...And Other Matters

This post's random personality: optimist

First of all, the pessimist personality left out a few details about the museum (e.g. I had fun).  Also, one museum had an entire article on Christianity in Japan (St. Francis Xavier~religious freedom)--not something you see in your average museum!

But anyway, after that most thrilling trip, I came across several artists in different fields; including a professional guitar player (!) and Gちょこ, an excellent two-person circus; while walking around a nearby park.

Then I came across the odd part--a telephone box.  With a bell ringing that sounded like a cloister bell.  And a slight rumbling.  And, a while later, a school with rather odd doors similar to a TARDIS's.  I actually opened the doors of the telephone box to make sure it had the same dimentions on the inside (it did).



Conclusion:
I have come across a Tardis which has had it's inside pulled out from the outside and the inside is being used as a high school.  It all works!  That's why the cloister bell was ringing, that's why the box was the same size on the inside; everything works!

What?  I've been known to assume I've stepped into a parallel universe if a house's design doesn't match my memory.

On Museums...

This post's random personality: pessimist

I'd say good evening, but it's probably morning when you're reading this.  Yesterday, I went to a museum in Ueno, somewhere near Tokyo.  However, I only got to go in ONE MUSEUM and that was only for half an hour before they closed and I didn't get to see the second floor until the day after that and then I tried all sorts of other museums after that one closed but they were all closed and...

The next day, I saw that museum again, as well as many others.  I will show you the pictures, even though it was taken by my iPod, which has very bad definition.

Lost! ...in TOKYO!!!

This post's random personality: well...

Good evening!  Just the day before yesterday, I got: Lost! ...in TOKYO!!!

*Tomathyn notes that it was actually somewhere west of Tokyo and that he quickly got himself un-lost with a map.

A Picnic

This post's random personality: British guy (not exactly a personality, but still)...

Hello!  Earlier on I had a truly smashing picnic.  Apparently, several friends were rather chuffed to bits by Grammy's arrival, so they decided to throw a party (and by several I  mean several dozen).  At some point, a girl who didn't speak much English seemed not to know the difference between "I love you" and "How do you do?"

"Me; friend.  I love you."
Me: ... ',:^\

After we'd gotten all that sorted out...

There I learned a game that many high schoolers are very interested in in Japan: being clever with pictures in terms of faking martial arts.

One person goes in a position where it would appear they've just landed, and the rest of us jump back as though blasted back.  Here's how it would appear:

I also managed to be in the centre for a picture:

Then we decided to take a picture of me and four girls looking like we were going to shoot energy out of our hands:

Finally, we decided to conclude by just looking cool or otherwise narcissistonic:

Itsukushima Shrine

This post's random personality: vocabulocity

Good evening.  During my trip we arrived at Miyajima, the designation of the island where the famed Istukushima Shrine is located.  The shrine itself was, to say to least, interesting; but was by great extent not the most entertaining.

By far, the greatest activity in my opinion was that which was not recommended...

Although this would appear at first glance to be quite standard countryside, upon closer investigation of the location it is noted that I am standing on part of a mountain.

The red and circled area is where I was.  It was rather like that throughout the entire area.  I attracted the attention of several people, one of which commented that he initially thought me a deer.

Speaking of which, I believe I am missing one other addition that modified my experience in a positive manner: close-up experiences with Pecora Cervidae.

 Japanese deer appear to be rather different from American deer; their external ears appear slightly larger and they appear slightly smaller--adding a bit of "mule" to the classic depiction of this species.

(We were not actually permitted to touch the deer; I was putting up my hand to show how close I was.  The only problem was that the deer wanted to touch us).




Overall, I must conclude that this was a most satisfactory visit, not to mention my favorite so far.

Hiroshima Castle

This post's random personality: Hercules (he uses litotes!)

I went to the Hiroshima Castle in--you guessed it--Hiroshima!  The original castle wasn't in perfect condition after the bombing, but they managed to rebuild it.  Inside the castle, the staff weren't exactly crazy about pictures, but there were certain places which were allowed.  Here's a view from the castle roof:

Not as low as Death Valley...

They also had a few features I hadn't expected--they weren't terrible...

The scenery outside wasn't bad, either--nor were the birds.

Overall, it wasn't the worst place I've ever been...

A 5-Hour Drive

This post's random personality: quiet*

Most of the view was a little like this:

I didn't know Japan had many mountains.

Overall, I liked it.

*as in, mostly quiet who is very interested in scenery, tends to speak in understatement, prefers pictures to words anyway, and uses very very very short sentences.