HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

I wish I could be there to celebrate! Have a great day! Thanks for being such an amazing dad!

The first week back.

(From my new Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Calender - the captions crack me up. Anyone who owns this should be a HP fan, and thereby not need these ridiculous captions)

Yes, I am alive. I just haven't had the energy to update. Here's some thoughts/observations about the flight back and my first week back in Japan after a most awesome Christmas vacation.

• Air Canada flight attendants are really rude. Example: A male flight attendant (with gross long hair and large silver rings...ick!) asked the obviously Japanese woman in front of me if she would like green or red tea, in English. When she didn't understand him, he raised his voice and in a slow, loud voice asked her again. After the third time, he sighed loudly and switched into Japanese and asked her and she responded immediately. What the hell? Why didn't he ask her in Japanese in the first place?!
  

• Marky Mark football movies suck.

• My French Canadian seat mate was such a freak. He laughed really loudly at the movies (which were NOT FUNNY), listened to the 'saxophone jazz channel' really loudly and was really happy when he found out we were watching the awful Marky Mark movie. Oh and the most hilarious thing - He somehow ripped a HUGE hole in his shirt sleeve during the flight. He sat there swearing in French and trying to figure out how the armrest had ripped it. I tried not to point and laugh out loud. Oh, did I mention from the moment he sat down he hogged the armrest? jerk. And who buys chocolate teddy bears from the on-flight duty free?
  

• You need at least 15 minutes to catch a train in Tokyo station - that place is confusing and not helpful to people with large pieces of luggage. I couldn't find a ramp in one place so ended up hauling my huge suitcase up some stairs.
  

• Having 4 new classes added to my schedule meant staying late and going early everyday...

• Red, mustard yellow, turquoise and pink tights do nothing for your legs (Japanese girls are unfortunately embracing this trend wholeheartedly)
  

• The book 'Television Without Pity' is HILARIOUS and addictive. Thank you Taryn.

• I love talking to my students. I guess that's why my counsellings turn into 20 minute conversations.
  

• Not eating food from the convenience store saves me a lot of money. But cooking on one element really sucks. If anyone has tasty 'one pot/pan' recipes, please send them my way.

• I had a really weird dream last night. Steph and I were running away from zombies in Disneyland. Yup. I guess my excitement for next weekend's trip to Tokyo Disneyland combined with my recent viewing of I am Legend?? Someone should make it into a movie. It was scary because I was in it...but it had the right amount of cheese to make an enjoyable zombie flick.

• I really need to update this blog. I'm seriously behind....
  

wish me luck.

I'm off to the airport to catch my flight home for Christmas! Yeah!! Only bad thing - I have to get to Narita (outside of Tokyo) with one monster suitcase and a smaller bag. Let's hope I can maneuver this stuff through the stations...at least I can take people out if they get in my way!

I'm so excited to come home! I can't wait to see everyone!

Note: My plane leaves tonight at 7:15pm. And due to the magic of the international dateline I get home December 23 at 5:30pm. Wow. Now just imagine what kind of jet lag that causes.

5000 more photos of autumn leaves (but this time in Kyoto!)

The last weekend in November was THE weekend for autumn leaves and where better to go than Kyoto. The city was PACKED (Elspeth and I spent hours on the internet looking for accommodation!) and everyone was there to see the leaves. Becky and Elspeth stayed over at my place the night before (we ate Chinese food and drank Becky's favourite Italian dessert wine). The next morning we met Fil in Kyoto and went to a shrine flea market. Then we went in search of leaves...

(Ginkakuji Temple - the Silver Pavillion)

This was Becky's last trip with us, as she was leaving Japan (boohoo!) in December. It was kind of appropriate as our first trip to Kyoto was together in August 2006.



After Ginkaku-ji we walked along the Philosopher's Path, a walkway lined with small shops and cafes, to Eikando Temple. Eikando Temple is a must on any autumn leaf hunter's list because they light the trees up at night. We had to wait in a HUGE line but once it opened it went surprisingly fast.

Tired and hungry after flea market shopping and leaf hunting, we went to our ryokan to drop off our bags. The owner was very interested in Fil and tried to figure out which of us girls was his girlfriend (she wouldn't believe that we were all just friends). She also grabbed him to feel his muscular, foreigner arm.

(My favourite restaurant in Kyoto, possibly Japan! The most delicious tonkatsu and the most amazing yuzu salad dressing EVER)

That night we crashed kind of early because Elspeth and I were determined to get to our favourite autumn leaf shrine, Tofukuji early. We got coffees at the station (which were put into big paper bags so that we could carry our coffee to our destination and then drink) and hopped on the bus (we were bad foreigners and secretly drank on the bus).

(Doing the now famous, 'Aaron shot' - Becky has a hard time with this as she ALWAYS laughs or looks at the camera. Doesn't Fil's arm look weird?)

(Getting in Fil's face while he was digitally macro-ing (my photo term) some leaves. Here Fil, let me show you how it's done. Watch the digital macro master. Sorry if that offends you! Muuhuuhaahaa!!!)

(We blocked the best spot for about 10 minutes taking self portraits and 'Aaron' shots. Whatever, we're foreigners. What do we know?!)

(Who's the coolest? Oh right, that would be us!)

(It would appear to be stupid o'clock...)

(What the heck happened here? I have no idea. And what is Elspeth scheming about below?)

Last year it had been rainy and cold when we came to this shrine. On the way out we had gotten some yaki-mochi (mochi filled with red bean paste that is then grilled) and whenever we thought of this place we always reminisced about the mochi.

Thank god it was there this year too or I think Elspeth would have forgotten how beautiful the leaves were and called the weekend a loss. God, it was good. So warm and crispy and gooey...


Our last stop of the day was Sanjusangen-do. The long building with many statues.

(Look how tiny Elspeth looks beside the GIGANTIC door. Now you know how I feel sometimes!)

(Doing the 'Hello Kitty' pose)

(Fil, are you jet lagged or tired from being with the super travellers? Oh, and sorry if that offends you, Fil)

While Fil took pictures of rocks...or whatever he was doing, Elspeth, Becky and I sat on some benches and sang camp songs. Koombayah indeed.

You can't take pictures inside but it is very impressive. Elspeth and I were amazed that the building was designed to withstand earthquakes and was used for archery competitions. Cool.

And so our Last Autumn in Kyoto adventure came to an end but not before we did some purikura and souvenir shopping. Fil stayed in Kyoto for another day or two, Becky caught the train to Toyohashi and Elspeth and I caught our shinkansen to Nagoya.

A Successful Leaf Hunt

On Friday November 23rd there was a holiday. It's one of only two holidays during the year that I actually get (all of the others fall on Mondays, my regular day off) so I was going to take advantage of it, darnit. Rather serendipitously (ooo big word), both Fil and my dad were in Japan (how cool is that!?!) that day so they joined me and Elspeth on our autumn leaf hunt.


We had originally planned to go to Korankei, a gorge in Aichi prefecture with a red bridge but Elspeth went there last year and wasn't that impressed with it, so we had a last minute change of plans and headed off in the direction of Lake Biwa. (We actually went to the same area I went last year when I was sick but determined to see leaves.)


We got up early (poor Elspeth had to get up REALLY early to meet us) and took a train, then an electric train and then a bus to this area. Someone told me that because the summer in Japan was so ridiculously hot, it damaged the leaves and they didn't turn as red as last year. Looking back on my pictures though, they do look quite red!


From my pictures you may think that we stumbled upon a quiet, deserted, hidden temple, which we had all to ourselves. No way. Autumn is the busiest travel season in Japan. Tour buses rumbled by, tour guides waved their Hello Kitty decorated sticks and people pushed and shoved to get the best pictures.

(Check out those cools girls and their fake LeSportSac bags from Taipei!)

At some point, while we were waiting for my dad and Fil to finish taking serious, arty photos (which according to Fil aren't that hard to take and he's no longer so impressed with my blog photos, thanks a lot Fil), Elspeth and I decided that fun pictures were better. Maybe this is because we already have 5000 photos of leaves from last year!

(Giant Elspeth in the teeny doorway)

(Elspeth asked her homestay dad what these statues were for and he thinks they are for aborted babies)

(Getting in Fil's face, while he munches on delicious green tea yaki-mochi)

(The camera just wouldn't focus on the mochi...not when those gorgeous leaves were hogging all the attention)

(Fine, leaves - take the spotlight...)

We wandered around gardens, snapping pictures and enjoying the beautiful weather. Just look at this stunning shot. I sat there for hours just waiting for all the tour groups to pass by in order to get it.

Actually, that's a cardboard picture they had on display. There was no way I was waiting long enough for EVERYONE to get out of my picture...

(At one point, while crossing over a little bridge, a little old woman pushed by Fil so violently that they almost ended up in the pond!)

(I like my arty shots. So what if Fil thinks that Japan makes them easy to take. Thanks a lot, Fil - heehee, you know I'm never going to let you forget that!)

[My dad (left) joined in on the fun photos with me (centre) and Elspeth (right)]

(My dad giving me bunny ears)

After a delicious udon lunch, we caught one of the last buses back to the electric train station. There, we pointed and laughed at the religious pop group poster and tried to stay warm while waiting for the train.


We made it back to my apartment where we feasted on takoyaki and gyoza, which in my opinion are the perfect meal after a long and exhausting day of leaf hunting. The next day my dad went home, Fil headed to Kyoto and Elspeth and I went back to work. I love mid-week holidays!