 times), and your are leaving the new and foreign environment, not stepping into it full of anxiety. Should be a breeze going back to the known. Not so much for me.<br />
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It actually took me 48 hours to get home. 48 hours straight!! That's 2 days!! Figure in the time zone changes and I basically lost 3 days of my life. just like that.<br />
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First of all, I got a horrible stomach flu the day I was supposed to fly back home, but I couldn't stop throwing up so I decided riding on a plan for 11 hours plus travel to and from the airports was kinda ムリ. totally not gonna happen. So I rescheduled for the next day, but I still wasn't feeling all that great when I left the next morning. I was so out of it, that I got on the right line, but going the wrong way. haha. oops. So I got off, got going the right way and made it to the Airport about 2 minutes too late according to the lovely Japan Airlines lady checking me in.<br />
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$1,000 later, I find myself on the fastest route back to San Francisco Airport which happens to include a 12 hour layover in Honolulu Airport. ha. I think I must have used up all my good luck throughout the trip (finding cool matsuri, stumbling upon shrines, and the sort) because I had only bad luck on the way back except that I had just met wonderful new relatives that live 20 min away from the Honolulu Airport. yay! They were amazing. They picked me up from the airport, treated me to lunch, lent me a bed for 2 hours, treated me to dinner, and then sent me on my way to the Seattle Airport. How wonderful are they? (I think my dad was jealous that I got to meet our cousins again before he did.)<br />
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Then I had like 5 hours to kill at the Seattle Airport, so I bought a bagel and coffee and settled in at my gate. 40 min before my flight is supposed to leave finally for San Francisco I realize that no other passengers are at the gate. Apparently my gate had changed but no one had thought to tell me. They didn't change the sign at the gate I was at, they didn't announce it over the intercom, they didn't really do anything except expect me to make it through a maze of subways under the airport to the gate farthest away in 20 min or so. Thanks Seattle, thank you very much. But I made it, I was like the last passenger on, but I didn't have much carry-on so all was well as I collapsed into the seat.<br />
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Finally San Francisco and family!! Yay!! All over!!! NOT. The world felt the need to restore my luck to complete equilibrium. I was too lucky in Japan and needed more bad luck, apparently. We ran into the most horrendous traffic heading back home. Hit rush hour heading up 550 making what would have been a 2.5 hour trip a 4.5 hour trip. Fun stuff.<br />
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Then I got home, fell on my bed, and died. Too bad I had another flight to Indiana in less than 3 weeks...弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-39719831719126346672010-03-13T20:42:00.000-08:002010-03-13T20:42:33.339-08:00Matsuyama Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Kyoto I went to Osaka by train, just stayed in Osaka long enough to eat some amazing takoyaki, and then caught a 7 hour bus ride to Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku. It was a quick, rather serendipitous decision to visit my friend, but those are the best kind. I guess I have a very daoist approach to travel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I'd like to argue that everyone visit Shikoku. No one ever does! I know a lot of people from the US who have been to Japan, and they always hit the normal places: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima, but that is what makes Shikoku such a great place. Very few foreigners and very normal Japanese people. I felt like I just left all the name brand posh and anime character world, the almost caricature of the Western view of Japan, in the cities and walked into real life. Like going from Japan as a destination to Japan as a backdrop to people living their lives.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First of all, just getting there is an experience. You travel through beautiful rolling green hills that have a look unique to Japan. You won't find mountains and hills quite this color green or with quite the depth and detention anywhere else but Japan. Then it opens up to the ocean, and surprisingly, your float across it. There is a famous bridge that connects the main island of Honshu and the small island of Shikoku. Crossing it was amazing. Maybe just to me, it is just a bridge after all, but for me I felt like I was flying over the ocean. Every direction you look is just wide expanse. Up is beautiful blue sky, down the ocean is flying past, left is ocean horizon, right is ocean horizon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtobHuvvJNsDmmWGk5Gw7tkqf0dyp8Rv6j5zQgWlTyeFJA-r7al5BI5ycExvGCztxWJBdbjTVtwW6I-Dn5e51n-UmGmB_YHkhAjHZz2UYRxjfyCMnL2TkoVgrsmuUW7fa1gbFMiGMILMDf/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtobHuvvJNsDmmWGk5Gw7tkqf0dyp8Rv6j5zQgWlTyeFJA-r7al5BI5ycExvGCztxWJBdbjTVtwW6I-Dn5e51n-UmGmB_YHkhAjHZz2UYRxjfyCMnL2TkoVgrsmuUW7fa1gbFMiGMILMDf/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+434.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Matsuyama the city is a surprisingly good size city. I thought it would be much smaller, but it's slightly larger than Sacramento, California if that gives you any idea. It's cute, but not quaint.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">It also has quite the history. I visited Matsuyama Castle and randomly stumbled upon a couple of Geisha performing on the top floor. There is a very famous Buddha statue, but most of all, Matsuyama is home to the oldest Hot Spring in Japan. It's called 道後温泉 or "Dougo Hot Spring" and is over 3,000 years old, I think. It's also what Miyazaki Hayao based the bath house off of in Studio Ghibli's movie 線と千尋の神隠し or "Spirited Away." Neat little trivia fact for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtobHuvvJNsDmmWGk5Gw7tkqf0dyp8Rv6j5zQgWlTyeFJA-r7al5BI5ycExvGCztxWJBdbjTVtwW6I-Dn5e51n-UmGmB_YHkhAjHZz2UYRxjfyCMnL2TkoVgrsmuUW7fa1gbFMiGMILMDf/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_yiNE-4aEAVUuf5w61AUDkMoUmJYv_PZjzRa7SauyQYTQ7CtkkEordFOX_BXwXEB82gh9OrF4Cib7GqBS0bqAH0ocAa3q18ZsfM2tfgd3QrkkUV39NnHDNLzdQaJPorO9OJk8Jx1kdWh/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_yiNE-4aEAVUuf5w61AUDkMoUmJYv_PZjzRa7SauyQYTQ7CtkkEordFOX_BXwXEB82gh9OrF4Cib7GqBS0bqAH0ocAa3q18ZsfM2tfgd3QrkkUV39NnHDNLzdQaJPorO9OJk8Jx1kdWh/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+414.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Definitely worth a visit. Just don't stay in too long like me. I know it feels nice and relaxing, but get out when your face turns red or you will die. haha. I went late on a slightly breezy evening, so it was really refreshing to just relax in the top room to the left in the picture there (the one with all the tan panels) and feel the cool air. Then we drank some Yuzu juice from a little store right outside. Wonderful evening.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's an entirely different experience to the one you'll find in the major cities on Honshu. Worth the 7 hour bus ride through gorgeous mountainous vistas.^^ </div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-39251006419475593012009-10-27T18:53:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:35.735-08:00Inari Jinja<div style="text-align: left;">My favorite place in Kyoto by far was the Inari Jinja with the 1000 torii gates. It had the same feeling as the Meiji Shrine: just very peaceful and <i>nanka</i> magical. (that's right. taking the japanglish to a whole new level now.^^)</div><div><br /></div><div>First you have to take a smaller train a little bit outside of the more bustling Kyoto center. It doesn't take all that long, but when you step off the train, you definitely feel like all the sudden you've been transported to a small suburb on Shikoku or something. OK it's not that bad, but it really does have a nice, quiet feel to the area not found so much in the only places I had been in Japan thus far: Tokyo and Kyoto.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFjf2km1d49JBwklfpMpD04DEQDVFzG-0T4ov_aKJaJN9jHSPS77wa9MkgwW4XOM95bsBQl9fSIWvWx-hmX3RoTMq4sFg8HUKl2Ud57xD5kvkO1STucOtU87tAKA5a_EnPPQ3MGBQD6PP/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+368.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFjf2km1d49JBwklfpMpD04DEQDVFzG-0T4ov_aKJaJN9jHSPS77wa9MkgwW4XOM95bsBQl9fSIWvWx-hmX3RoTMq4sFg8HUKl2Ud57xD5kvkO1STucOtU87tAKA5a_EnPPQ3MGBQD6PP/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+368.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410886581798690674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Even the parking lot is gorgeous.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-r3tYD9CmkqyDSrMC3BTl8LeHC7VC4ndZMp3YqCyCiPVzXAJ0A8-tGiN7TlCaVJZwK7Nf9lA2GL-h0MdLftk_kbGqsWvhWpLFP__MlNYcYEXXxz5U3TZkjzcW8tCANymxE15HnhnMAMeF/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-r3tYD9CmkqyDSrMC3BTl8LeHC7VC4ndZMp3YqCyCiPVzXAJ0A8-tGiN7TlCaVJZwK7Nf9lA2GL-h0MdLftk_kbGqsWvhWpLFP__MlNYcYEXXxz5U3TZkjzcW8tCANymxE15HnhnMAMeF/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+307.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397467130075792594" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6hgwoSCd3c0N8NdincjauvlpUZZItBYm0VbuJilaUVmP6qAAAxi1jhGj95XEvIJ478xWfY7w7I-_sUIH4twElXQq-7kIbTK2HZGx6xeJ1c1Bbz-ocxaAwg4Iov-nReAwm4L6dG64zgmg/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+313.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6hgwoSCd3c0N8NdincjauvlpUZZItBYm0VbuJilaUVmP6qAAAxi1jhGj95XEvIJ478xWfY7w7I-_sUIH4twElXQq-7kIbTK2HZGx6xeJ1c1Bbz-ocxaAwg4Iov-nReAwm4L6dG64zgmg/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+313.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397467120314285426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4csKFVsNs8HtoaUr_326PUnNV-QHssVoR6adpl9bLHI68k5LSFumo4eHVxcg193Z0angbzVUmqZ9iOb5WNJKLMXNioGuGd-zYBDhdGrKAYkXoFP_6xeIDjpHkEK1xwKJOylfa237PSHVr/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+314.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4csKFVsNs8HtoaUr_326PUnNV-QHssVoR6adpl9bLHI68k5LSFumo4eHVxcg193Z0angbzVUmqZ9iOb5WNJKLMXNioGuGd-zYBDhdGrKAYkXoFP_6xeIDjpHkEK1xwKJOylfa237PSHVr/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+314.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466899429664274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8eTrcMENYogYR1vBEFrcZ4Ktqi-jHjPbloza8RujzzUTJ0dsXsUGRdai8j4gmyF7fo7_WouojfPyCitVjCZ5bBiQJpcdo4ElH4cz_Um0mrk9Q-54_U1PU9tueKW3hQ9pEu2sx1EJomBW/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+315.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8eTrcMENYogYR1vBEFrcZ4Ktqi-jHjPbloza8RujzzUTJ0dsXsUGRdai8j4gmyF7fo7_WouojfPyCitVjCZ5bBiQJpcdo4ElH4cz_Um0mrk9Q-54_U1PU9tueKW3hQ9pEu2sx1EJomBW/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+315.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466895392961314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NvwKK8hZNex4PuUn5nSEKmI2WoUSy39hiajx1RQGSKZiX4tTb2hHLcx4J4yXPgtckYvAv2dz0NAsTCbZUNIqedBPF6Rm-7iniOXDXnwrvbtjoHPhk9a7DWuyTNbDmeMkqAFU3e_p83sp/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NvwKK8hZNex4PuUn5nSEKmI2WoUSy39hiajx1RQGSKZiX4tTb2hHLcx4J4yXPgtckYvAv2dz0NAsTCbZUNIqedBPF6Rm-7iniOXDXnwrvbtjoHPhk9a7DWuyTNbDmeMkqAFU3e_p83sp/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+317.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466891498961010" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuuHwDceVnKO1dV_Ifn2ukSkJVlggThpdM62QBaSCkJMEWEBwYE0E2gyD4O7XEVMXfME-KGGEoaTUVoBr29sRe2fyHDvCk_VpxvEj6YFtdxUYzFtaRr5Z7ACMqg4A4HCTGzJKHOSNLSr8/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+326.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuuHwDceVnKO1dV_Ifn2ukSkJVlggThpdM62QBaSCkJMEWEBwYE0E2gyD4O7XEVMXfME-KGGEoaTUVoBr29sRe2fyHDvCk_VpxvEj6YFtdxUYzFtaRr5Z7ACMqg4A4HCTGzJKHOSNLSr8/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+326.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466885923530594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3qjChF1NNY7wDMi2Fkloh2lg7CipnBvmmVbPcDkaMj4ljrtqObfWpGKgGJAPFVhVa6ZFYk2unBpCBfSNmWribjFJMd1dYvd8YNDW3VNxBV6yOktiKpkANeq4OSPRe9Lw3z-kjZwRRKQs/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+331.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3qjChF1NNY7wDMi2Fkloh2lg7CipnBvmmVbPcDkaMj4ljrtqObfWpGKgGJAPFVhVa6ZFYk2unBpCBfSNmWribjFJMd1dYvd8YNDW3VNxBV6yOktiKpkANeq4OSPRe9Lw3z-kjZwRRKQs/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+331.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466883569290466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gLSZO4FBi2uTnQI_Sy4hDekZFePYWNkq6RDDfA0iLk1COR6QfOCj1024WuSeIE-LQfuK-GVywM-PjtXNImOYCXPEslvBvf3t7nhYAPr8vjYnnCLqMrhIF8pmbBDADIkKYt6YwGqqAuMh/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+332.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gLSZO4FBi2uTnQI_Sy4hDekZFePYWNkq6RDDfA0iLk1COR6QfOCj1024WuSeIE-LQfuK-GVywM-PjtXNImOYCXPEslvBvf3t7nhYAPr8vjYnnCLqMrhIF8pmbBDADIkKYt6YwGqqAuMh/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+332.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466477558228402" /></a><br /><div>You know what's really cool/spooky about the next picture? I didn't realize it until I got back to the U.S. and was flipping through all my albums, but it just so happens that both my name and my sister's name are written on the torii gates!! My name is Hiroko (ひろ子) and my sister's name is Katsumi (勝見). It's like "Where's Waldo" or something....can you find them? You get a gold sticker if you do!<br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrUgfQv3IqJORauqiYH9ROVrsiEcs_DAQPtOPsOf3aZjyfcd2V54Ge-hknhHEYq8NS87WcAnIYpDCm8b9fOYq7cEIyvyiqeBGJpMCn21BqJA5gki1TzR23ZfnolURPf4Ly53njs940pPT/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+338.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrUgfQv3IqJORauqiYH9ROVrsiEcs_DAQPtOPsOf3aZjyfcd2V54Ge-hknhHEYq8NS87WcAnIYpDCm8b9fOYq7cEIyvyiqeBGJpMCn21BqJA5gki1TzR23ZfnolURPf4Ly53njs940pPT/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+338.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466472932535138" /></a><br /><div>I went really early in the morning, so there weren't all that many people around, but I did run into a group of elementary school children with their little matching yellow hats!! So cute!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>(Also, yea, I can't believe I got up early in the morning either, but it's really worth it. This place + people = not as good. like, at all. It was more crowed on my way back down. Plus, when the older people show up and run up the mountain that took you 3 hours to climb in 20 min, you feel really awful. Better to just avoid them....)</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH4-jz9_YkyNWaWvb5i_p9GPAsfonMR3G74loiESfviPo-z6_Sli1K-acLOPcadPbXhmz6Ygpr8fTd2F2pjdBqwVezswrt-Y95yvhV_dFCl-S5GyYDgMYqCMNWGb2aao2ffbiWkazVUF2/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+345.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH4-jz9_YkyNWaWvb5i_p9GPAsfonMR3G74loiESfviPo-z6_Sli1K-acLOPcadPbXhmz6Ygpr8fTd2F2pjdBqwVezswrt-Y95yvhV_dFCl-S5GyYDgMYqCMNWGb2aao2ffbiWkazVUF2/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+345.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466469096196578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinagO8sct2_1MYmXLhXeh0aVNjKfsJ7QVk-Wvh46EmrcPWKCb3ChkfHl-ZK6czQhtN_iTHrfY7ZLPq2s1IGsqpIq3ut7u0QyXx2bxgahaPQkC7053FYOPzoW8EZ7Qsu-mJb_H4UswViqFL/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+355.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinagO8sct2_1MYmXLhXeh0aVNjKfsJ7QVk-Wvh46EmrcPWKCb3ChkfHl-ZK6czQhtN_iTHrfY7ZLPq2s1IGsqpIq3ut7u0QyXx2bxgahaPQkC7053FYOPzoW8EZ7Qsu-mJb_H4UswViqFL/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+355.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466463437782130" /></a><br /></div><div>Although, it is nice if there is <i>someone </i>there so that you can have your picture taken, like so:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WiAcAjN6bdXvjmAjTIveigqv7qepCSbPv5ejdXHQqc8h5OZfrrDhsAcDEntG31xeAVf7kCwT8HsIlYlrFN7VrVB3Q97I6zLchgYeceWFB0qSbpgM5okX5AT1SUxhneo9hKeDcISWZuqP/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+357-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WiAcAjN6bdXvjmAjTIveigqv7qepCSbPv5ejdXHQqc8h5OZfrrDhsAcDEntG31xeAVf7kCwT8HsIlYlrFN7VrVB3Q97I6zLchgYeceWFB0qSbpgM5okX5AT1SUxhneo9hKeDcISWZuqP/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+357-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397466456759751426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GBV-31WM_kxzyNE3qrGClxyDItRYiA162SvmjUe-Lg0u1BZ8FjOYmt3fM_tJbWt3gcD0R2XfZCjITdtX0zUVoJEivq74pnegDx5eU05SaAjSygwr8HsPcKw30Y7OHRDFWfqrP4jrQ1AX/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+358.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GBV-31WM_kxzyNE3qrGClxyDItRYiA162SvmjUe-Lg0u1BZ8FjOYmt3fM_tJbWt3gcD0R2XfZCjITdtX0zUVoJEivq74pnegDx5eU05SaAjSygwr8HsPcKw30Y7OHRDFWfqrP4jrQ1AX/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+358.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397465936988779202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn9-lqi9TvQWaFngeMdiLhlE4Qj6B0dUsB6PEF_Japgzy2OmnBfu6FCuJLaEZZYjH7LsWKHt_l4_iqKsuD1rtPQ4F2HaDZWHvmYoYSgSf9t1afAu4Cv6SVEuk6Vsx7-o8DCZBj55HUNnO/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+360.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn9-lqi9TvQWaFngeMdiLhlE4Qj6B0dUsB6PEF_Japgzy2OmnBfu6FCuJLaEZZYjH7LsWKHt_l4_iqKsuD1rtPQ4F2HaDZWHvmYoYSgSf9t1afAu4Cv6SVEuk6Vsx7-o8DCZBj55HUNnO/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+360.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397465932990970690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVW4woXChlKMs8Zv5g5TYFPPm4YllCoQi4TzaFHd9l3pvsq8PiJxkePhbJrC682FJf_R33WcrNbtwfFp5w3pmk8zEEcVJsV-9OrHkBs2mqF4SNDK37W4F4yh9w61UnNAEFhti8tnEMIhtC/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+361.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVW4woXChlKMs8Zv5g5TYFPPm4YllCoQi4TzaFHd9l3pvsq8PiJxkePhbJrC682FJf_R33WcrNbtwfFp5w3pmk8zEEcVJsV-9OrHkBs2mqF4SNDK37W4F4yh9w61UnNAEFhti8tnEMIhtC/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+361.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397465925696352850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxujr1sw26nu16K_2uDgHnJzLMLnNzDCTKx66Fw41Bie-GSTqevubpSzvf7DIg5lBN7TQqNs_EnlgVnbPne_aiYGOyh3uP3G7Bee4a79Dmt8VkqfAQti_sAEwLJPBoCjywA065ExMGL7g/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+364.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxujr1sw26nu16K_2uDgHnJzLMLnNzDCTKx66Fw41Bie-GSTqevubpSzvf7DIg5lBN7TQqNs_EnlgVnbPne_aiYGOyh3uP3G7Bee4a79Dmt8VkqfAQti_sAEwLJPBoCjywA065ExMGL7g/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+364.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397465919813157042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1FMTr4HE6PrHkNAAf1nCb4GSZoycYxGmzOtj57lcAXhmW2wgOiNfVrHsrrRYDDuCnunGmNxq_HPqDgGqlxX42RpNrI1nIAMXW3wBHFBZP751EoyA-qEMu4fg3PDydoph5E132zeLnmSw/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+365.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1FMTr4HE6PrHkNAAf1nCb4GSZoycYxGmzOtj57lcAXhmW2wgOiNfVrHsrrRYDDuCnunGmNxq_HPqDgGqlxX42RpNrI1nIAMXW3wBHFBZP751EoyA-qEMu4fg3PDydoph5E132zeLnmSw/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+365.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397465915234135730" /></a>These pictures were simply glorious. I love how the photographer played with the light. She really captured the true essence of the place. I wonder who it is..... xp</div><div><br /></div><div>I really don't have much to say here because I think the photos speak more poetically than I ever could about the Inari Shrine. Definitely going back here soon.</div></div></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-52093953270383207162009-10-27T17:30:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.114-08:00Kyoto: Day 1<div>So day 1 of Kyoto actually includes my last post. I woke up really early to catch the 3 hour Shinkansen ride into Shin-Osaka station and met with my friend at 9:30. Her father is a baker, and gave us some different breads and pastries for us to have for breakfast while we took the local trains into Kyoto. It was the most delicious breakfast I had in Japan, and Japanese bakeries are amazing. I guess her dad was experimenting with a cranberry-tea leaf filled French roll. My friend was actually kind of embarrassed about it, I guess because it's an original and kind of a weird concept, but that turned out to be the best thing I have ever tasted. It was like a little sophisticated celebration in my mouth!</div><div><br /></div><div>First thing we did when we arrived in Kyoto was dump our stuff in a coin locker and get on a bus to Kiyomizudera. Now, Kiyomizudera, besides being the most spiritual and beautiful place overlooking all of Kyoto, is also one of the few things I remember from my trip to Japan when I was 4. Kiyomizudera was my 4-year-old self's favorite memory of Japan, so when I went there this past summer, it was more than just site-seeing; It was more like returning to childhood, where your outlook on everything is magical. Now add that to the already spiritually radiating Kiyomizudera.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately to get to Kiyomizudera, one must climb up this crazy hill, because Kiyomizu is way up in the mountains. It's pretty steep, but there are cute little shops the whole way up, so you can take a break to shop! (Bought my dad a really cool Kiyomizuyaki chawan)</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7APVrXjQaf4-koioYByRR1IhmV4MFJxH6MO2Fxpww4AcX2DPjLKkDaUPW1QXYRrzbo9TGMv5tZ_BrGSucQzamMb4FkTwO4LjAqi6hRjwMNFn3MQdUfiZo0cn6yUvkH4pbTNnqp1uxfPA/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+108.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7APVrXjQaf4-koioYByRR1IhmV4MFJxH6MO2Fxpww4AcX2DPjLKkDaUPW1QXYRrzbo9TGMv5tZ_BrGSucQzamMb4FkTwO4LjAqi6hRjwMNFn3MQdUfiZo0cn6yUvkH4pbTNnqp1uxfPA/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+108.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397444504161342226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYn-gpvWcVLADpB2tOg6DSeC3HmuMCNltl43LliQ9xjE_OBV4-1SHGsA0sk4kALpu_QXYsIK227Qk1neEQCqE1VlsCzGPgltI0uXf4TeZGFjNayhS-FcV8GZcaDdehn_V2UCB60vpn1ji/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+111.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYn-gpvWcVLADpB2tOg6DSeC3HmuMCNltl43LliQ9xjE_OBV4-1SHGsA0sk4kALpu_QXYsIK227Qk1neEQCqE1VlsCzGPgltI0uXf4TeZGFjNayhS-FcV8GZcaDdehn_V2UCB60vpn1ji/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+111.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397444498979895570" /></a><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2M-eZI4YErfmpNRAaMfp-TGZkKk2DUUUxEitXb4ILSyMi7IlSbDvZfG5kdRlOM9zY12kBj8Ot6MDv1arEpaNRkYuqBW7x6Ebyf1HT6ec80s5DJLOQntKFy-X5iYwkFueZeiDfTuLHbXt/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+113.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2M-eZI4YErfmpNRAaMfp-TGZkKk2DUUUxEitXb4ILSyMi7IlSbDvZfG5kdRlOM9zY12kBj8Ot6MDv1arEpaNRkYuqBW7x6Ebyf1HT6ec80s5DJLOQntKFy-X5iYwkFueZeiDfTuLHbXt/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+113.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397444487301713314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ38qSlg4KCmFlxkLqBnrNTq_YOBGpqZedl0X8NTIXA20NFlD3DiUZJrdLpQkfnYU6wn0vGCUH2AdlZTXovJl_CgWRIQ5LUmANsFDu5xEKcdaxidHlCY94BZ8ZKAzlKkeNx-sqGyCkpNuM/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+123.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ38qSlg4KCmFlxkLqBnrNTq_YOBGpqZedl0X8NTIXA20NFlD3DiUZJrdLpQkfnYU6wn0vGCUH2AdlZTXovJl_CgWRIQ5LUmANsFDu5xEKcdaxidHlCY94BZ8ZKAzlKkeNx-sqGyCkpNuM/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+123.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397444489312723426" /></a>I think it's amazing how the whole temple is just hanging off the side of the mountain, jutting out from all this green.</div><div><br /></div><div>The picture below is of the water that brings long life. It's so cool to see it streaming down in front of you and it tastes delicious!! I wish they would bottle it and sell it to me here in the US. No I don't, that's a lie, but it's pretty tasty.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLi-l7RFVD3geEzmkIasx5NSJjAOaagOfb7QTkhu44V7cCPFKsemeGlThCXSTbH5-PDZ8T2D5D88B9RCNomaOmy0eVd8tX7tmqL-3hTClsmrpZv_iXRO8imzqHqPFK5430H6NcFBbWdDX/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+119.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLi-l7RFVD3geEzmkIasx5NSJjAOaagOfb7QTkhu44V7cCPFKsemeGlThCXSTbH5-PDZ8T2D5D88B9RCNomaOmy0eVd8tX7tmqL-3hTClsmrpZv_iXRO8imzqHqPFK5430H6NcFBbWdDX/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+119.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397444486489648146" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div>Oh! I thought this was hillarious! I guess they were doing some sort of restoration work or something on one of the buildings so it was covered up. But what's really funny is how they painted a picture of the structure on the outside, like we wouldn't notice the difference?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq-_0h1oUF8ZjGJ5rkJTHGKtkFakqTIV32C6jSxjCCNbNYytDT3cRvVjA3f7rwQLZd_x9W1nonwIE4HDBQDRgGkaDJER_VBqLwApCiPhLzi2yojDe1Dl2-KWSIykddsNNl2-7BhPS3HQI/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+127.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq-_0h1oUF8ZjGJ5rkJTHGKtkFakqTIV32C6jSxjCCNbNYytDT3cRvVjA3f7rwQLZd_x9W1nonwIE4HDBQDRgGkaDJER_VBqLwApCiPhLzi2yojDe1Dl2-KWSIykddsNNl2-7BhPS3HQI/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397443675958299810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcKn5zDJHxM-jgcZU2XP8eHdFm897I6mFU8ENjyBbpHdy3u1ouMFZ-NL6jQlGr4tlhyphenhyphenGlMZ7gD1mlXpFTOKzZ_BWqu_FN5lyo6_A4E5cKHTRMToWXHzkL-x-yF3b0x1JYtf92mCWzhcwD/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+128.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcKn5zDJHxM-jgcZU2XP8eHdFm897I6mFU8ENjyBbpHdy3u1ouMFZ-NL6jQlGr4tlhyphenhyphenGlMZ7gD1mlXpFTOKzZ_BWqu_FN5lyo6_A4E5cKHTRMToWXHzkL-x-yF3b0x1JYtf92mCWzhcwD/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+128.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397443669218024818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtQavuEBIrfefky-OCBxF9OQ1492GODQt6g1uxFY8GZRyPltWYZUEbn0skU3T-Crnt14KZAk15lj74fC7fRJW4KbWQb5Jwhe6rFbUE56tBNlPAOimr8pDB7T15O6getWnbLZRHWFoKYkg/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+133.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtQavuEBIrfefky-OCBxF9OQ1492GODQt6g1uxFY8GZRyPltWYZUEbn0skU3T-Crnt14KZAk15lj74fC7fRJW4KbWQb5Jwhe6rFbUE56tBNlPAOimr8pDB7T15O6getWnbLZRHWFoKYkg/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+133.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397443670592858386" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zo8xuJ6Y_VpjUOZxp1xssRGcpZHW8Xswv4lHNfn-4speBY6tJ1mZnPofSesH0f84VMlSF7W-oLh6eN0wqAtkdK4mjCem97OphbBhxyhJbF3DGkiFp0qa8yxfRWZR-po6GlJArINYohes/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+135.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zo8xuJ6Y_VpjUOZxp1xssRGcpZHW8Xswv4lHNfn-4speBY6tJ1mZnPofSesH0f84VMlSF7W-oLh6eN0wqAtkdK4mjCem97OphbBhxyhJbF3DGkiFp0qa8yxfRWZR-po6GlJArINYohes/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+135.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397443658833086098" /></a>After spiritual enlightenment and drinking longevity water, it is important to chase it down with some tasty yuzu and kintoki flavored shaved ice! tip from the expert for you. ^^</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKb4_6F2Iv8KaDCYQcHxmc_7W46kQL3HCg9vLZ0z9JYPYBubuonNm-2cyamgsCZebENk0vXrgh_MBPw8SbaDoXDG54ICp2lbfieIqKMv9HEwTc8DKjI8IkhSsUGi7biCKqOubH5FKnQeR/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+138.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKb4_6F2Iv8KaDCYQcHxmc_7W46kQL3HCg9vLZ0z9JYPYBubuonNm-2cyamgsCZebENk0vXrgh_MBPw8SbaDoXDG54ICp2lbfieIqKMv9HEwTc8DKjI8IkhSsUGi7biCKqOubH5FKnQeR/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+138.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397442908859677522" /></a></div><div>After Kiyomizudera, I checked into my hotel and hit the Gion Matsuri with my friend. The Gion Matsuri is the most famous festival in Kyoto that goes on for the entire month of July every year. It's a huge deal, and I had no idea what it was, had never heard of it, and yet managed to go to Kyoto right in the middle of it, on time to catch the parade (which is only on one day), and booked a room in a hotel located right on the parade route. さすが偶然様だね。That's <i>guuzensama</i> for you...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK0HiO5U9UfOUOwRr_aI4j2a2CdWByHGodS8aRbeZnIQCdKpYF1e5matTyvN_bEhY6dZ3YWNxrocHFgrG8HuHH3E-G2DSRY6PQYAqjLWFwRgclXB0WHXyUT8ulQ4ps2PmQB8Y0Fl1JVi8/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+142.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK0HiO5U9UfOUOwRr_aI4j2a2CdWByHGodS8aRbeZnIQCdKpYF1e5matTyvN_bEhY6dZ3YWNxrocHFgrG8HuHH3E-G2DSRY6PQYAqjLWFwRgclXB0WHXyUT8ulQ4ps2PmQB8Y0Fl1JVi8/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+142.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397442903988570818" /></a>It was unbelievably crowded and loud and filled with this amazing energy, especially later at night. They had closed down blocks and blocks of the busiest streets in downtown Kyoto and filled it with lines of stalls selling <i>takoyaki, yakitori, karaage, yakisoba, kakigoori, </i>and so much more. There were also games involving catching fish and turtles for prizes. Then, on the corners were these huge carts lit up with lanterns and boys sitting on top ringing a string of bells. (I found out the next day, that these were for the parade.)</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eBZvyRuXBric26ry-tKAlH319yE-bOQiid7H8RCQwTx54-HKZeQofnV-0A92XhTPwwKISap3wLItnmQPfSaO67Y1DrY9ea6ggVdL-QcAKgZXIaBC2Op-H3OtaPd3qse3Y5bIGmRTxk3v/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+143.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eBZvyRuXBric26ry-tKAlH319yE-bOQiid7H8RCQwTx54-HKZeQofnV-0A92XhTPwwKISap3wLItnmQPfSaO67Y1DrY9ea6ggVdL-QcAKgZXIaBC2Op-H3OtaPd3qse3Y5bIGmRTxk3v/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+143.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397442901889523442" /></a>The next picture will give you an idea of how many people were there. It was totally worse than Shibuya crossing. You know what's scary, this went on for blocks and blocks not just on this street, but also on the next 3 or 4 cross streets in either direction. Crazy crowded. I took this picture just by standing on my toes and holding the camera way above my head. I'm not standing on anything, so basically I'm just one other person in that sea of people, and it looks exactly the same behind me.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3Ck-U5QG4k0df4KHV22uI72inpy3WSaDsFaQrjPURt_UYb8b3bl3cPqSrjNqUyTV-z9FpznKlzBue3O70D2VT4CeUaYZruWCQdxEdKSN9yNf8S-YXlRZ9epLGJD2zKoHUk__g1trk5XR/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+150.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3Ck-U5QG4k0df4KHV22uI72inpy3WSaDsFaQrjPURt_UYb8b3bl3cPqSrjNqUyTV-z9FpznKlzBue3O70D2VT4CeUaYZruWCQdxEdKSN9yNf8S-YXlRZ9epLGJD2zKoHUk__g1trk5XR/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+150.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397442892406083346" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9OL4WXMOe89ekA2pJoA1V7_t6Q2eE18z5yy4gp_q2mNysoPbJzHfGC2IYUWmSXq3O5X-Qc6hcHlLcPyNdAD_9KCrT5tabM5zCi8WPRoDW8MMVty6KV7jp-V0i1jz8fY4-vUZ6xeuLg7w/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+153.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9OL4WXMOe89ekA2pJoA1V7_t6Q2eE18z5yy4gp_q2mNysoPbJzHfGC2IYUWmSXq3O5X-Qc6hcHlLcPyNdAD_9KCrT5tabM5zCi8WPRoDW8MMVty6KV7jp-V0i1jz8fY4-vUZ6xeuLg7w/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+153.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397442891570282578" /></a><br /></div><div>After completely stuffing my face with takoyaki and calpis flavored kakigoori (shaved ice) I said goodbye to my friend, walked back to my hotel room and died of exhaustion.</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-12256817771602949902009-10-27T17:13:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.115-08:00Kyoto: Day 2<div>The next day, I woke up early and got a front row spot to view the Gion Matsuri parade. It was huge!!! And really amazing. Some lady ran through the crowd before it started and handed out a flyer telling you what each cart was and what it symbolized, but it was all in Kanji. I got the gist of it though. Some of them were amazingly tall, as tall as the surrounding buildings even.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWY6wHrRpict4WzRQDBg_oXdy3KM4scQEJciZr30MXyDeMRe_if2yGQIuqQfz8AEhVVed1XwNfTPIFGFFXvH30GPAZodzY0lXuLRvvsSgGBwJ4YqxswaYx8m1BGAHczPuHh0YP-JgQo-C/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+206.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWY6wHrRpict4WzRQDBg_oXdy3KM4scQEJciZr30MXyDeMRe_if2yGQIuqQfz8AEhVVed1XwNfTPIFGFFXvH30GPAZodzY0lXuLRvvsSgGBwJ4YqxswaYx8m1BGAHczPuHh0YP-JgQo-C/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+206.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397441512134333154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsqubMcZjw5u-fzac4zb11sqOArpPzpfaE3wyUWfNWnlRFuygI98Gxqtc3bIgP_x-23lOCtm9FeKC1n6K68RGY6ACNf2t-vxG1BOi7lNSuO_36aZG96T9oEuoNbQ-tbDweGOGnK0s9lQ-/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+169.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsqubMcZjw5u-fzac4zb11sqOArpPzpfaE3wyUWfNWnlRFuygI98Gxqtc3bIgP_x-23lOCtm9FeKC1n6K68RGY6ACNf2t-vxG1BOi7lNSuO_36aZG96T9oEuoNbQ-tbDweGOGnK0s9lQ-/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+169.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397441506999434674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLSENs6oumW0J6GqU4hrU5qz25Sljy328W3sPWLXHfgOAHuMz_PO_0Bvbb7H6VXZ3XVmF2jrZAMXOrxwZcfVtlJJSxNA7BlI-bOkzT8Nn1sq2-96Pvm7qfvxVvUpxSox2lTqZjWTKTTHK/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+162.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLSENs6oumW0J6GqU4hrU5qz25Sljy328W3sPWLXHfgOAHuMz_PO_0Bvbb7H6VXZ3XVmF2jrZAMXOrxwZcfVtlJJSxNA7BlI-bOkzT8Nn1sq2-96Pvm7qfvxVvUpxSox2lTqZjWTKTTHK/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+162.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397441502258023314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnYft-DXa9Og9hCUrlejiINHssXmgl71B5vdBHpjU1nnUXt1B4kQA-JJYi8OCa2dVhaDcLOKF_nJeH9eL1Zpnhw51zuYtrFdzRonlXzfLRY5Z-RZjn4whBoEof1Sd8Vxh0SC1KEZ2Xh0_/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+214.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnYft-DXa9Og9hCUrlejiINHssXmgl71B5vdBHpjU1nnUXt1B4kQA-JJYi8OCa2dVhaDcLOKF_nJeH9eL1Zpnhw51zuYtrFdzRonlXzfLRY5Z-RZjn4whBoEof1Sd8Vxh0SC1KEZ2Xh0_/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+214.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397441498977225266" /></a>And it was just as crowded as the night before, if not more so because we were shoved onto the sidewalk instead of having the whole street to spread out. The picture above is of a corner, where they would do a little dance with fans to turn the cart 90 degrees. It was really cool and interesting. I don't know much about Japanese traditional culture, but Kyoto was steeped in it.<div><br /></div><div>After the parade, I decided to explore the area. First I randomly walked around the Gion area (of which the Gion Matsuri is named after). This area was renovated so that it has the old-style architecture of ancient Japan. It was really beautiful and peaceful to walk along the canal here.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJrdxmQ392OZIrm-RwRkmV3l7jFKzp75zgx8FOlP4cMh0geEcZpV22Sf8IBY5XOC-mUP9BqGOkHlU1HT5iV1eeLPw6DbSA3f7hK0XCh4e0pVqlwZF4279lEsmv3GwRQ1jY543WR3JLy6g/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+216.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJrdxmQ392OZIrm-RwRkmV3l7jFKzp75zgx8FOlP4cMh0geEcZpV22Sf8IBY5XOC-mUP9BqGOkHlU1HT5iV1eeLPw6DbSA3f7hK0XCh4e0pVqlwZF4279lEsmv3GwRQ1jY543WR3JLy6g/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+216.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397441496923312210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrL3RO30nz5xrrm4Fsed1QLcpkZUDh72Xl2CrZ5yWr63kboGCmJvqCmIhTeH6NDPa3q9fL6JTsRbnNuW4DfyycoPoMER5UmJqPfPl9uR_nnXkCe5io3lfa-emKyEAWVlGxM-HiSjEq_vQs/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+225.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrL3RO30nz5xrrm4Fsed1QLcpkZUDh72Xl2CrZ5yWr63kboGCmJvqCmIhTeH6NDPa3q9fL6JTsRbnNuW4DfyycoPoMER5UmJqPfPl9uR_nnXkCe5io3lfa-emKyEAWVlGxM-HiSjEq_vQs/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+225.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439938431254690" /></a>Here is just an example of what some of the streets looked like. The stores and restaurants all looked like buildings I had previously only seen in period dramas or something. haha. It was really cool. Especially when I found this tree growing out of the top floor of this building.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3vdziapeL_FplbIT3SPj36hpSY3aA5_DyAoiEV8SIObNwsvd9YvlwZrrWOPKwQebTD3ZFie-LV7zLtDWUO1ltaYaHwX9MvTYQydwOxpp0ERty2v11ojDsYJk0mwl6-WPAKU6IKcHCt-d/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+226.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3vdziapeL_FplbIT3SPj36hpSY3aA5_DyAoiEV8SIObNwsvd9YvlwZrrWOPKwQebTD3ZFie-LV7zLtDWUO1ltaYaHwX9MvTYQydwOxpp0ERty2v11ojDsYJk0mwl6-WPAKU6IKcHCt-d/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+226.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439930237804594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLEs-FyGeSo7UCGbfDVkSsm7bZeZuuKwZ4vVc2jXJYOESjqZVbP_CZSvC_U1riFCAG2RM6CLEBFfcjI19eDdhrP9OS0gkSa341IR0x5ZTqynA8b6HLHhy_BvwAhcfV47UsZnfpdUayfML/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+229.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLEs-FyGeSo7UCGbfDVkSsm7bZeZuuKwZ4vVc2jXJYOESjqZVbP_CZSvC_U1riFCAG2RM6CLEBFfcjI19eDdhrP9OS0gkSa341IR0x5ZTqynA8b6HLHhy_BvwAhcfV47UsZnfpdUayfML/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+229.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439927280807522" /></a>Just like Tokyo, I found cats all over the place, but after talking with some friends, I think it's just me. Cat's aren't that common I guess. I just happen to see them everywhere I go. But this one was so cute, and after I pet him, he rolled on his back and stretched out. haha, he was a good guard-cat for the shrine I found right next to him. ^^</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmgupbxx5rxHj7DKoNvVgpTYCWzPEWhQjZVnmvteURlXzTR1kRoprDirQJ65fVzDF-Uy0QPvxw70yeAnQWoZAietb69gHHoAnQwGUaYu3RE8r6iBsCpBgj049-yGt-wzEjBe7pd7TQHH3/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+230.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmgupbxx5rxHj7DKoNvVgpTYCWzPEWhQjZVnmvteURlXzTR1kRoprDirQJ65fVzDF-Uy0QPvxw70yeAnQWoZAietb69gHHoAnQwGUaYu3RE8r6iBsCpBgj049-yGt-wzEjBe7pd7TQHH3/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+230.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439923558979746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCGN4kO5Lj7u5DPO2lWnCoIah0c79h5-BQDzjuVgE_-qCSelptaZ-_VdBMgfwyG_5hprS89Abk1KBDP8Cz22bFTbkmZBNtLrhDYJ-T4_dsBIOhf_KBIeZP_cluhFgAtm48_KlM_Mbs8-Y/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+244.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCGN4kO5Lj7u5DPO2lWnCoIah0c79h5-BQDzjuVgE_-qCSelptaZ-_VdBMgfwyG_5hprS89Abk1KBDP8Cz22bFTbkmZBNtLrhDYJ-T4_dsBIOhf_KBIeZP_cluhFgAtm48_KlM_Mbs8-Y/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+244.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439917899602002" /></a>This is a place called Yasaka Shrine. I don't know much about it, because I just found it by randomly strolling around, like always, but it was gigantic! It just kept going up and up into the mountains. There was a park, a cemetery, and huge tori gates, and funky old twisty trees. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAsVZDAEvbrD_ygz0TB_xqECtsBbxzIvU7CQ6JqgxQTu4OKTcLTbf8EZ0sZmy_abkh2YZKshJVu6i8OB_BskusinEMPsSYScERE2CWMZ_BpQjGsquahsf_B27Zdvbj35VWaapBQfUsDWZ/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+246.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAsVZDAEvbrD_ygz0TB_xqECtsBbxzIvU7CQ6JqgxQTu4OKTcLTbf8EZ0sZmy_abkh2YZKshJVu6i8OB_BskusinEMPsSYScERE2CWMZ_BpQjGsquahsf_B27Zdvbj35VWaapBQfUsDWZ/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+246.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439012174975186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Opq1akWrlvoiiw39mkMNr71phRCS73TNxqTQSSVJD40ZrF2vCJ8Qbkmck4HXCAFXms9W2khqUvOcJbKlOzB5b3jIr5xine0PD8j1GP0ZQ-qcRrBqWIrTlv3KQSmKY6KxXxebyXL0CYUX/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+288.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Opq1akWrlvoiiw39mkMNr71phRCS73TNxqTQSSVJD40ZrF2vCJ8Qbkmck4HXCAFXms9W2khqUvOcJbKlOzB5b3jIr5xine0PD8j1GP0ZQ-qcRrBqWIrTlv3KQSmKY6KxXxebyXL0CYUX/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+288.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439007636955426" /></a>After Yasaka Shrine (I spent like an hour there just looking around and climbing steps; it's really beautiful), I made my way back through Gion towards downtown Kyoto to do some shopping.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibs5eprKTgmSqNiB8kitI68UXhh1kKosDmWRPtmdVjsXHGFmR6n3PHJpIYiw7bLmbfMjPR-W9s8CFTXa1yhIY5Q1hC5dlm_52zJDvSxgFVnNiHfUKU2Z2BbugKOduGy-VrL5DBgKHFKUuP/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+289.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibs5eprKTgmSqNiB8kitI68UXhh1kKosDmWRPtmdVjsXHGFmR6n3PHJpIYiw7bLmbfMjPR-W9s8CFTXa1yhIY5Q1hC5dlm_52zJDvSxgFVnNiHfUKU2Z2BbugKOduGy-VrL5DBgKHFKUuP/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+289.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397439000929687378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4pzocTblD9_7LWnzoRRsjurWAAPTdysjrk9KLfFzWiWIS7NAZSUoJBuWu3rog6WMaOEHPhbR5lDIFoPl0x2B6HnHBh7JL-wZ83hTIlzLRh-XH5XHTLiGauc27StBq0g7MgeX2Aiqntlz/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+296.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4pzocTblD9_7LWnzoRRsjurWAAPTdysjrk9KLfFzWiWIS7NAZSUoJBuWu3rog6WMaOEHPhbR5lDIFoPl0x2B6HnHBh7JL-wZ83hTIlzLRh-XH5XHTLiGauc27StBq0g7MgeX2Aiqntlz/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+296.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397438996726252226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySPuRl193iSuYh3l_P1qb-o_3Zde9pOOPuwz80v-n11uP8OhPW-eVLo8ViEUpXV1gxbBGo7FT-__mT15DjmmmlSwcqswVgWWDXUT95DAXn6FXPIUmLoDv27HMiPtgf4-3ksUMkraZud_p/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+306.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySPuRl193iSuYh3l_P1qb-o_3Zde9pOOPuwz80v-n11uP8OhPW-eVLo8ViEUpXV1gxbBGo7FT-__mT15DjmmmlSwcqswVgWWDXUT95DAXn6FXPIUmLoDv27HMiPtgf4-3ksUMkraZud_p/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+306.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397438991983671218" /></a>I spent the rest of the day eating dango, searching for the perfect kokeshi doll, and just site-seeing and trying to talk to as much as possible. Kyoto is relaxing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-6254840098716866092009-10-27T16:14:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.116-08:00Shinkansen!<div style="text-align: left;">Hello everyone, and by everyone, I mean the two people who read this blog. (kamikaze, you're wonderful for my ego!) Actually, I was kinda surprised how many people actually spent the time to read my epically long posts.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have since been back in the states for almost 3 months now, and it was quite scary to find out how many people had free time to read about my silly exploits painted as these amazingly colorful sagas. haha. Anyways, I am finally getting around to putting up the rest of my pictures from Japan now after much nudging from said people with no lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next 大冒険 (<i>daibouken!) </i>I'm going to describe is actually something that millions of people do every few hours: ride the shinkansen.</div><div><br /></div><div>I traveled to the Kansai area for about a week (which I'll talk about later) and the best way to get there from Tokyo, is by shinkansen, or bullet train. It cost me about 3 hours and $100, (¥10,000) which is really cheap, but what can I say, I'm just savvy like that. haha. </div><div><br /></div><div>First I had to get to either Tokyo or Shinagawa stations in Tokyo to catch the shinkansen to Shin-Osaka station. So, I just took the train and used my handy little suica card just like all the other Japanese people and not like a huge gaij. yay! But then I sat in the reserved seating section and some guy came along and was like, "ummm....I think you're in my seat. May I see your ticket?" at which point I had to get up and move to one of the three unreserved cars and slink away in embarrassment, like a huge gaij. That's one strike towards true <i>nihonjin</i>ness and one strike for gaij-ness.</div><div><br /></div><div>After finally finding a seat in one of the two non-smoking, non-reserved cars, I immediately took out my camera and took pictures. Strike 2 for gaij-ness. But it was so pretty! Even though I was stuck on a train for 3 hours, it didn't seem like that long at all! First of all, the train is ridiculously fast, but also amazingly steady. Nothing like the 3 hour trek from Sacramento to San Jose on Amtrak.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once we got out of the city landscape, I began to feel like I was in Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro." </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9az2wp1n1GQIFBvZG3geC0Aiss9KABD9PVoBsnRFOciQ-O59FdMYgmTdgvzfrc6VWWAx5dvvqawcxGFkiKCDcaoiQLNLbGZqlAHrnrGpJQKaeA60N_S3hRBmsZNmjxIapnIJU-AioF4N/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+097.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9az2wp1n1GQIFBvZG3geC0Aiss9KABD9PVoBsnRFOciQ-O59FdMYgmTdgvzfrc6VWWAx5dvvqawcxGFkiKCDcaoiQLNLbGZqlAHrnrGpJQKaeA60N_S3hRBmsZNmjxIapnIJU-AioF4N/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+097.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397429246285871682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div>I mean really, look at that! Can't you see Satsuki running between the fields barefoot looking for Mei? Nekobasu totally just ran by and you missed it. Referencing anime = strike 1 towards otaku-ness.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, saw palm trees. I just have one question: ahem. What the hell are palm trees doing on the river banks of central JAPAN?!!! It was so out of place I didn't even know what to do with that piece of information. Looks like Santa Monica or something... Seeing California in Japan = strike 3 towards gaij-ness. damn. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrPcG8_1AmWV4JDMNvyftTkwRLJpNEiutC7xhkH4kHAJymkPLmUn1bs78sWoEjxTnWr4ja-w7vCIAXmY5WkrLiQP8r4RGzNtuKiNBHBremT4LnmzLBrymKwlQIHW5J20MQAAZv-wfSFx8/s1600-h/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+047.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrPcG8_1AmWV4JDMNvyftTkwRLJpNEiutC7xhkH4kHAJymkPLmUn1bs78sWoEjxTnWr4ja-w7vCIAXmY5WkrLiQP8r4RGzNtuKiNBHBremT4LnmzLBrymKwlQIHW5J20MQAAZv-wfSFx8/s400/%E9%96%A2%E8%A5%BF+047.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397431168403209586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div>I also got to see Fuji!!!! But since it was the middle of summer, there was very little snow on the top which was kinda of disappointing. The two little slivers of white at the top looked like the gods were screwing around and accidentally dripped some paint on the picture. oops.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19Jwm_vTp1MUEDA7ILkMh_b27JNp9z27miLF1BqmfGosCdjXLwZpOjWQR4kCbTqM3U5YzUqVOs0eiYCJ_x2xBziw_wIWA9Pw8G-wHgvVRx846GEwxfx1QkQslWivzF5hE072vvDv6BVgz/s1600-h/fuji.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19Jwm_vTp1MUEDA7ILkMh_b27JNp9z27miLF1BqmfGosCdjXLwZpOjWQR4kCbTqM3U5YzUqVOs0eiYCJ_x2xBziw_wIWA9Pw8G-wHgvVRx846GEwxfx1QkQslWivzF5hE072vvDv6BVgz/s400/fuji.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397432304121073442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 230px; " /></a></div><div>On the other hand, with the clouds and mist, Fuji was floating above the human world for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>By far the most unnerving thing about riding the shinkansen was when we went into a tunnel. I was staring out the window with my face plastered against it, in awe of the beauty of Japan's country side. Then we would enter a tunnel and everything would go pitch black out side, replacing whatever it was I was looking at with the ridiculous expression on my face. Funky stupid expression = strike 4 towards gaij-ness. I'm a total gaij.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that was my amazing adventure on the shinkansen! It was actually quite ordinary by Japanese standards, but I'm a gaij, and actually glad for it. All the other salarymen around me were just reading the paper telling them about things going on miles away from them and missing the simplest form of wonder and happiness. As for me, besides the stupid face of wonderment, when we entered a tunnel, often a content Mona Lisa smile and wide happy eyes were waiting for me. ^^</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-18939608977467817632009-07-07T08:47:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.117-08:00My "Living Conditions"<div style="text-align: left;">I was reminded that I never posted pics of my apartment. haha. oops. I took pictures when I first moved in, you know, before the place got buried in empty Calpis bottles, but I forgot to post them. Here you are:</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the small street leading up to my apartment.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnGlDN4E_af1WyCo7io8vKg4XTC4J3_MS4F-AbUKpoPcJ50wHjzHn9HD0jxk51JX76xyK79sbMu7FVtTIg2Fjxge9LPhjHMuf09yKgkJBzwTqxRERmHHQvk8XLr_A0KfXOFoRO_PejuSv/s1600-h/025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnGlDN4E_af1WyCo7io8vKg4XTC4J3_MS4F-AbUKpoPcJ50wHjzHn9HD0jxk51JX76xyK79sbMu7FVtTIg2Fjxge9LPhjHMuf09yKgkJBzwTqxRERmHHQvk8XLr_A0KfXOFoRO_PejuSv/s400/025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355747671462316162" /></a>Take a right and then you see my building. I'm the middle window.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHylJ6ROmhXiuy-jz66x36bMEWeY-yMujaxJAObph6cXwqPzOAL4dBOnT6hAtigG9CbfRDDs7pFMmh34mYRdD88fue7OQb7uQFPdZi6sKSbLuimbJ6AKbS1RjJsLl2luBnJfT-LZPQNf4A/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHylJ6ROmhXiuy-jz66x36bMEWeY-yMujaxJAObph6cXwqPzOAL4dBOnT6hAtigG9CbfRDDs7pFMmh34mYRdD88fue7OQb7uQFPdZi6sKSbLuimbJ6AKbS1RjJsLl2luBnJfT-LZPQNf4A/s400/026.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355747665602970114" /></a>Here's the other side of the window! haha. You have to walk around to the back to get in so this is the view from the door.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfpTSgFs3zqbx9rDEM-vrO7wlRKN-lCTpYoSkJUNcRQERPqHcVXQXIdrmD4M3SrnM2l7eLrxrlKhMx1t1qJQevewuGPu_sF7ThMjgszDocDeqhBuieoN_Gc-ZQumMwlfYIZcViC-87iPO/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfpTSgFs3zqbx9rDEM-vrO7wlRKN-lCTpYoSkJUNcRQERPqHcVXQXIdrmD4M3SrnM2l7eLrxrlKhMx1t1qJQevewuGPu_sF7ThMjgszDocDeqhBuieoN_Gc-ZQumMwlfYIZcViC-87iPO/s400/027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355747662269450210" /></a>Here's the doorway, and then there's a door on the right to the bathroom.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckfvSZH8-XCxKFHRN2M0nt6ZT4t6zB4lmXeTRBodqrNlBmGaykx6Im3cYIfnLwKu230xf5GexaaM_3DwulNVXjyUaC1PAry2nXrjjF4bO8gn-2iRhC5IpoqXN69bzLeMhrCBB84ZRJHW2/s1600-h/021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckfvSZH8-XCxKFHRN2M0nt6ZT4t6zB4lmXeTRBodqrNlBmGaykx6Im3cYIfnLwKu230xf5GexaaM_3DwulNVXjyUaC1PAry2nXrjjF4bO8gn-2iRhC5IpoqXN69bzLeMhrCBB84ZRJHW2/s400/021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355747655251535058" /></a>Here's the loft. It's about the size of a queen size bed. I used to use it for storage and fold up my futon and keep my luggage up there, but then I got too lazy and just have my futon set up in the loft all the time. haha. It's pretty comfy. I'm actually typing this up in the loft.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcrnzENHBQjWRea2kQGqtamHu60S7mRfaDcjgYR8pN-mOwmutydyPgnCeJeWSuKfhY9sXj5D379_ACNkukyreKUn3QOklwxUZyZK_eLq53UsItydv-rsDskaNm5n-UgDyBUwV9QzBFbsM/s1600-h/019.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcrnzENHBQjWRea2kQGqtamHu60S7mRfaDcjgYR8pN-mOwmutydyPgnCeJeWSuKfhY9sXj5D379_ACNkukyreKUn3QOklwxUZyZK_eLq53UsItydv-rsDskaNm5n-UgDyBUwV9QzBFbsM/s400/019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355749852618802418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div>Here's my tiny kitchen area. I never use it though because the stupid electric stove top takes forever to heat up. But do you like my little froggy sponge?</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3KkhfdZMoO9a2pMk2RntDIEY-5kPJiyQROD5gUSHabRgaPX_f4V84w-RX2315bbDhQSVrGr3EwwxbUmHHikdBVMjYsog21mu78vk0Tpt04hA6B6b1PHktBTw__5ct3HdtfcGtl31JEfT/s1600-h/030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3KkhfdZMoO9a2pMk2RntDIEY-5kPJiyQROD5gUSHabRgaPX_f4V84w-RX2315bbDhQSVrGr3EwwxbUmHHikdBVMjYsog21mu78vk0Tpt04hA6B6b1PHktBTw__5ct3HdtfcGtl31JEfT/s400/030.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355747644033651954" /></a>And that's pretty much it. I told you it was tiny. Oh, wait! My landlord gave me a TV and a really tiny couch since I took these pictures. I'm too lazy to take more pics (that means I have to clean. haha), but it's just a very tiny off-white couch that seats 1 1/2 people. haha.</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-36051685303152478732009-07-07T08:22:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.118-08:00Update: LOVE ATTACK EVESo I emailed Matsuyama Teruo to ask him if he would 1) ship his new album to California for me because it won't be released until after I go back and 2) give me the sheet music for some of his songs. <div><br /></div><div>He said yes to both!! I just have to give him my address, and obviously pay for the album, and he'll send it to me! And he gave me the lyrics and chords for Marmalade Sky!! I'm so excited!! And also really mad at myself for not bringing my guitar with me to Japan. I'm contemplating going into a music store and acting like I'm testing out a guitar to buy just so I can play. I had this dream that there would be this small guitar shop in a huge mall and I would pick up a guitar and start playing and people walking by would stop to watch me because I'm THAT cool. haha. I said dream.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other really cool thing about Matsuyama Teruo, is that I went to the LOVE ATTACK EVE Official Website to see if he had posted anymore music to download, but I clicked on his blog instead of the music page by accident. I was gonna just click the back button, when I happened to see the word "gaikoku" (foreign country), so I stopped to read the entry. Turns out he talked about me in his blog!! haha. I don't know why that makes me so happy. I guess it just lets me know that he was genuinely happy that I came; it wasn't like an act or anything. I'm pretty sure he thought I couldn't read Japanese and that I wasn't going to read his blog, so I can take it as the truth! Here's his entry:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:verdana;font-size:12px;"><blockquote>毎日毎時間順位が上がっていく<br />サマーソニックのオーディションも<br />ホントに嬉しくて幸せだし<br />今日の神保町のライブも<br />ホントとっても幸せでした。<br /><br />「アー、ラブアタックイブキョウココライブ??」<br />とMyspaceから知って<br />わざわざ来てくれた外国の方には<br />ホントびっくりしたし<br />数年前に神保町で歌ったとき<br />たまたま聴いて下さった方が<br />気に入ってくれて今日また来てくれたことも<br />とっても嬉しかったし<br />いつもいつも見に来て下さる方に<br />やっぱりまた会えたこともほっこりと幸せだったし<br />何はともあれ<br />イベント自体ゆったり素敵だったのが<br />とても良かったのでした。</blockquote></span></div><div>It basically just says that he was really surprised that someone from another country saw his myspace page and came to see him and how happy he was. Although, he makes me sound like I can't speak any Japanese at all. The quote he attributes to me is just a string of nouns. pout. I didn't talk like that...I hope. Maybe I was nervous? No. I don't talk like that. You can't sway my confidence!! Actually you can and now I'm broken. (T_T)</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, can't wait for his next album!</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-45513382011764777362009-07-07T06:51:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.119-08:00The Cost of TokyoBefore I came here, I told everyone who would listen that I was going to Tokyo for two months over the summer. The first three sentences in reply, in varying order, would inevitable be: 1)"Wow!"/"Cool!"/"Really?!" 2) "Why?" 3) "It's expensive, you know."<div><br /></div><div>Then I got more serious about coming here and started to search for an apartment. Apartments in Tokyo are expensive. That's why the stupid Chuo line out of Shinjuku turns into a sardine can every day from 6~9. Everyone lives just outside Tokyo, not in it, because it's so expensive.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I arrived with the idea that everything in Tokyo was going to cost me about 3x as much as it would at home. But now I realized, it's all about the choices you make. For example:</div><div><br /></div><div>1) You <i>could</i> go to the top of the Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills to get a 360 view of Tokyo from the top of a tall building and pay $18/1800円, <b>OR </b>you could go to the top of the Sunshine 60 building in Ikebukuro for a little over $6/600円, <b>OR</b> even better, you could go to the top of the Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku for free! Yay! Muryou is the best yo. haha. (無料 muryou is free in Japanese) I've been to the first two, and Roppongi Hills is only slightly better, but only because you can go on the roof for an extra $3/300円. Otherwise they're about even only one's much cheaper.</div><div><br /></div><div>2) You <i>could</i> buy all your food at one place like a Seiyuu Super Market or LIFE, and pay $5 for a peach and $13 for a small watermelon, <b>OR</b> you could go to a small, locally run produce stand on a small shopping street and pay $1.90 for 2 peaches and $4 for 1/4 of a large watermelon (which is only slightly less than a whole small watermelon). The second one is probably better tasting too.</div><div><br /></div><div>3) You <i>could</i> buy your Calpis (because you are as addicted to it as I am) from a vending machine on a busy street for $1.20, <b>OR</b> you could find the vending machines sort of off the beaten path that sell Calpis water for only $1<b>. </b>Once I found that vending machine, I saved about $1 a day! Just kidding. I don't buy that much Calpis water. Or do I? hmmmm.... haha. <b>OR,</b> for the true addicts, you could simply buy a huge container of Calpis water for like $2.50 or something instead of the tiny bottles. I don't do that. often.</div><div><br /></div><div>4) You <i>could</i> pay $50 for super tasty sushi of a quality that you could never find in the U.S., <b>OR</b> you could just skip down to the nearest convenience store (they're everywhere. worse than starbucks along highway 80 in California) and pay $4~8 for some pretty tasty sushi of a quality that you couldn't find in the U.S. for less than $50, <b>OR</b>, best yet, you could find a mom and pop bento place (mines at the beginning of Ai Road on the right in Nakano) and pay $2.90 for some super, super tasty futomaki-type sushi with ikura, tuna, egg, pickled veggies, and an unidentifiable white-ish fish. (haha. I gotta get better at remembering the names of fish.) At least that what I had for lunch today, but they obviously have a variety.</div><div><br /></div><div>5) You <i>could </i>buy your books at Tsutaya Books or some other pretty and new book store (perhaps one in a major station might catch your eye?) and pay full price for your brand new perty book, <b>OR </b>you could find a Book Off and get your book second hand, and even sell your old books to help pay for another.</div><div><br /></div><div>6) If you want to get into the Tokyo fashions, or get some nice presents for friends back home, you <i>could</i> go to 109 in Shibuya and swim in a sea of jewelry and accessories that are cute, but supremely overpriced, <b>OR </b>you could go to the 500円 store ($5) about a little more than halfway down Takeshita Street on the right when coming from Harajuku Station and get two earrings for $5. Just as cute. ^^</div><div><br /></div><div>7) When traveling from Tokyo to either Osaka or Kyoto, you <i>could</i> spend more than $100 on a Shinkansen ticket, <b>OR </b>you could go <a href="http://www.jrtours.co.jp/kodama/index.html">here</a> and get discounted Shinkansen tickets, <b>OR</b> you could go <a href="http://www.kakuyasubus.jp/kanto_kansai/youth_dream/index.html">here</a> and ride a night bus for $50, OR you could spend like 9 hours on local trains. I don't recommend that last one unless you are really <i>that </i>poor, or it's a clear day and looking at pretty farm scenery doesn't get boring for you after the first 3 hours. That's about how long I would last I think. I suppose it's still better than the 11 hour plane trip from California to Tokyo though...</div><div><br /></div><div>8) When your glasses unexpectedly break and you are forced to string them together with floss until you can buy new ones, (because that happens to everyone who travels to Tokyo) you <i>could </i>go to a nice, fancy glasses store in Shibuya or Roppongi, or really any of the major shopping hubs and get some glasses for hundreds of dollars, <b>OR </b>you could skip down the street because you are happy with excitement since you're about to get some sushi at your favorite bento place around the corner (see number 4. haha) and do a double take at a little glasses store shoved in between two overflowing sake shops, and on a whim decide to duck your head in only to walk out 20min later with $45 glasses that look "oshare" to you. I choose option number 2 onegaishimasu~</div><div><br /></div><div>There's more, but either it's obvious or I don't know it. The obvious ones are like carts or stands of vendors selling food or fans or something in parks or at a train station entrance. Those things are usually cheaper than other places. One guy was selling umbrellas for $3 at Harajuku Station, he just had a handful of them and was yelling "Umbrellas for 300 yen!" I'm pretty sure I saw the exact same umbrellas in a store a little earlier for $6. He started yelling right when a sudden downpoor caught everyone. I'm sure he did pretty well for himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, those are Hiroko's words of cheapskate wisdom. ^^</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-18624367205910204632009-07-07T05:57:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.120-08:00Chasing the Sun<div>So I had this great plan to go spend the day in Ikebukuro shopping and whatnot and then catch the sunset from the top of the Sunshine 60 building, but the electric company had other plans for my day.</div><div><br /></div><div>I went around the corner to a small bento place, bought my sushi lunch, turned around, came home, maybe spent 15min total, returned, flipped on the light, and nothing happened. How is it possible that of all the 15mins there are everyday, the electric company sends in their sneaky little worker right when I'm out?! 15min!!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>So I called up my landlord and he fixed it. I'm not sure exactly why they switched off my electricity, but I think it has something to do with the mail that I was receiving addressed to a Onodera Teruo. I'm thinking maybe he was the person living in my apartment before me and didn't pay his electricity bill and they decided to turn off my electricity to make him pay. I don't know. <i>I</i> haven't received a bill yet, so I'm cool.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, my landlord got it all sorted out and in the afternoon a cute, little man with a happy smile came by and turned on my electricity. It took him about 8mins. I'm guessing it took about 8min to turn it off too, right? So some sneaky guy timed it just right so that he would be in and out in 8min with 7min to spare before I returned. I think he was watching from around the corner waiting for me to leave. This was a premeditated and well executed conspiracy. I'm sure of it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anywho, that's where my day went. The electric company stole it. They told me they would be right there to turn my power back on and subsequently made me sit in my apartment for an hour and a half with no air conditioning and no internet waiting for them. Very boring and sweaty. I was not amused.</div><div><br /></div><div>After everything was all fixed, I decided to go to Ikebukuro anyways just to see the sunset from the Sunshine 60 building and do the shopping later, but when I got to the train platform at Nakano, the sun was already beginning to set!</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQJGKG-z__uJXMCp-5jDwpf8tvfbxGXByRtoNWi82Ped5heqqZxSi44lKD9PhnlVMtUiCNEDcj6-B_QUpD6N677BA4NW1oT9XZTi5xwLAZhgT15CFZvOoZtf4-JOJLtVKHYwpkd9to6wO/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQJGKG-z__uJXMCp-5jDwpf8tvfbxGXByRtoNWi82Ped5heqqZxSi44lKD9PhnlVMtUiCNEDcj6-B_QUpD6N677BA4NW1oT9XZTi5xwLAZhgT15CFZvOoZtf4-JOJLtVKHYwpkd9to6wO/s400/Sunshine+60+001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355705117522471458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV4z-uogVwhplQYllQ56klxnNA9wLRC8ohE6mR2FC9o9Fx5C5UjkPezEEfNarl-izymlC_Jq8jvPQxshN-79JBHbEWY2krnGB5rAw21T9FH8B9PJEYAZE_V-yxiD4AyKC42hYWcMTifVC/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV4z-uogVwhplQYllQ56klxnNA9wLRC8ohE6mR2FC9o9Fx5C5UjkPezEEfNarl-izymlC_Jq8jvPQxshN-79JBHbEWY2krnGB5rAw21T9FH8B9PJEYAZE_V-yxiD4AyKC42hYWcMTifVC/s400/Sunshine+60+002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355705110696939874" /></a>Oh no! So I got on the special super fast Chuo line, ran through Shinjuku station to make my connection, and booked it out of Ikebukuro Station. I had never been to Ikebukuro before, but google maps is really handy. They have this street view feature that lets to virtually walk from point A to B so I knew exactly where I was going and got to Sunshine 60 pretty quickly, but the sun looked pretty low.<div><br /></div><div>Then you have to take an elevator up 60 floors. Note: make sure to swallow a few times to pop your ears otherwise your head will hurt. The elevators in the Sunshine 60 building are really cool though. They turn the lights way down and then the walls start to glow with constellations and sea creatures. I know it sounds odd, but it's really cool I promise.</div><div><br /></div><div>I finally get to the top and what do I find?</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KQ5w-zRBbmI3EoP424p9Qy25s0UqgaDP5gqf9EiQf4ws-hGRPrC25cOzyMAlKdBlSpdwilrSUQLvwgTim4BfLuEhQ2-pnpcm1M0nmDzXDseM5_n57RVLaaDmlzaVy5JsDpu-Yv1JLOmt/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KQ5w-zRBbmI3EoP424p9Qy25s0UqgaDP5gqf9EiQf4ws-hGRPrC25cOzyMAlKdBlSpdwilrSUQLvwgTim4BfLuEhQ2-pnpcm1M0nmDzXDseM5_n57RVLaaDmlzaVy5JsDpu-Yv1JLOmt/s400/Sunshine+60+006.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355705100371795378" /></a>Waaaaaaaaa!!!!! Sunset isn't until 7 pm, but tomorrow's rain clouds are blocking my sunset view!! Even though I ran and actually made it on time, the sun escaped me...</div><div><br /></div><div>So sad...</div><div><br /></div><div>But it was still an incredible view! I really liked watching the sky get darker and darker and the ground get more and more twinkly. Would have liked the sunset better though...</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vahO-_n_1dtqp4wS3TEMM2r45fwOx1WAyGjOybPmjjrM4GNA4_h339i8AKQhsi-UuOlT7XBvt_XxSKCdMGH_XDF2A4SzgU1x81enqdu0XMhcJgLWSqUI5zvAJscpR0cYnnCgYaD87p1w/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vahO-_n_1dtqp4wS3TEMM2r45fwOx1WAyGjOybPmjjrM4GNA4_h339i8AKQhsi-UuOlT7XBvt_XxSKCdMGH_XDF2A4SzgU1x81enqdu0XMhcJgLWSqUI5zvAJscpR0cYnnCgYaD87p1w/s400/Sunshine+60+016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355704673253883442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QQb7TwLLGASJ7OeUlBUAhjJmCGPa-t2PN6uSIohsOb4654TxWm9UVrF6FDYHryJLquT1salCxzzLaBrTiWp6i8bcVG2oYTObfd0zZA70e44G5isqYVEYIwUVPd4ZBrBlCiZgGgwMz8ox/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QQb7TwLLGASJ7OeUlBUAhjJmCGPa-t2PN6uSIohsOb4654TxWm9UVrF6FDYHryJLquT1salCxzzLaBrTiWp6i8bcVG2oYTObfd0zZA70e44G5isqYVEYIwUVPd4ZBrBlCiZgGgwMz8ox/s400/Sunshine+60+034.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355704663677589426" /></a>There is a nice little cafe at one end. I just got a melon soda. It had a really nice atmosphere up there though.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglR1OyMuM2U2RF2ncsvpSRPimUdg8BX4qEGUHLuvn7U3sNpIie7UBCItSBFRrC3NVz5jcZ_mopGzgi_GV07x2sYpgJvVpMBHCf5Oe2MlsqpZ4vEZKntKDKG50AUrHNjCirtsVnmYZSlOfW/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglR1OyMuM2U2RF2ncsvpSRPimUdg8BX4qEGUHLuvn7U3sNpIie7UBCItSBFRrC3NVz5jcZ_mopGzgi_GV07x2sYpgJvVpMBHCf5Oe2MlsqpZ4vEZKntKDKG50AUrHNjCirtsVnmYZSlOfW/s400/Sunshine+60+038.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355704657257011058" /></a><br /></div><div>The stars are on the wrong side of the horizon.^^</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjWIMWl8PAg0cuVjZ16A0HWWPQ1_bl6Dy6stIwB2JRLl4RQxafkTyWsXNw8odSnB9Rdi0r4AC7RrSwBdc1QdraWeylLwFFns9y0Rm4rsS9Q3Mzmo-xF8iedrhG8z4pbhou2K3-jq-wqvq/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+041.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjWIMWl8PAg0cuVjZ16A0HWWPQ1_bl6Dy6stIwB2JRLl4RQxafkTyWsXNw8odSnB9Rdi0r4AC7RrSwBdc1QdraWeylLwFFns9y0Rm4rsS9Q3Mzmo-xF8iedrhG8z4pbhou2K3-jq-wqvq/s400/Sunshine+60+041.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355704651195829730" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJgPl9Yc-1QYJCQI7vA8w5Kw4W61kvb7V6nVWj-MhMhIj50uwpSe9uYdONk2DPclV115ipvgD9P4QwR_IzDiE5PYyvqiZgulqzBuxchFr64B2tw9kMfPxtdsCYF6w5MAkCXO1pJ_PY75w/s1600-h/Sunshine+60+044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJgPl9Yc-1QYJCQI7vA8w5Kw4W61kvb7V6nVWj-MhMhIj50uwpSe9uYdONk2DPclV115ipvgD9P4QwR_IzDiE5PYyvqiZgulqzBuxchFr64B2tw9kMfPxtdsCYF6w5MAkCXO1pJ_PY75w/s400/Sunshine+60+044.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355704650013468226" /></a>Then the moon came out and made up for the lost sunset. None of these pictures are even half as pretty as the real thing. I don't know why, but my camera was having difficulties. Maybe it was just too spectacular. Couldn't handle the spectacularness. tisk, tisk.</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-11592343272835897422009-07-01T03:13:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.120-08:00I Use the Word "Happy" or It's Various Forms 5 Times in Here<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">I really haven't done anything all that interesting since my last post. At least, it's not interesting to read about, and might not even be interesting to experience unless you're me. In which case, you would be ecstatic, complete with dancing in the rain. Yes, I actually danced in the rain and skipped back to my apartment one night.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">It's the little stuff that makes me really happy. Going to famous temples and tourist hot spots are cool. I mean, they became tourist attractions for a reason. Also, that's what people back home can understand. They can see the draw in visiting Tokyo tower and even seeing live music, those are familiar stories that make them feel like I'm really enjoying myself here, but the truth is, those things are the worst part of this trip. That should tell you something about how wonderful the rest of it is.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">What I really enjoy doing is slowly walking down the sidewalk with nothing but a huge umbrella and my key in my pocket and suddenly think to myself, </span></span></span><span lang="ZH-CN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">「日本にいる。</span></span></span><span lang="JA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">これは日本だよ。そして、今、日本語で考えてるよ。</span></span></span><span lang="ZH-CN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">」</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"> ("I'm in Japan. This is Japan. Also, I'm thinking in Japanese right now."), brea</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">k into a huge smile and look up at the rain, and have passersby give me funny looks. I don't see what's so funny about pure enjoyment from nothing; happiness is just contagious I guess.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">I can't believe how easy it is to live here. I don't understand why more people don't do it. It's so simple. Even if you don't speak Japanese, if you understand basic English, you can survive in Tokyo with little effort. But visiting here is nothing. It's like going to a Japan theme park in the U.S. if you're not careful. It's </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">living</span></span></i></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"> </span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">here that's meaningful. Just walking back from the supermarket with the knowledge that I just independently and freely bought food and now I'm going to go to</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"> </span></span></span><i><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">my</span></span></span></i><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;"> apartment and eat it like all the other Japanese people. </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">Conformity isn't given enough respect in America because we were founded on beliefs that everyone has equal and individual rights to happiness and to express that happiness in their own personal, original way. It's the snowflake credo. All of which I wholeheartedly subscribe to. However, we've let conformity's meaning be completely engulfed by our overzealous cheers of independence. Being in Japan has allowed me to see good and bad in both independence and conformity. Conforming is a form of belonging and belonging is something every human soul craves. Conformity is comforting. It gives you the confidence that you are doing something right and despite the fact that life has no guidebooks or absolutes, the choices you're making at the moment aren't completely warped. Obviously this isn't always true (I'm resisting the urge to bring up the horror that conforming to Hitler brought about because Hitler is an overused <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: silver; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">cliché</span></span></span>); like I said, there are no absolutes, but at least others can understand you.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">And so the everyday little things that I do, not being immediately spotted as the outsider in a foreign society, walking home from the supermarket just like the woman on the other side of the street, it makes me proud. It takes a certain kind of understanding and open-mindedness to embrace a culture to the point of conforming. Pride is another misunderstood concept. Pride isn't always bad. My small accomplishment of partly understanding another group of people and stepping away from my window to peek out another at the world makes me feel like a better person than I was a month ago, and it makes me feel like I am someone who can learn and therefore grow and that makes me proud. And all of that, conforming and being proud, makes me happy. </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">Skipping and dancing in the rain doesn't seem as odd anymore, right?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#C0C0C0;">P.S. Sorry to get philosophical on you guys, but I got nothing else. I probably haven't really been doing anything much different than you do every day, minus the work/school. Just living. ^^</span></p>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-56721117238060255732009-06-27T07:18:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.121-08:00LOVE ATTACK EVE<div style="text-align: left;">Tonight I went to <a href="http://www.cafe-flug.jp/index.html">Cafe Flug</a> in Kanda to see my new favorite Japanese singer, 松山テルオTeruo Matsuyama. He goes by Love Attack Eve and has a few albums out and an <a href="http://loveattackeve.com/contents/top.php">official website</a> as well as a <a href="http://www.myspace.com/loveattackeve">myspace music page</a>. I found him on <a href="http://www.tokyogigguide.com/home">Tokyo Gig Guide</a> that had a link to his homepage and I just fell in love with his music and voice and downloaded everything I could get my hands on. I was going to go with 3 other friends, but I got ditched (tear) but went anyways, and I'm so glad I did becasue he was even better in person. Really didn't think that was possible. It's very mellow music, but also whimsical and cute. I love it!</div><div><br /></div><div>To get there, I got off at the 御茶ノ水駅 Ochanomizu Station and walked for about an hour doing concentric circles until I finally found the place. It took like 7 minutes to walk back to the station from the cafe once I knew where I was. I got very lost. haha. Luckily, since I had never been to Ochanomizu, I had gotten there about an hour early to do some tankenshiyo-ing (exploring), so I didn't miss the show. I just missed out on my tanken.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I finally got there, there were two guys waiting outside with CD's on a table. I asked one of them if it was where Love Attack Eve was playing, and the guy looked really surprised and said, "That's me." So I started talking with him!! He was really nice and really excited that I had come just to see him. He was really happy when I told him that I had gone to his myspace page and listened to his music. When I got there, another group was playing, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/takizawayukichi">Acoustic Soft Parade</a>, and he said that he would be playing in about 30min. So I decided to buy a CD right then.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point, I've been listening to his music almost everyday on the train so I know my favorite songs and even some of the lyrics to some of them. So I was looking at the CD's and I saw a song on one that I recognized and really liked. It's called <a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587265_arwxf/07%20%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%83%89%E7%A9%BA.wma">マーマレイド空 or Marmalade Sky</a>. It's a really cute song! I love it so much! When I told him he got really happy. He just kept saying "happy" a bunch of different ways: "幸せ," "嬉しい," "ハッピー." haha. I like to make people happy. (^-^)</div><div><br /></div><div>I ended up buying this album:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB00LCkDA-C81zwSbj164Hf4EbYXDMirY2Vzkj2UK-9zhRH33U06pBXhs-DRF6WL9ozbBUd8oAzeBlZ7Bibc6zlDKxAJKHixDTVa2PIQ4UBRhKgACIEdAQt-1jH_hxQCftNCyqdNzFr66m/s1600-h/LOVE+ATTACK+EVE+012.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB00LCkDA-C81zwSbj164Hf4EbYXDMirY2Vzkj2UK-9zhRH33U06pBXhs-DRF6WL9ozbBUd8oAzeBlZ7Bibc6zlDKxAJKHixDTVa2PIQ4UBRhKgACIEdAQt-1jH_hxQCftNCyqdNzFr66m/s400/LOVE+ATTACK+EVE+012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352017636039638850" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a>and he signed it for me! And he didn't just <i>sign</i> it. He drew a little picture of me!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiqd5we016f5AQYlkDRxW8LIAivE673okC4IuYKNLEqwxTmkrHAyvmcGo55mnWcAKIviKzvkmTyVpNc_sOr2oKdqVPruW7z336ry8vGNW9nHJ0Vwb5YwDvtO-vAYANXuyC3ncK9I4b7PX/s1600-h/LOVE+ATTACK+EVE+008.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiqd5we016f5AQYlkDRxW8LIAivE673okC4IuYKNLEqwxTmkrHAyvmcGo55mnWcAKIviKzvkmTyVpNc_sOr2oKdqVPruW7z336ry8vGNW9nHJ0Vwb5YwDvtO-vAYANXuyC3ncK9I4b7PX/s400/LOVE+ATTACK+EVE+008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352017629504378738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a>It says, "To Watanabe Hiroko. LOVE ATTACK EVE" and then the date.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then of course, he started performing. It was so great. I really love his voice and he's a pretty good guitar player. He did a lot of finger picking and some hammer-ons and had unexpected chord changes. I really like this guy if you can't tell. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSIqUxa_s0A2w0_2sxlkoGb1IA85LnDh8Tf5lHdSywLTC3WIhinhxW6XHlTGscipkxU6mhvGmwUC_QVInOMOi1cMPtqjGS-0kpXMZ8lN2MROp8-wV1-UlJeNBCdUgmu15KHqeXtgwvIKT/s1600-h/LOVE+ATTACK+EVE+002-2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSIqUxa_s0A2w0_2sxlkoGb1IA85LnDh8Tf5lHdSywLTC3WIhinhxW6XHlTGscipkxU6mhvGmwUC_QVInOMOi1cMPtqjGS-0kpXMZ8lN2MROp8-wV1-UlJeNBCdUgmu15KHqeXtgwvIKT/s400/LOVE+ATTACK+EVE+002-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352017622964793026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>But wait, it get's better! He went out to his car during the break to get the music for the song that I had said I liked, Marmalade Sky! He even took his guitar with him around the corner to practice. I only know that because he showed me the chords and lyrics and said he would play it for me, but he hadn't played it in a long time so he was gonna go practice a bit. "ちょっと練習します。" he said with an embarrassed smile.</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess it was a really old song, because before he played it, he told everyone, kind of embarrassed, that he had written it maybe 10 years ago when he was either a junior high or high school student and that the lyrics were a little sophomoric and cute. I'm so happy he went through all that trouble just to play the song for me!! I love it! It's the corny and cute-ness that I like about the song. It's really innocent.</div><div><br /></div><div>And now, just because I love his music so much, you can listen to it here:</div><div><br /></div><div>My favorite song of his: <a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587273_whubx/yuutatsu.mp3">夕立</a></div><div>My 2nd favorite song and the one he played for me tonight: <a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587265_arwxf/07%20%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%83%89%E7%A9%BA.wma">マーマレイド空</a></div><div>And now just a bunch of songs I love in no particular order. This is me restraining myself too. I didn't actually upload ALL of his music.</div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587268_uoote/ieji.mp3">家路</a></div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587270_cp7kw/neko%20to%20midorigawa.mp3">猫と緑側</a></div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587272_no8rb/hibinorasen.mp3">日々のらせん</a></div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587271_5wm8s/fuyu%20machi.mp3">冬街</a></div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587269_bkkmz/sun%20set.mp3">夕焼け</a></div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587267_c9fvo/ame.mp3">通り雨</a></div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5587266_j0cse/06%20%E6%B5%81%E6%98%9F%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%83%E3%83%88.wma">流星ジェット</a></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-84374761785639695682009-06-25T21:19:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.122-08:00I am a Sunset Whore<div style="text-align: left;">To make things even more confusing, in Tokyo the capital city there is an area called Tokyo. The Japanese named it that on purpose because they have an over developed sense of humor and find confused looking gaijin hilarious.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even so, it's a pretty cool place. Sam's back from her romps throughout all of Japan and is now living in Kanda, which is really close to Tokyo. So, for the last few days, we have been exploring that area. We both didn't know anything about it, so we just picked a direction and went with it. </div><div><br /></div><div>We ended up in the middle of something called the "International Forum." Tokyo (the district in Tokyo the city) is mostly filled with high rises and what seem like businesses and department stores. The "International Forum" was a collection of tall buildings with a little plaza connecting them and a big mochi rock just chilling out in the middle of it all.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtpdTtsvqFHldfKvNe50IRbpqjREixo1zaI9l8_kcDPlhkNV9Op9pq6yoLl40vuePkaWWiCLH_kzzxN-iHsfaZtVEYrcawF5ptCelLFcYePP2DBDQDhKfqXWD4-bpBFJAOuoQxJ0dPFaI/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtpdTtsvqFHldfKvNe50IRbpqjREixo1zaI9l8_kcDPlhkNV9Op9pq6yoLl40vuePkaWWiCLH_kzzxN-iHsfaZtVEYrcawF5ptCelLFcYePP2DBDQDhKfqXWD4-bpBFJAOuoQxJ0dPFaI/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351493127250071122" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Doesn't it look like a big tasty mochi? There's no red bean inside though. I checked.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I saw this wavy-looking building when we were walking around aimlessly and thought it was cool. It gives you a pretty good picture of what the rest of the area looked like. It was kinda San Fransisco-esque if that helps. Minus the hippies. You know, around that section of Market where all the sort of government and major cooperation buildings are? It's like that.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCcstdBiVm3lLvFPCx8ZY10DtDwh_0EVNKeerO7ysKbHNm6oilXLXNdUpV3Tu_PNBFdTaqkLRcfz-2zH03BAhdYqqxwwTqYsgs9zOe4ICCXOTmJtoLf48py_jxqwom29MmHAzGyGBHkrZ/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCcstdBiVm3lLvFPCx8ZY10DtDwh_0EVNKeerO7ysKbHNm6oilXLXNdUpV3Tu_PNBFdTaqkLRcfz-2zH03BAhdYqqxwwTqYsgs9zOe4ICCXOTmJtoLf48py_jxqwom29MmHAzGyGBHkrZ/s400/003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351491259436096914" /></a><br /></div><div>A few blocks down from that we found a park. I think it was called Hibiya Park, which is also the name of the nearest subway line and the only reason I remembered the name. hehe. The sun was setting behind the trees and I couldn't resist.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrYarKqKyb7hyLWuQVAGjTseyGe_Ey58VAbUwpy2BrzXq914CfuFTfGu5xIO97pfmFRYixEnKtywFY-Y63RyjJMqIBe_mwwC24FL5I1jdQB9aV6106pkyNuOif3ws1NjZHMdMJFDf6Umj/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrYarKqKyb7hyLWuQVAGjTseyGe_Ey58VAbUwpy2BrzXq914CfuFTfGu5xIO97pfmFRYixEnKtywFY-Y63RyjJMqIBe_mwwC24FL5I1jdQB9aV6106pkyNuOif3ws1NjZHMdMJFDf6Umj/s400/004.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351491256844502018" /></a><br /></div><div>It was a very pretty park, but the best part was all the cats! Let's play a game: spot the cat! Ready....go!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMlsoOGfM0zxbz0qz91gGZzLGzMPGD3-QHsHwpE_48RBzc8Tyb4N90SGhpcneXkFuxIkqjdTmNH0NQAqnvjTiBkVdEksighSEAEhgqSTQgDYHoNKjhNDGmgQSRMpbZtFmBdvC8RRW_cis/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMlsoOGfM0zxbz0qz91gGZzLGzMPGD3-QHsHwpE_48RBzc8Tyb4N90SGhpcneXkFuxIkqjdTmNH0NQAqnvjTiBkVdEksighSEAEhgqSTQgDYHoNKjhNDGmgQSRMpbZtFmBdvC8RRW_cis/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351491245881036818" /></a><br /></div><div>Did you find it? It's ok, I took a close up of it. Count 'em:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-1k3ZHVZXZYnbJJrlYTYMPQaZUxm_rLujimC8QzvKW2cwi5kUjhLCEpww_6yuQOEj3tEvj6Bn9vFvbZGt1KCW8AxoWw7sGpuA5MSVWFf5aBCjV5zLpVx_HnfX7iECdM_rbzC47hHAGgd/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-1k3ZHVZXZYnbJJrlYTYMPQaZUxm_rLujimC8QzvKW2cwi5kUjhLCEpww_6yuQOEj3tEvj6Bn9vFvbZGt1KCW8AxoWw7sGpuA5MSVWFf5aBCjV5zLpVx_HnfX7iECdM_rbzC47hHAGgd/s200/008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490954615649474" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpR1xCexm_gYSPAkXqCv1cNWeNLFr9-AMqRyt4of8c4Pn6Y1qdXEQ3JchNuj_kR06Yu37Xko24owM20N1tBlPfGa1CxpGEsDpp9-AKiZ8e3pq7Dp3zsu7bTaL9Wbslcg8iB_JK-33sNp5/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpR1xCexm_gYSPAkXqCv1cNWeNLFr9-AMqRyt4of8c4Pn6Y1qdXEQ3JchNuj_kR06Yu37Xko24owM20N1tBlPfGa1CxpGEsDpp9-AKiZ8e3pq7Dp3zsu7bTaL9Wbslcg8iB_JK-33sNp5/s200/009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490944291918402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp90KqYNMiDm0_1rHpNKb7d1OliZ9Hj4C0vipRvAGlPrceMMIxB0fJ6nmKQnQQoCMl3EE_4lzgeSjpqGEFAwFTI8_aCJvvWW6-jfILt1M4RiIWWcxfzU-5Tfzlg19kljeQlpqQVTFEsIVR/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp90KqYNMiDm0_1rHpNKb7d1OliZ9Hj4C0vipRvAGlPrceMMIxB0fJ6nmKQnQQoCMl3EE_4lzgeSjpqGEFAwFTI8_aCJvvWW6-jfILt1M4RiIWWcxfzU-5Tfzlg19kljeQlpqQVTFEsIVR/s200/011.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490942896831538" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpQAPKgcrALvQ8fILnkidy1iskgus5MHv9PAAoQUPjcrJLPC-GAkNI7HxkTMMvbQ1VhUYCxTlRmxeZNEZlRwy23OWdnwiCGAXtIHh1cCgdnwNP0DumwXTNDdQ1N7gaC-t1jTcXwRHPlHN/s1600-h/015.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpQAPKgcrALvQ8fILnkidy1iskgus5MHv9PAAoQUPjcrJLPC-GAkNI7HxkTMMvbQ1VhUYCxTlRmxeZNEZlRwy23OWdnwiCGAXtIHh1cCgdnwNP0DumwXTNDdQ1N7gaC-t1jTcXwRHPlHN/s200/015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490938477186466" /></a>There are five cats! Just chillin' out at the park.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_Xgje7QauqkadoQDba1Ie520Zg56Qd7DHxWIv4_UFf5dVfKEQabpo13PC-c-61D2KRFliI-yUashvnQvBR0MROfbt_-W3nHfPIw1zLjzqKh49S4FlTeEz1pSLGxKLBU7t8D6_10LXoIf/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_Xgje7QauqkadoQDba1Ie520Zg56Qd7DHxWIv4_UFf5dVfKEQabpo13PC-c-61D2KRFliI-yUashvnQvBR0MROfbt_-W3nHfPIw1zLjzqKh49S4FlTeEz1pSLGxKLBU7t8D6_10LXoIf/s400/018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490610837553906" /></a>Then I found this cool church type thing with that gorgeous sky behind it. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then here is where I lost my senses. I really am a sunset whore. I can't help myself. It seems Guuzen-sama again randomly stumbled upon some sort of old castle grounds in the middle of this skyscraper city, and managed to hit it right as the sun was setting behind it. Therefore, please again indulge me while I spam my blog with sunset pictures.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXTc_HSbGko8Yo7Co9zTToCHzRxfTJEPe7c_H-33_fCG68YZNmg7j5vWhO3sK4RbkXwpL02AeyShpd5lr-dJXFRjNESQgMjotNSVkqD4xOqRmkS7SIq-f1aZXL3agfQOcF2A0jq3oLl3s/s1600-h/022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXTc_HSbGko8Yo7Co9zTToCHzRxfTJEPe7c_H-33_fCG68YZNmg7j5vWhO3sK4RbkXwpL02AeyShpd5lr-dJXFRjNESQgMjotNSVkqD4xOqRmkS7SIq-f1aZXL3agfQOcF2A0jq3oLl3s/s400/022.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490606328118002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM64un37kFa_zDm20VqT3E8lAFrAEPqRZWkww5CLtoQQAhUPVgVo-XuBUYZjsidR1ZyCNcq4Z2hRYPmhm1bQ3lHvXAST0sM8PDd0t7I-0XYFxxf1QwrmulZioi1XgaXnwMBWSPmhyFGhkL/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM64un37kFa_zDm20VqT3E8lAFrAEPqRZWkww5CLtoQQAhUPVgVo-XuBUYZjsidR1ZyCNcq4Z2hRYPmhm1bQ3lHvXAST0sM8PDd0t7I-0XYFxxf1QwrmulZioi1XgaXnwMBWSPmhyFGhkL/s400/027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490598244117378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0smH09xGMePrY-fL4TU1E5BEhJBBI2J-gCzB27OCCZ5fGj148_sz2CRlAw2xIh360T8ag8pxuIFSEO5UNa5FS5MCM_5PrqfdA-3EFXCNBuS26Dh2Oobyt3cAb_DHUFV15GCHnSsG8-1X/s1600-h/028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0smH09xGMePrY-fL4TU1E5BEhJBBI2J-gCzB27OCCZ5fGj148_sz2CRlAw2xIh360T8ag8pxuIFSEO5UNa5FS5MCM_5PrqfdA-3EFXCNBuS26Dh2Oobyt3cAb_DHUFV15GCHnSsG8-1X/s400/028.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490269166430594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOakX2YApT-n6pIb9TA3ujLxsHAtTIc2GK83YsaFE5djycUZ9aSNgdzQ47DN84ClOxEXw5KSVbAe_UwCs9ggwX3QJ7RRIWzV2qY7PF-lcZ-jg8OIQCauCkOoDCksq_Dc39co-z2K8IcLW1/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOakX2YApT-n6pIb9TA3ujLxsHAtTIc2GK83YsaFE5djycUZ9aSNgdzQ47DN84ClOxEXw5KSVbAe_UwCs9ggwX3QJ7RRIWzV2qY7PF-lcZ-jg8OIQCauCkOoDCksq_Dc39co-z2K8IcLW1/s400/033.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490261664588882" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_nr_WX-Bl_TT3MXuPFT0QBba0nmlm6i-LB98ZmK6MeRwq3sZAWXmfhi_IJuQEPWvWO6Yb2OFBMCI9w-2lDnvLfhGgks4cREMFTi3iMZ9IyUaXIDQVNbczYhjXHyzHZtyx26ISsvIhLoI/s1600-h/034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_nr_WX-Bl_TT3MXuPFT0QBba0nmlm6i-LB98ZmK6MeRwq3sZAWXmfhi_IJuQEPWvWO6Yb2OFBMCI9w-2lDnvLfhGgks4cREMFTi3iMZ9IyUaXIDQVNbczYhjXHyzHZtyx26ISsvIhLoI/s400/034.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490259626213170" /></a>I'm not really sure what that is behind me, but since I was in Tokyo, Tokyo and the "kyo" part of Tokyo means "capital," I'm thinking that was maybe the old capital/castle from ye olden times? I don't know. All I care about is that it had a moat! haha. Moats are cool because they reflect the sunset quite nicely. ^^</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we ate thai food and had this lovely delicacy:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkzfgL-8yGK5o0zAAwNYYvj7u-XrdorkIcaOKSfiUVXDZ8JzzAhLM1Kuiyk9VzwQ0WIew8auN_oxjU0tkTvuZ-p_YtqEjMoy1OkTMFR9i5AV9xAeIuReJ_-XvEeF0_ltbxsn7RKsPuMO7/s1600-h/037.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkzfgL-8yGK5o0zAAwNYYvj7u-XrdorkIcaOKSfiUVXDZ8JzzAhLM1Kuiyk9VzwQ0WIew8auN_oxjU0tkTvuZ-p_YtqEjMoy1OkTMFR9i5AV9xAeIuReJ_-XvEeF0_ltbxsn7RKsPuMO7/s400/037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490256380176034" /></a>Along with this tasty goodness:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahglpgCjgHmxfZfWDkDxuePvBzXU9gJZ1KPUgmyiEpHjtAqx8V4KOkSSTaVcKhSFIahPnODpH8gDQt6U8N5R74H8nlICQkbMa0xHSHd8fqcSXhLRfSx9zWJt0l_5K7d2xMiUiDZR1RxgM/s1600-h/040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahglpgCjgHmxfZfWDkDxuePvBzXU9gJZ1KPUgmyiEpHjtAqx8V4KOkSSTaVcKhSFIahPnODpH8gDQt6U8N5R74H8nlICQkbMa0xHSHd8fqcSXhLRfSx9zWJt0l_5K7d2xMiUiDZR1RxgM/s400/040.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351490250269936242" /></a><br /></div><div>And walked back to the station because it was dark and I wanted to see Sam's new place. So, we walked through Tokyo at night, which is pretty cool, and went to Kanda. The End.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0f3WtkdblXHfWNGmxe_XcHq5lXkA1Cr1gVYlWdootZ_V2Ty80_cZhvwMpNaYwu5qkOTJRsEF02T5kWr2ojgKgQCzrcZICf9Lv8X5uLr8tiUmk2kvJA2xHjwpThRPWDKqB-tt2v1VtGTy/s1600-h/043.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0f3WtkdblXHfWNGmxe_XcHq5lXkA1Cr1gVYlWdootZ_V2Ty80_cZhvwMpNaYwu5qkOTJRsEF02T5kWr2ojgKgQCzrcZICf9Lv8X5uLr8tiUmk2kvJA2xHjwpThRPWDKqB-tt2v1VtGTy/s400/043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351489306197482626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovdbnQVFKLoBbGXk3vPnrK0tuKKALiLHYF5q4S4hyphenhypheniXEelOoxxRUb6KStwEfryfhgbK21tRqCM0n5F0VH_qBnbUYBCpRv_rkRkD0J46Il0rSJv-IGGXGDWTYR7Z92dO0XgElrT_EGl-Ah/s1600-h/044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovdbnQVFKLoBbGXk3vPnrK0tuKKALiLHYF5q4S4hyphenhypheniXEelOoxxRUb6KStwEfryfhgbK21tRqCM0n5F0VH_qBnbUYBCpRv_rkRkD0J46Il0rSJv-IGGXGDWTYR7Z92dO0XgElrT_EGl-Ah/s400/044.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351489303040972978" /></a>Except it's not really the end, because the next day, we went back to the same place. We wanted to check out Daimaru (which I think is a really weird name. It literally means, "big circle."). Daimaru is a 13 story department store. It was quite the experience. I was also kind of curious about the floor with plus-size clothing. I'm kinda pudgy and had resigned myself to not buying any clothes in Japan because I'm a huge American, but if there is such a thing as plus-sizes in Japan, maybe there is some hope. But the bottom floor where all the cakes and sweets were was the coolest. (haha. I like cake and sweets. That's probably why I'm pudgy, but hey, one should enjoy life and all it's offerings.) I didn't get any, but they were so cute! And a lot of them had edible gold on top!</div><div><br /></div><div>We had decided to go to Daimaru because it was indoors and the weather report said it was going to be thunder and lightning storms all day. They lied. It was slightly cloudy, not much, and didn't even drizzle. So, in a spur of the moment decision, I convinced Sam to go back to Roppongi Hills with me so we could go to the top and see the 360 view of Tokyo! (I mean Tokyo the entire city this time) Who knew how long before it rained again? So off we went. I was very happy with myself for being able to get there without the help of google maps.</div><div><br /></div><div>So we went up to the top. It cost 1500円 ($15) for a ticket that got you to the 52nd floor with the art museum and the 360 view of Tokyo THROUGH GLASS. That was obviously not good enough. So, Sam and I spent the extra 300円 ($3) to go to the "Sky Deck" which is a fancy name for the roof.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was so cool being up that high! Like flying with your feet on the ground. And, of course, we went up at sunset and then stayed until it got dark and got to see Tokyo at night too. Yay! Sunset pictures! I don't have nearly enough of those!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwG_4i9ZMlU-z2J00BBdVC9PzUV9DgwCxLItfgrqJh545aplwL5Orf8Tu0iY57Sk83pbmnccR8CAqLe49bhf1BUCw2SOjVucRbxAU8x_7x7ov6tFjodkcNehIqUNbSltloOXPcPmT07Bjp/s1600-h/060.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwG_4i9ZMlU-z2J00BBdVC9PzUV9DgwCxLItfgrqJh545aplwL5Orf8Tu0iY57Sk83pbmnccR8CAqLe49bhf1BUCw2SOjVucRbxAU8x_7x7ov6tFjodkcNehIqUNbSltloOXPcPmT07Bjp/s400/060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351489288546730434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1o9tRii3bUjdPmzwKvJNygWMGk8JVU8iSMA80nxhYjkrk9NAAhwQ7m__tr3rbr5GZsYdFeCLEmFi5gC1g8gjb3mQ19StpEuYDE3lDmZR_Q-lNlOPbyxAVoEWUwDjDYw9O19QmLR0qSo8/s1600-h/083.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1o9tRii3bUjdPmzwKvJNygWMGk8JVU8iSMA80nxhYjkrk9NAAhwQ7m__tr3rbr5GZsYdFeCLEmFi5gC1g8gjb3mQ19StpEuYDE3lDmZR_Q-lNlOPbyxAVoEWUwDjDYw9O19QmLR0qSo8/s400/083.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351489286055703746" /></a>We only left because they kicked us off. One of the really cool things about being up there is all the different people who are up there with you. I don't think any of us were from the same country. There were a few people from Japan, obviously, but then there as a couple from China, Korea, some Middle Eastern country (maybe India?), a few from different European countries, and then Sam and I from the U.S. We were quite a collection and I thought it was quite fitting that the name of the exhibit in the art museum was called "Kaleidoscope."</div><div><br /></div><div>We finished the night off with a very tasty experience in a milk bar. Didn't know those existed, but apparently they do. They were having a "campaign" which means sale, and this crazy mango raspberry desert was 33% off. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBo8vWiKI3GNzQZBoSROUMO66DYL2eiTYsU8zFHnAx_lSEj-uWF17SEgSXsBRkb-L5vOFcGp8GqjUresPt298rvwmZJ1rWsyz2UNDe6ts8izj5EBPsAfu8bgU-ifS27IHtmUlKl0uOZikL/s1600-h/089.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBo8vWiKI3GNzQZBoSROUMO66DYL2eiTYsU8zFHnAx_lSEj-uWF17SEgSXsBRkb-L5vOFcGp8GqjUresPt298rvwmZJ1rWsyz2UNDe6ts8izj5EBPsAfu8bgU-ifS27IHtmUlKl0uOZikL/s400/089.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487811641131058" /></a>Look at the cute little chocolate spoon with the place's name on it in gold! It broke when I tried to eat the ice cream with it though and, alas, did have to resort to the metal one. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpKZYudIXEyL_lGGFTmWE_2-qyjU9BlzaOp3FWqJgG7xjR5dpukbU6CQBpAkXPLjOIoc0LLMmH2UZa0s1yiCBedes57OjaSiRAvYHvACIiXz8xqjo8k4OiLSm8b62Icpi7ieQwiRF_3G8/s1600-h/090.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpKZYudIXEyL_lGGFTmWE_2-qyjU9BlzaOp3FWqJgG7xjR5dpukbU6CQBpAkXPLjOIoc0LLMmH2UZa0s1yiCBedes57OjaSiRAvYHvACIiXz8xqjo8k4OiLSm8b62Icpi7ieQwiRF_3G8/s400/090.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487806079961218" /></a><br /></div><div>This guy was chillin' out by the cash registar.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogwnZW5wm8xMRAShagXsL-0O2uu2MH6sD08aTV3F4JGqISN0GuMvQKZxVwICmU8DDF_pz6BpBkbEXI4D0YhHEad6-q6EHQDQnq3PaHXvX9zlW1D9pKgFRwF02DSdxRINLp50PziHHv0Yz/s1600-h/091.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogwnZW5wm8xMRAShagXsL-0O2uu2MH6sD08aTV3F4JGqISN0GuMvQKZxVwICmU8DDF_pz6BpBkbEXI4D0YhHEad6-q6EHQDQnq3PaHXvX9zlW1D9pKgFRwF02DSdxRINLp50PziHHv0Yz/s400/091.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487803829704050" /></a><br /></div><div>And this guy was enjoying the evening air at the entrance.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrPXyWMAuG4sGwcSSM0Wc1iTp8eaHSbOBnf0XnoQDg6oyS7js0UD__IoDI5sKY9zqBHv09cElZj8OSS2kmlVXyfD44t8zs0_qHW7_NGo4_RVb_XRS7dwTv96XmoesEvHYltDSmSG1AwKq/s1600-h/092.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrPXyWMAuG4sGwcSSM0Wc1iTp8eaHSbOBnf0XnoQDg6oyS7js0UD__IoDI5sKY9zqBHv09cElZj8OSS2kmlVXyfD44t8zs0_qHW7_NGo4_RVb_XRS7dwTv96XmoesEvHYltDSmSG1AwKq/s400/092.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487797709884034" /></a><br /></div><div>Then, a great tragedy befell me. My glasses completely broke. I mean, they hard-core, fell-to-pieces broke. But that's ok. I am a resourceful spy lady and Macgyvered them back together with floss. haha. My glasses look horrible! The left side is being held together with floss and the film on the lenses is pealing! But the upside with this is that I will have glasses from Japan! If I can figure out how to translate the prescription that is...</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU5gR3SjEGcOapEh2ChrnTqr4BTrWx-iVubcTKRMMyWpkgX1Kgmt0lJWqbWZjrk06fJqtnttnb-e4krwb-DI_hxQ0fjb_OK5TCQP2-oAkyrXNqo2aAiEojR_vYX6mxTX5UIFwTRUZm2T0/s1600-h/096.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU5gR3SjEGcOapEh2ChrnTqr4BTrWx-iVubcTKRMMyWpkgX1Kgmt0lJWqbWZjrk06fJqtnttnb-e4krwb-DI_hxQ0fjb_OK5TCQP2-oAkyrXNqo2aAiEojR_vYX6mxTX5UIFwTRUZm2T0/s400/096.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351487791754756290" /></a><br /></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-58944862156634125082009-06-25T00:30:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.123-08:00Candle Night<div style="text-align: left;">I really want to see the Rockabillies and crazy Harajuku fashion people who hang out at Yoyogi park, but they are only there on Sundays! I was so excited for last Sunday to come, but then it did and it rained. It rained all day. A lot. Sad!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I decided to go anyways but found that no one was there, as I had suspected. Wouldn't want to get our picture taken with our makeup dripping now would we. But, I did stumble upon an Earth celebration because apparently it was the Summer Solstice. (It was also Father's Day, but it wouldn't be Father's Day in California where my Dad is until really late that night for me. I wasn't neglecting my Dad. promise.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But Harajuku was pretty much boring. I walked through Yoyogi park and no one was there save for a few old people in ponchos doing tai chi or something. But I found myself at Yoyogi station and spontaneously decided to go to Roppongi just because I knew that the Oedo Subway line at Yoyogi would get me there. Here's the grand Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in all its grandness!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt36bYyGnvhTzxHXtpzyT6ODsyeKXff7aT6hK4_vz7L1DymcAeJvC-hRLiILGa7SvcZko5omzxe6owPQ3ZwWmvxNymH40eVzjEqJtsv-L7fu0NB6Ya5r6Af-IwRr7pf1_RrALr_CgIHsz/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt36bYyGnvhTzxHXtpzyT6ODsyeKXff7aT6hK4_vz7L1DymcAeJvC-hRLiILGa7SvcZko5omzxe6owPQ3ZwWmvxNymH40eVzjEqJtsv-L7fu0NB6Ya5r6Af-IwRr7pf1_RrALr_CgIHsz/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172964894168722" /></a>It's crazy how tall it is. It disappears into the mist a bit. And then just outside that is this funky spider-like statue that reminds me of a Miyazaki film. Oh! like the old guy who works at the bottom of the bath house in Spirited Away! I don't know. I took a picture because it's famous. And also huge and creepy.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd4Ayy5Pds5q206NJhf-7e8VH-HxiPxJxZf5DceVeCd17H_RUu9_x85U_PE2km2Uh1aEBDA49XI4002X67ozqHaLLOYVSpNAbG3lmjXrxmJ-v6MoaDZJ0Jt7PuHTq6IyXy91dj7qsamqu/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd4Ayy5Pds5q206NJhf-7e8VH-HxiPxJxZf5DceVeCd17H_RUu9_x85U_PE2km2Uh1aEBDA49XI4002X67ozqHaLLOYVSpNAbG3lmjXrxmJ-v6MoaDZJ0Jt7PuHTq6IyXy91dj7qsamqu/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172960453351330" /></a>The main reason I decided to jump on the subway to Roppongi is because I was missing American food. I didn't think that was even possible!! American food is icky!! Well, compared to Japanese food it is. </div><div><br /></div><div>Roppongi is like the gaijin mecca of Japan. It's the mother ship that no one told me about. I'm like ET. Totally got left behind there. All the store clerks and cafe staff speak at least a little English, you can get hot dogs and giant slabs of steak here, and there are a ton of gaij around every corner. So, naturally, I got a bagel.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDe-DO8eUhPuxWa2783S6V-FomGdDmkTr-h2WcgQJSXE82wprsZplJ55GzBYAFWQIr2sH7p1a7YMj8Cuy-PNLYia1CPrADcYkKHQf7HRJBSoUfPg26x1JY-2clXmZA5owq5HAYSJprzTj/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDe-DO8eUhPuxWa2783S6V-FomGdDmkTr-h2WcgQJSXE82wprsZplJ55GzBYAFWQIr2sH7p1a7YMj8Cuy-PNLYia1CPrADcYkKHQf7HRJBSoUfPg26x1JY-2clXmZA5owq5HAYSJprzTj/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+004.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172956480155666" /></a>Doesn't that look like the tastiest bagel in all the world?!! Maybe just for me because I have a crazy love affair with bagels and I've been separated from my love for so long.</div><div><br /></div><div>All and all, I don't think Roppongi Hill is all that interesting. I mean, Mori Tower is pretty cool because you can go up to the top and get a 360 view of Tokyo, but I didn't do that because it was raining and so cloudy I wouldn't have been able to see anything. Mostly Roppongi Hills is just a really huge, fancy shopping mall with nothing but designer stores. It's great if you want to buy a $300 purse, but I didn't so much.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I went back to the station, which is connected to Roppongi Hills, and was about to buy a ticket home when I saw a sign that said, "Tokyo Midtown ↓" so off I went to see what this Tokyo Midtown was all about.</div><div><br /></div><div>Turns out, it's another huge shopping center that has an underground walkway connecting it to Roppongi Hills. Only it's cooler. Yes, definitely better. I don't know why, I just like it better. Probably because I happened to go there right in the middle of a huge event.</div><div><br /></div><div>Seems I stumbled upon "<a href="http://www.tokyo-midtown.com/en/event/5529.html">Candle Night</a>," which is this huge even where people light candles and turn off the lights for a few hours to conserve energy. I think it was in honor of the Summer Solstice. People were writing their wishes on the outside of these cups and then putting a candle inside of them.</div><div> </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zUhgdaMHTO9hzCsfi5s5M-NPa6TjtCnGn8Q5bA9nt2eXnxdYXCvQt-m9PXbKcL_CpdWpuF5amTRqh8AewA72r4ageeHqtOHlXpNZxKJmDjFZhvMvLvu-BXJB51I0_IJ7dijQ7TmaLSz3/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zUhgdaMHTO9hzCsfi5s5M-NPa6TjtCnGn8Q5bA9nt2eXnxdYXCvQt-m9PXbKcL_CpdWpuF5amTRqh8AewA72r4ageeHqtOHlXpNZxKJmDjFZhvMvLvu-BXJB51I0_IJ7dijQ7TmaLSz3/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172541473426578" /></a><br />I decided to stick around until night when they were all lit up. Also, they were having some live music. This girl with a really beautiful voice was singing ballads. Her name is Kumaki Anri and I bought her newest single that had these three songs on them, the first three songs she sang that night: <a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5538284_jravw/%E5%90%9B%E3%81%AE%E5%90%8D%E5%89%8D.wma">kimi no namae</a>, <a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5538285_ltl88/%E7%A5%88%E3%82%8A.wma">inori</a>, <a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5538286_1dqyp/%E3%81%A4%E3%81%B0%E3%81%95.wma">tsubasa</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://boxstr.com/files/5538286_1dqyp/%E3%81%A4%E3%81%B0%E3%81%95.wma"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaToh8pUpREdOug7uJRnVm9iGGGQNyOELOvo31iA6z3jEHkyY8iqLLDIMsWETx1ZPNfESj1UvLQwA4L3VYB-FetdvZ45xgRx6elrzNRx-LfskZdk5CqtyZlIP3kh0GU841GDsHT6Nro-ml/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaToh8pUpREdOug7uJRnVm9iGGGQNyOELOvo31iA6z3jEHkyY8iqLLDIMsWETx1ZPNfESj1UvLQwA4L3VYB-FetdvZ45xgRx6elrzNRx-LfskZdk5CqtyZlIP3kh0GU841GDsHT6Nro-ml/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172532668128866" /></a>Yesterday I was near Ginza and I actually heard "kimi no namae" playing on a big TV screen as I was crossing the street so I guess she's kinda popular? I really liked her in person; her voice is really angelic and kind of sucks you in, but I'm not sure if I like her recorded songs that much. It's the same songs, but she was so much more captivating in person. (I also was really excited that I understood almost all the lyrics of the song "kimi no namae." Yay! Although, that probably means that her lyrics arn't that original since I knew all the vocabulary...)</div><div><br /></div><div>And here's what the candles looked like all lit up. My camera isn't that good with night shots, but it still looks really pretty. The mist is so thick that the huge building in the background is half invisible. haha. That band of light continues up quite a ways but you can't see it.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AA2fjqwMhWpTFBt4t5qU5C9PM_JZNaVFNpk8hBgC1au-U8ZhMjvS507NWREpimOO7ru3l4ZogN1iKPETMRwCgSQCw4X30jGI9Xiff-LLPSnlimFNK7BT269XY9xlrCz_AfN8VbmXfTKy/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AA2fjqwMhWpTFBt4t5qU5C9PM_JZNaVFNpk8hBgC1au-U8ZhMjvS507NWREpimOO7ru3l4ZogN1iKPETMRwCgSQCw4X30jGI9Xiff-LLPSnlimFNK7BT269XY9xlrCz_AfN8VbmXfTKy/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172530360363650" /></a><br /></div><div>I tried to take a picture with flash, but it just got all the rain drops falling. I think it's pretty cool though. Looks like snow.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1enaZb1OqSLPa7vqr1_fPXq_Qsu1QA-EssR4RIW7WEB_gvO-4BiZ5S22S1BdvorK2ZcXs-uzZT_ecN5d1Y-09aD2sGXyItZ8LsfY1BH4-uyRo1pKDyPncJ_mpKvctUGbFMqlJNW3Z3Jp/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1enaZb1OqSLPa7vqr1_fPXq_Qsu1QA-EssR4RIW7WEB_gvO-4BiZ5S22S1BdvorK2ZcXs-uzZT_ecN5d1Y-09aD2sGXyItZ8LsfY1BH4-uyRo1pKDyPncJ_mpKvctUGbFMqlJNW3Z3Jp/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+017.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172524283921794" /></a>There's something kind of magical about having thousands of candles around you. Also, the fact that they continued to burn even after being continuously rained on is somewhat poetic, no?</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQJ09UQp0PgIRSGtqe08m3yE-_Lr6U3Oa2-q7ZNadHfmpXnqaB8Tk6oFxENq3CaC7JxfKw3ZOQpUa51JD-V2uSA2UnP6k3-R4ya5ZRDhE9xgDIZQVlkApy6PNpe_Pcs2m1Kr4ukseDYhs/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+018.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQJ09UQp0PgIRSGtqe08m3yE-_Lr6U3Oa2-q7ZNadHfmpXnqaB8Tk6oFxENq3CaC7JxfKw3ZOQpUa51JD-V2uSA2UnP6k3-R4ya5ZRDhE9xgDIZQVlkApy6PNpe_Pcs2m1Kr4ukseDYhs/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351172516355695490" /></a></div><div>You actually had a pretty good view of Tokyo Tower from the grass where the candles were so I took a picture of it through the trees. It came out blurry so I was going to take another one, but the second after I took the picture, all the lights went off!! I was so lucky!! I guess Tokyo Tower was also participating in Candle Night by turning off the lights and saving electricity. Literally, the second I hit the shutter button the lights went off. It's was really quite spooky. Just stumbling upon a huge event like Candle Night is kind of spooky. I really am just the queen of coincidences. Guuzen-sama. ^^</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53rYWpLMv9zgcNeejdJIKFiIBW_BCZyr4y1aD6GnMKEAetEWZCT8eG5qIoQq7_DEMCJKDEoEv-JZxskKCvG08TdNKzKURm23rllhkO_8jzPnSp-S1VKKEd_MLHmXxcnl9krnQXcmcacRZ/s1600-h/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+022.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53rYWpLMv9zgcNeejdJIKFiIBW_BCZyr4y1aD6GnMKEAetEWZCT8eG5qIoQq7_DEMCJKDEoEv-JZxskKCvG08TdNKzKURm23rllhkO_8jzPnSp-S1VKKEd_MLHmXxcnl9krnQXcmcacRZ/s400/%E5%85%AD%E6%9C%AC%E6%9C%A8%E3%83%92%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%81%A8%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3+022.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351183502278003842" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-19292150961846103872009-06-16T22:07:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.124-08:00Everything is called AoyamaYesterday, I went to 青山学院大学 (Aoyama Gakuin Daigaku) which means Aoyama Academy University. It's redundant, but Aoyama Academy also has a high school and middle school and so on and so forth. Everything is called Aoyama something. There is an Aoyama street, and Aoyama coffee place, and Aoyama blablablahlsdfsldfkj. Even in Nakano there are things called Aoyama something or other. On my phone, when I type out Japanese messages, if I just push "a" then my phone will suggest Aoyama as the first thing.<div><br /></div><div>Anyways, it is a really pretty campus, especially since it's right in the middle of Tokyo. It's between Shibuya and Harajuku. My friend, Akane, showed me around. She used to go to Aoyama, but she just transferred to my college!! Yay! But I might apply to study abroad at Aoyama in two years so she gave me a little tour. It's really pretty. I like it a lot.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWasI66H0XNrIvtyrt_X38RWbyVf1k-p6vGiu4qhBDQ5GJ26q88B0fQqq8Am4kmNWRHD2aa7FqLWs51ZZcyo-uJPwkISTJNSYTc6Z8R1o6R_eInH_6voetG4Uun7s7qeiAdYKLF9vubxyL/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWasI66H0XNrIvtyrt_X38RWbyVf1k-p6vGiu4qhBDQ5GJ26q88B0fQqq8Am4kmNWRHD2aa7FqLWs51ZZcyo-uJPwkISTJNSYTc6Z8R1o6R_eInH_6voetG4Uun7s7qeiAdYKLF9vubxyL/s400/002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348169355112024418" /></a>More importantly, apparently Aoyama Gakuin Daigaku has the top rating in all of Japan for food services. The food is so tasty!!! And really cheap!! I'm told that salarymen even stop by for lunch because it's so good and cheap. haha. That's reason enough to go to Aoyama, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>Afterwards we walked around Omotesando and Harajuku. She showed me this really weird place called "Oriental Bazaar." The place looked ridiculous and housed ridiculous things. Mixed in with the nice traditional Japanese stuff like pottery, fabric, purses, and charms were these things:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JMRM3Im5saNLY4aApmoiARm30cojJHyVHzdeq4t151f8Mbu_YMfhSjXAyfMRe1Q77d1ULYkLhTHG55xSEkodmyOHzYeFPAO1ZIDX44g1UEIy2pCuY3ZHuaQMUBV6drmQCQQliRpeDNik/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JMRM3Im5saNLY4aApmoiARm30cojJHyVHzdeq4t151f8Mbu_YMfhSjXAyfMRe1Q77d1ULYkLhTHG55xSEkodmyOHzYeFPAO1ZIDX44g1UEIy2pCuY3ZHuaQMUBV6drmQCQQliRpeDNik/s400/003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348169352447271202" /></a>They're made out of the same crape material as the other traditional Japanese key chains, but they're hamburgers and hotdogs!! What the hell? So very odd. But really, what did I expect when the outside looks like this:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtE9gQG5nAVZnQshHwcCtCA5ErSXoejtZIq5FSwpCjdWSX7jfbJEcbCa540FO9fPMA76XKWpuOQiTVJAP3K5vgqanIHVBMIOrXd-MYU94KQ9RN5j9Br4rAgfoH51ygHjKyCsHOnwT1H31x/s1600-h/005.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtE9gQG5nAVZnQshHwcCtCA5ErSXoejtZIq5FSwpCjdWSX7jfbJEcbCa540FO9fPMA76XKWpuOQiTVJAP3K5vgqanIHVBMIOrXd-MYU94KQ9RN5j9Br4rAgfoH51ygHjKyCsHOnwT1H31x/s400/005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348169347283533378" /></a>Then Akane had class so she went back to Aoyama and I just walked around Harajuku again and found myself back at the station. Right next to the station is the famed Meiji Shrine and since I was there I decided that now was as good a day as any to check it out. Here's a picture of Harajuku from the pedestrian crossway that goes over the streets. The small building on the left is Harajuku Station.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeNiqkg8dHmUWhwnFpve_l5lUUxmB0YV3j9QL1-mrEscfP2Ejq2JDkzPghtr2wZFjMsQ_r-vMxICeZ8bC-6yQMDs_SLoMdBX1Bni9Epva2PnrOQ1FD4C4UE8dJBESCG0o1yxJgLMDGpw1/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeNiqkg8dHmUWhwnFpve_l5lUUxmB0YV3j9QL1-mrEscfP2Ejq2JDkzPghtr2wZFjMsQ_r-vMxICeZ8bC-6yQMDs_SLoMdBX1Bni9Epva2PnrOQ1FD4C4UE8dJBESCG0o1yxJgLMDGpw1/s400/010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348169338320751474" /></a>Then, just turn slightly to your left and TADA! green!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-0TvDWzRAKE6PQKwPnqtrjvnb9w41x1s5sVPyp4XsFelQ0emSFnD1SsrDsXaB1MMy-9Uj0h2e6bm86blqCo__MZq4nY2uPFmqttSSRLkEZfL6kqaJuCm35aLrMcjPWEBHJWOXlHOb-pC/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-0TvDWzRAKE6PQKwPnqtrjvnb9w41x1s5sVPyp4XsFelQ0emSFnD1SsrDsXaB1MMy-9Uj0h2e6bm86blqCo__MZq4nY2uPFmqttSSRLkEZfL6kqaJuCm35aLrMcjPWEBHJWOXlHOb-pC/s400/012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348169332495962066" /></a>That's the entrance to the Meiji Shrine. It really looks like the gate to a different world. Right behind me are skyscrapers and rushing vehicles. 信じられないよね。It's unbelievable.</div><div><br /></div><div>As soon as you enter, the temperature drops like 5 degrees, it gets really quiet really quickly, and you really are in another world.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbx1OAvZjcu9efa8Ey_sIENdosrpCBOmwomTuM2sZE9wOGceFDEoCEti9i-AhHeM51408GmUO0RPETkdQbNdkTS7VgVMheGAoyOe2RzN6lngkU7ff9Ia452gOm64mfe-4Gs0F5wPRPVW9/s1600-h/013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbx1OAvZjcu9efa8Ey_sIENdosrpCBOmwomTuM2sZE9wOGceFDEoCEti9i-AhHeM51408GmUO0RPETkdQbNdkTS7VgVMheGAoyOe2RzN6lngkU7ff9Ia452gOm64mfe-4Gs0F5wPRPVW9/s400/013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168855598847410" /></a>The path is gigantic. It's so wide, but that just makes everyone seem that much farther away. Then you come to a little bridge overlooking a stream. It was so serene.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6mKsEbm5UlG8tx6kK_V4Z8EvSHOA_vHwNrd88DL1hPikg_MqS1_L6cojKAkreiuHX1qqCl5zuWX26x-md6KOYj2BLMu8bCDIlWv0alpx9z32I1_6rz-Sp1qG8UFo5B2SggPqhAaOYFcv/s1600-h/015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6mKsEbm5UlG8tx6kK_V4Z8EvSHOA_vHwNrd88DL1hPikg_MqS1_L6cojKAkreiuHX1qqCl5zuWX26x-md6KOYj2BLMu8bCDIlWv0alpx9z32I1_6rz-Sp1qG8UFo5B2SggPqhAaOYFcv/s400/015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168847873927618" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1fOaFMi3Pm34p5cMq6MRmDWaxieMpzwaexDmvThAvniyzyPdmUUoI7M9E0fvHmzzCp31tS75AlMmLzJ1KwPrFdM7Q1T9qcaY4Vc4gVYKaaSt0FKPwIdPbFTnPQLiv8mm-rBaORzU3LDr/s1600-h/016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1fOaFMi3Pm34p5cMq6MRmDWaxieMpzwaexDmvThAvniyzyPdmUUoI7M9E0fvHmzzCp31tS75AlMmLzJ1KwPrFdM7Q1T9qcaY4Vc4gVYKaaSt0FKPwIdPbFTnPQLiv8mm-rBaORzU3LDr/s400/016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168846770309810" /></a>Somewhere along the way there was a map, but I wasn't interested and just kept wondering, but if you guys ever visit and don't want to get lost, have no fear, there are maps. The place is HUGE.</div><div><br /></div><div>So next up was the wall of sake. It's really kind of pretty, but mostly enlightening. Them olden people liked to get wasted. haha. No, I'm sure there's some sort of significance to all the liquor, but it's written all over wikipedia I'm sure and I didn't feel like stopping to read the signs. Make your own significance. It works better.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwIXbXmV8NO6BS4hrklMQZE7OKlB5PzJuS31uiC9Ba9PhZGLD6jw8d_ssCZLRX-u-zuMlNT50wHzGfGJMATqdNPjpiQx10KPOIubTITH4YFm4P7raD5ez_Ud333dISOYGe6nHW0pCMkU9/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwIXbXmV8NO6BS4hrklMQZE7OKlB5PzJuS31uiC9Ba9PhZGLD6jw8d_ssCZLRX-u-zuMlNT50wHzGfGJMATqdNPjpiQx10KPOIubTITH4YFm4P7raD5ez_Ud333dISOYGe6nHW0pCMkU9/s400/018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168836265309378" /></a>So I finally make it to the main Shrine and I see this family taking a picture outside the gate. Three of them were in the shot and they made the young boy take the picture. sad. So, I first asked them if they spoke English or Japanese (they spoke English) and then I asked them if they would like me to take their picture. They said, no, it's ok, but would I like them to take my picture. Not gonna lie, that was my ulterior motive for offering my picture taking services. Here's the pic:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyi9xakYLlW6cIYrRLAnhlh7t1oKaUJ3N9hAr04g8S-2Tfbmqzv661Dk-mGwIFcdaExxdq4jsc4LYbZ5nyM12VIqUlKChrVONhFWkMwULdBpt2rMgEdPVyh4afm7SKI1TALNBUx2MSz8Wh/s1600-h/022-crop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyi9xakYLlW6cIYrRLAnhlh7t1oKaUJ3N9hAr04g8S-2Tfbmqzv661Dk-mGwIFcdaExxdq4jsc4LYbZ5nyM12VIqUlKChrVONhFWkMwULdBpt2rMgEdPVyh4afm7SKI1TALNBUx2MSz8Wh/s400/022-crop.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168830217617922" /></a>The guy was really weird though, in a funny way. He said that he would take my picture, and take one with him in it because he's traveling the world and inserting himself in everyone's pictures. haha, whatever. ok. So here's the quirky guy and me at the Meiji Shrine:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CF3lz1BDCt7guoRKQyMLUTSep7FVlkwODCqVjUCu9494_978m0C6Q_VPW75xxNBwEx7eP0S-0cDEvU35QB97v_up5c47O3F_3IglwxlPpKW3cC2gJXJpSb77QmGB5RD419R3DUKjy0uv/s1600-h/023-crop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CF3lz1BDCt7guoRKQyMLUTSep7FVlkwODCqVjUCu9494_978m0C6Q_VPW75xxNBwEx7eP0S-0cDEvU35QB97v_up5c47O3F_3IglwxlPpKW3cC2gJXJpSb77QmGB5RD419R3DUKjy0uv/s400/023-crop.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168331115344674" /></a>Then me and the quirky guy and his family said our goodbyes and they entered the shrine and I went to go wash my hands again. I'm getting super pro at washing my hands for the gods.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDitIqxPZuA_xDYO6Khb2JXpPZ80p1xuNNKNntSbJhjXz8ieNpaZ4s2oHWJ-oIUO0bDe_L6HaXfcw2Iewl3fhbY7BBtdGgMnGBceCIUpNZ7LncXWmJy_pDCjrSzdVlhSV_sdDlaGwT-3RC/s1600-h/024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDitIqxPZuA_xDYO6Khb2JXpPZ80p1xuNNKNntSbJhjXz8ieNpaZ4s2oHWJ-oIUO0bDe_L6HaXfcw2Iewl3fhbY7BBtdGgMnGBceCIUpNZ7LncXWmJy_pDCjrSzdVlhSV_sdDlaGwT-3RC/s400/024.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168321147333170" /></a></div><div>Here's a picture of the shrine. It was a really cloudy day, so the shrine looks like it's glowing, no?</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRneLNGgSxduNELfGt7RPm_xpURDNCG7zEeabBAge_MD6KEuhr9JyBk29Vm7ggIJujVmJetWZgWkCNFhfCu-LrgqVNcDxByHek8SXdMcgZb3draO-C4FbWmm4UpK0a1Fm9KefdESbA5W-/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRneLNGgSxduNELfGt7RPm_xpURDNCG7zEeabBAge_MD6KEuhr9JyBk29Vm7ggIJujVmJetWZgWkCNFhfCu-LrgqVNcDxByHek8SXdMcgZb3draO-C4FbWmm4UpK0a1Fm9KefdESbA5W-/s400/026.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168317877058610" /></a>And right next to it was the place where you get your fortune. I never get my fortune at any of the shrines or temples, did you notice? I don't want to know. I just took a picture of it because I thought the tree looked like the Totoro tree. The whole thing looks like it's glowing, even the ground.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijwd4pxwRgiNQ3Pee0L-Xjbfij34GaYaFom1vxq-P3EtfMmBCzDWMfUsuO7Y9eMTLMCM6AtiyUSrFCj1jEudV_T1chWmOv26XUAS3_wuR2lc3QJstnFfasts0yP9qBMzn2RUpJ49APrf-/s1600-h/029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijwd4pxwRgiNQ3Pee0L-Xjbfij34GaYaFom1vxq-P3EtfMmBCzDWMfUsuO7Y9eMTLMCM6AtiyUSrFCj1jEudV_T1chWmOv26XUAS3_wuR2lc3QJstnFfasts0yP9qBMzn2RUpJ49APrf-/s400/029.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168310439650834" /></a>I bought a charm before I left. This one is supposed to protect me while I'm traveling. Handy. I travel A LOT.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYBNrYTG6NMftObMQt9ShL3qLoijb1TmfDcHGKKI6qT1UaaoHdD8UZ5Kx4RjcTGQA5IPM8f8yBibLJXmG7LloUyPrBWZl1op6lD__gVa-VVbB51QGnI0MfCQSsZ27Amx49qJ7uZ54jCzt/s1600-h/031.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYBNrYTG6NMftObMQt9ShL3qLoijb1TmfDcHGKKI6qT1UaaoHdD8UZ5Kx4RjcTGQA5IPM8f8yBibLJXmG7LloUyPrBWZl1op6lD__gVa-VVbB51QGnI0MfCQSsZ27Amx49qJ7uZ54jCzt/s400/031.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348168307154381618" /></a>Then I chilled outside the shrine, at a different entrance, and, I confess, looked at a map. It looked like it was going to rain soon, so I thought I should get where I want to go as soon as possible. Basically, I just didn't want to go anywhere I'd already been, so I found a tiny path on the map and decided to go with that one.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxKktqd5k688iyPmR5HRO2krJsIE3q18CIcDaNx1NTbE88S8X80egMxCf-gVuzelc_NGrDAJ58q_1B8X4-L4xbiJ4HUDVY_f8p4ErQFKEadc6r-kGJKd8V6NYtFE2W83JQrRsnnnuc8A6/s1600-h/034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxKktqd5k688iyPmR5HRO2krJsIE3q18CIcDaNx1NTbE88S8X80egMxCf-gVuzelc_NGrDAJ58q_1B8X4-L4xbiJ4HUDVY_f8p4ErQFKEadc6r-kGJKd8V6NYtFE2W83JQrRsnnnuc8A6/s400/034.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348167892629345778" /></a>Just when I was about to leave, the same guy and his family walked by. The guy said, "well now that's an interesting picture," and said I should take a picture of me there. I said ok, handed him my camera and his wife, I assume, piped in, "just do what you were doing naturally, just reading." But of course the whole situation was kind of weird so the most natural pose I could come up with was this:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirA7fyBiMllTZHLWIx9mXZsGc4zArXD0X55u5cJkDN986llDyaq9uAtpYnDqAPJIUwOyww-TlFx6jE2YoTPHa7QbNDqxtqBqWrw5qd8axinYTvrTbN5-xIFntnqM8KsxWCD5FULnrwQ6CI/s1600-h/035.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirA7fyBiMllTZHLWIx9mXZsGc4zArXD0X55u5cJkDN986llDyaq9uAtpYnDqAPJIUwOyww-TlFx6jE2YoTPHa7QbNDqxtqBqWrw5qd8axinYTvrTbN5-xIFntnqM8KsxWCD5FULnrwQ6CI/s400/035.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348167881670068946" /></a>That's pretty much the way I looked when they were walking by except I have this awkward smile on my face. They were a very weird bunch, but I liked them. Apparently they were from Singapore.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here's the path I chose:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxvV-nlqg8XU6vV8-XtkZK9zhGDlGpr2GO6VSmRSP5efKeldq2J5XQo4RoQa7qAVJLITOxiKNJkVHQLoWxlr5Y3Xt0vSGdRhWSmqgqSEhEHo5GuSu02l0esr-DUJetRLmSky2Qw9CpTGM/s1600-h/043-mod.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxvV-nlqg8XU6vV8-XtkZK9zhGDlGpr2GO6VSmRSP5efKeldq2J5XQo4RoQa7qAVJLITOxiKNJkVHQLoWxlr5Y3Xt0vSGdRhWSmqgqSEhEHo5GuSu02l0esr-DUJetRLmSky2Qw9CpTGM/s400/043-mod.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348167876751081378" /></a>I took a picture of myself on it because I was the only one there. I thought that was really cool. I really forgot I was in Tokyo. It was completely covered by the treetops, </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO41ajN3QawvZ1_nBO4VCJcUXs7c04QCEWCWHvgTllQoRiMCTfAzc1d8kT2KdujdNBmoQ52VVUbD4Dq8Yfs2zvBVBVRZGh5TsqbArqjcwTzs-30KkmbsAA8h2ZjWgDENSE2yW0zzi9j9n/s1600-h/045.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO41ajN3QawvZ1_nBO4VCJcUXs7c04QCEWCWHvgTllQoRiMCTfAzc1d8kT2KdujdNBmoQ52VVUbD4Dq8Yfs2zvBVBVRZGh5TsqbArqjcwTzs-30KkmbsAA8h2ZjWgDENSE2yW0zzi9j9n/s400/045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348167871711766322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div>it was quiet and cool, and there were no people around. I even saw a cute little butterfly.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH8DTX4y7fjPcsMvX5pXsNZQoTN44pWgfrwRxh54_8QJtNMXDMzqtcCDor3mIqU_rOh1mkWoY6Yh5grxalWMkaYiYqyi96cvxxrlsF7vmSbb5YaAtvTSt73g2evQ8hKiBU8YTqv4UH5h-/s1600-h/044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH8DTX4y7fjPcsMvX5pXsNZQoTN44pWgfrwRxh54_8QJtNMXDMzqtcCDor3mIqU_rOh1mkWoY6Yh5grxalWMkaYiYqyi96cvxxrlsF7vmSbb5YaAtvTSt73g2evQ8hKiBU8YTqv4UH5h-/s400/044.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348167876096183874" /></a></div><div>But then the tunnel opened up and I was reminded that, yes, I was in fact in Tokyo.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH8DTX4y7fjPcsMvX5pXsNZQoTN44pWgfrwRxh54_8QJtNMXDMzqtcCDor3mIqU_rOh1mkWoY6Yh5grxalWMkaYiYqyi96cvxxrlsF7vmSbb5YaAtvTSt73g2evQ8hKiBU8YTqv4UH5h-/s1600-h/044.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4K1K1aan4koTflwMRG46nRukjo9S86RWJGlDCQEW01wjje6ErEyYZ1Wa5k43aU9fijSjyBypjGo8jD6f4C3RIwTPxhj27PFgJPW80sEQt97GiOAIAktH-bq1vF57ja1Nrt1Z2HAU4lHgL/s1600-h/048.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4K1K1aan4koTflwMRG46nRukjo9S86RWJGlDCQEW01wjje6ErEyYZ1Wa5k43aU9fijSjyBypjGo8jD6f4C3RIwTPxhj27PFgJPW80sEQt97GiOAIAktH-bq1vF57ja1Nrt1Z2HAU4lHgL/s400/048.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165993394024258" /></a>It became pretty clear to me that this open green area was kind of like a local secret. There were a few people sprinkled along the lawn just chilling out, having a picnic, or whatever. All the crowds were elsewhere. So I joined in and laid on the grass.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxAbfIdoochvrn_49G_n3iM5zUzQSGQlhGUMqdDWQheLOBp_ZqDXA6mHPr_HWy7ZWVdSoLYYbl05IaMGUmCSzH2dj9frJkn0PZhZ1dZUSV1sXz4_g1UBTfn7DMl6mPxMqirkQ9IHTq-KU/s1600-h/050.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxAbfIdoochvrn_49G_n3iM5zUzQSGQlhGUMqdDWQheLOBp_ZqDXA6mHPr_HWy7ZWVdSoLYYbl05IaMGUmCSzH2dj9frJkn0PZhZ1dZUSV1sXz4_g1UBTfn7DMl6mPxMqirkQ9IHTq-KU/s400/050.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165989567316754" /></a>This is what I saw when I laid on my back:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWAyWQezfREfW1WYLbERXk7_3iM6CX-q9aDKIlJd5mXvHrglJVFB-gA42l4_PDnk6ZtPoRgv2lMpvZnqIwdyWElHPEG_Nqi5knW75Mk3WjOcNp9j5jhBOspmJ6a2ynQOpC4VtMqSJdxBw/s1600-h/053.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWAyWQezfREfW1WYLbERXk7_3iM6CX-q9aDKIlJd5mXvHrglJVFB-gA42l4_PDnk6ZtPoRgv2lMpvZnqIwdyWElHPEG_Nqi5knW75Mk3WjOcNp9j5jhBOspmJ6a2ynQOpC4VtMqSJdxBw/s400/053.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165986167423410" /></a>And this is what the tree saw when it looked down:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-imGwLbrq5flwiqGniIpFVCmhZTDgptcB6h8tZtfMSYbPGYtGuzfm-GbA4rK1tG_mk2Ww-lml39co5l15JY7qcpi5vYA6gndTw0nvMAXrI6GotVurRyHh0LHQ2oBpopXjSnx7feHp3-KU/s1600-h/054.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-imGwLbrq5flwiqGniIpFVCmhZTDgptcB6h8tZtfMSYbPGYtGuzfm-GbA4rK1tG_mk2Ww-lml39co5l15JY7qcpi5vYA6gndTw0nvMAXrI6GotVurRyHh0LHQ2oBpopXjSnx7feHp3-KU/s400/054.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165982059834818" /></a>Then this little bird came really close to me! To give you an idea of how close he was, I took this picture WITHOUT ZOOM.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdzIFtlfCE4vO3uuBI9QTO317-YTz0Zts7DLaTu3hIpRkIa4zBTxG65bT1DaS9hdFKI5D9OeriaPzmWZVz2MKbsQxEAZJM5nmn-Yme2L9F4mUOm2rGC1JySznSjwxoi5_S72Qhw7fn9Kr/s1600-h/057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdzIFtlfCE4vO3uuBI9QTO317-YTz0Zts7DLaTu3hIpRkIa4zBTxG65bT1DaS9hdFKI5D9OeriaPzmWZVz2MKbsQxEAZJM5nmn-Yme2L9F4mUOm2rGC1JySznSjwxoi5_S72Qhw7fn9Kr/s400/057.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165969729363138" /></a>Then it started to rain so I got out my handy dandy umbrella and continued walking around. Here are just some random shots of the grounds. It's so serene!!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtmKj2tVOyz1yRDj5nHLIefp41ymcpIQVHeYPUsRgIjzDjL0oew1hvLUenn77V8hnqkqKcT1aAnT6nOaYwJL9m_AeE10EvvUiRIajj2MCiiyX507eFg5aAP1fuUn5YIh7MR1CI4dbb2Sr/s1600-h/062.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtmKj2tVOyz1yRDj5nHLIefp41ymcpIQVHeYPUsRgIjzDjL0oew1hvLUenn77V8hnqkqKcT1aAnT6nOaYwJL9m_AeE10EvvUiRIajj2MCiiyX507eFg5aAP1fuUn5YIh7MR1CI4dbb2Sr/s400/062.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165557585916930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQnDbNn4uXEuYbS-xW1Oj3ODE9DNPJNdYBudgQ0_rrldLdpWgT_Z9_LGa5q5PyWucN1acoOtP4c-72yRP_ArN-ccPXGHUr947g1oBAiADAhejXQTsIuXje-kUPzrH6hhJLnI9vZkpE0Ap/s1600-h/063.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQnDbNn4uXEuYbS-xW1Oj3ODE9DNPJNdYBudgQ0_rrldLdpWgT_Z9_LGa5q5PyWucN1acoOtP4c-72yRP_ArN-ccPXGHUr947g1oBAiADAhejXQTsIuXje-kUPzrH6hhJLnI9vZkpE0Ap/s400/063.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165552127348690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYryaxN80FLLt3TqJW51lqQuaca8HyJ6mB36nOLNHehkOjvs4P611JRV2omHAY-4iRhfQqAR0IdEXvl2t3jtUWPNTzzvRe_FMTegjl58uQhDhzCCSqhMDz9im08S_hZL7mY2be6qYW0d01/s1600-h/069.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYryaxN80FLLt3TqJW51lqQuaca8HyJ6mB36nOLNHehkOjvs4P611JRV2omHAY-4iRhfQqAR0IdEXvl2t3jtUWPNTzzvRe_FMTegjl58uQhDhzCCSqhMDz9im08S_hZL7mY2be6qYW0d01/s400/069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165547608424450" /></a>I am at a crossroads. Story of my life.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Bc9H65H2D8BnQ5Llf7bsLD4m-t8sBT0TCCpXOYntMkR9SNjtv3_jKp-jzeKyhe2UFWLT1rugZ2TqF8Dx2_c3w3jp5pfF57QDobxmc2HiKBbw8WtZQ_FZYgJUJw5jMmW9Pr2M9m3VkfVn/s1600-h/078.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Bc9H65H2D8BnQ5Llf7bsLD4m-t8sBT0TCCpXOYntMkR9SNjtv3_jKp-jzeKyhe2UFWLT1rugZ2TqF8Dx2_c3w3jp5pfF57QDobxmc2HiKBbw8WtZQ_FZYgJUJw5jMmW9Pr2M9m3VkfVn/s400/078.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165542379447330" /></a>Then I finished up the day with some ice cream. It's called 抹茶金時アイス or Maccha Kintoki Ice cream. It had two little balls of mochi and red bean in it!! Perfect way to end a very traditional day.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D_fm_YASu0G02_RgCqR99NxxoapyIrwtZBIvf28GKFKfuj_oQJQS_CJPgpadKCe5yEg_MFiBoQKxPYHVs0NwwCG_om18eyYd3EQGWGEkcl65hWBea89QnYjo5uYr-5Op1xP-bJ_rD-P6/s1600-h/083.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D_fm_YASu0G02_RgCqR99NxxoapyIrwtZBIvf28GKFKfuj_oQJQS_CJPgpadKCe5yEg_MFiBoQKxPYHVs0NwwCG_om18eyYd3EQGWGEkcl65hWBea89QnYjo5uYr-5Op1xP-bJ_rD-P6/s400/083.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348165532630748946" /><br /></a></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-44656367414686349232009-06-15T03:54:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.124-08:00Asakusa Spy Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCTZmCw7rMigGmFMDOHiInrJefiYPVVz17uAJ3ts0g2gmW3fxJIOT7JKvHv7i3msaYAXM4P1ngjai8NapW8nqRQzi2dkCNUQ8KmoPCq87V99av2PukDZCwOAfjHt2vIdESINsB_PP3rNE/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+009.JPG"></a><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;">Today I woke up with absolutely no agenda. So, I lazed around until I decided that the best way to decide what to do was to go to google maps, bring up all of Tokyo, close my eyes and randomly point. I landed on Ueno and was like, "Ok. kimeta!" and then realized Ueno is stupid (which it's not, actually, but I didn't want to go there today and leaving things up to chance is stupid [which, again, it's not; it's actually pretty cool and fun, but I'm stupid]), so instead I went to Asakusa. It's right next door so really what's the difference?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that is the story of how today became Asakusa Day. But then, when I was getting dressed and ready to enjoy Asakusa Day, I decided that Asakusa Day is not nearly interesting enough. So, Asakusa Day became the more interesting incarnation of itself: Asakusa Spy Day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What this means, is that I would spend the day in Asakusa being all touristy and taking a lot of pictures because Asakusa is one of the most touristy places in all of Tokyo, but I would be undercover as a JAPANESE tourist. Asakusa is a huge TOURIST magnet, not GAIJIN TOURIST magnet. There are a ton of school children and Japanese people from anywhere outside of Tokyo. I could be a tourist from Hiroshima. They don't know. Muhahahahaha!!!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, I got dressed up in as Nippon-ppoi (that means Japan-ish) a fashion as I could with my American clothes, took a picture of myself, and set off making my own spy theme music. in my head. That last bit is important.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWbXvAGlKh0xCBWbyQxzdUeKb0uuNLdRX1V9BSp8qt5JRZ9h23UZsgIuYbCz_Nam8VyOv9vq3mBFhMWInaDpB56zXTbu2P6upfkJ1a9NS4nORh_u2GMeiUu3VJyNyoZLS5F85F17qx3tC/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+046.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWbXvAGlKh0xCBWbyQxzdUeKb0uuNLdRX1V9BSp8qt5JRZ9h23UZsgIuYbCz_Nam8VyOv9vq3mBFhMWInaDpB56zXTbu2P6upfkJ1a9NS4nORh_u2GMeiUu3VJyNyoZLS5F85F17qx3tC/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+046.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347508547847132370" /></a>Yes, so that's me doing the little peace sign thing. I got all my hair piled on top of my head like all the other Japanese girls do, and I'm wearing a dress over a T-shirt and jeans, because Japanese girls I've noticed, put together an entire outfit and then put either a dress or a big, blousy shirt over it. Only then is the true outfit complete. Also got on the earrings I bought in Harajuku. That's pretty Japanese, right? I mean, all I had to work with was American clothes so.... come on, my resourceful spy skills are pretty good right? Hiroko Bourne. Oh god that's a horrible joke.</div><div><br /></div><div>So anyways...moving on. Getting to Asakusa was a little more difficult than I had anticipated. Not on the Yamanote Line. haha. oops. Thought it was. Just meant transferring from the JR to the subway. Not too bad. I'm being a baby about it, but I don't like riding the subway. It's underground, did you know? haha. So when I finally got above ground, I was so happy to have fresh air that I took a picture. Of nothing. Whatever. You can feel my joy, can't you?</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcm3yiHX5J9r7LeSnuA8pYDbqzUlJhMwwlDhZndvXXHI2uoLm3WPbgx1ussCH8dQJMlVG4BV_ilAV_b8aom5D-EHYiibAnNiZyJZXU5A7lY_mjKFkwfpgUfcQ0JIxVIKOnAoQpNCwOdDB/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcm3yiHX5J9r7LeSnuA8pYDbqzUlJhMwwlDhZndvXXHI2uoLm3WPbgx1ussCH8dQJMlVG4BV_ilAV_b8aom5D-EHYiibAnNiZyJZXU5A7lY_mjKFkwfpgUfcQ0JIxVIKOnAoQpNCwOdDB/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347508544998956354" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">So yup, that's what you see immediately after you exit the subway station. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">The main attraction to Asakusa is the largest temple in Tokyo called Sensouji, which has the same kanji for Asakusa but is pronounced completely differently. Hora, this is the kanji for Asakusa: 浅草. This is the kanji for Sensouji: 浅草寺. The second one just has "temple" added to the end. Japanese is stupid.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">Anyways, the other main attraction is the street leading up to Sensouji called Nakamise Street that is filled with little shops. I purposely decided not to google map them and so I just randomly walked around Asakusa. I picked a random direction from the subway exit and ran with it. Except I walked because I was in heels and also I'm lazy.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">But traveling is much more fun if you do it this way. Just randomly stroll. I saw this weird looking restaurant with painted cow statues outside and a shrine on the roof. Bet that's not in any guide books. Should be though, that's some hard core weirdness that should be visited.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHp7yhHg8oS4BQjsDSTBCnU6hbPtcS8Nu_M8TNjeRpTq_IIKnYCiDdVV5aoeqKpodbTK7_eYHFxS8UQRd9WSxM1Kab2Tda9ACwkiAIciY_U0MOO0OZweOXzHs9IkSivb4gOn0rCSxWAeQ/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+005.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHp7yhHg8oS4BQjsDSTBCnU6hbPtcS8Nu_M8TNjeRpTq_IIKnYCiDdVV5aoeqKpodbTK7_eYHFxS8UQRd9WSxM1Kab2Tda9ACwkiAIciY_U0MOO0OZweOXzHs9IkSivb4gOn0rCSxWAeQ/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347508539725724706" /></a>But as it happens, my creepy sense of direction led me right to the famous shopping street. Here's A shopping street that I saw called Shin Nakamise. As soon as I saw the name I realized my spy senses had led me to where I wanted to be without me even trying.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutmHegVbFuv6OY3Ai06bVS6FpGlAIiWCEywMvSceSjtp93LzyqXUU3JfT4QWaZ3kLD4-PrhiA2K9cEIj7jMOM1A4Um9BrRNrlUCnxQdL-j4uzBG2VuViK-TZYYLp19N1-uWPtlNVMKsdo/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+008.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutmHegVbFuv6OY3Ai06bVS6FpGlAIiWCEywMvSceSjtp93LzyqXUU3JfT4QWaZ3kLD4-PrhiA2K9cEIj7jMOM1A4Um9BrRNrlUCnxQdL-j4uzBG2VuViK-TZYYLp19N1-uWPtlNVMKsdo/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347508531746269906" /></a>Here's another little side shopping street. Again, it's not THE shopping street, but almost every street started to look the same: packed full of more shops than really feasible. I guess it's the result of being so close to Nakamise?</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCTZmCw7rMigGmFMDOHiInrJefiYPVVz17uAJ3ts0g2gmW3fxJIOT7JKvHv7i3msaYAXM4P1ngjai8NapW8nqRQzi2dkCNUQ8KmoPCq87V99av2PukDZCwOAfjHt2vIdESINsB_PP3rNE/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347510352845165874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;">That one was a little nicer because it had a bunch of trees and the stores were more like stands at a festival so it wasn't so stuffy. You would understand the value in a lack of stuffiness if you have ever experienced the humidity of Tokyo during the rainy season.</span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;">I bought this cute little watch from this cute little old guy manning one of the booths on this street because it's cute and also he gave me a HUGE discount that I didn't even ask for because he said I was cute!!</span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVNHDOzWX6T5EXM4KrCAkWdXGf3_fc2YTC7VrZEkflptOZYMiyeJnH8_C9Vjk4PYQsT7svCYfv8KDKvBT1dENh035RJi9-AU9nwtGL7NvQ37LqKv7RBdj3YtBS_-0gTIGx03sIKkmBo2g/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+001+(2).JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVNHDOzWX6T5EXM4KrCAkWdXGf3_fc2YTC7VrZEkflptOZYMiyeJnH8_C9Vjk4PYQsT7svCYfv8KDKvBT1dENh035RJi9-AU9nwtGL7NvQ37LqKv7RBdj3YtBS_-0gTIGx03sIKkmBo2g/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+001+(2).JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347510193827618962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><br /></a><div style=""><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEAIejYCJDX0cHtxOzMC_nQ3WFh_9UOTkROTjajHhExDu0tNwlMOkZAKM7Nm0gmAMiVCiH6Lm3LV9bNPHQeV8jXISqE2TyAqg6btIhEeNBM4T8Xg41nCkVHQ8N3Enk5Mx5GnKqxhcuoH0/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+002+(2).JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEAIejYCJDX0cHtxOzMC_nQ3WFh_9UOTkROTjajHhExDu0tNwlMOkZAKM7Nm0gmAMiVCiH6Lm3LV9bNPHQeV8jXISqE2TyAqg6btIhEeNBM4T8Xg41nCkVHQ8N3Enk5Mx5GnKqxhcuoH0/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+002+(2).JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347510200443302738" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;">Ok, so here is the actual famous street. 仲見世通り、ようこそ。Nakamise Doori, Yookoso. Welcome to Nakamise Street.</span></div></span></span></span></div></div></span></span></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zyuKf3GheZdDi6DmSLNVmZFpXCvOAW9mx8zFRoeHPTTqIWJjS4bRI3GmxcVfVYwaAP1zuvtJj9cw_WY1PgmJGkzR1tLyWVtLkAt_4USPGm2WhH4PNwV7EGUCK1b9ABJ_oZsphrQU9dsB/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zyuKf3GheZdDi6DmSLNVmZFpXCvOAW9mx8zFRoeHPTTqIWJjS4bRI3GmxcVfVYwaAP1zuvtJj9cw_WY1PgmJGkzR1tLyWVtLkAt_4USPGm2WhH4PNwV7EGUCK1b9ABJ_oZsphrQU9dsB/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507738096923810" /></a>I saw this cool little string thing at a few of the shops but I have no idea what I'd do with it because I'm pretty sure it just sits there and looks cool, also, it's so delicate, there's no way I'd ever get it home. So, I took a picture instead. Almost as good.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeEM-U5o9ot0AZQITU-tF0OATGhSqXXjLYACnWBjmzAXppGndZGv24e4n6awrVTrQxbl0YUz-eOooB2uJq4-zaL4Q4Z-a9x7DWFBv5GgEan2gFg3fOptWiFk5jgIow8BoP4qTwiMTDdWJ/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeEM-U5o9ot0AZQITU-tF0OATGhSqXXjLYACnWBjmzAXppGndZGv24e4n6awrVTrQxbl0YUz-eOooB2uJq4-zaL4Q4Z-a9x7DWFBv5GgEan2gFg3fOptWiFk5jgIow8BoP4qTwiMTDdWJ/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507728831879938" /></a>Nakamise Doori is mostly filled with touristy stuff like key chains and whatnot, but some of it is pretty high quality. They had kokeshi dolls which are wooden dolls that I love that usually go for anywhere from $50-$500. You might be able to get a cheap one for $13 or $30, but they really look their price. There were also samurai swords and kimono and all sorts of stuff. They really had a thing for frogs and ninjas though. Don't know why...</div><div><br /></div><div>At one end of this street is Sensouji itself, and at the other end is the famous gate called Kaminari Mon, or "Thunder Gate." That's a big lantern in the middle there with the Kanji for Kaminari Mon (雷門).</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVH5bRCR-L0tB3hOLQ2myRvvCqgPzdeh3IGUIh9E2XPqlpnw1OP9ocmlclAK6gxMYaa5pR2djmXsz02hEO-vpErJmMCoFu4SGInsaHn34D0NHsvTZTMTtNUJsb232iFXJITFI2ZA0BepJN/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVH5bRCR-L0tB3hOLQ2myRvvCqgPzdeh3IGUIh9E2XPqlpnw1OP9ocmlclAK6gxMYaa5pR2djmXsz02hEO-vpErJmMCoFu4SGInsaHn34D0NHsvTZTMTtNUJsb232iFXJITFI2ZA0BepJN/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507726906233634" /></a>This is a crazy tourist magnet and all the guys who give rickshaw rides stand here and try to get customers. I actually came here about 3 times throughout the day, just because it's in a central location and between Sensouji and the subway station (something I figured out when I saw a map. Apparently I had made a big loop and came in the middle of Nakamise Doori. Most people start at Kaminari Mon and go up. oops.) I learned by the 2nd time not to make eye contact with the rickshaw guys. They're just as bad as hosts trying to pick up women in Shinjuku!! They pick you out of the crowd, make eye contact with you, smile until you get within earshot and then try to suck you in. And most of them are pretty cute. Don't be lured!! I mean, unless you want a rickshaw ride. I'm sure they're pretty fun. I just have no money. :p</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know why that gate is the famous one. I like this one better. It was on the other side of Nakamise Doori.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpNmugBAnirQ52qmJDZJzOy1RXZsHep0c3b-nFpq0SUYVe18Gv-xM0AbSCOT9KSaT8h-5QYUToRxn5n_dvfrQKwMsNRBtx8uzfI7OfowimvhUCcQiabbiRu4zhAUqEtgqQOEh6fx_KSHx/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpNmugBAnirQ52qmJDZJzOy1RXZsHep0c3b-nFpq0SUYVe18Gv-xM0AbSCOT9KSaT8h-5QYUToRxn5n_dvfrQKwMsNRBtx8uzfI7OfowimvhUCcQiabbiRu4zhAUqEtgqQOEh6fx_KSHx/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507721186977234" /></a>It's guarded by these two gods. The first one is like, "STOP! You shall not pass! Back demon, Back!"</div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZYjgOvLwZkAcvCFydFaRCYKjRWWOKLNLN-Z6kqfuNieX7kDSj10vO_QH0gik82sbKEwUhS26do1jj41gkq80PPsTAPdHFgyG3DhNmrvoaawacVtErYbIIWzrhJG37PUEPGUiP0cpocEG/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZYjgOvLwZkAcvCFydFaRCYKjRWWOKLNLN-Z6kqfuNieX7kDSj10vO_QH0gik82sbKEwUhS26do1jj41gkq80PPsTAPdHFgyG3DhNmrvoaawacVtErYbIIWzrhJG37PUEPGUiP0cpocEG/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507714550632978" /></a>And the other guy's like, "Oh, you're just a person, not a demon! Oh man, ha, this is embarrassing. Sorry about my little red friend over there. Ok, you can pass. Have a good time talking to the gods and all! Douzo goran kudasa~i!!"</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0PMEjZW2zfkyeJgRZJkrsCRJ0ZnWEhRiTHopKDf4xQdA1AYgcRz2UlWpodiJGXQ1ehyphenhyphen1doZ9BNpqOWLmjSSJCX7UY7VJl2y4BVYKA20k65PlqpwZ0WlXiGLulRWa2AbESiAN5HZ3vDS2/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+018.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0PMEjZW2zfkyeJgRZJkrsCRJ0ZnWEhRiTHopKDf4xQdA1AYgcRz2UlWpodiJGXQ1ehyphenhyphen1doZ9BNpqOWLmjSSJCX7UY7VJl2y4BVYKA20k65PlqpwZ0WlXiGLulRWa2AbESiAN5HZ3vDS2/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507235968702082" /></a>All the shop girls yell that when you enter any store in Japan, REALLY LOUDLY!! They all say, "Irasshaimase~~~~~~~! Douzo goran kudasa~~~~~~~i!!!!" Which means, "Welcome! Please look around!" I really don't know why a big red guard god would say that.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the BOTTOM of the big red lantern you saw like 3 pictures ago. People thought I was funny, at least that's how I've decided to interpret their weird looks and laughter, when they saw me kneeling way down and turning my head up and almost falling over because I was wearing heels, just to take this picture. It's so big, that even though it was maybe a foot above my head (and I am not a tiny woman. I'm about 5'8" plus 3" heels), I had to get pretty low to get the whole thing in the frame. But it's really gorgeous. And kind of a secret. No one every takes a picture of it. Probably because they have more pride than me, or ANY PRIDE AT ALL.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UddrN8F1zRN9_Ug8aXY4OqVezOySM6oTkJ_lnC-zL6I5Xn04mZn9nsvls0jWhSdIaKf9OPMWputKCOXGizusBJMbiD5p1qdTsi-p_BAg45AX3YbtXM4IFTS2aSGmEU7Ii6adnQs_9PWk/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UddrN8F1zRN9_Ug8aXY4OqVezOySM6oTkJ_lnC-zL6I5Xn04mZn9nsvls0jWhSdIaKf9OPMWputKCOXGizusBJMbiD5p1qdTsi-p_BAg45AX3YbtXM4IFTS2aSGmEU7Ii6adnQs_9PWk/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507232758708418" /></a>After the gate, the actual temple starts. First, you have to wash your hands. I washed my hands, but I can't wash them and take a picture of me washing them at the same time. It takes both hands because you use one to hold the cup-on-a-stick (I really hope it's not actually called that) and poor water on the other, and then switch. So, here are some other people doing it.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOijLPrbRxeykoNNiLNfnQULE-OGCqDh7309Ge3WIB6jWk5vkQIjE_z-pKRZds9xupiz_QwiCQ4XTsZdNqcgUVRKWpxJ_EhPMDOUNuYJKYcdXiBF_1LYVNPjknakuqSN4nH4tMP2zH9yF2/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOijLPrbRxeykoNNiLNfnQULE-OGCqDh7309Ge3WIB6jWk5vkQIjE_z-pKRZds9xupiz_QwiCQ4XTsZdNqcgUVRKWpxJ_EhPMDOUNuYJKYcdXiBF_1LYVNPjknakuqSN4nH4tMP2zH9yF2/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+023.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507221225133186" /></a>Then people lit some incense. Not really some, it was remininscent of California last summer when 90% of it was aflame.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKLTvbFlGUQWCdNZYz56C3ctIEEoxd4HUT4UU1EiSCWYob0iLJ7hlUPBK05VhtUCIokviNroEMjWvSzuGvtDVTYNVIZqTd1QvjWxmFipmPoYEmtKJoCcAYop1RrdIoYTuTprTcN-NzbA1/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKLTvbFlGUQWCdNZYz56C3ctIEEoxd4HUT4UU1EiSCWYob0iLJ7hlUPBK05VhtUCIokviNroEMjWvSzuGvtDVTYNVIZqTd1QvjWxmFipmPoYEmtKJoCcAYop1RrdIoYTuTprTcN-NzbA1/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507217679889282" /></a>Earlier I had bought this tempura thingy to-go so I could sit and eat it in the little park area surrounding the temple and that's exactly what I did. Not sure if that was disrespecting the gods or not. That thought occurred to me when I opened it, but it vanished as soon as I took a bite because the food was much more heavenly than the temple was. Looks like crap though.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLbO7H7L68oUc4VEKE-8gHVD5zU9eNvVKGoa5IS2xF0y88HayFsLGZlGmCHSjjt1FkSQHzF_uMA85_DpXan5oq2Khal5PSroo5uSDchg9bKpurqF-oLdBGL5jvOTpPtWT4p_RaHvabGbk/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLbO7H7L68oUc4VEKE-8gHVD5zU9eNvVKGoa5IS2xF0y88HayFsLGZlGmCHSjjt1FkSQHzF_uMA85_DpXan5oq2Khal5PSroo5uSDchg9bKpurqF-oLdBGL5jvOTpPtWT4p_RaHvabGbk/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347507215252275730" /></a>Asakusa is also pretty famous for it's sembei (Japanese crackers) and tempura, but this was not normal tenpura. This was like a big mass of stuff fried in tenpura batter over rice with a sweet sauce all over it. There were baby shrimps, squid, kappa, and vegetables, all for $500!! (oops. I mean $5. ¥500. That's kinda a big difference. Sorry for those of you who read this before I caught my mistake.) So tasty! I'm gonna say it was probably the best thing I have eaten in Japan so far. And I don't even know what to call it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wow!! I just realized as I was typing out this blog, that tenpura actually has the kanji for heaven in it!! I forgot! Ha! So there! I told you the food was more heavenly than the temple. The temple doesn't have the kanji for heaven in it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, here's the inside of the temple. I don't have a shot of the whole thing because it was under construction and they had built a ton of stuff around it and put tarp over things. But the inside was still the same as it would have been. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz8g2CZ6BkXxBPNz2kxT_VMcmOiGtLbZQmFolh4REChyphenhyphennOaVwnwXQ4aWlDb2QXCO2AmWNWaloGiabwca-SFqm6n52uN_sFYQODe3x1c4PVlhqNnV9LxKXYlD2DWLhcaN1y0L4h52acoYd/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+028.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz8g2CZ6BkXxBPNz2kxT_VMcmOiGtLbZQmFolh4REChyphenhyphennOaVwnwXQ4aWlDb2QXCO2AmWNWaloGiabwca-SFqm6n52uN_sFYQODe3x1c4PVlhqNnV9LxKXYlD2DWLhcaN1y0L4h52acoYd/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+028.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347506674872253906" /><br /></a></div><div>I bought this charm for my mom inside here. The lady I bought it from was so nice. I said, "すみません。えと、母は病気なんですが、どちらのほうはいいと思いますか?" And she told me and then after I bought it she said, "早くお母様は元気になるように。" and gave me the sweetest smile. For those of you who don't understand Japanese, let this be incentive for you to learn. Unless you're my mom. I'll tell you when I get home.</div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzJE8rbsPSYbJ3YQkGBchCAxbnI-bWQ8vjjIdhy8u7aX0AJa1ne02qH7feXHjwk9qsN_suUPzBfzwoC3hyphenhyphengBs-p2B77BHgCBSuYxTr2_VmjIcnppa_FAla7qfTYd_qPyDtb06oUUoZBjH/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+049.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347508555816071474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;">It's got a gold dragon on it! I know because it says so on the back. haha. Rawr!</span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#999999;">So the temple was all very nice, but I really liked the outdoor parky type place where I sat and had my heavenly meal better. So I went back there.</span></div></span></span></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_TscrUvdnLVfwmhxOfmrLIOKkl19bopPy6mMR_xLAJiAWm5FUiLtR788fsUrGwBpytZbTE2Vd6Ddbm1zhuCEJe6nqvMFW0QDFliqNgsk9nXu6rSoJg4AxNW_hkoWDOqHmAq6lk0AZedh/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_TscrUvdnLVfwmhxOfmrLIOKkl19bopPy6mMR_xLAJiAWm5FUiLtR788fsUrGwBpytZbTE2Vd6Ddbm1zhuCEJe6nqvMFW0QDFliqNgsk9nXu6rSoJg4AxNW_hkoWDOqHmAq6lk0AZedh/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+032.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347506667216570498" /></a>See where those two people are sitting? That's where I had my lunch. Also, isn't the bird cool? In flight. Very nice, Hiroko, very nice. I waited hours just to get that shot. Or I just snapped it before I moved on. The first one's a cooler story and for those of you who pick the second one, go read <i>Life of Pi </i>by Yann Martel.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I left Sensouji and continued randomly walking in directions that looked interesting. It really is the best way to get to know a place really quickly. Planning is stupid.</div><div><br /></div><div>I stumbled upon this beautiful red bridge. I don't know why this one isn't in the guide books either. Why does no one talk about this bridge? It's really close to Sensouji and it's gorgeous!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjI2kpAQqtrguUqbAzjB57aNmHj5wRXEi0_RzJQqfpjAelx2t5BmRKI6Dds3xRJmxHE_8kIJF0l1BPvp-GlQadHtKB_ngKskTqKty75AyPFvFzvBgO6ej4rQ48jF-NlpipmUS6YkFMRzrX/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjI2kpAQqtrguUqbAzjB57aNmHj5wRXEi0_RzJQqfpjAelx2t5BmRKI6Dds3xRJmxHE_8kIJF0l1BPvp-GlQadHtKB_ngKskTqKty75AyPFvFzvBgO6ej4rQ48jF-NlpipmUS6YkFMRzrX/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+040.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347506664252980610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8F4XsAbTCk4hDlVqMgNFXR9ew7gIReArBIjAzQpP1HDQcpQLZWhT6GPMJHEIZ2M4AdLJQfTHE2OnK1cvd7YyDwReRZrDwZRP3CyLv90xSV5gsQ0NHClyFGS7YOfjL8jJdUPplNPQ60zoO/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8F4XsAbTCk4hDlVqMgNFXR9ew7gIReArBIjAzQpP1HDQcpQLZWhT6GPMJHEIZ2M4AdLJQfTHE2OnK1cvd7YyDwReRZrDwZRP3CyLv90xSV5gsQ0NHClyFGS7YOfjL8jJdUPplNPQ60zoO/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347506653396174386" /></a>Later I found another bridge that was kinda ugly but had a really good view of the pretty red bridge. I hung out right in the middle of that, just right of the yellow sign you can see there. I stayed there for a while because it was really breezy and just comfortable. Some people gave me concerned looks though. I wasn't gonna jump. god.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that was pretty much my Asakusa Spy Day. I think I was pretty successful. People didn't really seem to realize that I was undercover gaij-tourist until I said anything other than the Japanese equivalent of "excuse me" or "I'd like to buy this please." Anything else would give myself away immediately because it was probably wrong. haha. But my accent's ok so my spy day was pretty seikou (that means like, emmm, successful, but it's a noun. Whatever just learn Japanese yourself; that's close enough for me.)</div><div><br /></div><div>On my way back from Nakano station, it began to rain. Luckily, a spy is always prepared with the right gadget, so I had my handy-dandy umbrella in my bag, but it started to rain so hard so suddenly that I didn't get it up in time and I got a little soaked. haha. </div><div><br /></div><div>But here's a picture of me, slightly soaked, happy in my apartment with a little hair thing I bought on Nakamise doori. It cost way more money that it was worth, but I wanted it, so I bought it. And that is the secret to a happy life: if you feel like doing something, do it. Proof = look how happy I look in my cute little hair thing that maiko wear!!</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIPHsBm87hKA7gL7FHXEmEgZV8_K6MM2x1mPkdqRuF7dCvGBvdXSxCdr90DVde7Wxvw-_Gb2yx72Y9X8-zoT_sC-AhWqli38lhOnz5oisqMFr6I6PPVzDV28I7tvsQtlNTmmB1MiNxW-s/s1600-h/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+051.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIPHsBm87hKA7gL7FHXEmEgZV8_K6MM2x1mPkdqRuF7dCvGBvdXSxCdr90DVde7Wxvw-_Gb2yx72Y9X8-zoT_sC-AhWqli38lhOnz5oisqMFr6I6PPVzDV28I7tvsQtlNTmmB1MiNxW-s/s400/%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89+051.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347506651290898066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">P.S. You guys do know that there is a link you can click right below here to leave comments for me right? I kinda like comments. ^-^ </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Push this right under the arrow ↓</div></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-12245568257544101112009-06-14T06:52:00.001-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.125-08:00YuuginHey look what I found. That group I saw at Nakano station yesterday made a music video!!<div><br /><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DxYj9uHM3NQ&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DxYj9uHM3NQ&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>They also have an <a href="http://www.yuginweb.com/main.html">official website</a> and a ton of music out!!</div></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-53170550876360276192009-06-13T10:03:00.001-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.126-08:00Found the Bug!!Well, I found A bug. I'm not sure if it is THE bug. Especially since it's tiny. It's like maybe an inch long, probably not even that. But it was a fast little sucker and skittered behind my air conditioner. But don't you worry, I'll get it next time. <div><br /></div><div>I can't decide if I want that to be THE bug. If it is THE bug, then yay! all gone. Mystery solved. Also, that means that the giant bug doesn't exist, which is good, because that would be creepy, especialy the idea of waking up in the middle of the night with it crawling on my face, but it's also bad, because then Sam in an idiot princess. So for her sake, I hope that wasn't THE bug. Also, I would think MUCH less of her if her 5 inch bug was actually smaller than the one I saw in Hawaii. I'm sure it exists.....right?</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-67432390031686750262009-06-13T06:55:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.127-08:00Lucky DiscoveriesI'm still really sick, surprisingly, but I'm getting bored. I can't stop coughing, but I REALLY don't want to be in my apartment anymore. I'm in Tokyo!!! How can I spend the whole time in bed?!! (Even if it is a futon and not a bed and the futon is in Tokyo, which is really cool) So I drugged myself up and forced myself to go out.<div><br /></div><div>I didn't do much at first, just walked around the area around my apartment, you know, getting to know the place. And to my great surprise, right around the corner, litteraly, is a cute little temple! It's actually not that little. It's kinda large.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the entrance. Behind me is a super market and convenience store. Haha. Crazy juxtaposition.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMW6X9JzoLGARspadkyApoSY9LEhGKiIzs66YvQrNuy61CjxfCZGz0MBmH1BxoNQma731ULrZGM2bY5W6IcWosFetP0Q944R4sWQmaKjimQBcYsa6rg8pdmaxUERJG3NNRyoVxGRyF1RP/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMW6X9JzoLGARspadkyApoSY9LEhGKiIzs66YvQrNuy61CjxfCZGz0MBmH1BxoNQma731ULrZGM2bY5W6IcWosFetP0Q944R4sWQmaKjimQBcYsa6rg8pdmaxUERJG3NNRyoVxGRyF1RP/s400/009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346821479344515410" /></a>Then you walk in and are greeted by this lovely thingy:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPXl1j51GGp9kPXqrTclwQhA0UsZ2VwKivcr8soioLNkgoPavMdb5-x0ZjPO5WZA4sJ5RtrqK6LIBLCVYGSVCyuiWJFlS6F4feTkugiD1K0yxyPNFQyu-P6Qift9Z8KruHkd4L4adadA_/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPXl1j51GGp9kPXqrTclwQhA0UsZ2VwKivcr8soioLNkgoPavMdb5-x0ZjPO5WZA4sJ5RtrqK6LIBLCVYGSVCyuiWJFlS6F4feTkugiD1K0yxyPNFQyu-P6Qift9Z8KruHkd4L4adadA_/s400/008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346815918184216866" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a>Along with this thingy:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckubce7lqrhcjBEdYt7QZAbcRQe_FDXbf4qiyFukKRsSaFdt8Rc_MsmXL_3H6pkTWwKj1qMxdsYPGwjW4N6_Hrq6tT-J8jQLQEsfKJN5LxHUx0Xm-Wjud4FuCo1e75Mf4F-0o9Q16x7l-/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckubce7lqrhcjBEdYt7QZAbcRQe_FDXbf4qiyFukKRsSaFdt8Rc_MsmXL_3H6pkTWwKj1qMxdsYPGwjW4N6_Hrq6tT-J8jQLQEsfKJN5LxHUx0Xm-Wjud4FuCo1e75Mf4F-0o9Q16x7l-/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346815910943657554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a>And then this thingy, which seems to be the main part of the temple because people kept going up the steps in the back and praying and lighting incense and candles at the thing in front and praying.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Um94274_dlzsVl_7WnliSMs1ZovyZxcNrNn9RO3jO0YgwWvhc_L1lEQc51Rbkurt1TveXYoudfKw4Jje9WrrbmgU3zAL2SAaCgTzDuNRfaak7cFxANu-FtbrFBo2mkgAywfjXSQxobYg/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Um94274_dlzsVl_7WnliSMs1ZovyZxcNrNn9RO3jO0YgwWvhc_L1lEQc51Rbkurt1TveXYoudfKw4Jje9WrrbmgU3zAL2SAaCgTzDuNRfaak7cFxANu-FtbrFBo2mkgAywfjXSQxobYg/s400/006.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346815907146178242" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a>Then there's a giant bell thingy:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-XcCrMvVf-jklmlFevXyBXbGPP3LmyhKpDLEOPNm-EKeatsqr1jGBX2SiQ-foLflUtdcSGRFUp07_bEvZvJwZuTIkLpWt1KrOTS3Q-yHHhUz0wS2NLN5B1C0xCY5kjhOk7OS0ry_YlXT/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-XcCrMvVf-jklmlFevXyBXbGPP3LmyhKpDLEOPNm-EKeatsqr1jGBX2SiQ-foLflUtdcSGRFUp07_bEvZvJwZuTIkLpWt1KrOTS3Q-yHHhUz0wS2NLN5B1C0xCY5kjhOk7OS0ry_YlXT/s400/005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346815906295711154" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a>And a large, ermmm, probably about 8ft tall statue thingy:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkUj55l1NIWZJ28B63QDgNUPRvwKNjPTbWErmFE4l2DVCZWqqgG3XY7rbT3EEZSMHGIm2s-mrIJ_gHJjae2fv17sB9K9lfTMHoop8dVxTNEUMwWxK5Xc1l8TynbfRnwiF326WiiEJ11oL/s1600-h/001.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkUj55l1NIWZJ28B63QDgNUPRvwKNjPTbWErmFE4l2DVCZWqqgG3XY7rbT3EEZSMHGIm2s-mrIJ_gHJjae2fv17sB9K9lfTMHoop8dVxTNEUMwWxK5Xc1l8TynbfRnwiF326WiiEJ11oL/s400/001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346815898536660114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>And right before you leave, this place that looks like a cemetery of sorts:</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6xk2Gg2qRZGVJwBxJTOH96QPTWTEhd7q008jnn415HkTZ4RS_PrGoiPlzIWnDtcyB3g-SRG6hoR0py6OxXtfryJcMoxxX9nGjdx11vJrd4FluMh-8idgvKEkqp5csrnmE_ttCYE7w7EB/s1600-h/010.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6xk2Gg2qRZGVJwBxJTOH96QPTWTEhd7q008jnn415HkTZ4RS_PrGoiPlzIWnDtcyB3g-SRG6hoR0py6OxXtfryJcMoxxX9nGjdx11vJrd4FluMh-8idgvKEkqp5csrnmE_ttCYE7w7EB/s400/010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346816308739524786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I keep saying "thingy" because I have no idea what these things are or their significance. So I walked up to the guy who was selling charms off to the side next to the main shrine thing and asked where the hell I was. He looked at me funny and said, "tera desu," which means "It's a temple [stupid]." I added that last part. Anyways, I then explained that I was from America and had just moved to the area and I was tankenshiyo-ing, or exploring. (haha. yay Japanglish!) Then he gave me less of an "ahou-ka?-look" (that means an "are-you-an-idiot?-look") and started explaining things in really easy Japanese and I had absolutely no problem understanding him! I understood EVERY WORD he said!! That usually doesn't happen to me. Usually I just understand most of it or enough of what they say to get the general meaning of the sentence, but this time I fully understood everything he said!! Yay for small victories!!^^</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But what's really weird about this whole thing is that it turned out to be a temple that people go to when they or their loved ones are sick. Crazy guuzen going on here. (guuzen = coincidence) So I bought this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF3ZDUbU1Ri4j-fVmRGtUDc5FzqLI5-nCHCHceg0GVv0-n4R-NcXJETx2ynljH_aVfRV2UYq-YUdIdK_0CKRnPM0u05J45BXmdToP6W-y7PaIbZURDM2PK0BSrC7z-6OECJRxP44e3pmS/s1600-h/077.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF3ZDUbU1Ri4j-fVmRGtUDc5FzqLI5-nCHCHceg0GVv0-n4R-NcXJETx2ynljH_aVfRV2UYq-YUdIdK_0CKRnPM0u05J45BXmdToP6W-y7PaIbZURDM2PK0BSrC7z-6OECJRxP44e3pmS/s400/077.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818832180843778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: left;">It's a little charm that's supposed to make me feel better and guess what?!!! After a while, I realized that all the sudden I DID feel better. How weird is that? I'm not going saying anything about my beliefs, but isn't it a little strange that I've been sick for almost two weeks now and all the sudden at feel-better-temple falls in my lap and the charm I buy makes me stop coughing? May the guuzens continue.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIRwk9vRunNV8JzCXXmLl7tWhOl5QzNDoobj1F7aDR153A69a1NfWbBhDAjuuft0xkyp-_EYDqyTH-P0mLvyrywYQ7yFxEC0NsMLLNhIlAKj3or2AVYxAh9cwz4ftgmYRJs0cL76Y0J-5/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIRwk9vRunNV8JzCXXmLl7tWhOl5QzNDoobj1F7aDR153A69a1NfWbBhDAjuuft0xkyp-_EYDqyTH-P0mLvyrywYQ7yFxEC0NsMLLNhIlAKj3or2AVYxAh9cwz4ftgmYRJs0cL76Y0J-5/s400/011.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346820782850763442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;">So instead of going back home, I keep tankenshiyo-ing. So I went out the opposite entrance to the temple that I had come in and crossed this cute little road right there where the little white lines are and found this great park!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehBa7E-lLuaYLvWKFSmumRdKLbWW19w3mpval_9UIxi4VBQCZbFGdpz7fD4DwN4V-SCd15v6B390R3EOeOJqg_nc53O3UXXYYzDExKNgHa2xnXh3_QJywxDmB9_QLBjmVVbQtX5cUBdp4/s1600-h/014.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehBa7E-lLuaYLvWKFSmumRdKLbWW19w3mpval_9UIxi4VBQCZbFGdpz7fD4DwN4V-SCd15v6B390R3EOeOJqg_nc53O3UXXYYzDExKNgHa2xnXh3_QJywxDmB9_QLBjmVVbQtX5cUBdp4/s400/014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818027087281666" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><div style="text-decoration: underline;text-align: left; "><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OvMT5yQoYcEVIqZh3n5bHjFFo_KJAVYMpoDtse9oyQQk34P3WR6nAiZGrM3Hfsw4IXlCfdcFDdvbzaY-l0WKM_hvq84aBrtijGUaAirR96yFV0qk2zUOyV_xz3ZQ6mNKjMMv3U_lN8ZX/s1600-h/013.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OvMT5yQoYcEVIqZh3n5bHjFFo_KJAVYMpoDtse9oyQQk34P3WR6nAiZGrM3Hfsw4IXlCfdcFDdvbzaY-l0WKM_hvq84aBrtijGUaAirR96yFV0qk2zUOyV_xz3ZQ6mNKjMMv3U_lN8ZX/s400/013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346816324881830498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iiat7q5NO9q2_rF5ni65B9ny6K5yJzkkRca5JwP29MqX2xLYxrOXohWaw40SOOJ8196Tmhhwu0IlTCytsOXCgVMJDFL47Ea7ho9kBtAdUMTYu1lhFLnopfiaT3zNEWO5WzQIKP50b1ET/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iiat7q5NO9q2_rF5ni65B9ny6K5yJzkkRca5JwP29MqX2xLYxrOXohWaw40SOOJ8196Tmhhwu0IlTCytsOXCgVMJDFL47Ea7ho9kBtAdUMTYu1lhFLnopfiaT3zNEWO5WzQIKP50b1ET/s400/012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346816319416728290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Isn't it cute?!! It's really big too. It even continues across the street. The great thing about Nakano is that besides the park, the whole place is filled with trees! Here's the view of the street from a crossing bridge:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5HHD38U6DFOer3jJ-pSYxYrKi3h4i96k_R3O3oNUNeonxm7dUVtjUJM9saClJ4OmRv7kfZDgIMsBt3-hloJDU8pEKBhayZrsArEvaOhXFlAJ6Ag5j0BYE_k4o6Iqypuq4Afa0HrxjFw_/s1600-h/011.JPG"><br /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0R1pjqrJxLhNQmRAplkG0IW8PdySKQjp248B4pOkuF7U-GMSY2P8vARHoIPj0CVBakB6zjLfwM3xgRM-23vRI466DmnqdPKtSj0AtVEvyAZg-Vg3jMFlZBl72vxA9kf65kTFiqbncGBk/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0R1pjqrJxLhNQmRAplkG0IW8PdySKQjp248B4pOkuF7U-GMSY2P8vARHoIPj0CVBakB6zjLfwM3xgRM-23vRI466DmnqdPKtSj0AtVEvyAZg-Vg3jMFlZBl72vxA9kf65kTFiqbncGBk/s400/017.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818029853363874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span">The whole place looks like this! Anyways, continuing on with my little tanken, this is the park on the other side of the street:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "> </span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheU04iU2jATu6cVwS38V4AwgcvqRPKk7zLiN2ELQz__UdUpcR1M4YNcJMcfDAW-6p9SuiGpqoO8EJC4yeiC3jAwa9-0Mc1aWdOkZnWlsuEx5eD2UwUmb4_g07J9URSrBPz-eyPs96x3pfd/s1600-h/018.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheU04iU2jATu6cVwS38V4AwgcvqRPKk7zLiN2ELQz__UdUpcR1M4YNcJMcfDAW-6p9SuiGpqoO8EJC4yeiC3jAwa9-0Mc1aWdOkZnWlsuEx5eD2UwUmb4_g07J9URSrBPz-eyPs96x3pfd/s400/018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818040832576130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: left;">There's this little green pond with a ton of old guys fishing in it! Cute!</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9Uwe1I8tvfvjivpphDb7tsxn-LRnQrEYmUfeG3JoIz6HpPmwYWHIHrQXzfL7OgRftDywkxZl4WcMqXy76vDrObXEZavFbkItHpHBJ0_1T83FTg00EnUnD54SRQpHP_JzOFPbUm8VtzqV/s1600-h/019.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9Uwe1I8tvfvjivpphDb7tsxn-LRnQrEYmUfeG3JoIz6HpPmwYWHIHrQXzfL7OgRftDywkxZl4WcMqXy76vDrObXEZavFbkItHpHBJ0_1T83FTg00EnUnD54SRQpHP_JzOFPbUm8VtzqV/s400/019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818044527904290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><br /></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnGLqL8mUlzSMhLL5Aunv0vjPH-l9Os_91TODCkS3X4F0OKW-BJDDtd3f1Q6QIfnxh-Oap1kylgKyP7K92w-pHztauYS49vi_zf2DPhmWDPvrzgS5OcxEFBnz6-fCHq1qhHbXaCOScCKT/s1600-h/029.JPG"></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8X02G0qirWgOzkt6wHyRCF8p7Xyx1klGVr7JDiuji_cO2mODp7czqrnHdnyjykAMyKzdQqFsxz9P6kgOWk6hXHwTc6TmJ58Y1cV4f5_t5z6v0IlDPH5NrL6j_b1uacUR-qQkVVdUJgd3G/s400/021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818047772741666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">And I'm not kidding about there being trees everywhere. Look at this road. It's just a random road in my neighborhood not at all associated with the uber green park I just showed you:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWuCFB5dU6Eu5B59RdxKMzqVnozq2_quCxNDf7ERTDPgAbkew35-HYQbTT_L0Eoacg9bqoMytPcPYvhaOoio0F1WODS7tVJLX5CCwkkES4Fd5nTHhtrjo8qdWWSXsPzVL68EZJ1q4UWz-/s1600-h/023.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWuCFB5dU6Eu5B59RdxKMzqVnozq2_quCxNDf7ERTDPgAbkew35-HYQbTT_L0Eoacg9bqoMytPcPYvhaOoio0F1WODS7tVJLX5CCwkkES4Fd5nTHhtrjo8qdWWSXsPzVL68EZJ1q4UWz-/s400/023.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346821152043856578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">It's really a nice place to live. Very residential. If I were to chose a place to live in Tokyo, this would be it, and I know I DID chose Nakano to live in, but I really just chose the cheapest apartment I could find and it just happened to be in Nakano. Another guuzen, a happy guuzen. ^^</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But there is one area of Nakano, it's a really large area of Nakano, that is really close to my apartment that is filled with stores. It's like the shopping district of Nakano I guess and it starts at Nakano station and goes north.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Looks like this at a VERY unusually uncrowded time. I don't know why there aren't more people there; it's usually pretty filled with people.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnGLqL8mUlzSMhLL5Aunv0vjPH-l9Os_91TODCkS3X4F0OKW-BJDDtd3f1Q6QIfnxh-Oap1kylgKyP7K92w-pHztauYS49vi_zf2DPhmWDPvrzgS5OcxEFBnz6-fCHq1qhHbXaCOScCKT/s1600-h/029.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnGLqL8mUlzSMhLL5Aunv0vjPH-l9Os_91TODCkS3X4F0OKW-BJDDtd3f1Q6QIfnxh-Oap1kylgKyP7K92w-pHztauYS49vi_zf2DPhmWDPvrzgS5OcxEFBnz6-fCHq1qhHbXaCOScCKT/s400/029.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818820760976594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;">It's called Ai rodo, or Love Road. Also cute, deshou?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's a little shop I found. The charm was really working, so I just kept shopping. Those look like flip flops, but they are really hard candy!! Crazy!! Needless to say I had to enter.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-H8e8QUh6lGgfvkk0o3bYLCLHgoFkyPH0gjoBgB2mXRj10rzyH-GzKd3pJ4GD0D-rNFjp5B1Lle2wLbvAv-NTYaR9kpnqAXIrDjrY1NYkzRfBL502qJPE1w5gocgiqmeOHnwdjuTpSo4/s1600-h/028.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-H8e8QUh6lGgfvkk0o3bYLCLHgoFkyPH0gjoBgB2mXRj10rzyH-GzKd3pJ4GD0D-rNFjp5B1Lle2wLbvAv-NTYaR9kpnqAXIrDjrY1NYkzRfBL502qJPE1w5gocgiqmeOHnwdjuTpSo4/s400/028.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818815683935362" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;">And enter I did and found these guys:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdOxv4LvzzsK8o3Mit_hGuUzjLKoHJwA047CLOMalZGUappI281RBL5E_G1I3JbCzX82MrvyhNeA2njgp32V2rANTsSMZS_LHfIycc_pKjH6Jd21bel7AQGoqr21S5ZzuV6juJwM-Ntq0/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdOxv4LvzzsK8o3Mit_hGuUzjLKoHJwA047CLOMalZGUappI281RBL5E_G1I3JbCzX82MrvyhNeA2njgp32V2rANTsSMZS_LHfIycc_pKjH6Jd21bel7AQGoqr21S5ZzuV6juJwM-Ntq0/s400/027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818442525991666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;">They were making the candy right in front of me! It was so cool!! This one looked like tiny lemon slices. While I was watching them, this nice lady gave me a sample of a strawberry one.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWe3wMHQdKbd8n3lMyCI7-gbE_sUJ6_h1UABpzN30kX8LrL7SyjIH0ctHoe8aOn0yTJbiaIxJ6znsNqbO6z9VAwtT9gyvZ3mLtdLLVJRNIjPFKa9OiBYDO7uucgGmsDD_8CsiJsrh7SB8/s1600-h/026.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWe3wMHQdKbd8n3lMyCI7-gbE_sUJ6_h1UABpzN30kX8LrL7SyjIH0ctHoe8aOn0yTJbiaIxJ6znsNqbO6z9VAwtT9gyvZ3mLtdLLVJRNIjPFKa9OiBYDO7uucgGmsDD_8CsiJsrh7SB8/s400/026.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818437826067554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Also cute!!! I live in the cutest place ever!! I might go back and buy some stuff right before I leave as omiyage...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then right across from that candy store, which is called papabubble by the way, is this weird little shrine looking thing. They're really big fans of juxtaposition, these Nakano people.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxYD9ddVA2b2jp80eWr9bySaHvtFYD78cXJY38GQW0XLHk2ZoEePOv7Zb0s7uDrMdFatOaxmWzXNYV7cwOlP02aCqASzlzXTmoqfyJyOp_JrFQfODyQZHBKIj3xZNbm_yGoIVXfO9nW3T/s1600-h/025.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxYD9ddVA2b2jp80eWr9bySaHvtFYD78cXJY38GQW0XLHk2ZoEePOv7Zb0s7uDrMdFatOaxmWzXNYV7cwOlP02aCqASzlzXTmoqfyJyOp_JrFQfODyQZHBKIj3xZNbm_yGoIVXfO9nW3T/s400/025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818436786153202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Here's another shot of Ai Road so you all can become very intimate with it. Or because I was having fun taking pictures every 5 seconds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9iPp2_eUyi4WYYzwno330b4o6G7oWgbroHjjwAlitytCf4wVIbSI3hSTmxvEf-RiLP7SupHaB1x4nl3_Lx7pMSVll1lAO29Dreb4_MSuLg7uParzgN0Ap7erw11Bgs8DxC1XPiA9gLZ0/s400/024.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818428037485698" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCCCCC;">So this charm was really working wonders or I was just feeling a lot better from being outside or whatever, and decided to go to Harajuku to buy my sister these glasses that she wanted and go to Shibuya to shop at Loft to get my mom these pen/pencil combo thingys that she wanted. So I'm at Nakano station buying my ticket when I see these guys at the corner.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ndH9YbbQ6Q&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ndH9YbbQ6Q&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sorry the angle's bad and the sound isn't great and you can only see the one guy, but tough. Also I'm not really holding the camera all that steadily but I wasn't watching the camera, I was watching them. haha. Also, I'm kicking myself for not filming the song they did earlier because I kinda liked it better. It was more upbeat and they were both playing the guitar. I don't know why the guy in front put his down for this song. Anyways, right before they sang this one, they were explaining that they have a live soon in Harajuku, but it was too fast for me. So, and I'm super proud of myself for this one, after this song, it was their last one, I went up to the guy in the front and told him that I don't really understand Japanese that well, so I missed the time and place of their gig and would he please write it down for me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He was so happy!! He was super cute and just elated that I would want him to do that. It was so funny. So he wrote down the place and time, they are playing at アストロホール (Astro Hall) in Harajuku at around 6:00pm on June 20th. I also asked their name and he got really happy again. They are called 遊吟(ゆうぎん)"yuugin" and which I think means something like a troubadour or wandering musician or something of the sort. haha. I asked him if he had a CD, and then he got really excited and spoke Japanese really quickly but I think he said that he didn't have one with him today, but I could get one at a store either now, or in the near future. I think they had just put it out or are just about to. Then I said goodbye and he shook my hand with both of his, looked me right in the eye and said "thank you" really earnestly. haha. I think he was new to Tokyo. I really hope I can go!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then I finally made it to Harajuku. This is the famous Takeshita street:</div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf8JYBLTfV62Zi_zX3s2eiG3fbrZ01yaBVW2Bzp8USdY9-zxoM9W7a-bUbZOIsuyr_LYyBA5u-ZEqUoF3jutvTuQqWS4Wc65G5YVRbH8doQ_VAYH83qiI_2yp1rtuBmsriiGMgOkZvWJ6/s1600-h/031.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf8JYBLTfV62Zi_zX3s2eiG3fbrZ01yaBVW2Bzp8USdY9-zxoM9W7a-bUbZOIsuyr_LYyBA5u-ZEqUoF3jutvTuQqWS4Wc65G5YVRbH8doQ_VAYH83qiI_2yp1rtuBmsriiGMgOkZvWJ6/s400/031.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346818825012922082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>Where I did not buy my sister glasses because I couldn't find any. Instead I bought these earrings:</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMUEiYV43hXESJUIUathK1fz_IrOkzjzCJx2L8DQzagZ6N_VmSt9t751BUazQz869OGJ-Sv3ixwSgX60R9NBnrfO7j6LPRy47Ja0FJDgSWawnfWOoB038pAvgWwyK5swPW7Suj40IVWGx/s1600-h/066.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMUEiYV43hXESJUIUathK1fz_IrOkzjzCJx2L8DQzagZ6N_VmSt9t751BUazQz869OGJ-Sv3ixwSgX60R9NBnrfO7j6LPRy47Ja0FJDgSWawnfWOoB038pAvgWwyK5swPW7Suj40IVWGx/s400/066.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346820788805596946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div>They're cute, right? Then I walked from Harajuku to Shibuya, went crazy in Loft and spent a ton of money, but also got to check off a lot of people on the "have to buy present for list," so all in all a pretty successful shopping trip. Then I went home, and when I was walked back to my apartment, all the sudden I couldn't stop coughing again. People were kinda staring. oops. But I got home and shoved my face with medicine and cough drops so I'm ok now. I guess the charm has a time limit. Like cinderella.</div><br /></div><div>So let's recap, shall we? I luckily discovered:</div><div> -a temple for curing sickness</div><div> -a wonder charm that temporarily cured me so I could have a really nice day</div><div> -a cute little park, complete with pond</div><div> -a super cool candy shop</div><div> -a really good, undercover, indie Japanese music group with a cute, uber earnest guy (and also my future boyfriend)</div><div> -nice earrings</div><div><br /></div><div>Today was pretty lucky. (^-^)</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-72281534007256530432009-06-11T03:33:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:42:55.127-08:00What I Do When I'm SickSo I'm really sick. Which sucks because I'm in Japan, but I've made the most of it. I've spent the day online on my various networking sites such as facebook, twitter, flickr, emails, etc and this blog. BUT! I also was researching things I can do when I'm finally well again.<div><br /></div><div>I found out that one of my favorite Japanese bands of all time RADWIMPS is playing in Yokohama as I'm typing this out. Here's my favorite song by them:</div><div><br /></div><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nda3VIp_1O0&hl=ja&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nda3VIp_1O0&hl=ja&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's green. ^^ </div><div><br /></div><div>AHHH! Sucks!! I want to go see them so badly!! It's just as well. Would have cost me ¥5,000 or 50 bucks. They were playing <a href="http://www.tbs.co.jp/blitz/">here</a> which looks like a pretty cool venue. Checked it out on google maps and aparently it's only about a 52min train ride from my station. Not bad. I mean it is, but not for some of the people they get.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm actually contemplating going all the way down to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka in a week to catch their last show before they fly off to Okinawa. That's how much I love RADWIMPS. That's more than 2 hours away. That'd be very hard, but doable. hmmm....</div><div><br /></div><div>I changed my mind. THIS is my favorite RADWIMPS song:</div><div><br /></div><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6FMlOrHxtCk&hl=ja&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6FMlOrHxtCk&hl=ja&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Now it's red. I'm having fun with youtube today and their array of color choices. I'm sick and bored so leave me alone. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also found the next band I wanna go see. Soon as I can figure out when their next live is, I'm SO GOING!! Watch! They're so funny!!</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V3fxKPk7_l0&hl=ja&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V3fxKPk7_l0&hl=ja&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><br /></div><div>I made it yellow just for funsies. </div><div><br /></div><div>But arn't they great!! I might just have to buy their album and have them sign it. It'll just take some crazy investigative research. I mean, Aloha, Soulkids, and 24 were good, but I bet a live with these guys is just super fun. Right? </div><div><br /></div><div>I dont' know if I've posted this before, but one of the best tools I have here for finding live music in Tokyo is through <a href="http://www.tokyogigguide.com/">Tokyo Gig Guide</a>. Anyone in Tokyo should really check this out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ick. I hate being sick. I just look at all the things I could be doing if only I could stop coughing every few seconds. wah. i whine. :(</div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2524341074911758939.post-16445973139266060982009-06-10T23:42:00.000-07:002010-02-21T03:43:26.906-08:00Hawaii!!<div style="text-align: left;">I just got back from Hawaii yesterday. I had such a great time!! It was so beautiful and I have a love affair with sunsets, and Maui was full of beautiful sunsets. You can also see more pictures on my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hirokohime/sets/72157619542862794/show/">flickr</a> page.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOK9_EXpsMeWKuUktTN6UxKl00HP0d2cY8bsYcaXDPj7D8uQCvAz1dsb_6yUT64KYYVTA7ub0vUZjm7GnobgTBR-n5RG10uaianFF3-IQffcbxcOWxDzyQIHswdWuP5qSGTd2GgKXIs3k/s1600-h/060.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOK9_EXpsMeWKuUktTN6UxKl00HP0d2cY8bsYcaXDPj7D8uQCvAz1dsb_6yUT64KYYVTA7ub0vUZjm7GnobgTBR-n5RG10uaianFF3-IQffcbxcOWxDzyQIHswdWuP5qSGTd2GgKXIs3k/s400/060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345960843171826690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div>And then there's my dad, sister and I on the same beach. We were so busy meeting relatives on Oahu, that the first beach we made it too was 4 days after we had arrived in Hawaii!! Craziness.</div><div><br /></div><div>The main reason we went to Hawaii was to meet some relatives that we never knew we had on my dad's side, but it turned into a Hawaii vacation too. We flew into Honolulu because my dad's cousins live in Aiea on Oahu, but then we flew to Maui to visit my dad's friends too. We ended up going all over the place, even though I was really sick the whole time and couldn't stop coughing. I didn't get much sleep either, but you can't really tell in the picture, right? I look happy, right? not like I want to die? good.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN25h_mZEdLsZkEnhE3eU275jBKIcrAbgcuB1g7V4cLeaVxqRS4Li9xANCX3YLYHnvIHyd6kHUi5x1hfI5WQVGx4WuRxek-djmYgFiBzrTH4VOkInSuAbVdPY-9kyII4yKFnkQdNbXZyFG/s1600-h/058.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN25h_mZEdLsZkEnhE3eU275jBKIcrAbgcuB1g7V4cLeaVxqRS4Li9xANCX3YLYHnvIHyd6kHUi5x1hfI5WQVGx4WuRxek-djmYgFiBzrTH4VOkInSuAbVdPY-9kyII4yKFnkQdNbXZyFG/s400/058.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345960847368758626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>There's my sister, Katsumi, and I on the beach in Maui when we were visiting some of my dad's old friends who live there, Mike and Roz.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was so gorgeous. I mean, look at that:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjv576X8znn7qLYyp0DnBgaX1sXd-r-juPWHWYoJ60GNRVnrYEyr7JhEDGoEcp3TMMWcZ-8-MTEnYXMlVWsfWMUXeZ1EYuNNb1lVgoWcGLQAJty2rEb2A-7OxZdDv1budJeixqMWV5d2y/s1600-h/069.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjv576X8znn7qLYyp0DnBgaX1sXd-r-juPWHWYoJ60GNRVnrYEyr7JhEDGoEcp3TMMWcZ-8-MTEnYXMlVWsfWMUXeZ1EYuNNb1lVgoWcGLQAJty2rEb2A-7OxZdDv1budJeixqMWV5d2y/s400/069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345961219746330002" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>And the water was so warm!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8r2mkyr0dLmf8nd_KEKR3FLRyHygTm-w-daHCDLwMeUXuaDaQ3NBFI7aXJ0Rv6j-FsMiSKpdNjTI0WRnuyLpjGoVWK7_HYa18MfOf6pnoYMt5UnAVlzDTylw3AvhMoD63sTgLK6LL7zl/s1600-h/107.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8r2mkyr0dLmf8nd_KEKR3FLRyHygTm-w-daHCDLwMeUXuaDaQ3NBFI7aXJ0Rv6j-FsMiSKpdNjTI0WRnuyLpjGoVWK7_HYa18MfOf6pnoYMt5UnAVlzDTylw3AvhMoD63sTgLK6LL7zl/s200/107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345962124086041346" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutpNbRup9IqL1eHPw6EeYuUPzPxt3d8Z0y3-L8bCCr4F5zcx2HiGhBYS1mynUizMBxZ35wUativZkcKdW8UEgew9Py619-9cYa_yNpTOoj5XqbiCxxJFpf4FMBHojdtbQiy8NtdI9ASqy/s1600-h/106.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutpNbRup9IqL1eHPw6EeYuUPzPxt3d8Z0y3-L8bCCr4F5zcx2HiGhBYS1mynUizMBxZ35wUativZkcKdW8UEgew9Py619-9cYa_yNpTOoj5XqbiCxxJFpf4FMBHojdtbQiy8NtdI9ASqy/s200/106.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345961716367646930" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div><div>We saw a turtle and when it came up for air I got a picture of its tiny head.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And there's its butt.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8r2mkyr0dLmf8nd_KEKR3FLRyHygTm-w-daHCDLwMeUXuaDaQ3NBFI7aXJ0Rv6j-FsMiSKpdNjTI0WRnuyLpjGoVWK7_HYa18MfOf6pnoYMt5UnAVlzDTylw3AvhMoD63sTgLK6LL7zl/s1600-h/107.JPG"><br /></a><div>Here's zoomi losing her composure. I'm totally cool. Before:</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVwCDpxg6HJIfZ0UEOZ0j_YLz3Eoc7b7qnKrVhO0OKBXm5U4CUU6ByPJFkgjmL5_tIbii7YfxpjTOeJJKNY-XPDr55wtmDE1dhBff-ILm03K3VNcg8N_y3f7Cc1vViA_YTZXQDnAvXtsF/s1600-h/118.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVwCDpxg6HJIfZ0UEOZ0j_YLz3Eoc7b7qnKrVhO0OKBXm5U4CUU6ByPJFkgjmL5_tIbii7YfxpjTOeJJKNY-XPDr55wtmDE1dhBff-ILm03K3VNcg8N_y3f7Cc1vViA_YTZXQDnAvXtsF/s400/118.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345963079692815250" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div>After:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qa5tmIRydFQ5xmKvOtOZH-Mh0tSeJ-8sBbzck7USeDiURbhi_IkcTfcbdeGtSZ-ppCI88HQeixXj-Ky2a4BZxeDOAv2oVionyFB8n1nI5v8sk4Sf1rTudPO8BvcYVtQy6oVVvL_kYnBS/s1600-h/120.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qa5tmIRydFQ5xmKvOtOZH-Mh0tSeJ-8sBbzck7USeDiURbhi_IkcTfcbdeGtSZ-ppCI88HQeixXj-Ky2a4BZxeDOAv2oVionyFB8n1nI5v8sk4Sf1rTudPO8BvcYVtQy6oVVvL_kYnBS/s400/120.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345963083430347170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div>We also went hiking a little and took a break in the river. The picture below is me and my dad with our feet in the stream. I forget what the name of this place was. oops. </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DgXHFGP6i3748o2_ixCbUSq52xUWW96PQ_e5s6xZHtK3rTBDWQypb7AzxOuQ7YX6Iz2Vx_2vpQUliPBzoRbGToPMyND7v2P81qLCtbJsWmXdKYL4bN05q2NqAlcRwoZJZxKxe_K4aAXx/s1600-h/240.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DgXHFGP6i3748o2_ixCbUSq52xUWW96PQ_e5s6xZHtK3rTBDWQypb7AzxOuQ7YX6Iz2Vx_2vpQUliPBzoRbGToPMyND7v2P81qLCtbJsWmXdKYL4bN05q2NqAlcRwoZJZxKxe_K4aAXx/s400/240.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345969322549804578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><div>There was also snorkeling and much merriment. Hawaii is really a great place, but I don't know if I'd want to live there. I like Japan. I like Tokyo more specifically, and I'm glad to be back. But Hawaii is definitely a really great place to visit and now we all have a wonderful excuse. I met so many people! And they are all related to me!! It's weird. I used to be able to count my blood relatives on one hand, now it's challenging just to keep all their names straight. And they are all so nice, and the kids are adorable, and they know things about my dad's family that none of us knew, they have pictures of my dad when he was really young, and they are nice. I like nice; it's nice. (^_^)</div><div><br /></div><div>And now, indulge me while I spam my blog with sunset pictures.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77kwc2rt0oIWoenuHNlzEPuGBcc1XzSN57n4QR-nCLPYaRQS4utSp2EQPiVt5eTw9YERxAsHOVGuUjy4eeS3OtS6ReD3jCNqbvIRjR5M2sJ21GNE8PsSb8yw_WZGJ1WcYafFUI4btWL3W/s1600-h/143.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77kwc2rt0oIWoenuHNlzEPuGBcc1XzSN57n4QR-nCLPYaRQS4utSp2EQPiVt5eTw9YERxAsHOVGuUjy4eeS3OtS6ReD3jCNqbvIRjR5M2sJ21GNE8PsSb8yw_WZGJ1WcYafFUI4btWL3W/s400/143.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345966675421459058" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJt83CCGl2eyGK-AHVxiWTwoGX3wpkBZA685LXlH5GKYoPckN74FaiidM4Oh_nZdfrJYY2TMMnkVU0GkP2wo_yqyYHg9Vxv9IzxhIeY6uzDxfaiXdciSKYHx4XpZ6rWdovV2Rh4zrFomr/s1600-h/156.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym9xteiG8iXwQcrg47m9uk9qxisYkNxfNuzDk14RSrRQfJDU8LySjThMAbSII3hARGeigrVbS2bbLNPP_AHdRxswrdMJkWXrxyQ24mdhZF0_cElMNqGEQGFtc_8bq1UOcLvWeUvruDNX6/s1600-h/146.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym9xteiG8iXwQcrg47m9uk9qxisYkNxfNuzDk14RSrRQfJDU8LySjThMAbSII3hARGeigrVbS2bbLNPP_AHdRxswrdMJkWXrxyQ24mdhZF0_cElMNqGEQGFtc_8bq1UOcLvWeUvruDNX6/s400/146.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345966679643072722" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJt83CCGl2eyGK-AHVxiWTwoGX3wpkBZA685LXlH5GKYoPckN74FaiidM4Oh_nZdfrJYY2TMMnkVU0GkP2wo_yqyYHg9Vxv9IzxhIeY6uzDxfaiXdciSKYHx4XpZ6rWdovV2Rh4zrFomr/s1600-h/156.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJt83CCGl2eyGK-AHVxiWTwoGX3wpkBZA685LXlH5GKYoPckN74FaiidM4Oh_nZdfrJYY2TMMnkVU0GkP2wo_yqyYHg9Vxv9IzxhIeY6uzDxfaiXdciSKYHx4XpZ6rWdovV2Rh4zrFomr/s400/156.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345966677124055890" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_QsfdNqelYS4kmD-Yp73mS5hEFN8eR1O2cqykK0stOJoG3C9DGmEndlNQ9hXor0NHBBC8xAEmZTYifxFYf67y3Uy4DDbih5hKN-5Aw8CueH8gedzMV4cR_QpJA-GEmJx26xIt4Jsc2LO/s1600-h/161.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_QsfdNqelYS4kmD-Yp73mS5hEFN8eR1O2cqykK0stOJoG3C9DGmEndlNQ9hXor0NHBBC8xAEmZTYifxFYf67y3Uy4DDbih5hKN-5Aw8CueH8gedzMV4cR_QpJA-GEmJx26xIt4Jsc2LO/s400/161.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345966683383184706" style="display: block; 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"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7yQXc0_YAIGMhdm9sKT6w-CPcRAOEovPuspL6XBiGNAQb9ieRmSW0FPC51bbtisk4XX_NxOe5BT2tAhikoUo5zQbdYBjLZEszd8XK4gfvuOAY72qCNAgVPmQASBqrDxAPxVAh1jQDqRG/s1600-h/298.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7yQXc0_YAIGMhdm9sKT6w-CPcRAOEovPuspL6XBiGNAQb9ieRmSW0FPC51bbtisk4XX_NxOe5BT2tAhikoUo5zQbdYBjLZEszd8XK4gfvuOAY72qCNAgVPmQASBqrDxAPxVAh1jQDqRG/s400/298.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345968357176155778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></span></span></div></div></div>弘子http://www.blogger.com/profile/06791888183992646640noreply@blogger.com1