Monday, April 06, 2009
Re-Pinkening
Yes sir, I am feeling good. Saturday may have been a rainy, crappy day (save for an Xbox purchase) but Sunday was a reasonably sunny and warm one. Perfect timing to head out for some cherry blossom scenery and a bit of picnicking!
I'll be straight with you: If you've never met me, you should know that I'm really an indoors kind of guy. I participated in organized sports when I was a kid, but whenever possible I spent most of my free time inside with toys, comic books, and electronic entertainment. Even though I lived in the suburbs and I could have been one of those "explore the woods" or "swim in the river" kids, I was absolutely not interested. I dislike being wet or dirty (or both) and I always have. My father loved to sail and I did not; in fact, I do not even know how to swim. We went camping a few times but I was not a fan. Even now, I routinely turn down my friends who invite me on their annual camping excursions simply because I hate camping. It's strange to me that my love of my friends and the hilarious stories they share of being out there cannot convince me to get past the simple matter of spending a few days and nights outdoors. Maybe this is me being stubborn or maybe this is just me recognizing my limits. I need a bed. I need a toilet. I need four walls and a roof.
Having said all that, I am not a troll who prefers darkness to sunlight. I am a fan of going outside for excursions or special occasions. I am definitely more of a walker than a driver (when realistic) and while I still struggle with certain natural "hazards" like insects, I do appreciate getting out of the apartment when the weather permits. After weeks of bundling up (even indoors - Japan is annoying like that) Sunday was the first chance in a long while to leave my coat on the hangar and spend the day eating and drinking outside with people. Sadly, Mako was not one of those people because she wasn't up for it, but she spent the day with her parents (and their automobile) instead. Don't worry about her, she's fine. Just very, very pregnant.
Yesterday wasn't just the first nice day we've had in months, it was also the first nice day we've had this year with the cherry blossoms in (nearly) full bloom. One of the nicer traditions in Japan is something they call hanami (literally "flower viewing"). Families and friends gather together and have a picnic in parks, on riverbanks, near gardens, basically anywhere where they can enjoy the wonderful yet short-lived pink and white cherry blossoms. Of course, it's not really about the flowers, it's more about the food and the drink and the spending time with people, but the trees offer some really beautiful scenery for all the fun.
Having been here for a couple Springs now, I've enjoyed both the flowers and the food before but that was three years ago. In 2007 I went to Brooklyn with Ben for a glimpse of the flowers but the environment wasn't quite right. Some people were sitting down but mostly people just seemed to be in a rush. It didn't help that the garden felt crowded and cramped. As for last year, it was a very quiet affair where Mako and I just took a walk around our (still somewhat) new surroundings. We snapped a few pictures and stopped for a snack, but there was no picnic, no drinking, and no other relatives or friends involved at all.
I wanted yesterday to be more like the hanami I remember from 2006, so I figured the best strategy was to return to Osaka Castle Park. Greg and Robin were still in town and they agreed to meet me in the city, each of us carrying a bag of store-bought food and drink. Without a tarp to sit on or a particular location scoped out, the three of us just walked into the park and sat down on the side of a bridge. After a short stay, we got up and walked around some more, entering the castle grounds and taking a few pictures before stopping again. We made our way around the entire park this way, walking and taking in the sights (and sounds and smells!) with occasional stops to rest and have more snacks. For me it was a chance to remind myself how much fun Japan can be when enjoyed with friends, since I've been feeling a bit fed up with work lately. For Greg and Robin I think it was more bittersweet because this is their farewell trip. They may very well come back to Japan someday but after several years of enjoying this annual tradition, this was their last ride on the hanami merry-go-round. But that's just a guess - it's not like we were crying and saying goodbye for four hours.
No, hanami is all about fun. The park was crowded, of course, but it never felt suffocating like a busy train station or city street can feel. The mood was so festive that I found myself enjoying the crowds as a sight unto itself. There were certainly lots of people doing amusing things. There were clowns, a woman with a trained monkey, scores of adorable dogs (some with dyed fur!) and lots of music which meant a fair amount of singing and dancing. The most entertaining moment of the day had to be discovering a group of at least fifteen otaku who were putting all their energy into a group performance of...stuff. I didn't know most of the songs they were dancing to, save for an inspired performance of the Haruhi routine that I've seen on the web before but never in person. They were so energetic that they drew a large crowd of spectators which made the whole thing feel more exciting. I bet they weren't even drinking - they probably take their fun too seriously to risk any lapse of concentration!
Our walk led us to exit the park on the opposite side of where we had entered hours earlier. It was still too early to think about dinner, so we started walking south towards Tsuruhashi and Korea Town. I don't know why we picked it, it was just someplace I knew was within walking distance even though I had never actually been there. Along the way we passed through a long and rather depressing shopping arcade that was mostly shuttered. It may be more lively on weekdays but yesterday it felt awful. I remember seeing a 50 Yen video game arcade in there with only one customer. His cigarette smoke seemed to fill the entire room. There was also a storefront with an aquarium with two medium-sized turtles swimming inside. Robin looked heartbroken when I told her it was a restaurant specializing in turtle soup.
Speaking of food, we stumbled across a great find a few blocks north of Tsuruhashi Station called Tsuruhashi Burger. While Korea Town was nowhere in sight, this seatless eatery offered Korean-style burgers from its open grill underneath the Osaka Loop Line tracks. Greg and Robin tried the Bulkogi Burger while I chose the Karubi Burger. All of them included lots of sauce and some kimchi tucked under the meat. It could have been spicier but it was really, really tasty.
At that point, we said our goodbyes. Greg and Robin are going back to America on Wednesday morning and since I'm still expected to show up at work, I don't think we'll have another chance to meet before then. They thanked me for showing them around but I felt like I owed them more thanks for spending some of their last remaining time in Japan with me. Days like yesterday mean a lot to me because they give me an chance to have fun and not have to worry about the language/cultural barriers I keep running into around here. I wish them the best of luck in the States and I hope they find what they're looking for.
As for me, I went home last night and watched Japanese television personalities endure various physical challenges for almost four hours. I can't figure out if that's something to be proud of or not.
I'll be straight with you: If you've never met me, you should know that I'm really an indoors kind of guy. I participated in organized sports when I was a kid, but whenever possible I spent most of my free time inside with toys, comic books, and electronic entertainment. Even though I lived in the suburbs and I could have been one of those "explore the woods" or "swim in the river" kids, I was absolutely not interested. I dislike being wet or dirty (or both) and I always have. My father loved to sail and I did not; in fact, I do not even know how to swim. We went camping a few times but I was not a fan. Even now, I routinely turn down my friends who invite me on their annual camping excursions simply because I hate camping. It's strange to me that my love of my friends and the hilarious stories they share of being out there cannot convince me to get past the simple matter of spending a few days and nights outdoors. Maybe this is me being stubborn or maybe this is just me recognizing my limits. I need a bed. I need a toilet. I need four walls and a roof.
Having said all that, I am not a troll who prefers darkness to sunlight. I am a fan of going outside for excursions or special occasions. I am definitely more of a walker than a driver (when realistic) and while I still struggle with certain natural "hazards" like insects, I do appreciate getting out of the apartment when the weather permits. After weeks of bundling up (even indoors - Japan is annoying like that) Sunday was the first chance in a long while to leave my coat on the hangar and spend the day eating and drinking outside with people. Sadly, Mako was not one of those people because she wasn't up for it, but she spent the day with her parents (and their automobile) instead. Don't worry about her, she's fine. Just very, very pregnant.
Yesterday wasn't just the first nice day we've had in months, it was also the first nice day we've had this year with the cherry blossoms in (nearly) full bloom. One of the nicer traditions in Japan is something they call hanami (literally "flower viewing"). Families and friends gather together and have a picnic in parks, on riverbanks, near gardens, basically anywhere where they can enjoy the wonderful yet short-lived pink and white cherry blossoms. Of course, it's not really about the flowers, it's more about the food and the drink and the spending time with people, but the trees offer some really beautiful scenery for all the fun.
Having been here for a couple Springs now, I've enjoyed both the flowers and the food before but that was three years ago. In 2007 I went to Brooklyn with Ben for a glimpse of the flowers but the environment wasn't quite right. Some people were sitting down but mostly people just seemed to be in a rush. It didn't help that the garden felt crowded and cramped. As for last year, it was a very quiet affair where Mako and I just took a walk around our (still somewhat) new surroundings. We snapped a few pictures and stopped for a snack, but there was no picnic, no drinking, and no other relatives or friends involved at all.
I wanted yesterday to be more like the hanami I remember from 2006, so I figured the best strategy was to return to Osaka Castle Park. Greg and Robin were still in town and they agreed to meet me in the city, each of us carrying a bag of store-bought food and drink. Without a tarp to sit on or a particular location scoped out, the three of us just walked into the park and sat down on the side of a bridge. After a short stay, we got up and walked around some more, entering the castle grounds and taking a few pictures before stopping again. We made our way around the entire park this way, walking and taking in the sights (and sounds and smells!) with occasional stops to rest and have more snacks. For me it was a chance to remind myself how much fun Japan can be when enjoyed with friends, since I've been feeling a bit fed up with work lately. For Greg and Robin I think it was more bittersweet because this is their farewell trip. They may very well come back to Japan someday but after several years of enjoying this annual tradition, this was their last ride on the hanami merry-go-round. But that's just a guess - it's not like we were crying and saying goodbye for four hours.
No, hanami is all about fun. The park was crowded, of course, but it never felt suffocating like a busy train station or city street can feel. The mood was so festive that I found myself enjoying the crowds as a sight unto itself. There were certainly lots of people doing amusing things. There were clowns, a woman with a trained monkey, scores of adorable dogs (some with dyed fur!) and lots of music which meant a fair amount of singing and dancing. The most entertaining moment of the day had to be discovering a group of at least fifteen otaku who were putting all their energy into a group performance of...stuff. I didn't know most of the songs they were dancing to, save for an inspired performance of the Haruhi routine that I've seen on the web before but never in person. They were so energetic that they drew a large crowd of spectators which made the whole thing feel more exciting. I bet they weren't even drinking - they probably take their fun too seriously to risk any lapse of concentration!
Our walk led us to exit the park on the opposite side of where we had entered hours earlier. It was still too early to think about dinner, so we started walking south towards Tsuruhashi and Korea Town. I don't know why we picked it, it was just someplace I knew was within walking distance even though I had never actually been there. Along the way we passed through a long and rather depressing shopping arcade that was mostly shuttered. It may be more lively on weekdays but yesterday it felt awful. I remember seeing a 50 Yen video game arcade in there with only one customer. His cigarette smoke seemed to fill the entire room. There was also a storefront with an aquarium with two medium-sized turtles swimming inside. Robin looked heartbroken when I told her it was a restaurant specializing in turtle soup.
Speaking of food, we stumbled across a great find a few blocks north of Tsuruhashi Station called Tsuruhashi Burger. While Korea Town was nowhere in sight, this seatless eatery offered Korean-style burgers from its open grill underneath the Osaka Loop Line tracks. Greg and Robin tried the Bulkogi Burger while I chose the Karubi Burger. All of them included lots of sauce and some kimchi tucked under the meat. It could have been spicier but it was really, really tasty.
At that point, we said our goodbyes. Greg and Robin are going back to America on Wednesday morning and since I'm still expected to show up at work, I don't think we'll have another chance to meet before then. They thanked me for showing them around but I felt like I owed them more thanks for spending some of their last remaining time in Japan with me. Days like yesterday mean a lot to me because they give me an chance to have fun and not have to worry about the language/cultural barriers I keep running into around here. I wish them the best of luck in the States and I hope they find what they're looking for.
As for me, I went home last night and watched Japanese television personalities endure various physical challenges for almost four hours. I can't figure out if that's something to be proud of or not.
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Out of interest how long have you been living in Japan? Im only a new reader..
Away to read the rest of your last week or so of your blogs! Was pretty bust.. or so i like to think.
Away to read the rest of your last week or so of your blogs! Was pretty bust.. or so i like to think.
This job started in the summer of 2007 but I spent an entire school year here prior to that. Take a look at the "archives" link above to navigate my past posts, there are a lot!
I'll try and read them all soon, although I'll try and force my self to leave it till next week.. Im kind of behind on my site.
コメントがあるちゃう？ Type something, please. It's less work for me.When leaving comments, please don't remain Anonymous. Click on "Other" and pick a name!
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