Some more pictures from the Lab Trip

These pictures would not fit in the other article.

The Lab Trip

Now I have returned from the lab trip. I had a good time. I got to know a lot of the people in my lab that I didn't know that well before. It took about 4 hours to drive there, but with the company it wasn't that bad. I wish that I could speak Japanese better, it would have made the trip better I think. Anyways, on the way we stopped at a resturant to eat sashimi for lunch (sashimi is diced raw fish). I think it was pretty good and everything was Japanese style. All the rooms for the resturants were Japanese style and of course the hotel was to. The Japanese hotel provided dinner and breakfast for the next morning. When we arrived at the hotel we went to the beach. I don't like getting in the ocean but I decided to swim anyways. I knew that they would have a bath-tub at the hotel (at a Japanese style hotel it is essential) and they said they have showers (I should also explain that at a Japanese style hotel, all the guests use the same showers and bath-tubs) but what they ment by showers was a waterhose with a spray nozzle at the end. AND the water was freezing cold in the "shower." Also, Japanese people like to bath together in bath-tubs, but for me this is very difficult because I am shy. I knew this was the case before I got to Japan. Actually, the next morning (2nd and last day of the trip) I found out that they did have actual showers next to the bath-tub (but when I asked I was told that the waterhose was the shower). On the first night we did fireworks (I posted pictures of some of them). Later that night there was a big drinking party. Normally I don't drink, but my friends were very persuasive (and I don't think I will ever drink again). It was fun until I got sick. The next day I felt awful. We went to a place called the Rainbow Line (I posted pictures as well). I want to explain about the locks and the little disk thinks with the picture of a deamon on it. The locks are for people who are in love. They write their names on locks and then lock them to the fence and as long as the lock is locked they will stay in love. The disks with the deamon (Tengu-specific type of deamon with a long nose, that travels in the storm) are suppose to make your wishes come true (I wished to be fluent in Japanese). You write your wish on the disk and throw it over the edge of the mountain (I threw mine the furthest). That is all there is to it. The scenery was very nice. It would have been better if I wasn't feeling bad (I drank 4 or 5 cans, my limit is 2). Because I have other stuff to do that is all for now. I hope you enjoy the pictures. (the people in the pictures are all from my lab. The elder person is the professor of the lab). Here is the quote of the day by Sir Arthur Eddington:
"We are a bit of stellar matter gone wrong. We are physical machinery - puppets that strut and talk and laugh and die as the hand of time pulls the strings beneath. But there is one elementary inescapable answer. We are that which asks the question."

That's all. I don't know when my next article will be. Give me 2 weeks time and I think I will have something. I'm planning on going to Shiraishi jima soon. That will warant an article. Well, to all those that read this, I'll see you around.
Aidos mi amigos

Hanabi (fireworks) festival and a huge crowd

So I tried to convince some friends of mine to go to a firework festival in Toyota city with me. Some were already going, but the only friend of mine from the Kaikan that went (note that many are away at something called Japan Tent -they are camping I think?) with me was my Brazilian friend,Celso. Toyota city is a little more than an hour away from the Kaikan by subway (kaikan is the name of the place I live at). I wrote in the title that it was a firework festival, but it is actually a summer festival with fireworks. Anyway, we met our other friends their (you can see pictures of 2 of them in Kimono's-although neither of them are actually Japanese). There were 7 of us all together. The fireworks were great (I captured a few borring ones, and not very well, on my camera-it wasn't ment to take pictures this way, but I posted them anyways). There were various types of Japanese festival foods (which many are the same as American fair food: fried corn, sausage on a stick, french fries, snowcones, etc...). I had some fried octopus dumplings. Anyway, more importantly was the huge number of people that were there. It was awful fighting the croud (and I stick out a little, that didn't make me feel that good). I cannot really describe the huge crowd. I the fireworks were great, but I don't want to go to a festival that crowded again. There were some interesting sights, such as an old lady with blue hair, people walking around in Kimonos with MacD's bags and crosses and tattoos at the same time. One person that I took a picture of was dressed like a gesture. Tons of interesting things (and by things I mean the way some people dressed). It's kind of interesting. I would say that overall I really enjoyed the festival (there were a lot of foreigners, like myself, there). The awful part came when it was time to leave. Everybody wanted to take the subway home. It took us forever to get to the platform. When we did, I went to the other side of the wicket and waited for my friends (a couple of them were with me, but they went back to get something from my other friends who sat down to wait for the croud to subside). I waited for a long time and then they stopped letting people in to the station. I thought they were at the maximum that they could let on the rest of the trains returning that night. So as quickly as I could, I e-mailed my friends letting them know what I thought was happening. Around the 3rd e-mail my phones battery finally gave out (it was on it's 3rd day of battery life). Oh no! I'll never be able to find them in this croud I thought. Last e-mail I received they were at Starbucks for a moment, but I don't know where that is. Should I leave the station and go look for them. I'm not just going to leave them here by themselves over night. A taxi would be to expensive to take home and it is to far to walk. What should I do??? Well, what else could I do? I got on the subway and went home leaving them there. It would have been pointless to search for them. I stick out, but I don't shine like the sun. Without a phone I couldn't find them. They wouldn't even know I was looking for them. Finally when I got back about 1.15 hours later I had a friend e-mail Celso to find out what was going in. I put my phone on the charger and started using it to text everyone that I thought was still at the festival. Luckily, my guess that they stopped letting people in because they would not be able to fit everyone on the rest of the trains was wrong. Maybe they had reached the max aloud for that station. My friends were able to make it back with no problem about 30 min. after I arrived. Good. I would have felt bad if I learned that I had abandoned them and I was the only one to make it back. That would have seemed wrong on my part.

Anyways, yesterday was Celso's 25th Birthday. So, if you read this article..."Happy Texas Birthday," I had to put Texas in their because I read your comment and I know how much you like to hear TEXAS. セソルくんはテキサスが大好きだよ。大丈夫だよ。認めなさい。 That was a little message for Celso.

Starting tomorrow, I am going on a lab trip somewhere north of Nagoya. We are going to a Japanese style hotel next to the Sea of Japan. It should be fun I think. I plan on bringing my camera so the next article you will be able to see the pictures I think. I had a seminar from 9am to 5pm on Monday and Tuesday so I did not get to go to Japanese class. On Thurday and Friday I wont be able to go either. I'm making friends with the Korean girls in my class, but I keep thinking that there is no point in making friends with them since they will be leaving next Tuesday to go home. I don't really think that it is worth making friends with people that I will only know for a few days. I will kind of miss class with them. Atleast they are mature, unlike my previous class. I look forward to going to class now.
I have not got around to posting pictures for the other article yet, because I have not returned to Kanayama. When I do, I will post them. And, if you have read this far Celso, I have something to say to you. Actually, I have one think to say, but I want to say it many many times: TEXAS x 100 (I didn't feel like writing it 100 times.)
Well, that is all for now. I will write an article when I return over the weekend I think. And here is the quote of the month. It is one that has already appeard on my blog once before, but it is one of my favorites:
This is from Einstein trying to explain relativity to normal people:
"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit next to a pretty girl for a hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity."

The quote of the day is by the famous Astronomer (even NASA named a space craft after him)
Christian Huygens:
"The World is my Country, Science my Religion."

See you later mi amigos.
Hasta Luego