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BerkeleyAsh - Ashley Slight

Hello everyone!!

So, I've always wanted to start a blog; but never really had the discipline to sit down and make myself sit through it and do all the forms; etc. But here is my first, most likely shotty attempt at one. For those who do not know me; my name is Ashley and I am currently a UC Berkeley undergraduate who is spending both semesters of her junior year here in Japan! Why? Well, pretty much because I'm interested in it; and while I'd like to pretend I have more noble reasons than that; I don't really. So anyways. I'm currently 21 years old and living in a small apartment in an area called Tsuru; about 30-40 minutes by train from Mt. Fuji. This is a blog for all my friends and family who want to keep track of me here and see what I'm up to all the time. So here's to all of you reading this! I hope you enjoy the pictures and my entries, which may turn into complaints and rants, but enjoy them anyway!

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Joined on: August 31st 2008
Last Login: October 19th 2009

Blog Entries: 32
Photos: 284

TB Code: [blogger=89238]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by BerkeleyAsh, order by Date newest first.

By BerkeleyAsh
August 4th 2009

June in Tsuru Asia » Japan » Yamanashi » Tsuru

Me and Nana at FujiQ Highland

Time is Running Out, and some last minute attempts at my normal Japanese lifestyle Hello everyone!! Okay, so I realize this is very very late. After my Korea trip; I had about another month and a half in Japan, but I was swamped with final reports, my independent research paper, seeing everyone before I left, getting ready to go back home, etc. And I’ve since already been home for about three weeks already. I left Japan on July 11th to fly back to the U.S.; and I’ll admit, the reason I haven’t updated this yet was simple laziness. It just took [View Full Entry]

By BerkeleyAsh
August 4th 2009

Aomori Friends, Meiji-Era Principals, and the Japanese Koto Asia » Japan » Yamanashi » Tsuru

Mariko's amazing lettuce rolls!

Experiencing Japan where I least expect it At the end of June, my friend Margeaux, from the archeological dig in Aomori last summer, and a Berkeley archaeology lab friend of mine; was coming up to Japan for this year’s fieldschool (I couldn’t go; my Tsuru program ended too late and I had to take Anthro 1 over summer; it was sad watching her go to Aomori again without me. =( ) Anyways on the way to Aomori she came to Tokyo to stay for a few days and visit me out in Tsuru! And our mutual friend, Mariko, who lives in [View Full Entry]

By BerkeleyAsh
August 4th 2009

Farewell to Japan from the Top of Mt. Fuji Asia » Japan » Yamanashi » Tsuru

Setting Off for the Mountain

'Minna ni mata aeru yo ni' My Tanabata Wish - To Meet Everyone Again Someday Its tradition every year for the CA students in Tsuru to climb Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, which is only about 45 minutes from Tsuru. But the climbing season is a short period of only a few months from July to September, so the only weekend we were able to do it before we left was our last weekend in Japan. Shortly after my koto concert dinner ended, a bus left Tsuru at 4 am on Sunday for the fifth station on Mt. Fuji; [View Full Entry]

By BerkeleyAsh
June 7th 2009

SEOUL; America, China, Japan, all in one completely different culture Asia » South Korea » Seoul

Me and the Other Girls
In the Empress Garden at the Western Palace. Thanks for going with me everyone!

Becoming a Tourist Once Again Once again I became a tourist (I like to delude myself with the idea that I'm not a tourist in Japan, even though I look like one. But since I can speak relatively conversational Japanese and am studying here I like to think I'm not a tourist...), though instead of China this time I went to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Me and a couple of the other girls studying here from California decided about a month and a half ago that we wanted to go to Korea. Its really close to Japan (about an [View Full Entry]

By BerkeleyAsh
May 22nd 2009

A Christian Acquaintence, A Gender Class Friend, Birthday Parties, Music Box Museums Asia » Japan » Yamanashi

Day out with the Host Family
Sorry guys, but being as my usual daily life is not all that interesting, I don't have many pictures. I'll add more later if I have some; but for now just enjoy pictures of my day out with my host fam... [more]

Of My Host Family and My Usual Tsuru Lifestyle So I thought this time I'd do a bit of a catch up on my last two days spent with my host family; as well as a bit of detail on some of the other people I meet on a daily basis here in Tsuru. So this entry will be a general update on what my life is like in Tsuru now that I've been here a few months. I only have a little less than two months left here, so I'm trying to make the most of it. My Usual Week [View Full Entry]

Music Box Museum; Kawaguchiko Music Forest

By BerkeleyAsh
May 6th 2009

Tea and Washi, two Traditional Japanese Arts Asia » Japan » Yamanashi » Fuji Five Lakes

Tea Ceremony

My Second Tea Ceremony, and Washi-Paper Making with Rasuta, the Jamaican baby So here's the last of my three-part blog catch up here (I'm rushing to finish these before I go back to the U.S. for a split second tomorrow and the next day to see my mom graduate, and then returning to Japan to class next week). I'll go over our field trip to experience Tea Ceremony in Tsuru and then my excursion to Nana's hometown of Minobu where I got to make Japanese paper. Tea Ceremony, this time without Yuzawa-san My first experience ever with Tea Ceremony in Japan [View Full Entry]

By BerkeleyAsh
May 6th 2009

Piano Recitals and Flea Markets Asia » Japan » Yamanashi » Fujikawaguchiko

The Performers

More of my Amazing Host Family Okay so I know I've been talking probably a bit too much about my host family lately; but since I'm playing catch up right now on my blogs I thought I would just combine my latest two excursions with my host family into one entry and then move on to the other stuff in another entry. Piano Recital So actually this happened the day before the Fuji-Yoshida Matsuri, but since that was such a big day I wanted an entry all to itself. The day before I went to Miho and Kana-chan's piano recital in [View Full Entry]

By BerkeleyAsh
May 6th 2009

Fuji Yoshida Matsuri (festival) with Host Family Asia » Japan » Yamanashi » Fujikawaguchiko

Miho pulling the drums in the parade

Public Interviews about Expelling Evil Spirits Hello again!! Wow I'm so sorry these are so late; I can't believe the last entry I did was the Shingen-Matsuri! I've had no time the last few weeks; lots of deadlines for fall registration stuff and then my back was hurting and I was trying to rest and join clubs here and do all this stuff...yeah, enough excuses. Anyways, I'll start with the first thing I did the week after Shingen-ko Matsuri, that next weekend on April 19th. So my host family lives in the Southeastern part of Fuji-Yoshida, a large city about 30 [View Full Entry]

By BerkeleyAsh
April 12th 2009

Shingen-ko Matsuri - Shingen Festival Asia » Japan » Yamanashi

Kofu Peach Blossoms

Samurai in the Valley of Peach Blossoms Kofu is one of the largest cities within an hour's distance by car/train from the small town of Tsuru where I'm currently studying. Its famous throughout Japan for its abundant peach orchards and the huge peaches it produces every summer. As such; right now the entire valley is covered in a floor of pink from the peach blossoms that cover almost every corner of land there. Its truly beautiful; and during this time of year the annual Shingen-ko Matsuri (Festival) is held in Kofu. Takeda Shingen was a famous samurai from hundreds of years [View Full Entry]

Main Stage at Kofu Train Station; Takeda' Entourage

By BerkeleyAsh
April 6th 2009

IkiIki Plaza, Saitama Prefecture, and an ICU Reunion Asia » Japan » Yamanashi » Tsuru

IkiIki Plaza

What I did over my Spring Break was.... So continuing with my little spring break saga here; I came back from Hakone relaxed and ready to spend two weeks resting. I had the day after where I blissfully did nothing; except clean my apartment. But I rarely say no to any opportunity people offer me (which often gets me in trouble), and so of course I filled my break to the brim with stuff without even realizing it. In case anyone doesn't already know (I tend to talk too much about it already; sorry if I bore you with this next [View Full Entry]

Playing at the Playground with Host Family

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