INTERESTING JAPANESE CULTURE THINGY #2: Cell Phones

So, upon coming to Japan, we were all given the option of signing up for a prepaid cell phone service. Like Virgin Mobile or Metro PCS, Softbank's prepaid options use proprietary handsets that only work on their service. Therefore, we got to become very comfortable with using a cell phone probably most akin to a model from 2003. A flip phone, available in white or black, with the option to be used either in English or Japanese at the press of a button. While ridiculously old school, it brought me back to the days where all you had was text and calling. Not being so connected to the world 24/7 is refreshing in it's own way, and it's prompted me to consider giving up my cell phone plan back in America for something more simple.

Surprisingly, while there are plenty of people here who use iPhones (very few use Android or Windows phones, from what I've noticed), the majority I've seen opts for these old-style phones. One big difference is that these old phones have a small hole with which people often attach charms to. These charms can be something akin to a little souvenir medallion one might find while going abroad (Kyoto, for example, had cell phone charms galore) or they can be like absurdly oversized plushies with a tiny loop to attach it to the phone. You will frequently come across teenage girls who attach dozens and dozens of charms to a single phone, creating this mass of cuteness that jingles and rattles with it's many bells and whistles, quite literally. The new smartphones like the iPhone and Android sets do not have this space for whatever reason (to keep the device slim, to adhere to the minimalist style, etc.), but almost every flip phone out here has the slot for these charms.

I really wonder if that is a factor to the Japanese people in the market for a new cell phone, whether their new device will have a slot for charms. People proudly display charms of their favorite anime/manga characters, cutesy animals with silly faces, and more, so I gather there are those who would choose something besides a smartphone just so they can continue using their many charms. There are also charms that probably reflect a particular memory for someone, like going to Disneyland or the Studio Ghibli museum, so keeping a bunch of charms on a phone can perhaps be likened to keeping a scrapbook, inspiring pleasant memories of days long past.

My final observation while handling cell phones here in Japan: there is a big focus on keeping your phone in "manner mode", or vibrate-only mode. In the train culture, it is rude to talk on your cell phone while riding, such that it is even mentioned from time to time over the intercom to "please set your phones to silent mode and refrain from talking on your cell phones". An example of an unwritten rule becoming a rule of sorts. However, when I first set my phone to manner mode, I took note of a strange contradiction: this phone was not completely silent. Indeed, whenever I would use the crappy, outdated camera on the back, even if the phone was set to complete silent mode, it would always take pictures accompanied with a loud shutter sound. I looked around for options everywhere to turn this off, but to no avail. And then I started to wonder why that was. Was it only my phone that was this way, or was there something else going on?

And then it hit me. Perverts on the trains. With how packed the trains can be sometimes, it is much like being a sardine in a can. People with bodies touching, no room to move one's hands in front of themselves, similar to being at the pit of a rock concert. An unfortunate result of this is that women can be sexually molested on trains with no idea who the culprit is. Due to various social norms and pressures, traditionally women do not always cry out at the act being committed, allowing the perverts to walk away scot-free. In addition to this, with the advent of high-definition cameras now being used on cell phones, one could easily slip their phone's camera underneath a woman's skirt and take a picture. It may sound strange, but it is a common enough occurrence such that Japanese cell phones now cannot have their camera shutter sound function turned off. This is so that anyone around knows when a picture is taken. And why else would someone take a picture of the floor in a packed train car than to snag an upskirt shot? This (hopefully) has served as a deterrent for possible criminals, as they would certainly not want to be caught in the act and be shamed while waiting for their train ride to conclude. The feeling of shame here is a major factor in what norms exist, and this case is no different. Therefore, cell phone companies seem to have complied and worked to help alter the invasive behaviors of the perverts in Japan.

Thus concludes my interesting Japanese cultural thingy #2. On the next episode: Japanese arcades - fun for the whole family, guaranteed.

Day 56-67: Back on Track

Catching back up to speed. It's been quite a long time since the end of my Kyoto/Osaka trip and I obviously find it difficult to recall the many events that have happened in the meantime. Where to begin with the many events that have happened since that fateful weekend…

First off, and perhaps most obviously, Obama has been re-elected to the Oval Office. A big deal for us US students. I know many of us raced back from class that day to get internet access and find out the state of the race to presidency. I don't think there were too many people in the house unhappy with the election results, which saved us from some awkward conversation regarding political opinions. But those can also be fun to share and debate, so a little was missed out on.

A couple of trips had been made over those past few weekends. Akihabara (twice *cough*) resulted in some fun adventures with Cheryl, Zaru, Fione, and Anastasia. Many gundams were seen, cheap and absurdly expensive, and plushies/figures were won. More and more, my addiction is fed *_* Although, by the end of that second trip to Akiba (fourth overall, I think), I was way overstimulated, such that one could say I was even "Akiba'd-out". Yes, you heard it here folks. I don't want to go to Akiba again, at least at this point in time.

Some delicious food has been eaten lately, as well. Two particular places stand out most in my mind that I simply must describe. The first of which is the Krishna Kitchen Indian and Nepalese restaurant. This place has authentic curry, the biggest nan I've ever come across, and allows customers to eat nonstop nan along with their meals (tabehodai, or basically free-flowing food). Deliciousness is in no small amount at this wonderful restaurant, and we've been trying to make this  a weekly excursion from our first discovery of the establishment-onwards. The second place is a ramen shop in Yokohama, just outside the main station inside a major shopping district. Zaru took Kim and I there recently and I was floored by how fantastic this place is. You go inside and order your meal from the ticket vending machine (a regular occurrence for ramen shops). You can add mushrooms, a soft boiled egg, double green onions, and various other things to your ramen too. But what adds the most customization is the piece of paper on a clipboard the hostess gives you before seating you. On this paper, you are able to select the firmness of your noodles, the strength of green onion taste in your ramen, the presence of a pork cutlet, and strength of the "secret sauce" they use to add spiciness, all at no extra cost. Once you have completed the customizing sheet, you are seated at a cubicle where you hand them your tickets, and then wait for but a few minutes before feasting on some of the best ramen ever. I'm no food critic, but I knew good food when I tasted it. Superb.

Other business that has happened lately… a field trip to the Edo-Tokyo Museum! Required for all Japanese Language students, we got to take a couple trains to Ryogoku Station, nearby one of the major sumo stadiums in Tokyo. The building itself, Edo-Tokyo Museum, was GIGANTIC, taking a good long time on escalators to just reach the level in which the exhibits were kept. The museum was made to be the same scale of the main capital castle back when Tokyo was still Edo, which is why the museum itself was raised above the ground so high. Inside were two areas separated by era: The Edo Zone and the Tokyo Zone. Edo was the older of the two, of course, lending itself to exhibiting many artifacts and showcasing facts about ancient Tokyo. Kimono, kabuki, katanas, and all the many items people know so well to represent pre-Meiji Japan. Meanwhile, the Tokyo zone started with Meiji-era changes, like the introduction of western-style architecture, appliances, and other products into Japanese culture. The car, cooler, and fridge, for example, were given attention, as well as mention of the war's effect on Tokyo. It was quite shocking to see how completely leveled Tokyo was after the many air raids on the city during World War II. Nevertheless, it was a fun trip, albeit at a breakneck pace due to time constraints.

Lunch was eaten together by all the students at a nearby Chanko Nabe restaurant. Interestingly, this place had a hot pot-style of feeding, but individually: that is, you had a propane-fueled device in front of you with which was used to cook the food within the pot they would bring to you. Chanko itself is known for being a stew with which sumo wrestlers often eat in order to gain/sustain weight. It was delicious, if not a bit too salty for my tastes, but overall a warm and well-received lunch. A handful of us, including new friend Diane from Thailand, made a trip to the official Tokyo Pokemon Center. On a saturday, this meant that the store would be packed to the brim with kids, parents, high schoolers, and every other kind of person you might expect (and not). Rain kept us from doing too much more that day, but I think our adventures those days were more than enough to keep me satisfied.

Day 55: Kobe/Arima

Our day finishing up Osaka began simply enough: Waking up late and being given 5 minutes to gather all our belongings, brush our teeth, and hit the road. David and I were awoken first by Kim, then reminded to vacate the room when one of the cleaning ladies came by. Embarrassing? Just a tad.

After all that commotion finished, we made a short pit-stop at a famous Osakan shopping district nearby that is overseen by a particular deity, Biliken. This opportunity was nice and kind of fun, as the many shops there were adorned with massive advertisement structures above their entrances. Pictures on the flickr will help give you a better idea of what this district was like. While nothing particularly amazing happened during this short trip to do last-minute shopping, I did find it really surprising that there was a pachinko parlor with blatant pornographic posters affixed to it's building on the outside. There were children everywhere around, yet it was no big deal that there were these rather graphic posters being displayed. I wonder if this is just part of a culture difference or if it's even strange/unheard of for Japan. Either way, that threw me for a curveball while perusing the many shops.

Once shopping time had concluded, the group, complete once more, hit the pavement and trekked to the nearby Kobe area. Interestingly, we did not go to Kobe the city, but instead opted to take about 3 train transfers to a remote village called Arima. This town, while tiny in scale, had become a bit famous in the area for being host to a handful of fantastic onsen, public bath houses. As a result, our main focus for this trip was to soak up a totally different atmosphere from the big cities we'd toured the past few days, as well as soaking up some scalding hot water in a bath with 40 other people.

See, for those that don't know, onsen have been a part of the Japanese culture for a very long time. Originally used by the poor, for the lack of available water to shower individually, people would come together, wash themselves outside of the bath, and then use a hot spring to relax in silence or shoot the breeze with other citizens. It became a communal event, if desired, and is still enjoyed to this day in open-air or roofed establishments. What does this bath entail exactly? I'm glad you asked. First, we were divided by sex. Some onsen have co-ed baths, but this particular one was segregated. So I entered the men's section and was greeted by about 20 other men, ages ranging from about 7 to over 60, in varying degrees of nudity. Not a single gaijin, foreigner, like me in sight. Whoo, here we go. After entering the changing area, I used a nearby locker to place my glasses, my pants, and every other bit of clothing in, save for a towel for later use. This marked the first time in my life I'd been completely naked in front of so many unknown, grown individuals. Was it embarrassing? To a degree. But I dug deep and stood my ground. From the changing room, there was a single other room: the wash/onsen room. Lined up on the left side of this massive enclosure were individual showers where one would sit down, use a nozzle to spray one's self, use the provided soap/shampoo to clean, and then rinse thoroughly. The reason for this is because the onsen water is not changed. It's meant to be clean all the time, since everyone showers beforehand, and thus has no reason to be changed. And when I entered that water, I can't even begin to explain how hot it was. I had never, in all my days, experienced such hot water. I thought I would be able to soak and relax and enjoy jacuzzi/hot tub-esque water. NOPE. I sat in that water, sweating rivers, for 15 minutes before I could not take any more for fear of fainting. I rinsed myself with lukewarm water afterwards just to cool down a tad but retain some heat, went out to the changing room, and dried off.

Interestingly, onsen oftentimes have a strict rule against people with tattoos. They will usually say that they do not allow tattoo-bearing patrons due to an age-old belief that those with tattoos are of yakuza affiliation. Luckily, with this onsen, they allowed me in. Perhaps because I'm a foreigner, perhaps because I'm a short kid who wouldn't harm a fly, who knows. Either way, I got to enjoy the stares of dozens of men for three reasons: I was a stark-naked white boy with a big, red tattoo. Truly a unique experience unlike anything else.

From this onsen, we enjoyed the lingering warmth, as it was freezing outside in the cold, autumn mountain village, and explored the streets. At one point, we found a public "ashi onsen", or foot bath. This foot bath, unsurprisingly, held the same heat level of water that the onsen prior had, so I stuck my toesies in for a whopping 10 minutes before taking my leave. We scoured the village some more until around the time we absolutely had to leave in order to make our bus back to Yokohama. Luckily, we reached our station early and allowed us all to grab some food/sit down and rest. Most everyone split into smaller parties, and I had the rather lucky opportunity to share a heart-to-heart with Kim. I've had discussions with a lot of other people here from the UC's, but Kim wasn't one of them at the time, so I was very glad to get that chance and learn more about her. Post-conversation under the Kansai nighttime sky, we went to join up with the others again, as well as purchase BEARD PAPAS CREAM PUFFS! This franchise has had one or two shops in Orange County before, but they closed down, so I had not had their unbelievable cream puffs in a handful of years. Just the right way to end a vacation.

In just a little bit, we hopped over to the overnight bus and did our best to knock out during the 8-hour ride. This time, the seat was much more comfortable (for some reason), and we all sat by each other, so we could interact with one another a little more easily when the lights were still on inside the bus. Sir Francis was shared and got plenty of attention. I actually snagged some hours of sleep. It wasn't nearly as awful as the ride there.

Upon arriving in Yokohama, we took one of the first trains back to Totsuka, and, as quickly as we could manage, raced through the cold back to MISH. Just as I reached my room, the sun came up directly across from my balcony. What a sight it was, coming back home and enjoying a sunrise for the first time in a very long time. The perfect way to cap a grand adventure.

Day 54: Osaka

If I were given one word to sum up Osaka, I'd have extreme difficulty picking between "attitude" and "ghetto". Both of those words fairly accurately described my experience in the city known as Tokyo's less-rigid cousin to the west. We only had one day there, but I am pretty okay with having had that much time to explore the city. Where we stayed, the hotel was actually quite nice and unlike what I'd expected. However, the area we were in very much reminded me of downtown LA, a few blocks away from the skyscrapers. It was run-down, it was dirty, and it was at times scary when roaming around at night. Not necessarily a negative thing, but it was certainly different from what I'd experienced thus far in Japan.

This time, since our usual guide Niki was off doing her own thing in another city, Kim graciously took the reins and steered us around Osaka for a little while. We did plenty of wandering, while a couple of the others went to the only zoo I've yet to come across. The weather was fantastic and very conducive to just strolling about. While the others were at the zoo, the remaining three of us went to the first Buddhist temple in all of Japan. It was actually rather small and not terribly ostentatious, further helping along the idea that not much has changed in the 1200 years since it was founded. It was quite busy though, as some sort of service may have been going on at the time.

We met for lunch later on, though while on the street with our restaurant, I noticed a small fruit shop. Within held the most expensive fruit I'd ever come into contact with in real life. Three melons sat in a neat row, one costing around $50, another costing around $75, and a final priced at a massive ~$190. For a single melon. Yes, really. The picture I took is evidence. Mind = blown. After lunch, we headed to a shopping district well known in Osaka for being the longest covered, straight shopping arcade in the world at 2.6km (Tenjinbashi-suji). We split up at that point so everyone could do their own thing shopping for the next 3 hours. While on my lonesome, I got to travel the length of the entire shopping arcade, while also enjoying quite a few firsts.

For one, I got to enjoy the traditional Osaka delicacy of takoyaki, or fried squid balls. They were simply fantastic and I could not recommend them more, if you're in the mood for authentic Japanese food. I also had dinner by myself at a curry place called Kuroneko Curry, or Black Cat Curry. I was the only one in there and the senior couple who ran the place were super-sweet to me. I'm slowly weaning myself off medium spicyness and working up to hot, so I went with a small shrimp curry with a bit of a kick. Inside the curry house, they had a radio station on, and to my utter amazement and delight, on popped The Pillows with a song from my favorite album of theirs, "Scarecrow".

It was at that moment that I realized I was truly living the dream. Eating curry, listening to a Japanese rock station, not a care in the world. I thought about it, and thought about it, and thought about it some more, and discovered that I would be quite content if that moment had never ended. Pointless as it may be, from that point on, I started looking at prices of apartments around town just to gauge what a typical price point might be for a big city place. It both excited me and scared me. What has changed within me to determine that I would want to pack it all up and live in another country, across the great, blue pond? I've always had this set idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and I still feel pretty solid on that desire. But taking a break from education to live life in another country, to really do something besides the normal graduate-job/grad school route, is what I felt most compelled to do. How viable is it for me to live abroad for a year or more? Is it selfish of me? Should I be more considerate of other important people in my life? How will this impact my desired career choice? So many questions and variables to consider. It's just a bit overwhelming. I just know I'd very much like for it to be reality.

After this not-so-mid-life crisis type of event, I also got to witness my first Japanese argument. There were two men standing outside an alleyway by a fruit and vegetable delivery truck. One of the men, not the driver, used such an interesting voice to convey anger. It was like his words were bricks; not necessarily big and painful, but solid and carried much heft. He rolled his R's like a champ, which I've noticed is a common trait for men's speech patterns when they're upset. I think they were arguing over the delivery, making the event all the more amusing to me. Many others were looking at the two's disagreement, but just kept on walking. Pretty unique.

The group reconvened, but now met with added friends! Kim had joined up with a fellow UC David student who is on an exchange program in Osaka, as well as one of her friends from China (? My memory is awful). They were quite friendly and provided some nice conversation, rare though it was on our way to/during dinner. We did not all fit at a single table at the restaurant we went to, so we had to split up. It would have been nice to talk more as a group, but I suppose this is what Facebook is for haha. Megan, the UC David girl, might take a trip east to Tokyo area, so hopefully we get to all meet up once more and be tour guides. This restaurant was kind of neat in that it randomly had Gundam figures on the bar wall. Go Japan! I also had my first gin and tonic, recommended to me by one of my best friends currently teaching in South Korea, and happily sipped up the mixture. I didn't know the concoction was so tasty!

Upstairs from this restaurant was the Umeda Floating Garden Observatory. Basically, a giant tower people could take an elevator to the top of and see the beautiful Osakan landscape. Though freezing, the view was incomparable, so different from the observation deck of Tokyo Tower in Roppongi. Yet another surreal moment passed, between an onslaught of pictures with buildings, friends, and more than that. Just staring out at 360 degrees of lights, natural and not, it helped to both clear my mind in various respects. The cold certainly helped too. My lungs!

We later traveled to an area very hip and keen with the young folk. This is the nightlife Osaka is well known for. Around a mall-ish building known as Hep Five, it was like Times Square with men dressed up like anime characters, hair of various colors pointing out every which way in order to entice potential customers. These individuals were known as hosts, the "beautiful men" who are paid to simply talk to customers in a cafe. Like the maid cafes of Akihabara, they are the draw of the establishment, much moreso than any type of food or cocktail. Getting to converse with men of such beauty and grandor is a luxury enjoyed for quite the steep entrance price. Besides the hosts attempting to gather customers, this Osakan wonderland held a 24-hour Round 1 entertainment and amusement building, complete with karaoke, bowling, video games, UFO catchers, pachinko, slots, and anything else you can think of for approximately 8 floors of greatness. This wonderful addition to the Osaka trip had a floor with four Dance Dance Revolution machines. When I first entered, every last one of them was being used by one of those professional-status DDR players I've idolized since I was a youngin'. I eventually got my turn to play, along with a tag-team duo of Fione and David, and rocked the house as best I could (in shoes unfit for dancing. Boo). And I can now say that, for my 68th completion of the song Sakura, my favorite tune in DDR, I have reached the milestone in the homeland of DDR. Whoo nerdyness at it's finest!

Finally, we got to enjoy an evening back at the hotel without any hassle or worry. On the way there, I was crowded by three rowdy, drunk Osakan guys on the train, but I stood my ground and ignored them entirely. The train was super open, but they still for some reason crowded around me. It was strange. But this little white boy was not afraid! Back at the room, a little more than a little alcohol was consumed, knocking out on the bed horizontally, reminiscent of a very special memory from an Anime Expo long past. Nevertheless, we ended the full day of Osaka on a fun and friendly note rather appropriate for the unique time enjoyed there.

Day 53: Kyoto pt.2

The second day started off interestingly. We wanted to ride bikes around the capital, but some of the others weren't too keen on the idea, so only David and I decided to rent bikes for the day. This quickly became the most terrifying experience  in my life. Moreso than any roller coaster ride, or any car ride (even with the crazy friends who can't drive whatsoever). The sidewalks, the narrow streets, the aggression of the cars and Japanese people in general. I had never taken my life into my hands like that ever before. I can now look back and say, "Wow, what an experience that was", but at the time, I was just scared out of my mind.

Kim and Niki had left too early for the rest of the group, so we were separate for the first portion of the day. David and I biked all the way to Inari Shrine to meet them, which turned out to be pretty damn awesome. This is the famous shrine known for it's 1,000 torii gates, as well as the kitsune foxes they worship. I didn't get to go through all 1,000 of the gates, as it would take about 2 hours to go up through the mountain course, but I think I had plenty of great times and views all the same.

Fun times were had biking my way to Gion to meet the group for lunch. I got ditched. I got lost. I almost got run over repeatedly. I fell over and received more than a handful of stares from onlookers. I banged up my knee and elbow. But I made it just in time for a much-desired meal.

A quick lunch later and most of the group jumped aboard a long bus ride to the edge of town to see the Golden Pavilion. Kinkokuji is known as one of the main, most beautiful sights in all of Kyoto, so we knew it was going to be a staple in our journey to the west. And I must agree, it was quite a splendid pavilion, albeit quite crowded and actually rather small. School field trips filled the pavilion up to capacity from one corner to the opposite. But it was necessary for the full Kyoto experience, I feel, so it was worth the effort and stress. The pictures should speak for themselves, so go take a look at the album linked in the upper-right corner!

That evening, amidst swigs of courage juice, myself, Fione, and Niki discussed various topics and got to learn more about one another. It's always nice hearing about others and what they think/feel about a variety of topics. Particularly from Niki, given how quiet she is generally, it was quite pleasant to get a bit more straightforward conversation from her. Another day down, and tomorrow we would leave the former capital behind for an excursion to a very different type of city: Osaka.

Day 52: Kyoto pt.1

What started out as an exciting trip to Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe quickly became a whole other beast. I can't say that all my expectations were met, but a good time overall was had, and there were certainly plenty of experiences I get to share with you wonderful folks now.

Our gracious host/ringleader, Niki, led the six of us to Yokohama station to check in and get on an overnight bus on Halloween night to Kyoto. While it may have been a much cheaper option to take the bus to Kyoto (as opposed to the Shinkansen bullet train), we learned that there was a sacrifice made. In my case, it was an utmost level of comfort. The chairs on this bus were the reclining sort, but for some reason, mine would not. Which is fine to a degree, but the person in front of me definitely knew how to recline his chair. Because I brought so much clothing with me (and a textbook, and my laptop, and chargers galore, and food for the trip), my bag was a mountain. And I didn't feel safe giving it up to storage below the bus, so I took it with me inside. Big mistake. It, plus Mr. Recliner man, made it such that I could not stretch out my legs whatsoever. Eventually I was able to swing my leg over into the aisle and actually give my poor legs a break, but for the first 4 hours of the 7 hour ride, it was hellacious. I must also mention that the chairs on this bus were awful awful awful, such that by the end of the journey, I could not recount a time I had been more sore and uncomfortable doing anything really. Such is the price we pay for cheap transportation, ne? I definitely don't blame Niki, since she had no idea and also did so ridiculously much work to make sure everything worked out for us, but it was just an unlucky turn of events.

As a result, I didn't sleep at all on the bus. Aided by the fact that it was so hot, our group was literally sweating in our chairs (despite it being chilly outside), I did not get a wink of shut-eye. It didn't help me at all the next day, since we were to start our tour-ish events as soon as we got to the hostel to drop off our bags. My first impressions of Kyoto: "Wow, this place has a lot more modern buildings than I expected". These impressions definitely faded as I learned more about the city, but upon the station arrival, it was more advanced than I thought. Just goes to show how times change even the traditional former capital of Japan. Our hostel was simply the best. My opinions of hostels are so much more positive now. This place, K's Backpacker Hostel, was superb for many reasons. It felt like a hotel in just about every way. It was clean, it was fun and quirky, it was aimed at the traveler looking to have a good time (there was a bulletin board with dozens and dozens of places to go/things to see, all in English). It had great staff, very helpful, and just fantastic facilities. I definitely want to go and use their services again if I get the chance to travel elsewhere in Japan.

After dropping off our stuff, we hit the road immediately, putting our one-day Kyoto bus passes to use. We went to Kiyomizudera Temple, one of the most famous in all of Kyoto. The pictures really speak for themselves, so please visit the flickr (INSERT LINK HERE) and see everything. I loved my time spent there, simply put. We got there before the crowds arrived, since it was about 9AM I think (on a Thursday, no less), so plenty of good pictures were taken. The changing leaves were definitely one of the standout points of the trip. I was so glad they were changing some by the time we arrived. If it was all green, it would have looked significantly different. Just like how I wish we could have been able to come during snow season. ざんねんですね。

The group split up somewhat near this time, going off in our own directions while attempting to keep in contact with one another. At one point, we tried meeting up to go to Kotokuin Temple, another popular spot, but for 700 yen (almost $10), I decided to skip it. Instead, I took the opportunity to visit the giant Kannon statue (bodhisattva, Buddhist deity) and the surrounding temple area. Lucky for me, there wasn't a soul in sight, so I got the entire temple to myself. The entrance fee even included a lit incense stick, so I went to place it in the designated spot and do a little prayer. Perhaps my favorite part of the entire trip this weekend was the time I spent there by myself, particularly when I found a nearby sitting area and took a nap. Sleeping underneath a giant bodhisattva statue, in unbelievably beautiful weather, with nothing but ambient sounds to soothe me, was just unreal. So perfect.

Eventually I headed back out to meet everyone so we could move on to something else. Once our time with temples had passed for the day, we went to Gion, a well-known shopping street/district in Kyoto. It had a fascinating mixture of traditional Japanese shops (parasol stores, fan stores, knick-knack places) and department store-like brand name spots. As always, Japan embodies the fusion of old and new in a way unlike anything else. Real geisha walked the streets, right alongside business men, tourists, and school kids. Shops in a certain were very much like swap meet stands, peddling random wares at discounted prices. However, this also led to shady establishments from time to time.

One such place was an arcade with an abundance of UFO catchers. I found a PopN' machine outside that offered 3 credits (12 songs!) for a mere 100 yen, but while playing, learned of the trick. The judgment on the system was SUPER harsh, penalizing any mistakes immensely more than normal machines. Thankfully, I've gotten pretty good at the game, so it wasn't such an issue for me, but I can see how it might suck money from some people. But what was a much bigger money dump were the UFO catchers. While playing, I was approached by Fion, David, and Anastasia, telling me I HAD to come help them when I was done. Apparently, the staff running the arcade had decided to try and help us "win" some figures. If we could beat a single machine at the arcade, they would give us a stack of Neon Genesis Evangelion figures. Really nice ones, actually. And we kept coming into contact with incredibly difficult machines. We just couldn't get it. The staff member on hand kept "helping" us, showing us how to win, adjusting things to make it seem easier, and whenever we would start to feel beaten, would add another figure to the pile. This eventually ended up being a 9 figure-high stack of potential winnings, could we just beat a single machine. Soon, however, I realized exactly how scammed we all had been.

I helped them around the time they had moved to a third machine, so I didn't lose nearly as much money as the others. Each try was 200 yen, which was my first mistake. It's a rule that I don't do machines that cost that much per try. You can win almost anything for cheap if each try is 100 yen, but doubling that makes it easier just to buy it in an online auction. The machine I tried first was a simple claw game. A big Minnie Mouse plush was laying head-only on a bowl-like container, while it's limbs dangled down. If we could get the plush to drop, we'd win. The thing with this was that 1. the head must have been weighted immensely, as any attempts to push or pull it were rejected, but more importantly, 2. the machine was rigged. We would try it over and over again, but from time to time, the staff member would show us how to do it. And it would work, dropping the figure. The difference was that, when he dropped the claws, they would do their normal action routine by dropping, closing to get a grip on an object, and then pulling up. However, when we would do it, the arms would drop, then just lift right back up. Without that gripping motion, it was simply impossible. He added another figure to the stack and moved us to the next machine.

This one was a different beast entirely. It had a round, transparent "plug" suspended over a platform with three holes. Each hole, if plugged, had a button that would be pressed and drop the corresponding prize. The third hole was significantly bigger than the first two, so the prize associated with it was supposed to be less amazing. However, with our prize cache waiting, it was just another means to scam us harder. They had this auto-win setting they would flick to prove it was totally possible to win. Tricky, ne?

After the escapade with the arcade (and the others got consolation prizes for spending a ridiculous amount of money), some random kid outside part of a school field trip approached me and thanked me in broken English. What for? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe coming to Japan. But he thanked me over and over again and asked if he could shake my hand. What a photo op this became. Little 10-year old boy shaking my hand, and then later on approaching me again asking for an autograph. AN AUTOGRAPH. He said I looked like Tom Cruise. I laughed so hard. The irony is that I actually share a birthday with Tom Cruise o_o

A lot of shopping later and we headed back to the hostel to knock the crap out. The hostel continued to be amazing and such a great deal for the price. And I came back home with a new cuddle buddy. Anastasia and Fione together convinced me to purchase a giant baby seal plushie named Sirotan. But given this boring, unoriginal name, I brought back the one and only Sir Francis of Norway. Despite advances by Fione to steal my beautiful new friend, I got to sleep soundly alongside the softest seal I've yet to come across.