Today was my last full day in Kyoto! As such, it was imperative that I finish doing everything I planned to do here. I had planned to see the two 本願寺, as well as 松尾大社. If not for a few embarrassing events, today was a calm end to a very fun trip.
My hotel is only a few blocks away from the two 本願寺. They are the head temples for the two main branches of 浄土真宗: The Western Branch and the Eastern Branch (大谷派). While I'm not really a Buddhist, my grandparents and all of them went to Papaikou Hongwanji, and I have a lot of friends that went to the ヒロ本派本願寺. I was originally under the impression that the two temples were seperated by a great distance. But when I consulted a map of the city, I found that they are only a few blocks away from each other. I first went to the 東本願寺, which is closer to my hotel (also visible). The temple complex is pretty large, and is surrounded by a wall and moat. An interesting thing about this temple is that they have a huge flock of resident pigeons that you can feed if you buy a small bag of food (100￥). I like feeding animals, but this was either the most hilarious or the most frightening thing I have ever done. Have you ever seen the movie "The Birds"? In the movie, the birds go crazy and start to swarm (and attack) the people of a little town. That's pretty much what happened to me when they noticed I had food. I tried not to scream when a MASSIVE WALL OF PIGEONS surged towards me; out of reflex (and a bit of fear), I swung my arms around and may have hit a bird or two. I never want to be in the middle of a pidgeon storm, so I dont know if I'll ever be feeding those pigeons again. Anyways, after dealing with that, I headed to the main buildings. I didnt know what to expect, but the buildings were pretty much like every other 本願寺 I've ever been in, except on a much larger scale. Photography was not allowed, so I cant show you what the inside looked like, but if you've ever been in a temple, you can imagine the floor of tatami, and the raised platform where Amida Buddha is placed. After browsing the gift shop, I headed over to 西本願寺. And except for the flock of pigeons, everything that I said about the 東本願寺 goes for 西本願寺. I suppose I shouldnt be too surprised, but I was mildy amused that the two were almost exactly the same thing.
It was here at 西本願寺 that I had one unfortunate encounter. Because this year is a big anniversary for the death of Shinran Shonin, the two temples are undergoing renovation/restoration. One of the main halls of the temple was closed off from public access. However, because I saw a group of people walking around that area, I assumed that people were allowed there. But no, a few seconds later, a priest (trainee, I think) and a security guard came running over to tell me that no, you're not allowed there. Arghh. I quickly sped away to the bookstore, with my tail firmly set between my legs.
I wanted to visit 松尾大社 for a long time now. Mostly because it has a similar name to me, but as it turned out, it's a very peaceful shrine to visit. Getting there was the most complicated set of train transfers I've had to do. From Kyoto Station, I took the subway to 四条烏丸, where I had to transfer to the 阪急線 bound for 桂駅. From there, I had to make a final transfer to the 阪急嵐山線 to arrive at 松尾駅. I think this is the farthest out of the city I went on this trip! From there, I walked up to the shrine. The shrine area is rather large; probably the largest shrine I've been to yet. There are multiple shrine thingies, each devoted to a different 神様. I couldnt read all of them, but I did pray at a few of them. The main shrine was pretty nice too; apparently, its architectural style is different from most shrines. They also have a mini museum type thing, where three wooden statues are on display. I feel bad, because the old man in that section played the recorded explanation of the statues, but I have no idea what they were saying. I need to translate the little pamphlet they gave me. From there, I walked up a short path to where there is a small waterfall. It was here that some noble guy back in the day saw a turtle bathing, which led him to build 松尾大社. Because of the turtle, there were many turtle shaped objects around. I should have waited to buy my mother's omiyage here, because she would have loved to get a turtle お守り with our name on it! But instead, I got a small お守り for myself, as well as a book on the shrine. I highly recommend you to visit this shrine if you ever go to Kyoto. Although a bit removed from the city, it was so very peaceful there. It's also surrounded by nature, what with the forrested mountain in the background, as well as the waterfall and resulting river.
I suppose the unfortunate event that happened here wasnt so bad; in fact, for the temple, it was a very good thing. Because I didnt understand what was going on, I paid double admission to the small museum thing they have. There were two windows to pay at; one near the front gates, and another at the start of the path to the museum. After I paid the second time, I realized my mistake when I saw that she gave me the exact papers that the other window had given me. Oh well, I guess it's a good thing I'm helping out the family business, right?
I made my way back to my hotel, where I promptly fell asleep. I dont know how or why, because today was a pretty chill day, considering I only went to three religious sites. Also, while I had to go a bit aways for 松尾大社, it was mostly on a train, so I didnt even rack up that many steps today. And before sleeping, I had a coffee drink from the downstairs cafe!
In any case, after about three hours of sleep, I put myself together and headed back to ヨドバシカメラ to pick up my rice cooker. My aunty apparently feels sorry for me that I cook my rice on the stove, so she gave me money to buy a rice cooker. While it was fairly expensive, it cooks more rice than a single serving cooker that was the same price, so I got it. To make it worth my while, I'm hoping that we go on picnics and stuff during the spring, so I can have an excuse to make musbi, or spam musubi, or something. Feeling a bit hungry, I headed up to the top floor, where all the restaurants are. I decided on eating at a tempura restaurant, and I'm glad I did. I got the 特製海老丼, which had shrimp, shiso leaf, まいたけ mushrooms, and some kind of fishy thing. The waitress must have thought I was an idiot when I asked if it came with rice (PROTIP: If you see 丼 anywhere on the menu, it comes with rice), but the plate in the picture looked too shallow to have rice. But indeed it did, and the sauce that came with it was really something else. Thicker than the regular tempura dipping sauce, it went nicely with the meal. Another interesting thing about this restaurant is that water and miso soup are refillable. I was quite surprised when the waitress came over and asked if I wanted more miso soup after I had finished it. While it was a bit expensive at 980円, I was very satisfied with it, and do not regret it in the least.
I walked back to the hotel and began to pack. I dont know how, but I managed to get everything I had folded and into my suitcase in about forty five minutes. Which is pretty fast, if you know how I tend to spread out all over the place. However, I think I went shopping a little too much, because my suitcase is way heavier than it was when I got here. I think it's mostly because my rice cooker (which I hope doesnt break >.<), but I dont think all the scallops, ika, and rest of the things I bought are helping. Now that I've showered, all my clothes (except tomorrow's outfit) are packed away. I'm ready to check out at eleven, head to the station and leave on my bus a little after twelve. I've had just a wonderful vacation here in Kyoto. Catching up with an old friend, seeing many cultural properties, and of course SHOPPING! Haha. And while there were a few mistakes and embarressments, I think I can live with them. I will return to Hiroshima happy. ^_^
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wandering about the Capitol
Kyoto is a far more urbanized city than Saijo, and as a result, the amount of walking one does is huge. Today was no different from the other days. I did so much walking, but it was mostly due to the fact that I got lost a lot. When I visited the flea market at 東寺 I got lost in the endless walkways of vendors. When I walked to Tower Records and ended up back at 寺町, I got lost looking for the Nishiki Market. But I did have lots of fun, and enjoyed myself. And of course, I made a generous contribution to the economic condition of Kyoto. Unwillingly, of course. ;)
I had a late start on what I wanted to do today because I was skyping with my parents. I managed to get along without it during the greater part of the semester, but I've grown to enjoy these sessions. Thank goodness for the wonders of the Modern Age! Anyway, I because of that, I only left my hotel at about eleven-ish. I grabbed a bento and headed for the station. One of the teachers in my Family Life in Japan class mentioned that one of the temples in Kyoto, 東寺, has a big flea market and that we should go to it if we can. A little bit of internet searching turned up that it's the 21st of every month. I planned the dates of my trip around this event, so it was most imperative that I go. I wasnt sure what to expect, to be honest.
I havent found a very good map of the Kyoto, but from what I surmised, I needed to take the 近鉄 from Kyoto Station to Toji Station. However, I've never ridden on that line. I had to ask several people for directions, but I finally managed to get to the temple. My friend had told me that she wasnt interested in the market, but I had the completely different reaction. I LOVED IT THERE! There were simply so many vendors. I wanted to see as many as I could, so I tried to walk in a regular pattern, but it is likely I missed some vendors because there were so many. I would go up one row, and see a side path. I'd walk the side path, only to realize that there was another branch! And this all before I saw the rest of the original row I was walking on! The items for sale ran the gamut of junk, antiques and collectables, to handicrafts and vegetables. There were a lot of vendors selling 漬物 and I really wanted to buy, but because they need to be refridgerated, they would be difficult to handle. Also, there was a lot of pottery type things, but those too would be easily destroyed. But what I really wanted to buy was kimono! Specifically a yukata to wear to the bon dances, but I was really open to anything. And especially because I had just bought an obi yesterday (which is a bit too small for me! T_T), I was interested in getting some use out of it. I ran into one of the few vendors that had mens wear, and she convinced me to buy one of the men's kimono she had. While at the time, I felt bad that I bought it because it was so plain and slightly resembled the kimono I already have, I have grown more attached to it when I realised that the pattern of the weave is slightly similar to the blue yukata that Uemura gave to me. I also picked up a haori at the 寺町 market (more on that later!), so if I get my zori sent to me from Hawaii, and some new tabi, I have more or less a complete ensemble! But that means I need to wear it. I refuse to wear kimono to school, so I have no idea when I'll wear it. I suppose the next time we go shopping in Hiroshima City, or we visit some part of Hiroshima prefecture, I'll be the most traditional guy there. Anyway, my haul for the day was pretty good. I got some two bags of dried ika, one for me and one for my father. I also got a tiny set of 七福神 dolls. And when I say "tiny", I mean tiny; they're probably an shorter than an inch. But they're so cute! I had to get it.
東寺 is not only the host of a monthly flea market. It is also a functioning temple complex, with religious services, and the largest pagoda in Japan. It is one of the many properties that have made Kyoto a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a religious site, the temple sells omamori and other good luck type charms. As a Shingon temple, they do a lot of esoteric rituals; one of the more intense ones is one where you write down your prayer on a piece of wood, and the priest burns them while chanting a sutra. There was a lot of that going on, as well as people making offerings of candles and incense to...um, okay, I dont know Shingon too well, so I dont know who, but they were making them. I made one to Kobo Daishi. He has a statue in the courtyard, and I prayed for the health of all the old people in my family. I also gave some money to one of the priest guys that was chanting by the gates.
But what I enjoyed the most (and I HIGHLY recommend to you if you go to Kyoto) was the area around the pagoda. While I was slightly miffed that I had to pay admission, I am totally okay with it now. The pamphlets and explanations were all in Japanese, so I dont know exactly what was going on, but from what I understand, the pagoda was built under Kobo Daishi's direction. It was built to commemorate someone's death (「つまり墓というものなのです」) or something. Enshrined within are four bodhisatvas. They're to protect either the capital or the pagoda itself. Unfortunately, photography was banned within, so I cant show you one of the things that blew me away. The walls of the structure are painted with the various heads of the Shingon sect! While this may sound boring, I'd point out that they seem to be the original paintings; not reproductions, not restorations, but the real deal that was put on when it was built. And it's not behind the glass, or under some kind of touching; while you are expected not to touch them, you could put your face just inches away from them. You cant get that up close and personal with historical artifacts in most museums or displays. It was fascinating to be so close to something that was made hundreds of years ago. After the pagoda thing, I wandered about, and made it to the lecture hall. I dont know why they call it that, because there's no space for a lecture, but it was another fascinating and pretty amazing thing. There are twenty one sculpture things, each depicting a different Buddha, bodhisattva, or other important being in the Shingon theology. Again, you werent allowed to touch them or anything, and photography was banned, but I was so amazed by it. I dont know what it was about it, but there was just something so...awe-inspiring about them. I think the sign said that they were there to help protect the nation or something. To be quite honest, I was more impressed with these statues than I was with the Great Buddha of Todaiji in Nara. I cant explain why, but I was simply captivated.
At this point, I headed back to my hotel, to drop off my purchases and use the bathroom. I wanted to hit the Kyoto Tower Records, because the Hiroshima store doesnt have one of the (many) cds that I wanted to buy. It's a Korean boy band, MBLAQ, and you should click the link. I could go on about them, but that should probably be its own post. Anyway, I had a general idea of how to get there thanks to Google Maps, but it was mostly a lot of walking. According to what I understood, I basically had to walk up 河原町通り and eventually I would see it. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that I was simply a few blocks away from 寺町 and basically the entire 四条 area I had been to in the last couple of days! I simmered in mild irriation as I made my way up the building to the ninth floor where Tower Records is. But that all disappeared when there was not only one, but TWO copies of the album I wanted! After looking around to see what else this store had, I bought my cd, CELEBRATED, and then made my way back down. I had planned to go to 寺町 again tomorrow, but specifically to go to Nishiki to buy my parents scallops. However, by the time I made it to the market place, a lot of the vendors were closing up shop. I raced to where I needed to go, but I guess the special price they had was only for yesterday, because today's price was slightly more expensive. But because it's for my parents, I dont mind spending money. I stuffed my お土産 into my bag, and headed back to 寺町 to look for dinner.
Before I leave Kansai, I wanted to try 関西風のお好み焼き. There are two types of お好み焼き: 関西風 and 広島風. Because I've been in Hiroshima all this time, I've had a lot of that kind of お好み焼き. However, I have never had the 関西風 before, so since I'm here, I figured that I should have it. I walked around and made it to a restaurant that had it on their menu and ordered it. While it was delicious and filling, I think I've gotten used to the 広島風, and prefer it more. In my opinion, 広島風 has more vegetables, and because there's noodles in it, its volume is comparatively higher. Thus, you get more bang for your buck. If I get the chance, maybe I'll try the 関西風のお好み焼き, but if I dont get a chance to, I think I'll be okay. 関西の友達、ごめんね。やっぱり広島風の方が好きなんだ！
I spent another wonderful day here in the city of Kyoto. I had so much fun walking around 東寺, and got a real kick out of the national treasures housed there. While there, I also injected a lot of money into the city's economy. Another long walk netted me the KPop cd that I have wanted to buy for a very long time, as well as helped finish my お土産 shopping. Tomorrow is my last full day here in Kyoto. I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm going to be doing. But I still havent been to the 本願寺, which are just a few blocks from here, and neither have I been to 松尾大社. Hopefully I can hit the 本願寺 in the morning, and see 松尾大社 in the afternoon. And during the night, I can spend it packing up. But now it is late, and Terrence needs to go to bed. おやすみなさ～い。
I had a late start on what I wanted to do today because I was skyping with my parents. I managed to get along without it during the greater part of the semester, but I've grown to enjoy these sessions. Thank goodness for the wonders of the Modern Age! Anyway, I because of that, I only left my hotel at about eleven-ish. I grabbed a bento and headed for the station. One of the teachers in my Family Life in Japan class mentioned that one of the temples in Kyoto, 東寺, has a big flea market and that we should go to it if we can. A little bit of internet searching turned up that it's the 21st of every month. I planned the dates of my trip around this event, so it was most imperative that I go. I wasnt sure what to expect, to be honest.
I havent found a very good map of the Kyoto, but from what I surmised, I needed to take the 近鉄 from Kyoto Station to Toji Station. However, I've never ridden on that line. I had to ask several people for directions, but I finally managed to get to the temple. My friend had told me that she wasnt interested in the market, but I had the completely different reaction. I LOVED IT THERE! There were simply so many vendors. I wanted to see as many as I could, so I tried to walk in a regular pattern, but it is likely I missed some vendors because there were so many. I would go up one row, and see a side path. I'd walk the side path, only to realize that there was another branch! And this all before I saw the rest of the original row I was walking on! The items for sale ran the gamut of junk, antiques and collectables, to handicrafts and vegetables. There were a lot of vendors selling 漬物 and I really wanted to buy, but because they need to be refridgerated, they would be difficult to handle. Also, there was a lot of pottery type things, but those too would be easily destroyed. But what I really wanted to buy was kimono! Specifically a yukata to wear to the bon dances, but I was really open to anything. And especially because I had just bought an obi yesterday (which is a bit too small for me! T_T), I was interested in getting some use out of it. I ran into one of the few vendors that had mens wear, and she convinced me to buy one of the men's kimono she had. While at the time, I felt bad that I bought it because it was so plain and slightly resembled the kimono I already have, I have grown more attached to it when I realised that the pattern of the weave is slightly similar to the blue yukata that Uemura gave to me. I also picked up a haori at the 寺町 market (more on that later!), so if I get my zori sent to me from Hawaii, and some new tabi, I have more or less a complete ensemble! But that means I need to wear it. I refuse to wear kimono to school, so I have no idea when I'll wear it. I suppose the next time we go shopping in Hiroshima City, or we visit some part of Hiroshima prefecture, I'll be the most traditional guy there. Anyway, my haul for the day was pretty good. I got some two bags of dried ika, one for me and one for my father. I also got a tiny set of 七福神 dolls. And when I say "tiny", I mean tiny; they're probably an shorter than an inch. But they're so cute! I had to get it.
東寺 is not only the host of a monthly flea market. It is also a functioning temple complex, with religious services, and the largest pagoda in Japan. It is one of the many properties that have made Kyoto a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a religious site, the temple sells omamori and other good luck type charms. As a Shingon temple, they do a lot of esoteric rituals; one of the more intense ones is one where you write down your prayer on a piece of wood, and the priest burns them while chanting a sutra. There was a lot of that going on, as well as people making offerings of candles and incense to...um, okay, I dont know Shingon too well, so I dont know who, but they were making them. I made one to Kobo Daishi. He has a statue in the courtyard, and I prayed for the health of all the old people in my family. I also gave some money to one of the priest guys that was chanting by the gates.
But what I enjoyed the most (and I HIGHLY recommend to you if you go to Kyoto) was the area around the pagoda. While I was slightly miffed that I had to pay admission, I am totally okay with it now. The pamphlets and explanations were all in Japanese, so I dont know exactly what was going on, but from what I understand, the pagoda was built under Kobo Daishi's direction. It was built to commemorate someone's death (「つまり墓というものなのです」) or something. Enshrined within are four bodhisatvas. They're to protect either the capital or the pagoda itself. Unfortunately, photography was banned within, so I cant show you one of the things that blew me away. The walls of the structure are painted with the various heads of the Shingon sect! While this may sound boring, I'd point out that they seem to be the original paintings; not reproductions, not restorations, but the real deal that was put on when it was built. And it's not behind the glass, or under some kind of touching; while you are expected not to touch them, you could put your face just inches away from them. You cant get that up close and personal with historical artifacts in most museums or displays. It was fascinating to be so close to something that was made hundreds of years ago. After the pagoda thing, I wandered about, and made it to the lecture hall. I dont know why they call it that, because there's no space for a lecture, but it was another fascinating and pretty amazing thing. There are twenty one sculpture things, each depicting a different Buddha, bodhisattva, or other important being in the Shingon theology. Again, you werent allowed to touch them or anything, and photography was banned, but I was so amazed by it. I dont know what it was about it, but there was just something so...awe-inspiring about them. I think the sign said that they were there to help protect the nation or something. To be quite honest, I was more impressed with these statues than I was with the Great Buddha of Todaiji in Nara. I cant explain why, but I was simply captivated.
At this point, I headed back to my hotel, to drop off my purchases and use the bathroom. I wanted to hit the Kyoto Tower Records, because the Hiroshima store doesnt have one of the (many) cds that I wanted to buy. It's a Korean boy band, MBLAQ, and you should click the link. I could go on about them, but that should probably be its own post. Anyway, I had a general idea of how to get there thanks to Google Maps, but it was mostly a lot of walking. According to what I understood, I basically had to walk up 河原町通り and eventually I would see it. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that I was simply a few blocks away from 寺町 and basically the entire 四条 area I had been to in the last couple of days! I simmered in mild irriation as I made my way up the building to the ninth floor where Tower Records is. But that all disappeared when there was not only one, but TWO copies of the album I wanted! After looking around to see what else this store had, I bought my cd, CELEBRATED, and then made my way back down. I had planned to go to 寺町 again tomorrow, but specifically to go to Nishiki to buy my parents scallops. However, by the time I made it to the market place, a lot of the vendors were closing up shop. I raced to where I needed to go, but I guess the special price they had was only for yesterday, because today's price was slightly more expensive. But because it's for my parents, I dont mind spending money. I stuffed my お土産 into my bag, and headed back to 寺町 to look for dinner.
Before I leave Kansai, I wanted to try 関西風のお好み焼き. There are two types of お好み焼き: 関西風 and 広島風. Because I've been in Hiroshima all this time, I've had a lot of that kind of お好み焼き. However, I have never had the 関西風 before, so since I'm here, I figured that I should have it. I walked around and made it to a restaurant that had it on their menu and ordered it. While it was delicious and filling, I think I've gotten used to the 広島風, and prefer it more. In my opinion, 広島風 has more vegetables, and because there's noodles in it, its volume is comparatively higher. Thus, you get more bang for your buck. If I get the chance, maybe I'll try the 関西風のお好み焼き, but if I dont get a chance to, I think I'll be okay. 関西の友達、ごめんね。やっぱり広島風の方が好きなんだ！
I spent another wonderful day here in the city of Kyoto. I had so much fun walking around 東寺, and got a real kick out of the national treasures housed there. While there, I also injected a lot of money into the city's economy. Another long walk netted me the KPop cd that I have wanted to buy for a very long time, as well as helped finish my お土産 shopping. Tomorrow is my last full day here in Kyoto. I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm going to be doing. But I still havent been to the 本願寺, which are just a few blocks from here, and neither have I been to 松尾大社. Hopefully I can hit the 本願寺 in the morning, and see 松尾大社 in the afternoon. And during the night, I can spend it packing up. But now it is late, and Terrence needs to go to bed. おやすみなさ～い。
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Eating, Watching, Shopping
I was invited to have lunch with my friend's friends, and afterwards watch a maiko performance at the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts. After that, we all went our seperate ways, and I started my omiyage shopping. I normally dont go to bed until one in the morning, but I think I will make an exception tonight. Although today was fun, I definitely walked a lot, and I cant stop yawning.
The restaurant we had lunch at today was called Hale, and was located in the Nishiki Market. It took us awhile to get there, because I think it was everyone's first time there. We had to ask two people for directions, because we missed it several times. Only the door of the restaurant faced the street; except for a tiny little sign, there was nothing to suggest that behind the door was a small little restaurant that specialized in organically produced food. We had the 湯葉あんかけ丼. Photography was banned in the shop, so I dont really know how to explain what it was, but if you've had any kind of どんぶりもの, then you basically have an idea of what I had. It was a set, so it came with 漬物 and tea. I must admit, when I was told where we were going, I was a bit afraid, because (as stupid as this sounds), the healthier the food, the less I enjoy it. But I'm happy to report that I was very, very wrong. The don was very good, and I recommend it to anyone who comes to Kyoto and/or can find the shop.
After a bit of walking and some riding, we got to the museum where the performance was. I had a bit of deja vu when it started. Why did if feel like I had seen it before if I had never been to this museum? After thinking about it, I realised I had seen it, through the wonderful invention we know as Youtube!
That isnt exactly what we saw, but it was at the same place, and I'm fairly certain they did both of these songs. If you ever go to Kyoto, one thing you can count on either seeing or being told to see are the maiko and geiko. On the off chance you dont know anything about them, you can check out this website, which I think is pretty legit. I would go into detail here, but I think it lies outside of the scope of my blog. Since I've been to Kyoto before, I know enough about the maiko to be disinclined to go to everything they appear at, but they are undeniably beautiful and skilled. You dont get to see this kind of dance performed in person very often, so was happy I got to see it, and I enjoyed it very much. They are so graceful! I cant imagine how hard they practice to get that way. After each dance, the announcer woman would ask the maiko a question. I did enjoy this part, because it was really questions about their lifestyle. One was, "Do you put on your own makeup, or does someone do it for you?" The maiko responded that it takes her from half to a full hour to put it on, but she does it herself. Of course, her kimono is put on by a professional dresser(I want to become one!!). Another question was about her typical day, from when she woke up to when she goes to bed. She said that she woke up at around eight or nine, and got dressed for dance practice. After dance practice, she would put on her whole get up to go out and entertain. From about six to eleven, she'd be at various parties doing what maiko do. Finally, she would get home, bathe, and go to bed at around twelve. I suppose it's pretty basic information, but it's quite something to hear it from the horse's mouth, じゃない?
It was at this point that I bade farewell to my friend and her friends. You see, the way her program runs, she's on an American educational calendar. Which means that she has class tomorrow. I decided to head back to the main shopping area at Shijo and Teramachi and do some shopping. The first thing I wanted to do was head back to the Nishiki Market, because I wanted to buy some omiyage for the rents and some friends in Hiroshima. I figure that since I dont know exactly what they want, food would be a good idea. And Nishiki Market is the place for food, though unfortunately the greater part of the food there either needs to be eaten right away or refrigerated. I saw some dried ホタテ, which I knew the rents and my aunty would enjoy, but I didnt get to the store in time. Unfortunately, it was closed, which means I'll need to pay another visit to the market. I did find some small candy type things that I got for my friends in Hiroshima, as well as some 金平糖 for my oldest nephew.
Now that I had some of my omiyage stuff done, I decided to shop for myself. The first store I headed to was Chicago, which my friend recommended to me. They're a second hand shop, and while the first floor has the usual western style clothes, its second floor is devoted to 和服. I headed to the second floor, and indeed, there were several racks full of kimono. As is usual, more than three quarters of the shop is woman's wear, but I eventually made it to the mens section. The yukata section wasnt a bit small, but the kimono section was much larger. I know that men's kimono are duller than women's kimono, but I was a bit taken aback here. There were just two sections: the dark blue section and the brown section. And within each section were either dark blue kimono or brown kimono. While I didnt want the colorful floral prints or dazzling designs of a woman's kimono, I was hoping for something more...interesting. Unfortunately, I already have a dark blue kimono thanks to my sempai, so I didn't really feel I should buy another one. I wanted to buy a haori, but I decided against it because I didnt know when I would wear one. But this was not a bust! I looked over at the obi section, and found a beautiful obi that I decided to buy. The field is a royal blue type, and the design of hammers (good luck, if I'm not mistaken) is worked in gold and silver thread. It's also in really good condition, which made its price of 2000￥ quite a bargain. Part of me wants to buy a kimono from that store just so I can dress up and look amazing, but since I already have what they are selling, it might be cheaper and more sensible to just have my kimono sent her from Hawaii. I dont know, I'm still on the fence.
The other thing that I'm really happy to have bought is a pair of earrings! It was way expensive for two tiny pieces of metal, and they're not the most AMAZING earrings you ever did see, but considering I cant wear most of the earrings I see, I was okay with paying twenty dollars for it. When I entered the shop, I was a bit worried, because I dont know how to say in Japanese, "Excuse me, do you have any earrings that arent made with nickel, because I have an allergic reaction to that, and I dont want my ears to fall off, please and thank you". But somehow, 店長さん figured out what I wanted and said that the earrings I was looking at were made of stainless steel and okay for allergic people (Fun fact: He's allergic too!). They're two black stars, and I really like them. They're simple, and yet they're kinda eye catching. While paying for them, I struck up a conversation with 店長さん, where he complemented me on my Japanese (「僕より上手いっすね」と言ったけど、嘘じゃよね) and was amused that Hiroshima University is in the middle of nowhwere. I want to wear them right now! But I want to clean them first, as well as my ears. I dont have any alcohol with me, but I'm debating whether or not I can get by with just the body wash in the hotel bathroom. I'm pretty excited to finally have some new earrings!
After eating dinner at Moss Burger, I decided to head back to my hotel. My feet were aching, my wallet dangerously empty, and it was getting late (I dont know why, but everything closes so early here! In 西条, most businesses begin to shut down at ten, not a quarter to eight!). However, I couldnt find the subway station that I needed! I walked up and down 四条通り, and a few other streets too, but I simply could not find it. I finally decided to enter the train station, which I knew at some point intersected with the subway station. After walking for about ten minutes down possibly the entire length of the station, I finally made it to the ticket machines for 四条駅. It was at this point that I had an unfortunate encounter with an old person. This tiny little old Japanese lady came up to me and asked me which train she should take. However, there were a few problems: 1. She was speaking Japanese, which (contrary to popular belief) I dont fully understand; 2. I'm like 98% sure she was speaking some form of 関西弁, which I also dont understand; 3. She was an old Japanese lady, and if you've ever met an old Japanese person, you know they dont enunciate well; and 4. I'm not from Kyoto, so I dont know any other line besides the 烏丸線 which links Kyoto station with Shijo. I felt so bad for not being able to help her! If you know me, you KNOW that old people are my weakness. I will do almost whatever they ask me to do, and if I cant, I feel really bad later. I had to tell her that because I was from Hiroshima (white lie, but it's kinda true), I didnt know the subway system well enough. The last I saw of her, she was talking to another guy, and I really hope he knew where she was going. 神様、あのおばあちゃんは安全に行き先へ行って連れましたか。 >____< After making it to Kyoto Station, I had no other mishaps getting back to my hotel.
Today was another good day in Kyoto. I made a few new friends, saw some beautiful dancing, and got in some serious shopping. I am pooped! Tomorrow is Monday, and my friend has school, so I wont be seeing her. I'll be more on my own, which could be a good thing (マイペースでオッケー), or a bad thing (HUGE CHANCE OF GETTING LOST). After a short skype session with the rents, I'm heading to 東寺 for their flea market. After that, I'm thinking of paying a short visit to the two 本願寺 headquarters. I may add more trips in, depending on what I get done, and how much time/money I have. But for today, I think it's time I showered and went to bed.
The restaurant we had lunch at today was called Hale, and was located in the Nishiki Market. It took us awhile to get there, because I think it was everyone's first time there. We had to ask two people for directions, because we missed it several times. Only the door of the restaurant faced the street; except for a tiny little sign, there was nothing to suggest that behind the door was a small little restaurant that specialized in organically produced food. We had the 湯葉あんかけ丼. Photography was banned in the shop, so I dont really know how to explain what it was, but if you've had any kind of どんぶりもの, then you basically have an idea of what I had. It was a set, so it came with 漬物 and tea. I must admit, when I was told where we were going, I was a bit afraid, because (as stupid as this sounds), the healthier the food, the less I enjoy it. But I'm happy to report that I was very, very wrong. The don was very good, and I recommend it to anyone who comes to Kyoto and/or can find the shop.
After a bit of walking and some riding, we got to the museum where the performance was. I had a bit of deja vu when it started. Why did if feel like I had seen it before if I had never been to this museum? After thinking about it, I realised I had seen it, through the wonderful invention we know as Youtube!
That isnt exactly what we saw, but it was at the same place, and I'm fairly certain they did both of these songs. If you ever go to Kyoto, one thing you can count on either seeing or being told to see are the maiko and geiko. On the off chance you dont know anything about them, you can check out this website, which I think is pretty legit. I would go into detail here, but I think it lies outside of the scope of my blog. Since I've been to Kyoto before, I know enough about the maiko to be disinclined to go to everything they appear at, but they are undeniably beautiful and skilled. You dont get to see this kind of dance performed in person very often, so was happy I got to see it, and I enjoyed it very much. They are so graceful! I cant imagine how hard they practice to get that way. After each dance, the announcer woman would ask the maiko a question. I did enjoy this part, because it was really questions about their lifestyle. One was, "Do you put on your own makeup, or does someone do it for you?" The maiko responded that it takes her from half to a full hour to put it on, but she does it herself. Of course, her kimono is put on by a professional dresser
It was at this point that I bade farewell to my friend and her friends. You see, the way her program runs, she's on an American educational calendar. Which means that she has class tomorrow. I decided to head back to the main shopping area at Shijo and Teramachi and do some shopping. The first thing I wanted to do was head back to the Nishiki Market, because I wanted to buy some omiyage for the rents and some friends in Hiroshima. I figure that since I dont know exactly what they want, food would be a good idea. And Nishiki Market is the place for food, though unfortunately the greater part of the food there either needs to be eaten right away or refrigerated. I saw some dried ホタテ, which I knew the rents and my aunty would enjoy, but I didnt get to the store in time. Unfortunately, it was closed, which means I'll need to pay another visit to the market. I did find some small candy type things that I got for my friends in Hiroshima, as well as some 金平糖 for my oldest nephew.
Now that I had some of my omiyage stuff done, I decided to shop for myself. The first store I headed to was Chicago, which my friend recommended to me. They're a second hand shop, and while the first floor has the usual western style clothes, its second floor is devoted to 和服. I headed to the second floor, and indeed, there were several racks full of kimono. As is usual, more than three quarters of the shop is woman's wear, but I eventually made it to the mens section. The yukata section wasnt a bit small, but the kimono section was much larger. I know that men's kimono are duller than women's kimono, but I was a bit taken aback here. There were just two sections: the dark blue section and the brown section. And within each section were either dark blue kimono or brown kimono. While I didnt want the colorful floral prints or dazzling designs of a woman's kimono, I was hoping for something more...interesting. Unfortunately, I already have a dark blue kimono thanks to my sempai, so I didn't really feel I should buy another one. I wanted to buy a haori, but I decided against it because I didnt know when I would wear one. But this was not a bust! I looked over at the obi section, and found a beautiful obi that I decided to buy. The field is a royal blue type, and the design of hammers (good luck, if I'm not mistaken) is worked in gold and silver thread. It's also in really good condition, which made its price of 2000￥ quite a bargain. Part of me wants to buy a kimono from that store just so I can dress up and look amazing, but since I already have what they are selling, it might be cheaper and more sensible to just have my kimono sent her from Hawaii. I dont know, I'm still on the fence.
The other thing that I'm really happy to have bought is a pair of earrings! It was way expensive for two tiny pieces of metal, and they're not the most AMAZING earrings you ever did see, but considering I cant wear most of the earrings I see, I was okay with paying twenty dollars for it. When I entered the shop, I was a bit worried, because I dont know how to say in Japanese, "Excuse me, do you have any earrings that arent made with nickel, because I have an allergic reaction to that, and I dont want my ears to fall off, please and thank you". But somehow, 店長さん figured out what I wanted and said that the earrings I was looking at were made of stainless steel and okay for allergic people (Fun fact: He's allergic too!). They're two black stars, and I really like them. They're simple, and yet they're kinda eye catching. While paying for them, I struck up a conversation with 店長さん, where he complemented me on my Japanese (「僕より上手いっすね」と言ったけど、嘘じゃよね) and was amused that Hiroshima University is in the middle of nowhwere. I want to wear them right now! But I want to clean them first, as well as my ears. I dont have any alcohol with me, but I'm debating whether or not I can get by with just the body wash in the hotel bathroom. I'm pretty excited to finally have some new earrings!
After eating dinner at Moss Burger, I decided to head back to my hotel. My feet were aching, my wallet dangerously empty, and it was getting late (I dont know why, but everything closes so early here! In 西条, most businesses begin to shut down at ten, not a quarter to eight!). However, I couldnt find the subway station that I needed! I walked up and down 四条通り, and a few other streets too, but I simply could not find it. I finally decided to enter the train station, which I knew at some point intersected with the subway station. After walking for about ten minutes down possibly the entire length of the station, I finally made it to the ticket machines for 四条駅. It was at this point that I had an unfortunate encounter with an old person. This tiny little old Japanese lady came up to me and asked me which train she should take. However, there were a few problems: 1. She was speaking Japanese, which (contrary to popular belief) I dont fully understand; 2. I'm like 98% sure she was speaking some form of 関西弁, which I also dont understand; 3. She was an old Japanese lady, and if you've ever met an old Japanese person, you know they dont enunciate well; and 4. I'm not from Kyoto, so I dont know any other line besides the 烏丸線 which links Kyoto station with Shijo. I felt so bad for not being able to help her! If you know me, you KNOW that old people are my weakness. I will do almost whatever they ask me to do, and if I cant, I feel really bad later. I had to tell her that because I was from Hiroshima (white lie, but it's kinda true), I didnt know the subway system well enough. The last I saw of her, she was talking to another guy, and I really hope he knew where she was going. 神様、あのおばあちゃんは安全に行き先へ行って連れましたか。 >____< After making it to Kyoto Station, I had no other mishaps getting back to my hotel.
Today was another good day in Kyoto. I made a few new friends, saw some beautiful dancing, and got in some serious shopping. I am pooped! Tomorrow is Monday, and my friend has school, so I wont be seeing her. I'll be more on my own, which could be a good thing (マイペースでオッケー), or a bad thing (HUGE CHANCE OF GETTING LOST). After a short skype session with the rents, I'm heading to 東寺 for their flea market. After that, I'm thinking of paying a short visit to the two 本願寺 headquarters. I may add more trips in, depending on what I get done, and how much time/money I have. But for today, I think it's time I showered and went to bed.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Walk and Shop
My day started very early today. For whatever reason, my eyes flew open at 7:30 AM and refused to go back down. I tried to close them and get more sleep, but my body refused. I'm a bit irritated with myself. I can wake up at 7:30 when I'm on vacation and relaxing, but I cant wake up at 8:00 to make my classes, which are far more important?! Although I suppose it's better than being late, I still cant believe it. I got ready and headed downstairs and tried out Seattle's Best. I should have gotten coffee, but I felt like having hot chocolate, and bought a pastrami sandwhich too. It was a bit expensive, but it was very delicious, so I'm okay with it. I headed to the station and promptly got lost trying to find an ATM. I was looking for the ゆちょう銀行 ATM I saw last night, but I couldnt find it; I ended up heading to the 7-11 that's next to my hotel, and withdrew money there. After wandering around a little bit more, I bought my ticket for the subway and headed to the station where I would meet my friend. I was a bit early to the meeting place, so I walked around some more at 四条通り until twelve o'clock rolled around. Outside of the Krispy Kreme store, I finally saw my friend. I hadnt seen here in such a long time, I didnt notice her until she was waving me in the face.
My friend is studying here in Kyoto, at Doshisha University. Although she's with a mainland college, UHM also has a trading relationship with the school. Unfortunately, this semester, I didnt know any of the UHM kids studying there, so there is no one else here in this city I want to hang out. On the other hand, a friend of mine in Hawaii is going to be up here next semester. Although they'll be in different programs (and apparently different campuses), I want to introduce them to each other. It's always nice to see a friendly face, and rely on the experiences of another person that knows what it's like. In other words, I think I'll be making another trip to Kyoto either at the end of March, or perhaps the beginning of April. ^_^
Although I've been to Kyoto before, I've never been to 銀閣寺 and the Philosopher's Walk before. They're both in the northern part of the city, and this is where my friend decided to take me today. Ginkakuji is not actually covered in silver, as its name would have you believe. Apparently it was never finished, which made me remark that maybe it should be called 未銀閣寺, or Unfinished Ginkakuji. But the garden which surrounds it is quite beautiful, and I did enjoy walking around it. After that, we walked around, and went into another shrine complex nearby. I have no idea what it's called, but apparently, one of the 神 enshrined there is one of the older kami, who came before Izanagi and Izanami. In any case, we entered the complex and made it up to the shrine. After giving my offering and praying a bit, I decided to play omikuji. I think it was a good one, so I kept it.
Because my friend doesnt spend a lot of time in that section of the city, she didnt fullly understand the bus system there. After getting frustrated, we decided to walk down 今出川通り, which is a HUGE stretch of road. But it was fun to walk there, because we passed by many interesting buildings, like a shrine to Hachimangu (I think) and Kyoto University. When we got to the 加茂川, we stopped a bit because of the turtle stones. To cross the river, you can either walk across a regular bridge, or you can walk over the stones that cross the river. A few of the stones are shaped into turtles! I thought it was the cutest thing. We didnt cross the river, but it was such a site to see. My friend told me that it must look pretty during the spring, and that she hoped to have a picnic near the river. I hope she can! 景色が綺麗なはずなんだよ。
Another trip on the subway (different line) brought us to our next destination, which was another part of 四条. I dont know what it's called in Japanese, but one of the English maps I have called it a shopping arcade, and the similar location in 広島市 is called 本通. In any case, it's a covered set of streets, lined with hundreds of different shops with various things for sale. Today, I mostly did window shopping, just to see what was for sale. My interest was picqued by the many clothing stores, some of which had some really interesting things for sale. I especially was taken by a pair of jeans, that had two family crests on the pockets. However, it was about $240, which is FAR too much for a pair of jeans in my opinion. Part of this area also links up to the Nishiki Market, which the Internet said is a good place to go shopping. They sell mostly food there, so at first I wasnt too keen on buying things there, but I soon changed my mind. While there were many foods there that need to be refriderated and/or eaten very soon, there was also a lot of dried foods and others that can be stored for a long time. I think I will buy some omiyage there, because it'll last if I hold it on me until I go back, or mail it before then.
My friend also wanted to show me another department store that she absolutely loves. I had heard about Loft from one of the girls in my program at Hiroshima, but I have never been in it. But it is another interesting store, with a lot of products I've never seen before. My friend has a thing for elephants, and really wanted to buy the elephant shaped clock in the lobby. I was interested in the many items they had in the housewares department. The many greeting cards they had there too was huge too. There were small cards and big cards, and even little books that had a birthday greeting within them. I wonder if I will go there again, because there are several birthdays next month, and I dont think I can buy those cards in Hiroshima.
I'm sure you're wondering what I bought, right? Like I said, I was mostly interested in looking around, so I didnt buy a lot of things I wanted. However, I have been looking for a small messenger bag for the longest time. I dont like stuffing my pockets full of things, and sometimes I need to carry slightly bulky items. But my school bag is a little too big, and gets in the way of things. But I found a small messenger bag that holds just enough, and looks pretty nondescript. I also did プリクラ for the first time since I've been here. I thought all of our pictures came out really cute, and it was so much fun. I really want to do プリクラ again with more friends!
I bet you're also wondering what I ate today too? For lunch, we went to a 回転すし, which I havent been able to eat at yet. In fact, since coming to Japan, I havent had ANY sushi, which is both ironic and also a bit pathetic. So as you can imagine, I enjoyed this lunch VERY much. I had うなぎ, エビフライ, and also から揚げ. Okay, maybe that last one isnt sushi, but I get it any time I can. =P For dinner, we went to a Korean restaurant near the shopping area. My friend said it's the best Korean restaurant she's been to, and I am inclined to agree. I had the bibimbap, which my second favorite Korean food (the first being mandoo). While I got the normal bibimbap, my friend got hers served in a stone bowl, which made the rice all browned and crunchy. It was a bit on the expensive side, but this was definitely worth it. I dont have a lot of experience eating Korean food, but I definitely think that this restaurant was pretty flippin good. Because this filled us up, we didnt have any dessert type foods. Next to the Korean place was a store selling Hawaiian yogurt. Not sure what makes yogurt Hawaiian, but the music they played there definitely made me think of home. Also, a churro shop has recently opened, and because I've never had a churro, my friend wanted to take me there. Oh well, there will definitely be a next time, so I will eventually try these two places.
Today was definitely a good day. First of all, I got to catch up with a friend, and I really enjoyed hearing how her homestay is going. I also saw parts of Kyoto that I've never really been to, and saw tons of shopping places I absolutely must see before I leave here. And finally, I had so much delicious food, and found out other places that I need to try before I leave. I've been invited to hang out with her friends tomorrow, and I have to meet them at 11:30 AM. I dont want to be late, so I should go to sleep soon. And so ends the second day of my Kyoto vacation.
My friend is studying here in Kyoto, at Doshisha University. Although she's with a mainland college, UHM also has a trading relationship with the school. Unfortunately, this semester, I didnt know any of the UHM kids studying there, so there is no one else here in this city I want to hang out. On the other hand, a friend of mine in Hawaii is going to be up here next semester. Although they'll be in different programs (and apparently different campuses), I want to introduce them to each other. It's always nice to see a friendly face, and rely on the experiences of another person that knows what it's like. In other words, I think I'll be making another trip to Kyoto either at the end of March, or perhaps the beginning of April. ^_^
Although I've been to Kyoto before, I've never been to 銀閣寺 and the Philosopher's Walk before. They're both in the northern part of the city, and this is where my friend decided to take me today. Ginkakuji is not actually covered in silver, as its name would have you believe. Apparently it was never finished, which made me remark that maybe it should be called 未銀閣寺, or Unfinished Ginkakuji. But the garden which surrounds it is quite beautiful, and I did enjoy walking around it. After that, we walked around, and went into another shrine complex nearby. I have no idea what it's called, but apparently, one of the 神 enshrined there is one of the older kami, who came before Izanagi and Izanami. In any case, we entered the complex and made it up to the shrine. After giving my offering and praying a bit, I decided to play omikuji. I think it was a good one, so I kept it.
Because my friend doesnt spend a lot of time in that section of the city, she didnt fullly understand the bus system there. After getting frustrated, we decided to walk down 今出川通り, which is a HUGE stretch of road. But it was fun to walk there, because we passed by many interesting buildings, like a shrine to Hachimangu (I think) and Kyoto University. When we got to the 加茂川, we stopped a bit because of the turtle stones. To cross the river, you can either walk across a regular bridge, or you can walk over the stones that cross the river. A few of the stones are shaped into turtles! I thought it was the cutest thing. We didnt cross the river, but it was such a site to see. My friend told me that it must look pretty during the spring, and that she hoped to have a picnic near the river. I hope she can! 景色が綺麗なはずなんだよ。
Another trip on the subway (different line) brought us to our next destination, which was another part of 四条. I dont know what it's called in Japanese, but one of the English maps I have called it a shopping arcade, and the similar location in 広島市 is called 本通. In any case, it's a covered set of streets, lined with hundreds of different shops with various things for sale. Today, I mostly did window shopping, just to see what was for sale. My interest was picqued by the many clothing stores, some of which had some really interesting things for sale. I especially was taken by a pair of jeans, that had two family crests on the pockets. However, it was about $240, which is FAR too much for a pair of jeans in my opinion. Part of this area also links up to the Nishiki Market, which the Internet said is a good place to go shopping. They sell mostly food there, so at first I wasnt too keen on buying things there, but I soon changed my mind. While there were many foods there that need to be refriderated and/or eaten very soon, there was also a lot of dried foods and others that can be stored for a long time. I think I will buy some omiyage there, because it'll last if I hold it on me until I go back, or mail it before then.
My friend also wanted to show me another department store that she absolutely loves. I had heard about Loft from one of the girls in my program at Hiroshima, but I have never been in it. But it is another interesting store, with a lot of products I've never seen before. My friend has a thing for elephants, and really wanted to buy the elephant shaped clock in the lobby. I was interested in the many items they had in the housewares department. The many greeting cards they had there too was huge too. There were small cards and big cards, and even little books that had a birthday greeting within them. I wonder if I will go there again, because there are several birthdays next month, and I dont think I can buy those cards in Hiroshima.
I'm sure you're wondering what I bought, right? Like I said, I was mostly interested in looking around, so I didnt buy a lot of things I wanted. However, I have been looking for a small messenger bag for the longest time. I dont like stuffing my pockets full of things, and sometimes I need to carry slightly bulky items. But my school bag is a little too big, and gets in the way of things. But I found a small messenger bag that holds just enough, and looks pretty nondescript. I also did プリクラ for the first time since I've been here. I thought all of our pictures came out really cute, and it was so much fun. I really want to do プリクラ again with more friends!
I bet you're also wondering what I ate today too? For lunch, we went to a 回転すし, which I havent been able to eat at yet. In fact, since coming to Japan, I havent had ANY sushi, which is both ironic and also a bit pathetic. So as you can imagine, I enjoyed this lunch VERY much. I had うなぎ, エビフライ, and also から揚げ. Okay, maybe that last one isnt sushi, but I get it any time I can. =P For dinner, we went to a Korean restaurant near the shopping area. My friend said it's the best Korean restaurant she's been to, and I am inclined to agree. I had the bibimbap, which my second favorite Korean food (the first being mandoo). While I got the normal bibimbap, my friend got hers served in a stone bowl, which made the rice all browned and crunchy. It was a bit on the expensive side, but this was definitely worth it. I dont have a lot of experience eating Korean food, but I definitely think that this restaurant was pretty flippin good. Because this filled us up, we didnt have any dessert type foods. Next to the Korean place was a store selling Hawaiian yogurt. Not sure what makes yogurt Hawaiian, but the music they played there definitely made me think of home. Also, a churro shop has recently opened, and because I've never had a churro, my friend wanted to take me there. Oh well, there will definitely be a next time, so I will eventually try these two places.
Today was definitely a good day. First of all, I got to catch up with a friend, and I really enjoyed hearing how her homestay is going. I also saw parts of Kyoto that I've never really been to, and saw tons of shopping places I absolutely must see before I leave here. And finally, I had so much delicious food, and found out other places that I need to try before I leave. I've been invited to hang out with her friends tomorrow, and I have to meet them at 11:30 AM. I dont want to be late, so I should go to sleep soon. And so ends the second day of my Kyoto vacation.
Friday, February 18, 2011
京都に到着
After a false start yesterday, I have finally made it to Kyoto! I'm going to be spending a few days here, mostly because I wanted a friend of mine is studying at 同志社大学 in Kyoto. I havent seen her in such a long time! And also because there's nothing to do in Saijo. Most everyone is going travelling this break, some to their home countries, some to distant places in Japan, and still others to nearby countries in this neck of the woods. I'll admit, it would have been cheaper to have just stayed in 広島県, but that's why I cooked for myself and saved money! Also, my UHM scholarship came in.
I wont bore you with the details of the bus ride here, mostly because there's not much to tell you about. Well, okay, I did enjoy my travelling partner, and I almost got left behind because I didnt recognize our bus at the rest stop, but for the most part, it was boring and uneventful. When our bus finally stopped at 京都駅, I was very happy. And by "very happy" I mean that I was estatic and smiling like a crazy person. I wandered around in the station for awhile, because it's so big (the second largest in the nation), and there were so many people. But thankfully, with the help of several maps positioned around the station, I managed to get out into the city. It was only a short walk more to get to my hotel, the APA Villa Hotel Kyoto Ekimae.
And let me just say, I want to stay in this hotel again! I booked my room on Agoda, which was recommended to me by my friend's mother, who is a travel agent. And I am recommending it to you, because I got a better deal on that site than Expedia. It was about ten dollars cheaper, which means I saved about a hundred dollars through their booking. But so far, I am enjoying this hotel immensely. The main reason I love this hotel is its location. Like I said, it's only about a block away from the station, which means it is relatively easy and convenient to travel not only to other parts of the city, but also other parts of Japan. And if you're a coffee junky, this is the hotel for you. There's a Seattle's Best coffee shop in the lobby, where you get a 10% discount on the day of your check out. And about a block away is a Starbucks. Also nearby are McDonalds and a Seven Eleven, all cheap eats, although there are many restaurants surrounding the hotel.
But what I really enjoyed tonight was the fact that there is a Yodobashi Camera department store nearby. Yodobashi Camera is one of the best places to go to if you're looking to buy electronics. And in true Japanese fashion, there are floors upon floors devoted to extremely useful electronics, at rather cheap prices. Are you in the market for a new 電子辞書? They have that. Need a new hair dryer with a "Quiet" setting? It's a little expensive, but they've got that. Would you like to buy a cheap rice cooker so you dont always have to wait for the Chinese guys to stop using the kitchen (!!!!!)? You can buy a three cup rice cooker for about thirty five dollars.
Also in the same building are several other stores. I didnt look around too much because I was hungry and they were expensive, but I saw many different clothing stores. There were men's clothes, women's clothes, hats, shoes, you name it, it was probably there. And I saw quite a few things that I wanted. Especially the shoes! I dont buy shoes like some people, but I saw a few pairs that I would have bought with little resistance. And I would like more fobby clothes, so I always look for that, but they tend to be way expensive. Also, my friend that I'm seeing here said she knows a good second hand shop, so I want to check there first.
As far as food goes, there were several choices I could have picked from. The hamburger and steak shop looked really good, but I wanted rice. There was an 揚げ物 restaurant, where you fry your food at the table, but I wasnt too keen on oily food. I finally decided on a restaurant that specialized in 名古屋料理. To tell you the truth, I dont know what that means, because the menu looked like what every other Japanese food restaurant looked like, but it was delicious and worth it. I had a 定食 that had 親子丼 and 鶏唐揚げ, and it came with a dark miso soup and 漬物. The don was a bit eggier than I prefer, and the rice was completely drenched by the 汁, but overall it wasnt that bad. The karaage wasnt as crunchy as I've had, but the pepper thing on the side and the mayo topping made it better. In total, it cost about twelve dollars, but I feel it was worth it. Maybe I didnt enjoy it as I have other restaurants, but considering how full I felt afterwards, it's okay. Oh, and did I mention that the music they played was phenomenal? I felt like I was in some fifties nightclub or something, because of the Ella Fitzgerald music they played. I was definitely not expecting that, but it made for a wonderful atmosphere.
While I do have my laptop with me, I dont have my adaptor card for my camera. So while I can blog and tell you all about my travels here in the old capitol, I cant show it to you. Maybe when I upload pics to my facebook, I'll come back and reedit in pictures that I take. In any case, I am super stoked to be in Kyoto, and I'm hoping that my little vacation here will procede without a hitch. I need to go to bed soon, because I'm meeting up with my friend tomorrow for some sorely needed catching up. 明日、楽しみに！ ^_^
I wont bore you with the details of the bus ride here, mostly because there's not much to tell you about. Well, okay, I did enjoy my travelling partner, and I almost got left behind because I didnt recognize our bus at the rest stop, but for the most part, it was boring and uneventful. When our bus finally stopped at 京都駅, I was very happy. And by "very happy" I mean that I was estatic and smiling like a crazy person. I wandered around in the station for awhile, because it's so big (the second largest in the nation), and there were so many people. But thankfully, with the help of several maps positioned around the station, I managed to get out into the city. It was only a short walk more to get to my hotel, the APA Villa Hotel Kyoto Ekimae.
And let me just say, I want to stay in this hotel again! I booked my room on Agoda, which was recommended to me by my friend's mother, who is a travel agent. And I am recommending it to you, because I got a better deal on that site than Expedia. It was about ten dollars cheaper, which means I saved about a hundred dollars through their booking. But so far, I am enjoying this hotel immensely. The main reason I love this hotel is its location. Like I said, it's only about a block away from the station, which means it is relatively easy and convenient to travel not only to other parts of the city, but also other parts of Japan. And if you're a coffee junky, this is the hotel for you. There's a Seattle's Best coffee shop in the lobby, where you get a 10% discount on the day of your check out. And about a block away is a Starbucks. Also nearby are McDonalds and a Seven Eleven, all cheap eats, although there are many restaurants surrounding the hotel.
But what I really enjoyed tonight was the fact that there is a Yodobashi Camera department store nearby. Yodobashi Camera is one of the best places to go to if you're looking to buy electronics. And in true Japanese fashion, there are floors upon floors devoted to extremely useful electronics, at rather cheap prices. Are you in the market for a new 電子辞書? They have that. Need a new hair dryer with a "Quiet" setting? It's a little expensive, but they've got that. Would you like to buy a cheap rice cooker so you dont always have to wait for the Chinese guys to stop using the kitchen (!!!!!)? You can buy a three cup rice cooker for about thirty five dollars.
Also in the same building are several other stores. I didnt look around too much because I was hungry and they were expensive, but I saw many different clothing stores. There were men's clothes, women's clothes, hats, shoes, you name it, it was probably there. And I saw quite a few things that I wanted. Especially the shoes! I dont buy shoes like some people, but I saw a few pairs that I would have bought with little resistance. And I would like more fobby clothes, so I always look for that, but they tend to be way expensive. Also, my friend that I'm seeing here said she knows a good second hand shop, so I want to check there first.
As far as food goes, there were several choices I could have picked from. The hamburger and steak shop looked really good, but I wanted rice. There was an 揚げ物 restaurant, where you fry your food at the table, but I wasnt too keen on oily food. I finally decided on a restaurant that specialized in 名古屋料理. To tell you the truth, I dont know what that means, because the menu looked like what every other Japanese food restaurant looked like, but it was delicious and worth it. I had a 定食 that had 親子丼 and 鶏唐揚げ, and it came with a dark miso soup and 漬物. The don was a bit eggier than I prefer, and the rice was completely drenched by the 汁, but overall it wasnt that bad. The karaage wasnt as crunchy as I've had, but the pepper thing on the side and the mayo topping made it better. In total, it cost about twelve dollars, but I feel it was worth it. Maybe I didnt enjoy it as I have other restaurants, but considering how full I felt afterwards, it's okay. Oh, and did I mention that the music they played was phenomenal? I felt like I was in some fifties nightclub or something, because of the Ella Fitzgerald music they played. I was definitely not expecting that, but it made for a wonderful atmosphere.
While I do have my laptop with me, I dont have my adaptor card for my camera. So while I can blog and tell you all about my travels here in the old capitol, I cant show it to you. Maybe when I upload pics to my facebook, I'll come back and reedit in pictures that I take. In any case, I am super stoked to be in Kyoto, and I'm hoping that my little vacation here will procede without a hitch. I need to go to bed soon, because I'm meeting up with my friend tomorrow for some sorely needed catching up. 明日、楽しみに！ ^_^
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
おわり
On Tuesday, the long awaited day arrived. I have finished my last final for this academic term, which means I am officially on break! Now that it's done, I feel like I have enough experience to write about my opinions on the Japanese education system. If you're not an American, please realise that my opinions have been influenced by the American education system. While it is pretty good, there are faults in it too, and you may disagree with what I think. But that's what's so fun about making international friends! We get to see how other people do things.
Language education in Japan simply DOES NOT do it for me. There, I said it. To be quite honest, I dont feel as if I've learned much in the five months I've been here. Let's go over how class is structured. The teacher lectures, perhaps by having the class read a short essay, or listening to a short spoken piece. New grammar or kanji introduced in the lesson is explained. Then you go home and do your homework, which is basically fill in the blank. And that's it. It sounds pretty okay, right? But I disagree. For one thing, most of the grammar we were taught were either stuff I already knew (like ～ば～ほど or どうしても). The few grammar points that I didnt know were explained difficultly. The teachers I had only spoke Japanese, which means I was getting Japanese grammar definitions in a language I dont understand. The books we were given didnt explain the grammar AT ALL. There were no notations, no definitions, no nothing. Thank goodness I have the entire series of Japanese grammar dictionaries by Makino and Tsutsui, because if I didnt, I wouldnt know what was going on in class half the time.
But what really upset me was that we were given little or no chance to truly practice anything we learned in class. I'll admit, I dont like homework, but if it's something like Japanese, I'll still do it. At UHM, we are made to converse with our classmates, either to imitate the sample conversation, or to practice using the grammar forms we learn. Periodically, we are assigned short essays, or an oral presentation. And let's not forget the oral tests we have with sensei, and the long essay section on most tests. However, in my classes here, we were not given or assigned anything to practice. Our homework was basically fill in the blank, and while we did "practice", I feel that it was too short and simple to really make us learn it. I suppose some homework is better than no homework, but still. I dont think that this is the way to teach. I have been told that Japanese education is based heavily on the assumption that the student will study on their own. But in my experience, finding a student that will study on their own is difficult to find. And in any case, it is helpful to the student if the teacher at least provides the information they need. Like I said, what would I have done if I didnt have my grammar dictionaries?
The most unfortunate thing is that this is how ALL Japanese language classes are structured. And I'm not talking about "Japanese language classes"; I mean this is how foreign languages are taught in general in Japan. From what I gather, the teacher just lectures on and on about the target language, and students are made to read samples from that language. However, there is little or no practice as to how to actualy USE what they learn. Thus, Japanese people may be able to understand what you're telling them; but if you ask them to talk to you, they cant, or they have much difficulty. In my opinion, what's the point of learning something if you cant use it? Language classes should be half explanation, half practice.
The class "What is Peace?" was another dismal failure. The teacher in charge of the course only lectured about two or three times. I have no idea what he was going on about, because all he talked about was some kind of discussion about religious systems. I wish I could explain better, but that's pretty much all it was. The rest of the class was student presentations about various conflicts in the contemporary world. So have I learned what peace is? Of course not! And what's worse is that he makes Peace Studies sound more boring than it really is. While I was doing research on the effects of religion on peace building, I found a host of articles related to Peace Studies. And they were actually a bit interesting, and made me think. Part of it was because there was some poli sci information and ties in them, but mostly it made me realise, there's more to Peace Studies than this professor. In particular, one of the articles I read summed up what I thought the class would be about. You can read it here. All in all, I could have spent the time better.
Having said that, I wouldnt jump to the conclusion that Hiroshima University does not offer interesting classes. I took a class on Japanese literature, and enjoyed it so very much. It was the same class that I had to write my essay on 伊勢物語 for. It was taught all in Japanese, so I didnt always understand everything that was talked about, but I did learn a little bit on Japanese literature. It focused on early literature, which I have only read cursory information about. The professor talked about 古事記, 万葉集, and 方丈記, all of which I havent really studied. And the professor himself was fun to watch. He was so very animated, and read with such enthusiasm that you knew he really did love what he taught. I hope to take a class with him again next semester, not only because I want to satsify one of my lit credits back at UHM, but also because I enjoyed him.
So what is my assessment of Japanese university education? It's a bit mixed and biased. I suppose if I were one of those kids that could study on his own, and wasnt led astray by youtube or facebook, maybe it wouldnt have been so bad. But at the same time, because there is little focus on practicing with real people, I dont think it would have made much difference. It's one thing to point out a に here, or using a suffix like まい; it's completely different to use them in a sentence that you've formed in your head. And there are teachers like the "What is Peace?" teacher that do not teach at all. They talk about everything BUT the suject matter, and waste time, really. But on the other hand, there are teachers like my Japanese lit teacher. They have a passion for their subject that is rarely encountered, and actually make class enjoyable. I guess it's kind of like American education, then. While there are some areas that are really, terribly, awfully bad, every now and then you will find the silver lining, the diamond in the rough. The one class that you actually walk out of and say, "Wow, I've really learned a lot."
I can only hope that my next term here will be less of the former, and more of the latter.
Language education in Japan simply DOES NOT do it for me. There, I said it. To be quite honest, I dont feel as if I've learned much in the five months I've been here. Let's go over how class is structured. The teacher lectures, perhaps by having the class read a short essay, or listening to a short spoken piece. New grammar or kanji introduced in the lesson is explained. Then you go home and do your homework, which is basically fill in the blank. And that's it. It sounds pretty okay, right? But I disagree. For one thing, most of the grammar we were taught were either stuff I already knew (like ～ば～ほど or どうしても). The few grammar points that I didnt know were explained difficultly. The teachers I had only spoke Japanese, which means I was getting Japanese grammar definitions in a language I dont understand. The books we were given didnt explain the grammar AT ALL. There were no notations, no definitions, no nothing. Thank goodness I have the entire series of Japanese grammar dictionaries by Makino and Tsutsui, because if I didnt, I wouldnt know what was going on in class half the time.
But what really upset me was that we were given little or no chance to truly practice anything we learned in class. I'll admit, I dont like homework, but if it's something like Japanese, I'll still do it. At UHM, we are made to converse with our classmates, either to imitate the sample conversation, or to practice using the grammar forms we learn. Periodically, we are assigned short essays, or an oral presentation. And let's not forget the oral tests we have with sensei, and the long essay section on most tests. However, in my classes here, we were not given or assigned anything to practice. Our homework was basically fill in the blank, and while we did "practice", I feel that it was too short and simple to really make us learn it. I suppose some homework is better than no homework, but still. I dont think that this is the way to teach. I have been told that Japanese education is based heavily on the assumption that the student will study on their own. But in my experience, finding a student that will study on their own is difficult to find. And in any case, it is helpful to the student if the teacher at least provides the information they need. Like I said, what would I have done if I didnt have my grammar dictionaries?
The most unfortunate thing is that this is how ALL Japanese language classes are structured. And I'm not talking about "Japanese language classes"; I mean this is how foreign languages are taught in general in Japan. From what I gather, the teacher just lectures on and on about the target language, and students are made to read samples from that language. However, there is little or no practice as to how to actualy USE what they learn. Thus, Japanese people may be able to understand what you're telling them; but if you ask them to talk to you, they cant, or they have much difficulty. In my opinion, what's the point of learning something if you cant use it? Language classes should be half explanation, half practice.
The class "What is Peace?" was another dismal failure. The teacher in charge of the course only lectured about two or three times. I have no idea what he was going on about, because all he talked about was some kind of discussion about religious systems. I wish I could explain better, but that's pretty much all it was. The rest of the class was student presentations about various conflicts in the contemporary world. So have I learned what peace is? Of course not! And what's worse is that he makes Peace Studies sound more boring than it really is. While I was doing research on the effects of religion on peace building, I found a host of articles related to Peace Studies. And they were actually a bit interesting, and made me think. Part of it was because there was some poli sci information and ties in them, but mostly it made me realise, there's more to Peace Studies than this professor. In particular, one of the articles I read summed up what I thought the class would be about. You can read it here. All in all, I could have spent the time better.
Having said that, I wouldnt jump to the conclusion that Hiroshima University does not offer interesting classes. I took a class on Japanese literature, and enjoyed it so very much. It was the same class that I had to write my essay on 伊勢物語 for. It was taught all in Japanese, so I didnt always understand everything that was talked about, but I did learn a little bit on Japanese literature. It focused on early literature, which I have only read cursory information about. The professor talked about 古事記, 万葉集, and 方丈記, all of which I havent really studied. And the professor himself was fun to watch. He was so very animated, and read with such enthusiasm that you knew he really did love what he taught. I hope to take a class with him again next semester, not only because I want to satsify one of my lit credits back at UHM, but also because I enjoyed him.
So what is my assessment of Japanese university education? It's a bit mixed and biased. I suppose if I were one of those kids that could study on his own, and wasnt led astray by youtube or facebook, maybe it wouldnt have been so bad. But at the same time, because there is little focus on practicing with real people, I dont think it would have made much difference. It's one thing to point out a に here, or using a suffix like まい; it's completely different to use them in a sentence that you've formed in your head. And there are teachers like the "What is Peace?" teacher that do not teach at all. They talk about everything BUT the suject matter, and waste time, really. But on the other hand, there are teachers like my Japanese lit teacher. They have a passion for their subject that is rarely encountered, and actually make class enjoyable. I guess it's kind of like American education, then. While there are some areas that are really, terribly, awfully bad, every now and then you will find the silver lining, the diamond in the rough. The one class that you actually walk out of and say, "Wow, I've really learned a lot."
I can only hope that my next term here will be less of the former, and more of the latter.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Finals Never Felt so Hard
Finals time is never a fun one. I dont think I will ever meet a person who would say, "Finals? I love studying everything the teacher ever taught us, and I cant wait to show them how much I've learned!" Let's be real: Unless you are absolutely in love with the course subject, there will be things that you've forgotten, or didnt understand the first time around. And when the course is taught in a language you're still working on, remembering everything that was covered can be quite the challenge.
With the help of several friends, I have just completed my essay for my Japanese lit class. And by completed, I mean I finished reading the book, and tried and failed to write an essay that was the proper amount of characters asked for. My essay has 3000 characters; however, the professor asked for 4000 characters. Part of me wants to complain that as an English speaker with a teacher that speaks English, writing an English essay is not too much to ask for. However, I do realise that I'm here in Japan to get better at speaking in Japanese, and the whole class was in Japanese too, so asking for a Japanese essay is not a stretch. But the character count just killed me. Even my tutor, who's a grad student, has never had to write a 40000 character essay. Believe it or not, but I did read a book in Japanese, 伊勢物語 いせものがたり the Tales of Ise. And I vaguely understood the lectures that the professor gave in class. But I simply dont know what else to add to my essay. As I typed it, I translated it into English, and according to that mental transcription, it was a pretty okay essay. Maybe not an A++ paper, but certainly one that would pass. But in Japanese, I'm afraid that it comes across as being very stupid and unfocused. One of the Chinese girls in class that I'm friends with said that since we're not 日本人, he should grade easily on us. I can only hope that she's correct.
Tomorrow, I also have a final for my Level Five Japanese class. I've already discussed how difficult the class. And unfortunately, it hasnt changed at all. The other American that's taking the class with me is similarly frustrated as to how to study for it. But assuming the test is the same format as the midterm, I'm formulating a strategy of things I need to study/memorize. As far as kanji goes, I've made flashcards for the ones I didnt already know, and I've been practicing them on and off for the last few days. To begin with, there were quite a few that I could read, so I didnt need to make cards for them. And through practicing, I've been able to take a few cards out. It's just the last couple that I need to memorize. And if I can smash the kanji section, I'll be pretty safe. The greater part of the test is kanji. The grammar section is more remembering the sample sentences. He doesnt really change the sentences from the handout to what's on the test, so if I can at least remember some of the sentences, it'll just be a matter of picking and choosing. It's unfortunate that I dont actually know what these grammar points mean, or how to use them, but that's another blog post.
Next week is the level four tests. I am not worried about them. Well, just a little bit, because I dont want to flat out fail them, but those two finals are a lot easier than the final and essay I just talked about. The listening test on Monday will probably be the easier of the two. Since the bulk of the test is basically filling out the blanks to excercises we did in class, I'm thinking I'll be okay if I keep the last few lessons on repeat on my iPod. And if I end up like Dexter's "Omlette du fromage", then all the better. The other Japanese test on Tuesday isnt too hard either. It is frustrating in that the particles that we'll be tested on do not only come from the lessons but everything we've ever learned before, but because it's stuff that I already learned, theoretically, it's not hard to prepare for. The kanji that'll be on it will be a bit of a challenge, but if I didn't already know them, a lot of them are easy to pick apart and read.
I am quite ready to end my first semester studying in Japan. Perhaps more than ready. But this semester is not going down without a fight. It is perhaps the most difficult finals period I have ever faced. But you know what? Maybe I wont be riding on the shining star that is straight A's, but I'll be damned if I let it beat me. I will emerge victorious!
With the help of several friends, I have just completed my essay for my Japanese lit class. And by completed, I mean I finished reading the book, and tried and failed to write an essay that was the proper amount of characters asked for. My essay has 3000 characters; however, the professor asked for 4000 characters. Part of me wants to complain that as an English speaker with a teacher that speaks English, writing an English essay is not too much to ask for. However, I do realise that I'm here in Japan to get better at speaking in Japanese, and the whole class was in Japanese too, so asking for a Japanese essay is not a stretch. But the character count just killed me. Even my tutor, who's a grad student, has never had to write a 40000 character essay. Believe it or not, but I did read a book in Japanese, 伊勢物語 いせものがたり the Tales of Ise. And I vaguely understood the lectures that the professor gave in class. But I simply dont know what else to add to my essay. As I typed it, I translated it into English, and according to that mental transcription, it was a pretty okay essay. Maybe not an A++ paper, but certainly one that would pass. But in Japanese, I'm afraid that it comes across as being very stupid and unfocused. One of the Chinese girls in class that I'm friends with said that since we're not 日本人, he should grade easily on us. I can only hope that she's correct.
Tomorrow, I also have a final for my Level Five Japanese class. I've already discussed how difficult the class. And unfortunately, it hasnt changed at all. The other American that's taking the class with me is similarly frustrated as to how to study for it. But assuming the test is the same format as the midterm, I'm formulating a strategy of things I need to study/memorize. As far as kanji goes, I've made flashcards for the ones I didnt already know, and I've been practicing them on and off for the last few days. To begin with, there were quite a few that I could read, so I didnt need to make cards for them. And through practicing, I've been able to take a few cards out. It's just the last couple that I need to memorize. And if I can smash the kanji section, I'll be pretty safe. The greater part of the test is kanji. The grammar section is more remembering the sample sentences. He doesnt really change the sentences from the handout to what's on the test, so if I can at least remember some of the sentences, it'll just be a matter of picking and choosing. It's unfortunate that I dont actually know what these grammar points mean, or how to use them, but that's another blog post.
Next week is the level four tests. I am not worried about them. Well, just a little bit, because I dont want to flat out fail them, but those two finals are a lot easier than the final and essay I just talked about. The listening test on Monday will probably be the easier of the two. Since the bulk of the test is basically filling out the blanks to excercises we did in class, I'm thinking I'll be okay if I keep the last few lessons on repeat on my iPod. And if I end up like Dexter's "Omlette du fromage", then all the better. The other Japanese test on Tuesday isnt too hard either. It is frustrating in that the particles that we'll be tested on do not only come from the lessons but everything we've ever learned before, but because it's stuff that I already learned, theoretically, it's not hard to prepare for. The kanji that'll be on it will be a bit of a challenge, but if I didn't already know them, a lot of them are easy to pick apart and read.
I am quite ready to end my first semester studying in Japan. Perhaps more than ready. But this semester is not going down without a fight. It is perhaps the most difficult finals period I have ever faced. But you know what? Maybe I wont be riding on the shining star that is straight A's, but I'll be damned if I let it beat me. I will emerge victorious!
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