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 189 - 7th of March

6:46pm　快速
天気：雨天
I’m on the rapid express back to Amagasaki; alone. Today was a lot of fun, even though the weather’s been poor. I’m feeling pretty tired now and just want to get back, eat, and then get some sleep… We didn’t get back from karaoke until after 3 this morning; it was totally worth it though! I slept until 9:30 and the readied myself for the day. I decided to wear my orange pants, which turned out to be a bad idea, and not because they attract too much attention. When I bought the pants, there was already a small tear in the left leg, but unfortunately when I bend down, it sits over my knee, and so you can imagine; there’s a huge rip in it now. The pants are still getting plenty of attention, but now it’s the wrong kind; I’m a little embarrassed.

6:55pm　快速
I decided to just stay on the same train since it’s going all the way through to Kyobashi. So yeah, I’m not happy about the pants at all. I’ll have to get Nanny to fix them when I get back; that could be fun… I rode to Makino, and parked my bike in the gutter; hopefully it’s okay still. Then I took the local to Hirakatashi, where I met up with Erin, and we proceeded to take the rapid express to Kyobashi. I knew we could get directly to Takarazuka from Kyobashi (having seen the line when we went to Kobe) so we went for that. Erin and I had decided to go earlier, apart from the rest of the class, so we could check out the area a bit, and see the museum beforehand; the show didn’t start till 3. There are five troupes that make up Takarazuka, each with their own unique style: 花 (hana – flower), 月 (tsuki – moon), 雪 (yuki – snow), 星 (hoshi- star), and the newest troupe, 宙 (sora – cosmos). We would be seeing the snow troupe performing today, with ソルフェリーノの夜明け (Soruferino no yoake – The Dawn at Solferino), as the musical, and カルネヴァーレ睡夢 (karunevaru suimu – Carnevale: A Sleeping Dream), as the revue.

After changing over at Amagasaki, we were on our way to Takarazuka, and made it there before 1. We crossed over from the JR station to the Hankyu Station (the two opposing each other), and had a look around the department store, before finding something to eat; Ramen! We also noticed some of the students in uniform and actors from the Revue (clearly Otokoyaku from there slicked back, short-cropped hair), and contained ourselves not to bother them; there was heaps of merchandise and posters around the department store. After lunch, we made our way over to some buildings, clearly part of the Revue complex (beautiful architecture), and spent time browsing the shops. We walked past an English pub, went into one of the Revue gift shops (everything was so expensive), and even found a small gallery. The artwork was all animal inspired, and the guy there let us take photos, which I found very surprising; maybe because we’re foreigners? After walking through some gardens in the rain, we found our way into the 大劇場 (Daigekijo – Grand Theatre), stumbling upon the museum. Since we received a discount card from the professor when we got the tickets, we thought why not give it a look. I was once again surprised when they said we could take pictures; it certainly made it worthwhile. It wasn’t too big, but there were any costumes, poster, and photos displayed, and we even got some ink stamps; they had a special sheet to put them on…

7:25pm　特急
Now I’m on the limited express back to Hirakatashi, to change over for Makino… Coming out of the museum, we soon spotted to class (very good timing indeed), and after we signed off with Hester, we entered the main hall; it was very grand indeed. After a few more photos (including that of a grand piano that played itself – creepy), we went to get seated; up to lots of escalators to the second level. We were in what the American’s liked to refer to as the nose bleed seats, and indeed we were very high up, though not right up the back. The building’s interior, like its exterior, was really very beautiful, and the stage was no exception. It was immense; by far the largest I’ve ever been in. And then the show! Wow, I was so impressed; never have I seen anything like it before. In some respects, it was more amazing than Beauty and the Beast. The props, costumes, and even the stage itself were spectacular. There was a also a live orchestra, set up in the pit in front of the stage, which was surrounded by a walkway that the actors would frequently use. And although we were quite far back, the view was still good, and seeing all the action was no problem. Lots of people had binoculars, allowing them to see the intricate details of the costumes and make up.

7:39pm
I’m on the sub-express back to Makino; almost home… All the acting was amazing, but I was especially impressed by the Otokoyaku (male role-players), who really could have past as men; well, apart from their sometimes overtly sparkly costumes. But in singing, speaking, and demeanour, they were very masculine and powerful. The Dawn at Solferino was set in 1859, and focused on the war between Italy and Austria, and the creation of the Red Cross. It was very moving; though I’m sure I would have appreciated it more if I could have understood it all. It lasted for about an hour and a half, and then we had a 30 minute intermission. In the time, we all gathered at the grand staircase, and Hester got a picture of us; well several actually, and with several different lenses. Sitting back down again, we were treated to Carnevale, set in Venice, and very, very colourful. It was in complete contrast to Solferino, having no real plot, but instead an amazing array of singing and dance routines. The costumes just kept on getting bigger, more elaborate, and more sparkly, and the stage floor not only rotated, but also had platforms that the actors could ascend from below the stage on. The huge props moved around so fluidly before our eyes, and the lighting was magical…

After it was all over, just on 6 o’clock, Erin and I went to the gift shop (which incidentally is called “Qautre Reves” which means “Four Dreams” in French ~ this kind of doesn’t work anymore since there are now five troupes; I’m surprise they haven’t changed it). Erin was in a bit of a rush since she was going on to a party in Osaka, so I let her go, and continued to browse for a while. I was very excited when I happened upon the piano sheet music for some of their performances. I decided to go out on a limb and buy a book; the piano and vocals for the musical titled “Elizabeth”. I discovered later that this is the most successful German-language musical of all time, and was performed by the snow troupe; which made the purchase all the more meaningful since I’d just seen them. I exited the shop, and sat down on the floor to sort out all the paper I’d collected and accidently ripped my pants even further…

Getting back to Makino, I found my bike very wet, but otherwise okay. Wiping off the seat, I made my way home; luckily it wasn’t raining at that point. As soon as I got back, I went to have a shower to get nice and warm, and then I made gyudon for dinner. I stayed in the kitchen for a little way, talking with Jacinthe, and then I retired to my room, and got in some more study for Monday’s lesson test. I decided to have an early night; Hugo came back sometime after midnight. I thoroughly enjoyed Takurazuka, and would jump at the chance to go again; there is another theatre in Tokyo! Looking back on it now, it was kind of funny that I was one of only two guys in the class that went; I think that says something. Indeed, the majority of the audiences are women, getting there fix of ideal men played by women. I was there for a completely different reason, and came out with a great respect for the actors and their professionalism. It really was an experience like no other, and I’ll remember it for a long time to come.

Day 176 - 22nd of February

10:17pm　セミナーハウス

天気：晴れ、曇り

The weather is definitely warming up, the blooming plum blossoms heralding an early spring. Seriously though, even when it was cloudy and windy this afternoon, it was nowhere near as cold as it has been; I’m so happy. Anyway, what did I get up to today… well, I got up with plenty of time to spare, and still made my way to uni with 20 minutes to spare; old habits die hard. Yes it’s loud, and a bumpy ride, but it’s my bike, and I love it to death; I’ve been so deprived. Riding to uni takes no time at all, so I could walk in at my leisure from the bike parking, talking to Kim on the way; no more having to rush. We watched some really cute little video clips in Speaking today, one depicting the life of a business man, and another full of palindromes (which, as you can imagine, work really well in Japanese). I thought I’d have the tunes stuck in my head for the rest of the day, but now I can’t for the life of me remember then; oh well. After Speaking, I went down to the lounge and sat with Katie and Sarah, and got my homework done.

Soon enough, it was time for Reading and Writing. Although the class is intense, I really feel my reading is improving a lot, and more and more kanji are becoming recognisable; it’s great. Where ever I see a kanji I don’t know, or one I do know in a new compound, I’m always eager to look it up (with my trusty iPod dictionary), and that’s helping a lot too. After Reading and Writing, I rode home, and made Milo pancakes for lunch. I haven’t had pancakes in ages, so it was a nice change. Soon after, I was out again, making my way to Midori. On Saturday when I went there, I accidently bought another Nintendo DS case; I can’t believe I didn’t notice it! So yeah, feeling stupid, I decided I had to go back to try and return it. When I got to Midori, I went into Llife first, and found some sauce for my dinner tonight. After I bought the Doritos at Don Quijote, I knew I had to make Nachos, and since I got out the mince from the freezer, I thought I’d give it a shot tonight.

I couldn’t find anything resembling taco sauce, so I settled for a pasta sauce; I always like to improvise. I then went across to the pharmacy, and bought a refill for my soap. It’s unbelievable, but that one, 500ml bottle of soap has lasted me all this time! I love the slogan on the bottle – “Please feel good smell with your whole heart”. I was worried I’d have to get rid of it, so when I found the refill, I was really happy. I’ve been using the aloe vera extract all this time, so I decided I’d try the orange extract; hopefully it makes me smell yummy. Anyway, after that I went upstairs and was at first hesitant to approach the register. As far as I can tell, Japan is a notoriously difficult place to get a refund on goods. I bumped into Jeremy (he was looking for a new pair of earphones), and told him of my mistake, and he figured the odds of getting my money back weren’t promising. Still, I was determined, and, sucking it up, I approached the register…

I didn’t have to say much before the woman realised what I wanted. And… it was all good! After a bit of number crunching, she had a new receipt printed out, and all I had to do was sign, and I had my money back; I was very grateful. Well, that was certainly easier than I thought it would be; maybe because I got onto it straight away. Elated, I went to tell Jeremy, and then celebrated by playing the piano. Well, I had actually intended on playing it anyway; I even brought some sheet music to practice! Jeremy left me there, and a played for a while. Finally tiring of it, I left Midori, and made my way over to Kirindo, to pick up some basics. Then I was on a mission to find everything I needed for Nachos. I went over to Fresco to get an avocado (they’re the cheapest there), and then rode to Top World. I was able to find sour cream (really cheap since it was almost expired), and a small bag of red kidney beans. I also found that sparkling chocolate drink; since it was so cheap I decided I’d give it a go.

Satisfied with all my purchases, I went home groceries in my basket, and bag on my shoulder; it wasn’t so bad. It was about 4:15 when I got home, and after unpacking my groceries, I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and playing Plants vs. Zombies; those dolphin-riding zombies are so fast in the water!!! I had a nap at 6, and by 6:30 I was so hungry I had to make food. And believe me when I say I was very happy with the result; it looked great, and tasted even better. I’ve even got a bit left over, which I think I’ll eat tomorrow for lunch. The only thing I wish I had had was some proper sauce, but Sarah told me they had some at Top World; I’ll have to look harder next time. After cleaning up, and watching the ice skating for a while, I went downstairs to find Simon, and his Japanese friends watching Batman Forever, dubbed in Japanese. I hadn’t seen the movie in years, and it was actually quite hilarious to watch; more because of how bad it was. Still, I kept me entertained, and we all had a good laugh. After the movie was finished, it was time for all the guests to leave (it was almost 10), and for the rest of us to get some homework done. Hugo returned from dinner, a little after I got settled down. Well, better do a bit of revision for tomorrow’s quiz…

Day 174 - 20th of February

天気：曇り
I finally have a new bike, and the best part about it is that I got it for free… I woke up at about 10 this morning, and talked with Simon, who showed his eagerness in getting all the bike registration stuff done this morning; he had Otousan on his back because he’s only allowed to have one bike. So, as soon as I got ready, we made our way over to the bike shop just past Sanko, where he had first purchased the bike. I insisted we walk, since the handle bars on the bike were very loose. Getting there, the old man who runs the store got everything in order for putting the bike in my name. There are actually four stickers you need on your bike – one for the police (a crime prevention sticker), one with your name and address on it, one to register with the university so you can park there, and one so you can park at the seminar house! The bike shop guy proceeded to take off the crime prevention sticker (he had to use a blow torch to get it off), and the address sticker, replacing them with mine. Then I got him to fix my handle bars; a few quick turns with an Allen key and it was sweet. Now I could legally ride the bike, and I did so in earnest, to the university with Simon.

We went straight to the student affairs office in the main administration building, to get a coupon out of a machine, to take to the CIE so I could register my bike with the uni. Getting there, I had to get a photo copy of the paper I got from the bike shop, and fill out a form, presenting that with the coupon; oh Japan, you and your bureaucracy. Anyway, that was all fine, and I eventually got the sticker for my bike; now I could park at the uni. We rode back in the direction of home, deciding to check out Avail. We spent a little while in there, and Simon found something he like (I didn’t), but was in a bit of a rush to get home, so he decided to think on it. He left before me, since he was meeting someone at 11:30. I was in no rush, but ended up leaving not long after him, not really fussed. I ended up meeting him out the front of the seminar house, and he asked me to let Otousan know the switching of hands had taken place, and he no longer had two bikes. I had to talk to Otousan anyway, to get the final sticker I needed; gotta stick ‘em all. So that was that; I was a bona fide bike owner.

I went back to my room, and got talking to Carly. She’s planning to come back to Japan for a two week holiday, with a really good deal on the plane fare. She’s going to come around the end of May, and looks forward to seeing everyone again, and buying heaps more kimonos at Toji; crazy girl. At around two I had lunch, explaining to yet another person what that green stuff was on my toast; I never get tired of that. I really have been enjoying my avocado and rice on toast for lunch; it’s so good. Back in my room, I did some more chatting, getting my blog updated, before changing the futon linen and vacuuming the floor. After that I was a bit restless, so decided to test out my new bike. I had heard of a great discount store called ドン・キホーテ (Don Kihote – Don Quijote ~ I don’t know the significance of the name. It’s a chain almost exclusive to Japan, with a few stores in Hawaii), past Midori on Highway 1. By foot, it would’ve taken over an hour to get there, but now that I had my bike, it would be totally doable, so I went for it. I’ve pushed the limits of how far I’m willing to walk; now I have to push the limits of how far I’m to bike.

Everything just feels physically closer when you have a bike, and I managed to get there with 30 minutes, the penguin mascot and bright colours making it stand out. I parked out back, and entered. It was absolutely packed, floor to ceiling, of stuff; incredibly dense too. It had two storeys, and I casually browsed, not really finding anything of interest; it was after all, a junk shop. My face did light up however when I finally stumbled upon the imported junk foods section, and found Tim Tams and Doritos. And wow the Tim Tams were way cheaper than they had been on Rokkosan; I guess that makes sense. I didn’t get too carried away though, mindful of having only a small basket at the front of the bike. I picked up a few other things, and went to pay. Don Quijote is duty-free for short term residents if they show there passport, and if they spent at least 10,000円 (over $100 dollars in the store); that was definitely not happening. Happy with what I got, I made my way back along the highway, wanting to check out a few more stores I had spotted on the way. I went to a video-game/DVD place (forgotten the name of it), and got chatting with a random Japanese guy for a little while. After browsing for a little while, I left and went in a nearby second-hand clothes shop; a rarity in Japan indeed. Finding nothing I liked, I made my way back to Midori, past car dealers, restaurants, and Sega world. Of course, as soon as I got there, I couldn’t resist going to play one of the electric pianos on display.

After that, I went and browsed the games, and picked up Final Fantasy Tactics A2, and Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness for the DS, along with a case and screen protectors (with Jack Skellington stickers). I finally got back home at 7:30; I was a little surprised at how long I’d been out. The group were just about ready to watch some more Firefly, so I quickly made scrambled eggs, and took it downstairs. At 9, Rachael had kitchen cleaning duty, and I went up to help; I had to wash my dishes anyway. Biancha, seeing that I was help called me 豪い (erai – admirable), and Yuji went on to explain that erai is used when someone does something even though they don’t have to; there’s probably a good English word for that. It’s also really cool because that word uses the kanji 豪, which stands for Australia; so I was honoured. Getting back downstairs, we continued our viewing and had watched 4 episodes by about 11:30; only 6 more to go. Sleepy, and knowing I’d have to get up early the next day, I went to bed soon after…

Day 156 - 2nd of February

10:11pm　セミナーハウス
天気：雨天
Another rainy day; with the cold and wind added in just for fun. Actually, it was quite mild this morning, especially since I was rushing to class; I was stripping off layers. For some reason I was just really slow getting ready this morning, but I managed to get to class on time anyway. It didn’t notice it yesterday, but our Speaking teacher speaks entirely in Japanese too. I guess that means Japanese is becoming so natural to my ears, that I’m just taking it in; so happy. So yeah, my listening is getting really good, but I’m still struggling with my speaking. I think this semester, in this class, I’m going to get much better though; here’s hoping. It was a very fast paced class, but I do enjoy Saigo sensie’s teaching style. We were doing revision, and he would make the class come up with sentences on the spot, using the grammar points we’ve learnt. I felt I bit sluggish, having not done enough during the holidays; I think a lot of people felt that. After class I went and had lunch in cafeteria 3, with Jo and Kim (from my class), and Rachel, Liz, and Sarah.

We chatted and had a good laugh, until it was time for my 1:15 class; Religion in Japan. Already, I like the Professor. She really engaging, and seems down to earth. We have three field trips, and a few papers to write, and we’re covering Shinto, Buddhism, and Japan’s contemporary religions like Happy Science; it’s going to be really interesting. After class (which today’s wasn’t a full 1 and a half), I went down and checked my mail box to find a letter from Nanny and Poppy. I saw Hugo in the lounge, and talked with him for a while, before Biancha bullied me to go home. I made my way over to the convenience store first, to pick up a folder and something to nibble on, and ended up bumping into Jacinthe on the way. I talked to her in Makkas for a while as she was enjoying her coffee from Seattle’s Best. She had a class to go to at three, so we separated and I left for home.

Soon after getting back, I caught up with Simon, and he wanted to go into to Hirakatashi to see if he could get his watch fixed. I decided to join him, and we made our way part way down the east gate, before it started to rain, at which point Simon suggested we turn back. We did, but it didn’t feel like going home, so I suggested we go to Midori; we saw Luke along the way. In Midori, we had a quick browse, and I was able to find a kanji game for the DS; 200万人の漢検 (200mannin no kanken – 2 million people’s kanji test). I also had a much needed play on one of the pianos. We went into Life (grocery store) below, and I found my beloved mochi, that I’ve only ever found here. I also picked up some more あんこパン (ankopan – red bean paste bun). We crossed over to “The Shoes” (that’s what the shop’s called), and actually found some in our size. There wasn’t anything I really liked, but I might go back.

Getting back, I got straight into playing my new game, and found it addicting. It’s going to be so helpful. Some of the games include having to write (with the stylus) the correct kanji, or hiragana, and choose the correct okurigana for a word. I’ve already pasted level 10 (the easiest) kanji quiz, and now it’s suddenly got a lot harder. You have to think really fast since there’s a 30 second time limit, and the fact that in don’t know some of the compounds makes it difficult. Also, it is sensitive to stroke order, especially with the hiragana, so it will improve my writing to no end; a great purchase. I went up and had dinner around 7, and then chatted with Ash and Katie for a few hours. Finally I got back down here, and played some more before the batteries got low, forcing me to stop and let it recharge. I’ve already finished the revision for Reading and Writing, and I’ll go over all the kanji again from Genki II, then I’ll get started on the revision for Speaking. Tomorrow’s a 10 o’clock start, so better get ready for bed. Hugo’s doing his Japanese homework, asking questions periodically; it’s great to help out, just like with Diego…

Day 120 - 28th of December

6:27am　Denny’s
天気：雨天
We’ve just dropped into Denny’s again; the same one! We’re going to have some breakfast and hang around for a bit. Gonna order now… I’m getting omurice, and Alex is getting the lasagne. Karaoke was so much fun; we managed to keep singing right up till 6. They actually rung to tell us our time was up in the middle of a song; that was annoying. It was so cheap though; totally makes up for the other nights mistake. Our voices are completely shot but so very satisfied. After breakfast, we’re going to go find an ATM, get some money out, and then go back to the hostel and get me checked out, lolz. Then onto Sweets Paradise!!!

7:41am　名城線
We’re on the subway, loop line, and when people get up, we’re going to sit, and sleep; go around the loop for a few hours.

7:51am　名城線
Still standing; well, Alex is sitting on the floor. We’ve ended up on the 名港線 (Meiko line), bound for Nagoya port. So now, we’ve officially been on every subway line in Nagoya bar one, which only has one stop anyway; Not bad for 4 days work…Yay, sitting down now; time to sleep!

10:27am　Hostel Ann
Showered, packed, and ready to go; Alex has crashed on the lounge. We ended up going around the loop over 1 and a half times, before getting off at Kanayama. I was thinking about getting a DS today, but decided it can wait; I want to find a second hand one. We’re still go to Sweets Paradise though; I found exactly where it is. Still got half an hour before I have to check out; watching a really old Bruce Lee movie on TV called “game of death”.

3:29pm　新幹線
Just got on the Shinkansen, and I’m speeding back to Kyoto; sitting on my suitcase again, but I don’t mind. I’m just really, really tired; as soon as I get home I just want to crash on the futon. The sun’s already low in the sky, so the day will be over when I return. I have no idea what I’m going to going to have for dinner; I have nothing in the fridge. Maybe I’ll just make rice. I’m nowhere near hungry now anyway… After checking out of the hostel (which served its purpose most adequately), we took the subway to 矢場町 (Yabacho) where Sweets Paradise is. It was a little hard to find, since the complex it is situated in (Parco) was actually made up of three interconnected buildings (south, east, and west). We went into the south building first, unaware of the others at the time. It took as a bit before we actually realised it was in the east building; it was easy to find it after that.

We reserved a table, and had a 30 minute wait. I decided to do some exploring; Alex stayed put. So many clothes; all so expensive… I did find a great music shop though, which had heaps of sheet music. I found some Studio Ghibli stuff first, and almost died when I found the Final Fantasy books; Finally!!! I bought 2 and then made it back just in time for us to be seated. I think I did a lot better than last time; in the 70 minutes I had two plates of cake, two bowls of ice cream, bowl of fruit, and a plate of spaghetti. I think Alex really enjoyed it too. I was smaller than the one in Shinsaibashi, but still really great. On that floor (the 8th), there was also a cooking studio for workshops, which looked really cool. After getting stuffed, we went back to the music store, and I played some more piano for Alex, sight reading from one of my new books; she had to help me hold it open. After spending about an hour there, we went back to Sakae, and then look the Higashiyama line to Nagoya. Then it was time to say goodbye; miss Alex already. Anyways, time to rest a bit…

4:00pm　京都
Just made it to Kyoto, now onto Kintestu line, then Keihan, then bus home…

4:51pm　バス
Just got on the bus at Hirakata station; almost home. Coming out of the loudspeaker in the station is a koto piece I recognise from koto club; I think it’s rokudan. So cool… so there you have it, the end of my Nagoya trip; I can’t believe it’s over already; it really was an amazing trip, but went so fast. Probably has something to do with the fact that we turned 4 days into 2! I think I’ll just have a lazy day tomorrow; probably do my laundry.

Day 64 - 2nd of November

10:02pm　セミナーハウス
天気：寒い
9 o'clock class; always a joy. Nah, it's not that bad. In my break, I paid my insurance, and had lunch; katsudon as usual. Caught up with Charlie, and talked for a bit. He's finally better, so could come to koto club. I had a kanji quiz in Reading and Writing, and then in CEL we had a pretty interesting discussion about Japanese women in the workplace. After class, I met Peter and we went over to the club building where they keep a baby grand piano. A guy was already there, playing music from Final Fantasy incidentally. I never did catch his name, but he was really good. And there with him was Dan, whom I haven't seen in almost 2 months. He told me he's been very busy with uni and his part-time job; we didn't really talk much. He left soon after with his friends. I'm kinda disappointed that we haven't gotten on better but, not much I can do. Anyway, Peter, the other guy, and I took turns playing; I found it so hard to play without the sheet music. The guy told me where I might be able to find some; in Shinsaibashi.

After playing, I went to koto club. Charlie brought all the things he had made in his ceramic classes, and gave me one of them as a present! It's a beautiful blue glazed dish; so cool. He had a lot of catch up to do in terms of practice; most of us have gotten through the whole piece. And as usual, he had to leave early to participate in his okaasan's tea ceremony. Since tomorrow's a national holiday (文化の日 - Bunka no hi - Culture day) there won't be any koto club. Next week though, we have to have our kimono's because the sensei is coming to teach us how to wear them. So, Mark, Justin, Sean, Charlie and I are going to Kyoto on Sunday to buy them. It's going to be fun. Today I realised just how close the international festival is; just 3 weeks! I'm freaking out a little to be honest.

Walking back from koto, it was absolutely freezing (10 degrees it said on the forecast tonight). I went to Kirindo and Fresco to pick up a couple of things and then took to bus home; I wasn't about to die of pneumonia, lol. And it started to rain too, so it was lucky I did, cause I didn't bring an umbrella. I was happy to get home; it was warm inside. It was past 9 by the time I ate (mince and pasta dish). It was our week again for kitchen duty, and Diego took it upon himself to clean for both of us since I was eating; I think that's the cleanest I've seen the kitchen. Anyway, tomorrow, holiday. I'm not going to do much though. I seriously need to get assignments done, and study. It'll be a nice quiet day inside, all warm and snugly.

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.