Sequestered in the Lab
I am currently at the Halle Library at EMU, writing this in the basement lab. I don't have that much to say other than I am sore and tired.
I gave my dad a call a few days ago and set up a meeting. I wanted to use my Lifetime Fitness membership better, so I arranged a racquetball lesson. He has played racquetball for years, and I have.... not.
He kicked my butt all up and down those white walls. After five games, I had scored one point. He had a total of 75. Yeah, not so good. Afterward, we worked out on the machines and hot tubbed. Always a pleasant end to the rigors of self body sculpting torture.
Later that day, after a well deserved nap and a sub, I went megashopping. With an amazing deal on Pepsi at Target (this week only, 4 12pks of Pepsi for $10 and you get a $5 Target gift card!!) and $50 in Meijer gift cards, it was time to stock up. So, while Kelly was at work I slept, and while she was at school, I shopped.
Dinner was an easy affair, pan seared steak with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh green beans and crescent rolls. I have yet to do the dishes, and I am not looking forward to it.
The night time was not the best. There was schoolwork aplenty to be completed before this morning. I think I got to bed at 1:45.
I am tired and sore. Time for lunch and then one more class before I get to go home and clean. At least dinner is easy tonight -- salads.
Long Time Removed
I've been gone from this site for an extraordinarily long time. I hope to try to update more often.
Just a few things, I have a last.fm account that I will be plugging into this every once in a while.
I am trying to size down this PowerPoint presentation I made for my Labor Day week vacation, and that will be up soon.
Spring Break, WOOOO!!!!!
This past week was spent for me in Delaware with Kelly. We went out to visit her family that lives out there. The main reason we went is because Kelly's cousin, Katie, just had a baby, Kylie. She lives at home with her husband, Brad, her parents AJ and Debbie, and AJ's mom, Grandma Vaughn.
Got that straight? Okay.
Kelly and I left Michigan at 10pm Sunday night and drove until we got there at 7:30am. We stopped at a Waffle House as well. On the way from Waffle House to Kelly's aunt's house, we heard school closings on the radio. They shut down county after county until the whole state seemed to be closed. Why, exactly, we wondered. There was no snow on the ground, the skies were not darkened with storm clouds. It was only with a weather forecast that they closed everything. Snow did not roll in until 10am, and instead of the 6" expected, they got 4" on the ground throughout the day. In Michigan we would have laughed at this. Kelly and I did laugh at the absurdity. It was crazy.
We slept through Monday, since there was nothing to do and we had to recover from the nocturnal drive.
We spent time socializing when awake with the family. They immediately made me feel welcome, and it was made clear that if I wanted to do anything, it was but for me to ask. We set a date to go to the local microbrewery later in the week as a result. You know my love of beer.
In this time I also got familiar with a little bundle of grunts named Kylie. She weighs about 11 pounds right now, and is two months old. Absolutely adorable. I will have pictures online some time soon.
It was also a challenge to keep clear of the two dogs, Tarzan and Doc. Doc was a short spaniel-terrier mix that is black and white. Tarzan is a big German Shepard-black lab mix. I think. I am going on instinct here for these. They are quite friendly.
Tuesday rolled around, and we had wings for lunch, and lazed. At night, Brad and I went to get some drinks and scary movies. We got Saw, The Forgotten, and Kracker Jack'd. The third was taken because the cover was so laughable (it had the tagline "Whitebread gone bad").
When we watched Kracker Jack'd, well, attempted to watch it, we learned some things. This should not have ever made it into any video store, the makers seem to have used a home video camera, and used a plastic Halloween butcher's knife to kill people. We couldn't watch it after the worst death scene ever. A guy had his throat slit, and he hangs on for over two minutes "dying" by saying things like "NO! Shit, NO! Baby, gimme a cigarette..." It was shut off and replaced with Saw, which was better.
Wednesday was spent on the move. I came downstairs after shower and shave to have Brad say we should get out of the house. We went to the Ommelanden Shooting Range (just the two of us, the girls stayed home with Kylie) to shoot skeet. Yeah, I haven't shot a gun in over 10 years, and we are shooting 50 rounds in strong winds. I hit 6 out of 50, which I was proud of. Brad got twice as many, easily. After our manly male bonding, we got ready for dinner. We went out on the town to The Melting Pot, a fondue place in Wilmington. I hear there is one in Troy now, also.
When we first arrived, we got a table with two fondue pots. It was a pretty simple choice, we went for the Big Night Out. That's a 4 course meal that stretched over three and a half hours. It was amazing and relaxing. Let me explain it all to you. You all know how fondue works: long fork plus food in a pot of whatever cooks or coats it, and you eat.
Course One -- Cheeses.
We had a Garlic Herb cheddar cheese for one and a Spicy Fiesta cheese for the other in which we dunked nacho chips, rye/pumpernickel/italian bread, carrots, cauliflower, and apple chunks.
Course Two -- Salads.
I had a California salad with sliced egg, walnuts, mixed greens, gorgonzola, and a lovely vinaigrette. Other than that, just salads. By this time, I had finished my Signature Margarita.
Course Three -- Entree.
The Big Night Out gives two options: meat or seafood. We got one of each and shared. Meats included filet mignon, chicken breast, peppered pork tenderloin, teriyaki sirloin, burgundy marinated tenderloin, and portobello mushrooms while seafood included black tiger shrimp, sea scallops, ahi tuna, salmon, swordfish, and lobster. I had moved on to a Yuengling Lager and a B-52 shooter.
Course Four -- Dessert.
Two chocolate fondues. The first was a Flaming Turtle fondue with pecans and milk chocolate, and I created the second one of dark chocolate, Frangelico, and graham crackers. We had pineapples, strawberries, pound cake, marshmallows (covered in nuts or in dark chocolate), cheese cake, and brownies. I had a Bailey's and Frangelico with this.
It was a three and a half hour meal that I would love to repeat. I just wouldn't like to pay the bill.
That night, we tried to Watch The Forgotten, but fell asleep half way through.
Thursday was DC day. Kelly's other cousin, Lexi (Katie's sister) goes to George Washington University. So after 45 minutes of getting a fax from her dad with directions and maps, Katie, Kelly, Kylie, and I trekked through Delaware, Maryland, and DC to GWU. We hung out with Lexi in her huge dorm room (it has a kitchen!!!) while her roommates and neighbors fawned over the little cutie, Kylie. She refused to wake up at all except when she was getting fed. Must be nice to be a baby, eh?
On our way out, we decide to get some food. We went to Chipotle, where we got burritos the size of our head. Lexi annihilated hers, leaving her bowl clean. The rest of us ate more than half, but couldn't demolish the beast. I don't know how Lexi did it, these girls are small! After our day there, we dropped Lexi off back home and headed back to Middletown (in Delaware).
We successfully watched The Forgotten this night and we were disappointed. I am not going to give it away, but we expected something to actually happen in this movie.
On Friday, we got out to the mall, since there is no sales tax in Delaware. It's like every store has an automatic 6% discount on everything! Debbie joined us to the mall and we went in her new Jag. Man, it's nice! I was mainly a packmule (hey, I didn't have much money, and it was the least I could do) and I watched as Kelly tried on and subsequently got some clothes. Let me tell you that these clothes looked damn good on her. We also picked up the prom dress that Kelly's sister had wanted and brought it back to MI as a surprise. Or, as Debbie put it, "A little present for her." I forced a stop at the Borders Express (yeah, right, they loved stopping there too). I got three books: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, and Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. The last was a suggestion by the saleswoman there. She has excellent taste, it is quite amusing. Very tongue-in-cheek. After the mall, Kelly and I went to Kohl's for a bathing suit, since I had none in my possession, and there was a hot tub waiting for me. Also, no sales tax is very persuasive.
That night we had a Delaware feast: Cheesesteak subs from Capriatti's and Pizza from Grotto's. Debbie had AJ pick up a large sub for me. It was 21" long. I just finished it an hour ago. Today is Monday. The pizza was good, but not amazing. The sauce was heavier, and had a distinct flavor to it also.
Saturday was, in essence, our final day. It was also Lexi's birthday, so AJ and Debbie went to surprise the heck out of her in DC for dinner. The girls went to see Katie's wedding dress and get the bridesmaid's dresses set for her second wedding (this is the fancy ceremony). I joined them in babysitting capacity. Kylie slept the whole time, thankfully. Afterwards, we were getting a bit of relaxation before we went to Legends.
Legends is the restaurant at Delaware Park, the nearby casino. Brad is head chef there. Before dinner, we stopped at a liquor store, where I bought a case of Yuengling Lager for $14.99. $14.99 for 24 bottles of beer. Heck yeah! It is back here in Michigan, safe and sound. Finally, we got dinner, where we had to get a security escort to go upstairs because Kylie is underage. She can't even hold her pacifier, much less pull a handle on a slot machine. Sheesh. The food was amazing, but the service sucked. It was definitely not good. I asked to substitute the dinner salad that comes with the entree for the baby spinach salad, and even offered to pay for the difference, and she just said, "No." Katie spoke up and said, "Yes, you can. Just ask Brad, the head chef, my husband. I'm sure you can take care of it." She was ungodly slow, also. It took 10 minutes to get a draft beer! Yuengling again, of course. Dinner was the Delaware Park Surf and Turf, a 6oz filet and an awesome crab cake. We also had a dessert of bread pudding and a giant eclair. After dinner, I was stuffed. We still had one more stop at Stewarts, the microbrewery. I got a 4 drink sampler, trying a London Ale, IPA, American Brown Ale, and Stout. It was delicious. But I was in some serious pain after all of that.
A hot tub was in order after that, and we enjoyed the rest of the evening before we got ready to head home.
In the morning, we said good bye to Katie and Kylie (Brad was still in bed since he worked till about 1:30am) and were on our way. It was quite a drive, with one stop at Bob Evan's, and we were home by 8. At 10, Kelly's sister was home from work and we surprised her with the dress. It was an excellent feeling surprising her with the prom dress.
But, unfortunately, we are home and back in the real world. School, work, and bills beckon. Back to the grind, eh?
Coming Attractions
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Update coming later today, with a story of my Spring Break in Delaware. Didn't you know? That's where the cool kids are going these days. I updated my age because I'll be 24 in three days. Just so ya know.
Is this Who I am?
Just took a Meyers-Briggs like personality test, and it told me this:
Extroverted (E) 61.54% Introverted (I) 38.46%
Intuitive (N) 52.17% Sensing (S) 47.83%
Feeling (F) 55.26% Thinking (T) 44.74%
Perceiving (P) 73.53% Judging (J) 26.47%
Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs)
So, what do you guys think? Is it at all accurate? Lemme know!
In other news, I am feeling like crap. Head and sinuses all stuffed up. Kelly brought me meds and tissues which makes me feel better though.
| ENFP - "Journalist". Uncanny sense of the motivations of others. Life is an exciting drama. 8.1% of total population. |
Oh, St. Valentine
I had an amazing Valentine's Day yesterday. Kelly and I decided to keep it simple, and I cooked for her.
She didn't know what we were eating, but I had carefully taken into account the things she didn't like, and I ended up picking some of her favorites! She came over, and she helped me get ready for the meal.
I made a lemon-garlic pork loin with green beans almondine tossed in a sun-dried tomato, basil, and white wine sauce that the pork was also cooked in. We also had redskin potatoes with garlic, parsley, and black pepper and crescent rolls. Dessert was simple strawberry shortcake.
It took a while to cook, but in the end, it was worth it. The pork was tender and juicy, the sauce for the green beans and pork was awesome. I impressed myself. Thankfully, I also impressed her.
We also watched The Bachelorette, one of those shows that she makes me watch. I don't mind so much, but I wouldn't seek it out on my own. After that, we put in The Notebook, a girly movie that was all too appropriate for V-Day. It was actually really good. Her friends told her that it would get the waterworks going, but that's not really the case. There was no bawling or weeping.
All in all, it was an amazing evening, and the best Valentine's Day I have had. It didn't hurt that at midnight it became out 10 month anniversary, either.
Yarrr
Yarr, The Scourge of tha Seven Servers, I be. A pirate like none before.
Well, I do spend most of my time online acquiring some lovely bits of ones and zeros in either audio or video configurations.. In fact, my dad, Kevo, and I got together to share our music collections from iTunes. Because of this, I now have about 3300 songs to listen to.
It's interesting to look at the three of our collections side by side. Obviously, there is a lot in common now that we have shared (and shared alike), but my dad has more of the Classic Rock and a little bit of newer stuff, while Kevo has mainly punk, indie rock, j-pop, and metal with bits of classic rock and more put in there. I have the most eclectic (read: weird) collection, spanning blues, jazz, metal, rock, alternative, j-pop, other techno, and comedy and audio books.
Not that I have listened to all of my music yet, that is. I have my Audioscrobbler keep track of what I listen to, and when the system repopulates the list, I will be number 10 on the top 10 Tull listeners, a title which I have earned only by having Tull in copious amounts on my iTunes while listening randomly.
And yes, my avatar for Audioscrobbler is Hulk Hogan selling Pasta. That shirt indeed says "Pastamania!" I was not about to be outdone by Kevo's Chuck Norris.
Also, Jason and Susie came over to dad's last night, so dad, Jason, Susie, Kevo, and I played a rousing game of Star Wars Monopoly, wherein dad got the first Monopoly, the Coruscant properties (Boardwalk and Park Place). Jason engineered a 4 person trade with the rest of us, giving us each at least one monopoly. My dad was soon decimated and sent home, penniless, and Susie and I teetered on the brink of collapse. I gave way first, but she had soon followed, and Kevo did not last much longer. Jason was the winner with a total of $10,015 at the end of the game. That is a huge amount!!
Also, though my dad beat Jason at an 8-ball and a 9-ball tournament, he still lost at Upwords 207 to Jason's 267.
フィッシュ‐ファイト！
When I stayed in Japan back in 2001, as the spring rolled on and the cherry blossoms did their thing, a curious bit of music appeared on Japanese television. A bit of background, the J-Pop music scene consists of a lot of group bands, either boys or girls. This one band, called Yaen, was formed as a joke. This is what we could tell, at least. In April 2001, we saw a bit of variety show that had about 8 guys on stage, performing a song called "Fish Fight!"
They danced a silly coreography -- poorly.
They pulled extremely silly faces in their close-ups.
They -- and this is la piece de resistance -- wore giant, plastic FISH HEADS on their heads as they sang and "danced."
After the song, they were interviewed, as is custom. It seemed like half of them (at least) were tanked out of their mind. Not only were they not speaking properly, but they were falling over each other. In short, hilarity. We scoured the internet whilst in Japan, attempting to find a video of these guys performing their silly song.
Alas, our search was in vain.
Until now! I decided to get into it again, and I found the official music video. It may be grainy, but it is still there. A four year search (off and on) is over with a silly music video.
This may not be making any sense right now, sorry, I am watching House, and it's hard to type while paying this much attention to the program. I am looking for a place to put it on the internet, but I don't have anywhere to host a 10mb file.
忍者のクイズだってばよ！
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Another waste of space quiz!
 | You scored as Iruka. You’re Iruka, the Ninja Academy teacher.
You, my friend, are one of the kindest people there is. Sure, you can lose you temper from time to time – who wouldn’t, teaching those kids – but you have a heart of gold. You work hard and are always there when someone needs you, but you tend to worry a bit too much about those you love.
Which Naruto ninja are you most like? created with QuizFarm.com |
What a Saturday
What a day I had.
I'll start off by saying how deliriously amazing my Friday was, despite having to take an exam at 1pm. I even got to see The Bourne Supremacy, which was actually pretty good.
Saturday started after perhaps the best night of sleep I had in a while. How rarely it happens makes me appreciate it all the more, and want it every day. Er, night. I had to go to Bravo for a server meeting, which was actually pretty useless. It consisted of telling us that things will be changing, in a few weeks, but not right away. Ooooookay. Good job on communicating it, boss. I also stayed on and worked a morning shift, my first time alone on the floor. It was a good day, not very busy, but everyone was happy and had a good time. I got out of there later than I had hoped, since I was double sat ten minutes before the shift change. On my way home, I called my dad, since we had plans to play some shafabo, drink some beers (Coke for the Kevo), and generally be music pirates, sharing our collections. I got a lot from my dad already, but I want Kevo's music also.
It turns out the the lil bro wasn't feeling too darn well, being miserable on the couch and spending some time praying to the porcelain god (even though he would be drinking Coke, not beer). I was assured that he may feel better as the night went on, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to still come over. I got home and relaxed for a bit before getting ready to head over. As I was shutting my computer down to disassemble it for transport, my phone rings, and dad tells me that, if Kev's condition continues to worsen, they're going to the ER and getting him checked for appendicitis. So, coming over, not such a good idea that moment. I wished them well, and turned my computer back on.
I spent the evening reading and bolstering my already healthy sized music collection (I am open to suggestions for tunes to acquire, if anyone is willing to offer them!), and in the mean time, I talked to my other brother, Jason, and told him that I was not going to dad's, as originally planned, because dad thought Kev might have appendicitis. Jason got slightly worried, but I kept thinking, where better could the kid be? He was in the home of his father, an ER doctor specializing in Trauma, who lives right near Beaumont hospital, probably the best hospital in the area, where he works and can get him in quickly. It turns out those connections were well-used. By 9:30, Kevin was minus one appendix, and sleeping in the hospital for the night.
Cheers, kid. Glad you got it taken care of in such a timely fashion, and as dad says, "It's a good thing it happened now, so he can snowboard at Snowmass in a few weeks." Asshole.
This morning was spent with Kelly, the way mornings should be spent. We went to Leon's for breakfast after she went to church, and then I helped her with her Music class homework, and then we watched The Apprentice that she had taped. When she went to work, I came home, talked to my mom for a while, and now I am reading again, listening to my music. I don't think I have enough songs, only 2,625 pluls some comedy I am working on.
We weren't going to actually play shafabo, but play some Shafabo. Make sense now? I thought so.
Dr Pepper Good
I have noticed the new type of Dr. Pepper gracing my shelves right now. It is Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, but there is one thing wrong with it. It is diet!! Now let me explain to you. I have an intense loathing for all things with aspartame (previously Nutrasweet). I have never liked the taste and my mom never let us have it. Besides, when real Coke tastes so good, why punish yourself drinking the swill they call Diet Coke?
I wrote the good people of Dr. Pepper and asked them about the real Chery Vanilaa Dr. pepper, and they gave me a form letter in response, which I will now share with you all:
Dear Mr. Gibb,
Thank you for contacting us about the availability of Dr Pepper. Your comments and inquiries are appreciated because they give us valuable input regarding our brands and their availability.
We regret that you are unable to find Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper in your area and suggest that you contact your local bottler to express your desire that they carry Dr Pepper.
Your local bottler information is:
COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO. OF MICHIGAN
(734) 397-2700
In addition, you might also speak to the retailers in your area and request they carry Dr Pepper in their stores.
Again, we regret the inconvenience this has caused you. We value your patronage and we hope you will continue to enjoy our soft drinks.
Sincerely,
Consumer Relations
There is hope! Also, the bottling plant is about a mile and a half from my apartment. Hmm, late night raids? Perhaps.
More Giant Quiz Super Happy Fun Plus!
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Lil bro Kevo took another intriguing quiz. Thought I would do the same.
Training... COMPLETE!
Tonight completed my training at Bravo, and all I have to do now is go in on Thursday morning and take the server final. It is a 7 page test that will take me approximately 1.5 hours, or so I am told. I hope I pass, so I can get on the floor and actually make a few bucks. That would be great.
On another note, school is actually going pretty well, but the whole 12 hours on Wednesday is going to wear me out by the semester's end.
I know it's my good buddy's birthday (Justin) tomorrow, and I have to be at school until 10, and then take my server final at 9 Thursday AM, so I am unable to take him out to the bar on his birthday. That saddens me, but we'll have to wait to go out.
The weather today was surprisingly pleasant. When I first went outside, expecting bitter cold that would chill me to the core within moments, and was not frozen instantly, I thought that it was almost shorts weather. Well, not quite. You see, after the Michigan winters, my brother and I would wear our shorts and revel in the warmth when spring reared its head and graced us with balmy 45 degree weather. I was talking with Kelly, and her parents wouldn't let her wear shorts until it was 75 outside. That would have killed Jason and me growing up.
I can't wait for spring. Spring brings kilt weather!
.......I just hope it isn't too windy.
A Few Days in the Life
Okay, so life hasn't been amazingly exciting this week.
I went to all of my classes, which is never fun, took pages of notes, and was exhausted. Did I mention that I am in class for 12 hours on Wednesday and 8 on Mondays? Yeah, that's fun.
On the other hand, I have been working more at Bravo, training. The longest day was Thursday, when I got there at 10:30am and stayed there for the morning shift, a classroom training session, and a night shift, heading home at 11:00pm. Twelve and a half hours there, I think I got fairly well acclimated.
Saturday morning brought, other than a pretty hellacious snowstorm (only 8 inches overnight...), a server meeting scheduled at 8:30am. I hauled myself out of bed and drove the 14 miles to work in 45-50 minutes, only to find out that it was cancelled and nobody decided to let the new guy know. So I went home and slept. Of course.
Saturday night, I ran food and kept busy making sure people didn't have to wait any longer than necessary. Luckily, because of the storm, we were off the wait early, and I got to go home after less than 5 hours.
Sunday was breakfast with Kelly and some shopping, which was fun. I came home, and went to work at 345, and was unbearably bored. Two peoplw were sharing a banquet that was supposed to have 22 people at it. Only 15 showed up, so three of us (me being the trainee/bitch for them) doing nothing for three and a half hours. Then after they left, I got to do something, but I was so bored.
Today, I am putting off getting ready for school, but I have to. Stupid school. Always getting in the way.
What? A Music Quiz? I Believe I Shall!
Hey there. My lil bro had this quiz in his Livejournal. He said he was somewhere around Punk and Pop Punk. Makes sense since his iTunes plays more Red Hot Chili Peppers than anything else. I decided to give it a shot and I hav e decided that it's pretty accurate. Then again, it is a bit off for the Hip Hop/Rap and Country categories. I think those are supposed to be negative......
In any case, an update on my first day of work at Bravo! should be coming soon.
 | You scored as Classic Rock.. Classic Rock.
Music Recommendation created with QuizFarm.com |
Gainfully employed
Yesterday, Friday, I had two interviews. The first was at Bravo! and Mitchell's Fish House, both at 6 & Haggerty in Livonia. First was Bravo, where Angela (manager) wanted to set up a second interview. Unfortunately, I had to go to interview at Mitchell's.
Let me explain.
Bravo is an Italian place with moderate prices and good, clean decor. It just opened three weeks ago and they still need more staff. I am here to help! Mitchell's is planning on opening on the 9th of February. They are upscale dining ($15-25 for lunch, $25-40 for dinner), and have not finished their interior.
Bravo was scheduled at 3:30, but I got out the door a few minutes late, hit hellish traffic on I-275, and got there at 4. I was interviewed until 4:26. I ran over to the trailer behind Mitchell's and got to my interview there. He, at Mitchell's, told me that the ball was in my court because training would conflict with 4 classes. I have to call him back and tell him if I would like to continue.
Angela at Bravo told me that she was going to call me later on and set up a second interview.
Laer that night, Angela called me and told me that she couldn't set up a second interview, but she was going to trust her instinct and hire me! YAY!! So, now, I am an employee of Bravo. Orientation is Sunday, and then I train Mon-Thurs. After that, I am on my own. Woo hoo!
Earth is Having Its Revenge
So, is it my imagination, or is the planet earth trying to kill off all humans?
Let me enumerate the reasons for which I say this:
- 9.0 earthquake on the bottom of the Indian Ocean causes a bunch of tsunamis to kill over 155,000 in Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries.
- landslide in La Conchita, California has dumped tons of mud on homes, killing at least 10 with 19 still missing, but the search had to be called off because they think another mudslide will occur.
- Also in California, the rain and snow has been wreaking havoc. A 25 foot boulder fell on to a freeway. TWENTY FIVE FEET!!
- A tornado in Kansas killed two yesterday.
- I heard on the radio that somewhere in the midwest was at -20 this morning, while we in Michigan were at about 15.
- Finally, what the hell has been happening with Michigan's weather?? Snow and bitter cold for Christmas, 45 and sunny for New Year's, then back to snow and cold, then a warm snap hits and the state gets covered in a fog bank, causing a massive 100+ car pile up on I-96 killing a few and injuring many. Now, it's 18 degrees outside, trying to warm up to 20.
It's Been Way Too Long
Hey there everyone, I must apologize for being so lax in my updating techniques. It's been pretty lame having the same thing in front of the screen for the past.... well, since September.
Let me just update you with what's been going on. I worked out in Birmingham this past semester, which was bad since I had school and live in Belleville.
My free time has been spent petting my kitty, spending as much time as possible with Kelly, and watching good ol' American tv.
The holidays were hectic because Kelly and I had 9 stops to make in 3 days (Christmas Eve, Christmas, Day after Christmas). Woo, what fun.
I played the beta of World of Warcraft, Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, and am currently slogging through Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls.
As for current things, I am searching desperately for a new job in the area. I have two interviews tomorrow, so that's promising. I also have 16 credit hours in school. I am taking two management courses, chemistry with a lab, history, sociology, and health. Wednesdays are 10am-10pm with an hour and a half off in the middle. It's going to kill me, isn't it?
I just installed an Extension for Firefox today called Deepest Sender, which is a LiveJournal blogging thing that I can access directly from the web browser, which is handy. I think I like it.
I have noticed a trend lately that is pushing me further and further from the previous standards. My email account is through GMail instead of Hotmail, I use iTunes instead of Windows Media Player, Trillian instead of AOL Instant Messenger, and Firefox instead of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
GMail allows you to have a gigabyte of storage, and a pretty dang stable spam blocker.
iTunes is much more customizable than WMP, and much cleaner of an interface. Also, when I get an iPod (not if), it will sync seamlessly with it.
Trillian is a messaging service that has no annoying ad at the top of the window that will randomly pop up and play a clip of a movie that I don'e want to see, unlike AIM. Not to mention it will support AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and IRC accounts... all at the same time.
Firefox is the most stable web browser I have ever used. I can block ad images (banners) on websites, popups are blocked, I can open multiple websites in tabs (not separate windows, but tabs switch through them), and the extensions add more functionality and customization possibilities.
Now that I have pimped all of the free programs I use to you, I shall bid you adieu once more, but not for another 4 months like last time.... probably.
Last Photos from Japan
Hey everyone, I am home, safe and sound. Got home yesterday. Here are the last two photo albums for your viewing pleasure!
Post JCMU 4 - Tokyo
Post JCMU 5 - Hiroshima
There ya go. Enjoy!
Two Photo Albums!
Piles more Pics for you Kiddies
Post JCMU 2 - Nara
Post JCMU 3 - Kyoto
I am uploading the Tokyo and Hiroshima pics as I type, so don't worry, they'll be available when I get home.
I will be home soon, by the way, and one more Japanese journal entry is going to wrap it all up. Not disappointed to be going home though. Not at all.
Last Leg - Hiroshima
We woke up to depart Tokyo in the morning, and had quite a travel day ahead of us. We first walked to the Koiwa station, rode to Akihabara, transferred and rode to Tokyo, then got on the first Hikari Shinkansen (Bullet Train), transferred to a RailStar Shinkansen at Okayama, transferred to the local train at Hiroshima, rode to Miyajimaguchi, where we rode a ferry to Miyajima Island, and took a car to our Ryokan, called Mizuha-sou (The Lodge of Winged Water, by my closest approximation). That more or less sums up the travel day. A few notes: I got a good view of Mt. Fuji from the Shinkansen. It rained a bit when we got off of the train and then on the ferry.
At the lodge, they thought Kevin was a little baby (hehe, he's just a child!) so they told us they were going to charge us more, even though I politely argued with them. I mean, a "child" has counted as "anyone up through middle school" usually. But they weren't going for it. I can't really blame them, they really don't have any guests. One room besides ours is filled. We got a fairly large room (10 tatamis), but the bathroom and shower is all communal. Oh well, we'll deal. We decided to go get some dinner, but the island shuts down at 5:30pm apparently. It sucked, walking past every single shop that was closed.
Did I mention this island has deer? They're everywhere! And there are so very many baby deer. They are adorable.
Eventually, we found one of the three restaurants that was open. Two had Okonomiyaki (that savory pancake-omelette thing those Japanese people make), and the last was very expensive Japanese food. We opted for okonomiyaki. We had warm sake (coke for kev, of course) and split two Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. They are Hiroshima style because they are layered, batter on the bottom, soba noodles in the middle, whatever additions are there (meat, et cetera), then dough on top with sauce. Dad got a seafood one, and I picked grilled garlic. We shared, and they were very good. The evening ended early, around 8:00pm when we went to our room to read. We had to get some rest for our big day the next day of exploring Miyajima Island.
The weather the second morning was much better, the rain had cleared up, and it was only about 82-85 degrees, but still very humid. We had a lot of things that we could see. Miyajima is a little touristy island that has a lot of cool things on it. First is the Itsukushima Shrine, with its "floating" Torii, which is firmly implanted in the ground, our in the water, and back in the 1100s, in order to come to the island, you were required to go through it. They don't do that any more, because of low tide, and all... Besides, the ferry wouldn't fit throught it. There is what I think of as Tourist Trap Alley, which has 500 shops selling the same crap at similar prices. Momiji-dani Park is a nature park (duh). There is an Aquarium across from our lodge, and Mt. Misen above us. Mt. Misen was to be our destination for the morning. We fueled up with a can of coffee and set out on a short walk. We skirted around and found a path that led to Daisho Temple, with so many cool statues. There was a statue of a Tengu, mythological Japanese beast with wings and a really long nose that dad liked, and on the stairways, so many little Buddhas, all doing something different. Around the temple, we found a path leading up a stream, so we followed it, and Kevin dunked his head in the waterfall. Shortly thereafter, we found a staircase of stone leading up.
I have come to despise staircases of stone leading up.
We climbed up, sweating profusely, and found a bench. Dad joked, "Come on, we're one tenth of the way there!" thinking he was kidding. Two and a half hours of climbing later, with no water, no food, and 6oz of coffee in our systems, we reached the top, lightheaded and dying. At least I was lightheaded. Kevin emptied his stomach on the way up, another sign of dehydration. Dad, the mule, was okay. He was plodding along too, though. But he is in better shape than either Kev or me. Definitely better than me. When he got to the top and tossed down 200ml (about 7oz) cans of Coke to Kev and me, we drank them, but then I thought I was going to throw up, the carbonation hitting me that hard. At the top, there were about 6 deer, which Kevin instantly bonded with. He is the Deermaster. The top had a bunch of boulders also, absolutely gorgeous views that, once I recovered from almost dying, I could appreciate. We looked at the whole island, and the surrounding islands and mainland from our vantage point of the highest spot on Mt. Misen, and up on the roof of the observation tower. After a while, we recovered energy enough to go downhill. Passing up another temple, we went towards the Ropeway, which we were thinking of taking. After all, we worked our asses off getting up the mountain, so why not? If it would not have cost 2500Y to get us three down, we might have taken it. Instead we walked. There was a couple of people that we kept playing tag with. We would pass them, they would pass us, so on and so forth. We got a little break thanks to Kevin, and I got a picture of a tiny frog. Near the bottom, there was a free bus to take us three minutes of the way to the entrance of the Momiji-dani Park (which we walked through on the way down), then hit the showers before getting something to eat. Believe me, we needed the shower. My shirt was like I dropped it in the stream, it was so wet. Before my shower, I weighed myself like I had done the night before. I had lost 2.5kg since the night before, that's about 7 pounds. Just from almost killing myself with no water! If that's all it takes.... Nah. Forget that.
We wandered out to a restaurant we saw the night before (which was closed then) that had honest-to-goodness Beefbowl. It was very delicious, but it was still only 4:15 or so by the time we finished. On the way back, we pet the deer, wandered through the Ikutsushima Shrine, and watched the sun sink lower towards the mountains on the mainland. I was so happy to lie down to read for the night. You have no idea.
This morning, we decided to go to Hiroshima proper. A walk, ferry, train (while we were waiting for the train, another train pulled in on another track, and two girls waved to me. Apparently I am cool here), and a streetcar later, we were in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome). It is the only remaining building from before the Atomic Bomb hit on August 6th, 1945, 8:15am. We saw that, and a random Peace Statue, where a few girls recognized me. I was just oh-so popular. They were checking in to the hotel we stayed at in Kyoto when Kevin and I got back from our Lawson's run one night. Small world, Japan.
Before we got into the real heavy stuff, we decided to get lunch. Lunch was delicious, consisting of chunks of beef, bean sprouts, rice, chicken broth, and the beef cooked on the skillet that was brought out to us. Very cool.
After lunch, we walked through Peace Park and saw the everburning flame that will be kept aflame until there are no more nuclear weapons in the world. I fear it will be alight for many years to come. Then, we went to the Peace Museum. It detailed what happened when the atomic bomb hit, and I don't think I can accurately describe it. It was amazingly moving, from the little boy's tricycle, the woman's "shadow" on the steps of a building, the dioramas, the photographs, the testimonials... I just hope it never happens again. It was a very moving experience, and it was a shame that it happened in the first place.
Now, back to the not so depressing stuff.
We wandered around the city now, and in the direction of the castle, which is a ferro-concrete reconstruction of Hiroshima Castle, since it was devastated in 1945, and went to look at it, but didn't bother going in. The moat outside was more interesting. It was filled with carp and turtles that followed us and wanted food. I wish I had some, one turtle was practically climbing the wall to get it. He deserved it!
We walked to the Hiroshima Station, passing a restaurant that had all sorts of dishes selling, not beef, but horse. We did not go in. Back at the station, we decided to eat dinner, since everything would be closed on Miyajima. We had McDonald's at Kevin's behest. Then we came 'home' to our little lodge on the island, stopping to pet many baby deer on the way and look at the crabs that walk sideways into their little hidey-holes. Kevin also fed the deer leaves. They enjoyed it.
Now I am back in the room writing this, and in the morning, we go to Hikone to get my baggage to take to the Ramada Kansai (by the Kansai airport) where dad and kevin will leave from, and I will leave the following day from Nagoya. It will be good to be home. I am glad I got to give Japan a Farewell Tour 2004.
Tokyo for Two, and Two for Tokyo.... Days that is.
In the morning, we got up, showered and got out of the hotel, and then had a good time getting to the station with our bags in tow, stopping at a good donburi place. We got some cheap Butadon (pork and onions on rice) before heading stationside to get our train. In the station, I stopped to make a call to Air Canada and try to confirm my flight. However, in my waiting on hold, I noticed an American with a "Tune In Tokyo" shirt like Bendar-san had. In fact, it was Bednar-san! Daniel Bednar has been travelling around Japan for the past week with his father, and heading to Kyoto the day I left it, and I happened to run in to him. Pretty damn cool. He was on his way to enjoy Kyoto, and I was on my way to Tokyo. So somehow, I had the opportunity to run into all of the JCMU students that I knew were still in Japan travelling while on my own travels. What a small world, eh? By the way, hope you had a good time, Bednar-san!
We waited for an hour for our train, and then got on to what seemed like an airplane on the ground. It looked the same on the inside, except for being fairly spacious. I was pleased. We rode along, the Shinkansen banking left and right with the turns, and just cruising along. Soon enough, we got to Tokyo station, transferred to the Yamanote line (Kore ha Yamanote-sen desu ka...?), rode to Akihabara, transferred to the Sobu line, then rode to Koiwa, and made my familiar walk to Ryokan Toki.
Can you believe it, I am in the same room I was in when I came with Allan! Room 111 once again! We relaxed a bit, since it was about 4:30, and then went for a walk. I forgot my camera, but there were a few good shots to be taken. Kevin led the way for a while, getting us suitably lost in the Koiwa suburbs, although I knew where Flower Road (the main road) was the whole time. I think dad knew too. Perhaps even Kevo knew. We went to a yakiniku place for dinner, and it might be the best meal I have eaten in Japan (asided from the feasts of our weekly barbeques). Kevin got chicken, I got Kalbi Beef (Korean sweet-marinade beef), and dad got squid. I also got us some rice and "Cabbage Salad" which was absolutely delicious. I was so stuffed, I did not even think about getting a snack at night. That is pretty rare. You know how I like my snacks...
With our bellies full of tasty grub, we read the night away and slept a long time.
Our full day here was not wasted. We first went to get our Tokyo Tower, like Allan and I did a few weeks earlier. However, we went through Zozoji, the temple out front, and around back, followed a hidden staircase, and found a few Shisaa (guardian lions) guarding... a thing. It was cool, but the lions were better. Then we were in the Tower. It was great, Kev and dad enjoyed the view, and we found the glass floors so Kevin and I stood on them and were freaked out being 300 feet up and standing on just glass. We looked through the tourist trap vendor shops on one of the lower floors, where they had really cool lighters, and kept going. Our next stop was to be the Imperial Palace.
Hop on the train, go to Tokyo station, get off the train. Logic would dictate that exiting the train station to buy a beverage would be the best course of action, saving some precious yen, so I convinced them that we should find a convenience store just outside the station. No luck. Nothing in site, not even a vending machine. Just my frigging luck, to find the one place in Japan that has no beverage access!
The imperial palace was all right, but we only got to go to the outer edge, since it was no special occasion, we could not go inside. Oh well. Wandering around, we saw a strange thing in the moat, and it turned out to be a giant carp about two and a half feet long by our estimation, swimming on the top of the water. Its dorsal fin was sticking out of the water the whole time. We also saw a turtle, and another lizardy creature that had a long nose, kept its head above water, and seemed to be a shelless turtle. Kevin named it Frank because we didn't know what it was. We determined that these mutants (except for the turtle) kept invading forces out. Shortly thereafter, we found our salvation, a nook of vending machines in the shade of Yuurakucho station, pop and beer, as well as sake. We got many a stare sitting on the steps sipping our beverages of choice, but we gave them right back. It was kind of fun, actually.
Kevin's feet hurt, so we kind of just headed back to the Ryokan after this. We discussed going to Rainbow Town, a popular place to visit, but that did not look fun (all shopping). So we read for a little bit, then got some Chinese food for dinner. It was delicious, and now I am here writing this journal entry now. In the morning I go to Hiroshima for three cool days at the beach. See you then!
3 Kyoto Days
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Okay, this one is going to be another long one. Probably.
We woke up our last morning in Nara and made our way to the train station, because we had to go to Kyoto next. I was very pleased with this, as Kyoto is my favorite city that I have been to in Japan yet. The train was not bad, we did get seats, although dad sat away from Kev and me. Silly old man. From the Kyoto station, I went upstairs and wasted a half an hour (and two hundred yen) uploading some pictures to the internet, which is how you have Osaka pics on the entry before this. I still have Nara's and Kyoto's to upload, and hopefully I can get those done whilst in Tokyo. It was a short walk to the hotel, which is off of Shichijo-dori (7th Avenue), quite near the Kyoto station. Although it is close, we still passed three Lawson's, one of which was very, very fancy.
We were early, and couldn't check in yet, but we left our baggage in a little room and headed out to see the city. Armed with a map of Kyoto's bus routes, we went to take over Kyoto. Our short bus ride took us to Kiyomizu-dera, the temple of the clear water. I think that this one has become my favorite because of how beautiful the views are here. After our climb through the tourist traps that line the streets, we got to the temple. The buildings that stand there now are only 400 years old, compared to the 900-1000 years old that they should be, but it is still really impressive. We went in to the complex, and went in to one of the buidings (where we had to remove our shoes, of course) and walked around a dark passageway, lined with bronze statues of Bodhisattva and Kanon. Some of them had pretty creepy eyes that seemed to glow, and that was fairly odd in and of itself. Coming out of there, a group of people was gathered where the monks were performing a ceremony, beating their drums. It was pretty darn cool to watch, though I had no idea what was happening. The platform that they were working on restoring last time I was here (last month) was half way completed, so we could go out on to it. Can't emphasize it enough. Gorgeous view. Trees everywhere creating a blanket over the contours of the land, with the city in the distance.
Wandering through the other buildings in the complex, we decided to follow the scenic route that we did not take when last I was here. The trail gave us another good view of the hanging platform, even if construction was being done on it. At the end of this path, we found the tiny pagoda that teased us through the hills. And it was tiny. But it was old, really old and weathered. After this we started down the hill, but dad saw a closed gate that led down some dark stairs, and had to go. He insisted that we were allowed because the gate was not locked. He is an idiot. Eventually, Kev and I joined him (to make sure he didn't break his neck or something) and found the temple graveyard. It was very nice, but I just don't think it polite to go traipsing through a graveyard. Especially in Japan where Shinto beliefs are pretty much a mix of Animism (everything is imbued with a spirit) and Ancestor Worship (they may be dead, but they can still influence your life).
Down near the spring/waterfall area, there was a little restaurant that we had a beer at (Kev a Coke). Since we sat and did that, there was no pull to wait in line to drink water. Even though it may be blessed. We just slowly meandered out after that, no real rush or hurry. It was nice, kind of like this whole vacation. We went back down the hill a different way, and I was starting to direct them to Shakey's, the all-you-can-eat pizza place, and we got all the way up to Shijo-dori (4th Ave) and Kevin said he wasn't hungry. That killed that, so we went back to the hotel, and when we got back, they realized that meant another 45 minute walk each way for pizza. That'll show them. We checked in to our room and were surprised. Very surprised. This is the cheapest hotel we have at about 9345Y a night. ($87USD a night), and it is the biggest room. It has an entrance way and sitting 'dining room' with a tiny bathroom and little balcony ( that you can just dry clothes on), plus a tatami room with three mattresses on the floor, real mattresses, as well as a 17 inch flat screen television. The walls of the bedroom are even golden. Plus, of course, the air conditioning. We immediately settled in to read because we were tired after our long walks, but eventually our hunger got the best of us. Dad had seen a place that seemed to have fried rice, which Kevin wanted, so we set out for there. There was also a yakitori place that looked intriguing. It turns out that they were the same place! Although there was no fried rice, it was a tofu dish, (Chichi no baka, I said to the waitress. She laughed. [My dad's an idiot]) and we feasted like kings on yakitori. It was awesome. This restaurant had room to seat about 20 people, including a hidden seating area, two tables, and the bar area. I love yakitori, also. When that was consumed, we headed back, and dad fell asleep early, and talked all night in his sleep about all sorts of made up Japanese words. Kevin and I made a Lawson's run around 11 or so, but that's about it.
Morning came on day two, and our plans had two things: Kinkaku-ji and the Daimonji later that night. Nothing in between... So we took a bus to Kinkaku-ji, which stopped at Ritsumeikan Daigaku (where I was last time I went to Kinkaku-ji), and we headed in to see the Golden Pavillion. We got our picture taken by it, as I have done with everyone I went there with. It was nice walking through there, and it just was nice and relaxing. Afterwards, we were going to get a bus to Arashiyama to go to Monkey Mountain, but we didn't make the bus, so dad said we should keep walking while we wait. So I said to Kevin, "This means we're walking, we won't be able to get a bus." I was right. Damned dad impatience. We walked about an hour and a half at least, winding up and down hills, but we found some beautiful sights. One was a big pond with the mountains in the background, also the bamboo forests lining the road. We were also walking along and dad let out a surprised noise. He saw a Tanuki statue on the side of the road. What he didn't notice is that there were a bunch of marble genetalia around. These things, both male and female varieties, were about 3-4 feet tall. Pretty impresive. It was crazy. We continued along the way, stopping for directions a few times, and then just kept going, walking, walking, walking some more. Eventually, we came to the place that I had been told about in my directions. It was the road that I had walked the last time I was in Arashiyama. Somewhere along this road we found a ball. It was about the size of a Lacrosse ball, had dimples like a golf ball, and the semblance of threading like a baseball. It was clearly confused. It bounced well, so we kept it and had a grand old time. Kevin was tired. Oh so tired. We got to the bridge that led to Monkey Mountain, but it was starting to get late. As we ascended the stairs that would have allowed us to begin a hellish climb to Monkey Mountain, the old man who worked there was putting out the "CLOSED" sign. Oh well, we were too slow. If we had taken either of the two buses that would have brought us there sooner.... Well, we got to see the edge of Kyoto there. I guess that counts for something. Didn't get to see any monkeys though.
In the area around the bridge at Arashiyama, there seemed to be a festival of sorts picking up. There were stalls all along the river, selling all sorts of foodstuffs and drinkstuffs to all sorts of people. Kev got a huge stick of yakitori, and dad got a big grilled corn. I decided not to eat, not all that hungry. It turned out that we could see one, maybe two, of the Daimonji (big burning symbols) on the mountains, but we had to wait about an hour and fourty five minutes. However, in the meantime, there was a bit of fun sitting and watching lanterns float down the river, which we also had to wait for. But it was cool, and we enjoyed it.
Dad kept being impatient and trying to leave or make us walk, which actually got me into kind of a bad mood. Why couldn't the man be patient and just sit and relax, enjoying the river for one stinking hour? Well, he is only in Japan for two weeks, and there is a lot to see, so he was rushing.
In the interim between the lanterns going up and the lighting of the Daimonji, we went over to see these fairy lights set up over the river, and got a few special treats. One, there were a bunch of boats hanging out on the water, and they had food, fireworks, and other fun stuff, served to them by a boat which sold it all. After that, I saw a couple boats with giant flaming lights on the end, and went to investigate. It took a second to convince myself, but they were cormorant fishing!! They were using cormorants (birds who swim and fish in the water) with rings around their necks to stop them from swallowing the fish they caught, and then the fishermen took them from the birds. It was crazy. I had heard of that before, but never had I seen it. Friggin cool.
Then, dad went to fetch a few beers, to celebrate the occasion, and came and reported that the Daimonji on the right side could be seen from the middle of the bridge. Kevin and I went to see. It was great, but my camera would not report any of it back so I cannot show you how cool it really was. About 5-10 minutes later, the one closer to us, a giant Torii, the gate that leads in to Shinto shrines, lit up. That was cool, but the crowds were starting to get to us, so we tried to make our way back. I was going to ask for a bus, but I seemed to remember a faint tickling in the back of my brain of a JR station close by, so I asked for directions to that, and it was a life saver. Instead of a crazy crowded bus, we got our train right back to the Kyoto station, and on the way back, we stopped at our yakitori place.
Yakitori was delicious, and we tried a few other things, one of which was a pork skewer, wrapped in a leaf and with plum sauce on it, and the other was grilled mochi (that sticky pounded rice stuff) with cheese and bacon wrapped around it to make it delicious. The bacon was nice and crispy also. That ended our lovely second day in Kyoto, and the third was also lots of fun.
The third day, we did something different. We rented bikes from the ryokan (actually, from their sister inn down the road) and literally circled half of the city. We rode along Shichijo-dori (7th Ave) to the river, turned left, and rode down along the river, on the river, for quite a while. Just past Shijo (4th) Kevin's valve shot off of his front tire, and we had to walk the bikes. We stopped at the Lawson's I knew of at Sanjo (3rd) where I had seen Pepsi Blue being sold when we were here for Gion Matsuri, and asked for directions to a bike place. I got one right across the river, but it turned out to be a bike rental place that claimed to not have a bike pump. We walked to another, but their pump did not help, but finally got to a place on Nijo (2nd) that was built into a small corner of a building, and the guy there inspected Kev's tire and found it to be sound, then filled up all of our tires, all for 1000Y, about 9.50 US. Not too bad, since our ryokan charged 3000Y for each bike messed up.
From there, we rode along the river until the path disappeared, found a Daily Yamazaki (another convenience store) for some liquid fuel, and then kept riding through the city's edge in order to find the mountains or the woods. This ended up riding up really steep hills in Kyoto suburbs. It was the most fun bike ride ever, I think, because we got to see some gorgeous sights, and my dad nearly got run over by tiny Japanese cars. Also, we had to go uphill, but there was fun downhills as well! We stopped at one place that we thought might be one of the sites of last night's "Big Burn" as dad called them. I don't think it was, but from our vantage, we could see a different view of the city, as well as the Daimonji that said "Hou." It was pretty cool.
Later on our journey, we found a fun little place that looked like a walking path (which meant riding path to us!) and went along it, with the woods and mountainside at our side. Kevin and I were riding in the lead, and started saying "Snake, SNAKE!" because there was a two foot long snake on the edge of the path, and stopped, but it was hidden before dad got to see it. However, there was a little bridge over the stream we rode along, and the bridge led into a path into the woods. The path led uphill (it is a bad idea to climb in the woods in Birkenstocks, by the way, so don't even bother), and to another vantage of the city. We were just rocking out on our bike tour, and I think it may have been the best part of the Kyoto trip, next to the yakitori place. After our fun path ended, we went downhill, and found ourselves near Ginkakuji, but we didn't want to go into another temple. We were kind of templed out for a while. The downhills were really fun, so we kept at them, and the sky just started getting darker and darker...
We stopped at what was like a dead end just in time to see a public bathroom, park our bikes and run to the overhang as the deluge started. The sky just opened up on us and dumped down. It was pretty cool that we found somewhere to hide. I was enjoying it, anyways. After a little bit, the rain let up, and we got back on the road, rode down and around for a while, finding a little place to stop and grab a beer (this stop called for my favorite, Yesbisu) and relax for a few while the rain stopped. Then, after that, we found our way back to the river (I am surprised that my direction sense is holding up) and went back home. It was a long day of riding for 6 hours, and we were tired and fairly moistened by the rain. Also, on the last turn, my bike decided to hate me and slid out from under me, and I fell down. I cut up my knee, but just a scratch. Kevin saw a few people in a car laugh, so he flipped them off for me. Good little brother.
On the way back, we scheduled our first Shinkansen (bullet train) of the trip, heading to Tokyo. And then, back home, we rested and read for while, as well as wrestled. Kevin likes to attack us, so he gets the crap beat out of him, in the nicest possible way. I mean, I know he is a fragile little boy, who could snap if I played too roughly. Still, he asks for it! Eventually, dad wanted pizza, so we went to what we thought was a pizza place. I ordered a bacon, eggplant, and spinach one for dad and one for me, then tried to make a special request. Kev wanted just a cheese pizza. I said "Cheese and sauce only," to which the waiter responded, "Do you want green peppers or onions?" I said once again, "Cheese and sauce only." He says, "Bacon----" and I cut him off with, "I DON'T NEED THAT! Cheese and sauce only." He finally understood that. It turned out that my dad and I got pasta with those toppings on it, while Kev is the only one who got a pizza. Punk.
That pretty much ends the Kyoto trip. The morning after is the trip to Tokyo, so I shall leave off here!
More Pics!
Here is one photo album, still no comments. Since I am paying about 4 dollars an hour to use internet, I won't be commenting until I am home.
Post JCMU 1 - Osaka I have our shots from Osaka up, and my Nara and Kyoto pictures will hopefully be up in a few days.
Later!!
A Day in the Old, Old Capital
Morning came to Osaka, and we made out way out in search of breakfast. We had a traditional Japanese breakfast... of Subway. The best part was the little napkins they gave us, which were of course individually wrapped in plastic, and said "Subway, The natural ideal style of eating vegetable." Whatever that is supposed to mean, wacky Japanese. After that, it was shower and check out time, then we went to the Tennoji station to hop a train to our next destination, Nara. It was not a long train ride, and when we got there, it was still quite early. We wandered our way down the road towards our hotel. I kept thinking that this street looked familiar, and it turned out to be the street that had the all you can eat place I went to three years ago! Though it seems to not be there now... Oh well. When we were just about to our hotel, we saw a random 5 story pagoda just hanging out in front of us. We decided to check it out after checking in. Because we're cool like that.
We easily found the Hotel Sunroute, our little home for the night, and went inside. I checked us in, but they didn't have the room ready yet, and told us to come back at 2, but we could leave our luggage with them. No problem. We stopped to get beer (melon soda for Kev) from the vending machine in the lobby, and dad started putting money in it, and there was already about 600Y in there! Free beer and pop for us! We got a free round on the vending machine. I liked that a lot.
Since we had time to kill, we went to the pagoda up the street. It was old, it did not seem to be rebuilt, and was showing its age, which, in my opinion, makes it cooler. Also, dad and Kev saw their first Nara deer. Oh yeah, they rock. I think that the place is called Kokufuji, but I am not sure. From here, it was time to meander towards Todai-ji, which holds the Daibutsu, Giant Buddha. Since we were not coming from the Kintetsu Nara train station, we were coming a different way, but it was easy to figure out the way. We walked through old woods and parks covered in deer (and, subsequently, deer poo) that led us to the street that I was familiar with, the one that led directly from Kasuga Taisha and Todai-ji to the Kintetsu station. We went down the tourist trap streets, chiefly ignoring it all, but my dad, after all of the shops, starts asking me every 10 seconds if that sign said bathroom, or that one, maybe the other one over there. No, they were not. He had to wait his turn. Another odd thing, the pond in front of Todai-ji that has the Shinto shrine on it was filled with little metal shapes, like animal cutouts. It different, but probably something for Obon tonight. So we went in to Todai-ji, and dad and Kev were floored by how huge the building is, and the fact that it has been there, in its current incarnation for about 500 years. The original was built in the 700s, but the current building is its third generation of it. Still damn impressive. The Daibutsu is still huge, and it was pretty crowded today, being the day of a festival. We took our time examining the different things in the building, the giant bronze lotus leaf, the other Buddha, the statues, and so on. Kevin became enlightened, and got a rugburn from Buddha's nostril as payment for his passage. I never said the path to enlightenment was easy! All in all, Todai-ji is still cool, even after seeing it three times.
We wandered out a back way of Todai-ji and were starting to head towards where Kasuga Taisha is, but we didn't want to get there while it was light out, so we turned down other side streets, came down the little alleys that the taxis went to on the far side of Todai-ji, and wandered through Nara neighborhoods. It was pretty cool, we even found a little bamboo forestation. By the time we got back to our hotel, it was about 3:00, so we decided to laze for a bit, read, play some Game Boy, and watch the local tv. It seems that the Olympics start today, and that is cool.
Earlier in the morning, dad mentioned that he had wanted to go to one of the places that had a large selection, like a family restaurant (that I equated with having a drink bar, ala Gusto's). I saw a Gusto's on the way in, so I started leading us there. It was way back by the station, and dad and Kev whined, but we made it there in one piece (meaning I didn't beat them severely about the head and neck area), and got our drink bar, I mean food. Fanta melon soda flowed freely, though it was only Kevin and I who partook of it. While eating our lovely little meal, we watched the Olympic Judo on tv, but could never tell who really won. Not a bad little meal, but dusk would be approaching in the hour, so we went off towards Kasuga Taisha, and as we were walking, I stopped dead in my tracks. It was Rajeev! He and his dad have been travelling around Japan, and met up with Yoshi today in Nara to bum around. It was quite unexpected to have a few people from JCMU to wander around with for the next few hours, but there are no complaints. Our newly expanded group started wandering towards the shrine where the lanterns may be starting to be lit. The lanterns were in fact lit, and we spent quite a bit of time slowly making our way through while talking with Rajeev, Rajeev's dad, and Yoshi. The lanterns were amazing, when we got to where there was a cluster of them. My pictures just don't do it justice, because they would give off a fairly dim orange glow, softly lighting up the lantern, but not much else. My camera could not pick up the subtlety of that light.
We parted ways when Rajeev et al decided to pay the 500Y to go see the lit hanging lanterns in the back recesses of Kasuga Taisha. We don't think we missed anything by not going back there. It was a nice long walk out of there, and we were just enjoying the night. On a little back road, we found a place to buy another beer, and Kevin made an observation that if we were wandering around like this in a big city in America, we would not feel so safe. True, there would be people to mug us and not to sell us beer. I am pretty sure I prefer this country's practices... We found ourselves walking through some darkened woods (as it was night time), and gravitating towards a light music. Could it be a Siren's Song or something to lure us to our unwitting demise? Nah, it was a concert being held in the Daibutsu Park (outside of Todai-ji, which was filled with little glass vases with a floating candle in each. It was pretty amazing, all of those candles lit up everywhere. We stood and appreciated the two people playing the music a for a few minutes, then made our way out. Even the museum on the road home was filled with the little lights. Nothing wrong there, it makes night time Nara prettier!
By the time we were almost back, we found three Japanese women working a booth selling draft beer. How could we pass it up? The women were crazy-energetic (sugoku genki) and seemed to be thoroughly impressed that I could speak Japanese. Not an odd occurrence. Another thing, since I do all the talking, and dad all the paying, they never know who to give the change to. They give change back and thank the person, but if the person receiving the change is not who they were talking to.... Oh well. It works out. We stopped to sit and look at the large pond by the hotel strung with fairy lights and have our drink before coming back upstairs. By the way, from our hotel, we can see the pagoda. We win the hotel view game thus far. Though it won't hold out... All we did tonight was watch some of the Olympics (the Brazilians beat the Japanese at Women's Volleyball, by the way) and read. Everyone was out by 1030, but I couldn't sleep till midnight. I mean, why bother if you are going to be leaving the hotel at 11 anyways? I don't need 12 hours of sleep!
Now, it's the morning of the 15th, 930, and Kev is finishing up his shower, and dad should be next, followed by me. We will then head out to the train station, getting breakfast on the way, and trying to figure out where our hotel is for the next three nights. Wish us luck!
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