Like the sakura blossoms. Before you know it, they will slip through your fingers. But even if that's the case, then why do the japanese people look forward to it so much? They know it is just going to tease them, disappear right before their eyes? Seems so, trivial, does it not? If it's just going to disappear soon, what's the point in getting yourself excited about it?
Maybe all I can do is just treasure this time I have now. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
Aaahhhhh, spring in Kyoto. What could be more lovely, I wonder? The cherry blossoms have started to bloom! A really good friend of mine, Sato, invited me to wear a kimono and go cherry blossom viewing, an offer I could not refuse. He knows a woman who works at a kimono shop and she set me up with a full kimono free of charge. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. When I arrived at the shop, I had to choose the color and style of kimono from among racks of beautifully patterned kimonos in pink, black, red, blue, green and purple. I had a hard time choosing (there was this turquoise kimono that I couldn't keep my eyes off) but I eventually decided on a purple kimono covered in pink blossoms. Then I chose the inside kimono, (you can see in the picture that it is a sky blue/turquoise color), and my obi (I decided the pink went well with the purple and pink in the kimono). Then, I was taken to another building and sat down to have my hair done. I sat with about 6 other girls getting their hair done at the same time. It was very busy in there! I told the girl to just do anything she wanted, but that I would like my hair to be teased in a high ponytail. She did a great job, and in the end I picked a hair ornament that was also pink and purple. Then I went to get fitted in the kimono. I entered a room with a large mirrored wall and 3 cute japanese women, slim and wearing black. I had to basically strip down in front of them while they got my kimono ready. When I was in my skivvies they fitted me in the under kimono, a belt, then the outer kimono. It was amazing how skilled and swift they were in tying and fitting the kimono on me. There was obi upon obi upon obi placed upon me and in the end it was very snug. When it was all finished I went to find Sato and off we went to check out some of Kyoto's most famous sites. I must say that being on the subway was a strange experience wearing a kimono. What opposite ends of the cultural spectrum is that? I was called "cute" by pretty much everyone that passed, and people took photos of me, unabashedly with their cell phones ALL day. Sato even started a "cute" counter, for the amount of times he heard somebody call me cute, but we called it quits after the first hour because it was too ridiculous. We made our way to Gion, and walked through the old quarters. We were hungry and so went to eat this delicious traditional type meal at a restaurant in Gion. The owner and his wife made all the food, and we talked in Japanese about the fact that everything happens for a reason, and that nothing is left to chance. It was interesting to express that idea in Japanese!
Then we walked to 清水寺(Kiyomizu Temple), stopping along the way to enjoy the cherry blossom trees on the way and looking through some of the traditional stores. After that we went to a place called 高台寺 (Kodaiji temple) and there was a really interesting garden there. Then we went to 八坂神社 (Yasaka Shrine). We also visited on of the most famous places for cherry blossom viewing, Maruyama Koen. Then, we went to a night time light-up at Nijo castle. (If you click on the link you can see a picture of what it looks like around this time of year....SO pretty!!) We did SO much walking, and I was totally wearing ninja turtle socks and wooden sandles so I was really tired by the end. It was alot of firsts for me! It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. That night, I went out for ramen and then to an international party. Purification rituals for Japanese temples: use the ladle to lift water out to wash both your hands. Then ladle water into your hands and rinse your mouth--do not drink from the ladle--before spitting the water out.
It's getting warmer over here in eastern Asia. It's almost the end of spring break. We start school soon here, April 7th. I've been doing alot of studying lately for the exam that I have to take on Friday. Besides that, I've been meeting alot of the new students, and playing around Kyoto. It's really been a great break, although I wish I had the money to travel to many more places. I'm really grateful I got to visit Taiwan and Okinawa though, because they were so much fun!
For some reason I just can find the motivation to update this blog. Although I am having an absolutely amazing time here, I tend to Skype with momma and tell it all to her, and then I don't feel as though I need to post a blog. When I was in Europe, we didn't skype and therefore the blog was one of my only ways of sharing all my experiences with her etc. I'm kind of thinking that I want to back-post and kind of insert blog posts pertaining to really stand-out awesome things that happened. Not sure though.
Anyways, love you guys! Sarah サラ rearry rearry rabu you
Hey, a quick video update! Basically all I say is that I am bored, and I'm just hanging around Kyoto not really doing much else other than studying. I want to go back to school and I am planning on making more videos soon. That's basically it. I'm wearing reaaaallly big Japanese contacts called circle lenses, which are totally huge and pointless, but so cute.
I will update with another video right after this one! woo. :D I don't think anybody is reading this anymore. Lol well it takes so long for me to write so I don't blame u :D
Okay! I have a bit more time to write now, so I'll give it a shot!
I left you hanging with images of bacon sandwiches dancing in your head, bu hao yi si. We ate breakfast and went to meet Huian's friends from Senior high school. We went and ate all you can eat hot-pot, and it was SO good. It cost less than $10. After that, we got on Huian's motorbike and zoomed around Taiwan, ending up by the sea. We hung out and took in the scenery, and played with these tiny monkeys. haha. After that, we walked around and went to have dinner with Huian's parents. We had Hong Kong Yum Chau. I tried bird feet OMG. The next day we woke up, met up with Huian's friends from elementary school and had breakfast of fried bread sticks wrapped in a tortilla like shell, and bubble tea of course. We then went to KTV (Taiwanese karaoke). It was so expensive-looking, like a hotel. The entrance had a giant chandelier and the desk staff were wearing formal clothing and such. The karaoke room itself was dark and plush, large flat screen TV and microphones that somehow managed to make our voices sound like we should be singing in an arena somewhere. I sang a few chinese songs and a few japanese ones, and a bunch of english ones. Everybody sang really well, even the guys!! After that, we drove our motorbikes to the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. It is two pagodas side by side, one with a dragon mouth and the other with a tiger mouth. You must enter the dragon mouth first and exit through the tiger mouth. If you don't, your luck will turn for the worse, it it said. That evening we went to one of many of Khaoshiung's night markets. We had a huge dinner outside for $3 CND, and then walked around. There were a ton of games, little shops and food stalls everywhere. I bought a whole bunch of stuff haha. That night we played mahjong and a few other games with Huian's parents. That night was the Chinese new year, so we stayed up past midnight to listen to the firecrackers and bring in their new year.
The next day we woke up and took a ferry to Cijin, an island close to Khaoshiung. We ate a ton of different food like fish balls, squid on a stick, candied strawberries, bubble tea and other stuff. We then went shopping, got on our motorbikes and travelled to Ai He or "Love River" where there was a festival going on. We had cotton candy and all kinds of snacks, walked around, and then met with Huian's extended family. Both her Grandmother and Aunt can speak Japanese so it was awesome to be able to properly communicate with them. It's been so amazing here in Khaoshiung so far, and the people are so friendly. Unlike Japan, when I look at people they look back at me and smile, instead of turning away or looking down. People will say hello to me in English or get their kids to say it. It's really sweet. I find the people really sincere and kind here, and there is a distinct feeling of family. They seem to genuinely care about your wellbeing and future. Huian's parents and grandma have been so kind to me, feeding me ridiculous amounts of food and taking care of me, and I even recieved a red envelope on the Chinese New Year day, filled with money O_O No matter how much I refused, I kept being told "It's part of our tradition". The atmosphere is great, warm, bustling and exciting. There is a relaxed feeling to everything, including the people. Khaoshiung has undergone a transformation over the last couple of years, so right now everything is quite new and very stylish. I'm having a great time. I'm gonna go share some fruit with the fam and watch a little Taiwanese television before bed, but I'll update again before heading to Taipei. Love you guys!!
So I've been in Taiwan for 5 days now. It's been an amazing experience so far!!! So me and megumi said goodbye to everyone at I house reaaaallly early in the morning last Wednesday, and went from Kansai Airport to Taipei. We had separate planes that landed only 10 minutes apart in Taipei airport. When we landed it was like a brick wall of humid hit me right in the face. 25 degrees and tropical, we got on the Bullet train to Khaoshiung (in the South part of Taiwan). Megumi's dad came to pick us up at the Central station (which, by the way, has walls of real grass and a massive waterfall flowing down into it) and drove back to her house. I felt like something was funny on the way back, and realized that it was the fact that we were driving back on the right side of the road again, like Canada! It was so awesome. We arrived at her house and I did my best to talk to her family in Chinese. We went for a walk and then went to sleep. The next morning we got up early and went to get breakfast, which was a sandwich and bubble tea (for breakfast!). It came to 25 TWD, which is about $0.75! omg. best.
country.
ever.
IT IS SO CHEAP TO BUY STUFF HERE!
Okay I actually have to go RIGHT now, so I'll leave you hanging with stories of my bacon sandwich. Hope you will be able to wait for more hahahaha.
Like the sakura blossoms. Before you know it, they will slip through your fingers. But even if that's the case, then why do the japanese people look forward to it so much? They know it is just going to tease them, disappear right before their eyes? Seems so, trivial, does it not? If it's just going to disappear soon, what's the point in getting yourself excited about it?
Maybe all I can do is just treasure this time I have now. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
Aaahhhhh, spring in Kyoto. What could be more lovely, I wonder? The cherry blossoms have started to bloom! A really good friend of mine, Sato, invited me to wear a kimono and go cherry blossom viewing, an offer I could not refuse. He knows a woman who works at a kimono shop and she set me up with a full kimono free of charge. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. When I arrived at the shop, I had to choose the color and style of kimono from among racks of beautifully patterned kimonos in pink, black, red, blue, green and purple. I had a hard time choosing (there was this turquoise kimono that I couldn't keep my eyes off) but I eventually decided on a purple kimono covered in pink blossoms. Then I chose the inside kimono, (you can see in the picture that it is a sky blue/turquoise color), and my obi (I decided the pink went well with the purple and pink in the kimono). Then, I was taken to another building and sat down to have my hair done. I sat with about 6 other girls getting their hair done at the same time. It was very busy in there! I told the girl to just do anything she wanted, but that I would like my hair to be teased in a high ponytail. She did a great job, and in the end I picked a hair ornament that was also pink and purple. Then I went to get fitted in the kimono. I entered a room with a large mirrored wall and 3 cute japanese women, slim and wearing black. I had to basically strip down in front of them while they got my kimono ready. When I was in my skivvies they fitted me in the under kimono, a belt, then the outer kimono. It was amazing how skilled and swift they were in tying and fitting the kimono on me. There was obi upon obi upon obi placed upon me and in the end it was very snug. When it was all finished I went to find Sato and off we went to check out some of Kyoto's most famous sites. I must say that being on the subway was a strange experience wearing a kimono. What opposite ends of the cultural spectrum is that? I was called "cute" by pretty much everyone that passed, and people took photos of me, unabashedly with their cell phones ALL day. Sato even started a "cute" counter, for the amount of times he heard somebody call me cute, but we called it quits after the first hour because it was too ridiculous. We made our way to Gion, and walked through the old quarters. We were hungry and so went to eat this delicious traditional type meal at a restaurant in Gion. The owner and his wife made all the food, and we talked in Japanese about the fact that everything happens for a reason, and that nothing is left to chance. It was interesting to express that idea in Japanese!
Then we walked to 清水寺(Kiyomizu Temple), stopping along the way to enjoy the cherry blossom trees on the way and looking through some of the traditional stores. After that we went to a place called 高台寺 (Kodaiji temple) and there was a really interesting garden there. Then we went to 八坂神社 (Yasaka Shrine). We also visited on of the most famous places for cherry blossom viewing, Maruyama Koen. Then, we went to a night time light-up at Nijo castle. (If you click on the link you can see a picture of what it looks like around this time of year....SO pretty!!) We did SO much walking, and I was totally wearing ninja turtle socks and wooden sandles so I was really tired by the end. It was alot of firsts for me! It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. That night, I went out for ramen and then to an international party. Purification rituals for Japanese temples: use the ladle to lift water out to wash both your hands. Then ladle water into your hands and rinse your mouth--do not drink from the ladle--before spitting the water out.
It's getting warmer over here in eastern Asia. It's almost the end of spring break. We start school soon here, April 7th. I've been doing alot of studying lately for the exam that I have to take on Friday. Besides that, I've been meeting alot of the new students, and playing around Kyoto. It's really been a great break, although I wish I had the money to travel to many more places. I'm really grateful I got to visit Taiwan and Okinawa though, because they were so much fun!
For some reason I just can find the motivation to update this blog. Although I am having an absolutely amazing time here, I tend to Skype with momma and tell it all to her, and then I don't feel as though I need to post a blog. When I was in Europe, we didn't skype and therefore the blog was one of my only ways of sharing all my experiences with her etc. I'm kind of thinking that I want to back-post and kind of insert blog posts pertaining to really stand-out awesome things that happened. Not sure though.
Anyways, love you guys! Sarah サラ rearry rearry rabu you
Hey, a quick video update! Basically all I say is that I am bored, and I'm just hanging around Kyoto not really doing much else other than studying. I want to go back to school and I am planning on making more videos soon. That's basically it. I'm wearing reaaaallly big Japanese contacts called circle lenses, which are totally huge and pointless, but so cute.
I will update with another video right after this one! woo. :D I don't think anybody is reading this anymore. Lol well it takes so long for me to write so I don't blame u :D
Okay! I have a bit more time to write now, so I'll give it a shot!
I left you hanging with images of bacon sandwiches dancing in your head, bu hao yi si. We ate breakfast and went to meet Huian's friends from Senior high school. We went and ate all you can eat hot-pot, and it was SO good. It cost less than $10. After that, we got on Huian's motorbike and zoomed around Taiwan, ending up by the sea. We hung out and took in the scenery, and played with these tiny monkeys. haha. After that, we walked around and went to have dinner with Huian's parents. We had Hong Kong Yum Chau. I tried bird feet OMG. The next day we woke up, met up with Huian's friends from elementary school and had breakfast of fried bread sticks wrapped in a tortilla like shell, and bubble tea of course. We then went to KTV (Taiwanese karaoke). It was so expensive-looking, like a hotel. The entrance had a giant chandelier and the desk staff were wearing formal clothing and such. The karaoke room itself was dark and plush, large flat screen TV and microphones that somehow managed to make our voices sound like we should be singing in an arena somewhere. I sang a few chinese songs and a few japanese ones, and a bunch of english ones. Everybody sang really well, even the guys!! After that, we drove our motorbikes to the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. It is two pagodas side by side, one with a dragon mouth and the other with a tiger mouth. You must enter the dragon mouth first and exit through the tiger mouth. If you don't, your luck will turn for the worse, it it said. That evening we went to one of many of Khaoshiung's night markets. We had a huge dinner outside for $3 CND, and then walked around. There were a ton of games, little shops and food stalls everywhere. I bought a whole bunch of stuff haha. That night we played mahjong and a few other games with Huian's parents. That night was the Chinese new year, so we stayed up past midnight to listen to the firecrackers and bring in their new year.
The next day we woke up and took a ferry to Cijin, an island close to Khaoshiung. We ate a ton of different food like fish balls, squid on a stick, candied strawberries, bubble tea and other stuff. We then went shopping, got on our motorbikes and travelled to Ai He or "Love River" where there was a festival going on. We had cotton candy and all kinds of snacks, walked around, and then met with Huian's extended family. Both her Grandmother and Aunt can speak Japanese so it was awesome to be able to properly communicate with them. It's been so amazing here in Khaoshiung so far, and the people are so friendly. Unlike Japan, when I look at people they look back at me and smile, instead of turning away or looking down. People will say hello to me in English or get their kids to say it. It's really sweet. I find the people really sincere and kind here, and there is a distinct feeling of family. They seem to genuinely care about your wellbeing and future. Huian's parents and grandma have been so kind to me, feeding me ridiculous amounts of food and taking care of me, and I even recieved a red envelope on the Chinese New Year day, filled with money O_O No matter how much I refused, I kept being told "It's part of our tradition". The atmosphere is great, warm, bustling and exciting. There is a relaxed feeling to everything, including the people. Khaoshiung has undergone a transformation over the last couple of years, so right now everything is quite new and very stylish. I'm having a great time. I'm gonna go share some fruit with the fam and watch a little Taiwanese television before bed, but I'll update again before heading to Taipei. Love you guys!!
So I've been in Taiwan for 5 days now. It's been an amazing experience so far!!! So me and megumi said goodbye to everyone at I house reaaaallly early in the morning last Wednesday, and went from Kansai Airport to Taipei. We had separate planes that landed only 10 minutes apart in Taipei airport. When we landed it was like a brick wall of humid hit me right in the face. 25 degrees and tropical, we got on the Bullet train to Khaoshiung (in the South part of Taiwan). Megumi's dad came to pick us up at the Central station (which, by the way, has walls of real grass and a massive waterfall flowing down into it) and drove back to her house. I felt like something was funny on the way back, and realized that it was the fact that we were driving back on the right side of the road again, like Canada! It was so awesome. We arrived at her house and I did my best to talk to her family in Chinese. We went for a walk and then went to sleep. The next morning we got up early and went to get breakfast, which was a sandwich and bubble tea (for breakfast!). It came to 25 TWD, which is about $0.75! omg. best.
country.
ever.
IT IS SO CHEAP TO BUY STUFF HERE!
Okay I actually have to go RIGHT now, so I'll leave you hanging with stories of my bacon sandwich. Hope you will be able to wait for more hahahaha.
I like mint green.
I love my cat.
I enjoy sleeping in the middle of the day.
I am 23 years old.
I'm kind of messy.
I like studying Chinese and Japanese and Korean.
I am going to live in Kyoto, Japan, where I will study at Ritsumeikan University. Feel free to follow along with my adventures :)
starting over.
Chilling at kodaiji!
