Japan Trip: Osaka and Kansai

Hi Folks,

I'm on the bus heading back to Gwangju right now, listening to my "Songs 4 Worship 2001" album which I discovered with the Yeagers at Cannon Beach this year (great album, so jubilant).

Anyway, I'm really pumped because I had a really awesome weekend. I'll tell you about it now, but don't mention it on Facebook because I could face some social scorn for it here in Korea. 

First off, last week was midterm week, so I wrote my industrial psychology midterm on Wednesday and it went really well. Thursday I went to see Josh and the next morning I took the bus near his house to the Incheon airport where I boarded a flight to Osaka, Japan!

I've never been to that area of Japan, and to be honest, I wast actually that excited to go. I planned this trip before I came down with this dreadful illness, so all I wanted to do was stay home and be a basement dweller. But I went anyway, and I'm so glad I did. At first I thought it would be kind of boring because I was going by myself, but it turned out alright :)

I'll try to recap some of the highlights:

- I went to Universal Studios which was pretty cool. At first it wasn't a good experience because it was crowded and they weren't running the single rider lines, which meant I'd have to wait almost 2 hours for each ride--no thanks. However, something happened in the evening that made the experience unforgettable. Ask me if you want to know more. 

- I kind of binge ate this weekend. I can't help it, Japanese food is just sooooo good, and they have milk tea too. I had the best roasted pork ramen ever at Kyoto station, melt in your mouth tuna at a conveyor-belt sushi place, and Osaka style okonomiyaki in the neon future Dotomburi area. 

- I saw real live Maikos (geishas in training) on their way to work in the Gion neighborhood of Kyoto. 

- I walked around misty ancient Nara park, with giant, incense-y ancient Japanese temples and curious deer you can pet and feed. 

- I visited the Osaka museum of transportation and learned about Japanese trains. So interesting! 

So that was my weekend. I'm very happy.