different monday

I deliberately missed church today.  Totally different from my previous Sundays - no nihongo mass, no lunch with Mina or Melissa, no window shopping in Sannomiya or malling in Blummer, cooking at the 6th floor kitchen and just lazing around my room. 
Tomorrow, Monday will also be different.  First week that I won't see Toshi and Yuto.  Wonder if they got around to reading The Little Prince book that I gave them as farewell gift?   

rooms with the view

rm. 452 Washington Hotel, Shinjuku, Tokyo



Sunrise, rm. 1211 JICA - Hyogo International Center, Kobe-shi
These are the views from my last rooms in Japan....

things to do before going home

                               1. Eat Kobe beef

 

 


2.  Go to Sorakuen Garden



   

 
3.  Go to Kyoto National Museum





4. Go to Korea - didn't get to do this

robot show5

robot show4

Robot show2

Robots

Robot show at the Robot Museum in Nagoya

jasper fforde books

Got these Thursday Next series as a birthday gift three years ago from Roseller.  Didn't get to finish reading the second book until this morning.  It took me that long to read the books as I cannot get past the first four chapters of  The Eyre Affair.  Two years ago, I asked Penggy to send the books to me so I can read them.  Still, it took me nearly two years and countless hours of train ride using the ju-hachi kippu this summer to finish the first two books.  I figure, I'll read the last one on the plane ride back to Manila.  A good way to end my Japan affair, ne?

Nara, Summer 2007

Finally made it to Nara Prefecture. Been living in the Kansai area for two years but first time to visit this ancient capital. I almost skipped going to this prefecture because I figured Kyoto would be enough. BUT, the third national museum is here so a trip to Nara is on my list of "things to do before going home." Loved the facade of the new museum wing. I was like really worried because I've spent considerable shots for it on my very limited memory card (128 MB) but just clicked away. Reading through the museum's history along the passageway that connects the new and old museum buildings - got rewarded when I read that the new wing is considered one of the best public buildings in Japan and that the Japanese architect was famous. Maybe, if I made countless trips here, this place will also be included in my favorite places in Japan. Anyways, there is an ongoing special exhibit on 11th-13th century paintings at the new wing. The old building houses a lot of national treasures and important cultural properties. Almost every exhibit there was marked with those notes.

Went to Todaiji Temple in the afternoon and chanced upon Ramusai-san from Uzbekistan. Went to Kofukuji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine too. Didn't plan on visiting those two sites but Said prodded me to go with him. It was a long walk - really, really, really long walk.... back to the JR Nara Station. We had dinner at Gusto - cold chocolate drink is included in their nomihodai!

fall grads of kobe uni

 

Three days after the thesis defense, everybody went to a park in Port Island (reclaimed and man-made island where the Kobe Airport is located).  Didn't eat much barbecued meat and stuff though - told them I had enough of grilled things as I grill pretty much anything from the supa.  We all look happy especially at the karaoke.  Melissa took my picture near the machine - she told me that it's state of the art - she'll definitely miss these places once we get back home in 2 weeks time.  Aside from Kobe-shi, I think I'll also miss these people the most. 

 

Nagoya, Summer 2007

First day of using the juhachi kippu and traveling alone to this city and prefecture 4 hours away from Kobe and another 4 hours to Tokyo. Great city, the UFJ Money Bank Museum has an ongoing exhibit of 58 ukiyo's of Hiroshige, depicting scenes along Tokaido Line (from Kyoto to Tokyo), and the museum entrance is free - one of those rare things in Japan. At the Robot Museum, I c-mailed Melissa and told her that I thought I died and gone to geek heaven. One of those truly amazing museum trips. Also enjoyed the robot chronicles in their exhibition hall and those old SF comics collected by a Japanese fan.

Takamatsu and Okayama, Fall 2007

Thought that I won't be able to see the fall season for 2007 in Japan. Down south, fall starts early - so even if it's still September and hot in Kansai, the leaves are dropping in Takamatsu and Okayama - the colors in the Korakuen and Okayamajo are changing. Rural scenery in Japan is gorgeous. The udon in Takamatsu is cheap and one of the best I've ever tasted. The korakuen, one of the best in Japan, is beautiful, amazing and breathtaking.

Kyoto, Summer 2007

Went back to my favorite prefecture and city (of course, after Kobe). This time, I made sure that I got to visit the Kyoto National Museum. Yes, they do have a museum although I would like to think that the whole prefecture is an open and living museum in itself. I wasn't disappointed. I like the way they arranged the collection and each section detailing the contents and the highlights (in Japanese and English). The Museum Shop isn't as grand as all the other museums, probably because you can buy a lot outside of the museum. I really love this place - good thing I made the time and special trip for this, it was one of those long-planned thing that finally materializes but didn't end up with a thud....