Tokyo, Kyoto & Lesbians, or how I got my mojo back
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Albert
12 November 2012 | Japan, Osaka
Japanese people LOVE autumn. The first leaf turning red is a strong sign for the Japanese to go nuts and flood out of the city, into the mountains.
When autumn was coming, I too was at a point of my semester abroad at which I needed to get away from the city I live in, Osaka (nr. 14 on the list of the world's biggest cities). A travel plan had to be made. Too bad that I wasn't too smart about it: instead of escaping Osaka's big city life, I went to the one destination that would just make things worse: Tokyo (nr. 1 on the list of the world's biggest cities).
Together with my classmates Jojanne and Delilah, I boarded a night bus set for the North-East, and after a night of pit stops and lack of leg space, we arrived in Japan's capital. There, we went to Tsukeji fish market (which is a huge, busy, fishy place), the Hara Museum (a quiet haven of modern art: yes!) and Shibuya (known for the huge pedestrian crossing. I have to say, it was impressive). We made some friends in a hostel, went to yet another temple, and had a lot of fun. Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. I had heard crazy stories about Tokyo, but I think that a month of Osaka has made me resistant to most craziness already. One really cool thing though was meeting my good friend Anna, who was in a 2 week workshop in Tokyo, and had asked me if I happened to be in Tokyo those weeks so we could get coffee. Yes I was! And it was great to walk through Harajuku with her.
Back in Osaka, I was in a bit of a weird mood: the night bus ride back killed my energy, I was getting tired of Japan's weirdness, and I realized that in the coming month, I have to study quite a lot. Luckily for me, I got through the week quite well, only to find that the weekend was going to be awesome! There was a party in Tsukumedai on Friday, and on Saturday there was Kansai Pride: the LGBTQ Pride Parade of Osaka. This was totes fun. We were there with a lot of friends, but not too many Japanese (considering again that Osaka is freakishly big). I guess it still isn't okay here to be out and proud.
After pride, some people asked us to join them to a nomi hodai-night (the infamous all-you-can-drink). Of course we did! After lots of drinks, we ended up at the Pride afterparty, where there were chubby gogo-dancers and lots of lesbians, aka total fun! I'm still not really sure how I got home, but it was a very good night.
So, after this wildness, I got my mojo back, and I'm feeling thankful again about being in Japan this semester. It is truly amazing. Today, to celebrate, I went to Kyoto by myself. Trying to avoid the crowds, I wen't to the bamboo grove at the edge of the city, only to find that that part of Kyoto is very popular too. Oh well. I saw some nice temples, but the best thing about the area was the nature: I have never seen such an explosion of autumn colors in one place at a time. It was beautiful. I walked up the river, and there I finally found the peace and tranquility I was looking for. Fresh air, clean water, autumn leafs and the possibility of seeing monkeys (alas, missed them again!) made my day.
To finish, I'like to tell that I've been quite busy with my videos. If you want to see them: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTZ8lEflfp5yyZb8uKksytZLIx7oLRKwR&feature=mh_lolz
There are videos of Tokyo, Kansai Pride and other adventures. Have fun, and don't forget to comment!
love,
Albert
When autumn was coming, I too was at a point of my semester abroad at which I needed to get away from the city I live in, Osaka (nr. 14 on the list of the world's biggest cities). A travel plan had to be made. Too bad that I wasn't too smart about it: instead of escaping Osaka's big city life, I went to the one destination that would just make things worse: Tokyo (nr. 1 on the list of the world's biggest cities).
Together with my classmates Jojanne and Delilah, I boarded a night bus set for the North-East, and after a night of pit stops and lack of leg space, we arrived in Japan's capital. There, we went to Tsukeji fish market (which is a huge, busy, fishy place), the Hara Museum (a quiet haven of modern art: yes!) and Shibuya (known for the huge pedestrian crossing. I have to say, it was impressive). We made some friends in a hostel, went to yet another temple, and had a lot of fun. Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. I had heard crazy stories about Tokyo, but I think that a month of Osaka has made me resistant to most craziness already. One really cool thing though was meeting my good friend Anna, who was in a 2 week workshop in Tokyo, and had asked me if I happened to be in Tokyo those weeks so we could get coffee. Yes I was! And it was great to walk through Harajuku with her.
Back in Osaka, I was in a bit of a weird mood: the night bus ride back killed my energy, I was getting tired of Japan's weirdness, and I realized that in the coming month, I have to study quite a lot. Luckily for me, I got through the week quite well, only to find that the weekend was going to be awesome! There was a party in Tsukumedai on Friday, and on Saturday there was Kansai Pride: the LGBTQ Pride Parade of Osaka. This was totes fun. We were there with a lot of friends, but not too many Japanese (considering again that Osaka is freakishly big). I guess it still isn't okay here to be out and proud.
After pride, some people asked us to join them to a nomi hodai-night (the infamous all-you-can-drink). Of course we did! After lots of drinks, we ended up at the Pride afterparty, where there were chubby gogo-dancers and lots of lesbians, aka total fun! I'm still not really sure how I got home, but it was a very good night.
So, after this wildness, I got my mojo back, and I'm feeling thankful again about being in Japan this semester. It is truly amazing. Today, to celebrate, I went to Kyoto by myself. Trying to avoid the crowds, I wen't to the bamboo grove at the edge of the city, only to find that that part of Kyoto is very popular too. Oh well. I saw some nice temples, but the best thing about the area was the nature: I have never seen such an explosion of autumn colors in one place at a time. It was beautiful. I walked up the river, and there I finally found the peace and tranquility I was looking for. Fresh air, clean water, autumn leafs and the possibility of seeing monkeys (alas, missed them again!) made my day.
To finish, I'like to tell that I've been quite busy with my videos. If you want to see them: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTZ8lEflfp5yyZb8uKksytZLIx7oLRKwR&feature=mh_lolz
There are videos of Tokyo, Kansai Pride and other adventures. Have fun, and don't forget to comment!
love,
Albert
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
