#3 DAY! Banpaku Park.

As yesterday I couldn't enter the park because it was too late. I decided that today I would go exploring the Banpaku park. Because I did nothing in the morning cos I just sorted out my photos from my camera, I went out from the dormitory after I took my Dhuhr prayer. I went there by walking the the same path I did yesterday and I took some photos along the way to the park. 

My dormitory and a warm-up selfpict before went to the park.

Monorail and the train lines. Yamada station.

A livable area near the Yamada station. It's the way to the parks and also to the Suita campus OU.
Gas station. Bike store. Laundry,
Gas station. Book store. Indian restaurant.

GROOK GROOK. Crows everywhere.

I discovered there was a Indian Restaurant across my way to the park. Salma once said it's okay to check the Indian Resto as they will provide us halal food. I only saw the restaurant on the second floor then suddenly (maybe) the owner showed up in front of the resto and noticed that I was looking to his place. With a gesture he waved his hand and (I guess) asked me to come to the resto. I only responded by shouting Assalamualaikum and make a salam gesture by my hand. I was alone and I didn't think that I would like to have some lunch there so maybe I was a little afraid and just showing a gesture that I should go because I was in a hurry. Ah, I'm positively thinking it's maybe because I wore a hijab and he's quickly noticing that I am a Moslem and they can give me the food that I am allowed to eat. 

Then I came to the entrance. It was a machine to buy the ticket actually, but after I pressed some buttons and it just didn't work then I checked to the entrance gate, so I can buy it from the lady officer there. To enter the park, it costs me 250 yen as for an adult ticket and 70 yen for the children. 

SPOT THE OSAKA DAIGAKU OVER THERE!

So the park is really a big area. Those were a lot of greenery. Trees, grass, and plants dominated the rock-paved pathways. It provides us a lot of maps, and also the trash bin that divided into 4 kinds of trash so the area is assured clean. 

I wonder why there were so many people in the park. Ah, it's Saturday, everyone's day off then. I saw a lot family with their kids built a tent. They played in the playground. It's like everyone was enjoying the day-off by the fresh air, a really nice atmosphere, playing and gathering around with family. Besides the family, there were also many couples who came to this place. I was a bit envy realizing that I was totally alone with a DSLR camera. I hope they thought I was a foreigner photographer hahahah.

They provide the toilet with the clear sign. Rest room. Tap water. And also the trash bin.

I was really amazed that the family picnic was everywhere in the park. They held a cushion on the grass then enjoying their meals they packed from home. Baby, toddler, kids, teenagers, young family to the elder couple were around the park. I didn't know what happen but I think it's kind of lifestyle and the existence of the the park totally help the community to relieved their stress from daily activity. The park was also a nice place to gather the family around to bond their relationship better, I guess. 

As I explored the park, I really curious about the Banpaku Memorial Park that has the tower of the sun. I did find it! Ah, it's some kind of huge statue. I googled it after I went home about the meaning of the tower. So the tower was designed by Taro Okamoto. Its height is 70 meters, the diameters is 20 meters and each arms is 25 meters long. It has 3 faces, the two faces as the front and there's one at the back. The golden face at the top of the statue represents the future. The face below the golden face represents the present. And the face at the back represents the past. The red lines across the statue represents lightning bolts. I haven't looked up for more deep meaning of the statue itself. 

Khusus di tempat ini ada camera holder jadi tinggal set timer tanpa minta bantuan untuk minta diambilin poto.

Near the Banpaku Memorial Park, it was an event I don't know what kind of event but the main event was maybe the U-1 GRAND PRIX. But there were a lot of food stall around the area. Some had a very long line but some even had no line in front of its stall, I wondered why.

Then I explore more to the Japanese Garden. There were also Museum of Ethnology and Japanese Folk Museum but I didn't entered both either. I saw various kind of flower that maybe typical flower in Japan. And I also did some photos by myself using the timer from the camera hahahaha. Going out alone is sometimes fun but for the photo thing I guess it's so sad not having anyone around to take the pic of you. But the people at the park were nice because they offered me a help to take my picture, and yeah I just respond it to 'hai' and 'arigatou'. 

Japanese garden.

The museums of ethnology & Japanese folk Museum

Everyone loves to take a pict of the flower! Maybe because it only blooms in the Spring to Fall season?

Cherry tree. And a rock fort. *pardon the selfie*

I don't want to delete these photos bcs I took abt 30 mins to took the whole pic just by timer-ing the camera hahaha.

I finished my exploration at 5 PM because I had to rush home for Asr prayer. But I visited the Dew mall on the way home to see the Uniqlo store and Toys store to check the gundam for Indra. Just a quick sightseeing around the mall. As I told you yesterday the mall wasn't that big and didn't have a nice exterior but it's very clean and a lot of people still come to the mall.

WAY CHEAPER THAN IN INDONESIA, EXCEPT FOR THE SPARKLING WATER!!

As today I saw a lot of people exercise by running and cycling I wonder if it's the lifestyle for them to always keep fit and healthy. Everyone use a running shoes or any shoes that comfort for a long walk. It's a common thing in here. Sugoii.

Then I was back to the dorm. I cooked my Indomie noodles by microwave (I googled the how-to-cook indomie with microwave before hahaha). Then I realized that I had to buy a sparkling water to drink. Then I rushed into the supermatket nearby. The price of a sparkling water is the same with the milk. How that's possibly happen in Japan? I heard that we can drink any tap water in Japan, but why in my dorm there's no such a thing like a tap water? There was only a sink, is the water drinkable for us then? I don't know I never tried. But maybe as soon as I had the cooking utensils from Salma I'd like to cook the water so I can just drink it without spending a lot of money then.

I searched any halal food or drink I can consume. So maybe tonight I was kind of crazy shop some snacks and drinks I am allowed to eat hahahaha.

I also had a skype call with my mom and my sister in Indonesia. 

And Osaka lately is too cold for me..

See you tomorrow. I don't have any plans yet......

xx.

Indah Tsiasti