Arima Onsen, Hiroshima, Osaka Aquarium

So it has been a while since my last post. I have been continuing my streak of discovering new and exciting places, foods, people, and realities. I am now living in a new apartment with a new roommate in addition to Spencer, as well as using my new computer. I am pumped because the winter (if you can call it that) is almost over, and spring is just a short time away. Everything is kicks guy! My japanese has been steadily improving, I am now literate in Hiragana (one of three japanese scripts) and if i am able to free some time away from this electronic crap, hopefully i'll continue improving.

Back a month or two ago i decided to use my day off to go to Arima Onsen, my second time there, to relax is some rusted iron and salt water hot springs. It was a great day, as i got to have my best bowl of Ramen yet! It was sooo good. There were thick pieces of meat, very sweet, in a salty soy based broth with ramen noodles, seaweed, mushroom, onion, and water sprouts. delicious. oishii yo! I must go back for that ramen while it's still cold. There is no other feeling like ramen in the winter, and then a hot spring after.





I did an overnight trip to Hiroshima with a co-worker. I have read and learned about Hiroshima, but never imagined I would ever one day be going there. Japan itself was never on my list of places to go, and how lucky I am now that I happen to end up here. You never know what you are missing out on until you experience it. The peace museum was not the best museum i have ever been to, but still very informative, yet not shocking to the extent i expected. It was crazy to learn that most people died from the heat of the blast, some 10,000 degrees, and not radiation, which is what i always imagined in my head. The blast, which occured some 300 meters above a bridge that crosses a river in Hiroshima, created a ball of fire almost as hot as the surface of the sun for about 5 seconds. What is scary is that hydrogen bombs are now capable of creating a blast 1000 times the magnitude. The bomb killed over 100,000 people. The people of Hiroshima have experienced something that nobody else could ever begin to understand, which has made them the most genuine caring people in the world. The experiences from the war will be passed on from generation to generation, and hopefully the tragedy never forgotten. What was once downtown prior to the bombing has now become all dedicated to a peace park. Underneath the peace park lies all the rubble and ashes of the people that once roamed Hiroshima's streets.













The second day we spend going to Miwa Jima island. It was quite beautiful. Deer were roaming everywhere, domesticated, it was quite the site. There lies a temple there that rests above water. It was a breathtaking view and very relaxing and peaceful. I was very happy to be there and enjoy the beautiful nature of Japan. We got to go on one of the rare days where you get to see snow settled on the roof of the temple.

I got to go to the first aquarium i've been to since adulthood. I was sooo amazed. It's unbelievable how many crazy amphibians there exists. I had never seen a blowfish live before, as well as rays. and otters! my new favourite animal! they are crazy! It was nice going around and being able to open your eyes to what exists in this world. It makes you really appreciate the earth that we live on and everything that roams around without us really realizing.














Afterwards we went for nabe in Osaka's Umeda district. Its like Japanese stew, where they put all these vegetables and meat in a pot and boil it in front of you. It is in a hot kimchi spice that is so delicious. It was amazing. I loved it. I can't wait to have it again. Below you see prawns, meat balls, beef, tofu, noodles, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and the list goes on and one. the broth is sooooo good.










About a week ago I went with my roommates (Andrew and Spencer), as well as phil and genna for kani (crab) in northern Hyogo. It was a package tour, including bus and Onsen and a big crab course. It was a lot of fun. really relaxing. I had never had crab before, and it was real complicated at first. I was fustrated, had no idea how to open the damn thing, but after i got settled it was smooth saili

ng. A japanese family sitting next to us, in the background of this image, really helped us, for we had no fucken idea what we were doing. They helped us with the crab nabe, told us to put the rice inside the nabe instead of eating it straight from the bowl (what pathetic gaijin we are). After dinner Phil bought a beer that tasted soooooooooo amazing. Its the best tasting thing i've ever had. It was so great. After we soaked in an outdoor hot spring, which had a waterfall. Really connected in a masculin way. (onsens in japan are nude). My co-workers at work really busted my balls for going on this trip, telling me they've never heard of any gaijin booking such a trip in all their life in japan. well it ended up being great, and the obaasans (old ladies) were great company. I would go again!