WOW.

I went around Chiba last week and stumbled upon this piece of magic at a temple near the beach. It was hidden behind the curtains and at first I didn't know what it was. I Moved the curtains and BAM! The largest penis I have ever seen appeared before me. I hope you all enjoy!

PS: Aunty Bobbie & Uncle Jiro, lets go to the matsuri in March! This was so exciting to see - I can only imagine the real festival :)

Earthquakes

Today I experienced my third earthquake since I've been here. That means, in 2 and a half months I have experienced 3 earthquakes! It worries me because I know Japan is on the edge of the Pacific Plate and earthquakes tend to happen near places that are close to the tectonic plates.

The first earthquake happened last month - August 9, 2009 with a magnitude of 7.1 and the epicenter near Tokyo.

The second earthquake happened - August 11, 2009 with a magnitude of 6.6 and the epicenter in Chiba.

And today's earthquake - September 4, 2009 with a magnitude of 4.5 and the epicenter in Chiba.

*Just FYI, my prefecture and Chiba are neighboring prefectures so I have been feeling the intensity of the earthquakes!*

Picture of today's earthquake:

My Roller Coaster Ride.

It's been a little over 2 months since I've been here and I have been thinking a lot about my experience so far. For my emotions, its truly been like a roller coaster ride - with many ups and downs - but in the end I come out smiling.

Moving here alone, I knew I would have a limited number of friends and family. I thought I could handle it and that I could make friends quickly, but its like transferring high school in the middle of the year - everyone has their own friends and cliques and no one wants the newbie to join their group. Going from having a good group of friends to a few friends has been hard for me. In Hawaii and LA, I could call my friends at any time and enjoy their company whenever. Here, I know very few people and they all have their own friends and lives, so I can't just put myself out there and intrude on their lives. Not only friends, but in regards to family too. In Hawaii and LA, I could go to my house and any aunty or uncle's house at my leisure, without being invited. Here, I have 2 older sets of relatives who are very hospitable, but its not like I can just pop in when I want to and feel so comfortable to take a nap or open the refrigerator. This change has been very tough for me and I'm not sure how I'm really accepting this fact yet... some days I'm alright with it, other days I'm a wreck.

There's so much emotions stirring in my heart and mind right now, but I can't find the words to spit it out.

The main thing is - I miss all of my friends and family both in Hawaii and in LA soooo much. But, I'm going to try my best to continue my life here and experience all that I can with an open heart and a positive attitude.

Kamakura and Yokohama

On the 12th I went to Kamakura and Yokohama with my grandpa's half sister and her family.

Old Train in Kamakura.

Washing up with Risa (Tetsuko's grandaughter).

Oh hello Daibutsu - we meet again 3 years later!

Me :)

Tetsuko-Obaachan and me.

Such a beautiful day in Kamakura... about 90 degrees!

Zen garden!

Bamboo... can you find 3 little cute statues?

Inside was the nicest gold Buddha I have ever seen!

If I were a statue, I'd pretty much look like this!

Kamakura's old train tracks.

Pretty much perfected my "peace" sign.

I tied my bad luck paper on this wall, it had so much bad luck, it ripped while I was tying it!

Walking down the 1289374 stairs....

Yamashita Park in Yokohama.

Full of couples, families, and dogs!

This ship survived WW2 and during the war it was a hospital ship. 

Yokohama's China Town.

Cleanest China Town I have ever been to!

Yokohama Tower.

Yokohama by night - sooo amazing!

Pictures of my first week in Tokyo...

My new home sweet home...

Welcome to TOKYO!

At Narita Airport, waiting for the bus to Shinjuku.

My apartment complex.

A jinja (shrine) in Fuchu.

Me... in the rain.

Such a beautiful place to walk...

Me next to the Hachikou statue in Shibuya!

SHIBUYA.... too much people.

My aunties.

Daniel and me.

A random horse in front of my train station... oh, the Japanese.

Tokyo Tower!

The view from the tower... hello Tokyo!

me ( ^_^ )

My aunties and me.

Kinda scary...

A little note I wrote and left at the tower... it says, "I'll do my best!"

Me and my note.

Tokyo Dome!

Another jinja... this one is in the middle of Tokyo.

Amazing.

After 10 days in Japan....

After 10 days in Japan I've realized.....

1. Life is so fast paced here in Tokyo. If you aren't walking fast or aware of your surroundings, you're going to get run over, literally. Everyone is trying to run to make their train, riding their bike like they're racing in a triathalon, walking so fast that if you bang them it will feel like you hit the great wall of China... you get what I mean. Sometimes I just walk to slow and let my train pass me by because I can't handle the feeling of being rushed.

2. I'm going to be skinny when I return to Hawaii. My train station is about a 15 minute walk from my apartment, so both ways is about a 30 minute walk. I do this at least once or twice a day - more than I ever walk in Hawaii! With no car, my legs are my new means of transportation! The first few days, my legs were sore when I woke up... so I know I'm getting a good workout. Also I'm eating super healthy here... I buy lettuce from the nearby store and have salads when I feel like it, and when I go out and eat I never really eat rice - just meat or whatever else. My clothes are starting to get loose I noticed!

3. I can get around by the train system! It was kind of hard at first, but it's actually quite easy once you understand the different lines and directions of the trains. I bought a PASMO which is a card that I can use on any train line instead of always buying one-way tickets. So when I get to the gate to enter the station, I just swipe my card and when I reach my destination I swipe it again. It's pretty easy, but the only thing that bothers me is how crowded the trains are, especially rush hour like in the mornings and after work. I felt like a sardine in a can a few times... not a good thing. But on my way home from dinner on Friday night, I was riding the train at around 11pm and I saw a drunk guy throwing up right when he got off the train and a few others laying on the ground. Japanese drunks are so funny.

4. I enjoy teaching English! I started work yesterday and I teach toddlers, around 3 or 4 years old. We sing songs, go over flashcards, read books, etc. The kids are so cute and I'm enjoying what I'm doing. I hope I can make an impact on them and they actually learn something fro me - that's my ultimate goal!

I don't have Internet yet, but I'm planning on getting it soon so I'll post pictures soon. I'm doing fine so far :) until next time....