Blogs from Gunma, Japan, Asia
April 14th 2012
It was at least a few hours worth of trains, including a stint on the Shinkansen (the famous bullet trains of Japan), to arrive at Minakami, a town in mountainous Gunma Prefecture famous for their onsens (hot springs). We had been looking forward to this weekend stay at the ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel) of Takaragawa Onsen for a good while. Japanese people have been using the onsens across the country over the centuries for the relaxing and healing qualities of their mineral-rich waters. Traditionally, clothing is not permitted in the onsen, but a towel to conceal certain parts may be used while walking around. We had lunch at a casual restaurant near Minakami station as we waited for the shuttle bus to the ryokan. Once again, we were impressed by the food, which consisted of hand-cut ... read more
March 31st 2011
DIA 0 Veremos que tanto duro haciendo bitácora esta vez… No creo ser muy constante y probablemente a medio intercambio estas dejen de llegar, pero por lo pronto aquí va un recuento del inicio de esta aventura. Un parrafo en español, un parrafo en ingles. Let’s see for how long I will record this time… I don’t think I will write often and maybe by June I won’t be writing anymore but, in the meantime here we have the story of the first days of this adventure. One paragraph in spanish, one in english. El viaje hacia la ciudad de México pasó sin mayores complicaciones, llegue a la mitad del libro que comencé a leer cuando partimos. Sin embargo los inconvenientes se presentaron al llegar a la ciudad de México, donde se anunció que el vuelo ... read more
April 19th 2009
19/04/2009 When I awoke today I discovered that my nose, eartips and neck were burnt red raw from yesterdays sun. But on a plus note my poo schedule was back on track and I was back on morning shifts. The toilet here is quite a scary place, it is a western style toilet in a shed outside in the garden, it appears to be somewhat of a bottomless pit as once you err.... loosen up no further sound plays any part of the equation, plops just don't feature. If one had been on the beers and took the wrong step then the boghole was definitely big enough to consume a whole human. I expect that one would never be found down there, and probably wouldn't want to be found. After loosening up I set about cutting ... read more
April 17th 2009
１７・０４・２００９ Upon arrival in Japan I spent my first couple of days in Tokyo, I was hoping with these couple of days that I would be able to give a Hulk Hogan styley leg drop to any jetlag that may have been existing within me. Well this never happened and my move was hit with a crude counter attack and jetlag was able to pin me for the best part of a week. I can't remember getting jetlagged on my last visit to Asia but this time it was all very prevalent. There is just something so very un-natural about wanting to go to bed at 4pm and needing to loosen your bowls at 3am. My first hosts in Japan would be the Sakamoto's from Gunma Prefecture. Masaru-san has several smallholdings around his town and farms a multitude ... read more
September 14th 2008
Do I have the greatest friends or what? As a farewell to Japan gift to me Sanae and Yumiko have been plotting and planning away for months and thrown me a mystery tour. It was by far and away one of the highlights of my trip so far and the sweetest present I've been given in my life ever. See below for the Itinerary by Sanae in bold and comments by me in Italics! Mystery Tour Schedule 14th Sep. 2008 This is today’s tour schedule. Please read through and follow your tour guide Program 1; trip to Gunma prefecture 07:00 - dep from Nishi kawaguchi (7am is the latest departure) DO: - Enjoy the view and Road in jp - Listen to the music - Eat breakfast A 7:00am start? Thats nothing! I was so excited ... read more
08.02.08 Ich werd Skilehrer in Minakami Houdaigi
Published: April 25th 2008Asia » Japan » Gunma » Maebashi
February 8th 2008
Heute gehts also zum Skifahren. Nach 2 Jahre abstinens steige ich endlich wieder auf die bretter, bin ganz schoen aufgeregt. Um 5 Uhr trat mich mein Wecker mit seinem ueblichen BIEEEEEEP aus dem Bett, denn es hiess frueh aufstehen um den Tag auf der Pisste geniessen zu koennen. Die ubeliche routine duschen, tost, marmelade, pudding und ab mit der Bahn nach Tokyo. Angekommen in der Schule wurden wir dann in die Buss getrieben und los ging die 3 stunden fahrt. Zu meinem erstaunen waren wir als wir ankamen eine Stunde hinter dem zeitplan. Da ich keine Ski klamotten dabei hatte (unnotiges geschleppe) hatte ich mir welche bestellt und was wir bekamen war auch garnicht so schlecht. Bronse Rote Skijacke und Hose. Nur die Muetze in knalle neon Gelb war nicht so mein fall. So nun hatte ... read more
July 28th 2006
hello. so, i have taken a few day trips in the past little while. i have also attended a few farewell lunches with members from work. first graham and i went to ikaho. it's an onsen town, but i thought it was more of a ghost town. to arrived to winding streets, with delapitated buildings, old cracked roads, and no one in sight but graham and i. this city is in the mountains, and know for its hot springs. there are 360 steps which cut through the city and lead up to a temple high in the mountain. there is also a cable car that takes you up the mountain to a lake, but we didn't have enough time to go there. i have also recently discovered that somewhere near ikaho, there is a penis (or ... read more
May 16th 2006
hello everyone!! i finally have the internet back, after all this time. i feel like i regained a limb previously lost. a sad but try case of my dependance to the web. so, i have been up to quite a lot, and learning a lot about japanese culture. first, i would like to wish myself a happy birthday! i am now 25, and was feeling a little blue, not so much for getting older, but i think more for the passing of time; it was somehow quite sad to me. then i went to work this morning and was showered with gifts by all my beloved students. this may be a slight exageration, but i did get a few gifts from the students. i got a plant, some flowers, wine, a homemade cd with music i ... read more
April 16th 2006
hello everyone. so, i have not written recently b/c i have no internet. i am sitting at the library right now. its a strange library. i:m on the edge of this huge grey brick building, that goes up like 6 floors, but all the hallways leading anywhere are blocked off. its like the heart of the library is protected from the general public. but why? i wonder what sort of thigs they could be using the large space for. my guess is paper work. it turns out japan revolves around paper work. how could this be? everything is so small and technological out here? common misconception. i shall explain with an example. i used to have the internet. then one day it stopped. sad but true, i no longer have the internet. so off me and ... read more
March 10th 2006
-Saviez vous qu'a Tokyo il y'a des distributrices de cigarettes a chaques coins de rues? -Saviez vous qu'a Tokyo on peut fumer n'importe ou...sauf dehors... Ahhh, deux demandes speciales aujourd'hui; 1- Allez louer Traduction Infidele Si vous ne l'avez pas vu, j'insiste. Je l'ai ecouter il y'a deux jours, et c'est tellement VRAI. Vous allez p-e comprendre pourquoi je veux quitter (au debut du film) C'est avec Bill Murray et evidement ca parle du Japon.. 2- Lisez les paroles de cette chanson la, c'est une chanson de Nine Inch Nails que Johnny Cash a repris. Je l'ecoute sans cesse (et d'autres tunes de Nine Inch Nails d'ailleurs, tes fiere Meliss?), et j'avais juste envie de partager ca avec vous; I hurt myself today To see if I still feel I focus on the pain The only ... read more
