I Dare You To Live: travel

Exploring Osaka: Part Two

We landed in Japan about 11 AM, Friday. We were jam-packed on Saturday because we spent the whole day touring Kyoto (which I'll talk about on a different post), and by Sunday morning, I felt frustrated because we still weren't able to eat as much as I would have liked. We planned to head to Dotonbori in hopes of having a much-awaited food trip, and along our way we stumbled upon something even better. Perhaps all we needed was a little bit of patience (and trust in our universe), because we happened to pass by Kuromon Ichiba Market.

There I was, focused on capturing Osaka's beautiful streets, and then my mom suddenly cries out my name with surprised glee. I look up from my camera and see her pointing to this large entrance with quirky things such as fish and crabs hanging from the ceiling, and I knew that we found a hidden gem; the one that I've been searching for. I went crazy and just dived right in!

In this place, you’ll be able to understand the essence of Japanese cuisine and taste firsthand how food is at the heart of the city. Osaka proudly presents itself as the 'Kitchen of Japan' where good food is served everywhere, and it's true! In every district, streets are lined with an obscene amount of food choices. One of its distinct features are its markets, which is a long strip of shopping lane where you can find everything: kitchen items, tax-free goods, cosmetics, and the most important part of all is its endless streak of delectable, freshly-made food.

There are grocery stores inside the market district as well as stalls of street food filled with the ff: meat (including Kobe beef), fresh sushi, sashimi, fried tempura and vegetables, crabs, lobsters, and so much more!!

The only possible thing that could leave a bad taste in your mouth are the rates and expenses, but that's entirely up to you on how you'd make the most of it. Take the time to explore the city before going into famous landmarks. Treat her like you would a first date - take things slow and get comfortable before diving into her depths.

For those people who know me, they understand how much of a fan I am to Japanese food. Also, I have this growing obsession with sushi - I can eat it all day, simply because of it's subtle taste. It's delicious yet it isn't overwhelming, and it honestly just leaves me craving for more. Luckily for me, there's also a grocery store near the place we stayed in. A friend once told me that you can get to know a country's food through it's convenient stores, and Japan certainly doesn't disappoint. In fact, it blew my mind away! Who knew convenient store sushi (plus curry and other things) would taste as good (or even better) than our high-end, local sushi restaurants? It was honestly one of the best things in Japan, weirdly enough, because we got to satisfy our cravings even at the wee hours of the night!

Next post will be about Universal Studios.

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, by Nastassia

In exploration, travel

Exploring Osaka: Part One

We go to a brand new city with a heavy reminder digging at the back of our heads – it has to be as perfect as it could possibly get, both in your present and in your photographs. Often times, we fly away with our luggage weighted down by the burden of our expectations, but it’s a wonderful thing to revel in the pressure and rush our travel brings, as both feelings are a sign of great things to come.

In my case, I spent a considerable amount of time researching about how photographs are made of light, and how the art of it is to find playful ways to work with what’s around you. It seemed ridiculous now but at that time, I was fueled by my desperation to take advantage of my stay in Japan. Words like “opportunity” and “portfolio” were drilled into my head as I packed a few hours before my flight (with P helping me fold it efficiently), and I went to bed worrying if there was enough space on my SD card.

Whew, what a boring and lifeless paragraph that was! There I was, about to finally live my dream, and I was losing sleep over what frame and setting would fit best for ‘street photography’? No. It wasn’t an exaggeration when I said that I lost sleep though – for the next 15 hours or so, I traversed through the rough plane ride with muddled thoughts and bruised eyes.

The skies reminded me of my fear of water – beautiful, vast and consuming. Down here, we tell the time by looking at a clock. Up there, you rely on colors and it’s shifting shades of blue. Time seemed interminable above the clouds, but finally, it happened. Green and blue met in the middle, and my heart recognized the home from my dreams.

I’ve always known that Japan is beautiful. It’s like having a crush - I’ve heard it all through snippets of random conversations and internet stalking, and I’ve also had a taste of it with my endless love for Japanese cuisine. But it’s a different story to actually meet him in person: you see his quirks, the cracks in his seamless image, and you get to know him more deeply in the best of ways.

When we finally got there, the ache in my body didn’t matter anymore. There I was, bright-eyed despite my lack of sleep, and all plans were forgotten.

We didn't live in a hotel, and we didn't sign up for any tours. All we relied on was our map and guts. It was a difficult time finding our way along Japan's complicated (but beautifully efficient) train/subway system, and we had to ask help from random people who barely understood a word of English. Still, it didn't feel like there was a barrier between us. At that moment in time, I marveled at how we were reduced to a time before language - we were people who relied solely on body movements and facial expressions to reach a certain level of understanding. But the best part of all was allowing ourselves to wholeheartedly trust strangers. You'd be pleasantly surprised to find how kindness ran deep in their hearts, and it was a privilege to have been touched by these people, no matter how transient it may be.