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November 08, 2004
Around town
Absolutly lovely and quiet possibly poisonous. The Japanese name is Higan-Bana. I recently saw an English magazine call them Scarlet Amaryllis, but I think the name is wrong.
They bloom at the end of summer. They are a leafless flower. There were hundreds of them everywhere for a week or two.
Most cars here come well equipped. I haven’t gotten into a car yet, that didn’t have a speed detector. A lot of people also have GPS. Car owners must pay to have their car inspected by the government to prove roadworthiness every few years. It’s called Shaken. The price for this inspection (this does not include any kind of tune up), raises exponentially with the cars age, so it actually pays to keep updating to a new car.
I snapped this little guy while waiting for a bus. The bugs here are monstrosities. I'll have more pictures of them in future posts.
Making tea at home.
Out with some friends. Chizuru, in the back, is making the universal sign for MONKEY!
"Token Corporation". How very creative.
From the compacted and blackened mass of cans on the bottom of the bin I would guess this hasn't been emptied in a long time. But then again how many people throw away their cans right next to the machine they purchased it from?
Even in Japan...the little black sticker says pull.
Compact pickup trucks, I thought it a bit odd, but they are very popular here in farm country.
The typhoons flooded the "river". This is normally a bed of sand and gravel with a small trickle of water running down the middle.
Posted by theinfonaut at 09:49 PM | Comments (6)
November 19, 2004
Around November
A paper decoration on a small shrine that I walk by everyday on my way home from work.
On that same journey home there is this cat…don’t let that lovable gaze foul you, do you see those fangs? He’s a 'pet me or I’ll rip your leg to shreds' kinds of cute. I’m sure the neighborhood kids get a kick watching me scrambling away from this little cat.
They could only be fresher if they still had the ability to squirm away from your grasp.
Mr. Praying Mantis thinks the fish are still alive, or maybe he just likes the smell of Styrofoam and fish.
As if Tanbara wasn’t already the land of noon-time loud speaker renditions of “It’s a small world” they’ve also decided to serve as the home of a humongous, gigantic, stupendous red metal crane.
My taiko team playing in the morning at a local farmers market which is being held under the shadow of the humongous, gigantic, stupendous red metal crane.
Almost every time I take a new street in Tanbara I find another small shrine or temple.
Dare I say this wanted poster is cute? The wood patterned background and the strange and slightly to-small silhouetted-bodies just doesn’t come off as menacing.
Students mesmerized by their fellow student’s performances. The school festival was last weekend and truly a fun time. The students were so supportive of each other, even clapping and singing along during some performances.
Did I mention the performance were mesmerizing for a good reason? They were good, amazing in fact for middle schoolers. We even had teachers going up on stage to perform. The music teacher, as it turns out, can belt out opera good enough to make me stop breathing.
Dinner at the Asahi Beer Factory. All you can eat and drink for 2 hours. Cooking is done small grills implanted in the tables.
My ice cream came with Wheaties?! Wha?
And this is what happens when I spend to much time pondering the toppings of my ice cream and to little time paying attention to my grilling duties.
Posted by theinfonaut at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2004
Landscaping My Head
This past week I went to Matsuyama for my friend Ai’s birthday party. Then on Tuesday I spent my vacation cooking. In the evening Raul hosted a big ‘ole Thanksgiving dinner. Good times! There is nothing like stuffing yourself full of home cooking. Somehow Thanksgiving in Japan is surreal; I miss my family and state side friends today, but in a nice bittersweet sort-of-way.
I feel actually settled for the first time. I understand a place as the landscape pieces together in my mind. I wrap my head around the smells, the sounds and the views. The small details have stopped overwhelming me and the big picture is becoming comprehendible.
The landscape here changes so quickly and the homes are so closely packed in… I find landscapes seen from up-high or a bit away to be thrilling. So here is a splash of those shots, I’ve got way to many as it is.
Posted by theinfonaut at 09:57 PM | Comments (0)