Hello to those who continue to follow my journey after quite the break in writing. I have been pretty busy, but for the most part, I just haven't felt like anything terribly interesting has been happening in my life. Strange, I know, as I live in a land that seems full of things that are so different from the Midwest. Anyway, sorry for the delay, and as the holidays approach, what better time to reconnect!
Yesterday, I returned to Kobe from a three-day trip to Tokyo for our autumn staff meeting. While I was there, I got some much needed reprieve from the routine developing into a rut here, and I got to check out a few pretty great areas in Japan's busy capital (as in the most populous city in the world).
In the picture above, I am standing in front of the inner moat (I think) protecting the Emperor's Palace from the outside world. The building that can be seen is just used for administrative staff. The Emperor means business protecting his privacy! The area surrounding the temple has building restrictions, and I would venture a guess that there are few if any places that give a real vantage point on the palace. It's amazing how the city just gave way to the palatial grounds. It was easy to forget for a moment that I was actually surrounded by a giant city.
A quick 180 spins you back to Tokyo, though. While beautiful colors burn through the trees in Tokyo, reminiscent of fall in Kyoto (so I hear), buildings quickly overtake and overshadow the otherwise ancient-feeling view. It was almost as if the palatial area had been dropped on top of the already completed city.
Also amazing at this particular place was the feeling that I was back in Washington D.C. Buses full of travelers from all over the world packed into parking areas, sending tourists fanning out over the area to try and get the best view of the grounds. I felt like we were at the White House, but with no doomsday signs, rallies, or snipers (I assume there are snipers on top of the White House waiting to pick off anyone who tries to come in unauthorized--this increases the coolness of the White House by approximately 53% for me).
Well, maybe I'll write a few more of these kinds of posts, that is, posts dedicated to some of the specific sightseeing-type places I've been. And with another trip to Tokyo coming up for Christmas, I'll have even more to add : )
Talk to you all soon! OH! And a quick piece of Japanese culture/advice... When visiting school functions, bring a plastic grocery bag! You WILL be taking your shoes off to go inside, and placing your filthy shoes on the floor (even when covered with tarps) is TOTALLY unacceptable. I am 99% certain I was the only person at the PTA event who didn't know this fact. Thankfully, the Japanese lady who went with me assumed my ignorance and had my back (well, my feet I guess). Though you don't need a plastic bag, the same applies for clothing store dressing rooms... Awkward encounter there... Maybe I'll write a bit more about that one later.
For now, peace.
Yesterday, I returned to Kobe from a three-day trip to Tokyo for our autumn staff meeting. While I was there, I got some much needed reprieve from the routine developing into a rut here, and I got to check out a few pretty great areas in Japan's busy capital (as in the most populous city in the world).
In the picture above, I am standing in front of the inner moat (I think) protecting the Emperor's Palace from the outside world. The building that can be seen is just used for administrative staff. The Emperor means business protecting his privacy! The area surrounding the temple has building restrictions, and I would venture a guess that there are few if any places that give a real vantage point on the palace. It's amazing how the city just gave way to the palatial grounds. It was easy to forget for a moment that I was actually surrounded by a giant city.
A quick 180 spins you back to Tokyo, though. While beautiful colors burn through the trees in Tokyo, reminiscent of fall in Kyoto (so I hear), buildings quickly overtake and overshadow the otherwise ancient-feeling view. It was almost as if the palatial area had been dropped on top of the already completed city.
Also amazing at this particular place was the feeling that I was back in Washington D.C. Buses full of travelers from all over the world packed into parking areas, sending tourists fanning out over the area to try and get the best view of the grounds. I felt like we were at the White House, but with no doomsday signs, rallies, or snipers (I assume there are snipers on top of the White House waiting to pick off anyone who tries to come in unauthorized--this increases the coolness of the White House by approximately 53% for me).
Well, maybe I'll write a few more of these kinds of posts, that is, posts dedicated to some of the specific sightseeing-type places I've been. And with another trip to Tokyo coming up for Christmas, I'll have even more to add : )
Talk to you all soon! OH! And a quick piece of Japanese culture/advice... When visiting school functions, bring a plastic grocery bag! You WILL be taking your shoes off to go inside, and placing your filthy shoes on the floor (even when covered with tarps) is TOTALLY unacceptable. I am 99% certain I was the only person at the PTA event who didn't know this fact. Thankfully, the Japanese lady who went with me assumed my ignorance and had my back (well, my feet I guess). Though you don't need a plastic bag, the same applies for clothing store dressing rooms... Awkward encounter there... Maybe I'll write a bit more about that one later.
For now, peace.
2 comments:
IO
Dad, lame!
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