Oriental Hiroshima

... and called for creation of a monument to ALL children who died as a result of the ATOM BOMB.<br><br>-----<br>ONE THOUSAND CRANES:<br><br>I didn't know what to expect. I'd seen photos of the monument, but had only read about the cranes. School children fold cranes and string them together for offering in memory of those "classmates" that died.<br><br>Well, a fairly steady procession of groups of school kids paid tribute at the monument. In culmination, they marched their strung cranes to any ...

... br>and then to Hiroshima on the way back, where we visited the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Park and museum.<br>

... The most difficult part for me was the childrens memorial, it was established following the story of Sadako Sasaki, she was 2 when the bomb dropped and seemed unaffected until she developed Lukemia, she and her room mate in the hospital tried to fold 1000 paper cranes each, as it's thought if you fold 1000 cranes you get a wish, she died aged 10 before she could fold enough and her classmates finished folding the rest. Now surrounding the ...

... 1km away. One thing we were told by our hosts, which we noticed was very true while walking to the peace park, was that since the bomb, the rebuild of Hiroshima has included a massive number of parks, and treelined nature walks and childrens play areas. Almost every block had a kids play area and a shady area with some kind of historical item, such as a small shrine or stone lantern etc. Playgrounds were a sight we ...

... of the waterways and the mountains are absolutely breath-taking. This week was probably one of the most memorable weeks of my life. It was pivotal because in many ways it was a first for everything. It was the first time I had like a REAL job, it was the first time that I experienced living alone, and it was the first time that I was in a city pretty much all by myself where no one accounted for me and no one spoke my language. That was slightly nerve-wracking. It is a hard ...

... but the wrong place. Fortunately the train guard was a dude and let us go with the whole "Non-rail pass" thing and told us where to actually go. Maybe it was just because we looked absolutely frightened. Shinkansen are fast, but at times, confusing.<br><br>Just as we thought things were going to plan, we realized that the days plans were off to begin with. That instead of going to Kanazawa we were actually heading back to Tokyo. Aaaaall thanks to Tom writing down the wrong ...

... exploring the streets alongside you and eating your maps. It was also here that I finally got to try Hiroshima's specialty dish; 'Okonomiyaki' which is essentially an omelet comprised of noodles, various vegetables, pork, egg and crazy herbs and sauces. Taste sensation, man. Taste sensation.<br><br>Anyhow, to wrap things up, I find that truly the most interesting aspects of Japan are the little things. For instance, you'd be hard pressed to find any form of sandwich ...

... de zogenaamde Dutch Slopes. Dat dit buurtje amper op Nederland of Nederlandse huizen lijkt valt te verklaren door het feit dat al het buitenlandse en iedere buitenlander door Japanners Hollands werd genoemd. Ook kon je hier in de 18e en de 19e eeuw op de universteit Dutch studeren. Premier Balkenende kan trots zijn en wij zijn het stiekem ook wel een beetje. Niet ver van Nagasaki ligt een in Japan beroemd themapark genaamd Huis Ten Bosch. Op schaal zijn hier een aantal beroemde ...

... the apology at the top, I can explain why. First, I had to work loads of extra shifts because I took time off. Teaching is often a kind of performance, and this left me, well, knackered. Second, I got promoted at work. I am now in the real glamour world of power and influence, and have been made the supervisor of my own school. I can, like, change the schedule and everything. This has entailed ...

... after the bomb. The devastation is immense and incredible to behold. Outside the museum is the A-Bomb Dome, the skeletal ruins of the former Industrial Promotion Hall, left as a visual reminder of the death and destruction caused by the atomic bomb. It was one of the very few buildings which wasn't completely leveled by the blast. Of course there is a large section of the museum dedicated to the victims of the blast who died that day or later as a result of the ...