Golden Week (May 7th, 2011)

I know I haven't really posted anything this week, and although I have had much of the week off from school, I can't say I've done anything really exciting.  Golden Week is traditionally the time everyone takes vacations in Japan since it is one of the few socially acceptable times to take your time off.  The rest of the year, even if you had accrued the vacation days, it would be considred bad form to ask your boss to use them.  During Golden Week, your boss would be taking the time of as well, so the socially correct thing would be to go nuts and hit Hawaii, or Tokyo Disneyland, or wherever your fancy takes you.  Of course, this means that attractions and destinations are incredibly packed during Golden Week because everyone is visiting them at the same time.

Understandably, things are a bit subdued this year, but I'm sure the local destinations are still busy as all get out.  I figured many of my fellow students would be getting out there as well, since they seem to do a lot of that kind of thing, but there's been a surprising number of people hanging around the Yamasa owned housing.  I guess they want to avoid the crowds too.

Consequently, a few of us from the building took advantage of a "coupon leaflet" somebody had and went out for dinner one night.  That has been the extent of my "Golden Week" festivities.  Needless to say, seeing as how we're all starving students, we leapt at the chance to get discounted beef and egg burgers, faster than Oleg can say "Olive Garden."

I, of course, have been studying during Golden Week, taking advantage of the opportunity to let my brain catch up to the current state of the course work, since it is, as a rule, always lagging behind (my brain, not the course work).

I did go for a few runs this week, something I haven't done since coming to Yamasa, and boy am I feeling it.  Serves me right for slacking off like that.  I was hoping I would get around to maybe seeing what was on offer at one of the local gyms and avoid the high impact intensity of jogging, but cost and the lack of my language skills led me to give up, and instead I've just taken up jogging again.

I thought I'd share these pictures with you, since today was an absolutely glorious day weather-wise.  You all know that I don't throw words such as "glorious" around like stray apple-jacks, so trust me, it was pretty darn fresh and sunny and "genki."  I took the photos, though, just as the sun began to set, so it may not look as "glorious" as I am going on and on about.

There is a concrete path around a nearby "lake" and since it's only minutes away from my residence, I've pegged it as my "jogging spot."  Plenty of other kids and old people use it too, so I never feel lonely.  Of course, I attempt a clumsy "half-bow" for politeness as I pass the elderly, which comes off a bit awkward when you're a westerner, and attempting to jog around them at the same time.



Here's a view of the lake in question, ere the setting sun.





Same thing, just a different angle.

Of course, I couldn't miss out on an opportunity to demonstrate differences between Japanese / Canadian culture.  This sign featured at the lake-area gets its message across pretty clearly: don't let your "inu" (dog) leave any soft-serve ice cream-shaped deposits around the track.  What I love about this sign is the fact that the dog is VERY embarrased that he/she had to take the dump in the first place.  In Canada, the dog wouldn't give a damn, and just rudely go about its business.  Things are much politer in Japan, and not only the owner, but the dog him/herself is red-faced.

Here's some of the avian friends to be found nesting around the lake.  I wonder who cleans up after them, and more importantly, do they go red-in-the-face as well?

Many of my friends have mastered the art of taking a photo of themselves whilst also getting some of the scenery in the shot at the same time.  Clearly, I am not so skilled, and this was the best I could do.  I did manage to get the swan in there (barely) on the lower-left.  I figured since you never see me in any of the photos I post, I needed to prove to you that I really am here in Japan, as I purport to be.