I:m in Kyoto and I can:t figure out how to get the apostrophe to work
Well I:m meeting a friend from school here in a few minutes across the street, she:s studying in Kyoto for a few weeks, so we:re going to take a little adventure to Nara I think, which is a little south of kyoto to see the giant buddah statue and deer that bow at you. Or so they say. Anyhow I just spent 15 minutes with the nice Japanese guys at the counter of this internet cafe place, trying to communicate that I just want to use the internet for a little bit. And these little cafes are awesome. For a half hour it:s 200 yen and I get all the free drink I want…mmmm milk tea is my new favorite, and internet and magazines and books and there are all these different packages you can get. There:s one with a lounge, where you have TV, internet, PS2, and dvd player. then another option with a massage chair, and another option with a couch for up to 3 people. So you could come out with your friends and drink unlimited coffee or whatever and play games, watch movies, etc all night long cause it:s 24 hours.
So anyhow I:m sorry everyone for not being able to post. I have a lot of entries saved, but I get so tired when i get home, i end up falling asleep before I:m done. \and I:ve been in Kyoto the last couple days, without computer and internet, so this is the first in 4 days I:ve been able to check email and stuff.
I:ve seen some really amazing temples here and yesterday I went to Arishiyama to this new museum called Shiguredeon or something like that and it:s all interactive. The theme of the museum is some Japanese poetry. When you walk in, you take off your shoes and put all your stuff in a little locker, but they let you take pictures of everything. And so I took some little camera video of my time there. Then you walk down this hallway and come to a counter where they hand you a modified Nintendo DS and a stylus. You have 20 minutes to use it. Then you walk into this main room and there:s a grid of screens on the floor which everyone walks over. \right now is a giant map of Kyoto and so there are 2 buttons on your DS. One is to zoom, and the other brings up this bird who will take you to a place you want to go. You choose from a list and when you hit it the bird circles around your feet and flies around the map. You follow it and it shows you the place you selected. Then you can zoom in and see up close the place. It:s like google earth but interactive. Then night time comes and all these chinese characters light up in the night sky, they represent some kind of protection of kyoto or something. Then this game starts that you play with everyone else who:s there. The grid each has a different card with different illustrations and poems and then on your DS it shows a card and you have to find the card on the grid, stand on it and click the DS. If you got it right, you get another card to find. You do this for about 5 minutes, and everyone:s scurrying around the floor. Me and an older Japanese couple and 2 younger Japanese couples, and some older Japanese men. It was fun sliding around in our socks. The lady guide who was helping me understand how to play, said I got second place in the game.
But anyway I:ll write more in a little bit, must meet my friend now.
Miss you all lots!!!