[KYOTO KYOTO .JP] BLOGS

I watched the movies Avatar when I was back home. It is one of the most exciting movies I have watch in a long time. The story is about an ex Marine who doesn’t have the use of his legs. He is sent to a far away land to inhabit in an avatar created body so that he can look like the locals.
James Cameron is the man. I have been a fan of his for a long time. I think I have watched all his movies If you like to watch a movie while in Kyoto, there are several places where you can watch it.

MOVIX KYOTO 075-254-3215 www.movix.jp
KYOTO CINEMA 075-354-4723

There are other places as well on the corner of Shijo and Higashioji there is an old theater there that you can watch older movies. It is not as expensive as MOVIX or the CINEMA.

Wednesdays are cheaper for women. If you don’t mind spending 1800yen of your hard earned money I suggest watching a movie here in Kyoto. The have assigned seating so you can choose you seat. Food is not cheap so eat before you go.
You can watch up to date movies here but some movies don’t come out in Japan for about 3 months to a year after. I go to the movies about once a year here. It is too expensive but it is good date spot. Have fun!

Kyoto has a day scene with all the temples and shrines and much to do all day. But the night, there are limited things to do in the city. If you are not in an onsen which is hard to find in the city there are some things you can do at night. There are numerous amounts of bars that art available to drink at. There are scores of restaurants that you can eat at. There are a few night clubs that you can go to dance. You can find some darts bars, pool halls, and other bar related venues around the city. Of course there is karaoke. I usually prefer to go to a night club and get my drink on after a long week of work. I still work everyday so relaxing is necessary for me to be sure that I don’t go completely nuts here. I usually go to a night club to talk to as many people as I can. Going to an izakaya is usually just for going with friends. I am usually a lone wolf when I go out so a night club suits me. If you are here you are usually here with a friend or a couple or few friends that you can enjoy your conversation with the company that you are with. I am the complete opposite. I enjoy being alone. I can come and go as I please. I don’t have to wait for a friend who is chatting up that cute girl while I am stuck with the ugly one.

I don’t usually send money more or less receive money from back home. If I ever do I usually just mail it. I don’t trust banks and I don’t trust those companies that charge to send money back home. Why would I spend so much money to send money back to your bank account back home? I just don’t understand the concept. Because the dollar is so weak I have been buying and sending money back home in thick envelopes just to deposit my money in American dollars because I can get a better interest rate back home. I think that if I was a tourist that I will just spend all my yen if I am here. If you want me to help you spend money. Take me out. I know almost all the good nightspots in the city.

If you are staying around the Kyoto station you probably see many little shops and restaurants and other things that are available to you. I have only been here twice but I love both of them. MAN IN THE MOON IRISH PUB. They have 7 beers on tap including Guinness and Kilkenny. They also have some Japanese beers on tap as well. They don’t accept credit card so everything is pay as you go. They are open from 11am to 2am Sunday to Thursday and 11am to 4 am on Friday and a. They have a long happy hour from 11 in the morning to 7 at night.
You can also enjoy sports events on three big screen TVs. They have a great place. If you like sports then you are in the right place. It is conveniently located behind the Shinkansen part of Kyoto station. It can fit about 50 people comfortably. You can sit at the counter or in antique chairs. A good Irish pub feeling.
The food is good too. I had the fish and chips. The staff is multinational. There is an Irish man and several Japanese and other nationalities. They are friendly and always joyful. If you find the Man in the Moon Irish Pub. You may not want to leave. And if you do then you will definitely want to go back and enjoy the great hospitality, good food, and after a few drinks you will feel like you are a man in the moon.

Today is setsubun and it is known as the first day of spring in the traditional Japanese calendar. It is celebrated by lanterns being lit in the big and small shrines all of the country and all over the prefecture. A good place to go to see the setsubun festival in Kyoto is Yoshida Shrine. Yoshida Shrine maybe has the biggest festival in the Prefecture.
You will probably share this festival with about 50,000 other people and there are many stalls where you can get food. The typical Takoyaki, and other regular festival food and games.
Setsubun is also practiced at home. Many people celebrate be eating beans that is their age. I did not want to eat 32 beans so I just at some natto. You should try it is taste pretty good.
At the festival people usually throw beans at a demon like creature to drive the demons away and bad luck that will come to them in the upcoming year.

I am to take part in a tea ceremony soon. I am wondering what to expect. I am not a big on cultural person. I am not a green tea fan. I like dark tea that is sweetened by sugar. Green tea is bland and it taste like powered tea the tea ceremony was passed from China to Japan in the 16th century. People who are professionals in the ceremony surprise me. They are very strict on this ceremony. The art requires a very quiet place usually at a maccha (tea house) in order to enhance the art and the mind for those who practice this art. The ceremony also requires certain utensils for the ceremony. The bowl, the Whisk, and other things that is necessary. People who practice also very into what they are doing. Many people require almost complete silence.
The bowls used are carefully chosen for every ceremony. Some people even carry their own bowls. Think a martini bartender carries his tools. These enthusiast carry there own things used for the ceremony in a case.
You can experience this ceremony in many places all over the city. In a shrine that you visiting. In a tea house. In your home or apartment. Pretty much anywhere. So if you are in the city. Try it. I know that I am looking forward to my first tea ceremony.

I went to a reggae style izakaya over the weekend. As I entered this establishment I was told to take of me shoes. I took off my shoes and put them away in a shelf provided by the restaurant. They sat me and my friend down in a low table. So you take off your shoes and eat on a coffee table. Hmmm...I said to myself. I wonder how the food it. It is 730 at night and the place is packed. They must be doing something right. Maybe the food is outstanding. I asked the staff what does he recommend to eat and he told me that the jerk chicken is maybe the best thing of the menu. I ordered that a tofu and egg like combo, edamame, and ochazuke, a beer and some shochu. We got our edamame and I thought. This is the same as everywhere else. Hmmm... next dish came, the tofu and egg teppan dish. This was bursting with flavor. I have been in Japan for 6 years and usually food is bland. This was very tasty. It kind of reminded me of back home. I don’t have to ask for soy sauce or ketchup to give the food more flavor. Very good. The jerk chicken cam out and again was surprised. It was a drumstick and a thigh on a bone. On a bone I thought to myself. I hardly ever see chicken on a bone in any place more or less in a supermarket. How they get this. Japanese restaurants don’t usually serve any kind of meat with it still on a bone. This too was excellent. It was serves with a house salad and a slice of lime. Very tasty and it went great with the beer and shochu.
I am a very picky eater. Some Japanese restaurants or izakayas cater to the Japanese public so the food is bland. This was a reggae style restaurant. There were other types of food but I did not want to eat too much and want to drink very much. I had a total of 5 beers and had 5 dishes. My bill came out to 6000 yen. Reasonable I thought.
The name of the reggae izakaya is "RASTA". It has been around for more that 10 years with the owners changing but now it is only one owner and I don’t think that it will be changing anymore. I was surprised that the owner was a good friend of mine. When I got there I did not know much about this restaurant. I did not know the owner either. He owns a bar I frequently go too. The food was amazing, the ambiance with these parachute like materials hanging from the ceiling, their vast menu of assorted food menu items. You can have many types of foods here. They don’t have an English menu but if you ask they can recommend some dishes for you and your party. One person coming here is also not unheard of. You can make friends here.

I am sure to be back in Rasta for some good food and the music.

Christmas on Guam is much better than in Japan. On Guam, we spend it with family, friends, had and relatives. In Japan it’s spent with the boyfriend or girlfriends. They have dinner and have some fun after that. Pretty much end up sleeping together at the end of the night. Girls who can’t find a beau for the night spend it with their friends get drunk and still look for a guy to spend the night with.
I went to mass for the first time this year. After mass I went to my mother’s house and my nieces and nephews opened their Christmas gifts from the family. Christmas day is a day for the family, while the children open gifts and play the adults prepare from the feast on Christmas day. So I am cutting vegetables for the food that we will eat on Christmas day.
Christmas day comes and I haven’t slept in two days. I have been cutting chicken and meat for steaks. Marinating the ribs and washing the rice. I have a schedule I have to keep in the morning. I have to buy the ice, pick up the bread, and get some drinks and hurry back to start the cooking.
As the morning progresses other relatives come and help my family prepare. Its noon and the party starts, there are about 150 people mostly friends and family. Some people I don’t know but most I grew up knowing.
As the days goes on, people come and go, come and eat, come and enjoy. They leave and some even came back. I only know that I really enjoyed the company of my friends, neighbors, and family around the holidays,
If you find yourself in Japan in Christmas look for that special someone and who knows you may get lucky for the night or even for your life.

It is 6 days after the New Year. I enjoyed my vacation holidays throughout Christmas and the New Year. I am eager going back to work next week. Eighteen days back home was a little too long for me. I know myself now. I don’t need time off from work. Keeping busy is the best way to enjoy life. So I was at the Kansai Airport coming back. It is about 56 degrees it is a 30 degree difference from back on Guam. It is freezing in Japan. I thought I wanted to go back to the tropical island I call home. But I kind of like the cold and I haven’t seen any snow yet. I am thinking that seeing snow is maybe the one thing I look forward to the most in the year. I hope it snows soon. The weather is just cold and dry. Will it snow today!? Maybe not. Well maybe next week!

I am back to work and I　am enjoying it. It is still very cold and it hasn’t snowed yet.

So it was a beautiful day today. I was on my way to my neighborhood Mickey dees to get some food in the morning, you see in two days I am going home for my yearly　vacation. So anyway, I am crossing the street at the crosswalk and about three steps away I feel this enormous stinging on my calf. In a split second, I look at this small car running into me. In shock, I did what anyone will so? I tried to push the car way. But this time I used my fist and I punch his hood. In the car is a little old man bowing and he to me signing I am sorry to me. My adrenaline pumping I felt myself getting hotter and hotter.

He tries to pull away so I look for something that I can throw to him. I cannot find anything, I am still in shock and I don’t know if I can run or even walk. This man then reverses and pulls into a coin parking lot. He gets out and he tries to touch my leg where I holding in pain. He asks me in am ok and I tell him "don’t touch me."
I call the police to file a report the man says to me "I'll be right back, I have a dental appointment” I was like what the fu___!!!!! You hit me ass_____!!! So here I am waiting for the police and twenty minutes later still no one came. There was a patrol car but they told me that it is not in the area and I should wait for the police that are from my area. So after 30 minutes of waiting the police man came and took my statement and asks me where the man who hit me was. I told him that he went to the dentist because he had a dental appointment.

You see, if you are a driver and you hit a person on the road you are 100 percent at fault. Now, I am going home in two days, so there is no time to go to the doctor to get checked out. My leg was not so bad it was bruised from the inside. I had to work all day and night. I had parties at night so do I take off from work and the parties or do I go to b\the doctor. Like I said that it was not that bad I could walk. I walked with a limp but I could walk.


I wonder when I am on Guam will it be bad???