Mt. Yoshino and allergies

As discussed in my last blog, a week ago I took a trip. I realized going to both Kyoto and Mt. Yoshino, one right after the other, was just a little ambitious. Seeing as how most of the people who talked about Kyoto couldn't go anyway, I've decided to save that for a later date. So on Wednesday, 9 of us set out to go to Mt. Yoshino, which is pretty much due south of Nara (which is just east of Osaka).

You can see the time above - we set out to meet at Tennoji station - on the south side of Osaka around 10:15 or 10:20. It was a perfect day for the trip, because it was sunny, warm, and not a cloud in the sky!

The Kintetsu line is the quickest and most direct route to Yoshino. For $15, you can get there without any transfers and only 75 minutes of your time! We left at 10:40 to put us there right around noon.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted with stand after stand of food, snacks, and sweets - all for hiker's comfort/to celebrate the spring season of Sakura. This foreshadowed our day - a day filled with consumption (and I don't mean the disease). Yet another food anomaly of Japan - those green boxes on the left contain sushi...no refrigeration or anything. It's just rice and raw fish wrapped in Persimmon leaves and individually packaged and sealed in a box and sitting out all day in the warm air. Needless to say, I didn't buy any :)

Takoyaki - a famous dish of Osaka - it's Octopus seasoned and rolled into dumpling balls and grilled. Some people really like it and some don't. I fall into the like category - although with the dumpling texture mixed with the chewy nature of octopus, I can see why some people don't care for it.

On a Wednesday - this was just a hillside only a quarter of the way up, fairly populated by picnicers and spring revelers. On any nice day during spring, this could be any park in Japan. It just so happens it's on a mountainside a good deal away from city life :)

After reaching the 2nd level of the mountain, here is a view from a bridge (not to be confused with "the bridge" the Arthur Miller play...cue laugh track).

Grilled fish - I wouldn't even begin to know how to start eating this with it's head and bones and everything...so I didn't.

The Japanese do to mochi (a glutinous rice treat that is sweetened) what Europe does to marzipan. They color it, mold it into shapes, airbrush it, and many other numerous things to make it look cool or pretty. Very oishii! (yummy)

I don't know what it is about bamboo...but I've always loved it - and there is plenty of it around Japan!

After trying snacks AND stopping to eat lunch on the way up, we all dumped our picnic goodies out on a tarp and fairly demolished them. It was tasty, but maybe I shouldn't have eaten so much. :/ However, the company was great and the trip well worth it!

picture of the moon through the cherry blossoms!

Above - the reason so many come to Mt. Yoshino - it's supposed to be one of the best (if not THE best) places in Japan to view cherry blossoms. There are an estimated 30,000 trees on the mountain and as you can see, just whole hillsides covered in groves!

A cute picture of Ayaka through the seats on the train ride back.

My castmate, Tomo-chan, and me on the train ride home.

Our gang waiting for the bus on the way down the mountain - I would have preferred walking, but I think the majority of folks were fairly tired and maybe felt like they wouldn't be able to walk down the hill without rolling.

It was a beautiful day, but what is it about traveling somewhere that makes you so tired? The hike wasn't that strenuous or anything. Anywho, it was a very enjoyable day!

On top of that, there have been several after work, evening gatherings in the Tempozan park which is close to our home. They have been some of my favorite evenings because it's lovely at dusk to just sit around and hang out with your friends under the cherry blossoms. One evening, some guys brought speakers and turntables and we just danced around while a few others had a portable stove and made some soup. Apparently, these gatherings go all the way through the end of summer - I'm looking forward to constant warm weather, and the park parties are only one of the reasons!

Unfortunately, the downside to all of this outside revelry is allergies. I thought maybe since it was a new place with different types of pollens and allergens, that my body might not have built an intolerance to it yet, but alas, the day after Yoshino, I started getting stuffy and an itchy throat. I've gargled, neti potted, and found some Japanese allergy medicine that I take if things get too bothersome and all has died down, but it definitely made singing a bit difficult the first couple of days.

This weekend's days off were a lot more relaxing and chill than the past. I've stayed around the house much of the 2 days. Tonight (Wednesday night) is a sort of "Welcome Party" that USJ is throwing for all of the new casts of 2011 here at the house. I suppose they've waited this long to let everyone get settled in with shows and stuff, but here we are about 1-2.5 months into our contract (depending on which show you are in) having a welcome party! It should be fun to mingle with everyone - and there are several of the Japanese cast that live in the house and they are much more prone to stay in their rooms and be quiet than the Gaijin (imagine that! ha), so it will be fun to mingle with them as well. Wednesday nights, I've also been taking voice lessons, or rather vocal coaching, from one of the guys that works in Talent Resources for the company. He comes 2-3 days a week and offers to teach. I'm doing it more for performance and then to get his thoughts on good songs to sing that I could add to my repertoire. Also, he is going to accompany me this following Tuesday at the New Horizon's international artist's night. It's a chance that we get once in a while as performers to showcase our talents how we want to. A couple of people in the house organize each one, and then we have the opportunity to go and sing or dance or do whatever it is we enjoy doing, for each other. I'm looking forward to it!

I guess that's all for right now. I hope everyone is well, wherever you are!!

気をつけて　- take care!!

Sakura!

So, I know it has been a while since I last blogged, but nothing out of the ordinary (or rather, my ordinary) has been occurring as of late until recently. Two weeks ago, temperatures were cold, trees were bare, work was work, I was hanging out with friends on my days off and in some evenings, going to dinner...as you do. I suppose the most out of the ordinary thing was that on Tuesday, March 29th, it was decently warm for one of the first times and I went out to the World Trade Center building to walk around that mall. It's much like the Tempozan mall close to the house, except there were fewer people walking around and a better restaurant selection. There is also this one import store where I was able to find fabric softener and febreze. They also carry some very random things like dark band-aids for people of color, cartoon socks, and a King Tut sleeping back/snuggie thing (to name a few).

Anywho, for the past 7 days, it has been getting slowly warmer and almost all of them have been somewhat sunny! Spring is arriving and with it, Sakura. Sakura is the cherry blossom season here in Japan and it is a very special time for the Japanese. Picnics occur daily in the parks to admire the flowers and coming of spring. The Cherry blossoms are also really symbolic to the Japanese as well!

This past "weekend" for me consisted of a morning trip to Ikea, getting my hair cut and dyed (I'm a blondie now...just for kicks and giggles), meeting up with my usual cast for a late lunch/early dinner, shopping around for some items that I've really been wanting to help make life easier, and going to Karaoke for the first time in Japan. It was a long, yet wonderful day! Wednesday, I took some time to myself and went to Osaka Castle Park which was beautiful! Next days off are both going to be trip days - one day for Kyoto/monkey mountain hopefully and the other for Mt. Yoshino - it is just south of Nara and is a mountain side just covered in Cherry blossoms. I was told by my friend, Charity, that this mountain is where she went a couple of years ago (with you Mickey...if you're reading this. Yes I'm going!!).

The rest of this blog is going to be told in pictures and captions. Enjoy! Missing everyone back in the states!!! Hope all is well!

This should speak for itself! The only thing I didn't get on my list, because I rode my bike and it was too big to carry (especially up the bridge near the house), was a mattress topper.

This picture above is for my friend, Brad. An advert for some coffee in a can...that's probably where most people get their coffee - if they don't make it themselves, that is. HA!

Out to Linner (lunch/dinner) with cast and friends! See the blonde?! :)

This way to Osaka Castle Park!!

This cool building houses the Museum of History. A museum about the history of Osaka City and surrounding areas. Didn't go, but it looks cool!

Osaka Castle amidst the urban skyline

A well inside the castle grounds. I noticed ladies taking out water and putting it on their hands and also pouring it on the side of the well...didn't know if there was some custom or symbolism there.

A path lined with Cherry blossoms near the main tower of the castle.

The outer moat of the castle, lined with beautiful trees!

View from the top of the castle, looking North.

One of the picnics I was telling you about that everyone has - as seen through the branches of the trees!

Another view from the top of the castle, featuring a dragon of sorts and the city.

The only time I was really aching for some friends to be there with me was when I spotted these. What a fun tourist photo!! :)

This pigeon was getting very bold. He hopped up on this man's lap looking for crumbs!

The castle with yours truly in the foreground.

This building looked like it was housing a wedding or something. All of these people were in tradition garb and someone (who looked to be a bride) was getting out of a van with her friends and mother (possibly?). The funny thing to me was that her friends said, "kawaii!!" This means cute... So, the bride wasn't beautiful, rapturous, gorgeous, or even pretty. She was cute. I thought that to be quite humorous!

Another vantage of the Castle as seen through a little garden.

This and the following two pictures were taken at the new grocery store in my neighborhood. This is what I have to deal with every time I go grocery shopping. It's a big ol' guessing game...for the most part.

What are these bottles? Are they all soy sauce, or are they different things?! Who knows!

This is one thing I DO know :)

That's all for now. The only other thing on my mind that I want to address is that I heard (via facebook) about congress maybe cutting the budget for the arts. I know our country is hurting financially (as I feel most of the world is), but do we really have to take away public funding for the fine arts? I don't know details so I can't form a truly educated opinion at this point, but knowing how enriched my life has been because of the arts that are somewhat (if not fully) funded by the government, it makes me sad to think of people not having that...even if it's only for a while. I do hope they find other ways to cut the budget...where's Dave when you need him? haha. My only thought on this issue (and most of you who know me know that I'm not really into politics and government) is that, before our government makes ANY decisions, whether it be policies about Health Care, going to War, where to cut budgets, or any other big decisions - they need to seriously consider all facets of the long term repercussions. They have a huge responsibility to our nation and us as citizens. That's all I have to say on that and despite my lack of knowledge, I feel that is a valid statement. :)

Happy Spring everyone!! Much love,

P