Inuyama Castle (犬山城 Inuyama-jō)
Himeji Castle (姫路城 Himeji-jō)
Matsumoto Castle (松本城, Matsumoto-jō)
These three castles make up 3/4 of the National Treasure Castles of Japan. Hikone Castle will complete the set...
Wednesday 31 December 2008
Three down, one to go...
Em does love a good castle.
Inuyama Castle (犬山城 Inuyama-jō)
Himeji Castle (姫路城 Himeji-jō)
Matsumoto Castle (松本城, Matsumoto-jō)
These three castles make up 3/4 of the National Treasure Castles of Japan. Hikone Castle will complete the set...
Inuyama Castle (犬山城 Inuyama-jō)
Himeji Castle (姫路城 Himeji-jō)
Matsumoto Castle (松本城, Matsumoto-jō)
These three castles make up 3/4 of the National Treasure Castles of Japan. Hikone Castle will complete the set...
Tuesday 2 December 2008
The Sun Disappears... Light Returns...
Well, in the land of the computerless, I've stopped compulsively checking my email seventy times a day. Probably for the best. I wasn't really achieving much by constantly baying at my own little window to the world, and I was actually making myself more anxious for my effort. I am now acutely aware of just how much I was completely addicted to my computer. Giving up smoking was easier than giving up computing. And as this blog post is testament, I am still not reformed!
I've dropped out of my Japanese class. I'm disappointed in myself for not finishing it, but it was robbing me of 3 hours of being with my Tom, and at least 2 hours of sleep... on top of the train fares to get there and back, it was turning into a burden I couldn't sustain. I've resigned myself to a bit of self-study for now, until I find a better way of learning some Japanese. I don't feel particularly driven to learn lots of Japanese, as I have very little aptitude for languages other than English, and once we've finished our time here, I doubt I'll be using much Nihongo in my day to day life. I'll resign myself to partial comprehension and a bit of conversation. It will just have to do.
As the title of this post suggests, we are beginning to find a little bit of peace here.
With the crash of the Aussie dollar and the downturn of the Australian Economy, we have assessed our situation here far more favourably. With our yen now being worth almost twice what it was worth when we arrived, and a worsening employment situation in Tasmania, we have canned any plans for coming back for at least the next few months, and possibly the next year... though I know not to put too much faith in plans...
Osaka is cheap, and with Tom focusing on amassing a huge amount of musical equipment, and me focusing on getting a new computer, we have come to the conclusion that we are best to just stay put for now, and keep working for ECC Kansai. I have been given my last set day on my schedule (at last!) and with Tom only substitute teaching one day a week, our general discontent levels have dropped quite substantially.
Although we have decided to stay in Osaka, we are looking at moving out of this apartment next year, somewhere closer to the main drag, and hopefully less dusty, cramped and expensive. The real estate market here is daunting, and being a foreigner, it's hard to find a good deal. But time, as they say, is on our side.
I have saved some money for a replacement computer, but then Tom lent the money from me to buy a very rare amp that just happened to be in the local Ishibashi music equipment store. So, that puts us in the poor house with a church mouse for at least the next couple of weeks. The soonest the computer could be acquired is January - that would have been true whether Tom had borrowed the money from me or not... and if we need to move house before then, the computer may be pushed further into the future. I am trying not to get anxious about it... the operative word being trying... I really like having a computer, and I'm finding not having one to be a little upsetting. But if that is the sum of my woes, then really, life isn't that bad. And it feels like things will continue to be on the up.
The cooler weather is far more pleasant than the boiling, steamy summer. We have had some opportunities to get out and about a bit and see some more of the seasons:
Arashiyama and Daikakuji
Ginkakuji
Updated - Kiyomizu Dera
Updated - Urban Osaka
And Japan continues to be crazy:
Sometimes you continue to wonder...
We're off to Nagano for Christmas, and I'm going to have a crack at skiing. Hopefully it will be a good crack at skiing and not cracking bones. I'm also going to see if we can come past Matsumoto Castle on the way home, and maybe drop into Nagoya on the way past... but it will all depend on all of those things that things tend to depend on... ra, ra, ra...
Hoping that December is bringing you Australians some lovely warm weather, and that you all have pleasant Christmases, no matter how you choose to spend them. Until next time...
I've dropped out of my Japanese class. I'm disappointed in myself for not finishing it, but it was robbing me of 3 hours of being with my Tom, and at least 2 hours of sleep... on top of the train fares to get there and back, it was turning into a burden I couldn't sustain. I've resigned myself to a bit of self-study for now, until I find a better way of learning some Japanese. I don't feel particularly driven to learn lots of Japanese, as I have very little aptitude for languages other than English, and once we've finished our time here, I doubt I'll be using much Nihongo in my day to day life. I'll resign myself to partial comprehension and a bit of conversation. It will just have to do.
As the title of this post suggests, we are beginning to find a little bit of peace here.
With the crash of the Aussie dollar and the downturn of the Australian Economy, we have assessed our situation here far more favourably. With our yen now being worth almost twice what it was worth when we arrived, and a worsening employment situation in Tasmania, we have canned any plans for coming back for at least the next few months, and possibly the next year... though I know not to put too much faith in plans...
Osaka is cheap, and with Tom focusing on amassing a huge amount of musical equipment, and me focusing on getting a new computer, we have come to the conclusion that we are best to just stay put for now, and keep working for ECC Kansai. I have been given my last set day on my schedule (at last!) and with Tom only substitute teaching one day a week, our general discontent levels have dropped quite substantially.
Although we have decided to stay in Osaka, we are looking at moving out of this apartment next year, somewhere closer to the main drag, and hopefully less dusty, cramped and expensive. The real estate market here is daunting, and being a foreigner, it's hard to find a good deal. But time, as they say, is on our side.
I have saved some money for a replacement computer, but then Tom lent the money from me to buy a very rare amp that just happened to be in the local Ishibashi music equipment store. So, that puts us in the poor house with a church mouse for at least the next couple of weeks. The soonest the computer could be acquired is January - that would have been true whether Tom had borrowed the money from me or not... and if we need to move house before then, the computer may be pushed further into the future. I am trying not to get anxious about it... the operative word being trying... I really like having a computer, and I'm finding not having one to be a little upsetting. But if that is the sum of my woes, then really, life isn't that bad. And it feels like things will continue to be on the up.
The cooler weather is far more pleasant than the boiling, steamy summer. We have had some opportunities to get out and about a bit and see some more of the seasons:
Arashiyama and Daikakuji
Ginkakuji
Updated - Kiyomizu Dera
Updated - Urban Osaka
And Japan continues to be crazy:
Sometimes you continue to wonder...
We're off to Nagano for Christmas, and I'm going to have a crack at skiing. Hopefully it will be a good crack at skiing and not cracking bones. I'm also going to see if we can come past Matsumoto Castle on the way home, and maybe drop into Nagoya on the way past... but it will all depend on all of those things that things tend to depend on... ra, ra, ra...
Hoping that December is bringing you Australians some lovely warm weather, and that you all have pleasant Christmases, no matter how you choose to spend them. Until next time...
Foreigner's Koens
1. If a gaijin sits down on a subway, is it any different to anyone else sitting down on a subway?
2. If a gaijin is not present to observe gaijin-ized Japanese behaviour, does anyone behave any differently?
3. Is it me you hate, or the world?
Meditate on that.
2. If a gaijin is not present to observe gaijin-ized Japanese behaviour, does anyone behave any differently?
3. Is it me you hate, or the world?
Meditate on that.
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