'The Psycho Downstairs'... also known as 'The Episode of the Sh*t Slinger'

As I wrote in the previous post, myself and the other two teachers-in-training were subjected to a psychotic episode on our 2nd night there. It was truly terrifying, I won't lie. After all, you have just arrived in a new place, you don't know who this person is, he could be a psychotic rapist. So what are you supposed to do when you are locked in your room on the second floor and a stranger is throwing himself against the living room walls downstairs, in the room that just happens to have the only phone?

Just as I was about to throw my futon out the window, take a leap of faith and hope that I landed safely, a teacher who lived next door happened to walk by and see me looking desperately for help. He called the head office, who took a long time to figure out exactly what to do in this situation. It was decided that the three non-psychotic teachers would spend the night by another teacher while they figured out what to do. By that time, the psycho downstairs had become very quiet, and had apparently passed out on the floor, so we packed a bag and slipped out the door like thieves into the night.

Although I was not happy about the situation, one good thing came out of it. Since we couldn't go back to our place, we were forced to go somewhere the next day, so we jumped on the bus and went to the nearby city of Narita, which is a very historical place famous for its Buddhist temples.



Above, Matt (Narita Bye-Bye) and Parker (Shanghai) pose in front of a beautiful wooden building.



This is the entrance to the first temple. All temples have a similar giant red lantern at their entrances which you must pass under, and unfortunately I havnen't even begun learning kanji so I couldn't tell you what the symbols mean.



Detail of the red lantern, with Parker posing below.



Above you will see an ever-running spring with some bamboo sort of scoop things. Before you enter the temple, you are supposed to take some of the water, wash your hands, wash your face and rinse your mouth.



I couldn't help but notice this next to the water spring. Japan is often romanticized as such a mystical place, and indeed temples like Narita are, but what could be more mystical than 'HOT DOG'?



I must say, this temple was absolutely incredible. All carved out of wood, painted with vivid colors, the details are just stunning.



Details from the temple roof. I love the dragons.



Wooden wall carvings of Buddha's disciples. His disciples are often portrayed in various poses of meditation.



A very very large two-tiered padoga, inside which was a no-photo zone.



More beautiful wooden carvings. This lion appears to be chewing on some bamboo?



I caught this modern looking sort of headstone just as we were leaving. The gold actually fits in very well with its surroundings.



These very serene looking gentlemen were welcoming people into a nearby graveyard.

So if The Sh*t Slinger hadn't gone mad, we never would have gone to Narita to see these beautiful temples, so it really is true that you can find a silver lining in any cloud. I only wish I knew more of the language so that I could better explain some of these pictures! A lot of the times, temples and other historical places don't have much English translation, so sometimes I don't quite get the significance or the story of the sights. But that's ok. It is still very easy to at least appreciate what you see.