Finally, a new post! My first Japan trip!

Tokyo, Japan

May 2-6, 2014

 Most photos are taken around Asakusa, which is where my hotel was located. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

 

 

 

Barrels of sake wrapped in straw.

Wine for consecration at Meiji Jingu.

I feel like I could eat off the ground here...

Entrance to Sensoji Temple and Asakusa Shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan.

Jinrikisha (rickshaw). My first time ever seeing one.

Asakusa Shrine and Sensoji Temple

Sensoji Temple

Close up of the Asakusa Shrine.

Sky tree and Asahi building in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan.

Day time at Sensoji Temple (this photo to the end were taken with my phone)

My first meal in Japan.

Probably my favorite meal I had in Japan.

Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan

One foggy morning...

This is when I get off the bus and start walking into the 시골 (country-bumpkin-middle-of-nowhere) to get to my school. It's about a five minute walk.

I just recently learned these are Magnolias. Thanks to Instagram for educating me...

I'm not sure what this is, but I'm so glad I got shots of it before and after it bloomed (below).

Almost at school! See the tiny gate on the far right? That's the gate to the school. I am literally walking next to crops/plantations left and right, every day, to and from work.

This is a door on the side of one of my student's grandfather's house, which is seen in the photo above on the far right. I really like this door and always thought of taking a photo of it and now I finally have. Mission accomplished.

This is what I see on my left, right before I enter my school grounds.

Morning dew. I hardly ever see dew drops on the grass here... also maybe because I barely see grass around where I live.

This was not the first time the smog was this bad. One day in the fall, I could not see the school from this standpoint. I thought it was fog, but apparently this was dust/pollution...

Usually I can see the swing set from here but I couldn't on this day.

I think that's the sun? Sadly those trees on the left were beautiful cherry blossoms. They barely lasted a couple of weeks...

Are these cherry blossoms too? Surprisingly, I took these on the same day I took the photos above. I didn't edit this photos at all. I love how it turned out with the beautiful clear blue sky as the backdrop and the perfect saturation of the green leaves and flowers. This is a tree next to the same house I took above.

Going home now~

Some interesting looking trees... they kind of reminded me of a giant version of a bonsai tree my dad used to have.

 More discoveries in Cheongju

Sangyupsal (grilled pork) street

육거리시장 (Yukkeori Sijang) Market for all kinds of goods like fresh fruits and veggies, meat, fish, grains, rice cakes, banchan (Korean side dishes), clothing, and more! This place is huge and I find out its existance 7 months later...

One of my favorite things to eat here! 찐만두! Steamed dumplings!

Fried fishcakes galore. O_O

Another one of my favorite things to eat here! The blue mark on the stick means nonspicy and the red means spicy. I didn't know this, but luckily I chose the blue one my first try. It tasted spicy because I think some of the spicy ones transferred to the nonspicy ones through the broth. The best part is to drink the broth with it! So good... I'm salivating just writing about it.

Last, but not least... my ULTIMATE FAVORITE, RICE CAKES! My number one favorite is 약밥 (Yakbap) the brown rice one with all kinds of nuts and dates in it. However, I have also discovered I really like the round colorful ones filled with sesame liquid stuff... I have no idea what it's called in English, but in Korean it's 깨 (spelling?). SO. GOOD. 

That completes my happy discovery of this place! I don't know what it is about markets, but it's pretty exciting and fun just to walk around and of course EAT.