Yatsushiro 3 - Out with IEC (6/19-6/22)

Hanging out in front of IEC (6/19)

2009-06-03T20:30:32Z

Heather Meadows
Hanging out in front of IEC (6/19)

Todd, Justin, Jason, and Brandon. (6/19)

2009-02-22T02:50:36Z

Heather Meadows
Todd, Justin, Jason, and Brandon. (6/19)

I told Jason that his wife said he wasn't smiling enough in the pictures (I'd been uploading them to a site that no longer exists throughout the trip so our families could see what we were u ...

2009-06-03T22:40:14Z

Heather Meadows
I told Jason that his wife said he wasn't smiling enough in the pictures (I'd been uploading them to a site that no longer exists throughout the trip so our families could see what we were u ...

"How about this?" I never truly realized how annoying the guys found me and my camera until we all met back home later and they, well, told me. However, they said that they'd changed their ...

2009-06-03T21:39:02Z

Heather Meadows
"How about this?" I never truly realized how annoying the guys found me and my camera until we all met back home later and they, well, told me. However, they said that they'd changed their ...

Today we went to a shrine. (6/19)

2009-02-22T02:50:45Z

Heather Meadows
Today we went to a shrine. (6/19)

Worship area (6/19)

2009-06-04T09:37:59Z

Heather Meadows
Worship area (6/19)

Bells (6/19)

2009-06-03T21:00:00Z

Heather Meadows
Bells (6/19)

Shrine building (6/19)

2009-06-03T19:50:06Z

Heather Meadows
Shrine building (6/19)

Really old, really big tree. (6/19)

2009-06-03T20:09:50Z

Heather Meadows
Really old, really big tree. (6/19)

This is where the fun begins. 777 steps...to glory! (I think Jason is trying to psych himself up for it.) (6/19)

2009-06-03T20:09:24Z

Heather Meadows
This is where the fun begins. 777 steps...to glory! (I think Jason is trying to psych himself up for it.) (6/19)

You can vaguely see a building up top there. Yeah, that's the halfway point. (6/19)

2009-02-22T02:51:21Z

Heather Meadows
You can vaguely see a building up top there. Yeah, that's the halfway point. (6/19)

Here I am at the halfway point, looking rather frazzled. I did end up liking this picture though, enough to put it on a business card. You can see the city of Yatsushiro behind me. (6/19)

2009-02-22T02:47:24Z

Heather Meadows
Here I am at the halfway point, looking rather frazzled. I did end up liking this picture though, enough to put it on a business card. You can see the city of Yatsushiro behind me. (6/19)

And here I am at the top! 777 steps, damn it. And check it out, I seem to have gotten some sun...;P (6/19)

2009-06-04T00:34:19Z

Heather Meadows
And here I am at the top! 777 steps, damn it. And check it out, I seem to have gotten some sun...;P (6/19)

Yatsushiro, as seen from the top of the 777 steps. Ah, victory! Ah, smokestacks! (6/19)

2009-06-03T20:22:32Z

Heather Meadows
Yatsushiro, as seen from the top of the 777 steps. Ah, victory! Ah, smokestacks! (6/19)

A standard Japanese keyboard. I took this picture mainly to impress people back home. One of the big adjustments for me was the fact that I had to hit Shift-7 to get a '. I managed pretty ...

2009-07-16T09:19:39Z

Heather Meadows
A standard Japanese keyboard. I took this picture mainly to impress people back home. One of the big adjustments for me was the fact that I had to hit Shift-7 to get a '. I managed pretty ...

Here I am on a computer at IEC, chatting with Mom and reading the AMRN. This was back when Amaris Martin and Carter Hudson were just arriving on the Eagle. You know, back before she died a ...

2009-02-22T02:45:48Z

Heather Meadows
Here I am on a computer at IEC, chatting with Mom and reading the AMRN. This was back when Amaris Martin and Carter Hudson were just arriving on the Eagle. You know, back before she died a ...

We headed out to a depaato (department store) with the IEC students. Japanese department stores are multi-level and can contain anything, including arcades and grocery stores. We were up o ...

2009-06-03T21:28:25Z

Heather Meadows
We headed out to a depaato (department store) with the IEC students. Japanese department stores are multi-level and can contain anything, including arcades and grocery stores. We were up o ...

In Japan, the crane game is called "UFO Catcher"! I like their name better. Note the little hamsters off to the left--I won one :D (6/20)

2009-07-16T09:25:43Z

Heather Meadows
In Japan, the crane game is called "UFO Catcher"! I like their name better. Note the little hamsters off to the left--I won one :D (6/20)

Misa and Maho from IEC. (6/20)

2009-06-03T20:27:07Z

Heather Meadows
Misa and Maho from IEC. (6/20)

James and Jason playing air hockey (6/20)

2009-06-03T19:42:36Z

Heather Meadows
James and Jason playing air hockey (6/20)

James and Jason playing air hockey (6/20)

2009-06-03T21:06:22Z

Heather Meadows
James and Jason playing air hockey (6/20)

Pikachu! (6/20)

2009-06-03T23:53:28Z

Heather Meadows
Pikachu! (6/20)

Me, at a temple (6/20)

2009-06-03T20:04:58Z

Heather Meadows
Me, at a temple (6/20)

View of the temple without rain-soaked me in front of it (6/20)

2009-07-16T08:40:53Z

Heather Meadows
View of the temple without rain-soaked me in front of it (6/20)

Even in the rain, the gardeners tend to their trees. (6/20)

2009-06-04T09:06:28Z

Heather Meadows
Even in the rain, the gardeners tend to their trees. (6/20)

(6/20)

2009-06-03T22:18:56Z

Heather Meadows
(6/20)

(6/20)

2009-06-03T21:10:22Z

Heather Meadows
(6/20)

Purifying myself (6/20)

2009-06-03T21:43:50Z

Heather Meadows
Purifying myself (6/20)

(6/20)

2009-06-03T20:43:13Z

Heather Meadows
(6/20)

Justin, teachers, and Misa (6/20)

2009-06-03T20:13:54Z

Heather Meadows
Justin, teachers, and Misa (6/20)

Me ringing the bells (6/20)

2009-06-03T20:16:21Z

Heather Meadows
Me ringing the bells (6/20)

Worship area (6/20)

2009-07-16T08:57:01Z

Heather Meadows
Worship area (6/20)

Entrance to the temple grounds, where everyone is pretty much ready to go. (6/20)

2009-07-16T09:37:08Z

Heather Meadows
Entrance to the temple grounds, where everyone is pretty much ready to go. (6/20)

Brandon tries on some of this classroom's equipment. (6/21)

2009-07-16T08:57:53Z

Heather Meadows
Brandon tries on some of this classroom's equipment. (6/21)

Todd gives a lecture. (6/21)

2009-06-04T00:15:14Z

Heather Meadows
Todd gives a lecture. (6/21)

James and Justin (6/21)

2009-07-16T10:41:55Z

Heather Meadows
James and Justin (6/21)

I think Jason's tired. He had the longest commute to IEC of all of us, as his host family doen't even live in Yatsushiro. Every morning he rode in by car with his host brother. The rest o ...

2009-06-03T20:05:12Z

Heather Meadows
I think Jason's tired. He had the longest commute to IEC of all of us, as his host family doen't even live in Yatsushiro. Every morning he rode in by car with his host brother. The rest o ...

A nice house seen while walking the streets of Yatsushiro. (6/21)

2009-06-03T20:50:50Z

Heather Meadows
A nice house seen while walking the streets of Yatsushiro. (6/21)

A run-down house seen while walking the streets of Yatsushiro. (6/21)

2009-06-03T19:48:42Z

Heather Meadows
A run-down house seen while walking the streets of Yatsushiro. (6/21)

Paper factory smokestacks and a cemetery. (6/21)

2009-06-03T20:37:47Z

Heather Meadows
Paper factory smokestacks and a cemetery. (6/21)

The paper factory. I rode past this every day on my bike. (6/21)

2009-02-22T02:51:34Z

Heather Meadows
The paper factory. I rode past this every day on my bike. (6/21)

This little canal was on the road to IEC. (6/21)

2009-06-03T20:11:54Z

Heather Meadows
This little canal was on the road to IEC. (6/21)

Ah, Mon-Mart! A combini to be proud of. (6/21)

2009-06-03T21:34:30Z

Heather Meadows
Ah, Mon-Mart! A combini to be proud of. (6/21)

Aesthetic power lines. I was really into the juxtaposition of old and new, and I also liked the clusters of power lines a lot. (I'm probably alone in that.) I used this picture later in a ...

2009-06-04T09:22:51Z

Heather Meadows
Aesthetic power lines. I was really into the juxtaposition of old and new, and I also liked the clusters of power lines a lot. (I'm probably alone in that.) I used this picture later in a ...

"Change Japan." (6/21)

2009-06-03T23:23:44Z

Heather Meadows
"Change Japan." (6/21)

We headed to a gym in the area that had apparently did something in 1999 that had to do with badminton and rugby. I don't know. Here's a weight room, with Todd, Brandon, and Kuni from IEC. ...

2009-06-03T21:44:07Z

Heather Meadows
We headed to a gym in the area that had apparently did something in 1999 that had to do with badminton and rugby. I don't know. Here's a weight room, with Todd, Brandon, and Kuni from IEC. ...

Here's the mascot/logo thingy for whatever it was that happened in 1999. Coincidentally, I'm wearing a shirt from the event given to me by my host mother. With me is Kuni, who is very much ...

2009-02-22T02:44:51Z

Heather Meadows
Here's the mascot/logo thingy for whatever it was that happened in 1999. Coincidentally, I'm wearing a shirt from the event given to me by my host mother. With me is Kuni, who is very much ...

Kuni in her car; she drove me to our next stop. She had more than just that Kitty-chan in there. She actually gave me one of the stuffed Kitty-chans sitting on her dashboard. (6/21)

2009-06-04T09:09:53Z

Heather Meadows
Kuni in her car; she drove me to our next stop. She had more than just that Kitty-chan in there. She actually gave me one of the stuffed Kitty-chans sitting on her dashboard. (6/21)

We came to another gymnasium. Here are a bunch of mats. (6/21)

2009-06-03T20:13:26Z

Heather Meadows
We came to another gymnasium. Here are a bunch of mats. (6/21)

Mats...visible this time! (6/21)

2009-06-03T19:50:52Z

Heather Meadows
Mats...visible this time! (6/21)

We wandered out onto the mats. One guy from IEC did a bunch of jumps and flips across them; it was pretty cool. (6/21)

2009-06-03T22:01:54Z

Heather Meadows
We wandered out onto the mats. One guy from IEC did a bunch of jumps and flips across them; it was pretty cool. (6/21)

The next day was a research day, because, oh yeah!, we were supposed to be doing research papers. Since my project was going to be a linguistics study, I didn't think I needed anything like ...

2009-06-03T22:15:55Z

Heather Meadows
The next day was a research day, because, oh yeah!, we were supposed to be doing research papers. Since my project was going to be a linguistics study, I didn't think I needed anything like ...

There's Justin and James in the van..

2009-06-03T21:47:48Z

Heather Meadows
There's Justin and James in the van..

Justin, Brandon, Jason, Todd, and James, at Yatsushiro city hall.

2009-07-16T09:46:23Z

Heather Meadows
Justin, Brandon, Jason, Todd, and James, at Yatsushiro city hall.

Brandon, Justin, and Todd pore over the papers brought to them by the helpful city hall people.

2009-06-03T22:41:35Z

Heather Meadows
Brandon, Justin, and Todd pore over the papers brought to them by the helpful city hall people.

Jason and James watch the others. James has a rolled-up map of Yatsushiro. I ended up bringing somebody's map home with me, and they didn't want it, so I kept it. It may yet be in my file ...

2009-06-03T21:55:35Z

Heather Meadows
Jason and James watch the others. James has a rolled-up map of Yatsushiro. I ended up bringing somebody's map home with me, and they didn't want it, so I kept it. It may yet be in my file ...