Fall, Fall, and more Fall

So now that Brian is back, there is no time for jet lag!  The fall colors are in full swing here in Japan, so we have a lot of things to see before the snow starts coming and never stops!

This past weekend we found an Apple Orchard thanks in no small part to the word-of-mouth directions of our friend Sharon.  Once again, you would never stumble on it on your own, but what a great way to spend a fantastic fall Saturday!

Above is the shack that you enter the orchard through.  We paid Y500 per person so that we could eat as much as we wanted for an hour.  Brian took this challenge seriously!

Apparently the apples were so good that Brian couldn't stop eating long enough for us to take pictures...

To get to the apples we had to climb on a steep incline down through some grape vines filled with delicious grapes (these were also included in the all-you-can eat buffet price).

One kind of apple was so sweet and juicy that it had pockets of super-syrupy deliciousness inside.  The apples of Japan are not the same as those in the US!

After we stuffed ourselves like pigs at the apple orchard we headed just up the road to see this "Dragon Ride" which was a four story contraption that you could pay to have your children climb.  Don't worry, they are given helmets a la what you would see on a Japanese game show.  That would surely be enough in the event of a high wind or earthquake should you or your child fall off.

Then one last stop at a three-tiered pagoda/buddhist monastery.

Like I said, a great way to spend a fall day in Japan!

Ahhh, Asia!

I just want to say for the record that I did not doctor this photo in any way.  Your eyes do not deceive you. In Hirosaki, at the intersection of Hwy 31 and Hwy 31, is the electrical rat's nest we were warned against in EEE 360.  Hmm, seems to be working for the Japanese.  It's all fun and games until the Kyoto of the east burns to the ground because a menacing crow lands on the wrong group of wires... 

AR's Visit

I promised to be better about posting now that we live 5000 miles (9260 km) away from most of our friends and family, but alas I have failed.  That is why this is going to be a really long, catch-up-style post:

September 13: Brian headed for Red Flag Alaska for 6 weeks. I left for Colorado for three.

October 1: Aunt Rita and I packed up and headed for Nihon with my pooch.  I am relieved to report that he made the 24+ hour trip with no incidents!  We also had no problems from the AFA vet, the USDA, the Japan Customs agents, the United employees, or the JR rail staff.

October:  While Rita was here visiting we got to see quite a bit of beautiful Eastern Japan (some of which Rita may have wished not to see :) )

Oirase Gorge

Mt. Osare--Japan's Mythical Entrance to Hell

Rice Harvesting Season

The Scariest Ocean Overlook Ever.  Somewhat daunting to get to, but totally worth it!

Hirosaki

Eating at what Rita Refers to as "Noodles and Co."

Then Rita went back to the US and Brian came home from Alaska.  They must have crossed each other in the air because they just missed each other...bummer!

Thanks to Rita for putting up with me and the dog for three weeks!  We had a great time and it is so good to have Marco back at home with us now!

Flora and Fauna

I am discovering that Japan has some interesting (read creepy) creatures living here. I suppose if I hadn't grown up in such a dry, land-locked state, I would probably not be so disgusted by the enormous bugs that take up residence near my home. However, we cannot change the past, so...ewwww, gross! As you can see from the picture I have met the largest beetle I have ever seen outside of captivity (okay, so it was dead when I found it but it was obviously alive at one time!). Also, we have a wooly, well-fed, genius of a spider, who has spun a web about 7 feet in diameter (no joke) anchored on ether side by our house and a dead tree behind our house. Sigh. I guess I won't be going back there until it starts snowing.

Since I didn't want to just gross you out, I also posted a picture of the new orchid that was a house-warming gift from some of our awesome new friends in Brian's squadron. I thought I should show it off before it dies at my inept brown-thumbs. I have the internet now though, so I am armed with the collective "knowledge" of any gardener who cares to post about the proper care of plants.

On that note, fiber optic internet rocks! 1 Gbps for less than what I was paying for 12 Mbps in the States?! I will brave the spiders. It is worth it. Now if I just had a US IP address, I could stream HD video from Hulu, Netflix, etc. I guess nothing is ever perfect.

We Have Landed

Three weeks into our Japanese adventure we have finally found a house! I am starting to feel settled again! Maybe too settled.

More things I love about Japan:

5) Onsens (Hot Spring Bath Houses). Wow, I could make this a habit. Gender controlled bathing in your birthday suit in mineral water straight from the ground. There could be no better way to spend an evening. I think I might have been a snow monkey in a previous life.

6) Snow Monkeys. I haven't seen one yet, but I will before I leave! I hear they like to attack women and children but leave men alone...crafty. We shall see my friends...we shall see.

7) The "car bow." This happens daily because driving on the tiny streets of Misawa is a cooperative effort for all involved. I like the car-bow way more than I like being honked at/flipped off/shot at. Perhaps I shouldn't directly compare Misawa to Phoenix anymore. I feel that it might not be fair...low hanging fruit and such.

Category: Old Things That Are New to Me

1. Coffee Jelly Frappuccino. This little delight comes from none other than our friendly neighborhood Starbucks. Apparently in some parts of the world, people like to suck coffee-flavored gelatinous texture through their straw. Oishii desu... ka? Actually it wasn't that bad, though I am quite confident that it will not replace the Latte in world popularity any time soon.

2. Fast Food That Doesn't Make My Stomach Sad. Box lunch available outside Kabuki-za. I love this box lunch thing they have here! All the food is so fresh; no preservatives; just the right amount. Oishii desu. Definitely.

3. Polite People Following Rules and Self-Regulating. Imagine that--self-regulating. Now, I have to assume my primary reader is American, so I feel I should explain what "self-regulation" is: Public areas, including public transportation, well used but super clean! Streets with a million bodies/vehicles all going different directions but merging and coexisting with ease. Natural, orderly lines where appropriate. You know, basically, taking responsibility for yourself. Novel, I know. According to Brian, I should have been born in Japan. I have to say, I do find it to be a comfortable place to exist (obvious communication boundaries aside).

4. Kabuki-za! Standing room only for us, still worth it! The Kabuki we caught was called Kaijin Besso (The Sea God's Villa) and included beautiful staging and dress. Unfortunately, as we do not (yet) speak Japanese, we required an "earphone-guide" which basically told us in English what was going on, but even still, it was great! If you are planning on visiting us and want to go to Kabuki-za, you will need to visit us before May 2010, when, from what I understand, they will tear down the old building and rebuild another Kabuki-za in its place.

Ohaiyo Gozimasu

The view from our hotel room. Yes, the buildings are really that skinny.




We have finally made it to Japan! After enjoying a wonderful week of visiting friends and family in O'ahu, we headed for Japan yesterday. We are staying in Tokyo at The New Sanno for a few days before continuing on to Misawa.