Wednesday, August 20, 2014

a nostalgic post, because japan is stunning

Between my friend bringing up the topic of my Japan trip photos and the midst of my pre-exchange trip planning today, I had a wave of nostalgia for two legs of my trip - Miyajima and Kyoto. When I visited Japan earlier this year in February, Miyajima was my favourite part. (We stayed in a ryokan for two nights and enjoyed a degustation, a treat thanks to my lovely friend. That will be another post however. I need to re-edit those photos. Funny how half a year affects your editing.)

This is the Arashiyama area in Kyoto. If you've seen one of those lists with the most breaktaking areas of the world, Arashiyama's bamboo forest is on it. And it was breathtaking. Bamboo went on for metres and metres high above your head. If I were to go wax-poetic, et cetera, et cetera, I'd start on the sound and the senses of simply being there. It's almost ironic; if I made a list of my favourite experiences/moments, I'd automatically start recollecting the memories through the sounds - and by sounds, it'd be almost no sounds I'm remembering hearing. Like the almost silence of falling snow while I pushed a bike through the Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens. Like the rustling of the bamboo as I walked down Arashiyama's bamboo path. Yeah, I know, the art of poetry I do not possess.

Here be photos. (I included food because I apparently eat at any stall that has a line of people waiting. Many desserts were consumed before the walk down the bamboo path.)

I'm remembering Japan because it had been an idea of the trip I make before I settle into exchange in Beijing. Then the idea had quickly reshaped into Europe, and Europe I am pushing and pushing for. I'm crossing my fingers for it to work out - 1) waiting on Tsinghua to open their application forms so I can make plans for Beijing; 2) finding friends (friends are good!); 3) sort out savings and plan plan plan. The history geek within me is clasping my nerdy heart. I kneel at the Genius of Augustus. Five units of history for the HSC, y'all.

8 comments:

  1. That bamboo forest is indeed breathtaking! Hahaha whenever I go to new places, I always try the food that has long lines of people buying!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aye it just always ends up with me eating too much.

      Delete
  2. What are your dream Europe plans?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dream would be to go all over, have access to a car, drive through the UK and Scandinavia, see the Northern Lights. This would all involve a lot of time, language skills and money however :(

      Delete
    2. Oh I meant in terms of pre-exchange (or is this post-exchange?). Or are they one and the same? I really wanted to see the Aurora borealis on my trip, but it is just so god damn expensive!

      Delete
    3. Pre-exchange! Except right now I'm struggling to find a travel buddy who wants to go to the same places as I do, so I'm trying to decide whether to change my plans or move them. My plan was/is: Amsterdam > Berlin > Prague > Vienna > Munich > Italy (Rome, Venice, Milan, Naples).

      Delete
  3. That sounds like a lovely selection of places to visit. Are you going on exchange in semester 1 or 2?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Semester 1! I just need to work out who I'm going with the logistics of what's happening now.

      Delete