My Front Yard :)

I used to have an awesome and huge graveyard in my backyard growing up. It was great for walks, shortcuts, and drinking with friends...... It has now been 1-upped, however, by my new front yard; Beer Park!! I live Hirakata at the moment; more specifically, Seminar House 4, where an outdoor party is only a 2 minute walk away. Thanks to the beer vending machine and the generous lack of public drinking laws in Japan, I think not of Beer Park so much as my front yard as I do my second home!! Here you can see a couple of pictures where locals and gaijin alike gather for their fix. It is not uncommon, infact, to see business men stopping at the vending machine at late hours via bicycle to grab a brew on the go. These particular photos were taken before the night really picked up. In one shot a girl was evaluating the selection. The other photo portrays a friend of mine, posing with a Japanese student we recently met, sitting on a very nice bike. I am jealous, looking at his bike.... knowing I can only return to my old fashioned bicycle when I need to transport. However, after spending countless yen here in Japan, I can feel nothing but positive emotions when I enter Beer Park, as it is cheap, convieniently close to home, and filled with friendly folks that are entertaining enough to keep me from doing expensive travel and kaimono (shopping) anymore... Hail Beer Park!!

Entering Pandora

After watching the movie Avatar last summer, I went through a stage of disapointment that real life was not as cool as Pandora; a place where folks live in harmony and respect their habitat,... and a beautiful habitat at that. The cure eventually came when I arrived in Japan. I honestly couldn't stop laughing upon my initial first week here. My first lasting impression came shortly off the train, where i spotted what seemed to be a salary man in a business suit riding a pink bicycle with a basket and a bell..... I wasn't ready for that.... The longer I had stayed here the more I wished I had a camera. - (left mine at home) - But thanks to eventually getting a SoftBank phone, I now have the ability to share these moments with mediocre quality. The people are great and the random English used is hilarious. For example, in the accompanying photo you can see that my CocaCola was not only "sugar zero" but also "FREE CAFFEINE" - who doesn't love free caffeine? I missed oppertunities to capture the Hello Kitty-themed "house party" I went to and the break dancers by Hirakata Shi Eki..... However an important photo-opp for me was to capture for myself, the same scenary I have only seen in brochures..... The photo which focuses on the scenary under the giant solar panel sums up the image that comes to my mind when i hear "Kansai Gaidai" - This is my home now.