I didn't write a blog yesterday because I was too tired by the time I got back to do anything except eat and sleep. As a result, this is going to be a long post.
I slept in until almost 11 am on Wednesday, which was a bit unusual for me. I was ready to go right before it was time for me to meet up with Hinako and Sachyo, two of my teammates. While walking to the train station we ran into Miyuki and the four of us rode together to Kyoto.
Once in Kyoto, we went to the Kyoto University of Education. Apparently, Miyuki will be going there next year for graduate school! It quickly became apparent to me that we didn't have enough people for a whole team. There was maybe six or seven of us total. Then I discovered that we were going to be paired up with another club team who was visiting Kyoto. Together, the two halves of our teams made a whole. We warmed up together for about thirty-forty minutes, which I felt was unnecessary considering how blazing hot it already was. The team we were with seemed older and more skilled, and we worked well together. When it came time for the game, we played against Kyoto's club team. Although we played better the entire time, we only tied (1-1). I ended up getting a huge scratch on my leg from falling on the dirt field (ouch!). After the game formally ended, everyone practiced free kicks together. I found out that the coach for Kyoto's team is a professional soccer player-- wow!
By the time it was time to leave, we had been in Kyoto for six hours! I was extremely hungry, but we didn't stop to eat. Instead, we pressed on to the train station and rode back to Nara, which took about an hour. As soon as I got in to my dorm I ate, showered, and went to bed. Being outside all day in the hot sun while running around wasn't the most fun I've had during golden week, but it was still a good experience.
Now, on to the best part of Golden Week-- my trip to Osaka with Yoonkyung! It was even more fun that I expected it to be. The two of us left Nara a little after 10 am, taking the train to Osaka, which took us about 45 minutes. As soon as we got off the train I was completely absorbed by the shops and builidings of Osaka. It immediately reminded me of New York City, especially with all of the large, colorful signs that stretched down every street corner. The first thing we did was stop for coffee at Starbucks. (It was just as expensive as in the USA, but worth every yen.) Then, we scoured the streets for a place to eat, taking pictures of everything in sight along the way. We even took pictures of Osaka's famous clown, running man, and crab restaurant. Of course, we had to eat takoyaki first (Osaka is famous for it.) I was stoked to eat it again, and it tasted even better the second time around!
 |
| This clown is a famous landmark in Osaka |
 |
| Fresh takoyaki |
After being tourists for a little bit, we decided to venture into some of the stores. Inside SEGA world I got to do puri kura for the first time, which is basically a photo booth on steroids. We got to take a series of pictures, all of which were enhanced and prettified by the machine's computer, and then we got to draw pictures and add cool effects to each one in order to suit our tastes. It was an incredible amount of fun and I can't wait to do it again. After that, Yoonkyung and I shopped around a bit. She needed to buy some pants, which she eventually found at G.U. (a Japanese store that is kind of like H&M.) I even bought a cute skirt and shirt, which I plan to wear tomorrow. We weaved in and out of stores in the process just for the fun of it. It was surprising to see a lot of store names that I recognized. Later on when we were hungry again Yoonkyung made sure that I got to eat food that I have never had before (see pictures below), and after we were full we went into a department store and tried out all of their massage chairs.
 |
| Our photobooth pics! |
 |
| Relaxing in a massage chair |
Around 5:00, Yoonkyung and I met up with Hana and two of her Chinese friends who also go to school in Nara. Together, we went to do karaoke. I think Yoonkyung and I have the most fun when we do karaoke together. We rocked out to a few songs, but I think my favorite was our rendition of Josh Groban's "You Lift Me Up." (Jamie, that one was for you!) Check out facebook for videos if you're interested. Once we had our fill of karaoke, we went to dinner at a famous Chinese restaurant. Then again, maybe it was infamous? The interior decorating contained larger than life replicas of male and female genitalia coming out of the walls. To me it didn't inspire the correct atmosphere for fine dining, but everything we ate was absolutely amazing. Again, most of it was new to me, but I tried everything until I couldn't eat anymore.
 |
| In the Chinese restaurant |
The five of us decided we needed to walk off our meal, so we first went in search of "omiyage" (souveniors). I bought some cute takoyaki inspired gifts for a couple of my friends back home, along with a cute kissing takoyaki cell phone charm to share with Yoonkyung as thanks for taking me to Osaka. Then we went to a large arcade where we got to play a few games. I'm proud to say that I beat everyone in Mario Kart. I've got skills, what can I say?
 |
| Souvenior shop! |
 |
| Arcade |
 |
| Mario Kart champ! |
 |
| Prizes that Yoonkyung shared with us all |
 |
| takoyaki kissing cellphone charms-- kawaii! |
We rode back to Nara around 10:00 PM. I returned energized and completely happy with how the day turned out. I think it's safe to say that I will be going back to Osaka sometime in the near future. Special thanks to Yoonkyung and Hana for making my Golden Week experience something really special!
Back to reality tomorrow. Yuck!
No comments:
Post a Comment