This is the Atsuta Shrine, which houses the huge sword, Kusanagi, one of the three sacred treasures of Japan. The shrine is also surrounded by a dense 1000 year old camphor tree forest. It was nice to wander around but I was the only foreigner so I felt a bit akward.
After walking around the shrine I walked down a the road and over the river to the Shirotori Gardens. It was really hard to find, as there was no detailed map and there was only one English sign pointing the way. Let me stop right now and just briefly discuss the weather in Nagoya. It is SWELTERING. I mean Naples' sun and heat + a tropical rainforest = Nagoya. I was drenched in sweat and when I finally arrived at the garden I was hoping to find some shade. Ha, stupid me. Even in the shade it is awful.
The gardens were beautiful and it was a nice and relaxing place to deal with my jet lag. There were only 6 other people in the whole garden so I just wandered, took photos, sat in the shade and pretended there was a cool breeze.
After about 2 hours the heat and jet lag became too much for me and I decided to call it an afternoon. I said goodbye to the carp (the stand that had held all of the fish food broke so the lady who worked at the tea house just threw it all in the pond) and walked back to the subway.
Back at the hotel I ate some lunch (fabulous noodles from the convenience store - Gad I love convenience stores in Japan) and had a nap. When I woke up I heard that the girl in the next room had arrived so I went over to say hi. Her name is Elsbeth and she's from Washington. She also speaks Japanese really well. She had arrived with Rebecca from near San Francisco. We went to the ramen shop down the street for dinner, where we dined on miso and sesame ramen, while sitting on benches on the sidewalk.
During dinner we saw some of the other AEON trainees arrive from the airport. Later, when we got back to the hotel, Elspeth and I went and introduced ourselves to Neil (from England, near Cardiff) and Ryan (who has a Japanese girlfriend who lives in Nagoya). The others were out to dinner. Tomorrow a group of us are going to go to Nagoya Castle and on Monday training starts.
Okay, I'm beat. Off to bed. oyasuminasai!
5 comments:
Lrauwra-san!!!
Sorry, that was my lame-o attempt at the japanese pronounciation. My bad.
Your photos are awesome! Actually, i have yet to eat today, so the pics of the plane food were actually making my mouth water. Don't get to say that too often about plane food, eh?
If dreaming about a cool breeze in the garden wasn't doing it for you, could you have maybe tried splashing about in the river for a bit? True, you'd have had to have done it right at the end of your garden-visit, as i'm sure you'd have been promptly thrown out afterwards. Still, it would've been worth it!!
So, i seem to have found an apartment in Montreal!! Alas, temporal and spacial difficulties mean that i only have a verbal agreement with my landlord, and don't yet have pics or measurements, but it's adorable! Once your training is done and you've moved into your cubicle-sized apartment, we can compare bathroom sizes, as i'm sure mine could give yours a good run for its money. Also, i've already asked, and i can have pets!!!
Okay, i'm going to close this comment, so that Steph can leave you one that's much more witty and intelligent, not to mention cohesive. Ciao bella,
taryn
Way to go Laura, showing us all how "brogs" are supposed to be done! Well, at the very least you're definitely shaming Taryn, of which I whole-heartedly approve (note how I did not end my sentence with a preposition, because that is a terrible grammar infraction indeed!)!
Love the photos - it looks absolutely GORGEOUS in Nagoya. The weather has been crazy hot here in Montréal as well, but I'm betting it's far more humid where you are! I can't remember where exactly it was where you and I were hobbling around the city and actually had to lie down because even sitting made our feet throb (perhaps Florence?), but that is kind of my state today! Sure my feet are sore, but it's actually my upper legs that are aching... Stupid Montréal and how it's a frickin' mountain. Enough with the mountain climbing already; I don't need climber's legs!
I don't have to be starving to be jealous of your delicious looking Japanese meals! Who knows when I'll next get one, especially in Nashville... But I have to admit, I'm definitely surprised at this new tactic you're using on this adventure. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it would actually appear that you're actively seeking out people and befriending them! Did Fil get to you or something? :P
Can't wait to see pictures of this Nagoya Castle. You are inspiring me to try and post more photos in my own blog, but the subject matter is not nearly as exciting in N'ville. Expect an email winging your way soonish in which I detail some of the math I've been doing on this roadtrip! But for now, it's back to watching the first "Pirates of the Carribean" and dreading when Taryn and Cath drag me along to the graduate bar to watch the 3rd-place World Cup match, and then we begin our long drive back to Toronto. Miss you loads!
-Steph
The only reason I am seeking out 'friends' is because;
1) I don't have a partner in crime here...and walking around the garden I had so many sarcastic things to say and no one to say them to.
2) I will have to train with these people for the next week and a half so I thought I'd make the effort to get along with them (oh yah, one of them I'll be working with for the next year!)
3) And most importantly, there may be attractive men with cool accents (I've already met one Brit) (there are only 3 girls and 6 guys)
I'm determined to keep the 'brog' going strong...not let it die after 6 posts like someone else we know. And if I post a title in Japanese you can bet I will tell you the translation! Heehee! Can't wait to hear about the roadtrip and the adorable apartment! Miss ya, girls!
Well, there's not really a whole lot left for me to say now is there... I had this whole bit about me being glad that you're meeting people - boy was the wind taken out of those sails.
The Temple does look impressive though. Kinda curious about the big sword though... - sounds like something out of anime. Does it glow with blue flames by any chance? :P
I'll 'talk' to you again soon, I'm sure. Have fun!!!
(Fil)
Well, there's not really a whole lot left for me to say now is there... I had this whole bit about me being glad that you're meeting people - boy was the wind taken out of those sails.
The Temple does look impressive though. Kinda curious about the big sword though... - sounds like something out of anime. Does it glow with blue flames by any chance? :P
I'll 'talk' to you again soon, I'm sure. Have fun!!!
(Fil)
Ps. If anyone else in the eland of Laura's Pensieve cares.... Viva D'Italia!!!!! World Cup winners 2006!!! College St/St Clair was crazy, and now I'm very, very tired (and kinda headachy for obvious reasons). Yes, now I'm done. :D
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