4 weeks = 1 month!

Wow, it really has been a month now that I've been in Japan. O.o It's funny, because for the first few days I was here it felt like I'd been here for weeks, but now that I've been here a month it feels like only a few days. Time is going so quickly!!

So I should hurry up and post, right? ^_^

Two weekends ago (the 14th) I went to Nara, a city of great historical importance to Japan and the most beautiful place in Japan I have been to yet. For one, there were TREES lining the streets! That doesn't seem to be a common thing in Japan, especially in the cities. Nara was the site of the first official capital of Japan, and as such it's filled with ancient temples and buildings, and is famous for its gigantic park filled with deer. So many trees, so much green, and so. many. DEER.

They’re protected in Nara, so I think they just get a little out of hand. Stands in the park also sell deer biscuits that you can feed to the deer, and the deer have to come expect these from the tourists so much that they’ll start bullying/attacking you if they know you have food. They even bite you! I was bullied for a while by one deer after I bought the biscuits, and he started pushing at me a little bit and butting me with his head.

Fortunately their antlers are shaved so the tourists don’t get hurt by aggressive deer, but it’s still a little scary. I actually met one deer whose antler’s weren’t shaved, and I believe I gave him the last of my biscuits just so he would stop following me with those menacing horns. The first bully deer I just butted back though, because I refused to be bullied by a deer.

Besides the deer, in Nara I saw Kofukuji, Japan’s second tallest pagoda (the tallest is in Kyoto and is only taller by a few centimeters):

I also saw Nara Park, the Todai-ji and the Daibustu-den. Todai-ji was amazing, super huge, and awe inspiring. It’s this massive building built entirely out of wood, and I can’t believe it’s still standing because that thing is old. While the original temple was built in the 8th century, because of fire it had to be rebuilt in 1709. I took lots of pictures, but at points I also had to pause and just take it all in.

To give you an estimate of size, this was the main gate to the temple:

And this was one of the guardians within the gate. There are two of these, and I wouldn't want to meet either of them in a dark alley.

And finally the Todai-ji:

It's HUGE. This picture was taken from very far away so I the whole building could fit in the picture. Notice how tiny I am.

Why is the Todai-ji so big, you might ask? Inside the Todai-ji is Japan’s largest Buddha, and I agree it’s huge. It's also the original one made in the 8th century. Everything in the temple was in so much detail too, from the Buddha itself to the “supporting Buddhas”, to the decorations and design of the woodwork.

I also got to try out “Buddha’s nostril” by fitting myself through a small hole at the base of a support pillar in the temple. Something of a popular tourist attraction, but also a tradition that goes with visiting the temple. Supposedly the hole is the size of one of the Buddha's nostrils, and if you can get through the hole you're guaranteed englightment and good luck. Lots of fun, and I was able to do it even though I had my doubts at first. I also saw one guy get stuck in the hole and have to be pulled out by his friends.

I also experienced random Japanese kindness and hospitality when I was walking through the park with my friends. There were little tea houses scattered here and there, and when I walked by one the windows/shoji was open and the man and women inside invited me to have some tea with them. I was hesitant to join people I didn’t know, but Jackie went in so I and another friend followed her. They ordered coffee especially for us, gave us their Japanese sweets, gave us the chocolate that came with the coffee, and gave us each 1,000 yen (about $10). We had a very nice conversation in Japanese with them, and though I didn’t always understand I was very proud of myself that I understood a lot of it and did the whole thing in Japanese. It was a totally random experience, but one for the memory books.

Sunday the 15th I went to Osaka with Jackie, Nicole, and other friends. It was fun, but Osaka is really just a big city. I think the only thing to really do there is shop, though I have heard there is an old castle there as well that I want to check out at some point when the flowers are blooming. So yeah, Sunday was mainly looking at stores, though we did make a stop at Pokemon Center. I went for laughs, but it was crazy in there. Kids were running around under your feet and their moms were pushing you out of the way to get the stuff their kids wanted. O.o

I also saw a ferris wheel on top of a department store. Crazy!

Alrighty, that's all for Nara and Osaka. Now I just have post about this past weekend and I'll be all caught up. That should happen... what, sometime next week with the way I'm going? ^_^;;