Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

10/17/2004, A short trip to Kobe, an international party in Technopolis

Today, I went back to Kobe to see another friend.  I met Akemi and Machiko at the Kobe Jazz Street (jazz festival).  Today, I saw some sights in Kobe with Akemi.  Akemi lives in Kobe and plays flute in an all-flute bossa nova quartet.  She works for a company that makes ceramic goods.  We saw Meriken park, China town, and got some delicious jasmine ice cream.

I thought this restaurant was a little silly.  Coffee and Spaghetti.  Seems like a funny combination, from an American perspective.  Akemi didn't see why I was so amused.

This cafe and bar claims to offer a taste of America.  They are called Quinn's.

Here's Akemi on the pier near Meriken Park in Kobe.

Here's the delicious jasmine tea ice cream we had.  Akemi had mango ice cream, which was equally tasty.

After my trip to Kobe, I came back to Aioi and then headed for an International Friendship party in Technopolis.  My school is in the small (pop. 19,000) town of Kamigori.  Technopolis is a community within, but on the edge of Kamigori.  My school is part of Technopolis.  The Himeji Institute Of Technology (now part of the University Of Hyogo) is also in Technopolis.  They were the ones hosting and organizing the party.  I was invited to this party by a stranger on the bus.

Anyway, it was a really fun party.  There were many visiting professors and post-docs from all over the world.  Many brought their families.  There were many internationally oriented Japanese people, too.  Most spoke good English.  They had a speech contest.  I participated and explained in 60 seconds how my first name rhymes with "salamander", among other things.  People played music.  They had traditional Japanese dancing.  Costumes.  It was awesome.  I met many interesting people from the area.

A couple guys did a violin-guitar duet that was beautiful.

A traditional Japanese dance, including one of the MC's who was in costume.

More of the dancing.

And some of the people I talked to the most at the party.

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