OSAKA

I went to Osaka last weekend to take my GRE. The weekend was stressful on two accounts. One reason, of course, was the test. (The results weren't GREAT, but they weren't HORRIBLE either.) And, the other reason, was my having to board a plane to get to the test destination. I really, really hate to fly, but I wasn't too terrified. I was calm enough to take some pictures from up in the stratosphere. The sky is pretty at 30,000 feet.

Here are some other photos of the weekend. Enjoy!

Yes. Yes, I do.

The little yellow guy is supposed to be takoyaki with legs and arms. Takoyaki is a Japanese food. Takoyaki usually comes in a pack of eight. They are fried dough balls with little chunks of octopus and veggies in them. They're usually covered with a dark brown, sweet sauce and are garnished with dried fish flakes. Osaka's takoyaki is supposed to be some of the most delicious in all of Japan.

Here are a couple of headless penguins at the Osaka Aquarium.

The famous Glico Running Man advertisement in the heart of Namba.

Seriously? A Denny's? Osaka really does have it all!

There is absolutely nothing welcoming about this monkey.

Thumb's UP!

When I looked through the photos of my latest enkai and found myself giving a "thumb's up" sign, I was a bit surprised. I think most people would agree that flashing a "thumb's up" sign is something that a 45-year-old dad would do; or something a drunk fan at a Denver Bronco's game would do. At any rate, it's not something I normally do and this photo got me thinking about what possessed me to do such a thing. Then, I looked at the rest of the photos and here's what I saw:
In every picture, Mr. Kamura is strutin' a thumb. That's a bold move, Mr. Kamura, a bold move.

I feel better. I was obviously under his influence during our picture posing. Now, I can sleep a little more sound.