Kobe, Nara and Sarah…
I am back from my golden week trip down to Kobe to meet up with Sarah! Sarah and I had never actually met in real life before although we have been blogging, email and facebook friends for awhile now! It was great to finally meet her and she was exactly how I imagined she would be (I wonder if I am like what she thought I would be?!) We got on really well and to look at his you wouldn`t have known we only had just met I don`t think!
I had so much fun! Sarah kindly let me stay at her place with her and her husband Ryohei (Who is a crack-up!) and we met up just after 5pm on Friday. I had taken the Shinkansen down, and after a bit of a mix-up in Tokyo, (I thought my train was 11:22 but turns out it was 10:10 so wen I got there just after a 11 I was in a bit of a panic but luckily they told me I could still catch the next Shinkansen and just sit in the open seating area!) I got to Kobe just after 2pm and I put my stuff in a locker and went exploring. I had never been to Kobe before and it actually reminded me a little bit of my home town Brisbane…obviously not as big as Tokyo, but the central area, Sannomiya, was still fairly busy and I am not sure why it reminded me of Brisbane but it just did! (I guess the fact that it is still a big city but that it is kind of small and not quite as busy as some, similar to Brisbane)
I grabbed a map from the Tourist center and made my way up to Ikuta jinja only a short walk from Sannomiya station as I had a couple hours to spare before I met Sarah! I am glad I did because they had one of those little rows of red torii! I love Torii!
It was kind of funny waiting at Sannomiya station for someone I have never met! But we recognized each other straight away and very quickly fell into a casual conversation! I am really surprised at how quickly we completely forgot that we we just met! We headed back to Sarah`s place to wait for Ryohei to come back so that we could head out for dinner! We ate yummy yummy Hiroshima Okonomiyaki! Ryohei was a sweetie also! He is really funny! Ryohei is not really how I imagined though, although all I knew about him was what Sarah had talked about on her blog. I guess I figured he would be shy like Shun (Shun is really shy around people he first meets) but Ryohei didn`t seem to be shy at all! They both made me feel extremely welcome!
On Saturday we woke up fairly early (For me anyway….I am lucky if I get out of bed on Saturdays before lunch time!) and Sarah made blueberry pancakes! We didn`t actually leave very early because we were going to Sarah`s friend Miranda`s house to meet baby Toshi! They live right near the water, which I am guessing is part of the port in Kobe! It was such a nice area and despite the heat it was a lot cooler to be closer to the ocean! Miranda made me feel extremely welcome also….she basically said when I walked in `My home is your home`! We ate lunch there and sat around talking for a couple of hours. I guess it is always nice to meet other foreigners who are living here and are married or engaged to Japanese men because I guess it makes me feel like there will always be people around in similar situations to me! Here is baby Toshi!
After leaving Sarah and I headed back into Sannomiya for a couple of hours before going to Osaka for another of Sarah`s friends Birthday parties at the Hardrock cafe! In Sannomiya though we walked upto Kitano which is where a lot of old foreigner settlements are….European style houses and food! It was a bit of a hike up (in 26 degree heat!) but on the way down we did enjoy a lovely icecream. It was nice too because there was a mini festival happening…..People from dfferent countries had made designs and pictures out of flower petals, bark and dirt. Here is my favourite photo from there, although there are more over at my flickr.
We headed into Osaka at about 4:30pm and met up with Sarah`s friend Muriel who was having a birthday party at the Hard Rock Cafe. I have never been to one before but there was definitely an American feel about the place…I had forgotten what meals that size looked like! It was great fun and while I am still on my no alcohol diet, I stuck to water and pigged out on a salad, burger and cheesecake instead (So giving up alcohol is doing nothing as you can imagine!)….It was great to meet another new bunch of people but by the time we left I think both of us were feeling a little sick from over eating! hehehe! It was very yummy though!
On Sunday, we got up early and headed to Nara! I have always wanted to go to Nara and Sarah was kind enough to come with me on my journey! It was on my list of 101 things in 1001 days so I will be able to cross it off! Yay! It was a super super hot day (about 28 degrees….I can`t believe it is just May!) and it was a bit of a hike to get to Nara from Kobe but I am so glad we went. I think we both had a great day despite been a little tired and weary by the time we got home!
We didn`t get to see everything but we did see the three story and five story pagodas inside the Kofukuji Temple grounds (Which is also where we spotted our first deers of the day!). This is part of a Buddhist temple complex! I love pagoda`s (almost as much as red torii!)
We then walked up through the park (Inside this park is where the deer run wild and also where most of the main things to see in Nara are) towards Nandaimon gate which would talk us to Todaiji where the big Buddha is! On the way we stopped to pet some deer! It is not really surprising that these deer as so tame considering the amount of tourists which come through Nara each year (they are much nicer than the deer on Miyajima Island down near Hiroshima!)
Todaiji, which houses the great Buddha of Nara, is apparently the largest wooden structure in the world! The building which stands now is not quite as large as the original but it still very impressive! It was amazing to see the inside of the building and the Buddha as well! I took heaps and heaps of photos but here are a couple of my favourites.
Sarah and I both like Japanese gardens and on the information we had it mentioned that Isuien Garden was a nice Japanese style garden so we went to check it out. It was lovely and cool inside with a couple of traditional Japanese tea houses thrown in amongst the gardens…all of the buildings inside had thatched roofs which was really cool to see! The garden is meant to represent the design of gardens during the Meiji Period (1868-1912)
After our day out in Nara Sarah and Ryohei cooked Nabe for dinner, Niigata style! It is the way that Ryohei`s family cooks it and it was yummy! It is kind of more like shabu shabu because you dip everything into ponzu sauce before you eat it!
Sarah and I talked almost non-stop the whole time we were together about our plans for the future (family vacations together!) and how we felt about staying in Japan. When I come back to Japan next year Sarah will most likely be living in Kanto from August 2009 so I am sure we will be able to see more of each other then! I really can`t say thank you enough to both her and Ryohei because they both made me feel so welcome! I really had such a great time and I can not wait to see them both again!!! Next time we meet up Shumpei will be coming with me (he spoke to them both on the phone while I was down there)! I actually think him and Ryohei will get on well because they have similar sense of humour…Shun is a little bit shy but once he gets to know people he really warms up a lot so I am sure they will get on great!!! Like I said already too, Sarah and I got on really well also and I am glad our online friendship transcended into a RL friendship so nicely
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It looks like you and Sara had so much fun together!! I think it’s fantastic that you and Sara could chat to each other naturally from the start!! I bet there will be many more good times to be had! When I meet you and Sara for the first time, I will obviously be excited, but I will also be scared and nervous! I am normally a very shy person, and am very aprehensive about meeting new people! Saying that though, I can’t wait till you come back to Brisbane, and we can catch up!
Oh nabe… it’s getting cool here now, boy would I love to eat Nabe!! It is one of my favourite winter dishes in Japan! I surprise Naoki everytime with the amount of Nabe I can eat!!! Normally I get full quickly, but for some reason, I can SO much nabe!
Can’t wait to hear what Sara has to say about your trip!!
Btw, have fun cooking dinner tonight!! What are you planning on cooking?
Awww! Thank you so much for all your kind words!!
I just wrote my post, can’t upload it yet since I’m still at work, but it interesting that my post seems very similar to yours! I guess you’ll have to wait and see!! I love all the pictures you took!! I think they came out better than mine! So I’m really looking forward to checking out your flicker page!!
I agree that it was not like meeting someone new at all! Maybe reading eachothers blog for the past half year helped a lot. Like, ohhh I already knew that! (etc) But actually I learned a lot about you that hasn’t been posted on here!! You were a lot of how I imagined you!!
Ryohei can sometimes be shy, I just think he really liked you, and the fact that you liked his jokes. I’m glad that you got along well! I think he and Shumpei will get along well too! If anything they can just talk about the mountains and mountains of manga they both read!
I miss you a lot!! But I think that our friendship is one that doesn’t require seeing eachother all the time to maintain, although I wish I could!!
Nay - (I hope you read this) Don’t worry about being shy! I actually am really shy as well, but Lulu is 最高! So I’m sure you will feel just as at ease as I was!! I’m looking forward to meeting you as well when you come back this fall!!
How gorgeous! That sounds like such a wonderful weekend, and like I said, your pictures are incredible. Japan looks so unbelievably different than anywhere I’ve ever been (except maybe the Japanese garden, ha). I’d love to see it someday!
Nay: I love Nabe too! Especially kimichi nabe! It is my favourite even though I don`t really like kimichi!!! You will have to try Ryohei and Sara`s Niigata Nabe when you meet them!
I am lucky that I am not a very shy person but I can totally understand what you mean! I was a little nervous but everything turned out great. Which I am sure will happen when you meet Sarah (and me!) too! Shun is the same as you, very shy and apprehensive around new people but he warms up quickly! What is Naoki like? Is he shy too?
I made Indian curry and salad for dinner. Plus I had some sashimi for otousan and Shun! It went over well!!!
Sara: Looking forward to reading your post about our adventures! It took me quite awhile to write this one, I had to stop for lunch! hehe! I know what you mean about maintaining friendship without seeing each other. Some friendships are fine over long distance…but just think in a year I will be back and in less than 18 months you will probably be somewhere in kanto, an even quicker train ride away! Also we are going to get a car when we get back so maybe I could drive to see you! If I can figure out how to use Japanese highways!!!
It was such a fun weekend, I wish it didn`t have to end but I am sure there will be many more fun times ahead!
Sequined: Thank you!!!! It was a great weekend! I am glad you like my photos! I am kind of just a point and shoot kind of girl….I would love to learn how to use photoshop though so I can jazz up my pictures a bit! It is on my list!!!!
Japan is a wonderful place, and a photographers dream! I hope you make it here one day! I would be happy to give hints on the best places to go!
Yay you’re back!!! I was beginning to wonder if you’d been kidnapped or joined a hippy commune! Glad your experience meeting someone in ‘real life’ was a pleasant one, I’ve had quite an odd/negative experience meeting a friend from online in ‘real life’ and ever since I’ve been scarred…… I’m sure if we ever meet up to go hooping it won’t be the same
Hey hun! Loved this post! Looked like you and Sara had a wonderful time and it makes me want to head back to Nihon! My bro loved it there. The weather looks really nice at the moment and I really liked that blue dress on you!
We’ve had a bit of a nightmare time with our landlord but just moved into our new place (which is AWESOME) but only got internet back on last night. So my blog is awfully neglected but should give it some TLC this weekend.
So not long til you’re back in Aus! Do you get reverse culture shock? Any plans for what you’ll do for work at home? Brisbane seems so far away for me at the moment - as it must for you - in the non-literal sense.
Anyways, talk to you soon sweeeets! xoxoxoxoxox
Enjoyed reading your post about your visit with Sara (and seeing the photos- by the way I think you look great! I wouldn’t worry too much about that diet!) I’m glad to hear you both hit it off so well (though can’t say it’s a big surprise). It’s interesting reading how you both think your men are so shy- I bet mine would win the shy award! I even have friends who don’t get why I’m with him, but I’ll take his sweetness and shyness and treating me like a princess anyday over some extraverted guy that gets on with anyone easily. (Of course language barrier is another reason some friends haven’t been able to really get to know Yohei, but he can be so quiet even around Japanese people- Japanese speaking foreigners are the best to get him to come out of his shell it seems to me). Sorry, don’t know why I just went on about that! Anyways, glad you had a good GW!
Oh man I miss Japan.
Just reading the post made me go back through the photos that I had taken on Nara, and the hilarity that is the deer feeding.
I love the peace/heart flower petal picture. It’s so gorgeous. It’s awesome that you got to meet another blogger!
Amy: I have met quite a few bloggers in RL and have so far not had any bad experiences! I think I have met about 15 bloggers in RL…some in Brisbane and some here in Japan! I hope to meet you one day, but if you are not comfortable with that I am happy to stay Online friends instead! But hooping would be awesome! I am thinking of buying two hoops when I get back so that when I rope people into trying it with me I will have another hoop spare!
I would of liked to join a hippy commune, but kobe was just as fun!
Mandy: Hey babe, I can`t beleive I will be back in Brisbane next week and you will no longer be there!
I do get a little reverse culture shock (like forgetting to close taxi doors and thinking people in Australia speak WAY TO LOUD!) but usually I am ok. Phone speak, when I speak to my mum, is always difficult too cos I am constantly saying `un un un sou sou sou` but I don`t think she notices!! Gotta remember not to do that though if I have a phone interview or something!
You better update babe, I miss hearing about your London adventures!
Christelle: If you had seen me 2.5 years ago though you wouldn`t be saying I don`t need to diet. I have put on so much weight and am not happy with it. I will be happy to lose at least a little! But thank you anyway! Shumpei seems to be really comfortable around japanese speaking foreigners also….and Japanese people usually. He just takes a while to warm up He isn`t as shy as some! I just think he is probably a little less shy than Ryohei! Would love to meet you and Yohei one day (and baby! eeeee!) It is funny how all our mens names end in the hei/pei sound! Glad you liked the post and the photos!
Renwick: It was my first time in Nara and I can`t wait to go back to see more. Thanks for commenting!
Shamlessly Sassy: Glad you liked the photo. There are more photos of the flower petal art on my flickr but not a lot! I have met several bloggers and it has always been fun! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh I SO miss Japan. I want to visit again so badly. It’s so gorgeous and all those photos bring back so many memories
I loved reading this post about your and Sarah’s GW visit together! I knew you’d both hit it off like that! And all the cool spots you two went and visited, like Nara and stuff! Really cool Lulu!!! : )
Nara was my favourite place when I visited Japan. They make chopsticks out of the deer antlers when they fall off. I got some as a souveneir - and they are much better to use than the normal plastic ones.