Back in Japan

[UndertheGun]

I'll be in Kyoto for the next three months at a language school trying to become halfway fluent (or at least not stumble my way through conversations with incomplete sentences).

I'm staying with a bi-lingual family here. The father is from Montreal area and runs a local high school english department. Host mother speaks fluent english but speaks to me in Japanese most of the time. The three kids are bilingual and non-stop attention whores. Its a blast.


This is the youngest kid in front of my host family's house. I call him Luey(ルーイ), since that is roughly what his name is, I think. Having bi-lingual names in Japan ends up being very odd.
Luey likes all things mechanical. Whenever he counts anything it segways into nonsense about punching eagles. He is a winner.

The language school I am studying at for the next 11 weeks is tiny but very well known, apparently. As of today, my third day here, jet lag is kicking my ass in school but I'm slowly getting better. Half the class is from western europe and speaks english well enough. The other half is Taiwanese and Chinese girls whose familiarity with chinese characters is no fair and makes me look horrible. But, some of them are cute, so I'll deal.

Right now all of Kyoto is awash with cherry petals, so that probably all of the pictures you'll see from me for the next week or two. The cherry trees make my bike ride to school along a river like a dream. Its wonderful.

Here are a few pictures to make you jealous.

[DerGolgo]

Gods damn that's some pretty!

[roadmissile]

We require more pictures!

Very cool, if you can get to the Kyoto city gardens I've been told they're amazing.

/RM

[Jonny]

Nice one, UTG, glad you made it safe and sound. I'm hoping to take a ride to Kyoto sometime over the next couple of months (looks like there are some fun roads between here and there), so we should catch up for a beverage.

Good on you for going to language school. I would love to do that at some point. My language is pretty shitty and I simply don't put anywhere near enough effort into study. Time for less excuses, less internet, and more focus for me. Well, maybe after the MotoGP race on the weekend... and then the TT starts in May I think... Did I say I was easily distracted?

Regarding Kanji (although you probably already know of it by now) there is a great study book called "Remembering The Kanji" by James Heisig. He has a brilliant system and I was confident with 300-odd kanji meanings after about two weeks study (however, me being an easily distracted, non-studying bastard, my retention has now dropped off). Highly recommended, though.

Have fun and keep us informed!

[Bigshankhank]

Shit, sounds like UTG is looking to score some major Ootmik tag points.

[UndertheGun]

はい、that was the original impetus for coming here. How many points do I get.

I have some more pictures on my facebook. I'll post some of them after i go explore some more tomorrow.

[UndertheGun]

Johnny, I'll probably talking to my host 'parents' tonight about when would be a good time to go off and explore Kansai and do other stuff. They're pretty laid back so it shouldn't be an problem to meet up; I'm just still finding my bearings here. When were you thinking would be a good time to ride out here?


Panorama from the confluence of the Kamo-gawa and Tagano-gawa.






Kyoto Gosho park

[UndertheGun]

Here is some content I know some of you will like.

[UndertheGun]

[UndertheGun]

Fuck I miss riding. The sheer number of cool bikes I see every day is torture enough but now my bastard Dad, in my own gear, is teasing me from 8,000 miles away.





I stopped by a local shop the other day and saw a NSR250 I can just barely afford while keeping within my rough trip budget. Too bad I don't have an international license.

[Jonny]

Hahahahaha!

Your dad has a good sense of humour. I can't believe that you didn't organise your international licence just incase your "study contract" didn't quite "work out", if you know what I mean.

I'm still hoping to make it to Kyoto, but it won't be until next month. When is a good day/date for you?



PS: The white Sidis are damn sexy!

[UndertheGun]

Yeah, I wish I had exercised a bit more foresight...

As far as a date for visiting goes, the 5/6th, 12/13, or 19/20 weekends are open for me at the moment. Let me know which is best. It might be possible for you to crash here at my host family's house if you need to; they're super chill.

Also, I hope to head towards Tokyo by the 22-25th-ish and was wondering if stopping by your place would be a hassle during that period. I would like to have a chance to see the countryside and want to try to see Ise-Jingu anyway, so your little peninsula wouldn't be too far away. Depending on when I can leave school without ruffling too many feathers, the time I have may or may not be limited.

[Zer0]

Did I say I was easily distracted?

Regarding Kanji blah b lah blah "Remembering The Kanji" blah blah blah 300-odd kanji meanings after about two weeks study (however, me being an easily distracted, non-studying bastard, my retention has now dropped off). Highly recommended, though.

Bad news, Jonny. Very bad news.

You're my twin.

I've tried to learn chinese, and even took a class, but me being an easily distracted, non-studying bastard, my retention has now dropped off. It's really bad. (It didn't help having a kid either)

But when I go to Taiwan, the Taiwanese don't care I don't know shit, they try their English on me anyway. Simply saying thank you, and that was delicious in chinese will have the whole restaurant buzzing for hours. I'm a great ambassador for monolingual American tourists.

But yeah, I'm right there with you, Jonny.

Gunny--good for you on all fronts; total immersion is the best way to learn a language, period--and good on host mom for speaking Japanese only. Thank her. And thank you for the beautiful pics.

Good luck, Gunny.

[Korpen]

Whenever he counts anything it segways into nonsense about punching eagles.

Punching eagles, or Falcon Punch?

[UndertheGun]

Haha
Eagles only, thankfully. There would be something wrong with a three year old yelling about falcon punching.

[UndertheGun]

Did I say I was easily distracted?

Regarding Kanji blah b lah blah "Remembering The Kanji" blah blah blah 300-odd kanji meanings after about two weeks study (however, me being an easily distracted, non-studying bastard, my retention has now dropped off). Highly recommended, though.

Bad news, Jonny. Very bad news.

You're my twin.

I've tried to learn chinese, and even took a class, but me being an easily distracted, non-studying bastard, my retention has now dropped off. It's really bad. (It didn't help having a kid either)

But when I go to Taiwan, the Taiwanese don't care I don't know shit, they try their English on me anyway. Simply saying thank you, and that was delicious in chinese will have the whole restaurant buzzing for hours. I'm a great ambassador for monolingual American tourists.

But yeah, I'm right there with you, Jonny.

Gunny--good for you on all fronts; total immersion is the best way to learn a language, period--and good on host mom for speaking Japanese only. Thank her. And thank you for the beautiful pics.

Good luck, Gunny.

I'm lucky to have host family and friends helping me with my studies. Progress is slow but real. In class I feel like I'm lagging behind in my studies purely because of the work load but being able to communicate with people out on the street better and better is really nice.

I'm a little more apathetic about kanji studying but kanji retention and radical comprehension is slowly but surely increasing also.


There are quite a few Taiwanese students at the school; I want to visit Taiwan in the next few years now. Spending this much time out of the US makes me wish I could keep traveling but getting out of school and finding something halfway gainful/interesting is my first priority.

[UndertheGun]

For emphasis.

[Zer0]

I remember having to do the same crap when trying to learn Chinese characters. I still have it somewhere.

pain
in
the
ass

Condolences, Gunny

[Jonny]

Not trying to sound off like a know-it-all prick (because I really don't know much) but if you work through a copy of Remembering the Kanji then you will have a MUCH easier time dealing with Kanji (learning meanings and remembering stroke order). I'm assuming it's not one of your school texts, but if you plan on continuing with Japanese study once this short course is done, then I would say RTK is a worthy, valuable, and refreshing method of Kanji study.


おれの２円です。

[UndertheGun]

An old professor I had an old edition of that book but at that point I was just beginning and didn't really look at it. I have a couple decent kanji books with their own systems for kanji retention but I left them in the states since I thought traveling light was better than bringing half of my Japanese library... Oh well.


Anyhow, today I ventured out into suburban Kyoto light commercial/light industrial sprawl and found this place...




The 30 minute walk from the station was worth it. This is one of three RS Taichi factory outlets in Japan, luckily it is only about an hour away by train and walking. Pretty nice space with a lot of interesting stuff inside. Had a rack of airbag equipped jackets, a S1000 RR chilling in a corner by some t-shirts and all sorts of curious/awesome odds and ends that I've never seen on the shelves of an American bike shop.


Pretty leather.




A case full of 50-100cc minitrail/XR parts. Mini-trails are called Ape and Gorilla in Japan. Anyone need bolt-on Ohlins for their mini-trail?




Goose needs this lock.


Suspenders



Brembo Aisle.


Outside were some interesting bikes.


Wasn't expecting this...


For the assholes.




After about an hour in the store and a good twenty minutes of deciding between white and red I came home with these puppies.





Now I have to wait another month before I can ride with them...

[piccini9]

Wow, American bike shops really suck.

[Zim]

Wow, American bike shops really suck.

+1

Just look at those cases! It's like a candy store!

Nice pics. Too bad that Buell has a Hypercharger wart stuck on it's side though.

[UndertheGun]

Yeah, I had a bit of an lol at that Buell. Wasn't sure what it was but it has too much chrome on it to be that functional...



I didn't take pics of the dirt section, exhaust, racks of street and race tires or the sprockets and hardware aisles. It wasn't huge but had a lot of awesome functional stuff packed into its hardware sections.

[Photo]

See, now you're just taunting us. Stop making fun of our no-stock-on-the-shelves motorcycle shops. Oh, to live in Japan...

(Lust, lust)

[Jonny]

Goose needs this lock.

That lock is worth more than my motorcycle. If I owned that, people would steal my bike to get the lock. I don't think my insurance company would understand that at all.

Still hoping to get to Kyoto in June, but I'm yet to find out what my days off will be. I've asked for the weekends off that you metioned earlier, but there's every chance I may only get the Sundays off, so it might be a whirlwind, stop for coffee trip. I'll let you know how things work out as soon as I know.

If you have the time to come down to Shima, then you can certainly crash with us. Not a problem at all, just give us a little heads up. There'll be rude seafood and Matsuzaka beef on the bbq waiting. Ise Jingu is definitely worth a visit, too.

[Jonny]

Hey UTG, I've got the 20th off. You busy? I'll be up in Kyoto around lunch-ish time, but then heading straight back home early-mid afternoon. Coffee / food / what-have-you can be consumed.

Let me know what you think.

[Jaeger]

Dude, if y'all get together you MUST MUST MUST take a picture -- it'll be the first meeting of the UTMC Samurai Cell!!

Woo hoo!

--Jaeger

[Beemer Dan]

The trees, the bike shop, the people, the whole deal... I'm jealous as a motherfucker. That looks like an enchanting way to spend the summer, and even though the language is a tough one, how cool is that eh? If nothing else you'll be able to laugh at all the teeny bopper Americans that got Kanji tattoos of naughty words thinking they meant peace and love and all that. Not to mention you'll be able to watch anime without subs and dubs! Damn!

My recent Japan kick is the rock from the 60's, killer stuff! Are you getting a chance to see any live music?

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And like Brothah Jaeger said, pix needed of the two of you at the meetup! Love the updates, keep em coming!

[UndertheGun]

Jonny, I'll have a PM out to you this evening once I confirm what my plans are for that weekend.


Dan, It definitely is enchanting even if I don't always realize it. From time to time I have to stop myself and look around at how awesome it is here. It really is amazing when I discover stuff like what is in the pics below just wandering around.
No real live music so far.

Bigass bell.


Some dudes getting rained on.






Byoudoin in Uji. It is featured on the ¥10 coin.


Some old kanji no one knew how to read.



Temple in the woods.


Host-kids had a sports day at their school...


They would't let me challenge a class of 2nd graders to a tug-o-war.


Louis and I were bored


My host mother and the cute moms at the school thought this was the most hilarious thing ever. That bike sucked to ride.


And an evening shot from the Sanjo-bridge.