So these ones include pictures from when I went skiing in Nagano at a place called Nozawaonsen, as well as a day trip to the city of Nara that I just returned from.
In other news, it snowed last night!
Pictures!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Hello, all, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
I got back this morning from a 4 day ski trip to Nozawaonsen, which was a blast. There wasn't a whole lot of snow the first day, but my friend Nestor and I gave it our best shot (he had never skied or snowboarded before, he tried snowboarding and did great), and the second day the mountain did not open because of strong winds. Surprisingly, we got a full refund for our lift ticket that day, which just goes to show how much Japan really is dedicated to service.
That night, though, the mountain got about a foot of snow, and the next day was great, although apparently when snow falls in Japan, instead of letting you ski the freshies, they groom it. Go figure. Either way, more of the mountain was open for us to explore and we took advantage of it. The final day we went with some friends who were also in the area to a monkey park where the monkies actually have their own outdoor hotspring. There are tons of awesome pictures of that excursion and they are coming soon.
Tonight I ate dinner with my host family, but before it started they brought me into the living room where they have their Christmas "tree" set up (it's plastic, but they decorate it and friggen love it), and presented me with my Christmas gift: 3 bottles of wine.
My host mom's words were the best part though:
"Gooraygoo, (my name pronounced in Japanese) happy birthday! Oh, I mean, Mayree Kooreesoomahsu!"
The whole family has work tomorrow, so we're not actually celebrating Christmas traditionally, but I'll be thinking about all of you! Have a great holiday!
I got back this morning from a 4 day ski trip to Nozawaonsen, which was a blast. There wasn't a whole lot of snow the first day, but my friend Nestor and I gave it our best shot (he had never skied or snowboarded before, he tried snowboarding and did great), and the second day the mountain did not open because of strong winds. Surprisingly, we got a full refund for our lift ticket that day, which just goes to show how much Japan really is dedicated to service.
That night, though, the mountain got about a foot of snow, and the next day was great, although apparently when snow falls in Japan, instead of letting you ski the freshies, they groom it. Go figure. Either way, more of the mountain was open for us to explore and we took advantage of it. The final day we went with some friends who were also in the area to a monkey park where the monkies actually have their own outdoor hotspring. There are tons of awesome pictures of that excursion and they are coming soon.
Tonight I ate dinner with my host family, but before it started they brought me into the living room where they have their Christmas "tree" set up (it's plastic, but they decorate it and friggen love it), and presented me with my Christmas gift: 3 bottles of wine.
My host mom's words were the best part though:
"Gooraygoo, (my name pronounced in Japanese) happy birthday! Oh, I mean, Mayree Kooreesoomahsu!"
The whole family has work tomorrow, so we're not actually celebrating Christmas traditionally, but I'll be thinking about all of you! Have a great holiday!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Update!
I don't have much in the way of Japanese cultural experiences this time. I did go to my first onsen (public bath) with my host family recently, and that was very relaxing, but filled with naked.
I've got finals this week, just two, on tuesday and wednesday, and after that I'm pretty much free. I'm leaving friday night for a hard earned 4 days of skiing, which I'm looking forward to with my entire being. This year is going to be the least skiing I've done since I was 5 years old, and that means I gotta cherish every moment of it. For those interested, there's some information about the mountain here:
http://www.vill.nozawaonsen.nagano.jp/info/english/start.htm
It's called Nozawa Onsen (the town is also filled with onsen, the public baths, including one that only monkeys, not humans, may enter) or for those more hip to the Japanese language, 野沢温泉。
The snow conditions are not looking great at the moment, unfortunately, but I'll take what I can get. Perhaps now would be a good time to try some telli, I'll see how that goes. I promise to take lots of pictures, too.
That's it, for now. I hope you're all doing well! It sounds like Vermont is getting a bit of snow. Lucky...
I've got finals this week, just two, on tuesday and wednesday, and after that I'm pretty much free. I'm leaving friday night for a hard earned 4 days of skiing, which I'm looking forward to with my entire being. This year is going to be the least skiing I've done since I was 5 years old, and that means I gotta cherish every moment of it. For those interested, there's some information about the mountain here:
http://www.vill.nozawaonsen.nagano.jp/info/english/start.htm
It's called Nozawa Onsen (the town is also filled with onsen, the public baths, including one that only monkeys, not humans, may enter) or for those more hip to the Japanese language, 野沢温泉。
The snow conditions are not looking great at the moment, unfortunately, but I'll take what I can get. Perhaps now would be a good time to try some telli, I'll see how that goes. I promise to take lots of pictures, too.
That's it, for now. I hope you're all doing well! It sounds like Vermont is getting a bit of snow. Lucky...
Sunday, December 7, 2008
More Photos!
Took me long enough...
More Japan!
Most of these pictures are from Tokyo, when it starts getting green again, it's back in Kyoto.
More Japan!
Most of these pictures are from Tokyo, when it starts getting green again, it's back in Kyoto.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Two posts in two days?! Say it ain't so!
Yes, that's right, I had ANOTHER cultural experience worthy of mentioning here, and I'm ready to share it with you all. This time it's about food, specifically, "how the hell did i eat all this stuff without throwing up all over the table?" No, actually it was all delicious, but, tonight for dinner we went to the same restaurant we went to for my birthday (which makes me think I may have eaten this all before and just not known what it was) but I ate the following in this order:
1. Chicken heart
2. Chicken esophagus
3. Chicken cartilage
4. Ostrich
5. BEAR MEAT, RWARRRRR!
6. Frog
7. Horse. No, just kidding, my host family ate it but I refused, mostly for Pam's sake
I have to say, eating bear meet made me feel like a man. It wasn't that great though, for future reference, too chewy.
I don't know what else to say about that, it all kind of speaks for itself. I've often been surprised at what I can eat, though. Spinach, for example, has grown on me quite a bit. Never thought that would happen.
I should clarify this whole thing, too.
I have a host brother, of course, but I also have another, older host brother who does not live at home but in Hokaido, the northernmost island of Japan. He came here for the weekend (my first time meeting him) and so there's been festivities since saturday. He's really cool, he's an artist, and very interesting, and has treated me like a family member since the moment he arrived. His wife is here as well, and while I haven't talked to her as much, she seems every bit as out there and with it as he does. Quite a cool couple.
I guess this post is kind of short, but I don't feel that bad since I posted yesterday as well. Hope you're all doing well! Sorry to those I missed on skype this week, the weekend has been very busy.
1. Chicken heart
2. Chicken esophagus
3. Chicken cartilage
4. Ostrich
5. BEAR MEAT, RWARRRRR!
6. Frog
7. Horse. No, just kidding, my host family ate it but I refused, mostly for Pam's sake
I have to say, eating bear meet made me feel like a man. It wasn't that great though, for future reference, too chewy.
I don't know what else to say about that, it all kind of speaks for itself. I've often been surprised at what I can eat, though. Spinach, for example, has grown on me quite a bit. Never thought that would happen.
I should clarify this whole thing, too.
I have a host brother, of course, but I also have another, older host brother who does not live at home but in Hokaido, the northernmost island of Japan. He came here for the weekend (my first time meeting him) and so there's been festivities since saturday. He's really cool, he's an artist, and very interesting, and has treated me like a family member since the moment he arrived. His wife is here as well, and while I haven't talked to her as much, she seems every bit as out there and with it as he does. Quite a cool couple.
I guess this post is kind of short, but I don't feel that bad since I posted yesterday as well. Hope you're all doing well! Sorry to those I missed on skype this week, the weekend has been very busy.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Getting my hair cut.
So I've sort of been waiting for one of those cultural experiences that would really make a great story, and today it came. I got my hair cut.
Whenever I'm about to do something in Japanese that might actually require some explanation (such as how long to cut my hair, what style I want, etc.) I always worry a little bit. And then there's the problem that I never talk while getting my hair cut, I just think it's kind of weird. So I was worried I'd get a chatterbox for a barber and then have to think the whole way through.
We'll get to that in a little bit.
First thing when I walk in, two gorgeous women, perhaps the two most attractive women I've seen in this whole country, greet me with smiles and seem quite adamant that I understand just how attractive they are and that I should not go to any other hair salon because of this point alone. Well done, ladies, it worked. They asked me if I wanted a stylist, a pro stylist, or a super stylist. What? I went with stylist and was told I would have to wait a half an hour. I didn't have that much time so I asked who I could get now, and 2 minutes later I was sitting in the chair with my own super-stylist asking me what I needed done.
I said something to the effect of, "I want my hair shorter," knowing there was no way I was getting out of here without some trendy Japanese hair cut. I was brought to get my hair shampooed and was wrapped in like 8 layers of towels and a heated blanket. They even put a towel over my face, which added to the surprise when my not my super-stylist but a woman I couldn't see began talking to me. Thankfully, when the towel came off my eyes, she was, of course, beautiful. I was then brought back to my seat and told to wait.
A third person walked up and combed my hair a little bit and I wondered, "if my super-stylist is so super, couldn't he have done this himself?" but before I knew it I was getting a massage. A really good massage. Japan 1, America 0.
After 10 minutes of relaxation, my superstylist came back and started cutting. Only, instead of scissors, he used a razor blade. He did talk to me a little bit, but when he heard I was from America, he excitedly called over his super-model friend to talk to me, as she had just been to los angeles about a week ago. Yes.
When I was finished, it didn't look as horrible as I had feared. I definitely got a Japanese interpretation of the word "haircut" but it turned out all right. I thanked super-stylist and the attractive women at the door. Then I thanked them again. Then I stared at them for a few seconds and left.
I'm not sure how long I should wait to book another hair cut for next weekend.
Whenever I'm about to do something in Japanese that might actually require some explanation (such as how long to cut my hair, what style I want, etc.) I always worry a little bit. And then there's the problem that I never talk while getting my hair cut, I just think it's kind of weird. So I was worried I'd get a chatterbox for a barber and then have to think the whole way through.
We'll get to that in a little bit.
First thing when I walk in, two gorgeous women, perhaps the two most attractive women I've seen in this whole country, greet me with smiles and seem quite adamant that I understand just how attractive they are and that I should not go to any other hair salon because of this point alone. Well done, ladies, it worked. They asked me if I wanted a stylist, a pro stylist, or a super stylist. What? I went with stylist and was told I would have to wait a half an hour. I didn't have that much time so I asked who I could get now, and 2 minutes later I was sitting in the chair with my own super-stylist asking me what I needed done.
I said something to the effect of, "I want my hair shorter," knowing there was no way I was getting out of here without some trendy Japanese hair cut. I was brought to get my hair shampooed and was wrapped in like 8 layers of towels and a heated blanket. They even put a towel over my face, which added to the surprise when my not my super-stylist but a woman I couldn't see began talking to me. Thankfully, when the towel came off my eyes, she was, of course, beautiful. I was then brought back to my seat and told to wait.
A third person walked up and combed my hair a little bit and I wondered, "if my super-stylist is so super, couldn't he have done this himself?" but before I knew it I was getting a massage. A really good massage. Japan 1, America 0.
After 10 minutes of relaxation, my superstylist came back and started cutting. Only, instead of scissors, he used a razor blade. He did talk to me a little bit, but when he heard I was from America, he excitedly called over his super-model friend to talk to me, as she had just been to los angeles about a week ago. Yes.
When I was finished, it didn't look as horrible as I had feared. I definitely got a Japanese interpretation of the word "haircut" but it turned out all right. I thanked super-stylist and the attractive women at the door. Then I thanked them again. Then I stared at them for a few seconds and left.
I'm not sure how long I should wait to book another hair cut for next weekend.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Pictures!
I finally did it! Here are the first 118 pictures of my trip. I have about 70 more, but kodak is making me upload them 1 by 1 (and don't tell me I'm being an idiot and that I can upload 60 at a time, I know for a fact that this is either my computer or kodak's fault, not mine).
So when I regain my patience I will upload the rest, and from here on upload them in smaller batches to make my chore a little easier.
So here it is, the first album:
Japan!
So when I regain my patience I will upload the rest, and from here on upload them in smaller batches to make my chore a little easier.
So here it is, the first album:
Japan!
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