Wandering Musings

Last weekend (Jan 14-16) my Aussie co-worker and I took a brief trip to Osaka. The primary reason was to see The Killers in concert, and even though we were only there two days (flew back in time for work the morning of our third, which doesn’t count) we saw quite a bit. We flew in on Sunday and spent the day exploring the city. Cities in Japan don’t really have centers. Instead, they have many districts and the skyscrapers cluster around various train stations miles apart from each other. It appears chaotic at first, but as soon as you learn to envision cities based on railway and not geographical maps, they make much more sense. At least that’s how it works for me.

Kathy and I both have horrible senses of direction, so we got lost at almost every turn. Luckily, we both enjoy exploring, so it wasn’t a problem. We spent a good chunk of time around Osaka-jo Castle. It’s beautiful, especially lit up at night. We also searched for (and found!) the Umeda Sky Building. It wasn’t difficult to find – one of the tallest buildings near Umeda station. I had taught a lesson that described the building’s unique architecture. At the time I didn’t think it was real, but wouldn’t you know it, it is. Click the link above for more information, if you’re interested. The view from the top was really nice, but my favorite feature was the glass escalator ride between the two towers.

We spent most of Monday at Universal Studios (another easy find – get off at Universal City station). The park closed at 5:00. It was almost like being in Australia again – what kind of amusement park closes at 5:00!? The park was great, even though the rides weren’t new (a mix of California’s Universal Studios and Florida’s excellent Islands of Adventure). Because it was Monday, and not a holiday, the park was relatively uncrowded. Kathy and I rode Spiderman six times! It’s absolutely my favorite ride ever – a sort of roller coaster with 3D Spiderman villains out to get you at every turn. Of course, Spidey saves the day by catching the car after it plummets off a skyscraper. It took Kathy and I a few rides to figure out where the camera was hidden; it’s at a relatively calm part of the ride, so we decided to spice it up with a pose. It wasn’t until viewing the picture afterwards that we realized everyone behind us mimicked our pose. I love this country. In addition to the rides, we also watched a special adaptation of the Broadway musical, Wicked. Yes I realize I’m in Japan, but I was still hoping for an English presentation. Nope. All the actors were Japanese save for Elphaba, the wicked Witch of the West (who did sing a few songs in English, with Japanese subtitles on nearby screens). She had a great voice, very similar to Idina Menzel’s.

The Killers concert was great as well (and in English!), but I think the band was a little put off by the quiet audience. No encore, either. Concerts in Japan end exactly on time… so everyone can catch their trains home. Like I said, everything centers around the trains. I picked up a flier with upcoming concert info – Evanescence, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers….. Perhaps you’ll see a few more photos from Osaka over the next few months. Speaking of which, click the picture below for more photos from this trip.

Happy New Year! I apologize in advance – this is going to be unsatisfyingly short. I’m back from Okinawa and have every intention of posting the details. However, I’m leaving tomorrow for Osaka to see The Killers in concert and also Universal Studios Japan. This post isn’t a complete waste though, as I have finally resolved the photo upload dilemma. You can check out the albums on my Shutterfly account at http://www.roadlesstraveled.shutterfly.com. Or simply click the adorable picture below (taken at the Ocean Expo Park in Okinawa). I have a backlog of pictures, which I will upload when time allows. The pictures from my winter vacation are all there, along with brief comments, so if you’re interested or have a few spare minutes, please peruse them at your leisure. Enjoy!