Arashiyama - First Day in Kyoto!

So I have time to write yesterday's report! It was amazing! First, we met up around 9:45 am at a central train station and then took off. We had to change trains twice, but were able to use the same train line the whole way and a one-way ticket was 470 yen (less than $5). Once we arrived, we were met with lush greens everywhere, as well as souvenir shops and street vendors.

The first thing we did was go to Arashiyama Monkey Park (with a 550 yen entry fee for adults, if anyone is interested). To do this, you pass a tiny yet beautiful shrine and then hike about twenty minutes uphill through a mountain full of Jurassic-Park like scenery. Once we got to the top, we were met with a beautiful view of the city and mountains as well as...monkeys! Japanese macaques aka snow monkeys that apparently mainly diet on fruits and bugs. They were actually quite small and docile, walking around and just living their lives. Some precautionary rules we had to follow were to avoid crouching, eye contact, touching, and getting too close to them (however, sometimes, the monkeys would break the proximity rule and just walk right next to you). I was honestly a little nervous, but it was safe and fun. I was also able to get some nice pictures, especially of this one baby who was adorable!

Next, us hungry tourists hiked back down and ate at various stalls. Though, before I actually ate, I
tried (*cough* 7 different kinds of *cough*) samples of yatsuhashi - a famous Kyoto treat. They are little triangles of mochi-like material with sweet bean filling. I think my top three were the black sugar, matcha, and sakura flavors (the last one being the flavor I ended up getting with a nice box - my host family and I will open it once their daughters and sister/sister-in-law comes to visit). So once I had that nice experience, I tried yakisoba for the first time as well! Yakisoba is a famous street-food in Japan that is soba (noodles) that are grilled with vegetables (and meat, if you want) with a delicious sauce. It honestly reminded me of Chinese chow mein but with okonomiyaki-like sauce. I also had sakura-mochi ice cream since the sakura products will soon disappear. 

Next, we crossed the tourist site "togetsukyou" - a bridge which, it is said, if you look back or turn around while crossing it, you'll have very bad luck...maybe even disappear. So, of course, I did not look back (especially after watching a Mushishi episode concerning a similar concept). On the way I saw a beautiful anhinga sunning themselves in the river. Then we headed to Nonomiya Shrine. This shrine was a lot smaller than I expected, but it was quite lovely. It had a brown wooden gate with the iconic rope and paper hanging from it and some tiny shrines - one of which had a row of delicate fox figurines. I bought my first Japanese fortune at
Nonomiya Shrine. I got "Quite Good" which, on the scale, is number 2 of 5 or 6.  This fortune actually had a lot to it. I'll type some of my favorites here - note: I love how it referenced the moon a lot and there was a side in Japanese and one in English.

"In the wonderful moon light, how glad I am to find a way to go along!"
"Your fortune will be better and better as if the dark road got lighter because of the moonshine. Go slowly but steadily and make your own way, and everything will go well."
"Wish: Keep calm and take your time, and you'll realize it."
"Study: Don't yield to your weak mind. Do your best."
"Missing thing: Look for it at an opening in a high place, and you'll find it."

Apparently this shrine is popular for love and childbirth. My host family says many people go and
pray to meet their special someone in Kyoto within a year. (All I did was thank the local spirit for letting us enter and photograph the place).

After the shrine was my favorite part of the trip: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. It was stunning. Spectacular. Surreal. The sense of serenity and awe that I experienced walking through this place was astonishing. And it is actually quite big. There are several paths you walk on that cut through the forest with one side section with paths that wind and loop around a small part of the forest (other than that, access is limited). But this forest was so dense, quiet, and magical. The bamboo were also shockingly tall. I didn't realize bamboo grew that high! It was like walking through another world - of fantasy, of dreams, of spirits. I may be obsessing, but this was on my bucket-list and it really resonated with me. I also was able to take a ton of great pictures which made me so happy. I think Sunday, overall, I took almost 1,000 pictures (action-mode for monkeys + bamboo = majority).

 Reluctantly, I left the bamboo forest and we split into two groups - one that tried a foot-only onsen and the other that walked around Arashiyama for snacks and souvenirs. I joined the latter since the former option was not appealing - I'm glad I joined the latter because I was able to find some souvenirs I've been wanting to get. As I continue to write about the day, I will post mainly more bamboo pictures for the aesthetic, though they may not fit the topic, but hey - pictures!!!!!

Once we regrouped and rode the train back (by the way - I had a lot of interesting train conversations with Japanese students, like finding out one of them in a fellow Environmental Science major, there is a city north of Taipei in Taiwan that "Spirited Away" was modeled after, and Okinawa is a popular vacation/trip spot for Japanese people) we split up yet again into smaller groups and one of the groups went to eat at Nishinomiya Garden's brand new food court!

The food court was fun and I'm glad I went, but it was a little pricey and I probably won't eat there again. But I had takoyaki (this time with sauce and I did film the moving flakes) with high quality octopus. I also caved and got a crepe (was good, but not really what it promised). Though, what was nice, there were little sinks here and there to wash your hands as well as free water.



After that the adventure continued! We went to Torikizoku - a bar that is basically at every station and

where everything is 280 yen. I didn't drink anything since I had classes and a test the next day (and it would have been my first time and I'm a little nervous about the after-effects). I did have some very good french fries and an under-aged friend and I both had non-alcoholic fruity drinks that tasted like the dessert ambrosia (with mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows, etc.). We had a lot of fun playing "Never Have I Ever" and "Hot Seat" (Truth or Dare but just Truth and whoever is in the 'hot seat' has to answer any and all questions for two minutes). It was really funny, especially as some peoples' drinks kicked in and when we had to figure out how to translate between English and Japanese when one of the students didn't understand another.

I walked home with two friends who live nearby me and showered, realizing it was too late to go through my 1,000 pictures and type up a detailed post. I appreciate your patience!

Yesterday was amazing and if I could call it a "high day" then today was a very "low day." I wasn't necessarily tired, but lacked energy and it was really frustrating. I was super stressed and tense and despite telling myself "Don't let this mysterious anxiety ruin your day" and "Mind over matter" it just faded in and out until tears started leaking during my Dialects test. I knew it wasn't the test since it wasn't that hard and I had studied sufficiently. I felt a little bad, because I think I made the teacher uncomfortable when I turned in my test with puffy eyes and attempting to hide my nose. A classmate helped me a find a bathroom and I honestly cried in the stall for a few minutes. I still have no idea why. It may have just been my body's way of reacting to the high energy and happiness levels I've been feeling lately mixed with possibly not quite enough sleep and eating tourist food the day before? I don't know. But I made sure to eat a healthy lunch today and, though I tried to work out and hoped that it would help, I didn't even finish one set and didn't even get through a full minute of stretching/yoga. I realized I just wasn't up for it today - like my usual access to that ridiculous amount of almost never-ending energy was just blocked and I was wearing a cloak that I usually avoid wearing. I did, however, fulfill an errand which actually helped a lot. I walked about a half hour to a dollar store for a (n adorable) set of bento chopsticks with a case (to stop throwing wooden chopsticks away every time I eat on campus). The solitary walk was really relaxing and helped me calm my mind and emotions. Though it may seem odd, as I was returning home and I was thinking through the Twenty One Pilots song "March to the Sea," the wind hit me with a scent of sandalwood and made the leaves of the sakura tree in front of my dance and whisper in a beautiful way, just as I was recounting the line "a voice inside my head - follow me instead."

For anyone hoping to study abroad, I feel like it is important to know that you are still you. Even if you want to make a new start, that change is going to be gradual. You'll still have high days, low days, days of work, and days of play. Of course it's important to rest and have time to yourself, but it's also important how you do so. If you have a bad day in your new country, it may not be the country. It doesn't mean you are sick of the new area or are a failure in the new environment. Your study abroad experience isn't over or ruined. It's just you living your life. Even if you can't immediately figure out how to help yourself or get out of a slump, it will happen. Either you'll figure it out or someone will help you or maybe a mix of imagination and fate will give you a boost of encouragement. Just remember, follow the path that is right for you.

What also helped was eating a delicious cheesy pasta dish and fresh salad with a dessert of grass mochi and red bean paste filling with my host family (along with watching another ridiculous episode of Sailor Moon Crystal). My homework that I did not complete at school today can wait for the morning.

Yesterday was a great day to end April and, although today wasn't the best way to start May, I'm optimistic about what May will bring. Good night and good day!