Today wasn’t a bad day at all. I woke up refreshed and ready to explore. I woke up at around 6:00 and then promptly went back to sleep until 9:30. After waking up I played around with my paperwork to figure out what needed to be done soon and to figure out where to go to obtain items on my shopping list: the elusive towel, manly body-wash, and shampoo.
Hirakata Station in the heart of Hirakata City seemed like the best bet since it has a department store in it, so I decided I would figure out how to get there. I learned that yesterday when I turned back halfway on one road that it actually led to campus. What I didn’t know was how far it was to campus when I set out.
I decided to get something to eat first, so I went to the 100 yen store to scrounge. I bought noodles for later and two peaches. I dug into the peaches when I got back to the dorm and they were the best peaches I ever had. Twice as big as an American peach and very juicy. I was planning on saving one but they were so good that I ate both of them. Not bad for 498 yen (A little less than $5).
So I set out in the direction of where I thought campus was, having printed a map. It was quite a long walk, and I first came upon a grocery store, Top something-something. It was fairly large. Further along the way I found another popular gorcery store, Fresca I think, and a bicycle shop where I think I might rent a bike since this walk would take kind of ahwile for going to campus daily. The exercise might be good though, and I’ll end up living in the Seattle’s Best on campus if I can get Wi-Fi there anyways. There aren’t coffee shops that you can just sit and work in between the dorm and campus. The thought of joining other Japanese and their cars on a bike though worries me somewhat since you have to be able to weave effortlessly, inches away from pedestrians and cars coming towards you. In Gettysburg I had to make an effort to maintain a straight course... So maybe I should save money and call it exercise. And besides, the bus only costs 220 yen ($2).
I made it to campus after taking pictures of funny english-named stores, and told the guard at the gate that I was here for the Cultural Information Exchange or something along those lines (It’s abbreviated CIE and is important for us foreigners.) Actually the guard decided that’s where I must be going on a day when campus is closed for the most part. I tried to tell him I had no reason for being here but I could have done it in a better way.
At any rate campus is gorgeous, and I can imagine it just packed with people. I walked around a bit and then left. I hit up the Top to see what was in it (towels?!) and bought two tiny “body towels” and I may sew them together. I also bought a 900ml bottle of 北那湏のガンコじいさん which is might be “North-something-something’s stubborn old man” drink, which is a nice bottle of milk with a picture of a stubborn old man on it. There is some sort of story on it that I may try and read eventually. Milk is pretty expensive here; the bottle of milk was about $5 and is the amount I would drink with one meal, and meals can be cheaper than $5... So I may be switching to green tea since you can get a ton for about 138 yen or so. I’ll miss milk.
My feet were beat, so I went back to the dorm. I think it’s over a mile to campus from there... I decided to sign up for one of the tours and picked the Hirakata Station one so I could learn how to use the bus and maybe some cool places there (Okay I mostly wanted just the bus. I can barely handle them in English-speaking countries).
I met a few cool people in the tour, the guides were Kazu, a really nice senior, and Shiori, who I think may be a senior too... Their English was far better than any of our Japanese. I met a Vietnamese girl named Jan who spoke almost perfect English and an Australian named Adam. There was another guy who was there who had his “name in kanji” on the back of his shirt which really doesn’t quite work for English, so he may have amused quite a few Japanese.
Unfortunately we ran into some obnoxious Kansai students as well, who mostly were interested in buying beer. People like them go to Kanpai Gaidai, if you get the cheap pun. They thought it was funny to get really close to Japanese people and say “fuck” over and over because they can’t understand! It’s obviously immature if they can’t understand but a good deal probably know the word from western movies so not only they are they embarassing themselves put everyone associated with Kansai... We only met them in the grocery store at the city center and then they got left behind trying to find alcohol to buy.
Kazu helped me find body-wash and I made sure it was manly since it said “for a man” on it and was black and under a display area for products for men... The shampoo however has an ambiguous gender.
The tour was nice and all, but one thing that bothers me in Japan is traveling with a group of foreigners moving slowly. You get in the way and annoy everyone. Maybe that’s why I like to travel alone since you fit in better and at least seem more intelligent and considerate.
Dinner was had at a yaki-tori bar which means “grilled chicken” and they use just about every part of the chicken. Most of us just pointed to what looked good and it came with hilarious consequences. I am reminded of the girl I overheard at some point who wisely said “Ask what it is after you’ve eaten it all.” The way the place works, every item is 280 yen (alcoholic drinks 294). It’s mostly two skewered chicken items or some kind of bowl or side. I got two sticks of chicken skin and one of chicken meat even though the meat came after I ate half of someone elses chicken neck, since I thought I ordered neck too, so we all ate mostly the wrong things. Chicken neck is kind of stringy and chewy. There were chicken bones inside of fried dough which freaked out the guy next to me, but they tasted good. He just needs to brush more and drink more milk! This bothered him, and to our amusement he accidentally ordered just chicken bones on skewers which no one ate (I don’t know how you would; hard and chewy...) I also ordered a beer being 21 to see if a beer that wasn’t something cheep at say, Gettysburg, would be enjoyable. I nearly got some Kirin as the “average beer” to try, but the shandi-gaffu which I suppose means either “sandy gulf” or “sandy golf.” I’m going with the first one since it didn’t taste like the frustration of hitting a ball into the sand-trap. It was a beer with ginger-ale in it and I found it quite enjoyable.
We then went to the bus stop and promptly missed our bus, so we went to another one where we missed a different bus. We then played Japanese word games to pass the half hour wait, and it was fun and an awesome vocabulary builder, so I am going to try and get people to play it in Gettysburg. On the ride back I didn’t have change for the bus so I broke a 1,000 there, but apparently when you do that it gives you change back, then you put it in the fare receptical. I thought it just gave me change after deducting the fare and I nearly put in 780 yen too much into the pay tray and the driver stopped me and laughed...
I then returned to the dorm and had an amazing first shower in over two-approaching-three days. I felt bad for everyone I was near in that I must have stunk, but a guy I met at the airport was wearing his clothes from yesterday today and had the same problem as me (although I changed) so I guess I can’t feel too bad. The weather was so hot and muggy and waiting for the yaki-tori place to open was just miserable, I cant remember the last time my arms were even wet with sweat.
It’s about 11:00 now so I think I may just read or something and go to bed soon. Tomorrow I can register my laptop and buy a CAT5 and maybe a BIG TOWEL! Douglas Adams was oh so right about always bringing a towel... Tomorrow I also have Language Lab Orientation and I may go to the post office to get money to pay for security deposits. Or that might be after I call Gettysburg asking why they didn’t pay. Hopefully I’ll get to meet Yukina too, since I emailed her tonight.
More exciting days to come.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Hirakata Station and Chicken Bones
The First Day, or Jet-lag Limbo
Well, it was a fun trip to Hirakata. I'll try to put down what I can remember from it although a lot was probably lost in the sleepy-haze of traveling.
I woke up on the 29th at 3:00AM, showered and out the door by 3:30AM with Angela's Dad whom was kind enough to wake up that early to take me to SEATAC. We said our goodbyes there and I spent maybe an hour or so waiting for my plane to Vancouver, even though I didn't notice the wait with my coffee and a book.
The flight was uneventful and I got in Canada at about 7:00AM. Going through Canadian customs the Canadian security laughed at me for taking my shoes off. "This isn't America, eh?"
My flight over the pond was scheduled for 12:45PM, so I had quite a wait. It wasn't so bad since Vancouver is the best airport I've ever been in, it beats O'Hare, JFK, SEATAC, Detroit, BWI, and some of the other ones that have escaped my mind. I'll have some pictures up later. While waiting I bought some gifts for my Hokkaido host family that I plan on visiting eventually and had some breakfast. The rest of my time waiting was mostly spent reading.
Finally came the flight to Japan. There were a few other non-Asians on the flight but I didn't bother asking them if they were going to Kansai. I'd much prefer to just travel alone. As always, JAL treated everyone so well. The stewardesses are amazingly nice and helpful and I really liked the food that was served for both meals: soba noodles, chicken and rice, a bread roll, good cookies, and all sorts of tasty and healthy items. You were presented with chopsticks and a spoon, knife and fork. I used the chopsticks and noted how well they go with the food served; not just because it is Japanese food but the chopsticks complement food in general. You pay much more attention to the texture and shape of what you're eating...
8+ hours is a difficult flight though. I finished my one book and played my DS for a bit but not too much. On the TV screen I mostly just watched the plane fly on the GPS, and swicthed to the bottom view when we were over land. I watched Kung-Fu Panda in Japanese and then some Japanese movie about a guy with a time-traveling robot girlfriend which was funny at times but mostly confusing. I watched a few episodes of the third season of Eureka that I downloaded for the ride too, and after all of this I got in maybe an hour nap. Keep in mind the night before the trip I fell alseep at around 1:30AM due to excitement...
Landing in Japan was cool due to being able to watch the ground below us with the TV screen. I was getting tired though and thought at several intervals that the ground few was really the front view and that the plane was heading for the ground...
Narita was an okay airport to get through. I was somewhat worried that it would take me a long time to find my bag and figure out the bus route to Haneda, but preparation took care of that. I did have to wait awhile for my bag, and I found the bus kiosk and bought a ticket to Haneda for 3,000 yen ($30). It took some instruction from the luggage loaders outside to figure out what line to wait in but it wasn't hard. The Japanese couple behind me made fun of the Kanji on my bag that I put on in duct-tape.
The bus ride was about 45 minutes and at one stop an American pilot from Cincinatti sat next to me and we talked for a bit; he was heading to Haneda for training. I spent my time trying to read the Kanji and Katakana of all the passing signs and could figure most of them out unless they were company names that I don't know. It was good practice to read Katakana faster. I dozed off once we got closer to Haneda. I forgot to make sure I knew which terminal I got off at but the pilot showed me on my baggage ticket which one it was so I was lucky he was there.
Now Haneda didn't have as much english in it as Narita. Luckily I figured out everything quick and could understand directions given to me in Japanese, although I had to go through a JAL check-in twice to get instructions for checking my bag again.
The Japanese security was quick and I went to go wait for my plane. I failed at using a vending machine due to being tired so I probably entertained some passengers waiting.
The plane was very nice. Spacious and you could stretch your legs out. There were eight rows of seating too, so it was a faily large plane. The guy next to me slept and there was a dad with two little girls who sang the Totoro song before take-off which was kind of adorable. I read a bit then rested my eyes, but I didn't sleep.
Itami airport wasn't bad at all, I got my bag quick and found the Kansai Gaidai driver. I was the first one there, so we walked to the next gate where other students would be and I bought a pastrami and potato sandwhich and a tea-drink and waited. I snapped a picture of a bacon ad as well.
Few of the other people that were coming were as prepared as me. Some knew no Japanese at all or didn't bring any Japanese currency (that would have made me not make my flight at Haneda if I had to figure out where to get money.) I loaned one of them 2,000 yen ($20) for the driver's fee. These impromtu fees become a recurring theme, by the way. Gettysburg doesn't cover all of the costs like they say.
On the ride back I had to listen to the other people talk about all kinds of stupid immature things that I would be embarassed about in front of the driver... They could have been more respectful. One of the guys I liked right of the bat and seemed like he would be an awesome traveling partner since he's more interested in the culture and language than partying and other crap, plus he didn't talk constantly like the others. Hopefully I run into him again.
When we got here I was dropped off at Seminar House I and was showed the ammenities by Sena, who is an RA or CL or something of the sort. It's all pretty nice. My room has eight tatami mats in it, I beleive, and two desks. My roomie's stuff was already there without him, but I noticed he had two Vonnegut books and I became really excited.
I unpacked and went to go meet people in the lounge. I was dying for a shower but I never brought a towel and I need to get body wash anyway. At some point I went back to my room and shortly thereafter my roomie showed up, a Canadian by the name of Matt, from Alberta.
He's a really nice guy and he was in Japan for a week exploring on his own which I admire. He climbed Fuji at 9:00PM to watch the sunrise and went around Kyoto on his own, and he never had taken a Japanese class and is self-taught (but claims he's not that good, haha.) He seems to have no trouble getting around though. He showed me pictures of his travels and we chatted for a bit then I crawled into my comfortable futon to sleep.
I slept so well, and got up only at 6:00AM, then went back to sleep until about 9:30AM. I changed and prepared to go exploring the surroundings.
Our dorm is next to a nice park where a lot of people were walking their dogs. I found a cafe next to the Hirakata library and picked a direction and walked. I found mostly houses on my first walk, and then eventually found the 100 yen store. I went in to look for a towel and looked at other things and then left, towel-less. Going past the store I found bakeries and other little stores and found the drug store to find it towel-less as well. I then found a nice restaraunt that I'll try at some point and went back to the 100 yen store and got two little towels, two peaches, a huge thing of tea, and some soba noodles.
Once I got back to the dorm (at about noon) I tried the peaches and they were the best peaches ever. Only cost 380円 ($4) and were the ridiculously huge and juicy. They were also kind of white on the inside too. I then looked at some maps and paperwork I have to get to eventually and discovered more lovely fees that I have to pay (deposits totaling about $260) that I will eventually be reimbursed for, as long as I don't break things.
And now I'm here typing this up in the computer lab. I have to go buy a CAT5 cord tomorrow after I register my laptop tomorrow on campus. After writting this up I'm going to figure out how to get to Hirakata station since the surrounding area has lots of stores including a department store which must have a towel and bodywash that doesn't look feminine. I think I may go get some noodles first.
Other people are stuyding for their language placement tests, but I'd rather study where I'm living.
I woke up on the 29th at 3:00AM, showered and out the door by 3:30AM with Angela's Dad whom was kind enough to wake up that early to take me to SEATAC. We said our goodbyes there and I spent maybe an hour or so waiting for my plane to Vancouver, even though I didn't notice the wait with my coffee and a book.
The flight was uneventful and I got in Canada at about 7:00AM. Going through Canadian customs the Canadian security laughed at me for taking my shoes off. "This isn't America, eh?"
My flight over the pond was scheduled for 12:45PM, so I had quite a wait. It wasn't so bad since Vancouver is the best airport I've ever been in, it beats O'Hare, JFK, SEATAC, Detroit, BWI, and some of the other ones that have escaped my mind. I'll have some pictures up later. While waiting I bought some gifts for my Hokkaido host family that I plan on visiting eventually and had some breakfast. The rest of my time waiting was mostly spent reading.
Finally came the flight to Japan. There were a few other non-Asians on the flight but I didn't bother asking them if they were going to Kansai. I'd much prefer to just travel alone. As always, JAL treated everyone so well. The stewardesses are amazingly nice and helpful and I really liked the food that was served for both meals: soba noodles, chicken and rice, a bread roll, good cookies, and all sorts of tasty and healthy items. You were presented with chopsticks and a spoon, knife and fork. I used the chopsticks and noted how well they go with the food served; not just because it is Japanese food but the chopsticks complement food in general. You pay much more attention to the texture and shape of what you're eating...
8+ hours is a difficult flight though. I finished my one book and played my DS for a bit but not too much. On the TV screen I mostly just watched the plane fly on the GPS, and swicthed to the bottom view when we were over land. I watched Kung-Fu Panda in Japanese and then some Japanese movie about a guy with a time-traveling robot girlfriend which was funny at times but mostly confusing. I watched a few episodes of the third season of Eureka that I downloaded for the ride too, and after all of this I got in maybe an hour nap. Keep in mind the night before the trip I fell alseep at around 1:30AM due to excitement...
Landing in Japan was cool due to being able to watch the ground below us with the TV screen. I was getting tired though and thought at several intervals that the ground few was really the front view and that the plane was heading for the ground...
Narita was an okay airport to get through. I was somewhat worried that it would take me a long time to find my bag and figure out the bus route to Haneda, but preparation took care of that. I did have to wait awhile for my bag, and I found the bus kiosk and bought a ticket to Haneda for 3,000 yen ($30). It took some instruction from the luggage loaders outside to figure out what line to wait in but it wasn't hard. The Japanese couple behind me made fun of the Kanji on my bag that I put on in duct-tape.
The bus ride was about 45 minutes and at one stop an American pilot from Cincinatti sat next to me and we talked for a bit; he was heading to Haneda for training. I spent my time trying to read the Kanji and Katakana of all the passing signs and could figure most of them out unless they were company names that I don't know. It was good practice to read Katakana faster. I dozed off once we got closer to Haneda. I forgot to make sure I knew which terminal I got off at but the pilot showed me on my baggage ticket which one it was so I was lucky he was there.
Now Haneda didn't have as much english in it as Narita. Luckily I figured out everything quick and could understand directions given to me in Japanese, although I had to go through a JAL check-in twice to get instructions for checking my bag again.
The Japanese security was quick and I went to go wait for my plane. I failed at using a vending machine due to being tired so I probably entertained some passengers waiting.
The plane was very nice. Spacious and you could stretch your legs out. There were eight rows of seating too, so it was a faily large plane. The guy next to me slept and there was a dad with two little girls who sang the Totoro song before take-off which was kind of adorable. I read a bit then rested my eyes, but I didn't sleep.
Itami airport wasn't bad at all, I got my bag quick and found the Kansai Gaidai driver. I was the first one there, so we walked to the next gate where other students would be and I bought a pastrami and potato sandwhich and a tea-drink and waited. I snapped a picture of a bacon ad as well.
Few of the other people that were coming were as prepared as me. Some knew no Japanese at all or didn't bring any Japanese currency (that would have made me not make my flight at Haneda if I had to figure out where to get money.) I loaned one of them 2,000 yen ($20) for the driver's fee. These impromtu fees become a recurring theme, by the way. Gettysburg doesn't cover all of the costs like they say.
On the ride back I had to listen to the other people talk about all kinds of stupid immature things that I would be embarassed about in front of the driver... They could have been more respectful. One of the guys I liked right of the bat and seemed like he would be an awesome traveling partner since he's more interested in the culture and language than partying and other crap, plus he didn't talk constantly like the others. Hopefully I run into him again.
When we got here I was dropped off at Seminar House I and was showed the ammenities by Sena, who is an RA or CL or something of the sort. It's all pretty nice. My room has eight tatami mats in it, I beleive, and two desks. My roomie's stuff was already there without him, but I noticed he had two Vonnegut books and I became really excited.
I unpacked and went to go meet people in the lounge. I was dying for a shower but I never brought a towel and I need to get body wash anyway. At some point I went back to my room and shortly thereafter my roomie showed up, a Canadian by the name of Matt, from Alberta.
He's a really nice guy and he was in Japan for a week exploring on his own which I admire. He climbed Fuji at 9:00PM to watch the sunrise and went around Kyoto on his own, and he never had taken a Japanese class and is self-taught (but claims he's not that good, haha.) He seems to have no trouble getting around though. He showed me pictures of his travels and we chatted for a bit then I crawled into my comfortable futon to sleep.
I slept so well, and got up only at 6:00AM, then went back to sleep until about 9:30AM. I changed and prepared to go exploring the surroundings.
Our dorm is next to a nice park where a lot of people were walking their dogs. I found a cafe next to the Hirakata library and picked a direction and walked. I found mostly houses on my first walk, and then eventually found the 100 yen store. I went in to look for a towel and looked at other things and then left, towel-less. Going past the store I found bakeries and other little stores and found the drug store to find it towel-less as well. I then found a nice restaraunt that I'll try at some point and went back to the 100 yen store and got two little towels, two peaches, a huge thing of tea, and some soba noodles.
Once I got back to the dorm (at about noon) I tried the peaches and they were the best peaches ever. Only cost 380円 ($4) and were the ridiculously huge and juicy. They were also kind of white on the inside too. I then looked at some maps and paperwork I have to get to eventually and discovered more lovely fees that I have to pay (deposits totaling about $260) that I will eventually be reimbursed for, as long as I don't break things.
And now I'm here typing this up in the computer lab. I have to go buy a CAT5 cord tomorrow after I register my laptop tomorrow on campus. After writting this up I'm going to figure out how to get to Hirakata station since the surrounding area has lots of stores including a department store which must have a towel and bodywash that doesn't look feminine. I think I may go get some noodles first.
Other people are stuyding for their language placement tests, but I'd rather study where I'm living.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
I made it!
Hi everyone. I'm just letting you all know that I got here alive. There will be a detailed update after I purchase a CAT5 cord so I can use my laptop. Other things are more important such as socializing and learning my way around the dorm.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Ready to Go
Everything is all packed up besides the clothes I'll change into tomorrow. Only took me about 20 minutes to get it all together. It's convenient living out of a suitcase at Angela's house so it makes the actual trip to Japan easier.
I wasn't able to get a gift-basket or something along those lines for my Hokkaido host family. All I have is a lousy Gettysburg College golf-towel, so I think I'll just treat them all to dinner somewhere, preferably the yaki-tori bar we went to when I was there. It's a good place for get-togethers and the like. Then again they may have something in the airport but I doubt I could carry it.
So I get to leave here at 3:30AM which means I get up at 3:00AM to shower and pack up the last things that are left. I'm going to try and treat Angela's Dad to a breakfast or at least a donut at the airport since I feel bad making him get up so early for my sake. My plane leaves at 6:00Am, and I'll be in Vancouver Canada at 6:50. The flight to Japan from there is at 12:45PM, so I have a nice long wait there. It's too bad I couldn't get a later flight there but I hastily prepared for all of this on Priceline. Next time you go internationl, use a travel agent. I spotted a Japanese one in Seattle outside the Uwajimaya store which I wish I used. But oh well.
Another ramification of Priceline is that I have to take a shuttle bus from Narita Int'l to Haneda Airport. Hopefully I can find that quick enough and not be bogged down due to being a foreigner traveling through customs and all of that. I have 3 hours to make it there so I should be fine.
And Kansai says that my Osaka flight might be changed to Kansai Int'l? It's all very odd. I have directions from either airport to be safe. I'm really not worried at all about any of it, but it will kind of suck getting to my dorm room at 10:00PM or so over there, which is 5:00AM on West-Coast time, 8:00AM on East-Coast time. So I'll only be up for 26 hours, not too bad. I think I'll adjust fine...
Well, here's to a good trip!
I wasn't able to get a gift-basket or something along those lines for my Hokkaido host family. All I have is a lousy Gettysburg College golf-towel, so I think I'll just treat them all to dinner somewhere, preferably the yaki-tori bar we went to when I was there. It's a good place for get-togethers and the like. Then again they may have something in the airport but I doubt I could carry it.
So I get to leave here at 3:30AM which means I get up at 3:00AM to shower and pack up the last things that are left. I'm going to try and treat Angela's Dad to a breakfast or at least a donut at the airport since I feel bad making him get up so early for my sake. My plane leaves at 6:00Am, and I'll be in Vancouver Canada at 6:50. The flight to Japan from there is at 12:45PM, so I have a nice long wait there. It's too bad I couldn't get a later flight there but I hastily prepared for all of this on Priceline. Next time you go internationl, use a travel agent. I spotted a Japanese one in Seattle outside the Uwajimaya store which I wish I used. But oh well.
Another ramification of Priceline is that I have to take a shuttle bus from Narita Int'l to Haneda Airport. Hopefully I can find that quick enough and not be bogged down due to being a foreigner traveling through customs and all of that. I have 3 hours to make it there so I should be fine.
And Kansai says that my Osaka flight might be changed to Kansai Int'l? It's all very odd. I have directions from either airport to be safe. I'm really not worried at all about any of it, but it will kind of suck getting to my dorm room at 10:00PM or so over there, which is 5:00AM on West-Coast time, 8:00AM on East-Coast time. So I'll only be up for 26 hours, not too bad. I think I'll adjust fine...
Well, here's to a good trip!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Ferries, Jackals, and Coffee.
On the 15th I flew back to Puyallup from Towanda to spend some more time with Angela. After a good dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory (29 different cheesecakes to choose from,) the two of us spent the night in Mount Vernon. The next morning we took the ferry from Anacortes to San Juan Island.
The ride was really nice and it was clear weather. Surprisingly the ferry is now equipped with Wi-Fi. Now if we can only get buses and trains to - Oh, they already have that on some in Seattle... Anyway, the view was great from the boat. You could see all the boats sliding by in the water and homes of the rich hidden on smaller islands in the trees.
A view of another ferry
We stayed in the Orca Inn, which doesn't show you pictures of the rooms for a reason. The place was basically 8 double-wides with small rooms partitioned inside. Our room was as big as a bed is, and we had a room with a sink and one with a toilet and shower. It was reasonably priced and close to the airport though...
The town was nice and had quite a few good restaurants to go to, shops to browse, and coffee shops to relax in. Other than that, you have beaches to walk on, you can rent mopeds and scooters, rent kayaks, go whale-watching, or drive around.
We mostly walked about town, did a lot of reading in coffee shops, and visited the beaches. Across from Jackal's Lagoon there was another beach, which seemed to have had the jackals. We spotted some ears in the tall grass and then a head. They disappeared and after a flash of a tail the ears moved closer. Eventually a jackal came right up to our car. It left after inspecting us and another one came up. Further down the road we saw another car throwing food at two other black jackals. We got a lot of good pictures of them, and then walked along the driftwood at the beach we were headed for; I kept a stick to fend them off should they attack.
Our last dinner there we ate at an open restaurant and watched the ferry collect vehicles from the fair that was closing the day we got there. It was fun seeing the Corn Dog Shack and the elephant ride going onto the boat. The next morning we had a good breakfast in a packed cafe, so you know the food is good. We enjoyed the scenery on the boat ride back to Anacortes and drove back to Puyallup.
Aside from the great vacation I've been passing my time sleeping and stuying Japanese through translating my Earthbound manga. I've though that I've gotten halfway through it but now it looks like I'm maybe a quarter through. Translating is good, and so is understanding the comics, but I don't think it's that great for learning vocabulary at the rate I'm going. I should probably try memorizing some lines or studying useful words; I have learned a few though.
I wonder if I should be studying grammar for the entrance exam once I get to Kansai, but I'm not too worried. I have the next week to do this since Angela left for Denmark yesterday and I have lots of free time to spend in coffee shops. I have two that I'll bounce between, Central Perk and Forza. No more Coffee Bar since they forgot to pay taxes...
I may stay at Forza though since I encountered two old Japanese ladies there and was eavesdropping on them. I think one of them owned the cafe since she went behind the counter at one point, but she did remark to her friend at one point that the barista was a nice, smart girl. I told her after they left and she thought it quite funny.
Here's to the new blog, and studying Japanese with coffee!
The ride was really nice and it was clear weather. Surprisingly the ferry is now equipped with Wi-Fi. Now if we can only get buses and trains to - Oh, they already have that on some in Seattle... Anyway, the view was great from the boat. You could see all the boats sliding by in the water and homes of the rich hidden on smaller islands in the trees.
A view of another ferry
We stayed in the Orca Inn, which doesn't show you pictures of the rooms for a reason. The place was basically 8 double-wides with small rooms partitioned inside. Our room was as big as a bed is, and we had a room with a sink and one with a toilet and shower. It was reasonably priced and close to the airport though...
The town was nice and had quite a few good restaurants to go to, shops to browse, and coffee shops to relax in. Other than that, you have beaches to walk on, you can rent mopeds and scooters, rent kayaks, go whale-watching, or drive around.
We mostly walked about town, did a lot of reading in coffee shops, and visited the beaches. Across from Jackal's Lagoon there was another beach, which seemed to have had the jackals. We spotted some ears in the tall grass and then a head. They disappeared and after a flash of a tail the ears moved closer. Eventually a jackal came right up to our car. It left after inspecting us and another one came up. Further down the road we saw another car throwing food at two other black jackals. We got a lot of good pictures of them, and then walked along the driftwood at the beach we were headed for; I kept a stick to fend them off should they attack.
A lighthouse we found
The first jackal
The second jackal (my favorite)
Driftwood on the beach
The first jackal
The second jackal (my favorite)
Driftwood on the beachOur last dinner there we ate at an open restaurant and watched the ferry collect vehicles from the fair that was closing the day we got there. It was fun seeing the Corn Dog Shack and the elephant ride going onto the boat. The next morning we had a good breakfast in a packed cafe, so you know the food is good. We enjoyed the scenery on the boat ride back to Anacortes and drove back to Puyallup.
The view from the restaurant
Aside from the great vacation I've been passing my time sleeping and stuying Japanese through translating my Earthbound manga. I've though that I've gotten halfway through it but now it looks like I'm maybe a quarter through. Translating is good, and so is understanding the comics, but I don't think it's that great for learning vocabulary at the rate I'm going. I should probably try memorizing some lines or studying useful words; I have learned a few though.
I wonder if I should be studying grammar for the entrance exam once I get to Kansai, but I'm not too worried. I have the next week to do this since Angela left for Denmark yesterday and I have lots of free time to spend in coffee shops. I have two that I'll bounce between, Central Perk and Forza. No more Coffee Bar since they forgot to pay taxes...
I may stay at Forza though since I encountered two old Japanese ladies there and was eavesdropping on them. I think one of them owned the cafe since she went behind the counter at one point, but she did remark to her friend at one point that the barista was a nice, smart girl. I told her after they left and she thought it quite funny.
Here's to the new blog, and studying Japanese with coffee!
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