KansaiBENce

Day 3; a super short post on Akiyoshidai and Akiyoshido

2010-04-05T18:47:00.000+09:00

Day 3 was rather short and rushed; the result is this short post:

First we went to Akiyoshidai. It would have been really cool to see it in the summer when it's green instead of brown. For as far as the eye can see, it looks like a plain littered with boulders. It really made me think of the Cyclops and ancient Greek mythology for some reason.

This was the view from the hotel in the morning:

And on our way I spotted this cool gate from the bus. The gate is on the edge of some woods...seemingly leading to mystical forest (perhaps where Totoro lives?)

I took only 2 pictures of Akiyoshidai unfortunately, because I spent a lot of time running around between the boulders :D

Next we went underneath these plains to the Akiyoshido. To save you from looking at my pics that all look the same (brown and full of dirt / a rock or two) here are 3 pictures that sum up the cave:

At the exit there was a beautiful wooded area where the clean water from the cave flowed into a stream full of little fish:

After a short walk, we came upon some shops. A man was selling insects that he made from grass:

Well this short post concludes my pictures worth posting of our 3 day journey south west from Kobe. I will cut up some videos soon and post them too!

Rest of Day 2; A short post on Iwakuni

2010-03-30T17:35:00.000+09:00

So after a nice morning in Miyajima, we head out for 岩国　（いわくに）　Iwakuni. It's a nice little place with many years of Samurai history. Probably what is most known about Iwakuni is the famous 5-arch bridge that was originally built (and rebuilt, and rebuilt, and rerererebuilt [it kept collapsing due to river floods]) without any nails at all; just interlocking wood.

We were supposed to also go up the mountain to an old samurai castle, but I was tired and ate ice cream instead :[ SORRY

Here the few pics that I took of Iwakuni and the bridge:

You may have noticed that there is metal and nails now. Well the bridge is a tourist attraction and get's much more traffic than originally intended so it was reinforced some years ago. But it still looks cool!

The river has a weird man-made stone bed that directs water:

Next we went up the mountain to get to the samurai castle, but it was too late so I took some pics of the park around the castle:

My friend Nan's awesome shirt:

Sorry that's all I have of Iwakuni. It was in the afternoon and I was pretty tired :[

Next post will be about our final day. We were rushed through Akiyoshido caves and got to take a few pictures of the Akiyoshidai rocky plains. I will post them soon. I apologize in advance that the amount of pictures does not compare to Miyajima.

Hope that you enjoyed these.

Day 2, Miyajima (Itsukushima)

2010-03-26T16:46:00.005+09:00

This post is much happier than the last.

In the morning we went to 宮島　（みやじま）　Miyajima. Miyajima is a small island south of Hiroshima that is pretty famous for the Itsukushima Shrine. The weather started out a bit cold and overcast, but quickly became very sunny and warm :D

We left Hiroshima by ferry and rode for about 10 minutes to Miyajima. There were many deer along the trail to the shrine and you could pet them. If you had food, they would harass you which is actually a bit scary. I just didn't feel comfortable with big deer stuffing their wet noses in my face.

What's cool about Itsukushima Shrine is that it interacts with the tide or the ocean! I was there right before high-tide, which is when the water level reaches just under the shrine and the famous gate so that it looks like it is floating! During low-tide all the water leaves and you can actually walk under the gate. I wasn't there during low-tide so I could not go underneath the gate D:

Anyways here are some pics:

The mountains as we approach by ferry:

You can see the gate (Otorii)!

Next as we walked up to the shrine:

You could see the man made walkways underwater:

There were many deer but this one was posing for a picture:

Now some pictures from the shrine itself:

The awesome Miyajima Otorii (with the tide almost completely in):

When the tide goes down all the way, it looks like this (google pic since I wasn't there during low-tide):

After visiting the shrine, we went up to the mountains behind them! It was a long way up by rope-way (cable-car). There were some cool shops with masks and statues for sale, as well as a nice creek and pond alone the way:

From some of the shops:

On the rope-way:

And finally at the top!

Check out that little island off in the distance! It looks like a giant turtle or something:

There were supposed to be monkeys around here, but I didn't see a single one :[

After that we went back down, on the ferry, on a bus, and went to 岩国　（いわくに）　Iwakuni. Home of a famous bridge. But this post is already so large. I will post a rather small one after the weekend about my trip to Iwakuni.

I hope that you enjoyed these pictures! Miyajima is so beautiful; I recommend you see it with your own eyes!

Day 1 - Hiroshima Peace Museum & Memorial Park

2010-03-23T13:45:00.006+09:00

Today we all went to the Hiroshima Peace Museum and the Peace Memorial Park nearby. It was a moving experience to say the least.

My family was in Hungary during WWII （「第二次世界大戦」 in Japanese) and so I like to think that my ancestors had very little to do with the bomb. However that is not what's important and that is not the message of the Peace Museum.

In my International Relations class here at Konan University （甲南大学） we had many arguments on whether or not the bombs were justified. But the truth is, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we learn from it and make sure we do our part to ensure a world where such weapons will never again be used. That is the message. Forgiveness, peace, education.

I wish I could have taken a picture or a video, but what happened to me right before going to the Peace Museum left me dumbstruck.

An old man, looked to be in his 80's walked up to Aaron, Buddy, and I on the streets of Hiroshima and asked us where we all came from. Then he told us that he lost his father and brother to the A-Bomb and watched them both die in his arms. --I was ready for a very mean session of "get out of our country foreign devil" ranting but what happened next just left me at a loss of words and frozen stiff. The man shook our hands and told us about the pride of Hiroshima; how it went from nothing to a major city. How we should go to the Peace Museum and learn better of what took place on that day many years ago.

The man greeted us with love and forgiveness. He watched his father and brother die in his arms by the A-Bomb and had no resentment towards us. Instead he told us the importance of forgiveness and peace. How Hiroshima is the ultimate symbol of peace, not destruction and hate. The man left us with a smile of friendship.

That man is truly a saint. I hope all the people that I meet in my life could be like him, even myself.

Here are some pics from the Peace Museum and Memorial Park:
(I left some photos larger so you can see the finer details)

A message from Pope John Paul II:

Korea's Gift for Peace:

I would like to point out how much Hiroshima looks like Pittsburgh:

A wall stained with "black rain":

A tricycle and helmet:

Some glass bottles melted by the heat:

Some sheets of glass melted by the heat:

A pocket watch and wristwatch: (I left the wristwatch photo large so you can check the finer details)

And now the Peace Memorial Park:

Thousand Crane Memorial:

Memorial Dome:

Needless to say there were many disturbing photos and actual items on display that I could not bring myself to take a picture of. I encourage you to go and visit the Memorial Museum and Peace Park on your own for the full experience, and to learn some things. You won't regret it.

I hope you enjoyed this first post. I will post Day 2's trip soon.

I'm working on editing the videos, that takes a while <.<

熱、下痢、吐き気

2010-03-22T15:30:00.000+09:00

I'm happy to say that editing the videos and pictures will take a long time because I took over 500!~

However I must apologize that it will take even longer because last night I woke up with a fever of 100F and threw up many times :[

Today I'm not throwing up anymore but I am suffering on the other end, and still fighting my fever.

I'll let you know when I'm OK. I can't wait to show you all my awesome trip!

New Post --BELIEVE IT!

2010-03-18T21:34:00.000+09:00

So tomorrow I go to 広島（ひろしま）Hiroshima, then 宮島（みやじま） Miyajima.

I've been looking forward to this for a loooong time! 必ずにビデオも写真も撮るよ！ (I WILL MAKE A VIDEO AND TAKE SOME PICTURES WITHOUT FAIL)

Look forward to it! I can tell you this trip will be the most beautiful trip I will take in Japan. I'm gonna ride the 新幹線 (bullet train) for the first time in my life, and then a steam locomotive! It's like 2 opposites in one trip!

for those that don't know about 広島 and 宮島 here are 2 pics that symbolize both:

広島　One of only 2 cities to ever be attacked by an atomic bomb:

I will be visiting the Hiroshima Dome, the only building to survive structurally because it was directly under the explosion of the atomic bomb.

宮島　Home to an awesome Gate and beautiful shrine:

The Gate seems to be floating on the water...but has a secret that I hope I will be able to show you! (If not, I'll explain when I make my next post with pics and video)
-note to self- getting married in 宮島 would be awesome to say the least!

I hope you look forward to it as much as I do!

Good night, I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow :D

Finally found a new watch!

2010-01-21T17:57:00.010+09:00

For those that don't know, I love watches.

Something about them just intrigues me. A fine watch not only brings out your taste and style, but somehow adds a level of maturity and finesse to a man. And I think due to my great-grandfather and father, Seiko watches made it to the top of my list.

Here is what I was looking for in a Seiko watch (which is why it took so long):

Automatic winding / movement
Calendar
Japanese Kanji for the calendar
Working condition
Affordable
A style that I like <-- actually not the hardest part!

There are a few problems though, one being that only older Seiko watches produced locally in Japan have the Kanji-calenders (from what I've heard, and all the new one's that I've checked out are only in English). Another being that old Seiko watches are pretty expensive and some models are quite rare!

Well I've been all over Kobe searching far and wide. I've even been to some crazy pawn shops and some very shady looking places where I think the watches were stolen, and I realized that unless I'm buying from a real watch repairman, even if I find an awesome old Seiko, it might not work very well if it even works at all. I had to get one that was old but "refurbished" so to speak by a man certified to do so.

Well I finally found one that I love and fits the other requirements as well! I got it at "Ha Ru Na - Watches and fine Jewelry" shop in 三宮（さんおみや） Sannomiya, a large district in 神戸（こうべ） Kobe.

I'm so excited that I got a real (and rather rare) old Seiko in great condition, that I made a video instead of pictures of it to show it to you guys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WciJphr3UZA

It is a Seiko 5 Actus with 25 Jewels, model number 6106-7600T. Made in Japan and has both English and Japanese calendars (you can choose between the 2 with the push of a button)! Not to mention Automatic Winding / Movement . The Second Hand moves 4 times within the space / time of 1 second, a rather unique feature of Seiko. (Their newest watch as of this year moves completely fluidly "like time itself.")

This watch, which is dated back to the 1970's is one of the first watches to move in this way.

Back in Japan!

2010-01-13T19:22:00.001+09:00

Well I had the fine pleasure of going home for a few days and eating lots of beef---but now I'm back in Japan!

I know I have been neglecting this blog for my ~~gleefully hedonistic lifestyle~~ studies, but I will start carrying my camera around more and making more pictures and videos.

For those of you wondering if I'm already in gear again here in Japan, I offer you this one photograph today:

This is me at the 阪急（はんきゅう） Hankyu Department Store in 西宮　（にしのみや）　Nishinomiya Gardens Mall.

Goin home!

2009-12-20T21:13:00.001+09:00

Man I haven't posted anything new in almost a month!

I blame 2 large problems for this:

1. I don't carry my camera around because it's not small enough to fit in my pocket without looking like I have a gun, or something big and pointy in my pocket.

2. I haven't done much these past 30 days but take tests and drink.

But I'm going home to visit my family for the Christmas break! I bought some cool things for you guys! Even though Japan is a lot less about samurai and swords, and a lot more about sex and alcohol, I managed to find things both appropriate and useful :D

and to finish this boring post, letting you know I'll be back in the states for 2 weeks, is a pic of some sweet graffiti I came across in 心斎橋 Shinsaibashi in 大阪 Osaka, as well as a funny Engrish sign and a very mysteriously awesome company all from the same area:

Bonus points if you can name the Star Wars character who looks very similar to the character in that graffiti!

Soil and Pimp Sessions

2009-11-29T16:42:00.000+09:00

Some friends and I made our way out to Osaka again last week to see Soil and Pimp Sessions live!

Soil and Pimp Sessions is an awesome jazz band that is very original and lively! I wasn't allowed to take pics or video, but here are some others from the web:

I'll have another Hennessey, and a martini for the lady.

Human Collisions and Weird Subway Man!

2009-11-17T20:48:00.000+09:00

So while waiting at Kobe Station today for my friends Buddy and Face to arrive, I noticed that the information screen was displaying that one of the 新幹線（しんかんせん） shinkansen or "Bullet Train" had been delayed. The cause is rather well stated. That's actually the 5th time I have seen this in 2 months...and I'm sure I missed a few:

Poor soul.

Well on a different note, while riding the 海岸線（かいがんせん） kaigansen "ocean bay line" subway line, I sat down right across from this man, and didn't even notice him until a few moments later. Buddy and Face were to my left and right:

Sweet dreams...
(yes his zipper was open, I can assure you)

Kyoto Imperial Palace

2009-11-12T20:17:00.003+09:00

I went to the Kyoto Imperial Palace last weekend! I took some pictures and video...but there isn't much content as the Palace is mostly closed off. You basically just get to see the outer walls, but it's still pretty cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPpteWQ2G5o

Some pics:

Crazy Moth, Monkeys, Jazz and Engrish?

2009-11-04T19:43:00.002+09:00

Check out this moth! Chad, Malia, Buddy, Risa, Face, and I went to Nishinomiya Gardens (a HUGE mall that is very spacious and resembles those in the US) and when we sat outside, I noticed this moth.

I also took some videos about our day, they are below.

In the 阪急（はんきゅう）hankyuu department store, there was a live Jazz band playing. Now that's high class! And if that wasn't enough, there was a live monkey show too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckfiey6rEk8

and a special surprise for you--This was a sign in a store in 梅田 Umeda in 大阪 Osaka:

Halloween!

2009-10-28T19:40:00.001+09:00

So I'm still alive! It was midterm time...and still is so I haven't had many interesting things to talk about.

However!

Halloween should be interesting. Apparently--in full costume--tons of people just walk around the local inner-city / place-to-be and get drunk. I will be sure to film and take pictures!

See you then! (and sorry for the lack of posts recently)

**EDIT**

Here are some sneak peaks of Halloween!

Angry Porsche

2009-10-19T18:06:00.000+09:00

Ok I was gonna do a large post much later about all the awesome cars I've been seeing (and the 10% of them that I actually take a picture of) but this Porsche has to go up now.

This is the most bad-ass motherf*****g Porsche I have ever seen. It actually makes the SUV look good. Man this car makes other cars backfire when it rolls up on them from behind.

To whomever owns this car: I want to shake your hand...or run away.

I haven't much to talk about lately (*￣m￣) UPDATED

2009-10-14T20:32:00.007+09:00

So not much in terms of blogable stuff has been happening lately. But I did take some interesting pictures I would like to share with you (just 4 small pictures, each with a small story).

First I would like to show you the stamps on my homework after being graded. The first one is good, the second was well, not so good:

It says, "You did it well."

This one says, "Let's try hard(er next time)."

**EDIT**
I just got my first 100% on a 漢字（かんじ） Kanji exam (Chinese characters)!! Check out this kitten!

It says, "YOU DID EXTREMELY WELL!"
**EDIT**

Say what you want, but there is something special about the feeling you get when your homework has a cute little kitten stamp on it. I really like that my favorite teacher stamps our homework! I want to hang it on my refrigerator at home!
(*^▽^*)

Next is a pic of very odd name for a shop. It was a hair salon...so they were going for the French...

Well I didn't want to be the one to tell what that means. I know, I know, it means "bath shower" but any non-Japanese that looks at this will laugh and take a picture just like I did. :P

Lastly, well I should preface this first:

I was walking around 梅田（うめだ） Umeda, in 大阪（おおさか） Osaka. For those that don't know, 大阪 is a pretty large city right next to 神戸（こうべ） Kobe, and it is full of shops and clubs and bars and things that will haunt your dreams until the day that you die.

Well I was just walking around with some friends, and we found a little shop that sells cute little things of all types which you can hang from your cell phone. (Hanging things from your cell phone is a super East-Asian thing...)

Well we were in there looking around when I came upon this:

Yeah. Yeah. Yes. It does come in two different sizes. Yeah. No really, yeah.

This is the one thing in this store that you can't actually hang from your phone. I'm not sure what the purpose is, and why any company finds it profitable. But hey, I've come to accept that I'm in Japan. "It's Japan." Is the one answer to all questions. Why? Because it's Japan.

Imagine a foreigner like me trying to buy that. I don't know the word for boobs. These 2 were tied down out front of the store so to purchase, you had to ask the owner. How could I do that? Do you just start playing charades with this guy until he guesses, "OOOOHH BOOBS!! YOU WANT TO BUY A BOOB?!? HEY EVERYBODY!!! THIS WHITE GUY WANTS TO BUY A BOOB!!!"

It's Japan! (*￣m￣)

Oh by the way, Matt (my bro), you know what you're getting for Christmas! （￣ー￣）

Storms' a Brewin'

2009-10-07T19:22:00.002+09:00

台風18 (Typhoon 18) is approaching Kobe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3FNAjCq9bU

Here is the predicted movement map of 台風18!

As you can see, it will go straight up Japan! The eye might even pass over my very house!

I'm so excited, this is my first 台風!!

Here is a satellite view of my house in Kobe (marked with the 'A'):

View Larger Map

According to the NHK news, when winds reach 20 meters per second, it is difficult to walk into the wind. But 台風18 will have winds up to 80 meters per second!

My Short Video of 高野山

2009-10-03T07:43:00.001+09:00

Sorry that it took a while and that it is so short. I took mostly pictures at 高野山.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0WT7FK2I7o

I have no idea what that Spire far off in the distance was. If anybody knows, 教えて下さい！

気持ちいい！

2009-10-01T20:50:00.004+09:00

気持ちいい　（きもちいい）　kimochii
"THIS FEELS FREAKING GREEEEAAAATT!!!"

I went to the doctor again today. They had my blood sample results and said that I have a small Japanese Bug that I don't need to worry about, just take the medicine and take it easy.

BUUUUT!!

I was dehydrated and lacking a few vitamins, so they gave me an awesome IV full of stuff. Since it takes about 1 hour, they laid me down in a bed made of miracles. It was great.

This bed massaged me for 1 hour. It was like having the tender yet skillful hands of a hundred delicate women, orchestrating over my body in a symphony of euphoria. Yeah. It WAS that great. I want that bed.

BOY did it feel good! 気持ちいい！！！

(I wanted to post a pic of a 看護婦　(nurse) but apparently all google image searches of that are a bit...umm...suggestive?)

So instead I will post a pic of a Japanese guy whose face is representative of　「気持ちいい！」 and therefore representative of mine while being massaged at the hospital:

A little bit of complaining and terrible news.

2009-09-29T19:59:00.002+09:00

So the terrible news should come first:

This morning, the train was delayed for 30 minutes because somebody jumped in front of it.

You read about this happening in Japan all the time but when you actually experience or are affected by it actually happening, well it's very unpleasant.

On the way home, as the rapid express train was approaching, I stood near the railing and watched the headlights come closer and closer. It seemed like it was taking forever for those small gold lights to arrive. Then, before I knew it, the train was roaring past beside me at blinding speeds--blowing my hair and shirt all over the place. I just couldn't help feel so sad at that moment. I felt as if I just experienced the person's last view and last moment on earth. I could have easily jumped right in front of that train too, traveling at some odd 200 or more kilometers per hour. It would be over so fast!

But I'm not suicidal. It was such a sad moment.

NOW for the complaining!

2 things:

1) What's wrong with Japanese people?! Nobody was even phased by the suicide! In fact, a lot of people were angry that the train was delayed.

I told my host family about the suicide and the first thing that my host mother said was, 迷惑 (めいわく) meiwaku.

迷惑 is very hard to translate into English. It's a rude thing that affects everybody. When a company produces a product that needs a recall, that's 迷惑. Every year, the emperor of Japan apologizes for WWII, because what Japan did was create a 迷惑 to it's own people. (God this is hard to explain.)

迷惑 is when you do something bad that affects others in your same group. Since Japanese are very group minded and nationalistic, WWII, getting involved and eventually leading to Hiroshima, is a 迷惑 committed by the old government because it negatively affected the Japanese people (a lot of them died, etc).

So basically, my host family didn't even feel a bit bad for that person. They said he committed a 迷惑 on all the people riding the train that morning, and more importantly, to his own family.

I can agree, but daaaaang don't you even feel a bit bad?

2) I'm sick. I don't know what I ate on that temple excursion, but it is ruining me. Everyday I have a headache all day and night, my whole body aches, my neck is stiff, my shoulders are stiff, my lower back feels like I'm pinching a nerve every time I bend. And I am throwing up. I ask for aspirin or some kind of pain killer and my school and family do nothing but tell me to stretch and take some joint-health pills.

Can I get a pain killer, a fever reducer? Nope. Just take some joint-health pills for old people and stretch your shoulders and you will be fine.

I had a fever last night!

Just take joint pills and stretch. OK Fine I get it, I need to ask my fellows for some freaking advil or something.

OK done ranting. It's OK to rant sometimes about Japan, contrary to popular belief, this place isn't perfect you know. And their are no more samurai, and pokemon never existed in real life. Sorry to kill your dreams.

But I still like it here, just wondering why I can't get an aspirin or something?

(super short temple trip video coming soon)

Pics from 高野山 !!

2009-09-28T22:30:00.002+09:00

高野山 is the heart of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. The mountain range actually looks like a giant Lotus Flower, with the main temples and graveyard right in the heart of the flower!~

I don't remember the important names because I am bad at Japanese names and didn't write anything down T-T sorry. Here are the pics, the video will come later, I hope you enjoy!

A pic of the mountains as we rode the train to the heart.

The track that our cable car would soon take us up. It was long and STEEEEEEEEEEP!
(That isn't the top, the car was approaching. The top is out of sight because the track turns the left and is much too high!)

For those that still don't believe me: the green grasshopper that this spider is munching on, had a wingspan approaching 4 inches! Why is it that the only thing in Japan that isn't small, are the bugs?!

Here are some pics from the famous graveyard which holds the graves of many famous samurai and Japanese:

If you can get a stone to land on top of a gate, you are granted one wish! でも、できなかった。

The founder of 高野山

A hidden Mausoleum.

There was also a really cool little box, with a HEAVY and LARGE stone in it. You are supposed to reach inside the box and try to put the stone up to the top level inside the box. If you do, you get 1 wish!

They said that those who are guilt-free will have an easy time to lift it, while those who are full of guilt won't be able to do it. Guess what?! I lifted that sucker up to the top like it was paper! And some guys even bigger than me couldn't even get it half way! Some girls got it too! Weird, I think I believe the stone. So I get 1 wish!! O(∩_∩)O
(Sorry there are no pictures, this box was in a part of the graveyard where no pictures or video are allowed, it's one of the most sacred places.)

There was also a temple grounds with some cool temples, check them out!

Well that's it! I hope you enjoyed it! The video will be coming soon, don't expect anything special as my videos aren't the greatest!

Going up the mountain with the French!

2009-09-27T19:27:00.001+09:00

Here is the video I promised. Sorry that it is late, I have been living like a monk at 高野山 (こうやさん) Koyasan. I have video and pictures and will post that this week!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOkLrbmsXek

Apparently I don't understand Sony Vegas Pro 9 as well as I thought, so there are some transition issues in this video. ごめんね！

I'm aching all over. Good night.

ONE GIANT POST TO RULE THEM ALL

2009-09-24T19:15:00.004+09:00

So a lot of you have been yelling at me to post more! And rightfully so! Some of you even know that it was Silver Week in Japan, so I didn't have any school. You asked, "Bence, you don't have school, so why aren't you posting?" Well my friends it's because I've just been having waaaaaaaay to much fun! And now, I will forgo the process of separating my week and just post one giant post with all of my activities!

I'm afraid I wont be able to put videos up until next week sometime as I will be going on a Mountain Temple tour field trip. We will be living as monks and doing monk things. I will be sure to try and take pictures and video of allowed.

OK! My friends and I went up 六甲山 (ろっこうさん) Rokko Mountain. This was the first time that I had ever went up a mountain. We were accompanied by Cory's host family, the 森本 (もりもと) Morimoto family. There was sort of a theme park for children at the top, but lots of sight-seeing to be had. Here is a pic from the top:

Well after that we went to the beach. Well, it's a beach but they don't have the nets set up offshore to keep the animals away. They all said swim at your own risk but jellyfish are abundant during this time of the year.

Being the badass Amuricans that we are, we decided that jellyfish weren't worth fretting over and swam into the deep. Deep deep. Like Jaws attacks deep. It was a bit scary. The water is actually supposed to be a bit dirty since Kobe is a port city, and well, I could tell.

The water is clear in the sense that you can see very well through it, but it sort of stings your whole body as you are in it. As we speak I'm growing a 3rd arm!

Well I couldn't take a picture of it because my hands were all wet or sandy, but we did run into jellyfish! It was pretty scary! In the process of trying to get out of the ocean as quick as possible, I stepped on a crab. He wasn't too happy about that and let me know about it quite clearly (,,#ﾟДﾟ) !!

It's a shame that I couldn't take a picture, because we managed to capture a jellyfish and check it out pretty well, they are actually pretty heavy!! Well here is a pic from the beach:

That's right, we found a log! It was drifting in the water and we swam out and brought it back!

_________________________________________

The next day, I went back to 六甲山 with my friends from France and two friends from Japan! I'm so ashamed to say, but I accidentally deleted the pictures that I took T-T But I have a nice video in the making which I will post soon!

During my expeditions I became hungry one late night and walked to the nearest Co Op and bought a cute little vegetable and fruit drink, and umm.... well just look at the picture:

The Holiday was great, and if I had to sum it all up in 1 more picture, well it goes without saying:

Slow times, but soon a big trip!

2009-09-15T20:39:00.000+09:00

Sorry for not posting in a while. To be honest, things have been pretty slow and boring this week. :[

Not that Japan is especially boring, but because school really started so I spend my time studying, not running around getting cool footage. But there is always the weekend!

I wanted to let everybody know that I will be going to a mountain named 高野山 kouyasan. We will be visiting ancient temples and secret places full of mystery and beauty. I just recently had the pleasure of watching Miyazaki's Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi). If you haven't seen it, I suggest it. AND I HATE ANIME! So you know this is good.

I will record the temples and nature, and beauty of the mountain and share it with all of you!~

Also I wanted to share something crazy. Today, in the news, there was security footage at a convenience store in Japan, where a small herd of bulls ran into the store and started knocking things over. Shortly after, a COWBOY on HORSEBACK entered the store and rounded them up.

What the heck Japan?

Also, one of these days, I promise, I will record the traffic around my house at night. Every 10th car is an RX7, Skyline, GTR, 240SX, 300ZX, etc. For those that love cars as much as I do, look forward to it!

Getting naked with a bunch of dudes

2009-09-12T19:39:00.000+09:00

So today, I went to an 温泉 onsen (hot-spring / spa). It was segregated by sex of course.

Needless to say, 温泉 are very popular in Japan, therefore it was full. Of men. Naked men. And me.

To make things more embarrassing, I was treated to the 温泉 by Corey and his host family. Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful to them for the experience, and I am indebted to them for letting me spend a night at their wonderful house, but being naked with strangers is something I can shake off with time, but being naked with your good friend...you remember that for a long time.

Anyways, to be honest, after about 20 minutes, you forget that you are naked and start walking around full stride like the regular patrons.

Now that embarrassing confession is out, let me tell you how awesome it was!

温泉 heal you. Literally. There are salts and temperatures and water jets that when combined in seemingly infinite yet meticulously calculated variations, can and do heal you and make you feel like a new person when you leave.

The 温泉 that I went to had both indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna and mist-sauna, and like all Japanese hot-springs, a shower area where you wash yourself very thoroughly on small stone benches.

I would love to show you some pictures, but for obvious reasons, I didn't take my camera with me. I think if I recorded that in HD, I would be charged for some kind of crime--guaranteed.

Corey and I felt so great after the 温泉 treatment, that we decided to go back every weekend, time permitting, and get a healing soak while experiencing something that is extremely Japanese and a large part of their culture.

For 2 people, it is only ￥700 per hour. A very good price for the most relaxing and body rejuvenating experience that is 温泉。

2nd Video!! Japanese placement, and cell phone pictures!!!

2009-09-09T21:41:00.002+09:00

First off, here is the link to the new video (it takes a while for youtube give me the HD upgrade, so if it isn't there, it will be soon):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhd7OVHaosU

The video is about the Okura Hotel in Kobe. I hope you enjoy!

So today I received the results of my Japanese placement exam. I tested into 4th year Japanese!! YEEAAAA Right where I belong! Perfect!

Ok now to more interesting stuff, my phone.

Phones in Japan can do 2 things ours in the US can't do very well yet.

1) Send entire phonebooks / single entry / your own info via Infra-Red beam to another phone, to save the hassle of exchanging info!

2) Watch TV. Anywhere. FOR FREE.

Here are some picks of my gangstalicious phone:

I apologize for the fuzzy pictures. I'm still rushing to do everything here still.

Well I have to go to bed. Enjoy everybody!

2009-09-08T18:52:00.004+09:00

FIRST OFF! Here is the link to my first video! Be sure to click, "Watch in HD"!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdCKJZdi8sc

Anyways, I got a sweet Japanese cell phone that stores and plays music, comes with a speaker-pod, takes great video and stills, internet everywhere I go, code scanner (Japan does this thing with scanning codes on products to tell you info or get discounts, etc.), infrared phonebook sharing, and...best of all....its GOLD. hahaha In japan, all phones have really embarrassing colors, and apparently, Gold is the new black.

I will post pictures of it later, I didn't have time today because...well because I got lost.

I got lost - to the extreme. I got off of the bus to go home, looked up, and realized. "OMG I don't know where the F*** I am!!!"

It was at that point that I put my 日本語 (Japanese) to the test! I failed that test. Well not really. I asked 3 different people how to go home in very good Japanese, and they all told me in very good Japanese, that they have no idea where I want to go...I didn't have my address on me (-__-メ).

It was about 30 minutes after I began wandering the streets of the Kumano-cho, that a horrible, desperate, and overwhelming feeling hit. I'm lost, nobody can help me because I can't even help me, and I can't read shit!

I called my host mother and father 10 times each before they finally picked up. I thought Japanese was hard to understand. Over the phone, with cars, buses, and trains flying past--its impossible. After 30 more minutes of following directions via the phone, I ended up close to home. Close enough for my host mother to spot the 6 feet 1 inch 外人 (foreigner) wandering the streets like a stray dog.

I wanted 2 things, a plane ticket home, and some 酒。 That was a terrible feeling. ＿|￣|○

I however did make a friend on my journey...and well, I scared somebody too I guess.

There was this stray cat, that meowed at me each time I passed it as I walked up and down, up and down the streets. Finally, it decided to follow me and keep me company while I desperately searched for anything that seemed familiar. During that process, one of the Japanese men that I asked for help---he just backed away from me with a very scared face until he hit a wall, and then managed to sink himself into the wall to get away from me.

Well Enjoy the video, I need some 酒. Tomorrow is a new day right?

Intelligent Bumper Stickers

2009-09-05T16:15:00.015+09:00

I know I know, you are all wondering why Bence hasn't said a word for 2 days and now he uploads three times in one day (night for you)! Well now that I'm settled, I have time to explore and to do research.

Seeing as the temperature here in the Hyogo-ku is melt-your-skin hot, and the humidity is drown-if-you-open-your-mouth%, I think research is best.

I'd like to introduce and explain one of the things that Japan does which makes me all giddy, which is to display cute little stickers on cars based off of the driver of said car! I've been seeing these everywhere and have been wondering what the heck they were.

Anyways here are the symbols and their meanings and readings (in JSL romanization):

高齢運転者標識（こうれいうんてんしゃひょうしき）　
(korei untensya hyousiki)
Elderly Driver Sign:

This sign is used to display that the driver is old.
(typically around 70)

--------------------------------------------------------

初心運転者標識（しょしんうんてんしゃひょうしき）　
syosin untensya hyousiki)
Beginner Driver Sign:

This sign is given to all beginning drivers and must be displayed until 1 year after they've received their driver's license.

This is the WATCH OUT I'M A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL!! sticker.
(Though in Japan the driving age is 18.)

--------------------------------------------------------

身体障害者標識（しんたいしょうがいしゃひょうしき）　
(sintai syougaisya hyousiki)
Handicapped Driver Sign:

This is the handicapped-driver sign. I think our picture of a person in a wheelchair is much more clear, but this 4-leaf clover works too I guess.

(Maybe Japan thinks that these drivers will need all the luck they can get to make it home in one piece?)

--------------------------------------------------------

聴覚障害者標識（ちょうかくしょうがいしゃひょうしき）　
(tyoukaku syougaisya hyousiki)
Deaf Sign:

This little butterfly is used to let all other drivers know that this driver is deaf. Go ahead and honk your horn all you like, they can't hear it.
(This symbol will be replaced soon with a new one depicting dots like this, 「○○○」 so I have heard.)

--------------------------------------------------------

I hope when you go to Japan and see these cute stickers, you will remember this and drive accordingly! I really wish we did this back in the States. I want to know who is old, who is young, and who is deaf!

But remember to put them on your car in an easy-to-spot area!

or else...

Some more pics from Okura Hotel and some from Konan University.

2009-09-05T14:06:00.010+09:00

So I'm emptying the pics from my camera and found a few that I hadn't posted yet. Here they are:

A pirate ship on display in the Kobe bay as seen from my hotel window.

Kobe bay in the afternoon, as seen from my hotel window

The white structures at night, illuminated with green lights in the Kobe bay, as seen from my hotel window. Bonus points for the Ferris wheel in the back that is constantly changing color!

The Kobe Bay Tower at night, as seen from my hotel window.

A car right outside of the entrance to 甲南大学 (Konan University) with the popular "ensign" sticker (the yellow and green chevron). Is this the car of an ensign drifter? Possibly. Possibly.

Apologies, and the War on Spiders

2009-09-05T08:10:00.004+09:00

SORRY!!

I had so much going on that I couldn't update lately, just sleep :[ But now things are different.

I moved in with my host family, the 吉田 (Yoshida) family. They are really cool, kind, fun, and strict!

But anyways, I have to apologize that there are no pictures or video this time. I'm still setting things up, and failing. :[

However, I wanted to write, that this morning it really hit me--I'm on an island in the Pacific ocean, 7000 miles from home, where I can understand about 40% of what I hear, and about 10% of what I read. ちょっとこわいなあ (It's kind of scary huh?)

But I didn't have much time to think about it since I was quickly and quite rudely roused awake by the king of large, hairy, juicy jumping spiders.

No matter how I tried to kill him, this thing was a ninja-spider and just didn't want to die, or get caught. This thing was jumping from the wall to the ceiling, punching me in the face, kicking me in the butt, and whenever it felt that I had struggled enough to gain the upper hand, it would use it's ninja skills to hide!

BUT!! Victory was mine as I had finally managed to kill the sucker! However it was only a short victory as I had noticed 3 more later :[

I asked my host father about this and he assured me that this is normal, and OK. Spiders don't bother you, just scare you.

So my host family currently enjoys hearing me scream like a girl about 7 times a minute.

Anyways, I'm working on getting wireless internet, until then I just have a wired connection in their kitchen.

I have Japanese placement tests on Monday, so I will be hoarding myself up in...Japan...to study...Japanese.

I am working to fix my video issues and take more pictures. I'm sort of testing the waters now with my host family to see what is acceptable and what isn't. So it takes a while. Sorry.

Thanks for reading!!

Kobe, Kobe, Kobe

2009-09-02T06:59:00.005+09:00

So here I am! In Japan, in Kobe, at the fabled Okura Hotel! Just wanted to post some pics!

Our view

A famous structure in Kobe, right next to our hotel.

Some crates and a the bay (as seen from my hotel room)

Nissan cube with the pillar on the other side since the driver is on the other side!

I promise tons of video when I have the time to figure this out! Sorry, I am taking tons of fun footage!

Departure!

2009-08-31T14:47:00.005+09:00

Well this is it. This will be my last post before I can find some reasonably priced internet somewhere in Osaka.

I've said my good-byes, counseled my mother, and even rear-ended my car into somebody else's.

--Yep I'm ready for take-off. See you guys whn I get to Japan.

PS: I'm having a bit of trouble getting Adobe Premiere CS3 to handle the .mp4 files that my Sanyo Xacti HD1010 spit out. If anybody could help me that would be great, until I can figure this bug out, no video :[

Packing, packing, packing.

2009-08-30T08:37:00.002+09:00

Just wanted everybody to see my matching Nautica luggage set. OK back to packing...

First Post!

2009-08-26T12:36:00.001+09:00

Hello, my name is Feher Bence and I'm a 3rd year Computer Science / Japanese major at the University of Pittsburgh -- and I will be spending 9 months in Japan.

I will be posting pictures and videos taken from my camera and HD cam about everyday life in Japan.

I will also be studying the Kansai-ben, or Kansai area dialect of the Japanese Language.

I hope the blog won't be as dry as this first post, and that you will enjoy to follow my footsteps through Japan!