Kimonos compared to Dirndls and Aquabats: Why bats need a drink too

During our stay in Japan we got to visit a Japanese bathhouse (Onsen). At the beginning a clerk gives you a bathrobe (Yakuta) which you put on and enter the Onsen. Quite unexpectedly you enter a Japanese Disneyland. Everyone is wandering around in Yakutas and there are stands selling everything from food to tourist trinkets. The food was a little overpriced but the barley tea was free. The entire experience was pretty great, although it was definitely geared towards tourists, both Japanese and foreign. That raises the question as to when you become a tourist. Are you a tourist in your own country, your own city? I would love to hear your thoughts.
A few days after going to the Onsen, Fred and I were in store looking for Yakutas. As you can see on the picture, they are pretty great looking and I thought it might be worth investing in one. We began looking around the store only to discover that they are pretty pricey, until we suddenly found some that were a lot cheaper. We started looking through them to see if we could find the right sizes, when a lady working in the store waled up to us and said: "Those are lady kimonos." We must have looked pretty foolish for our inablility to tell the difference and so we moved on quite embarrassed. Fred joked that had we been in Austria or Bayern, the equivalent would have been us looking at a Dirndl. I guess there is a lot to learn about other cultures.

 To the Aquabats. Yes, they are a band and I think I discovered how they came up with that name. Last night Fred and I were in the pool and the sun disappeared beyond the hills on the horizon. As night fell the bats came out of their hiding places to grace us with their presence. Suddenly the bats came swooping down and would glide above the water while sipping up a drink. Maybe not the easieset way to get a drink, but its the bats only chance to drink something without drowning. We felt a lot like batman as all the bats flew around us skimming over the water. We will try and get a picture. Wish us luck.

Ostia Antica

 

Yesterday we visited Ostia Antica. I really love finding places that are really cool but not overrun by tourists. Ostia Antica is one of those places. The area is called a miniature Pompeii because it is a city that was completely covered (by silt and not volcanic ash) and has now been unearthed. Walking along the roads of Ostia Antica gives you a feeling of how the ancient Romans lived two thousand years ago. Here are some pictures from our outing:

 You put your hand in the statue's mouth for good luck. Well, I hope it is good luck that you get and not a squint.

I wish I could paint as good as that fellow.

Japan Trip June 1-15

Kamakura Daibutsu - The Great Buddha

On Saturday Fred and I took the train to Kamakura, a small beach town south of Tokyo.  The most visited site is the Kamakura Daibutus - the Great Buddha of Kamakura. At 13.35 meters it is an impressively large statue. It was cast in bronze in 1252 and has survived till today. Over the centuries earthquakes and tsunamis have damaged the statue, but even earth's calamities could not interrupt the Buddha's peaceful meditation.

A lot of Japanese visit the statue and apparently it is also a popular place for school outings, since hundreds of school children were running around. About 40 kids assaulted us in hopes to practice their English. Similar to our previous experience the had a small list of questions about our name, our hometown and our favorite Japanese food. After we had given our autograph at least twenty times each, their teacher came up to us and thanked us for our willingness to help. We then got in line to climb inside the statue. Since it is hollow you can stand on the inside and admire the intricacies of bronze casting. Done with seeing the Buddha, we went on to visit many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples which Kamakura is famous for.

Another thought on traveling: When I left Utah after my semester at BYU was over, I put the majority of my belongings in storage. Then I drove down to California where I left my car at my sister's house (she is very kind to take car of it and make sure the battery does not die). After that I flew to Germany where I spent a few months. Before flying to Rome I left some things in Germany which I would not need in Rome. Once in Rome we got ready to leave for Japan and so I only packed what I needed for two weeks, once again leaving belongings behind in Rome. I'm in Tokyo now and I have belongings strewn across three continents, four countries in five locations. Needless to say, I have become accustomed to living out of suitcase. It takes some getting used to but I am really grateful to have to this great opportunity to travel.

Do you speak English?

Today Fred and I went to Asakusa where we saw the local shrine and surrounding buildings. We had brought our sketch books and so we sat down and started sketching. Apparently people drawing attracts other peoples' attention and so we had several people come up and watch us. One man came up and asked me if he could take a picture with us. First Fred took the picture of the two of us, then I took a picture of him and Fred. He was very amiable and it was nice to meet someone so friendly.
The next to approach us was a group of boys. This is how the conversation went:
Boy1: Do you speak English? [quickly passes on the paper to his friend]
Boy2: We are junior high students and need to practice English [he too thrusts the paper into the next boy's hands]
Boy3: What is your hometown?
Me: Frankfurt
They look at each other and in confusion and give me the paper to write down my hometown.
Boy3: Write your message.
Me: [I'm not sure what message I am supposed to write and so I ask them:] What message?
Boy3: Yes!
So I proceed to write a message and hand the paper back. I had to also draw an X on a map to show where I was from. And finally:
Boy4: Can we take a picture with you?

We got up and took a picture with them. I thought that this was a truly brilliant method of having students practice a foreign language. They really didn't speak any English at all, but they managed to use all the sentences that they knew. Sometimes it is good to stick out as a foreigner.

Meiji Shrine

Comparisons

This is just a comparison between my drawings and a photo. The top is the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. The middle is our family's house in Graz and the bottom is the Koelner Dom.
Does anyone have a suggestions on how to draw bushes/trees/shrubbery?