tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51307007038616109322024-03-05T14:54:39.849+09:00Catie in Japan留学生の経験。Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-91553579554158897622012-07-18T22:35:00.000+09:002012-07-18T22:35:05.440+09:00Mini-Post Wednesday: Let's Go to the Kurihama Perry FestivalToday is just a mini-post because I woke up at 4:30 this morning to pick up Dad from Narita Airport and then spent 8ish hours tromping around Tokyo in improper footwear and now I'm sore and tired so bed is sounding really good soon, especially since Dad and I are off to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikk%C5%8D,_Tochigi" target="_blank">Nikko</a> early tomorrow morning.<br />
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It's summer, which means it's festival season, so what better way to close out the school year than the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurihama" target="_blank">Kurihama </a>Perry Festival?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span id="goog_1797128544"></span><span id="goog_1797128545"></span>Kurihama is where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Perry" target="_blank">Matthew C. Perry</a> landed in order to begin the first negotiations for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_of_Japan" target="_blank">opening of Japan</a>. The Kurihama Perry Festival commemorates that landing. Since Kurihama is in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka" target="_blank">Yokosuka</a>, it wasn't that unusual to see members of the US military walking around the festival.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori" target="_blank">Yakitori</a>! The perfect festival food.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many food and game stalls!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakigori" target="_blank">Kakigori</a>! Yay!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenia and me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm very excited about this churro. It's covered in cocoa powder. It's exciting.</td></tr>
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And that's your mini-post! Sorry for the short one, but it's going to be a very busy week. I'll make sure to take lots of photos though! :)<br />
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<br />Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-63881447811674781642012-07-14T14:22:00.000+09:002012-07-14T14:23:01.040+09:00Tromping around Kamakura with our Buddhism ProfessorSchool's done! I'm in Japan for eleven more days (seven of which will involve running around the Tokyo metropolitan area with my dad), and then I'm heading home. It's kind of crazy to think how quickly this semester seems to have passed. Regardless, I am really looking forward to returning to the US and seeing my friends and family again soon.<br />
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Last Saturday our Japanese Buddhism professor invited the class to join him in running around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura,_Kanagawa" target="_blank">Kamakura</a>, a city with many old temples (among other things). Though I had a paper due that Monday, I decided to go, since it would be nice to get out of the house for the first time in over a month.<br />
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Kamakura, though only about 31 miles outside of downtown Tokyo, has a very different feel from the other towns surrounding the city. There's a lot of trees and greenery for one thing, and you can also hear birds that aren't crows, which is a really nice change from the more urban settings of Yokohama and Kawasaki.<br />
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Our first stop was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engakuji" target="_blank">Engakuji</a>, one of the most important Zen temples in Japan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mountain Gate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3Y-4qhTOSbznCnEfrhpBC4JLNW7iLMQZlrA_wCbV6pDDHSvZOoKWQLjTmLUljnZFpITByHuvLeNd8-Tfg69P3XVtBSWlU5a6UWRTa7Ibe2hDV4YcBg-igL8C_8CUf7sDgHKWbfjaGTo/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3Y-4qhTOSbznCnEfrhpBC4JLNW7iLMQZlrA_wCbV6pDDHSvZOoKWQLjTmLUljnZFpITByHuvLeNd8-Tfg69P3XVtBSWlU5a6UWRTa7Ibe2hDV4YcBg-igL8C_8CUf7sDgHKWbfjaGTo/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+030.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was quite damp and mossy at Engakuji, which made me think of home. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-0YwTDOhvFR2elfraLRoKbnHLfPfTbX1nVJZQH1l5grlLVrF5tqC5gx8ZYmXg7Z10MH1s8pCtbJihElR1h8dgwXoAUqNGJWunygbimIv8PuUQjlTWqpki0_RdtUIhqsXnicMEKDAoGY/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-0YwTDOhvFR2elfraLRoKbnHLfPfTbX1nVJZQH1l5grlLVrF5tqC5gx8ZYmXg7Z10MH1s8pCtbJihElR1h8dgwXoAUqNGJWunygbimIv8PuUQjlTWqpki0_RdtUIhqsXnicMEKDAoGY/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hydrangeas were in full bloom, too, making for a lovely scene.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8kz1cqAkcZfHCGvK8sMgVLBgogNd7VAVP2y_RBb5xY9B6VKtWvIbQYaWRka7Yz3gqmIVlLE8kVC4bu-mwjJNG0QIf3xT4rOwnwmEZVYcFjrkvbMquRqKNyDRJSmsZ9_7WR6ryw4tY_8/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8kz1cqAkcZfHCGvK8sMgVLBgogNd7VAVP2y_RBb5xY9B6VKtWvIbQYaWRka7Yz3gqmIVlLE8kVC4bu-mwjJNG0QIf3xT4rOwnwmEZVYcFjrkvbMquRqKNyDRJSmsZ9_7WR6ryw4tY_8/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Bell. It's a national treasure!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYTRKYbXMNB6w_r-oFnA0NcRfER7ionBFePiM2bce3853Spg-w7fBI5yJR3kpZfuI0gx21ZI7jsUaYDuHtBph9bacqV_s_Fo_P2L_MKlDtmRuVkNnNThjH3mRcTg5PDE6edQINVRSgic/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYTRKYbXMNB6w_r-oFnA0NcRfER7ionBFePiM2bce3853Spg-w7fBI5yJR3kpZfuI0gx21ZI7jsUaYDuHtBph9bacqV_s_Fo_P2L_MKlDtmRuVkNnNThjH3mRcTg5PDE6edQINVRSgic/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr34uiMQFJB2Vi-DWI5kb7anflyF8Lq6K1DVrwVPiypGKY7svbASvP6R6KX88VAbj-rg4uO2Ft_MzyysEJ141ZYB_GeffMlDqjlDQUH9ig-VCahV-JrpwEd3C7ioZuSd6Y_b3AQ9BG07M/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr34uiMQFJB2Vi-DWI5kb7anflyF8Lq6K1DVrwVPiypGKY7svbASvP6R6KX88VAbj-rg4uO2Ft_MzyysEJ141ZYB_GeffMlDqjlDQUH9ig-VCahV-JrpwEd3C7ioZuSd6Y_b3AQ9BG07M/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maintaining thatched roofs like the one seen here must be very difficult (and costly)!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLb4L79D7Ej54wy3A-YYzOUWARnJQl72DYVvl7ONMvDGnS_IEWws0G6wl3RpKoGPOOn_XmbHorBfHkYRe5PFqCHIkhf3q_ONhpXw12Zq2DyQb-k1halJErH0kzJIYUYtxsGKv2CgG8m9I/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLb4L79D7Ej54wy3A-YYzOUWARnJQl72DYVvl7ONMvDGnS_IEWws0G6wl3RpKoGPOOn_XmbHorBfHkYRe5PFqCHIkhf3q_ONhpXw12Zq2DyQb-k1halJErH0kzJIYUYtxsGKv2CgG8m9I/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not a triforce; it's the crest of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dj%C5%8D_clan" target="_blank">Hojo Clan</a>, as the temple was built at the request of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dj%C5%8D_Tokimune" target="_blank">Hojo Tokimune</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2PRjKSwplgrwK-xSF3EuEgglMYbVg_wGL1VG2b9ckxpomnZVDGnd97arBw15ZweZ37pXtm8YrAgVcCu9j8kVwb3hBI2nM5eVGaeyONofOAa6q1UH0vXpclLEeF2hFAxKebaWQajGfoI/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2PRjKSwplgrwK-xSF3EuEgglMYbVg_wGL1VG2b9ckxpomnZVDGnd97arBw15ZweZ37pXtm8YrAgVcCu9j8kVwb3hBI2nM5eVGaeyONofOAa6q1UH0vXpclLEeF2hFAxKebaWQajGfoI/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A neat little set of stairs. Some of the biggest pill bugs I've ever seen were rolling around here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUkRyOB8jfrhiPcL3nDvGS7esV15eRTNK8nZ9ZEK866MTxzJgPx3o_GAl0sMMyXBN_qSe8HoSpoo7EBKigZwoV1xVz98Bo7u-nfdV599Pr1QnLczx9hv69DKesTI8rrqNxJ9au7mAygI/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUkRyOB8jfrhiPcL3nDvGS7esV15eRTNK8nZ9ZEK866MTxzJgPx3o_GAl0sMMyXBN_qSe8HoSpoo7EBKigZwoV1xVz98Bo7u-nfdV599Pr1QnLczx9hv69DKesTI8rrqNxJ9au7mAygI/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTQtf2SzhXD2qw_j6FDsOY9i6hfCAkzXpQqMY4LmfBQMV3h1vIX2T5Ay1dKFYfNB2-L9LHZf3t8Ti-2pFlriE90mrrziLHHw7xAFEqSF0eSCrxmY0376lHLKQPL-4s5TqaHbS9dPzqRU/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTQtf2SzhXD2qw_j6FDsOY9i6hfCAkzXpQqMY4LmfBQMV3h1vIX2T5Ay1dKFYfNB2-L9LHZf3t8Ti-2pFlriE90mrrziLHHw7xAFEqSF0eSCrxmY0376lHLKQPL-4s5TqaHbS9dPzqRU/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aLC9XH4f6WjKPL6p5nSfXxShsZvVuB90A1XkdJuLFEh6YRvgAXdf02ASJesKLDYKSx5DE6p0ueOlqlu_uSVFYY4ntNkC-RwrGU3gxDbBiG3tLwnVuGndRXjruW3_V0_ubtNX4g1yvWY/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aLC9XH4f6WjKPL6p5nSfXxShsZvVuB90A1XkdJuLFEh6YRvgAXdf02ASJesKLDYKSx5DE6p0ueOlqlu_uSVFYY4ntNkC-RwrGU3gxDbBiG3tLwnVuGndRXjruW3_V0_ubtNX4g1yvWY/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+053.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A carving of the bodhisattva <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannon" target="_blank">Kannon</a> is carved into stones in one of the gardens.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-kYKLUCNvblvAkNZZikSvavxk2mF2DhQ3wlq_xXftUZrk1LiT8XVqrbUaGItoFOZi6RSSufGYOjv6PfOH6NJCEbv4DvgZwC55yCsodXXgm9rW8htT3Trjn9vX-ZQswEsaIGDrII06Bk/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-kYKLUCNvblvAkNZZikSvavxk2mF2DhQ3wlq_xXftUZrk1LiT8XVqrbUaGItoFOZi6RSSufGYOjv6PfOH6NJCEbv4DvgZwC55yCsodXXgm9rW8htT3Trjn9vX-ZQswEsaIGDrII06Bk/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf42WEY5lhY5hzBo4kiNCLFX-QPmzu_TWNnRy-tTYoQPW7R9YrtBZAnE-iS0uiuCa_jGyZwji5nprK5Qd0EQG9JtFcsxML5PM4c9K26CqJfx7jWiAL6Vvi3NK85MOGqxTEA82P_xak_-s/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf42WEY5lhY5hzBo4kiNCLFX-QPmzu_TWNnRy-tTYoQPW7R9YrtBZAnE-iS0uiuCa_jGyZwji5nprK5Qd0EQG9JtFcsxML5PM4c9K26CqJfx7jWiAL6Vvi3NK85MOGqxTEA82P_xak_-s/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are over 100 of these Kannon sculptures in this area of the temple.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">After Engakuji, we headed over to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dchi-ji" target="_blank">Jouchi-ji</a>, another of the famous Zen temples of Kamakura. Jouchi-ji is much smaller than Engaku-ji, and as a result, there was not much to see in comparison.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb4AcDcuhP0H_lzk77_736LTxAfll0Q2R70ssst42pbX2pn79HKJHEm534iFkSiCUmwiapR0klGWV3jVarZ0KOKELUyvl76HJn_YFBKP4TwKwwGDsf9hQH-MiefweEC6HAMPuWaz2nRI/s1600/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb4AcDcuhP0H_lzk77_736LTxAfll0Q2R70ssst42pbX2pn79HKJHEm534iFkSiCUmwiapR0klGWV3jVarZ0KOKELUyvl76HJn_YFBKP4TwKwwGDsf9hQH-MiefweEC6HAMPuWaz2nRI/s320/Kamakura+-+Buddhism+Class+Trip+091.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki" target="_blank">Tanuki</a>!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creepy sign written in bad English. (It should read <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotei" target="_blank">Hotei</a>, rather than "Hotel," which makes it so much less creepy.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotei. You're supposed to rub his belly, left earlobe, or his index finger. They've been rubbed smooth by generations of people coming to visit him.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"></span>After Jouchi-ji, we headed to one of the many hiking trails in the area and hiked to the main shopping street in Kamakura, where we had a snack of crepes. My classmates and professor decided to go on to the beach, but I was considerably tired by that point, and I wanted to put the finishing touches on my paper, so I decided it was time to head home. I had a really great time, though, and now I feel like I won't get terribly lost when I bring dad there next week! :)<br />
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<span id="goog_2001095715"></span><span id="goog_2001095716"></span>Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-53614432145791943172012-06-17T21:26:00.001+09:002012-06-19T17:47:27.249+09:00Yakiniku Night in Shin-Okubo!Sorry for the delay; I'm in my last three weeks as a student here, so things are getting crazy busy in terms of papers and tests and assignments. As a result I haven't been doing much in the way of fun, thus resulting in having nothing to write about. I'm sticking around Japan for two weeks after I finish my semester, though, so hopefully I'll do lots of fun things and write lots of posts to make up for the delay. Based on how behind on things I tend to get when it comes to writing posts these days, I'm fully prepared to be writing posts well into August even though I leave Japan on the 25th of July. So don't worry. I'll keep you updated, albeit a bit late, because I love you.<br />
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Anyway! Last night I went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin-%C5%8Ckubo_Station" target="_blank">Shin-Okubo</a>, an area in Shinjuku famous for being the largest <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreatown#Tokyo" target="_blank">Koreatown</a> in Tokyo, with Inga, Jack, Kenia, and our friend Adam for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakiniku" target="_blank">yakiniku</a>, which is widely considered to be a variant of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgogi" target="_blank">bulgogi</a> that's been modified to fit "Japanese tastes." However, like most things involving Japan and South Korea (and pretty much any other Asian country), this idea is met with quite a bit of controversy from Japan's side.<br />
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We were scheduled to meet up with Adam around 6:00, and we got there a little bit early, so we took some pictures in the train station.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujHfig7Im53DbLtI4ambQGxLj0n3T4yX-O3g7fXjXiEUKMSWefT0Wt6v45qirKS6stVbb3I2f_QCIDgOM8OuHTpHFq9zJd8JwwQTeF9MUnDcR9Ksb3Kra63H7YR_4ej7QkiqljbhUZsw/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujHfig7Im53DbLtI4ambQGxLj0n3T4yX-O3g7fXjXiEUKMSWefT0Wt6v45qirKS6stVbb3I2f_QCIDgOM8OuHTpHFq9zJd8JwwQTeF9MUnDcR9Ksb3Kra63H7YR_4ej7QkiqljbhUZsw/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lot of the signs in the neighborhood were, understandably, in Korean.</td></tr>
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After meeting up with Adam, we headed out to find a place to eat. This meant we got to explore the neighborhood a bit, which was nice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinl9oq3RZ6EDEDPk6eOlbvzWfnXdB_S_56Hb4MgK65Ntmm0pbiISodMO78MDZYlHlRdDGzr6Ol4haQq6Zj6dXQZOj8GEwaNpNEO7YUkopafqh_mHO-FzG3colLHph_G7PiIYxc7PJra8U/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinl9oq3RZ6EDEDPk6eOlbvzWfnXdB_S_56Hb4MgK65Ntmm0pbiISodMO78MDZYlHlRdDGzr6Ol4haQq6Zj6dXQZOj8GEwaNpNEO7YUkopafqh_mHO-FzG3colLHph_G7PiIYxc7PJra8U/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are Korean idol stores EVERYWHERE.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMT4oR4X0RpQ0g3n0HK1Pl_tyP2Ss7kW6YOFu7SNvHZt669BV_cX7HNC1-a9UsjYMs6NqAbIsT7PXgRzVI81H6Bu4dpU2r0LZ_L9dkvpWhN5t1ctSxmM8k_Tg5Fytk6nnMvPK9ConQZ0/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMT4oR4X0RpQ0g3n0HK1Pl_tyP2Ss7kW6YOFu7SNvHZt669BV_cX7HNC1-a9UsjYMs6NqAbIsT7PXgRzVI81H6Bu4dpU2r0LZ_L9dkvpWhN5t1ctSxmM8k_Tg5Fytk6nnMvPK9ConQZ0/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one even had a cafe on top! Apparently they serve waffles...?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkEz_RYzs_KDx_jmMljWFlnruomsnd-_UlM8dlNUgJLS53uAOTS4Ao__JwUfFS19pek2nOyrI45s_Bn3PrxhNpetyDsQJsmNMJFu-2xbjGRMc5K1wxda772scvFd12Yc39XU38sheOQU/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkEz_RYzs_KDx_jmMljWFlnruomsnd-_UlM8dlNUgJLS53uAOTS4Ao__JwUfFS19pek2nOyrI45s_Bn3PrxhNpetyDsQJsmNMJFu-2xbjGRMc5K1wxda772scvFd12Yc39XU38sheOQU/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, seriously, idol shops EVERYWHERE. If you're a K-pop fan and find yourself in Tokyo, I'd recommend heading to 大久保通り for all your shopping needs.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MMDiwV1z5f-KbtwqkSVsh_M7TYZLGocTPPke5L6h-H5byNPrRc_VKdzcp4RNITBZw-toS2IROveTN39Sj8suOu0Q-DYaSAm7k1JJm7m8dF1_XkjGn3mFqSxBsqw0TLjUHiaB-Z8F9OY/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MMDiwV1z5f-KbtwqkSVsh_M7TYZLGocTPPke5L6h-H5byNPrRc_VKdzcp4RNITBZw-toS2IROveTN39Sj8suOu0Q-DYaSAm7k1JJm7m8dF1_XkjGn3mFqSxBsqw0TLjUHiaB-Z8F9OY/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KPEGDfviAzWX2X5lq41-OQA-zPQ68KM6JveACA5VxAI3ilXcmDo2eubj1JAHK41OM8pz_S_-bK4E3FGVF7kKT6wv5TkCrlg-IW7GYrnu3wQqBkoOCFut9hPcDsSZp8Nx_slUOOqr-mM/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KPEGDfviAzWX2X5lq41-OQA-zPQ68KM6JveACA5VxAI3ilXcmDo2eubj1JAHK41OM8pz_S_-bK4E3FGVF7kKT6wv5TkCrlg-IW7GYrnu3wQqBkoOCFut9hPcDsSZp8Nx_slUOOqr-mM/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We tried to find a family-run shop in the area, of which
there are plenty, but we couldn't find any that did an "all you can eat"
option (食べ放題), which would have best suited us since going out is
expensive and you get more value that way. As a result we ended up eating at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyu-Kaku" target="_blank">Gyu-Kaku</a>, but that was perfectly fine by me, because it was quite good! There are locations in the US, Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore, so if you have the opportunity to go, it's a pretty well-priced restaurant (at least it is in Japan... Which, now that I think about it, is probably pretty expensive by any other country's standards).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYjByviVkmYmGJoemgx9pUoR4UxiBCh_6JDSdBDjXsCoOGnSPRN6f1TUBBd-nYYrzku7rauGOgnlgj3aWZ2FJmiWqvRFIJ7ZLrZb5KuK4um_0TqIO85KL-xGnda5J_w2dAzH2au7xSsM/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYjByviVkmYmGJoemgx9pUoR4UxiBCh_6JDSdBDjXsCoOGnSPRN6f1TUBBd-nYYrzku7rauGOgnlgj3aWZ2FJmiWqvRFIJ7ZLrZb5KuK4um_0TqIO85KL-xGnda5J_w2dAzH2au7xSsM/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClXjiZEYfJYQkPvDPPfeaUZW__pe-13u0V9si2uxStRf36yinQHxlWmEMZHU3gldnFGIeZfgUc0HfMZAJk7MTzI3n9v0hYiShK6oIV__EnojPGPHzofWlqKCuuviIib1FXu61nWBG6SU/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClXjiZEYfJYQkPvDPPfeaUZW__pe-13u0V9si2uxStRf36yinQHxlWmEMZHU3gldnFGIeZfgUc0HfMZAJk7MTzI3n9v0hYiShK6oIV__EnojPGPHzofWlqKCuuviIib1FXu61nWBG6SU/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq_hwyL9nlrb4LltkfkwFcoPDENLSrr86THmFLCHG_O2rTjBz905vF-Z2-Gqi-g-LD-18p1YBTKOq7p4_k6pUCkgIc9cQyuI3AEjpY8saBsRbp_N7qGeySBsmLK30e90R5jb8892A77M/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq_hwyL9nlrb4LltkfkwFcoPDENLSrr86THmFLCHG_O2rTjBz905vF-Z2-Gqi-g-LD-18p1YBTKOq7p4_k6pUCkgIc9cQyuI3AEjpY8saBsRbp_N7qGeySBsmLK30e90R5jb8892A77M/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and I always take cute pictures together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ruiQOI6DrtCrTXyeqqbKd3Fje3hSR9GlzHJgiElWclHl_0x7kuSynS4rWP8LcjD4nYO16aS5ht3dmd_JvQM4C3NrjND_LvaxkBDjPoTpuQrN4MneEBIJR9TnO2NMiMX5adh0FE2SCyU/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ruiQOI6DrtCrTXyeqqbKd3Fje3hSR9GlzHJgiElWclHl_0x7kuSynS4rWP8LcjD4nYO16aS5ht3dmd_JvQM4C3NrjND_LvaxkBDjPoTpuQrN4MneEBIJR9TnO2NMiMX5adh0FE2SCyU/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So the cool thing about yakiniku is you cook the meat in a grill built into the table. It's so neat!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLOs-81g_7AhbGyuBrwRY3KsMm0Z8dGLVrRlwQy_2XAQHrd-0rZRaMteWWUV9Cm1SUY3djkxzRyTIIKea2obXnV_pyBFO2ZATRMQRI2L7JljIWDq5T5nnybUd2J907XkIuZ8_vzI26_s/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLOs-81g_7AhbGyuBrwRY3KsMm0Z8dGLVrRlwQy_2XAQHrd-0rZRaMteWWUV9Cm1SUY3djkxzRyTIIKea2obXnV_pyBFO2ZATRMQRI2L7JljIWDq5T5nnybUd2J907XkIuZ8_vzI26_s/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIdASP38ShC09lWpfT5nAYArmsLbVBrauIYUgXwlgjpdmHJZYMmtYHD91l5W22RVETDd0N6QpSO-E3ou-5jMsFZKAaVHyKzILuoEhDOyCDz5woQBXgyCph6e4NWwTzChUxFxPuSGPXHw/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIdASP38ShC09lWpfT5nAYArmsLbVBrauIYUgXwlgjpdmHJZYMmtYHD91l5W22RVETDd0N6QpSO-E3ou-5jMsFZKAaVHyKzILuoEhDOyCDz5woQBXgyCph6e4NWwTzChUxFxPuSGPXHw/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much meat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplBQvLGNKyGnOD3CM0Ey5vUjTOcjto146lMfiac3bhP1XeoNkYm2tkMUUMx5RCVy5MjY_XLEHamqW8bZxorsyKJhcuSwXTQDcYQM1MxVbJPkH1oXAhPO1epDnkR9fRjeq1Jr8HaDtoSI/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplBQvLGNKyGnOD3CM0Ey5vUjTOcjto146lMfiac3bhP1XeoNkYm2tkMUUMx5RCVy5MjY_XLEHamqW8bZxorsyKJhcuSwXTQDcYQM1MxVbJPkH1oXAhPO1epDnkR9fRjeq1Jr8HaDtoSI/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kimchi! <3</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIIVCnuoYo4T3UjLXhoJDUrKHIJR4Ys09vXC7qxmvjb6SXBWJAb-K9JpmTC3NcjzKfw_XWVSF_CJ3IG9Ju22gdWd3WBoEAiTdt_j9FBR3ijbgTFiO-zFrqvLX9TdTcWNBOdMsz51onYs/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIIVCnuoYo4T3UjLXhoJDUrKHIJR4Ys09vXC7qxmvjb6SXBWJAb-K9JpmTC3NcjzKfw_XWVSF_CJ3IG9Ju22gdWd3WBoEAiTdt_j9FBR3ijbgTFiO-zFrqvLX9TdTcWNBOdMsz51onYs/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvLM97J6ajjuA3gH2qotLItt-Fj3eEl0wVDthyphenhyphenmQLqkaKN32rcyetUyjJ2JgNjcN3aMk1_3kqQSclpUvGsbRPEPn6wxsbcDG7iLLyJwiVtC4lcuz_ucAwfFDVTP_GwXNyp3iWpADye5I/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvLM97J6ajjuA3gH2qotLItt-Fj3eEl0wVDthyphenhyphenmQLqkaKN32rcyetUyjJ2JgNjcN3aMk1_3kqQSclpUvGsbRPEPn6wxsbcDG7iLLyJwiVtC4lcuz_ucAwfFDVTP_GwXNyp3iWpADye5I/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XH2BD0rPJJZ9jueSELEV7iOdwXf9rY7CWg2YY5E1kHHwVI2blwonF0ZwEVR3dW75wmxbQYx7SPep5SzvLrYiwG97puTAnAdmMqmb6ef4ug3P-DAqZy5S2Al9NpqMHcVoEUUaehPVut4/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XH2BD0rPJJZ9jueSELEV7iOdwXf9rY7CWg2YY5E1kHHwVI2blwonF0ZwEVR3dW75wmxbQYx7SPep5SzvLrYiwG97puTAnAdmMqmb6ef4ug3P-DAqZy5S2Al9NpqMHcVoEUUaehPVut4/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have to keep a good watch on the grills because sometimes they get a little too hot. Also yes, those are whole cloves of garlic on the grill. It's a dish. It's delicious. (But everything had SO MUCH GARLIC that I swear I won't be able to eat garlic for the next month!)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisES3EjkGFDaK4izrpztxVjZgezb_fI5rHazOuwJelV5mGJSDBG2GHpX5JE27kunAouhjpnmOAw7hyo-0g2ksb6lICcavlBMB3uNMl8wvzyZFfDxWwiIjaggZ4Dt2MHU3J4SUHfUyNe1M/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisES3EjkGFDaK4izrpztxVjZgezb_fI5rHazOuwJelV5mGJSDBG2GHpX5JE27kunAouhjpnmOAw7hyo-0g2ksb6lICcavlBMB3uNMl8wvzyZFfDxWwiIjaggZ4Dt2MHU3J4SUHfUyNe1M/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GsQYwW0e_HmutCXGXjooMViYrHROiGXESvy014-SqtJumWncxWrDwDd6C6Hr-IQ8ya1XMoO4pNy_92gVO1gU59aA8zrXdtpl9lnG-6kQ-njbL8Iq8EQU5rm8scv2aJ-aU3epZUeAwbg/s1600/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GsQYwW0e_HmutCXGXjooMViYrHROiGXESvy014-SqtJumWncxWrDwDd6C6Hr-IQ8ya1XMoO4pNy_92gVO1gU59aA8zrXdtpl9lnG-6kQ-njbL8Iq8EQU5rm8scv2aJ-aU3epZUeAwbg/s320/Shin-Okubo+and+that+one+night+at+HUB+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finished off the meal with ice cream-filled cream puffs!</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_198273458"></span><span id="goog_198273459"></span>All in all, it was a really nice way to spend a Saturday night, and I really hope I'll get to do something fun like this next weekend before the pre-finals stress gets me too much!!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-73668168372752527202012-05-28T23:31:00.001+09:002012-06-19T17:49:06.669+09:00Day Trip to Kawagoe!<span id="goog_16253665"></span><span id="goog_16253666"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>It's been a while, and I'm very sorry about that. Rest assured that this break has been spent paying attention to homework and doing exciting things like going to the grocery store. Truly, I am living the life.<br />
<br />
I have a friend from home, Chris, who went on exchange to Tokyo in 2009, and he's been recommending places for day trips to me from time to time. I finally decided to take some of his advice and so on Saturday my friend Jack and I went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawagoe,_Saitama" target="_blank">Kawagoe</a> for the day!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Kawagoe is roughly an hour and a half from our dorm, out in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saitama_Prefecture" target="_blank">Saitama Prefecture</a>. It's also called 小江戸 (Little Edo), thanks to its well-preserved district of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_jidai" target="_blank">Edo Period</a> warehouses and buildings. There's also an alley filled with old-fashioned sweet shops!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjextD9MkwkUZwWtb-OoZSD17s8j8sp5WjzrK3I7eUm_2E5HnZQ54HcM-BXbeKRRwigc7m4Sw_MQPicRA5APwJfvqeN14Jr2a8ql4FJdUekTsCTbfdarti6spfg1p33n7GAynaZo1BtFgc/s1600/IMG_0336%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjextD9MkwkUZwWtb-OoZSD17s8j8sp5WjzrK3I7eUm_2E5HnZQ54HcM-BXbeKRRwigc7m4Sw_MQPicRA5APwJfvqeN14Jr2a8ql4FJdUekTsCTbfdarti6spfg1p33n7GAynaZo1BtFgc/s320/IMG_0336%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What an adorable friendship!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Welcome to Little Edo, Kawagoe"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old-style home</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These wildflowers were growing in an empty lot! There were more varieties but I was too short to see over these flowers. D:</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We walked all over the city, rather than take a bus, so we relied a lot on these tourism signs and the tourist map we picked up in the train station.</td></tr>
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Our first stop in Kawagoe was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kita-in" target="_blank">Kita-in</a>, a temple famous for its main hall, which was a part of the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_Castle" target="_blank">Edo Castle</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">泥棒橋 (Thief's Bridge), one of the side entrances to Kita-in</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of the main hall, formerly a building of the original Edo Castle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People could come pray for safety in traffic at this small shrine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the remaining building of Edo Castle. There was a portion sectioned off from the temple that you could tour and learn about the castle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A VERY old cemetery.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vluHfZm9gqx4OIOS4NxcZ2QiTrKVRXfzJsc0TUxSZ-49N-i6GkJgigJuUvepU-fJMIur45UnNMDq4UI8alwAXIAlHVkB7jF5E0B2tdo3PIV4UxlAX1zmHGi4itTkCDVzfa3K0pZyvKk/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vluHfZm9gqx4OIOS4NxcZ2QiTrKVRXfzJsc0TUxSZ-49N-i6GkJgigJuUvepU-fJMIur45UnNMDq4UI8alwAXIAlHVkB7jF5E0B2tdo3PIV4UxlAX1zmHGi4itTkCDVzfa3K0pZyvKk/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were small food stands at the temple. Jack got sweet potato sticks, as Kawagoe is famous for sweet potatoes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGiAm6Pd87-2kLtPiGmNaW6t3_CH8TYl8pVja8HKRPxKBJCF8cXwznZDQwmKXCnJO_lCBCo5LBYDpyTePWjvRXBRrr8bWLLH-IVv1aJKQFxV8E-UZQwSjRMGK5CFDxB9Dh7-mN9RB6xw/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGiAm6Pd87-2kLtPiGmNaW6t3_CH8TYl8pVja8HKRPxKBJCF8cXwznZDQwmKXCnJO_lCBCo5LBYDpyTePWjvRXBRrr8bWLLH-IVv1aJKQFxV8E-UZQwSjRMGK5CFDxB9Dh7-mN9RB6xw/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+047.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stole one or two. :)</td></tr>
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After Kita-in, we headed toward the Warehouse District, where the majority of the remaining Edo Period buildings are. There is a street with small shops filled with a lot of what you'd probably consider touristy goods, but they were definitely products of good quality and I even got myself a nice <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento_box" target="_blank">bento box</a> that can be microwaved AND put in the dishwasher. We're getting really fancy up here!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8UAvklZxqkhBIVnu9L4NiRD3df5WzVU7x0OJbFCojJe-0iwGlp0MQEHdo1Fg3Jk2BONZfQERlyFmGLhbHrwgNKaPN-jkyQwrvYGLKqtE43D4_d-DdjpX4E9ZLa_XXEUfsNDS59eNdrA/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8UAvklZxqkhBIVnu9L4NiRD3df5WzVU7x0OJbFCojJe-0iwGlp0MQEHdo1Fg3Jk2BONZfQERlyFmGLhbHrwgNKaPN-jkyQwrvYGLKqtE43D4_d-DdjpX4E9ZLa_XXEUfsNDS59eNdrA/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These buildings are from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dwa_period" target="_blank">Showa Period</a>, so considerably newer than the Edo Period buildings, but equally interesting!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7sPvP5hR-W8YLvmAb_U8fXlFNhpqWM5U-HEy5Z31iAW72hdO6-qQVFDg3pQSAm8M1Pw2Z9awE5spr1IAnY37jMlemXleVTDBlVH1kqPLHJcS5tO66sg5kguCfLl8a8zerT_Q5sRUvBs/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7sPvP5hR-W8YLvmAb_U8fXlFNhpqWM5U-HEy5Z31iAW72hdO6-qQVFDg3pQSAm8M1Pw2Z9awE5spr1IAnY37jMlemXleVTDBlVH1kqPLHJcS5tO66sg5kguCfLl8a8zerT_Q5sRUvBs/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+060.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to Edo-style architecture!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBM_x3UWhyvwdschLCGCYWFx5gM-q55o6O-loMILcyGdsI8LV6sNYfLqptCLXrriKZ8GEM4FvzUqlrcdAI0-mjJ0PpjJTaoj_hD2lDukarZ7eccW2M0J3vZlzKrLLp6K6cfiHJHXDcJ0/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBM_x3UWhyvwdschLCGCYWFx5gM-q55o6O-loMILcyGdsI8LV6sNYfLqptCLXrriKZ8GEM4FvzUqlrcdAI0-mjJ0PpjJTaoj_hD2lDukarZ7eccW2M0J3vZlzKrLLp6K6cfiHJHXDcJ0/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+072.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's pretty common to find rickshaw businesses in tourist areas in Japan -- there were many in Kyoto and Nara, and the guys who run them are pretty interesting characters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRtpxJGJjF7LuuEyGUpEub46LVHMKrVnKSnMkd4wWvqC9PuexNm-43hKEa6-3aLIH45BzrMSpWjeM8EJp4KOkWMSieVqX6n6svM9ZGS_ur6WQijd-nCNKKv2sPZgypP3vADSV6rTH5xQ/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRtpxJGJjF7LuuEyGUpEub46LVHMKrVnKSnMkd4wWvqC9PuexNm-43hKEa6-3aLIH45BzrMSpWjeM8EJp4KOkWMSieVqX6n6svM9ZGS_ur6WQijd-nCNKKv2sPZgypP3vADSV6rTH5xQ/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+073.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bell tower!</td></tr>
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So Kawagoe is famous for sweet potatoes, and Japan LOVES its soft-serve ice cream, so what better than purple sweet potato ice cream? Jack and I stopped by one of the local ice cream shops to try some out!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq64ZLnCPrE37djSdpmCiTLRo9I5_MB5EMxVWFz_20gaa4Dvt1agUQxk3ptiqjX2_3ZAa1PA81kk-mqvjtUR8s-4lbBSz1GZkQa52zhFH2XJPITmTxKJBL3YdZszpS4aCtIVS7o49k29E/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq64ZLnCPrE37djSdpmCiTLRo9I5_MB5EMxVWFz_20gaa4Dvt1agUQxk3ptiqjX2_3ZAa1PA81kk-mqvjtUR8s-4lbBSz1GZkQa52zhFH2XJPITmTxKJBL3YdZszpS4aCtIVS7o49k29E/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+077.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was surprisingly good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay so apparently <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jung_Yong_Hwa" target="_blank">Yong Hwa</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_Blue" target="_blank">CN Blue</a> and <span id="goog_16253632"></span><span id="goog_16253633"></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seohyun" target="_blank">Seohyun</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNSD" target="_blank">Girls' Generation</a> ordered ice cream here and the the ladies who run the place were so excited about that they posted this note outside of their shop, so that's nice.</td></tr>
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After our brief ice cream break, we headed towards 菓子屋横丁, or Candy Alley, to pick up some sweets. 菓子屋横丁 used to be a neighborhood filled with confectioneries, but it's now down to a small alley of about 20 shops. In 1923 菓子屋横丁 supplied candy for the entire nation after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_Great_Kant%C5%8D_earthquake" target="_blank">Great Kanto Earthquake</a> -- pretty impressive for a single city!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shop had misters built into the roof. Pretty clever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese-filled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiyaki" target="_blank">taiyaki</a>!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious!</td></tr>
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We weren't allowed to take photos of the candy in the store, so I took some photos of the candy I bought once I got home. It's absolutely beautiful!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small candies with flowers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large candies with flowers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVb52bi2LY6cdQ1lkGEUIASabE3JsEaKYSZA0AbN5VSpOOQWq9wg2tmK4kLTXv_NYIJJ-5rVQEbTe0Ek7OBfv1pzFBHgpXKFeb2LafzK_EoYakKJ9AvQ42dTadP352oJBvKaUbr-JHW3s/s1600/Kawagoe+Trip+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVb52bi2LY6cdQ1lkGEUIASabE3JsEaKYSZA0AbN5VSpOOQWq9wg2tmK4kLTXv_NYIJJ-5rVQEbTe0Ek7OBfv1pzFBHgpXKFeb2LafzK_EoYakKJ9AvQ42dTadP352oJBvKaUbr-JHW3s/s320/Kawagoe+Trip+106.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are hilarious. It's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_kitty" target="_blank">Hello Kitty</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamtaro" target="_blank">Hamtaro</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anpanman" target="_blank">Anpanman</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikachu" target="_blank">Pikachu</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keroppi#Keroppi" target="_blank">Keroppi</a>. </td></tr>
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Overall, it was a fantastic, if not completely exhausting, day. I hope to be taking more day trips while I'm here (only 57 days left, unbelievably enough), though I'm very much looking forward to taking it easy next weekend!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-80079485863892548752012-05-08T23:29:00.000+09:002012-06-19T17:48:54.260+09:00Golden Week, or That Time I Went to an Anti-Nuclear Power ProtestSorry for the delay! This week has been really busy, and it's still only Tuesday! There isn't much going on here, really, except homework and room repairs. My water heater broke (again) last week, and right after that got sorted out, my bathroom decided that it would be really cool if it would flood completely after using the shower or sink for only 30 seconds. It's great. I meant to talk to my dorm head today about that, but I was so drained after class that I just came home and crashed, then did homework until 10:00 PM. I'll talk to him after class tomorrow. I'm home earlier, anyway, so there will be more time to take care of it in case it's a major problem. Yaaaaaaay.<br />
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Last week was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_%28Japan%29" target="_blank">Golden Week</a>, so we had all week off from school. I didn't do much for the first part of GW except for homework and knitting, which was nice and relaxing, but my friend Jenny came to stay with me for the second half of vacation, and that was lots of fun! On Friday we decided to explore <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okachimachi_Station" target="_blank">Okachimachi</a>, particularly <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3012.html" target="_blank">Ameyoko</a>, which used to be the big black market in Tokyo during World War II and the American occupation until around 1953.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Ameyoko is a pretty typical outdoor market, even though there aren't many left in the Tokyo area. There's no haggling; Japan doesn't really haggle from what I've seen, and most of the goods are pretty reasonably priced as it is. There were a lot of really interesting-looking shops; I wish I could've taken pictures of all of them but it was quite crowded!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Okachimachi station.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHV7oUKMvELWhIlqlrFD06fFL_oH9c_oNoFjNL4frS4N-h2L8gj_vg4SXKRP4107VQ0osKznEZpI5dw3QNFd0r7088zc1i_GWL_HdQQS3e7lOhkedO3QX1ntrL3cBivRyCH-_wPCZGAK0/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHV7oUKMvELWhIlqlrFD06fFL_oH9c_oNoFjNL4frS4N-h2L8gj_vg4SXKRP4107VQ0osKznEZpI5dw3QNFd0r7088zc1i_GWL_HdQQS3e7lOhkedO3QX1ntrL3cBivRyCH-_wPCZGAK0/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey Jenny! How's it going??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4Ti5i8UTcKkb-Hb1k_ucuv4s9uoX6ENLCSbt32MU8nRtjhei3T5v934ZXKNTqe9Ts90dGBwrAvS6w-RsIY8j1VVWN-7mi54NdX7Jq_GkS91S_f5lkdRnmJIbjyiXRkLXJNup8aaJWSg/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4Ti5i8UTcKkb-Hb1k_ucuv4s9uoX6ENLCSbt32MU8nRtjhei3T5v934ZXKNTqe9Ts90dGBwrAvS6w-RsIY8j1VVWN-7mi54NdX7Jq_GkS91S_f5lkdRnmJIbjyiXRkLXJNup8aaJWSg/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFVQlbCHfQjUGBq8VzAPgaHg8f1uxHUC6anfPePPwZ553gfG_cU3mS8nO8NpIjYs_Bo0o7yxG8BeqxDHIP-NXIXrjSniE6Sn5AM7inTRbJIonkIf_IFHqg7uHCayBTN5c0KZP4LuXblg/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFVQlbCHfQjUGBq8VzAPgaHg8f1uxHUC6anfPePPwZ553gfG_cU3mS8nO8NpIjYs_Bo0o7yxG8BeqxDHIP-NXIXrjSniE6Sn5AM7inTRbJIonkIf_IFHqg7uHCayBTN5c0KZP4LuXblg/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So this store was selling military supplies for a variety of countries?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRT-tE35EpCUBxDRKleP45hTsYu2DNgVFGM7xR5-B5Xf062MaNpPDssm0z4f1EsMIUSKZw3P2T9pCY8C6Wdk_94Me_Zi5L94hLfELrHhrMF6X5sZhsxMVtPXVaUnnL3zplrR6r9HbB6Vg/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRT-tE35EpCUBxDRKleP45hTsYu2DNgVFGM7xR5-B5Xf062MaNpPDssm0z4f1EsMIUSKZw3P2T9pCY8C6Wdk_94Me_Zi5L94hLfELrHhrMF6X5sZhsxMVtPXVaUnnL3zplrR6r9HbB6Vg/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I'm not sure if they were real or fake?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZA0-e8WL4lHI-o9DpbOJTOYn5qykHBqzR7hFKqZ33sxlnOows1mUpG2_Ge1UlK7PUENDAlKrj7miEPs8cmGniQHpFfhT08LhCL34w07MkzEdlnPlhePySz78tzZnYEjf_majXcC1_R8/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZA0-e8WL4lHI-o9DpbOJTOYn5qykHBqzR7hFKqZ33sxlnOows1mUpG2_Ge1UlK7PUENDAlKrj7miEPs8cmGniQHpFfhT08LhCL34w07MkzEdlnPlhePySz78tzZnYEjf_majXcC1_R8/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPJiFQ1RyMDq_lRL3l1uL2roMS95xecpNtTHjK5wg-rF7BmBk98KR2nMI0wnjXEqeUotlabM5yIlY5cpGOfVsRZiIFV9rYObtdaATnsAU2ERlyHHBJ2wvMa3NEnsYII8Cxm7BGSgHQWk/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPJiFQ1RyMDq_lRL3l1uL2roMS95xecpNtTHjK5wg-rF7BmBk98KR2nMI0wnjXEqeUotlabM5yIlY5cpGOfVsRZiIFV9rYObtdaATnsAU2ERlyHHBJ2wvMa3NEnsYII8Cxm7BGSgHQWk/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doner kebab!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq4tNUGSNecHqSjtQaCOwH8r0Wuc0L1lTg1Tjjuu-i-l_9yAFVcDcpU0k8M4qwL8AQKO9KPip-finDNcA5WO-smDGXFYaaowmdbx95ra17J0MyGx171O6MeeiHo64KcBvm3d564v_NmU/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGq4tNUGSNecHqSjtQaCOwH8r0Wuc0L1lTg1Tjjuu-i-l_9yAFVcDcpU0k8M4qwL8AQKO9KPip-finDNcA5WO-smDGXFYaaowmdbx95ra17J0MyGx171O6MeeiHo64KcBvm3d564v_NmU/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DELICIOUS!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy55tuuqifAYJeySDBgLGe7wMMEpFsq9mCyQBj2w3aKr4rN0PVvdUk3k_WRXyWd6TbeTDELig7UVW02scqS9rAE9wDskUAiEv_o3SIZcRgUFxRKFrbwIGTQp1KkSas4DelFEJsOIp547A/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy55tuuqifAYJeySDBgLGe7wMMEpFsq9mCyQBj2w3aKr4rN0PVvdUk3k_WRXyWd6TbeTDELig7UVW02scqS9rAE9wDskUAiEv_o3SIZcRgUFxRKFrbwIGTQp1KkSas4DelFEJsOIp547A/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After visiting Ameyoko, we moved on to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ueno_park" target="_blank">Ueno Park</a> to do some exploring, since it was right nearby.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtujslwzmEOveSYxVDf8_Zps5ZHezp6UWlCwoJB6zX8oOouItVmdyg8s4jBLsuWFZUgSo3uPcGtQ7eyD22kKr8MI2wMsJWwedqUm4sn0abdF-sYndmXhyVK0-CKMlIbWANklgim_4VBY/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtujslwzmEOveSYxVDf8_Zps5ZHezp6UWlCwoJB6zX8oOouItVmdyg8s4jBLsuWFZUgSo3uPcGtQ7eyD22kKr8MI2wMsJWwedqUm4sn0abdF-sYndmXhyVK0-CKMlIbWANklgim_4VBY/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaARm4LY_9LLvZ-FxgNKhM0xBm5Uw3JhKCk7K5l3JvR1yTAlHWIu1Mrj0NM22uN2XLl1H6dOtnyGemIEsbKbHpk-RLmdgFDBm6CmIYht2KRs8GWH2EEZJyARyjBZZ_7dKeo5Yhwwy_TBo/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaARm4LY_9LLvZ-FxgNKhM0xBm5Uw3JhKCk7K5l3JvR1yTAlHWIu1Mrj0NM22uN2XLl1H6dOtnyGemIEsbKbHpk-RLmdgFDBm6CmIYht2KRs8GWH2EEZJyARyjBZZ_7dKeo5Yhwwy_TBo/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were food stands lined up in front of this temple!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsTgpjVmI3zLRdRHRpELaA38bC6ySdS7NKKdoTh_mHiAwRwy4JK_x6Te8tFYCqU5zbiCFpVm-i2SBsLxinbQTD2UBFFOQSqwez-b2ihKSxVCrGpl13nKN6LfC94uL0tOW-9bzQPDT4Bg/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsTgpjVmI3zLRdRHRpELaA38bC6ySdS7NKKdoTh_mHiAwRwy4JK_x6Te8tFYCqU5zbiCFpVm-i2SBsLxinbQTD2UBFFOQSqwez-b2ihKSxVCrGpl13nKN6LfC94uL0tOW-9bzQPDT4Bg/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZkhU1iUuRvy0Brk8W08WPzTOH2pNuMoDebkprztuXKoIjYfAnlmov0L_OCRGzdr08SmWfgde47T_iQYzzTMpxnVUKmx27F0LWMgVlgKtPFlKrI_LTnADJTMjI7Pow3TEjGH0UJH4gkE/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZkhU1iUuRvy0Brk8W08WPzTOH2pNuMoDebkprztuXKoIjYfAnlmov0L_OCRGzdr08SmWfgde47T_iQYzzTMpxnVUKmx27F0LWMgVlgKtPFlKrI_LTnADJTMjI7Pow3TEjGH0UJH4gkE/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0U20Pc2X8sjUyAqN1vV4lT3Si17efA6yrruxH1kgvkVXy8YibwM4K9rayNjpWgX7FEgsU0x9hZzxTUh8yPpQumz7FAtDokpBhZFwwfAJYXl860QWotgHSOXtIqKYfEsmWCGSNiceuVE/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0U20Pc2X8sjUyAqN1vV4lT3Si17efA6yrruxH1kgvkVXy8YibwM4K9rayNjpWgX7FEgsU0x9hZzxTUh8yPpQumz7FAtDokpBhZFwwfAJYXl860QWotgHSOXtIqKYfEsmWCGSNiceuVE/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWF8BlM9NSzQMSaktQc1kUIidoMup6eYh4BuEoZFQttvNxHGfWsRky2hl1B6bCMPhEFTthr34GbhewxV6eJTR8amWyNM8NiYU4yfVYeWhgGeHJHJNTDhsdF5LMHVRcc1orVLWdB2S5Es/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWF8BlM9NSzQMSaktQc1kUIidoMup6eYh4BuEoZFQttvNxHGfWsRky2hl1B6bCMPhEFTthr34GbhewxV6eJTR8amWyNM8NiYU4yfVYeWhgGeHJHJNTDhsdF5LMHVRcc1orVLWdB2S5Es/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate dipped bananas! I wanted one BADLY, but I decided to hold out for some soft-serve.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkC_gz2GV2htFVuAiU9YeUN-33d_XrDJB-7sbrHecHqrw_7CThEQFVBgM7RkVngah2lLPYMuhk6qJfscnMcQyNeHrVxnWQ9mi6m4LsVI6bY1wjms-B6fK_v_H72ZBgQwRQrHd2uCmLwA/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkC_gz2GV2htFVuAiU9YeUN-33d_XrDJB-7sbrHecHqrw_7CThEQFVBgM7RkVngah2lLPYMuhk6qJfscnMcQyNeHrVxnWQ9mi6m4LsVI6bY1wjms-B6fK_v_H72ZBgQwRQrHd2uCmLwA/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakisoba" target="_blank">Yakisoba</a>! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0Ftho7r7utOOYoBTTtQOONJrRDqMfn50UZBUvDpnb0wwX1M6Tmu9xSSIcyVdf3anO0GtLH5i3SeKORFmH3UDhvVZn-Tr5X9AdvtGHZ_gSRzdMw2deYPeoPUHb-tYiwaEvsbuZMnvPE0/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0Ftho7r7utOOYoBTTtQOONJrRDqMfn50UZBUvDpnb0wwX1M6Tmu9xSSIcyVdf3anO0GtLH5i3SeKORFmH3UDhvVZn-Tr5X9AdvtGHZ_gSRzdMw2deYPeoPUHb-tYiwaEvsbuZMnvPE0/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakigori" target="_blank">Kakigori</a>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhts6wkOB2Hr9hv6Zefu9mey88XVSvhEzO6RxejLeHtSeEtY7IvL_perpymWoFOC3peYdb599KVxUKGxRtpjjFegBhCKge4D8H1DF8D4xS88kcP2NOk5f6iWHlzuK9KyIhHTqydDhI7Gas/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhts6wkOB2Hr9hv6Zefu9mey88XVSvhEzO6RxejLeHtSeEtY7IvL_perpymWoFOC3peYdb599KVxUKGxRtpjjFegBhCKge4D8H1DF8D4xS88kcP2NOk5f6iWHlzuK9KyIhHTqydDhI7Gas/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+033.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry blossom ice cream! It was actually pale pink, but you can't tell with the flash.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGQMI0UUwUa2Q2DKwj1rVnqWQy_p2U0GE51smuXotZcc7UwjRZrI0xqsT-H2o-FWwG3Uc8dDv8flONX8ck0f3qYla1oHs_EFpGYh1Zi7XQ6NGTPrDaI56UKTTiH7pcaaAOdR5nIM3u8Y/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGQMI0UUwUa2Q2DKwj1rVnqWQy_p2U0GE51smuXotZcc7UwjRZrI0xqsT-H2o-FWwG3Uc8dDv8flONX8ck0f3qYla1oHs_EFpGYh1Zi7XQ6NGTPrDaI56UKTTiH7pcaaAOdR5nIM3u8Y/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100% of Jennys agree: delicious!</td></tr>
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Then, later that night, we met up with our friends Inga, Makoto, Jack, Daniel, and Victor to go out for pizza (at a California Pizza Kitchen! My first time having American pizza in FAR too long), followed by a quick trip to the local <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen" target="_blank">onsen</a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-qqkKxS00_mgS4P6SewUiHCmK7rqTFMrpNEgcHZjY_DfecSOMXm7mZhlOyueU8rZcA7NlzwMxfE1S278FWmoe415qENpErNGGlvZrn5_CNnxMEL_nynC-s-YYGTM70uENMoYfowBjB4/s1600/577391_10150892641234744_551679743_11798337_2090546025_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-qqkKxS00_mgS4P6SewUiHCmK7rqTFMrpNEgcHZjY_DfecSOMXm7mZhlOyueU8rZcA7NlzwMxfE1S278FWmoe415qENpErNGGlvZrn5_CNnxMEL_nynC-s-YYGTM70uENMoYfowBjB4/s320/577391_10150892641234744_551679743_11798337_2090546025_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real American pizza! I can't even be upset it's from CPK.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOiNsABPPuTmF-2TMtBftntePVmvNO_MefGA-lm5gfp1J3BzlVbihCL8qjHQsUMr6oo6KCztJD-p_XoGE-5XQ0ILcZbyxyioaHkH2FHxfAczVn3V9RTF4_ujsx2zfluzFIbxQrYxFHMw/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOiNsABPPuTmF-2TMtBftntePVmvNO_MefGA-lm5gfp1J3BzlVbihCL8qjHQsUMr6oo6KCztJD-p_XoGE-5XQ0ILcZbyxyioaHkH2FHxfAczVn3V9RTF4_ujsx2zfluzFIbxQrYxFHMw/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victor and Dan at the restaurant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWeW1v72PXF8YRWN8F422zNjvEFdeAHY38gwyz1_43ghIqcQ8kgL1xELl8rtTiS_QWOfaSB6tlOhtF0wWsxcsazZ5AhvfDtfDgYvJMkS7Tta5aTtFTXctfLhJtTvvDTnaeHFb5KLJiAs/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWeW1v72PXF8YRWN8F422zNjvEFdeAHY38gwyz1_43ghIqcQ8kgL1xELl8rtTiS_QWOfaSB6tlOhtF0wWsxcsazZ5AhvfDtfDgYvJMkS7Tta5aTtFTXctfLhJtTvvDTnaeHFb5KLJiAs/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out after taking our baths.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNl4LuX9D72JYlDGmti9ZcAU2P7SedgHNvOljheEiwnfZfEx7dWvmsbzKv2yEptJUZ-SNULH8P9KtzOe0NoMIWyuE7imD7F-5XLiWe6SNzgwYpmtRsoX8U3NkuQyyEHv5YJr25DwUOuQ/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNl4LuX9D72JYlDGmti9ZcAU2P7SedgHNvOljheEiwnfZfEx7dWvmsbzKv2yEptJUZ-SNULH8P9KtzOe0NoMIWyuE7imD7F-5XLiWe6SNzgwYpmtRsoX8U3NkuQyyEHv5YJr25DwUOuQ/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're so pretty~~</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxasxuzBTNXW_27OeMNOEQO2aMGaAdnVhnAvzFEzHhxn5S32cxc9dGTUd2gCtI5rS6nL_0X2g012xDbqFfzcT6EndPP8eZ67FpsAiDI1qvAqRADX5acOy9Dz21r5Sow0y3VBfaKTsVnM/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxasxuzBTNXW_27OeMNOEQO2aMGaAdnVhnAvzFEzHhxn5S32cxc9dGTUd2gCtI5rS6nL_0X2g012xDbqFfzcT6EndPP8eZ67FpsAiDI1qvAqRADX5acOy9Dz21r5Sow0y3VBfaKTsVnM/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My second ice cream of the night. No regrets.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPesapVdrPoH6_f2EXgXYRxmtogbRsFMvS60ZxP0Bos44D7PflDWOxymXf4DOWA7yQpVMN6caOCtppUlHfP0iKUMbRabLcmlR0LLYg9Qo5Utn400zAplsRrS63SBkCP7kjTyqeGwUSRvc/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPesapVdrPoH6_f2EXgXYRxmtogbRsFMvS60ZxP0Bos44D7PflDWOxymXf4DOWA7yQpVMN6caOCtppUlHfP0iKUMbRabLcmlR0LLYg9Qo5Utn400zAplsRrS63SBkCP7kjTyqeGwUSRvc/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack, looking attractive.</td></tr>
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The next afternoon, I was off to an anti-nuclear power demonstration as a part of my class on Buddhism and current social issues affecting Japan. We marched with some monks from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nipponzan_Myohoji" target="_blank">Nipponzan Myohoji</a> sect. I personally don't think going off nuclear power is a good idea for Japan, so I didn't carry a sign or chant, but I definitely understand why a lot of Japanese people are very concerned and want to get as far away from nuclear power as they can. Plus it was really neat to see how protests in Japan work.</div>
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Before the demonstration began, we killed some time visiting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zojoji" target="_blank">Zojoji</a>, which is one of the temples where my professor works, so he gave us a personalized tour! It was quite neat.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWn95P4iwAsbD4c1DGT9JbyzjhoWE11QN-SopxNREz5lOJgShJM4MkQGNK1n61TrG4c4hnCt2LCYM2TIKKlRX5v5vrApMVXFbbT9qTHtpDXSeEVbR8BETGz3WvcGvLZxvXE-DhI5rl5A/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWn95P4iwAsbD4c1DGT9JbyzjhoWE11QN-SopxNREz5lOJgShJM4MkQGNK1n61TrG4c4hnCt2LCYM2TIKKlRX5v5vrApMVXFbbT9qTHtpDXSeEVbR8BETGz3WvcGvLZxvXE-DhI5rl5A/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate. Aside from the Grant Pine, this is the only part of the main temple that survived the firebombing of Tokyo, apparently.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzAbXTKBNYSqZUoXtMPHvny3s5KcUfqd1QPEQPtiJSflsgrDY5IFYX18nBBknOid7HgCmbkh8NsaG2cwQSkAjvepQUaROwU5OLLAdfnpIuyULE4V8oJ2dS8ab3uonLOPW-fzRoBDWPPY/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzAbXTKBNYSqZUoXtMPHvny3s5KcUfqd1QPEQPtiJSflsgrDY5IFYX18nBBknOid7HgCmbkh8NsaG2cwQSkAjvepQUaROwU5OLLAdfnpIuyULE4V8oJ2dS8ab3uonLOPW-fzRoBDWPPY/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+050.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grant Pine. So-named because it was apparently a gift from Ulysses S. Grant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOAOS-Yx5lAlf5yFJNKfTJxmTGIakbStksEV5WAZjHxSNCzHA8GzpfM8z67Fs2iiA7cGQQb63cjTaIJB3vEn78fEzJITembeF9cmSfhB-sUgEnkdpYFZYn_Rk9oAwh_9knZzRLaC3OzM/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOAOS-Yx5lAlf5yFJNKfTJxmTGIakbStksEV5WAZjHxSNCzHA8GzpfM8z67Fs2iiA7cGQQb63cjTaIJB3vEn78fEzJITembeF9cmSfhB-sUgEnkdpYFZYn_Rk9oAwh_9knZzRLaC3OzM/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tokyo tower is right behind Zojoji, so it makes for an interesting shot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKAs6-Wwexdu5j7r7XsC-Aj5YBo2Db8apnW7oSLhZ24-Q7vGc1Ow_z7sIBsZw9KVSQAi-DitbDmQW7uVoYr4AHKp-7-IKR7eXplq1_HJjw4dFC0NhrVCkMgTNmUFd939S7nU9C8a0tzw/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKAs6-Wwexdu5j7r7XsC-Aj5YBo2Db8apnW7oSLhZ24-Q7vGc1Ow_z7sIBsZw9KVSQAi-DitbDmQW7uVoYr4AHKp-7-IKR7eXplq1_HJjw4dFC0NhrVCkMgTNmUFd939S7nU9C8a0tzw/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 5 was also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Day_%28Japan%29" target="_blank">Children's Day</a>, so the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koinobori" target="_blank">koinobori</a> were flying.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUY5_-N0Ac0ug_0wourhyphenhyphenwXYhCUy10srTudMIygruO0e0SSC4Ehx7st7GjRKlOdxgr_4Mnl5Tgij9-KW48Dl8DtCJN1p8cVa9WOR-EhjAITgnAE0cC8SQ2tstVWp4oawDf1M512t7fj8/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUY5_-N0Ac0ug_0wourhyphenhyphenwXYhCUy10srTudMIygruO0e0SSC4Ehx7st7GjRKlOdxgr_4Mnl5Tgij9-KW48Dl8DtCJN1p8cVa9WOR-EhjAITgnAE0cC8SQ2tstVWp4oawDf1M512t7fj8/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jizou were decorated for the holiday too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPoL-V2MOnwZsI6cDThMUsVlSu5NRoVqhbA6lUr8pj-tnMUuiqq-qnU4o1-OFQwX-lj4W8ojqd_R5eotEoWtLtE9FGNLoIiVnefOSTZv6H7hbyUxiv0D2AouqekH8i1O4BXHo7YdjcNg/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPoL-V2MOnwZsI6cDThMUsVlSu5NRoVqhbA6lUr8pj-tnMUuiqq-qnU4o1-OFQwX-lj4W8ojqd_R5eotEoWtLtE9FGNLoIiVnefOSTZv6H7hbyUxiv0D2AouqekH8i1O4BXHo7YdjcNg/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think they look a little happy. :)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK7UonZdzH57hjFz4Fcw0_QwxS_NH_tq84WoyT2Nh65jpFvRWEflDCgcRYv9VX4riTyALtaH9ryIyeOh61HfYUO11YZSC_nYa2_et7ztJ1LqrpB4Vc81Y9mMfo5EocI1i7mCq3mHACSM/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK7UonZdzH57hjFz4Fcw0_QwxS_NH_tq84WoyT2Nh65jpFvRWEflDCgcRYv9VX4riTyALtaH9ryIyeOh61HfYUO11YZSC_nYa2_et7ztJ1LqrpB4Vc81Y9mMfo5EocI1i7mCq3mHACSM/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+064.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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After visiting Zojoji, we headed to Shibakoen, the park where the demonstration was to gather before marching. We listened to some speeches and asked our professor questions. We also stood in the shade because it was really hot!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDTQd9GZ6kBr2o2s_7MOpmKGZysC9B_P6x77tFCOXXDO_LDZkmyEhVyI0TfivjhnWAsw8DwiJdV9ydPrd-Mp1EZF654ci9-gdjQ_Ulfm2L0_-FhK9CCDTZFxY8eZBdgl_DwscqY10TrY/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDTQd9GZ6kBr2o2s_7MOpmKGZysC9B_P6x77tFCOXXDO_LDZkmyEhVyI0TfivjhnWAsw8DwiJdV9ydPrd-Mp1EZF654ci9-gdjQ_Ulfm2L0_-FhK9CCDTZFxY8eZBdgl_DwscqY10TrY/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyoku_dantai" target="_blank">Uyoku dantai</a>! They were not pleased about the protest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn_qSP_el5Nu42aFZL5xwFSsDW-BR46ehrlIHwN18tIE6Rooeo0opTDBhbxW5sCNLJyqvKabNAj3PLkozBiaVXAKx5333JC4i6JJ9gfjjRrYpxx6gku_vxxhcV7BGEM1wQwbi0y_Pg3w/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFn_qSP_el5Nu42aFZL5xwFSsDW-BR46ehrlIHwN18tIE6Rooeo0opTDBhbxW5sCNLJyqvKabNAj3PLkozBiaVXAKx5333JC4i6JJ9gfjjRrYpxx6gku_vxxhcV7BGEM1wQwbi0y_Pg3w/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The police kept them in check, though!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuYQ25m5IuXIPppCic8L48LawVEmjD1HD3ZMDU8prJMnf06nroDM8xyKdJD2kLzVGaTTGS1l7PVQvIklOMpoTx-O0kbLvgprLFnrt4-vPocUt2BBqS5CMVHq94dMSwqVbo7sIAAlw6sA/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuYQ25m5IuXIPppCic8L48LawVEmjD1HD3ZMDU8prJMnf06nroDM8xyKdJD2kLzVGaTTGS1l7PVQvIklOMpoTx-O0kbLvgprLFnrt4-vPocUt2BBqS5CMVHq94dMSwqVbo7sIAAlw6sA/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of workers' groups showed up. These people work at a co-op that gets most of its produce from farmers in the Fukushima area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsqRuKB2a_ap7_5UEWp5dFfCMeNVdvhmgPbVrgY8PHBfUCx9acrFdZA60jwnRtbkIfL2K9GS5pZmtRhdoGNl-q7baqPzWxcxqsJ5WPleFVWm2bW0xlaNf4glBksGZBWuHq8DweumAToE/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsqRuKB2a_ap7_5UEWp5dFfCMeNVdvhmgPbVrgY8PHBfUCx9acrFdZA60jwnRtbkIfL2K9GS5pZmtRhdoGNl-q7baqPzWxcxqsJ5WPleFVWm2bW0xlaNf4glBksGZBWuHq8DweumAToE/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+070.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the Japan Rail workers were there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikJkKsgrDWFanHq1AxUe30pJYjkLzM0RKd5uvVpYSfj7sSjV1qHepcTMZbbApxLEiK7hyphenhyphenfhkNg_-jkYXriH0-f7ZY3lRwa9LdeUkNgOGnfhA0L1MdphkvkmZI0UxHm2Es-0X8mawyLps/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikJkKsgrDWFanHq1AxUe30pJYjkLzM0RKd5uvVpYSfj7sSjV1qHepcTMZbbApxLEiK7hyphenhyphenfhkNg_-jkYXriH0-f7ZY3lRwa9LdeUkNgOGnfhA0L1MdphkvkmZI0UxHm2Es-0X8mawyLps/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+075.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And teachers' unions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArwNGz0CK4Rw-L9BkFREjkE3GxSVAilEl26klMA_bcpieCGCRgdQ0OczjZEHv3vSDMiCHjs4nbsboH6udQbyoQ8Bi1ezw-fSth_iwrJ-JIt0_IVzM21CpDRarxQhijOBdlbYSkGJasyo/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArwNGz0CK4Rw-L9BkFREjkE3GxSVAilEl26klMA_bcpieCGCRgdQ0OczjZEHv3vSDMiCHjs4nbsboH6udQbyoQ8Bi1ezw-fSth_iwrJ-JIt0_IVzM21CpDRarxQhijOBdlbYSkGJasyo/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+077.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I liked that a lot of the marchers made Children's Day-themed signs. This sign says "Stop nuclear power."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQacGlOIlsowr65BihBJUhmV8f7ag8JyfSTMsHa8oz9MhUmcuGW8fPIiDvv-qrsY4wicMDBfmpgYoUw8AW7AI44Zfxq6nEOY_ZNSCLMx2Ih4C2_yn2KVS8YEFGTDG-pllsqkIENdOZZ3M/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQacGlOIlsowr65BihBJUhmV8f7ag8JyfSTMsHa8oz9MhUmcuGW8fPIiDvv-qrsY4wicMDBfmpgYoUw8AW7AI44Zfxq6nEOY_ZNSCLMx2Ih4C2_yn2KVS8YEFGTDG-pllsqkIENdOZZ3M/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then we started marching!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQacGlOIlsowr65BihBJUhmV8f7ag8JyfSTMsHa8oz9MhUmcuGW8fPIiDvv-qrsY4wicMDBfmpgYoUw8AW7AI44Zfxq6nEOY_ZNSCLMx2Ih4C2_yn2KVS8YEFGTDG-pllsqkIENdOZZ3M/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQacGlOIlsowr65BihBJUhmV8f7ag8JyfSTMsHa8oz9MhUmcuGW8fPIiDvv-qrsY4wicMDBfmpgYoUw8AW7AI44Zfxq6nEOY_ZNSCLMx2Ih4C2_yn2KVS8YEFGTDG-pllsqkIENdOZZ3M/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAKO4zKMl5uAcQGk-AG3eTnCBjmTai3iKbBxBUyyh38OzPZbHkZyNerQNKWz1Ak7BQZl40yuSqWzIiX6fDhEWWczCF5nYZR2w7MXa7L0FSlB0dPElZZ-CMExvS0yp6ydWiX5ZG9dgp58/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAKO4zKMl5uAcQGk-AG3eTnCBjmTai3iKbBxBUyyh38OzPZbHkZyNerQNKWz1Ak7BQZl40yuSqWzIiX6fDhEWWczCF5nYZR2w7MXa7L0FSlB0dPElZZ-CMExvS0yp6ydWiX5ZG9dgp58/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the monks we marched with. They were very nice!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5yD1vjCi3MX0zezF8YSspHSqFPqX4CWjm6mWiC_Kj4rsuuSGNWYIRiudpr8kpjIb2Ej_Y0LP8J-lGJlPXjFnewowzRuuGdLr00H37B2ybHYpQuM6gx9RRHNoLUyDlVlR0EUWlAV-NNM/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5yD1vjCi3MX0zezF8YSspHSqFPqX4CWjm6mWiC_Kj4rsuuSGNWYIRiudpr8kpjIb2Ej_Y0LP8J-lGJlPXjFnewowzRuuGdLr00H37B2ybHYpQuM6gx9RRHNoLUyDlVlR0EUWlAV-NNM/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpo64i2BfbjRW1H67nH_RsUt4SccBj4APqKRZFyp_mYcn7B-PBg0qgYVXzqW6N3QgLYWU14RFSnKq2cgdX9TKSomnhdMBTa7-6nNk98lqH3N4kecc2jErHZ-vmbXKBUmjO5EAZDd-jJg/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpo64i2BfbjRW1H67nH_RsUt4SccBj4APqKRZFyp_mYcn7B-PBg0qgYVXzqW6N3QgLYWU14RFSnKq2cgdX9TKSomnhdMBTa7-6nNk98lqH3N4kecc2jErHZ-vmbXKBUmjO5EAZDd-jJg/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5tLzA6gtRIEkj_DwdbcodACfXYFGmNVjDWeYD9gCUqnWSaSxb5d4YkR33p2hfdrAuwHCaXAOWnM8qNSnxIfiAqXoKwkNLlhxJagwcK8T6vPifNmmiIBM2ZgI9amWy4wz1HWYsD8vmU8/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5tLzA6gtRIEkj_DwdbcodACfXYFGmNVjDWeYD9gCUqnWSaSxb5d4YkR33p2hfdrAuwHCaXAOWnM8qNSnxIfiAqXoKwkNLlhxJagwcK8T6vPifNmmiIBM2ZgI9amWy4wz1HWYsD8vmU8/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some people got really creative with their signs. Like these umbrellas. (They were protesting radioactive rain, specifically.)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKA4tvab4-QE9N1_5aivZgc8KlPU175m-uJcPhUhCZYxJA3keObt41RVJ-IPCVJrOtPcTOU-YJ1xpqQUAEa4S56n0V5KRPRkYKlkdhs-IZ3HBBLFymN_LhQqp2_rOa-RLeACnWTobBM8/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKA4tvab4-QE9N1_5aivZgc8KlPU175m-uJcPhUhCZYxJA3keObt41RVJ-IPCVJrOtPcTOU-YJ1xpqQUAEa4S56n0V5KRPRkYKlkdhs-IZ3HBBLFymN_LhQqp2_rOa-RLeACnWTobBM8/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ98p5Yak-iai08b9e3vlYTwIJJT-5SsewouDH5XlDeY1HPpKxGQPUUg-NgECM8hiEWk8j8eigIzqKBVKnYrginf4PvEMSUFHJZUFg9lVD2e6GI6LKW5NCYfMOucdYtISUWNCFdDq97Q/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ98p5Yak-iai08b9e3vlYTwIJJT-5SsewouDH5XlDeY1HPpKxGQPUUg-NgECM8hiEWk8j8eigIzqKBVKnYrginf4PvEMSUFHJZUFg9lVD2e6GI6LKW5NCYfMOucdYtISUWNCFdDq97Q/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+097.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These people were blasting music out of a speaker attached to their banner. It was super annoying. :/</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IfsP4DmLXHNPH4aBr-lUlOr8hacmEiz07oms9-H_nvOqabEe3ZcKquE0-m_UPKlZknhGAI-O0yGrRQH_9-ANGVqk1A0k8bThIdZL1lOTIIPWxcd_zjpen49rTyT2fI_m1j0yYIGDGng/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IfsP4DmLXHNPH4aBr-lUlOr8hacmEiz07oms9-H_nvOqabEe3ZcKquE0-m_UPKlZknhGAI-O0yGrRQH_9-ANGVqk1A0k8bThIdZL1lOTIIPWxcd_zjpen49rTyT2fI_m1j0yYIGDGng/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+098.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign I was handed as we were lining up. I took pictures and then put it in my bag. This side basically says "Let's change our nation's energy policy."</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTQD4AN9UyoYJmYvTo8oZZN_v05b-tggaidHsOUcRxPkTbxEHA2wYedKdbh1yuaJ29N5IprtAXpN4VtnbfMiQaxXUzLDo9lYioh1d3jfnhv5n0IxfiHsZM_OlWVACZxXY8pm_tgCXwd0/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTQD4AN9UyoYJmYvTo8oZZN_v05b-tggaidHsOUcRxPkTbxEHA2wYedKdbh1yuaJ29N5IprtAXpN4VtnbfMiQaxXUzLDo9lYioh1d3jfnhv5n0IxfiHsZM_OlWVACZxXY8pm_tgCXwd0/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+099.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this side says "We don't need nuclear power!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy2cZ4AHIw0Nkza8cwKm_RR-rwWAo6Xvdi68AIqowHUrMSDTvwQP-C7xA2TPkNFKyC9-_xLbpRD4wMkJ8V46YzxZkXFdqH9RV7MH4YzR5CoAThwnmGqRO8WKP5shNzH5I20PWYzM7om0/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy2cZ4AHIw0Nkza8cwKm_RR-rwWAo6Xvdi68AIqowHUrMSDTvwQP-C7xA2TPkNFKyC9-_xLbpRD4wMkJ8V46YzxZkXFdqH9RV7MH4YzR5CoAThwnmGqRO8WKP5shNzH5I20PWYzM7om0/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lznAfk-ze8hTFMG-9yAxjT4UZPy9vHI_2CTPvljiMHhpZ0uLwjb5D77JPsiM5zDbND3QG13n9DKGUItvAG7XIfPfkPVT-GBvJM9Z5MBaO1vsS17b5dDkFKVzHU2dv2ruRKMDOS7Pqpw/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lznAfk-ze8hTFMG-9yAxjT4UZPy9vHI_2CTPvljiMHhpZ0uLwjb5D77JPsiM5zDbND3QG13n9DKGUItvAG7XIfPfkPVT-GBvJM9Z5MBaO1vsS17b5dDkFKVzHU2dv2ruRKMDOS7Pqpw/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's some video of us walking.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WMdJgozeRns?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq07Yx-tVYJy_oweqaBKGGGVKcFtjmCDm8XNmzyxI7OpzlGPa5F1WlFY53TIa6FEWwKv2Wc5pdwgzl-v9Aw26ktZHV4erzP-TCv5KemqtxIAr1oua7lP_453rI4jpe2sGKbab1Af0v20/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq07Yx-tVYJy_oweqaBKGGGVKcFtjmCDm8XNmzyxI7OpzlGPa5F1WlFY53TIa6FEWwKv2Wc5pdwgzl-v9Aw26ktZHV4erzP-TCv5KemqtxIAr1oua7lP_453rI4jpe2sGKbab1Af0v20/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We actually got yelled at by the uryoku dantai during the walk; the police were standing between us, and they did not seem happy, so I guess the uryoku dantai parked their vans in a non-cleared spot. They yelled at us quite loudly. I wasn't that afraid, though, since the police were around, so I took video of them yelling at us!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5EOryQZKeWw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9E5bLOn3_llyXtppQsEIlnAz43ZqIlhN9kRoYYlwRtf9aFeyH2LFe8b-XtothncN82RNL8V81QiHTlPLWo1268GWgodurBXLBAywHj4bDT4RxRfDd3evYOPRVg6g9SAn4WAgJam2vhk/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9E5bLOn3_llyXtppQsEIlnAz43ZqIlhN9kRoYYlwRtf9aFeyH2LFe8b-XtothncN82RNL8V81QiHTlPLWo1268GWgodurBXLBAywHj4bDT4RxRfDd3evYOPRVg6g9SAn4WAgJam2vhk/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+120.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group heading towards Tokyo Tower!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLW7EwY5SRLbTNNvTRG1v68IL0b8CyFswSHexaRYzOsrWNbkm13C2v1PO2A9RI2AnR3gyS00DHaktp-q_CAOTeARFYoGJJS11Oh5zeu7ddwnonqtxKexKUVOW_sCBcTiX1MCI0FJEo6tQ/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLW7EwY5SRLbTNNvTRG1v68IL0b8CyFswSHexaRYzOsrWNbkm13C2v1PO2A9RI2AnR3gyS00DHaktp-q_CAOTeARFYoGJJS11Oh5zeu7ddwnonqtxKexKUVOW_sCBcTiX1MCI0FJEo6tQ/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+124.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were koinobori flying at the base of the tower. It was very pretty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wzFfk1y9zTzOjeccvsGznHedRx4xv3Di6IG9eQkeYAaPiX8DPaZGoaIaK4e-psCPoctI6GBORezOYdB3Nn6YomzpDZp20-SoTxq3XO0K5As5dw5kQDaRumDkxSQkrUqLPkGTNQnw1VA/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wzFfk1y9zTzOjeccvsGznHedRx4xv3Di6IG9eQkeYAaPiX8DPaZGoaIaK4e-psCPoctI6GBORezOYdB3Nn6YomzpDZp20-SoTxq3XO0K5As5dw5kQDaRumDkxSQkrUqLPkGTNQnw1VA/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+127.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We couldn't have asked for a nicer day.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpw8VFohairtp_4voeRU1BRXZKwn63OsfEQoJj8G0EhUNrdj9wXb7WqqX5c5rF_3fhim3qL8Bxws4Gahfw3HIVcthw6qe22lfcEe4raYaCObcEqCG37oaywlPzb0HdZb6xfgiqWbtQFvM/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpw8VFohairtp_4voeRU1BRXZKwn63OsfEQoJj8G0EhUNrdj9wXb7WqqX5c5rF_3fhim3qL8Bxws4Gahfw3HIVcthw6qe22lfcEe4raYaCObcEqCG37oaywlPzb0HdZb6xfgiqWbtQFvM/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+128.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was one nun with us, which was neat because there are many more monks than nuns. She's the one wearing primarily white.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HKY98apNZa6z77dHL60CLI9Wt1ODPQoRYjWoyHFPszaMzXg7PXzJqSubt_94u5IQtgHaiI92h3PDBe1diV3mwrUwikn_V6vZ_G6F6SIa8qofTkjkQtlAIJx5gMog8bSP-Zs2L9fUkmQ/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HKY98apNZa6z77dHL60CLI9Wt1ODPQoRYjWoyHFPszaMzXg7PXzJqSubt_94u5IQtgHaiI92h3PDBe1diV3mwrUwikn_V6vZ_G6F6SIa8qofTkjkQtlAIJx5gMog8bSP-Zs2L9fUkmQ/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+130.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My classmate, Axel, with one of the drums. The laypeople would beat drums while the monks chanted.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1C6yNKoVtD1JK0GtD6FzHi6WV3L-SS2xpbS3I1JRhAYryxUOpP9XCDNYIHfDR3Ze4ONQ5Psv9ob7ri2h0BsaTdL527OoxHUBruzToonT0y0S-Zefao-YzaBcJQfyZHR_uuT8fmjRogs4/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1C6yNKoVtD1JK0GtD6FzHi6WV3L-SS2xpbS3I1JRhAYryxUOpP9XCDNYIHfDR3Ze4ONQ5Psv9ob7ri2h0BsaTdL527OoxHUBruzToonT0y0S-Zefao-YzaBcJQfyZHR_uuT8fmjRogs4/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+134.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My other classmate, Shimpei, tried out drumming as well.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU3jdieB5xT9B9S_Ilrvc6njSeA6lCpfotDjP2IvQ_la-dOrUy3xIgyEuKl19LO_A_tmQCmQZp6Y8gXx3hbyyIfaPtT8Nn0omIoNJAgsUWaq3A6BrlnsezZ8AhWh4H_026xS06fOS7V0/s1600/530417_3254310433667_1144252724_32175459_1168615343_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuU3jdieB5xT9B9S_Ilrvc6njSeA6lCpfotDjP2IvQ_la-dOrUy3xIgyEuKl19LO_A_tmQCmQZp6Y8gXx3hbyyIfaPtT8Nn0omIoNJAgsUWaq3A6BrlnsezZ8AhWh4H_026xS06fOS7V0/s320/530417_3254310433667_1144252724_32175459_1168615343_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My classmates and I took a picture with one of our hosts after the march was done.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the march was over, I met up with Jenny in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harajuku" target="_blank">Harajuku</a>, where we had the oh-so-healthy dinner of sweet crepes. Once again, I had no regrets.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1xHT4qmd5vE-lD2WeIZ5UNgqD0Xy2fabLbiWrfP7BahWZq0juH0_uJjtveCcJ6Th5asSoK-PyKZBaUZzQSvUig_M93pREoahqNsEM0iGZ82lLyxhSRpqab8YO6eIIheoMHAcVcAZhUc/s1600/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1xHT4qmd5vE-lD2WeIZ5UNgqD0Xy2fabLbiWrfP7BahWZq0juH0_uJjtveCcJ6Th5asSoK-PyKZBaUZzQSvUig_M93pREoahqNsEM0iGZ82lLyxhSRpqab8YO6eIIheoMHAcVcAZhUc/s320/Okachimachi-Ueno+and+Anti-Nuclear+Protest+141.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A strawberry/whipped cream crepe was the perfect way to end the day.</td></tr>
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All in all, I'd have to call Golden Week a lot of fun! Too bad I won't have any more vacation this semester, but a week is quite a lot as it is. I'm quite happy with how I spent my break.Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-82729142579841328652012-04-29T16:56:00.001+09:002012-04-29T16:57:01.257+09:00Shabu-Shabu in Shibuya!Hello! I hope everyone's been having a nice week! It's the start of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_%28Japan%29" target="_blank">Golden Week</a>, a week with 4 national holidays, so I have the next week off of school. It's rather nice, but this will be my only vacation for the entirety of this semester, and we're only a month in as it is, so that's kind of a bummer.<br />
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To celebrate the beginning of our time off, Eric, Margaret, Inga, Jack, and our friend Kenia went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibuya" target="_blank">Shibuya</a> for a night out consisting of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabu-shabu" target="_blank">shabu-shabu</a>
and a trip to Baskin Robbins! What with it being a Friday night, it was
quite crowded, but that was okay. It was a great way to start our
break!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQslMDD9QYkmKH-FqqznB797YexNO5QmBCf6TYBNTLOJVsAl0bvIT6OcDM1Mh1UC8IRG_mGUtr4TobhDwTNxAa8Jkg9LAkegHAOb5s-TDzY-6AMjXOJXxfNvqvoY2j2hsTVgHdWSL521A/s1600/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQslMDD9QYkmKH-FqqznB797YexNO5QmBCf6TYBNTLOJVsAl0bvIT6OcDM1Mh1UC8IRG_mGUtr4TobhDwTNxAa8Jkg9LAkegHAOb5s-TDzY-6AMjXOJXxfNvqvoY2j2hsTVgHdWSL521A/s320/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shibuya: So ridiculously bright that you don't need flash even at 7:00 PM.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRsas8OYztbXEEOrueztPZpkI5g5XSY3Bop3hglk7vuGRqa_5fjO3KlvvEcQdtFGRJ-aCORWlUCIAnm12jew9PjkWt1-BZIlHYaJ75CVvsErXS5dHi4i5pd6Au52rcg6jLGQs8W1KxJc/s1600/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRsas8OYztbXEEOrueztPZpkI5g5XSY3Bop3hglk7vuGRqa_5fjO3KlvvEcQdtFGRJ-aCORWlUCIAnm12jew9PjkWt1-BZIlHYaJ75CVvsErXS5dHi4i5pd6Au52rcg6jLGQs8W1KxJc/s320/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People were using umbrellas even though it was only a bit drizzly.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ4pVPftUwhoi4GDOEjJB1UZRzwwePJYzMTWCx01dNfpfgWyhJ-YGjVM2Y0vZgx12QLFEL6i2QQ3p77eLNnCYbN4yL5XbvuIk05PRKAuq_ksiUtayGrBnwf6yrtENRk61vEXfWIKAeWA/s1600/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ4pVPftUwhoi4GDOEjJB1UZRzwwePJYzMTWCx01dNfpfgWyhJ-YGjVM2Y0vZgx12QLFEL6i2QQ3p77eLNnCYbN4yL5XbvuIk05PRKAuq_ksiUtayGrBnwf6yrtENRk61vEXfWIKAeWA/s320/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You order more food/drinks using the tablet that Kenia's holding. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41juN9uVH3u7jo2Zjb7vgSc1ZApA7UuFHIuuftb9nWt2HhrWLeqo3xHZTX7ugfe_ROXj_DVOE11jrsI_Te7TBg9FMs650C8bC46Vm8XEDVEuNIOwd40L1fSXKgPR60urb8CEU-CbPQ6M/s1600/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41juN9uVH3u7jo2Zjb7vgSc1ZApA7UuFHIuuftb9nWt2HhrWLeqo3xHZTX7ugfe_ROXj_DVOE11jrsI_Te7TBg9FMs650C8bC46Vm8XEDVEuNIOwd40L1fSXKgPR60urb8CEU-CbPQ6M/s320/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The place we went to had private booths, unlike the other place we usually go to.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZopTxdGfQN2Wks2NTduqrvaxCsfH4KWeN0vUZkUIstwLnjNwOoA3PL3dHUDWJ5b8g7rszixBAp3XX1EVpThKwUWvY1y8EEXXAyYN_JHbUwPnZzLrvsh6sHPu9c_p1iZfACJa8uiuo0w/s1600/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZopTxdGfQN2Wks2NTduqrvaxCsfH4KWeN0vUZkUIstwLnjNwOoA3PL3dHUDWJ5b8g7rszixBAp3XX1EVpThKwUWvY1y8EEXXAyYN_JHbUwPnZzLrvsh6sHPu9c_p1iZfACJa8uiuo0w/s320/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The service here was a lot better, too, so I think we'll go here again!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeMtDsoVi-oakgjklnN8AjMFlE-6elmVfte6SQrN-j4WsYqf6cBjC-rZs-nJCnFEk5rOb6ue0VpdtUNHQ7Wrcm4JlJssmLZ6Jt3W882EHqPif6-f3VMO2xIK63Dk7hJHKEkY8t6yTeg4/s1600/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeMtDsoVi-oakgjklnN8AjMFlE-6elmVfte6SQrN-j4WsYqf6cBjC-rZs-nJCnFEk5rOb6ue0VpdtUNHQ7Wrcm4JlJssmLZ6Jt3W882EHqPif6-f3VMO2xIK63Dk7hJHKEkY8t6yTeg4/s320/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork, beef, and vegetables. So delicious!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzAwfF2JLQURGYNnFRscVI_IG-Ku_JsgXYRSJutjoGn9cZ8KslljPHS-vrpedjsYNPx57hINEbQkrb6KqLqamCwGPmyuTdQDDHvpRpLGcjgZ9ZYEMHuPTQLRfKVPkKgFoi13UeByVHMo/s1600/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzAwfF2JLQURGYNnFRscVI_IG-Ku_JsgXYRSJutjoGn9cZ8KslljPHS-vrpedjsYNPx57hINEbQkrb6KqLqamCwGPmyuTdQDDHvpRpLGcjgZ9ZYEMHuPTQLRfKVPkKgFoi13UeByVHMo/s320/Shibuya+Shabu-Shabu+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After cooking the meat & vegetables, you dip them in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzu" target="_blank">ponzu</a> and/or a sesame sauce.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cone! Chopped chocolate and chocolate caramel cheesecake. Small doubles were on sale. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shibuya station, as seen from the busiest crosswalk in the world.</td></tr>
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Today Margaret and I went shopping in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiy%C5%ABgaoka" target="_blank">Jiyuugaoka</a>. We drank green tea floats (which were delicious), and I found a nice flowy skirt that doesn't look ridiculous with my height. There were a lot of sales this weekend because today (April 29) is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dwa_Day" target="_blank">Showa Day</a>, the first holiday of Golden Week. It was also sunny and quite warm, so it was great to walk around in such nice weather before it starts to get humid. I have a few more adventures lined up for the rest of this week, so please look forward to my next post! :)Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-49313755818942581592012-04-23T22:56:00.000+09:002012-04-23T22:56:21.002+09:00An Evening at the Neighborhood British Pub, or, That Time I Ate a Plate of Bacon and Had No Regrets WhatsoeverI apologize for the wait; I really do. I've been busy getting back into the swing of things with school. Now that I'm a month in, though, I'm ready to start going out and doing things on the weekends again! I decided to ease into it though, so last weekend all I did was head to the neighborhood <a href="http://pub-hub.com/" target="_blank">HUB</a>, a chain of British-style pubs, with Eric and Margaret.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I had spent my day doing homework and laundry; I also used my afternoon to rewrite my resume and start work on a cover letter, since I need to start applying for jobs for next year (which is difficult when you're out of the country), so I felt like an evening out would be a great way to celebrate getting a lot of things done. I met up with Eric and Margaret in the lobby and we headed over to catch Happy Hour, even though none of us ended up ordering anything from the Happy Hour menu (it was just cocktails)...<br />
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We pretty much spent the evening catching up, since we're in different classes (Eric and I are in the same core class, but we don't have many overlapping special subjects, and Margaret is only in one special subject with me this semester) and we don't see each other that often during the week. It was nice.<br />
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I don't have much more to write about, really; have some pictures of food!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu time! In the background: rugby. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roast beef! The mashed potatoes were cold though...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I may be many things, but a pint-finisher is not one of them. I am fine with this; so was Eric, as he got a free 1/3 pint.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ate this whole plate of bacon. It was delicious. I regret nothing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGh4PaZZH34nYQ9BGeW44BDmPDR-03A_bZnhEjU009_R59Tuz3T4jOwrS7z6wStc0aIKRuRPUm7UNvTmdwLytLvH9K1EboKpkFDf5jaK6-C6QMDG_eU-eb7BeL_Rb3cBVfl6FQMvg-MwI/s1600/HUB+trip+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGh4PaZZH34nYQ9BGeW44BDmPDR-03A_bZnhEjU009_R59Tuz3T4jOwrS7z6wStc0aIKRuRPUm7UNvTmdwLytLvH9K1EboKpkFDf5jaK6-C6QMDG_eU-eb7BeL_Rb3cBVfl6FQMvg-MwI/s320/HUB+trip+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HUB is on the bottom floor of one of the buildings at Hiyoshi Campus, so it's pretty much a campus bar. Lots of Keio students and international students alike frequent here.</td></tr>
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It was a nice evening out, and I'm really looking forward to having next week off of school for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_%28Japan%29" target="_blank">Golden Week</a>! I'm planning on doing a lot of things then -- there's a Jackson Pollock exhibit in town until the 6th of May and I think I'll head on over there in addition to having another evening out with Jack and Margaret and Eric. I'm sure I'll think of some other things to do too!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-48383074519561072922012-04-11T10:08:00.000+09:002012-04-11T10:08:09.125+09:00Easter Hanami!So... bad news. I'm sick. I have a sore throat and congestion and the sides of my neck hurt so now I can't turn my head and instead have to turn my whole body. This makes walking home on a busy road a bit interesting. I'm taking today off from school; I went to my one class yesterday afternoon and I wanted to die by the time I got home. So I'll take it easy today and get some things done around my room, like laundry and catching up on some emails. Exciting, I know.<br />
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It's cherry blossom season now, though! Tokyo is gorgeous this time of year; there are cherry trees all over the place, and the entire city is in bloom! Thank goodness I take allergy pills daily, though. If I didn't, I'm sure I'd be less than happy with the pollen count these days.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>On Sunday, I went to Kawasaki, which is the next town over, with Inga, Makoto, Eric, Margaret, and Jack for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami" target="_blank">hanami</a>! It was a lovely day out so, we headed to a park near our dorm (we live RIGHT on the border between Yokohama and Kawasaki).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfxMpmEO5tZlH35wRlAfJseUR4LUOGKEdtKZFDCqynKfEnXXaQ1cShG_YZkX7ExTNKbuRh3ZQRDJ6GnEB8HKUspXm39ViSh0pA7ipBVJCQ72Sm1ROawuqhX6lCPxBwa_XA8N5dpXE9aU/s1600/Uzbek+Restaurant+and+Hanami+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfxMpmEO5tZlH35wRlAfJseUR4LUOGKEdtKZFDCqynKfEnXXaQ1cShG_YZkX7ExTNKbuRh3ZQRDJ6GnEB8HKUspXm39ViSh0pA7ipBVJCQ72Sm1ROawuqhX6lCPxBwa_XA8N5dpXE9aU/s320/Uzbek+Restaurant+and+Hanami+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This turtle was hanging out down in the river. </td></tr>
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Hanami is pretty simple in concept: you sit under a bunch of blossoming trees with your friends and/or family and eat lots of food, some of which is special and seasonal, like and a lot of people also use this as an opportunity to get a bit drunk during daylight hours. It's a nice way to spend the afternoon bonding with friends and enjoying food, in my opinion. There are some places that are super famous for hanami, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ueno_Park" target="_blank">Ueno Park</a>, and as a result, those spots are extremely crowded this time of year. The park we went to wasn't too crowded, so we had a lovely time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVGj-kAhDNaXMS9c358VOTYT1x5FzDrkE3zSkJqYtzErRAQTcXPKOkSf5p79bWGj-lR8oZH-zNBiRbryvDMgTeBOZsbj787m4yFqHH9Wt3go4Onfx3PM29OUOiWPNaAdPj5zNgeYBii4/s1600/Uzbek+Restaurant+and+Hanami+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVGj-kAhDNaXMS9c358VOTYT1x5FzDrkE3zSkJqYtzErRAQTcXPKOkSf5p79bWGj-lR8oZH-zNBiRbryvDMgTeBOZsbj787m4yFqHH9Wt3go4Onfx3PM29OUOiWPNaAdPj5zNgeYBii4/s320/Uzbek+Restaurant+and+Hanami+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omusubi" target="_blank">omusubi</a>, courtesy of Makoto and Inga.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I provided the donuts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS26cwItGQQXk-60t9lL042xryqhBujN7zajqwU96wniqI4xpmKLEo7gonou4w_ZaFqxsGZuhZl8nIZXTDK3sIhZ3kkTajNW8tHUfx9RS302AiZwoEV23Ru7H-xL9ZtQznqmLFRVgJC2I/s1600/Uzbek+Restaurant+and+Hanami+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS26cwItGQQXk-60t9lL042xryqhBujN7zajqwU96wniqI4xpmKLEo7gonou4w_ZaFqxsGZuhZl8nIZXTDK3sIhZ3kkTajNW8tHUfx9RS302AiZwoEV23Ru7H-xL9ZtQznqmLFRVgJC2I/s320/Uzbek+Restaurant+and+Hanami+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The four pinkish ones are special cherry blossom donuts. Supposedly they're cherry blossom-flavored, but I couldn't really tell.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack decided to play with my camera.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a beautiful day.</td></tr>
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There's really not that much to write about this, honestly. It was just spending a few hours in the park with my friends and enjoying food and flowers.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really liked Makoto's shirt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay so. These people were holding up their dog so they could get pictures of it with the flowers, and all I could think was that dad would totally do that for Toby.</td></tr>
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I've decided on my classes, by the way. In addition to my core class, I'll be taking Advanced Conversation AI, Advanced Grammar I, Intermediate Presentation II, Advanced Text Reading I, and an International Center course on Japanese Buddhism, which I'm LOVING so far. I've only had one class but I've gone from knowing next to nothing about Buddhism to knowing more than nothing, so that's exciting! I'm also going for a challenge this semester, since I'm technically still an intermediate student (level 7 is the last of the intermediate classes). I'm feeling good about all of my classes, though, and I'm really looking forward to having a fantastic semester! :)Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-12737810372236001582012-04-05T00:08:00.000+09:002012-04-05T00:08:38.172+09:00Let's Go to Kyoto! Day 4: Temples, Nijo Castle, and a Wild Monkey AdventureHey so guess what? School started yesterday for me! Finally! It's so nice to get back into a classroom after two months away. I was afraid I'd forget everything, but I've been doing okay so far, so I suppose that's good. Today was my first core class, and that went really well I think! I still haven't figured out my special topics in Japanese courses yet, but this week is auditing week so I'll probably have it hammered out by next Wednesday or so. So that's exciting! <br />
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Day four was our last day in Kyoto, so we wanted to make sure to hit some interesting spots before we headed out the next morning. We woke up early and headed just 15 minutes down the street from our hotel to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touji" target="_blank">To-ji</a>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pagoda as seen from the street.</td></tr>
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The pagoda at To-ji has the distinction of being the tallest wooden tower in Japan. There used to be a twin temple on the other side of Kyoto, called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sai-ji" target="_blank">Sai-ji</a>, but it burned down in 1233 and was never rebuilt. To-ji also has a nice garden, which we walked around in for a bit before heading on to our next destination.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tokyo has made me forget wildlife exists. I was way too excited to see this little guy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was going to caption this my "Stereotypical White Girl in Japan Photo," but then I realized these are plum blossoms, not cherry blossoms...</td></tr>
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After To-ji, we hopped on the train to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nijo_castle" target="_blank">Nijo Castle</a>. I have to say, Nijo Castle may have been my favorite part of the trip. It was open to the public, unlike the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and had information in English and Japanese on the signs along the way, so it was nice to be able to confirm what I THOUGHT I had understood from the information signs. Also Nijo Castle used to be the Kyoto residence for the shogun from 1626-1867, until ownership was transferred to the Imperial Court. And because I love history, I thought that was pretty much the COOLEST THING EVER. There was no photography allowed inside, so you'll just have to make do with pictures of the exterior and the surrounding gardens. Not that that's a bad deal.<br />
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There are two palaces within the grounds: Ninomaru palace and Honmaru palace. Ninomaru palace is older than Honmaru palace, being pretty much the "original" palace on site; Honmaru palace was a residence of a prince that was moved from the site of the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1893, replacing the old inner palace, which burned to the ground in 1788.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZ2CBi8lcgO3DLy5ThD00Bfcn_2gd-lfvOq5wJfRF1OgHG_2SzYW4M55r4aDCxiLfHdbkiFKUlUpjJunXf7yg6vC9jnfBxni5C4MjcB6tPFRjnvUEPK2Cxo21CQaOz8DQJ8APOjC70Cc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZ2CBi8lcgO3DLy5ThD00Bfcn_2gd-lfvOq5wJfRF1OgHG_2SzYW4M55r4aDCxiLfHdbkiFKUlUpjJunXf7yg6vC9jnfBxni5C4MjcB6tPFRjnvUEPK2Cxo21CQaOz8DQJ8APOjC70Cc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So this was the second wedding we accidentally crashed this trip...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exterior of the Ninomaru palace.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the detail. It was just beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gardens were absolutely gorgeous.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjzoLHrGpzVenCgLYsUp7RDiBtlu2qJnJ3NHK1W7SGVqL45EKPSCh1y5xXuNHXoYdqtU-eZROaqz-RdxJH49sL6vJBp2yMc44lYNrVb85PA83Lxv7xDJppS2vi3bcFczN_bl1m_7gAz0/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjzoLHrGpzVenCgLYsUp7RDiBtlu2qJnJ3NHK1W7SGVqL45EKPSCh1y5xXuNHXoYdqtU-eZROaqz-RdxJH49sL6vJBp2yMc44lYNrVb85PA83Lxv7xDJppS2vi3bcFczN_bl1m_7gAz0/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+425.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under this is a palm of some sort; according to a sign it is kept covered during the winter to protect it from the cold. This is apparently the traditional way of doing so.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Honmaru palace exterior.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honmaru palace.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV_iBD-Idc43_MRnhwUvHyfqlofrCiujq6QyNbp4i4BRMa780Dfp0NkZbPM8HBXEGmNjE6sB2jh0wOy6-pMNRhgepMCiEn6SMoklHH43CDjAlU2euhaw0jV59fGIDQcjuaDNhKGpm4vE/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV_iBD-Idc43_MRnhwUvHyfqlofrCiujq6QyNbp4i4BRMa780Dfp0NkZbPM8HBXEGmNjE6sB2jh0wOy6-pMNRhgepMCiEn6SMoklHH43CDjAlU2euhaw0jV59fGIDQcjuaDNhKGpm4vE/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+439.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are dozens and dozens of cherry trees on site.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry blossoms up close.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS is the Stereotypical White Girl in Japan photo. More to come this month, I'm sure.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are plum blossoms. They're still pretty though.</td></tr>
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After Nijo Castle, Margaret and I made a quick stop at <a href="http://www.mos.co.jp/index.php" target="_blank">MOS Burger</a>, which is without a doubt the best Japanese fast food restaurant out there (their fries rival McDonald's!), to warm up and have a quick lunch. It was delicious.<br />
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So after lunch we made our way over to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arashiyama" target="_blank">Arashiyama</a>, which is a REALLY neat part of town. I kind of wish we had been able to spend more time there, but I feel like we would've needed an extra day to get all of the exploring done.<br />
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Our first stop in Arashiyama was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenryuji" target="_blank">Tenryuji</a>, the head temple of the the Tenryu branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism and a UNESCO World Heritage site, like To-ji and Nijo Castle. Tenryuji had easily the most fantastic garden I had seen. Hands down. We spent a good while just strolling and taking photos. Even though it was a bit cold and rainy, I think it was definitely worth spending the day outside just for this garden alone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKuTk42AHloNIo8OThpQZQOHvaH7SoksVp_i1AtBQaQl7k37XZZQ9WVmcTf9XG8Ysf2VzjDMziqp09xr0XibYpvzwXEZOwnhyxZQeQPUP5AejSzgBuC4c-dMcPqXAlCsN0J2-WUVoAGc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKuTk42AHloNIo8OThpQZQOHvaH7SoksVp_i1AtBQaQl7k37XZZQ9WVmcTf9XG8Ysf2VzjDMziqp09xr0XibYpvzwXEZOwnhyxZQeQPUP5AejSzgBuC4c-dMcPqXAlCsN0J2-WUVoAGc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+452.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tenryuji's main gate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pond, called the Sogen pond, and its surrounding garden are considered Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a really dense bamboo forest growing on the side of the hill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimu9heQwz0oWSxLF8zptb4EKyqc8ZZ-1o-cbdbaCj6srkwyxArVOhhk9Ew3eT9QeKj7w9YwI8GX_KJ05CUE1erFIC0ytV0sbVBRtAbaoIBWV8Iz4Nu9CJzvqX6N5TM6XcEcKFzWV9zLfU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimu9heQwz0oWSxLF8zptb4EKyqc8ZZ-1o-cbdbaCj6srkwyxArVOhhk9Ew3eT9QeKj7w9YwI8GX_KJ05CUE1erFIC0ytV0sbVBRtAbaoIBWV8Iz4Nu9CJzvqX6N5TM6XcEcKFzWV9zLfU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+503.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is probably my favorite picture from Tenryuji.</td></tr>
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After Tenryuji, we decided to explore Arashiyama a bit. I bought some more black sesame <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatsuhashi" target="_blank">yatsuhashi</a> and sampled some soy milk soft-serve ice cream, which was really good! I think I'll have to give that a try when I get home and have access to an ice cream maker again!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this bed and breakfast IS called "Mind Games." I don't know either.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arashiyama#Togetsuky.C5.8D" target="_blank">Togetsukyo</a> bridge!</td></tr>
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While exploring, we came across an interesting sign.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJKY1VY1W-3a9QgWXQd29iTDpMA6PDCHSD0p-FnpBMfSjKmX9CgMQcLeHYocAfVYSnfz3nZoUfAqMeztuvgKkqRyEJsFWIPh-OLZ6GRNVj_V9-_1lJEsw4XEnSf990z-fKlzmmCtJzsU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJKY1VY1W-3a9QgWXQd29iTDpMA6PDCHSD0p-FnpBMfSjKmX9CgMQcLeHYocAfVYSnfz3nZoUfAqMeztuvgKkqRyEJsFWIPh-OLZ6GRNVj_V9-_1lJEsw4XEnSf990z-fKlzmmCtJzsU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+516.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />It was the sign for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwatayama_Monkey_Park" target="_blank">Arashiyama Monkey Park</a> entrance! I hadn't had the opportunity to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_macaque" target="_blank">Japanese macaques</a> yet, so Margaret and I decided that it was worth the $5 ticket and a 30 minute hike up a mountain to see them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tQFeQKhXtA-gidGC_2cuJYbnyyLDoCATcpsacshNScvqAOBsQsqvZtePz_MydbPxeRDFlhPxd3tORqfgp6vKXF-krjofCbGwTwePxxutCb7eSuBZvoZ40Ciwjnr_HDQIDwFsH6usvts/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tQFeQKhXtA-gidGC_2cuJYbnyyLDoCATcpsacshNScvqAOBsQsqvZtePz_MydbPxeRDFlhPxd3tORqfgp6vKXF-krjofCbGwTwePxxutCb7eSuBZvoZ40Ciwjnr_HDQIDwFsH6usvts/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+515.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just starting out! It was quite a trek, but it was good to get the exercise.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park rules!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblbNXlj-32Gd89bsByZJV7VAvAgdwifFsYjMhcQJVRrDL9AZk0dbsmb_aCWakcOvCyKk8epv1yDveTMGyG1fMKzIRPlQWmTVm1lkR0E7G1V-Cx3TC_ynGlCM6v6xhAKqdSg7pj4T3Mzc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblbNXlj-32Gd89bsByZJV7VAvAgdwifFsYjMhcQJVRrDL9AZk0dbsmb_aCWakcOvCyKk8epv1yDveTMGyG1fMKzIRPlQWmTVm1lkR0E7G1V-Cx3TC_ynGlCM6v6xhAKqdSg7pj4T3Mzc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+520.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every few hundred meters there would be a new monkey quiz. Margaret and I are pretty much monkey experts now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was also a pig. But they didn't tell us about that on the sign.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfQhLKMo993c9-5hIJC4wULErkZECK36r51ZhixDaVjkc76Aw3GnP74fXY9gRjiciBINR8zmQreDnYSrfHQgwa3AOsZHhidL6SrkjdqEdQuSTsI4FXaohq5uwfxdcQFmPyaf1VM8wX1g/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfQhLKMo993c9-5hIJC4wULErkZECK36r51ZhixDaVjkc76Aw3GnP74fXY9gRjiciBINR8zmQreDnYSrfHQgwa3AOsZHhidL6SrkjdqEdQuSTsI4FXaohq5uwfxdcQFmPyaf1VM8wX1g/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+530.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many educational signs along the way about the characteristics of Japanese macaques, or Nihonzaru in Japanese. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This monkey just about killed me. I was saying how excited I was to see monkeys and it came shooting out of a bush. I was so surprised I almost fell off the edge of the trail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many monkey butts we saw that day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMWMXt-en8q0JOwwhDtjBVYk6On1IqCsjm4Bz_ho7fqUNElyhZjrI1TUGHb0Zq4RADmIPHZ0l5fuXairSOpabzULxm33TDljE4OaxHgPZi7S6nqBsFP-wad8pZFn2VKNtjaKZ9Oaop5U/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMWMXt-en8q0JOwwhDtjBVYk6On1IqCsjm4Bz_ho7fqUNElyhZjrI1TUGHb0Zq4RADmIPHZ0l5fuXairSOpabzULxm33TDljE4OaxHgPZi7S6nqBsFP-wad8pZFn2VKNtjaKZ9Oaop5U/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"If a monkey is lying on the path, please walk past it without looking at it."</td></tr>
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After a good 30 minutes or so, we finally reached the top. It was terrifying yet awesome. All of these monkeys are wild, though they are quite used to humans (as most Japanese macaques are). There is a place you can feed them, but Margaret and I were a bit too scared to do that. We just walked around in the pack of monkeys and took photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCp6GkeBwv-j2PyjeQPaAc2cRF2Nn6_lDYFFUY0AAHlJcJKeLXDZ32vgiBbetpi5jIOPs7r_pNzkFq39p2Qcuw5WqwHWWyvhnYUez-bwYWYtOnemaS9zFbN3iLqjmK3pfnD8mB7YWSMYs/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCp6GkeBwv-j2PyjeQPaAc2cRF2Nn6_lDYFFUY0AAHlJcJKeLXDZ32vgiBbetpi5jIOPs7r_pNzkFq39p2Qcuw5WqwHWWyvhnYUez-bwYWYtOnemaS9zFbN3iLqjmK3pfnD8mB7YWSMYs/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+546.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being spring, there were many baby monkeys about!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwVACz0wI9xlZryV2PFhuaO7JFKKfzBfsK3d8DD5Vg8idtqpHy8Qh2K3FZRbWj8qNFAXI6dylpFSZrvu2YkeQVmS8A-eOBGY5rOtdA7aE6upWGcKXDyGpUXAv6n0WYqllXSkShgyaspA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwVACz0wI9xlZryV2PFhuaO7JFKKfzBfsK3d8DD5Vg8idtqpHy8Qh2K3FZRbWj8qNFAXI6dylpFSZrvu2YkeQVmS8A-eOBGY5rOtdA7aE6upWGcKXDyGpUXAv6n0WYqllXSkShgyaspA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+547.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside this building is where you can feed the monkeys through the mesh. That way it's safe for everyone. We were still too afraid though.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZhUbus4ec1h9w4Ol3MgRBub2mg2NlWOgt8KHx_WeKSiRPfGV0OysavltnbhmDN35dWF7hZJOiLTtNcK89-bi3T0Ahm1uS9yQQh9EfJEs9L7xCw7o_f-VUiQTD_MmE7ZGiVoCEon1Ets/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZhUbus4ec1h9w4Ol3MgRBub2mg2NlWOgt8KHx_WeKSiRPfGV0OysavltnbhmDN35dWF7hZJOiLTtNcK89-bi3T0Ahm1uS9yQQh9EfJEs9L7xCw7o_f-VUiQTD_MmE7ZGiVoCEon1Ets/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+550.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could see all of Kyoto from the top!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG3mpyg3JvPJfFEgqYOxZykAq5mJ1EC5gbM_8U6VrOLkhrEYKdjD5318VUnnz8_2THKJzoROq51vq7A3VDZpA0UXxMXLJSj6f16qo6kYyQev_Ragb94x4_iNbav7kRpG6fNAXtg4552o/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghG3mpyg3JvPJfFEgqYOxZykAq5mJ1EC5gbM_8U6VrOLkhrEYKdjD5318VUnnz8_2THKJzoROq51vq7A3VDZpA0UXxMXLJSj6f16qo6kYyQev_Ragb94x4_iNbav7kRpG6fNAXtg4552o/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+555.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were a TON of monkeys hanging out on the roof.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbju8f0j88_Md08asoWL-zAglN1PmKfKLMZ27iJiHltRIvuqJhiLU0bh_ZR2rFZtQDqdgEdyAorj9gCCvE0nAtcfVkoTrpemOnUCHhYcOxzD54tQtNL0DdJqXBOm1BfiPfJoIX5rYCopE/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbju8f0j88_Md08asoWL-zAglN1PmKfKLMZ27iJiHltRIvuqJhiLU0bh_ZR2rFZtQDqdgEdyAorj9gCCvE0nAtcfVkoTrpemOnUCHhYcOxzD54tQtNL0DdJqXBOm1BfiPfJoIX5rYCopE/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+570.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puddle jumping: fun for monkeys AND humans.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animals never stay still when you want to take pictures with them...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQFivfsb0-CzlmrMfPRCQYPjds_aaKUinmqRM1S4br7iE9NesiEh-OMfZtzUQ0t13rNxsjZTMMcVf-savvyLDvfkFcwlsV7wQm3r5j7O-IMt8qck_5wi20PKpJLQYwciKg8518kR6hcA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQFivfsb0-CzlmrMfPRCQYPjds_aaKUinmqRM1S4br7iE9NesiEh-OMfZtzUQ0t13rNxsjZTMMcVf-savvyLDvfkFcwlsV7wQm3r5j7O-IMt8qck_5wi20PKpJLQYwciKg8518kR6hcA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+579.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like this one. He thinks he's hot stuff.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAPY-FqMronrhqQb5s2Zm2W4cAE4cQ560O13_dGiwFGymVBKdPEiJs7axyBxDdAhbfaFopM6gW9qT0bQsMezTlAfNy4e96H9OgP540r5xHE202V3StkAyUr7axo1wJ9y0OJE8RJxIsJA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAPY-FqMronrhqQb5s2Zm2W4cAE4cQ560O13_dGiwFGymVBKdPEiJs7axyBxDdAhbfaFopM6gW9qT0bQsMezTlAfNy4e96H9OgP540r5xHE202V3StkAyUr7axo1wJ9y0OJE8RJxIsJA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+580.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really wish this picture had turned out just a bit less blurry, but oh well.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEM9zwME2gVo5nT9X7_bqtbM_nqKpRxgHo7V3hryd0dSsPmRjYvb8YXHPG0gC23hXcbNLWFK4AxMdQzQdBnzmERAJCCNDGntIuCzYLOHBP3W1VZ09qmK74zTs5bcdS_kOnYGLPgYh150/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEM9zwME2gVo5nT9X7_bqtbM_nqKpRxgHo7V3hryd0dSsPmRjYvb8YXHPG0gC23hXcbNLWFK4AxMdQzQdBnzmERAJCCNDGntIuCzYLOHBP3W1VZ09qmK74zTs5bcdS_kOnYGLPgYh150/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BABY MONKEY ON A PLAYGROUND SLIDE.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC-lf_i7ISnVcjX3G-v53WYyBPwe8-vIVliCSY0ORy4mG6RKxeX0oJ6gQ51CrzJMhvxqIedpcVBYXEVCbkOXLnVxl5iUXJsJGFF0VDp9USMFvNZ7bKsjUyG8NuIIqKHscWQAUJpyxsEc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyC-lf_i7ISnVcjX3G-v53WYyBPwe8-vIVliCSY0ORy4mG6RKxeX0oJ6gQ51CrzJMhvxqIedpcVBYXEVCbkOXLnVxl5iUXJsJGFF0VDp9USMFvNZ7bKsjUyG8NuIIqKHscWQAUJpyxsEc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+585.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obviously the decision to put a children's playground in the middle of the territory of 170 wild monkeys was rethought over the years... it doesn't seem like it's used any more (thank goodness).</td></tr>
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I took a video of the baby monkeys playing together!<br />
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Having rained all day, the park was quite muddy. Also one monkey was a little angry because the other monkeys were ganging up on him, so he decided trying to eat Margaret's jacket was a good idea. It wasn't. We had some laundry to do when we got back to the hotel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnw5XEMG5TpWKedPYLku23JuurxR1xlBDBA_jkx2nzQy9435Gsbj78x5dyOEf_6X1AwX3iI11gXLctVFPxjJFOwpdY6xf5VxrDrPoWPvC_Pj9Q1w2rFi2T_BTx3-k577pkfqB_Ka4TDE/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnw5XEMG5TpWKedPYLku23JuurxR1xlBDBA_jkx2nzQy9435Gsbj78x5dyOEf_6X1AwX3iI11gXLctVFPxjJFOwpdY6xf5VxrDrPoWPvC_Pj9Q1w2rFi2T_BTx3-k577pkfqB_Ka4TDE/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+591.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mud washed out really easily, surprisingly enough!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxcBA4YzXKxEFds_FEFQ4OncoMAq3fPoBDFlhZnh_nbduc2aEcSHw8ISfcZMwaCZZ6XVvy8vhq9wftx5EV45sRhsvcHNMMveUdcoyeMDaeJpIaRYMTnoIHvMgss3PCPrQ0aZwEfFQSo8/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxcBA4YzXKxEFds_FEFQ4OncoMAq3fPoBDFlhZnh_nbduc2aEcSHw8ISfcZMwaCZZ6XVvy8vhq9wftx5EV45sRhsvcHNMMveUdcoyeMDaeJpIaRYMTnoIHvMgss3PCPrQ0aZwEfFQSo8/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least he didn't rip her coat!</td></tr>
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After the monkey park, we headed back to the hotel to do some laundry and rest up a bit before heading out for some girl talk over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori" target="_blank">yakitori</a> and beer. It was the best way to end a really busy trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfh1fg1ZlUkKCZJ_g2rnQe7dhOKBZFjzSxIpKSxqElLbovF-W_XksQOALsylKeqRbJYbdFgDjbc8YVnznVIIWwDVZ7kHtgAZSQiGQXnp4oC2MhnZEPgCfgNgwvo1FEJnYb7WFe2epNxU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfh1fg1ZlUkKCZJ_g2rnQe7dhOKBZFjzSxIpKSxqElLbovF-W_XksQOALsylKeqRbJYbdFgDjbc8YVnznVIIWwDVZ7kHtgAZSQiGQXnp4oC2MhnZEPgCfgNgwvo1FEJnYb7WFe2epNxU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+596.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was SO GOOD, guys.</td></tr>
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Then we stayed up a little late watching reruns of old dramas and being ridiculous and it was fun. I woke up early the next morning to catch a morning train back to Tokyo so I'd have lots of time to recover and also so Margaret could meet up with a friend without me tagging along. I tried to meet up with some friends studying in Kyoto, but the timing didn't work out, unfortunately. I went home and spent the day napping and going through pictures.<br />
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All in all, I declare LADYTRIP 2012 a huge success. In four days, we saw 11 World Heritage sites, crashed two weddings, and hung out with MONKEYS. I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any better than that. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to go traveling with Margaret, and I hope we get to go on more adventures (albeit on a much smaller scale) before the end of the second semester!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-4467369035899268562012-03-31T23:33:00.000+09:002012-03-31T23:33:28.880+09:00Let's Go to Kyoto! Day 3: Torii Gates and Badly-Behaved DeerSorry to keep everyone waiting! I had quite the busy week last week, with placement testing and some orientation stuff, on top of my first homework assignment of the semester (which I'm still working on). Classes start again on Tuesday, and I'll be in the 7th level of language classes this semester, which is exciting but I'm anticipating having a LOT of homework. That's okay though; I suppose it just means I'm learning that much more!<br />
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We slept in a bit on Day 3, since we had been quite tired from all the walking. Our agenda for the day included stopping by a BUNCH of notable landmarks (some of which were UNESCO sites, of course) in both Kyoto and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara,_Nara" target="_blank">Nara</a>, and because we had slept in, we expected our day to be a bit longer than the previous days.<br />
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First up for the day was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fushimi_Inari-taisha" target="_blank">Fushimi Inari-taisha</a>. Sitting at the base of a mountain, Fushimi Inari-taisha is famous for its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii" target="_blank">torii</a>-lined path up to the top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdB8AGzSTR_JF5GEquXqe34HEzdUVyyIy4Mr8Y9sj7L8CJ02jf8ptdbjjrXjPff2qR23CMxQQZlgUjHadD7sYfs7AsIyTtlU3dz-8GHH1DQ_Es8w49u0h-oyh0Q1eDWsoEflycVnpBNs/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdB8AGzSTR_JF5GEquXqe34HEzdUVyyIy4Mr8Y9sj7L8CJ02jf8ptdbjjrXjPff2qR23CMxQQZlgUjHadD7sYfs7AsIyTtlU3dz-8GHH1DQ_Es8w49u0h-oyh0Q1eDWsoEflycVnpBNs/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+198.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Margaret and I decided to go as far up the mountain as we could, even though due to the length of the trail, we wouldn't be able to make it all the way to the top and still make it to our other destinations on time. I think we made it a good halfway or so, though, which was about forty-five minutes round-trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2ppzp-_TeX3EHzaUskk4dwipWSU3bJIL7HAaTFBGKC-Ebi02GYfBp6TJGVTFbj3HLhK0Xy-pfZCb6SCKHc-5aTmzlKA0-PxfzgMxelGSgR7oiYJ-nxZT5hChhOZDWkUdWlyCst3hBRo/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2ppzp-_TeX3EHzaUskk4dwipWSU3bJIL7HAaTFBGKC-Ebi02GYfBp6TJGVTFbj3HLhK0Xy-pfZCb6SCKHc-5aTmzlKA0-PxfzgMxelGSgR7oiYJ-nxZT5hChhOZDWkUdWlyCst3hBRo/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+205.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the trail!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5NsOIbCsMTY3hYLSNm8Yb4wWcMb92HFYK-PUN7ee6Sv-3UvjKysltuC4juwU-6FWYqyqMvMuydx7LRyks2NH-OKYsTdJUl6wDnxWJmFbHuvFW6ElEkCjGqsAjQ3j2fPCugxAp3s_jfA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5NsOIbCsMTY3hYLSNm8Yb4wWcMb92HFYK-PUN7ee6Sv-3UvjKysltuC4juwU-6FWYqyqMvMuydx7LRyks2NH-OKYsTdJUl6wDnxWJmFbHuvFW6ElEkCjGqsAjQ3j2fPCugxAp3s_jfA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though the path forks here, both paths meet back up after about 100 yards or so.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7W7F9Mmzl75GQ87csYtiZnJ3NCIHzrgW4gpNxPe_rxXcqqQFEJz3EV5VmgjdVbxyJ9Qi3kNzE5GABnUKdCOm9izmjUb2mSt4j0RdAdYHIcgxEjIRBSMwDdrJTyDLqkIVRVWaFei5v58/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7W7F9Mmzl75GQ87csYtiZnJ3NCIHzrgW4gpNxPe_rxXcqqQFEJz3EV5VmgjdVbxyJ9Qi3kNzE5GABnUKdCOm9izmjUb2mSt4j0RdAdYHIcgxEjIRBSMwDdrJTyDLqkIVRVWaFei5v58/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+212.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxes are an important aspect of Fushimi Inari, so the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ema_%28Shinto%29" target="_blank">ema</a> here are fox heads!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4I0ldD-0xIAKyv7Vmtt7YKKRSqY3Grn74BebkY3lyskbSud1CuGTS-UHjak5xlOeO7FsPFNeTjG_L4P5MxB6TRRBd9CD6U0HFHmvUc8CQsbyzLf817_61BG3Cvx9azFcc2g2M4lV_os/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4I0ldD-0xIAKyv7Vmtt7YKKRSqY3Grn74BebkY3lyskbSud1CuGTS-UHjak5xlOeO7FsPFNeTjG_L4P5MxB6TRRBd9CD6U0HFHmvUc8CQsbyzLf817_61BG3Cvx9azFcc2g2M4lV_os/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUoGd8TKpVL4FLE-A-nA8Fl52DdulSE5sMq3FD4m_EzIFU2D0fropFE7ljnDUEzkmw7kduQSYZ_QQU5ydJOzOWz6yg0_el6HVYr56zJijlbq-qrLtdTObJFs3p7nLLC-m3suAXFJj5WI/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUoGd8TKpVL4FLE-A-nA8Fl52DdulSE5sMq3FD4m_EzIFU2D0fropFE7ljnDUEzkmw7kduQSYZ_QQU5ydJOzOWz6yg0_el6HVYr56zJijlbq-qrLtdTObJFs3p7nLLC-m3suAXFJj5WI/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb5l70XAu-h1ZYKgVJrvUeiXP4NY6PodEc_0qfmAjCz2916TMQYa-H8XU2tvMlGMmQJeOwtsV-jJDEawO6vlUEzUkeLyMgefeQpQACGjJuamKmZhxTKv8F1wNTtdFSGxY_bH-DwY4bS4/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb5l70XAu-h1ZYKgVJrvUeiXP4NY6PodEc_0qfmAjCz2916TMQYa-H8XU2tvMlGMmQJeOwtsV-jJDEawO6vlUEzUkeLyMgefeQpQACGjJuamKmZhxTKv8F1wNTtdFSGxY_bH-DwY4bS4/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+236.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkey warning! We didn't see any though. :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW52V2frWO3Z8S5SFYpCpRJu7ze275aJEXTGQEJV41tVs7gIxPzLeeOQKVbFsRN7N-Bi2OzG-6eWLwPPJbFthnQsVF77weOz0_ntBfI-DHWNXFIiEq1rKHioxvHq2K6YhfKN7R7MVrvXc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW52V2frWO3Z8S5SFYpCpRJu7ze275aJEXTGQEJV41tVs7gIxPzLeeOQKVbFsRN7N-Bi2OzG-6eWLwPPJbFthnQsVF77weOz0_ntBfI-DHWNXFIiEq1rKHioxvHq2K6YhfKN7R7MVrvXc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+244.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some more ema here; these ones are shaped like torii!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmwkyrRJiggXGycvuqPdQSpoMZ6wkM_RLq3FLap710rsoAETJ5mJh5mSRHQNYSxqtYrz9nW1YOiewnammjRcPUPVREF_4hb7T8B9zyS1HwEzFrM7qb0Q5HEZqyqO29fey5CRKB2LaUOI/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmwkyrRJiggXGycvuqPdQSpoMZ6wkM_RLq3FLap710rsoAETJ5mJh5mSRHQNYSxqtYrz9nW1YOiewnammjRcPUPVREF_4hb7T8B9zyS1HwEzFrM7qb0Q5HEZqyqO29fey5CRKB2LaUOI/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+249.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNT1EFNLAd4yHBy6w3zvZG9LdZuiWteQ_NzLGEBAby087Yxwbk1BDwx6oEy7M-nyYOZout5xhwCEB56zujZbdWcV6qFu0j9N2yQzCXRYDWux055qIgM8nA1i4owa6Mk7wY42SUZu_RH8/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNT1EFNLAd4yHBy6w3zvZG9LdZuiWteQ_NzLGEBAby087Yxwbk1BDwx6oEy7M-nyYOZout5xhwCEB56zujZbdWcV6qFu0j9N2yQzCXRYDWux055qIgM8nA1i4owa6Mk7wY42SUZu_RH8/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The torii were being re-painted the day we were there. That was neat to see. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh9Haux3t-O8hnL2urjIhyMDi2xeT0ejUCPSowr5pwVCXLv394jNKbjHoIDrRUC7AW25x6K7BXOn7RqL2wAOYIUj6bt8E6e5SpKeomcDNxNx7bPyIugfNYIejigK3wQe9xMQD1-9RjqI/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh9Haux3t-O8hnL2urjIhyMDi2xeT0ejUCPSowr5pwVCXLv394jNKbjHoIDrRUC7AW25x6K7BXOn7RqL2wAOYIUj6bt8E6e5SpKeomcDNxNx7bPyIugfNYIejigK3wQe9xMQD1-9RjqI/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+253.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The torii are donated by companies from all around Japan. One side of the torii lists the company name.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3H_5dQGQgg8VcI6z3AISkx7Xurj1ZDk0NZotqJz4tPfgmmL9l4kC4rgAossgiz6NZe9jZ7Wk0RjbqMSW1hC4xzyRFVC92zCelBfrkbnOd2WPripWCICswvi7SlerZ24o2rtJBFZTYfOY/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3H_5dQGQgg8VcI6z3AISkx7Xurj1ZDk0NZotqJz4tPfgmmL9l4kC4rgAossgiz6NZe9jZ7Wk0RjbqMSW1hC4xzyRFVC92zCelBfrkbnOd2WPripWCICswvi7SlerZ24o2rtJBFZTYfOY/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+254.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This side of the torii lists the date of donation.</td></tr>
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After visiting Fushimi Inari, Margaret and I were off to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uji" target="_blank">Uji</a>! Uji is featured in the last ten chapters of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Genji" target="_blank">The Tale of Genji</a>, so that was really cool in my opinion, what with me being a Japanese literature major and all. We didn't visit the Tale of Genji Museum though, but that's okay. "Genji" wasn't exactly my favorite work anyway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWfpEfYZxv_cloHl3BhA35LSgPtluwkvK-mQK1xlK5wpJTnQTo_MV6m7edusHcfM2OjAa-E9MaWr7MNtLe5NQJGILFLKDVh6UVnPxhErC4p1z8uorUkVoVuzoae_YQINSoety6SmFP1g/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWfpEfYZxv_cloHl3BhA35LSgPtluwkvK-mQK1xlK5wpJTnQTo_MV6m7edusHcfM2OjAa-E9MaWr7MNtLe5NQJGILFLKDVh6UVnPxhErC4p1z8uorUkVoVuzoae_YQINSoety6SmFP1g/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+260.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did, however, take a photo of this "Genji"-themed gate thing.</td></tr>
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Our main reason for visiting Uji was to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By%C5%8Dd%C5%8D-in" target="_blank">Byodo-in</a>, a Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage site that's also featured on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_yen_coin" target="_blank">10 yen coin</a>. We had to walk about 20 minutes from the station, and it was nice to explore Uji a bit. It had a really nice small-town kind of feel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxYj6AeGF1j44BtNkIuPMTdvg2lZi_E2txRLEKFXy0fSNbyFf7JSnA-vIN_a1VMMUut6ylcWIFLvUrX1FjRLXI4vwdjZ966ENYd_aNLUvUPU5ua44eXoHXNT56TngcdngYSMbcQfqoG8/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxYj6AeGF1j44BtNkIuPMTdvg2lZi_E2txRLEKFXy0fSNbyFf7JSnA-vIN_a1VMMUut6ylcWIFLvUrX1FjRLXI4vwdjZ966ENYd_aNLUvUPU5ua44eXoHXNT56TngcdngYSMbcQfqoG8/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the streets on the way to Byodo-in. I really liked the older-style architecture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1dVnSqeuZEeANWAN3K-WoK19yzgM9WvxHDBxpUhY1rZ-TRV2Pl1U858hWIv9794cjlPH50AZq5aLfIwkwlMiUz73G4pY5T-K9Cca9q81WtkIOJaRDaJT_vJnLBSMdr06RQ61RMXMbYI/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1dVnSqeuZEeANWAN3K-WoK19yzgM9WvxHDBxpUhY1rZ-TRV2Pl1U858hWIv9794cjlPH50AZq5aLfIwkwlMiUz73G4pY5T-K9Cca9q81WtkIOJaRDaJT_vJnLBSMdr06RQ61RMXMbYI/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This way to Byodo-in!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8eFKmNttBBqDKhFIINZOF_hw9WJ10Kgog-LYf-VCWRAEtP7mWBfe-w4oqjQE4gW0WxXC2wyLxbl4hjog4hzFIq8EhS5nygjU0yo9wNSWTRew7iatDa_YcAgjXBfjxCWoxBtBB7X8XaY/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8eFKmNttBBqDKhFIINZOF_hw9WJ10Kgog-LYf-VCWRAEtP7mWBfe-w4oqjQE4gW0WxXC2wyLxbl4hjog4hzFIq8EhS5nygjU0yo9wNSWTRew7iatDa_YcAgjXBfjxCWoxBtBB7X8XaY/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+267.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some background information on Byodo-in. Click to enlarge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Phoenix Hall from the front.</td></tr>
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After visiting Byodo-in and its associated museum (no pictures were allowed), we made our way back to the station to catch a train to Nara!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibl9UxKuQPg5bnNc5Pl-W3myfxQ8F9ssQ1Ytk2cc0Z1Yh0vUnkOQ-3X2X5v-QeY8_oeSqyccC-nP3PnC0cPMXjuLsFdfotiafRSQGPiCkTNkf5RnhtCq6X0Oyn7O5g0XO6vqRc6w8p3og/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibl9UxKuQPg5bnNc5Pl-W3myfxQ8F9ssQ1Ytk2cc0Z1Yh0vUnkOQ-3X2X5v-QeY8_oeSqyccC-nP3PnC0cPMXjuLsFdfotiafRSQGPiCkTNkf5RnhtCq6X0Oyn7O5g0XO6vqRc6w8p3og/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+282.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found this neat mailbox in front of Uji station!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BzPW16Eo0LGbQgWp8UIKjYg4DbU1VPwvUqZqYw6SVX76mdPegx2aImjCFYS2QgGfqwiOuybvrqXKY1nVT_T3PtbZHP44moGUN7Cm0GsTrVxx5GDER_a-epkWNXQGN4MdLE9CCUTHoFg/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BzPW16Eo0LGbQgWp8UIKjYg4DbU1VPwvUqZqYw6SVX76mdPegx2aImjCFYS2QgGfqwiOuybvrqXKY1nVT_T3PtbZHP44moGUN7Cm0GsTrVxx5GDER_a-epkWNXQGN4MdLE9CCUTHoFg/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+283.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the trains bound for Nara. We caught an express instead of one of these.</td></tr>
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The great thing about Nara, in my opinion, is that most of its world-famous sites are located in the same area. If you only have an afternoon to do Nara, like we did, your one-stop sightseeing place would definitely be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_Park" target="_blank">Nara Park</a>. Though the deer wander all around Nara, they tend to stick around Nara Park, as there's plenty of space for them to roam without the dangers of traffic.<br />
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First up on our Nara Park tour was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasuga_Taisha" target="_blank">Kasuga Taisha</a>, a shinto shrine and UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the unique characteristics of Kasuga Taisha is its many bronze lanterns within the shrine in addition to the 1000 stone lanterns located outside. Kasuga Taisha is located just outside Deer Park, an area where the deer have a lot of open space to just roam, so we had lots of time to meet the deer on the way up. Let me tell you one thing, though. These deer may look cute, but they are MONSTERS.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tsxrBnQpyXClDD0DzXCo9HQXAbGH5kHnmTKeNJXIU-X1aylr2343c8I70P2H5eHm9UH1kZprV09v0ADej-qnLsPbGhqyN7zJdSaiGV75J_NDYoWPBJxij8ka6fo7O20Fzev6mBjxF-M/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tsxrBnQpyXClDD0DzXCo9HQXAbGH5kHnmTKeNJXIU-X1aylr2343c8I70P2H5eHm9UH1kZprV09v0ADej-qnLsPbGhqyN7zJdSaiGV75J_NDYoWPBJxij8ka6fo7O20Fzev6mBjxF-M/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+285.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They may LOOK serene, but...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEYkLBwLVrigbPp22rBkhE7rpfeLWAvME3SRZ0mt0NZxpkJ2lNgZ_4pvIeIN5c61lxMOrpWTuXaL_mYZbXMCwOhun8U015oBumvtCTqEYTNht-Yh3_kQj4Dz-0z9eaDJP6taf20hT9uM/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEYkLBwLVrigbPp22rBkhE7rpfeLWAvME3SRZ0mt0NZxpkJ2lNgZ_4pvIeIN5c61lxMOrpWTuXaL_mYZbXMCwOhun8U015oBumvtCTqEYTNht-Yh3_kQj4Dz-0z9eaDJP6taf20hT9uM/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+288.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're just crazed eating machines, really. This one's eating a receipt. #1 in my "Deer Behaving Badly" series.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempting to open this kid's backpack. "Deer Behaving Badly" #2.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6zV0xIzPyDMIRtE7Y3mtbONnwF-iqB77KBZWZOdFm233RDKFLXjo8GSVF3bD2CfWFxVT38FYfX1dP_IgHbkB8CSUZd3mxl9-J_9kmDJEWw6OAW3wIKV_u0Ch54hv-i9PrA_dTvFNXdc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6zV0xIzPyDMIRtE7Y3mtbONnwF-iqB77KBZWZOdFm233RDKFLXjo8GSVF3bD2CfWFxVT38FYfX1dP_IgHbkB8CSUZd3mxl9-J_9kmDJEWw6OAW3wIKV_u0Ch54hv-i9PrA_dTvFNXdc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+290.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to get him to take a picture with me, but then he ran away. What a jerk.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi-1CbYXFlkIhAojJ3f8PAjyoJXEcYUNVCFydLGN_zDU3qWDXiHRb1Hix_qT98ouGZeoMFn2FYtlCe5elzGtGrARTyNjgdZ586JG0gPxtkquHFSpKw7DWGQrByDgUsAeoP6hYV8OaRa4/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi-1CbYXFlkIhAojJ3f8PAjyoJXEcYUNVCFydLGN_zDU3qWDXiHRb1Hix_qT98ouGZeoMFn2FYtlCe5elzGtGrARTyNjgdZ586JG0gPxtkquHFSpKw7DWGQrByDgUsAeoP6hYV8OaRa4/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+297.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the 1000 lanterns outside of the shrine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nXw5izYw0G2CDAqg7VXakMI6-DPAlteceY8na6CIhwZwL8oYV88nJC1WyzdnTRPWZu15DSV9samThfz3WSKXvhrdPu1MCf8ylFbp-tQRZIokeA9ZmPWGprsWYmulFHdyqUg4i-P0oao/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nXw5izYw0G2CDAqg7VXakMI6-DPAlteceY8na6CIhwZwL8oYV88nJC1WyzdnTRPWZu15DSV9samThfz3WSKXvhrdPu1MCf8ylFbp-tQRZIokeA9ZmPWGprsWYmulFHdyqUg4i-P0oao/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+299.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main entrance to the shrine.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This large tree was right inside the shrine grounds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63oZ2DXZMhpt1F-cwG3HB41BzSq_O0GmeQNc7Du5k1WLq6XEmCXroeTscJAu2pfCsfQnCObNmTiSJjcgdllP-omV23z3GfzpljWOmpwQCZcUsgqaEptjBQZ3t9Z_2QoHvbYhQldihd7U/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63oZ2DXZMhpt1F-cwG3HB41BzSq_O0GmeQNc7Du5k1WLq6XEmCXroeTscJAu2pfCsfQnCObNmTiSJjcgdllP-omV23z3GfzpljWOmpwQCZcUsgqaEptjBQZ3t9Z_2QoHvbYhQldihd7U/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+324.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nara really loves its deer... The Kasuga Taisha <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temizuya" target="_blank">temizuya</a> is even a deer!</td></tr>
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After Kasuga Taisha, we moved on to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todaiji" target="_blank">Todaiji</a>, another World Heritage site, which, in addition to being the largest wooden building in the world, also houses the largest statue of the Buddha <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vairocana" target="_blank">Vairocana</a>. It's a pretty cool place, I have to say. I was really glad to be able to come back and visit again (I saw Todaiji in 2008 with my high school Japanese class).<br />
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There are more deer that hang out around Todaiji, probably because they know that there are tourists about who are willing to buy and feed them deer biscuits (しかせんべい). Margaret and I, knowing full well the danger we would face by doing so, decided to take the plunge and buy a couple of ¥150 biscuit packs to feed the deer. It ended up being terrifying, as expected.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUEb4V1-m8y46ONTWO8kM1XPKqvhhONVWn0kfH3aWrKgfbIkQiT1gMkqEvWkRAXaPCbWRwAcj7D1c1NYllzPX6UJR1Cl1uhMaluV3erJy0-YVQVhR7WlViLkNvdRKXQ-j4Pa623TFpDY/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUEb4V1-m8y46ONTWO8kM1XPKqvhhONVWn0kfH3aWrKgfbIkQiT1gMkqEvWkRAXaPCbWRwAcj7D1c1NYllzPX6UJR1Cl1uhMaluV3erJy0-YVQVhR7WlViLkNvdRKXQ-j4Pa623TFpDY/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+333.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The horde approaches. "Deer Behaving Badly" #3.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgODEBPdaR5TYmBMlWeDY_QfCB1MbUNEJKgmvQtZdJz0YsMCJ6Df9YO3PAHr8n9GhE7R3JIjSU-bVYNStwm8QMEBZJmg2QM_MvoFPLzHwii7qjlPVkf3tJaaWuC1w2YzMmM81zqj2Vdk/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgODEBPdaR5TYmBMlWeDY_QfCB1MbUNEJKgmvQtZdJz0YsMCJ6Df9YO3PAHr8n9GhE7R3JIjSU-bVYNStwm8QMEBZJmg2QM_MvoFPLzHwii7qjlPVkf3tJaaWuC1w2YzMmM81zqj2Vdk/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+334.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were actually being pretty polite for Margaret. I was a bit jealous.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXB8z6aPFFt65v8eg2DiAMWg1pNn-SK9jT_aoF9AKEsb4zmYwdKvGRCOPfrcrEW_rn1ejlQEqE2NKGkxuN3SCyVU7hv0o-JbflTzlEEWZr4jcZm9R_LwjMbI2UcKQRBg9OXw1spsBHSE/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXB8z6aPFFt65v8eg2DiAMWg1pNn-SK9jT_aoF9AKEsb4zmYwdKvGRCOPfrcrEW_rn1ejlQEqE2NKGkxuN3SCyVU7hv0o-JbflTzlEEWZr4jcZm9R_LwjMbI2UcKQRBg9OXw1spsBHSE/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were less than considerate towards me, especially after I ran out of biscuits. "Deer Behaving Badly" #4.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7C4DW5d8Eliuo_v7YZrGKVFKZFUupATZjtKM1Kdu8CKP1BVyqHiHJmNBbcLjSgFTvsJkRbSNCsx-dyMd0EyOJwoJzue8UYowuX49EssA9T4BdOPOVKg8BJ65pAeYiQpOKY8qqOpInwMo/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7C4DW5d8Eliuo_v7YZrGKVFKZFUupATZjtKM1Kdu8CKP1BVyqHiHJmNBbcLjSgFTvsJkRbSNCsx-dyMd0EyOJwoJzue8UYowuX49EssA9T4BdOPOVKg8BJ65pAeYiQpOKY8qqOpInwMo/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I'm just not quite sure what this guy was doing...</td></tr>
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After feeding the deer and sanitizing our hands (we had made sure to pick up some hand sanitizer from a drug store before we left Kyoto, thank goodness), we decided to head in to Todaiji.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLerKydZqYjMjKQzd58I4wk0jh_8xccGM62MdyWPiLEWJIFgJQIPS1R03i3F9vDh7J5Ftn-clkpn6bi28Pdumm2AgQ-fUeBlh4ZEynerUW1RpAUXAkzxo6PmtSqihTi5dacv3xanPgQLA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLerKydZqYjMjKQzd58I4wk0jh_8xccGM62MdyWPiLEWJIFgJQIPS1R03i3F9vDh7J5Ftn-clkpn6bi28Pdumm2AgQ-fUeBlh4ZEynerUW1RpAUXAkzxo6PmtSqihTi5dacv3xanPgQLA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibT9vrqVqr8c2ndWfJLMtI-r5PMBudY4a3-vHtJCutOP25Z2t64O4JhBwvhUF00LzWu8IRIHls5cm0KCY7g6pkeBSgksIy6Yj9ZpvTM6BCHnXHmd6mjkUOqK_0O0Sjw9NBFGCY-XPhiyg/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibT9vrqVqr8c2ndWfJLMtI-r5PMBudY4a3-vHtJCutOP25Z2t64O4JhBwvhUF00LzWu8IRIHls5cm0KCY7g6pkeBSgksIy6Yj9ZpvTM6BCHnXHmd6mjkUOqK_0O0Sjw9NBFGCY-XPhiyg/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+339.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XLnoSUruagjoUIVK-uYn2kJrEHdiLzDk-GfsBokAAeGwDt1h_q7yj1E2IdgNMslrQJohoh10CPdZhNV1syqnSh7VwNiSHQwnaLuEk2FBPjjfUfakTq6yOGJR8jh7M4DGecO0YAN3KCU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XLnoSUruagjoUIVK-uYn2kJrEHdiLzDk-GfsBokAAeGwDt1h_q7yj1E2IdgNMslrQJohoh10CPdZhNV1syqnSh7VwNiSHQwnaLuEk2FBPjjfUfakTq6yOGJR8jh7M4DGecO0YAN3KCU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+343.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken from several hundred meters away... The temple is HUGE!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR2bRs3HKZWcWYV9RHSBLlTqOWXOqV_My_hT1V9yf4z7mjsx7iH97tNdW8JkTDOOZpRneb5D4Ybs0hAFg5HnKmZmd_xzCpHcTuUQLcTHbIRYGlJfySRlk70c1GLc_n8FuEhYVmLdKoOw/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKR2bRs3HKZWcWYV9RHSBLlTqOWXOqV_My_hT1V9yf4z7mjsx7iH97tNdW8JkTDOOZpRneb5D4Ybs0hAFg5HnKmZmd_xzCpHcTuUQLcTHbIRYGlJfySRlk70c1GLc_n8FuEhYVmLdKoOw/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR4BvHi1y3YJ6EHVYaZ830uQs7BdIs4i1RICWkV5_80cJQXceZ1kUkxUGQf7tboYEZiqFGx3SQeCUNVe33VdTiNKJHY3TTxbeB_sonDc4ch7dx5AJN4wQGF-87R_vPPKvI_XSX-1f0ek/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR4BvHi1y3YJ6EHVYaZ830uQs7BdIs4i1RICWkV5_80cJQXceZ1kUkxUGQf7tboYEZiqFGx3SQeCUNVe33VdTiNKJHY3TTxbeB_sonDc4ch7dx5AJN4wQGF-87R_vPPKvI_XSX-1f0ek/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+346.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm serious. It's GIANT.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRqw2X8g5iiGWDfAllSo5Yt_VY10Np_53ts0ujyW5yd5B4z-eTtkNjLgDWyE35MhJC7YFT_dBg87r11XCMPdYqdBfaDcJGnLuWDdZdF7OajjlHe0pdIleiOwoTE-zIoB9S7NHG3iypsM/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRqw2X8g5iiGWDfAllSo5Yt_VY10Np_53ts0ujyW5yd5B4z-eTtkNjLgDWyE35MhJC7YFT_dBg87r11XCMPdYqdBfaDcJGnLuWDdZdF7OajjlHe0pdIleiOwoTE-zIoB9S7NHG3iypsM/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+348.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really liked how elaborate the carving on this lantern was.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfC9lglGK1Q6Ko4aRUNOTlza4w5R0C2dq7ZJjtdnuW1VMs3pR1Tb5FAG4tpgXHcy6zn7BjBEmwIwbfLqIVC_4jVRVMQ2bLHsd5tNvyYKXUqN_l15zvydBe8QpiBrOgzRCTss5hJlXLEs/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfC9lglGK1Q6Ko4aRUNOTlza4w5R0C2dq7ZJjtdnuW1VMs3pR1Tb5FAG4tpgXHcy6zn7BjBEmwIwbfLqIVC_4jVRVMQ2bLHsd5tNvyYKXUqN_l15zvydBe8QpiBrOgzRCTss5hJlXLEs/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqrJGHBW8QElCoy6Mg6eO0FUXpvHolPpdIEUd7xpq26gxsZ_8BpmD7kIAJf5x_rjB81LHicDriNvvD1vOn2nw9yrDtUgYJjJWuHrijQfnlOrAP1GBbMRGs08m3rjfQmp60apXIkGzMNg/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqrJGHBW8QElCoy6Mg6eO0FUXpvHolPpdIEUd7xpq26gxsZ_8BpmD7kIAJf5x_rjB81LHicDriNvvD1vOn2nw9yrDtUgYJjJWuHrijQfnlOrAP1GBbMRGs08m3rjfQmp60apXIkGzMNg/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+350.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daibutsu" target="_blank">daibutsu</a>!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqmGQrNvM-JeJKA6HJePKvOdTBMFULrr_smnglJt286e2kT2GzY973oHvRxG-CLBMEImJ7GMu5mSAX2Iv2iZfO9sXAsvdOPCa6bHqaV1LaOPabo7If1hE6jYlPTtXksqswOzZVtNTumc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqmGQrNvM-JeJKA6HJePKvOdTBMFULrr_smnglJt286e2kT2GzY973oHvRxG-CLBMEImJ7GMu5mSAX2Iv2iZfO9sXAsvdOPCa6bHqaV1LaOPabo7If1hE6jYlPTtXksqswOzZVtNTumc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxlJ3vjZlPYdKvxJ2zXi_3eVSqhHBjmwbNoGrHFULyKzI-iQKeaRzIYbdyDazyoNbn7UJZcYNH5nwBXm9zqMA_Vok2gG05Vkih-tTGqIFUqXLGBr_SlhV6L5F4mRmRLMx8ToJjFIaX1w/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxlJ3vjZlPYdKvxJ2zXi_3eVSqhHBjmwbNoGrHFULyKzI-iQKeaRzIYbdyDazyoNbn7UJZcYNH5nwBXm9zqMA_Vok2gG05Vkih-tTGqIFUqXLGBr_SlhV6L5F4mRmRLMx8ToJjFIaX1w/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the other features of Todaiji is a hole in one of its pillars. This hole is said to be the same size as the daibutsu's nostril, and anyone who can fit through it will be granted enlightenment in their next reincarnation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKfdV5_6Sc1sZaGNSyWAba0e9StGFXTE-2ZCcDNV7Goika9aqQr-GD_xXqZ7iV8uNhJLrb0BGZal4FpYwYppyMHH3schl2ctXS_snUGnGBx4FK2V7tN8P_BF_ALIioTGgZC4hKjtCLvQ/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKfdV5_6Sc1sZaGNSyWAba0e9StGFXTE-2ZCcDNV7Goika9aqQr-GD_xXqZ7iV8uNhJLrb0BGZal4FpYwYppyMHH3schl2ctXS_snUGnGBx4FK2V7tN8P_BF_ALIioTGgZC4hKjtCLvQ/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+356.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's pretty tiny.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIQ4HfPUhIqq6PiNbh75m89O75Mr1woKbMhEObXYGl-fwEALfq4H1yLvxmyOLysRYBq4skLv1BhRgrEnU0yh7NQ_Es0JVgwQyV3GBD3HZXidfIxH4d-e0MIAPuiSGkq_F9dNlDOpBdy0/s1600/P7130423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIQ4HfPUhIqq6PiNbh75m89O75Mr1woKbMhEObXYGl-fwEALfq4H1yLvxmyOLysRYBq4skLv1BhRgrEnU0yh7NQ_Es0JVgwQyV3GBD3HZXidfIxH4d-e0MIAPuiSGkq_F9dNlDOpBdy0/s320/P7130423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I fit through in 2008!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd0ctHvCgY3RUn7SaqYViDzxz3lgT53Jq5JPictPsaloVIF4N-fShqc21V7aVPUPsLClUmUASb6Yeamb8h7D3cA53uLRdDtOmiAB0k86QMntfI6tA3HKL2LQq-NMxyIchn0h42yLDy2g/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd0ctHvCgY3RUn7SaqYViDzxz3lgT53Jq5JPictPsaloVIF4N-fShqc21V7aVPUPsLClUmUASb6Yeamb8h7D3cA53uLRdDtOmiAB0k86QMntfI6tA3HKL2LQq-NMxyIchn0h42yLDy2g/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+357.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I did it again four years later. Here I am, feeling like a CHAMPION.</td></tr>
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On the way out, we encountered some more deer behaving badly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTMZL4dO79CV_FligQOVGhW5sPkqO2FL7dyFDI481VIxp86q41czLNQ35aAOKZRG-hRvktP3hh-89F0vp1tnMZxSFWhmo5MkTaQF_ynb5VYGo-oJFyOWxDX4Pg0WRtvAVWdyB8eH3DrU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTMZL4dO79CV_FligQOVGhW5sPkqO2FL7dyFDI481VIxp86q41czLNQ35aAOKZRG-hRvktP3hh-89F0vp1tnMZxSFWhmo5MkTaQF_ynb5VYGo-oJFyOWxDX4Pg0WRtvAVWdyB8eH3DrU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+359.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were biting his pants. "Deer Behaving Badly" #5.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6RHayhy8tumks9ddiJrXJriCIUFCEot3gQBa-b9PnFo50tG9HEufDlHiozEvzx09GwPw2s5NXpTPSvVyjAsJz5ehAboRuIVOC7rTdNPIKLTLSC_eTwOMfRCmHE2G9zqe9lFohuNOgE4/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6RHayhy8tumks9ddiJrXJriCIUFCEot3gQBa-b9PnFo50tG9HEufDlHiozEvzx09GwPw2s5NXpTPSvVyjAsJz5ehAboRuIVOC7rTdNPIKLTLSC_eTwOMfRCmHE2G9zqe9lFohuNOgE4/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+361.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone really ought to teach them some manners... "Deer Behaving Badly" #6.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After Todaiji, we were getting pretty tired. We weren't too tired for one more World Heritage site, though! We headed off to the other side of the park to see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofukuji" target="_blank">Kofuku-ji</a>. Unfortunately, most of the temple was under renovation, so it wasn't that interesting. I still got some good pictures though!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign says the renovation will be done in SIX YEARS. A lot of work goes into these restorations!</td></tr>
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After checking out Kofuku-ji, we hopped on a bus back to Nara station in order to head back to Kyoto.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQg41UtLNYiFpRwgCNhe9xl-CUnkIsZRb0bTiq7SUWMKIP02Kn6g6rjyFNAzmHxkMKZCScx3FI1FP5LsMPgDmHNa8WIVHgC1r4YT9DsSKRj0fNI5ytmth4DLK9K2ECI_AiiwUU0GlMMKo/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQg41UtLNYiFpRwgCNhe9xl-CUnkIsZRb0bTiq7SUWMKIP02Kn6g6rjyFNAzmHxkMKZCScx3FI1FP5LsMPgDmHNa8WIVHgC1r4YT9DsSKRj0fNI5ytmth4DLK9K2ECI_AiiwUU0GlMMKo/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+377.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Nara station. I thought it was a GORGEOUS building.</td></tr>
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When we got back to Kyoto, we treated ourselves to a delicious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenpura" target="_blank">tenpura</a> dinner before heading back to our hotel to watch ridiculous dramas and fall asleep.<br />
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All in all, I'd have to say it was a VERY successful day!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-21828035209604534762012-03-26T00:26:00.000+09:002012-03-26T01:04:07.920+09:00Let's Go to Kyoto! Day 2: World Heritage Sites and Bus AdventuresSorry for the delay; I have my placement test on Tuesday, so I've been busy studying all weekend! I'm taking a bit of a break now, so I've decided to go ahead and update everyone on the second day of the Kyoto trip!<br />
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On Thursday, we woke up early because we had planned out a busy day for ourselves. We had plans to visit many places, including 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and we also needed to figure out Kyoto's bus system, since the subway system is, compared to Tokyo's, incredibly lacking. We were lucky enough to stumble upon two one-day tourist passes for the bus, thanks to some people who were checking out of our hotel, for free (they usually cost ¥500, or around $6.00), which was awesome because our plans for the day involved quite a lot of bus riding!<br />
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First on the agenda was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkakuji" target="_blank">Kinkaku-ji</a>! Kinkaku-ji, with its gold leaf-covered pavilion, was our first World Heritage site of the day. I had visited before when I went to Japan with my Japanese class in high school, but I have to say I had no regrets about visiting again! We were lucky enough to go when it was just a bit sunny out, so the light catching the gold leaf was quite a sight!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Golden Pavilion from the front</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around the back of the pavilion. I really liked how the sun would catch the gold.</td></tr>
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After checking out the pavilion, Margaret and I walked around the garden area for a while.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small waterfall on the garden grounds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaret trying to toss a coin into the pot. As you can see, many have attempted this. It's not easy!</td></tr>
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We grabbed a "breakfast" of green tea soft-serve before walking the fifteen minutes or so to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dan-ji" target="_blank">Ryoan-ji</a>, our second World Heritage site of the day. Ryoan-ji is famous for its zen garden, and it's considered to be one of the best examples in Japan. There are fifteen rocks in the garden, and they're arranged in such a way that anyone viewing the garden is unable to see all fifteen rocks from any position on the viewing porch, and according to the temple, the only way to see the fifteenth rock is by achieving enlightenment.<br />
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That said, I knew I had no chance, so I just sat on the porch and enjoyed the weather. It was a very nice day, after all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIHBDOubG2liGO9oQSnUDsme1fr4mPUHfmZc6WgxQ6MXNHXgz0ME0ES2-Rz2Y_cP4GAkkhvGPGAO9OQkLJNe0oCYFnN1NIEi4ELwiQlqAef3U9DGz7K0gV68GOSSpU49W31RLH2VF91g/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIHBDOubG2liGO9oQSnUDsme1fr4mPUHfmZc6WgxQ6MXNHXgz0ME0ES2-Rz2Y_cP4GAkkhvGPGAO9OQkLJNe0oCYFnN1NIEi4ELwiQlqAef3U9DGz7K0gV68GOSSpU49W31RLH2VF91g/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walk up to the temple itself.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK3IkxZtKnlXbqB7Gw60PBDPiuau7ZgV5frxrUI9W1_5NJtmIflO04vKk8qE-VCa-nJ8XoxJwY7oiI_3vHBO1t0qv1adw5JiaJyqvE1J-MApWatOAxHSDGy7IzU_pOgq-pqA4BUgFONg/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK3IkxZtKnlXbqB7Gw60PBDPiuau7ZgV5frxrUI9W1_5NJtmIflO04vKk8qE-VCa-nJ8XoxJwY7oiI_3vHBO1t0qv1adw5JiaJyqvE1J-MApWatOAxHSDGy7IzU_pOgq-pqA4BUgFONg/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bell inside the temple. I've noticed I really like photographing temple bells...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSeN_NJ6dBi6vZ5KEcMi9f_QLvvNZxmEeGS5GA5MwSo75cDQfZ_hfPx-5CTMm3an5Oo7WN22kZ8Dc0R3PJO-BL7iP01Dodpv9DhG2ms6p5_7M_RROuBHjWUdHlNFnnO808h-TyEl7Cis/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSeN_NJ6dBi6vZ5KEcMi9f_QLvvNZxmEeGS5GA5MwSo75cDQfZ_hfPx-5CTMm3an5Oo7WN22kZ8Dc0R3PJO-BL7iP01Dodpv9DhG2ms6p5_7M_RROuBHjWUdHlNFnnO808h-TyEl7Cis/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+083.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of the temple, with painted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusuma" target="_blank">fusuma</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The world-famous rock garden.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1262465129"></span><span id="goog_1262465130"></span><span id="goog_1262465131"></span><span id="goog_1262465132"></span><span id="goog_1262465133"></span><span id="goog_1262465134"></span>Ryoan-ji is surrounded by a much larger garden, which Margaret and I decided to explore afterward. It was very pretty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpE08dPNUUHf9bIJaR0_BSH5mdG2_x9OGTo5KZcOLEcJPHDM7wlzppWLdyKpv3Gtfk2bIe1wIDgKETzrdO75wO5zkWaUMWCxl0emWIgYrhYOOn3Oe4Txfk-BhDvDKp7bHYg5l84jVAqQ/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpE08dPNUUHf9bIJaR0_BSH5mdG2_x9OGTo5KZcOLEcJPHDM7wlzppWLdyKpv3Gtfk2bIe1wIDgKETzrdO75wO5zkWaUMWCxl0emWIgYrhYOOn3Oe4Txfk-BhDvDKp7bHYg5l84jVAqQ/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+086.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn0ij3YRda1nJyGPqHDHnhjwrbCfgngAlvtXVwM9Y1bJTluXE7ndesgs8GgoeZ26o7NyFLYLgmzFA7Teb7OOtpV7mHJGjkbfXE-ueTW_TVBIUjQbhJXQf6rLPwcKwpZS5uAZwsdZc0Cg/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn0ij3YRda1nJyGPqHDHnhjwrbCfgngAlvtXVwM9Y1bJTluXE7ndesgs8GgoeZ26o7NyFLYLgmzFA7Teb7OOtpV7mHJGjkbfXE-ueTW_TVBIUjQbhJXQf6rLPwcKwpZS5uAZwsdZc0Cg/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+111.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the other tourists was kind enough to take a photo of us together!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_tBc8CG9i_KBxrOBFExDz83jU8xLcR_4EOTiC9I17HHMMlaeqDQHZmZnnxt9hVNPIJMEOvDcfTIw2BnmgwdheSSHzozc6GYVyFnVQjR_kXrIc7Ao6pTejuTgMPKOtN_6EwHVary5hzs/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_tBc8CG9i_KBxrOBFExDz83jU8xLcR_4EOTiC9I17HHMMlaeqDQHZmZnnxt9hVNPIJMEOvDcfTIw2BnmgwdheSSHzozc6GYVyFnVQjR_kXrIc7Ao6pTejuTgMPKOtN_6EwHVary5hzs/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+113.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These little guys are statues of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizou#In_Japan" target="_blank">Jizou</a> (Ksitigarbha), a Bodhisattva. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeHcLaysAh98zxasWUg-2eYnBSUuretWPWIcDweg_gZHyaJPogQAcYsCSJWJp0X6z58dpP_FdBxtZDYSDUDtrz1xkDTAhuXOx1aPsmZ3XiJR3P1el8zjSgXu1g8GrlcWZTsrdHt8a-jU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeHcLaysAh98zxasWUg-2eYnBSUuretWPWIcDweg_gZHyaJPogQAcYsCSJWJp0X6z58dpP_FdBxtZDYSDUDtrz1xkDTAhuXOx1aPsmZ3XiJR3P1el8zjSgXu1g8GrlcWZTsrdHt8a-jU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+184.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's another example of Jizou statues.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwsa1d3RCy7mfOyqCmpOXqzgmQXuH6_NnlCGQ7pWBEBeVwfOGSGC38kcEEm7Gtfinzq_1qQkoeq_ZwGVuKW4ooleZdjIbbQ8kwY8bHfBStL7ebuAKxqTh58Mb1dGNA96pjrctPBQOE5Q/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwsa1d3RCy7mfOyqCmpOXqzgmQXuH6_NnlCGQ7pWBEBeVwfOGSGC38kcEEm7Gtfinzq_1qQkoeq_ZwGVuKW4ooleZdjIbbQ8kwY8bHfBStL7ebuAKxqTh58Mb1dGNA96pjrctPBQOE5Q/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After Ryoan-ji, our plan was to head to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Imperial_Palace" target="_blank">Kyoto Imperial Palace</a>, so we hopped on a bus, and quickly found ourselves... at the bus depot. It turns out we were on the proper bus, but heading the wrong direction, so we had to wait an extra fifteen minutes for a new bus heading the opposite direction. It all worked out though, and we eventually found ourselves at the palace grounds. We had decided not to register for a tour booked through the Imperial Household Agency so that we could spend as much time at the palace as we wanted, since the palace is also open to the general public, but we apparently visited on a day when the palace was only open for tour groups, which was unfortunate. I was a little disappointed, but on the bright side, the Imperial Palace is located in a park with many shrines and also an historic house that used to belong to one of the court families, and it was open for public viewing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTGnxkBPKbOg1fRlHWCUf6giuxPm4kQSOjhm036HS4raH0cXtodSuEIoECU6Fc6bUSvLzaMTOexu5nGKWz-5ooI2KN-jK8vRJced6WvSVYouf3CGgRzMtUMdHG_-jliQc-akTqQe1QdA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTGnxkBPKbOg1fRlHWCUf6giuxPm4kQSOjhm036HS4raH0cXtodSuEIoECU6Fc6bUSvLzaMTOexu5nGKWz-5ooI2KN-jK8vRJced6WvSVYouf3CGgRzMtUMdHG_-jliQc-akTqQe1QdA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+119.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outer gate of the palace. All we were able to see. :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YV96ge8HB5mSxovSJs_OqSj-13FcYRx4DnJ2Ikgr7L2VJDFPHF450IbgQMmzZ3sWSN_1lELDhtuy5xT72vqyfTe8KDWdUfaloqkSD4mTUi6qLrcw4iLZ3ufe3OT_GjybVaSFNc8rcB0/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YV96ge8HB5mSxovSJs_OqSj-13FcYRx4DnJ2Ikgr7L2VJDFPHF450IbgQMmzZ3sWSN_1lELDhtuy5xT72vqyfTe8KDWdUfaloqkSD4mTUi6qLrcw4iLZ3ufe3OT_GjybVaSFNc8rcB0/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+123.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plum blossoms blooming in the Imperial Garden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JvBcOaThfcFI-ekf9uIPrXFG4YKa7vnvmC9jUiBSOAfsojhD1csUFmRrW4N73WQWJAqBdWfWpKt-N7UYxg0g4Ny1WsKOZHNenzAvmNVrfa-Tfqs2rkmZyvr29iE2ckaN9GxX7yYaj2o/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JvBcOaThfcFI-ekf9uIPrXFG4YKa7vnvmC9jUiBSOAfsojhD1csUFmRrW4N73WQWJAqBdWfWpKt-N7UYxg0g4Ny1WsKOZHNenzAvmNVrfa-Tfqs2rkmZyvr29iE2ckaN9GxX7yYaj2o/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+125.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More plum blossoms!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4Zs2sVD2vpzVzAPWkmLKxgOkeDGCo-QZbJ-pxty7zVj4rlvxz_o6vEpAqKqeXNBWk-ltgzz9DGYxTsFbNn2DeInFacKh7EFQ6frHWVdn8jaHUGzNrOEUov333uYFMWryJE57KKGxixY/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4Zs2sVD2vpzVzAPWkmLKxgOkeDGCo-QZbJ-pxty7zVj4rlvxz_o6vEpAqKqeXNBWk-ltgzz9DGYxTsFbNn2DeInFacKh7EFQ6frHWVdn8jaHUGzNrOEUov333uYFMWryJE57KKGxixY/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+126.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the shrines contained within the park.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeYyrP1lRfSI5kU5-XUArTFxP-N1fxabeSMVJhG-jsRAV5rO0AtPPeOn6Y7Lgdjoe-FjKx-ZZEWchXD9sZrVLRnw4V5wW2sVAyjzL2giQTPNI_g-NoyBR08_-uUJ55A3ptm8_Mbh9gkk/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeYyrP1lRfSI5kU5-XUArTFxP-N1fxabeSMVJhG-jsRAV5rO0AtPPeOn6Y7Lgdjoe-FjKx-ZZEWchXD9sZrVLRnw4V5wW2sVAyjzL2giQTPNI_g-NoyBR08_-uUJ55A3ptm8_Mbh9gkk/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZg0hb-dTicN3HIRg87nFAl6geGJIlxw8-7-cJFVbdp0qlP2isAMfazLbl4wsOcVKcvr4vQBRal_LnjOlA39gXjPmP3WaB9XJzALuzhEEEa3zlnl2nnfE-tR9tiTttCXZjpbTBLtDROBA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZg0hb-dTicN3HIRg87nFAl6geGJIlxw8-7-cJFVbdp0qlP2isAMfazLbl4wsOcVKcvr4vQBRal_LnjOlA39gXjPmP3WaB9XJzALuzhEEEa3zlnl2nnfE-tR9tiTttCXZjpbTBLtDROBA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCq1klEHOT3h2YWlP8vKcWYgfdW41jJqbNTJnqdDLJy8nHC2eU4lPX4YK15kwVB_VX-09gS8s6Is294qyfrc7dZQoTbwOw5iVGjs-nX0USJ4-jWX1JvstHueUWC8jHN-kTc8Z2nx7CtY/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCq1klEHOT3h2YWlP8vKcWYgfdW41jJqbNTJnqdDLJy8nHC2eU4lPX4YK15kwVB_VX-09gS8s6Is294qyfrc7dZQoTbwOw5iVGjs-nX0USJ4-jWX1JvstHueUWC8jHN-kTc8Z2nx7CtY/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABZTpG63jDPOT4ZzIeBPq2XTrRPRIKepZrpygFCAkIdpPcLfhO2EM6iOIxQwLkFIgCdTcE4nX-3b39SLwTG8Ui9frmcYLOCCOtZEKjG1RYY6vdWiPAv9NzcTGaASGC0sKdhpSVWN8lyg/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABZTpG63jDPOT4ZzIeBPq2XTrRPRIKepZrpygFCAkIdpPcLfhO2EM6iOIxQwLkFIgCdTcE4nX-3b39SLwTG8Ui9frmcYLOCCOtZEKjG1RYY6vdWiPAv9NzcTGaASGC0sKdhpSVWN8lyg/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+140.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the last remaining home belonging to one of the old noble families.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgE7Nb4AjlTYYyD9Qf-ksM3nIqAcyB5rbmfXX-znDKzwIFZuTwsffh7vapqC980r8ecwij7hpJuFPJHMM4n1HMLjcVGtirzB20srDHHxG7pk2ccOFHtZUKC6wjpZRwjfLyunANJQ0zQk/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgE7Nb4AjlTYYyD9Qf-ksM3nIqAcyB5rbmfXX-znDKzwIFZuTwsffh7vapqC980r8ecwij7hpJuFPJHMM4n1HMLjcVGtirzB20srDHHxG7pk2ccOFHtZUKC6wjpZRwjfLyunANJQ0zQk/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+142.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inner courtyard. The building is a nature museum now.</td></tr>
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After our brief visit at the Kyoto Imperal Palace, we decided to make our way to our third World Heritage site and last location of the day, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyomizu-dera" target="_blank">Kiyomizu-dera</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxE-Ylvna6js4RWP6Vv-IZ4yk1LEd4c92_eg5MkveDvS09tISgaYSvwNE5dETxp3qfq4wPgV4liTLFVULe_aFGDeBtJZmuchOsWsf7oCySiN40kBdGYMHA_g9DSeRKq3iFltZf5Wth_o/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxE-Ylvna6js4RWP6Vv-IZ4yk1LEd4c92_eg5MkveDvS09tISgaYSvwNE5dETxp3qfq4wPgV4liTLFVULe_aFGDeBtJZmuchOsWsf7oCySiN40kBdGYMHA_g9DSeRKq3iFltZf5Wth_o/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+144.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate, with the three-story pagoda in the background.</td></tr>
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This is another site I saw in 2008, but it was fun to come back. Unfortunately, most of the site was under renovation, but we were still able to see some interesting things.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72wxowr9-TcJ9-6DigaISSX_F0X6zPIRTN5DwoEx3xmzzJDyrZzRxBfKcqPtkJcjKvwkdY4oGdzzLI5eMdj-Kbr7tXPJ-pa2ewMRh5q48ToJ6oEpewOeiznJN3-9RbOxnNkRgrayglCY/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72wxowr9-TcJ9-6DigaISSX_F0X6zPIRTN5DwoEx3xmzzJDyrZzRxBfKcqPtkJcjKvwkdY4oGdzzLI5eMdj-Kbr7tXPJ-pa2ewMRh5q48ToJ6oEpewOeiznJN3-9RbOxnNkRgrayglCY/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like this.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDXIwQfg3tPjMhYpiGY3GiiEnKebze0JIDPP38oHfLIldM_OjSUT6kY46DEmtQtEJAB030_ngbZdHtlFEiLybtYvFOF72Tk0-b1OHpVNq-zX1bcpYZDV8UablCEMOdchiQ3y07aYQceA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDXIwQfg3tPjMhYpiGY3GiiEnKebze0JIDPP38oHfLIldM_OjSUT6kY46DEmtQtEJAB030_ngbZdHtlFEiLybtYvFOF72Tk0-b1OHpVNq-zX1bcpYZDV8UablCEMOdchiQ3y07aYQceA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+152.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQns1GrPd2AcCqqtwkanYSMP3EUDLKV6N611bVg-z3bz-CyCfym2SfkNE2Som9oZ3xTM44q_Lsb8XpLqFTfXBbQgp4hG4Bb3A_N1o1Rd_UUZbGFNoi52dTjR-sKzWXh0_qe31UjpWdfg/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQns1GrPd2AcCqqtwkanYSMP3EUDLKV6N611bVg-z3bz-CyCfym2SfkNE2Som9oZ3xTM44q_Lsb8XpLqFTfXBbQgp4hG4Bb3A_N1o1Rd_UUZbGFNoi52dTjR-sKzWXh0_qe31UjpWdfg/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZKt7YHXr_fF2e6qiXCxZ9n4CgupzkgWA5IA3lWbhyphenhyphen7P-IRQ8SlhHpAHQLQQVIXYxO0b-aW1FLwOUOZMzrCZzIS12uFcSuu6NCDIzxd4CjflXbFaCMo8t2qSx7_JBZmjwIUUJnoXuk70/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZKt7YHXr_fF2e6qiXCxZ9n4CgupzkgWA5IA3lWbhyphenhyphen7P-IRQ8SlhHpAHQLQQVIXYxO0b-aW1FLwOUOZMzrCZzIS12uFcSuu6NCDIzxd4CjflXbFaCMo8t2qSx7_JBZmjwIUUJnoXuk70/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also, we happened to be there on the day of a big, important-looking ceremony for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure_Dragon" target="_blank">Azure Dragon</a>, one of the guardians of Kyoto. I wish I could give you some information about what was taking place, but seriously the only information we could get out of the other bystanders was "Azure Dragon." That's all they would say. So my bet is that most of them weren't quite sure about the details either. It was really quite neat though!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQTvQX0N0ZUN2eehvdxHUwxQ-dj6mZa8zjgYeXQ74VCCsAS0azTQ9HJDUfaCBq1Ey8YakgV09A5O0lyiXlR3bfQ9Egg3PKBk__60y6_fEOwyMi74gClhrTd-R-eA6Oa1rzl-2UJh8GbA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQTvQX0N0ZUN2eehvdxHUwxQ-dj6mZa8zjgYeXQ74VCCsAS0azTQ9HJDUfaCBq1Ey8YakgV09A5O0lyiXlR3bfQ9Egg3PKBk__60y6_fEOwyMi74gClhrTd-R-eA6Oa1rzl-2UJh8GbA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83khGzOoXW0rVW1g2Bs_ltuYPExfeACFPmZLcsXiW0UKE2E1aGY_jBtvjeeM7mRnFdjVI4iV_IXgCo_8FgNxAGFh5wPyN8dzjUDeBQqQQ7cN86mezivVxeW7f9BNq_fe2BpACGGrg2ZQ/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83khGzOoXW0rVW1g2Bs_ltuYPExfeACFPmZLcsXiW0UKE2E1aGY_jBtvjeeM7mRnFdjVI4iV_IXgCo_8FgNxAGFh5wPyN8dzjUDeBQqQQ7cN86mezivVxeW7f9BNq_fe2BpACGGrg2ZQ/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got some video, too. It was quite crowded, but I was lucky and able to find a Catie-sized spot. :)<br />
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After watching the goings-on for a while, we decided to venture into the temple grounds and explore what wasn't blocked off, including some of the smaller shrines contained within the temple complex, including Jishu Shrine, a shrine dedicated to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ckuninushi" target="_blank">Okunishi</a>, a god of "love and good matches."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGzvk3Z-MYt-JiN4eAlE3U5VyVwluq86zSbRSqNzPAhESCE4cVRX3Fz6m5Tt0uH99F0dflnUkUqL4aSlhDT6fFk3elgxJaP8eUkjPUssKuEMLeGsdK5d3Znbuo9mIuSFNOjEajASCrV8/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGzvk3Z-MYt-JiN4eAlE3U5VyVwluq86zSbRSqNzPAhESCE4cVRX3Fz6m5Tt0uH99F0dflnUkUqL4aSlhDT6fFk3elgxJaP8eUkjPUssKuEMLeGsdK5d3Znbuo9mIuSFNOjEajASCrV8/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+163.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to Jishu Shrine.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51AWxXwNNTbnnVKN7hz9twzrPF-4Lo6RxcXa57cTL2wYgGKLvKTDVrbhGsLPN0xmRNHSGJsEZba3AgBV7X3x9RbztYaleMkWBDvX-WBtW3tlIuj0Kjx22gNiXaQJNMF1KSb8Cz8J_6Tc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51AWxXwNNTbnnVKN7hz9twzrPF-4Lo6RxcXa57cTL2wYgGKLvKTDVrbhGsLPN0xmRNHSGJsEZba3AgBV7X3x9RbztYaleMkWBDvX-WBtW3tlIuj0Kjx22gNiXaQJNMF1KSb8Cz8J_6Tc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+164.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp0gwG_F3LjaiQMMDvsOqFmQnnuMdLK_syWto1j17HeuKGwzDm9nEk7rsLLDo6T-P3KpBCrweYBhmrRFszDNABgNZddVAA_FLRBOJJZS1IjoQpTJRgxmPnsBTR_wtRVS1Y0dUl3nJSec/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp0gwG_F3LjaiQMMDvsOqFmQnnuMdLK_syWto1j17HeuKGwzDm9nEk7rsLLDo6T-P3KpBCrweYBhmrRFszDNABgNZddVAA_FLRBOJJZS1IjoQpTJRgxmPnsBTR_wtRVS1Y0dUl3nJSec/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpP11IStYUvTL9obH1_TMmmcKaaEPFAtfeQrcLgrzsQO1Pzgt3GJZph8sXPHSaBKYcL5FZtoa8XsDfIiyGP4mqyI9331RrMnxja0AqVE6oDtiGsXc3YhnsPwrelwPRX8aXa_WIixD6co/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpP11IStYUvTL9obH1_TMmmcKaaEPFAtfeQrcLgrzsQO1Pzgt3GJZph8sXPHSaBKYcL5FZtoa8XsDfIiyGP4mqyI9331RrMnxja0AqVE6oDtiGsXc3YhnsPwrelwPRX8aXa_WIixD6co/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CE3SDdqH1DasoGs3hCAndnGhpiLx-laFSE9WwrfnYn3EKtDQ-FoQfq_iOuPOq_cl1U8FQdwmbPXFyJhPpTr_GoDs_Lx3757plamvlfSQlr9PcTDSwjfTKCnbbjWEF0xGZxG3XmHCBQI/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CE3SDdqH1DasoGs3hCAndnGhpiLx-laFSE9WwrfnYn3EKtDQ-FoQfq_iOuPOq_cl1U8FQdwmbPXFyJhPpTr_GoDs_Lx3757plamvlfSQlr9PcTDSwjfTKCnbbjWEF0xGZxG3XmHCBQI/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+167.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the picture for a bigger view. It has to do with the next photo. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqzGtnWztahb-e25vLmh3GWhtyP5t-1co9hVYFizpYfR1iTuzsg1hgkVnGh7V6X9exQzPHUFpCZFQbdHrPbFwacIBFYSW-Y1Lo46emlqwRNIbE3SM8TD7MbqQxhCZnQAXVClELP1hOKc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqzGtnWztahb-e25vLmh3GWhtyP5t-1co9hVYFizpYfR1iTuzsg1hgkVnGh7V6X9exQzPHUFpCZFQbdHrPbFwacIBFYSW-Y1Lo46emlqwRNIbE3SM8TD7MbqQxhCZnQAXVClELP1hOKc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+168.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a LOT of rage.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNvciAK0GlZVWNjw6XIMxzY8kycw4IuIyEbyojCWa4Afxa7z3N96i3gHYy38ikn-kJN5YgQ2ozmPg-eTe5RXuDb71oTxe_dKLKSGAvX-0AEsfeqQBBCPu9tisYBZHWKCfd_UEc4iWANk/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNvciAK0GlZVWNjw6XIMxzY8kycw4IuIyEbyojCWa4Afxa7z3N96i3gHYy38ikn-kJN5YgQ2ozmPg-eTe5RXuDb71oTxe_dKLKSGAvX-0AEsfeqQBBCPu9tisYBZHWKCfd_UEc4iWANk/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+175.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the big attractions of Jishu Shrine is the love stones.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcA9c_LYFGAVdEgc2CNAgebed7z67cgCmAfv4g5t_-SAwT3PS5pp1Khyphenhyphen61kxIxHFqEqWOOz9bueRqTso1E-hATC2cUZGD08yt_GaUo6BU6f5QYWY17hlecbBmJ7XkzMaPgQhDuywJ1NnU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcA9c_LYFGAVdEgc2CNAgebed7z67cgCmAfv4g5t_-SAwT3PS5pp1Khyphenhyphen61kxIxHFqEqWOOz9bueRqTso1E-hATC2cUZGD08yt_GaUo6BU6f5QYWY17hlecbBmJ7XkzMaPgQhDuywJ1NnU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+169.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you walk between the two stones with your eyes closed...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB20VIfT_PFAIQIbAq60z9PN5N4rw9cIYwyKlHP-bLbH2TdPq_zeoy8gRlDO5hM-_oZShhA1HZS-lhsrPEkgGjEr7jVPHfubQiMvGI8koI5FJJk5JxQ5gRjCGtwyDKQtvkvNWFXx6o8Mc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB20VIfT_PFAIQIbAq60z9PN5N4rw9cIYwyKlHP-bLbH2TdPq_zeoy8gRlDO5hM-_oZShhA1HZS-lhsrPEkgGjEr7jVPHfubQiMvGI8koI5FJJk5JxQ5gRjCGtwyDKQtvkvNWFXx6o8Mc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+170.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll have true love.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOMYCVA08tCZKM1fSemzOG29VjF9rl6tKd420SGqjzVYE2EiiXFnq8j-_M7CCClgM83vwEEGbu78j3xCjkHlWcDDJ-t-wexcRy4pR5by8s12wUGGtXMMxfB9KoetJPM4g1stZHNhOcPQ/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOMYCVA08tCZKM1fSemzOG29VjF9rl6tKd420SGqjzVYE2EiiXFnq8j-_M7CCClgM83vwEEGbu78j3xCjkHlWcDDJ-t-wexcRy4pR5by8s12wUGGtXMMxfB9KoetJPM4g1stZHNhOcPQ/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or so the story goes.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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One of the other big attractions of Kiyomizu-dera is the Otowa waterfall, has three channels that fall into a pond. Visitors drink the water, in hopes that their wishes will be granted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKqXN-VCRwEVozkpu-KhkrXwhPbvKgB2Oq8VoVjIW3FbdJTx5rLnotGsbfJYHmTdbUPtx0BN6TVUVLXce2lqM6RUWMKGc0AgRn0cW-F-kdrE1I6dauXRbWL1ek2C_GXzU7CNNRcMSCi0/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKqXN-VCRwEVozkpu-KhkrXwhPbvKgB2Oq8VoVjIW3FbdJTx5rLnotGsbfJYHmTdbUPtx0BN6TVUVLXce2lqM6RUWMKGc0AgRn0cW-F-kdrE1I6dauXRbWL1ek2C_GXzU7CNNRcMSCi0/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+160.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from above.</td></tr>
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After a while exploring Kiyomizu-dera, it was time to head back to our hotel for a little bit of rest before heading back out to go out for dinner. I had fried oysters and it was DELICIOUS. Then we headed back to the hotel, watched some TV, and slept. Overall, it was a pretty awesome day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummmmm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z43ZPPvk7u521FwnJNkeievy8BOEoBnzKedT1Zxm-ehsbw5AdG2ujiyJZDrfQhl38uDZz2u8wo8MTuy_KwU44wXZdsdOo88rMlpDzKN2I5-URT-FyiYgVq8kNNoeLa2fMlTO528-yHQ/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Z43ZPPvk7u521FwnJNkeievy8BOEoBnzKedT1Zxm-ehsbw5AdG2ujiyJZDrfQhl38uDZz2u8wo8MTuy_KwU44wXZdsdOo88rMlpDzKN2I5-URT-FyiYgVq8kNNoeLa2fMlTO528-yHQ/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+189.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatsuhashi" target="_blank">Yatsuhashi</a>! Super delicious.</td></tr>
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<br />Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-23406426259845617632012-03-21T22:01:00.001+09:002012-03-21T22:07:58.037+09:00Let's Go to Kyoto! Day 1: Bullet Trains, Temples, and a Capsule RyokanWell I'm back. I've been back for a few days, but I've needed the time to recover and sort through nearly 600(!!) photos and study for placement tests (next Tuesday ahhhhhhh) and also attempt to enroll for next semester (still haven't managed to accomplish that one; we'll get there), but I'm finally back on my feet (I think).<br />
<a name='more'></a>Day one of Margaret and my grand adventure started at 5:00 AM on March 14. We were leaving at 7:00, but I hadn't finished packing yet, so I needed to wake up early because I spent more time playing The Sims 3 than I had packing the night before. But that was okay. <br />
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At 7:00 we started making our way to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinagawa_Station" target="_blank">Shinagawa</a>, where we would catch the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen" target="_blank">Shinkansen</a>, also known as the bullet train, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto" target="_blank">Kyoto</a>! Kyoto is world-famous for, among other things, having a rather large concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites within its general area (Kyoto prefecture, Uji, and Otsu) -- seventeen, to be exact. Additionally, Nara and its associated World Heritage sites are only an hour away from the Kyoto area, so it made for a really busy trip! Margaret and I made it a priority to see as many as we could!<br />
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Anyway, we hung out at Shinagawa station for a while as we waited for our train.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's me with the 700 series <i>Nozomi </i>train! This was the train before ours.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full view of the train's front. Pretty cool, right?</td></tr>
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We caught the <i>Nozomi</i>, the fastest of the three types of bullet trains running on the line from Tokyo to Kyoto. The <i>Nozomi</i> runs about 300 km/h, or 190 mph, so it's a pretty fast ride to Kyoto! It took just over two hours, if I remember correctly. I took some video from the ride home -- the train was pretty crowded on the way there, so I wasn't able to get a window seat until I was on my way home.<br />
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Anyway, since the train was pretty crowded, Margaret and I weren't able to sit together, so I spent most of my trip listening to music and napping lightly. When we reached Kyoto, we stashed our luggage in a coin locker since our hotel didn't start check-in until 4:00 and headed out to start our adventure!<br />
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First up, we decided to go try to find where our hotel was. We stayed at a place called <a href="http://www.capsule-ryokan-kyoto.com/" target="_blank">Capsule Ryokan Kyoto</a>, which was only a little more expensive than a hostel for a private two-person room. It was a really interesting place, too! They claim to be the only combination <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel" target="_blank">capsule hotel</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryokan_%28Japanese_inn%29" target="_blank">ryokan</a> in the world. We didn't stay in any of the capsules, though, but they did sound quite interesting!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capsule Ryokan Kyoto!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room. Margaret is standing in front of the shower. It was a tight fit, but not too bad!</td></tr>
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Capsule Ryokan Kyoto is also conveniently located right across the street from one of Kyoto's World Heritage sites, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishi_Honganji" target="_blank">Nishi Honganji</a>, the head temple of the Jodo Shinshu school of Buddhism. We decided that we should head over there to take photos.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nishi Honganji from just outside of Capsule Ryokan Kyoto.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OJ3ty3IQzuyCVfWF0o-JnKo9deu558zcfWUkZiV4mOz-jWr30sZPnK90E3C2uddTgz14b73ivzn7bRjeyxW-Zi8QzEs-wghcyUtMBnohURv1s5hn_b1YcqCgcmeoT08F7_xLQ_w54Ok/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OJ3ty3IQzuyCVfWF0o-JnKo9deu558zcfWUkZiV4mOz-jWr30sZPnK90E3C2uddTgz14b73ivzn7bRjeyxW-Zi8QzEs-wghcyUtMBnohURv1s5hn_b1YcqCgcmeoT08F7_xLQ_w54Ok/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's just about that time of year! The flowers are starting to bloom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherry blossoms!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are plum blossoms. Equally pretty!</td></tr>
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After Nishi Honganji, we headed back towards Kyoto Station, where we decided to grab some lunch at one of the many restaurants in the complex before heading to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_Shrine" target="_blank">Heian Shrine</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVJQw6snopDhdzEIM4u3ZibvPPU2WyB9EHtwRgRJZnli0rxcWeGqdBdrW2u3emPqMTUOEPfMmHNonamFPxo2mlhe1AItglx3_BtjGt8zUMeSwQshIZfIIqFgNErJp0CPVO8heVMa2xpE/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVJQw6snopDhdzEIM4u3ZibvPPU2WyB9EHtwRgRJZnli0rxcWeGqdBdrW2u3emPqMTUOEPfMmHNonamFPxo2mlhe1AItglx3_BtjGt8zUMeSwQshIZfIIqFgNErJp0CPVO8heVMa2xpE/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Tower" target="_blank">Kyoto Tower</a> from Kyoto Station. It's quite an interesting landmark.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPx1X7n4_pnmgQ4VDQLfY-kVhZoGRNjXS0ORnGkYFiZZfPeZsFNKzpJjZBmwr4_fhHfQkUoi8JHmdO2t0Xowhz5S-5Md8lctfpLaFxlhbR7lISLkGoE3l8qN7b7WyoYq5bcASxj7NwiE/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPx1X7n4_pnmgQ4VDQLfY-kVhZoGRNjXS0ORnGkYFiZZfPeZsFNKzpJjZBmwr4_fhHfQkUoi8JHmdO2t0Xowhz5S-5Md8lctfpLaFxlhbR7lISLkGoE3l8qN7b7WyoYq5bcASxj7NwiE/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doraemon" target="_blank">Doraemon</a> on the stairs! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYv7VcODoP4vf9xiXl0ruBghvGYXpiMBigLEO8vFDW3cj19khCZw7X1LuHxE1aq9L5HwFMPR_tXWOA8BRjaeydU0wCVsORhmF9_ojpH9uN00PveS_GQrIS2OWvBRWuuVJ1Ss3ebp29VA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYv7VcODoP4vf9xiXl0ruBghvGYXpiMBigLEO8vFDW3cj19khCZw7X1LuHxE1aq9L5HwFMPR_tXWOA8BRjaeydU0wCVsORhmF9_ojpH9uN00PveS_GQrIS2OWvBRWuuVJ1Ss3ebp29VA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lunch -- it was a pasta with crab! So delicious!!!</td></tr>
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After lunch, we hopped on the subway to head to Heian Shrine. I was super excited, as I hadn't seen Heian Shrine during my last trip to Kyoto (in 2008). I personally LOVED going to Heian Shrine; it's such a beautiful place. It's too bad the gardens weren't in bloom, though. We decided to forgo the ¥600 entrance fee for the garden, since we decided it would be too early in the year to enjoy much of it. It was ultimately okay, though, because we saw several other gorgeous gardens during our trip!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFXa8JuLvfUEE73eEVnfxbhsFyZpSNgbUa1Ho9DjSTrh_2OdU-wrXxGL2apF3ksjm_DQFzMgofLC4FafORqx6t3giFOO83RxVN8Au8XzgxNA8XjwnUeEss_qAbdIm9bfyKlf6VhH8vbA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFXa8JuLvfUEE73eEVnfxbhsFyZpSNgbUa1Ho9DjSTrh_2OdU-wrXxGL2apF3ksjm_DQFzMgofLC4FafORqx6t3giFOO83RxVN8Au8XzgxNA8XjwnUeEss_qAbdIm9bfyKlf6VhH8vbA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate to Heian Shrine.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGg5ugqysI6JYS3YINVtWi8KTTRYWPLn0wQC4Cvh3zsi875qKwjzvO21ZzO6NhMzXp3HEbiYwzJDPH5S6tMA21wcOAx5Ia7JNdix-UPLydoUy1LbXHR7S2rFQenkB1FZe58-zc214GIfk/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGg5ugqysI6JYS3YINVtWi8KTTRYWPLn0wQC4Cvh3zsi875qKwjzvO21ZzO6NhMzXp3HEbiYwzJDPH5S6tMA21wcOAx5Ia7JNdix-UPLydoUy1LbXHR7S2rFQenkB1FZe58-zc214GIfk/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main building.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpiOjaXdf3DqrJMZfxBsTRQWfHxmjgIOuVh8TmqA160o8O0w-69x1nmoa86JXCNBZxeycyGgjvKgw1a5Q1hlaHZw8n6KrSfxkylaRld0YDfWdOPcpFKKUom9cVy93TCAzQLSzgg0hd3g/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpiOjaXdf3DqrJMZfxBsTRQWfHxmjgIOuVh8TmqA160o8O0w-69x1nmoa86JXCNBZxeycyGgjvKgw1a5Q1hlaHZw8n6KrSfxkylaRld0YDfWdOPcpFKKUom9cVy93TCAzQLSzgg0hd3g/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view out from the gate. You can just barely see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii" target="_blank">torii</a> in the distance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhex4RH33RenDOuPPuysD-OHRuJy0fKG3NQDJDQeSrAz7spF_-cfBuzqO5M6_1E9UsktL3HN_TBSgOOcpVbidSxyPqE8XYs38X8gydR6bzGvvP1muCakq55nzLDNhJ_QiLkwZ1uD0axjMU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhex4RH33RenDOuPPuysD-OHRuJy0fKG3NQDJDQeSrAz7spF_-cfBuzqO5M6_1E9UsktL3HN_TBSgOOcpVbidSxyPqE8XYs38X8gydR6bzGvvP1muCakq55nzLDNhJ_QiLkwZ1uD0axjMU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCZ15J67U7-uuln4eez9M93k_Wj4O5ASr6XlpwApdOV1i2qpa6-SsZpV06GDCb_TAHPkmFKSzGgNm1e_jM_azm53lb0tF_Q3m4JqGv4vU09kyNI-AAg_0zjgrHRIEw3CqhWeMgcDvbBc/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCZ15J67U7-uuln4eez9M93k_Wj4O5ASr6XlpwApdOV1i2qpa6-SsZpV06GDCb_TAHPkmFKSzGgNm1e_jM_azm53lb0tF_Q3m4JqGv4vU09kyNI-AAg_0zjgrHRIEw3CqhWeMgcDvbBc/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a little hard to see, but there's calligraphy etched into this stone. I couldn't understand it though. :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhva39f_06l6UfUljmxUgxiaUR4FISMYrlJ9XNdRmEPFM1zhQptItnr08skc2EKrMLkUCanQZ_9aEmDC89X3NEBZw9Xx9lYaJMkpyqQyvAmoyy2MElf9JrL3Lcb8gLkmhRTmFNXFNtmw/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhva39f_06l6UfUljmxUgxiaUR4FISMYrlJ9XNdRmEPFM1zhQptItnr08skc2EKrMLkUCanQZ_9aEmDC89X3NEBZw9Xx9lYaJMkpyqQyvAmoyy2MElf9JrL3Lcb8gLkmhRTmFNXFNtmw/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outside of the main sanctuary.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0d7TwtAQ56w3aBKDQJRsgecaiGtVLiy7vbuLOj8G_GGN4YGgzJrzvnRsyXpx_2tDG3YjSw3aBfxJJPcG1bdDcrn1y-KOXvUr67jstlZO5jf2v7UpdpiRhAtjXA7jLvsfavzzs2GvH7I/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0d7TwtAQ56w3aBKDQJRsgecaiGtVLiy7vbuLOj8G_GGN4YGgzJrzvnRsyXpx_2tDG3YjSw3aBfxJJPcG1bdDcrn1y-KOXvUr67jstlZO5jf2v7UpdpiRhAtjXA7jLvsfavzzs2GvH7I/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWa5mZnMtt9wxUeI8xt1fzI7qhjxXoBt7wU0FdtAr06zRgUotmAVjZaidXx6N05UoX7t_t5nDCuMQgDalz2JVVwjFjZC_z97UHj1bzaNXzzCfML05ffIVZfRUyHKKbaI3rTrFpjIj7BA/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWa5mZnMtt9wxUeI8xt1fzI7qhjxXoBt7wU0FdtAr06zRgUotmAVjZaidXx6N05UoX7t_t5nDCuMQgDalz2JVVwjFjZC_z97UHj1bzaNXzzCfML05ffIVZfRUyHKKbaI3rTrFpjIj7BA/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the first of two weddings we accidentally crashed during our trip...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamvJxpSjmlf1DKtG0xbDhFU4fCfiwzI_KOhV8MiAxui0MdfEdtamuuT5SFSlwRCcAFcWjkVvV7nS-rNzlVdovzFGGiqYtYGACoxuH05wqH-1mHDM1W8U5zxsgRxf1t9u-tqoiG1jaz6w/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamvJxpSjmlf1DKtG0xbDhFU4fCfiwzI_KOhV8MiAxui0MdfEdtamuuT5SFSlwRCcAFcWjkVvV7nS-rNzlVdovzFGGiqYtYGACoxuH05wqH-1mHDM1W8U5zxsgRxf1t9u-tqoiG1jaz6w/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wedding hall. It looks like it was under renovation, which would explain why that wedding was in the main building.</td></tr>
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After Heian Shrine, we decided we had enough energy to go explore <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion" target="_blank">Gion</a>. We didn't really have any hope of meeting any <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiko" target="_blank">geiko</a>, though; the number of still-practicing geiko/geisha is VERY low, and we were not out exploring at the "right time" to meet any (apparently most geisha are out and about between 6:00 and 8:30 pm. We were exploring Gion around 2:00 pm).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W5i-lpZSQP-8TBoebE6nItvv4ke6bHNqCnN2QythGqetZ_Mxr0PV6h5Gvp31nKcyN9ZVQiJLA9ESPvT-9I5iUQUv2grfTotWCjffcxX7Lomo7SP2cGUhkwWHlQzY897qQvzeTV2mFEI/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W5i-lpZSQP-8TBoebE6nItvv4ke6bHNqCnN2QythGqetZ_Mxr0PV6h5Gvp31nKcyN9ZVQiJLA9ESPvT-9I5iUQUv2grfTotWCjffcxX7Lomo7SP2cGUhkwWHlQzY897qQvzeTV2mFEI/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minami-za" target="_blank">Minami-za</a>, the primary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki" target="_blank">Kabuki </a>theater in Kyoto since 1610! (This building was built in 1929.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjLrCGMtRxeF-CvFToHL_i4OCDRBw-GbHHv0fs3sQu0-cDKxPyCuMt2-3lZZrwfKRTEhW6mPmWIFgQW23uh5S1h0gHF1DFH5yhi2-QZGxww5YTB2j3FJ-dlcAcp_F8XqvXITgF4rrIFU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjLrCGMtRxeF-CvFToHL_i4OCDRBw-GbHHv0fs3sQu0-cDKxPyCuMt2-3lZZrwfKRTEhW6mPmWIFgQW23uh5S1h0gHF1DFH5yhi2-QZGxww5YTB2j3FJ-dlcAcp_F8XqvXITgF4rrIFU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanamachi" target="_blank">hanamachi</a>.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfe-j5820NpnZUjfLo62RO_z1RIBW7eqh7U4Tx7FhMG0pVVCh7CkK4mZ7JtK3HTIQLaO7A1D6jabi1bpYWMFmD01uktITKYwA43_9vj4kFZBHekkN77ApntkVLUCZiPEmLxkN8UN6fQCU/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfe-j5820NpnZUjfLo62RO_z1RIBW7eqh7U4Tx7FhMG0pVVCh7CkK4mZ7JtK3HTIQLaO7A1D6jabi1bpYWMFmD01uktITKYwA43_9vj4kFZBHekkN77ApntkVLUCZiPEmLxkN8UN6fQCU/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ra2IEUq_6v1pa9BSl7WVeM6I7WonBDq8LnM0M_XmNWbbIIwc1SpQmeeaT2CDs58lUoCMAUwW3TV2ZucN3mADEuQfA-aFhTasTEbPZ01UDhmW8TsWsg5z1UwSJaIFeRLQY9Bbr5zznVw/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ra2IEUq_6v1pa9BSl7WVeM6I7WonBDq8LnM0M_XmNWbbIIwc1SpQmeeaT2CDs58lUoCMAUwW3TV2ZucN3mADEuQfA-aFhTasTEbPZ01UDhmW8TsWsg5z1UwSJaIFeRLQY9Bbr5zznVw/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After exploring Gion and the hanamachi, we decided it was high time to head back to Kyoto Station and get our luggage so we could check in to our hotel as quickly as possible. We were so tired! So tired, in fact, that we decided we were FAR too exhausted to go to a restaurant, so we ended up picking up food from the convenience store. We even both fell asleep before 8:00! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gourmet dinner of fried chicken and rice for me, and a sandwich and salad for Margaret.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU-V6tTOEbWtkZBhyshRBTYefYvi24Bm6pqFRfZleI5elt4QakhD3qjfSSmz7gu016tOQhBaQDhdW2vFAR8p3BytlkKj8JrekKB2V3mjc-G97f3Gg_Q4ljodUuMZaE7yddX79BmxPRYQ/s1600/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU-V6tTOEbWtkZBhyshRBTYefYvi24Bm6pqFRfZleI5elt4QakhD3qjfSSmz7gu016tOQhBaQDhdW2vFAR8p3BytlkKj8JrekKB2V3mjc-G97f3Gg_Q4ljodUuMZaE7yddX79BmxPRYQ/s320/Kyoto+Trip+3.14-3.18+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey there Margaret! How's it going?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a great start to our trip!</td></tr>
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I'll post about day 2 in a couple of days; I don't want to overload everyone!! :)Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-72302717431241445772012-03-12T12:50:00.002+09:002012-03-12T17:57:46.082+09:00Even the Best Laid Plans...<span id="goog_346546352"></span><span id="goog_346546353"></span>So I'm back from my little trip to the US. It was really nice being able to see my family and my dog, and then being able to go up to Seattle to see my friends was one of the best things -- I hadn't seen most of my school friends in almost eight months! I'm glad I'm back in Japan, though! Most of my friends from my program are still here -- many people have decided to travel during our two-month break instead of going home to visit their families. Though some people have been lucky enough to have their families come to visit them!! <br />
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On Saturday, I met up with Amie again. We had been talking about visiting an amusement park before I left; we wanted to ride all of the roller coasters. We made plans to go visit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yomiuri_Land" target="_blank">Yomiuri Land</a>, just outside of Tokyo, and ride the roller coasters there!<br />
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Unfortunately, it rained on Saturday, and as a result, most of the attractions were closed. And it was cold. Really, really cold. So cold, that we called it a day early (11:00 AM!) and decided to head to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inokashira_Park" target="_blank">Inokashira Park</a> in <span id="goog_346546361"></span><span id="goog_346546362"></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kichijoji" target="_blank">Kichijoji</a>, where we could go to a tea house and have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_tea" target="_blank">cherry blossom tea</a>, since it's almost time for the cherry blossoms to bloom.<br />
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Until we got to Kichijoji and found out that the tea house was closed, so we ended up looking around Inokashira Park for a bit (we yelled at some carp) and then we ate lunch at a Starbucks.<br />
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We've decided to get our "revenge" on Yomiuri Land by going to Tokyo Disney Sea the day after my next placement test because Amie's never been(!!!) before. We're going to go full Disney -- mouse ears, stupid pictures, and we'll even splurge on fast passes so we can go on rides without waiting hours on end. I'm excited!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view right from the Keio Yomiuri Land Station exit. Up ahead is the gondola station.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooIEil8uT4skTGg12m2IybIsZOIp1ORXFnnhGRhth-b5D3bgCmhiJREanY7bVXF848srM7Y7nblGyTfpwcc3saxmia8BymCc-dNiiTXIjMo8hc-kgrqi7qwZP7sEwHrMczzLBAH6N4gI/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooIEil8uT4skTGg12m2IybIsZOIp1ORXFnnhGRhth-b5D3bgCmhiJREanY7bVXF848srM7Y7nblGyTfpwcc3saxmia8BymCc-dNiiTXIjMo8hc-kgrqi7qwZP7sEwHrMczzLBAH6N4gI/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My gondola tickets</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F_XDsRBWqqY6r9FLmnyfi9WllOr5CDPNkurJfg3Tpv7mL3exSkrBapVa5xSGrVXyMpexUIRBMWbHA_fc7RvbAFddsTWjsJRuomf0Kdc60S9cYsXeYEZ9FuhDaGp8XCs6JnsQB7D3CsY/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F_XDsRBWqqY6r9FLmnyfi9WllOr5CDPNkurJfg3Tpv7mL3exSkrBapVa5xSGrVXyMpexUIRBMWbHA_fc7RvbAFddsTWjsJRuomf0Kdc60S9cYsXeYEZ9FuhDaGp8XCs6JnsQB7D3CsY/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have to take a gondola to the top of the hill to enter the park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVZc5YnlTBoXoTXnS1qBk-wt7LPOeP5LMQ-huzk-jh595_TqWDf6HJKgBWs00nAsgFE4gtNlino9cSV1bS8rP8E6gzW80XVr5Ghm1v6_4HW9DazEYg-kPjbKKTxy5fIkKSHqJJ-EZjXQ/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVZc5YnlTBoXoTXnS1qBk-wt7LPOeP5LMQ-huzk-jh595_TqWDf6HJKgBWs00nAsgFE4gtNlino9cSV1bS8rP8E6gzW80XVr5Ghm1v6_4HW9DazEYg-kPjbKKTxy5fIkKSHqJJ-EZjXQ/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the way up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-mnzwU947JZxNT1TcAh9sxVy38zZLirW-GvpUJVTV_E9nSNnKCq7hChHNiZ6j14-j9SQW0acIYmDoOgSkoxS3FyXt3WF0pSkA_2dj8d2n0xIZsmecFJq_X7aylvd_SuD91W_4mj4R4s/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-mnzwU947JZxNT1TcAh9sxVy38zZLirW-GvpUJVTV_E9nSNnKCq7hChHNiZ6j14-j9SQW0acIYmDoOgSkoxS3FyXt3WF0pSkA_2dj8d2n0xIZsmecFJq_X7aylvd_SuD91W_4mj4R4s/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yomiuri Land has three large roller coasters. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LL7J3KwUiJGibAEBHiCxDUPJ680dmR5nq3kblOnFvRzmrNBINrEwsVbq6fD2Y0xrkYyg5VEmQJvBQcSZTIo9JI-lqOpAV3xvwb41ouzl7qDpCQ6rEUHJQ8oZdIMYeAvpK12tERioPvY/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LL7J3KwUiJGibAEBHiCxDUPJ680dmR5nq3kblOnFvRzmrNBINrEwsVbq6fD2Y0xrkYyg5VEmQJvBQcSZTIo9JI-lqOpAV3xvwb41ouzl7qDpCQ6rEUHJQ8oZdIMYeAvpK12tERioPvY/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted to ride the wooden coaster but it was closed. :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOc9nKETWawca_R5vTTBbHs_55m-4GDeSUdYDDSwiKEGgzdCY9LK1g0iN9GDNukaLVAVYHPvqpx1hA2AZ4-RmeFQlO7QKqr4Y2b-PJkYTZgkN0pRavne9XQCLvfArNSEZep-s9dooiwI/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOc9nKETWawca_R5vTTBbHs_55m-4GDeSUdYDDSwiKEGgzdCY9LK1g0iN9GDNukaLVAVYHPvqpx1hA2AZ4-RmeFQlO7QKqr4Y2b-PJkYTZgkN0pRavne9XQCLvfArNSEZep-s9dooiwI/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So was the orange one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycyZpjTThuaQe9xJg7vp8dA_HlIdfAd5ykZXv2AgPGTSNODer12IkTz44vH2quA6rqTjD350PVxtBLCJkY4G2gCcNh0z-CCO0aIzYAsFD4sdxYSUH7n05vy5464nsAgIO3nL8Hes9Oxg/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycyZpjTThuaQe9xJg7vp8dA_HlIdfAd5ykZXv2AgPGTSNODer12IkTz44vH2quA6rqTjD350PVxtBLCJkY4G2gCcNh0z-CCO0aIzYAsFD4sdxYSUH7n05vy5464nsAgIO3nL8Hes9Oxg/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found Pikachu!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a quick bite at an American-themed restaurant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a bit surreal.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers are starting to bloom! I can't wait for spring!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCl-LK7OimshLwsUSBZB_mH0FnI93zk_9mIwd82mb2i4sfyigpaeHRQ8ap9HtXIccvXamNtEHEJyybaSmsBby6vlp81SV_LVEaYO9vxrRPfmDQSnoDgjDau4IEDJ2vonP2h2MoIzOga-o/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCl-LK7OimshLwsUSBZB_mH0FnI93zk_9mIwd82mb2i4sfyigpaeHRQ8ap9HtXIccvXamNtEHEJyybaSmsBby6vlp81SV_LVEaYO9vxrRPfmDQSnoDgjDau4IEDJ2vonP2h2MoIzOga-o/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birds at Inokashira Park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ducks!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrospzQH_CYONN4GWzUY8-_c3xQXQJNR7kHM4cFb12Ib27b6Fi8B_c-LWq5JTq60KuBFBDD58ZJOwyzUNosP6QQXuQocHokbh68WbyS78LUdINK0yEn054aVwhMwXzf3eUhXauuW2r3Y8/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrospzQH_CYONN4GWzUY8-_c3xQXQJNR7kHM4cFb12Ib27b6Fi8B_c-LWq5JTq60KuBFBDD58ZJOwyzUNosP6QQXuQocHokbh68WbyS78LUdINK0yEn054aVwhMwXzf3eUhXauuW2r3Y8/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We yelled at these carp. Because they have ugly faces and they're rude.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnrzLFCNiBotzLyXbr5dtepR4nhHw20Aab60mFd85K3eHY4WpTRFKE0kAhVpwoNQSOv4Y2jFOiC_x74NjtNba0-i9NDp9l8gfZPjYNiqVCF2zVkGzmsgWVwwofQusfl0fRZj6VE3U0Ek/s1600/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnrzLFCNiBotzLyXbr5dtepR4nhHw20Aab60mFd85K3eHY4WpTRFKE0kAhVpwoNQSOv4Y2jFOiC_x74NjtNba0-i9NDp9l8gfZPjYNiqVCF2zVkGzmsgWVwwofQusfl0fRZj6VE3U0Ek/s320/Yomiuri+Land+Disaster+Trip+3-10-12+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They kept expecting us to feed them. How rude.</td></tr>
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In two days, Margaret and I are off to Kyoto! I'll make sure to take lots of pictures -- I'll probably make an update a day or two after I come back. Get ready, though, because it's going to be a GIANT post. (Get excited.)Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-81323686708678817152012-01-29T12:09:00.000+09:002012-03-12T17:43:50.403+09:00January 2012: A Brief Summary (With Pictures!)I am DREADFULLY sorry about the long absence; January was the last month of our semester, and I've pretty much been doing nothing but studying all day every day. As such, I didn't really do anything interesting this month. I think I left the dorm on the weekends... twice. And that was to go to the grocery store. Surely, I am the most interesting woman in the world.<br />
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Anyway, now that the semester is done, I'm very much looking forward to the two whole months I have off from classes. Starting TOMORROW (January 30), I will be heading back to the US for a whole month, so there won't be any updates from me during that time in all likelihood (because come on, who wants to hear about me sitting around and studying for next semester's placement test while all my friends are in classes?), but, oh dear readers, please don't miss me too much. I'll be back in March with a GRAND adventure, which I suppose I can tell you a little about so you have something to look forward to...<br />
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In March, Margaret and I will be heading to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto" target="_blank">Kyoto</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara,_Nara" target="_blank">Nara</a> for a few days of sightseeing. We've already got our hotel booked, and we'll be reserving our tickets on the <span id="goog_1312808232"></span><span id="goog_1312808233"></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen" target="_blank">Shinkansen</a> very soon! I'm super excited, so I hope you all look forward to those posts. We'll be traveling from March 14-18, and our hotel has internet, so I may be able to post every night we're there. If not, expect some extra-long posts upon our return! :)<br />
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Just in case you were worried that I didn't take any pictures at all, never fear! I present to you, the January 2012 set of photos, taken oh-so-expertly with a cell phone camera (resulting in lower quality pictures than you're used to... you guys are WAY too spoiled :P). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6oZVgrrhx4iyqqcSjRehfR5A2GamEu1ISoOunF88_-_EIzQjtZOA-UMhhJPTR6a_anNxEwLMn5TCn3cXSvbRIoBVurLEpEn_7tGdf04g0yq4cL8PYds7AsdTcO0fNnzmlepB-Ocue9Y/s1600/Shimoda+in+Snow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6oZVgrrhx4iyqqcSjRehfR5A2GamEu1ISoOunF88_-_EIzQjtZOA-UMhhJPTR6a_anNxEwLMn5TCn3cXSvbRIoBVurLEpEn_7tGdf04g0yq4cL8PYds7AsdTcO0fNnzmlepB-Ocue9Y/s320/Shimoda+in+Snow.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Tuesday (1/24), it snowed a bit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRRwqAByZOFt19Mp2YxW-n5_bX2Krwmrtab_1nyzM4_vsJiwNYqisehbKiqfqoCDA8qnQGEk5qHFSmUY2IYRsyTq1oOE9gzb0m2e5XQfwNtLezeJpRR6-lVrJ1M_BK5FozmjSd1UiWS0/s1600/Keio+in+Snow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRRwqAByZOFt19Mp2YxW-n5_bX2Krwmrtab_1nyzM4_vsJiwNYqisehbKiqfqoCDA8qnQGEk5qHFSmUY2IYRsyTq1oOE9gzb0m2e5XQfwNtLezeJpRR6-lVrJ1M_BK5FozmjSd1UiWS0/s320/Keio+in+Snow.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We still had school, even though it was quite icy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrmL-mLSnknU29QBLkcdO_Z2A6fDfuwT4wFMKZVHag7GZdYyor7bZRdYTn1nlWfEL5dhdXlAG68PLnpfjphUKVrqpfceD82GI_dUGbh73wGGHc_UX9eZN0KL5hhIg8fTcxnxqSoccpuM/s1600/End+of+Semester+Lunch+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrmL-mLSnknU29QBLkcdO_Z2A6fDfuwT4wFMKZVHag7GZdYyor7bZRdYTn1nlWfEL5dhdXlAG68PLnpfjphUKVrqpfceD82GI_dUGbh73wGGHc_UX9eZN0KL5hhIg8fTcxnxqSoccpuM/s320/End+of+Semester+Lunch+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Wednesday, to celebrate the end of the semester, my class went to lunch together!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXCG4QoDAMGAJmEDQlRY97SRfbKFuKIl0SA5WNwjjzKFX_QnX_nG9COrB5CmrWSY0kmp4wAteFTxAlWoTJvTRqLhr7AAfyHTuNf3EMwQuF6aOQ0CTloHZSVZ4zuFhNV9gNoC4BvZE57E/s1600/End+of+Semester+Lunch+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXCG4QoDAMGAJmEDQlRY97SRfbKFuKIl0SA5WNwjjzKFX_QnX_nG9COrB5CmrWSY0kmp4wAteFTxAlWoTJvTRqLhr7AAfyHTuNf3EMwQuF6aOQ0CTloHZSVZ4zuFhNV9gNoC4BvZE57E/s320/End+of+Semester+Lunch+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ate at an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izakaya" target="_blank">izakaya</a> near our school.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuJcp5HaWtUVL6wwrWUK0eNauKtWKC6p7TxBI82RmWAhy3KZN7SwVxAXZ2-F6bElA8C2He7YOL4nwUHWdIGwxbcd58488hVqkBhIm6-f4Sr-fZl1A7nK0B9S_BWIxmGK_eyycxHH1q3A/s1600/End+of+Semester+Lunch+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuJcp5HaWtUVL6wwrWUK0eNauKtWKC6p7TxBI82RmWAhy3KZN7SwVxAXZ2-F6bElA8C2He7YOL4nwUHWdIGwxbcd58488hVqkBhIm6-f4Sr-fZl1A7nK0B9S_BWIxmGK_eyycxHH1q3A/s320/End+of+Semester+Lunch+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kao-san, me, and Hui-san! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1eBm9x3g1TPg26PhKv6ZmLicI1EE13yqX4SjgMSy-4kmuvWHr-KwogSaj0NrzeWcuwIAd3xZJEBM2R28mfci8gEOpsoSqLRvwP2YyYA2Fmd9tF49N9nQW2MKmryvm1B0NdF7U724buw/s1600/End+of+Semester+Lunch+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1eBm9x3g1TPg26PhKv6ZmLicI1EE13yqX4SjgMSy-4kmuvWHr-KwogSaj0NrzeWcuwIAd3xZJEBM2R28mfci8gEOpsoSqLRvwP2YyYA2Fmd9tF49N9nQW2MKmryvm1B0NdF7U724buw/s320/End+of+Semester+Lunch+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a pretty tasty lunch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpwLDRi0Nk02wq-fyrGfs7YQP5l2Ltywg6CsPz2qtMxuljDl519I1PzrokPZqRWZAh5AD4uBaJADcSgyglsOtdCCTJq9oROSTsC2WeAD4HpjiP5SlwIt6shpOZgoFuiy5OH3h7ihvZfI/s1600/End+of+Semester+Lunch+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpwLDRi0Nk02wq-fyrGfs7YQP5l2Ltywg6CsPz2qtMxuljDl519I1PzrokPZqRWZAh5AD4uBaJADcSgyglsOtdCCTJq9oROSTsC2WeAD4HpjiP5SlwIt6shpOZgoFuiy5OH3h7ihvZfI/s320/End+of+Semester+Lunch+7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enzo, Joakim, and Michi</td></tr>
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I'm terribly sorry that I'm leaving you all for another month, but I promise to return soon with pictures of some of the oldest places in all of Japan. I hope that makes up for it! :)Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-48932129023186448922012-01-02T14:15:00.000+09:002012-04-01T09:25:06.824+09:00Hatsumode at Meiji Jingu!Happy New Year! I hope everyone's had a good start to 2012! I spent my first day of 2012 doing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatsumode" target="_blank">初詣 </a>with Margaret, eating pancakes, and then spending the rest of my day in bed because I <i>definitely</i> did not sleep enough the night before, and being tired doesn't really mix well with early mornings out.<br />
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Oh yeah, also there was an earthquake. It was kinda big, but I'm okay. No damage here! Though next time we have an earthquake of that size, I should probably remember to get under a desk or something instead of staying in bed...<br />
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The new year is pretty much the biggest holiday in Japan, and there's so much to explain that I don't think I could do that great of a job, so <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_New_Year" target="_blank">here's</a> a fairly comprehensive article on it from Wikipedia. Sorry if you wanted a fabulous explanation from me; because I don't have a host family and thus didn't really experience New Year's "right", I don't think I could do it justice.<br />
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On Saturday night, I watched <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohaku_Uta_Gassen" target="_blank">紅白歌合戦</a>, a New Year's Eve favorite, with my floormates. Kouhaku is, to put it simply, the biggest celebration of music and crazy ever. It is THE BEST. Overdone sets, overdone costumes, and it's also four and a half hours long. It's more fun to watch in groups, because that way you can make comments about the acts. This wasn't my first Kouhaku actually; when I was in high school my Japanese teacher would tape it and bring it to class so we could watch parts of it at the end of the first post-winter break class every year. I'm planning on hopefully being able to do that if I become a Japanese teacher; it was a really cool introduction to Japanese pop-culture, which isn't something you often learn about in Japanese classes. Even if I don't become a teacher, though, I'm still planning on making Kouhaku an annual tradition for my New Year's Eve.<br />
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Early on Sunday morning (about 7:30 AM), Margaret and I left our dorm for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_jingu" target="_blank">明治神宮</a>, where we decided to do our 初詣 for 2012. We were really worried about running into large crowds, since 明治神宮 has been known to have up to 3.85 million visitors between 12/31 and 1/3, but we were lucky! I guess we just went early enough!<br />
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We got to the shrine at around 8:10 AM, and though there were easily a few hundred people there (maybe even in the thousands), we didn't have to wait long! We were able to get back to the dorm by 10:00, and we closed out the morning by making pancakes and watching a New Year's Day celebrity special on TV with Michal, who lives across the hall from me.<br />
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Here are some pictures from our morning out yesterday!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nj_vhi9saRcBXrVlfeo3EuTcdI1sHxMWTwMz6uM_3uoHaANZdswcGksMt4wpYf97cpEUFMktSWtrEEd-WG5SHqjoWiSJLNRai-pT97JlJBX8XsMJ2kSn8Zh7YaHfzNIdvCF6oTj85RM/s1600/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nj_vhi9saRcBXrVlfeo3EuTcdI1sHxMWTwMz6uM_3uoHaANZdswcGksMt4wpYf97cpEUFMktSWtrEEd-WG5SHqjoWiSJLNRai-pT97JlJBX8XsMJ2kSn8Zh7YaHfzNIdvCF6oTj85RM/s320/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign says the shop will NOT be closed for New Year's.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first of many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii_Gate" target="_blank">torii</a> at 明治神宮.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiU94fd29t0tqlVtRwX7x_Ie-G7AODZXfvNKEWbIKTIYTYS7rtY1g-P159Cpg38tmRwBq0gLTY0d4R3R3kpF7EyqMb6DoorUpAUUROzI98NKgLCRtiPRwlPvpXHum5Yi5LNw8TF1wu-Q/s1600/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiU94fd29t0tqlVtRwX7x_Ie-G7AODZXfvNKEWbIKTIYTYS7rtY1g-P159Cpg38tmRwBq0gLTY0d4R3R3kpF7EyqMb6DoorUpAUUROzI98NKgLCRtiPRwlPvpXHum5Yi5LNw8TF1wu-Q/s320/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You're supposed to wash your hands before entering the main shrine; this is a temporary set-up for the New Year's crowds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAAnnN4pg7zHclW7GleZBbaIpe0d2Inomxtv4AAZFt7UmCxQreeskeoBG_ltuaSqUdP3M4hyphenhyphenq_pY2PSVMXVrinLZOIM7dPOKmgh_Xy8XZfFDNSPtRlXJW1gQFL0jSlevorT5GjtMZiUo/s1600/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAAnnN4pg7zHclW7GleZBbaIpe0d2Inomxtv4AAZFt7UmCxQreeskeoBG_ltuaSqUdP3M4hyphenhyphenq_pY2PSVMXVrinLZOIM7dPOKmgh_Xy8XZfFDNSPtRlXJW1gQFL0jSlevorT5GjtMZiUo/s320/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of many permanent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dzuya" target="_blank">手水舎 </a>at the shrine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BqSAyLWNubczwUS7mShY7doLd1NPjY8SrjSwQS8pFgavFP4G2Sc_Tf04AYv3fxiOUwWNQz_gQknk0O3G3N_Ryjnrb3ype1-QtGE7ML29fsPcovDdfkCv7m-upZDsW72p3T7Pg-5eBmw/s1600/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BqSAyLWNubczwUS7mShY7doLd1NPjY8SrjSwQS8pFgavFP4G2Sc_Tf04AYv3fxiOUwWNQz_gQknk0O3G3N_Ryjnrb3ype1-QtGE7ML29fsPcovDdfkCv7m-upZDsW72p3T7Pg-5eBmw/s320/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shrine itself; it was closed off and a larger, temporary set-up was put up to handle the crowds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many lanterns hanging around the shrine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People could tie their bad <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omikuji" target="_blank">おみくじ</a> here in hopes they won't come true this year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the inside of the west gate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7ar_7nU9H9zQE94-AhRASvCIIInAdlTD4qlwP4UQBQelpmYfvRfpZTtStJX3FBncwrhyphenhyphenxN6IPRKuRlnqLfYs9Yu42uqm4JeI9LT8hiGfoJ-G6aOWR8fPPvWOb-_27GRx_suTSKx3-ug/s1600/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7ar_7nU9H9zQE94-AhRASvCIIInAdlTD4qlwP4UQBQelpmYfvRfpZTtStJX3FBncwrhyphenhyphenxN6IPRKuRlnqLfYs9Yu42uqm4JeI9LT8hiGfoJ-G6aOWR8fPPvWOb-_27GRx_suTSKx3-ug/s320/Hatsumode+1-1-2012+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People could buy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omamori" target="_blank">お守り</a> here; I didn't get one though, because they're really expensive right now!</td></tr>
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This week I'm off to <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2011/E655.en" target="_blank">this </a>exhibit with Margaret and my friend Meghan, who's doing JET out in western Japan (she's in Tokyo for the week), for my birthday! I'm really excited. The rest of the week will probably be studying and planning with Margaret for our super awesome trip in March, for which we already have hotel reservations! I'm so excited!<br />
<br />Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-69739317080599053732011-12-28T15:27:00.001+09:002012-01-02T15:08:22.499+09:00Christmas 2011: Separating the Women from the GirlsWinter break is finally here as of December 23! It was a bit late in coming, but that's okay; I needed a break from classes so badly that I didn't even mind that we weren't getting out of school until two days before Christmas.<br />
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I was a bit concerned at first since the homework I've been assigned seemed like a ridiculously large amount, but it actually hasn't been too bad, thanks to getting the largest assignment done while watching the Pack beat the Bears (YEEEEEAH!) on Monday morning. I've also been gradually chipping away at the pile of work each day, and I still have over a week of break left, so I'll probably be fine.<br />
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I was worried that Christmas was going to be lonely, but I'm lucky to have such great friends in this dorm, and we banded together to make our own little Christmas. Christmas in Japan is very different from how we do Christmas in the US; Christmas seems to have been imported to Japan primarily as a "date holiday" that is somewhat similar to Valentine's Day in the US (Valentine's Day in Japan is an entirely different creature. I'll be sure to do a post on that when it comes time>), wherein couples will spend Christmas Eve together, generally eating fried chicken (which you can get at your local supermarket, or if you're feeling PARTICULARLY fancy, the local KFC chain) and a cake known as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_cake#Christmas_cake_in_other_countries" target="_blank">Christmas cake</a>. Christmas cakes here are particularly elaborate and can cost quite a bit of money. Even the ones at our local convenience store, where Margaret and I thought we could find one for relatively cheap, had a base price of roughly $40. Unwilling to spend that much money on a cake just for the two of us, we decided to get a Christmas roll cake for the oh-so-high price of ¥525.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cattleya-kyoto.com/img/season/s11/s11-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://cattleya-kyoto.com/img/season/s11/s11-06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what a Christmas cake in Japan looks like.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGhBSxdrIRbCa7VFSiXiolRIDXoBtMi_nTYNtPwPGlKU1gDbZuJFzdRiEisqlaMUNn0TmjjRCptdXwTxRBEav36TKvWtjcPQz7D-EqtLQRxkPVHRI43yZsHf71haR_KIIuEUrn7RKVs4/s1600/Christmas+2011+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGhBSxdrIRbCa7VFSiXiolRIDXoBtMi_nTYNtPwPGlKU1gDbZuJFzdRiEisqlaMUNn0TmjjRCptdXwTxRBEav36TKvWtjcPQz7D-EqtLQRxkPVHRI43yZsHf71haR_KIIuEUrn7RKVs4/s320/Christmas+2011+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was our Christmas cake. We ate the entire thing too, just the two of us. :D</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6Txonkal2iiVrUl5AxBl3lKnQ8C3tQzGMbtg5m7NwDjSH9IsBbsUh_3tz3pvIjUcIwmDkUw8jPH5jos7SWkIhddkQgnmly18wPKNjmUclsvZIVayufKQYwOrUKg-731nP5maqkxxpZc/s1600/Christmas+2011+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6Txonkal2iiVrUl5AxBl3lKnQ8C3tQzGMbtg5m7NwDjSH9IsBbsUh_3tz3pvIjUcIwmDkUw8jPH5jos7SWkIhddkQgnmly18wPKNjmUclsvZIVayufKQYwOrUKg-731nP5maqkxxpZc/s320/Christmas+2011+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our chicken boxes from the supermarket! So good, but SO MUCH FOOD.</td></tr>
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So, on Christmas Eve, Margaret and I enjoyed our chicken dinners and also our not-quite-Christmas cake and watched <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_fuzz" target="_blank">Hot Fuzz</a>, and a good time was had by all.<br />
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For Christmas morning, we decided to make pancakes around 9:30 AM so we could Skype our families later that morning. I had gone in with low expectations, having never had Japanese pancake mix, but I was pleasantly surprised! I would even go so far as to say that it was probably better than a lot of the American mixes out there!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgAPQkLPVxMYKFW_qByBjOcew8kvmZP9DIb9y7dBQpeOPAZ6aBjEDfSntCvAhork3f2WovYdGsnQvHXQmpH1ipeq0RZWptpiVlXWPAfDA3XJZ3XrWZ1zAITa2Eq_tO6qhdROCGxPEJ1U/s1600/Christmas+2011+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgAPQkLPVxMYKFW_qByBjOcew8kvmZP9DIb9y7dBQpeOPAZ6aBjEDfSntCvAhork3f2WovYdGsnQvHXQmpH1ipeq0RZWptpiVlXWPAfDA3XJZ3XrWZ1zAITa2Eq_tO6qhdROCGxPEJ1U/s320/Christmas+2011+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good morning Margaret!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpvm17zLuRxTtq3cuNCt7tgpBaYIOdhaAOQ7cV9w-MVDL5SiVjbF6SMX_pYPRugLWiloLAonqfg4uDi-cfXocc5u_T3VgmUOyKkhLbgzjkZc-2c2U8Ntmn0m8Q6ulZ09qOO5Q8qg9DPo/s1600/Christmas+2011+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpvm17zLuRxTtq3cuNCt7tgpBaYIOdhaAOQ7cV9w-MVDL5SiVjbF6SMX_pYPRugLWiloLAonqfg4uDi-cfXocc5u_T3VgmUOyKkhLbgzjkZc-2c2U8Ntmn0m8Q6ulZ09qOO5Q8qg9DPo/s320/Christmas+2011+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ingredients!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTu7xMu-1tbvvGXswSMCvonLJASNIMUQLTvVf9S15ZuJi9WyiFtKqJ_K9lpqG9-K0F4v_tyK5ihnuDtURuicm5uLsKMF60wFPvFx_Vdi243VRV5njD0EHUcDy_pjzYC_HDJ0HHYncG74/s1600/Christmas+2011+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTu7xMu-1tbvvGXswSMCvonLJASNIMUQLTvVf9S15ZuJi9WyiFtKqJ_K9lpqG9-K0F4v_tyK5ihnuDtURuicm5uLsKMF60wFPvFx_Vdi243VRV5njD0EHUcDy_pjzYC_HDJ0HHYncG74/s320/Christmas+2011+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken by me, ten minutes after I had woken up. You can probably tell. xD</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7c5hH40wT_7dlSYnLpOxm7vLwz0aNPCy7WYP0gpbGtyStA0OHZy4Qp95DLKbVTtjScIEFJ6JkspT_kReV184yTl1-_fcRzmPFI_esiz2y7_GZUXQi_v3Q2VjoCGWLs-LamYLG3sLH40/s1600/Christmas+2011+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7c5hH40wT_7dlSYnLpOxm7vLwz0aNPCy7WYP0gpbGtyStA0OHZy4Qp95DLKbVTtjScIEFJ6JkspT_kReV184yTl1-_fcRzmPFI_esiz2y7_GZUXQi_v3Q2VjoCGWLs-LamYLG3sLH40/s320/Christmas+2011+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batter!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QAZNiTXLCNVBcpDuG3iCUbOGn6qyhKZLNhk-lONeMyq9HWO_22gORM5gratm3VHjc-cIiMe1lmrVeKi6ackgeWInyB9O2sVs7nhK_-Ttm8EYxgexukmJDeA8E9EPsFIlXFti847-kpw/s1600/Christmas+2011+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QAZNiTXLCNVBcpDuG3iCUbOGn6qyhKZLNhk-lONeMyq9HWO_22gORM5gratm3VHjc-cIiMe1lmrVeKi6ackgeWInyB9O2sVs7nhK_-Ttm8EYxgexukmJDeA8E9EPsFIlXFti847-kpw/s320/Christmas+2011+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These pancakes were so much better than I expected!</td></tr>
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We then had our alone time until 4:00 PM, when we were going to cook Christmas dinner... WITHOUT AN OVEN. I'm talking about the big time here -- where we separate the women from the girls. Each person was responsible for one dish: I made steaks (which I had never done before), Margaret made a broccoli stir-fry, and Inga made mashed potatoes. We also got rolls, because what kind of holiday dinner is complete without bread?? Since my dish was to be cooked last, I took a lot of pictures of the cooking process.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ng2M-WyWmi2YzCMWcmgyfvtn3wXIyeNyRTzFbaIn5l1GESMB1DeUOfJWYKzA19PO0RfowVH7ae5NfqdAtlnnBG-fZ0Kxhv79u0V4io-DIh8sNamwl4U69VgVFOWmdC0PhY0YhuTfLEE/s1600/Christmas+2011+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ng2M-WyWmi2YzCMWcmgyfvtn3wXIyeNyRTzFbaIn5l1GESMB1DeUOfJWYKzA19PO0RfowVH7ae5NfqdAtlnnBG-fZ0Kxhv79u0V4io-DIh8sNamwl4U69VgVFOWmdC0PhY0YhuTfLEE/s320/Christmas+2011+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey there steaks, how's it going?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNs4l67_0oZeWzQBWF7m-xGONYr0h6C1Lgk1oFEQ7MxwbwhdDL4krqN5SbOw22_HQ9qIZkmOrIcsoNiDcvGIY828QfkQGSw80oZU_Sfs_o1CkGMxzJSHEdt4I_HvMQIfcf1MuuPdGZt4/s1600/Christmas+2011+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNs4l67_0oZeWzQBWF7m-xGONYr0h6C1Lgk1oFEQ7MxwbwhdDL4krqN5SbOw22_HQ9qIZkmOrIcsoNiDcvGIY828QfkQGSw80oZU_Sfs_o1CkGMxzJSHEdt4I_HvMQIfcf1MuuPdGZt4/s320/Christmas+2011+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaret, going to town on some ginger.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDlN3bKS0l002ZQWfaS4hdsF0H2rXZ7goZ4H7ojuI_qvPJUtgmS8tSTRr90xiFtGMUqaQkKjG1kTGWS3EQ_LSVBaVc0vKGr6bIimCJM-k9KE3H7nsT5w9G2jz7k3qbEfQsn5z1Pc4-uU/s1600/Christmas+2011+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDlN3bKS0l002ZQWfaS4hdsF0H2rXZ7goZ4H7ojuI_qvPJUtgmS8tSTRr90xiFtGMUqaQkKjG1kTGWS3EQ_LSVBaVc0vKGr6bIimCJM-k9KE3H7nsT5w9G2jz7k3qbEfQsn5z1Pc4-uU/s320/Christmas+2011+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rolls -- they were the only kind the supermarket had, but they were really good!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcl3-RNrH03kc4cacQsU5vUTNG_QdsrHdMYEgG5UKdbu7uy8mnttadNPLO9EXcgQxB6J_r2BH3zIdpc1fJ2Uh9d-T5ltwiHgALaRc29hHPAcONMm8MCGQ09df6xaTJWXqlQnx9088O14/s1600/Christmas+2011+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcl3-RNrH03kc4cacQsU5vUTNG_QdsrHdMYEgG5UKdbu7uy8mnttadNPLO9EXcgQxB6J_r2BH3zIdpc1fJ2Uh9d-T5ltwiHgALaRc29hHPAcONMm8MCGQ09df6xaTJWXqlQnx9088O14/s320/Christmas+2011+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inga, peeling the potatoes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoA5NeKMT7jWrg5eAjQ1hunG8AXWxepxdSZhPhpY28yY2rb9Qzs5UfL2ndFpSptogKozwvUcSbhCHUH8XLJWSB9t3Q5-O04vJWFnXoz3uEBmpKCHFED8Z9Iu5CNgwdzC0GrpsocnCRss/s1600/Christmas+2011+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoA5NeKMT7jWrg5eAjQ1hunG8AXWxepxdSZhPhpY28yY2rb9Qzs5UfL2ndFpSptogKozwvUcSbhCHUH8XLJWSB9t3Q5-O04vJWFnXoz3uEBmpKCHFED8Z9Iu5CNgwdzC0GrpsocnCRss/s320/Christmas+2011+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making steak: at first I was like this, but...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRcieU9S_bvjpS3LVkf71uhEuuaq0V27gJjUtmQtohP2OBMR_6gRMwmZ0SVbto15CG8-HbwLbIV6V5XW93QDeAO9yOpc0AFkNFIOToXnsdBZrfpe2uxXl907dP2oUAKvSVgm0I0ckgVk/s1600/Christmas+2011+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRcieU9S_bvjpS3LVkf71uhEuuaq0V27gJjUtmQtohP2OBMR_6gRMwmZ0SVbto15CG8-HbwLbIV6V5XW93QDeAO9yOpc0AFkNFIOToXnsdBZrfpe2uxXl907dP2oUAKvSVgm0I0ckgVk/s320/Christmas+2011+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">then I was like this</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI1UXVCNfdCp5k9QF8wFml34B_f3skbLfT6v6xxjB0qbzgmXgsyt_IlOcFngdfpAafgPsABNqGh6rdbUSxsDdy1Qo3WGJi_djqYI6DG-q10o7kuN_v_UO-Eg6-_GidNe-TLk9_wc9UsE/s1600/Christmas+2011+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI1UXVCNfdCp5k9QF8wFml34B_f3skbLfT6v6xxjB0qbzgmXgsyt_IlOcFngdfpAafgPsABNqGh6rdbUSxsDdy1Qo3WGJi_djqYI6DG-q10o7kuN_v_UO-Eg6-_GidNe-TLk9_wc9UsE/s320/Christmas+2011+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">because they turned out like this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXUGxz52fQseAw-E5nm-HC_IZ9fnEfxmhfGCEQk5a-LOShqkOyfxa2FbuY8pq9TCtl9AZPCQ2zpY3_fySQ71e_5NTtkrY3IKIwTXxf72bc5wUGrPzXEMoHhHikSMR-rZpZ1yHztCXViI/s1600/Christmas+2011+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXUGxz52fQseAw-E5nm-HC_IZ9fnEfxmhfGCEQk5a-LOShqkOyfxa2FbuY8pq9TCtl9AZPCQ2zpY3_fySQ71e_5NTtkrY3IKIwTXxf72bc5wUGrPzXEMoHhHikSMR-rZpZ1yHztCXViI/s320/Christmas+2011+028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broccoli time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmOERnt-VahO4t3WDwZB_Q98f7HJJOqA76Ed18BrvD7k3c58-rbpKbwS3KQd6DDaENjGlPdKdkW_3jJd0kWShozTdL29liuCO7EKBIZRaMYLr-3ebIg3PPadvO0FzRtS7hyphenhyphenuBGG244jA/s1600/Christmas+2011+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmOERnt-VahO4t3WDwZB_Q98f7HJJOqA76Ed18BrvD7k3c58-rbpKbwS3KQd6DDaENjGlPdKdkW_3jJd0kWShozTdL29liuCO7EKBIZRaMYLr-3ebIg3PPadvO0FzRtS7hyphenhyphenuBGG244jA/s320/Christmas+2011+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mashed potatoes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkVNPIx7nV6lpWX_iVhPCDahhaYOCTh0dqwe4wXpRTIqbK55EWLV-oiByaTUo-BUiuDc2DzbvcE3g0jTvLJXoR4W2YkNb5dYi5wScTj0xsFonpWjVlmotXkYgV89tjNYmuM8qvKhjeA8/s1600/Christmas+2011+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkVNPIx7nV6lpWX_iVhPCDahhaYOCTh0dqwe4wXpRTIqbK55EWLV-oiByaTUo-BUiuDc2DzbvcE3g0jTvLJXoR4W2YkNb5dYi5wScTj0xsFonpWjVlmotXkYgV89tjNYmuM8qvKhjeA8/s320/Christmas+2011+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnxEkjtoHYMLutQLq5QkCWQFs9S7TSfbIgLyvQpgkg1AAxe6HcqCN9i5UBwnQ5QsByfMLKeSB7hadPRqBWC4pbkwBLIQh8-6VTGp1mDRY_S_XFjjauK0nAC-bgILe-5DhFkEGyMh7UkY/s1600/Christmas+2011+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnxEkjtoHYMLutQLq5QkCWQFs9S7TSfbIgLyvQpgkg1AAxe6HcqCN9i5UBwnQ5QsByfMLKeSB7hadPRqBWC4pbkwBLIQh8-6VTGp1mDRY_S_XFjjauK0nAC-bgILe-5DhFkEGyMh7UkY/s320/Christmas+2011+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQx_I48TprvadaCVgC5exQ6FLLgmNpzULjbKF8T-nHX6iJ-1rhbwwgr6YrRMnEvbVR9V1l29XG25ptYTDxN2n5LFX8mf4sAgWX5kcQ8RMD9B_Poml_13Cph0HKjbCaUQ1s_Xm8f2iU4Q/s1600/Christmas+2011+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQx_I48TprvadaCVgC5exQ6FLLgmNpzULjbKF8T-nHX6iJ-1rhbwwgr6YrRMnEvbVR9V1l29XG25ptYTDxN2n5LFX8mf4sAgWX5kcQ8RMD9B_Poml_13Cph0HKjbCaUQ1s_Xm8f2iU4Q/s320/Christmas+2011+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SO GOOD.</td></tr>
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The rest of this week has been pretty quiet; I've been keeping myself occupied with homework and running errands. Tomorrow I'm going to the movies with Amie to see <a href="http://www.genji-nazo.jp/index.html" target="_blank">源氏物語</a> (English information <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genji_Monogatari:_Sennen_no_Nazo" target="_blank">here</a>), and then on Sunday Margaret and I are going to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_jingu" target="_blank">Meiji Jingu</a> for New Year's. It's the most crowded temple in Tokyo on New Year's; something like 200,000 visitors come over a period of 3 days (12/31 - 1/2), so it should be an adventure! I've also never been there, so I'm hoping to get some good pictures... we'll see about that though; I'm fully prepared to make another visit on a day when it's not quite so crowded!<br />
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Next week will be planning for a very exciting trip I'll likely be taking in March, more homework, and maybe another adventure in Tokyo if I can fit it in!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-69075555830448734012011-12-17T18:33:00.000+09:002012-01-02T15:08:02.485+09:00Laker Band reunions are the best kinds of reunions.Sorry for the delay; this week was really busy what with tests and quitting choir and a bunch of homework. Also, since winter break starts next Thursday, I've been getting to the point of pre-vacation burnout, which is never a fun place to be.<br />
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Things have been going well this week; quitting choir may have been the biggest stress relief this semester. I just wasn't able to make the time commitment work for my life -- it was very hard to balance school, choir, and friends -- so I decided quitting was the best option.<br />
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This has given me lots of time to do homework and hang out with friends, especially Amie, who I know from high school and Laker Band! She moved to Oregon from Japan during high school, and then moved back to Japan for college! She's actually going to start attending Keio as a freshman in the spring!<br />
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Last Sunday, we met up in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibuya" target="_blank">Shibuya</a> and hit Starbucks and did some window shopping! We went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyu_Hands" target="_blank">Tokyu Hands</a> and messed around there for a bit. It was fun!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4RUzoe668hU_ac4HotbtSzXgEsfkAkSYMTKhyphenhyphenKPADSPSkZm8Rt6wqI0muyeTvi6L1obBCo8uElVjqHslBsphxlOnNhPtXxS4aHPVNJVFcl8_CtQ2eCTYEzmzRrDtffHo93EXqdgyhWE/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4RUzoe668hU_ac4HotbtSzXgEsfkAkSYMTKhyphenhyphenKPADSPSkZm8Rt6wqI0muyeTvi6L1obBCo8uElVjqHslBsphxlOnNhPtXxS4aHPVNJVFcl8_CtQ2eCTYEzmzRrDtffHo93EXqdgyhWE/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone took "No-Shave November" a little too seriously this year...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm3aStlSy6tLyt5MzbvCzjXCNgGTzRG0oGMU42XBle77odnAsGNn4_EQe0hmMz3QczUCh3_ER3aAHBf0Di35a8P4fpavMCqUhSPtVgI-WNPnDUoKKAOqbxhPUQubVuggL802R7YzHgl8/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqm3aStlSy6tLyt5MzbvCzjXCNgGTzRG0oGMU42XBle77odnAsGNn4_EQe0hmMz3QczUCh3_ER3aAHBf0Di35a8P4fpavMCqUhSPtVgI-WNPnDUoKKAOqbxhPUQubVuggL802R7YzHgl8/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">STOP! POLICE!</td></tr>
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Then on Monday night, to celebrate my quitting choir, Margaret and I decided to make <a href="http://somekitchenstories.com/2011/06/20/chocolate-mug-of-sadness/" target="_blank">Microwave Mug Cake</a>. I will admit that this recipe was a bit rich for my liking, but I was determined to make it work, so last night I tried it again, this time with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nutella rather than 3, and it came out BEAUTIFULLY. I felt MUCH better after I ate this version than I did with the first attempt, by which I mean I didn't feel like I needed to be rolled into bed!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsSzevebqHfTYGlAAJMuXno7S870N5dJvh7QH8GHGX835IvOQw7RdHyVJli7bZNa5To1uCSnRw0L5UeA7YZFYd4ux82ZuEVFsbsiGtVXDFY6fJvuwe7xVdpqfRekhFK1-jSgTIi6DMT0/s1600/Cake+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsSzevebqHfTYGlAAJMuXno7S870N5dJvh7QH8GHGX835IvOQw7RdHyVJli7bZNa5To1uCSnRw0L5UeA7YZFYd4ux82ZuEVFsbsiGtVXDFY6fJvuwe7xVdpqfRekhFK1-jSgTIi6DMT0/s320/Cake+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ingredients!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfY4nNSUO89n5kqbwJYYSdOaHJzNlYC7Ets20jeKT_stzLWywyCkI0F0reuVpF-kqpVj2mQ7hnahTxydjPUMBs-5InsLj15wx7xCxFSEKC6DgN3Rbvm8I-xjKC1nLI12YXZHHaL-lNmI/s1600/Cake+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfY4nNSUO89n5kqbwJYYSdOaHJzNlYC7Ets20jeKT_stzLWywyCkI0F0reuVpF-kqpVj2mQ7hnahTxydjPUMBs-5InsLj15wx7xCxFSEKC6DgN3Rbvm8I-xjKC1nLI12YXZHHaL-lNmI/s320/Cake+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make sure you mix WELL -- the Nutella makes the batter a bit gummy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4nCY4djovBTtpGphIrXoJ-dB5zUeSdef0xm0MvSdaGzYs_CamJ3ABjjTSvdgURYV1NpAsx3b5poQdagZWpGX3QCls6J8N9_bRXCEKPK3bl7vOB5RlvIOcxPg7igxm7pRZOoRLXw54F0/s1600/cake+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4nCY4djovBTtpGphIrXoJ-dB5zUeSdef0xm0MvSdaGzYs_CamJ3ABjjTSvdgURYV1NpAsx3b5poQdagZWpGX3QCls6J8N9_bRXCEKPK3bl7vOB5RlvIOcxPg7igxm7pRZOoRLXw54F0/s320/cake+3.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would suggest using a fork rather than a spoon. That way you can kind of whisk the batter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNXLG07e6GgbqGNVDMecGxk2TDGiRNivBVyc06DLYFRIys-6hsazFjvLiXn_8iaE0FPfuSnb6i2eTR5U1yXn79aTWImjpyWZd4yZYkOBcDmUMf-32fpymj2DmHNQBlx56oew4aDbJGiQ/s1600/Cake+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNXLG07e6GgbqGNVDMecGxk2TDGiRNivBVyc06DLYFRIys-6hsazFjvLiXn_8iaE0FPfuSnb6i2eTR5U1yXn79aTWImjpyWZd4yZYkOBcDmUMf-32fpymj2DmHNQBlx56oew4aDbJGiQ/s320/Cake+4.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey there Margaret!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnk7kQcdGVkrA7scvFHXIxfKjX0SzSJ2PZFRqWipsbQ9IBU_-xq_bJoQGfvluqBu5kLlGexDKRK1J5vM3U9P2H7we-UxJc6bJ9mAT7Uol0PUyrEE2pS9Qvrhm5xRthaPk31-xA9UnMw8/s1600/Cake+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnk7kQcdGVkrA7scvFHXIxfKjX0SzSJ2PZFRqWipsbQ9IBU_-xq_bJoQGfvluqBu5kLlGexDKRK1J5vM3U9P2H7we-UxJc6bJ9mAT7Uol0PUyrEE2pS9Qvrhm5xRthaPk31-xA9UnMw8/s320/Cake+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cake!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioP4uPikwPbPN6V6FvJ4WhdW994OKHhIccXBAaSul3EKEKBAe98eANCPPwNaNDT7EooQy9riiEDJRhmWyxt-zvNr8G8YkE3MYB2S48Hxj55B1fposOX3jdmJO8gl546Q403Tb5wDnFzAI/s1600/Cake+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioP4uPikwPbPN6V6FvJ4WhdW994OKHhIccXBAaSul3EKEKBAe98eANCPPwNaNDT7EooQy9riiEDJRhmWyxt-zvNr8G8YkE3MYB2S48Hxj55B1fposOX3jdmJO8gl546Q403Tb5wDnFzAI/s320/Cake+6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Margaret's cake -- good thing we microwaved our mugs on a plate!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And then today, Amie and I decided to hang out again. This time we explored Hiyoshi Campus, the campus of Keio University that's walking distance from my dorm, since she will be starting there in the spring. Because of the warm winter and fall we've had, the leaves were just now changing color -- a bit weird to think about since Christmas is only eight days away! We took lots of pictures, and it was a lovely day!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2WD_oI3UWUjlezHETUR4ygjWuzb1prC8acDvuP9qefcbgrUYqA8q-zbKO-dJFhda7_MqdD7i4QoFo2Mbz54xI7NJfBwA7AYOW_MKMyiHmzHECjPIU7FhQWrdTCAWuv7EE26QFpOiA1E/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2WD_oI3UWUjlezHETUR4ygjWuzb1prC8acDvuP9qefcbgrUYqA8q-zbKO-dJFhda7_MqdD7i4QoFo2Mbz54xI7NJfBwA7AYOW_MKMyiHmzHECjPIU7FhQWrdTCAWuv7EE26QFpOiA1E/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road leading to the auditorium is lined with trees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqz8spzw51yPE1n1ul4ixKBzHUrt9T-SVFxl8QuikvSchbOLa9_z4TpE2427N_3UknVNlT3qPNRhcBWKPitA76XrudScxiOnThA9NOJ5Et1RMVfIpLSQVXSuF5OVQkYexvDEbiFXjuv8/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqz8spzw51yPE1n1ul4ixKBzHUrt9T-SVFxl8QuikvSchbOLa9_z4TpE2427N_3UknVNlT3qPNRhcBWKPitA76XrudScxiOnThA9NOJ5Et1RMVfIpLSQVXSuF5OVQkYexvDEbiFXjuv8/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little girl just dropped to the ground and started rolling in the leaves. It was too cute.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xDde3WIYOhjEOnPg-Od7D75fGO9FlCzEvC7qj0KAvK5eiwPERWqHQvi95mbQwD6zAzX6onRmbS3RBPcX-TvZhYXVdRBV7A9mHLEIWjvlusuUCRUAIdiOGgNrP3zjoNbjPxbe-1e6UmY/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xDde3WIYOhjEOnPg-Od7D75fGO9FlCzEvC7qj0KAvK5eiwPERWqHQvi95mbQwD6zAzX6onRmbS3RBPcX-TvZhYXVdRBV7A9mHLEIWjvlusuUCRUAIdiOGgNrP3zjoNbjPxbe-1e6UmY/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CqCIip9utPubJhiDd_z5y-nB3E4E9CpN3hkEvJ048ElT85i76J7xRTM-ZBNvU1UApbsdo-7YE2Wtr5Hyx4EcIwXlClJ8WlGRI1AFhrlQpO1AP8f7ygB-DA0ljOFFaBdC0C58PuJqvX8/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CqCIip9utPubJhiDd_z5y-nB3E4E9CpN3hkEvJ048ElT85i76J7xRTM-ZBNvU1UApbsdo-7YE2Wtr5Hyx4EcIwXlClJ8WlGRI1AFhrlQpO1AP8f7ygB-DA0ljOFFaBdC0C58PuJqvX8/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRiY7ERgGnv7WDGN0GWw8lSyfa8o5HNBW3UOOnNtxvrY-QHIA6ateM60SeIkUJ7IcAt_GrO7i5cMJ3gb3NOwpyuVr1f4X9OFTjbWCvkCnbDRUUYYj_K84G3SHKfkm2xqk4VxO-Q1_Ec0/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRiY7ERgGnv7WDGN0GWw8lSyfa8o5HNBW3UOOnNtxvrY-QHIA6ateM60SeIkUJ7IcAt_GrO7i5cMJ3gb3NOwpyuVr1f4X9OFTjbWCvkCnbDRUUYYj_K84G3SHKfkm2xqk4VxO-Q1_Ec0/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+010.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A statue. Of someone important. We didn't stop to read the plaque.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-INlB2FfAoIbipBw03vY_rpnXYLltSTzj5-ercdX1vi4IS1ZvQyhhzfqsWP1xXIMcLKLeRG0sFLAfx4nBnx4qhd5xNfxLdXWWFQkTbPptVbMi8VDDLnSDLiknY3CjqbKgNhfE7vCEvc/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-INlB2FfAoIbipBw03vY_rpnXYLltSTzj5-ercdX1vi4IS1ZvQyhhzfqsWP1xXIMcLKLeRG0sFLAfx4nBnx4qhd5xNfxLdXWWFQkTbPptVbMi8VDDLnSDLiknY3CjqbKgNhfE7vCEvc/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shrub is blooming. It is DECEMBER. WHAT EVEN.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh5pzYL3dqLYXRat4fgv7XN8hk30DW2HKPggCl3_606czhhFuSth99g9iWKZfF3j1JhwBy89KuyiCMdbFc92CCoLbfhHzsH__nLj76DqJFDE70L2gzDHU193gZxLg4rIMi7pSXDHlr_E/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh5pzYL3dqLYXRat4fgv7XN8hk30DW2HKPggCl3_606czhhFuSth99g9iWKZfF3j1JhwBy89KuyiCMdbFc92CCoLbfhHzsH__nLj76DqJFDE70L2gzDHU193gZxLg4rIMi7pSXDHlr_E/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the top of one of the buildings. You can see what I think is Mt. Fuji in the distance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUirejoEPnoCCVzB6wnCnXI1ez4SmepajjEayiTvovABVnosaR2o7rOck0XguDliOCbAu5gnQ60-C5u93Xo2qKJVB3nbEG_1nXCalLZYN-sXFHaiCnBs8C_U9FN4-NY5X5DuTGu3MD-mg/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUirejoEPnoCCVzB6wnCnXI1ez4SmepajjEayiTvovABVnosaR2o7rOck0XguDliOCbAu5gnQ60-C5u93Xo2qKJVB3nbEG_1nXCalLZYN-sXFHaiCnBs8C_U9FN4-NY5X5DuTGu3MD-mg/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This maple tree was just gorgeous.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIXZI9pvOeaF_AJ8LmjuXuETT0ahWJmdUyTCe9VIHxBV6VZ_msu6pr33EBT9e14XCzts8rDfkAeMT9a3mOyLYSjdkddrQntFPH6ZH2A_ThXfSZb_FS6CRJbQ10HMOuAzdLqIRwh-3Tpo/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIXZI9pvOeaF_AJ8LmjuXuETT0ahWJmdUyTCe9VIHxBV6VZ_msu6pr33EBT9e14XCzts8rDfkAeMT9a3mOyLYSjdkddrQntFPH6ZH2A_ThXfSZb_FS6CRJbQ10HMOuAzdLqIRwh-3Tpo/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf close-ups!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimu2cA0eh_jJ6RSfsDdF_B8j0pwKhsrdj08RiYQDB42ywN5LpzK1YW0t1C1KAzf4F_fS48nRzyeJbtPh7UqeQDNc5SPGJGc07-3gU5JsHf1GEfwSZ4TNQ9pM4IUq9G6aGZRItWCVmcEDY/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimu2cA0eh_jJ6RSfsDdF_B8j0pwKhsrdj08RiYQDB42ywN5LpzK1YW0t1C1KAzf4F_fS48nRzyeJbtPh7UqeQDNc5SPGJGc07-3gU5JsHf1GEfwSZ4TNQ9pM4IUq9G6aGZRItWCVmcEDY/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More leaves!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UGOtOtpxgTP7be1X1HIWiUMyCYzNsb8YjV4iD4ZGbjw_54VtrIFa3fRDLQVK4ytH1aofajiRDR1RoKNsBLq1Yl8EiyFdI9w-B8mFuJubWusy2asdKiZp0J1H2_vqYgh0m9QwqfuXdoo/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UGOtOtpxgTP7be1X1HIWiUMyCYzNsb8YjV4iD4ZGbjw_54VtrIFa3fRDLQVK4ytH1aofajiRDR1RoKNsBLq1Yl8EiyFdI9w-B8mFuJubWusy2asdKiZp0J1H2_vqYgh0m9QwqfuXdoo/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was such a nice day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoGCKP766ShXSmoCN_Y0uk4zaxxtnd-z0hnhmRxEezR4iDgYTSfMaIrkQbBoiD-H5SqZqMwLl-yobtkoZ57Z93GDaNuwCl4Jxmee0_c3ZmHk_En8O5lEw1Kzh3WLDu3wsQoyYfOA1rrY/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoGCKP766ShXSmoCN_Y0uk4zaxxtnd-z0hnhmRxEezR4iDgYTSfMaIrkQbBoiD-H5SqZqMwLl-yobtkoZ57Z93GDaNuwCl4Jxmee0_c3ZmHk_En8O5lEw1Kzh3WLDu3wsQoyYfOA1rrY/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keio High School</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxbV3NikgkXavHEmMNPbUa4u5uyb2BPP0mcGnq8dDKCsxThjI6bX9KL6G5k4fBaHrpZh87W52Nc2ANSRxVC2Hjvgn5fivlmkynb71iCqEOaG-zoBHKQHL_zbGMTcnkdCl1uEHmcEaQD4/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxbV3NikgkXavHEmMNPbUa4u5uyb2BPP0mcGnq8dDKCsxThjI6bX9KL6G5k4fBaHrpZh87W52Nc2ANSRxVC2Hjvgn5fivlmkynb71iCqEOaG-zoBHKQHL_zbGMTcnkdCl1uEHmcEaQD4/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green tea cake! A fabulous lunch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6Zga4zOEyhWDizNVWZdA5erhPulvjKUqCoiHw4AQGiCHtAYKlZHbkfIVqh_OjvC5BULRUijvX-YDahyf9qO2rc88QrU0ywsFLnfhDxehWuuCRp-mdqhhB3NXfB5XcI2R2tGobT32KOE/s1600/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6Zga4zOEyhWDizNVWZdA5erhPulvjKUqCoiHw4AQGiCHtAYKlZHbkfIVqh_OjvC5BULRUijvX-YDahyf9qO2rc88QrU0ywsFLnfhDxehWuuCRp-mdqhhB3NXfB5XcI2R2tGobT32KOE/s320/Mitasai+and+Hanging+with+Amie+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SMILE FOR THE CAMERA AMIE!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgniN4brok97dMw_MjmNc5cwMaZbvmDFCheLlVMCLeL_zj-QMBSy7KQZTzfWN0zm92p7q3-KqSK3K1RpVpk9EVbaSBDtZp4MOKyAct7BITrekVJxmR2OdxNZDsgSjPI_qqM-gBdfsxd5mI/s1600/Harry+the+Dirty+Dog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgniN4brok97dMw_MjmNc5cwMaZbvmDFCheLlVMCLeL_zj-QMBSy7KQZTzfWN0zm92p7q3-KqSK3K1RpVpk9EVbaSBDtZp4MOKyAct7BITrekVJxmR2OdxNZDsgSjPI_qqM-gBdfsxd5mI/s320/Harry+the+Dirty+Dog.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents read me this book when I was little -- imagine my surprise when we found it as part of a store display!</td></tr>
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Tomorrow my friend from camp is coming to Tokyo, so we'll probably spend the day running around. I might even update again early in the week to put up the pictures from then. I have less than a week until break starts now, and I cannot wait! I'm definitely looking forward to having time to read. :)<br />
<br />Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-54633223175494708032011-12-06T22:26:00.001+09:002011-12-06T22:46:15.580+09:00In Which Nothing Interesting Happens (Again)Bad news in Japanland, everyone. My room's hot-water heater seems to be broken, leaving me to a lukewarm shower in 34 degree weather with no heating. Naturally, I didn't figure this out until I actually got IN the shower, resulting in one of the least pleasant experiences of my life. I take back everything I've said about how awful showering at camp was with the old water heater... At least then it was warmer than 34 degrees out.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I'm now in bed, wearing two pairs of pants and two shirts in order to warm up. My productivity today wasn't quite as great as I'd been hoping it would be. I was derailed by an assignment taking way longer than necessary and the sudden onset of a lovely <a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/05/sneaky-hate-spiral.html" target="_blank">Sneaky Hate Spiral</a>, during which time I broke my only dinner plate while putting away my homework, so I wasn't able to get myself to start on the essay I have to turn in on Thursday evening... Oh well. I guess I'll find a time to write it tomorrow or Thursday morning (though that would be less than desirable).<br />
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I had a test on Monday, so I spent my Sunday studying. Saturday was a bit stressful; I tried to pack in too many things for one day on top of some prearranged Skyping and I just wasn't able to do it all, so I spent my Sunday morning grocery shopping and cleaning. Margaret and I spent Saturday morning hitting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omotesando" target="_blank">Omotesando</a>, where a really famous toy store called Kiddyland is located, and we did some shopping for our charity shoebox project. I bought my child a Mario doll, some Legos, and UNO! :)<br />
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Speaking of that, I'm real behind on my scarf, which is concerning because I need to turn it in on the 8th. I'm planning on spending some time tonight working on it, so then I can feel a bit more productive and hopefully get that squared away so I can start working on the scarf I'm making for myself again. It's starting to get cold and running around all over the place without a scarf is NOT my favorite way to travel.<br />
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The test on Monday went well, I think! It was a bit stressful at first, since I've been following all of the Packers games on my phone, and for the first time all season the game hadn't finished before my test started. Fortunately, though, the Pack pulled through right as I finished the test!!!<br />
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I'm kind of running out of things to talk about, so I guess I'll just end it here. No idea as to what's going to go down this weekend; I may end up meeting up with one of my friends from high school who's actually going to be starting at Keio as a freshman in the spring, but we shall see how scheduling works out. Worse comes to worse, I may go buy some more tights and also hit the <a href="http://lush.com/" target="_blank">Lush</a> in Yokohama -- it's dry skin season! (Boo.)<br />Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-54910964614674506102011-11-27T21:50:00.000+09:002011-11-27T21:50:09.924+09:00OMFG DISNEYLAAAAAAAAAAAAND and also some other thingsSo I know it's been a full 5 days since we went, but it seriously has taken me this long to fully recover from this epic day-trip.<br />
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KAY SO! Last Tuesday we went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_sea" target="_blank">TOKYO DISNEYSEA</a> and it was AWESOME and I rode Tower of Terror and the Indiana Jones ride and I had sea salt ice cream (as seen in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_hearts" target="_blank">Kingdom Hearts</a> series of video games) and it was so expensive but SO WORTH IT YOU GUYS. SO WORTH IT. IT WAS AWESOME. SO AWESOME. We left at 8:00 AM and got home around 6:00 or 7:00 PM, but it felt like 10:00 PM. And I'm still shocked that, despite my overwhelming enthusiasm regarding this trip, I ultimately lasted only roughly 7 hours at the park before I was ready to peace out. It just seems WRONG to me somehow.<br />
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I feel like there's not much more written explanation I can give for Tokyo DisneySea; it's pretty standard for a Disney park, but it's also DIFFERENT, so I will let the (numerous) pictures do the explaining. :D<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvmKVSb9Bd4hS5X3RK4wvTH3tSOuXDI3WC6m068-jdjI_Bkl9xMTsZiWvwpbDKc_52E82cKil79qCtw4K1YWGcvOZppzR918sT2Fjb4GSVwCQcBqv9hG1rg3isWLzq_MVRWVtyVx96io/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvmKVSb9Bd4hS5X3RK4wvTH3tSOuXDI3WC6m068-jdjI_Bkl9xMTsZiWvwpbDKc_52E82cKil79qCtw4K1YWGcvOZppzR918sT2Fjb4GSVwCQcBqv9hG1rg3isWLzq_MVRWVtyVx96io/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance! The Christmas decorations are up AND it's the 10th anniversary celebration!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHe0fRHlwzDAqkJL9OH4SFMhYdgQWBiLQyZ7W8llvufGXIX2-Gyq8gOGBLua1pviqCEegXPKLyIC-o7X-eli63MS344Sfg6i4zr2JDus906kH8n34Y3vZ0e9AQPIPQQVtDunBqaGrItY/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHe0fRHlwzDAqkJL9OH4SFMhYdgQWBiLQyZ7W8llvufGXIX2-Gyq8gOGBLua1pviqCEegXPKLyIC-o7X-eli63MS344Sfg6i4zr2JDus906kH8n34Y3vZ0e9AQPIPQQVtDunBqaGrItY/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This giant volcano actually shoots fire; there's also a ride inside of it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR4ora8e8yaDrCtrfvQbu6zjqcCowsuXKWsELknssh-FaRYQLjiARl8cmsfwT8BW2TsLj9BzxThoCU_hTk4LghfMLKt8xZq1Kjg2NVnqfOoNI9U3rm3mHS9j7_0nOS3_lKeUYQDf-Dfg/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlR4ora8e8yaDrCtrfvQbu6zjqcCowsuXKWsELknssh-FaRYQLjiARl8cmsfwT8BW2TsLj9BzxThoCU_hTk4LghfMLKt8xZq1Kjg2NVnqfOoNI9U3rm3mHS9j7_0nOS3_lKeUYQDf-Dfg/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This band was performing when we arrived!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9ZjMO156INM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicamtPW4c7JxWWBCg_pvBeOoaxdL3xA4eMQWCAlXFikEyd6K9VWEz2PV4Qzet6h_gRycScmO1fqySi8E-nVYE61zdxfhZmKVZE8qQRvQb0Ch_mXyCVuvWRxQZ8jtBTW8G2U_MN1a_06nQ/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicamtPW4c7JxWWBCg_pvBeOoaxdL3xA4eMQWCAlXFikEyd6K9VWEz2PV4Qzet6h_gRycScmO1fqySi8E-nVYE61zdxfhZmKVZE8qQRvQb0Ch_mXyCVuvWRxQZ8jtBTW8G2U_MN1a_06nQ/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So this is one of the resort hotels; it is actually contained completely within DisneySea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE10PZw1b_O1FbEnMDdeg_mUqNtIweiUL2IWvMEZuia6IcexyPFtIatwHegDkt8qYmGye001bxWOVBdzDrXm9h-WDot-aruP4IZft_aapESKg1jRwyseBbkrfoVQYpuUgA1lgHBA9pdL0/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE10PZw1b_O1FbEnMDdeg_mUqNtIweiUL2IWvMEZuia6IcexyPFtIatwHegDkt8qYmGye001bxWOVBdzDrXm9h-WDot-aruP4IZft_aapESKg1jRwyseBbkrfoVQYpuUgA1lgHBA9pdL0/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DisneySea is designed like several different kinds of port towns; this is the Italian Port area!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhGMchP4MnCWYAerW-jDUVfYoEt60tduYNm40kt85j3MKULME3JtmLldLznWmQl7TM-mphEtE4DrmpT3vBflQzLfyFJ_L4ds5X_7aQPUFG2_H_D8axCmvr44PBiYCjfN5eF8XJoFG2-w/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhGMchP4MnCWYAerW-jDUVfYoEt60tduYNm40kt85j3MKULME3JtmLldLznWmQl7TM-mphEtE4DrmpT3vBflQzLfyFJ_L4ds5X_7aQPUFG2_H_D8axCmvr44PBiYCjfN5eF8XJoFG2-w/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the Italian Port!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJIynhj2n9F2yWYQunf68RQB8rMheghyphenhyphentKZ5I8mAhwxLJF33XPDmjPg_2btpU3Y6mAlBXNVTfLg-ywihpyPopfHYjjXOvWSsuPfbWC1K1YOVuNhyphenhyphenpNGPHkljC2Gi5QY94a38CZESPfbo/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJIynhj2n9F2yWYQunf68RQB8rMheghyphenhyphentKZ5I8mAhwxLJF33XPDmjPg_2btpU3Y6mAlBXNVTfLg-ywihpyPopfHYjjXOvWSsuPfbWC1K1YOVuNhyphenhyphenpNGPHkljC2Gi5QY94a38CZESPfbo/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group standing in line to help Leonardo da Vinci stop a VOLCANIC ERUPTION!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklwjC4202qxHjjNviW0NbIAOppzt7oFIpVKOI6H-Krib30iY6RDuhMaGJN1s841JKxHtXDeordSqYRAbF3PzMJVP4KEOosdls4fjLNmNpbGDFvH9x_E61w-s1R0Y9IKT2TUpomS4w4Ek/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklwjC4202qxHjjNviW0NbIAOppzt7oFIpVKOI6H-Krib30iY6RDuhMaGJN1s841JKxHtXDeordSqYRAbF3PzMJVP4KEOosdls4fjLNmNpbGDFvH9x_E61w-s1R0Y9IKT2TUpomS4w4Ek/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. SERIOUS BUSINESS!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBn1tQdLnX4VtTxBNMTGIB11dYMhSYsq-I6uEoiE6OOKdNaZH8G4pLJtq1uY7YnCEBMKekkC4u6p3w4l3EIYTk5DfTrh-fy-d6_Kik-2hxxqdPkuTdYFjxiToAo9em2fFpi3FZtKVFEu0/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBn1tQdLnX4VtTxBNMTGIB11dYMhSYsq-I6uEoiE6OOKdNaZH8G4pLJtq1uY7YnCEBMKekkC4u6p3w4l3EIYTk5DfTrh-fy-d6_Kik-2hxxqdPkuTdYFjxiToAo9em2fFpi3FZtKVFEu0/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Italian Port scenery!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found a clue! One step closer to SAVING DISNEYLAND!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9idk6nL-XwN178mouPDleKkEXhC2Qc6oOI9f2x0VtphFJdA6YFc5TFf5PIoDR1kZ4emLxlJz8rRcYqphOsHFbEINf98LfOPO38Nlz89LXRDr3doj43BjXLTcDzQ94mKthABIVBeSgKA/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9idk6nL-XwN178mouPDleKkEXhC2Qc6oOI9f2x0VtphFJdA6YFc5TFf5PIoDR1kZ4emLxlJz8rRcYqphOsHFbEINf98LfOPO38Nlz89LXRDr3doj43BjXLTcDzQ94mKthABIVBeSgKA/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric and I found a flying machine! Too bad it was bolted to the ground. :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjBQc3oqQlwbMF65eApULXWk4ONClR5oL1avR7h8QRzn28CjA5Ex0nxoXP1KqCqoFuzY4iNP5oB0HoCmpFGK8EtfkVkiYfRYMzGtPyHDoGr3702B1zMbn1PPINtg0qZd6JCV7U_huBtA/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjBQc3oqQlwbMF65eApULXWk4ONClR5oL1avR7h8QRzn28CjA5Ex0nxoXP1KqCqoFuzY4iNP5oB0HoCmpFGK8EtfkVkiYfRYMzGtPyHDoGr3702B1zMbn1PPINtg0qZd6JCV7U_huBtA/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the distance is the Tower of Terror -- part of the 1800s New York port section.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeQikYWEwz2GrohNertsO5F-2IfAW8MLMaxlJKoKkepiVxgUavsms1upL8wW__K5MfRbgGsTapB2OOfjH7-5mYFQSuSKVCf6F8kJY7ENY0p9rZYrUNiVv95aW-e_02GCrI_V0_qI24LU/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeQikYWEwz2GrohNertsO5F-2IfAW8MLMaxlJKoKkepiVxgUavsms1upL8wW__K5MfRbgGsTapB2OOfjH7-5mYFQSuSKVCf6F8kJY7ENY0p9rZYrUNiVv95aW-e_02GCrI_V0_qI24LU/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the area housing the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride -- apparently it's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk" target="_blank">steampunk</a>-themed?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGac_HmOlrs6xxAyJHu1pgcfvHio-nZTT4MNKffSy_2k1uN1IsBR7mNdtasulpxTBrb4lysIlysJ83AsYFY43QvY_PON5RobWzmz3GLQqoKP9A_fDQz2faZTMdp-2P0BYs9CCQur4_gLk/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGac_HmOlrs6xxAyJHu1pgcfvHio-nZTT4MNKffSy_2k1uN1IsBR7mNdtasulpxTBrb4lysIlysJ83AsYFY43QvY_PON5RobWzmz3GLQqoKP9A_fDQz2faZTMdp-2P0BYs9CCQur4_gLk/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Indiana Jones ride!!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDTSFNKNx8MJ7-CdsCzYiNYOCgHK03uZrUuel67UTCic-vb5Ak2uzpWpPzJsZdn3npB0usqfrThMzodCOZ5uLPYKCmXkENF12jOLIgKT-JsDeAJ0V4vkQRV6vWtEwfdp3gmKapzOFanc/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDTSFNKNx8MJ7-CdsCzYiNYOCgHK03uZrUuel67UTCic-vb5Ak2uzpWpPzJsZdn3npB0usqfrThMzodCOZ5uLPYKCmXkENF12jOLIgKT-JsDeAJ0V4vkQRV6vWtEwfdp3gmKapzOFanc/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They went all-out with the Christmas decorations. It made me happy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL1TDV7Kppte1KjHxhE5GlHvJSfVIx9tgVYvmc4X0jaNMYTebbEdft11gZmzYIzVV5IrrQUiMv-91_60awSszAHWcNQS8iO45SHRsZ8nQwsJpBeMfoFNpjgGiTwAkhpN-8yYGqGP_IyU/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCL1TDV7Kppte1KjHxhE5GlHvJSfVIx9tgVYvmc4X0jaNMYTebbEdft11gZmzYIzVV5IrrQUiMv-91_60awSszAHWcNQS8iO45SHRsZ8nQwsJpBeMfoFNpjgGiTwAkhpN-8yYGqGP_IyU/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 90 minute wait was totally worth it. TOTALLY WORTH IT.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIkjduA9xFKfhRnh9zJuomNjUgu7sRVTI5LC4tArbJ9eZEP55UuHOMZnONc29j0T4axLqfVrGuTZJMQW4UHmuYYbkuJpq7ZzSoWs_L-EpaD6sunp95enE_8kxXfuuLxb2I9HBxHX_8-Q/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIkjduA9xFKfhRnh9zJuomNjUgu7sRVTI5LC4tArbJ9eZEP55UuHOMZnONc29j0T4axLqfVrGuTZJMQW4UHmuYYbkuJpq7ZzSoWs_L-EpaD6sunp95enE_8kxXfuuLxb2I9HBxHX_8-Q/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a section modeled after the movie Aladdin! It's neaaaat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RK_-_mYkvMlwqCIhghAqS6tnh3QE_4ENGledp80rKGHwiU-tKFjK4nYXpVAnpwqURL7yoZiSy3v0PkMMDFgLcQdsmRNmdsaIyoykyfkM9BEsemCGZ9Y7NNtVlLV73L5aYXboCkeHciY/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RK_-_mYkvMlwqCIhghAqS6tnh3QE_4ENGledp80rKGHwiU-tKFjK4nYXpVAnpwqURL7yoZiSy3v0PkMMDFgLcQdsmRNmdsaIyoykyfkM9BEsemCGZ9Y7NNtVlLV73L5aYXboCkeHciY/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Little Mermaid section!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKVnvx1VSx7dZjY8wQl5RGqs8f072V0B0tGNRykE7irU8QmUaek9EXB9EaS4MF_TkpiSeFkMAeJdXxwE2piOwRc-P0kaEBYTsUaRc5EwBmZpEHl20rbPsCwDowumNayNAUHAdCSfRBrU/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKVnvx1VSx7dZjY8wQl5RGqs8f072V0B0tGNRykE7irU8QmUaek9EXB9EaS4MF_TkpiSeFkMAeJdXxwE2piOwRc-P0kaEBYTsUaRc5EwBmZpEHl20rbPsCwDowumNayNAUHAdCSfRBrU/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">REINDEER DOLPHINS ARE THE BEST DOLPHINS.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXiOKLi89gvgQzu_2e7Ba5BONt6sihQXgi5j9LvN3GGwCzSqQimUV5OBaytF1OhTuufrD11W3UjvejPK3pTfwy78h0wB2UasafYDonlLr6q14sW2fBjw-3tVc4gmvzHJ4o0MGmiyQ9pc/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXiOKLi89gvgQzu_2e7Ba5BONt6sihQXgi5j9LvN3GGwCzSqQimUV5OBaytF1OhTuufrD11W3UjvejPK3pTfwy78h0wB2UasafYDonlLr6q14sW2fBjw-3tVc4gmvzHJ4o0MGmiyQ9pc/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+041.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We journeyed under the sea!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFwHtXsG1z7uGg46TBzSHJT6_HHsTEiITCJ85OLbXZOB_ROOuxF7rKOYp4oaRZn2l_93eRcZh1EFsaVrNJfrJ31D0CzDxsS3Cdy9xnOFC677meF-rrV-s_zJKduhYEAPDIdu8x4cuN1I/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFwHtXsG1z7uGg46TBzSHJT6_HHsTEiITCJ85OLbXZOB_ROOuxF7rKOYp4oaRZn2l_93eRcZh1EFsaVrNJfrJ31D0CzDxsS3Cdy9xnOFC677meF-rrV-s_zJKduhYEAPDIdu8x4cuN1I/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaaand we journeyed to the Aladdin section after visiting our friends under the sea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyDpy8NcRlm-GKPmNExXM-Glb-U9ck6WXepLImfBcG5jo9ahP3IUJAMdJGW2qLzEg04WPojxXDkoM-r7KkrimsVtBbhJfJwIzi2ppdTLGUxIyjEdjauEon2RthO7qwerHbpCEU1LOH6I/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyDpy8NcRlm-GKPmNExXM-Glb-U9ck6WXepLImfBcG5jo9ahP3IUJAMdJGW2qLzEg04WPojxXDkoM-r7KkrimsVtBbhJfJwIzi2ppdTLGUxIyjEdjauEon2RthO7qwerHbpCEU1LOH6I/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey there, camel. How's it going?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOzn6MzicUHUGEM_HLBJpmhnBfP_BSjsymTzgxFn_NIoWYUX4q5gmr2O8hKr-UHdrqAHEWDbPLkGMo5GUyunZJ1c9Vm_GFUV9FcVNJlq2mt_x95ThHzARm31IBGTecxccEdAR4zp0ep8/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOzn6MzicUHUGEM_HLBJpmhnBfP_BSjsymTzgxFn_NIoWYUX4q5gmr2O8hKr-UHdrqAHEWDbPLkGMo5GUyunZJ1c9Vm_GFUV9FcVNJlq2mt_x95ThHzARm31IBGTecxccEdAR4zp0ep8/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were so lucky to have gone on such a gorgeous day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfPPXB_UxfT6H3uSC3nWOK38FrKSYH1AmqRjstfO34ZmRUi-2-7UrY68DI7hX7bcWq6QqqWJ8mE9UNnYRzgNN09D3iop8_vd_nDxkp0cu2c2k1ddPGQR5ayVg2KI0jjZYG_CDj1KQZMM/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfPPXB_UxfT6H3uSC3nWOK38FrKSYH1AmqRjstfO34ZmRUi-2-7UrY68DI7hX7bcWq6QqqWJ8mE9UNnYRzgNN09D3iop8_vd_nDxkp0cu2c2k1ddPGQR5ayVg2KI0jjZYG_CDj1KQZMM/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lighthouse marks the entrance to the Cape Cod area!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9L22COLMMfX8E6foMYnA2mTH0WMmDSbEtagDYwOv4A6_YGNEblPlZ_VVVmRz07fKxcD36CNlq1p8qMH7xLZ5INt6ZWhQaUd_q0nH7mXgBVkG6C0aSOHmqiNbEutJgdz8PzRbG9vczrPI/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9L22COLMMfX8E6foMYnA2mTH0WMmDSbEtagDYwOv4A6_YGNEblPlZ_VVVmRz07fKxcD36CNlq1p8qMH7xLZ5INt6ZWhQaUd_q0nH7mXgBVkG6C0aSOHmqiNbEutJgdz8PzRbG9vczrPI/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This part of the park really reminded me of being in the Boston area.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2s7sy9vw0vPdSIZ_4ICrYG07Lcu1NMYihRypiyrQQYW-jdCasBinOIZjf2459a4oSMu-Z3VRqwKRsKJq-3Q5EOjKTKcTAQCl8GfnwuvT_eND_bkrxif9FUSsEBko0RlY65d-3YCJO94/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2s7sy9vw0vPdSIZ_4ICrYG07Lcu1NMYihRypiyrQQYW-jdCasBinOIZjf2459a4oSMu-Z3VRqwKRsKJq-3Q5EOjKTKcTAQCl8GfnwuvT_eND_bkrxif9FUSsEBko0RlY65d-3YCJO94/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TOWER OF TERROR in "New York" :3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7IXLqlLWEcm2KKMK5zYfxNqZ8ipxHceJ838YEvyKXVIT3lmZebC0DwtFzs_kVjZMVGzXm4vm-9vWeETHa0PqAO3hGa_l3WlBcq6PX-Yz28QxC8g4NmLLyxb8kbYmOV70bliTNkU-6eg/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7IXLqlLWEcm2KKMK5zYfxNqZ8ipxHceJ838YEvyKXVIT3lmZebC0DwtFzs_kVjZMVGzXm4vm-9vWeETHa0PqAO3hGa_l3WlBcq6PX-Yz28QxC8g4NmLLyxb8kbYmOV70bliTNkU-6eg/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lights came on around 4:30, just as the sun was going down. The picture doesn't really do it justice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1C8mbyk9btlSrj8xJKnuJiCGi3cm9vEI5b5RaWV_xgbuQW8Lkr8FjOxlCj9fHhrhUzGZVuClMRIXNCnNFYZWPbWbbA7fBopj0t25ocBOFW3CMDqW0bGDxnzu30NvV3hd0jCNVIlMl1k/s1600/Tokyo+DisneySea+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1C8mbyk9btlSrj8xJKnuJiCGi3cm9vEI5b5RaWV_xgbuQW8Lkr8FjOxlCj9fHhrhUzGZVuClMRIXNCnNFYZWPbWbbA7fBopj0t25ocBOFW3CMDqW0bGDxnzu30NvV3hd0jCNVIlMl1k/s320/Tokyo+DisneySea+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fountain at the entrance on the way home. Just gorgeous.</td></tr>
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The rest of my week has been pretty relaxed; I spent this weekend in bed due to not feeling that well, but I got lots done on Friday night, like reorganizing my bookshelf and cleaning my fridge and all sorts of great things. Tonight I'm working on a scarf to include in a Christmas present donation drive for children living in temporary housing in areas ravaged by the March 11 tsunami and watching some documentaries. I was also really glad to see the Huskies win the Apple Cup today; it was the first game I've been able to watch all season (it's been difficult finding a good stream until now), so I'm really glad I got to see a win!<br />
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I've also recently started cooking for myself; I had been sharing food costs with a friend, but now I'm cooking for myself. Tonight I made ginger-fried pork and spinach and rice from a recipe in Japanese (my first time reading a recipe in Japanese), and it turned out great! I'm glad I made enough to last a few meals, so I don't have to cook every night on top of homework and choir practice! Here's a picture; the yellow chunks would be ginger; the recipe called for grating the ginger, but our kitchen doesn't have a grater so I tried to chop it as small as possible... Obviously I missed a few pieces. It's okay though because it still tasted really awesome!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ahd4ctTluaW7liSjI4dasZITCGBTWTl5a_eklhqrgNaL5tcCo2d-bA-xf_GBg0OEOiioGYFn-MWuwuEBvEubPSMLtUHTxNY-m2OpuSMHHoxOAiEvrzRkJ82aApCBNGCZIt0oenUIxQY/s1600/321167_10150481290679744_551679743_10473580_257623353_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ahd4ctTluaW7liSjI4dasZITCGBTWTl5a_eklhqrgNaL5tcCo2d-bA-xf_GBg0OEOiioGYFn-MWuwuEBvEubPSMLtUHTxNY-m2OpuSMHHoxOAiEvrzRkJ82aApCBNGCZIt0oenUIxQY/s320/321167_10150481290679744_551679743_10473580_257623353_n.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooooo good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anyway, I got this post done early tonight so I'd have lots of time to keep working on that scarf -- my shoebox is due December 8, so I need to get cracking -- and also do some pre-class reading. No plans yet for next week, but we shall see! There's a plan brewing to get to the fish market at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiji" target="_blank">Tsukiji</a> in order to enjoy some breakfast sushi at some point or another; perhaps that'll come together for Saturday!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-67777995607195642032011-11-21T22:35:00.001+09:002011-11-21T22:59:12.717+09:00Let's go to the Tokyo National Museum -- Again!!Friday was the first day we had off for the school festival, so I decided to show Eric and Margaret my most favorite place in the world -- the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_National_Museum" target="_blank">Tokyo National Museum</a>! I love this place so much; it's basically the Metropolitan Museum of Art of Japan, in my opinion, and you definitely can't see it all in one day. Since the pieces on display rotate every few months and admission for college students is only about $5, I plan on coming here quite often!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This time around, the fall garden was open, so we wandered around and took some outdoor photos before heading into the Hall of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dry%C5%AB-ji" target="_blank">Horyu-ji</a> Treasures. Unfortunately, because I had a choir rehearsal, I had to leave after that, so I'll have to see what's new in the main building next time I head over!<br />
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The fall garden is absolutely beautiful -- many old outdoor pieces, old homes, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chashitsu" target="_blank">tea houses</a> are housed here, and the garden is open for a few months in the fall and also for some time in the spring/summer. I can't wait to see the garden in bloom!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniMlQKLpvz21lxy-GVGAbxIKlhxnMOOiuM9usuNxGlDurpiWUVj6felMILhQNSBiDbTq2ebjwjMYILYOi5QwKyEepThQ_n8rp_GbHcL4K8qTtkRORkr1oJkZzlmKFDno2XTofWTor73Q/s1600/National+Museum+November+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniMlQKLpvz21lxy-GVGAbxIKlhxnMOOiuM9usuNxGlDurpiWUVj6felMILhQNSBiDbTq2ebjwjMYILYOi5QwKyEepThQ_n8rp_GbHcL4K8qTtkRORkr1oJkZzlmKFDno2XTofWTor73Q/s320/National+Museum+November+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the museum, this time with changing leaves!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmfEtlbNXdm8SnBisOChta3cYt9TrST-S_51W-BTqCAVY2LkEECi6-Aq6cQuEc74z0NOWPAT-c2Bske-XlFCypJIey_MpYkEqANar_b41aHOeJ6O7T_48tePp9myCA68xCNfYLWwKrvo/s1600/National+Museum+November+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmfEtlbNXdm8SnBisOChta3cYt9TrST-S_51W-BTqCAVY2LkEECi6-Aq6cQuEc74z0NOWPAT-c2Bske-XlFCypJIey_MpYkEqANar_b41aHOeJ6O7T_48tePp9myCA68xCNfYLWwKrvo/s320/National+Museum+November+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very old, very well-preserved <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa" target="_blank">stupa</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9us_PxvdtaXQobleHFgwAuTK20IrYBixYJqCsOXSW8eHgihvtjYUAesm78M-UbKK0IAYLP_uK6aT9gv3mzrzIDsJi7k1G7Zx0TbWMu8svlpF9Vdv6wyMy4AFOYqihAXNDwUaUDGGN4sk/s1600/National+Museum+November+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9us_PxvdtaXQobleHFgwAuTK20IrYBixYJqCsOXSW8eHgihvtjYUAesm78M-UbKK0IAYLP_uK6aT9gv3mzrzIDsJi7k1G7Zx0TbWMu8svlpF9Vdv6wyMy4AFOYqihAXNDwUaUDGGN4sk/s320/National+Museum+November+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a monument to the first curator of the museum.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old house!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Tq-Eaqzt_ildArLKwHE2ZpC5m0Cmarl9KoaAtg3fOEnDOZDqPnXE6B8hCc22aRDr1V0XrMtd5dK52xFzby2AZJM63S2ypOsderP5ysA33kSDQzd39YWdLx_aCHycEr9xgZg_TmMQEnM/s1600/National+Museum+November+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Tq-Eaqzt_ildArLKwHE2ZpC5m0Cmarl9KoaAtg3fOEnDOZDqPnXE6B8hCc22aRDr1V0XrMtd5dK52xFzby2AZJM63S2ypOsderP5ysA33kSDQzd39YWdLx_aCHycEr9xgZg_TmMQEnM/s320/National+Museum+November+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another old house!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1atT9Tu6PYvkFVeEqTlA8aZ0hNaI48pBzDy-YxpasAHRsys3O-LDlEl9aOa0-8pa8TZiwWwN7UwyASzh1dVwp_MumANOPMol4jHOwA60oSIJm9YTabVvgidlTPCJntudRvuQ_OWOpUzI/s1600/National+Museum+November+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1atT9Tu6PYvkFVeEqTlA8aZ0hNaI48pBzDy-YxpasAHRsys3O-LDlEl9aOa0-8pa8TZiwWwN7UwyASzh1dVwp_MumANOPMol4jHOwA60oSIJm9YTabVvgidlTPCJntudRvuQ_OWOpUzI/s320/National+Museum+November+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really liked this fountain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteaWf57IprLCakGEBFH3MKaQopi6UvEfr_ohKIaiU6x97jprRiWh3XR2nlNXunjf6u58NWyuYm9otPrxLw9vXWNdVXc75H0TLzM63g0Qo61qP0EzDBDghfcbwd7dKdaRQMZCWnTX3EII/s1600/National+Museum+November+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteaWf57IprLCakGEBFH3MKaQopi6UvEfr_ohKIaiU6x97jprRiWh3XR2nlNXunjf6u58NWyuYm9otPrxLw9vXWNdVXc75H0TLzM63g0Qo61qP0EzDBDghfcbwd7dKdaRQMZCWnTX3EII/s320/National+Museum+November+019.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tea house from the outside -- I was feeling artsy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjil8veCymHQS0kvBZGMZ4zA0eOVgwfmQqT5c_TXNS8OfMn2K3ZjOIr7EmnEByBz-ppe04R5Vi_paCwm6W5oxIqO1FW2vV7SMCCTIh16H_t1kN1MGRHs1PTTbCv0ZIgGr7yi8lSy9niLJQ/s1600/National+Museum+November+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjil8veCymHQS0kvBZGMZ4zA0eOVgwfmQqT5c_TXNS8OfMn2K3ZjOIr7EmnEByBz-ppe04R5Vi_paCwm6W5oxIqO1FW2vV7SMCCTIh16H_t1kN1MGRHs1PTTbCv0ZIgGr7yi8lSy9niLJQ/s320/National+Museum+November+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a tea house that was actually housed on the grounds of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Imperial_Palace" target="_blank">Kyoto Imperial Palace</a> until the 1900s</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xH81r1_81Ou59Bhyphenhyphen30Dnf2msEoV0WPx40jzkQolzwYiCjhMv4nHPUiFa7k8eMtHPaJYWVIjn2tDADJIqaYTtQF_BGly66k38mJwsWt_Ca4zPFuLLqUJBoVVa0flyCf0zDkPOBs3TfZA/s1600/National+Museum+November+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xH81r1_81Ou59Bhyphenhyphen30Dnf2msEoV0WPx40jzkQolzwYiCjhMv4nHPUiFa7k8eMtHPaJYWVIjn2tDADJIqaYTtQF_BGly66k38mJwsWt_Ca4zPFuLLqUJBoVVa0flyCf0zDkPOBs3TfZA/s320/National+Museum+November+021.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tea house was built in the 1700s!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmW43_wGFkyNfClS4RzKwGmw9E9_KCplj_JGxN12UgsuasuHnXO23tMGVz9dd9lMlxEviYpPm-LDVgincGcgETqgacYwghzFx6YncYlCUNOTZduipkpRT3hkTnZ6tdIu-jUlNk4-JCr-4/s1600/National+Museum+November+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmW43_wGFkyNfClS4RzKwGmw9E9_KCplj_JGxN12UgsuasuHnXO23tMGVz9dd9lMlxEviYpPm-LDVgincGcgETqgacYwghzFx6YncYlCUNOTZduipkpRT3hkTnZ6tdIu-jUlNk4-JCr-4/s320/National+Museum+November+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the original painted panels. Absolutely beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFKhhzyPNA1aU9u4hED02GFqxg3nBr1Z_3Ka5aDD2_tnopSuwEUuVGwyoUip2bbFo2i3Yp_Mhf3FqZtj0u6VhC0wBgwMVyPHpZcV8Rd7d5x0fOhZfg_21Gy79EUmgpHbfRKzZzUifQ6w/s1600/National+Museum+November+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFKhhzyPNA1aU9u4hED02GFqxg3nBr1Z_3Ka5aDD2_tnopSuwEUuVGwyoUip2bbFo2i3Yp_Mhf3FqZtj0u6VhC0wBgwMVyPHpZcV8Rd7d5x0fOhZfg_21Gy79EUmgpHbfRKzZzUifQ6w/s320/National+Museum+November+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pond in the garden. You can see the house with the fountain across the way.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7J-7iPkSHuba1g00rWX7U8QfDUb9Kuvmun6li_9XbA20eoMYtSeVQXrrcK5RF7Nb12v3_v8PivLE1vSKLJ2uuBAuqa0ecNCk6LxQP-PSnvdItV1zUMLUxIpDJywuv5CZ4lOYr9_mDHEE/s1600/National+Museum+November+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7J-7iPkSHuba1g00rWX7U8QfDUb9Kuvmun6li_9XbA20eoMYtSeVQXrrcK5RF7Nb12v3_v8PivLE1vSKLJ2uuBAuqa0ecNCk6LxQP-PSnvdItV1zUMLUxIpDJywuv5CZ4lOYr9_mDHEE/s320/National+Museum+November+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The actual fattest ducks I have ever seen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQetXwjfRVklXQZXCJ29PampTZO_EgDGuU8KTTmcawZwehIPjdUycJF8iD_VptWANoyjhUK7bDZoHTlF4cLvOK2ztfUbjA3wUy42XR7005xjZeCplh4tapa2ihG3RlPhxiBUSCOv8aoTg/s1600/National+Museum+November+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQetXwjfRVklXQZXCJ29PampTZO_EgDGuU8KTTmcawZwehIPjdUycJF8iD_VptWANoyjhUK7bDZoHTlF4cLvOK2ztfUbjA3wUy42XR7005xjZeCplh4tapa2ihG3RlPhxiBUSCOv8aoTg/s320/National+Museum+November+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lonely stone lantern.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMU3qjZXRm_g_jeF2uILuAYNsEyQDGt9djXioUHoRTqg4kiLk82HBjD-06DDuYTuJ1WsD7ZnGsECGr0oAOvf0V-80zilL2JkPhZ0X3NOFcgieQM2wttppdaNFkFOUVX3yDc6RCGLB5BA/s1600/National+Museum+November+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMU3qjZXRm_g_jeF2uILuAYNsEyQDGt9djXioUHoRTqg4kiLk82HBjD-06DDuYTuJ1WsD7ZnGsECGr0oAOvf0V-80zilL2JkPhZ0X3NOFcgieQM2wttppdaNFkFOUVX3yDc6RCGLB5BA/s320/National+Museum+November+028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wasn't in the garden -- it's a roof tile, and it sits next to the museum's original gate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3nuRKBI-xFhUdWaLCR-wSQQfp39VaPt9WiAlzfg7FMKQTmAUEvKJdt4mvRQqcX7C9a4dh-INra0g4PYlEJ_oyyNA1ohsOmEpdLg8XbZo5jE8xbwg3SLqMrpRDNF7Bksy4YT5AoFjUU8/s1600/National+Museum+November+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3nuRKBI-xFhUdWaLCR-wSQQfp39VaPt9WiAlzfg7FMKQTmAUEvKJdt4mvRQqcX7C9a4dh-INra0g4PYlEJ_oyyNA1ohsOmEpdLg8XbZo5jE8xbwg3SLqMrpRDNF7Bksy4YT5AoFjUU8/s320/National+Museum+November+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum's original gate -- it's not in use any more, but it's beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC8WRpcE5blswFTNRFnZQ6VV7M2oE81F6XmoPkhlTUT0krApv2q15hi2AF3k8LRmCh0Bu6TU9dfgTLdCx5UDRJCSX513LLYsHcQjOyzTlV-XcRWxAuJn12eSCV7YhdzwBXVKwHNIj55M/s1600/National+Museum+November+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC8WRpcE5blswFTNRFnZQ6VV7M2oE81F6XmoPkhlTUT0krApv2q15hi2AF3k8LRmCh0Bu6TU9dfgTLdCx5UDRJCSX513LLYsHcQjOyzTlV-XcRWxAuJn12eSCV7YhdzwBXVKwHNIj55M/s320/National+Museum+November+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hall of Hyoru-ji Treasures -- such a neat building!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I can't wait to go back soon! Maybe over Christmas break...<br />
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Tomorrow, Inga, Makoto (one of our camp co-workers), Margaret, Eric, and I are off to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_sea" target="_blank">Tokyo DisneySea</a>, the only Disney park not replicated anywhere else in the world. I am THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS excited. For serious.Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-15161212629627671172011-11-16T23:03:00.000+09:002011-11-16T23:03:01.334+09:00Quickie Text-Only UpdateNo pictures this week; I've been too busy these past few days. I am, however, hitting Ueno Park and the National Museum (again) with Margaret on Friday, so hopefully I can get some good pictures of the fancy-looking Fall Garden!<br />
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Things have been going pretty well here, if not incredibly busy. I've had two tests this week, rehearsal Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and a six-hour rehearsal/music check on Sunday, which I am definitely not looking forward to. Our trip to the country got canceled, which I'm perfectly fine with this time around; I wasn't pleased about not really having a weekend (even though we have all next week off from school).<br />
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We have a concert date, by the way! It's going to be on December 17th, and if anyone would like a ticket (since I know some people who live in Shimoda Dorm read this from time to time), I have ten to give away!<br />
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Speaking of choir, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue with it next semester or not. It's a considerable time commitment and I've had to miss out on some really fun-sounding outings because of rehearsal. We'll see though; I have plenty of time to think about it.<br />
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The end of this week is shaping up to be pretty hectic and I'm exhausted now, so I'm going to peace out. Good night!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-39267346122994551792011-11-06T15:04:00.008+09:002011-11-06T16:34:15.625+09:00Let's go to AkihabaraThursday was a national holiday, so we had no school, and we decided to venture to Akihabara, the electronics district of Tokyo. Akihabara is... an experience. I have a lot of FEELINGS about Akihabara, and not all of them are good, but I don't think I'll go into that too deeply here because this is primarily a picture blog and also because I feel like some of these pictures can illustrate the reasons for my feelings fairly accurately.<br />
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The following pictures illustrate what I like about Akihabara.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLJnp8vxrt0u0vsIAHwS76GjgYhO9sQ6sUjFa-EAENbskUkGbSFtIsrS_5ljDYMRk565W4FrDoux8N66le1kjw53w9QsM-MF7q_IOnrpYoCfiHx30KZQ_L24Cp8qtHAQp0ChOED6AA98/s1600/Akiba+11-03+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLJnp8vxrt0u0vsIAHwS76GjgYhO9sQ6sUjFa-EAENbskUkGbSFtIsrS_5ljDYMRk565W4FrDoux8N66le1kjw53w9QsM-MF7q_IOnrpYoCfiHx30KZQ_L24Cp8qtHAQp0ChOED6AA98/s320/Akiba+11-03+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arcades!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aQO_iNFQD6p0h7rAuSDU3LvObf24xAfBgGW2LVBdHNW_C5q4_IWD8nx1uZXmZwtCMIXvhCwUwWZYI_sh0aNv0o_P1CysIe7pjpJSQ41Tzi7YuTSjTPV82BTzjxf4K35CgE0YFYLTfJg/s1600/Akiba+11-03+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aQO_iNFQD6p0h7rAuSDU3LvObf24xAfBgGW2LVBdHNW_C5q4_IWD8nx1uZXmZwtCMIXvhCwUwWZYI_sh0aNv0o_P1CysIe7pjpJSQ41Tzi7YuTSjTPV82BTzjxf4K35CgE0YFYLTfJg/s320/Akiba+11-03+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A guy with a ferret!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEbOTBusTuI8x2cmIJoeJSq0fOxTnjatrh8SDMhz3KLRG4hbmosRleJS4WYk9Um0dXx-xu7xLQYhWhrR5NKn7DfkpihhlRf3aQeiRy7ulf6wmlvokBHNqnNo0ZQqUmlo56VIeZeSCPtY/s1600/Akiba+11-03+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEbOTBusTuI8x2cmIJoeJSq0fOxTnjatrh8SDMhz3KLRG4hbmosRleJS4WYk9Um0dXx-xu7xLQYhWhrR5NKn7DfkpihhlRf3aQeiRy7ulf6wmlvokBHNqnNo0ZQqUmlo56VIeZeSCPtY/s320/Akiba+11-03+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game stores!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_LONK0A5wDNttyBoISsudd93n74qz1ISTdMLi0pzBEYnZMYKVDVqpCrWMaHLG4z7_ZvFpKGbHSTdII88-MCZbZMaYI5uUbZr-bYs1ncPO4YBTaJFj4v9Oxnh1ZPKCDuZEkJ2zh8Jmzc/s1600/Akiba+11-03+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_LONK0A5wDNttyBoISsudd93n74qz1ISTdMLi0pzBEYnZMYKVDVqpCrWMaHLG4z7_ZvFpKGbHSTdII88-MCZbZMaYI5uUbZr-bYs1ncPO4YBTaJFj4v9Oxnh1ZPKCDuZEkJ2zh8Jmzc/s320/Akiba+11-03+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All sorts of electronics shops!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZAbOLKt56g66XQWvBoSBNvm5ERRQB2GVEmyp7lubgwCQL_En0Gqsd4TAkksphW5_6Nc78iFdwYC_K98qp3deQoiRYRIWOpckYKrNdgUGX_N0VQyU90CX2pQtccfygdMZoXoM6F0amAw/s1600/Akiba+11-03+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZAbOLKt56g66XQWvBoSBNvm5ERRQB2GVEmyp7lubgwCQL_En0Gqsd4TAkksphW5_6Nc78iFdwYC_K98qp3deQoiRYRIWOpckYKrNdgUGX_N0VQyU90CX2pQtccfygdMZoXoM6F0amAw/s320/Akiba+11-03+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gundam cafe!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The next pictures (and accompanying video -- watch at your own risk) accurately describe the things I DON'T like about Akihabara:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXI4P3Y3VZMs6DgjvQBQso5q1w6BataZtBzakvaO9kj2Y28i7j0DwYG86nT19t2TOeLImbwHwb3gabaWZRf_JfCvULxvG4i2dW8_NhHVRVVB447FcUwnp3haQHnJc-8GwPnXD3WoqQvR0/s1600/Akiba+11-03+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXI4P3Y3VZMs6DgjvQBQso5q1w6BataZtBzakvaO9kj2Y28i7j0DwYG86nT19t2TOeLImbwHwb3gabaWZRf_JfCvULxvG4i2dW8_NhHVRVVB447FcUwnp3haQHnJc-8GwPnXD3WoqQvR0/s320/Akiba+11-03+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The commodification of young girls! (Please see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AKB48">here</a> for additional info)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lkHlnWFnA0c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_155793900"></span><span id="goog_155793901"></span><span style="font-size: small;">More objectification!</span></div><span id="goog_155793900"></span><span id="goog_155793901"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE73euvM9j8S2xVL4sKdjLtvVacySh6lGWZJgLfBhyphenhyphen-p4_wnuHo1gXy_iZ3Ah03YMQOjZuba6lVnLQeRVaLvvAmAw3QXYHBNL2nB7je8pkUjopBae-8wDiQ9VZbBRp6sHfvz2qa9_QUmk/s1600/Akiba+11-03+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE73euvM9j8S2xVL4sKdjLtvVacySh6lGWZJgLfBhyphenhyphen-p4_wnuHo1gXy_iZ3Ah03YMQOjZuba6lVnLQeRVaLvvAmAw3QXYHBNL2nB7je8pkUjopBae-8wDiQ9VZbBRp6sHfvz2qa9_QUmk/s320/Akiba+11-03+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is why we can't have nice things.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_155793900">All that aside, though, I did end up having a very enjoyable afternoon with Margaret and Eric, even though I had to leave early because I got a headache (I forgot how NOISY Akihabara is). Here are the remaining pictures from the day!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQKWFDrmqxWVOPETo3echurVjiDQrhJmuv08xNluWh_mvxN71XDx1p06wUAxLd_3gDoJQ8Q_DV66xlc2t9aRnmGUu_jvc5AujgHf64d1kFYO9cph6LEaS77lfiTfTJeqUQFgugbQn_PA/s1600/Akiba+11-03+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQKWFDrmqxWVOPETo3echurVjiDQrhJmuv08xNluWh_mvxN71XDx1p06wUAxLd_3gDoJQ8Q_DV66xlc2t9aRnmGUu_jvc5AujgHf64d1kFYO9cph6LEaS77lfiTfTJeqUQFgugbQn_PA/s320/Akiba+11-03+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing my Star Wars shirt to Akiba. LIKE A PRO.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf89n2ntXMazefcP4M27HzUHHiMrStSC4Ovf7vT31tABmBD-1QxmLekg3MkR8byzvV4f5mSfy-DIvt61nkHZEDDMV1swtQM3DbXEMcWt0EklANUbBhEDTNatxLuBTwk03VNaMBR_uunpU/s1600/Akiba+11-03+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf89n2ntXMazefcP4M27HzUHHiMrStSC4Ovf7vT31tABmBD-1QxmLekg3MkR8byzvV4f5mSfy-DIvt61nkHZEDDMV1swtQM3DbXEMcWt0EklANUbBhEDTNatxLuBTwk03VNaMBR_uunpU/s320/Akiba+11-03+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view upon leaving the train station</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfEg8oKnBzAxtYRUVX6tW0vjLNV8G-mD1j-Ik6KLq3VBXrnAe-ZgNsvsSFTxPOONrb_vnvhWqs66S3Cm5S8MoEC0r1almQ56wnbCD6iDTZc5fHHXUwK1GQ0sZ7yNC4lqBlfOKmBmtBkY/s1600/Akiba+11-03+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfEg8oKnBzAxtYRUVX6tW0vjLNV8G-mD1j-Ik6KLq3VBXrnAe-ZgNsvsSFTxPOONrb_vnvhWqs66S3Cm5S8MoEC0r1almQ56wnbCD6iDTZc5fHHXUwK1GQ0sZ7yNC4lqBlfOKmBmtBkY/s320/Akiba+11-03+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found a shrine!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZE-_1M4XWRKIbFgqKomZOrK9HeSekzlmPPAtMVx3u6WWrtWdYRFIhLSZwvDLVXoLmzJC1BnWgp_4bG5aFLdyPId6rGgh2X4WUHCcCeTS0vDw2PUoltYUn2NTjODOBvZcg7VeCmaZ28I/s1600/Akiba+11-03+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZE-_1M4XWRKIbFgqKomZOrK9HeSekzlmPPAtMVx3u6WWrtWdYRFIhLSZwvDLVXoLmzJC1BnWgp_4bG5aFLdyPId6rGgh2X4WUHCcCeTS0vDw2PUoltYUn2NTjODOBvZcg7VeCmaZ28I/s320/Akiba+11-03+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view. It was pretty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not sure what I'll be up to next weekend, but I'll probably hit up a museum or go exploring or yarn shopping or something. I'll let you know. :)Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-65175922160277847182011-11-01T20:09:00.000+09:002011-11-01T20:09:51.006+09:00TREAT YO SELF and Baseball!Sorry about the delay in updating! I've had a bunch of tests to study for, and tonight is the first time I've actually had a free night during the week, so I figured I should get a post up about what I've been up to for the past few weeks!<br />
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Last Sunday, we had our very own Treat Yo Self 2011 in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harajuku">Harajuku</a>! What is Treat Yo Self, you ask? I'll just let the cast of Parks and Recreation explain that for you!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Even though Harajuku is famous for people who have an interesting sense of fashion, we didn't see many people that day. We were hoping to, though, and made sure to come on a Sunday (the day that many of the Harajuku regulars come to the area), but oh well. Maybe we'll go back another time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I spent my money "treating myself" to things I needed, like a black purse, a reusable grocery bag, a white t-shirt, and a winter dress. I did, however officially treat myself to a cute skirt and some matching tights, though!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJkL-QOqoG5WIMZZOqe7KjeR39UEtbW-pdOqrPhF7X5RTxGJF3yxh0AViY7iSGQ6qptZugwaBxBd5cHuzp74egVgNYnzCt26Bf3JDjbiX4NWcCo9-JWf32nJk2u7y1GC4j2Jm9KCroRY/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJkL-QOqoG5WIMZZOqe7KjeR39UEtbW-pdOqrPhF7X5RTxGJF3yxh0AViY7iSGQ6qptZugwaBxBd5cHuzp74egVgNYnzCt26Bf3JDjbiX4NWcCo9-JWf32nJk2u7y1GC4j2Jm9KCroRY/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harajuku station! One of the only train stations in Tokyo that still has its original building -- it's 105 years old!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SokjHuHphuZSeExdt_a_8Qjqx6mVZlJO5s-z6ZrQeZnMzXxGA-mCp-KEaVsALfH0WfoDp_L8X0HRBcHutexpw9F7pzJMQ_J0kQ0sQG87pDEw8G3r_N-pbZrR5_KV6wwbPrMtUM_gdWU/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SokjHuHphuZSeExdt_a_8Qjqx6mVZlJO5s-z6ZrQeZnMzXxGA-mCp-KEaVsALfH0WfoDp_L8X0HRBcHutexpw9F7pzJMQ_J0kQ0sQG87pDEw8G3r_N-pbZrR5_KV6wwbPrMtUM_gdWU/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to Takeshita Street -- the "main drag" for cheap shopping!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7f7sIEZJQTkuAD5TrdbOGkTMq-G7Ir1vIDsieeU7ese1i5nedODI2-DAWTu_nwj6s1GtthCNxgh6qN89KnzlVKq8wvNveBPSwyKWW3yTLOpvtNA4rCKQM0LPSGNl1HnynvwtY3fv6-8/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7f7sIEZJQTkuAD5TrdbOGkTMq-G7Ir1vIDsieeU7ese1i5nedODI2-DAWTu_nwj6s1GtthCNxgh6qN89KnzlVKq8wvNveBPSwyKWW3yTLOpvtNA4rCKQM0LPSGNl1HnynvwtY3fv6-8/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+004.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were some fabulous knock-off Star Wars shirts here, but none in my size.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9qbCcZTl5T9_RLlTvjZoP6RkestfkDIJTAxtxxo5T5Row5m6q-n2F6cTCLjtS0668c1pmTZZYfdRSsHpo99XDlcGXd38JMJDMS4iWGN540gx7DW2reI3EyxJMOxZ3HvQvqIUo-Zqpx8/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9qbCcZTl5T9_RLlTvjZoP6RkestfkDIJTAxtxxo5T5Row5m6q-n2F6cTCLjtS0668c1pmTZZYfdRSsHpo99XDlcGXd38JMJDMS4iWGN540gx7DW2reI3EyxJMOxZ3HvQvqIUo-Zqpx8/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These socks are mean AND funny!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3iTBStLudo5Q1FKKWxJYNhjBcEV939BERk-1MZX-m3bGI05Q8uw6qRFJlJwMIOhERR6X0IFDm-AfGIZY5SD14xU-k9GGNMvbto1oqlDGzl-TaW2GYHol9baUVn0WmxzdjaUwFqvCwvg/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3iTBStLudo5Q1FKKWxJYNhjBcEV939BERk-1MZX-m3bGI05Q8uw6qRFJlJwMIOhERR6X0IFDm-AfGIZY5SD14xU-k9GGNMvbto1oqlDGzl-TaW2GYHol9baUVn0WmxzdjaUwFqvCwvg/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So this store seemed to be selling <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takarazuka_Revue">Takarazuka</a>-esque clothing...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmefgcev_-AMvu3xTNGPnsNoIjmnTrE6xaF-tpmYOPHAwu74c5ZBm9Lp9nJutJs_Hi4V3tmyzRJiBXlT74w3rl3QxLL65HUcF5_6q4shtuQmD8n10Uq3qVVQW2e_h2O7DbIwCfVhKkVVs/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmefgcev_-AMvu3xTNGPnsNoIjmnTrE6xaF-tpmYOPHAwu74c5ZBm9Lp9nJutJs_Hi4V3tmyzRJiBXlT74w3rl3QxLL65HUcF5_6q4shtuQmD8n10Uq3qVVQW2e_h2O7DbIwCfVhKkVVs/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+013.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't like how I look here, but I figured I should have ONE picture with me in it...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwR6IPwx22fzWT6p2PH4s9m7JJ9mvMl-m1tBPuTVF4BuFFO1dOwF0v45RCYV-FrupJz9Of6CWp4YzfKE3myOEp51d3UFB6FQXVPEB6aW6CVa7O7xxrLocv-gJYTPSQ946-ZUZCnnBMGpg/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwR6IPwx22fzWT6p2PH4s9m7JJ9mvMl-m1tBPuTVF4BuFFO1dOwF0v45RCYV-FrupJz9Of6CWp4YzfKE3myOEp51d3UFB6FQXVPEB6aW6CVa7O7xxrLocv-gJYTPSQ946-ZUZCnnBMGpg/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indian food break time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKpFazknfyJXVRQdE5HoAsBfukQDEM6I4Ej4l4xS95AcVWsQYA5KnnoKgyjnr6hl3Yk5zCvqYXhCWJX5q0Dv5Amdo5S9nBiILIw4U8qnPHTOHR38I3Pe2VeV7g7bMK_eImjTSiJwNI78/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKpFazknfyJXVRQdE5HoAsBfukQDEM6I4Ej4l4xS95AcVWsQYA5KnnoKgyjnr6hl3Yk5zCvqYXhCWJX5q0Dv5Amdo5S9nBiILIw4U8qnPHTOHR38I3Pe2VeV7g7bMK_eImjTSiJwNI78/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion">lolita fashion</a> store, a style which is pretty popular in Harajuku!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zMJR-hDMCWtP599m-DA7BjTck9cMtaOTnzHB9TjJujYYySL44GTjHxNDjnhC4pPbPJjpnLW6qEU6pf2mA6bHxtwKDwVW8QSu8gxmDTd9qxlpZiY9kF72rh2fdVmH0gm7OeiKTxKyBMQ/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zMJR-hDMCWtP599m-DA7BjTck9cMtaOTnzHB9TjJujYYySL44GTjHxNDjnhC4pPbPJjpnLW6qEU6pf2mA6bHxtwKDwVW8QSu8gxmDTd9qxlpZiY9kF72rh2fdVmH0gm7OeiKTxKyBMQ/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought this sign was kind of cool, so I took a picture of it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9AKX5lC4tdTOg2uoQNIpK4rxWd4v7pArQbpF___OR7ykzZjYSsAsxvUBFYc5gE5kP4RaHZ-4vfFH8bhu8A7YzFi1qG4KPlqcG7R65imH5TvOPVcyE4TKWaq9RwIxsO8uiIoJILYLrZ8/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9AKX5lC4tdTOg2uoQNIpK4rxWd4v7pArQbpF___OR7ykzZjYSsAsxvUBFYc5gE5kP4RaHZ-4vfFH8bhu8A7YzFi1qG4KPlqcG7R65imH5TvOPVcyE4TKWaq9RwIxsO8uiIoJILYLrZ8/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The train tracks from the inside of Harajuku station -- I was feeling artsy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQa57Wy95xgRfC8X9buP3ttrFUGayTaIv3v_2IqKKsguoLARUJSgg92esOpYNxo2hiGz75r90BejfGRhA591iicUd-8_aoSYUAoAjo95I5HtBfq8GV99HwAvHB-x4XTiePevfm5Y5xvKo/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQa57Wy95xgRfC8X9buP3ttrFUGayTaIv3v_2IqKKsguoLARUJSgg92esOpYNxo2hiGz75r90BejfGRhA591iicUd-8_aoSYUAoAjo95I5HtBfq8GV99HwAvHB-x4XTiePevfm5Y5xvKo/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamanote_line">Yamanote line</a>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3exE-AlPbpp6zS14Hlk8vNFpLr2j3WuwRm4cVfAvT4e71xkv9su6IEuEt8fYg-1JVOPTOJIMgK5Mc0-BHP4LOvES46DsCm-dQGyw6uYttxiG4CsFgZzNG7l2V48bp6O6JibYv8X6t2OA/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3exE-AlPbpp6zS14Hlk8vNFpLr2j3WuwRm4cVfAvT4e71xkv9su6IEuEt8fYg-1JVOPTOJIMgK5Mc0-BHP4LOvES46DsCm-dQGyw6uYttxiG4CsFgZzNG7l2V48bp6O6JibYv8X6t2OA/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I treated myself to.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend was the baseball<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keio_University#Kei-So_rivalry"> rivalry games against Waseda University</a>, a three-game series that takes place in both the fall and the spring. It's a pretty big deal. Such a big deal, in fact, that classes are actually CANCELED so that students can attend the matches. Games are held on Saturday, Sunday, and, if necessary, Monday. I went to the Sunday game with a bunch of people from the dorm, and it was a very fun time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4y4-Uc8hnVMo2KbdLy3P9B25bzljpuUV3hxcPB-bjjm4sbEhV8m1q9b8iyPEG_mVFdJv96dPsGhQUFdfIRvvIxzn7pl0U_-zz5G4_8kWVjTpI5XPC_OdjzLm2k-VmQxcSZN2t4Y1WTk/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4y4-Uc8hnVMo2KbdLy3P9B25bzljpuUV3hxcPB-bjjm4sbEhV8m1q9b8iyPEG_mVFdJv96dPsGhQUFdfIRvvIxzn7pl0U_-zz5G4_8kWVjTpI5XPC_OdjzLm2k-VmQxcSZN2t4Y1WTk/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to the stadium with Eric and Nick!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cKrQF7pLzrUj4MNwZ0yvadAKFOckTSD68Hg2vrYKUrw98_0EPGlwcqN9T-ttDKzMdZ9yWDRq9Q0TgAenInGii9xEik25Hjo8xXo-5HY8dvaaJhUFG0R6LqpW02PSO6Scp3CDaXuVWf0/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cKrQF7pLzrUj4MNwZ0yvadAKFOckTSD68Hg2vrYKUrw98_0EPGlwcqN9T-ttDKzMdZ9yWDRq9Q0TgAenInGii9xEik25Hjo8xXo-5HY8dvaaJhUFG0R6LqpW02PSO6Scp3CDaXuVWf0/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the only clear photo I have of the game itself -- the cheerleaders were in the way ALL THE TIME.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfuYU7vrCfGBrE8cMZnpAolvcbhO_Ft1FHxHBl36vFF04vMf4nDMUYEML939tXajTAknzh5NXzZFsOUZZwgFDbxRw3CPoT2gjjXgqXCyfmOXP6tvOLENltFFSj9-A-oE3ulmgLDxrxlE/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfuYU7vrCfGBrE8cMZnpAolvcbhO_Ft1FHxHBl36vFF04vMf4nDMUYEML939tXajTAknzh5NXzZFsOUZZwgFDbxRw3CPoT2gjjXgqXCyfmOXP6tvOLENltFFSj9-A-oE3ulmgLDxrxlE/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/2 of the Keio cheering section.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iQZdWLdx09u2XwwmUm4HqapNAQ1-t0_iUHrNPdFL_zzg9ayhZ2t6gL-0bgGQUrMjDuGSJHfMVfHQeeegQp-MYTaQivDlq_ysL4SPq6hVikKgqsyig_vB9Zf4sbf6R8B2Tu6JgLF4N8U/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iQZdWLdx09u2XwwmUm4HqapNAQ1-t0_iUHrNPdFL_zzg9ayhZ2t6gL-0bgGQUrMjDuGSJHfMVfHQeeegQp-MYTaQivDlq_ysL4SPq6hVikKgqsyig_vB9Zf4sbf6R8B2Tu6JgLF4N8U/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Waseda section -- there were more of them than there were us. :(</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mbGKJ7UMDZr6iAIeF-X3VLN_Oe0ROommTrjx-oWb8bTg0LBGQKmmn6f3o5gve0edfH72Q1hXG97cxsqMBRRQef8XLUp4USs3p3e3FBSozFBlb4OroBvD1AmWknUOyIx6zb3ANn23K84/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mbGKJ7UMDZr6iAIeF-X3VLN_Oe0ROommTrjx-oWb8bTg0LBGQKmmn6f3o5gve0edfH72Q1hXG97cxsqMBRRQef8XLUp4USs3p3e3FBSozFBlb4OroBvD1AmWknUOyIx6zb3ANn23K84/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouendan">応援団</a>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfKdWUcr8a3OnBGim_qSJd6VKdYr5LctiiuJ6VhpeG0bsFCp_N6HjZwBnqzwYTLQYVbbqAz85hPnMiuFCtItkHDnFpwugrhLI9IhYJRe4EEeAE8OQWLonG5fz11La_FxoJziisDfcaxM/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfKdWUcr8a3OnBGim_qSJd6VKdYr5LctiiuJ6VhpeG0bsFCp_N6HjZwBnqzwYTLQYVbbqAz85hPnMiuFCtItkHDnFpwugrhLI9IhYJRe4EEeAE8OQWLonG5fz11La_FxoJziisDfcaxM/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was really interesting to watch the 応援団 -- quite a different experience from America!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9NgNdulri4dmZaPy62HEmsOR7KqFBlC-kKdStTU0m8555AG3pABRImCMk_175dRrSYEMr_WmkD5CSj3-9ZltFsKBPCDO4OGlV4_DiVwfIjBTQpCqWY6OoRayj053SrP1kvywsGe7W78/s1600/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9NgNdulri4dmZaPy62HEmsOR7KqFBlC-kKdStTU0m8555AG3pABRImCMk_175dRrSYEMr_WmkD5CSj3-9ZltFsKBPCDO4OGlV4_DiVwfIjBTQpCqWY6OoRayj053SrP1kvywsGe7W78/s320/Harajuku+and+Soukeisen+2011+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was hard to get good photos with all of the moving!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was really fascinated by the cheering group, known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouendan">応援団</a>. The cheering really never stops during the course of the game, and they're backed up by a small pep band (which I was unable to get a clear shot of). There was a cheering group and band for every seating section, as far as I can tell, and these guys and girls are yelling the entire game! They had almost no voices left by the end! Here's a video of them in action:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zLg-4HGMj0o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">We fought bravely, but ultimately lost the series to Waseda that day. Even though we lost, it was a really fun day and I'm really glad I went!</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> This week we have a national holiday on Thursday, so Eric and I are planning on going to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara">Akihabara</a> to check out the used book and video game stores and I'm also planning on a post about all the cooking Inga and I are doing (complete with HIGH-QUALITY phone pictures), so there should be a fair number of posts this week. Please look forward to them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-55675452700132822252011-10-18T23:17:00.000+09:002012-06-19T17:49:22.966+09:00Barbecue in Saitama!This past weekend was Inga's birthday, so a bunch of our camp co-workers decided we should go have a barbecue in rural <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saitama_Prefecture">Saitama</a>, followed by a trip to an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen">onsen</a>!<br />
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We left Tokyo on Friday night after choir practice and headed to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokorozawa">Tokorozawa</a>, where Inga, our co-workers Peter and Makoto, and I stayed at our other co-worker, Dai's, apartment for the night. The next day, we headed out to the mountains after meeting up with another group member!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The place we visited had old railcars that you could stay in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pond near our barbecue area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gTw1xJzJjR_Sovrj4BtvDYvUN8gcVT14cbl5uqmOF5NKq9gKowbiCjBLSvBxIF31aC3uIQQ1HrH53uOOrEFd7ircevLxvO5UTpTYcvfTwSCC-5-QUuG98-mmCSWZpuPWUwpuuYA37I0/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gTw1xJzJjR_Sovrj4BtvDYvUN8gcVT14cbl5uqmOF5NKq9gKowbiCjBLSvBxIF31aC3uIQQ1HrH53uOOrEFd7ircevLxvO5UTpTYcvfTwSCC-5-QUuG98-mmCSWZpuPWUwpuuYA37I0/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leaves were just starting to change colors -- that hasn't happened in Tokyo yet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dai and Inga at our barbecue site.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8MUCLart1lH1OhUR7TJ51NXfh2E5u_SbshWaxKIII5lLJ_ZnSsZexfPbIED1DenqtHS1VihW10F5XM8WmUUYcL8nok5CN9GVOoZ7iBumolFo6tq8j62kFe0M1qjWdADL3zXTYkkV1M8/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8MUCLart1lH1OhUR7TJ51NXfh2E5u_SbshWaxKIII5lLJ_ZnSsZexfPbIED1DenqtHS1VihW10F5XM8WmUUYcL8nok5CN9GVOoZ7iBumolFo6tq8j62kFe0M1qjWdADL3zXTYkkV1M8/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BUBBLES!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubbles forever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg707MeuT2GvwNJ2BiWtYxs9pGe9V9F80wR_IT4JcvdrXNjywRbpQr_FC7iXKhIkHFTsra1PxGK2drep1-HVYmvXJV6RcR-Dli7Zy1cdV0kyL8eKs-bbiWv2aBdlbujBR-80T-om8SUGY/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg707MeuT2GvwNJ2BiWtYxs9pGe9V9F80wR_IT4JcvdrXNjywRbpQr_FC7iXKhIkHFTsra1PxGK2drep1-HVYmvXJV6RcR-Dli7Zy1cdV0kyL8eKs-bbiWv2aBdlbujBR-80T-om8SUGY/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amount of food we made was ridiculous.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fbLYQkxpMML_d7LUgIut8gm-eYkEycdChtBMGTtbUkp8cp20Yd6ntZSlyQSKW51xn_wIUnD2pU7ySkjUfMvEeQIBFEBynQW1T2F38i2jOD9WMly3pll3Ro94Cthc-ml0MT1uaEkVtiQ/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fbLYQkxpMML_d7LUgIut8gm-eYkEycdChtBMGTtbUkp8cp20Yd6ntZSlyQSKW51xn_wIUnD2pU7ySkjUfMvEeQIBFEBynQW1T2F38i2jOD9WMly3pll3Ro94Cthc-ml0MT1uaEkVtiQ/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like, seriously.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs8yBwL4INp1Y_PR8H3Q43Id-CF5881nfpbV6TyJK5KnlJgN67HM-rEKwbNwIyfWpWw-XdZSKaB4TSJ7DwclHD-gB2jPDgvuhMdlNieC6KiaPdi-YOvQTN8tzSx2tGjpbfSczPmLTczE/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs8yBwL4INp1Y_PR8H3Q43Id-CF5881nfpbV6TyJK5KnlJgN67HM-rEKwbNwIyfWpWw-XdZSKaB4TSJ7DwclHD-gB2jPDgvuhMdlNieC6KiaPdi-YOvQTN8tzSx2tGjpbfSczPmLTczE/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only had one meal the entire weekend.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHCTT5KkyIG-C1oorQQSnm-z1QwrOQ3rm0MQp9784DG76-GmdXBvZZJQquxoTpvQfczvHW_BsXotbXuDgHJj-lBMqTYvIkKC5m5DUukfH5z_sqWQuGqUl3bliX8oN2ijcp4lMcRbeSDE/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHCTT5KkyIG-C1oorQQSnm-z1QwrOQ3rm0MQp9784DG76-GmdXBvZZJQquxoTpvQfczvHW_BsXotbXuDgHJj-lBMqTYvIkKC5m5DUukfH5z_sqWQuGqUl3bliX8oN2ijcp4lMcRbeSDE/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was just TOO MUCH FOOD.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-9tDCTzhbGlAvAnrbqx-LAVFvo1D6xOX_qeUWh6sGS-wTSVqWV41nTeR7-hk0zZQi2VNHUDF7x6ZLj0OOEzCTk07qLjJ3BdnLsvQSYUiXeQIjpbzdHPavjwPNiemRk7hxhqATLi03eI/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-9tDCTzhbGlAvAnrbqx-LAVFvo1D6xOX_qeUWh6sGS-wTSVqWV41nTeR7-hk0zZQi2VNHUDF7x6ZLj0OOEzCTk07qLjJ3BdnLsvQSYUiXeQIjpbzdHPavjwPNiemRk7hxhqATLi03eI/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only Makoto was in the mood for photos. :'(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h5z13RjI4Iy-sH9ons8rPUmJ4OU5iVvMu8ycuDGDTYfYJzJ9I7jyPskaKKE20Qc-jBw79_wxzSKf5GdVMaffE9bu9pufujcrvj2vxaSCxX-DSerVAaKZPj8G3V7N9wgPu8q9sNYG6LA/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-h5z13RjI4Iy-sH9ons8rPUmJ4OU5iVvMu8ycuDGDTYfYJzJ9I7jyPskaKKE20Qc-jBw79_wxzSKf5GdVMaffE9bu9pufujcrvj2vxaSCxX-DSerVAaKZPj8G3V7N9wgPu8q9sNYG6LA/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+027.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting the fire started</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVgiqPX-VGbtbeFvq2FR4u9hP3qkLJ1crszKVtaTrzWspDN3b-cPEPF44zp4_afYGUMDpkoAHCRsGQCIEl8UUzuof1871Ftdo4hX_3tqTzIqfLH1Jn1FNXRkCenTJASe__azl6BqUZqU/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVgiqPX-VGbtbeFvq2FR4u9hP3qkLJ1crszKVtaTrzWspDN3b-cPEPF44zp4_afYGUMDpkoAHCRsGQCIEl8UUzuof1871Ftdo4hX_3tqTzIqfLH1Jn1FNXRkCenTJASe__azl6BqUZqU/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So that meat you see by the peppers? BACON CHUNKS.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ62i9MelJOu7gnNGRyMV7uPdTvD7MThs3EZoyD7FQLphzj68NHsFrmuur6M_n1jrXIz_cknehhc9WhYaHt56m0V0b-sDSImPFaIZBh6yGPH1i4x3-Dc-_OWR419KN89ttEvxl6BNGVY/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ62i9MelJOu7gnNGRyMV7uPdTvD7MThs3EZoyD7FQLphzj68NHsFrmuur6M_n1jrXIz_cknehhc9WhYaHt56m0V0b-sDSImPFaIZBh6yGPH1i4x3-Dc-_OWR419KN89ttEvxl6BNGVY/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No such thing as too many bubbles!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMr9DXxv0SdaqJYBF_U0NGn6zBUVxS-1d7s9m4-iOlCtPkSbMq6UwRYdsWWdsxhA2IfqyGvy-sEirkN3i9tsOPWkMwBMFu8peHe0EDzIOGnLAd8LMjcWLayP38yuYzTQE22MzZPOetuXI/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMr9DXxv0SdaqJYBF_U0NGn6zBUVxS-1d7s9m4-iOlCtPkSbMq6UwRYdsWWdsxhA2IfqyGvy-sEirkN3i9tsOPWkMwBMFu8peHe0EDzIOGnLAd8LMjcWLayP38yuYzTQE22MzZPOetuXI/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+041.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">焼餅 hooray!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gfORFatLxUEOvfvcCc1Aw6cvBuDS-Yag-8FCHL3StFwA3keTmusQa5piRdD-96LAhFPVzLCMe3-z2Ew-xi93P1b3E-9O7D9zk1KwqWN_8XVXnRR8n9Z4ntW7blKlT6f_DvGeXlFWykI/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gfORFatLxUEOvfvcCc1Aw6cvBuDS-Yag-8FCHL3StFwA3keTmusQa5piRdD-96LAhFPVzLCMe3-z2Ew-xi93P1b3E-9O7D9zk1KwqWN_8XVXnRR8n9Z4ntW7blKlT6f_DvGeXlFWykI/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also steamed donuts, courtesy of Atsuo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVgj9ainuaRcM1Ez5IvB605n1sUeLJlxt9Touy_VSV1UtiTY7F7UwR9YEvfGhWpCKyJezQyVsAgulQo0ZV_IjNq4uKJKPoZX-d92enZcBUn9v-Y-NmjcFHnJZh7YMcd_KMnjfpY3us_4/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVgj9ainuaRcM1Ez5IvB605n1sUeLJlxt9Touy_VSV1UtiTY7F7UwR9YEvfGhWpCKyJezQyVsAgulQo0ZV_IjNq4uKJKPoZX-d92enZcBUn9v-Y-NmjcFHnJZh7YMcd_KMnjfpY3us_4/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were right near this river! It was very pretty, despite the clouds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSWSCyaIPMPAhTSBezh4OZrH7hWrFuj6C3foVgm4ZG8ZWW0iWvFqmXtci4MRShUKDVgIVM-9vzhgNAEkh-RMfrj43K41gnVv-X5uV4edFa0iITktgeh_fyes4pCUNyS6YEOx5T01K3lE/s1600/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSWSCyaIPMPAhTSBezh4OZrH7hWrFuj6C3foVgm4ZG8ZWW0iWvFqmXtci4MRShUKDVgIVM-9vzhgNAEkh-RMfrj43K41gnVv-X5uV4edFa0iITktgeh_fyes4pCUNyS6YEOx5T01K3lE/s320/Barbecue+and+Onsen+10-15-2011+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a cute little group shot to end the epic meal.</td></tr>
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After the barbecue, we drove another 40 minutes out to an onsen, which was absolutely GORGEOUS. I didn't take any pictures there, since I didn't want to interrupt the times of the other guests, but Dai was able to get us to take one more group shot using his cell phone. I have shamelessly stolen that picture from his Twitter so I could repost it here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRr6y7a_lfF5heXks4GkwgCH2Xw0oBOpAvYQXRF1j9m5jalBSLGsBcXVxefQBUfEoY-Us1luiYOM1FQoQDAcPm27X3gROBkv4WFIKw51dxsT_Y7txSYqdn-xunjYw-kYjP5h-Cn_Emm2s/s1600/Onsen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRr6y7a_lfF5heXks4GkwgCH2Xw0oBOpAvYQXRF1j9m5jalBSLGsBcXVxefQBUfEoY-Us1luiYOM1FQoQDAcPm27X3gROBkv4WFIKw51dxsT_Y7txSYqdn-xunjYw-kYjP5h-Cn_Emm2s/s320/Onsen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And one last group shot to close out the day!</td></tr>
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All in all, it was a really awesome weekend trip! I used the last few days to recover a bit -- I had homework and sleep to catch up on -- so I hope you all can forgive me for a picture-heavy, light on commentary entry.<br />
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This week includes more tests, my first meeting for individual voice work with one of the more experienced choir members, a reception for the recipients of the <a href="http://www.aatj.org/atj/studyabroad/scholarships.html">Bridging Scholarship</a> (a great scholarship for studying abroad in Japan -- if you're considering going abroad, then definitely take a look at this scholarship) on Saturday morning/afternoon, and then shopping (where I'm actually going to BUY something instead of just look around and turn into an indecisive mess) in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harajuku">Harajuku</a> on Sunday. With luck, I'll post again soon with a wrap-up of my week and some observations about my experiences I haven't been able to share yet!Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5130700703861610932.post-30231494580740681492011-10-10T23:29:00.001+09:002011-10-11T00:21:36.965+09:00Yagami Campus Festival!Sorry for the absence -- last week was very, very busy! This weekend was a three-day weekend, so I was able to relax and recover a bit, and I also made it to the Yagami Campus Festival!<br />
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Yagami Campus is the campus where the science and engineering departments of Keio University are located. Because the original campus, Mita Campus, is located in the middle of Tokyo, there really wasn't any room to expand when it became necessary, so Keio University is made up of eleven campuses. Every major campus puts on its own festival during the school year, where there are all sorts of attractions, food vendors, performances by various circles (which is what clubs are called here), and the Yagami Festival even had a small flea market!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zy_E1eti39lAFpvVUqllUqdm-Q2Zn4xzK3FOLribbqoQq98sz0PUUCLJcvZs4cT2hMGTtKJQtagD-t8NBwSvKv_8fTf29UmspoQtyf0VZyz3Ecsg5eK5bv_SK48wpfw6Rb4yevDIJ3Q/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zy_E1eti39lAFpvVUqllUqdm-Q2Zn4xzK3FOLribbqoQq98sz0PUUCLJcvZs4cT2hMGTtKJQtagD-t8NBwSvKv_8fTf29UmspoQtyf0VZyz3Ecsg5eK5bv_SK48wpfw6Rb4yevDIJ3Q/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front steps were decorated for the festival!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcfm0pWSbSMVjJdRKjar64FUgk9CmBmjJ2imlmUCS6kBFf6DCaqIwI6HTOXONFDYo04HWiVdYCNrVk5dBu2DJmxD97x5vUeOmn4swjrcQN7KiaPevA-FoGi3zQAJ_8Q57Qj3k18Q2uRs/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcfm0pWSbSMVjJdRKjar64FUgk9CmBmjJ2imlmUCS6kBFf6DCaqIwI6HTOXONFDYo04HWiVdYCNrVk5dBu2DJmxD97x5vUeOmn4swjrcQN7KiaPevA-FoGi3zQAJ_8Q57Qj3k18Q2uRs/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This map was the coolest -- if you pressed one of the buttons on the attraction list in front of the map, the way to that attraction would light up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcefgnCKM1OloIubmm3iE2gS_gE98b85a8QgeHB7P3geHpJpbWcQlnWuOQxK4dGwbEGBrEVdwCGvkc8Uaiq-2pQNKzfDMoGxZGXYQDeyFRkCQf1FsnKndtnysEdlQqO1eg7NGsmMDaBP4/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcefgnCKM1OloIubmm3iE2gS_gE98b85a8QgeHB7P3geHpJpbWcQlnWuOQxK4dGwbEGBrEVdwCGvkc8Uaiq-2pQNKzfDMoGxZGXYQDeyFRkCQf1FsnKndtnysEdlQqO1eg7NGsmMDaBP4/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had Turkish ice cream! It stretches!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJRMBoPi4KrqEB6QiG1tV6e6dMXt3E1o_YhqKkNC3djcTo4UVmC8Iz81hFDzEGwSOn8xWLlRlR2uiXnpf44qb6n6XgCPK2aTusxSFKFkNW4STSkyxTJwqWx9AhuZJypygKUGA8zp3IKc/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJRMBoPi4KrqEB6QiG1tV6e6dMXt3E1o_YhqKkNC3djcTo4UVmC8Iz81hFDzEGwSOn8xWLlRlR2uiXnpf44qb6n6XgCPK2aTusxSFKFkNW4STSkyxTJwqWx9AhuZJypygKUGA8zp3IKc/s320/019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a Where's Waldo game -- these kids found Waldo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdM_21l3juLFYd43mNqWkGc8cY4gBWoENfsRn-EEp6kWRpBLY9sqq8BghBQMjNId4eey19d7DGVfXTKDsR8f8rS-PUi7O_mAnRUq4omDYXwqijQILtJ3SaRKPATVhUdAitQSJ5Eocsmbk/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdM_21l3juLFYd43mNqWkGc8cY4gBWoENfsRn-EEp6kWRpBLY9sqq8BghBQMjNId4eey19d7DGVfXTKDsR8f8rS-PUi7O_mAnRUq4omDYXwqijQILtJ3SaRKPATVhUdAitQSJ5Eocsmbk/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And there was a maze. The walls were decorated with drawings of Pokemon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8KLEYOFJCkAo-uqHH47kc_b6_uid6XYRXhTm6_cWie6EAu2GTv4hXphQbUUTKKLIOnchO2ao-05RvAmy7IcUer02TY3tryYV-uoZPDBl-NzonPwNaPW2F13lNMle4LYnq_R2sOrI7rQ/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8KLEYOFJCkAo-uqHH47kc_b6_uid6XYRXhTm6_cWie6EAu2GTv4hXphQbUUTKKLIOnchO2ao-05RvAmy7IcUer02TY3tryYV-uoZPDBl-NzonPwNaPW2F13lNMle4LYnq_R2sOrI7rQ/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SHARK ATTACK!</td></tr>
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I had so much fun that night! I can't wait for the Mita Campus festival in November -- that's the campus where I study and also the main school festival, and it's apparently a really exciting week!<br />
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The day after the festival, Inga and I went running around downtown Yokohama, which is a lot quieter than I thought it would be. Anyway, I got a pair of the <a href="http://tutuanna.jp/shop/g/g8286NN49/">best pajama pants ever</a> for about $15 and they're both adorable and comfortable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCs20Jnw0VMhnwke7RrM2T10H89jRNtUZErh0AKtBmQqQOVHq2irUpCWjFmu0P13wFa9QfxnguxrZA1t5RmJ5rXz2pJBh90fU9GOyTfNyA_Oht9ZJmcdTMvkYP00l1EPUWGgLlA4js5sc/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCs20Jnw0VMhnwke7RrM2T10H89jRNtUZErh0AKtBmQqQOVHq2irUpCWjFmu0P13wFa9QfxnguxrZA1t5RmJ5rXz2pJBh90fU9GOyTfNyA_Oht9ZJmcdTMvkYP00l1EPUWGgLlA4js5sc/s320/022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also enjoyed some green tea gelato!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> On the way home, I realized that nobody who reads this really has much of an idea as to what my neighborhood looks like, so I took some pictures for you!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQUq-ECYyF8SdYXbhu2AMqo3ecwObXt22iWnTMADMq67xUn4UsIc0-5V7ugW0wajJdJ5J09jNjCQHzT68WlPufxs5R09Tg6-pAT2Qk66O5NrvQtZUh_-RgVcT5u4FafeRauSefVbNaSc/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQUq-ECYyF8SdYXbhu2AMqo3ecwObXt22iWnTMADMq67xUn4UsIc0-5V7ugW0wajJdJ5J09jNjCQHzT68WlPufxs5R09Tg6-pAT2Qk66O5NrvQtZUh_-RgVcT5u4FafeRauSefVbNaSc/s320/023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gate says the name of our street. This is the view heading toward the train station (which you can see just through the gate)!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiSQloFiFPy1_FfZSWvbyi17j5boZKMS2zehrS1yfKEcurTbtDNb_8FenPeb9jLKNAKbBcIRYia_Jo2zonZ75zeTXFUfFEZR-aFqYlZ3wwj8k2eTDU4205uvrevoBqYOZHZQtwAVjWcI/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiSQloFiFPy1_FfZSWvbyi17j5boZKMS2zehrS1yfKEcurTbtDNb_8FenPeb9jLKNAKbBcIRYia_Jo2zonZ75zeTXFUfFEZR-aFqYlZ3wwj8k2eTDU4205uvrevoBqYOZHZQtwAVjWcI/s320/024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a band performing in the music store on our street. They were really talented!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9jfRe68Mntj_ae1gpT_mNFGoTTwOQMlYtRqGSIH0OGiYIeV8zMxeKReDx3XZYD67Z3llYOKjhZHtiVlzk0Jvf4o3wcfw1U0Ytyfl4la4Ywroc4CTkYN_wy7qhljxbAdgvKX48XCcIAI/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9jfRe68Mntj_ae1gpT_mNFGoTTwOQMlYtRqGSIH0OGiYIeV8zMxeKReDx3XZYD67Z3llYOKjhZHtiVlzk0Jvf4o3wcfw1U0Ytyfl4la4Ywroc4CTkYN_wy7qhljxbAdgvKX48XCcIAI/s320/025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally, home sweet home! This is the front of our dorm!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This week should be just as busy, though much shorter -- because of the long weekend, I only have 4 days of classes. Furthermore, on Saturday we're heading to the country with some of our co-workers from camp to celebrate Inga's 20th birthday with a trip to an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen">onsen</a> and a barbecue! I can't wait, and I'll make sure to take my camera! :)Catiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612676300074357814noreply@blogger.com6