The End Is A Beginning

The question has been asked what will I do with the blog now that we're no longer in 土気 (Toke), so after giving it months of thought, I've decided to do two things: 1) I will no longer post on present happenings in this* blog; however, 2) I fully intend to post retroactively in order to flesh things out a little more. To accomplish the second aim, the content for posts will come from various sources--journal entries, moleskin scribbles, photo libraries, receipts, and video. The idea is to develop a well rounded adventure that will provide interested parties with information/education/entertainment for some time to come. It will also serve as a good testing-ground for various blog add-ons. I want to make it more beautiful, more user friendly, more interactive, more resourceful.

A big virtual hug to you for spending some of your time with this blog. And a hug to Google/Blogger for making it possible to stay in touch with so many people while we were abroad. Japan wasn't nearly so far away as it was in 2001.

R.

Fin

*I do plan on beginning another blog somewhere, sometime in the future, and when I figure out the details probably this blog will link to it.

Leaving

After nearly three years of tortuous abuse, being over-worked, and having to endure tasks well beyond the scope of normal expectations, our Nikon ES5200 has decided to call it quits. If only it had stuck it out for one more week, I might have been able to back up the chronicles of our last week in Japan with photographic evidence. As it is, words shall have to suffice.

Moving out of the apartment was a hassle, but the hassle was par for the course. I must say I didn't like dropping a thousand dollars on various moving-out expenses when the money could have been better spent helping the Japanese economy through the purchase of consumer goods and services. Oh well. With the luggage restrictions being tighter than when we came three years ago, I cannot possibly fit any more stuff in our suitcases anyway.

It was hard to say goodbye to the teachers and office staff at Toke High School. They have all been such a big part of our experience here, and thanks to them, the experience was mostly very positive. They went far out of their way to accommodate us, and if ever they decided teaching in the public schools was not their thing anymore, I could heartily recommend they open up a B&B or Hotel and cater to foreign students and tourists. We were showered with gifts at my going-away party, and then to top it all off, Aonishi Sensei and Wakamatsu Sensei went the extra mile (actually, the extra 20 miles) and drove us and our luggage to the hostel here in Narita, where we'll be staying until we leave. 

More Drinks From Outer-Space

Not long ago, I posted about Ice Cucumber Pepsi. As it turns out, the stuff didn't last more than a week. So either it was wildy unpopular, or it was just a one time, flash-in-the-pan marketing ploy. I read somewhere they only made a few hundred thousand bottles, so probably it was the latter.

At any rate, we never tire of trying out new drinks here in Japan! Enter one Cheerio 700: Blue Cider. I didn't have the change to buy one but I got a picture (just in case it's another short-lived brand) to share with the blogosphere.

Need To Brush Up On My German

For a second there, I got it confused with Freud (as in the Psychoanalyst) so I took the pictures, but then I found out freude means "joy" (according to Google Translation it does) but I decided to post them anyway because it would have been funny.

Almost New Testament Shoes

Shield of Faith?

- Check.

Sword of Truth?

- Check.

Helmet of Salvation?

- Check.

Breastplate of Righteousness?

- Check.

Shoes of Violence?

- Um...

New Flavors

I tried Mare Tapioca Gelato. It tasted like saltwater taffy.

I would have liked it, except I was dehydrated and horrifically thirsty, so it made my already leathery tongue feel like sandpaper.

I hadn't considered that Mare means "ocean" in Italian. Instead, I was concentrating on the association of tapioca pearls with -- what else? -- tapioca pudding.

Fun Flavored Junk Food

One more thing to love about living in Japan: Weird food-flavor combinations. For instance, why not try mixing up Kit Kats with fruit flavors? The pineapple one was a bit too piney for me and the orange one made me think of Orange Pekoe tea (even though there's no orange in Orange Pekoe tea) but hey-at least I got to try them!




I also tried the new Ice Cucumber Pepsi yesterday and am hailing it as the best thing since 7-Up Gold. It had that sort of refreshingness that cucumbers have, and still somehow tasted like cola, but without the sticky syrupy feeling of cola. I'm not a soda drinker, but this is one flavor I am going to try again.

What A Cool Pet

We were in Yokohama with Brian last week and came across a man in the street who was out walking his pet tortoise. We just turned the corner after leaving a convenience store and nearly fell over a group of children who were petting, hugging and trying to ride the poor animal. The kids were all under five (I hope) so they probably didn't know any better, and in their defense, I wanted to hug it too.

More Fun With Engrish

More Ads

...indeed.

A Guy Can Dream

Someday, when I have the money laying around, I am going to order one of these chairs. This model is only five thousand dollars, and unlike all the earlier models I've tried (because every chance I get I try them out...for about 15 minutes at a time or until the sales clerk comes and kicks me out), this model actually adjusts for height! It can accommodate someone my height! Other cool features include:

• a remote that can be easily understood, regardless of what language you speak,
• a joystick that pops out from a hidden access panel on the arm of the chair, which adjusts the depth of the rollers and their speed,
• it remembers 3 different peoples' sizes, and
  
• it doesn't use that much electricity.

The lady working at the store was probably the nicest I've encountered in three years of massage-chair "shopping"; not only did she not kick us off the chairs (you should see the old men who just camp out there on weekends, with their smelly socks oiling up the nice pleather upholstery) but she took the time to explain in clear Japanese how the chair operates and where we can find dealers in America (New York, etc.).

Product Marketing Strategies

These are individually wrapped hamburgers being sold at our local grocery store. I like the baseball theme. Probably, Roots coffee company doesn't have anything against Mexicans, but I thought the wording on the can was awkward enough to merit posting a photo.

Flowers

Flowers! Everywhere flowers! I like living at this latitude. There are so many flowers! Flowers, flowers, flowers!!! I wish I knew what they were called.

Lunch

This is what I had for lunch today, along with a "drink bar" (all-you-can-drink soft drinks, tea, etc.). It's a "negi-maguro-aburi-salmon-don", or, a, "bowl of rice topped with green onions, raw tuna and roasted raw salmon". And of course some fish eggs, cucumber, shredded daikon, seaweed, a dollop of wasabi, and some sort of sweet-sour Japanese sauce.

Cost about ¥890.

Coming Home From Tokyo

I spotted this all-too-common sight and couldn't help but want a photograph. Big news today.

Fushimi Inari Jinja

Fushimi Inari Jinja at night is a fun thing to do if you like hiking and aren't too spooked by many many many many shinto altars and statues and torii gates. I believe it said it was 4km round-trip, but since the maps along the hiking trail are notoriously disorienting, probably we walked a good deal more than that. We started at 9:05 and ended around 10:30.

Philosopher's Walk

Of course, each time I visit Kyoto, I try to find new places to visit. The Philosopher's Walk, however, is worth visiting every time I'm in town. I fell in love with the Higashiyama area from the first time I visited during the peak momiji season, and this was the second time we've been to see it during the hanami season (a day or so early, but some of the sakura blossoms were out).

Ninja

Iga Ninja Demonstration

Today we continued our adventures in the Kansai region by heading out east to Iga-Ueno to see the home of the Iga Ninja.We spent far more time getting to the Iga Ninja Museum than we did at the museum, but after reading up on the history of the Ninja, it seemed worth the trip. These kids certainly thought so, too.



Laurie & Kerri got ninja-certified:

Kamakura & Yokohama

The 7:05 direct train to Kamakura.
Wasabi Potato Chips, Koala Cookies, Cafe Au Lait.

Met 2 girls from Edogawa High School. They moved so we could sit together. They had a clean, mature look about them and were friendly.

Weather overcast but warm enough.

Got more overcast.

Went to Engakuji. Saw a crane catching fish in the zen pond. Enjoyed tea after climbing 141 steps to the Bell Tower. Walked to Kenchoji and picked up Imo Soft on the way. At Kenchoji, we got to see a Starving Buddha on display. Also, we entered a building and were able to walk around back and admire its garden. From the back of Kenchoji we continued towards the Tengu shrine place. Bought an omamori there and took pictures. Then we walked to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Ate 6 giant takoyaki balls and a fakey frankfurter. Walked Dengokuoushi to Hokokuji. Was given directions by a nice man riding his bike. Hokokuji blew us away.

Walked back to Wakamiyaoji Street and checked out a Kamakurabori shop (too expensive). Then went down Komachidori to Kamakura Station, took the Enoden line to Hase Station and got out. By that time it was raining. Healthily. All the folks getting off the train (at least a hundred) were queueing up to get cheap umbrellas at the only 100円 store immediately outside the station, so we weeded our way through and ran up trhe road, ducking under eaves where we could and keeping our eyes open for umbrellas. Laurie went into an electronics shop where she was given a spare umbrella by the owners. Soon after we found a shop selling umbrellas and picked up a blue, a green and a pink one for 300 yen a pop. They were small. Next, we made our way to Kotokuin to see the Buddha. Waited with Laurie under the 山門 while Kerri & Brandon went in. Then we made our way back to Hase Station, picking up some more imo soft on the way. And croquette. By then the rain was slower and had nearly stopped.

From Hase we went to Kamakura station and then to Ofuna where we transfered to another line. From there we continued on to Ishikawacho Station which is just on the edge of Yokohama Chinatown. We walked around. Nearly ate at a restaurant but left because of the cigarette smoke and the long wait for someone to come take our order. Instea, we bought 豚まん (Laurie and I traded curry for chashu) and ate it at Starbucks. From there, we walked through Yamashita Park and headed towards the Ferris Wheel. Laurie treated everyone to a ride. It takes 15 minutes to go around once. On the ride, we got a peep in the windows of X Hotel. After this we walked to Sakuragicho Station and took the train to Yokohama, where we waited for the 19:22 direct to Kazusa Ichinomiya.

On Mom's 28th Birthday

Happy Birthday Mom!

During your Japanese birthday, we:

nearly tried octopus...

...did play air-guitar with a daikon radish...

...hugged some imitation-wood vinyl rugs.



Lastly, we went out for dinner (Brandon's treat!) and had a great time hanging out. We figured that's what you'd want to do, so that's what we did.



Have a wonderful day!

Love,

The Japanese Contingent