Call Break - Japan - July'13
For call break, I went to Japan (again) - for the 4th time. One of my colleagues already thinks I don't think any country but Japan exists (so not true), but in my defence I'm always going to different parts of the country, so I deserve some credit!
This time I went to Okinawa (met by typhoon, so couldn't get off the main island to the small islands), Tokyo (mandatory shopping), and Yamanashi (including some especially remote spots that non-Japanese tourists do not go to).
I think my faith in humans may have been somewhat restored in mankind this trip.
OKINAWA;
- The most dodgy person that tried to speak to us was actually the one that had taken the most initiative, and had to go completely out of his way, just to talk to us. AND probably SAVED US. we had missed a last bus and would have missed a different bus service (also last bus?) that could have taken us back to the city our hotel was in if not for this "dodgy" person. very touched by all the effort he made to communicate with us. =)
YAMANASHI;
- Kofu: As usual googlemaps failed me completely. I keyed in the hotel's address and ended up outside someone's house. Given vague directions by the resident as she walked her dog, I had no darn idea where I was headed. Found a random old man smoking, and asked him for directions. He was hard of hearing and I had to keep repeating myself. After we understood each other, he DREW A MAP for me, and brought me across the road to point out the hotel, and was like "wakatta?" :D
- Sangaiya: This was when we took a bus out 35 mins from Kofu to find an Orchard to pick fruits at. After following directions we found the Orchard, and wandered around in it for ONE HOUR and saw NO ONE but a black dog (Taro-san, as we later learnt) that barked at us ferociously the first time, but not the next three times (-.-"). Seriously not funny walking around aimlessly in an Orchard for one hour. We finally found a human! who turned out to be the neighbour. and she called the proprietors to pick us up. :D She saved us!! from the labyrinth of peach trees!! Sangaiya was amazing because we got to pick peaches from the tree and eat them right away! I don't know when else I have had such sweet peaches! Even the ones that weren't soft (but were red) were crisp - it was different but just as delicious! =)
- Yamanakako and Kawaguchiko: Two of the five lakes that surround Mt Fuji. Amazing view of and from both lakes, I suppose. Got to shoot Yamanakako and Mt Fuji from a nice & high viewpoint early in the morning when it wasn't cloudy =). Also got Mt Fuji from Hana no Miyako Kouen, so lots of flowers in the foregrounds! By the time we got to Kawaguchiko in the afternoon, Mt Fuji had become shrouded in cloud, but the lake was vvv pretty and reminded me of both the English and Italian lake districts! =)
Tomorrow is my CALL! After 3 years of university and 2 years of training&conversion! It feels like it's been a long time coming, especially because my fellow trainees last year were called last year. && whatever I'm gna do in my professional career, more than being a good professional, I wna be a good person.
This time I went to Okinawa (met by typhoon, so couldn't get off the main island to the small islands), Tokyo (mandatory shopping), and Yamanashi (including some especially remote spots that non-Japanese tourists do not go to).
I think my faith in humans may have been somewhat restored in mankind this trip.
OKINAWA;
- The most dodgy person that tried to speak to us was actually the one that had taken the most initiative, and had to go completely out of his way, just to talk to us. AND probably SAVED US. we had missed a last bus and would have missed a different bus service (also last bus?) that could have taken us back to the city our hotel was in if not for this "dodgy" person. very touched by all the effort he made to communicate with us. =)
YAMANASHI;
- Kofu: As usual googlemaps failed me completely. I keyed in the hotel's address and ended up outside someone's house. Given vague directions by the resident as she walked her dog, I had no darn idea where I was headed. Found a random old man smoking, and asked him for directions. He was hard of hearing and I had to keep repeating myself. After we understood each other, he DREW A MAP for me, and brought me across the road to point out the hotel, and was like "wakatta?" :D
- Sangaiya: This was when we took a bus out 35 mins from Kofu to find an Orchard to pick fruits at. After following directions we found the Orchard, and wandered around in it for ONE HOUR and saw NO ONE but a black dog (Taro-san, as we later learnt) that barked at us ferociously the first time, but not the next three times (-.-"). Seriously not funny walking around aimlessly in an Orchard for one hour. We finally found a human! who turned out to be the neighbour. and she called the proprietors to pick us up. :D She saved us!! from the labyrinth of peach trees!! Sangaiya was amazing because we got to pick peaches from the tree and eat them right away! I don't know when else I have had such sweet peaches! Even the ones that weren't soft (but were red) were crisp - it was different but just as delicious! =)
- Yamanakako and Kawaguchiko: Two of the five lakes that surround Mt Fuji. Amazing view of and from both lakes, I suppose. Got to shoot Yamanakako and Mt Fuji from a nice & high viewpoint early in the morning when it wasn't cloudy =). Also got Mt Fuji from Hana no Miyako Kouen, so lots of flowers in the foregrounds! By the time we got to Kawaguchiko in the afternoon, Mt Fuji had become shrouded in cloud, but the lake was vvv pretty and reminded me of both the English and Italian lake districts! =)
Tomorrow is my CALL! After 3 years of university and 2 years of training&conversion! It feels like it's been a long time coming, especially because my fellow trainees last year were called last year. && whatever I'm gna do in my professional career, more than being a good professional, I wna be a good person.