Day 265 - 22nd of May

9:30pm　特急
天気：晴れ

Carly and I are on the rapid express to Tambabashi, on our way to Kyoto station; we’re catching the night bus from there. And I thought I had a lot of luggage but no, Carly manages to outdo me; and she’s the one who’s only here for two weeks! Anyway, I am now officially finished!!! We had our graduation today… Getting back from karaoke at 5:30, I had a few hours sleep and got up at about 8:15. I quickly got ready, as we were supposed to be seated by 9:30, and ended up making it with time to spare; I had to ride my bike one last time. I was really happy to see so many people in Kimono; girls and guys alike…

9:55pm　普通

We’re on the train to Kyoto station now. We don’t have to be at the buses until 10:50, so we’re making really good time; having to drag our luggage in and out of tiny elevators isn’t much fun though. Anyway, as I was saying, it was really nice to see so many students wearing kimono; they all looked so good. In contrast, there were unfortunately quite a few guys who felt it appropriate to just come wearing jeans and a t-shirt; ah well, what can you do? After some photo-taking, I went and got seated in my assigned seat in the front row; that’s the nice thing about alphabetical order. The ceremony didn’t end up starting until after 10, with people still trickling in up to the hour. We did keep to time though, so it was fine once we got into it. After introductions, it was time for us to receive our certificates. Well, in actual fact what we got was an empty folder; the certificates were distributed to our mailboxes for us to collect after the ceremony. Seemed like a smart idea to me…

11:22pm　高速バス

Off we go on the night bus, and holy wow it’s tiny; lucky we got the back seats so we can recline all the way. Still, there’s absolutely no where for me to put my legs; maybe I can figure something out. Oh my gosh, getting here was a mission and a half. Once we got to the station, we ended up walking (staggering) to the wrong side of the station, so had to turn around and go right the way back to the other side. Finally we did make it, and soon found the check-in point. We had a bit of time before the bus arrived, so Carly went to pick up some yatsuhashi for Diego, and then I went to get some dinner; onigiri! The area was packed full of late night travellers, and more than 10 buses would be ready to board at any one time; it was really hectic. Eventually, our bus number was called (number 8) and we made the final haul, getting on just in time; we were actually the last to board. It’s not too uncomfortable I guess; Carly’s already asleep. Anyway, I still haven’t finished talking about the rest of my crazy day… After we all got our certificates (didn’t end up taking that long), we heard a long flowery speech from the Australian consulate of Osaka (same guy as last semester). Following that was the American consulate (who had a stutter), a visiting professor from an American university I forget the name of (he was very engaging), the President of the university (who had a translator), and then two international students, one of whom was Nadezhda…Well, they’ve turned all the lights off now, so I’ll have to finish this in the morning!

5:30am　高速バス

We’re just leaving our second rest stop now, and I think we’re only about half an hour away from Tokyo; I decided to get out and explore a bit and found a map that pointed this out to me. It’s bright outside, but that weather’s looking very dull, so I have no what we’re going to get up to today. Anyway yesterday…looking very Japanese in her purple kimono; yes that was the end of my sentence last night. Both of them presented in Japanese, talking about their experiences of Japan; I thought they did a great job. Then Motohashi Sensei (my reading and writing Sensei from last semester), talked to us about the results of a survey she had conducted to find the top best and worst things about Japan according to international students at KG. I can’t remember what the worst thing was (maybe narrow roads), but the best was of course the food. I have to agree with this whole-heartedly; I’m certainly going to miss Japan for its food. After all the speeches, we there was a special performance from the vocal group, and what did they sing; Angela Aki’s “Tegami”. This time I got most of it recorded; so happy to be able to hear it one more time. I’m going to miss singing it at Karaoke; it was one of my favourite songs. And with that, the ceremony was over!

From the hall, we all meandered over to the main cafeteria to enjoy the bountiful spread prepared for us; I went and picked up my certificate first. The food really was amazing, and there was so much variety; I didn’t try even half of what was on offer. Inside the cafeteria, it was extremely crowded so I didn’t stay for long, opting to go outside and sit with friends. I stayed around for a while, chatting and taking photos with people, hoping to spot Mori and Midori Sempai. Soon, Mori and Ume-chan emerged from the sprawl, and after Midori arrived they presented my with a wonderful parting gift; a large card with all my Sempais’ comments written on it; Mori had drawn a Totoro motif on it! Now we had to try and find Maarika. Carly and I had talked with her earlier on; she had in fact lost her voice. We went over to the club building to see if she was there; she wasn’t. So, Midori and Ume-chan went on a search and in the mean time, I got to play the piano for a while; that’s something I’m definitely looking forward to doing often when I get home. Eventually Maarika came over (with food of course), and she received her gift, Carly and I said our final goodbyes, and then made our way back to the Seminar House. While I’m going to miss the friends I’ve made in the club, and playing the koto, I don’t think I’m going to miss having to sit in seiza for prolonged periods of time!

The rest of the afternoon was quite stressful, with the last of my packing, cleaning, and sorting to be done. I got my straightener to Katie (she had payed me the previous day) and then okkasan invited us into the office, to show us pictures, and let us know that Otousan has Skype; I think that’s so cool. At about 3:30, I made French toast and scrambled eggs, so as to use the last of my bread; I donated my eggs, cheese and butter to Ash. Everything else went into the “not empty seasoning” box, which was already bulging with food; I hope someone can benefit from it. After eating, I quickly cleaned my kitchen box and fridge, but ended up missing Natchan’s inspection at 4; soon after, she was tied up helping people getting their parcels to the postman. Among them was Rachael, and she was sending a tonne of stuff home; I’m glad she could get it all sorted. She was still there during, and after my inspection, which didn’t end up commencing until 5:30; that gave me just enough time to prepare. That was all done in no time, and Okaasan was very impressed…

6:12am　高速バス

We’ve just arrived at Shinjuku station; our stop is next… After check-out, I could finally relax; for a little while. All the girls had gathered in the lounge, waiting to see me off; that was very special. This also meant that I could hand out all my gifts at once; bonus. Carly and I ended up sticking around until about 8, and we finally got the opportunity to play the Hetalia card game; that was quite enjoyable. Finally, and regrettably, it was time to say goodbye. I had already been subjected to a big group hug (not that I minded), and then got to hug everyone individually, even Ash who is generally the “hands-off” type. At the threshold, I was seen off by Katie, Ash, Rachel, Rachael, Sarah, Otousan and Okaasan, and Yuji and Natchan; I also got a hug from them. Kind words followed, and promises to never forget Japan and to visit were made, and then I stepped out into the night, laden with luggage; good-bye Seminar House 2… Just kidding!!! After we left, Carly decided she would go straight to the hotel, while I took my stuff to Makino station. Since I would be sending the last of my parcels, with Katie to help me carry them (bless her), after waiting around up the street for a while, I decided to return to the Seminar House. I dropped my stuff outside and burst in, running to the toilet; I thought it would be smarter to go at this point. I made it just as Katie was leaving, and got to hug Ash and Rachel one more time.

This time, it really was good-bye, and Katie and I made the trek to the 24 hour post office located just past the karaoke place; it was a tough walk. We eventually made it though, and I got to filling out the address forms. Katie soon left (after sending her postcards), and I decided to but another box, to lighten my second checked bag; I ended up getting almost 6kgs out of it. Getting all the done, I made my way over to the station and got to see Katie one last time; she was waiting for a friend in the station. Elevator up, I met Carly on the platform and then all the fun of the night ensued… We’ve arrived at Tokyo station now; at long last, I’m in Tokyo!!!

Day 261 - 18th of May

11:13pm　セミナーハウス

天気：晴れ

Well, I would have started writing this earlier, but my laptop decided to die from overheating; I almost thought I would too. Anyway, today turned out pretty well, and now I only have one more day left before I’m completely finished with uni; academically, at least… Like yesterday, after breakfast I did some last minute study, and then got to uni a bit early, and sat with Katie and Julie in the lounge. At 10, I had my exam and it actually turned out better that I expected; not that that’s saying much. But still, I feel pretty confident about it. Sensei was so nice, letting the last of us have a few more minutes; we had to move into another room. It was a long exam okay… After that was done, I went and had lunch with Jo, Nathan, Kim and two Japanese girls, one of whom had studied at their university last semester. I opted for Makkas, and was glad I got in early, because soon after the line was way out the door; the Japanese students all finish class at the same time. After lunch, I made my way home, doing a small shop on the way; just bread, milk, and an onion.

Getting back, I got the laundry in and started to get that put away. Carly soon arried, and then we got into some serious packing. Well, to tell the truth, Carly did all the packing while I worked on my essay; she’s a really good packer. It was a good thing she left me her space bags too; they worked a treat. After getting everything I wouldn’t be wearing packed, I weighed the suitcase, and it came to just under 15kgs, which is absolutely wonderful. I’ll fit 5 more kilos of stuff into that, and then buy another small suitcase if need be; I’m pretty sure there will be a need. I’m also going to buy a new carry-on bag since my other one broke; before I even got on the plane to get here! While I wasn’t working on my essay I helped out, getting things sorted, and starting to chuck things out; it’s all going well. As for my essay, I’ve still got a while to go, but I have tomorrow to finish it; I got all the research done this afternoon.

For dinner, I had gyudon (again), and made Carly her Mac and Cheese. Then spent about an hour more on my essay, before finding out that enrolment for USC started yesterday; thank you Alex!!! So I got straight onto that, and had almost completed it when Yuji came by, and went through the inspection procedures with Hugo and I; we went to the kitchen, and to his room. About half an hour later, we were finally done and I got straight back to enrolling. I now have three courses, and will be going to uni on Tuesdays and Thursdays; so much easier than here. It just means I can find a job, and have plenty of days to work; yay for money. Mind you, from this point onwards, all the courses I’ll be taking will be either business or politics; no more Japanese. Still, I think I’m going to sit in on the Japanese classes whenever I can; otherwise I’ll lose everything. I’m really glad I got that sorted out though; and not a minute too soon. If I had found out much later, I probably wouldn’t have had very much choice at all; first come, first serve system. Tomorrow, I’m going to get my essay finished, and then go into uni to get everything sorted out; I hope…

Day 144 - 21st of January

8:13pm　セミナーハウス
天気：雨天
Finished cleaning; well pretty much… Got up at 9 this morning, and left for Toji at 10; Ryan arrived just before. We walked to Makino and it was drizzling, the sky moist and grey; it had rained the night before. Ash felt right at home, and insisted she didn’t need an umbrella. Soon after reaching the flea markets however, it started to pour; not that that deterred the crowds. Ash and Katie were in bliss, seeking out kimono stalls and the shelter they offered. They got quite a few things. As usual, I just enjoyed browsing; started forming some ideas of what I should get though. Katie found this really cool toy that, when spun, mimics the look of a bubble! It’s basically strips of iridescent plastic that “merge” together when spun. It’s a really cool idea though; looks great.

After about an hour and a half, we left the flea market, out an exit I hadn’t been before. I hadn’t realised just how huge the markets were; this arm extended right the way up to the shinkansen line. We walked further down, past the massive shopping centre that’s opening in spring, and went into Kyoto station. Not far from the door, was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s a bit hard to explain, but basically it’s a fountain of timed water jets, cascading from the ceiling to the floor, that creates shapes, patterns, words and even kanji!!! It was seriously awesome. It wrote ようこそみやこみち and then the translation, “Welcome to Miyako-michi. And then it created images of historical sites in Kyoto, including Toji pagoda, and heaps of different patterns; I was transfixed. We watched it till the completion of the circuit, and then continued through the shops, and over to the other side of the station; facing the Kyoto tower.

Katie wanted to see if she could book tickets for the Beauty and the Beast musical, or in Japanese 美女と野獣 (Bijo to Yajuu). This perked my interest, so we went together to check it out. The theatre is in Kyoto station, and the stairway to it was decked out in red carpet. Inside the foyer, there were statues of classic anime characters, including Astro boy, and Kimba the Lion. After a bit of thinking, I decided I was in, and we chose a day and got the tickets. We’re going on the 6th of Feb, for the Matinee performance at 1:30. It’s going to be so incredible, and so cool to watch in Japanese! After that, we went to donut king and indulged, before catching the train back home bound. Katie and Ash decided to go on to Hirakata station, but I got off at Kuzuha, and then changed for Makino.

I went and bought the Pokémon: Heart Gold Soul Silver walkthrough, at the Keihan store, and then went on to Sanko, to pick up bread and sauce; bread for lunch and sauce for dinner. I got home at about 3, had lunch, and then began cleaning my kitchen box and utensils. I also clean the fridge. Just as I finished, Ryan came up, and I inquired if he’d moved the stuff out from the bottom of the fridge. He said he had and that he’d cleaned it also. Lolz, well now it’s doubly cleaned. Here I was worrying about him getting things done, and he had finished everything by the time I’d gotten back; he’ll be moving to seminar house 4 tomorrow. When I came back down, I put my laundry away, and dusted the shelves. He was watching Mad Max on his laptop; I recognised the Australian accent. When I told him I hadn’t watched it, he said, “What kind of Australian are you?” That inspired me to watch it, along with many other Aussie classics, as soon as I get home!

At about 7:30, I went up and made dinner; my last home-cooked for a while now! I made spaghetti bolognese. Simple, but it meant I used up my last carrot, most of the onion, and the rest of my meat and pasta; so I was happy and so full afterward. I thoroughly washed my plate and cutlery, and then came back down. Yuji soon arrived at our door, accompainied by our new RA, Asumi. He inquired about by progress with inspection, and I let him know that everything but the floor, and shoji doors were done. We explained that we were going to be getting up at 8 tomorrow to vacuum; he implored us to have it done on time. Then I went up and showed him my kitchen box and the fridge; Ryan had already showed his. He was most satisfied, and I’m sure relieved; one less to worry about. I really hope it does go smoothly tomorrow; fingers crossed. As soon as it’s over I’ll be so happy. I don’t think I’ll do much else tomorrow; probably just mail Tamblyn’s shoes. Well, I think I’m going to go have some dessert now, and then say goodbye to the pots and pans…

Day 143 - 20th of January

9:55pm　セミナーハウス
天気：曇り
Well, I’m still connected to the internet. Supposedly, our laptops are supposed to be disconnected from the network today; that was the “gentle reminder” from CIE, lol. This is in preparation for next semester, and I also have to go in next week (orientation) to re-register my laptop; such a pain. Oh well, has to be done. So, today… well, we ended up getting home at about 4:30 in the morning; it was epic! Surprisingly, though not so surprisingly, Ryan wasn’t back yet. So I showered, and then hit the futon. I managed to get up at 11. I washed my hair, put on a load of washing, and then went up to the kitchen and made pancakes. I was so happy; they all turned out perfect. The trick is really, really low heat; I actually turned off the gas completely a couple of times so it wouldn’t get too hot. I happily munched away at them, saving some for tomorrows breakfast.

I got back down, and took the washing out, and then a bit later, I had a nice long chat with family, during which I opened up the box of Tambyln’s shoes, to check them out; so cool!!! Got Devo's address, so I should get them mailed off by the end of the week. At about 4:30, I had a snack, and then started clearing out my kitchen box. Since we won’t have a kitchen key for orientation week, we have to move all our food to our rooms. The fridge, but we have to make sure we put everything in there in a bag too, otherwise it’ll be chucked out. We also get our gate key taken away, so curfew of 10; how bothersome. Well, I got all the food moved, so I’m happy about that; I’ll be cleaning the fridge tomorrow. I watched the rest of Hetalia; as much as I could watch. There are 52 episodes, but the last two haven’t popped up on the internet yet, so I wait in eagerness.

I went up to make dinner at about 8. I actually used one of the Continental packets; carbonara pasta and sauce. I fried strips of chicken, carrots, and green capsicum (kindly donated by Jeremy), and mixed that in with the pasta, and it turned out great. I was a little afraid the sauce wasn’t going to thicken, but it turned out fine; successful meal. I helped clean the kitchen, and then enjoyed my dessert of mandarin, red bean bun, and milk. Ryan’s still not back, and I’m a little concerned; I just hope he shows up for the inspection. Well, tomorrow I will be going to the Toji flea market (the big one), with Ash and Katie at about 10. Then later on I’ll be cleaning; be so happy when I get back into the semester and regularity. I think I’ll play my DS for a while now…

Day 140 - 17th of January

10:38pm　セミナーハウス
天気：晴れ、曇り
Today was very active, and really awesome… I got up at 9, and readied myself for today’s outing with Nadezhda. We were out of the seminar house by about 10:30, making our way to Makino. It was, at that point, a beautiful, warm day, so much so, that I decided to wear just a jumper (my new red one); this proved to be a bad move later on. Anyway, we went from Makino to Kuzuha, switched to a rapid express, then onto 三条 (Sanjou). From sanjou, we took the 地下鉄東西線 (chikatetsu touzaisen – Subway “east to west line”), three stops across to 二条城前 (Nijoujoumae). The peculiar thing about this subway was that glass walled off the track from the track, and there were automatic doors in front of the train doors. Nadezhda and I wondered why the walls were needed; were they just for decoration. Indeed, the colour of the automatic doors changed at every station. Also the warning signal in the subway had to be the best I’ve heard yet; it’s a pretty little koto motif.

We soon arrived at Nijoujoumae, and made our way up and out into the fresh air, with the castle wall beckoning us from across the street. We eagerly made our way over, purchased tickets, and took a few pictures out front, before entering the grounds. We firstly came across a gate leading into the 二の丸御殿 (ninomaru goten – Ninomaru Palace) and the detail, though faded, was spectacular. Entering the palace, we had to take our shoes off and don slippers, and no photography was allowed inside. It’s just one of those places you have to actually go into to see, and I really appreciate that. I was by no means disappointed, and while I have no photos to show, I will try to describe it as best as I can. The first thing I noticed was the design on the ceiling. It was made up of squares, and within each square, a detailed motif; many flowery designs. The palace is made up of five connected buildings, and each building had a different design on its ceiling.

The next thing I noticed was a strange squeaking beneath my feet. We were soon to find out that the floors were deliberately designed to produce a noise. This method of construction, 鴬張り (uguisubari – “nightingale flooring”), was used in the wooden corridors to protect the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins; clever thinking. Although I haven’t heard a nightingale call, I definitely hear the likeness to a bird chirp; so cool. And finally, I notice the paintings that cover the walls of all 33 rooms; over 800 tatami mats. Oh my gosh, it was incredible. Each room had a different theme, here pine trees and mountains, there fans and chrysanthemums. Tigers, peacocks, pheasants, horses, cherry blossoms, rivers, ducks, cranes… all backed by gold leaf. It was so beautiful; the outside world was brought inside. The wall paintings are attributed to artists of the 狩野派 (kanouha – Kano School), one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. Another cool feature was a set of red tasselled doors in some rooms where the shogun’s bodyguards could come out and protect him.

And this was all done over 400 hundred years ago. Incredibly, all of the original paintings (over 3000) survived, and while most in the palace were reproductions, we were assured that they were as close to the originals as possible; using traditional methods, and natural pigments. After exiting, we continued through a beautiful garden, and over the inner moat, to the remains of the 本丸御殿 (honmaru goten – Hommaru Palace). Unfortunately, the interior is only open to the public on special occasions. We made our way through more gardens to the 天守閣 (tenshukaku – keep), well… where it stood at least; it was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground in 1750. So all that’s left now are the stone foundations; provided a good view of the grounds though. We finally circled out and back around to the front, through some many gardens, which will look so impressive, come spring.

We went to the gift shop, and I bought a pin of the palace, then got two more for a machine; couldn’t resist. Further along was a memorial exhibition hall, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the palace (2003). Inside, we got to see the original wall paintings of the 四の間 (yon no ma – 4th Grand Chamber), in the Ninomaru palace. This room featured hawks and pines, and was the where officers were received, and the weapons kept; perfect theme. Being able to see the walls up close, albeit behind glass, was great. The exhibition hall was also set up with the same dimensions as the original room, so we could really get a feel for what it was actually like. More than satisfied, we left the castle, grey clouds not dampening our spirits one bit. Although it wasn’t exactly what I had expected (there was no “castle”), I still found it an incredible experience.

Now very hungry (it was almost 2), we went in search of somewhere to eat, and soon found it down the road; ramen shop. Gosh I’m becoming such a fan of ramen; I love it more and more every time I eat it. I also drank the green tea there. It was cold and so dilute I could hardly taste the tea; quite refreshing. Nadezhda and I were still rearing to explore Kyoto, so after letting our meals go down, we exited and turned left, following the main road, having no destination. We got to a big intersection, and Nadezhda spotted Kyoto tower to the right. Since neither of us had been to the top before, we decided to go for it. But first, since I recognised the area, I took Nadezhda to the 六角堂 (rokkakudou – Hexagonal hall). It was great going back there again; the swans were particularly active today. After that, we continued walking towards the tower, down the main road, before spotting another temple; the 平等時因幡薬師 (Byoudouji Inabayakushi). It was absolutely dead (there was much construction work also), and we felt compelled to whisper; such an amazing atmosphere.

Shortly after, we come across another wondrous complex; the 東本願寺 (higashi honganji – “East temple of the original vow”). Such a grand name certainly fit the enormity of the buildings. The gate itself was impressive enough, but the temple within rivalled that of the todaiji in Nara. The building next to it, the Amida hall, is currently decked out scaffolding, but will be opening in 2011; another thing to come back and see). The complex is 99,000m2 and is one of the dominant sub sects in Shin Buddhism. The other, as we were soon to find out, is the 西本願寺 (nishi honganji – “West temple of the original vow”). We didn’t look around too much as it was getting late, and very cold. It was very close to the tower, so we were soon inside, and shot up the elevator to the top observation deck of the 131m tall building; 100m at observation deck.

The views of Kyoto were spectacular. We had come at a good time, when the sun was setting, and the mountains turned to gold. Surprisingly, the binoculars were free, and we spied a number of sites, including Kiyomizu temple, Toji Pagoda, and the Momoyama castle. One problem with the binoculars, for me at least, was that they were too short, so I had to basically squat to see through them. Supposedly, we were able to see Osaka castle from the top too, but we couldn’t find it. We stayed up there till dark, watching the colours of the sky slowly change, and the lights of the city come on; it was equally beautiful at night. The mountains in the background were so black, and we noted that south of the tower was much brighter, in terms of lights, than the north. I guess it’s because all the historical sites aren’t lit up, and they make up the majority of the area; seriously. You can never see enough it Kyoto!

At about 6, we left the tower, and walked over to Kyoto station, taking some photos of the tower from various angles and heights; I took Nadezhda all the way up the sky garden. Getting out of the cold (and yes, I was really feeling it in my just jumper), we found our way over to the Kitetsu line, and got a train to Tambabashi, before hoping on a local back to Makino. The trip back was so nice, and warm, and restful, and when we did get to Makino, I really didn’t want to get up. Both needing some groceries, we went over to life. I just got some meat, cereal, and these great little buns filled with red bean that Jo had offered us one time; Nadezhda spotted them. Finally getting back home (what a relief), I set about making dinner; shepherd’s pie. It wasn’t until after 9 that I sat down and ate; peeling potatoes is time consuming, lolz. I was very happy with the meal though; got a bit left over for tomorrow too. After dinner, I had milk and a bun, and then went down to my room, and did a quick little tidy up.

As I was making dinner, Yuji explained that he needed to come down to my room to talk about the inspection this Friday! Since I took so long, he’d left the kitchen and went to do homework, so I had to go find him in his room and drag him away from it. He cautioned that this inspection would be more thorough than the last and, since everyone will have their inspection on the same day, there is no room for mistakes. He also showed concern for Ryan’s absence, and asked me to inform Ryan as soon as he gets back, to go see Aki to get the information from her. We also went up to check my kitchen box, and then the fridge, and Yuji was impressed by how clean it was; I only have to wipe it down. It helps when I’m practically the only one using it; there’s like two things in there of Ryan’s, and no one’s in the other room that shares our fridge. And talk about being in the right place at the right time, we both got cake from Aki; it was absolutely delicious. Finally, got to have a shower… Well better get some sleep now, going to animate in Hirakata, and then onto Umeda with Ash and Peter tomorrow!

Day 114 - 22nd of December

10:43am　普通電車
天気：晴れ
We’re on the local train to Kadomashi. And when I say we, I mean Carly and I, and her luggage, which weighs as much as another person; we’ll call her Casey. We walked all the way from the seminar house to Makino station with Casey at about 10 this morning and gosh it was a mission. This was not fun at all, compared to yesterday with Diego and Jessica’s luggage, which would have weighed less than Casey. At Makino there wasn’t an elevator to get into the station, so was had to split Casey up and take her down in pieces; that was not pleasant. Luckily, there was an elevator to get onto the platform. Well, we’re on the train now, time to relax before the final haul…

11:17am　普通電車
And back to Makino I go… alone! Bye Carly…

11:12pm　セミナーハウス
Long day! After getting to Kadomashi, I helped Carly drag Casey all the way to the monorail, getting though the ticket gate without a ticket; it was all good though cause I was coming straight back out. Bought a ticket back to Makino; had to switch over at Kayashima again. I finished off my 4th journal this morning, so now onto the 5th. Getting back to Makino, I bought a loaf of bread and then walked home; so much easier without Casey being all uncooperative. Since it was past 12 when I returned, I didn’t have much time to get the rest of my room in order; I was so glad I’d done most of it last night. When Okaasan came I was just finishing up. My inspection was about 20 minutes, so I didn’t beat Diego, not by a long shot; oh well, it’s all done now. After lunch, I brought my new futon in and set it up. And when I say new, I mean brand new. They’re much better than the old ones; I was really comfortable napping this afternoon. I also put out my roommate-to-be’s futon; the room doesn’t feel as empty now.

I made pizza for dinner (again), and chatted with Yuji, Jacinthe and Kyle. Jacinthe made this amazing recipe from Quebec called Sucre a la crème (sugar and cream). It’s a lot like fudge, but creamier. She put a box on the table for everyone to share; it was delicious. Kyle bought a new DS game but was having trouble figuring out how to do it, since it was all in Japanese; Jacinthe and I were puzzling over it for a while too. So many people have left now, and most of the people who are staying here for winter, have already left for travel. Katie and Ash went to Tokyo yesterday, Jacinthe is going on Thursday, Jo has gone to Hokkaido, as has someone else. Well, I’ll be going to Nagoya soon, so I don’t feel too left out. I think it’s time for bed now. Tomorrow I’ll drop into to uni and do some grocery shopping in the morning, talk with family at lunch, and then I’m going to 中之島 (nakanoshima) for the 光のルネサンス (Hikari-Renaissance) from 5 till 10; so excited. A huge array of light displays are going to be there; I hope I can get round to see most of it.