10:21pm セミナーハウス
天気：雨天
Another rainy day... I didn't do much today, which was actually a nice change. Went to uni, hung out with people and went to classes, got back, had lunch, did some homework, had a nap... I woke up at about 3:30 and spent the rest of the afternoon uploading photos on deviant art, and my Japanese homework. I made dinner pretty early 6:30; spaghetti bolognese, with chicken mince. I was soooo full afterwards; I actually felt a bit sick. But I feel fine now. After dinner I chatted with people, and got into playing a card game called spoons.
Basically, you get 4 cards, and you have to get four of a kind, by picking up and discarding cards as they move around the table. There are a number of spoons in the centre; one less than the number of people playing. Once you get four of a kind you have to grab a spoon, then the other players must scramble for the remaining spoons. Whoever doesn't get the spoon, gets a letter; S-P-O-O-N. The first person to spell spoon loses. It's actually a really fast paced game, and you have to be constantly watching the spoons while keeping an eye on your cards. We ended up playing for a couple of hours. More people joined in as the time went by and we ended up with 7 players. It was a lot of fun!
It was actually really nice to have an easy day for a change, especially when Thursday's tomorrow!! Well, this is probably the shortest entry I've written so far. Amazing O.O
Anyway, I'm gonna do some reading. Yay, tomorrow's the first day of October, then only 5 more days till I get my scholarship money!!!
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Tuesday 29 September 2009
Day 31 - 29th of September
10:18pm セミナーハウス
天気：雨天
Still no luck in finding my phone. I went down to the station at about 9:30 this morning, and talked with a women at the Keihan bus line office. All I got from her was a number to call, for the bus depot. I was going to get Dan to help me call up, but he didn't show this afternoon... I walked back to the uni, and stopped at the police station. I was able to get across to them all the information. They didn't have any phones, but now they're notified that mines missing at least. I was happy that I could communicate with them well enough to get all the facts across. After that I went to the post office and got the postcards sent.
After speaking class, Joanna and I walked over to the cafeteria to get some lunch, and on the way a Japanese girl came up to me and asked me where I was from. Mayaka was her name, and she was looking for a speaking partner; of course I already have one. Joanna took charge of the conversation and asked her if she'd like to eat with us; she accepted. We all had katsudon; it's sooooo yummy. Pork, egg, and rice. We talked for a while after lunch and then made our way over to the CIE lounge to study some more before the map quiz. Upon entering, Mayako suddenly decided she should go. She seemed a bit lost and disheartened. I have her email address though, so I'll try to stay in contact with her. She teaches English at a primary school in Kyoto 4 times a week.
In the lounge, I saw Seimu and went to talk with him. I told him about joining the koto club and so he introduced me to a girl at another table who had played the koto for some years. After a short while, he left me with her, and 3 other girls; he had to study. Unfortunately they started asking me some embarrassing questions about what I thought about Japanese girls, what I like about them etc. I found myself in a very sticky situation, all because I said I didn't have a girlfriend. In history, I explained my predicament to Joanna and Kelly, and Kelly told me that as soon as he got here, whenever someone asked him if he had a girlfriend, he straight out told them he did; after that they left him alone! Lol, I should probably try that. The map quiz turned out to be easy enough; it's just a matter of just how exact we have to be in marking the location.
After class I spent a bit of time with Christina. She's joined the break dance club, and also wants to join ballroom dancing; good luck to her. I left her at the vending machines and made my way over to the washitsu. Our first task was to clean the tatami floors, for the arrival of the sensei; I wasn't all that surprised about this. It wasn't so bad. One of us vacuumed, I helped scrub the floor with a few others, and the rest began to bring down the koto from the 3rd floor. One koto in particular was very beautiful. It was of a dark wood that had a pattern of circles radiating out from the middle; like tree rings.
After cleaning and setting up, we had to take turns using the koto again, as there weren't enough tsume. Unfortunately the ones I had didn't fit properly, so after a short practice I surrendered them to another student. I'll have to start learning every one's names! Charlie and I talked, and listened to one of the Japanese girls practicing. At about 6, the sensei arrived. Before the practice session, we all bowed and ushered onegai shimasu (again reminiscent of Karate). As we didn't all have tsume, for this session, the international students watched, while sensei instructed and played along with the girls. Oh my gosh, sitting in seiza for over an hour is not fun!!! It's something I'm going to have to get used to if I'm serious about this though. The pain goes away as soon as you stand up, and I felt fine afterwards; it's just the during part that sucks!
Part way through, a man came in and practiced on his Shakuhachi with the koto! ~ the Shakuhachi is a bamboo flute~. The sound it makes (very airy) stirs the soul. He was obviously a very experienced player. His breath control was very good, and you could tell he put a lot of spirit into it. The sensei also sang, as did one of the other girls, in a very Japanese way. I don't really know how to describe it. It employs a lot of vibrato and melisma; basically a lot of pitch changing on one syllable. Watching there hand movements and technique was great. I don't know how far I will progress in a year, but I hope I can at least master the basics. The music was definitely worth having to sit in seiza for so long.
After the class, sensei presented us with deep fried sweet potato (焼き芋 - yaki-imo). It was actually really nice, and I don't even like sweet potato that much. We'll be getting our own tsume next week, which I'm really happy about. We'll all be able to practice properly then. So, we packed up and went our separate ways for the evening. It's pouring with rain now, but I was lucky to walk home in the dry. I was going to cook spaghetti bolognese, before I realised that I hadn't left the mince to defrost. So I'll cook it tomorrow. Instead, I decided to be lazy, and have noodles. As it's my group's week on kitchen cleaning duties, I made it even easier on myself by only having to wash my chopsticks. I think that, since I have koto on Mondays and Tuesdays, I'll make them my easy food nights, cause it's not very fun having to come back and cook at 8:30 after having a big day.
天気：雨天
Still no luck in finding my phone. I went down to the station at about 9:30 this morning, and talked with a women at the Keihan bus line office. All I got from her was a number to call, for the bus depot. I was going to get Dan to help me call up, but he didn't show this afternoon... I walked back to the uni, and stopped at the police station. I was able to get across to them all the information. They didn't have any phones, but now they're notified that mines missing at least. I was happy that I could communicate with them well enough to get all the facts across. After that I went to the post office and got the postcards sent.
After speaking class, Joanna and I walked over to the cafeteria to get some lunch, and on the way a Japanese girl came up to me and asked me where I was from. Mayaka was her name, and she was looking for a speaking partner; of course I already have one. Joanna took charge of the conversation and asked her if she'd like to eat with us; she accepted. We all had katsudon; it's sooooo yummy. Pork, egg, and rice. We talked for a while after lunch and then made our way over to the CIE lounge to study some more before the map quiz. Upon entering, Mayako suddenly decided she should go. She seemed a bit lost and disheartened. I have her email address though, so I'll try to stay in contact with her. She teaches English at a primary school in Kyoto 4 times a week.
In the lounge, I saw Seimu and went to talk with him. I told him about joining the koto club and so he introduced me to a girl at another table who had played the koto for some years. After a short while, he left me with her, and 3 other girls; he had to study. Unfortunately they started asking me some embarrassing questions about what I thought about Japanese girls, what I like about them etc. I found myself in a very sticky situation, all because I said I didn't have a girlfriend. In history, I explained my predicament to Joanna and Kelly, and Kelly told me that as soon as he got here, whenever someone asked him if he had a girlfriend, he straight out told them he did; after that they left him alone! Lol, I should probably try that. The map quiz turned out to be easy enough; it's just a matter of just how exact we have to be in marking the location.
After class I spent a bit of time with Christina. She's joined the break dance club, and also wants to join ballroom dancing; good luck to her. I left her at the vending machines and made my way over to the washitsu. Our first task was to clean the tatami floors, for the arrival of the sensei; I wasn't all that surprised about this. It wasn't so bad. One of us vacuumed, I helped scrub the floor with a few others, and the rest began to bring down the koto from the 3rd floor. One koto in particular was very beautiful. It was of a dark wood that had a pattern of circles radiating out from the middle; like tree rings.
After cleaning and setting up, we had to take turns using the koto again, as there weren't enough tsume. Unfortunately the ones I had didn't fit properly, so after a short practice I surrendered them to another student. I'll have to start learning every one's names! Charlie and I talked, and listened to one of the Japanese girls practicing. At about 6, the sensei arrived. Before the practice session, we all bowed and ushered onegai shimasu (again reminiscent of Karate). As we didn't all have tsume, for this session, the international students watched, while sensei instructed and played along with the girls. Oh my gosh, sitting in seiza for over an hour is not fun!!! It's something I'm going to have to get used to if I'm serious about this though. The pain goes away as soon as you stand up, and I felt fine afterwards; it's just the during part that sucks!
Part way through, a man came in and practiced on his Shakuhachi with the koto! ~ the Shakuhachi is a bamboo flute~. The sound it makes (very airy) stirs the soul. He was obviously a very experienced player. His breath control was very good, and you could tell he put a lot of spirit into it. The sensei also sang, as did one of the other girls, in a very Japanese way. I don't really know how to describe it. It employs a lot of vibrato and melisma; basically a lot of pitch changing on one syllable. Watching there hand movements and technique was great. I don't know how far I will progress in a year, but I hope I can at least master the basics. The music was definitely worth having to sit in seiza for so long.
After the class, sensei presented us with deep fried sweet potato (焼き芋 - yaki-imo). It was actually really nice, and I don't even like sweet potato that much. We'll be getting our own tsume next week, which I'm really happy about. We'll all be able to practice properly then. So, we packed up and went our separate ways for the evening. It's pouring with rain now, but I was lucky to walk home in the dry. I was going to cook spaghetti bolognese, before I realised that I hadn't left the mince to defrost. So I'll cook it tomorrow. Instead, I decided to be lazy, and have noodles. As it's my group's week on kitchen cleaning duties, I made it even easier on myself by only having to wash my chopsticks. I think that, since I have koto on Mondays and Tuesdays, I'll make them my easy food nights, cause it's not very fun having to come back and cook at 8:30 after having a big day.
Monday 28 September 2009
Day 30 - 28th of September
11:10pm セミナーハウス
天気：雨天
Today was actually quite cool for a change. It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week. We got our bank cards today, so come October 6th, I'll be able to access my JASSO scholarship money. After my culture and everyday life in Japan class finished at 2:20, I had some time to kill before koto club at 4:30. I bought my third notebook, some food, and went to the library for the first time; it's pretty big. I found this really great book on Kansai dialect, and am slowly making my way through it.
I made my way over to the room early; I guess I was anxious. I was surprised by the number of international students thinking about joining. By the end of it, the guys outnumbered the girls, 5 to 4!!! There were also 6 Japanese girls, already part of the club. We had some forms to fill out, and I have to submit my form, along with photo, and 2000円 to them tomorrow. Practice is only from 4:30 to 7:30, Monday and Tuesday so that's not so bad. We are playing sakura as a group for the international festival. I watched to Japanese girls practice for a while, as there weren't enough 爪 (tsume - picks) for everyone to practice; they were amazing. They split into pairs, one playing the melody, and the other harmony/counter melody. There was a lot of call and response. It was surprised that could keep their own time, when three or four different songs were being practiced at once.
Tomorrow I'm going to the post office, police station, and bus depot. I've got my map quiz for history at 2:30. I'm feeling pretty confident. Margo quizzed Joanna and I tonight; we raced to see who could point to the location first. It's only 10 locations out of 66 that we have to identify; I'll be fine. Amazingly, I don't have homework for Japanese. I'm glad to be doing koto, and I've made a start on my project. I'm splitting it into three parts: the history and evolution of the koto; the music of the koto and; the koto in modern Japan. I want to develop some sort of hypothesis, but I'm not sure how to phrase it just yet. Well, here's hoping I can find my phone tomorrow!
天気：雨天
Today was actually quite cool for a change. It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week. We got our bank cards today, so come October 6th, I'll be able to access my JASSO scholarship money. After my culture and everyday life in Japan class finished at 2:20, I had some time to kill before koto club at 4:30. I bought my third notebook, some food, and went to the library for the first time; it's pretty big. I found this really great book on Kansai dialect, and am slowly making my way through it.
I made my way over to the room early; I guess I was anxious. I was surprised by the number of international students thinking about joining. By the end of it, the guys outnumbered the girls, 5 to 4!!! There were also 6 Japanese girls, already part of the club. We had some forms to fill out, and I have to submit my form, along with photo, and 2000円 to them tomorrow. Practice is only from 4:30 to 7:30, Monday and Tuesday so that's not so bad. We are playing sakura as a group for the international festival. I watched to Japanese girls practice for a while, as there weren't enough 爪 (tsume - picks) for everyone to practice; they were amazing. They split into pairs, one playing the melody, and the other harmony/counter melody. There was a lot of call and response. It was surprised that could keep their own time, when three or four different songs were being practiced at once.
Tomorrow I'm going to the post office, police station, and bus depot. I've got my map quiz for history at 2:30. I'm feeling pretty confident. Margo quizzed Joanna and I tonight; we raced to see who could point to the location first. It's only 10 locations out of 66 that we have to identify; I'll be fine. Amazingly, I don't have homework for Japanese. I'm glad to be doing koto, and I've made a start on my project. I'm splitting it into three parts: the history and evolution of the koto; the music of the koto and; the koto in modern Japan. I want to develop some sort of hypothesis, but I'm not sure how to phrase it just yet. Well, here's hoping I can find my phone tomorrow!
Sunday 27 September 2009
Day 29 - 27th of September
9:35pm セミナーハウス
天気；曇り
I didn't get up until 10:30 this morning!!! After a shower and breakfast I felt much better, then set about doing my homework. I talked over skype with my family, feeling a bad about not doing more to find my phone. But now I'm more determined to find it, and I'll go with someone this week to the police station and bus depot to ask for it. I wanted to mail my postcards today, so I went looking for a post office, before realising that it's a Sunday and the post office is closed! Silly me. Anyway, the trip was not wasted. I did some grocery shopping at Sanko, and found these really nice cookies, that are individually wrapped. Japan is crazy when it comes to stuff like that; wrapping inside wrapping.
I got back, and had a little nap, only to feel groggy waking up. Went out and talked with Diego and Jessica for a while in the lounge; "Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade" was on. Jessica left, then Diego and I went up to make dinner. I opted for the easy cup noodles, while Diego went all out and made chicken parmigiana. In actual fact, my noodle box had a couple of steps to it. I had to peel back the lid to the halfway point, pour in the boiled water, then let it sit for 5 minutes. After that, I had to peel back a part of the lid that would let the water escape but not the noodles (very clever), then take the lid off completely. Then I had to add the flavourings, which included soy sauce, cabbage, and fish flakes. See, I made dinner. It was quite nice actually. I also got to eat some of Bianca's stir fry. She said she'd made too much and offered me some; I was very grateful.
Joanna was sitting next to me and was doing her homework for reading and writing; we're in the same class. I soon realised that I had done my own homework wrong. I was supposed to read the article in the back of the textbook and then answer the questions. I quickly amended that, so now all my homework's up to date. I just have to study for my map quiz for history on Tuesday; it'll be fun. I'm going to have an early one tonight. I've got a lot to do tomorrow; insurance, koto club, classes (of course). Oh, while looking for Klonoa music, I stumbled upon this really great site and was able to download the full OST. I've also found some great stuff by Joe Hisaishi (the composer for Hayou Miyazaki's films). Listening to that now...
天気；曇り
I didn't get up until 10:30 this morning!!! After a shower and breakfast I felt much better, then set about doing my homework. I talked over skype with my family, feeling a bad about not doing more to find my phone. But now I'm more determined to find it, and I'll go with someone this week to the police station and bus depot to ask for it. I wanted to mail my postcards today, so I went looking for a post office, before realising that it's a Sunday and the post office is closed! Silly me. Anyway, the trip was not wasted. I did some grocery shopping at Sanko, and found these really nice cookies, that are individually wrapped. Japan is crazy when it comes to stuff like that; wrapping inside wrapping.
I got back, and had a little nap, only to feel groggy waking up. Went out and talked with Diego and Jessica for a while in the lounge; "Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade" was on. Jessica left, then Diego and I went up to make dinner. I opted for the easy cup noodles, while Diego went all out and made chicken parmigiana. In actual fact, my noodle box had a couple of steps to it. I had to peel back the lid to the halfway point, pour in the boiled water, then let it sit for 5 minutes. After that, I had to peel back a part of the lid that would let the water escape but not the noodles (very clever), then take the lid off completely. Then I had to add the flavourings, which included soy sauce, cabbage, and fish flakes. See, I made dinner. It was quite nice actually. I also got to eat some of Bianca's stir fry. She said she'd made too much and offered me some; I was very grateful.
Joanna was sitting next to me and was doing her homework for reading and writing; we're in the same class. I soon realised that I had done my own homework wrong. I was supposed to read the article in the back of the textbook and then answer the questions. I quickly amended that, so now all my homework's up to date. I just have to study for my map quiz for history on Tuesday; it'll be fun. I'm going to have an early one tonight. I've got a lot to do tomorrow; insurance, koto club, classes (of course). Oh, while looking for Klonoa music, I stumbled upon this really great site and was able to download the full OST. I've also found some great stuff by Joe Hisaishi (the composer for Hayou Miyazaki's films). Listening to that now...
Saturday 26 September 2009
Day 28 - 26th of September
8:13am 特急電車
10:22pm セミナーハウス
We were soon on our way. There was 27 of us, including the professor, and it would have been quite a sight to see. Many Japanese were very friendly along the way, and we exchanged greetings. The first site we stopped at was the supposed tomb of 欽明天皇 (Emperor Kinmei) the 29th emperor of Japan. I say "supposed" because as I was to find out, a lot of the time the person who was actually buried at a sight is not 100% confirmed, so it's the Imperial Household Agency's job to decide who was buried where. And they get the final say, whether the facts are scientifically sound or not! Anyway, his 古墳 (kofun - tomb) was typical of the time having a large keyhole-shaped mound (前方後円墳 - zempokoenfun). This style is unique to ancient Japan and was prominent between the 3rd and 6th centuries, before the act of cremation was employed through the influence of Buddhist teachings. The strange thing is, you can't really appreciate the shape of the mound unless you view it from the air. So the question is, why did the ancient Japanese people build the mounds this shape; maybe the gods could appreciate them?
A short walk from the tomb was the supposed burial site of a princess I can't remember the name of; it was a lot to take in. I tried to find a photo of the information that I took, but for some strange reason, photos that I took at the start of the day were erased. This happened to Joanna too!!! So weird. Anyway yeah, present at the site were 猿石 (saruishi - Monkey stones). There were four, one of which was clearly male, xD. The professor told us that it could only be speculated what they were used for; they were very ancient. Popular belief held that they were signs of fertility, and if a woman was having trouble having a baby she would stroke the statue, in some fashion or another, to aid in fertility, lol.
It was very hot today, so after Kawahara temple, we rode to a park for lunch. The ride there was awesome; through a beautiful forest. In the park there was what seemed to be some sort of play going on; however we stopped further up. I had my packed lunch so I was happy. Soon after eating, Joanna and I went exploring; not very far. We went to the site that we would be visiting next, which was just across the road. It was funny, because we walked right in without paying for a ticket; it was okay though, because we were payed for later as a group. When we realised though we still felt bad. Anyway we got to take a few pictures before the rest of class came and it got really crowded. This was the 石舞台 (ishibudai - lit. stone dancing platform), which could be the burial place of Soga no Umako, a very powerful figure in the 7th century. The structure itself was amazing; huge stones that were moved on sleds forming a tomb. We could all fit in there at once, so you can imagine how large it is.
We continued on to 板葺の宮 (itabuki no miya - lit. Shingled roof palace). I was in the second half of the group, and we ended up falling behind a bit and getting lost. We quickly found our way though, after ringing the professor. Again, just the foundations of the palace remained. In actual fact what we saw was entirely replicated. The original stones have been covered with earth and lie beneath. Well, I guess that's one way of preserving them. The professor retold the story (that we had heard in history) of the meeting of Prince Naka no Oe and Nakatomi no Kamatari (I love old Japanese names, they're so long). Apparently, at a football game (that was being played in a field right near us) Prince Naka lost his shoe. Showing his loyalty, Nakatomo no Kamatari rushed out from the crowd, recovered the shoe, and presented it to the Prince. As their eyes met, they immediately were of the same mindset, and conspired to bring down the Soga clan (Umako's line). At this point there was already much opposition towards the clan, but through their acts it was brought down. Right in front of the reigning Empress (Kogyoku), Soga no Iruka was badly wounded by the Prince. They rushed to plead their cases to the Empress but she left the room in great distress. Iruka was then killed. The day after, realising that the opposition against the Soga clan was too great, Soga no Emishi, Iruka's father, committed suicide, burning the fort and with it documents containing history of Japan. Some pages were recovered, but it was almost completely destroyed. And that was the end of the Soga clan!
We rode on, through the rice fields, to Asuka temple. We caught up with three people who had also got lost but gone ahead. It was a beautiful temple, but only a 3rd of the size of it's original glory. We went inside the main building, and the history of the temple was explained to us; the professor translated. Asuka temple, at least from what the monk was saying, is the oldest in Japan!!! I don't know if that's true or not (I suppose no one does), but it's a cool thought. I went to the oldest temple in Japan today! It displays one of the 
oldest images of Buddha; Shaka. It was burnt in a fire, so it isn't as spectacular is it would have been. It sad that so many things are ruined by natural, or indeed, unnatural disasters; human disruption. Outside there were three other small statues near the pond. On the first one (from the right), you pour one cup of water to ensure traffic safety; on the second one, you pour two cups to ensure safety at home and; on the third one, you pour three cups to gain luck in love. I didn't have time to try it as the professor was eager to leave.
After about 15 more minutes, we made it to our final destination for the day; Asuka historical museum. That was very cool, to see both the originals and replicas, of artifacts found in the area. By that time, a lot of people were really red with sunburn; I'm hardly burnt at all, lol. They had replicas of the stone monkeys and turtle in the garden. Some of the faces were so weird. It was about 4 o'clock as we made our way back. We all got back, safe in one piece, then boarded the train (Joanna had to pay for me again). We finally arrived back in Hirakata at about 6:30, and immediately Joanna and I went to the ATM that she knew would work. I payed her back, then she went and got McDonald's and, as she rode her bike there this morning, I left her and went to the bus.
天気：暑い
On the train to Tanbabashi (limited express). Woke up at 6:50, got out by 7:30, but had to wait till 7:52 for the bus to Hirakata station. I'm with Joanna and Dustin at the moment.
8:48am 丹波橋
It's not a cow!!! Kelly just pointed out that the kanji on my shirt isn't cow (牛) it's the sign of the horse (午). It can't believe I didn't realise that. So yeah, it reads 美午 (bigo - beautiful horse). But yeah you have to admit, they are very similar kanji. We're now on the train and should be getting to Asuka in about an hour.
It's not a cow!!! Kelly just pointed out that the kanji on my shirt isn't cow (牛) it's the sign of the horse (午). It can't believe I didn't realise that. So yeah, it reads 美午 (bigo - beautiful horse). But yeah you have to admit, they are very similar kanji. We're now on the train and should be getting to Asuka in about an hour.
9:55am 橿原神宮前駅
We're in kashiharajingumae station now, and will be transfering to another train shortly...
10:22pm セミナーハウスWow!!! Today, was incredible. It was so much fun riding around on bikes, and seeing some amazing historical sites. Asuka is such a rich area for archaeological discoveries, and as I was to find, some very significant characters in Japanese history were based in this area. Getting off the train, we were so far out of the built up city area. Because of building restrictions, Asuka has remained largely undeveloped, and thus its historical sites have been left relatively pristine. As both Dustin and I had no money left (I had to borrow money from Joanna) we immediately went in search for an ATM machine. Unfortunately, like the one we had tried in Tanbabashi station, it would not except our cards. So, unperturbed, we went to the bike hire place to meet with the others.
We were soon on our way. There was 27 of us, including the professor, and it would have been quite a sight to see. Many Japanese were very friendly along the way, and we exchanged greetings. The first site we stopped at was the supposed tomb of 欽明天皇 (Emperor Kinmei) the 29th emperor of Japan. I say "supposed" because as I was to find out, a lot of the time the person who was actually buried at a sight is not 100% confirmed, so it's the Imperial Household Agency's job to decide who was buried where. And they get the final say, whether the facts are scientifically sound or not! Anyway, his 古墳 (kofun - tomb) was typical of the time having a large keyhole-shaped mound (前方後円墳 - zempokoenfun). This style is unique to ancient Japan and was prominent between the 3rd and 6th centuries, before the act of cremation was employed through the influence of Buddhist teachings. The strange thing is, you can't really appreciate the shape of the mound unless you view it from the air. So the question is, why did the ancient Japanese people build the mounds this shape; maybe the gods could appreciate them? 
A short walk from the tomb was the supposed burial site of a princess I can't remember the name of; it was a lot to take in. I tried to find a photo of the information that I took, but for some strange reason, photos that I took at the start of the day were erased. This happened to Joanna too!!! So weird. Anyway yeah, present at the site were 猿石 (saruishi - Monkey stones). There were four, one of which was clearly male, xD. The professor told us that it could only be speculated what they were used for; they were very ancient. Popular belief held that they were signs of fertility, and if a woman was having trouble having a baby she would stroke the statue, in some fashion or another, to aid in fertility, lol.So after that, we got back onto our bikes and sped up the hill to the site of the 鬼の俎 (oni no manaita - demon's cutting board) and 鬼の雪隠 (oni no secchin - Demon's toilet). The Folklore tells of demons that lived on the mountain, and on misty nights they would snatch passing people off the road and chop them up and eat them on a boulder up top, before relieving themselves on another boulder a bit further down; very colourful tale indeed. In fact, the boulders are supposed to be part of a tomb building project that was never completed. An unnamed family who wanted to be seen as powerful was trying to find a loophole in the restrictions surrounding tomb dimensions by using a boulder. For some reason or another it was never completed. The boulder higher on the mountain had chips in it, and the professor explained, that in the latter centuries, when castles were being built, people had to bring stones from all over to aid in construction. They weren't able to break this one, so it stays as a monument.
11:18pm セミナーハウス
Yay, Deigo just recovered my photos. He's such a computer whiz. Anyway back to today...
We got back on our bikes once more and travelled to the 亀石 (kameishi - turtle stone). It's so cool, it's been curved into the shape of a turtle. Well, it's not complete; the project was never finished. One belief surrounding the stone is that, when the turtle faces due west the whole of Japan will sink under water. This is derived from the fact that in the ancient times it was though that Earth rested upon the back of a giant sea creature, swimming through the cosmos. The farmland was beautiful and throughout the day we saw huge fields of rice, and those beautiful red flowers, I think I've mentioned before. I found out that they are called 彼岸花 (higanbana - red spider lily). There was also a white variety.
We headed further along the paths, across streets, through houses, until we reached the site of 川原寺 (Kawahara temple). Only the foundation stones remained and in fact, many were replicas made of fibre glass. Weird hey; replicating ruin. But I guess it gives us a good idea of the size; and it's way cheaper than rebuilding the whole thing. The Professor talked about the names of Asuka. At present, it actually has two different sets of kanji that represent it. 飛鳥 ("flying bird") and 明日香 ("tomorrow's fragrance"); and indeed I saw both sets being interchangeably. There's even a third set derived from the Korean name 安直 (which means peaceful abode, but can be read in Japanese as cheap). That was very interesting to learn.
It was very hot today, so after Kawahara temple, we rode to a park for lunch. The ride there was awesome; through a beautiful forest. In the park there was what seemed to be some sort of play going on; however we stopped further up. I had my packed lunch so I was happy. Soon after eating, Joanna and I went exploring; not very far. We went to the site that we would be visiting next, which was just across the road. It was funny, because we walked right in without paying for a ticket; it was okay though, because we were payed for later as a group. When we realised though we still felt bad. Anyway we got to take a few pictures before the rest of class came and it got really crowded. This was the 石舞台 (ishibudai - lit. stone dancing platform), which could be the burial place of Soga no Umako, a very powerful figure in the 7th century. The structure itself was amazing; huge stones that were moved on sleds forming a tomb. We could all fit in there at once, so you can imagine how large it is.
We continued on to 板葺の宮 (itabuki no miya - lit. Shingled roof palace). I was in the second half of the group, and we ended up falling behind a bit and getting lost. We quickly found our way though, after ringing the professor. Again, just the foundations of the palace remained. In actual fact what we saw was entirely replicated. The original stones have been covered with earth and lie beneath. Well, I guess that's one way of preserving them. The professor retold the story (that we had heard in history) of the meeting of Prince Naka no Oe and Nakatomi no Kamatari (I love old Japanese names, they're so long). Apparently, at a football game (that was being played in a field right near us) Prince Naka lost his shoe. Showing his loyalty, Nakatomo no Kamatari rushed out from the crowd, recovered the shoe, and presented it to the Prince. As their eyes met, they immediately were of the same mindset, and conspired to bring down the Soga clan (Umako's line). At this point there was already much opposition towards the clan, but through their acts it was brought down. Right in front of the reigning Empress (Kogyoku), Soga no Iruka was badly wounded by the Prince. They rushed to plead their cases to the Empress but she left the room in great distress. Iruka was then killed. The day after, realising that the opposition against the Soga clan was too great, Soga no Emishi, Iruka's father, committed suicide, burning the fort and with it documents containing history of Japan. Some pages were recovered, but it was almost completely destroyed. And that was the end of the Soga clan!
We rode on, through the rice fields, to Asuka temple. We caught up with three people who had also got lost but gone ahead. It was a beautiful temple, but only a 3rd of the size of it's original glory. We went inside the main building, and the history of the temple was explained to us; the professor translated. Asuka temple, at least from what the monk was saying, is the oldest in Japan!!! I don't know if that's true or not (I suppose no one does), but it's a cool thought. I went to the oldest temple in Japan today! It displays one of the 
oldest images of Buddha; Shaka. It was burnt in a fire, so it isn't as spectacular is it would have been. It sad that so many things are ruined by natural, or indeed, unnatural disasters; human disruption. Outside there were three other small statues near the pond. On the first one (from the right), you pour one cup of water to ensure traffic safety; on the second one, you pour two cups to ensure safety at home and; on the third one, you pour three cups to gain luck in love. I didn't have time to try it as the professor was eager to leave.
After about 15 more minutes, we made it to our final destination for the day; Asuka historical museum. That was very cool, to see both the originals and replicas, of artifacts found in the area. By that time, a lot of people were really red with sunburn; I'm hardly burnt at all, lol. They had replicas of the stone monkeys and turtle in the garden. Some of the faces were so weird. It was about 4 o'clock as we made our way back. We all got back, safe in one piece, then boarded the train (Joanna had to pay for me again). We finally arrived back in Hirakata at about 6:30, and immediately Joanna and I went to the ATM that she knew would work. I payed her back, then she went and got McDonald's and, as she rode her bike there this morning, I left her and went to the bus. Got home, made dinner (rice, scrambled eggs, and salad). At 8 there was this really cool show on. Basically, a group of contestants had to survive an hour in Universal Studios Japan, without getting caught by the "hunters" (like the agents from the Matrix). Lol, it was soooo cool. I caught the last half an hour of it. They where playing for a cash prize of 960, 000 yen (about 10, 000 dollars). They also had to complete missions, like turning off "lasers" that blocked off the parade. If they failed a mission, they would be limited to the area that they could hide in. Towards the end of it the "long leg men" came out; they were so cool. They had really long prosthetic legs, and would, in a literal sense, blow the whistle on contestants if they saw them, drawing the hunters to them. It was really intense; they could run so fast. We were all screaming and shouting, and hoping the last contestant could win; He did!!! I so want to watch it again next week. Anyway it's quarter to 1, so I'd better wrap this up. Probably won't do very much tomorrow. Just go into Hirakata, send my postcards, go to the police station, and then study. That's not much right?
Friday 25 September 2009
Day 27 - 25th of September
4:09pm セミナーハウス
天気：晴れて
Yay, finally up to date with my blog; I was slipping a bit there. Well today went a little better. I still haven't found my phone; gotta go find Yuji and get him to call the police. I did all the homework I forgot and what was due today and got it in to the teachers; that made me feel better. I'm really excited about going on the feild trip tomorrow; riding around on a bike seeing temples, shrines and tombs. The weather's supposed to stay fine, so it should be an excellent day. On Monday I start Koto Club. I've also got to go to an information session to apply for the Japanese National Health Insurance. I don't know how I'm going to do that when it's on during my classes. There wasn't that many Japanese students at uni today, but Joanna told me that many don't have any classes on Friday. Gotta email Dan to see when his classes are on...
7:44pm セミナーハウス
Lol, that's why I haven't been able to call the phone; cause Dad disconnected it! Oh well, I can't ring my phone to try to locate it, and even if I could the batteries are probably dead. So anyway, I'm going to go to the police station on the weekend, and see if anyone turned it in. Probably have to make it Sunday, cause tomorrows field trip is going to be an all-day thing. We have to meet at Tambabashi station at 8:30, so I have to be leaving here at 7:30. I've already made myself a sandwich for tomorrow, and I'm also taking an apple, and rice crackers. Yay, my rice turned out well tonight; I had it with a salad and chicken nuggets. I went to Sanko with Amber and picked them up, along with some soy sauce. I also did the laundry today; the pile of clothes is always so huge. I'm getting pretty used to it now though, and this time I have a scoop; came in the box. That reminds me I need to get fresh linen from Otousan...
Haha, Diego's just been put off mochi! He bought a box from Top World and said it was gross; that's unfortunate. Got another letter from Nanny and Poppy today. Nanny's handwriting is a little hard to read, but it's fun to decipher it, xD. Hopefully I'll send out my postcards tomorrow. It's 8:30 now, and I'm talking with Alex over skype, while listening to music from Klonoa! For some reason I just had the urge to find the music from the game today. They've made a remake of the original game for the Wii; I kinda want to play it. I loved that game so much, and the music is really great. The game itself was very avant-garde. I read today that it was one of the first PlayStation platformers to feature two-dimensional character artwork on a rendered, three-dimensional backdrop. Very cool. Anyway, better go get my linen...
天気：晴れて
Yay, finally up to date with my blog; I was slipping a bit there. Well today went a little better. I still haven't found my phone; gotta go find Yuji and get him to call the police. I did all the homework I forgot and what was due today and got it in to the teachers; that made me feel better. I'm really excited about going on the feild trip tomorrow; riding around on a bike seeing temples, shrines and tombs. The weather's supposed to stay fine, so it should be an excellent day. On Monday I start Koto Club. I've also got to go to an information session to apply for the Japanese National Health Insurance. I don't know how I'm going to do that when it's on during my classes. There wasn't that many Japanese students at uni today, but Joanna told me that many don't have any classes on Friday. Gotta email Dan to see when his classes are on...
7:44pm セミナーハウス
Lol, that's why I haven't been able to call the phone; cause Dad disconnected it! Oh well, I can't ring my phone to try to locate it, and even if I could the batteries are probably dead. So anyway, I'm going to go to the police station on the weekend, and see if anyone turned it in. Probably have to make it Sunday, cause tomorrows field trip is going to be an all-day thing. We have to meet at Tambabashi station at 8:30, so I have to be leaving here at 7:30. I've already made myself a sandwich for tomorrow, and I'm also taking an apple, and rice crackers. Yay, my rice turned out well tonight; I had it with a salad and chicken nuggets. I went to Sanko with Amber and picked them up, along with some soy sauce. I also did the laundry today; the pile of clothes is always so huge. I'm getting pretty used to it now though, and this time I have a scoop; came in the box. That reminds me I need to get fresh linen from Otousan...
Haha, Diego's just been put off mochi! He bought a box from Top World and said it was gross; that's unfortunate. Got another letter from Nanny and Poppy today. Nanny's handwriting is a little hard to read, but it's fun to decipher it, xD. Hopefully I'll send out my postcards tomorrow. It's 8:30 now, and I'm talking with Alex over skype, while listening to music from Klonoa! For some reason I just had the urge to find the music from the game today. They've made a remake of the original game for the Wii; I kinda want to play it. I loved that game so much, and the music is really great. The game itself was very avant-garde. I read today that it was one of the first PlayStation platformers to feature two-dimensional character artwork on a rendered, three-dimensional backdrop. Very cool. Anyway, better go get my linen...
Day 26 - 24th of September
天気：曇り
Well today certainly had it ups and downs. It seemed to echo my unfortunate mishap last night. I left my phone on the bus, coming home from the station!!! I was so angry at myself for it; I felt really stupid. I walked back home, disgruntled and tired. Unpacking my bags confirmed I had dropped it. I let Otousan know, and he handed me over to Aki. She was going out, so in turn handed me on to Yuji. He rang up the bus line and explained the situation. If they found it, they would notify him, but so far no good.
Back to uni today; my longest day. It wasn't so bad, aside from the fact that I had forgotten do do my homework for both Japanese classes. I bought my lunch from the convenience store, and managed to drop my fruit and jelly cup soon after exiting, breaking the seal. Luckily I had a plastic bag, and tied it up. Getting back to the dorm, I rang home, and let my parents know. Dad rung Telstra and cancelled the service; luckily no one had used my phone. When I try to call my phone, it doesn't seem to connect so I don't know what the deal is there. I have to keep trying though. I really, really hope I find it!
After talking, I went grocery shopping. Sanko was closed for some reason, so I walked further down the street to another grocery store. It was actually pretty cheap, and I bought a lot of stuff. I decided to make spaghetti bolognese for dinner, expect without the bolognese sauce. Instead I used a can of whole peeled tomatoes and added lots of herbs. It ended up tasting pretty good; not as good as Mum's though. I've got some spaghetti left over, so I have to find something else to do with that. The Japanese students return to uni tomorrow from their summer break, so I expect it will be packed.
Well today certainly had it ups and downs. It seemed to echo my unfortunate mishap last night. I left my phone on the bus, coming home from the station!!! I was so angry at myself for it; I felt really stupid. I walked back home, disgruntled and tired. Unpacking my bags confirmed I had dropped it. I let Otousan know, and he handed me over to Aki. She was going out, so in turn handed me on to Yuji. He rang up the bus line and explained the situation. If they found it, they would notify him, but so far no good.
Back to uni today; my longest day. It wasn't so bad, aside from the fact that I had forgotten do do my homework for both Japanese classes. I bought my lunch from the convenience store, and managed to drop my fruit and jelly cup soon after exiting, breaking the seal. Luckily I had a plastic bag, and tied it up. Getting back to the dorm, I rang home, and let my parents know. Dad rung Telstra and cancelled the service; luckily no one had used my phone. When I try to call my phone, it doesn't seem to connect so I don't know what the deal is there. I have to keep trying though. I really, really hope I find it!
After talking, I went grocery shopping. Sanko was closed for some reason, so I walked further down the street to another grocery store. It was actually pretty cheap, and I bought a lot of stuff. I decided to make spaghetti bolognese for dinner, expect without the bolognese sauce. Instead I used a can of whole peeled tomatoes and added lots of herbs. It ended up tasting pretty good; not as good as Mum's though. I've got some spaghetti left over, so I have to find something else to do with that. The Japanese students return to uni tomorrow from their summer break, so I expect it will be packed.
Day 25 - 23rd of September
9:32am 湯元館
天気：曇り
We are expected to check-out be 10:10, so after having breakfast, I decided to have one last bathing experience. This time I found a really cool apparatus of curved bars placed at different heights. Pushing the button with the cute little music note on it, I let out a yelp as dozens of tiny, concentrated jets of water hit me from all sides. It tickled so much!!! After what has been the most amazing traditional Japanese experience I have ever had, I would highly recommend this place to any foreigner who wants to experience authentic Japanese lifestyle, in the lap of luxury, where the service is fantastic. Now I have to get changed, and rouse Alex from her sleep. Hopefully I get to see everything I wanted today, and get back to the dorm at a reasonable hour, satisfied and refreshed. It's going to be weird getting back. I consider my life here a normality, but getting out of uni and study, even for this short amount of time, has again taken me away from reality. I'm sure I'll get back into it again soon enough. It's kinda weird having a holiday so early in the piece, but it has been well worth it and much appreciated!
6:05pm 快速
I'm pooped! I'm on the train back to Hirakata now. I decided to catch it from 祇園三条 (Gion sanjou), to avoid the need to transfer trains at Tofukuji. I've been on my feet most of the day, otherwise I've been on the bus or train... After checking out, we boarded the courtesy bus and were seen of by a number of staff, waving and wishing as well. By that time, I was feeling smothered by all their generosity. We boarded the train for Kyoto, and soon after arriving, got on the bus hoping to see the zoo. As soon as we saw the entry queue however, we changed our minds. It must've stretched about 500m! So, straight to shopping we went!
We ended up at 三条名店街 (Sanjoumeitenmachi), the same shopping arcade we went down on the Kyoto tour; So many shops!!! I ended up buying a pair of black overalls (Alex white). She also added to her collection of kimono wear, at a really great shop I'll have to go to again to buy myself a kimono. Unfortunately, we spent a little bit too long shopping; Alex was eager to get back to the station by 4. We didn't make it back for the 4:05 kodama shinkansen, but Alex was able to catch another (nozomi) at about 4:30. ~ Japan has three types of shinkansen (bullet train) on the toukai line: kodama - regular (stops at every station), hikari - skips-most-stations, and nozomi - extra-high-speed. ~
So after getting our stuff from the coin lockers (only 300円 to store our items), I sent her on her way, back to Nagoya. By this time I had realised that the music I was hearing in the station was live. I ran up the stairs to the upper floors, where there were a number of school bands playing, including Kansai Gaidai's!!! I recognised the cheer squad in the front; the same group whom I had watched practicing colour guard. I watched them for a while, then browsed the shops a bit more. Tired, and over it, I got on the bus to Gion, walked the block to the train station and got on. We're just stopping at Kuzuha now; I want to come here to shop. Hirakata is the next station. Can't wait to get home...
天気：曇り
We are expected to check-out be 10:10, so after having breakfast, I decided to have one last bathing experience. This time I found a really cool apparatus of curved bars placed at different heights. Pushing the button with the cute little music note on it, I let out a yelp as dozens of tiny, concentrated jets of water hit me from all sides. It tickled so much!!! After what has been the most amazing traditional Japanese experience I have ever had, I would highly recommend this place to any foreigner who wants to experience authentic Japanese lifestyle, in the lap of luxury, where the service is fantastic. Now I have to get changed, and rouse Alex from her sleep. Hopefully I get to see everything I wanted today, and get back to the dorm at a reasonable hour, satisfied and refreshed. It's going to be weird getting back. I consider my life here a normality, but getting out of uni and study, even for this short amount of time, has again taken me away from reality. I'm sure I'll get back into it again soon enough. It's kinda weird having a holiday so early in the piece, but it has been well worth it and much appreciated!
6:05pm 快速
I'm pooped! I'm on the train back to Hirakata now. I decided to catch it from 祇園三条 (Gion sanjou), to avoid the need to transfer trains at Tofukuji. I've been on my feet most of the day, otherwise I've been on the bus or train... After checking out, we boarded the courtesy bus and were seen of by a number of staff, waving and wishing as well. By that time, I was feeling smothered by all their generosity. We boarded the train for Kyoto, and soon after arriving, got on the bus hoping to see the zoo. As soon as we saw the entry queue however, we changed our minds. It must've stretched about 500m! So, straight to shopping we went!
We ended up at 三条名店街 (Sanjoumeitenmachi), the same shopping arcade we went down on the Kyoto tour; So many shops!!! I ended up buying a pair of black overalls (Alex white). She also added to her collection of kimono wear, at a really great shop I'll have to go to again to buy myself a kimono. Unfortunately, we spent a little bit too long shopping; Alex was eager to get back to the station by 4. We didn't make it back for the 4:05 kodama shinkansen, but Alex was able to catch another (nozomi) at about 4:30. ~ Japan has three types of shinkansen (bullet train) on the toukai line: kodama - regular (stops at every station), hikari - skips-most-stations, and nozomi - extra-high-speed. ~
So after getting our stuff from the coin lockers (only 300円 to store our items), I sent her on her way, back to Nagoya. By this time I had realised that the music I was hearing in the station was live. I ran up the stairs to the upper floors, where there were a number of school bands playing, including Kansai Gaidai's!!! I recognised the cheer squad in the front; the same group whom I had watched practicing colour guard. I watched them for a while, then browsed the shops a bit more. Tired, and over it, I got on the bus to Gion, walked the block to the train station and got on. We're just stopping at Kuzuha now; I want to come here to shop. Hirakata is the next station. Can't wait to get home...
Thursday 24 September 2009
Day 24 - 22nd of September
10:44am 湯元館
天気：曇り
So, we ended up going to Kyoto for the day, after walking around Ogoto for a while and visiting a local shrine. Once we got the all day bus ticket we sussed out the system. They are so well organised seriously; the map we got was amazing. All the bus routes throughout the entire city were clearly marked, with places of interest labelled, and referred back to the particular bus route that best suited the destination. I really wanted to see 金閣寺 (kinkakuji - "the golden pavillion"), so we went there first. Going on the bus was an adventure in itself; there was so much to see along the way. It took a while to get there actually, cause it's right up the other end of the city. But when we finally got there we were met by a chaotic scene of cars struggling to enter the parking lot, shepherded by the ever diligent traffic cops. After a 400円 admission fee we entered the the main complex. The leaves on are just starting to change; I seriously want to come back again in the next few months. There are maple trees everywhere and I could imagine how beautiful will look.
The first glimpse of gold through the green leaves stirred excitement through the seething mass of the crowd. The temple lies at the edge of a lake, and from where we first viewed it, it's reflection cast gold into the still waters below. Pine trees have been sculptured into works of art, scattered about the buildings occupying the ancient complex. 
Drifting along the tide of people around the lake, with its many islands topped with delicate trees, we spotted a gathering of koi carp. Grey, white, red, black, yellow; all the colours surged through the water as open mouths gasped at the surface. Further along the path, through the dense forest, we found a stall selling お守り (omamori - good luck charms). I was really happy about the find and bought one for success in study, and another for longevity and health. Study, health, wealth, and dreams were Alex's omamori of choice. After walking around for a while, and trying our luck at tossing our coins into a small dish, we exited out onto the main road, and plunged into chaos once more.
After a soft serve (mango for me and lemonade for Alex) we got back on the bus. Oh my gosh, it was absolutely packed. We barely fit in, and as we continued en route, more and more people crammed in. The small number of people getting off was agonisingly disproportionate to the huge number getting on. Eventually we were pushed to the back, and got to sit down at least. We went past the zoo and the art gallery and decided to come to Kyoto again tomorrow. I also suggested that we hit the huge shopping district I'd gone to previously; we past it a bit later. People everywhere, crossing streets in the 100's, taxis barging in with no respect for the rest of the traffic; this is Japan. So many times a thought a collision would occur. We spent well over an hour on that bus.
Back in the room, Alex tried on her yukata and kimono. We took photos of each other out in the hall. Then I went to the onsen. And now I'm back to where I started, and it's almost 1:30 so we'd better get some sleep. Gotta get out of this amazing place come morning...
天気：曇り
Just attempted to straighten Alex's hair... After our very traditional Japanese breakfast, I went to the baths, while Alex went to sleep. It was really cool; they had like an obstacle course of baths. Lol, you know what I mean. There was one for your feet where you walked over ridges and jets; one where you lie down with jets on you back, a cold bath, a sauna, and of course the electric bath! I tried them all. After that, I got into one of those massage chairs. It was great... Now we're going out to explore the area.
1:44pm 京都
We're walking through the underground plaza connected to Kyoto station, having just witnessed a parade of dancers and musicians. They're walking past again now. They have floats and everything. We got an all day bus pass for only 500円! We're going to go sight-seeing everywhere now.
11:56pm 湯元館
Just came back from the onsen's. Yes that's right, I went to two! First I went to the open-air bath on the 11th floor. The view of the lake, and all the lights. It was spectacular. There was a curved bench-type thing with a foot bath. It was raining, and lying there was such a great feeling. After spending about 15 minutes in the baths, I decided to seek out another one. I went down to the 8th floor and found it. This one had a small bath outside and two indoors, and a cold water bath, and a sauna. I went in the sauna for a while; it was 89oC!!! That was much better; I've found that the baths aren't that hot. They are very relaxing though, especially after such a long day...
So, we ended up going to Kyoto for the day, after walking around Ogoto for a while and visiting a local shrine. Once we got the all day bus ticket we sussed out the system. They are so well organised seriously; the map we got was amazing. All the bus routes throughout the entire city were clearly marked, with places of interest labelled, and referred back to the particular bus route that best suited the destination. I really wanted to see 金閣寺 (kinkakuji - "the golden pavillion"), so we went there first. Going on the bus was an adventure in itself; there was so much to see along the way. It took a while to get there actually, cause it's right up the other end of the city. But when we finally got there we were met by a chaotic scene of cars struggling to enter the parking lot, shepherded by the ever diligent traffic cops. After a 400円 admission fee we entered the the main complex. The leaves on are just starting to change; I seriously want to come back again in the next few months. There are maple trees everywhere and I could imagine how beautiful will look.
The first glimpse of gold through the green leaves stirred excitement through the seething mass of the crowd. The temple lies at the edge of a lake, and from where we first viewed it, it's reflection cast gold into the still waters below. Pine trees have been sculptured into works of art, scattered about the buildings occupying the ancient complex. 
Drifting along the tide of people around the lake, with its many islands topped with delicate trees, we spotted a gathering of koi carp. Grey, white, red, black, yellow; all the colours surged through the water as open mouths gasped at the surface. Further along the path, through the dense forest, we found a stall selling お守り (omamori - good luck charms). I was really happy about the find and bought one for success in study, and another for longevity and health. Study, health, wealth, and dreams were Alex's omamori of choice. After walking around for a while, and trying our luck at tossing our coins into a small dish, we exited out onto the main road, and plunged into chaos once more.At a corner shop, Alex bought a kimono and yukata set. I bought some post cards and collected a badge out of a slot machine. It was already pretty late, almost 5, so we decided to take another bus, this one to 銀閣寺 (ginkakuji - "the silver pavillion"). We ended up being on the bus for almost an hour, coming to the realisation that we might not make it back to dinner at 7. So after getting off the bus, I rang the inn. After a long exchange they finally managed to get across to me that we would have to pay for the dinner whether we ate it or not. Luckily, I was able to change reschedule dinner for 8. So, we walked over to ginkakuji. Alex, staring in awe upon seeing a rickshaw, realised she had been here before. As we got closer we were notified that the gates would be closing at 5, so I rushed up the sloping road, leaving Alex, behind, hoping to catch a glimpse of the temple before it closed. It was in vain though. When I got to the entrance, I saw the 500円 admission fee, and though, it's not worth it for a minute of viewing. Also, it was under renovation until March. I might come back to see it then.
Slightly disheartened, I walked back down to met Alex, and browsed the few stops that were still open. We found this one shop that sold yukata and I immediately searched for one to buy for myself. With Alex's help, I decided on a blue one. I found a matching 帯 (obi - belt) and went to pay. After the transaction, I received a complimentary gift which at first glance looked like a DVD case but turned out to be a personal hygiene pack, with an assortment of items including scissors, nail clippers, razor, mirror, and a brush for getting fluff of clothes!!! So cool.
After a soft serve (mango for me and lemonade for Alex) we got back on the bus. Oh my gosh, it was absolutely packed. We barely fit in, and as we continued en route, more and more people crammed in. The small number of people getting off was agonisingly disproportionate to the huge number getting on. Eventually we were pushed to the back, and got to sit down at least. We went past the zoo and the art gallery and decided to come to Kyoto again tomorrow. I also suggested that we hit the huge shopping district I'd gone to previously; we past it a bit later. People everywhere, crossing streets in the 100's, taxis barging in with no respect for the rest of the traffic; this is Japan. So many times a thought a collision would occur. We spent well over an hour on that bus. Finally reaching the station, we caught the local train back. It was almost 7:30 when we arrived back at Ogoto, so in order to make it back to the inn in time, we made use of the pick-up service. Getting back to the room, I decided to put my new yukata on, while Alex opted to wear the one provided. Dinner was, again, so amazing. We had a fish head (Alex had fun playing with the eyeball), rice, pork in a broth with vegetables and noodles, scallop and prawns (raw), soup, and this dish containing yam, kinda mashed up in a ball. It was so yummy. And for dessert 黒ごま (kurogoma - black sesame seed ice cream)!!! it was actually really, really nice. We ended up staying in the restaurant for over an hour, before being respectfully told to leave as it closes at 9.
Back in the room, Alex tried on her yukata and kimono. We took photos of each other out in the hall. Then I went to the onsen. And now I'm back to where I started, and it's almost 1:30 so we'd better get some sleep. Gotta get out of this amazing place come morning...Wednesday 23 September 2009
Day 23 - 21st of September
8:48am 普通電車
天気：曇り
10:11am 京都駅
10:19am 京都駅
3:28pm 湯元館、雄琴温泉
天気：曇り
I can't believe how lucky I am sometimes; I just made the bus. Whoops, I'm going the wrong way!!! I'm on the train in the wrong direction. Oh well, I'll get off at the next stop and ride back. Pfft, so much for luck... Oh well, only have to wait 5 minutes to catch the train back in the other direction. That's the good think about Japanese public transport; very frequent. Silly me, and I thought I had it sorted!
9:02am 普通電車
On the train, and almost back to Hirakata-shi where I started. Basically what I've done is instead of sitting around in the station for this exact train, I just went down two stations and caught it there! So I haven't lost ant time at all, just a little energy. Wow, I just realised I'm in the front carriage; never been in the front before. It's really cool to see out the front windscreen. I'm standing up at the moment which is a bit of a pain with all my baggage. Hopefully I can sit down soon!
On the train, and almost back to Hirakata-shi where I started. Basically what I've done is instead of sitting around in the station for this exact train, I just went down two stations and caught it there! So I haven't lost ant time at all, just a little energy. Wow, I just realised I'm in the front carriage; never been in the front before. It's really cool to see out the front windscreen. I'm standing up at the moment which is a bit of a pain with all my baggage. Hopefully I can sit down soon!
9:33am 普通電車
Oh my gosh. Standing next to me is a kid, no more than 3 years old, watching TV on his mobile phone. No wonder Japanese people are so tech savvy.
9:53am 快速電車
Changed lines at 東福寺 (Tofukuji). I'm now on the rapid express train to Kyoto; just one stop away.
10:11am 京都駅Here I am in the sky garden on the 11th floor of Kyoto station. I'm supposed to be waiting for Alex here because it's a spot we both remember from our previous trips. It's sunny and hot here, so I think I might go down to somewhere with shade. As long as I'm in an open spot I should be able to find her pretty easily. She might well be another 30 minutes away anyway. I'll take a few pics first though.
10:19am 京都駅
Now I'm at the bottom of the 9th floor steps. It looks like it could rain, so I may move again. I'm going to eat the last of my bread...
10:32am 京都駅
Aww, "Tale as Old as Time" (from beauty and the beast) is playing over the intercom. They're advertising the stage show throughout the station; that would be interesting to see. Wow, now I'm waiting at the train exit for Alex. She rang me up, freaking out a bit, but I think she'll be fine. She should be able to spot me pretty easy.
11:28am マック
Since Alex was on the Shinkansen, she ended up exiting on the opposite side. So... I decided to walk around to the other side, across the train track's overpass. She was waiting in Mcdonald's. Guess who I bumped into soon after I got here? Tamblyn!!! How unbelievably crazy is that?! That we ended up in the same station, on the same day, in the same Mcdonalds. So yeah, I'm flabbergasted. He's just come from Tokyo on his school trip. He's using Alex's Japanese phone now to call his parents...
11:42am マック
And just like that, he leaves. That was probably the strangest interlude I've ever had...
1:14pm 普通電車
Phew, we just made it on the train to Ogoto Onsen! After leaving Mcdonalds we walked back around to the other side. As we were coming to the station entrance, this old Japanese guy came up to us and started speaking in English. He asked about where we came from, and how we felt about certain things, like putting soy sauce in rice. Apparently that's a bad thing? He also continuously asked why English is such a hard language. We must've been with him for about 30 minutes, helping him make sense of a number of sentences and phrases he had written in English. Until, lo and behold, I spot another familiar face. Coming out of the station with a group of friends was Luke! We talked for a bit, then had to rush off the get to the train; leaving the old man with Luke's group, xD.
3:28pm 湯元館、雄琴温泉We are in our room now and It's great. I'm here in a 浴衣 (yukata - Japanese light robe) just lounging on the bed! The service here is excellent. They picked us up from the station, and gave us a full tour around the expansive inn. It's so amazing, I can't wait to get it the hot springs tonight. I'm so happy to be here and amazed that I made it.
9:08pm 湯元館
Just came back from the onsen. Wow, it was so beautiful. There were rocks and gardens surrounding the pool, to imitate a natural setting; there was tunnel of rock over the water. And everything was supplied: shampoo, soap, towels; and for afterwards, hair dryer, disposable razors, combs, foot cream! It was great. I spent about an hour in there. Alex came back after about 25 minutes; she's sensitive to the heat. The one I went to was on the 5th floor, and Alex went to the one on the roof; each day they rotate from male-female use.
Before the hot springs, we had the most amazing dinner. Soooo much to eat: miso soup, rice, fish, chicken, vegetables, and heaps of condiments. And for dessert, apple pudding. And the service, excellent of course.
Sunday 20 September 2009
Day 22 - 20th of September
8:57pm セミナーハウス
天気：暑い
Today was... interesting. I got to the university at 10:30, ready to engage with the thousands of high school students. They weren't expected to arrive until about 12:00, so after a general meeting everyone had about an hour to sit around, chat, and eat the sandwiches provided. Everyone except me. I stupidly decided not to bring my power supply or adapter for my laptop. Only when I got the did I realise, oh yes, this probably would be a good thing to have if I'm going to be speaking to students for 4 hours, and my batteries only last for 2!!! So what did I do, I power walked all the way back to the seminar house, retrieved the power board, power supply and adapter, and rushed back to the bus stop; I wasn't about to run all the way back. I made it just in time, and even got to stuff in a sandwich. Then the fun began. And it was fun, for the most part. I had my laptop to back me up (with all my pics), and Mai, a really helpful graduating student at Gaidai, suported me when talking to the high school students. Oh, and they decided it would be a good idea to bring my cross stitch in; it was the highlight of many a conversation.
As the hours went by, slowly, I went through about three bottles of water, and the rest of my sandwiches. We spoke with at least 30-40 students. Some of the time it was just Mai and the students, with me sitting there listening intently. I was really happy with the amount I could understand, and I did get to speak quite a bit in Japanese. Overall it was a great day, and, at the end, we all received Kansai Gaidai t-shirts as a present for our hard work. Yay, I fit in a small!!! I think they said they were American sizes though? My voice was shot by the end of it; the last couple of people had to put up with my croaking. After putting the room back in order, I walked home, tired, and still a bit hungry.
After watching a bit of the Matrix 2, I went to make dinner, using the last of my food, bar the bread. And now, I'm on the computer looking up places to see at Biwako, what times the trains are going. Awww, the inn keeper (whom I've been in contact with via email) has been so helpful. He's even offered a pick-up service from the train station. Yay, so excited!!! So yeah, I'm almost packed, and rearing to go. Oh, and eating the last of the mochi, xD
天気：暑い
Today was... interesting. I got to the university at 10:30, ready to engage with the thousands of high school students. They weren't expected to arrive until about 12:00, so after a general meeting everyone had about an hour to sit around, chat, and eat the sandwiches provided. Everyone except me. I stupidly decided not to bring my power supply or adapter for my laptop. Only when I got the did I realise, oh yes, this probably would be a good thing to have if I'm going to be speaking to students for 4 hours, and my batteries only last for 2!!! So what did I do, I power walked all the way back to the seminar house, retrieved the power board, power supply and adapter, and rushed back to the bus stop; I wasn't about to run all the way back. I made it just in time, and even got to stuff in a sandwich. Then the fun began. And it was fun, for the most part. I had my laptop to back me up (with all my pics), and Mai, a really helpful graduating student at Gaidai, suported me when talking to the high school students. Oh, and they decided it would be a good idea to bring my cross stitch in; it was the highlight of many a conversation.
As the hours went by, slowly, I went through about three bottles of water, and the rest of my sandwiches. We spoke with at least 30-40 students. Some of the time it was just Mai and the students, with me sitting there listening intently. I was really happy with the amount I could understand, and I did get to speak quite a bit in Japanese. Overall it was a great day, and, at the end, we all received Kansai Gaidai t-shirts as a present for our hard work. Yay, I fit in a small!!! I think they said they were American sizes though? My voice was shot by the end of it; the last couple of people had to put up with my croaking. After putting the room back in order, I walked home, tired, and still a bit hungry.
After watching a bit of the Matrix 2, I went to make dinner, using the last of my food, bar the bread. And now, I'm on the computer looking up places to see at Biwako, what times the trains are going. Awww, the inn keeper (whom I've been in contact with via email) has been so helpful. He's even offered a pick-up service from the train station. Yay, so excited!!! So yeah, I'm almost packed, and rearing to go. Oh, and eating the last of the mochi, xD
Saturday 19 September 2009
Day 21 - 19th of September
10:33pm セミナーハウス
天気：暑い
Diego left Tokyo this morning at about 8:30. He's going to have such I great time! I sent him on his way then readied myself for the day (yay for rhyme). I washed all my clothes (pretty much), including my new ones. Had breakfast, the last of the cereal, and started to prepare for the open campus day tomorrow, where I'll be introducing USC to a bunch of high school students. I got a power point presentation from Liani, that effectively showcases the uni. I've also decided to make another slide show to showcase the area, the Sunshine Coast, using a number of photos I've taken. I want the students to know exactly where we are, so I have to make a lasting impression.
At 12:30, I made my way to Gaidai for the INFES (International Festival) meeting. Student run; gosh, they are so unorganised. Eventually we all got put into the booth we wanted; I chose singing, not really knowing what to expect. The other booths were, World (introduce your country), Dancing, Food, and Fashion Parade (where you show off your countries traditional clothing). Singing seemed the best option for me, since I hadn't brought anything Aussie with me. Anyway, we all got ushered into a lecture room, and introduced to our respective Japanese booth members. We then past the time by answering true or false, to a too easy quiz, while eating junk food; the prize was junk food also.
After that we went outside, able to choose between two activities; basketball, or jump rope. We chose jump rope!!! Oh my gosh, I almost died, lolz. Seriously though, it's very physical, especially when I decided it would be a good idea to do tuck jumps like we do in Karate. Well, I didn't really decide that, it just kinda worked out that way; Karate training really paid off. We tried adamantly to get everyone jumping at once; there were about 7 of us. We managed to achieve that a couple of times. Lol, some of the girls were in high heels, and they still managed to do it. Well, a few of them did take the shoes off. After that, we were absolutely stuffed. One of the guys in our group inquired as to what we'd actually be doing at the festival. I had assumed that we'd all be singing a Japanese song together. I was wrong. Turns out that each of us has to choose a Japanese song to sing; solo. But get this, the Japanese students are just there to help; it's just us international students that will be singing.
So yeah, now I have to think of a Japanese song to sing. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. Mostly though, this is going to be a lot of fun, and I'm not going to worry about it right now. The festival's not until 21st of November (I think). Anyway, I walked back home with Bianca, who told me all about her wild night last night, clubbing with a bunch of other people from the seminar houses. Unfortunately, now that she's spent the money on that, she has no money left to do anything else this weekend; it's a shame.
It's a bit weird being here alone now. Nice change though, I suppose. I managed to get my PC@LL homework done. Basically I had to dictate sentences out of the textbook. Sensei presumably marks us on our speaking ability and pronunciation; I did okay I guess. Sometimes I left a bit too much of a pause, but I wasn't about to go and record the whole thing again. I'm glad that's out of the way; one less thing to worry about when I come back on Wednesday. Man, I've been so hungry. After my dinner of noddles in broth, and salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and carrot at 6:30, I was still hungry later on. I ended up eating two mochi and three slices of toast with blueberry jam. It's okay though, 'cause I kinda have to finish off the bread before I leave, otherwise it'll just end up being moldy when I get back. Got just enough food for tomorrow and Monday lunch, so I'm totally fine.
天気：暑い
Diego left Tokyo this morning at about 8:30. He's going to have such I great time! I sent him on his way then readied myself for the day (yay for rhyme). I washed all my clothes (pretty much), including my new ones. Had breakfast, the last of the cereal, and started to prepare for the open campus day tomorrow, where I'll be introducing USC to a bunch of high school students. I got a power point presentation from Liani, that effectively showcases the uni. I've also decided to make another slide show to showcase the area, the Sunshine Coast, using a number of photos I've taken. I want the students to know exactly where we are, so I have to make a lasting impression.
At 12:30, I made my way to Gaidai for the INFES (International Festival) meeting. Student run; gosh, they are so unorganised. Eventually we all got put into the booth we wanted; I chose singing, not really knowing what to expect. The other booths were, World (introduce your country), Dancing, Food, and Fashion Parade (where you show off your countries traditional clothing). Singing seemed the best option for me, since I hadn't brought anything Aussie with me. Anyway, we all got ushered into a lecture room, and introduced to our respective Japanese booth members. We then past the time by answering true or false, to a too easy quiz, while eating junk food; the prize was junk food also.
After that we went outside, able to choose between two activities; basketball, or jump rope. We chose jump rope!!! Oh my gosh, I almost died, lolz. Seriously though, it's very physical, especially when I decided it would be a good idea to do tuck jumps like we do in Karate. Well, I didn't really decide that, it just kinda worked out that way; Karate training really paid off. We tried adamantly to get everyone jumping at once; there were about 7 of us. We managed to achieve that a couple of times. Lol, some of the girls were in high heels, and they still managed to do it. Well, a few of them did take the shoes off. After that, we were absolutely stuffed. One of the guys in our group inquired as to what we'd actually be doing at the festival. I had assumed that we'd all be singing a Japanese song together. I was wrong. Turns out that each of us has to choose a Japanese song to sing; solo. But get this, the Japanese students are just there to help; it's just us international students that will be singing.
So yeah, now I have to think of a Japanese song to sing. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. Mostly though, this is going to be a lot of fun, and I'm not going to worry about it right now. The festival's not until 21st of November (I think). Anyway, I walked back home with Bianca, who told me all about her wild night last night, clubbing with a bunch of other people from the seminar houses. Unfortunately, now that she's spent the money on that, she has no money left to do anything else this weekend; it's a shame.
It's a bit weird being here alone now. Nice change though, I suppose. I managed to get my PC@LL homework done. Basically I had to dictate sentences out of the textbook. Sensei presumably marks us on our speaking ability and pronunciation; I did okay I guess. Sometimes I left a bit too much of a pause, but I wasn't about to go and record the whole thing again. I'm glad that's out of the way; one less thing to worry about when I come back on Wednesday. Man, I've been so hungry. After my dinner of noddles in broth, and salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and carrot at 6:30, I was still hungry later on. I ended up eating two mochi and three slices of toast with blueberry jam. It's okay though, 'cause I kinda have to finish off the bread before I leave, otherwise it'll just end up being moldy when I get back. Got just enough food for tomorrow and Monday lunch, so I'm totally fine.
Friday 18 September 2009
Day 20 - 18th of Septemeber
6:20 pm セミナーハウス
I wanted to check out an electronics store some people had recommended called "Midori". I didn't know exactly where it was, but it turned out to be really easy to find; just kept on walking down the road past Top World. Getting there, there was traffic control everywhere. Midori has just opened, and it's obviously very popular. The amount of cars going in and out was astounding. Pedestrians are ushered along, or brought to a halt by traffic cops, while they attempt to keep the flow of traffic as smooth as possible. Up the escalators I went, after receiving handouts from several of the store clerks, into a vast, bright room. It was huge, and white, with mirrors that created the illusion of being even bigger. Guess were I went first; hair straightener!!! I know, it's silly, but I had to have one; good price too. So after finding the one I liked, I browsed around a bit; they have everything. Then I went downstairs to the grocery department, bought some more washing powder and some body wash (aloe vera), xD. WOW, it was packed in the food section; the prices were really good though.
天気：涼しい
Today, was a good day. After my 12 o'clock class, I went to get some money out of the ATM. Wow, I made my first online accommodation booking last night. Yes - Alex and I have decided where to go. We 're staying at 木もれび (Komorebi), in 雄琴 (Ogoto) near the city of Otsu at the edge of Lake Biwa (http://www.komolebi.jp/guestroom.html)!!! It's an 温泉 (onsen - hot spring) resort. So yeah, we're staying in a twin room, breakfast included, for two nights (Monday - Tuesday). It was the last room available on those nights, so I think it was meant to be. It's going to be so awesome. Now back to today ...
I wanted to check out an electronics store some people had recommended called "Midori". I didn't know exactly where it was, but it turned out to be really easy to find; just kept on walking down the road past Top World. Getting there, there was traffic control everywhere. Midori has just opened, and it's obviously very popular. The amount of cars going in and out was astounding. Pedestrians are ushered along, or brought to a halt by traffic cops, while they attempt to keep the flow of traffic as smooth as possible. Up the escalators I went, after receiving handouts from several of the store clerks, into a vast, bright room. It was huge, and white, with mirrors that created the illusion of being even bigger. Guess were I went first; hair straightener!!! I know, it's silly, but I had to have one; good price too. So after finding the one I liked, I browsed around a bit; they have everything. Then I went downstairs to the grocery department, bought some more washing powder and some body wash (aloe vera), xD. WOW, it was packed in the food section; the prices were really good though. After leaving Midori, I walked all the way back to Avail (the clothes shop near the seminar houses). I finally got that shirt, along with some jeans, and scandals! I must have spent about an hour in there. I couldn't help myself; most items were reduced. Came back to the dor
m, and tried out my straightener; works great. Diego came back soon after, and I told him about Midori. He decided he wanted to take a look, today. So we walked all the way over there, and looked around (again for me, lol). He didn't end up buying anything, but then I showed him downstairs, and almost immediately he wanted to look for mochi. 餅 (mochi) is a Japanese rice cake, made from glutinous rice and pounded into paste. This particular type is a sweet (I think it's filled with red bean paste). I haven't had too much of it, but it's now Diego's favourite snack. We found these really nice pink coloured ones, loved them, and went back in for more. Thoroughly satisfied, we made our way back to the dorm.
m, and tried out my straightener; works great. Diego came back soon after, and I told him about Midori. He decided he wanted to take a look, today. So we walked all the way over there, and looked around (again for me, lol). He didn't end up buying anything, but then I showed him downstairs, and almost immediately he wanted to look for mochi. 餅 (mochi) is a Japanese rice cake, made from glutinous rice and pounded into paste. This particular type is a sweet (I think it's filled with red bean paste). I haven't had too much of it, but it's now Diego's favourite snack. We found these really nice pink coloured ones, loved them, and went back in for more. Thoroughly satisfied, we made our way back to the dorm. 9:09 pm セミナーハウス
Oh my gosh!!! I just got an email from the innkeeper saying that it is overbooked!!! Luckily, he's given us a room in another inn (湯元館 - Yumotokan), which is right next to Komorebi (http://www.yumotokan.co.jp/world/english/guestroom/). * Huge sigh of relief *. .. I consider myself very lucky this point. The rate's the same, and we will still be able to enjoy the hot springs. So, it's all good.
Thursday 17 September 2009
Day 19 - 17th of September
9:45pm セミナーハウス
天気；暑い
Thursdays; all four classes one after another. By my history class, I'm pretty out of it, lolz. At least I got to eat between each class; that made me happy. Gotta start thinking about my assignments. Got a "mini -project "for culture and everyday life, where I have to interview Japanese people about a particular topic surrounding Japanese life, that I can hopefully generate some interesting opinions from, and then present my findings. For history I have to do a biographical essay on an individual who died before 1868, lol. 1868 basically signifies the end of ancient history, and the start of modern history, with the Meiji restoration. So far I don't really know what I want to do for either of them, but I'll come up with something over the weekend when I'm not having fun.
Coming back to the dorm at about 4:00, I noticed that "Back to the Future Part II" was on, so I sat down to watch it. It had Japanese subtitles, which were cool to read. I had a pretty early dinner, then a bunch of us watched "The Forbidden Kingdom" in the lounge ...
10:52 pm
It was Otousan's birthday on Monday, so one of the girls decided to make a cake for him. Just then we were all in the lounge, singing happy birthday for him. Our caretakers are really cool. He told us he's now 61! He really appreciated it, and joked that he loves us all, but he loves his wife more, xD. I managed to get a tiny bit of cake; it was really yummy. But, my hunger was still unsatisfied, so I made myself a piece of toast in the kitchen! Don't have my (one) class until 12, so I can afford to sleep in. I'm gonna have to wash my clothes in the morning though.
天気；暑い
Thursdays; all four classes one after another. By my history class, I'm pretty out of it, lolz. At least I got to eat between each class; that made me happy. Gotta start thinking about my assignments. Got a "mini -project "for culture and everyday life, where I have to interview Japanese people about a particular topic surrounding Japanese life, that I can hopefully generate some interesting opinions from, and then present my findings. For history I have to do a biographical essay on an individual who died before 1868, lol. 1868 basically signifies the end of ancient history, and the start of modern history, with the Meiji restoration. So far I don't really know what I want to do for either of them, but I'll come up with something over the weekend when I'm not having fun.
Coming back to the dorm at about 4:00, I noticed that "Back to the Future Part II" was on, so I sat down to watch it. It had Japanese subtitles, which were cool to read. I had a pretty early dinner, then a bunch of us watched "The Forbidden Kingdom" in the lounge ...
10:52 pm
It was Otousan's birthday on Monday, so one of the girls decided to make a cake for him. Just then we were all in the lounge, singing happy birthday for him. Our caretakers are really cool. He told us he's now 61! He really appreciated it, and joked that he loves us all, but he loves his wife more, xD. I managed to get a tiny bit of cake; it was really yummy. But, my hunger was still unsatisfied, so I made myself a piece of toast in the kitchen! Don't have my (one) class until 12, so I can afford to sleep in. I'm gonna have to wash my clothes in the morning though.
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Day 18 - 16th of September
9:30pm セミナーハウス
天気： 暑い
Today, after my classes in the morning I managed to meet up with Dan, at 3:30. We went and sat in the CIE lounge with a group of people that continued to multiply and mutate as the time went by. We had Seimu and his friend Akira; Nauto and Mai (I think that's right), whom I hadn't previously met; Christina and Christa; a friend of Mai's; two other friends of Akira; Amber and her Japanese friend; then two other Korean guys, xD. Yeah it was fun. Ended up talking for about 3 hours about lots of random stuff. Then as everyone started to dissipate, Dan asked me if I'd like to go back to his place to play his piano. I was dying to play so I said sure.
Saying goodbye to everyone, it was only about 5 minutes walk to his place. He lives on the forth floor of and apartment building; gosh the stairs are steep it's almost like climbing a ladder. His place is (amazingly) smaller than my dorm room; tiny kitchen, bathroom, and living/sleeping room. He still manages to fit a sizable electric piano. He was really excited to hear me play, but I think I gave him the wrong impression. I felt kinda awkward, cause really I'm not very good. Then he started to play, and array of different classical pieces, and that made me feel worse. He was so good, and when I told him that he of course, in the Japanese manner, modestly disagreed. So yeah, we played for a while, and spoke a little, and then he asked if I'd had enough, and I said yes... He offered to give me a ride home on his motorbike. WOW!!! That was fun, and a bit scary at the same time. Don't worry, we both had helmets on and he seems an experienced and cautious driver. We drove past Top World and I realised from all the lights, cars, and activity that it was open again. Obviously it wasn't a major renovation.
Getting back, and feeling hungry, I had dinner (rice, eggs, and salad), and talked with people for a while. Everyone was discussing there plans for Silver Week (5 day weekend 19th-23rd; just in case I haven't already explained that). I seems as though people want to get a big group thing together; hopefully it works out for them. Since I have the open campus day on Sunday, I can't really get going anywhere until Monday. I'm hoping to meet up with Alex, in the middle somewhere. We're looking at places near 琵琶湖 (Biwako - Lake Biwa) at the moment. Everything is so expensive when it comes to transport and accommodation. I'm going to try really hard to find something that is really bare minimum. All we need is a place to sleep; we'll be out all day! People were going to the sentou tonight, and I really wanted to go, but declined; I have a lot of reading to do, so I'd better get to it.
天気： 暑い
Today, after my classes in the morning I managed to meet up with Dan, at 3:30. We went and sat in the CIE lounge with a group of people that continued to multiply and mutate as the time went by. We had Seimu and his friend Akira; Nauto and Mai (I think that's right), whom I hadn't previously met; Christina and Christa; a friend of Mai's; two other friends of Akira; Amber and her Japanese friend; then two other Korean guys, xD. Yeah it was fun. Ended up talking for about 3 hours about lots of random stuff. Then as everyone started to dissipate, Dan asked me if I'd like to go back to his place to play his piano. I was dying to play so I said sure.
Saying goodbye to everyone, it was only about 5 minutes walk to his place. He lives on the forth floor of and apartment building; gosh the stairs are steep it's almost like climbing a ladder. His place is (amazingly) smaller than my dorm room; tiny kitchen, bathroom, and living/sleeping room. He still manages to fit a sizable electric piano. He was really excited to hear me play, but I think I gave him the wrong impression. I felt kinda awkward, cause really I'm not very good. Then he started to play, and array of different classical pieces, and that made me feel worse. He was so good, and when I told him that he of course, in the Japanese manner, modestly disagreed. So yeah, we played for a while, and spoke a little, and then he asked if I'd had enough, and I said yes... He offered to give me a ride home on his motorbike. WOW!!! That was fun, and a bit scary at the same time. Don't worry, we both had helmets on and he seems an experienced and cautious driver. We drove past Top World and I realised from all the lights, cars, and activity that it was open again. Obviously it wasn't a major renovation.
Getting back, and feeling hungry, I had dinner (rice, eggs, and salad), and talked with people for a while. Everyone was discussing there plans for Silver Week (5 day weekend 19th-23rd; just in case I haven't already explained that). I seems as though people want to get a big group thing together; hopefully it works out for them. Since I have the open campus day on Sunday, I can't really get going anywhere until Monday. I'm hoping to meet up with Alex, in the middle somewhere. We're looking at places near 琵琶湖 (Biwako - Lake Biwa) at the moment. Everything is so expensive when it comes to transport and accommodation. I'm going to try really hard to find something that is really bare minimum. All we need is a place to sleep; we'll be out all day! People were going to the sentou tonight, and I really wanted to go, but declined; I have a lot of reading to do, so I'd better get to it.
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Day 17 - 15th of September
12:29pm 関西外大
天気； 雨天
I'm in my history class and I've realised that I've forgotten my book, so I'll have to write my notes in here (my journal)...
8:40pm
Today was really nice. It was cool and raining, and I actually got to wear my jumper. I walked with Joanna to, and from uni. Between classes we were lucky enough to see some gaidai students practicing a routine with flags; which I found out from Joanna is called colour guard. While watching, we reminisced about playing in band at school, and for her, going to band camp, and being in the marching band. We could hear the members from the gaidai concert band practicing in the background. I made me really want to play again!!!
After walking home, I immediately went out again to Sanko. A couple of days ago, Top World closed for renovation, so I've been having to go to Sanko. Not that I mind; it's much closer and it's cheaper. Tonight I made a salad with lettuce, tomato, and carrot; lol, the grater made the carrot into mush. I had my first attempt at cooking rice, and ended up burning a bit on the heating element; that was really hard to get off. The end result was a bit soggy; I used too much water. Oh well, live and learn. And with it I had some chicken nuggets (pre-made), which were really yummy. The rice ended up tasting okay, and I've got enough left over in the fridge to last the next couple of meals. I also started eating the 梨 (nashi - pear). Sooo fresh, and sweet, and tasty. So yeah, I'm eating quite healthily.
Since I finished all my homework this morning, I don't have much to do now. I'm meeting Dan tomorrow, hopefully. He's been busy with his part-time job and is very tired a lot of the time. Got clean linen today. For some reason the pillow case is always a lot bigger than the pillow. Maybe there's a special way to put the pillow in, I don't know. Anyway, I'm going to go have a shower, then get comfy in my futon and listen to music...
天気； 雨天
I'm in my history class and I've realised that I've forgotten my book, so I'll have to write my notes in here (my journal)...
8:40pm
Today was really nice. It was cool and raining, and I actually got to wear my jumper. I walked with Joanna to, and from uni. Between classes we were lucky enough to see some gaidai students practicing a routine with flags; which I found out from Joanna is called colour guard. While watching, we reminisced about playing in band at school, and for her, going to band camp, and being in the marching band. We could hear the members from the gaidai concert band practicing in the background. I made me really want to play again!!!
After walking home, I immediately went out again to Sanko. A couple of days ago, Top World closed for renovation, so I've been having to go to Sanko. Not that I mind; it's much closer and it's cheaper. Tonight I made a salad with lettuce, tomato, and carrot; lol, the grater made the carrot into mush. I had my first attempt at cooking rice, and ended up burning a bit on the heating element; that was really hard to get off. The end result was a bit soggy; I used too much water. Oh well, live and learn. And with it I had some chicken nuggets (pre-made), which were really yummy. The rice ended up tasting okay, and I've got enough left over in the fridge to last the next couple of meals. I also started eating the 梨 (nashi - pear). Sooo fresh, and sweet, and tasty. So yeah, I'm eating quite healthily.
Since I finished all my homework this morning, I don't have much to do now. I'm meeting Dan tomorrow, hopefully. He's been busy with his part-time job and is very tired a lot of the time. Got clean linen today. For some reason the pillow case is always a lot bigger than the pillow. Maybe there's a special way to put the pillow in, I don't know. Anyway, I'm going to go have a shower, then get comfy in my futon and listen to music...
Monday 14 September 2009
Day 16 - 14th of September
7:52pm セミナーハウス 
The end of another day... awww, I received my first letter from Nanny and Poppy today. Well done for using the type writer Nanny, xD. As soon as I go somewhere cool, I'll get a postcard and send it back. Have to send one to Nan and Pop in Coffs Harbour too. What did I do today? Well, I woke up at about 7:00am and got ready for uni. I had my speaking Japanese class at 9 and had a quiz, which I think I'm going to get 100% on. My dictionary on my iPod touch has been updated, and it now has a learning function that uses flash cards for memory. All I have to do is make a list of my vocabulary in class, then I can be quizzed on it. It's so awesome, and really helpful. So yeah, then I had a break, ate lunch, then went to reading and writing at 12. Had another test!!! I feel okay about it; there were some kanji I didn't know!
The end of another day... awww, I received my first letter from Nanny and Poppy today. Well done for using the type writer Nanny, xD. As soon as I go somewhere cool, I'll get a postcard and send it back. Have to send one to Nan and Pop in Coffs Harbour too. What did I do today? Well, I woke up at about 7:00am and got ready for uni. I had my speaking Japanese class at 9 and had a quiz, which I think I'm going to get 100% on. My dictionary on my iPod touch has been updated, and it now has a learning function that uses flash cards for memory. All I have to do is make a list of my vocabulary in class, then I can be quizzed on it. It's so awesome, and really helpful. So yeah, then I had a break, ate lunch, then went to reading and writing at 12. Had another test!!! I feel okay about it; there were some kanji I didn't know!
In my culture and everyday life in Japan class, our professor told us that the sumo had started yesterday. It goes for 14 days, and is broadcast over the TV from 1:00-5:00pm. I didn't catch it tonight, but hopefully I can watch it tomorrow, along with another show in which a panel of foreigners speak (in Japanese) about how weird Japan is!!! Our professor suggested that one too. After class I rushed over to the 和室 (Washitsu - Japanese-style room) to meet with Midori of the koto club. Guess who I saw just as I stepped in; Brittney. How weird is that. She was just leaving as I entered. We had a brief exchange and then she left.
So, shoes off, onto tatami floor. The sensei was there, teaching the girls how to wear the kimono. Midori took me over to a koto, and we sat in 正座 (seiza - kneeling position; like in karate). She then proceeded to show me how to play. On your right hand, you wear three picks made from ivory, on your thumb, second, and third fingers. Your other two fingers are used for support on the strings. These koto have 13 strings, and the music is read from right to left, top to bottom, following the numbers (in kanji) that correspond to the strings. The kanji for the 11th, 12th, and 13th strings are not typical number kanji, so I'll have to learn them. You basically play by using your thumb (unless otherwise indicated), to pluck the strings. You use your left hand to push down on the strings on the other side of the bridge, to produce different notes. I found you have to push down quite hard to achieve this; I was being too delicate.
Midori got me to play "Sakura, sakura". She was suprised that I knew the melody. I was glad I did, because it made it easier to play for my first time. Soon after another guy, named Charlie, came in. I kinda wanted to be the only guy to join lol, but it's all good. Midori spoke almost entirely in Japanese, so this will be another great opportunity for me to work on my Japanese. Sensei will of course speak in Japanese, and quite fast I was told. I'm really looking forward to doing this. Practice begins on the 28th of this month and go from 4:30 to 7:30. I don't know which nights yet, but I'm pretty sure it's twice a week, which is fine.
So yeah, finished all my homework, feeling a bit sick in the stomach (I think I ate too much), but overall very happy. Everything is falling into place, and I'm really enjoying myself. I'm just gonna do a quick revision of my vocab list then call it a night. Meeting with Dan tomorrow, so hopefully get up to something fun with him.
Sunday 13 September 2009
Day 15 - 13 of September
1:22pm セミナーハウス
天気：曇り
Since I'm writing in my blog at home now, it's obvious that I haven't gone to the eisaa matsuri. The weather has turned out pretty fine, with some cloud cover, but I decided not to go. After going to the aquarium yesterday, I needed a day at home, to clean to room, and do homework, and go grocery shopping. And since it had been raining yesterday, the grounds there would be wet. Lol, well that's how I'm justifying not going anyway. I would have been great but, I'll see others.
So yeah, after eating Deigo's yummy pancakes, I vacuumed the room. I'm going to hang out the futon to air shortly. I still need to go shopping, but I can do that a bit later. What I really have to do right now is my readings for my history, and culture classes. Then I have to study for my vocab quiz in Japanese tomorrow...
7:32pm セミナーハウス
YAY!!! I had pasta and meatballs for dinner. So good, xD. Diego and I went halves, in cooking, buying the produce, and washing up; he washed, I dryed. It turned out really, really well. I bought a better dish towel too. Well... technically it's a bath towel, but it works just fine, if not better. Sanko was packed this afternoon. I bought a lot of fruit and veg, and some rice. I'm going to try to be much healthier from now on. I'm feeling good now, I got everything I needed to get done today finished. Have an early night tonight, cause I have class at 9:00 tomorrow.
天気：曇り
Since I'm writing in my blog at home now, it's obvious that I haven't gone to the eisaa matsuri. The weather has turned out pretty fine, with some cloud cover, but I decided not to go. After going to the aquarium yesterday, I needed a day at home, to clean to room, and do homework, and go grocery shopping. And since it had been raining yesterday, the grounds there would be wet. Lol, well that's how I'm justifying not going anyway. I would have been great but, I'll see others.
So yeah, after eating Deigo's yummy pancakes, I vacuumed the room. I'm going to hang out the futon to air shortly. I still need to go shopping, but I can do that a bit later. What I really have to do right now is my readings for my history, and culture classes. Then I have to study for my vocab quiz in Japanese tomorrow...
7:32pm セミナーハウス
YAY!!! I had pasta and meatballs for dinner. So good, xD. Diego and I went halves, in cooking, buying the produce, and washing up; he washed, I dryed. It turned out really, really well. I bought a better dish towel too. Well... technically it's a bath towel, but it works just fine, if not better. Sanko was packed this afternoon. I bought a lot of fruit and veg, and some rice. I'm going to try to be much healthier from now on. I'm feeling good now, I got everything I needed to get done today finished. Have an early night tonight, cause I have class at 9:00 tomorrow.
Saturday 12 September 2009
Day 14 - 12th of September
10:38am 急行電車
天気：雨天
We're on the sub-exp bound for 京橋 (Kyobashi). It's raining!!! So we decided (spur of the moment) to go to the 大阪 海遊館 (Osaka Kaiyukan - Aquarium), and keep the Hirakata Park trip for another day when it's sunny. Wow, the bus today, to get to Hirakata station, was absolutely packed. The traffic was chaotic, lots of ambulance and police cars; never in my wildest dreams would I want to drive around here! So yeah, here on the train with me are Diego and Jessica. It's going to be an awesome day. The aquarium's supposed to be one of the best in the world. I'm taking the video camera, so should get some great footage if I can get it to work, xD...
11:07am 京橋駅
We're waiting for the JR Loop train bound for 森ノ宮 (Mori no Miya). Then from there we're going to take the 中央 (chuou - central) subway to aquarium...
11:12am 電車
On the train...
11:24am 森ノ宮
Now we're waiting for the train in the subway. We met with a girl, Brittney, whose also going to the aquarium, so we're helping her get there. Overall it's been pretty easy to get here, the signs, for the most part, have had English on them. So now we're bound for 大阪港 (Osaka port).
11:30am 地下鉄電車
On the train. We still have 8 stops until we get there. Money-wise, I think it's been pretty cheap. About $10 to get all the way.
11:48am 大阪港
Off the train walking towards the aquarium. There are signs everywhere, which is really helpful.
1:41pm 海遊館
Sitting here in the aquarium's "Cafe de Clever". Just finished my Mexican sand (I love Japanese-English). Lol, it's a weird looking pocket bread thing with a sausage and mince in it. Spicy too. So far the aquarium has been amazing! It's massive; 7 floors. Otters, penguins, dolphins, seals... They even have two whale sharks!!! It's incredible. Brittney went off on her own; i guess she likes doing things on her own? We've still got 4 floors left. Where we are sitting in the cafe, we can see out over the port. The skies are as grey as the sea.
2:42pm 天保山
We're at the top of the 天保山観覧車 (Tenpozan kanransha - Ferris Wheel), which is apparently the largest in the world? It's pouring, but the view is still pretty spectacular. Ride time is approximately 15 minutes, so you can imagine, it's huge.
3:47pm 大阪港
We're in the waiting room in the subway. The next train is coming at 3:53. My feet are aching a little. After riding the Ferris wheel, we walked around the shops. There were some really cool shops, including a Studio Ghibli shop, and ninja shop. Getting on the train...
There was a really cool stall where you could get your face (photo) grafted into crystal, and another that did anime caricature. There were also lots of clothes shops. One in particular had some really cool shirts and jeans, but a little too expensive at this point in time. I hope Brittney gets back okay. I might see her around Kansai Gaidai. It's been a great day, though silly me forgot to check if there was a tape in the video camera!!! Fortunately, I could get some footage on the memory card, and I ended up taking some more video on my regular camera.
4:58pm 特急
We're on the limited express back to Hirakata; it goes direct to Hirakata without any stops. This is a really cool train; it has two storey seating carriages. After getting off at Mori no Miya, we walked around the edge of 大阪城公園 (Osakajou Koen - Osaka Castle Park). There was a band playing in the park, but you had to have a ticket to get in to see it; we could still hear it though. We could see Osaka castle from where we were and decided that that would be our next adventure. Wow, Brittney caught up with us again. I'm pretty tired now but looking forward to the takoyaki party tonight.
9:35pm セミナーハウス
Well my legs are aching now, but it's a good ache I guess. After we got back to Hirakata station we said goodbye to Jessica; going back to her host family by train. The lines for the buses in the station were huge. We met Seimu and he said it was because of the opening of a new electronics store. We eventually got on a bus, and the traffic was again hectic. We found out why there were so many ambulance and police cars around this morning. There had been a robbery at the 99円 store. Indeed, we had seen police cars out the front of it this morning.
Getting back, the takoyaki was already cooking. It was really yummy; I had about 7. Then someone decided to make them with oreo's, calling them cookie-yaki. It was actually pretty nice. We danced a little, and got told off by Otosan for jumping around. Well not told off; he just came in and asked that we don't do it. He's really cool. I'd better get some sleep. I really hope it doesn't rain again, because I want to go to the Eisaa Festival, *fingers crossed*. Oh, and we found out that Tenpozan was formerly the biggest Ferris wheel; it's now the 14th largest. They need to update their signage...
天気：雨天
We're on the sub-exp bound for 京橋 (Kyobashi). It's raining!!! So we decided (spur of the moment) to go to the 大阪 海遊館 (Osaka Kaiyukan - Aquarium), and keep the Hirakata Park trip for another day when it's sunny. Wow, the bus today, to get to Hirakata station, was absolutely packed. The traffic was chaotic, lots of ambulance and police cars; never in my wildest dreams would I want to drive around here! So yeah, here on the train with me are Diego and Jessica. It's going to be an awesome day. The aquarium's supposed to be one of the best in the world. I'm taking the video camera, so should get some great footage if I can get it to work, xD...
11:07am 京橋駅
We're waiting for the JR Loop train bound for 森ノ宮 (Mori no Miya). Then from there we're going to take the 中央 (chuou - central) subway to aquarium...
11:12am 電車
On the train...
11:24am 森ノ宮
Now we're waiting for the train in the subway. We met with a girl, Brittney, whose also going to the aquarium, so we're helping her get there. Overall it's been pretty easy to get here, the signs, for the most part, have had English on them. So now we're bound for 大阪港 (Osaka port).
11:30am 地下鉄電車
On the train. We still have 8 stops until we get there. Money-wise, I think it's been pretty cheap. About $10 to get all the way.
11:48am 大阪港Off the train walking towards the aquarium. There are signs everywhere, which is really helpful.
1:41pm 海遊館
Sitting here in the aquarium's "Cafe de Clever". Just finished my Mexican sand (I love Japanese-English). Lol, it's a weird looking pocket bread thing with a sausage and mince in it. Spicy too. So far the aquarium has been amazing! It's massive; 7 floors. Otters, penguins, dolphins, seals... They even have two whale sharks!!! It's incredible. Brittney went off on her own; i guess she likes doing things on her own? We've still got 4 floors left. Where we are sitting in the cafe, we can see out over the port. The skies are as grey as the sea.
2:42pm 天保山We're at the top of the 天保山観覧車 (Tenpozan kanransha - Ferris Wheel), which is apparently the largest in the world? It's pouring, but the view is still pretty spectacular. Ride time is approximately 15 minutes, so you can imagine, it's huge.
3:47pm 大阪港
We're in the waiting room in the subway. The next train is coming at 3:53. My feet are aching a little. After riding the Ferris wheel, we walked around the shops. There were some really cool shops, including a Studio Ghibli shop, and ninja shop. Getting on the train...
There was a really cool stall where you could get your face (photo) grafted into crystal, and another that did anime caricature. There were also lots of clothes shops. One in particular had some really cool shirts and jeans, but a little too expensive at this point in time. I hope Brittney gets back okay. I might see her around Kansai Gaidai. It's been a great day, though silly me forgot to check if there was a tape in the video camera!!! Fortunately, I could get some footage on the memory card, and I ended up taking some more video on my regular camera.
4:58pm 特急We're on the limited express back to Hirakata; it goes direct to Hirakata without any stops. This is a really cool train; it has two storey seating carriages. After getting off at Mori no Miya, we walked around the edge of 大阪城公園 (Osakajou Koen - Osaka Castle Park). There was a band playing in the park, but you had to have a ticket to get in to see it; we could still hear it though. We could see Osaka castle from where we were and decided that that would be our next adventure. Wow, Brittney caught up with us again. I'm pretty tired now but looking forward to the takoyaki party tonight.
9:35pm セミナーハウス
Well my legs are aching now, but it's a good ache I guess. After we got back to Hirakata station we said goodbye to Jessica; going back to her host family by train. The lines for the buses in the station were huge. We met Seimu and he said it was because of the opening of a new electronics store. We eventually got on a bus, and the traffic was again hectic. We found out why there were so many ambulance and police cars around this morning. There had been a robbery at the 99円 store. Indeed, we had seen police cars out the front of it this morning.
Getting back, the takoyaki was already cooking. It was really yummy; I had about 7. Then someone decided to make them with oreo's, calling them cookie-yaki. It was actually pretty nice. We danced a little, and got told off by Otosan for jumping around. Well not told off; he just came in and asked that we don't do it. He's really cool. I'd better get some sleep. I really hope it doesn't rain again, because I want to go to the Eisaa Festival, *fingers crossed*. Oh, and we found out that Tenpozan was formerly the biggest Ferris wheel; it's now the 14th largest. They need to update their signage...
Friday 11 September 2009
Day 13 - 11th of September
6:10pm セミナーハウス
天気： 暑い
It's friday evening and I guess I'm going to have a quiet one. I was going to go to some fireworks, but didn't inquire about it. Ah well... not everyday here is going to be action-packed. Tomorrow might be though, with the possiblitlity of going to Hirakata park; an amusement park with 5 rollercoasters and heaps of other attractions; that will be awesome. Then come back and have takoyaki party at the seminar house. And then on Sunday, I'm going to go to エイサー祭り (Eisaa matsuri), a traditional okinawan festival held in the 大正区 (taishou ward) of Osaka. Wow, I have a busy weekend planned, xD!!! Today was pretty lazy. Had my revision test for Japanese at 12; I think I did okay. Came back about 1:30 and did my laundry. Then went to do grocery shopping at 5:30. So yeah, not much. Looking forward to tomorrow anyway...
天気： 暑い
It's friday evening and I guess I'm going to have a quiet one. I was going to go to some fireworks, but didn't inquire about it. Ah well... not everyday here is going to be action-packed. Tomorrow might be though, with the possiblitlity of going to Hirakata park; an amusement park with 5 rollercoasters and heaps of other attractions; that will be awesome. Then come back and have takoyaki party at the seminar house. And then on Sunday, I'm going to go to エイサー祭り (Eisaa matsuri), a traditional okinawan festival held in the 大正区 (taishou ward) of Osaka. Wow, I have a busy weekend planned, xD!!! Today was pretty lazy. Had my revision test for Japanese at 12; I think I did okay. Came back about 1:30 and did my laundry. Then went to do grocery shopping at 5:30. So yeah, not much. Looking forward to tomorrow anyway...
Thursday 10 September 2009
Day 12 - 10th of September
7:47pm セミナーハウス
天気：暑い
BIG day at uni today. I have all four of my class one after the other with only a ten minute break between each!!! I started at 11 this morning, which is the plus side I guess. So yeah, Japanese speaking, then Japanese reading and writing, then Culture and Everyday Life in Japan, then Introduction to Japanese History! I managed to eat some sushi that I had bought earlier between classes for lunch. I bought the last of my textbooks today, and I also bought a new notebook for my journal. After class I hung out with Seimu and his friend Akira for a while, then walked back home, picking up a few groceries on the way. After dinner, Jacinthe was kind enough to let me borrow her battery charger. So, now I'm happy. Not much else to say. I've got my Japanese revision test tomorrow for speaking at 12, so I'd better study for that...
天気：暑い
BIG day at uni today. I have all four of my class one after the other with only a ten minute break between each!!! I started at 11 this morning, which is the plus side I guess. So yeah, Japanese speaking, then Japanese reading and writing, then Culture and Everyday Life in Japan, then Introduction to Japanese History! I managed to eat some sushi that I had bought earlier between classes for lunch. I bought the last of my textbooks today, and I also bought a new notebook for my journal. After class I hung out with Seimu and his friend Akira for a while, then walked back home, picking up a few groceries on the way. After dinner, Jacinthe was kind enough to let me borrow her battery charger. So, now I'm happy. Not much else to say. I've got my Japanese revision test tomorrow for speaking at 12, so I'd better study for that...
Wednesday 9 September 2009
Day 11 - 9th of September
2:09pm セミナーハウス
天気：涼しい、曇り
Wow, it's the 09/09/09 and the first cool day I've had here. It's really nice to be able to walk to and from uni without melting. I had my speaking class at 10. At the moment we're just revising stuff like the potential and volitional forms of verbs. It's worked out really well; I'm up to pretty much exactly the same place in the Genki II textbook here as I was at USC. Still, I've forgotten quite a bit. After hanging out with Christina, and buying my reading for History, "A History of Japan", I went to my reading and writing class. Motohashi sensei seems really nice. We've got a lot of work to do though. I'm going to have to stay focused to keep on top of everything. I've already got so many handouts to look through. I've also got to buy my reading for the Culture and Everyday Life in Japan course, which I'll do tomorrow. Its been a pretty uneventful day for the most part. Makes it easier for me though, cause I don't have to write much, xD. Oh, on the way back from uni I went to the clothes shop. There's this shirt I really want to get, but I think it's a bit expensive for what it is. I'm going to what until it is, hopefully, marked down. They are clearing out their summer clothing at the moment, so I could get lucky.
5:55pm 山田池
I'm sitting in a pavilion out on Yamada lake. From the seminar house, it took me about 25 mins to get here. It was well worth it!!! The vast lake stretches out before me. It is peaceful. I can hear crows crying, the crickets chirping, the cicadas chiming. And yet, just beyond it all, I can hear civilisation; but I can't see it. Trees all around form a wall of green. I feel detached from the outside world. The restful flow of the lake, a uniform motion, broken only by the flopping of a fish above the surface. There is a grove of hundreds of peach trees, which will be wonderful to see in the spring. Right now though, everything is lush and green; the trees not yet ready to shed the leaves of summer.
There are so many stray cats around; they must take pleasure in calling this sanctuary their home. The breeze is light but crisp, reminding me of the autumn that is to come. The sun has almost set; I should be getting back. And yet, I find it hard to move from this spot, as if the spell of serenity will be broken if I make to depart. This journal is almost full; one page left. I'll have to buy another one tomorrow. At this rate I'll be coming home with a box-full. I stand, and cast my eyes once again over the lake. I look forward coming here again. I see a group of egret over on the opposite shore. Ducks swim in a line back to their homes in the rush. This seems like an adequate end to this journal; immersed in the beauty that is Japan!
11:01pm セミナーハウス
So yeah, I walked to Yamada Lake on a whim. I just had an urge to get out so I did. I'd never been before but it was easy enough to find. Coming back at night though was a different story. I ended up getting a little lost. It was all good though, and eventually I came out onto the main street which I know, and then had to walk back up to the seminar houses. When I got back I went up to the kitchen for dinner, and Stephani and Phil were talking about going somewhere. My ears perked up and I asked them where they were going. To the 銭湯 (sentou - bathhouse). I had never been before so of course I wanted to go. We left about 8 with two other guys from seminar house three. The one we went to was only about 10 minutes walk away.
OMG!!! Such an amazing experience. After getting completely clean, you're allowed to enter the baths. The water is so nice and warm, and now I feel so relaxed; my muscles feel like jelly. Something I had to try there was the 電気風呂 (denkifuro - electric bath). It sounds crazy, I know; electricity + water = death right. Well apparently not in Japan. It was the weirdest sensation. An electric current courses through the water, and the closer your body gets to the source, the more intense the feeling. Your muscles feel like they're spasming and going numb. They also had a sauna, a cold bath (going from hot water to cold was certainly a shock to the system), and a kinda lying down bubble bath with overhead lights. We stayed there for an hour. I feel good now. I'm going to sleep soundly. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go again. Wow, I ended up doing a lot today, xD
天気：涼しい、曇り
Wow, it's the 09/09/09 and the first cool day I've had here. It's really nice to be able to walk to and from uni without melting. I had my speaking class at 10. At the moment we're just revising stuff like the potential and volitional forms of verbs. It's worked out really well; I'm up to pretty much exactly the same place in the Genki II textbook here as I was at USC. Still, I've forgotten quite a bit. After hanging out with Christina, and buying my reading for History, "A History of Japan", I went to my reading and writing class. Motohashi sensei seems really nice. We've got a lot of work to do though. I'm going to have to stay focused to keep on top of everything. I've already got so many handouts to look through. I've also got to buy my reading for the Culture and Everyday Life in Japan course, which I'll do tomorrow. Its been a pretty uneventful day for the most part. Makes it easier for me though, cause I don't have to write much, xD. Oh, on the way back from uni I went to the clothes shop. There's this shirt I really want to get, but I think it's a bit expensive for what it is. I'm going to what until it is, hopefully, marked down. They are clearing out their summer clothing at the moment, so I could get lucky.
5:55pm 山田池I'm sitting in a pavilion out on Yamada lake. From the seminar house, it took me about 25 mins to get here. It was well worth it!!! The vast lake stretches out before me. It is peaceful. I can hear crows crying, the crickets chirping, the cicadas chiming. And yet, just beyond it all, I can hear civilisation; but I can't see it. Trees all around form a wall of green. I feel detached from the outside world. The restful flow of the lake, a uniform motion, broken only by the flopping of a fish above the surface. There is a grove of hundreds of peach trees, which will be wonderful to see in the spring. Right now though, everything is lush and green; the trees not yet ready to shed the leaves of summer.
There are so many stray cats around; they must take pleasure in calling this sanctuary their home. The breeze is light but crisp, reminding me of the autumn that is to come. The sun has almost set; I should be getting back. And yet, I find it hard to move from this spot, as if the spell of serenity will be broken if I make to depart. This journal is almost full; one page left. I'll have to buy another one tomorrow. At this rate I'll be coming home with a box-full. I stand, and cast my eyes once again over the lake. I look forward coming here again. I see a group of egret over on the opposite shore. Ducks swim in a line back to their homes in the rush. This seems like an adequate end to this journal; immersed in the beauty that is Japan!11:01pm セミナーハウスSo yeah, I walked to Yamada Lake on a whim. I just had an urge to get out so I did. I'd never been before but it was easy enough to find. Coming back at night though was a different story. I ended up getting a little lost. It was all good though, and eventually I came out onto the main street which I know, and then had to walk back up to the seminar houses. When I got back I went up to the kitchen for dinner, and Stephani and Phil were talking about going somewhere. My ears perked up and I asked them where they were going. To the 銭湯 (sentou - bathhouse). I had never been before so of course I wanted to go. We left about 8 with two other guys from seminar house three. The one we went to was only about 10 minutes walk away.
OMG!!! Such an amazing experience. After getting completely clean, you're allowed to enter the baths. The water is so nice and warm, and now I feel so relaxed; my muscles feel like jelly. Something I had to try there was the 電気風呂 (denkifuro - electric bath). It sounds crazy, I know; electricity + water = death right. Well apparently not in Japan. It was the weirdest sensation. An electric current courses through the water, and the closer your body gets to the source, the more intense the feeling. Your muscles feel like they're spasming and going numb. They also had a sauna, a cold bath (going from hot water to cold was certainly a shock to the system), and a kinda lying down bubble bath with overhead lights. We stayed there for an hour. I feel good now. I'm going to sleep soundly. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go again. Wow, I ended up doing a lot today, xD
Tuesday 8 September 2009
Day 10 - 8th of Septemember
4:49pm セミナーハウス
天気： 曇り
I had my first Japanese speaking class today at 12. Kinda vegged out a bit in the morning, waving goodbye from under the covers, to Diego as he set off to his 9 o'clock class. It is a very small class; only about 10 people. Christina, Joanna, and the girl from Melbourne are in my class, and I've made friends with another guy, Dustin, whom I sat next to today. Miyauchi sensei is very funny, and seems easy-going. He has a strange tendency to end almost all his sentences with ね (ne), sometimes after a pause. Lol, at times we left him hanging when he asked a question (we all seemed pretty nervous), and this made him nervous. We all have to address each other, and be addressed by our last names in the classroom. So I'm Anderson-san, lol. Sensei explained that, using ones first name (at least in a formal situation) is childish. Only kindergarten and primary school teachers go by their first name. He went on to explain that, in the family situation, only his wife and family members older than him can use his first name. This was all in Japanese mind you. I feel pretty confident after understanding most of it. We are expected to speak as much as possible in Japanese in the classroom, and encouraged to do the same outside. Hopefully, this will really push me to become a more confident speaker. As sensei said, mistakes are allowed in the classroom.
After class, I hung out with Jacinthe while doing my Japanese homework (first day and already homework, which is due tomorrow). At 2:30 I had my Introduction to Japanese History class, which is completely maxed out, with over 30 students (and almost 20 on the waiting list). The professor is old, but he's pretty cool. I sat next to Kelly, from Australia, who I remembered from my Culture and Everyday Life in Japan class. I'm really glad I'm writing all these people's names down, it's really helping me remember. This course looks like it's going to be really good. We've already been told about a festival in the area that we can have a look at, and there are two field trips. I'm really looking forward to it.
Walking back this afternoon was nice as it was overcast for a change. Thanks to my history class, I now know the name of the shrine that I walk past along the short cut (杉ヶ本 - Sugigamoto jinja - lit. origin of cedar shrine). They are doing construction there at the moment, which is kind of a bummer, but hopefully they'll be finished soon. I really want to explore to city more, after learning about all the historical sites in the area. Anyway gotta do some more on my Japanese homework...
9:11pm セミナーハウス
Anyway, I've just finished my Japanese homework which is good. Went to a small supermarket called Sanko just up the road, which I had never been to before; it's got a lot of stuff. The electricity pylons
are absolutely massive here (lol, just as a side note). I just ended up buying a 2L bottle of water and some yogurt. Others there were buying a lot of produce. Getting back to the dorm, there were a number of people who were cooking. We have a big kitchen with lots of cooking appliances to use, including rice cookers, and crazy microwaves that can do everything and more. They can even toast bread, even though we have toasters xD. I gotta start thinking about my topic for my USC component of this trip. I have to choose any topic about Japan and research it, and keep a project journal. I've decided that, since I want to join the koto club, I'll research koto or Japanese traditional music. Something along those lines. I've got so much to think about, it's crazy!!! I've just gotta get everything prioritised and take thing one step at a time. It's only early in the piece; can't start freaking out already. Anyway, better get some sleep, got class at 10 tomorrow...
天気： 曇り
I had my first Japanese speaking class today at 12. Kinda vegged out a bit in the morning, waving goodbye from under the covers, to Diego as he set off to his 9 o'clock class. It is a very small class; only about 10 people. Christina, Joanna, and the girl from Melbourne are in my class, and I've made friends with another guy, Dustin, whom I sat next to today. Miyauchi sensei is very funny, and seems easy-going. He has a strange tendency to end almost all his sentences with ね (ne), sometimes after a pause. Lol, at times we left him hanging when he asked a question (we all seemed pretty nervous), and this made him nervous. We all have to address each other, and be addressed by our last names in the classroom. So I'm Anderson-san, lol. Sensei explained that, using ones first name (at least in a formal situation) is childish. Only kindergarten and primary school teachers go by their first name. He went on to explain that, in the family situation, only his wife and family members older than him can use his first name. This was all in Japanese mind you. I feel pretty confident after understanding most of it. We are expected to speak as much as possible in Japanese in the classroom, and encouraged to do the same outside. Hopefully, this will really push me to become a more confident speaker. As sensei said, mistakes are allowed in the classroom.
After class, I hung out with Jacinthe while doing my Japanese homework (first day and already homework, which is due tomorrow). At 2:30 I had my Introduction to Japanese History class, which is completely maxed out, with over 30 students (and almost 20 on the waiting list). The professor is old, but he's pretty cool. I sat next to Kelly, from Australia, who I remembered from my Culture and Everyday Life in Japan class. I'm really glad I'm writing all these people's names down, it's really helping me remember. This course looks like it's going to be really good. We've already been told about a festival in the area that we can have a look at, and there are two field trips. I'm really looking forward to it.
Walking back this afternoon was nice as it was overcast for a change. Thanks to my history class, I now know the name of the shrine that I walk past along the short cut (杉ヶ本 - Sugigamoto jinja - lit. origin of cedar shrine). They are doing construction there at the moment, which is kind of a bummer, but hopefully they'll be finished soon. I really want to explore to city more, after learning about all the historical sites in the area. Anyway gotta do some more on my Japanese homework...9:11pm セミナーハウス
Anyway, I've just finished my Japanese homework which is good. Went to a small supermarket called Sanko just up the road, which I had never been to before; it's got a lot of stuff. The electricity pylons
are absolutely massive here (lol, just as a side note). I just ended up buying a 2L bottle of water and some yogurt. Others there were buying a lot of produce. Getting back to the dorm, there were a number of people who were cooking. We have a big kitchen with lots of cooking appliances to use, including rice cookers, and crazy microwaves that can do everything and more. They can even toast bread, even though we have toasters xD. I gotta start thinking about my topic for my USC component of this trip. I have to choose any topic about Japan and research it, and keep a project journal. I've decided that, since I want to join the koto club, I'll research koto or Japanese traditional music. Something along those lines. I've got so much to think about, it's crazy!!! I've just gotta get everything prioritised and take thing one step at a time. It's only early in the piece; can't start freaking out already. Anyway, better get some sleep, got class at 10 tomorrow...
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