Episode 7: Tuesdays are the new Fridays

Wow, another week blows by, and still, I'm excited to be posting blog entries and sharing my enriching experience with family, friends, and anyone who cares to read. I've got some cool pics, and some fun experiences to talk about, so hopefully you'll enjoy it. Without any further ado, I-ku-zo! (Let's do it!)

This last week was full of tons of exciting and fun activies, from Art museums to Temples, to dinners, to mad e-mails. I even found the first donut from Mister Donut that I haven't enjoyed. It's a specialty seasonal donut that has black seasame seed paste and some sessame seeds on it. Without stalling too long on it, let me just say, it is worse than it sounds.


On a different notes, I have to say that with my current schedule of Friday to Tuesday work weeks, I'm pretty much the only one at Nova that really looks forward to Tuesdays. Normally they're one of our busiest days, but that doesn't really bother me. Tuesday is my Friday, my chance to relax for the 'weekend' and stay up late doing nothing important. Some days I make my Wednesday so productive that I may as well be at work, but one thing changed for me yesterday (Wednesday.) I actually enjoyed doing my house chores. Yeah, that's right, I did laundry, vacuumed the house, did all the chores, including Tristan's dishes, and I did it with a smile on my face. Japan and my lady friend back home are to thank for that I think.


That being said, let me now elaborate on the famous temple known as Sen Ju Ji.


For starters, let me begin with temple etiquette here in Japan. It is expected that all visitors wash their hands in the holy water located near the entrances. Normally this water comes out of a stone feature, like a dragon. You use wooden ladle to pour the water over your hands, and then put it back. Pretty simple, right? Well, apparently not if you're name is Jon, and you're a funny guys because then you can manage to inject your arm directly into a dragon's mouth, and make a funny face while people watch in awe.


Sen Ju Ji was built in 1666, and is the largest temple in Japan, with a floor space in its main chambers of over 100 tatami mats. It is sub-divided into several large buildings, each having its own history and stories, as well as dedications. Unfortunately for us, the main temple area has been closed for the past seven years for repairs. It is supposed to be completed within the year, and so if that happens while I'm still here, I'll definitely go back to try and find it. Still, that being said, there were millions of dollars of donation money going to restore it, so I definitely believe that it will be quite the sight. The rest of the rooms aren't supposed to be photographed, but I managed to sneak a quick peek for my peeps back home.

I've been lucky to visit numerous temples around Japan in my previous trip here with my hetero-life partner Chung. Together we ran around Japan like crazy kids in candy shop, and between that experience and this one, I have to say that Sen Ju Ji had a bit of a different feel to temples in the Kanto region, or even in Kyoto. It may have been that not too many people were there that day, but I somehow couldn't shake the feeling that there was little to no soul at the temple. I hope I don't offend any Japanese readers here when I say that, but it was just the way that I felt about it. Almost like it was overcompensating for it's lack of energy in the air. It was still a great trip, and I'm very glad to have gone there.




I also managed a trip to check out some of the Tsu-University art student's exhibits. Some of them were really cool, and it was a free open house for the public. I saw comments in the guest book from French people as well as English, and of course, many Japanese. I liked one artist's work that was mainly a perspective India-ink sketch set, that was to be viewed in cut out feet holes from a certain point on the floor. My phone's background is now this pic on the left. Also, in a strange coincidence, the next day at work, I was working in Tsu-city branch, and I had one of the artists from the exhibit as my student! The next day, I had the museum's curator! Ridiculous!



I also managed to go out for some delicious dinner one night with Ashanthi and some other people. We had Nabe (Nah-bay) which is a special Japanese dinner that is more commonly called a "hot-pot." Obviously this style of cooking comes in numerous dishes, and so we ordered one that we were sure to like. Chicken, mushrooms (big weird ones) and cabbage, some little noodly-things, radish, etc, etc. Quite delicious actually.



I'm trying my best to enjoy foods that I wouldn't normally enjoy back home, and so since I'm not a mushroom fan, I've been eating them when I go out to restaurants just because I want to learn how to eat them and enjoy them. On that same note, we ordered a small plate of Sashimi (Sa-Shee-me) which is raw fish all by its lonesome. Check out the pic on the left for the beautiful presentation. I made a video of me eating some Tako (Tah-koh) which is octopus, and I'll probably include it in a montage sometime soon on youtube.com. For now, you just have to know that the Squid piece was about the size of both my thumbs together, and took a full 4 minutes to disolve/be swallowed. I did it with a forced smile.


Other than that, the soccer game this week was decent. Though it was a cold night by Japanese standards, ten of us still showed up, including Tristan, and we played for a couple hours. Team Gaijin ended up just on top. It was all tied up in wins, losses, and ties until our last game. We managed to score five goals in 10 minutes, and have a shut-out. I guess the cold finally got to our Nihonjin competitors. They're great players, but we've got a couple ringers who are really solid players. I'm not a great player, but I have fun.

Alright, well I don't know if there's anything else I should really mention except for the fact that I'll have a land line by next Wednesday, and internet within one week of then. Perhaps these day trips to the IC will become a thing of the past.

Shigata ga nai,

Ja matta neh,

-benjamin

p.s. I've got a pic or two for you.
Mmmm... Egg Dog. Is it a hot dog, or is it an Egg Bun... only a waste of money will tell.








These pigs looked wicked, what can I say. They're pig cookies! One filled with a green tea paste, the other filled with a sweet red bean sauce or something. They were expensive, and so a picture was all I have to remember those guys by.





Sugakiya! A Raman chain fast-food place here in Japan. After my first visit, I noticed something funny... it was as if the invention of the Spork in Canada has a conjoined-twin cousin here in Japan. That utensil is neither spoon, nor fork, nor both simultaneously... it is some sort of Siamese love child.