Last Friday was payday... and Monday: a national holiday (Hey! Hey! - Respect for the Aged Day.) A three day weekend with a full wallet? Oh yeah! My fun was only curbed slightly by my coming down with what appears to be the same common cold that everyone in Japan has at the moment (everyone's coughing and sniffling... guess it comes with living in such close quarters.)
Monday I slept in moderately late and decided to roll into Osaka to seek out a Mexican restaurant I've been hearing about and to get a camera bag for my new camera. ...Oh yeah, I bought a snazzy new camera on Friday... Arriving in Umeda (North Osaka) about eleven I got totally lost trying to find the camera store I wanted. I walked around the Osaka station complex a full two times before a nice Japanese college student offered assistance (he got to practice his English and I got un-lost, win-win!) After determining that the camera store didn't actually have what I was looking for I headed down to Shinsaibashi (Central Osaka.) What awaited me at the "El Poncho" Mexican restaurant were sub-par tacos and a passable burrito. I'm sure my expectations where too high, but I was really disappointed with my meal (especially at the price I paid.) I think it warrants a second chance... but we'll see... After lunch I headed down to Namba (South Osaka) and found a shop that had the bag I was looking for. Settling for moderate success I headed home and took a nice long nap.
Tuesday I took my new camera (in it's new bag) for a stroll around Kobe. I've been wanting to photograph a part of town called "Motoko Town" which consists of a series of second hand and junk shops under the raised train tracks. The weather was clear and cool (a high of ONLY 90 for the first time in months!) so I headed to Meriken Park as well. Here are some of the 181 pictures I took:
Monday I slept in moderately late and decided to roll into Osaka to seek out a Mexican restaurant I've been hearing about and to get a camera bag for my new camera. ...Oh yeah, I bought a snazzy new camera on Friday... Arriving in Umeda (North Osaka) about eleven I got totally lost trying to find the camera store I wanted. I walked around the Osaka station complex a full two times before a nice Japanese college student offered assistance (he got to practice his English and I got un-lost, win-win!) After determining that the camera store didn't actually have what I was looking for I headed down to Shinsaibashi (Central Osaka.) What awaited me at the "El Poncho" Mexican restaurant were sub-par tacos and a passable burrito. I'm sure my expectations where too high, but I was really disappointed with my meal (especially at the price I paid.) I think it warrants a second chance... but we'll see... After lunch I headed down to Namba (South Osaka) and found a shop that had the bag I was looking for. Settling for moderate success I headed home and took a nice long nap.
Tuesday I took my new camera (in it's new bag) for a stroll around Kobe. I've been wanting to photograph a part of town called "Motoko Town" which consists of a series of second hand and junk shops under the raised train tracks. The weather was clear and cool (a high of ONLY 90 for the first time in months!) so I headed to Meriken Park as well. Here are some of the 181 pictures I took:
A narrow street with bars on both sides.Most of downtown Kobe is made up of these small alleyways.
The sign for Motoko Town 3.There are 7 sections total, divided where the road passes under the tracks.
My favorite piece of graffiti in Motoko Town.
Looking towards Sannomiya from Meriken Park.
Port Tower (again.)
Port Tower and Hotel Okura.
Port Tower, an old ship, and Hotel Okura.
The Submarine Resque Tender Chiyoda being towed into port.[File under interesting things I didn't know I was photographing.]
Pigeons in Meriken Park.
Outside Kobe station.I really like all the blue in this picture.
In Osaka, China Mauls You!(Courtesy: the foreigners for sign spell checking association)
Yesterday I took my bike for a spin around town and got a haircut while I was out. I didn't post in the evening because I was utterly distracted by a peculiar TV show where a seemingly endless string of random people were running a seemingly imposable obstacle course. To my final amazement, after a full three hours of the program, no one was able to finish the whole course.
As I write this Typhoon 13 is making it's way up the Southern Japanese coast. Kind of sad that Typhoons don't get names like hurricanes... makes it so impersonal. Anyways, it's due to arrive some time around 1am and dump all sorts of rain into the morning.
Looking ahead, I finally got a third permanent weekly shift. I'll be going to Himeji on Saturdays starting the 27th. That makes for a current guaranteed minimum of 171.8km of travel a week, 3hours and 42minutes of travel time, and 4420yen of reimbursed travel expenses. Looks like I'll have a lot of time to read on the trains... I'm gonna need more books...
I think that's it for now. Til next time:
Jaa Mata Ne.
As I write this Typhoon 13 is making it's way up the Southern Japanese coast. Kind of sad that Typhoons don't get names like hurricanes... makes it so impersonal. Anyways, it's due to arrive some time around 1am and dump all sorts of rain into the morning.
Looking ahead, I finally got a third permanent weekly shift. I'll be going to Himeji on Saturdays starting the 27th. That makes for a current guaranteed minimum of 171.8km of travel a week, 3hours and 42minutes of travel time, and 4420yen of reimbursed travel expenses. Looks like I'll have a lot of time to read on the trains... I'm gonna need more books...
I think that's it for now. Til next time:
Jaa Mata Ne.
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