http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Japan , Hyogo , Kobe en-us Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:22:12 +0000 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:22:12 +0000 After being folded up on airplanes for 23 hours we enjoyed a nice walk with Ted and Nobu in the neighborhood where we visited a local noodle shop for dinner. It was wonderful. We were even able to walk after sitting on little pillows at a table not more than 12 inches from the floorToday we went to Kobe to visit Ted's Kappore Dancing group what a beautiful and graceful artform. They will be http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-437815.html He poked a tube down my nose and throat. The screen in front of me displayed some moving respiratory system images. Realizing those were from my own body and with the itchy feeling caused by the tube I refrained myself from sneezing or puking in front of the doctor nurses and my JTE.I felt sick on Wednesday and had completely lost my voice on the second day. So here I was in a clinic in Japan http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-434130.html KobeHimeji Japan http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-401868.html Who would've thought that getting on a boat to go explore Phang Nga Thailand a year ago would help me score tickets to a sellout baseball game in Japan Well it did. On that trip I befriended a Japanese family one of whom went to fair lengths to get hold of a couple of tickets to a Hanshin Tigers v Yomiuri Giants game at Koshien Stadium the Tigers home ground during the Golden Week holidays. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-400769.html Emily and I woke up early the next morning with a mission. As it turned out I spent the better part of Tuesday in a pissy mood because of my own inability to effectively navigate the Japanese railway system. Emily and I planned on going to Kyoto for the day to see the cherry blossoms and other main attractions but not having a rail pass which cost over 300 USD made the process decidedly more http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-388646.html So with the possibility of a military conflict much less likely than a few days ago I got off the ship in Kobe planning to spend a laidback few hours walking around the city before going to a Welcome Reception with Japanese students. First of all I just have to say that I did not expect the immigration process to be quite that extreme they had us walk past an infrared camera that took our temp http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-388644.html Valoszinuleg tudat alatt bennem volt egy ideje hogy el kene latogatnom Japanba de eloszor akkor jott a felszinre amikor 2007 oktobereben elutasitottak az amerikai vizumkerelmemet es arra gondoltam hogy akkor elmegyek oda ahova nem kell vizum. Ekkor ugrott be Japan aminek az epiteszete kulturaja termeszeti szepsegei es termeszetesen a konyhaja erdekeltek mar egy ideje.Mivel jol alakult http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-386829.html I apologize for the delay in this blog entry 0 262009So me and my friends Ukyun Korean Jennie American and Katsutoshi Japanese headed to Kobe in search of a new pillow for my bed...haha...well that was the primary reason I wanted to go to Ikea in Kobe and I also wanted to remind my self of the Ikea in Atlanta in which I use to frequent. We ended up taking the Hankyu line instead of the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-377493.html When we got married in May we didn't have the wherewithal to have a reception and didn't think it necessary. However we had second thoughts and decided to take the plunge. We're very glad we did it was a fantastic day...Mitsu left early in order to get her hair and makeup and so on done Maya and I headed out a little later. I practised reading my wedding speech several times at home and on th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-343253.html Our last day in Japan. It was a good day We headed out early to go back to Kyoto. At first it was a bit of a buzzkill to have to go back to the city we thought we finished yesterday but it turned out to be one of the nicest days of the vacation for me. Once we got there Nick headed off to the Kiyamizu temple to buy something for Megumi while Mike and I ventured out to visit the golden pav http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-337006.html Kobe turned out to be a really wonderful little city. Some might recognize the name from the 1995 Earthquake here that killed about 6000 people. Since then it's been rebuilt and it definitely feels nicer then an older Japanese city. Wide room streets and walkways and a very cosmopolitan atmosphere makes this a lot nicer I think then Osaka was. Lot's of parks and a nice memorial to the Earthqua http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-331008.html A collection of facts that I've learned in Japan so far1 English music is everywhere. Commercials. Playing from random stereos outside stores. And it can be in many forms too sometimes without words.2 English celebrities are everywhere. Cameron Diaz Scarlett Johanssen Tommy Lee Jones Orlando Bloom Kiera Knightley... tons...3 Just about everything you can buy you can find at a store http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-325175.html Kobe...this is where I randomly came across this Bluegrass music bar by myself last year and ended up making friends and remaining penpals with this guy called Kohei who worked behind the bar and his Dad owned it Read about my discovery of it here I thought it would be a good idea if I did a week homestay at his house with his parents above the bar even though he was not there but at Uni http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-296453.html I wanted to document for friends and family my Japan experience when I started this blog. I also planned to travel abroad a lot which have now been put on hold indefinitely. Surprise surprise a second baby is on the way. Whew as if carrying a baby and a stroller up and down subway stairs changing nappies on a tight airplane lavatory are not enough detriment on traveling and not to mention t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-272915.html Dear AllKeeping ones' collective heads down to squirrel away every spare yen has been the year's prime activity. Having lately been inundated with correspondence lamenting the dearth of travelblogs the following temporary measure will have to suffice these are from almost the last time the lady and I were blessed with synchronised time off some time in the first half of February. However I am http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-261194.html I haven't been sleeping right for the past two weeks. Well yeah I'm having anxiety attacks combined with my retrospective mode which automatically switched itself on and I can't figure a way to turn it off. I hope I am still living in America wherein I can just run to a specialist and easily claim psychological imbalance and get a prescription drug to calm my nerves. I now feel sorry for my bias http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-260997.html Wow time goes by so fast. I remembered my anxiety of not finding a job in this country. Now Irsquom on the last week of my six month contract at my Junior High as ALT. I am very sad to say the least. I never thought I would be accepted with so much enthusiasm by my students.My last week was filled with a lot of sad farewells. I was deeply moved by the different ways my students and even my coll http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-252439.html Unreal I've just made a schoolboy error and deleted an hour's worth of prose. Which has probably saved you considerable boredom as the replacement will be somewhat shorter than the original. OopsSo today is Boxing Day and thoughts travel back to the same day three years ago when nature delivered a strong message to alot of very unfortunate people in Asia in the form of a tsunami. Somehow a mi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-230377.html Bonjour Now I say this because ever since i've been here trying to learn how to communicate with the locals I have been experiencing something strange every so often. Now my mind must understand that I'm trying to speak a foreign language thats good but it doesn't understand that I do not in fact wish to speak French. It's a really strange and annoying thing to think in french translate http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-222289.html Okay so I know Irsquove been in hiding for a whilehellip I was without the internet for what seems like ages But now Irsquom back up and running so I thought Irsquod post an update. Herersquos whatrsquos new with me Finished my math course and will now be teaching accountingMy math course ended just before the summer holidays. It was an interesting experience I was challenged and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hyogo/Kobe/blog-198865.html