We finally got to Tokyo on Tuesday which was fun, I'll give you the details on that when I clear up my backlog. Our friend Kitano-san is back in Tokyo and she has been amazing. She and her boyfriend took us around on Tuesday, and the Friday before she and the amazing Yoshiko took us to Karaoke in Oyama. As a consequence of the latter I discovered the joys of the hangover for the very first time and spent the night sleeping in the tub for some reason I assume made sense at the time. I'll gladly do karaoke again, but I think I'll stick to beer which I can't drink as fast as these amazing things:
It's basically a cocktail in a can (this one reads Salty Dog). Amazing, fizzy, slightly sour, with 5%+ alcohol and they go down sooooo eaaasy, much to my chagrin. They are now under a strict consumption limit since I spent all Saturday lying in bed contemplating my idiocy and nursing the bruises I got from hitting my head when turning in my sleep... in my bathtub. I've finally topped the pool table.Anyway, going back a bit I've seen some beautiful scenery around, and here are some slideshows for your viewing pleasure.
Below is a brief summary of the amazing flowers I've seen around. If you know what any of them are, please let me know! Okay, I know poppies when I see them, but the others... Anyway, I am constantly amazed by the flora in Oyama, and I hope you will enjoy these!
We passed this graveyard/temple near the Oyama train station. It seemed very serene, but note the giant bell! Yes, graveyards are very small here comparatively. The tendency is for small family plots containing the ashes of many people, with thin wooden markers indicating the names of the deceased. Visitors to the graves burn incense there to honor them.
Saw these on a tree near the main campus, anyone know what they are? They are always in the exact same spot. I think they are feeding from the tree's sap, but I never see any of them move.
I've posted pictures of the shrine near the dorm before, but it burst into bloom a week or so back. Turns out the lower tree is actually wisteria, and it was amazing. It was incredible. Sadly the blossoms are over for now, but here's a peek.
The weather has had some foul spells lately. Lots of rain and cloudy days, high humidity, and hot enough to remind us that June and July will be horrible. Before the latest spurt of incredibly wet weather, we had an incredibly windy day, and I got a couple of videos, one of the shrine in bloom, and one of a field on my way to campus.
Okay, that's it for now, I'm done clogging your browser for now. Hopefully soon I will give you the rundown of our latest adventures in Tokyo.
Well, you could have gotten drunk faster with Umeshuu, which both Keleih and I like, but yeah, those cocktails are really good and I think slightly better than what is offered as an equivalent here.
ReplyDeleteBtw, riding your bike while intoxicated is not only not safe (though I did it once and had no problems with steering or balance despite not being able to stand up), but also illegal. Just don't do anything that could put you in a world of pain.
~Samurai Kurisu