Blogs from Kyoto, Japan, Asia - page 83

Okay, people, stop sending me hate mail. Seriously, I have like a MEGA MEGA post coming up as soon as I can get it edited. No worries, there'll be lots of content. Sorry it's been two weeks, but you'll get your two weeks worth. ~Danny... read more

When I get home, though, my host mom took one look at me and asked me suspiciously how I was. I tell her that I was fine, but that I'm going to take a nap until dinner, so I go and lie down. I'm pretty cold now, though, so I start piling on the layers until I have three shirts and a zipped-up jacket on underneath. When my host mom comes in to wake me up, she again asks how I'm doing, if I have a fever, but I keep telling her that "no, no, I'm fine, don't worry about me," and such. She gives me a thermometer despite my insistence and I register a 39.5 (103.1 F). At this point, although I don't have any idea what 39.5C is, gather from my family's reaction that ... read more

A Busy Week ------------ Instead of pointing out that I have now been here for a month, and since the primal forces of nature make delightful tropes for development and growth, I would like point out that the biting winds of Japanese winter have abated, replaced by comforting temperatures and cozy breezes, the land has turned lush from the rain, and the rice newly planted in the paddies near my house have already matured remarkably quickly. But before I can comment on my first month in review, I should report a little on a rather busy week. It began with a class-free Monday due to Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals in Kyoto. This one celebrates the beginning of the flowering season of the hollyhock (aoi) tree, and accordingly commemorates such a poor excuse ... read more

Another day of sightseeing in Kyoto is over. I really like this town. It's got a friendly and peaceful atmosphere to it despite all the people, Japanese and foreign tourists. The restaurants in Korea and Japan are different from the western ones. How, I will try to cover here... Tools: You eat with chop sticks, of course, but scissors may also be used to cut up impossible twines of noodles. Right after you've been seated you recieve a hot and wet towel to clean your hands with. Bill: You get the bill right away when you've made your order, or sometimes even before! Whatever you order after that will be added to your bill as you go along. When you have finished, you take your bill and go to the counter (usually by the exit) and ... read more

Written on Saturday ----- Vegan Meal --------------------------- We had a Vegan meal today that was nothing short of amazing. Funded by the generous Mrs. Bing, we ate at an extremely beautiful restaurant that was in / was a Buddhist a temple. Apparently in China, Buddhist monks developed a vegan style of cooking over centuries that focused on creative preparation, color, and of course, exquisite taste. What was served to us was the luxurious version of that. After entering the temple, we took off our shoes and padded around the soft wooden floors to the inner gardens, where we were given an indoor room with glass walls. We arranged ourselves and sat down at the tables, enjoying the meticulously prepared meal that was brought to us course by course. It lasted around three hours, and had (I ... read more