Tuesday, January 28, 2014 Kansai: Kobe (Ali) Kobe Harbor                 My final stop in Kansai was Kobe. Originally, I wasn't supposed to stop in Kobe, but my Kobe host mother was having a workshop and asked the office if the visiting intern could attend. I am so happy she did! After attending the Kansai workshop for this year's Yearlong-sei and  Seishounen  on Sunday at the Osaka Hippo office, I went to my host mom's workshop.I think the goal of the workshop was to get members excited about going on homestays. At the workshop we heard from various Hippo members about their homestay experiences.  Yearlong-sei and  Seishounen also talked about where they were planning on going and what they were looking forward to. I was neat to hear everyone's stories. Kobe Luminarie              On Monday, I...

Kansai: Kyoto (Ali)        I was only able to stay two days in Kyoto, but I enjoyed the serenity this old city had despite my short stay. While there I was able to visit Nijo Castle. As a lover of history, visiting castles and temples is not only interesting but a calming experience. You can feel their age and all your worries seem so insignificant and fleeting in comparison. Stepping into Nijo, can feel power Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu had.  No expense was spared in the making of this castle, as everything was beautifully decorated.  Every room had exquisite wall paintings. The theme of each painting seemed to reflect the purpose of the room. The room for waiting lords was decorated in tigers and leopards, the room holding weapons portrayed hawks sitting in a pine tree, rooms for his advisers and administrators portrayed storks, ducks, and geese, while in his private quarters were scenes from a peaceful landscape. Even the floors were a wor...