Nolan's blog:
erratics
Kristin's blog:
Nihon ni Muchu ni Natta
Part One- Nagahama 'n Nara
Nolan's a part of the OG crew in Chicago and one of maybe three cool people I met in the swarm of JETs hanging out those first few days in Tokyo, so it was only natural that we meet again.
I was very excited to take the Shinkansen to Nolan's house in Nagahama (right by Japan's biggest lake, Lake Biwa). Unfortunately, all the non-smoking seats were sold out, so my trip was marred by sonofabitch chain-smoking salarymen, with their skinny suits and tallboys. Nevertheless, it was cool to be whizzing through Japan at break-neck speed. I don't how fast we were going but it was fast. So fast that the toilets don't need flushers. Just open the lid and let the air flow suck it right out. Efficient.
I got to Nagahama rather late, but it was okay because Nolan was there with two bikes-one for him, one for me. He's dreamy like that. We cruised through the city, which even in the darkness, I could tell was very different from what I was used to. They have a McDonald's.
We get to his house which is a little chilly, but it was daijobu (no problem) because a kotatsu and a Kristin were there to greet us. What's a kotatsu, you ask? It's a low heated table which you stick your legs under and get toasty warm. Should be named best invention since the steam engine. What's a Kristin? Nolan's buddy from Chicago here in Japan on homestay and one of the best people to make moustaches with. I'll get to that in a second. We stayed up shooting the shit and then we dragged ourselves away to the kotatsu and into bed.
Next day was Thanksgiving! I looked out the window and there was no parade. But there was breakfast and after that we hopped on our bikes to Nolan's high school.
Ah, Nagahama! Land so plentiful with bears, they come down every first and third Friday of the month to fight with the locals. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.
It was a beautiful ride through the borders of the countryside.
Nagahama is bordered by mountains which were carpeted with trees in their autumnal glory. Now I get why the Japanese are so smug about the fall here.
We passed by one temple surrounded by a bamboo grove that was a bit shabby from wear and tear, but no less solemn.
We passed rice paddies and small gardens and obachans (grandmothers) working in the fields.
We got to the agricultural school (one of Nolan's two schools) where some farmer's market was supposed to be happening, but because we were such lazy gaijin, we only caught the clean-up. The students immediately wanted to know what kind of tricks Nolan was pulling to be having such fine-ass hos at his side and he just winked and said, "Later."
(that is so not true. Nolan is quite the gentleman. I think they made him blush a little bit. heehee)
We also came upon this sign, which maybe had to do with why I couldn't understand what the students were saying when I asked them what they were selling. I thought they all had lisps.
Afterwards, we went to a nearby temple that had these giants steps. It's fucking beatiful.
It was also a pain in the ass getting to the top, but I guess the students have to run up and down them during PE. I'd hate to be the asthma kid. The view at the top is worth it, though.
There was also a dude having a Zen moment with his sake. I would've joined him but he only had a one-cup.
Afterwards, we zipped around town. I saw the lake, which looks a tad depressing at this time,
and the Figurine Museum, which was basically the Figurine Store. I did get a shot of this tableau because I hope to recreate it in real life.
I did my X-mas shopping at the mall while Nolan and Kristin got 'serviced' for seven minutes by 'massage chairs' for a mere '100 yen'.
We also stopped by the Nagahama Brewery, which was disappointing because apparently their stout is made for kids. It wasn't very hearty at all.
It was all good though. We stopped by the store and assembled a very veggie feast and some brews for our Thanksgiving dinner.
Normally, I would pitch a fit at having to eat vegetarian swill, but I was in such good company and we had such a good meal,
We played 'Drunk Dad and Bitchy Kids Eating Thanksgiving Dinner Together'. I forgave them for being plant-eating heathens. It was very a cozy dinner with the kotatsu going and watching 'Arrested Development'.
For those who know me well, you know that this inevitably occurs:
The next day, Nolan went off to work and Kristin and I headed to Nara. We stopped at the 100 yen store for moustache-making supplies because we figured any trip would be immediately kick-ass if we sported suave moustaches. Turns out we were right.
Nara is a beautiful city run by the deer mafia.
Supposedly they're the sacred animals of the place, but they way they were struttin', shiiiit, you know they got their hooves in some durty shit. And they go nuts when they see you buying deer cookies. They let out this weird 'baa' that lets the other deer know that free food is on its way. Take for example, this attack on Kristin.
(I couldn't get the video on here, so just imagine Kristin shrieking in terror as deer try to headbutt her. Bitch shouldn't have been waving the deer cookies in their face...)
And they were everywhere! In the street, in the tourist shops, hanging out at the pachinko parlor...
Aside from the deer, Nara is home to a couple UNESCO sites, including the largest wooden structure, er something. I was to busy getting a deer away from my plastic bag to fully read the plaque. Todai-ji something er other.
And apparently, Japanese Buddhist warriors use to be twenty feet tall and hanging out by the gate, protecting shit. Just goes to show, you can't find any REAL men nowadays...
We rode the train back to Nagahama in style. I love that I can do this.
Tommorrow: Part Two! Rabblerousers in Kyoto.
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