Wanderings » Ravings of a Madman

Well it will be quiet for quite a few days it seems. Yesterday was planning on being a bit more interesting as we headed out to Osaka Castle but once we got there we should have caught on to that there was so little people around. It seems that Osaka Castle is closed as are most things until the 4th of January. So I got to see a lovely view outside of the Castle but as you will see with the pictures below I didn’t get very far or to see that much. Of all things I managed to pick up some Anime figurines and a new Video Camera yesterday.

But found out it doesn’t pay to be a foriegner in this country always. They had international video cameras (ones with english on them) that are nearly double in price. So I ended up buying a japanese one that was relatively easy to use and the digital menu could be changed to english.

Hoping to go up to the graveyard that are up the road sometime today and get a few pictures to see what graves are like over here. Should also be going to Tokyo hopefully for a day or two before heading out to see Chisato’s family in Nagoya.

Well here’s a few pictures of Osaka Castle (from the outside of course)

Angled View

New and not so New installations

As far as I got

Haven’t gotten up to much yet. I’ve finally got some power going over here for the laptop and my other electronic devices. So in theory I should have no reason not to update this unless I’m out actually doing things. I’ve been out to Osaka City at Namba station. That was pretty normal. Alot more shops than normal but not as many people as I expected. That was on christmas day. Matthew is still my being my sherpa who carries nothing :). I was supposed to see Osaka Castle yesterday but the weather was horrendous so we went into another part of Osaka and saw a nine story electronics store. So hopefully today the weather will improve enough for me to see Osaka Castle today, but it’s not looking promising.

A few interesting things for those that haven’t been to Japan. The shops don’t start until 10am and they don’t close until 10pm roughly. So during the day in Osaka it was dead quiet and during the night time is and morning is when everything is happening and the crowds can be seen. Their shopping centre’s are ridiculously large and most things are a great deal cheaper, especially in electronics. Such as a game that costs $100 in Australia costs about $40 here. I mean I picked up a 12Megapixel Camera for around $300 which I’m not sure we have in Australia yet. Yet to find a video camera I’m happy with though. They aren’t that cheap here.

I’m looking for a few gifts to those I told I wouldn’t get gifts, and some for those that didn’t ask for any, but no promises :P Only if I find something that I think suits.

So for the information that suits the Title. My surroundings were probably the most suprising. They are relatively normal to Australian standards. Roads are more like city roads in the suburbs. Sorta like Glebe’s. But there are alot more people walking and riding bikes. Parking is costly. And in the middle of all this built up area there are rice fields. Which I found very strange. I have a rice fields and farm land out one side of the house and a buddhist temple on the other. And yet we seem to be in just a suburb like where I live in Sydney.

So I’ll add some pictures of what is around and some cats for Charina (And the big cat even looks asian with it’s flat face, I don’t think the picture displays that very well, also the other cat only has three legs and not tail. So basically they have the relatives of yours and Rachael’s cats). Signing off for now while I wait for Matt to wake up.

The Toilet that Australia should use

Trinkets for Van (big file for zooming in)