Departure Day + 8

Happy New Years to you and Balls. We had New Years Feast at my Aunt and Uncles in Tokyo. Grandma and Grandpa. Uncle's mom. Cousins and respective spouses. Also My Cousin's uncle + wife + kids.

Pre-feast start


Part of Feast


More segments of feast


A New Years game. The cards on the ground have a segment from the Tale of Genji. So do the cards in my aunts hand (foreground). Theres two teams, right and left. Aunt reads and the two teams try to find the segment card. I cant read.

A few more pictures to come...

Departure Day + 7

The day was December 31st. Me, Cousin, and Cousin's new Bride took a day trip 1 hour outside Tokyo. We went to a hot spring. Its loosely translated as Neglected Bath. Not as poetic, it has a more joking tone. The baths are outside on the hill side overlooking the valley. If it was clearer out we would've been able to see Fuji clearly.

Overlooking the building where you buy your bath pass, change, and shower before going out to the rock tubs. (No photos of baths)
Cousin Takashi, Me, Cousin in law Masayo


The food window had: deep fried boiled egg (hahaha) and a fried potato. It was fuckin good.


이hotspring은많이외국인도있었어...kidding. he was a mannequin


외구긴없어지만,감이많이있었어
They were being hung out to dry. Dried 감(pronounced Kum) is very good.

Departure Day + 6

So its the 30th of December. I met Jennepuh, Camille, Annie, Kathy, and Steve! Western representation. I was supposed to meet Steve. I however, did not know they all knew each other. They're all from Western, they would know each other, they're all inbred.

We found Baby cans of Beer. In a word: Adorable
Steve, Me, Jennipuh


The Tokyo Tower. My granda has never been, and hes really really proud of it. He hates it.


Outside of a Supermarket. Drinking like we drink it in front of Buy the Way. This has been an Ryo Kato produced public drinking instance. I hope you all are drinking, Buy the Way (pun)

Departure Day + 4

I went from Chiba towards Nagoya to visit my Grandma (mom's side). I stay for one night in the old folks home. Outpops my Uncle and two cousins, who i havent seen in ages. Grandma forgot that Uncle was coming. So Reunion! Surprise!

Me, Kyoko, Yuuki, Grandma, and Uncle Hajime


In a word 시골

I stayed for one night. The next day I left for the Kanto region again. I was supposed to go more inland to my Grandpa and Grandma's home region. I was sick. So I couldnt. I was supposed to meet my dad's cousin + family at my Great Grandma's old house.

Departure Day + 1

So this is the second day I'm in Japan. I landed at Narita the same day as I took off from Incheon. Here is Grandpa in some of his nicer clothes. We drank and ate with Grandma.

The globe makes him look like a Tokugawa Era Scholar


Me and Grandma


Yum.

Departure Day: Reflection II

The Friday and into early Saturday before departure was James' 생일. It was Ill (일). Pun.

Lets get the ball rolling. We made James a Happy Balls Day ball. Everyone signed it.


Heres the Chings signing eachother's "Ching Books"


Pat drawing on his balls. Pat gnawing on his balls. Pat clawing at his balls


Silvia and her friends.


Gelli-Gels, Ames, Silvi-ahhh!


James' favorite food is 비빔밥. 제임스씨의체일좋아하는음식은비빔밥이갓가다요(butchered).


First Stop: Just Red. We wrote in Ching Books. Then we went to Ho Bar. Then my camera broke. Hit up the teammates for details...


My conceptual understanding of Ho Bar III (? II? IV?)
For that matter, this is a visual representation of SkaII as well.

Heres an extra bit.


We went to Painters. I got the Charisma (Stamina). It was huge. no picture (wtf)

Departure Day: Reflection

Grilled Meats, Cheers, and Greets,

The Thursday before departure we went out for the samgyapsal. We also went to T12 and Anna's. It was stupendously drunken. Revelry, my god.

James and Shiraz: Waiting for some Porkin'


Straight to Ice Cream on the 지하철

After meat and ice cream, I stopped by the dorm and grabbed some gear. This is my walk towards 신촌.

View of the NMI (New Millennium Hall) at night


만두-esque bird? crescent? croissant? in the woods on campus


The big tree in the middle of campus was lit-up.


Met up at T 12: James, Jake, Amy


Awwwww. Couple Look. Inadvertent?

Then we high tailed it to Anna's. I dont have a single picture of that. Theres something about a giant dog pile. Look it up in the teammate's section. So that was Thursday, heres Friday babies.