Belmont in Japan

BACK IN THE US

2009-06-06T22:08:27Z

It was a shock when I realized that I was in charge of the last blog. Do I make it funny? Witty? Informative? I choose to just reflect and let my words form this message. Well, I have had time to reflect on my experience in Japan. It was totally AWESOME!!! I know most of my companions are in shock, right?!?! True I did get homesick but it was definitely a new experience for me. I will remember the green tea epidemic, lol. It was everywhere. I will cherish my most physical challenge of all time climbing mountains and running from deer! I also really enjoyed watching 2 of the most amazing teachers sing Karaoke! Most of all, I will miss the time spent with my new friends and just simply enjoying the beautiful scenic views that Japan has to offer.

Top Quotes of the Trip
- The Top is where you make it
- I get sea sick in the bathtub!
- My butt is swallowing the seat!
- What is this?!?!
- The Bidet attacked me.

Alter Egos
Vicki
Brooklyn
Sasha
Jazelle
Stanley
JonTay
James..
JT..love it!

5 things I won't miss
Waitng for the light to change
Avoiding cars!
Climbing stairs for no reason
No separate checks!!!
Waiting for water!!

Back in the states it is an obvious difference between the cultures and the peaceful nature of the Japanese people,(except in Osaka) allowed us to get lost in the present and not to worry about our past and futures. This peace of mind will definitely be missed.

Contrary to some paranoid minds, (Brooklyn and Sasha)
We all made it through the elimination round.
I am so proud to be apart of the most magnificent Japan group of 2009!!! It was an honor.

Sayonara Japan, and Sayonara to our readers!

Last Day In Japan...

2009-06-02T09:54:04Z

It's hard to believe that today is our last day here in Japan! I think that I can speak for the group in saying that we have all had a great time. Not only did we get to see and experience Japan, we also developed friendships that might not have formed in the States. Today, during our last class, we went around the room sharing what we have gotten out of our experiences here in Japan. There were three major themes that seemed to float around the room.

1. We have learned a lot from observing the people and culture of Japan. Our goal wasn't to immerse ourselves and become a part of the culture, but there are several students on this trip that would now like to maybe do that one day. We got the chance to explore the political, social, and economic history of Japan and coupled with our own personal experiences it helped us better understand some of the differences we see in the culture here...as well as some of the similarities. It's great to gain a new perspective. To realize that half the world away people are living just as we do, but in a different context, with a different history, and within a society with different norms and values. Though there are these differences, the best part to see is that we really are all the same. It's been great to go outside of our own world in order to explore a new one.

]]> 2. Most of us are comfortable Americans and for once we have experienced what it is like to maybe be a little bit uncomfortable. It's a good lesson to learn. We had to survive on food that is very different than ours (even the McDonald's is different); we had to learn how to find our way around in a country that can't understand what we are saying!; and, to sum up, we learned what it is like to be a foreigner. It's not easy to leave what is comfortable, but I would say that it's necessary at some point in life.

3. It's amazing what can happen in 21 days. We traveled across the world and gained a new perspective on life when really all we needed to do was engage students on our campus that are different than we are. Each person on this trip is so unique and under "normal" circumstances we might never have taken the opportunity to develop friendships. We left for Japan and were basically strangers, but 20 days later we (the entire group) shamelessly sang at the top of our lungs together in a Japanese karaoke box. This only drives home the point that though each personal is different, at our core, we're really the same.

So now we have spent the last day going our separate ways in an attempt to get those last minute souvenirs for friends and family, to catch that one last thing that we didn't get to see before, or to go and get just one more scoop of cherry blossom or green tea ice-cream. Then we are forced to face the grueling task of packing up all our stuff for the long journey back to the States. For me personally, it will be an accomplishment if I can get my suitcase closed!

Belmont in Japan is headed home...

A Few Tips and Things I've Learned

2009-06-02T00:44:41Z

It’s obvious that there are many cultural differences between the way things are done in the States and how they are done here in Japan. I want to point out several societal and cultural differences that have surprised me, confused me or straight up annoyed me over the past few weeks and some tips to anyone planning to visit Japan.

Obviously the food here is very different and so is the eating experience. At many restaurants you need to remove your shoes when dining. Water is served in TINY glasses and unfortunately food is also served in small portions. The majority of items on the menu are seafood. The most irritating and frustrating thing about Japan is paying for a meal. They never do separate checks and things can get REAL confusing when 12 people are eating. Or at least that’s what we thought until I discovered the three magic words, “Betsu betsu de,” that split a check… two days before we leave… Could have saved us a LOT of frustration. Oh…and don’t leave a tip, that is considered insulting.

Speaking of paying for things, that process is very different too. Back at home almost all of us use our credit cards for everything. Japan is a cash based society. Few places accept credit. Not only is it cash based, but mostly coin based! The smallest bill is equivalent to $10. None of us are used to carrying a pocket full of change to pay for a meal.

Some one-liners of do’s and don’ts

Don’t: Eat and walk; talk on your phone on a train; be loud; send back a meal if you don’t like it.

Do: Watch your back for bicycles flying past you; carry a lot of change; bow slightly after purchasing something; take your shoes off and leave them in front of the dressing room when trying on clothing.

]]> Speaking of paying for things, that process is very different too. Back at home almost all of us use our credit cards for everything. Japan is a cash based society. Few places accept credit. Not only is it cash based, but mostly coin based! The smallest bill is equivalent to $10. None of us are used to carrying a pocket full of change to pay for a meal.

Some one-liners of do’s and don’ts

Don’t: Eat and walk; talk on your phone on a train; be loud; send back a meal if you don’t like it.

Looking towards home: wrapping up our stay in Japan

2009-06-01T16:35:31Z

Class:
Today was basically the last real day of class; tomorrow we only have evaluations and other end-of-the-trip formalities. Just about everyone is making plans to stay up all night the day before we have to catch the plane. Also, tonight, we were being treated to dinner by Belmont, followed by karaoke. In class, I gave my cultural presentation on Fushimi Inari, and James gave his on the history of karaoke—quite fitting considering the evening’s plans. Then Annalise discussed the inequalities in Japan that women face when entering the workforce. Hunter and Dr. Velikova went over the current status of the global economy; after which, Dr. Bisson wrapped up the class.

The Afternoon:
After class, people split up to either do some shopping or just take it easy. Dr. Bisson and Dr. Velikova had a picnic. Brenda, Aaron, and I went shopping in Uji, which Aaron did not get to see the first time we visited. Then we rushed back to the hotel to nap before we had to meet everyone for dinner at 6. Ryan, Annalise, and James headed for Kiyomizadera but ended up just exploring the Kyoto shops. James came back with a full Japanese ensemble!

Evening’s events:
Our dinner was held in a German pub in Otsu, which we frequented throughout our stay. As this is our second to last day in Japan, people were thinking of family, the plane ride home, and other the last things to do in Japan. At the dinner, people were thinking of American food: the portions and the taste. The food at the pub for the most part was fine, but most everyone agreed that there was not enough to go around. Ironically, it’s the end of the trip when we finally learn how to ask for separate checks.

After dinner, we experienced a Japanese karaoke box! Dr. Bisson and Dr. Velikova stayed only half an hour, but the rest of us spent a little over 3 hours there. Of course, pretty much everyone in the group has a strong singing voice. I was unfortunate enough to experience the side effects of not having vocal training (i.e. a sore throat and nearly losing my voice). Also, a key concept to remember (which I belatedly realized): fun is maximized when songs are chosen that most of the group like. Hehehe, luckily, I knew a lot of the songs that were placed so that I could sing (more like scream) my head off. All iln all, we definitely made some memories there:)

Only 2 more days...

2009-05-31T13:39:32Z

It is truly unbelievable how fast 21 days flew by. I was looking forward to come to Japan entire year and it is almost over. I am a little bit sad, but at the same time happy of what we were able to accomplish on this trip. I am very proud of all my students. I really wanted to see them explore not only Japan but their own boundaries. Most of them got to do a lot of things on this trip for the first time: trying traditional Japanese food including raw fish, tofu, green tea ice-cream and etc, learning public transportation system, finding directions to the places of interest, getting lost in a foreign country, climbing up the mountains, biking for 5 hours.

We have 10 students with different character and personality, different background, different majors and interests, as well as different expectations of this trip. Each student will bring back his or her own unique experience, positive and negative, happy and sad. I am a strong believer that the beauty of life is the spectrum of diverse feelings and emotions. We can't grow and mature without difficulties and challenges. I really hope that this trip challenged all of them. I hope that they are capable through this experience to understand better who they are and what they are, to appreciate and accept differences among cultures and countries, to become more aware of the importance of culture, economy, political system and their integration and interdependence of Japan, and any country they will visit in the future.

Thinking back and reflecting on my own experience, I would say the highlights of this trip for me were Tokyo, a cycling excursion in the Kibigi historic district, scenic island of Miyagima in the Seto Sea, getting and feeling totally lost in Osaka, and public bath experience in Spa World. I was able to find my way there despite the fact that it is located in Osaka. Right now I am feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. Tomorrow is the last class, buying souvenirs in the afternoon for friends and family, packing, and group dinner and karaoke. Tuesday, which is our last day in Japan I am going to say good bye to my favorite spots in Kyoto and contemplate on their beauty for the last time, and last but not least public bath to clear mind, and rest body after walking on average 6 miles a day.

Osaka

2009-05-31T08:17:21Z

Today began with what most considered, a disappointing trip to Osaka castle. The one redeeming part for me was old samurai armor that was on display. Other than that, I think my 600 yen could have been put to better use. By the time I came out of the museum the group had gone their separate ways so I decided to blindly head out on my own to see what I could find. I wandered down the street the castle was on and followed my ears to a drum circle played by some teenage boys. Though repetitive, it was really cool to hear the interesting instruments and rhythms they were playing. I soon was driven by hunger to continue my wander in search of food. Amazingly, I was able to find a ramen restaurant that had meals for under 700 yen! Quite an unusual event in such an expensive country. However, my excitement quickly dwindled when I remembered I had NO money at all. The post office is closed on Sundays and I had left myself with only enough for the castle. I was left to simply gurgle and growl my way around Osaka in search of the much needed 7 Eleven.

]]> I had heard from Dr. Velikova that there was a Panasonic showroom in Osaka so I decided to jump on the subway and check that out. When I got off at the stop I asked the information desk where to find building but was only answered by a bland stare. After a few minutes of asking the same question over and over she finally pointed me in a direction. Unfortunately, she told me where the Panasonic offices were not the showroom so instead of a sleak layout of all the latest gadgets, I ran into a closed door and dark room since the offices are closed on Sundays. Being a little disappointed with the start of my day in Osaka I decided to hop back on the subway and just get off wherever it looked interesting.

I am still not sure what the name of stop was but after walking a few blocks I ran right into Universal Studios. It looked straight out of California and as gimmicky as Gatlinburg. I still did not have any money so I did not go inside but I had a good time walking the grounds and seeing all the attractions. I continued my walk and started passing through warehouse parking lots and neighborhoods. And then… there it was those beautiful green and orange lights that were my ticket to a satisfied stomach, 7 ELEVEN! I ran in and stocked up on money and convenient store sushi before continuing my walk.

After leaving the 7 Eleven I walked for about five more minutes before getting to a body of water with a sign in front saying “free ferry.” I decided to jump on sice I saw a ferris wheel and lots of people on the other side. As soon as I got off, I realized I had ended up at the Osaka Aquarium. I was still on the fence about dropping 2000 yen to get in, until I saw a sign saying that they had whale sharks. That’s all I needed to hear so I quickly ran up the stairs and bought a ticket. While standing, mesmerized by the odd Japanese river otters, I felt a tap on my shoulder and whirled around to see Dr. Velikova and Aaron. Happy to have some company, the three of us stayed together as we explored the rest of the exhibits. Besides TWO whale sharks the highlights were also the king penguins, tiger sharks, manta ray, spider crabs and jellyfish. All in all the aquarium was certainly worth my $20.

Outside was a ramen shop that I stopped in before taking the subway and JR line back to Otsu.

I'll never look at a bicycle the same way again

2009-05-30T14:28:05Z

Today a small group of us (Annalise, myself, Ryan, and James) went with Dr. Vilekova to Okayama and went cycling on a scenic route to the Kibiji district, which is a historic district in Okayama. We left Otsu at around 8 o’clock and took the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Okayama. First things first, everyone had to eat. We went to a small French café in the Shinkansen terminal and ate a light brunch and drank coffee, and from there we went to one of the most famous gardens in Japan. After leaving, we decided to walk to back to the JR station to get on our train to the bicycle shop.

Once we arrived at the bicycle shop, we persuaded the reluctant store clerk to take a picture of our group on our rented bicycles. Smiling for the camera, I only had a vague idea of just exactly what I was in for. We began riding down a street with a map (if you can really call it that) given to us by the man at the bicycle shop. We then proceeded to get a little lost.

Then we got a lot lost.

]]> It was really beautiful and we were enjoying ourselves thoroughly, and eventually we found our way back to the path. However, after about two and a half hours of sitting on the bicycle seat, I really wasn’t having as much fun anymore. At this point, I was silently wishing we would get to JR station and go get something to eat. It really wasn’t so much that I wasn’t having fun, per se… It was more so that I admittedly am not accustomed to such endeavors, which translates into the fact that I rarely ride my bicycle. Sorry mom!

About 3-ish hours after I stopped having an amount of fun proportionate to when we began, (about 5 hours total of riding our small Japanese rental bikes) we arrived at the other bike shop near Kibitsu station where the man proceeded to yell at our exhausted group in a dialect of Japanese we didn’t understand at all—although none of us understood much Japanese to begin with—and kept yelling while we struggled desperately to try to ask him where there was a close place to eat. (Picture five foreign people gesturing wildly to a man yelling in Japanese.) Finally, when the train arrived for Okayama station, and we gave up and returned our bikes.

We found a place to eat dinner and managed to make the waitress understand that neither Annalise nor I eat meat. The food was delicious and very authentic, and midway through the meal I didn’t feel like I was going to die anymore.

The internet in my hotel room doesn’t work, though… which is sort of an issue, but as our trip winds down and the theme seems more and more to resemble that of the amazing race, (because we’re always lost and always in a hurry to see as much as possible!) we are definitely making memories and changing our perspectives of ourselves and the culture we are immersed in. This has been an amazing, life altering experience, and I’m sure the next three days that remain of our trip will be equally as exciting as all the other days we’ve spent together in Japan thus far.

Samurai and me

2009-05-30T10:48:00Z

Hey everyone, Belmont in Japan 2009 Program Director Bisson here with an update of her experiences so far in Japan. I must say that I have had a wonderful time getting to know my students better in class and out. Together and separately we have all had a lot of different experiences that will make wonderful memories for all of us. This is my second trip here and I cannot get over how each time there is more to learn about this country and its people.

Today I went to the Daitokuji Zen Temple complex. It is greatly associated with the history of the samurai. The temple was founded in the early Ashikaga period (1336-1573) (history people always put in the dates) but was patronized by famous men like two of the unifiers of Japan, Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi Toyotomi. For those who are familiar with the greatest master of the tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu, well I got to see the place where he committed seppuku on orders from Hideyoshi. I also got to see the smallest zen garden in Japan. In fact I got to see about eight different zen gardens at the Daitokuji. They are all smaller than the one at Ryoanji, but each one was very unique.

Speaking of the samurai, many of the sites that we have visited so far have samurai connections, even Hiroshima which had a castle and the Byodoin Temple in Uji where the loser of the first battle of Uji Bridge in 1180 committed seppuku.

But samurai sites are not the only highlights of my trip. I got to celebrate my birthday with my longtime Japanese friend Hideki from Osaka. We went to traditional Japanese restaurant with traditonal and very delicious Japanese food.

We leave here on Wednesday, but like the students and Dr. Velikova, I will be trying once again to experience as much of Japan as possible.

Hiroshima

2009-05-29T17:32:53Z

We set off from Otsu this morning (7:30 am) bound for Hiroshima. After we got there we went directly to the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum. Both were very reflective experiences. It was sobering to see all of the devastation that the atomic bomb had on this city.

The Peace Park was absolutely beautiful. Also, it was a well manicured park. The first part of the park includes a building that is the actual building that withstood the atomic bomb. It was very close to the hypocenter where the atomic bomb blasted. Another very touching thing about the park was the memorial to a girl who believed if she created enough paper cranes than she would heal from her injuries from the atomic bomb. However, she died but the memory still lives on today. Many schoolchildren all over Japan make paper cranes and send them to this memorial. It was very sad to see but also very touching to see that she is still being remembered today.

Another part of the park included a flame that will not go out until all the countries of the world destroy their nuclear arsenals. It gives the visitors of the park hope for a better tomorrow. However unlikely it is that all countries will do this is besides the point. It instead represents what happened in Hiroshima and hopes to bear reminder of how much of a toll a nuclear bomb will have on the world. The Atomic Bomb Museum was very graphic. It showed the charred remains of bodies stacked up and children suffering. A hand watch was also displayed that stopped at the exact time of the bombing. Also, there were pictures of all the victims that were identified as being killed during the nuclear bomb Watching the slide show was almost too much to bear because it puts such a human touch on the whole incident.

Hiroshima was not what I would call a great experience because I feel that such words are only reserved for things of a more positive nature. Instead, it was very reflective. The images and remains that we saw today were very sobering and we stay with me for the rest of my life. I am glad that I got to experience this trip.

God Bless Hiroshima

The Golden Pavilion and Rock Garden

2009-05-28T13:25:45Z

Today a group of us went to see the famous Golden Pavilion and a Zen Rock Garden. It was overcast and cloudy with light showers here and there. Many of us came into the day real tired. All these long days and early mornings are starting to take their toll. The pavilion and garden were a bit of a walk from the train station so we took a bus to get us closer. It was our first bus experience and several of us had trouble fitting into the seats…

From the bus stop it was about a 15-minute walk to our first stop, the world renown Gold Pavilion. I personally was very excited about seeing an ancient oriental pavilion made out of pure gold. I was hoping it would be sunny so the gold would glimmer in the sunlight but it was real cloudy.

We got to the gates and were hit with an entrance fee of 3 bucks. When we got inside we read about the pavilion in the pamphlet. It was not actually an ancient one…it was rebuilt in 1957 as a replica…and it wasn’t made out of gold, just gold leaf on the outside. So the glimmering ancient solid gold structure wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was neat and I got some pictures but this was the first time on this trip that I can say I was disappointed. I was glad to find that I wasn’t the only one disappointed by the Golden Pavilion as it seemed to be the general consensus. However, Ryan and I did have fun trying to throw our yen pennies into the Buddha bowls so if you ever visit make sure you bring some change.

]]> We then headed to the Rock Garden. I was very interested to see what it was like and figured if anything, it would at least be a pretty walk. We got to the gate and….it was a 5 dollar entrance fee. Only three of us went in while the others waited at the gate. It was about a 5 minute walk from the gate past a scenic pond and into the temple where the Rock Garden was. The rock garden is supposed to emphasize simplicity, a place where you can free your mind and meditate. Well let me tell you how soothing it was to be serenaded by the sound of bludgeoning hammers and construction reverberating off the walls and throughout the temple. They were in the process of remodeling the temple. The rock garden was…well, very simple. It was what it said it was, rocks in a garden. I know it is supposed to be simplistic and all, but to me it just looked like a gravel putt-putt course with a big white construction board on one side. Maybe I just don’t get it, maybe my zen was disturbed by the cacophonous racket caused by the construction, maybe I need to be more enlightened by climbing Mt. Hiei again or squeezing through some nostrils.

After the rock garden we headed back to Kyoto station and finished out the night with some delicious Okonomiyake. Although I was disappointed by the sightseeing today our group managed to have fun together and continue to make the best of our time in Japan!

- James -

Monkeys and Bamboo

2009-05-27T15:40:43Z

Deciding to mix things up a bit, the group decided to head to Kyoto station to eat before heading out to Arashiyama. At the station, one group ate at a French bakery while another ventured to the 10th floor where there was a variety of choices including ramen, takoyaki, soba, okunomiyaki, and....burgers?! It's true - we were aching for some western food, so we most hit up the one burger joint. The tastes of home were nostalgic, but we we're not quite ready to go home yet. We still have a lot to look forward to.

Normally, when we change trains in Kyoto, we take the Nara line, or change to the subway, but today we hopped on a train bound for Arashiyama which took us in a completely new direction, and we got the opportunity to see new parts of the city. Once in Arashiyama, we hastily partook in sakura (cherry blossom) ice cream. Green tea ice cream has found its competition. I myself would gladly make the 15 minute trip just to grab another cone.

The area of town was very easy to navigate, and was very accommodating to tourists, with shops lining the street up to the temple. After meandering around, the group split up and explored on their own. In addition to the temple itself was a monkey park and a bamboo forest. Both are fairly rare things to see in the US so it was a treat to experience.

After another exercise-filled afternoon, the group ended up back in Otsu, but the night couldn't end without yet another visit to the German restaurant. Mmm.

Mt. Hiei - "Just 2 more minutes....."

2009-05-26T16:19:02Z

Today we headed for Mt. Hiei after class. Good thing we had some Italian for lunch, we needed the carbs for this hike...It all started fine with a Temple and Annalise trying to walk across the beams that were obviously giving Dr. Bisson a heart attack. After enjoying our time at this Temple, we headed up the mountain (Mt. Hiei) to a Temple at the top that is supposed to be beautiful.

As Shannon and JT and I took a break, we saw Taylor coming down the path...in sandals he said he couldn't do it..........that's good, based on what we came across on our adventure. Shannon also went back...the mountain was very steep and her feet were still hurting from the day before.

]]> JT and I trekked on...shortly we found Gabrielle and Annalise. We all conquered the mountain together. Every turn we hoped for the top, but it never came. Eventually, we came to a resort (on top of this mountain?!?) but it was there. That is when we lost Gabrielle- thought she fell off a cliff or something- but she was fine even though we were yelling for her :) After we regrouped we were close to the train station that would take us back home, but I said that we've gone this far...we need to check out this shrine above.

Shortly after checking out the map of where we were, the officials started spraying down the Temple with four "firehoses", but this must be a ritual I have never seen. It was awesome! Check out pics on facebook.

We then conquered the mountain and found the rail train back down the mountain. 10 minute ride compared to the 2+ hours it took us to climb the mountain.

Exhausted and hungry, we headed for home, Otsu.
A great adventure, but speaking for all who were on it...that is the last time we will fight that mountain again ;)

Welcome to Nagasaki...

2009-05-26T12:18:51Z

While most of the group opted for the Tokyo trip, JT and decided to explore a different part of Japan. The 5 hour train ride to Nagasaki was not bad at all. We enjoyed the scenery traveling through cities like Hiroshima, Kobe, and Kokura (to name a few). We arrived around 7pm and headed for our hotel that a Japanese friend of mine (Hideaki Okamura aka Otoosan) reserved a room for us. After we unloaded our backpacks we set out looking for some food and Nagasaki nightlife.

According to JT's Japan guide the place to go for nightlife was in the Hamao-Machi District. We got there and noticed that everything closed at 8. Luckily we were right next to Chinatown where we found a great restaurant for dinner. With the help of the waitress and fellow customers in the restaurant, they pointed us in the direction where we could enjoy Nagasaki nightlife. Karaoke! We were treated like rock stars in this hole in wall club. You could never find this place without the map they drew out for us. It was great...JT sang the Beatles while I rocked it on the drums. The owner of the club, Lora, wanted us to keep singing and the crowd was loving it...we rocked Bon Jovi, Eagles, and some more Beatles songs...too much fun!

After that we headed back to our hotel to plan for the next day. We had to pack a lot in to make sure we saw as much as we could in this beautiful city on the ocean. To make it easier to see everything we made a huge circle all the way around Nagasaki, starting at the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter.

We first visited the Site of the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan (6 European missionaries and 20 Japanese Christians were crucified here in 1597 and canonized by the Pope in 1862). On the way to Peace Park we found the Second Torii Arch at Shanno Shinto Shrine. This is a one legged Torii that was damaged by the bomb. When then headed to the Atomic Bomb museum (very emotional). After spending some time in the museum seeing all the pictures and burnt artifacts we headed to Peace Park - the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter. This was the exact spot the bomb exploded August 9, 1945 at 11:02 am. A beautiful park to remember the 145,000+ either killed or hurt by the bomb.

]]> After paying our respects we continued our journey and went for lunch. Nagasaki is very mountainous, and going up and down these hills all day we needed some carbs so we grabbed lunch at this great Italian place on our way to the Hollander Slope. And just as the name says, it is a shaded flagstone incline surrounded by Dutch style homes. After that we checked out the Confucian Temple...Confucius say - not cheap ;) but well worth the visit to this historic Temple. After visiting Confucius, we headed up to the top of Glover Park (luckily there was an elevator!). From the top of the Park we could see all of Nagasaki sitting on the edge of the ocean. Beautiful view!

Our last stop was the Spectacles Bridge where we snapped some pics and headed for a youth hostel where we were staying that night. After washing up, we headed out for dinner and were declined at 3 different Japanese restaurants and decided to head back to Chinatown where we were more welcomed. We enjoyed the Karaoke Club so much the night before we went back that night and enjoyed more singing...as soon as we walked in they were excited we came back. Rockstars in Japan!

The next morning we wanted to check out an Onsen (hot spring), but when we got there we were turned away because as it turns out, I am Japanese mafia. I have tattoos and in Japan people with tattoos are considered part of the Japanese Mafia...go figure. So instead of the hot springs we found a massage place in the mall and got our muscles relaxed after the long exploration of Nagasaki from the day before. Afterward we headed to a sushi bar for some lunch and then it was time to head back home to Otsu. JT and I had a great time in Nagasaki. It is a beautiful city full of history and spectacular sites.

The Rockstars:

Getting Lost = Great Stories

2009-05-25T14:44:06Z

We just got home from another long day of walking, getting lost and finding small, yet delicious, portions of food. I'd say today was a success. We had class at 9am as always but Dr. Velikova and Dr. Bisson decided to give us the afternoon off because most of us were so burnt out from our weekend travels.

Some of us are taking third-year writing and Dr. Stover is having us write a paper based on a specific walk through Kyoto. After lunch in Kyoto station Shannon, Hunter, Ryan, James, and I all headed out for our walk of choice. We were walking towards the subway station when a Japanese man came up to us and said “Welcome to Kyoto!” We said thank you and the next thing you know we are talking to this man for 20 minutes. It started with him asking us how to say certain sentences in English and ended with a much more crude subject matter. It was hilarious and unforgettable and, thankfully, James got a portion of it on video. The man could speak English very well and kept telling us we had high IQ's. He was in his 80s but looked only about early 50s. We talked about Japanese speaking, diet, way of life, public bath’s, it was so great, like SO great. He suddenly had to run off to catch his train and we headed out too. After about 30 minutes of getting lost and confused as to how to get to our “walk” we chose a walk much closer to the city and found our way there.

]]> The walk turned out to be really pretty. It started with a nice jaunt down a riverbank and then we headed to Yasaka Shrine. The map in the book wasn't great and we ended up no finding our way so we made our own way. After some chestnut ice cream, green tea ice cream and some interesting dumplings we walked though Maruyama, this really beautiful park. We were fascinated with the turtles and fish in the pond for about 15 minutes, as well as an adorable dog and a scared cat.

We continued to wander the path and 10 minutes later we ended up walking into this huge cemetery. The Japanese usually cremate but they put up memorials for the dead that look like gravestones. The cemetery was ridiculous. Hundreds upon thousands of stones, we climbed and climbed and took pictures and when we got to the top of this enormous hill/overlook we could see all of Kyoto so well. It was beautiful. The area was surrounded with trees and we could see the mountains in the distance, it was totally great and better than seeing whatever the planned walk would have had us see.

By the time we had our fill of the view it was 5pm and when we got down to the gate we realized it was shut and locked. We wandered over to another gate and found the same problem. Then a man appeared and let us out through this tiny door in the gate. We walked back down and navigated our way back to Shinjo Street, a favorite of ours. We were all hungry so the first stop was dinner. We ate at a traditional Japanese restaurant. By traditional I mean we had to take our shoes off and sit on the floor with our feet in a hole in the floor. After dinner we headed towards the station and after a few almost mishaps involving the subway and JR, found our way back to Otsu and the hotel.

Free Weekend!!! May 22nd

2009-05-24T23:04:15Z

TOKYO!!!!
Getting there: In the morning everyone--everyone who was going--was buzzing with excitement for the trip to Tokyo. People were in various stages of packing (from Dr. Velikova who was already done to people like me who had yet to put their belongings in a bag). Anyway, in class, we had a cultural presentation about anime by Shannon, introducing Hayao Miyazaki to a couple of people. Then Annalise gave her presentation on sushi: the origins, types, & even how to make it. Actually, she has some personal experience rolling sushi for a restaurant. Then class discussion turned to Japanese economy after the WWII. After which, we ran in our respective directions, along the way running into Hunter who missed class because he wasn’t feeling well. As a side note, Pepto Bismol is hard to find in Otsu. Anyway, we discovered that there was a misunderstanding about the meeting time since we reserved a train ride from Kyoto, not Otsu. Annalise was concerned about making her friend wait. Thus with the time of departure creeping up, we had to find the few people left behind and make a mad dash through Kyoto station with Dr. Velikova leading the way. I personally found the whole rush thrilling but only because we actually made the train—had we missed the train, the dash would have been stressful. Everyone went to Tokyo except Dr. Bisson (whom we left in Kyoto), Shannon (who went to see the Leis family In Shizuoka) and Hunter & James (who went to visit Nagasaki).

The arrival: After searching for Sarah, Annalise’s friend, we ate lunch in the station. As a side note, Annalise’s friend rocks! She was able to help us navigate Tokyo public transportation; she spoke to people for us; and she acted as our tour guide!!! I’m just saying. Anyway, we met some of Sarah’s friends at her university. Together, we all went to “Tocho” tower where we could see the cityscape of Tokyo. Upon walking through the streets, Brenda declared that Tokyo was very much “a Japanese New York.” After seeing the cityscape, Ryan noted that Tokyo is surprisingly flat, as in not as many high raisers as New York, but the city does have a lot of people. Like Aaron was saying, Tokyo is definitely metropolitan; we saw a lot more non Japanese people than we saw in Otsu. After leaving the Tower, we went to Ikebukuro to the place we were staying: Sakura Hotel. (Thanks to Dr. Velikova’s brilliant perseverance in getting us cheap lodging!) Our Japanese room was super cool with futons on the floor of the main room. Brenda and Aaron opted to take the double, which is hilarious when we found that there was only one bed in the room. They would have to figure out that sleeping arrangement for themselves.

]]> Soaking it in: Before we even left for Tokyo, Brenda expressed that she wanted to go dancing. Thus, we headed to Shinjuku for dinner and to experience some of the night life. Yes, I finally got my bowl of ramen! I was so satiated:) We explored the streets with all its bright lights and hosts on the streets. Yes, hosts!—tall guys in black suits with spiked, orange hair. Anyway, if nothing else, we decided that we had to stick together as a group, especially at night and with all the people on the streets. Anyway, we had to catch the last train to Ikebukuro so we left early and were not able to go dancing. We would have to make that up to Brenda later before we left Tokyo.

Plans for tomorrow: In addition to finding somewhere to dance, there were plans of going to the fish market—the largest in Japan—at five in the morning, even though we got in after midnight. Instead of staying with Sarah’s family, Annalise stayed in the Japanese room with us to so she could see the fish market too. After which, we would meet up at 9 with everyone who didn’t go to the fish market at Ueno station. That was the plan. . .