Camel Rides and Pear Museums.

New updates. This week was spring break and I went on a couple of trips during my free time. The first destination was Tottori city in Tottori prefecture. We rode camels in the morning and climbed a mountain in the afternoon. At the top were some castle ruins and Japanese Keanu Reeves. The next day was a total bust. Our intended destination took 3 hours to reach, so we decided to change the plans. We first stopped at the pear museum (the only one in Japan), which turned out to be closed. Then we went to a see a temple on the side of a cliff, a national treasure, which turned out to be closed. Then we wanted to go to a hot spring, but it turned out to be right next to the highway and full of naked dudes and radon. The Japanese style hotel was awesome though. Amazing Japanese breakfast. Pictures.

Also: 7 for 33.

And: Several types of sashimi, rice, boiled tofu, lotus root salad with citrus, shoyumame (basically big edamame, shelled, roasted, and soaked in sweet sauce), mirin boshi (sweet pomfret jerky lightly fried with sesame seeds), and sake.

And: Spicy ramen with egg and pork belly topping, a fried rice ball with dried seaweed, kimchi pickles, and rooibos tea.

And: Soba noodles with wasabi tsuyu dipping sauce and green onion, a fried pork cutlet bowl with sweet red miso sauce and cabbage, and green tea.

If You Have Any Problem Please Tell Me the Staff

I am not amused.

Over the weekend I took a trip to Hiroshima to hear from an atomic bomb survivor. Her name is Matsubara Miyoko. Her story is long and very graphic, but it was worth a listen. There are only about 20 survivors who are willing to speak to the public, so it was a nice opportunity. I'll spare you the details as it's very disturbing. If, however, you're interested, there are videos of her account readily available on the internet. Simply Google "Miyoko Matsubara." She is mostly deaf from the bomb, so her English is very difficult to understand.

After a heavy morning, we all took the ferry to Miyajima where we ran into more stinky beggar asshole deer like in Nara. The place is really famous for its sunsets, so naturally it got really cloudy right as we got there. The whole island closes at 5:00, so we took the ferry back and ate Hiroshimayaki. It's essentially Okonomiyaki with soba or udon. Mine had natto and, as the menu said, 'onions and ginger on them tops.' We then went to a hostel where a naked man with a one inch booger hanging out of his nose asked me personal questions while I brushed my teeth. The next morning my friend found blood stains on his sheets. Hostels are fantastic! Picz.

Also: 6 for 32, but two were Jehovah's Witnesses who proselytized during the photo...

And: Women from Hiroshima seem to really like tall American guys.

And: Fried chicken, fried pork cutlet, sweet potato tempura, inaka miso soup with white radish, rice, a salad made from flowers, and steamed vegetables. In your face.

And: Okonomiyaki with soba and natto topped with ginger, green onion, seaweed flakes, and crushed red pepper.

And: Curry rice, minced fish croquette with soy and white ginger, kimchi pickles, and miso soup with eggs and green onion.

And: A fish with a sweet sauce whose fins are delicious (Maybe mackerel? My host family called the spine a "bone cookie"), rice, soup, and flower salad.

And: Fish egg spaghetti, creamy potato soup with ham, and steamed broccoli. It tasted like tomato cream sauce. What the what?

Host Mom Food

Just a quickie. Er... anyways... Some new ladies and some delicious Collon candy. They have chocolate flavor, but I thought that was a bit gratutitous. Enjoy.

Also:　I am now 4 for 19 on the pictures.

And: Tonight's dinner was seared, rare tuna with onions and ponzu shoyu, bean salad, miso soup, dumpling soup, a side of rice, koicha matcha, and cinnamon cake.

And: Last night was thinly sliced crispy pork on a bed of caramelized onions, steamed vegetables, miso soup with egg and daikon, and a side of rice.

And: The night before was Japanese curry rice with potatoes, carrots and beef, and English tea.

And: The night before that was tonkatsu with rice, miso soup, steamed vegetables, and warm sake.

And: In all y'all faces.

Day Off

Today was a holiday. I couldn't tell you which, but we had today off. Last night we went to a little Mom and Pop restaurant that had outrageous portions for like 500 or 600 yen. I got a huge plate of pork cutlet curry for 400 yen. It was great. Today, most people just chilled, but I went with a friend to Takayama for a hike. It was pretty damn awesome. Then I found maybe the greatest hair salon known to man and took a picture of the sign. You'll have to see it to believe it. Almost too good to be true. Pictures.

Osaka Trip

Went to Osaka yesterday. It was pretty incredible. I guess the city is about 2 or 3 million, but it surges to 4 million during the day. Most people wanted to shop, but a group of a few finally split off to go sight seeing. We went to a giant Ferris wheel on top of a building and Osakajo park. There's a restored or rebuilt Japanese castle there as well as a European style castle built in the 1930s. Unfortunately, everything was closed, but I think I got some decent pictures anyway.

Also: Every old person I talked to declined to be in a picture. Looks like this won't work. I'm a very sad little guy.

Kyoto Trip

There was a school organized trip to Kyoto yesterday. We went to a temple built in the 1300s. It was pretty amazing, but I think my pictures failed to capture the size of it. Just imagine it being very large. Later we went to an extremely expensive buffet and a giant ass mall. Pictures mixed in with the arrival shots.

Also: Japanese fortunes are never good.

And: Old people seem to greatly dislike foreigners.

Some Pictures and Some Bad News.

I've got some pictures here that were taken over the past few days. Some were taken during the trip to Japan, others on the way to Hirakata city. However, it seems that elderly Japanese people don't want to be in pictures with gangly, large-eared Americans and politely decline when asked. I had a feeling some might decline, but not every single one. So, it looks like this whole concept is bung. However, I did get some pictures.

How We Do it, Dun.

They say that the hardest part of learning a foreign language is gathering the courage to speak it. To help me bust out of my shell and build up the courage to speak to the people of Japan, my family took me to an authentic dinner at Benihana. Our chef, Armando, dazzled us with his dexterity and showmanship. I also got a nice picture with a delightful Japanese woman named Mingmei. The picture turned out OK, but I think they'll work out better if I ask someone to take the picture for me while I'm in Japan. I hope they know how to use cameras.

Also: My incredibly sensitive cousin suggested I take pictures with overweight individuals rather than old ladies. He thought it should be called 'Slant Eyed Fatties'. We're a classy bunch.

And: Buy a shirt from me.

Damn you, Bethesda.

I once vowed never to have a blog, but I'm taking a trip to Japan and I thought I'd share my pictures. So, I'm starting one. I'm trying out the photo posting feature of this silly weblog thing now. The plan is to have some posts featuring different things I like about Japan such as, bizarre inventions, Japanese cuisine, terrifying candy, and spunky octogenarians. It's tentatively titled 'Japanese Old Ladies of Japan'. It'd be nice to publish a coffee table book when I get back.

Also:　すみません小母さん、私と一緒に写真に入って下さい。

And: 'To Live and Die in L.A.' is the worst film ever made. Bar none. No argument. Not an opinion.