"V" power in Japan

= That's a rainy day in Hirakata, same as in my home town =

Last semester I went to a junior high school around Korien for their "English day" even I am not native speaker! that was awesome! It's the first time for me to experience school life in a foreign country. The thing is that I found somehow my 17-year-old cousin she uses the same gesture as the Japanese do A LOT!

"those junior high school kids"

"my cousins, both around 17."

"same as my 22-year-old friend..:)..."

Since Taiwan and Japan are so close to each other, we got lots of influences not only in our life style but also in the way of dressing and behavior from Japan. Especially in the young generation. Lots of girls in Taiwan they try to be as cute as Japanese and usually put a "V" gesture next to their faces while taking a picture. I didn't know that its that popular until I reviewed those pictures I took with them.

"2 Japanese girls+1 foreigner"

" we are ALL Japanese ね！"

Unseen Hirakata

= 14 Feb. lovely Saturday,as well as Valentine's Day. =

I have been here for almost 6months and I considered myself knowing the area pretty well. I know how to get cheaper groceries, how to get to Starbucks and Tsutaya when I feel the need of realxing. mostly, if you wanna get your necessities, go to Shimamura and Avail by Seminar house beforehand.

"on the way the the lake park."

However, I didn't realize I was still a foreigner here until I spent a whole afternoon exploring the unseen Hirakata.

It's around 2pm., we left Sem 3 for the opposite way to Gaidai. Biking along the river enjoying the sunshine. Til the end of the path, we reached a gorgeous lake park which I've only been there during the moonlight. How can such a nice place exist that I only got drunk and fooled around there?

" the lake park"

We were biking around the park toward East exit then got to another open field where has lots of families having there happy hour there. After looking up the map, instead of entering another park, we decided to expolre the farther side from school. Without knowing the direction, we made a turn while we felt like to. Suddenly, we found a peaceful odera located in a normal Japanese community. That's the place of dreamland.

" a random odera"

After staying there for a while, we continued our exploring trip toward the way we have never gone before.

........then, we found this," Metal Museum" in Hirakata!! woohoo, what if we didn't set out for the trip, I would not know that in the ancient Hirakata, it was famous for refining metal!

" the Metal Museum"

What a lovely day in Hirakata! :)

Early impressions of Japan

The fiirst trip to our neighbor city- Kyoto in the begining of fall semester. Kyoto is such a city full of the old style houses, streets, vendors and so on. I heard from one of the Japanese girls in our tour said Kyoto is the only one place that ask those overseas chain restaurants to be "kyotolization". No crazy signs on street Shijo (well, thats the only place i went in kyoto by the time) and everything along the alley to Kiyomizu Dera looks so classic and full of history. What a peaceful city, I like it.