It's been less than a week since I left Goto and already so much has happened. I knew that this vacation, rather than be a time of R&R, would consist of intense traveling, exploration, and sightseeing. And I wouldn't have it any other way. In almost sixteen days I will be leaving Japan and as I don't know when I will be back I want to see as much of this country as possible in the time allotted.
I left Goto on my birthday, July 28th. That seemed fitting because I arrived in Goto about that time last year. Also I had two friends, Kasumi and Guillaume, who I met at AIU four years ago, I wanted to see and arriving at their home on my birthday just seemed right. I saw them last year in Tokyo before I left for Goto so it seemed the perfect bookend.
Before I boarded my ferry to Nagasaki I said goodbye to my friends. I was honestly surprised by how many people showed up; the diversity was astounding too: my fellow ALTs, students, co-workers, one of my gym buddies and Arai Sensei (gym owner), and of course Kojima Sensei, my supervisor and an absolute angel of a woman. With the exception of Saganoshima--understandable because of the distance (we also had our goodbye party a few weeks ago)--teachers from all three of my other schools showed up to see me off.
My Goto friends and fellow co-workers including a few of the new teachers. Good luck everyone!
Words cannot express my gratitude, joy, and happiness my last few weeks in Goto. It was challenging to say goodbye of course but I left on the best note possible: my friends' smiles are etched into my heart. Through their love, support, and encouragement this past year has easily been the most exciting and lively year-to-date. Even the rough times, when I was in the dumps, in hindsight now were times for growth; they began the process of dissolving the false Will burdened by ego, desire, and other negative emotions. Isn't it obvious that I visited several Buddhist temples today? My simple point is that Goto provided a stimulus for change and while I still have work to do, I am on the path.
Saitama/Tokyo/Kamakura
After about twelve hours of non-stop travel, I arrived in Saitama Friday evening to be greeted by my friends, homemade pizza dinner, sampling of craft beer, and a "yes" to my shower request. We spent the evening catching up before going to bed. During my time here in Tokyo I didn't do a lot of sightseeing. I mostly spent time visiting friends which was my goal. Alas I could not see everyone but I did see Kasumi and Guillaume, Saho, and Shiori. I also met Saho at AIU four years ago: we were members of the Japanese-English language exchange club and have stayed in touch ever since. We reminisced over glasses of sake at a special event: the 300th anniversary of Niigata Prefecture's Kakurei Brewery. Shiori and I share a mutual AIU friend; until last weekend I had only talked with Shiori via Skype conversations (again for language exchange). We had never actually met! One might expect some initial awkwardness but the day was basically a continuation of our previous conversations! I absolutely enjoyed my time with my friends and am especially grateful to Guillaume and Kasumi for their hospitality.
Sake tasting with Saho and Mai!
Afternoon coffee with Shiori, Kasumi, and Guillaume!
Certainly one of the greatest memories of my trip east was a short visit to the Great Buddha at Kamakura. It wasn't easy to get there. I immediately fell asleep on the train (I had pushed myself a bit the previous few days and typically sleep poorly in new places); my friend was price comparing airfare for a fall trip. Thus when we reached the end of the line in Odaware we realized we were an hour away from Kamakura in the wrong direction. Unfazed I asked if we could at least grab lunch here; I was famished. I enjoyed a soba (noodle) dish with rice, fish, and vegetables; I had to eat something healthy after my diet the previous week at parties.
After lunch we changed course and arrived in Kamakura early afternoon. A short walk brought us to the Buddha. It is an impressive monument and the sky was an azure blue which highlighted Buddha himself. For 20 yen you can go inside the Buddha and look at a hole where his neck/head is (there's really not much to see and it's hot). The Kamakura Buddha is one of those quintessential Japan sights/tourist traps that I wanted to see. I can now check that off my list!
Thanks to Google Map and some quick thinking I am confident I have a solid grasp of Tokyo's train and subway system now. I realize what really stumped me last time I was in Tokyo was that I didn't have a smartphone (at least not one active in Japan). Now that I have one it is so much easier navigating Tokyo and Kyoto as well. A huge time saver is Japan's Suica Pass/I.C. card. Similar to a card I used in Seoul last fall it is a card you load with money that you can swipe at trains, subways, and buses (maybe even taxis too). It works in Kyoto and has saved me so much time (no more fumbling for the correct change on a bus or at a train exit). This navigation is huge news for me because previously I couldn't find my way out of a paper sack. I feel empowered.
Kyoto...That is material for my next blog post. I am still making memories. I will be here a few more days until I fly to Fukuoka and then later take the train to Nagasaki to meet friends from America! I will need to update this site between now and then so stay tuned!