Kobe, and other things

Last weekend I took a day trip with two of my fellow OGU students to Kobe. When we got there, pretty much the first thing we found out was that the other train line is not only cheaper to get there, but is a straight shot from my stop. That's cool. I didn't need that money anyway. Not like I'm running out or anything (I am, but more on that later). The convenient thing about the way we got there is that it dumped us out right near the main attraction for Kobe. Harbor Town. Now fortunately, I remembered my camera this time, and I took a ton of pictures. Here's the harbor:

I love the view, despite one of my companions talking the whole time about how he doesn't like harbors because seeing buildings on the other side of the bay spoils pictures. I feel like it's a good view, but I guess he's right. Who wants to see scenery? I want to see a beach and then ocean out to the horizon. Water is much more interesting than buildings. Particularly this one:

and this one:

But I am clearly mistaken. Buildings are not interesting. Wandering around Harbor Town for a while, we eventually made it clear through and headed toward China Town. Toward, and past. I guess we decided to head the next street down, and cut over at the first alley. Which we did not do. We then proceeded to entirely skip China Town, for reasons that nobody could quite come up with afterward. After wandering around for a while, we figured we'd hop a train over to Shin-Nagata (still in Kobe) to see what we'd all mainly come to see. The new giant Tetsujin statue. Apparently the day we went was the day it was unveiled. On an unrelated note, I do not plan or research my day trips. One of my companions does, however. Just saying. Not related. What is related:

So yeah. He's big. There's a lamppost in there for scale. I did that on purpose for scale, not because I was too tired to notice a lamppost obscuring my shot. I promise. After that, we found a cheap lunch and wandered the streets of Shin-Nagata for a while. Which was awesome, because we found these guys:

I guess they're a group of guys who, every couple of weeks, all dress up in costumes like this and walk around Shin-Nagata in a parade. Because this is Japan, and everyone loves to play dress-up. Vending machines like to play dress-up too. Like this guy:

That is a Tetsujin vending machine. I'd love to tell you I bought a drink from Tetsujin, but his offerings were disappointing. For shame. After this, we went back to Sannomiya, which is the station we COULD have gone to in the first place if we were thinking convenience. Shopped around there for a while, and had Wendy's for dinner. Because one of my companions was Australian (he still is) and I guess they don't have Wendy's. At all.

After all that, I came back home and settled down for some good old internet time. I was then notified that the scholarship money that I was supposed to be getting this coming Saturday would be delayed indefinitely, because the Prime Minister changed office, and the budget was being reexamined. I guess in Japan, Prime Ministers change by surprise and the budget is almost never examined. That's the only explanation I can think of for us being told at the last minute. I mean if people knew about that stuff, surely they'd tell us with some advance notice, right? (We found out several days later that the money would not in fact, be delayed. Cool)

This whole trip was on 3000 yen, or around 30 dollars, which is all I have to last me until Friday. Want to know how to see Japan for cheap? You can't.

As a side note here, I'd like to comment on something I have observed over the last few weeks of hurrying around everywhere. Japanese people walk slowly. Normally, this is fine. I don't need to be in a hurry. But when I'm in a hurry to make my train, and I am trapped between a wall of slow moving Japanese people, moving slower than even my normal walking speed, I find myself... frustrated.

Me: Hey, uh... you're moving kind of slow...

Japanese person: Hmm, it must be kind of hard for you to get through, huh?

Me: Yeah, and I sort of need to get to my train. Won't you miss yours moving at that speed?

Japanese person: Heavens, no! I'll simply use my Nihonjin-teleport to get to my train before it leaves. Can't you... Gaijin-vanish or something?

Me: Uh... no... so if you could... maybe speed up a bit... or...

Japanese person: Zannen, ne... (continues walking at the same pace)