Saturday Well Spent

On Saturday morning, I met Shoko-san at Tobata Station. We had tickets to attend a house tour and concert series. As we made our way to the event, I slowly began to wake up. I'm still not a morning person. I like mornings. I like getting up early, but I don't necessarily like interacting with people right away. I need time to myself first. Thankfully, our bus ride was long enough to allow me to wake up at my own pace. By the time we arrived, I was ready to be social.

As we approached the house, I could tell that this event was going to be something exceptional. It felt like stepping back in time. It didn't feel real. The property itself was a juxtaposition. The main home was designed to be European, while the connecting home and surrounding gardens were all designed in the traditional Japanese style. The property was beautiful in an unconventional way. 

After listening to the concert and walking through the main garden, we sat down for coffee and cake. It was all picture perfect. The weather was overcast and grey. It acted as a perfect backdrop for all of our photos. I could have stayed in the garden forever. It felt Gatsby-esque. 

Once we finished our cake set, we began the house tours. Since this was a private event and you had to be invited, the crowds were never too large. Touring the property was enjoyable because we didn't feel like we were fighting our way through a sea of people. The whole event was incredibly peaceful.

As much as I would have loved to stay there all day, I had to head back to Tobata Station to catch a train into Fukuoka City. K and I were planning to visit the Asics store and pick out new running shoes before meeting up with some American friends who were traveling through Japan. 

Take a look at my Saturday well spent . . . 

It's been about a month and a half since I've been to Fukuoka and I was definitely out of practice. The pace of the city is a lot faster than what I'm used to. There are crowds, traffic, and sensory overload. Once again I found myself saying, "I'm not thriving." These moments are becoming more frequent and they are testing my patience, but they are also challenging me to become better. 

I'm looking forward to my next trip into the city. The holiday season is here and lights will be strung soon. I can't wait for the Hakata and Tenjin Christmas Markets, as well as a long run through Ohori-koen in my new Asics. 

Time needs to slow down ... my four and a half months are slipping away. That's why I'm already planning my return trip for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Only 1,000 days to go. Who's in?!

XOXO,

M

Cable Car Tour - Mt. Sarakura

On Sunday morning, I set out to meet Shoko-san for our adventure on Mt. Sarakura. I had a tough time getting out of my apartment because it was a perfect rainy day. I wanted to stay in, curl up, watch a movie, and have my coffee in peace. But instead, I bundled up and headed to the station.

To be honest, I was completely unprepared. When Shoko-san had invited me to this event, I assumed that we would just ride the cable car to the top, admire the view, and then return to the base of the mountain. After all, she is in her late 60's.

Oh, how I was wrong. So f****** wrong. When the shuttle bus dropped us off at the meeting point, I quickly realized that we were going on a hike. I looked down at my shoes and cringed. F****** ballet flats. What was I thinking?! I'm pretty sure I went into survival mode. Everyone around me had hiking boots, rain coats, backpacks, and umbrellas. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew that I was going to have to spend two hours on the mountain in jeans, flats, and my raincoat. I knew quickly that this was going to be a true test of my patience.

Our group had about 20 people and Shoko-san and I made ourselves comfortable at the back. Her pace was slow and steady. She had to be extra careful because our path was slick due to the rain and leaves. I didn't mind because it let me focus on avoiding the puddles. There were some twists and turns and quite a few inclines. It wasn't as tough as the hikes I've been doing, but it wasn't easy. As our group found its pace, my mind began to wander. And here's what it found . . . 

About 3/4 of the way through the hike, Shoko-san and I separated from each other. I continued on with the group and she hung back with one of the guides. She had to slow down and take her time up the inclines. I was unsure about continuing on, but I could tell that this was something she needed to do on her on. 

The last stop on our walking tour was the visitor's center where we had lunch waiting for us. We had onigiri and vegetable chicken soup. It was the perfect meal after a cold and rainy hike.

After lunch we said goodbye to our tour guides and I returned the umbrella one of them had graciously loaned me. Their kindness made my hike much more enjoyable.

We rode the cable car to the base of the mountain and waited for a shuttle bus to take us to the station. From there, we headed to Shoko-san's house. This was my first visit to her home. Since our tour happened during the time of our normal Japanese class, she invited me to study at her house. And just like Shoko-san, it was lovely.

This Sunday was nothing close to lazy. It was challenging, upsetting, and quite exhausting. But as I'm writing this and looking back, I have the biggest smile spread across my face. There was something magical about it all. 

Take a look for yourself . . .

xoxo,

M

Oh, Osaka - Part 2

Osaka, you win this round. You kicked my butt. I'm exhausted. 48 hours is all it took for you to wipe me out.

Before our trip, A and I had put together a list of things we wanted to do. We didn't quite do everything, but we did a lot! We checked all the main attractions off of our list.

Navigating the city proved to be our most difficult task. Looking for a restaurant or a tourist site became comical. We were always just a little bit "off".

So here's how we spent 48 hours in Osaka ...

Day 1

• Arrived at 18:00 to FUKU Hostel - convenient and clean, would recommend
• took the Nakanoshima River Boat Cruise Tour - 900 yen, 25 minutes
• toured the Umeda Sky Building  - 1,000 yen, 360 view of Osaka 
• walked down Dotombori
• ate okonomiyaki 

Day 2

• toured Osaka Castle 
• ate the best matcha ice cream
• had kaiten zushi for lunch
• walked through Nara Park where we saw temples, deer, and beautiful nature scenes
• indulged in another matcha ice cream 
• walked through Dotombori 
• ate yakitori for dinner
• tried takoyaki --- not exactly our favorite, but we're glad we tried it
• walked the streets of America Mura where we saw lives scenes of Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift
• walked a total of 13.1 miles

Day 3

• checked out of the hostel 
• visited the ShinSekai "New World" neighborhood
• went on a Bicycle Food Tour with Cycle Osaka. 
• Our tour and guide was amazing! Ask for Mayco. 
• ate oden, kimchi pancakes, Korean BBQ, sushi, kushikatsu and taiyaki
• headed back to Kitakyushu by Shinkansen

As exhausting as this trip was, it was incredibly enjoyable. I'm so happy that I was able to meet A during her trip around Japan. I had the best time exploring the city with her and tasting all the food that Osaka is famous for.

We definitely could have used more time. There's so much to see and do. The scene there is unique and it's the complete opposite of Tokyo. Some of the things we saw shocked me! Osaka is funky to say the least. I'm glad I went. I want to go back. But just know, I do prefer Tokyo. Osaka's too edgy and after this trip, I realized I couldn't quite handle it.

XOXO,

M