KYOTO

I went to Kyoto for the first time this weekend. Amazing place. Arrived around 9 in the dark, and was completely blown away by the station. Had an hour to kill before my friend arrived and just wandered around. I love well designed spaces and buildings, and this place is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. It's modern design done perfectly – grey girders and black marble effect and strip lights, but all in perfectly designed shapes that intersect and play with each other and make the space take on personality. Love it.



Friday night went to see my supervisor's brother, who works as a kimono designer a couple of subway stops from the main station. He's pretty cool, went to this little bar then went back and got really drunk in his tiny little apartment. Check his book of designs – oh and this jacket, something to do with Jamiroquai or other, didn't really get it but here he is doing his drunk Japanese Jay Kay impression.



Woke up later than we intended the next day due to the drinking, and set off to see what we could see. Checked the nicest little courtyard area opposite Yoji's flat, where they had shops like Beams stuff. Doing some sort of show in the middle so was decorated a bit as well.



Then got the bus back to the station and over Mr Donuts set out A Plan on the awesome bus map, called Bus Navi. For temples and shrines, we went to see the most popular ones, maybe try and find some other ones next time. So we went to Kinkakuji, the temple of the golden pavilion. Beautiful stuff. There were Kyoto Uni students giving free tours so we learned a bit about its history, apparently it got burned down about 50 years ago by a monk who became obsessed with it. That's craziness.




After this we walked towards Ryoanji, stopping off at a cool little cafe.



So Ryoanji is where there is the famous zen garden which is just a few rocks placed in what looks like raked gravel. This place was beeeaaaautiful. Sat at the garden for about an hour, it's a really cool place. As we were leaving, it wasn't really very late, but there was no one around and we seemed to have the place practically to ourselves. Another world seriously.



Heading back to the station we got a bit lost, and somehow ended up walking through this area with beautiful buildings on both sides. Stones throw from the modern station in the bustling high rise city, a serious step back in time feeling. Check the pictures. Oh and under the red building, kids just hanging out after high school. Imagine this place being the equivalent of the corner shop you and your mates hung around after school. Unbelievable.



So after this headed off to Gion, which I think was the red light district back in the day (but classier than that of course – this is Kyoto) and it still seemed to be filled with ladies dressed up to the nines and businessmen, buildings with gentlemen's clubs on all of their 15 floors. Serious shit. Went over to the next area, and went to a Kyoto jet little meet up in a British Pub. Classy, no?



So anyway met some people through a friend of Siobhan, my friend I went with, and we moved on to another bar, where we started talking to some Japanese guys who go there to practice their English and tried out my Japanese and shit and it was all fun and games. Drinking beer ihn the Japanese style, essentially out of large double shot size glasses where you top up each other and end up toasting all the time. Doing a bunch of different toasts, tried 'chin chin' which turns out to mean 'penis' in Japanese. Of course every toast after that was chin chin. Ended up in the tackiest club but I can't deny I enjoyed it so meh. On the way home got a kebab (IN JAPAN WTFOMGROFL) and then we stayed with a Kyoto JET who lives actually in Kyoto city. Nice apartment and all. I'm jealous as hell, but I know if I lived where she lived I'd never leave the square mile I'm in and that would be bad. At least living where I do I'm forced to move around right? RIGHT???

Anyway Sunday went to see Kiyomizudera, pure water temple. Raining. Umbrellas, tourists, views, soba noodles overhanging the trees, chilled out. Oh and check the weird as hell little creepy statue thing with Bo Selecta style glasses that was in one of the little roads leading up to it, there was a whole little building covered in creepy creepy little figures, gnarled women clutching their breasts, demon type things, no idea why.



Just time for a last look at the station in the pouring rain. Oh incidentally, full respect to the Japanese girls who think nothing of going out in a downpour in hotpants and high heels (seems to be de rigueur in Kyoto.). That's dedication. Then headed back to Kaibara. Where, amazingly, in the pouring rain and pitch black, I managed to get my car out of Dylan's drive (of doom) first time no trouble. I think I finally got it sorted. Driving in the rain past past the mountains in the dark listening to Grooveman Spot after a weekend in Kyoto… good feeling. (Dead mukade in bathroom at home... bad feeling, but not enough to dent the overall mood.)



That was Kyoto. In other news last week, my supervisor came round and we chased the mouse out of my house (this would have been hilarious for anyone watching.) So slightly winning on the bug front, but sometimes having a little trouble sleeping. Gonna get a bed instead of sleeping on a futon to fix that up, as my current solution of a couple of beers (a modification of Chris' suggestion of rum) is probably not the best strategy.

As I write this (from school) there are girls prodding the teacher next to me, stealing stuff from his desk and generally bullying him. And telling me to study Japanese. I love my school.

Oh I also started learning Taiko. Pretty cool instrument, but frustrating being in a class where you have to hit four to the floor practically the entire lesson cos the level is LOW and don't wanna be all this is too easy. But should improve.

And picked up the HEAVIEST japan only jazz release. Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Christian McBride, unbelievable all star trio, playing all Chick Corea compositions live last year, and the moment I saw it I knew it was a Japan only release because it was called.... 'Super Trio'.



Still loving Japan :o)