Slide Show (Highlights of Fukuoka)

 Hello again.

School has started up, but has yet to 'start' up for me. The first years are off on a mountain retreat style orientation. These kids are treated like they've just joined a new firm known as junior high school, and they need to be whipped into shape despite everything being exactly like they remember in elementary school, just bigger and more of it. Anyway, there's time for that kind of talk later. Let's talk about my spring break!

First off, there were way too many photos taken in Fukuoka. So, I took the liberty of weeding it down to a more manageable amount for your enjoyment. I don't have comments for every single picture that follows, but let me know if you have a question about any one of them in particular, fire away in the comments and I'll make sure to respond. Also, I was worried that going back to Fukuoka might be seen as a waste in retrospect. It wasn't at all. We had the best time and I'll explain what I was worried about later on. Lastly, I seriously could have taken three weeks off rather than one (5 days to be exact) and no one would have noticed. This is the most uneventful time of JET so far for me. Apart from the minor spike of having the opening ceremony things around here have been extremely quiet. Jumping back into work after a great vacation never feels good, one is always apt to remain a bit antsy whilst riding down the high from being in a new place and doing new things. To that end traveling is itself a drug and there's no return to the norm once you've had a taste of it. 

Going back to that second point I made earlier though, I thought maybe I'd be bored of checking out places I saw in the past. I know Mitsuko hadn't be there at all, and I really wanted her to see Fukuoka. We both wanted to go, make no mistake, but there was a creeping feeling that it wouldn't be as magical. Even worse was the thought that perhaps it was not magical at all to begin with. Being under the banner of a study abroad program was very different than traveling in the way we did now. It's an experience that I doubt will ever be repeated in my life, which is not meant to be a depressing statement. It was a special trip, and trying to recreate something like that is akin to programming spontaneity. To wrap up this tangent however, it was great. I took her to a few places I remembered and we did many new things as well.

Fun is like love. If you look for it, you'll never find it. Now enjoy the pictures, you.

A bigger city.

This was just going to happen.

This is all underground still.

'

Snoopy Nanoblock!

Olaf overload!

I really want a print of that picture.

I wanted that sign. Wasn't for sale.

I tried to budget myself, I think I did a good job.

They were even playing the same music from Snoopy's Headquarters!

Oh we shopped here.

Nighttime illumination with reflection from the wet cement.

Little things made of leather.

Goldfish art exhibit.

Lady all up in my shot.

New location! Huge Font!

Manga, Books, Games, Old manga, old books, and old games.

Bought cases for our iPads!

One of the ways to get into Canal City.

Canal City is a cool place.

Arcade inside of Canal City.

Silly games. Pew Pew Pew.

Hakata Station at night.

This is like a Miyazaki movie.

We made one!

Derpin'.

Turtle pond!

The reclining Buddha of Nanzoin

That clock wants a hug.

Fukuoka Tower - The Ride!

View from Fukuoka Tower.

You gotta earn that coin, boy.

This is a float for a big festival: Hakata Gion Yamakasa.

Kushida Shrine entrance.

Also part of the entrance.

An amazing Cherry Tree.

Gates to nowhere, with houses right in the back.

More of the temple grounds, oddly not spoiled by the modernity on the horizon.

Write a wish!

Various types.

I spent a couple of minutes trying to catch one.

I think the guy who made it is creepier.

Not the best!

Food carts (Yatai) in Tenjin.

The illumination was great

Fukuoka Purikura Style

That's me doing my best Hakata Gion Yamakasa (Google it)

This is was worth traveling for.

Greatest ramen in the world.

I'm going to write a separate post about how depressing this place was.