tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6960145629305684542024-03-05T19:33:44.217+09:00Japan 2011Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-44587960720073254322011-03-26T01:45:00.001+09:002011-03-26T01:46:43.079+09:00Lyndsey Fridie: Last Post<span style="font-family: arial;">Last blog post:</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">So sadly our Japan trip is over! I had so much fun and saw so many different things.<br />I saw beautiful temples, shrines, castles and many other things. I got to meet amazing people on the train, in Nara and of course Mami's mom!<br />I loved being absorbed in the Japanese culture.<br />I tried shrimp tempura and sushi for the first time as well.<br />I am also glad I got to be with my seniors but it's also sad that this was my last m-term and graduation will be here soon.<br />This deffinitley toped my Nicaragua trip last year!</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> I hope I will find my way to Japan again someday soon!<br />Maybe possibly a five year reunion!</span>Mami Senseihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600260386361916180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-23769413686087054842011-03-25T10:53:00.002+09:002011-03-25T11:04:14.831+09:00Amanda GongThis is my first and last M-term, and it is the best one.<br /><br />I’ve been dreaming about visiting Japan for years. When I went there, everything was as perfect as I expected. The culture, the food, the people… <br /><br />Besides the beauty of Japan, our unique group is another factor that made my enjoyed my trip. We had two best trip leaders, Mami and Earle. We had the most interesting group of students from Ross School, and it became a great chance for me to make friends with them. I enjoyed every second of my stay in Japan.<br /><br />Now I’m planning to stay in Japan in the future, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in five years in Japan.<br /><br />And praying for Japan!!Amanda Gonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18066267748810699220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-48368767868741263522011-03-24T11:46:00.000+09:002011-03-24T11:48:09.873+09:00Spencer KuzonSpencer Kuzon<br />Last Blog Post<br /><br />Out of all the M-terms I have been on, this one has been my favorite by far.<br />Thisis not just because I love Japan to death, but because the awesome group of kids I<br />travelled with and the two amazing chaperones who accompanied us.<br />I really could not have asked for a better experience. It was certainly a nice way to reward myself<br />after handing in my Senior Project and getting into college, and I am really glad<br />my last M-term was my happiest.<br />Even the slight damper due to a natural disaster towards the end of the trip could not suppress the overall euphoric feeling I still feel when remembered my days in Japan.<br />We got to see loads of temples, visit hot springs, see monkeys and most importantly, eat lots of ice cream.<br />The food was also spectacular in general and I developed a love of curry, udon noodles, and tempura.<br />One of my biggest accomplishments, I think, was learning to use chopsticks at a<br />respectable level, as I was terrible at using them before I arrived.<br />I also loved the amount of attention our entire party received for being foreigners, especially when we dressed up in kimonos. That was really something great and will certainly be<br />something I remember for the rest of my life.<br />Mami and Earle were by far the best trip leaders I could have ever asked for. They were relaxed most of the time, but knew when to be serious and they always seemed to know what to do in times of confusion. They were also really cool to hang out with and I enjoyed their company<br />as much as I would enjoy the company of a close friend.<br />I would like to thank both of them for being understanding and comforting when I had to leave Japan early due to extenuating circumstances and I am grateful for all they went through to make sure we were kept safe. I could not have asked for a better 2 weeks and I would do it all<br />again in a heartbeat.<br /><br />ōki ni arigatō<br /><br />-SpencerMami Senseihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600260386361916180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-69589883346899108412011-03-23T19:58:00.000+09:002011-03-23T19:59:11.084+09:00Lorenzo<span style="font-family: arial;">Le’go! This is definitely, without a doubt, the best m-term I’ve been on while at Ross.<br />It was a great way to end senior year. Because lets be serious spring term doesn’t matter.<br />Earle and Mami thank you so much for being the best m-term parents and shout out to Mami’s madre “haaaaay.”<br />I have always wanted to go to Japan and even though we didn’t get to spend more time in Tokyo I had tons of fun. I got to see monkeys!!!!!, temples ( a few to many ) and eat all those amazing sweets that I’m not going to attempt spelling.<br />I looking forward to a 5 year reunion!!</span> <div><br /></div>Mami Senseihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600260386361916180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-17890198394094795082011-03-22T09:20:00.004+09:002011-03-22T23:42:13.414+09:00Last Full Day in Japan!As we were extremely intent on packing everything safely back into our luggage, Devon and I refrained from writing our blog post on the proper day. Reflecting back on our last full day in Japan, I think we can both say that it was a great end to a truly once-in-a-lifetime trip. <div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>We woke up a little later than usual and made our way to a busy shopping district in Kyoto to buy some last minute presents for the people back home. After eating lunch at Mos Burger (a delicious combination of onion rings, french fries, and teriyaki chicken rice burgers), we made our way through the seemingly endless alleyways of clothing, accessory, music, ceramic, and food stores.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>While we shopped, part of the group went off to see nearby temples and shrines, and we reunited around 5:00 to make our way to karaoke. Karaoke was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip. Upon entering the karaoke building, we knew the place was serious about their line of work. Among hundreds of rooms in the building, we rented one for three hours. According to the language of the song, there were video montages playing in the background of the words (for English songs, there were stereotypical images of the U.S., for Chinese songs, there were images of streams and wildlife). With unlimited drinks and fried food to satiate us, we sang to our hearts' content.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few songs (and their singers) included: </div><div>Any Ke$ha song: sung by Floriaan </div><div>Carly Simon ("You're So Vain"): sung by Earle</div><div>The Vapors ("Turning Japanese"): sung by Devon and I</div><div>Whitney Houston ("I Will Always Love You"): sung by Kayla</div><div>Lil Mama ("Lip Gloss"): sung by Kayla, Lyndsey, and Lorenzo</div><div><br /></div><div>The whole group got to sing a few songs including: </div><div>"All Star"-Smash Mouth</div><div>"Party in the U.S.A."-Miley Cyrus</div><div>"Don't Speak"-No Doubt</div><div>"Leave (Get Out)"-Jojo</div><div>"With A Little Help From My Friends" & "Let It Be"-The Beatles</div><div><br /></div><div>and Amanda even treated us to a Chinese song or two!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>After spending our allotted 3 hours karaoke-ing, we went into an arcade by our bus stop. Mami gave us each 200 yen to spend on a coin machine of our choosing. Although, as most of those claw games typically go, most of us got cheated out of our money, but both Camille and Abby managed to score prizes (including the sought after gloomy bear). After the long day, we took the bus back to the hostel, giving our bodies and voices a well-needed rest before the long trip back. </div>Emma Lesserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09239486691059328653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-38192921336729741192011-03-22T06:00:00.003+09:002011-03-22T06:15:22.569+09:00Time Capsule-Camille Coy<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I feel very fortunate to have visited Japan when I did. Over the course of one of our wonderful M-term days, the earthquake and the events that soon followed ensured that no one will see Japan quite the way that we did for some time. <div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Japanese culture has successfully bonded the modern world with its ancient past and in the process created a completely unique environment. Even practices that have now become commonplace in most of the western world such as traveling by bus or eating out, have a distinct japanese touch to them. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>We could not have had better trip leaders. I didn't feel like we were doing what the other tourists were doing, and yet we explored as many temples, shrines and monuments as we could during our time there. After we left I realized that I had a clear idea of what Japan is and was, but as clear as it was I am unable to put it into words. Maybe that was the goal.</div>Camillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07255631906252762635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-83763765072098403522011-03-21T03:08:00.004+09:002011-03-22T06:15:49.656+09:00The Long Journey Home- Camille CoyAh where to begin, what seemed like 2 years was actually only one day twice and a bit of the next. Yes, it was hard to escape March 15th...we left on its night only to find ourselves back in its morning. Very unsettling. The airport in Osaka was very modern and a bit overwhelming. We headed to the food court and each chose what would be our last supper, I had some stir fried noodles with beef and green tea ice cream. A wise choice if I do say so myself. <div><br /></div><div>I've never been to Hawaii before. It was a nice humid change from chilly Japan and I bought "Aloha Mints" to remember the event. Off one plane and onto another within the hour. At LAX (first time in California as well) we...well not much happened at LAX. I was so out of it that I'm not quite sure that it happened at all, but I'm here so I suppose it must have. </div><div>JFK. Dirty, familiar, loud, JFK. Ross School. It took forever, and yet once it was over it seemed to go by so fast. Maybe it's because we lived through March 15th twice, while most only do so once. </div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever the case, I'm glad that we all arrived home safely. I have many Japanese sweets to tide me over until I can go back and restock, which I intend to do as soon as possible. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sayo-Nara,</div><div><br /></div><div>Camille</div>Camillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07255631906252762635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-26557630857766969452011-03-13T22:32:00.000+09:002011-03-13T22:33:18.248+09:00Devon Free Day Post<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Walking between aisles of toasted mochi and noodle shops, Emma Lesser was unable to feel the atmosphere of nervous anticipation we carefully concealed. We had just visited the bamboo forest—a towering congregation of swaying, segmented cylinders that made us feel quite small. We had explored the monkey forest soon after, marveling at the animals that reminded us so much of ourselves. We had still had much to do. It was Emma’s birthday, and before the trip had even started we had planned to throw her a surprise party at the hostile. It was my group’s job to ensure that her attention lay elsewhere, while the others prepared for our evening celebration. We went to a movie theme park and watched a ninja performance, among other amusing adventures. Following that experience, we took a trolley to the hot spring where we stalled Emma. Lying naked over the hot, open-air rocks, we slept, extending what was supposed to be an hour-long endeavor into three hours of pure relaxation. I took extra long in the shower, conditioning each strand of my hair with deliberate slowness. I made sure that the blow dryer was on the wrong setting so that it took twice as long to straighten my damp curls. By the time I exited the bathing area, it was already 7:00. We had stalled so well that we even missed the trolley back to the Utano area. We walked in 15 minutes late. We stepped into the room, and the energy exploded in a large cry of “Surprise!” The evening was filled with cake and merriment. After scrubbing our plates of their sugary coatings, we went to sleep with full stomachs and a lingering feeling of excitement from the day’s activities. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Emma Lesserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09239486691059328653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-7446510876438395982011-03-13T20:57:00.002+09:002011-03-13T21:26:00.224+09:00Bonus day #1 in Kyoto<div id=":294" class="ii gt"><div id=":293"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We started today with saying our goodbyes to Spencer and Macrae who left at 12 o’clock. After our farewells half of us ate at a Japanese pancake house, while the other half ate at a dumpling restaurant. I had lunch at the pancake house; these pancakes were not normal pancakes, but egg pancakes with noodles, a special sauce, and the option of beef and other meats as fillings. After lunch we ventured to the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. The shrine is believed to help people with their studies, so of course we all prayed to the shrine. I also bought a bag of small round lollypop like balls that were very good. After the shrine of studies, we went to the Moshinji Temple where an emperor had visited. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">For dinner we all teamed up to make our own curry with onions, chicken and rice. We ate that with bread and salad, while watching the footage of the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">-Matt<br /></p> </div></div>Earlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16227908426791686007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-52912006297800892152011-03-13T17:50:00.001+09:002011-03-13T17:58:22.235+09:00Heia-Jingu Panorama<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's a panorama of </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://72.167.58.248/mterm/japan2011/Heia-jinguShrine.html">Heia-Jingu Shrine</a></span>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06061873421062515411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-53119560649068494022011-03-13T11:34:00.002+09:002011-03-13T18:05:44.190+09:00Spencer's Free Day<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">I had tons of fun during my free day.<br />
<br />
Here is a brief synopsis of what we did<br />
<br />
-Woke up and ate breakfast at the hostel<br />
-Took a taxi to the bamboo forests and walked through a large chunk of it<br />
-Took a long walk along the water and eventually ended up going to the top of Monkey Mountain (saw and fed plenty of monkeys)<br />
-Walked back along our previous route and had lunch at one of the local shops. Shrimp tempura udon.<br />
-Walked to the trolley station and navigated our way to the edo themed amusment park<br />
-Briefly stopped by the crafts fair<br />
-Took another trolley to the Hot Spring<br />
-Walked/Took a bus back to the hostel<br />
<br />
It certainly was a jam packed day.<br />
<br />
One part that I specifically want to talk about is a ride in the amusement park called "NY Hotel." From the outside it was just a single door that was supposed to represent an elevator that could typically be found in New York. However, the entire "elevator" was decorated to look like something straight out of a Ghetto. When you stepped inside, the floor immediately began to sway back and forth and even the walls felt as if they would fall through. The elevator buttons were all broken except the 6th floor which is the floor the elevator was "going to." In reality, the elevator did not move at all, but the "window" that was situated towards the back of of the elevator had a scrolling tablet that was supposed to emulate the view that could be seen from the elevator. Towards the end of the ride, the elevator "crashed" and warm air came out of the ceiling as the lights all began to flicker and eventually everything was quiet besides the sound of everyone fake screaming. I just found this ride hilarious as it showed how the Japanese viewed the supposed facilities present in New York.</span></div>Mami Senseihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600260386361916180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-91646290459168298692011-03-13T11:33:00.006+09:002011-03-13T18:06:21.704+09:00Free Day - Macrae<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Charlie, Earle, and I woke to eat breakfast at the time to which we have now become accustomed. After retrieving keys from the front desk, we ventured to the bike rack to engage in battle with the strange Japanese-style bicycle locks that stood between us and the liberation that this mode of transportation could offer us. When we had finally recognized that we could do no more in our attempt to tear the keys from the resolute grasp of the bike lock, we set out in search of the famed bamboo forest. We pedaled slowly, enjoying the pleasant downhill slopes and stopping to gaze at the vast lake on our way. As was inevitable, we became lost on our way to the bamboo forest. We sought the aid of a guard who spoke little English, but we ultimately only able to understand our map with the help of a bearded man who was fluent in our native tongue.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">When we had arrived, we wandered through the expanse of the bamboo forest. When we had finished enjoying ourselves in the meager sunlight that only passed through the leaves because of its ardent determination, we went in search of lunch.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">After lunch, we dashed up the paths that led to the monkeys. The monkeys appeared to be riotous of spirit, constantly engaging in battles amongst themselves after the most minor of disagreements.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">We voiced solidarity in our desire not to enter what appeared to be an uninteresting movie set.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">When we returned to the hostel, I was notified that Spencer and I would be returning home the next day due to an untenable notion of our parents.</span></span></div>Macrae Marranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05226607103353631781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-86824398330063180472011-03-13T11:07:00.014+09:002011-03-13T18:09:16.908+09:00Free Day!!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 130%;">It was our free day yesterday. In the morning, I went to the Bamboo forest in Arashiyama area with a group with 8 people. After 40 minutes’ walk, we started our adventure in the wild money place. Although the mountain was only 188 meters high, I had a hard time getting up to the top. I was amazed by three ladies ahead of us, who were wearing high heels. I definitely need more exercise. The view on top of the mountain was gorgeous, and we could see the whole city from there. The lucky moneys got to see the great view everyday.<br />
<br />
I spent the whole afternoon in one store with six floors because there was a huge collection of Sakura stuff. While I was walking on the streets, I saw many people donating money for the Earthquake.<br />
<br />
I sure we will have a safe rest of the trip and a trip home with the special protection gift from Mami’s mami.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqgmWL1XXjDJBoFLRR46itGdyj55wLlUOUQPEUp-ovaMTV9usPqucgMV6W6zQYkEYZuUWT7ugIy3hyXQ61Q986zhsXoqjX8AbAGzuplOmzPhh4uNrqPDMVNEBrHYgAoT_8J_3KCclG35f/s1600/Amanda2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583382511963603650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqgmWL1XXjDJBoFLRR46itGdyj55wLlUOUQPEUp-ovaMTV9usPqucgMV6W6zQYkEYZuUWT7ugIy3hyXQ61Q986zhsXoqjX8AbAGzuplOmzPhh4uNrqPDMVNEBrHYgAoT_8J_3KCclG35f/s320/Amanda2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Amanda Gonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18066267748810699220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-58341395245359273302011-03-13T11:07:00.013+09:002011-03-13T18:06:41.331+09:00Free Day - Floriaan<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I really enjoyed my free day!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">The day began with breakfast as usual, followed by us filming a short "survival" video.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">We started out our tour with a taxi ride and short walk to the Bamboo Forest, where we took some pictures and bought drinks. From the Bamboo Forest we walked down hills and across rivers to get to the Monkey Park.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">The Monkey Park was a very big hill that you had to hike up, with monkeys sitting on the paths and running around in the trees. At the top there was a house, where you could purchase food to feed to the monkeys outside the house, through windows covered with chicken wire. The monkeys were pretty lively and they fought and pushed each other out of the way to get more food.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">After the Monkey Park we went shopping, starting out with a 2 hour break in Starbucks, followed by us exchanging money and buying souvenirs for our families. Then we went back to the hostel, hung out, had dinner and slept.</span></span></div>Floriaanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06044043207658156948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-4443315968712120272011-03-13T10:47:00.005+09:002011-03-13T11:28:55.292+09:00Free day: Bicycle Riding<div style="float:left; font-size:small; text-align:center; margin: 0 1em 1em 0"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R3iL1mrOj-4/TXwkdDQ9TVI/AAAAAAAAAiE/ULpZgQ9W3UE/s1600/IMG_2768.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R3iL1mrOj-4/TXwkdDQ9TVI/AAAAAAAAAiE/ULpZgQ9W3UE/s200/IMG_2768.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583377719543811410" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px" /><br />Earle and Macrae on bike</a></div><div><br /></div>On Saturday I spent my free day biking around Kyoto with Macrae and Earle, while everyone else took taxis or buses. The bike ride was very enjoyable and refreshing. I'm also pleased that I did not fall or get hit by a car, even though I had not ridden a bike in years.<br /><div style="clear: both"></div><div style="float: left; font-size:small; text-align:center; margin: 0 1em 1em 0"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LjID9neEiOA/TXwkdp6wHjI/AAAAAAAAAiM/S7K9X3uMCwo/s1600/IMG_2778.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LjID9neEiOA/TXwkdp6wHjI/AAAAAAAAAiM/S7K9X3uMCwo/s200/IMG_2778.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583377729919655474" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px" /><br />Bamboo forest</a></div><div><br /></div>We went to a bamboo forest and walked around, enjoying the bamboo.<br /><div style="clear: both"></div><div style="float:left; font-size:small; text-align:center; margin: 0 1em 1em 0"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEcZrfcheMk/TXwkdzDmGNI/AAAAAAAAAiU/nNfwilx2egA/s1600/monkeys.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEcZrfcheMk/TXwkdzDmGNI/AAAAAAAAAiU/nNfwilx2egA/s200/monkeys.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583377732372666578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 159px" /><br />Vicious monkeys</a></div><div><br /></div>Then we climbed a mountain inhabited by vicious thieving monkeys.<div style="clear: both"></div><div>We got back to the hostel early, about 16:30, a bit tired from biking uphill.</div><div>Later, we all surprised Emma with a birthday party dinner.</div>C. Lehnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05218503146252958135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-21511778152178296012011-03-13T10:45:00.007+09:002011-03-13T18:15:55.482+09:00Abby Cook's Free day :D<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In my opinion, yesterday was a very successful day in terms of getting everything done that we planned. We did a loop of Kyoto, beginning at the bamboo forest, going to a “monkey park,” eating lunch (and mochi!!), making our way across town to an Edo time period themed amusement park, and finally ending with a hot spring. However, I have to say that the most important part of my day (as well as Devon’s) was making sure that we got strategically got Emma back at 7:15 for her surprise party. While at the hot spring, we made sure to waste as much time as possible, and it all paid off. Eventually we got to the trolley station to head back up to the Hostel. When the trolley arrived, we were stunned to find that all of us simultaneously had a brain fart, and were waiting on the wrong side of the track. Instantly remembering that cars keep to the let in Japan, we had already missed the trolley. We still had a fun time; the three of us waiting at a little trolley station at 7:00pm until another one finally arrived. Emma’s party went excellently and the cake was delicious.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">–Abby Cook</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlJCYvHlm0D7SzbFz5GcenzvvLEI39hcgoAHymVdL7wFXmFWjB3c89XJD7N2I4IIVWZMJFUhy15tkYejJoNGPw8K0cncGuMUVBu8SijDFPyB55anc9wZ4leNk2qQpm05yKQuWV0-KKUg/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583375401901802578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlJCYvHlm0D7SzbFz5GcenzvvLEI39hcgoAHymVdL7wFXmFWjB3c89XJD7N2I4IIVWZMJFUhy15tkYejJoNGPw8K0cncGuMUVBu8SijDFPyB55anc9wZ4leNk2qQpm05yKQuWV0-KKUg/s320/IMG_2920.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWMrVpgnxD1GCNRicGRcLb31uAqHcv2fQKJE0nHOQNqjyVuEZUosGOAWXrZ_IuOrieV-4PW-t2DsFESkC9jvh6JkpvdV_kDj6td7PEVRYKYWJ_Ri2XtoEuJR1D2WcpN5kWrVgOO0qgZs/s1600/IMG_2879.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583375396868274578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWMrVpgnxD1GCNRicGRcLb31uAqHcv2fQKJE0nHOQNqjyVuEZUosGOAWXrZ_IuOrieV-4PW-t2DsFESkC9jvh6JkpvdV_kDj6td7PEVRYKYWJ_Ri2XtoEuJR1D2WcpN5kWrVgOO0qgZs/s320/IMG_2879.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span><br />
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</span></div>~Abby Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487164804478230909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-70134170394174455442011-03-13T10:41:00.003+09:002011-03-13T18:16:29.254+09:00Tanjobi Omedetou Ema-Chan!<div style="text-align: justify;">I had many adventures on my free birthday day in Kyoto yesterday. The day began with my group trying to get to the bamboo forest, and luckily enough, we stumbled upon it (mostly) by accident. We emerged from the bamboo forest and walked through a small park down to the river. We walked along the river, passing boats that seemed to be for dining, ice cream stands that sold balls of fried dough, and a number of appealing restaurants lining the streets. We walked across the bridge after getting some ice cream and fried dough balls to the monkey park up the hill. It was not exactly a hill though, but rather a very small mountain. After struggling up the many steps, we had almost reached the top, but then encountered the alpha male of the monkey pack. We had not known this fact at the time, but it made sense when someone told us the alpha male had gone down the hill to survey his territory. He was especially aggressive towards Ryan. When we finally finished our hike, we stopped to look at the monkeys, though we were not allowed to look them directly in the eye. Everyone was particularly enchanted by the baby monkeys wandering around. I was fond of the wistful, old monkey pensively sitting on a tree trunk. After we left the monkey park, Abby, Ryan, Spencer, Devon, and I went to eat lunch at a noodle-oriented restaurant. We all had udon noodles, some with shrimp tempura, and some with chicken. We went to explore the nearby shops after that and were happily surprised to find Mami walking down the street with her okasa (mother). We journeyed to the trolley station after that, which was unfortunately hidden away (so it took us a while to find it). Nevertheless, when we found the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, we had plenty of time to look around. The idea behind the park is to let its visitors into the world of old Japanese filmmaking. There were old sets, and a surprising exhibit focusing on Japanese power rangers. We saw people dressed up in traditional costumes and even encountered a live show (with exhilarating fight scenes). After leaving the Studio Park, we went to Tenzan No-Yu hot springs. The boys left earlier, but Abby, Devon, and I stayed for at least two hours. Usually, we would spend less time in the hot springs or bathouses we had previously visited, but I had no idea that the long stay had a secret purpose. Even when Abby called Earle to tell him we were going to be late for dinner (because we had missed our trolley), and Earle (on speakerphone) said that we were "going to be late, 'wink'", I still did not comprehend the true meaning behind his comment. When Spencer greeted me at the door asking for his adaptor, and Abby and Devon were pulled aside, I still had no idea that anything strange was happening. When I could not find Spencer's adaptor, I went back into the lobby with my computer, but he slyly led me into a different room. I was met with a chorus of "Surprise" when I walked through the door and was genuinely shocked to see everyone and a table of delicious food (including two strawberry cakes) greeting me. All in Japan.</div>Emma Lesserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09239486691059328653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-8629836526888921592011-03-13T10:35:00.003+09:002011-03-13T18:17:11.244+09:00The Free Day-CC<div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday, our well-planned and organized free day, a group of about 8 of us took a taxi to Arashiyama station, from there we began our quest for the Iwatayama Monkey Park. A journey that led us through a beautiful bamboo forest, up countless amounts of stone steps, and across rivers and dirt paths. I was very proud of myself for completing this challenge, I knew that we had reached success when a Japanese snow monkey blocked our way. It sat there, completely oblivious to us and played with its toes. I froze. I had of course intended to go to the monkey park, but the actual monkeys I had not previously considered. We mustered up all of our strength and pressed on past it. The view from the top was beautiful, it was so sunny and clear out that I could see all of Kyoto! There was an indoor area where one could feed the monkeys through a fence, and I captured a Sistine Chapel-esque man hand to monkey hand picture.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I spent the rest of the day shopping in Kyoto and eating toasted mochi. I bought leg warmers that are covered in white fur and create a sort of a yeti effect. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Still safe from the earthquake and associated disastrous events,</div><div><br />
</div><div>Camille</div>Camillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07255631906252762635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-88236875938937016112011-03-13T10:31:00.002+09:002011-03-13T11:07:48.418+09:00Bamboo, Monkeys, Movie Studio Park, and OnsenYesterday was our free day. We did a number of things. We went to a monkey preserve where Abby and I were chased by a good sized monkey. We were just walking up the path and it turned around and chased after us with its mouth open. I've decided I don't like monkeys. In getting to the monkey preserve we passed a rather large river. It was strange because it was the first time in a number of days we were in a large open place. We had been in the cities for the entire trip. Most of the day we got around on a quaint trolley system. It was rather cheap and got us from the hostel to the various places. It seemed like something out of an old movie but of course highly efficient like all of Japan's public transportation.<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F110490515345283925454%2Falbumid%2F5583379613095371297%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06061873421062515411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-18196836685492717412011-03-12T09:16:00.001+09:002011-03-12T09:22:46.603+09:00Video Update<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/puNEE5WEEKU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06061873421062515411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-66041437746459433482011-03-12T00:44:00.004+09:002011-03-12T00:46:40.491+09:00March 10 and 11 - Photos<div><br /></div>I've added far more photos than usual because this slideshow is the culmination of two days and because I took a tremendous number of photos on kimono day. Earle took the second photo.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="600" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F109016449693695317183%2Falbumid%2F5582800341986050129%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCP6Rw8mM0PLAdg%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div><br /></div><div>-Macrae</div>Macrae Marranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05226607103353631781noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-68786334390983612272011-03-11T22:45:00.004+09:002011-03-11T23:06:38.738+09:00Friday, March 11. The worst thing about being a tourist is having other tourists recognize you as a tourist.<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:48.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">Today we got to sleep in a little bit! We began our day at around 9:30 this morning. We hoped on a local bus to the Kamigamo jinja shrine. Before we entered the shrine we were surrounded by a group of adorable preschoolers. We all took tons of pictures and waved to the children. It was definitely a memorable part of the day. We continued on too the actual shrine, it was beautiful and very orange. I think we all thought that we would see one large shrine but instead we saw a lot of separate shrines. Each shrine was unique and still beautiful at the same time. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:11.6pt"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">After the Kamigamo jinja Shrine we walked to the Shimo gamo jinja shrine. This shrine was similar to the first. After this we walked toward a restaurant called Mos Burger. It was a long walk but it made us all really hungry. We all ordered different things to eat. Most of us had rice burgers with beef or chicken. They weren’t the typical American burger but they were very tasty. -Lyndsey</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:11.6pt"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">After lunch we caught a bus to “Ginkaku ji temple” also known as the Silver Pavilion. It was so pretty and everything looked polished and neat, and to me it seemed as if everything was perfectly in its place. It was by far my favorite of all the Zen temples we have been to so far. Then after the temple we went on a long, but very soothing walk on a philosophers’ path. Along the path there were many shops full of various goods that we explored. Also, during our walk on the philosophers’ path we stopped in a café and Mami treated us to cherry blossom, green tea, and vanilla ice cream with cereal flakes. It was so good!! -Kayla</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:11.6pt"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria">Finally, we visited </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:36.0pt;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia">Heian Jingu Shrine, in Kyoto. Here, we saw the largest torii (shrine gate) in Japan, reaching a massive </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">24.2 meters high.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> </span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria">It was a beautiful sight to see even before you entered the expansive courtyard s</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">urrounded by buildings that were once again, neatly painted a spectacular “orangey orange” as Devon described it. Once we all had our few pictures taken, we were… well… I was, mesmerized by a group of young children running around playing tag. What is it about the children in Japan that makes us all stop dead in our tracks?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:11.6pt"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"></span>For dinner, we returned to Kyoto station level B2. We were all told to buy what ever we wanted to eat for dinner in 30 minutes with 1,000 yen. Upon arriving at the hostel, we found that everyone made out exceptionally with both dinner as well as dessert. There was an assortment ranging from bento boxes to bread and cheese, and even strawberry daifku for dessert. YUM…</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:11.6pt"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Tomorrow is our first free day, WISH US LUCK! -Abby<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->~Abby Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00487164804478230909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-19017118760114603302011-03-11T20:49:00.001+09:002011-03-11T20:53:45.943+09:00Kimono Day and Today<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="600" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F110490515345283925454%2Falbumid%2F5582788334636766609%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Ryan Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06061873421062515411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-56872056945828394322011-03-11T18:39:00.003+09:002011-03-11T18:45:00.172+09:00Regarding the EarthquakeI know you are all worried, but I can assure you: Sebastian is OK.<br /><br />This message was spoken by Spencer; transcribed by Ryan and Florian; typed by Emma and Devon; edited by the team of Camille, Amanda, Lorenzo, Matt, and Abby; approved of by Kayla and Lindsey; photographed by Macrae; and put into binary code by Charlie. Posted by Earle and Mami.Earlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16227908426791686007noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-696014562930568454.post-70585574777001809962011-03-11T00:12:00.003+09:002011-03-11T00:30:46.147+09:00Kimono Day: the CrowdHere is a partial panorama of one of the crowds that we drew while at Kiyomizu-dera. Many people wanted to take pictures of us and with us because we were Americans wearing kimonos.<br /><br /><a href="http://72.167.58.248/mterm/japan2011/Kimono.html"><img style="width: 320px; height: 199px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sgi5-QWOnF4/TXjuES9CLxI/AAAAAAAAAh8/OD1baeiFZ3Q/s320/crop.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582473495700451090" /><br />Click to see the bigger panorama.</a><div><br /></div><div>Actual photos of us in the kimonos will be posted soon!</div>C. Lehnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05218503146252958135noreply@blogger.com0