Search This Blog

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Dr. Trey and Johnny Helm

Sunday, October 27, 2013
Gordon Biersch, Aloha Tower Marketplace

My brother in law had asked me if I could take pictures at a fundraiser for Halau Hula Olana.  He and Johnny Helm were part of the entertainment for the evening.  I've never seen him and Johnny play so I was excited to go.  The weather looked horrible as I drove up to Aloha Tower.  It looked like it was gonna dump buckets at any moment.

1382378_10152353025422178_199163233_n

This picture is deceiving, it looks pretty good here, eh?  If you had turned around you woulda noticed the sky was BLACK with ugly clouds.  Just as I was taking this shot I felt a few drops on me so I ran and took cover.  Luckily the bar had game 4 on of the world series, so I got to watch the Red Sox beat the Cardinals as Tracey and Johnny were setting up :)

IMG_7644

Just about when they were supposed to go on, we heard a huge KABOOM!!!  Notice her face?  Yup, it was because of the thunder!
IMG_7653

IMG_7654

IMG_7659

IMG_7660

IMG_7665

IMG_7666

IMG_7669

IMG_7670

IMG_7678

As the rain turned into a drizzle I ran out to get a couple of close up shots
IMG_7685

IMG_7689

IMG_7690

Even with all the rain and the crazy weather they put on an awesome show.  Great job Tracey and Johnny!  Can't wait for the next gig!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Nikko

Friday, October 11, 2013

We split from the parents today and headed to Nikko.  They had already gone there on a different trip so they opted to holoholo around the city instead.  We started off bright and early (5:45) to catch the Asakusa train to Nikko.  It took about 2 1/2 hours to get there on the slower train so we wanted to get an early start.  Remember how I was complaining on how hot and humid it's been?  This is the temperature when we got there.

IMG_7320

IMG_7319

We jumped on a bus to the Rinnouji Temple since it was raining and spent a couple of hours there
IMG_7321

IMG_7322

Thank goodness it started clearing up shortly after we got there
IMG_7325

IMG_7326

IMG_7328

A lot of school kids where there on an excursion too
IMG_7329

IMG_7330

IMG_7331

IMG_7336

IMG_7338

IMG_7339

IMG_7342

CHEEEZU!!
IMG_7345

IMG_7351

IMG_7355

Where's Waldo??
IMG_7360

Did you know that the three wise monkeys (hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil) were created in Nikko??
IMG_7366

IMG_7375

IMG_7378

IMG_7382

IMG_7390

IMG_7393

I think we needed more than a day in Nikko.  By the time we were out of the temple it was almost time to head back to Tokyo.  We had to meet the parents for dinner at 5.  There's lots of cool waterfalls and onsens around the area but you gotta take an hour bus ride to get there.  

Not sure what's in store for tomorrow, might be a shopping day since it's gonna be our last full day here :(  


Thursday, October 10, 2013

In search of the Maneki Neko...

Thursday, October 10, 2013
Asakusa & Setagaya

Good morning Tokyo!  This is the view from my hotel window
IMG_7212

IMG_7213

This was another looooong day....mama kuba and I were on a mission to find the maneki neko shrines around Tokyo and supposedly the one in Setagaya makes some an (red bean) pastry thing that's shaped like the cat.  Do you know the meaning of the cat?  If not, here's a quick guide:

Tri-color cat:  beckoning good luck, wealth and prosperity
White cat:  Purity, happiness
Black cat:  Safety, ward off evil and stalkers
Golden cat:  wealth and prosperity
Red cat:  protection from evil and illness
Pink cat: love, relationships and romance
Green cat:  educations/studies

Right paw raised:  invites money and good fortune (usually to businesses)
Left paw raised:  invites customers or people (some suggest the right and left paws both invite business-related prosperity, but that the left paw is for businesses of the night, such as bars, geisha houses and restaurants.  Use of lucky cats in homes is more recent)
Both paws raised:  invites protection of home or business
Coin:  wealth and material abundance
Bib and bell:  may relate to protection, as well as wealth and material abundance

First stop: Imado Shrine in Asakusa.  Ok folks, this place isn't really easy to find so I'm gonna help you out.  Take either the Ginza, Asakusa or Tobu Isesaki line to Asakusa.  You will be right in front of Sensoji Temple, Kaminarimon Gate.  You can't miss it.  Head towards the Sumida River...
IMG_7217

When you start walking, don't turn left when you get to the shrine and walk 3 blocks before figuring out that the Sumida River is in the other direction.  Your husband will be grouchy.

When you reach the bridge, don't cross it. Instead turn left into the park that runs next to the river.  You'll see this cat at the entrance
IMG_7218

You'll also get a good view of the Skytree Tower
IMG_7219

If you walk along the river you'll see this weird bowl looking thing with holes in it.  If you stick your head through you'll see this.  It was pretty bizarre.
IMG_7220

IMG_7223

Keep walking about 10 minutes and the path will kinda turn to a fork at the big intersection.  Take the left fork and ask the policeman for directions to the Imado Shrine.  He'll tell you to walk down the street and to take a left at the 2nd stoplight where another fork in the road takes place, another 10 minutes. Thank god mama kuba was with me, I didn't understand anything except hidari (left) and ni (two).  Keep an eye out for the signs.
IMG_7224

We made it!
IMG_7225

IMG_7226

IMG_7228

I was expecting this huge shrine with tons of cats all over the place but really this place is quite small.  Not sure if it's worth the journey.  It is cute, but be prepared to walk.  Especially for people like us who keep getting lost :|

When you first walk in you're greeted with tons of vistor's prayers
IMG_7231

IMG_7232

IMG_7233

Then you get to this small shrine and all the cute cats
IMG_7237

IMG_7242

IMG_7243

IMG_7245

IMG_7247

IMG_7253

IMG_7252

They have this section blocked off...
IMG_7251

IMG_7250

IMG_7248

Like I said, I was a little disappointed, I was hoping for a few kiosks with trinkets and souvenirs that I could buy.  They did have a little table of stuff but I figured since this place was so small that I would have more selection at the Setagaya location...

In order to get to the Setagaya Station you gotta transfer at Shibuya Station.  Luckily it's at the end of the line, while Asakusa is the beginning.  Feel free to pass out on the subway cause it's about a 30 minute ride.  Don't worry about missing your stop cause they'll kick you out before they go the other direction.  While you're in Shibuya why don't you pay your respects to Hachiko?

IMG_7259

IMG_7261

IMG_7265

I didn't realize that there were dog prints in the station also!
IMG_7269

The journey to Setagaya we found out was worse than the one to Asakusa...first you gotta walk half way around the earth to get to the Den-en-toshi Line at Shibuya Station.  From there, get off at Sangen-jaya
IMG_7273

Get off at Sangen-jaya and go hunting for the signs that say Setagaya Line
IMG_7275

Walk another 10 miles through the station to find the next sign (can you tell I'm tired of walking already??)
IMG_7277

Aha! Success!
IMG_7278

If you time it just right the train will pull up as soon as you walk into the station...
IMG_7279

Aieyahh!  I forget what stop you're supposed to get off at.  But I do know it is the 7th stop, the first one starting at Setagaya Station.  This is where the fun starts....you get off the train and you get a map that looks like this:
IMG_7280

haha yah, it's that kind of town.  We did find an English map across the street, I just forgot to take a picture of it.  It told us to cross the train tracks and head up the street, so follow this lady.
IMG_7281

Walk up the residential area and wonder if you're in the right place.  But don't worry!  There's a stoplight up the road, maybe 10 minutes away if you have sore legs.  Take a left and you'll see this.  This looks like an entrance to a shrine right?
IMG_7283

Walk down the little lane
IMG_7285

And come to this deserted looking temple place
IMG_7286

Walk around the grounds looking for anyone you can ask for directions.  You won't find anyone.  But wait.  You can ask the tourist lady in broken Japanese if there's a Maneki Neko Shrine and she will tell you go behind the building and to the right and it will be right there!
IMG_7286

And then you see....
IMG_7289

And turn the corner and Success!
IMG_7290

Holy moly!
IMG_7291

IMG_7292

IMG_7300

IMG_7302

IMG_7306

I can't believe how none of these get stolen or vandalized.  It's amazing how much respect the Japanese have for public property.  

IMG_7307

IMG_7310

But where's the kiosks? The snacks?  Mama kuba said the program she was watching had lines of vendors waiting for people to buy their stuff...this is what you have to do to find your red bean snack...you have to walk about another half a mile up the road and find out there's absolutely nothing there except houses.  Turn around, walk back towards the station and ask about 5 residents about any pastry sweet shop that sells the pastry shaped like maneki neko.  They all will tell you gomenasai! Wakaranai...Sorry, I don't know...But then, you walk in to a Lawsons and you ask the clerk and she'll tell you go up one more stop to Yamashita and there's a shop there that sells the pastry you're looking for!  So off to Yamashita we go!  When you get to the next stop, ask the girl handing out flyers if she knows where it is.  She thinks maybe it's towards the left so to the left you go.  Walk about 100 yards and she'll run up to you and tell you "masugu! masugu!" Yes, straight ahead is the shop you're looking for!
IMG_7311

I can't believe we finally found it!  The pastry actually tasted pretty good.  I bought some to take home with me.  Crazy mama kuba came all this way and never bought any!  Sorry, I was so excited to find the shop that I forgot to take pictures of the snacks inside the shop.  Also it was dark so that means I would've had to bust out my flash and that just takes too much energy.

We were totally exhausted after this so we opted for getting some food from the department store and eating dinner in our room in comfort.  No one wanted to hop on another subway to go to dinner!
I didn't buy this but it's so cute yah!  It's cone sushi!
IMG_7315

This was our dinner tonight...notice all the toro Randy picked up?  Oh my gawwwd it was so good.  
IMG_7318

We were all stuffed and content and ready for bed.  Except for me.  I had to stay up and write this 10 page blog.  *yawn!*  See ya tomorrow!