I found this is the shops yesterday! I couldn't believe it - I will have to try some regardless of how bad it ends up being. Love the choice of red or white!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
My discovery
I found this is the shops yesterday! I couldn't believe it - I will have to try some regardless of how bad it ends up being. Love the choice of red or white!
My Silver Week
Thanks to the Japanese government I was blessed with 3 public holidays in a row. While most of the local ALT seemed to head to Korea I made plans to join 2 of my fellow Cape Town saffers in Osaka. Dawid had been kind enough to offer us a place to crash being that he is located in Mie prefecture – within easy travelling distance of Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.
After researching the various manners of transportation – plane, train, bus and ferry – I settled on the shinkansen or bullet train. While it was not the cheapest option, the shinkansen was the quickest and it was on my list of Japanese experiences and the trip there would only take about 4 hours. There are various overnight ferries and buses from Oita, but all would result in me losing about a day of travel. So train it was.
I bought my tickets a couple of weeks ago in Oita. It was once again a full on charades session, but as I had printed out the exact trains I wanted to catch it ended up working out fine. I have learnt 2 things in Japan:
1. Be prepared.
2. If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
Day 1 – Nara
Following in Gernetzky tradition I planned an early start. I had to get up by 4am so that I would have enough time to get ready and drive to Kitsuki station to make my first train to Kokura. It was not easy but the excitement and adrenaline soon set in, which was helpful as I didn't sleep to well after the previous night’s spider incident.
The drive to Kitsuki was beautiful. The sun was rising over the sea and it was one of the rare moments when everything is so clear that you can see Shikoku. I got to the station in time and my car guard met me immediately and remembered that I was going for 5 days – again a communications epic win!
My first train was the 6:21 Sonic to Kokura, which is at the north of Kyushu and closest to Honshu. As expected the train was right on time. From there I caught the Shinkansen to Osaka. Many people worry that you don’t see much on as the train is too fast, I found this not to be entirely true. It’s only the tunnels that impeded any view and as things go they save you travel time, which can be better used for touristy things.
I didn’t stop in Osaka, instead I met up with the rest of the gang at Tsuruhashi station on the circle line. I love the Japanese transport system, I have said it before and I won’t stop until they ban the taxes in SA and import a Japanese train methods. I gracious host had planned a packed 5 days for us and our first stop was Nara.
Nara was Japan’s capital from 710 – 794 AD. I was thrilled that this would be our first stop as it features some of the most amazing temples and shrines in Japan - giving it it's World Heritage Status. Most of the Tourist attractions are in Nara Park – easy walking distance from the station. It is not hard to get lost and one of the first things you see is the Kofuku-ji temple with its five-story pagoda. The temple has been rebuilt a number of times due to fire but the current version dates back to 1426.
Nara is also known for it’s pushy deer – which amble around trying to score deer biscuits off unsuspecting tourists. I was aware of the deer situation, and got went to crazy gaijin tourist mode with the first one I came across by taking masses of photos. It was only was I actually got into the park did I realise the full extent of the infestation. They are everywhere and by the end of the day you are tripping over deer like 5 years olds in a toy store. I particularly liked the ones that hung out at the biscuit stands waiting for people to buy biscuits so that they could harass you immediately. Joss and I did not get 3 feet before we had 2 fighting over out purchase.
The walk through the park takes about 3 hours depending on how much you chose to see and visit. Our next stop after a soba noodle lunch was Todai-ji temple. To get there we had to go through the Nandai-mon gate. I think out of everything I saw that day (including the Nirvana hole) this is what took my breath away. On either side of the 19m high gate stood a giant wooden statue over 8 metres high. Of course one of the first things that Joss commented on was the potential fire hazard this caused – which was true considering it was all made of wood and huge beans from massive trees towered over you. The Nio, as they are known, are called Ungyo and Agyo. While many of the treasures of the area have been repeatedly repaired and rebuilt it still has not taken away from their impressive nature.
Once through the gate we entered the Todai-ji Temple – which is so impressive it warranted 2 full pages in my guidebook. Also a reconstructed treasure, it is now only two thirds of its original size and the largest wooden building in the world. Inside the temple is the worlds largest bronze Buddha. It is While the Buddha and the building itself was pretty amazing what really got to me was the line of people waiting to squeeze through the Nirvana hole behind it. Legend has it that if you can get through it you will be able to obtain Nirvana – though it seems that only the Japanese, toddlers and anorexics are invited to this particular party.
From there we continued to dodge deer and headed to the main viewpoint in the park – a hill that over looks much of the city. It was a bit of a climb but it meant that we walked off the soft cream (soft serve) we had just consumed. The area is truly beautiful and I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get it as my placement like I had originally requested.
From there we headed back to the train station via the Kasuaga Grand Shrine. There is a lot to see in Nara and one really needs to spend a full day there to take in all the history. But the setting is fantastic and beautiful and should you be in the area I would definitely recommended you stop there. Even if it is just to say you have been harassed by biscuit addict deer.
Link to my photos from day 1
Day 2 – Kyoto
Day two was dedicate to Japan’s old imperial capital of Kyoto. First off I want to say that we only had a day and we didn’t manage to see a fraction of what this amazing city has to offer – missing out on both the shopping and geisha districts as well as numerous temples and shrines. I would suggest that any visit plan at least 2 days in Kyoto but 3 to be safe.
Kyoto station was my first greeting to the city and it is some truly beautiful architecture. From here we hit the buses. I would suggest the buses for Kyoto – they head to all the major tourist spots and are easy to use and almost everything is in English. Though we made the mistake of not looking into us passes which would have made things a bit cheaper.
Our first stop for the day was a ninja shop so that Dawid could buy himself a stick – well a Kendo sword. It was a valuable stop for me too as I managed to find 2 new KitKat flavours (vanilla Oreo cookie and Mochi).
With so much to see and so little time we settled on Kinkaku-ji– better known as the Golden Pavilion. Also a reconstruction dating back to 1950 it was originally a retirement villa and I hope that I get to retire in a gold pavilion. It is almost entirely covered in gold leaf, topped with a bronze phoenix and set on a lake amongst beautiful natural surroundings. Unfortunately we did not get to go through the stroll garden surrounding the pond.
After lunch we walked through the city to Daitoku-ji Temple, home of the one of the most famous Zen gardens in Japan and historically connected to the tea ceremony. The Muromachi-period dry garden represents man’s fate, relationship with nature and place in the universe. The Zen garden was rather small but after the crowds of Kinkaku-ji it was nice to find some silence and, well, Zen.
Photos from day 2
Day 3 – Himeji
What to do on day 3 became a bit of a debate. We had originally planned on visiting Himeji castle in Kobe (where the beef comes from) but as it was a quite a distance to travel we considered returning to Kyoto. In the end Himeji won out due to the fact this would be the last chance to see the castle before they close it for 3 years for renovations in November. We decided that it might be taking too much of a chance not to go in case we could not get back in time.
All I can say is that I am glad we did it.
We had another early morning start and stocked ourselves once again with a combini breakfast (ie. Convenience store – the breadbasket of Japan). Next up was the 2-hour train ride to Kobe. The train rides have been a great opportunity to practice my sleeping in unusual and uncomfortable places – and I am getting pretty good. I don’t know how the Japanese do it and they never miss there stops either. Though the best part of this train ride (well for the others) was the brief view we got of the sea. I am still on the cost but my fellow South Africans are still suffering from withdrawal.
We were once again blessed with the most amazing weather for the 3rd day in a row. Blue sunny skies but without the crazy humidity I was used to in Kunisaki. Once again the target of our adventure was within easy walking distance of the station, but I was completely unprepared for the size of the castle grounds. I knew it would be quite a sight (a whole 4 guidebook pages) but the gardens were truly extensive. It is built on a bluff and the six story main tower overlooks the entire castle grounds. It is consider to be the finest of the12 remaining feudal castles in Japan and is known as Shirasagi-jo – the white egret castle. This World Heritage site is the ultimate samurai castle.
The grounds are a true labyrinth of walls and passageways, designed to confuse invaders it also worked pretty well on the tourists. Though “luckily” for us it was impossible to get lost as all we had to do was follow the queue from the bottom gate to get to the main tower. All I can say is that I discovered Dante’s 10th level of hell – queuing. It seemed like half of Japan also wanted to get in on the Himeji action before it was too late. We queued all the way from the entrance of the tower before hitting the snake line at the bottom of the tower. We must have queued for 2 hours in the sun (resulting in more than a little sun burn) and were slowly starting to question the intelligence of this decision. At least we were kept entertained by Joss’s best impressions of a typical Cape Townian housewife and her maid.
We had taken it upon ourselves to adopt and educate our American friend on the ways of South Africa. So far we have taught him numerous Afrikaans words (including the best way to can like to speak wiff an Afrikaans accent), shown him all the Nando’s adverts we could find, some Casper De Vries and of course forced him to sit through Bakgat. This was a pretty rare experience. Mostly we South Africans are surrounded by Americans, so to get the opportunity to turn the tables is pretty rare. Eric is an excellent learner though he did often get a glazed look in his eyes when we would talk about Raith Gourmet or Bellville.
Eventually we made it up into the main tower, and it was pretty impressive. Unfortunately due to the crowds and the funnel effect I didn’t get an opportunity to really admire all the artefacts on display and I would have like to know more of what it was like back in it glory days. The view from the top was worth the climb despite being cramped inside and Joss’s fire hazard comments kept coming back to me so I was constantly on edge waiting for the screaming to start.
I am glad I got the opportunity to see the castle – I think I would have regretted not doing so. We didn’t see much after that, as we had to get back to Dawid’s place as we were meeting up with some other folk for a conveyor belt sushi supper and karaoke. The previous nights we had gone international with Indian and Chinese. Lunch was street food – I could live off street food in Japan. It is incredible. Dawid was a bit more adventurous with his squid on a stick while we stuck to yakitori – chicken on a stick. Desert came courtesy of Baskin Robbins.
After yet another lengthy train ride we were ready for supper. The restaurant was one huge conveyor belt with touch screen order menus should you want to get something directly. Once again let me reemphasize that sushi here is entirely different. There was only some maki, not a single California roll in sight and avocado did not make an appearance. Though what I did see was countless things that really should stay in their shells in the rock pools from whence they came. I have eaten some crazy stuff so far but some of it I just couldn't stomach. It was only R10 a plate – which is crazy cheap compared to SA and for every 5 plates you eat you get to play one game of slots for a chance to win a capsule toy. They do make eating in Japan a lot of fun.
Day 3 photos
Day 4 – Osaka
We said goodbye to Dawid and Joss, Eric and I headed back to Osaka for the day. Once again we were running on Combini power and were ready to take in as much as we could before Joss and Eric caught their bus back to Tokyo. I had booked into a capsule hotel for the night – another thing on my list of crazy stuff to do in Japan.
After hunting the station for open lockers we were finally able to stash our bags – and I am truly sorry I didn’t have one with wheels. Our plan from here was to first visit the Uemda Sky Building with its roof top view of Osaka. From the 39th floor Floating Garden Observatory you get a 360-degree view of the city. It was pretty was amazing though unfortunately our weather luck had run out so it was a bit over cast, but it didn’t take away from the view all that much.
We then headed to Osaka Castle, but this time we did not intended on going inside as this one is merely a reconstruction and not as impressive as Himeji. It was a good visit and we finally got our Takoyaki lunch (octopus in a ball of fried batter – not too bad akchelee) from this wonderful street vendor that discounted our food as long as we didn’t tell his wife.
At the castle the Japanese have buried a time capsule with over 2000 items to be opened in 5000 years time. What I really want to know is how much Hello Kitty stuff is contained within this cultural and historical archive.
Once of the crazy things we came across that day was a man with 2 Pomeranians – fully clothed and accessorised. Their outfit included handcuff chains with Zippos and cigarettes and one was wearing sunglasses. These dogs must have been used to posing for pictures and seemed rather long suffering.
I had book into my capsule so we collected my goods and head on to Shinsaibashi. This turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It was the most amazing shopping district I had yet been to. My last few days had been spent in the typical tourist areas and it felt like we had discovered the secret Japanese shopping grounds. And not just your usual trendy, labels – that was a few blocks down – this was punk territory and where you go if you think the 80’s was the height of fashion. For the next few hours we just roamed the streets discovering all manner of weird things – including some Merc SLKs completely covered in crystals.
Dinner was at an American café in American mura where we ate Japanese versions of American food. We then had to hunt down a ¥100 store to find some travel pillows and where I discovered, and was able to stock up on, some Cadburys.
After this I had to say farewell to my travel mates – which was horrible. It was really nice to be around some Saffers (including the adopted one) again. So on my own again I head back to my night in the capsule.
The capsule hotel was really comfortable for what it was, and for only ¥2700 (R270) and rather cheap too. I was provided with a locker as well as my own sleeping pod. The bathrooms were typical Japanese style with communal shower stations and a big hot bath for once you are clean. I am now pretty much used to the system. Though I still worry about being the stupid gaijin that does things wrong.
The hotel is amazingly quite. Everyone is very respectful of other people and the noise is non-existent. This is really important, as the capsules are not enclosed or sound proof. They are also rather bigger than I imagined. You can easily stretch out and I was able to sit up in mine without banging my head. All in all I had a really good nights sleep and I wouldn’t mind getting one for my house to protect me from the spiders (only air tight with ventilation).
Day 4 photos
Day 5 – Home time
I again had an early start to catch my train. By now my luggage was really killing me. I will have to invest in something with wheels that can still fit into the station lockers. I had some time so I stocked up on omiyagi for my teachers (it is tradition to take food back as gifts for your co-workers) and train lunch. Tradition dictates I should have bought a bento box on the train but I had heard that it can be a bit expensive and you never know what you are going to get.
I had another fun trip back, practiced my sleeping and watched a movie on my iPod. Train travel is much more fun than planes and far less stressful than going by car. Though I did have the overwhelming desire to jump off at random stops and see what I could discover. However all that will just have to wait for the next long weekend.
Photos from the last day
After researching the various manners of transportation – plane, train, bus and ferry – I settled on the shinkansen or bullet train. While it was not the cheapest option, the shinkansen was the quickest and it was on my list of Japanese experiences and the trip there would only take about 4 hours. There are various overnight ferries and buses from Oita, but all would result in me losing about a day of travel. So train it was.
I bought my tickets a couple of weeks ago in Oita. It was once again a full on charades session, but as I had printed out the exact trains I wanted to catch it ended up working out fine. I have learnt 2 things in Japan:
1. Be prepared.
2. If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
Day 1 – Nara
The drive to Kitsuki was beautiful. The sun was rising over the sea and it was one of the rare moments when everything is so clear that you can see Shikoku. I got to the station in time and my car guard met me immediately and remembered that I was going for 5 days – again a communications epic win!
My first train was the 6:21 Sonic to Kokura, which is at the north of Kyushu and closest to Honshu. As expected the train was right on time. From there I caught the Shinkansen to Osaka. Many people worry that you don’t see much on as the train is too fast, I found this not to be entirely true. It’s only the tunnels that impeded any view and as things go they save you travel time, which can be better used for touristy things.
I didn’t stop in Osaka, instead I met up with the rest of the gang at Tsuruhashi station on the circle line. I love the Japanese transport system, I have said it before and I won’t stop until they ban the taxes in SA and import a Japanese train methods. I gracious host had planned a packed 5 days for us and our first stop was Nara.
Nara was Japan’s capital from 710 – 794 AD. I was thrilled that this would be our first stop as it features some of the most amazing temples and shrines in Japan - giving it it's World Heritage Status. Most of the Tourist attractions are in Nara Park – easy walking distance from the station. It is not hard to get lost and one of the first things you see is the Kofuku-ji temple with its five-story pagoda. The temple has been rebuilt a number of times due to fire but the current version dates back to 1426.
The walk through the park takes about 3 hours depending on how much you chose to see and visit. Our next stop after a soba noodle lunch was Todai-ji temple. To get there we had to go through the Nandai-mon gate. I think out of everything I saw that day (including the Nirvana hole) this is what took my breath away. On either side of the 19m high gate stood a giant wooden statue over 8 metres high. Of course one of the first things that Joss commented on was the potential fire hazard this caused – which was true considering it was all made of wood and huge beans from massive trees towered over you. The Nio, as they are known, are called Ungyo and Agyo. While many of the treasures of the area have been repeatedly repaired and rebuilt it still has not taken away from their impressive nature.
Once through the gate we entered the Todai-ji Temple – which is so impressive it warranted 2 full pages in my guidebook. Also a reconstructed treasure, it is now only two thirds of its original size and the largest wooden building in the world. Inside the temple is the worlds largest bronze Buddha. It is While the Buddha and the building itself was pretty amazing what really got to me was the line of people waiting to squeeze through the Nirvana hole behind it. Legend has it that if you can get through it you will be able to obtain Nirvana – though it seems that only the Japanese, toddlers and anorexics are invited to this particular party.
From there we continued to dodge deer and headed to the main viewpoint in the park – a hill that over looks much of the city. It was a bit of a climb but it meant that we walked off the soft cream (soft serve) we had just consumed. The area is truly beautiful and I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get it as my placement like I had originally requested.
From there we headed back to the train station via the Kasuaga Grand Shrine. There is a lot to see in Nara and one really needs to spend a full day there to take in all the history. But the setting is fantastic and beautiful and should you be in the area I would definitely recommended you stop there. Even if it is just to say you have been harassed by biscuit addict deer.
Link to my photos from day 1
Day 2 – Kyoto
Day two was dedicate to Japan’s old imperial capital of Kyoto. First off I want to say that we only had a day and we didn’t manage to see a fraction of what this amazing city has to offer – missing out on both the shopping and geisha districts as well as numerous temples and shrines. I would suggest that any visit plan at least 2 days in Kyoto but 3 to be safe.
Kyoto station was my first greeting to the city and it is some truly beautiful architecture. From here we hit the buses. I would suggest the buses for Kyoto – they head to all the major tourist spots and are easy to use and almost everything is in English. Though we made the mistake of not looking into us passes which would have made things a bit cheaper.
Our first stop for the day was a ninja shop so that Dawid could buy himself a stick – well a Kendo sword. It was a valuable stop for me too as I managed to find 2 new KitKat flavours (vanilla Oreo cookie and Mochi).
With so much to see and so little time we settled on Kinkaku-ji– better known as the Golden Pavilion. Also a reconstruction dating back to 1950 it was originally a retirement villa and I hope that I get to retire in a gold pavilion. It is almost entirely covered in gold leaf, topped with a bronze phoenix and set on a lake amongst beautiful natural surroundings. Unfortunately we did not get to go through the stroll garden surrounding the pond.
After lunch we walked through the city to Daitoku-ji Temple, home of the one of the most famous Zen gardens in Japan and historically connected to the tea ceremony. The Muromachi-period dry garden represents man’s fate, relationship with nature and place in the universe. The Zen garden was rather small but after the crowds of Kinkaku-ji it was nice to find some silence and, well, Zen.
Photos from day 2
Day 3 – Himeji
What to do on day 3 became a bit of a debate. We had originally planned on visiting Himeji castle in Kobe (where the beef comes from) but as it was a quite a distance to travel we considered returning to Kyoto. In the end Himeji won out due to the fact this would be the last chance to see the castle before they close it for 3 years for renovations in November. We decided that it might be taking too much of a chance not to go in case we could not get back in time.
All I can say is that I am glad we did it.
We had another early morning start and stocked ourselves once again with a combini breakfast (ie. Convenience store – the breadbasket of Japan). Next up was the 2-hour train ride to Kobe. The train rides have been a great opportunity to practice my sleeping in unusual and uncomfortable places – and I am getting pretty good. I don’t know how the Japanese do it and they never miss there stops either. Though the best part of this train ride (well for the others) was the brief view we got of the sea. I am still on the cost but my fellow South Africans are still suffering from withdrawal.
We were once again blessed with the most amazing weather for the 3rd day in a row. Blue sunny skies but without the crazy humidity I was used to in Kunisaki. Once again the target of our adventure was within easy walking distance of the station, but I was completely unprepared for the size of the castle grounds. I knew it would be quite a sight (a whole 4 guidebook pages) but the gardens were truly extensive. It is built on a bluff and the six story main tower overlooks the entire castle grounds. It is consider to be the finest of the12 remaining feudal castles in Japan and is known as Shirasagi-jo – the white egret castle. This World Heritage site is the ultimate samurai castle.
The grounds are a true labyrinth of walls and passageways, designed to confuse invaders it also worked pretty well on the tourists. Though “luckily” for us it was impossible to get lost as all we had to do was follow the queue from the bottom gate to get to the main tower. All I can say is that I discovered Dante’s 10th level of hell – queuing. It seemed like half of Japan also wanted to get in on the Himeji action before it was too late. We queued all the way from the entrance of the tower before hitting the snake line at the bottom of the tower. We must have queued for 2 hours in the sun (resulting in more than a little sun burn) and were slowly starting to question the intelligence of this decision. At least we were kept entertained by Joss’s best impressions of a typical Cape Townian housewife and her maid.
We had taken it upon ourselves to adopt and educate our American friend on the ways of South Africa. So far we have taught him numerous Afrikaans words (including the best way to can like to speak wiff an Afrikaans accent), shown him all the Nando’s adverts we could find, some Casper De Vries and of course forced him to sit through Bakgat. This was a pretty rare experience. Mostly we South Africans are surrounded by Americans, so to get the opportunity to turn the tables is pretty rare. Eric is an excellent learner though he did often get a glazed look in his eyes when we would talk about Raith Gourmet or Bellville.
Eventually we made it up into the main tower, and it was pretty impressive. Unfortunately due to the crowds and the funnel effect I didn’t get an opportunity to really admire all the artefacts on display and I would have like to know more of what it was like back in it glory days. The view from the top was worth the climb despite being cramped inside and Joss’s fire hazard comments kept coming back to me so I was constantly on edge waiting for the screaming to start.
I am glad I got the opportunity to see the castle – I think I would have regretted not doing so. We didn’t see much after that, as we had to get back to Dawid’s place as we were meeting up with some other folk for a conveyor belt sushi supper and karaoke. The previous nights we had gone international with Indian and Chinese. Lunch was street food – I could live off street food in Japan. It is incredible. Dawid was a bit more adventurous with his squid on a stick while we stuck to yakitori – chicken on a stick. Desert came courtesy of Baskin Robbins.
After yet another lengthy train ride we were ready for supper. The restaurant was one huge conveyor belt with touch screen order menus should you want to get something directly. Once again let me reemphasize that sushi here is entirely different. There was only some maki, not a single California roll in sight and avocado did not make an appearance. Though what I did see was countless things that really should stay in their shells in the rock pools from whence they came. I have eaten some crazy stuff so far but some of it I just couldn't stomach. It was only R10 a plate – which is crazy cheap compared to SA and for every 5 plates you eat you get to play one game of slots for a chance to win a capsule toy. They do make eating in Japan a lot of fun.
Day 3 photos
Day 4 – Osaka
We said goodbye to Dawid and Joss, Eric and I headed back to Osaka for the day. Once again we were running on Combini power and were ready to take in as much as we could before Joss and Eric caught their bus back to Tokyo. I had booked into a capsule hotel for the night – another thing on my list of crazy stuff to do in Japan.
After hunting the station for open lockers we were finally able to stash our bags – and I am truly sorry I didn’t have one with wheels. Our plan from here was to first visit the Uemda Sky Building with its roof top view of Osaka. From the 39th floor Floating Garden Observatory you get a 360-degree view of the city. It was pretty was amazing though unfortunately our weather luck had run out so it was a bit over cast, but it didn’t take away from the view all that much.
We then headed to Osaka Castle, but this time we did not intended on going inside as this one is merely a reconstruction and not as impressive as Himeji. It was a good visit and we finally got our Takoyaki lunch (octopus in a ball of fried batter – not too bad akchelee) from this wonderful street vendor that discounted our food as long as we didn’t tell his wife.
At the castle the Japanese have buried a time capsule with over 2000 items to be opened in 5000 years time. What I really want to know is how much Hello Kitty stuff is contained within this cultural and historical archive.
Once of the crazy things we came across that day was a man with 2 Pomeranians – fully clothed and accessorised. Their outfit included handcuff chains with Zippos and cigarettes and one was wearing sunglasses. These dogs must have been used to posing for pictures and seemed rather long suffering.
I had book into my capsule so we collected my goods and head on to Shinsaibashi. This turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It was the most amazing shopping district I had yet been to. My last few days had been spent in the typical tourist areas and it felt like we had discovered the secret Japanese shopping grounds. And not just your usual trendy, labels – that was a few blocks down – this was punk territory and where you go if you think the 80’s was the height of fashion. For the next few hours we just roamed the streets discovering all manner of weird things – including some Merc SLKs completely covered in crystals.
Dinner was at an American café in American mura where we ate Japanese versions of American food. We then had to hunt down a ¥100 store to find some travel pillows and where I discovered, and was able to stock up on, some Cadburys.
After this I had to say farewell to my travel mates – which was horrible. It was really nice to be around some Saffers (including the adopted one) again. So on my own again I head back to my night in the capsule.
The capsule hotel was really comfortable for what it was, and for only ¥2700 (R270) and rather cheap too. I was provided with a locker as well as my own sleeping pod. The bathrooms were typical Japanese style with communal shower stations and a big hot bath for once you are clean. I am now pretty much used to the system. Though I still worry about being the stupid gaijin that does things wrong.
The hotel is amazingly quite. Everyone is very respectful of other people and the noise is non-existent. This is really important, as the capsules are not enclosed or sound proof. They are also rather bigger than I imagined. You can easily stretch out and I was able to sit up in mine without banging my head. All in all I had a really good nights sleep and I wouldn’t mind getting one for my house to protect me from the spiders (only air tight with ventilation).
Day 4 photos
Day 5 – Home time
I again had an early start to catch my train. By now my luggage was really killing me. I will have to invest in something with wheels that can still fit into the station lockers. I had some time so I stocked up on omiyagi for my teachers (it is tradition to take food back as gifts for your co-workers) and train lunch. Tradition dictates I should have bought a bento box on the train but I had heard that it can be a bit expensive and you never know what you are going to get.
I had another fun trip back, practiced my sleeping and watched a movie on my iPod. Train travel is much more fun than planes and far less stressful than going by car. Though I did have the overwhelming desire to jump off at random stops and see what I could discover. However all that will just have to wait for the next long weekend.
Photos from the last day
Monday, September 14, 2009
My Sexy New Look
Saturday, September 12, 2009
My trip to the Dentist
After much deliberation I finally gave in and made a dentist appointment. My tooth - that was supposedly fixed 2 months ago - has been incredibly sensitive which has serious side effects for those of us with ice cream addiction (it may be an addiction but I do not a problem, just so you know). Still I blame Aquafresh for my woes.
I hate visiting the dentist as it is but visiting one where you can't speak the language is worse. And while my charades skills are on the level of epic awesome, I am was not entirely confident about using them in the company of large pliers and drills (especially when trying to mime "I lost a baby tooth when I was younger and there was no adult one underneath and they squashed the rest together with braces to fill the gap").
The other fear lies in the abilities of Japanese dentists. I have seem some of the teeth here and from my guess it dental technology was first introduced with the internet. It is pretty bad. I saw one old woman at the bus stop once with 3 top teeth poking straight out of her mouth - it was horrifying. The good news is that apparently it is getting better. Loads of my kids at school have braces.
I wasn't able to make an appointment, you walk in and wait. Dentists worldwide have the same smell. Which was slightly comforting. There is one room with 3 chairs and workstations with tiny separations so that you hear the others being tortured.
It took my dentist a couple seconds to tell me there was no hole and that they would try to fix the problem with 3 treatments of medicine. He also checked them all and I had them cleaned. And they have never felt cleaner. Though I didn't need my supervisor to translate the reprimand I was given by the nurse for not flossing enough. She also then showed me how I should be brushing my teeth.
Usually I hate the dentist. I sit in the chair crying silent tears while they proud me and drill. I think the awkwardness of being unable to understand anything, which is always amusing, made it a little bit less painful and a bit more of an adventure.
I hate visiting the dentist as it is but visiting one where you can't speak the language is worse. And while my charades skills are on the level of epic awesome, I am was not entirely confident about using them in the company of large pliers and drills (especially when trying to mime "I lost a baby tooth when I was younger and there was no adult one underneath and they squashed the rest together with braces to fill the gap").
The other fear lies in the abilities of Japanese dentists. I have seem some of the teeth here and from my guess it dental technology was first introduced with the internet. It is pretty bad. I saw one old woman at the bus stop once with 3 top teeth poking straight out of her mouth - it was horrifying. The good news is that apparently it is getting better. Loads of my kids at school have braces.
I wasn't able to make an appointment, you walk in and wait. Dentists worldwide have the same smell. Which was slightly comforting. There is one room with 3 chairs and workstations with tiny separations so that you hear the others being tortured.
It took my dentist a couple seconds to tell me there was no hole and that they would try to fix the problem with 3 treatments of medicine. He also checked them all and I had them cleaned. And they have never felt cleaner. Though I didn't need my supervisor to translate the reprimand I was given by the nurse for not flossing enough. She also then showed me how I should be brushing my teeth.
Usually I hate the dentist. I sit in the chair crying silent tears while they proud me and drill. I think the awkwardness of being unable to understand anything, which is always amusing, made it a little bit less painful and a bit more of an adventure.
Friday, September 11, 2009
My Enkai
The food was really good – a fantastic spread of Japanese food from sushi to pizza. However the pizza was the only continental food. The rest include tako (raw octopus), kansai-fu egg omelette (関西風), sashimi (刺身) and various types of nagiri . The variety of fish here is impressive and the Nagiri I sampled was salmon, some kind of brean and - according to one of my senseis - snake but it was really eel. There was also an amazing beef salad called gyuu niko no taki (牛肉のたたき ) and the salad here is really good. It seems to be the same as usual salad so I think the secret must be in the sauce.
I also finally got up the courage to sample tako. I have been putting it off due to long standing fear of tentacles. It is not so much what it is as the idea of getting anywhere close to something with suckers – especially if it means putting it in my mouth. Amazingly it was not bad. Certainly not as tough as I imagined it just took a lot of will power to do it. Amazingly it is easier to eat raw liver than octopus.Though out of all the weird food I ate last night the eel had to be the best. It was tasty and soft and delicious. That I can recommend.
The party was wonderful and I had a great time getting to know some of the other teachers. Mostly I talk to the English teachers so it was nice to speak to some of the other teachers. They are a blast and completely different from the school. The only thing is that during some beer influenced moment I may have resigned myself to using my limited connections to try and source Orlando Bloom’s autograph.
Monday, September 7, 2009
My Raccoon Dog
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Saffer things that I miss
1. Raith Gourmet bretzel and roast beef roll
2. Tabard
3. Cupcakes
4. 7de Laan
5. Cheap movies
6. Being able to read
7. Winter rain
2. Tabard
3. Cupcakes
4. 7de Laan
5. Cheap movies
6. Being able to read
7. Winter rain
My Full Moon
On Friday night I attended the second year teacher enkai that was held in Beppu. I was really grateful to be included and the party was being held at one of most famous restaurants in Oita.
The meal also included kimchi. I had this dish on my first night in Oita and it is delicious. It originates from Korea and is a dish made of vegetables with various seasonings. According to Wikipedia the Koreans developed a version for space for their first astronaut that went to the Russian space ship Soyuz.
On Saturday I spent the day in Oita City doing some quick shopping and organising my train tickets to Osaka for Silver week. Silver week is from the 19 – 23 September and is the result of 3 public holidays following the weekend. As it is public holidays people don’t have to take leave and used by most ALTs to travel. I will be meeting up with some fellow Saffers in Osaka.
Once again I had to use my very best charade skills to get myself understood at the ticket office. Luckily I had thought ahead and printed out the exact trains that I wanted to take. It will be my first trip on the bullet train so just getting there should be fun. Trains really are fantastic and the easiest way to get places in Japan. The only problem is that my town is so rural that the train station was shut down.
As it was full moon on Saturday my close teachers organised a picnic on the beach. Once again it was loads of fun. And sadly my photos do not convey the beauty of the evening. I got there a bit late as I missed my initial train and had to wait – but I am still getting better at reading the timetables and at least know where I have to go.
So its good to know that after my first month I still haven’t got lost and can get around in a country that is entirely unlike my own!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
My Weekend
Food
I started off my weekend pretty well. Friday I tried my hand at cooking my first Japanese style meal. I made Yakisoba, which is fried noodles with meat and veg. My version went as so:
1x punnet of thinly sliced beef
¼ of a cabbage – sliced
1x onion
1x packet of soy sprouts (at least that is what I think they are)
1x packet of yakisoba
Method: Fry onion, meat, cabbage and sprouts. Once veg are soft add noodles. Once cooked add seasoning (including with noodles). Eat.
And it wasn’t bad. Granted it was easy, but it does mean I have lunch for school and it makes quite a bit. I am learning to be more experimental with my eating. I have tried loads of different kinds of Kit Kat, including: strawberry, apple, McDonald’s (Makudonudaro in kanaglish) Caramel Macchiato McFlurry, Jasmine tea, something that tastes like bubblegum and my personal favourite apple and carrot. On Saturday I had grape drinking jelly, which is literally that. Grape jelly in a can, and you drink it. It was really good.
Sushi here is very different. Not the avocado laden, California rolls that we are used to. I have mostly had sashimi and it is not just salmon and tuna either. A sashimi or nagiri platter will consist of a couple of different types of fish. You can pick out the squid because it is shiny and white. I have no idea what kinds of fish it is, though I am guessing some must be horse mackerel (あじ aji) as my town is famous for it. It is still very tasty but I haven’t seen a rainbow roll since Cape Town. I still haven’t had the courage to go near the octopus (たこ tako) – I think I have innate fear of all things with 8 long legs or suckers.
The spider
Typing of things with 8 long legs – I had my first giant spider. I have mentioned the untamed wildlife but this is getting ridiculous. I was pretty sure I was doing well and keeping the vile beasties at bay, but apparently not. And the worst part is that I am still not sure how the blasted thing got in. The current area of popular thought is the toilet fan, which is open to the outside except for a piece of material stuck down with drawing pins by the previous tenant. Needless to say I have since taped the switch to the ‘on’ position.
I was, at the time, of the incident sitting on my floor, as I do, quite happily enjoying my ice cream (brick sized vanilla ice cream in a waffle coated with chocolate) and watching The Mentalist when the giant mutant beast emerged from my cupboard to briefly taunt me before running back inside.
Now I am living alone. I have no one to deal with this for me and I don’t think it is on my supervisor’s list of responsibilities. It is so far, the biggest spider I have ever had to deal with Han style (ie. Solo). I proceeded to finish my ice cream and consider my options, which were not great – remove the offending arachnid or move out permanently – preferably to the Antarctic. Unfortunately B is not really an option. Decision made, I dug through my kitchen cupboards and pulled out all the bug spray I had. Armed with a can in each hand I headed for the engagement zone.
I was at this point still hoping that I had seen things or that if I left it alone it would vanish, but I won’t be able to spend a year not sleeping. So I gathered all my courage and I opened the cupboard door and it really was lion king big. The size of a teacup saucer and all legs. And the buggers are fast. I blasted it with both cans and chased it from one side of the cupboard to the other. It was not deterred. Then it suddenly disappeared.
This is the last thing you want to happen during an arachnid elimination. The problem being, that you have an angry, giant spider, who currently holds all the power, lurking about waiting to take its revenge. I tried to look into the cupboard but I was all my courage was being used to keep me from screaming like a baby girl.
Suddenly I noticed movement out the corner of my eye. It was in retreat and making its way across the floor to the next room and heading straight for my clothing cupboard. I could have tried at this point to smack it with a shoe, but this means leaving the 6 foot safety zone. I apparently made the wrong choice and tried the spray again which resulted in it entering my clothing cupboard. NOT GOOD.
The bug spray was useless, I was useless, and now it could be climbing inside all of my clothes waiting to make a sneak attack. The last thing left in my arsenal was the mukade spray. It was all I had and it would just have to do.
Luckily it was in full retreat and exited the cupboard in a bid for freedom. It was then that it received the full wrath of my mukade can. And thanks to the bunny of luck it worked!
I am leaving the next bit out, as the arachnid lovers tend to whine and complain at this point. Which is hilarious because of have seen what happens to their kind when they are in my position – and there are no glasses with pieces of paper.
Finally I managed to end my suffering with a shoe. Even though it was dead it took some strength to get near it. And for the spider lovers out there I promise it only felt the full strength of my wrath (repeatedly) once it was dead. It did exact its revenge though when later one of its legs fell out the rubbish bin and onto my foot. And that was when I freaked out and the screaming started.
Finally I managed to end my suffering with a shoe. Even though it was dead it took some strength to get near it. And for the spider lovers out there I promise it only felt the full strength of my wrath (repeatedly) once it was dead. It did exact its revenge though when later one of its legs fell out the rubbish bin and onto my foot. And that was when I freaked out and the screaming started.
Usuki
I decided at the last minute on Saturday to take the train to Usuki to see the Fire Festival held at the site of the Usuki Stone Buddhas. The area is a World Heritage site and contains a large collection of carved stone Buddhas dating back to the 12th and 14th century. Some of them are free standing but most are carved into the rock. One of them is the largest in Japan. They are quite fantastic and worth a visit – if by some chance you find yourself in this part of the world. During the festival hundreds of fires are lit in bamboo across the field and entertainment included taiko drumming and dancing.
A couple of other ALTs and myself attempted to join in the dancing. I managed to get the first dance right but the second one was a little bit tricky and I ended up just attempting hula moves. It was great fun and Eric, an ALT from Nagasaki, managed to get in an show off his taiko skills.
One of the best things about festivals, I am learning, is the food. I could eat my way around Japan by hitting a festival every week. The food is usually the same – toriten (とりてん Oita fried chicken, tempura style), kushiyaki (くしや き grilled meat skewers which can be anything from beef, chicken or pork to chicken skin or gristle), yakisoba (やきそば), and of course the usual festival fair of chips and corn dogs. I had a delicious omelette-like thing with a yakisoba and ginger filling.
Usuki’s claim to fame - besides big Buddhas – are its kabosu. A lime-like citrus fruit that is too sour to eat on its own (so Roland may enjoy them) and used in cooking and other odds and ends. And they make delicious ice-lollies. They were also giving out samples of kabosu alcohol, which I never got to taste, as I had to drive later.
Trains are really the best option when travelling around Japan. I am just stuck as my town doesn’t have a train station and I have to drive for 30 minutes to get to the closest one. Having a car is great but not for long distances. Buses are also of some use but they are slow and again Kunisaki is not part of the main route.
Other odds ‘n ends
I have managed to organise weekly Japanese classes. I am really enjoying them so far. My teacher mainly speaks in Japanese, which is great because I usually understand after many repeats and she only explains if it is dire. This week I learnt to tell time and the names of my family members. My hiragana and katakana is a bit slow but I am sure it will improve the more I have to write in it. The kids in class always get excited when I attempt to write in kana.
I am trying to get used to the rice fields in the middle of the towns. The South African equivalent would be corn fields in stead of every 3rd block.
My quick kanji lesson of the week:
Monday – getsuyōbi 月曜日
月 is also the kanji for month. The symbol means moon.
Tuesday – kayōbi 火曜日
火 is the kanji for fire.
Wedneday – suiyōbi 水曜日
水 is the kanji for water.
Thursday – mokuyōbi 木曜日
木 is the kanji for wood.
Friday – kinyōbi 金曜日
金 is the kanji for gold.
Saturday – doyōbi 土曜日
土 is kanji for earth.
Sunday – nichiyōbi 日曜日
日 is kanji for sun. It also means day.
The days of the week are usually abbreviated to 月、火、水、木、金、土 and 日。 The date is written 9月 1日。
So the days of the week are easily remembered as the various elements, proving that yet again Friday is the best day of the week.
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