Kyoto Round II: Gluttony

WARNING: This blog is mostly about (tasty) food, I suggest eating before reading this.

Last week I made a trip to Kyoto with two girls from my university to visit two young ladies we met from Kyoto Seika University. Kyoto was just as beautiful as I remembered it to be and the trip was a major success, mainly due to the good company (the girls: Sophie, Steph, Hannah and Alice) and the delicious food. The over night bus ride there was...awful. In spite of indulging in a few celebratory beverages with Sophie on the way to the station, I didn't sleep a wink. This time I was even bold enough to recline my chair all the way, but that didn't help too much either. Save on money, lose on sleep - a sacrifice I chose to make. So needless to say, the first thing to happen upon our arrival in Kyoto (around 7am) was a nice big nap. The girls and I had a leisurely morning as we waited to make some plans for when Alice got out of class. We head over to the campus to grab some lunch at the cafeteria, and to take a tour of the university. After lunch we grabbed some ice cream and sat outside to watch a live music (student bands) performance. J-pop, and Japanese rock is always a treat. They were adorable, and quite entertaining to say the least.

I was amazed by this campus, it was radically different from Keio's - since it's mainly an arts school even the students were different (no girls parading around all dolled up, in their Louboutins, with their oversized Louis Vuitton purses). What really sets this campus apart however, besides its fabulous pond and fountain in between buildings, are the animals! This campus has caged animals hanging around just for fun. Peacocks, chickens, bunnies, and a colony of deer! A little bit strange, but so neat! Apparently a former director decided it was necessary to have animals around in case students needed a break from studying books. I didn't question it, just enjoyed it...a lot. I think the deer were my favourite - I've seen plenty of deer but these were just a lively bunch; in case you're wondering what sound deer make - they squeak!! trust me on this one, and it's too cute. The verdict: Kyoto Seika is a super cool university, and definitely steals the award for the most unique.

The weather was absolutely perfect the first day, warm and sunny - not a cloud in the sky. The ideal picnic weather, and so that was the very next thing we did. We grabbed a blanket, a couple of pillows, some music, and some beverages, then santered over to a grassy area close by where we could just lounge around and soak up the glorious day. Nice weather is even nicer when it pops up in the midst of Japan's rainy season - so we really enjoyed it that much more. Walking around Kyoto was great, the girls live right near the mountains which make for a great view from wherever you are. The trees were so vibrant and green, a real change of scenery from that of a concrete paved Tokyo decorated with skyscrapers. There was a forest of bamboo trees nearby and old men and women working hard in pretty rice fields that were scattered everywhere. It was so nice to just hangout, with no school work, and no pressing plans. We just hung around and went wherever the day took us; which just so happened to be 'Liquor Mountain' to stock up before a night of partying. We heard about a campus event going on that night and couldn't miss out. Of all things, it was a dance competition! my favourite. The Japanese really love to dance and they do it well. We collected our snacks, and our liquor before making our way over to the event. We watched and cheered, then later hit the dancefloor ourselves. The music...the people...everything was awesome. We all had a blast.

Now some would say a night of drinking isn't complete without a McDonald's run. I'm not a fan myself, but sure enough that's where I ended up. My life flashed before me several times as I sat on that back of Hannah's bike to get there. Luckily I made it in one piece and it was much faster than walking. As it turned out, I was happy to get my hands on some nuggets and a strawberry McFlurry. If you're wondering what a 'Japanese' McDonald's is like...I would say it's mostly the same, but tailored a bit more to Japanese taste (i.e. an Ebi burger - which is shrimp, AND Pikachu themed toys - and yeah, I certainly got me one). Once we had all ordered and found ourselves a table, we were informed that this '24 hour' McDonald's was closing, and that we had to leave immediately. At first we were pretty unimpressed, but we didn't make a fuss - we just packed up and continued our late night meal in the parking lot. Everything was going great, or so I thought - until the police pulled up on their little scooters (not too intimidating). I can't say I had much of an understanding of what was going on at the time, but apparently they wanted to see our alien cards (can we say racial discrimination?) hahaha. Well, being the prepared and law-abiding foreigner that I am, I had mine on me, as did all of my friends. From what I understood, that was all they really wanted - so we took the opportunity to be friendly with the less-than-menacing officers. Must be boring to be a police officer in such a crime-free area; the best they could find were some innocent 'gaijin' just out for a good time, trying to enjoy their McDonald's. Still slightly intoxicated at this point, we were having a good laugh at the whole situation. I made a point of pulling out my cell phone to snag a few pictures with one of the officers in order to capture the moment. How exciting, my first encounter with Japanese police officers. I'd just like to add, the fact that he couldn't stop smiling led me to believe he enjoyed the attention. The other looked to be rather ill (he was sporting a face mask). It was so 'kawaii'! Oh silly obnoxious youth. The two officers made notes of some sort, then hopped on their scooters and sped off into the night. I'm always happy to see police officers doing their job to serve and protect.

The next day was Sophie's 21st birthday! We were all in some rough shape (all that...dancing... really tuckered us out). We slept in for most of the morning and began our mission to find the best okonomayaki in Kyoto. Our friends had been going on about how amazing this one place was, and since I happened to be a fan already I was really looking forward to finding out what the big deal was. Well...it didn't take long to realize. One glance at the endless menu said it all. So many options to choose from, it really made things difficult. I went with the shittake okonomayaki, and Steph took the gyoza and we split between the two of us. So delicious! the portion size was immense. This is definitely one of my favourite Japanese dishes. The weather was rainy, so feeling stuffed and still tired we decided to head back to watch some tv and take another nap. Later on we decided to have a girly night out, we got all dressed up and celebrated Sophie's birthday dinner at none other than Japan's cheapest sushi place: Kappa! It's a conveyor belt sushi place; the sushi is decent and more importantly less than a dollar a plate! (dangerous). After sushi we saved just enough room for a tasty dessert at Baskin Robins. Luck was on our side with a buy-2-scoop, get-1-free deal! (as if that was necessary). After sampling nearly every flavour to be so careful in our selection, I had Belgian Chocolate, Strawberry Banana, topped with Cookies & Cream. (Mmmmm....) That night we were still all so drained - perhaps from eating as much as from the night before - that we decided to just hang out, watch a movie, and have a pajama party back at the dorm. It was a 'Girls Night In' and it was fantastic. I felt like I was thirteen years old, when we all gathered some blankets and pillows to get comfy and watch a movie.

Day three would be our last day in Kyoto. In spite of an early night the night before, we managed to sleep in again. This time we woke up to grab a bite at a ramen place (yet another fine Japanese dish - perhaps one of the most popular). I've had ramen a few times since I've been here, (because doing so is a must) but I never really took to it. I generally find it too salty, and I'm just not much of a soup person to begin with....this ramen changed everything. Alice is a vegetarian, so she took us to one of her favourite restaurants known for its soy milk ramen. I went with her recommendation and wasn't let down. It was the best soup, let alone ramen I've ever had! After a great night's sleep, and delicious ramen for lunch we were re-charged and ready to hit the town. The weather was rainy, perfect for shopping (but if you ask me, any weather is perfect for shopping). We paid a visit to downtown Kyoto and shopped around for the rest of the day. Naturally, after a day full of shopping we managed to work up an appetite. This time we were set on getting to an Indian food restaurant that Alice and Hannah said we needed to try. After the okonomayaki, and the ramen, I knew it had to be good. Well...in short, Chana Masala is one of my new favourite Indian dishes. Who would have thought the best Indian food might just be in Japan? And just when you would think we couldn't eat another thing the entire weekend...our last stop was.........Baskin Robins; and yes...the three scoop deal was still in effect (only this time, I swtiched the cookies & cream for strawberry cheesecake). A perfect ending to a wonderful Kyoto trip. While a big part of me felt utterly disgusting for committing gluttony to such an extreme, every over-indulgence was somehow justified by the fact that I was on vacation and in Kyoto. On that note, for those of you interested in visiting Japan, consider yourself warned: the food is so delicious, it's lethal. If I were living here any longer I'm convinced that I would be obese to the point of immobility.

My first experience of Kyoto was all about seeing the sights, temples and shrines. I still had a great time, but this time around I was really happy to see a very different side of Kyoto (not to mention sample some of the best food Kyoto has to offer). I think this relaxing trip allowed me to notice a lot more. When I wasn't preoccupied with diligently following my tour guide and getting around to every temple or suggested location I could, I was really able to take in so much more of the unique and serene ambiance of Kyoto. Overall, Kyoto is just so laid back, three days felt like an entire week. This area of Japan seems to have it all: the mountains, rice fields and gorgeous nature, some of Japan's most famous historical monuments and temples, even a dose of the modern city life and shopping downtown. Really, what's not to love? That being said, my friends live in a pretty secluded area where there isn't a 'conbini' (convenience store) every 6ft. Basically, I adore Kyoto but I also have a special attachment to Tokyo - both for very different reasons.

After another painful over night bus ride on the way home (believe it or not, it was worse than the ride there) I made it back safe and sound to my home, sweet home in Tokyo. The weather recently has been rainy off and on and extremely humid; frizzy hair and 'drenched in sweat' is not a good look for me. It looks like the infamous 'rainy season' has officially moved in. I've come to understand the very practical reasoning behind a vending machine planted every 3ft - it's a means of survival in this country. I'm still keeping busy with school, trying to get through it anyway. So close to being done! the semester has just flown by. It's hard to sit down and be productive when I'm so caught up in daydreaming about plans for after school. These plans include a Mt.Fuji climb! Tentatively scheduled for July 22nd. Some friends and I will start the climb around 10pm, to hangout at the peak where we will watch the sunrise. I'm really excited! (better start training now though). I'm hoping for good weather, but rain or shine I know it will be an amazing experience - just epic. I've flown over it, and soon enough I'm going to climb it. Can't wait.

Apart from my plans in Japan, I actually have even bigger plans to follow. School is wrapping up and I will be all done around mid-July, and.....then......on July 25th.... I'm grabbing my backpack and I am boarding a plane to Bangkok. From there I will checkout Cambodia, Vietnam, and either Laos or Hong Kong. This will - without a doubt - be the biggest adventure of my entire life. From living in Japan I've learned so much about Japan and Japanese culture; I've also learned how to meet the demands imposed by a foreign environment, how to evade ethnocentrism, accept cultural difference, and adapt - but I think that the most valuable lessons are those I've learned about myself in the process. As cheesy as it sounds, in just a few months of living here, I've undergone a huge personal transformation and have truly amazed myself (those especially close to me would be sure to see it). A year ago, or even just 6 months ago, I never would have seen myself taking on the challenges I've met over here - they wouldn't even have been fathomable. Without getting too emotional, Japan will always have a special place in my heart - and there is no question that I will leave here a different person, rich in life experiences.
On that extremely sappy note... I have lots to look forward to! and while a part of me wants to just count down the days until I begin my journey of backpacking around Asia, a bigger part of me wants to enjoy every second I have left in Japan. :)

Missing everyone very much!
Lotta Love xoxo