Saga Scavenger Hunt

Here are the pictures for the Ssaga Scavenger Hunt on October 22!

I traveled with Yoko and Donovan (married) and Chris (from Canada). We had a packet full of pictures of places around Saga, and we had to find them and then take pictures in front of them.

I'll label the pictures as I remember where we were. XD W

Enjoy!

First, pictures of all the different types of conbini we could find (convenience stores).

Look! It's a 7-11!



And everyone loves an Everyone!

Then we went to the Ariake Sea flood plains in the Saga Plains, near Kashima. When you get out into the mud, you can find mudskippers! 8D Those things are SO cool! I want to go stalk them.

Anyway, pretty sky.

And wind.

I loved this place.

And this is how we got up on that big walk-way-water-wall thing. <3

Now we went to Kashima Station, and met another team...

... in hats.
It's me, Chris, the station conductor guy, Yoko, and then the other team: Rac, Stew, and Morgan.

Then we played around at this pretty red bridge in Kashima.

If you click on these two pictures, you'll see I actually am there.

Now we're going to Yutoku Inari Shrine, yay!

Cute girls in red Kimono! We satisfied two things with this picture, "Someone in kimono" and "three generations in one picture." Also, we met another team.

It goes Chris crouching, Ron, Kristen, Yoko behind the two little girls, and Donovan behind the grandmother and mother. :3 I am also strangely fond of the sun spot.

More sun spots! And an Inari fox. So cool.

Okay, so this picture we had to take hanging upside down...

So Chris took a picture of us hanging upside down! XD

More conbini! Family Mart...

And Yamasaki Shop!

Kashima hospital! ('cause we're creepers)

"A teammate in a garbage can."
It was so much fun sneaking in and hoping we didn't get caught.

Ze Big Gold Statue in Ureshino. I see this on my way to school everyday (that I go to Ureshino, that is.)

More conbini conga lines! Yay Daily Yamazaki!

...I don't think I need to label these any more...

...There are so many...

But now we got to my shrine! (Or, at least my favorite.) Takeo Shrine, with one of the three oldest/biggest trees in Japan! XD SQUEEEEE!!!!
Aaaaaalso, these trees are what inspired Miyazaki to make Mononoke Hime. >:D

Pretty pretties. Bamboo on one side, pines on the other.

"Take a picture on a roof."

Then,

I went to my apartment and knocked on Jono's door, and went,
"Well, we're on the Scavenger Hunt, y'know, and one of the goals is
... a man in drag...." And I wiggled one ankle out all girly and grinned up at him.

And he rolled his eyes and went, "Oh god..."

>:D

(Though I'll admit, I was terrified he'd stretch my clothes out to beyond salvation.
He admitted later he wore them all day. My poor skirt! I'll never do such horrible things to you again. D:)

Takeo Hot Springs! 900 years old! :D So cool!

"Take a picture of a convertable."
It is providence that there was one at the gas station we stopped and asked directions at because we were lost. XD

"Gabai Baa-chan" was apparently a TV show, and this was the house used in the show.

So there were funny things around there...

...Like gaijin in the public toilets...

Then we got back to Saga Station...

And touched a bald man's head!! >:D

Tokyo Orientation

Perhaps it is a good thing that I wasn't updating a blog when I first arrived at Tokyo for the Orientation August 1-3rd, because it was a strange combination of exhaustion, boredom, and lectures about education that I found really interesting but would be brain numbing to read a second-hand account of.

So, instead, I have some pictures! 8D

Here is the first glimpse of the glimmer and glam of the hotel where I was staying:



















Then here I am the first day at breakfast, unawares of the strangeness that was fast to ensue:
















This is the first real view I get of Shinjuku. Granted, I hadn't been out of the building yet, and so it was all just a strange view from my hotel room window...





















This little timepiece was my excuse to get out of the hotel and walk Shinjuku. I love Hokusai. I love being able to tell what time it is when I'm at an orientation (I didn't bring my cell phone, and I quickly realized that was how I'd been keeping track of time for the past two years). I also like how the numbers are in Japanese. :) This little baby now guards my keys from all the other scary things in my purse.




















But, since it was at lunch, between lectures, it was only a short jaunt out of the hotel.

Then, in the evening, a group of people wanted to go out karaoke-ing. And, wanting to get out of the hotel, I followed.

Then it hit me... I was outside.... the air felt wonderful, moving my legs felt wonderful, and the thought of being in a small, sweaty, alcohol-filled, noisy room sounded not wonderful.

So a friend and I decided to go on a walk! :D Brilliant!









(fuzzy picture of Shinjuku-- sorryneedtripod :<)












This was the bestest picture on a vending machine every.
Unfortunately my flash blinded the picture, 'cause of the glass, and so the only option that lets you see it is fuzzy. :<




















BABIES IN ROLLER SKATES. Fuzziness aside, it's still rockin'.

And, last, a shout out to my favorite mascot:






(teehee, his face got graffitied)









Don't speed folks. ;)


~mary out

P.S. I have felt 4 earthquakes in Japan. 3 of them were in Tokyo. I was in Tokyo for only 3 days.
The East Side is shakin'.

Dragon Boats

Yesterday I did dragon boats. Today, I woke up sore. ;)

Here is why I can't move:















Dragon Boats are an excuse to get really hot and sweaty near the end of summer. We were at a river near Kubota, and we had to meet at around 9 in the morning. We had two teams, Gaijin A and Gaijin B, and the heats started at around 10:30 (I believe).

Gaijin A went out for the first heat, and everyone tried very hard, and... failed horribly. The boat's oars looked like a crazed centipede, and the boat's sense of direction as good as a drunken horse. It was a great strategic strategy, for they never expected Gaijin B, where we learned how dragon boat racing was Serious and Not to be Taken Lightly.















We got 6th place, out of 50. We deserved to lose to the top five teams, though, because they were the Police Team, and the Military Men team, and the We-Work-At-Ramen-Shops-So-We-Can-Row-On-The-Weekends team. They were freaking crazy.

I couldn't walk properly for three days after.



*pictures courtesy Angela, since I was in the boats, not taking pictures.