Another Day in Paradise

Kinkakuji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Again, apologies for the quality of the photo, but you get the general idea. This was taken in January, when I was living in Kyoto (where I first lived when I came to Japan). It's a beautiful city, lots of history, culture, and beautiful temples. It also has a lot of contrasts, which I found a little difficult to live with. It had old temples next to offices, and there's even a temple right in the middle of a popular shopping arcade downtown! Also, if you want to take your life into your own hands and ride a bike downtown on a Friday night, it's certainly a good way to appreciate walking! Not that walking is much safer, you constantly hear the "ching ching" of bike bells behind you as little old ladies and gaggles of schoolkids go screaming past you with only inches to spare! Don't walk around the streets if you have high blood pressure!! Kyoto is not the quiet peaceful town you imagine it to be before you arrive. It's a bustling, active little city, and like all Japanese cities (the ones I have visited anyway), very noisy - vans with loud speakers promoting politicians driving around screaming their message at you on the street, trucks that have songs that play to advertise they are in your area (apparently they sell kerosene, or deliver groceries), crosswalks that play a tinny electronic song when the lights change, and everyone everywhere talking on their cell phones, with the accompanying irritating musical rings. But, there are lots of nice temples and parks to escape to, which is what I did most of the time I was there.
Oh, if you are able, do not stay in any gaijin (foreigner) houses outside of the downtown area in Kyoto. There are 2 in the north end of the city that will make you seriously want to turn around and go back home if you decide to stay there. I won't say the names of these houses (one of them is named after a worldwide environmental organization though!!), because I don't want to get sued or tossed out of the country. Nasty nasty nasty is all I can say. Mouldy kitchens, the only heating in your room is overpriced smelly kerosene, and super crazy landlady (who lives in the house with you and her 3 cats, which is not mentioned on her website). If you don't mind someone pounding on your door at midnight asking "Is this your cup in the sink, you didn't wash it" and charming notes in the bathrooms like "Do not flush this toilet after midnight, except for big shit" (complete with a handdrawn illustration!!), then maybe you will like it! A friend stayed at a hostel downtown, and didn't have any problems. Stay away from the gaijin houses unless you want to seriously question why you came to Japan in the first place!!! It certainly doesn't make for a good first impression of Japan!!