Tis my turn as blog neglect has been high as of late.
I guess I should start where I remember leaving off.
After leaving Tokyo for the several-eth time, we got our 2 week unlimited railpasses activated and set out first for Nagano, a couple hours Shinkansen away from Tokyo. Now there's not much in Nagano, and in fact our only purpose of visit was to go to a small town nearby which had a forest with a bunch of monkeys in it. It did not dissapoint. We paid 5 bucks and were allowed into a park where monkeys roamed without fence/cage/etc and they did not seem the slightest bit concerned that humans were walking among them or even touching the cute baby monkeys. Needless to say we stayed for a good 2 hours observing and taking humorous photos. These included:
- Monkeys bathing in hot springs (they look and act very Japanese)
- Monkeys urinating on each other
- Really ugly monkeys scratching their butts
So you can see why we were so amused. Definately worth it. We got back to Nagano at night and ate our best meal of the trip so far, which was in fact Thai. I have to say that I am tiring of the Japanese cuisine. A couple weeks of rice/2 meals with fish/miso soup probably equate to my salt intake in the last 6 months combined. I'm sure it's doin wonders for my heart :). We have thus gone out of our way in other cities to find ethnic food of other varieties.
Next: Went to Matsumoto for 3 nights. This is a city that is a casting off point for the Japanese Alps and also houses Japan's largest castle. We stayed at a nice Ryokan (traditional lodging with slidy doors everywhere and tea multiple times a day) but the city itself was pretty dull. We learned this after being forced to stay for a day as the downpour prevented us from hiking. Luckily we got to hike the next day. Still slightly rainy though. Well it pretty much rains all the time and is >80% humid which is kinda stinky but what are you gonna do. Many people often appear to be appalled by our collective stench but are too polite to say anything about it. I can only assume repeated thoughts of ritualistic suicide are invading their minds.
Stayed in a small town called Zao onsen for a night after this, the drawpoint being a large outdoor hot spring bath and a gorgeous blue crater at the top of a small mountain. The bath touted itself as multi-sex, though the only other patrons at the time were shameless old men. At any rate, I am thankful that my first fully-naked collective bathing experience was in a Japanese spring rather than in another ethnic group where my endowment may not have been comparitavely superior. Or maybe it was just cause they were old...
After this we went to Kyoto for 4 days/3 nights staying at our first real hostel of the trip, real in the sense that there were actually international YOUTH staying there and not a series of retired 70 year olds. Thus we were allowed to have slightly more human communication for a short while. Anyways, we went to many of the temples/sites that I didn't end up going to at Christmas, including an epic and eerie bamboo forest likely reminiscent of B-rate Japanese horror movies. Kyoto remains one of my favorite cities in Japan, as most of the other 500,000 + population cities are almost cookie-cutter and lack charm. On the other hand, they are full of girly bars where solicitors have used the phrased `Sexu desu ka?` (literally just saying 'Sex?'). No Sylvie, I did not accept their offer. Shame on you for thinking such a thing.
We're in Fukuoka for the last 3 days of non-Tokyo Japan. It's touted as a party capital but is bland during the day, so we've been leaving to do day trips and then coming back at night for R&R. Today (in a stuporous and sordid hangover state) went to Hiroshima for a sobering visit of the A-bomb memorial site and museum. Very nice to see a historically objective and unbiased museum in stark contrast to the Vietnam war museum in Ho Chi Minh. Hiroshima was actually really nice and you would never know by looking that a giant bomb went off there 60some years ago. Over a million people there now apparently. On a lighter note, at the end of the day we sampeled their local cuisine specialty - an unusual combination of egg, cabbage, pork, udon, shrimp grilled in a thin patty and then topped with a delicious (but clearly containing 8000mg of salt) sauce. We followed that up by buying souvenirs from their baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp.
In Fukuoka now and have to go. I will write again when I am in Seoul in 4 or 5 days. I know I have forgotten to include many hilarious moments, but I have them documenented in my journal and will fill you in on them next time.
Sending my love in many forms,
Cal
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Too soon to be leaving Australia
It's their winter here and just for the record, it's not cold. (Everyone was hounding me for going to Australia because it's their winter). We've been walking around in shorts and t-shirts while most people are wearing jeans and jumpers. Funny.
We've been travelling back and forth between two hospitals for our neurosurgery elective. They're pretty confused as to why we even bother doing an elective at all. Apparently when people come to Australia for an elective they attend the first day and never come back. We've been consistent, and as a result (I think) they've been letting us scrub in & help during surgery. We only end up doing either an afternoon or morning 4 days a week, so there's plenty of time to explore the city and travel elsewhere. I got to screw a piece of skull back on one of the patients who had a tumor taken out… Yikes. Other than they make us do catheters and taught us to do IVs, and I’ve been scrubbing in pretty much whenever we go to the hospital. (Melissa isn’t a huge fan of scrubbing in, so it’s great news for me).
The last week of our elective the doctor is away, so we're heading up to Cairns to check out the Great Barrier Reef.
The second weekend here one of the docs we work with took us out on his Yatch to explore the surrounding islands. We saw tons of dolphins and once we stopped the boat they were swimming all around it. It was pretty epic - we would have paid a hefty sum to have a similar experience under other circumstances.
Australians are connected by fewer than 6 degrees of separation. When you meet one person, they're incredibly eager to introduce you to EVERYONE they know. As a result, we've had people showing us around the city and letting us know about the tourist traps we should avoid. The first week here was a bit rough - we had a few issues while trying to figure out the transit system. We also realized that we didn't have any laundry facilities, so we now have to walk quite a few blocks uphill to get to a Laundromat. (Yes, I know it's not that bad - but I'm allowed to complain a bit, no?)
We went to the Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) one afternoon last week after a morning at the hospital. It was pretty crazy - tons of people there even in the middle of their "winter". It wasn't a very nice day out, but the hardcore surfers were still out! Other than that, we've climbed one of the bridges here in Brisbane, and hiked through some rainforests. We’re always busy, especially when we go to the hospital in the morning. Neurosurgeons are crazy and start rounds at 6:30ish, so I have to get up at 4:30am to go for a run in the morning. On the bright side, I’ve seen many amazing starry nights and the wonderful sunrises that follow them.
Last weekend we went to Frasier island - the biggest sand island in the world. We had to drive on the beach, hop on a ferry (while still in the 4WD vehicle) and drive 75 miles along the beach to get to our hostel. The first day there we went to a fresh water lake on the island (nothing compared to our Great Lakes, but still impressive after hearing how it came into existence). We stopped at a place called Red Canyon which had sand stained red by iron rich minerals. Frasier Island is one of Australia's 11 World Heritage sites and I can understand why. You can drive inland for 30 minutes and find yourself in the middle of a sand dune, and then drive north another 20 min and hike through a rainforest. On Saturday night when we came home from the beach bar, I stood outside for 30 minutes to look at the stars. I hope I get the pleasure of seeing a sky like that again in my lifetime. On Sunday we stopped at Indian Head which is further north on Frasier. We climbed a cliff and got an extraordinary view of the ocean. We were lucky to be there during their winter because the whales were migrating South. They would periodically peak through the water - the water was so clear that we could easily spot them. There were also a few sharks swimming around but they were much less impressive than the whales. Melissa was flippin' out because I got really close to the edge of the cliff to get some pictures - they were worth it. :)
We went to Byron Bay on Friday that just passed - hippie central. We wanted to go surfing, but the weather wasn’t cooperating so we’re leaving that to next week in Cairns. We were in Sydney this weekend – the opera house is amazing, especially at night. We went whale watching. Holy shit those things are huge. We also spend a day in Blue Mountains and caving in the Jenolan caves which was pretty impressive. There are aboriginal “dream-time” legends to explain how all of these rock formations and colors came about which I found pretty neat. I wrote some down so I can remember later. OOOHHH, I almost forgot! I ate a Kangaroo Steak (cooked rare to my liking, of course). It was a bit tough, but very flavorful. I would definitely have it again.
We arrived in Brisbane from Sydney on Monday night at 1am, and flew from Brisbane to Cairns on Tuesday afternoon. I’m happy to be in Cairns despite the humidity. We went scuba diving to check out the Great Barrier Reef. I’m determined to get my scuba diving license now. (Sorry mom and dad, I know you don’t like the idea). I took pictures of the reef with my camera and they turned out ok. The pictures don’t really capture all of the colors and the dimensions though… I found these colorful worms that inhabit the coral and disappear when you snap your fingers near them. So fun. I think that about sums it up for now! New Zealand is next and I’m sure they’ll be plenty to tell when I go there…
Sylvie
We've been travelling back and forth between two hospitals for our neurosurgery elective. They're pretty confused as to why we even bother doing an elective at all. Apparently when people come to Australia for an elective they attend the first day and never come back. We've been consistent, and as a result (I think) they've been letting us scrub in & help during surgery. We only end up doing either an afternoon or morning 4 days a week, so there's plenty of time to explore the city and travel elsewhere. I got to screw a piece of skull back on one of the patients who had a tumor taken out… Yikes. Other than they make us do catheters and taught us to do IVs, and I’ve been scrubbing in pretty much whenever we go to the hospital. (Melissa isn’t a huge fan of scrubbing in, so it’s great news for me).
The last week of our elective the doctor is away, so we're heading up to Cairns to check out the Great Barrier Reef.
The second weekend here one of the docs we work with took us out on his Yatch to explore the surrounding islands. We saw tons of dolphins and once we stopped the boat they were swimming all around it. It was pretty epic - we would have paid a hefty sum to have a similar experience under other circumstances.
Australians are connected by fewer than 6 degrees of separation. When you meet one person, they're incredibly eager to introduce you to EVERYONE they know. As a result, we've had people showing us around the city and letting us know about the tourist traps we should avoid. The first week here was a bit rough - we had a few issues while trying to figure out the transit system. We also realized that we didn't have any laundry facilities, so we now have to walk quite a few blocks uphill to get to a Laundromat. (Yes, I know it's not that bad - but I'm allowed to complain a bit, no?)
We went to the Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) one afternoon last week after a morning at the hospital. It was pretty crazy - tons of people there even in the middle of their "winter". It wasn't a very nice day out, but the hardcore surfers were still out! Other than that, we've climbed one of the bridges here in Brisbane, and hiked through some rainforests. We’re always busy, especially when we go to the hospital in the morning. Neurosurgeons are crazy and start rounds at 6:30ish, so I have to get up at 4:30am to go for a run in the morning. On the bright side, I’ve seen many amazing starry nights and the wonderful sunrises that follow them.
Last weekend we went to Frasier island - the biggest sand island in the world. We had to drive on the beach, hop on a ferry (while still in the 4WD vehicle) and drive 75 miles along the beach to get to our hostel. The first day there we went to a fresh water lake on the island (nothing compared to our Great Lakes, but still impressive after hearing how it came into existence). We stopped at a place called Red Canyon which had sand stained red by iron rich minerals. Frasier Island is one of Australia's 11 World Heritage sites and I can understand why. You can drive inland for 30 minutes and find yourself in the middle of a sand dune, and then drive north another 20 min and hike through a rainforest. On Saturday night when we came home from the beach bar, I stood outside for 30 minutes to look at the stars. I hope I get the pleasure of seeing a sky like that again in my lifetime. On Sunday we stopped at Indian Head which is further north on Frasier. We climbed a cliff and got an extraordinary view of the ocean. We were lucky to be there during their winter because the whales were migrating South. They would periodically peak through the water - the water was so clear that we could easily spot them. There were also a few sharks swimming around but they were much less impressive than the whales. Melissa was flippin' out because I got really close to the edge of the cliff to get some pictures - they were worth it. :)
We went to Byron Bay on Friday that just passed - hippie central. We wanted to go surfing, but the weather wasn’t cooperating so we’re leaving that to next week in Cairns. We were in Sydney this weekend – the opera house is amazing, especially at night. We went whale watching. Holy shit those things are huge. We also spend a day in Blue Mountains and caving in the Jenolan caves which was pretty impressive. There are aboriginal “dream-time” legends to explain how all of these rock formations and colors came about which I found pretty neat. I wrote some down so I can remember later. OOOHHH, I almost forgot! I ate a Kangaroo Steak (cooked rare to my liking, of course). It was a bit tough, but very flavorful. I would definitely have it again.
We arrived in Brisbane from Sydney on Monday night at 1am, and flew from Brisbane to Cairns on Tuesday afternoon. I’m happy to be in Cairns despite the humidity. We went scuba diving to check out the Great Barrier Reef. I’m determined to get my scuba diving license now. (Sorry mom and dad, I know you don’t like the idea). I took pictures of the reef with my camera and they turned out ok. The pictures don’t really capture all of the colors and the dimensions though… I found these colorful worms that inhabit the coral and disappear when you snap your fingers near them. So fun. I think that about sums it up for now! New Zealand is next and I’m sure they’ll be plenty to tell when I go there…
Sylvie
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Hokkaido + funny slogans
Recent slogan from a coffee mug I drank out of:
"Bistro bear is the best gentleman of a British tradition. He is cleverly refined, is very stylish and kind. Ladies enjoy conversation with him"
The hilarity of poor English translation is apparent everywhere and taking pictures of funny slogans consumes at least 30 minutes out of our days. Other funny examples include: Men's Bar Club Speed, Club rounge (likely meant to be lounge), and 'Refreshing consumption will equate to flavor extravagance.'
Also, it appears nearly every type of company or service has an absolutely unnecessary mascot associated with it. For example, Chandheeb's subway pass is mascoted by a robot whereas mine is mascoted by a respectable working class penguin. Also, the robot and penguin are often sidekicks and respect each other greatly - or so we are led to believe from witnessing their interactions in various pictures. Finally, mascots most often have nothing to do with the service in question, aka refined British bear drinking coffee.
Now, onwards to travel-related info.
So we just got back from a week in Hokkaido, which was very very scenic and refreshing to get to after sitting in the humid swamp-land (misnomer, as it is quite clean) of Tokyo. We spent 3 days on an island of the most Northern tip of Japan called Rebun-to, and did alot of hiking there. We were up everyday @6am (not bad considering the hostel's mandatory lights out policy @10:15. Much to our confusion, the main clientele at our Youth Hostel (and subsequent other hostels) were older than 60. Some over 80 even. It is absolutely shocking how many elderly people are in good shape. A 75 year old couple did a 10-hour 35km hike on the island with us (and this was a rather difficult hike) and had little to no problems finishing.
Back to our lodging. This particular hostel had staff whom the Lonely Planet book described as "an ecclectic young group of men who will do anything to entertain their guests." Though they were entertaining for the first 10 minutes of their 100 dB high pitched Japanese screeches, the effect wore off shortly after. Chandheeb and I thus spent most of our time in the hostel hiding from them to avoid "chores" (people were furiously scrubbing walls and bed posts, both where dust cannot possibly collect) and 2.5 hr Japanese sing-alongs headed by god-awful musicians. At least there were nice sunsets out front, and the hostel itself was in an absolutely pristine location on the waterfront with 3 small mountains surrounding it. Thus another way to avoid them was to climb these small mountains at 10:30am with a large bottle of sake. This allowed calming of the nerves, which otherwise would have signalled for me to strangle them one by one.
Overall: Everything other than hostel staff = amazing.
part 2: Daisetsuzan national park (Japan's largest National Park)
We stayed here for three days as well, though we only got one solid day of hiking in as our other planned day rained us out. However, we turned our initial 2-day hike into a one-day by starting at 6:45am and pretty much going until 5:30. It was wild. My favorite day of the trip thus far. There were not that many hikers that day, and sometimes you could look in all directions without glimpsing another soul or any kind of human intervention. Quite blissful. Complete with PB&J sandwiches plus a delicious rice/bean dessert called Mochi which I've since began to consume about 1/day.
Lost about 8 or 9 pounds so far. Luckily this summer no parasites or rampant diarrhea are involved. Likely just due to the fact that we walk/move around a LOT and often are served nothin more than a combination of rice/miso/ramen/soba noodles (unless we're at Lawrence's for one of his/Satoko's delicious and health meals).
There is some more info I'd like to include about our unscheduled stay in Asahikawa (2nd biggest city in Hokkaido after Sapporo, which we also went to for an afternoon of beer museum-ing) but that will have to wait. I have to run for now, and will likely not post until next week. Going to Okinawa tomorrow for various island experiences, including a 24 hour trial of getting a local fisherman to drop us off on an isolated 2km square island for a Crusoe-like experience.
Anyways, will say somethin again next Saturday or Sunday.
BYE
Cal!
"Bistro bear is the best gentleman of a British tradition. He is cleverly refined, is very stylish and kind. Ladies enjoy conversation with him"
The hilarity of poor English translation is apparent everywhere and taking pictures of funny slogans consumes at least 30 minutes out of our days. Other funny examples include: Men's Bar Club Speed, Club rounge (likely meant to be lounge), and 'Refreshing consumption will equate to flavor extravagance.'
Also, it appears nearly every type of company or service has an absolutely unnecessary mascot associated with it. For example, Chandheeb's subway pass is mascoted by a robot whereas mine is mascoted by a respectable working class penguin. Also, the robot and penguin are often sidekicks and respect each other greatly - or so we are led to believe from witnessing their interactions in various pictures. Finally, mascots most often have nothing to do with the service in question, aka refined British bear drinking coffee.
Now, onwards to travel-related info.
So we just got back from a week in Hokkaido, which was very very scenic and refreshing to get to after sitting in the humid swamp-land (misnomer, as it is quite clean) of Tokyo. We spent 3 days on an island of the most Northern tip of Japan called Rebun-to, and did alot of hiking there. We were up everyday @6am (not bad considering the hostel's mandatory lights out policy @10:15. Much to our confusion, the main clientele at our Youth Hostel (and subsequent other hostels) were older than 60. Some over 80 even. It is absolutely shocking how many elderly people are in good shape. A 75 year old couple did a 10-hour 35km hike on the island with us (and this was a rather difficult hike) and had little to no problems finishing.
Back to our lodging. This particular hostel had staff whom the Lonely Planet book described as "an ecclectic young group of men who will do anything to entertain their guests." Though they were entertaining for the first 10 minutes of their 100 dB high pitched Japanese screeches, the effect wore off shortly after. Chandheeb and I thus spent most of our time in the hostel hiding from them to avoid "chores" (people were furiously scrubbing walls and bed posts, both where dust cannot possibly collect) and 2.5 hr Japanese sing-alongs headed by god-awful musicians. At least there were nice sunsets out front, and the hostel itself was in an absolutely pristine location on the waterfront with 3 small mountains surrounding it. Thus another way to avoid them was to climb these small mountains at 10:30am with a large bottle of sake. This allowed calming of the nerves, which otherwise would have signalled for me to strangle them one by one.
Overall: Everything other than hostel staff = amazing.
part 2: Daisetsuzan national park (Japan's largest National Park)
We stayed here for three days as well, though we only got one solid day of hiking in as our other planned day rained us out. However, we turned our initial 2-day hike into a one-day by starting at 6:45am and pretty much going until 5:30. It was wild. My favorite day of the trip thus far. There were not that many hikers that day, and sometimes you could look in all directions without glimpsing another soul or any kind of human intervention. Quite blissful. Complete with PB&J sandwiches plus a delicious rice/bean dessert called Mochi which I've since began to consume about 1/day.
Lost about 8 or 9 pounds so far. Luckily this summer no parasites or rampant diarrhea are involved. Likely just due to the fact that we walk/move around a LOT and often are served nothin more than a combination of rice/miso/ramen/soba noodles (unless we're at Lawrence's for one of his/Satoko's delicious and health meals).
There is some more info I'd like to include about our unscheduled stay in Asahikawa (2nd biggest city in Hokkaido after Sapporo, which we also went to for an afternoon of beer museum-ing) but that will have to wait. I have to run for now, and will likely not post until next week. Going to Okinawa tomorrow for various island experiences, including a 24 hour trial of getting a local fisherman to drop us off on an isolated 2km square island for a Crusoe-like experience.
Anyways, will say somethin again next Saturday or Sunday.
BYE
Cal!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
...Disaster magnet.
Waikiki, Hawaii - last night.
It's been an amazing week. I went snorkeling with dolphins and sea turtles (Cal - you would have liked them). Snorkeling with the dolphins was a little strange. First off, I'm not much of a swimmer. We had to float in the ocean while the boat slowly drifted away leaving us stranded for a bit to make sure they didn't scare off the dolphins. We couldn't swim or kick our legs because that too would have scared them off. Needless to say, it took a lot of effort on my part to stay calm. But I saw some dolphins - well worth the temporary panick.
Hiking through the rainforest was super fun. Manoa falls were a bit disappointing, but still worth the hike. I got some pictures of avocado trees and mango trees. I also took gorgeous pictures of different species of trees eccentrically competing for sunlight.
The Luau was okay. Nothing too special. I remember it being a LOT more fun when I went with family. (Dad, remember we danced together???) I did go up on stage to learn how to Hula though. Failed attempt.
SOOO, yes. Wonderful week. So, why the aforementioned "...disaster magnet" you ask?
(1) Our tour got cancelled today. We got up at 6:00am to make it on time to the bus. Luckily we made in on another similar tour but had to pay a hefty sum more for the same shit.
(2) We went to an expensive restaurant for our last night - they assured us that my room-mates meal did not have ANY soy in it. (She has a severe allergy that has prompted us to visit ERs on a regular basis). It had soy. Lots of it. Gave her the epi-pen because she couldn't breath. I called the ambulance from the hotel lobby.
(3) While waiting for the ambulance in the lobby, the lobby ceiling fell on us. Yup. Cement ceiling fell on us. Luckily we didn't get hit on the head. My legs got the brunt of it.
(4) Got home to check my facebook to see if my wonderful boyfriend wrote me, and got a message from my mom saying there was a pipe that burst in my apartment, and the ceiling was... (ummm, what's that word in english?) défoncé. Tons of stuff ruined.
Haha, well it could be worse. :)
P.S Mom and dad, please check if I have insurance.
Cal - I can't wait to skype. I'm having a great time too, but I miss you. Even today was an experience I wouldn't want to take back. (Well... maybe the ruined clothes part)
xoxoxo
It's been an amazing week. I went snorkeling with dolphins and sea turtles (Cal - you would have liked them). Snorkeling with the dolphins was a little strange. First off, I'm not much of a swimmer. We had to float in the ocean while the boat slowly drifted away leaving us stranded for a bit to make sure they didn't scare off the dolphins. We couldn't swim or kick our legs because that too would have scared them off. Needless to say, it took a lot of effort on my part to stay calm. But I saw some dolphins - well worth the temporary panick.
Hiking through the rainforest was super fun. Manoa falls were a bit disappointing, but still worth the hike. I got some pictures of avocado trees and mango trees. I also took gorgeous pictures of different species of trees eccentrically competing for sunlight.
The Luau was okay. Nothing too special. I remember it being a LOT more fun when I went with family. (Dad, remember we danced together???) I did go up on stage to learn how to Hula though. Failed attempt.
SOOO, yes. Wonderful week. So, why the aforementioned "...disaster magnet" you ask?
(1) Our tour got cancelled today. We got up at 6:00am to make it on time to the bus. Luckily we made in on another similar tour but had to pay a hefty sum more for the same shit.
(2) We went to an expensive restaurant for our last night - they assured us that my room-mates meal did not have ANY soy in it. (She has a severe allergy that has prompted us to visit ERs on a regular basis). It had soy. Lots of it. Gave her the epi-pen because she couldn't breath. I called the ambulance from the hotel lobby.
(3) While waiting for the ambulance in the lobby, the lobby ceiling fell on us. Yup. Cement ceiling fell on us. Luckily we didn't get hit on the head. My legs got the brunt of it.
(4) Got home to check my facebook to see if my wonderful boyfriend wrote me, and got a message from my mom saying there was a pipe that burst in my apartment, and the ceiling was... (ummm, what's that word in english?) défoncé. Tons of stuff ruined.
Haha, well it could be worse. :)
P.S Mom and dad, please check if I have insurance.
Cal - I can't wait to skype. I'm having a great time too, but I miss you. Even today was an experience I wouldn't want to take back. (Well... maybe the ruined clothes part)
xoxoxo
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tokyo
Friends, foes,
We have just finished our first 4-night stint in Tokyo staying @ Chandheeb's girlfriend's mom's good friend's place (Lawrence - hilarious) with his Japanese girlfriend Satoko. Essentially they make us delicious delicious breakfasts and then Lawrence takes us around town to wherever we so desire. they also bicker in half english/half japanese so I have learned some good phrases through that. Satoko was quite cold @ first but since I've been attempting to speak Japanese to her she is quite warm now and calls me "Cow-kun" ie. Cal-friend
Tokyo is way way busier than it was during New Year's so we were able to do significantly more than @ Christmas. Also since Lawrence/Satoko wake up @ 7am everyday and we're all sleeping in the same room, we are up then and out of the house by 9ish, usually not home til past 930 or 10pm. So compared to classic Shapiro vacations of a)leave @ 1030, b) have 1.5 hr lunch, c) nap @ 4-7, d) dinner, e) 10pm bedtime, this is much more packed but I'm exhausted by the end of the day.
Things we've done:
a) Shinjuku sky scrapers + views (were closed @ Christmas)
b) best sushi of my life in Tokyo Harbor
c) full day in Akihabara (aka comics+electronics land) - also went to hilarious Japanese "adult entertainment shop" with some truly outrageous sexual costumes/gadgets etc, many of which have been duly photographed.
d) half day in Kappabashi aka land of amazing cookware aka Dan Shapiro central. I bought a sake jug for some reason
e) half day in Harajuku (but in superior spots to where we were @ Christmas)
f) lots of time in Ueno/Yoyogi parks respectively.. though I'm sure no one really knows what they are. They do have lots of hobos in them though...
g) Full day of biking for 2$. Much much better to see Tokyo than subway
Weather is hot and extremely humid. I mostly wear my African pants w/ tassles on them - Japanese people look @ me with disgust and are probably spitting on me in their heads. I can only assume they are going home to commit Seppuku afterwards.
Things I've noticed about Japanese:
a) 75% of their jobs are actually superfluous. Eg. construction workers stand in the same spot for hours waving a flashing light when a robot could do the same job
b) Police #1 priority is giving lost people directions. I don't think they do anything else because there is simply no violent crime
c) People's work status is related to the number of degrees they have, but one's job may not have anything to do with their university degree
d) They are scared of me and move out of my way on the sidewalk ( i am a Gaijin Daro (foreign devil))
e) they are essentially aimless sheep
well. that's enough for now. I'm going to bed as I have a flight to Hokkaido early tomorrow morning, will post again in a week!
Lots of love!
ps. Sylvie I miss you lots and therefore will eat a pastry in your honour
We have just finished our first 4-night stint in Tokyo staying @ Chandheeb's girlfriend's mom's good friend's place (Lawrence - hilarious) with his Japanese girlfriend Satoko. Essentially they make us delicious delicious breakfasts and then Lawrence takes us around town to wherever we so desire. they also bicker in half english/half japanese so I have learned some good phrases through that. Satoko was quite cold @ first but since I've been attempting to speak Japanese to her she is quite warm now and calls me "Cow-kun" ie. Cal-friend
Tokyo is way way busier than it was during New Year's so we were able to do significantly more than @ Christmas. Also since Lawrence/Satoko wake up @ 7am everyday and we're all sleeping in the same room, we are up then and out of the house by 9ish, usually not home til past 930 or 10pm. So compared to classic Shapiro vacations of a)leave @ 1030, b) have 1.5 hr lunch, c) nap @ 4-7, d) dinner, e) 10pm bedtime, this is much more packed but I'm exhausted by the end of the day.
Things we've done:
a) Shinjuku sky scrapers + views (were closed @ Christmas)
b) best sushi of my life in Tokyo Harbor
c) full day in Akihabara (aka comics+electronics land) - also went to hilarious Japanese "adult entertainment shop" with some truly outrageous sexual costumes/gadgets etc, many of which have been duly photographed.
d) half day in Kappabashi aka land of amazing cookware aka Dan Shapiro central. I bought a sake jug for some reason
e) half day in Harajuku (but in superior spots to where we were @ Christmas)
f) lots of time in Ueno/Yoyogi parks respectively.. though I'm sure no one really knows what they are. They do have lots of hobos in them though...
g) Full day of biking for 2$. Much much better to see Tokyo than subway
Weather is hot and extremely humid. I mostly wear my African pants w/ tassles on them - Japanese people look @ me with disgust and are probably spitting on me in their heads. I can only assume they are going home to commit Seppuku afterwards.
Things I've noticed about Japanese:
a) 75% of their jobs are actually superfluous. Eg. construction workers stand in the same spot for hours waving a flashing light when a robot could do the same job
b) Police #1 priority is giving lost people directions. I don't think they do anything else because there is simply no violent crime
c) People's work status is related to the number of degrees they have, but one's job may not have anything to do with their university degree
d) They are scared of me and move out of my way on the sidewalk ( i am a Gaijin Daro (foreign devil))
e) they are essentially aimless sheep
well. that's enough for now. I'm going to bed as I have a flight to Hokkaido early tomorrow morning, will post again in a week!
Lots of love!
ps. Sylvie I miss you lots and therefore will eat a pastry in your honour
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
TRIPS HAVE BEGUN!
Alright, I'm getting ready to go to a Luau so I don't have much time to write. I just wanted to officially open the blog. :) Wish me luck!
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