Whilst at Kyomizu-dera in Gion, Mark, Connor, Polly and I came to the best view of all of Kyoto I think you could see (Mark disagrees, but I wasn't in the mood for climbing the mountain proper), and I felt the need to say something cool and anime-ish to show my awe.
"Bokutachi no Kyoto da yo." (This is our Kyoto) I said in a superbly gruff and heroic voice, only to have the young Japanese couple just in front of me turn around and snigger. I tried to stumble out something of an apology or explanation, but the words wouldn't come and I had to watch dumbly as they chuckled off, no doubt off to inform the rest of the nation.
I mean, thinking back, I wasn't even that embarrassed about saying something cool in Japanese in front of Japanese people. But what really gets me, as I was reminded later, was that bokura would have been a better choice of first person plural than bokutachi, but those are both a bit weak compared to the much more appropriate oretachi, which is far more manly.
Uuuurgh.
Still, could have been worse. Could have used atashi, which is used solely by girls.
-----
So yeah, busy times. Sorry I haven't been on for a bit, but I've been stuck in bureaucracy and sightseeing so internet time has been a bit lacking of late. But I have lots to talk about, fear not!
Okay, let's see. Three events worth mentioning come to mind. Firstly was Sunday, my second Sunday at Doshisha Church, and this time I made a much better impression. Turned up with a full 5 minutes to spare, greeted friends and remembered names appropriately, found my seat and got started. This service was an all-age service, which suited me fine, as Japanese kids are cute as anything on God's Earth, and the language was tuned down so even I could understand, which was great! Service was on Exodus 45 1-8, about Joseph and his spectral coat, and though it didn't hit any spiritual chords per say, it was still a cool service. At the end, those over 70 were given cookies and a postcard that the kids had made. I was also asked to stand, as a new member of such, and bow so everyone could see me, which was nice. Apparently next week is some sort of student thing after the service, and it's also the first week Mark can make it along, so it should be a good one.
Okay, next is last night, and the Cosmopolitan welcome party. Cosmopolitan, I learnt not long ago, is a Doshisha society for Japanese students hoping to befriend foreign students in order to make firm friendships and learn about other cultures, and eventually, in the words of President Kazuhiko, lead to world peace. It's all very Babylon 5, if you ask me. We met at 3 in the before-unexplored Shinmachi campus about 5 minutes from our Imadegawa campus, and chatted with a few of the other foreign students. Yesterday was the day I learnt of a third visiting program alongside our Nichibun and Bekka: the AKP or America-Kyoto Program, which draws students from America to Kyoto, strangely enough, where they stay in Japanese homes for the duration of the year. Some nice people on that program, let me tell you.
Events kicked off with a superbly well-made video about the sort of things Cosmopolitan did last year (it's first year, I believe), followed by a Photo Rally. Never done one before, but it was really cool! We were given a set of 12 photos of the Cosmopolitan members in funny poses around the campuses and nearby temples, and were asked to head out with a camera and take identical pictures with our own team members. With the progidy-level leadership of fourth-year Sora-sempai, we got all our photos done in record time, and even won the competition. We all got some funny prize; mine was a plastic Hallowe'en hockey mask, which now hangs above my door. A moment of pride, that. Afterwards there was more chat, then off on the subway to Karasuma to have a dinner of 'okinomiyaki', a kind of rice omelette thing, which is really very nice. Then down to the riverside with convenience store-bought alcohol to drink, which is not only allowed in this crazy county but also done by hundreds of young people every night. Didn't stay for long, as the last train was at 11.30, but we were around enough to play Duck Duck Goose in the sand.
Now, today.
Today was Connor's trip from Kansai Gakuin (...right?) to Kyoto to see the sights, and that job fell to the aforementioned Mark, Polly and I. His... unfortunate choice of arrival time meant I had less sleep than I perhaps would have liked, but I couldn't be bitter because Connor had even less sleep than I and still managed to survive the day. And it was a full day indeed! First stop was Teramachi, my favourite spot, for a late breakfast of udon and ramen at a cool noodle bar, and then a bit of exploring.
And then...
I got to experience a Japanese arcade.
That's a life ambition fulfilled, that. I mean, it's not like they weren't around until today, but I've never had the courage to play alone. Feels awfully sad, you know? Also, I felt that if I got into the habit of spending a couple hundred yen on machines every so often the cost would soon rack up, as would a very uncool addiction. But that didn't matter! Because that arcade only charges 50 yen a game (about 30p).
And even if it didn't, when you're blowing each other up in Gundams you really don't care about how much it's costing you!
The game, incidentally, was an aforementioned Gundam Seed Destiny Rengou vs Zaft II Plus, current top of the Pete Japanese PS2 wishlist. I enjoyed playing as Lunamaria's Zaku Warrior, a ZAFT Dom and the big boss guy's Gundam from the first series, and I didn't like that stupid, fat, squiddy one that has, like, no range in melee combat.
Then we had silly, girly photos taken in a silly, girly photo booth. Expect pictures as soon as Connor can find a decent scanner; they are not to be missed!
Oh, and then there was the hobby shop, which I had originally believed to be just a plastic model museum. Another gem I had in my cowardice not yet explored. And what a gem! Gundam models in boxes stacked to the ceiling, all priced so much better than in the UK! Take this example. A box of two Gundam Seed Destiny Zaku Warriors (one Athrun Zala custom, one Deaka Elfman custom) costs about £50 anywhere I care to look online. This shop had them for 2,500 yen, which comes to about £13!! Thirteen!! I think I'll be taking another trip down to Karasuma on Saturday when I've turned the traveller's cheques into proper money! Oh, after I pay my first 2 months' rent. Oh, and bought a mobile phone...
Then to Gion, the traditional south-west of Kyoto, and the big temple district. I managed to get in line and do the whole prayer routine thing, and there are pictures to prove it. It was also a time to learn that Maplus on the PSP is great, but only when the poor thing has enough batteries to sustain a trip the length of ours. We also checked out the Ryo...something Kannon, a "giant Shinto chappy" made of stone; two pagodas, one a fair bit more impressive than the other; and the tourist shopping area, with some sweeeeet imitation swords and, strangely, Sgt. Frog keychains. Bit of an odd combination, I thought.
Darkness decended, and we headed for dinner. Though finding a good place for dinner was harder than it sounded, as a lot of Japanese eateries look a little shady when you have to go down a dark alley to get to it, or through what looks like someone's house. After much debate and much walking we descended upon 'Tarow', a very friendly Italian place on... some street off the main street. Very nice place, that.
And so here I am, just convercing via email with Aki-sempai about help with mobile phone purchase. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day, with the collection of an Alien Receipt thing and then a bank account and hopefully, the last I'll see of those silly traveller's cheques. Exciting stuff...
Anyway, thanks, as always, for reading.
Okay, let's see. Three events worth mentioning come to mind. Firstly was Sunday, my second Sunday at Doshisha Church, and this time I made a much better impression. Turned up with a full 5 minutes to spare, greeted friends and remembered names appropriately, found my seat and got started. This service was an all-age service, which suited me fine, as Japanese kids are cute as anything on God's Earth, and the language was tuned down so even I could understand, which was great! Service was on Exodus 45 1-8, about Joseph and his spectral coat, and though it didn't hit any spiritual chords per say, it was still a cool service. At the end, those over 70 were given cookies and a postcard that the kids had made. I was also asked to stand, as a new member of such, and bow so everyone could see me, which was nice. Apparently next week is some sort of student thing after the service, and it's also the first week Mark can make it along, so it should be a good one.
Okay, next is last night, and the Cosmopolitan welcome party. Cosmopolitan, I learnt not long ago, is a Doshisha society for Japanese students hoping to befriend foreign students in order to make firm friendships and learn about other cultures, and eventually, in the words of President Kazuhiko, lead to world peace. It's all very Babylon 5, if you ask me. We met at 3 in the before-unexplored Shinmachi campus about 5 minutes from our Imadegawa campus, and chatted with a few of the other foreign students. Yesterday was the day I learnt of a third visiting program alongside our Nichibun and Bekka: the AKP or America-Kyoto Program, which draws students from America to Kyoto, strangely enough, where they stay in Japanese homes for the duration of the year. Some nice people on that program, let me tell you.
Events kicked off with a superbly well-made video about the sort of things Cosmopolitan did last year (it's first year, I believe), followed by a Photo Rally. Never done one before, but it was really cool! We were given a set of 12 photos of the Cosmopolitan members in funny poses around the campuses and nearby temples, and were asked to head out with a camera and take identical pictures with our own team members. With the progidy-level leadership of fourth-year Sora-sempai, we got all our photos done in record time, and even won the competition. We all got some funny prize; mine was a plastic Hallowe'en hockey mask, which now hangs above my door. A moment of pride, that. Afterwards there was more chat, then off on the subway to Karasuma to have a dinner of 'okinomiyaki', a kind of rice omelette thing, which is really very nice. Then down to the riverside with convenience store-bought alcohol to drink, which is not only allowed in this crazy county but also done by hundreds of young people every night. Didn't stay for long, as the last train was at 11.30, but we were around enough to play Duck Duck Goose in the sand.
Now, today.
Today was Connor's trip from Kansai Gakuin (...right?) to Kyoto to see the sights, and that job fell to the aforementioned Mark, Polly and I. His... unfortunate choice of arrival time meant I had less sleep than I perhaps would have liked, but I couldn't be bitter because Connor had even less sleep than I and still managed to survive the day. And it was a full day indeed! First stop was Teramachi, my favourite spot, for a late breakfast of udon and ramen at a cool noodle bar, and then a bit of exploring.
And then...
I got to experience a Japanese arcade.
That's a life ambition fulfilled, that. I mean, it's not like they weren't around until today, but I've never had the courage to play alone. Feels awfully sad, you know? Also, I felt that if I got into the habit of spending a couple hundred yen on machines every so often the cost would soon rack up, as would a very uncool addiction. But that didn't matter! Because that arcade only charges 50 yen a game (about 30p).
And even if it didn't, when you're blowing each other up in Gundams you really don't care about how much it's costing you!
The game, incidentally, was an aforementioned Gundam Seed Destiny Rengou vs Zaft II Plus, current top of the Pete Japanese PS2 wishlist. I enjoyed playing as Lunamaria's Zaku Warrior, a ZAFT Dom and the big boss guy's Gundam from the first series, and I didn't like that stupid, fat, squiddy one that has, like, no range in melee combat.
Then we had silly, girly photos taken in a silly, girly photo booth. Expect pictures as soon as Connor can find a decent scanner; they are not to be missed!
Oh, and then there was the hobby shop, which I had originally believed to be just a plastic model museum. Another gem I had in my cowardice not yet explored. And what a gem! Gundam models in boxes stacked to the ceiling, all priced so much better than in the UK! Take this example. A box of two Gundam Seed Destiny Zaku Warriors (one Athrun Zala custom, one Deaka Elfman custom) costs about £50 anywhere I care to look online. This shop had them for 2,500 yen, which comes to about £13!! Thirteen!! I think I'll be taking another trip down to Karasuma on Saturday when I've turned the traveller's cheques into proper money! Oh, after I pay my first 2 months' rent. Oh, and bought a mobile phone...
Then to Gion, the traditional south-west of Kyoto, and the big temple district. I managed to get in line and do the whole prayer routine thing, and there are pictures to prove it. It was also a time to learn that Maplus on the PSP is great, but only when the poor thing has enough batteries to sustain a trip the length of ours. We also checked out the Ryo...something Kannon, a "giant Shinto chappy" made of stone; two pagodas, one a fair bit more impressive than the other; and the tourist shopping area, with some sweeeeet imitation swords and, strangely, Sgt. Frog keychains. Bit of an odd combination, I thought.
Darkness decended, and we headed for dinner. Though finding a good place for dinner was harder than it sounded, as a lot of Japanese eateries look a little shady when you have to go down a dark alley to get to it, or through what looks like someone's house. After much debate and much walking we descended upon 'Tarow', a very friendly Italian place on... some street off the main street. Very nice place, that.
And so here I am, just convercing via email with Aki-sempai about help with mobile phone purchase. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day, with the collection of an Alien Receipt thing and then a bank account and hopefully, the last I'll see of those silly traveller's cheques. Exciting stuff...
Anyway, thanks, as always, for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment