Saturday, September 02, 2006

Spaceships and Dinosaurs - The age old pair

I promise that there are pictures/video of our apartment coming soon, but the past few days we have been busy walking through our new city, trying to get our bearings and explore this place we now call home.

I am sure that some of you recall us speaking of the two city landmarks "Oasis 21" and The TV tower. Well, last night with the arrival of Mats (Ian's friend who is visiting family in Japan right now), we decided to venture out into the big city (remember 9 million people....)

We figured we would do the tourist thing and walk to these landmarks, and check out downtown Nagoya on a Friday night. Well, after a very confusing hour or so, we finally managed to locate with joy, the TV tower. Let me just say, it is VERY hard to read a map when you have no idea how to read the street names (we have gotten lost a number of times now). Anyways, we turn a corner, and there in the middle of a park is what looks like a giant space ship hovering above the ground, all lit up and everything. It is hard to explain but I will do my best. Imagine someone dug a hole in the group and built shops in it, but never gave it a roof. Then imagine they somehow suspend a giant oval glass plate in the air, way above the hole and where the ground starts. Then imagine that person dumping gallons of water on top of the plate to make it look like there is a river flowing on top of said plate. THEN, after all this, imagine wanding over to this hole in the ground, looking down, and seeing dinosaurs.

Yes, Dinosaurs on what is called the "Galaxy Platform".

I have no idea what is going on in this place.

Imagine some of the other floor names : Grassy Field, and Aqua Spaceship. We never saw "Grassy Fields", but Aqua Spaceship at least made some sense...it was the roof with the water. But Dinosaurs on the Galaxy Platform?

After finding this place we headed to a resaurant called the 59's, supposedly an american style 50's pub. First off, what they consider American is hilarious, and secondly, it is all VERY expensive. We stayed for only a drink, but in that time we discovered how small the world really is. Our waitress was white and english speaking, and asked us at one point where we were from. When we said London Ontario she got very excited and said she went to Western (or Kings actually). As a shot in the dark, Ian askes her if she knows a Justin Sanchez. Apparently, they were on a Soph team togeather. Yes, Justin, you officially know EVERYONE.

And as if that wasn't baffling enough, she comes back a minute later with a business card for me, and asks if I want a part time job at the bar. I'm in Nagoya 2 nights and already I'm getting job offers! I took the card, confused and not knowing what to say and we all left the bar in a daze. The rest of the night was not as exciting, although we did get pretty lost at some point. But eventually we managed to make it back home, sore and exhausted from the walk. I will hopefully have some more city shots for you soon, so keep checking up!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The new Dylan CD has a son called 'Strangers in a Strange Land'. Makes me think of this adventure. I'm sure each time you venture out things will get more familiar. Courage, mon fils. That is funny about the girl from Kings...Six degrees of separation, etc.

Anonymous said...

Dude!

(Insert random "it's been forEVer" commenty goodness here...)

See, some people said I should think about teaching English overseas, and my general response was "I don't have the balls for that". You, however have the balls for that. Well done. Way to have balls.

(This is why I shouldn't go online twenty minutes after waking up...)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you guys are having fun.
I miss you. Love Jake

Anonymous said...

Hey guys,
Sounds like you are having a very interesting experience so far!!! Can't wait to see pictures of your apartment!!
MIss you!!!
Love Aunt Lori xoxoxo

Meaghan said...

whoa, dinosaurs! haha I want to go there!
although, I should probably just stop saying that and tell you that you can assume I want to go everywhere that you talk about.. unless I specifically say I don't want to go there. yeah. or something. That is really weird that you met that girl from here, people really arn't kidding when they say it's a small world. Although when two of your favouritest people are on the other side of it, the world doesn't feel very small at all.
so when do you guys start training for work? You have yet to mention that part haha, but I don't blame you seeing as there's sooo much to mention.
anyways I'll stop rambling. I love you guys!

Daver said...

Wow... just wow guys, you must be super tourists and take many pictures of that ... thing you speak of. I really want to see more of it.

Six ways of Justin is a new game we should play... I think we could actually do that...

your friends in Japan said...

Jake - I miss you!! We went into a crazy Japanese toystore today and I thought of you. I'll have to figure out what toys are cool over here right now and send one back to you!

Amy - Clearly since you did not run screaming after our first encounter with Japanese Karaoke and whatever that fishing pond was, I think it is safe to say that you too have the balls.
Congrats!

Aunt Lori - Tons of fun indeed! You should see us. I am sure we are a walking comedy sketch for all the locals. But its fun and we are learning. I know how to ask for stuff now, and how to say "I can't speak Japanses!" Haha. Its encouraging though, just learning the little phrases day by day.
And Lastly, Apartment pictures are coming SOON. We started taking video tonight!

Meaghan - Clearly you have to come here so that I can show you all this crazy stuff. And you might ask, "But Tara, how will we get around town?", and I will respond with "we will simply strap you to the seat on the back of my bicycle!" (You're gonna be so Jealous when you see it!!)

Dave - Pictures abound! But if you come see for yourself it will be even better!!!!
Also, I agree that 6 degrees of Justin would be an amazing game!!

Janet - Yeah we keep thinking we are getting to know our neighborhood. Then we do things like walk out the other side of the train station. I swear this city is like 20 Toronto's squashed togeather!

your friends in Japan said...

PS - Amy
Sorry, I thought you were a different Amy

your friends in Japan said...

Mom - we are certainly Strangers in this strange land. The people are exceptionally friendly and helpful though... I can tell that much, despite not knowing what they're saying.

Amy! - Cool to hear from you. It would really be terrifying to jump into this alone. I'm lucky enough to have a travel companion that I kind of like, otherwise I don't know that I'd work up the courage either. But there are a lot of opportunities to meet people here as well. Other teachers that are equally lost and confused. It's great! If you're into that kind of thing.

Hi Jake! There are a lot of cool things to see here, like the big glowing dinosaurs. One building has a giant ferris wheel attached to it. Miss you too!

Lori - We now have video of our apartment posted. Please note that EVERYone sleeps on the floor, and we have separate futons. ;)
Having fun and staying out of trouble.

Meaghan - there really is too much going on to describe it all. It's hard to take everything in at once... very exhausting. The simplest things like buying groceries, become incredibly difficult. Then the more difficult things like setting up a cell-phone plan...woooooo!

Dave - that sounds like a fun game. Incidentally did you know that Justin and I are actually 2 or 3 degrees of Kevin Bacon?! We wrote/directed/starred in a movie with a friend who was Kevin Bacon's kids' camp counsellor. It was an arts camp, and he made videos with the kids. Garunteed the kids have been in home movies with Kevin Bacon. Crazy, eh?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for thinking of me. The dinosaurs looked really cool.
Love Jake

Anonymous said...

Ian,
Very happy to hear that you are on the other side of the world and still behaving!! You are a good man!!!! :)