My time off is so precious, and I don't have much of it here in Japan. I spend most of my weekends trying to see new places. The experiences that I have I wouldn't change for the world. I'm in serious debate about what to do with my future. I have about a month to decide if I want to renew (for an additional 6 months.) I am trying to decide if I should do that or consider going to South Korea for a year. The experience would be great for a future in specialized ESL instruction. The most appealing option is just going back to Arizona, getting my own apartment, and starting a teaching job. I am probably least likely to do it though. Decisions, Decisions!!
Japanese. I'm not going to learn it. I can understand a small bit, but speaking it is too difficult for me to pick up by only being immersed in it once a week. (I speak only English at work). I am sad about this, mostly because I spent a lot of money! :)
Here are two places that I have visited recently.
Kamakura. Kamakura has many temples and shrines. (Shrines are meant for several gods, while temples are devoted to Buddha). There are customs that are done by the Japanese people as they enter the temples and shrines, (waving incense toward them, washing their hands, or clapping and bowing a certain amount of times when they are in front of but I have been told by more than one person that this is more out of tradition than religious belief. The majority of Japanese people do not claim to have religion in their life. One of the things we did in Kamakura was drink green tea. They handed us oversized cups filled with warm, bitter, green tea that was made by mixing powered green tea with hot water. To ease the bitterness they handed us little sweets shaped like birds that tasted of fine sugar. This little paper was given to us with our tea.
"Although the spoon is soaked in soup many times a day, it itself cannot understand the taste of the soup. But, unlike the spoon, just once drop of soup on your tongue can give you complete idea of how it tastes. What this means is that it gives you no meanings to meet the most honorable men or to read the most excellent books as long as you are insensitive, like a spoon. It is completely worthless you're too insensitive to learn wisdom from what you've experienced. Those who try to get a sense of peace by giving pains to others will never be able to cut himself off from a chain of grudge against him. We should not be insensitive like this person, wishing for this year to be better than last year. Let's keep in mind that we do something good every day no matter how small it is."
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| Amazing tour guides! :) |
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| This amazing looking desert is filled with traditional Japanese sweets. The brown stuff in the bowl is really salty so that you won't get sick of the sweet flavor of the dessert. |
Yokohama China Town
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| Chocolate Dumpling. For some reason it tasted like Mac and Cheese. It was good though. |
Yokohama China town is very welcoming, colorful, and warm (in spite of the bitter cold). The streets are small, vendors Chinese restaurants line the streets, there are lanterns strewn about. We went during the Chinese New Year's so it was very festive. We could hear drums as we walked around from (at least 4) the dragons and lions that were going around and eating "offerings" from the restaurants. We found the Panda Emporium and got our feet cleaned by fish. Here are the videos from this experience.
Here is the URL for China Town Dragon those who want to see it bigger. http://youtu.be/Pe1QWWWOPKE
Here is the URL for those who want to see it bigger. http://youtu.be/TepkBQHoX0c
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