I'm sitting in Gabe's apartment writing this, wondering how I ended up here and where I will go from here. I mean, I know where I will go from here to a certain extent. I've already bought my plane ticket home. But I've been so looking forward to coming here that I haven't necessarily counted on how I will react/deal/"live" when I go home. I suppose I'm excited about working. But still, it's strange that the thing I've been so eagerly awaiting is now quickly passing me by.

Okay, so I suppose the purpose of this entry is to chronicle first impressions of Japan (admittedly my first impression stage has already sort of passed me by). I guess I'm slowly settling into the honeymoon stage (soon to be ripped forcefully from it). One thing I can say about Japan is that everything is incredibly effeminate. I thought I was ready for the barrage of cute having been (recently) to Taiwan, but in Japan cuteness is coupled with cleanliness with is coupled with moderate amounts of politeness.

Also, my first exposure to Japan was Kyoto... which, as any travel guide will tell you, is preposterously beautiful. ...but, as I found, kind of in a Disney way. With everything being almost too perfect.

I've only had one bad dinning experience thus far, but merely because the food was ill-prepared and too salty. Or rather, I haven't had any problems with food "strangeness". Gabe made some kimchi nabe last night which was pretty good, and other days we've feasted on delicious items such as shabu shabu, ramen, udon noodles, tonkatsu (pork cutlets), bibimba (korean), and lots of beer. And some plum wine. And rice, naturally. And lotsa hot canned coffee. And royal milk tea. AAAAANNNNDDD....some delicious cake. and a frozen banana crepe. aaanndd...yea...I think this trip thus far has been mostly about the food.


Two days ago we went to the Chichu Museum, where we saw some awe-inspiring monet paintings, along with lots of funky contemporary art. The museum itself was a few hours away from gabe's village, on a tiny island (about 16 miles around) and we had to take the ferry to get there. It was a pretty relaxing excursion, everything considered.



And so I will bring this to a close now... I'll probably be in Okawa for the rest of the week before I fly back to the states.

<3

*stef*