i haven't been doing much updating. sorry about that.
let's see. well, i've been sick a lot. i've had three colds since i got here. working with kids and spending a lot of time in the cold makes me much more vulnerable to sickness than i was back home, so i'm making an effort to consume vitamin c, drink more water, exercise, and stay warm -- i even bought a space heater.
the last cold was the worst; it lasted for over two weeks. i don't usually take anything or go to the doctor when i'm sick, and i usually get better on my own. but by december 23rd my lymph nodes were huge and my throat was so sore i was having trouble eating, so i went to the hospital and got some medicine. it did the trick, and by the time christmas came around i was able to enjoy it.
speaking of christmas: i had a nice dinner with two of the other ALTs and their significant others. as is pretty common in japan, we ordered kentucky fried chicken, and it was the best fried chicken i've ever had (which admittedly might have something to do with the fact that i hadn't been able to eat properly for the few days preceding christmas). also, since none of us have proper ovens in which to bake a turkey or ham, it was pretty convenient. i made roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed eggplant and broccoli. the others made applesauce, fruit salad, and cookies. we had christmas cake for dessert -- mocha ice cream cake from baskin & robbins (aka thirty-one flavors, or "saati wan"). we exchanged awesome gifts. we watched
gremlins. it was nice. not quite the same as christmas at home with the family, but a good substitute.
the day after that, my parents came to visit for a week! we went to tokyo, hiroshima, miyajima, kyoto, and narita. i saw a good mix of places i wanted to revisit and places i've never been. i wanted to show them as much as possible in a short time, which meant a lot of running to catch trains and rushing from temple to temple. i think we were all exhausted by the end of it, but it was definitely worth it.
here's a day-by-day summary:
day 1:
arrival. too long in line for shinkansen tickets. mall food for dinner. awesome things from home, including stumptown coffee, three jars of adam's peanutbutter, three corresponding jars of marionberry jam, a tin of almond roca, and the best robe ever (christmas present from my sister).
day 2: first stop:
asakusa and sensoji temple. tempura and udon for lunch. next:
ueno park and the tokyo national museum. the park had a gritty feel that you don't often find around here. the museum was great too. hiroshiges and hokusais, samurai armor, ancient scrolls. then:
shibuya. hachiko square, bright lights, big city, overpriced fruit. ran into chris in shibuya station, getting off the train we were getting on.
day 3:
hiroshima. power-walking for the first train out of shiroi at 5:12. the shinkansen didn't feel as fast as i expected. it started snowing lightly when we arrived at the peace park. the
peace memorial museum was, unsurprisingly, as intense as the first time. then (because it's what you do when you visit hiroshima) we had okonomiyaki in okonomi village, which these days is one floor of a building filled with competing okonomiyaki vendors. yum.
day 4:
miyajima. saw deer and the famous torii in the ocean and itsukushima shrine. ate momiji manju (a cake shaped like a maple leaf and filled with sweet red bean paste) fresh off the assembly line. took a ropeway to the top of the island and saw monkeys huddled together in the snow. then back to hiroshima for a train to kyoto.
day 5:
kyoto. bus pass: $5. temple of the golden pavilion (kinkakuji) in all its shiny splendor, temple of the silver pavilion (ginkakuji), with no silver in sight but more moss than i've seen in my life and phenomenal zen gardens, quick stop for lunch, short uphill hike through narrow shop-lined streets -- oh look, a maiko! -- to kiyomizu (literally: clear water) temple, view of kyoto from above. i separated from my parents for a few hours for dinner with my host sister kanako and her husband's family in uji. hadn't seen her since her daughter kotoha -- turning four in two days -- was a newborn. now she has another newborn. kanako's as easy to be around and sweet as ever. and kotoha, well, i'm in love. i really wish i lived closer to them.
day 6:
new year's eve. since i could not stand the thought of visiting to kyoto without going to inari shrine, we went. it was amazing as ever, but too brief. then up kyoto tower and some quick shopping before catching the shinkansen to tokyo. made it home around six, exhausted. left a few hours later to drive out to meet my friends greg and samantha, and sam's dad for new year's eve festivities. went to a small temple in shibayama, which was totally perfect. not too crowded, but enough people to feel the excitement a new year brings. and fireworks! then to
narita temple for bigger crowds, more cops. got home at 4 a.m., my dad shivering and sick. sorry, dad.
day 7:
new year's day. dad stayed home with the kotatsu and japanese tv while mom and i braved the crowds in
asakusa and
harajuku. meiji shrine on new year's day apparently attracts 3 million people -- an impressive sight. also, the yakisoba was good.
day 8:
departure. drove my parents by two of my schools and then to
hard off (i'm not kidding, that's the store's name) to check out used electronics and video games. not enough time, as always. then to the airport.
it sure was great to see them.
and now it's a new year, and vacation is almost over. i'm spending the last few days of it relaxing around my apartment, sleeping in, reading, sorting through the hundreds of photos i took last week. i'm also considering getting a haircut. and maybe i'll take the keyboard my friend loaned me out of its box and see what i can do with it.
vacation photos will be up soon.
