Kamakura

Okay, sorry I have not written in a long time. I would say I have been busy, but actually it is really boring here with a lot of people gone from the dorm sightseeing across Japan and Asia. I went on a two-day trip to Kamakura, which was really fun.

Here is the wikipedia article about Kamakura: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura,_Kanagawa

I would of wrote this earlier, but I had about 180 pictures I knew I need to upload to flickr and was dreading spending all that time uploading them. There are tons of temples and shrines in Kamakura and I just visited the bigger ones and those that people had told me where really nice.

My first day after I checked into my hotel, I thought of staying in an internet café, but decided to find a cheap motel because I knew I was going to be doing a lot of walking. I then took this interesting train to Hase, which is close to Kamakura to see the Hasedera Temple and the Great Buddha. I took a lot of pictures at Hasedera Temple because it was so big and I thought I had charged my battery, but did not and left my backup battery back in my room on the charger, so that's why there are so many pictures. After that I went to the Great Buddha then I walked to Kamakura stopping at another shrine on the way there. I then took a 5 minute train to North Kamakura to see 2 temples and a shrine that was up there, but when I arrived at 4:30 they had closed it for the day so I turned around and had dinner and went back to my hotel room for the day.

The second day I slept in till about 9am and then check out of my room and went back to Kamakura. I walked to my favorite temple Hokokuji temple which was about a 30 to 45 minute walk from the stationed then traced my steps back to Kamakura stopping at temples and shrines on the way back. I loved this temple because of the bamboo forest it has in the back. It is very peaceful and beautiful. On the way back I stopped at Kamakuraga Shrine and then finished my trek at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. I then had dinner and left back for Tokyo and was home by about 6pm.

Kamakura is only about 45 minutes from Tokyo and it was really nice to see nature and be away from the big city. I am thinking when Mike comes to visit in March that we may plan a fast day trip down there again as I would love to see some of the other temples and shrines I missed and I want to get some more pictures. Also you can get a great view of Mt. Fuji covered in snow . . . unfortanetely I could not make it to the beach to get a good picture.

Me at Hokokuji Temple

Sick

Well, I have been sick the last couple of days with a cold or something. My throat hurts and my body is achy. I was going to go to the doctors today, the clinic is 20 ft away from the dorm, but it is closed on Sundays and Monday is a holiday. I am trying to get over it and think the worst is about over. I am hoping that I get better by Wednesday when I have a two-day trip plan to Kamakura. It is only about 2 hours away by train and there are several people who take day trips to Kamakura, but I have heard that you really need two days to spend there. It is along the beach and there are several huge temples and a huge statute of the Buddha. I will be returning back to Kansas in about a week and a half and I know Erin is excited to see me.

The other thing that is disappointing is that I just grabbed a bag of hot chocolate mix because it was the cheapest and when I made some it tasted awful. I then looked at the bag and realized I need to mix hot milk with it and that it was sugar free. I need to read things better ughhh.

My recent staples: Mitsuya Cider (Sprite like soda), mikan (oranges), medicine (taste nasty) and face mask (don't want eveyone else to get sick)

Kanda to Ginza

Okay so Mitt did not do as well as everyone hoped. It's a little disappointing, but he is trying to still make it to the end.

Monday I walked from Kanda to Ginza taking a lot of pictures. I was only in Kanda for a couple of minutes, before I went into Nihonbashi, the financial area were the Bank of Japan is located and several other security and bank headquarters. It is here where I went to the top floor of the Tokyo Grand hotel and took pictures.

I then proceeded to the Imperial palace where I took a lot of pictures of the park that surrounds the main grounds. The palace is huge. You cannot go in either.

I then walked towards Ginza stopping off to have a light snack at about 3:30pm at a little café. I then made it to Ginza, which is kind of like the Beverly Hills area of Tokyo. That is why they have all the posh shops and stores there. After that I started walking back to Tokyo Station where I saw two interesting bars: Boro, a cowboy bar and Nelson’s Bar, a British pub. I found them both interesting and took pictures.

I have updated the pictures to my flickr account.

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!

First off!!!!

A vote for Mike Huckabee is a vote for John McCain!!!!

Huckabee can’t win! So all you are doing is helping McCain! Vote for someone who will represent you . . . Mitt Romney!!!

I just did my morning read (Its Tuesday here already) about all the stories and what happened, while I was asleep.

It looks like Mitt has a 40% lead in the polls over McCain's 32% with a 3.2% margin for error. Oh all the states that I thought Romney would not get I hope he gets California . . . this will help out so much.

Monday, Romney flew from Nashville to Atlanta to Oklahoma then to Long Beach. He is then flying overnight to West Virginia for the convention there. A+ for effort! Plus, his 5 sons are out campaigning for him along with his wife in different states. Well the election should start in a few hours. Please go vote.

I promise that after Tuesday I will actually start focusing back on what is happening here in Japan.

48 More hours

Well, less then 48 hours till game day . . . yeah I am not talking about the Super Bowl either. By the way, who won?

Mitt is gaining in some polls and Sean Hannity recently endorsed him, since Rudy and Thompson dropped out.

Check out this link about the worse possible scenario if you do the math for Romney:

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/3d1bfa64-54e5-46e5-a726-46775fc121ec

McCain Flip-flop (he is a bad liar and to stupid to know when he is caught like Coulter said):
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jj0M3zl6JrNYBv6Gkbc8T_Ot0A-AD8UH1CF80


Mitt Bio:
Governor Romney has been an effective leader in both the business and public service worlds. With the 2002 Winter Olympics mired in controversy and facing serious financial crisis, Governor Romney was asked to become President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. Although the challenge seemed daunting, he was compelled to assume the task by both the urgings of his wife, Ann, and by the memory of his father, George Romney, who had been a successful businessman, three-term Michigan Governor and tireless advocate of volunteerism.
In his three years in Salt Lake, Governor Romney erased the $379 million operating deficit, organized 23,000 volunteers, galvanized community spirit, oversaw and unprecedented security mobilization to ensure public safety and led one of the most successful Olympics in our country’s history.
From 1978 to 1984, Mr. Romney was a Vice President of Bain & Company, Inc., the Boston-based management consulting firm. Later, as the company’s CEO, he led it through a highly successful turnaround. Today, Bain & Company has 25 offices worldwide and over 2000 employees.
In 1984, Mr. Romney founded Bain Capital, one of the nation’s most successful venture capital and investment companies. Bain Capital founded, acquired or invested in hundreds of companies including Staples, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Domino’s, Sealy, Brookstone, and The Sports Authority.
Governor Romney has been deeply involved in community and civic affairs, serving extensively in his church and numerous charities including City Year, the Boy Scouts, and the Points of Light Foundation. In 1994, Governor Romney was the Massachusetts Republican nominee for United States Senate.
Governor Romney received his BA with Highest Honors from Brigham Young University in 1971. In 1975, he was awarded and MBA from Harvard Business School and was named a Baker Scholar. In 1975, he also received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
Governor Romney, 60, and his wife, Ann, have been married for 37 years. They have five sons Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben, and Craig), five daughters-in-law (Jen, Laurie, Jen, Mary, and Andelyne) and ten grandchildren

More reason why Mitt!!!!

Okay well the finals are over and I am alive. The first thing I did Friday was get up and move to another room. My previous room was right by the meeting room and the vending machines and it kept waking me up. So I am all moved in to my new room . . . that looks just like my old one.

Well, it does not look to good for Mitt. I am not to excite about it. I have attached some videos that you might find interesting. I am not a big fan of Anne Coulter, but I find her points intriguing!! Also, the reason I believe Mitt is the best candidate is not because he represents conservatism. I believe in many of the principles of the Republican party, but I often at times find myself agreeing with the Democrats and other minor parties. Mitt best represents change and someone who will actually do something in Washington besides giving his friends and those who are now supporting him jobs in his administration.

Anyways check out the videos and let me know what you think!