A SOLO EXCURISION - MATSUMOTO, TAKAYAMA, AND KANAZAWA

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Japan had a holiday. Guess what it's called? Health Sports Day. Yep, and I can only assume that it's meant to encourage people to be active and healthy. What a great idea! In the spirit of that, I decided to strap on my backpack and walk around a few cities.

Matsumoto on Friday, Takayama from Friday night to Sunday morning, and Kanazawa from Sunday afternoon to Monday night. My first true excursion in Japan other than Tokyo. It was pretty spur of the moment, but I had a good idea of some cool stuff I was going to be able to check out, plus a few surprises along the way.

Matsumoto

Friday morning I got up super early to jump on a bus to Matsumoto. As was evident from the get-go, bus is by far the cheapest (other than hitchhiking) form of travel in Japan, and usually by a factor of two or three. So yeah, bus was preferred. I got to Matsumoto early in the morning after a good nap on the ride over, and so the adventuring began.

A weird deviation from my normal self started at the beginning and became consistent through the entire trip. I didn't wear flip flops. I mean, I wore them to start, but I changed out of them and actively switched for shoes. Whoah. Big change from the norm. More on that to come.

The main reason I went to Matsumoto was for the castle, valued as one of the top three in Japan. While I was there, they were setting up for some kind of festival right around the castle, so there was a good bit of hustle and bustle going on all over the place.

I eventually weaved my way in and needless to say, the castle was quite a visit. It itself was impressive, and the grounds and moat that surrounded it just added to the draw of the place. The woodwork inside was absolutely impeccable, which turned out to be a cool recurring theme for the weekend. There were some massively huge beams and pillars and how everything interconnected and joined together was quite a treat. Also, the main tower had a 'hidden floor', which from the outside you wouldn't know by the building's structure that it is there. But it is. And it's a pretty cool design feature.

The morning was beautiful for a wander through an old castle, and the moat next to it really made the place pop. And of course it helped that some of the trees were starting to change their color. Fall is wonderful.

After I saw the castle, I walked down to a little stream, walked along some quaint little shops, tried some soy-sauce rice cake (meh, it wasn't all that great), and then meandered to a little park.

Overall, Matsumoto was a lot bigger than I expected, but it was also very empty. It could just be from living in Tokyo, where the place is HUGE and there's people EVERYWHERE. But this was a much different change of pace.

To be honest, though, it was kinda weird. There was that one national treasure in the town (which is clearly an important cultural relic and structure), but really not much else. The rest of it is just a pretty normal city with people living their life. I think it might just be weird that such an important historical item is tucked so inconspicuously in a medium sized town in the mountains. Either way, I enjoyed witnessing it.

Takayama

From Matsumoto, it was a quick (2 hour) bus ride to Takayama, and it was one of my favorite bus rides ever, just because of the windows. Not only did the windows slide open, but it felt like the entire side wall of the bus opened up. It was AWESOME!!! Fresh mountain air flowing on by with views of waterways and valleys on both sides of the road. I could've jumped out of the bus if I wanted, but was too busy enjoying the ride.

About an hour outside of Takayama, we stopped at an Onsen village (think something like a ski resort) for a quick break. As a sign of the amazing foodiness awaiting me in the town, I compulsively bought a beef bun. I had no real idea what I was in for, but hot damn was it a treat. One of many through the weekend...

Rolling into Takayama, I made my way to the hostel straight from the station. This happened to take me right through town and gave me a quick glimpse into the hidden gem I stumbled upon. I checked into my hostel, which was in a Buddhist temple, and got to walking around.

Something I found out earlier the week prior, Takayama hosts two festivals throughout the year: one in Spring and one in Fall. Wouldn't you know it? I happened to visit on the weekend of the Autumn Festival. And wouldn't you know what else? I arrived on the night of the Night Festival. Needless to say, I was a happy explorer. Unfortunately, the hostel had a strict 10pm doors locked policy, but that was plenty of evening to wander with.

As anyone who knows me knows, first comes first. And that means food. Lucky for me, Takayama is home to some succulent beef everywhere you look. (The beef bun was a foreshadowing, or a welcome mat. Both work in this case.). I was hungry, but wanted to explore, so I got a couple of beef skewers that ended up melting in my mouth, leaving me wanting a few dozen more.

The only solution was beer. I happened to stumble upon the Hida-Takayama Craft Brewery and sampled their delicious Red Bock. Oh boy, yummy. I even got to chatting briefly with the guy and talked about where I was from. I said, "Portland." And he said, "Sanctuary. Oh, Portland is beer sanctuary." Yessir. Yes it is. :-) Craft beer makes the world go round.

The night festivities didn't start for a while, so I got in a good bit of meandering around. There's a couple decent-sized areas of Takayama with traditional older-style buildings, and it was a great place to check out. The buildings and homes were very quaint, tightly packed, but gave off an awesome atmosphere. With the festival spirit buzzing, it just added to the enjoyment.

Eventually, things got started for the festival. After walking around and checking out the 11 ridiculously decked out and ornate Yatai (floats), there was a little dragon dance leading the way. They had a cool performance, and then the floats followed behind. The parade route was a bit precarious, going over bridges and taking some tight turns, which was not an easy or smooth task for the float operators.

So the floats belong to certain families or groups in the town, and each float is fastidiously maintained with pride. Each one is heavily gilded (some more than others), has some kind of origin story behind it, and is usually about three levels tall. Some of the floats were four wheeled, the others were two or three wheeled, but all were fairly rigid, as in no steering wheel. So the reason the curves were an interesting obstacle, is because most of the floats had to be tilted over, a third turning wheel was installed, and then the things were rotated before being set back down.

And the reason this was a bit precarious was at the top level. As the things got tilted, obviously the weight got shifted off the center. For some reason, fully aware that this would happen, the floats were stuffed with little kids up top playing flutes, drums, or whatever else they could for music along the way as the thing shakes rattles and rolls down the street. So every time the float got tilted, those tiny kids up top where thrown around a bit. I'm surprised I didn't see anyone fall off.

From my understanding, no one fell off, but lots of revelry and fun was had during the procession. Japanese parades are much different than American ones. There are fewer floats, but there's much more opulence. Everything was steeped in tradition according to the old style, aka swanky and emblazoned with gold, and all of the floats are pushed and pulled along.

The tradition of it was pretty cool to see. The dress of the people in the procession, the excitement of the people there to enjoy it, the crazy intricacy and detail in the float designs, and everything else. The fact that this went on at night definitely added to it to, concentrating all the attention on the main attraction rolling down the tight streets.

When the floats took a break on the main street, I hopped over to the festival main street to peruse and grab some food. This part of the festival was no different from what you see in the US. There was tons of fatty fried and delicious food screaming to be eaten (albeit different varieties than what I'm used to), but still with tons of preteens and kids running around embracing that little bit of freedom they can grasp during such an event. The food was delicious, the crowds were huge and annoying, but altogether a good experience.

After the floats finished up their break, they made their way along the rest of the route. I headed back to the hostel for curfew, and finished off a great night at the Takayama Autumn Festival.

The next day I had a perfect morning for walking around. It was quite grey, cloudy and foggy, chilly, but absolutely perfect for a stroll along the Temple Trail on the east side of town. The temples were set up like houses in a new development, one right after the other, but each with their own unique feature.

I then proceeded to the park overlooking the town. After a short hike up in the fog and trees, I got to the old castle ruins at the top of the hill. Although they were just ruins, they had pictures and diagrams showing what the castle looked like when it was still standing, and what a place it must have been. Right at the peak of the hill overlooking the whole valley, that was definitely a good place for a castle. And the pictures of the place itself looked pretty damn awesome.

Back down to the town, I walked through some more quaint streets and went to Takayama Jinya, which was a relic of the Edo period. It's a complex of governmental buildings for local and non-local, as well as royal, officials. There used to be over 60 Jinya spread throughout Japan, but this one in Takayama is the only one still standing, and is in quite good condition.

I got there and paid my entrance, then asked if there was a tour. The lady informed me that they were totally full for the day (holiday weekend with a festival in town, makes sense), but then did something awesome. Since I couldn't get a tour, she came out of the ticket booth and brought a set of poster boards detailing the history of the Jinya and its role in Japan and the local area. What a sweet lady, definitely going above and beyond the call of duty. Another sign of the extreme kindness and hospitality of the Japanese people. I guess it definitely helps to ask!

Here's some fun stuff I learned:

The tatami mats (rice straw mats used to cover floors) have distinct borders around them.

One for the royal family.....

.....one for local officials.....

.....and one without a border for the locals/servants.

• They have a rice-storage building that's over 420 years old. There used to be more of it, but four sections were taken down.
• They needed so much rice storage because rice was what was collected for taxes rather than money
• Takayama was taken over or added to the overall Edo (Tokyo) rule because of the many features and benefits of the region, such as lush forests and productive mines

After the Jinya, I was hungry, so I got some more beef. This time beef sushi, but with some Fugu to go with it. And of course another beef bun... Fugu is the poisonous blowfish that only a handful of chefs are able to prepare. I was/am a little skeptical it was the real thing, but it tasted like other people's descriptions of it: rubbery, chewy, and not too much taste out of it. Either way, it was sustenance, and it was pretty good. (That beef though, oh man, so delicious).

From there I walked around the beautiful back streets and alleyways and through another street market. The city was in a calm state of buzz that morning, with festival activities still ongoing. Because there was so much festival food, I sampled a few more things. One was some pancake poppers, called Bebi Kasutera. Essentially pancakes but in ball shape for quick bite-size snacks. They were delicious.

Next I tried some festival Okonomiyaki, which was also fucking delicious. I grabbed it and then headed to sit by the river and people watch while I ate it. I took one bite and knew something was missing. So I went and got it.

Down the street was a bottle shop/liquor store, and luckily enough they had a few brews from the Hida Takayama brewery I tried the night before. I got their Stout and their Karumina, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale that they won an award for at the World Beer Cup.

Bounty in hand, I went back to the river for beer and food. And needless to say, it was the perfect combination, hitting every right spot. It was super delicious (the beer and the food), and the atmosphere went perfectly right along with it. People were having a great day everywhere I looked, there were little kids running around all over the place (see commentary at the end), and it was easy to see why Japanese Festivals are such a necessary cultural experience.

The fun continued (festival-wise) with the marionette performance. One of the floats has an intricate marionette setup built into it, with a giant buddha-like guy and a few dolls that swing from trapezes. The performance is about twenty minutes long, and pretty ho-hum, but interesting knowing that it's all controlled by strings. I think the fact that a pine tree was covering 3/4 of my view of the performance contributed to my underwhelming reaction...

Afterwards, I walked back down to the river to finish my second beer and do some more people watching. Once complete, I took a bus over to Hida no Sato, which is a folk village with buildings and replicas from the Edo Period.

This place was really cool and also quite picturesque. It was on a hillside overlooking the outer edges of town, but all of the buildings were quite impressive to walk into and explore. Most of the buildings were relocated from another area of the country, but all had displays showing some craft or trade or facet of life back in the building's original location or heyday. I just want to come back in winter though, and see what it'd look like all covered in snow. I can only imagine how peaceful it would be.

After exploring Hida no Sato, I decided to walk back to town. As I began, I was gravitated towards this monstrous building on a hill kinda close to the folk village. A golden arched roof, with a giant star on the side and a red ball on top, I thought it had to be some kind of monument, or really decked out church. I didn't think it could be Jehovah's Witness, or Mormon, but I felt like it had some sort of religious tie-in, or possibly a really well-off cult.

Enjoying the beautiful sunset, I made my way over there and walked around a bit trying to see if I could get in. It was closed, and the whole area was really well gated off and protected. Kinda strange... Eventually I found a sign, and it said it was the Suza - The Main World Shrine for the Mahikari religion (seems pretty damn cultish if you ask me...)

I really wanted to go in and check out what kind of ridiculous opulence and story line they were giving off, but unfortunately it was closed. I thought about coming back the next day before my ride to Kanazawa, but rain in the morning would force my hand.

The festival brought a ton of people to the city, and packed the small traditional streets with excitement and atmosphere. When I got back to town, there was a stark contrast to what I had left before going to Hida no Sato. All or most of the people were gone, almost all of the stores and restaurants were closed, there were no more street vendors and booths, and everything was much more calm and quiet.

What a clear difference, but even then, I loved the atmosphere. It was calm, relaxing, and really fun walking around town for a bit in the night with few people around. Unfortunately, I was really hungry, so I had to wander around a bit til I found something, but ended up going to 7-Eleven to pick something up, going back to the hostel and eating, but then finishing off the night in the Onsen at the hostel. Oh what a great way to end a day!!!

For Sunday, I planned on a lazy morning and relaxing walk to the train station. All went according to plan to start as I walked over and checked out the Hachiman shrine one more time and was really enjoying the calm and quiet town on a rainy morning.

Everything was super relaxing, until I remembered I forgot my towel at the hostel. That changed things a bit. The plan then was to bust back to the hostel, then pick up some breakfast before busting over to the bus station to catch the next one to Kanazawa in about 45 minutes (all the while really getting a big up on my speed walking skills).

I got back to the hostel and decided to chill out. No use in going crazy and getting all stressed out. So I ate my breakfast, lounged around a bit and then left again. On the way to the bus stop I got another beef skewer just for good measure. Sooooo goooooood.

At the bus stop, I found out that all buses to Kanazawa were full until 1pm. I wasn't trying to wait two hours, so I opted for taking the train to Kanazawa. It was a little bit more expensive, but well worth it.

The train ride from Takayama to Toyama was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful mountain passes and valleys along a river that the train criss-crossed multiple times provided absolutely beautiful scenery. It was a foggy day, but the green trees with the colors slowly changing made the mountainous river valley absolutely gorgeous.

Kanazawa

Changing trains in Toyama, I eventually got to Kanazawa, and was feeling a little less energetic and excited than I anticipated. I got in, walked to the main part of town (the castle grounds and big garden area), and got completely re-energized once I got to the castle grounds.

The Kanazawa Castle was a HUGE complex way back when, and now they've reconstructed a few parts of it, and the entire grounds is a free public park for people to enjoy. It was awesome. The buildings in combination with the green and open spaces really got my spirits back up and moving.

In the park, they have rebuilt a number of the buildings that used to stand in the complex, including a few of the entry gates, a tea house, storage shed, and the main castle. The main castle was quite an impressive structure to behold. But the best part about it, was that it was open to the public to go in and explore the building and learn about the work put into reconstructing it. Oh man, this was extremely impressive.

The entire place was fairly new, and the wood floors were super slick, making for great sliding. But besides that, the displays, information, diagrams, and entire building itself was super cool. The main turret was extremely impressive. Instead of it being a square structure, it was a diamond shape, with two corners at 100 degrees, and the other two at 80 degrees.

Now this in and of itself is impressive, but considering the giant stone foundation, the rudimentary and basic tools used to construct it, and the sheer precision of the whole building just made it that much more awesome.

The entire time I was in the castle, I was giddy as a little kid walking around it. The woodwork throughout the entire thing was absolutely impeccable, and the sheer craziness, variety, and complexity of the joint-types in use was mind boggling. They had a cool display of a lot of the more technical joints, and it blew me away.

I love it when I get in those moods where everything I look at blows me away and gets me super excited. I feel like a little kid that can't come off the awesome cloud I'm on. I was definitely riding that high the entire time in and after the castle.

When I was in the castle and admiring the technical prowess of these carpenters of old, I got a tinge of weirdness I'll explain later. It brought me back to my childhood and got me excited on one hand, but then left me longing for someone to share such a cool thing with. That little bit of melancholy fit in perfectly with the grey and rainy day I was enjoying, but no worries, it didn't bring me down.

Overall, I had a LOOOOOOOONG day of walking around. After doing a good amount of perusing around other parts of the Kanazawa Castle park, it was around dusk, so I walked over to the old samurai village, one of the chiya districts (Tea house/geisha areas), and some more. I took a few good night photos (wouldn't you know it, the one trip I don't bring my tripod on is the one trip that I wish I had it with me...), but got to the point where I was a few hours past due for food, and somehow my legs kept going. I was a walking machine.

Finally I got food and it was quite delicious. Spicy ramen with gyoza, mmmmmm. I ate then sat around for a bit. Afterwards, I obviously needed some ice cream to go with it, and then had a huge stroke of luck!

The plan for that night was to stay at a Manga Cafe, because all of the hostels and stuff were booked out for the weekend. I can't remember where, but I heard about one hostel in Kanazawa, Shaq Big House, before my trip. I knew I was in the area, so I figured it couldn't hurt to go ask if they by chance had a free bed for the night. Well, guess what, they had a free bed!!! What an awesome surprise to get one and perfect timing to go with it. One more example that shows it never hurts to ask!

That next morning, I got up early to try and see as much of the town as I could with the unfortunately early sunset. First stop, I went back to the Samurai Village, and went into Nomura-ke, a replica house showcasing how people in the Samurai class lived. It was a cool little building, and had an extremely peaceful garden in the yard jammed into a small area.

After that, I went back to the Chiya district I was at the night before and walked through it again. This time, I got to see a Geisha on her way to work. Quite the opulent dress, and the stark white face paint. To be honest though, not very attractive...

Then, I was in the area of the Myoryuji Ninjadera, a Ninja Temple (that has nothing to do with actual ninjas). They have tours of it, but it's all by reservation. Despite this, I went over and asked if they had an available tour during the day. Three for three!!! Ask and you could receive! I was able to squeeze in the tour that was starting right as I got there. What a treat!

Well the building was pretty ridiculous. Built with trap doors, hidden staircases, a false door, a well that led to the castle (although that's not been proven), a couple of hidden floors, and a bunch of other stuff. Also, there was a room in the building where failed military leaders would be forced to commit Seppuku if they did something bad on the battle field. It was crazy to think of people slicing themselves open in a tiny little window-less room.

From there, I made my way over to the Kenrokuen Gardens, renowned as one of the top three most beautiful gardens in Japan. Although it was a grey, cloudy, and rainy day, I was impressed. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

In the garden, they had another building called the Seison-Kaku. It was originally built to house one of the shogun's or local leader's mother in her later life. (Mom, maybe I'll be able to do this for you some day!). It was another cool example of Japanese architecture and culture, and had another wonderful garden to enjoy. Also, the deck overlooking the garden was purposefully built to squeak. But the thing is, the squeaks resemble the sound made by a nightingale. Quite an intricate detail I'd say.

One annoying thing about Japanese architecture is the low height of buildings and ceilings and stuff. I slammed right into a rafter in the building that was no higher than eye-level for me. It really hurt, and I'm lucky I didn't bite off a part of my tongue. The weird thing was, it was in the middle of a hallway, like a baffle in a container of liquid, but there was no liquid, and it was on the ceiling. Why the hell is that there other than for structural reasons??? Either way, it hurt, and I didn't like it.

For some reason, that day, me and rain were on completely opposite time schedules. While I was in a building or whatever, it was nice and rain-less outside. But for the most part, every time I was outside, some kind of rain was coming down. After I left Seison-Kaku, it started pouring. I eventually found a store to stand in for a while as it passed, but man, I felt like I was back home in Washington.

From the garden, I wandered around some more to the other Chiya districts to admire the buildings and lazily stroll through the streets. I also went back to the Kanazawa Castle grounds and explored a bit more there. What a great park. If I lived there, I'd try to go there at least once a week to find a quiet place to people watch and admire the buildings and landscape. What a treat.

At that point, though, I was kind of traveled out and just looking to kill time before my night bus back to Tokyo. I went to a market that was supposedly the place to check out for a street market, but it was empty (I'm pretty sure because it was night time and a holiday). But I found the basement of the place and posted up at a table for a while. While there, there were a few school girls sitting there doing their homework amidst the really cheesy and obnoxious music. I gotta admit, I was pretty impressed at their ability to get shit done in that kind of environment. I know I couldn't have, but I think that attests to the importance and rigor of the Japanese education system and its sheer level of difficulty. Gotta do what you gotta do.

I realized I was pretty hungry at that point, and stumbled upon this awesome restaurant and grubbed up on some bomb-ass Okonomiyaki before the bus. Scrumdilly-icious. The restuarant itself was super cool too, because it was small, and all of the cooking was done right in front of you. The griddle was literally one of your plates. I feel like it wouldn't be allowed in the US, which is unfortunate, because it's awesome. While I was there, I chatted with some older Americans who were doing a guided tour through Japan. The couple next to me was nice and from Connecticut. But bwuh. That food was good.

Eventually, I got to the bus and we started towards Tokyo. But holy shit, the night bus was not a great experience for me. It was a fucking sauna in there. I couldn't fall asleep for the first three hours. We had a rest stop so I got outside for some fresh air and it was better then. I got a few hours of sleep before we got back and I had to go to work, but all I could do to console myself was to realize how much money I saved.

Trip Summary

The short four day trip through the Japanese Alps was a total treat. I got to see some beautiful structures and relics of Japanese Culture, witness an awesome mountain town and it's electric Autumn Festival, see some ridiculous woodwork everywhere I went, and of course grub up on some DEEEEEEEEEElicious food. Major success.

Naming Conventions

I gotta admit, it's kinda convenient when there's only one vowel used in a word. Takayama. A's across the board. Kanazawa, same thing. It really makes typing the word pretty easy and quite enjoyable.

Flip Flops - The End of an Era?

As you all know, I hate shoes. Consequently, I wear flip-flops whenever possible. They let my feet breathe, it puts me in a relaxed mindset, and it's just all around awesome.

Well, something I've been starting to feel lately doing all the walking that I've done, the flip flops I've got are not really doing any good for my hips, knees, and legs, especially if I've got a big heavy backpack I'm carrying. This was extremely noticeable during a portion of my trip, which is why I chose to wear shoes for the vast majority of the trip.

This honestly makes me a little bit sad. I love flip flops. They're almost a part of my identity. But if it's a risk to my long term physical health and ability to be fit and active, I can't risk it. I think I just need to find good trekking flip-flops or sandals. Something with good support and good impact absorption that can take a little bit of the load and strain off my joints and distribute weight better into my feet.

If any of you lovely readers have any suggestions, I would most definitely love to hear them. But regardless, the search begins...

Japan and German Cultural Similarities

I've got two big one's to point out. Kimonos vs. Dirndls and Lederhosen, as well as Tea Houses vs. Beer Gardens.

So in both countries, it seems like people really value their Sunday Stroll, and both places like to get dressed up for the occasion. When I was in Germany, it wasn't out of place to see a family all dressed up, with the men wearing Lederhosen, and the women donning a Dirndl, as they walked through their town on a calm day. In Japan, it's almost the exact same thing, but the dress consists of kimonos instead. The family gets dressed up, and goes for a walk around town in their traditional garb.

The second one has to do with drinking (not necessarily alcohol). Walking through a park in Germany, you're very liable to find a Biergarten from the local Brauerei, where you can come, chill, have a beer, and enjoy the beautiful day. In Japan, however, they prefer their tea. So in most parks, you'll find a tea house, where you can come in, drink some tea, and usually do so overlooking a picturesque pond or something.

Just a couple quick comparisons I've noted between the two cultures. Pretty interesting in my book.

Pangs of Loss

Back to the thing about me being in the Kanazawa Castle and missing something. Growing up, I dabbled in woodworking and carpentry thanks to my Dad. He did a lot of stuff around our homes for repairs, new constructions, and general projects, and a lot of the times I was able to help out and learn a lot from him in the process.

Going through the castle, I was geeking out pretty hardcore about all of the crazy carpentry and craftsmanship that went into that place. It was all over the place and extremely impressive to witness. Naturally, I was in my kiddish giddy excited mood, but it got me wishing I could share that geekiness and excitement with someone. Naturally, my thoughts went back to my Dad, as he's the only one that I've really ever shared the craft of woodworking with.

Now I'll save the long and drawn out story of it, that's a little more private and personal than I'm willing to dive into on this medium, but I'm no longer in contact with my Dad. It sucks, cause I know the Dad that raised me would geek out just as much as me, if not more, about that kind of stuff. I could just imagine taking a video and sending some of the pics of the place to him and seeing his reaction. Or even better, having him there to go through it with me.

But that's not an option. Unfortunately the Dad I grew up with and remember from my childhood, who taught me many of the things I know and am today, is not the same one that exists today. Oh well, such is life, just another chance to remember the good times.

Pangs of Solitude

Ever since finishing off grad school, I've done a fair bit of traveling alone, and I gotta admit, I really enjoy it. It's fun to be able to have that complete freedom to do what you want, go where you want, and be able to change all your plans on a moment's notice. My Norway trip was a great example of that. Two weeks of just me be-bopping around the land of Fjords. It was perfect, everything happened just as it should have happened, and it is by far the best trip I've ever been on.

But as with most things, the more the merrier. It's usually a big enhancement to have other people along for the fun and the ride. There were a couple of times during this trip where it would've been a big enhancement to have someone there to enjoy the ride with me.

For some reason, I place a lot of importance on the compatibility of a travel buddy. In South Korea with Zena, it was great. We both had a great time together enjoying and exploring the country and people. In Germany, I had a great troupe of goofballs in Zack H., Dawn, and Katherine. We had some unforgettable trips and moments together, and somehow we meshed perfectly from the get-go. In Europe, my best buddy from High School and I had some troubles, but Zach T. and I grew through them and had an awesome time discovering a new continent together.

Overall, I think I place a lot of importance on a travel buddy because I'm worried I'm not going to have a fun time, or that I'm going to dampen someone else's time.

I take a lot of pictures. If you've ever traveled with me, you know that entails a lot of, "wait, where'd he go?" moments, as I randomly stop to snap a shot of something that catches my eye. That requires a lot of patience, something I'm wary of if people will tolerate, or if I'll have to alter myself and possibly miss out on some photographic good memories.

Taking a risk and giving it a chance is a weakness I have with situations involving people. In some areas of my life, I've taken some steps towards improvement, but when it comes to travel, I'm still clearly lacking in bringing others into my world of exploration. It's something I need to work on, and go into it with the understanding of patience and an open mind. Easier said than done in my book, but let's see how I can work on it!

Kids and Drunks - One and the Same?

Back to a more positive note. So as I was sitting and enjoying my Okonomiyaki and Takayama Stout by the river during the festival, I got in a good bit of people watching. One particularly vivid instance I remember was a little kid essentially dragging his Mom around as he was trying to run this way and that, up a walkway, around the grass, etc. etc., all while the Mom was telling him to slow down, stop, chill out, and the like.

This brought about a very distinct comparison in my mind. Kids are extremely analogous to drunks, minus the alcohol. A lot of times both kids and drunks will suddenly run off from their group and try to do something with weird looks on their face while babbling complete incoherent nonsense, as some sober authority figure is trying to hold them back and talk some sense into them.

I couldn't help but laugh, but damn, it seems pretty true.

Good Help, Bad English

As I was going home from work one day this week, I sat down, and noticed a mom and her daughter going over some homework. Well, the daughter was working on her English homework, and her mom was helping her.

While I was listening, I couldn't help but smile, seeing a young person learning a new language and having the help and support of her family. But at the same time, it was a little disappointing too, the pronunciation was atrocious, and really a case of the blind leading the blind.

It's no mystery that English skills in Japan are quite poor. And from what I've heard, it's because most of the learning is purely book-work; very little development is done in speaking and conversation. This seemed like a pretty good example of that situation.

Even commenting on this though, I feel like an ignorant prick. On the one hand, yes, English is my mother tongue, of course I'm good at it. This person is trying to learn and seems to be making some progress in doing so. But on the other hand, and at least in my mind, it's a huge disservice to someone to learn a language but not be able to use it in a comprehensible manner. That's what language is, a communication medium, and communication is all about comprehension.

I don't know, this is probably some ignorant asshole commentary bringing a negative light into a positive situation. Just something I noticed...

Rising Stock

My height! They had a height measurement thingamajig at the hostel in Takayama, and I am now officially 6' and 0.6" (184.5cm) tall!!! Hot damn!!! I've always said I'm just 6', but now I've got that little extra something to add on top of it!

Falling Stock

My weight. I'm down to 165lbs (74.5kg), and I don't think I've weighed this little since High School. No, I'm not starving, and I'm not anorexic. But damn, I didn't know I've dropped that much. (Because all you cats out there really care about this...)

Next Up

Slowly finishing another slow week at work. I've got a weekend in Tokyo coming up, with hopefully a baseball game, some partying, and some more exploration of the local environment. Also, Buckeyes game on Sunday morning, can't wait to see the all black unis! GO BUCKS!!!

It's weird to realize that I've only got about another 6 weeks here in Japan. And that time is going by incredibly fast. I've got a frisbee tournament planned for my last weekend here (and I'm super pumped for that), Halloween is in a couple of weeks (which is apparently quite the big deal here, OOOO I NEED COSTUME SUGGESTIONS!!!), and I plan on getting to Kyoto in one of the remaining weekends to explore and see the fall colors there.

Otherwise, time is going too fast. Now I've just got to enjoy the ride and soak it all up when and where I can. Who knows what fun may come my way!

Original Publish Date: October 15th, 2015