To The Land Of The Rising Sun Part 19- Fushimi Inari- Taisha Shrine

Konnichiwa (こんばんは) 

After our trip around the Imperial Palace, we grabbed lunch at a place called Mos Burger

It looked like the Japanese version of McDonald’s or Burger King but to be honest it was the first place we saw after leaving the subway and we were quite hungry…wasn’t that bad actually BUT THEY PUT ONIONS ON MY BURGER, UNFORGIVABLE!!!!  We decided to go to a well known spot in the city called ‘Fushimi Inari’ famous for it’s mountain trail and it’s seemingly endless shrine gates!

We headed to the train station and boarded the JR Nara line to Inari Station and it got a little bit confusing once we got to the station as it was the quietest little place we had ever been to, it looked quaint and peaceful, minus train passengers but even they weren’t noisy but the station did have music playing….nice music which fits in with where we were going really.

 

I like how some Japanese streets look, just looking down this straight you see the past mixed in with the present and it just goes well together, a country that can embrace both past and present without one being left behind, I’ll be honest…it was nice to feel pride for your past with the shrines, castles and monuments and the always changing world of tomorrow all around you, a metropolis of culture, all from one street!

We entered the shrine and all around was us activity, from little shops to areas of prayer, it was wonderful. It was here that we decided to make a purchase. Meet the fox that we bought and named Kagami.  

850 yen well spent if you ask me! We got another one as a souvenir for a friend back home and then headed towards the mountain path as we would do some praying once we got back down from from the hillside, might as well get the hard bit out of the way first! The entrance way was crowded with people wanting to brave the climb but not many coming back down on the other side we noticed! We heard that a fair amount of people give up before reaching the top of the path but I knew I would make it….I climbed Vesuvius after all! Emma on the other hand…we would have to see!

Nice picture to see before you climb the mountain path! Could give you nightmares that face!

Here we go!

 

When you start off, it’s like your in an tunnel more than passing under many gates! They go on and on for as far as you can see and beyond that but it was so amazing that you want to keep going and see if they truly do go all the way up or not. The path was full of people with smiles as we all took photos and admired the scenery as we made our way along.

Emma was actually very excited about what we were doing which was rather odd considering she normally she hates walking up big hills but I think the atmosphere and the gates were helping the matter…nothing to do with Kagami the fox we had just bought or anything! However, the smiles and excitement would soon fade as we soon discovered….the path gets much steeper and more stairs began to appear…frequently.

We came to a point where the paths split and we saw the one we would return on as well as the one we needed to take to get to the top, it didn’t look that bad to me but my wife was thinking a little differently to me.

Exhaustion sort of began to set in, more for Emma than me as I was used to walking up big paths and such….do it all the time back home so this wasn’t that challenging to be honest, growing up in the Yorkshire Dales can do that to you though, your surrounded by hillsides! Emma was slowing down but wasn’t going to give up…the only thing that was aching on me were my ears….from Emma’s constant moaning! I kid!

 

At various points on the climb, we would reach a summit and assume that we had made it to the top, only to find out that we still had a long way to go! Emma would get slightly disheartened when I kept telling her that we still had a ways to go but we did start to notice that the higher we went, the less people were about

Also, we were eventually able to get a great view of Kyoto from the hillside and it was a really nice look out to the area that stretched into the distance. I always think that once you make it high up on a hill or mountain, to get a good look at the area around you, the countryside and as far as you can see, take it in!

 

Finally however, we came across one last pair of stairs and as we reached the top, well it said top of the mountain so what more proof do you need! We realised that we were finally at the top of the path, we had made it! Emma was so relieved and happy that she had made it…I was excited as well…it was another thing I could cross off my checklist

Now, we had to walk all the way back down and for me, Emma kept nagging me about a promise I had made her…on the way up we had past an ice cream place and I might have…bribed her to keep going by promising her some ice cream when we past it again on the way down

I am loving Japan so far, the sights and culture of Tokyo were amazing and Kyoto has been so far as well! I shall always remember the times that we both had here for the rest of my life and I really hope I can do this again someday. I love how a magical place can be nestled away like this, it makes it special. Small Japanese towns look so peaceful, yet are full of life it just makes it ever so more astonishing to explore everything that I can for as long as possible.

We boarded the train back to our hotel after a long day and decided to head out and try a curry house for once and oh my goodness, it was the most amazing curry ever! I tried a cheeseburger curry…what even is that but it’s food of the gods! The cheese was stuffed inside the burger and I honestly thought it was better than Udon Noodles, Tempura or even Ramen…the richness of the sauce and the tenderness of the burger weirdly worked together and the rice was nice as well! Seriously and I hate curry but this was immense…made me want to try curry back home again, it was that good…Emma had a seafood curry and loved it as well, she needed it after all that walking she had done.

We plan to see the Golden Pavilion tomorrow, more soon!

 

The Experiences Of Mrs Stump

Mrs Stump works in a local supermarket because he needs money to live….Mrs Stump however has a habit where he will say something controversial at the most inappropriate of moments

Let’s say it’s a Monday morning and it’s rather busy as the store only has five open tills and the queues are long. Mrs Stump is trying his best to put on a smile and be positive but at every turn, events seem to get in the way and test this. Here are some of his lovely customers who I am sure will all be kind, patient and understanding!

Let us begin with two customers who arrive at the same time, Mr Stump assumes that they are together, Mrs Stump should ask though but her mind goes off with an important topic.

Mrs Stump: I’m just saying…Brexit is a stupid idea…I voted remain and would do so again…to not isolate ourselves from our European cousins is horrendous and could make or break the next couple of generations….what right do we have to make that decision for them, do we leave them a mess to clean up or a proper united continent that is stable and safe for us all.

Customer 1: Could you serve me please?

(Mrs Stump begins to scan items)

Mrs Stump: Do you have your points card

(The second customer hands over a points card, Mr Stump scans it assuming they are together, the first customer sees this)

Mrs Stump: Are you two together?

Customer 1: No…I couldn’t afford mine and her shopping

(Mrs Stump finishes scanning the items and rounds up the total, the first customer hands over a points card) 

Mrs Stump: Then why did she hand over her card to me when I was serving you?

Customer 1: Do you know what your doing?

Mrs Stump: Do you?

Customer 1: Excuse me?

Mrs Stump: Well you clearly watched her hand me a points card and said nothing about it, now your biting my head off because I can’t scan yours….what did you expect would happen?

(The purchase is complete but Mrs Stump is unable to take off the other customer’s points card)

Mrs Stump: Have a good day sir!

(Customer 1 leaves. Customer 2 hands over points card like nothing had happened, a bit grumpy)

Mrs Stump: What just happened?

***

Later in the day, Mrs Stump begins to think that her day can get better when a customer on her phone comes onto her till. She immediately begins to roll her eyes at how this could turn out.

Customer: Hello

Mrs Stump: Good Afternoon, would you like any bags?

(Customer says nothing)

Mrs Stump scans the small shop and rounds up the total.

Mrs Stump: And that will be 42 quid please, would you like any bags?

Customer: Cash card please

Mrs Stump: Excuse me?

Customer: Cash card…please

Mrs Stump: Would you like to purchase a cash card?

Customer: CASH CARD! CASH CARD! CASH CARD!

(Customer points to debit card)

Mrs Stump: Ok, calm down…why didn’t you say so.

Customer rolls eyes, pays and leaves. Mrs Stump mimics her face as she leaves.

Mrs Stump: Seriously, what is today?

Mrs Stump was a little agitated by the day she was having, she had apparently been receiving all the grumpy customers that had nothing better to do than make life hard for someone trying to earn a living. The thought of her naughty customers made her roll her eyes that it really did not take much to agitate some people.

Mrs Stump: It’s like some people come into a supermarket with a superiority complex, just to make people who work here miserable or something, like they have nothing better to do and this makes them feel good or something, kind of pathetic really!

After lunch, Mrs Stump felt more confident and was ready to put the start behind her and finish off strong! She had many nice customers throughout the day but this was to be short lived as a rather large angry looking man came onto her till.

Mrs Stump: Hel-

Customer: God, don’t you know how to greet a customer?

Mrs Stump was taken aback by this, she hadn’t even said a whole word and was already been shouted at, this was a new record.

Mrs Stump:…Hello sir

Customer: Hurry up, my time’s more important than yours.

Mrs Stump: (under her breath) True…McDonald’s is just down the street

Customer: Did you say something, speak up!

Mrs Stump: Do you need any help packing?

Customer: No…I can do a better job than you anyway!

Mrs Stump begins to scan items but as she is doing so, she can hear groans from the customer as he mutters under his breath .

Mrs Stump: Is everything alright sir

Customer: YOU JUST CAN’T THE PROPER HELP AROUND HERE!

Mrs Stump remains silent as she finishes scanning items and rounds up the total.

Mrs Stump: 62.80

Customer: Why is it so expensive?

Mrs Stump: Well you did buy 3 bottles of whisky and a brand new DVD

Customer: Your so useless, retard!

***

Boss: Mr Stump, you have received a complaint!

Mrs Stump: Really, what for?

Boss: We were told by a rather angry customer that you didn’t help them pack their bags, is this true?

Mrs Stump: I’ve had so many customers in the last half an hour, I might have forgotten to ask every single customer that question, I apologize!

Boss: The customer had a bad arm

Mrs Stump: Was it broken?

Boss: Yes.

Mrs Stump: Oh, I remember them, I asked her if she would like help and she never responded….not to mention that she had her husband with her so I thought he was going to help her.

Boss: Did you offer help?

Mrs Stump: Yes…I think but the husband could have done something.

Boss: That’s not for you to think

Mrs Stump: If he was behind this counter, he’d be in f****** trouble

Boss: Also, they complained that you said Donald Trump shouldn’t be the President of the United States.

Mrs Stump: Bloody hell!

You’ll get them next time Mrs Stump, you’ll get them next time!

To The Land Of The Rising Sun Part 17 Let Them Eat…Cheesecake?!

It was slightly late, we were tired from our trek but we had found our destination and were thrilled when we opened our bedroom door for the first time. The staff were very friendly to us and gave us all the information about the hotel that we needed such as restaurants, when cleaning is done and that we get a newspaper every morning…in Japanese but the thought is there!

Our hotel looked a bit more classier than the previous hotel to be honest, our bedroom looked much nicer and we even had a desk! a flipping desk! Awesome, it was great for writing up all my notes from our days out, food etc the bed was a double which Emma was thrilled about! and we had more space for our stuff etc

Merchandise!

Japanese toilet that can warm your seat and has many other features that made me want to take this thing home with me! A toilet like this would be a life saver for many people! I had always wanted to see one in person and it doesn’t disappoint….can’t believe I’m going on and on about a toilet!

We had only just arrived and unpacked and I was still a bit ticked off about how long it had took us to get to the hotel from the train station…you can read about that escapade here- Lost in Kyoto it was late in the afternoon and we were tired and hungry….fortunately I wasn’t annoyed enough to not go out and find a place to eat so with that said, we departed back down the path we had come from until we got to the main road and then headed up for about 10 minutes, passing a University before we came across a place called Papa Jons which we thought was to have Pizza etc well it said that in the guide book I had bought in Britain…alas it was a bakery that served cheesecake, so we had cheesecake for dinner instead

I was ready for anything after a whole day of wandering like a headless chicken in the middle of a desert! It was nighttime now and we were sleepy so after our food, we began to make our way back towards the hotel when we came across a set of stores, so we decided to check them out

Awesome!

So many manga books, so little time! I even bought one…even though I can’t read Japanese…it’s still in it’s packaging to this day…probably will keep it that way until the book comes out in English! Basic stores over here just look more exciting than the ones back home, probably because most of them have a cartoon feel to them, like if you’ve watched anime, than chances are you’d be reminiscing a lot by walking into a store because it looks exactly like one, it just has more vibrancy to it here and it just makes a better experience for the shopper! Or it does for me anyway!

Since we basically just had dessert for our dinner, we stopped off at a 7/11 and picked up some small Japanese food items to try out in our hotel room, here are some of them

Never had a rice ball before or melon bread, both are great by the way! Give them a go if you ever get the chance to do so because it would be so worth it. After we had eaten and relaxed, we headed to bed, knowing that tomorrow we would properly begin exploring the area and seeing sights and such, we couldn’t wait!

 

 

Why I Love To Travel

Hello there, I’m somewhat of a traveler or have become sort of one in recent years…not your typical Brit who voted to leave the EU under false pretenses or anything like that…no idea why I said that…we shall have to see what happens in the coming years…not that we have a choice!

Anyway, I have since discovered that going abroad and seeing a new country every single time is a fun thing to do, so many places that I probably wouldn’t have gone to normally….I didn’t think Belgium was ever going to be on my destination list….yet now Bruges is a place I’d love to go back to someday because it holds an important event in my life now! Japan was a place so far away, I assumed it was always to be out of my reach and price range

Travel is something that I just love to do, the feeling of exploring a brand new place every single time is wonderful to me, an amazing prospect to see a bit more of the planet every time. I am not one of those people who can go to the same destination year in and out….nothing wrong with it but I would feel like I could always be seeing a brand new place instead

Not counting places we’ve been to in Britain, here is a list of the countries I have visited in recent years.

• Italy
• Tenerife
• Holland
• Belgium
• France
• America
• Japan

 

This was all in the space of say 6 years and I was in University for 3 of those years! I feel a bit more wiser and confident about myself for seeing so many different places, taking in different cultures, foods and even weather….never been boiling hot yet have it rain at the same time! I find it funny how I’ve been abroad many times, yet never explored my own doorstep! Here are a few places I haven’t been to yet

• Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• Ireland

No idea why I have never been to any of these places yet…been to Isle of Man and Jersey though…better than nothing! The next place for us to explore this year is going to be in Britain…not sure for how much longer but it’s Scotland! I am sure that I will have a wonderful time exploring Edinburgh and the lush Highlands…hopefully it won’t be pouring it down with rain the entire time, get enough of that here as it is!

It has been fun seeing the vast cities of Bruges, Paris and Amsterdam, exploring the Italian countryside, getting lost in the giant theme parks of Orlando, taking in the culture that is Japan and relaxing by the poolside, beach and lazy rivers of Tenerife but I feel like I still have so many places that I want to see at least once in this lifetime, I think I’m addicted to travelling…should do it for a job or something! Never am one for staying still for too long…hell I wander off in the supermarket when we go shopping….I still play Pokemon Go! I like to be on the move, see new wonders and try new things all the time.

Travelling makes me happy, that’s all there is to it really, I always feel really overjoyed to go away for a week or so and do something exciting everyday, heck even going for a walk through the town or city we are staying in is exciting to me! I don’t always need to climb a volcano, go to the beach or the big tourist attractions…Sorrento was amazing by itself! All I need is a camera, nice weather and an upbeat attitude to have a good time somewhere new!

Going to a new place every time has an allure to it, a new patch of grass….a new range of countryside, a different culture, it’s always interesting and you learn something new all the time, sure it’s good to go back to a place you have visited in the past, I’ve been to Tenerife and France twice and enjoy both places but as for right now, I wouldn’t mind seeing Denmark, Germany, China, Canada and Egypt as destinations someday!

To The Land Of The Rising Sun Part 13- Tokyo Sky Tree

Before we begin I have left a few links relating to the last few chapters in this series for you to check out, click the links bellow.

Click here- https://mwhitehouse22.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/to-the-land-of-the-rising-sun-part-12/

Click here- https://mwhitehouse22.wordpress.com/2017/03/04/to-the-land-of-the-rising-sun-part-11-lets-pray-a-little/

Click here- https://mwhitehouse22.wordpress.com/2017/02/27/to-the-land-of-the-rising-sun-part-10-japan-so-far/

 

Hello and Konnichiwa!

こんにいちは

After looking about a Shrine and Palace Gardens, we decided to finish off our second to last day in Tokyo by going over to a new attraction that we’ve seen mentioned in the news various times…we were going to see Tokyo’s Skytree! We chose this location over the Tokyo Tower because it was newer, taller and just looked cooler but still, I went over to see Tokyo Tower as it wasn’t terribly far away from our hotel.

Looks like Blackpool Tower!

This location actually wasn’t the easiest to reach by train, we had to take 2 trains before switching onto the monorail system for the first time to get close to it, otherwise we would have had to walk nearly a mile from the second train station and we didn’t feel totally confident that we would get there in a good time as it was the afternoon and we weren’t too sure what time it closed down, so we opted for the monorail.

Getting used to the monorail was like first getting used to the train system, we didn’t understand what the boards were saying or how much yen we needed for a ticket and they were only single tickets so we had to repeat the process for the return journey as well!

We arrived in good time and quite obviously, the sky-tree didn’t take long to find!

Quite intimidating from the bottom! It’s so tall, it makes Blackpool Tower look tiny in comparison! This structure had plenty of publicity about the place, making it out to be a major attraction and it was…bit expensive but who’s going to moan about prices when you’ve traveled all this way from England anyway? like the one in England, this attraction houses many stores and attractions but this one beats Blackpool Tower, simply for one reason!

POKEMON!

This place has a Pokemon Shop! I love finding these places here! The child in me pops out and suddenly, it’s the 1990’s again! And this one has something so cool, I’ll remember it always.

I’d love this in a den somewhere, be a show piece to my house to show guests and such….if I could have fitted any other giant plushy Pokemon in my suitcase like that Bulbasaur, I would have easily! So unfair how so many giant plushies are about here and I can’t find any back home…and I wanted a Ditto so bad!

I FOUND ONE!

Best purchase I made in Tokyo, who wouldn’t want a life size Ditto in their house, this Pokemon rules!

Next, we entered the actual tower and went to the top in a really nice looking elevator up to the observation tower or the TEMBO DECK (350m) High up! The following images are some of the shots we took on this floor and I’ll tell you, it’s beyond words as to how it feels seeing Tokyo from a high viewing point, we were breathless at how far it stretched out…it appeared to be endless, a never ending paradise full of wonders and beauty!

 

Buildings look like ants from up here! it was a struggle to get good shots with so many people trying to do the same thing by the windows, we wandered around the floor, looking in all angles at different parts of the city but sadly, Mt Fuji was not view able from up here and the top floor was closed off for the day but you had to pay extra to go up that far anyway and Emma didn’t want to if she had the option!

We had a photo taken of the occasion, since we were both afraid of heights and all, being this high up was a big achievement for us…I know we flew here on a plane and all but still! We also checked out the glass floor part of the tower that makes you think you are walking on the air which was utterly terrifying, so scary that I forgot to take a picture but I’ll never forget that feeling when I couldn’t see nothing but buildings bellow my feet…you feel alive at that point, your scared but excited as well, such an exhilaration!

I was glad we came here, that we saw this spectacle of human engineering that shows off a jewel in the cap that we call Planet Earth. I could not recall a single moment so far where I said the following

”I have nothing to do!” 

Tokyo has kept me thoroughly entertained every day and as the days rolled on, I slowly became sad that we were soon moving on South to Kyoto and don’t get me wrong, I was excited but it also meant that I wouldn’t be in this great city anymore! It was that fun and entertaining that I was afraid I’d compare the other places we visited to Tokyo and be unfair to it, that’s how good Tokyo is, a giant arena full of the future, the present and a hint of the past, it has it all.

We departed on a high note but not before I purchased a replica model of the Tower to give to my Dad as a souvenir. Oddly enough, we came across an American establishment called Denny’s on the way back and we decided to go there for dinner as they served Japanese dishes and I had Tempura Prawns and a fried rice dish which was actually quite good and Emma had the same so we had a great day and a good meal.

With only one day left, we began to make plans for our journey down south and Emma prayed that we would be able to share a bed again at the next hotel. Grabbing Cyndaquil, she headed off to bed as I read, thinking what to do for our last day in Tokyo.

Goodnight

 

 

 

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Ep 1 Review

 

Warning- Spoilers!

Dragon’s…a mythical creature, one to be feared, one to be respected, one to…clean your house? This one forces you to ask many questions in the first few minutes, like why a Dragon would even turn into a maid of all things in the first place, why would it fall in ”love” with a human and why would one sacrifice the rest of it’s life to serve a human to which it often describes them as ‘Inferior’? The first episode is pretty much the two main characters getting to know one another with Kobayashi taking on The Dragon as maid but she does think it’s a dream at first…and we watch her go to work and go out drinking with a colleague as well as Tohru and hilarity ensues throughout.

Before we get to our Maid, we must look at our other main character, the human in which she serves. When I watched the trailer for this show, I was unsure about the red haired woman they kept showing, nothing sprang out that shouted ‘main character’ or funny and when we first see her, I was starting to think that I was going to be wrong….only to soon feel like I was right to be weary of her as the episode went on and on.

 

Kobayashi- A normal office worker who is often mistaken for a man, wakes up one morning after a night of drinks, to find herself staring at a Dragon on her doorstep that transforms into a maid in front of her eyes. From my first glance at her, she did not appear that interesting. Alas, she apparently saved the Dragon’s life whilst wandering about the hillside drunk! This means that the Dragon wants to dedicate her life to serving Kobayashi to which she is first reluctant, even turning the Dragon down but comes around and we spend the rest of the episode watching her giving the Dragon chores to do, only to be mostly horrified and amazed at how these tasks are accomplished.

The funniest thing about this character so far is when she’s drunk, apart from that she’s rather stale and I don’t see why something like a Dragon would be interested in her in the slightest, not much character to her apart from her love of drinking and maids. Overall, so far her character is a little disappointing when she’s sober but good when she’s had a few! Is that a good thing? That I want her to be drunk more so I’ll like her character? It’s only been one episode but the first one often depends on whether a viewer comes back for the second and third ones.

I hear that more dragons will soon be appearing to live with Kobayashi so who knows, maybe we’ll soon get more character development and a reason to care about her because so far…their isn’t a lot to really like except that she gets drunk and…has a Dragon Maid…it’s like Konata Izumi grew up, kind of still liked anime but nowhere near to when she was a teen but drinks to drown her sorrows over something…did she lose contact with her friends? I mean this character does always look glum? I have hope for this character.

 

Tohru–  A Dragon who needs to keep her tail once she transforms….so you remember that she’s a Dragon! That and the horns should be a dead giveaway! I like this character because she’s just so funny with how quick she becomes obsessed with Kobayashi who to be honest, is kind of boring to me…unless she’s drunk.

Her licking, sniffing and salivating over Kobayashi’s clothes multiple times is actually good, weirdly enough and her way of tackling everyday chores as a Dragon is worth a watch! I mean blasting the clouds so the washing will dry….genius

Overall, she is the only reason that I am watching episode 2 at the moment as Kobayashi so far is dull and uninteresting to me at the moment but maybe the next episode can redeem her for me, I don’t know but as for Tohru, she just needs to keep doing what she is doing and one more thing, we already have some character development with her! We see in her dream her fear of humans and why she appears hostile towards them except for Kobayashi, going into the mythology of knights slaying Dragons etc You feel for Tohru and want to support her against the ‘inferior’ humans!

It will be interesting to see how she interacts with the other dragons coming soon but it is an interesting concept, having Dragons come in and live with Kobayashi but it sounds somewhat familiar to another show I’ve seen in the past….where multiple creatures live with a human being and we watch them all live together, going through challenges and such…this one’s just funnier!

It’s definitely worth a check if you want to have a laugh and want to watch something new and if I had to give it a score out of 10, episode one gets a 7/10 and that’s mainly because of Tohru and her antics, if Kobayashi had been good when shes drunk and sober and had a bit of character that didn’t scream depressed at me, it’d have been a 9!

The show just needs a bit more of a kick to get going and I think episode 2 should provide that kick!

Autism- How Does It Affect You?

Is it a bad thing to say that Autism isn’t a bad thing at all? It depends on each individual because it affects us all differently in certain ways so when I talk about Autism, I can only really explain how it affects me personally, I can’t speak nor plan to speak for anyone else with Autism, I can only talk about my own experiences and beliefs.

We’re all unique in our own way, have our own obsessions, dislikes and dreams yet I’m always told things like ”Your not like my autistic friend, he never leaves his room” and I wonder why you would think I am the same…I don’t assume that people without Autism or the same…why do you?

I look at how other people talk about their own experiences of living with it and I do often try to compare my own life to it, seeing if I have any comparisons or differences and it’s often 50/50! Sometimes I can relate and sometimes, I have no idea what they are talking about because you do get some people assuming that Autism affects everyone exactly the same

When I think of Autism, I can only think about how it used to affect how I lived my life because back in the past, it was much worse, had a greater impact on my views and decisions in life but today, not so much but how do you get from A to B? The answer was simply never giving up and caving into what others wanted for me, all that I wanted was what I thought was best for me and that was my own opinion first but of course I can be wrong, I’m not arrogant and ignore everyone else around me but as a child, my voice was never really heard but I spoke louder and never backed down with an idea or what I wanted and that changed things, made college, university and marriage a reality because I stood up for myself.

Words are powerful when you believe what you are saying and I always believe what I speak and what I want for myself because I know what it’s like to be ignored, to be made to feel small and I don’t want that, I would rather fail and try again until I get it right, rather than not even have a chance to speak, to say what I want for my life because a chance at least is what everyone should get, Autism or not…we all deserve a chance to follow our dreams and live a life in this world without being babied and held back because of a label

We all have different gripes and troubles in this life, friends, marriage, families and other things we all stand somewhere different with these issues! I can’t say that everyone with Autism gets married or gets a job or makes friends but then again, I can’t say that for everyone without Autism as well. You can find people who don’t have anything and they will not have a single friend,  a job or be married, it happens and can to anyone! Regardless of what you have or don’t have!

Autistic people are viewed as people who struggle to socialise, act weird and have a disease….some people think Autism is a disease! Stupid, I know but the point is that stereotypes are dumb, you say that these people all act the same because of a label, why do we do this in life? I don’t look at someone with a label, we are all people who have back stories, interests and opinions but if someone told me they were gay or of a different religion, that wouldn’t change a thing or it shouldn’t….the person means more to me than a label that so many people look at first.

No one can tell I even have Autism, unless I say so…one person called me a liar because I have friends and a wife….do people really think like this….can’t someone with Autism have a friend…..unless I’m cured, right? Or a liar…..ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I know what I have and what I’ve been through to get where I am, I don’t care what you say, I’ve been through all these battles and won them all because I never gave up! Are some people so stupid that they believe everything they read on the internet! Your opinion is the most important for you! If others don’t believe in you, don’t let that get you down because as long as YOU believe in yourself…you have a chance!

So how does Autism affect you?

Are Scans on Babies For Autism Good or Bad?

I do not speak for everyone with Autism!

 

 

Lately, news has come out claiming that it may be possible to detect Autism before the age of two, due to brain scans on babies and it seems split down the middle as to whether this is a good or a bad thing, many worrying that this could cause many parents deciding to have their children go through ‘behavioural therapy’ and I even read a comment saying that children would be aborted but I think the scans are after they are born…yeah it says six month old children….don’t think you can abort a a six month old kid….anyway!

As I have said before, I personally would have liked this to happen to me but I’m speaking from a mind that discovered I had Autism at becoming 13-14, I was a teenager and I had already gone through many years wondering why was I how I was when it came to understanding right and wrong and the consequences of not caring what I did. I think that If I had found out at a much younger age, I could have had more understanding and maybe thinks would have worked out differently….in my head anyway but realistically…I know this never would have happened, I was tested for it for over 10 years as this was in the 90’s…times were different, people looked at the world differently but it’s just nice to think that somehow, things turned out differently, that I could have had more chances to get things right, to not hate myself for so long because my world around me made me feel that way.

I guess for me anyway, having Autism is not such a big deal anymore and sometimes, I wonder why it ever was in the first place. Deep down, I know it was all because the other people around me didn’t understand it, making it more difficult for me to come to terms with it

What I don’t like is the term ‘behavioral therapy’ it just sounds like they are to be told what is not right to do and what is unacceptable which sounds like it would be a good thing from the outside, would it work? And what is it meant by ‘behavioral therapy?’ From I can remember about myself, I was often quiet, sometimes spoke to myself and was often told ‘Don’t worry’ because I was often nervous and scared of everything, I didn’t know what was going on.

Yet when I think about it, I would imagine that you have many children that DON’T have Autism yet are known for having bad behaviour….why aren’t they having ‘behavioral therapy?’  I understand that some with Autism might have some issues where much help is needed, I mean…

Let’s not go through this again!

Why do I feel like when they talk about this kind of therapy, they are roping in everyone with Autism because many have Autism but have no problems living a normal life, it doesn’t hinder most things yet when you hear Autism being mentioned, it’s all one thing but we all know that’s not the case at all! I’ve never taken a single thing for it my entire life nor ever plan to! I don’t need tablets or calm pills!

That’s for me though, I know the situations is different for us all so it’s hard to pin down but when your a baby, I feel like many of us are a lot closer but we differentiate as we grow older and go through similar yet different scenarios. Some people notice things or have them pointed out by others and either work on them or struggle to which I think I did a bit of both as I struggled for a long while then managed to work on my issues and minimal the effects of them on me to the point that I forget that I even have Autism. However, if I was told at an much earlier age, I would have the chance to do that much earlier but as a baby, I would obviously have no say and I don’t like that! I’m someone who wants a voice and a say in what happens to me and if that’s taken away by others, it pisses me off! Sorry for the language but I have strong feelings about it! Babies would have no say or control, it would be down to the parents and doctors and the correct decision would not always be made.

As for the therapy issue…I don’t know but I think a lot is put on someone who makes a mistake, just because they have Autism, it almost feels like less is made of someone who doesn’t have it…every time I read where an incident has happened, they go all out in making it clear if the culprit has Autism…so the need for therapy as a little baby…how does that even work or even as a young child at the age of 2…maybe it could but I don’t know, I’m undecided.

In this scenario I’ve thought up, I will use two kids as examples, one kid has Autism and is socially awkward, he doesn’t have any friends as he never really talks in school and prefers to keep to himself but he wants friends, he also sometimes acts a little strange for others, often talking to himself amongst other things, he just doesn’t know how to find his voice and speak out. He is known for being polite and although he often jumps to conclusions and misunderstands, the general aspect is that he tries.

Our other kid does not have Autism but is known for causing trouble and having disruptive behaviour but he has some friends and can talk to other people, even though he’s known for starting fires…who do you think society would deem to be more ‘normal’ The kid who has no friends but wants to be given a chance or the kid who’s a trouble maker but has no problems communicating? 

Who would be deemed more ‘normal?’ 

Ghost In The Crowd

It’s not easy having no friends, I sometimes get lonely and scared that things will always be this way. What have I done to become so undesirable by other people? I thought having Autism would not hinder me, would not make my life that much harder, to not let the self doubting thoughts dominate me, control me and refuse to let me have any say on how to really feel, how wrong I feel at times.

I thought of trying to go against the current of the tide and make some friends but felt to nervous to walk up to anyone and start a conversation, not my strong point sadly, it’s just a daunting task that scares me to no end so I decided to find a massive crowd of people and I was going to walk through them, surely someone will start a conversation with me, they have to right?

I just wanted to talk, to feel human…I had no idea that I would feel more like a ghost than a human being. I felt robbed of my dignity and my pride, just by walking from A to B, it’s funny how something so simple can be incredibly difficult. Not one person looked towards me, saw me or cared, how can you be ignored with so many people around you? It felt surreal, not possible but it is…a hurtful fact of life, it doesn’t matter how big the crowd is…no one can speak to someone they don’t know is there but I was too afraid to say anything, I just kept walking, alone.

I feel invisible in this world, like I’m don’t belong here. It just feels strange how you can walk through a crowd of hundreds of people and no one notices you, no one talks to you or acknowledges you, you wonder how that’s even possible but it is, I become a ghost in this situation but it feels unfair that I always have to start the conversation, how would anyone speak if they were waiting for someone to talk to them first?It makes no sense .

I do sometimes hate feeling like I can’t talk to anyone, it just feels like a cruel joke sometimes, to be made to feel this way and I can’t even see the thing that causes it, nor do anything about it other than try, try and try again. Sometimes, it’s nice to be spoken to but you have to start that yourself sometimes, make yourself be heard and not stand in the shadows, waiting to be pulled out.

 

 

Asperwhat37?! Fighting The Negatives

Hey guys, it’s your DailyPickMeUp and today, this Asperwhat?! blog talks about all the negatives that seem to travel alongside Autism, although I personally have no idea why they do, they seem to be chained to our legs and they don’t seem to want to let go of us! Wherever you go to read up on Autism, you will find that we are not that sociable…apparently, I can be social…I just choose to have a bit of time to myself as well! ha ha seriously though, I can be quite social, it just scares me from time to time

• Not being able to socialise
• Needing help with just about everything
• Communication Difficulties
• Over The Top Emotions
• Unable To Take A Joke
• Many More

Isn’t it much better to live with a more positive attitude? I mean bad things are going to happen to you during your life…you can’t really avoid it sadly and I know that some people like to blame NT’S for these and to be fair, I have done this before in the past due to me not being able to make any decisions about my life up to the age of 16 so yeah, I may be a tad bitter about that…mainly because no one who knew me had any idea what the hell Autism was! What chance did I have then? Anyway, I stopped curling up into a ball and feeling negative about everything bad that happened in life a long time ago, I just felt…what was the point? Having Autism doesn’t make me the only flipping person on Planet Earth to have something bad happen to him…it happens to EVERYONE! We all have bad days and good days, it’s how we deal with it that makes us all different!

I tend to look at what happened and try to prevent myself from making the same mistake more than once, making me grow as a person in the process! Once I would blame everyone else but I like to think that I have grown enough as a person to not feel like I need to do that anymore, I am more than capable of admitting to mistakes I make and I feel more confident as a person for being able to do that! I still go online and see many feeling down about life an venting their frustrations out for the world to see and I might be slain for this by some for pointing that out but I think it’s a good thing to point out that looking at things in a more positive light is surely better than always looking at it in a negative way!

True, I need to in fact stop doing that myself because I still do sometimes, I can easily admit to that because I know I do, I’m fully aware before someone else points that out thinking that they are clever! Newsflash…your not! Not intended to insult any one by saying that and maybe I jumped the gun slightly but wouldn’t it be cool if we had more success stories posted online regarding Autism?

Although, I can understand why the word ‘negativity’ is used when it comes to Autism sometimes because I hate struggling to be social sometimes or not getting jokes or reading peoples facial expressions or taking everything more seriously than I actually should do! I could go on people, point is…I would probably be less stressed and more relaxed if I didn’t take everything so seriously all the time and released that if I was more calm, things might turn out a bit better…only one way to find out though.

You cannot bash every single person with Autism with these negative things though because many are great being social and they can get jokes etc They live perfectly normal lives and no one would even know that they had Autism but with others, it would be more obvious but even so, isn’t it sometimes good to have both positive and negative stories on here? Think about it…how much more would we appreciate the positives if we had to deal with the negatives first…I mean one cannot exist without the other! So yes spread the positives but never take away the negatives either but don’t let either dominate either, I think a nice moderation is best, a mixture of both? It helps you appreciate, understand what people with Autism go through because yes, it would be fantastic if all we ever heard was stories of people achieving great feats but in reality, it just isn’t always like that and we know that, who are we fooling?

People will have good experiences regarding Autism but bad ones will happen as well and we need to hear all sides of it to fully understand and share with everyone! I am no expert with all sides of Autism or even my own, I still have so much to learn about myself…I know what it is like to have what I have but I have met others who have a higher case of Autism than me and whilst I’ll admit I found it quite tricky, the lessons I learnt made me feel more confident and I am always eager to learn more, the bad and good, both which we need.

Me, I am a realist, always have been…I don’t believe in decorating something up to make it seem better to everyone else, I’ll tell you I have Autism and not give two shits what your response is and why should I? Do you want me to feel ashamed for what I have? If something negative has happened, I won’t dress it up to make it not seem that bad nor if something good has happened will I make it seem like the greatest thing in the world either, it is what it is, that’s life! If you don’t like that then what do you want me to do? Are you going to go and say that this guy spreads nothing but negativity because he dares mention bad things that happen to quite a few people with Autism? Are you ashamed or something, it happens, stop denying it ever exists, a lot of people struggle to make friends, doesn’t mean that’s how it will always be?! The world just doesn’t work where only good or only bad dominates people, it needs both! With Autism and pretty much everything, a good and bad exists and always will, some will be better off than others but I will admit that a bit more good stories need to be had and shared! It would be great to see a few more positive stories

Just remember that these are my views only, I do not speak for everyone with Autism nor claim to!re

Have a good day