Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Japan and more adventures to come...

Back from Japan for about a week now and it seemed like a long time ago.
First Tokyo was awesome, I loved the buildings, the culture, the food and especially the subway lol very efficient compared to Gwangju's `1 line. It was an extra plus that many things were posted in English and I can read Chinese. A few highlights:

Tokyo Metropolitan Government building
- One of the most amazing views I've seen, you feel small when you're up there and really looking at the big picture
- I would say it was my second favorite sites

Meiji Shrine
-Was my favorite site from the trip, I loved the nature, the culture and customs (we got to see a wedding party). There were so many traditions reflecting the Chinese culture that it was nostalgic being there during the "Lunar Moon Festival" I normally would spend with my family.

Imperial Palace
-Was also filled with great trails to walk (more shaped by man though which was a little disappointing) Some of the ancient ruins were filled in with land but the basic idea was still there.

Harajuku
-The one main street I walked down was filled with girls filling the reputation of harajuku girls, loved the outfits and make up.

Tokyo Tower
-Was great and exciting but because we have the CN Tower back home it was a little less exciting. Also we saw it during the day but I'm sure at night it would be as amazing as the Tokyo Met

Akihabara
Brought out my childhood in me... This area is where anime, cartoons, fantasy, games and anything to do with comic books lives. It made me want to know who all the characters are and feel the way I did when I used to record Sailor Moon on vhs and rewatch episodes a million times! Picked up a few special items here :D

Shinjuku
This is where we decided to stay because it is suppose to be the party and transit center of Tokyo. The transit part we thoroughly enjoyed but the party part we didn't figure out until the last night when we went walking in the neighborhood. So much was missed when we went right on the subway in the morning instead of exploring. Next time I go back I want to hit this part of town, so many sushi bars and clubs missed!

Food:

Had Beef (mmmm) udon the first night which was the best udon I have ever had. Canada.Korea's don't even come close. I miss beef so much I went and bought a few slices for $9 in Korea.

Ramen was also exactly what Japan should be famous for, soft not chewy noodles. The clear hot soup was not over salted, it was perfect to warm your stomach with.

I had sashimi twice in Japan (expensive as hell) the fresh texture of the octopus, red tuna, salmon, snapper and white fish was obvious from the first bite. I didn't require soy sauce to hide the fishy taste from some of them (like Canada). Made me want to order another order right off the bat lol

We had some sort of fried balls (sorry for the description) with some very thinly shaved tuna on top with a yummy, sticky thick sauce (similar to black bean for me) on top. Think street food style- on a stick. They were really delicious and fell apart and melted in your mouth.

Loved the drinking on the streets law of Japan!

So back to reality...

Finished reading "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" recently which surprised me. I really enjoyed it, even the gruesome parts. I can't wait to get my hands on the film with english subtitles :D

I joined the Gwangju International Center (GIC) here for my Korean classes, which started last week and I love it so far. Since I know how to read the alphabet already I can only hope my Korean will progress faster after this class. GIC also has a pretty decent library of English books (8 bookshelves worth) which I got a few books from. I can tell with the way work is going I will be reading tons of books this year. Which is all for the better anyways, I somehow stopped doing that as much back in Canada. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Our orphanage volunteering started last week, we met up with Kang (the social worker who runs the organization) and set up a schedule of some sort and will start this Saturday with the kids. We're going to call it The Crazy Silly Club (drama club makes it nerve wracking lol) so CSC from now on. Excited and nervous about meeting the kids. I hope the language barrier wont be too great.

we'll have to see...

This weekend sounds awesome, going to Naju for a friend's (Kat) house warming. Its more country side so sounds like a nice time. I realized that Gwangju is actually really noisy with many motor bikes running around throughout the night.

Then Sunday is my first trip with Pedro Kim (Gwangju's personal tour guide for foreigners <3) we're going to visit two temples. Bringing my walking shoes and hopefully it would be an experience totally different from Japan's temples. Will post about it later. Next weekend I'm thinking about heading to Seoul (finally meeting up with Deshane) yay! Can't wait, I will always remember that I went to Tokyo before Seoul lol

I had half of my dinner tonight by myself, I'm going to take that as progress. But eventually I will feel more comfortable by myself. I've begun reading "tuesday with Morrie" again, I love that reading this book now is a totally different experience then reading it in high school or university. I have a different outlook on life and its as if this book could be related to through every stage in life. It just goes to further prove what a truly aspiring and amazing book this is.

The one thing that stood out the most was how Morrie dealt with emotions, he worked through his fear, self pity and hate by facing them and recognizing them for only that and then detaching from it. Seems so simple but not many of us do it when we are overwhelmed with the emotions... this is my new challenge. I think it will help with my paranoia and anxiety, along with Yoga I'm hoping I will be medication free soon. (Thanks to my b-i-l Phil for this wonderful inspiring gift I almost forgot existed)

Next little bit will be tough but I really hope to work through it and know myself better on the other side. Like my little calender said: with every ending is a new beginning...

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