Golden Week with Victoria

Ah I'm the worst blogger. This post is being made way, way after the fact, so many details will be missing from any posts here on out unless otherwise specified.

Golden week was pretty awesome, even having been sick. Going around Osaka and Nara with Victoria, and having some great catch-up conversations. Victoria works for the JET Program (Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program) as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher). We've known each other since high-school.

with a side of extra fun

 This is the view from the sky tower in Osaka - Victoria and I had a fun time meandering up to the "floating garden" which we actually found out was just a cement circle with a great view of Osaka. There were also gift stores along the way, and we got to reminisce a little bit of how terrifying glass elevators can be (such as the one we rode in this building and the one at the Seattle Space Needle).

There was also a cute little kid's train that looked like the Shinkansen (bullte train). 

We then went to eat lunch; Osaka Okinamiyaki is apparently unique, so we had some of that. Okinamiyaki is like a pancake full of vegetables, meat, and deliciousness. Also, it's fun to make it yourself. The waiter kindly asked if we needed help, though.

Next we visited Osaka-jyou - the castle in Osaka. It's quite a scenic site, with a moat, park, and everything. Each level is filled with artifacts, video, art; basically a museum. 

The top section was of course another scenic view spot, but mostly we just saw buildings, including the stadium where a concert was being held. Victoria and I hypothesized it was a K-pop concert.

Also, there were these golden fish on the edges of the roof - Japan loves it's fish. I assume this is a sort of gargoyle to represent royal, or rich status. Who knows, we only had an hour to climb all the stairs, so I didn't get to really read my way through the exhibits.

The next day we hung out, I woke up late (like an idiot) and Victoria waited while I navigated my way to Nara to meet her. There were quite a few rice fields and tightly packed industrial scenes that I got to glimpse as I rode the train over. 

When i finally got there, got some food from the conveni, and walked up to the park, most of the deer were tired of their deer crackers and had started eating visitor's maps. 

Like most places in Japan, wonderful illustrations warn us of serious dangers with adorable signs.

We finally found some dear that would eat our crackers, and they swarmed us before running off to find more visitors with crackers.

Then we went to another shrine where we passed along street vendors and large crowds. There was certainly an abundance of おみやげ(souvenirs) and tasty street food like candied strawberries, bean filled pastries, and chocolate covered bananas. 

Stairs that lead to nowhere! Metaphor?

This was probably the most impractical cell phone
key chain that I encountered in Japan.

We thought this might have some significance, turns out nope.
Just another tower donated by some group.

We then went to dinner in a plaza near the station.
Unfortunately this place was full.

So we made our way to this restaurant
(which was very pricy...)

The last day we spent in Hirakatashi. The first thing we did was hop a train with some friends for a JSL  (Japanese Sign Language) get-together. As the JSL club was the only club I really participated in on campus, I very much enjoyed the time I got to spend learning about the deaf community and sign language. Our hostess, Shiori, showed us some old money her grandfather left us, as well as some WWII photos. It was a lot of fun, but hurt my head transitioning between English, Japanese, and the very little Japanese sign language I had picked up.

Shiori, me, Victoria, and (I want to say Sayaka, but I'm not sure)

We had Nan tacos ad Moss Burger.
An 'only in Japan' experience...

And of course some Fallout Boy among other high school
bands during Karaoke with a soar throat. 

After hanging around Hirakata station, and the nearby park, it was time to say goodbye. One more photo, and then Victoria made her way back to Tokyo. Not much later, I would make my way to Tokyo and have more fun with my wonderful high-school friend.

The Slippery Slope into Lethargy

So it's been over a month since the last post, partly due to midterms, but also due to some unfortunate laziness on my part. So were the problems that happened with my host mom, but those are resolved now. Still eat dinner with her most nights, and on nights that she doesn't have time to make me something she'll get me convenience store sushi.

Dinner

Okaa-san

For spring break, I went to Korea, where I got to visit my uncle Walter and my best friend Sondra. It was a great chance to get to know Walter, and to reconcile my friendship with Sondra. I also got treated to some wonderful food, and saw some beautiful parts of Korea.

Walter took me to his church on Sunday

Tiny Buddhas at a big Temple

So many candles

They drive on the same side as in America

We wandered around the COEX one day

This graffiti was all over the corridor within
a famous shopping complex Sondra and I went to

These were on top of the same building

There were also street bands.

We got to pose with them.

This was a temple near the mountains on the coast we visited.

And all the temples have awesome designs.

Walter and family

We took a cable car to the top of a mountain on the coast

But we had to climb to the very tip top, which was fun.

And, of course, Walter had to take some pictures,
as compared to 10 years ago I'm a very different person.

I'll have to say that the best part of the trip was just hanging out with people I love. Getting to show Walter that I'm not the girl that was unhappy eating or doing just about anything under the sun was a  great part of the experience. I'm also glad that I got to see Sondra, as it seems she was in low spirits when I visited, but since then her circumstances have gotten better. Didn't hurt getting out into the wilderness and climbing a few things like always, either. Never gonna forget the night she convinced me to climb some apple crates out in Wenatchee.

We also got to see the ocean; which was especially refreshing for Sondra. A good taste of what was good about home, plus some more climbing things while I watched.

A series shot of Sondra climbing the love tree.

We also got to stay in some sweet hotels.

This is Sondra giving a speech at her school.

It was quite funny trying to sneak into her school; her teacher was not OK with me being there, so her friends snuck me in and hid me under their coat. I was happy to know that she had made friends that would look after her in that sort of way; cheering her on and being there for her when they can. Of course, from her I expected nothing less. さすが.

Ignore the horribleness of the picture, especially my face.

Upon arriving back at the airport I met...Kolla (no idea how her name is spelled). She is in my Sumi-e class, and we both recognized each other as we saw each other at baggage claim. I believe she is from Iceland, and knows approximately 2-4 languages including English. We rode the trains back and had dinner, or lunch, at Sukiya, a fast food restaurant for Japanese cuisine. It's actually pretty good for how much you pay. 

The next weekend was filled with Several different events of Hanami; one going to the Yamada Ike Koen (Yamada Lake-Park) with friends Keifer and Hideko. Flowers were seen, as well as people. I've actually been spending an excessive amount of time with these two. It's quite amazing to be friends with them, considering their personalities.

Hideko and me eating at 'Obaa-chan's' restaurant

Some scenery along the trail to yamada Ike Koen-
I would see this when running in the morning.

Lake at YamadaIkeKoen

These kids were taking a vine and swinging across this chasm for fun.
*sigh* teenagers.

Sakura are so pretty!

Picture taken from the roof of store Midori. 

So, if you're wondering what I've been doing on weekends and in my free time besides drawing, studying, eating, sleeping, etc. I've been doing pretty much nothing at stores like this with the other two goofballs Hideko and Keifer. I look back and am baffled at how much time we can spend doing absolutely nothing.

On Saturday I went on a hike with my host mother and some other people from one of the many organizations that she belongs to. There was some beautiful scenery up in the mountains of Kobe.

And great view of the city.

I rang the bell up at a temple; I think it's kind of cute
that my host mom was only able to get this angle
of a shot because she's so short.

Koi!

Some of these things at temples I just don't get.

Plum blossoms.

This is where we ate lunch.
My host mom gave me an obento. ^_^

So many stairs...

At the beginning we saw this memorial; during Tohoku
there was a landslide in the area that killed something around
thirty-five people.

Sunday afternoon's hanami experience was the experience that involved me getting unbelievably drunk, thus realizing I have a higher tolerance for alcohol than I thought. I had Sake, umeboshi (some for of plum wine) and Asahi beer I believe. Yes, it's ok to drink in public in Japan. I have never learned so much about people I don't know that I didn't want to know, plus vice-versa. These were the few shots I remembered to take before I could pretty much barely stand. Don't worry, I didn't black out or throw up. I remember pretty much the entire train of events. Drinking, more drinking, go to the bathroom, more drinking, shopping for sugar w/ Keifer, go back, drink more, Keifer goes home, more drinking, Never have I Ever game, go home on the last train or so with the few people I know.

After Hanami, a weekend or so later, I went to Fushimi-inari with friends, and ironically the next day went again with fellow WSU students Tatsuya Futai and Betsy Howd. Luckily, the second day we didn't climb ALL the stairs, like we pretty much did the first day. Also, it was raining, and Hideko consequently caught cold. : ( Fushimi-inari, by the way, is the fox shrine known for having a TON of Tori- red Shinto gates.

Oh, and we had Easter ice cream at Baskin Robins.
It was delicious.

So something akin to lethargy infected me and my brain, and I've been barely keeping up with studies, and hanging out with these two:

I've also attended some more Sokka Gakkai meetings due to Hideko.
It's actually quite nice; the people are nice, and a little religion-inspired
hopefulness is nice once in awhile.

Hideko looking cool next to my bike.

This day was kind of shitty for me and Hideko.

 The other day I went out to eat with my speaking partner Mai; she took me to a cheap sushi restaurant near Hirakata Station, bringing her friend and other ryuugakusei (exchange student) with.

This is basically the sum of my last week or so.

That should catch things up basically to now. Hopefully I'll have a little more to say after Golden week with dear Victoria Hudak, Anacortes friend and now JET member in Tokyo. がんばりましょう!