Tokyo Playground

Every school teacher in the world must look forward to summer vacation.

No school!

No classes!

No brats!

No way!

Not in Japan baby. You only get to take paid leave. Otherwise, if you're a miser like me and hording those precious vacation days, you're stuck in school from 8:00AM - 4:00PM with everyone else. However, even someone like myself needs a break sometimes. Sadly, I work in a city that holds an English Speech Contest in September so I spend the month of August traveling to various J.H.S. and give speech coaching. In order to stay sane, I managed to squeeze out a couple of vacation days to make it a long weekend in the ultimate playground, the BIGGEST city IN THE WORLD.

THE ONE.

THE ONLY.

TO-KI-YO!

(Tokyo, the capital of, Japan)

I decided to visit my friend Kanako who I met and befriended on the lovely island of Shikoku. Being as cheap as I am, I took the cheapest form of transportation, the night bus, which takes about 12 hours and costs about $110 one way. It's not a sleeper bus either so get comfy in that chair because you can't recline it past two centimeters. I rode the bus with Derry and we got into the city at about... 7:00AM? We made our way to Roppongi district with only one minor setback: I left my glasses on the bus. Derry managed to go back and we rescued them. That's my personal hero right there.

We were to stay the night in Derry's mate from college's apartment. We took a quick nap then headed out to view the Imperial gardens were I got eaten ALIVE by mosquitoes:

We took haven in a maid cafe, where young women dress up in costumes and would provide conversation and sometimes games to predominately male patrons.


The night was spent at Ageha, arguably the largest nightlife dance club in Japan. It's on the outskirts of Tokyo and there are free shuttle buses to take people to and from there between the hours of 11:00PM and 5:00AM. There was even an outdoor pool. Oi.

The next day I met up with Kanako and the rest of my time in Tokyo was spent shopping, shopping, eating, and shopping except for one day that was reserved for my childhood: Tokyo Disneyland. As I have never been to any of the theme parks in my youth, this was arguably my best memory thus far in Japan.

Factoring in travel time, I spent eight hours at this place, absolutely delighted. The sun was shinning and we rode on a few rides:

Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, Tom Sawyer Island Rafts, Pooh's Honey Hunt

Ate pizza and cream puffs for lunch, did a little shopping...

...and stalked foreigners hired to impersonate Disney Characters:

However, missing from this collection is Woody from Toy Story. The actor was a complete jerk and ignored my SEVERAL polite inquires about a photograph and chose to pose only with cute Japanese young ladies. Pox on him!

花火

Every season in Japan brings the celebration of beauty and nature. In Autumn, the full moon provides lamplight for faithful observers. Winter's bitter cold and winds are perfect for those who want to travel to Hokkaido and witness one of the greatest ice sculpture displays in the world. Spring blooms life in way of flowering trees that become umbrellas for picnics. And summer...the heat has the people of Japan donning traditional summer apparel, yukata and jinbei, at night to attend festivals that end with a bang - fireworks that is.

I already had practice with wearing a yukata so I set out to buy my own. Depending on the fabric, a yukata can cost ￥20,000 or more. Plus, there are the other factors, such as an obi (belt), geta

(wooden sandals), accessories for the belt, hair, and so on.

Breathe easy in Beppu

So the third Monday of July, in this case July 20th, is the national holiday known as Marine Day(海の日). SO... I decided to take my own holiday and jet down to Kyushu to visit Mr. George and enjoy the scenic town of Beppu, famous for its hot springs (onsen). In fact, there are even volcanic hot springs that are too hot for mere mortals to enter!

In order to get there from Shikoku, one takes a ferry from the city of Yawatahama. Since I had work that day, I decided to take the last ferry (20:30). Unfortunately, I live hours away from the city even by express trains - yes, I must transfer as well - and ended up catching a local train by mistake and ending up in Ozu around 21:30 with tears on my face and a dead battery in my cell phone.

No worries. On my last bar I managed to make some emergency calls and secure overnight lodgings in the city of Ozu, followed by a taxi ride to the train station, yet another train to Yawatahama, a three? hour ferry to Beppu and finally a walk into George's city from the port.

We stopped by the hotel were we would have free lodgings thanks to George's friend (the daughter of the owner) and took a walk around town complete with Korean BBQ and a SAND BATH! That's right, I went to an onsen that specializes in people lying down while being buried in hot sand for ten minutes. It was first built in 1879 and is Beppu's most famous hot spring. Supposedly it relieves tension in the muscles but all I did was wish I was dead.

We received complimentary towels but I got an extra-special keepsake... a heat rash that expanded over my entire body!

Delicious!


Day 2, Otherwise known as Sunday, was spent exploring Takasakiyama Monkey Park and the adjacent aquarium. I have to say this monkey park was better than the one in Kyoto as THESE monkeys ruled the area and we were the ones being observed. There were no cages in which we went in to feed them. Instead, we were warned to not look them in the eye and played papparazzi stalkers in order to get that perfect shot:

I also visited Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University where George was staying and got to feel the Japanese Uni experience. Brilliant!

and I came home on Monday.

The End.

Star Festival:Yukata party

There are festivals held throughout the year in Japan. I have already touch on one of them in a previous post (Taiko Festival). But really, summer is when it all comes together. There are several hanabi or firework festivals, O-Bon or the celebration of the dead (not to be confused with the Mexican holiday la dia de los muertos), and Tanabata or the star festival. Perhaps you are familiar with the story of the stars Vega (the brightest star in the constellation Lyra) and Altair (the brightest star in the constellation Aquila). Vega was the daughter/princess of a great king and an excellent weaver. Altair was but a poor herdsman. The king decided to have them marry. Soon, the two neglected their work and played together all day and night. The king, angered by this, took back his daughter and separated the two with a river (the Milky Way). Woeful, the two returned to their work and the kind, upon seeing their repentance, allowed them to see each other once a year. That day is July 7th. However, the wording is "the seventh day of the seventh lunar month" which sometimes results in August. Consequently, there are several festivals held toward the end of summer. Traditionally, yukata are worn during such festivals, a lighter version of a kimono made of of cotton:

So, my town decided to hold a yukata party, similar to the kimono party last fall, but with a festival twist. There were some familiar faces and some new ones. My bestest bud George came all the way from his study abroad school in Kyushu to visit me. (:D)

Activities included the tradition of writing down wishes on paper and tying them to bamboo leaves, watching a Chinese lion dance, and participating (albeit against our will) in the traditional dance with two sticks and song:

Sasa no ha sara-sara (笹の葉　さらさら)
The bamboo leaves rustle, rustle

Nokiba ni yureru (軒端にゆれる)
shaking away in the eaves.

Ohoshi-sama kira-kira (お星様　キラキラ)
The stars go twinkle, twinkle;

Kingin sunago (金銀砂子)
Gold and silver grains of sand.

The highlight for me had to be when I was asked to tell the story of Tanabata in front of the entire room. I had only just learned the Japanese version of the tale myself and was extremely nervous.

Golden Week

The national holidays of Japan are few and far between. However there is one which is highly anticipated above all else - the Chrismas break of Japan: Golden Week. Three consecutive days off**

May 3rd (憲法記念日) Constitution Day

May 4th (みどりの日) Greenery Day

May 5th (こどもの日) Children's Day

combined with the weekend add up to quite a vacation for those who do not belong to the government or an educational institution's sport club/team (they never get a break).

**NOTE: The April 29th holiday - (昭和の日) Showa Day - is also included into this, with people sometimes taking off work in between the days to extend the holiday.

As for me, I had special reason to celebrate - no, not my birthday - the coming of my dear >great<> aunt...Titi Evelyn.

She was to arrive on the first of May and return on the tenth. With such a length og time I wanted to introduce her to the real Japan, by taking her to a place I had never been to before - Kyoto. The reunion in Osaka (where she had flown to from Tokyo's Narita Airport) caused a burst of emotion that was quite unexpected. Ah well.

We checked into our hotel which turned out to be next to the train tracks.

I'm serious.

We were walking down the hall. There was a door at the end of the hall. A loud noise was heard- the passing of a train. A shadow moved across the frosted window. And again. And again. We turned to each other with questions in our eyes. Once we felt it was safe, we went to the door and turned the handle. Surprisingly, it opened and we looked down and saw the tracks.

Classy.

May 2nd

The next day we made our way to the station were we met up with Juliana, the girl I went to South Korea with. After we picked her up, we headed to the Osaka Castle for a bit of site-seeing. What a load of hooey. I've never seen such a tourist trap. The outside was shining and brilliant since I had last seen it. I was very excited to go inside, since my last visit had me waiting outside while certain boys took FOREVER. However, the inside had been hollowed out into a kitschy museum that was full of nothing. I sound upset. I beg pardon.

Next we headed out to Kyoto by train and then walked to our ryokan-style hostel, where we'd be staying for the next few days. Located in the north of Kyoto, it was quite pleasant and calm with easy bus access. That night we had okonomiya, which has been called "Japanese-style" pizza. IF you were to actually look/try this dish, you would find that the Western hemisphere has not been consulted on taste.

May 3rd

The day was spent in an exploration of temples, shrines, a

nd mountains. We started with Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺) the Golden Pavilion, which was originally built in the 14th century and covered with pure gold leaf. Originally intended as a villa, it was later converted into a Zen temple.

Next was the climb of Arashiyama, home to Iwatayama Monkey Park, otherwise known as free-for-all monkeys! As we climbed up the steep slope, there were these cute girls that kept crying about how scary the monkeys were. So I helped the mother by holding one of the daughter's hands as she carried the other. It got to the point where I ended up picking the little girl up! We met the most beautiful girl in kimono along the way back. We also had the chance to pose with a maiko.

Her proud papa is just beaming in the background. Her younger sister can be seen peeking from behind her father's legs. Of course, I had to play creepy tourist and ask to take a picture in Japan. Luckily, they didn't seem to mind.

May 4th

Another round of sight-seeing, but as the day before seemed to satisfy the group of Kyoto religious buildings, I suggested a day trip to Nara which took fruit. Nara was the first capital of Japan, afterward came Kyoto and finally Tokyo. We went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in southern Kyoto first, as anyone who has seen Memoirs of a Geisha will immediately recognize the stream of orange gates stacked closely together. Inari is the Shinto God of business, so businesses across Japan have purchased a tori = gate in patronage.

Nara was next. Nara Park can boast that it holds some of the most interesting structures in the world, including the Tōdai-ji (東大寺 = Eastern Great Temple), which is not only the largest wooden structure in the world - but hosts one of the largest Buddha statues in the world.

May 5th

My aunt and I visited different places in Kyoto our last day:

Kyoto Botanical Garden

Kyoto Imerial Palace

Nijo Castle with its famous Nightingale floors

Kyoto International Manga Museum

SAKURA

Spring is a time of rebirth. The dark and chilly nights of winter give way to a newfound warmth and lush, vibrant colors flood the world once again. In Japan, the season is celebrated with hanami. Hana (花) = flower

and mi (見) = view is commonly known as flower viewing, a day spent under the cherry blossoms with good company, good food, and good booze.

But mainly booze.

After all, everthing looks a little rosier with a pint in you, right?

The flowers bloom for about one week, varying across Japan. Cowo

rkers hold picnics, youth enjoy innocent meetings under the pink petals. It's quite popular - sometimes impossible to find a good seat along the riverbank with "older" ladies and gentlemen taking up all the room as they sip lemonade and reflect on their lives.

Which in a way makes sense, since this practice dates back to the Heian period (794–1191) of Japan, also known as the age of the imperial court. At that time, the elite of Japan looked to China for cultural enrichment such as literature and beauty.

As for me, I went on two such excursions. The first was after visiting a museum and was quite literally a walk in the park.

The second was proper, with a blanket laid out on the riverbank and a potluck of Japanese and Western food and drink. Although I personally didn't drink, it was amusing to watch those who did.

I was told by some of my students that hanami isn't as popular in the country, most likely because there is easy access to the blossoms. In bigger cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, the industrial scenery makes the average salary man long for the aesthetic beauty that is old Japan.

Note the scattered sakura petals across the asphalt in the picture below.

*Spring Break* Bali INDONESIA

March 30th

Dave picks up up from the airport with a sign to welcome us:

We were immediately accosted by people trying to extort money from us by helping us with our bags. We headed to the hotel, which was a series of small villas around a central garden. There we met Feri, Ryan, and Shinya. They were talking about scuba diving the next day and somehow we ended up joining their plans. We had an early night.

March 31st

Derry rented a motorbike and together with Dave and the new guys we biked to Nusa Dua (see map). There, the guys (two of which are Indonesian) told they shop instructors to cut us a deal since we were with them. In Bali, it's all about connections and bartering. First, we learned to scuba dive. For a girl like me who can't swim, I was obsessed with learning everything:

Can you see my pained expression? Try learning to scuba in broken English. It's like how I'm learning to swim in Japanese. a-w-k-w-a-r-d.

There were hand signals to use under water for communication purposes. Since I have sensitive ears, the pressure that builds up from going underwater was intense and I had problems equalizing the water pressure with my ears. The instructor ignored me and kept dragging me down deeper so I burst into tears of frustration. After 10 mins, my ears popped and I was happy.

above: which one is me? The two people who couldn't swim!

However, I soon decided that I would run out of oxygen and panicked by taking bigger breaths of oxygen from my tank. Uh huh.

Next on the agenda for me was parasailing, another first:

Man, aren't you jealous of my professional manner?

April 1st - April 7th

So... the next week was spent relaxing. We went to the world famous beaches (a scene from Dreamland Beach at Uluwatu below) where Derry and Dave surfed (such manly men), and I worked on my tan and got a henna tattoo.

Getting around Bali is mad. There is no regard to traffic or laws of any kind. Here is a small tidbit:

We met up in the evening with Ciaran and Eric again, along with their friend Shawn also from Shikoku. Balinese food is delicious!

To add a bit of culture, I told Derry and Dave that we had to dress up one night, but twith the humid weather, only I ended up being comfortable enough to look good in public. The boy look more like my bodyguards. We ate at Pizza Hut, which >SURPRISE<>

I also convinced the guys how much fun visiting one of the major pilgrimage sites on Bali island, specifically Tanah Lot. Over 90% of Balinese people practice Hinduism, so I really wanted to see the famous temple that is floating in the sea.

With a purification ritual, you are permitted access to walk around the temple. On our way back, Derry and I decided to make a small detour...