A mish-mash of weekends...

So these are photos from my weekends in Kobe and Nara (trip #2).

I am currently gearing up for a 10 day tour of south Japan... stayed tuned for photos of Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto (me dressed up as a Geisha!!) and Universal Studios!!! Yay!

Nicole and I are very pumped to get on the road... and also to experience the overnight trains with snazzy sleeping cars. I'll be sure to take some pics of them for sure!

Hope you're all doin well back home... I'll be home soon!

ps. - I got into York University for my MA in the Film and Video Program - Film Theory, History, and Criticism! I'm excited to join all my friends in Toronto this Fall!

Lanterns along the path to a shrine in Nara. 

A pretty pagoda in Nara... I saw a lot of these over Christmas when I was in Vietnam and Cambodia. The Buddhist and Shinto religions are extremely interesting... but I find that they are much less discreet than N.A. religions when it comes to money collections and prayers regarding wealth and luck.  

One of the many temples I visited in Nara... there was a wedding going on inside. A gaijin (some white guy) was marrying this Japanese girl. I got my fortune inside by shaking a container of sticks with numbers on them. I chose number 8 - which told me I have "moderate luck" - not bad! 

The lonely deer in Nara park near Todaiji Temple. -- Pretty cherry blossom tree! 

Me gracefully walking over a stepping stone path through this incredible Japanese garden. You can see a large orange coy right near me. They were HUGE! 

Me in the sakura tree! Sakura is Japanese for cherry blossom, and it's a HUGE deal here in the Spring. People flock to Japan's most famous sites to see the pretty flowers in bloom. They usually only stay around for about 2 wks... so you're timing has to be good! 

The spectacular-spectacular Himeji Castle. It's Japan's biggest! 

Me looking ever-so glam at Himeji Castle 

Nicole and I in Kobe... 

Nicole, Me, and Tyler... dressed up in our animal costumes. You can typically find young kids walking around the streets of the larger cities in these get-ups. Nicole is Doraemon (famous Japanese cat robot), I am Pingu (claymation character you can catch on TVO!) and Tyler's a tiger (just a tiger).