Stray of the Month

We're not quite sure if he's actually a stray dog, but he sleeps in our yard sometimes. The collar is what throws us, and he's usually sitting on the same spot on the sidewalk, near the house next door. Whatever his situation may be, he looks sad, so I give him food when I see him. He's cute!

Unpenji

We climbed Mt. Unpenji, at the top of which is one of the sacred 88 temples of Shikoku! There, we got the stamp we needed to complete our Imabari to Takamatsu section of the pilgrimage. It was definitely amazing in winter, although freezing. We bundled up, ate some Dango (grilled mochi on a stick), and started up!

Progress!


Angelina in repose


A repose a little higher up, I suppose.


Forging up the trail


It was cold, but steep so we were mostly sweating. Although my nose was frozen solid.

A little statue within a hollowed old tree

Statues in rows, columns, or just on there own.


Each one had a different face, different clothes, expressions, hair, accessories (including animal friends). Not a single of the over 300 were the same, although all constructed in the same manner


Apparently this guy has a lot of kids

The Shaka Nyorai, or Shakyamuni Buddha, reclined in front of a seven storied pagoda

Osaka Weekend in 9 Pictures

Went to a shrine. It's the oldest one! That's something.
We ate a ton of kushikatsu. Fried cheese and meat may bring you to an early grave, but it's soooo good.
This guy is weird
For Alex (my brother) even though he's too cool to read my blog
A cool building
Cheese
Iced Chai tea lattes are all Bret wants out of life.
Old tree from the aforementioned old shrine. 1,000 + years!
More old tree

Happy Valentine's Day!

I made peanut butter oatmeal cookies! They are delicious and were fun to make. Also, I used whole wheat flour and tons of oats, so they are pretty healthy....I hope.

Happy Eat-Chocolate-Guilt-Free Day to everyone!

Bicycling home in the dark...

...Is not fun.

Especially when you forget your light

I feel like I have just emerged from the Mines of Moria.

A few of my favorite people out here

Bret and I went to a dinner party with some of my friends post-new years but still new years-style. We ate a ton of sushi and played with their kids. It was really fun. My friend's names are Yasuko and Yuko, their English is really good and they are really committed to making their kids bilingual, which is cool!



This was Bret's first time meeting these children and they all instantly took to him. The two older boys understand English pretty well and have amazing pronunciation when they do speak (English is kind of a chore for them) because their moms say everything to them twice--once in English and once in Japanese. Brilliant. The youngest in this pic, at the bottom left corner is soooooo cute. His favorite food is chocolate and his favorite drink is coffee. Need I say more?

The Road to Home begins with Osaka

Onto the closest international airport that has regular-priced fares to America, Kansai International Airport (Kansai Kokusai Kuukou, or kankuu for short). Take an overnight ferry from Toyo Port in Saijo to Osaka's South Port (nankou).

Osaka is one of Japan's biggest cities, with over 17 million people in the metropolitan area. My buddy Takashi picked me up from the ferry port, and we tooled around all day until driving to the airport to catch my flight.


Here is the moat around the Osaka Castle grounds.


This pond is reminiscent of a traditional Japanese 'strolling garden' (kaiyu-shiki). Although in this case its merely thrown in as an extra to Osaka Castle's rustic Sengoku scenery.
Here is a massively old tree, very knobbly after years of being cut short, so that the close branches are quite thick. It is probably cut back every year, with fresh shoots in full Spring bloom giving the effect of a much younger, small tree. Who knows how long this thing has been growing here, there is no plaque, it is just another extra to the castle grounds under the shadow of the castle.
The early period following the Sengoku Period (also called the Warring States Period or the Japanese Civil War), after the unification of all of Japan, is one marked with big, bold, extravagant architecture. This castle had to withstand attack just a few years later, as the Toyotomi Hideoyoshi's son used it for defense in a succession dispute with Tokugawa Ieyasu. The result was not favorable for him, as Tokugawa went on to be the supreme military ruler of Japan, establishing a Shogunate (bakufu) that lasted for the next 260 or so years.
Takashi, eatin some delicious octopus.


The back entrance to the Shrine located on the grounds.

And the front

A statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, grand unifier of Japan and pacifier of all other Daimyo (feudal lords). He conquered, allied, and united over 500 territories that had hitherto been controlled by other Sengoku Daimyo. He is basically a giant badass. He also established the four class system which was a hallmark of the following Tokugawa Era, comprised of the Nobility, and the separate hereditary classes of Peasants (mainly farmers), Artisans, Merchants, and Samurai (which were essentially the bureaucrats and civil servants).
A famous Kendo (Japanese Swordfighting) Dojo. How epic would it be to train at the foot of a castle next to a giant statue of one of the most powerful samurai in history?



'Let's open some happy', Merry Christmas Japan, courtesy of Coca Cola.

At Takashi's apartment, he likes to spin drum and bass.

Goin to the airport.

Kansai International Airport, KIX, is actually located in the Sea on reclaimed land. Kind of a wild drive.


The list of departures, one of them being to SFO (which is where I was headed)