1+1=Tsushima

Sorry about the dorky name, but I couldn't think of anything more exciting. Haha. Anyway, onto the final installment of my trip to Japan entries.

Day 1 (pictures)
I left Mie and got on the bullet train to go to Hakata (博多) and from there Tsuhima (対馬) by boat. On the way over, I saw this huge bldg called the the Sanyo Solar Ark. It was ginormous! I was so stunned that I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it, but you can see one here. You don't get a sense of how HUGE this thing is from that picture though.

Anyway, I got to Hakata and waited to board the jetfoil into Tsushima. It was a very cool and fast ride. I then met up with Ev at the terminal in Tsushima. It was great to see her. Immediately, I was struck by how she was the same ol'd Ev. haha. That night I had dinner with this teacher that Ev knows and his family. Apparently, he's taken her in and shown her the ropes and all that. He's a very funny guy.

Day 2 (pictures)
I met this woman who is apparently a big name around the island and she took me around showing me all kind of sights around the island. I took a ton of pictures. Let's see if I can remember any of the places. Actually, no, I can't. When I put up the pictures, then you'll see. They're way too numerous to list.

Day 3
I just hung around doing nothing this day. When Ev came back, we went to the market that was a bit away from where she lived -- which is a small 2 story place, btw -- then she made yakisoba. It was REALLY good. I think that this was the day that I also met the other ALTs on Ev's island. They were awesome.

Day 4 (pictures)
I met up with the same influential woman as before and went around to more places around the island. Again, way too many places to name, but I climbed (ie: hiked) this mountain near town and went to this museum, among other places. After this, I went to dinner with Ev to a Chinese food place, then met up with her teacher mentor guy again and went for beer and kushiyaki (cooked skewers). Delicious, delicious. The waitress was a good friend of the teacher guy, too, so she was pretty fun to talk to.

Day 5 (pictures)
I headed back to Tokyo on this day. Actually, on the ferry over to Hakata, I met these students from Tsushima High going to the mainland for an entrance exam. It was cool sitting there and talking to them in English. When I told them that I could speak Japanese, they were super surprised.

I headed back to Tokyo (me and Shinkansen were good friends by then). I met up with Atsuko again for dinner at the Bubba Gump restaurant at the Tokyo Dome. It was good food. I think that it's funny that I haven't eaten there before at all the ones nearer to me before I got to this one in Japan. Anyway, it was good times.

Day 6
On this day, I had an interview set up for a headhunting company in Tokyo. The job would actually be at the headhunting company itself, not at one of their clients. I think that the interview went well, but I haven't heard from them in a while, so I don't know. Plus, do I really want to do that as a job?? *shrug*

After this, I rushed over to Tokyo Station and met up with Atsuko again. We took a train over to the airport. It was nice just chilling out with her. We had a bit of a snack at the airport, and then I boarded the plane. It was a great trip, but I couldn't wait to get back to my motorcycle, guitar and stuff.

Epilogue
And so ends my recollection of the trip to Japan. Soon, I'll put my pics up on Picasa.