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.
No comments:
Post a Comment