Friday, February 26, 2010
♥ Tentative March 20th Train Plan
5:15 - Nishi Yaizu
6:07/6:35 - Hamamatsu
7:09/7:19 - Toyohashi
9:16/9:20 - Maibara
10:13/10:15 - Kyoto
10:43/10:45 - Osaka
11:46/12:06 - Himeji
12:24/12:25 - Aioi (Hyogo)
1:37/1:54 - Okayama
3:14 - Onomichi
Dinner in Senkoji park (千光寺公園), scenic walk through the Old Temple Loop (古寺めぐり) for Cherry Blossoms. Grab some "chider" at Chai Salon Dragon.
7:28 - Onomichi
8:54 - Hiroshima
Get to hostel. Promptly collapse.
6:07/6:35 - Hamamatsu
7:09/7:19 - Toyohashi
9:16/9:20 - Maibara
10:13/10:15 - Kyoto
10:43/10:45 - Osaka
11:46/12:06 - Himeji
12:24/12:25 - Aioi (Hyogo)
1:37/1:54 - Okayama
3:14 - Onomichi
Dinner in Senkoji park (千光寺公園), scenic walk through the Old Temple Loop (古寺めぐり) for Cherry Blossoms. Grab some "chider" at Chai Salon Dragon.
7:28 - Onomichi
8:54 - Hiroshima
Get to hostel. Promptly collapse.
2:47 PM
Thursday, February 25, 2010
♥ Bicycles and Me are not meant to Be
When I was ten-years-old, my sister, a friend, and I decided to play follow the leader on our bicycles. It was less than epic, mainly just riding around our cul-de-sack, maybe doing a few wibbly-wobblies or something, but it was hardly an adventure. It was good fun, that was, until I decided to show them all up and do a full 360 degree flip on my bicycle. This would have been amazing, had I not broken both of my arms in the process. Nine weeks later I could move my arms again, but I refused to get back on a bicycle. That was until I came to Japan. I knew I'd have to conquer my fear of it, and so I got on my bike (took me around a week to get up the courage) and after flailing around a bit and nearly falling, I got back used to it. Seems you don't ever forget how to ride one after all.I quickly became a bicycle master. I could use one hand or no hands, balance precariously between a car and a ditch, and had no general fear. This was made quite true in Beijing where I literally had to ride through crazy ass traffic in a city where there are no traffic laws and even the police have no issue in running you over. I thought I had conquered it all, but, in fact, it was the great achievement before the dismal failure.
I had decided to go out for lunch to send money home and get some actual non-combini food. As I was coming back, quite pleased (it was a beautiful day), I passed the FamilyMart and, as usual, a Japanese person pulled in without looking. I swerved behind him to avoid being hit and crossed the street. I hit the curb wonky and went flying, crashing to the ground to the viewing of downtown Nishi-Yaizu. Also, as usual, no one asked if I was alright or stopped to help me, instead they stared or ignored me as I got myself up, shaking, and bloodied. I've talked before about how the lack of action on the Japanese makes me furious, but after being a victim of it, I felt not only that, but incredibly embarrassed, and even more of a spectacle than I already am being a foreigner in this town. I eventually made it back to school, my bike squeaking and hard to pedal (I still haven't quite figured out what I did to it) and barely able to move my legs. My right hand was unusable and after I finally make it to the school, I got it wrapped and returned to my desk, not letting anyone know what happened. A few have noticed today that I'm either limping or my hand is bandaged, and while there's nothing seriously wrong with me (worst is that my knees are swelling), I do miss just the simple "Are you OK?". This isn't to say everyone in Japan doesn't give a shit, some do, but there's that whole expressing it bit.
Anyways. Fear of bikes has been restored, even though it was mainly my fault, I shouldn't have kept going, I should have just stopped. Mainly I'm just exhausted, achy, and rather pissed classes were thrown at me today. At least my World Music lessons is easy and enjoyable. I don't have to do a whole lot.
I am so over this week. Ugh.
10:56 AM
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
♥ On Travel
Oh it's been awhile. I still need to write up my China adventure, so that will come eventually. Today I just wanted to muse about the difficulties of attempting to travel, haha. A long long time ago I decided I wanted to go to Thailand. Plans were being made, and then suddenly they weren't, and as such I scrambled to find tickets when, much to my dismay (but overall not my surprise) I was struck with the realization I had waited too long and prices to Thailand were too much. Damn. I tried another way to get there, nada. A few botched ideas and general dropping out of the travel buddy kind, I found myself without plans for spring break and in a state of general annoyance and discontent.Well, fail.
Having learned my lesson, I've started researching prices to Vietnam for Golden Week, and have found a good deal, just waiting on confirmation from a travel buddy (and she contacted me about it first so therefore I have no worries) before buying those tickets and feeling rest assured I will actually be going somewhere.
However, this did not solve the problem of spring break. I wondered if I should just go to Tokyo, as I haven't properly seen the place, but then I realized that was silly and I could go to Tokyo whenever I wanted. Then I remembered something called the 青春18きっぷ or, basically, the 18-year-old rail pass unlimited thing. After some researched I found it's on sale and is valid for the time of spring break. Fabulous. I've wanted to get to Miyajima aka Itsukushima Shrine for awhile now, and this would allow me to do that for cheaper than a regular ticket, as well as allow me to see some sights along the way (Hiroshima, Himeji, etc etc). Most of you probably know I love photography, so I'm taking the chance to do a photo essay of street photography (my favorite) as I ride the local trails for three-to-four days, discovering more of Japan, and a lot more about myself.
Sure, it may suck a little that I'm not going abroad as I intended, but this way I can save a little bit of nenkyuu and find myself able to hit up Thailand sometime in the near future. It'll work out, and who knows, maybe it'll be the best trip ever.
10:23 AM
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
♥ Revelations
No, I have no excuse for not updating, but I do have some interesting musings. A lot has happened, but you will have to survive without an explanation. Mom & Briana came to Japan and it as amazing. I still think about it all the time and I wish the were still here. However, instead you have this in which I realize some things.
I've been thinking a lot lately. A lot of emo-ing, a lot of crying in my bed, a lot of really hating myself. It happens, I'll survive, but at the core of it I couldn't quite understand why. I've done a lot of floundering here. A lot of, okay, I'll go out and get durnk, just because... and then really not enjoying myself. I don't know whether it's from trying too hard or from a raging apathy that has consumed me, but whatever it is, it was really crashing down on me. I was waiting to cross the street to the 7/11 across the way from school when a car passed by (as they are prone to do) and I thought to myself, I wonder what it's like to just be driving around your home, what that's like here, and just like that, it hit me. I've been living here over six months and I still do not think of Japan remotely as my home. I don't see Yaizu as where I live, but more like where I'm sojourning until I leave on my next adventure. Yaizu is not my home, Japan is not my home. I don't see my bike ride back to my house as biking through my neighborhood. It was this emptiness that I didn't realize until that moment when I mused what it'd be like to be in a place you're so comfortable in that you unconsciously see it as your home. To be at ease as you walk the streets. Sure, I know where I'm going, but there is something missing. My heart isn't here and as I crossed the street to get my favorite sandwich, I was comforted by the fact that I would be leaving... most importantly to the places that I do identify with, to the places that are my home.
I don't incredibly dislike Japan, no, but even after so much time I'm not settled. That's what has been bothering me. I've felt like a reckless abandon and it was because of that main solitary factor. I can't rightly rectify this. I have, however, undertaken a different view of how I want to live my life here. I don't want to drink so much, or have to rely on it to have a good time. I need to stop this preoccupation with boys. Seriously. Moreover, and perhaps the most important, I need to be kinder to myself, but by means of pushing myself. I'm going to start going to the gym as much as possible, but at least two to three times a week, and every Sunday morning with Jessie. I'm going to clean more, get out, if even for a walk more, and start eating healthier. I love veggies, I should eat them more than rice and bread, which are quite bad for me. Just because my pancreas decides to work most of the time, doesn't mean it always will. I need to chop the sugary drinks and stick to tea and water. I want to read more, write more, and prepare myself for a life that isn't taking a back seat (even though I don't think I have, I think I'm damn good at getting what I'm going after in life, I just don't want to get so comfortable and lazy that I fall into that).
To this, this all occurred just because I missed the green light at the crosswalk. Huh.
I've been thinking a lot lately. A lot of emo-ing, a lot of crying in my bed, a lot of really hating myself. It happens, I'll survive, but at the core of it I couldn't quite understand why. I've done a lot of floundering here. A lot of, okay, I'll go out and get durnk, just because... and then really not enjoying myself. I don't know whether it's from trying too hard or from a raging apathy that has consumed me, but whatever it is, it was really crashing down on me. I was waiting to cross the street to the 7/11 across the way from school when a car passed by (as they are prone to do) and I thought to myself, I wonder what it's like to just be driving around your home, what that's like here, and just like that, it hit me. I've been living here over six months and I still do not think of Japan remotely as my home. I don't see Yaizu as where I live, but more like where I'm sojourning until I leave on my next adventure. Yaizu is not my home, Japan is not my home. I don't see my bike ride back to my house as biking through my neighborhood. It was this emptiness that I didn't realize until that moment when I mused what it'd be like to be in a place you're so comfortable in that you unconsciously see it as your home. To be at ease as you walk the streets. Sure, I know where I'm going, but there is something missing. My heart isn't here and as I crossed the street to get my favorite sandwich, I was comforted by the fact that I would be leaving... most importantly to the places that I do identify with, to the places that are my home.
I don't incredibly dislike Japan, no, but even after so much time I'm not settled. That's what has been bothering me. I've felt like a reckless abandon and it was because of that main solitary factor. I can't rightly rectify this. I have, however, undertaken a different view of how I want to live my life here. I don't want to drink so much, or have to rely on it to have a good time. I need to stop this preoccupation with boys. Seriously. Moreover, and perhaps the most important, I need to be kinder to myself, but by means of pushing myself. I'm going to start going to the gym as much as possible, but at least two to three times a week, and every Sunday morning with Jessie. I'm going to clean more, get out, if even for a walk more, and start eating healthier. I love veggies, I should eat them more than rice and bread, which are quite bad for me. Just because my pancreas decides to work most of the time, doesn't mean it always will. I need to chop the sugary drinks and stick to tea and water. I want to read more, write more, and prepare myself for a life that isn't taking a back seat (even though I don't think I have, I think I'm damn good at getting what I'm going after in life, I just don't want to get so comfortable and lazy that I fall into that).
To this, this all occurred just because I missed the green light at the crosswalk. Huh.
1:25 PM
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