17.12.05

can you become...

a new version of you?...

i don't know, can you? i think i've watched too many episodes of felicity. i'm not taking into a tape recorder talking to sally or whatever, but i'm just trying to make sense of my little experience here in japan. has seeing all of these japanese arts and crafts made me a different person? have i been transformed by all of the temples and gardens that i've seen? i'm not sure, as of yet, but if anything, maybe i'm not really a different person, but i think my view of the world just got a little bit wider, my eyes have been opened, . it's kind of refreshing to live somewhere else and experience a different culture to get a better perspective of where you're at.

so where am i? not sure yet, but i'll let you know when i get there...

6.12.05

christmas bells are ringing...


so this past saturday i headed out early to downtown kyoto to run some errands. i got on my bike and headed to koksaikaikan station in the cold air. i was basically shopping for some souvenirs for people back home. little things like this that are so simple for other people somehow create so much stress for me. the stress i assume stems for the fact that i don't want to give something cheesy to someone that i care about. i'd really like the gift to represent a lot of thought and not just something that i got off an end cap at the local 100 yen store. but when does this need for good will really worth the insanity it causes? in some cases, it's well worth it. and today was one of those days. so i did that in the morning and then headed to japanese class. we learned how to ask for our "yellow beanie" (along with various things). so after a good day of shopping for others (and i didn't buy anthing for myself, but i think to reward myself i'm goign to by these shoes that i saw (dude, they're on sale for about 5000 yen which translates into about $41. SCORE!), and possibly another jacket!) i grab my bike from the station parking lot and head back to the dohokan. one of the interesting things here is the fact that in a mainly buddhist nation, they still celebrate christmas. apparently christmas in japan is for lovers, so it's not a religious thing. but the station, the arcades and everthing else is deck out for christmas. well as i was riding my bike i saw this house with blinking lights, santas and elves outside. it was just so funny. anyways so i was looking at this in amazment and all of a sudden i turn my head and this bike light is heading towards me...AHHHH!!!!!!! fortunately i swerved to the right and the girl swerved to the left. so after this whole 1 second ordeal i yell out "SUMIMASEN!" (excuse me in japanese) and proceed to head home with my heart beating 100 miles per minute. dude, i didn't even check if the girl fell. whoops! i felt really bad, but i was so in shock. but i guess if she fell i would have heard a thud and a cry right? i'm sure she's fine.

5.12.05

YUKI ARIMAS!

It's SNOWING!!! it's 1:30 am and everyone is out throwing snow balls and enjoying the first snow fall.
here are a few pics. man am i going to miss japan...


just outside the line of fire...


more pictures tomorrow!!