Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Language
Clearly this is phonetic and a poor attempt on trying to write some words down so i remember
My Japanese
Ku dai sai- please
Ori ga toe- thank you
Su mi ma sen- sorry
Doko des ka- where is it?
Eki – station
Ski – a little
Kwaii- cute
Ai shit er u- I love you
My Pitiful Korean
Anyang ha say yo- Hello
An e ga say yo- Good bye
Kam sa mi da- Thank-you
Sa rang hey- I love you
Jeek jin- Straight
Jay hey jun- left
Oo hey jun- right
Sun sang neem- teacher
Ju say yo- please
She lay ha mi da- excuse me
Odie- where
Babo- crazy
Ye pod ah- beautiful
Bosu- bus
Chu wo yo- cold
Cho un- good
Nore bang- signing room
Shi jang- market
Weh- why?
Mwol- what?
Chin cha? – really?
Cho song ha mi da- I’m sorry
Creyo- ok
Neh/anio- yes/no
More ly yo- I don’t know
Op so – I don’t have
Jo eye yo- I like it
Yogi - Here
Chogi- There
Meeguk- American
Wayguk- Foreigner
Agi- baby
Food
Bap- rice
Kimchi- fermented cabbage (everywhere)
Bibimbap- rice/veggie dish
Kimbap- Korean rice roll wrapped in seaweed
Cha- tea
Kalbi- Korean bbq meat
Mul Naenmyon- cold (ice) water noodle
Mandu- dumplings
Dok- usually sweet rice cake
Takk goggi- chicken
Cham ci – tuna
Oi- cucumber
Kam ja- potato
Bung- bread
Kopi- coffee
Ju su- juice
Mul- water
Maek chew- beer
Soju- death fermented sweet potato liquor
My Japanese
Ku dai sai- please
Ori ga toe- thank you
Su mi ma sen- sorry
Doko des ka- where is it?
Eki – station
Ski – a little
Kwaii- cute
Ai shit er u- I love you
My Pitiful Korean
Anyang ha say yo- Hello
An e ga say yo- Good bye
Kam sa mi da- Thank-you
Sa rang hey- I love you
Jeek jin- Straight
Jay hey jun- left
Oo hey jun- right
Sun sang neem- teacher
Ju say yo- please
She lay ha mi da- excuse me
Odie- where
Babo- crazy
Ye pod ah- beautiful
Bosu- bus
Chu wo yo- cold
Cho un- good
Nore bang- signing room
Shi jang- market
Weh- why?
Mwol- what?
Chin cha? – really?
Cho song ha mi da- I’m sorry
Creyo- ok
Neh/anio- yes/no
More ly yo- I don’t know
Op so – I don’t have
Jo eye yo- I like it
Yogi - Here
Chogi- There
Meeguk- American
Wayguk- Foreigner
Agi- baby
Food
Bap- rice
Kimchi- fermented cabbage (everywhere)
Bibimbap- rice/veggie dish
Kimbap- Korean rice roll wrapped in seaweed
Cha- tea
Kalbi- Korean bbq meat
Mul Naenmyon- cold (ice) water noodle
Mandu- dumplings
Dok- usually sweet rice cake
Takk goggi- chicken
Cham ci – tuna
Oi- cucumber
Kam ja- potato
Bung- bread
Kopi- coffee
Ju su- juice
Mul- water
Maek chew- beer
Soju- death fermented sweet potato liquor
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Day 3- Himeiji Castle & Day 4 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
We were up early and headed to the train station. We easily bought our tickets and jumped aboard the bullet train to arrive in Himeiji only an hour and half later. The city itself was cute if the one large shopping street was any indication. (** Note many shopping streets are covered with an opaque high ceiling between the two rows of shops- these roads are called handorii’s…at least I think they are ☺)
We walked down the street and headed to the famous Himeji Castle!!! Himeji Castle is a castle that dates back to 1331. Of course none of the 1331 castle remains but since it’s conception many kings have redesigned and added to the complex. Wikipedia states, that the castle relatively took its present design in 1601. The actual main castle has survived constant attacks since then including WWII bombings in 1945.
“The castle has a five storey main donjon (heavily fortified central tower) and three smaller dojons, and the entire structure is surrounded by moats and defensive walls punctuated with rectangular, circular, and triangular openings for firing guns and shooting arrows. The walls of the donjon also feature ishiotoshi- openings that allowed defenders to pour boiling water or oil onto anyone who made it past the defensive slits and was thinking of scaling the walls.” (Lonley Planet Japan- pg. 360)
Interesting facts about the castle:
One wall is made of clay and sand mixed with boiled rice water!
The picture showing metal discs is a picture of tiles with family crests engraved on them
“One of Himeji's most important defensive elements, and perhaps its most famous, is the confusing maze of paths leading to the main keep. The gates, baileys, and outer walls of the complex are organized so as to cause an approaching force to travel in a spiral pattern around the castle on their way into the keep, facing many dead ends. This allowed the intruders to be watched and fired upon from the keep during their entire approach. However, Himeji was never attacked in this manner, and so the system remains untested.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himeji_Castle
To cover unsightly nails between the boards the Japanese put beautiful metal discs (often with a family crest)
After the castle, we walked out of the grounds turned left and voila were in a true Japanese Garden! The garden, Koko-en, is composed of nine different gardens. It is not a historical garden as it was created on the grounds of samurai houses and roads but gives a great feel of a true Japanese Garden. There were miniature hills and waterfalls, large Koi fish (think goldfish on steroids), bamboo, a tea ceremony house, flowers, and beautiful maple trees.
As we were in the garden the loudest thunder I have ever heard crackled above us as lightning illuminated the sky. Old hobbles (Roberta with a sprained ankle) and myself dashed as fast as we could (not very) and out ran the storm to do a little window shopping before we caught our train home. We opted to forgo the bullet train as it massacred our wallets and took the slow train back to Hiroshima. About 4 hours later and Roberta ready to piss her pants we made it safely back to Tom’s city. We decided to have some Spanish Tapas, again this makes sense in Japan … right??? (in our defense Korean food is very much like Japanese food and any other varieties are hard to come by where we live). We borrowed a cell phone from a stranger and headed back to Tom’s to sleep promptly after Tapas.
Day 4- Shopping/ Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
We started the day with some breakfast and a coffee and decided to head to the museum while our minds were still fresh. Before, I explain the important museum I will report that shopping was fun. We didn’t buy much, were treated much nicer than in Korea, and the picture with the bag on my head is to be worn when trying on clothes so that makeup doesn’t get on the non-purchased garments.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is extremely well done. The task of conveying the brutality of the bombings is a daunting one but the people of Japan have succeeded. The museum starts off showing a history of different Japanese wars finishing with WWII and its involvement with the United States. It goes on to show letters detailing the Manhattan Project and reasons for choosing Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets. The bomb was dropped on the Japanese in an effort to end the war without bringing the Soviet Union on side. (Hiroshima chosen because of the its military presence and lack of Allied prisoner camps) If the Soviet Union had become allies this would have increased their influence which would have subsequently decreased the United States influence as a large world power. In the end, the use of the bomb justified the large amounts of money the government was spending to create/test it, as well as, portrayed the United States as being the most powerful nation in the world… and is that not what war is all about?
The museum is filled with great visuals… a 3D map of the city before the bombing, and then the dust that lay afterward, videos from the time- trying to bandage people, chaos in crumbling buildings etc., a watch that stopped at the exact time, a wall with black rain trickling down (from the acid rains days after), a shadow burnt into a cement stair from a person that stood beside, effects of radiation on skin/gums, photographs of burnt flesh, clothes patterns burnt into flesh, and stories that went along with personal articles- such as the sandal that was the only remains left of a mother’s lost child. I read many of these stories, and watched some videos in which survivors told their stories and then I just couldn’t stomach anymore. I would look at the visual and my imagination could tell me the story for that burnt tricycle.
It was all too much. I left the museum and looked at a painting on the way out of a skeleton standing upright surrounded by ashes. This is when I began crying. The husband of the corpse stood beside her… either within the painting or on a plaque beside it read… “I am so sorry it must have been so hot.” The fireball that was released on the civilians was over one million degrees Celsius in the air and on the surface up to 5000 degrees Celsius and extended 280 meters. The blast pressure 500 meters from the hypocenter was 19 tons per square meter and thus crushed buildings and hurled people to the sky.
The sad reality of this and the objective of the museum is not solely ‘lest we never forget’ but ‘lest we never repeat history.’ The museum finishes by showing a globe with markings for all the nuclear weapons (20 000) the world presently contains. Nuclear weapons that are even more powerful then the one unleashed 63 years ago. Nuclear weapons that if unleashed and survivors remain, would create a cold icy world where few animals and species of vegetation could exist. I cynically shook my head when I read about the U.S. and Russia getting rid of a few of their bombs. I thought, ‘big deal when each of them still has enough to destroy the planet!’ Looking back now, I will still shake my head as I can’t comprehend war, but museums and monuments such as those that exist at Hiroshima, are there to inspire/motivate us to make even the smallest steps towards peace. The fire, in the ‘Peace Flame,’ will keep burning until those steps reach us to a nuclear free world.
Peace Be With You
XO
We walked down the street and headed to the famous Himeji Castle!!! Himeji Castle is a castle that dates back to 1331. Of course none of the 1331 castle remains but since it’s conception many kings have redesigned and added to the complex. Wikipedia states, that the castle relatively took its present design in 1601. The actual main castle has survived constant attacks since then including WWII bombings in 1945.
“The castle has a five storey main donjon (heavily fortified central tower) and three smaller dojons, and the entire structure is surrounded by moats and defensive walls punctuated with rectangular, circular, and triangular openings for firing guns and shooting arrows. The walls of the donjon also feature ishiotoshi- openings that allowed defenders to pour boiling water or oil onto anyone who made it past the defensive slits and was thinking of scaling the walls.” (Lonley Planet Japan- pg. 360)
Interesting facts about the castle:
One wall is made of clay and sand mixed with boiled rice water!
The picture showing metal discs is a picture of tiles with family crests engraved on them
“One of Himeji's most important defensive elements, and perhaps its most famous, is the confusing maze of paths leading to the main keep. The gates, baileys, and outer walls of the complex are organized so as to cause an approaching force to travel in a spiral pattern around the castle on their way into the keep, facing many dead ends. This allowed the intruders to be watched and fired upon from the keep during their entire approach. However, Himeji was never attacked in this manner, and so the system remains untested.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himeji_Castle
To cover unsightly nails between the boards the Japanese put beautiful metal discs (often with a family crest)
After the castle, we walked out of the grounds turned left and voila were in a true Japanese Garden! The garden, Koko-en, is composed of nine different gardens. It is not a historical garden as it was created on the grounds of samurai houses and roads but gives a great feel of a true Japanese Garden. There were miniature hills and waterfalls, large Koi fish (think goldfish on steroids), bamboo, a tea ceremony house, flowers, and beautiful maple trees.
As we were in the garden the loudest thunder I have ever heard crackled above us as lightning illuminated the sky. Old hobbles (Roberta with a sprained ankle) and myself dashed as fast as we could (not very) and out ran the storm to do a little window shopping before we caught our train home. We opted to forgo the bullet train as it massacred our wallets and took the slow train back to Hiroshima. About 4 hours later and Roberta ready to piss her pants we made it safely back to Tom’s city. We decided to have some Spanish Tapas, again this makes sense in Japan … right??? (in our defense Korean food is very much like Japanese food and any other varieties are hard to come by where we live). We borrowed a cell phone from a stranger and headed back to Tom’s to sleep promptly after Tapas.
Day 4- Shopping/ Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
We started the day with some breakfast and a coffee and decided to head to the museum while our minds were still fresh. Before, I explain the important museum I will report that shopping was fun. We didn’t buy much, were treated much nicer than in Korea, and the picture with the bag on my head is to be worn when trying on clothes so that makeup doesn’t get on the non-purchased garments.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is extremely well done. The task of conveying the brutality of the bombings is a daunting one but the people of Japan have succeeded. The museum starts off showing a history of different Japanese wars finishing with WWII and its involvement with the United States. It goes on to show letters detailing the Manhattan Project and reasons for choosing Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets. The bomb was dropped on the Japanese in an effort to end the war without bringing the Soviet Union on side. (Hiroshima chosen because of the its military presence and lack of Allied prisoner camps) If the Soviet Union had become allies this would have increased their influence which would have subsequently decreased the United States influence as a large world power. In the end, the use of the bomb justified the large amounts of money the government was spending to create/test it, as well as, portrayed the United States as being the most powerful nation in the world… and is that not what war is all about?
The museum is filled with great visuals… a 3D map of the city before the bombing, and then the dust that lay afterward, videos from the time- trying to bandage people, chaos in crumbling buildings etc., a watch that stopped at the exact time, a wall with black rain trickling down (from the acid rains days after), a shadow burnt into a cement stair from a person that stood beside, effects of radiation on skin/gums, photographs of burnt flesh, clothes patterns burnt into flesh, and stories that went along with personal articles- such as the sandal that was the only remains left of a mother’s lost child. I read many of these stories, and watched some videos in which survivors told their stories and then I just couldn’t stomach anymore. I would look at the visual and my imagination could tell me the story for that burnt tricycle.
It was all too much. I left the museum and looked at a painting on the way out of a skeleton standing upright surrounded by ashes. This is when I began crying. The husband of the corpse stood beside her… either within the painting or on a plaque beside it read… “I am so sorry it must have been so hot.” The fireball that was released on the civilians was over one million degrees Celsius in the air and on the surface up to 5000 degrees Celsius and extended 280 meters. The blast pressure 500 meters from the hypocenter was 19 tons per square meter and thus crushed buildings and hurled people to the sky.
The sad reality of this and the objective of the museum is not solely ‘lest we never forget’ but ‘lest we never repeat history.’ The museum finishes by showing a globe with markings for all the nuclear weapons (20 000) the world presently contains. Nuclear weapons that are even more powerful then the one unleashed 63 years ago. Nuclear weapons that if unleashed and survivors remain, would create a cold icy world where few animals and species of vegetation could exist. I cynically shook my head when I read about the U.S. and Russia getting rid of a few of their bombs. I thought, ‘big deal when each of them still has enough to destroy the planet!’ Looking back now, I will still shake my head as I can’t comprehend war, but museums and monuments such as those that exist at Hiroshima, are there to inspire/motivate us to make even the smallest steps towards peace. The fire, in the ‘Peace Flame,’ will keep burning until those steps reach us to a nuclear free world.
Peace Be With You
XO
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Japan First 2 out of 4 days
Day 1- Burning Up
First quote of the day; I turned to Roberta looked at the beads of sweat forming like raindrops on her forehead, soaked my own hand in the small of my back where a pool of water (more like a hot spring) had formed and said, “ I thought Burning in Hell was for the after life.”
Words can not describe the sort of heat that Japan has in the summer. Every time we go to tell people about wonderful Japan and get to the temperature part people smile and listen politely. I want to wipe that smile off their face and say “You don’t get it!!!” 37 degrees Celsius and 90% or higher humidity means that one is never dry!!! Everyone has sweat stains and wet hair. It is like a live ‘Zest Fully Clean’ commercial only replace the sweet aroma of soap and insert the spicy aroma of Body odour!!! I will try not to talk about the heat for the rest of this blog but it did cause deliriously giggly moments, sleepless nights (no air con), and many stops to the convenience store. These stops were disguised as opportunities to hydrate when in fact they were a guilty pleasure inducing affair of free AIR CONDITIONING!!!
The trip began with us catching the bus to the airport with our friend and coworker Blair. We got ourselves checked in, ate some Subway (This is a HUGE DELICIOUS deal to us), and boarded the plane. Stuffed and comfortable, we fell asleep only to be woken up by plane food. Now I have to admit I take a ridiculous amount of pleasure from plane food and this was no ordinary food. Oh no! This food consisted of amazing noodles, rice with seaweed, cold ginger, and root vegetables, all arranged in cute compartments. Shortly after chowing down (again), we arrived only 2 hours after take off!
We grabbed our luggage from the small Hiroshima carousel and made our way outside. In hand were email instructions as to where we needed to catch a bus. We found the buses promptly and butchered the Japanese word we were trying to sound out. We were at the correct bus but when we tried to board we were gently ushered away to an automatic machine and assisted in purchasing a ticket. We handed the bus driver money (we were much to fresh with to consider valuable) and moments later we were on a bus hoping we were heading in the direction we wished to go.
Immediately our eyes feasted on the lush surroundings. Everything was so green! The road winded through rolling hills of trees. I actually want to compare it to Alberta but it has been so long I could be a just longing. We made one stop and agreed that it couldn’t be the right stop yet as our instructions were to go down an escalator and the little building that stared back at us couldn’t of had an escalator so we continued on.
We arrived at a large department store went down an escalator and stood at the front looking for our friend Tom. Sure enough, a sweaty Tom greeted us. Relieved to have made it we were struck that we too were soaked in sweat. MMMM sweaty hugs make one feel so close. Tom put us in a cab with a card stating his address and we were off. 4 blocks and $10.00 later we arrived at his apartment.
His apartment was so cute albeit similar to a sweat box being on the 9th floor with air-conditioning that costs enough to leave one ‘cute apartmentless.’ He had great mats all on his floor and just a thin mattress to sleep on (also on the floor). It was simple but nice because his ‘bedroom’ was separated from the living room by a small sliding door, unlike my room (which I do love) but is only one large room.
We left our things and we walked only about 3 blocks and found ourselves at the Peace Park. The Peace Park is a grassless park, spotted with trees, that accent various monuments. The monuments are each dedicated to different aspects of the world’s first nuclear attack… only 63 years ago! (August 6, 1945)
The building featured in the pictures is the A-Dome. It is the building that was closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb and remained standing while the rest of the city center was burnt to dust. The A-Dome served it’s chilling purpose; juxtaposed with the beauty of the river, bridges, and park one could see people’s potential for beauty and incomprehensible evil.
Besides the A-Dome, there was a monument dedicated to the Korean workers who were brought over as factory workers and killed in the blast, the children from various schools (including Sadako and a large display of paper cranes which are constantly replenished around the monument), the Memorial Centotaph with all the names of the victims, a peace bell (which we tolled for peace), and the Peace Flame (which has burned since 1964 and will continue until the world is rid of nuclear weapons).
From there we fed Tom (we still weren’t hungry from our plane feast). Then we headed to Hiroshima castle. Roberta the cripple ☺, didn’t go inside to climb the stairs but Tom and I checked it out with our cameras so Bert could live it too. Inside, there was some traditional weaponry, armour (including those to try on), and castle designs.
After the castle we headed back to Tom’s place to enjoy some convenience store grub and strange alcoholic beverages. Tom’s English friend, Ian, joined the impromptu party. The heat and the alcohol created many giggly session and brainy ideas to cool one down. After much revision we all agreed that robots that dressed you in frozen clothing was the idea that should be sold to the Japanese government. (ohhh dear ☺)
The night continued on with drinks by the river. We were met by more friends and laughed carefree at the river just opposite the Peace Dome. A strange situation indeed. From there we went to a bar for a birthday party. At this bar there was a Wii Nintendo system set up that we played. After ‘Wiing,’ we were at a Western bar, where ironically I got a lesson in Japanese from a table of Japanese boys. “I love you” is “Shit er you”… I laughed out loud and said “Excuse me???”… “Shit on me” hahhahahaha. Finally the night was capped off with some dancing in a basement club that was full of Brazilians. Apparently many Brazilians immigrate to Japan. I have yet to find out why but that is interesting eh???
Day 2; Miyajima Island
Miyajima is an island with Shinto shrines, deer, and monkeys… oh mi!
We boarded a ferry to this delightful island. As one steps off the ferry, the first to greet you are the wild deer! They come right up to you and nibble on your clothes. Don’t say you eat deer meat here. As deer to some Japanese people are considered sacred.
Walk a little farther on land and one can get an amazing view of the torri, or gate. This gate was constructed in 1168 but the current one we saw only dates to 1875 (only!). It is 16 meters high, built on 4 legs, and painted a beautiful bright red. At high tide the gate looks as if it is floating. Commoners were historically not allowed on the island and had to approach through the gate by ship to enter the shrine. The shrine is also built on the water. After our photo opt with the gate behind us, we hung out in a wooded temple and took pictures by a large red shrine dedicated to music. From there we went further up the hill.
We took two separate cable cars up the highest mountain on the island to get a view of the ocean and the city of Hiroshima. Now the whole way up I am hoping we will be able to see the monkeys I have heard so much about. At the top we exit to be greeted by these ridiculous signs about not looking the monkey’s in the eyes, not feeding the monkeys etc…. but NO monkeys! No matter, the views were incredible the blue sea was picturesque and it was worth the money spent on the cable car.
Just as we were climbing the rocks down to the cable car Tom stops to point out a monkey in the bush. I am elated and to my delight he comes out from the bush to stand on a rock about 1 meter in front of me. Possibly out of dizzy delight, or because I am just this talented I feel I loose some footing and stumble… My reaction is to put both arms out in the air, and let out an open mouthed “ahh” like a scream. WELL what do you think that monkey thought when he saw some ridiculous nut job make herself bigger, bare her teeth, and roar??? … the monkey does the predictable animal reaction… he jumps up and mimicks my exact stance. His arms are out, yellowish brown teeth are bared and beady eyes are staring right into mine….. I was frozen in fear... So many thoughts went through my head at this point… I was imagining him jumping out towards me and gnawing on my neck (Roberta imagined the same thing) and then I thought ‘I don’t know how I would fight this thing.’ In addition, my mind went back to when I gave blood to the red cross and how they asked me if I have ever handled a monkey before… How would I explain I was attacked by one! Finally I also thought about the irony in that the “Don’t look the monkey in the eyes sign is literally 2 meters away from this stand off.”
Sometime within all of these thoughts, I brought down my arms and hugged them toward myself. I turned my head to wide eyed Roberta and Tom and said “What should I do.” Roberta panickly responded “Don’t move.” So I didn’t … the monkey then backed down. His next response was to turn to leave back to the bush but not without one final cock of his head in my direction, as if to say “You crazy Waeguk (Korean for foreigner).” After the incident we laughed a lot. We are still laughing about it. I asked Tom where he was for me during this incident his reply, “I am sorry Meira, but my first aid training didn’t cover MONKEY attacks!”
After a long day of island exploring, cable car/tram riding/ferry riding, and close call monkey attacks we were spent. We had dinner at a Thai place (because that makes sense in Japan ☺, then some coffee on a cute second floor outdoor café. Here we overlooked some university students in big hair ‘flirt around.' Finally, we headed back to Tom’s to try and sleep but mostly just sweat.
First quote of the day; I turned to Roberta looked at the beads of sweat forming like raindrops on her forehead, soaked my own hand in the small of my back where a pool of water (more like a hot spring) had formed and said, “ I thought Burning in Hell was for the after life.”
Words can not describe the sort of heat that Japan has in the summer. Every time we go to tell people about wonderful Japan and get to the temperature part people smile and listen politely. I want to wipe that smile off their face and say “You don’t get it!!!” 37 degrees Celsius and 90% or higher humidity means that one is never dry!!! Everyone has sweat stains and wet hair. It is like a live ‘Zest Fully Clean’ commercial only replace the sweet aroma of soap and insert the spicy aroma of Body odour!!! I will try not to talk about the heat for the rest of this blog but it did cause deliriously giggly moments, sleepless nights (no air con), and many stops to the convenience store. These stops were disguised as opportunities to hydrate when in fact they were a guilty pleasure inducing affair of free AIR CONDITIONING!!!
The trip began with us catching the bus to the airport with our friend and coworker Blair. We got ourselves checked in, ate some Subway (This is a HUGE DELICIOUS deal to us), and boarded the plane. Stuffed and comfortable, we fell asleep only to be woken up by plane food. Now I have to admit I take a ridiculous amount of pleasure from plane food and this was no ordinary food. Oh no! This food consisted of amazing noodles, rice with seaweed, cold ginger, and root vegetables, all arranged in cute compartments. Shortly after chowing down (again), we arrived only 2 hours after take off!
We grabbed our luggage from the small Hiroshima carousel and made our way outside. In hand were email instructions as to where we needed to catch a bus. We found the buses promptly and butchered the Japanese word we were trying to sound out. We were at the correct bus but when we tried to board we were gently ushered away to an automatic machine and assisted in purchasing a ticket. We handed the bus driver money (we were much to fresh with to consider valuable) and moments later we were on a bus hoping we were heading in the direction we wished to go.
Immediately our eyes feasted on the lush surroundings. Everything was so green! The road winded through rolling hills of trees. I actually want to compare it to Alberta but it has been so long I could be a just longing. We made one stop and agreed that it couldn’t be the right stop yet as our instructions were to go down an escalator and the little building that stared back at us couldn’t of had an escalator so we continued on.
We arrived at a large department store went down an escalator and stood at the front looking for our friend Tom. Sure enough, a sweaty Tom greeted us. Relieved to have made it we were struck that we too were soaked in sweat. MMMM sweaty hugs make one feel so close. Tom put us in a cab with a card stating his address and we were off. 4 blocks and $10.00 later we arrived at his apartment.
His apartment was so cute albeit similar to a sweat box being on the 9th floor with air-conditioning that costs enough to leave one ‘cute apartmentless.’ He had great mats all on his floor and just a thin mattress to sleep on (also on the floor). It was simple but nice because his ‘bedroom’ was separated from the living room by a small sliding door, unlike my room (which I do love) but is only one large room.
We left our things and we walked only about 3 blocks and found ourselves at the Peace Park. The Peace Park is a grassless park, spotted with trees, that accent various monuments. The monuments are each dedicated to different aspects of the world’s first nuclear attack… only 63 years ago! (August 6, 1945)
The building featured in the pictures is the A-Dome. It is the building that was closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb and remained standing while the rest of the city center was burnt to dust. The A-Dome served it’s chilling purpose; juxtaposed with the beauty of the river, bridges, and park one could see people’s potential for beauty and incomprehensible evil.
Besides the A-Dome, there was a monument dedicated to the Korean workers who were brought over as factory workers and killed in the blast, the children from various schools (including Sadako and a large display of paper cranes which are constantly replenished around the monument), the Memorial Centotaph with all the names of the victims, a peace bell (which we tolled for peace), and the Peace Flame (which has burned since 1964 and will continue until the world is rid of nuclear weapons).
From there we fed Tom (we still weren’t hungry from our plane feast). Then we headed to Hiroshima castle. Roberta the cripple ☺, didn’t go inside to climb the stairs but Tom and I checked it out with our cameras so Bert could live it too. Inside, there was some traditional weaponry, armour (including those to try on), and castle designs.
After the castle we headed back to Tom’s place to enjoy some convenience store grub and strange alcoholic beverages. Tom’s English friend, Ian, joined the impromptu party. The heat and the alcohol created many giggly session and brainy ideas to cool one down. After much revision we all agreed that robots that dressed you in frozen clothing was the idea that should be sold to the Japanese government. (ohhh dear ☺)
The night continued on with drinks by the river. We were met by more friends and laughed carefree at the river just opposite the Peace Dome. A strange situation indeed. From there we went to a bar for a birthday party. At this bar there was a Wii Nintendo system set up that we played. After ‘Wiing,’ we were at a Western bar, where ironically I got a lesson in Japanese from a table of Japanese boys. “I love you” is “Shit er you”… I laughed out loud and said “Excuse me???”… “Shit on me” hahhahahaha. Finally the night was capped off with some dancing in a basement club that was full of Brazilians. Apparently many Brazilians immigrate to Japan. I have yet to find out why but that is interesting eh???
Day 2; Miyajima Island
Miyajima is an island with Shinto shrines, deer, and monkeys… oh mi!
We boarded a ferry to this delightful island. As one steps off the ferry, the first to greet you are the wild deer! They come right up to you and nibble on your clothes. Don’t say you eat deer meat here. As deer to some Japanese people are considered sacred.
Walk a little farther on land and one can get an amazing view of the torri, or gate. This gate was constructed in 1168 but the current one we saw only dates to 1875 (only!). It is 16 meters high, built on 4 legs, and painted a beautiful bright red. At high tide the gate looks as if it is floating. Commoners were historically not allowed on the island and had to approach through the gate by ship to enter the shrine. The shrine is also built on the water. After our photo opt with the gate behind us, we hung out in a wooded temple and took pictures by a large red shrine dedicated to music. From there we went further up the hill.
We took two separate cable cars up the highest mountain on the island to get a view of the ocean and the city of Hiroshima. Now the whole way up I am hoping we will be able to see the monkeys I have heard so much about. At the top we exit to be greeted by these ridiculous signs about not looking the monkey’s in the eyes, not feeding the monkeys etc…. but NO monkeys! No matter, the views were incredible the blue sea was picturesque and it was worth the money spent on the cable car.
Just as we were climbing the rocks down to the cable car Tom stops to point out a monkey in the bush. I am elated and to my delight he comes out from the bush to stand on a rock about 1 meter in front of me. Possibly out of dizzy delight, or because I am just this talented I feel I loose some footing and stumble… My reaction is to put both arms out in the air, and let out an open mouthed “ahh” like a scream. WELL what do you think that monkey thought when he saw some ridiculous nut job make herself bigger, bare her teeth, and roar??? … the monkey does the predictable animal reaction… he jumps up and mimicks my exact stance. His arms are out, yellowish brown teeth are bared and beady eyes are staring right into mine….. I was frozen in fear... So many thoughts went through my head at this point… I was imagining him jumping out towards me and gnawing on my neck (Roberta imagined the same thing) and then I thought ‘I don’t know how I would fight this thing.’ In addition, my mind went back to when I gave blood to the red cross and how they asked me if I have ever handled a monkey before… How would I explain I was attacked by one! Finally I also thought about the irony in that the “Don’t look the monkey in the eyes sign is literally 2 meters away from this stand off.”
Sometime within all of these thoughts, I brought down my arms and hugged them toward myself. I turned my head to wide eyed Roberta and Tom and said “What should I do.” Roberta panickly responded “Don’t move.” So I didn’t … the monkey then backed down. His next response was to turn to leave back to the bush but not without one final cock of his head in my direction, as if to say “You crazy Waeguk (Korean for foreigner).” After the incident we laughed a lot. We are still laughing about it. I asked Tom where he was for me during this incident his reply, “I am sorry Meira, but my first aid training didn’t cover MONKEY attacks!”
After a long day of island exploring, cable car/tram riding/ferry riding, and close call monkey attacks we were spent. We had dinner at a Thai place (because that makes sense in Japan ☺, then some coffee on a cute second floor outdoor café. Here we overlooked some university students in big hair ‘flirt around.' Finally, we headed back to Tom’s to try and sleep but mostly just sweat.
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