An Eternity of Waiting...

Means you, my lovely readers, are probably pretty impatient for some updates. So, here they are:

During the last two months or so, I've taken a second trip to Kyoto, visited an elementary school, eaten at a kaitenzushi (sushi on a conveyor belt) restaurant, listened to an Irish seisun in the middle of Kyoto, been to a festival dedicated entirely to giant plush mascots, ran around Hikone castle with Ayaka <3, and lots more, making some new friends in the process. I apologize for the lack of posting -- a few of these trips involved misbehaving cameras (or the complete lack thereof), and so I've had to wait to get some of these pictures from my friends, but I will be posting tidbits here and there to fill you all in a bit.

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving -- turkey, pumpkin pie, and all -- and tomorrow I'm heading off to Ishiyama for an interview at a Japanese orphanage for a presentation I'm doing. Hope it goes well :] In the meantime, enjoy the random, unexplained photos!

Ninja Village

Yes, I went to a real ninja town. It was this cool little village in the middle of the woods with random tunnels and houses with secret passageways and even a little jail. And I got certified! :D Though I only did one of the ninja tests out of four (Note: wearing a dress to a ninja test is not the best idea.) Even though we got rained on a bit, it was awesome.

Ninja house!

Our ninja tour guide... Wearing Nikes. 

It's not a well. It's the entrance to an underground tunnel :3

Super old house

The sign says the house is a hundred years old (I think). It's weird thinking that while we were wearing corsets
and driving buggies, Japan still had ninjas living in these awesome wooden houses with paper walls.

Into the ninja house. And Prof. Ball is giving me a look.

The fireplace slid open to a secret tunnel!

The low ceiling prevented anyone from swinging a sword indoors.

Secret passage #2

Kunoichi! (aka female ninjas)

Just an ordinary wall...

O wait, no it's secret passage #3.

Taylor's in the jail.

High five!

Even the vending machines are trying to camoflage in with the other moss-roofed structures.

"Lol silly Americans cannot catch the ninja!"

More ninjas with a tour group.

I did that wall!

Gloria climbing the wood wall.

Trying to walk on water... But really just falling over.

See, Molly knows how to do it.

Shigaraki

Shigaraki is a town famous for its ceramic pottery and statues of the famous little mischief-maker, the tanuki, or "raccoon dog." These little guys, who are both cute and creepy, play an important role in Shinto mythology and are usually depicted with giant, round eyes, and large genitalia. I think it's obvious to those who know me well that an entire town devoted to pottery is one that I'd really enjoy. And I did. Hope you do too :]

Such innocent little tanukis...

and more tanukis

and more tanukis

o and SAMURAI tanukis. yeah.

Add some owls for good measure... 

and some lucky cats! And now you've got 90% of the souvenirs in Japan.

Beautiful pots 2 - 3 feet tall.

Udon noodles: my delicious lunch :3

Samara giving me the evil eye in the Udon shop

His apron says "Udon"

The traditional-style, sliding-walled udon shop. Oishikatta!

Public bath?

Stephanie being cute.

Awesome shop full of pottery.

This seesaw was on the side of the shop and was mechanized to tip up and down,
and the little figurines rattled whenever they came down.

Shigaraki

Up this hill is a pottery museum, giant kilns, and a "forest," as denoted here on the street.
森, or "mo-ri" means forest.

Directions to various pottery shops and studios. And a gangsta frog.

These neon-green-splotched spiders are everywhere. Be afraid.

The museum's architecture was interestingly unique.

It says "denki," or electricity. This kanji combines "lightning," "heart," and "spirit."

Beautifully groomed hillsides and gardens.

GIANT TANUKI.

These little pots were everywhere once you got to the top of this hill.

So far up...

Pandas! 

Molly's a creepy badger/tanuki thing.

Back down the hill

Shigaraki is surrounded by mountains and forest on all sides. It's awesome.