I didn't think anyone would belive me if I simply told them how awesome Shimode-sensei's whiteboard explanations were. No room for misunderstanding after seeing this, boy!! (strangely enough, I'm being completely serious.)
Bad things happen when students go to karaoke. :O In this picture alone from right to left we have: an Italian, an American, a South African and a Gabonian who lives in France. Ahhhh, Internationalization™.
Anne is a fellow JET from Fukuoka and just about the most photogenic little thing I ever did see.
Shoren Temple; Nice, but just like every other temple you've ever been to. Maybe I'm just jaded.
I was chilling on the roof of the station when next to me, I noticed that this guy was waiting while his girlfriend fixed the button on his damn shirt. Someone please gag me with a very large spoon.
OMFG!! I must be in Japan, people are still playing Street Fighter II in the arcades. :O
The arcade version of the new F-Zero is awesome!! The music is loud and the seat swings back and forth so much that if you don't use the seatbelt, you'll probably slip right out of the chair. ^_^
To describe Kyoto Station as anything less than stunning would be a tragic understatement. The architecture in the roof structure alone is mind-boggling. (Check out the window cleaner on the left.)
The last day of Japanese class.
Mmmmmmmmm. Shadows and light.
A nice little park, where Kamogawa and Takanogawa Rivers converge.
On any night of the week, the banks of Shirokawa River are packed with pesky youngsters chilling out and setting off fireworks acquired from a nearby convenience store.
I saw the Art of Star Wars exhibition, 8 foot Millenium Falcon model and all!! 😀
Mmmmmmm, harsh light and sharp angles. Yummy.
Random intersection with interesting light (at least I thought so).
It seemed to be some kind of community function and I really have to wonder if they simply dumped a bunch of goldfish in there and let the kids scoop em out and take em home. There were a TON in this little stretch of river.
So I'm walking along one of the tiny rivers (canals?) that run through the city and I come across this SLEW of kids fishing goldfish out of the water with little fishnets.
10pm on Sunday night and I happen across this cute little shrine with candles lit and strangely enough, a locked and bolted door in front of it. (Sorry for the blurriness, my camera(LINK) really doesn't like low light situations. 🙁 )
An out of the way restaurant my friend Lee took me to. VERY out of the way as you can see by the alley.
See what I mean? As if the proper river in the background weren't enough, there's this cute little mini-river running parallel to it with a cute park in-between the two. It's so cute, I'm gagging as I type this!
Yet another of the scores of river/canals that run through the city that are so shallow, you wonder how they just don't dry up.
Kyoto is a very watery town. There's rivers, lakes, streams, canals, resevoirs, kitchen sinks, all over the place. It's one of the reasons it's such a relaxing city I think.
The relaxing view from my dorm room
And out the other window, somebody in the dorm was drying some fruit in the sun.
If I ever find myself homeless, I'm going to make sure I do it in Kyoto. One of the hottest days of my stay and these guys are just chillin under a bridge watching TV. My only question is, where was the power coming from??
