OSAKA!!!

Just a warning, this might be another long one.


I didn’t pack for this trip until the day of. Mostly because my laundry wasn’t dry yet. And then, for reasons forgotten, I stayed up later than I should have, and so I slept in a bit. Now this wouldn’t be a problem if I could just get it through my head that the time I have to be at the airport is not the same as the time I need to leave for the airport. *sigh* So yeah, I almost missed my plane. Like, I run up to the counter to check in 9:44 and the lady calls upstairs to hold the plane so it doesn’t depart at 9:45 like it’s suppose to. *sigh* But I did make it. And it was okay. Then I had a bit of a layover, not too bad, in Naha. I didn’t fly directly to Osaka because of that free ticket that I won a while back, so I had to transfer through Naha both ways. Both flights are without major incident and I get to the airport only to realize exactly how far Kansai is from Osaka. It took me about an hour on the train. Grrrr. But I FINALY get to the hotel and see Tiffany, who arrived with me on Wednesday, and we go out to eat dinner. Lemon Beef with potatoes and miso soup. Happiness.

After “lunch” we head over to Universal City, I can’t even remember why we headed that way in the first place, but it was fun. We found out that there is now a City Walk at Universal City (and yes, this is the station for Universal Studios Osaka, so Natalie, did you want to ride roller coasters for your birthday? We could) and did a bit of shopping. We found a used shop where we bought thermal shirts (it was freakin’ cold!) and I got a cheap Indian style over dress. Silk. We also found the Takoyaki museum and several American restaurants. We went in for a drink/desert and were waited on a beautiful Japanese man who couldn’t understand us even when we were talking Japanese.

This day was my first taste of the Osaka subway system. Which I have decided is on crack. Just getting to Universal City and back, we missed our stop (twice), got on the wrong train (because we were in the right place, just 3 different trains stop on that track), and got really frustrated. It was not happy. Honestly my gross impressions of the city is “I like Osaka, but I hate the subway.” But that’s not quite accurate. I like the subway okay, it’s the JR rails that they have here that I hate. It’s just not pleasant.

Okay, Thursday is the day that Marnie and Chris were suppose to meet us in Osaka, but Marnie was feeling sick, so she stayed home an extra day, and it took Chris forever to get to Osaka from Murakami, so Tiffany and I had some time to kill. So we went to Kyoto. It was about senen (1000yen) and took all of 30-40 minutes on the rapid train. We didn’t have a whole lot of time once we got there, so we hopped a bus to the Golden Temple and just did that one temple before hopping the bus/train back to ShinOsaka to meet Chris and to eat Indian food (oh, the curry!). The owner was really nice, we each wanted only one samosa, but they were sold in sets of two, so we asked if we could just get three, and he said “anything is possible,” which was really nice, and not something you are taught to expect in Japan.

After lunch we went back to the hotel (which is really nice, by the way. Private access, our own bathroom, kitchenette, and no curfew) to drop off Chris’s stuff before heading back out to Amerika-mura (American village) to go window shopping (I got a name brand jacket, for half the original asking price, and it’s cute!). We found bubble tea, and then karaoke (so much fun!) We also got picked up by some cute boys. They got us into a club for cheaper, and then we found out that they were actually performing at the club, which was why they were trying to sell tickets. We had just enough time to go get dinner (pasta and pizza) before seeing their set, and they were surprisingly good for Japanese Hip-hop. Afterwards we asked them for a cd, and got one for free, then when we told them that we’re gonna pass it along to our friends in music production and radio shows (which I’m not lying, between the three of us, we’re pretty connected) suddenly 2 more cds appeared and we were able to get a picture with the boys. It was a great night.

The next morning started really slowly, so we decided to go to Nara for the afternoon. Again, tickets were about senen and it took about 45 minutes to get there on the rapid. We had time to go see the Big Buddha just before it closed, and then head back to meet up with Marnie for dinner. We called it an early night, and went to bed around 10.

The next morning Chris and Marnie went to the Maritime Museum and Tiffany and I went to Tennoji Station. We ate okonomiyaki at the station, my first actual okonomiyaki, and it was really nice. The guy made it bigger for us because we were sharing, and he chatted to us a small bit. We sat at the bar, right where they were making it, so we could see how they did it. On our way to the famous Shintennoji Temple we were distracted by a museum holding a special exhibit called Binimbo (or something like that, I’ll look it up later), Japanese gold painting. It was relatively cheap, so we went to the museum. It’s perminate collection was a bunch of old Buddhas, and then we saw all of the old paintings from the 16th-18th centuries. It was really neat to see the progression of subject matter and style as Japan went through some if it’s radical political changes. I bought the book that went with the exhibit.

Then we headed to the temple, looked around for a bit, and happened to sit in on a Japanese funeral (not an actual one, but when someone dies, they morn for a year, so we saw some of the prayers and chanting and stuff), which was really neat. And then we headed back towards Universal City for more Takoyaki and stupid shopping (I bought silly things) before heading back home.

In the morning, I got up with Chris and Marnie and accompanied Chris to Shinosaka where she got on her shinkansen to go home (she actually missed her train because of the stupid subway system, but the guy was so nice when she was freaking out and changed her ticket), then I went back and met Tiffany at a different station to go to church.

Tiffany knows Elysha through the JETs of African Decent group, and Elysha invited us to the church’s service and Thanksgiving dinner. It was really interesting to see the International Church of Christ’s service, and good to meet the nice people there. And dinner was “not too shabby” either. I need to get Elysha’s recipe for her cranberry sauce. And they went to Cosco’s for the Pumpkin Pie and turkey. It was excellent.

While we were there we met Dominique, from Montreal, Canada, on JET in Gifu, middle of nowhere in Gifu. Her train didn’t leave until 7, so we traveled together to Umeda Station (or Osaka station, depending on what line of the subway you’re on) and just hung out and talked. I braved the holiday crowds at the Yodobashi department store and got Leo his stupid ps3 dual shock controller, white, just like he asked for. And then when we dropped her off we headed back to the hotel.

Tiffany’s bus didn’t leave until 11pm that night, so we watched the new episode of Heroes (I got her hooked :P ) and went out for an awesome pasta dinner at a place around the corner from our hotel and right next to the station. The lady there was so nice too, they gave us “service” (free stuff), roasted garlic in a dressing. Then I said goodbye to Tiffany at the station and went back to my now lonely and empty hotel to have a bath and call Leo (who was asleep, I miscounted the time change, but he talked to me for 2 minutes anyway), and Mom for about half an hour, where I showed her what I got Natalie and Dad for Christmas (heheheh), and just generally conversed happily. Then bed.

Now I’m sitting at Kansai airport (after not quite getting lost getting here) waiting for my play that wont leave for another hour and 15. I even had time to sit down and eat tendon for lunch. And get my omiyage for my schools. Now I just don’t know what to do with myself. I might go ahead and watch smallville. I mean, I am just sitting here. No internet . . .

And I just got home to it raining cats and dogs and a message from my grandma on my phone :D

I'll post pictures later, I have over 500 to go through . . .