May throwback

Hi all, long time no blog. It seems I was lazy updating my blog. It's not because I neglect it, just because I was tied up with some stuff here like mid term exam, presentation or things like that. And you know I didn't move a lot in the last month so nothing much to write about. But I'm back now and have something to share with you guys :D

In May some of us went to see a tea ceremony hosted by our school's tea club in a pretty traditional japanese garden. We joined the tea ceremony as guests, watched how people make a tea ceremony and were given tea and sweet. It took about 1 hour. The tea ceremony was interesting. Not only did we have chance to experience Japanese culture, but we also visited the lovely garden that we hadn't known before. Moreover, we even received  letters sent by the club members saying thanks us for coming and attending the ceremony after that. Oh Japanese. So polite and thoughtful. They always take care of their guests or customers very carefully. It's Japanese business manners. I couldn't say anything more about that because it's way so good and I just think it could be a role model for every club, company or organization in Vietnam.

The Japanese garden is covered by green

Do you feel spring in the air?

The crew joining the tea ceremony

I also had a meeting with my host family in May. The host mom had sent me an email saying we were going to see a concert, traditional Japanese concert. I had imagine how the concert was going to be. If it was too abstract, I wouldn't understand and even enjoy it. But things turned out better, much much better than I had thought. On the meeting day, the host mom picked me up at the station and drove me to her house for a quick lunch. I was even given a homemade bread (yes another one, always. Rich me :D). Then all of us were off to see the concert. It wasn't a normal one as it was held in a bamboo forest in Saga. I was so surprised when I reached there as I didn't thought they organized the concert in a bamboo forest. During 1 hour, we enjoyed performance with different traditional musical instrument of two players. After that, audiences had time to chat and took photos with the players. They introduced and explained about the instrument but sadly they spoke in Japanese so I didn't understand what they meant. Anyway, the concert was so awesome! I had another great day with my host family!

with my host mother

and my host father

the players were playing japanese traditional music

where the concert took place - lost in nature

My friend and I sometimes cook together. Last time we made okonomiyaki, which is a japanese pancake, in vegan style as my friend doesn't eat meat. We were also planning to go to nature next time to get out of the dizzy city life. Although we are in time of tests (I have a japanese presentation next week and a language proficiency exam next month), we still want to make it as our time is running and it might not be able to come back to Japan again.

And one more thing that has made me very excited is I've got a Korean visa. I will be going to Korea in August after the closing ceremony. 1 week in Korea would be great. I can see some friends of mine who are studying in Korea (one of them I haven't seen for 2 years). A new journey will begin soon!

Golden Week

Last week I got several days off class as it was time of Golden Week, one of major holidays in Japan, so some friends and I went to Uminonakamichi, a seaside park where we saw many kinds of flowers. And here are some photos we took!

With Melisa

Melisa and Yuu

Me with the flower carpets

Lavenders

Blue flower, my most favorite one even though don't know its name. First time ever seen

The day after, Hoa and I were off to Kitakyushu to see wisteria tunnel as it has been in wisteria season and that place is the most popular attraction for wisteria in Kyushu. Even though we had to pay 1000 yen to see the flower, it paid off as wisterias were heavenly awesome! These photos prove that!

April's update

Hello, long time no blog :D.

My spring holiday is over and I got back to the school with classes and other activities, but still have lots of fun.

In late March, my friend and I went to MoMo Farmland where we saw cheery blossom and rode horses. Even though we had to walk for 1 hour from the bus stop, we did enjoy the farm with nice countryside views, animals and farm products.

Me and sakura

Sakura

Hoa was riding horse

In early April, WJC students had a field trip to Miyazaki and Yufuin. Miyazaki is a nice beach city famous for mangos but the mangos there are super expensive, around 3000 yen/each, so we ended up buying dry mangos and other snack made from mango. We also visited a park, shrine and walked to the beach after lunch in Miyazaki. Yufuin is a town located in Oita, where is well known for onsen. But it was rainy on that day and we didn’t have enough time so we just walked around, stopped by some gift shops and purchased stuff as souvenir or snacks. I’m happy that the school took us there as I don’t need to go in Golden Week when every place is full of people. 

At a park in Miyazaki

With new students Melissa, Sheron, Fen and Japanese JD Mates

Let's jumppppp!

All WJC students and JD Mates

I met my host family on last Sunday. They turned out to be host family of my friend in last semester. They are an old couple living in a lovely small house in Umimachi taking 40 mins by train from Fukuoka. They have 8 cats and every cat is big. The one impressed me the most in their house is the kitchen. It looks like they have everything in that place and I would spend my whole day in the kitchen like that. The host family was very inviting and friendly, the host mother is a great cooked. As I had told them that I wouldn’t eat meat on the day I meet them, the host mom made me Japanese vegetarian meals with tofu, stir fried vegetable with soy sauce and onigiri (rice balls) which were heavenly delicious. She even gave me and my JD mate breads that she made herself. We haven’t chosen date for the next meeting but I really want to see them again soon.

Meal prepared by my host family

 

Close up to the meal

The awesome kitchen

with my host family and my jd mate

On April 29^th, Egle and me went to Sasuguri to join a hiking event called Haru Ranman Hiking. The event is held annually and hundreds of people are interested in it. The event was very nice even though it was shorter that we though at the beginning but we both were happy that we did it as staying at the dorm was very boring. Taking part in the hiking, we were given delicious boiled bamboo shoot, did walking through a forest park and even did our own walk to some hidden temples in Sasaguri. After getting back to the dorm, we cooked some vegan meals together with tofu, kabochas, bamboo shoots and lotus roots.

 

one of the temples in Sasaguri

we found this flower everywhere on the way hiking

A breathtaking view of Sasaguri

Today people started celebrating Dontaku festival, one of three main festivals in Fukuoka. We also went watch the festival. It was very nice to see people prepared and celebrate the festival. People from the kids to the elderly wore traditional costume, did a parade, danced and did some rituals at some old shops. Everyone looked happy, which is the best thing of the festival.  

People were doing rituals at a traditional cake shop

One of three gods in the festival

This kid looked so happy!

And everyone looked happy!

Taking photos with the kids

My life has changed a bit since I lived here. Now, I eat less meat and more vegetable. I always eat loads of vegetable actually but it seems here I eat much more than I usually do at home as Japanese meat doesn’t taste good at all and I don't even feel the need of meat. Therefore, I ended up filling my tummy with food from plants and nature. At the moment I eat vegetarian foods at least once a week. I went through 4 days without meat and felt completely OK, so I decided to continue this lifestyle which helps me feel better and healthier. I and my friend who is a vegetarian sometimes cook vegan meals together, which is very fun as not only could we share food, discover more about vegan’s life, vegan meals’ recipes around the world, but we also could make heaps of unforgettable memories during our time studying overseas.  To be honest, Japanese vegan meals are amazing but young Japanese are crazy about junk food which is not healthy at all (I can understand though).

Cooked bun rieu but instead of using crabs, I used tofu. It tasted awesome!

Made vegan spring roll with Egle

Tomorrow I am going Uminonakamichi that is a seaside park with Melissa and her JD Mate. So excited for that as there are lots of flowers there! Will update blog soon when I have time!

Cheers :x

The first solo travel (Part 3): Nara - Kobe

NARA

I made it to Nara at midday and spent several hours walking around Nara Park and checking out some spots here. 

Like Kyoto, Nara used to be the capital city of Japan and is visited by many people. It is famous for Todai-ji Temple where is house of a giant Buddha – Daibutsu - as well as Minami Daimon Gate. In addition, one of “Nara’s specialties” (that can be called) is deers.  They are around the park, on the streets, in front of temples, everywhere. They are cute but somehow dangerous, especially if they see you eating, they will attack you right away. When I was eating my pineapples on the street, some of them came attack me. That’s the reason why there is a sign warning not to feed the deers. 

Deers in the park

Deers in front of temples

I visited Kofuki-ji Temple (but didn’t get in), Todai – ji and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. The entrance fee for those places is 500 yen but actually they look better from outside. There is nothing much inside the temples, except for some statues or bells. The staff at the information office at the station told me Kasuga Taisha Shrine was the most famous sight in Nara, but I was disappointed when I got there even though the path leading to the shrine was pretty with stone lanterns lining at both sides. 

Todai ji

Nishi Daimon Gate

Todaiji

Path to Kasuga Shrine

The stone lanterns

Kasuga Shrine

Inside Kasuga Shrine

Golden lanterns

 

Naramachi

I wanted to go and see more but it was rainy and cold so I finished my walk in Nara at a random restaurant near Nara Station. I ate dinner quite early with Nara style’s sushi and a big bowl of udon. They were so good (maybe because I didn’t have lunch) and cheap. After that, I got back to Kyoto and had a lovely night with my host and other surfers.

Nara style ' sushi

The inside

 Udon with egg, mushroom and tofu

KOBE

Kobe was my last stop. Before starting my trip, I got a message from a Japanese guy on couchsurfing saying he could show me round the city as he saw my post on the forum, and I said yes right away. We met each other at the station and had the third who is a Middle East guy, Ỉmaran, who is working in Kobe at the moment, then we all were off to see Chinatown as our first place. Chinatown in Kobe is not the biggest one, but looks good and very Chinese with big gate, red lanterns, stone lions and many kinds of foods. Next, Yusuke, the Japanese guy’s name, took us to Kobe Port to see the Port Tower and the views around before having lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We had a big lunch with gyoza which is Chinese dumpling, Sichuan tofu, fried rice and one meal with kimchi. The meals were very good and not expensive at all. 

Yusuke, Imran and me at Kobe Port

Chinatown - Nankin Machi

Kobe Port Tower

After getting a full belly, we went to check out the foreign houses called Kitano Ijinkan which is one of touristic spots in Kobe. As Kobe is a port city, foreigners started setting their feet here from the 1900s and building some residences. But we didn’t get in those houses as we had to pay the entrance fee, so we decided to walk around then off for the sake brewery where we tried some sorts of Japanese sakes. 

Starbucks near Kitano Ijinkan

Ikuta Shrine - the most well - known one in Kobe

a street in Kobe

In the afternoon before having dinner, we went to a cozy Japanese bar to have some drink. It was when I could sit down and talk more to my friends. Yusuke really amazed me by stories about his life and his traveling and couchsurfing experience. While Japanese are shy, a bit distant and conservative, Yusuke is very extravert and easy to talk to. He wants to make friends with other people, especially foreigners. One year study in Germany as an exchange student has made him more and more open – minded and understanding. He also loves traveling and has been to many countries in Europe, which I always dream of. Yusuke is special. Not only has he brought me another image of Japanese who is fun, active and outgoing, but he also has helped me to get to know more about Kobe which is a very lovely city. My trip ended with a dinner with Kobe beef and rice cooked in Japanese style at a small but nice restaurant. 

The three eating Kobe beef

Kobe wasn’t in my travel list at the beginning but due to some suggestions of my teacher who comes from Kobe, I decided to give it a try and I wasn’t disappointed. Kobe got hit terribly by a giant earthquake in 1995 but it quickly recovered, reconstructed and became a dynamic city. The scent of the sea, the friendliness of people and the harmony between Eastern and Western cultures make this city unique and authentic. For me, this city is more special because of the people I have met, who are beyond awesome! 

It’s always true to say “Traveling forms a young man”! You can broaden your mind with what you see and people you meet on the move. Before I did my trip, I had received many advices and warnings from my friends and family that it’s dangerous to travel alone. I really appreciated but I still did because it’s what I always wanted to do. Now when I look back, I realize this trip is the most awesome thing I have done so far even though one week's not long. Traveling on your own is risky but interesting in its way, and you will never know how awesome it is if you don’t do it. One week traveling on my own helped me know the overwhelming sense of absolute freedom, meet many amazing people and learn a lot from them, challenge myself with my humble Japanese as well as get to know more about the lands I have been to.  They are all great and I will never forget them!