marukun
The somewhat mundane adventures of a guy who keeps ending up in Asia... and his random musings.
Vacations are for fun!
really hot peopleIt's Summer Vacation (finally) here in the center of the main island of Japan, and I've already started having a great time!
My sister and nephew visited me from July 22nd (my birthday, incidentally) until July 31st. We went to Arashiyama to see the monkeys and to the aquarium at Osaka Bay and a beach in Wakayama and... well, we did a lot. But two events in particular stand out, mostly because of how similar they should be but how they ended up playing out.
We attended the Tenjin festival in Tenoji Osaka and Universal Studios Japan. Now, both of these things have a similar atmosphere, festivals and amusment parks really do have a lot in common after all. However, as a general rule I hate festivals and love amusment parks. This time around was no different.
First, Universal Studios. We attended on a lovely day, hot but not too hot. We arrived about an hour after opening, planned our standing in line pretty well (there are big signs that give wait times scattered all over the park), ate well and had a ton of fun. It wasn't super crowded or anything and the day's parades and such were pretty cool, one involving the parade folks shooting water guns at the audiance.
Next, Tenjin. Huge amounts of people fitted into tiny street, no air conditioning (it was terrifically hot), fireworks hidden behind tall buildings, main attractions (boats with lanterns and people) on a small river only visible from a bridge. As usual, there were drunk, beligerent people, and many folks were angry and annoyed. Pushing through the crowd was impossible at times, and sweaty and unpleasent all the time. Taxis were un-hailable as they were all on call constantly. It reminded me why I don't like festivals.
I'd say the biggest problem was authority. At a theme park there is an entire staff to ensure saftey and fun. They are well trained specificlly for the job and they are paid well. At a festival you get a few police officers who's hands are constantly full. They would prefer be having fun but instead they have to babysit all the drunks and stupid teenagers. The overall mood at a festival is one of frustration, especially later in the night.
I have 14 weeks left in Japan, 4 of which are still vacation. I am buying my return ticket in September for the second week of November. My last day of work will be October 31st. I don't plan on telling any of my classes, although my teachers will know because my office will inform them. With a little luck I will do a fun Haloween class with my kids and silently slip out. That'll be all. I can't wait to get home. I need to update my resume and such... and I'll be home in time for Thanksgiving too!
Yup, I simply cannot wait!
-Maru!
My sister and nephew visited me from July 22nd (my birthday, incidentally) until July 31st. We went to Arashiyama to see the monkeys and to the aquarium at Osaka Bay and a beach in Wakayama and... well, we did a lot. But two events in particular stand out, mostly because of how similar they should be but how they ended up playing out.
We attended the Tenjin festival in Tenoji Osaka and Universal Studios Japan. Now, both of these things have a similar atmosphere, festivals and amusment parks really do have a lot in common after all. However, as a general rule I hate festivals and love amusment parks. This time around was no different.
First, Universal Studios. We attended on a lovely day, hot but not too hot. We arrived about an hour after opening, planned our standing in line pretty well (there are big signs that give wait times scattered all over the park), ate well and had a ton of fun. It wasn't super crowded or anything and the day's parades and such were pretty cool, one involving the parade folks shooting water guns at the audiance.
Next, Tenjin. Huge amounts of people fitted into tiny street, no air conditioning (it was terrifically hot), fireworks hidden behind tall buildings, main attractions (boats with lanterns and people) on a small river only visible from a bridge. As usual, there were drunk, beligerent people, and many folks were angry and annoyed. Pushing through the crowd was impossible at times, and sweaty and unpleasent all the time. Taxis were un-hailable as they were all on call constantly. It reminded me why I don't like festivals.
I'd say the biggest problem was authority. At a theme park there is an entire staff to ensure saftey and fun. They are well trained specificlly for the job and they are paid well. At a festival you get a few police officers who's hands are constantly full. They would prefer be having fun but instead they have to babysit all the drunks and stupid teenagers. The overall mood at a festival is one of frustration, especially later in the night.
I have 14 weeks left in Japan, 4 of which are still vacation. I am buying my return ticket in September for the second week of November. My last day of work will be October 31st. I don't plan on telling any of my classes, although my teachers will know because my office will inform them. With a little luck I will do a fun Haloween class with my kids and silently slip out. That'll be all. I can't wait to get home. I need to update my resume and such... and I'll be home in time for Thanksgiving too!
Yup, I simply cannot wait!
-Maru!
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