So I'm not sure how the weather is there, but today it was awful. It was cold,and rainy, and miserable. Of course, that didn't stop us from seeing what there is to see in Hong Kong!
We were woken up this morning by one of the boys' (the people we're staying with, my parents' old friends, have two adorable little four-year-old sons) talking truck. Not the best way to wake up. Anyways, after breakfast we went out to another island that was an hour ferry ride from where we are. The plans were to go bike riding (there aren't any cars) in the mountains, but it was ruined by the weather. However, we did have a delicious meal and see a beautiful temple.
On the contrary, the past couple days have been boiling. We even had to buy more clothes it was so hot out. I am so hoping for a white Christmas. On that note, everyone have a great holiday season! I'll see you all in the new year!
-Georgie ;D
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Almost There!
Hello everyone!
At the end of our trip we went to Beppu, which is a big city that's right at the base of Mt. Unzen and Mt. Aso, the two largest active volcanoes in the world. Because of the volcanoes, there are many hot springs, which allows Beppu its wonderful onsens.We also got a hot black sand bath on the beach. Wonderful!
Then we got to Tokyo, where we finally met up with my mom and sister. It was nice to see them after so long. We went shopping in Harajuku and Shibuya and visited Asakasa temple. Then it was off to airport to Hong Kong! My first time in China!We think we might go to a pub to watch the Club World Cup finals, which was hosted in Tokyo. The city was absolutely packed with soccer fans. Go Corinthians!
-Georgie
At the end of our trip we went to Beppu, which is a big city that's right at the base of Mt. Unzen and Mt. Aso, the two largest active volcanoes in the world. Because of the volcanoes, there are many hot springs, which allows Beppu its wonderful onsens.We also got a hot black sand bath on the beach. Wonderful!
Then we got to Tokyo, where we finally met up with my mom and sister. It was nice to see them after so long. We went shopping in Harajuku and Shibuya and visited Asakasa temple. Then it was off to airport to Hong Kong! My first time in China!We think we might go to a pub to watch the Club World Cup finals, which was hosted in Tokyo. The city was absolutely packed with soccer fans. Go Corinthians!
-Georgie
Monday, December 10, 2012
More Travels
Sorry for the delay, our schedule has been jam packed for the past couple days!
Dec. 7
We had a pretty uneventful day. In the morning we did almost nothing but traveling and the planned museum was closed. We ended up just hanging out around Kitakyusyu which wasn't so bad. Our hotel was in Sasebo, where the hamburger was introduced in Japan by American sailors. Sasebo burgers are famous all over Japan and we got treated to them for dinner at the hotel. DELICIOUS!
Dec. 8
In the morning we did more train riding to Arita, which is a small city famous for their pottery and ceramics (pretty much everywhere is famous for something in Japan). There we visited the ceramic museum and also looked around old Arita town for some shopping. We viewed some exquisite pieces and had a great time.
Dec. 9
Another slow day. There were plans to go on a short cruise to a little island off the coast, but it actually SNOWED and some of us were sick (including me) which pretty much ruled it out.
Dec. 10 (today)
First we rode EVEN MORE TRAINS to get to Nagasaki, which is where we are now. In the afternoon we visited a beautiful garden called Susenji.
And one more thing:
I have tried both strawberry and sweet-potato flavored Kit-Kats. Yum (and I'm not being sarcastic).
-Georgie ;)
Dec. 7
We had a pretty uneventful day. In the morning we did almost nothing but traveling and the planned museum was closed. We ended up just hanging out around Kitakyusyu which wasn't so bad. Our hotel was in Sasebo, where the hamburger was introduced in Japan by American sailors. Sasebo burgers are famous all over Japan and we got treated to them for dinner at the hotel. DELICIOUS!
Dec. 8
In the morning we did more train riding to Arita, which is a small city famous for their pottery and ceramics (pretty much everywhere is famous for something in Japan). There we visited the ceramic museum and also looked around old Arita town for some shopping. We viewed some exquisite pieces and had a great time.
Dec. 9
Another slow day. There were plans to go on a short cruise to a little island off the coast, but it actually SNOWED and some of us were sick (including me) which pretty much ruled it out.
Dec. 10 (today)
First we rode EVEN MORE TRAINS to get to Nagasaki, which is where we are now. In the afternoon we visited a beautiful garden called Susenji.
And one more thing:
I have tried both strawberry and sweet-potato flavored Kit-Kats. Yum (and I'm not being sarcastic).
-Georgie ;)
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Miyajima
Konnichiwa!
On the second day of the trip we went to the island of Miyajima, which has a complete shrine that sits on stilts in the ocean. It includes a giant tori gate sitting in the inland sea, or Setonaikai. We took a cable car partly up a small mountain but hiked up to the peak. The view was amazing, with a 360 degree view of the ocean. And what's more, it snowed! Just some little flurries however. Today we have lots of traveling to get to Sasebo, our next destination. Super exited to come home!
See ya
-Georgie ;)
On the second day of the trip we went to the island of Miyajima, which has a complete shrine that sits on stilts in the ocean. It includes a giant tori gate sitting in the inland sea, or Setonaikai. We took a cable car partly up a small mountain but hiked up to the peak. The view was amazing, with a 360 degree view of the ocean. And what's more, it snowed! Just some little flurries however. Today we have lots of traveling to get to Sasebo, our next destination. Super exited to come home!
See ya
-Georgie ;)
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Hello once again!
I'm back at it again! Traveling, that is.
We've left Kyoto for good (wahhhhh!) and now I'm on the road with my dad and the students. Right now we're in Hiroshima, which is the city where the US dropped the first A-bomb during WW2. Sorry for the short post, but it's sort of a hard place to describe. Everything is rebuilt now except for the A-bomb dome, an old exhibition hall that was the one thing left standing after the bombing. It has been restored to its exact condition in the bombing but reinforced to stay standing as a monument and memorial of that day. We had a lecture from an actual survivor who was in the womb when it took place. He gave us his blog address, and I'm sure he would be happy to know that you checked it out too.
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/mitokosei/26522134.html
The above is a link to his mother's translated memoirs of that day. Please enjoy.
-Georgie
We've left Kyoto for good (wahhhhh!) and now I'm on the road with my dad and the students. Right now we're in Hiroshima, which is the city where the US dropped the first A-bomb during WW2. Sorry for the short post, but it's sort of a hard place to describe. Everything is rebuilt now except for the A-bomb dome, an old exhibition hall that was the one thing left standing after the bombing. It has been restored to its exact condition in the bombing but reinforced to stay standing as a monument and memorial of that day. We had a lecture from an actual survivor who was in the womb when it took place. He gave us his blog address, and I'm sure he would be happy to know that you checked it out too.
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/mitokosei/26522134.html
The above is a link to his mother's translated memoirs of that day. Please enjoy.
-Georgie
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Trip Continued
Sup again.
Monday we took a ferry (making me miss summer!) to Inujima (this island is named after a dog, so that's why inu (dog) is in the name). The island used to be a copper smelting factory, and the ruins have been made into an art project that takes you through the factory. One of the installations included a hallway that looked as though you were going to a drop off, but was actually lined with mirrors that created the illusion. I was creeped out by the whole thing, especially the falling-down smoke towers and didapilated refinery. But it was beautiful in a way, especially the black slag (residual material from the smelting process) sand and bricks. I would love to show you pictures, but for the art peices they weren't allowed. I do have some of the ruins, however.
Yesterday was also pretty full. From Uno Port we took another ferry to Naoshima. We got some famous udon (thick noodles) from a little shop as we waited for the ferry to Teshima, where we would spend the day. Luckily there were sixteen electric assist bikes at the rental store. And those things are cool- we spent most of the afternoon riding them in the mountains. Basically you turn the battery on and it gives you an extra push with every pedal. I know- I sound like a commercial. But they are seriously awesome. On the way was the Teshima Art Museum, a big white dome tucked next to bright green rice terraces on the side of a mountain. The installation was done by Rei Naito and Nishizawa. You go in and see something moving across the floor like little bugs, but when you get closer you realize it's water. Inching along the white floor, leaving no wet marks or any trace at all. At first it's weird but after awhile it feels sort of soothing. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The next museum was The Archives of the Heart by Christian Boltanski, and I registered my heart beat with the installation. Afterwards you can go into a room and hear it played on a speaker as a hanging light bulb flashes to the beat. That was also pretty fun and a little weird too. I got a CD of the recording, so if anyone wants to hear how my heart sounds through a stethescope, just ask! After the bike ride was finished we stopped for matcha (green tea) ice cream and visited some art houses on the island. Next we took YET ANOTHER FERRY(!) back to Naoshima. Everyone got dressed up for the fancy dinner, a seven-course French meal that included Amuse Bouche (like an appetizer) and a pre-dessert hibiscus palette cleanser. Delicious. Well that's all for today, got to go get ready for the Japanese dinner tonight. I hear it's getting cold there, but today it was about 90 for us! Missing you!
-Georgie (^.^)
Monday we took a ferry (making me miss summer!) to Inujima (this island is named after a dog, so that's why inu (dog) is in the name). The island used to be a copper smelting factory, and the ruins have been made into an art project that takes you through the factory. One of the installations included a hallway that looked as though you were going to a drop off, but was actually lined with mirrors that created the illusion. I was creeped out by the whole thing, especially the falling-down smoke towers and didapilated refinery. But it was beautiful in a way, especially the black slag (residual material from the smelting process) sand and bricks. I would love to show you pictures, but for the art peices they weren't allowed. I do have some of the ruins, however.
Yesterday was also pretty full. From Uno Port we took another ferry to Naoshima. We got some famous udon (thick noodles) from a little shop as we waited for the ferry to Teshima, where we would spend the day. Luckily there were sixteen electric assist bikes at the rental store. And those things are cool- we spent most of the afternoon riding them in the mountains. Basically you turn the battery on and it gives you an extra push with every pedal. I know- I sound like a commercial. But they are seriously awesome. On the way was the Teshima Art Museum, a big white dome tucked next to bright green rice terraces on the side of a mountain. The installation was done by Rei Naito and Nishizawa. You go in and see something moving across the floor like little bugs, but when you get closer you realize it's water. Inching along the white floor, leaving no wet marks or any trace at all. At first it's weird but after awhile it feels sort of soothing. That was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The next museum was The Archives of the Heart by Christian Boltanski, and I registered my heart beat with the installation. Afterwards you can go into a room and hear it played on a speaker as a hanging light bulb flashes to the beat. That was also pretty fun and a little weird too. I got a CD of the recording, so if anyone wants to hear how my heart sounds through a stethescope, just ask! After the bike ride was finished we stopped for matcha (green tea) ice cream and visited some art houses on the island. Next we took YET ANOTHER FERRY(!) back to Naoshima. Everyone got dressed up for the fancy dinner, a seven-course French meal that included Amuse Bouche (like an appetizer) and a pre-dessert hibiscus palette cleanser. Delicious. Well that's all for today, got to go get ready for the Japanese dinner tonight. I hear it's getting cold there, but today it was about 90 for us! Missing you!
-Georgie (^.^)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Big Trip
Sup.
So, as you may or may not know, this week is a big trip for the group. We're going all over to visit different things and living in hotels (L-O-V-E LOVE it!). And there's traveling to be done. Lots and lots of traveling.
Anyway, it started off on Sunday when we got up at seven to catch a Shinkansen (Bullet Train as they're more commonly known as in America). It was about an hour's ride to Okayama, the land of Momotaro (peach boy). We dropped our luggage at the hotel and headed out. Everyone was super hungry, and we happened upon an outdoor food festival. We got the best steak on a stick (like a kebob) and it was so good I stole my dad's. After our snack we continued on to Korakuen stroll garden. The group spread out, and my dad and I explored around too. We bought some fish food for the coy, which here are about 30 inches long and weigh around twenty pounds. They're also beautifully colored-- red, yellow, orange and gold. My favorite are the bluish-gray, which you can only see when the light hits the water just right. Of course I got hungry too, so we stopped for homemade peach ice cream at a little shop in the garden. I collected a fuzzy little peach charm for my cell phone. Once we got back to the hotel we were exhausted from the morning, so it was nice to finally have some time to rest. After a little power nap it was time to go again, this time for dinner in Kurashiki. We ate at an unagi (eel) resturant. I didn't try any, but the gyoza (dumplings) and yakitori (fried chicken) I did eat was delicious.
I have to go get ready for the day, a museum visit and beach hangout (yay!). I'm feeling industrious, and since today is special, I'll try to blog this afternoon too. Missing everyone bunches!
-Georgie @:)
So, as you may or may not know, this week is a big trip for the group. We're going all over to visit different things and living in hotels (L-O-V-E LOVE it!). And there's traveling to be done. Lots and lots of traveling.
Anyway, it started off on Sunday when we got up at seven to catch a Shinkansen (Bullet Train as they're more commonly known as in America). It was about an hour's ride to Okayama, the land of Momotaro (peach boy). We dropped our luggage at the hotel and headed out. Everyone was super hungry, and we happened upon an outdoor food festival. We got the best steak on a stick (like a kebob) and it was so good I stole my dad's. After our snack we continued on to Korakuen stroll garden. The group spread out, and my dad and I explored around too. We bought some fish food for the coy, which here are about 30 inches long and weigh around twenty pounds. They're also beautifully colored-- red, yellow, orange and gold. My favorite are the bluish-gray, which you can only see when the light hits the water just right. Of course I got hungry too, so we stopped for homemade peach ice cream at a little shop in the garden. I collected a fuzzy little peach charm for my cell phone. Once we got back to the hotel we were exhausted from the morning, so it was nice to finally have some time to rest. After a little power nap it was time to go again, this time for dinner in Kurashiki. We ate at an unagi (eel) resturant. I didn't try any, but the gyoza (dumplings) and yakitori (fried chicken) I did eat was delicious.
I have to go get ready for the day, a museum visit and beach hangout (yay!). I'm feeling industrious, and since today is special, I'll try to blog this afternoon too. Missing everyone bunches!
-Georgie @:)
Friday, October 5, 2012
Heyyyyy
Hi again, for like the eighteenth time.
Rasberry flavored Kit Kats.
And ties in a vending machine.
Meat flavored caramels.
These are all things, believe it or not, that I have seen in Japan. Hilarious right?
So anyways... we were supposed to go on a snorkeling trip a couple weeks ago but it got cancelled because there were 3 meter (9 foot) waves. Bummer.
We had a typhoon the other day, which is like a hurricane, so it rained for two days straight.
What else... what else... We went to a super-fun arcade last weekend and played Taiko, which is a game where you have to play a drum with the rhythm of a song (kind of like DDR but with drums).
I caught a cold yesterday so I'm resting up for our trip this week. I'm missing school for a week while we go to temples and shrines all over Japan. Just hoping I feel better.
I've been taking ballet three times a week and doing stuff on the weekends. With homework, school, and everything else I've been pretty busy.
Well, that's it I guess. If anyone has any suggestions or questions or things they want to know about you should let me know. That way I can post more. The next few days will be filled so I'll try to blog a little more. Sayonara ^_^!
-G <3
Rasberry flavored Kit Kats.
And ties in a vending machine.
Meat flavored caramels.
These are all things, believe it or not, that I have seen in Japan. Hilarious right?
So anyways... we were supposed to go on a snorkeling trip a couple weeks ago but it got cancelled because there were 3 meter (9 foot) waves. Bummer.
We had a typhoon the other day, which is like a hurricane, so it rained for two days straight.
What else... what else... We went to a super-fun arcade last weekend and played Taiko, which is a game where you have to play a drum with the rhythm of a song (kind of like DDR but with drums).
I caught a cold yesterday so I'm resting up for our trip this week. I'm missing school for a week while we go to temples and shrines all over Japan. Just hoping I feel better.
I've been taking ballet three times a week and doing stuff on the weekends. With homework, school, and everything else I've been pretty busy.
Well, that's it I guess. If anyone has any suggestions or questions or things they want to know about you should let me know. That way I can post more. The next few days will be filled so I'll try to blog a little more. Sayonara ^_^!
-G <3
Monday, September 17, 2012
Hello hello hello
We've been having some pretty full weekends around here. Last weekend we visited the Inari shrine, the one with all the orange gates. Most likely you've seen a picture. Google it. Or you could look on my Picasa. Anyways that was fun. Lots of stairs.
Then yesterday we went to the golden pavillion, which is almost covered in gold leaf from the top to the bottom. Today we went on a bike ride along the river that's right by our house which was also very beautiful.
School is going pretty well I guess. There's not much to tell other than, well, there's not much to tell. Homework, recess (yes, we have not one but two), gym... all that good stuff.
So.... I don't know how many of you watch Glee (and if you don't you need to start immediately), but the new season is craycray. I mean, it is just unbelievable. I love her Rachel's dance teacher. IT IS JUST THE BEST. I've watched the episode 4 times (and counting) already. I just can't get over it. I'm obsessed.
Thank you to everyone who sent me an email this past week, I loved hearing from you! I miss everything from back home... mostly just grass and fresh air! Of course I miss all of you too. I hope everything is awesome wherever you are!
-Georgie /^-^/
Then yesterday we went to the golden pavillion, which is almost covered in gold leaf from the top to the bottom. Today we went on a bike ride along the river that's right by our house which was also very beautiful.
School is going pretty well I guess. There's not much to tell other than, well, there's not much to tell. Homework, recess (yes, we have not one but two), gym... all that good stuff.
So.... I don't know how many of you watch Glee (and if you don't you need to start immediately), but the new season is craycray. I mean, it is just unbelievable. I love her Rachel's dance teacher. IT IS JUST THE BEST. I've watched the episode 4 times (and counting) already. I just can't get over it. I'm obsessed.
Thank you to everyone who sent me an email this past week, I loved hearing from you! I miss everything from back home... mostly just grass and fresh air! Of course I miss all of you too. I hope everything is awesome wherever you are!
-Georgie /^-^/
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Address
Hey guys!
So a friend of mine asked for my address the other day and I thought I would post it for everyone.
Villa Sakuragi: Rm 101, 28- 1
Sakuragi-cho, Matsugasaki,
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0920
Believe it or not, I actually like mail. Y'know, the kind with envelopes and stamps and HANDWRITING! I know-- I'm stuck in the past. But whatever. If you have the energy, I would love a letter or two and will even write you back!
-Tee hee hee
Georgie :P
So a friend of mine asked for my address the other day and I thought I would post it for everyone.
Villa Sakuragi: Rm 101, 28- 1
Sakuragi-cho, Matsugasaki,
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0920
Believe it or not, I actually like mail. Y'know, the kind with envelopes and stamps and HANDWRITING! I know-- I'm stuck in the past. But whatever. If you have the energy, I would love a letter or two and will even write you back!
-Tee hee hee
Georgie :P
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
All the little things
Hi! It’s me again. Sorry I haven’t been writing. Moving into
a new place is pretty time consuming. I hope you like the new design. It’s a
bit easier to read and looks much nicer. Anyways we have a lot to catch up on.
I started school last Wednesday and things have been pretty
good. It’s a lot different from home that’s for sure! Since there’s only one
other girl we’ve become pretty good friends. Katja, the newest addition to my
list of best friends, is half German half Thai and speaks English, Japanese,
Thai, and German. She’s really cool. The other five in my class are boys, all
of them half Japanese.
Every morning I have a 30-minute commute to school,
consisting of two buses and one change. Next week I am starting going to school
by myself, which makes me super exited. I’ve been working on mastering my route
this week. I figure that if the five-year-old Japanese kids can do it, so can
I.
Next week I finally get to use my pointe shoes! Ballet is
great here. It’s in all Japanese so that way I get some immersion practice. The
weather here is blisteringly hot. The sun comes out at 5:30 every morning and
beats down on you the whole day. Just to make it more uncomfortable the air is
about as thick as peanut butter. I mean boiling.
Today we went to Kabuki, crazy Japanese theater where the
actors put on elaborate theater makeup and yell funny-sounding things in
hilarious pitches. Of course, you can’t understand it. But that makes it all
the more humorous. The first one we saw dragged on a while. I was falling
asleep on my dad’s shoulder. The second one, however, was much more exited. I
can’t even begin to explain the singing and dancing, as well as the fabulous
costumes and backgrounds. My best suggestion to those of you who want to know
more is to Google it.
The homesickness is slowly washing over me. I still get
really upset and I miss everyone a ton. Everyone tells me what a great time I
must be having, but no one really knows how hard it is to move to another
country. Sometimes I get frustrated because I can’t understand anything or read
the signs. It’s one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to deal with. I
know it sounds cheesy, but it’s really special to me when I get an email from
one of you guys or you post a comment on the blog. Hope everything at school is
amazing! I would love to hear! Big bear hugs for anyone who needs it!
-Georgie : *
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Kyoto!
Hello
everyone!
My dad and I just moved into our new apartment
in Kyoto. Sooo exiting! There’s a tatami (long mats woven out of soft reeds)
room, a regular carpeted room, a small living space with a kitchenette, and an
over-sized bathroom with a separate room for the toilet and for the
shower/bath. It’s probably the same size as everything else put together. All
we’ve really been doing this week is scrambling to get the house in shape,
unpacking and shopping and trying to get into a routine and stuff like that. We
visited my school the other day and met my teacher. There’s only eight kids in
my class- can you believe it?! Tomorrow’s my first day. Wish me luck!
I had a
ballet lesson yesterday after more than a month break. Today I can barely walk.
Enjoy your last week of summer! Hope you all have a great school year!
-Georgie B)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Free day
Hi
everyone!
Today
was amazing. First of all we slept late (it was a free day for everyone). Big
plus. After packing and relaxing, we took the subway to Kiosumi-shirakawa,
where we were meeting my dad’s old friend for lunch. We decided to go see an
exhibition. Luckily for us, the “Future Beauty” show included Japanese fashions
from the last thirty years. I’ll have some amazing pictures for you guys soon. Later
we got lost trying to find Muji, a giant minimalist department store. They have
everything. The best part is the travel accessories. There are millions of
bottles and containers. You basically go in and want to buy everything.
Dangerously good. It’s like an upscale Ikea. My dad and I met one of his sculptor
friends for dinner. We ate at a small fish-specialty restaurant down the street
from our hotel. For starters there was a great mixed greens salad with little
boiled fish on top. So yummy! So yummy! I had delicious deep-fried mackerel and
also tried some of my dad’s raw fish with miso.
Tomorrow
we finally get to Kyoto! So exited! My school starts in a little over a week. I
hope I make lots of friends! Good luck with a new school year.
-Georgie
:D
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
All the days in between
Hi!!!
Just felt
my first earthquake. Pretty cool. I was checking my email when my dad pointed
it out. The TV shook back and forth and the water on the desk showed little
tremors. At least it wasn’t giant. This was the first of many, my dad says.
I’ll make sure to keep a count!
Okay, I’ll
try to sum up the last few days quickly. Friday we visited the Skytree tower,
an amazing steel structure that rises a whopping 634 meters above the ground.
An amazing place.
Later we
met up with the students and headed to Iidabashi. There we went to the
Koishikawa Korakuen stroll garden. Even with the dreadful heat we managed to
make our way through the beautiful walk, taking tons of pictures and sweating
off at least thirty pounds.
Dinner was
at the JapanBall Hall of Fame, a small noodle shop hidden in the streets of Central
Tokyo. The game that followed was noisy and filled with people. They have many
intricate cheers that include banging together hollow plastic bats. I, of
course, bought some and joined in. In the end, the Yomiuri Giants won 4-0 over
the Hiroshima Carp.
Saturday we
got up early and went to the train station. It was about an hour or so before
we got to Kinugawa Onsen. A bus took us to Tobu World Square, a theme park
dedicated to creating 1/6 size of world monuments. Very exiting (there will be
pictures soon).
From Tobu
we went to Toshogu shrine, a beautiful site built in the 17th
century. There was amazing woodwork and beautiful paintings, much of it
recently restored. We visited the temples and bought a fortune told by the
gods. My luck will go up like blooming flowers, if love comes I should not be
affected by others, I should travel soon… and many other bits of advice. Again,
pictures soon.
The next
morning the students had a lecture on Japanese folklore monsters early in the
morning. I, however, spent my morning hanging out in the hotel room. Lucky me.
At one
o’clock we were due in Harajuku, a famous shopping and youth culture district
(if you’ve ever seen Japanese people dressed in crazy outfits, this is where
they’re from). We traveled down the crowded streets and shopped in some
fabulous stores, including one in which I found a great back-to-school outfit
(Franny, you would approve).
Monday we
learned about the challenges of the Edo period and how the rulers coped with
such problems, many of them similar to the ones we experience today. In the
afternoon we went down to the site of the first railroads in Tokyo, and Azby,
our wonderful guide, enlightened us about the growing of the black market
happened in cavities underneath the tracks and in the surrounding alleys. Today
they are filled with bars, noodle shops, and everything else you can think of.
Yesterday
we went to the Edo museum, a really cool place filled with artifacts from
centuries ago. There were also models and life-size recreations of buildings
from the 19th century.
After lunch
we went to Akihabara, a bustling streetmarket town. There were stalls filled
with everything imaginable, including some squid jerky (YUM! no joke!). We
ended by having a delicious bite of burger in Shbuya (the menu included a “Fruit
Burger” with half a mango).
If you
would like to hear a more detailed description, just send me a message. My
Picasa link is
I hope it
works!
-Georgie
@:)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Problemo...
Hello everyone.
There seems to be a problem with the last post of my blog. There was a computer glitch that caused me to lose and un-publish my post. I tried to recover it but it seems to be gone to cyberspace. Sorry for the inconvenience.
-Georgie ;(
P.S. the link to my Picasa is
https://picasaweb.google.com/108891184997090285735/August172012?authkey=Gv1sRgCIvSyvPw5J-UDQ
this is where my pictures are stored. Hopefully this one won't crash!
There seems to be a problem with the last post of my blog. There was a computer glitch that caused me to lose and un-publish my post. I tried to recover it but it seems to be gone to cyberspace. Sorry for the inconvenience.
-Georgie ;(
P.S. the link to my Picasa is
https://picasaweb.google.com/108891184997090285735/August172012?authkey=Gv1sRgCIvSyvPw5J-UDQ
this is where my pictures are stored. Hopefully this one won't crash!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Finally Here!
Hello from halfway round the world!
SO... Today was our first day in Japan, and let me tell you--it was pretty uneventful. I understand that may be a letdown to some, but it doesn't mean I have nothing to post. Let's start from the beginning, shall we? Yesterday my dad, my mom, and me got up at six o'clock to prepare for the day ahead. I got up and put on my outfit that had been sitting there two nights in a row, waiting for the day I would get on a plane and say goodbye to the U.S. After getting washed and brushed I gathered some stuff we had forgotten to pack before and headed downstairs. I then made about twenty more trips up and down the stairs- until finally it was time to go. I woke Gemma up for one last hug, then headed out the door with my bright green Nike bag slung loosely over my shoulder.
After about an hour's drive to Syracuse, my parents and I lugged out our suitcases and went into the Airport. We checked our bags and headed upstairs for breakfast at Au Bon Pain. Going through customs was a peice of cake, and before we knew it we were at the gate, waiting in line to board the "Express" jet that would take us to Chicago. We packed ourselves onto the plane and took off.
After a couple hours we were already there. The two hour wait went by as fast as lightning. We had just finished lunch by the time we had to board the plane that would take us all the way to Tokyo Narita. The ride would be twelve hours and thirty-seven minutes. We were literally chasing the sun- so for twelve hours it did not get dark. Hence the reason I didn't sleep.
Finally we arrived. It took us an half an hour to get through customs, getting our luggage and sorting out immigration stuff. Afterwards we had to wait for the Colgate students to arrive, the last of which came at about eight fifteen. We then boarded a train to get to Shibuya, where we would take the Ginza subway line to Aoyama Ichome, and walk from there to the hotel. Everyone practically passed out once we got to Asia Center, including my dad and me.
The next day we woke up around 10:30ish. We had missed the breakfast buffet, so we got dressed and headed for Shibuya, a nearby city. My dad and me wandered around a little and found a great Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. I got some delicious pork over rice and he slurped down a big bowl of noodles. After lunch we got back on the metro to meet the students back at the hotel. We freshened up and got changed for the International House of Japan, which was about a miles walk from Asia Center in 90 degree weather with 80 percent humidity. Very hot.
At I. House we went to the cafe to cool off and then had a lecture with a performance on the Shakuhachi and other exotic instruments. Their sound was beautiful and really cool. We then set out for dinner at an amazing restaurant where you cook your own meal on a hot iron sheet.
So that's all for today, besides a few things I would like to mention along with my post. In the next couple days you might see some changes in the blogs appearance. If you have any questions please let me know. Second of all, sorry there are no pictures. I will upload them soon.
Please feel free to ask me any questions of send me a message! I would love to hear about what's going on with you! See you in January!
-Georgie ;)
SO... Today was our first day in Japan, and let me tell you--it was pretty uneventful. I understand that may be a letdown to some, but it doesn't mean I have nothing to post. Let's start from the beginning, shall we? Yesterday my dad, my mom, and me got up at six o'clock to prepare for the day ahead. I got up and put on my outfit that had been sitting there two nights in a row, waiting for the day I would get on a plane and say goodbye to the U.S. After getting washed and brushed I gathered some stuff we had forgotten to pack before and headed downstairs. I then made about twenty more trips up and down the stairs- until finally it was time to go. I woke Gemma up for one last hug, then headed out the door with my bright green Nike bag slung loosely over my shoulder.
After about an hour's drive to Syracuse, my parents and I lugged out our suitcases and went into the Airport. We checked our bags and headed upstairs for breakfast at Au Bon Pain. Going through customs was a peice of cake, and before we knew it we were at the gate, waiting in line to board the "Express" jet that would take us to Chicago. We packed ourselves onto the plane and took off.
After a couple hours we were already there. The two hour wait went by as fast as lightning. We had just finished lunch by the time we had to board the plane that would take us all the way to Tokyo Narita. The ride would be twelve hours and thirty-seven minutes. We were literally chasing the sun- so for twelve hours it did not get dark. Hence the reason I didn't sleep.
Finally we arrived. It took us an half an hour to get through customs, getting our luggage and sorting out immigration stuff. Afterwards we had to wait for the Colgate students to arrive, the last of which came at about eight fifteen. We then boarded a train to get to Shibuya, where we would take the Ginza subway line to Aoyama Ichome, and walk from there to the hotel. Everyone practically passed out once we got to Asia Center, including my dad and me.
The next day we woke up around 10:30ish. We had missed the breakfast buffet, so we got dressed and headed for Shibuya, a nearby city. My dad and me wandered around a little and found a great Vietnamese restaurant for lunch. I got some delicious pork over rice and he slurped down a big bowl of noodles. After lunch we got back on the metro to meet the students back at the hotel. We freshened up and got changed for the International House of Japan, which was about a miles walk from Asia Center in 90 degree weather with 80 percent humidity. Very hot.
At I. House we went to the cafe to cool off and then had a lecture with a performance on the Shakuhachi and other exotic instruments. Their sound was beautiful and really cool. We then set out for dinner at an amazing restaurant where you cook your own meal on a hot iron sheet.
So that's all for today, besides a few things I would like to mention along with my post. In the next couple days you might see some changes in the blogs appearance. If you have any questions please let me know. Second of all, sorry there are no pictures. I will upload them soon.
Please feel free to ask me any questions of send me a message! I would love to hear about what's going on with you! See you in January!
-Georgie ;)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Various Bits of Information
Hello again everyone. It's been a while. First of all, this is no longer my "Japan" blog. Of course I will still be blogging about Japan a ton (mainly because I will be living there the next couple of months, like you didn't know that) but I also want this blog to be about what interests me and all of you. That said, if you would like to become and author and be able to post, let me know and I will put you on the list. Secondly, please tell all of your friends! It would be awesome if this became a viral thing! Make sure you follow because I will be posting a lot more! Only four more days until I leave!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Okay everyone, the date is set. We will leave for Japan on August 14th- a little more that two months away! Japan time is thirteen hours difference. So that means that right now, at 8:37 am here, it is 9:37 pm there. In reality, we will be on the plane for about four hours. Going by our time the whole way, it will be about twelve. If you have any questions please post! You can also email me or send me a message. If you want to become a blog author, just let me know!
-Georgie<3
-Georgie<3
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