Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hiroshima in Pictures
An installation of artwork.
One of the first pictures I felt comfortable taking in the memorial park.
Truly a heavy trip.
Initial feelings: overwhelmed and guilty. I felt like I didn't deserve to be there, like I had no right to be there. I don't feel like there's a lot that I can say about what it felt like seeing the preserved evidence of the bombing. It was horrific. I've got this really odd pressure against the front part of my ribcage that started up as soon as I started reflecting on how I felt in my body being there.
Listening to the atomic bomb survivor talk was wild. This woman had so much energy and such a desire to communicate with us. Really reaching out and laying her soul bare for us. The reflecting pond and the flame they keep burning.
Right after you leave the first part of the park, there's a beautiful rose garden. The flowers were really lovely. This is Joanna enjoying the blossoms.
The trip wasn't all heavy and melancholy. The whole group took the ferry over to this absolutely breathtaking place called Miyajima. Its like Bali Hai from South Pacific, or something. Mountains right next to the water is truly magnificent. Probably one of the most beautiful days I've had in Japan.
Tomoko and Courtney on the ferry to Miyajima, the beautiful island next to Hiroshima.
Friends! Andrea, Maria and Fede.
Miyajima.
Monday, December 7, 2009
We live dappled lives
(got the title from my philosophy professor- he just came up with it last class, roughly half an hour ago :)).
Nihon, ah you crazy, idiosyncratic, thoroughly incomprehensible yet intensely enjoyable place.
I feel so blessed and really elated that I chose to come to this place and happened to fall into the company of so many truly wonderful people. Some famous dude once said that its the people you meet in your life that you remember, not the places you meet them... or something like zat. True story.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Ah, sweet domesticity
Halloween was quite lovely- I was a gypsy and had a lovely time stealing people's wallets. I should have figured this out a lot earlier. Much more efficient than withdrawing money. :D
This is Lucas, aka Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. I take credit for three of his braids.
Friday, October 16, 2009
ITS ALIVE!!!!!
^This is my "rejoicing-in-the-computer-lab-because-my-computer-lives" face. I like the vistory fist, personally. :)
I got to explore a little bit of Osaka while the computer got fixed on Tuesday and passed by a few infamous "love hotels" which have three different prices listed according to particular customer needs: rest, stay, and the extremely utilitarian "service time". Please see below.
Other lovely sites included the well-known Doutonbori street, where there are many (you guessed it) STORES, where you can blow all your お金 (okane, or money)<-- I'm learning kanji, can’t ya tell? There are lots of bright lights and beaucoup de gens, and to be honest the effect is rather overwhelming. Never thought I'd feel overstimulated, but that was the feeling I was walking with in Osaka.
On Sunday, after dropping said computer off at the Apple store (kind of like dropping off someone at camp... not really), I scooted up to Nara and joined some friends there who were shrine and temple-ing. While on holiday in Nara, I met Bambi, and his entire extended family. They say hello.
Nara is famous for its deer population and for this reason, in addition to its shrines, temples and lovely location, it has become a tourist destination for Japanese and foreigners alike.
Maybe we could get people to pay money to come check out all our friends in the dingle. I knew there was an undiscovered market economy in Longmeadow!
Margaux Frank, blogging live from Hirakata, out!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
今、おなかがすいた、だから ひろごはんお 食べます!またね!
Hope all is well at home and wherever you all find yourselves in the world. Lots of metta!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Back by popular demand
Please excuse the long gap between entries, dear fan base.
My darling computer has been under the weather and I am enthusiastically NOT diving into the firey pits of technological warfare.
I'm having my techie friends do it instead.
Since I last wrote, I have ridden several buses, a Hello Kitty ferris wheel, and a plethora of trains. One particular combination of said modes of transportation brought me and several friends to Tokyo for Silver Week, which is a fairly recent addition to the Japanese national holiday roster.
We had, how do you say, a blast. We saw several temples, rode up tall skyscrapers to see the entire city (both at night and during the day), saw the Tokyo Tower- essentially a takeoff of the Eiffel Tower, and became quite adept at navigating the Tokyo metro system, considering we were there less than a week.
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Having Hello Kitty (affectionately known as "Kitty-chan" in Japan) narrate a ride on a large ferris wheel proved to be excessive stimulation.
Odaiba, in addition to boasting a large shrine to an infantile feline, is also the location of Marine World in Japan. Its funny, you see because Odaiba is actually an artificial island... that the Japanese made... because they didn't have enough islands? Ah the mystery. I will take it for what it is! And then Wikipedia it. We had a lovely time.
<--We stayed in a hostel! This was my bed! Left to right: Andrea, Maria, and me.
Asakusa was by far my favorite place. The Sensoji Temple was a MADHOUSE, but very pretty and we took LOADS of pictures. Maria left no possibility unturned and was very unapologetic about her shashin toru (that is, picture taking. Monacle, monacle.) We paid a lovely visit to the fish market, where we nearly became grease spots dodging the oil drum vehicles the workers drive to transport fish. I took a few pictures. We followed a 70-year-old fellow out of the maze of fishy peril and decided that the aquarium was a perfectly suitable place to see the fishies sans escalating blood pressures.
Pictured above is an example of how one lays down the law in the fish market.
Team Tampa Takes on Tokyo (and I tag along).
Subtitle explanation: the people I went with all go to school in Tampa, FL. I couldn't resist the alliteration. :D
Our fearless leader, Maria, is map queen and Tokyo Tower aficionada. Wali was our Japanese bauss and will dominate anyone at Kareoke. Watch out. Travis is going to live in Akihabara someday and open a legitimate American bistro, and Andrea is our mama duck and will keep everyone happy, pacified and beautiful, so help her. I contributed to the trip by getting on the wrong bus coming back from the bathroom on the way back. In my defense, it was four in the morning, and I can't read.
Group Picture in Akihabara (left to right): Maria, Andrea, Travis and Wali
There is no way anyone could ever hope to see everything Tokyo has to offer, even if you were to live there your whole life, but there is most assuredly something there for everyone! Let me know if y'all ever need maps- I've got lots!
Lots of love and picture-taking peace signs,
Margaux
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Stuff I've done
Watashi no denwa bangoo wa
Hahaha, you actually though I was going to tell you my phone number, DIDN'T YOU?!
It's taken a little while, but contain yourselves America, and other countries reading this, because there are SHASHINNNN!!! (pictures). :) I'm sitting here with my friend Haruka and we are going to show you Nihon in a few sweet pics! Enjoy only!
Quick post: yesterday we went to Kyoto- first experience with Japanese trains (Wheeee!) and navigating the system of densha (trains). Kyoto has incredibly beautiful temples and I really didn't know what to expect when we got there but I loved it!
I'll be back, never fear. The food continues to be excellent: my current favorite are the rice balls: onigiri- oishii (delicious)!!!!!
So there’s this chocolate here that is ridiculously tasty. It’s practically a drug. As chance would have it, this particular brand is called Crunky. I do not tell lies. Photographic evidence.
I can only describe it as a Crunch bar with an identity crisis and hope that you can understand. If you say wakarimasen (I don't understand), I will sadly sigh and make a note to bring some home so you can all experience this culinary joy. Speaking of home, hi Mama and Dad! Thanks for the great letter and all of the emails. Its good to know you care.
Holy Monkeys. I went to a sento last night, which is a Japanese spa. Spas are very different from the states in that they cost $5 to get in and are like neighborhood hangouts for the people in the area. Sentos are phenomenal. You go to the locker room- guys and girls are separated- strip down to the buff, then go scrub down for all you’re worth at this row of sit-down showers. You’re required to shampoo as well because of the risk of transfer of germs/ bacteria/dirt. If you don’t, the ladies WILL get up and complain and you WILL be a culturally insensitive poop head. You rinse off all the soap and shampoo and then embrace the wonder of the sento. There are three tubs filled with various degrees of hot water, a cold tub and… one with an electrical current! This is not a joke. The ladies who come to these spas come and hunker down in the electric tub for minutes on end. The frightened gaijin (us), on the other hand, squeal upon dipping a finger into this water. The Japanese women there were smiling and laughing at our yelps of surprise and motioning encouragingly. Side note: People here are SO helpful, in my experience, will always go out of their way to help you. It takes getting used to, but it is a crazy experience and apparently very good for relaxing your muscles. I feel a little sore today, but just as if I’d lifted yesterday. The cold tub is probably my favorite. My friend Joanna and I held our breath and dunked ourselves completely, then liked it so much that we stayed for about ten minutes. Very relaxing. We were hypothesizing that the water is mentholated, because your breath comes so easily and feels remarkably fresh. It’s awesome.
Joanna and me awaiting our debut on the Nihon no densha! I have two fingers... she has three fingers... we haven't quite got the peace signs down. Give us a week, onegai shimasu (please).
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Konnichi wa!
All is well on my fifth (?) day here in Japan, meeting lots of really lovely people and seeing beautiful things! I have a speaking partner now which is tres exciting, and I have met a bunch of people who speak Spanish! Its crazy, really. I'm picking up words here and there and everyone is very encouraging and extremely helpful. I have my own entourage of cheerleaders! I pay them, but don't tell anyone, ok? Thanks.
The food is muy delicioso, though stuff be pricy here. I'm very aware of how much money I have and intend to spend. On our first full day here in Hirakata we went into the downtown area where they were having a local festival. It was pretty cool- several rock/punk bands played, including one called "Baby Smoker," not kidding, and this hilarious pantomine group. These guys are true scholars, I tell ya.
I have purchased a bicycle and she is exquisite. She is the color of sora (sky) and has a sweet basket, which I suki quite a lot. Suki, bee tee dubs, is like. :D I had a very pleasant experience walking to the bike store with one of my RAs. We tried out several bicycles and filled out paperwork- none of which I would have been able to do without Kaoru's help. The owner of the shop was curious as to whether I apply sunscreen daily and I said yes, asking Kaoru's help to translate the key word white. My aka-chan (baby) efforts were appreciated, and I got called "kawaii," which means cute. Great success.
I shall be posting pictures soon and apologize pour le delay, but have no fear, they shall appear!
For all you good folks who do not frequent the devil(!) better known as Facebook, here is my address. I would love to hear from you!
Margaux Isabella Frank
c/o Center for International Education
Kansai Gaidai University
16-1 Nakamiyahigashino-cho
Hirakata, Osaka
573-1001 Japan
Oyasuminasai (good night- because none of you should be awake over there right now),
Margaux <-- Pronounced the same as grandchildren in Japanese (Mago).
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
zee countdown
The weather has cooled down considerably in jolly old Mass- thank you Yaweh, for your many blessings. Nothing further to report, except that y'all should check out the movie Saved!. It has Mandy Moore, and I won't say another word about it. I've got a girl crush, that I cannot deny.
Go well into the world,
Margaux
Saturday, August 22, 2009
testingggg
I shall be sporadically commenting on my experience in the land of the rising sun. This is my first entry, fyi. Watashi wa Margaux desu, for all those biddies out there who don't know me. For those who do, howdy and thanks for reading! Hopefully soon all this will be produced in kanji, so no one will be able to understand it! Most excellent.
It is hotter than blazes in darling Longmeadow right now and I look forward to even more harrowing experiences with humidity on the other side of the Pacific. Bring it, Hirakata.
That be all for now.
To all you lovers- enjoy the sultry summer night and keep it classy!
Margaux-san