TravelStream™ news feed for member keno on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/keno en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 30 Jul 2004 09:11:20 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1091187360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1091187360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1091187360/tpod.html Fri, 30 Jul 2004 09:11:20 -0400 Bob: What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food? (Lost in Translation)

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Kyoto, Japan

So here we are again ...another month passes in the far east. A little wiser, a little older, a little handsomer..well one out of three, yes?

Nearing the end of my 23rd year on this planet what a better time then ever to reflect on life and the general progress of planet earth

um..maybe next year

So this month I actually got to taste a bit of tradition in Japan. Surrounded by urban culture inclusive of Starbucks worshipping, shrines to the latest Louis Vuitton Handbag and the only god in sight seeming to be a dog like creature lovenly titled "Snoopy"; one can forget that this country is seeped in history.

This month a wave of festivals and events climbed their way through our prefecture.

I managed to make it to the festival in nearby Matsuzaka. Soon as we left the train station we were affronted by hordes of summer loving Japanese digging into local tucker from the numerous stalls that lined 4 streets. My tummy was going into overload thinking of all the different types of food that it would be forced to digest in the space of an hour. It didn't take long to realise that amazingly there seemed to be only 4-5 different types of stalls mass cloned in large quantities separated by mere metres from each other. It gave rise to the thoughts of some thoughtful Japanese company having franchised a whole street full of Yaki-tori stalls. Another thought was where exactly do all these stalls go after the festival. Unlike other asian countries Japan lacks the numerous street vendors that normally give rise to a wonder of smells in humid evenings. Were these vendors wandering gypsy travelling from festival to festival plying their trade or local families hoping to gain a momentary sales boost.

who knows...who really cares?

Anywho the main event began shortly enough. It consisted of a large group of people banging drums and running crazily around in circles carrying these portable shrines and shouting something over and over again. Now this may seem terribly ignorant of me but having asked many nearby Japanese we discovered that not even the locals quite knew exactly what they were saying or what it meant. It was quite the spectacle regardless and went on for quite some time, sometimes the crowd getting almost crushed in the process. All good fun of course. When the parade finished I joined some friends involved in it at the local shrine and took up their offer of some free beverages...certainly the highlight of the evening, oh as well as the numerous Yukata wearing young ladies.

I got my first taste of Japanese boy racers and teenagers hanging around the station doing nothing exactly but trying to be cool that night...it was great...reminded me of home.



Ok this is too long already...anyway

Kyoto

Much has been said about Japan's cultural capital before me and probably good stuff so I will remain silent.

well maybe

Yep, arriving into the CUBE, Kyoto's train station and one of the newest additions to the world's great ugly metal structures I wasn't left thinking that the genteel history had left this place, as my guidebook suggested I would, I merely thought how typical of Japan. Kyoto central city is ugly. An ugliness that eats at you...especially in the 36 degree heat I had arrived into. Do not be despaired as much of Kyotos hundreds of wonderful temples and shrines lie on the perimeter of the city and are surrounded by immaculate gardens that I have come to adore. It seems that the liking for separating the refuse of peoples everday life with the beauty of spiritual centres is not just a regional anomaly. Even the river area which is much applauded looks quite decayed in daylight. At night it becames alit with golden lanterns, wandering maiko's and hordes of tourists. You can find places to breathe though and when you do so you will be absorbed in the imaginative qualities that this city can only bring upon quiet contemplation or reflection.
My advice: go in any season part from mid summer, eat as much as you can and bring a partner to wander the nights with before you retire to your ryokan.

'Kyoto I will return' were my parting thoughts upon scooting out past the mountains to the east of the city.


Other thoughts before I leave you once more:

* There are no rubbish bins in Japan but not much rubbish. People are encouraged to carry it with them. Numerous times I have opened my bag to find cans or wrappers from days earlier as one hour searching for a suitable dumping ground turned up empty.

* Rice paddies are beginning to sprout rice. All very exciting for me, I even saw scare crows in the city...hah.

* Most common responses to o-genki desu ka? (how are you?): 2nd place - 'fine' and 1st place - 'sleepy'. So many Japanese students I teach confess to me how tired they are. It is no wonder really after talking to my waitress in Kyoto who works 13hrs a day 28 days a month...oh but she loves meeting new customers...wow!

* so much for shy Japanese in public, as my last Kyoto pic shows. This was captured in central station around 4pm in wide view of anybody. Now I hope you don't think Im too voyeuristic but I was interested at first because his actions suggested he was raping her...go figure

* In follow up to the above, a BBC report I saw yesterday states that Japan is the only OECD member country with a rising aids statistic. Apparently 1/3 of 17yr olds have had sex already and a high proportion unprotected. So much for social development.


That ends my current update, I hope you enjoyed and are still breathing.


Photo links:

Kyoto: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blaylock_2/album?.dir=/3572&.src=ph&.tok=ph5w4fBB4.6MokQ1

Matsuzaka Festival n Futami Town: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blaylock_2/album?.dir=/5b1b&.src=ph&.tok=phcz4fBBDD371iSi

Ise n Nara: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blaylock_2/album?.dir=/d1c9&.src=ph&.tok=phRs4fBBYbXHglAc

(wierd quality - photo of my photos)

Mt. Gozaisho n Tsu: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blaylock_2/album?.dir=/4699&.src=ph&.tok=phrz4fBBl3ux2uO1
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1088068800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1088068800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1088068800/tpod.html Thu, 24 Jun 2004 06:47:27 -0400 Bob: What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food? (Lost in Translation)

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Nara, Ise and Nagoya, Japan

It has been almost one month since I actually went to Nara but time has played its little tricks on me...

well mainly its one trick of flying awfully fast

many things keep me from adding to this little pod, I just happen to be one of those people that things occur to that prevent them from updating eg flat tyres, spilling coffee, falling asleep, losing keys....not terribly exciting things but they constantly delay me leaving myself just too lazy/frustrated to do other things like updates and learning japanese perhaps

anywho

so yeh Nara...

The once imperial capital of Japan lies sleepily at the base of the Wakakusa-yama hill and for such a place the old temples , pagodas and shrines that belie its history remain relatively well kept. This is partly due to them being embodied with a large natural park and the helpful aid of world heritage listing. The park is well known for the numerous deer that wander its broad pathways and they just happen to be Nara's city/prefectural emblem.

I was lucky enough to visit on a gloriously sunny day with my fellow NOVA compatriot, Pipster, and after walking dreamy eyed through the landscape for seven hours beating off thousands of japanese school kids on excursion and tourists we took a much earned beer ..or two.

If there is a main event of Nara sight-seeing it is most definitely the Todai-ji Temple.
Founded a wee while back in 745 it houses a big-ass Buddha if ive ever seen a big-ass Buddha. Standing 15m tall and placed on a pedestal within a 49m high wooden structure (yes the largest in the world) it packs some weight. I actually found the other statues in the temple more interesting as the late sunshine casted glowing rays over their intricately detailed features. We also discovered that it is apparently good luck to crawl through this small hole that lies within one of the temples supporting beams. Unfortunately my luck bonus would have to wait as standing in line with a couple hundred schoolchildren and one fat tourist didn't strike me as a particularly appealing way to spend my afternoon.

I did manage to get my fortune told at Kasuga Wakamiya which was jolly good, though i don't know how reliable drawing a chopstick shaped object out of a box is. One can't argue with these things though.

Ok enough on Nara..suffice to say it is well worth a visit and especially in different seasons as a photography museum we went to showed just how beautiful the trees/flowers are as the year progresses.

Two weeks later I made a trip to Ise, which lies about 40-50 mins to my south via train.
Notable for being the home of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess of Shinto religion, it gives rise to two large shrines (Geku/Outer and Naiku/Inner), which form the Grand Shrine of Ise, one of the most important in Japan.

I visited the Outer first, a short walk from the train stn. It was rather pretty with a wide area given over to a pond and flower garden which would have looked wonderful in Spring but now lay drooping in the humid summer air. I then did the 6km march to the Inner Shrine in ever threatening weather. The rain held off though and I managed to experience one of the most peaceful and simply beautiful places I have seen in Japan. Set within a forest of 800 yr old cedars next to a naked river snaking its way around pebbly waterbeds. Fish swam freely in the flowing currents and from vantage points at the water's edge or upon ancient wooden bridges within the shrine's grounds you could transport yourself back in time. At one magical stage I managed to escape the mass of Japanese tourists and find a quite bridge overlooking the forest and was alone except for my imagination and a travelling monk who merely added to the scene.

Nearby the Inner shrine is a small set of streets and old buildings which date back from centuries old and where people still ply their trade selling seafood, rice cakes and candy to the passerbys. Very enjoyable to wander within this little haven.

I think I lived of the peacefulness I discovered at Ise for the next week or so which was a treat.

Which brings us up to today.

Yesterday I made a trip to Nagoya with Pip and Akiko to do some shopping and just reconnect with civilization for awhile. We didn't buy much but it was still good. It was excellent to stop at a french themed cafe with tea lights and ivy growing on the walls and taste real espresso coffee for the first time in ages even if it did cost $8 for a latte.

We also went to RedRock which is an Aussie Bar and Grill and after meeting a few of the locals I tucked into a delicious surf an turf. After eating shitty, thin, fatty meat for 2 months a real piece of Aussie rump had me drooling. We even got to drink redbacks and coopers ($10 each!). Quite expensive but i think maybe I can allow myself the luxury once every two months perhaps.

I finished off the night with a trip to a new bar we have found. It has a great Uni crowd with plenty of pretty girls and the drinks are only 250 Yen ($3.50AUD) for beer or spirits which is crazy for Japan. The reason is because most of the staff are volunteers from the local University, looking for a bit of fun or any solution to perpetual boredom. Sounds fine to me!

Ok as for the job, yep still cruisin along. Kids classes still rock, except maybe its because i spend half the time just swinging em around my head and playing dodge then actually teaching...eh who cares a long as they are smiling. Adult classes are not doing too bad either with a few students getting leveled up lately which is very rewarding for them and us.

Until next time I manage to convince myself to sit down for an hour, I hope all is well and catchya soon.

Kino
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1086258840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1086258840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1086258840/tpod.html Thu, 03 Jun 2004 07:59:38 -0400 Bob: What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food? (Lost in Translation)

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Kabuto, Japan

..on any guide book of Japan, in fact you probably wouldn't find it on any real map in Japan. Why is this?? Well partly because it has a population of about 10 ppl and nothing of significance has happened there for the last 10,000 odd yrs and probably 10,000 before that. So why am even bothering to mention it you ask?

Good question. Well for starters I like the name and secondly it is the first place I have been hiking in this fair land.

Still doesn't generate too many goose bumps of excitement does it but its a good place as any to start my second report.

Why do Japanese go crazy over forests and scenery when I see them in Australia when 70% of their country is still made of wooded or agricultural beauty with sweeping rugged mountains and untouched forest. This is what I was wondering when I stepped of the train 1hr after I left the grey mass of my local city. Where I live you can pretty much head west and pick a random train stop and 30 mins later be walking in the most quietest peaceful havens I have experienced anywhere. Little cascading waterfalls, birds chirping, butterflys frolicking in the undergrowth....yes yes all that really cool nature stuff. It amazes me that a country that goes out of its way to turn its cities into air raid bunkers against any sign of flora and fauna can have so much untamed native beauty nearby. Or maybe thats the way Japanese like it? Keep the cities ugly to remind you of the ever present destructive nature of humanity and the rest of the country as beautiful as possible....i can live with that i guess.

Ok I also had some more stereotypes to deal with.

*Japanese work a lot: Simple answer is yes of course. Apparently 2-3 days off a month is considered adequate down time. And to think I have been complaining about working full-time lately haha

*Gender Equality: uhuh yep still pretty whacked in comparison to western society (whacked being the technical term). Apparently a lady should open all doors where possible for a business man, offer up her seat on the train, poor drinks for him and a number of other degrading acts. I even saw this couple in a fast food restaurant yesterday make an order ,then the man went and sat down while his girlfriend/wife got some drinks for him and waited for the food then carried both trays over to the table. (ok its hardly criminal but still). Talking to my flat mates gf she said she was sick of Japanese bfs because they constantly demand things and tell you what to do (her words) I proceeded to tell her how if a lad did that back home he should get prepared for a good bitch slappin. Apparently though things are changing and the youth of today are improving equalities or at least a few more doors are opening for ladies (hmm maybe its linked to more foreigners in the country..hm)

*Manga: dirty filthy dodgy stuff! in short every young male and for that matter old male and sometimes female read these comics. I cant just tell you how much of a field day the p.c. and censorship council would have with this stuff. Lets just say think of the most graphic debaucharous(sp) and violent acts you can think of and you will find it in these "cartoons" and mostly against women (see above) Apparently its just silly drawings so its ok....right?

*Gameshows are funny and weird: yes, but aren't they everywhere. imagine my excitement when i realize that dude on lost in translation is an actual real host hah!

Ok I had more stuff but Im getting bored and beer is calling...moshi, moshi Is that you beer?

Other random stuff while I was trying to sleep on the train with the other thousand commuters I couldn't because one of these lovely old japanese man was making one of those sucking/coughing noises that have been driving me insane. I was about to go sick on him but then I remember hes old and I have pity for old people in these country because they suffer from major Notre Daming (or hunch backing) I mean I know people in oz get a bit stooped when they get older but at least we don't measure ours with right angles...ahh its a lil sad. Then i realized that its mainly the old women who suffer the worst namely due to yrs doing hard labour in the rice paddies and so I launched into a debate on gender equalities with him but apparently he couldn't understand.

*Pachinko: sorry just remembered. Most random thing ever. Went into a big one yesterday and was numbed by the deathening roar of ball bearings and zombies pressing buttons. To explain this phenomena which happens to be Korea's greatest export to Japan, its a bit like pokies back home except apparently gambling is illegal or something so basically they use these ball bearing things and you pop them in a machine then proceed to win or lose! lots and lost of ball bearings, sounds exciting right. Well luckily enough next to each pachinko parlour there happens to be a place that buys and sells ball bearings...very convenient. I really don't know if this is true but its sounds good anyway.

ok enough for now...chat soon ok...with that stuff from Nara.

Have included some pics from a party with some japanese friends...warning one shows my first kiss in japan....not as pleasant as it sounds.

k
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1085740380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1085740380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/keno/nihon_04/1085740380/tpod.html Fri, 28 May 2004 07:30:42 -0400 Bob: What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food? (Lost in Translation)

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Tsu, Japan

Well the smallest city name anyway...and by that I mean pronunciation.. (try making a t sound then coughing and your close)

If you dint know or didn't really care I am informing the general population that I am living in Tsu in the Mie Prefecture in Japan. (Tsu-shi, Mie-Ken for those Japanese amongst us)

Yes about a month ago I took up a decision to leave my beloved Perth and head north to the fair shores of Nihon/Nippon!

The rest is history.....

well not quite

I am living for the next year in a city with approx 160,000 ppl but most cities in Japan just roll into the next town or city so you get an ever spreading monolith of communities with the only distinction being council/government lines drawn up eons ago and ever changing.

Too my delight i am squashed in between the semi-burbs like urban hysteria and quaint old rice paddy fields. An interesting blend but quite at home in the land of contrast.

Too keep this short I will summarize my observations in piecemeal form and mainly commenting on some cliches.

* Prices: yes thing are expensive here but only if you want to eat junk food, go to the movies and buy cds and dvds etc. You can buy decent sized Udon noodle dishes for about 350 Yen or $4-5 or a Big Mac meal for 650Y ($9) or heaven forbid pizza 1000Y++++++. So you be the judge of what one should be eating. Seriously if you eating too much non-japanese food there is something wrong.

* Japanese food: what can I say but its sugoi!(great)..bloody awesome in fact and most Japanese i ask recognize this. From a massive survey I have performed 2 out of 3 Japanese people think the food is the best thing about their country. (ppl surveyed=3)
Half the time I just point at stuff and then take pot luck it will be edible and most times it is and bloody yummy at that.

* Polite: Yes they are. No arrogant assholes here. I will never lose the pleasure in being bowed too every day for just window shopping. Most Japanese I have met will go out of there way too make you feel welcome and actually seem like they are genuinely enjoying it.

* Bored Police: Yes I have had the pleasure of discovering this firsthand after misplacing my wallet at the local train station. After deciphering from one of the ticket operators that i should try the Koban (local corner police station) I was delighted to find them rifling through the contents of my little baby. What followed was something out of a bizarre cultural presentation set up for tourists benefit...numerous bowing on both parts, many arigatos (thank you's) and even a visit next door to the local mcdonalds to officially thank a staff member for handing it in. They even took one of my business cards...are they expected further business from me?? Anyway I left having known that I had given them at least one highlight to their seemingly tedious day of helping old ladies cross the street.

* skool girls: ok you wanted it and here it is. Somebody told me last week that you know you have been in Japan too long when you start to get turned on more by school uniforms then lingerie. hmmm as a little sick as this sounds it is quite natural in Japan as some of you may or may not know. Contributing to this is a high school age which goes to 19 and uniforms of tartan skirts (usually worn barely below panty line), knee high socks and girls who spend any vacant moment fixing their hair or make-up (20 secs waiting in line at maccas why not use my mobile's in built mirror to adjust that extension...). You realize that somehow this has gone too far when you hear real stories of business men buying used schoolgirl panties from vending machines in Tokyo and boyfriends pimping their girlfriends out.....enough said really.

* Vending machines: yes everywhere....except strangely none selling chips or chocolates/candy..i mean how much cold coffee in a can you drink. Oh yes beer is nice and you can drink it on the train, on your bike , anywhere ...now this is what we need for Australia day, haha go public drinking

* Gaijin avoiding: yes I don't go out of my way too talk to Caucasian foreigners which is apparently a real strange phenomena. I have no idea why when i wouldn't normally talk to someone in my own country just because they looked like me???why start now

* English teaching jobs are crap: yeh so what did you expect? You're getting paid a shitload to teach with no formal training in a foreign country where you don't speak the language....be thankful for the experience (ps. the kids classes are cool though coz they are so cute:))

So anyway thats all for now.I will be writing a short update on my hiking expedition and one on my trip to the old capitol of Nara soon.

enjoy

kino


ps. any photos so far are from my mobile so excuse the quality
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