Saturday, May 26, 2007
Long time, no talk...
I just realised that it has been nearly a month since I wrote anything so I apologise to anyone who has been religiously following my blog and has been disappointed at the lack of activity. 失礼しました (that means `Please excuse me for my rudeness`).
Gosh, where to start. I should probably write something about my holiday in Osaka (even though that was four weeks ago....oops). Well, I went on holiday to Osaka four weeks ago during the Japanese Holiday of Golden Week (see previous posts for details). We stayed with my host father`s family at his palatial mansion of a house
(the photo isn`t in black and white because I was trying to be dramatic, I just forgot to put the camera back to auto). My host father`s father decided to `help` me by putting a complete English ban on the house and threatening me with violence if I so much as uttered an English word in his presence. Although it didn`t seem like it then, it was probably the best thing that has happened so far on my exchange. By being forced to use Japanese all the time, I stopped worrying about making mistakes so now, I can quite freely converse in Japanese.
This photo----> is of a restauraunt chain, the sign says `Bikkuri Donki` which means Surprised Donkey. I thought this was quite amusing.
On Wednesday, Maki and Te-chan took me to Kyoto. This was probably
the highlight of the week because it was so interesting. We visited Kiyomizu-dera which is a really famous Buddhist Temple. Incidentally, the powers-that-be are constructing a list of the `New Seven Wonders of the World` and Kiyomizu is a finalist. The amazing thing about Kiyomizu is that it is nearly 2000 years old, it is on the side of a mountain and it was built without using n
ails, just thousands of bits of wood cut to interlock together. This next photo ---> is of Maki and I in front of a famous statue in Kyoto (not sure what the statue is famous for). 
And this photo is of me in the famous Geisha district where Memoirs of a Geisha is set <-----
<----This photo is of my group on Bandai Bridge, the icon of Niigata City (it was very windy!).
Well folks, that`s about it for this edition of A Day (or 20) in the Life of William.
Gosh, where to start. I should probably write something about my holiday in Osaka (even though that was four weeks ago....oops). Well, I went on holiday to Osaka four weeks ago during the Japanese Holiday of Golden Week (see previous posts for details). We stayed with my host father`s family at his palatial mansion of a house
(the photo isn`t in black and white because I was trying to be dramatic, I just forgot to put the camera back to auto). My host father`s father decided to `help` me by putting a complete English ban on the house and threatening me with violence if I so much as uttered an English word in his presence. Although it didn`t seem like it then, it was probably the best thing that has happened so far on my exchange. By being forced to use Japanese all the time, I stopped worrying about making mistakes so now, I can quite freely converse in Japanese.While in Osaka, I did about every touristy thing there is to do. On the first day, I visited the huge statue of Buddha in 
Nara (the photo isn`t great but it`s about as good as I could do). We were unlucky because we arrived at the same time as three tour parties of obnoxious American tourists.
Nara (the photo isn`t great but it`s about as good as I could do). We were unlucky because we arrived at the same time as three tour parties of obnoxious American tourists.On the Tuesday of GW, my host mother`s sister, Maki, and her boyfriend, Te-chan, took me shopping in downtown Osaka, the most amazing thing about that day was that I didn`t buy ANYTHING (seriously, someone alert the media!). We went to a district called Namba which is full of Pachinko and slot parlours but had some interesting shops.
The photo below is of me with Te-chan in front of the famous `Glico Man` billboard (don`t ask me why it`s famous!).
The photo below is of me with Te-chan in front of the famous `Glico Man` billboard (don`t ask me why it`s famous!).
This photo----> is of a restauraunt chain, the sign says `Bikkuri Donki` which means Surprised Donkey. I thought this was quite amusing.
On Wednesday, Maki and Te-chan took me to Kyoto. This was probably
the highlight of the week because it was so interesting. We visited Kiyomizu-dera which is a really famous Buddhist Temple. Incidentally, the powers-that-be are constructing a list of the `New Seven Wonders of the World` and Kiyomizu is a finalist. The amazing thing about Kiyomizu is that it is nearly 2000 years old, it is on the side of a mountain and it was built without using n
ails, just thousands of bits of wood cut to interlock together. This next photo ---> is of Maki and I in front of a famous statue in Kyoto (not sure what the statue is famous for). 
And this photo is of me in the famous Geisha district where Memoirs of a Geisha is set <-----On Friday, I went with my host father`s brother, Kiyoto, to Umeda, a popular shopping district in Osaka. Again, I didn`t buy a
nything (shock horror, gasp, faint!). After that, we went to Kobe to visit Chinatown--> which was ridiculously crowded but interesting none-the-less. 
nything (shock horror, gasp, faint!). After that, we went to Kobe to visit Chinatown--> which was ridiculously crowded but interesting none-the-less. 
Saturday was my last full day in Osaka and th
at night, we went and had tempura with m
y host mother`s family. <---- This photo is of a cute little fish which you eat whole (it apparently has no bones.
at night, we went and had tempura with m
y host mother`s family. <---- This photo is of a cute little fish which you eat whole (it apparently has no bones.Sunday was the last day of GW and was spent driving back to Niigata (8 hours!).
After Golden Week, life very rapidly returned to normal with school taking over again. It was quite a shock, after a week of holiday, returning to 12 hours a day of school!
A week after returning from Osaka, AFS Niigata held the local orientation for all exchange students in the prefecture. This consisted of two days (two days of my life which I will never get back!) of lectures about AFS rules and the `AFS Mission`. Gosh, that was interesting!?!?! It was good though because I got to catch up with my
friends from the other Niigata chapters. Part of the orientation was learning a traditional dance called the Niigata So-odori, this was very interesting, particularly for someone as unco-ordinated as me!-->We also got to go on a field trip to vist the various sights of Niigata City and to experience a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.
friends from the other Niigata chapters. Part of the orientation was learning a traditional dance called the Niigata So-odori, this was very interesting, particularly for someone as unco-ordinated as me!-->We also got to go on a field trip to vist the various sights of Niigata City and to experience a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.
<----This photo is of my group on Bandai Bridge, the icon of Niigata City (it was very windy!).After the orientation on Sunday, a group of us went to karaoke which is 
always fun!----> This photo is of Robert, although it looks like he is writhing in agony, he is infact singing I Will Survive.
always fun!----> This photo is of Robert, although it looks like he is writhing in agony, he is infact singing I Will Survive.
<--- This is Melody (how appropriate!) who I believe is also singing I Will Survive, though not with quite as much passion.
Well folks, that`s about it for this edition of A Day (or 20) in the Life of William.
Until next time,
じゃね
// posted by Will @ Saturday, May 26, 2007 
Comments:
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ah william. that photo of the dance cracks me up because you are ALL doing different things. Its crazy. Surely not ALL exchange students are so unked?
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