Not really. But Jason and I are back from Himeji, so I decided that it's time for a new blog. You can now find us at
http://jollyrogerses.blogspot.com
Monday, October 24, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Seoul sites
(sorry for the delay on this post - we're trying to catch back up)
We didn't just eat in Seoul, although the food was probably our favourite part of the trip. Fittingly, one of our main activities was also food-based. We went to a show called Nanta. This is a non-verbal, rhythm-based show similar to Stomp. The storyline revolved around chefs preparing for a big meal, and using kitchen materials as the means to create the percussion sounds. The show was pretty funny, too. It was well-done overall.
We took a tour of the Changdeokgung Palace, a World Heritage site. The palace is set within a large garden. To see the garden, you have to take a tour, which we did. The garden (and the palace) were nice, but not spectacular. It was a nice enough way to spend an afternoon, though.
We also went to a baseball game. South Korea has a professional league; it's a step down from the Japanese leagues, and probably roughly equivalent to Double-A baseball in the U.S. The crowds were quite a bit more passionate than American minor-league games. It was a lot like Japanese
games with chanting, but the Koreans mixed in quite a bit more singing, including some song set to the tune of "Livin' la Vida Loca". Although the visiting team wasn't from Seoul, the stadium was split pretty evenly between home and away fans (one of the benefits of a small country is being able to follow your team on the road). Like in Japan, the fans chanted or sung while their team batted and were quiet when they were in the field. There were some other American fans there who either didn't understand or didn't like that tradition and kept trying to get the visiting fans to cheer while their team was in the field. This included some weak efforts at starting the wave. This was later done more successfully by the official cheerleader. Each team had one male cheerleader who organized the chants and songs, complete with a megaphone and a little stage set up in the stands. Each team also had four female cheerleaders who danced during the appropriate moments and backed up the male leader. Another interesting international baseball experience for us.
-Jason
There are more pictures and videos on the picasa site. Chelsey has just updated the picasa site, so if you have an old link, it probably won't work anymore. Please let us know if you have trouble accessing the pictures.
We didn't just eat in Seoul, although the food was probably our favourite part of the trip. Fittingly, one of our main activities was also food-based. We went to a show called Nanta. This is a non-verbal, rhythm-based show similar to Stomp. The storyline revolved around chefs preparing for a big meal, and using kitchen materials as the means to create the percussion sounds. The show was pretty funny, too. It was well-done overall.
We took a tour of the Changdeokgung Palace, a World Heritage site. The palace is set within a large garden. To see the garden, you have to take a tour, which we did. The garden (and the palace) were nice, but not spectacular. It was a nice enough way to spend an afternoon, though.
We also went to a baseball game. South Korea has a professional league; it's a step down from the Japanese leagues, and probably roughly equivalent to Double-A baseball in the U.S. The crowds were quite a bit more passionate than American minor-league games. It was a lot like Japanese
games with chanting, but the Koreans mixed in quite a bit more singing, including some song set to the tune of "Livin' la Vida Loca". Although the visiting team wasn't from Seoul, the stadium was split pretty evenly between home and away fans (one of the benefits of a small country is being able to follow your team on the road). Like in Japan, the fans chanted or sung while their team batted and were quiet when they were in the field. There were some other American fans there who either didn't understand or didn't like that tradition and kept trying to get the visiting fans to cheer while their team was in the field. This included some weak efforts at starting the wave. This was later done more successfully by the official cheerleader. Each team had one male cheerleader who organized the chants and songs, complete with a megaphone and a little stage set up in the stands. Each team also had four female cheerleaders who danced during the appropriate moments and backed up the male leader. Another interesting international baseball experience for us.-Jason
There are more pictures and videos on the picasa site. Chelsey has just updated the picasa site, so if you have an old link, it probably won't work anymore. Please let us know if you have trouble accessing the pictures.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Seoul food
On our way back from Japan we stopped in Seoul for a few days. It turned out our plane ticket was actually cheaper if we went through Seoul, so we thought we might as well see the city. Since South Korea is so close to Japan, we had wanted to get there at some point - and we just managed to get it in.
The main highlight for us was the food. Chelsey had arranged a taste tour for the first full day we were there. We went to a food school and one of the employees (who was an interesting guy), took us to four or five different restaurants. At each one, he ordered a dish for us to try. It was a great way to get an overview of Korean food and it was delicious. Sometimes it was hard to keep from eating too much at one stop to try to save room for the subsequent stops. Our guide also took us through a local Korean market and pointed out some of the local ingredients. We tried to remember them so hopefully we can find them in a Korean market back home.
The next day we went back to the cooking school for a cooking lesson. We had already met our instructor the day before; she cooked us a Korean pancake before we left on the tour. Our lesson was on Korean barbeque.
We prepared three types: a grilled chicken, pork with a chili sauce, and beef ribs, along with a chive salad. Our instructor chef did a 
demonstration first, then we tried to make the same thing. I had trouble pulling myself away from the beef ribs she made long enough to try to make my own, but eventually both Chelsey and I did, and all our dishes turned out pretty well, if not perfectly. Sometime we'll see if we can replicate it in our own kitchen.
In the next post: the sites we saw.
-Jason
The first group of pictures are from our food tour. The second group are from the cooking class.
The main highlight for us was the food. Chelsey had arranged a taste tour for the first full day we were there. We went to a food school and one of the employees (who was an interesting guy), took us to four or five different restaurants. At each one, he ordered a dish for us to try. It was a great way to get an overview of Korean food and it was delicious. Sometimes it was hard to keep from eating too much at one stop to try to save room for the subsequent stops. Our guide also took us through a local Korean market and pointed out some of the local ingredients. We tried to remember them so hopefully we can find them in a Korean market back home.
The next day we went back to the cooking school for a cooking lesson. We had already met our instructor the day before; she cooked us a Korean pancake before we left on the tour. Our lesson was on Korean barbeque.
We prepared three types: a grilled chicken, pork with a chili sauce, and beef ribs, along with a chive salad. Our instructor chef did a 
demonstration first, then we tried to make the same thing. I had trouble pulling myself away from the beef ribs she made long enough to try to make my own, but eventually both Chelsey and I did, and all our dishes turned out pretty well, if not perfectly. Sometime we'll see if we can replicate it in our own kitchen.In the next post: the sites we saw.
-Jason
The first group of pictures are from our food tour. The second group are from the cooking class.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
last Japan post
I know Jason already had his sayonara post, but I still have a few last Japan things to post.
On our second-to-last day in Himeji, we went for one final visit to the castle. They started a major 5-year reconstruction project while we were
there, and they have now opened a special exhibit where you can go and see the progress. They have enclosed the entire castle in a huge box. Below is a time-lapse video of the covering process.
Many of the friends we were in Japan with have talked about having a reunion when they reopen the castle. It sounds like a good idea to us!
On our last night we went for okonomiyaki with some of our friends (somehow Lauren isn't in the pictures?). Then it was time to start saying our "see you laters". It was difficult because we'd made so many good friends in Japan. We hope to return to Japan to see them, and hope they'll come to San Diego to visit us!
On our second-to-last day in Himeji, we went for one final visit to the castle. They started a major 5-year reconstruction project while we were
there, and they have now opened a special exhibit where you can go and see the progress. They have enclosed the entire castle in a huge box. Below is a time-lapse video of the covering process.Many of the friends we were in Japan with have talked about having a reunion when they reopen the castle. It sounds like a good idea to us!
On our last night we went for okonomiyaki with some of our friends (somehow Lauren isn't in the pictures?). Then it was time to start saying our "see you laters". It was difficult because we'd made so many good friends in Japan. We hope to return to Japan to see them, and hope they'll come to San Diego to visit us!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sayonara
Last month we ended our two years in Japan and 
headed back to the States. Himeji was a wonderful place for us, mainly because of the terrific friends we made there. We were sad to say goodbye to everyone and there were some tears shed.
Now we're getting settled in our new place and are looking forward to our next adventures. We'll post some updates about our progress on that soon.
-Jason
headed back to the States. Himeji was a wonderful place for us, mainly because of the terrific friends we made there. We were sad to say goodbye to everyone and there were some tears shed.Now we're getting settled in our new place and are looking forward to our next adventures. We'll post some updates about our progress on that soon.
-Jason
Monday, August 29, 2011
I am samurai
On one of our last days in 
Himeji our friend Yumi wanted to take us out for the afternoon. One of our stops was the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History. They have a program that allows someone to dress up in period costume, which they do a few times a day. Boys can dress as a samurai, while girls can put on a 12-layer kimono. When we went, we got picked, so Chelsey let me go wear the samurai outfit. You can see how fierce and warrior-like I look.
The rest of the afternoon was kind of devoted to trains, as Yumi thinks I am a train nerd for some reason. (BTW, the Japanese phrase for train nerd is densha otaku). First she took us to a conveyor belt sushi place for lunch. We've been to other conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, but this one had a special catch: when you put in an order, it was delivered
to your table by a little shinkansen platter on a special track (elevated from the regular belt, just like the real shinkansen is elevated from the regular trains).
After the history museum, we went down to Himeji station, bought platform tickets and went up to the Shinkansen platform. This spring the rail company opened up a new stretch of Shinkansen tracks, reaching down to the southern end of the island of Kyushu. They also introduced a new Shinkansen train, the Sakura service, which runs between Osaka and the southern terminus. Not all Sakura trains stop in Himeji. The ones that don't reach their top speed while zipping through the city, so we were there to see it zoom through the station. That was pretty exciting!
-Jason
Himeji our friend Yumi wanted to take us out for the afternoon. One of our stops was the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History. They have a program that allows someone to dress up in period costume, which they do a few times a day. Boys can dress as a samurai, while girls can put on a 12-layer kimono. When we went, we got picked, so Chelsey let me go wear the samurai outfit. You can see how fierce and warrior-like I look.The rest of the afternoon was kind of devoted to trains, as Yumi thinks I am a train nerd for some reason. (BTW, the Japanese phrase for train nerd is densha otaku). First she took us to a conveyor belt sushi place for lunch. We've been to other conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, but this one had a special catch: when you put in an order, it was delivered
to your table by a little shinkansen platter on a special track (elevated from the regular belt, just like the real shinkansen is elevated from the regular trains).After the history museum, we went down to Himeji station, bought platform tickets and went up to the Shinkansen platform. This spring the rail company opened up a new stretch of Shinkansen tracks, reaching down to the southern end of the island of Kyushu. They also introduced a new Shinkansen train, the Sakura service, which runs between Osaka and the southern terminus. Not all Sakura trains stop in Himeji. The ones that don't reach their top speed while zipping through the city, so we were there to see it zoom through the station. That was pretty exciting!
-Jason
Monday, August 22, 2011
Summer Koshien
Koshien is the name of the stadium the Hanshin Tigers play in. It's one of the oldest fields in Japan, kind of like a Japanese Wrigley. It's also the site of the national high school baseball championships. This is basically Japan's version of the NCAA basketball tournament. It's televised around the country, and is a big enough deal that the Tigers, Japan's second-most popular pro team, have to vacate their stadium for the duration of 
the tournament.
The tournament is comprised of 49 teams: one from each of Japan's 47 prefectures and second teams from Tokyo and Hokkaido. They then play in a single elimination tournament to determine the champion. Because of the way Japan's school year is set up, a loss means the end of the career for third-year students, although they won't graduate until March. Stars are born at this tournament, much like March Madness. Matsuzaka Daisuke, now with the Boston Red Sox, first became famous in Japan for pitching a 17-inning, 250-pitch complete game in the tournament.
Since it's such a big deal, we decided to go one day during summer. It's actually free to sit in the outfield, although later in the tournament it might be tough to get a seat. The games are all played during the day, so you also have to deal with the hot sun, as there is no covering in the outfield. It probably helps the business of the beverage vendors, although walking around the stands in their uniforms can't be fun.
We got there midway through one game and watched the end. One team had jumped out to a 9-0 lead before we got there, and though their opponents gamely chipped away, it ended 9-4. Just like at a professional game, however, there were cheering sections for both teams, and they chanted on, no matter how hopeless the situation looked.
We stayed for the entirety of the next game, which turned out to be a classic. It was the team from Hiroshima vs. a team from Gifu, although we didn't know that at the time. Each team managed two runs in the first three innings. We then got a full game's worth of zeros - no more scoring through the 12th inning. There was still plenty of action, though, including the Hiroshima team putting the go-ahead run at third base with one out in the eighth, only to have him cut down at the plate. Both teams also had baserunners in extra innings, but failed to get a run across until the Hiroshima team finally scored the winning run in the 13th.
Maybe the toughest part about watching high school sports like this is that you know they are kids and they really wanted to win the game, and after such a classic the losers will be heartbroken. It was probably tough for the fans, too, who were almost as entertaining as the game. We were sitting near the Hiroshima fan section, and they were into it. The school band was playing, a number of other students were there (in uniform) cheering. Some students were wearing baseball uniforms (possibly the equivalent of the JV team) and they were cheering and doing a little dance to support the team. There were cheerleaders, honest-to-goodness pom-pom bearing American-style cheerleaders. Then there were the guys in white gloves. They did what looked like calisthenics in time to the chants and music. It was clearly some kind of cheering, but I've never seen it before. We couldn't see the other team's section as well, but they were also loud and supportive throughout the game (only when their team was batting, of course, as is Japanese custom).
Afterward, I found out the announced attendance at that game was 34,000. Over the complete 15 days of the tournament it drew nearly a million fans. The Hiroshima team won their next game in extra innings as well before losing in the quarterfinals. A team from Himeji also made it to the quarterfinals before losing.
-Jason
There are more pictures and video on the picasa site.
the tournament.
The tournament is comprised of 49 teams: one from each of Japan's 47 prefectures and second teams from Tokyo and Hokkaido. They then play in a single elimination tournament to determine the champion. Because of the way Japan's school year is set up, a loss means the end of the career for third-year students, although they won't graduate until March. Stars are born at this tournament, much like March Madness. Matsuzaka Daisuke, now with the Boston Red Sox, first became famous in Japan for pitching a 17-inning, 250-pitch complete game in the tournament.
Since it's such a big deal, we decided to go one day during summer. It's actually free to sit in the outfield, although later in the tournament it might be tough to get a seat. The games are all played during the day, so you also have to deal with the hot sun, as there is no covering in the outfield. It probably helps the business of the beverage vendors, although walking around the stands in their uniforms can't be fun.
We got there midway through one game and watched the end. One team had jumped out to a 9-0 lead before we got there, and though their opponents gamely chipped away, it ended 9-4. Just like at a professional game, however, there were cheering sections for both teams, and they chanted on, no matter how hopeless the situation looked.
We stayed for the entirety of the next game, which turned out to be a classic. It was the team from Hiroshima vs. a team from Gifu, although we didn't know that at the time. Each team managed two runs in the first three innings. We then got a full game's worth of zeros - no more scoring through the 12th inning. There was still plenty of action, though, including the Hiroshima team putting the go-ahead run at third base with one out in the eighth, only to have him cut down at the plate. Both teams also had baserunners in extra innings, but failed to get a run across until the Hiroshima team finally scored the winning run in the 13th.
Maybe the toughest part about watching high school sports like this is that you know they are kids and they really wanted to win the game, and after such a classic the losers will be heartbroken. It was probably tough for the fans, too, who were almost as entertaining as the game. We were sitting near the Hiroshima fan section, and they were into it. The school band was playing, a number of other students were there (in uniform) cheering. Some students were wearing baseball uniforms (possibly the equivalent of the JV team) and they were cheering and doing a little dance to support the team. There were cheerleaders, honest-to-goodness pom-pom bearing American-style cheerleaders. Then there were the guys in white gloves. They did what looked like calisthenics in time to the chants and music. It was clearly some kind of cheering, but I've never seen it before. We couldn't see the other team's section as well, but they were also loud and supportive throughout the game (only when their team was batting, of course, as is Japanese custom).
Afterward, I found out the announced attendance at that game was 34,000. Over the complete 15 days of the tournament it drew nearly a million fans. The Hiroshima team won their next game in extra innings as well before losing in the quarterfinals. A team from Himeji also made it to the quarterfinals before losing.
-Jason
There are more pictures and video on the picasa site.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Shinkansen museum
On our way back from the Kiso Valley we 
stopped back in again in Nagoya to go to a new train museum that opened this year. It was pretty interesting. The front of the museum had three train engines: a steam locomotive, a shinkansen engine and a maglev engine. It was the past, present and future of trains, as Japan has plans to introduce maglev service that is supposed to cut the time between Tokyo and Osaka to just over an hour. Incredible. I don't think it will be operational for a few decades yet. We did get to ride in a maglev simulator. It showed us what riding a train at 500 km/h was like. It was amusing when they slowed us down to regular bullet train speed (250 km/hr) to see how slow it felt.
The rest of the museum had cars from different trains in Japanese rail history. It was fun to poke through them. There was also a bus, the oldest extant bus in Japan apparently.
The museum also has a simulator where you can act as the driver of a shinkansen. Chelsey didn't think that sounded like too much fun, since you mostly just drive in a straight line, but I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, they only let a certain number of people in per day and hold a lottery to determine who gets to go. We did not win the lottery, so I did not get to drive a shinkansen. What a pity.
-Jason
There are more pictures on the picasa site.
stopped back in again in Nagoya to go to a new train museum that opened this year. It was pretty interesting. The front of the museum had three train engines: a steam locomotive, a shinkansen engine and a maglev engine. It was the past, present and future of trains, as Japan has plans to introduce maglev service that is supposed to cut the time between Tokyo and Osaka to just over an hour. Incredible. I don't think it will be operational for a few decades yet. We did get to ride in a maglev simulator. It showed us what riding a train at 500 km/h was like. It was amusing when they slowed us down to regular bullet train speed (250 km/hr) to see how slow it felt.
The rest of the museum had cars from different trains in Japanese rail history. It was fun to poke through them. There was also a bus, the oldest extant bus in Japan apparently.
The museum also has a simulator where you can act as the driver of a shinkansen. Chelsey didn't think that sounded like too much fun, since you mostly just drive in a straight line, but I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, they only let a certain number of people in per day and hold a lottery to determine who gets to go. We did not win the lottery, so I did not get to drive a shinkansen. What a pity.
-Jason
There are more pictures on the picasa site.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Muddy Buddy
A few weeks ago we played in our second mud volleyball tournament. We were a little more organized this year, and had a team dinner the night before where we made t-shirts. We weren't the only team that took it up a notch -- there were several costumed teams. My personal favorite was the Power Rangers.
Even though our team got crushed (we played the team that won last year and went on to defend their title), we had a great time. We particularly enjoyed delving into mud wrestling/mud sumo. Nobody escaped clean.
There are more pictures on the picasa site.
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