And once again, we woke up really early and hopped on a train, this time stopping for coffee and pastries at a cafe at the train station.
The agenda for this day was a morning and lunch in Nara and the afternoon in Kobe.
The scenery on the way to Nara from Osaka was far more flat and open than I expected. I guess I've gotten really used to Korea where the mountain press in everywhere. In Japan, they're ever present, but not always so close.
Nara itself is a pretty little city mostly known for being Japan's first real capital. It apparently only lasted about 75 years before being moved to Kyoto, but it still counts. On the east side of the city is a huge park area filled with pagodas, temples and shrines, all of which are beautiful (not to say we saw them all, but those we did were pretty sweet). In particular, I loved the five story pagoda. The park is also populated by a large herd of tame deer. You can buy deer biscuits from vendors then just stand there as you are mobbed by a herd of greedy deer trying to get at the biscuits before you've even unwrapped them. I feared for my fingers.
In the park, we finallly saw the beginnings of the cherry blossoms. I think we arrived about a week too soon to see them in their full glory (we barely saw any in Kyoto), but they were still all pretty and pink and white.
After a few hours in the park, we made our way back to town for lunch. We found a great tempura place, thanks to the Lonely Planet. We had shrimp, scallop, yam, potato, pepper, mushroom, crab, squid, fish, and baby corn, all battered and fried into light and crispy perfection. As well, the meal set we ordered came with a bowl of cold soba noodles which were great dipped in a sauce of tempura soy, wasabi, shredded daikon, and green onion. So good.
When lunch was over, it was off to Kobe, via Osaka. We had excellent timing for the trains and got there rather quickly. The scenery between Osaka and Kobe was exactly as expected, nothing but city.
Kobe is a nice city. There didn't seem to be anything particularly special about it, but I can see it being a nice place to live. We stopped at the HMV where we all went a little nuts trying to find some Japanese-only releases with bonus tracks and such. We all did rather well. I ended up with the new Beck, Guero (which has three extra tracks on it including one called "Clap Hands" on the cover and "Crap Hands" on the Japanese insert), the Matthew Sweet album he released only in Japan (I realize he is releasing it in North America with another album, maybe already has, but buying the actual Japanese release was pretty cool), and a Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her album with songs I've never heard before. I could have purchased some other Japanese bands like Buck Tick Romance (which I think I may have inadvertantly experienced for free in the park in Nara), Chicken Garlic Steak, or the ever popular Bump of Chicken, but I decided to pass on them.
After the music shopping we did some book shopping. Jon got himself a manga book. I considered doing the same but came to the realization that comic books/manga art/futuristic sci-fi have never really appealed to me so I refrained.
Following that we had a tired and frustrating time finding a pub that ended up not being worth finding. Then we went back to Osaka to hunt out some dinner.
The search for food was extremely difficult as we were all so exhausted and incapable of deciding on anything. We did, however, eventually end up at a really good Mexican restaurant in Minami. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't had decent Mexican food in a almost, or possibly more than, a year, but this was great stuff. It seemed pretty authentic and even came with a selection of Mexican beers (well, not "came with" as in free, they were 700 yen each). We were all satisfied and content with our meal.
After dinner we went back to the hotel with the thought of going out for one last Asahi before going to bed. Alas, it was not to be as the place near the hotel was closed and we were all too tired and grumpy to try elsewhere. It's probbably for the best that we just went to bed.
And so that brings us to today. We got up, cruised to the train station and, after a short worry about times and transfers, got ourselves on the express to the airport. It ended up being a rather expensive ride as our rail passes had expired and there was an extra fee for the express train (total cost, nearly 1800 yen), but we got to the airport in plenty of time.
The flight was remarkably uneventful, as was the train back to Miryang.
Being back in Korea makes me realize just how different the two countries are. Japan is generally quieter, tidier, and more subdued than Korea. People even seem to wear fewer bright colours in Japan. It obviously goes much deeper than that, and I did only have three days in Japan so there's a lot I've missed. If ten months in Korea can go by and I still can't say I've figured things out that much, a weekend in Japan isn't going to enlighten me that much at all. One thing, though, it is nice to back in a place where I can read the signs and order food. I had forgotten how difficult that could be. That said, I will go back to Japan. I need to see more.
Guy
Monday, March 28, 2005
Japan: Day Two, Kyoto
We woke up nice and early again, excited about visiting Kyoto. We made our way to the hotel restaurant where we were to have a free "American Breakfast." It consisted of teriyaki meatballs, some sort of fried fish cakes, an assortment of unidentifiable vegetables, a dinner roll, and some chicken/turnip stew. Thankfully, it also came with coffee and grapefruit juice. American breakfasts are a little different from how I remember them.
After breakfast, we went straight to Osaka Station to catch a train to Kyoto. We ended up on a local line that stopped everywhere and eventually just plain stopped, well before Kyoto. No problem, though, as we just hopped on the next train that came by and it sped us nicely into town.
Kyoto is a terrible place, horribly ugly and quite smelly. Clearly, I am lying as Kyoto could very well be the most attractive city I have ever visited. We started our wander through Kyoto in the Gion district, famous for its Geishas. We were quite pleased to even get to see a Geisha being taxied somewhere in a rickshaw (Laura got pictures of this, and basically all the other things I've mentioned so far and will mention later, so keep an eye on her blog as I'm sure she'll get some pictures up there).
After Gion, we went for a long walk past numerous old temples and shrines and such, ending up at an udon shop for lunch. This was the best udon ever. We had buckwheat udon, each getting a different flavour (beef, chicken, shrimp) and it was all so immensely tasty. Japanese food rocks.
After lunch, we went to Nanzen-ji, a very old shrine, and then to Heian-ji. These are the two places featured in "Lost in Translation" when Charlotte goes to Kyoto. The highlight was the garden at Heian-ji. It was breathtakinglly beautiful. I don't think I can even begin to describe it. Watch the movie and wait for the part where she's walking across some stepping stones in a pond for an idea, and that's only part of it. On a side note, the ponds have fish that swam up to us when we approached the pool, clearly looking for some sort of meal. They were rather insistent and actually a little creepy, but not enough to make me feel bad about the place at all
After a day of wandering Kyoto and being awestruck, we were exhausted, yet still wanting to do more so we looked into a shopping area. The highlight of this was eating. Automatic sushi, which I mentioned in the last post, is the best way to eat ever invented. Brilliant. They certainly aren't a new thing (I've had it in Calgary, in fact), but that doesn't detract from the joy I got of it. I ended up with a rather large stack of plates and a nicely full belly.
Well, following food and some rather fruitless shoppping (well, Laura did get a rather cool table-covering thing with apples and elephants on it that says something about "cram cream," whatever that it), we went back to Osaka where we headed directly for the Giant Ferris Wheel, or as the sign proclaimed, "World's Largest Giant Wheel," down by the harbour. It was big, 112.5m high, and pretty cool. You could see quite a bit of Osaka bay, and the city at night is rather pretty.
After that, Laura again was exhausted but Jon and I decided to go out for a beer. We decided to try the Kita district as it looked rather promising. The quest, while technically successful, was greatly disappointing. We went to a foreigner bar called Canopy after trying in vain to find the Pig and Whistle. The Asahi they had on tap paled in comparison to the places we went to the day before (they must have some sort of 'foreigner bar' setting or something) and the bar itself lacked in most regards. I must learn not to go to places the Lonely Planet lists as being "foreigner hangouts." They tend to greatly disappoint me.
Well, that sums up day two pretty well. Sadly, only one more in Japan. It's a stunning country, and I must return to explore it more thoroughly at some point.
Guy
After breakfast, we went straight to Osaka Station to catch a train to Kyoto. We ended up on a local line that stopped everywhere and eventually just plain stopped, well before Kyoto. No problem, though, as we just hopped on the next train that came by and it sped us nicely into town.
Kyoto is a terrible place, horribly ugly and quite smelly. Clearly, I am lying as Kyoto could very well be the most attractive city I have ever visited. We started our wander through Kyoto in the Gion district, famous for its Geishas. We were quite pleased to even get to see a Geisha being taxied somewhere in a rickshaw (Laura got pictures of this, and basically all the other things I've mentioned so far and will mention later, so keep an eye on her blog as I'm sure she'll get some pictures up there).
After Gion, we went for a long walk past numerous old temples and shrines and such, ending up at an udon shop for lunch. This was the best udon ever. We had buckwheat udon, each getting a different flavour (beef, chicken, shrimp) and it was all so immensely tasty. Japanese food rocks.
After lunch, we went to Nanzen-ji, a very old shrine, and then to Heian-ji. These are the two places featured in "Lost in Translation" when Charlotte goes to Kyoto. The highlight was the garden at Heian-ji. It was breathtakinglly beautiful. I don't think I can even begin to describe it. Watch the movie and wait for the part where she's walking across some stepping stones in a pond for an idea, and that's only part of it. On a side note, the ponds have fish that swam up to us when we approached the pool, clearly looking for some sort of meal. They were rather insistent and actually a little creepy, but not enough to make me feel bad about the place at all
After a day of wandering Kyoto and being awestruck, we were exhausted, yet still wanting to do more so we looked into a shopping area. The highlight of this was eating. Automatic sushi, which I mentioned in the last post, is the best way to eat ever invented. Brilliant. They certainly aren't a new thing (I've had it in Calgary, in fact), but that doesn't detract from the joy I got of it. I ended up with a rather large stack of plates and a nicely full belly.
Well, following food and some rather fruitless shoppping (well, Laura did get a rather cool table-covering thing with apples and elephants on it that says something about "cram cream," whatever that it), we went back to Osaka where we headed directly for the Giant Ferris Wheel, or as the sign proclaimed, "World's Largest Giant Wheel," down by the harbour. It was big, 112.5m high, and pretty cool. You could see quite a bit of Osaka bay, and the city at night is rather pretty.
After that, Laura again was exhausted but Jon and I decided to go out for a beer. We decided to try the Kita district as it looked rather promising. The quest, while technically successful, was greatly disappointing. We went to a foreigner bar called Canopy after trying in vain to find the Pig and Whistle. The Asahi they had on tap paled in comparison to the places we went to the day before (they must have some sort of 'foreigner bar' setting or something) and the bar itself lacked in most regards. I must learn not to go to places the Lonely Planet lists as being "foreigner hangouts." They tend to greatly disappoint me.
Well, that sums up day two pretty well. Sadly, only one more in Japan. It's a stunning country, and I must return to explore it more thoroughly at some point.
Guy
Japan: Leaving Korea and Day One, Osaka
Work ended and I flew out the door. Taxis were abundant, thankfully, and I arrived at the train station in plenty of time. Laura and Jon had the tickets ready and the train quickly sped us to Gupo, the suburb of Busan closest to the airport. Upon our arrival there we immediately procured hotel rooms and dropped off our bags. The rooms were nice enough, in a Korean love motel kind of way and the beds were slighty bigger than Laura's apartment (the blankets, however, were considerably smaller).
After a cold and fruitless wander in search of food, we decided to just get some chicken fingers from the nearby burger place and bring it back to the motel. Then we slept.
We woke up at 6:21 and proceeded to get ready to go to the airport. All went smoothly. Even what could have been a terrible snag turned out fine when we discovered that Laura didn't have a re-entry permit for Korea. Immigration took care of that problem quite swiftly and we were ready to take off.
Customs in Korea was a complete breeze and we went out to board the plane. At the gate they put everyone on a bus to get to the plane. The plane was only about 30m away, but I guess the bus was necessary for some reason. Next time I expect piggy-back rides from the pilots to and from the plane. That's about the only way to top a 30m bus ride.
Upon arrival in Japan (Kansai Airport, near Osaka, to be exact) we again zipped through customs and immigration then obtained our Japan Rail Kansai Pass which would give us rail access to the whole Kansai region. Then we were off to attempt to figure out the Japanese train system and find our hotel.
It was all too easy. We showed the attendant our passes and went through the gate, down the escalator and onto the waiting train. We were sure we were forgetting something important, but no, it's just that easy and we were on our way to Osaka.
After the train ride came a short subway ride, which was also frighteningly easy to figure out, followed by a brief period of confusion as we exited the subway station and tried to figure out where exactly we were and what direction we were facing in order to find our hotel. Luckiliy, there was a map at the top of the stairs. We soon realized that all maps are oriented so that the direction you are facing is at the top. For some reason, it took contorting ourselves so that north was up to navigate the map properly, but once that was done, we found our hotel on the map and made our way over to it.
We arrived an hour early for check-in, so we gave them our bags and went to get some lunch. Nearby was a relatively cheap restaurant (by "relatively cheap" I mean it was cheap for Japan, expensive everywhere else). We sat down at a table and were immediately corrected on this assumption. Apparently, our first task was to look at our food choices on a coin operated vending machine, put in our money, make our selection from the pictured choices, obtain our meal tickets, and then sit down. We randomly chose a few appetizing looking things, sat down, let the server take our tickets from us, and waited for their arrival. It turned out well as we ended up with a sort of tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork) with what I think was a teriyaki style sauce. The coleslaw and tartar sauce was odd, but it all tasted good.
After lunch we cruised the stationery store to kill some time then went up to the hotel rooms for a brief rest before setting out to explore the city.
The rooms were quite small, but that was to be expected. They weren't capsule rooms, by any means, but still small. The bathtubs were deep and short, more like glorified buckets, and the bathroom itself was reminiscent of a bathroom in a motorhome, but it all worked and was clean and comfortable so there were no complaints.
Exploring Osaka was awfully cold. It was great, for sure, but cold. The wind blew pretty strongly the whole time and the sun peeked through the clouds only intermittently. The day would have been much more pleasant if the weather had cooperated, but it was still a good time.
Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo) was really cool, from the outside, anyway. The grounds around it were gorgeous. I loved the dual moats and the huge stone walls rising out of them. The castle itself looked really impressive. Japanese castles are really tall and basically built like fortified pagodas. Unfortunately, it's a rather new, concrete reconstruction of the 16th century castle, but it looked good. The museum inside was pretty, but as it was all in Japanese, it was informationally useless to us. At the top, the observation deck gave us some great city views, but I'm not sure if it was all worth the 600 yen (about $6) entry fee. The park grounds and exterior viewing were all free, so all we paid for was a museum we couldn't understand and some pretty views. Oh well, I've spent $6 in worse ways before, so no harm was done.
After the castle we made our way to the Minami district of Osaka in the hopes of getting some automatic sushi (sushi made by the chef in the middle of a conveyor belt loop where the customers sit on bar seating and grab what they like as it goes by, paying according to the number of plates you finish with - more on this later). We searched and searched in the cold wind, but found nothing. We ended up at a small place serving a variety of things we couldn't read but where the staff was extremely friendly and helpful (the waitress even went so far as to imitate a chicken for us so we knew what we were ordering). We ended up having skewered chicken wings (yakitori) and the best sashimi I have ever tasted. The wasabi was obviousy freshly made and the fish was just perfect. As well, I ordered a beer, a draught Asahi. It was great. I've had Asahi before, from a bottle, and was never that impressed, but on tap it's rich and creamy and oh-so-tasty. Yum. We ended up paying about 3000 yen ($30) for a what basically amounted to a light snack then went off on a quest for more sustenance as our hunger lingered.
During our search, we stumbled into the Apple store in Minami and witnessed a live "Glitch" music performance. This was basically some guy with computers (Macs, obviously) hooked up to a PA system making computery blips and bleeps into a sort of arty electronic music type thing. It went from intriguing to mildly irritating to fascinating to slightly dull, all in about a half hour. Then we left.
We ended up on the Dotonbori Arcade which is the busiest, mostly brightly and crazily lit street I've seen yet. It was absolutely full of people and was basically walls of light and glitter. It was quite overwhelming. After a short wander through there, looking slack-jawed and over-awed, we made our way underground, found a cafe and had another snack, then went back to the hotel.
At this point, I would like to point out how much cleaner Japan is than Korea. There are no giant empty lots filled with trash, and streetside litter is minimal. Even the really busy areas and side alleys are exeedingly clean. The air even smells and tastes cleaner. It's a good way to be.
Anyhow, Laura was still feeling a little sick (mostly just quick to tire) so she decided to stick around the hotel after our venture through the craziness. Jon and I felt we needed another Asahi, so we went off in search of a bar near the hotel. We were successful in our search, finding a small, cozy place with Asahi on tap. On the way there, we found a vending machine on the side of the road that dispensed a wide variety of beer and other liquors (including Suntory Whiskey, among other brands). I have been searching for just such a vending machine all over Korea, feeling certain one must exist. So far, nothing in Korea, but there one was, in Japan, just outside our hotel (we later found one in the hotel lobby, too). Anyway, the Asahi was just as good as at the other place (but twice as expensive) and we were satisfied.
We stopped at 7-11 on the way back and marveled at the unidentifiable things, some sponge-like, some string-like, some like no other thing seen before, floating in water at the counter. They were all translucent and completely hideous to look at, never mind imagine eating. Blech. Other notable things at the 7-11 were the bowls of noodles topped with what looked to be raw bacon, an unrefrigerated shelf full of chili dogs, and Pringles with such flavours as "Cheese Fondue" and "French Consommee." Asia continues to surprise in the snack food department.
That's about all for day one in Osaka. One last observation is how quiet things are in Japan. Traffic is virtually noisless, people seem to shout less, and there are no random vegetable trucks or politicians with loudspeakers roving around, at least from what I could hear. The shopping areas certainly have their product hawkers, but all in all, it's a rather peaceful kind of place.
Guy
After a cold and fruitless wander in search of food, we decided to just get some chicken fingers from the nearby burger place and bring it back to the motel. Then we slept.
We woke up at 6:21 and proceeded to get ready to go to the airport. All went smoothly. Even what could have been a terrible snag turned out fine when we discovered that Laura didn't have a re-entry permit for Korea. Immigration took care of that problem quite swiftly and we were ready to take off.
Customs in Korea was a complete breeze and we went out to board the plane. At the gate they put everyone on a bus to get to the plane. The plane was only about 30m away, but I guess the bus was necessary for some reason. Next time I expect piggy-back rides from the pilots to and from the plane. That's about the only way to top a 30m bus ride.
Upon arrival in Japan (Kansai Airport, near Osaka, to be exact) we again zipped through customs and immigration then obtained our Japan Rail Kansai Pass which would give us rail access to the whole Kansai region. Then we were off to attempt to figure out the Japanese train system and find our hotel.
It was all too easy. We showed the attendant our passes and went through the gate, down the escalator and onto the waiting train. We were sure we were forgetting something important, but no, it's just that easy and we were on our way to Osaka.
After the train ride came a short subway ride, which was also frighteningly easy to figure out, followed by a brief period of confusion as we exited the subway station and tried to figure out where exactly we were and what direction we were facing in order to find our hotel. Luckiliy, there was a map at the top of the stairs. We soon realized that all maps are oriented so that the direction you are facing is at the top. For some reason, it took contorting ourselves so that north was up to navigate the map properly, but once that was done, we found our hotel on the map and made our way over to it.
We arrived an hour early for check-in, so we gave them our bags and went to get some lunch. Nearby was a relatively cheap restaurant (by "relatively cheap" I mean it was cheap for Japan, expensive everywhere else). We sat down at a table and were immediately corrected on this assumption. Apparently, our first task was to look at our food choices on a coin operated vending machine, put in our money, make our selection from the pictured choices, obtain our meal tickets, and then sit down. We randomly chose a few appetizing looking things, sat down, let the server take our tickets from us, and waited for their arrival. It turned out well as we ended up with a sort of tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork) with what I think was a teriyaki style sauce. The coleslaw and tartar sauce was odd, but it all tasted good.
After lunch we cruised the stationery store to kill some time then went up to the hotel rooms for a brief rest before setting out to explore the city.
The rooms were quite small, but that was to be expected. They weren't capsule rooms, by any means, but still small. The bathtubs were deep and short, more like glorified buckets, and the bathroom itself was reminiscent of a bathroom in a motorhome, but it all worked and was clean and comfortable so there were no complaints.
Exploring Osaka was awfully cold. It was great, for sure, but cold. The wind blew pretty strongly the whole time and the sun peeked through the clouds only intermittently. The day would have been much more pleasant if the weather had cooperated, but it was still a good time.
Osaka Castle (Osaka-jo) was really cool, from the outside, anyway. The grounds around it were gorgeous. I loved the dual moats and the huge stone walls rising out of them. The castle itself looked really impressive. Japanese castles are really tall and basically built like fortified pagodas. Unfortunately, it's a rather new, concrete reconstruction of the 16th century castle, but it looked good. The museum inside was pretty, but as it was all in Japanese, it was informationally useless to us. At the top, the observation deck gave us some great city views, but I'm not sure if it was all worth the 600 yen (about $6) entry fee. The park grounds and exterior viewing were all free, so all we paid for was a museum we couldn't understand and some pretty views. Oh well, I've spent $6 in worse ways before, so no harm was done.
After the castle we made our way to the Minami district of Osaka in the hopes of getting some automatic sushi (sushi made by the chef in the middle of a conveyor belt loop where the customers sit on bar seating and grab what they like as it goes by, paying according to the number of plates you finish with - more on this later). We searched and searched in the cold wind, but found nothing. We ended up at a small place serving a variety of things we couldn't read but where the staff was extremely friendly and helpful (the waitress even went so far as to imitate a chicken for us so we knew what we were ordering). We ended up having skewered chicken wings (yakitori) and the best sashimi I have ever tasted. The wasabi was obviousy freshly made and the fish was just perfect. As well, I ordered a beer, a draught Asahi. It was great. I've had Asahi before, from a bottle, and was never that impressed, but on tap it's rich and creamy and oh-so-tasty. Yum. We ended up paying about 3000 yen ($30) for a what basically amounted to a light snack then went off on a quest for more sustenance as our hunger lingered.
During our search, we stumbled into the Apple store in Minami and witnessed a live "Glitch" music performance. This was basically some guy with computers (Macs, obviously) hooked up to a PA system making computery blips and bleeps into a sort of arty electronic music type thing. It went from intriguing to mildly irritating to fascinating to slightly dull, all in about a half hour. Then we left.
We ended up on the Dotonbori Arcade which is the busiest, mostly brightly and crazily lit street I've seen yet. It was absolutely full of people and was basically walls of light and glitter. It was quite overwhelming. After a short wander through there, looking slack-jawed and over-awed, we made our way underground, found a cafe and had another snack, then went back to the hotel.
At this point, I would like to point out how much cleaner Japan is than Korea. There are no giant empty lots filled with trash, and streetside litter is minimal. Even the really busy areas and side alleys are exeedingly clean. The air even smells and tastes cleaner. It's a good way to be.
Anyhow, Laura was still feeling a little sick (mostly just quick to tire) so she decided to stick around the hotel after our venture through the craziness. Jon and I felt we needed another Asahi, so we went off in search of a bar near the hotel. We were successful in our search, finding a small, cozy place with Asahi on tap. On the way there, we found a vending machine on the side of the road that dispensed a wide variety of beer and other liquors (including Suntory Whiskey, among other brands). I have been searching for just such a vending machine all over Korea, feeling certain one must exist. So far, nothing in Korea, but there one was, in Japan, just outside our hotel (we later found one in the hotel lobby, too). Anyway, the Asahi was just as good as at the other place (but twice as expensive) and we were satisfied.
We stopped at 7-11 on the way back and marveled at the unidentifiable things, some sponge-like, some string-like, some like no other thing seen before, floating in water at the counter. They were all translucent and completely hideous to look at, never mind imagine eating. Blech. Other notable things at the 7-11 were the bowls of noodles topped with what looked to be raw bacon, an unrefrigerated shelf full of chili dogs, and Pringles with such flavours as "Cheese Fondue" and "French Consommee." Asia continues to surprise in the snack food department.
That's about all for day one in Osaka. One last observation is how quiet things are in Japan. Traffic is virtually noisless, people seem to shout less, and there are no random vegetable trucks or politicians with loudspeakers roving around, at least from what I could hear. The shopping areas certainly have their product hawkers, but all in all, it's a rather peaceful kind of place.
Guy
Thursday, March 24, 2005
The quest for good sushi begins
Well, the time has come. In an hour and a half I will finish my last class of the day then begin the trek to Japan. I'm pretty excited about it. This is mostly just a quick post to express that excitement. Wheeeee!!!
As for the last post, I yet again ended up not performing with the band. I was attacked by a virus and had a really terrible week. I had no energy whatsoever and just felt flat-out awful. I was made to come in to work each day, although I did get to go home after an hour and a half on Wednesday when it became abundantly clear that I was incapable of teaching. Thursday and Friday were two of the worst days of work ever. Damn this fate of being the only foreign teacher!
Anyway, it looks like the band has yet another show. Tomorrow. When I'l be in Japan. I have basically given up on ever performing with them.
Well, that's all. I have a short amount of time then I'm free for a few days, released upon the unsuspecting Japanese. I'll be sure to post a rather comprehensive update upon my return, hopefully with pictures, although those may well be reserved to Laura's blog as she is the one with the camera. The trip should be a blast, despite the fact that both Laura and I have colds.
Guy
As for the last post, I yet again ended up not performing with the band. I was attacked by a virus and had a really terrible week. I had no energy whatsoever and just felt flat-out awful. I was made to come in to work each day, although I did get to go home after an hour and a half on Wednesday when it became abundantly clear that I was incapable of teaching. Thursday and Friday were two of the worst days of work ever. Damn this fate of being the only foreign teacher!
Anyway, it looks like the band has yet another show. Tomorrow. When I'l be in Japan. I have basically given up on ever performing with them.
Well, that's all. I have a short amount of time then I'm free for a few days, released upon the unsuspecting Japanese. I'll be sure to post a rather comprehensive update upon my return, hopefully with pictures, although those may well be reserved to Laura's blog as she is the one with the camera. The trip should be a blast, despite the fact that both Laura and I have colds.
Guy
Monday, March 14, 2005
The Visit
Well, it's been a busy last little while, and it looks to remain so for the foreseeable future.
After getting over the bout of food poisoning, Laura and I began our preparations for the arrival of her brother, Jon. These preparations included the scrubbing down of Sean's (Laura's former co-worker who went home at the end of February) apartment. The apartment was graciously lent out by ECC for Jon's use while he is here (three weeks). It was, however, a filthy, disgusting mess in sore need of a thorough spray down with bleach (and if you are reading this, Sean, I hope you feel a rather large amount shame for leaving your place in that horrid condition). So, that is exactly what it got, along with a solid scraping and airing out. As it is now, it is still only habitable, but that's all it really needs to be.
Jon arrived on Saturday evening and so far seems to be enjoying himself and appears quite willing to throw himself into all things Korean, which is good because there's not much else here. The three of us will be heading for Japan on Friday of next week for a few days. We've paid for and picked up our plane tickets, rail passes, and hotel voucher and now we play the waiting. Seeing as we only will have a grand total of 3 days, we decided to spend it all in the Kyoto/Osaka area. There's quite a bit of history there, along with an apparently wild night-life in Osaka itself. Should be a good time. As for right now, we're letting Jon get adjusted and casually explore the city while we go to work. Perhaps we'll head up to Daegu or Pohang on the weekend to meet up with Mark.
In other news, I've been told that the band has a show this Thursday. I guess I'll be spending my evenings at practice for the next couple of nights. It appears to be in town and in the evening, so I should be able to join my bandmates on stage this time. We'll be doing three songs, so it will be rather quick and hopefully painless (even more hopefully, fun).
And finally, spring is most certainly here. I was taking a close look at the trees and bushes behind the school a few minutes ago and they all appear to have new buds on them, and as the forecast is calling for rain the next few days, I expect the country to be in bloom by the weekend or early next week at the latest. This makes me quite happy, except for my sinuses, which are currently recoiling in horror. Thankfully, I have my pseudoephedrine. Hurray for antihistamines!
That is all.
Guy
After getting over the bout of food poisoning, Laura and I began our preparations for the arrival of her brother, Jon. These preparations included the scrubbing down of Sean's (Laura's former co-worker who went home at the end of February) apartment. The apartment was graciously lent out by ECC for Jon's use while he is here (three weeks). It was, however, a filthy, disgusting mess in sore need of a thorough spray down with bleach (and if you are reading this, Sean, I hope you feel a rather large amount shame for leaving your place in that horrid condition). So, that is exactly what it got, along with a solid scraping and airing out. As it is now, it is still only habitable, but that's all it really needs to be.
Jon arrived on Saturday evening and so far seems to be enjoying himself and appears quite willing to throw himself into all things Korean, which is good because there's not much else here. The three of us will be heading for Japan on Friday of next week for a few days. We've paid for and picked up our plane tickets, rail passes, and hotel voucher and now we play the waiting. Seeing as we only will have a grand total of 3 days, we decided to spend it all in the Kyoto/Osaka area. There's quite a bit of history there, along with an apparently wild night-life in Osaka itself. Should be a good time. As for right now, we're letting Jon get adjusted and casually explore the city while we go to work. Perhaps we'll head up to Daegu or Pohang on the weekend to meet up with Mark.
In other news, I've been told that the band has a show this Thursday. I guess I'll be spending my evenings at practice for the next couple of nights. It appears to be in town and in the evening, so I should be able to join my bandmates on stage this time. We'll be doing three songs, so it will be rather quick and hopefully painless (even more hopefully, fun).
And finally, spring is most certainly here. I was taking a close look at the trees and bushes behind the school a few minutes ago and they all appear to have new buds on them, and as the forecast is calling for rain the next few days, I expect the country to be in bloom by the weekend or early next week at the latest. This makes me quite happy, except for my sinuses, which are currently recoiling in horror. Thankfully, I have my pseudoephedrine. Hurray for antihistamines!
That is all.
Guy
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Ugh
Yesterday was, to put it simply, horrid.
I believe the blame falls on food poisoning, and more specifically, McDonald's. There's a chance it was the truck chicken we had the night before, but seeing as we didn't feel sick until about an hour after Big Mac's, I fully place the blame there. I won't get into specifics, nobody wants to read that, but it was easily one of the worst days I have ever had. Thankfully, Laura and I both feel way better today. It also helped that yesterday was a mid-week holiday (Korean Independence Movement), so we didn't have to work. Today was a bit of a struggle towards the end, but I got through my classes basically unscathed. Still waiting to see if Laura's doing alright. We'll be having bland soup and plain rice when she gets here. Hurray for intestinal discomfort!
I guess it works out for the best, really, that I wasn't allowed to go to Jirisan for the gig, as I would be preparing myself right now for going on stage instead of sitting here trying to get over yesterday. I get the feeling it would have been horribly painful to perform tonight.
In happier news, it appears spring is in the process of arriving. The weather has been progressively warmer in the last little while and the forecast looks even better for next week. I'm pretty tired of winter (I've been tired of it since it began, but that's hardly a new thing for me) and anxiously look forward to sun and warm (not hot and humid, though, but that's later). I love how the seasons here are so distinct and change so suddenly. There are three things about spring I am not particularly looking forward to, though. One, my allergies. They always act up. I have my antihistamines, so I'll get by like I always do, but it's still no fun. Two, the onslaught of the dreaded Chinese Dust season. This apparently happpens every year, usually in early April. The poor farming practices in northern China (Manchuria) combined with a southerly wind bring all sorts of noxious dust to all parts of Korea. With the dust comes such great things as lead and mercury among other nasty things. I have been advised to obtain a mask during that period. It sounds dreadful. Three, the return of mosquitoes and wasps. I hate those little bastards. However, the lack of a cold Siberian wind and the prettiness of the cherry blossoms as well as the return of outdoor festivals and the like more than make up for the three things mentioned above.
Anyway, I'll sign off with a welcome to Mark who very recently arrived in Pohang. Hope it's all good,man. As well, I would like to apologize once again to Myza for the mix-up in meeting in Seoul and I hope everything is ok.
Guy
I believe the blame falls on food poisoning, and more specifically, McDonald's. There's a chance it was the truck chicken we had the night before, but seeing as we didn't feel sick until about an hour after Big Mac's, I fully place the blame there. I won't get into specifics, nobody wants to read that, but it was easily one of the worst days I have ever had. Thankfully, Laura and I both feel way better today. It also helped that yesterday was a mid-week holiday (Korean Independence Movement), so we didn't have to work. Today was a bit of a struggle towards the end, but I got through my classes basically unscathed. Still waiting to see if Laura's doing alright. We'll be having bland soup and plain rice when she gets here. Hurray for intestinal discomfort!
I guess it works out for the best, really, that I wasn't allowed to go to Jirisan for the gig, as I would be preparing myself right now for going on stage instead of sitting here trying to get over yesterday. I get the feeling it would have been horribly painful to perform tonight.
In happier news, it appears spring is in the process of arriving. The weather has been progressively warmer in the last little while and the forecast looks even better for next week. I'm pretty tired of winter (I've been tired of it since it began, but that's hardly a new thing for me) and anxiously look forward to sun and warm (not hot and humid, though, but that's later). I love how the seasons here are so distinct and change so suddenly. There are three things about spring I am not particularly looking forward to, though. One, my allergies. They always act up. I have my antihistamines, so I'll get by like I always do, but it's still no fun. Two, the onslaught of the dreaded Chinese Dust season. This apparently happpens every year, usually in early April. The poor farming practices in northern China (Manchuria) combined with a southerly wind bring all sorts of noxious dust to all parts of Korea. With the dust comes such great things as lead and mercury among other nasty things. I have been advised to obtain a mask during that period. It sounds dreadful. Three, the return of mosquitoes and wasps. I hate those little bastards. However, the lack of a cold Siberian wind and the prettiness of the cherry blossoms as well as the return of outdoor festivals and the like more than make up for the three things mentioned above.
Anyway, I'll sign off with a welcome to Mark who very recently arrived in Pohang. Hope it's all good,man. As well, I would like to apologize once again to Myza for the mix-up in meeting in Seoul and I hope everything is ok.
Guy
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