Here again

Here I am again. Unexpectedly months from last time I wrote. I knew it was going to be a busy couple of months what with taking another Anatomy and Physiology class, but we added a long vacation in the middle of that, and let's just say it added an extra element of stress.

Its tough when you really want to go on vacation, and he gets the time off, and he's excited to get a reprieve from all the chaos at work, but I'm in the thick of an incredibly intense class with major exams and hours upon hours of daily reading, lectures, assignments, quizzes, and studying. Needless to say we still went on vacation to Singapore and after 5, or maybe 6 days, we cut it short. I was holed up in the room almost the entire time, and we both felt terrible that what was supposed to be a great trip was in fact, not. It even ended with us taking separate flights back since we couldn't get the same flight.

Thankfully, I made it through the class with a B...barely, and I can now rest assured I will never have to take such an intense class again...and we can both be certain we will plan our trips much more carefully in the future.

Ever since the class's ending, I've lounged around doing little. I've started baking, which is a little comical given there's only a toaster oven, and no cookie sheets small enough to fit in it. But with a flimsy metal tray, I've managed to bake some "potential cookies" that are a hit with G-man...and myself. I just made my 5th batch this afternoon. Two ever so simple ingredients: Recipe here!

My first class of the Summer has now started up and I'll need to find my groove for that, but I'm confident it'll be smooth without any hiccups. Nothing like my Spring semester. I have to comment on the fact that I'm beginning my Junior year with ASU. I'm so shocked I'm already a Junior and just saying that is so exciting. I'm getting myself on track to graduate Spring of 2017 and though that requires me to continue taking Summer classes and even adding an extra class throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, I'm determined to walk across that stage come May 2017. That's only two years from now! So soon, so soon!!

In the meantime, I know a lot will go on in those two years, but God has proven faithful and no matter what, it'll work out for His glory, so I'm not worried in the least over any changes or challenges that come about. I say, bring them on!


*all images original to Emily's oldie but goodie


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Chinese Celebration Parade

Maybe this is horrible or maybe this is typical; either way, I get in a rut a lot of the time with wherever I am. I can't figure out anything to do, so I'll sit around and waste time on my computer or hanging out in the apartment.

Super exciting.

This is true even with being in Japan. I don't have that "lets go explore and be adventurous" spirit. I have the "I'm tired of spending money on train rides to see yet another temple or shrine that looks exactly like all the others I've seen".

I'm super fun to be around.

Granted if you came to visit, I would absolutely take you to all these places, but on my own, its not all that fun to me. But I was determined to do something, anything one weekend, and began scouring the internet.

That's when I learned it was the Chinese New Year celebration and it was nearing the end of its (I think) 10 days of celebrating. They had their big parade and since I had never been to a Chinese parade before, in Chinatown no less, I was determined and excited to go.

I arrived in Chinatown a good 20 minutes before it began, but I had no idea where it was going to be, or what roads they'd go down, so I did what anyone would do...followed the crowd. And within 50 yards, I was jam-packed stuck between hundreds of Japanese. There was no moving and thanks to being a head taller than most, I saw why. We were at the very start of the parade.

Being 50 people back was not where I wanted to be to see the parade. I had grand plans to get amazing shots, and all I saw was a sea of black hair. I did the only thing I could do, and that was become a fish going upstream. I pushed and pushed my way out until I could finally breathe and as I was hearing the parade behind me, I hoped and hoped I would find a place to at least catch a glimpse of it.

I made it to the next street over and noticed that people were forming along the side of the road. I figured if Japanese were doing it...it must be a good sign, so I plopped myself on the edge and waited...and waited...and waited for over 30 minutes until finally I saw the flags being waved down the road.

Funny thing about parades here, even with it just 20 feet behind them, people were still walking down the middle of the street like it was any other day. In America, those streets would have been cleared at least an hour before.
Case in point. See the three balloons down the street? That's the start of the parade.

The celebration was fun and different and loud...Chinese and fireworks at all. They lit a bunch of them inside a metal container, for reasons I'm figuring are A) containment B) reduction of potential fires and C) because it'll echo and be 100x louder inside than out.

And loud they were. Eardrums could have burst.

oh and D) so everyone could cough from all the smoke it produced..which they were successful there too.

I'm glad I went and though I was a little sad at first for choosing the sun side of the street, and had to fight with it to get photos; I was happy when I realized the other side was the 'get all the firework smoke' side. The sun wasn't so bad after that.

I should probably break this up into two posts for the amount of photos, but why? ..enjoy!

 This guy locked eyes with me, and I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated by it.

The woman on the left kept her beautiful smile throughout the entire performance. I couldn't help but watch her the whole time, she seemed so genuinely happy.

*all images original to Emily's oldie but goodie


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Ume season

The trees are slowly starting to blossom and it gets me so excited for Spring. A little over a week ago, I made the hike up to a park that has row upon row of Sakura trees (aka Cherry Blossom trees), however they're all bare. Their season doesn't start until April, but at least in the meantime, I get to enjoy the Ume (pronounced ume-meh) trees...(aka Plum trees).

While I was taking photos of the Ume blossoms, a man with his dog walked by and the dog, for reasons unknown, stopped right at my feet.

Though I've kept it fairly under wraps...I'll admit now, I'm not a dog person. at all. not in the least. But here this dog stands, unmoving, at my feet. I laugh, as you do in awkward situations and the owner just stands there ten feet away waiting for the dog.

I can't quite put my finger on how or why, but the dogs here aren't "normal" dogs. They don't bark, they don't jump, they aren't out of control, they stay when told, and a lot of them aren't even on leashes because they're so incredibly well trained.

I just about NEVER hear a dog barking in the neighborhood. One dog barks maybe once a week, and its for 30 seconds before he stops, never to bark again. Its weird but amazing all at the same time.

So, this dog is at my feet, standing quietly, off-leash, waiting. Me and the owner, with hand gestures, talk about the trees to pass time. He very kindly tells me what trees I'm taking photos of, and when to come back for the Sakura trees. He calls the dog, but it won't move. Again. But the dog is happy, so I finally FINALLY consent, and pet the dog.

If you knew me, really knew me, this is huge. I don't touch dogs. (I'm also allergic...lest you think me a beast). But I give this dog a really good rub down, and he's just soaking it up. I actually don't mind doing it, this dog was really mellow.

Not too long after petting him, the owner calls again, and the dog trots away. Well played dog, well played.

I walked around a little longer and eventually called it a night, returning back to the apartment. More and more Ume trees are blooming and even though we've been having terrible gusty winds the past few days, I can feel the warmth of the sun getting stronger. Spring will be here before I know it.

*all images original to Emily's oldie but goodie


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So many things

There is so much I have yet to cover, all my stories and trips are being mentally backlogged with each and every trip I take. With each one, I think "this one I want to share first. No THIS one." and so the cycle goes where I can't decide.

I have snow monkeys, and sumo, and umi (plum) blooms; a boat tour, Asakusa, and a Chinese New Year Celebration parade to share. Oh and the Sapporo Snow Festival...and Odawara Castle, and Nagano. Not to mention my in-between moments too. If I were a "bucket list" making kind of person, the majority of these would be on it and happily crossed off.

So many amazing trips that are truly once in a lifetime.

I'll probably start backwards since the Chinese New Year celebration is coming to a close, and I really enjoyed watching their parade this weekend. Its so fresh in my mind, I want to capture it before it flits away. Thankfully it was on Saturday since it rained the entire day Sunday. I happily stayed indoors cleaning, and eating snack foods, watching Netflix as the rain came down. 

Today marks the last day of my first set of Spring semester classes, and the first day of Spring break! Who knows what I'll do but I look forward to the break no matter what. 

G-man and I went out to eat a few weeks ago, and got to enjoy some delicacies of Japan. We had quite the fun night that night, ending with him buying a new Macbook and us enjoying a cocoa at Starbucks while we watched the crazy Shibuya traffic...it is the busiest intersection in the world for very good reason.

Shibuya! [press play] The busiest intersection in the world. I've wanted to capture this for almost 2 years and finally got the chance on our Valentine's date, tonight. #sohappy

A video posted by Emily (@emilygrapes) on Feb 14, 2015 at 4:09am PST

One thing that's fun with Japan is they can't, or don't say their L's. L's are R's in every word. He"rr"o for Hello and bRanket for blanket...you get the point, so its always fun when I'm out and about to see how "Engrish" strikes again. 

This time however, they actually NEEDED the R, and that just makes this all the more funny.

Technically you can "clash" with someone coming around the corner, but you most likely will "crash" if you aren't paying attention. 

I hope you all had a great weekend. 

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Anjin - The White Samurai

Not too long ago, I read the novel Shogun and though fictional, its based off of the white English sailor who landed himself in Japan and the Japanese not giving him up. He ended up becoming, I think, the one and only white (non-Japanese) samurai, which is a pretty big deal for that time.

I found out that he was buried, along with his Japanese wife, in the town I'm staying in. His Japanese name was Miura Anjin, and the town is called Anjinzuka. He was in charge of this area, if I remember correctly, which I think is pretty neat. Just last week, I made the trek up the (rather steep) hill to view it, and it turned out to be quite a beautiful day to do it.

His is the one on the right. 

Every April, they have a memorial ceremony, and though I've never been, it sounds like its a big event. 

Before climbing the stairs to the top, there's a stone monument, that I admit, I have no idea what it says, but its quite large and imposing.

These stairs are steep and far apart in height. They definitely take a person time to climb. Once you finally reach the top, you're greeted with the monuments behind the gate and these lush fluffy green bushes lining the entire surroundings.

After walking around for awhile, I made my way back down, but not before smelling what I thought was incense, but saw far on another hill, a man burning what I can only guess to be weeds or an old crop. It was quite pungent . 

I enjoyed the views and felt it get colder as the sun was rapidly sinking, so I quickly made my trip downhill back to the apartment.

If you notice, in the far righthand side of the above photo, you'll see a set of winding stairs. That's only a small portion of those stairs, and I ran up them once as a workout. I almost died that day, actually fighting throwing up once I got to the top. I commend everyone who lives in that apartment complex who have to take those stairs several times a day.

I'm glad I got to view this park and the monument. Its a great workout, since its up such a steep hill and its incredibly quiet. I can see it as a great place to get away for a peaceful afternoon, if ever I need. 

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Christmas Eve Eve

Two days from Christmas and the sky is as blue as it can get and the ground is as dry as ever. I don't think we'll have a white Christmas here, but no matter what, Christmas will be here soon. Right now there's only a crock pot under the Christmas tree and its cooking a pork shoulder. 

I had to plug it into the transformer so it can get full power and cook it properly; the Japanese outlets don't give enough watts to get the job done. But there aren't any presents sitting wrapped under the tree and I'm not even sure there will be. I have one sweater to give to G-man but no wrapping paper. To be truthful, he's already seen it, so I debate even wrapping it. Should I bother?

Yesterday, I went to what was said to be the #1 thing to do in Yokosuka per trip advisor, and that was the Yokosuka Art Museum. I went and I thought to myself, how in the world is this the #1 thing to do? Its an art gallery, so I knew that going in, but I think I expected so much more...not creepy dolls that flip over when you crank the handle. Or paintings that all look the same. Or an entire wall covered in bunny and cat faces made out of wire? (they really love their cats here).

The only fun thing about the place was a Japanese couple calling me over to look at the creepy doll and then laugh with me when it flipped over. Then calling me over again to show me something else, and then again to show me something else.

I hate not speaking their language, but love when they actually acknowledge I'm there. 

I can't say I would recommend this museum to the average person but maybe an art enthusiast who actually speaks Japanese so they can read all the captions. I would actually recommend what I think is my favorite place to eat lunch, and that's Kawara Cafe. No matter how much I walk around to find a different place to eat, I always come back to Kawara. One for their free wifi (that helps), but also for their friendly staff and yummy food.

And if you notice, they play old Mickey Mouse cartoons on the big screen, which is a fun silly little extra. 

Japan ca

If I don't get the chance, I wish everyone a wonderfully Merry Christmas. 




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Hair, views, and odd translations

The past week I've had the chance to do a few things here and there. I always feel guilty admitting that more often than not, I am inside the apartment doing a whole lot of nothing. I don't go out and explore and even though its probably seen as a little lame, I don't because I hate spending money.

Not just the money, the time. It takes a lot of time to go somewhere and by the time I get there, my shoulders are killing me from lugging my heavy bag with my camera and before I know it, I have to come back to start dinner before G-man gets home from work.

I told you it was lame.

I went to my hair stylist three times last week (we're developing a nice friendship) and she's an hour away and my old self was pooped out from that. But let me tell you, she did a fabulous job. I wanted to go lighter, for the first time in 10 years, and she delivered like no one I think would have. It took four hours, but it was worth it. 

So you can get a full grasp of what my hair (and GREYS) looked like before, this will show you. Plus the amount of foil it took to cover my entire head. She leaves them flat so its two foils to one (small) section of hair. I can't even describe how heavy all that foil was.

G-man and I set up and decorated the tree over the weekend as well. With one strand of cicle lights and one strand of normal white lights, we got very creative and hung them up around the living room. Though we certainly won't be winning any awards for best decorated, we think its charming in a "wow, that's really bad" sort of way.

Feel free to notice the "tree skirt" is in fact a pillow sham and the transformer on the ground that keeps all the American electronics running smoothly. Keeping it classy over here.

This is where I wait for my trains whenever I want to go anywhere. This one passing is headed to Kanazawa-Hakkei where I would get off to get onto the limited express to Yokohama. As it was that day, I was waiting to go to Yokosuka in the other direction.

G-man and I went to Landmark Towers in Yokohama to see the city from their highest floor. They have the fastest elevator in Japan going 28mph. Ears were popping and the views were beautiful.

Afterward, we were looking for a place to eat, and would you believe we passed this place up?

I know, I'm sure you can't imagine why. 

That nearly rounds out all the happenings with me this past week.  Well, except the fact that while I'm in blogger, everything is in Japanese. Whenever I'm writing out a post, the page is constantly translating back and forth from English to Japanese, and because of this, while I'm typing, its nothing for it to completely delete an entire sentence mid sentence. I'm constantly retyping my sentences. Its odd and funny, and just another little quirk with being in Japan.










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