Day 264 - 21st of May

9:54pm　特急

天気：晴れ

I’m on my way to Toji; alone! I slept in, so I was 30 minutes late to meet Carly. I’m guessing she’s already on her way, and I don’t blame her; I’m really not doing a very good job keeping time. I might catch her when I get there; hopefully I can find some nice souvenirs at the market today. I don’t really know what I’m looking for. I’m just coming out of Kuzuha now, so got a little while before I get there. It’s sunny, but there’s a thick haze in the air; no doubt because of how much humidity there was yesterday…

5:43pm　快速

We’re on the way back home now; hurting all over. Today was intense!!! When I got to the markets, I spent a lot of time browsing and buying. I bumped into Katie with her friends, and a few other people from uni, and I eventually found Carly; she was already laden with kimono. Since it was open to the public, I decided I’d go have a proper look at the pagoda; it was even more impressive up close. What was really cool was the fact that I could actually go inside the structure. The central pillar was surrounded be statues of Buddha; it was very special. I think it was about 1:30 when we finally left the markets, and I was really happy with all my purchases; I got heaps of gifts for people, and I even got a new wallet made from sea snake skin. Actually, having a wallet made from snake skin is supposed to be good for monetary luck. Now I just have to get used to it; it feels so light in my pocket. We walked to Kyoto station, and I noticed that the new mall wouldn’t be opening until the 4^th of next month; I was really disappointed. We walked through the station in the cool (it had actually turned out to be a really hot day), and took the subway to Shijo. We decided to go to Sweets Paradise for lunch. We were so hungry and exhausted by the time we got there that it was absolutely wonderful.

I got lots of cake, jelly and ice cream, and felt like I was going to explode; I will miss Sweets Paradise!!! We got out of there at about 4, and then went over to Teramachi once again; well actually, the street running parallel. On the way, I stopped at a few more places to pick up more gifts. Walking along the street, I spotted the sign for animate and had to go in; yet again, more gifts, and a few things for me! By that point, I had so much stuff that I had to buy my bag to put it all in. I decided on one from the store I had gone to yesterday. It’s a duffel bag, and I’m hoping it’s going to fit a lot of my clothes; it’ll be my second checked bag. Now I just need a carry-on bag and I’ll be sweet. There were a few there, but they were pretty pricy. So I’m going to wait. As you can imagine, we’re very sore by now and as soon as I get back I have to get straight into cleaning and packing; Yuji’s coming to inspect at 7. Then after that, karaoke time; I’m going to die…

10:07pm　カラオケ　－　牧野

Just got to Karaoke; feeling good… As soon as we got back to the seminar house this evening I started stressing, and got considerably worse over the next two hours. It was 7 by that time, and Yuji was already asking if I was ready for my inspection; of course I wasn’t. So, I was graciously given until 8:30 to get everything done; admittedly, I freaked out a lot. But, I got through it, and Carly was a lifesaver, doing most of the packing and helping to clean. It ended up that we got till 9, since Yuji was preoccupied; I needed every second. I didn’t end up cleaning out my kitchen box or fridge; there just wasn’t enough time. So Natsuki has to check that tomorrow; Yuji’s going to be out. After all that I was sweating like anything so had shower and washed my hair. It didn’t help that as soon as I got out of the shower I was sweating again. In that time, Carly had weighed my bags, and I’m a few kilos over. But, I think I’ll be fine because I still have to buy a carry-on bag, which I can stuff with the rest of my stuff. It just means that I’m not going to be able to buy anything in Tokyo!!! Oh well, I’ll still be able to do some awesome sightseeing. It’ll mean I have some money left over too... Ash and Roisin have joined us, coming from the 黒執事 (Kuroshitsuji – “Black Butler”) musical. Rachel’s flailing all over the place, envious that she didn’t get to go with them. They bought the program and a heap of other merchandise; looks like it was a lot of fun. Anyway, all night karaoke now, and then graduation at 9 tomorrow; YAY!!!

Day 263 - 20th of May

11:32pm　セミナーハウス

天気：曇り

Today was a very long day; I’m exhausted. But, I picked up lots of goodies, and saw a wonderful show, so it was worth it. And, it wasn’t nearly as hot as it has been recently, although the air was damp all day… After waking up at 9, to find Hugo missing, I got ready for the day and then took the bus to the station. En route, I rearranged all my badges and pins, so now they cover most of the bag and there is a decent space between each of them; it looks much better in my opinion. I met Carly in Hirakata at 10:30, and we went over to the bank so I could close my account, and she could cash some traveller’s checks. She ended up taking longer than me, because the bank wanted to know her hotel’s address; they couldn’t find it! Eventually everything was sorted out, and we came out a whole lot richer. Taking the rapid express to Gion Shijo, we walked around for a little while, me trying to figure out Katie’s instructions. It was getting close to 12, so I was getting a little anxious. We did end up finding the street though, and were seated just after 12; a bit early but anyway. Since all the regular seats were booked out, we had to sit in the second floor balcony on cushions. We were right next to the stage, looking at it at a diagonal. Unfortunately we were on the side where the walkway wasn’t visible; it was right under us. So we couldn’t see the orchestra or some of the action. Apart from that, and the mild discomfort, it was great; certainly for the price.

Of course, Katie had ended up with front row seats (she did end up having to pay more) and we soon caught her attention as she sat down. Her two friends are visiting from Canada and after the show we got acquainted. Seeing as it was getting close to 2 by that time, we decided it was time for lunch. After meeting up with Sarah near the station, we made our way over to Sukiya; it was cheap and delicious. After eating, we slowly made our way over to the Teramachi shopping arcade, the girls stopping it shops along the way. Once at Teramachi, I took them to the second-hand kimono place, and while they were browsing, I tried to sell my kimono. Well, that didn’t turn out very well at all. Not only did they not want to buy it, they wouldn’t even except it as a donation; this made me wonder where they actually got their kimono from. I don’t know, maybe I just wasn’t negotiating properly, or maybe it’s because I’m a gaijin. It just meant I had to haul it around for the rest of the day, and believe me it’s not light. After exiting the shop, Katie and her friends went to karaoke, and Sarah, Carly and I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping; separately!

Well not at first. We went over to the t-shirt printing place, and I got exactly what I wanted. I had to pay a bit extra because the expression was so long, but it was totally worth it. I now have a bright yellow shirt that says 豆腐の角に頭をぶつけて死ね (tofu no kado ni atama wo butsukete shine – “Go bash your head on the corner of a block of tofu and die”) on it!!! Extremely satisfied, I made my way over to ABC Mart, to see if I could find a pair of shoes for my brother; I couldn’t. I had left the girls at a fabric shop, and when I returned, they weren’t there. I waited around for a bit, then went back to ABC Mart; no sign of them. I walked back to the fabric store again, and they weren’t there, so I decided to just continue on; maybe I’d bump into them again. Well, I didn’t, but I went to a heap of shops, and found some really great stuff. I tried looking for some bags and found a few places, but I wasn’t entirely certain about any of them; I needed a second opinion. So, I’ll have to get them tomorrow for sure. I found another Village Vanguard (it’s also in Kuzuha Mall and has a whole lot of crazy, fun stuff in it), but didn’t end up buying anything. I also had a look around some of the small temples and shrine crammed between the shops; everything looked so lush in the rain.

I ended my shopping in a music store, hitting the jackpot on the 4^th floor; piano sheet music!!! I ended up buying four books: two Kingdom Hearts piano arrangements, the Advent Children piano solo, and Chopin; one of the pieces Austria always plays in Hetalia is Chopin’s Nocturne, so I want to learn it. I was so happy after that, but my legs were killing me. I had a lot of bags, but luckily one of the shopkeepers offered me a really big bag to put them all in; that was a huge help. I made my way back to the station, and after buying some sweets from the bakery, I decided I’d do a little more looking around before heading home; I had just enough energy left. Since Book Off was just upstairs, I browsed that for a while coming back empty-handed; oh well. On the way home, I drifted in and out of sleep; having a chair was very comfortable. I finally got home at about 8, and went straight to dinner; leftovers with rice. I stayed up there until about 9 and when Sarah came in, I asked her what happened; after they left the fabric shop they went into the 100円 shop so I must have walked straight past them. Anyway, it all turned out okay. I spent the next hour sorting stuff out, and then after saying goodnight to Carly, I went and sat down to watch the drama with the girls; this week’s episode wasn’t nearly as dramatic as the last one. Still, it was fun and a chance to practice listening. Well I’d better get some sleep since we’re going to the flea market pretty early tomorrow. And 0% chance of rain…

Day 244 - 1st of May

10:10am　バス停　－　保険所前

天気：晴れ

It’s another beautiful, sunny day in Hikone and we’re sitting here outside the hotel, waiting for the next bus; we’ve just checked-out. The first order of business today is to find an ATM that will accept my debit card, as the one in Laswons did not; we’re going to take the bus in to the station. After that, I don’t know…

12:18pm　米原駅

We’re in Maibara station, waiting for the train to 南彦根 (South Hikone). We decided to come here to Maibara, and then found out there really was nothing here; oh well. So we’re going to the mall in South Hikone and hopefully that’s okay… I was able to find an ATM that would take my card; it was in a post office. I’ll have to remember that for next time, even though there probably won’t be a next time; my last JASSO instalment should be coming in soon. After getting the money out, we had a look around a nearby department store, and I had to buy a ひこにゃん ("Hikonyan" - the cities samurai-cat mascot) plushie becuase he is absolutely adorable ~ he is modeled off the Daimyo (lord) "Ii Naokatsu", who ordered Hikone castle's construction in 1603. Coming out of the store, we noticed there was a protest going on in the street; I didn't get a chance to read what the banners said, but I think it was something to do with money. We took a few more pics of Hikone, and then were off to Maibara. As soon as we got out of the station, we realised that there really wasn't much to do here; the map confirmed that. So, after a bit of deliberation, we decided that it would be best if we went to the mall; it was my original plan after all...

5:19pm　新快速

I’m on the special rapid express, back to Kyoto. It’s been a long, tiring day and while I had fun, I’d glad to be going back home… After getting to South Hikone, we made our way over to “Viva City”, the mall, which was just outside the station. As soon as we got in, I had to find something to eat, and right there was a bakery; the bread was so cheap, and so yummy, and one of them was shaped like Ponyo. Just inside the main entrance, they had a heap of stalls set up, like those you would see at festivals, with balloons, balls, and of course 金魚すくい (kingyo sukui – “goldfish scooping”). After eating, we browsed many of the shops on the first floor, and I bought a Totoro pencil case, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days on DS; both were on sale. I also wanted to buy some boots, because the store was having a really great sale, but there weren’t any I like enough to pay for even at the discount. On the second floor, I found some nice plaid shirts that were all half price, so I bought two; one green, and one maroon. Looking around at the other guys shops, everything was so expensive. We did find this shirt that read, “Underground f**k department” on the front; and no the other letters weren’t stared. We eventually came to an arcade zone, which included karaoke, bowling, purikura and even a cinema. While the karaoke was much too expensive, we had to do the purikura; it’s mandatory. It was actually really intense, as the time between photo-taking became increasingly shorter and we would have to get ready for the next picture really quickly, changing from a lower, to upper camera sometimes; got some great photos though. After the rakugaki and printing them out, we had a bit of a situation.

Alex had dropped her phone somewhere in there, and couldn’t find it; we searched around and under the machine for about 10 minutes. Not having any luck there, we decided to go and ask the people at the counter, who immediately got onto it. Within minutes, we had a lady taking as down to the information centre on the first floor and there it was! I think that’s incredible that in the space of five minutes, someone has picked up the phone, and taken it downstairs to hand it in; Alex was certainly very relieved. After all the excitement, we had a well deserved ice cream from Baskin and Robins. I tried two of the new flavours, Peach Melba, and Coconut Grove; both were amazing. And the fact that, during Golden Week double scoops are 31% off, made it even sweeter. Our last stop for the day was Toys ‘R’ us, just to have a look; it was in a building on its own adjacent to the mall. I really wanted some Lego (which is a lot cheaper over here) but restrained myself, knowing that I wouldn’t want to ship it home. After that, we made our way back to the station, and I decided to take the train to Maibara with Alex, since I would be able to catch the special repaid from there; only local trains stopped at South Hikone. Getting to Maibara, the train to Kyoto was already in the station, so are farewell was cut short as I had to run down the stairs to make in on just as they were closing the doors; the last time with Alex in Japan was over! I’m about halfway to Kyoto now, so I’m going to get some rest…

10:49pm　セミナーハウス

It feels so good to finally be in bed; I’m so exhausted. After getting back to Hirakata, I decided to take a quick look in animate, and picked up a few things. Then I caught the bus home, and was soon in the kitchen making dinner. I got to catch up with Julie, Ash and Rachel, while eating my gyudon. At 9, since no one else but Rebecca had shown up, with decided to help clean the kitchen; I didn’t really mind. After that, a group gathered in the lounge to watch Princess Mononoke, and while I love the movie, I wasn’t too fussed; I’ve seen it many times. Instead, I took a shower and then started to get everything sorted out. I think tomorrow will simply be a catch-up/blog day, and I’ll have to do some washing and buy groceries too. Wow, this is my last month in Japan; I’m still having a blast…

Day 215 - 2nd of April

5:32pm　特急

天気：晴れ

Hugo and I didn’t end up going to sentou last night since Yuji had to talk with Otousan. By the time they had finished it was almost 11 o’clock, so we decided it would be best if we didn’t go; we’re going to go on Monday instead. Oh well, it just meant that I had some more time to study, and read Reborn; I’m getting close to finishing. Katie, Sarah and I are on our way to see the light up at Nijo Castle in Kyoto. Although it was raining this morning, the weather has cleared up now, so it’s going to be great. Today was the orientation day for the incoming Japanese students to Kansai Gaidai, so there were masses of people in black business suits; men and women alike. At Tambabashi now…

6:11pm　地下鉄

On the subway to Karasuma-oike, to change over for Nijo; it’s almost dark now, and it’s not overly cold. Anyway, today… I woke up just before 8, and got to uni a little early. In Reading and Writing, we spent most of the lesson covering the grammar points in the textbook, most of which we’ve come across before; always a good thing. Then it was on to Speaking, and Saigo sensei played us another song by Moriyama Naotorou called 涙 (Namida- tears). We watched the music video, and again it was very simple; he sat there naked for most of it! Well, he certainly knows how to make low-budget videos; I was quite effective actually. After that, Saigo sensei showed us a really cool onomatopoeia animation; very cute. Then we got into the grammar; we’re revising passive, causative, and causative-passive. After class, I got a snack from the convenience store, and then made my way over to the club building. Within, I found Maarika and Kirianna waiting for Mori Sempai. Kirianna is in my Religion class, and I had not realised she had joined koto club; I haven’t been to the practices for a while. Maarika received a text from Mori Sempai saying she wouldn’t be coming until 1, so we decided to just go to the club room to practice.

I practiced sandan for a while, and then wanted to practice the new piece, 京人形の夢 (Kyoningyo no yume – Dreams of a Kyoto Doll). So, not having a copy of my own, I took Marrika’s to the convenience store to copy. I got back just before Maarika had to leave for class, so at least I could get her copy back to her. Then it was just Kirianna and me; she was practicing Sakura sakura. Soon after 12, we got interrupted by two Japanese girls; they opened the door, looked in, and then closed it again. I guessed they were looking for Mori Sempai, so I went out and met them in the hall. One of the girls “maybe” wanted to join the club. We talked for a while, and then I let her know that Mori Sempai would be back at 1; they left shortly after. With that, I got back to practice, and gave Kirianna some pointers. When Mori Sempai did arrive, she talked to us about next week’s concert, and then asked if Kirianna had been practicing hanagoromo; she hadn’t even received the music. Upon hearing this, Mori Sempai apologised and immediately provided her with the music; she’s got a week to get it down! I help her with the first page, and then had to leave for class.

As soon as I got there, I noticed a number of my classmates staring down at the grounds; they were “checking out the freshies”. I couldn’t help but to join them, and continued to watch until the professor came in. Today, we talked about Japan’s population crisis, motherhood, and watched an interesting segment for a documentary describing two foreign women’s lives in Japan married to farmers in Hokkaido. After class, I went back to the club building, and got a bit more practice on koto; Maarika and I were able to play Kyoningyo no yume together. At about 4 we packed up, and then I did a quick shop at Fresco, before riding home; it was sunny by this point. As soon as I got back, I went to the kitchen, unpacked my groceries, and then had an early dinner; last night’s pasta bake on toast. Katie soon joined me, confirming that we would be leaving for Nijo castle at 5. So, after eating, I got rugged up, and then met then in the lounge. We took the bus down to Hirakatashi, and caught the train from there. We’ve just arrived at Karasuma-oike now…

8:14pm　二条城

I’m sitting here waiting watching a koto performance in one of the halls in Nijo Castle. They’re playing very un-Japanese sounding pieces, which is actually pretty cool; a nice way to finish off the walk around the grounds. Well, we’re going to go get something to eat now…

9:08pm　スター・バックス

We’re in Starbucks, and I’m about to enjoy a caramel steamer; they aren’t selling the sakura steamer anymore. Oh well, give this a go…

9:41pm　特急

Now we’re on the train back to Hirakatashi. Tonight was really great… after getting to Nijo castle, we made our way around the designated route, laterns lighting our path. We soon come upon a grove of sakura, spotlights illuminating their flowers. A lot of the trees weren’t in full bloom, which was a little disappointing, but this was the best opportunity I had to come, so I took it. Throughout the night, I kept switching between my video camera and photo camera; at one point, I had one in each hand. We continued on from the first grove, past the inner moat, which was lit up creating interesting patterns on the castle walls; the carp were also surfacing in the lit up areas. There were some really cool works of art on display, each one using light as a medium; a tree, lotus, “paper crane”, and some sort of abstract statue. Getting to the eastern side of the grounds, we walked past the tea house, and garden with bamboo all lit up green. Sarah’s batteries had died so, since we have the same camera, I let her borrow mine. Unfortunately, for some reason, they died after 5 minutes; I’m thinking the lower voltage here in Japan isn’t charging the batteries as well. So that was a bit of a shame; luckily my first set lasted. Anyway, we’re almost at the station, so I’ll continue later…

11:06pm

I just got home and had a shower; feels great to lie down!!! Anyway, to wrap up tonight’s adventures… We soon came upon another large grove of sakura, and this one was much more promising than the first. Some of the trees were so big they spanned the pathway, and most were at full bloom, except for the weeping varieties. After marvelling at them for a while, we rounded a corner to find ourselves surrounded by stores selling foodstuffs and traditional craftwork. I wasn’t really interested in any of that, but the sound of music drew me to the hall where the koto performances were taking place; there were three set up in front of a huge ikebana display. We had to wait until 8:20 for the next performance, but it was definitely worth it; I was able to record the entirety of the first piece before the batteries run out. The performers (all female and dressed in kimono), played 3 pieces, and as I said they didn’t sound very traditional; I seriously thought I recognised one of the pieces, but just couldn’t pick it.

After that we made our way over to the souvenir shop, taking a few photos of our shadows on the wall en route. I, of course had to get some more pins for my bag. Katie on the other hand, got a really nice tapestry depicting a scene in Kyoto. Satisfied, we made our way back to the subway, and took it to Sanjo. Once there, we walked over to the Starbucks on the other side of the river, and each indulged in some warm beverages while soaking in the view of the river. Finally, we made our way back to Hirakatashi on the Keihan line, sitting in the upstairs compartment of the train carriage. As soon as we exited the station, we noticed the bus for home had already pulled in, and quickly rushed over to board it. We really didn’t have to though, because it was another 5 minutes before it actually left, and by that time it was absolutely packed… I’ve just uploaded my photos from tonight now, and most of them are really blurry, but oh well; I don’t expect much from my camera at night. Tomorrow’s trip to Nara will be perfect though. I should be meeting Julie in the lounge at 9, so I’d better get some sleep now, and pray for good weather…