chocolate_chip: (Default)
chocolate_chip ([personal profile] chocolate_chip) wrote2009-10-06 08:35 pm

(no subject)

The higanbana are blooming, and summer is finally over... is the entry I've been meaning to make for the last 3 weeks or so now. I don't know why I find it so difficult to update my journal these days. It's not like I'm spending my time doing anything useful.

Anyway, Silver Week was awesome. Besides sitting around doing nothing, [livejournal.com profile] misspaulette and I went to Universal Studios Japan. I can see now why it's so popular: it's made to look exactly like America. Much like Costco, but with thrill rides instead of 24-packs of canned tuna. The buildings of course have that uncanny valley look of theme park buildings designed to look taller than they actually are, but I was really impressed by the details. Poured concrete sidewalks with painted curbs! Trees with metal grates around them! Fire hydrants and blue mailboxes! A trash can next to every streetlight! I'm pretty sure the Japanese tourists were laughing at us. The area around the Jaws ride made me feel especially nostalgic, since it was made up to look like New England.

But OMG the crowds. INSANE. The line for Jurassic Park was 190 minutes. (We went in the singles line for that one.) We only just barely made it to the 5 major rides, and only because we sat right outside Spiderman to watch the parade, so we were able to get in line when it opened again for about 10 minutes before the park closed. It was a lot of fun, though. I especially liked Back to the Future and Spiderman.

The next day, I put Tobin in one of her new Dolpa dresses and took her to Sato. She was incredibly popular, and we had a hard time leaving because people kept asking me if they could take pictures of her with their dolls. But really, can you blame them?

IMG 4375


Sato also had a billion tiny baby koi in their pond. SO CUTE.

On the last day of vacation, a big group of us went to Osaka to see Cirque du Soleil. It was amazing. If you've never been, it's well worth the ticket price to see it at least once. It's unbelievable what those people are able to do.

The next weekend, I went to Hirakata Park, which is an amusement park halfway between Osaka and Kyoto. It's a lot smaller and less exciting than USJ, but they have a lot more rides, and you can actually go on them because there are practically no lines at all. They've also got a beautiful rainbow colored Ferris wheel which looked stunning against the blue sky and puffy white clouds. And an alpaca tried to eat my cell phone.

More recently, I got to hang out with [livejournal.com profile] rkold while she was here, so now I have a DSi and puzzle games and candy! :D Which also means I won't be having a life for the forseeable future. Plus I have more shampoo and deodorant, which not only I but my coworkers thank you for, Rachel. ^_~ ♥

Sighhhhhhh I need to get off my lazy ass and be productive. >.> As soon as I get over this cold thingy.

[identity profile] misspaulette.livejournal.com 2009-10-06 01:31 pm (UTC)(link)
*pinches her chubby resin cheeks*

I wanna see pics of her with her mysterious twin! ^_~

[identity profile] amet.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
GAH, TOO MUCH CUTE. ♥

[identity profile] muscatlove.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
That is exactly what freaked me out about USJ - it took me about 5 minutes to realize that it was the American design on what looked like city streets. But much love for Hirakata Park, when I studied abroad in Hirakata we would go there to see the chrysanthemum dolls and ride rides. <3

[identity profile] jimmy-thesiger.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
Wow, I must go back to Japan someday and see that Ferris wheel and wait in long lines...


a DSi and puzzle games and candy
!! :D

Get well soon!!

Tobin is beautiful ♥

[identity profile] chocolate_chip.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 12:48 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a wonderfully gay Ferris wheel, and you should come ride it with me! :D

Thank you, and I hope you're feeling better too~ ♥

[identity profile] chocolate_chip.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 12:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you~~ (She really is a tomboy, she just doesn't dress like one. ^^)

[identity profile] chocolate_chip.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 12:55 pm (UTC)(link)
They're both so much fun~ I can't decide if I should get a season pass for USJ while they're on sale, or save my money for HiraPa instead.

[identity profile] chocolate_chip.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 12:55 pm (UTC)(link)
But Tobin's amazing cuteness completely eclipsed the twin's cuteness. .-.

[identity profile] misspaulette.livejournal.com 2009-10-07 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Not at all! It's merely MAGNIFIED.