Quick Blurb

Hey all,

Just wanted to give a quick update.  I've been swamped lately with events and class work (I'm enjoying it immensely though) so I have been slacking in my social media upkeep.  Next week I'm going to go to an Onsen which I'm super excited for.  I also got a bunch of children's books to help with my reading practice from a super cheap book store for ¥108.

This is my class list:
- Elementary Japanese I
- Agriculture Science
- Science and Technology in Japan
- Biotechnology
- Special Lecture Series
- Ancient Japanese Liturature
- Modernity and Post-modernism
- Linux functions COMS 252 (from Iowa State)

On top of that, I have a language tutor so I'm super busy academically.

Anyway,
Back to Kanji!

Here is a picture of a storage room.  The spelling is beautiful.

I guess I'll go backwards?

Just another marvelous English instruction set.  What this is trying to get me to do is go to the opposite end of the subway.

Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle is hands down one of the coolest places I've been to yet in Japan.  I would recommend this to anyone who comes to Nagoya as it is not only  huge and beautifully built, it has a ton of historical and cultural significance for the area.  The castle is not the only thing within the protective walls, there are tons of side buildings, watch towers, and a beautiful tea house.  I don't think pictures could ever really give this place enough credit.

Nagoya castle from the Eastern side

The castle was constructed in 1612 by Ieyasu Tokugawa to make sure the Tokaido road (one of the five major trade roads in Japan during the castle's construction) was kept under control if something was to happen such as an attack from Osaka.  Due to it's positioning and a collection of other factors, Nagoya castle was heart of one of the most important castle towns in Japan in the Edo period.  During the WWII due to an air raid, a majority of the buildings on the grounds burned down; however a majority of the paintings and a few gates and watch towers survived.  You can still see these when you go inside of the castle which acts as a multistory museum!

Some acts are preformed at the castle too, such as ninja and samurai battle reenactments and shows for kids.  I came during the latter, but still had a great time watching the dramatic ninja sword fights.

In the surrounding area, you can tell the influence of the castle just by the important places such as Meijo park and university.  Other buildings dedicated to the arts are also within close proximity to the castle.

The moat that surrounds one side of the castle as viewed from one of the towers.

Flush Sound

Doors

Let me spin you a tale of irritation and personal growth.  I was standing around with some friends and we collectively decided to leave the current place we were.  You know that thing people do in a group where you just kind of start moving without thinking by following the frontward person?  Yeah, well, I walk abnormally fast for someone with my short legs, so I almost always end up as that person. This situation was no different, and I found myself just walking ahead of the group kind of just wandering toward to exit.  If anyone knows me well enough, they know I have a long history with traveling and automatic doors; for some reason no matter where I go, I always manage to have some misfortune fall upon me with these cheeky doors.

So back to the story, we approached the doorway which should just slide, conveniently, out of the way.  I stop for a brief moment out of muscle memory for the timing of the ones back in the states and my body just kind of continued forward and I pulled a Tarzan right into the glass.  The freaking door still hadn't opened!  Not even close! How do you recover from that?

I just kind of stood there, glasses askew, staring at my beautiful face art on this pristine glass panel.  No one said anything.  Not a single word as I just slowly turned around and said, "I'm hungry."  Yep, so we got lunch.  No one brought it up, until during class when one of them started making bird jokes.  Oh well, better luck next doorway I suppose.

New Friends!

Don't worry I've made plenty of human ones too.