I went to Kyoto and forgot my camera.

This is becoming a theme. Maybe it should be the name of the blog. "I went to (somewhere) and forgot my camera." I actually went about a week ago, on Monday the 21st. It was Silver Week here in Japan, so we got Monday through Wednesday off. We decided as a group to go to Kyoto, since we'd all heard how great it was to visit. Met in the morning about halfway there, with nine of us going, and went via JR Line. I guess we did that because it's faster (it's not) and cheaper (nope, not at all). On the plus side, JR station in Kyoto is huge and really cool, and the Hankyu line becomes a subway, and is lame, so I guess it had that going for it. Kind of a grand entrance to the city.

And man was it PACKED. I guess I should have figured it would be on a holiday, but I was not prepared for the sheer amount. Lots of foreigners too, go figure. We couldn't figure out where we wanted to go first, and the lines for buses was huge, so we grabbed a map and headed to the closest random temple. We ended up more at the little bazaar that was set up there, shopping for random stuff and not so much looking at the actual temple. It wasn't all that great of a temple, other than that it was one of the few that actually had a five story pagoda rather than the normal three. Cool? It was too packed near the pagoda to get anywhere near it, so we just left after a while.

We figured we'd head back to Kyoto station and take a bus to one of the bigger temples. NOPE. Buses were still in huge demand, and we figured it would take longer to bus it than walk. But before we managed to leave, Luke managed to find friends. Now Luke is Australian, and in fact the only Australian at OGU. The friends he found were from his university in Australia. He knew they were somewhere in Japan studying. But finding them in Kyoto? The third biggest city in Japan? During a tourism boom? It was insane. On a somewhat annoying note, they had a Japanese hanger-on with them. He was an old guy, with pretty decent English (though he kept insisting it was horrible) who basically followed them around to practice his English. They were a group of two, and we were nine, so when we split up we gained a tenth. Great. He followed us for probably eight blocks, talking to us in English all the while. If he'd spoken Japanese it might not have been so bad, but as it was, he was kind of a nuisance. I guess after about that far he was either bored of us, or actually had somewhere to be, as he suddenly said "Ok, I have to go now!" and then did his Japanese teleport.

This is a trait that all Japanese have. You will be walking with them, looking at them, talking to them, or anything really, and you will turn your head. And they VANISH. You then notice them again, 1o0 feet away. It is crazy, and I want to learn how they do it.

After he left us, we continued our walk to Kiyomizu Temple, which is one of the bigger and more popular temples in Kyoto. It was a long walk, and it was HOT. As in hot enough for Japanese people who don't know you to complain to you randomly about how hot it is. And they NEVER do that. People were hiding in shadows near crosswalks, waiting for the light to turn green, and making a dash for the nearest shadow across the street. So yeah, hot. Eventually we arrived at the temple, and... I don't really know what to say about it. It was really amazing looking, and we went all over it. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I have no pictures of it. Luke has them, and I will steal them and link to them. Sometime. I took a few with my camera-phone, but even Japanese technology couldn't make those pictures come out well.

After the shrine, we dispersed and scoured the shopping district. Making frequent stops for water and sitting. All told, we were there from 10:30 AM or so until 9:00 PM, and that was only because the shops were closing. Due to a tourist miracle, we ended up right near the Hankyu line entrance, so we took that home, making sure to take the train that stopped at every single station to ensure that we got extra time to sit on the way home. It was not because we didn't want to stand and wait for another train, and were too lazy to find a new, faster one, at a bigger station. Rubbish.

Hopefully next time, I remember my camera. (Spoilers: I didn't)

I went to Osaka-jo and forgot my camera...

As the title says, I went to Osaka-jo (castle) the other day. It was a fellow exchange student's 21st birthday, so we decided to celebrate. It was a fairly simple, but fun night. Everyone took the train out to Kyobashi station and met there. The turnout was about 25 to 30 people, which I think surprised everybody. Included was Kumai-san, the woman working at the International Center at OGU that has the best English. She sent all the emails over the summer with every bit of information we needed. Or didn't need. Regardless, she showed up with a large group of people, stayed with us for about ten minutes to make sure that none of the underage kids would drink, and then... left? It was very strange, and nobody seemed to know why she'd shown up just to leave so quickly.

Everyone went over to the closest supermarket, got a bunch of Japanese beer, and walked over to Osaka castle, where we did something you can't do back home. Got drunk in public. Essentially we hung out near the final steps leading up to the castle and drank for about 6 hours. And I forgot my camera. We hung out, sang songs, learned how to say "cheers" in about six languages, and then I went home.

Which I should not have! Apparently the plan, which I was not aware of, was to just camp out on the ground near the castle. "I'll just take the last train," I thought. And what a good idea that turned out to be. I took off for the train station at about 11:00, figuring I'd be fine to get home by last train. As I walked up to the tunnel I'd walked through from the train station, a security guard was just beginning to lock up. NOT GOOD. With my weak Japanese (which I am tempted to believe actually improves with inebriation) I managed to get a string of words out of him, out of which I understood "stairs," "train," and "that way." I went "that way," found the "stairs," and eventually managed to make it to the "train." I have not yet mentioned that there are multiple train lines that travel around the Kansai area. I usually take the Hankyu line, which is more local and makes a lot more stops. The JR line is faster, nicer, more expensive, and generally closer to the places we want to go, so that's how we got there. Now I knew there was a JR station in Amagasaki, the city in which I live, but I didn't know where it was. Near OGU they're only about 400 meters apart, so I figured it would be within walking distance. WRONG. It's about 4 or 5 miles from my house, which I discovered when I got there. It took me about 15 minutes talking to one of the train attendants with a map, with him saying "Sorry, there are no taxis right now, you will have to walk. Take these roads," before a different person showed up and just said "...take a taxi. They're down those stairs." This was all in Japanese, and I was drunk. Meanwhile, I found out later that rather than camping out, everyone continued to drink for another few hours and then went and did karaoke until first train. I should have just stayed.

And let me just say that throughout the whole experience, despite not knowing where I was or how to get home, I have never felt safer in the middle of a city. Japan is great like that. And oh yeah, again I forgot my camera. So no pictures of Osaka castle for any of you. Then again, judging from my previous track record with pictures it will probably be sometime after I come back and graduate before I manage to get them visible.

Another Fanciful Voyage, and Baseball Musings

Unfortunately, I was in fact struck today by another urge today, this time to take an express train right past my station, and past the following 3 stations as well. Showed up about ten minutes late to my orientation, but it couldn't be helped. It was totally on purpose. So, Japanese baseball. Two things I've noticed so far that makes it... very different from watching baseball back home. First, everyone supports the home team. Like... a lot. At home, when a game is clearly going in favor of the visiting team with no hope of return, the fans get a bit... bored, and start to leave. Not so in Japan. Everyone stays, and the stadium is always extremely crowded. And they cheer for the home team, right until the end. I don't know what to make of this. It's all very inspiring, but part of me wonders if the fans really think the home team still has a chance to come back from 7-0, or if they're just... being polite (read: Japanese). Another thing: bunting. They seem to bunt more often here, but the strange thing (and this comes from my very limited experience actually watching American baseball) is that unlike at home, the batter is completely committed to bunting at their time at bat. It is rare that it's a surprise, as they walk up to bat and hold it as such that there can be no doubt as to what they're about to attempt. Now correct me if I'm wrong, (really, do) but isn't the point of bunting to... catch the other team by surprise and make them run up to grab the ball and throw it while you run safely to first base? That plus, after the first time they miss, they will WITHOUT FAIL continue to bunt for the rest of their time at bat. It usually ends up with a strikeout, and the rare times that it doesn't, the other team is completely expecting it, and they are always out at first. Now I can sympathize with this. I do it while playing video games. Specifically of the fighting game variety. When I get it into my head that I'm going to perform a specific special move, I will continue to attempt it in the middle of the match over and over until I manage to pull it off, or I die trying. Usually I die trying, and when I don't it's usually either completely ineffectual, or my opponent has completely seen it coming, and counters it spectacularly. Now when I'm playing fighting games with friends, it is not professionally, and there are no stakes. But pro baseball... I would think they would abandon their sad attempt to bunt after the first miss, and maybe actually hit the ball to some beneficial effect. It's the mentality of "You know what? No. I am going to do this, and goddammit it will be

awesome!" And then it's not.

Magical Train Voyage

My host mother advised me to go to school by train by myself today, to make sure I could do it. I went off at 10:30 AM, and all was well until at Awaji station, I was struck by a sudden desire to go take a trip to somewhere I'd never been before. What did NOT happen, was that I got on the wrong train and rode it all the way to Kita-Senri and back before going on to Shoujaku, where OGU is located. Don't let anyone tell you different. I just hope that tomorrow I won't be struck by a similar, irresistable urge to explore, else I might be late for my first day of orientation. Tigers won the second game in the series today, 4-0. Now I don't know what to think of them.

Day 1

First full day in Japan! I woke up to what sounded like a small child screaming. Most likely it was a cicada. Never heard anything like that before. Took a trip early with my host mother to the local government building to get my gaijin (foreigner) registration card. Very intimidating. Came home for lunch, and met my host family's two children, who I was unaware existed until they walked into the room. Way to go me. They're 27 and 31, and I can't remember their names anymore, which I feel bad about. After lunch, I went to campus so I could figure out how to get there via the trains. I wish we had this kind of transit system at home, it makes everything so... convenient. Apparently my host family really likes baseball. I watched a game with them, in which the local team, the Hanshin Tigers, got dominated 7-0. Not sure if they're any good.

Arrival!

Oh man, what a day. Today was my departure for Osaka, Japan, where I will be for the next 4 months or so. Before leaving, a bunch of people told me: "Oh man, you have to keep a journal while you're there." I figure a blog is better, because then someone besides me will read it. Maybe...? Had to get up at 4:00 AM to leave for my flight. Left at 7:05 for Dallas, Texas, and then from there at 12:05PM for Narita Airport "in" Tokyo. Then another short flight from there to Osaka, where I was picked up by my host mother. My host mother speaks a little bit of english, but for the most part just Japanese. Host father only speaks Japanese. Communication is a bit tough for now, but I'm already getting better. Shared a beer with my host parents, which I liked. Asahi is pretty great! Also watched a fair amount of very straaaaaange Japanese TV. My family here has a bigger house than I was expecting, for Japan. It's 4 floors high, with each actual floor being fairly small. There are a bunch of bedrooms on my floor, because I guess my host family has hosted a lot of students, and some at the same time. The only real complaint I have so far is that there is no internet at home. Nooo! This means I'm stuck "borrowing" signal from unknown neighbors, who have networks that seem to disappear randomly. I lose connection often when I have it, and I often don't. Luckily there's internet on campus. This means that these posts will be written... when I write them, and then posted when I'm able to get internet

access. When I get a more stable connection, I'll upload the pictures I've got so far. Well, I haven't slept in around two days now, so it's off to unconsciousness for me.