tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83973856273229227892011-09-20T03:16:56.906+09:00where my insanity thrives ^_^ <p></p>Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.comBlogger2571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-38000560598047544952010-10-29T17:05:00.000+09:002010-10-29T17:02:02.503+09:00

Back in my elementary school days, when we had that fantastic free time called 'recess', there was one event that always marred the time. The 'let's decide the teams' event.I'm sure most of you know how it goes. The group shuffles into a wavering line in front of the two designated captains. Then the captains name off who they want on their team. The best players always got called first, then the

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-54196192676175710102010-09-29T23:14:00.005+09:002010-09-29T23:22:52.696+09:00

Me attempting a pretty shot. Not sure if it came out all too well. Probably would be a better shot when those trees in the background are flowering cherry blossoms again.*shrugs*Also, I'm about to hit the three month mark of successfully blogging every weekday (give or take a few). I have decided that I'm not a blogger. Doing these have turned more into a chore than a joy. So, unless I get some

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-24568366173213030962010-09-28T19:10:00.003+09:002010-09-28T19:16:33.070+09:00

Wandering Mishima (a big town about thirty minutes north of me), I came across this odd site:It's a random old, decaying bridge that spans this little river. There's a shrine on the right and houses on the left. It's too frail and narrow to be a foot bridge and has too many holes to bring in water.My conclusion? It must be a bridge for rats. Who knows? Maybe the shrine is for rats! ^_^

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-214228015812842252010-09-27T19:38:00.001+09:002010-09-27T22:27:13.198+09:00

You know how in America, you have the ideal 'porch' where it faces a lazy street and has a porch swing you can rock on as you watch a cool autumn day pass by?Well here's a 1600s Japanese version!Yeah, no porch swing. And it faces the inner garden. But there are the straw mats to sit on and the porch is high enough that if you were the height of a regular Japanese person (which I'm not) you could

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-79318651892572369712010-09-24T21:07:00.003+09:002010-09-24T21:16:54.746+09:00

Another typhoon is on the way!Here's a satellite shot of it. Up near the top, within the circle of red, is where my humble abode lies. The typhoon is now at a level two (out of five) and I'm getting quite a bit of rain as I type. They were forecasting for this typhoon to head straight north and slam the areas around Tokyo (which would include my area), but it seems it will turn northeast (I drew

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-62919340907090760102010-09-23T22:15:00.004+09:002010-09-23T22:30:50.986+09:00

Every morning, I have to fight off several spiders that continually try to claim my bicycle as theirs. It's like they wait in the corners until I come home, then scurry to their prize and spin webs out as fast as they can. But no matter how fast they are, their webs are nothing to my shoe as I destroy their homes.Yesterday, they must have grouped up to form a plan to stop the gigantic beast that

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-38287091806085406012010-09-22T21:18:00.003+09:002010-09-22T21:25:46.541+09:00

So, remember that brilliant blue day where I could see Mt. Fuji? Since I had the day off, I decided to go up to Hakone, one of the five lakes near Mt Fuji, to get better shots. Except by the time I got there... A storm had moved in. This is only a few hours later from when I took the earlier pictures. From this shot, you're supposed to be enjoying the full grandeur of Mt Fuji. Instead, you're

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-32391226734008510112010-09-21T19:32:00.002+09:002010-09-21T19:39:01.723+09:00

Strawberries!My area is known for their strawberries and a bunch of the strawberry farms host these "30 minute all you can eat" marathons during April and May. You basically pay a small fee, get a little plastic cup, and then are let loose to pick and eat as many strawberries as you want in 30 minutes.You get to pick them right off the vine (you can see some strawberries in the pic above) and

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-12901438732718226002010-09-20T22:04:00.007+09:002010-09-20T22:12:36.930+09:00

This is a sight I pass every Thursday when I ride my bike to the elementary school. I have no idea what it's purpose is, but it's always smoking.It's next to a hotel (I think) so it might be a way to draw people in. The smoke smells like wet rice so my guess is it's related to a steamed dish rice and maybe they have a famous version of it and this odd thing is proof of it?*shrugs*At least it

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-81682267730272615052010-09-17T16:55:00.003+09:002010-09-17T17:32:48.927+09:00

Tomorrow would have been the celebration of two weeks with no ants. I was even thinking of taking the trash out of the freezer again.Alas, guess what I found wandering around in my bed today?Yes, an ant. So not happy.Edit: Found some more. Can't find their entry point yet though. :(

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-44752148012161807372010-09-16T22:09:00.001+09:002010-09-16T22:09:10.402+09:00

Today, in the elementary school that I work at, I was informed that sixth period would be canceled. Instead, the teachers and the students' parents were going to have a 'tsunahiku' in the gym. The word confused me so I asked for clarification. I knew what 'tsuna' meant (tuna, the fish) and I knew what 'hiku' meant (to pull, as in to pull the door open), but had no idea when you put the two

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-47865464784885074282010-09-15T20:11:00.001+09:002010-09-15T20:11:00.436+09:00

These are from April/May:Just look at how Mt Fuji stands out when the weather is clear! I can't wait for winter to come around. I hear you can see Mt Fuji all the time then and it's not being obscured by clouds.Here's a long shot taken on the same day. I'm not sure if you can see it, but on the far left in the distance, blending in with the sky, is the sea. Yeah, Mt Fuji is really close to the

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-44995160647856173362010-09-14T19:53:00.002+09:002010-09-14T19:58:17.794+09:00

Bread -- any type of bread -- is considered a sweet in Japan. Because of this, the Japanese can come up with the oddest combinations ever.This one cracked me up. It's a strawberry and whipped cream sandwich! Doesn't that just sound mouth-watering??It actually wasn't that bad. The Japanese don't really like sugar, so the whipped cream is as bland as the white bread. But the strawberries were

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-28251737474780829932010-09-13T22:24:00.002+09:002010-09-13T22:30:12.280+09:00

I love cemeteries and Japan has really cool ones. They're usually etched into a mountain side or in a little niche by a river or whatever empty spot they can find.The mountain side ones are the best since they have all these little steps with little turn offs for graves. Or you can keep climbing to the top and then look down, taking in both the cemetery and whatever city is sprawled below.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-7713270520078163472010-09-10T21:28:00.002+09:002010-09-10T21:43:08.935+09:00

Here's a cool pic:It's one of the many bridges that cross Kanogawa -- main river on the Izu penisula. This picture was taken in Numazu, about an hour from my place. They've developed a beautiful area on the river front with walking paths, sittable steps descending to the river, and lots of decorated bridges. My camera isn't great at capturing things at night, but I had to take this shot. Turned

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-81297531998156788332010-09-09T21:51:00.002+09:002010-09-09T21:56:32.724+09:00

Pictures of yesterday's typhoon! I didn't get very good shots (rain is hard to capture, apparently...) but here are two that I liked:Can you see the rain just pouring down? The pic doesn't do it justice; it was raining like sheets, I tell ya. And I failed to capture any of the lightning that was zapping all over the place. I think at one point, there was lightning flashing every minute and just

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-21827422736785742522010-09-08T16:02:00.002+09:002010-09-12T20:10:34.824+09:00

In the middle of fifth period during school today, my class was interrupted as a school employee handed a hastily scrawled note to my fellow teacher. The teacher looked it over, paused, and then proceeded to read it out loud.The students instantly burst into cheer.Beyond curious, I asked what's going on. They inform me that a typhoon was heading our way today, so school was canceled after the

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-55873005873057099852010-09-07T19:09:00.000+09:002010-09-07T19:09:00.936+09:00

Yay for old, decaying buildings, especially if they've got arches in them. This is from an old church near the shore of Galilee.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-45975999215209361622010-09-06T22:13:00.002+09:002010-09-06T22:19:43.997+09:00

I forgot to mention something. Remember my pic with the rock, pond and the sakura. Well, if you look close enough, you'll see turtles! Here's the pic cropped for a closer look.And here is another rock with a whole bunch of them. Aren't they cute??

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-218525337733093512010-09-03T21:24:00.006+09:002010-09-03T21:30:08.495+09:00

Since I put up a sakura pic yesterday, let's continue with the theme!This was taken at the main shrine in Mishima. Sakura trees surrounded the large pond that sat in front of the shrine, causing lots and lots of petals to mingle with the water. Made a pretty sight, let me tell ya ^_^

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-68814869802605434072010-09-02T21:50:00.005+09:002010-09-02T21:56:55.839+09:00

There are a ton of spiders out and about during summer in Japan. And with them come all their spider webs. Every morning, I find some sort of a spider web on my bicycle. Some foolish spider keeps trying to claim my bike as its home, apparently.And... you're probably wondering how this relates to the pic, right? Well, if you can get beyond the awe of the pretty sakura flowers, don't the branches

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-76987183478938673972010-09-01T23:47:00.002+09:002010-09-02T00:03:51.910+09:00

Today is 'Disaster Prevention Day' in Japan. On this day, back in 1923, a huge earthquake (7.9 on Richter scale) hit the Tokyo region, devastating the entire area. But Japan gets big earthquakes all the time, so why is this one so bad? Because there happened to be a typhoon occurring north of the area as well and the quake hit at lunch time when people were using fires. Know what happens

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-53601653174485550782010-08-31T22:00:00.002+09:002010-08-31T22:08:02.862+09:00

This awesomely blue bridge is the nearest one to my home. I use it whenever I need to go over to Nirayama (the town northwest of me) or to the train station.You probably can't tell, but there are actually two bridges there. The one with all the triangles is the pedestrian bridge. On the other side, including that arched part you can see, is the bridge for the cars. I've noticed the Japanese have

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-30137633850745497332010-08-30T22:39:00.002+09:002010-08-30T22:44:07.751+09:00

In every Shinto shrine, there is always 'the old tree'. It's actually the super sacred tree and I don't know enough about Shintoism to understand why they need a sacred tree but an old sacred tree is what you always get. If you happen to be in a shrine with a bunch of old trees, just look for a white rope at the base of a tree. That'll be the sacred one.This one is near* my home and it's

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-13667374157502952902010-08-27T19:38:00.005+09:002010-08-27T19:45:41.510+09:00

Up up we go!I just like the sky in this pic. So pretty! ^_^The subject of the pic is very famous, though. It's the Torre del Mangia (can translate to 'Tower of Eat!' or 'Tower of the Eater' - I kid you not. I believe the latter is more often used) and is connected to the Town Hall (that's the big castle-like building to the right). This prominent building sits adjacent to the main plaza of Siena

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-77188528596882030242010-08-26T22:06:00.002+09:002010-08-26T22:09:30.159+09:00

Speaking of trees, Italian trees always made me laugh. These trees can be found throughout Italy and don't they look like puff balls with sticks attached to them? Come on, you've got to admit they do. And this is all done naturally -- no trimming by humans to create the look.So amusing. ^_^Taken while out and about the Old Forum in Rome. You can see some of the ruins in the far background.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-92000399108770647852010-08-25T17:56:00.002+09:002010-08-25T18:03:01.324+09:00

Peaceful pic, don't you think? So peaceful, in fact, that I can't think of anything else to say. Let's just stare at it instead ^_^Taken in a pretty area near the outskirts of Pisa

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-41847516405424018732010-08-24T20:09:00.004+09:002010-08-24T20:09:00.116+09:00

When I lived in the Florence area of Italy, I picked up a very useful sound: BohIt's pronounced like it's spelled (if that doesn't help, think 'moe' but with a 'b' instead of a 'm') though sometimes the 'o' sound is elongated. It's meaning? It's like when Americans shrug their shoulders. It's a nonsensical sound that basically means 'don't know' or 'beats me' or 'no idea'.I use it a lot. It's so

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-6762909340414991722010-08-20T22:18:00.001+09:002010-08-20T22:18:00.683+09:00

I remember this being as random as I still think it is. This isn't a road usually used and yet, for some reason, there are dozens of potted flowers lining it.Why? I have on idea -- but they sure were pretty!Taken somewhere in the Florence area

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-74588542849806017272010-08-19T22:07:00.003+09:002010-08-19T22:16:36.196+09:00

Because I had a request for more Lucca wall pics, here you go:This shot is fun since you get the moat, the walls, AND hints of the playground hiding amongst the trees (look for splotches of red).And here I stand in the middle of a street. Notice the two smaller pathways on both sides of the 'street'? Not to mention the rows of trees... And yeah, we're still on the walls. And this is just a fun

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-16709353699015142482010-08-18T23:12:00.003+09:002010-08-18T23:24:18.933+09:00

Remember what I said about Italian homes and them never matching?Ta da! Here is a perfect example.Ah, Italian houses. They never cease to amuse me. Not only do they have all the different colors but notice how each house/building refuses to be the same height as any building next to it?*shakes head in amusement*Taken in the picturesque Cinque Terre area - can't remember which town exactly,

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-23616893130698369552010-08-17T23:58:00.000+09:002010-08-18T00:44:40.791+09:00

And here is a shot of the Mediterranean Sea at Livorno.Just look at how clear the water is!Here's another shot showing both the blueness of the sea and how clear it is to see to the bottom. From someone who grew up with muddy desert water (since the rivers only ran when it rained hard enough), this just floored me. The only other time I've seen water this clear was deep in a cave in an untouched

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-57705517157625206122010-08-16T20:38:00.001+09:002010-08-16T20:38:00.396+09:00

Behold Pisa Station near dusk time!The station itself isn't really remarkable; I just really liked how the composition of the shot turned out. ^_^Though I don't remember why I took the shot in the first place... I seem to have taken a lot of random pics in Italy. *shrugs*

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-75945187690857354832010-08-13T19:49:00.004+09:002010-08-13T21:10:37.156+09:00

A bridge made of vines and wood! How cool is that??Though I'll admit, as I gauged the length of the bridge and gulped at the depth of the canyon, the coolness of the bridge kind of lessened...But the bridge is reinforced with steel cables so there really isn't any fear of it breaking (whew!). But the spaces between each wooden plank? Almost as big as my feet! So you have to be careful as you go

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-77591249945402835652010-08-12T21:01:00.001+09:002010-08-12T21:01:00.608+09:00

And here are a few shots of the whirlpools. They're much cooler in real life since you get to see the twisting, convulsing action, but at least you can get an idea of what they're like. And here is a lone boat packed with tourists trying to get a close shot of the whirlpools.(no, I did not go on it. line was too long.)(besides, I preferred the pirate ship version but you had to be on other

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-4144222587301978642010-08-12T09:42:00.001+09:002010-08-12T09:42:00.258+09:00

Just for the fun of it ^_^Isn't it cool??(I might have to start taking humble pills at this rate ^_^)

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-27784382207784133372010-08-11T20:54:00.004+09:002010-08-12T08:48:23.051+09:00

Isn't this a cool shot?? Ah, I'm in love with it. I love the mood, the stormy sea, and the bridge disappearing toward the low hills in the distance. So awesome!This is the Naruto Strait (no relation to the overly famous Naruto anime) and it's known for its whirlpools. Yeah - whirlpools! You can walk underneath that bridge and watch the whirlpools form under your feet. Convenient, don't you think

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-89438189781265840222010-08-10T20:29:00.002+09:002010-08-10T20:31:22.633+09:00

I saw this pic in my files and my first thought was: Now that's an entrance!Think any neighbors would mind if I put one up in front of the apartment complex? ;)Random note: It's not a castle, but the entrance to a university somewhere in England -- I've forgotten where. Sadness. Oh! But I remember it having an awesome cathedral! Alas, you couldn't take pictures inside. Sniff.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-82174733641843463622010-08-09T18:07:00.008+09:002010-08-09T18:21:39.522+09:00

It's the famous 'London Bridge'! At least, that's what I thought, but it turns out that what most of the world considers as the 'London Bridge' is actually known as the Tower Bridge. Why? Because it has towers on it! The English were brilliant at coming up with cool names, don't you think? ;)The real London Bridge is a hop upstream and is quite boring. So boring, in fact, that I don't seem to

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-71953362904520539022010-08-06T19:58:00.002+09:002010-08-06T20:00:52.829+09:00

I always knew Venice had canals used as waterways but I was surprised to discover that Amsterdam had them as well. However, while Venice's canals formed simply to link the 100+ islands together, Amsterdam's canals resulted from city planning and a way to segregate areas. Also, canals aren't the main way to travel in Amsterdam, though they're still used a lot.Most interesting fact I learned while

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-40223218665039504562010-08-05T22:22:00.002+09:002010-08-05T22:25:28.994+09:00

There must be a story that is told, from ant generation to ant generation, about a promised land. The wizened, old ants will deepen their voices and watch their audience's eyes widen as they speak of a fluffy, white land, where their grandest dreams will come true and prosperity happens to all. It must be the sole goal of every ant that ventures into my little abode to find this treasured land.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-64191385859523595312010-08-04T20:19:00.005+09:002010-08-08T20:58:57.153+09:00

In the wake of my unpleasant surprise yesterday, let us think of happier things. Like trains. I've always had a fascination for trains. And train tracks. And train sounds, especially the warning bells as a train is approaching.Ah, I could ride trains all day (and have, actually ^_^)Japan's trains are fun. Like most public transport, they're decorated for advertisement, but occasionally you'll

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-29549728646790887382010-08-03T18:58:00.002+09:002010-08-03T19:42:26.645+09:00

Dear Red Ants,I'm sure you thought I'd be ecstatic about your return and that I wouldn't mind at all as you helped yourself to the food recently placed in the cupboards. And I'm sure you were delighted to find the kitchen finally lived in, with a variety of dishes to march around on. In fact, you looked like you were all dancing when I flipped the light on and found your neat little lines

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-67297068471576670512010-08-02T18:59:00.001+09:002010-08-02T18:59:00.089+09:00

Yay! I found another good pic of Venice at night. I took this from on top of the Ponte di Rialto - the oldest bridge spanning the Grand Canal (main waterway in Venice).Awesome city ^_^

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-14838480004795207852010-07-30T20:52:00.001+09:002010-07-30T20:52:49.375+09:00

A random shot from the famous city Bruges in Belgium. Like Venice, they have a lot of canals running through their town. However, unlike Venice, they still have roads that cars can go on, so it's not entirely the same.But there were a lot of cool swans! And yummy, big pretzels. I miss those pretzels.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-15558214840542933242010-07-29T21:42:00.001+09:002010-07-29T21:44:01.819+09:00

Well, the pictures aren't great, but I'll put them up for the record that I did see windmills in Netherlands. The weather was rainy and though it allowed me to get great moody shots of the picturesque village nearby, it ruined most of the windmill shots. So sad. They had several lining the river. Here's with three of them and a bit of grass (I was trying for a nice composition -- didn't turn out

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-85655580309831442072010-07-28T21:00:00.003+09:002010-07-28T21:04:18.520+09:00

A cool shot near a windmill village I explored in Netherlands. Took me forever to find the village but the windmills were pretty cool-looking. Unfortunately, the pics didn't turn out so well -- at least the ones I've found so far (I've got a ton of pics on my computer).Also, this pic would probably be cooler if I cropped the left side by an inch but I decided to leave it as it is. What do you

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-3228681775509570122010-07-27T20:19:00.001+09:002010-08-02T18:16:35.779+09:00

Every morning, I like to go biking for about 30 minutes and check out random streets and places and explore my area more thoroughly. Today, I decided to investigate a road that went up a mountain. I figured there should be a road that would go over it and down the other side (which was where my house was) and save me some time instead of going around it.Well, while I'm sure there was a road, I

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-69156899294770390212010-07-26T22:11:00.002+09:002010-07-26T22:13:32.077+09:00

This shot is from Vinci, Leonardo's hometown in the Tuscany region. It wasn't until I learned Italian that I figured out the last name we often use for Leonardo isn't a last name at all. DaVinci literally means 'from Vinci'.Yeah, his last name simply states what city he was born in. Great name, don't you think?Random note: Don't you just love Italian rooftops?? They're so bizarre! They're

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-62081220548304701992010-07-23T20:47:00.003+09:002010-07-24T08:54:30.674+09:00

The subject of this pic isn't anything special -- it's one of the many churches in Florence -- but I liked how the composition of the pic turned out. Kind of an interesting shot.Random note: I took the pic because the bells were ringing. I really loved hearing the bells toll over and over while in Italy. The town I live in here in Japan has an electrified bell system that rings all the time.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-54391562182922058062010-07-22T20:52:00.001+09:002010-07-22T21:35:59.561+09:00

I found the sunflower pic! Unfortunately, this was near the beginning of my stay in Italy, so the shot is rather lame and grainy.The best part about this pic? Is that the very next week, we returned to get more pictures, and the entire crop was dead. All the flower heads drooped and most of their leaves had shriveled up like old skin. It was really sad.Took me a year to finally figure out why (

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-13369325416296933832010-07-21T20:39:00.002+09:002010-07-21T20:41:48.531+09:00

Lucca is a tiny medieval town about an hour from Pisa. It's famous for its 100+ churches and still intact medieval walls.No one mentioned that trees grew on the walls as well. Yeah, trees. And the walls are so wide that you can have a street, a sidewalk, and STILL have room for trees.Tis insane!(there is also a tower in this town that has a tree growing on top. I failed trying to find the pic

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-79517075711673190682010-07-20T21:17:00.000+09:002010-07-20T21:17:00.905+09:00

Remember that forlorn bus stop I mentioned from my last post? Ta da! Poor lonely little bus stop. At least it's surrounded by gorgeous fields. And a few big homes in the distance. This place is about an hour from Pisa, out in the middle of the Tuscany region. Beautiful area. I'd recommend anyone to check the area out, especially during the sunflower season. Hmm... I should hunt those pics down...

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-83303855344235043042010-07-19T17:57:00.003+09:002010-07-19T18:03:45.154+09:00

I'm not big on taking pictures of flowers. I prefer decaying, old buildings to pretty little flowers. ^_^ But one day in Italy, I got stuck way out in the countryside, hoping for a bus to show up at a forlorn bus stop. Lush, green fields spotted with red surrounded me - I discovered the red were pretty flowers and since I had nothing else to do, I started to take pictures. This is the best one, I

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-16875013557062431532010-07-16T22:10:00.003+09:002010-07-16T22:55:54.023+09:00

It's really funny looking over my pics from Italy. For some reason, I really liked stairs at that time of my life.This is just one of the many shots of random stairwells. I have no idea why they fascinated me back then. Perhaps because they were old? And I...uhh...wasn't? Or maybe it's because stairs represent going somewhere and I...wasn't? Hmm... This makes me laugh. I took a pic toward the sun

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-89838893112431414122010-07-15T22:07:00.003+09:002010-07-15T22:33:22.687+09:00

I now understand why I haven't posted many pics from my days in Italy: I was a horrible at taking pictures. And I don't think I had a good camera since most of the pics are grainy.This one, though, made me laugh, both when I took it and now. This was a lookout area - you know, the perfect place to park your car and enjoy the view. Apparently the cats decided to follow suit. ^_^(They were all over

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-90220780125240650922010-07-14T21:04:00.002+09:002010-07-14T21:06:41.802+09:00

I find it amusing that, despite having lived in Italy longer than I've lived in Japan, I have over a hundred pics of Japan on this blog but less than five for Italy.Let me rectify that: Yay for Roman styled old temples! I have always loved the pillar scheme. This is one of the temples in the famous old Forum in Rome. Alas, I have forgotten which one it is. It's a good shot, though, right? (I was

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-32076306641664556962010-07-13T20:02:00.005+09:002010-07-13T20:06:38.790+09:00

You can always know a shinto shrine is nearby by spotting a torii - a simple, usually wooden gate with two posts and a log on top. And it's often painted red with black accents. The torii represents the separation between sacred and profane ground.So when I ran across this, it made me laugh. It was like they really, really wanted you to realize what was sacred and what was not.Later, I learned

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-36446208183361241352010-07-12T22:04:00.001+09:002010-07-12T22:06:27.500+09:00

I love dragons and Asia has them all over the place. They're seen as good luck and are often associated with water.These dragons were near the area where I traversed a part of the Great Wall of China and I couldn't resist taking a pic of them. ^_^

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-29652893277587822522010-07-09T21:51:00.000+09:002010-07-09T21:51:00.261+09:00

It's so fun when Mt Fuji is visible. It's always a shock when you look down a street and realize you can see the mountain like the picture below.I'm afraid my camera doesn't do the mountain justice as to how much it sticks out so I played around with contrasts and developed this shot: Now that's more like it (minus the scary dark buildings and all). This pic also brings out the many, many wires

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-32382757334586259382010-07-08T21:48:00.003+09:002010-07-08T21:57:12.367+09:00

Children aren’t the only ones that react to me. Adults, if they don’t have a child to inform them of my identity, tend to act as if I’m walking around with flashy text stating “Someone not like you!”.Most will simply stare. If I happen to catch their eyes, they will suddenly find the ground, the sky, or a random rock to be vastly more interesting.The Japanese are a polite society, though, so

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-65950695989911758892010-07-07T18:26:00.001+09:002010-07-07T18:26:00.037+09:00

I had a hunch for a long time but I recently got it confirmed: I am the only foreigner living in my town. In fact, I'm the only foreigner that has dared to live in this small town for quite some time.This means that, for most kids five years old or younger, I am the first foreigner for them to lay eyes on.It's really, really funny when that happens. I'll be walking around, say in the grocery

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-11441481632901736912010-07-06T18:13:00.000+09:002010-07-06T18:36:48.179+09:00

Since every school-aged child knows me, I rarely can sneak by without getting noticed.I can always tell when I'm noticed, whether I'm walking or biking somewhere. Without fail, when one of my students spot me, they let out this huge audible gasp (it seems to be a Japanese culture thing to gasp loudly whenever you're surprised), followed by either exclaiming my name or yelling at their friends and

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-44190580714575777612010-07-05T20:25:00.002+09:002010-07-05T20:25:00.365+09:00

I live in the city Izunokuni - at least on official paper somewhere. In reality, my city is comprised of three small towns that were recently lumped together to form a 'city', though they still act as if they're three different towns.The north part of the 'city' is Nirayama, the biggest of the three towns and boasts grand strawberry fields that visitors flock to throughout the year. In the middle

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-8179402923680322592010-07-03T20:37:00.000+09:002010-07-04T22:00:31.106+09:00

Hamamatsu Castle during the sakura (cherry blossom) season. It's not original (most castles in Japan aren't) but it's still cool. Fun thing about the base: no cement or glueish stuff was used. It's just a pile of rocks crammed together -- and it's original. Meaning its withstood 400 years of time by just being...a pile of rocks. ^_^ Artistic shot. I think it turned out well. Shot from the back

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-82969099475302077602010-06-12T20:03:00.001+09:002010-06-12T20:04:12.529+09:00

Because cherry blossoms and old, gnarly trees are awesome.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-5321496159976840692010-05-04T09:54:00.003+09:002010-05-23T15:32:27.088+09:00

I'm at war. Been at war for a month.It started two days after I moved in. My cute tiny apartment was filled with yummy food. I reached for my breakfast up in a high cupboard. And found ants. Tiny, horrible little red ants.A few hours later, I found black ants marching in through the window.I was confident at first. After all, I lived for three months in an infested cockroach apartment in Italy. I

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-85145536232618558402010-04-15T21:44:00.001+09:002010-04-15T21:44:48.069+09:00

As you can see, none of it stuck, but it sure was crazy to see it snow in April in Japan. Especially in a place not known for snow!

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-90264338354113929212010-04-14T20:04:00.001+09:002010-04-14T20:05:38.184+09:00

In honor of being able to see Fuji-san (Mt Fuji) today, here is when I first saw it from my apartment: Yeah, my camera had difficulty picking it out from the white cloud/mist thing so you might not see it so well, but it IS there. ^_^Wandering about a 30 minute walk south, out in the fields, and I was able to get a better shot. I don't see it that often. The weather has to be really, really nice

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-712552502140470592010-04-13T19:30:00.002+09:002010-04-13T19:30:00.943+09:00

Day 3: I again spend the morning studying Japanese in an empty staff room, my poor brain turning to mush...Lunch time comes around. I feel free to wander the halls again since it's break time. But most of the kids are outside playing, so I stand and stare at them from a window.I must have looked rather pathetic because a teacher (part of the 3rd year group so I don't know her very well) comes up

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-12781329828952914422010-04-12T20:22:00.001+09:002010-04-12T20:22:48.535+09:00

I finally got around to downloading the pics off my camera. First up: This random little pond area is right next to my school and less than a 10 minute walk from my home. It's got this beautiful old wooden bridge that snakes across the pond. And on the north side, it's bordered by (currently flowering) sakura trees. So pretty!!Guess where I'll be a lot during sunny days...

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-18671357111077775802010-04-12T19:47:00.003+09:002010-04-12T20:12:25.749+09:00

The grand and gracious school ceremony...hurt a lot. Mainly because I had to sit on this chair with the tiniest and most unhelpful cushion in the world for 2 hours straight. Itai! (ouch!)The ceremony was a lot of fun, though, cultural wise. First off, the gym was entirely re-done and decorated. Flower pots about a foot a part lined the stage, big posters hung from the walls, and they had even

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-6820335461909432072010-04-10T15:31:00.000+09:002010-04-10T15:41:06.192+09:00

The rest of Day 1 is pretty much what I did Day 2: pretend to be busy.Since English classes don't start for another two weeks, there's really nothing for me to do. This is frustrating but also funny. It's obvious that they don't know what to do with me and all the teachers try to avoid me as if I'm this walking odd spot that they just don't know where to put (in the beginning - it's changed by

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-43441982929232105982010-04-09T19:54:00.006+09:002010-04-10T20:20:44.500+09:00

So there I am, waiting with the other six nervous teachers outside of the gym and listening to the quiet murmur of many students accompanying an announcer speaking in very formal and fast Japanese (which means I won't be able to understand one thing. sigh...)Suddenly, the first person starts entering the gym. I put on my best smile (gotta be genki!) and follow the line. Inside, I find all the

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-84434266204050526342010-04-07T21:56:00.002+09:002010-04-07T22:01:05.242+09:00

My first day of school, I arrive twenty minutes too early. This is what happens when you're terrified of being late, apprehensive of something bizarre happening in between the fifteen minutes it takes to get to my school, and leaving an extra ten minutes early just in case.So I got to sit in the empty principal's office and let my nervousness build for an extra ten minutes. There was one

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-1167272770480098692010-04-02T08:20:00.005+09:002010-04-02T09:05:59.243+09:00

Funny Story #1In America, there is something called an ice cream truck. It travels around a neighborhood spewing a certain type of music to hopefully attract hungry kids in desire of a snack.Well, Japan kind of has the same. When I lived in Takamatsu, there was a truck spewing classic Japanese songs as it slowly meandered through the neighborhoods and I discovered (after my Japanese improved

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-74889382091499358572010-03-29T18:50:00.005+09:002010-03-29T18:53:43.379+09:00

It's snowing! It's insane! Here I am, expecting cozy fifty degree weather and it's snowing!!Of course I had to go and walk around in it. ^_^ None of the snow sticks but it's so pretty to see the snow fall amidst blooming sakura trees.Hmm...I hope the snow doesn't ruin the sakura trees. That would be really sad, especially since I haven't had time to get good pics of them yet!

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-57889094461841355562010-03-21T14:10:00.000+09:002010-03-21T14:39:33.134+09:00

The title of this post says the word 'tomorrow' in all the languages that I know. Why? Because I leave tomorrow! AT LAST!!!!I'm still packing but I should be done in another hour. Then I've got the long night to survive through and then, the airplane! An excruciating 12 hours of an airplane (ugh) but at least it's headed in a good direction :) And then Japan! Wahoo!!I can't believe the day is

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-61462360996550829342010-03-20T14:32:00.002+09:002010-03-21T01:54:40.168+09:00

This was taken while I was speeding south on a bullet train from Tokyo almost 2 years ago. I think I'll be living about the same distance, though more northeast then from where this picture was taken. I don't know if this is what I'll be seeing from my own apartment but I sure can't wait to find out!Ironic note: Would be hilarious if I can't see Mt Fuji at all from my apt...

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-31228494259813697032010-03-19T11:57:00.003+09:002010-03-19T11:59:23.574+09:00

Since all I'm thinking about is my new beginning in Japan, here is the first shot I took when I landed in Israel. Notice the sign? It has three languages on it: Hebrew, English, and Arabic.I've always found it interesting to see how many languages are on signs. Helps in deciphering what the national languages are. And I'm always glad when English is included even if it isn't a part of their

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-81939545722207372662010-03-18T14:04:00.002+09:002010-03-18T14:08:11.519+09:00

I feel like this shot. Japan is so close...and yet so far away! Agh!I've got almost everything ready. Just need the TB test, shopping, and the packing. Can easily do those in the remaining 3 days.I just wish it was Monday already, with all those chores done, and me in Japan, beginning my glorious new life ^_^Can't wait!(Pic is of the Itsukushima Shrine - awesome place. I'd totally recommend it)

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-27375491084243304222010-03-17T11:06:00.000+09:002010-03-17T11:06:00.486+09:00

I love this shot I love graveyards. I love trees. Put them together? Tis even better! ^_^ And this is old! Centuries old! Can I be buried here? Please??? Or at least have a little house set up so I could live here just for a few days. Pretty please?

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-58206964890433798172010-03-16T13:35:00.003+09:002010-03-16T13:37:09.709+09:00

Ahem:Less than one week from today, I shall be in Japan.Can't WAIT!

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-21923313431931942082010-03-16T12:52:00.006+09:002010-03-16T13:10:31.918+09:00

In regards to that random empty space, perhaps it has something to do with the Armenian Apostolic graveyard just on the other side of the wall? The graveyard is huge and extends about the same width as the open space within the wall.Also, from what I gathered during my stay in Israel, Jews appear to not like graveyards since those places can make one defiled. If a normal Jew cemetery could do

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-56691880724301365572010-03-14T13:21:00.003+09:002010-03-14T13:43:40.073+09:00

Wandering around old Jerusalem and seeing how so many shops and houses and other odd items are stuffed around each other, you begin to appreciate the value of space and open land...until you find this (see left).It's this huge plot of land with just grass on it! Granted, it's in the far corner instead of in the middle of the city but still! Think of how many homes/shops could be fitted in this

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-60099000658302528052010-03-13T14:29:00.002+09:002010-03-13T14:31:45.340+09:00

This reminded me of Japan and made me laugh. There isn't a lot of free space in old Jerusalem, just like how it is in Japan. So people have to get creative... The big question of the day though: how did they get it in there in the first place???

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-412379510412436442010-03-12T15:36:00.002+09:002010-03-12T15:39:14.838+09:00

Despite there being nothing green in sight, the Negev desert does have its beauties. Here are some shots of the very cool lay of the land I took as the bus zoomed by.

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-5921304227147192922010-03-11T13:33:00.000+09:002010-03-12T00:21:40.791+09:00

I actually tried many times to capture a camel on film. For instance, the pic below:If you moved the camera about a foot to the right, you'd see this gorgeously decorated camel all ready for a tourist to pay and ride it. Alas, I wasn't fast enough to take the shot before the bus zoomed by.Again, with this pic, a lovely decorated camel is a few feet to the right of this shot. Sigh... Though a

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-54074212141375645112010-03-10T12:42:00.004+09:002010-03-10T15:25:01.697+09:00

Riding a bus through the Negev desert can get rather tedious since it's mainly rock and sand and, uh, rock and sand. So it's lucky I happened to have my camera ready to go when the bus came across.... Camels!! There was a whole herd of them! And they were simply trotting along the side of the road as though there was nothing spectacular in their journey. I hope they don't mind of all the shots I

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-86857151583957390162010-03-09T12:34:00.009+09:002010-03-09T12:45:39.473+09:00

So there I was, wondering about the streets of old Jerusalem when I happened upon a random shop with this lovely sign. I hope the sign is a simple mistranslation with English (the shop has lots of crafts-related merchandise after all) but it sure cracked me up when I first saw it. And it didn't help that this shop is located in the Muslim section of Old Jerusalem...

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-89482451442123324102010-03-07T13:05:00.011+09:002010-03-07T16:50:23.417+09:00

One fun stop that I wasn't expecting along the Sea of Galilee is the 2,000 year old boat! I had never even heard of it but apparently this was discovered back in 1986 during a severe drought so it's been up and about for a while now.The boat itself isn't much - only a good portion of the hull has survived - but it's fascinating to to see such old wood, now preserved by whatever stuff they put in

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-5744822511165623252010-03-06T12:57:00.003+09:002010-03-06T13:02:20.299+09:00

Is that you can get awesome shots of a sunrise ^_^This is Tel-Aviv. I'm standing on the beach that's a stone's throw from my hotel, looking east (obviously) to get this fabulous shot. I think it was 5:30 am or somewhere in that area. I was actually up by 3am, but finally gave up trying to sleep around 5am and wondered outside. Here's another shot. I wish I'd taken a picture of the Mediterranean

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-76773683125773905492010-03-05T12:48:00.003+09:002010-03-05T12:50:47.147+09:00

I really liked the Sea of Galilee since I have a ton of pictures from it. Some other shots: Taken near Capernaum, the town where Jesus performed most of his miracles. I really enjoyed standing by the lake, listening to the soft waves and contemplating about the history of the spot I stood on.Taken near the traditionally site where Jesus multiplied the fish and bread while I was, again, sitting

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-37825432627775493972010-03-04T12:20:00.010+09:002010-03-11T01:27:42.995+09:00

A few days ago, I received some exciting news: my housing options!!!To better illustrate my choices, here's a map courtesy of GoogleMaps.(all areas are estimates except for the train icon)The blue balloons represent the schools I'll be teaching at (there may be more but this is what I know so far). The pink and green icons were the two choices I was given. They're about a half hour walk from each

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-36062853975325104022010-03-03T13:11:00.006+09:002010-03-04T06:02:50.060+09:00

This both amused me and saddened me. It's amusing because it's this random pier floating high out of the water as though afraid to get wet. At the same time, it reminds people of how high the Sea of Galilee used to be.Yeah, Israel is having serious problems with water. Rain and the Jordan river don't replenish the amount of water everyone pumps out of Sea of Galilee. Then again, it's not much of

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-59100040082819868522010-03-02T15:02:00.002+09:002010-03-02T15:09:30.256+09:00

Behold, the Sea of Galilee on one fine morning:No, I did not swim out there. This was taken while out on a boat.Apparently I had no idea what to expect since when I saw it, I immediately felt it was both bigger than I expected and smaller than I expected. Not sure what that means, but at least I have a better idea of the Sea of Galilee!

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-68699247438898150622010-02-05T12:30:00.000+09:002010-02-05T12:36:10.860+09:00

I've been so super excited about returning to Japan and getting all those details ironed out that I keep forgetting that I have another trip planned. I'm leaving for Israel this Saturday. Will be there for about 10 days. It hasn't really hit me yet. Still too busy dreaming of Japan. Maybe when I'm on the plane, it will hit me that I'm going in the opposite direction and that this will also be a

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-66526732391248557572010-02-05T11:31:00.000+09:002010-02-05T12:27:47.523+09:00

Last time I was in Japan, I worked for an Eikaiwa -- an English conversational school. Or, as it's often described, an English cram school where students come to cram in extra lessons for English. I worked with all ages, from a few months old (yes, I had a baby class where I taught English) to way into adulthood. This time around, I'll be working as an ALT -- an assistant language teacher who

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-20086392277171174452009-12-08T05:18:00.004+09:002009-12-08T05:26:02.979+09:00

I'd like to break this blog's one year silence with an announcement:The rumor has been confirmed. I got the job. I'm going back to Japan.WHEE!!!

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8397385627322922789.post-66428404100928949842008-12-04T00:01:00.001+09:002008-12-04T00:02:45.228+09:00

One of the biggest ambitions I had was to see Venice at night. I really didn't think it would be that hard except does anyone know how creepy Venice is when you're wandering lost in the tiny streets late at night???This pic doesn't do the creepiness justice, but it is a good pic all the same ^_^

Aneekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06273789848406294697noreply@blogger.com0