元旦 / New Year

お寺で鐘を打ったあと、2013年を迎えます。深夜の天気がとても寒いのに、八坂神社に参拝に行きます。それは僕の初詣です。初詣は、歳が明けてから初めて寺社に参拝し、一年の無病息災を折ります。
After participating in the event of striking the Night-watch bell for 108 times, it's time to welcome the year 2013. Despite of the crazy cold weather, I still decided to proceed to pay my respect at 'Yasaka Shrine'. In Japan, the first visit to a shrine each and every year is also known as 'Hatsumoode'. The locals will pray for their well-being for the upcoming year on this visit.

その深夜、天気が寒いものの、八坂神社に参拝に行った人が多いですね。 （もしかすると何十万以上の参拝者があるかもしれません。） Despite of the cold weather, the shrine still managed to attract the attention of a lot of visitors. (In fact, on that very night, there might be more than 100,000 visitors paying their respect at the 'Yasaka Shrine'.)

お寺に参拝してから、大部分の人がお守りを買ったり、 おみくじをひいたりしています。（僕もおみくじとひいていました。(≧∇≦)b ） After paying their respect at the shrine, most people will either buy a lucky amulet, known as 'Omamori', or paper fortune lots, known as 'Omikuji'. (I, myself have went ahead with the 'Omikuji'. O.OV)

それで、様々な料理とお菓子を食べてみました。 （お寺の周りにインド人が辛いインド料理を販売して、とてもびっくりしました！！！ でもね、寒い天気で一番幸せな行動は、辛い料理を食べます。 それはほんまに援けました。） After that, I decided to give some of the food stalls located within the shrine compound a try. (What amazed me the most, was the fact that there was this Indian selling spicy Indian food within the shrine compound. And trust me, by eating spicy food during a cold weather can really help you a lot.)

お腹がいっぱいした後、ホテルにさ早速に戻ります。それで、朝四時ごろホテルに戻りました。寝て起きてから、ビッグサプライズがありますよ。。。（つづく）
After filling up my stomach with lots of food, it's time for me to return to my hotel. By the time I reached the hotel, it's like 4am in the morning and there's a big surprise waiting for me when I woke up... to be continued.

* こちは「八坂神社」の資料です。
* Click here to find out more about 'Yasaka Shrine'.

大晦日 / New Year's Eve

ちょっと遅いでけど、しかし皆さん去年の大晦日で何をしていましたか？実はね。。。
Though this is slightly a bit too late, but how did you spend your 2013 New Year's Eve? In fact...

京都で一番大好きな蕎麦屋で蕎麦を食べに行きました。 その蕎麦屋の名前は「本家尾張屋」です。 （実はね、今は蕎麦板を食べています。ほんまに美味いです。） for a start, I went to my favourite Buckwheat Noodles restaurant in Kyoto, Japan on the New Year's Eve of 2013. The name of this restaurant would be 'Honke Owariya'. (In fact, I was eating a rectangular shaped tidbit, also known as 'Soba Ita', which is made from Buckwheat Noodles right now. I was so madly in love with it that I could easily finish a box of it within an hour. By the way, each box contains 50 pieces of 'Soba Ita'.)

「にしんそば」 さすがに蕎麦老舗です。 この店の蕎麦が柔らかいし、全然高くないです。 それで、にしんが新鮮だし、美味いです。 とにかく、この店で蕎麦を食べた後、蕎麦を熱愛になっていました。 'Nishin Soba' This is indeed an infamous Buckwheat Noodles restaurant. The Buckwheat Noodles over here are pretty soft and relatively cheap. And the ingredients are pretty fresh and deliciously good. In fact, after giving this restaurant a try, it have greatly increased my passion for Buckwheat Noodles. 何故日本人は大晦日で蕎麦を食べていましたか？ 本によると、蕎麦が細く長く伸びるため、寿命を延ばすという話があります。 However, why did the Japanese have the custom of eating Buckwheat Noodles on New Year's Eve? There's a Japanese saying that states that by eating the Buckwheat Noodles that are pretty thin and long on New Year's Eve symbolises longevity.

美味い大晦日蕎麦を食べた後、町をブラブラして、その後。。。
After having a delicious meal, I decided to
do a bit of window shopping follow up with...

寒い天気で高大寺で除夜の鐘の列に並んでいます。 the task of queueing up outside 'Kodai-Ji' temple. This queue is actually meant for the first 108 people to get a chance to strike the Night-watch bell of the temple on New Year's Eve.

午後十一時から、一人一人が高大寺の除夜の鐘を打ちます。全ては108回です。 From 11pm onwards, those that were selected one after the other will step forward and strike the Night-watch bell once. 何故108回ですか？ 仏教によると、これは人間の煩悩の数だとされます。 つまり、108回の鐘を打つことは、人間の108の煩悩を払います。 Why did they struck the Night-watch bell 108 times? According to Buddhism, 108 symbolises the number of desires that trouble the body and soul of a person. Therefore by striking the bell 108 times symbolise the process of removing all your desires and cleanse your body and soul.

真面目な僕です？ A serious looking me...?

以上は高大寺で撮った写真です。 Some other photos that were taken in 'Kodai-Ji'.

高大寺へ行った後。。。。つづく
After paying a visit to 'Kodai-ji'...to be continued

* こちは「本家尾張屋」の資料です。
^ こちは「高大寺」の資料です。
* Click here to find out more about the Buckwheat Noodles restaurant 'Honke Owariya'.
^ Click here to find out more about 'Kodai-Ji' temple.