Top 3 Sensations that I can't feel back home

Here is a list of things that I absolutely love doing in Japan whether on an exchange at Doshisha or just visiting my friends in Kyoto that I can't really do or feel back in Canada.

1. Developing Friendships Purely in Japanese

Often I meet people who are either Japanese or from another country and they don't speak English. They speak Japanese. Thus, we speak and become friends in Japanese. Though, if you know a billion languages already you probably know this feeling already, of which I'm envious.  For me, it's the first time where I'm in another country whose culture is different than my own that doesn't speak English. This great feeling is largely two things: a sense of personal satisfaction knowing my exchange student year studying at Doshisha's intensive Japanese Bekka (Nichibun) program paid off; and the joy of meeting new people. Put them together and it's great!

2. Climbing Daimonji at Sunset

Climbing Daimonji!

This one is specific to Kyoto. Daimonji is a mountain on the east side of Kyoto that, from the base, you can climb in 30 minutes. While in Japan this summer I made it a routine to climb Daimonji everyday. This entailed riding my bicycle from the area around Demachiyanagi station to the base, dismounting and locking the bicycle, and then climbing Daimonji. Because of the routine, I saw many sunsets in Japan while overlooking the ancient city of Kyoto imagining the times of Musashi and the samurai and daydreaming about the future, two things which are terribly exciting for me haha. My record climbing Daimonji is 15 minutes (walking)! Let me know if you beat my time (easily done)!

 

Did you read about
my bike accident?

3. Bicycling at Night & Being Warm

One of the best feelings and memories I have while in Japan is riding my bicycle at night. I'm weaving through the narrow side streets and old wooden building of Kyoto while feeling the warm night air on my face and hearing nothing but the silence of the night and the soft whirring buzz of the rotary powered light on my front tire. I can't explain it much more than that, but you've got to try it when you're there! If your life has any worries, they all just slip away into nothingness while bicycling at night in Kyoto.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading and see you next time!

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Ben and Kailey lived in Japan not too long ago and also visit Kyoto every year.

Ben is developing a Japanese Practice site. It's current main functions are:
1. a Flash Card system that features a leveling system where you must answer correctly and "level up"to gain new cards, receive money and buy new decks - anime decks included!
2. Fill in the Blank system where you can choose to focus on particle practice or verb practice etc.

The Japanese Practice Blog is here. Check out the Japanese Practice site here