turning japanese

What better way to start your blog than a pic like that? ^^^^ That's Marlas 'sake face'... So we went to Japan for the weekend. It was great to get away and have another stamp in the passport. We got up at 5 am to catch the KTX to busan and then the ferry to fukoka. all in all it was relatively cheap. transportation and hotel to and from japan for 20o bucks. nice. we arrived at around lunch time, and after the initial 'holy crap, we're in japan' feelings we settled into our ridiculously small hotel room and then went to check out some ancient ruins. i demanded that we do something cultural on the trip, so it wasn't just about the shopping (which, granted is enough on it's own).
This is canal city. a killer shopping district in fukoka. i sold my soul to gap for clothes that fit me normally. someday i'm sure the smell of sweatshop will wear off. this place was awesome though, all open concepts. you can tell that japan actually has money put aside for landscaping and architecture. cough.
here is a little market along the river. it was cool, at night everything was lit up, and people were drinking and eating. really good atmosphere. my camera sucks with night shots so nothing turned out great.

alright, so this year i've had kimchi in korea, pad thai in thailand, and sushi in japan. i don't care if it's dorky

These pics are in and around the ruins we checked out near ohori park.

me, waaaay back on that bridge. there was someone sleeping right beside where i was standing.

view of fukoka from the ruins.



gokoku shrine.
our hotel room. fricking tiny. there are more pics which i will post later when i get them. japan was a short but good trip. i feel as though i was excessively clutzy.. even for me.. i got stuck in elevator doors.. almost pushed down stairs in the ferry, tripped in the ferry terminal.. and had to be pulled out of the way of bicyclists constantly. the latter i don't blame on myself.. i'm just so used to the loudness of korea, and if i don't hear a motor, or yelling i assume noones there..

oh and i now know that 2 gravol guarantee me 2 hours of SOLID sleep.. i fell asleep on the way there with a sucker in my mouth for a couple of hours.. and on the way back apparantly marla fell on me and i didn't wake up.. never knew i was that deep of a sleeper.. whatever, i have a new way to make the long trip home feel a little quicker..