Brandon In Tokyo

Sayounara Nihon！

B V — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:02:46 +0000

Last day in Nihon – up early soaking it all in. Okaasan just left for work (she’s very busy today!) and I’m up waiting around for my other host brother to leave so I can say my final goodbyes (he’s going on a day trip to Kamakura (done that!))

I’ll be taking the Narita Express from Shinjuku directly to the airport and I’ll be leaving tonight around 7 PM… and arriving in Canada… today at 11:45 A.M., half a day before I technically left

I’ve never really had to deal with jet lag, so we’ll see how this goes…

さようなら日本全文でありがとううございました！！

花火 (Hanabi) Season!

B V — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:36:51 +0000

It’s Hanabi season in Japan which means countless nights of beautiful fireworks in the sky!

The Kanji for Hanabi (花火) is pretty cool:

Hana (花)– means flower

Bi (火)– means fire

Went to Hanabi in the middle of Tokyo with the swim team crew on Saturday and went to Hanabi on Sunday at the Tokyo Racecourse with the host family (wearing a traditional yukata!)

Check the Picasa Web Album for pics and vids

Densha FAIL

B V — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:41:10 +0000

This works if you do it right… I swear…

Japanese Michael Lookalike

B V — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:05:44 +0000

One of the guys on the swim team, Tetsuro, looks JUST LIKE Michael Jackson:

See what I mean?

I LOVE Japanese people. And Michael (R.I.P)!!

Departure Thoughts

B V — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:04:25 +0000

Lately, whenever I think about my departure from Nihon, I feel a deep, true sadness.

…

Visit to Tokyo Tower

B V — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:59:24 +0000

Its design is based off of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, however, Japanese style, they took it and made it better

At 333 meters (1,091 ft), it is the tallest self-supporting steel structure in the world and the tallest artificial structure in Japan

13 more meters high and 3,000 pounds less.

Check out some pics on the PICASA.

Japanese Bar-be-que

B V — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:44:33 +0000

I went to a barbecue with some Japanese friends today.

Wagyu was involved.

John’s friend Fumi-san invited us to a park in Kichijoji where we barbecued it up with a large group of his work friends (needless to say, this was the closest I’ve ever been to a salarymen part in my life).

Hilarity ensued.

After we were done grilling shrimp, pork, steak, scallops and some wagyu cubes we made yakisoba (with beer?)

One of the best parts of the day was the 20 or so minutes where Fumi-san attempted to catch one of the many (Japanese) pigeons scavenging around for food (Fumi is in the YELLOW shirt):

I love this place.

Oh 刺身….

B V — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:14:25 +0000

Dinner a couple of days ago…

Okaasan made sashimi for three of us… and yakiniku for the other… which one do you think I ate?

I’m in Japan.. right?

B V — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:55:19 +0000

A.Vaughan will appreciate this one…

This is a picture of the view from my train on the way home – beautiful Japanese urbane countryside…. see anything out of the ordinary?

Picasa Update – New Pics!

B V — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:31:19 +0000

Check out some new pictures, new things on the Picasa:

“Lasto Swim Meet” – Pictures from my last swim meet with the Jochi Swim Team (Tokyo College Open, over 1300 swimmers!)

“Pearl Bowl Weekend” – Pictures from an American Football Game from the Tokyo Dome

Check em out!