Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 12:05PM May 17_ "Exciting!"
As we sit here with stinky, sore feet and begin to recollect our daily activities, everything feels like its coming back all at once. It was a day filled high levels of both restraint and exuberance so its as if we had a taste of all the colors of the rainbow. We were ready for a new adventure as soon as breakfast was over. Hannah successfully lead us to Namba station , which was only our first mode of transportation to what we would soon find out to be a lengthy but well worth trip.
We were transported to Tadao Ando ‘s Church of Light in out first taxi ride of the trip. The driver is head to toe in uniform (white gloves and all) and the seats are covered in white lace. What we as Americans would treat as a menial job, the Japanese treat with the utmost seriousness. Yes, even a cab ride is given the attention we would expect from a limousine rental service.
We are dropped off right next to the Church of Light which is located in what would be best described as a residential neighborhood here in Osaka. We are told to approach the site as a work of art and indeed it was. The images in books that we’ve studied just don’t do this spectacular space justice. It was both small and grand all at once. Quiet, yet said so much. As we sit and contemplate the journey we are on the serenity felt while sitting in the pew inside the church is surreal .;)
Our second destination is The Mother Ship! Ok maybe not, it was the Osaka Dome where we definitely went (to quote Rihanna) “from 0 to 60 in 3.5“. It was the Osaka Buffaloes versus the Hanshin Tigers. We entered the dome fearing our goodies would get confiscated; luckily it was totally cool for us to bring dried squid, pastries, strawberries, chocolate koalas and a box of almond pocky into the dome. We sat near left field in the fourth and fifth rows, close enough to get wacked in the head with a home run ball! It was, as our friend who sat behind us would so enthusiastically exclaim, “EXCITING!”
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The cheers were easy to follow seeing as to how they were repeated over and over by the awesomely dedicated Tigers fans. Beating our Tigers bats together, attempting to keep up with the locals and their cheers, we all couldn’t help but notice that this was probably the most fun we would ever have at a baseball game ……. EVER! Although the cheering was one of the highlights of the night , I think most everyone’s favorite part was at the beginning of the 7th and 9th inning when we blew up balloons, (suggestive anthropomorphic balloons I might add),and let them go to create a sea of awesomeness inside the dome.;)
THE HANSHIN TIGERS WIN! Can we say, BEST GAME EVER?! With our adrenaline running at high levels, we leave the stadium giving high fives all along the way while repeating after an older Tigers fan shouting “UEMOTO!, I LOVE THE TIGERS, and “We Love Japan!” The first couple of times it might have just been repetition, but I think in the end it truly was a great way to sum up that night!
-WE LOVE JAPAN!
Reader Comments (2)
you guys are killing me. Ando and baseball in the same day?!?!? all i can say is that you'd better take a "boat load" of pics and be ready to share when you get back to TN. Just DO EVERYTHING while you're there. i know you've said it's expensive, but you can work two jobs when you get back to pay for it. Trust me. You won't miss the dollars, so DO EVERYTHING!!!!
...and, by the way...Ando has a great project in St Louis - the Pulitzer Museum - so maybe a road trip is in order when you get back. I would love to go.